Geodetic model of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence inferred from InSAR and GPS data

We investigate a large geodetic data set of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)and GPS measurements to determine the source parameters for the three main shocks of the 2016Central Italy earthquake sequence on 24 August and 26 and 30 October (Mw6.1, 5.9, and 6.5,respectively). Our preferred model is consistent with the activation of four main coseismic asperitiesbelonging to the SW dipping normal fault system associated with the Mount Gorzano-Mount Vettore-Mount Bove alignment. Additional slip, equivalent to aMw~ 6.1–6.2 earthquake, on a secondary (1) NEdipping antithetic fault and/or (2) on a WNW dipping low-angle fault in the hanging wall of the mainsystem is required to better reproduce the complex deformation pattern associated with the greatestseismic event (theMw6.5 earthquake). The recognition of ancillary faults involved in the sequencesuggests a complex interaction in the activated crustal volume between the main normal faults and thesecondary structures and a partitioning of strain releas

Referral in a routine Italian optometric examination: towards an evidence-based model.

Italian optometrists refract patients and prescribe optical appliances. The routine optometric examination that is currently conducted in Italy, however, does not include a comprehensive ocular health assessment. Like many other countries, in Italy ophthalmologists are solely responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of ocular pathologies, yet, the care an optometrist provides must be done with the aim of promoting the general and ocular health of patients seen in practice. Such scope has to be pursued using a close collaboration with ophthalmologists, ultimately facilitating the earliest medical diagnosis and minimisation of visual impairment. Referral represents the basis of optometrist-ophthalmologist collaboration, yet, no guidance is available to Italian optometrists indicating when referral is warranted. The purpose of this study was to identify the circumstances deserving a referral in a routine Italian optometric examination in adults, ultimately constituting preliminary evidence-based indications of a referral model oriented to enhance the ocular and general health of patients. A literature review was conducted on Pubmed and the Cochrane Library, mainly targeting high quality secondary literature such as systematic reviews, meta-analysis and clinical guidelines. Several reasons for referral were identified. Further, while a wide range of anomalies of the visual system are likely to be discovered by the Italian optometric examination, up to 20% of patients could suffer an underlying condition undetected by the current assessment. This results in the need to refer seemingly healthy patients if they have not attended routine ophthalmological examinations within optimal time frames. In Italy, and countries with similar settings, the referral is an essential instrument that optometrists must largely use to ensure early diagnosis of ocular conditions by ophthalmologists and minimisation of avoidable visual impairment

Coseismic and initial postseismic slip of the 2009 Mw 6.3 l’Aquila earthquake, Italy, from GPS measurements

Here we report the preliminary results of GPS data inversions for coseismic and initial afterslip distributions of the Mw 6.3 2009 April 6 L’Aquila earthquake. Coseismic displacements of continuous and survey-style GPS sites, show that the earthquake ruptured a planar SW-dipping normal fault with ∼0.6 m average slip and an estimated moment of 3.9 × 1018 Nm. Geodetic data agree with the seismological and geological information pointing out the Paganica fault, as the causative structure of the main shock. The position of the hypocentre relative to the coseismic slip distribution supports the seismological evidence of southeastward rupture directivity. These results also point out that the main coseismic asperity probably ended downdip of the Paganica village at a depth of few kilometres in agreement with the small (1–10 cm) observed surface breaks. Time-dependent post-seismic displacements have been modelled with an exponential function. The average value of the estimated characteristic times for near-field sites in the hanging-wall of the fault is 23.9 ± 5.4 d. The comparison between coseismic slip and post-seismic displacements for the first 60 d after the main shock, shows that afterslip occurred at the edges of the main coseismic asperity with a maximum estimated slip of ∼25 cm and an equivalent seismic moment of 6.5 × 1017 Nm. The activation of the Paganica fault, spatially intermediate between the previously recognized main active fault systems, suggests that strain accumulation in the central Apennines may be simultaneously active on distinct parallel fault systems.Published1539–15461.1. TTC - Monitoraggio sismico del territorio nazionale1.9. Rete GPS nazionaleJCR Journalrestricte

Coseismic and post-seismic slip of the 2009 L'Aquila (central Italy) MW 6.3 earthquake and implications for seismic potential along the Campotosto fault from joint inversion of high-precision levelling, InSAR and GPS data

After the April 6th 2009 MW 6.3 (ML 5.9) L'Aquila earthquake (central Italy), we re-measured more than 100 km of high-precision levelling lines in the epicentral area. The joint inversion of the levelling measurements with InSAR and GPS measurements, allowed us to derive new coseismic and post-seismic slip distributions and to de- scribe, with high resolution details on surface displacements, the activation and the slip distribution of a second- ary fault during the aftershock sequence that struck the Campotosto area (major event MW 5.2). Coseismic slip on the Paganica fault occurred on one main asperity, while the afterslip distribution shows a more complex pattern, occurring on three main patches, including both slips on the shallow portions and on the deeper parts of the rup- ture plane. The comparison between coseismic and post-seismic slip distributions strongly suggests that afterslip was triggered at the edges of the coseismic asperity. The activation of a segment of the Campotosto fault during the aftershock sequence, with a good correlation between the estimated slipping area, moment release and distribution of aftershocks, raises the opportunity to discuss the local seismic hazard following the occurrence of the 2009 L'Aquila mainshock. The Campotosto fault appears capable of generating earthquakes as large as his- torical events in the region (M N 6.5) or as small as the ones associated with the 2009 sequence. In the case that the Campotosto fault is accumulating a significant portion of the current interseismic deformation, the 2009 MW N 5 events will have released only a small amount of the accumulated elastic strain, and then a significant hazard still remains in the area. Continuing geodetic monitoring and a densification of the GPS networks in the region are therefore needed to estimate the tectonic loading across the different recognized active fault systems in this part of the Apennines.Published168-1852T. Tettonica attivaJCR Journalrestricte

PO-145 ERK5 pathway inhibitors inhibit the maintenance of chronic myeloid leukaemia stem cells

Introduction Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-driven neoplasia characterised by the expression of the constitutively active tyrosine kinase BCR/ABL. CML therapy based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKi) is highly effective in inducing remission but not in targeting leukaemia stem cells (LSC), which sustain the minimal residual disease and are responsible for CML relapse following discontinuation of treatment. Our aim was to address the effects of the inhibition of the ERK5 pathway on the maintenance of CML LSC. Material and methods KCL22 and K562 CML cell lines, patient-derived CML cells or CD34 +peripheral blood cells from healthy donors (informed consent) were incubated in normoxic or hypoxic (0.1% O 2 ) primary cultures (LC1) in the presence or the absence of drugs. At the end of incubation (day 7), cells were analysed on a flow cytometer to determine the expression of stem cell markers or transferred to drug-free normoxic secondary cultures (LC2) to measure LC2 repopulation as a read-out of progenitor/stem cell potential (CRA assay). In the serial Colony Formation Ability (CFA) assay colonies were scored on day 7 of each passage (III passages). In the Long-Term Culture-Initiating Cells (LTC-IC) assay the number of colonies was scored after 14 days. Compounds: XMD8-92 (ERK5 inhibitor) and BIX02189 (MEK5 inhibitor); imatinib and dasatinib (BCR/ABL inhibitors). Results and discussions In CML patient-derived cells and cell lines, we found that the MEK5/ERK5 pathway is active and necessary for optimal proliferation in low oxygen, a condition typical of normal hematopoietic and leukemic stem cell niches. Treatment of primary CML cells with XMD8-92 or BIX02189, but not with TKi, strikingly reduced Culture Repopulation Ability (CRA), serial Colony Formation Ability and Long-Term Culture-Initiating Cells (LTC-IC). Importantly, inhibition of MEK5/ERK5 was effective on CML cells regardless of the presence or absence of imatinib (IM), and did not reduce CRA or LTC-IC of normal CD34 +cells. Interestingly, in hypoxia, combined treatment XMD8-92/IM decreased the expression of genes relevant for stem cell maintenance such as c-MYC, SOX2 and NANOG and the expression of CD26, a CML LSC marker. Conclusion We propose ERK5 pathway inhibitors as a novel therapeutic approach to prevent CML relapse and, in combination with TKi, enhance induction of remission

GPS observations of coseismic deformation following the May 20 and 29, 2012, Emilia seismic events (northern Italy): data, analysis and preliminary models

In May-July 2012, a seismic sequence struck a broad area of the Po Plain Region in northern Italy. The sequence in- cluded two ML >5.5 mainshocks. The first one (ML 5.9) oc- curred near the city of Finale Emilia (ca. 30 km west of Ferrara) on May 20 at 02:03:53 (UTC), and the second (ML 5.8) occurred on May 29 at 7:00:03 (UTC), about 12 km south- west of the May 20 mainshock (Figure 1), near the city of Mirandola. The seismic sequence involved an area that ex- tended in an E-W direction for more than 50 km, and in- cluded seven ML ≥5.0 events and more than 2,300 ML >1.5 events (http://iside.rm.ingv.it). The focal mechanisms of the main events [Pondrelli et al. 2012, Scognamiglio et al. 2012, this volume] consistently showed compressional kinematics with E-W oriented reverse nodal planes. This sector of the Po Plain is known as a region charac- terized by slow deformation rates due to the northwards mo- tion of the northern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt, which is buried beneath the sedimentary cover of the Po Plain [Pi- cotti and Pazzaglia 2008, Toscani et al. 2009]. Early global po- sitioning system (GPS) measurements [Serpelloni et al. 2006] and the most recent updates [Devoti et al. 2011, Bennett et al. 2012] recognized that less than 2 mm/yr of SW-NE short- ening are accommodated across this sector of the Po Plain, in agreement with other present-day stress indicators [Mon- tone et al. 2012] and known active faults [Basili et al. 2008]. In the present study, we describe the GPS data used to study the coseismic deformation related to the May 20 and 29 mainshocks, and provide preliminary models of the two seismic sources, as inverted from consensus GPS coseismic deformation fields

The RING GPS network: a research geodetic infrastructure to study plate boundary deformation in the Central Mediterranean

We present the INGV (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) geodetic research infrastructure and related facilities, dedicated to the observation and monitoring of current deformation of the plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia. The recent increase of continuous GPS (CGPS) stations in the Central Mediterranean plate boundary zone offers the opportunity to study in detail the present-day kinematics of this actively deforming region. For answering all the open questions related to this complex area, INGV deployed a permanent, integrated and real-time monitoring CGPS network (RING) all over Italy. The RING network (http:/ring.gm.ingv.it) is now constituted by more than 150 stations. All stations have high quality GPS monuments and most of them are co-located with broadband or very broadband seismometers and strong motion sensors. The RING CGPS sites acquire at 1Hz and 30s sampling rates (some of them acquire at 10 Hz) and are connected in real-time to the INGV acquisition centers located in Roma and Grottaminarda. Real-time GPS data are transmitted using different systems, such as satellite systems, Internet, GPRS/UMTS and wireless networks. The differentiation of data transmission type and the integration with seismic instruments makes this network one of the most innovative CGPS networks in Europe. Furthermore, the INGV data acquisition centers acquire, archive and analyze most of the Italian CGPS stations managed by regional or national data providers (such as local Authorities and nation-wide industries), integrating more than 350 stations of the CGPS scientific and commercial networks existing in the Italian region. To manage data acquisition, storage, distribution and access we developed dedicated facilities including new softwares for data acquisition and a web-based collaborative environment for management of data and metadata. The GPS analysis is carried out with the three main geodetic-quality softwares used in the GPS scientific community: Bernese GAMIT an GIPSY-OASIS. The resulting daily solutions are aligned to the ITRF2005 reference frame. Stable plate reference frames are realized by minimizing the horizontal velocities at sites on the Eurasia and Nubia plates, respectively. The different software-related solutions consistency RMS is within 0.3 mm/yr (Avallone et al., 2010). The solutions are then evaluated with regard to the numerous scientific motivations behind this presentation, ranging from the definition of strain distribution and microplate kinematics within the plate boundary, to the evaluation of tectonic strain accumulation on active faults. The RING network is strongly contributing to the definition of GPS velocity field in the Italian region, and now is able to furnish a newly and up to date view of this actively deforming part of the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary. INGV is now aiming to make the RING (and integrated CGPS networks) data and related products publicly available for the scientific community. We believe that our network represents an important reality in the framework of the EPOS infrastructure and we strongly support the idea of an European research approach to data sharing among the scientific community. We will present (a) the current CGPS site distribution, (b) the technological description of the data acquisition, storage and distribution at INGV centers, (c) the results of CGPS data analysis, and (d) the planned data access for the scientific community.PublishedVienna, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-8626, 20111.9. Rete GPS nazionale3.2. Tettonica attivaope

The RING GPS network: a research geodetic infrastructure to study plate boundary deformation in the Central Mediterranean

We present the INGV (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) geodetic research infrastructure and related facilities, dedicated to the observation and monitoring of current deformation of the plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia. The recent increase of continuous GPS (CGPS) stations in the Central Mediterranean plate boundary zone offers the opportunity to study in detail the present-day kinematics of this actively deforming region. For answering all the open questions related to this complex area, INGV deployed a permanent, integrated and real-time monitoring CGPS network (RING) all over Italy. The RING network (http:/ring.gm.ingv.it) is now constituted by more than 150 stations. All stations have high quality GPS monuments and most of them are co-located with broadband or very broadband seismometers and strong motion sensors. The RING CGPS sites acquire at 1Hz and 30s sampling rates (some of them acquire at 10 Hz) and are connected in real-time to the INGV acquisition centers located in Roma and Grottaminarda. Real-time GPS data are transmitted using different systems, such as satellite systems, Internet, GPRS/UMTS and wireless networks. The differentiation of data transmission type and the integration with seismic instruments makes this network one of the most innovative CGPS networks in Europe. Furthermore, the INGV data acquisition centers acquire, archive and analyze most of the Italian CGPS stations managed by regional or national data providers (such as local Authorities and nation-wide industries), integrating more than 350 stations of the CGPS scientific and commercial networks existing in the Italian region. To manage data acquisition, storage, distribution and access we developed dedicated facilities including new softwares for data acquisition and a web-based collaborative environment for management of data and metadata. The GPS analysis is carried out with the three main geodetic-quality softwares used in the GPS scientific community: Bernese GAMIT an GIPSY-OASIS. The resulting daily solutions are aligned to the ITRF2005 reference frame. Stable plate reference frames are realized by minimizing the horizontal velocities at sites on the Eurasia and Nubia plates, respectively. The different software-related solutions consistency RMS is within 0.3 mm/yr (Avallone et al., 2010). The solutions are then evaluated with regard to the numerous scientific motivations behind this presentation, ranging from the definition of strain distribution and microplate kinematics within the plate boundary, to the evaluation of tectonic strain accumulation on active faults. The RING network is strongly contributing to the definition of GPS velocity field in the Italian region, and now is able to furnish a newly and up to date view of this actively deforming part of the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary. INGV is now aiming to make the RING (and integrated CGPS networks) data and related products publicly available for the scientific community. We believe that our network represents an important reality in the framework of the EPOS infrastructure and we strongly support the idea of an European research approach to data sharing among the scientific community. We will present (a) the current CGPS site distribution, (b) the technological description of the data acquisition, storage and distribution at INGV centers, (c) the results of CGPS data analysis, and (d) the planned data access for the scientific community