The fate of the Volturno delta (northern Campania, Italy) among geological history and human influence

The present geomorphology of the Volturno River delta system (northern Campania, southern Italy) is largely a product of complex, long-lived relationships between geological evolution and human impacts. This presentation describes the evolution of the alluvial and coastal plain from the Holocene to the present time. The study was based on stratigraphic well log data analysis, cartographic sources from the last 150 years, bathymetric data acquired in 1887 and in 1987 and compared to extract seafloor changes in the delta offshore (Ruberti et al., 2022). The basis for the Holocene reconstruction was provided by the top of the Campania Grey Tuff (CGT) relief map, which evidences the incised valley excavation following the LGM sea level drop. The CGT is the product of a huge pyroclastic eruption of the Campi Flegrei volcanic district, occurred 39 ky BP, and thus represents both a major marker for the reconstruction of the subsurface stratigraphic record and a sturdy morphologic substrate engraved by river incision associated with the sea level fall that accompanied the last glacial period. The lowstand, transgressive and aggradation/highstand stacking of the Holocene facies were displayed. The present landscape appears largely inherited by the past MIS5 and LGM landscapes. A progressive increment of anthropic forcing took place after 2000 yr BP but the strongest modifications of the landscape occurred since the end of the XVII century. Until that time the landscape was largely covered by marshes and ponds. Human interventions started during the Spanish vice-Kingdom, at the end of the XVI century, when reclamation works were carried out with the aim to drain most of the marshy areas. The availability of reclaimed lands resulted in an intensive land transformation and the loss of most coastal wetland coupled with coastal erosion. Progradation of the delta ended during the early-middle XIX century. A peak of major alterations of the deltaic environment, and retreat of the coastline was attained between the 1960s and the 1990s. It is evident that the transformations of the landscape that have taken place over the last millennium are largely caused by anthropogenic impacts (i.e., reclamation, development of drainage network, land use changes). The sediment input of the river to the Tyrrhenian Sea sharply decreased, thus resulting in a dramatic change of the deltaic morphology and significant coastal land loss. The coastal zone, considered as a dissipative-type shoreline, evolved to an irreversible non-dissipative inshore profile characterized by mean erosional rates of 5 m/yr along the beaches and 24 m/yr on the delta mouth. The river delta changed from a cuspate, wave-dominate delta to arcuate and eventually delta-estuary type

The hidden world of artificial cavities in the northern Campania Plain: architectural variability and cataloging challenge

In Campania (southern Italy), sinkholes phenomena induced by the widespread presence of anthropogenic cavities in the Neapolitan and Caserta provinces are frequent and well-known. Nevertheless in many urban centers of this area, cavities have been reported in specific geological investigations although their real extent is almost unknown. In these towns the underground mining activities were performed to extract volcanic tuffs for buildings. The urban development have sealed every signal of the presence of cavities, which thus represent a geological hazard and contribute to subsoil instability of many places. The need to carry out a survey of underground quarrings in urban centers has two reasons: a) The anthropic hypogea represent an absolute documentary value, still unduly neglected and little used for the purposes of a correct and sustainable management of the territory, natural resources and historical and artistic heritage. The enhancement and sustainable reuse of hypogea contributes to enhancing the cultural and tourist promotion of a territory. b) In a correct urban management, the knowledge of the city subsoil is a priority, as the presence of cavities may easily trigger the collapse of the shallow or deeper soils. The difficulty of drawing up a univocal cataloging system lies in the definition of database framework that includes all the possible architectural, geological and geotechnical elements of the cavities. In fact, the type of extraction is not the same throughout the territory even over short distances as it was strongly conditioned by the lithological characteristics of the volcanoclastic material in the subsoil, as well as by the purpose of extraction. The construction of a cavity system initially involved an excavation carried out as a “bottle” or a “bell” from the ground level up to the tuff unit, developing at depth according to its thickness. During excavation, access points were realized through the poorly lithified or loose deposits, with a square or pseudo-circular cross-section; sometimes they were supported by containment walls made of tuff bricks resting on the lower tuff bank. A single vertical excavation is sometimes added at certain distance, so as to determine in depth the coalescence of several chambers, also through the construction of narrow tunnels or wide passages, long connecting tunnels, multiple level chambers. Access shafts were often realized with a system of stairs with one or more ramps, with steps directly carved into the tuff. This contribution will show the main cavity typologies recognized across an area north of Naples, although the study is still far from exhaustive. Data were managed into a GIS environment such as to provide a first proposal of a geological underground database framework

Actual and forecasted vulnerability assessment to seawater intrusion via galdit-susi in the volturno river mouth (Italy)

Coastal areas have become increasingly vulnerable to groundwater salinization, especially in the last century, due to the combined effects of climate change and growing anthropization. In this study, a novel methodology named GALDIT-SUSI was applied in the floodplain of the Volturno River mouth for the current (2018) and future (2050) evaluation of seawater intrusion accounting for the expected subsidence and groundwater salinization rates. Several input variables such as digital surface model, land use classification, subsidence rate and drainage system have been mapped via remote sensing resources. The current assessment highlights how areas affected by salinization coincide with the semiperennial lagoons and inland depressed areas where paleosaline groundwaters are present. The future assessment (2050) shows a marked increase of salinization vulnerability in the coastal strip and in the most depressed areas. The results highlight that the main vulnerability driver is the Revelle index, while predicted subsidence and recharge rates will only slightly affect groundwater salinization. This case study indicates that GALDIT-SUSI is a reliable and easy-to-use tool for the assessment of groundwater salinization in many coastal regions of the world

The preparation of HEMA-MPC films for ocular drug delivery

There is a need to prolong drug residence time using a biocompatible formulation in the subconjunctival space after surgery to treat glaucoma. Drug releasing discs were prepared with 2-(hydroxyethyl)methacrylate (HEMA) and 2-methacryloyl-oxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC). The ratio of bound water (Wb) to free water (Wf) ratio increased from 1:0.3 to 1:6.8 with increasing MPC (0 to 50%, w/w). The optimal balance between water content, SR and mechanical strength were obtained with 10% MPC (w/w) hydrogels. Water-alcohol mixtures were examined to facilitate loading of poorly soluble drugs, and they showed greater hydrogel swelling than either water or alcohol alone. The SR was 1.2 ± 0.02 and 3.3 ± 0.1 for water and water:ethanol (1:1) respectively. HEMA-MPC (10%) discs were loaded with dexamethasone using either water:ethanol (1:1) or methanol alone. Drug release was examined in an outflow rig model that mimics the subconjunctival space in the eye. Dexamethasone loading increased from 0.3 to 1.9 mg/disc when the solvent was changed from water:ethanol (1:1) to methanol with the dexamethasone half-life (t½) increasing from 1.9 to 9.7 days respectively. These encouraging results indicate that HEMA-MPC hydrogels have the potential to sustain the residence time of a drug in the subconjunctival space of the eye

Azetidin-2-one-based small molecules as dual hHDAC6/HDAC8 inhibitors: Investigation of their mechanism of action and impact of dual inhibition profile on cell viability

The search of new therapeutic tools for the treatment of cancer is being a challenge for medicinal chemists. Due to their role in different pathological conditions, histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are considered valuable therapeutic targets. HDAC6 is a well-investigated HDAC-class IIb enzyme mainly characterized by a cytoplasmic localization; HDAC8 is an epigenetic eraser, unique HDAC-class I member that displays some aminoacidic similarity to HDAC6. New polypharmacological agents for cancer treatment, based on a dual hHDAC6/hHDAC8 inhibition profile were developed. The dual inhibitor design investigated the diphenyl-azetidin-2-one scaffold, typified in three different structural families, that, combined to a slender benzyl linker (6c, 6i, and 6j), displays nanomolar inhibition potency against hHDAC6 and hHDAC8 isoforms. Notably, their selective action was also corroborated by measuring their low inhibitory potency towards hHDAC1 and hHDAC10. Selectivity of these compounds was further demonstrated in human cell-based western blots experiments, by testing the acetylation of the non-histone substrates alpha-tubulin and SMC3. Furthermore, the compounds reduced the proliferation of colorectal HCT116 and leukemia U937 cells, after 48 h of treatment. The toxicity of the compounds was evaluated in rat perfused heart and in zebrafish embryos. In this latter model we also validated the efficacy of the dual hHDAC6/hHDAC8 inhibitors against their common target acetylated-alpha tubulin. Finally, the metabolic stability was verified in rat, mouse, and human liver microsomes

Real-World Apremilast Use for Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis in Italy: Patient Perspective, Characteristics, and Clinical Outcomes from the DARWIN Study

IntroductionWhile several european studies have reported real-world apremilast use, patient-perceived benefits, and treatment satisfaction, local reimbursement criteria for apremilast vary and data from Italy are limited.methodsThe cross-sectional DARWIN study enrolled consecutive patients who had initiated apremilast for plaque psoriasis 6 (+/- 1) months prior to enrolment at a single visit across 24 Italian dermatological sites. disease severity was assessed using body surface area (BSA) and physician global assessment (PGA). patient-reported outcomes assessed 6 (+/- 1) months after apremilast initiation were dermatology life quality Index (DLQI), patient benefit Index (PBI), and 9-item treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication (TSQM-9).ResultsOf 184 patients enrolled between July 2019 and January 2021, 180 were included in the analysis. at apremilast initiation, median (25th-75th percentile) time since psoriasis diagnosis was 8.6 (3.2-22.2) years; median BSA, 10.0% (5.0-16.0); mean (standard seviation, SD) DLQI total score, 13.5 (8.0). over half (54.9%) of patients with available data reported psoriasis had a very or extremely large effect on their quality of life (QoL); half reported itching (50.6%) and/or special areas involvement (50.0%). most (73.9%) had comorbidities and were biologic-naive (81.5%). the most common reasons for initiating apremilast were lack of efficacy of previous treatment (56.7%) and contraindications to other treatments (44.4%). At 6 (+/- 1) months, most patients were continuing apremilast and/or reported a global PBI score >= 1 (minimum clinical benefit) (86.1% and 90.0%, respectively); approximately half achieved BSA <= 3% and/or DLQI total score <= 5 (47.1% and 48.5%); 18.8% achieved PGA = 0; mean (SD) TSQM-9 global treatment satisfaction score was 59.0 (24.8). apremilast was well tolerated; no new safety signals were identified .conclusions patients treated with apremilast for 6 months in Italian clinical practice reported improved QoL, clinically relevant improvements in symptoms, high treatment satisfaction, and high treatment persistence. our data indicate apremilast is a valuable treatment option for moderate plaque psoriasis. study registration clinical trials.gov identifier, NCT04031027

Mechanical Strain Stabilizes Reconstituted Collagen Fibrils against Enzymatic Degradation by Mammalian Collagenase Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8)

Collagen, a triple-helical, self-organizing protein, is the predominant structural protein in mammals. It is found in bone, ligament, tendon, cartilage, intervertebral disc, skin, blood vessel, and cornea. We have recently postulated that fibrillar collagens (and their complementary enzymes) comprise the basis of a smart structural system which appears to support the retention of molecules in fibrils which are under tensile mechanical strain. The theory suggests that the mechanisms which drive the preferential accumulation of collagen in loaded tissue operate at the molecular level and are not solely cell-driven. The concept reduces control of matrix morphology to an interaction between molecules and the most relevant, physical, and persistent signal: mechanical strain.The investigation was carried out in an environmentally-controlled microbioreactor in which reconstituted type I collagen micronetworks were gently strained between micropipettes. The strained micronetworks were exposed to active matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) and relative degradation rates for loaded and unloaded fibrils were tracked simultaneously using label-free differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging. It was found that applied tensile mechanical strain significantly increased degradation time of loaded fibrils compared to unloaded, paired controls. In many cases, strained fibrils were detectable long after unstrained fibrils were degraded.In this investigation we demonstrate for the first time that applied mechanical strain preferentially preserves collagen fibrils in the presence of a physiologically-important mammalian enzyme: MMP-8. These results have the potential to contribute to our understanding of many collagen matrix phenomena including development, adaptation, remodeling and disease. Additionally, tissue engineering could benefit from the ability to sculpt desired structures from physiologically compatible and mutable collagen

Correlation-Driven Transient Hole Dynamics Resolved in Space and Time in the Isopropanol Molecule

The possibility of suddenly ionized molecules undergoing extremely fast electron hole (or hole) dynamics prior to significant structural change was first recognized more than 20 years ago and termed charge migration. The accurate probing of ultrafast electron hole dynamics requires measurements that have both sufficient temporal resolution and can detect the localization of a specific hole within the molecule. We report an investigation of the dynamics of inner valence hole states in isopropanol where we use an x-ray pump–x-ray probe experiment, with site and state-specific probing of a transient hole state localized near the oxygen atom in the molecule, together with an ab initio theoretical treatment. We record the signature of transient hole dynamics and make the first tentative observation of dynamics driven by frustrated Auger-Meitner transitions. We verify that the effective hole lifetime is consistent with our theoretical prediction. This state-specific measurement paves the way to widespread application for observations of transient hole dynamics localized in space and time in molecules and thus to charge transfer phenomena that are fundamental in chemical and material physics