Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations in central Sardinia: insights into the geomorphological evolution

In this study, we analyse deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) in central Sardinia. The area is characterised by plateaus with a prominent limestone scarp overlying metamorphites. A comprehensive mapping of structural, karst, fluvial, and slope morphologies in Pardu and Ulassai valleys is presented herein. The uplift linked to the Plio-Pleistocene tectonic activity leads to high-slope topography, which favours gravitational processes, such as DSGSDs and rock-avalanches. Although DSGSD is a common phenomenon in the relief of the central Mediterranean region, it has never been studied in Sardinia. We describe the kinematic models and geomorphological evolution of DSGSD in Sardinia for the first time. The application of light detection and ranging, high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry, and geological, structural, and geomorphological surveys enabled a depth morphometric analysis and the development of interpretative three-dimensional models. The geo-structural setting and high relief energy associated with recent upliftment are the major controlling factors of DSGSDs

Is the Sardinian Blue Zone the New Shangri-La for mental health? Evidence on depressive symptoms and its correlates in late adult life span

Background: An area of extraordinary longevity (i.e., Sardinian Blue Zone) characterized by a very high prevalence of long-lived successful agers has been validated in Sardinia, an Italian island located in the Mediterranean Sea. Aims: This study was primarily aimed at examining whether dietary habits (intake of vegetables and fruit, animal-derived proteins, and carbohydrates-rich food), time spent on hobbies, subjective physical health, and socio-cultural context (Sardinian Blue Zone vs. another Sardinian rural area) predicted self-reported depressive symptoms in older adults recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone and another Sardinian rural area not being characterized by a higher prevalence of long-lived individuals. Methods: Three hundred and eighteen community-dwellers, age 65 years and older, 188 females and 130 males (Mage = 79.1 years, SD = 6.9 years) were recruited from the Sardinian Blue Zone and another Sardinian rural area. Each participant individually completed a battery of instruments to assess lifestyle, food habits, perceived physical health, and depressive symptoms through the CES-D inventory. Results: Significant associations were found between depressive signs, perceived physical health, time spent gardening, proteins, and carbohydrates intake, respectively. Approximately 17% of the variance in the CES-D condition was predicted by socio-cultural context, perceived physical health, and gardening. Participants recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone spent more time gardening and self-reported better physical health. Conclusions: current results suggest that a socio-cultural context where people age well (i.e., the Sardinian Blue Zone), and a healthy and physically active lifestyle are crucial for promoting well-being in late adulthood

A combined non-invasive approach to the study of a mosaic model: First laboratory experimental results

This paper presents first laboratory results of a combined approach carried out by the use of three different portable non-invasive electromagnetic methods: Digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry (DHSPI), stimulated infrared thermography (SIRT) and holographic subsurface radar (HSR), proposed for the analysis of a custom-built wall mosaic model. The model reproduces a series of defects (e.g., cracks, voids, detachments), simulating common deteriorated, restored or reshuffled areas in wall mosaics. DHSPI and SIRT, already well known in the field of non-destructive (NDT) methods, are full-field contactless techniques, providing complementary information on the subsurface hidden discontinuities. The use of DHSPI, based on optical imaging and interferometry, provides remote control and visualization of surface micro-deformation after induced thermal stress, while the use of SIRT allows visualization of thermal energy diffusion in the surface upon the induced thermal stress. DHSPI and SIRT data are complemented by the use of HSR, a contact method that provides localized information about the distribution of contrasts in dielectric permittivity and related possible anomalies. The experimental results, made by the combined use of these methods to the identification of the known anomalies in the mosaic model, are presented and discussed here as a contribution in the development of an efficient non-invasive approach to the in-situ subsurface analysis of ancient wall mosaics

Submarine Geomorphology of the Southwestern Sardinian Continental Shelf (Mediterranean Sea): Insights into the Last Glacial Maximum Sea-Level Changes and Related Environments

During the lowstand sea-level phase of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a large part of the current Mediterranean continental shelf emerged. Erosional and depositional processes shaped the coastal strips, while inland areas were affected by aeolian and fluvial processes. Evidence of both the lowstand phase and the subsequent phases of eustatic sea level rise can be observed on the continental shelf of Sardinia (Italy), including submerged palaeo-shorelines and landforms, and indicators of relict coastal palaeo-environments. This paper shows the results of a high-resolution survey on the continental shelf off San Pietro Island (southwestern Sardinia). Multisensor and multiscale data\u2014obtained by means of seismic sparker, sub-bottom profiler chirp, multibeam, side scan sonar, diving, and uncrewed aerial vehicles\u2014made it possible to reconstruct the morphological features shaped during the LGM at depths between 125 and 135 m. In particular, tectonic controlled palaeo-cliffs affected by landslides, the mouth of a deep palaeo-valley fossilized by marine sediments and a palaeo-lagoon containing a peri-littoral thanatocenosis (18,983 \ub1 268 cal BP) were detected. The Younger Dryas palaeo-shorelines were reconstructed, highlighted by a very well preserved beachrock. The coastal paleo-landscape with lagoon-barrier systems and retro-littoral dunes frequented by the Mesolithic populations was reconstructed

Ferulic acid metabolites attenuate lps-induced inflammatory response in enterocyte-like cells

Ferulic acid (FA) is a polyphenol pertaining to the class of hydroxycinnamic acids present in numerous foods of a plant origin. Its dietary consumption leads to the formation of several phase I and II metabolites in vivo, which represent the largest amount of ferulates in the circulation and in the intestine in comparison with FA itself. In this work, we evaluated their efficacy against the proinflam-matory effects induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers, as well as the mechanisms underlying their protective action. LPS-induced overexpression of proinflammatory enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the consequent hyperproduction of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were limited by physiological relevant concentrations (1 µM) of FA, its derivatives isoferulic acid (IFA) and dihydroferulic acid (DHFA), and their glucuronidated and sulfated metabolites, which acted upstream by limiting the activation of MAPK p38 and ERK and of Akt kinase, thus decreasing the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) translocation into the nucleus. Furthermore, the compounds were found to promote the expression of Nrf2, which may have contributed to the downregulation of NF-kB activity. The overall data show that phase I/II metabolites retain the efficacy of their dietary free form in contrasting inflammatory response

Modulatory effect of nicotinic acid on the metabolism of Caco-2 cells exposed to IL-1β and LPS

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are the most common gastrointestinal inflammatory pathologies. Previous work evidenced a lower content of nicotinic acid (NA) in feces of IBD patients compared to healthy subjects. In the present study, we aimed to understand the effects of NA on intestinal inflammation, as several studies reported its possible beneficial effect, and investigate its influence on inflammation-driven metabolism. NA was tested on a Caco-2 in-vitro model in which inflammation was induced with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), two mayor proinflammatory compounds produced in IBD, that stimulate the production of cytokines, such as interleukin 8. A metabolomics approach, with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear proton magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), was applied to study the metabolic changes. The results showed that NA significantly reduced the level of IL-8 produced in both LPS and IL-1β stimulated cells, confirming the anti-inflammatory effect of NA also on intestinal inflammation. Moreover, it was demonstrated that NA treatment had a restoring effect on several metabolites whose levels were modified by treatments with IL-1β or LPS. This study points out a possible use of NA as anti-inflammatory compound and might be considered as a promising starting point in understanding the beneficial effect of NA in IBD

Imaging of SNR IC443 and W44 with the Sardinia Radio Telescope at 1.5 GHz and 7 GHz

Observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) are a powerful tool for investigating the later stages of stellar evolution, the properties of the ambient interstellar medium, and the physics of particle acceleration and shocks. For a fraction of SNRs, multi-wavelength coverage from radio to ultra high-energies has been provided, constraining their contributions to the production of Galactic cosmic rays. Although radio emission is the most common identifier of SNRs and a prime probe for refining models, high-resolution images at frequencies above 5 GHz are surprisingly lacking, even for bright and well-known SNRs such as IC443 and W44. In the frameworks of the Astronomical Validation and Early Science Program with the 64-m single-dish Sardinia Radio Telescope, we provided, for the first time, single-dish deep imaging at 7 GHz of the IC443 and W44 complexes coupled with spatially-resolved spectra in the 1.5-7 GHz frequency range. Our images were obtained through on-the-fly mapping techniques, providing antenna beam oversampling and resulting in accurate continuum flux density measurements. The integrated flux densities associated with IC443 are S_1.5GHz = 134 +/- 4 Jy and S_7GHz = 67 +/- 3 Jy. For W44, we measured total flux densities of S_1.5GHz = 214 +/- 6 Jy and S_7GHz = 94 +/- 4 Jy. Spectral index maps provide evidence of a wide physical parameter scatter among different SNR regions: a flat spectrum is observed from the brightest SNR regions at the shock, while steeper spectral indices (up to 0.7) are observed in fainter cooling regions, disentangling in this way different populations and spectra of radio/gamma-ray-emitting electrons in these SNRs.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication to MNRAS on 18 May 201