Petrography and Geochemistry of the Leucocratic Rocks in the Ophiolites from the Pollino Massif (Southern Italy)

In the Tethyan realm, leucocratic rocks were recognized as dikes and layers outcropping in the ophiolitic rocks of the Western Alps, in Corsica, and in the Northern Apennines. Several authors have suggested that the origin of leucocratic rocks is associated with partial melting of cumulate gabbro. Major and trace elements composition and paragenesis provided information about the leucocratic rocks genetic processes. This research aims at disclosing, for the first time, the petrographical and geochemical features of Timpa delle Murge leucocratic rocks, Pollino Massif (southern Italy), in order to discuss their origin and geodynamic significance through a comparison with other Tethyan leucocratic rocks. These rocks are characterized by high amounts of silica with moderate alumina and iron-magnesium contents showing higher potassium contents than plagiogranites, due to plagioclase alteration to sericite. Plagioclase fractionation reflects negative Eu anomalies indicating its derivation from gabbroic crystal mushes. The chondrite normalized REEs patterns suggest the participation of partial melts derived from a metasomatized mantle in a subduction environment. The results reveal some similarities in composition with other Tethyan leucocratic rocks, especially those concerning Corsica and the Northern Alps. These new data provide further clues on the origin of these leucocratic rocks and the Tethyan area geodynamic evolutio

Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making

Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Geochemistry and petrology of plagiogranites in the ophiolites from the Pollino Massif (Southern Italy): Origin and tectonic significance. 90° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana, Trieste 14 - 16 Settembre 2021

In the ophiolitic sequences, are widespread low potassium albite-rich granite, trondhjemite, tonalite and granodiorite (e.g. Koepke et al., 2007). Concerning the Tethyan realm, plagiogranites have been recognized as dikes and beds in the ophiolithic rocks of the western Alps, in Corsica, and in the northern Apennines (Castelli et al., 2002; Montanini et al., 2006). Also if the oceanic plagiogranites are volumetrically minor in the ophiolitic sequences, their origin has been largely debated due to importance of these rocks to understand the Earth’s continental lithosphere evolution of (Marien et al., 2019). Several authors (Berndt et al., 2005) proposed that the plagiogranites are the products of fractional crystallization of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) magma at low pressures conditions including, for instance, those exposed in the Oman, Cyprus, Serbia and Turkey ophiolitic sequences (Milovanovic et al., 2012; Kocsal et al., 2017; Marien et al., 2019). Others Authors (Koepke et al., 2007) have suggested an origin by partial melting (i.e. anatexis) of cumulate gabbro (Brophy, 2009; Brophy & Pu, 2012). A further model suggests that plagiogranites formed through the interaction of immiscible liquids with mafic solutions (Kiliç, 2009). Geochemical studies (Koepke et al., 2007; Brophy 2009) stated that the distribution of some elements, including SiO2, TiO2, and REE, can be used in order to distinguish among these different processes. The aim of this research is to characterize for the first time, with a petrological and geochemical study, the plagiogranites from the ophiolitic rocks of the North Calabria Unit of Pollino Massif and to discuss their origin and geodynamic significance. We also compare the geochemical data of these plagiogranites with those of Western Alps (Castelli and Lombardo, 2007) and Northern Apennines (Borsi et al., 1996; Montanini et al., 2006) and with further Mediterranean plagiogranites such as Turkey (Koksal et al., 2017), Cyprus (Marien et al., 2019), Serbia (Milovanovic et al., 2012) and Oman (Dylek & Furnes, 2009). The results of this work will provide new contributions and constaints about the geodynamic evolution of the Tethyan realm

A Plant-Based Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Score Correlates with Serum LDL-Cholesterol Levels

Background: A cholesterol-lowering diet score was previously developed for epidemiological studies; its association with serum lipid profile was not confirmed yet. Methods: The score was developed as an adaptation of the dietary portfolio for cholesterol reduction, assigning one point for adherence to seven dietary indicators and ranging from 0 (null adherence) to 7 (highest adherence). The score was calculated for breast cancer patients enrolled in the DEDiCa study using a 7-day food record; serum lipid profile, including total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), was evaluated in serum at baseline. Results: Patients with the highest adherence to the cholesterol-lowering diet (i.e., score ≥ 4) reported lower LDL-C level than women with score 0–1 (median: 107 mg/dL and 122 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.01). The proportion of women with LDL-C above the recommended limit of 116 mg/dL was 60.0% with score 0–1 and 42.6% with score ≥4. Although the score directly correlates with consumption of foods from vegetal sources, it was mildly associated with the healthful plant-based diet index (r-Spearman = 0.51) and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (r-Spearman = 0.30) Conclusions: These results provide experimental evidence that the cholesterol-lowering diet score is capable of detecting a specific plant-based dietary pattern that affects circulating cholesterol levels

Mediterranean diet and quality of life in women treated for breast cancer: A baseline analysis of DEDiCa multicentre trial.

Evidence suggests a beneficial role of the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy subjects. HRQoL is relevant in cancer therapy and disease outcomes, therefore we investigated the association between adherence to the MedDiet and HRQoL in breast cancer survivors participating in the multicentre trial DEDiCa. Diet and HRQoL were assessed at baseline in a subgroup of 309 women enrolled within 12 months of breast cancer diagnosis without metastasis (stages I-III, mean age 52±1 yrs, BMI 27±7 kg/m2). The 14-item PREDIMED questionnaire was used to analyse adherence to the MedDiet. HRQoL was assessed with three validated questionnaires measuring physical, mental, emotional and social factors: EQ-5D-3L, EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the possible role of the MedDiet on HRQoL. Patients with higher adherence to MedDiet (PREDIMED score >7) showed significantly higher scores for physical functioning (p = 0.02) and lower scores on the symptomatic pain scale (p = 0.04) assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire compared to patients with a lower adherence to MedDiet (PREDIMED score ≤7). Higher scores from the EQ-5D-3L indicating higher well-being were observed mainly in participants with higher MedDiet adherence (p = 0.05). In adjusted multivariate analyses significant positive associations were found between MedDiet, physical functioning (p = 0.001) and EQ 5D-3L score (p = 0.003) while inverse associations were found with pain and insomnia symptoms (p = 0.005 and p = 0.029, respectively). These results suggest that higher adherence to the MedDiet in breast cancer survivors is associated with better aspects of quality of life, specifically higher physical functioning, better sleep, lower pain and generally higher well-being confirming findings in healthy subjects

Quality of Life in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer after a 12-Month Treatment of Lifestyle Modifications

Healthy lifestyles are associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQoL), favorable prognosis and lower mortality in breast cancer (BC) survivors. We investigated changes in HRQoL after a 12-month lifestyle modification program in 227 BC survivors participating in DEDiCa trial (Mediterranean diet, exercise, vitamin D). HRQoL was evaluated through validated questionnaires: EQ-5D-3L, EORTC-QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23. Baseline changes were tested using analysis of variance. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess treatment effects on HRQoL. Increases were observed in global health status (p &lt; 0.001), physical (p = 0.003), role (p = 0.002) and social functioning (p &lt; 0.001), body image (p &lt; 0.001), future perspective (p &lt; 0.001), well-being (p = 0.001), and reductions in fatigue (p &lt; 0.001), nausea and vomiting (p = 0.015), dyspnea (p = 0.001), constipation (p = 0.049), financial problems (p = 0.012), sexual functioning (p = 0.025), systematic therapy side effects (p &lt; 0.001) and breast symptoms (p = 0.004). Multiple regression analyses found inverse associations between changes in BMI and global health status (p = 0.048) and between serum 25(OH)D levels and breast symptoms (p = 0.002). A healthy lifestyle treatment of traditional Mediterranean diet and exercise may impact positively on HRQoL in BC survivors possibly through reductions in body weight while vitamin D sufficiency may improve BC-related symptoms. These findings are relevant to BC survivors whose lower HRQoL negatively affects treatment compliance and disease outcomes