Active degassing across the Maltese Islands (Mediterranean Sea) and implications for its neotectonics

The Maltese Islands, located in the central Mediterranean Sea, are intersected by two normal fault systems associated with continental rifting to the south. Due to a lack of evidence for offshore displacement and insignificant historical seismicity, the systems are thought to be inactive and the rift-related deformation is believed to have ceased. In this study we integrate aerial, marine and onshore geological, geophysical and geochemical data from the Maltese Islands to demonstrate that the majority of faults offshore the archipelago underwent extensional to transtensional deformation during the last 20 ka. We also document an active fluid flow system responsible for degassing of CH4 and CO2. The gases migrate through carbonate bedrock and overlying sedimentary layers via focused pathways, such as faults and pipe structures, and possibly via diffuse pathways, such as fractures. Where the gases seep offshore, they form pockmarks and rise through the water column into the atmosphere. Gas migration and seepage implies that the onshore and offshore faults systems are permeable and that they were active recently and simultaneously. The latter can be explained by a transtensional system involving two right-stepping, right-lateral NW-SE trending faults, either binding a pull-apart basin between the islands of Malta and Gozo or associated with minor connecting antitethic structures. Such a configuration may be responsible for the generation or reactivation of faults onshore and offshore the Maltese Islands, and fits into the modern divergent strain-stress regime inferred from geodetic data

Bottom current-controlled quaternary sedimentation at the foot of the Malta Escarpment (Ionian Basin, Mediterranean)

A better understanding of the evolution of bottom current circulation and associated deposits is significant for many applications including paleoclimatology and geological hazard. Besides the large contourite drifts, bottom currents may generate fields of large sediment waves that, depending on their height and velocity of migration, may pose severe risk for infrastructures. Conversely, the time span of their paleoceanographic record is generally relatively short. We use bathymetry data, sub-bottom and seismic reflection profiles and legacy oceanographic data to analyze the sediment waves occurring in a deep environment (from 2400 to 3800 m water depth at the foot of the Malta Escarpment in the Mediterranean Sea) to understand their evolution in time, their significance for paleoceanography, and their relation to present day hydrographic conditions. In the absence of direct stratigraphic information, we use the information from nearby studies and from ODP Site 964 and DSDP Site 374 to constrain the age of the sedimentary successions. We discover that these waves (about 2.5 km in wavelength, 50 m in height, with crest sub-perpendicular to the continental slope trend) have been steadily growing and migrating northward since about 500 ka, although an irregular growth and unsteady migration is distinguishable since about 1800 ka. The waves are generated by predominantly alongslope southward flowing bottom currents compatible with modern hydraulic conditions (mean flow speed of ~5 cm s−1, peaks of 15 cm s−1). The rate of crest migration (~ 2.0–3.2 mm a−1) and the average sedimentation rate (0.64–0.69 mm a−1) are unusually high for deep sea environments away from turbidity currents paths. We infer that the steady development of sediment waves is produced by a drastic increase in sediment input to the Ionian Basin resulting from the tectonic uplift in NE Sicily and Calabria and the onset of a relatively steady, low energy bottom current regime following the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. We attempt to extract information on orbital cyclicity preserved in the seismic record from the power spectra of virtual seismic traces from the well preserved succession of 5 visually discernible, regularly spaced sub-units consisting of alternation of high-amplitude and low-reflectivity packages within the last 500 ka. Peaks in the power spectra can be identified around orbital obliquity and precession periodicities, while eccentricity appears not to be recorded. We discuss the results of seismic cyclicity analysis relative to uncertainties of stratigraphic and petrophysical constraints. The sediment waves along the foot of the Malta escarpment are an excellent candidate for the extraction of a long, continuous and high resolution sedimentary record of the paleo circulation changes and climate cycles in the Mediterranean Sea since about 500 ka.peer-reviewe

Antimicrobial treatment with the fixed-dose antibiotic combination RHB-104 for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Crohn\u2019s disease: pharmacological and clinical implications

Introduction: Crohn\u2019s disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. However, increasing evidence suggests Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) as a putative causative agent: 1) MAP is the etiological agent of Johne\u2019s disease, a granulomatous enteritis affecting ruminants, which shares clinical and pathological features with CD; 2) MAP has been detected in tissues and blood samples from CD patients; 3) case reports have documented a favorable therapeutic response to anti-MAP antibiotics. Area covered: This review provides an appraisal of current information on MAP characteristics, diagnostic methodologies and emerging drug treatments. The authors focus on RHB-104, a novel oral formulation containing a fixed-dose combination of clarithromycin, clofazimine and rifabutin, endowed with synergistic inhibitory activity on MAP strains isolated from CD patients. Expert opinion: Based on encouraging in vitro data, RHB-104 has entered recently the clinical phase of its development, and is being investigated in a randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial aimed at evaluating its efficacy and safety in CD. Provided that the overall clinical development will support the suitability of RHB-104 for inducing disease remission in CD patients with documented MAP infection, this novel antibiotic combination will likely take a relevant position in the therapeutic armamentarium for CD management

Seismic markers of the Messinian salinity crisis in the deep Ionian Basin

We conduct the seismic signal analysis on vintage and recently collected multichannel seismic reflection profiles from the Ionian Basin to characterize the deep basin Messinian evaporites. These evaporites were deposited in deep and marginal Mediterranean sedimentary basins as a consequence of the “salinity crisis” between 5.97 and 5.33 Ma, a basin‐wide oceanographic and ecological crisis whose origin remains poorly understood. The seismic markers of the Messinian evaporites in the deep Mediterranean basins can be divided in two end‐members, one of which is the typical “trilogy” of gypsum and clastics (Lower Unit – LU), halite (Mobile Unit – MU) and upper anhydrite and marl layers (Upper Unit – UU) traced in the Western Mediterranean Basins. The other end‐member is a single MU unit subdivided in seven sub‐units by clastic interlayers located in the Levant Basin. The causes of these different seismic expressions of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) appear to be related to a morphological separation between the two basins by the structural regional sill of the Sicily Channel. With the aid of velocity analyses and seismic imaging via prestack migration in time and depth domains, we define for the first time the seismic signature of the Messinian evaporites in the deep Ionian Basin, which differs from the known end‐members. In addition, we identify different evaporitic depositional settings suggesting a laterally discontinuous deposition. With the information gathered we quantify the volume of evaporitic deposits in the deep Ionian Basin as 500,000 km3 ± 10%. This figure allows us to speculate that the total volume of salts in the Mediterranean basin is larger than commonly assumed. Different depositional units in the Ionian Basin suggest that during the MSC it was separated from the Western Mediterranean by physical thresholds, from the Po Plain/Northern Adriatic Basin, and the Levant Basin, likely reflecting different hydrological and climatic conditions. Finally, the evidence of erosional surfaces and V‐shaped valleys at the top of the MSC unit, together with sharp evaporites pinch out on evaporite‐free pre‐Messinian structural highs, suggest an extreme Messinian Stage 3 base level draw down in the Ionian Basin. Such evidence should be carefully evaluated in the light of Messinian and post‐Messinian vertical crustal movements in the area. The results of this study demonstrates the importance of extracting from seismic data the Messinian paleotopography, the paleomorphology and the detailed stratal architecture in the in order to advance in the understanding of the deep basins Messinian depositional environments. Highlights First description of a new type of deepwater Messinian salt giant in the Ionian Sea. First quantification of the Messinian salt volume in the Ionian Sea. New seismic evidence of erosional surfces and Lago Mare deposits in the deep Ionian Basin. Further evidence of sea level lowering during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Evidence for a different, physically separated deepwater Messinian salt basins in the Mediterranean

Active faulting offshore the Maltese Islands revealed by geophysical and geochemical observations

The Maltese Islands (central Mediterranean Sea) are intersected by two normal fault systems associated with continental rifting to the south. Because of a lack of evidence for offshore displacement and insignificant historical seismicity, the systems have been considered to be inactive. Here we integrate aerial and marine geological, geophysical and geochemical data to demonstrate that: (i) the majority of faults offshore the Maltese Islands underwent extensional to transtensional deformation during the last 20 ka, (ii) active degassing of CH4 and CO2 occurs via these faults. The gases migrate through Miocene carbonate bedrock and the overlying Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary layers to generate pockmarks at the muddy seafloor and rise through the water column into the atmosphere. We infer that the offshore faults systems are permeable and that they were active recently and simultaneously. The latter can be explained by a transtensional system involving two right-stepping, right-lateral NW-SE trending faults, either binding a pull-apart basin between the islands of Malta and Gozo or associated with minor connecting antitethic structures. Such a configuration may be responsible for the generation or reactivation of faults onshore and offshore the Maltese Islands, and fits into the modern divergent strain-stress regime inferred from geodetic data.peer-reviewe

SOME PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION PARAMETERS IN VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF COW KEEPING IN EARLY LACTATION

Analizirani su proizvodni pokazatelji i utrošak hrane po jedinici proizvoda u dvije grupe od po 26 grla muznih krava, holštajn-frizijske pasmine koje su se telile u siječnju 1989. godine. Ispitivanja su vršena na farmi slobodnog sistema držanja, kapaciteta 1000 grla s instaliranom kompjuterskom opremom za rukovođenje procesima proizvodnje. Životinje su praćene od telenja do 35. dana laktacije. Ogledna grupa je od 6. dana laktacije bila u slobodnom sistemu držanja, dok je kontrolna grupa bila tokom čitavog trajanja ogleda u klasičnoj staji na vezu. Željelo se ustanoviti mogućnost uvoda krava u mlječnost u slobodnom sistemu držanja s hranidbom koncentrata preko automatskih hranilica i mužnjom u izmuzištu, sa automatikom za individualno praćenje proizvodnje. Ustanovljeno je da kompjuterski sistem omogućava uvod krava u mlječnost u slobodnom sistemu držanja,bez negativnih posljedica na proizvodnju, te da se ostvaruje utrošak hrane po jedinici proizvoda isti kao u klasičnoj staji na vezu.Production indicators and food consumption per product unit in two groups of 26 Holstein-Frisian dairy cows calved in January 1989 were analyzed. Investigations were carried out on a free system dairy farm, capacity a 1000 head, with a computer installed to follow\u27 the production processes. The cows were followed from calčvng until 35- day of lactation. The trial group was kept free from the 6rh lactation day hile the control group was kept tied in a traditional shed during the trial period. The aim was to establish a possibility of introducing the cows to being milked in a free system and fed on concentrates by means of automatic feeding system and milked in the milking parlour; each animal as followed by the computer system. It as established that the computer system enabled initiations of cows into milking in the free keeping system without negative effects on production and that the food consumption per production unit as the same as when the cows were kept tied in a traditional shed

From shallow to very shallow image of the highly active Kefalonia - Zakynthos fault system

4 pages, 2 figuresIn May 2022 and June 2023 two oceanographic cruises were carried out around the Ionian Islands with the aim of defining the real geometry of the strike-slip fault system of Kefalonia and of the reverse faults present south of Zakynthos. The acquired multidisciplinary and multiresolution data will also allow to understand the dynamics of the area offshore the Peoloponnese peninsula, the deformation of the surface sediments at the transition of the two systems, i.e. from reverse fault system to strike-slip fault system, and the relationship between the recorded seismicity and mapped fault activity. To date, the analysis of the processed data has allowed us to define the tectonic and morphological complexity of the fault system affecting the investigated area. [...]Thanks to the CNR for supporting the cruise with time ship, IONIANS 2022 project. Interpretation of seismic profile has been done using the Kindgom IHS Markit. Poseidon project has been supported by Eurofleet+ SEA02_13_POSEIDONPeer reviewe

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Functional analysis of piD261/Bud32, a yeast atypical protein kinase conserved during evolution

The S.cerevisiae S/T protein kinase piD261/Bud32 and its structural homologues, that are present all along the Archaea-Eukarya lineage, constitute a novel protein kinase family distantly related in sequence to the ePK superfamily. The protein plays an important cellular role as inactivation of the yeast gene encoding Bud32 results in the alteration of fundamental processes such as cell growth and sporulation. The human homologue PRPK has been shown to interact with and phosphorylate the p53 protein, notably in the regulatory Ser15 residue, thus suggesting that PRPK might play a role in the p53-mediated control of proliferative processes. Here we show that PRPK and Bud32 appear to be functional homologues, as PRPK is able to partially complement the phenotype due to the absence of the yeast protein, and that Bud32 is also able to phosphorylate the Ser15 residue of p53, a protein which is not present in yeast. Furthermore, the yeast protein Bud32 seems to be at the center of a large protein network, as demonstrated by a 2-hybrid approach and by MS analysis of immunoprecipitated Bud32: among the proteins that have been found to directly interact with Bud32, we have pointed our attention on a glutaredoxin, Grx4, and here we show the results of our studies aimed at understanding the molecular mechanism and the functional relevance of the interaction between the two proteins

Functional analysis of the YGR262c/Vsk1 gene encoding an atypical protein kinase essential for normal cell growth

The S.cerevisiae YGR262c gene, whose deletion confers to yeast cells a pleiotropic phenotype characterized, among other defects, by severe slow-growth, inability of homozygous diploids to enter sporulation and important alterations in cell wall structure, encodes a 261 residues protein kinase, piD261, now renamed Vsk1p (very small kinase 1), whose structurl homologues are present in a variety of organisms and whose function is unknown. We have previously demonstrated that the protein is a S/T kinase and here we show, by mutational analysis, that the invariant residues of protein kinase are all conserved in Vsk1p, but are embedded in a altered context, suggestive of unique mechanistic properties. The biological competence of the Vsk1p protein is correlated with its phosphotransferase activity, as the phenotype due to the VSK1 gene disruption is not, or partially, complemented by ectopic expression of Vsk1p point mutants which are catalitically inactive in vitro. However, the absence of the protein causes in the cell more dramatic effects thn its presence in a catalitically inactive form and this is possibly due to the failure to form protein complex(es) within the cell. In order to understand the actual role of the protein, we have started a search for protein(s) functionally associated with Vsk1p by the 2-hybrid approach. Two of the interacting proteins could be good candidates to correlate the function of this protein with the manifested phenotypes