Polyphase evolution of Pelagonia (northern Greece) revealed by geological and fission-track data

The Pelagonian zone, situated between the External Hellenides/Cyclades to the west and the Axios/Vardar/Almopias zone (AVAZ) and the Rhodope to the east, was involved in late Early Cretaceous and in Late Cretaceous–Eocene orogenic events whose duration and extent are still controversial. This paper constrains their late thermal imprints. New and previously published zircon (ZFT) and apatite (AFT) fission-track ages show cooling below 240 °C of the metamorphic western AVAZ imbricates between 102 and 93–90 Ma, of northern Pelagonia between 86 and 68 Ma, of the eastern AVAZ at 80 Ma and of the western Rhodope at 72 Ma. At the regional scale, this heterogeneous cooling is coeval with subsidence of Late Cretaceous marine basin(s) that unconformably covered the Early Cretaceous (130–110 Ma) thrust system from 100 Ma. Thrusting resumed at 70 Ma in the AVAZ and migrated across Pelagonia to reach the External Hellenides at 40–38 Ma. Renewed thrusting in Pelagonia is attested at 68 Ma by abrupt and rapid cooling below 240 °C and erosion of the gneissic rocks. ZFT and AFT in western and eastern Pelagonia, respectively, testify at ~40 Ma to the latest thermal imprint related to thrusting. Central-eastern Pelagonia cooled rapidly and uniformly from 240 to 80 °C between 24 and 16 Ma in the footwall of a major extensional fault. Extension started even earlier, at ~33 Ma in the western AVAZ. Post-7 Ma rapid cooling is inferred from inverse modeling of AFT lengths. It occurred while E–W normal faults were cutting Pliocene-to-recent sediment.ISSN:1869-9510ISSN:1869-952

Functionalised High-Performance Oxide Ceramics with Bone Morphogenic Protein 2 (BMP-2) Induced Ossification: An In Vivo Study

This study investigated the in vivo osseointegration potential of high-performance oxide ceramics (HPOCs) with peptide bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2), comparing them with titanium implants. Histomorphometry was conducted around the distal, proximal, medial, and lateral sides of the implants to quantify the amount of mature and immature ossification within the bone interface. We hypothesised that HPOCs functionalised with BMP-2 promote ossification. HPOCs functionalised with BMP-2 were manufactured at the Department of Dental Materials Science and Biomaterial Research of the RWTH University Aachen, Germany. Histomorphometry was conducted by a professional pathologist in all samples. The region of interest (ROI) represented the percentage of the surrounding area of the implant. The percentages of ROI covered by osteoid implant contact (OIC) and mature bone–implant contact (BIC) were assessed. The surrounding presence of bone resorption, necrosis, and/or inflammation was quantitatively investigated. A total of 36 rabbits were used for the experiments. No bone resorption, necrosis, or inflammation was found in any sample. At the 12-week follow-up, the overall BIC was significantly increased (p < 0.0001). No improvement was evidenced in OIC (p = 0.6). At the 6-week follow-up, the overall OIC was greater in the BMP-2 compared to the titanium group (p = 0.002). The other endpoints of interest evidenced similarity between the two implants at various follow-up time points (p > 0.05). In conclusion, alumina HPOCs functionalised with peptide BMP-2 promote in vivo ossification in a similar fashion to titanium implants

Low Tech Waste 3D Printing

Binder jet 3D printing of geopolymers is a newly developed manufacturing technique that combines a material with a low carbon footprint with a material-saving processing. In this work, the embodied energy of the printed building parts is further decreased by replacing the virgin silica sand with waste materials from local stone quarries. The use of the quarry waste in 3D printing could help to keep the business of small quarries running, since they face severe problems with the disposal of the waste. Test bars were printed with different grain sizes and tested on flexion and compressive strength, density and accuracy. The results show that the material is strong enough to be applied in structures loaded on compression only. 3D printing of quarry aggregates could help to valorise the locally available material and enhance the use in classical techniques as well, in order to reduce the amount of deposited material

Histomorphometry of Ossification in Functionalised Ceramics with Tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD): An In Vivo Study

The present study investigated the osseointegration promoted by functionalised ceramics with peptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) in a rabbit model in vivo. Histomorphometry of the RGD functionalised ceramic implants was conducted by a trained pathologist to quantify the amount of mature and immature ossification at the bone interface, and then compared to titanium alloy implants. The region of interest was the area surrounding the implant. The percentage of ROI covered by osteoid implant contact and mature bone implant contact were assessed. The presence of bone resorption, necrosis, and/or inflammation in the areas around the implant were quantitatively investigated. All 36 rabbits survived the experimental period of 6 and 12 weeks. All implants remained in situ. No necrosis, bone resorption, or inflammation were identified. At 12 weeks follow-up, the overall mean bone implant contact (p = 0.003) and immature osteoid contact (p = 0.03) were improved compared to the mean values evidenced at 6 weeks. At 6 weeks follow-up, the overall osteoid implant contact was greater in the RGD enhanced group compared to the titanium implant (p = 0.01). The other endpoints of interest were similar between the two implants at all follow-up points (p ≥ 0.05). Functionalised ceramics with peptide RGD promoted ossification in vivo. The overall osteoid and bone implant contact improved significantly from 6 to 12 weeks. Finally, RGD enhanced ceramic promoted faster osteoid implant contact in vivo than titanium implants. Overall, the amount of ossification at 12 weeks is comparable with the titanium implants. No necrosis, bone resorption, or inflammation were observed in any sample

Metamorphic conditions and structural evolution of the Kesebir-Kardamos dome: Rhodope metamorphic complex (Greece-Bulgaria)

ISSN:1437-3254ISSN:1437-326

Arthroscopic versus mini-open rotator cuff repair: A meta-analysis

BackgroundAn all-arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ASR) may result in less postoperative pain and better functional outcomes than the mini-open (MOR) approach. This meta-analysis provides an updated assessment of the current literature which compares the clinical outcomes of mini-open versus all arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques.Material and methodsThe main online databases were accessed in October 2021. All the trials directly comparing primary ASR versus MOR for rotator cuff rupture were accessed. Studies concerning revision settings were not eligible, nor where those combining the surgical procedures with other adjuvants.ResultsA total of 21 articles were retrieved. Data from 1644 procedures (ASR = 995, MOR = 649) were collected. The mean follow-up was 26.7 (6.0–56.4) months. Comparability was found between ASR and MOR groups at baseline with regards to age (P = 0.3), gender (P = 0.7) and mean duration of the follow-up (P = 0.7). No difference was found between ASR and MOR with regard to surgical duration (P = 0.05), Constant score (P = 0.2), University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder (P = 0.3), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder (P = 0.5), VAS (P = 0.2), forward flexion (P = 0.3), abduction (P = 0.3), external rotation (P = 0.2), internal rotation (P = 0.7), re-tear (P = 0.9), adhesive capsulitis (P = 0.5).ConclusionArthroscopic and mini-open rotator cuff repair result in similar clinical outcomes. Male gender and older age lead to greater rates of rotator cuff re-tears, while longer surgical duration was associated with a greater rate of adhesive capsulitis

Supplementary material - Publication: "Implications of New Geological Mapping and U-Pb Zircon Dating for the Barrovian Tectono-Metamorphic Evolution of the Lepontine Dome (Central European Alps)"

Supplementary material of the publication: Tagliaferri, A., Schenker, F. L., Ulianov, A., Maino, M., & Schmalholz, S. M. (2023). Implications of new geological mapping and U-Pb zircon dating for the Barrovian tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Lepontine dome (Central European Alps). Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 24, e2022GC010772. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC01077

Powder bed 3D printing with quarry waste

With 3D printing, material consumption can be reduced: It allows to place material only where needed, therefore structurally optimized building parts or formworks can be printed. Currently this technique uses an epoxy based resin to glue layer by layer an inert sand bed. However, this material choice holds a large improvement potential from an environmental and health perspective. It was shown previously, that the organic glue, that releases unhealthy volatile organic compounds, can be replaced by a mineralic binder, namely a geopolymer. With geopolymers and alkali activated materials, the embodied energy can be reduced, especially when built from waste materials. In this study, we focus on the replacement of the sand, which is becoming a scarce resource. The waste from a local gneiss quarry in Ticino (Switzerland) could be a good alternative. The powder bed of the 3D printing is made of aggregates of crushed quarry waste mixed with an aluminosilicate powder. The printing liquid is an alkaline solution that activates the aluminosilicate and reacts to a geopolymer. Droplet penetration experiments on different powder mixes were performed to adjust the binder composition. With a custom built powder bed 3D printer, samples with varying compositions and porosities were printed and tested on compression. It could be shown that samples printed with quarry waste perform as well as samples printed with silica sand in terms of compression strength and accuracy. This new material system is promising: with 3D printing of geopolymers and quarry waste, we can combine the environmental benefits of a new building technique with a low carbon intense material. The application of this technique may help the sustainable development of the local quarry sector by consuming the volumes of waste that causes storing and ecological issues and keep small quarries running.ISSN:1755-1315ISSN:1755-130