Backdating systematic shell ornament making in Europe to 45,000 years ago.

Personal ornaments are commonly linked to the emergence of symbolic behavior. Although their presence in Africa dates back to the Middle Stone Age, evidence of ornament manufacturing in Eurasia are sporadically observed in Middle Palaeolithic contexts, and until now, large-scale diffusion has been well documented only since the Upper Palaeolithic. Nevertheless, little is known during the period between ca. 50,000 and 40,000 years ago (ka), when modern humans colonized Eurasia replacing existing hominin populations such as the Neandertals, and a variety of “transitional” and/or early Upper Palaeolithic cultures emerged. Here, we present shell ornaments from the Uluzzian site of Grotta del Cavallo in Italy, southern Europe. Our results show evidence of a local production of shell beads for ornamental purposes as well as a trend toward higher homogeneity in tusk bead shape and size over time. The temporal interval of the layers of interest (45–40 ka) makes Cavallo the earliest known shell ornament making context in Europe

HadA is an atypical new multifunctional trimeric coiled-coil adhesin of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius, which promotes entry into host cells.

Summary The Oca (Oligomeric coiled-coil adhesin) family is a subgroup of the bacterial trimeric autotrans- porter adhesins, which includes structurally related proteins, such as YadA of Yersinia entero- colitica and NadA of Neisseria meningitidis. In this study, we searched in silico for novel members of this family in bacterial genomes and identified HadA (Haemophilus adhesin A), a trimeric autotransporter expressed only by Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius causing Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF), a fulminant septicemic disease of children. By comparative genomics and sequence analysis we predicted that the hadA gene is harboured on a mobile genetic element unique to BPF isolates. Biological analysis of HadA in the native background was limited because this organism is not amenable to genetic manipulation. Alternatively, we demonstrated that expression of HadA confers to a non-invasive Escherichia coli strain the ability to adhere to human cells and to extracellular matrix proteins and to induce in vitro bacterial aggregation and microcolony formation. Intriguingly, HadA is pre- dicted to lack the typical N-terminal head domain of Oca proteins generally associated with cellular receptor binding. We propose here a structural model of the HadA coiled-coil stalk and show that the N-terminal region is still responsible of the binding activity and a KGD motif plays a role. Interestingly, HadA promotes bacterial entry into mammalian cells. Our results show a cytoskeleton re-arrangement and an involvement of clathrin in the HadA-mediated internalization. These data give new insights on the structure-function relationship of oligomeric coiled-coil adhesins and suggest a potential role of this protein in the pathogenesis of BPF

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 4: experience from a single reference center

Purpose: To characterize patients with APS type 4 among those affected by APS diagnosed and monitored at our local Reference Center for Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndromes. Methods: Monocentric observational retrospective study enrolling patients affected by APS diagnosed and monitored in a Reference Center. Clinical records were retrieved and analyzed. Results: 111 subjects (51 males) were affected by APS type 4, mean age at the onset was 23.1 ± 15.1 years. In 15 patients the diagnosis of APS was performed during the first clinical evaluation, in the other 96 after a latency of 11 years (range 1-46). The most frequent diseases were type I diabetes mellitus and celiac disease, equally distributed among sexes. Conclusions: The prevalence of APS type 4 is 9:100,000 people. Type I diabetes mellitus was the leading indicator of APS type 4 in 78% subjects and in 9% permitted the diagnosis occurring as second manifestation of the syndrome. Our data, showing that 50% of patients developed APS type 4 within the first ten years, don't suggest any particular follow-up time and, more importantly, don't specify any particular disease. It is important to emphasize that 5% of women developed premature ovarian failure

Oral ondansetron versus domperidone for symptomatic treatment of vomiting during acute gastroenteritis in children: multicentre randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis (AG) is not only a direct cause of fluid loss but it is also a major factor of failure of oral rehydration therapy (ORT). Physicians who provide care to paediatric patients in the emergency department (ED) usually prescribe intravenous fluid therapy (IVT) for mild or moderate dehydration when vomiting is the major symptom. Thus, effective symptomatic treatment of vomiting would lead to an important reduction in the use of IVT and, consequently, of the duration of hospital stay and of frequency of hospital admission. Available evidence on symptomatic treatment of vomiting shows the efficacy of the most recently registered molecule (ondansetron) but a proper evaluation of antiemetics drugs largely used in clinical practice, such as domperidone, is lacking.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To compare the efficacy of ondansetron and domperidone for the symptomatic treatment of vomiting in children with AG who have failed ORT.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Multicentre, double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in paediatric EDs. Children aged from 1 to 6 years who vomiting, with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of AG, and without severe dehydration will be included. After the failure of a initial ORS administration in ED, eligible children will be randomized to receive: 1) ondansetron syrup (0,15 mg/Kg of body weight); 2) domperidone syrup (0,5 mg/Kg of body weight); 3) placebo. The main study outcome will be the percentage of patients needing nasogastric or IVT after symptomatic oral treatment failure, defined as vomiting or fluid refusal after a second attempt of ORT. Data relative to study outcomes will be collected at 30 minute intervals for a minimum of 6 hours. A telephone follow up call will be made 48 hours after discharge. A total number of 540 children (i.e. 180 patients in each arm) will be enrolled.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The trial results would provide evidence on the efficacy of domperidone, which is largely used in clinical practice despite the lack of proper evaluation and a controversial safety profile, as compared to ondansetron, which is not yet authorized in Italy despite evidence supporting its efficacy in treating vomiting. The trial results would contribute to a reduction in the use of IVT and, consequently, in hospital admissions in children with AG. The design of this RCT, which closely reflect current clinical practice in EDs, will allow immediate transferability of results.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01257672">NCT01257672</a></p

Contribution to the stratigraphy of the Oligocene-Miocene foredeep successions of the Emilia-Tuscany Northern Apennines, Italy

The Oligocene-Miocene turbidite successions of the Emilia-Tuscany Apennines represent one of the most intriguing topic of the Northern Apennines (NA), due to the complex relationships between tectonics and sedimentation in a migrating thrust wedge - foredeep system, to the not-well constrained differences between orogenic landslides (olistostrome) vs. tectonic chaotic complexes, to the significance of the associated marly deposits, to the emplacement timing and modalities of synsedimentary thrust sheets. In order to achieve some key points to this articulated framework, we have contributed with field-mapping and stratigraphic data on selected marly-turbidite sections of the most critical areas of this sector of NA, which are: Mt. Modino, Civago-Torre degli Amorotti, Gazzano, Gova, Mt. Cimone, Ozola- Ligonchio, Cerreto Pass, Pracchiola, Libro Aperto-Cima Tauffi sections. All these involve some of the most known and not well constrained turbidite units of the NA, as the Mt. Modino Sandstones, the Mt. Cervarola Sandstones and the Gova Sandstones, and the associated marly units as Marmoreto and Civago marlstone fms. These last are also massively involved in highly deformed stacks within chaoticized tectonic units and slices, particularly in the Sestola-Vidiciatico Unit. Our contribute on these sections regard a review of the geological and geometrical field-relationships with particular focus on biostratigraphic new data concerning nannofossil associations, allowing to redefine their age model. All this accompanied by a check for the compositional-petrographic data of the sandstone lithologies, has allowed to insert each section in a coherent basin-chain setting, obtaining an evolutionary model of the chain-foredeep of the NA during the late Oligoceneearly Miocene. The main conclusive remark is the consolidation of the eastward migrating depositional system model, where the foredeep basin, split in several minor sub-basins, due to the pulsating thrusts of the advancing orogenic wedge was structured through two main stages. A first stage during the Chattian-Aquitanian with the development of partially different inner turbidite systems (Mt. Modino Sandstones in a frontal thrust-top basin, Macigno, Torre degli Amorotti System of the Mt. Cervarola Sandstones, Gova Sandstones, etc.) and a second stage developing the wide Mt. Cervarola Sandstone Complex. The two stages result to be separated by the tectonic Tuscan Phase with a deformative acme during the earliest Burdigalian, leading to the development of the Sestola-Vidiciatico Unit and the following involvement of all the sequences in the unit stack

Detection of detached forced-regressive nearshore wedges: a case study from the central-southern Siena Basin (Northern Apennines, Italy)

The detection of detached nearshore wedges formed in response to relative sea-level drops is considered one of the hottest topics in sequence stratigraphic analysis due to their importance as reservoir analogues. In fact, they usually constitute sandy and porous bodies generally encased in impermeable clay, thus presenting a good potential as traps for fluids. This paper focuses on the sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Pliocene deposits cropping out in the central-southern sector of the Siena Basin (Tuscany, Italy), a post-collisional basin of the Northern Apennines. The exposed sedimentary succession was investigated through a detailed sedimentological and stratigraphic approach, integrated by biostratigraphic analyses, aimed at a better characterization of the infilling history of this sector of the basin. Specifically, this study revealed the occurrence of repeated facies shifts that allowed the identification of two depositional sequences. In detail, a thick sand-rich body far from the basin margins, and previously considered as a turbiditic lobe, has been reinterpreted as formed in a nearshore setting during a fall in relative sea level. This body is totally encased in offshore clay, and due to the lack of physical connection with the related HST deposits, it has to be considered as a detached forced-regressive wedge. The present work led to the recognition of some sedimentological and stratigraphic features typical of falling stage systems tract deposits (e.g. presence of intrabasinal recycled materials, sedimentological evidence of a pre-existing fluvial network subsequently eroded) that can provide useful clues for the identification of detached forced-regressive nearshore wedges in core studies and poorly exposed settings

Geologia dell’area di Rapolano Terme in Provincia di Siena (Appennino Settentrionale)

This paper deals with the geological setting of the Rapolano Terme area (Siena) located in southern Tuscany, inner Northern Apennines. The Rapolano area is part of an important morpho-tectonic feature NNW-SSE oriented, ranging from the Chianti Mts to the Cetona Mt, separating the Siena-Radicofani and the Valdichiana Basins in the western and eastern sides, respectively. In the study area the Late Triassic-Early Miocene succession of the Tuscan Nappe, as well as the Eocene succession belonging to the Morello Unit (external Ligurian Unit) and the Pliocene-Pleistocene post-orogenic marine to continental deposits are broadly exposed. The oldest cropping out Tuscan Nappe formation consists of the «Calcari e marne a Rhaetavicula contorta» Fm. It is mainly composed of dark limestone beds with decimeter thick grey marls interbedded. The occurrence of Triasina hantkeni MAIZON allows referring this formation to the Rhaetian. The underlying formation (the base of the Tuscan Nappe), represented by the «Formazione anidritica di Burano» was encountered at depth (900 m below the ground level) by the Rapolano 1 borehole, and was partially drilled for 114 m. The «Calcare massiccio» Fm (Early Lias) overlies on the «Calcari e marne a Rhaetavicula contorta» Fm. This formation broadly crops out in the study area. It is mainly composed of grey massive limestones, often dolomitic, containing meter thick lenses of sin-sedimentary breccias formed by centimeter to decimeter carbo - nate clasts. The «Calcare massiccio» Fm is overlain by the «Calcare selcifero» Fm. Such a formation consists of bedded grey cherty limestones (Late Hettangian-Domerian). The «Calcare selcifero» Fm is overlain by the «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm, giving rise to an anomalous stratigraphic succession with respect to that described for the Tuscan Nappe exposed in the western Tuscany. The «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm is composed of Toarcian-Aalenian red and yellow nodular limestones and marly limestones, with heteropic relationships with the uppermost part of the «Calcare selcifero» Fm and with the lower part of the «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm is mainly composed of Toarcian-Callo - vian meter thick beds consisting of red, grey and yellow marly limestones and marls, often interlayered with red and grey siltstones. Such a formation is discontinuously exposed in the northern part of the study area (mainly between Rapolano and Serre di Rapolano villages), where it directly overlies the «Calcare selcifero» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm is characterized by a thin succession occurring in the southern part of the study area. In few areas such a formation is substituted by the «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm and the «Calcare selcifero» Fm are overlain by the «Diaspri» Fm, mainly composed of centimeter beds of Late Callovian-Early Titonian red, yellow and green radiolarites with interbedded very thin claystones levels. The «Diaspri» Fm gradually passes to the overlying succession represented by the «Calcari ad Aptici» Fm. Such a formation is mainly composed of thin bedded Titonian yellow and red limestones and marly limestones. This formation gradually passes to the «Maiolica» Fm that occurs in an about 100m thick succession, unusual with respect to that documented for the southern Tuscany. The «Maiolica» Fm consists of thin bedded white and grey cherty calcilutites (Berriasian-Aptian). Nodular cherts are very abundant, often black or red in color. The «Maiolica» Fm is overlain by the Albian-Late Eocene (Priabonian) Scaglia Toscana Group which is composed of, from the bottom to the top: i) the «Argilliti di Brolio» Fm; ii) the «Marne siltose ed argilliti marnose rosse di Pod. Le Rossole» correlatable with the «Marne del Sugame» Fm described for the Chianti Mts; iii) the «Calcareniti di Montegrossi» Fm containing a megabreccias with volcanic blocks; iv) the «Argilliti e calcareniti di Dudda» Fm. The «Macigno» Fm is the topmost formation of the Tuscan Nappe. This is mainly composed of a turbidite succession broadly exposed in the northern part of the study area. The «Macigno» Fm consists mainly of arkosic sandstones with interbedded micaceous siltstones and rare thin carbonate levels. The «Macigno» Fm can be subdivided in three main depositional units: i) the lowermost depositional unit is mainly composed of sandstones facies referred to distal or intermediate- distal lobe; ii) the middle depositional unit is characterized by coupled siltstones and sandstones beds, referred to a very distal depositional environment; iii) the topmost depositional unit is mainly composed of siltstones with subordinate sandstones suggesting the migration of the foredeep system. The «Macigno» Fm is referred to the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene. The Ligurian Units are represented by the Morello Unit only composed of the «Monte Morello Fm». Such a formation is exposed in small outcrops located in the southern part of the study area, near Pod. S. Bernardino. In the attached geological map the Morello Unit has been erroneously attributed to the «Scaglia Toscana» Group (labeled as Mc). The «Monte Morello» Fm consists of brown to grey marls and subordinate calcilutites and marly-limestones, with local intercalation of centimeter and decimeter beds of ophiolite bearing turbidite sandstones. The age is Early-Middle Eocene. The Tuscan Nappe and the Morello Unit are unconformably overlain by the Pliocene marine deposits filling the Neogene Siena Basin. The Pliocene deposits consist, from the top to the bottom (see the attached geological map): i) «Argille e argille sabbiose grigie, talvolta fossilifere» consisting of clays and sandy-clays; ii) «Sabbie talvolta argillose ed arenarie poco cementate gialle a luoghi arrossate, Arenarie ben cementate gialle» consisting of sands and clayey-sands; iii) «Conglomerati e ciottolami poligenici, non classati, saltuariamente con fori di Litodomi» consisting of polygenic conglomerates and pebbles with borings of lithophagid bivalves. The lower part of this succession is characterized by the absence of Globorotalia puncticulata. The overlying part is characterized by the occurrence of Bulimina marginata and Discoaster pentaradiatus. On the whole, marine deposits can be ascribed to the Piacenzian even though we cannot exclude the lowest Gelasian at least for the uppermost part of the succession. The Quaternary deposits unconformably overlie both the Pliocene deposits and the pre-Neogene formations. They are exposed from 190 m to 375 m above the sea level. These deposits consists of broad Middle-Late Pleistocene and Holocene travertine deposits, mainly exposed in the quarries close to Serre di Rapolano and Ra - polano Terme villages, and the alluvial deposits of the Piano del Sentino, Piano della Bestina and Borgo ai Piani. The sedimentological and stratigraphic features, as well as the lithological association coupled with the rare fossil remains, allow to refer such deposits to a fluvio-lacustrine depositional environment. The tectonic setting is characterized by superposed deformational events developed during the structural evolution of the Northern Apennines. The structures related to the different deformational events are, from the youngest: i) Late Pliocene-Late Pleistocene oblique to strike-slip faults, E-W to NE-SW striking, giving rise to hydrothermal circulation, as well as the occurrence of thermal springs and gas emissions (mainly CO2); ii) Early-Middle Pliocene normal faults, NNW-SSE and N-S oriented, interfering with the Pliocene sedimentation and driving the architecture of the eastern side of the Siena Basin; the most important structure belonging to this fault system is the Rapolano normal fault, N-S striking and west-dipping, which separates the pre-Neogene successions from the Pliocene deposits; iii) extensional detachments with top-to the east sense of shear giving rise to significant tectonic elisions within tectonic units forming the Chianti Mts-Cetona Mt. ridge (serie ridotta Auctt); iv) east-verging folds with N-S and NNW-SSE axial trend; 458 A.M. BAMBINI ET ALII they are the most representative contractional structures in the whole study area (see the geological map) and developed after the emplacement of the Ligurian Units on the Tuscan Nappe; v) thrust and related minor contractional structures (folds and reverse faults) developed during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene stacking of the tectonic units. In the last part of the paper, the relationships between tectonic activity and travertine deposition and hydrothermal circulation are discusse

Produzioni etrusche in ‘pietra fetida’ nell’Etruria settentrionale: materie prime e loro provenienza

Gli scavi di numerosi siti etruschi della Toscana sud-orientale hanno restituito sculture funerarie realizzate con un particolare tipo di calcare tenero chiamato ‘pietra fetida’ a causa del caratteristico odore che essa rilascia quando viene percossa. La mancanza di informazioni di dettaglio sulle ragioni per le quali gli Etruschi abbiano frequentemente utilizzato questa pietra, e sulle potenziali aree estrattive della stessa, hanno suggerito uno studio petrografico di questa roccia che ne chiarisca la natura ed i possibili luoghi di estrazione. La ‘pietra fetida’ è una roccia calcarea tenera, porosa e leggera, di colore beige e grana finissima, caratteri che ne permettono un facile riconoscimento. La sua originaria deposizione sarebbe da collocarsi nella Toscana meridionale durante la fase di regressione marina del Pliocene inferiore, in zone costiere al limite tra l’ambiente marino e quello continentale. Ciò sembra confermato dalla presenza di resti fossili di organismi di acqua dolce o salmastra come Ostracodi (Cyprideis) ed oogoni di Characeae . Questo litotipo talvolta viene citato come ‘sasso porco’ o, più impropriamente, come ‘tufo puzzolo’, ‘lapis suillus’, ‘stink stone’ ed infine ‘etruscite’ per l’ampio impiego che ne fecero gli Etruschi per la realizzazione di sculture, sarcofagi, cippi e urne cinerarie. Nel secolo scorso studi geologici dedicati alla stratigrafia e alla tettonica dei sedimenti pliocenici della Toscana meridionale, hanno consentito di individuare affioramenti di litotipi riconducibili alla ‘pietra fetida’ variamente associati a lignite, conglomerati, sabbie, argille e calcari organogeni, nei pressi di Chiusi, Montefollonico, Petroio, San Quirico d’Orcia e Pienza. Proprio per le sue caratteristiche di resistenza e di facile lavorabilità anche nei dettagli scultorei, questo tipo di pietra è stata utilizzata per la realizzazione di sculture anche di notevoli dimensioni; tra queste la più nota è la Mater Matuta, conservata nel Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze. La ‘pietra fetida’ è stata utilizzata in gran parte per la realizzazione di sarcofagi e di urnette, alcune delle quali decorate a rilievo e spesso dipinte, mentre i materiali provenienti da stratificazioni sottili, quindi non adatte a ricavarne manufatti di grandi dimensioni, sono state usate per realizzare piccoli oggetti, tra i quali numerose basi per statuette in metallo. Manufatti etruschi in ‘pietra fetida’ sono attestati in una vasta area compresa tra Chiusi, Sarteano, Chianciano Terme e Pienza, ma sono stati rinvenuti anche in altri siti etruschi tra cui Murlo, Montalcino, S. Quirico d’Orcia, S. Giovanni d’Asso e Trequanda in provincia di Siena, oltre a quelle di Cortona e Pieve a Socana in provincia di Arezzo

Geologia dell’area di Rapolano Terme in Provincia di Siena (Appennino Settentrionale)

This paper deals with the geological setting of the Rapolano Terme area (Siena) located in southern Tuscany, inner Northern Apennines. The Rapolano area is part of an important morpho-tectonic feature NNW-SSE oriented, ranging from the Chianti Mts to the Cetona Mt, separating the Siena-Radicofani and the Valdichiana Basins in the western and eastern sides, respectively. In the study area the Late Triassic-Early Miocene succession of the Tuscan Nappe, as well as the Eocene succession belonging to the Morello Unit (external Ligurian Unit) and the Pliocene-Pleistocene post-orogenic marine to continental deposits are broadly exposed. The oldest cropping out Tuscan Nappe formation consists of the «Calcari e marne a Rhaetavicula contorta» Fm. It is mainly composed of dark limestone beds with decimeter thick grey marls interbedded. The occurrence of Triasina hantkeni MAIZON allows referring this formation to the Rhaetian. The underlying formation (the base of the Tuscan Nappe), represented by the «Formazione anidritica di Burano» was encountered at depth (900 m below the ground level) by the Rapolano 1 borehole, and was partially drilled for 114 m. The «Calcare massiccio» Fm (Early Lias) overlies on the «Calcari e marne a Rhaetavicula contorta» Fm. This formation broadly crops out in the study area. It is mainly composed of grey massive limestones, often dolomitic, containing meter thick lenses of sin-sedimentary breccias formed by centimeter to decimeter carbo - nate clasts. The «Calcare massiccio» Fm is overlain by the «Calcare selcifero» Fm. Such a formation consists of bedded grey cherty limestones (Late Hettangian-Domerian). The «Calcare selcifero» Fm is overlain by the «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm, giving rise to an anomalous stratigraphic succession with respect to that described for the Tuscan Nappe exposed in the western Tuscany. The «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm is composed of Toarcian-Aalenian red and yellow nodular limestones and marly limestones, with heteropic relationships with the uppermost part of the «Calcare selcifero» Fm and with the lower part of the «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm is mainly composed of Toarcian-Callo - vian meter thick beds consisting of red, grey and yellow marly limestones and marls, often interlayered with red and grey siltstones. Such a formation is discontinuously exposed in the northern part of the study area (mainly between Rapolano and Serre di Rapolano villages), where it directly overlies the «Calcare selcifero» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm is characterized by a thin succession occurring in the southern part of the study area. In few areas such a formation is substituted by the «Calcare Rosso Ammonitico» Fm. The «Marne a Posidonomya» Fm and the «Calcare selcifero» Fm are overlain by the «Diaspri» Fm, mainly composed of centimeter beds of Late Callovian-Early Titonian red, yellow and green radiolarites with interbedded very thin claystones levels. The «Diaspri» Fm gradually passes to the overlying succession represented by the «Calcari ad Aptici» Fm. Such a formation is mainly composed of thin bedded Titonian yellow and red limestones and marly limestones. This formation gradually passes to the «Maiolica» Fm that occurs in an about 100m thick succession, unusual with respect to that documented for the southern Tuscany. The «Maiolica» Fm consists of thin bedded white and grey cherty calcilutites (Berriasian-Aptian). Nodular cherts are very abundant, often black or red in color. The «Maiolica» Fm is overlain by the Albian-Late Eocene (Priabonian) Scaglia Toscana Group which is composed of, from the bottom to the top: i) the «Argilliti di Brolio» Fm; ii) the «Marne siltose ed argilliti marnose rosse di Pod. Le Rossole» correlatable with the «Marne del Sugame» Fm described for the Chianti Mts; iii) the «Calcareniti di Montegrossi» Fm containing a megabreccias with volcanic blocks; iv) the «Argilliti e calcareniti di Dudda» Fm. The «Macigno» Fm is the topmost formation of the Tuscan Nappe. This is mainly composed of a turbidite succession broadly exposed in the northern part of the study area. The «Macigno» Fm consists mainly of arkosic sandstones with interbedded micaceous siltstones and rare thin carbonate levels. The «Macigno» Fm can be subdivided in three main depositional units: i) the lowermost depositional unit is mainly composed of sandstones facies referred to distal or intermediate- distal lobe; ii) the middle depositional unit is characterized by coupled siltstones and sandstones beds, referred to a very distal depositional environment; iii) the topmost depositional unit is mainly composed of siltstones with subordinate sandstones suggesting the migration of the foredeep system. The «Macigno» Fm is referred to the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene. The Ligurian Units are represented by the Morello Unit only composed of the «Monte Morello Fm». Such a formation is exposed in small outcrops located in the southern part of the study area, near Pod. S. Bernardino. In the attached geological map the Morello Unit has been erroneously attributed to the «Scaglia Toscana» Group (labeled as Mc). The «Monte Morello» Fm consists of brown to grey marls and subordinate calcilutites and marly-limestones, with local intercalation of centimeter and decimeter beds of ophiolite bearing turbidite sandstones. The age is Early-Middle Eocene. The Tuscan Nappe and the Morello Unit are unconformably overlain by the Pliocene marine deposits filling the Neogene Siena Basin. The Pliocene deposits consist, from the top to the bottom (see the attached geological map): i) «Argille e argille sabbiose grigie, talvolta fossilifere» consisting of clays and sandy-clays; ii) «Sabbie talvolta argillose ed arenarie poco cementate gialle a luoghi arrossate, Arenarie ben cementate gialle» consisting of sands and clayey-sands; iii) «Conglomerati e ciottolami poligenici, non classati, saltuariamente con fori di Litodomi» consisting of polygenic conglomerates and pebbles with borings of lithophagid bivalves. The lower part of this succession is characterized by the absence of Globorotalia puncticulata. The overlying part is characterized by the occurrence of Bulimina marginata and Discoaster pentaradiatus. On the whole, marine deposits can be ascribed to the Piacenzian even though we cannot exclude the lowest Gelasian at least for the uppermost part of the succession. The Quaternary deposits unconformably overlie both the Pliocene deposits and the pre-Neogene formations. They are exposed from 190 m to 375 m above the sea level. These deposits consists of broad Middle-Late Pleistocene and Holocene travertine deposits, mainly exposed in the quarries close to Serre di Rapolano and Ra - polano Terme villages, and the alluvial deposits of the Piano del Sentino, Piano della Bestina and Borgo ai Piani. The sedimentological and stratigraphic features, as well as the lithological association coupled with the rare fossil remains, allow to refer such deposits to a fluvio-lacustrine depositional environment. The tectonic setting is characterized by superposed deformational events developed during the structural evolution of the Northern Apennines. The structures related to the different deformational events are, from the youngest: i) Late Pliocene-Late Pleistocene oblique to strike-slip faults, E-W to NE-SW striking, giving rise to hydrothermal circulation, as well as the occurrence of thermal springs and gas emissions (mainly CO2); ii) Early-Middle Pliocene normal faults, NNW-SSE and N-S oriented, interfering with the Pliocene sedimentation and driving the architecture of the eastern side of the Siena Basin; the most important structure belonging to this fault system is the Rapolano normal fault, N-S striking and west-dipping, which separates the pre-Neogene successions from the Pliocene deposits; iii) extensional detachments with top-to the east sense of shear giving rise to significant tectonic elisions within tectonic units forming the Chianti Mts-Cetona Mt. ridge (serie ridotta Auctt); iv) east-verging folds with N-S and NNW-SSE axial trend; 458 A.M. BAMBINI ET ALII they are the most representative contractional structures in the whole study area (see the geological map) and developed after the emplacement of the Ligurian Units on the Tuscan Nappe; v) thrust and related minor contractional structures (folds and reverse faults) developed during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene stacking of the tectonic units. In the last part of the paper, the relationships between tectonic activity and travertine deposition and hydrothermal circulation are discusse