An example of a three-type interference pattern in the Tuscan Nappe, South-western sector of Apuan Alps (Northern Apennines, Italy)

The study area is located in the Northern Apennines, which is composed of oceanic and continental- derived tectonic units, stacked toward NE during Apennine subduction (Oligocene to present). The continental-derived units, representative of the Adria paleomargin involved into the collisional phases of the Alpine orogeny, are, from the lower to the upper structural levels: the Apuan Alps Unit, the Massa Unit and the Tuscan Nappe. The Apuan Alps Unit consists of pre-Mesozoic metamorphic basement and metasedimentary cover rocks, ranging from Triassic to Oligocene, deformed and metamorphosed under greenschists facies conditions. The Massa Unit, is also characterized by pre-Mesozoic metamorphic basement unconformably covered by Middle to Upper Triassic metasedimentary rocks. It recorded higher metamorphic conditions respect to underlying Unit. The Tuscan Nappe, instead, is detached from its basement and it is composed by Late Triassic to Early Miocene nonmetamorphic sedimentary rocks. This Unit was deformed at shallow structural levels. In the southeastern sector of the Apuan Alps, sedimentary rocks of the Tuscan nappe crop out. Particularly, in the study area, this unit includes only LateTriassic - Early Cretaceous rocks (Carosi et al., 2005). Field observations and structural data allowed us to elaborate a 1:5.000 scale structural map. Structural analyses highlighted a comlplex deformation history, composed by five deformation events (from D1 to D5), documented a different scale. The D1 event is testified by S1 foliation classifiable as slaty cleavage. In thin section, S1 is emphasised by preferential orientation of phyllosilicates and lenticular domains composed of quartz, calcite, detrital micas, albite and oxides. Open to isoclinal similar folds (F2) with NW-SE trending axes are associated to the D2 event. F2 folds are associated to a well developed S2 axial plane classifiable as crenulation cleavage without significant re-crystallisation. The D3 event is not well developed in this area and it is locally recorded in the fine-grained rocks where it produced isoclinal folds with scattered axes and axial planes oriented N-S. The previous architecture is reworked by folds with chévron geometry and sub-horizontal axial plane associated to the D4 event. Finally, D5 event is characterized by open folds with sub-vertical axial plane and three systems of normal to transtensive faults. These brittle structures, could be interpreted as conjugate faults of the Monte Croce-Pescaglia faults system. In conclusion, field observations and structural analysis conducted both at the micro and at the mesoscopic scale, indicate that Tuscan Nappe exposed in the study area was affected by a kmscale three-type interference pattern (Ramsay, 1967). Furthermore, our studies suggest that the faults played a role of great importance in the present architecture of this sector of the belt

The coupling of high-pressure oceanic and continental units in Alpine Corsica: Evidence for syn-exhumation tectonic erosion at the roof of the plate interface

The subduction of continental crust is now a matter of fact but which are the mechanisms and the factors control- ling the exhumation of continental units and their coupling with oceanic units are still a matter of debate. We herein present the tectono-metamorphic study of selected continental units belonging to the Alpine Corsica (Corte area, Central Corsica, France). The tectonic pile in the study area features thin slices of oceanic units (i.e. Schistes Lustrés Complex) tectonically stacked between the continental units (i.e. the Lower Units), which record a pressure–temperature-deformation (P-T-d) evolution related to their burial, down to P-T-peak conditions in the blueschist facies and subsequent exhumation during the Late Cretaceous – Early Oligocene time span. The metamorphic conditions were calculated crossing the results of three different thermobarometers based on the HP-LT metapelites. The continental units only recorded the P-peak conditions of 1.2 GPa-250 °C, up to the T-peak conditions of 0.8 GPa-400 °C, and the retrograde path up to LP-LT conditions. The metamorphic record of the oceanic units includes part of the prograde path occurring before the peak conditions reached at 1.0 GPa-250 °C followed by the last metamorphic event related to LP-LT conditions. The results indicate that each unit experienced a multistage independent pressure–temperature-deformation (P-T-d) evolution and sug- gest that the oceanic and continental units were coupled during the rising of the last ones at about 10 km of depth, where the oceanic units were stored at the base of the wedge. Subsequently they were deformed together by the last ductile deformation event during exhumation. We propose a mechanism of tectonic erosion at the base of the wedge, by which slices of Schistes Lustrés Complex were removed at the roof of the plate interface during the exhumation of the Lower Units

Trace Elements in Soil and Urban Groundwater in an Area Impacted by Metallurgical Activity: Health Risk Assessment in the Historical Barga Municipality (Tuscany, Italy)

Trace elements were measured in soil and groundwater collected within the Fornaci di Barga urban area (Serchio River Valley, Tuscany, Italy), a territory that integrates natural assets with touristic vocation, impacted by long-lasting metallurgical activity. Epidemiological studies highlighted that the area surrounding the industrial plants is characterized by a persistent excess of diseases, attributed to heavy metal pollution. Soils were taken in school gardens, public parks, sport grounds and roadsides. The results indicate that Cu, Zn and Cd represent the main contaminants in surface soil, likely originated by deposition of airborne particulate matter from metallurgical activity. Risk assessment considering soil ingestion and dermal contact exposure routes revealed that the cadmium Hazard Quotient approaches unity for children, and the cadmium risk-based concentration obtained by combining exposure information with toxicity data is only slightly lower compared with the cadmium maximum concentration actually measured in soil. Groundwater does not show evidence of trace metal contamination, suggesting that the migration of contaminants from soil to subsurface is a slow process. However, assessment of the possible interconnections between shallow and deep-seated aquifers requires monitoring to be continued. The obtained results highlight the possible link between space clusters of diseases and metal concentration in soil

The Intra-Pontide ophiolites in Northern Turkey revisited: From birth to death of a Neotethyan oceanic domain

The Anatolian peninsula is a key location to study the central portion of the Neotethys Ocean(s) and to understand how its western and eastern branches were connected. One of the lesser known branches of the Mesozoic ocean(s) is preserved in the northern ophiolite suture zone exposed in Turkey, namely, the Intra-Pontide suture zone. It is located between the Sakarya terrane and the Eurasian margin (i.e., Istanbul-Zonguldak terrane) and consists of several metamorphic and non-metamorphic units containing ophiolites produced in supra-subduction settings from the Late Triassic to the Early Cretaceous. Ophiolites preserved in the metamorphic units recorded pervasive deformations and peak metamorphic conditions ranging from blueschist to eclogite facies. In the non-metamorphic units, the complete oceanic crust sequence is preserved in tectonic units or as olistoliths in sedimentary mélanges. Geochemical, structural, metamorphic and geochronological investigations performed on ophiolite-bearing units allowed the formulation of a new geodynamic model of the entire "life" of the Intra-Pontide oceanic basin(s). The reconstruction starts with the opening of the Intra-Pontide oceanic basins during the Late Triassic between the Sakarya and Istanbul-Zonguldak continental microplates and ends with its closure caused by two different subductions events that occurred during the upper Early Jurassic and Middle Jurassic. The continental collision between the Sakarya continental microplate and the Eurasian margin developed from the upper Early Cretaceous to the Palaeocene. The presented reconstruction is an alternative model to explain the complex and articulate geodynamic evolution that characterizes the southern margin of Eurasia during the Mesozoic era. Keywords: Intra-Pontide suture zone, Central Pontides, Northern Turkey, Ophiolites, Neotethys Ocean, Geodynamic

Duodenal Duplication Cyst: A Rare Case Report

Gastrointestinal duplication cysts are infrequent congenital abnormalities. 2% to 12% of these abnormalities are localized in correspondence of the duodenum. This disease rarely remains asymptomatic until adulthood. We present a case of A 62-year-old woman with intermittent upper abdominal pain and nausea, describing the diagnostic and therapeutic route

the intra pontide suture zone in the tosya kastamonu area northern turkey

ABSTRACTWe present the first detailed geological map of the tectonic units documented in the easternmost branch of the Intra-Pontide suture (IPS) zone in the Tosya-Kastamonu area (Northern Turkey). The Main Map is at 1:50,000 scale and covers an area of about 350 km2. It derived from 1:25,000 scale classic field mapping and represents a detailed overview of the complexities documented in the IPS zone, a tectonic nappe stack originating from the closure of the Intra-Pontide Oceanic basin and the subsequent collision between the Istanbul-Zonguldak terrane and the Sakarya composite terrane. The map shows the orientations of superposed foliations, fold axes and mineral lineations on the basis of geometric cross-cutting relationships documented within the five tectonic units of the IPS zone and provides information on its present-day architecture resulting from activity of the North Anatolian Fault

Financial Instruments and Territorial Cohesion : Final Report

The main objective of this research activity is to provide territorial analysis on the impacts of European Structural and Investment Funds’ financial instruments in the 2007-2013 programming period and where data allows in the 2014-2020 programming period. The main outcome should be evidence on what the increasing shift to using financial instruments implies for the objective of territorial cohesion and whether using financial instruments as a complement to grant schemes is an effective way to implement European Structural and Investment Funds in terms of added value for territorial development

Hyperthermic superparamagnetic nanoparticles modulate adipocyte metabolism

Adipocytes are the principal cellular component in adipose tissue and their excessive hyperplasia or hypertrophy is actively involved in regulating physiologic and pathologic processes such as inflammation, cardiovascular disease, obesity and tumour. The main depot of energy in adipocytes is represented by lipid droplets, intracellular organelles that play fundamental roles in regulation of metabolic processes. An accumulation of such droplets could be a potential biomarker of disease caused by metabolic dysregulation. Recent studies have demonstrated that heat shock is associated with alteration in energy metabolism: the aim of this study is to modulate the energy metabolism of the adipocytes via controlled administration of thermal energy to reduce the number of lipid droplets. We have investigated the effect of controlled heating of adipocytes using an alternating magnetic field (AMF) on samples loaded with superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNP) as heating agent