A 2-D FEM thermal model to simulate water flow in a porous media: Campi Flegrei caldera case study

Abstract. Volcanic and geothermal aspects both exist in many geologically young areas. In these areas the heat transfer process is of fundamental importance, so that the thermal and fluid-dynamic processes characterizing a viscous fluid in a porous medium are very important to understand the complex dynamics of the these areas. The Campi Flegrei caldera, located west of the city of Naples, within the central-southern sector of the large graben of Campanian plain, is a region where both volcanic and geothermal phenomena are present. The upper part of the geothermal system can be considered roughly as a succession of volcanic porous material (tuff) saturated by a mixture formed mainly by water and carbon dioxide. We have implemented a finite elements approach in transient conditions to simulate water flow in a 2-D porous medium to model the changes of temperature in the geothermal system due to magmatic fluid inflow, accounting for a transient phase, not considered in the analytical solutions and fluid compressibility. The thermal model is described by means of conductive/convective equations, in which we propose a thermal source represented by a parabolic shape function to better simulate an increase of temperature in the central part (magma chamber) of a box, simulating the Campi Flegrei caldera and using more recent evaluations, from literature, for the medium's parameters (specific heat capacity, density, thermal conductivity, permeability). A best-fit velocity for the permeant is evaluated by comparing the simulated temperatures with those measured in wells drilled by Agip (Italian Oil Agency) in the 1980s in the framework of geothermal exploration. A few tens of days are enough to reach the thermal steady state, showing the quick response of the system to heat injection. The increase in the pressure due to the heat transport is then used to compute ground deformation, in particular the vertical displacements characteristics of the Campi Flegrei caldera behaviour. The vertical displacements range from 1 cm to 10 cm in accordance with the mini uplift, characterizing the recent behaviour of the caldera. The time needed to move fluid particles from the bottom to the upper layer (years) is compatible with the timing of the mini uplift

Effect of layered double hydroxide intercalated with fluoride ions on the physical, biological and release properties of a dental composite resin

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was the preparation of a new fluoride-releasing dental material characterized by a release of fluoride relatively constant over time without any initial toxic burst effect. This type of delivery is obtained by a matrix controlled elution and elicits the beneficial effect of a low amount of fluoride on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) towards mature phenotype. METHODS: The modified hydrotalcite intercalated with fluoride ions (LDH-F), used as filler, was prepared via ion exchange procedure and characterized by X-ray diffraction and FT-IR spectroscopy. The LDH-F inorganic particles (0.7, 5, 10, 20wt.%) were mixed with a photo-activated Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (45/55wt/wt) matrix and novel visible-light cured composites were prepared. The dynamic thermo-mechanical properties were determined by dynamic mechanical analyzer. The release of fluoride ions in physiological solution was determined using a ionometer. Total DNA content was measured by a PicoGreen dsDNA quantification kit to assess the proliferation rate of hDPSCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) was measured in presence of fluoride resins. RESULTS: Incorporation of even small mass fractions (e.g. 0.7 and 5wt.%) of the fluoride LDH in Bis-GMA/TEGDMA dental resin significantly improved the mechanical properties of the pristine resin, in particular at 37°C. The observed reinforcement increases on increasing the filler concentration. The release of fluoride ions resulted very slow, lasting months. ALP activity gradually increased for 28 days in hDPSCs cell grown, demonstrating that low concentrations of fluoride contributed to the cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: The prepared composites containing different amount of hydrotalcite filler showed improved mechanical properties, slow fluoride release and promoted hDPSCs cell proliferation and cell differentiation

Topography and structural heterogeneities in surface ground deformation: a simulation test for Somma-Vesuvius volcano

Abstract. We simulate the deformation of Somma-Vesuvius volcano due to some overpressure sources by means of a finite element 3D code. The main goal of these simulations is to investigate the influence of topography and structural heterogeneity on ground deformation. In our model the sources of deformation are embedded in an elastic linear isotropic medium and located at various depths. Geometry (shape and lateral extension) of the sources is mainly constrained by the results coming from recent seismic tomography studies. The structural heterogeneity has been modelled in terms of dynamic elastic parameters (Young's modulus) retrieved from previous seismic tomography and gravity studies. A high-resolution digital terrain model is used for the topography of the volcano subaerial edifice. Evidences from our results suggest that real topography and structural heterogeneities are key factors governing the ground deformation, which often turns being one of the most relevant problems in volcano monitoring. A large deviation from the axially symmetrical model of the displacement field is the main result of our modelling. Such an asymmetry is routinely unaccounted for when Mogi's simplistic modelling in a homogeneous medium with simplified topography is used. Our study clearly demonstrate that a better knowledge of deformation patterns can significantly help in the location of monitoring sensors as well as in the design of an efficient geodetic network

S.A.G.NET: Rete GPS dell'Appennino meridionale.

The Matese carbonatic massive occupies the northernmost part of the campanian Apennine while Sannio mounts, located to the East of massive, consists primarily of quaternary deposits and represent the area of Apennine chain degrading to East towards the Bradanica foredeep. The area was affected in historical time by several destructive earthquakes. The first ground deformation studies in this area started from 1990-2000 with the definition of geodetic networks, covering all or part of the massive Matese, with the aim of evaluating seismogenic sources responsible for the seismicity of the area. In 2002, a careful inspection of the existing GPS benchmarks was carried out; those which had a good state of preservation and a good level of reliability were included into a new geodetic Matese network, consisting of 38 3D benchmarks. Several surveys were conducted in 2000, 2002 and 2004,with the aim of defining the strain field, defined by plano-altimetric components. In 2005, an intensive work of gathering and validating available data started, integrating data collected by previous surveys with those collected during the new survey carried out in 2006. This work describes in detail the various stages of implementing the final network S.A.G.NET, whose geometry was also bound to the distribution of the known seismogenic sources present in the area. We also show the first results obtained from data collected from2000 to 2006 and the resulting kinematic model for this area

Long-Term Fluoride Release from Dental Resins Affects STRO-1+ Cell Behavior.

Fluoride-releasing restorative dental materials can be beneficial to remineralize dentin and help prevent secondary caries. However, the effects of fluoride release from dental materials on the activity of dental pulp stem cells are not known. Here we investigate whether different fluoride release kinetics from dental resins supplemented with modified hydrotalcite (RK-F10) or fluoride-glass filler (RK-FG10) could influence the behavior of a human dental pulp stem cell subpopulation (STRO-1(+) cells) known for its ability to differentiate toward an odontoblast-like phenotype. The 2 resins, characterized by similar physicochemical properties and fluoride content, exhibited different long-term fluoride release kinetics. Our data demonstrate that long-term exposure of STRO-1(+) cells to a continuous release of a low amount of fluoride by RK-F10 increases their migratory response to transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), both important promoters of pulp stem cell recruitment. Moreover, the expression patterns of dentin sialoprotein (dspp), dentin matrix protein 1 (dmp1), osteocalcin (ocn), and matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (mepe) indicate a complete odontoblast-like cell differentiation only when STRO-1(+) cells were cultured on RK-F10. On the contrary, RK-FG10, characterized by an initial fluoride release burst and reduced lifetime of the delivery, did not elicit any significant effect on both STRO-1(+) cell migration and differentiation. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of taking into account fluoride release kinetics in addition to fluoride concentration when designing new fluoride-restorative materials

La rete GPS dell'isola d'Ischia: Deformazioni del suolo in un'area vulcanica attiva (1998-2010).

This work shows the experience acquired by the INGV-Osservatorio Vesuviano GPS Team to study the displacement field at Ischia island. After the last GPS survey, carried out in June 2010, we decided to reorganize and to reprocess the GPS data. The results were integrated with those of the three permanent GPS stations operating on the island. Data quality and repeatability have been evaluated. In order to define the GPS velocity field, we combined multi-year solutions in the period from 1998 to 2010.We defined a local reference system and analyzed the time series for a realistic error estimate. After a description of recent volcanic history and dynamics of Ischia, we describe the data-set, data processing strategy, and finally, some considerations on the achieved results are exposed