Investigation of tectonically affected groundwater systems through a multidisciplinary approach

This study uses a multidisciplinary approach to obtain a complete picture of the groundwater system of complex mountain aquifers. An Alpine region (the north-western area of Lake Como, Italy), characterized by two regional fault systems (The Breglia and Grona fault systems) containing different lithologies, was investigated using the multidisciplinary approach described here. The use of Principal Components Analysis (PCA), classical geochemical bivariate and trivariate diagrams of major and trace elements, and geostructural data, including remote sensing, permitted the identification of three principal groups of water. The first group, characterized by an enrichment of Ca2+ and HCO3-, flow in limestone. The second group is enriched in HCO3-, Ca2+ and Mg2+ and circulates through dolomite rocks. The third group, characterized by a decrease of Ca2+ and Mg2+, an increase of Na++K+ and a high Si/electrical conductivity (EC) ratio, flow in the basement rocks. Nevertheless, some peculiarities were evident. The matching of PCA, hydrochemical and geostructural information explains the role played by faults in water circulation. In particular, the Breglia fault permits the rise of deep water from crystalline basement and dolomite. Similarly, the Grona fault plays a role on drainage in proximity to the contact between the crystalline basement and the sedimentary cover. The springs located near the Grona fault rise into the crystalline basement but reflect a dolomite water chemistry. The multidisciplinary approach allowed understanding of the groundwater system and identification of fault systems not detectable with a geostructural survey

Widest geographic distribution of a shallow and mesophotic antipatharian coral (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): Antipathes grandis VERRILL, 1928 – confirmed by morphometric and molecular analyses

We provide the first record of the shallow and mesophotic ( 200 m depth) benthic taxa have such wide geographic distributions

A database of the coseismic effects following the 30 October 2016 Norcia earthquake in Central Italy

We provide a database of the coseismic geological surface effects following the Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake that hit central Italy on 30 October 2016. This was one of the strongest seismic events to occur in Europe in the past thirty years, causing complex surface ruptures over an area of >400 km 2. The database originated from the collaboration of several European teams (Open EMERGEO Working Group; about 130 researchers) coordinated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. The observations were collected by performing detailed field surveys in the epicentral region in order to describe the geometry and kinematics of surface faulting, and subsequently of landslides and other secondary coseismic effects. The resulting database consists of homogeneous georeferenced records identifying 7323 observation points, each of which contains 18 numeric and string fields of relevant information. This database will impact future earthquake studies focused on modelling of the seismic processes in active extensional settings, updating probabilistic estimates of slip distribution, and assessing the hazard of surface faulting

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing a recombinant portion of human alpha-fetoprotein with antigenic selectivity versus albumin.

Determination of serum alpha-fetoprotein is useful in the clinical management of liver cancer, but it has not been particularly helpful in the early diagnosis of this disease, since also non-neoplastic liver diseases may result in small increases of its serum concentration. To improve the clinical performance of this assay, we have previously developed an in vitro culture system, in which the expression of alpha-fetoprotein and albumin could be coordinately modulated by thyroid hormone. This system allowed large scale production and purification of native alpha-fetoprotein to be used as reference material. In addition, we synthesized and cloned in a bacterial expression vector a DNA sequence coding of human alpha-fetoprotein amino acid sequence 38-119. This alpha-fetoprotein sequence was chosen since it is the least homologous to albumin, being the amino acid sequence of the two proteins extremely similar with an overall identity of about 38%. Now we have obtained three hybridomas recognizing with high affinity and specificity both the recombinant fragment and native alpha-fetoprotein. These antibodies, which therefore recognize the native protein in the amino acid sequence 38-119, should allow the development of an immunoassay for alpha-fetoprotein with absolute selectivity versus albumin. This might result in more sensitive clinical determinations, avoiding the possibility of cross-reactions

Characterization of the Eva Verda basin aquifer (Saint Marcel, Aosta Valley, Italy) through geochemical and geostructural methods and analysis

The groundwater system of the Eva Verda basin (Saint Marcel Valley, southern side of the middle Aosta Valley, Italy) has many springs that can be used as sources for drinking water. This area is near the disused Servette mine, which can be a pollutant source (metals and sulfides) for the springs located downhill. Aquifer characterization was done using a multidisciplinary approach: geostructural, lithological, hydrogeological and geochemical. In particular, the geostructural analysis showed that the preferential water-flow direction is controlled by tectonics and that it has a trend along the slope toward the downhill springs. The mine drainage flow direction is in agreement with this trend and can pollute the springs. Chemical analysis revealed three water groups: (1) SO42-\u2013Ca2+\u2013Mg2+ rich water (mine drainage), (2) HCO3-\u2013SO42-\u2013Ca2+ rich water and (3) HCO3-\u2013Ca2+ rich water (freshwater). The second group of water results from the different percentage mix between the first and the third waters. The low percentage of mine polluted water demonstrates that there is a high dilution and low pollution of waters that can be exploited for drinking