RADIOCHRONOLOGICAL DATA WITH U/TH METHOD IN LAGUNAL /MARINE DEPOSITS OF THE NW PELOPONNESE, GREECE.

Pleistocene lagoonal sediments exposed in northwestern Peloponneses were dated by U/Th methods in Cladocora coespitosa and in Area sp. samples, were collected from the southern part of the Rion - Antirrion and western end of the Corinth grabens, which were both formed in the upper Pliocene. Our dating results, indicate a Tyrrhenian age, Upper Pleistocene, and not Lower Pleistocene ages which were reported for these sediments up until now. In particular, the absolute ages from the collected samples from Ano Kastrisi are 203.6 ±11 kyr.s, from Arachovitika 164 ± 5.8 kyr.s and from Agios George Drepanou 88.1 ± 2.3 kyr.s. The above ages belong in isotopie stages 7, 6, 5 respectively. Based on the U/Th reported ages the calculated relatives rates of uplift are, 2.8 mnvyr"1 and 4.8 mnryr"1 for the areas of Ano Kastrisi and Agios George Drepanou respectively (south-eastern margin of the Rion - Antirrion graben) and 0.4 mnryr"1 Arachovitika samples (western end of Corinth graben). The calculated different relatives rates of uplift demonstrate probably that the two grabens had a different neotectonic and paleogeographic evolution

Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy, Apulia). Legacies and issues in excavating a key site for the Pleistocene of the Mediterranean

Grotta Romanelli, located on the Adriatic coast of southern Apulia (Italy), is considered a key site for the Mediterranean Pleistocene for its archaeological and palaeontological contents. The site, discovered in 1874, was re-evaluated only in 1900, when P. E. Stasi realised that it contained the first evidence of the Palaeolithic in Italy. Starting in 1914, G. A. Blanc led a pioneering excavation campaign, for the first-time using scientific methods applied to systematic palaeontological and stratigraphical studies. Blanc proposed a stratigraphic framework for the cave. Different dating methods (C-14 and U/Th) were used to temporally constrain the deposits. The extensive studies of the cave and its contents were mostly published in journals with limited distribution and access, until the end of the 1970s, when the site became forgotten. In 2015, with the permission of the authorities, a new excavation campaign began, led by a team from Sapienza University of Rome in collaboration with IGAG CNR and other research institutions. The research team had to deal with the consequences of more than 40 years of inactivity in the field and the combined effect of erosion and legal, as well as illegal, excavations. In this paper, we provide a database of all the information published during the first 70 years of excavations and highlight the outstanding problems and contradictions between the chronological and geomorphological evidence, the features of the faunal assemblages and the limestone artefacts

Is Cyprideis agrigentina Decima a good palaeosalinometer 1 for the Messinian Salinity Crisis? 2 Morphometrical and geochemical analyses from the Eraclea Minoa section (Sicily)

The living euryhaline species Cyprideis torosa (Jones) undergoes morphometric variations in size, noding and sieve-pore shape linked to the environmental salinity. In particular it is known that salinity values around 8-9 psu represent the osmoregulation threshold and also the turning point between smaller and greater valve dimensions and prevailingly noded against un-noded valves. The variation of the percentage of round-, elongate- and irregular-shaped sieve-pores on the valves has shown an empiric logarithmic correlation with the water salinity from 0 to 100 psu. Due to this ecologically cued polymorphism, C. torosa represents 28 an invaluable palaeosalinometer for the Quaternary brackish basins. In this paper we attempt to verify whether the ecophenotypical behaviour of the post-evaporitic Messinian species Cyprideis agrigentina Decima was comparable with that of C. torosa. To reach this goal, three morphometric characters have been analysed: 1) size variability; 2) noding and ornamentation; 3) variability of the percentage of the sieve-pore shapes. The palaeoenvironmental interpretation was made using synecological and geochemical approaches [stable isotopes, trace elements, Sr-isotopes and natural radioactivity (NRD)]. For this study, the 250 m-thick Messinian Lago-Mare succession of Eraclea Minoa (Agrigento, Sicily) was chosen for the presence of monotypic assemblages made only by C. agrigentina for around 70 m of thickness. The results of the morphometric analyses showed that: 1) size variations are not related to the salinity changes recognized both from synecological and geochemical analyses; 2) no noded specimens have been recovered along the section; 3) the salinities calculated on the basis of the percentage of the sieve-pore shape are not correlated with the salinities inferred from the synecological and geochemical analyses. Thus in this paper we conclude that C. agrigentina cannot be considered a palaeosalinometer for the Messinian Salinity Crisis. There is a correlation of the 13 C and NRD data with the percentages of sieve-pore shapes, linking them to the oxygen availability at the bottom of the basin

The Paganica Fault and surface coseismic ruptures caused by the 6 april 2009 earthquake (L’Aquila, central Italy)

On 6 April 2009, at 01:32 GMT, an Mw 6.3 seismic event hit the central Apennines, severely damaging the town of L’Aquila and dozens of neighboring villages and resulting in approximately 300 casualties (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, http://www.ingv.it; MedNet, http://mednet.rm.ingv.it/proce- dure/events/QRCMT/090406_013322/qrcmt.html). This earth- quake was the strongest in central Italy since the devastating 1915 Fucino event (Mw 7.0). The INGV national seismic net- work located the hypocenter 5 km southwest of L’Aquila, 8–9 km deep. Based on this information and on the seismotectonic framework of the region, earthquake geologists traveled to the field to identify possible surface faulting (Emergeo Working Group 2009a, 2009b). The most convincing evidence of pri- mary surface rupture is along the Paganica fault, the geometry of which is consistent with seismological, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and GPS data. Investigation of other known nor- mal faults of the area, i.e., the Mt. Pettino, Mt. San Franco, and Mt. Stabiata normal faults suggested that these structures were not activated during the April 6 shock (Emergeo Working Group 2009a, 2009b). In this report, we first describe the seismotectonic frame- work of the area, and then we present the field information that supports the occurrence of surficial displacement on the Paganica fault.Published940-9503.2. Tettonica attivaJCR Journalope

The Paganica Fault and surface coseismic ruptures caused by the 6 april 2009 earthquake (L’Aquila, central Italy)

On 6 April 2009, at 01:32 GMT, an Mw 6.3 seismic event hit the central Apennines, severely damaging the town of L’Aquila and dozens of neighboring villages and resulting in approximately 300 casualties (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, http://www.ingv.it; MedNet, http://mednet.rm.ingv.it/proce- dure/events/QRCMT/090406_013322/qrcmt.html). This earth- quake was the strongest in central Italy since the devastating 1915 Fucino event (Mw 7.0). The INGV national seismic net- work located the hypocenter 5 km southwest of L’Aquila, 8–9 km deep. Based on this information and on the seismotectonic framework of the region, earthquake geologists traveled to the field to identify possible surface faulting (Emergeo Working Group 2009a, 2009b). The most convincing evidence of pri- mary surface rupture is along the Paganica fault, the geometry of which is consistent with seismological, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and GPS data. Investigation of other known nor- mal faults of the area, i.e., the Mt. Pettino, Mt. San Franco, and Mt. Stabiata normal faults suggested that these structures were not activated during the April 6 shock (Emergeo Working Group 2009a, 2009b). In this report, we first describe the seismotectonic frame- work of the area, and then we present the field information that supports the occurrence of surficial displacement on the Paganica fault

Metastatic melanoma in an esophagus demonstrating Barrett esophagus with high grade dysplasia

BACKGROUND: Metastatic melanoma involving the esophagus is rare; the occurrence of metastatic melanoma in a background of Barrett esophagus is rarer still. We report a case of an 80 year-old male who presented to our institution for workup of Barrett esophagus with high-grade dysplasia and who proved to have metastatic melanoma occurring in the background of Barrett esophagus, the first report of this kind, to our knowledge, in the English literature. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80 year-old Caucasian male was diagnosed at an outside institution with Barrett’s esophagus with high grade dysplasia and presented to our institution for therapy. The patient underwent endoscopic mucosal resection using a band ligation technique of an area of nodularity within the Barrett esophagus. Microscopic examination demonstrated extensive Barrett esophagus with high-grade dysplasia as well as a second tumor which was morphologically different from the surrounding high-grade dysplasia and which was positive for S-100, HMB 45 and Melan-A on immunohistochemistry, consistent with melanoma. Further workup of the patient demonstrated multiple radiologic lesions consistent with metastases. Molecular studies demonstrated that the melanoma was positive for the 1799T>A (V600E) mutation in the BRAF gene. The overall features of the tumor were most consistent with metastatic melanoma occurring in a background of Barrett esophagus with high-grade dysplasia. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates a unique intersection between a premalignant condition (Barrett esophagus with high grade dysplasia) and a separate malignancy (melanoma). This report also shows the utility of molecular testing to support the hypothesis of primary versus metastatic disease in melanoma

European Atlas of Natural Radiation

Natural ionizing radiation is considered as the largest contributor to the collective effective dose received by the world population. The human population is continuously exposed to ionizing radiation from several natural sources that can be classified into two broad categories: high-energy cosmic rays incident on the Earth’s atmosphere and releasing secondary radiation (cosmic contribution); and radioactive nuclides generated during the formation of the Earth and still present in the Earth’s crust (terrestrial contribution). Terrestrial radioactivity is mostly produced by the uranium and thorium radioactive families together with potassium. In most circumstances, radon, a noble gas produced in the radioactive decay of uranium, is the most important contributor to the total dose. This Atlas aims to present the current state of knowledge of natural radioactivity, by giving general background information, and describing its various sources. This reference material is complemented by a collection of maps of Europe displaying the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources. It is a compilation of contributions and reviews received from more than 80 experts in their field: they come from universities, research centres, national and European authorities and international organizations. This Atlas provides reference material and makes harmonized datasets available to the scientific community and national competent authorities. In parallel, this Atlas may serve as a tool for the public to: • familiarize itself with natural radioactivity; • be informed about the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources; • have a more balanced view of the annual dose received by the world population, to which natural radioactivity is the largest contributor; • and make direct comparisons between doses from natural sources of ionizing radiation and those from man-made (artificial) ones, hence to better understand the latter.JRC.G.10-Knowledge for Nuclear Security and Safet