Redefinition of the Ligurian Units at the Alps–Apennines junction (NW Italy) and their role in the evolution of the Ligurian accretionary wedge: constraints from mélanges and broken formations

We document that the undifferentiated chaotic Ligurian Units of the Monferrato–Torino Hill sector (MO-TH) at the Alps–Apennines junction consist of three different units that are comparable with the Cassio, Caio and Sporno Units of the External Ligurian Units of the Northern Apennines. Their internal stratigraphy reflects the character of units deposited in an ocean–continent transition (OCT) zone between the northwestern termination of the Ligurian–Piedmont oceanic basin and the thinned passive margin of Adria microcontinent. The inherited wedge-shaped architecture of this OCT, which gradually closed toward the north in the present-day Canavese Zone, controlled the Late Cretaceous–early Eocene flysch deposition at the trench of the External Ligurian accretionary wedge during the oblique subduction. This favoured the formation of an accretionary wedge increasing in thickness and elevation toward the SE, from the MO-TH to the Emilia Northern Apennines. Our results therefore provide significant information on both the palaeogeographical reconstruction of the northwestern termination of the Ligurian–Piedmont oceanic basin and the role played by inherited along-strike variations (stratigraphy, structural architecture and morphology) of OCT zones in controlling subduction–accretionary processes

Hollow resorbable fiber for combined light and drug delivery: fiber development and analysis of release kinetics

A hollow bioresorbable phosphate glass fiber was developed and used for drug and light delivery. The interaction between organic molecules and the fiber’s internal surface was studied. Promising results for the release of Rose Bengal were obtained

Subduction signature of the Vardar ophiolite of North Macedonia: new constraints from geochemical and stable isotope data

Volatiles such as carbon (C) and sulphur (S) are commonly transferred into the mantle from subduction of oceanic lithosphere and overlying sediments. C and S isotopic signatures of magmatic rocks could be used as proxies of the slab components involved in the petrogenesis of subduction-related ophiolites. Therefore, in this work we investigated the major and trace element composition, as well as the C and S elemental contents and isotopic ratios (13C/12C and 34S/32S) of subvolcanic and volcanic rocks of the Vardar ophiolites of North Macedonia, which represent the remnants of the Mesozoic Tethyan oceanic lithosphere formed in supra-subduction zone tectonic settings. The ophiolites were sampled at Lipkovo and Demir Kapija localities, in the northern and southern part of North Macedonia, respectively. Based on whole-rock major and trace element composition, three groups of rocks can be distinguished: i) Group 1 rocks, which are subalkaline basalts having backarc affinity, ii) Group 2a and iii) Group 2b rocks, which are calc-alkaline basalts having arc affinity, with and without adakitic signatures, respectively. The qualitative petrogenetic models indicate that studied rocks formed by partial melting of mantle sources variably metasomatized by subduction-related components, such as aqueous fluids, sediment melts, and adakitic melts. Accordingly, all the North Macedonia ophiolites are characterized by C and S signatures which deviate from those typical for mantle and Mid Ocean Ridge melts. The variably low δ13C values recorded by Group 1 and 2 rocks could be related to the different contributions of melts released by subducting sediments rich in organic matter. However, we cannot exclude that such C-enriched signature is the result of isotopic fractionation during degassing process. In contrast, the enriched S isotopic signatures of the North Macedonia ophiolites suggest a major involvement of melts derived from the subducting sediments rich in sulphate phases. In particular, the calc-alkaline basalts of Group 2 rocks record more positive δ34S values than the subalkaline basalts of Group 1 formed in backarc basin suggesting that the subarc mantle sources were more affected by slab-released fluids than those of the backarc basin, which were more distal from the trenc

DI ALCUNI PRODROMI ED EFFETTI DEL PICTORIAL TURN

Il testo della relazione analizza alcuni aspetti della teoria di W.J.T. Mitchell in riferimento allo stato attuale dei Visual Studies

Association between preoperative evaluation with lung ultrasound and outcome in frail elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for hip fractures: study protocol for an Italian multicenter observational prospective study (LUSHIP)

Hip fracture is one of the most common orthopedic causes of hospital admission in frail elderly patients. Hip fracture fixation in this class of patients is considered a high-risk procedure. Preoperative physical examination, plasma natriuretic peptide levels (BNP, Pro-BNP), and cardiovascular scoring systems (ASA-PS, RCRI, NSQIP-MICA) have all been demonstrated to underestimate the risk of postoperative complications. We designed a prospective multicenter observational study to assess whether preoperative lung ultrasound examination can predict better postoperative events thanks to the additional information they provide in the form of "indirect" and "direct" cardiac and pulmonary lung ultrasound signs

Fatality rate and predictors of mortality in an Italian cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Clinical features and natural history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differ widely among different countries and during different phases of the pandemia. Here, we aimed to evaluate the case fatality rate (CFR) and to identify predictors of mortality in a cohort of COVID-19 patients admitted to three hospitals of Northern Italy between March 1 and April 28, 2020. All these patients had a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection by molecular methods. During the study period 504/1697 patients died; thus, overall CFR was 29.7%. We looked for predictors of mortality in a subgroup of 486 patients (239 males, 59%; median age 71 years) for whom sufficient clinical data were available at data cut-off. Among the demographic and clinical variables considered, age, a diagnosis of cancer, obesity and current smoking independently predicted mortality. When laboratory data were added to the model in a further subgroup of patients, age, the diagnosis of cancer, and the baseline PaO2/FiO2 ratio were identified as independent predictors of mortality. In conclusion, the CFR of hospitalized patients in Northern Italy during the ascending phase of the COVID-19 pandemic approached 30%. The identification of mortality predictors might contribute to better stratification of individual patient risk