PETROLOGICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PRE-ERUPTIVE CONDITIONS OF LA SOMMATA BASALT AND BROWN TUFFS TEPHRA (AEOLIAN ISLANDS)

This work is focused on two key eruptions of Vulcano Island: 1) the most primitive magma of Vulcano erupted by the La Sommata scoria cone, a silica-undersaturated Ca-rich shoshonitic basalt with olivine-hosted primitive melt inclusions having an ultra-calcic character; 2) the most energetic eruptions of the whole Aeolian Archipelago, the Brown Tuffs (BT) eruptions, which produced several pyroclastic deposits, covering an ample age interval, spread out over a large portion of all Aeolian islands up to the northern coast of Sicily (Lucchi et al., 2008). By complementary studies of melt inclusions and experimental petrology, we pursued the following main objectives: (i) to constrain the pressure temperature-fluid activity during the ascent paths of La Sommata primitive magma and BT basaltic andesite; (ii) to experimentally investigate the influence of H2O in these magma and its effects on the phase relations; (iii) to try to depict a petrological model and to constrain the pre- eruptive conditions of these very different eruptions. In order to obtain the BT pre-eruptive H2O and CO2 contents, preliminarly to the experimental petrology, we performed several analyses on melt inclusions hosted in loose clinopyroxenes sampled from the BT deposits at Vulcano. This step greatly adjuvated the restriction of T, P, H2Omelt conditions for the later experimental petrology approach on BT composition

What is new about somatosensory evoked potentials as neurological predictors of comatose survivors after cardiac arrest

n/

what is the role of post acute eeg in prediction of late neurological outcome in severe disorders of consciousness

n/

Brain death following ingestion of E‐cigarette liquid nicotine refill solution

n/

Instantaneous limit equilibrium back analyses of major rockslides triggered during the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence

Among the almost 1400 landslides triggered by the shocks of the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence, only a limited number, all classifiable as rockslides, involved volumes larger than 1000 m3 . Four of these failures, including the three largest among the documented landslides, were described in terms of structural and geomechanical investigations in a previous paper. In this study, the estimated acceleration time histories at the rockslide sites were evaluated through a 2D simplified numerical model accounting for the attenuation phenomena and for the topographic effect of the rock cliffs from which the slide detached. Instantaneous stability analyses were carried out to obtain insights into the variability of the instantaneous margin of safety along the motion, over the entire spectrum of mechanisms that could be activated. Finally, some general suggestions on the pseudostatic verification method for 3D cases are proposed, which represent useful indications to hazard evaluation at local and regional scales

Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects

We examined the effects of essential oil from legal (THC <0.2% w/v) hemp variety on the nervous system in 5 healthy volunteers. GC/EIMS and GC/FID analysis of the EO showed that the main components were myrcene and β-caryophyllene. The experiment consisted of measuring autonomic nervous system (ANS) parameters; evaluations of the mood state; and electroencephalography (EEG) recording before treatment, during treatment, and after hemp inhalation periods as compared with control conditions. The results revealed decreased diastolic blood pressure, increased heart rate, and significant increased skin temperature. The subjects described themselves as more energetic, relaxed, and calm. The analysis EEG showed a significant increase in the mean frequency of alpha (8–13 Hz) and significant decreased mean frequency and relative power of beta 2 (18,5–30 Hz) waves. Moreover, an increased power, relative power, and amplitude of theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha brain waves activities and an increment in the delta wave (0,5–4 Hz) power and relative power was recorded in the posterior region of the brain. These results suggest that the brain wave activity and ANS are affected by the inhalation of the EO of Cannabis sativa suggesting a neuromodular activity in cases of stress, depression, and anxiety

Does a combination of ≥2 abnormal tests vs. the ERC-ESICM stepwise algorithm improve prediction of poor neurological outcome after cardiac arrest? A post-hoc analysis of the ProNeCA multicentre study.

BACKGROUND Bilaterally absent pupillary light reflexes (PLR) or N20 waves of short-latency evoked potentials (SSEPs) are recommended by the 2015 ERC-ESICM guidelines as robust, first-line predictors of poor neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. However, recent evidence shows that the false positive rates (FPRs) of these tests may be higher than previously reported. We investigated if testing accuracy is improved when combining PLR/SSEPs with malignant electroencephalogram (EEG), oedema on brain computed tomography (CT), or early status myoclonus (SM). METHODS Post-hoc analysis of ProNeCA multicentre prognostication study. We compared the prognostic accuracy of the ERC-ESICM prognostication strategy vs. that of a new strategy combining ≥2 abnormal results from any of PLR, SSEPs, EEG, CT and SM. We also investigated if using alternative classifications for abnormal SSEPs (absent-pathological vs. bilaterally-absent N20) or malignant EEG (ACNS-defined suppression or burst-suppression vs. unreactive burst-suppression or status epilepticus) improved test sensitivity. RESULTS We assessed 210 adult comatose resuscitated patients of whom 164 (78%) had poor neurological outcome (CPC 3-5) at six months. FPRs and sensitivities of the ≥2 abnormal test strategy vs. the ERC-ESICM algorithm were 0[0-8]% vs. 7 [1-18]% and 49[41-57]% vs. 63[56-71]%, respectively (p < .0001). Using alternative SSEP/EEG definitions increased the number of patients with ≥2 concordant test results and the sensitivity of both strategies (67[59-74]% and 54[46-61]% respectively), with no loss of specificity. CONCLUSIONS In comatose resuscitated patients, a prognostication strategy combining ≥2 among PLR, SSEPs, EEG, CT and SM was more specific than the 2015 ERC-ESICM prognostication algorithm for predicting 6-month poor neurological outcome

Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Aspects of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna Earthquake (Italy)

On May 20, 2012 an earthquake of magnitude ML=5.9 struck the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy and a little portion of Lombardia Region. Successive earthquakes occurred on May 29, 2012 with ML=5.8 and ML=5.3. The earthquakes caused 27 deaths, of which 13 on industrial buildings. The damage was considerable. 12,000 buildings were severely damaged; big damages occurred also to monuments and cultural heritage of Italy, causing the collapse of 147 campaniles. The damage is estimated in about 5-6 billions of euro. To the damage caused to people and buildings, must be summed the indirect damage due to loss of industrial production and to the impossibility to operate for several months. The indirect damage could be bigger than the direct damage caused by the earthquake. The resilience of the damaged cities to the damage to the industrial buildings and the lifelines was good enough, because some industries built a smart campus to start again to operate in less of one month and structural and geotechnical guidelines were edited to start with the recovering the damage industrial buildings. In the paper a damage survey is presented and linked with the ground effects. Among these, soil amplification and liquefaction phenomena are analyzed, basing on the soil properties evaluation by field and laboratory tests. Particular emphasis is devoted to the damaged suffered by the industrial buildings and to the aspects of the remedial work linked with the shallow foundation inadequacy and to the liquefaction mitigation effects