The Holocene Evolution of the Volturno Coastal Plain (Northern Campania, Southern Italy): Implications for the Understanding of Subsidence Patterns

In the Mediterranean area, several alluvial coastal plains, developed after the Holocene transgression, are affected by subsidence. The Volturno alluvial‐coastal plain, along the eastern Tyrrhenian Sea (southern Italy) is characterized by subsidence rates determined through InSAR data analysis and ranging between 0 and <−20 mm/yr in an area of about 750 kmq across the Volturno River. Inside this area, the pattern of subsidence shows sites with apparently anomalous localized subsidence. To understand the driving mechanisms of this process, a lithostratigraphic reconstruction was provided focusing on the spatial distribution of the horizons considered weak by a geotechnical point of view; then, the subsidence map was overlain spatially with geological data in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. The spatial analysis highlighted the major ground deformation occurring within the outer boundary of the incised paleo‐valley, corresponding to the Holocene alluvial/transitional filling that overlies a compaction‐free Pleistocene basement. Inside this general trend, differential compaction was detected corresponding to the thick occurrence of clay and peat deposits, suggesting that the subsidence rate registered in the plain are due in part to the consolidation of primary settlements of soft and compressible soils that characterize the subsoil of these areas, and in large part to the secondary consolidation settlements

The influence of viewing boxes luminance on the detectability of fibers and microcalcifications using simulated objects

Considering the subtle findings observed in mammography images, it is relevant to know how detectability of fibers and microcalcifications can be influenced by the luminance of the viewing boxes. Our goal was to determine the influence of the luminance on the detectability of tiny simulated objects. We obtained seven images with different exposure levels using a phantom that allows statistical analysis. The results were computed using a five point scale to report the confidence levels (100 if the evaluator was sure that the object is present; 75 if likely; 50 if uncertain; 25 if not likely; zero if definitely absent). The images were analyzed by specialists using a standard and a specific viewing box for mammography. The detectability was compared using the Pearson chi-square test (p < 0.05). The values varied from 0.79 to 0.87. We concluded that the detectability determined from simulated objects through readings on the specific viewing boxes is higher when compared with the readings using standard viewing boxes.Considerando a natureza sutil dos achados mamográficos, é importante conhecermos como a detectabilidade de pequenos objetos, como fibras e microcalcificações, normalmente presentes em imagens mamográficas, pode ser influenciada pela intensidade luminosa do negatoscópio utilizado nas leituras. Nosso objetivo foi verificar como a luminância pode alterar a detectabilidade de objetos simulados. Foram feitas sete imagens com diferentes intensidades de exposição em duas condições técnicas usando um simulador que permite avaliações estatísticas. Os resultados foram computados usando uma escala de cinco níveis de confiança (100 se o especialista tem certeza da presença do objeto; 75 se provável a presença do objeto; 50 se incerta; 25 se improvável; zero se definitivamente ausente). As imagens foram interpretadas por especialistas que utilizaram negatoscópios padrões e específicos para imagens mamográficas. As detectabilidades foram estatisticamente comparadas entre si para cada tipo de negatoscópio por meio do teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson (p < 0,05). A detectabilidade variou de 0,79 a 0,87. Pudemos concluir que a detectabilidade dos objetos, determinada por meio de objetos simulados, é superior para os negatoscópios específicos para mamografias quando comparada aos negatoscópios padrões amplamente utilizados na radiologia geral.EPM-UNIFESP Coordenadoria de Física e Higiene das RadiaçõesUNIFESP Mestre em Ciências RadiológicasUNIFESP Física EspecializandaEPM-UNIFESP Departamento de Diagnóstico por ImagemEPM-UNIFESP Departamento de Ginecologia Setor de MastologiaEPM-UNIFESP Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem Setor de MamografiaUNIFESP, EPM, UNIFESP, Coordenadoria de Física e Higiene das RadiaçõesUNIFESP, Mestre em Ciências RadiológicasUNIFESP, Física EspecializandaEPM-UNIFESP, Depto. de Diagnóstico por ImagemEPM-UNIFESP, Depto. de Ginecologia Setor de MastologiaEPM-UNIFESP, Depto. de Diagnóstico por Imagem Setor de MamografiaSciEL

miRNA-mRNA integrative analysis in primary myelofibrosis CD34+ cells: role of miR-155/JARID2 axis in abnormal megakaryopoiesis

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by megakaryocyte (MK) hyperplasia, bone marrow fibrosis, and abnormal stem cell trafficking. PMF may be associated with somatic mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR. Previous studies have shown that abnormal MKs play a central role in the pathophysiology of PMF. In this work, we studied both gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in CD34(+) cells from PMF patients. We identified several biomarkers and putative molecular targets such as FGR, LCN2, and OLFM4. By means of miRNA-gene expression integrative analysis, we found different regulatory networks involved in the dysregulation of transcriptional control and chromatin remodeling. In particular, we identified a network gathering several miRNAs with oncogenic potential (eg, miR-155-5p) and targeted genes whose abnormal function has been previously associated with myeloid neoplasms, including JARID2, NR4A3, CDC42, and HMGB3. Because the validation of miRNA-target interactions unveiled JARID2/miR-155-5p as the strongest relationship in the network, we studied the function of this axis in normal and PMF CD34(+) cells. We showed that JARID2 downregulation mediated by miR-155-5p overexpression leads to increased in vitro formation of CD41(+) MK precursors. These findings suggest that overexpression of miR-155-5p and the resulting downregulation of JARID2 may contribute to MK hyperplasia in PMF

Assessment of Tuff Sea Cliff Stability Integrating Geological Surveys and Remote Sensing. Case History from Ventotene Island (Southern Italy)

This study provides a detailed integrated analysis of the erosional processes affecting the volcanoclastic headlands of a pocket beach, of a typical Tyrrhenian volcanic island (Ventotene, south Italy). It compares the survey carried out in 2012 and the recent landslides that occurred in 2018&ndash;2020. The studied tuff cliff is characterised by steep, up to overhanging walls affected by a fracture network, which locally isolates blocks in precarious equilibrium. The stability conditions of the southern Cala Nave Bay sea cliff were evaluated by integrating a geological field survey, structural analysis of discontinuities, and a detailed topographic survey consisting of a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and photogrammetry data acquisition and processing, providing a three-dimensional (3D) model of the sea cliff. The 3D model of the area affected by the recent landslides was created using proximity photogrammetry, the Structure for Motion (SfM) methodology. The fracture network was represented by using high-resolution digital models and projected to realize geostructural vertical mapping of the cliff. The data acquired in 2012 were more recently compared with further surveys carried out, following rock failures that occurred in winter 2019&ndash;2020. The detachment planes and failure modalities coincide perfectly with the ones previously assessed. The applied techniques and the comparison with the recent rock failures have proven to be important in defining these conditions to address risk mitigation interventions

The Issue of Land Subsidence in Coastal and Alluvial Plains: A Bibliometric Review

Land subsidence (LS) is becoming one of the major problems in coastal and delta cities worldwide. Understanding the current LS situation and the research trends is of paramount importance for further studies and addressing future international research networks. We analyzed the LS-related literature available from the Scopus database. The use of a single database avoided the redundancy of articles, while excluding some subject areas was useful to obtain only studies related to LS. By using VOSviewer and CiteSpace tools, we conducted a bibliometric analysis by considering title, keywords, and abstract to identify the temporal development, the geographical origin, and the area of study of the research. The results revealed a considerable heterogeneity of approaches, thematics, study areas, and research output trends. China, the US, and Italy are the major contributors to the scientific production, but the higher number of articles is not always related to the extension of the LS phenomenon in these countries. The monitoring approach differs worldwide, and univocal modeling is still lacking; from the analysis of the keywords, it is clear that the focus of most studies is on the relationship with the hydrological/hydrogeological aspects. Since the 2000s, however, the development of SAR technologies has boosted the study of the phenomenon from a different point of view

Land use and landscape pattern changes driven by land reclamation in a coastal area: the case of Volturno delta plain, Campania Region, southern Italy

The paper provides documentary evidence of the direct impacts on the coastal setting in the northern Campania (southern Italy) region, crossed by the Volturno River, that have led to dramatic alterations of alluvial channels, floodplain and the deltaic environment, aside from the coastline retreat following four centuries of land reclamation. The Volturno delta plain is characterized by an outer delta formed mainly by beach ridges, and an inner plain containing several depressions of drained marsh regions. Until the beginning of the last century, this area was the site of swamps and ponds bearing a high incidence of malaria. Historical analysis coupled with a cartographic restitution in a geographic information system environment has produced documentary evidence of the geomorphological evolution of the coastal sector and has allowed the reconstruction of relevant landscape and hydrographic changes since the end of the seventeenth century, when - during the Spanish vice-kingdom - it was subjected to major land reclamation. The availability of reclaimed lands along the coastal alluvial plain promoted the development of agriculture and farming, as well as a strong coastal urbanization. As a consequence, a landscape fragmentation increased significantly between the 1960s and the 1990s; built-up land area increased as well, overgrowing to the sea. An overall reduction in high-quality ecosystems (humid coastal setting, lacustrine/marshy back-dune area and beach-dune system) is recorded, resulting in biodiversity loss and a dramatic reduction in environmental quality. The outcomes of this research will be beneficial to society for better decision-making over these coastal area applications, in a sustainable manner, especially in these countries that are still experiencing land reclamation

Campania Grey Tuff and anthropogenic tuff cavites in the Southern metropolitan area of Caserta (Southern Italy).

The Late Quaternary geological evolution of the northern Campania Plain was affected by the volcanic activity of the Phle-grean Field. The geological features of the Campania Grey Tuff (CGT, ~39 Ky), deposited on the whole Campania Plain, were recon-structed along a transect from the northern boundary of the metropolitan area of Naples up to Caserta. Since the tuff has good mechani-cal properties, it was involved since historical times in an extensive mining activity, from which a very dense network of quarries and underground cavities was inherited, strongly related to the lithofacies distribution. We provided a first geological underground database of the metropolitan area of Caserta, north of Naples, and analyzed the hazard aspects related to the mining activities