In this paper litho-sedimentological and morphodynamic maps of the coastal sector belonging to the Pisa Province are presented as an example of how increasing the accessibility to data on lithology, ...sedimentology, and morphodynamics may lead to a better approach to coastal management. The database used to build the maps includes an original rendering of remote sensing data (aerial imagery) and new field data (geologic survey), as well as data retrieved from the scientific literature (grain-size and past coastline positions). The maps show that the geometry of beach ridges is an indication of the evolution of the Arno River delta in the last 3000 years, highlighting the relationships between geological aspects and morphodynamic features. The maps represent the synthesis of different data available in the database, and they may be a useful support to coastal management as they are more easily understandable and straightforward than the database from which are created.
Landslides inventories are crucial documents for extrapolating the spatial distribution of landslides that occurred in the past. However, the production of landslide hazards maps also needs deepening ...the knowledge on the temporal distribution of landslide activity. In this regard, historical maps and archive documents represent important sources of data and information on territory evolution through time and especially on landslides occurrence. Nevertheless, these kinds of data sources are rarely considered as they often must be interpreted integrating different disciplines. This work shows how historical and geomorphological data on landslides occurrence in an area of the Northern Apennines can be integrated to produce a synthesis map. This synthesis map put together analogic and digital information allowing to delineate the landscape evolution, in terms of spatial and especially temporal changes occurred in the study area representing a tool that could be useful for the landslide hazard assessment in territory management.
Based on the review of the available stratigraphic, tectonic, morphological, geodetic, and seismological data, along with new structural observations, we present a reappraisal of the potential ...seismogenic faults and fault systems in the inner northwest Apennines, Italy, which was the site, one century ago, of the devastating Mw ~6.5, 1920 Fivizzano earthquake. Our updated fault catalog provides the fault locations, as well as the description of their architecture, large-scale segmentation, cumulative displacements, evidence for recent to present activity, and long-term slip rates. Our work documents that a dense network of active faults, and thus potential earthquake fault sources, exists in the region. We discuss the seismogenic potential of these faults, and propose a general tectonic scenario that might account for their development.
Abstract
Climate change is producing large impacts on rivers, amplifying hydrological extremes. Prolonged drought periods result in dramatic stress for river biota and associated processes due to low ...discharge, reducing the interactions between rivers and their lateral environments or leading to hydrological intermittency. New quantitative methods are needed, to correlate discharge with the available riverine habitats. In this work we have mapped the wet surface and paths of two stretches of the Taro and Trebbia Apennine rivers, analyzing satellite images from periods with contrasting discharge. The considered stretches are critical due to different human pressures (large water withdrawals for agriculture and industrial use) and are particularly vulnerable to further, climate‐driven discharge reductions. The produced images offer multiple possibilities to extract qualitative and quantitative information at the whole stretch scales, including habitat reduction along with decreasing discharge, threshold discharge limiting lateral interactions, or the evaluation of longitudinal river continuity. We discuss the limitation and the potentialities of the method and the maps produced in terms of possible application in the field of river geomorphology, ecology, the definition of ecological river flow, risk assessment, and river management.
Despite the growing employment of Remote Sensing (RS) techniques in paleoenvironmental studies, the stratigraphic interpretation of RS-derived paleodrainage traces is still an open issue, as their ...relation to subsurface is largely unexplored. Here we applied a multi-data analysis approach, including publicly available optical images from different satellites (Landsat, ASTER, Sentinel, Hyperion), LiDAR-derived Digital Terrain Model (DTM), soil reflectance spectra and facies core data, which succeeded in revealing a paleodrainage system buried beneath a 200-sq km wide wetland (the Mezzano Lowland-ML) of the Po coastal plain (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy). Data integration in a GIS environment allowed the 3D mapping of numerous and temporally persistent meandering traces. From distal to proximal locations, the RS-derived traces show a hierarchical organization, in terms of sinuosity and width, and form a dense and dendritic pattern typical of a tidally-influenced system. Surface and subsurface cross-investigation of two meandering traces through soil reflectance spectra and core stratigraphy reveal that these landforms represent the surface expression of buried channels that eroded the underlying lagoonal succession, with lateral transition to intertidal deposits. LiDAR-detected micro-morphologies related to paleomeanders evolution strongly influenced the spatial distribution of mid-late Holocene peat-bearing lithofacies (i.e., salt marsh and swamp), and hence soil moisture distribution, inducing the sharp radiance contrasts (traces) detected by satellite sensors on the surface. On-trace areas invariably lack peat deposits and record the top of 3–4 m-thick channel-fill sands, some 2–4 m below the ground level. In contrast, out-of-trace areas are characterized by organic-rich soils that cap a 2.5–3.5 m-thick succession of intertidal-supratidal peat deposits, accumulated in depressed areas lateral to the channel-levee complex. We conclude that in the early stage of Po Delta construction, between ca. 6000–2500 cal yr BP, two distinct tidal-influenced drainage networks fed the Mezzano Lowland lagoon under a predominantly autogenic control. These findings indicate the suitability of a low-cost RS-stratigraphic approach to improve the reconstruction of past paleogeographic scenarios buried beneath deltaic lowlands, shedding new light on the evolution trends of coastal landforms, environments and sedimentary patterns under highstand conditions.
•Buried channel bodies are revealed by remote sensing techniques in coastal lowlands.•The subsurface (<4 m) distribution of peaty lithofacies affects RS trace visibility.•Paleomeander micro-morphologies guide subsurface distribution of peaty lithofacies.•The integrated RS-stratigraphic approach reveals a significant tidal influence.•New insights into Holocene delta dynamics and sedimentation are revealed by RS data.
This paper investigates the role played by geomorphological and tectonic processes affecting a portion of an active mountain belt in causing the occurrence of different types of landslides developed ...in flysch bedrock. The adopted multidisciplinary approach (geomorphology, geology and geophysics) allowed to recognize in a portion of the Northern Apennines of Italy different types of landslides that developed in response to slope dynamics, in turn dependent on broader regional-scale tectonic processes. Sedimentary bed attitude, local tectonic discontinuities and lithology only partially influenced the type of landslides, which have been deeply affected by the activity of regional-scale antiform that controlled the hillslope geomorphic evolution in different ways. The growth of this structure and the tilting of its forelimb produced gently dipping slopes that approached the threshold angle that can cause the occurrence of (mainly) translational rockslides. Conversely, high-angle normal faulting parallel to the antiform axis (related to a later stage of activity of the antiform itself) strongly controlled the stream network evolution and caused the watercourses to deeply incise portions of their valleys. This incision produced younger steep valley slopes and caused the development of complex landslides (roto-translational slides-earth/debris flow). The results of the integrated study presented in this paper allowed to distinguish two main types of landslides whose development reflects the events that led to the geomorphological and geological evolution of the area. In this perspective, within the study area, landslides can be regarded and used as indicators of broader-scale recent tectonic processes.
Objective
Salivary gland epithelial cells (SGECs) are key cellular drivers in the pathogenesis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS); however, the mechanisms sustaining SGEC activation in primary SS ...remain unclear. We undertook this study to determine the role of autophagy in the survival and activation of SGECs in primary SS.
Methods
Primary SGECs isolated from the minor SGs of patients with primary SS or sicca syndrome were evaluated by flow cytometry, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence to assess autophagy (autophagic flux, light chain 3 IIB LC3‐IIB, p62, LC3‐IIB+/lysosome‐associated membrane protein 1 LAMP‐1 staining), apoptosis (annexin V/propidium iodide PI, caspase 3), and activation (intercellular adhesion molecule, vascular cell adhesion molecule). Focus score and germinal center presence were assessed in the SGs from the same patients to assess correlation with histologic severity. Human SG (HSG) cells were stimulated in vitro with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum from primary SS patients in the presence or absence of autophagy inhibitors to determine changes in autophagy and epithelial cell activation.
Results
SGECs from primary SS patients (n = 24) exhibited increased autophagy (autophagic flux P = 0.001; LC3‐IIB P = 0.02; p62 P = 0.064; and as indicated by LC3‐IIB/LAMP‐1+ staining), increased expression of antiapoptotic molecules (Bcl‐2 P = 0.006), and reduced apoptosis (annexin V/PI P = 0.002; caspase 3 P = 0.057), compared to samples from patients with sicca syndrome (n = 16). Autophagy correlated with histologic disease severity. In vitro experiments on HSG cells stimulated with serum and PBMCs from primary SS patients confirmed activation of autophagy and expression of adhesion molecules, which was reverted upon pharmacologic inhibition of autophagy.
Conclusion
In primary SS SGECs, inflammation induces autophagy and prosurvival mechanisms, which promote SGEC activation and mirror histologic severity. These findings indicate that autophagy is a central contributor to the pathogenesis of primary SS and a new therapeutic target.
Background:
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are complex, multifactorial disorders that comprise Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Recent discoveries have brought much attention to ...the genetic predisposition of patients with IBD. Here we evaluate the interaction between IBD genetic risk factors susceptibility and CD occurrence in an IBD pediatric patient population, performing a clinical exome survey.
Methods:
From February 2018 to April 2019, we collected blood samples from 7 pediatric patients with IBD concerns from several collaborating health centers and/or hospitals. Blood samples were processed by extracting and sequencing DNA for a clinical exome survey. Shophia-DDM-v3-4 platform allowed sequenced reads alignment on hg19 genome as well as genetic variant calling. Both IBD risk and pathogenic genetic variants covered by at least 20 reads were selected for subjacent analysis.
Results:
Normality and Bartlett tests of both risk and pathogenic genetic variants suggested random and heterogeneous distribution of these variants in this group of IBD pediatric patients. P value clustering analysis by processing 157 IBD risk factors revealed genetic heterogeneity in IBD population and suggested two pathways influencing IBD development. In particular, (1) genetic variants associated with autoimmune and (2) metabolic diseases and CD risk factors (rs2066844 and rs2241880 single nucleotide polymorphism variants, respectively, of genes NOD2 and ATG16L) were identified in distinct clusters of IBD patients (P < .05). Moreover, the heterogeneous distribution of the following variants rs10065172 (IRGM), rs1805010 (IL4R), rs5030737 (MBL2), and rs33995883 (LRRK2) in this group of IBD patients was consistent with their random distribution in that population.
Conclusion:
Our study revealed specific genetic variants linked to CD susceptibility, autoimmune and/or innate immunodeficiency as well as to metabolic defects, as favoring factors of IBD, suggesting the valuable role of next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches in IBD molecular diagnostic procedures.
Exercise-released extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as a novel class of exerkines that promotes systemic beneficial effects. However, slight differences in the applied exercise protocols in ...terms of mode, intensity and duration, as well as the need for standardized protocols for EV isolation, make the comparison of the studies in the literature extremely difficult. This work aims to investigate the EV amount and EV-associated miRNAs released in circulation in response to different physical exercise regimens. Healthy individuals were subjected to different exercise protocols: acute aerobic exercise (AAE) and training (AT), acute maximal aerobic exercise (AMAE) and altitude aerobic training (AAT). We found a tendency for total EVs to increase in the sedentary condition compared to trained participants following AAE. Moreover, the cytofluorimetric analysis showed an increase in CD81
/SGCA
/CD45
EVs in response to AAE. Although a single bout of moderate/maximal exercise did not impact the total EV number, EV-miRNA levels were affected as a result. In detail, EV-associated miR-206, miR-133b and miR-146a were upregulated following AAE, and this trend appeared intensity-dependent. Finally, THP-1 macrophage treatment with exercise-derived EVs induced an increase of the mRNAs encoding for
,
and
using baseline and immediately post-exercise EVs. Still, 1 h post-exercise EVs failed to stimulate a pro-inflammatory program. In conclusion, the reported data provide a better understanding of the release of circulating EVs and their role as mediators of the inflammatory processes associated with exercise.
Vascular complications of scleroderma Guiducci, Serena; Giacomelli, Roberto; Cerinic, Marco Matucci
Autoimmunity reviews,
09/2007, Volume:
6, Issue:
8
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Abstract Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multiorgan disease characterized by injury to vascular wall and extensive damage of the microvessels. The injury of the vascular wall is characterized by the ...formation of megacapillaries and avascular areas. The reduced capillary density leads to clinical manifestations such as digital ulcers. These lesions are extremely painful and lead to substantial functional disability. Management of digital ulcers includes non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic modalities. Despite the reduced blood flow and reduced partial oxygen pressure levels, there is paradoxically no evidence for a sufficient angiogenesis in the skin of patients with SSc. Angiogenesis is strongly disturbed in SSc, as demonstrated by Nailfold Video-Capillaroscopy changes, the damage of the vessels evolves progressively from early to late stages and is characterized by different morphological aspects. Almost all patients develop Raynaud's phenomenon which, together with structural vasculopathy, results in ulceration and critical digital ischemia. Many of the severe internal organ complications of SSc are vascular, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and scleroderma renal crisis. Structural vascular damage occurs in many vascular beds and contribute to pulmonary, renal, cardiac and gastrointestinal complications. SSc has a high case-specific mortality due to organ-based complications including PAH, lung fibrosis, renal failure and involvement of the gastrointestinal tract.
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