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The High Agri Valley (southern Italy) is one of the largest intermontane basin of the southern Apennines affected by intensive agricultural and industrial activities. The study of groundwater chemical features provides much important information useful in water resource management. In this study, hydrogeochemical investigations coupled with multivariate statistics, saturation indices, and stable isotope composition (δD and δ18O) were conducted in the High Agri Valley to determine the chemical composition of groundwater and to define the geogenic and anthropogenic influences on groundwater quality. Twenty-four sampling point (including well and spring waters) have been examined. The isotopic data revealed that groundwater has a meteoric origin. Well waters, located on recent alluvial-lacustrine deposits in shallow porous aquifers at the valley floor, are influenced by seasonal rainfall events and show shallow circuits; conversely, spring waters from fissured and/or karstified aquifers are probably associated to deeper and longer hydrogeological circuits. The R -mode factor analysis shows that three factors explain 94% of the total variance, and F1 represents the combined effect of dolomite and silicate dissolution to explain most water chemistry. In addition, very low contents of trace elements were detected, and their distribution was principally related to natural input. Only two well waters, used for irrigation use, show critical issue for NO3- concentrations, whose values are linked to agricultural activities. Groundwater quality strongly affects the management of water resources, as well as their suitability for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Overall, our results were considered fulfilling the requirements for the inorganic component of the Water Framework Directive and Italian legislation for drinking purposes. The water quality for irrigation is from "good to permissible" to "excellent to good" although salinity and relatively high content of Mg2+ can occasionally be critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodological approach based on the integration of different survey techniques may be particularly suitable for the study of areas with complex geology such as those affected by landslide phenomena. The results obtained by the application of combined electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) technique, ambient seismic noise measurements (single station and array), geological investigation and granulometric analysis to characterize and study a landslide occurred on December 3rd, 2013 in Basilicata region (southern Italy) are presented and discussed. The landslide partially affected the peri-urban area of Montescaglioso town and caused damages to small-medium enterprises, infrastructures, and housing. The analysis of ambient noise signals made possible to estimate the depth of the contacts between the main geological formations outcropping in the area and revealed the existence of directional resonance effects. The discontinuities observed by the ERT have confirmed the presence of different lithotypes and allowed illuminating the sliding surface at a depth of about 40 m in agreement with the seismic results and boreholes data. The shallow discontinuities inferred from geophysical surveys were supported also by the results of a detailed granulometric analysis performed on a geognostic survey, confirming the presence of a heterogeneous sedimentary deposit in the area. In such complex context, the acquisition of spatially distributed geophysical properties permitted to increase the knowledge of the geological setting of the area, reaching a level of detail that cannot be observed by applying only a sparse discrete direct sampling. The integration of all the obtained information allowed the delineation of geophysical discontinuities related to the presence of sliding or weakness surfaces and areas with high water content that could contribute to future activation of the movement. This information was crucial to better understand the nature of the landslide, contributing to the planning and the implementation of risk mitigation actions and to the design of remediation works. • Joint geophysics technique to investigation physical/geometric properties of the Montescaglioso landslide. • Seismic ambient noise reveals deep (> ∼200 m) and shallow (∼70-40 m) mechanical contrasts on a large slope. • ERT delineated accurately subsurface topography, heterogeneities, and clayey-water rich layers in the shallow 70 m. • Comparative interpretation of geophysical results point out the recent failure shear-surface at average depth of 40 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study has been carried out on three pairs of clayey-silt slopes, which are examples of typical badlands near Aliano (Southern Italy). These show features of erosion which are common to SE-exposed clayey-silt rocks outcropping in the same area. After mineralogical, geochemical and grain size analyses these slopes were compared with the SE-exposed adjacent ones, having however a different erosive action, and a partially-vegetated covering was found. Pedological analyses show a clear development of soil horizons where the slope is rich in organic matter, and this is wholly consistent with the presence of vegetation. A comparison between the eroded substrates and non-eroded substrates showed that the former have higher (<16µm) and lower fractions (>16µm). The grain size also distinguishes crusts from substrates, the latter having higher fractions (<16µm). As to bulk rock mineralogy, this does not differentiate the eroded from the non-eroded slopes. TDS, pH, SAR and PS are parameters which distinguish the eroded from the non-eroded sides of the slopes. On average, the eroded substrates have pH, SAR and PS values higher than the non-eroded ones. The ESP values of the eroded slopes are slightly higher than those of the non-eroded ones. Up to now the relations between pH, TDS, SAR, PS and ESP have been considered as descriptors of dispersivity. However an improvement can be made regarding the predictability of diagrams (such as ESP–TDS) when taking mineralogical composition into consideration. The crusts are less dispersive than the eroded substrates, and the non-eroded ones show the same feature as crusts. This suggests that the most severely-weathered part of a slope tends to reach a stable condition when a strong decrease in SAR, PS and ESP occurs. This study shows that the erosion mechanism involves morphological and geographic exposure, climatic elements as well as grain size, mineralogy, chemistry and the exchange processes of soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has improved the overall survival of chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase (CP-CML) and reduced the rate of disease-related mortality. Conflicting results have been however reported between data emerged from sponsored clinical trials and from population-based registries. Moreover, no data are so far available for patients treated with frontline second-generation TKIs, excluding those from sponsored studies. We analyzed the mortality rate of 2315 CP-CML patients treated with frontline second-generation TKIs through the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) registries and compared it with the ISTAT mortality rate of the general population. The estimated differences show that the increased rate of mortality in CP-CML patients is less than 1% for the class 0-29 years, stable around 2% for the intervals 30-44 years and 45-59 years, and 1.4% for the interval 60-74 years; interestingly this rate is reduced for patients aged 75 years and more as compared to the general population (- 0.65%). The difference between potential and estimated deaths is higher among women in the age classes between 30 and 74 years.

The Pietra del Pertusillo freshwater reservoir is a major artificial lake of environmental, biological, and ecological importance located in the Basilicata region, southern Italy. The reservoir arch-gravity dam was completed in 1963 for producing hydroelectric energy and providing water for human use, and nearby there are potential sources of anthropogenic pollution such as urban and industrial activities. For the first time, the minero-chemistry of the lake and fluvio-lacustrine sediments of the reservoir have been evaluated to assess the environmental quality. Moreover, the composition of fluvial sediments derived from the peri-lacual zone of the reservoir and of local outcropping bedrock were also studied to understand the factors affecting the behavior of elements in the freshwater reservoir, with particular attention paid to heavy metals. In Italy, specific regulatory values concerning the element threshold concentration for lake and river sediments do not exist, and for this reason, soil threshold values are considered the standard for sediments of internal waters. The evaluation of the environmental quality of reservoir sediments has been performed using enrichment factors obtained with respect to the average composition of a reconstructed local upper continental crust. We suggest this method as an innovative standard in similar conditions worldwide. In the studied reservoir sediments, the trace elements that may be of some environmental concern are Cr, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb although, at this stage, the distribution of these elements appears to be mostly driven by geogenic processes. However, within the frame of the assessment and the preservation of the quality of aquatic environments, particular attention has to be paid to As (which shows median value of 10 ppm, reaching a maximum value of 26 ppm in Quaternary sediments), constantly enriched in the lacustrine samples and especially in the fine-grained fraction (median = 8.5 ppm).

This paper deals with the evaluation of geo- and bioavailability of trace elements, including heavy metals, present in a typical serpentinite-derived soil of the Pollino Massif (Southern Italy). Precisely, the research was aimed to (1) assess processes and factors controlling the mobility of metals in the soil in order to identify the elements "potentially harmful" for the human health, (2) estimate possible metals accumulation in horticultural crops, and (3) evaluate phyto- and genotoxicity of Cr naturally present in soils and water. The studied profile has a homogeneous mineralogical composition consisting of metal-rich phases as prevailing minerals. The three-step sequential extraction was performed on soil samples from which four fractions (exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual) were obtained and analysed by ICP-MS. The lowest contents of metals are in the exchangeable and oxidizable fractions suggesting a metal contamination is unlikely for the studied soil. Conversely, the residual and reducible fractions are the more metal enriched fractions. Among heavy metals, mainly Pb and Cd and subordinately Ni, Cr, Cu, and Zn are associated with Fe- and Mn-oxi/hydroxides that, under acidic conditions, may release the adsorbed metals in circulating water. The high contents of heavy metals, including Cr and Ni, of analysed vegetables suggest a metal transfer from soil to plant. However, no significant effects on Vicia faba seeds were observed by in vivo phyto- and genotoxicity tests. Conversely in vitro genotoxicity tests, performed on HepG2 human cell line, showed that DNA damage and cytotoxic effect depending on Cr concentration may occur.

The frequency of patients who switch to a second-line therapy from a frontline second-generation (2gen) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) such as dasatinib and nilotinib, is still substantially unknown. We retrospectively investigated a large series of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) patients initially treated with 2gen TKIs monitored through the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA Agenzia Italiana del farmaco) registries. Overall, 2420 patients were analyzed over a period of 6 years. One hundred and fifty-seven patients (16.3%) treated with dasatinib and 164 treated with nilotinib (11.3%) have switched to another drug, with an overall frequency of 13.2%. In the dasatinib cohort, 39.4% of patients changed treatment for failure and 36.3% for intolerance as compared to 45.7% and 27.4% respectively in the nilotinib cohort. Overall, the median time to switch due to resistance was 293 days, whereas it was 317 days in case of intolerance. Resistance was observed mainly in younger male patients with high-risk features, while intolerance was not related to any baseline parameter. After resistance/intolerance to nilotinib, the majority of patients switched to dasatinib (53.8%) whereas in case of frontline dasatinib to ponatinib (43.2%). To the best of our knowledge these data provide the first report on the frequency of discontinuation of frontline 2gen TKIs and on the main causes and pattern of choice to a second-line therapy in the real-life setting., (© 2020 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The role of trace elements in the lithogenesis of urinary stones is still debated. However, it is generally appreciated that urinary stones are one of the most common health problems in the world and are strongly associated with environmental factors. It is important to highlight that urinary stones containing trace elements could be considered a marker of environmental pollution. A large set of urinary stones (48), collected among the Basilicata (southern Italy) inhabitants, was analysed by AAS and ICP for the content of specific chemical elements that were either involved in the crystallisation process of kidney stones (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn) or which were potentially toxic (Pb, Cr). Three main findings emerge from the results: Furthermore, the results showed that the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb and Cr were greater than that of ingested from a standard diet. Consequently, varying amounts of these elements may have been attributed to their enrichment in the diet of the inhabitants of polluted areas., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Kidney stones are a very frequent finding in southern Italy, but stone analysis is not routinely performed. However, it is an important requirement not only for a successful treatment of this disease, but also for the prophylaxis to prevent any recurrence. We therefore set out to analyze 80 kidney stones collected from Basilicata Region (Southern, Italy). X-ray powder diffraction as well as optical and scanning electron microscopy and petrographic thin section analysis have been applied in order to determine the mineralogical and morphological compositions. The internal structure and the relation between major and minor components have facilitated the classification of the kidney stones according to a detailed scheme. As it is known from other country, calcium oxalate stones were the most frequent (59%) [39% mainly composed of whewellite, CaC₂O₄*H₂O and 29% is mainly made of weddellite, CaC₂O₄*2H₂O]. Uric acid stones were abundant too (18%). Calcium phosphate and cystine stone were less. The results of the observations of kidney stones in thin petrographic sections led to the identification of more cores in the same whewellite kidney stones. In some kidney stones the core is not situated in the central zone, which represents the point of attachment on kidney wall. Basilicata kidney stone prevalence is different from the average prevalence determined in other Mediterranean areas. The comparison showed that calcium oxalate stones seem to be more frequent, and there is a high prevalence of uric acid kidney stones and a lower prevalence of phosphate kidney stones, especially hydroxyapatite. The relative increase frequency of uric acid stones in the northern part of the Region may be due to high-purine diets and softness water consumption.