Massive Deposits Research Articles

The Real Effects of Monetary Expansions: Evidence from a Large-scale Historical Experiment

Abstract The discovery of massive deposits of precious metals in America during the early modern period caused an exogenous monetary injection to Europe’s money supply. I use this episode to identify the causal effects of money. Using a panel of six European countries, I find that monetary expansions had a material impact on real economic activity. The magnitudes are substantial and persist for a long time: an exogenous 10% increase in the production of precious metals in America measured relative to the European stock leads to a front-loaded response of output and, to a lesser extent, inflation. There was a positive hump-shaped response of real GDP, with a cumulative increase up to 0.9% six to nine years later. The evidence suggests that this is because prices responded to monetary injections with considerable lags.

Landslide vulnerability of the Debre Sina-Armania road section, Central Ethiopia: Insights from geophysical investigations

Geophysical investigations using 2D electrical imaging and magnetic methods have been conducted to study the landslide problem on the road located at Dokakit Kebele near Sar Amba Kidane Mhiret locality between Debre Sina and Armania towns in Central Ethiopia. From field observations, the landslide problem in the Debre Sina-Armania road section at Dokakit is due to a combination of factors, the most important of which are topography, the high degree of weathering, hydrology of the area, and human activities. Among these factors, human activities that include deforestation for housing, agricultural activities, search for building materials, and road construction are generally assumed to be the triggering factors for slope failure in the area. From the interpretation of the geophysical results, the near-surface geology of the study area is found to be composed of massive deposits of fragmented basalts and structurally disturbed layers together with expansive clay soils, which considerably contribute to the sliding problem. Another contributing factor to the subsurface instability is the high gradient slope in the area and the lack of vegetation/wooded tree cover. From the geophysical survey results, it has further been possible to map zones of weakness in the subsurface over which the geologic layers slide as well as their vertical and lateral extents. Areas of active sliding surfaces and extensive subsurface cracks, especially at the two ends of the profiles, were mapped. A combination of numerous weak zones, deep weathering conditions of the lithologic units, the action of rainfall, springs, and the high slope gradient of the study area were the contributing factors for this sliding problem. Remedial measures to stabilize a section of the affected area and construction of a detour road are proposed as mitigation measures for the road segment's recurrent and rather expensive failure over the locality.

Massive cryptic microbe-sponge deposits in a Devonian fore-reef slope (Elbingerode Reef Complex, Harz Mts., Germany)

A massive occurrence of microbial carbonates, including abundant sponge remains, within the Devonian Elbingerode Reef Complex was likely deposited in a former cavity of the fore-reef slope during the early Frasnian. It is suggested that the formation of microbial carbonate was to a large part favored by the activity of heterotrophic, i.e., sulfate-reducing bacteria, in analogy to Quaternary coral reef microbialites. The Elbingerode Reef Complex is an example of an oceanic or Darwinian barrier reef system. In modern barrier reef settings, microbialite formation is commonly further facilitated by weathering products from the central volcanic islands. The Devonian microbialites of the Elbingerode Reef Complex occur in the form of reticulate and laminated frameworks. Reticulate framework is rich in hexactinellid glass sponges, the tissue decay of which led to the formation of abundant micrite as well as peloidal and stromatactis textures. Supposed calcimicrobes such as Angusticellularia (formerly Angulocellularia) and Frutexites, also known from cryptic habitats, were part of the microbial association. The microbial degradation of sponge tissue likely also contributed to the laminated framework accretion as evidenced by the occurrence of remains of so-called “keratose” demosponges. Further typical textures in the microbialite of the Elbingerode Reef Complex include zebra limestone, i.e., the more or less regular intercalation of microbial carbonate and cement. Elevated concentrations of magnesium in the microbialite as compared to the surrounding metazoan (stromatoporoid-coral) reef limestone suggests that the microbialite of the Elbingerode Reef Complex was initially rich in high-magnesium calcite, which would be yet another parallel to modern, cryptic coral reef microbial carbonates. Deposition and accretion of the microbialite largely occurred in oxygenated seawater with suboxic episodes as indicated by the trace element (REE + Y) data.

Bed-scale vertical and lateral distribution of massive sandstone in a topographically confined basin (Peïra Cava, SE France): Implications for flow processes

In high-density turbidite (HDT) systems, proximal deposits typically show thick beds of massive and/or stratified sandstone capped by a thin low-density turbidite (LDT) interval of finer-grained laminated and rippled sandstone. Distally, the massive/stratified HDT interval thins and is replaced by the LDT interval as the dominant facies. Whereas this empirical observation is common to many ancient systems worldwide, a very different relationship is found in the topographically confined Peïra Cava sub-basin in SE France. Eight prominaent beds can be correlated across much of the exposed basin (3 x 11 km). Three massive sandstone facies are recognised in these beds: (1) ungraded (2) graded, and (3) massive with patchy texture. In proximal and medial sections, these facies are capped by a relatively thick LDT interval comprising up to 30% of the bed thickness. Moving to distal sections, the massive facies come to dominate the bed, in some cases forming 100% of the bed thickness. Along a downslope transect, three facies tracts are defined that all differ considerably from previously described trends. Facies tract I and II comprises ungraded massive sandstone and massive sandstone with patchy texture in distal sections, respectively. Facies tract III comprises repetitive sequence of ungraded and graded massive sandstones in distal sections. Statistical analysis of the vertical internal character in the eight beds show non-random, non-cyclic facies trends, with each massive facies exhibiting some level of dependency on other facies, suggesting sediment deposition depended on temporally evolving flow conditions. The ungraded and graded massive facies are interpreted as deposits of high-concentration near bed layers beneath surge-type turbidity currents. In contrast, the massive sandstone with patchy texture is interpreted to result from liquefied debris flows. Bed thickness trends and the presence of distinctive grain size breaks indicate depositing flows were bipartite (debris flow with an overlying concentrated turbulent layer), depletive, unsteady and pulsatory in proximal locations, but evolved distally into a turbulent flows with a simple surge structure. The distal dominance of these massive facies is here interpreted as a consequence of flow interaction with confining topography. This interaction induced gravity and body transformations in flows of facies tract I and II, whereas generation and passage of internal waves in distal sections created the necessary conditions for massive sandstone deposition in facies tract III.

Factors controlling the organic matter accumulation across the Pliensbachian-Toarcian transition in the Qiangtang Basin, Tibetan Plateau

The Lower Jurassic oil shales in the Bilong Co area are the most important hydrocarbon source rocks in the southern Qiangtang Basin, Tibetan Plateau. The onset of the deposition of these shales was closely related to the global warming during the Pliensbachian-Toarcian transition; however, the mechanism of organic matter accumulation in these shales remains poorly constrained. In this study, a multiproxy geochemical study was performed on the organic-rich shales spanning the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary in the Bilong Co section in order to assess the organic matter sources, detrital influx, paleosalinity, paleoredox conditions, and paleoproductivity during the deposition of these shales. The distribution patterns of the n-alkanes, as well as the H/C and O/C ratios of the kerogen, suggest that the organic matter primarily originated from marine plankton/algae. The detrital proxies (K/Al, Si/Al, Ti/Al, Zr/Al, and Zr/Rb) indicate relatively stationary sea level and stable continental weathering intensity along the section. The paleosalinity proxies indicate that the organic-rich shales were deposited under marine salinity conditions with little freshwater input. The covariation patterns of the redox proxies (MoEF, UEF, ReEF, DOPT, and Corg/Ptot) suggest that the organic-rich shales were deposited under suboxic conditions, while the MoEF-UEF and Mo-TOC plots suggest a weakly hydrographically restricted depositional setting. The productivity proxies (Ptot, CuEF, ZnEF, and CdEF), as well as CdEF/MoE-CoEF*MnEF plot indicate low-to-moderate primary productivity, indicating that the organic matter accumulation was driven by preservation rather than by productivity. The development of the ocean deoxygenation in the Bilong Co area was probably the result of sluggish oceanic circulation and an enhanced thermocline on the shelf between the Qiangtang central uplift and the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean. The climatic changes during the Pliensbachian-Toarcian transition led to the onset of organic matter accumulation in the Bilong Co area, while the hydrographically restricted depositional setting associated with good preservation conditions may have been the primary reason for the massive deposition of the Lower Jurassic oil shales in the southern Qiangtang Basin.

Cryogenian glaciostatic and eustatic fluctuations and massive Marinoan-related deposition of Fe and Mn in the Urucum District, Brazil

Abstract Global Neoproterozoic glaciations are related to extreme environmental changes and the reprise of iron formation in the rock record. However, the lack of narrow age constraints on Cryogenian successions bearing iron-formation deposits prevents correlation and understanding of these deposits on a global scale. Our new multiproxy data reveal a long Cryogenian record for the Jacadigo Group (Urucum District, Brazil) spanning the Sturtian and Marinoan ice ages. Deposition of the basal sequence of the Urucum Formation was influenced by Sturtian continental glaciation and was followed by a transgressive interglacial record of >600 m of carbonates that terminates in a glacioeustatic unconformity. Overlying this, there are up to 500 m of shale and sandstone interpreted as coeval to global Marinoan glacial advance. Glacial outwash delta deposits at the top of the formation correlate with diamictite-filled paleovalleys and are covered by massive Fe and Mn deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation and local carbonate. This second transgression is related to Marinoan deglaciation. Detrital zircon provenance supports glaciostatic control on Cryogenian sedimentary yield at the margins of the Amazon craton. These findings reveal the sedimentary response to two marked events of glacioeustatic incision and transgression, culminating in massive banded iron deposition during the Marinoan cryochron.

Unique Severe COVID-19 Placental Signature Independent of Severity of Clinical Maternal Symptoms.

Background: Although the risk for transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is rare, placental infections with adverse functional consequences have been reported. This study aims to analyse histological placental findings in pregnancies complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection and investigate its correlation with clinical symptoms and perinatal outcomes. We want to determine which pregnancies are at-risk to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes related to COVID-19 in the future. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, multicentre, cohort study. All pregnant women presenting between April 2020 and March 2021 with a nasopharyngeal RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. Around delivery, maternal, foetal and placental PCR samples were collected. Placental pathology was correlated with clinical maternal characteristics of COVID-19. Results: Thirty-six patients were included, 33 singleton pregnancies (n = 33, 92%) and three twin pregnancies (n = 3, 8%). Twenty-four (62%) placentas showed at least one abnormality. Four placentas (4/39, 10%) showed placental staining positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 accompanied by a unique combination of diffuse, severe inflammatory placental changes with massive perivillous fibrin depositions, necrosis of syncytiotrophoblast, diffuse chronic intervillositis, and a specific, unprecedented CD20+ B-cell infiltration. This SARS-CoV-2 placental signature seems to correlate with foetal distress (75% vs. 15.6%, p = 0.007) but not with the severity of maternal COVID-19 disease. Conclusion: We describe a unique placental signature in pregnant patients with COVID-19, which has not been reported in a historical cohort. We show that the foetal environment can be seriously compromised by disruption of placental function due to local, devastating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Maternal clinical symptoms did not predict the severity of the SARS-CoV-2-related placental signature, resulting in a lack of adequate identification of maternal criteria for pregnancies at risk. Close foetal monitoring and pregnancy termination in case of foetal distress can prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes due to COVID-19 related placental disease.

Oil and Gas Potential in the Territory of the South-Eastern Part of the Bukhara-Khiva Region

The article analyzes the oil and gas content of the southeastern part of the Bukhara-Khiva region. It is shown that this territory is the main promising target for prospecting for new oil, gas and hydrocarbon deposits. It was revealed that the main productive deposits are carbonate deposits. It has been established that the most widespread and large ones are massive deposits in traps of the structural-lithological type, confined to the Callovian-Oxfordian reef deposits and distinguished by high capacity and filtration properties. It is argued that the lower part of the reservoirs is flooded in all fields of this type. The characteristic is given of 44 open oil, oil and gas condensate, gas condensate and gas fields of the specified region. Pre-Jurassic deposits contain hydrocarbons. The features of the structural plans of carbonate and salt-anhydrite formations and their influence on the location of oil and gas deposits within the southeastern part of the Bukhara-Khiva region for increasing hydrocarbon reserves have been determined. The fields under development in the stage of deep drilling have been clarified. Recommendations for deepening geological exploration are offered.

Metro Doha Green Line: Fibre reinforced tunnel linings – Design and construction experience

AbstractThe Design and Build project ”Metro Doha Green Line Underground“ has been awarded to a joint venture composed of Porr, the Saudi Bin Ladin Group and HBK in summer 2013. It contains the ”ready to use“ construction of the underground part of the Green Line with 2 × 17 km tunnels, six stations, switching areas as well as cross passages and emergency exit shafts. The 34 km of tunnelling, realized with six EPB machines simultaneously, have been completed in only 18 months. The main impact on the determination of the design and build specification in terms of the segmental ring design is based on the extraordinary geological environment properties of the project area of Doha City. The geology is characterized by a dominating 3‐rocklayers system comprising massive upper and lower limestone deposits, which are commonly separated by a thin shale layer. Additionally, and in regard to the nearby located sea‐side the type of identified aggressive exposure conditions relevant to the concrete segment lining in terms of significant sulphate and chloride impact requires a durable reinforcement solution fit for required 120‐year service life. Especially due to chloride attack an ordinary steel bar reinforcement system including a projected 90 mm nominal concrete cover at lining's intrados and extrados turns out statically difficult and constructionally non‐practicable. Therefore, steel fibres are chosen to meet the strict design constraints.

Geochemical and Volcanological Criteria in Assessing the Links between Volcanism and VMS Deposits: A Case on the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Spain

VMS deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), Spain and Portugal, constitute the largest accumulation of these deposits on Earth. Although several factors account for their genetic interpretation, a link between volcanism and mineralization is generally accepted. In many VMS districts, research is focused on the geochemical discrimination between barren and fertile volcanic rocks, these latter being a proxy of VMS mineralization. Additionally, the volcanological study of igneous successions sheds light on the environment at which volcanic rocks were emplaced, showing an emplacement depth consistent with that required for VMS formation. We describe a case on the El Almendro–Villanueva de los Castillejos (EAVC) succession, Spanish IPB, where abundant felsic volcanic rocks occur. According to the available evidence, their geochemical features, εNd signature and U–Pb dates suggest a possible link to VMS deposits. However, (paleo)volcanological evidence here indicates pyroclastic emplacement in a shallow water environment. We infer that such a shallow environment precluded VMS generation, a conclusion that is consistent with the absence of massive deposits all along this area. We also show that this interpretation lends additional support to previous models of the whole IPB, suggesting that compartmentalization of the belt had a major role in determining the sites of VMS deposition.

Nature of Ore Fluid at the Sopokomil Zn-Pb Deposit, North Sumatra, Indonesia: Implications for Metal Transport and Sulfide Deposition

Little is known about the nature of ore fluid at the Sopokomil shale-hosted massive sulfide Zn-Pb deposit (North Sumatra, Indonesia). We therefore investigated its ore-fluid salinities, temperatures, densities, redox state, and pH using fluid inclusion microthermometry, sphalerite composition, and thermodynamic modelling. The fluid salinities and temperatures were ≈6 wt.% NaCl equiv and ≈165 °C, respectively, corresponding to an ore fluid less dense than seawater (≈0.96 g/mL). Sphalerite contains ≈9.9 mole% FeS in the stratiform ore and ≈3.4 mole% FeS in the feeder ore, suggesting a reduced fluid, which must have been acidic to be fertile. Such redox state and acidity invoke fluid dilution as the sulfide depositional mechanism. The bulk of the sulfides were precipitated in the early stage of mixing, within T = 165–155 °C. Key ingredients of sphalerite and galena at Sopokomil include (1) Zn that was primarily transported as ZnCl+, (2) Pb that predominantly occurred as PbCl2(aq), and (3) S that was largely supplied by marine sediment porewater. This study highlights the significance of a dramatic shift in thermal and chemical equilibrium induced by fluid dilution in the making of the first significant shale-hosted massive sulfide Zn-Pb deposit in Indonesia.

Placental lesions and SARS-Cov-2 infection: Diffuse placenta damage associated to poor fetal outcome

IntroductionPregnant women with covid-19 are more likely to experience preterm birth. The virus seems to be associated with a wide range of placental lesions, none of them specific. MethodWe collected cases of Covid-19 maternal infection during pregnancy associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, for which we received the placenta. We studied clinical data and described pathological findings of placenta and post-mortem examination of fetuses. We performed an immunohistochemical study and RT-PCR of SARS-Cov-2 on placenta samples. ResultsWe report 5 cases of poor fetal outcome, 3 fetal deaths and 2 extreme premature neonates, one with growth restriction, without clinical and biological sign of SARS-Cov-2 infection. All placenta presented massive perivillous fibrin deposition and large intervillous thrombi associated with strong SARS-Cov-2 expression in trophoblast and SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity in amniotic fluid or on placenta samples. Chronic histiocytic intervillositis was present in 4/5 cases. Placental ultrasound was abnormal and the sFLT1-PIGF ratio was increased in one case. Timing between mothers’ infection and the poor fetal outcome was ≤10 days in 4 cases. The massive placental damage are directly induced by the virus whose receptors are expressed on trophoblast, leading to trophoblast necrosis and massive inflammation in villous chamber, in a similar way it occurs in diffuse alveolar damage in adults infected by SARS-Cov-2. DiscussionSARS-Cov-2 can be associated to a rare set of placental lesions which can lead to fetal demise, preterm birth, or growth restriction. Stronger surveillance of mothers infected by SARS-Cov-2 is required.

The Teena Zn-Pb Deposit (McArthur Basin, Australia). Part II: Carbonate Replacement Sulfide Mineralization During Burial Diagenesis—Implications for Mineral Exploration

AbstractThe Teena Zn-Pb deposit is located in the Carpentaria Zn Province (Australia), which contains some of the largest clastic dominant (CD-type) massive sulfide Zn-Pb deposits in the world. The timing of the main stage of hydrothermal sulfide mineralization in the Teena subbasin is constrained to the midstage of burial diagenesis, during a period of short-lived regional extension. To distinguish hydrothermal alteration from spatially and temporally overlapping burial diagenetic alteration, and to establish the primary controls on hydrothermal mass transfer, it is necessary to evaluate the various foot- and hanging-wall alteration assemblages that formed between early- (eogenesis) and late- (mesogenesis) stage diagenesis. To achieve this, we have statistically evaluated a large lithogeochemistry dataset (n >2,500) and selected a subset (n = 65) of representative samples for detailed mineralogical (X-ray diffraction, illite crystallinity) and petrographic (scanning electron microscopy) analyses; hyperspectral core imaging data were then used to upscale key paragenetic observations.We show that sulfide mineralization was predated by multiple diagenetic alteration assemblages, including stratiform pyrite, dolomite nodules and cement, disseminated hematite and authigenic K-feldspar. These assemblages formed during eogenesis in multiple subbasins across the broader McArthur Basin and are not part of the synmineralization alteration footprint. Whereas pyrite and dolomite formed primarily from the in situ degradation of organic matter, feldspar authigenesis was the product of K metasomatism that was focused along permeable coarse-grained volcaniclastic sandstone beds within the host-rock sequence. The immature volcaniclastic input is broadly representative of the siliciclastic compositional end member in the subbasin, which formed the protolith for phyllosilicate (illite, phengite, chlorite) formation during burial diagenesis. There is no evidence of extensive phyllosilicate alteration in any of the geochemical, mineralogical (illite crystallinity), or petrographic datasets, despite some evidence of K-feldspar replacement by sphalerite in the Lower and Main mineralized lenses. Rather, the high Zn grades formed via dolomite replacement, which is resolvable from a chemical mass balance analysis and consistent with petrographic observations.There are significant exploration implications associated with carbonate-replacement sulfide mineralization during mesogenesis: (1) the capacity for secondary porosity generation in the host rock is as important as its sulfate-reducing capacity; (2) hydrothermal mineralization has a short-range cryptic lateral and vertical synmineralization alteration footprint due to acid neutralization by a carbonate-rich protolith; and (3) the distribution and chemistry of premineralization phases (e.g., pyrite, dolomite nodules) cannot be directly related to the mineralization footprint, which is localized to the 4th-order subbasin scale. Future exploration for this deposit style should therefore be focused on identifying units that contain a mixture of organic carbon and carbonate in the protolith, at favorable stratigraphic redox boundaries, and proximal to feeder growth faults.

Effect of Flue Gases' Corrosive Components on the Degradation Process of Evaporator Tubes.

Corrosion of boiler tubes remains an operational and economic limitation in municipal waste power plants. The understanding of the nature, mechanism, and related factors can help reduce the degradation process caused by corrosion. The chlorine content in the fuel has a significant effect on the production of gaseous components (e.g., HCl) and condensed phases on the chloride base. This study aimed to analyze the effects of flue gases on the outer surface and saturated steam on the inner surface of the evaporator tube. The influence of gaseous chlorides and sulfates or their deposits on the course and intensity of corrosion was observed. The salt melts reacted with the steel surface facing the flue gas flow and increased the thickness of the oxide layer up to a maximum of 30 mm. On the surface not facing the flue gas flow, they disrupted the corrosive layer, reduced its adhesion, and exposed the metal surface. Beneath the massive deposits, a local overheating of the inner surface of the evaporator tubes occurred, which resulted in the release of the protective magnetite layer from the surface. Ash deposits reduce the boiler’s thermal efficiency because they act as a thermal resistor for heat transfer between the flue gases and the working medium in the pipes. The effect of insufficient feedwater treatment was evinced in the presence of mineral salts in the corrosion layer on the inner surface of the tube.

Stratigraphy, chronology, and magma evolution of Holocene volcanic products from Mt. Slamet deposited in the Guci Valley, Central Java, Indonesia

The active cone of Mt. Slamet is situated above the Guci Valley, making it vulnerable to volcanic eruptions. This is a fast-growing resort area with a permanent population of thousands and annual visitation in the hundreds of thousands. In this study, we combined stratigraphic observations with petrologic and geochemical analysis of volcanic rocks deposited in the valley to better understand the potential volcanic hazards. Within 7–9 km from the summit, the valley contains four massive lavas, seven pyroclastic density current deposits, one scoria fall, and one lahar deposit. Two of the three massive pyroclastic density current deposits (3–15 m thick) were dated to 8040 ± 30 BP and 3910 ± 30 BP; the third was overlain by the 8040 ± 30 BP deposit. Therefore, during the Holocene at least 7 explosive eruptions have occurred at Mt. Slamet. The valley's volcanic deposits were characterized by lower CaO numbers, higher FeO*, and higher FeO/MgO ratios than older products from Mt. Slamet, representing a distinct character of modern magma. Thus, our stratigraphic record suggests that the Guci Valley may be exposed to future eruptive activity with corresponding hazards to the population.

Early Biological Response of an Ultra-Hydrophilic Implant Surface Activated by Salts and Dry Technology: An In-Vitro Study

The use of dental implants has grown over the years and has led to higher success rates. To further enhance surgical outcomes, many research groups and companies have shifted their focus to surfaces roughness, wettability and chemistry. In a recent study a new dry salt bioactivate surface has been described from a chemical and physical point of view. The aim of this study is to evaluate the osteogenic response of pre-osteoblast cell lines to dry bioactivated surface. MC3T3-E1 osteogenic cell lines were cultured on SM (sandblasted and dual acid-etched surface) and HNS (SM surface with dry salts bioactive technology). Cell adhesion assay, proliferation assay and cell morphology were performed. Osteogenic activity was performed using Alizarin Red S and alkaline phosphatase. The results showed that SM surface determines a slighter but significant increase in cell adhesion and proliferation in a shorter time compared to HNS. On the contrary, HNS surface has long and intertwining filopodia that could be a response to surface HNS-topography that results in a higher stage of differentiation. The nature of the HNS surface is more prone to determine massive deposition of calcium minerals. This study is the first investigating the role of this interesting dry-salts bioactive surface during the first phase of healing and its potential biochemical advantage could be validated by future animal studies with the aim of evaluate the rate of bone implant contact in the early stages of healing.

How Did Depositors Respond to COVID-19?

Why did banks experience massive deposit inflows during the pandemic? We discover that deposit interest rates at bank branches in counties with higher COVID-19 infection rates fell by more than rates at branches—even branches of the same bank—in counties with lower infection rates. Credit drawdowns, national policies, such as the Payment Protection Program, and a flight-to-safety do not account for these cross-branch changes in deposit rates. Evidence suggests that higher local COVID-19 infection rates are associated with households’ greater anxiety about future job and income losses, anxiety that induces households to reduce spending and increase deposits.

Central serous chorioretinopathy and vitelliform dystrophies occurring in adults: predictors of differential diagnosis

AIM: To study predictors in order to optimize the differential diagnosis of persistent central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) and different forms of vitelliform dystrophies occurring in adults.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety eyes of 61 patients with long-term serous retinal detachments were recruited in study. All patients underwent ophthalmologic examination including family history, best corrected visual acuity, biomicroscopy, and multimodal imaging including fundus photo, SD-OCT, OCT-A, BAF, FA, ICGA. After the studies, the patients were divided into two groups: with vitelliform dystrophies 30 eyes of 30 patients and with CSCR 31 eyes of 31 patients. Diagnostic predictors found in both groups were scrutinized, mathematical models were obtained, and their recognition quality was assessed by the area under ROC curve. The criteria for all types of research were studied and the predictive value was assessed with the use of ROC analysis.
 RESULTS: The most informative non-invasive predictors for the diagnosis of vitelliform dystrophies occurring in adults are the following: a positive family history of the disease, brightness and gradient of hyperautofluorescence (hyperAF), typical hyperAF in the form of a crescent and beads, the presence of massive subretinal deposits and deposits in the form of stalactites. The most informative non-invasive predictors for the diagnosis of persistent CSCR are the following: additional hypoAF or hyperAF points or areas outside the main focus, hyperreflective dots in the neurosensory retina and an increase in choroidal thickness, irregular pigment epithelial detachments, presence of CNV. The highest predictive value for both groups was determined for BAF studies.
 CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained make it possible to optimize the differential diagnosis of persistent CSCR and different forms of vitelliform dystrophies occurring in adults.

CONTEMPORARY COPPER AGE BURIALS FROM THE VARNA MORTUARY ZONE, BULGARIA

The Copper Age cemetery in Varna, Bulgaria, is famous for the earliest known, massive deposition of exquisite golden artefacts. Radiocarbon dating of the Varna i cemetery, excavated in the period 1972–91, places it in the mid-fifth millennium bc and suggests a duration of c 225 years from c 4550 to c 4325 cal bc. Construction work in the adjacent area (2.5 km to the east of Varna i cemetery) in December 2017 led to the discovery of sixteen new graves, whose characteristics are identical to the burials in the cemetery investigated in the last century. This article discusses the AMS dates of ten newly discovered inhumations. The results match well the existing cemetery chronology, showing that the new graves start slightly later and end earlier than Varna i and have a shorter duration of probably no more than a few decades. It is demonstrated for the first time that some areas of burial on the terrace were in continuous use for one or two generations only, suggesting multi-focal depositional activities as opposed to expedient and opportunistic spatial utilisation.

NCI-41356, a promising molecule in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive irreversible and fatal lung disease. IPF is characterized by myofibroblasts proliferation, abnormal and massive extracellular matrix deposition and collagen accumulation. We have already shown that the heat shock protein HSPB5 has a positive role on lung fibrogenic processes mainly though activation of smads pathway. In addition, HSPB5 chaperones vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which role in fibrosis remains controversial. NCI-41356 is a chemical compound inhibiting the interaction between HSPB5 and VEGF, and it was shown to decrease in vitro and in vivo growth of breast tumor and VEGF signaling pathway [1] . Our aim was to explore the effects of NCI-41356 on pulmonary fibrosis. First , we tested the inhibitory properties of NCI-41356 on HSPB5/VEGF binding (Nanotemper), and on HSPB5 chaperone function (anti-aggregation assay). In vivo , C57/Bl6 mice were injected intratracheally with bleomycin (BLM) to induce fibrosis and treated intravenously with NaCl or NCI-41356. Collagen accumulation was evaluated by Sircol and Sirius Red technics. In vitro, fibroblasts and epithelial cells and ex vivo mouse lung slices were treated with TGF-β1, VEGF or both in presence or absence of NCI-41356 and α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) and collagen expression were evaluated. First, we showed that NCI-41356 inhibits HSPB5 chaperon activity without modifying its interaction with SMAD4 and Nanotemper experiment suggested that NCI-41356 inhibits HSPB5/VEGF interaction. In vivo , NCI-41356 decreased collagen accumulation (Sirius Red and Sircol). This has been confirmed on lung slices and fibroblastic cells (NIH-3T3) where NCI-41356 decreased collagen expression induced by TGF-β1. However, NCI-41356 did not affect in any experimental condition the expression of key markers of myofibroblast differentiation such as α-SMA . Finally, we showed that NCI-41356 decreases the pro-migratory effects of TGF-β1 on A549 epithelial cells. Our Results showed in vitro and in vivo that NCI-41356 reduced efficiently lung collagen synthesis and accumulation induced in pro-fibrotic conditions. Exploration of mechanical pathways induced by NCI-41356 in these effects remains to be explored.