Geochemistry and mineralogy as indicators of parental affinity for Cenozoic bentonites: a case study from S. Croce di Magliano (southern Apennines, Italy)

Clay Minerals ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Laviano ◽  
G. Mongelli

AbstractThe major and trace element contents and mineralogical composition of Cenozoic bentonites from the southern Apennines (Italy) have been determined, for the whole-rocks and the <2 µm size-fractions, in order to constrain parental affinities. The main mineralogical and chemical differences have been recognized in eleven samples allowing them to be grouped into two distinct subsets. The differences are based on smectite abundance, occurrence or lack of detrital clay phases, different contents of Ti, Fe, Mn, K, P, Rb, Sc, V, Cr and Ni and differences in the Eu/Eu* and Ti/Al elemental ratios. These ratios indicate an affinity for felsic volcanics for the subset showing high smectite contents. The low smectite subset shows, instead, an affinity for Cretaceous-Oligocene southern Apennine shales. A similar result is obtained using the La-Th-Sc and Th-Sc-Zr/10 diagrams. We suggest that during the deposition of the southern Apennine shales, episodic volcanic events took place. These were associated with the suture stage of the Tethyan ocean that promoted accumulation of felsic ash in the related basin and the diagenetic alteration of these materials produced bentonitic layers interbedded with shales.

1976 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-42
Author(s):  
L. Bal ◽  
J. Buursink

The calcixerollic xerochrept described has a low bulk density (1.1 g/cm3) which is attributed to faunal activity. The average mineral composition was 25% quartz, 20% CaCO3, 15% feldspars, 15% micas, 15% chlorites, 2-3% other minerals and 10% amorphous material and there was a clear relationship between minerals and particle size fractions. Trace element contents were 0.6, 11.0, 23.2, 49.1; 19.4, 75.9, 18.7 and 525 mg/kg for V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr and Ba, respectively. Sr and Ba contents were related to carbonate redistribution. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenyang Ye ◽  
Yonggang Feng ◽  
Ruxiong Lei ◽  
Gaoxue Yang

The Huangyangshan A-type granitic pluton, distributed along the thrust fault in the Kalamaili region of East Junggar, Xinjiang, China, consists of alkaline granite containing abundant dioritic enclaves that formed via magma mixing. Both the host granite and the enclaves contain sodic amphiboles. The textural evidence indicates that amphiboles crystallized as a magmatic phase in both units. We determined major and trace element contents of amphiboles from both units to investigate the compositional variation of the amphiboles during the magma mixing process. The results show that cations of W- and C-site are influenced by chemical compositions of the magma whereas cations of A-, B- and T-site and Al3+ are controlled by crystal structure. Therefore, the variations of W- and C-site cations can reflect magma evolution. The core and rim of the amphiboles show similar trace element patterns, which also suggests that the amphiboles are late-stage phases. Furthermore, the amphibole-only thermometers yield reasonable estimates that are consistent with petrographic evidence. However, thermometers based on partition coefficients and all the currently available amphibole-based barometers that rely on Al contents or DAl cannot be applied to Fe-rich and Al-poor amphiboles.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13

Background: Thyroid cancer is an internationally important health problem. The aim of this exploratory study was to evaluate whether significant changes in the thyroid tissue levels of Ag, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, and Zn exist in the malignantly transformed thyroid. Methods: Thyroid tissue levels of ten trace elements were prospectively evaluated in 41 patients with thyroid malignant tumors and 105 healthy inhabitants. Measurements were performed using non-destructive instrumental neutron activation analysis with high resolution spectrometry of long-lived radionuclides. Tissue samples were divided into two portions. One was used for morphological study while the other was intended for trace element analysis. Results: It was found that contents of Ag, Co, Cr, Hg, and Rb were significantly higher (approximately 12.8, 1.4, 1.6, 19.6, and 1.7 times, respectively) in cancerous tissues than in normal tissues. Conclusions: There are considerable changes in trace element contents in the malignantly transformed tissue of thyroid.


Author(s):  
Anne-Aziliz Pelleter ◽  
Gaëlle Prouteau ◽  
Bruno Scaillet

Abstract We performed phase equilibrium experiments on a natural Ca-poor pelite at 3 GPa, 750-1000 °C, under moderately oxidizing conditions, simulating the partial melting of such lithologies in subduction zones. Experiments investigated the effect of sulphur addition on phase equilibria and compositions, with S contents of up to ∼ 2.2 wt. %. Run products were characterized for their major and trace element contents, in order to shed light on the role of sulphur on the trace element patterns of melts produced by partial melting of oceanic Ca-poor sediments. Results show that sulphur addition leads to the replacement of phengite by biotite along with the progressive consumption of garnet, which is replaced by an orthopyroxene-kyanite assemblage at the highest sulphur content investigated. All Fe-Mg silicate phases produced with sulphur, including melt, have higher MgO/(MgO+FeO) ratios (relative to S-free/poor conditions), owing to Fe being primarily locked up by sulphide in the investigated redox range. Secular infiltration of the mantle wedge by such MgO and K2O-rich melts may have contributed to the Mg and K-rich character of the modern continental crust. Addition of sulphur does not affect significantly the stability of the main accessory phases controlling the behaviour of trace elements (monazite, rutile and zircon), although our results suggest that monazite solubility is sensitive to S content at the conditions investigated. The low temperature (∼ 800 °C) S-bearing and Ca-poor sediment sourced slab melts show Th and La abundances, Th/La systematics and HFSE signatures in agreement with the characteristics of sediment-rich arc magmas. Because high S contents diminish phengite and garnet stabilities, S-rich and Ca-poor sediment sourced slab melts have higher contents of Rb, B, Li (to a lesser extent), and HREE. The highest ratios of La/Yb are observed in sulphur-poor runs (with a high proportion of garnet, which retains HREE) and beyond the monazite out curve (which retains LREE). Sulphides appear to be relatively Pb-poor and impart high Pb/Ce ratio to coexisting melts, even at high S content. Overall, our results show that Phanerozoic arc magmas from high sediment flux margins owe their geochemical signature to the subduction of terrigenous, sometimes S-rich, sediments. In contrast, subduction of such lithologies during Archean appears unlikely or unrecorded.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Ioana Gherghescu ◽  
M. Begoña Delgado-Charro

Biosimilar medicines expand the biotherapeutic market and improve patient access. This work looked into the landscape of the European and US biosimilar products, their regulatory authorization, market availability, and clinical evaluation undergone prior to the regulatory approval. European Medicines Agency (EMEA, currently EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) repositories were searched to identify all biosimilar medicines approved before December 2019. Adalimumab biosimilars, and particularly their clinical evaluations, were used as a case study. In the past 13 years, the EMA has received 65 marketing authorization applications for biosimilar medicines with 55 approved biosimilars available in the EU market. Since the first biosimilar approval in 2015, the FDA has granted 26 approvals for biosimilars with only 11 being currently on the US market. Five adalimumab biosimilars have been approved in the EU and commercialized as eight different medicines through duplicate marketing authorizations. Whilst three of these are FDA-approved, the first adalimumab biosimilar will not be marketed in the US until 2023 due to Humira’s exclusivity period. The EU biosimilar market has developed faster than its US counterpart, as the latter is probably challenged by a series of patents and exclusivity periods protecting the bio-originator medicines, an issue addressed by the US’s latest ‘Biosimilar Action Plan’.


Author(s):  
Ioannis Souliotis ◽  
Nikolaos Voulvoulis

AbstractThe EU Water Framework Directive requires the development of management responses aimed towards improving water quality as a result of improving ecosystem health (system state). Ecosystems have potential to supply a range of services that are of fundamental importance to human well-being, health, livelihoods and survival, and their capacity to supply these services depends on the ecosystem condition (its structure and processes). According to the WFD, Programmes of Measures should be developed to improve overall water status by reducing anthropogenic catchment pressures to levels compatible with the achievement of the ecological objectives of the directive, and when designed and implemented properly should improve the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems that the delivery of ecosystem services depends on. Monitoring and evaluation of implemented measures are crucial for assessing their effectiveness and creating the agenda for consecutive planning cycles. Considering the challenges of achieving water status improvements, and the difficulties of communicating these to the wider public, we develop a framework for the evaluation of measures cost-effectiveness that considers ecosystem services as the benefits from the reduction of pressures on water bodies. We demonstrate its application through a case study and discuss its potential to facilitate the economic analysis required by the directive, and that most European water authorities had problems with. Findings demonstrate the potential of the methodology to effectively incorporate ecosystem services in the assessment of costs and benefits of proposed actions, as well as its potential to engage stakeholders.


Author(s):  
Pantelis Capros ◽  
Marilena Zampara ◽  
Nikos Tasios ◽  
Dimitris Papadopoulos ◽  
Christoph Kost ◽  
...  

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