In soil radon anomalies and volcanic activity on Mt. Etna (Italy).

We present here the first attempt to understand the fast dynamics of an active basaltic volcano, namely Mt. Etna using soil gas radon measured in some sites located in strategic places around the volcano. Data were measured continuously from July 2015 to February 2017 and the raw signals were treated in order to filter out all possible periodic components that are normally due to non-volcanic factors, applying a method that does not require acquisition of other parameters, which are not always available. The residual signals highlighted seven anomalous changes, with radon values reaching levels from 2 to 5 times higher than the normal background. In six out of seven cases, anomalies were almost contemporaneous in all or almost all of the sites, indicating a common source for the observed radon variations. The pattern of anomalies suggests a transient wave-like propagation in the space/time domain, compatible with pressure-induced displacement of the gas. The observed patterns are most probably caused by the rapid upward motion of gas-rich magma into the volcano conduits, as almost all anomalies precede or accompany major volcanic events. In some cases, an alternative explanation could be the strong and sudden strain releases through earthquakes swarms, with consequent variations in the permeability of rocks at a large scale, given the apparent correlation between those anomalies and intense seismicity.

Oral calcitriol: a new therapeutic agent in cutaneous lichen sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Lichen sclerosus remains an elusive disease with an uncertain relationship to morphea and scleroderma. The disorder has been difficult to treat, with no consistent and reproducible efficacious therapy. Recently, a beneficial effect of treatment with oral calcitriol (1-25 dihydroxyvitamin D3) in patients with scleroderma or morphea was described. This fact could be ascribed to the immunomodulatory effects of calcitriol observed in vitro and to inhibition of fibroblastic growth. Because of the success of calcitriol in localized scleroderma, we attempted this therapy in a patient with LS. OBSERVATION: One patient with cutaneous generalized LS resistant to different therapeutics was treated with calcitriol in an oral daily dose of 0.5 mcg. After 6 months of treatment, the skin extensibility increased, and the lesions improved. The improvement persisted after discontinuation of therapy during a follow-up period of one year. The only side effect was hypercalciuria, which resolved with dose reduction. CONCLUSION: Calcitriol has shown a beneficial effect in scleroderma and morphea during open studies. A case is reported of a patient with LS who had a dramatic response to calcitriol. Double blind, placebo-controlled trials are needed to assess the therapeutic value of calcitriol in patients with LS.