Mineral carbonation of peridotite fueled by magmatic degassing and melt impregnation in an oceanic transform fault.

Most of the geologic CO2 entering Earth's atmosphere and oceans is emitted along plate margins. While C-cycling at mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones has been studied for decades, little attention has been paid to degassing of magmatic CO2 and mineral carbonation of mantle rocks in oceanic transform faults. We studied the formation of soapstone (magnesite-talc rock) and other magnesite-bearing assemblages during mineral carbonation of mantle peridotite in the St. Paul's transform fault, equatorial Atlantic. Clumped carbonate thermometry of soapstone yields a formation (or equilibration) temperature of 147 ± 13 °C which, based on thermodynamic constraints, suggests that CO2(aq) concentrations of the hydrothermal fluid were at least an order of magnitude higher than in seawater. The association of magnesite with apatite in veins, magnesite with a δ13C of -3.40 ± 0.04‰, and the enrichment of CO2 in hydrothermal fluids point to magmatic degassing and melt-impregnation as the main source of CO2. Melt-rock interaction related to gas-rich alkali olivine basalt volcanism near the St. Paul's Rocks archipelago is manifested in systematic changes in peridotite compositions, notably a strong enrichment in incompatible elements with decreasing MgO/SiO2. These findings reveal a previously undocumented aspect of the geologic carbon cycle in one of the largest oceanic transform faults: Fueled by magmatism in or below the root zone of the transform fault and subsequent degassing, the fault constitutes a conduit for CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids, while carbonation of peridotite represents a vast sink for the emitted CO2.

Ovarian Leiomyosarcoma as Incidentaloma during Postbariatric Abdominoplasty Surgical Procedure.

This case report addresses the discovery, surgical management, histology, and postoperative outcomes of an incidentaloma during the preoperative evaluation of a 58-year-old woman planning to undergo abdominoplasty and hernia correction after bariatric surgery. The patient's computed tomography scan revealed a large pelvic mass in addition to an enlarged uterus and an umbilical hernia. Subsequent surgical intervention included umbilical hernia repair, subtotal omental excision, and en-bloc removal of the uterine and ovarian structures. Histological analysis confirmed the mass as a high-grade utero-ovarian leiomyosarcoma. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and demonstrated a positive response in follow-up imaging at 6 months, with reduced mass size and no significant lymphadenopathy. Both aesthetic and morpho-functional outcomes were satisfactory. The report highlights the challenges of diagnosing and treating incidentalomas, emphasizing the need for individualized management. It discusses the rarity of primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma and the surgical approach used. The case ultimately emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary clinical evaluations in ensuring comprehensive care for patients with unexpected radiological findings, such as utero-ovarian leiomyosarcoma.

Fluid-assisted grain size reduction leads to strain localization in oceanic transform faults.

Oceanic Transform Faults are major plate boundaries representing the most seismogenic part of the mid ocean ridge system. Nonetheless, their structure and deformation mechanisms at depth are largely unknown due to rare exposures of deep sections. Here we study the mineral fabric of deformed mantle peridotites - ultramafic mylonites - collected from the transpressive Atobá ridge, along the northern fault of the St. Paul transform system in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. We show that, at pressure and temperature conditions of the lower oceanic lithosphere, the dominant deformation mechanism is fluid-assisted dissolution-precipitation creep. Grain size reduction during deformation is enhanced by dissolution of coarser pyroxene grains in presence of fluid and contextual precipitation of small interstitial ones, leading to strain localization at lower stresses than dislocation creep. This mechanism potentially represents the dominant weakening factor in the oceanic lithosphere and a main driver for the onset and maintenance of oceanic transform faults.

Mapping of surface radiogenic heat production from in situ gamma spectrometry and chemical data of exhumed mantle peridotites at the St. Peter and St. Paul archipelago (equatorial Atlantic).

This work presents the first mapping of the radiogenic heat production (RHP) and the respective radiogenic heat flow (RHF) of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) located at 1°N in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Using radiogenic heat producing elements (RPE) we inferred a radiogenic heat production ranging 0.08-0.68 µW/m3 (Median: 0.21 µW/m3 and Geometric mean: 0.25 µW/m3) by whole-rock chemical analysis and between 0.08 and 0.48 µW/m3 (Median: 0.19 µW/m3; Geometric mean: 0.19 µW/m3) by in situ Gamma radiation spectrometry. The mean of radiogenic heat production of mylonite rocks from SPSPA (0.22 µW/m3) is significantly higher than predicted values for ultramafic rocks as those largely outcropping in the SPSPA. This is probably due to the pervasive alteration of these rocks and the incorporation of little magma fractions during mylonitization. By converse, the average surface radiogenic heat flow (49.7 µW/m2) is lower than that predicted for the oceanic lithosphere, suggesting that the upper mantle contribution to the heat flow is also low in the SPSPA region. Based on the acquired data and the peculiar tectonics of the SPSPA we propose that the lithospheric mantle around the SPSPA area is colder than that surrounding the Equatorial Atlantic region.

Semibrittle seismic deformation in high-temperature mantle mylonite shear zone along the Romanche transform fault.

Oceanic transform faults, a key element of plate tectonics, represent the first-order discontinuities along mid-ocean ridges, host large earthquakes, and induce extreme thermal gradients in lithosphere. However, the thermal structure along transform faults and its effects on earthquake generation are poorly understood. Here we report the presence of a 10- to 15-kilometer-thick in-depth band of microseismicity in 10 to 34 kilometer depth range associated with a high-temperature (700° to 900°C) mantle below the brittle lithosphere along the Romanche mega transform fault in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The occurrence of the shallow 2016 moment magnitude 7.1 supershear rupture earthquake and these deep microearthquakes indicate that although large earthquakes occur in the upper brittle lithosphere, a substantial amount of deformation is accommodated in the semibrittle mylonitic mantle that resides at depths below the 600°C isotherm. We also observe a rapid westward deepening of this band of seismicity indicating a strong lateral heterogeneity.

Occurrence and characterization of tremolite asbestos from the Mid Atlantic Ridge.

Tremolite is one of the most common amphibole species and, in the fibrous form (i.e., characterized by crystals/particles consisting of fibres with length > 5 µm, width < 3 µm and aspect ratio > 3), one of the six asbestos minerals. Until now the attention of crystallographers has focused only on samples from continental environment. Here we report the first chemical and structural data of a tremolite asbestos found along the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR) at the eastern intersection of the Romanche Transform Fault (Equatorial MAR). Tremolite is associated with chlorite and lizardite and was formed through the green shale facies lower than zeolite in a predominantly fluid system. MAR tremolite asbestos shows very slight deviations from the ideal crystal structure of tremolite. Differences in cation site partitioning were found with respect to tremolite asbestos from ophiolitic complexes, attributed to the different chemical-physical conditions during the mineral formation. In particular, oceanic tremolite asbestos is enriched in Al and Na, forming a trend clearly distinct from the continental tremolites.

Postmelting hydrogen enrichment in the oceanic lithosphere.

The large range of H2O contents recorded in minerals from exhumed mantle rocks has been challenging to interpret, as it often records a combination of melting, metasomatism, and diffusional processes in spatially isolated samples. Here, we determine the temporal variations of H2O contents in pyroxenes from a 24-Ma time series of abyssal peridotites exposed along the Vema fracture zone (Atlantic Ocean). The H2O contents of pyroxenes correlate with both crustal ages and pyroxene chemistry and increase toward younger and more refractory peridotites. These variations are inconsistent with residual values after melting and opposite to trends often observed in mantle xenoliths. Postmelting hydrogen enrichment occurred by ionic diffusion during cryptic metasomatism of peridotite residues by low-degree, volatile-rich melts and was particularly effective in the most depleted peridotites. The presence of hydrous melts under ridges leads to widespread hydrogen incorporation in the oceanic lithosphere, likely lowering mantle viscosity compared to dry models.

High H2O Content in Pyroxenes of Residual Mantle Peridotites at a Mid Atlantic Ridge Segment.

Global correlations of mid-ocean-ridges basalt chemistry, axial depth and crustal thickness have been ascribed to mantle temperature variations affecting degree of melting. However, mantle H2O content and elemental composition may also play a role. How H2O is distributed in the oceanic upper mantle remains poorly constrained. We tackled this problem by determining the H2O content of orthopyroxenes (opx) and clinopyroxenes (cpx) of peridotites from a continuous lithospheric section created during 26 Ma at a 11°N Mid-Atlantic Ridge segment, and exposed along the Vema Transform. The H2O content of opx ranges from 119 ppm to 383 ppm; that of cpx from 407 ppm to 1072 ppm. We found anomalous H2O-enriched peridotites with their H2O content not correlating inversely with their degree of melting, although H2O is assumed to be incompatible during melting. Inverse correlation of H2O with Ce, another highly incompatible component, suggests post-melting H2O enrichment. We attribute a major role to post-melting temperature-dependent diffusion of hydrogen occurring above the melting region, where water-rich melt flows faster than residual peridotites through dunitic conduits cross-cutting the uprising mantle. Accordingly, estimates of the H2O content of the MORB mantle source based on H2O in abyssal peridotites can be affected by strong uncertainties.

Abiotic formation of condensed carbonaceous matter in the hydrating oceanic crust.

Thermodynamic modeling has recently suggested that condensed carbonaceous matter should be the dominant product of abiotic organic synthesis during serpentinization, although it has not yet been described in natural serpentinites. Here we report evidence for three distinct types of abiotic condensed carbonaceous matter in paragenetic equilibrium with low-temperature mineralogical assemblages hosted by magma-impregnated, mantle-derived, serpentinites of the Ligurian Tethyan ophiolite. The first type coats hydroandraditic garnets in bastitized pyroxenes and bears mainly aliphatic chains. The second type forms small aggregates (~2 µm) associated with the alteration rims of spinel and plagioclase. The third type appears as large aggregates (~100-200 µm), bearing aromatic carbon and short aliphatic chains associated with saponite and hematite assemblage after plagioclase. These assemblages result from successive alteration at decreasing temperature and increasing oxygen fugacity. They affect a hybrid mafic-ultramafic paragenesis commonly occurring in the lower oceanic crust, pointing to ubiquity of the highlighted process during serpentinization.

Diagnostic study on an immunochromatographic rapid test for schistosomiasis: comparison between use on serum and on blood spot from fingerprick.

BACKGROUND: An immunochromatographic rapid test (ICT; Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM, LDBIO Diagnostics) demonstrated high sensitivity (96%) in the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium. To date, the test has been validated for use on serum only, but in the absence of lab equipment, blood drop from fingerprick could be a useful option. This method is acquiring more interest because of the high flow of migrants rapidly moving across Italy and other European countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the use of ICT on whole blood obtained from fingerprick. SETTING: Centre for Tropical Diseases (CTD), Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: The inclusion criteria were African migrants aged ≥18 years with epidemiological risk of infection. The exclusion criteria were refusal to participate in the study and impossibility of execution of one of the two study methods, for any reason. Seventy of the 72 eligible patients completed the study, 79% of whom were male. INTERVENTIONS: The ICT was performed twice for each included patient: one on blood drop (by the research nurses, in the ward) and one on serum (by staff of CTD lab). The primary outcome was the concordance between the two methods, assessed by Cohen's kappa. RESULTS: Cohen's kappa was 0.45 (95% CI 27.0 to 63.6), indicating moderate agreement between the ICT on serum and the ICT on blood drop. Assuming the results on serum as reference standard for diagnosis, the sensitivity and specificity of ICT on blood drop were 55% (95% CI 40 to 69) and 93% (95% CI 79 to 98), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The agreement between the two diagnostic methods is too low to support the alternative one. Implementation of the kit for using blood drop instead of the serum and/or further studies aimed to identify easy-to-use tests for schistosomiasis feasible outside referral centres for tropical diseases are needed.

Prospective Observational Study on acute Appendicitis Worldwide (POSAW).

Background: Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical disease, and appendectomy is the treatment of choice in the majority of cases. A correct diagnosis is key for decreasing the negative appendectomy rate. The management can become difficult in case of complicated appendicitis. The aim of this study is to describe the worldwide clinical and diagnostic work-up and management of AA in surgical departments. Methods: This prospective multicenter observational study was performed in 116 worldwide surgical departments from 44 countries over a 6-month period (April 1, 2016-September 30, 2016). All consecutive patients admitted to surgical departments with a clinical diagnosis of AA were included in the study. Results: A total of 4282 patients were enrolled in the POSAW study, 1928 (45%) women and 2354 (55%) men, with a median age of 29 years. Nine hundred and seven (21.2%) patients underwent an abdominal CT scan, 1856 (43.3%) patients an US, and 285 (6.7%) patients both CT scan and US. A total of 4097 (95.7%) patients underwent surgery; 1809 (42.2%) underwent open appendectomy and 2215 (51.7%) had laparoscopic appendectomy. One hundred eighty-five (4.3%) patients were managed conservatively. Major complications occurred in 199 patients (4.6%). The overall mortality rate was 0.28%. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirm the clinical value of imaging techniques and prognostic scores. Appendectomy remains the most effective treatment of acute appendicitis. Mortality rate is low.

Global validation of the WSES Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections: a prospective multicentre study (WISS Study).

BACKGROUND: To validate a new practical Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) including the clinical conditions at the admission (severe sepsis/septic shock), the origin of the cIAIs, the delay in source control, the setting of acquisition and any risk factors such as age and immunosuppression. METHODS: The WISS study (WSES cIAIs Score Study) is a multicenter observational study underwent in 132 medical institutions worldwide during a four-month study period (October 2014-February 2015). Four thousand five hundred thirty-three patients with a mean age of 51.2 years (range 18-99) were enrolled in the WISS study. RESULTS: Univariate analysis has shown that all factors that were previously included in the WSES Sepsis Severity Score were highly statistically significant between those who died and those who survived (p < 0.0001). The multivariate logistic regression model was highly significant (p < 0.0001, R2 = 0.54) and showed that all these factors were independent in predicting mortality of sepsis. Receiver Operator Curve has shown that the WSES Severity Sepsis Score had an excellent prediction for mortality. A score above 5.5 was the best predictor of mortality having a sensitivity of 89.2 %, a specificity of 83.5 % and a positive likelihood ratio of 5.4. CONCLUSIONS: WSES Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated Intra-abdominal infections can be used on global level. It has shown high sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio that may help us in making clinical decisions.

Post-mesozoic rapid increase of seawater Mg/Ca due to enhanced mantle-seawater interaction.

The seawater Mg/Ca ratio increased significantly from ~ 80 Ma to present, as suggested by studies of carbonate veins in oceanic basalts and of fluid inclusions in halite. We show here that reactions of mantle-derived peridotites with seawater along slow spreading mid-ocean ridges contributed to the post-Cretaceous Mg/Ca increase. These reactions can release to modern seawater up to 20% of the yearly Mg river input. However, no significant peridotite-seawater interaction and Mg-release to the ocean occur in fast spreading, East Pacific Rise-type ridges. The Mesozoic Pangean superocean implies a hot fast spreading ridge system. This prevented peridotite-seawater interaction and Mg release to the Mesozoic ocean, but favored hydrothermal Mg capture and Ca release by the basaltic crust, resulting in a low seawater Mg/Ca ratio. Continent dispersal and development of slow spreading ridges allowed Mg release to the ocean by peridotite-seawater reactions, contributing to the increase of the Mg/Ca ratio of post-Mesozoic seawater.

Mantle thermal pulses below the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and temporal variations in the formation of oceanic lithosphere.

A 20-Myr record of creation of oceanic lithosphere is exposed along a segment of the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on an uplifted sliver of lithosphere. The degree of melting of the mantle that is upwelling below the ridge, estimated from the chemistry of the exposed mantle rocks, as well as crustal thickness inferred from gravity measurements, show oscillations of approximately 3-4 Myr superimposed on a longer-term steady increase with time. The time lag between oscillations of mantle melting and crustal thickness indicates that the mantle is upwelling at an average rate of approximately 25 mm x yr(-1), but this appears to vary through time. Slow-spreading lithosphere seems to form through dynamic pulses of mantle upwelling and melting, leading not only to along-axis segmentation but also to across-axis structural variability. Also, the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge appears to have become steadily hotter over the past 20 Myr, possibly owing to north-south mantle flow.