Neolithic dental calculi provide evidence for environmental proxies and consumption of wild edible fruits and herbs in central Apennines.

Looking for a biological fingerprint relative to new aspects of the relationship between humans and natural environment during prehistoric times is challenging. Although many issues still need to be addressed in terms of authentication and identification, microparticles hidden in ancient dental calculus can provide interesting information for bridging this gap of knowledge. Here, we show evidence about the role of edible plants for the early Neolithic individuals in the central Apennines of the Italian peninsula and relative cultural landscape.

Pollen record of the Late Pleistocene-Holocene stratigraphic sequence and current plant biodiversity from (Simbruini Mountains, Central Italy).

(Jenne, Latium), a complex karstic system in Central Italy, has returned one of the most precious Prehistoric palaeontological and anthropological heritage. Through the analysis of pollen spectra and charcoals from cave stratigraphic levels (Late Pleistocene final phases-Holocene), the overall vegetation trend of the site was pointed out. Although taphonomy and palynology of cave deposits are complex, pollen assemblage represents a reliable source for inferring past vegetation; indeed, climatic, environmental, and cultural interactions determine fossil pollen record.

The Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Until recently, the only imaging technique for the diagnosis and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was two-dimensional echocardiography, and the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) was limited to patients with poor acoustic windows. Now, cMRI has gained an essential role in the diagnosis of HCM, providing superior visualization of myocardial hypertrophy-even in remote zones of the left ventricle-and visualization of subtle changes in thickness and contractility over time. The morphologic accuracy of cMRI allows for the differentiation of HCM from other pathologic conditions with hypertrophic phenotype.

Speckle-tracking global longitudinal strain as an early predictor of cardiotoxicity in breast carcinoma.

Purpose: Recent development in anticancer therapies for breast carcinoma allowed an improvement in patients' survival, notwithstanding a parallel increase of cardiovascular morbidity. Cardiotoxicity of anticancer therapies represents a relevant problem due to its insidious onset and potentially irreversible cardiac damage. The aim of the present study was to test whether 2D speckle tracking analysis can help in predicting overt systolic dysfunction.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves ejection fraction and cardiac remodelling regardless of patients' age.

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves symptoms and reduces mortality in heart failure (HF) patients, but little data exist on the efficacy of CRT in the elderly. The aim of our study is to define CRT-related benefits in terms of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement in two subgroups of patients (<75 and ≥75 years old) and test possible differences between these two groups.

Methods And Results: Single-centre prospective observational study including 65 patients with optimally treated, advanced HF and indication to CRT.

Ropivacaine versus levobupivacaine for minor breast surgery in outpatients: inversion of postoperative pain relief efficacy.

The number of ambulatory surgical procedures is growing and local anesthesia represents the technique of choice for outpatients undergoing minor surgery. The aim of this study was to verify whether differences exist in postoperative pain relief using equipotent doses of two long-acting local anesthetics, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine, in patients who underwent minor breast surgery. A series of 86 consecutive women (median age=55, range=39-75 years) with small (<2 cm in size) breast masses requiring surgical excision were prospectively enrolled in the study.

Usefulness of chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid measurements in patients with malignant carcinoids.

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) system are a heterogeneous group of cancers more common in the small intestine. In patients with malignant NETs, especially carcinoids, a number of prognostic parameters have been considered, such as age, clinical symptoms related to the neoplasm, TNM staging and histological grade, as well as urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) serum levels.

Patients And Methods: The data from a series of 14 patients (median age 56 years, range 33-72 years) with gastric (N=8), ileal (N=1), colorectal (N=4) or appendiceal (N=1) malignant carcinoids were retrospectively reviewed.