Carthage's military installations of the First Punic War on Monte Pellegrino (Palermo)

The excavation in the park of Villa Belmonte (Monte Pellegrino, Palermo) has brought to light several warehouses, made with a “pseudo-frame” technique, probably with a straw roof, used for the storage of foodstuffs, given the large quantity of Punic-type amphorae found in situ, datable to around the middle of the third century BC. In addition, a section of road - about 3 m wide that proceeds in the direction of WNW- ESE, consisting of two layers of use - has been intercepted. We believe to have tracked down part of a strategic/military station used by the Carthaginian army during the crucial years of the First Punic War.

The relationship between motor timing, reaction time and academic achievements in primary school children.

Aim: Recent studies have reported a correlation between motor skills and school performance, which is different according to the type of motor ability or academic subject examined (Fernandes et al, 2016; Bellafiore et al., 2016). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between motor timing, reaction time and achievements in mathematics and Italian in sedentary and active children. Methods: Seventy-eight children (8.55±1.43 years old, 28.93±5.74 kg weight, 126.54±4.74 cm height and 19.30±2.62 kg/m2 BMI) were randomly recruited by a primary school of Palermo, 68% of them practiced a sport outside the academic hours. The motor timing was measured with the finger and foot tapping …

Effects of a specific training protocol on posturographic parameters of a taekwondo elite athlete and implications on injury prevention: A case study

Introduction: Taekwondo elite athletes should have excellent qualities in several aspects of fitness, as well as peculiar pos- tural characteristics in terms of balance and postural control, to achieve the best possible results during competitions. Moreover, it is known that taekwondo shows high risk of injury. The aim of this case study is to evaluate the effects of a specific training pro- tocol on posturographic parameters of a taekwondo elite athlete in order to prevent the risk of injury. Materials and methods: The specific training protocol provided 2 months of general strength conditioning, which included pre-conditioning in the first 2 weeks, physical training to improve explosive s…

Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Activation Enhances the Production of Glial cell line-derived Neurotrophic Factor In the Mouse Brain

Relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and non valvular atrial fibrillation type.

OBJECTIVE: Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and it is able to predict both coronary and cerebral vascular events. No data exist on the association between cIMT and non valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) type. We conduct this study with the aim to analyze the association between abnormal cIMT and NVAF type. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of the "Atrial fibrillation Registry for Ankle-brachial index Prevalence Assessment-Collaborative Italian Study (ARAPACIS)" has been performed. Among 2027 patients enrolled in the ARAPACIS, 673 patients, who underwent carotid ultrasound examination to assess cIMT, were included in the study. RESULT…