Age- and sex-related changes in vertebral trabecular bone architecture in Neolithic and Mediaeval populations from Poland.

This paper investigates trabecular bone ontogenetic changes in two different Polish populations, one prehistoric and the other historical. The studied populations are from the Brzesc Kujawski region in Kujawy (north-central Poland), one from the Neolithic Period (4500-4000 BC) and one from the Middle Ages (twelfth-sixteenth centuries AD), in total 62 vertebral specimens (32 males, 30 females). Eight morphometric parameters acquired from microCT scan images were analysed. Two-way ANOVA after Box-Cox transformation and multifactorial regression model were calculated. A significant decrease in percentage bone volume fraction (BV/TV; [%]) with age at death was observed in the studied sample; Tb.N (trabecular number) was also significantly decreased with age; trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) increased with advancing age; connectivity density (Conn.D) was negatively correlated with biological age and higher in the Neolithic population. These data are found to be compatible with data from the current biomedical literature, while no loss of horizontal trabeculae was recorded as would be expected based on modern osteoporosis.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Complex Fatal Attack Due to a Pack of Maremma Sheepdogs: Is It Always an Accident?

Deaths due to dog attacks are a worldwide issue. Fatal dog attacks may occur in various environments, including the dog owner's property. A lot of difficulties emerge when the attack involves a pack of dogs, of different species and sizes. In this case, it becomes much more difficult for forensic investigators to evaluate the event, especially regarding the identification of the dog or dogs that caused the death as well as the identification of the owner and the reconstruction of the dynamics for forensic purposes. In this paper, we analyze a specific case of an attack by a herd of Maremma sheepdogs. A crime scene investigation has been carried out. In the first phase of this case, the victim interacted with dogs that had non-aggressive attitudes. Then, after an escape attempt, she was assaulted by about 20 Maremma dogs of different sizes, leading to multiple injuries all over her body. The greatest difficulty was precisely that of reconstructing the dynamics due to the numerous injuries and dogs involved in the attack. The dynamics were divided into several stages following the analysis of the injuries found on the victim. This case study highlights how the forensic multidisciplinary approach has made it possible to precisely reconstruct the event. The analysis of the dogs' state of malnutrition and their suddenly aggressive attitude towards the victim revealed profiles of responsibility of the owner attributable to improper management and training of the animals to defend their property.

A depiction of poliomyelitis in a 17th -century Piedmontese fresco?

INTRODUCTION: A potential representation of poliomyelitis is investigated in an Italian artwork. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 17th century Piedmontese fresco is analyzed by combining historico-medical, palaeopathological and clinical approaches. Alternative diagnoses are considered. RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The man appearing in the fresco holding a crutch is characterized by an atrophic left leg reminiscent of poliomyelitic atrophic. Other congenital anomalies or cerebrovascular causes appear less likely. A reflection on the difficulty of retrospectively diagnosis poliomyelitis is offered.

Dyspepsia in the middle ages: a reference in Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron (14th century AD)?

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Superior vena cava syndrome and gynecomastia in antiquity: Paleodermatologic considerations on aging in the past.

We explore the antiquity of two well-known conditions often associated with advancing age, namely superior vena cava syndrome and gynecomastia, through the veristic sculptural representation dating back to the classical age. The statue of the Old Fisherman from the "Paolo Orsi" Regional Archaeological Museum of Syracuse, Italy, thanks to the extremely accurate rendering of the appearance of the cutaneous tissues, makes it possible to open a window to the antiquity and morphologic presentation of pathologic phenomena that would be difficult to infer solely from the human skeleton remains. The analysis of this statue also offers an opportunity to highlight the capacity of Hellenistic art in portraying human misery and illness.

Inflammation Beats Cholesterol: A Comment on the Unequivocal Driver of Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Despite advancements in the current standard of care, cardiovascular diseases continue to hold the top spot as the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The development of atherosclerosis is the most common culprit behind ailments such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Consequently, it imposes a significant burden on life expectancy, quality of life, morbidity, and societal costs. Both increased cholesterol levels and the activation of the inflammatory cascade are known as cardiovascular risk facts. Their relative weight is in the spotlight of curent biomedical research. Newly published data shed light on the role of inflammation in determining cardiovascular risk irrespective of cholesterol levels and cholesterol-lowering therapies.

Morpho-radiological and brain endocast analysis in the study of Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna (HFI): A combined approach.

The purpose of this study is to anatomically evaluate the impact on the patient intra vitam of an endocranial condition on a late 20th century skull housed in the Section of Legal Medicine of the University of Foggia (Foggia, Apulia, Italy). After performing a retrospective diagnosis, the condition is framed in the broader context of studies on this pathology. An anthropological and radiological analysis (X-ray and CT scan imaging) made it possible to confirm the preliminary information and to detail the osteological diagnosis of HFI. In order to assess the impact on the cerebral surface of the endocranial growth a 3D endocast was obtained using the Software OrtogOnBlender. The skull is demonstrated to have belonged to a female senile individual known, from limited documentary evidence, to have suffered from a psychiatric condition during her life. The final diagnosis is hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI), Type D. Although a direct correlation between the demonstrated intracranial bony growth and the onset of the patient's psychiatric condition is difficult to retrospectively ascertain, the pressure exerted on this female individual's frontal lobe may have contributed to further degenerative behavioural changes in the last years of her life. This case adds to previous knowledge, especially from the palaeopathological literature, on this condition and, for the first time, presents a neuroanatomical approach to assess the global impact of the disease.

The history of pertussis: from an ancient scourge to a contemporary health burden.

The present article offers a historical overview on pertussis (whooping cough) by analysing the ancient epidemic manifestations of the disease and the path towards the discovery of an effective vaccine against it. The original mentions of pertussis are examined with reference to Mediaeval Afghanistan and the famous AD 1578 Paris epidemic described by the French physician Guillaume de Baillou. The historical data are then matched with information derived from analyses of phylogenetic trees of B. pertussis. Finally, this article also highlights some recent challenges posed to public health by this infectious disease.

Dino Buzzati's 50th death anniversary: an appraisal of medicine and infectivology's influence on his literary production.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This paper, in the 50th anniversary of the author's death, examines the overall impact and influence of medicine, in particular of infectious diseases, on the literary production of Italian writer and novelist Dino Buzzati (1906-1972). METHODS: Analysis of literary sources and historical study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Buzzati's literary world is great fun for the reader, being both intriguing and anxiety forming at the same time. One finishes reading his books only to discover the one truth which overturns everything that seemed to be true. In particular, in his short stories, which stem mostly from episodes taken from everyday life, the plot suddenly comes to life. The atmosphere becomes surreal, and in a moment the incredible happens. Behind the apparent lightness of the fairytale narrative there lies hidden the important issues addressed by the author. He uses the hospital as a metaphor for a categorised life, in which we are at risk of no longer being masters of ourselves, in which we suffer a continuous steady drip that makes us head downwards day after day, floor after floor. We will come back up, but not today, tomorrow perhaps, or at the latest, the day after tomorrow. Corte on the second floor hopes, and screams to give strength to his hope, that he will soon return to the top, towards the seventh floor.

The Role of Forensic Investigation in an Unusual Case of Patricide by a Schizophrenic Woman Involving Dismemberment of a Decomposed Body.

Dismemberment is characterized by the fragmentation of the body into anatomical sections. It can occur because of a murder, suicide, or accident. In the literature, there are no cases of patricide perpetrated by a daughter in which the offender performed the dismemberment. However, in this paper, we reported a case of patricide by a schizophrenic daughter that was not treated with antipsychotic therapy. Post-mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT), autopsy, and histological examinations were performed. The soft tissues were removed through maceration techniques and chemical treatment. An analysis was performed to study the bone margins and clarify the weapon and manner of death. This investigation, which used radiological and histological studies, helped to assess the vitality of the injuries. The purpose of the study is to discover the weapon used, the cause, and the manner of death, with particular interest in this case due to the dismemberment. Moreover, we emphasize the correlation between patricide, dismemberment, and a lack of antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia.

Sudden death due to fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis with atypical prodromal symptoms.

Diagnosis of myocarditis is complex because it is not always preceded by clear symptoms. We report the case of a woman who died suddenly. Autopsy and histopathological investigations revealed a lymphocytic myocarditis. Clinical history showed the patient went to the hospital some days before for joint pain and low-grade fever.

In Search of a Lost Father: Adrien Proust (1834-1903), An Almost Forgotten Public Health Pioneer.

OBJECTIVES: In this communication, we wish to remember the important historical role played by Marcel Proust's father, the now mostly forgotten Achille-Adrien Proust (1834-1903). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: His career, scientific interests and, above all, his brilliant intuitions and suggestions in the fight against cholera in the 19th century are recalled. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: His role in the promotion of a globally effective vision of public hygiene and health is stressed as a bright example for modern physicians fighting contemporary epidemics.

Mary Shelley's migraines and fatal stroke: some observations on their primary cause.

In this article the origins of Mary Shelley's neurological and cerebrovascular problems are described. Through a reanalysis of her biography, her early health issues caused by a dermatological condition, potentially eczema, psoriasis or chickenpox, are related, thanks to current biomedical knowledge, to her migraines and strokes, including the one that killed her.

Unilateral Facial Asymmetry in a 40 BCE Roman Carved Head.

ABSTRACT: We describe the peculiar facial morphology of a carved head dating to the end of the Roman Republican period (40 BCE) which displays evident unilateral asymmetry. A comprehensive discussion of the different etiologies is provided and a contextualization of this condition in the broader frame of Roman artistic verism is offered. This case study contributes to the knowledge of disease presentation in the ancient world, with a special focus on the anatomy of soft tissue pathology.