Novel Echocardiographic Biomarkers in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Purpose of Review: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults. The number of patients with AF is anticipated to increase annually, mainly due to the aging population alongside improved arrhythmia detection. AF is associated with a significantly elevated risk of hospitalization, stroke, thromboembolism, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. Echocardiography is one of the key components of routine assessment and management of AF. Therefore, the aim of this review is to briefly summarize current knowledge on “novel” echocardiographic parameters that may be of value in the management of AF patients. Recent Findings: Novel echocardiographic biomarkers and their clinical application related to the management of AF have been taken into consideration. Both standard parameters such as atrial size and volume but also novels like atrial strain and tissue Doppler techniques have been analyzed. Summary: A number of novel echocardiographic parameters have been proven to enable early detection of left atrial dysfunction along with increased diagnosis accuracy. This concerns particularly experienced echocardiographers. Hence, these techniques might improve the prediction of stroke and thromboembolic events among AF patients and need to be further developed and disseminated. Nonetheless, even the standard imaging parameters could be of significant value and should not be discontinued in everyday clinical practice. © 2019, The Author(s)

Rockfall Risk Assessment and Management Along the \u201cVia dell\u2019Amore\u201d (Lovers\u2019 Lane) in the Cinque Terre National Park (Italy)

The Via dell\u2019Amore (Lovers\u2019 Lane) is a 1 km long coastal path linking Manarola with Riomaggiore, the two eastern villages at the \u201cCinque Terre\u201d. Realized at the start of the nineteenth century as a service road for the modernization of the railway, it\u2019s now considered as one of the highlights of the Cinque Terre National Park. The trail has been historically affected by rockfall phenomena: the bedrock is made up of heterogeneous rock masses; blocks diameter ranges from 0.5 to 2 m, determining high speed values during their fall. The probability of a fatal event to occur is high, as recently proved by the four Australian women injured in September 2012: this occurrence caused the closure of the trail up to the present. The actual risk level is not acceptable, taking in consideration also the elevated vulnerability values. The main goal is to decrease both rockfall hazard and vulnerability: in the first place, through passive slope protection methods such as rockfall shelters and protecting wire meshes; in the second instance, through an early warning system connected to the civil protection corp and an environmental education program involving tourists and inhabitants