No abstract

The tensile testing results suggest that the weaker intimal half of the aortic wall might fail before the outer adventitial half. Scanning electron microscope analyses suggest different failure modalities of dissection between the two morphologies, and the lower S(d) in ATAAs appears to be associated with a disorganized microstructure. BAV ATAAs have a lower S(d) than TAV ATAAs, suggesting a greater propensity for aortic dissection.

The vegetation and fire history of few coastal sites has been investigated in the Mediterranean region so far. We present the first paleoecological reconstruction from coastal Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.