Water Management in Ancient Civilizations: Editorial

This volume brings together papers on Water Management in Ancient Civilizations. It envelops a great variety of ancient means to harvest, supply, distribute, and dispute water in all its forms. Contributions range in time period from the early means of water management in Mesopotamia and Egypt, to the Epochs of Hellenistic and Roman Eras, into medieval times and beyond. The fascinating momentum of ancient water management include not only the great solutions and applications that were already at hand thousands of years ago, but its implications and importance for present and future problems, since water is, was, and will continue to be the most precious resource for human wellbeing

Nerve commitment in Hydra. II. Localization of commitment in S phase

The kinetics of nerve differentiation were investigated during head regeneration in Hydra. In particular the cell cycle parameters of stem cells undergoing nerve commitment were determined. Head regeneration induces extensive nerve commitment localized at the regenerating tip (G. Venugopal and C. David, 1981, Develop. Biol.83, 353–360). The appearance of committed nerve precursors is followed 12 hr later by the appearance of newly differentiated nerves. Under these conditions the time from the end of S phase to nerve differentiation is about 9 hr and the time from the beginning of S phase to nerve differentiation is about 18 hr. Thus nerve commitment occurs in mid- to late S phase of the stem cell precursor

Is Oral Vitamin D Supplementation Safe and Effective for Adults as Therapy to Improve Symptoms Associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during Wintertime?

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not oral vitamin D supplementation is safe and effective for adults as therapy to improve symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during wintertime. Study Design: This review is based on three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which were published in 2006, 2012, 2014. Two of the studies were double blind and placebo controlled. The studies evaluated the efficacy of oral vitamin D supplementation for improvement of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) symptoms. One of the studies also evaluated safety. Data Sources: All articles used were published in English, in peer-reviewed journals and found in PubMed during the time period of November 2015 to February 2016. Outcomes Measured: The outcomes measured were symptoms associated with SAD. One study measured subjective psychological well-being qualities (energy and vitality, social functioning, role functioning, and mental health), which were measured by Mean Component Score (MCS). The other two studies evaluated symptoms associated with SAD and perceived change from normal in: length of sleep, social activities, mood, weight, appetite, energy level by using Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale – Seasonal Affective Disorders (SIGH-SAD) and Global Seasonality Score (GSS) tools. Results: None of the studies evaluated in this review had results to suggest that vitamin D supplementation is effective for improving symptoms associated with SAD. Dumville (2006) found no significant evidence (p = 0.262). Frandsen (2014) and Kjaergaard et al. (2012) both found no significant difference between placebo and vitamin D with p values of 0.7 and 0.734 respectively. Kjaergaard et al. (2012) also found there to be no significant difference in adverse events between the placebo and vitamin D groups. Conclusions: This review suggests that although oral vitamin D supplementation is safe, it is not effective for adults as therapy to improve symptoms associated with SAD during wintertime

a Review

The ancient and now abandoned settlement of Naga, had its heyday around 2000 years ago, located in the hinterland of a Nile tributary. Here we present 15 new OSL-dates and four new radiocarbon-ages. Data show that fundamental environmental changes did not take place in the investigation area at least during the past 2000 years; nevertheless, subsystems may have varied significantly

Ancient Water Harvesting Methods in the Drylands of the Mediterranean and Western Asia

Water harvesting methods were a vital part of the water supply system of many ancient settlements in the drylands of the Mediterranean region andWestern Asia. Various water harvesting techniques evolved during the Bronze Age or earlier, and some of these remain in use even today. Based on literature we give a brief overview and present a tentative classification of these water harvesting methods and present the basic concepts behind these techniques supplemented with references to archaeological case studies

Irrigation Communities and Agricultural Water Management in Andalusia

A freely available data set about Andalusian irrigation communities was comprehensively analyzed and combined with a local time series of precipitation and temperature data and put into historical context. Andalusia’s annual precipitation lies between 150 and 1000 mm*yr−1. Due to the high seasonal and inter-annual variability of precipitation, irrigation measures are a necessity to enable intensive cultivation. The largely prevailing water scarcities are one likely reason for the evolution and continuation of water cooperations practicing irrigation strategies that have probably existed since Roman times, certainly since Islamic times. This study gives an overview of water management practices in Andalusia and highlights the Vega of Vélez Blanco (NE Andalusia), as a case study

Photodynamic Therapy of Necrobiosis Lipoidica - A Multicenter Study of 18 Patients

Background: Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a granulomatous skin disease of unknown origin, and no reliably effective treatment option exists to handle this often disfiguring disease. Recently, a patient with long-lasting NL was reported to be cured by topical photodynamic therapy (PDT). Objective: To evaluate the overall potential of PDT in the treatment of NL on the lower legs. Methods: Retrospective study of 18 patients (aged 16 - 62 years) from 3 European university departments of dermatology treated with PDT for NL. Methyl aminolevulinate or 5-aminolevulinic acid were used as topically applied photosensitizers. Illumination followed with red light-emitting diode light. Results: Complete response was seen in 1/18 patients after 9 PDT cycles, and partial response in 6/18 patients (2 - 14 PDT cycles) giving an overall response rate of 39% (7/18). Conclusion: Although almost 40% of the cases showed some degree of response, PDT cannot currently be recommended as first-line therapy of NL. Subpopulations of therapy-resistant NL patients may, however, benefit from PDT. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Base

Nerve cell differentiation in hydra requires two signals

Endogenous signals controlling nerve cell commitment in hydra were investigated using an assay for committed nerve precursors. Extracts of hydra tissue were prepared and tested for their ability to induce nerve cell commitment. The active component in such extracts was identified as a neuropeptide, the head activator [H. C. Schaller and H. Bodenmüller (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 7000–7004], based on its chromatographic properties and reaction with anti-head activator antibody. In addition, synthetic head activator (10−13–10−11 M) was shown to cause nerve cell commitment. Additional experiments demonstrated that committed nerve precursors require a second signal to differentiate nerve cells. Committed precursors induced by treatment of hydra with head activator do not differentiate in whole hydra; but do differentiate when pieces of treated tissue are explanted or when whole animals are simply injured with transverse cuts. The injury stimulus is long-lived. It cannot be replaced with head activator (10−12–10−10 M) but is contained in a methanol extract of hydra tissue

Photodynamic Therapy for Granuloma Annulare: More than a Shot in the Dark

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a benign granulomatous and inflammatory skin disorder. The pathogenesis remains enigmatic and convincingly effective treatment options are not available. Inspired by a report showing photodynamic therapy (PDT) to be effective in a single patient with GA, we sought to evaluate this benefit in a series of patients with GA. Observations: PDT was performed in 7 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed GA located at the extremities. First, 20% ALA gel was applied under an occlusive dressing for 5 h, followed by illumination with 100 J/cm(2) by a standard red-light source. In total, 2-3 PDT sessions were performed, with an interval of 2-4 weeks between each session. Treatment was stopped when complete remission was achieved or when GA lesions remained unchanged after 2 consecutive PDT sessions. The overall response rate was 57%. In 2 patients (29%), GA cleared completely, in 2 patients ( 29%) the skin lesions improved markedly and in 3 patients (43%) no clinical response could be observed. Conclusion: These promising results should be evaluated in larger controlled studies. In selected patients, PDT might be a valuable recruit for the sparse armory available to treat GA. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Base