The ‘westernisation’ of the Transylvanian Basin: Migration and/or acculturation?: Wearing hairpins in the 12th century Transylvanian Basin

In our research, we tried to reconstruct the hairdress of this period based on the archaeological artefacts that were found in the Arpadian age churchyards in the Transylvanian Basin. These hairpins, which were in use throughout the 5–9th centuries in Western Europe in the Anglo-Saxon speech-area, were part of a hairdress fashion trend that, later in the 12th century, spread throughout all of Christian Europe. Taking in account the Transylvanian artefacts and their context, we can notice that copper alloy hairpins with a gilded globular head often appear with S-ending lock rings. Their appearance is in strong relation with the Christian mentality and the western fashions of this period, which are obviously connected with the ‘westernisation’ of the Hungarian state institutions. Going into a thorough and in-depth analysis of the archaeological artefacts yields a number of questions, some of which we have found the answers to only after other conducting (especially anthropological) research work. We can announce with certainty that artefacts of this type are not the heritage of any group of foreign people. The expanding of this study and the excavation of the earliest cemeteries should complete our knowledge on this topic in the future. In the 12thcentury, the archaeological signs of ‘westernisation’ appear in all segments of life in the Transylvanian Basin. This can only mean one thing: besides the migrations mentioned by the written sources, the eastern half of the Hungarian Kingdom was integrated into western culture

Prevention and Treatment of Iodine-Induced Thyrotoxicosis

Etiologies of thyrotoxicosis are diverse, one of them being caused by iodine-induced hyperthyroidism. The clinical signs of the disease are the classical signs of any form of hyperthyroidism, but the treatment of the different forms presents particular aspects. This chapter reviews the risk factors for thyrotoxicosis following an excess iodine load, pointing out the major sources of iodine: supplementation programs, dietary intake, nutritional supplements, iodine-containing contrast medium, and amiodarone. Prevention of iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis is critical in geriatric patients who often have thyroid nodular disease, underlying heart conditions, and therefore, hyperthyroidism may be more difficult to detect clinically. Treatment of iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis could be performed with thioamides or perchlorate prior to the administration of an iodine containing product (e.g., food, dietary supplements, and contrast media). On the other hand, amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis needs further attention and a close collaboration between cardiology and endocrinology to overcome complications, but individualization of the therapy should be undertaken. Based on the specific features of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis thioamides, perchlorate, high-dose glucocorticoids, or radioiodine therapy may be considered for an optimal therapeutic intervention

Az Erdélyi-medence „nyugatiasodása” – Migráció és/vagy akkulturáció? Hajtűviselet a 12. századi Erdélyi-medencében

A 10. század második felében, pontosabban Géza hatalomra jutásával, majd I. István király- lyá szentelésével elkezdődött a Kárpát-medence intézményes „nyugatiasodása”, illetve nyugatosítása. A tanulmány első részében a „nyugatiasodás” fogalmával és a hozzá szervesen kapcsolódó kérdések- kel foglalkozunk. A temetők leletanyaga alapján feltehetjük azt a kérdést, hogy a mindennapok szintjén beszélhetünk-e „nyugatiasodásról”a Magyar Királyság keleti területein, illetve mikortól és milyen tár- sadalmi mélységig? Amit régészetileg dokumentálni tudunk, a viseletnek a nyugati divathoz való iga- zodása, vajon nemcsak a társadalmi elit körében, hanem a hatalmi központoktól távoli területeken is végbement? Mindezt egy jól definiált földrajzi és kultúrtérben szándékozunk megvizsgálni a dolgozat második felében egy olyan divatelem – a hajtűviseletet – példáján, amely egyértelműen a nyugati kultúr- körből származik. Röviden áttekintjük a nyugati hajtűviselet alakulásának fontosabb állomásait, részle- tesen vizsgáljuk az Erdélyi-medence hajtűket tartalmazó temetőit, a sírok kísérőleleteit, a viseletrekonst- rukció lehetőségeit és a keltezés kérdéseit

Effects of Cariprazine, Aripiprazole, and Olanzapine on Mouse Fibroblast Culture: Changes in Adiponectin Contents in Supernatants, Triglyceride Accumulation, and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Expression

Background and Objectives: The use of the dopamine-partial agonist subclass (also termed dopamine stabilizers) of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms and some mood disorders has increased recently. Similar to other second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), aripiprazole (ARI) and cariprazine (CAR) also influence food intake, but the peripheral effects of these drugs on adipose−tissue homeostasis, including adipokine secretion as well as lipo- and adipogenesis, are not fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the adipocyte-related mechanisms induced by second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), leading to changes in peripheral signals involved in energy homeostasis. Materials and Methods: CAR, a new SGA, was compared with ARI and olanzapine (OLA), using cell cultures to study adipogenesis, and the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) was measured in adipocytes derived from mouse fibroblasts, by western blotting on days 7, 14, and 21 postinduction. The triglyceride (TG) content of the cells was also evaluated on day 15 using Oil Red O staining, and the adiponectin (AN) content in the cell culture supernatants was quantified on days 7 and 15 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cells were treated with two concentrations of ARI (0.5 and 20 µg/mL), OLA (1 and 20 µg/mL), and CAR (0.1 and 2 µg/mL). Results: Both concentrations of ARI and OLA, as well as the lower concentration of CAR, significantly increased the TG contents. The AN levels in the supernatants were significantly increased by the higher concentration of ARI on days 7 and 15 (p < 0.05). Although PPAR-γ levels were not significantly affected by ARI and OLA, the lower concentration of CAR induced a significant time-dependent decrease in PPAR-γ expression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The in vitro adipogenesis considered from TG accumulation, AN secretion, and PPAR-γ expression was differently influenced by ARI, CAR, and OLA. Understanding the adipocyte-related mechanisms of antipsychotics could contribute to understanding their weight-influencing effect

Chronic fluoxetine treatment induces lipid accumulation but does not alter the expression of Pref-1 in adipose tissue of rats

This study aims to investigate the effects of chronic fluoxetine (FLX) treatment on preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) expression in subcutaneous, visceral and brown adipose tissues, and on the size of vacuoles in adipocytes obtained from the perirenal regions in rats. Twenty-eight Wistar rats were treated with FLX at two different doses and fourteen animals received vehicle. After 40 days of treatment, the subcutaneous, perirenal and interscapular adipose tissues were collected. Pref-1 expression was examined using an immunohistochemical method and the vacuolar area was measured in stained sections. In the low dose FLX group, the size of vacuoles increased both in male and female animals. The high dose of FLX also induced a significant increase of vacuole size, but only in male animals. Neither of the two doses of FLX has significantly affected the Pref-1 expression in any type of adipose tissue

Role of Vitamin D in Cognitive Dysfunction: New Molecular Concepts and Discrepancies between Animal and Human Findings

Purpose of review: increasing evidence suggests that besides the several metabolic, endocrine, and immune functions of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the neuronal effects of 1,25(OH)2D should also be considered an essential contributor to the development of cognition in the early years and its maintenance in aging. The developmental disabilities induced by vitamin D deficiency (VDD) include neurological disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia) characterized by cognitive dysfunction. On the other hand, VDD has frequently been associated with dementia of aging and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease). Recent findings: various cells (i.e., neurons, astrocytes, and microglia) within the central nervous system (CNS) express vitamin D receptors (VDR). Moreover, some of them are capable of synthesizing and catabolizing 1,25(OH)2D via 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) enzymes, respectively. Both 1,25(OH)2D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were determined from different areas of the brain and their uneven distribution suggests that vitamin D signaling might have a paracrine or autocrine nature in the CNS. Although both cholecalciferol and 25-hydroxyvitamin D pass the blood–brain barrier, the influence of supplementation has not yet demonstrated to have a direct impact on neuronal functions. So, this review summarizes the existing evidence for the action of vitamin D on cognitive function in animal models and humans and discusses the possible pitfalls of therapeutic clinical translation