Magdalenian figurine from Obłazowa Cave

Obłazowa Cave was first excavated in 1985, and is best known for the discoveries of remains of settlement from the time of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. The traces of most recent settlement in the cave, found in the uppermost part of the stratigraphy can be attributed to Magdalenian settlement. Results of latest excavation brought more precise date this occupation face. In years 2016 and 2017 in layer III of the cave a series of artifacts, and a small sandstone female figurine were found

Sytuacja kobiet muzykantek w Polsce – studium przykładów od początku XX wieku do dziś

The situation of women-musicians in Poland – a case study from the beginning of the XX century to the present dayThe aim of this article is to identify the changes, based on the biographies of selected women-musicians, which affected traditional musical culture from the strict adherence to roles and functions for both genders to the total collapse of these barriers. There are no observations concerning women-musicians in the XIX century or in the centuries before, neither in Polish ethnography nor in the ethomusicological literature. Women probably played musical instruments, but only at home or while tending domestic animals, however there is a lack of any source confirmation of public performances of women musicians. On account of the rare literature on the topic of gender studies in the field of Polish traditional music and the lack of the gender-thread in the remaining ethnomusicological literature, information on the topic of the current position of women-musicians was gathered first of all during interviews with them and with their families. The analysis is related to the way they speak about their own activities, performances, experiences. The author refers to opinions of only some selected interviewees, the most characteristic of particular generations. The first generation is represented by women born near the end of the XIX century, the second by women born before World War II, the third by women born directly after World War II. Women born after the 50’s and 60’s of the XX century are part of the fourth generation, because at that time the differences in the gender situation had become less apparent. Sytuacja kobiet muzykantek w Polsce – studium przykładów od początku XX wieku do dziśCelem niniejszego artykułu jest scharakteryzowanie przebiegu zmian zachodzących w tradycyjnej kulturze muzycznej, na postawie życiorysów wybranych muzykantek, począwszy od ścisłego przestrzegania ról i funkcji obydwu płci, dochodząc do całkowitego rozluźnienia tego podziału. W polskiej literaturze etnograficznej lub etnomuzykologicznej nie ma żadnych adnotacji o kobietach muzykantkach w XIX wieku lub wiekach wcześniejszych. Prawdopodobnie kobiety grały na instrumentach muzycznych tylko w domu lub przy wypasie zwierząt, jednak brak jakichkolwiek potwierdzeń źródłowych publicznych występów kobiet muzykantek. Ze względu na szczupłość literatury dotyczącej zagadnień w obszarze gender studies z zakresu polskiej muzyki tradycyjnej oraz pomijanie wątku płciowego w pozostałej literaturze etnomuzykologicznej, informacje na temat aktualnej pozycji muzykantek zbierałam przede wszystkim podczas rozmów z nimi i z ich rodzinami. Starałam się, żeby kobiety mogły swobodnie opowiadać, wyrażać własny punkt widzenia. Skupiałam się nad tym, w jaki sposób mówią o swojej działalności, występach, przeżyciach, jakie tematy omijają i co podkreślają. W niniejszym artykule odwołuję się do opinii tylko kilku wybranych informatorek, które są najbardziej charakterystyczne dla poszczególnego pokolenia, przy czym pierwsze pokolenie reprezentują kobiety urodzone pod koniec XIX wieku, drugie – kobiety urodzone przed drugą wojną światową, trzecie – kobiety urodzone zaraz po drugiej wojnie światowej. Na przełomie lat 50. i 60. XX wieku różnice w sytuacji poszczególnych pokoleń zaczęły się zacierać, kobiety urodzone w tym okresie zaliczyłam do czwartego pokolenia

The Beginning of the Early Upper Paleolithic in Poland

Research on the timing of Homo sapiens dispersals in Central Europe is pivotal for understanding the behavioral trajectories of human adaptation to low biomass environments and cold climates. Previous studies on the Early Upper Paleolithic of Poland described a different scenario from the European panorama characterized by the local development of a laminar/lamellar technology from the foregoing Middle Paleolithic and the coexistence of different Aurignacian variants after 35 ka BP. In this paper, we examine this technical diversity by reassessing and revising the chronological and technological information of the key Aurignacian sites in Poland. Our study reveals that the distinctive techno-typological features of the different Aurignacian types are most likely the result of the mixing of artifacts from different chronologies. In our view, Poland was visited intermittently by Homo sapiens since the Early Aurignacian. The deterioration of the climatic conditions during the second half of MIS 3 converted the Polish territories into a satellite area of the Aurignacian settlement system

Pregabalin for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: an update

A previous review summarized what was then known about the potential role of pregabalin in the treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): this review provides an update on its pharmacological properties and presumed mechanism of action, the liability for abuse, and efficacy and tolerability in patients with GAD. Pregabalin has a similar molecular structure to the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) but its mechanism of action does not appear to be mediated through effects on GABA. Instead, its anxiolytic effects may arise through high-affinity binding to the alpha-2-delta sub-unit of the P/Q type voltage-gated calcium channel in “over-excited” presynaptic neurons, thereby reducing the release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate. The findings of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses together indicate that pregabalin is efficacious in both acute treatment and relapse prevention in GAD, with some evidence of an early onset of effect, and broad efficacy in reducing the severity of psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety. It also has efficacy as an augmenting agent after non-response to antidepressant treatment in GAD. Continuing vigilance is needed in assessing its potential abuse liability but the tolerability profile of pregabalin may confer some advantages over other pharmacological treatments in the short term for treatment in patients with GAD

Cross-talk interactions of exogenous nitric oxide and sucrose modulates phenylpropanoid metabolism in yellow lupine embryo axes infected with Fusarium oxysporum

AbstractThe aim of the study was to examine cross-talk of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) and sucrose in the mechanisms of synthesis and accumulation of isoflavonoids in embryo axes of Lupinus luteus L. cv. Juno. It was verified whether the interaction of these molecules can modulate the defense response of axes to infection and development of the pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lupini. Sucrose alone strongly stimulated a high level of genistein glucoside in axes pretreated with exogenous nitric oxide (SNP or GSNO) and non-pretreated axes. As a result of amplification of the signal coming from sucrose and GSNO, high isoflavonoids accumulation was observed (+Sn+GSNO). It needs to be stressed that infection in tissues pretreated with SNP/GSNO and cultured on the medium with sucrose (+Si+SNP/+Si+GSNO) very strongly enhances the accumulation of free isoflavone aglycones. In +Si+SNP axes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity was high up to 72h. As early as at 12h in +Si+SNP axes an increase was recorded in gene expression level of the specific isoflavonoid synthesis pathway. At 24h in +Si+SNP axes a very high total antioxidant capacity dependent on the pool of fast antioxidants was noted. Post-infection generation of semiquinone radicals was lower in axes with a high level of sucrose than with a deficit

Plants of the Funnel Beaker culture in Poland

Neolithic communities appeared in Polish territories around the mid-6th millennium BC. However, until the beginning of the 4th millennium BC, they inhabited only small enclaves. This situation changed within the first half of the 4th millennium BC, when the most of the Polish territories became settled by Neolithic groups attributed to the Funnel Beaker culture (TRB). There is a fairly large amount of data on plants cultivated by TRB people. Based on this, one can conclude that mainly Triticum dicoccon, T. monococcum and Hordeum vulgare were grown. T. dicoccon and T. monococcum could be sown together. It should be noted that large amounts of weeds typical of cereal fields have been recorded. It is much more difficult to determine the economic importance of other cultivars because of their low numbers. Nevertheless, the TRB inventories contain remains of Pisum sativum, Lens culinaris, Linum usitatissimum and Papaver somniferum

Hučivá Cave: a Magdalenian hunting camp in the Tatra Mountains

This article discusses the objectives of the Stone Age Man in Caves of the Tatra Mountains project, which aims to explain the mysterious absence of evidence for the Palaeolithic in the Tatra Mountains of Eastern Europe. We present preliminary work from Hučivá Cave, which demonstrates clear traces of Magdalenian settlement within this region