Tradition and Innovation in Textile Technology in Bronze Age Europe and the Mediterranean

The papers collected in the present volume of the ‘Światowit’ journal examine developments in textile production in Bronze and Iron Age Europe and the Mediterranean by tracing both traditional and innovative elements in textile technology. The issue comprises 11 original contributions that resulted from the session ‘Tradition and Innovation in Textile Technology in Bronze Age Europe and the Mediterranean’ organised in 2016 by Agata Ulanowska and Małgorzata Siennicka during the 22nd Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Vilnius. The papers discuss available archaeological evidence of textiles, textile imprints, textile tools and textile iconography, as well as botanical and faunal remains related to textile manufacture and dyeing. The papers examine the types of social relations and cultural and economic processes which may have enhanced developments in textile technology and impacted on cross-cultural transmission of textile knowledge and skills in the Bronze and Iron Ages

Early response of selected haemostatic and haematological parameters to physical activity in young women - the potential impact of oral contraceptives

Introduction and objective. Exercise (submaximal) in untrained subjects can modify haemostasis toward hypercoagulability, especially among women using oral contraceptives (OC). The aim of this study was to investigate whether this can be explained by platelet haemostasis and changes in the generation of membrane microparticles. Materials and method. Young, healthy women (n=60) were divided into 2 equal groups: a study group OC (+) who had used OC for >3 months, and controls who had never used oral contraceptives OC(-). Exclusion criteria: those with systematic daily physical activity. Participants were subjected to treadmill exercise (Cardiac Diagnostic System; model CH2000) using the Bruce protocol/ AHA guidelines. Platelet aggregation with arachidonic acid (ASPI test) or ADP (ADP test), membrane microparticle (MP) activity, plasma coagulation times (APTT/PT) and blood count were determined before and 45 minutes after exercise. Results. Before exercise, the OC(+) group had slightly higher platelet aggregation (ADP test), significantly lower MP activity, slightly lower PLT and slightly higher PDW rate. Exercise caused slight inhibition of platelet aggregation (ASPI test), and significant decrease in MP activity – only in the OC(-) group. After exercise, in both groups there was a significant decrease in PLT and increase in WBC, more pronounced in OC(+) group. Conclusions. Submaximal exercise was beneficial for haemostasis in women not using hormonal contraception, associated primarily with reduced MP activity. No beneficial effects of physical activity were found for women using hormonal contraceptives, possibly associated with a hypercoagulable state, and higher reactivity of blood platelets under the influence of the use of contraceptives

Clinical Application of Autologous Adipose Stem Cells in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Preliminary Results

The clinical outcome of autologous adipose stem cell (ASC) treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was investigated following one year of observation. Methods. The clinical and MRI outcomes of 16 ASC-treated patients with RRMS and SPMS are reported after a one-year follow-up period. Results. At 18 months of follow-up, some patients showed “enticing” improvements on some exploratory efficacy measures, although a significant benefit was not observed for any measure across the entire group. Neither the progression of disability nor relapses were observed in any cases. In four patients, we found new gadolinium+ (Gd+) lesions on MRI. Our results indicate that ASC therapy is safe and does not produce any substantial side effects. Disease progression-free survival (PFS) of 18 months was seen in all patients with RRMS and SPMS. In these patients, EDSS scores did not progress above baseline scores. Gd-enhancing lesions were observed in two cases with RRMS, but these patients did not exhibit changes in EDSS score. Conclusion. Intrathecal treatment with ASCs is an attractive form of therapy for patients with MS but should be reserved for cases with aggressive disease progression, for cases that are still in the inflammatory phase, and for the malignant form