Cult and Ritual at Late Bronze Age II Alalakh: Hybridity and Power under Hittite Administration

This article commemorating Emmanuel Laroche’s 100th birthday continues a series of discourses on newly defined cult practices and ritual spaces at Alalakh (Yener 2014, 2015a, 2015b). Although Alalakh is only periodically woven into the fabric of the Hittite world of which Laroche has contributed so much over the years, as a result of the new round of excavations the realization has grown that Alalakh’s important cult center of the goddess Ishtar played a crucial role in Hittite administration..

Effects of different lighting types on visual performance

This study investigates whether different lighting types have an effect on the visual performance of office workers. Wall washing, cove lighting and uplighting were tested as they are the most widely used lighting types in offices, after general lighting. The lighting level chosen was 275 lx. The experiments were conducted in a controlled environment with different lighting types. Ninety participants took part in three groups of thirty. The performance measurements for each group were done in different lighting sequences. The data collected were statistically analysed. The effects of age, gender and eye deficiency of the participants on performance were also investigated

A simple concept for covering pressure sores : wound edge-based propeller perforator flap

We present a new surgical modification to allow propeller perforator flaps to cover pressure sores at various locations. We used a propeller perforator flap concept based on the detection of newly formed perforator vessels located 1 cm from the wound margin and stimulated by the chronic inflammation process. Between January 2009 and January 2017, 33 wound edge-based propeller perforator flaps were used to cover pressure sores at various locations in 28 patients. In four cases more than one flap was used on the same patient. The patients comprised 18 males and 10 females with a mean age of 4125 (range, 16-70) years. All patients underwent follow-up for 0-12 months. The mean follow-up duration was 503 months. Venous congestion was observed in three flaps that were rotated by 180 degrees (91%). However, there was a significant difference between flaps rotated by 90 degrees and 180 degrees according to the complication rate (P = 0034). Out of 33 flaps, 29 flaps healed uneventfully. Patients were able to sit and lie on their flaps three weeks after surgery. In our study, we were able to obtain satisfying final results using these novel flaps

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection Is More Effective than Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Injekce plazmy obohacené destičkovým koncentrátem je efektivnější než kyselina hyaluronová v léčbě gonartrózy

ABSTRAcT PURPOSE OF THE STUDy There is increasing use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in orthopaedics as it is a simple, cheap and minimally invasive technique. This study aimed to compare the effects of the use of PRP and hyaluronic acid (HA) injections in the knee of patients diagnosed with and being followed-up for degenerative arthritis. MATERIALS AnD METHODS This prospective study included 90 patients with complaints of knee pain with findings of mild or moderate degenerative arthritis. In the PRP group (n = 45), one intra-articular injection was applied and in the HA group (n = 45), three doses of intra-articular injection were applied. Clinical evaluation was made by Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and a visual pain scale. RESULTS no severe adverse events was observed. Statistically significant better results in the KOOS score and visual pain scale was determined in PRP group than HA group at 3 months and 6 months follow up. The cost of the application for the PRP group was lower than that of the HA group. COnCLUSIOn The results of this study have shown the application of single dose PRP to be a safe, effective and low-cost method for treating OA. However, further studies are required for a more clear result

Albumin evokes Ca 2+ -induced cell oxidative stress and apoptosis through TRPM2 channel in renal collecting duct cells reduced by curcumin

In proteinuric nephropathies of chronic kidney disease, the epithelial cells of the nephron including the collecting duct are exposed to high concentrations of luminal albumin. Albumin is taken up from collecting duct cells by endocytosis causing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and a proinflammatory response. Curcumin used in the traditional medicine possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. ROS and ADP-ribose (ADPR) activate the cation channel TRPM2. We hypothesize, that albumin-induced cell stress and proinflammatory response are mediated by Ca2+ and can be reduced by curcumin. The cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells mpkCCDc14 exhibit spontaneous and inducible Ca2+ oscillations, which can be blocked by pre-treatment with curcumin. Curcumin accumulates in plasma membrane and intracellular vesicles, where it interferes with TRPM2 and decreases the influx of Ca2+. Albumin reduces cell viability and increases apoptosis, NF-κB activation, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization via Ca2+-dependent signaling, which results in increased ROS production. Albumin-induced cell stress is diminished by the inhibition of TRPM2 after administration of curcumin and ADPR (PARP1) inhibitors. Curcumin did not reduce the Ca2+ elevation induced by thapsigargin in Ca2+-free medium, but it reduced the function of store-operated Ca2+ channels and ATP-evoked Ca2+ response. In conclusion, albumin-induced oxidative stress is mediated by Ca2+-dependent signaling via TRPM2 and leads to cell damage and a proinflammatory response, strengthening the role of CCD cells in the progression of chronic kidney disease

Human mobility at Tell Atchana (Alalakh), Hatay, Turkey during the 2nd millennium BC: Integration of isotopic and genomic evidence

The Middle and Late Bronze Age, a period roughly spanning the 2nd millennium BC (ca. 2000–1200 BC) in the Near East, is frequently referred to as the first ‘international age’, characterized by intense and far-reaching contacts between different entities from the eastern Mediterranean to the Near East and beyond. In a large-scale tandem study of stable isotopes and ancient DNA of individuals excavated at Tell Atchana (Alalakh, located in Hatay, Turkey), we explored the role of mobility at the capital of a regional kingdom, named Mukish during the Late Bronze Age, which spanned the Amuq Valley and some areas beyond. We generated strontium and oxygen isotope data from dental enamel for 53 individuals and 77 individuals, respectively, and added ancient DNA data of 10 newly sequenced individuals to a dataset of 27 individuals published in 2020. Additionally, we improved the DNA coverage of one individual from this 2020 dataset. The DNA data revealed a very homogeneous gene pool. This picture of an overwhelmingly local ancestry was consistent with the evidence of local upbringing in most of the individuals indicated by the isotopic data, where only five were found to be non-local. High levels of contact, trade, and exchange of ideas and goods in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, therefore, seem not to have translated into high levels of individual mobility detectable at Tell Atchana

Vitamin B12 status in patients of Turkish and Dutch descent with depression: A comparative cross-sectional study

Background: Studies have shown a clear relationship between depressive disorders and vitamin B12 deficiency. Gastroenteritis and Helicobacter pylori infections can cause vitamin B12 deficiency. Helicobacter pylori infections are not uncommon among people of Turkish descent in The Netherlands. Aim: To examine the frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency in depressive patients of Turkish descent and compare it to the frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency in depressive patients of Dutch descent. Methods: The present study is a comparative cross-sectional study of 47 patients of Turkish descent and 28 of Dutch descent. The depressive disorder diagnosis and differential diagnosis were made using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition text revision (SCID). The severity of the depressive symptoms was determined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-21). Serum baseline vitamin B6 and B12, folic acid and total serum homocysteine (tHcy) levels were measured. Results: The average ages of the patients of Turkish and Dutch descent were 40.57 and 44.75 years, respectively. There were no demonstrable differences between the serum vitamin B6, folic acid and tHcy levels in the two groups. The serum vitamin B12 levels were however clearly lower in the patients of Turkish descent than in those of Dutch descent. Vitamin B12 deficiency was however observed in 14 patients of Turkish descent and 1 of Dutch descent. This difference was significant. On the BDI, the patients of Turkish descent scored significantly higher than those of Dutch descent. Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency and those with hyperhomocysteinaemia had a significantly higher BDI score than patients with normal vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels. No relationship was observed with vitamin B12 and tHcy. Conclusion: Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs more frequently in depressive patients of Turkish than of Dutch descent. This is why it is advisable to test the vitamin B12 serum level in depressive patients of Turkish descent