Producing Aegeaness – An Innovation and Its Impact in Middle and Late Bronze Age Syria/Northern Levant

In the second half of the 18th Century BCE Yarim-Lim of Alalakh gave instructions to decorate his palace with wall paintings. Instead of following the inner-Syrian or ‘Mesopotamian’ tradition of al secco painting on dark mud plaster, he decided in favor of a technical and iconographical innovation known from the Aegean, a bright, shiny lime plaster with a griffin as a depiction. Later, similar decorations appeared in palaces and houses in Syria and beyond. My paper analyzes why this technical and social innovation was successful within the local life world. Secondly, it takes a closer look at the impact of the murals by exploring the use and meaning of Aegean-related motifs in the following centuries and the production of a Levantine Aegeanness in different media of expression.In der zweiten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts BCE gab Yarim-Lim von Alalakh Anweisung, seinen Palast mit Wandmalereien zu schmücken. Statt innersyrischer oder ,mesopotamischer‘ Tradition von al secco-Malerei auf dunklem Lehmputz zu folgen, entschied er sich für eine technische und ikonographische Innovation der Ägäis, einen hellen, glänzenden Kalkputz mit einer Greifendarstellung. In der Folge treten ähnliche Wandverzierungen in Palästen und Häusern in Syrien und darüber hinaus auf. Mein Beitrag analysiert, warum diese technische und soziale Innovationen in einer lokalen Lebenswelt erfolgreich war. Zweitens werfe ich einen genaueren Blick auf die Auswirkungen der Wandmalereien, indem ich auf die Verwendung und Bedeutung der ,ägäisierenden‘ Motive in den folgenden Jahrhunderten eingehe und die Herstellung einer levantinischen ,Aegeanness‘ in anderen Medien untersuche

Pharmacological and genetic modulation of the endocannabinoid system

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide and the prevention of epileptogenesis is so far unmet. A major challenge in epilepsy research is the development of new therapeutic approaches for patients with therapy-resistant epilepsies, for epilepsy prevention and for disease modification. The endocannabinoid system serves as a retrograde negative feedback mechanism and one of its key functions is regulating neuronal activity within the central nervous system. Thus, the endocannabinoid system can be considered a putative target for central nervous system diseases including epilepsies. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of the endocannabinoid and endovanilloid systems on both epileptogenesis and ictogenesis. Therefore, I modulated the systems pharmacologically and genetically and analyzed the impact on the generation of a hyperexcitable neuronal network as well as on ictogenesis in the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In addition, the impact of seizures on associated cellular alterations, like CB1-receptor (CB1R) expression and neurogenesis, was evaluated. I established that the endocannabinoid system affects seizure and afterdischarge duration dependent on the neuronal subpopulation being modulated. Genetic deletion of CB1Rs from GABAergic forebrain neurons caused shorter seizure duration. Deletion of CB1R from principal neurons of the forebrain and pharmacological antagonism with rimonabant (5 mg/kg) resulted in the opposite effect. Along with these findings, the CB1R density was increased in mice with recurrent induced seizures. However, neither genetic knockout nor pharmacological antagonism had any impact on the development of generalized seizures. In contrast to genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of CB1Rs, modulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) neither genetically nor pharmacologically with SB366791 (1 mg/kg) had an effect on the duration of behavioral or electrographic seizure activity. Pharmacological blockade of the 2-arachidonoylglycerol degrading enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) with JZL184 (8 mg/kg), delayed the development of generalized seizures and decreased seizure and afterdischarge durations whereas in fully-kindled mice JZL184 (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg) had no relevant effects on associated seizure parameters. In addition, I confirmed by the use of conditional CB1R knockout mice that these effects are CB1R mediated. In conclusion, my findings support the concept that the endocannabinoid system may be a therapeutic target for decreasing seizure duration and that it is involved in terminating seizures as an endogenous mechanism. Moreover, targeting MAGL may be a promising strategy for an antiepileptogenic approach. Respective strategies are of particular interest for the management of long-lasting refractory status epilepticus and cluster seizures as well as for the prevention of the development of symptomatic epilepsies after an initial insult

Original, Fake, or a Little of Both? On the Question of the Authenticity of a Pandurina by Giovanni Smorsone

The Museum collection of the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung in Berlin houses a pandurina built by Giovanni Smorsone. However, this instrument came to the museum from within the circle of a violin forger. Investigations have proved that it is not a forgery. Nevertheless, alterations were found that do not match the original state of the instrument

Pharmacological and genetic modulation of the endocannabinoid system

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide and the prevention of epileptogenesis is so far unmet. A major challenge in epilepsy research is the development of new therapeutic approaches for patients with therapy-resistant epilepsies, for epilepsy prevention and for disease modification. The endocannabinoid system serves as a retrograde negative feedback mechanism and one of its key functions is regulating neuronal activity within the central nervous system. Thus, the endocannabinoid system can be considered a putative target for central nervous system diseases including epilepsies. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of the endocannabinoid and endovanilloid systems on both epileptogenesis and ictogenesis. Therefore, I modulated the systems pharmacologically and genetically and analyzed the impact on the generation of a hyperexcitable neuronal network as well as on ictogenesis in the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In addition, the impact of seizures on associated cellular alterations, like CB1-receptor (CB1R) expression and neurogenesis, was evaluated. I established that the endocannabinoid system affects seizure and afterdischarge duration dependent on the neuronal subpopulation being modulated. Genetic deletion of CB1Rs from GABAergic forebrain neurons caused shorter seizure duration. Deletion of CB1R from principal neurons of the forebrain and pharmacological antagonism with rimonabant (5 mg/kg) resulted in the opposite effect. Along with these findings, the CB1R density was increased in mice with recurrent induced seizures. However, neither genetic knockout nor pharmacological antagonism had any impact on the development of generalized seizures. In contrast to genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of CB1Rs, modulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) neither genetically nor pharmacologically with SB366791 (1 mg/kg) had an effect on the duration of behavioral or electrographic seizure activity. Pharmacological blockade of the 2-arachidonoylglycerol degrading enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) with JZL184 (8 mg/kg), delayed the development of generalized seizures and decreased seizure and afterdischarge durations whereas in fully-kindled mice JZL184 (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg) had no relevant effects on associated seizure parameters. In addition, I confirmed by the use of conditional CB1R knockout mice that these effects are CB1R mediated. In conclusion, my findings support the concept that the endocannabinoid system may be a therapeutic target for decreasing seizure duration and that it is involved in terminating seizures as an endogenous mechanism. Moreover, targeting MAGL may be a promising strategy for an antiepileptogenic approach. Respective strategies are of particular interest for the management of long-lasting refractory status epilepticus and cluster seizures as well as for the prevention of the development of symptomatic epilepsies after an initial insult

Bogota-VAC - A Newly Modified Temporary Abdominal Closure Technique

Abstract : Background: : We present Bogota-VAC, a newly modified temporary abdominal closure (TAC) technique for open abdomen condition after abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Methods: : A thin isolation bag (Bogota bag) and a vacuum assisted closure (VAC) system were combined. A matching bag was tension-free fixed on the abdominal fascia by fascia suture. A ring shaped black polyurethane foam of the VAC system was placed into the gap between Bogota bag, abdominal fascia and the wound edge. A constant negative topic pressure of 50-75 mmHg was used in the VAC system. Results: : Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP: 22 ± 2 mmHg) of four patients with ACS after severe traumatic brain injury and one patient with isolated ACS after blunt abdominal trauma decreased significantly (p = 0.01) after decompressive laparotomy and treatment with Bogota-VAC (IAP: 10 ± 2 mmHg) and remained low, measured via urinary bladder pressure. Intracranial pressure (ICP) in the four traumatic brain injury patients decreased from 42 ± 13 mmHg to 15 ± 3 mmHg after abdominal decompression. Cerebral perfusion pressure (57 ± 14 mmHg) increased to 74 ± 2 mmHg. Conclusion: : The advantage of the presented Bogota-VAC is leak tightness, wound conditioning (soft tissue/fascia), skin protection and facilitation of nursing in combination with highest volume reserve capacity (VRC), thus preventing recurrent increased intra-abdominal and intracranial pressure in the initial phase after decompression of ACS compared to other TAC technique

Bogota-VAC – A Newly Modified Temporary Abdominal Closure Technique

Background: We present Bogota-VAC, a newly modified temporary abdominal closure (TAC) technique for open abdomen condition after abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Methods: A thin isolation bag (Bogota bag) and a vacuum assisted closure (VAC) system were combined. A matching bag was tension-free fixed on the abdominal fascia by fascia suture. A ring shaped black polyurethane foam of the VAC system was placed into the gap between Bogota bag, abdominal fascia and the wound edge. A constant negative topic pressure of 50–75 mmHg was used in the VAC system. Results: Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP: 22 ± 2 mmHg)of four patients with ACS after severe traumatic brain injury and one patient with isolated ACS after blunt abdominal trauma decreased significantly (p = 0.01)after decompressive laparotomy and treatment with Bogota-VAC (IAP: 10 ± 2 mmHg) and remained low, measured via urinary bladder pressure. Intracranial pressure (ICP) in the four traumatic brain injury patients decreased from 42 ± 13 mmHg to 15 ± 3 mmHg after abdominal decompression. Cerebral perfusion pressure (57 ± 14 mmHg) increased to 74 ± 2 mmHg. Conclusion: The advantage of the presented Bogota-VAC is leak tightness, wound conditioning (soft tissue/fascia), skin protection and facilitation of nursing in combinationwith highest volume reserve capacity (VRC), thus preventing recurrent increased intra-abdominal and intracranial pressure in the initial phase after decompression of ACS compared to other TAC techniques