Management of systemic lupus erythematosus in pregnancy

Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the most common autoimmune disorders affecting young women. Pregnant women with lupus are generally at higher risk for certain pregnancy complications than women without comorbidities. Even so, a pregnancy with lupus can be carried to term in optimal conditions if it is properly managed by a doctor. Monitoring is generally recommended six months after the onset of lupus symptoms, and ideally there should be no active lupus symptoms prior to conception. General screening tests should include the anti-phospholipid, anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies. Women who are positive for these antibodies have an increased risk of congenital heart block in the fetus. In addition, pregnant women with lupus have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal growth restriction, pre-term birth, while neonatal lupus syndrome is a major fetal condition. The maternal risks are faced with disease flares, pre-eclampsia and other complications. Treatment options during pregnancy are limited to a few safe medications. For example, prednisone is unlikely to cause fetal malformations, but it increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure in the mother. Consequently, a careful multidisciplinary monitoring is essential for optimal results in pregnancy with lupus

The Wietenberg Culture: Periodization and Chronology

Based on pottery shapes and ornaments, the study proposes a new periodization of the Wietenberg culture in three distinctive phases: early, classical and late. The early phase is represented by pottery with origins in the late Early Bronze Age; it coincides with Chidioșan I‑II and Boroffka A1‑2 phases. According to the 14 C results, this phase can be dated between the 20th and the 18th centuries BC. In the classical phase, new elements in the pottery technology (shapes and decorations) emerged, present in the last two levels of the settlement at Derșida. This phase is similar to the Chidioșan III and Boroffka B‑C stages and, according to the 14 C dates it lasted between the 18th and the 16th centuries BC. The last phase was dened by N. Chidioșan, who identified at several sites vessels that were different in shape and ornament from the ones on the settlement at Derșida. The sites from this phase cover only the western half of the previously occupied area, as a consequence of the appearance of the Noua culture, contemporary for a short time with the Wietenberg. It is similar to Chidioșan IV and Boroffka D phases. The 14 C dates for the Noua and the late Wietenberg sites limit chronologically the late Wietenberg phase to the 16th and 15th centuries BC

Rethinking Time, Culture, and Socioeconomic Organisation in Bronze Age Transylvania

South-west Transylvania was an important source of metal and other natural resources for Bronze Age Europe, helping to facilitate the development of increasingly hierarchical societies. The absence of a radiocarbon-based chronology for Transylvania, however, has impeded understanding of the region\u27s role within broader socioeconomic networks. Here, the presentation of the first radiocarbon chronology for the Wietenberg Culture in south-west Transylvania allows the authors to highlight the importance of interregional exchange and reliable access to metal for Bronze Age European societies, and emphasise that resource-procurement zones follow unique trajectories of socioeconomic organisation

Haptic-auditory perceptual feedback based training for improving the spatial acoustic resolution of the visually impaired people

Presented at the 21st International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD2015), July 6-10, 2015, Graz, Styria, Austria.3D binaural sounds play an important role in the development of navigational systems for the blind people. The use of generic HRTFs in virtual auditory displays significantly affects the acoustic spatial resolution and the listener’s ability to make localization judgments regarding the sound sources situated inside the cone of confusion. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether haptic-auditory feedback based training can enhance sound localization performance, front-back discrimination and the navigational skills of the visually impaired people. In our experiments, we assessed the sound localization performance of nine visually impaired subjects before and after a series of haptic-auditory training procedures aimed to enhance the perception of 3D sounds. The results of our tests demonstrate that our subjects succeeded to improve their sound localization performance, reduced the incidence of angular precision and reversal errors and became able to build an effective spatial representation map of the acoustic environment

Siedlungsstruktur und Demographie in Teleac: eine spätbronzezeitliche – früheisenzeitliche Befestigung in Siebenbürgen

Recent investigations at the Teleac hillfort in south-western Transylvania have generated new data on the spatial organisation and history of the settlement. A combination of excavations and geophysical prospection revealed that Teleac was a dense and well organised settlement with a substantial population, and that some sections of the hillfort likely were used for different activities. It is also argued that Teleac likely dominated the open settlements and acted as a hub for transportation and trade throughout the region.Jüngste Untersuchungen in der befestigten Höhensiedlung von Teleac im südwestlichen Siebenbürgen haben neue Daten zur räumlichen Organisation und Siedlungsgeschichte erbracht. Ausgrabungen in Kombination mit geophysikalischer Prospektion konnten zeigen, dass Teleac eine dichte und gut organisierte Siedlung mit einer erheblichen Bevölkerung war und dass einige Bereiche der befestigten Höhensiedlung für unterschiedliche Aktivitäten genutzt wurden. Es wird auch argumentiert, dass Teleac wahrscheinlich die offenen Siedlungen beherrschte und als Drehkreuz für Transport und Handel in der Region fungierte

The Teleac hillfort in Southwestern Transylvania: the role of the settlement, war and the destruction of the fortification system

Geophysical prospection and excavations show that the heavily fortified Teleac hillfort was densely occupied with a population reaching the low thousands. In this article it is argued that Teleac was a local political centre that acted as a hub for transportation and trade in a region that is rich in mineral resources. Recent investigations also reveal that Teleac was attacked in the late 10th century in an event that breached and destroyed the formidable northern defensive system. This attack suggests that the level of military threat was quite severe in the eastern Carpathian Basin. The attacking forces must have had significant offensive capabilities in order to tackle Teleac’s defences. It is also a strong indication that not only Teleac, but contemporary fortified settlements in the surrounding region were at least in part erected to resist serious military threats

SPION size dependent effects on normal and cancer cells

Iron oxide nanoparticles have become widely used today in medical applications. In this study, we report a hyperthermia treatment with 10 and 100 nm naked and polyethylene glycol(PEG)-coated Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) to normal and tumor cells in culture. Cells’ responses to nanoparticles were analyzed by cell viability assays (MTT and LDH) and transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate that even if 10 nm SPIONs have good magnetization saturation, the hyperthermia treatment is not effective due to the fact that cells do not endocytose them. 100 nm SPIONs are better engulfed by cells, and their hyperthermia effect is slightly increased. Macavei et al (PDF