Greek federal states and their sanctuaries : identity and integration : proceedings of an international conference of the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" held in Münster, 17.06. - 19.06.2010

P. Funke, M. Haake (eds.), Greek Federal States and Their Sanctuaries: Identity and Integration. Proceedings of an International Conference of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” held in Münster, 17.06.–19.06.2010, Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2013, pp. 244, 6 b/w ill., ISBN 978-3-515-10307-

Builder of the cities : Dionysius and Sicels

In 400 BC, Dionysius the Elder founded a city called Adranos, after an important Sicel sanctuary. This deed marked an important phase in relations between the indigenous people and the Greek population. It can be argued that the tyrant’s decision was dictated by practical reasons, yet his policy of subjecting a Sicel divinity under the Greek city-state structure resulted from previous Greek experiences and practices. On the other hand, after the era of Dionysius, the cult of Adranos not only did not disappear, but also gained a wider recognition and never lost political importance to the Greeks, who by the end of fourth century exerted significant influence over former Sicel lands. In the effect native people did not vanish from the island but were practically absorbed into the Greek world

Systematic and detailed analysis of behavioural tests in the rat Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) model of stroke: tests for long-term assessment

In order to test therapeutics, functional assessments are required. In pre-clinical stroke research, there is little consensus regarding the most appropriate behavioural tasks to assess deficits; especially when testing over extended times in milder models with short occlusion times and small lesion volumes. In this study we comprehensively assessed 16 different behavioural tests, with the aim of identifying those that show robust, reliable and stable deficits for up to 2 months. These tasks are regularly used in stroke research, as well as being useful for examining striatal dysfunction in models of Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease. Two cohorts of male Wistar rats underwent the intraluminal filament model of MCAO (30min) and were imaged 24hrs later. This resulted in primarily subcortical infarcts, with a small amount of cortical damage. Animals were tested, along with sham and naïve groups at 24hrs, 7 days, and 1 and 2 months. Following behavioural testing, brains were processed and striatal neuronal counts were performed alongside measurements of total brain and white matter atrophy. The staircase, adjusting steps, rotarod and apomorphine induced rotations were the most reliable for assessing long-term deficits in the 30 min transient MCAO model of stroke

INTERNAL POLITICS IN SYRACUSE, 330–317 BC

There is a certain diffi culty in attempts to describe the period in Syracuse between thedeath of Timoleon and the coming to power of Agathocles. It was a time of great turmoil and politicalinstability – Syracuse would reappear after 317 BC as a tyranny. This article is a review ofthe events and causes that shaped the fi nal outcome. The main points of interests are: an attempt todescribe a type of government present in the given period, especially the function of the group ofthe so-called “Six Hundred Noblest,” and the career of Agathocles, an exemplary one consideringthe political realities of the time

Pulmonary artery stiffness is independently associated with right ventricular mass and function: a cardiac MR imaging study

Purpose: To determine the relationship between pulmonary artery (PA) stiffness and both right ventricular (RV) mass and function with cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.Materials and Methods: The study was approved by the local research ethics committee, and all participants gave written informed consent. Cardiac MR imaging was performed at 1.5 T in 156 healthy volunteers (63% women; age range, 19-61 years; mean age, 36.1 years). High-temporal-resolution phase-contrast imaging was performed in the main and right PAs. Pulmonary pulse wave velocity (PWV) was determined by the interval between arterial systolic upslopes. RV function was assessed with feature tracking to derive peak systolic strain and strain rate, as well as peak early-diastolic strain rate. RV volumes, ejection fraction (RVEF), and mass were measured from the cine images. The association of pulmonary PWV with RV function and mass was quantified with univariate linear regression. Interstudy repeatability was assessed with intraclass correlation.Results: The repeatability coefficient for pulmonary PWV was 0.96. Increases in pulmonary PWV and RVEF were associated with increases in age (r = 0.32, P < .001 and r = 0.18, P = .025, respectively). After adjusting for age (P = .090), body surface area (P = .073), and sex (P = .005), pulmonary PWV demonstrated an independent positive association with RVEF (r = 0.34, P = .026). Significant associations were also seen with RV mass (r = 0.41, P = .004), RV radial strain (r = 0.38, P =. 022), and strain rate (r = 0.35, P = .002), and independent negative associations were seen with radial (r = 0.27, P = .003), longitudinal (r = 0.40, P = .007), and circumferential (r = 0.31, P = .005) peak early-diastolic strain rate with the same covariates.Conclusion: Pulmonary PWV is reliably assessed with cardiac MR imaging. In subjects with no known cardiovascular disease, increasing PA stiffness is associated with increasing age and is also moderately associated with both RV mass and function after controlling for age, body surface area, and sex. (C) RSNA, 201

P. Funke, M. Haake (eds.), Greek Federal States and Their Sanctuaries: Identity and Integration. Proceedings of an International Conference of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” held in Münster, 17.06.–19.06.2010, Franz Steiner Verlag, Stut

P. Funke, M. Haake (eds.), Greek Federal States and Their Sanctuaries: Identity and Integration. Proceedings of an International Conference of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” held in Münster, 17.06.–19.06.2010, Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2013, pp. 244, 6 b/w ill., ISBN 978-3-515-10307-

Malignant hyperthermia – state of knowledge

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a relatively rare, but potentially lethal genetic disorder. That disease is characterized by hypermetabolic response of the skeletal muscles caused by exposure to triggering agents e.g. volatile anesthetics or depolarizing neuromuscular blockers. The object of this article was to review and assess the most recent published works about the epidemiology, etiology, pathomechanism, therapy of the MH and the new advances in all these fields. Authors scrutinized PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords: malignant hyperthermia, volatile anesthetics, ryanodine receptor mutation. In addition to this, the references of chosen articles were manually scoured for supplementary applicable articles. The literature was selected on the basis of a general medicine readership and prioritized clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews and case reports. The references include the latest reports on malignant hyperthermia, apart from works of historical importance. Available treatment methods consist mainly of pharmacotherapy, symptomatic treatment and monitoring of vital parameters. Dantrolene is a first-choice drug in initial treatment of MH and is considered the only specific antidote. In spite of the constant advances in the areas of medicine there is still much to be discovered about MH. Further studies are necessary, as the amount of credible evidence is not adequate

Exercise cardiac MRI unmasks right ventricular dysfunction in acute hypoxia and chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background - Coupling of right ventricular (RV) contractility to afterload is maintained at rest in the early stages of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but exercise may unmask depleted contractile reserves. We assessed whether elevated afterload reduces RV contractile reserve despite compensated resting function using non-invasive exercise imaging. Methods and Results - Fourteen patients with PAH (mean age 39.1 years, 10 females) and 34 healthy control subjects (mean age 35.6 years, 17 females) completed real-time cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during sub-maximal exercise breathing room-air. Controls were then also exercised during acute normobaric hypoxia (FiO2 12%). RV contractile reserve was assessed by the effect of exercise on ejection fraction (RVEF). In control subjects the increase in RVEF on exercise was less during hypoxia (P=0.017), but the response of left ventricular ejection fraction to exercise did not change. Patients with PAH had impaired RV reserve with half demonstrating a fall in RVEF on exercise despite comparable resting function to controls (PAH: rest 53.6{plus minus}4.3% vs exercise 51.4{plus minus}10.7%; controls: rest 57.1{plus minus}5.2% vs exercise 69.6{plus minus}6.1%, P<0.0001). In control subjects the increase in stroke volume index (SVi) on exercise was driven by reduced RV end-systolic volume, whereas PAH patients did not augment SVi, with increases in both end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. From baseline hemodynamic and exercise capacity variables only VE/VCO2 was an independent predictor of RV functional reserve (P=0.021). Conclusions - Non-invasive cardiac imaging during exercise unmasks depleted RV contractile reserves in healthy adults under hypoxic conditions and PAH patients under normoxic conditions despite preserved ejection fraction

Frey syndrome

Frey syndrome is a condition of gustatory sweating and hyperemia related to damage of the auriculotemporal nerve. It affects around 80% of patients after parotidectomy. Syndrome may be easily diagnosed with an iodine-starch test, even in patients without symptoms, which are about 20% depending on studies. Authors searched PubMed and Google Scholar using searchterms Frey syndrome, auriculotemporal nerve, greater auricular nerve, tympanic nerve, parotidectomy. We manually searched the references of selected articles for additional relevant articles. We selected articles relevant to a general medicine readership and prioritized systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines and cases. The literature contains the latest reports on Frey syndrome. Symptoms of Frey syndrome are: redding of the skin due to vasodilatation, excessive sweating or tingling and burning sensation of the cheek skin. Clinicians should pay attention to frey syndrome in patients after parotid gland surgery. Treatment includes botulinum toxin type A most commonly, topical injection of alcohol, scopolamine, glycopyrrolate and less common surgical treatment including transection of auriculotemporal nerve. Frey syndrome is not such a rare disease and should be always considered by clinicians because it may worsen the quality of patients' life

Oral diseases in patients infected with HIV

Introduction: In recent years, more and more people have become infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Of great importance in the course of HIV infection are symptoms and diseases, which often occurs in the oral cavity with a corresponding decrease in lymphocytes.Aim: The aim of the study was the study was to present the most common oral diseases in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus like hairy leukoplakia, Candidas, angular cheilitis, Linear Gingival Erythema, Herpesviridae virus infections, ulcerative lesions or xerostomia.Description: Clinicians should pay attention to oral manifestation of HIV infections because it may speed up the diagnostics process and may allow better control of the course of the infection. Hairy leukoplakia related to EBV is a marker of HIV on the side border of the tongue and appears as a hyperkeratotic stripes. Candidiasis may occur in many forms as acute pseudomembranous candidiasis, acute erythematous candidiasis, hyperplastic candidiasis or Median Rhomboid Glossitis. The most common fungus is Candida albicans but there may also be Candida krusei, Candida glabrata or Candida tropicalis. Another disease is Angular Cheilitis which is an inflammatory process localized in the commissure of the labia and can be caused by vitamin B deficiency, Candida, Staphylococcus or Streptococcus infection. Linear Gingival Erythema is a red linear lesion on the gingival margin infiltrated by polynuclear leukocytes and plasma cells. Patients with HIV also present Herpesviridae infections symptoms, ulcerations. Summary: This review shows that HIV/AIDS patients should be monitored for oral manifestation of the HIV infection and weakened immune system. Diseases described in this study are reliable markers of the HIV infection and clinicians should pay attention to them to monitor the course of primary infection