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The recent discovery of a well-preserved horse burial at the Third Cataract site of Tombos illuminates the social significance of equids in the Nile Valley. The accompanying funerary assemblage includes one of the earliest securely dated pieces of iron in Africa. The Third Intermediate Period (1050-728 BC) saw the development of the Nubian Kushite state beyond the southern border of Egypt. Analysis of the mortuary and osteological evidence suggests that horses represented symbols of a larger social, political and economic movement, and that the horse gained symbolic meaning in the Nile Valley prior to its adoption by the Kushite elite. This new discovery has important implications for the study of the early Kushite state and the formation of Kushite social identity. Keywords: Sudan, Egypt, Nile Valley, Napata, Kushite, horse, iron, The relationship between humans and animals is highly complex. When animals are viewed as more than a basic source of nutrition, they become ritual objects, symbolic beings and companion pets. [...]

The Empire State Partnership connects a school district and museum in implementing a constructivist, interdisciplinary curriculum that addresses state standards through the arts. Formal and informal assessments document students' intellectual growth as well as achievement on the New York State Regents' examinations. (SK)

Introduction/Aims: Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are widely used in diagnosing diabetic polyneuropathy. Combining the Z scores of several measures (Z‐compounds) may improve diagnostics by grading abnormality. We aimed to determine which combination of nerves and measures is best suited for studies of diabetic polyneuropathy. Methods: Sixty‐eight patients with type 1 diabetes and 35 controls were included in this study. NCS measurements were taken from commonly investigated nerves in one arm and both legs. Different Z‐compounds were calculated and compared with reference material to assess abnormality. A sensitivity proxy, the accuracy index (AI), and Cohen's d were calculated. Results: Z‐compounds with the highest AI consisted of the tibial and peroneal motor, and the sural, superficial peroneal, and tibial medial plantar sensory nerves in one or two legs. All Z‐compounds were able to discriminate between diabetic subjects and nondiabetic controls (mean Cohen's d = 1.42 [range, 1.03‐1.63]). The association between AI and number of measures was best explained logarithmically (R2 = 0.401), with diminishing returns above approximately 14 or 15 measures. F‐wave inclusion may increase the AI of the Z compounds. Although often clinically useful among the non‐elderly, the additional inclusion of medial plantar NCS into Z‐compounds in general did not improve AI. Discussion: Performing unilateral NCS in several motor and sensory lower extremity nerves is suited for the evaluation of polyneuropathy in diabetic patients. The use of Z‐compounds may improve diagnostic accuracy in diabetic polyneuropathy and may be particularly useful for follow‐up research studies as single summary measures of NCS abnormality development over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) is a risk factor for severe hypoglycemia in people with insulin-treated diabetes; autonomic neuropathy has been suggested to underlie its development. The aim was to evaluate a putative association between IAH and autonomic dysfunction using novel and sensitive measures of autonomic neural function.Research Design and Methods: Sixty-six adults with type 1 diabetes were studied, 33 with IAH and 33 with normal awareness of hypoglycemia (NAH), confirmed by formal testing. Participants were matched for age, sex, and diabetes duration. Clinical and laboratory evaluations included extensive autonomic function testing, peripheral nerve conduction studies, and quantitative sensory testing. Composite abnormality Z scores were used for group comparisons.Results: The IAH and NAH group had similar median (interquartile range) age of 48 (14.5) vs. 47 (14.5) years, diabetes duration of 30 (13.5) vs. 31 (13.5) years, and mean ± SD HbA1c 7.8 ± 2.2% vs. 8.1 ± 1.9%, respectively. The autonomic composite Z score did not differ between the two groups (mean difference -0.15, 95% CI -0.46, 0.16; P = 0.33), nor did the thermal detection (mean difference 0.15, 95% CI -0.31, 0.61; P = 0.51) or nerve conduction scores (mean difference 0.03, 95% CI -0.43, 0.49; P = 0.89).Conclusions: In adults with type 1 diabetes, IAH was not associated with autonomic dysfunction or peripheral neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the inception of horse pastoralism and its relationship with humans. It discusses the diversified roles of horses including transportation, herding, sports, plowing and haulage. It highlights the research on the Botai culture in northern Kazakhstan which provided evidence on the early history of the domestication of horses. According to the research, Botai has high number of tools for making rawhide thongs through the use of horse mandibles. Furthermore, it notes that evidence in Botai supports the argument that horses at the region were domesticated.

Discusses how medical practices can turn mountains of data into useful reports to improve patient adherence and physicians’ acceptance of their electronic health record (EHR). Excitement and enthusiasm observed from the physicians in January 2003 when a practice began using the EHR to look at populations of patients; Use of the reports as part of quality improvement model; Components of the model.

The article comments on the needed cooperation among linguists, archeologists, physical anthropologists and other disciplines to collaborate and coordinate data to improve the current knowledge about archaeolinguistics. This collaboration could help in the attempt to reconstruct the growth and spread of languages.

Querying patient electronic medical records to improve patient care and process outcomes can seem overwhelming. Our quality improvement model is a simple, user-friendly approach to make quality improvement tasks less daunting. We have successfully used the quality improvement model, written meaningful reports, and given provider feedback that has led to measurable improvements in our clinical and operational performance.

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a potent toxin formed in the brain from oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, is increased in Alzheimer disease (AD), where it is a proposed effector of amyloid beta peptide-mediated neurotoxicity. Detoxification of HNE via the mercapturic acid pathway (MAP) is the primary means by which other organs, such as liver, limit its toxic effects. Here we examined the distribution and activity of MAP detoxification for HNE in cerebrum. Our results showed that rat cerebral cortex and especially synaptosomes were less well equipped to detoxify HNE via the MAP than liver. Glutathione transferases (GSTs) catalyze the committed step in the MAP; GST-mu and GST-pi, but not OST-alpha, were detected in neurons and astrocytes in cerebrum from AD patients and controls. MAP activity in frontal cortex of AD patients was modestly but significantly increased compared to controls. These data suggest that lipid peroxidation may present a greater toxic burden to cerebrum than to other organs, and that a component of response to injury in late stage AD is a slight increase in MAP activity.