Bone cylinders, discs and terminals-scroll holders from roman funerary deposits?

Elementos completos y fragmentados de objetos de hueso compuestos y de manufactura cuidada han sido documentados en contextos de época romana en la zona Noroeste de Europa; nuestro trabajo sugiere que estas formas pertenencen primeramente a la segunda mitad del II y comienzos del III siglo. Los investigadores han descrito diferentes posibles funciones para estos objetos, pero ninguna ha sido hasta la fecha satisfactoria. El conjunto analizado consiste en varios elementos de hueso torneado —dos cilindros conectados, en cuyos sendos extremos se observa un disco y un pequeño pomo o terminal. Este artículo considera un pequeño número de elementos completos recuperados como elementos funerarios secundarios y emplea esta evidencia para interpretar un conjunto mayor de items incompletos, a veces también procedentes de sepulturas como ofrendas secundarias, pero mayormente recuperadas como restos de la pira funeraria. Interpretaciones previas de su uso han sido rechazadas a favour de su identificación como sujeta rollos de papiro.Complete and fragmentary elements of well made, composite, bone objects have been excavated in funerary contexts from the Roman period in North-western Europe; our work suggests that these forms belong primarily to the mid second and earlier third centuries. Researchers have described different possible functions of these objects, but to date none have been entirely satisfactory. The assemblage consists of several lathe-turned bone elements —two connected cylinders, and on both ends a disc and small knob or terminal. This paper considers the small number of complete assemblages recovered as secondary grave goods and uses this evidence to interpret a wider range of similar but incomplete finds, sometimes also placed in graves as secondary grave goods, but mainly recovered as primary, pyre debris. Previous interpretations of their use are rejected in favour of an identification as papyri scroll holders

Handleiding voor de determinatie van harde dierlijke materialen

Is an object made from bone or ivory? Was an elephant, walrus or hippo's tusk used to in the production? In this book the author illustrates how the various materials of animal origin can be recognized. All hard animal material, bones, antlers, ivory, horns, tortoise shells, whalebones and hoofs are examined. This book details the building blocks and structure; it's distinctive features and a brief history of the use of these materials from the late prehistory to the 18th century Netherlands. This resourceful book is not only useful for archaeologists and museum conservators but also for the general public with a curious mind

High risk of cardiovascular mortality in individuals with impaired fasting glucose is explained by conversion to diabetes - The Hoorn Study

OBJECTIVE: To optimize identification of future diabetic patients, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) introduced criteria for impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in 1997 (IFG 6.1 mmol/l [IFG6.1]) and lowered the threshold from 6.1 to 5.6 mmol/l (IFG5.6) in 2003. Our aim was to assess the consequences of lowering the IFG cutoff on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and to evaluate whether this risk is explained by a conversion to type 2 diabetes within 6.4 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a population-based cohort, the Hoorn Study, plasma glucose was determined in 1989 and 1996 (n = 1,428). Subjects were classified in 1989 according to 1997 and 2003 ADA criteria. Subjects with IFG in 1989 were further classified according to diabetes status in 1996. Hazard ratios for CVD mortality (n = 81) in the period 1996-2005 were adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: Subjects with IFG6.1, but not IFG5.6, had a significantly higher CVD mortality risk than normal fasting glucose (NFG) subjects. Subjects who converted from IFG to diabetes (IFG6.1: 42%; IFG5.6: 21%) had a more than twofold risk of CVD mortality (IFG6.1: 2.47 [1.17-5.19]; IFG5.6: 2.14 [1.12-4.10]) than subjects with NFG. IFG subjects who did not develop diabetes did not have significantly higher CVD mortality risks (IFG6.1: 1.50 [0.72-3.15]; IFG5.6: 1.15 [0.69-1.93]). CONCLUSIONS: The lower cutoff for IFG (ADA 2003 criteria) results in a category of IFG that no longer represents a high-risk state of CVD. Furthermore, only subjects who convert from IFG to diabetes have a high risk of CVD mortality

Postprandial Glucose Improves the Risk Prediction of Cardiovascular Death Beyond the Metabolic Syndrome in the Nondiabetic Population

OBJECTIVE - With increasing evidence about the cardiovascular risk associated with postprandial nonfasting glucose and lipid dysmetabolism, it remains uncertain whether the postprandial glucose concentration increases the ability of metabolic syndrome to predict cardiovascular events. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - This was an observational study of 15, 145 individuals aged 35-75 years without diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Postprandial glucose was obtained 2 In after a lunch meal. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the criteria Of the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Cardiovascular and all-cause deaths were primary outcomes. RESULTS - During a median follow-up of 6.7 years, 410 individuals died, including 82 deaths from cardiovascular causes. In a Cox model adjusting for metabolic syndrome status as well as age, sex, smoking, systolic blood pressure, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels, elevated 2-h postprandial glucose increased the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause death (per millimole per liter increase, hazard ratio 1.26 [95% CI 1.11-1.42] and 1.10 [1. 04-1.16], respectively), with significant trends across the postprandial glucose quintiles. Including 2-h postprandial glucose into a metabolic syndrome-included mustivariate risk prediction model conferred a discernible improvement of the model in discriminating between those who died of cardiovascular causes and who did not (integrated discrimination improvement 0.4, P = 0. 005; net reclassification improvement 13.4%, P = 0.03); however, the improvement was only marginal for all-cause death. CONCLUSIONS - Given the risk prediction based on metabolic syndrome and established cardiovascular risk factors, 2-h postprandial glucose improves the predictive ability to identity nondiabetic individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular death

The Role of Cyclosporine and Mycophenolate in an Orthotopic Porcine-to-Rat Corneal Xenotransplantation

We performed this study to investigate the feature of rejection in porcine-to-rat corneal orthotopic transplantation and to evaluate the effect of cyclosporine and mycophenolate on the xeno-rejection. Orthotopic corneal transplantation was done at 91 Sprague-Dawley rats, and they were divided into 10 groups based on the combination of immunosuppressants including dexamethasone, cyclosporine, and mycophenolate mofetil. Graft survival was analyzed and grafted eyes were examined with Hematoxylin & Eosin and CD4 or CD8 staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were done for interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and interferon (IFN)-γ in cornea, lacrimal gland, and cervical lymph nodes. The longest median survival of the immune suppressant group was 11.00±1.96 days, which showed no statistical differences compared with that of control (8.00±1.52 days). The neutrophils were prominent in the early phase but soon gave way to the monocytes. The number of CD8+ cells was higher than that of CD4+ cells. IL-2 and IFN-γ markedly increased at 10 to13 days in cornea, lacrimal glands, and cervical lymph nodes, which showed a decrease with immunosuppressants except in the cornea. In conclusion, cyclosporine and mycophenolate could not prevent the rejection in porcine to rat orthotopic corneal xenograft associated with infiltraton of CD8+ and innate immune cells