Back-to-back: The co-occurrence of DISH and ankylosing spondylitis from early modern Poland.

Objective: This case study evaluates an individual with skeletal changes consistent with DISH and ankylosing spondylitis. We present here an evaluation of the individual's pathological skeletal changes and a review of the potential diagnoses. Finally, we offer a differential diagnosis of co-morbidity infrequently found in the paleopathological record.

Deviant burials and social identity in a postmedieval Polish cemetery: An analysis of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes from the "vampires" of Drawsko.

Objectives: Deviant burials can reveal important information about both social and individual identity, particularly when the mortuary record is supplemented by an examination of skeletal remains. At the postmedieval (17th to 18th c. AD) cemetery of Drawsko (Site 1), Poland, six individuals (of n = 285) received deviant, anti-vampiristic mortuary treatment.

Apotropaic practices and the undead: a biogeochemical assessment of deviant burials in post-medieval poland.

Apotropaic observances-traditional practices intended to prevent evil-were not uncommon in post-medieval Poland, and included specific treatment of the dead for those considered at risk for becoming vampires. Excavations at the Drawsko 1 cemetery (17th-18th c. AD) have revealed multiple examples (n = 6) of such deviant burials amidst hundreds of normative interments.

A re-evaluation of the impact of radiographic orientation on the identification and interpretation of Harris lines.

The identification of Harris lines through radiographic analysis has been well-established since their discovery in the late nineteenth century. Most commonly associated with stress, the study of Harris lines has been fraught with inconsistent identification standards, high levels of intra- and interobserver error, and the inevitability of skeletal remodelling. Despite these methodological challenges, the use of Harris lines remains an important contributor to studies of health in archaeological populations.

Engaging providers in medication adherence: a health plan case study.

Background: Nonadherence to treatment regimens is a common, costly, and complex problem that is often overlooked in a busy primary care setting.

Objective: The goals of this study were to raise providers' awareness of nonadherence among their patients, to identify the reasons for lack of adherence, and engage physicians in addressing these barriers.

Method: Five primary care practices agreed to participate.

Effects of a physician office generic drug sampling system on generic dispensing ratios and drug costs in a large managed care organization.

Background: Greater use of generic drugs, particularly as measured by the generic utilization or dispensing ratio (GDR), is an effective means of managing care by attaining the same clinical outcome as brand drugs but at lower cost. Health plans encourage members to use generic drugs through copayments that are lower than for brand drugs. Encouraging physicians to prescribe generic drugs in therapeutic selection continues to be an opportunity for health plans to produce drug cost savings without compromising safety or efficacy.