bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of polydeoxyribonucleotide on the treatment of radiating leg pain due to cystic mass lesion in inner aspect of right sciatic foramen
Authors: Lee Woo Yong , Park Ki Deok , Park Yongbum
Published: October 2018

Rationale:

Radiating leg pain usually originates from the lumbar spine and occasionally from peripheral lesions. Here we report a case involving a patient with radiating pain in the right leg who exhibited 2 suspicious lesions, including 1 spinal lesion and 1 extraspinal cystic mass lesion, on magnetic resonance imaging. Polydeoxyribonucleotide sodium (PDRN) was recently noted as such a substitute. PDRN has anti-inflammatory effects, as it lowers the expression of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Patient concerns:

A 51-year-old man (weight, 93 kg; height, 168 cm) working as a bus driver presented at the pain clinic with continuous right buttock pain, radiating leg pain and a tingling sensation involving the calf and dorsum of the foot, since 1 week.

Diagnoses:

He was definitively diagnosed using differential blocks, which revealed the cyst to be the actual cause of the pain.

Interventions:

Surgical resection was not feasible because of the position of the cyst; therefore, corticosteroid injection under ultrasonographic guidance was attempted. However, this provided short-term relief. Subsequently, a solution containing PDRN was injected around the piriformis muscle and repeated 3 more times at intervals of 2 weeks.

Outcomes:

After PDRN injection, we conducted two follow-up monitoring every two months for 2 months. Last follow-up, the patient no longer complained of pain. this resulted in relatively long-term relief from pain.

Lessons:

The findings from this case suggest that PDRN is an effective alternative for steroids in patients with radiating leg pain, although its efficacy and safety needs to be evaluated in further large-scale studies.
Metastatic esophageal carcinosarcoma comprising neuroendocrine carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and sarcoma
Authors: Tsuchihashi Kenji , Arita Shuji , Fujiwara Minako , Iwasaki Kazuhide , Hirano Atsushi , Yoshihiro Tomoyasu , Nio Kenta , Koga Yutaka , Esaki Motohiro , Ariyama Hiroshi , Kusaba Hitoshi , Moriyama Taiki , Ohuchida Kenoki , Nagai Eishi , Nakamura Masafumi , Oda Yoshinao , Akashi Koichi , Baba Eishi
Published: October 2018

Rationale:

Esophageal carcinosarcoma generally comprises 2 histological components: squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) and sarcoma. Esophageal carcinosarcoma comprising 3 components is extremely rare and no reports have described therapeutic effects for this disease with metastasis.

Patient concerns:

A 76-year-old man with dysphagia presented to a local clinic. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a polypoid tumor in the middle esophagus and he was referred to our hospital.

Diagnosis and Interventions:

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy with super-extended (D3) nodal dissection and gastric tube reconstitution was performed, which resulted in carcinosarcoma comprising neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), SqCC, and sarcoma. Pathological stage was T1bN1M0 stage IIB according to the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors-7th edition. The NEC component was observed in lymph node. At 47 days after surgery, lymph nodes, liver, and bone metastasis appeared, and tumor markers such as ProGRP and NSE were elevated. Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide (EP) adapted to NEC was performed.

Outcomes:

The patient showed complete response within 4 cycles of chemotherapy. However, the disease recurred 5.5 months after the final course of EP chemotherapy.

Lessons:

A therapeutic strategy based on assessment of which component caused metastasis might be important for metastatic carcinosarcoma comprising 3 components, although more accumulation of data about the efficacy of chemotherapy is necessary. Moreover, elucidation of the mechanisms underlying generation of carcinosarcoma is expected in the future.
Differences in incidence and survival to childhood cancer between rural and urban areas in Castilla y León, Spain (2003–2014)
Authors: González García Hermenegildo , Garrote Molpeceres Rebeca , Urbaneja Rodríguez Elena , Gutiérrez Meléndez Pilar , Herráiz Cristóbal Raquel , Pino Vázquez María Asunción
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study is to describe childhood cancer incidence and survival in Castilla y León (Spain) for the period 2003 to 2014 and to explore differences between rural and urban areas.

We made a cohort study in the childhood population of our region for the period of years referred before. Age-adjusted incidence rates to the world standard population (ASRw) were calculated by direct method, and their comparisons were made using incidence rate rations. Survival proportions were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and their comparisons with log-rank test. The median childhood population less than 15 years old was 296,776 children. A total of 615 cases were recorded from the population-based Childhood Cancer Registry, including all malignant and benign tumors of the central nervous system.

Age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers were 176.6 per million. Leukemia incidence rates were highest in rural areas (51.08/million) than in urban areas (33.65/million; P = .018), and by age groups; these differences only remained at age 0 to 4 years with higher rural leukemia incidence (67.13/million) than in urban areas (39.32/million; P = .05). There were no statistically significant differences between rural and urban areas for lymphomas, central nervous system, and all other malignant solid tumors grouped. The 5-year overall survival rate for all patients was 84%, similar to other developed countries, with greater survival in rural areas (88%) compared with urban areas (80%; P = .033). The analysis by tumor groups showed a greater survival rate in rural areas for all the groups, although these differences only reached statistical significance in the group of leukemias, with a survival rate of 90% for rural areas compared with 76% for urban areas (P = .01). Analyzing survival rate by age groups in leukemias only significant survival differences at 10 to 14 years were encountered.

We found a higher incidence of leukemia in girls, mainly in rural areas, and also a better survival rate in children diagnosed with leukemia belonging to this population area. Future studies that analyze these facts in similar populations can help us clarify what genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors influence our population and are responsible for these findings.
Association of ERAP1 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Fu Yanjie , Li Xiuyan , Chen Yuanzheng , Liu Rongpeng , Wang Renheng , Bai Nan
Published: October 2018

Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV), also known as plaque psoriasis, is a life-threatening autoimmune skin disease. Inflammatory factors may contribute to the development of PsV. Present study aimed to explore the association of endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) gene polymorphisms (rs26653 and rs27524) with PsV susceptibility in a Chinese Han population. Subgroup analysis was also performed based on the onset of PsV.

Present case–control study included 143 patients with PsV and 149 healthy controls. Direct sequencing method was used for genotyping ERAP1 polymorphisms. Chi-squared test was used to estimate the association between ERAP1 polymorphisms and PsV susceptibility. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess association strength.

The polymorphism rs26653 was positively correlated with PsV susceptibility (CC vs GG, P = .047, OR = 1.964, 95% CI = 1.006–3.834; C vs G, P = .042, OR = 1.403, 95% CI = 1.011–1.946). Meanwhile, its CC genotype and C allele were positively associated with the early onset of PsV (P = .036, OR = 2.080, 95% CI = 1.044–4.145; P = .034, OR = 1.443, 95% CI = 1.028–2.024) and increased PsV risk in the subgroup with family history (P = .029, OR = 2.149, 95% CI = 1.075–4.296; P = .027, OR = 1.466, 95% CI = 1.044–2.059).

ERAP1 gene rs26653 polymorphism may increase the risk of PsV in Chinese Han population.
Double-island anterolateral thigh free flap used in reconstruction for salvage surgery for locally recurrent head and neck carcinoma
Authors: Deng Di , Liu Jun , Chen Fei , Lv Dan , Gan Weigang , Li Linke , Wang Ji
Published: October 2018

Salvage surgery is usually the only treatment for recurrent head and neck tumors but often poses a challenge to surgeons due to post-resected defects at 2 or more sites. Here we present the outcomes and rationale for reconstruction by a double-island anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap following the salvage surgery.

Patients treated with double-island ALT free flaps in salvage surgery between September 2012 and January 2017 at West China Hospital, Sichuan University were retrospectively viewed.

A total of 18 patients (15 males) underwent reconstruction with double-island ALT free flaps (range from 40 to 77 years old). All patients had recurrent tumors after surgery and/or chemoradiotherapy and were selected for salvage surgery by a multidisciplinary team. The flaps were initially harvested as 7 cm × 7 cm to 16 cm × 10 cm single blocks and then divided into double-island flaps with each individual paddle ranging from5 cm × 3 cm to 10 cm × 8 cm. The average flap thickness was 3.5 cm (range from 2 to 6 cm), and the average pedicle length was 8 cm (range from 6 to 10 cm). A total of 18 arteries and 32 veins were anastomosed. Three patients developed fistula, 1 developed flap failure due to thrombosis and was re-operated with a pedicle flap. One patient died of pulmonary infection 6 months after the operation.

Flap reconstruction for complex head and neck defects after salvage surgery remains challenging, but double-island ALT free flap reconstruction conducted by a multidisciplinary team and experienced surgeons would have a role in this setting.
Awareness of Polish undergraduate and graduate students regarding the impact of viral infections and high-risk sexual behaviors on the occurrence of oral cancer
Authors: Lewandowski Bogumił , Czenczek-Lewandowska Ewelina , Pakla Paweł , Frańczak Jan , Piskadło Tomasz , Migut Małgorzata , Brodowski Robert
Published: October 2018

With every passing year, more and more studies and observations demonstrate growing incidence of oral cancer, a decrease in patients’ age, and an increasing number of epidemiological factors. The aim of the study was to determine the level of awareness among undergraduate and graduate university students regarding the incidence of oral cancer linked with viral infections and high-risk sexual behavior, including oral sex. Self-administered questionnaire-based survey was carried out among 196 Polish students aged 19 to 25 years. It was found that the young adults understood the meaning of human papillomavirus (HPV), but associated it only with the squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. A total of 43.4% did not realize that there was any correlation between HPV infection and the development of oral cancer. The students who were aware of this correlation constituted 40.3% of the total. The majority of the participants, that is, 82 subjects (41.8%), did not associate the occurrence of malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity with oral sex. The study group did not present adequate awareness of the fact that occurrence of oral cancer may be associated with high-risk sexual behaviors. Knowledge of oral cancer was not significantly related to the level of university education (P < .005).
Integrating Cervical Cancer Screening Into Safer Conception Services to Improve Women's Health Outcomes: A Pilot Study at a Primary Care Clinic in South Africa
Authors: Davies Natasha E.C.G. , Chersich Matthew , Mullick Saiqa , Naidoo Nicolette , Makhoba Nokuthula , Rees Helen , Schwartz Sheree R.
Published: October 2018

Background

Sub-optimal cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries contributes to preventable cervical cancer deaths, particularly among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women. We assessed feasibility and outcomes of integrating cervical cancer screening into safer conception services for HIV-affected women.

Methods

At a safer conception service in Johannesburg, South Africa, HIV-affected women desiring pregnancy received a standard package of care designed to minimize HIV transmission risks while optimizing prepregnancy health. All eligible women were offered Papanicolaou smear, and those with significant pathology were referred for colposcopy before attempting pregnancy. Multivariable analyses identified associations between patient characteristics and abnormal pathology.

Results

In total, 454 women were enrolled between June 2015 and April 2017. At enrolment, 91% were HIV-positive, 92% were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 82% virally suppressed. Eighty-three percent (376 of 454) of clients were eligible for cervical cancer screening and 85% (321 of 376) of these completed screening. More than half had abnormal cervical pathology (185 of 321) and 20% required colposcopy for possible high-grade or persistently atypical lesions (64 of 321). Compared with HIV-negative women, abnormal pathology was more likely among HIV-positive women, both those on ART <2 years (adjusted prevalence ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–5.0) and those on ART 2 years or longer (adjusted prevalence ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–4.2).

Conclusions

Integrating cervical cancer screening into safer conception care was feasible with high coverage, including for HIV-positive women. Significant pathology, requiring colposcopy, was common, even among healthy women on ART. Safer conception services present an opportunity for integration of cervical cancer screening to avert preventable cancer-related deaths among HIV-affected women planning pregnancy.
Somatic Mutations of TSC2 or MTOR Characterize a Morphologically Distinct Subset of Sporadic Renal Cell Carcinoma With Eosinophilic and Vacuolated Cytoplasm
Authors: Chen Ying-Bei , Mirsadraei Leili , Jayakumaran Gowtham , Al-Ahmadie Hikmat A. , Fine Samson W. , Gopalan Anuradha , Sirintrapun S. Joseph , Tickoo Satish K. , Reuter Victor E.
Published: October 2018

The differential diagnosis of renal cell neoplasms with solid or nested architecture and eosinophilic cytoplasm has become increasingly complex. Despite recent advances in classifying a number of entities exhibiting this morphology, some tumors remain in the unclassified category. Here we describe a morphologically distinct group of sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with predominantly nested architecture, eosinophilic, and remarkably vacuolated cytoplasm retrospectively identified from a cohort of previously unclassified tumors. We examined the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of these tumors and investigated their mutational and copy number alterations using a targeted next-generation sequencing platform. The study included 7 patients with a mean age of 54 years (range: 40 to 68 y) and a male to female ratio of 3:4. All patients presented with a solitary renal mass and had no prior medical or family history raising concern for syndromic conditions. Tumors were well-circumscribed, unencapsulated, and comprised of nests of eosinophilic cells in a hypocellular and often edematous stroma. Tumor cells had round nuclei with prominent nucleoli and granular cytoplasm with striking vacuolization. Thick-walled vessels and calcifications were also frequently present, whereas increased mitotic activity, necrosis, foamy histiocytes or lymphocytic infiltrates were not identified. All cases were positive for PAX8, had retained expression of SDHB and FH, and exhibited a CK7−/CK20− phenotype. While cathepsin-K was positive in 5 cases, none exhibited immunoreactivity to HMB45 or Melan A, or TFE3 immunostaining. Next-generation sequencing identified somatic inactivating mutations ofTSC2(3/5 tumors tested) or activating mutations ofMTOR(2/5) as the primary molecular alterations, consistent with hyperactive mTOR complex 1 signaling which was further demonstrated by phospho-S6 and phospho-4E-BP1 immunostaining. Copy number analysis revealed a loss of chromosome 1 in both cases withMTORmutation. These tumors represent a novel subset of sporadic RCC characterized by alterations in TSC1-TSC2 complex or the mTOR complex 1 pathway. Recognition of their characteristic morphologic and immunophenotypic features will allow them to be readily identified and separated from the unclassified RCC category.
Evaluation of Prepectoral Implant Placement and Complete Coverage with TiLoop Bra Mesh for Breast Reconstruction: A Prospective Study on Long-Term and Patient-Reported BREAST-Q Outcomes
Authors: Casella Donato , Di Taranto Giuseppe , Marcasciano Marco , Sordi Silvia , Kothari Ashutosh , Kovacs Tibor , Lo Torto Federico , Cigna Emanuele , Calabrese Claudio , Ribuffo Diego
Published: October 2018

Background:

Breast reconstruction is rapidly evolving, because of the changing face of cancer surgery and the growing acceptance of acellular dermal matrices and synthetic meshes. Although some early reports showed encouraging results after prepectoral breast reconstruction, there is a paucity of data on long-term outcomes.

Methods:

Between January of 2012 and March of 2015, 179 patients undergoing mastectomy were enrolled at the authors’ institution. Patients underwent mastectomy and immediate prepectoral breast reconstruction with the definitive implant entirely wrapped in a titanium-coated polypropylene mesh (TiLoop). The BREAST-Q questionnaire was administered before surgery and after 2 years. Capsular contracture was evaluated using the Baker scale. Oncologic, surgical, and aesthetic outcomes and changes in BREAST-Q score were analyzed over time.

Results:

Average follow-up was 38.5 months. A total of 250 mastectomies were performed. The locoregional recurrence rate was 2.1 percent. Complications requiring reoperation were recorded in six patients (2.4 percent) and implant removal was necessary in three cases (1.2 percent), followed by reconstruction with submuscular expanders. Grade IV capsular contracture was detected in five breasts (2 percent), whereas 212 breasts were evaluated as grade I (84.8 percent), 28 breasts as grade II (11.2 percent), and five breasts as grade III (2 percent). Patients reported significant high rates in the BREAST-Q overall Satisfaction with Outcome (73.8), overall Satisfaction with Breasts (72.5), Psychosocial Well-being (77.7), and Sexual Well-being (57.9), scoring a significant increase in these domains from the preoperative period to the postoperative period (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The authors report encouraging results of a prepectoral direct-to-implant reconstruction technique using a synthetic mesh, supporting the evaluation of the muscle-sparing subcutaneous approach as a valid alternative to traditional submuscular reconstruction.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Single-incision Laparoscopy Versus Multiport Laparoscopy for Colonic Surgery
Authors: Maggiori Léon , Tuech Jean Jacques , Cotte Eddy , Lelong Bernard , Denost Quentin , Karoui Mehdi , Vicaut Eric , Panis Yves
Published: October 2018

Objective:

To compare outcome of single-port laparoscopy (SPL) and multiport laparoscopy (MPL) laparoscopy for colonic surgery.

Summary of Background Data:

Benefits of SPL over MPL are yet to be demonstrated in large randomized trials.

Methods:

In this prospective, double-blinded, superiority trial, patients undergoing laparoscopic colonic resection for benign or malignant disease were randomly assigned to SPL or MPL (NCT01959087). Primary outcome was length of theoretical hospital stay (LHS).

Results:

One hundred twenty-eight patients were randomized and 125 analyzed: 62 SPL and 63 MPL, including 91 right (SPL: n = 44, 71%; MPL: n = 47, 75%) and 34 left (SPL: n = 18, 29%; MPL: n = 16, 25%) colectomies, performed for Crohn disease (n = 53, 42%), cancer (n = 36, 29%), diverticulitis (n = 21, 17%), or benign neoplasia (n = 15, 12%). Additional port insertion was required in 5 (8%) SPL patients and conversion to laparotomy occurred in 7 patients (SPL: n = 3, 5%; MPL: n = 4, 7%; P = 1.000). Total length of skin incision was significantly shorter in the SPL group [SPL: 56 ± 41 (range, 30–300) mm; MPL: 87 ± 40 (50–250) mm; P < 0.001]. Procedure duration, intraoperative complication rate, postoperative 30-day morbidity, postoperative pain, and time to first bowel movement were similar between the groups, leading to similar theoretical LHS (SPL: 6 ± 3 days; MPL: 6 ± 2; P = 0.298). At 6 months, quality of life was similar between groups, but patients from the SPL group were significantly more satisfied with their scar aspect than patients from the MPL group (P = 0.003).

Conclusion:

SPL colectomy does not confer any additional benefit other than cosmetic result, as compared to MPL.
Clinical Validation of the Comprehensive Complication Index as a Measure of Postoperative Morbidity at a Surgical Department
Authors: de la Plaza Llamas Roberto , Ramia Ángel José M. , Bellón Juan M. , Arteaga Peralta Vladimir , García Amador Cristina , López Marcano Aylhín J. , Medina Velasco Aníbal A. , González Sierra Begoña , Manuel Vázquez Alba
Published: October 2018

Objective:

Using clinical outcomes, to validate the comprehensive complication index (CCI) as a measure of postoperative morbidity in all patients undergoing surgery at a general surgery department.

Background:

The Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC) is the most widely used system to assess postoperative morbidity. The CCI is a numerical scale based on the CDC. Once validated, it could be used universally to establish and compare the real postoperative complications of each surgical procedure.

Methods:

Observational prospective cohort study. All patients who underwent surgery during the 1-year study period were included. All the complications graded with the CDC and related to the initial admission, or until discharge if the patient was readmitted within 90 days of surgery, were included. Surgical procedures were classified according to the operative severity score (OSS) as minor, moderate, major, or major+. The clinical validation of the CCI was performed by assessing its correlation with 4 different clinical outcomes.

Results:

A total of 1850 patients were included: 513 (27.7%) presented complications and 101 (5.46%) were readmitted. In the multivariate analysis, the CCI and CDC were associated with postoperative stay, prolongation of postoperative stay, readmission, and disability in all OSS groups (P < 0.001). The CCI was superior to the CDC in all models except for prolongation of stay for OSS moderate and major+.

Conclusions:

The CCI can be applied in all the procedures carried out at general surgery departments. It is able to determine the morbidity and allows the comparison of the outcomes at different services.
Genetic data reveal mixed-stock aggregations of gray whales in the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Brüniche-Olsen Anna , Urban R. Jorge , Vertyankin Vladimir V. , Godard-Codding Céline A. J. , Bickham John W. , DeWoody J. Andrew
Published: October 2018

Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in the Western Pacific are critically endangered, whereas in the Eastern Pacific, they are relatively common. Holocene environmental changes and commercial whaling reduced their numbers, but gray whales in the Eastern Pacific now outnumber their Western counterparts by more than 100-fold. Herein, we investigate the genetic diversity and population structure within the species using a panel of genic single nucleotide polymorphisms. Results indicate the gray whale gene pool is differentiated into two substocks containing similar levels of genetic diversity, and that both our Eastern and Western geographical samples represent mixed-stock aggregations. Ongoing or future gene flow between the stocks may conserve genetic diversity overall, but admixture has implications for conservation of the critically endangered Western gray whale.
Inclusive fitness for in-laws
Authors: Dyble M. , Gardner A. , Vinicius L. , Migliano A. B.
Published: October 2018

Cooperation among kin is common across the natural world and can be explained in terms of inclusive fitness theory, which holds that individuals can derive indirect fitness benefits from aiding genetically related individuals. However, human kinship includes not only genetic kin but also kin by marriage: our affines (in-laws) and spouses. Can cooperation between these genetically unrelated kin be reconciled with inclusive fitness theory? Here, we argue that although affinal kin and spouses do not necessarily share genetic ancestry, they may have shared genetic interests in future reproduction and, as such, can derive indirect fitness benefits though cooperating. We use standard inclusive fitness theory to derive a coefficient of shared reproductive interest (
s
) that predicts altruistic investment both in genetic kin and in spouses and affines. Specifically, a behaviour that reduces the fitness of the actor by
c
and increases the fitness of the recipient by
b
will be favoured by natural selection when
sb
>
c
. We suggest that the coefficient of shared reproductive interest may provide a valuable tool for understanding not only the evolution of human kinship but also cooperation and conflict across the natural world more generally.
Experimental evidence for reduced male allocation under selfing in a simultaneously hermaphroditic animal
Authors: Winkler Lennart , Ramm Steven A.
Published: October 2018

Self-fertilization is widespread among simultaneously hermaphroditic animals and plants, but is often only facultatively deployed under circumstances that constrain outcrossing. A central prediction of sex allocation (SA) theory is that because exclusive selfing reduces sperm or pollen competition to zero, this should favour extreme economy in resources channelled to the male sex function. We can therefore expect that organisms switching from outcrossing to selfing should reduce their male allocation. However, to date this prediction has received relatively little support in animal taxa, especially compared to plants. Here we show that isolated individuals (under enforced selfing conditions) have a less male-biased SA than do grouped conspecifics (under outcrossing conditions) in the preferentially outcrossing flatworm
Macrostomum hystrix
. This shift arises from a reduced male allocation (testis area) in isolated individuals, although we did not find any evidence for a re-allocation of these resources to the female sex function (i.e. ovary area was unaffected by selfing/outcrossing conditions). Our results provide some of the clearest experimental evidence to date for reduced male allocation under selfing in simultaneously hermaphroditic animals, extending previous findings comparing SA between populations differing in selfing rates to the level of individual plasticity in gametogenesis.
Geometry, religion and politics: context and consequences of the Hobbes–Wallis dispute
Authors: Jesseph Douglas
Published: October 2018

The dispute that raged between Thomas Hobbes and John Wallis from 1655 until Hobbes's death in 1679 was one of the most intense of the ‘battles of the books’ in seventeenth-century intellectual life. The dispute was principally centered on geometric questions (most notably Hobbes’s many failed attempts to square the circle), but it also involved questions of religion and politics. This paper investigates the origins of the dispute and argues that Wallis’s primary motivation was not so much to refute Hobbes’s geometry as to demolish his reputation as an authority in political, philosophical, and religious matters. It also highlights the very different conceptions of geometrical methodology employed by the two disputants. In the end, I argue that, although Wallis was successful in showing the inadequacies of Hobbes’s geometric endeavours, he failed in his quest to discredit the Hobbesian philosophy
in toto
.
Polity and liturgy in the philosophy of John Wallis
Authors: Rampelt Jason M.
Published: October 2018

John Wallis, a founding member of the Royal Society, theologian and churchman, participated in the leading ecclesiastical conferences in England from the beginning of the English Civil War to the Restoration. His allegiance across governments, both civil and ecclesiastical, has provoked criticism. Close investigation into his position on key church issues, however, reveals a deeper philosophical unity binding together his natural philosophy, mathematics and views on church polity and liturgy.
Instrument provision and geographical science: the work of the Royal Geographical Society, 1830–
ca
1930
Authors: Wess Jane A. , Withers Charles W. J.
Published: October 2018

This paper examines the Royal Geographical Society's provision and management of scientific instruments to explorers and expeditions in the century following its foundation in 1830. Assessment of the Society's directives concerning appropriate scientific instruments for the conduct of geography reveals the emergence (slow and uneven) of policies concerning the assignment of instruments. From examination of Council minutes and related manuscript sources, the paper documents the numbers of instruments acquired by the Society, by whom used, for what scientific purpose and in which parts of the world. The paper examines the number and chronology of expeditions supported by the Society's instruments, examines the expenditure upon instruments’ repair, and discusses the publications that followed their use in exploration. Correspondence between instrument users and the Society reveals that, on occasion, the use of instruments was adventitious. While geographical knowledge depended upon the use of scientific instruments to measure and to depict the world, geography was not a formally institutionalized survey science as was the case with the Geological Survey or the nation-defining mapping of Ordnance Survey.
Necessity of the sleep–wake cycle for synaptic homeostasis: system-level analysis of plasticity in the corticothalamic system
Authors: Assadzadeh S. , Robinson P. A.
Published: October 2018

Neural field theory is used to study the system-level effects of plasticity in the corticothalamic system, where arousal states are represented parametrically by the connection strengths of the system, among other physiologically based parameters. It is found that the plasticity dynamics have no fixed points or closed cycles in the parameter space of the connection strengths, but parameter subregions exist where flows have opposite signs. Remarkably, these subregions coincide with previously identified regions that correspond to wake and slow-wave sleep, thus demonstrating state dependence of the sign of synaptic modification. We then show that a closed cycle in the parameter space is possible when the plasticity dynamics are driven by the ascending arousal system, which cycles the brain between sleep and wake to complete a closed loop that includes arcs through the opposite-flow subregions. Thus, it is concluded that both wake and sleep are necessary, and together are able to stabilize connection weights in the brain over the daily cycle, thereby providing quantitative realization of the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis.
Host species, pathogens and disease associated with divergent nasal microbial communities in tortoises
Authors: Weitzman Chava L. , Sandmeier Franziska C. , Tracy C. Richard
Published: October 2018

Diverse bacterial communities are found on every surface of macro-organisms, and they play important roles in maintaining normal physiological functions in their hosts. While the study of microbiomes has expanded with the influx of data enabled by recent technological advances, microbiome research in reptiles lags behind other organisms. We sequenced the nasal microbiomes in a sample of four North American tortoise species, and we found differing community compositions among tortoise species and sampling sites, with higher richness and diversity in Texas and Sonoran desert tortoises. Using these data, we investigated the prevalence and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) diversity of the potential pathogenPasteurella testudinisand found it to be common, abundant and highly diverse. However, the presence of this bacterium was not associated with differences in bacterial community composition within host species. We also found that the presence of nasal discharge from tortoises at the time of sampling was associated with a decline in diversity and a change in microbiome composition, which we posit is due to the harsh epithelial environment associated with immune responses. Repeated sampling across seasons, and at different points of pathogen colonization, should contribute to our understanding of the causes and consequences of different bacterial communities in these long-lived hosts.
Asymptotic analysis for dispersion relations and travel times in noise cross-correlations: spherically symmetric case
Authors: Liu Tianshi , Zhang Haiming
Published: October 2018

The cross-correlations of ambient noise or earthquake codas are massively used in seismic tomography to measure the dispersion curves of surface waves and the travel times of body waves. Such measurements are based on the assumption that these kinematic parameters in the cross-correlations of noise coincide with those in Green's functions. However, the relation between the cross-correlations of noise and Green's functions deserves to be studied more precisely. In this paper, we use the asymptotic analysis to study the dispersion relations of surface waves and the travel times of body waves, and come to the conclusion that for the spherically symmetric Earth model, when the distribution of noise sources is laterally uniform, the dispersion relations of surface waves and the travel times of SH body-wave phases in noise correlations should be exactly the same as those in Green's functions.
How many faces do people know?
Authors: Jenkins R. , Dowsett A. J. , Burton A. M.
Published: October 2018

Over our species history, humans have typically lived in small groups of under a hundred individuals. However, our face recognition abilities appear to equip us to recognize very many individuals, perhaps thousands. Modern society provides access to huge numbers of faces, but no one has established how many faces people actually know. Here, we describe a method for estimating this number. By combining separate measures of recall and recognition, we show that people know about 5000 faces on average and that individual differences are large. Our findings offer a possible explanation for large variation in identification performance. They also provide constraints on understanding the qualitative differences between perception of familiar and unfamiliar faces—a distinction that underlies all current theories of face recognition.
Social bonds facilitate cooperative resource sharing in wild chimpanzees
Authors: Samuni L. , Preis A. , Mielke A. , Deschner T. , Wittig R. M. , Crockford C.
Published: October 2018

Why share when access to benefits is uncertain is crucial to our understanding of the evolution of humans' extensive cooperation. Here, we investigated some of the different human sharing hypotheses and potential neuroendocrine mechanisms, in one of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. The strongest predictor of sharing across food types was the presence of enduring and mutually preferred grooming partners, more than harassment, direct signalling, or trade. Moreover, urinary oxytocin levels were higher after the sharing of both individually and jointly acquired resources compared with controls. We conclude that the emotional connection inherent in social bonds was a key factor determining sharing patterns, with the oxytocinergic system potentially facilitating long-term cooperative exchanges. Testing for the role of social bonds in increasing predictability of sharing behaviour, a feature frequently overlooked, may help us to identify the evolutionary drivers of resource sharing and mechanisms that sustain delayed reciprocity between non-kin.
Altered orbitofrontal sulcogyral patterns in gambling disorder: a multicenter study
Authors: Li Yansong , Wang Zixiang , Boileau Isabelle , Dreher Jean-Claude , Gelskov Sofie , Genauck Alexander , Joutsa Juho , Kaasinen Valtteri , Perales José , Romanczuk-Seiferth Nina , de Lara Cristian M Ruiz , Siebner Hartwig R , van Holst Ruth J , van Timmeren Tim , Sescousse Guillaume
Published: October 2018

Gambling disorder is a serious psychiatric condition characterized by decision-making and reward processing impairments that are associated with dysfunctional brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). However, it remains unclear whether OFC functional abnormalities in gambling disorder are accompanied by structural abnormalities. We addressed this question by examining the organization of sulci and gyri in the OFC. This organization is in place very early and stable across life, such that OFC sulcogyral patterns (classified into Type I, II and III) can be regarded as potential pre-morbid markers of pathological conditions. We gathered structural brain data from nine existing studies, reaching a total of 165 individuals with gambling disorder and 159 healthy controls. Our results, supported by both frequentist and Bayesian statistics, show that the distribution of OFC sulcogyral patterns is skewed in individuals with gambling disorder, with an increased prevalence of Type II pattern compared with healthy controls. Examination of gambling severity did not reveal any significant relationship between OFC sulcogyral patterns and disease severity. Altogether, our results provide evidence for a skewed distribution of OFC sulcogyral patterns in gambling disorder, and suggest that pattern Type II might represent a pre-morbid structural brain marker of the disease. It will be important to investigate more closely the functional implications of these structural abnormalities in future work.
Lateral Asymmetry in Weekly Reproducibility of Resting State Amygdala Functional Connectivity
Authors: Tetereva Alina , Balaev Vladislav , Kartashov Sergey , Ushakov Vadim , Ivanitsky Alexey , Martynova Olga
Published: October 2018

Abnormal functional connectivity of the amygdala with several other brain regions has been observed in patients with higher anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, both in a resting state and threatening conditions. However, findings on the specific connections of the amygdala might be varied due to temporal and individual fluctuations in the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and its lateral asymmetry, as well as possible variability in anxiety among healthy subjects. We studied reproducibility of rsFC data for the right and left amygdala, obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging twice in a one-week interval in 20 healthy volunteers with low to moderate anxiety. We found resting-state amygdala network, which included not only areas involved in the emotion circuit, but regions of the default mode network (DMN) associated with memory and other brain areas involved in motor inhibition and emotion suppression. The amygdala network was stable in time and within subjects, but between-session reproducibility was asymmetrical for the right and left amygdala rsFC. The right amygdala had more significant connections with DMN regions and the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. The rsFC values of the right amygdala were more sustained across the week than the left amygdala rsFC. Our results support a hypothesis of functional lateralization of the amygdala. The left amygdala is more responsible for the conscious processing of threats, which may produce more variable rsFC; the right amygdala rsFC is more stable due to its greater engagement in continuous automatic evaluation of stimuli.

Highlights

Amygdala resting state network included areas of emotion circuit and motor control

During rest amygdala was functionally connected with areas of default mode network

Functional connectivity of the right amygdala was more sustained across the week

Functional connections of amygdala network were more stable in the right hemisphere
MTHFD1 is a genetic interactor of BRD4 and links folate metabolism to transcriptional regulation
Authors: Sdelci Sara , Rendeiro André F. , Rathert Philipp , Hofstätter Gerald , Ringler Anna , Moll Herwig P. , You Wanhui , Klavins Kristaps , Gürtl Bettina , Farlik Matthias , Schick Sandra , Klepsch Freya , Oldach Matthew , Buphamalai Pisanu , Schischlik Fiorella , Májek Peter , Parapatics Katja , Schmidl Christian , Schuster Michael , Penz Thomas , Buckley Dennis L. , Hudecz Otto , Imre Richard , Kralovics Robert , Bennett Keiryn L. , Müller Andre C. , Mechtler Karl , Menche Jörg , Bradner James E. , Winter Georg E. , Casanova Emilio , Bock Christoph , Zuber Johannes , Kubicek Stefan
Published: October 2018

The histone acetyl-reader BRD4 is an important regulator of chromatin structure and transcription, yet factors modulating its activity have remained elusive. Here we describe two complementary screens for genetic and physical interactors of BRD4, which converge on the folate pathway enzyme MTHFD1. We show that a fraction of MTHFD1 resides in the nucleus, where it is recruited to distinct genomic loci by direct interaction with BRD4. Inhibition of either BRD4 or MTHFD1 results in similar changes in nuclear metabolite composition and gene expression, and pharmacologic inhibitors of the two pathways synergize to impair cancer cell viability in vitro and in vivo. Our finding that MTHFD1 and other metabolic enzymes are chromatin-associated suggests a direct role for nuclear metabolism in the control of gene expression.
Thalamic state influences timing precision in the thalamocortical circuit
Authors: Whitmire Clarissa J , Liew Yi Juin , Stanley Garrett B
Published: October 2018

Sensory signals from the outside world are transduced at the periphery, passing through thalamus before reaching cortex, ultimately giving rise to the sensory representations that enable us to perceive the world. The thalamocortical circuit is particularly sensitive to the temporal precision of thalamic spiking due to highly convergent synaptic connectivity. Thalamic neurons can exhibit burst and tonic modes of firing that strongly influence timing within the thalamus. The impact of these changes in thalamic state on sensory encoding in the cortex, however, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of thalamic state on timing in the thalamocortical circuit of the vibrissa pathway in the anesthetized rat. We optogenetically hyperpolarized thalamus while recording single unit activity in both thalamus and cortex. Tonic spike triggered analysis revealed temporally precise thalamic spiking that was locked to white-noise sensory stimuli, while thalamic burst spiking was associated with a loss in stimulus-locked temporal precision. These thalamic state dependent changes propagated to cortex such that the cortical timing precision was diminished during the hyperpolarized (burst biased) thalamic state. While still sensory driven, the cortical neurons became significantly less precisely locked to the white-noise stimulus. The results here suggest that tonic thalamic spiking is more temporally precise than burst firing, which leads to distinct differences in sensory information representation at the level of both the thalamus and the cortex, as assessed using spike triggered analysis. This difference in spike timing precision enables a dynamic encoding scheme for sensory information as a function of thalamic state.

New and Noteworthy

The majority of sensory signals are transmitted through the thalamus. There is growing evidence of complex thalamic gating through coordinated firing modes that have a strong impact on cortical sensory representations. Optogenetic hyperpolarization of thalamus pushed it into burst firing that disrupted precise time-locked sensory signaling, with a direct impact on the downstream cortical encoding, setting the stage for a timing-based thalamic gate of sensory signaling.
Structures of collagen IV globular domains: insight into associated pathologies, folding and network assembly
Authors: Casino Patricia , Gozalbo-Rovira Roberto , Rodríguez-Díaz Jesús , Banerjee Sreedatta , Boutaud Ariel , Rubio Vicente , Hudson Billy G. , Saus Juan , Cervera Javier , Marina Alberto
Published: October 2018

Basement membranes are extracellular structures of epithelia and endothelia that have collagen IV scaffolds of triple α-chain helical protomers that associate end-to-end, forming networks. The molecular mechanisms by which the noncollagenous C-terminal domains of α-chains direct the selection and assembly of the α1α2α1 and α3α4α5 hetero-oligomers found in vivo remain obscure. Autoantibodies against the noncollagenous domains of the α3α4α5 hexamer or mutations therein cause Goodpasture's or Alport's syndromes, respectively. To gain further insight into oligomer-assembly mechanisms as well as into Goodpasture's and Alport's syndromes, crystal structures of noncollagenous domains produced by recombinant methods were determined. The spontaneous formation of canonical homohexamers (dimers of trimers) of these domains of the α1, α3 and α5 chains was shown and the components of the Goodpasture's disease epitopes were viewed. Crystal structures of the α2 and α4 noncollagenous domains generated by recombinant methods were also determined. These domains spontaneously form homo-oligomers that deviate from the canonical architectures since they have a higher number of subunits (dimers of tetramers and of hexamers, respectively). Six flexible structural motifs largely explain the architectural variations. These findings provide insight into noncollagenous domain folding, while supporting the in vivo operation of extrinsic mechanisms for restricting the self-assembly of noncollagenous domains. Intriguingly, Alport's syndrome missense mutations concentrate within the core that nucleates the folding of the noncollagenous domain, suggesting that this syndrome, when owing to missense changes, is a folding disorder that is potentially amenable to pharmacochaperone therapy.
Difference equation−based transient-state and steady-state analysis of flyback converter circuit
Authors: Yener Namik , Yildiz Ali Bekir
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to present how to use the difference equations for analysis of flyback converter circuit.

Design/methodology/approach

Switching circuits have variable structural topologies. In every switched-mode, they have different dynamics and different equations. First, the exact equivalent circuit of flyback converter, then, set of difference equations are obtained. The flyback converter has a nonlinear structure; however, the presented technique allows the circuit equations to be linear. The transient-state and steady-state analysis of flyback converter, one of popular switching circuits, are carried out by using difference-equations.

Findings

The proposed analysis method does not contain any numerical approximation and the results are in the form of exact solution. Another superiority of the method is that the desired instantaneous values can be obtained directly, the simulation does not need to be started from the beginning. Numerical results agree well with the theoretical results of flyback converter. The simulation results obtained by using the proposed method and Matlab-based results are compared.

Originality/value

This paper contributes a different mathematical background for analysis of switching converters to the literature.