Rhetorical structure and function in The Anatomy of Melancholy

In writing The Anatomy of Melancholy Robert Burton was working within the system of classical rhetoric as revived in the Renaissance, specifically the epideictic genus. A juxtaposition of the topics, arguments, and tripartite form employed by Burton with the treatment of epideictic in Aristotle's Rhetoric, as well as with aspects of the Roman and Hellenistic rhetorical traditions, shows how Burton has playfully adapted Renaissance conceptions of epideictic rhetoric forencyclopaedic, satirical, andself-expressive purposes. The function of rhetoric in the Anatomy is both to 'dissect' the corpus of knowledge about melancholy and to 'show forth' the author's own melancholic condition. © International Society for History of Rhetoric

Compounding vulnerabilities: Syndemics and the social determinants of disease in the past

Objective: This article explores the theory and utility of a syndemic approach for the study of disease in the past. Syndemic principles are examined alongside other theoretical developments within bioarchaeology. Two case studies are provided to illustrate the efficacy of this approach: Tuberculosis and vitamin D deficiency in 18th and 19th century England, and malaria and helminth infections in Early Medieval England. Materials: Public health studies of present syndemics, in addition to published bioarchaeological, clinical and social information relating to the chosen case studies. Methods: The data from these two historical examples are revisited within a syndemic framework to draw deeper conclusions about disease clustering and heterogeneity in the past. Results: A syndemic framework can be applied to past contexts using clinical studies of diseases in a modern context and relevant paleopathological, archaeological, and historical data. Conclusions: This approach provides a means for providing a deeper, contextualised understanding ancient diseases, and integrates well with extant theoretical tools in bioarchaeology Significance: Syndemics provides scholars a deep-time perspective on diseases that still impact modern populations. Limitations: Many of the variables essential for a truly syndemic approach cannot be obtained from current archaeological, bioarchaeological, or historical methods. Suggestions for further research: More detailed and in-depth analysis of specific disease clusters within the past and the present, which draws on a comprehensive analysis of the social determinants of health

HTR4 gene structure and altered expression in the developing lung

Background: Meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 (5-HT4R) gene (HTR4) associated with lung function. The aims of this study were to i) investigate the expression profile of HTR4 in adult and fetal lung tissue and cultured airway cells, ii) further define HTR4 gene structure and iii) explore the potential functional implications of key SNPs using a bioinformatic approach

Inversión reproductiva diferencial en hembras de Lithodes santolla (Decapoda: Anomura) en distintas áreas del sur de Sudamérica

The southern king crab Lithodes santolla experiences low temperatures and unpredictable food conditions, and is under variable fishing pressure. To compare the reproductive investment of females, crabs were captured from three sites (Beagle Channel 55°S, Tierra del Fuego Atlantic coast 52-54°S and San Jorge Gulf 45-47°S). Fecundity, water and lipid contents were measured in midgut gland, ovary and muscle. To assess the maternal investment in the offspring, egg masses were analysed on lipid, protein, water and inorganic matter contents, egg volume and embryo size. Although fecundity was similar among sites, San Jorge Gulf females showed higher water and lower lipid contents in somatic and reproductive organs. The egg mass energy reserves varied among sites, showing the highest lipid values in the Beagle Channel, and the highest protein and inorganic matter content in San Jorge Gulf. Though water content was similar, egg volume and embryo size were higher in San Jorge Gulf. Moreover, maternal size did not correlate with egg volume, embryo size or lipid, protein and inorganic matter content of the eggs. This study suggests that reproductive investment of L. santolla varies among regions exposed to different environmental conditions, such as the quality of food available, denoting a female compensatory mechanism.La centolla, Lithodes santolla, experimenta bajas temperaturas, condiciones de alimentación impredecibles y distintas presiones pesqueras. Para comparar la inversión reproductiva de las hembras, se capturaron centollas de tres sitios (Canal Beagle 55°S, Costa Atlántica de Tierra del Fuego 52-54°S y Golfo San Jorge 45-47°S). Se midió la fecundidad, y el contenido de agua y lípidos en la glándula digestiva, ovario y músculo. Para comparar el aporte materno a la descendencia, se determinó el contenido de lípidos, proteínas, agua y materia inorgánica en la masa de huevos, el volumen del huevo y el tamaño del embrión. Aunque la fecundidad fue similar entre sitios, las hembras del Golfo San Jorge mostraron mayor contenido de agua y lípidos en los órganos somáticos y reproductivos. Las reservas energéticas de la masa de huevos variaron entre sitios, mostrando los mayores valores de lípidos en Canal Beagle y de proteínas y materia inorgánica en el Golfo San Jorge. Aunque el contenido de agua en el huevo fue similar, su volumen y el tamaño del embrión fueron mayores en el Golfo San Jorge. Además, el tamaño materno no se correlacionó con el volumen del huevo, el tamaño del embrión, ni con el contenido de lípidos, proteínas y materia inorgánica de los huevos. Este estudio sugiere que la inversión reproductiva de L. santolla varía entre regiones expuestas a diferentes condiciones ambientales, como la calidad de alimentos disponibles, lo cual denota un mecanismo compensatorio en las hembras

Imaging gray matter with concomitant null point imaging from the phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence

Purpose To present an improved three-dimensional (3D) interleaved phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) sequence including a concomitantly acquired new contrast, null point imaging (NPI), to help detect and classify abnormalities in cortical gray matter. Methods The 3D gradient echo PSIR images were acquired at 0.6 mm isotropic resolution on 11 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 9 controls subjects using a 7 Tesla (T) MRI scanner, and 2 MS patients at 3T. Cortical abnormalities were delineated on the NPI/PSIR data and later classified according to position in the cortex. Results The NPI helped detect cortical lesions within the cortical ribbon with increased, positive contrast compared with the PSIR. It also provided improved intrinsic delineation of the ribbon, increasing confidence in classifying the lesions' locations. Conclusion The proposed PSIR facilitates the classification of cortical lesions by providing two T1-weighted 3D datasets with isotropic resolution, including the NPI showing cortical lesions with clear delineation of the gray/white matter boundary and minimal partial volume effects. Magn Reson Med 76:1512–1516, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of gastrointestinal motor function and fluid distribution

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well established technique that has revolutionized diagnostic radiology. Until recently, the impact that MRI has had in the assessment of gastrointestinal motor function and bowel fluid distribution in health and in disease has been more limited, despite the novel insights that MRI can provide along the entire gastrointestinal tract. MRI biomarkers include intestinal motility indices, small bowel water content and whole gut transit time. The present review discusses new developments and applications of MRI in the upper gastrointestinal tract, the small bowel and the colon reported in the literature in the last 5 years