Efficient Physical Embedding of Topologically Complex Information Processing Networks in Brains and Computer Circuits

Nervous systems are information processing networks that evolved by natural selection, whereas very large scale integrated (VLSI) computer circuits have evolved by commercially driven technology development. Here we follow historic intuition that all physical information processing systems will share key organizational properties, such as modularity, that generally confer adaptivity of function. It has long been observed that modular VLSI circuits demonstrate an isometric scaling relationship between the number of processing elements and the number of connections, known as Rent's rule, which is related to the dimensionality of the circuit's interconnect topology and its logical capacity. We show that human brain structural networks, and the nervous system of the nematode C. elegans, also obey Rent's rule, and exhibit some degree of hierarchical modularity. We further show that the estimated Rent exponent of human brain networks, derived from MRI data, can explain the allometric scaling relations between gray and white matter volumes across a wide range of mammalian species, again suggesting that these principles of nervous system design are highly conserved. For each of these fractal modular networks, the dimensionality of the interconnect topology was greater than the 2 or 3 Euclidean dimensions of the space in which it was embedded. This relatively high complexity entailed extra cost in physical wiring: although all networks were economically or cost-efficiently wired they did not strictly minimize wiring costs. Artificial and biological information processing systems both may evolve to optimize a trade-off between physical cost and topological complexity, resulting in the emergence of homologous principles of economical, fractal and modular design across many different kinds of nervous and computational networks

Expression of genes belonging to the IGF-system in glial tumors

The discrepancies arising from conflicting evidence on the results obtained by different laboratories in human gliomas are discussed. Our data highlight the importance of viewing the IGF-related proteins as a complex multifactorial system and show that changes in the expression levels of any one component of the system, in a given malignancy, should be interpreted with caution. As IGF targeting for anticancer therapy is rapidly becoming clinical reality, an understanding of this complexity is very timely.B cтaтьe oбсуждаются противоречивыe результаты, oпиcaнныe различными лабораториями для глиом. Пoлучeнныe данные демонстрируют важность рассмотрения белков семейства инсулиноподобных факторов роста как сложную мультифункциональную систему и показывают, что изменения в уровне экспрессии любого компонента системы в упомянутой опухоли должны интерпретироваться с предосторожностью. В связи с тем, что выбор членoв IGF-ceмeйcтвa в качестве мишени для противоопухолевой терапии быстро приобретает клиническую реальность, понимание сложноcти этой системы является весьма своевременным.У cтaттi oбговорюються суперечливi результати, опиcанi різними лабораторіями для гліом. Oтриманi дані демонструють важливість розгляду білків родини інсуліноподібних факторів росту як складну мультифункціональну систему і показують, що зміни рівня експресії будь-якого компонента системи у даній пухлині повинні інтерпретуватися із пересторогою. В зв’язку з тим, що вибір членiв IGF-ciмeйcтвa як мішені для протипухлинної терапії швидко набуває клінічної реальності, розуміння цієї системи є вельми своєчасним

The burden of mild asthma: Clinical burden and healthcare resource utilisation in the NOVELTY study

Background: Patients with mild asthma represent a substantial proportion of the population with asthma, yet there are limited data on their true burden of disease. We aimed to describe the clinical and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) burden of physician-assessed mild asthma. Methods: Patients with mild asthma were included from the NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY (NOVELTY; NCT02760329), a global, 3-year, real-world prospective study of patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from community practice (specialised and primary care). Diagnosis and severity were based on physician discretion. Clinical burden included physician-reported exacerbations and patient-reported measures. HCRU included inpatient and outpatient visits. Results: Overall, 2004 patients with mild asthma were included; 22.8% experienced ≥1 exacerbation in the previous 12 months, of whom 72.3% experienced ≥1 severe exacerbation. Of 625 exacerbations reported, 48.0% lasted >1 week, 27.7% were preceded by symptomatic worsening lasting >3 days, and 50.1% required oral corticosteroid treatment. Health status was moderately impacted (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire score: 23.5 [standard deviation ± 17.9]). At baseline, 29.7% of patients had asthma symptoms that were not well controlled or very poorly controlled (Asthma Control Test score <20), increasing to 55.6% for those with ≥2 exacerbations in the previous year. In terms of HCRU, at least one unscheduled ambulatory visit for exacerbations was required by 9.5% of patients, including 9.2% requiring ≥1 emergency department visit and 1.1% requiring ≥1 hospital admission. Conclusions: In this global sample representing community practice, a significant proportion of patients with physician-assessed mild asthma had considerable clinical burden and HCRU