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Four glandes inscriptae from the Iberian Peninsula are presented in this paper. For two of them a connection to the Republican governors C. Flaminius and L. Mummius is proposed, and therefore a date in the 2nd century BC. A third slingshot bullet was most likely cast at the beginning of the governorship of the proconsul C. Valerius Flaccus, c. 92/91 BC. On the fourth specimen two names are inscribed, Afranius and Messalla, presumably two military leaders; it is carefully suggested that they could have been active during the Sertorian War. The communis opinio regarding the use of glandes inscriptae on the Iberian Peninsula must be modified: rather than being a phenomenon of the 1st century BC, peculiar to the Sertorian War (82‑72 BC) and the confrontation between Caesar and the Pompeian faction (48‑45 BC), they can now be traced back as far as the early 2nd century BC.

Roman lead sling bullets (glandes) have been found at Windridge Farm near St Albans in Hertfordshire since the 1970s. A previous study suggested these missiles could have originated from a plough-disturbed hoard of Roman lead objects. More recent discoveries of glandes from other sites throughout Europe have enhanced our understanding of depositional characteristics, morphology and lead sources for Roman sling bullets and this paper offers an alternative explanation for their loss. Their atypical form (for Britain), and the prospect of a continental origin of the lead ore for their manufacture, suggest an early date of deposition. We also argue that the number of bullets and the pattern of their dispersal are indicative of an episode of conflict. After review of attested early military engagements that could have taken place in the vicinity, we propose that the projectiles may relate to one of two events: Claudius's invasion under the auspices of Aulus Plautius in a.d. 43 or Caesar's second incursion of 54 b.c. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'objectif de ce travail était d'évaluer les changements anatomiques des structures glandulaires survenus au cours de l'irradiation des carcinomes nasopharyngés et d'étudier leurs impacts dosimétriques. Vingt patients en cours de radiothérapie pour un carcinome nasopharyngé non métastatique ont été inclus dans cette étude. Après la planification dosimétrique initiale, une deuxième scanographie a été faite à 38 Gy dans les mêmes conditions. Il a été relevé les changements volumétriques, positionnels ainsi que dosimétriques, entre les deux scanographies pour les structures glandulaires (parotides, glandes sous-maxillaires, thyroïde et hypophyse). Une diminution moyenne du volume des parotides droites et gauches a été observée (respectivement − 27,9 % et − 27,5 %). Pour les glandes sous-maxillaires, la diminution était de − 36,1 % à droite et − 27,2 % à gauches. Elle était de − 18,01 % pour la glande thyroïde. Une migration supra-millimétrique dans le sens médial de 2 et 1,15 mm a été trouvée pour l'isocentre des glandes parotides droite et gauche respectivement. Elle était corrélée avec la réduction du volume tumoral macroscopique ganglionnaire (GTVN) (r = 0,45 et 0,5). Une augmentation statistiquement significative des doses moyennes a été documentée au niveau des glandes parotides de 1,8 ± 2,3 Gy à droite et de 1,5 ± 2,7 Gy à gauche, de la glande sous-maxillaire droite de 0,35 ± 2 Gy et de la thyroïde de 3,79 ± 5,2 Gy. Les modifications anatomiques et dosimétriques expliquent en partie les toxicités causées par le rayonnement sur les structures glandulaires et constituent une piste pour l'implémentation d'une nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique qui est la radiothérapie adaptative. The aim of this work is to evaluate the anatomical changes of the glandular structures during the NPC IMRT and to study their dosimetric impacts. Twenty patients receiving IMRT for NPC were included. For each patient, a second dosimetric CT was performed at a dose of 38 Gy, which was fused with the initial planning dosimetric CT. We calculated the volume percent change, the positional and dosimetric variation between the 2 scanners for the glandular structures (parotid, submaxillary, thyroid and pituitary). We observed a decrease in the volume of right and left parotids (− 27.9% and − 27.54%). It was correlated with the initial dose planned at its level. For the sub maxillary glands, the decrease was − 36.1% on the right and − 27.28% on the left. The value of reduction of the thyroid gland was − 18.01%. A medial supra-millimeter migration of 2 and 1.15 mm was found for right and left parotid glands respectively, correlated with GTV N reduction volume. We found a significant increase in mean doses for the parotid glands. It was 1.8 ± 2.3 Gy for the right and 1.5 ± 2.7 Gy for the left. For the right sub maxillary gland, the increase was about 0.35 ± 2 Gy and 3.79 ± 5.2 Gy for the thyroid. The modifications observed for glandular structures during NPC IMRT can explain the different toxicities caused by radiation. It seems also that a careful adaptation of the treatment plan should be considered during therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole Westwood, 1839, the worker caste evolved into two morphologically distinct subcastes: minor workers and soldiers. The evolution of soldiers, which are larger in size than minor workers and have disproportionately larger heads, are thought to be key to Phediole's success. Although many studies have focused on external anatomy, little is known about their internal anatomy. We therefore used microCT imaging and quantitative three-dimensional image analysis to reconstruct the major glands of the head, the musculature, nervous system, and digestive organ of minor workers and soldiers of four Pheidole species. We expected these tissues to scale isometrically and to be proportionally larger in soldiers relative to the minor workers. Surprisingly, we found that the nervous system, cephalic gland, and digestive organ volume are absolutely and relatively smaller in soldiers, whereas muscle volume is absolutely and relatively larger, than in minor workers. This may reflect individual-level trade-offs, where muscles grow at the expense of all other cephalic organs. Alternatively, this relationship may reflect the specialization of internal anatomy in each subcaste to enhance division of labour at the colony level. Future studies should test these alternative hypotheses across a larger number of Pheidole species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estudiamos 11 proyectiles de honda de plomo procedentes de un área rural localizada 1,5 km al SE de la localidad de Huete, en la provincia de Cuenca. Las piezas pertenecen a una colección privada. El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar y analizar su tipología, y epigrafía a fin de averiguar su cronología, discernir las causas de su presencia en esta zona y aportar nuevos datos a la interpretación de las glandes de Hispania con la inscripción latina SCAE.

Understanding the growth of branching organs is an important scientific endeavour. It has crucial applications, from saving premature newborns, to repairing or even regenerating organs. Despite differences in timing and shape, branching morphogenesis of all branching organs or glands (lung, kidney, salivary, lachrymal, mammary glands, sebaceous and sweat glands, prostate, guts papillae etc.) is similar: an epithelial sheet of cells, forming a 2D layer, penetrates into a 3D mass of mesenchymal cells. Inside the epithelium, a lumen is filled with fluid. As the epithelium grows, it evolves into a branched structure. The pattern of branches is in some cases stereotypic, deterministic, and it has memory effects. We present a simple line of reasoning that predicts that viscous fingering of biological tissue will exhibit all of these features. The line of reasoning is based on the idea that surface tension selects the shape of a growing branch, as is well known in the context of moving boundary problems, except that in this case, the surface is akin to a liquid-crystal. The anisotropy of the surface tension comes from a symmetry breaking by collagen and fibroblasts. The equilibrium shape of the corresponding boundary is that of an actual fingertip, and the out-of-equilibrium shape is that of branched organs, such as the lung. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate the anatomical changes of the glandular structures during the NPC IMRT and to study their dosimetric impacts., Patients and Methods: Twenty patients receiving IMRT for NPC were included. For each patient, a second dosimetric CT was performed at a dose of 38Gy, which was fused with the initial planning dosimetric CT. We calculated the volume percent change, the positional and dosimetric variation between the 2 scanners for the glandular structures (parotid, submaxillary, thyroid and pituitary)., Results: We observed a decrease in the volume of right and left parotids (-27.9% and -27.54%). It was correlated with the initial dose planned at its level. For the sub maxillary glands, the decrease was -36.1% on the right and -27.28% on the left. The value of reduction of the thyroid gland was -18.01%. A medial supra-millimeter migration of 2 and 1.15mm was found for right and left parotid glands respectively, correlated with GTV N reduction volume. We found a significant increase in mean doses for the parotid glands. It was 1.8±2.3Gy for the right and 1.5±2.7Gy for the left. For the right sub maxillary gland, the increase was about 0.35±2Gy and 3.79±5.2Gy for the thyroid., Conclusion: The modifications observed for glandular structures during NPC IMRT can explain the different toxicities caused by radiation. It seems also that a careful adaptation of the treatment plan should be considered during therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Meibomian gland dysfunction is the leading cause of evaporative-type dry eye syndrome. Our goal was to determine the epidemiological and clinical features of meibomian gland dysfunction as well as its impact on the ocular surface in elderly black patients in Cameroon., Patients and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis from January 2 through May 31, 2017 in the ophthalmology department of Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, including blacks aged 50 years and older. The examination focused on the Meibomian glands, Tear film Break Up Time and Schirmer I test for qualitative and quantitative assessment of tears. The relationship between the quantitative and qualitative variables and meibomian gland dysfunction was determined by linear regression tests., Results: We enrolled 340 elderly black patients. The mean age was 62±9 years. The prevalence of meibomian gland dysfunction was 71.8 % and did not increase with age. The hypoproductive clinical form was the most frequent (47.9 %). The prevalence of asymptomatic Meibomian gland dysfunction was 19.7 %. Evaporative dry eye disease was the most frequent (34.7 %). Aside from advanced age, Meibomian gland dysfunction was associated with high blood pressure (P=0.020), cataract surgery (P=0.034), long-term glaucoma medication (P=0.041) and alcohol consumption (P=0.043)., Conclusion: Meibomian gland dysfunction is very common in elderly black patients in Cameroon., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)