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Survey of the different translation cultures in Iranian, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic languages and milieux.

This paper is devoted to a fascinating passage in Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 1210), in which he argues that non-human animals have rational souls. It is found in hisMulaḫḫaṣ fī l-manṭiq wa-l-ḥikma(Epitome on Philosophy and Logic). Following a discussion of the afterlife, Faḫr al-Dīn suggests that animals should, like humans, be capable of grasping universals, and that they are aware of their own identity over time. Furthermore, animal behavior shows that they are capable of rational planning and problem-solving. We contextualize these arguments with reference to Faḫr al-Dīn’s other philosophical works, and also compare the considerations he raises to ideas found in modern-day animal ethics, drawing here especially on the work of Mark Rowlands. The paper concludes with a translation of the passage.

In this paper I challenge the notion that medieval philosophy was characterized by strict adherence to authority. In particular, I argue that to the contrary, self-consciously critical reflection on authority was a widespread intellectual virtue in the Islamic world. The contrary vice, called ‘taqlīd’, was considered appropriate only for those outside the scholarly elite. I further suggest that this idea was originally developed in the context of Islamic law and was then passed on to authors who worked within the philosophical tradition.

Mutations in USH2A are among the most common causes of syndromic and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The two most recurrent mutations in USH2A, c.2299delG and c.2276G > T, both reside in exon 13. Skipping exon 13 from the USH2A transcript presents a potential treatment modality in which the resulting transcript is predicted to encode a slightly shortened usherin protein. Morpholino-induced skipping of ush2a exon 13 in zebrafish ush2(armc1) mutants resulted in the production of usherin Delta exon 13 protein and a completely restored retinal function. Antisense oligonucleotides were investigated for their potential to selectively induce human USH2A exon 13 skipping. Lead candidate QR-421a induced a concentration-dependent exon 13 skipping in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived photoreceptor precursors from an Usher syndrome patient homozygous for the c.2299delG mutation. Mouse surrogate mQR-421a reached the retinal outer nuclear layer after a single intravitreal injection and induced a detectable level of exon skipping until at least 6 months post-injection. In conclusion, QR-421a-induced exon skipping proves to be a highly promising treatment option for RP caused by mutations in USH2A exon 13.

This chapter looks at theories of world soul in the medieval period, considering texts from the Islamic world and Latin Christendom. The central theme is the comparison between the cosmos and an individual human, who is conceived as a so-called microcosm. By this logic, since the human has a soul, so must the cosmos. Plato’s Timaeus is shown to be a key source for both cultures, including in Christian authors who detected a reference to the Holy Spirit behind Plato’s notion of World Soul. Figures in focus include al-Razi, the Brethren of Purity, the School of Chartres, Peter Abelard, and Hildegard of Bingen.

CEP290-associated Leber congenital amaurosis type 10 (LCA10) is a retinal disease resulting in childhood blindness. Sepofarsen is an RNA antisense oligonucleotide targeting the c.2991+1655A>G variant in the CEP290 gene to treat LCA10. In this open-label, phase 1b/2 (NCT03140969), 12-month, multicenter, multiple-dose, dose-escalation trial, six adult patients and five pediatric patients received ≤4 doses of intravitreal sepofarsen into the worse-seeing eye. The primary objective was to evaluate sepofarsen safety and tolerability via the frequency and severity of ocular adverse events (AEs); secondary objectives were to evaluate pharmacokinetics and efficacy via changes in functional outcomes. Six patients received sepofarsen 160 µg/80 µg, and five patients received sepofarsen 320 µg/160 µg. Ten of 11 (90.9%) patients developed ocular AEs in the treated eye (5/6 with 160 µg/80 µg; 5/5 with 320 µg/160 µg) versus one of 11 (9.1%) in the untreated eye; most were mild in severity and dose dependent. Eight patients developed cataracts, of which six (75.0%) were categorized as serious (2/3 with 160 µg/80 µg; 4/5 with 320 µg/160 µg), as lens replacement was required. As the 160-µg/80-µg group showed a better benefit–risk profile, higher doses were discontinued or not initiated. Statistically significant improvements in visual acuity and retinal sensitivity were reported (post hoc analysis). The manageable safety profile and improvements reported in this trial support the continuation of sepofarsen development.

Giles of Rome’s On Ecclesiastical Power (De ecclesiastica potestate), a polemical work arguing for the political supremacy of the pope, claims that the papacy holds a ‘plenitude of power’ and has direct or indirect authority over all aspects of human life. This paper shows how Giles uses themes from natural philosophy in developing his argument. He compares cosmic and human ordering and draws an analogy between the relations of soul to body and of Church to state. He also understands the pope’s power to be ‘universal’ in nature, another idea taken from Aristotelian physics. Further, Giles views the pope’s right to intervene arbitrarily in the affairs of the Christian community as mirroring God’s ability to work miracles. We thus see that Giles, no less than intellectuals on the other side of this debate such as Dante and Marsilius of Padua, believed that Aristotelian natural philosophy could be enlisted in the service of political thought.

Photoreceptor ciliopathies constitute the most common molecular mechanism of the childhood blindness Leber congenital amaurosis. Ten patients with Leber congenital amaurosis carrying the c.2991+1655A>G allele in the ciliopathy gene centrosomal protein 290 (CEP290) were treated (ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT03140969 ) with intravitreal injections of an antisense oligonucleotide to restore correct splicing. There were no serious adverse events, and vision improved at 3 months. The visual acuity of one exceptional responder improved from light perception to 20/400. RNA antisense oligonucleotide therapy to restore normal splicing of a ciliopathy gene shows promising safety and efficacy results in a clinical trial to treat a form of childhood blindness.

This chapter examines the history of a certain kind of argument in the philosophy of mind, which stretches from Plato to the medieval period. According to this style of argument, we can establish the nature of the mind by thinking about the nature of its object. Thus, from the fact that the mind grasps propositions that are universal in scope and necessary in modality, we can rule out that the mind is made of a physical organ, which would “particularize” the content of its thoughts. It will be shown how this sort of assumption underlies arguments for the incorporeality of mind in several philosophers of the Islamic world, especially Averroes and Avicenna, and then shown how the affinity argument was rejected by thinkers who came after Avicenna and arguably defended intuitions much closer to those held by philosophers today.

This chapter provides a look at the philosophically interesting aspects of Razi’s abundantly extant works on medicine, which were heavily influenced by Galen but also independent-minded and informed by Razi’s own medical practice. After surveying the range of his medical works and their various purposes, the chapter examines specific topics including his anthropology and anatomical theory and his medical epistemology, under which heading it is asked how far medicine is based on empirical evidence as opposed to theories taken over from natural philosophy. Finally, the chapter examines Razi’s authorial persona in his medical output. This is itself based on Galen’s self-presentation as an unusually skilled doctor who could correct the judgments of both contemporaries and ancient authorities.

The most controversial aspect of Razi’s thought is his apparent critique of revealed religion, as reported by hostile opponents who depict him as an outright denier of prophecy. This chapter argues instead that Razi was concerned to attack a narrower target, namely groups within Islam that he considered to have schismatic religious views. In particular he took aim at the Ismailis, whom he accused of slavish devotion to their Imams. This, it is suggested, provoked a response which distorted and oversimplified Razi’s position. In fact Razi’s position was likely not dissimilar to that of other rationalist philosophers in the Islamic world, like his near contemporary al-Farabi, who held that one should ideally form one’s beliefs through philosophical inquiry, but that the Quran when understood correctly agrees with the deliverances of philosophy.

A look at the first of Razi’s five principles, a perfectly good and all powerful deity. Razi establishes the existence of God on the grounds of fairly traditional arguments, especially the design argument. He is particularly concerned to explain how God can be both the source of order and goodness in the universe, and absolved of blame for disorder and suffering. To solve this problem he postulates another “active” principle alongside God, namely a foolish universal Soul, which receives wisdom by having God’s light emanated upon it. Another topic in focus in this chapter is the eternity of the world, which Razi denies. On this topic the work On Metaphysics is discussed, and its probable authenticity defended.

The final chapter of the book investigates Razi’s two surviving works on ethics, The Philosophical Way of Life and The Spiritual Medicine. It is shown, against readings of him as a hedonist, that he actually rejects pleasure as a central value of life and encourages readers to turn away from the concerns of the body. Indeed he is so far from being a hedonist that he upholds the Platonist account of pleasure as a mere return to a neutral state. In the end he defends a life of moderation, rejecting both asceticism and hedonism, but even this is only to pave the way for what really matters: philosophical understanding and liberation from the body.

This introduction to the book offers a survey of what is known about Razi’s life and works, drawing especially on medieval biographical reports about him and medieval book lists, with crucial sources including Ibn al-Nadim, Ibn Abi Usaybia, and al-Biruni. The main areas of Razi’s thought are sketched out on the basis of these lists. The chapter also offers a critical overview of the sources that report on his thought, emphasizing the difficulty of reconstructing the ideas of a philosopher who is known largely through the testimony of his enemies. Finally the chapter discusses Razi’s style of writing, and traces his authorial persona to the example set by Galen.

Razi’s posits a foolish cosmic soul that is responsible for triggering the creation of the world after it “turns toward” matter. This chapter shows that his reasons for this turn especially on the need to explain evil and suffering in the world. It also explores the relation between this cosmic soul and the individual souls of humans, drawing on not only what is known of Razi’s philosophical works, but also on his medical writings. Another question discussed at length is the relation between human and animal souls. Here it is argued that Razi may not, as usually assumed, have believed in the possibility of human-animal transmigration. Furthermore, it is shown that his views on animal rationality are more traditional than has been supposed, since he excludes rationality and intellect from the mental lives of animals. However, he does admit that animals are capable of a kind of non-rational “thought” or intelligence.

Introduction: First metatarsal phalangeal joint (MTPJ) arthroplasty has a high failure rate due to aseptic loosening, which leads to bone loss. The salvage procedure is conversion to an arthrodesis, but bone loss can make obtaining screw fixation difficult. Herein, we report a unique case of revision first-metatarsal arthrodesis without the use of hardware after a failed arthroplasty. Case Report: A 60-year-old women presented to us with first MTPJ pain in the setting of failed arthroplasty. We performed an arthrodesis; however, intraoperatively, hardware fixation could not be obtained due to bone loss. We utilized allograft bone struts to maintain first ray length and to hold the correct hallux position during arthrodesis maturation. Conclusion: Bone loss is a frequently encountered problem in revision surgery to a first MTPJ arthrodesis. An arthrodesis can be obtained without the use of hardware in scenarios where bone loss precludes screw fixation. Keywords: Hallux rigidus, revision, bone loss, arthrodesis

Mutations inUSH2A, encoding usherin, are the most common cause of syndromic and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The two founder mutations in exon 13 (c.2299delG and c.2276G>T) collectively account for~34% ofUSH2A-associated RP cases. Skipping of exon 13 from theUSH2Atranscript during pre-mRNA splicing presents a potential treatment modality in which the resulting transcript is predicted to encode a slightly shortened usherin protein. Morpholino-induced skipping ofush2aexon 13 in larvae of the previously publishedush2aexon 13 zebrafish mutant resulted in the production of usherinΔexon13 and completely restored retinal function. RNA antisense oligonucleotides were investigated for their potential to specifically induce humanUSH2Aexon 13 skipping. Lead candidate QR-421a induced dose-dependent exon 13 skipping in iPSC-derived photoreceptor precursors from a patient homozygous for theUSH2Ac.2299delG mutation. Intravitreal delivery of QR-421a in non-human primates showed that QR-421a penetrates the retinal outer nuclear layer and induces detectable levels of exon 13 skipping until at least 3 months post injection. In conclusion, QR-421a-induced exon skipping proves to be a highly promising treatment for RP caused by mutations in exon 13 of theUSH2Agene.

Category: Ankle; Bunion; Hindfoot; Lesser Toes; Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: There is a growing trend to perform surgical procedures at freestanding ambulatory surgical centers. No literature exists evaluating the rate of adverse events and overall safety of foot and ankle outpatient surgeries at a freestanding ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Methods: A retrospective review of all foot and ankle cases performed over a two year period at a single freestanding ASC. A total of 313 cases were performed. Adverse events are state-reported events that cause harm or lead to additional treatment. Using state-reported adverse events criteria and previous literature from hand and upper-extremity cases, we categorized our adverse events into seven categories: 1) infection requiring intravenous abx or return to the operating room, 2) postoperative transfer to a hospital, 3) wrong-site surgery, 4) retention of a foreign object, 5) postoperative symptomatic thromboembolism (DVT), 6) medication error, and 7) bleeding complications. Results: The overall rate of adverse events was 3.5% with 11 events identified over the two year period. There were a total of 10 infections and 1 symptomatic DVT. There were no cases that resulted in transfer to a hospital, hospital admission after discharge, medication error, bleeding complications, wrong-site procedures, or retained foreign bodies. Conclusion: Outpatient foot and ankle procedures are not without complications, but the overall rate of complications postoperatively is farly low (3.5%). Overall, foot and ankle surgeries can be performed safely in an outpatient setting at an ASC.