Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide and a leading cause of disability, especially in the setting of treatment resistance. In recent years, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising alternative strategy for treatment-resistant depression and its clinical efficacy has been investigated intensively across the world. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the antidepressant effect of rTMS are still not fully understood. This review aims to systematically synthesize the literature on the neurobiological mechanisms of treatment response to rTMS in patients with depression. Medline (1996–2014), Embase (1980–2014) and PsycINFO (1806–2014) were searched under set terms. Three authors reviewed each article and came to consensus on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All eligible studies were reviewed, duplicates were removed, and data were extracted individually. Of 1647 articles identified, 66 studies met both inclusion and exclusion criteria. rTMS affects various biological factors that can be measured by current biological techniques. Although a number of studies have explored the neurobiological mechanisms of rTMS, a large variety of rTMS protocols and parameters limits the ability to synthesize these findings into a coherent understanding. However, a convergence of findings suggest that rTMS exerts its therapeutic effects by altering levels of various neurochemicals, electrophysiology as well as blood flow and activity in the brain in a frequency-dependent manner. More research is needed to delineate the neurobiological mechanisms of the antidepressant effect of rTMS. The incorporation of biological assessments into future rTMS clinical trials will help in this regard.

Attractive frass was produced by female D. pseudotsugae within 2 hours after boring into fresh Douglas-fir logs and peak attraction was reached in 8 hours. Production declined after 2 weeks but increased again if the females were allowed to attack new logs. Frass was collected, stored at −40°C, and extracted in benzene. The extract was distilled and chromatographed on a silica gel column. An olfactometer was developed in which beetles walking toward a light, passed into a narrow air stream. If the air stream contained attractive substances, beetles oriented upwind. Males showed a weak positive response to female frass extract and distillate over a wide range of low stimulus intensities and an abrupt increase at higher intensities. Over 20% of the test beetles responded to concentrations of 5.1 × 10−4 and 2.3 × 10−3 g-equiv of extract and distillate respectively, while stimulus intensities 100 times greater evoked responses over 80%. The silica gel fraction that eluted in the volume between 350 and 400 ml contained a highly attractive component.

Overwintering adult T. lineatum were collected in late April, and the females allowed to attack Douglas-fir logs in the laboratory. Frass was collected and preserved at −40°C prior to extraction in benzene and distillation. Distillate was chromatographed in a silica-gel column. An olfactometer was developed in which a positive bio-assay involved arrestment and turning reactions in a runway over a perforated area, underneath which the test substance was placed. Responses occurred to female frass and to sawdust from host logs but frass was far more potent. Peak response occurred to frass produced within 4 to 8 hours after attack. After 2 weeks, only very small amounts of weakly attractive frass were produced. Benzene extract and distillate of female frass evoked trace responses at very low concentrations, hut at 3.2 × 10−2 and 7.4 ×10−3 g-equiv of frass, for extract and distillate respectively, responses over 70% were common. Two fractions of ether eluate from the silica-gel column contained a highly attractive component which evoked responses in about 70% of the test males.

Posterior fossa vistibular neurectomy has become one of the most effective surgincal procedures for control of vertigo symptoms in Menière's disease. A small group patients continue to have vertigo and demonstratablke vestibular function by electronystagmography (ENG) post-operatively. Another group of patients may have also. In an effort to correlate hitological findings with clinical outcome, nerve biopsies were comapared with clinical, audiometric and ENG results. Results of this study demonstratge that complete reduction of vestibylar response (on calorica testing) and clinical cure of vertigo can be obtained despite a variable number of nerve fibres at vestibular neurectomy.

Among the abbreviated vernacular versions of the Vision of St Paul, the numerousness of which testifies to the popularity of the work in western Europe during the later Middle Ages, is a Provençal text that was copied, together with the Vision of Tundale and St Patrick's Purgatory, into a manuscript now at Toulouse by the scribe Depetralata, who finished his work (‘laudetur mater genitoris’) on the eighteenth of May, 1466. In 1903 this vision and its two companion pieces were published, with an introduction and notes by Jeanroy who characterized it thus: ‘Des trois versions que nous imprimons, celle de la Vision de Saint Paul, est de beaucoup la plus infidèle à l'original.

During his discussion of the ‘arch’ of human life, Dante says that life is divided into four ages according to the four combinations of contrary ‘qualities’ which are inherent in our composition:

Veramente questo Arco non pur per mezzo si distingue dalle scritture;ma secondo la quattro combinatori delle contrarie qualitadi che sono nella nostra composizione (alle quali pare essere appropriata, dico a ciascuna, una parte della nostra etade), in quattro parti si divide, e chiamansi quattro etadi. La prima è Adolescenza, che s'appropria al caldo e all'umido; la seconda si è Gioventute, che s'appropria al caldo e al secco; la terza si è Senettute, che s'appropria al freddo e al secco; la quarta si è Senio, che s'appropria al freddo e all ʼumido, secondochè nel quarto della Meteora scrive Alberto (ll. 111–126).