Although the field of urban evolutionary ecology is in its infancy, much progress has been made in identifying adaptations that arise as a result of selective pressures within these unique environments. However, as studies within urban environments have rapidly increased, researchers have recognized there are challenges and opportunities in characterizing urban adaptation. Some of these challenges are novel as a consequence of increased direct and indirect human influence, which compounds long-recognized issues with research on adaptive evolution more generally. In this perspective, we discuss several common research challenges to urban adaptation related to: (1) methodological approaches, (2) trait-environment relationships and the natural history of organisms, (3) agents and targets of selection, and (4) habitat heterogeneity. Ignoring these challenges may lead to misconceptions and further impede our ability to draw conclusions regarding evolutionary and ecological processes in urban environments. Our goal is to first shed light on the conceptual challenges of conducting urban adaptation research to help avoid propagation of these misconceptions. We further summarize potential strategies to move forward productively to construct a more comprehensive picture of urban adaptation, and discuss how urban environments also offer unique opportunities and applications for adaptation research.

Post-operative ileus (POI) is a frequent complication after abdominal surgery. The consequences of POI can be potentially serious such as bronchial inhalation or acute functional renal failure. Numerous advances in peri-operative management, particularly early rehabilitation, have made it possible to decrease POI. Despite this, the rate of prolonged POI ileus remains high and can be as high as 25% of patients in colorectal surgery. From a pathophysiological point of view, POI has two phases, an early neurological phase and a later inflammatory phase, to which we could add a “pharmacological” phase during which analgesic drugs, particularly opiates, play a central role. The aim of this review article is to describe the phases of the pathophysiology of POI, to analyse the pharmacological treatments currently available through published clinical trials and finally to discuss the different research areas for potential pharmacological targets.

Aim: nlmixr offers first-order conditional estimation with or without interaction (FOCE or FOCEi) and stochastic approximation estimation-maximisation (SAEM) to fit nonlinear mixed-effect models (NLMEM). We modelled metformin’s population pharmacokinetics with flip-flop characteristics within nlmixr framework and investigated SAEM and FOCEi’s performance with respect to bias, precision, and robustness. Method: Compartmental pharmacokinetic models were fitted. The final model was determined based on the lowest objective function value and visual inspection of goodness-of-fit plots. To examine flip-flop pharmacokinetics, k_a values of a typical concentration-time profile based on the final model were perturbed and changes in the steepness of the terminal elimination phase were evaluated. The bias and precision of parameter estimates were compared between SAEM and FOCEi using stochastic simulations and estimations. For robustness, parameters were re-estimated as the initial estimates were perturbed 100-times and resultant changes evaluated. Results: A one-compartment model with transit compartment for absorption best described the data. At low n, Stirling’s approximation of n! over-approximated plasma concentration unlike the log-gamma function. Flip-flop pharmacokinetics were evident as the steepness of the terminal elimination phase changed with k_a. Mean rRMSE for fixed-effect parameters was 0.932. When initial estimates were perturbed, FOCEi estimates of k_a and food effect on k_a appeared bimodal and were upward biased. Discussion: nlmixr is reliable for NLMEM even if flip-flop is present but caution should be exercised when using Stirling’s approximation for n! in the transit compartment model. SAEM was marginally superior to FOCEi in bias and precision, but SAEM was superior against initial estimate perturbations.

A new method is developed to estimate the contemporary effective population size (Ne) from linkage disequilibrium between SNPs without information on their location, which is the usual scenario in non-model species. The general theory of linkage disequilibrium is extended to include the contribution of full-sibs to the measure of LD, leading naturally to the estimation of Ne in monogamous and polygamous mating systems, as well as in multiparous species, and non-random distributions of full-sib family size due to selection or other causes. The prediction of confidence intervals for Ne estimates was solved using a small artificial neural network trained on a dataset of over 105 simulation results. The method, implemented in a user-friendly and fast software (currentNe) is able to estimate Ne even in problematic scenarios with large population sizes or small sample sizes, and provides confidence intervals that are more consistent than parametric methods or resampling.

Synthetic biology research and technology translation has garnered increasing interest from the governments and private investors in Asia, where the technology has great potential in driving a sustainable bio-based economy. This Perspective reviews the latest developments and future directions in synthetic biology research and applications, with highlights of important developments from Asia. It also suggests plans for more effective multi-lateral collaborations that promote a sustainable development of the field and mitigate potential biosecurity risks. Through these discussions, stakeholders from different groups, including academia, industry and government, are expectantly better positioned to contribute towards the establishment of innovation and bio-economy hubs in Asia.

Background: Levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are more commonly used among fluoroquinolone class and the question of cardiac safety and glucose hemostasis of this class has been raised. Objective: To compare intravenous levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin regarding their risk on QTc prolongation and dysglycemia in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Methods: A randomized prospective study at Beni-Suef university hospital was conducted on 200 adult patients over 6 months. The patients received intravenous levofloxacin 750mg once daily or ciprofloxacin 400mg twice daily. Electrocardiogram and fasting blood glucose were obtained from each patient before starting antibiotic, 24 hours, 72 hours after the first dose and 72 hours after antibiotics cessation. Results: The results of the current study showed the relative risk for QTc prolongation with levofloxacin was more than ciprofloxacin by about 4 and 1.5 in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, respectively. The relative risk for dysglycemia with levofloxacin was 2.28 and 1.39 times more than ciprofloxacin in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, respectively. Conclusion: The present study showed that the risk for QTc prolongation and hyperglycemia was greater with levofloxacin than ciprofloxacin in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. In addition, the risk for hypoglycemia was greater with levofloxacin than ciprofloxacin in non-diabetic patients.

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a common acquired vascular tumor and may appear mostly as a solitary lesions. Multiple disseminated PGs are a very rare form and mostly are seen after traumas such as burn. We presented a new case with multiple PGs secondary to scald burn due to oil.

We report the third case of lichen planus (LP) following COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccination in a 59-year-old woman with previous LP. The reactivation of LP in patients with dormant LP, suggests possible vaccine-induced immune dysregulation. We suggest that the already described vaccine-induced up-regulation of Th1 response, may play a relevant role.

The aim of the present paper is to describe and discuss how recent theories about translation, bridging medical and humanistic understandings of knowledge translation, in the medical humanities (Kristeva et al 2018) can bring about a new understanding of health literacy in the context of patient education. We argue that knowledge translation must be understood as a simultaneous interrogation of the patient’s and the health care providers co-construction of new and shared meanings that can create realities with medical consequences. To illustrate our points, we will describe the case of Jim, a kidney transplant recipient who received standard patient education, but lost the graft (the new kidney). If we apply Kristeva’s view onto this context, graft function is not merely a biology but a complex bio-cultural fact. In this perspective, graft function is seen as a phenomenon that embraces translation between health as a biomedical phenomenon and healing as lived experience, and that opens for shared meaning -making processes between the patient and the health care provider. In Jim’s case this means that we need to rethink the approach to patient education in a way that encourage the patient’s idiosyncratic way of thinking and experiencing – and transform health information into a means for sustaining Jim’s particular life – not life ‘in general’. The patient education program did not take into consideration the singularities of Jim’s biographical temporality, with its changes in everyday life, priorities, attitudes and values. The arguments are generic and could be applied to other contexts.

A document by Muhammad Usman. Click on the document to view its contents.

The initial configuration of Yttrium oxide clusters (Y2O3)n(n=1-15) was creatively constructed by combining artificial bee colony algorithm with density functional theory. The structures of large and medium-sized yttrium oxide clusters with molecular number greater than 10 were established for the first time, and many new structures that are different from existing research have been obtained. The average binding energy, second-order difference energy, HOMO-LUMO gap, density of states and other properties of the clusters were analyzed. The thermodynamic properties and behavior of nano yttrium oxide clusters at different temperatures and sizes were discussed. Studies have shown that for small-sized clusters, the atomic stacking structure is cage-like, while for medium-sized and large-sized clusters, the composite trapezoidal structure and ellipsoid-like structure are more stable. The nanoclusters tend to be stable as a whole, and the relative stability of the cluster structure is higher when n = 2,4,7,9. The effect of yttrium oxygen atomic orbital on bonding is analyzed. The heat capacity (Cp), enthalpy change (H) and entropy (S) of (Y2O3)n (n=1-15) clusters increase with the increase of temperature (T), and the vibration free energy (Gv) decreases with the increase of T. The stability of the clusters changes in the temperature range of 300K-500K.

ABSTRACT Aim: To investigate the effect of COVID-19 on sexual dysfunction in women. Materials and Methods: The women diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized at a tertiary hospital were included. They completed the Introductory Data Form, the Female Sexual Function Index-(FSFI), and the Short Form-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36). Results: 15 women between the ages of 19-49 who completed the treatment protocol, discharged at least 14 days before, and who had not been diagnosed as sexual dysfunction sexually active earlier were included to the study. It was detected that weekly sexual intercourse before and after COVID-19 significantly differed (p=0.047). The frequency of relationships decreased statistically after COVID-19. The mean value of the FSFI satisfaction score differs from COVID-19 before and after diagnosis (p=0.012). The mean satisfaction score before COVID-19 was 3.47, and after COVID-19 was 2.93. The score of the subgroups of FSFI did not differ from COVID-19 before and after diagnosis (p>0.050). The median value of SF-36 pain differs from COVID-19 before and after diagnosis (p=0.008). Conclusion: it was concluded that the frequency of sexual intercourse, sexual satisfaction in women decreased after COVID-19 disease, and the quality of life scores did not change in a statistically significant way.

Most researches interested in finding the bounds of the cumulative standard normal distribution Φ(x) are not tight for all positive values of the argument x. This paper mainly proposes new simple lower and upper bounds for Φ(x). Over the whole range of the positive argument x, the maximum absolute difference between the proposed lower bound and Φ(x) is less than 3×〖10〗^(-4), while it is less than 4.8×〖10〗^(-4) between the proposed upper bound and Φ(x). Numerical comparisons have been made between the proposed bounds and some of the other existing bounds, which showed that the proposed bounds are more compact than most alternative bounds found in the literature.

There are few reports of the adoption of continuous processes in bioproduction, particularly the implementation of end-to-end continuous processes, due to difficulties such as feed adjustment, production batch demarcation, and incorporating virus filtration. Here, we propose an end-to-end continuous process for a monoclonal antibody (mAb) with three integrated process segments: upstream production processes with pool-less direct connection, pooled low pH virus inactivation with automated pH control and a total flow-through integrated polishing process in which two columns were directly connected with a virus filter. The pooled virus inactivation step demarcates the batch, and high impurities reduction and mAb recovery were achieved for batches conducted in succession. Viral clearance tests also confirmed robust virus reduction for the flow-through two column chromatography and the virus filtration steps. Additionally, viral clearance tests with two different hollow fiber virus filters operated at flux ranging from 1.5 to 40 LMH confirmed robust virus reduction over these ranges. Complete clearance with LRV ≥ 4 was achieved even with a process pause at the lowest flux. The end-to-end continuous process proposed in this study is highly applicable to production processes, and the investigated virus filters have excellent applicability to continuous processes conducted at constant flux.

This study reports on performance enhancement in a solar cell introducing Sb2S3 as hole transport layer (HTL)along WS2 as buffer layer. We have investigated photovoltaic (PV) characteristics by utilizing SCAPS-1D. A comparative observation on PV performances of conventional CZTS/CdS with proposed CZTS/WS2 and Ni/Sb2S3/CZTS/WS2 /FTO/Al solar cells is presented. It is revealed that “spike like” band structure at CZTS/WS2 interface having smaller conduction band offset makes it potential alternative to commonly used CdS buffer. This study also evaluates that Sb2S3 as an HTL proposed at back of CZTS enhances performances by reducing carrier recombination at back interface with appropriate band alignment. The impacts of thickness, carrier concentration of different layers, and bulk defect density in CZTS as well as defects at interfaces on performances are analyzed. The influences of temperature, work function as well as cell resistances are also explored. Optimum absorber thickness of 1.0 µm along doping of 10 17 cm-3 is selected. A maximum efficiency of 30.63% is achieved for the optimized CZTS cell. Therefore, these results suggest that Sb2S3 as HTLand WS2 as buffer layer can be employed effectively to develop highly efficient and low-cost CZTS solar cells.

Background: The introduction of the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique for total arch replacement (TAR) has revolutionized the field of aortovascular surgery. However, although FET yields excellent results, the risk of certain complications requiring secondary intervention remains present, negating its one-step hybrid advantage over conventional techniques. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to evaluate controversies regarding the incidence of FET-related complications, with a focus on aortic remodeling, distal stent-graft induced new entry (dSINE) and endoleak, in patients with type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and/or thoracic aortic aneurysm. Materials and methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases including EMBASE, Scopus, and PubMed/MEDLINE to identify evidence on TAR with FET in patients with TAAD and/or aneurysm. Studies published up until January 2022 were included, and after applying exclusion criteria, a total of 43 studies were extracted. Results: A total of 5068 patients who underwent FET procedure were included. The pooled estimates of dSINE and endoleak were 2% (95% CI 0.01-0.06, I 2 = 78%) and 3% (95% CI 0.01-0.11, I 2 = 89%), respectively. The pooled rate of secondary thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) post-FET was 7% (95% CI 0.05-0.12, I 2 = 89%) whilst the pooled rate of false lumen thrombosis at the level of stent-graft was 91% (95% CI 0.75-0.97, I 2 = 92%). After subgroup analysis, heterogeneity for dSINE and endoleak resolved among European patients, where Thoraflex Hybrid and E-Vita stent-grafts were used (both I 2 = 0%). In addition, heterogeneity for secondary TEVAR after FET resolved among Asians receiving Cronus (I 2 = 15.1%) and Frozenix stent -grafts (I 2 = 1%). Conclusion: Our results showed that the FET procedure in patients with TAAD and/or aneurysm is associated with excellent results, with a particularly low incidence of dSINE and endoleak as well as highly favorable aortic remodeling. However the type of stent-graft and the study location were sources of heterogeneity, emphasizing the need for multicenter studies directly comparing FET grafts. Finally, Thoraflex Hybrid can be considered the primary FET device choice due to its superior results.

Vasoplegic syndrome (VPS) is defined as systemic hypotension due to profound vasodilatation and loss of systemic vascular resistance (SVR), despite normal or increased cardiac index (CI). It occurs in 9- 44% of cardiac surgery patients after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of VPS is multifactorial involving the activation of contact, coagulation, and complement systems and the activation of leukocytes. platelets and endothelial cells resulting in an imbalance in the regulation of the vascular tone; inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] triggered by inflammatory cytokines during CPB produces nitric oxide (NO), which increases vascular levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), resulting in vasodilation. leading to postcardiac surgery VPS. Standard treatment options for severe refractory VPS are extremely limited and include vasopressor support. latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines also consider that the best therapeutic management of vascular hypo- responsiveness to vasopressors could be a combination of multiple vasopressors, including norepinephrine (NE) and early prescription of vasopressin. This review will address the various definitions, risk factors, pathophysiology, potential cardiac candidates, and potential therapeutic interventions for VPS following cardiac surgery focussed on the outcome. This review did not require any ethical approval or consent from the patients.

Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines are grown in cultures with varying asparagine and glutamine concentrations, but further study is needed to characterize the interplay between these amino acids. By following 13C-glucose, 13C-glutamine, and 13C-asparagine tracers using metabolic flux analysis (MFA), CHO cell metabolism was characterized in an industrially relevant fed-batch process under glutamine supplemented and low glutamine conditions during early and late exponential growth. For both conditions MFA revealed glucose as the primary carbon source to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle followed by glutamine and asparagine as secondary sources. Early exponential phase CHO cells prefer glutamine over asparagine to support the TCA cycle under the glutamine supplemented condition, while asparagine was critical for TCA activity for the low glutamine condition. Overall TCA fluxes were similar for both conditions due to the trade-offs associated with reliance on glutamine and/or asparagine. However, glutamine supplementation increased fluxes to alanine, lactate and enrichment of glutathione, N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (NAG) and pyrimidine-containing-molecules. The late exponential phase exhibited reduced central carbon metabolism dominated by glucose, while lactate reincorporation and aspartate uptake were preferred over glutamine and asparagine. These 13C studies demonstrate that metabolic flux is process time dependent and can be modulated by varying feed composition.