In 1859, Charles Darwin proposed that species are not fundamentally different from subspecies or the varieties from which they evolve. A century later, Dobzhansky (1958) suggested that many such lineages are ephemeral and are likely to revert differentiation through introgression (Fig. 1A); only a few evolve complete reproductive isolation and persist in sympatry. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Bouzid et al. (2021) show how new analytical methods, when applied to genome data, allow us to more precisely determine whether or not species formation follows the paths outlined by Darwin and Dobzhansky (Fig. 1B). The authors study the diversification of the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis, finding a continuum of genetic interactions between the preservation of genetic identity to genetic merger, analogous to what is exemplified by ring species. In doing so, they teach us two tales on species formation: that lineages are fractal byproducts of evolutionary processes such as genetic drift and selection, and that lineages are often ephemeral and do not always progress into species. Studying ephemeral lineages like those in S. occidentalis allows us to capture divergence at its earliest stages, and potentially to determine the factors that allow lineages to remain distinct despite pervasive gene flow. These lineages thus serve as a natural laboratory to address long standing hypotheses on species formation.

Background Cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) is one of the most common food allergies in infancy. Most infants with CMPA tolerate baked milk from diagnosis and gradually acquire increased tolerance. Nevertheless, parents often display significant anxiety about this condition and a corresponding reluctance to progress with home introduction of dairy due to concerns about possible allergic reactions. Objective: To evaluate the impact on gradual home introduction of foods containing cows milk after a supervised, single low dose exposure to whole milk at time of diagnosis. Methods Infants less than 12 months old, referred with suspected IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy were recruited to an open-label randomised, controlled trial of intervention - a single dose of fresh cow’s milk, using the validated dose of milk that would elicit reactions in 5% of CMPA subjects - the ED 05 – vs routine care. Both groups implemented graded exposure to CM (using the 12 step MAP Milk Tolerance Induction Ladder), at Home. Parents completed food allergy quality of life and State and Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI). Main outcome measures were milk ladder position at 6 months and 12 months post randomisation. Results: Sixty patients were recruited, 57 (95%) were followed to 6 months. By 6 months 27/37 (73%) intervention subjects had reached step 6 or above on the milk ladder compared to 10/20 (50%) control subjects (p=0.048). By 6 months 11/37 (30%) intervention subjects had reached step 12 (ie drinking unheated cow’s milk) compared to 2/20 (10%) of the controls (p=0.049). Twelve months post randomisation 31/36(86%) of the intervention group and 15/19(79%) of the control group were on step 6 or above. However, 24/37 (65%) of the intervention group were at step 12 compared to 7/20 (35%) of the control group (p=0.03). Maternal STAIs were significantly associated with their infants’ progress on the milk ladder and with changes in skin prick test and spIgE levels at 6 and 12 months. Conclusion This study demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of introduction of baked milk implemented immediately after diagnosis of cows milk allergy in a very young cohort. A supervised single dose of milk at the ED 05 significantly accelerates this further, probably by giving parents the confidence to proceed. Maternal anxiety generally reflects infants’ progress towards completion of the milk ladder, but pre-existing high levels of maternal anxiety are associated with poorer progress.

Corresponding author*: alpinedna@gmail.com and quentin.mauvisseau@gmail.com

•A 28-month retrospective review from February 2019 to April 2021 of penetrating neck injuries (PNIs) at our trauma centre revealed a 48% (n=25 to n=37) increase in PNIs ‘post-lockdown’ (lockdown date = 23rd March 2020). •The aetiology of PNI changed over time, with an increase in the proportion of Deliberate Self Harm’ (DSH) cases from 1/3 to 2/3rds of case (n=9 to n=25), an overall 177.8% increase ‘post-lockdown’. An increase in mortality was also seen with no deaths ‘pre-lockdown’, and 3 deaths ‘post-lockdown’. •‘Accidental Injuries’ (AI) increased from 4% to 10% of cases (n=1 to n=4) post lockdown, with ‘grievous bodily harm (GBH) reducing from half to 1/5th of all cases (n=13 to n=8), and ‘domestic violence’ from 8% of cases to no cases post lockdown (DV) ‘post lockdown’. •‘Pre-lockdown’ 10% of DSH patients (n=1) were noted to have a prior mental health diagnosis or psychiatric care, ‘post-lockdown’ this increased to 61.5% (n=16) of DSH patients. •Data from our tertiary trauma centre in London has shown a change in aetiology, psychiatric co-morbidity and number of PNIs pre and post lockdown.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of non-dissolvable packing for the management of epistaxis. Design: Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting: A large university teaching hospital with an emergency department. Participants: Consecutive adults requiring non-dissolvable packing for the management of acute epistaxis between March 2020 and March 2021. Main outcome measures: Likert-scale questions based on the SNOT-22 questionnaire to assess side effects associated with non-dissolvable packing; and pain scores on insertion, whilst in-situ and on removal. Results: A total of 80 adults requiring non-dissolvable packing were included. 47% of patients presented following a first episode of epistaxis and 52% required inpatient management. 70% of patients had a Rapid Rhino pack inserted. Rapid Rhino had an increased incidence of patient-perceived embarrassment (30%, n=17) compared to patients packed with Merocel (8%, n=2). Patients packed with Rapid Rhino also had an increased severity of embarrassment (0.46 ±0.11) compared to patients packed with Merocel (0.13 ±0.09). Merocel packs had a higher mean pain score on removal (6.09 ±0.73) compared to Rapid Rhino (4.05 ±0.43). No significant association was noted between rebleed rates and pack type or rebleed rates and inpatient versus outpatient management. Conclusion: Non-dissolvable nasal packs, Rapid Rhino and Merocel, have similar efficacy in controlling epistaxis. Rapid Rhino packs are more embarrassing for patients in comparison to Merocel packs but are less painful to remove. Patients were successfully managed in the outpatient setting without an increased complication rate.

COMMENTARY: London Bridge is falling down – how will we build it up?

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This study investigates the impacts of climate change on the hydrology and soil thermal regime of ten sub-arctic watersheds (northern Manitoba, Canada) using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. We utilize statistically downscaled and bias-corrected forcing datasets based on 17 general circulation model (GCM) - representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to run the VIC model for three 30-year periods: a historical baseline (1981–2010), and future projections (2021–2050: 2030s and 2041–2070: 2050s), under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The CMIP5 Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) mean-based VIC simulations indicate a 15–20% increase and 10% decrease in the projected annual precipitation and snowfall, respectively over the southern portion of the basin and >20% rainfall increase over the higher latitudes of the domain by the 2050s. Snow accumulation is projected to decline across all sub-basins, particularly in the lower latitudes. Projected uncertainties in major water balance components (i.e., evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and streamflow) are more substantial in the wetland and lake-dominated Grass and Gunisao watersheds than their eight counterparts. Future warming increases soil temperatures >2.5°C by the 2050s, resulting in 40–50% more baseflow. Further analyses of soil temperature trends at three different depths show the most pronounced warming in the top soil layer (1.6°C 30-year-1 in the 2050s), whereas baseflow increases substantially by 19.7% and 46.3% during the 2030s and 2050s, respectively. These results provide crucial information on the potential future impacts of warming soil temperatures on the hydrology of sub-arctic watersheds in north-central Canada and similar hydro-climatic regimes.

In semiarid regions, dams are useful for surface water storage, sediment sequestration, and aquifer recharge. Built in 1987 on the Cap Bon peninsula (in northeastern Tunisia), the Lebna Dam is considered a good example of a multifunctional reservoir. The dam feeds two important irrigation networks, stores large sediment quantities, and allows a significant recharge flow to the underlying aquifer. This work suggests new leakage flow and dam-aquifer interaction characterizations through the development of an approach that combines a water balance calculation, geological field observations, groundwater monitoring, and geophysical research. The hydrological balance calculation performed over the 27-year monitoring period, from 1990 to 2017, shows that an estimated water volume of 3.7 Mm3y-1 has leaked from the Lebna reservoir to the coastal aquifer. Geological mapping of the Lebna Dam basin in summer 2019 revealed the existence of permeable layers of sands to sandstones exposed along the southern banks of the reservoir and extending to an elevation that included the water level when the dam is full; these rocks outcrop at approximately 16 m.a.s.l. A geophysical survey based on 67 vertical electrical soundings and 8 electrical resistivity tomography profiles in the area downstream of the reservoir was carried out to identify the lateral continuity of the recharge zones. Piezometric campaigns consisting of four field surveys in 2019 and 2020 were conducted in the region downstream of Lebna Dam, consisting of 71 water well samples. An interpretation of these geophysical data coupled with available borehole logging and piezometric measurements was used to define the leakage geometry from the reservoir dam to the coastal aquifer. The collected evidence led to the conclusion that concentrated recharge occurs in the downstream sections, especially on the right bank of the aquifer.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission operated between March 2002 and October 2017, providing monthly global terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA), which are essential in investigating global climate change and the hydrological cycle. Its continuation GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) was launched in May 2018, leading to an 11-months data gap between them. Therefore, it is of high significance to fill the data gap. However, existing studies have not yet achieved high prediction accuracy in filling the data gap over Northwest China (NWC). Based on the CSR RL06 spherical harmonics (SH) solution from April 2002 to June 2017, this study combined the Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) with the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to fill the data gap over NWC. Two conventional LSTM models were set as control groups: LSTM-1, for which GLDAS-based TWS, temperature, and precipitation were used as input, and LSTM-2, for which TWSA data of the previous 12 months were used as input. In general, the two conventional LSTM models showed poor performance. In contrast, the integrated VMD-LSTM model achieved significantly higher prediction accuracy (NSE = 0.974, CC = 0.989, and RMSE = 0.808 cm) and exhibited higher reliability compared to the single LSTM models. The proposed method offers a means toward bridging the gap in GRACE-based TWSA data over NWC. It also provides a reference for similar regions around the world.

In this work, strongly gradical supplemented modules are de…ned and some properties of these modules are investigated. Every ring has unity and every module is unital left module in this work. It is proved that every direct summand of a strongly gradical supplemented module is strongly gradical supplemented. Let f : M ! N be an Rmodule epimorphism and Ker (f) be a direct summand of M. If M is strongly gradical supplemented, then N is also strongly gradical supplemented. Let M be a strongly gradical supplemented Rmodule and K M. If V is a g-radical supplement submodule in M for every g-radical supplement submodule V =K in M=K, then M=K is strongly gradical supplemented.

Satyrium is an endangered and rare genus of plant that has various pharmacodynamic functions. The prediction of potentially suitable habitat of Satyrium species and to analyze their changes, the model MaxEnt niche was applied; furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic curve was applied to analyze accuracy. The results provided an available reference for implementation of long-term conservation and management approaches for the species. Under the current climatic conditions, the area of the total suitable habitat for Satyrium ciliatum (S. ciliatum) in China is 32.51 × 104 km2, the total suitable habitat area for Satyrium nepalense (S. nepalense) in China is 61.76 × 104 km2, and the area of the total suitable habitat for Satyrium yunnanense (S. yunnanense) in China is 89.73 × 104 km2. The potential suitable habitat of Satyrium is mainly distributed in Southwest China. The major environmental changes influencing the geographical distribution of S. ciliatum were temperature seasonality (Bio4), isothermality (Bio3), and mean temperature of coldest quarter (Bio11). The geographical distribution of S. nepalense was mainly affected by environmental variables like temperature seasonality (Bio4), isothermal environment (Bio3), and precipitation of the coldest quarter (Bio19); and the geographical distribution of the species S. yunnanense were mainly affected by the environmental variables such as temperature seasonality (Bio4), isothermality (Bio3) and lower temperature of the coldest month (Bio6). The distribution range of Satyrium’s extended with global warming increased, in both situations’ emissions of greenhouse gases with lower concentration (SSP1-2.6) and the emission of greenhouse gases with higher concentration (SSP5-8.5). According to the study, the distribution of suitable habitat would shift with change to higher elevated areas in the coming time.

A mechanism for the reaction of diformylhydrazine with o- and p-aminophenols has been studied by quantum-chemical calculations within the framework of electron density functional theory using the B3LYP/6-311++G (d,p)//B2PLYP/6-311++G (d, p) basis sets. It is shown that the first stage of this reaction involves nucleophilic addition of the aminophenol nitrogen to one of the carbonyl groups of diformylhydrazine to afford an unstable geminal amino alcohol, which can be further dehydrated to iminohydrazide or hydrazonamide. The prototropic imino-amine rearrangement occurring in the iminohydrazide delivers hydrazonamide, The latter, owing to nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen atom at the second carbonyl group, is converted into a cyclic amino alcohol, dehydration of which produces the target 1,2,4-triazole. The obtained results have been compared with the data NMR spectroscopy.

A document by Santoshi Pokharel Kunwar. Click on the document to view its contents.

We introduce and study in a general setting the concept of homogeneity of an operator and, in particular, the notion of homogeneity of an integral operator. In the latter case, homogeneous kernels of such operators are also studied. The concept of homogeneity is associated with transformations of a measure - measure dilations, which are most natural in the context of our general research scheme. For the study of integral operators, the notions of weak and strong homogeneity of the kernel are introduced. The weak case is proved to generate a homogeneous operator in the sense of our definition, while the stronger condition corresponds to the most relevant specific examples - classes of homogeneous integral operators on various metric spaces, and allows us to obtain an explicit general form for the kernels of such operators. The examples given in the article - various specific cases - illustrate general statements and results given in the paper and at the same time are of interest in their own way.

In the biopharmaceutical industry, accurate prediction of the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) by the cells is critical to understanding cell health. Accurate estimation of the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) presents a significant challenge in predicting OUR, and OTR is dependent on the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa). Often kLa is assumed to be constant throughout a fermentation and estimated from experiments using no cells and in a buffer solutions. Yet, it is well-known that additions (i.e., glucose, base, and antifoam), cell secretions, and stir speed markedly effect kLa. Currently, there are three standard methods used to estimate kLa; however, all three have significant issues. This rapid communication describes a novel, non-disruptive method to estimate kLa by modulating the gas flow rate. This approach allowed accurate kLa estimates at multiple times throughout Escherichia coli batch fermentations using a non-disruptive technique, thus lowering the risk of losing a fermentation due to inadequate oxygenation.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological changes in extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) vaginal colonization in high-risk pregnant women and identify independent risk factors. Further, the differences in perinatal outcomes according to maternal ESBL-E vaginal colonization were analyzed. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Republic of Korea Population 1,460 women admitted to our high-risk pregnancy unit between 14+0 and 35+6 gestational weeks. Methods The study period was divided into periods 1 (January 2010 to July 2015) and 2 (August 2015 to December 2020). The main outcomes were analyzed according to each period and ESBL-E vaginal colonization. Main Outcome Measures ESBL-E vaginal colonization rate, risk factors for ESBL-E vaginal colonization, and perinatal outcomes. Results The ESBL-E vaginal colonization rate was higher in period 2, which was attributed to a significantly higher proportion of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. Cerclage (odds ratio [OR]: 3.248; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.744–6.049) and prior antibiotic treatment (OR: 3.044; 95% CI: 1.713–5.410) were found as independent risk factors for ESBL-E vaginal colonization. Earlier gestational age at delivery, and higher proven early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) rate were observed in the ESBL-E-positive group. Conclusions The ESBL-E vaginal colonization rate in high-risk pregnant patients has increased over the past decade, and the independent risk factors for colonization are cerclage and prior antibiotic treatment. Additionally, maternal ESBL-E vaginal colonization is associated with higher proven EONS rates. Funding This study received no funding. Keywords Extended-spectrum β-lactamase, Enterobacteriaceae, vaginal colonization, antibiotics use, cerclage, neonatal sepsis

The objective of this paper is to develop a modified strain gradient beam constraint model (MSGBCM) to improve modeling accuracy of small-scale compliant mechanisms. First, a simple nano/micro flexure beam under the effect of end loads is considered. The virtual work principle is employed to formulate the load-displacement behavior of the system based on the modified strain gradient theory. It is observed that as the size of the structure becomes smaller, the elements of the elastic stiffness and load stiffening matrices severely deviate from their corresponded values in the beam constraint model (BCM). Then, a closed-form expression is proposed for the nonlinear strain energy of the nano/micro flexure beams in terms of their tip displacements. This energy expression is then utilized to model load-displacement relationship of micron/submicron size parallelogram (P) flexures. Moreover, analytical formulas are derived for the axial, transverse and rotational stiffnesses of P-flexures. The most important observation is that the axial stiffness loss of small-scale P-flexures resulted from the movement of the stage in the transverse direction, may be seriously overestimated by the BCM. The MSGBCM developed in this paper can be easily extended for investigating static and dynamic behavior of more complex micron and submicron size flexure units.

1. The foraging and nesting performance of bees can provide important information on bee health and is of interest for risk and impact assessment of environmental stressors. While radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is an efficient tool increasingly used for the collection of behavioral data in social bee species such as honey bees, behavioral studies on solitary bees still largely depend on direct observations, which is very time-consuming. 2. Here, we present a novel automated methodological approach of individually and simultaneously tracking and analyzing foraging and nesting behavior of numerous cavity-nesting solitary bees. The approach consists of monitoring nesting units by video recording and automated analysis of videos by a machine learning based software. This Bee Tracker software consists of four trained deep learning networks to detect bees that enter or leave their nest and to recognize individual IDs on the bees’ thorax as well as the IDs of their nests according to their positions in the nesting unit. 3. The software is able to identify each nest of each individual nesting bee, which permits to measure individual-based measures of reproductive success. Moreover, the software quantifies the number of cavities a female enters until it finds its nest as a proxy of nest recognition, and it provides information on the number and duration of foraging trips. By training the software on 8 videos recording 24 nesting females per video, the software achieved a precision of 96% correct measurements of these parameters. 4. The software could be adapted to various experimental setups by training it to an according set of videos. The presented method allows to efficiently collect large amounts of data on cavity-nesting solitary bee species and represents a promising new tool for the monitoring and assessment of behavior and reproductive success under laboratory, semi-field and field conditions.

Testing for microscopic blood traces, protein and other parameters by means of test strips has been a standard method in general medical and urological practices for years, but also in private settings. We report a potential source of error in the measurement of protein content of urine in men which has never been addressed in the manufacturer's instructions or in other publications.

we described an 87-year-old man who presented with fever and hemoptysis. Nosocomial pneumonia was initially impressed. However, the patient has worsening hemoptysis despite defervescence. Computed tomography of chest disclosed ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm. Emergent surgery was then commenced for adequate treatment.

Objective: To determine the endometrial thickness at which endometrial sampling is indicated in asymptomatic post-menopausal women referred with thickened endometrium on ultrasound. Design: Retrospective case series Setting: Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne Population: Post-menopausal women without bleeding, undergoing hysteroscopy for thickened endometrium Methods: Logistic regression was used to examine the association between a range of variables and pre-malignant or malignant pathology and endometrial thickness Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was endometrial malignancy/pre-malignancy and its relation to endometrial thickness. Secondary outcomes focused on identifying additional predictors which may influence endometrial malignancy such as ultrasound findings, years since menopause, age, obesity, diabetes, and tamoxifen use. Results: A total of 404 postmenopausal women met the inclusion criteria for this study. The mean (SD) age of patients at presentation was 65 (9.09) years and the mean BMI was 29.86 kg/m2 (6.52). Of these women, nine (2.2%) were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma and 7 (1.7%) had endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. The most common histopathological finding was of a benign endometrial polyp (153, 37.9%). When including hyperplasia with or without atypia in histopathology of interest, a cut-off of ≥9mm provides the greatest sensitivity (83.3%) and specificity (63.8%) for a diagnosis of pre-malignant or malignant pathology (classification accuracy of 64.8%; AUROC: 0.7358, 95%CI: 0.6439, 0.8278) in this cohort. Conclusions: Using an endometrial thickness of ≥9mm can be safely used as a cut-off for endometrial sampling in post-menopausal women without bleeding. Funding: Norman Beischer Medical Research Foundation, 2018 NBMRF Grant Keywords: Endometrial thickness, Post-menopausal, endometrial hyperplasia

1. The Generalised Abundance Index (GAI) provides a useful tool for estimating relative population sizes and trends of seasonal invertebrates from species’ count data, and offers potential for inferring which external factors may influence phenology and demography through parametric descriptions of seasonal variation. 2. We provide an R package that extends previous software with the ability to include covariates when fitting parametric GAI models, where seasonal variation is described by either a mixture of Normal distributions or a stopover model which provides estimates of lifespan. The package also generalises the model to allow any number of broods/generations in the target population within a defined season. The option to perform bootstrapping, either parametrically or non-parametrically, is also provided. 3. The new package allows models to be far more flexible when describing seasonal variation, which may be dependent on site-specific environmental factors or consist of many broods/generations which may overlap, as demonstrated by two case studies. 4. Our open-source software, available at \href{https://github.com/calliste-fagard-jenkin/GAI}{https://github.com/calliste-fagard-jenkin/rGAI}, makes this extension widely and freely available, allowing the complexity of GAI models used by ecologists and applied statisticians to increase accordingly.

In this paper, a conservative compact difference scheme for the generalized Kawahara equation is constructed based on the scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) approach. The discrete conservative laws of mass and Hamiltonian energy and boundedness estimates are studied in detail. The error estimates in discrete $L^{\infty}$-norm and $L^2$-norm of the presented scheme are analyzed by using the discrete energy method. We give an efficiently algorithm of the presented scheme which only needs to solve two decoupled equations.