Background: Biological evolution exhibits an extraordinary capability to adapt organisms to their environments. The explanation for this often takes for granted that random genetic variation produces at least some beneficial phenotypic variation in which natural selection can act. Such genetic evolvability could itself be a product of evolution, but it is widely acknowledged that the immediate sel

Deuterium is a natural low abundance stable hydrogen isotope that in high concentrations negatively affects growth of cells. Here, we have studied growth of Escherichia coli MG1655, a wild-type laboratory strain of E. coli K-12, in deuterated glycerol minimal medium. The growth rate and final biomass in deuterated medium is substantially reduced compared to cells grown in ordinary medium. By using

In this study we describe a methodology to create high-vertical-resolution SO2 profiles from volcanic emissions. We demonstrate the method's performance for the volcanic clouds following the eruption of Sarychev in June 2009. The resulting profiles are based on a combination of satellite SO2 and aerosol retrievals together with trajectory modelling. We use satellite-based measurements, namely lida

Interactions between organisms and their environments are central to how biological diversity arises and how natural populations and ecosystems respond to environmental change. These interactions involve processes by which phenotypes are affected by or respond to external conditions (e.g., via phenotypic plasticity or natural selection) as well as processes by which organisms reciprocally interact

Intrinsic self-healing materials have received significant attention due to the characteristic recovery after damage properties through reversible dynamic covalent and non-covalent interactions. Furthermore, functional recovery with reliable mechanical properties are highly keen as protective coatings, specifically for devices and sensors vulnerable to abrasion in severe environments. Here, we pre

This paper presents INTRACFG, a declarative and language-independent framework for constructing precise intraprocedural control-flow graphs (CFGs) based on the reference attribute grammar system JastAdd. Unlike most other frameworks, which build CFGs on an Intermediate Representation level, e.g., bytecode, our approach superimposes the CFGs on the Abstract Syntax Tree, enabling accurate client ana

The water-energy-food nexus is now a popular approach in the sustainability field. However, whereas the nexus calls for more holistic, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, the research produced over the past decade has been fragmented and specialized. Furthermore, there is still a gap between the nexus as a descriptive and analytical concept and its operationalization. Nexus research needs a s

Background: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in viral infections. We aimed to assess the causal effect of lipid-lowering drugs (HMGCR inhibitiors, PCSK9 inhibitiors and NPC1L1 inhibitior) on COVID-19 outcomes using 2-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study.Methods: We used two kinds of genetic instruments to proxy the exposure of lipid-lowering drugs, including eQTLs of drugs target gene

Electrothermal energy conversion provides attractive solutions for global energy management, such as energy harvesting from waste heat using pyroelectric energy conversion (PEC) and efficient cooling of portable electronics or data servers using the electrocaloric effect. Relaxor ferroelectrics are attractive for electrothermal energy conversion because of their large pyroelectric coefficients ove

Human agency has become a core topic in economic geography complementing traditional, structural approaches to explain regional development. This paper contributes firstly with a discussion of the theoretical and conceptual relationships between the agency of individuals, organizations, and systems. Secondly, it proposes a novel analytical framework for studying how human agency, combined with ext

Background: Primary spinal tumors are rare. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor.Case description: A patient presented with a rare clinical finding, Brown-Séquard syndrome. The symptoms were caused by an extramedullary tumor compressing on the thoracic spinal cord. Pathologic examination showed cavernous hemangioma with growth both intradurally and extradurally.Conclusions: This i

There is over 15,600 km of track in the Swedish railroad network. This network is vital for the transportation of people and goods across the country. It is important that this network is monitored and maintained to ensure good function and safety. A tool for monitoring and measuring ground deformation over a large area remotely with high frequency and accuracy was developed in recent decades. Thi

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) remains the gold standard for the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Complications during the procedure are rare. An extremely rare complication is a rupture of the urinary bladder. This article reports a case where an explosion occurred during TURP, resulting in a large intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder. The patient unde

Superior canal dehiscence is a rare syndrome. The symptoms consist of hearing loss, dizziness and autophonia. The patient can be cured with surgery. A 28 year old woman went to several doctors for several months due to diminished hearing, dizziness and autophonia. The symptoms got worse. A work-up led to the diagnosis of superior canal dehiscence in the left ear. She underwent surgery and her symp

The Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 provided an opportunity to complete the unfinished business of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and also a chance to commit to a forward-looking sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and targets by 2030.This background document for the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 was conceiv

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is about 0.5% of all cancer. The outcome of patients with gallbladder carcinoma is overall bad and the only potentially curative treatment is surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the disease's prevalence in Iceland and outcome of the patients diagnosed in the study period.Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study of all diagnosed patients w

This paper shows the advantage of using both 3d models and surgical navigation system when preparing and planning complex brain surgery. The novel clinical process introduced here combine CT and MRI images in special computer program where the regions of interest are isolated e.g. the skull base, tumor and other soft tissue. A 3D model is calculated from the segmented masks and printed using Rapid

AbstractBackgroundMotion tracking during live surgeries may be used to assess surgeons’ intra-operative performance, provide feedback, and predict outcome. Current assessment protocols rely on human observations, controlled laboratory settings, or tracking technologies not suitable for live operating theatres. In this study, a novel method for motion tracking of live open-heart surgery was develop

Retroperitoneal tumours rarely cause significant symptoms, therefore they are frequently diagnosed incidentally. Ganglioneuroma is a rare tumour that most often present in the posterior mediastinum or the retroperitoneal cavity. In the present case, a solitary ganglioneuroma is diagnosed in the retroperitoneum in an young healthy male, a rather typical presentation of this benign tumour.

This article examines the outcome of the International Law Commission’s (ILC) Study on the Protection of the Environment in relation to Armed Conflict as adopted on first reading. The twenty-eight draft principles, adopted by the ILC in July 2019, aim to enhance environmental protection before, during, and after armed conflict. This article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the draft princ