Monthly Archives: September 2021

Uterine transplantation (UTx) is acknowledged to be on the second (2A) of five steps of development in accordance with the staging system for the evaluation of surgical innovations. Accordingly, we aimed to systematically review the available evidence of the surgical techniques and outcomes of UTx in terms of graft survival.A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed Medline, Cochrane-EBMR, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL through November 2020.Forty studies, reporting 64 recipients and 64 donors, satisfied inclusion criteria. The surgical time and the estimated blood loss were 515minutes and 679mL for graft procurement via laparotomy, 210minutes and 100mL for laparoscopic-assisted graft harvest, and 660minutes and 173mL for robotic-assisted procedures, respectively. Urinary tract infections (=8) and injury to the urinary system (=6) were the most common donor complications. Using the donors internal iliac system, two arterial anastomoses were performed in all cases. Venous outflow was accomplished through the uterine veins (UVs) in 13 cases, a combination of the UVs and the ovarian/uteroovarian veins (OVs/UOVs) in 36 cases, and solely through the OVs/UOVs in 13 cases. Ischemia time was 161 and 258minutes when using living donors (LD) and deceased donors (DD), respectively. Forty-eight uteri were successfully transplanted or fulfilled the purpose of transplantation, 41 from LDs and 7 from DDs. Twenty-five and four live childbirths from LDs and DDs have been reported, respectively.UTx is still experimental. Further series are required to recommend specific surgical techniques that best yield a successful transplant and reduce complications for donors and recipients.Thieme. All rights reserved.

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Evolution and Transformation of Uterine Transplantation: A Systematic Review of Surgical Techniques and Out... - Physician's Weekly

Designed for both form and function, the Lyric is indispensable to any lifestyle. The Lyric's beautiful design, available in five attractive colors, means no hiding it in a drawer or closet like most massage devices. Users can proudly display the device in their homes, serving as a steady reminder to use it daily and develop positive wellness habits.

The Lyric provides an intuitive experience. Its easy-to-use touchscreen guides users through therapies and, unlike other connected massagers and their respective apps, it eliminates the need to juggle a device and phone simultaneously, allowing people to truly be in the moment and focus on their holistic wellbeing.

As a self-care companion, the Lyric provideson-board guidance for temporary relief of muscle aches and pains, as well as therapies designed to relax and energize. The Lyric's Wi-Fi technology offers users peace of mind knowing they'll always have the latest software upgrades, therapies and wellness content.

"Never before has a massage device offered the technology, aesthetic and experience to answer so many unmet consumer needs, not just those of serious athletes," said Hugh Williams, Lyric co-founder. "Each detail of the Lyric has been thoughtfully designed based on extensive research and feedback to create an unmatched wellness experience. Now, people won't have to choose between what they want and what their bodies and minds need with the Lyric, they can have it all in one device."

Stimulate Your Nervous System with Rhythm TherapyWith the introduction of the Lyric comes a breakthrough in massage technology, Rhythm Therapy. Rather than a mono-frequency or "flat line" experience, which is what most massage devices deliver, the Lyric vibrates in a wavelike pattern mimicking naturally occurring rhythms that can have a profound impact on the body and mind. Rhythm is deeply humanand connected to our ability to rest, invigorate and renew. Rhythm promotes a feeling of happiness; it helps center and connect the mind and body. Rhythm helps people to be fully well. The Lyric's Rhythm Therapy creates an exquisite experience it's like Mozart for your muscles.

Rhythmic frequencies have been shown to affect the endocrine, musculoskeletal and nervous systems, and can temporarily alleviate minor muscle pain, shift stress and positively affect both emotions and overall mental state.

"Therapies that incorporate rhythmic frequencies have the ability to guide the body to its parasympathetic mode, allowing it to slow down and rest, but they can also activate the body's sympathetic mode, leading to feeling alert, awake and energized," said Dr. Jena Gatses, DPT, LMT, SFMA,CSCS. "The therapy options provided by the Lyric offer a range of benefits, including pain relief, calm and energy, for an intuitive and customized experience."

Wellness HarmonizedThe Lyric establishes a new category in wellness, thanks to its therapeutic range of frequencies coupled with lower amplitude (the distance traveled by the massage head). This combination requires less pressure from the device to achieve the same result, allowing for a more comfortable, enjoyable and nonaggressive massage experience that feels good and promotes positive wellbeing.

The Lyric offers a slim handle with ergonomic grip and includes an optional extension handle for easier maneuvering and accessing hard-to-reach spots. Also included with each massager are four attachments neatly stored in the docking station: Cone, Dome, Thumb and Double. Each attachment helps to deliver a personalized experience that provides exactly what the body needs, regardless of the ache or pain. The Lyric also has induction charging built intothe docking station (as well as a USB-C) for grab-n-go charging.

Elevated DesignSleek, stylish and lightweight, the Lyric merits public display as a constant reminder to use and benefit from it daily. Offered in Blueprint (light blue), Terracotta (soft orange), Stone (off white), Slate (dark grey with blue undertone) and Granite (black), the Lyric features beautiful hues to fit any taste or dcor. Its $199.95 MSRP makes the Lyric a premium experience for a broad range of users, lifestyles and needs, for hundreds of dollars less than other devices offering fewer features.

Find Your Rhythmwith the Lyric therapeutic massager atExperienceLyric.com or at select retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Meijer, REI and Target. Join the Lyric wellness movement by following @ExperienceLyric on Facebook, Instagramand Twitter.

About The LyricThe Lyricis the result of a two-year project by a distinguished team of leading designers, therapists, entrepreneurs and investors drawing on consumer research and experience working across some of the world's most iconic brands. In partnership with global leaders in design and innovation, the Lyric was developed to address unmet consumer needs around form, function and accessibility. Say goodbye to ugly, aggressive and heavy massage guns made only for elite athletes.The stylishly designed Lyric was created with everybody and every body in mind, delivering an intuitive and easy-to-use experience. Now, you don't have to sacrifice quality or choose between features when deciding on self-care. With the Lyric, you can have what you want as well as what your body and mind need. Visit ExperienceLyric.comto Find Your Rhythm and join the Lyric wellness movement by following @ExperienceLyric on Facebook, Instagramand Twitter.

SOURCE The Lyric

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Introducing The Lyric Therapeutic Massager, An Evolution In Self-Care - PRNewswire

An African lily (Agapanthus africanus) flower is broken into component parts. According to a new classification of plant complexity, an African lily has 12 types of parts in its reproductive structure, some of which are on the seed or inside the ovary and not pictured here. In comparison, a typical fern has one type of reproductive part. Credit: Andrew Leslie

A Stanford-led studyreveals that rather than evolving gradually over hundreds of millions of years, land plants underwent major diversification in two dramatic bursts, 250 million years apart. The first occurred early in plant history, giving rise to the development of seeds, and the second took place during the diversification of flowering plants.

The research uses a novel but simple metric to classify plant complexity based on the arrangement and number of basic parts in their reproductive structures. While scientists have long assumed that plants became more complex with the advent of seeds and flowers, the new findings, published on September 17, 2021, in Science, offer insight into the timing and magnitude of those changes.

The most surprising thing is this kind of stasis, this plateau in complexity after the initial evolution of seeds and then the total change that happened when flowering plants started diversifying, said lead study authorAndrew Leslie, an assistant professor of geological sciences at StanfordsSchool of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences(Stanford Earth). The reproductive structures look different in all these plants, but they all have about the same number of parts during that stasis.

Flowers are more diverse than every other group of plants, producing colors, smells, and shapes that nourish animals and delight the senses. They are also intricate: petals, anthers and pistils interweave in precise arrangements to lure pollinators and trick them into spreading pollen from one flower to another.

This complexity makes it difficult for scientists to compare flowering plants to plants with simpler reproductive systems, such as ferns or some conifers. As a result, botanists have long focused on characteristics within family groups and typically study evolution in non-flowering plants separately from their more intricate flowering relatives.

Leslie and his co-authors overcame these differences by designing a system that classifies the number of different kinds of parts in reproductive structures based on observation alone. Each species was scored according to how many types of parts it has and the degree to which it exhibited clustering of those parts. They categorized about 1,300 land plant species from about 420 million years ago until the present.

This tells a pretty simple story about plant reproductive evolution in terms of form and function: The more functions the plants have and the more specific they are, the more parts they have,Leslie said. Its a useful way of thinking about broad-scale changes encompassing the whole of plant history.

When land plants first diversified in the early Devonian about 420 million to 360 million years ago, Earth was a warmer world devoid of trees or terrestrial vertebrate animals. Arachnids like scorpions and mites roamed the land amongst short, patchy plants and the tallest land organism was a 20-foot fungus resembling a tree trunk. After the Devonian, huge changes occurred in the animal kingdom: Land animals evolved to have large body sizes and more varied diets, insects diversified, dinosaurs appeared but plants didnt see a major change in reproductive complexity until they developed flowers.

Insect pollination and animal seed dispersal may have appeared as early as 300 million years ago, but its not until the last 100 million years that these really intricate interactions with pollinators are driving this super high complexity in flowering plants, Leslie said. There was such a long period of time where plants could have interacted with insects in the way that flowering plants do now, but they didnt to the same degree of intricacy.

In the Late Cretaceous, about 100 to 66 million years ago, Earth more closely resembled the planet we know today a bit like Yosemite National Park without the flowering trees and bushes. The second burst of complexity was more dramatic than the first, emphasizing the unique nature of flowering plants, according to Leslie. That period gave rise to plants like the passionflower, which can have 20 different types of parts, more than twice the number found in non-flowering plants.

The researchers classified 472 living species, part of which Leslie carried out on and around Stanfords campus by simply pulling apart local plants and counting their reproductive organs. The analysis includes vascular land plants everything except mosses and a few early plants that lack supportive tissue for conducting water and minerals.

One thing we argue in this paper is that this classification simply reflects their functional diversity, Leslie said. They basically split up their labor in order to be more efficient at doing what they needed to do.

Reference: Reproductive innovations and pulsed rise in plant complexity by Andrew B. Leslie, Carl Simpson and Luke Mander, 17 September 2021, Science.DOI: 10.1126/science.abi6984

Study co-authors include Carl Simpson of the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and Luke Mander of The Open University.

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Plants Didnt Evolve Gradually They Evolved Complexity in Two Dramatic Bursts 250-Million-Years Apart - SciTechDaily

CardioNerds(Amit Goyal,Daniel Ambinder) and Dr. Mark Belkin, (CardioNerds Correspondent) and Dr. Shirlene Obuobi (CardioNerds Ambassador) from University of Chicago are honored to bring to you the Dr. Milton Packer perspective on the evolution of the neurohormonal hypothesis as part of The CardioNerds Heart Success Series. In part 2 Dr. Packer shares his journey as the trailing spouse and tells the story of how the neurohormonal hypothesis was developed.

Check out theCardioNerdsHeart Failure Success Series Pagefor more heart success episodes and content!

This is a non CME episode. Disclosures: Milton Packer reports receiving consulting fees fromAbbvie, Actavis,Amgen, Amarin,AstraZeneca,Boehringer Ingelheim,Bristol Myers Squibb, Casana, CSL Behring,Cytokinetics,Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Eli Lilly and Company,Moderna, Novartis, ParatusRx, Pfizer, Relypsa, Salamandra, Synthetic Biologics,Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.and Theravance Biopharma Inc.

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This CardioNerdsHeart Failure Success Series was created in memory of Dr. David Taylor. We thank our partners at the Heart Failure Society of Americawhich is a multidisciplinary organization working to improve and expand heart failure care through collaboration, education, research, innovation, and advocacy. Its members include physicians, scientists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. Learn more athfsa.org.

147. The Evolution of the Neurohormonal Hypothesis with Dr. Milton Packer: Part 2 The Secret to Happiness, The Aha Moment, & The Birth Of The...

Telehealth continues to grow as a crucial part of patient care, especially when supporting patients who live in remote areas and senior citizens. Research firm Frost & Sullivan forecasts a sevenfold growthin telehealth by 2025 a five-year compound annual growth rate of 38%.

The bottom line is that people want to have access to healthcare anytime, anywhere, across multiple devices and in the language of their choice. In fact, many new areas of telehealth such as tele-oncology and tele-stroke have become part of the mainstream healthcare system.

The idea of triaging patient issues and prescribing medication or assigning tasks such as physical therapy is just a part of the picture. There also has been an uptick in the use of telepsychiatry, especially for patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression and isolation.

For healthcare providers, telehealth presents an opportunity to address patient care needs, improve the customer experience and reduce costs. Healthcare IT News sat down with Linda Comp-Noto, division president forhealthcare enterprise operationsat telemedicine technology and services vendor Teleperformance, to discuss the evolution of telehealth, unique aspects of supporting remote customers and senior citizens, approval of more than 80 new medical services that can be delivered via telehealth and the creation of new diagnostic codes, and tackling privacy issues related to HIPAA.

Q. How has telehealth evolved over the past few years?

A. Telehealth is defined as the provision of healthcare virtually by use of digital information and communication technologies. According to Mayo Clinic, telehealth is used to access healthcare servicesremotelyto manage one's healthcare. These may be technologies used from the home or that a doctor uses to improve or support healthcare services.

Over the years, while digital technology was quickly advancing, telehealth had a relatively low adoption rate due to poor reimbursement rates and regulatory challenges when it came to patient privacy and HIPAA compliance.

Telehealth providers saw a rapid rise in the need for remote services with the initial spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Healthcare providers needed to find an immediate solution to care for their patients while keeping them home and maintaining the safety of the community. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began to allow for reimbursement for videoconferencing between healthcare provider and patient.

According to HHS.gov, CMS created a provisional policy during the coronavirus pandemic to help support the use of telehealth. CMS issued temporary measures to make it easier for people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to receive medical care through telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This trend in remote access to care has expanded widely and is expected to continue.

Q. What are some of the unique aspects of supporting patients remotely?

A. Going beyond a global pandemic with a critical need to support patients remotely, there are many other situations where telehealth plays an important role in a person's healthcare.

It can be critical in helping people who don't have physical access to care due to their geography, lack of transportation or socioeconomic situation. Telehealth also can be extremely helpful in care coordination between primary healthcare providers and specialists by enhancing communication on a real-time basis, allowing faster response time and access to life-changing treatment.

Now more than ever, patients need to be their own advocates and engage in proper self-care techniques for treating and preventing diseases. Telehealth allows access to online portals to track symptoms and progress in a person's quest for wellness.

Portals can contain information from a patient's electronic health records from various providerstest results,digital device results such as heart rate, weight, oxygen levels, blood pressure and activity level,just to name a few. This is an exciting time for the future of telehealth for all people to lead longer and healthier lives.

Q. Please discuss the importance of the approval of more than 80 new medical services that can be delivered via telehealth and the creation of new diagnostic codes.

A. Last year, Congress eliminated barriers to patient care by approving a bill called the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020. This allowed telehealth to be used to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since then, CMS has now expanded coverage for telehealth and telemedicine. Eighty services can now be offered at the same reimbursement rates as traditional in-person office care.

According to CMS.gov, CMS is expanding access to telehealth services with Medicare. This means patients can receive care wherever they are at home, nursing home, assisted living, etc. If they have COVID-19, they can continue in isolation and prevent the spread of the illness. If they are not infected, they can get care without risking exposure to others who may be ill.

The 80 services that have now been approved include emergency department visits, initial nursing facility and discharge visits, and at-home visits that must be provided by a clinician who is allowed to provide telehealth.

This is important for the future of healthcarebecause it is helping remove the restrictions on access to care for many people. The new rules allow for some audio-only options that can help people who do not have access to computer equipment or video phones. There also are new provisions allowing telehealth use for ambulatory surgery, mental health centers and other healthcare settings that were restricted in the past. Further updates can be found at Coronavirus.gov.

Q. How can healthcare provider organizations tackle privacy issues related to HIPPA when it comes to telemedicine?

A. Patient privacy and data security are paramount when it comes to a successful telehealth operation. It is imperative that provider organizations ensure patient information is fully protected, as patients are trusting them to do so. There are many ways to effectively ensure privacy and security.

According to HIMSS, there are four best practices for data privacy and telehealth: strong authentication, end-to-end encryption, clean machines,and, when in doubt, throw it out. When addressing authentication, the telehealth platform should provide a strong authentication method. This means both parties need to be authenticated prior to the sharing of access to any confidential information.

This often involves platforms that require individuals to log in with unique usernames and passwords. Passwords need to be strong and contain a complex combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Biometrics can be implemented, along with multifactor authentication when required.

Second, end-to-end encryption is important for ensuring that only the people intended to be part of the conversation are able to access any part of communication and no one can break through.

Third, keeping a clean machine ensures that all operating systems and applications are fully up to date and working properly. This includes, but is not limited to, antivirus and appropriate firewalls. WiFi should be secure and not open to the public whenever personal or proprietary information is exchanged.

Lastly, when in doubt, throw it out. If any electronic communication appears to be suspicious, it's best to delete it and avoid clicking on any links.

Phishing is used to infect users' machines with malware and viruses. Both patients and providers can receive phishing emails, and they should always be disregarded. Privacy and data security go hand in hand and should involve technology combined with solid standard operating procedures that are audited and adhered to.

Twitter:@SiwickiHealthITEmail the writer:bsiwicki@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

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Taking stock of the sudden evolution of telemedicine - Healthcare IT News

As humans, we have a large and intricately folded neocortex that accounts for many of our intellectual abilities and sets us apart from all other species. A research team headed by Dr. Tran Tuoc from the Department of Human Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine at Ruhr-Universitt Bochum (RUB) has identified an important factor that could have led to this brain development in the course of evolution: the so-called H3 acetylation of basal neural precursor cells. This finding could also pave the way for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The paper was published in the journal Science Advances on 15. September 2021.

In order to test whether cortical expansion in evolution is linked to a change in the epigenetic landscape, the authors started by investigating whether epigenetic marks differ between TBR2-positive (+) BPs from mouse and human cortices. They performed intranuclear immunofluorescence staining with TBR2 antibodies and with single cell suspensions isolated from developing mouse and human cortices, followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to purify TBR2+ BPs.

The team used a new mass spectrometry-based technique to detect differences in the epigenetic landscape between the developing mouse and human brain. Our studies showed that what is known as histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation, or H3K9ac, is low in mouse basal progenitor cells but high in human cells, points out Tran Tuoc. When the researchers increased the acetylation of mouse neurons in the experiment, this stimulated their proliferation, which led to growth and folding of the typically smooth mouse cortex. The pathway is via increased expression of the TRNP1 gene.

These results suggest that manipulating H3 acetylation in basal progenitor cells could help generate more neurons, which in turn could be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Reference:Kerimoglu C, Pham L, Tonchev AB, et al. H3 acetylation selectively promotes basal progenitor proliferation and neocortex expansion. Sci Adv. 7(38):eabc6792. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abc6792

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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New Technique Reveals Secrets of Brain Evolution - Technology Networks

On the eve of 'Operation Searchlight,'the infamous genocidal attempt of the Pakistani military to wipe out East Pakistani resistancefamous British journalist Simon Dring along with other foreign journalists were confined to the Intercontinental at Shahbagh. The West Pakistani administration wanted to deport him and others to keep their crimes against humanity under the rug. But Simon, then a 26-year-old man, had other ideas.

"He hid in our kitchen where our chefs had helped disguise him in chef's clothing. While the Pakistani army was successful in preventing other foreign journalists from covering the issue, Simon Dring was unstoppable," said Shahidus Sadeque, Director, Marketing and Business Promotions at Intercontinental Dhaka.

"Staying here, he wrote reports about the unspeakable things that were done to our people by the Pakistani military. Moreover, since the University of Dhaka was nearby, he was able to cover the atrocities committed in those areas as well, as in other areas in 1971," he added.

Later, Simon Dring risked his life to report Pakistan's atrocities on 25 March. After the country's independence, Simon went on to found the first Bangladeshi private channel called Ekushey TV. Dring's story, like many others, echo between the tall columns of the Intercontinental, while the longstanding history of this 55-year-old hotel wraps around its walls like timeless tapestry.

The Business Standard team wanted to get a first-hand look at the history and evolution of this prestigious establishment with Shahidus Sadeque, who had many more stories to share.

At present, the Intercontinental is not only reeling back from the effects of the pandemic, but also from an earlier hotel closure.

"It would ideally take more than a few years for any hotel to get going in full swing," said Sadeque, after a major renovation closure, which lasted for four years, starting in 2014. "Unfortunately, just a little more than a year after reopening, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the tourism industry. Since our customer base primarily constituted foreigners, it was an unfair blow for all of us," explained Sadeque.

"So, we customised our marketing strategy to attract the domestic consumers more," he added.

Elements (a restaurant in the Intercontinental) is currently the best restaurant in Dhaka according to Tripadvisor. It has a perfect 5.0 rating.

He also said that the hotel was organising wedding ceremonies, seminars etc in their halls for community programmes while maintaining the health guidelines from WHO and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Currently, the room tariff for different rooms and suites in the Intercontinental range from Tk10,000 for the standard deluxe rooms to Tk 60,000 for the Presidential suites, on average, although they may vary based on season, day and demand. And the local occupancy rate is 25% to 30%, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

History of the Intercontinental

When Intercontinental began its journey, Dhaka (erstwhile Dacca) was the capital of East Pakistan. Much like many other monuments that adorn this grand metropolis, Intercontinental Dacca was built in 1966 at Shahbagh.

Unsurprisingly, many significant historical events took place here. Since it was the only five-star hotel back then, renowned individuals and celebrities chose to stay at this hotel during their visits to Bangladesh.

From the South African legend Nelson Mandela, the world's first female Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike from Sri Lanka to Marlon Brando-the Godfather himself, the Intercontinental boasts a rather exemplary guest roster. From the Queen of Spain to Shahid Afridi (a regular guest), many remarkable individuals have spent nights under the Intercontinental roof.

But the 11 storied establishment has been more than just a hotel for international figures. Its place in the chronicles of Dhaka's history is well established too.

"Operation Hotel Intercontinental run by the Crack Platoon made this hotel a significant part of our history because that particular guerilla operation made the world aware of the abnormal situation of our country and how the Pakistani army was suppressing the news of the atrocities they had committed," recalled Sadeque.

The hotel management transitions through time

Since its inception, the Hotel Intercontinental has been owned by BSL (Bangladesh Services Limited) and was initially managed by the Inter-Continental Hotel Corporations, USA.

Sadeque shared that the hotel was the brainchild of Pan American Airways. After World War 2, the company realised that the airline crew needed comfortable places to stay in the airline's prime destinations. Consequently, the Intercontinental Hotel's journey began.

Furthermore, it was also built to meet the necessity for a five-star ambient hotel in then Dacca. Before the Intercontinental, the only high-standard hotel in Dhaka was called the Hotel Shahbagh, a three-star hotel with modern facilities. Later it was turned into a hospital, popularly known as the PG hospital, and BSMMU at present.

The 4.5-acre property on which Intercontinental stands was initially a part of Ramna park. The property was always owned by the state but the management has changed over time.

Interestingly, this five-star hotel evolved architecturally as well. Before the grand renovation in 2018, each room measured 20 to 25 square meters, which is far too small for a five-star establishment.

The hotel previously had 272 rooms, but the number was reduced to 220, each with a minimum area of 40 square meters.

"I have been working here for 16 years and I have seen the transition of the hotel from the Sheraton to Ruposhi Bangla and from Ruposhi Bangla to the Intercontinental. Currently, we have 226 rooms and among them, there are 25 suites," said Sadeque.

"From my long experience of working here, I can say we have upgraded ourselves in the right manner, not only from the architectural perspective but also with our services," Sadeque further explained.

Returning to history, from 1966 to 1983 the hotel was managed by the Inter-Continental Hotel group. Later in 1983, the hotel started its journey as Hotel Sheraton Dhaka, which was then managed by Starwood. They managed the hotel till the year 2011, which was the longest time period of management, comparatively.

For the next two years, the BSL managed the hotel by itself and changed the name to 'Ruposhi Bangla', which was chosen by the Prime Minister. Later, the hotel made a deal with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), who started managing it in full swing from December 2018 as the InterContinental Dhaka.

The architectural evolution of the hotel

The architectural designs of this hotel reflect an Arab influence, which can be recognised through the arcs of its windows. These window designs are still preserved and a part of the hotel's identity.

Initially, it was designed by the world-famous hotel architect William B. Tabler who followed similar designs in each and every hotel he worked on.

The design needed a modern touch with a supreme dose of luxury, to match the standard of the IHG. Thus, a major renovation was underway, bringing noticeable changes to both the exterior and the interior. Notably, the glass dome of the hotel is the most eye-catching of all.

Moreover, you can see the majestic Persian designs with Bangladeshi floral-inspired patterns, here and there, when you walk around any part of the hotel. A minimalist touch with conceptual design is visible in the 'social cafe' as well.

Even around the open-air swimming pool on the second floor, there is a mesmerising reflection of Arabian and 'Deshi'-inspired architecture.

When asked about the person who redesigned the hotel, Sadeque replied that there was no specific architect this time. In fact, multiple firms were involved in the planning and design.

"Some designed the restaurant well and some designed the rooms well, hence we contracted multiple agencies to get the best of everything this time."

It is beyond a foregone conclusion that the Intercontinental has evolved with time. During its inception, it was the pioneer in luxury hotels in Bangladesh. While it holds a special place as a monument of historic significance, the luxury hotel will hopefully keep on innovating to compete with others in this business and to keep itself from becoming a relic of the past.

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History, luxury and rebirth: Hotel Intercontinental Dhakas evolution over 55 years - The Business Standard

Plants may have quickly evolved all their complexities in two short, yet dramatic bursts, rather than gradually over millions of years.

A new study led by researchers at Stanford University shows that land-based plants underwent diversification in two bursts, around 250 million years apart from each other. The first evolutionary burst led to the development of seeds, while the second caused the diversification of flowering plants.

While plants were thought to have become more complex as they developed seeds and flowers, the new research brings insight into the timing of those developments. The researchers used a novel metric to classify plant species based on complexity and arranged them into groups based on the number of parts they contained in their reproductive systems.

According to Andrew Leslie, lead author of the study and geological sciences professor at Stanford Universitys School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Science, the stasis or a plateau in the development of complexity after the initial development of seeds surprised the researchers. After a long period of stasis, a sudden dramatic change happened when flowering plants diversified.

Researchers found that the reproductive structures in various plants are different, yet all of them all about the same number of reproductive parts during that initial period of stasis.

Flowering plants are more complex and diverse than other groups of plants. They come in a plethora of colors, shapes, and smells, with intricate parts such as pistils, petals, and anthers that have a precise arrangement to lure pollinators.

Scientists have long focussed on characteristics within groups of plants within the same family to study evolution, as it is harder to compare flowering plants which are more complex and diverse to their no flowering, and simpler brethren.

For this study, researchers developed a unique system that classified plants based on the number of reproductive parts they possessed based on observation. This allowed them to overcome the complexities of comparing flowering and non-flowering plants to study their evolutionary paths.

Cover Image: Shutterstock

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Just Two Major Bursts Of Evolution Brought Plants All Their Diversity - Mashable India

Ive never been a huge fan of male celebrity fashion. Im no fashion expert, but while Ive seen female celebrities wear a huge variety of styles with tons of creative exploration, the men have always seemed to settle for a black and white tuxedo.

Overall, mens fashion trends at events such as the Met Gala have been woefully simple and dull. In recent years, however, theres been a drastic change in the areas male celebrities are willing to explore with their fashion; from colorful harnesses to more stereotypically feminine clothing.

For better or worse, its a much-needed step toward introducing a wider range of options for mens formal fashion. One of the best events to see this evolution of fashion trends is at the annual Met Gala, where celebrities from all areas put on their best fashion for the evening. Lets take a look at how mens style has shifted over the years.

Going back 11 years, the 2010 Met Gala showcased awfully mundane mens fashion. While the women attending wore colorful and vibrant dresses, every male celebrity seemed to be wearing a suit with varying combinations of ties as the differentiating factor. Chris Pine was one of the more daring members, showing up in a navy blue suit rather than a black one. The styles were refined and elegant but lacked any risk or excitement. It felt like everyone was playing it safe, relying on tradition. But for a roster of some of the most creatively talented individuals, what is it saying if the biggest sign of creative expression was changing a blazer from black to blue?

[Heres why the VMAs dont work in 2021]

The Met Galas from 2011 through 2015 followed a similar trend of tuxedo after tuxedo, although some celebrities decided to splash a little more color onto the carbon-copied trend.

In 2012 Cameron Silver brought a colorful full-body pattern tuxedo to the mix. The world saw Tom Brady in a bright blue blazer one of the flashier outfits of the night in 2013. Still, for the most part, stars stuck to their tried and tested black and white tuxedo combo.

In 2016, Kanye West broke the mold when he wore a bedazzled jacket and ripped blue jeans (he also wore blue eye contacts, but well overlook that). While it wasnt exactly the height of fashion, especially for a high-class event like the Met Gala, it was an appreciated departure from the norm.

However, 2019s Met Gala marked the biggest departure from the classic tuxedo as the stars ventured into spaces that previously might have been deemed too feminine. Harry Styles wore a full jumpsuit with a sheer top and sleeves, while Odell Beckham Jr. combined old and new, wearing a skirt with a sleeveless tuxedo. Male stars also dove into some wonderfully weird and colorful territory; Billy Porter wore a shiny gold outfit set with a crown and wings, Ryan Murphy wore a beaded peach-colored cape and collar covered in scales and glitter and Jared Leto wore a jeweled red gown while carrying a wax figure of his own head. In many ways, it marked the long-overdue departure from more stereotypical mens fashion into areas that were more exciting and innovative.

Not every piece was appealing; some were too garish and awkward, often feeling like an attention grab rather than careful art. But the stars were finally taking more risks and having more fun with their outfits.

Both Beckham and Styles faced a swarm of comments online regarding their unique outfit choices. Beckham received many comments questioning his sexuality, whereas Styles sheer dress angered many for being too feminine. Still, many supported the two, praising Styles for his unconventional look, and emphasizing that Beckham should be able to wear whatever he wants without facing scrutiny.

Back in the present, the evolution from the standard tuxedo to a much more vibrant and eccentric landscape of fashion is evident. ASAP Rocky attended this years Met Gala in a colorful grandmas quilt, while Jeremy Pope rocked a half-topless white tuxedo.

[Mask fashion: Stay safe in style]

Lil Nas X pulled out all the stops for a three-part costume that was bright, eye-catching and expressive. Some stars, however, still opted for more traditional outfits. Channing Tatum for example, went with a plain black and white tuxedo. Still, there is a huge increase in the amount of creative and colorful outfits in mens fashion, such as Kid Cudis eyeshadow-sweater-skirt combo.

Some styles may be too eccentric to realistically be worn in a casual social setting, but the effects do trickle down as more stars wear clothing thats nonconforming, it leaves the public more open-minded and opens doors for those looking to experiment with fashion. Inside and outside of the Met Gala, it seems there are more opportunities for free self-expression in mens fashion and everything points to more opportunities in the future.

As for the best Met Gala outfit this year? It has to go to Frank Ocean, who brought a lime green animatronic baby to the function. Nothing can top that one.

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From tuxedos to quilt cloaks: The evolution of men's fashion at the Met Gala - The Diamondback

Let's state the obvious: Your favorite time of the month isn't when you get your period. The cramps don't help, but buying loads of pricey products isn't a blast, either. But another aggravation arises for those who try to live sustainable lives: the environmental cost.

According to multiple sources, North American women are believed to use and, subsequently, dispose of 12 billion single-use menstrual pads and tampons every single year.

To help reduce the sheer volume of period products tossed in the trash, LastObject, a Danish brand of reusable personal care products, recently began crowdfunding a rewashable menstrual pad they call LastPad.

The company, which says it has "made hundreds of prototypes and samples that have been tested and feedback collected to improve on the design," claims each pad will last 240 uses.

While LastPad likely isn't the last attempt to make period care more sustainable, it's also not the first as more people think about the environmental impact of the products they need during their periods.

Many developed countries switched to disposable menstrual care products decades ago. Kotex began selling the first disposable pads in 1920, The Cut explains, taking advantage of the same style of bandages used to treat soldiers during World War I.

About a decade later, a "modern" tampon consisting of a paper insertion tube filled with compressed cotton on a string was invented, according to Tampax, an international purveyor of period products. Several years later, the patent was sold to Tampax's founder, a woman named Gertrude Tendrich.

Once Tendrich actually began selling disposable tampons in 1936, Tampax says demand for their products took off as millions of women entered the workforce to fill in for departing soldiers during World War II. Yet despite the need for products designed for on-the-go women, taboos and sexual stigmas around tampon use persisted. By 1941, common information about such products lagged, causing the still nascent company to launch a traveling "Tampax Ladies" education team that toured colleges, schools, trade shows and conventions. The women helped eradicate the taboos and provide information.

Still, it would be decades before tampons would stop being considered "indecent" for regular use, according to a NARAL Pro-Choice America state affiliate. But other options did exist for women for whom tampons weren't an option.

In the late 19th century, suspenders and belts were commercially available to hold "bandages," aka pads, in place. But it wasn't until 1957 that a Black female inventor named Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner filed a patent for a sanitary napkin "belt" that seems to have been more reliable than earlier iterations. The invention allowed women to venture out of the house during their periods more comfortably, maintain personal hygiene and avoid tampons if desired.

While the need to find a solution for menstruation-related bleeding is as old as humanity, the commercial period products obviously were not. Before modern tampons or pads were widely available, all variety of inventive solutions were concocted to prevent menstrual leaks, including rolled-up paper, grass, and moss.

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Reusable pads are a far cry from the used rags and cloths that people had to resort to before the advent of disposable tampons and pads. Like disposable pads, most reusable versions are typically secured onto the part of panties right below the vulva.

But many of these types of pads market the lack of disposable plastic involved in manufacturing an important consideration, given that internal Natracare research shows that three mainstream disposable pad brands consist of enough plastic equivalent to roughly five plastic shopping bags.

In addition to LastObject's planned LastPad launch, commercial brands like Rael sell reusable pads, a huge variety of small-time brands and shops also sell them.

Menstrual cups are similar to tampons in that they are inserted into a vagina and then removed with a small cord, but that's generally where the resemblance ends. Unlike tampons, menstrual cups don't absorb blood but instead act as a levee until the wearer can hygienically remove it and dispose of the blood.

Disposable options are commercially available, but the many brands of reusable cups can be washed in the sink and reinserted repeatedly, avoiding the need to repeatedly spend money on disposable options that later fill up landfills.

Menstrual cups can last up to ten years but, according to The Lancet, tend to be "made of medical-grade silicone, rubber, latex, or elastomer."

"Medical grade silicone menstrual cups are not recyclable through any conventional methods and cannot be placed into your recycle bins," states Period Nirvana, an online period product marketplace and educational site. The site adds that one brand, the DivaCup offers recycling through Terracycle, although that company was recently sued over claims it misleads customers about what can be recycled.

Some companies that sell menstrual cups include Saalt, JuJu, Ruby Cup and Nixit.

Have you worn underwear before? Great you know exactly how to wear a pair of period panties, no training necessary. Just like underwear not made to absorb menstrual blood, period panties come in a variety of styles, from thongs to boy shorts.

But it's important to keep in mind that not all period panties are designed to replace other period products but are intended to serve as a back-up. Additionally, like most menstruation products, period panties aren't regulated, leading to questions about the chemicals used to make the garments.

Similar to other reusable period products, some types of period panties can eliminate the need for disposable products like tampons. Brands offering period underwear include Goat Union, Thinx, Trendix and Bambody.

Bridget is a freelance reporter and newsletter writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. She primarily writes about energy, conservation and the environment. Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from Emerson College in 2016 with a degree in journalism and a minor in environmental studies. When she isn't working on a story, she's normally on a northern Maine lake or traveling abroad to practice speaking Spanish.

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The Evolution of Eco-Friendly Period Products - EcoWatch