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Sewer overflows are an environmental concern due to their potential to introduce contaminants that can adversely affect downstream aquatic ecosystems. As these overflows can occur during rainfall events, the influence of rainwater ingress from inflow and infiltration on raw untreated wastewater (influent) within the sewer is a critical factor influencing the dilution and toxicity of the contaminants. The Vineyard sewer carrier in the greater city of Sydney, Australia, was selected for an ecotoxicological investigation of a sanitary (separate from stormwater) sewerage system and a wet-weather overflow (WWO). Three influent samples were collected representing dry-weather (DW), intermediate wet-weather (IWW) and wet-weather (WW). In addition, a receiving water sample was also collected downstream in Vineyard Creek (WW-DS) coinciding with a WWO. We employed direct toxicity assessment (DTA) and toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) approaches to gain comprehensive insights into the nature and magnitude of the impact on influent from rainwater ingress into the sewer. Three standard ecotoxicological model species, a microalga, Chlorella vulgaris, the water flea, Ceriodaphnia dubia and the midge larva, Chironomus tepperi were used for both acute and chronic tests. The study revealed variable toxicity responses, with the sample of influent collected in wet-weather displaying lower toxicity compared to the dry-weather sample of influent. Ammonia, and metals, were identified in dry weather as contributors to the observed toxicity, however, this risk was alleviated through rainwater ingress in wet-weather with further dilution within the receiving water. Based on toxicity data, dilutions of influent to minimise effects on C. vulgaris and C. dubia ranged from 1 in 12 in DW to 1 in 2.8 in WW, and further diminished in the receiving water to 1 in 1.8. The successful application of ecotoxicological approaches enabled the assessment of cumulative effects of contaminants in influent, offering valuable insights into the sanitary sewer system under rainwater ingress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 63-year-old man underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) using a mixture of N -butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and iodized oil to treat acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. The procedure was initially successful; however, the patient developed ileus >1 month later and subsequently underwent several surgeries to treat the multiple metachronous ileal stenoses. The flux of a small amount of off-target glue was the primary cause of these complications. As the patient had few symptoms in the first month post-TAE, however, affirming the diagnosis took time. A detailed review of plain CT scans was a decisive factor in achieving the final diagnosis. This case demonstrates that TAE using an NBCA-iodized oil mixture effectively treats acute GI bleeding. However, a complication such as off-target embolization is likelier to occur because of a combination of certain factors such as vascular anatomy, complexity of the procedure, and NBCA dilution. Close observation using plain CT should be performed for the identification of off-target embolization occurrence even in cases of successful TAE., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Institute of Radiology.)

Residues of plant protection products (PPPs) are frequently detected in bee matrices 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 potentially impacting colony health and productivity. However, residue concentrations can vary significantly between analyzed matrices, and potential accumulation or dilution steps have not been widely investigated. Although research has provided valuable insights into contamination risks, there remain gaps in our understanding of the entire pathway from field, via foragers, stored products, nurse bees, and finally to food jelly, i.e., royal, worker, and drone jelly, and the larvae, including all possible processing steps. , 5 , 6 due to foraging bees collecting contaminated nectar and pollen, which they bring back to their hive. The collected material is further used by nurse bees to produce glandular secretions for feeding their larvae. 7 Potential exposure to PPPs occurs through direct oral ingestion, contact during foraging, or interaction with contaminated hive material. 8 , 9 Contaminants can pose health risks to adult worker bees, 10 , 11 queens, 12 , 13 drones (males), 14 or larvae, 15 , 16 potentially impacting colony health and productivity. However, residue concentrations can vary significantly between analyzed matrices, and potential accumulation or dilution steps have not been widely investigated. Although research has provided valuable insights into contamination risks, there remain gaps in our understanding of the entire pathway from field, via foragers, stored products, nurse bees, and finally to food jelly, i.e., royal, worker, and drone jelly, and the larvae, including all possible processing steps. 17 We collected samples of bee-relevant matrices following the in-field spray application of the product Pictor Active, containing the fungicides boscalid and pyraclostrobin. The samples were analyzed for residues along this entire pathway. Fungicide residues were reduced by a factor of 8-80 from stored product to nurse bees' heads, suggesting a filtering function of nurse bees. Furthermore, detected residues in larval food jelly resulted from added pollen and not from nurse bee secretions. Calculated risk quotients were at least twice as low as the threshold values, suggesting a low risk to honey bee colonies from these fungicides at the tested application rate., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant drug which is monitored in patients due to toxic side effects. At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), carbamazepine is measured using Roche's Kinetic Interaction of Microparticles in Solution (KIMS) method on the c 702 platform. The assay has an upper limit of linearity of 20 mg/L. Samples with concentrations above this limit should be identified and manually diluted. However, a poor EQA return from UK NEQAS for Tox and TDM Distribution 456 has highlighted an issue with the Roche KIMS assay. Sample A of the distribution had a carbamazepine concentration of 36 mg/L but was underreported by several Roche users. This indicated that the assay was not consistently identifying high concentration samples which required a dilution., Method: In this investigation, fresh frozen plasma was spiked with carbamazepine concentrations ranging from 15 to 40 mg/L. The spiked samples and EQA material were analysed at two clinical laboratories using the Roche KIMS assay., Results: Samples spiked with concentrations 20-30 mg/L were not consistently identified for dilution by the analyser. This was observed at both hospital sites. Spike samples and EQA with concentrations >30 mg/L were correctly identified at both sites., Conclusion: The manual dilution policy has been changed at MFT, so all samples with a carbamazepine level ≥15 mg/L will be manually diluted. The problem was reported to Roche who are investigating the issue further. We would suggest that other laboratories look at validating their dilution protocols., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA-SCA; Sculptra) was approved in 1999 in Europe and 2004 in United States as a collagen biostimulator. It is a freeze-dried preparation containing 150 mg PLLA-SCA per vial and, since approval, has been recommended to be reconstituted 72 h before treatment, which can hinder its use in clinical practice. In 2021, the manufacturer authorized the reconstitution of PLLA-SCA immediately before use., Objective: To evaluate adverse events in patients treated with immediately reconstituted PLLA-SCA on the face, body, and scars., Method: This was a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients treated with immediately reconstituted PLLA-SCA for aesthetic purposes from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, at two medical centers., Results: A total of 274 treatment sessions were conducted on 167 patients (ranging from 1 to 5 sessions per patient). Of these, 228 sessions (151 patients) targeted the face, 39 sessions (22 patients) addressed the body, and 7 sessions (5 patients) focused on scars. The mean final concentration of PLLA-SCA was 15.30 mg/mL for the face, 8.35 mg/mL for the body, and 10.53 mg/mL for scars. The majority of injections were administered with a blunt cannula (face: 87.3%, body: 100%, scars: 57%), and in 6 out of 7 scar treatments, PLLA-SCA was additionally applied topically after fractional treatment. One patient developed a PLLA-SCA nodule 30 days after facial treatment, which resolved after two saline injections. The most common adverse events were bruising (face: 6.57%, body: 7.69%) and mild pain (face: 3.07%). No events required further intervention., Conclusion: This study reports an adverse event profile with immediately reconstituted PLLA-SCA, used on the face, body, and scars, similar to that reported with PLLA-SCA reconstituted 72 h prior to use., Trial Registration: This was a retrospective study of medical records at two medical centers, and trial registration was not required., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The accurate determination of the post-dilution concentration of biological buffers is essential for retaining the necessary properties and effectiveness of the buffer to maintain stable cellular environments and optimal conditions for biochemical reactions. In this work, we introduce a silicon-based impedance chip, which offers a rapid and reagent-free approach for monitoring the buffer concentrations after dilution with deionized (DI) water. The impedance of the impedance chip is measured, and the impedance data are modeled using a multiparameter equivalent circuit model. We investigated six aqueous biological buffers with pH values above and below the physiological pH for most tissues (pH ~ 7.2-7.4) following dilution with DI water by factors of 2.0, 10.0, 20.0, 100.0, and 200.0. The impedance measurement is then performed for the frequency spectrum of 40 Hz to 1 MHz. From the interpretation of the impedance measurement using the multiparameter equivalent circuit model, we report a buffer-sensitive equivalent circuit parameter R Au/Si of the silicon-based impedance chip showing a linear trend on a logarithmic scale with the buffer concentration change after dilution. The parameter R Au/Si is independent of the buffer pH and the added volume. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the silicon-based impedance chip as a versatile tool for precise post-dilution concentration determination of diverse biologically relevant buffers. The presented impedance chip offers rapid, accurate, and reliable monitoring, making it highly suitable for integration into automated liquid-handling systems to enhance the efficiency and precision of biological and chemical processes.

Background: Pesticide dilution is one of the essential aspects of plant protection. However, the effect of dilution on the deposition characteristics of pesticide droplets containing particulate additives on crop leaf surfaces remains unclear and warrants further research. Herein, a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-volume of fluid (VOF)-discrete phase model (DPM) numerical model was developed to analyze the influence of particle content on the deposition behavior of droplets on the leaf surface comparatively, taking into account the particle content of different diluted thifluzamide solutions. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze further the kinetic behavior of pesticide droplets landing on rice leaves across different dilution conditions., Results: Pesticide droplets diluted 100-fold had a lower retraction rate during spreading than particle-free droplets, so the solution is more easily deposited in the leaves. Moreover, the low dilution (high concentration) increased the critical adhesion rate between droplets and rice leaves, inhibiting the bouncing of droplets on the leaf surface, thus promoting their effective deposition on the surface. In addition, low dilution (high concentration) is not conducive to spreading droplets when the impact velocity is high, and it also results in a large amount of pesticide use., Conclusion: The actual application process can be through understanding the dilution factor of the configured pesticide solution, and reasonable adjustment of the nozzle pressure can effectively improve the utilization rate of pesticides and reduce the pollution brought by pesticides to the environment. These results provide an essential reference for studying pesticide droplet deposition characteristics, including rice plant protection and spraying technology. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Liquid-handling is a fundamental operation in synthetic biology─all protocols involve one or more liquid-handling operations. It is, therefore, crucial that this step be carefully automated in order to unlock the benefits of automation (e.g., higher throughput, higher replicability). In the paper, we present a study, conducted at the London Biofoundry at SynbiCITE, that approaches liquid-handling and its reliable automation from the standpoint of the construction of the calibration curve for lycopene in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The study has important practical industrial applications (e.g., lycopene is a carotenoid of industrial interest, DMSO is a popular extractant). The study was also an effective testbed for the automation of liquid-handling. It necessitated the development of flexible liquid-handling methods, which can be generalizable to other automated applications. In addition, because lycopene/DMSO is a difficult mix, it was capable of revealing issues with automated liquid-handling protocols and stress-testing them. An important component of the study is the constraint that, due to the omnipresence of liquid-handling steps, errors should be controlled to a high standard. It is important to avoid such errors propagating to other parts of the protocol. To achieve this, a practical framework based on regression was developed and utilized throughout the study to identify, assess, and monitor transfer errors. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding automation of liquid-handling, which are applicable to a large set of applications (not just to complex liquids such as lycopene in DMSO or calibration curves).

The implementation of hard-facing alloy on the existing materials caters the need for high-performance surfaces in terms of wear and high temperatures. The present research explore the effect of Plasma Transferred Arc Welding (PTAW) parameters and powder composition on dilution, microstructure and hardness of the commonly used hard-facing alloy Ni-Cr-Si-B powder. The hard-facing alloy was deposited with three weight proportions of boron (2.5 %, 3 % and 3.5 %). The statistical-based Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) followed by a Machine Learning Algorithm (MLA) was implemented to identify the ideal parameters and degree of significance of each parameter and for the prediction of the responses. The dilution percentage, microstructure analysis, and phase detection were estimated through elemental analysis, Scanning electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD) respectively. The experimental and modelling results revealed that 400 mm/min of scanning speed, 8 gm/min of powder delivery, 14 mm of stand-off distance, and 120 A of current were the optimal parameters along with 3.5 wt% of boron powder composition to yield a better dilution, microstructure and hardness., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: L. Rajeshkumar is one of the author of the manuscript and is an Associate Editor of Materials Science Section. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This study addresses the effect of using animal excreta on the nutritional content of forages, focusing on macro- and micro-element concentrations (nitrogen; N, phosphorus; P, sulphur; S, copper; Cu, zinc; Zn, manganese; Mn, selenium; Se) from animal feed to excreta, soil, and plants. Data were collected from pot and field trials using separate applications of sheep or cattle urine and faeces. Key findings indicate that soil organic carbon (SOC) and the type of excreta significantly influences nutrient uptake by forages, with varied responses among the seven elements defined above. Although urine contributes fewer micronutrients compared to faeces (as applied at a natural volume/mass basis, respectively), it notably improves forage yield and micronutrient accumulation, thus potentially delivering positive consequences at the farm level regarding economic performance and soil fertility when swards upon clayey soil types receive said urine in temperate agro-climatic regions (i.e., South West England in the current context). In contrast, faeces application in isolation hinders Se and Mn uptake, once again potentially delivering unintended consequences such as micronutrient deficiencies in areas of high faeces deposition. As it is unlikely that (b)ovine grazing fields will receive either urine or faeces in isolation, we also explored combined applications of both excreta types which demonstrates synergistic effects on N, Cu, and Zn uptake, with either synergistic or dilution effects being observed for P and S, depending largely on SOC levels. Additionally, interactions between excreta types can result in dilution or antagonistic effects on Mn and Se uptake. Notably, high SOC combined with faeces reduces Mn and Se in forages, raising concerns for grazed ruminant systems under certain biotic situations, e.g., due to insufficient soil Se levels typically observed in UK pastures for livestock growth. These findings underscore the importance of considering SOC and excreta nutritional composition when designing forage management to optimize nutrient uptake. It should be noted that these findings have potential ramifications for broader studies of sustainable agriculture through system-scale analyses, as the granularity of results reported herein elucidate gaps in knowledge which could affect, both positively and negatively, the interpretation of model-based environmental impact assessments of cattle and sheep production (e.g., in the case of increased yields [beneficial] or the requirement of additional synthetic supplementation [detrimental])., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The objective of this study was to investigate how weld overlays with nickel superalloys are important for the integrity, due the high temperatures and corrosive environments that can be experienced in mineral processing environments, of mining and processing equipment. The Ni-Cr-Mo superalloy Inconel 686 overlays are fabricated through automatic gas metal arc welding with variations in arc voltage and travel speed (i.e., heat input), and they have overlap between adjacent weld tracks for applications in the mining and minerals sector. The impact of variations in the process parameters and the size of the weld overlapping on the dilution, solidification morphology, microsegregation, and microhardness were investigated. Both geometric and chemical composition definitions were used to quantify the extent of the weld dilution. Subsequently, the weld geometry and dilution were correlated with the solidification microstructure and phase transformations. The maximum dilutions were measured to be 13.63% (1/2 overlap, 5.96 kJ·cm -1 ) and 15.39% (1/3 overlap, 4.77 kJ·cm -1 ), which shows that less of an overlap increases the dilution level. Scanning electron microscopy and chemical composition analysis revealed that an increase in weld heat input and dilution level led to higher levels of microsegregation for Mo and Cr, as well as the volume fraction of Mo- and Cr-rich phases in the interdendritic/intercellular regions in the overlay layer. Analysis of the weld overlays in the current study revealed strong and unprecedented connections between the weld overlay process conditions, the resultant metallurgy (i.e., dendrite arm spacing, microsegregation, and phase formation), and the hardness of the overlay. It was concluded that the optimal weld overlays in the processing window studied in this investigation were fabricated at mid-level heat inputs (i.e., 4-5 kJ·cm -1 ) and a 1/2 track overlap.

The long-term stability of antibiotics in culture media remains underexplored in scientific literature. This study evaluated the stability of eight distinct antibiotic stock solutions-amoxicillin, cefotaxime, neomycin, oxytetracycline, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, colistin, and potentiated sulfonamide-and their 10-fold dilution series in tryptone soy broth (TSB) at 37 °C, over 12 days. Samples were collected immediately after preparation and on days 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, and 12, with active substance concentrations measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry. The results indicated that among the ultrapure water stock solutions, neomycin, florfenicol, and potentiated sulfonamide maintained stability (>95%). Within the culture medium, florfenicol showed consistent stability (100%) throughout the study, potentiated sulfonamide experienced minor degradation (>85%), and neomycin underwent significant degradation. Amoxicillin, oxytetracycline, and colistin displayed considerable degradation in both solution types but were more stable in ultrapure water solutions. The stability of cefotaxime and enrofloxacin in ultrapure water solutions and in the medium was very similar when compared; however, 3.6% of the former and 88.7% of the latter remained detectable by day 12. These findings are crucial for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assessments, especially in minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) studies, and in experiments concerning long-term evolution and co-selection. This study underscores the necessity of stability assessments in culture media to validate future experimental outcomes.

We present two cases, in which end-of-life patients were inadvertently treated with bolus infusions of undiluted subcutaneous levetiracetam. The patients were treated for three and four days respectively. In both cases, the course of treatment was uneventful. Especially, no seizures, nor local irritation was observed. Administration of undiluted subcutaneous levetiracetam as intermittent bolus infusions by hand holds alluring properties for end-of-life patients. Amongst others reducing patient discomfort, increasing freedom of movement, and accessibility to essential seizure prophylaxis by eliminating the need for a syringe driver, thereby helping accommodate many patients wish to die in their own home. However, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety, including the optimum dilution and administration time of the subcutaneous preparation remains to be determined in clinically controlled trials.

Solar desalination, a green, low-cost, and sustainable technology, offers a promising way to get clean water from seawater without relying on electricity and complex infrastructures. However, the main challenge faced in solar desalination is salt accumulation, either on the surface of or inside the solar evaporator, which can impair solar-to-vapor efficiency and even lead to the failure of the evaporator itself. While many ideas have been tried to address this ″salt accumulation″, scientists have not had a clear system for understanding what works best for the enhancement of salt-rejecting ability. Therein, for the first time, we classified the state-of-the-art salt-rejecting designs into isolation strategy (isolating the solar evaporator from brine), dilution strategy (diluting the concentrated brine), and crystallization strategy (regulating the crystallization site into a tiny area). Through the specific equations presented, we have identified key parameters for each strategy and highlighted the corresponding improvements in the solar desalination performance. This Review provides a semiquantitative perspective on salt-rejecting designs and critical parameters for enhancing the salt-rejecting ability of dilution-based, isolation-based, and crystallization-based solar evaporators. Ultimately, this knowledge can help us create reliable solar desalination solutions to provide clean water from even the saltiest sources.

Microbiomes feature complex interactions between diverse bacteria and bacteriophages. Synthetic microbiomes offer a powerful way to study these interactions; however, a major challenge is obtaining a representative bacteriophage population during the bacterial isolation process. We demonstrate that colony isolation reliably excludes virulent viruses from sample sources with low virion-to-bacteria ratios such as feces, creating "virulent virus-free" controls. When the virulent dsDNA virome is reintroduced to a 73-strain synthetic gut microbiome in a bioreactor model of the human colon, virulent viruses target susceptible strains without significantly altering community structure or metabolism. In addition, we detected signals of prophage induction that associate with virulent predation. Overall, our findings indicate that dilution-based isolation methods generate synthetic gut microbiomes that are heavily depleted, if not devoid, of virulent viruses and that such viruses, if reintroduced, have a targeted effect on community assembly, metabolism, and prophage replication., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests E.A.-V. is the co-founder and CSO of NuBiyota LLC & Company that is working to commercialize human gut-derived microbial communities for medical applications., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Beckman Coulter DxH 900 is a haematological analyser capable of counting and sizing blood cells, and obtaining a complete blood cell count (CBC). This analyses different parameters of red blood cells (RBC), platelets and white blood cells/leukocytes. Some automated CBC counters present limitations due to specimen characteristics, abnormal cells or both factors. In the presence of abnormalities, the DxH 900 has a flagging system, warning the laboratory technician that something needs to be verified. In the present work, we evaluated samples from oncologic patients, presenting a population erroneously perceived as being lymphocytes. The most common explanations for this situation are RBC resistant to lysis or serum hyperbilirubinaemia., Methods: In an attempt to solve and understand what the cause of this problem might be, we diluted our samples (1:3) and analysed the serum total bilirubin. To identify cells' abnormalities, the samples were also analysed by manual DLC counts. During the study, we also checked the different flags presented by the equipment., Results: The results evidenced that the major interference was due to RBC lysis resistance, corresponding to 94.7% of the cases, while hyperbilirubinaemia was only present in 73.4%. Besides, we determined that some samples with normal bilirubin levels also presented interference, suggesting that hyperbilirubinaemia was not the main cause of the error. The most recurrent flag observed was "High event rate"., Conclusion: The dilution solved all of the observed interferences. The results between diluted and manual counts showed a strong correlation, leading us to introduce dilution in our laboratory routine., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Albumin is a relatively small molecule with a radius of 7.5 nm and a molecular weight of 65 kDa. It is the most abundant protein in plasma, accounting for 60-75% of its oncotic pressure. Its concentration in plasma is merely one static measurement reflecting a dynamic and complex system of albumin physiology, and is the net result of several different processes, one or more of which may become deranged by disease or its treatment. It is also unsurprising that hypoalbuminaemia has proved to be an indicator of morbidity and mortality risk since the underlying conditions which cause it, including protein energy malnutrition, crystalloid overload, inflammation, and liver dysfunction are themselves risk factors. In some cases, its underlying cause may require treatment but mostly it is just a parameter to be monitored and used as one measure of clinical progress or deterioration. While malnutrition, associated with a low protein intake, may be a contributory cause of hypoalbuminaemia, in the absence of inflammation and/or dilution with crystalloid its development in response to malnutrition alone is slow compared with the rapid change caused by inflammatory redistribution or dilution with crystalloids. Other significant causes include liver dysfunction and serous losses. These causal factors may occur singly or in combination in any particular case. Treatment is that of the underlying causes and associated conditions such as a low plasma volume, not of hypoalbuminaemia per se., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In vitro systems are widely employed to assess the impact of dietary compounds on the gut microbiota and their conversion into beneficial bacterial metabolites. However, the complex fluid dynamics and multi-segmented nature of these systems can complicate the comprehensive analysis of dietary compound fate, potentially confounding physical dilution or washout with microbial catabolism. In this study, we developed fluid dynamics models based on sets of ordinary differential equations to simulate the behavior of an inert compound within two commonly used in vitro systems: the continuous two-stage PolyFermS system and the semi-continuous multi-segmented SHIME® system as well as into various declinations of those systems. The models were validated by investigating the fate of blue dextran, demonstrating excellent agreement between experimental and modeling data (with r 2 values ranging from 0.996 to 0.86 for different approaches). As a proof of concept for the utility of fluid dynamics models in in vitro system, we applied generated models to interpret metabolomic data of procyanidin A2 (ProA2) generated from the addition of proanthocyanidin (PAC)-rich cranberry extract to both the PolyFermS and SHIME® systems. The results suggested ProA2 degradation by the gut microbiota when compared to the modeling of an inert compound. Models of fluid dynamics developed in this study provide a foundation for comprehensive analysis of gut metabolic data in commonly utilized in vitro PolyFermS and SHIME® bioreactor systems and can enable a more accurate understanding of the contribution of bacterial metabolism to the variability in the concentration of target metabolites., (© 2024 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

In LC-MS bioanalysis, sample dilution plays various roles, including bringing analyte concentrations within the validated/qualified dynamic range or alleviating matrix effect for accurate determination of the target analyte(s) in the intended study samples. Adherence to health authority requirements, incorporating good dilution practices, and timely demonstration of dilution integrity whenever samples are diluted in an analytical run are essential to ensure the reliability of bioanalytical results.

Introduction: Considering the inherent vulnerability of immunoassays for heterophilic interference and the potential of Rheumatoid Factor (RF) to act as a heterophile-like antibody, we conducted this study to investigate if RF leads to any such heterophilic interference in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The study was done on the TSH assay as it is a noncompetitive, double antibody sandwich assay, which is known to be vulnerable to heterophilic interference., Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, eighty-four consecutive newly diagnosed RF-positive RA patients underwent TSH, Free T4, and anti-TPO estimation using the chemiluminescence technique (CLIA) on Siemens Immulite 1000 platform. The samples were screened for TSH interference using four methods: 1) analysis on a different platform, 2) assessment of linearity using doubling dilutions, 3) polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, and 4) addition of a commercial blocker., Results: Ten samples had a loss of linearity on serial dilution, indicating potential interference. After heterophile blocker treatment, five cases exhibited interference. One patient had diagnostic interpretation discordance on the second platform. No sample on PEG precipitation suggested the influence of antibodies. It is worth noting that even in cases where interference was suspected, the clinical interpretation was largely unaffected by the correction of TSH values based on mean dilution or measurement after heterophile blocker treatment., Conclusion: RF can cause heterophilic interference in TSH immunoassays used commercially. However, in most cases, this interference does not affect clinical decision-making., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.)

Fish biologists have long assumed a link between intestinal length and diet, and relative gut length or Zihler's index are often used to classify species into trophic groups. This has been done for specific fish taxa or specific ecosystems, but not for a global fish dataset. Here, we assess these relationships across a dataset of 468 fish species (254 marine, 191 freshwater, and 23 that occupy both habitats) in relation to body mass and fish length. Herbivores had significantly relatively stouter bodies and longer intestines than omni- and faunivores. Among faunivores, corallivores had longer intestines than invertivores, with piscivores having the shortest. There were no detectable differences between herbivore groups, possibly due to insufficient understanding of herbivorous fish diets. We propose that reasons for long intestines in fish include (i) difficult-to-digest items that require a symbiotic microbiome, and (ii) the dilution of easily digestible compounds with indigestible material (e.g., sand, wood, exoskeleton). Intestinal indices differed significantly between dietary groups, but there was substantial group overlap. Counter-intuitively, in the largest dataset, marine species had significantly shorter intestines than freshwater fish. These results put fish together with mammals as vertebrate taxa with clear convergence in intestine length in association with trophic level, in contrast to reptiles and birds, even if the peculiar feeding ecology of herbivorous fish is probably more varied than that of mammalian herbivores., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11160-024-09853-3., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

This research investigated the effect of kitchen wastewater (KWW) concentrations and pretreatment methods on Chlorella vulgaris biomass production, lipid content and nutrient removal. This study was divided into two separate experiments. The first experiment determined the appropriate dilution rate of KWW for the growth of microalgae, sterilized KWW was varied between 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%(v/v). The result indicated that 50%(v/v) showed the highest nutrient removal by 90.23%, 85.87%, and 80.64% of sCOD, TKN, and TP, respectively. The highest biomass and lipid content were obtained with 50%(v/v) (1.447 g/L, 37.9%). The second experiment was to find an effective physical pretreatment method, which separated the biotic contaminant, non-sterilized KWW was diluted 50%(v/v) and filtered with different mesh size filters (150 μm, 50 μm, and 30 μm) compared with sterilized KWW as a control sample. The result indicated that pretreatment with 50 μm filtration was found highest nutrient removal by 90.51%, 84.74%, and 77.50% of sCOD, TKN, and TP, respectively. The highest biomass and lipid content were obtained with 50 μm filtration (1.496 g/L, 39.4%). Our results support the hypothesis that the optimal dilution and proper filtration of KWW helps create more favorable environment for microalgal growth.

123 I-ioflupane (DaTSCAN®, GE) is a well-known ready-to-use radiopharmaceutical employed as a visualizing tool of the brain dopamine transporter receptor distribution. According to the Summary of Product Characteristics recommendations, we evaluated the stability of the DaTSCAN® after a 0.9% sodium chloride solution dilution. No significant increase in free 123 I-iodide was revealed between diluted and undiluted samples over a 1-h timeframe. This stability in sodium chloride can compensate for potential dilution error and offers a suitable alternative method for syringing DaTSCAN®., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Four representative sites in the greater city of Sydney, Australia, were selected for a study of the wet-weather overflow of sanitary (separate to stormwater) sewerage systems. Water samples were collected by autosamplers from up to eight wet weather overflow events over 16 months and from companion receiving water sites. The objective was to identify the risks posed by sewage contaminants to aquatic biota in the receiving waters, to aid in prioritising management actions. Twelve organic contaminants were identified in influents across the four sites under rainfall ingress diluted conditions, with measurements showing that the highest concentrations were restricted to the anti-inflammatory acetaminophen and the diabetes medication metformin. Lesser contaminants included theobromine, ibuprofen, sucralose, and three benzotriazoles (mainly 1-H benzotriazole). An assessment of the toxicity of the identified organic chemicals indicated that none appeared to pose concerns for ecosystem health before wet-weather ingress dilution, and this was even less likely after dilution in the receiving waters. Metal concentrations were low; however, ammonia concentrations in the influent did pose a risk to ecosystem health, although receiving water dilution diminished this risk at four of the five receiving water locations studied., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: To date, body composition assessments in Hispanics, computed via bioimpedance devices, have primarily focused on body fat percent, fat mass, and fat-free mass instead of total body water (TBW). Additionally, virtually no information is available on which type of bioimpedance device is preferred for TBW assessments in Hispanic populations., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate two bioimpedance devices for the estimate of TBW in Hispanics adults when using a criterion deuterium oxide (D 2 O) technique., Methods: One-hundred thirty individuals (males: n  = 70; females: n  = 60) of Hispanic descent had TBW estimated via D 2 O, single-frequency bioimpedance analysis ([SF-BIA] Quantum V, RJL Systems) and bioimpedance spectroscopy ([BIS] SFB7 Impedimed)., Results: The mean values for SF-BIA were significantly lower than D 2 O when evaluating the entire sample (37.4 L and 38.2 L, respectively; p  < 0.05). In contrast, TBW values were not statistically significant when comparing D 2 O against BIS (38.4 L, p  > 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis indicated no proportional bias when evaluating the entire sample for SF-BIA or BIS. The standard error of estimate and total error values were ≤ 2.3 L and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient were ≥ 0.96 for all comparisons., Conclusion: The SF-BIA and BIS devices evaluated in the current study hold promise for accurate estimation of TBW in Hispanic adults. While both methods demonstrated relatively low errors relative to the D 2 O criterion, BIS exhibited a more consistent performance, particularly at the group level. These findings provide essential information for researchers and clinical nutrition practitioners assessing TBW in Hispanic adults., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Tinsley, Park, Saenz, Mehra, Esco, Czerwinski and Nickerson.)

In order to contribute to the development of semen processing procedures in camelids, the aims of the present study were to evaluate (i) the effect of 35% seminal plasma incubation on dromedary camel epididymal sperm motility and kinematic parameters, (ii) the effects of centrifugation, with cushion fluid and enzymatic reduction of viscosity (Papain + E64) during ejaculate processing, on the motility and kinematic parameters of dromedary camel ejaculates. The incubation with seminal plasma significantly reduced the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa as well as the proportion of medium progressive spermatozoa whilst increasing the percentage of non-progressive spermatozoa. The centrifugation procedure improved the sperms' kinematic parameters, and the highest values were observed for samples centrifugated with cushion fluid. The samples treated with Papain + E64 showed a significant increase in both total and medium progressive spermatozoa, along with a reduction of non-progressive spermatozoa ( p < 0.05). The results of this investigation show that a simple, cheap, and effective procedure, such as cushioned centrifugation, could improve the motility patterns of dromedary camel spermatozoa; in combination with enzymatic reduction of viscosity, this method leads to the best results in terms of recovery rates and sperms' kinematic parameters.

The active volcano Mount Iou, in the southern part of Japan, erupted in 2018 for the first time in approximately 250 years. Geothermal water discharged from Mount Iou had high concentrations of toxic elements, such as arsenic (As), which could seriously contaminate the adjacent river. In this study, we aimed to clarify the natural attenuation of As in the river through daily water sampling for approximately eight months. The risk of As in the sediment was also evaluated using the sequential extraction procedures. The highest As concentration (2000 μg/L) was observed upstream but typically remained below 10 μg/L downstream. Dissolved As was the main form in the river water on non-rainy days. Arsenic concentration in the river naturally decreased through dilution and sorption/coprecipitation with Fe, Mn, and Al (hydr)oxides during flow. However, peaks in As concentration were frequently observed during rainfall events, possibly due to sediment resuspension. Furthermore, the range of pseudo-total As in the sediment was 4.62-14.3 mg/kg. Total As content was highest upstream before decreasing further along the flow. When using the modified Keon method, 44-70% of the total As existed as more reactive fractions associated with (hydr)oxides., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Intraoperative fluid therapy is regularly used in patients undergoing cardiac surgery procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Although fluid administration has several advantages, it unavoidably leads to hemodilution. The hemodilution may further influence the interpretation of concentration-based laboratory parameters like hemoglobin (Hgb), platelet count (PLT) or prothrombin time (PT). These all parameters are commonly used to guide blood product substitution. To assess the impact of dilution on these values, we performed a prospective observational study in 174 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. We calculated the total blood volume according to Nadler's formula, and fluid therapy was correlated with a newly developed dilution coefficient formula at the end of CPB. Intravenously applied fluids were measured from the beginning of the anesthesia (baseline, T 0 ) and 15 min after the end of protamine infusion (end of CPB, T 1 ). The amount of the administered volume (crystalloids or colloids) was calculated according to the percentage of the intravascular fluid effect, and intraoperative diuresis was further subtracted. The median blood volume increased by 148% in all patients at T 1 compared to the calculated total blood volume at T 0 . This led to a dilution-dependent decrease of 38% in all three parameters (Hgb 24%, corrCoeff = 0.53; PLT 41%, corrCoeff = 0.68; PT 44%, corrCoeff = 0.54). The dilution-correlated decrease was significant for all parameters ( p < 0.001), and the effect was independent from the duration of CPB. We conclude that the presented calculation-based approach could provide important information regarding actual laboratory parameters and may help in the guidance of the blood product substitution and potential transfusion thresholds. Further research on the impact of dilution and related decision-making for blood product substitution, including its impact on morbidity and mortality, is warranted.

Background: A rapid 4-compartment (4C) model integrates dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis (MFBIA), which may be useful for clinical and research settings seeking to employ a multi-compartment model., Objectives: This study aimed to determine the added benefit of a rapid 4C model over stand-alone DXA and MFBIA when estimating body composition., Methods: One hundred and thirty participants (n = 60 male; n = 70 female) of Hispanic descent were included in the present analysis. A criterion 4C model that employed air displacement plethysmography (body volume), deuterium oxide (total body water), and DXA (bone mineral) was used to measure fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and body fat percent (%BF). A rapid 4C model (DXA-derived body volume and bone mineral; MFBIA-derived total body water) and stand-alone DXA (GE Lunar Prodigy) and MFBIA (InBody 570) assessments were compared against the criterion 4C model., Results: Lin's concordance correlation coefficient values were >0.90 for all comparisons. The standard error of the estimates ranged from 1.3 to 2.0 kg, 1.6 to 2.2 kg, and 2.1 to 2.7% for FM, FFM, and %BF, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement ranged from ±3.0 to 4.2 kg, ±3.1 to 4.2 kg, and ±4.9 to 5.2% for FM, FFM, and %BF, respectively., Conclusions: Results revealed that all 3 methods provided acceptable body composition results. The MFBIA device used in the current study may be a more economically friendly option than DXA or when there is a need to minimize radiation exposure. Nonetheless, clinics and laboratories that already have a DXA device in place or that value having the lowest individual error when conducting a test may consider continuing to use the machine. Lastly, a rapid 4C model may be useful for assessing body composition measures observed in the current study and those provided by a multi-compartment model (e.g., protein)., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This work investigates the effect of dilution on the phase separation process of binary charged polysaccharide-surfactant mixtures formed by two cationic polysaccharides and up to four surfactants of different nature (anionic, zwitterionic, and neutral), as well as the potential impact of dilution-induced phase separation on the formation of conditioning deposits on charged surfaces, mimicking the negative charge and wettability of damaged hair fibers. The results obtained showed that the dilution behavior of model washing formulations (concentrated polysaccharide-surfactant mixtures) cannot be described in terms of a classical complex precipitation framework, as phase separation phenomena occur even when the aggregates are far from the equilibrium phase separation composition. Therefore, dilution-enhanced deposition cannot be predicted in terms of the worsening of colloidal stability due to the charge neutralization phenomena, as common phase separation and, hence, enhanced deposition occurs even for highly charged complexes.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of thermal alkaline pretreatment and zinc acetate-catalyzed methanolysis (MtOH-ZnOAc) in biogas production from bioplastic in anaerobic digestion. The pretreated bioplastic with MtOH-ZnOAc performs efficient solubilization and produced 205.7 ± 6.9 mL/g COD added , which is higher than thermal alkaline degradation. The mesophilic condition produces more than 79% higher biogas compared with the thermophilic condition with the diluted pretreated bioplastic by 30 times. The kinetic study was well fit the experimental data and showed the correlation between cumulative biogas, production rate, and lag phase with mono- and two-stage system in batch fermentation. The two-stage system produced 315.6 ± 7.7 mL/g COD added which was higher 67.2 ± 2.02 than the mono-stage system. Methanosaetaceae predominates among the Archaea, which are primarily responsible for methanogenesis, showing a contribution to a higher biogas production rate., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Ni-based powder composed of NiSiB + 60% WC was deposited onto a structural-steel substrate using two methods: laser cladding (LC) and plasma powder transferred arc welding (PPTAW). The resulting surface layers were analyzed and compared. Both methods resulted in the precipitation of secondary WC phases in the solidified matrix, but the PPTAW clad exhibited a dendritic microstructure. The microhardness of the clads prepared by both methods was similar, but the PPTAW clad showed higher resistance to abrasive wear compared to the LC clad. The thickness of the transition zone (TZ) was thin for both methods, with a coarse-grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) and peninsula-like macrosegregations observed in clads from both methods. The PPTAW clad showed a unique cellular-dendritic growth solidification (CDGS) and a type-II boundary at the TZ attributed to its thermal cycles. While both methods resulted in metallurgical bonding of the clad to the substrate, the LC method exhibited a lower dilution coefficient. The LC method also resulted in a larger HAZ with higher hardness compared to the HAZ of the PPTAW clad. The findings of this study indicate that both methods are promising for antiwear applications due to their wear-resistant properties and metallurgical bonding to the substrate. The PPTAW clad may be particularly useful in applications that require higher resistance to abrasive wear, while the LC method may be advantageous in applications that require lower dilution and larger HAZ.

Soda lakes are productive natural ecosystems with substantial economic and non-economic values. Currently, they are facing considerable environmental threats that can lead to further degradation. The objective of this study was to investigate comparative spatiotemporal variations of physicochemical properties of four Ethiopian soda lakes in comparison with their historical data. Central (open-water) sampling sites were selected from four Ethiopian soda lakes: Arenguade, Beseka, Chittu and Shala. Water samples were collected from open sampling stations from January to December 2020 and analyzed at Limnology laboratory of Addis Ababa University. The geographical position of each lake was determined by means of Global Positioning System (GPS). All physicochemical factors exhibited significant differences between seasons (ANOVA, P < 0.05), except salinity in Lake Shala. The concentrations of physicochemical parameters were generally high during the dry seasons in the studied lakes due to the low incidence of rainfall, caused by recurrent drought, resulting in higher evapotranspiration rates as they are characterized by a long dry season. Lakes Arenguade and Beseka showed considerable decrease in conductivity, alkalinity and salinity, compared to data from the 1960s and 1990s, which might be attributed to dilution effect. The same parameters show slightly increasing trend in Lake Arenguade which might be due to high evaporation rate. In general, the physicochemical parameters of the study lakes showed temporal variations, which could be attributed to the dilution effect, evaporation, and hydrological characteristics of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. In the face of climate change and recurring droughts, in the Ethiopian Rift Valley, the outcomes of this study might be used as input for the long-term planning, of water resources management and devising mitigation strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Botulinum toxin type A is an effective preventive therapy for chronic migraine. Although the guidelines suggest a 50U/ml dilution of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT/A), many clinicians use more concentrated solutions. However, there are no studies regarding the effect and safety of 100U/ml BoNT/A dilution with the saline solution following the PREEMPT paradigm. Our primary goal was to evaluate the efficacy, in reducing migraine frequency, and safety of two different BoNT/A dilutions (100U/ml vs 50U/ml) in the treatment of Chronic migraine. Our secondary goal was to determine the predictors of BoNT/A response. We retrospectively collected data from 113 chronic migraine patients treated with 3 rounds of BoNT/A according to the PREEMPT protocol as a preventive therapy. Patients were divided into two groups, based on BoNT/A dilution: 50U/ml (49 patients) vs. 100U/ml (64 patients) of sodium chloride 0.9%. We compared the migraine days/month, intensity, and intake of symptomatic medications at the baseline with the data obtained after the treatment; moreover, we evaluated the occurrence of adverse effects observed in the two groups. There was no difference regarding efficacy and safety between the two groups except for eyelid ptosis, which was more common in the 50U/ml BoNT/A group (p 0.018). Unilateral localization of migraine was associated with a more favorable outcome (OR 5.593, C.I. 2.358-13.268; p < 0.001) while Major Depressive Disorder predicted a less favorable response (OR 0.213, C.I. 0.087-0.523; p < 0.001). In our study, BoNT/A dilution did not influence the response to the therapy, but 100U/ml dilution could reduce the risk of eyelid ptosis. Unilateral localization of migraine pain might predict a more favorable response to the therapy, while the presence of a Major Depressive Disorder might predict a less favorable response., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effect of glucose interference on creatinine measurement by Jaffe kinetic method differs between serum and urine specimens. We investigated the effects of creatinine concentration and specimen dilution on glucose interference with urine creatinine measurement., Methods: Leftover serum and urine specimens were collected and stored at -20°C until study. Serum specimens were mixed to make 5 glucose concentrations ranging from <5.6 to 27.8 mmol/L, each group consisting of 5 levels of creatinine concentration ranging from <45 to 354 μmol/L. Urine specimens were divided into 5 groups of creatinine concentration ranging from <1,769 to >7956 μmol/L, each sample was spiked with glucose powder to produce 5 aliquots with glucose concentrations ranging from 0 to 666 mmol/L. Urine samples were automatically diluted 1:20 before analysis. Percent interference of creatinine measurement by Jaffe kinetic method was calculated using enzymatic method as the reference., Results: A total of 148 serum samples and 335 urine samples were analyzed. In serum, glucose interference with Jaffe creatinine measurement was found if creatinine concentrations were 177 μmol/L or less, corresponding to 3,540 μmol/L or less in urine specimens prior to 1:20 dilution. The degree of interference was greater when glucose concentration was higher or creatinine concentration was lower., Conclusions: When creatinine concentration and specimen dilution were considered, the effects of glucose interference on Jaffe creatinine measurement were similar in serum and urine specimens, and was found when creatinine concentrations in serum or diluted urine were 177 μmol/L or less., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests All authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC). All rights reserved.)

Biomass-burning emissions are a significant source of primary organic aerosol (POA). Volatility is one of the most important physical properties of organic aerosol (OA). Dilution and thermodenuder (TD) measurements were used to investigate the volatility of POA from household crop waste combustion in China. Between 10% and 30% of the POA desorbed when diluted from 20:1 to 120:1, while 10%-40% of POA evaporated in the TD when heated to 150 °C. Thus, a considerable proportion of the POA emissions were volatile. A dynamic mass transfer model was applied to derived volatility distributions of POA based on TD data. A best fit volatility distributions for POA and associated mass accommodation coefficients (α), and the enthalpy of vaporization (ΔH vap ) were presented. The emissions factors and volatility distribution of POA emission from household crop waste combustion in this study can be used to improve emission inventories and simulate gas-particle partitioning of organic aerosol in chemical transport models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Insects are under pressure from agricultural intensification. To protect pollinators, conservation measures such as the EU agri-environment schemes (AES) promote planting wildflowers along fields. However, this can potentially alter disease ecology by serving as transmission hubs or by diluting infections. We tested this by measuring plant-pollinator interactions and virus infections (DWV-A, DWV-B and ABPV) across pollinator communities in agricultural landscapes over a year. AES had a direct effect on DWV-B, reducing prevalence and load in honeybees, with a tentative general dilution effect on load in early summer. DWV-A prevalence was reduced both under AES and with increasing niche overlap between competent hosts, likely via a dilution effect. By contrast, AES had no impact on ABPV, its prevalence driven by the proportion of bumblebees in the community. Epidemiological differences were also reflected in the virus phylogenies, with DWV-B showing recent rapid expansion, while DWV-A and ABPV showed slower growth rates and geographical population structure. Phylogenies indicate that all three viruses freely circulate across their host populations. Our study illustrates how complex interactions between environmental, ecological and evolutionary factors may influence wildlife disease dynamics. Supporting pollinator nutrition can mitigate the transmission of important bee diseases, providing an unexpected boost to pollinator conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world'.

Cell-specific aptamers offer a powerful tool to study membrane receptors at the single-molecule level. Most target receptors of aptamers are highly expressed on the cell surface, but difficult to analyze in situ because of dense distribution and fast velocity. Therefore, we herein propose a random sampling-based analysis strategy termed ligand dilution analysis (LDA) for easily implemented aptamer-based receptor study. Receptor density on the cell surface can be calculated based on a regression model. By using a synergistic ligand dilution design, colocalization and differentiation of aptamer and monoclonal antibody (mAb) binding on a single receptor can be realized. Once this is accomplished, precise binding site and detailed aptamer-receptor binding mode can be further determined using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The ligand dilution strategy also sets the stage for an aptamer-based dynamics analysis of two- and three-dimensional motion and fluctuation of highly expressed receptors on the live cell membrane., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Ophthalmic oil-in-water nanoemulsions (NEs) are a complex technological platform, representing an advancement in the treatment of dry eye disease. In addition to enabling the incorporation of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), NEs provide prolonged residence time of APIs and other formulation components and consequent replenishment and stabilization of the compromised tear film. Ophthalmic NEs have been on the market for over 20 years, but considering their complexity, as well as the complex nature of the ocular surface, they are still a poorly understood advanced dosage form. The objective of this study was to develop a biorelevant in vitro method that would be able to predict the behavior of ophthalmic NEs after application. With that goal, NE formulations differing in critical material attributes and critical formulation variables were employed and subjected to simulated tear turnover and blinking. By gradually increasing the complexity of the in vitro method, we were able to detect key parameters influencing NE stability. The undertaken study presents a step forward in the development of in vitro tools that are fundamental to the reliable, cost and time-effective development of innovative and generic topical ophthalmic NEs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Repositories for aquatic germplasm are essential for safeguarding valuable genetic diversity for species relevant to aquaculture, biomedical research, and conservation. Development of aquatic germplasm repositories is impeded by a lack of standardization within laboratories and across the research community. Protocols for cryopreservation are often developed ad hoc and without close attention to variables, such as cell concentration, that strongly affect the success and reproducibility of cryopreservation. The wide dissemination and use of specialized tools and devices as open hardware can improve processing reliability and save costs. The goal of the present work was to develop and prototype a modular and open-technology approach to help to standardize the cell concentration of germplasm samples prior to cryopreservation. The specific objectives were to: 1) design and fabricate prototypes of the automated concentration measurement and adjustment system (CMAS), incorporating custom peristaltic pumps and optical evaluation modules, and 2) evaluate the performance of the CMAS with biological samples. Linear regression models were obtained for estimation of aquatic sperm concentration >10 8 cells/mL and for algae concentration > (3 × 10 5 ) cells/mL. Algae were diluted with extender medium by an automated process, resulting in a dilution precision of ±12.6% and ±6.7% in two trials, attaining means of 89% and 71% of the target cell concentration. The development of the CMAS as open technology can provide opportunities for community-level standardization in cryopreservation of aquatic germplasm and can invite new users, makers, and developers into the open-technology community. This will increase the reach and capabilities of much-needed aquatic germplasm repositories., Competing Interests: Competing Interests The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dependency theories of causal reasoning, such as causal Bayes net accounts, postulate that the strengths of individual causal links are independent of the causal structure in which they are embedded; they are inferred from dependency information, such as statistical regularities. We propose a psychological account that postulates that reasoners' concept of causality is richer. It predicts a systematic influence of causal structure knowledge on causal strength intuitions. Our view incorporates the notion held by dispositional theories that causes produce effects in virtue of an underlying causal capacity. Going beyond existing normative dispositional theories, however, we argue that reasoners' concept of causality involves the idea that continuous causes spread their capacity across their different causal pathways, analogous to fluids running through pipe systems. Such a representation leads to the prediction of a structure-dependent dilution of causal strength: the more links are served by a cause, the weaker individual links are expected to be. A series of experiments corroborate the theory. For continuous causes with continuous effects, but not in causal structures with genuinely binary variables that can only be present or absent, reasoners tend to think that link strength decreases with the number of links served by a cause. The effect reflects a default notion reasoners have about causality, but it is moderated by assumptions about the amount of causal capacity causes are assumed to possess, and by mechanism knowledge about how a cause generates its effect(s). We discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of our findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A vulnerability assessment of the aquifers in the agricultural area of Zacharo in SW, Peloponnese, Greece, was conducted using the DRASTIC index and the susceptibility index (SI). Sensitivity analysis was conducted and thematic maps for each parameter were generated to analyse the impact of individual parameter on the collective groundwater vulnerability. Results derived from the DRASTIC and SI maps revealed that the extremely highly vulnerable zones are concentrated at three coastal sites in the western part of the study area. Data from these maps also indicate low vulnerability areas throughout the eastern part of the region. The distribution of nitrate concentrations in groundwater is better correlated with the DRASTIC (79.2%) compared to SI (60.2%). Neither method takes into consideration the impact of dilution and nitrate to ammonium reduction, on the nitrate content of groundwater, thus overestimating the vulnerability index. Moreover, the SI method overestimates the impact of olive groves' land use type on the susceptibility index, thus resulting to a lower correlation with the observed nitrate concentrations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Diagnostic blood tests can guide the administration of healthcare to save and improve lives. Most clinical biosensing blood tests require a trained technician and specialized equipment to process samples and interpret results, which greatly limits test accessibility. Colorimetric paper-based diagnostics have an equipment-free readout, but raw blood obscures a colorimetric response which has motivated diverse efforts to develop blood sample processing techniques. This work uses inexpensive readily-available materials to engineer user-friendly dilution and filtration methods for blood sample collection and processing to enable a proof-of-concept colorimetric biosensor that is responsive to glutamine in 50 µL blood drop samples in less than 30 min. Paper-based user-friendly blood sample collection and processing combined with CFPS biosensing technology represents important progress towards the development of at-home biosensors that could be broadly applicable to personalized healthcare.

The unsaturated zone, located between the soil surface and the phreatic level, plays an important role in defining the fate of any substance entering the subsoil. In addition to the processes of flow and transport taking place in the liquid phase, surface reactions such as adsorption to the solid phase may occur and increase the residence time of the substance entering the system. In this study, we aim to understand the pore-scale mechanisms that control adsorption in unsaturated systems. We combine 2D pore-scale experimental images with numerical simulations to analyze flow, transport, and adsorption under different liquid saturation degrees. We demonstrate the role of mixing on adsorption at the liquid-solid interfaces by analyzing the deformation in time of a pulse-injected surfactant. We also analyze the impact of the isotherm functional shape and the inclusion of the liquid-gas interfaces as adsorption sites on this surface reaction. The enhancement of mixing as saturation decreases is accompanied by a reduction in the amount of adsorbed mass, located mainly along preferential flow paths, where the solute is primarily transported. For the same isotherm, a nonlinear behavior of adsorption as a function of liquid saturation has been observed. This is explained by the nonlinear variation of the volume fraction of liquid behaving as preferential path or stagnation zone as liquid saturation decreases, despite the linear decrease in the surface area of solids accessible for adsorption., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11242-022-01747-x., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Net photoreduction of divalent mercury (Hg(II)) and volatilization of photoreduction products (i.e., elemental mercury (Hg(0))/dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM)) is a mechanism by which mercury burdens in ecosystems are lessened. The effects of salinity on mercury photoreactions were investigated while controlling the concentration of DOM (>1 kDa) using natural surface water from the tidal Jijuktu'kwejk (Cornwallis River) and processed with a tangential ultrafiltration-dilution technique. Pseudo first-order rate constants in estuarine water salinity dilutions ranged between 0.22 h -1 and 0.73 h -1 . The amount of mercury available for photoreduction (Hg(II) RED ) ranged between 67.2 and 265.9 pg. Pseudo first-order rate constants decreased with increasing salinity treatments (0-13.5 g L -1 ), with minimal change in rate constants occurring in higher salinity treatments (e.g. 20.3 or 26.8 g L -1 ), while Hg(II) RED increased with salinity. In lower salinity treatments, DOM was more photoactive. Taken together, results suggest changes in the mercury photoreduction mechanism from DOM-bound electron transfer to photochemically produced secondary reduction products with increasing salinity. Experiments examining photooxidation showed decreases in Hg (0) with longer exposure time, suggesting transformation of Hg(II) RED into a non-reducible form. This research highlights the importance of salinity and DOM interactions in estuarine surface water and their effects on mercury photochemistry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Our work analyzes the biophysical and economic foundations of the Sherwood Plot (SP). In general, the SP depicts the theoretical relationship between the cost of recovering a target material or an identified Value Added Compound (VAC) from a waste matrix and its dilution in the waste matrix; specifically suggesting that the recovery cost is reverse proportional to the VAC's dilution in it. We further utilize the SP as a scientifically consistent and economically coherent analytical framework for measuring resource recovery performance. Initially, we analyze the SP's fundamental physical properties, as well as its many potential economic extensions. Specifically, we substantiate the relation between a VAC's Entropy, Dilution and Recovery Cost . On these grounds we present the SP's remarkable and numerous economic properties that make it consistent to its physical foundations; thus integrating concisely its physical and economic aspects and postulate a generalized SP function . We further test econometrically the validity of an SP based on both deterministic and stochastic real data from a small-scale industrial unit of polyphenols' recovery from natural fruit juice production residual wastewater. In turn, based on the fusion of our theoretical argumentation and empirical findings we dive into the epistemological extensions of the SP. Specifically, we study how the recovery cost structure at the single industry level is revealed by the SP and can be useful for postulating cost structure ontologies . Cost ontologies are in turn useful as a diagnostic of the formation process of VAC recovery markets as well as their structure and concentration, defining the industrial shares when many industries operate in the recovery of the same VAC.

Dexamethasone can be used to prevent nausea and vomiting after surgery, but there is concern that it may induced perineal irritation. The aim of this study was to investigate the attenuation effect of dilution and slow injection on dexamethasone-induced perineal irritation. In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, a total of 400 patients were enrolled and allocated into four groups: Group I, receiving 2 mL dexamethasone (5 mg/mL), Group II, receiving 5 mL dexamethasone (2 mg/mL), Group III, receiving 10 mL dexamethasone (1 mg/mL), and Group IV receiving 20 mL dexamethasone (0.5 mg/mL). Dexamethasone was diluted with 5% glucose. The injection time of dexamethasone was less than 2 s in Group I, while it was 30 s in Groups II, III, and IV. The incidence, onset, duration, and severity of perineal irritation were recorded. The incidence of dexamethasone-induced perineal irritation was 49, 33, 17, and 15% in Groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Group IV had less severity than Group I in mild and moderate perineal irritation ( P < 0.008). The onset and duration of perineal irritation of Groups II, III, and IV were significantly improved compared to Group I ( P < 0.001). Dexamethasone-induced perineal irritation can be alleviated by dilution of dexamethasone to 0.5 mg/mL with 5% glucose combined with prolonged injection time of 30 s., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Yonghai Zhang et al., published by De Gruyter.)

AbstractInfectious diseases can impact human welfare and impede wildlife management. Much recent research explores whether biodiversity increases or decreases infectious disease risk. Here, we theoretically study the relationship between vector species richness and the risk of vector-borne diseases using an epidemiological model of a single host and multiple vectors. The model considers that vectors are involved in interspecific feeding interference that causes transmission interference and in interspecific recruitment competition that mediates susceptible vector regulation. The model reveals three possible shapes of the vector richness-disease risk relationship: monotonic amplification, hump-shaped, and monotonic dilution patterns. The monotonic amplification pattern occurs across a wide parameter region. The hump-shaped and monotonic dilution patterns are found when transmission interference is strong and recruitment competition is weak. Unexpectedly, susceptible vector regulation not only promotes dilution but can strengthen amplification if coupled with strong transmission interference. Our results suggest that vector richness might be more likely to cause amplification rather than dilution, and shifts in the community mean trait values of vectors could also affect disease risk along the vector richness gradient.