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Here, the unresolved question of why single‐chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) prepared from a weak polyelectrolyte (PE) precursor can be synthesized on a large scale in a concentrated solution is addressed, unlike SCNPs obtained from an equivalent neutral (nonamphiphilic) polymer precursor. The combination of the standard elastic single‐chain nanoparticles (ESN) model −developed for neutral chains− with the classical scaling theory of PE solutions provides the key. Essentially, the long‐range repulsion between electrostatic blobs in a weak PE precursor restricts the cross‐linking process during SCNPs formation to the interior of each blob. Consequently, the maximum concentration at which PE‐SCNPs can be prepared without interchain cross‐linking is not determined by the full size of the PE precursor but, instead, by the smaller size of its electrostatic blobs. Therefore, PE‐SCNPs can be synthesized up to a critical concentration where electrostatic blobs from different chains touch each other. This concentration can be 30 times higher than that for non‐PE polymer precursors. Upon progressive dilution, the size of PE‐SCNPs synthesized in concentrated solution increases until it reaches the bigger size of PE‐SCNPs prepared under highly diluted conditions. PE‐SCNPs do not adopt a globular conformation either in concentrated or in diluted solution. It shows that the main model predictions agree with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Tol2 transposable element is the most widely used transgenesis tool in zebrafish. However, its high activity almost always leads to multiple unlinked integrations of the transgenic cassette in F1 fish. Each of these transgenes is susceptible to positional effects from the surrounding regulatory landscape, which can lead to altered expression and, consequently, activity. Scientists therefore must strike a balance between the need to maximize reproducibility by establishing single‐insertion transgenic lines and the need to complete experiments within a reasonable timeframe. Results: In this article, we introduce a simple competitive dilution strategy for rapid generation of single‐insertion transgenics. By using cry:BFP reporter plasmid as a competitor, we achieved a nearly fourfold reduction in the number of the transgene of interest integrations while simultaneously increasing the proportion of single‐insertion F1 generation transgenics to over 50%. We also observed variations in transgene of interest expression among independent single‐insertion transgenics, highlighting that the commonly used ubiquitous ubb promoter is susceptible to position effects. Conclusions: Wide application of our competitive dilution strategy will save time, reduce animal usage, and improve reproducibility of zebrafish research. Key Findings: Competitive dilution of Tol2 transgenesis vectors facilitates isolation of single‐insertion transgenic zebrafish lines in the F1 generation, reducing animal usage, improving reproducibility, and saving time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity loss and anthropogenic modifications to species communities are impacting the frequency and magnitude of disease emergence events. These changes may be related through mechanisms in which biodiversity either increases (amplifies) or decreases (dilutes) disease prevalence. Biodiversity effects can be direct, when contacts among competent hosts are replaced by contacts with sink hosts, or indirect through the regulation of host abundances.Here, we introduce a multihost compartmental disease model, weighting host competences by their evolutionary relatedness. Our model simulates host communities with substitutive and additive assembly patterns and frequency‐ and density‐dependent pathogen transmission modes, from which we estimate the community disease outbreak potential R0.Simulations show how differences in phylogenetic structure can switch host communities from diluting to amplifying a disease, even when species richness is unchanged. We additionally show that phylogenetic dilution can occur simultaneously with (classic) amplification through species richness.We illustrate our model using empirical data describing the relationship between phylogenetic distances separating hosts and their likelihood of disease sharing. Our study demonstrates how host evolutionary histories can drive disease dynamics through a phylogenetic dilution effect. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disordered polymer chain entanglements within all‐polymer blends limit the formation of optimal donor–acceptor phase separation, and thus the performance of all‐polymer organic solar cells (all‐PSCs). Considering the challenge and importance of morphology regulation in all‐PSCs, a diluted layer‐by‐layer (N‐LBL) strategy is thereby adopted to fine‐tuning the properties of all‐polymer blends. When comparing the traditional PM6:PY‐IT based bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) film and PM6/PY‐IT layer‐by‐layer (LBL) film, the N‐LBL film, which is prepared from diluted PM6 (with 3% PY‐IT) bottom layer and diluted PY‐IT (with 6% PM6) top layer, displayed a clearer bi‐continuous fibrillar network and a higher exciton generation process. Benefiting from these unique characters, the all‐PSC consisting the N‐LBL active layer exhibited a short‐circuit current density over 26 mA cm−2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.33%, which are both higher than those of BHJ (16.88%) and LBL (17.13%) devices. Moreover, the universality of the dilution strategy in other all‐polymer blends (PM6 and PY‐DT, PM6 and PY‐FT‐o) is also demonstrated with unanimously improved device performance. This work underscores the effectiveness of the diluted layer‐by‐layer method in tuning the morphologies and charge dynamics for high‐performance all‐PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Objective Method Results Conclusion Trial Registration 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.To evaluate adverse events in patients treated with immediately reconstituted PLLA‐SCA on the face, body, and scars.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.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.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.This was a retrospective study of medical records at two medical centers, and trial registration was not required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2014, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4 have been dominating the outbreaks across Europe, causing massive deaths among poultry and wild birds. However, the factors shaping these broad‐scale outbreak patterns, especially those related to waterbird community composition, remain unclear. In particular, we do not know whether these risk factors differ from those of other H5 clades. Addressing this knowledge gap is important for predicting and preventing future HPAI outbreaks. Using extensive waterbird survey datasets from about 6883 sites, we here explored the effect of waterbird community composition on HPAI H5Nx (clade 2.3.4.4) spatial patterns in the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 epidemics in Europe, and compared it with the 2005/2006 HPAI H5N1 (clade 2.2) epidemic. We showed that HPAI H5 occurrences in wild birds in the three epidemics were strongly associated with very similar waterbird community attributes, which suggested that, in nature, similar interspecific transmission processes operate between the HPAI H5 subtypes or clades. Importantly, community phylogenetic diversity consistently showed a negative association with H5 occurrence in all three epidemics, suggesting a dilution effect of phylogenetic diversity. In contrast, waterbird community variables showed much weaker associations with HPAI H5Nx occurrence in poultry. Our results demonstrate that models based on previous epidemics can predict future HPAI H5 patterns in wild birds, implying that it is important to include waterbird community factors in future HPAI studies to predict outbreaks and improve surveillance activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a model of chemostat with two cross‐feeding species and involving two inhibitions. The excess of hydrogen inhibits the growth of acetogenic bacteria which, in turn, inhibit the growth of methanogenic hydrogenotrophic bacteria. The model is described by a system of four ordinary differential equations. We established the conditions of existence and stability of equilibria with respect to the operating parameters which are the dilution rate and the input substrate concentrations of the species of the model, then we illustrate the operating and bifurcation diagrams. This technique makes it easy to interpret different regions of operating diagrams. Inhibitions let some regions of stability rise and others vanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For population systems modeled by age‐structured hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs), we redesign the existing feedback laws, designed under the assumption that the dilution input is directly actuated, to the more realistic case where dilution is governed by actuation dynamics (modeled simply by an integrator). In addition to the standard constraint that the population density must remain positive, the dilution dynamics introduce constraints of not only positivity of dilution, but possibly of given positive lower and upper bounds on dilution. We present several designs, of varying complexity, and with various measurement requirements, which not only ensure global asymptotic (and local exponential) stabilization of a desired positive population density profile from all positive initial conditions, but do so without violating the constraints on the dilution state. To develop the results, we exploit the relation between first‐order hyperbolic PDEs and an equivalent representation in which a scalar input‐driven mode is decoupled from input‐free infinite‐dimensional internal dynamics represented by an integral delay system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phage lysin field has done nothing but grow in the last decades. As a result, many different research groups around the world are contributing to the field, often with certain methodological differences that pose a challenge to the interpretation and comparison of results. In this work, we present the case study of three Acinetobacter baumannii‐targeting phage lysins (wild‐type endolysin LysMK34 plus engineered lysins eLysMK34 and 1D10) plus one lysin with broad activity against Gram‐positive bacteria (PlySs2) to provide exemplary evidence on the risks of generalization when using one of the most common lysin evaluation assays: the killing assay with resting cells. To that end, we performed killing assays with the aforementioned lysins using hypo‐, iso‐ and hypertonic buffers plus human serum either as the reaction or the dilution medium in a systematic manner. Our findings stress the perils of creating hypotonic conditions or a hypotonic shock during a killing assay, suggesting that hypotonic buffers should be avoided as a test environment or as diluents before plating to avoid overestimation of the killing effect in the assayed conditions. As a conclusion, we suggest that the nature of both the incubation and the dilution buffers should be always clearly identified when reporting killing activity data, and that for experimental consistency the same incubation buffer should be used as a diluent for posterior serial dilution and plating unless explicitly required by the experimental design. In addition, the most appropriate buffer mimicking the final application must be chosen to obtain relevant results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This research aimed to replicate the Swinson, D., Snaith, J., Buckberry, J., & Brickley, M. (2010). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the investigation of gout in paleopathology. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 20, 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.1009 method for detecting uric acid in archeological human remains to investigate gout in past populations and to improve the original High Performance Liquid Chromatography‐ultraviolet (HPLC‐UV) method by using HPLC‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS), a more sensitive, compound‐specific detection method. Materials and Methods: We used reference samples of uric acid to create a dilution series to assess the limits of quantification and detection. Samples from individuals with and without gout lesions were taken from foot bones and ribs from the English cemeteries of Tanyard, Hickleton, Gloucester, and Lincoln. Results: We could not replicate the results of Swinson and colleagues using HPLC‐UV. Tests using a dilution series of uric acid showed HPLC‐MS was approximately 100× more sensitive than HPLC‐UV, with the additional benefit of being compound specific. A newly developed hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) method improved retention characteristics. Fourteen samples from eight individuals, five with skeletal lesions consistent with gout, were analyzed with the final method. None showed evidence of uric acid despite the newly developed method's improved sensitivity and specificity. Discussion: The lack of detectable uric acid extracted from these samples suggests that (1) urate crystals were not present in any of the bone samples, regardless of gout status; (2) urate crystals did not survive these specific archeological conditions; or (3) the concentration of uric acid in our bone extracts was low, and thus larger samples would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how structural parameters (including injection ducts and exhaust nozzle inner diameters) affect the internal flow field and dilution ratio of diesel particulate sampling diluters. Increasing air injection duct diameter increased the injection chamber pressure and decreased the air velocity peak, mixed gas flow velocity, sample temperature, and mixing rate. Excessively small tube diameters caused uneven and discontinuous flow field distributions, while substantial air blockage rendered the flow state poor. Increasing nozzle inner diameters increased the exhaust flow area and the sample temperature, but decreased the velocity of the exhaust and gas mixtures and the pressure drop. Compared with a 2.0 mm inner diameter, 2.5 and 3.0 mm diameters decreased the peak velocity by 11.18% and 14.41%, respectively, and mixing slowed significantly. Inner nozzle diameters of <1.5 mm increased the pressure drop significantly; the exhaust velocity also increased, exceeding the air velocity at the mixing position. The dilution ratio and relative error decreased with increasing inner nozzle diameter. At an air injection duct and an inner nozzle diameter of 0.1 and 2.0 mm, respectively, the dilutor's flow field distribution improved, the mixed gas flow stabilized, and the dilution ratio and relative error were 21.34% and 6.74%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B6O7OH62− is a highly polymerized borate anion of three six‐membered rings. Limited research on the B6O7OH62− hydrolysis mechanism under neutral solution conditions exists. Calculations based on density functional theory show that B6O7OH62− undergoes five steps of hydrolysis to form H3BO3 and BOH4−. At the same time, there are a small number of borate ions with different degrees of polymerization during the hydrolysis process, such as triborate, tetraborate, and pentaborate anions. The structure of the borate anion and the coordination environment of the bridging oxygen atoms control the hydrolysis process. Finally, this work explains that in existing experimental studies, the reason for the low B6O7OH62− content in solution environments with low total boron concentrations is that it depolymerizes into other types of borate ions and clarifies the borate species. The conversion relationship provides a basis for identifying the possibility of various borate ions existing in the solution. This work also provides a certain degree of theoretical support for the cause of the "dilution to salt" phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calcium hydroxylapatite‐carboxymethylcellulose (CaHA‐CMC) injectables have emerged as dual‐purpose fillers with bioregenerative and direct filling capabilities. Aims: This study investigates the rheological properties of CaHA‐CMC and its CMC carrier gel at various dilutions. Methods: The storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), complex viscosity (η*), loss factor (tan δ), cohesivity, and extrusion force were evaluated for a range of CaHA‐CMC aqueous dilutions with an oscillatory rheometer, drop weight testing, and force analysis, respectively. Results: Results revealed a significant decrease in G′, η*, and increase in tan(δ) with increasing dilution, indicating a decline in the product's direct filling capabilities. Cohesivity decreased dramatically with dilution, potentially enhancing tissue biointegration and the product's biostimulatory effects. The CMC gel carrier displayed inelastic and non‐resilient properties, with rheological changes differing from CaHA‐CMC. Dilutional rheology was also correlated with previously published dilution‐dependent biostimulatory data where hyperdiluted CaHA‐CMC (>1:2) demonstrated a regenerative profile and diluted or hypodiluted mixtures retained meaningful filling properties and increased regeneration. Conclusions: These findings offer a continuum for tailoring the product's rheological profile to match specific tissue requirements. Customizable rheology allows CaHA‐CMC to be tuned for either filling and contouring or optimal regenerative effects. Importantly, safety implications related to vascular occlusion suggest that dilutional rheomodulation decreases the risk of vascular events. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant impact of aqueous dilution on the rheological properties of CaHA‐CMC and its carrier gel. The findings support the clinical application of tailored dilutions to achieve desired outcomes, providing versatility and safety for aesthetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) offers significant signal enhancement compared to conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in measuring the nuclear Overhauser effect. Owing to this enhancement, DNP enables the quantitative analysis of solvent–solute interactions, which are typically challenging to assess using standard NMR techniques. However, current experimental setups generally require the use of samples with relatively high solute concentrations because of large dilution factors. This limits the studies on solvent–solute interactions for bio‐related molecules, particularly those with low solubility. In such cases, the concentration of solute post‐dilution often falls below the detection limits. Herein, we introduce a novel dual injection system designed to considerably increase the dilution factor, thereby enabling the use of samples with lower solute concentrations while maintaining detectable signal levels. The effectiveness of this system was demonstrated in experiments using trifluoroacetic acid at concentrations 50 times lower than those used in the conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular hydrogels typically undergo a gel‐to‐sol transition with heat, as intermolecular interactions within the gel weaken. Although gel‐to‐gel transitions during heating are rare, they may occur due to minor rearrangements caused by thermal forces in the supramolecular self‐assembled structure. Here, an unprecedented temperature‐induced gel‐to‐gel transition assisted by supramolecular chiral inversion in a hydrogel system is presented. The transition results from a left‐handed M‐type helix to a right‐handed P‐type helix, attributed to the π‐system‐conjugated amino acid, l‐Tyrosine (Fm‐ l‐Tyr). Upon solvent dilution, Fm‐l‐Tyr induces translucent hydrogel formed by entangled fibers with a kinetically stable left‐handed M‐type supramolecular helix. At 70 °C, hydrogel transforms into an opaque gel with a reverse supramolecular chirality yielding a thermodynamically stable right‐handed P‐type helix. Supramolecular chiral inversion is substantiated by two chiroptical methods. This unique gel‐to‐gel transition, accompanied by chiral inversion, is anticipated to attract attention, especially for applications sensitive to chirality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benchtop NMR spectroscopy is attractive for process monitoring; however, there are still drawbacks that often hamper its use, namely, the comparatively low spectral resolution in 1H NMR, as well as the low signal intensities and problems with the premagnetization of flowing samples in 13C NMR. We show here that all these problems can be overcome by using 1H‐13C polarization transfer methods. Two ternary test mixtures (one with overlapping peaks in the 1H NMR spectrum and one with well‐separated peaks, which was used as a reference) were studied with a 1 T benchtop NMR spectrometer using the polarization transfer sequence PENDANT (polarization enhancement that is nurtured during attached nucleus testing). The mixtures were analyzed quantitatively in stationary as well as in flow experiments by PENDANT enhanced 13C NMR experiments, and the results were compared with those from the gravimetric sample preparation and from standard 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, as a proxy for a process monitoring application, continuous dilution experiments were carried out, and the composition of the mixture was monitored in a flow setup by 13C NMR benchtop spectroscopy with PENDANT. The results demonstrate the high potential of polarization transfer methods for applications in quantitative process analysis with benchtop NMR instruments, in particular with flowing samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the internal light extraction efficiency of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is key to improving their performance for solid‐state lighting applications; however, it is challenging to do this in a way that is compatible with high volume manufacturing. Here, it is shown that the outcoupling efficiency of OLEDs can be improved by diluting their hole transport layer (HTL) with the low refractive index material trifluoropropyl oligomeric silsesquioxane (F‐POSS). Specifically, co‐evaporating 40 vol.% F‐POSS in the HTL of single and multi‐stack phosphorescent OLEDs decreases its refractive index by Δn ≈ 0.2, which in turn yields a ≈12% increase in their outcoupling efficiency with no impact on electrical performance or operational lifetime. This result is significant because F‐POSS is a small molecule that sublimes cleanly, does not aggregate, and is compatible with state‐of‐the‐art HTL materials, making it a realistic path to increase light extraction in commercial OLEDs manufactured on existing production lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas fermentation of CO2 and H2 is an attractive means to sustainably produce fuels and chemicals. Clostridium autoethanogenum is a model organism for industrial CO to ethanol and presents an opportunity for CO2‐to‐ethanol processes. As we have previously characterized its CO2/H2 chemostat growth, here we use adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) with the aim of improving growth with CO2/H2. Seven ALE lineages were generated, all with improved specific growth rates. ALE conducted in the presence of 2% CO along with CO2/H2 generated Evolved lineage D, which showed the highest ethanol titres amongst all the ALE lineages during the fermentation of CO2/H2. Chemostat comparison against the parental strain shows no change in acetate or ethanol production, while Evolved D could achieve a higher maximum dilution rate. Multi‐omics analyses at steady state revealed that Evolved D has widespread proteome and intracellular metabolome changes. However, the uptake and production rates and titres remain unaltered until investigating their maximum dilution rate. Yet, we provide numerous insights into CO2/H2 metabolism via these multi‐omics data and link these results to mutations, suggesting novel targets for metabolic engineering in this bacterium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic can accumulate in freshwater biota, sometimes reaching potentially harmful levels. However, the toxicity of arsenic strongly depends on which arsenic species are present. Although organic species are considered less harmful than inorganic ones, they have not been extensively studied in freshwater environments, and drivers of variation in arsenic speciation among sites and taxa remain unclear. We assessed concentrations of two organic arsenic species, arsenobetaine (AsB) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), in fish and invertebrates from three lakes near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada—a region with widespread mining impacts. Both AsB and DMA were detected in most samples (n = 212), varying across a wide range of concentrations (<0.001–30.144 and <0.006–5.262 mg/kg dry wt, respectively). The lake with the most severe mining impacts typically had the highest concentrations (designated by square brackets []) of AsB and DMA. In contrast, the percentage of total arsenic made up by AsB (%AsB) and DMA (%DMA) did not vary significantly between lakes. Arsenic speciation in fish muscle varied with fish size, selenium concentrations, and trophic elevation (inferred from nitrogen stable isotope ratios δ15N), but relationships with dietary carbon source (inferred from carbon stable isotope ratios δ13C) were more varied. Within all three lake food webs, [AsB] and [DMA] typically underwent biodilution, decreasing with trophic elevation (i.e., δ15N). Although the aforementioned factors explained some variation in arsenic speciation, there remains considerable unexplained variation. Further studies on arsenic speciation in freshwater biota should target a wider diversity of taxa to better understand drivers of variation in arsenic speciation. In addition, research emphasizing the percentage of inorganic arsenic and other organic arsenic species is needed to improve environmental and human health risk assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:833–846. © 2024 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poliosis is defined as the absence of melanin in hair, and hair graying typically occurs with hair melanin reduction. Poliosis can occur at any age but presents in childhood in certain genetic and acquired conditions, with many families seeking evaluation from a pediatric dermatologist. Poliosis presents as white hair typically restricted to a certain location of the scalp. Children may also present with a reduction of expected hair pigmentation, referred to as pigment dilution, or the development of hair graying. This review aims to provide a streamlined diagnostic approach for pediatric dermatologists when presented with these hair findings. Poliosis should be recognized as a potential diagnostic feature or initial sign in many syndromes and thus can guide clinicians in diagnosing and managing conditions earlier in a patient's care. Since many of the genetic and acquired conditions that present with poliosis or hair pigment dilution have extracutaneous manifestations, early diagnosis is vital in establishing multidisciplinary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solute migration is typically simulated to describe and estimate the fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater. The unit‐concentration approach is investigated here as a method to enable solute transport simulations to expand the capabilities of groundwater flow modeling. The unit‐concentration method uses a concentration value of one to identify sources of water to be assessed and a concentration of zero for all other water sources. The distribution of concentration thus obtained, unlike particle tracking methods, provides a more intuitive and direct quantification of the contribution of sources reaching various sinks. The unit‐concentration approach can be applied readily with existing solute transport software for a range of analyses including source allocation, well capture analysis, and mixing/dilution calculations. This paper presents the theory, method, and example applications of the unit‐concentration approach for source quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a swift and economical extraction and preconcentration method called effervescence‐assisted dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction was developed to analyze the pesticide content of different grape juices. To propel the microextraction method, the sample was transferred to a conical bottom glass test tube, and ammonium chloride was added and vortexed to dissolve. Then, sodium bicarbonate and a mixture of 1,2‐dibromoethane and n‐hexane were added. The tube was located in a water bath and the produced carbon dioxide bubbles dispersed the extraction solvent into the sample. Finally, it was centrifuged and one microliter of the sedimented phase was injected into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. Under the optimum conditions, the limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.9 to 4.1 and 3.0 to 13.6 μg/L, respectively. Extraction recoveries and enrichment factors were achieved in the ranges of 36%–80% and 180%–404%, respectively. The inter‐ and intra‐day relative standard deviations were in the ranges of 3.4%–10.6% and 2.6%–9.7%, respectively. Also, the coefficients of determination in the calibration curves were ≥0.990. Short extraction time, no sorbent or costly apparatuses, using inexpensive chemicals, applying microliter levels of the extractant, and no dilution of the real samples are the highlights of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotope dilution ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) is commonly used for trace analysis of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in difficult matrices. Commercial nontargeted analysis of major PFAS where relative concentrations are obtained cost effectively is rapidly emerging and is claimed to provide comparable results to that of absolute quantification using matrix matched calibration and isotope dilution UHPLC–MS/MS. However, this remains to be demonstrated on a large scale. We aimed to assess the performance of a targeted absolute quantification isotope dilution LC–MS/MS assay versus a commercial nontargeted relative quantification assay for detection of three major PFAS in human blood. We evaluated a population‐based cohort of 503 individuals. Correlations were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (rho). Precision and bias were assessed using Bland–Altman plots. For perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, the median concentrations were 5.10 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 3.50–7.24 ng/mL), the two assays correlated with rho 0.83. For perfluorooctanoic acid, the median concentrations were 2.14 ng/mL (IQR 1.60–3.0 ng/mL), the two assays correlated with rho 0.92. For perfluorohexanesulfonate, the median concentrations were 5.5 ng/mL (IQR 2.50–11.61 ng/mL), the two assays correlated with rho 0.96. The Bland–Altman statistical test showed agreement of the mean difference for the majority of samples (97–98%) between the two assays. Absolute plasma concentrations of PFAS obtained using matrix matched calibration and isotope dilution UHPLC–MS/MS show agreement with relative plasma concentrations from a nontargeted commercial platform by Metabolon. We observed striking consistency between the two assays when examining the associations of the three PFAS with cholesterol, offering additional confidence in the validity of utilizing the nontargeted approach for correlations with various health phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 r2 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of organic electrodes in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) is highlighted by their cost‐effectiveness and natural abundance. However, the dissolution of the active material in the electrolyte is a major obstacle to their use in LIBs. Although high‐concentration electrolytes (HCEs) have been proposed to address this issue, they face challenges such as high viscosity, poor wettability, and suboptimal ion conductivity. Hence, this study introduces diluted electrolytes as non‐solvating electrolytes to offset the physical limitations of HCEs and suppress the dissolution of organic electrodes. When a diluted electrolyte is used, perylene‐3,4,9,10‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA)—a notable organic electrode material—demonstrates superior capacity retention and rate performance, achieving 91% of capacity retained at 1000 mA g−1 over 1000 cycles. Through electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements and molecular dynamics simulations, the diluted electrolyte successfully inhibits and demonstrates the dissolution of the active material, preventing capacity loss and the detrimental shuttle effect. This study presents a promising strategy for achieving highly reversible organic electrode‐based LIBs through the development of nonsolvating electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circuit clotting remains a major problem during continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), particularly in patients with contraindications to anticoagulant use. We hypothesized that the different options of alternative replacement fluid infusion sites might affect circuit lifespan. However, research‐based evidence supporting an optimal replacement fluid infusion strategy is limited. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of three dilution modes (pre‐dilution, post‐dilution, and pre‐ to post‐dilution) on circuit lifespan during continuous veno‐venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted between December 2019 and December 2020. Patients requiring CKRT were enrolled to receive pre‐dilution, post‐dilution, or pre‐ to post‐dilution fluid infusion with CVVHDF. The primary endpoint was circuit lifespan, and the secondary outcomes included the clinical parameters of patients, such as changes in serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, 28‐day all‐cause mortality, and length of stay. For all patients included in this study, only the first circuit used was recorded. Results: Among the 132 patients enrolled in this study, 40 were in the pre‐dilution mode, 42 were in the post‐dilution mode, and 50 were in the pre‐ to post‐dilution mode. The mean circuit lifespan was significantly longer in the pre‐ to post‐dilution group (45.72 h, 95% CI, 39.75–51.69 h) than in the pre‐dilution group (31.58 h, 95% CI, 26.33–36.82 h) and the post‐dilution group (35.20 h, 95% CI, 29.62–40.78 h). There was no significant difference between the pre‐ and post‐dilution group circuit lifespan (p > 0.05). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed a significant difference between the three dilution modes (p = 0.001). No significant differences were observed in terms of changes in the Scr and BUN levels, admission day, and 28‐day all‐cause mortality among the three dilution groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The pre‐ to post‐dilution mode significantly prolonged circuit lifespan but did not reduce Scr and BUN levels, compared with the pre‐dilution and post‐dilution modes during CVVHDF when no anticoagulants were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure evaluation of Ba1−xSrxHfO3 and Sr1−yCayHfO3 ceramics with varying composition was determined together with its influence on microwave dielectric characteristics. The variation mechanism of temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) was discussed in details, and the strong correlation between τf and bond valence sum (BVS) and tolerance factor (t) was interpreted from the view point of energy. With increasing Sr‐content, the stable phase of Ba1−xSrxHfO3 at room temperature changed from Pm3¯$\bar{3}$m (x ≤ 0.25) to I4/mcm (0.35 ≤ x ≤ 0.40), then to Imma (0.50 ≤x < 0.75) and finally to Pnma (0.75 ≤ x ≤ 1.0). The peak temperature of dielectric constant changed due to the structure transition, resulting in that τf rapidly declined at first, reached near zero, then slowly decreased, and finally rapidly decreased. Sr1−yCayHfO3 (0 ≤ y ≤ 1.0) belonged to space group Pnma. As the bond lengths and bond angles between B‐atom and O‐atom became more and more changeable (or BVS became smaller), the crystal could store more input heat energy through bond vibrational energy, and consequently τf became closer to zero with increasing Ca‐content, which was consistent with the physical meaning of the rattling effect on τf. With decreasing t, the dominant mechanisms responsible for tuning τf changed from (i) phase transition and (ii) dilution of ion polarizability to (iii) rattling effect. One could investigate what were the dominant mechanisms tuning τf and hopefully predict its trend with the help of τf–t graph. These findings provided a new idea for developing solid solution ceramics with excellent temperature stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of solvent aromaticity on asphaltene stability and interfacial behaviour using typical diluted heavy oils, which better represent the chemical diversity of petroleum components than previous studies that used simple solvent mixtures with low asphaltene concentrations. A Brazilian crude with high viscosity and asphaltene content was diluted with two kerosenes, one containing only saturated compounds (KeS), and the other a saturates/aromatics mixture (KeSA) to maintain total aromaticity in the oil mixture upon dilution. Viscosity, asphaltene stability, interfacial tension, and elasticity of the oil mixtures were measured, and correlated with emulsion stability, regarding the differences in solvent aromaticity and aromatics/saturates ratio. The results showed that the different kerosene compositions affected bulk viscosity and asphaltene flocculation, but had a lesser effect on oil/brine interfacial tension due to the high asphaltene content in the diluted oil. The elastic modulus decreased at higher dilutions with KeS, while it remained consistent for KeSA mixtures, which supported the differences obtained in emulsion stability, at solvent concentrations within the optimal aromaticity ratio reported for simple solvent mixtures. Interfacial segregation of the aromatics in KeSA was also observed, which has not been reported in previous studies using complex solvents. These findings suggest that the trends reported with model oils, such as heptol with added asphaltenes, can also be applied to more realistic complex oil mixtures with higher asphaltene concentrations. Nevertheless, it was suggested that maintaining the aromatic content may not be enough to prevent asphaltene flocculation upon dilution, due to the concurrent increase in saturates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long‐distance pipeline transportation of heavy crudes demands optimal pumping procedures to abate overhead expenditures in the midstream phase. This can be facilitated by reducing both the oil viscosity and the frictional losses induced by the turbulent flow zone. The dualistic approach of reducing both viscosity and drag requires the optimization of several parameters such as concentrations and types of diluents and additives. This manuscript critically reviews various technologies being undertaken to facilitate the pipeline transportation of heavy crude oils by highlighting the technique of dilution coupled with the addition of drag reducing agents (DRA). DRA such as surfactants, nanoparticles, bio‐additives, polymers, and fibres are blended with the diluted crudes to suppress the proliferation of turbulent eddies which in turn assist in pumping the oil at a higher flow rate under constant pressure conditions. Several investigations have reported that drag reduction is significantly enhanced by varying the molecular structure of the DRA. In addition, an optimum flow rate coupled with a specific surfactant concentration at an ideal temperature can significantly reduce head losses and pumping expenditures. Further research is imperative to study the effect of the polymer structure with respect to the induced shear degradation and dissolution behavior of the crude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cross‐modal decisions, the options differ on many attributes, and in uni‐modal decisions, they differ on few. We supply new theory and data to understand how discounting for both delay and risk differs between cross‐modal and uni‐modal decisions. We propose the attentional dilution effect in decision making in which (a) allocation of limited attention to an attribute determines that attribute's decision weight and (b) the attention an attribute receives is increasing in the difference between options on that attribute and decreasing in the number of other attributes that differ between options. We introduce the random order delayed compensation method and conduct two experiments focusing on delayed and risky receipt of consumer goods. Consistent with the attentional dilution effect, we find that in this domain, patience and risk tolerance are generally higher in cross‐modal than uni‐modal decisions. We suggest that, since many real‐world choices are cross‐modal, people may be more patient and risk‐tolerant in their everyday life than is suggested by standard lab experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider the chemostat system with n≥1$$ n\ge 1 $$ species, one limiting substrate, and mutations between species. Our objective is to globally stabilize the corresponding dynamical system around a desired equilibrium point. Doing so, we introduce auxostat feedback controls which are controllers allowing the regulation of the substrate concentration. We prove that such feedback controls globally stabilize the resulting closed‐loop system near the desired equilibrium point. This result is obtained by combining the theory of asymptotically autonomous systems and an explicit computation of solutions to the limit system. The performance of such controllers is illustrated on an optimal control problem of Lagrange type which consists in maximizing the production of species over a given time period w.r.t. the dilution rate chosen as control variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic pool dilution is a powerful approach to quantify gross biogeochemical transformation rates, but remains seldom used despite its potential.To facilitate broader implementation of pool dilution methods, we present a user‐friendly R package that optimizes gross production and consumption rates (and optionally fractionation constants as well) based on standard pool dilution time series data.This package features extensive documentation and example analyses, and is easily integrated into analytical pipelines.With this open‐source tool, the biogeochemistry community will be able to readily apply isotope pool dilution to a wide range of processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the metallurgical characterization of single and multi‐layer martensitic hard surfacing onto non‐standardized low‐chromium alloy steel with a single buttering layer using an automatic submerged arc welding process as a standard reference. The metallurgical properties of hard surfaced samples are examined using an optical microscope, energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy, and x‐ray diffractometer. Micro‐Vickers hardness testing is also conducted to analyze and confirm the metallographic results of hard surfacing. The current study finds that the microstructure of each region is influenced by three key factors: chemical composition, heat input, and dilution. The structural type is determined by the chemical composition of materials, heat input influences the structural characteristics in the heat‐affected zone (needle‐shape martensite and tempered martensite), and dilution affects the structural characteristics of the hard surfacing layers (martensite with retained austenite). Comparing multi‐layer hard surfacing to single‐hard surfacing, the hardness values of the heat‐affected zone of the multi‐layer hard surfacing are greatly reduced, while the hardness values of the hard surfacing layers are raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilution sampling systems are crucial for obtaining accurate measurements of engine exhaust particulate mass and number. The system design requires a comprehensive understanding of the impact of dilution parameters on its internal flow field and dilution ratio. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an ejector diluter was established. This CFD model was validated based on results of experiments conducted on a diesel engine with the self‐designed partial flow sampling system. The discrepancies between the simulation and experimental results of the dilution ratio were acceptable (average error of 7.42% and a minimum error of 0.72%). These errors indicated that the model was suitable for performing numerical simulations. The effects of the dilution parameters, including exhaust gas velocity, exhaust gas temperature, and air velocity, on the internal flow field and dilution ratio of the diluter system were investigated. The results showed that an increase in the exhaust velocity from 0.542 to 1.489 m/s decreased the dilution ratio from 41.31 to 15.98 when the air velocity and pressure were constant at 9.147 m/s and 200 kPa, respectively. A 100 K increase in exhaust temperature increased the dilution ratio by 1.62 on average. When the air velocity was increased from 4.333 to 28.405 m/s, the dilution ratio significantly increased from 10.55 to 64.66 when the exhaust velocity and pressure were constant at 1.083 m/s and 90 kPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexible energy conversion in piston engines offers one possibility for storing energy from renewable sources. This work theoretically explores the engine‐based dry methane reforming converting mechanical energy into chemical energy. The endothermic, endergonic reforming process is activated by the temperature increase during the compression stroke, assisted by a reduction of the heat capacity through dilution with argon. This leads to an increase in chemical exergy, as higher‐exergy species are produced with small exergy losses while simultaneously consuming CO2. The engine‐based homogenous dry reforming serves as a flexible power‐to‐gas process and energy storage solution, presenting an alternative to catalytic processes. The piston engine is simulated using a time‐dependent single‐zone model with detailed chemical kinetics, followed by an analysis of thermodynamics and kinetics. With inlet temperatures ranging from 423–473 K and argon dilutions of 91–94 mol%, CH4 and CO2 conversion are between 50%–90% and 30%–80%, respectively, resulting in synthesis gas yields of 45–55%. Additionally, higher hydrocarbons such as C2H2, C2H4, and C6H6 are produced with yields of up to 20%, 10%, and 10%. So, this power‐to‐gas process allows for exergy storage of up to 3.35 kW L−1 per cycle with an efficiency of up to 75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agarwood 'Qi‐Nan' is commonly regarded as the highest quality agarwood, and has been highly valued for its fragrance. With the increasing amount of cultivated agarwood 'Qi‐Nan' in recent years, evaluation of the aroma compounds was drawn attention. Therefore, the volatile compounds in three cultivated 'Qi‐Nan' agarwood samples were extracted by simultaneous distillation‐extraction (SDE) and analysed by GC‐O‐MS, combined with aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). A total of 70 volatile compounds were identified from three samples, in which sesquiterpenes and aromatics were characterized as key aroma‐active components. Nine compounds were considered as common aroma‐active volatiles in these three essential oils according to their flavour dilution (FD) activity and relative flavour activity (RFA) value, and among them, dihydro‐β‐agarofuran and 4‐methoxy‐benzaldehyde were the most important aroma‐active compounds. Additionally, three 'Qi‐Nan' agarwood samples showed different aroma specificity. TD agarwood was characterized by sweet sandalwood odour due to the dominant aroma‐active compound of β‐Santalol. WS agarwood was distinguished by its woody odour because α‐kessyl acetate was its primary aroma. HQ agarwood was featured by woody, spicy and balsamic odour on account of its main aroma compounds of agarospirol and β‐elemene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity‐disease relationship states that increased species richness leads to lower pathogen pressure (i.e. the dilution effect), an effect that erodes with biodiversity loss. However, whether losses of the dilution effect can trigger extinction cascades remains largely unexplored.To explore this idea, we consider declines in freshwater mussels, on average the most threatened non‐marine group of organisms in the world. We argue that anthropogenically stimulated declines in mussel richness amplify pathogens in remaining species. Pathogen amplification triggers further local losses in both mussel abundance and richness, explaining the observed so‐called "enigmatic" declines in freshwater mussels.Vulnerable communities could become trapped in cycles of pathogen amplification and host decline. We highlight knowledge gaps and provide key steps to assess the likelihood of this occurring; these key steps are applicable to any host group.Policy implications. Our argument constitutes a testable hypothesis that may explain richness or abundance declines in previously intact communities. We provide further impetus for the consideration and preservation of diversity at a local scale and show that effective conservation requires integration of both host and parasite ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian red jungle fowl population is decreasing in its natural habitat. Its conservation through semen cryopreservation with sufficient live sperm recovery rate is requisite where ascorbic acid could play significant role to mitigate cryo‐incited injuries. The objective was to elucidate the effect of ascorbic acid on freezability of Indian red jungle fowl sperm. Pooled semen was aliquoted and diluted (1:5) with red fowl extender having ascorbic acid: 0.0 (control), 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mM. Diluted samples were cryopreserved and semen quality was assessed at post‐dilution, cooling, equilibration and freeze–thawing stages. Sperm metabolic status, antioxidant potential and lipid peroxidation were studied at post‐dilution and freeze–thawing. Sperm motility did not differ (p >.05) in experimental extenders and control at post‐dilution and cooling; however, it was recorded higher (p <.05) with ascorbic acid at 2.0 mM compared with other levels at post‐equilibration and post‐thawing stage. Sperm viability, plasma membrane and acrosome intactness were recorded higher (p <.05) with 2.0 mM ascorbic acid compared with other concentrations of ascorbic acid at all stages of cryopreservation. Sperm metabolic status and antioxidant potential were recorded higher (p <.05), while lipid peroxidation was recorded lowest (p <.05) with 2.0 mM ascorbic acid compared with 1.0, 4.0 mM and control. In conclusion, ascorbic acid at 2.0 mM in red fowl extender improves quality, metabolic status and antioxidant potential of frozen Indian red jungle fowl semen through ameliorating lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the ultrasonographic patterns of different calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) formulations, including the undiluted, diluted, and mixed with hyaluronic acid (HA) compounds. Methods: To review the ultrasonographic images of patients ≥18 years with confirmed injections of CaHA clinically and ultrasonographically, and without different concomitant types of fillers in the same region or other systemic or localized cutaneous diseases. Results: Twenty‐one patients met the criteria (90% female; 10% male; mean age: 52 years ± 12.8). Of these, 33.3% have been injected with an undiluted formulation, 33.3% with diluted, and 33.3% with a mixed formulation. All cases were studied with devices presenting frequencies that ranged from 18 to 24 MHz. Twelve cases (57%) were also studied with the 70 MHz. The ultrasonographic patterns of CaHA presented differences in the presence and intensity of PAS and the degree of inflammation according to the dilution and mix with HA. Diluted formulations show a milder intensity posterior acoustic shadowing (PAS) artifact than undiluted at 18–24 MHz. In mixed formulations, 57% showed mild PAS, and 43% demonstrated no PAS artifact at 18–24 MHz, besides fewer inflammatory changes in the periphery of the deposits. Conclusions: The ultrasonographic patterns of CaHA show differences in the presence and intensity of PAS and the degree of inflammation according to the dilution and mix with HA. Awareness of these ultrasonographic variations can support better discrimination of CaHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep understanding of the solute‐ deep eutectic solvent (DESs) interactions is required for an appropriate selection of DESs as absorption media in the extraction of binary mixtures. As a result, these studies are done to evaluate the values of the activity coefficients at infinite dilution (γ13∞ ${{\gamma }_{13}^{\infty }}$), allowing us to define and understand the nature of these intermolecular interactions comprising DES mixtures with volatile organic solvents at different temperatures using gas liquid chromatography technique to determine the γ13∞ ${{\gamma }_{13}^{\infty }}$ for 34 solutes in DESs [zinc chloride+acetic or phosphoric acid] prepared at 1 : 2 molar ratio for the temperature range (313.15–353.15) K. The thermal stability of the prepared DESs was determined by a thermogravimetric analyser. Excess thermodynamic parameters [partial molar excess enthalpies ΔH1E,∞,entropiesTrefΔS1E,∞ ${{\Delta H}_{1}^{{E,}_{\infty }},entropies\left({{T}_{ref}\Delta S}_{1}^{{E,}_{\infty }}\right)}$ and Gibbs free energiesΔG1E,∞ ${\left({\Delta G}_{1}^{{E,}_{\infty }}\right)}$ ] were derived from the γ13∞ ${{\gamma }_{13}^{\infty }}$ data. The selectivity and capacity values for the industrial separations were calculated and compared with the literature values of other DESs, ionic liquids, and sulfolane to assess the suitability of the investigated DESs for possible applications as extracting solvents. The selectivity and capacity values are high and therefore, [zinc chloride+acetic or phosphoric acid] can be used as a potential solvent to replace the currently used conventional solvents in the separation of the selected azeotropes. COSMO‐SAC predictions were qualitatively in very good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing accurate methods to quantify age‐related muscle loss (sarcopenia) could greatly accelerate development of therapies to treat muscle loss in the elderly, as current methods are inaccurate or expensive. The current gold standard method for quantifying sarcopenia is dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) but does not measure muscle directly—it is a composite measure quantifying "lean mass" (muscle) excluding fat and bone. In humans, DXA overestimates muscle mass, which has led to erroneous conclusions about the importance of skeletal muscle in human health and disease. In animal models, DXA is a popular method for measuring lean mass. However, instrumentation is expensive and is potentially limited by anesthesia concerns. Recently, the D3‐creatine (D3Cr) dilution method for quantifying muscle mass was developed in humans and rats. This method is faster, cheaper, and more accurate than DXA. Here, we demonstrate that the D3Cr method is a specific assay for muscle mass in mice, and we test associations with DXA and body weight. We evaluated the D3Cr method compared to DXA‐determined lean body mass (LBM) in aged mice and reported that DXA consistently overestimates muscle mass with age. Overall, we provide evidence that the D3Cr dilution method directly measures muscle mass in mice. Combined with its ease of use, accessibility, and non‐invasive nature, the method may prove to more quickly advance development of preclinical therapies targeting sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climatic stressors that are affecting lake ecosystems, especially phytoplankton, are projected to become more intense with continued climate change (e.g., heatwaves, precipitation events). Concerns over the combined effects that multiple, coinciding stressors can have on phytoplankton necessitates investigating the impacts of different regional climate scenarios.A microcosm study was conducted to assess the responses of a phytoplankton assemblage containing a cyanobacterium (Anabaena flos‐aquae), a green alga (Chlorella vulgaris) and a diatom (Synedra) to a northwestern European summer scenario. Eutrophic microcosms were exposed to a full‐factorial design including a press temperature treatment scenario (ambient or warm) and a pulse precipitation treatment (no runoff simulation or runoff simulation).Warming scenarios had significant effects on the phytoplankton assemblage biomass, which supports our first hypothesis (H1: higher water temperatures under eutrophic conditions will support larger phytoplankton biomasses, especially cyanobacteria). By contrast, the extreme precipitation runoff event had minimal and short‐lived effects on the microcosm assemblage.Overall, the interaction between the two climate stressors was antagonistic. In contrast with our second hypothesis (H2: nutrient additions from extreme precipitation runoff will promote more productivity in higher temperature microcosms), the precipitation runoff event was not amplified by temperature.Our results indicate that the combined effect of two climate stressors on a phytoplankton community are not necessarily synergistic or multiplicative. Our findings on antagonistic interactions between climatic stressors necessitate future studies assessing variations of intensity and duration of the climatic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eugenol is a known contact sensitiser included in fragrance mix I. Objective: To assess the allergic reactivity to eugenol in different concentrations using patch test as well as repeated open application test (ROAT). Methods: Overall 67 subjects from 6 European dermatology clinics participated in the study. The ROAT was performed for 21 days twice a day, applying 3 dilutions of eugenol (2.7%–0.5%) and a control. Before and after the ROAT, patch testing with 17 dilutions of eugenol (2.0%–0.00006%) and controls was performed. Results: Out of the 34 subjects with contact allergy to eugenol, 21 (61.8%) showed a positive patch test before ROAT was performed, the lowest positive concentration was 0.031%. The ROAT was positive in 19 (55.9%) of the 34 subjects, the time until a positive reaction occurred was negatively associated with the concentration of the ROAT solution, as well as with the allergic reactivity of the subjects as defined by patch testing. In the patch test after ROAT, 20 of the 34 test subjects (58.8%) showed a positive reaction. In 13 (38.2%) of the 34 test subjects, the patch test result was not reproduceable, still 4 (31.0%) of these 13 subjects developed a positive ROAT. Conclusion: Eugenol can provoke a positive patch test reaction in a very low dose; besides, this hypersensitivity may persist even if a former positive patch test is not reproduceable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of microorganism concentration in samples (bacterial cells or viral particles) has been a focal point in biomedical experiments for more than a century. Serial dilution of the samples is often used to estimate the target concentrations in immunology, virology, and pharmaceutical industry. A new methodology, called joint likelihood estimation (JLE), is proposed to estimate particles such as the number of microorganisms in a sample from counts obtained by serially diluting the sample. It models count data from the entire single dilution series rather than using only specific dilutions. The theoretical framework is based on the binomial and the Poisson distributions and is consistent with the actual experimental process. The estimator of the target concentration is obtained by MLE with derived joint likelihood functions of the observed counts including right‐censored values. Simulations demonstrated that the new JLE method significantly increases precision and accuracy of the estimate compared to the existing methods. It can be applied to a variety of studies with similar experimental designs, especially when the number of particles in the neat sample is very large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desalter effluent (DE) is typically discharged into a petroleum wastewater treatment plant, but its high salt concentration deteriorates the biological treatment. This study used various dilution rates to investigate the treatment of a synthetic DE containing dodecane under saline conditions using a halotolerant yeast, Debaryomyces hansenii, to determine the optimum substrate concentration for use in continuous stirred‐tank reactors (CSTRs). A literature review indicated that this study was the first to examine the biological treatment of DE using D. hansenii in a CSTR system. At a low dodecane substrate concentration, DE did not inhibit D. hansenii growth, and the experimental data approached the Monod model, with μmax and Ks selected as 0.08 h−1 and 1575 mg L−1, respectively. The optimum removal of chemical oxygen demand (95.7% and 85%) was obtained at dilution rates of 0.007 and 0.026 d−1. Using D. hansenii in a CSTR system appeared to be a sustainable approach for the biological treatment of DE. Scale‐up of these laboratory findings to the industrial scale is required to confirm that petroleum DE can be treated using equalization and filtration tanks as a continuous bioreactor. Adjusting the dilution rate can provide sufficient time for biodegradation and hydrocarbon removal from high salt DE by halotolerant yeasts like D. hansenii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of thermodynamic properties of mixtures is essential in many fields of science and engineering. However, the experimental data is usually scarce, so prediction methods are needed. Matrix completion methods have proven to be very successful in predicting thermodynamic properties of binary mixtures. In this approach, the experimental data is organized in a matrix whose rows and columns correspond to the two components, and whose entries indicate the value of the studied thermodynamic property at fixed conditions. In the present work, we extend the concept to tensor completion methods (TCMs). This allows to account for the variation of the studied property depending on the chosen conditions. The feasibility is demonstrated by applying a TCM to predict activity coefficients at infinite dilution. The third dimension of the tensor is used to describe the influence of the temperature. The TCM is shown to yield better predictions than the well‐established UNIFAC method. Furthermore, the proposed TCM is able to learn and unveil the physical law describing the temperature dependence of activity coefficients from the scarce experimental mixture data only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diluents have an essential effect during combustion. Discovering the influence of CO2 and H2O as diluents on laminar burning velocity (LBV) is helpful for combustion control and optimization. In this study, CH4/air/CO2/H2O mixtures were investigated and validated using the FFCM‐Mech 1.0 over extensive boundary conditions. The chemical effects of the diluents CO2 and H2O were separated using a decoupling method. It was found that an increase in initial temperature promotes the chemical effects, while an increase in initial pressure does the opposite. In addition, the inhibiting effect of CO2 on LBV is stronger than that of H2O. Sensitivity, mole fraction, and rate of production (ROP) analyses were used to reveal that the sum of the chemical effects of adding CO2 and H2O separately was greater than the chemical effects of adding equal amounts of CO2 and H2O simultaneously. This paper not only investigates the effect of CO2 and H2O on the LBV under wide boundary conditions, but also offers a valuable guide for studying the operating conditions and intensity settings of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and theoretical guidance for further research on the combination of EGR and in‐cylinder water injection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When participants are shown a series of stimuli, their responses differ depending on whether they respond after each stimulus or only at the end of the series, in what we call a measurement effect. These effects have received paltry attention compared with more well‐known order effects and pose a unique challenge to theories of decision‐making. In a series of two preregistered experiments, we consistently find measurement effects such that responding to a stimulus reduces its impact on later stimuli. While previous research has found such effects in noncumulative tasks, where participants are instructed only to respond to the most recent stimulus, this may be the first demonstration of these effects when participants are asked to combine information across either two or four stimuli. We present modeling results showing that although several extant classical and quantum models fail to predict the direction of these effects, new versions can be created that can do so. Ways in which these effects can be described using either quantum or classical models are discussed, as well as potential connections with other well‐known phenomena like the dilution effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is a recognized technology for lignocellulose conversion into bio‐based fuels, materials, and chemicals. In this work, pyrolysis liquids were obtained by fast pyrolysis of wood after pretreatment with diluted sulfuric acid. The pyrolysis liquids were separated by solid‐phase extraction with an anion exchange resin Lewatit VPOC 1074 as the stationary phase. The aromatic constituents of the pyrolysis liquids were adsorbed on the resin, while the sugar derivative fraction was eluted with water. Different desorption solvents were tested for batch and continuous elution of phenol derivatives. Most promising results were obtained for selective separation of phenol carboxylic acids by changing the ratio of water, methanol, and acetic acid in the solid‐phase extraction solvent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]