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Medical tubing is used for a variety of medical- or pharmaceutical-related applications--fluid management, drainage, anesthesiology and respiratory equipment, IVs, catheters, peristaltic pumps, dialysis, feeding tubes, and biopharmaceutical laboratory equipment, just [...]

Sorted flexible polyethylene packaging waste was washed on a laboratory scale at both 25 and 40[degrees]C with water alone, with water and added NaOH, and with water and added detergent. The washed materials were then compounded using a twin-screw extruder and injection molded. The results were compared with those for an unwashed and a large-scale high-intensity sample washed with NaOH at 70-80[degrees]C. An intensive washing combined with high temperature gave a lower extensibility both in the molten and solid states presumably because of a greater degradation of the recycled material. Washing with NaOH resulted in the lowest strain-at-break in both the melt and solid states, whereas washing with water alone or with a detergent gave similar strain-at-break levels. The melt strength, the stiffness and tensile strengths at room temperature, and the thermal properties were less affected by the washing procedure. Although the final properties seem to be useful in general there were still some trade-offs between the washing condition and the degradation. While these results were expected, the influence of washing parameters on final product, for example, injection molded sample, has to our knowledge not been shown before especially regarding the mechanical properties. Highlights * Post-consumer flexible polyethylene packaging waste was studied with a focus on washing conditions. * The influence of washing conditions on thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of recycled samples was investigated. * High-intensity washing at high temperature caused significant degradation of the material, this was to our understanding shown for the first time. KEYWORDS degradation, flexible packaging waste, mechanical properties, melt strength, plastic recycling, washing, 1 | INTRODUCTION Packaging for food, beverages, personal hygiene products, and household goods has for a long time been the largest application sector for plastics, representing about 40 wt.% of [...]

Ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI), approved for clinical use in 2015, is among the latest generation of commercialized antimicrobial drugs offering a valuable feature of being active against many types of carbapenem-resistant, gram-negative [...]

* Context.--Total serum bilirubin (TSB) analysis is pivotal for diagnosing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Because of a routine change in laboratory equipment, our TSB assay changed from a diazo to a vanadate oxidase method. Upon implementation, TSB results were substantially higher in newborns than expected based on the validation. Objective.--To investigate the application of TSB and intermethod differences in neonates and their impact on phototherapy treatment. Design.--The diazo and vanadate methods were compared directly using neonatal and adult samples. Anonymized external quality control data were analyzed to explore interlaboratory differences among 8 commercial TSB assays. Clinical patient data were extracted from the medical records to investigate the number of newborns receiving phototherapy. Results.--The mean bias of the vanadate versus the diazo TSB method was +17.4% and +3.7% in neonatal and adult samples, respectively. External quality control data showed that the bias of commercial TSB methods compared with the reference method varied from -3.6% to +20.2%. Within-method variation ranged from 5.2% to 16.0%. After implementation of the vanadate TSB method, the number of neonates treated with phototherapy increased approximately threefold. Conclusions.--Currently available TSB assays lack harmonization for the diagnosis of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Between-methods differences are substantially higher in neonatal compared with adult samples, highlighting the importance of including neonatal samples during assay validation. Close collaboration between laboratory specialists and clinicians is essential to prevent overtreatment or undertreatment upon the implementation of novel analyzers or assays. Also, harmonization of TSB assays, with an emphasis on neonatal application, is warranted. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2024;148:e40-e47; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2022-0478-OA), Neonatal jaundice is a usually benign condition with an estimated incidence of more than 60% in full-term newborns. (1) It is caused by an increase of unconjugated bilirubin, which is [...]

Mesdan is the brand of the Vandewiele group of companies offering yarn joining solutions and textile testing equipment. At ITM 2024 Mesdan showcased thier well known two laboratory equipments, Nati [...]

TOMSIC is one of the leading companies, active in production and marketing of complete laboratory equipment for spinning mills as well as quality monitoring system for sliver and roving and [...]

Computerized System Validation (CSV) is usually associated with great mountains of paper (GMP). Why should this be the case? Ask yourself, am I lazy? Why write multiple documents if only one is required to validate a spectrometer with a simple intended use? Interested? Read on..., Today's the day you have been waiting for! Your brand-new UV-visible (UV-vis) or infrared (IR) spectrometer and controlling software is due to arrive in your regulated laboratory. The instrument's location [...]

Astrocytes are a subtype of non-neuronal glial cells that reside in the central nervous system. Astrocytes have extensive peripheral astrocytic processes that ensheathe synapses to form the tripartite synapse. Through a multitude of pathways, astrocytes can influence synaptic development and structural maturation, respond to neuronal signals, and modulate synaptic transmission. Over the last decade, strong evidence has emerged demonstrating that astrocytes can influence behavioral outcomes in various animal models of cognition. However, the full extent of how astrocytes influence brain function is still being revealed. Astrocyte calcium ([Ca.sup.2+]) signaling has emerged as an important driver of astrocyte-neuronal communication allowing intricate crosstalk through mechanisms that are still not fully understood. Here, we will review the field's current understanding of astrocyte [Ca.sup.2+] signaling and discuss the sophisticated state-of-the-art tools and approaches used to continue unraveling astrocytes' interesting role in brain function. Using the field of pre-clinical ethanol (EtOH) studies in the context of alcohol use disorder, we focus on how these novel approaches have helped to reveal an important role for astrocyte [Ca.sup.2+] function in regulating EtOH consumption and how astrocyte [Ca.sup.2+] dysfunction contributes to the cognitive deficits that emerge after EtOH exposure in a rodent model. Key words: astrocytes, calcium signaling, optogenetics, GCaMP, EtOH, Introduction Astrocytes were once thought of as merely the 'glue' that holds cells together in the central nervous system (CNS). However, over the last two decades, mounting evidence has emerged [...]