Laboratory Trials Research Articles

Field monitoring of copepodamides using a new application for solid phase adsorption toxin tracking

AbstractChemical signaling is ubiquitous in the marine environment. Plankton rely on chemical signals to find mates, hunt prey, and respond to threats, and these small‐scale interactions can propagate into community‐wide cascades and large‐scale ecological changes. The chemical signaling exchange in the open ocean is poorly understood, and fundamental information about concentrations and spatiotemporal variability is lacking. Passive sampling has been used to monitor a wide range of dissolved chemicals, including anthropogenic pollutants and harmful algal toxins, but it is not generally applied to the study of marine chemical ecology. Here we test the compatibility of two resins commonly used for passive sampling via solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT), Diaion® HP20 and Sepabeads® SP207, with copepodamides, a group of polar lipid signaling compounds produced by copepods. We developed extraction and analysis methods that align with current SPATT practices for algal toxins and show the first measurements of copepodamides from Monterey Bay in California. In lab trials, mean copepodamide recovery from HP20 resin was approximately 240% greater than SP207. In addition, copepodamides were found to have a mean half‐life of 34 h in seawater. Adsorption to HP20 stabilized dissolved copepodamides, increasing the mean recovery after 168 h from 0.62% in seawater to 65.2% from SPATT. Results suggest that SPATT is a sensitive and effective tool for obtaining integrated copepodamide concentrations, spotlighting a novel method to include information from copepod mesozooplankton in time series and field studies.

Adaptation in the Anthropocene: How behavioural choice and colour change enables chameleon prawns to camouflage on non-native seaweeds.

Animals combine colour change and behavioural choices to enhance concealment and adapt to changes in habitat in time and space. However, non-native and invasive habitat-forming plants and seaweeds can change the landscape, challenging animals to remain camouflaged, especially when the colour of the new habitat differs from the native backgrounds.The chameleon prawn (Hippolyte varians) exhibits remarkable colour variation and effective camouflage against different native seaweeds in shallow tidepools. Individuals optimize crypsis by choosing colour-matching seaweeds and changing colour over time. In some locations, the prawn's native habitats are now replaced by non-native seaweeds of different coloration and structure, making it important to understand whether substrate choice and colour change facilitates the occupation of these seaweeds and enables prawns to camouflage against new backgrounds.Using image analysis and visual modelling of a fish predator, we assessed the colour variation and camouflage of chameleon prawns occupying the non-native seaweeds brown wireweed (Sargassum muticum) and pink harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) in southwest UK. We performed laboratory trials to examine whether prawns maintain their preference for colour-matching native substrates when given a choice between them and non-native seaweeds, and if they can change their coloration to improve camouflage against non-native substrates.Prawns exhibit phenotypic diversity and camouflage that varied with the non-native seaweed species, with low colour variation and effective camouflage on pink harpoon weed, but high colour diversity and reduced concealment against brown wireweed. Prawns choose non-native seaweeds when the alternative native substrate provides mismatching coloration, but they did not exhibit any preference between colour-matching native and non-native seaweeds. Once in non-native habitats, prawns change their appearance over a few days to match the background, sometimes faster than when changing on native seaweeds of contrasting coloration.Although human activities considerably modify the coloration of marine landscapes by increasing the establishment of non-native seaweeds, the impacts of those changes appear less severe for colour-changing species, such as chameleon prawns, and will depend on the similarity between the colour of the new substrates and the original native backgrounds, and how animals use behaviour and physiology to match new habitats.

Plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria for sustainable tomato production

Numerous phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are found in the rhizosphere, benefiting the host plant in different mechanisms and promoting sustainable agriculture. They improve soil fertility with minimum cost requirements using an eco-friendly approach, which is an essential attribute for small-scale farm production. Thus, isolation, characterization, and evaluation of symbiotic effectiveness are hierarchical procedures to develop bioinoculants. Using a dual (plate and liquid medium) screening technique and a greenhouse trial, four potential PSB strains (Mk-1–25, Mk-13–16, Mk-20–7, and Mk-20–20) were selected from tomato rhizosphere soil. All isolates exhibited the following traits: produced colony clear-zone, lowered liquid medium pH, gram-positive, produced urease and IAA, dissolved substantial P from various substrates, symbiotically effective, and improved tomato growth and yield. Taxonomically, they belong to Bacillus and Priestia species (i.e., Mk-1–25 Bacillus halotolerance, Mk-13–16 Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Mk-20–7 Bacillus megaterium, and Mk-20–20 Priestia megaterium). Among the current strains, Bacillus halotolerance recorded higher SI (3.11), was able to grow in extreme conditions (10% salt, up to 45 °C), produced HCN and siderophore, and improved tomatoes’ shoot length and weight, in contrast, Mk-20–20 produced HCN, siderophore, was able to fix nitrogen, improved tomato germination, shoot dry weight, and fruit weight. Various P-supplements (Ca3(PO4)2, bonemeal, FePO4, AlPO4, compost, and DAP fertilizer) were added to induce tomato-strain symbiotic interaction; hence, compost substantially promoted the interaction and resulted in higher symbiotic effectiveness. Ca3(PO4)2 was a good media composite preferred by most PSB strains; consequently, a higher concentration (219 µg/ml) of dissolved P was recorded from the liquid medium after 10 days of incubation than other substrates. Based on the data obtained from laboratory and greenhouse trials, the current strains were found to be potential candidate. Future work should confirm their efficacy at the field level using model host crops at different sites to recommend them as farm inputs and biofertilizer.

Unleashing the synergistic effect of promising fungicides: a breakthrough solution for combating powdery mildew in pea plants

Pea powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe pisi, is a major limitation to global pea production. The emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogen populations due to frequent and injudicious pesticide application highlights the importance of exploring the synergistic properties of fungicide combinations. This study investigated the efficacy of difenoconazole, thiophanate-methyl, and sulfur, both individually and in mixtures, against powdery mildew and assessed the interaction types between these fungicides. The results demonstrated that the combination of difenoconazole, thiophanate-methyl, and sulfur was the most effective in reducing, reducing disease severity to 6.10% and minimizing conidial production on foliage. Additionally, this fungicide combination reduced conidial germination by 89.26% in vitro and by 87.50% in a detached leaf assay compared to the control. The treatment also positively impacted leaf chlorophyll content (55.18), green pod yield (22.21 tons ha−1), seed yield (12.29 tons ha−1), and other yield-related parameters. Although statistically significant, this ternary fungicide combination was closely followed by the binary combination of thiophanate-methyl and sulfur, which was the only combination exhibiting synergism in both laboratory and field trials with a synergy factor (SF) > 1. In conclusion, this approach offers improved disease control as part of integrated disease management (IDM) while minimizing the risk of resistant pathogen strains.

Eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Phyllanthus niruri leaf extract: Assessment of antimicrobial activity, effectiveness on tropical neglected mosquito vector control, and biocompatibility using a fibroblast cell line model

Abstract Mosquitoes are rapidly advancing as vectors of several severe diseases. The increasing resistance of mosquitoes and the environmental harm caused by insecticides pose significant challenges for eradicating mosquito vectors. In this study, 18 plant extracts were tested for larvicidal properties against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles stephensi larvae. Phyllanthus niruri (Pn) showed enhanced larvicidal activity in both laboratory and field trials. The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Pn leaf methanol extract (Pn-LME) was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Among various concentrations, 3 mM AgNPs exhibited significant LC90 values of 0.83, 1.46, and 9.11 ppm compared to 9.25, 93.48, and 14.60 ppm of Pn-LME against A. stephensi, C. quinquefasciatus, and A. aegypti, respectively. This indicates the high mortality of mosquito vectors at low AgNP concentrations. Additionally, Pn-AgNPs showed enhanced antibacterial activity and no cytotoxicity in normal fibroblast cells (L929). Field trials demonstrated a 98.70% decrease in mosquito larval density at A. stephensi breeding sites, a 96.55% reduction at C. quinquefasciatus sites, and a 97.85% reduction at Ae. aegypti sites. This study presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective AgNP bio-pesticide synthesized from Pn leaves for controlling and preventing the transmission of filarial, dengue, and malaria vectors.

Biology and host specificity of the stem-boring weevil Gasteroclisus tricostalis, a candidate agent for the biological control of fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) in Australia

ABSTRACT Senecio madagascariensis Poiret (Asteraceae) is a target for biological control in Australia, due to substantial impacts on agriculture and native environments. Studies in the plant’s native range in South Africa prioritised the stem-boring weevil Gasteroclisus tricostalis (Thunberg) (Curculionidae) as a candidate agent. In this study, we assessed the biology and host specificity of G. tricostalis during laboratory trials conducted in both South Africa and Australia. No-choice trials in South Africa revealed that, despite oviposition on 15 non-target Senecio species (seven Australian and eight South African), there was significantly lower oviposition relative to S. madagascariensis, with no survival to pupation or adulthood on any non-target species. In contrast, no-choice tests in quarantine in Australia, recorded oviposition on 12 non-target Australian native Senecio species, with oviposition on two species not significantly different to that on S. madagascariensis. Furthermore in Australia, larvae developed to adulthood on five non-target species, in numbers that were not significantly different to S. madagascariensis. These discrepancies can mostly be explained by the lower phylogenetic distance from S. madagascariensis to the susceptible non-target species tested in Australia and, likely, optimal plant growth conditions in quarantine in two cases. Although no-choice tests are renowned for their conservative nature, preliminary paired-choice trials in both South Africa and Australia failed to demonstrate clear oviposition preferences for S. madagascariensis. These results suggest that, given the high diversity of the genus Senecio in Australia, the weevil is likely unsuitable for release and further trials were suspended.

Exploring the efficacy of cholinergic agents for the treatment of psychostimulant use disorder: a systematic review.

No drugs are currently validated to treat psychostimulant use disorder (PUD). Pathophysiological studies consistently highlight the contribution of cholinergic mechanisms in psychostimulant use, including the vulnerability to PUD, paving the way for potential therapeutic strategies. The aim of this systematic review is to describe and discuss the efficacy of cholinergic agents in drug trials for patients with PUD. A systematic review was conducted on April 4, 2024 in MedLine, Embase and Cochrane Library databases on controlled clinical drug trial of cholinergic agents in humans with PUD, psychostimulant abuse or dependence and psychostimulant use in recent year. Twenty-eight articles were included, twenty-one on cocaine and seven on amphetamines. Cholinergic agents used in these studies were biperiden (a muscarinic antagonist), mecamylamine (a nicotinic antagonist), nicotinic agonists, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), or citicoline. Two types of trials were identified. There were seventeen randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating cholinergic agents on psychostimulant use reduction in outpatients seeking treatment. Additionally, we retrieved eleven short-term «proof-of-concept» laboratory trials mainly with supervised psychostimulant administration and/or triggered craving challenges. Outpatient trials were heterogeneous and for most, inconclusive. Only two studies on galantamine (AChEI) and citicoline, reported a significant reduction of cocaine consumption. «Proof-of-concept» laboratory trials showed no evidence of efficacy on the selected outcomes, notably on craving. This review does not support the current prescription of cholinergic agents to treat PUD. Replication clinical trials notably on galantamine or other AChEI, and proof-of-concept trials on comedown symptoms will be necessary to identify a potential therapeutic indication for cholinergic agents in PUD.

Characterization and Evaluation of an Electrostatic Knapsack Sprayer Prototype for Agricultural Crops

Pesticide application development has grown exponentially in recent decades thanks to the implementation of new technologies and improved quality of spray input application. Electrostatic technology for increasing deposition has proven to be a suitable tool under specific study conditions, such as when working with very small droplet sizes, with air assistance, or typically in greenhouse environments. However, its effectiveness in hydraulic spraying, as well as its application from a commercial point of view in agriculture, is still challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of this technology by implementing a modified lance on a small commercial knapsack sprayer, equipped with a hydraulic nozzle providing a range of droplet size values (Dv50) from 136 μm to 386 μm in the pressure range between 2 and 6 bar. This setup allowed operation under normal conditions (disconnected electrostatic system: NES) or with the connected electrostatic system (ES), with both configurations being tested in this study. Liquid distribution profiling as well as qualitative and quantitative evaluation of deposition were carried out both under laboratory conditions and in tomato crops under greenhouse conditions. The results showed no differences between the ES and NES in terms of flow rate (L min−1) characterization or in the total accumulated volume collected with the vertical bench. The impact of the electrostatic system connection was clearly observed in laboratory trials, with total deposition increases of up to 66%. In field trials, this effect decreased in unexposed areas and in denser sections of the crop. However, the overall increase in deposition, mainly associated with the exposed side, continued to be significant.

Biocontrol of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley using entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria

IntroductionPhenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, poses a significant threat to a range of crops worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi (Alternaria murispora and Alternaria destruens) and bacteria (Streptomyces bellus-E23-2) against adult females of P. solenopsis under laboratory (26 ± 2°C) and greenhouse conditions.MethodsLaboratory trials tested A. murispora, A. destruens (104–1010 conidia mL−1), and S. bellus E23-2 (104–1010 cfu mL−1), alone and in combination, recording mortality rates and LC50 values. Greenhouse trials tested the best lab treatments on infested potato plants, monitoring pest density and plant quality.Results and discussionIn laboratory trials, A. murispora at 1010 conidia mL−1 was the most effective, achieved 79.7% mortality (LC50 = 1.338 × 108 conidia mL−1 after 14 days). Combination treatments significantly enhanced efficacy, with A. murispora + S. bellus E23-2 (1010 conidia mL−1 + 1010 cfu mL−1) reaching 85.3% mortality. In greenhouse trials, the combination treatments notably reduced P. solenopsis densities and increased the number of infected mealybugs, with A. murispora + S. bellus E23-2 being the most effective. These treatments did not harm plant quality, unlike imidacloprid, which reduced visual quality despite its high efficacy. Alternaria murispora and S. bellus E23-2 effectively control P. solenopsis, providing a sustainable, plant-safe alternative to chemical insecticides.

Common Home Remedies Do Not Deter Argentine Ants, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), from a Preferred Harborage.

In two laboratory trials, natural products, including freshly picked leaves from spearmint, rosemary, and tansy plants, a water extract from soybean plants, peels from a common cucumber, and 1% peppermint oil in hexane, were placed in a moist harborage preferred by Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), and the number of ants entering the harborage after two and four hours was counted. None of the recommended home remedies (tansy, cucumber, or soybean extract) deterred ants from an attractive, moist harborage in either trial, even when the quantity of these treatments was increased 4- to 10-fold. Freshly picked leaves from rosemary and spearmint plants deterred ants from harboring, and the 1% peppermint oil was the most deterrent of all treatments.

Industrial-Level Brewing Using Oenological Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe as Mixed-Inoculum

The development of new food processes and formulations begins at the laboratory stage, progresses through pilot plant trials, and culminates in industrial production. Although the positive effects in terms of sensory characteristics and qualitative differentiation have been widely studied at laboratory level, fermentations conducted at the industrial level by oenological Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces strains have not been thoroughly investigated. Scaling up to the industrial level is a critical process that involves more than simply increasing the dimensions of the process itself. The purpose of our research was to compare laboratory and industrial-level brewing of a novel craft beer produced with the addition of common unmalted wheat and fermented by Schizosaccharomyces pombe and S. cerevisiae strains. Fermentation was carried out using a S. cerevisiae strain either of oenological origin alone or through sequential inoculations with S. pombe. Beers produced with the mixed starter showed greater reproducibility between the two production levels than those fermented by S. cerevisiae alone. According to the results, the main differences highlighted between laboratory and industrial-level trials with S. cerevisiae alone concerned the extent of starch degradation, fermentation efficiency, and alcohol production, which were higher in brewing at the laboratory level. In contrast, beers produced at industrial level using sequential inoculation received significantly higher scores for foam quantity and persistence, as well as overall olfactory intensity, while scoring significantly lower scores for saltiness and sourness. To our knowledge, this research is the first to explore the use of Sc. pombe for industrial beer production.

Simulation of CO2 hydrate formation in porous medium and comparison with laboratory trial data

The storage of CO2 in gas hydrate form in the pore space in depleted natural gas reservoirs has been considered a method for greenhouse gas control. The formation of CO2 hydrate in porous medium is a strongly coupled Thermal-Hydraulic-Chemical (THC) problem under certain thermodynamic conditions. In this study, laboratory data on CO2 hydrate formation in silica sand, including the profiles of pressure, temperature, the amount of CO2, H2O, and CO2 hydrate, etc., were compared with results from numerical simulations. The minimized deviations between the simulation and experimental results, including the pressure drop, the significant temperature increase caused by hydrate formation, and the amount of CO2, water, and hydrate, were all less than 10 % in the numerical simulations. The sensitivities of the deviations between numerical simulations and experimental data to the domain discretization, thermal conductivity of the silica sand, absolute permeability, and kinetics of CO2 hydrate formation were analyzed. One of the major findings is that CO2 hydrate formation in the porous medium in this study is dominated by the kinetics of chemical reaction, rather than the heat or mass transfer. Another key finding of this study is the acquisition of the modeling parameters of the CO2 storage process in the laboratory-scale sand reservoir, including the thermal conductivity of the silica sand λs = 2.2 W/m/K, the absolute permeability k0 = 3.0 × 10−11 m2, and the kinetic constant Kf0 = 8.4 × 1011 kg/m2/Pa/s and the reduction exponent β = 5.3 in the kinetic model of CO2 hydrate formation. It is noteworthy that the mathematical models and the parameters faithfully fit three independent experiments of Run 1–3. The results of the experiments and corresponding numerical simulations provide a reliable method to evaluate the capacity, technical and commercial feasibility of CO2 storage in marine and permafrost reservoirs.

Cutting edge document examination: The physical fit of machine-cut edges of paper.

This technical note describes in detail a method for associating individual sheets of blank A4 white paper from the same ream by the physical fit of machine-cut edges. A large-scale laboratory trial involving ~700 sheets of paper from 24 different reams (plus one spoiled sample), and more than 20,000 potential physical fits, correctly associated and sequenced 219 pairs of sheets together with a 100% empirical success rate and no false associations. The edge profile of each short machine-cut end of a sheet of A4 paper allows us to physically fit sheets of paper from the same ream to each other and use this to predict the sequence of sheets in a set of documents. In a real-life scenario, it may now be possible to detect the substitution or addition of a sheet in a multipage document, link documents from different sources to each other or to a common source of paper (e.g. to paper from a seized printer or from an accused's address) or to date documents. The study provides data for the application of this method in forensic casework and supports the practitioner when forming conclusions in this type of case.

Epoxy Coating as a Novel Method to Prevent Avian Electrocutions and Electrical Faults on Distribution Pylons with Grounded Steel Crossarms

Electrical faults caused by power escaping electric systems can lead to power outages, equipment damage, and fires. Faults sometimes occur when birds perched on power structures are electrocuted. Distribution power lines supported by concrete and steel pylons are particularly fault-prone because small separations between conductors and grounded components allow even small birds to inadvertently create faults while being electrocuted. Most conservation solutions focus on covering energized wires and components to prevent contact by birds and, although usually effective when installed correctly, covers can sometimes be dislodged thus becoming ineffective. Glass Flake Epoxy (GFE) is a non-conductive thermoset plastic that can adhere to steel crossarms and not be dislodged. We hypothesized that GFE-coated crossarms might reduce faults (proxies for avian electrocutions), and we conducted laboratory and field trials to evaluate that hypothesis. In the laboratory, we found a 2000 micrometer (μm)-thick layer of GFE coating that created a dielectric strength of 12.30 ± 0.21 kV, which was sufficient to prevent the formation of a phase-to-ground fault on up to 20 kV distribution lines. This should allow birds to perch on metal crossarms without being electrocuted. In field trials, we substituted 24% of a 20 kV distribution pylon’s crossarms with GFE-treated crossarms and found that doing so correlated with a 28% decrease in faults. Although we did not measure avian electrocutions directly, our findings suggest GFE coatings may offer a novel method of reducing avian electrocutions on power lines.

Construction and validation of a novel multi-epitope in silico vaccine design against the paramyosin protein of Opisthorchis viverrini using immunoinformatics analyses

Liver fluke infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini (O. viverrini) remains a significant but neglected health threat across Southeastern Asia. The early infective anabolic growth stage of O. viverrini expresses and exposes proteins integral for the growth and maturation of immature worms to the adult catabolic stage. Among these proteins, paramyosin emerged as a distinct immunogenic protein during opisthorchiasis. The functional region of the paramyosin protein known as myosin tail was selected to design a multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) to elicit T and B cell immune responses in susceptible human hosts utilizing various immunoinformatics and in silico vaccinology tools. The vaccine candidate had several B- and T-cell epitopes that stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses. Moreover, in silico structural, docking, and dynamic analyses showed that the construct interacted with target immune receptors effectively, which may result in sufficient immunological stimulation. Analysis of simulated coverage efficacy also supports vaccine application in the field. Cloning and expression of the vaccine candidate were determined to be viable based on physicochemical and in silico assessments. These results reveal that the vaccine candidate developed herein is stable and potentially useful in addressing opisthorchiasis. The promising result of this study establishes a strong platform for initiating laboratory and efficacy trials for the vaccine candidate.

Analysis of problems and management of in vitro diagnostic reagent clinical trials in medical laboratory

Clinical trials are an important method for evaluating the safety and efficacy of in vitro diagnostic reagents, and are a key basis for product registration review and approval. In order to strengthen the management of clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, the National Medical Products Administration and relevant departments have formulated a series of regulations at the regulatory level, and require applicants and clinical trial institutions to establish a quality management system for clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents. Medical laboratory is the main department and implementer of in vitro diagnostic reagent clinical trials in medical institutions. In recent years, with the rapid development of the in vitro diagnostic industry, the clinical trial projects of in vitro diagnostic reagents conducted by medical laboratory have been increasing day by day. However, there are currently few discussions on the clinical trial of in vitro diagnostic reagents from the perspective of researchers. Therefore, this article summarizes the characteristics of clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, analyzes the problems and difficulties in conducting clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents in current medical laboratories, and introduces the laboratory's experience in management; to provide reference for medical testing laboratories that have not yet conducted or have already conducted clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, in order to improve the quality and efficiency of clinical trials.

Calibrating acceleration transmitters to quantify the seasonal energetic costs of activity in lake trout.

Bioenergetics models are powerful tools used to address a range of questions in fish biology. However, these models are rarely informed by free-swimming activity data, introducing error. To quantify the costs of activity in free-swimming fish, calibrations produced from standardized laboratory trials can be applied to estimate energy expenditure from sensor data for specific tags and species. Using swim tunnel respirometry, we calibrated acceleration sensor-equipped transmitting tags to estimate the aerobic metabolic rates (ṀO2) of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) at three environmentally relevant temperatures. Aerobic and swim performance were also assessed. Like other calibrations, we found strong relationships between ṀO2 and acceleration or swimming speed, and jackknife validations and data simulations suggest that our models accurately predict metabolic costs of activity in adult lake trout (~5% algebraic error and ~20% absolute error). Aerobic and swim performance metrics were similar to those reported in other studies, but their critical swimming speed was lower than expected. Additionally, lake trout exhibited a wide aerobic scope, suggesting that the avoidance of waters ≥15°C may be related to selection for optimal growing temperatures. The ability to quantify the free-swimming energetic costs of activity will advance our understanding of lake trout ecology and may yield improvements to bioenergetics model.

"Stamp the tunnel"- Innovative tool - for perfection in manual small incision cataract surgery.

Manual small incision cataract surgery (SICS) is a cost-effective and safe procedure offering comparable outcomes to phacoemulsification. It holds significance for outreach and economically disadvantaged patients in developing countries, while also being important for complex cataracts in developed nations. The SICS technique revolves around a three planar self-sealing sclero corneal tunnel (SCT), a critical element for rapid and suture-less healing. The tunnel's components include the incision, side pocket, internal entry, and depth each affecting astigmatism and successful nucleus delivery.[1-3] Various incision types are explored, with the frown incision yielding minimal astigmatism but posing challenges.[2,4] Inappropriate SCT leads on to high induced astigmatism, post op hypotony, and chances of infection. This video introduces "Tunnel stamp" which is a novel device designed to guide the incision length, internal entry line, and side pocket accuracy thus making a perfect SCT particularly for novice surgeons, who often encounter intraoperative and postoperative complications due to inappropriate SCT. The device is produced through 3D printing with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), an easily available and economically feasible material. The prototype's practicality is demonstrated through successful wet lab trials on goat eyes and subsequently on human eyes. The device is aligned using a limbus-matching step and a sterilized marker pen. This device has unique advantage to take care of the three aspects of SCT, that is, incision, side pocket, and internal entry. One can have custom-made guarded knife to perform scleral groove in optimum depth, which is another important dimension of SCT. Future developments involve creating the tunnel stamp in transparent flexible silicon to enhance alignment accuracy. Given the diversity of cataract types, multiple sizes of the device are envisioned to accommodate nucleus size variability and different stages of cataract development. To aid novice surgeons, two variations of incision guides (straight and frown) are proposed for immature and harder cataracts reducing induced astigmatism. Overall, this innovative tunnel stamp aims to enhance SICS outcomes, enabling more precise and consistent SCT creation while addressing challenges posed by various cataract types and surgeon experience levels. https://youtu.be/yzV-UC4jwPg.

Agronomic potential of different fermented organic composts based on agro-industrial plant waste.

Organic composts such as "bokashi", obtained from the fermentation of bran mixtures and inoculated with microorganisms, improve soil characteristics. In Brazil, the most widely used formulation for the production of this compost is obtained from a mixture of wheat and castor bean bran, but both have a high monetary cost. Replacing these components with regionally available sources represents the possibility of reducing costs and making more sustainable use of this waste. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical characteristics and determine the availability of nitrogen for the plants. The study was divided into two stages, consisting of an incubation test in the laboratory and a bioassay in the greenhouse using forage sorghum as an indicator species. In the laboratory trial, the treatments consisted of two raw material sources with a low C/N ratio (castor bean bran-CAB and cottonseed bran-COB), corresponding to 40% of the mixture; three sources with a high C/N ratio (wheat bran-WHB or rice bran-RIB), gradually replaced by passion fruit peel bran-PFPB), corresponding to 60% of the mixture. The materials were mixed, moistened, inoculated with microorganisms (Embiotic®) and kept in sealed containers with a capacity of 620 cm3 for 21days. In the greenhouse, in addition to the aforementioned treatments, seven controls were included: no addition of organic and synthetic N sources; ammonium nitrate; CAB; COB; WHB; RIB and PFPB. In the second stage, dry mass production and N content in sorghum plant tissues were determined, and the rates of N availability were estimated. It was found that the pH of the standard compost was 4.75, and in the other formulations it ranged from 4.62 to 5.3, the highest values being observed when WHB was fully replaced by RIB There was a significant difference in the EC values, but all were well below the value considered adequate. Replacing CAB with COB and WHB with RIB and PFPB resulted in a reduction in N content and an increase in the C:N ratio. Replacing WHB with PFPB led to an increase in K content and a reduction in P and Mg content. In the bioassay, the highest biomass production was in the treatments with the fermented composts, and the highest biological recovery of N was obtained in the ammonium nitrate treatment, followed by the CAB, COB and WHB treatments.

Establishing the distribution of Carpophilus truncatus in Australia using an integrative approach for an emerging global pest

The nitidulid beetle Carpophilus truncatus is rapidly becoming a major pest of nut crops around the world. This insect first infested Australian almonds in 2013 and has since escalated to be the preeminent insect pest for the industry. Data pertaining to C. truncatus distribution are scant, but without awareness of its origin, distribution, and ecological factors that influence distribution, efforts to understand and manage the insect as a pest are stymied. Here, we employ an integrative approach to gain a multifaceted understanding of the distribution of C. truncatus in Australia. Methods employed were (1) reviewing historical records in insect collections to establish the presence of C. truncatus prior to commercial almond horticulture, (2) field trapping of insects to establish presence in regions of interest, (3) laboratory trials to determine the thermal limits of the organism, and (4) correlative species distribution modelling to describe its current distribution. We find that C. truncatus is more widespread across Australia than was previously known, with historical records preceding commercial almond production in Australia by a century. The methods developed in this study can be applied elsewhere in the world where C. truncatus is an emerging pest, or to novel pest species as they arise with increasing frequency in a globalised and warming world.