Methods of characterizing a test subject's risk of having or developing cardiovascular disease are provided. The methods include using an analytic device to determine levels of choline-related trimethylamine-containing compounds such as trimethylamine N-oxide, choline, or betaine in a biological sample obtained from the subject and comparing the levels of the choline-related trimethylamine-containing compound in the subject's biological sample to a control value. The test subject's risk of having cardiovascular disease is then characterized as higher if the levels of the choline-related trimethylamine-containing compound are higher than the control value. Also provided are methods of identifying a subject at risk of experiencing a complication of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and methods of evaluating the efficacy of a cardiovascular therapeutic agent in a subject with cardiovascular disease using levels of choline-related trimethylamine-containing compounds.

Multi-parameter water analysis system with a water parameter sensing device configured to wirelessly provide detector data and a smart phone displayable indicator of water analysis test results that are calculated by an analysis application that is updateable via a cloud-based data resource to account for a manufacturing change in indicator chemistry and/or an improvement in test result display. The water parameter sensing device includes an optical sensing apparatus configured to detect light from each of a plurality of indicators for different parameters when the indicator and a chemical parameter are exposed to each other, a processor to process information of the detected light, and wireless communication circuitry for communicating detector data based on the information about the detected light to a remote device. Social networking of water quality data allows sharing to other users.

Systems, methods, and software that measure a plurality of error values each related to a different condition of an aquatic environment monitoring system including a degradation in a chemical indicator due to photo-aging, a degradation in a chemical indicator due to water-aging, a physical contamination of a chemical indicator, an illumination imbalance related to an optical reader, a degradation of a light source of an optical reader, a contamination in water between an optical reader and a chemical indicator, a displacement due to friction between a chemical indicator apparatus and a monitoring unit, an error intrinsic in a chemical indicator, and an error in distance between a chemical indicator and an optical reader. The plurality of error values are used to determine a confidence level that is compared to a threshold value associated with the monitoring system. A correction instruction is generated for correcting one or more of the conditions.

Multi-parameter water analysis system with a holder removably engageable in an enclosable water chamber having an inlet and outlet in line with plumbing of an aquatic environment and allowing water from the aquatic environment to enter the enclosable water chamber for a chemical indicator of the holder to indicate a physical change via an optical reader, the holder configured to move with respect to the optical reader at least in part due to a motive force provided by the flow of water from the inlet in the enclosable water chamber.

Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides. In certain embodiments, an acyl amino acid produced using compositions and/or methods of the present invention comprises cocoyl glutamate.

Provided is an article for detecting organic amines, wherein the article includes a solid support impregnated with an indicator reagent comprising a metal-organic framework structure. Also provided is a method of detecting organic amines, wherein the method includes the step of exposing an article comprising a solid support impregnated with an indicator reagent to a medium including an organic amine to produce a color change, wherein the indicator reagent includes a metal-organic framework structure.