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The objectives of this research are to study: (i) the history and development of knowledge of Yiwulv Mountain Manchu paper-cutting art, and (ii) the process of designing and developing digital media for learning about cultural heritage. This research used qualitative research methods. By studying documents and collecting field data by surveys, interviews, observations, group discussions, and workshops. The data was elicited from a group of 40 participants. The analysis was based on the objectives and the results were presented in a descriptive analytical manner. The results are as follows: (i) The art of paper-cutting is related to history and culture. There is a unique cultural identity of the Manchus on Yiwulv Mountain. The way of conveying knowledge is told orally. Currently, there is a problem due to the age of paper-cutting artists and lack of inheritance. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to protect them as well as transfer them to youth and those who are interested. (ii) The art of paper-cutting is applied with 3D animation technology to inherit and learn the art of Yiwulv Mountain Manchu paper-cutting. The teaching materials created can be explained in detail from the perspective and content. The design combines virtual tour technology to make it interesting. Learners study through digital media and computer systems, which makes it convenient to access information.

Students believed physics was one of the most challenging sciences in education, and their interest in learning physics was lacking. Therefore, this study aims to enhance students' understanding and creativity in the STEAM learning system on electricity by creating a project (Paper Circuit) using the students' creativity at the junior high school level - quantitative research with a pre-experimental design used for this study. The population is 8th grade and 9th grade (50 students adapted to the curriculum used in the school) in one of the Junior Secondary Schools located in Bandung and Cimahi, Indonesia. The data is obtained from the pretest-posttest results, which show that the average pre-test score was 57.04 and the post-test score was 76.64. The nonparametric test was tested using the Wilcoxon test to measure student understanding. The results from e Wilcoxon are 0.000, which shows sig. <0.05, which means there is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test. Students' creativity is obtained from the Creativity Product Analysis Matrix (CPAM), and the result for Project 1 is 73.71%, categorized as enough, and Project 2 is 83.13%, categorized as good. Based on the result, Paper Circuit STEAM project-based learning can enhance student understanding and creativity. STEAM project-based learning can be used as an alternative teaching strategy in junior secondary school.

This study investigated the effect of a paper folding activity prepared to develop the sixth-grade students' concept definitions and images of parallelism and perpendicularity concepts. The study also examined how the concept definition and images changed after the paper folding activity. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. A one-group pre-/posttest design revealed that the paper folding activity had a significant positive effect on students' concept definitions and images. In addition, the interviews after pre- and post-tests indicated that the students' personal concept definitions of parallelism and perpendicularity of two lines/line segments began to match the formal concept definitions of these concepts after the paper folding activity. Lastly, missing and mis-in concept image situations, encountered generally in the pre-test, were observed less after the paper folding activity.

This paper focuses on integrating multimodal communication into the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom to enhance the development of students' multimodal communicative competence, multiliteracies, and 21st-century skills. To do so, I compiled a corpus of authentic materials from Lady Whistledown's Society Papers in Julia Quinn's novel "The Viscount Who Loved Me" (2000), her appearances as narrator in the Netflix series "Bridgerton" (2022), and some tweets posted by @Bridgerton. This corpus was used to plan and design a game-based teaching proposal. Finally, the paper offers a critical analysis and suggests how this proposal can feasibly contribute to fostering students' multimodal communicative competence.

Sonography is a highly specialized diagnostic imaging profession facing significant workforce challenges due to increased service delivery demands and a shortage of clinical training opportunities. Developing sustainable solutions is crucial for workforce growth. Using examples from the Australian workforce and education context, this paper explores the current sonography training pathways available and the benefits and challenges of each, highlighting the importance of work-integrated learning (WIL) in facilitating the development of professional identity, clinical competence and the quality of sonographer education. Conclusions are drawn that WIL is integral to the future of the sonography profession to improve patient outcomes and address workforce shortages. However, effective implementation requires careful planning and consideration of many factors, including regulatory requirements, industry partnerships, student and supervisor/tutor support, and issues related to equitable access and participation in WIL. Key recommendations are provided to encourage ethical student learning, university-industry collaboration, effective resource allocation, and WIL-specific research.

Postulating that academic papers can positively impact the actual teaching practices of science teachers, this study analysed the process of understanding and utilising academic papers by science teachers to teach scientific creativity in their schools. The 45--hour graduate course of three science teachers was explored to identify the difficulties teachers encountered in trying to understand academic papers and to discover how to solve these difficulties. Second, which aspects should be considered when developing teaching materials for scientific creativity to be used in schools were analysed. A transformation model of an academic paper was proposed to understand this process, and the results were organised accordingly. According to this model, it was emphasized to translate academic papers from a general and abstract state to a local and concrete state. Therefore, the role of science educators as knowledge translators was discussed for more practical and effective use of academic papers in school. This study is expected to contribute to research-based teaching by linking academic research with teaching practice.

In this study, online test scores and paper-pencil test scores of students studying through online learning were examined. Causal-comparative research was used to determine the distribution of students' test scores and to examine the relationship between them. The participants of the research are freshman students studying in 12 faculties and 8 colleges of a state university in Türkiye. The distribution of students' test scores is depicted by means, standard deviation, percentage, and graphs. The correlation coefficient was examined to find and interpret the amount of relationship between the test scores of the students. According to the findings, it was seen that the online test scores of the students were higher than the paper-pencil test scores. At the same time, it was observed that the passing of the course rates in online test exams was higher than in the paper-pencil test exams. It was observed that the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores of the students and the online test scores was lower than the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores and the paper-pencil test scores. There is an inconsistency between students' paper-pencil test scores and online test scores. The rise in students' online test scores to un-proctored online exams as the reason for the inconsistency. Moving online exams to proctored exam environments, using computerized adaptive testing, or including online activities in the assessment may reduce this inconsistency.

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated vaccine development to prevent the spread of the virus and control the disease. Given the sustained high infectivity and evolution of SARS-CoV-2, there is an ongoing interest in developing COVID-19 serology tests to monitor population-level immunity. To address this critical need, we designed a paper-based multiplexed vertical flow assay (xVFA) using five structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2, detecting IgG and IgM antibodies to monitor changes in COVID-19 immunity levels. Our platform not only tracked longitudinal immunity levels but also categorized COVID-19 immunity into three groups: protected, unprotected, and infected, based on the levels of IgG and IgM antibodies. We operated two xVFAs in parallel to detect IgG and IgM antibodies using a total of 40 μL of human serum sample in

Paper relics, as carrieres of historical civilization's records and inheritance, could be severely acidic and brittle over time. In this study, the multi-functional dispersion of nanometer magnesium oxide (MgO) carried by 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane-modified bacterial cellulose (KH550-BC) was applied in the impregnation process to repair aged paper, aiming at solving the key problems of anti-acid and strength recovery in the protection of ancient books. The KH550-BC/MgO treatment demonstrated enhanced functional efficacy in repairing aged paper, attributed to the homogeneous and stable distribution of MgO within the nanofibers of BC networks, with minimal impact on the paper's wettability and color. Furthermore, the treatment facilitated the formation of adequate alkali reserves and hydrogen bonding, resulting in superior anti-aging properties in the treated paper during prolonged preservation. Even after 30 days of hygrothermal aging tests, the paper repaired by KH550-BC/MgO was still in a gently alkaline environment (pH was about 7.56), alongside a 32.18% elevation compared to the untreated paper regarding the tear index. The results of this work indicate that KH550-BC/MgO is an effective reinforcement material for improving the long-term restoration of ancient books.

This study evaluates the performance of the Internal Circulation eXperience (ICX) reactor in treating high-strength paper mill wastewater in the south of Vietnam. The ICX reactor effectively managed organic concentrations (sCOD) of up to 11,800 mg/L. Results indicate a volumetric loading rate (VLR) of 26.8 kg/m 3 × day, achieving processing efficiency exceeding 81% while consistently maintaining volatile fatty acids (VFA) below 300 mg/L. The study employed Monod and Stover-Kincannon kinetic modeling, revealing dynamic parameters including K s = 56.81 kg/m 3 , Y = 0.121 kgVSS/kgsCOD, K d = 0.0242 1/day, μ max = 0.372 1/day, U max = 151 kg/m 3 × day, and K B = 175.92 kg/m 3 × day, underscoring the ICX reactor's superior efficiency compared to alternative technologies. Notably, the reactor's heightened sensitivity to VFA levels necessitates influent concentrations below 1,400 mg/L for effective sludge treatment. Furthermore, the influence of calcium on treatment efficiency requires post-treatment alkalinity maintenance below 19 meq/L to stabilize MLVSS/MLSS concentration. Biogas production ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 Nm 3 biogas/kg sCOD; however, calcium impact diminished this ratio, reducing overall treatment efficiency and biogas production. The study contributes valuable insights into anaerobic treatment processes for complex industrial wastewaters, emphasizing the significance of controlling VFA, calcium, and alkalinity for optimal system performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

The highly contagious nature and 100% fatality rate contribute to the ongoing and expanding impact of the African swine fever virus (ASFV), causing significant economic losses worldwide. Herein, we developed a cascaded colorimetric detection using the combination of a CRISPR/Cas14a system, G-quadruplex DNAzyme, and microfluidic paper-based analytical device. This CRISPR/Cas14a-G4 biosensor could detect ASFV as low as 5 copies/μL and differentiate the wild-type and mutated ASFV DNA with 2-nt difference. Moreover, this approach was employed to detect ASFV in porcine plasma. A broad linear detection range was observed, and the limit of detection in spiked porcine plasma was calculated to be as low as 42-85 copies/μL. Our results indicate that the developed paper platform exhibits the advantages of high sensitivity, excellent specificity, and low cost, making it promising for clinical applications in the field of DNA disease detection and suitable for popularization in low-resourced areas.

Non-targeted analysis and suspect screening of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various matrices have gained traction with advancements in accurate mass analytical instruments. This study employed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry for PFAS suspect screening of paper grades used in the paper recycling chain. The samples were prepared using two extraction techniques; selective accelerated solvent extraction with weak anionic exchange solid-phase extraction and non-selective ultrasonic-assisted extraction. A suspect screening protocol was established to tentatively identify suspected PFAS against spectral databases using a systematic approach of peak filtering and study-specific thresholds for reporting, linked to a confidence level. The possible prevalence of previously unreported PFAS in several paper materials across the various collection sites in the paper recycling chain was inferred by the common detection of short-chain polyfluoroalkyl ketones and diketones in the paper recycling chain. The suspect screening tentatively identified 41 unique PFAS, with 3 common to both pre-treatment techniques. The detection of unique PFAS by the two sample pre-treatment techniques highlighted the significance of both selective and non-selective extraction in PFAS screening endeavours. Further, it showed the importance of understanding the acquisition mechanisms employed in mass spectrometry where data-dependent acquisition triggered fragmentation in certain identified compounds, and not in others. The tentatively identified PFAS indicated that there were several previously unreported PFAS in the paper recycling chain and that additional studies were required to investigate their abundance, possible persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity, in relation to their functional groups and carbon chains., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Nondumiso Mofokeng reports funding was provided by Mpact Operations Pty (Ltd). All other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are highly sensitive and specific, but they require the transportation of samples to centralized testing facilities and have long turnaround times. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, substantial advancement has been achieved with the development of paper-based point-of-care (POC) NAATs, offering features such as low cost, being easy to use, and providing rapid sample-to-answer times. Although most of the POC NAATs innovations are towards clinical settings, we have developed a portable, paper-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) testing platform for on-farm applications, capable of detecting Bacteroidales as a fecal contamination biomarker. Our integrated platform includes a drop generator, a heating and imaging unit, and paper-based biosensors, providing sensitive results (limit of detection 3 copies of Bacteroidales per cm 2 ) within an hour of sample collection. We evaluated this integrated platform on a commercial lettuce farm with a concordance of 100% when compared to lab-based tests. Our integrated paper-based LAMP testing platform holds great promise as a reliable and convenient tool for on-site NAATs. We expect that this innovation will encourage the fresh produce industry to adopt NAATs as a complementary tool for decision-making in growing and harvesting. We also hope that our work can stimulate further research in the development of on-farm diagnostic tools for other agricultural applications, leading to improved food safety and technology innovation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mohit S. Verma reports financial support was provided by Center For Produce Safety. Mohit S. Verma reports financial support was provided by California Department of Food and Agriculture. Mohit S. Verma reports financial support was provided by Agricultural Marketing Service. Mohit S. Verma reports a relationship with Krishi, Inc. that includes: board membership, equity or stocks, and funding grants. Mohit S. Verma has patent pending to Purdue Research Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report the development and initial validation of a paper-based nucleic acid testing platform that integrates Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology, referred to as PLACID (Paper-based LAMP-CRISPR Integrated Diagnostics). LAMP eliminates the need for thermal cycling, resulting in simplified instrumentation, and the CRISPR-associated protein (Cas 12a) system eliminates false positive signals from LAMP products, resulting in highly selective and sensitive assays. We optimized the assay to perform both amplification and detection entirely on paper, eliminating the need for complex fluid handling steps and lateral flow assay transfers. Additionally, we engineered a smartphone-operated system that includes a low-powered, non-contact IR heating chamber to actuate paper-based LAMP and CRISPR reactions and enable the detection of fluorescent signals from the paper. The platform demonstrates high specificity and sensitivity in detecting nucleic acid targets with a limit of detection of 50 copies/μL. We integrate an equipment-free sample preparation separation technology designed to streamline the preparation of crude samples prior to nucleic acid testing. The practical utility of our platform is demonstrated by the successful detection of spiked SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in saliva, E. Coli in soil, and pathogenic E. Coli in clinically fecal samples of infected patients. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the paper-based LAMP CRISPR chips employed in our assays possess a shelf life of several weeks, establishing them as viable candidates for on-site diagnostics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study presents a portable, low-cost, point-of-care (POC) system for the simultaneous detection of blood glucose and hematocrit. The system consists of a disposable origami microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) for plasma separation, filtration, and reaction functions and a 3D-printed cassette for hematocrit and blood glucose detection using a smartphone. The origami μPAD is patterned using a cost-effective label printing technique instead of the conventional wax printing method. The 3D-printed cassette incorporates an array of LED lights, which mitigates the effects of intensity variations in the ambient light and hence improves the accuracy of the blood glucose and hematocrit concentration measurements. The hematocrit concentration is determined quantitatively by measuring the distance of plasma wicking along the upper layer of the origami μPAD, which is pretreated with sodium chloride and Tween 20 to induce dehydration and aggregation of the red blood cells. The filtered plasma also penetrates to the lower layer of the origami μPAD, where it reacts with embedded colorimetric assay reagents to produce a yellowish-brown complex. A color image of the reaction complex is captured using a smartphone inserted into the 3D-printed cassette. The image is analyzed using self-written RGB software to quantify the blood glucose concentration. The calibration results indicate that the proposed detection platform provides an accurate assessment of the blood glucose level over the range of 45-630 mg/dL (R 2 = 0.9958). The practical feasibility of the proposed platform is demonstrated by measuring the blood glucose and hematocrit concentrations in 13 human whole blood samples. Taking the measurements obtained from commercial glucose and hematocrit meters as a benchmark, the proposed system has a differential of no more than 6.4% for blood glucose detection and 9.1% for hematocrit detection. Overall, the results confirm that the proposed μPAD is a promising solution for cost-effective and reliable POC health monitoring.

Food analysis plays a critical role in assessing human health risks and monitoring food quality and safety. Currently, there is a pressing need for a reliable, portable, and quick recognition element for point-of-care testing (POCT) to better serve the demands of on-site food analysis. Aptamer-modified paper-based analytical devices (Apt-PADs) have excellent characteristics of high portability, high sensitivity, high specificity, and on-site detection, which have been widely used and concerned in the field of food safety. The article reviews the basic components and working principles of Apt-PADs, and introduces their representative applications detecting food hazards. Finally, the advantages, challenges, and future directions of Apt-PADs-based sensing performance are discussed, to provide new directions and insights for researchers to select appropriate Apt-PADs according to specific applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Today, diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases that affects the population on a worldwide scale. Patients suffering from this disease are required to control their blood-glucose levels several times a day through invasive methods such as piercing their fingers. Our NaGdF 4 : 5% Er 3+ , 3% Nd 3+ nanoparticles demonstrate a remarkable ability to detect D-glucose levels by analysing alterations in their red-to-green ratio, since this sensitivity arises from the interaction between the nanoparticles and the OH groups present in the D-glucose molecules, resulting in discernible changes in the emission of the green and red bands. These luminescent sensors were implemented and tested on paper substrates, offering a portable, low-cost and enzyme-free solution for D-glucose detection in aqueous solutions with a limit of detection of 22 mg/dL. With this, our study contributes to the development of non-invasive D-glucose sensors, holding promising implications for managing diabetes and improving overall patient well-being with possible future applications in D-glucose sensing through tear fluid., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hardness is one of the basic parameters of water, and a high-level hardness of drinking water may be harmful to human health. Thus, it is very important to monitor drinking water hardness. In this work, a portable lateral flow distance-based paper sensor for the semi-quantitative detection of drinking water hardness is demonstrated. In the presence of Ca2+/Mg2+, the hydrogel can be formed via the chelation between sodium alginate and Ca2+/Mg2+, inducing a phase separation process. The viscosity change of the sodium alginate solution is directly related to the Ca2+/Mg2+ concentration and can be determined by the water lateral flow distance on test strips. The sensor successfully realizes the quantification of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the range of 0-10 mmol L-1 and 4-20 mmol L-1, respectively. The recoveries are found varied from 95% to 108.9%. The water hardness is acceptable for drinking if the Cr values lies in the range of 0.259 to 0.419, and it is high with the Cr value above 0.595. Remarkably, the performance of the sensor is comparable with the commercial kit for real water samples, which avoids the subjective judgment. Overall, this method provides a portable approach for semi-quantitative detection of drinking water hardness with the merits of convenience and low cost, which shows great potential for the potential application., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Developing simple, inexpensive, fast, sensitive, and specific probes for antibiotic-resistant bacteria is crucial for the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs). We here propose a paper-based sensor for the rapid detection of β-lactamase-producing bacteria in the urine samples of UTI patients. By conjugating a strongly electronegative group -N + (CH 3 ) 3 with the core structures of cephalosporin and carbapenem antibiotics, two visual probes were achieved to respectively target the extended-spectrum/AmpC β-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) and carbapenemase, the two most prevalent factors causing antibiotic resistance. By integrating these probes into a portable paper sensor, we confirmed 10 and 8 cases out of 30 clinical urine samples as ESBL/AmpC- and carbapenemase-positive, respectively, demonstrating 100% clinical sensitivity and specificity. This paper sensor can be easily conducted on-site, without resorting to bacterial culture, providing a solution to the challenge of rapid detection of β-lactamase-producing bacteria, particularly in resource-limited settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nucleic acid amplification testing has great potential for point-of-need diagnostic testing with high detection sensitivity and specificity. Current sample preparation is limited by a tedious workflow requiring multiple steps, reagents and instrumentation, hampering nucleic acid testing at point of need. In this study, we present the use of mixed cellulose ester (MCE) paper for DNA binding by ionic interaction under molecular crowding conditions and fluid transport by wicking. The poly(ethylene) glycol-based (PEG) reagent simultaneously provides the high pH for alkaline lysis and crowding effects for ionic binding of the DNA under high salt conditions. In this study, we introduce Paper-based Abridged Solid-Phase Extraction with Alkaline Poly(ethylene) Glycol Lysis (PASAP). The anionic mixed cellulose ester (MCE) paper is used as solid phase and allows for fluid transport by wicking, eliminating the need for pipetting skills and the use of a magnet to retain beads. Following the release of DNA from the cells due to the lytic activity of the PASAP solution, the DNA binds to the anionic surface of the MCE paper, concentrating at the bottom while the sample matrix is transported towards the top by wicking. The paper was washed by dipping it in 40% isopropanol for 10 s. After air-drying for 30 s, the bottom section of the paper (3 mm × 4 mm) was snapped off using the cap of a PCR tube and immersed in the colourimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (cLAMP) solution for direct amplification and colourimetric detection. The total sample processing was completed in 15 min and ready for amplification. cLAMP enabled the detection of 10 2 CFU/mL of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from culture media and the detection of E. coli in milk < 10 3  CFU/mL (10 CFU) after incubation at 68 °C for 60 min, demonstrating applicability of the method to complex biological samples., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The objective of this study was to assess, through simulation, conductivity variations in pulp and paper circuits when recycling waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent with a view to reducing fresh water use in a tissue mill. WWTP effluent was recycled in the process for different uses. A PS2000 digital model coupled with the PHREEQC chemical simulation engine was used to identify and quantify the main sources of conductivity: caustic soda, sodium bisulphite and acetate production through anaerobic microbial activity. Recycling WWTP effluent enables fresh water uptake to be reduced by 50% when used for pulp dilution or white water, by 81% when used in paper machine showers, and up to 96% for all uses combined. As fresh water use decreases, circuit closure increases along with, consequently, COD and conductivity. COD build-up can be controlled by best available techniques application. Recycling WWTP effluent has a strong impact on conductivity. However, the impact of high conductivity levels on additives performance is limited in the case of the mill studied. Acetate concentration could be controlled by better agitation of tanks or the introduction of air by pumps. Furthermore, limiting acetate production can reduce the need for caustic soda to control the pH., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Writing a research paper as a graduation requisite by university students is an important part of university education. It is not a simple task for most university students who face several problems during writing the graduation project. Several kinds of research have been conducted onrecognising the challenges and problems that face students in academic writing, but to the researcher's best knowledge, no study has been conducted on the problems faced in writing a graduate research paper by Jordanian undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature major. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the academic writing challenges and difficulties encountered in writing graduation papers by EFL undergraduate students in the Department of English at Alzaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ). The data for the study was collected through distributing a questionnaire of three parameters: attitude about writing a research paper, methodology challenges, and background knowledge about research. The questionnaire is based on identifying the causes of the students' challenges in writing their graduation papers. The respondents were 45 undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature. The findings revealed that the most important problems were lack of an academic prerequisite of teaching the techniques of how to write a research paper, lack of knowledge of research paper writing process, lack of resources, lack of the methodology, etc. Thus, for these reasons, the present study attempts to present suggestions and recommendations to overcome such hurdles faced by graduate students in writing their graduation research papers.

It has been clearly demonstrated that it would be feasible to consider recycling paper in an academic institution. This can be achieved through combining specific waste paper baskets, a pulping machine and power supplied by a renewable energy source, with an already established local paper making company. The paper making company would be able to gain a subsidy from the government which pays them to actually recycle paper, to counteract the cost of the pulped paper which is 30% more expensive than raw wood pulp. The academic institution would save money on waste disposal and decrease its carbon footprint by 600% with savings of up to around 5e6 tons of CO2 per year, instead of the 1e2 tones carbon offset for just recycling the paper normally. This entire process could be adapted for recycling the vast quantities of waste paper produced by students, an initiative which often fails due to the high cost of disposal. This could be achieved through urged use of the same paper disposal methods already in use, with the paper being collected and pulped once a week directly from the student paper waste bins. This research aims to study and limit the quantities of paper consumed in academic institutions in Iraq, by identifying the steps of recycling, and the extent of its environmental and economic impact, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the extent to which the Iraqi university community accepts this idea, and then study these quantities and evaluate them economically and find out the possibility of establishing a paper recycling plant based on these quantities. As well as the current research deals with the accumulation of paper waste caused by the performance of exams. In the third semester of the research, the amount of paper waste at Thi Qar University was calculated as a model for conducting a detailed research study of all departments and colleges of the University. the amount of paper waste was (11,055 tons/year), as well as calculating the cost of paper processing for the University amounted to (126252271 Iraqi dinars) and at the end of the third semester, the amount of paper waste in Iraqi academic institutions for the academic year 2022e2023, approximately (367,60976 tons/year). The cost of preparing exam books in Iraqi academic institutions for the academic year 2022e2023 amounted to approximately (4202150971 Iraqi dinars). The devices used in the practical aspect and each device and its purpose in the paper waste recycling process were explained. In addition, in the fourth chapter of the research, waste recycling was carried out in a practical way, and the results were satisfactory. We proposed a project to establish a paper and cardboard waste recycling plant in Nasiriyah, detailing its technical processes and stages in a mature way, the costs of establishing such projects in detail, as well as the annual profit of the project. At the conclusion of the research, some important recommendations were attached that help the paper waste recycling process and its success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript offers a concise overview of paper microfluidics, emphasizing its sustainable sensing applications in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Researchers have developed innovative sensing platforms for detecting pathogens, pollutants, and contaminants by leveraging the paper's unique properties, such as biodegradability and affordability. These portable, low-cost sensors facilitate rapid diagnostics and on-site analysis, making them invaluable tools for resource-limited settings. This review discusses the fabrication techniques, principles, and applications of paper microfluidics, showcasing its potential to address pressing challenges and enhance human health and environmental sustainability.

Industrial processes and municipal wastes largely contribute to the fluctuations in iron (Fe) content in soils. Fe, when present in unfavorable amount, causes harmful effects on human, flora, and fauna. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the composition of Fe in surface soils from paper mill and municipal landfill sites and assess their potential ecological and human health risks. Geochemical fractionation was conducted to explore the chemical bonding of Fe across different fractions, i.e., water-soluble (F1) to residual (F6). Different contamination factors and pollution indices were evaluated to comprehend Fe contamination extent across the study area. Results indicated the preference for less mobile forms in the paper mill and landfill, with 26.66% and 43.46% of Fe associated with the Fe-Mn oxide bound fraction (F4), and 57.22% and 24.78% in the residual fraction (F6). Maximum mobility factor (MF) of 30.65% was observed in the paper mill, and 80.37% in the landfill. The enrichment factor (EF) varied within the range of 20 < EF < 40, signifying a high level of enrichment in the soil. The individual contamination factor (ICF) ranged from 0 to >6, highlighting low to high contamination. Adults were found to be more vulnerable towards Fe associated health risks compared to children. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) index showed the highest risk potential pathways as dermal contact > ingestion > inhalation. The study offers insights into potential Fe contamination risks in comparable environments, underscoring the crucial role of thorough soil assessments in shaping land use and waste management policies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a new, direct paper-based fluorimetric method is described for the quantitative determination of glutathione (GSH) molecules in nutritional supplements. Briefly, the proposed analytical method is based on the fluorescence emission resulting from the direct and selective chemical reaction of GSH molecules with the derivatization reagent that is o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) in acidic conditions at room temperature. The intensity of the emitted fluorescence on the surface of the analytical paper devices after irradiation with a lamp at 365 nm is proportional to the concentration of GSH and is measured using a smartphone as the detector. This methodology, which is suitable for measurements in laboratories with limited resources, does not require specialized instrumentation or trained personnel. The protocol governing the proposed method is simple and easily applicable. Essentially, the chemical analyst should adjust the value of pH on the surface of the paper by adding a minimal amount of buffer solution; then, after adding a few microliters of the derivatization reagent, wait for the surface of the paper to dry and, finally, add the analyte. Subsequently, the irradiation of the sensor and the measurement of the emitted fluorescence can be recorded with a mobile phone. In the present study, several parameters affecting the chemical reaction and the emitted fluorescence were optimized, the effect of interfering compounds that may be present in dietary supplements was examined, and the stability of these paper sensors under different storage conditions was evaluated. Additionally, the chemical stability of these paper devices in various maintenance conditions was studied, with satisfactory results. The detection limit calculated as 3.3 S/N was 20.5 μmol L -1 , while the precision of the method was satisfactory, ranging from 3.1% (intra-day) to 7.3% (inter-day). Finally, the method was successfully applied to three different samples of dietary supplements.

Excessive copper (Cu2+) causes adverse effects on human health and the ecological environment. Traditional methods for detecting Cu2+ have drawbacks such as high detection costs, complex operating conditions, and being time consuming. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop simple detection methods to better meet specific health and environment quality needs. In this work, a paper-based fluorescence sensor was prepared (herein referred to as the as-prepared method) by immersing filter paper in aqueous polyethyleneimine (PEI) solution, and its potential use in Cu2+ detection was investigated. The results showed that the as-prepared paper samples, with fluorescence properties obtained by aggregation-induced luminescence of PEI, have selective recognition of Cu2+ based on the internal filtration effect, and the lowest detection limit is 0.03 μM. In addition, the relative error of this method is in the range of 1.80~2.23%, which is relatively comparable to the national standard method (0.63~630 μM), demonstrating high accuracy. Therefore, paper-based sensors with a simple preparation method have potential applications in the detection of Cu2+ in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]