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Carbon paper is one of the most widely used gas diffusion layer substrate materials due to its stable performance, relatively low cost, and easy for subsequent processing. Water-soluble phenolic resin, which is more ecologically friendly than alcohol-soluble phenolic resin, was used to prepare carbon paper as the precursor of the carbon matrix. And the effect of different resin solution concentrations on the properties of carbon paper was explored. The results showed that the graphitization, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of carbon paper increased with the increase of resin solution concentration. When the concentration of resin solution was 20 wt%, the performance of carbon paper was relatively optimal. The graphitization of the carbon paper reached 65.45%, the porosity reached 80.74%, the resistance value at 1 MPa pressure was only 7.61 mΩ cm2, the tensile strength was 1.57 MPa, and the elastic modulus was 1210.98 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymes derived from microbial sources have gained increasing popularity in industrial applications over the past decades. Despite the high production cost, alkaline proteases have wide applications in industries such as tanneries, food production, and detergents. In recent years, there has been a shift towards utilizing natural carbon sources for cultivating microorganisms and extracting proteases in order to reduce production costs. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical and kinetic properties of protease enzymes obtained from Aspergillus niger cultivated in a paper waste medium and compare with the enzyme produced in a basal medium. Glucose is a more favorable carbon source compared to cellulose, so paper waste was pretreated with cellulose-degrading bacteria to convert cellulose into smaller carbohydrates. After the growth of A. niger in basal and combinational media, the enzymatic properties were compared between the extracted enzymes by using casein as substrate. The results demonstrated that A. niger could produce protease enzymes in the paper waste medium similar to the basal medium with more than 5-fold cost saving. The specific activity of the enzymes isolated from the basal and paper waste media was calculated to be 184.95 ± 10.56 U ml−1 and 169.88 ± 11.05 U ml−1, respectively. Carbon sources did not affect the optimum pH and temperature of the protease enzyme, which were found to be 8 and 37 °C, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into the production of alkaline protease from A. niger using a combinational medium (paper waste pretreated by cellulose-degrading bacteria), offering a cost-effective approach for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper mulching films are affected by wind and rain in the field, which lead to the problems of water absorption, shrinkage, and friction with the soil surface. In order to achieve better hydrophobic durability and wear resistance of paper mulching films, a paper mulching film with ZnO/SiO 2 composite coating was prepared by the brush coating method. Taking ceramic balls as friction pairs, reciprocating friction tests were carried out with two kinds of paper mulching films at different temperatures. The morphology of the raw paper mulch film and the ZnO/SiO 2 composite-coated paper mulch film after rubbing at different temperatures and the reason of the hydrophobic durability of the coated paper mulch film were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and a three-dimensional topography instrument. The results show that ZnO/SiO 2 composite coating can improve the wear resistance and hydrophobic durability of the paper mulch film. Through surface morphology analysis, it can be found that the composite coating plays a role in modification and filling and improves the adhesion between the fibers by reducing the pores on the surface of the paper mulch film, finally improving the wear resistance and hydrophobic durability of the paper mulch film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite incredible growth in systems of care and rapidly expanding therapeutic options for people with inflammatory bowel disease, there are significant barriers that prevent patients from benefiting from these advances. These barriers include restrictions in the form of prior authorization, step therapy, and prescription drug coverage. Furthermore, inadequate use of multidisciplinary care and inflammatory bowel disease specialists limits patient access to high-quality care, particularly for medically vulnerable populations. However, there are opportunities to improve access to high-quality, patient-centered care. This position statement outlines the policy and advocacy goals that the American Gastroenterological Association will prioritize for collaborative efforts with patients, providers, and payors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended reality (XR) enables both new opportunities but also introduces new barriers for inclusion in society. Furthermore, XR is less researched than web, desktop and mobile applications. This position paper presents the concept of an XR platform for inclusion, with the purpose to make people on the autism spectrum and with other disabilities, more independent of help from others in everyday life situations. Based on previous research, our position is that, through current and future XR technologies combined with civic and artificial intelligence, it is possible to create individually personalised support for this purpose, grounded in practice to ensure validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]