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Sensitizers are used to prepare photosensitive materials for ink-printing and thermal-recording media. Typical sensitizers contain an aromatic ring and exhibit aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated activity. They can accumulate in aquatic biota, leading to the disruption of ecosystems. Effluent from paper recycling plants has been identified as a source of contamination, and the presence of sensitizers in toilet paper may represent a new source of contamination in aquatic environments. To examine possible sources of contamination by sensitizers, this study investigated the levels of sensitizers in recycled toilet paper. We also studied the prevalence of sensitizers in rivers receiving effluents from sewage treatment plants in Japan, from 2020 to 2022. We detected eight sensitizers and related compounds in both toilet paper and river water samples; their total concentrations ranged from 0.78 to 34 µg/g (mean: 12 µg/g) in toilet paper and 58–1167 µg/L (median: 77 µg/L) in water. In the water samples, sensitizers were partitioned between liquid and suspended solid phases, and in suspended solids, sensitizers accounted for an average of 42% of the total. Correlation analysis showed a high correlation between sensitizer composition in the water from a river receiving sewage treatment plant effluents and toilet paper. Since these compounds were also detected in the river water analyzed in this study, toilet paper should be considered a novel source of sensitizers contamination in sewage treatment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mobile device diffusion has increasingly highlighted the opportunity to collect patient-reported outcomes (PROs) through electronic patient-reported outcomes measurements (ePROMs) during the clinical routine. Despite the ePROMs promises and advantages, the equivalence when a PRO measure is moved from the original paper-and-pencil to the electronic version is still little investigated. This study aims at evaluating equivalence between PROMs and ePROMs self-administration in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS); in addition, preference of self-administration type was evaluated. Methods: The Manual Ability Measure-36 (MAM-36) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were selected for the equivalence test. The app ABOUTCOME was developed through a user-centered design approach to administer the questionnaires on tablet. Both paper-and-pencil and electronic versions were randomly self-administered. Intrarater reliability between both versions was evaluated through the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, excellent for values ≥ 0.75). Results: Fifty PwMS (35 females) participated to the study (mean age: 54.7±11.0 years, disease course: 27 relapsing-remitting and 23 progressive; mean EDSS: 4.7±1.9; mean disease duration: 13.3±9.5 years). No statistically significant differences were found for the means total scores of MAM-36 (p = 0.61) and FSS (p = 0.78). The ICC value for MAM-36 and FSS was excellent (0.98 and 0.94, respectively). Most of participants preferred the tablet version (84%). Conclusion: The results of the study provide evidence about the equivalence between the paper-and-pencil and electronic versions of PROs administration. In addition, PwMS prefer electronic methods rather than paper because the information can be provided more efficiently and accurately. The results could be easily extended to other MS PROs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, solid-surface fluorescence spectra of Rhodamine B (RhB) and fluorescein (FLU), two extensively used fluorophores, were studied and their concentrations were semi-quantitatively determined using the three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (3D-EEM) data. In order to measure the solid fluorescence spectra, a trace amount of fluorophores was physically adsorbed on a piece of filter paper as a fluorescent paper, and the fluorescence spectra were recorded from the surface of the fluorescent paper instead of the inner parts of the solution. The spectral measurement was performed utilizing a routine spectrofluorimeter designed to measure the fluorescence of solution only by placing the fluorescent paper in a simple handmade holder at an adjusted incident angle of radiation. The results revealed a significant increase in the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent paper strip compared to the solution phase. Moreover, in the RhB–FLU paper strip the forster resonance energy transfer was observed between FLU and RhB, similar to the observed phenomenon in the solution phase. For quantifying fluorophores, the EEM data were successfully resolved by applying multivariate partial least squares and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling, and the results were compared with the univariate method. This study may provide a general guideline in further developing the solid fluorescence measurement of concentrated solutions or solid samples that have fluorescence measurement limitations such as high self-absorption and highly scattered spectra by using a conventional spectrofluorimeter, and also of biological samples where a trace amount of the analyte is available and high sensitivity is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is critical to global industrial and economic development. Recently, India's pulp and paper industries have been facing severe competitive challenges. The challenges have impaired the environmental performance and resulted in the closure of several operations. Assessment and prediction of the performance of the Indian pulp and paper industry using various parameters is a critical task for researchers. This study proposes a framework for performance assessment and prediction based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Artificial Neural Networks, and Deep Learning (DL) to assist industry administration and decision-making. We presented a case study based on eight industries to demonstrate the methodology's applicability. This study analyses and predicts industry performance based on sample data observations over 30 years. The result suggests the DEA-DL-based efficiency prediction has an overall MSE of 0.08 compared with the actual efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiency rankings are compared between the three techniques. The results suggest that the integrated DEA-DL method is primarily accurate in most scenarios with the actual values. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive analysis of environmental performance for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flame spread behavior over a filter paper in opposed flow was investigated on the ISS/Kibo, and the results were compared with the flammability map predicted in advance by scale analysis for a two-dimensional flame. The on-orbit experiments were conducted in the solid combustion experimental module (SCEM) as the first combustion test of the FLARE project by JAXA. A filter paper with a length of 130 mm, a width of 40 mm or 20 mm, and a thickness of 0.12 mm was used as the specimen. The opposed flow velocity and the oxygen concentration were varied from 0 cm/s to 25 cm/s, and from 13.5% to 34%, respectively. The ambient pressure is 101.3 kPa. The predicted limiting curve reasonably agreed with the minimum limiting oxygen concentration observed. On the other hand, in extremely slow flows, very robust flames were observed beyond the limiting curve. When the condition reached the limit of two-dimensional flame, the flame front changed from a linear shape to a spherical shape (flamelet) to shorten the preheat zone length, reducing the radiative heat loss to survive. In these cases, the flamelet was sustained for a long time (> 100 s), and a large amount of decomposed gas was released at the periphery of the pyrolysis zone generating a combustible vapor cloud around the spherical flame font. The presence of a long-life robust flamelet and the accumulation of such combustible mist can be fire hazards in microgravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by a simple hydrothermal method vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) and then through a facile chemical bath deposition method CuO nanosheets were loaded on ZnO nanorod arrays, following by thermal spraying method, carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) were successfully integrated with CuO/ZnO@CFP to form a binder-free CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor. The sensor shows enhanced sensing activity for baicalein and luteolin determination due to the improved structural integration and synergism of different electrode material components. Remarkably, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor showed good linear relationships over wide concentration ranges of 0.03–0.70 µM and 0.70–20 µM for baicalein and 0.03–0.45 µM and 0.45–8.5 µM for luteolin detection, with the detection limits of 1.7 nM for baicalein and 0.5 nM for luteolin, respectively. More importantly, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor was utilized in the simultaneous determination of baicalein and luteolin, delivering linear ranges of 0.4–14 µM (baicalein) and 0.2–6 µM (luteolin) with the limit of detection of 0.05 µM and 0.03 µM, respectively. In addition, the developed CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP electrode was further investigated to detect baicalein and luteolin in traditional herbal medicine samples, showing satisfied results in comparison with analytic results from high performance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for sustainable materials in industrial applications has led to the exploration of biobased monomers for photocurable resins. This study investigates the photopolymerization kinetics and application of eugenol and vanillyl alcohol-based resins for developing hydrophobic coatings on paper. Employing photo-DSC and FT-IR spectroscopy, we analyzed the reactivity and conversion of eugenyl methacrylate (EM) and vanillyl alcohol methacrylate (VAM), alongside their formulations with a hydrophobic additive (PDMS-ECEMS), under various temperatures. Our results reveal that vanillyl alcohol-based resins exhibit faster polymerization and higher conversion rates compared to eugenol-based resins, attributed to their structural differences. The incorporation of PDMS-ECEMS significantly improved the hydrophobicity of the coatings, achieving contact angles (106°) comparable to those of conventional hydrophobic paper coatings. Optimal polymerization occurred at ambient temperatures, with elevated temperatures leading to a faster initial curing rate, but lower overall conversion. This study highlights the potential of using eugenol and vanillyl alcohol-based resins as sustainable alternatives for hydrophobic paper coatings, offering insights into the optimization of photocurable resin formulations for coatings with promising barrier and release performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paper-based analytical device (PAD) with an integrated composite electrode has been designed and fabricated for non-enzymatic creatinine sensing. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was employed to modify the PAD so that it could function as a solid-contact transducer. A new macrocyclic pyrido-hexapeptide derivative was made and used as a special ionophore in the creatinine membrane sensor. The synthesized PAD showed a detection limit of 1.0 µM (S/N = 3) and a potentiometric response towards creatinine throughout a log-linear range of 2.0 µM–10 mM (R2 = 0.9998). The sensor shows significant selectivity for a few related substances, including ephedrine, codeine, ketamine, caffeine, urea, urate, carbinoxamine, and dextromethorphan. It has been established that the testing method is appropriate for the direct potentiometric detection of creatinine in a variety of human urine sample types. When an indicating electrode and a reference electrode are put on the same flexible disposable, this lets applications with a small sample volume be done. For point-of-care creatinine measurement, the developed paper-based analytical equipment is a good choice because it is affordable, easily accessible, and self-pumping (especially when combined with potentiometric detection). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyl radical (•OH) detection is pivotal in medicine, biochemistry and environmental chemistry. Yet, electrochemical method–specific detection is challenging because of hydroxyl radicals' high reactivity and short half-life. In this study, we aimed to modify the electrode surface with a specific recognition probe for •OH. To achieve this, we conducted a one-step hydrothermal process to fabricate a CoZnMOF bimetallic organic framework directly onto conductive graphite paper (Gp). Subsequently, we introduced salicylic acid (SA) and methylene blue (MB), which easily penetrated the pores of CoZnMOF. By selectively capturing •OH by SA and leveraging the electrochemical signal generated by the reaction product, we successfully developed an electrochemical sensor Gp/CoZnMOF/SA + MB. The prepared sensor exhibited a good linear relationship with •OH concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 1200 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM. Additionally, the sensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility and accuracy due to the incorporation of an internal reference. It exhibited remarkable selectivity for •OH detection, unaffected by other electrochemically active substances. The establishment of this sensor provides a way to construct MOF-modified sensors for the selective detection of other reactive oxygen species (ROS), offering a valuable experimental basis for ROS-related disease research and environmental safety investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-friendly acid base indicators (anthocyanins) are always a center of attention in quantitative volumetric analysis as substitute for synthetic dye indicators. The purpose of the study is to promote utilization of Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel biomass by developing a novel eco-friendly acid–base indicator for titrimetric analysis. Pomegranate peel extract (PPEx) was prepared by ultrasonic probe sonication, a green method for extraction. The obtained extracts were evaluated for total phenol, anthocyanin content and the color change ability analysis (CIEL*a*b* analysis). The pKa of PPEx was determined, the effectiveness of PPEx as indicator was established in different acid–base titrations and compared with conventional synthetic indicators phenolphthalein and methyl orange. The aspirin powder and tablet (Ecosprin) were analyzed by using PPEx as indicator. An attempt was also made to develop PPEx pH indicator paper. The aqueous and ethanolic PPEx prepared by ultrasonic probe sonication contains 657.1 ± 21 and 718.1 ± 21 mg/LGAE of total phenols and 38.49 ± 0.83 and 42.91 ± 2.10 mgC3G/100gm of anthocyanins, respectively.The PPEx and pH indicator paper shows color change with the pH of solution. The pKa of PPEx was 7.14. PPEx was served as eco-friendly substitute for phenolphthalein and methyl orange indicators. PPEx was effective to analyze aspirin. The statistical analysis ensures the reliability and effectiveness of PPEx as an eco-friendly indicator in acid base titrations as substitute for the synthetic dye indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]