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The electronic paper (E‐paper) has the advantages of low power consumption, flexibility, small form factor, and eye‐friendliness. However, most E‐paper substrates are made by indium tin oxide (ITO) glasses or plastic substrates, which are hard to degrade in the natural environment. Our previous work introduced a self‐powered E‐paper (SPEP) integrated with triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Here, a paper‐based SPEP was further demonstrated, driven by a TENG module without any other power module. By combining the self‐powered driving mode and paper substrates, this work showed novel possibilities for E‐paper devices, which provided great potential in future Internet of things (IoT) displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex polymers represent a challenge for remediating environmental pollution and an opportunity for microbial‐catalysed conversion to generate valorized chemicals. Members of the genus Streptomyces are of interest because of their potential use in biotechnological applications. Their versatility makes them excellent sources of biocatalysts for environmentally responsible bioconversion, as they have a broad substrate range and are active over a wide range of pH and temperature. Most Streptomyces studies have focused on the isolation of strains, recombinant work and enzyme characterization for evaluating their potential for biotechnological application. This review discusses reports of Streptomyces‐based technologies for use in the textile and pulp‐milling industry and describes the challenges and recent advances aimed at achieving better biodegradation methods featuring these microbial catalysts. The principal points to be discussed are (1) Streptomyces' enzymes for use in dye decolorization and lignocellulosic biodegradation, (2) biotechnological processes for textile and pulp and paper waste treatment and (3) challenges and advances for textile and pulp and paper effluent treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional paper‐based microdevices have been receiving wide attention in the research areas of microfluidic chips, soft actuators, etc. This work introduces the design and fabrication of a Janus‐type paper in which one side of the paper remains hydrophilic and the other side is hydrophobic. Such Janus‐type paper is prepared by directly spraying hydrophobic Glaco solutions and following air plasma treatment. The former treatment can cover the paper fibers with numerous hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles. Through optimizing the fabrication parameters of the air plasma, it can penetrate the filter paper in a controllable depth, resulting in effectively regulating the hydrophobic particles into hydrophilic ones. Thereafter, the antirotation and interfacial stability of the Janus paper are investigated. Finally, a liquid storage and contamination‐free analysis devices are demonstrated on the Janus‐type paper platform. Noting that the commercially nonfluoride coating (Glaco) and mature plasma instrument together make the fabrication method simple, rapid, users/environmental‐friendly, and mass‐produced. The method provides a new route to fabricate Janus‐type paper for potential multifunctional applications in microfluidic chips and smart actuators, and may open up new avenue to prepare Janus films in a simple/rapid way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper‐based materials are widely used in various fields due to their advantages, such as environmental friendliness and sustainability. However, the highly hydrophilic nature of the cellulose that makes up paper‐based materials limits their use. In this paper, micron/nano‐graphite/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings with excellent superhydrophobic and conductive properties were prepared on the surface of filter paper by a simple spraying method. A mixture of micro‐graphite and nano‐graphite was used to form a multistage rough structure on the surface of the filter paper by spraying, and the low surface energy PDMS enhanced the adhesion of the micro‐graphite and nano‐graphite on the surface of the filter paper. The results showed that the samples possessed the best superhydrophobic properties when the ratio of micro‐graphite to nano‐graphite was 1:1, at which time the contact and rolling angles of the samples were 165.4° and 3.2°, respectively. The prepared superhydrophobic samples have good bounce and self‐cleaning properties, while the samples have good mechanical stability and chemical resistance. Additionally, due to the conductivity of micro–nano‐graphite, both particle sizes closely contact the sample surface, creating a conductive network. With a 1:1 ratio of micro‐ and nano‐graphite, the coating exhibits minimal resistance at 1.89 KΩ, and the sample maintains stable conductivity even underwater. The above properties greatly extend the application range of paper‐based superhydrophobic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon paper is commonly used for catalytic electrode preparation because of its high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and stability. However, traditional electrode preparation methods are inappropriate for highly hydrophobic carbon paper. In this paper, a high‐activity carbon paper catalytic electrode was prepared using multistrategies cold plasma modification to create atomic structural defects, dope N and Cu elements, and introduce oxygen‐containing functional groups. Analyses show that the bombardment of high‐energy particles caused atomic structural defects. Nitrogen and copper entered the carbon paper through plasma‐induced chemical recombination and physical adsorption, reaching 5.26% and 3.83%, respectively. Ethanol‐based plasma introduced oxygen‐containing functional groups to improve hydrophilicity. Finally, the plasma‐prepared electrode exhibited a reduction efficiency of 87.69% in an electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper, an inexpensive material with natural biocompatibility, non‐toxicity, and biodegradability, allows for affordable and cost‐effective substrates for unconventional advanced electronics, often called papertronics. On the other hand, polymeric elastomers have shown to be an excellent success for substrates of soft bioelectronics, providing stretchability in skin wearable technology for continuous sensing applications. Although both materials hold their unique advantageous characteristics, merging both material properties into a single electronic substrate reimagines paper‐based bioelectronics for wearable and patchable applications in biosensing, energy generation and storage, soft actuators, and more. Here, a breathable, light‐weighted, biocompatible engineered stretchable paper is reported via coaxial nonwoven microfibers for unconventional bioelectronic substrates. The stretchable papers allow intimate bioconformability without adhesive through coaxial electrospinning of a cellulose acetate polymer (sheath) and a silicone elastomer (core). The fabricated cellulose‐silicone fibers exhibit a greater percent strain than commercially available paper while retaining hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, combustibility, disposable, and other natural characteristics of paper. Moreover, the nonwoven stretchable cellulose‐silicone fibrous mat can adapt conventional printing and fabrication process for paper‐based electronics, an essential aspect of advanced bioelectronic manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in handwritten Chinese signatures on different media including paper and electronic devices. Participants were asked to sign specified names on various types of media and the signatures were scanned or saved digitally for subsequent analysis. In this study, using convolutional neural networks and Siamese neural networks as classifiers and comparators, the performance plunge is revealed and thus considerable dissimilarity between the signatures on different media is implied. To further explore this, cubic Bézier curves are fitted to the signatures using the least square method for quantitative statistical analysis. By analyzing the visual changes in the morphology of strokes, several features of signatures are selected and computed, and the paired t‐test and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test are implemented, which provides a deeper substantiation and explanation of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absolute dating of documents is still one of the most important challenges for forensic document examiners (FDE). The potential difference between the date on a questioned document and the actual year of production of the used paper can be only 1 to 5 years. Until now, there was no analytical method with this accuracy available. This study demonstrates a method for an absolute dating of paper by using the 14C bomb peak and dating the starch in the paper. Accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS) radiocarbon measurements were performed on starch extracts and cellulose fibers from 50 paper samples with known production year from 1950 to 2018. For most of the paper samples, the measured 14C concentration values in the starch extracts were highly correlated with the data of the 14C bomb peak calibration curve. The differences between the calibrated ages and the actual harvest years of the starch‐containing plants were only up to 3 years. The 14C concentration in the paper fibers showed a lower but significant correlation with the production year of the papers and can be used to support the dating results of the starch extracts. In order to secure the accuracy of the dating, aside from the radiocarbon measurements of the extracted starch other analytical methods or data are used, like a detailed chemical analysis of the paper composition including fiber composition and the spectroscopic analysis of the purity of the starch extracts. In practice, only starch extracts without contaminations are used for the paper dating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) films are widely used as separators for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, owing to the poor thermal stability of PP and PE films, current LIBs suffer from serious safety risks in their practical applications. As an effective path, the design of novel high‐safety composite separators can significantly overcome the safety issues of LIBs. Herein, a universal and cost‐effective strategy is developed to fabricate highly‐thermal‐stable separators via coating natural halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) on both sides of commercial papers or waste newspaper. The resulted separators show superior properties, including thermal stability, heat conduction, wettability, and electrolyte uptake. Compared with commercial PP separators, both HNTs coated A4 paper and waste newspaper composite separators enable better cycling and rate performance for Li/LiFePO4 cells. Even after burning in fire or treating under 180 °C, the composite separators still present a normal structure, and the assembled cell can perform as regular. Furthermore, the nail penetration test of pouch cells illustrates that such separator significantly prevents thermal runaway of LIBs. The inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials with a facile coating process provide a highly‐thermal‐stable separator for commercial LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta‐aramid paper has been widely used in transformers because of its excellent insulation properties and thermal stability. However, with the rapid development of high‐voltage transformers, higher requirements are placed on the breakdown strength of meta‐aramid paper. In this study, meta‐aramid chopped fibers/polyphenylene sulfide (MACFs/PPS) composite paper was prepared by a combination of wet‐copying and hot‐rolling technology. Then the microscopic morphology, mechanical properties, crystallization behavior, insulation properties, and thermal stability of the MACFs/PPS composite paper were studied and evaluated. The experimental results showed that the breakdown strength of the MACFs/PPS composite paper was as high as 46.46 kV/mm, which was 2.7 times higher than the famous Nomex T410 insulating paper. Meanwhile, the MACFs/PPS composite paper presented good mechanical properties and thermal stability. This paper provides a simple and versatile method for the preparation of meta‐aramid composite paper with high breakdown strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The XY model of oil‐paper insulation connects the dielectric properties of oil, paper and oil‐paper system. Its equivalent circuit is the basis of the application of dielectric response technology in the state diagnosis of transformer oil‐paper insulation. To better apply the XY model to the study of the dielectric properties of oil‐paper insulation, the dielectric properties of the coaxial oil‐paper insulation system built in the laboratory, XY model and its equivalent circuits are compared. Then an improved circuit of XY model which can reflect the properties of the oil‐paper insulation more truly is proposed. The results show that there is no difference between the XY model and the coaxial model, and both can well characterize the oil‐paper insulation system. The two equivalent circuits of XY model, "Series to Parallel" circuit and "Parallel to Series" circuit, ignore the current tangential component and the electric field distortion in oil‐paper insulation, respectively, resulting in deviations from the XY model. By introducing a new branch C*XY, the improved circuit can reflect the tangential current and electric field distortion in oil‐paper insulation, which can be completely equivalent to XY model. In addition, there is a characteristic frequency point in the oil‐paper insulation system, where the dielectric loss factor tan δ of oil, paper and oil‐paper system are the same. There is no difference between the XY model and its two equivalent circuits at this point. The characteristic frequency is determined by the dielectric properties of oil and paper, and not affected by the insulation structure. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Deinking is an important part of paper recycling that involves the removal of ink particles from the paper fibres. This industrial process is important so that the fibres can be recirculated back into paper production, which enables better sustainability as fewer fresh fibres are needed. In this study, we examined five different alternative fibre materials from different agricultural residues and industrial processes for the pilot production of papers. Papers containing fibres from invasive plants (Japanese knotweed), dedicated crops (miscanthus, acacia), agricultural residues (tomato stems), and industrial waste (jute - fibres from coffee bags) were printed with water-based flexo inks and deinked with two separate processes (chemical and enzymes). Mechanical (break and tensile index, breaking length) and optical properties (ISO whiteness, brightness and CIE L*a*b* values) were measured and ink elimination IR700 and deinking efficiency was calculated for the two deinking processes. RESULTS: Enzymatic treatment improved the mechanical properties of deinked pulp in comparison with the classic chemical treatment. Mechanical strength for almost all papers increased slightly (breaking length up to 20% in tomato and jute), and the optical result (brightness) increased similarly for both processes due to the bleaching action of the colour-shaded samples, whereas the deinking efficiency showed mixed results between chemical- and enzyme-type deinking (with chemical achieving better elimination measured at 700 nm) in the typical range of ink elimination values (15-35%) for flexographic inks. This indicates further optimization of the deinking with enzymes is needed due to different alternative fibre compositions and variations of residues in the delignification processes. CONCLUSION: Using a combination of adjusted enzymatic treatment as a precursor for deinking of paper-based packaging materials sourced from alternative fibres showed promising results regarding mechanical properties, whereas the optical properties need to be improved with cellulase optimization or by using mixes of different enzymes. These kinds of paper materials printed with flexo inks were found to be successfully deinkable with the chemical ISO-based deinking protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regulatory aspects of transfusion medicine add complexity in blinded transfusion trials when considering various electronic record keeping software and blood administration processes. The aim of this study is to explore strategies when blinding transfusion components and products in paper and electronic medical records. Methods: Surveys were collected and interviews were conducted for 18 sites across various jurisdictions in North America to determine solutions applied in previous transfusion randomized control trials. Results: Sixteen responses were collected of which 11 had previously participated in a transfusion randomized control trial. Various solutions were reported which were specific to the laboratory information system (LIS) and electronic medical record (EMR) combinations although solutions could be grouped into four categories which included the creation of a study product code in the LIS, preventing the transmission of data from the LIS to the EMR, utilizing specialized stickers and labels to conceal product containers and documents in the paper records, and modified bedside procedures and documentation. Discussion: LIS and EMR combinations varied across sites, so it was not possible to determine combination‐specific solutions. The study was able to highlight solutions that may be emphasized in future iterations of LIS and EMR software as well as procedural changes that may minimize the risk of unblinding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points: Academia is already witnessing the abuse of authorship in papers with text generated by large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT.LLM‐generated text is testing the limits of publishing ethics as we traditionally know it.We alert the community to imminent risks of LLM technologies, like ChatGPT, for amplifying the predatory publishing 'industry'.The abuse of ChatGPT for the paper mill industry cannot be over‐emphasized.Detection of LLM‐generated text is the responsibility of editors and journals/publishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper was one of the greatest inventions in ancient China, and it greatly promoted the rapid development of human civilization. Even in today's electronic information age, paper and paper‐derived products are still indispensable to people's daily work and life. However, the traditional paper based on cellulose fibers from plants has some problems. For instance: (1) papermaking consumes a large amount of precious natural resources such as trees; (2) the papermaking industry causes environmental pollution; (3) the traditional paper consisting of organic cellulose fibers is highly flammable and easy to burn; (4) the traditional paper based on cellulose fibers turns to yellow color with time; (5) the lifetime of the traditional paper is relatively short because of the degradation of cellulose fibers. More efforts are needed to investigate and solve these problems facing the traditional paper. In recent years, a new kind of multifunctional fire‐resistant paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires has been developed and investigated for various applications, and many research findings have been documented in the literature. This review article provides a comprehensive summary and discussion on recent research advances for this new kind of multifunctional fire‐resistant paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires, including the synthesis, properties, applications, and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial and significant to boost the utilization of renewable resources and exploitation of biodegradable materials alternative to petrochemical plastics. Waste paper, mainly composed of cellulose (82–95 wt%) and derived from the lignocellulose, is a type of abundant, renewable, and biodegradable resource, whose recycling use and conversion to high value‐added products can reduce the pressure on the environment and exert immense economic benefits. Herein, four kinds of common waste paper (e.g., printing paper, newspaper, straw paper and roll paper) were converted into cellulose‐based bioplastic membranes by using ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl‐imidazolium chloride as solvent. The cellulose‐based membranes are smooth and compact, and their mechanical strength is prominently improved about 3–100 times comparison with the original paper. The maximum tensile strength of the film (F4) is over 127 Mpa and its optical transmittance reaches 80% at 450–800 nm wavelength. Besides, this kind of cellulose‐based films have excellent biodegradability. Thus, the results demonstrated that the cellulose‐based bioplastic membranes stemmed from waste paper possess a magnificent application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: This work proposes the use of a simple, inexpensive method for the hydrothermal synthesis of fluorescent carbon dot nanoparticles (CDs) from rice starch aimed at the determination of Hg2+ in water. The proposed method involved using a paper‐based analytical device coupled to a 3D plate, with a UV‐LED chamber and a smartphone for the acquisition and analysis of the fluorescence digital images of the CDs. RESULTS: The size of the carbon dots ranged from 0.5 to 3 nm, with an average particle size of ~1 nm. The functionalization of carbon dots with methimazole allowed a high selective for Hg2+ determination. The results obtained showed a linear response R2 of 0.997 and Hg2+ concentration in the range of 0.5–45.0 μmol L−1 with a limit of detection and limit of quantitation of 0.23 and 0.62 μmol L−1, respectively. The results of the study show that there were no significant differences, at 95% confidence level, between the data obtained from the application of the proposed method and the reference method. CONCLUSION: The proposed method is in line with the principles of green chemistry, as it involves the use of renewable sources for starch extraction and a hydrothermal synthesis process that does not employ toxic reagents. In addition, the method employs only 15 μL reagent/sample. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman microscopic measurements were used to analyse the detailed chemical composition and structure of three old papers dating from the 15th and 19th centuries. Raman mapping measurements were performed on the surface and along the cross‐section of the papers with a lateral resolution of 1 μm. The resulting Raman images visualise the detailed chemical structure of the papers including all components such as the different types of cellulose fibre, filler pigments, sizing agents, colour pigments and also inadvertently added trace particles, such as minerals or products of biological activity. The results of the paper analysis are discussed in connection with their use for the detailed characterisation and dating of paper. This study demonstrates the great potential and the possibilities offered by Raman microscopy or Raman imaging for chemical paper analysis. Raman microscopy allows new insights into the chemical composition and structure of old papers and could considerably enhance the understanding of former papermaking practices and also combat forgery and the fraud of documents and artworks on paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta‐aramid paper is widely used in transformers because of its perfect heat resistance and dielectric properties. However, the loose structure and the voids of meta‐aramid paper may lead to lower breakdown strength, which will limit the applications of the insulated paper in harsh environment. Accordingly, it is urgent to enhance the dielectric breakdown strength of meta‐aramid paper. This work reports a simple and effective way to increase the breakdown strength of meta‐aramid paper. The paper was coated with salt‐free poly(m‐phenylene isophalamide) (PMIA) slurry and the solid contents of PMIA slurry were 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%, respectively. To obtain salt‐free PMIA slurry, the meta‐aramid spun fibers were dissolved in dimethylacetamide. After coating 10% PMIA slurry on meta‐aramid paper, the paper demonstrated the best comprehensive performance. The tensile strengths in the cross and machine direction reached 40.67 and 90.76 MPa, which were increased by 29.93% and 20.16% compared with pristine paper. Meanwhile, the dielectric breakdown strength was up to 42.75 kV/mm (the breakdown strength of pristine paper was only 16.41 kV/mm). Because no crosslinking agent and adhesive were used, the coated meta‐aramid paper still maintained excellent properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Information on breastfeeding and safety of biologics in infants is lacking due to difficulties in case collection. We evaluated methods for determining the concentration of biologics in breast milk using a dry filter method that can simplify the collection, storage and transport of breast milk. Methods: To generate dried filter paper (DFP) samples, approximately 30 μL of breast milk was placed onto a Whatman 903 card and punched out. After extraction, the supernatant was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Three concentrations of each drug were prepared in liquid breast milk (LBM) and DFP samples to determine their stability up to 28 days after storage at 2–8°C or −20°C for LBM and 25 ± 5°C for DFP. LBM and DFP samples were also provided by nursing mothers using biologics during lactation, and drug concentrations in both samples were compared. The agreement between the two measurement methods was confirmed by Bland–Altman analysis. Results: Breast milk was provided by 12 mothers who used biologics (tocilizumab, abatacept, etanercept, golimumab, sarilumab and belimumab). The coefficients of variation for within‐run and between‐run precision for the six drugs were within 15% for both LBM and DFP, and accuracy was within 90%–110% of the quality controls. After 28 days, concentrations remained at more than 90%. The difference between the values obtained by each method was within the acceptable range of error (−12.1 to +16.6 ng/mL). Conclusions: A method for determining the concentration of biologics using DFP is expected to help improve pharmacotherapy for lactating women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing solid waste recycling, this study aims to develop biodegradable kraft paper from buffing dust (BD) and post‐consumed jute fiber (JF). Employing a simple solution casting method with a polyurethane binder, the kraft paper was fabricated and characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, OTR, biodegradability, and tensile tests. The findings revealed covalent and hydrogen bonding between BD and JF, forming a uniform surface. Notably, the composite exhibited improved thermal stability, enhanced gas barrier properties, and biodegradability compared to individual components. Furthermore, the composite also showed 57% higher tensile strength, 38% greater elongation, 20% increased hardness, and 9% higher density compared to buffing dust. Compared to jute fiber, the increases were 125%, 91%, 30%, and 19% respectively. Moreover, the composite excelled in gas barrier performance, surpassing BD and JF by a remarkable 61% and 73% increase respectively. These significant findings underscore the vast potential of the composite kraft paper as a versatile material suitable for various applications, including packaging, interior furnishing industries, and reinforcing elements in the footwear industry. By addressing waste management and promoting sustainability, this research contributes to the development of eco‐friendly materials that align with contemporary environmental concerns. Highlights: Covalent and hydrogen bonding enhance uniformity.Biodegradable kraft paper with improved properties.Impressive tensile strength, elongation, and hardness.Versatile material for eco‐friendly applications.Promotes sustainability and waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual screen e‐Paper is expected to be useful when creating documents using reference documents. This study evaluated performances of referencing conditions using paper, e‐Paper, and LCD and suggested that the working conditions using dual screen e‐Paper brought almost the same performance as the working conditions using paper as a reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The de‐acidification method has always been a hotspot in the research of paper‐based cultural relics conservation science. The existing de‐acidification methods are either not thorough enough or not easy to operate, requiring innovation and breakthrough. Moreover, the strength of the paper cannot be significantly improved by the simple de‐acidification treatment. To achieve the reinforcement of paper, another intervention process is often required, and each intervention may cause damage to the fragile paper cultural relics. This study introduces electrosorption deionization technology to the conservation treatment of paper cultural relics. Based on the electrosorption technology, an integrated treatment of paper de‐acidification and reinforcement was applied to sample papers using a composite electrolyte of de‐acidification and reinforcement materials and a self‐made electrosorption device. The experimental results show that both the de‐acidification and reinforcement effects on the paper samples obtained a significant promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial waste locks are used as raw materials to reduce harmful effects on the environment and improve environmental performance. Marble clay powder can be used as a filling aid and can fill voids in concrete structures. This article will show you how to use a maximum natural sand alternative in concrete with marble powder and quarry dust. The challenge of the 21st century is to change to a new form that can support the natural system. This necessitates a radical rethinking of how to give the community infrastructure and housing. Making a concerted effort to develop novel, innovative, and alternative construction materials may be necessary. Jungles of concrete around cause's impact on the Environment and it would result in climate change. Mankind must avoid the use of things that are detrimental to the environment. So in this paper, it is decided to address the issue by adopting the use of the green concrete concept which is environmentally friendly. Green concrete is concrete made up using industrial wastes such as marble powder, quarry dust, wood ash, paper pulp, etc. Green concrete, which is capable of sustainable development, helps to reduce the consumption of natural resources, energy use, and environmental pollution. Green concrete is more cost‐effective than ordinary concrete and reduces the cost of resultant concrete by 14%–20%. It is also observed that the alkali‐aggregate reaction and sulfate attack resistance of concrete are both significantly improved. Green concrete is a useful tool for lowering environmental pollution and enhancing concrete's resistance to harsh conditions. All stages of infrastructure construction and rehabilitation will follow this trend of using new cement and techniques. Green concrete's adaptability and its performance derivatives will meet a variety of future needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrible shuttling of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) is a major obstacle for commercializing lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries as high‐performance energy storage systems. In this study, a carbon‐based interlayer with effective suppression capability on the shuttle effect is developed by simply coating a well‐dispersed mixture of soybean protein isolate/MXene onto the acidified carbon paper (ACP). The resultant composite interlayer (SM@ACP) is able to synergistically diminish the shuttle effect through chemical adsorption and physical blocking. Meanwhile, this interlayer displays excellent conductivity and facilitates the diffusion of Li ions due to the composite coating to promote both electron/ion conduction as well as the porous structure of ACP. Benefiting from the unique properties of the composite interlayer, the as‐assembled Li–S batteries with SM@ACP interlayers show a great improvement in the cycling stability and rate performance, delivering a very low‐capacity decay rate of 0.071% per cycle at 0.5 C even after 800 cycles. This work provides a feasible route to realize rational design and commercial mass production of desirable interlayers for promoting the commercialization of Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus species have been highlighted in enzyme production looking for industrial applications, notably, amylases are one of the most interesting enzymes. They are capable of hydrolyzing α‐glycosidic linkages of starch and widely used in industrial processes to produce ethanol, glucose, and fructose syrup as well as in the textiles, detergents, and paper industries applications. In this context, this work aimed at the biochemical characterization of the glucoamylase from Aspergillus japonicus and its application in the bio‐bleaching process of recycled paper. The optimum temperature and pH for the glucoamylase assay were standardized as 50°C and 5.5. After 1 h of incubation, glucoamylase retained 90% of its activity at 30–50°C. It also kept 70% of its activity in the pH range of 4.0–6.5 after an hour of incubation. The enzyme led to an increase of 30% in the relative whiteness of 10 dry grams of sulfite paper and magazine paper when applied along with commercial cellulase and 10 mM MnCl2. In addition, after the treatments, the glucoamylase recovered activity was 30%–32%, which indicates a prolonged availability of the enzyme and can considerably curtail the redundant downstream process of the recycled paper bio‐bleaching. Thus, the glucoamylase from A. japonicus has a significant role in bio‐bleaching recycled paper, reducing the necessity of hard chemicals, and improving the industrial process in an interesting economic and ecological mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report the development of bilayer‐coated‐paper with corn starch as the bottom layer and zein protein as the top layer. Two different methods were used for preparation of the coated paper, namely rod‐coating and dip‐coating techniques. The effect of the coating methods was studied by investigating the mechanical and barrier properties of the coated paper. A significant decrease of the water vapor and oxygen transmission rates at various temperatures and relative humidity conditions was observed. Considering the growing need for renewable and biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics, the coated paper described herein may have strong potential for applications in the food packaging sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paper‐based supercapacitor (SC) is a promising flexible energy storage device for wearable electronics. Paper is an alternative flexible substrate to conventional substrates such as metal foil or plastics. Paper's porous structure can be applied as a large surface area of electrode to store more charge. Paper can also be used as a separator between each electrode. We propose a simple method for vertically integrating a multi‐pair of interdigital electrodes within only a single sheet of paper. The integrated multi‐electrodes were fully separated because of a removable wax barrier. The integrated multi‐pair interdigital electrodes in a paper were used as ultra‐thin SCs combined in parallel. With an inner space of paper, the device volume can be reduced with high energy density while preserving flexibility. The energy density was 86.58 μWh cm−2, which is three orders of magnitude higher energy density than a single SC at the same size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transparent, bendable, high oxygen barrier cellulose‐based film was prepared, which has far better oxygen barrier properties than conventional polyethylene, polypropylene and cellophane materials. A series of regenerated cellulose films (RCs) were prepared from filter paper lacking oxygen barrier properties under different cellulose concentrations and gelation times. It was shown that the cellulose concentration and gel time had a greater effect on the oxygen barrier properties of RCs. When the cellulose concentration was 4 wt% and the gel time was 3 h, the RCs obtained the lowest oxygen permeability coefficient (OPC) down to 2.21 × 10−17 cm3 cm cm−2 s−1 Pa−1. The films have a tensile strength of 109.5 MPa, an elongation at break of 27.3% and a light transmission rate of 89%. In further, molecular dynamics simulations showed that when the filter paper was converted to RCs, the increase in hydrogen bonding and the decrease in free volume between cellulose chains caused a decrease in the diffusion coefficient of oxygen. As a novel biobased high oxygen barrier material, the film has broad application prospect in packaging and chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a method to determine the two‐dimensional absorption capacity of paper towels. Individual plies were tested to minimize the effects of transverse wicking on wetting. The method involves arbitrary point source injection of liquid into the towel surface while recording microscopic images of the wetted areas. The samples were selected from the main manufacturing processes: conventional wet pressing and through‐air drying. Wetting graphs that illustrate the dynamic and static wetting behaviors were generated. The driving force was found to have a negligible effect on the maximum wetted area. The maximum wetted area and the paper grammage were used to determine the two‐dimensional absorption capacity. The results were validated by the basket‐immersion test method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As reported herein, a bilayer coating approach using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) and zein is employed to enhance the water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of paper materials. The coating was applied onto three different types of paper substrates to study the general applicability of this approach. The bilayer‐coated paper samples exhibited a reduction of up to 65% in their water vapor transmission rate in comparison to the corresponding uncoated paper substrates at 23°C and 50% relative humidity. In addition, the bilayer‐coated paper samples showed at least a 40‐fold decrease in oxygen transmission rate from that of the uncoated paper samples. In addition, the coated paper showed excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the obtained coated paper has a smooth texture without pores. Pulp was recovered from the coated paper by washing with water/ethanol. Thus, this work provides a unique coated paper with excellent barrier properties and therefore has the potential for real‐world application as an alternative to single‐use plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the print quality of digital printing techniques has improved and is considered satisfactory and competitive to analogue techniques for certain graphic products. Satisfactory print quality mostly depends on the interaction of ink and printing substrate where ink penetration has an important role. Namely, the ink penetration affects the parameters that describe the print quality together with visual appearance of print density and mottling. Therefore, it is important to select an adequate printing substrate for each printing technique. Awareness of environmental problems related to the shortage of wood raw materials has led to an increase in the use of recycled printing paper and in particular the implementation of new alternative sources of cellulose fibres instead of virgin wood fibres in the papermaking process. In this research the emphasis is precisely on defining the influence of ink penetration into laboratory papers made of triticale pulp on the final print quality. The laboratory printing papers were obtained by mixing triticale pulp with pulp from recycled fibres in three different portions. Papers were thereafter printed by ultraviolet (UV) inkjet printer and the ink penetration within laboratory papers with and without straw pulp was analysed using two methods of ink penetration analysis (microscopic/spectroscopic). The influence of ink penetration on the final print quality was observed and analysed based on several quality parameters (optical ink density, mottling and colorimetric values). These results confirmed that triticale pulp in laboratory papers provides equal print quality compared to laboratory papers made only from pulp from recycled fibres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Different thermoplastic starch (TPS) films were prepared with or without the addition of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) obtained via the melt‐extrusion method, and then the hot‐press method was used to produce environmentally friendly TPS‐based film/paper composites to replace petroleum‐based materials. RESULTS: The paper–plastic composites exhibited good interfacial adhesion from the scannign elctron microscopy images. It was seen that 5 wt.% MCC was added to reinforce the mechanical properties of TPS films, such that it also improved the barrier properties of MCC@TPS/paper composites and extended the path of water vapor through TPS films, which decreased the water vapor transmission rate of MCC@TPS/paper composites. TPS/paper composites and MCC@TPS/paper composites have better physical properties (i.e. smoothness, flexibility and folding resistance) than only paper. In particular, it was found that the water contact angle of MCC@TPS/paper composites and TPS/paper composites were higher than single‐layer paper. Furthermore, MCC reinforced paper–plastic composites demonstrated good barrier properties which can meet the requirement of the need for lower water sensitive materials in the food packaging industry. CONCLUSION: Thermoplastic corn starch‐based film/paper composites have good application properties as a potential source of bioplastic materials. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Flexible surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates such as paper‐based substrates show great potential for rapid detection of residual chemicals on food surfaces. However, controlling the density and distribution of metallic nanoparticles adsorbed on the paper is still challenging. RESULTS: The amount of gold (Au) nanospheres (51 ± 4 nm) attached on the filter paper modified with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was tunable, increasing as the level of APTES (2.5–15.0 g kg−1) applied for paper modification increased. Moreover, the Au nanospheres were relative evenly distributed on the filter paper modified with 2.5–10.0 g kg−1of APTES, which resulted in excellent intra‐ and inter‐reproducibility of SERS signals for pesticides including thiram, diquat dibromide, and paraquat dichloride (relative standard deviation = 2.2–10.1%). The modified paper‐based substrate could be used to detect as low as 0.05–0.2 mg L−1 of pesticides in standard solutions, and as low as 5–20 ng cm−2 of residual pesticides on apple skins with minimum sample pretreatment. CONCLUSION: This paper‐based substrate with tunable feature for the density and distribution of nanoparticles is applicable for rapid SERS detection of residual pesticides in fruits and vegetables. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to detect papers originating from the Russia‐based paper mill 'International Publisher' LLC. A total of 1,063 offers to purchase co‐authorship on a fraudulent papers published from 2019 to mid‐2022 on the 123mi.ru website were analysed. This study identifies at least 451 papers that are potentially linked to the paper mill, including one preprint, a duplication paper and 16 republications of papers erroneously published in hijacked journals. Evidence of suspicious provenance from the paper mill is provided: matches in title, number of co‐authorship slots, year of publication, country of the journal, country of a co‐authors and similarities of abstracts. These problematic papers are co‐authored by scholars from at least 39 countries and are submitted to both predatory and reputable journals. This study also demonstrates collaboration anomalies in questionable papers and examines indicators of the Russia‐based paper mill. The value of co‐authorship slots offered by 'International Publisher' LLC from 2019 to 2021 is estimated at $6.5 million. Since this study only analysed a single paper mill, it is likely that the number of papers with forged authorship is much higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is one of the most significant industrial water polluters, generating large volumes of wastewater with high levels of organic pollutants, suspended solids, and other contaminants. Catalytic ozonation has emerged as a promising technique for the treatment of pulp and paper industry wastewater. Numerous reviews have presented the research on catalytic ozonation; however, open literature is missing a bibliometric analysis. Therefore, this article presents a bibliometric analysis of the research available on catalytic ozonation in pulp and paper industry wastewater treatment. A total of 578 documents extracted from the Scopus database have been examined via VOSviewer, MS Excel, and Rstudio to identify the research trends, influential authors, and research institutions in the field. The results reveal that the number of publications on the topic has increased significantly in recent years. This study also identified several influential authors, institutions, and highlighted future research directions in the field. Overall, the study provides insights into the state of research on catalytic ozonation in pulp and paper industry wastewater treatment and could help guide future research efforts in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Document forgery is a significant issue in Korea, with around ten thousand cases reported every year. Analyzing paper plays a crucial role in examining questionable documents such as marketable securities and contracts, which can aid in solving criminal cases of document forgery. Paper analysis can also provide essential insights in other types of criminal cases, serving as an important clue for solving cases such as the source of a blackmail letter. The papermaking process generates distinct forming fabric marks and formations, which are critical features for paper classification. These characteristics are observable under transmitted light and are created by the forming fabric pattern and the distribution of pulp fibers, respectively. In this study, we propose a novel approach for paper identification based on hybrid features. This method combines texture features extracted from images converted using the gray‐level co‐occurrence matrix (GLCM) approach and a convolutional neural network (CNN), with another set of features extracted by the CNN using the same images as input. We applied the proposed method to classification tasks for seven major paper brands available in the Korean market, achieving an accuracy of 97.66%. The results confirm the applicability of this method for visually inspecting paper products and demonstrate its potential for assisting in solving criminal cases involving document forgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interventions targeting cognitive control processes, such as Executive Functions (EF) have recently been experimented to enhance early math skills. This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an intervention integrating EF activities into the mathematical domain among second‐grade students. One hundred and four typically‐developing‐children were assigned to either a group that underwent the intervention (Trained Group; n = 58) or a group that continued with daily didactic activities (Control Group; n = 46). The training lasted for 8 weeks and included both home‐based digital and school‐based paper activities. According to teachers' feedback, the intervention was highly appreciated by children and compatible with classical school curricula. The Trained Group improved in behavioral self‐regulation, math abilities and problem‐solving in comparison to the Control Group. Notably, within the Trained Group, benefits of the training were higher in children with high working memory. This training offers a model to support math learning in primary school, considering inter‐individual differences in EF. Early mathematical skills can be enhanced through cognitive control processes, notably Executive Functions (EF). This study proposes an intervention that combines EF activities with mathematical and problem‐solving exercises. The evaluation by participating teachers indicates that the intervention was both feasible and integrated into the school curriculum. The results show that the Trained Group exhibited improvements in behavioral self‐regulation, mathematical skills and problem‐solving, surpassing the achievement of the Control Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) poses an imminent threat to the global environment and public health. However, balancing the removal efficiency and pressure drop of most filter materials is difficult. Moreover, filter materials are non‐degradable and non‐recyclable, causing serious harm to the environment. Herein, a strategy to create fully degradable branched poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers based on electrospinning by adjusting the spinning solution properties was reported and branched PLA nanofibers were applied as nanofiber filter paper for air filtration materials. When the PLA and tetrabutylammonium chloride concentrations were 8 and 5 wt%, respectively, PLA nanofibers with branched structures were obtained. The obtained nanofibers possessed a small pore size (0.70 μm), high porosity (92.3%), appropriate mechanical properties, resulting in high PM0.3 removal efficiency (99.95%), low air resistance (79.67 Pa), and promising long‐term PM2.5 purification. Notably, branched T‐PLA‐5 nanofibers exhibited excellent filtration performance when applied to cellulose wood pulp paper. The filtration efficiency of the nanofiber filter paper remained stable above 85% for PM0.3 (32 L min−1) after 5000 backflushings. Thus, the preparation of such nanomaterials may provide new insights into the design and development of high‐performance degradable filtration materials for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research presented in this paper introduces a novel environmental energy‐harvesting technology that harnesses electricity from the evaporation of water using porous structural materials. Specifically, a strategy employing paper‐based hydroelectric generators (p‐HEGs) is proposed to capture the energy produced during water evaporation and convert it into usable electricity. The p‐HEGs offer several advantages, including simplicity in fabrication, low cost, and reusability. To evaluate their effectiveness, the water evaporation‐induced electrical output performance of four different p‐HEGs are compared. Among the variants tested, the p‐HEG combining wood pulp and polyester fiber exhibits the best output performance. At room temperature, this particular p‐HEG generates a short‐circuit current and open‐circuit voltage of ≈0.4 µA and 0.3 V, respectively, thereby demonstrating excellent electrical stability. Furthermore, the electrical current and voltage generated by the p‐HEG through water evaporation are able to power an LED light, both individually and in series and parallel connections. This study delves into the potential of electricity harvesting from water evaporation and establishes it as a viable method for renewable energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) derived nanostructures receive immense research focus due to its high porosity, conductivity, and structural tailrolability features. In this work, porous Zeolitic Imidazole Framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) to synthesize cobalt phosphide/carbon composite (ZCoPC) that serves as a positive electrode is utilized. Furthermore, porous and conductive office paper derived carbon (OPC) are utilized as a negative electrode to make a hybrid system. The metalloid characteristics, high conductivity, and good porosity of ZCoPC material makes it a high‐performance battery like electrode. ZCoPC electrode achieves maximum specific capacity of 192.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 using 1 m potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte. Furthermore, surface and diffusion charge participation investigation are also undergone for ZCoPC electrode that helps in determining the actual charge dynamics occurring in the electrode. In addition, a supercapattery device is assembled using ZCoPC as battery electrode and OPC as supercapacitor electrode. The as fabricated OPC//ZCoPC hybrid supercapattery device delivers extraordinary energy density of 31.6 Wh kg−1 with a power density of 700 W kg−1 and also a long cycle life of 92.3% even after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. Hence, these outcomes demonstrate that the synergy of porous MOF derived metal phosphide and OPC electrodes are beneficial for supercapattery devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]