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Small companies encounter difficulties to adapt to new markets with a sustainable perspective. The subject of this article is a paper transformation company which has been eager to develop the organic farming market by developing a new plant support. Alternatives made from plant fibres or plastics exist, such as jute and polypropylene. The main difficulty of this project was to ecodesign a paper product with a multicriteria approach. The factors considered have been divided into two categories. Firstly, the environmental impacts calculated according to the Life Cycle Assessment methodology (on raw material extraction, manufacturing and end-of-life) are summarised. Secondly, the characteristics of the product are discussed in regards to these results and sustainability questions as part of the interpretation phase. Finally, ways of improvement of the LCA methodology to improve the study in terms of geographical representativeness and societal considerations are discussed.

This work demonstrates a sensitive and rapid method for the detection of antibiotic residues in food samples by employing the filtration behaviour of paper combined with aggregation and precipitation of chemical reagents. Using this concept, we successfully determined the presence of oxytetracycline and norfloxacin residues in pork using metal complexation on microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). The base substrate (top layer of the device) was fabricated by printing letter channels of the words “oxytetracycline” and “norfloxacin” before functionalization with copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate in 0.5 M sodium hydroxide and iron (III) nitrate nanohydrate in 5 mM ammonia solution for the detection of oxytetracycline and norfloxacin separately. A transition metal hydroxide formed upon reaction that created solid precipitates on paper and allowed antibiotic residues to bind to the metal ions via coordination chemistry. The metal ion-antibiotic complex could form on the filter paper and generated a visible color change with the detection limit of 1 ppm for both oxytetracycline and norfloxacin in pork. This procedure of filtration and concentration in combination with a simple text-reporting approach allows the end users to achieve a low limit of detection as well as easy result interpretation in food safety monitoring. usc Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Food-borne infections are major causes of public health concern in developing and developed countries. During the past decade, the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection has conducted or been involved in multiple investigations that aimed at identifying the sources and strains responsible for food-borne diseases and therefore at improving the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and control of these infections. Investigations were conducted in the Mediterranean area and in sub-Saharan Africa on more than 15 food-borne agents, 17 food products and 14 antibiotic resistance-associated genes. Multiple sources, including unexpected ones, and pathogens, including emerging ones, were involved. Travelling in developing countries and zoonoses are major contributors to food-borne infections, while food-borne transmission of resistance-associated genes is increasingly reported. However, risk factors and pathogens associated with food-borne infections likely remain untapped and must be more extensively investigated, monitored and regularly reassessed. Diagnostic tests based on new technologies and real-time surveillance tools based on microbiology laboratory data are promising approaches to detect known food-borne infections and decipher new ones. Studies of the microbiota and its relationships with dietary patterns are also worth being conducted. Keywords: Africa, bacteria, food, food-borne, fungus, IHU Mediterranée Infection, infections, Mediterranean Basin, virus, zoonosis

International audience; Two distinct lignocellulosic fractions (rind and core) can be obtained through a physical separation of sugarcane stalks. Although presenting differences in morphology, both fractions can be employed to produce pulps and papers. The pulps and paper sheets produced from the core and rind fractions were characterized by their chemical composition, physical properties and mechanical properties. The pulps obtained from the core presented a higher amount of fines, lower drainage ability and rendered denser and stiffer sheets. The pulps from the rind, which have a higher content of fibers and higher degree of polymerization, produced sheets with higher air permeability and water absorption. Both paper sheets presented mechanical and physical properties comparable to commercial papers and papers from different cellulosic sources. The different properties exhibited by the papers produced from each fraction allow their use for distinct purposes, and expands the opportunities in the context of sugarcane biorefinery.

Foodborne pathogens are a burden to the economy and a constant threat to public health. The ability to rapidly detect the presence of foodborne pathogens is a vital component of any strategy towards establishing a safe and secure food supply chain. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses capable of infecting and replicating within bacteria in a strain-specific manner. The ubiquitous and selective nature of phages makes them ideal for the detection and biocontrol of bacteria. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop and test a phage-based paper dipstick biosensor for the detection of various foodborne pathogens in food matrices. The first step was to identify the best method for immobilizing phages on paper such that their biological activity (infectivity) was preserved. It was found that piezoelectric inkjet printing resulted in lower loss of phage infectivity when compared with other printing methods (namely gravure and blade coating) and that ColorLok paper was ideally suited to create functional sensors. The phage-based bioactive papers developed with use of piezoelectric inkjet printing actively lysed their target bacteria and retained this antibacterial activity for up to 1 week when stored at room temperature and 80% relative humidity. These bioactive paper strips in combination with quantitative real-time PCR were used for quantitative determination of target bacteria in broth and food matrices. A phage dipstick was used to capture and infect Escherichia coli O157:H7, E. coli O45:H2, and Salmonella Newport in spinach, ground beef and chicken homogenates, respectively, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the progeny phages. A detection limit of 10-50 colony-forming units per millilitre was demonstrated with a total assay time of 8 h, which was the duration of a typical work shift in an industrial setting. This detection method is rapid and cost-effective, and may potentially be applied to a broad range of bacterial foodborne pathogens. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

International audience; The hemp plant Cannabis sativa Linn, referring to industrial hemp, is a high-yielding annual industrial crop grown providing fibers from hemp stalk and oil from hemp seeds. Although hemp is a niche crop, hemp production is currently undergoing a renaissance. More than 30 countries grow hemp, with China being the largest hemp producing and exporting country. Europe and Canada are also important actors in the global hemp market. Traditionally, hemp as a fiber plant has been used for the production of apparels, fabrics, papers, cordages and building materials. The hurds, as waste by-product of fiber production, were used for bedding of animals, the seeds for human nutrition, e.g., as flour, and the oil for a wide range of purposes, from cooking to cosmetics. Hemp has also been an important crop throughout human history for medicine. Other more recent applications include materials for insulation and furniture, automotive composites for interior applications and motor vehicle parts, bioplastics, jewelry and fashion sectors, animal feed, animal bedding, and energy and fuel production. Foods containing hemp seed and oil are currently marketed worldwide for both animal and human nutrition. They also find applications in beverages and in neutraceutical products. Hemp oil is also used for cosmetics and personal care items, paints, printing inks, detergents and solvents. It is estimated that the global market for hemp consists of more than 25,000 products. Currently, the construction and insulation sector, paper and textile industries, and food and nutrition domains are the main markets while the cosmetics and automotive sector are growing markets. Innovative applications, e.g., in the medical and therapeutic domains, cosmeceuticals, phytoremediation, acoustic domain, wastewater treatment, biofuels, biopesticides and biotechnology, open new challenges. Hemp is also the object of numerous fundamental studies. This review presents and discusses the traditional and new uses of industrial hemp.

Food safety is a major factor affecting public health and the well-being of society. A possible solution to control food-borne illnesses is through real-time monitoring of the food quality throughout the food supply chain. The development of emerging technologies, such as active and intelligent packaging, has been greatly accelerated in recent years, with a focus on informing consumers about food quality. Advances in the fields of sensors and biosensors has enabled the development of new materials, devices, and multifunctional sensing systems to monitor the quality of food. In this Review, we place the focus on an in-depth summary of the recent technological advances that hold the potential for being incorporated into food packaging to ensure food quality, safety, or monitoring of spoilage. These advanced sensing systems usually target monitoring gas production, humidity, temperature, and microorganisms' growth within packaged food. The implementation of portable and simple-to-use hand-held devices is also discussed in this Review. We highlight the mechanical and optical properties of current materials and systems, along with various limitations associated with each device. The technologies discussed here hold great potential for applications in food packaging and bring us one step closer to enable real-time monitoring of food throughout the supply chain.

This study employed the use of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) to determine the concentration of nitrite in pork and enhanced the limit of detection by analyzing the coffee-ring effect. The µPAD was fabricated by designing and embedding wax channels onto the cellulose-based filter paper through printing and subjecting the paper to heat treatment to allow wax penetration. Nitrite concentration was determined by monitoring the colorimetric reaction that occurred between nitrite and the added Griess reagent. The limit of detection of this device for nitrite in pork was determined to be 19.2 mg kg−1 by analyzing the inner-chamber reaction, while it could be as low as 1.1 mg kg−1 if the coffee-ring region was analyzed. The overall analysis could be completed within 15 min. This µPAD-based method has potential applications to routinely screen the nitrite concentration of meat products and ensure food safety and consumer health.

Many infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged in Africa in the 21st century. Some of them are associated with newly discovered microorganisms such as Rickettsia felis and Tropheryma whipplei; others are known, historical diseases such as plague and cholera. In addition are diseases related to previously known microorganisms which recently have been involved for the first time in massive outbreaks with worldwide impacts (such as Ebola virus, Zika virus and Chikungunya virus). Research on emerging infectious diseases needs to be identified as a priority. Keywords: Africa, cholera, emerging infectious diseases, fever, plague

International audience; Dry anaerobic digestion is a promising option for food waste treatment and valorization. However, accumulation of ammonia and volatile fatty acids often occurs, leading to inefficient processes and digestion failure. Co-digestion with cardboard may be a solution to overcome this problem. The effect of the initial substrate to inoculum ratio (0.25 to 1 gVS·g VS−1) and the initial total solids contents (20–30%) on the kinetics and performance of dry food waste mono-digestion and co-digestion with cardboard was investigated in batch tests. All the conditions produced methane efficiently (71–93% of the biochemical methane potential). However, due to lack of methanogenic activity, volatile fatty acids accumulated at the beginning of the digestion and lag phases in the methane production were observed. At increasing substrate to inoculum ratios, the initial acid accumulation was more pronounced and lower cumulative methane yields were obtained. Higher amounts of soluble organic matter remained undegraded at higher substrate loads. Although causing slightly longer lag phases, high initial total solids contents did not jeopardize the methane yields. Cardboard addition reduced acid accumulation and the decline in the yields at increasing substrate loads. However, cardboard addition also caused higher concentrations of propionic acid, which appeared as the most last acid to be degraded. Nevertheless, dry co-digestion of food waste and cardboard in urban areas is demonstrated as an interesting feasible valorization option.

Groundwater resources are important sources of drinking water in Africa, and they are hugely important in sustaining urban livelihoods and supporting a diverse range of commercial and agricultural activities. Groundwater has an important role in improving health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). An estimated 250 million people (40% of the total) live in urban centres across SSA. SSA has experienced a rapid expansion in urban populations since the 1950s, with increased population densities as well as expanding geographical coverage. Estimates suggest that the urban population in SSA will double between 2000 and 2030. The quality status of shallow urban groundwater resources is often very poor due to inadequate waste management and source protection, and poses a significant health risk to users, while deeper borehole sources often provide an important source of good quality drinking water. Given the growth in future demand from this finite resource, as well as potential changes in future climate in this region, a detailed understanding of both water quantity and quality is required to use this resource sustainably. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the water quality status, both microbial and chemical, of urban groundwater in SSA across a range of hydrogeological terrains and different groundwater point types. Lower storage basement terrains, which underlie a significant proportion of urban centres in SSA, are particularly vulnerable to contamination. The relationship between mean nitrate concentration and intrinsic aquifer pollution risk is assessed for urban centres across SSA. Current knowledge gaps are identified and future research needs highlighted.Les ressources en eaux souterraines sont des sources importantes d’eau potable en Afrique, et elles sont d’une énorme importance pour les êtres vivants en milieu urbain et pour le soutien d’une gamme diversifiée d’activités commerciales et agricoles. Les eaux souterraines jouent un rôle important en améliorant la santé en Afrique sub-saharienne (ASS). 250 millions de personnes environ (40% du total) vivent dans des centres urbains à travers l’ASS. L’ASS a connu une expansion rapide de ses populations urbaines depuis les années 1950, avec une augmentation à la fois des densités de population et de leur extension géographique. Les estimations prévoient un doublement de la population urbaine de l’ASS entre 2000 et 2030. L’état qualitatif des ressources en eau souterraine urbaines peu profondes est souvent très pauvre du fait de l’insuffisance de la gestion des déchets et de la protection de la ressource, et pose un risque sanitaire significatif pour les utilisateurs, alors que des ressources plus profondes captées par forage fournissent souvent une source importante d’eau potable de bonne qualité. Etant donné la croissance de la demande future de cette ressource limitée, ainsi que le changement climatique potentiel dans cette région dans le futur, une compréhension détaillée de la quantité et la qualité de cette ressource est exigée pour son utilisation durable. Cet article fournit une évaluation complète de l’état qualitatif, à la fois microbien et chimique, des eaux souterraines urbaines en ASS à travers une gamme de contextes hydrogéologiques et de différents types de point d’eaux souterraines. Les terrains du sous-sol de faible emmagasinement, qui sont situés sous une proportion significative de centres urbains en ASS, sont particulièrement vulnérables à la contamination. Le rapport entre la concentration moyenne en nitrate et le risque intrinsèque de pollution des aquifères est évalué pour les centres urbains de l’ASS. Des lacunes actuelles en matière de connaissances sont identifiées et les besoins de recherches futurs sont mis en évidence.Los recursos hídricos subterráneos son una fuente importante de agua potable en África y son sumamente importantes para mantener los medios de subsistencia urbanos y para apoyar una amplia gama de actividades comerciales y agrícolas. El agua subterránea tiene un papel importante en la mejora de la salud en el África Subsahariana (SSA). Se calcula que 250 millones de personas (40% del total) viven en centros urbanos en el África Subsahariana. El SSA ha experimentado una rápida expansión en las poblaciones urbanas desde la década de 1950, con el aumento de la densidad de población, así como la ampliación de la cobertura geográfica. Las estimaciones sugieren que la población urbana en África Subsahariana se duplicará entre 2000 y 2030. El estado de calidad del agua subterránea somera es a menudo muy pobre debido a la gestión inadecuada de los desechos y de la protección de las fuentes, representando un riesgo significativo para los usuarios, mientras que los pozos más profundos proporcionan una fuente importante de agua potable de buena calidad. Dado el crecimiento de la demanda futura de este recurso finito, así como los cambios potenciales en el clima futuro en esta región, una comprensión detallada de su cantidad y calidad es necesaria para utilizar este recurso de manera sostenible. Este artículo ofrece una evaluación integral del estado de la calidad del agua, tanto microbiana como química, del agua subterránea urbana en el SSA a lo largo de una serie de terrenos hidrogeológicos y diferentes tipos de puntos de agua subterránea. Los basamentos de bajo almacenamiento, que subyacen a una proporción significativa de los centros urbanos del África Subsahariana, son particularmente vulnerables a la contaminación. Se evalúa la relación entre la concentración media de nitratos y el riesgo intrínseco de contaminación acuífera para los centros urbanos a través de la SSA. Se identifican las deficiencias actuales de conocimientos y se destacan las necesidades de futuras investigaciones.地下水资源是非洲重要的饮用水源,在维系城市生计和支撑各种商业和农业活动中至关重要。地下水在改善撒哈拉以南非洲民众健康方面发挥着重要作用。在撒哈拉以南非洲,预计有2.5亿人居住在城市地区(占总数的40 %)。自从上世纪50年代,本区域城市人口快速膨胀,密度不断增加,面积不断扩大。估测结果显示,撒哈拉以南非洲的城市人口在2000年至2030年间将翻一番。由于废物管理不当及水源污染,城市浅层地下水源水质常常非常差,对用水者产生很大的健康风险,而较深钻井水源常常提供重要的高质量饮水水源。考虑到此有限水源的基础上将来需求的增长以及本地区将来的气候潜在变化,需要详细了解水量和水质状况,以便可持续利用水源。本文从微生物和化学上综合评价了撒哈拉以南非洲各种水质状况地形及不同地下水水点类型的水质状况。在撒哈拉以南非洲,水存储量低的基岩地形在城市中心占有很大的比例,特别容易受到污染。对整个撒哈拉以南非洲的城市中心平均硝酸盐含量和固有的含水层污染风险之间的关系进行了评价。明确了目前的认识空白,并强调了将来的研究需求。.As águas subterrâneas são fontes importantes de água para consumo na África, e são amplamente importantes para sustentar o modo de vida urbano e dar suporte a uma amplitude diversa de atividades comerciais e agrícolas. As águas subterrâneas têm um papel importante no desenvolvimento da saúde na África subsaariana (ASS). São estimadas 250 milhões de pessoas (40% do total) vivendo nos centros urbanos na ASS. ASS tem vivenciado uma rápida expansão na população urbana desde os anos 50, com aumento das densidades populacionais assim como expansão da cobertura geográfica. As estimativas sugerem que a população urbana na ASS dobrará entre 2000 e 2030. As condições de qualidade dos aquíferos livres em áreas urbanas estão frequentemente muito pobres por causa do gerenciamento de perdas e proteção das fontes inadequados, e apresenta um risco significativo à saúde dos usuários, enquanto poços mais profundos frequentemente fornecem fontes importantes de água potável de boa qualidade. Dado o crescimento na demanda futura desse recurso finito, assim como mudanças potenciais no clima futuro da região, um entendimento detalhado da sua quantidade e qualidade é necessário para o uso sustentável deste recurso. Esse estudo fornece uma avaliação compreensiva das condições de qualidade da água, tanto microbiológica quanto química, das águas subterrâneas urbanas na ASS por uma gama de terrenos hidrogeológicos e diferentes tipos pontuais de águas subterrâneas. Terrenos de menor armazenamento de base, que fundamentam uma porção significante dos centros urbanos da ASS, são particularmente vulneráveis a contaminação. A relação entre a concentração média de nitrato e o risco intrínseco de poluição do aquífero é avaliado para os centros urbanos na ASS. Lacunas do conhecimento atual foram identificadas e destaca-se a necessidade de pesquisas futuras.

International audience; The authors explored the risks and benefits of repeated irrigation of Populus alba saplings with aqueous paper sludge (APS). Saplings were cultivated in pots of forest soil (3 L) in a greenhouse for 7 weeks and watered twice a week with differing concentrations of APS (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 75,and 100 % v/v with deionized water). Plant growth and ecophysiological variables along with zinc and aluminum transfer were monitored. A stimulation of plant growth was observed with sludge treatments of 30 or 50 %, significantly correlated to APS input (r = 0.81). This may be explained by the easily available nitrogen as is shown with the positive correlation of CO2 assimilation and leaf nitrogen (r = 0.70). However, a significant reduction in plant growth was observed when treatments of 75 and 100 % of APS were administered, despite a high nutritional level (nitrogen and phosphorus). The study suggests that APS concentrations from 30 to 50 % may positively affect the growth of poplar saplings; however, the higher concentrations indicated a risk for plant growth and the environment.

There is increasing research towards the substitution of petrochemicals by sustainable components. Biopolymers such as proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids derive from a variety of crop sources and most promisingly from waste streams generated during their processing by the agro food industry. Among those, proteins of different types such as whey, casein, gelatin, wheat gluten, soy protein or zein present a potential beyond the food and feed industry for the application in packaging. The general protein hydrophilicity promotes a good compatibility to polar surfaces, such as paper, and a good barrier to apolar gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. The present review deals with the development of protein-based coatings and films. It includes relevant discussion for application in paper or board products, as well as an outlook on its future industrial potential. Proteins with suitable functionalities as food packaging materials are described as well as the different technologies for processing the coatings and the current state of the art about the coating formulations for selectively modulating barrier, mechanical, surface and end of life properties. Some insights onto regulations about packaging use, end of life and perspectives of such natural coating for decreasing the environmental impact of packages are given.

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. Optimising energy recovery from this renewable but recalcitrant material is a key issue. The metaproteome expressed by thermophilic communities during cellulose anaerobic digestion was investigated in microcosms. By multiplying the analytical replicates (65 protein fractions analysed by MS/MS) and relying solely on public protein databases, more than 500 non-redundant protein functions were identified. The taxonomic community structure as inferred from the metaproteomic data set was in good overall agreement with 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridisation analyses. Numerous functions related to cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis and fermentation catalysed by bacteria related to Caldicellulosiruptor spp. and Clostridium thermocellum were retrieved, indicating their key role in the cellulose-degradation process and also suggesting their complementary action. Despite the abundance of acetate as a major fermentation product, key methanogenesis enzymes from the acetoclastic pathway were not detected. In contrast, enzymes from the hydrogenotrophic pathway affiliated to Methanothermobacter were almost exclusively identified for methanogenesis, suggesting a syntrophic acetate oxidation process coupled to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Isotopic analyses confirmed the high dominance of the hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Very surprising was the identification of an abundant proteolytic activity from Coprothermobacter proteolyticus strains, probably acting as scavenger and/or predator performing proteolysis and fermentation. Metaproteomics thus appeared as an efficient tool to unravel and characterise metabolic networks as well as ecological interactions during methanisation bioprocesses. More generally, metaproteomics provides direct functional insights at a limited cost, and its attractiveness should increase in the future as sequence databases are growing exponentially.

Liquid packaging boards and blanks were examined for microbial contaminants. A total of 218 strains were identified and representatives of the most frequent species were characterized for their potential for food spoilage. Contaminants found were aerobic spore-forming bacteria, mostly Bacillus megaterium, B. licheniformis, B. cereus group, B. pumilus, Paenibacillus macerans, P. polymyxa, P. pabuli and B. flexus. Production of amylolytic, proteolytic, lipolytic and phospholipolytic enzymes was common. Approximately 50% of the B. cereus group strains were positive in the diarrhoeal enterotoxin immunoassay test or in the enterotoxin reversed passive latex agglutination test. Strains capable of growth at 6 degrees C were found among B. cereus group, P. pabuli, P. validus, B. megaterium and P. polymyxa. All b. licheniformis strains grew at 55 degrees C. The spores of B. licheniformis were most resistant to hydrogen peroxide. The B. cereus group strains were recognizable by fatty acid components not present in any of the other paperboard strains, 11-methyldodecanoic acid (13:0 iso) and trans-9-hexadecenoic acid (16:1 omega 7 trans), each contributing 7% or more to the total cellular fatty acids.

Food packaging papers are not sterile, as the manufacturing is an open process, and the raw materials contain bacteria. We modeled the potential transfer of the Bacillus cereus spores from packaging paper to food by using a green fluorescent protein-expressing construct of Bacillus thuringiensis Bt 407Cry(-) [pHT315Omega(papha3-gfp)], abbreviated BT-1. Paper (260 g m(-2)) containing BT-1 was manufactured with equipment that allowed fiber formation similar to that of full-scale manufactured paper. BT-1 adhered to pulp during papermaking and survived similar to an authentic B. cereus. Rice and chocolate were exposed to the BT-1-containing paper for 10 or 30 days at 40 or 20 degrees C at relative air humidity of 10 to 60%. The majority of the spores remained immobilized inside the fiber web; only 0.001 to 0.03% transferred to the foods. This amount is low compared with the process hygiene criteria and densities commonly found in food, and it does not endanger food safety. To measure this, we introduced BT-1 spores into the paper in densities of 100 to 1,000 times higher than the amounts of the B. cereus group bacteria found in commercial paper. Of BT-1 spores, 0.03 to 0.1% transferred from the paper to fresh agar surface within 5 min of contact, which is more than to food during 10 to 30 days of exposure. The findings indicate that transfer from paper to dry food is restricted to those microbes that are exposed on the paper surface and readily detectable with a contact agar method.

International audience; We propose a new process using a vapor phase bioreactor (VPB) to simultaneously (i) delignify sugar-cane bagasse, a residue of sugar production that can be recycled in paper industry, and (ii) produce laccase, an enzyme usable to bleach paper pulp. Ethanol vapor, used as laccase inducer, was blown up through a VPB packed with bagasse and inoculated with Pycnoporus cinnabarinus ss3, a laccase-hyperproducing fungal strain. After 28 days, the laccase activity in the ethanol-treated bagasse was 80-fold higher (80 U gds-1) and the bagasse delignification percentage was 12-fold (12%) higher than in the reference samples produced in the absence of ethanol, corresponding to a high overall pulp yield of 96.1%. In the presence of ethanol, the total soluble phenols amount was 2.5-fold (3 mg FA gds-1) higher than that without ethanol. Six monomeric phenols were detected: p-coumaric (4-hydroxyphenyl-2-propenoic), ferulic (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl-2-propenoic), syringic (4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic), vanillic (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids, and 2-methoxyhydroquinone. Higher concentrations of phenolic compounds were observed when ethanol vapor was added, confirming a more efficient bagasse delignification. After 28 days, the fungal-treated bagasse (with ethanol addition) was pulped and refined. For a freeness of 81 mL CSF, this processing required 50% less energy than with untreated bagasse (without inoculation and ethanol addition), which indicated a significant potential economy for the pulp and paper industry. Handsheets were made from pulp obtained after fungal-treated and untreated bagasse. Comparison of bagasse-pulp characteristics for freeness of 35 and 181 mL CSF showed an average increment by 35% for tensile index and breaking strength and length. VPB allowed a simultaneous production of laccase (90 U gds-1, after pressing of the bagasse) that improved the overall profitability of the process.

Background Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that acts as a marker of insulin sensitivity. Bloodspot sampling by fingerstick onto filter paper may increase the feasibility of large-scale studies of the determinants of insulin sensitivity. We first describe the validation of an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for quantifying adiponectin from dried blood spots and then demonstrate its application in a large trial (PROBIT). Methods We quantified adiponectin from 3-mm diameter discs (≈3 µL of blood) punched from dried blood spots obtained from: i) whole blood standards (validation); and ii) PROBIT trial samples (application) in which paediatricians collected blood spots from 13,879 children aged 11.5 years from 31 sites across Belarus. We examined the distribution of bloodspot adiponectin by demographic and anthropometric factors, fasting insulin and glucose. Results In the validation study, mean intra-assay coefficients of variation (n = 162) were 15%, 13% and 10% for ‘low’ (6.78 µg/ml), ‘medium’ (18.18 µg/ml) and 'high’ (33.13 µg/ml) internal quality control (IQC) samples, respectively; the respective inter-assay values (n = 40) were 23%, 21% and 14%. The correlation coefficient between 50 paired whole bloodspot versus plasma samples, collected simultaneously, was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.93). Recovery of known quantities of adiponectin (between 4.5 to 36 µg/ml) was 100.3–133%. Bloodspot adiponectin was stable for at least 30 months at −80°C. In PROBIT, we successfully quantified fasting adiponectin from dried blood spots in 13,329 of 13,879 (96%) children. Mean adiponectin (standard deviation) concentrations were 17.34 µg/ml (7.54) in boys and 18.41 µg/ml (7.92) in girls and were inversely associated with body mass index, fat mass, triceps and subscapular skin-fold thickness, waist circumference, height and fasting glucose. Conclusions Bloodspot ELISA is suitable for measuring adiponectin in very small volumes of blood collected on filter paper and can be applied to large-scale studies.

Nutritional status is a critical element of many aspects of animal ecology, but has proven difficult to measure non-invasively in studies of free-ranging animals. Urinary C-peptide of insulin (UCP), a small polypeptide cleaved in an equimolar ratio from proinsulin when the body converts it to insulin, offers great promise in this regard, and recent studies of several non-human primate species have utilized it with encouraging results. Despite this, there are a number of unresolved issues related to the collection, processing, storage and transport of samples. These include: contamination of samples on collection (most commonly by dirt or faeces), short-term storage before returning to a field station, differences in processing and long-term storage methods (blotting onto filter paper, freezing, lyophilizing), and for frozen samples, transportation while keeping samples frozen. Such issues have been investigated for urine samples in particular with respect to their effects on steroid hormone metabolites, but there has been little investigation of their effects on UCP measurement. We collected samples from captive macaques, and undertook a series of experiments where we systematically manipulated samples and tested the effects on subsequent UCP measurements. We show that contamination of urine samples by faeces led to a decrease in UCP levels by .90%, but that contamination with dirt did not have substantial effects. Short-term storage (up to 12 hours) of samples on ice did not affect UCP levels significantly, but medium-term storage (up to 78 hours) did. Freezing and lyophilization for long-term storage did not affect UCP levels, but blotting onto filter paper did. A transportation simulation showed that transporting frozen samples packed in ice and insulated should be acceptable, but only if it can be completed within a period of a few days and if freeze-thaw can be avoided. We use our data to make practical recommendations for fieldworkers. peerReviewed