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Background The bleach-boosting capability of xylanases is well-known. The use of xylanase pre-treatment before the application of chemical bleach has multiple advantages including (i) lesser use of polluting chemicals of the traditional bleaching process; (ii) less damage to the cellulosic fbers, therefore better recyclability; and (iii) better brightness of chemical bleach. The major impediment in the application is the availability of commercial enzymes that are active at the elevated temperature and pH that exist during the industrial pulping process. In the present paper, xylanase having suitability for application in deinking is reported. Results The xylanase used showed high deinking potential. Optimal deinking was obtained at the xylanase dosing of 20U/g of the dried pulp at 60°C for a treatment time of 1h. It could bring about a 50% reduction in the usage of chemical bleach that was applied after xylanase pre-treatment. The comparison of FTIR spectra showed changes in intensity without signifcant changes in the functional group signatures implying that there is negligible damage to the fber strength in the xylanase pre-treatment process as compared to the chemical bleach process. Conclusion The xylanase used in this study was efective in deinking paper pulp and can be used for bio-bleaching of recycled paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key summary points: Aim: To summarize the literature on medication review and deprescribing in older adults, and formulate recommendations to improve prescribing medications in older, multimorbid adults with polypharmacy. Findings: Current evidence demonstrates a need for a multifaceted and wide-scale change in education, guidelines, research, advocacy, and policy to improve the management of polypharmacy in older people, and to make deprescribing part of routine care for the ageing generations to come. Message: By implementing the recommendations in this paper, healthcare professionals will be better prepared to address the challenges associated with an ageing population and provide high-quality care to older patients with complex health and social care needs. Inappropriate polypharmacy is highly prevalent among older adults and presents a significant healthcare concern. Conducting medication reviews and implementing deprescribing strategies in multimorbid older adults with polypharmacy are an inherently complex and challenging task. Recognizing this, the Special Interest Group on Pharmacology of the European Geriatric Medicine Society has compiled evidence on medication review and deprescribing in older adults and has formulated recommendations to enhance appropriate prescribing practices. The current evidence supports the need for a comprehensive and widespread transformation in education, guidelines, research, advocacy, and policy to improve the management of polypharmacy in older individuals. Furthermore, incorporating deprescribing as a routine aspect of care for the ageing population is crucial. We emphasize the importance of involving geriatricians and experts in geriatric pharmacology in driving, and actively participating in this transformative process. By doing so, we can work towards achieving optimal medication use and enhancing the well-being of older adults in the generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key summary points: Aim: The recent World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management provide several recommendations on how to prevent medication-related falls. Findings: Medication review and deprescribing are key interventions in falls prevention and should be structured, personalized, and patient-centered. Preferably, the medication review should be conducted as part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Message: Improved information sharing between various prescribers, deprescribing recommendations implemented in guidelines, and increased education and training for health care professionals are warranted to facilitate the deprescribing process. Falls prevention and management in older adults is a critical global challenge. One of the key risk factors for falls is the use of certain medications. Therefore, to prevent medication-related falls, the following is recommended in the recent World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management: (1) assess for fall history and the risk of falls before prescribing potential fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs), (2) use a validated, structured screening and assessment tool to identify FRIDs when performing a medication review, (3) include medication review and appropriate deprescribing of FRIDs as a part of the multifactorial falls prevention intervention, and (4) in long-term care residents, if multifactorial intervention cannot be conducted due to limited resources, the falls prevention strategy should still always include deprescribing of FRIDs. In the present statement paper, the working group on medication-related falls of the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management, in collaboration with the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) Task and Finish group on FRIDs, outlines its position on how to implement and execute these recommendations in clinical practice. Preferably, the medication review should be conducted as part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment to produce a personalized and patient-centered assessment. Furthermore, the major pitfall of the published intervention studies so far is the suboptimal implementation of medication review and deprescribing. For the future, it is important to focus on gaining which elements determine successful implementation and apply the concepts of implementation science to decrease the gap between research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the case of an adjunct university professor to illustrate the dilemma of using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to grade student papers. The hypothetical case discusses the benefits of using a commercial AI service to grade student papers—including discretion, convenience, pedagogical merits of consistent feedback for students, and advances made in the field that yield high-quality work—all of which are achieved quickly. Arguments against using AI to grade student papers involve cost, privacy, legality, and ethics. The paper discusses career implications for faculty members in both situations and concludes with implications for researchers within the discourse on academic integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lignocellulosic biomasses produced from agriculture and forest-based industries are the cheapest or negative-cost biomass with a great potential for biotransformation to value-added bioproducts. Paper mill sludge, an important lignocellulosic biomass creates an environmental threat, which requires financial input for disposal. Thus, this study was aimed to isolate a novel bacterial strain capable of degrading cellulosic biomass including paper mill sludge to produce reducing sugar and other value-added bioproducts. Results: A novel bacterial strain Arthrobacter woluwensis TDS9 isolated from the soil was screened for its cellulolytic activity using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the sole carbon source. The incubation period, temperature, pH, carbon, and nitrogen sources are the most important factors ruling the CMCase and sugar productions of the strain A. woluwensis TDS9, and an alkaline pH (pH 8.0) led to enhanced sugar production up to 1100.09 μg/mL after 72 h of incubation at 25°C in a medium containing 1.5% CMC and 1.25% beef extract. The optimal conditions for maximum CMCase activity were defined, and the potassium ion boosted the CMCase activity up to 1.06 U/mL when the enzymatic reaction was performed for 30 min at 50°C and pH 8 using CMC as a substrate. Moreover, the strain A. woluwensis TDS9 produced 433.33 μg/mL reducing sugar from 1% pretreated paper mill sludge. Significant alterations in the structural arrangement of cellulosic fiber of paper mill sludge observed under microscope after each step of chemical treatment process helped for loosening the cellulose fibers and increased the saccharification for enzymatic hydrolysis. Endoglucanase IV (33 KDa) and beta-glucosidase II (53 KDa) were identified in crude enzyme based on the zymogram analysis and substrate specificity. Conclusions: The research has for the first time proved that this A. woluwensis TDS9 strain can efficiently convert cellulose. Therefore, the strain TDS9 could be a potential candidate for cellulase production in an industrial biotransformation process of paper mill sludge to produce reducing sugar. This sugar stream can be further used as a substrate to produce biofuels and other organic acids using another microorganism, which represents a greener alternative to add value to the paper production helping paper mill industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dementia Day Care Centres (DDCCs) are defined as services providing care and rehabilitation to people with dementia associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in a semi-residential setting. According to available evidence, DDCCs may decrease BPSD, depressive symptoms and caregiver burden. The present position paper reports a consensus of Italian experts of different disciplines regarding DDCCs and includes recommendations about architectural features, requirements of personnel, psychosocial interventions, management of psychoactive drug treatment, prevention and care of geriatric syndromes, and support to family caregivers. DDCCs architectural features should follow specific criteria and address specific needs of people with dementia, supporting independence, safety, and comfort. Staffing should be adequate in size and competence and should be able to implement psychosocial interventions, especially focused on BPSD. Individualized care plan should include prevention and treatment of geriatric syndromes, a targeted vaccination plan for infectious diseases including COVID-19, and adjustment of psychotropic drug treatment, all in cooperation with the general practitioner. Informal caregivers should be involved in the focus of intervention, with the aim of reducing assistance burden and promoting the adaptation to the ever-changing relationship with the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key summary points: Aim: To describe the evidence on the usefulness of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA)-based approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The multidimensional, CGA-based approach allows better identification of individual risk profiles and frailty status of infected, recovered but with a post-COVID-19 condition, and non-infected older adults. Message: Capturing older patients' needs through CGA may offer the possibility to guide clinical decision and implement personalized medicine. Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a dramatic trigger that has challenged the intrinsic capacity of older adults and of society. Due to the consequences for the older population worldwide, the Special Interest Group on Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) took the initiative of collecting evidence on the usefulness of the CGA-based multidimensional approach to older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A narrative review of the most relevant articles published between January 2020 and November 2022 that focused on the multidimensional assessment of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Current evidence supports the critical role of the multidimensional approach to identify older adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher risk of longer hospitalization, functional decline, and short-term mortality. This approach appears to also be pivotal for the adequate stratification and management of the post-COVID condition as well as for the adoption of preventive measures (e.g., vaccinations, healthy lifestyle) among non-infected individuals. Conclusion: Collecting information on multiple health domains (e.g., functional, cognitive, nutritional, social status, mobility, comorbidities, and polypharmacy) provides a better understanding of the intrinsic capacities and resilience of older adults affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The EuGMS SIG on CGA endorses the adoption of the multidimensional approach to guide the clinical management of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Visual analogue scales (VASs) are used in a variety of patient-, observer- and clinician-reported outcome measures. While typically included in measures originally developed for pen-and-paper completion, a greater number of clinical trials currently use electronic approaches to their collection. This leads researchers to question whether the measurement properties of the scale have been conserved during the migration to an electronic format, particularly because electronic formats often use a different scale length than the 100 mm paper standard. Methods: We performed a review of published studies investigating the measurement comparability of paper and electronic formats of the VAS. Results: Our literature search yielded 26 studies published between 1997 and 2018 that reported comparison of paper and electronic formats using the VAS. After excluding 2 publications, 23 of the remaining 24 studies included in this review reported electronic formats of the VAS (eVAS) and paper formats (pVAS) to be equivalent. A further study concluded that eVAS and pVAS were both acceptable but should not be interchanged. eVAS length varied from 21 to 200 mm, indicating that 100 mm length is not a requirement. Conclusions: The literature supports the hypothesis that eVAS and pVAS provide comparable results regardless of the VAS length. When implementing a VAS on a screen-based electronic mode, we recommend following industry best practices for faithful migration to minimise the likelihood of non-comparability with pVAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]