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Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) is the primary energy carrier in all living organisms, and its detection in living cells represents a well-established approach. ATP-driven bioluminescence (BL) relying on the D-luciferin-luciferase reaction is a bioanalytical tool widely employed for monitoring hygiene and microbial contamination of foods.Here, we report a straightforward method for ATP BL detection using an ATP sensing paper fabricated with an alternative freeze-dry procedure. The assay can be easily implemented in laboratories equipped with (i) freeze-drying, wax printing, and 3D printing technologies and (ii) instrumentation for BL detection such as benchtop luminometers and portable light detectors including a smartphone camera without the need for additional equipment., Elisa Michelini acknowledges support by MIUR and Prima (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) with FEDKITO project. ICN2 is funded by CERCA programme, Generalitat de Catalunya. Grant SEV-2017-0706 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

This method originated due to the need to quickly and sensitively detect Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd) in nursery and field trees in California. Optimum sampling protocols were developed for leaf collection from different sized trees based on size and branching as well as for fruit. An ethanol containing buffered extract from 1 g of ground leaf tissue was used as the source of RNA. The extract was absorbed onto small pieces (disks) of Whatman No. 1 filter paper which were then washed and dried. RNA was eluted from the filter paper using sterile water and used as a template in a standard single-tube RT-PCR reaction. The RNA adsorbed on the filter paper disks was quite stable, and the disks could be stored for over 1 year and shipped worldwide at ambient temperature with no noticeable decline in the quality or quantity of the resulting RT-PCR products. The filter paper capture method was expanded to the detection of other viroids including Potato spindle tuber viroid, Peach latent mosaic viroid, and Chrysanthemum stunt viroid and was tested with some viruses as well with minor modifications of the standard protocol.

Previous studies from our lab have created a simple procedure for single-cell count of bacteria on a paper chip platform using optical detection from a smartphone. The procedure and steps employed are outlined along with the lessons learned and details of certain steps and how the design was optimized. Smartphone optical detection is easy to use, low cost, and potentially field deployable, which can be useful for early and rapid detection of pathogens. Smartphone imaging of a paper microfluidic chip preloaded with antibody-conjugated particles provides an adaptable platform for detection of different bacterial targets. The paper microfluidic chip was fabricated with a multichannel design. Each channel was preloaded with either a negative control of bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugated particles, anti-Salmonella Typhimurium-conjugated particles with varying amounts (to cover different ranges of assay), or anti-Escherichia coli-conjugated particles. Samples were introduced to the paper microfluidic chip using pipetting. Antigens of Salmonella Typhimurium traveled through the channel by capillary action confined within the paper fibers surrounded by the hydrophobic barrier. The paper channel was observed to act as a filter for unwanted particles and contaminants found in field samples. Serial dilutions of known concentrations of bacterial targets were also tested using this procedure to construct a standard curve prior to the assays. The antibody-conjugated particles were able to immunoagglutinate which was quantified through evaluation of Mie scatter intensity. This Mie scattering was quantified in images taken with a smartphone at an optimized angle and distance. Mie scatter simulation provided a method of optimizing the experimental setup and could translate easily to other types of target sample matrices. A smartphone application was developed to help the user position the smartphone optimally in relation to the paper microfluidic chip. The application integrated both image capturing capability and a simple image processing algorithm that calculated bacteria concentrations. The detection limit was at a single-cell level with a total assay time ranging from 90 to less than 60 s depending on the target.

The pulp and paper industry is one of the major consumers of water. Pulp and paper industrial wastewaters usually contain halogenated organic materials, because general use is made of chlorine-containing compounds as bleaching agents during pulp and paper manufacture. Kraft pulping is the most common commercial chemical delignification procedure. Chlorination is generally the first stage in kraft pulping and during this treatment phase, chlorinated organic compounds are produced. The chlorinated substances are extracted with dilute alkali from the pulp in the subsequent extraction phase. Chloro-organic compounds tend to persist in nature because of their inherent recalcitrance; they are often toxic to aquatic live; many are genotoxic and have the potential to migrate widely throughout the ecosystem, ultimately accumulating in the fatty tissues of organisms. Legislation has been introduced to limit the levels of these toxic compounds in effluents. Additionally, during bleaching treatments chromophoric, highly oxidized, polymeric lignin/chlorolignin derivatives are formed that give rise to a dark color in the effluent. The color poses an aesthetic problem and contributes to the biological oxygen demand. Several methods have been attempted for decolorization and detoxification of bleached kraft effluents. These include physicochemical and biotechnological methods. The problems underlying the physicochemical treatments are those associated with cost and reliability. Biotechnological methods have the potential to eliminate/ reduce the problems associated with physicochemical methods. This article reviews the research on the use of Biotechnological methods for treatment of pulp and paper mill effluents. The progress made and the further scope are also discussed.

The paper manufacturing process has several stages - Raw material preparation and handling, Pulp manufacturing, Pulp Washing and Screening, Chemical recovery, Bleaching, Stock Preparation, and Papermaking. Paper production is basically a two-step process in which a fibrous raw material is first converted into pulp, and then the pulp is converted into paper. The harvested wood is first processed so that the fibers are separated from the unusable fraction of the wood, the lignin. Pulp making can be done mechanically or chemically. The pulp is then bleached and further processed, depending on the type and grade of paper that is to be produced. In the paper factory, the pulp is dried and pressed to produce paper sheets. Post-use, an increasing fraction of paper and paper products is recycled. Nonrecycled paper is either landfilled or incinerated.

Dried blood spots (DBS) on paper as a sampling technique in newborn screening has been widely adopted by bioanalytical chemists for preclinical and clinical sample collection. DBS is based on the assumption that single size punch of DBS absorbs the same volume of blood regardless of physiological differences derived from test subject genders, disease states, nutrition, or hydration affecting blood viscosity, although it is well known that such differences have a fundamental impact on the quantitation accuracy of DBS as a sampling technique. There are multiple types of sampling media in either plain filter paper or chemically treated paper/cards available for DBS applications. Pretreated paper/cards contain chemicals such as denaturants, surfactants, and/or chelating agents to deactivate pathogens, enzymes and prevent the growth of biological organisms. In this chapter, the chemical constituents of various paper/cards are explored. The impact of paper/card type on analytical interference, evenness of DBS spots, and radial distribution of analyte are evaluated. The paper/card impact on the matrix effect was studied. It was found that the impregnated chemicals on the pretreated DBS paper/cards could be more than 50 % of the total paper/card weight. These water-soluble chemicals make the analyte distribution unpredictable across the dried blood spots and can interfere with LC-MS. Six compounds across a large Log D range were used to evaluate different types of paper/cards for understanding the impact of the sampling paper/cards on DBS quantitation accuracy. The results indicate that the impact is significant and an evaluation of sampling paper/card impact is necessary for most compounds.

In July 2007, IBM and Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM ), in conjunction with BAE Systems, convened a group of leading academics and senior industrialists in a two-day symposium to address the critical questions facing the emerging field of Service Science , Management and Engineering (SSME ). The meeting, together with a consultation process involving over a hundred international respondents, created a white paper for universities, businesses and governments globally (IfM and IBM 2008). The report called for (1) the advancement of SSME as a distinct subject of research and education through intensive collaboration across disciplines, and (2) the creation of national Service Innovation Roadmaps (SIR) to double investment in service research and education worldwide by 2015. Since the white paper was released, exciting progress has taken place; many universities have started SSME courses while various governments released SIR reports (see Appendices I and II for lists of such initiatives). In the remainder of this chapter, we provide an updated summary of the white paper and revisit its original recommendations for SSME stakeholders.

This chapter examines the short term production, transportation and inventory planning problems encountered in the fine-paper industry. After positioning the problems in the context of a general supply chain planning system for the pulp and paper industry, a comprehensive synchronized production-distribution model is gradually developed. First, a model for the dynamic lot-sizing of intermediate products on a single paper machine with a predetermined production cycle is proposed. The model also plans the production and inventory of finished products. Then, we consider the lot-sizing of intermediate products on multiple parallel paper machines with a predetermined production sequence. Finally, simultaneous production and distribution planning for a single mill multiple distribution centers network is studied by considering different transportation modes between the mill and its Distribution Centers (DCs).

In the context of sustainable development, the assessment of the role the paper industry is of paramount importance. In the last years, the efforts of the paper industry towards ecologically sustainable paper recycling have faced growing problems of waste management since recovered paper processing leads to the production of considerable amount of waste (sludge) requiring disposal. The work outlines the current state of the utilisation of paper sludge for energy conversion. Focus of the paper is the assessment of the environmental feasibility of energy recovery from paper sludge associated with toxic emissions (like NOx, SO2, N2O, chlorinated organic compounds); the fate of some toxic metals (like Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn, Mn) deriving from dyes, fillers, and toxic pigments is discussed based on new research combustion data. The environmental impact of burning paper sludge is discussed showing the interdependence between sludge properties and combustion conditions. Recent data concerning co-combustion of paper sludge, particularly in conjunction with different biomass fuels (like wood and straw), are reported. Differences related to usage of paper sludge as a fuel in paper mill boilers and industrial power plants and their economic implications are presented. Future possible scenarios for paper sludge utilisation in energy recovery are also discussed.

The research reported in this paper concerns the ongoing development of a Knowledge Intensive Sketching (KiS) framework through which designers are supported in foreseeing directly from their paper-based sketches the relevant life-cycle consequences of their ‘component form’ solution concepts. The goal of the KiS framework is to retain the important characteristics of freehand sketching, i.e. pencil and paper, whilst at the same time exploit the benefits of Knowledge Intensive CAD technology for proactively guiding designers in generating life-oriented solutions as from early design.

The pulp and paper industry is currently faced with the challenge of substantially reducing the discharge of contaminants to the receiving environment. Water is of primary importance in the paper making process. The pulp and paper industry has been a large user of fresh water in comparison to several other manufacturing industries. Continuous progress has been made by the pulp and paper industry in reducing the fresh water use because of growing environmental concerns and stricter government regulations. Water use reduction in a paper mill has been accomplished primarily by closing up the water system. Water system closure, however, results in an increased concentration of suspended, dissolved and colloidal materials in the system, which in turn could result in a poor quality of paper and operational problems. Because of the solid buildup problems, paper mills are looking for alternative processes for internal treatment of water. Among the alternative processes, membrane separation process is getting an ever-increasing acceptance.

Enhanced production and efficient utilization of lignocellulosic products are issues of critical importance to both industry and society. Benefits from the manufacture of mechanical wood pulp include high yield and low cost. During the past decade, mechanical pulping processes have been developed that can produce high-performance pulps at significantly lower capital and operating costs compared with kraft pulping. Although the production of mechanical pulp is environmentally benign, the use of mechanical pulps is restricted severely by their tendency to undergo color reversion (yellowing) upon exposure to daylight and/or long-term storage at ambient temperatures. This discoloration is cited as the principal reason for limited commercial applications of mechanical wood pulps in high-quality printing papers (Cockram, 1989; Ford and Sharman, 1996).