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This study evaluates the impact of sales promotions that are featured in store flyers distributed by prominent retailers and their capacity to attract consumers to their establishments. A distinctive conceptual framework is introduced that scrutinizes the influence of ethically-minded consumer behavior, digital citizenship/literacy, and a retailer's orientation toward environmental sustainability and explicit ecological concerns. A quasi-experimental design was used to formulate four distinct scenarios from a possible set of eight, stemming from the combinations of three variables: 2 Retailer Positioning (green vs. without explicit ecological claims) × 2 Flyer Mediums (paper vs. digital) × 2 Discount Levels (5% discount vs. 30% discount). Through an online survey, a sample of 269 responses was garnered to gauge consumer reactions to these store flyers, evaluating their attitudes and receptiveness. The findings suggest that attitudes toward paper flyers were more favorable when presented by non-green retailers compared to their green counterparts. This can be attributed to a perceived inconsistency between a green brand positioning and the use of paper flyers. Furthermore, the propensity to transition to digital flyers was notably stronger for green retailers compared to non-green retailers, but this inclination was most pronounced when higher discounts were offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xuan paper is one of the most famous handmade papers in China and is an important paper for conservation. However, the evenness of Xuan paper has not yet received much attention. In this study, the distribution of the in-plane grammage and mechanical properties of Xuan paper are measured. It is found that the distribution of the in-plane grammage and mechanical properties of Xuan paper is uneven. In the handmade direction, the grammage and mechanical properties of Xuan paper are overall largest in the lower area, followed by the upper and middle areas. The sheet forming process of Xuan paper has an important effect on the distribution of in-plane grammage, mechanical properties, and fiber orientation of Xuan paper. The folded state has a negative effect on the mechanical properties of the folded area of Xuan paper. This study will help raise awareness of the unevenness in physical properties of Xuan paper, which is important in both conservation and research applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose was isolated from recycled pulp and paper sludge and used to synthesize cellulose nanocrystals. Response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design model were used to predict, improve, and optimize the cellulose isolation process. The optimal conditions were a reaction temperature of 87.5 °C, 180 min with 4% sodium hydroxide. SEM and TEM results revealed that the isolated cellulose had long rod-like structures of different dimensions than CNCs with short rod-like structures. The crystallinity index from XRD significantly increased from 41.33%, 63.7%, and 75.6% for Kimberly mill pulp sludge (KMRPPS), chemically purified cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals, respectively. The TGA/DTG analysis showed that the isolated cellulosic materials possessed higher thermal stability. FTIR analysis suggested that the chemical structures of cellulose and CNCs were modified by chemical treatment. The cellulose surface was highly hydrophilic compared to the CNCs based on the high water holding capacity of 65.31 ± 0.98% and 83.14 ± 1.22%, respectively. The synthesized cellulosic materials portrayed excellent properties for high-end industrial applications like biomedical engineering, advanced materials, nanotechnology, sustainable packaging, personal care products, environmental remediation, additive manufacturing, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the early Cold War, it was difficult for American intelligence to penetrate the Iron Curtain but a potential solution soon arose: émigré intelligence groups such as the Magyar Harcosok Bajtársi Közössége (MHBK) or 'Association of Hungarian Veterans'. This group, however, turned out to be an intelligence 'paper mill'. Attempts at trans-Atlantic cooperation with the MHBK and similar groups failed as they lost most of their good sources and were penetrated by communist security services. By the mid-1950s, US intelligence cut these groups off, took over their good sources, and established a source registry to prevent recurrence of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiophene sulfide is difficult to be removed by hydrodesulfurization. In this study, ZnCl2-waste paper fiber activated carbon was used as adsorbent to remove thiophene sulfide from simulated oil by hydrothermal modification. Under the optimum condition of ammonia modification, the adsorption capacity of modified adsorbent to BT is 14.8 mg S/g, 2.98 times that of unmodified. BET, FTIR and Boehm analysis showed that the mesopore volume of ammonia modified adsorbent increased by 96.62% and the mesopore ratio increased from 12.58% to 43.40%, which was conducive to improving the adsorption rate. After modification, the basic groups on the surface of the adsorbent increased by 44.3 times, and –NH3+, –OH and –NH2 enhanced the electron attraction and hydrogen bonding force between the adsorbent and BT molecule. Adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics and adsorption thermodynamics show that the adsorption process is spontaneous, entropic and exothermic. The pseudo-second-order kinetic rate constant increases with the increase of adsorption temperature, indicating that the increase of temperature is beneficial to accelerate the adsorption rate. The adsorption desulfurization process follows the mechanism of single and multilayer adsorption mixing. The results of this study can help to reveal more clearly that biobased activated carbon can be modified to adsorb thiophene sulfide. Ammonia modified adsorbents enhance the adsorption capacity for benzothiophene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predatory publishing is the unethical and dishonest behavior of publishers who take advantage of researchers by charging them too much money and not providing good editing and peer-review services. Scholars, publishers and policymakers are seeking solutions to combat predatory publishing, which has become a major academic problem. This research paper provides a bibliometric analysis of the citation patterns and trends in the predatory publishing literature. The study analyzed the 100 top-cited papers on predatory publishing and provided insight into the types of documents, journals, authors, and countries that contributed to this field. The average citation per paper in the top 100 selected publications was 53.67. Open-access publications received a significantly higher average citation per paper than subscription-based papers. "Article" was the major type of document published, followed by "Notes," "Reviews" and "Editorials." Nature and Learned Publishing were the journals that contained the highest number of top-cited articles. J. Beall and D. Moher authored the highest number of papers, while A. Grudniewicz had the highest average citation per paper. USA and Canada were the top countries in these top-cited publications. This study will be beneficial to the all the stakeholders who may be interested in this area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) analysis has become crucial due to their presence in the environment, their persistence and potential health risks. These compounds are commonly used in food contact materials (FCM) as a coating to provide water and grease-repellent properties. One of the pathways for PFAS to enter the human body is either through direct consumption of contaminated food or indirectly through migration from FCM into food. The purpose of this study was to investigate where the initial contamination of paper FCM occurs. We analysed paper material consisting of fresh fibre and secondary materials, intended to produce food packaging for the presence of PFAS. The samples were extracted and analysed for 23 different PFAS substances using the targeted approach with LC tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This analytical technique detects specific, easily ionisable PFAS with high sensitivity. However, one drawback of this approach is that it allows the identification of less than 1% of the PFAS known today. For this reason, we used combustion ion chromatography (CIC) to determine the content of extractable organic fluorine compounds (EOF) and compare it to the total fluorine content. The targeted analysis using LC-MS/MS measured an average sum concentration of PFAS of 0.17 ng g−1 sample. Our research shows that the primary PFAS contamination happens during the recycling process since all of the samples in which the targeted PFAS were measured belonged to the secondary material. The most frequently detected analytes were PFOA and PFOS, detected in 90% and 62% of the samples, respectively, followed by PFBS (in 29% of the samples). CIC showed that measured PFAS via LC-MS/MS amount to an average of 2.7 × 10−4% of total fluorine content, whereas the EOF was under the LOD in all of the measured samples. This result highlights the complexity of the accurate determination of PFAS compounds, displaying what kind of information the chosen methods provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La transición hacia el uso del papel para la enseñanza de la escritura en las escuelas elementales públicas en México no fue sencilla. Al finalizar el siglo XIX, se había cuestionado el uso de las pizarras por el riesgo que representaban para la salud, pues muchas veces los estudiantes borraban sus escritos con saliva y el material con el que estaban fabricadas no siempre guardaba las especificaciones necesarias, además el ruido al escribir era insoportable. En cambio, el papel, desde el punto de vista higiénico, pedagógico y estético, fue considerado un material superior frente a la dureza de la pizarra, el brillo de la superficie y la poca precisión que se obtenía en el trazo de las letras. Derivado de este planteamiento, se vislumbró seriamente la posibilidad de la adopción de papel en las escuelas oficiales. Sin embargo, este material era escaso y muy caro. Hacia el cambio de siglo, sólo dos fábricas de papel podían surtir a las escuelas y era necesario que abarataran el precio, que el sistema de distribución garantizara el abastecimiento y que el suministro fuera continuo. Este artículo analiza el inicio del proceso de reconversión de una tecnología para la enseñanza como era la pizarra por el papel. Analizo el gasto que significó y cómo esta modificación fue resultado de una multiplicidad de relaciones sociales, culturales, económicas y políticas que se entrecruzaron para dar una nueva configuración del tiempo, el ruido y los valores establecidos en el salón de clases. The transition to the use of paper in public elementary schools in Mexico was not easy. At the end of the nineteenth century, the use of slates had been questioned due to the health risk they represented since students often erased their writing with saliva and the material with which the slates were made did not always meet the necessary specifications. On the other hand, paper, from a hygienic, pedagogical and aesthetic point of view, was considered a superior material compared to the hardness of the slate, the shine of the surface and the lack of precision obtained in the tracing of the letters. Derived from this approach, the possibility of changing materials in official schools was seriously envisioned. However, the paper represented a very high cost. Only two paper mills could supply the schools and it was necessary to lower the price, and guarantee the supply by enhancing the distribution system. This article analyses the beginning of the conversion process of a technology for learning to write such as the slate for paper. I analyse the expense that it meant for the authorities and families, how the change was the result of a multiplicity of social, cultural, economic and political relations that intersected to give a new configuration of time, noise and established values in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have achieved a successful synthesis of a label-free, flexible, portable, and colour-indicating biosensor using cholesteric nanostructure liquid crystals (LCs), commonly referred to as cholesteric LCs (CLCs), on paper fibres. This innovative approach holds significant promise for rapid screening in precision medicine and other applications. We incorporated optically active nematic LCs in various configurations within CLCs, allowing them to rotate along different axes. When exposed to light, these LCs reflected light at specific wavelengths. By employing polarised optical microscopy and a charged couple device (CCD), we conducted titration experiments with bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the paper substrate and quantified protein concentrations based on the observed colour shifts. Utilising internal Python pixel analysis software, we evaluated the red, green, and blue colour components, which served as biomarkers for different BSA concentrations. Our results demonstrated a linear correlation between BSA concentration and colour variations. This CLC-based paper-substrate biosensor exhibits the potential to efficiently screen a large number of samples, thereby enhancing the diagnostic accuracy in clinical settings. Combining the colour-indicating and quantifiable attributes of CLCs with the affordability and portability of paper substrates, we have developed a versatile biosensor. Its ease of use, rapid response, and high sensitivity make it a promising tool for future disease detection endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to provide insight into the history and acceptance of paper money within British North America by examining the state money issued by Lower Canada's civil government and the British Army during the War of 1812. Prior to the war, British North America was suffering from a specie shortage that was further exacerbated by the need for significant expenditure increases to provision the state with the resources it needed for its war effort. In response, colonial authorities issued the Army Bills, a paper money that was backed by acceptance in paying public debts and duties while also possessing qualities that adhered to metalist principles. To many observers surprise, the money successfully circulated and was accepted by Lower Canada's colonists, who beforehand had largely been perceived by colonial officials as distrusting of paper money. This research argues that the state's acceptance of Army Bills for discharging public debts, particularly merchant duties, ensured that the money would provide the colonial government with the fiscal flexibility it needed to conduct its war effort. This provision, in addition to measures like legal tender laws protecting its use in private transactions, also supported its successful circulation within the colonial economy during the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]