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Patients with the dual burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) experience unacceptably high rates of morbidity and mortality, which also entail unfavorable effects on healthcare systems. Currently, concerted efforts to identify, prevent and treat CVD in CKD patients are lacking at the institutional level, with emphasis still being placed on individual specialty views on this topic. The authors of this position paper endorse the need for a dedicated interdisciplinary team of subspecialists in cardio-nephrology that manages appropriate clinical interventions across the inpatient and outpatient settings. There is a critical need for training programs, guidelines and best clinical practice models, and research funding from nephrology, cardiology and other professional societies, to support the development of the subspecialty of cardio-nephrology. This position paper from the coordinating committee from the Working Group for Cardiorenal Medicine of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (S.E.N.) is intended to be the starting point to develop the subspecialty of cardio-nephrology within the S.E.N.. The implementation of the subspecialty in day-to-day nephrological practice will help to diagnose, treat, and prevent CVD in CKD patients in a precise, clinically effective, and health cost-favorable manner. Resumen: Los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica (ERC) que presentan enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV) tienen índices de morbilidad y mortalidad inaceptablemente elevados, que impactan desfavorablemente sobre los sistemas de salud. En la actualidad, se requieren actuaciones multidisciplinares para identificar, prevenir y tratar la ECV en los pacientes con ERC, debiendo pues superarse la época de las actuaciones de las especialidades individuales. Los autores de este artículo respaldan la necesidad de un equipo interdisciplinar de subespecialistas en cardionefrología que gestione las intervenciones clínicas adecuadas en el entorno hospitalario y en el ambulatorio. Existe una gran necesidad de programas de formación, de guías y modelos de práctica clínica, y de fondos para la investigación en las sociedades de nefrología, cardiología y otras, para apoyar el desarrollo de la subespecialidad de cardio-nefrología. Este documento de opinión del comité coordinador del Grupo de Trabajo de Medicina Cardiorenal de la Sociedad Española de Nefrología (S.E.N.) pretende ser el inicio del desarrollo de la subespecialidad de Cardionefrología en el marco de la S.E.N. La implementación de la subespecialidad en la práctica nefrológica diaria contribuirá a diagnosticar, tratar y prevenir la ECV en los pacientes con ERC de una manera precisa, clínicamente efectiva y sanitariamente rentable.

Although considered one of the major energy-intensive industries (EIIs), the pulp and paper industry has also the potential for energy production from an industrial waste, black liquor. This study proposes black liquor gasification (BLG) coupled with calcium looping (CaL) as a CO2 capture route for the pulp and paper industry. BLG with H2 production (BLG-CaL-H2), BLG with gas turbine combined cycle (BLG-CaL-GT) or with solid oxide fuel cell (BLG-CaL-SOFC) were considered. The dependence of carbon capture and storage (CCS) cost on the natural gas, limestone, electricity imported and H2 sale prices aside the expenditures related with BLG-CaL were evaluated. The CCS route, based on CaL retrofitted to the pulp and paper plant, was found to have a lower cost of CO2 avoided (39.0 €/tCO2) when compared with BLG-CaL (48.8–57.1 €/tCO2). Between the BLG-CaL scenarios, BLG-CaL-H2 presented the lowest cost of CO2 avoided (48.8 €/tCO2) but the highest energy penalty. Based on the thermodynamic performance, it was shown that CaL retrofit and BLG-CaL-SOFC presented the best overall performance, turning the electricity importer reference plant into electricity exporter. The economic sensitivity showed that the capital requirement of BLG-CaL has a strong effect on the cost of CO2 avoided for all alternatives. The H2 production is also strongly affected by the H2 sale price while BLG-CaL-SOFC and BLG-CaL-GT are strongly dependent on natural gas price.

This article aims to list environmental practices used by Latin American companies in the pulp and paper industry, to create a list, through a scientific method, that can direct other researchers and managers interested in the subject. The research strategies used were bibliographic research and content analysis. The content analysis used 36 sustainability reports published by Latin American companies in the industry between 2018 and 2019. Although 264 companies were mapped, only 36 of them presented sustainability report possible to be accessed. Through the sample of 36 sustainability reports, 36 sustainable environmental practices were identified that could be grouped into five groups, namely: (1) Reuse of waste, efficiency in the production process and effluents treatment; (2) Preservation and area recovery; (3) Energy efficiency; (4) Initiatives with stakeholders; (5) Control of gas emission. Despite the exploratory nature, the information presented here can be used by managers in the area and researchers interested in improving environmental practices of the pulp and paper industry.

This study's focus was to develop a potential pathway for recycling of the paper mill sludge compost (PMSC) in brick making. Composting reduces the paper mill sludge (PMS) moisture content considerably and shredding becomes easier. The addition of PMSC leads to an increase of porosities in bricks and makes them lighter, besides delivering energy to the firing process from burning organics. Lighter construction materials help minimize construction outlay by reducing labour and transportation costs and lesser expense on foundation construction. The variability in the experimental data and the brick properties were investigated for two types of soils, typical in the brick industry of India (alluvial and laterite soil), blended with PMSC in five mix ratios (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). The samples of oven-dried bricks were fired at two different temperatures (850 and 900 °C) in an electrically operated muffle furnace representing typical conditions of a brick kiln. Various properties of bricks were analyzed which included linear shrinkage, bulk density, water absorption and compressive strength. Conclusions were drawn based on these properties. It was found that the addition of PMSC to the alluvial and laterite soil by up to 10% weight yield mechanical properties of fired bricks compliant with the relevant Indian and ASTM codes. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) tests showed that PMSC incorporated fired bricks are safe to use in regular applications as non-load-bearing and infill walls. This study is timely in light of the European Green Deal putting focus on circular economy. Besides, it fulfills the objective of UN sustainable development goals (SDG). © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Enzyme use has provided boost to the technoeconomics of many industrial processes. In this chapter, we summarize different cellulase-based industrial processes for preparation of paper, pulp, brewing products, and different foods. This review presents a brief chemistry and mechanism of cellulose degradation by the cellulase enzyme. Also, cellulase production abilities of many microbial species have been addressed in this chapter. Cellulase plays a major role in production of good-quality paper and pulp. It’s used to debark the biomass and to remove lignocellulosic part. This enzyme also has application in recycling of used paper by deinking and biobleaching. Cellulase enhances freeness and drainage ability of the fibers without compromising the brightness of the fibers. In brewing industry, cellulase in combination of other enzymes is used to extract the more sugar for better-quality alcohol production. Cellulases have a wide range of potential applications in food and beverage processing, production of fruit and vegetable juices, and improvement of methods for extraction, clarification, and stabilization.