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Waste paper, a major fraction of municipal solid waste, has a potential to serve as renewable feedstock for the biorefineries of fuels, chemicals and materials due to rich in cellulose and abundant at low cost. This study evaluates the possibility of waste office paper (WOP) to serve as a potential feedstock for the biorefinery production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate). In this study, the WOP was pretreated, enzymatically saccharified and the hydrolysate was used for PHB production. The hydrolysate mainly consists of glucose (22.70 g/L) and xylose (1.78 g/L) and the corresponding sugar yield was about 816 mg/g. Ammonium sulphate and C/N ratio 20 were identified as most favorable for high yield of PHB. The batch fermentation of Cupriavidus necator using the pretreated WOP hydrolysate resulted in cell biomass, PHB production and PHB content of 7.74 g/L, 4.45 g/L and 57.52%, respectively. The volumetric productivity and yield achieved were 0.061 g/L/h and 0.210 g/g sugar, respectively. The results suggested that WOP could be a potential alternative feedstock for the biorefinery production of bioplastics.

Paper electronics have been fast developed in recent years due to their degradability and recyclability; however, most of them are barely equipped with logic functions, impeding them from becoming autonomous on-paper systems. To provide a working unit for logic implementations, a paper field-effect transistor (FET) with a clay-graphite channel that demonstrated negative differential resistance (NDR) is fabricated in this study. The device exhibited a p-type semiconductor characteristic with an optical bandgap of ∼1.97 eV according to photoluminescence analysis, resulting from considerable defective graphite mixed with clay in the channel. Considering that the NDR behavior is theoretically predicted to be tunable by the contact resistance, we fabricated FETs with different contact resistances and observed that the NDR behavior occurred in devices with relatively lower contact resistance. The NDR effect is also tunable by varying the gate voltage, which matches well with simulation results. The possible mechanism for the NDR behavior is the decrease in carrier drift velocity induced by band-to-band tunneling, associated with impurities-induced trapping states and gate-induced confined states. This work provides a promising and easy pathway to develop digital components using paper electronics in the near future.

Objective To perform bibliometric analysis of the top cited articles in urology as a guide for journal club article selection. Methods Bibliometric citation analysis was performed using Scopus. Tables illustrating the top cited clinical, basic science, and guidelines/position statements papers were constructed. Linear regression was used to determine association between h-index and number of citations. Results A total of 3,188,861 publications from 1788 to 2020 were analyzed. The top 100 cited clinical papers from 1788 to 2020, top 100 cited contemporary clinical papers from 2000 to 2020, top 25 cited basic science papers, and the top 25 cited guidelines/position statement papers were reported. Median number of citations in the top 100 cited clinical papers was 1463 (interquartile range 1186-1821). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (12), Johns Hopkins University (6), and Harvard University (6) contributed the most top cited clinical papers in urology. Urologic oncology was the most represented subspecialty in both clinical (75%) and basic science (96%) papers. First author and last author h-index were found to correlate with the number paper citations in the top 100 cited clinical papers from 1788 to 2020 (first author β:5.3, P= .003, last author β:4.5, P= .03). Only 7% of the most cited clinical papers in urology were from female first authors, which was not statistically significantly different from those reported in prior publications published in 2009 and 2013. Conclusion Contemporary citation analysis of indexed manuscripts in urology may serve as a valuable educational tool for urologists and trainees.

Paper is still the most important carrier of information and knowledge in the form of books, journals, documents of historical value located in libraries and archives. Being a material of biomass origin it is subject to chemical, physical and biological degradation. For many decades it has been accepted that the main factor contributing to the paper degradation is acid hydrolysis and several modes of deacidification have been elaborated and successfully applied to paper aimed at slowing down its degradation and preserving its quality. A less attention has been devoted to oxidative modes of paper degradation. This minireview is focused just on these modes. In particular, oxidation involving reactive oxygen species and reactions catalyzed by transition metals species are dealt with. Oxidation of paper induced by iron-gall inks in documents of historical value is discussed in more detail due to importance of such documents as part of cultural heritage of mankind.

Background Since there is sound evidence that communication skills training (CST) programs modify communication behavior of oncology clinicians, they have been widely implemented over the last decades. However, more recently, certain aspects of this training have been criticized. Methods Based on this background, a call to re-launch a discussion about the future of CST led to the third European consensus meeting on communication in cancer care, organized by the Swiss Cancer League. During this meeting, which brought together European experts in the field of clinical communication and training of communication in the oncology setting, oncology clinicians, representatives of the European Society of Medical Oncology and a member of the European Oncology Nursing Society, the recommendations of the second European consensus meeting were updated and expanded. Results The expanded recommendations recall the guiding principles of communication in cancer care, underline the important role of clinician’s self-awareness, and of relational and contextual factors in clinical communication, and provide direction for the further development of communication training. Conclusion This third European consensus meeting defines key elements for the development of a next generation of communication training for oncology clinicians.

The ACR Incidental Findings Committee presents recommendations for managing pituitary findings that are incidentally detected on CT, MRI and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET. The Pituitary Subcommittee, which included radiologists practicing neuroradiology and an endocrinologist, developed this algorithm. The recommendations draw from published evidence and expert opinion and were finalized by informal iterative consensus. Algorithm branches successively categorize pituitary findings on the basis of imaging features. They terminate with an ascertainment of an indolent lesion (with sufficient confidence to discontinue follow-up) or a management recommendation. The algorithm addresses most, but not all, pathologies and clinical scenarios. The goal is to improve the quality of care by providing guidance on how to manage incidentally detected pituitary findings.

Summary Therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma should be tailored to the circumstances and preferences of the individual patient. Age should not be a barrier to effective treatment. Systematic geriatric screening and assessment contributes to the goal of personalised management, in addition to the involvement of a multidisciplinary team. A task force from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) updated its 2009 consensus statement on the management of elderly patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma by reviewing data from studies involving recently approved targeted drugs and immunotherapies for this disease. Overall, it seems that age alone does not appreciably affect efficacy. Among the pivotal studies that were included, there is a striking scarcity of analyses that relate toxic effects to patient age. Even if the adverse effects of therapy are no more frequent or severe in elderly patients than in their younger counterparts, the practical, psychological, and functional impact of treatment may be greater, especially if toxic effects are chronic and cumulative.

Background In 2019, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) authored by Dr. Ismail was retracted due to concerns about data integrity. Since there are no policies in place to investigate other publications of authors of retracted studies, we investigated Dr. Ismail’s other trials. Methods We searched for RCTs authored by Dr. Ismail. We made pairwise comparisons of values in baseline and outcome tables between trials. We assessed whether the distributions of baseline characteristics were compatible with properly conducted randomization, using Monte Carlo simulations and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. We read the publications carefully for unusual features. Results Dr. Ismail was author in eight published and one unpublished trial. In three of his first author studies we found multiple identical values in the baseline and/or outcome tables from different trials. At least some of the trials were unlikely to have followed a proper randomization process. There were a number of other unusual features in the papers we reviewed. Conclusions It is probable that other trials published by Dr. Ismail contain questionable data. We call for a thorough investigation of the original trial data and related official documents. Our exercise suggests that the practice to assess research integrity should include all publications of authors with retracted fabricated articles.

This position paper, sponsored by the Asociación Española de Gastroenterología [Spanish Association of Gastroenterology], the Sociedad Española de Endoscopia Digestiva [Spanish Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Society] and the Sociedad Española de Anatomía Patológica [Spanish Anatomical Pathology Society], aims to establish recommendations for performing an high quality upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the screening of gastric cancer precursor lesions (GCPL) in low-incidence populations, such as the Spanish population. To establish the quality of the evidence and the levels of recommendation, we used the methodology based on the GRADE system (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). We obtained a consensus among experts using a Delphi method. The document evaluates different measures to improve the quality of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in this setting and makes recommendations on how to evaluate and treat the identified lesions. We recommend that upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for surveillance of GCPL should be performed by endoscopists with adequate training, administering oral premedication and use of sedation. To improve the identification of GCPL, we recommend the use of high definition endoscopes and conventional or digital chromoendoscopy and, for biopsies, NBI should be used to target the most suspicious areas of intestinal metaplasia. Regarding the evaluation of visible lesions, the risk of submucosal invasion should be evaluated with magnifying endoscopes and endoscopic ultrasound should be reserved for those with suspected deep invasion. In lesions amenable to endoscopic resection, submucosal endoscopic dissection is considered the technique of choice.

A current osteopathic tenet inherited from Native American principles involves viewing each person as a dynamic interaction of body-mind-spirit (BMS). Because of its traditional medicine heritage and current evidence-based approach, the osteopathic profession is, arguably, uniquely positioned to promote evidence-informed person-centered approaches that transcend improvements in pain and musculoskeletal function. It may be particularly relevant in the context of integrating the BMS tenet into osteopathic care according to the diversity of patients’ values and sociocultural assumptions towards health, symptoms, and subsequent care, which range from the typical Western to complementary and alternative medicine perspectives. There is currently a lack of robust clinical practice frameworks in this area, confusing patients and practitioners and blurring professional identities. The current commentary provides an opportunity to initiate discussions in the profession with a rationale for creating a roadmap to develop an evidence-informed framework for osteopathic care that integrates the BMS tenet.

Currently, primary treatment and secondary biological treatment are the main steps for the treatment of wastewater generated from pulp and paper processes. However, in many cases, in particular, in China, due to a very low COD regulation for discharge, the secondarily treated wastewater would have to be further treated. In this short communication, we present a process concept of immobilizing white rot fungi to corn cob for tertiary treatment of secondarily treated wastewater. As an agricultural residue, carbohydrate-rich corn cob can serve as the support for fungi, allowing for continuous wastewater treatment operations. The role of corn cob as a carbon source can facilitate fungal incubation. Enrichment of pollutants by corn cob could also be possible, which is definitely favorable for enhancing fungi-pollutants interactions. This concept may potentially be combined with existing wastewater treatment technologies to meet ever-demanding environmental target for discharging effluent from manufacturing processes, including pulp and paper mills.

Every year the pulp and paper industry consumes billions of metres cubed of water and produces huge amounts of highly polluted wastewater that needs to be treated. Conventional techniques of wastewater treatment require a high energy input and their environmental impact is debatable. Thus, the need to find new sustainable, environmentally friendly and efficient treatment techniques is urgent. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are the technology of the future since they simultaneously treat wastewater and produce clean energy. The historical development of this technology towards its application to wastewater treatment was described. The application of MFCs in pulp and paper wastewater treatment is a new and developing field of investigation that still needs to overcome many limitations before its use on an industrial scale. This article reviews the limits of conventional treatment methods and the current state of the art MFC systems for pulp and paper wastewater treatment. The paper provides an overview of the electrogenic microorganisms able to produce electricity from pulp and paper wastewater. The bacteria, isolated at different stages of pulp and papermaking, are best suited for electrogenic activity in harsh environments. It was shown that MFC technology fully meets the requirements of sustainable pulp and paper wastewater treatment and, in terms of the input-output energy balance, remains energetically and environmentally competitive when compared to conventional treatment methods.

Reducing waste materials through reuse has in the recent past contributed to sustainable manufacturing in many industries. With the development of large-scale poultry farming, the treatment of large amounts of chicken feathers has become a problem and threatened its use as a renewable resource. This paper examines the use of chicken feathers in the paper making process; a process which would traditionally use wood as the raw material. The effects of combining feather fibre and wood pulp on paper performance were studied and compared to the properties of handsheets made with 100% wood pulp. With the increase of feather content, properties such as tightness, tensile index and bursting index decreased, whilst air permeability improved. There was no significant difference in water absorbency between various chicken feather/wood pulp handsheet samples however, the water absorbency started to decrease above 80% of chicken feather content. This could potentially open up a new avenue for the use of chicken feathers in applications that are meant to tolerate high humidity conditions, e.g., packaging products.

This paper presents the first estimate of global water use in the forestry sector related to roundwood production for lumber, pulp, paper, fuel and firewood. For the period 1961–2010, we estimate forest evaporation at a high spatial resolution level and attribute total water consumption to various forest products, including ecosystem services. Global water consumption for roundwood production increased by 25% over 50 years to 961 × 109 m3/y (96% green; 4% blue) in 2001–2010. The water footprint per m3 of wood is significantly smaller in (sub)tropical forests compared to temperate/boreal forests, because (sub)tropical forests host relatively more value next to wood production in the form of other ecosystem services. In terms of economic water productivity and energy yield from bio-ethanol per unit of water, roundwood is rather comparable with major food, feed and energy crops. Recycling of wood products could effectively reduce the water footprint of the forestry sector, thereby leaving more water available for the generation of other ecosystem services. Intensification of wood production can only reduce the water footprint per unit of wood if the additional wood value per ha outweighs the loss of value of other ecosystem services, which is often not the case in (sub)tropical forests. The results of this study contribute to a more complete picture of the human appropriation of water, thus feeding the debate on water for food or feed versus energy and wood.

In this work, a novel time-resolved ratiometric fluorescent probe based on dual lanthanide (Tb: terbium, and Eu: europium)-doped complexes (Tb/DPA@SiO2-Eu/GMP) has been designed for detecting anthrax biomarker (dipicolinic acid, DPA), a unique and major component of anthrax spores. In such complexes-based probe, Tb/DPA@SiO2 can serve as a stable reference signal with green fluorescence and Eu/GMP act as a sensitive response signal with red fluorescence for ratiometric fluorescent sensing DPA. Additionally, the probe exhibits long fluorescence lifetime, which can significantly reduce the autofluorescence interferences from biological samples by using time-resolved fluorescence measurement. More significantly, a paper-based visual sensor for DPA has been devised by using filter paper embedded with Tb/DPA@SiO2-Eu/GMP, and we have proved its utility for fluorescent detection of DPA, in which only a handheld UV lamp is used. In the presence of DPA, the paper-based visual sensor, illuminated by a handheld UV lamp, would result in an obvious fluorescence color change from green to red, which can be easily observed with naked eyes. The paper-based visual sensor is stable, portable, disposable, cost-effective and easy-to-use. The feasibility of using a smartphone with easy-to-access color-scanning APP as the detection platform for quantitative scanometric assays has been also demonstrated by coupled with our proposed paper-based visual sensor. This work unveils an effective method for accurate, sensitive and selective monitoring anthrax biomarker with backgroud-free and self-calibrating properties.

Utilization of the quality-upgraded waste paper in the manufacture of paper and board will reduce the wood consumption and pulping energy. While the optical property of the fibers from recycled old newspaper is very poor, in-situ calcium carbonate formation on those fibers by injecting carbon dioxide to the mixed slurry of those pulp and calcium oxide improved their brightness. Upgrading recycled old newspaper to substitute more expensive wood furnish, such as recycled old magazine, was successfully demonstrated in the present study. This study showed that the in-situ calcium carbonate formation process improved the optical quality of the recycled old newspaper by covering colored impurities with newly formed calcium carbonate, and improved calcium carbonate retention in papermaking process by attaching them to fibers. The strength reduction by the presence of newly formed calcium carbonate in the paper was recovered by adding strength agent. High ash retention at high ash content under the strong turbulence in the modern paper mill was achieved by the application of the in-situ calcium carbonate formation method. The quality-upgrade of recycled fibers and cost saving in the manufacture of duplex paperboard were demonstrated in the mill trial.

Purpose Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most essential tools for detecting heart problems. Till today most of the ECG records are available in paper form. It can be challenging and time-consuming to manually assess the ECG paper records. Hence, automated diagnosis and analysis are possible if we digitize such paper ECG records. Methods The proposed work aims to convert ECG paper records into a 1-D signal and generate an accurate diagnosis of heart-related problems using deep learning. Camera-captured ECG images or scanned ECG paper records are used for the proposed work. Effective pre-processing techniques are used for the removal of shadow from the images. A deep learning model is used to get a threshold value that separates ECG signal from its background and after applying various image processing techniques threshold ECG image gets converted into digital ECG. These digitized 1-D ECG signals are then passed to another deep learning model for the automated diagnosis of heart diseases into different classes such as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB), Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB), and T-wave abnormality. Results The accuracy of deep learning-based binarization is 97%. Further deep learning-based diagnosis approach of such digitized paper ECG records was having an accuracy of 94.4%. Conclusions The digitized ECG signals can be useful to various research organizations because the trends in heart problems can be determined and diagnosed from preserved paper ECG records. This approach can be easily implemented in areas where such expertise is not available. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40846-021-00632-0.

In February 2020 the EU published its white paper on ‘Artificial Intelligence: A European approach to excellence and trust’. This is likely to form the core of future policy and legislation within the EU and as such will have global impact on standards and norms. In this comment piece we survey the five sections of the white paper and then critically examine three themes, namely, i. regulatory signalling, ii. the risk-based approach, and, iii. the auditing styles. The key takeaway is that the white paper, and the EU’s strategy at large, is ambiguous and lacks vision, which, if unchecked, is likely to have a negative impact on EU competitiveness in the development of AI solutions and services.

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) are the futuristic microfluidic paper-based analytical diagnostic devices that are utilized to perform the laboratory-based test (ex: water, blood, urine, etc..,) at the user location. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) are known as a robust analytical platform that can fulfil the stipulations. This analysis aims to offer a detailed assessment of the μPADs that are advanced for the estimation of vital water pH values. The significant challenge for users with the μPAD based diagnostic is that, the user is unable to evaluate the precise outcome of the diagnostic result. Here, the water pH diagnostic test is considered on the μPADs, since water pollutant is a severe environmental hassle that affect thousands of humans and as a result it increases the demand for common water first-class monitoring. The necessity for analytical systems that merge extreme sensibleness, selectivity and accuracy with low cost, portability and consumer friendliness remains as a prominent part. This research work proposes a technique to detect the pH value of the water by acquiring the images of the tested μPADs, extract the shape of the test zone area and perform colourimetric analysis to determine the pH value of the test zone area on scale 0-13. The main advantages of the μPADs are comparatively low cost and accessible abundance, reduce the overall cost of testing, and reduce the number of visits to the research laboratory.

Paper mill sludge biochar (PMSB) was produced via pyrolysis in a muffle furnace at 750 °C. Subsequently, PMSB was soaked in the HCl solution and washed by deionized water to obtain minerals and organic materials. The organics were named as demineralized paper mill sludge biochar (DPMSB). It was found that PMSB and minerals had larger pore diameters than DPMSB. Also, the removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn and As were above 95.00% by using PMSB and minerals because of the large pores, abundant carbonates and OH groups, while the removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn and As by using DPMSB were 40.92%, 87.93% and 94.99%, respectively, owing to the H + competition to Cu and Zn adsorption but more micropores to enhance As adsorption. The adsorption behavior of PMSB showed that the adsorption isotherms of Cu, Zn and As could be well simulated by the Freundlich model, and the pseudo-second-order model fitted the adsorption kinetics of Zn and As, and the Elovich model fitted the adsorption kinetics of Cu. Moreover, the optimal dosages of PMSB to adsorb Cu, Zn and As were 0.3, 0.3 and 0.1 g/L, respectively. And the pH values of the solution for the efficient adsorption of Cu, Zn and As were 4.00, 6.00 and 2.00, respectively. This work provided basic data for the potential commercial application of PMSB for heavy metals removal from wastewater.

The design of a cheap, simple, and handy sensing system for rapid quantitation of pharmaceuticals becomes mandatory to ease drug development procedures, quality control, health care, etc. This work describes a simple, innovative, and easily manufactured paper-based device using a correction pen as a plotter for hydrophobic/lipophobic barriers and graphene quantum dots for recognition and quantification of the hemostatic drug carbazochrome, via fluorescence turn-off mechanism mediated by the inner filter effect. A smartphone-based all-in-one device fitted with an inexpensive 365 nm flashlight as a UV light source and a free image processing software was developed for rapid and reliable interpretation of the fluorescence change from the paper-based device upon introduction of the drug. The simple and convenient steps permit the analysis of many samples in a very short time. The smartphone-based all-in-one device featured excellent sensitivity for carbazochrome with a limit of detection equals to 12 ng/detection zone and good %recovery (100.0 ± 0.4). The reliability of the device was ascertained by favorable statistical comparison with the analogous optimized conventional fluorimetry method and a reference HPLC method. The device has been successfully applied for versatile quantitation of carbazochrome in tablets and on manufacturing equipment surfaces with excellent recoveries. The device offers many green aspects that definitely assist the implementation of the sustainability concept to analytical laboratories. The cost-efficiency, reliability, and ease of fabrication as well as the greenness and user friendship qualify the device for wide application in low-income communities.

The present study has aimed to evaluate the role of vermitechnology in the qualitative enrichment of compost during the valorization process of solid paper mill wastes. A maximum mass reduction of 77% (primary sludge) and 76% (secondary sludge) were noticed through thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The biodegradation of complex xenobiotics such as lignin, cellulose, etc. were found in spectral bands of FTIR spectroscopy which had attributed to extent of mineralization among compost samples. A significant correlation between the decrease of the C/N ratio and the rise of the 2921/1633 peak ratio of FTIR had conferred the maturity among vermicompost samples. Furthermore, the presence of different macromolecular humic acid-like substances such as benzene dicarboxylic acid, propanedioic acid, glutaric acid, etc. was found in the vermicompost samples through GC–MS analysis. In addition to such qualitative enrichment, microbial diversity was manifested using PLFA biomarkers which had revealed a huge bottleneck in terms of microbial populaces designating ecological succession upon vermicomposting. Therefore, the present study can be considered as a comprehensive eco-biochemical approach which will open up a new vista the importance in context to paper mill solid waste management.

Summary Skin-interfaced wearable electronics can find a broad spectrum of applications in healthcare, human-machine interface, robotics, and others. The state-of-the-art wearable electronics usually suffer from costly and complex fabrication procedures and nonbiodegradable polymer substrates. Paper, comprising entangled micro- or nano-scale cellulose fibers, is compatible with scalable fabrication techniques and emerges as a sustainable, inexpensive, disposable, and biocompatible substrate for wearable electronics. Given various attractive properties (e.g., breathability, flexibility, biocompatibility, and biodegradability) and rich tunability of surface chemistry and porous structures, paper offers many exciting opportunities for wearable electronics. In this review, we first introduce the intriguing properties of paper-based wearable electronics and strategies for cellulose modifications to satisfy specific demands. We then overview the applications of paper-based devices in biosensing, energy storage and generation, optoelectronics, soft actuators, and several others. Finally, we discuss some challenges that need to be addressed before practical uses and wide implementation of paper-based wearable electronics., Graphical abstract, Biodevices; Bioelectronics; Electronic materials

Guiding industries to produce in an effective and environmentally sustainable manner has become a key issue for governments around the world. Over the past 15 years, series of regional and industrial development policies have been introduced by the Chinese government. This has influenced the geographical distribution and energy efficiency performance of China’s industries. This paper quantifies the influence of enterprises geographical distribution on energy efficiency improvement in the paper industry and aims at providing some helpful suggestions on industrial development to policy makers. The main results show that, firstly, the paper industry in eastern China shows obvious characteristic of agglomeration. The average location quotient is 1.2278. However, following the industrial and regional development policies, the characteristic of agglomeration is weakening. Secondly, only when agglomeration reaches a certain level (location quotient is above 0.5447) will industrial agglomeration positively impact on industrial energy efficiency improvement (a 1% increase in agglomeration will increase dynamic energy efficiency by at least 0.23%). Thirdly, the regional development policies carried out by the government slow the pace of energy efficiency improvement in China’s paper industry. The empirical results indicate that the government needs to consider regional characteristics and consciously guide industrial enterprises to concentrate in the dominant area.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used in biomedical sensing with the advantages of high sensitivity and label-free. However, the fabrication of SERS substrates with good Raman activity, reproducibility, and low cost is still under development in practical applications. This paper presents a practicable method for fabricating Au NP/paper strips by using inkjet printing and seed mediated growth. Small gold seed synthesized by borohydride reduction was used as ink and printed on the filter paper. The printed gold seed grew in situ in the growth solution and formed the gold nanoparticle (Au NP)/paper strips. The fabricated paper strip was characterized by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The diffuse reflectance spectra indicated that the Au NP/paper strips had two local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks: the short one at around 540 nm and the long one located in the range of 640–840 nm. And the long LSPR peak firstly shifted to red then to blue with the increased concentrations of silver ions in growth solution. From the SEM images, the shape of grown Au NPs was diverse, including sphere, rod, ellipsoid, dimer, trimer, and big aggregates. We thought the short peak came from the LSPR of nanospheres and the transvers LSPR of rod and ellipsoid like particles, while the long peak mainly came from the plasmonic coupling of dimer along the inter-particle axis. The obtained Au NP/paper strip with the long peak located around 650 nm had the highest SERS activity, which could be attributed to the plasmon resonance induced local field enhancement and nanogap effect. Also, the SERS performance results indicated the printed SERS strips exhibited satisfied uniformity and stability, demonstrating the potential of Au NP/paper strip in real-world applications.

Recently, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has aroused considerable interest due to various advantages. Particularly, one benefit which sand out is that the triboelectric pair of TENG is very tolerant to the material composition. Thus, it is possible and significant to develop cost-effective TENG using commercial and inexpensive material. In this work, we present a paper TENG by repeated folding completely using commercially available commodity materials, such as paper, brush pen, Teflon tape, and conductive ink. Paper is used as functionally triboelectric pair and spring-like supporting structure. The stacked paper TENG is fabricated and large enhancement of output performance is observed. The generated electric outputs have been used to directly light-up commercial LEDs. The proposed TENG has demonstrated simplicity and cost-effective, which is suitable for flexible electronics.

A series of dye-sensitized solar cells have been constructed using titania-rich paper industry waste materials. The cells obtained were able to produce solar electricity, but with relatively poor photon-to-current efficiencies reaching only 0.47% and short circuit photocurrent densities up to 1.14 mA × cm−2, but reasonable fill factors and very good open circuit photovoltage reaching 67% and 719 mV, respectively. The titania-rich waste samples were prepared by removal of water and post-production organic residues and well characterized with XRD, XRF, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDS and UV–vis techniques. This paper presents an alternative solution for green energy production and conversion of pollutants to useful materials.

Energy efficient cultivation is the major bottleneck for microalgal biomass production on a large scale and considered very difficult to attain at northern latitudes. In this study an unconventional method for industrial microalgae cultivation for bio-oil production using pulp and paper mill waste resources while harvesting only once a year was performed, mainly in order to investigate the energy efficiency of the process. Algae were cultivated for three months in 2014 in covered pond systems with access to flue gas and waste heat from the industry, and the biomass was recovered as thick sediment sludge after dewatering. The cultivation systems, designed to manage the waste resources, reached a promising photosynthetic efficiency of at most 1.1%, a net energy ratio (NER) of 0.25, and a projected year-round energy biomass yield per area 5.2 times higher than corresponding rapeseed production at the location. Thus, microalgae cultivation was, for the first time, proven energy efficient in a cold continental climate. Energy-rich indigenous communities quickly out-competed the oleaginous monocultures used for inoculation. The recovered biomass had higher heating values of 20–23 MJ kg− 1 and contained 14–19% oil dominated by C16 followed by C18 fatty acids. The cultivation season at 59°15′N, 14°18′E was projected to be efficient for 10 months and waste heat drying of the biomass is suggested for two winter months. The technique is proposed for carbon sequestering and energy storage in the form of microalgal sludge or dry matter for later conversion into biochemicals.

Contamination and associated risks posed by cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) were characterized in the soils being continuously exposed by paper mill waste discharge in Assam, India. Soil samples from 20 (S-1 to S-20) sites surrounding a paper mill were analyzed by sequential extraction technique for Cd and Cr to assess the potential mobility and bioavailability of these heavy metals in the soils. Cadmium was mostly found in its carbonate fraction (37.14%) whereas; Cr was mostly available in Fe-Mn oxide bound fraction (34.72%). Relatively low amounts of Cd and Cr were associated with the water soluble fractions. The pollution load index (P i) values of Cd exceeded the maximum permissible limit i.e. 1 in all the sites but, for Cr it exceeded in all sites but S-7, S-13 and S-16. The mobility factor values ranged from 47.4% to 87.1% for Cd and 12.8–67.2% for Cr. High mobility factor values represent relatively higher biological availability in the soil samples and thus could pose environmental threats in the area surrounding the paper mill. The high values of other contamination factors, viz. individual and global contamination factors, potential ecological risk factor, ecological risk index and geo-accumulation index indicated that the studied area was widely polluted by Cd and Cr as a result of the effluents discharged from the paper mill.

The purpose of this study is to investigate influence of calcination and cooling conditions on pozzolanic reactivity of waste paper sludge. Calcined paper sludge (CPS) is prepared by different temperatures of calcination, duration of calcination and cooling methods. Pozzolanic activity of CPS was investigated by using API (Assessed Pozzolanic Activity Index) and SAI (Strength Activity Index) in accordance with ASTM C618 -17 (KS L 5405) and consumption of Ca(OH)2 hydrate in mortars with CPS in detail, and compared to that of commercial fly ash (FA) and blast furnace slag (BFS) used in the concrete industry. Results revealed CPS produced from waste paper sludge had excellent pozzolanic activity compared with commercial pozzolanic admixtures such as FA or BFS. Their pozzolanic activity was most excellent in calcination temperature of 700 °C, calcination duration of 2 h and cooling method of water quenching. SAI (%) of mortar with CPS produced under optimal conditions was 96% at 28 days of age, and satisfied the quality of fly ash (Class F) as specified in ASTM C618 -17 (KS L 5405). There was linear relation between API (%) and SAI (%) of mortars with CPS, and the correlation coefficient was relatively good as 0.8 at 28 days of age. The API method is recommended as rapid and appropriate evaluation of the pozzolanic activity of the CPS.

When portability, low cost, and green energy requirements are considered, the search for an electricity generator harvesting environmental energy based on available cheap commercial materials and simple fabrication techniques becomes significantly important. In this study, the capability of ultrasoft and cuttable paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG) to harvest mechanical energy is demonstrated. The P-TENG maintains the excellent softness of tissue paper and has the characteristics of light weight (~ 87 g/m2), high electric conductivity (6 Ω/square), and low cost (~ $3.00/m2). More importantly, the P-TENG can be cut by the end-user to modify its size and shape and still function properly. The mechanical energies available during cleaning processes, the energy associated with the body's motion, sound energy, and wind energy can be directly harvested by using the P-TENG. The high portability of the P-TENG, the simple and scalable fabrication processes, low cost, and its ability to harvest mechanical energy make the P-TENG important for the development of green, portable, energy-harvesting devices.

In this work, a novel rotational microfluidic paper-based device was developed to improve the accuracy and performance of the multiplexed colorimetric detection by effectively avoiding the diffusion of colorimetric reagent on the detection zone. The integrated paper-based rotational valves were used to control the connection or disconnection between detection zones and fluid channels. Based on the manipulation of the rotational valves, this rotational paper-based device could prevent the random diffusion of colorimetric reagent and reduce the error of quantitative analysis considerably. The multiplexed colorimetric detection of heavy metals Ni(II), Cu(II) and Cr(VI) were implemented on the rotational device and the detection limits could be found to be 4.8, 1.6, and 0.18mg/L, respectively. The developed rotational device showed the great advantage in improving the detection accuracy and was expected to be a low-cost, portable analytical platform for the on-site detection.

Hydrophobic properties belong to the most important factors which determine functional properties of paper products. A number of methods related to the measurement of the interaction between water and paper are already used but most of them give results after specific period of time whereas many unit operations in modern industrial processes (e.g. printing) last usually less than one second. As a result, most of the existing methods are not corresponding to today’s requirements. The aim of the presented research was to develop the method based on image analysis for measuring the dynamics of penetration and permeation of liquid through paper. Special device named eXtended Liquid Penetration Analyser (XLPA) was built for this purpose. Based on the obtained results, the method developed allows to observe and analyse the dynamics of liquid permeation through paper. The proposed method fully replaces the method implemented in the PLG Sizing Tester, which estimated the time of a 50% decrease in brightness of a tested paper sample permeated by ink. Presented method offers the possibility of quantitative measurement of changes in liquid absorption with time resolution of 1/60 s. At the same time, thanks to the use of a camera and image analysis, it is possible to detect local areas of non-homogeneity in paper structure that differ with regards to their capability to absorb liquid, as well as to determine quantitative measures that characterize the non-homogeneity of the permeation process with reference to paper surface.

This study focuses on the pre-treatment of paper mill sludge ash (PMSA) as a by-product of paper milling industry that contains high amount of calcium, yet low in silica. The presence of high calcium content in geopolymer system will accelerate the setting time of fresh geopolymer and may disrupt the development of its mechanical strength. Therefore, in this study, the refinement of PMSA properties was conducted by treating raw PMSA in hydrochloric acid solution with different molarities of 0.5 M, 1.0 M and 1.5 M. The pre-treatment process was mainly purposed to decrease the amount of calcium and other impurities through leaching mechanism. Characterization of raw materials and pre-treated PMSA was done based on ICPMS and XRF analysis for its leachate and oxide analysis, respectively, while the effect of pre-treated PMSA on geopolymer properties was conducted by adding the pre-treated ash as a replacement material for fly ash at various percentages of replacement (5%, 10%, and 15%). Based on the experimental results, 1.5 M hydrochloric acid solution (HCl) was determined as the optimum concentration due to its ability in removing higher amount of calcium from the ash, yet still able to increase the amount of silica. Testing on the hardened properties of geopolymer specimen also showed the deceleration of fresh fly ash based geopolymer and produced a more workable fresh geopolymer. Higher workability has led to a denser and more compact specimen, which contributed to the higher mechanical strength of hardened specimen, particularly in 5% pre-treated PMSA specimen. Therefore, the use of PMSA as an alternative source material for fly ash based geopolymer has presented a favourable potency, particularly after the pre-treatment process with HCl.

Online reading necessitates the use of both similar and different skills to traditional paper-based reading. Therefore, some overlap is likely in the background and attitudinal factors associated with reading in the two modes. This study uses a multilevel framework and data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS, 2016) to explore the characteristics associated with online and paper-based reading in Ireland. Of independent variables examined, pupil reading confidence has the largest effect size for both PIRLS and ePIRLS. Home background variables have similar effect sizes for the two outcomes. Differences between the models emerge regarding time spent browsing the internet, the frequency of using a computer at school, pupil enjoyment of reading, and pupil ownership of a smartphone.

CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) were incorporated into a filter paper to produce a paper-based colorimetric device for Hg2+ detection. Under visible light, the CdSe/ZnS QDs acted as a photocatalyst to oxidize TMB, resulting in blue colorization on the paper. Moreover, Hg2+ could enhance the photocatalytic activity of CdSe/ZnS QDs and consequently caused an increase in the color intensity of the paper. The color change of the paper-based device can be directly identified by naked-eye observation or captured by a smartphone and analyzed using image processing software for quantitative analysis. Under optimal conditions, a low detection limit of 0.09 µM was achieved. This device was applied for real samples, including tap water and cosmetics, and achieved satisfying results.

As a kind of industrial hazardous solid waste, paper mill sludge (PMS) was hard to treated by conventional process because of its high moisture, high organic content and and high environmental risk. The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) shows excellent potential for the conversion to a wide variety of organic matter with high water contents including various kinds sludge into fuels or value-added chemicals. In this paper, the liquefaction potential for PMS under different reaction temperatures were investigated, and the products were classified into several main components based on the results of GC-MS. The results showed that the highest yield of bio-oil was 44 % (wt/wt dry PMS without ash) at 340 °C with simply compound composition. And the bio-oil product has above 26 % long chain hydrocarbon and 22 % cycloketones. It has potential for conversion to biomass platform compounds. It can be used as bio-fuel for heat recovery of alkali recovery system of paper mill. So, adjusting different reaction temperatures of HTL, the properties of products can meet the different requirements for platform chemical and/or bio-oil fuel.

A simple anodization technique has been adopted for the synthesis of Au doped TiO2 nanotubes (Au/TiO2NTs) electrode. The physicochemical properties of Au/TiO2NTs electrodes have been studied using FE-SEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and UV–vis DRS analysis techniques and, compared with un-doped TiO2NTs electrodes. The optimization of process parameters has been carried out for the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 4-CG (4-Chloroguaiacol) under batch-mode experiments. Au/TiO2 nanotube electrodes showed 84% degradation efficiency in 6 h under optimized conditions viz. 0.15 mM Au loading, 0.08 g L−1 electrolyte concentration, 0.03 A current and pH 3 under UV light irradiations. The degradation of 4-CG was validated with the quantification of generated •OH and degradation intermediates/by-products during the batch-mode PEC treatment. The PEC process was observed to be more efficient for degrading and mineralizing 4-CG when compared to PC and EC processes, individually. PEC degradation of 4-CG has also been assessed in recirculation mode to study the feasibility of synthesized Au/TiO2NTs electrodes to treat large volume of contaminant polluted wastewater. For the feasibility of industrial scale applications, pulp and paper mill effluent was subjected to the PEC degradation under recirculation mode using Au/TiO2NTs electrodes and significant reduction in COD and TOC values were observed. Overall, the cost of electrical energy consumption was computed for all the batch and recirculation-mode PEC treatment of 4-CG as well as real pulp and paper mill effluent.

A group of senior doctors with vast clinical experience met on 19th July’20 under the aegis of Academy of Advanced Medical Education. The panel looked at Ivermectin, one of the old molecule and evaluated it's use in COVID 19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019) management. After critical panel discussion, all the attending doctors came to a conclusion that Ivermectin can be a potential molecule for prophylaxis and treatment of people infected with Coronavirus, owing to its anti-viral properties coupled with effective cost, availability and good tolerability and safety., Highlights “Ivermectin in the dose of 12 mg BD alone or in combination with other therapy for 5–7 days may be considered as safe therapeutic option for mild moderate or severe cases of Covid-19 infection. It is cost effective especially when the other drugs are very costly & not easily available”.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy in the USA and Europe. Despite improvements in the 5-year and overall survival rates over the past decade, older adults (aged ≥65 years) with multiple myeloma continue to experience disproportionately worse outcomes than their younger counterparts. These differences in outcomes arise from the increased prevalence of vulnerabilities such as medical comorbidities and frailty seen with advancing age that can influence treatment-delivery and tolerance and impact survival. In general, geriatric assessments can help identify those patients more likely to benefit from enhanced toxicity risk-prediction and aid treatment decision-making. Despite the observed benefits of geriatric assessments and other screening frailty tools, provider and systems-level barriers continue to influence the overall perception of the feasibility of geriatric assessments in clinical practice settings. Clinical trials are underway evaluating the efficacy and safety of various multiple myeloma therapies in less fit/frail older adults, with a minority examining fitness-based/risk-adapted approaches. Thus, significant gaps exist in knowing which myeloma therapies are most appropriate for older and more vulnerable adults with multiple myeloma. The purpose of this Review is to discuss how geriatric assessments can be used to guide the management of transplant-ineligible patients; and to highlight frontline therapies for standard-risk and high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities [i.e., t(4;14), t(14;16), and del(17p)] associated with multiple myeloma. We also discuss the current shortcomings of the existing clinical approaches to care and highlight ongoing clinical trials evaluating newer fitness-based approaches to managing transplant-ineligible patients.

The rapid development of the portable and wearable devices has inspired the ever-growing pursuit of flexible energy storage equipment which can power these devices. Here, rice paper (RP) was integrated with a homemade LGS-polypyrrole (LGS-PPy) ink and commercial pen ink in order to construct a flexible electrode of a supercapacitor via a facial dip-coating method. The obtained RP/LGS-PPy ink/Pen ink composites showed a high areal specific capacitance of 1568 mF/cm2 at 0.2 mA/cm2, owing to the uniform deposition of a LGS-PPy layer which was covered by the pen ink coating. Furthermore, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor fabricated from the RP/LGS-PPy ink/Pen ink electrode exhibited impressive electrochemical performances in terms of specific capacitance (317.5 mF/cm2 at 2 mA/cm2), power density (846 μW/cm2 at the energy density of 23.5 μWh/cm2), and life times (82.1% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles). In addition, the capacitance of the as-prepared device remained essentially unchanged even after bending at 180°, thus demonstrating this device's outstanding flexibility. The low cost of raw materials, robust fabrication strategy as well as the moderate performances make the RP-based supercapacitor a promising candidate for future flexible energy storage devices.

Scaphoid fractures are commonly seen following a fall on an outstretched hand and often missed on initial presentation. An untreated scaphoid fracture may result in avascular necrosis of the scaphoid due to its retrograde blood supply. Published articles guide our investigation and management of these injuries. A citation analysis was performed on the top 30 articles relating to scaphoid fractures ranked by citation number. The 30 articles have been cited a total of 4595 times originating from 9 different countries. The leading article was cited 443 times with an average of 12.66 citations/year. Although this may not directly correlate with study quality, it does provide an insight to the influence which a paper has had on the scientific community. This list may prove invaluable to clinicians involved in the treatment of patients with scaphoid fractures and those actively furthering the development of the field.

Different heating processes were applied to pretreat the pulp and paper mill sludge to enhance the hydrolysis stage. Hot air oven, autoclave, microwave and water bath were used for comparison. Chemical analyses exposed that all the pretreatment methods have shown improvement in solubilisation of organic matter. Among the pretreatments studied, heat transfer through hot air (80 °C for 90 min) mode had the highest impact on sludge solubilisation. There was an increase in cellulose (P = 0.0096), acid soluble (P = 0.0053) and insoluble lignin (P = 0.0012), but decrease in hemicellulose (P = 0.0009) content after pretreatment. The XRD and FT-IR spectroscopic characterisation shows the development of aliphatic, unsaturated and carbonyl carbon functionalities in the pretreated samples at higher severities. FESEM picture also confirms the change in structure after pretreatment. Thus, pretreatments contribute to disruption of the lignocellulosic structure making the cellulose easily accessible to acidogenic microorganisms.

Green Energy efficiency is becoming more important because of the resulting cost reduction and image of green society which helps to enhance competitiveness in a globalized green market. Pulp and paper manufacturing is a large-scale industry which is generally regarded as important for national development. The Pulp and Paper industry consumes approximately 2.5% of total industrial energy consumption in Thailand by 44 factories distributed throughout the country. Therefore, energy efficiency improvement can play a significant role in the industry. Investigations of the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency measures and technologies using bottom-up Conservation Supply Curve (CSC) in the pulp and paper mill process are required. This study examines the concept, methodology, and the usefulness of the energy conservation supply curve, and the potential to create the appropriate energy policies to the Thai Pulp and Paper Industry.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of electrical conductivity, pH and temperature which were kept constant during treatment via an advanced control strategy on chemical oxygen demand, color, turbidity and total suspended solids removal and energy consumption. Central Composite Design matrices were formed for aluminum and iron electrode systems separately with different combinations of 5 independent variables (electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, current intensity and electrolysis time). Obtained results revealed that aluminum electrode system was found to be more effective than iron electrode system under controlled conditions. Comparison of uncontrolled and controlled studies at optimum values of aluminum electrode system showed an increase by 31.67% in chemical oxygen demand removal and a decrease by 48.30% in energy consumption under controlled case. Results indicated that constant electrical conductivity, pH and temperature during electrocoagulation process of pulp and paper mill wastewater by means of a controller enhanced treatment efficiency.

Large-sized graphene sheets (LG) and doping strategy were employed to fabricate lightweight and flexible graphene paper with exceptional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance. Compared with the smaller sized ones, LG with fewer defects and more conjugated carbon domain size as well as better alignment result in higher electrical conductivity and strength of graphene paper. The iodine doping further improves the carrier density of LG by formation of triiodide ( I 3 − ) and pentaiodide ( I 5 − ) through charge transfer process without deteriorating the mechanical property, thus leading to superior EMI shielding effectiveness (SE). The EMI SE of iodine doped LG film with thickness of 12.5 μm is up to ∼52.2 dB at 8.2 GHz, which is much higher than that of undoped LG with the same thickness (∼47.0 dB). More important, the improvements in EMI SE is contributed to the SE absorption, while the SE reflection is almost unchanged. The mechanisms of improved EMI shielding performance as well as mechanical property were investigated and discussed. The present study provides a facile way to fully develop graphene in lightweight and flexible EMI shielding materials and devices.

Recycled paper mill sludge (RPMS) was hydrothermally treated by subcritical water (SBW) in two modes of operation, namely semi-continuous and batch, at temperatures in the range 150–250 °C, and 100 bar. The performance of both systems was analyzed in terms of degree of hydrolysis, product yield and formation of degradation products. The highest degree of RMPS hydrolysis was achieved using the batch reactor configuration, while in the semi-continuous system higher yields of water soluble compounds (WSC) and monosaccharides were achieved. By using the semi-continuous system at 100 bar, 250 °C and a water flow rate of 5 mL/min, 40% of the organic carbon content of RPMS was recovered in the form of soluble compounds. Additionally 20% of total carbohydrates and 75% of total lignin of RPMS were recovered as soluble material. Detailed mass balances performed for both operational modes revealed that under batch mode, the naturally occurring compounds found in RPMS underwent significant transformation, generating derivatives referred to as degradation products. An analysis of the severity factor was performed for both operational modes. It was concluded that significant values of WSC were only obtained for severity factors higher than four.

This study aimed at the quantification of thermochemical behaviors of textile dye sludge (TDS), paper mill sludge (PMS), and their various blend ratios during (co-)combustion. Changes in mass loss percentage (MLP) and rate (MLR) were estimated as a function of temperature, heating rate, and blend ratio. Our results pointed to a direct influence of blend ratios on mass loss percentage. Stochastic uncertainties and sensitivities associated with best-fit predictions of MLP and MLR responses were detected using all-at-once versus one-at-a-time Monte Carlo simulations. Co-combustion of TDS and PMS provided more flame stability owing to their volatile matter contents than did the combustion of pure TDS or PMS. The high C and H contents of TDS relative to those of PMS led to high lower heating value (higher energy). Effect of increased temperature on the co-combustion manifested itself in the breakdown of (hemi-)cellulose initially and lignin progressively in TDS and PMS. The increasing TDS of the blend ratio increased both MLP and MLR. Stochastic uncertainty analysis of the deterministic empirical models pinpointed overestimation by 15.6% in mean MLP and by 50% in mean MLR. Sensitivity analysis pointed to blend ratio as the most influential predictor on both MLP and MLR.