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In this work, the types of products and their proportions, the evolution characteristics of the functional groups and gases products, the pollutants emission of combustible solid waste (CSW), paper mill sludge (PMS) and their blends were investigated by Py-GC/MS and TG-FTIR. For the blends, the proportions of PMS were 10%, 30% and 50%. The percentage of pyrolysis products (acid, hydrocarbon, aldehyde, alcohol, benzene, furan, phenol, ester and ketone) was pointed out. Among these, the content of acid was the maximum. Blended with 10% PMS, the percentage of alcohol reached the greatest. Both single sample and blends could be divided into two decomposition phases. The residue mass of blends increased from 17.74% to 30.47% with the PMS ratio increased. OH, CH, CO, CO, SO2, NO, HCl, CO, CH4 and CO2 were the main functional groups and gases products surveyed from the FTIR spectrums during co-pyrolysis. Adding PMS into CSW could reduce the emission of the pollutants and the lowest yield of pollutants (SO2, NO, HCl, CO and CO2) would be obtained covered with 50% PMS.

The ACR Incidental Findings Committee (IFC) presents recommendations for managing pancreatic cysts that are incidentally detected on CT or MRI. These recommendations represent an update from the pancreatic component of the JACR 2010 white paper on managing incidental findings in the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. The Pancreas Subcommittee—which included abdominal radiologists, a gastroenterologist, and a pancreatic surgeon—developed this algorithm. The recommendations draw from published evidence and expert opinion, and were finalized by informal iterative consensus. Algorithm branches successively categorize pancreatic cysts based on patient characteristics and imaging features. They terminate with an ascertainment of benignity and/or indolence (sufficient to discontinue follow-up), or a management recommendation. The algorithm addresses most, but not all, pathologies and clinical scenarios. Our goal is to improve quality of care by providing guidance on how to manage incidentally detected pancreatic cysts.

Summary Background & aims This review aims to clarify the use of indirect calorimetry (IC) in nutritional therapy for critically ill and other patient populations. It features a comprehensive overview of the technical concepts, the practical application and current developments of IC. Methods Pubmed-referenced publications were analyzed to generate an overview about the basic knowledge of IC, to describe advantages and disadvantages of the current technology, to clarify technical issues and provide pragmatic solutions for clinical practice and metabolic research. The International Multicentric Study Group for Indirect Calorimetry (ICALIC) has generated this position paper. Results IC can be performed in in- and out-patients, including those in the intensive care unit, to measure energy expenditure (EE). Optimal nutritional therapy, defined as energy prescription based on measured EE by IC has been associated with better clinical outcome. Equations based on simple anthropometric measurements to predict EE are inaccurate when applied to individual patients. An ongoing international academic initiative to develop a new indirect calorimeter aims at providing innovative and affordable technical solutions for many of the current limitations of IC. Conclusion Indirect calorimetry is a tool of paramount importance, necessary to optimize the nutrition therapy of patients with various pathologies and conditions. Recent technical developments allow broader use of IC for in- and out-patients.

With “drop-slip” (DS) bulk liquid flow on a fully inkjet-printed microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD), a new method for the rapid transport of sample liquid is presented. The main driving force for DS flow is the slip flow of fluid on wetted porous cellulose acting as a lubricated surface, which is predominantly influenced by the width of the hydrophilic channel and the surface tension of the sample liquid. The application of DS flow is demonstrated by a model colorimetric metal assay (Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+) with inkjet-deposited indicators on a μPAD with optimized channel dimensions of 2 mm width and 110 μm height. The presence of bulk liquid on the entire device does not result in any mixing of assay components across adjacent sensing regions connected by microfluidic channels. DS flow is a useful alternative sample liquid transport method for μPADs, allowing to perform multiple fully independent assays with enlarged sample volumes without requiring any significant variation in device design and fabrication.

To describe the variation in radiologists' follow-up recommendations for focal cystic pancreatic lesions (FCPL) after publication of the 2010 ACR incidental findings White Paper and determine adherence to guidance of the ACR Incidental Findings Committee.Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this retrospective, HIPAA-compliant observational study. Patients with FCPL were identified from abdominal CT and MRI reports generated in 2013 using natural language processing software. Patient-, lesion-, and radiologist-specific variables were recorded. Primary outcome was whether a follow-up recommendation was made, and if it included a specific study or intervention and recommended time for follow-up. χDuring calendar year 2013, 1,377 reports describing FCPLs were identified in 1,038 patients. After excluding examinations from low-volume readers (n = 80), radiologists recommended follow-up imaging in 13.5% (175/1,297) of cases, a decrease from 2009 when it was recommended in 23.7% (221/933) of cases (P.001). Findings were consistent across radiologists after controlling for patient- and lesion-specific variables. Variability in follow-up recommendations persists between radiologists (2.4-fold difference in 2013 versus 2.8-fold difference in 2009). Radiologists adhered to ACR guidance principles 47.4% of the time.Despite published guidance recommendations and reported awareness of them, fewer than half of follow-up recommendations for FCPL are consistent with the guidance and considerable variability persists among radiologists.

Heavy metal content has become a serious issue with increase in compost application in agricultural land. The bioavailable fraction (water soluble and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable) is the major concern comparing to the total concentration as it can be taken up by plants which in turn affects the human health. Thus, this study was carried out to determine the variation in bioavailable and leachable fraction of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, Hg and Mn) and to assess the influence of temperature, pH, organic matter degradation and humification during rotary drum composting of paper mill sludge (PMS) for 20 days. A total concentration of all the metals as well as nutrients increased during composting. The Hg was not detected in water soluble and DTPA extractable fraction, whereas Pb and Cr were also not detected in water soluble fraction in all the trials. A decreasing trend was observed in leachable quantity for all the metals during composting. Water extractable quantity increased for Fe and Cu during composting. Organic matter degradation and humification during composting influences the variation in bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals, which can be optimized by applying appropriate proportion of cow dung during rotary drum composting of PMS.

During the folding process substrates are exposed to high-localized stresses, which in the case of coated papers and boards, can lead to decreased aesthetic features or complete loss of functionality. Production efficiency of the folding process could be improved by an automated, computer vision-based inspection system. For such a task, different existing computer-aided fold-crack evaluation approaches were analyzed. A detailed research was conducted to propose an image processing based fold cracking assessment via finding optimal sample preparation and digitization techniques and developing an algorithm for the digital image analysis and feature extraction. The analysis of the applicability of different sample preparation and digitization parameters, as well as the proposed digital image feature, was done by correlation evaluation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and corresponding post hoc tests. The results indicated that the developed algorithm fulfils the set requirements and the proposed feature of digitized samples faithfully describes the analyzed fold-cracks.

In this work, heterogeneous photocatalysis was used to treat pulp and paper mill effluent (PPME). Magnetically retrievable Fe2O3-TiO2 was fabricated by employing a solvent-free mechanochemical process under ambient conditions. Findings elucidated the successful incorporation of Fe2O3 into the TiO2 lattice. Fe2O3-TiO2 was found to be an irregular and slightly agglomerated surface morphology. In comparison to commercial P25, Fe2O3-TiO2 exhibited higher ferromagnetism and better catalyst properties with improvements in surface area (58.40 m2/g), pore volume (0.29 cm3/g), pore size (18.52 nm), and band gap (2.95 eV). Besides, reusability study revealed that Fe2O3-TiO2 was chemically stable and could be reused successively (five cycles) without significant changes in its photoactivity and intrinsic properties. Additionally, this study demonstrated the potential recovery of Fe2O3-TiO2 from an aqueous suspension by using an applied magnetic field or sedimentation. Interactive effects of photocatalytic conditions (initial effluent pH, Fe2O3-TiO2 dosage, and air flow-rate), reaction mechanism, and the presence of chemical oxidants (H2O2, BrO3-, and HOCl) during the treatment process of PPME were also investigated. Under optimal conditions (initial effluent pH = 3.88, [Fe2O3-TiO2] = 1.3 g/L, and air flow-rate = 2.28 L/min), the treatment efficiency of Fe2O3-TiO2 was 98.5% higher than the P25. Based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model, apparent rate constants of Fe2O3-TiO2 and P25 were 9.2 × 10-3 and 2.7 × 10-3 min-1, respectively. The present study revealed not only the potential of using magnetic Fe2O3-TiO2 in PPME treatment but also demonstrated high reusability and easy separation of Fe2O3-TiO2 from the wastewater.

The physical demands of daily life in developed countries have decreased remarkably during the last two centuries. General leisure time has increased and the age at retirement has decreased. General health has improved and life expectancy has increased. Most people can expect to live 20-30 years after retirement. By 2050, one in four people in Europe and North America will be aged 65 or over. Furthermore, women live longer than men. Generally, the physical demands on older women will be low. Thus, their physical fitness will decline, which in turn will affect a variety of organ systems and functions, and so impact on mental health, quality of life and independent living. This opinion paper explores exercise strategies for healthy ageing.

The present work demonstrates a miniaturized, easily fabricated, environment-friendly, and cost-effective Microfluidic Paper-based Microbial Fuel Cell (MPMFC) as a potential Energy Harvesting Device. The device consists of a microchannel with a reductant (Shewanella putrefaciens exoelectrogen bacterium with L.B Broth) and oxidant (aerated tap water) flowing over Carbon electrode (anode) and Silver electrode (cathode) using co-laminar flow with the self-capillary phenomenon. The electrochemical analysis like Polarization, Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) was evaluated using a potentiostat, and conductivity and sheet resistance were evaluated using a four-point probe instrument. Various bacterial studies, like growth curve study (Optical Density), volumetric concentrations, and incubation time, were carried out to find out the best suitable optimal bacterial conditions. Lastly, detailed element composition study and morphology of the surface of the electrode with biofouling was carried out using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. The portable MPMFC yields a maximum power density of 15.4 μW/cm2 (1340 nA/cm2) at 390 mV over 90 μL of culture. Also, An Internet of Things (IoT)/cloud-based hardware has been developed and integrated with MPMFC platform to observe the real-time device performance leading to its long-lasting potential to operate miniaturized microelectronics sensors and portable devices.

Question In people with bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, do feedback-guided exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen hasten return to work, reduce healthcare usage and improve clinical recovery more than a home exercise program prescribed on paper? Design Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants Seventy-four workers with limited functional ability due to bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers. Intervention Participants in the experimental and control groups received the same in-patient physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Participants in the experimental group received a home exercise program using the ReHand tablet application, which guides exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen with feedback, monitoring and progression. Participants in the control group were prescribed an evidence-based home exercise program on paper. Outcome measures The primary outcome was the time taken to return to work. Secondary outcomes included: healthcare usage (number of clinical appointments); and functional ability, pain intensity, and grip and pinch strength 2 and 4 weeks after randomisation. Results Compared with the control group, the experimental group: returned to work sooner (MD –18 days, 95% CI –33 to –3); required fewer physiotherapy sessions (MD –7.4, 95% CI –13.1 to –1.6), rehabilitation consultations (MD –1.9, 95% CI –3.6 to 0.3) and plastic surgery consultations (MD –3.6, 95% CI –6.3 to –0.9); and had better short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength. Conclusion In people with bone and soft-tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, prescribing a feedback-guided home exercise program using a tablet-based application instead of a conventional program on paper hastened return to work and improved the short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength, while reducing the number of required healthcare appointments. Trial registration ACTRN12619000344190

Exam paper generation is an indispensable part of teaching. Existing methods focus on the use of question extraction algorithms with labels for each question provided. Obviously, manual labeling is inefficient and cannot avoid label bias. Furthermore, the quality of the exam papers generated by the existing methods is not guaranteed. To address these problems, we propose a novel approach to generating exam papers based on prediction of exam performance. As such, we update the quality of the initially generated questions one by using dynamic programming, as well as in batches by using genetic algorithms. We performed the prediction task by using Deep Knowledge Tracing. Our approach considered the skill weight, difficulty, and distribution of exam scores. By comparisons, experimental results indicate that our approach performed better than the two baselines. Furthermore, it can generate exam papers with adaptive difficulties closely to the expected levels, and the related student exam scores will be guaranteed to be relatively reasonable distribution. In addition, our approach was evaluated in a real learning scenarios and shows advantages.

Paper and silk are the artworks with the highest light sensitivity. They are very vulnerable to photochemical reactions caused by the radiation of light sources in museum lighting, resulting in irreversible permanent damage such as color fading and discoloration. The basis of lighting protection for these artworks is to clarify the influence of different light sources on paper and silk materials. In this study, 10 kinds of narrow band monochrome light in the visible light range were used as experimental light sources, real cultural relics paper and silk materials were used as experimental samples, and long-term irradiation experiments were carried out under constant temperature and humidity conditions. The color parameters of paper and silk irradiated by different light sources were detected periodically, and the curve of color difference with exposure was drawn. The relative influence coefficients of different spectral bands on the color of paper and silk were obtained by curve analysis. By fitting data regularity and regression analysis, the “relative damage-spectral composition” function was established. The effect of light source on color damage of paper and silk is described by mathematical language, and the influence formula of different spectrum on color damage of paper and silk is obtained.

Paper-based packaging products, due to their excellent sustainable properties are preferred over the glass, plastic, and metal-based packaging solutions. The paper bottle molding process is very new in this category, and the tooling aspect is not well explored. Existing tooling solutions offer certain limitations in the molding process such as clogging of channels, low open-area fraction, low fatigue life, and longer cycle times. With the utilization of additive manufacturing techniques, the tooling can not only be made more economical and produced in shorter time duration but also more efficient. VAT photopolymerization based soft tooling process chain is highlighted and discussed in this work. Design of micro-features and their fabrication is carried out using UV light mask projection method. A characterization approach for precision manufacturing of micro-features using X-ray Computed Tomography is also discussed. Validation of the soft tooling process chain and its effectiveness against the conventional tools is presented and discussed in this work. It is shown that the proposed soft tooling process chain for the manufacturing of molds for paper bottle production is a better performing and cheaper alternative to existing solutions implemented in industry.

Objectives We assessed the proportion of primary health care (PHC) randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocols published in peer-reviewed journals that published results in subsequent papers in peer-reviewed journals; and whether this proportion changed over time. Study Design and Setting We searched (last update June 2019) for RCTs published in peer-reviewed journals reporting primary outcome results for 620 protocols that were published up to 2014 and were retrieved in PubMed. We recorded the absolute number and the proportion of protocols with published results per year; and estimated whether the proportion changed over time. Results Of the 620 published protocols, 525 (85%) disseminated their results through a published RCT by June 2019. The number of published protocols was increasing over time especially after 2001. However, the proportion of protocols per year with published results in subsequent papers was decreasing over time after 2002. Specifically, the proportion ranged from 86% to 96% for protocols published until 2010 while for those published from 2011 onward ranged from 76% to 86%. Mean time from protocol to results publication was 39 months (95% CI 37, 41). Conclusion Almost one-sixth of PHC trial protocols published in peer-reviewed journals did not publish their results in subsequent papers.

This paper reviews the most important clinical papers in cystic fibrosis published in 2018, having searched all the literature on Pubmed. Focus is on CFTR modulator therapy, randomised controlled trials, and infection/microbiology issues.

In this study, we compare paper- and web-based self-reporting survey results with smartphone-based survey data. The focus is on the error in the departure or arrival times of the trips reported by the participants and it is measured by the time difference between smartphone-based and self-reporting survey results. Most of the results show that the time difference for the web-based survey is larger than that for the paper-based survey. We find that the burden of the paper-based survey may increase the time difference. The number of elapsed days taken to record impacts the time difference, particularly in the web-based survey. Furthermore, for a young long-time internet user, the paper-based survey results are less accurate.

This paper reports the development and fabrication of a low-cost handheld point of care device that can quantify the concentration of biomarkers using a paper microfluidic assay. The commercially available light-to-digital converting sensor was used to achieve this objective. This RGB sensor was efficient in the digital values of the red, green, and blue components of the sample or object. It has an inbuilt white LED source, an array of photodiodes with color filters, an analog-to-digital converter module, and also an IR blocking filter. The sensor was interfaced with the Arduino UNO board, and the corresponding results were displayed on the serial monitor. This device was tested for manually prepared primary color samples and also for total protein. The colorimetric detection of protein was performed for 1 g dL-1 to 14 g dL-1 concentrations on a paper microfluidic device. The change in color intensity of the paper device with an increase in total protein concentration was monitored and calibrated the device for real sample analysis.

The purpose of this submission is to address the list of questions posed by the Australian Human Rights Commissioner on the White Paper Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Leadership (2019). It is an interim submission, and a final submission will be made later. Some main points of the interim submission, stated in summary, are: 1) The main goals of government regulation in the area of artificial intelligence include: a. ‘Regulation’ must not be confused with economic enablement and stimulation. Both may be legitimate in relation to AI, but the same organisation must not be given responsibility for both, as they involve an inherent potential for conflict of interests. b. Attempts to ‘pick winners’ or to encourage governments to do so should be avoided. Focus on principles, not products. c. Encourage Australian input into the global development of standards for, ethics of, and treaties concerning, AI development and use. d. Legislate where necessary to prevent the most harmful uses of AI. e. It should be assumed that some regulation (possibly including co-regulation) will be necessary. f. The general objectives of the regulation of AI are primarily the protection of human rights and the protecting of competition. 2) There is no Australian policy-oriented organisation with a permanent high level of expertise in AI-related technologies, and certainly no such organisation which does not have potentially conflicting industry development objectives. 3) There would be value in Australia creating such a new policy-oriented organisation, with a limited life-span, but ‘Responsible Innovation Organisation’ (RIO) is a completely inappropriate title, as it suggests that the body has a role in promoting innovation (ie industry development), either by itself or as part of some larger economically-oriented organisation, which will inevitably dominate and distort its views. We should consider approaches taken by other national governments. 4) Many Australian organisations would find it valuable to have an Australian policy-oriented organisation recommending international standards for Australian adoption, or assisting in the developing of Australian standards. 5) Strictly econometric measures of the ‘business case’ for such policy-oriented organisations are not possible or desirable. 6) The desirable goals for such an organisation are set out in (i) above. a. It should primarily encourage and assist other Australian organisations to provide inputs into development of standards and ethics (internationally and in Australia), including by funding assistance where necessary. It should have the capacity to make such inputs itself, when needed. b. A board of part-time Commissioners, with one full-time Commissioner, is desirable. It should be a stand-alone organisation, as it would not fit comfortably within other organisations c. Public funding is more desirable, as the costs will be modest. Joint funding by industry prevents very grave risks of regulatory capture. d. It should provide an annual report to Parliament, and communicate its work between reports via a variety of Internet channels.

Paper Spray (PS) is an ambient ionisation technique that is conceptually simple, economical, direct and versatile. In its simplest form, the procedure for operation relies on the application of an electric potential to a triangular-shaped paper substrate with the addition of an extraction/spray solvent to generate charge droplets, without requiring any pneumatic assistance. Despite its promise and rapidly growing popularity, there are some practical challenges associated with PS implementation with scope to enhance its performance further. One such challenge relates to only a small fraction of the Taylor cone expansion being sampled at the MS inlet. In this work we propose a new arrangement for PS, which retains the inherent advantages of this popular technique without introducing additional variables, by using an ambient ion focusing lens that is held at the same potential as the paper substrate. A thorough investigation, consisting of visual spray inspection, electric field simulations and analytical evaluation, including analysis of paracetamol from saliva, shows that ambient ion focusing can provide up to a 50% improvement in spray stability, 60% increase in signal intensity and a 30% improvement in detection limits for routine paper spray mass spectrometry analysis.

Following the American National Lung Screening Trial results in 2011 a consortium of French experts met to edit a statement. Recent results of other randomized trials gave the opportunity for our group to meet again in order to edit updated guidelines. After literature review, we provide here a new update on lung cancer screening in France. Notably, in accordance with all international guidelines, the experts renew their recommendation in favor of individual screening for lung cancer in France as per the conditions laid out in this document. In addition, the experts recommend the very rapid organization and funding of prospective studies, which, if conclusive, will enable the deployment of lung cancer screening organized at the national level.

Herein, we report the development of a portable, iPhone controlled, and inexpensive infrared lightbox for improving the detection limits of paper-based phosphate devices. Commercial devices utilize the molybdenum blue protocol for phosphate detection. Although these devices are user-friendly and have a long shelf life, their standard mode of operation suffers from low sensitivity since it gives semi-quantitative results by comparing to a color chart. To improve the results, we constructed a compact infrared lightbox that communicates wirelessly with a smartphone equipped with a developed colorimetric analyzer. This system measures the absorbance of radiation for the molybdenum blue reaction in the infrared region of the spectrum. By using the infrared lightbox, the detection limits for two popular paper-based commercial devices were improved by a factor of 4 for the Quantofix devices and a factor of 6 for the Indigo units with repeatability of less than or equal to 1.2% RSD.

A non-destructive method based on Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was proposed to estimate the date of paper from different years in this article. For the paper samples, dated from 1940 to 1980, naturally aged and conserved in library. Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), Logistic regression and convolutional neural network (CNN), were employed to evaluate the date of paper, with the accuracy 60.74%, 95.31% and 98.77%, respectively. Based on the characteristics of CNN model and with the help of network localization, active variables could be recognized in the whole spectrum. Although the localization of active variables showed a discriminative pattern, the selected spectral regions were similar. Most important variables focused on the 1700–1400 cm−1, were corresponding to cellulose crystallinity, which was consisted with the ageing processing. The present work gave the potential of FT-IR combined with chemometric techniques could estimate the dating of unknown paper. Meanwhile, the analysis of active variables obtained further indicated the worthy of CNN model for document dating.

This study explores the relationship between interdisciplinarity and the citation impact of highly cited papers. In this paper, interdisciplinarity is investigated by comparing the dimensions of disciplinary diversity (variety, balance, and disparity) and the typical integration indicators (i.e., the Rao-Stirling index (RS) and the Leinster–Cobbold Diversity Index (LCDiv)) of all papers published in 2000 and indexed in Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science. These papers are categorized into six percentile rank classes according to their citation rates, and the interdisciplinarity among these percentile rank classes is compared. Our results demonstrate that, whether control variables are considered or not, highly cited papers always exhibit higher variety and disparity, but they also exhibit lower balance. In terms of the integration interdisciplinarity indicators, the RS and LCDiv both have a positive effect on citation impact. From the perspective of effect size, our results suggest that the effect of variety on citation impact is most significant, followed by disparity and then balance. These results indicate that variety is likely the most important interdisciplinary factor for citation impact.

This study provides a general process for the synthesis of carbon paper (CP) supported core-shell MnCo2O4@NiCo2O4 nanoarrays structure through two-step solvothermal method. The as-synthesized hierarchical MnCo2O4@NiCo2O4/CP is further used as counter electrode (CE) based on Titanium mesh of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and exhibits an excellent electrochemical property with a high photoelectric conversion efficiency of 9.58%. The excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the contribution from carbon paper combination outer-sphere NiCo2O4 nanosheet and inner-sphere MnCo2O4 nanoneedle arrays and the use of titanium mesh, which offer a large specific surface area, abundant electronic transmission channels and small internal impedance. The present work can be helpful to develop low-cost and effective CE materials in DSSCs and other applications.

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are a new form of venture capital financing that raised more than 30 billion US dollars between 2016 and 2019. ICOs opened up the venture capital market to a more diverse investor base previously limited to “sophisticated” investors. This study analyses 1,258 white papers and finds that the length is positively correlated with the amount raised during the ICO and the likelihood of successfully completing the ICO. In contrast, the readability grade of the white paper is only positively correlated with the amount raised. The study highlights the role of voluntary disclosure in the ICO market.

Paper-based point-of-care (POC) devices have attracted tremendous attention because of low-cost, simple fabrication, and portability. LAMP-based POC platform comprises a paper substrate on which the DNA amplification reaction occurs. The quality of the paper substrate plays a critical role in performing an efficient LAMP reaction and for effective visualization of the amplification result. The major objective of the current work is to replace the frequently utilized nitrocellulose (NC) membrane by a cost-effective and high quality paper membrane viz. Whatman filter paper (WF) for rapid detection of E. coli via LAMP reaction. Isolated DNA is added on the paper membranes, which undergo LAMP reaction. The effect of initial DNA concentration and time on LAMP amplification reaction rate is analyzed on paper membranes via image analysis for the first time. Overall study inferred that WF is suitable for effective naked-eye detection and greater extent of LAMP reaction (generation of 19 968 DNA copies).

Porcine pseudorabies is one of the most serious infectious diseases influencing the pig-breeding industry. It inflicts enormous losses, underscoring the urgent need for the development of a clinical method for accurate and quick diagnosis of wild-type PRV infection. PRV-gE antibodies are an excellent indicator of PRV source, as their presence in the serum of individuals infected by wild-type PRV but not in those administered PRV gE-deleted vaccines enables distinction of wild-type PRV infection from vaccine immunization. For this study, we developed a miniaturized paper-based smartphone biosensor detection system (paper-biosensor) based on a blocking immunoassay for differential diagnosis of wild-type pseudorabies virus infection versus vaccination immunization. Latex beads (LBs) were used to label PRV, and the test line (T-line) was coated with PRV gE-mAb. The ambient light sensor of the smartphone was used to measure the transmitted light intensity from the T-line. Under optimized conditions, the paper-based smartphone biosensor achieved excellent sensitivity and selectivity. In tests of swine clinical samples (n = 101), the agreement between this method and the most widely used commercial gE-ELISA kit was 98%. Moreover, our method was rapid (15 min), low cost, and easy to operate, endowing it with great promise as an on-site differential diagnosis tool for PRV infection.

In this paper an original and exhaustive mathematical modelling of air impingement drying systems for the production of tissue paper in the Yankee-hoods configurations is reported, which offers the possibility to optimize its energy performance. The model takes into account many detailed operative parameters of the overall drying process with the aim to execute its energy and mass balance and to evaluate its energy performances. The validity of the mathematical model has been assessed by comparison with actual data from an existing tissue paper mill. Finally, the energy performances of two different layouts of the air system have been evaluated and compared. Changing the operative parameters of the drying process, such as air jet temperature and speed and moisture content of the extraction air, it is possible to obtain the same paper production with an energy saving of about 4.5%. In average, the layout with two parallel air circuits assure an energy saving of about 1% with respect to the layout with a single air circuit.

The open-source release of self-replicating rapid prototypers (RepRaps) has created a rich opportunity for low-cost distributed digital fabrication of complex 3-D objects such as scientific equipment. For example, 3-D printable reactionware devices offer the opportunity to combine open hardware microfluidic handling with lab-on-a-chip reactionware to radically reduce costs and increase the number and complexity of microfluidic applications. To further drive down the cost while improving the performance of lab-on-a-chip paper-based microfluidic prototyping, this study reports on the development of a RepRap upgrade capable of converting a Prusa Mendel RepRap into a wax 3-D printer for paper-based microfluidic applications. An open-source hardware approach is used to demonstrate a 3-D printable upgrade for the 3-D printer, which combines a heated syringe pump with the RepRap/Arduino 3-D control. The bill of materials, designs, basic assembly, and use instructions are provided, along with a completely free and open-source software tool chain. The open-source hardware device described here accelerates the potential of the nascent field of electrochemical detection combined with paper-based microfluidics by dropping the marginal cost of prototyping to nearly zero while accelerating the turnover between paper-based microfluidic designs.

Two types of granular electrodes (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide modified bentonite (CTAB-bent) and hydroxy-aluminum pillared organic bentonite (OH-Al-CTAB-bent)) were prepared and form a three-dimensional (3-D) electrode system with general electrode plates to dispose the pulp and paper secondary wastewater deeply of paper mills. Then XRD, FTIR and SEM spectroscopy analysis were applied to characterize the feature of the electrodes. The removal efficiency of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color of the effluent after treatment was investigated. It was found that the removal efficiency of COD and color depended on the reaction time, current density, amount of granular electrode, the airflow and the run times. The results proved that the 3-D electrode system exhibited high efficiency in the removal of COD and color. Under the optimum conditions, the COD could be degraded from initial 256 mg/L to 40 mg/L, that was, 84.3% of COD were removed. And the removal efficiency of color could reach 93%. So the secondary wastewater treated advanced could meet the discharge standard (GB3544-2008). Finally, the possible reaction mechanism of organic pollutants degradation in 3-D electrode system was expatiated.

Pulp and paper industry is a water-intensive industry. This industry commonly produces considerable amount of effluent, especially from virgin raw materials processing. The effluent, namely pulp and paper mill effluent has the potential to adversely affect the receiving watercourses. However, the nutrients in the pulp and paper mill effluent could be reused as a substrate in biohydrogen production. In this study, photofermentative biohydrogen production was investigated using Rhodobacter sphaeroides and pulp and paper mill effluent as a substrate. An application of low power ultrasound on R. sphaeroides was predicted to increase photofermentative biohydrogen production but excessive ultrasound effects might inhibit the production due to possible cell disruption. Hence, various ultrasonication duration (5, 10 and 15 min) and amplitude (15%, 30% and 45%) were applied on the bacteria to determine the recommended ultrasonication conditions for improving biohydrogen production. The recommended conditions were operated at ultrasonication amplitude and duration of 30% and 10 min, respectively. A maximum biohydrogen yield of 9.62 mL bioH 2 /mL medium was obtained under this condition, which was 66.7% higher than the result obtained using R. sphaeroides without undergoing ultrasonication (control). The light efficiency and cell concentration were increased by 67% and 150%, respectively, using ultrasonication amplitude and duration of 30% and 10 min, respectively as compared to the control. The present results demonstrated that moderate power of ultrasonication applied on R. sphaeroides was an effective method for enhancing photofermentative biohydrogen production using raw pulp and paper mill effluent as a bioresource.

Cellulase has by vast applications in the biofuel, pulp and paper, detergent and textile industries. The three components of the enzyme complex (endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase) can effectively depolymerize the cellulose chains in lignocellulosic substrate. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) by fungi is a preferable production route for cellulase because of its low cost, among other advantages. This work describes the cellulase production by Aspergillus niger NRRL3 grown on SSF. SSF was carried out on soybean hulls and waste paper as supports. The effect of the support on cellulase production was assessed under a completely randomized factorial design. The support-time interaction was significant for all the variables studied. Both materials were characterized in terms of water absorption index and critical humidity point. Samples of culture were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study spores and fungal growth. Maximum endoglucanase activity was found at 96 h using soybean hulls as support (5914.29 U L−1), being four times higher than that obtained using waste paper at the same fermentation time. The exoglucanase activity in soybean hulls was maximal at 96 h (4551.19 U L−1), being 9.6 times higher than that obtained in waste paper at the same time. The maximum β-glucosidase activity in soybean hulls (984.01 U L−1) was reached at 96 h, being 1.7 times greater than that obtained in waste paper. Besides, the use of soybean hulls provided high volumetric productivities at shorter times, which may decrease production costs considering a scaled process. Fil: Boggione, María Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario; Argentina Fil: Allasia, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; Argentina Fil: Bassani, Georgina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario; Argentina Fil: Farruggia, Beatriz Monica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Procesos Biotecnológicos y Químicos Rosario; Argentina

The main objective of this project was to assess an inkless method to collect reference (exemplar) fingerprints as a low-cost, portable, and hygienic technique; for temporary storage and as an alternative to the conventional black ink method. The tested inkless approach requires alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel as the medium and thermal paper as the substrate. The final quality and clarity of fingerprints were examined and compared between the two methods, especially on the basis of medium/substrate and biological sex effects. Two different evaluation systems of visual quality (clarity) were conducted to provide more reliable results: a quality score scheme (QS) and metrics from the FBI's Universal Latent Workstation (ULW). Fingerprints were obtained from 20 individuals (11 males and 9 females) between the ages of 20 and 40; a total of 240 impressions were evaluated. The results provide evidence that the inkless method produces identifiable fingerprints of equivalent quality to the standard ink method, although significantly better for males. The potential of the proposed technique as an alternative to the conventional ink method is proven and corroborated by the two independent systems of visual quality assessments.

The development of microfluidic devices for point-of-care (POC) testing has been widely applied for food quality control, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnoses. Regarding the latter, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) have a great potential in developing portable and disposable platforms for fast disease-relevant biomarker detection in remote areas. In this work, k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) classifiers were applied to demonstrate the reliability of using chemical data obtained from µPADs for diagnosis of diseases like diabetes mellitus and hyperuricemia. Predictors based on glucose, lactate, and uric acid biomarkers were evaluated to reach this goal. Healthy adults were differentiated from the diagnosed patients with a perfect success rate. Metabolic disorders were suitably predicted with 95.0% overall accuracy. This model also showed sensitivities and specificities in the ranges 75–100% and 93–100%, respectively, indicating that the classification protocol is robust. The k-NN modeling proved the potential of the µPADs to be applied in telemedicine for reliable off-site diagnoses.

This Commentary by the APSA Board of Governors enthusiastically endorses the position paper "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Strategic Priority for the American Pediatric Surgical Association".

The integration of telecommunications and information systems in health care first began 4 decades ago with 500 patient consultations performed via interactive television. The use of telemedicine services and technology to deliver health care at a distance is increasing exponentially. Concomitant with this rapid expansion is the exciting ability to provide enhancements in quality and safety of care. Telemedicine enables increased access to care, improvement in health outcomes, reduction in medical costs, better resource use, expanded educational opportunities, and enhanced collaboration between patients and physicians. These potential benefits should be weighed against the risks and challenges of using telemedicine. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology advocates for incorporation of meaningful and sustained use of telemedicine in allergy and immunology practice. This article serves to offer policy and position statements of the use of telemedicine pertinent to the allergy and immunology subspecialty.

Gastroparesis continues to represent a large unmet clinical need and a major opportunity for new drug development. This has led to increasing interest by federal funding agencies, regulatory bodies, and industry. This article summarizes the proceedings of the gastroparesis section of the “Drug Development Conference: Clinical Endpoints in Upper GI Disorders” organized by the American Gastroenterological Association in Washington, DC, on October 27–28, 2016. The presentation, diagnosis, and current therapeutic strategies are briefly reviewed, followed by a detailed discussion of the regulatory strategy, recommended endpoints, and future directions.

Endoscopic image-enhancement technologies provide opportunities to visualize normal and abnormal tissues within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in a manner that complements conventional white light endoscopic imaging. The additional information that is obtained enables the endoscopist to better identify, delineate, and characterize lesions and can facilitate targeted biopsies or, in some cases, eliminate the need to send samples for histologic analysis. Some of these technologies have been available for more than a decade, but despite this fact, there is limited use of these technologies by endoscopists. Lack of formalized training in their use and a scarcity of guidelines on implementation of these technologies into clinical practice are contributing factors. In November 2014, the American Gastroenterological Association's Center for GI Innovation and Technology conducted a 2-day workshop to discuss endoscopic image-enhancement technologies. This article represents the third of 3 separate documents generated from the workshop and discusses the published literature pertaining to training and outlines a proposed framework for the implementation of endoscopic image-enhancement technologies in clinical practice. There was general agreement among participants in the workshop on several key considerations. Training and competency assessment for endoscopic image-enhancement technologies should incorporate competency-based education paradigms. To facilitate successful training, multiple different educational models that can cater to variations in learning styles need to be developed, including classroom-style and self-directed programs, in-person and web-based options, image and video atlases, and endoscopic simulator programs. To ensure safe and appropriate use of these technologies over time, refresher courses, skill maintenance programs, and options for competency reassessment should be established. Participants also generally agreed that although early adopters of novel endoscopic image-enhancement modalities can successfully implement these technologies by pursuing training and ensuring self-competency, widespread implementation is likely to require support from GI societies and buy-in from other key stakeholders including payors/purchasers and patients. Continued work by manufacturers and the GI societies in providing training programs and patient education, working with payors and purchasers, and creating environments and policies that motivate endoscopists to adopt new practices is essential in creating widespread implementation.

Background: In respect of the principle of autonomy and the right of self-determination, obtaining an informed consent of potential participants before their inclusion in a study is a fundamental ethical obligation. The variations in national laws, regulations, and cultures contribute to complex informed consent documents for patients participating in clinical trials. Currently, only few ethics committees seem willing to address the complexity and the length of these documents and to request investigators and sponsors to revise them in a way to make them understandable for potential participants. The purpose of this work is to focus on the written information in the informed consent documentation for drug development clinical trials and suggests (i) to distinguish between necessary and not essential information, (ii) to define the optimal format allowing the best legibility of those documents., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

More than 150,000 in Europe and 800,000 people worldwide, die every year by suicide (WHO, 2015), accounting for 1·4% of all annual deaths. Suicide is the second, and in some European countries even the first leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-24 years (WHO, 2015), thus exceeding the number of accidental deaths.The European parliament resolution on Mental Health 2008/2209 (INI) adopted a series of recommendations for European member states. It proposed areas for priority action as defined in the European Pact on Mental Health and Well-Being. Recently, 29 suicide prevention experts from 17 European countries (The Task Force for the European Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Program, EESPP) performed a systematic review of evidence for the effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions that has been published over the last decade. During three face-to-face meetings, the EESPP group developed a consensus declaration that, based on the findings of the systematic reviews, summarizes the minimal requirements for a national suicide prevention programs and of the strategies to employ.

Pyrolysis is a promising technology for the production of marketable energy products from waste mixtures, as it decomposes heterogeneous material into homogenous fuel products. This research assessed the ability of slow pyrolysis to convert three waste streams, composed of fibre residues contaminated with different plastic mixtures, into char and tarry phase products at three different temperatures (300, 425 and 550 °C). The products were characterised in terms of mass yield, higher heating value (HHV) and gross energy conversion (EC). Significant amounts of hydrocarbon plastics in the feed materials increased the calorific values of the char (up to 32.9 MJ/kg) and tarry phase (up to 42.8 MJ/kg) products, comparable to high volatile bituminous A coal and diesel respectively. For all three waste streams converted at 300 °C, the majority of the energy in the feedstock was recovered in the char product (>80%), while deoxygenation of fibre component resulted in char with increased calorific value (up to 31.6 MJ/kg) being produced. Pyrolysis at 425 °C for two of the waste streams containing significant amounts of plastic produced both a valuable char and tarry phase, which resulted in an EC greater than 74%. Full conversion of plastic at 550 °C increased the tarry phase yield but dramatically decreased the char HHV. The influence of temperature on product yield and HHV was discussed based on the pyrolysis mechanisms and in relation to the plastic composition of the waste streams.

Background The prevalence and impact of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is significant. While hand hygiene is well documented as the single most effective method to prevent HAIs, research and prevention has focused on the healthcare provider's hand hygiene. Studies validate the importance of the healthcare consumer's hand hygiene, finding consumers’ hands become a reservoir and means of transmission if not adequately cleansed. Although consumer hand hygiene is an obvious safety concern across healthcare settings, it is frequently overlooked and not routinely measured. Barriers to consumer hand hygiene include inaccessible supplies, irritating agents, lack of knowledge, forgetfulness, or lack of administrative leadership/support. Our evidence-based protocol for healthcare consumer hand hygiene addresses the roles and responsibilities of all within the healthcare community. Methods We appraised the scientific literature using Dang and Dearholt's (2018) five levels of evidence with Level 1 being the most stringent. We included fifty-four studies spanning 17 years (2002-2019); thirty-one studies published during the last 5 years in professional peer reviewed journals and twenty-three seminal studies more than 5 years old. There were 3 Level I studies, 26 Level 2 studies, 9 Level 3 studies, 15 Level 4 studies, and 1 Level 5 study. Studies differed in focus, design, methods, and included several countries, healthcare systems, and settings (hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the community), with hospitals being the most frequent setting. Results The evidence demonstrates a multi-modal approach to healthcare consumer hand hygiene is most effective. Key elements include leadership to implement and maintain high levels of adherence, education, consumer preference, and verbal and nonverbal reminders. Following implementation of a healthcare consumer hand hygiene protocol, increased rates of healthcare provider hand hygiene adherence and decreased rates of HAI were noted in the literature. Conclusions A healthcare consumer hand hygiene protocol may decrease HAIs, improve outcomes, and promote healthcare consumer engagement and satisfaction.

Vermicomposting of paper mill sludge (PMS) and tea waste (TW) using cow dung (CD) in five different combinations was carried out using Eisenia fetida. The aim of this study was to manage the waste disposal problem of PMS using the environment-friendly technology of vermiconversion. The changes in physico-chemical parameters were observed at 30-day intervals up to 90 days. The final pH was within 6.09–6.95 among all units. The TN, TP and TK contents increased 0.30–0.87, 0.53–3.23, 0.33–0.63 times, respectively in all mixtures after vermicomposting with increase in EC and ash Content. Maximum reduction in Total Organic Carbon (23.91%) was observed in treatment with highest PMS content, attributed to earthworm activity. Reduction in C: N ratio (38.63%–54.05%) was significantly observed in all the treatments. It was finally inferred that the paper mill sludge and tea waste in combination with cow dung can be successfully biotransformed into useful manure employing earthworms.

In order to explore hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) behavior of municipal solid wastes (MSW), four typical components, waste textile, wood, paper and food, were employed to perform HTC and co-HTC process. The experiments were conducted at 240 ○C and 90 min with a 1:12 solid/liquid ratio, where blending ratios of 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1 with waste textile were investigated. As expected, the increase of fixed carbon and carbon content improved the fuel potential of hydrochar. The synergistic index (SI) analysis clearly indicated that significant synergistic effects occurred during co-HTC process. Specifically, all the SI values of hydrochar yield from co-HTC of waste textile with wood and paper were negative, while all SI values of hydrochar yield for waste textile with food were positive. Particularly, the SI values of fuel ratio for all hydrochars were positive which suggested co-HTC could promote to enhance the coalification degree of hydrochars. However, the undesirable increment of O content for hydrochars (derived from 75%waste textile-25% waste food and 50%waste textile-50% waste food) decreased the high heating value. The combustion behavior and nth-order kinetic model analysis showed that hydrochars derived from co-HTC rendered a more stable and lasting combustion profile.

Discharging ill-treated wastewater from pulp and paper industry into water bodies causes accumulation of toxic and carcinogenic substances in the watercourse. A study on the removal of pentachlorophenol (PCP) from wastewater using a combination of granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption and biofilm in multimedia-sequencing batch biofilm reactor (MM-SBBR) system was conducted. The performance, mechanism and kinetic of PCP removal were investigated using two lab-scale MM-SBBRs and three control bioreactors over a 600-day period. Both MM-SBBRs composed of Perspex column packed with plastic media filled with GAC were used with initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 1000 mg L−1 at a fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h. All five bioreactors working in parallel were spiked with different PCP concentrations (10 mg L−1, 50 mg L−1 and 100 mg L−1). MM-SBBR treating synthetic wastewater displayed the most effective PCP, COD and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) removals ranging from 95 to 99 %, 93 to 99 % and 92 to 100 %, respectively. The kinetic of PCP removal in MM-SBBR system was best-fitted to Singh model (R2 > 88 %). The adsorption capacity of GAC present in the MM-SBBR bioreactor remained constant and thus, the adsorption mechanism played a key role in PCP removal. In conclusion, MM-SBBR system has potential for wastewater treatment in terms of performance efficiency and process stability, therefore, deserve a vote for pulp and paper mill effluents treatment.

The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is increasing and threatening the earth's climate. Selective CO2 capture at large point sources will help to reduce the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Biochar with microporous structure could be a potential material to capture CO2. The impact of feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature and steam activation of biochars were evaluated for CO2 adsorption capacity. Pine sawdust biochars were produced at 550 °C, and steam activated for 45 min at the same temperature after completing the pyrolysis (PS550 and PSS550). Paper mill sludge biochars were produced at 300 and 600 °C (PMS300 and PMS600). The CO2 adsorption capacity of biochars was tested at 25 °C using a volumetric sorption analyzer. Pine sawdust biochars showed significantly higher CO2 adsorption capacity than paper mill sludge biochars due to high surface area and microporosity. Pine sawdust biochars were then evaluated for dynamic adsorption under representative post-combustion flue gas concentration conditions (15% CO2, 85% N2) using a breakthrough rig. Both materials showed selective CO2 uptake over N2 which is the major component along with CO2 in flue gas. PSS550 had slightly higher CO2 adsorption capacity (0.73 mmol g^-1 vs 0.67 mmol g^-1) and CO2 over N2 selectivity (26 vs 18) than PS550 possibly due to increase of microporosity, surface area, and oxygen containing basic functional groups through steam activation. Pine sawdust biochar is an environmentally friendly and low-cost material to capture CO2.