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Developing cost-effective and stable materials for the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains challenging. In this study, efficient catalysts for HER were synthesized by integrating the cobalt and molybdenum oxides via electrodeposition, followed by subsequent sulfurization of the as-prepared oxides using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This methodology allowed the incorporation of both cobalt and molybdenum components into the catalyst in a single step. The as-synthesized CoSx@MoSx/MoOx-based catalysts exhibited excellent hydrogen production performance in acidic media owing to the presence of Co-S and Mo-S bonds in the hybrid structure. Particularly, CoSx@MoSx/MoOx(90@360) and MoSx@CoOx(180@180) displayed the best HER performances with low overpotentials of 80 mV and 150 mV, respectively. The catalysts were highly stable, with their stability preserved for over 1000 cycles with marginal reduction in overall efficiency. Therefore, these findings suggest the potential of CoSx@MoSx/MoOx and MoSx@CoOx composites as ideal candidates for developing low-cost catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dried blood spot (DBS) based PCR was considered an inexpensive and feasible method for detecting pathogens in the blood. The DBS carrier filter paper and PCR kits are crucial for accurate diagnosis. We evaluated 4 types of filter papers and 20 PCR kits for DBS samples. The PCR detecting Plasmodium results showed that the minimum detection limit of the 4 filter papers was 1 × 102 parasites/μL, and the positive rates of 20 PCR kits ranged from 0% to 100%. PCR results were satisfactory for detecting Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) and Plasmodium. vivax (P. vivax) in archived DBS samples and Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni) in fresh pet DBS samples. Our results provided a useful reference for the detection of blood pathogens with DBS samples and direct PCR, especially for screening the cost-efficacy combination of filter paper and PCR kit in resource-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is a synthesis of suitable hydrogel to produce slow‐release fertilizer using recycled cellulose which is obtained from waste paper. For this purpose, initially, we extracted alpha cellulose from waste paper and modified it to obtain carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Then, the CMC was converted to a suitable hydrogel through in situ graft copolymerization of acrylic acid and vinyl acetate in the presence of methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker. The various factors that affect hydrogel synthesis, such as the amounts of CMC, monomers, initiator, and crosslinker, were evaluated. In the optimized formulation, the weight ratio of monomers to CMC is 7, the molar ratio of monomers to each other is 1, and the crosslinker is used as 3 molar percent of monomers. The products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope analyses. The swelling behavior of the synthesized hydrogels was evaluated in different environments, such as distilled water, tap water, salt water, and different pH levels. The swelling ratio increases with an increase in pH level. Between the synthesized hydrogels, the best one was selected for slow‐release fertilizer production and loaded with 20‐20‐20 fertilizer (NPK), and the release behavior was evaluated. In an alkaline pH, there was a long time for NPK release within a slow‐release medium and even after 361 h, the release process was continued. Also, the performance of the fertilizer‐loaded hydrogel in soil using water holding capacity and water retention ratio tests were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study inspects the viability of engaging the discarded paper wastes in concrete by varying the volume proportions from 0%–20% with each 5% increment in replacement of the weight of cement. A physiomechanical study was conducted, and the results were presented. A glass fiber reinforced rectangular slab with a longer span (ly) to shorter span (lx) ratio of (ly: lx) 1.16 was cast with optimum replacement of waste-paper mass and compared the force-deformation characteristics with the conventional concrete slab without waste paper. The optimum percentage of discarded papers for the replacement of cement is 5%. Also, the results imply that the compressive strength at the age of 28 days is 30% improved for the optimum replacement. Based on the outcomes of the investigation, it can be inferred that the compressive strength gets progressively reduced if the volume of the discarded paper gets increases. The incorporation of glass fibers improves the split and flexural strength of the concrete specimens considerably. The ultimate load-carrying capacity of the glass fiber reinforced waste paper incorporated concrete slab measured 42% lower than that of the conventional slab. However, development of the new type of concrete incorporating waste papers is the new trend in ensuring the sustainability of construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In the pulp and paper industry, black liquor, which is a biomass resource, is burned to produce electricity. Black liquor is concentrated to 21 wt% water through an evaporator before being burned in a boiler. For the evaporator, a multiple‐effect evaporator (MEE) is mainly used, but it requires a large amount of energy and cost. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce energy and cost of evaporation process. Hence, this study suggested a novel process model that integrated mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) with MEE to increase the energy efficiency. The suggested MVR‐assisted evaporation process was composed of preheating and evaporation processes to effectively concentrate black liquor. In addition, it reduced the steam consumption of MEE by using MVR, which uses relatively inexpensive electric energy in the pre‐evaporation process. In the simulation results, the steam, electricity consumption, and the latent heat recovered from the secondary vapor of the suggested process were quantitatively analyzed to verify the energy efficiency. The results indicate that the proposed process increases substantial energy efficiency compared to the conventional process. Then, the appropriateness of the suggested process was evaluated by the techno‐economic analysis. The total annualized cost (TAC) is determined for both current and potential future economic benefits. TAC of the MVR‐assisted MEE configuration can be reduced by up to 77.54%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating more active components into a catalyst material could facilitate the development of multifunctional electrocatalysts for energy conversion and storage applications. In this study, we developed a multifunctional electrocatalyst, namely, Pd alloyed with Co-Fe deposited on N-doped mesoporous carbon derived from tissue paper (Pd@Co-Fe/N-TDC). The synergism in Pd@Co-Fe/N-TDC, stemming from the interatomic alloy between Pd and Co-Fe, N-doped mesoporous carbon with defective surfaces, distribution of polyhedral Pd nanoparticles, and strong metal-support interfacial interaction, resulted in significantly high electrocatalytic performance for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Pd@Co-Fe/N-TDC was found to be an efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst, and this was evidenced by a high onset potential (1.01 V) and kinetic current density (2.6 mA/cm2) for the ORR and by a low overpotential (296 mV) and a low Tafel slope value (38 mV/dec) for the OER, along with a small Δ E of 736 mV. The catalyst also exhibited high durability for both ORR and OER, even after 10000 and 5000 cycles, respectively. Theoretical assessment provides an insight into the synergism of active metal sites in Pd@Co-Fe/N-TDC, which showed its potential for use as a non-Pt electrocatalyst for energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the chemical composition, fiber morphology, and physical properties of Oxytenanthera abyssinica culm to assess its pulping potential. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and Franklin's methods have been used for experiments. The statistical analysis showed that the chemical composition of O. abyssinica is influenced by the age of the plant. The amount of cellulose in the culm increases with age, while hand extractive content decreases with age. The average chemical content of the three years aged O. abyssinica was 49.26 ± 0.13 wt%, 21.31 ± 0.15 wt%, and 20.63 ± 0.12 wt% for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents, respectively. A significant difference exists between 1, 2, and 3-year aged plants (P < 0.05) in cellulose, lignin, ash, and extractive content. The position of the culm also affects the fiber morphology of O. abyssinica. The fiber's length, diameter, cell wall thickness, and lumen diameter increase from top to bottom, whereas the flexibility and slenderness ratio decrease. The average fiber morphology of O. abyssinica was flexibility ratio (0.72 ± 0.10), Runkel ratio (0.35 ± 0.10), slenderness ratio (109.98 ± 0.21), lumen diameter (15.63 ± 0.03 μm), cell wall thickness (2.74 ± 0.03 μm), fiber length (2.40 ± 0.10 mm), and fiber diameter (21.83 ± 0.09 μm). The above data showed that the mean value of the fiber length of the plant is greater than 1.5 mm, the Runkel ratio was less than 1, and the slenderness ratio was greater than 70 standard values. The result also showed that the average bulk density and the moisture content were 660 kg/m3 and 9.6%, respectively. Although O. abyssinica is widely grown in the study area, no comprehensive studies have been carried out on fiber morphology, chemical composition, and physical properties based on age and height. Thus, this research was carried out to study the plant's fiber characteristics to assess its suitability for pulp and paper production. Based on the above data, the 3-year aged bottom part of O. abyssinica is recommended for more yield pulp and high-quality paper production than the first and second-year aged plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most cases, the bridge columns are underwater, and there is a risk of corrosion. The columns of marine structures and docks also include such problems. In addition to the problem of environmental hazards, the bridge columns may fail due to design problems or increasing needs. The use of waterproof concrete materials as a jacket can have a role in increasing the life of bridges. Studies in recent years show that some waste from paper industries can be used in the construction industry. In the present study, several concrete stub columns were built as bridge columns and retrofitted with concrete jackets containing waste paper sludge ash, silica nanoparticles, aluminium oxide nanoparticles, and acrylic resin. The variables included the geometric shape of the column (square and circular) and the type of nanoparticles used in the jackets (silica and aluminium oxide nanoparticles), and the curing environment of the columns (normal and sulfate environments). The combined use of nanomaterials and waste paper ash is the most important novelty of the present study. The axial loading test was performed on the columns, and the load-deflection diagrams were obtained. The ductility, stiffness, load-bearing capacity, and crack distribution were among the parameters that were used to compare different modes. The proposed jackets increased the carrying capacity by 10 to 38%, depending on the processing curing environment and the type of nanoparticles. The combined use of aluminium oxide nanoparticles and waste paper ash can improve compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths and increase the axial load capacity of bridge columns. The proposed concrete jacket effectively reduces the corrosion of concrete and steel reinforcement and improves the bridge’s useful life.

Summary: Microfluidic fuel cell (MFC) stacking is a prerequisite to enhance its power output for practical applications. However, most MFC stacks reported in the present literature require external pumps to maintain the co‐laminar flow and complex fluidic management networks for homogeneous flow and reactant distributions. To address these issues, a novel paper‐based self‐pumping MFC stack with potassium formate as the fuel and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant is proposed in this study. The capillary action is employed to achieve passive liquid flow. A vertical stack structure with the unit cells piled one above another compactly is adopted to reduce the volumetric costs. The experimental results show that the maximum power outputs of the two‐cell and three‐cell stack prototypes are 4.01 and 7.26 mW cm−2, outperforming the MFC unit by 5.81 and 10.52 times, respectively. The superior performance is attributed to its distinct vertical stacking structure, which brings the enhanced capillary flows in the paper wicks and reduced ohmic losses in comparison with the unit cell. Further, effects of the filter paper and reactant concentrations on the stack performance were examined, and mass transfer of the fuel and/or oxidant to the electrode/electrolyte interface was identified as the main limiting factor. A loose microstructure of the paper wick was found beneficial in enhancing the mass transfer. The potential applications of the MFC stack in a variety of portable electronics are broad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the chemical composition, fiber morphology, and physical properties of Oxytenanthera abyssinica culm to assess its pulping potential. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and Franklin’s methods have been used for experiments. The statistical analysis showed that the chemical composition of O. abyssinica is influenced by the age of the plant. The amount of cellulose in the culm increases with age, while hand extractive content decreases with age. The average chemical content of the three years aged O. abyssinica was 49.26±0.13 wt%, 21.31±0.15 wt%, and 20.63±0.12 wt% for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents, respectively. A significant difference exists between 1, 2, and 3-year aged plants (P

An investigation was conducted to study the viability of using waste paper pulp ash as an alternative material applied as a partial replacement of cement in the manufacturing of concrete and its effect on the properties of concrete, and also, the cost and environmental advantage of using waste paper were examined. Four concrete mixes with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% waste paper pulp ash replacement of OPC and PPC for 25 MPa concrete were prepared. Based on the results obtained from the research, the highest compressive strength obtained at all test ages, i.e., 3, 7, and 28 days, were, 24.36, 28.35, and 36.83 MPa, respectively, with 5% replacement of waste paper pulp ash for OPC, and for PPC, all percentage replacements showed reduction in compressive strength than the control mix. The water absorption of concrete was increased with increasing the percentage of waste paper pulp ash than control concrete. The control concrete clearly has the lowest resistance to 2% sulfuric acid solution compared to blended concrete of OPC-WPPA and PPC-WPPA. The cost comparison indicates that the incorporation of waste paper pulp ash decreases the cost of concrete and WPPA and saves raw materials used in cement and concrete production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most cases, the bridge columns are underwater, and there is a risk of corrosion. The columns of marine structures and docks also include such problems. In addition to the problem of environmental hazards, the bridge columns may fail due to design problems or increasing needs. The use of waterproof concrete materials as a jacket can have a role in increasing the life of bridges. Studies in recent years show that some waste from paper industries can be used in the construction industry. In the present study, several concrete stub columns were built as bridge columns and retrofitted with concrete jackets containing waste paper sludge ash, silica nanoparticles, aluminium oxide nanoparticles, and acrylic resin. The variables included the geometric shape of the column (square and circular) and the type of nanoparticles used in the jackets (silica and aluminium oxide nanoparticles), and the curing environment of the columns (normal and sulfate environments). The combined use of nanomaterials and waste paper ash is the most important novelty of the present study. The axial loading test was performed on the columns, and the load-deflection diagrams were obtained. The ductility, stiffness, load-bearing capacity, and crack distribution were among the parameters that were used to compare different modes. The proposed jackets increased the carrying capacity by 10 to 38%, depending on the processing curing environment and the type of nanoparticles. The combined use of aluminium oxide nanoparticles and waste paper ash can improve compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths and increase the axial load capacity of bridge columns. The proposed concrete jacket effectively reduces the corrosion of concrete and steel reinforcement and improves the bridge's useful life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This work describes a two‐step method of in situ electrodeposition and following oxidation to prepare carbon paper (CP) modified with tin dioxide (SnO2) particle as bifunctional electrode for vanadium redox flow battery. Electrodeposition technique was employed to load metal tin particle on CP, which was subsequently oxidized to tin dioxide at high temperature. CPs modified by SnO2 with different content (CP/SnO2‐1, CP/SnO2‐2, and CP/SnO2‐3) were obtained by controlling electrodeposition time. CP/SnO2 presents an increase in electrochemical performance including faster charge and mass transfer compared with pristine CP. Among all samples, CP/SnO2‐2 with proper decorated SnO2 exhibits superior electrocatalytic performances for V3+/V2+ and VO2+/VO2+ reactions. Raised performances can be attributed to that SnO2 nanoparticles provide more active sites leading to rapid electrochemical kinetic of vanadium redox reactions. In addition, mass transfer can be accelerated due to the excellent hydrophilicity of SnO2. The cell using CP/SnO2‐2 as bifunctional electrode exhibits better stability and higher capacity retention during 50‐cycle charge‐discharge test. The cell for CP/SnO2‐2 shows higher energy and voltage efficiency, suggesting that introduction of SnO2 can decrease electrochemical polarization. At 150 mA cm−2, energy efficiency of the cell increases by 7.8% through using CP/SnO2‐2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-cutting is one of the valuable intangible cultural heritages of China, with distinctive features such as "round as the autumn moon, sharp as the wheat mane, square as the green brick, missing as the serrated teeth, and thread as the beard," and is a widely spread folk art. The art of paper-cutting brings new inspiration to the design of structures, and by changing the topology of the raw material, the material/structure can undergo significant changes in physical properties, such as optical, thermal, acoustic, and mechanical aspects. The protection of intangible cultural heritage is a process of cultural self-awareness and a kind of cultural reflection and enlightenment. In the history of promoting socialist cultural development, the protection of "intangible heritage" paper-cutting is undoubtedly of great significance. The purpose of digital image repair is to restore the integrity of the broken image, and the process is to fill in the specified area of the digital image with information, requiring a natural transition between the filled area and the original area of the image and minimizing artificial traces, so that the image looks as if it has never been broken. In this paper, the paper-cutting pattern design method based on image restoration technology is investigated, starting from the preprocessing of paper-cutting images by acquiring the edges of the images and using the Criminisi image restoration algorithm with image broken edge reconstruction to realize the image broken edge reconstruction design of paper-cutting graphics. Therefore, the paper-cut graphics generated by the method in this paper are concise and coherent as a whole, which reduces the difficulty of paper-cut design while satisfying individual design requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A novel bioprocess design to convert paper mill sludge (PMS) to biofuels is proposed in this work. The design utilizes cellulosic fiber recovered from the PMS via optimized de‐ashing (HCl washing) step. This work specifically provided a technical and economic analysis of paper mill sludge conversion into biofuel production using a novel protocol. The protocol is based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis to assess the quality of the contained cellulose prior to further processing. The results are crucially important to determine the suitability of the PMS feedstock to produce biofuels. SEM analysis was employed as a preliminary screening tool to evaluate sludge digestibility and conversion. The SEM characterization technique established a direct relationship between the fiber morphology, presence of crystals salts and sugar yield after enzymatic hydrolysis. Substantial structural changes were observed before and after de‐ashing the sludge samples, leading to a correlation between the surface morphology and the washing step. The results suggested that de‐ashing changes the surface morphology and upon analysis, increased the sugar yield up to about 86% as opposed to 2.2% in sludge sample A as an example. The PMS conversion into biofuel was simulated using Aspen PLUS and compared to a similar process using corn stover as feedstock. The simulation results showed it is 20% cheaper to produce bioethanol from PMS compared to corn stover. The simulation revealed less energy demand by around 13 320 MJ/h compared to that when corn stover was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folk paper-cut art is one of the bright pearls, with a wide range of shapes and a long history, that serves as a model for modern visual communication design in China and encourages designers to think creatively. Integrating emotional elements into a design not only can elicit an emotional response from the viewer but also can make works created using traditional rational thinking more vivid, energetic, and touching. The main focus of this research is on the path and method of incorporating folk paper-cut emotion into visual communication design. The research status of various feature extraction methods and image recognition methods at home and abroad is examined in depth in this paper. For the recognition of distorted images that are not transformed by mathematics, some effective methods are proposed. They are used to recognize artistic images of paper-cut patterns because they can extract effective features that are not affected by translation, rotation, scale change, or small deformation. Experiments have shown that they have a positive impact. The use of folk paper-cut art in visual communication design not only improves the quality of design work but also generates new ideas for the transmission and development of other traditional Chinese cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientific paper's citation represents its influence, which is the most intuitive indicator to access the quality of papers. This paper mainly adopts the social network analysis method, using the authors and the keywords of sports industry papers in China to constitute the networks of collaboration and knowledge, to explore effects of the degree centrality of authors and keywords and the structural hole of authors and keywords on the citation of papers in the collaboration and knowledge networks and draw the following conclusions: (1) as for collaboration networks, the degree centrality at the paper level is positively correlated with citations; (2) in the collaboration network, the positive correlation between the structural hole at the paper level and citations does not exist; (3) within knowledge networks, an inverted- U shape was found between degree centrality and paper's citation; and (4) within knowledge networks, a positive correlation is in existence between the structural hole of papers and their citation. This study synthesizes the already widely used collaboration network with the knowledge network constructed through keywords, distinguishes from the previous network features focusing at the author level, and explores research projects of Chinese Sports Industry from the paper level, providing a new perspective for the research of sports industry in China, complementing the methods and ideas of sports industry research, as well as providing a reference for the research in other disciplinary fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduced a novel olfactory visualization freshness sensor array prepared by dropping pH indicators on UV lithography hydrophilic–hydrophobic paper under room temperature. The sensor array was applied in Grass carp spoilage classification. The sensor array can generate different discoloration patterns that respond to the pH change of the fish spoil; therefore, it can distinguish Grass carp freshness using pattern recognition. Classification models were built with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and backpropagation artificial neural network (BP‐ANN) after extracting the sensor array's feature color information with principal component analysis (PCA). The performance of the BP‐ANN model was superior to that of the LDA model, with an optimum recognition rate of 95.45% (training set) and 90.90% (testing set). In conclusion, with a suitable algorithm choice and rational pH indicator arrangement, this olfactory visualization freshness sensor array can potentially monitor food freshness. We prepared Grass carp freshness sensor array through dropping pH‐indicators on hydrophilic–hydrophobic filter paper that fabricated by UV lithography under room temperature. The hydrophobic edges of the filter paper can maintain the sensor spots' shape and provide stable and consistent colorimetric change for Grass carp freshness recognition. Colorimetric classification models are built using LDA and BP‐ANN based on pattern recognition, and the recognition rate of the BP‐ANN model is above 90%. Novelty impact statement: We prepared Grass carp freshness sensor array through dropping pH‐indicators on hydrophilic‐hydrophobic filter paper that fabricated by UV lithography under room temperature. The hydrophobic edges of the filter paper can maintain the sensor spots' shape and provide stable and consistent colorimetric change for Grass carp freshness recognition. Colorimetric classification models are built using LDA and BP‐ANN based on pattern recognition, and the recognition rate of the BP‐ANN model is above 90 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It is well recognized that combining nonpotable water with solar energy to desalinate water and produce water vapor is an effective route to solve the shortage of fresh water. However, the solar vapor generation suffers from either low solar energy efficiency or complex and high‐cost devices. Herein, we explore a black membrane based on polypyrrole (PPy) and filter paper to enhance solar‐to‐vapor conversion performance, thus providing a low‐cost, stable, and strong efficient solar vapor generator. This device displays high solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiencies of up to approximately 92.2% and 95.6% under irradiation of 1 and 4 kW m−2, respectively. Therefore, this paper‐based high solar‐to‐vapor conversion and scalable evaporator provides a promising solution to the problem of freshwater scarcity and nonrenewable recourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a nonparametric programming approach has been widely extended and applied in many areas. Conventional DEA models can well measure the efficiency of inefficient decision-making units (DMUs) but cannot further discriminate the efficient DMUs. A lot of methods are proposed to address this problem. One of the most important methods is the slacks-based measure of super-efficiency model (S-SBM model) developed by Tone in 2002. However, the projection for a DMU on the efficient frontier identified by S-SBM model may not be strongly Pareto-efficient that makes the super-efficiency score misestimated. This paper revises the usual slacks-based measure of super-efficiency by incorporating input saving and output surplus scaling factors into the objection function for measuring DMUs. We integrate SBM model and S-SBM model effectively and yield input saving and output surplus scaling factors as well as input and output slacks under only one integrated model. According to the study, the projection reference point identified by our method is strongly Pareto-efficient. Meanwhile, how each decision variable influences the efficiency score for a specific DMU is revealed and illustrated through two numerical examples and an empirical study in paper chemical mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The development of an efficient water electrolyser is essential for sustainable hydrogen production; however, its application remains limited by the insufficient performance of the electrode. Herein, we report a rapid, simple, and cost‐effective fabrication of an Ni‐Co‐S cathode for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which is directly usable for an anion exchange membrane water electrolyser (AEMWE). The Ni‐Co‐S electrocatalysts are prepared on a carbon paper (CP) substrate by a one‐step electrodeposition method by controlling deposition parameters such as the deposition potential, time, and electrolyte composition. The optimized Ni‐Co‐S/CP electrode demonstrates a high HER activity with an overpotential of 91 mV at −10 mA/cm2 in 1.0 M KOH. An AEMWE single cell employing the Ni‐Co‐S/CP cathode coupled with a commercial IrO2/CP anode exhibits a current density of 1.7 A/cm2 at 2.4 Vcell, which is higher than that of an AEMWE single cell with a commercial Pt/C/CP cathode; this is attributable to the enhancement of the electron and reactant/product transfer via appropriate cathode design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the effect of intelligent automatic test paper composition, this paper combines the hybrid fuzzy clustering algorithm to study the computer automatic test paper composition algorithm. In this paper, a computer automatic test paper composition system based on hybrid fuzzy clustering algorithm is constructed. Moreover, the hybrid fuzzy clustering method used in this paper is used as the basic algorithm of the system, and the algorithm is improved according to the actual needs of intelligent paper composition. In addition, this paper uses an intelligent algorithm to input the relevant constraint parameters and combines the original parameters to select the most suitable test questions from the database and combine them into test papers. Finally, this paper constructs the system structure based on the requirements of intelligent test paper composition. The experimental research shows that the computer automatic test paper composition system based on the hybrid fuzzy clustering algorithm proposed in this paper has a good test paper composition function, which can effectively promote the progress of the intelligent examination mode in colleges and universities.

Dried blood spot (DBS) based PCR was considered an inexpensive and feasible method for detecting pathogens in the blood. The DBS carrier filter paper and PCR kits are crucial for accurate diagnosis. We evaluated 4 types of filter papers and 20 PCR kits for DBS samples. The PCR detecting Plasmodium results showed that the minimum detection limit of the 4 filter papers was 1 × 102 parasites/μL, and the positive rates of 20 PCR kits ranged from 0% to 100%. PCR results were satisfactory for detecting Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) and Plasmodium. vivax (P. vivax) in archived DBS samples and Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni) in fresh pet DBS samples. Our results provided a useful reference for the detection of blood pathogens with DBS samples and direct PCR, especially for screening the cost-efficacy combination of filter paper and PCR kit in resource-limited areas.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) uses electrodes to monitor the heart rhythm and identify minute electrical changes that occur with each beat. It is employed to investigate particular varieties of aberrant heart activity, such as arrhythmias and conduction problems. One of the most essential tools for detecting heart problems is the electrocardiogram (ECG). The majority of ECG records are still on paper. Manual ECG paper record analysis can be difficult and time-consuming. It is possible to digitally digitize these paper ECG recordings for automated analysis and diagnosis. In this paper, we proposed a system to digitize the ECG paper, automatically detecting R peaks, calculating the average heart rate, and sending SMS to the doctor via cloud in the event of detection of abnormality. The method of the system is uploading an ECG image, then dimensionality reduction, feature extraction in the form of digital signals, and saving it in a CSV file format using the MATLAB programming language. After that, the system retrieves the signals for further processing of the raw signals. We used the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm to calculate R peaks and calculate the heart rate. If the heart rate is abnormal, the system sends SMS messages to doctors via a technology platform (Twilio) using the Python programming language.

This study inspects the viability of engaging the discarded paper wastes in concrete by varying the volume proportions from 0%–20% with each 5% increment in replacement of the weight of cement. A physiomechanical study was conducted, and the results were presented. A glass fiber reinforced rectangular slab with a longer span (ly) to shorter span (lx) ratio of (ly: lx) 1.16 was cast with optimum replacement of waste-paper mass and compared the force-deformation characteristics with the conventional concrete slab without waste paper. The optimum percentage of discarded papers for the replacement of cement is 5%. Also, the results imply that the compressive strength at the age of 28 days is 30% improved for the optimum replacement. Based on the outcomes of the investigation, it can be inferred that the compressive strength gets progressively reduced if the volume of the discarded paper gets increases. The incorporation of glass fibers improves the split and flexural strength of the concrete specimens considerably. The ultimate load-carrying capacity of the glass fiber reinforced waste paper incorporated concrete slab measured 42% lower than that of the conventional slab. However, development of the new type of concrete incorporating waste papers is the new trend in ensuring the sustainability of construction materials.

Phosphate concentration in natural water has been used as a water quality indicator, as it is one of the major nutrients for aquatic plants. However, the traditional phosphomolybdenum blue (PMB) method has limited sensitivity for visual or camera-based detection, leading to underestimation of the phosphate concentration. We present an ultralow-cost, rapid field preconcentration and digital image colorimetric sensing of low-concentration phosphate method for water analysis. A novel hand-powered paper centrifuge (paperfuge) is used for sample preparation and preconcentration. This paperfuge is made of two circular paper discs and a string. Six centrifuge tubes (CTs) originally used as glue dispensing tips with a sample capacity of ∼230 μL, are loaded on the paperfuge. After sampling, phosphate in the water sample is reacted to form PMB. Then, the reacted sample is drawn into a CT using an autopipette before the CT bottom is sealed by glue. After Oasis® HLB sorbents are added through the top of the CT, the CT top is also sealed with glue. The HLB sorbents adsorb PMB and are accumulated in the CT tip through centrifugation. The CT tips are cut and analyzed with the ImageJ software. It was found that the blue color intensity of sorbents is in a linear relationship to the phosphate concentration, with a linear range of 0–5 μM (r2 = 0.9921) and limit of detection of 0.19 μM. In addition, this method has been applied to in-field water analysis. The results are in agreement with the standard PMB method.

An investigation was conducted to study the viability of using waste paper pulp ash as an alternative material applied as a partial replacement of cement in the manufacturing of concrete and its effect on the properties of concrete, and also, the cost and environmental advantage of using waste paper were examined. Four concrete mixes with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% waste paper pulp ash replacement of OPC and PPC for 25 MPa concrete were prepared. Based on the results obtained from the research, the highest compressive strength obtained at all test ages, i.e., 3, 7, and 28 days, were, 24.36, 28.35, and 36.83 MPa, respectively, with 5% replacement of waste paper pulp ash for OPC, and for PPC, all percentage replacements showed reduction in compressive strength than the control mix. The water absorption of concrete was increased with increasing the percentage of waste paper pulp ash than control concrete. The control concrete clearly has the lowest resistance to 2% sulfuric acid solution compared to blended concrete of OPC-WPPA and PPC-WPPA. The cost comparison indicates that the incorporation of waste paper pulp ash decreases the cost of concrete and WPPA and saves raw materials used in cement and concrete production.

Detecting microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers expression is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has achieved microRNA sensing for the diagnosis of primary liver cancers. In this work, we developed a SERS technology for the rapid detection of lung cancers-related miRNA (miR-196a) using bimetallic Au-Ag nanowire (AgNW@AuNPs) substrates coupled with the target hairpin DNA. The finite-difference time-domain simulation proved that a large number of "hot spots" were generated between the AgNW and AuNPs, which resulted in a huge enhancement of the signal of Raman reporters. Filter paper treated by hexadecenyl succinic anhydride hydrophobic and modified with AgNWs@AuNPs was used as capturing substrate. The detection limits of miR-196a in PBS and serum were as low as 96.58 aM and 130 aM, respectively. Studies on nonspecific sequence and single-base mismatch of miRNA demonstrated that SERS-based platform was highly selective, excellent uniform, and reproducible. Finally, the platform was used to show that the miR-196a expression in the serum of lung cancer patients was much higher than that in healthy people. The detection results indicated that the SERS platform had potential applications in cancer diagnosis and might be a viable alternative to the conventional miRNA detection method, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the matrix factorization method in the paper recommendation system. We mainly address two problems. First, the vectors based on citation networks are undertrained because newly added papers are rarely cited. Second, current algorithms are mainly based on keyword search or global popularity and lack the organic combination of considering personalized interest and global popularity. To address the above two issues for the paper recommender, we propose a matrix factorization model that combines popularity analysis and attention mechanisms. The model effectively fuses the similarity of the citation network and topic using the multiplicative law, which can alleviate the data sparsity problem. Especially for cold-start papers, we add second-order neighbor nodes to makeup for the problem that newly joined papers don't get enough training. We propose a keyword attention mechanism that combines user preferences and global popularity to personalize and balance the popularity of papers. Through comprehensive experiments on the CiteULike dataset, we show that our method can significantly improve the paper recommendation effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is one of the most widely used materials, due to its application in books, packaging, and office supplies. However, conventional paper has many disadvantages, such as low tensile strength, poor resistance to water and oil contamination, lack of antigraffiti capability, and easily deformed by moisture. Therefore, we proposed a double-layer protective coating that consists of a polyurethane (PU) bottom layer, to enhance tensile strength, and a top polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite layer to enable antigraffiti and contamination-resistant capabilities. In the study, a double-layer coating was applied to conventional paper, using a simple two-step spraying method. The results showed that the prepared coating structure exhibited outstanding self-cleaning characteristics with respect to both water and oil contamination and adequately demonstrated antigraffiti capability. Moreover, the coating maintained superhydrophobic and oil-stain resistance after four months of outdoor storage. Finally, the tensile strength of the coated paper was 6.3 times as high as that of the original paper, making this coating structure a promising solution to the problems that limit paper from being more widely utilized in commercial and consumer application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article proposes a methodology based on artificial intelligence to enhance methane production from waste paper. The proposed methodology combines fuzzy logic‐based modelling and modern optimization. Firstly, a robust Adaptive Network‐based Fuzzy Inference System model of methane production process through fuzzy logic modelling is created using experimental datasets. Second, a particle swarm optimizer was used to obtain the optimal process conditions. During the optimization procedure, the beating time and feedstock/inoculum ratio are employed as decision variables in order to maximize methane production. The obtained resulted from the proposed methodology are compared with those obtained by response surface methodology. The results of the comparison confirmed the superiority of the proposed methodology. The fuzzy model shows a better fitting to the experimental data compared to ANOVA. The fuzzy model showed a higher coefficient of determination and a lower value of root mean squared errors compared to ANOVA. Moreover, the proposed strategy, that is, modelling and optimization, is an effective method for increasing the biomethane yield at extended range conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green packaging wrap is now required to replace the synthetic plastic coating on the paper substrates. The coating of natural biopolymers on the paper substrates would be a potential method to achieve an ecofriendly coating to replace the synthetic materials which give a threat to the environment. Recently, spraying cellulose nanofiber (CNF) on the paper substrates to boost the barrier and mechanical properties of the paper is a flexible process and potential for scalability. Sprayed cellulose nanofibrils fill the surface pores of the paper substrates and form a barrier film on the paper surface. The spray-coated CNF barrier film on the paper substrates reduced the air passage and increased the mechanical strength. To scale up the process of spraying, the optimization was performed via response surface methodology to investigate the interaction between input variables and their response in spraying process. The variables impacting on the barrier performance, CNF coat weight, and thickness of the coat during spraying are CNF suspension concentration (A), fiber diameter (B), and spray distance from tip to the surface (C). The linear models were developed for CNF coat weight and thickness of the CNF coat weight on the paper substrates. The quadratic model for air permeability was developed with input variables. It concludes that the CNF suspension concentration is a strong parameter for controlling the CNF coat weight and thickness of the CNF coat on the paper substrates. The developed linear and quadratic models were validated with the experimental data confirming that it was a good fit to the real experimental data. From the CCD investigation of spray coating of CNF on the paper substrates, >1 wt.% CNF coating on the paper surface produces good thickness and coat weight on the paper substrates and gives an impermeable CNF laminate on the paper substrates against air. In conclusion, these models could provide a platform for scaling up the spraying process for coating CNF-based nanomaterials on the paper substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study and analysis of the intelligent grouping of papers in adult higher education using a random matrix approach. Using the results of random matrix theory on the eigenvalues of the sample covariance matrix, the energy of each subspace is estimated, and the estimated energy is then used to construct a subspace weighting matrix. The statistical properties of the sample covariance matrix eigenvectors are analyzed using the first-order perturbation approximation, and then, asymptotic results from random matrix theory on the projection of the sample covariance matrix signal subspace to the real signal parametrization are used to obtain the weighting matrix based on the random matrix eigenvectors. Dynamic adjustment according to the fitness of individuals in the population is performed to ensure population diversity, while the combination of the small habitat technique can avoid the algorithm from falling into early convergence. The algorithm introduces chaos theory to optimize the population initialization process and uses the dynamic traversal randomness of chaos to select individuals in the population so that the initial population is close to the desired target solution. The design of the fitness function in the genetic algorithm generally maps the objective function of the problem to the fitness function. A good fitness function can directly reflect the quality of the individuals in the group. Based on the in-depth study of the basic attributes of the test questions and the principles of test paper evaluation, the mathematical model and objective function of intelligent paper grouping are determined by the difficulty, knowledge points, and cognitive level of the test questions as the main constraints, and NCAGA is applied to the intelligent paper grouping method, which better completes the intelligent paper grouping session for the computer system architecture course. In the process of designing the intelligent grouping algorithm, for the situations of premature convergence and convergence to locally optimal solutions that easily occur in the traditional genetic algorithm, this paper adopts the approach of adaptive adjustment of crossover probability and variation probability to improve the algorithm and achieves satisfactory results. Based on extensive business research, this paper completes the requirement analysis of the online practice system based on the intelligent grouping of papers and presents the functional design and database design of the key functional modules in the system in detail. Finally, this paper conducts functional tests on the system and analyses the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the reinforcement effects of different reinforcement methods, kraft paper was used as reinforcement material, and shear tests were carried out in sand to study the reinforcement effects of kraft paper perpendicular and parallel to the shear plane. The test results show that the two reinforcement methods can effectively improve the strength of sand and the orthogonal reinforcement form is more superior. The existence of reinforced materials greatly improves the cohesion of sand, but does not significantly improve the internal friction angle. The width of reinforcement material has little effect on the reinforcement effect and shows different variation laws under different reinforcement forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Porous conducting carbon fiber‐based composite paper is used as an electrode backing in the fuel cell assembly. It not only acts as a channel through which the reactant and product gases pass to and from the bipolar plate and the catalyst site but also helps in the flow of electrons. In order to perform its role efficiently, it should have sufficient strength, high electrical conductivity, and ideal porous structure. Carbon paper has been fabricated, which builds up the required composite properties. Studies have been conducted to optimize the fiber/matrix ratio in the carbon paper, while ensuring the perfect combination of porosity, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity for an electrode in a proton electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Detail physico‐mechanical and electrochemical characterizations further ascertain that the fiber/matrix ratio plays an important role in tuning the composite properties. The polarization curve of the unit proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (with an effective electrode area 4 cm2) shows a peak power density of 916 mW/cm2 for the sample with fiber/matrix ratio of 65:35, which is almost the same as the commercially available sigracet gas diffusion layer (SGL) carbon paper tested under similar conditions. Further, proportionally enlarging the electrode area to 100 cm2 shows that the carbon paper not only shows almost repeatable results in a given set up but also scales up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most widely used measures of scientific impact is the number of citations. However, due to its heavy-tailed distribution, citations are fundamentally difficult to predict but can be improved. This study was aimed at investigating the factors and parts influencing the citation number of a scientific paper in the otology field. Therefore, this work proposes a new solution that utilizes machine learning and natural language processing to process English text and provides a paper citation as the predicted results. Different algorithms are implemented in this solution, such as linear regression, boosted decision tree, decision forest, and neural networks. The application of neural network regression revealed that papers' abstracts have more influence on the citation numbers of otological articles. This new solution has been developed in visual programming using Microsoft Azure machine learning at the back end and Programming Without Coding Technology at the front end. We recommend using machine learning models to improve the abstracts of research articles to get more citations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the reinforcement effects of different reinforcement methods, kraft paper was used as reinforcement material, and shear tests were carried out in sand to study the reinforcement effects of kraft paper perpendicular and parallel to the shear plane. The test results show that the two reinforcement methods can effectively improve the strength of sand and the orthogonal reinforcement form is more superior. The existence of reinforced materials greatly improves the cohesion of sand, but does not significantly improve the internal friction angle. The width of reinforcement material has little effect on the reinforcement effect and shows different variation laws under different reinforcement forms.

The development of probes for the testing of the carcinogenic pollutant 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) is of great importance for environmental protection and human health. In this paper, a new rapid and sensitive fluorescence detection method based on carbon dots (CDs) was designed for the detection of TNP. The CDs were synthesized by simple pyrolysis using citric acid as raw material and characterized by various advanced techniques. The addition of TNP caused a significant turn off in the fluorescence of the CDs. The fluorescence quench intensity and TNP concentration exhibited a good linear correlation in the range of 0–80 μM with a minimum detection limit of 0.48 μM and a related coefficient of 0.994. The analytical method was applied to the determination of trace TNP in river water and tap water with recoveries in the range of 98%–110% and relative standard deviations less than 5%. Importantly, carbon dots functionalized papers (CDFPs) were prepared using the synthesized CDs and successfully applied to the determination of TNP in aqueous solutions, demonstrating the promising application of the method.

Environmental pollution has become an important obstacle on the path of ecological civilization construction, and it is urgent to control environmental pollution. By establishing an evolutionary game model, this thesis focuses on analyzing how paper-making enterprises choose their own emission reduction strategies under the reward and punishment mechanism. It further analyzes how social welfare changes under the reward and punishment mechanism, and finally through simulation research, this thesis analyzes the evolutionary paths of paper-making enterprises’ pollution emission strategies under the reward and punishment mechanism. The results of the reward and punishment mechanism are as follows: under the static reward and punishment mechanism, the game system will repeatedly oscillate around a point. There is no stable equilibrium point at this time. However, under the dynamic reward and punishment mechanism, the game system will tend to a stable equilibrium point. The results of social welfare analysis show that high-intensity rewards will reduce the amount of pollution discharged by paper-making enterprises, thereby maximizing social welfare. On the contrary, when paper-making enterprises discharge a large amount of pollution, they will be subject to high-intensity penalties. When facing high-intensity punishments, paper-making enterprises will tend to not to discharge. So social welfare is also maximized. The simulation research results show that reasonable punishment strategies are more effective than reward ones. Based on this, the author proposes countermeasures, such as establishing a reasonable reward and punishment mechanism, reasonably determining the reward and punishment intensity for polluting enterprises. The emission reduction strategies of paper-making enterprises will be affected by the government’s reward and punishment mechanism. A deep study of its internal mechanism is not only of great significance for pollution control but also of great significance for the development of a green economy.

To enhance the quality and efficiency of computer-enabled generation of papers for Test for English Majors Band 8 (TEM-8), a paper generation model supported by sparrow search algorithm-genetic algorithm was studied. First, a simplified test paper generation mathematical model was set up after analyzing and studying types and characteristics of TEM-8 tasks. In the model, quantity, type, difficulty, discrimination degree, scores, exposure, and answering time of test questions were taken into consideration. To enhance the optimizing effect of the genetic algorithm for searching test questions, the traditional genetic algorithm was improved by introducing the sparrow search algorithm into the model to achieve a better crossover rate, variance rate, optimization precision, and speed of the genetic algorithm. A new sparrow search-genetic algorithm (SSA-GA) was designed, and the optimizing effect of SSA-GA was verified to be ideal through optimizing six standard test functions. Then, SSA-GA was applied to conduct experimentation with test paper generation, and comparison with traditional genetic algorithms was also made. The values of best and average fitness of SSA-GA were better than those of the traditional genetic algorithm (GA) in the paper generation. Exposure rate and success rate in TEM-8 paper generation of SSA-GA were higher than those of traditional GA in TEM-8 paper generation. Results showed that the studied SSA-GA could implement test paper generation with higher speed and better quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tremendous research has focused on the wearable electronic device, leading to the basic requirement of suitable power sources. Herein, we report one bendable paper‐based zinc‐air battery with a novel hollow channel structure. It achieves a maximum power density of 138 mW/cm2, outperforming the state‐of‐art paper‐based batteries reported previously. The boosted performance is assigned to the low charge transfer resistance and facilitated mass transfer from the hollow structure. It demonstrates the positive design of microchannel structure is profitable for the power‐generation enhancement, and offers a possible route to commercialize the paper‐based power generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After hundreds of years of changes, due to the development of chemistry, the development of human life has undergone tremendous changes. People have used chemical science to manufacture many supplies, such as various medicines and various types of cosmetics. In recent decades, electronic components and computer software technology have developed rapidly, and the fourth round of technological revolution is underway, which has a favorable impact on the development of various industries. Traditional paper-cut and cosmetic bag design methods should also take into account the advantages of wireless communication and artificial intelligence technology and combine other types of traditional industries to carry out technological reforms to help traditional craftsmanship pass down. In modern life, due to the vigorous promotion of cosmetics, there are more and more cosmetics on the market, and the traditional paper-cut art itself is an artistic design method similar to cosmetic design. Both industries will grow rapidly after the use of artificial intelligence and wireless communication technology for the update of both industries. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to combine wireless communication technology with artificial intelligence technology to transform the traditional paper-cut art and cosmetic packaging design. After consulting the reasons for the decline of the traditional handicraft industry and the reasons for the turmoil caused by modern technology, this paper conducts a combined design of artificial intelligence technology, wireless communication technology, and cosmetic packaging and then performs wireless communication and artificial intelligence on the cutting of traditional paper design elements. The design of the technical matching system is also designed for traditional paper-cut art and cosmetic packaging. And find professional practitioners for research and discussion and multiple transformations and obtain experimental analysis results data. After many experiments, it can be seen that the combination of wireless communication and artificial intelligence technology can transform the traditional paper-cut art and cosmetic packaging design, improve their relevance, continue the inheritance of paper-cut art, and possibly improve the efficacy of cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) still remains a major global public health problem. One-half to one-third of the total HBV infected people died due to late detection of HBV. Serological antigen and viral HBV detections can help in the diagnosis, referral, and treatment of HBV. Available methods for HBV detection mostly used bulky instruments. Miniaturization of devices for HBV detection has been started by narrowing down the size of the devices. Several methods have also been proposed to increase the selectivity and sensitivity of the miniaturized methods, such as sandwich recognition of the biomarkers and the use of nano- to micro-sized materials. This review presents recent HBV detections in the last two decades from laboratory-based instruments towards microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) for point-of-care testing (POCT) purposes. Early and routine analysis to detect HBV as early as possible could be achieved by POCT, especially for areas with limited access to a central laboratory and/or medical facilities.

Medical imaging refers to the process of obtaining images of internal organs for therapeutic purposes such as discovering or studying diseases. The primary objective of medical image analysis is to improve the efficacy of clinical research and treatment options. Deep learning has revamped medical image analysis, yielding excellent results in image processing tasks such as registration, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. The prime motivations for this are the availability of computational resources and the resurgence of deep convolutional neural networks. Deep learning techniques are good at observing hidden patterns in images and supporting clinicians in achieving diagnostic perfection. It has proven to be the most effective method for organ segmentation, cancer detection, disease categorization, and computer-assisted diagnosis. Many deep learning approaches have been published to analyze medical images for various diagnostic purposes. In this paper, we review the work exploiting current state-of-the-art deep learning approaches in medical image processing. We begin the survey by providing a synopsis of research works in medical imaging based on convolutional neural networks. Second, we discuss popular pretrained models and general adversarial networks that aid in improving convolutional networks' performance. Finally, to ease direct evaluation, we compile the performance metrics of deep learning models focusing on COVID-19 detection and child bone age prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a nonparametric programming approach has been widely extended and applied in many areas. Conventional DEA models can well measure the efficiency of inefficient decision-making units (DMUs) but cannot further discriminate the efficient DMUs. A lot of methods are proposed to address this problem. One of the most important methods is the slacks-based measure of super-efficiency model (S-SBM model) developed by Tone in 2002. However, the projection for a DMU on the efficient frontier identified by S-SBM model may not be strongly Pareto-efficient that makes the super-efficiency score misestimated. This paper revises the usual slacks-based measure of super-efficiency by incorporating input saving and output surplus scaling factors into the objection function for measuring DMUs. We integrate SBM model and S-SBM model effectively and yield input saving and output surplus scaling factors as well as input and output slacks under only one integrated model. According to the study, the projection reference point identified by our method is strongly Pareto-efficient. Meanwhile, how each decision variable influences the efficiency score for a specific DMU is revealed and illustrated through two numerical examples and an empirical study in paper chemical mills.

The present study presented an integrated analytical approach to the Qur’anic manuscript with leather binding; the multianalyses revealed the degree of degradation for paper and leather in the current manuscript under the study, causing the mapping of treatment. The visual assessment detected yellowness in the internal papers, dark black spots, and advanced erosion in the leather bind. The result detected that this manuscript leads to yellowing and weakness in the properties of paper under the attack of acidity where the pH of paper reached 5.5. XRD and FTIR analyses of paper illustrated a dramatic decrease of crystallinity index with a notable increase of C=O stretching, respectively. The sharp increase of carbonyl group can be used as evidence of oxidation. The microscopic examination also showed that cotton was used in the manufacturing of the paper of the current manuscript, while the leather bind was made from goatskin. In addition, the cellulose and protein bundles were both destructive and disintegrated.

This study focuses on the production and characterization of biodegradable handmade paper from the Sida rhombifolia plant (SRP) cellulose. Sida rhombifolia plant is a seasonal plant that grows in the equatorial and tropical climates. The studies carried out on this SRP were aimed at investigating the methods required for the production of handmade paper from SRP plant and also at determining the tensile strength. Four specimens of SRP paper of different additive labels S0 (no additive), S1 (starch and KOH), S2 (starch), and S3 (Foska liquid glue) were produced using the Kraft method. Tensile properties (stress at break, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus), the rate of water absorption, and the rate of moisture absorption were carried out. Results showed that the addition of potassium hydroxide considerably reduces Young’s modulus of SRP handmade paper (S1) while the Foska liquid glue (S3) significantly improves it. In addition, the addition of potassium hydroxide and Foska liquid substantially improves the water absorption properties of the paper S2 and S3, respectively. The adhesive liquid creates more porosity and consequently increases the absorption of water. The addition of potassium hydroxide and Foska liquid significantly embedded the rate of moisture absorption. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the paper S3 can be used as packaging paper since it has better mechanical properties and moisture absorption.

Summary: Direct liquid fuel cell (DLFC) and membraneless fuel cell using the anode consisting of buckypaper (BP) and vitamin B12 (Vit B12) (BP/Vit B12) is introduced in physiological condition, while vitamin C (Vit C) is used as anodic fuel. Due to the high sensitivity of Vit B12 and the inherent feature of BP, the onset potential for the oxidation reaction of Vit C catalyzed by BP/Vit B12 is −0.1 V (vs Ag/AgCl), and its anodic current density measured at 0.3 V (vs Ag/AgCl) is 1.82 mA cm−2 even in a low Vit C concentration (10 mM). Regarding performance in fuel cells, maximum power density (MPD) of Vit C fuel cell containing membrane and Pt‐based air cathode is 0.62 ± 0.067 mW cm−2 in 0.01 M Vit C, and this is 3.1 times higher than that of fuel cell containing pristine BP. In addition, in a paper‐based flexible membraneless fuel cell using BP/bilirubin oxidase as cathode and the concentration of cerebrospinal fluid within the human body (0.35 mM Vit C), its MPD is 57.7 ± 4.02 μW cm−2. This means this suggested Vit C fuel cell system can replace the conventional primary batteries considered as the power source of implantable sensors and stimulation devices to treat neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers expression is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has achieved microRNA sensing for the diagnosis of primary liver cancers. In this work, we developed a SERS technology for the rapid detection of lung cancers-related miRNA (miR-196a) using bimetallic Au-Ag nanowire (AgNW@AuNPs) substrates coupled with the target hairpin DNA. The finite-difference time-domain simulation proved that a large number of “hot spots” were generated between the AgNW and AuNPs, which resulted in a huge enhancement of the signal of Raman reporters. Filter paper treated by hexadecenyl succinic anhydride hydrophobic and modified with AgNWs@AuNPs was used as capturing substrate. The detection limits of miR-196a in PBS and serum were as low as 96.58 aM and 130 aM, respectively. Studies on nonspecific sequence and single-base mismatch of miRNA demonstrated that SERS-based platform was highly selective, excellent uniform, and reproducible. Finally, the platform was used to show that the miR-196a expression in the serum of lung cancer patients was much higher than that in healthy people. The detection results indicated that the SERS platform had potential applications in cancer diagnosis and might be a viable alternative to the conventional miRNA detection method, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology.

Transmission of pathogens through currency notes has become very relevant in today’s world due to COVID-19 pandemic. This study profiled microbial flora and their antibiotic activities from Ghana paper currency (GH¢) notes in circulation in Mampong Municipal of Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study employed a cross-sectional design to assess bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic activities from January to May 2019. A total of 70 GH¢ notes consisting of 15 each of GH¢1, GH¢2, and GH¢5; 10 each of GH¢10 and GH¢20; and 5 of GH¢50 were randomly sampled from persons at different shops, canteens, and commercial drivers. The surfaces of each GH¢ note were gently swabbed, and tenfold serial dilutions made were inoculated on plate count agar (PCA), MacConkey agar, mannitol salt agar, and deoxycholate citrate agar. The study used appropriate laboratory and biochemical tests for bacterial identification. SPSS-IBM version 16.0 was used to analyze the data. Of the 70 GH¢ notes studied, 97.1% were contaminated with one or more bacterial isolates. Mean counts on PCA ranged between 3.2 cfu/ml × 105 and 4.7 cfu/ml × 105 on GH¢ notes. Of 124 bacteria isolated, 34 (27.4%), 30 (24.2%), 22 (17.7%), 17 (13.7%), 13 (10.5%), and 8 (6.5%) were from GH¢1, GH¢2, GH¢10, GH¢5, GH¢20, and GH¢50, respectively (p