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Climate change mitigation by increased paper recycling can alleviate the two-sided pressure on the Swedish forest sector: supplying growing demands for wood-based products and increasing the forest carbon sink. This study assesses two scenarios for making use of a reduced demand for primary pulp resulting from an increased paper recycling rate in Sweden, from the present 72% to 78%. A Conservation scenario uses the saved primary pulp to reduce pulplog harvests so as to increase the forest carbon sink concomitant with constant overall wood product supply. In contrast, a Substitution scenario uses the saved primary pulp to produce man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF) from dissolving pulp replacing cotton fiber, implying increased overall wood product supply. Our results suggest that utilizing efficiency gains in paper recycling to reduce pulplog harvests is better from a climate change mitigation perspective than producing additional MMCF to substitute cotton fiber. This conclusion holds even when assuming the use of by-products from dissolving pulp making and an indirect increase in MMCF availability. Hence, unless joint improvements across the value chain materialize, the best climate change mitigation option from increased paper recycling in Sweden would seemingly be to reduce fellings rather than producing additional MMCF.

Paper and pencil have shown wide applicability in the area of flexible electronics. Devices based on paper and pencil offer distinctive advantages, including rapid, straightforward, and cost-effective fabrication, as well as recyclability and eco-friendly characteristics. There are several concepts that have been demonstrated using paper and pencil including thermoelectric, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, and biomedical devices. This review article summarizes state of art of pencil-based thermoelectric devices on paper and their future potential.

Background : The incorporation of industrial wastes, such as wood ash and paper sludge, as soil amendments is vital for both environmental sustainability and agroecosystem productivity. Herein, we evaluated the effects of wood ash and paper sludge alone and in combination with biochar on the physicochemical properties and heavy metal leaching risks in podzolic soils. Methods : The treatments included limestone (control), wood ash, paper sludge, wood ash+paper sludge, limestone+biochar, wood ash+biochar, paper sludge+biochar and wood ash+paper sludge+biochar, arranged in a 4 × 2 factorial design with three replicates. The Hydrus-1D model was employed to simulate the water movement under these soil amendments using leaching colums. Results : Overall, wood ash, paper sludge and biochar application significantly increased the pH of amended soil compared to control. Paper sludge amended treatments alone or in combination with biochar significantly decreased bulk density (8%–17%) and increased the total porosity (14%–25%). While biochar addition to wood ash and paper sludge significantly reduced the concentrations of Cd (by 6.42%), Co (by 10.95%), Cu (by 11.76%), Pb (by 30%) and Ni (by 3.75%) in the collected leachates. The treatment paper sludge + biochar was found to be the most effective treatment to retain the heavy metals, with maximum plant available water (0.28 cm ^3 cm ^−3 ) and field capacity (0.36 cm ^3 cm ^−3 ) compared to control treatment. The predictions from Hydrus-1D showed that paper mill wastes with biochar has a significant potential to increase the volumetric moisture contents of amended podzolic soil, with the simulated leaching times and saturation levels closely aligning with the measured values. Conclusion : paper sludge + biochar treatment showed improved soil physicochemical properties and displayed lower heavy metals than allowed limits to be used in soil. Further, experiments are needed to assess the effects of papermill waste products on podzolic soil properties under variable field conditions.

Environmental sustainability and the effective use of renewable resources are critical subjects that need to be integrated into our educational systems through practical, hands-on learning. This paper focuses on the fabrication of aluminium-air batteries using waste materials, providing an innovative and cost-effective DIY approach to energy storage education. Utilizing aluminium from food packaging and graphite from pencils, this study demonstrates the construction and functionality of an aluminium-air battery to run an LED, highlighting its potential applications in educational settings and low-cost energy solutions. The paper aims to inspire the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and enhance students' understanding of electrochemical energy conversion through accessible and engaging DIY projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a three-species cyclic model whose organisms are vulnerable to contamination with an infectious disease which propagates person-to-person. We consider that individuals of one species perform a self-preservation strategy by reducing the mobility rate to minimise infection risk whenever an epidemic outbreak reaches the neighbourhood. Running stochastic simulations, we quantify the changes in spatial patterns induced by unevenness in the cyclic game introduced by the mobility restriction strategy of organisms of one out of the species. Our findings show that variations in disease virulence impact the benefits of dispersal limitation reaction, with the relative reduction of the organisms’ infection risk accentuating in surges of less contagious or deadlier diseases. The effectiveness of the mobility restriction tactic depends on the deceleration level and the fraction of infected neighbours which is considered too dangerous, thus triggering the defensive strategy. If each organism promptly reacts to the arrival of the first viral vectors in its surroundings with strict mobility reduction, contamination risk decreases significantly. Our conclusions may help biologists understand the impact of defensive strategies in ecosystems during an epidemic.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionized portable electronics, yet their conventional graphite anodes face capacity limitations. Integrating graphene and 3D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) offers a promising solution. Ensuring a uniform distribution of 3D MoS2 nanostructures within a graphene matrix is crucial for optimizing battery performance and preventing issues like agglomeration and capacity degradation. This study focuses on synthesizing a uniformly distributed paper wad structure by optimizing a composite of reduced graphene oxide RGO@MoS2 through structural and morphological analyses. Three composites with varying graphene content were synthesized, revealing that the optimized sample containing 30 mg RGO demonstrates beneficial synergy between MoS2 and RGO. The interconnected RGO network enhances reactivity and conductivity, addressing MoS2 aggregation. Experimental results exhibit an initially superior capacity of 911 mAh g−1, retained at 851 mAh g−1 even after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 current density, showcasing improved rate efficiency and long-term stability. This research underscores the pivotal role of graphene content in customizing RGO@MoS2 composites for enhanced LIB performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Call For Papers for the 247th ECS Meeting, Montreal, Canada, May 18-22, 2025 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crucial yet challenging task in galaxy evolution studies is the identification of distant merging galaxies, a task that suffers from a variety of issues ranging from telescope sensitivities and limitations to the inherently chaotic morphologies of young galaxies. In this paper, we use random forests and convolutional neural networks to identify high-redshift JWST Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS) galaxy mergers. We train these algorithms on simulated 3 < z < 5 CEERS galaxies created from the IllustrisTNG subhalo morphologies and the Santa Cruz SAM light cone. We apply our models to observed CEERS galaxies at 3 < z < 5. We find that our models correctly classify ∼60%–70% of simulated merging and nonmerging galaxies; better performance on the merger class comes at the expense of misclassifying more nonmergers. We could achieve more accurate classifications, as well as test for a dependency on physical parameters such as gas fraction, mass ratio, and relative orbits, by curating larger training sets. When applied to real CEERS galaxies using visual classifications as ground truth, the random forests correctly classified 40%–60% of mergers and nonmergers at 3 < z < 4 but tended to classify most objects as nonmergers at 4 < z < 5 (misclassifying ∼70% of visually classified mergers). On the other hand, the CNNs tended to classify most objects as mergers across all redshifts (misclassifying 80%–90% of visually classified nonmergers). We investigate what features the models find most useful, as well as the characteristics of false positives and false negatives, and also calculate merger rates derived from the identifications made by the models.

Carbon nanofoam papers (CNFPs) serve as device-ready negative electrodes for nonaqueous sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries, with fast and reversible Na+ storage at the aerogel-like, disordered carbon nanofoam. These binder-free, scalable electrode architectures are not only advantageous for the construction of practical, high-performance Na-ion cells, but are also effective platforms to analyze charge-storage mechanisms. We use in situ optical imaging at the outer surfaces of CNFPs in a Na half-cell to track the distinctive color changes that accompany the multi-stage Na+-storage processes on scanning these electrodes through their active voltage window (0–2 V vs Na∣Na+). We observe that electrochromic transitions ― black in the native (unsodiated) state→blue→red/gold ― occur primarily with deep levels of sodiation at <0.5 V vs Na∣Na+. In situ Raman scattering measurements in the same optical cell show that these color changes correlate with shifts in the characteristic G-band Raman peak that would indicate bulk Na+ insertion into nanoscopic graphitic domains within the aerogel-like carbon. The CNFPs also exhibit appreciable Na-ion storage at higher voltage (0.5–2 V vs Na∣Na+), which can be ascribed to surface-based mechanisms that are accompanied by shifts in the D-band Raman peak, but which do not induce appreciable color change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes may affect ecosystems destabilising relationships among species. We investigate the spatial rock-paper-scissors models with a regional unevenness that reduces the selection capacity of organisms of one species. Our results show that the regionally weak species predominates in the local ecosystem, while spiral patterns appear far from the region, where individuals of every species play the rock-paper-scissors game with the same strength. Because the weak species controls all local territory, it is attractive for the other species to enter the local ecosystem to conquer the territory. However, our stochastic simulations show that the transitory waves formed when organisms of the strong species reach the region are quickly destroyed because of local strength unbalance in the selection game rules. Computing the effect of the topology on population dynamics, we find that the prevalence of the weak species becomes more significant if the transition of the selection capacity to the area of uneven rock-paper-scissors rules is smooth. Finally, our findings show that the biodiversity loss due to the arising of regional unevenness is minimised if the transition to the region where the cyclic game is unbalanced is abrupt. Our results may be helpful to biologists in comprehending the consequences of changes in the environmental conditions on species coexistence and spatial patterns in complex systems.

Handling and storing the immense amounts of data native to the information age is a major challenge in terms of technological sustainability and energy demand. To date, tape storage remains the most widespread method for data archiving, while DNA data storage appears to offer the best data density and long-term stability in the future. However, DNA data storage is still in its infancy primarily due to economic and accessibility challenges. This emphasizes the need for more practical and readily available alternatives. We present a method for data storage utilizing inkjet printable quantum dots on paper with photoluminescence (PL) readout. Our proof of principle study showcases the ability to print and stack multiple bits of data on a single spot by exploiting the unique PL properties of quantum dots. This approach utilizes easily accessible resources, including a consumer-grade printer and paper as the substrate. Additionally, we perform initial stability tests, investigate scalability by controlling emission intensity, and evaluate the potential data density achievable by our approach.

We report for the first time MoS2/CNT hybrid nanostructures for memristor applications on flexible and bio-degradable cellulose paper. In our approach, we varied two different weight percentages (10% and 20%) of CNT's in MoS2 to improve the MoS2 conductivity and investigate the memristor device characteristics. The device with 10% CNT shows a low V SET voltage of 2.5 V, which is comparatively small for planar devices geometries. The device exhibits a long data retention time and cyclic current–voltage stability of ∼104 s and 102 cycles, making it a potential candidate in flexible painted electronics. Along with good electrical performance, it also demonstrates a high mechanical stability for 1000 bending cycles. The conduction mechanism in the MoS2-CNT hybrid structure is corroborated by percolation and defect-induced filament formation. Additionally, the device displays synaptic plasticity performance, simulating potentiation and depression processes. Furthermore, such flexible and biodegradable cellulose-based paper electronics may pave the way to address the environmental pollution caused by electronic waste in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filter cloth brush-coating (FCBC), using soft filter cloth as a brush-coating medium, in conjunction with viscous silver nanowire (AgNW) conductive solution, is used to prepare AgNW conductive films. The density and uniformity of AgNWs deposited on the substrate are controlled by the interplay between the filter cloth aperture, the conductive solution viscosity, and the brush-coating speed. Further, with appropriate AgNW concentration and flow rate, uniform AgNW transparent conductive film with sheet resistance of 18 Ω sq−1 and transmittance of 94% at 550 nm is acquired by FCBC. Due to the precise control of the coating process in FCBC, large-area uniform AgNW conductive film fabricated on printing paper has a low non-uniformity factor of 1.2% at a sheet resistance of 19.0 Ω sq−1. The resultant paper-based AgNW film heater shows sensitive and stable heating performance. FCBC shows great potential in producing large-area uniform AgNW films on various substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the dielectric breakdown strengths of microstructurally heterogeneous materials has been a primarily experimental endeavor. We report the development of a microstructure-level model for computationally predicting the breakdown strength and analyzing the interactions between electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and the constituents in a composite of cellulose-based paper and mineral oil found in electrical transformers. The model allows explicit simulation of the material breakdown process by tracking the transition of dielectric constituents from non-conductive to conductive states. The focus is on the electric fields induced in the materials and the overall conditions for dielectric breakdown (defined as the onset of avalanche) caused by the electric field induced in the composite. Responses to three distinct pulse shapes, i.e., Steep Front (SF), Lightning (L), and AC with spectra spanning 60–9 × 10 ^5 Hz are considered. It is found that the breakdown strength of the material is significantly affected by microstructure heterogeneities, the spatial variations of the constituent properties, and the pulse shapes. A probabilistic characterization of the breakdown strength is computationally obtained and compared with experimental measurements. Although one particular material is analyzed, the model and approach are applicable to other heterogeneous materials as well.

We introduce and study the spatial replicator equation with higher order interactions and both infinite (spatially homogeneous) populations and finite (spatially inhomogeneous) populations. We show that in the special case of three strategies (rock–paper–scissors) higher order interaction terms allow travelling waves to emerge in non-declining finite populations. We show that these travelling waves arise from diffusion stabilisation of an unstable interior equilibrium point that is present in the aspatial dynamics. Based on these observations and prior results, we offer two conjectures whose proofs would fully generalise our results to all odd cyclic games, both with and without higher order interactions, assuming a spatial replicator dynamic. Intriguingly, these generalisations for N ⩾ 5 strategies seem to require declining populations, as we show in our discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraged by the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emission by 2050, the exploration of insulating material becomes one of the core projects to the electrical equipment innovations. The rise of composites enables the insulating material to be endowed with more functions. By this concern, adopting the coupling agents is one of the effective methods to improve the compatibility of composites, which highly strengthens the desired properties. The functional groups of coupling agents, nevertheless, could not always show a positive impact to access enhanced properties. In this work, four types of silane coupling agents including amino-propyl, glycidyletheroxy-propyl (GP), vinyl, and methacryloxy-propyl functional groups are employed to modify the aluminum nitride (AlN) fillers, and the modification effects on the insulating and thermal conductivity of the AlN/poly(m-phenylenedicarbonyl-m-phenylenediamine) (PMIA) composite paper are systematically investigated and compared. The results show that a proper coupling agent is beneficial to the uniform dispersion of the inorganic filler in the organic matrix and highly contributes to their interface quality, where the heat transfer path is established that boosts the heat dissipation. By tailoring the trap depth and density toward deeper and higher, the carrier transport is highly confined which enhances the breakdown strength to a large extent. Therefore, high breakdown strength and thermal conductivity of 182.9 kV mm−1 and 0.302 W (m·K)−1, respectively, are achieved in the GP modified AlN/PMIA paper, which are 16.7% and 167.4% higher than that of pure PMIA paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium ion (Cd2+) is one of the toxic heavy metals in the environment. Even small amounts of Cd2+ may cause environmental pollution and threaten human life and health. Here, an electrochemical sensor for Cd2+ detection was established using a complex of carbon fiber paper (CFP), CoMOF, AuNPs, and glutathione as the conductive substrate (CFP/CoMOF/AuNPs/GSH). Compared with traditional methods for heavy metals detection, electrochemistry owns the advantages of high sensitivity, easy miniaturization, and portability. In addition, general conductive substrate is replaced by a new nanomaterial, CFP/CoMOF/AuNPs/GSH, which improves the performance greatly. In the presence of Cd2+, GSH is chelated to Cd2+, resulting in a redox peak appearing around -0.84 V. Thus, a sensitive and easily portable electrochemical sensor for Cd2+ detection has been developed. Under optimal conditions, the established electrochemical sensor achieves Cd2+ detection low to 1 nM. Selectivity and reproducibility experiments show that the sensor has good analytical performance. This provides a direction for the use of electrochemistry to detect heavy metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Version 11 of the chianti database and software package is presented. Advanced ionization equilibrium models have been added for low charge states of seven elements (C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, and S), and represent a significant improvement especially when modeling the solar transition region. The models include the effects of higher electron density and charge transfer on ionization and recombination rates. As an illustration of the difference these models make, a synthetic spectrum is calculated for an electron pressure of 7 × 10 ^15 cm ^−3 K and compared with an active region observation from HRTS. Increases are seen in factors of 2–5 in the predicted radiances of the strongest lines in the UV from Si iv , C iv , and N v , compared to the previous modeling using the coronal approximation. Much better agreement (within 20%) with the observations is found for the majority of the lines. The new atomic models better equip both those who are studying the transition region and those who are interpreting the emission from higher-density astrophysical and laboratory plasma. In addition to the advanced models, several ion data sets have been added or updated, and data for the radiative recombination energy loss rate have been updated.

We use James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Camera Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (NIRCam WFSS) and the Near-Infrared spectrograph (NIRSpec) in the Cosmic Evolution Early Release survey to measure rest-frame optical emission-line ratios of 155 galaxies at z > 2. The blind NIRCam grism observations include a sample of galaxies with bright emission lines that were not observed on the NIRSpec masks. We study the changes of the H α , [O III ]/H β , and [Ne III ]/[O II ] emission lines in terms of redshift by comparing to lower-redshift SDSS, CLEAR, and MOSDEF samples. We find a significant (>3 σ ) correlation between [O III ]/H β with redshift, while [Ne III ]/[O II ] has a marginal (2 σ ) correlation with redshift. We compare [O III ]/H β and [Ne III ]/[O II ] to stellar mass and H β SFR. We find that both emission-line ratios have a correlation with H β SFR and an anticorrelation with stellar mass across the redshifts 0 < z < 9. Comparison with MAPPINGS V models indicates that these trends are consistent with lower metallicity and higher ionization in low-mass and high-SFR galaxies. We additionally compare to IllustrisTNG predictions and find that they effectively describe the highest [O III ]/H β ratios observed in our sample, without the need to invoke MAPPINGS models with significant shock ionization components.

Recent progress in the in situ synthesise of various nanomaterials has gained tremendous interest and wide applications in various fields. For the first time to the best of our knowledge, this work reports a methodology of ultra-fast in situ synthesis of cobalt–cobalt oxide-reduced graphene oxide (Co−Co3O4−rGO (CC–rGO)) composite by laser ablation. The photothermal reduction technique was leveraged to develop the CC–rGO. For this, a low-cost 450 nm blue diode laser was irradiated onto a grade 1 filter paper in the presence of cobalt ions readily patterns the carbon matrix of paper to the composite material. Moreover, the variation of cobalt concentrations from 0.1–0.5 M led to structural and morphological changes. Standard techniques were adopted for thorough characterizations of developed sensor material for conductivity analysis, specific surface area, crystal-structural information, surface morphology, and chemical composition. The observed results were highly promoting towards the electrochemical sensing applications. Further, the developed sensor was found to be highly selective toward detecting a vital bio analyte alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The sensors performance was highly significant in the linear range of 10–800 mU l−1 with a detection limit of 10.13 mU l−1. The sensors applicability was further validated in actual human serum samples via a recovery-based approach. In the future, the developed in situ material methodology can begin a rapid composite material synthesis at a larger scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]