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Combined paper mill biosolids (PB) and forest-derived liming by-products improve soil properties, but their residual effects following several years of application have hardly been investigated. A 13-year (2009–2021) field study was initiated at Yamachiche, QC, Canada, to assess the residual effects of PB and liming materials on the properties of a loamy soil. The PB was applied during nine consecutive years (2000–2008) at 0, 30, 60, and 90 Mg wet·ha−1, whereas the 30 Mg PB·ha−1 rate also received one of three liming materials (calcitic lime, lime mud, wood ash) at 3 Mg wet·ha−1. No amendment was applied during residual years. Past liming materials continued to increase soil pH but their effect decreased over time; meanwhile, past PB applications caused a low increase in residual soil NO3-N. Soil total C, which represented 40% of added organic C when PB applications ceased, stabilized to 15% after six years. Soil Mehlich-3-extractable contents declined over the thirteen residual years to be not significant for P, K, and Cu, while they reached half the values of the application years for Zn and Cd. Conversely, Mehlich-3 Ca was little affected by time. Therefore, land PB and liming material applications benefited soil properties several years after their cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent sensors with single reading are generally subject to unpredictable disturbs from environmental and artificial factors. In order to overcome this barrier of detection reliability, a paper-based optical sensor with proportional fluorescence was established and further combined with a smartphone for visual, on-site and quantitative detection of Fe3+, which affects the color, smell and taste of water, and endangers the health of plants and animals. The ratio fluorescent probe was fabricated by rhodamine B and carbon quantum dots derived from xylan. The red fluorescence of rhodamine B was inert to Fe3+, which was referred to as background. And blue emitting carbon quantum dots functioned as signal report units, which would be quenched by Fe3+ and make the fluorescence of the ratio probe change from purple to red. The quantitative detection of Fe3+ was conducted by investigating the RGB value of fluorescent images with a smartphone. With the increase of Fe3+ concentration, the R/B (red/blue) value of the fluorescent paper gradually increased. The linear detection range was 10–180 μM, and the limit of detection was 198.2 nM. The application of ratio fluorescent paper with a smartphone provides a facile method for the rapid detection of ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the co-fermentation of food waste and tissue paper to produce ethanol, which will eliminate the need for additional nitrogen sources and nutrients, thereby reducing production costs. In response to the inhibitory effect of the high concentrations of glucose present in mixed-substrate hydrolysates on xylose fermentation, a co-fermentation process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida shehatae was proposed. This approach reduced the fermentation time by 24 h, increased the xylose utilization rate to 88%, and improved the ethanol yield from 41% to 46.5%. The impact of external conditions and corresponding optimization were also analyzed in this process. The optimum conditions were a 1:3 ratio of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Candida shehatae, a pH of 5, and shaking at 150 r/min, and by employing dynamic temperature control, the ethanol production was increased to 21.98 g/L. Compared to conventional processes that only use Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this method enhanced the ethanol yield from 41% to 49%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a stable alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) Pickering emulsion was obtained using chitosan and titanium dioxide (TiO2) as effective emulsifiers to disperse AKD. Superhydrophobic filter paper was prepared, using the filter paper as the substrate, by dipping it into AKD Pickering emulsion and then drying the coating papers at different temperature. The contact angle of the treated filter papers dried at 45 °C could reach more than 150°, and these filter papers effectively separated oil–water mixtures with an efficiency of over 93%. It is worth noting that the preparation process of the superhydrophobic material was simple and mild, and all the raw material was green without secondary pollution to the environment, so it has great practical application potential. This experiment could provide a new idea for the preparation of AKD superhydrophobic coatings and broaden their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the shelf lives of fruits is challenging. The biodegradable polysaccharide pullulan exhibits excellent film-forming ability, gas barrier performance, and natural decomposability, making it an optimal material for fruit preservation. To overcome problems of high cost and film porosity of existing packaging technologies, we aimed to develop pullulan-based packaging paper to enhance the shelf lives of fruits. A thin paper coating comprising a mixture of 15 wt.% pullulan solution at various standard viscosities (75.6, 77.8, and 108.5 mPa·s) with tea polyphenols (15:2) and/or vitamin C (150:1) improved the oxygen transmission rate (120–160 cm3 m−2·24 h·0.1 MPa), water vapor transmission rate (<5.44 g·mm−1 m−2·h·kPa), maximum free radical clearance rate (>87%), and antibacterial properties of base packaging paper. Grapes wrapped with these pullulan-based papers exhibited less weight loss (>4.41%) and improved hardness (>16.4%) after 10 days of storage compared to those of control grapes (wrapped in untreated/base paper). Grapes wrapped with pullulan-based paper had >12.6 wt.% total soluble solids, >1.5 mg/g soluble protein, >0.44 wt.% titratable acidity, and ≥4.5 mg 100 g−1 ascorbic acid. Thus, pullulan-based paper may prolong the shelf life of grapes with operational convenience, offering immense value for fruit preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the results of the micro-Raman analysis performed on paper-like graphene oxide (GO) samples consisting of many functionalised graphene layers and annealed at moderate temperatures (≤500 °C) under vacuum conditions (p ≃ 10−4 mbar). The analysis of the standalone samples revealed that the obtained material is characterised by a noticeable disorder level but still stays below the commonly accepted threshold of high or total disorder. GO formed in a simple way showed two spectral bands above 1650 cm−1 recorded very rarely or not at all and their origin has been discussed in detail. The results also confirmed the metastable character of multilayer GO after the annealing process at moderate temperatures as the C/O ratio was kept between 2 and 3 and the spectral features were stable within the annealing temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and sustainable power sources for next-generation electronics are being developed. A cellulose paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was fabricated to harness mechanical energy and convert it into electricity. This work proposes a novel approach to modify cellulose paper with natural dyes, including chlorophyll from spinach, anthocyanin from red cabbage, and curcumin from turmeric, to enhance the power output of a TENG. All the natural dyes are found to effectively improve the energy conversion performance of a cellulose paper-based TENG due to their photogenerated charges. The highest power density of 3.3 W/m2 is achieved from the cellulose paper-based TENG modified with chlorophyll, which is higher than those modified with anthocyanin and curcumin, respectively. The superior performance is attributed not only to the photosensitizer properties but also the molecular structure of the dye that promotes the electron-donating properties of cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late Qing Dynasty, religious periodicals by Western missionaries were made legal in China, and subsequently became an important manner of their missionary cause. Among them, Child's Paper 小孩月报 (1875–1881) by John Marshall Willoughby Farnham, a Protestant missionary from the United States, endeavoured to convert child readers by carrying children's stories of moral and emotional education. By concentrating on the educational elements of Child's Paper, this article inspects how conversion was achieved via the intertextual interpretation of Christian doctrines within these educational elements. Specifically, how the image of little Christians and urchins, respectively, represents salvation and redemption in Christian morals. This article holds that the missionaries' stress on the authority of Christian discourse in the education of Chinese children makes evident an increasing emphasis on the reformative effects of Christianity on Chinese children. Moreover, the conversion-education efforts by missionaries also construed helping Chinese children gain a cross-cultural perspective on Western religion, and arguably inspired later Chinese intellectuals' to create newspapers for the purpose of the pre-primary education of Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous works of the authors have presented the changes in the optical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the oiled areas of the supports that occur upon ageing due to oil-binder absorption in works of art on paper and printed material. In this framework, transmittance FTIR analysis has indicated that the presence of linseed oil induces the conditions to promote the deterioration of the oil-impregnated areas of the paper supports. However, the analysis of oil-impregnated mock-ups did not provide detailed information about the input of linseed oil formulations and the different types of paper support on the chemical changes that occur upon ageing. This work presents the results of ATR-FTIR and reflectance FTIR, which were used for compensating the previous results, proving indications on the effect of different materials (linseed oil formulations, and cellulosic and lignocellulosic papers) on the development of chemical changes, thus, on the condition of the oiled areas upon ageing. Although linseed oil formulations have a determining effect on the condition of the oiled areas of the support, the paper pulp content appears to have an input to the chemical changes that occur in the system of paper–linseed oil upon ageing. The results presented are more focused on the oil-impregnated mock-ups with cold-pressed linseed oil since results have indicated that this causes more extended changes upon ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) pollution from local mines and industrial use increases risks for human, animal, and plant health. Pectin is an effective chelator of Pb, and it has been shown that a unicellular green alga, Penium margaritaceum, synthesizes pectin in the cell wall. In this study, the ability of P. margaritaceum to remove Pb from an aqueous solution was investigated. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that two strains of P. margaritaceum accumulated Pb on the cell surface. Hence, P. margaritaceum cells were immobilized on cellulose filter paper. The immobilized algal cells were soaked in 1.0 mg/L Pb solution with gentle shaking for 8 h, and Pb in the solution and on the filter paper was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The immobilized algal cells continuously decreased the Pb concentration to less than 0.5 mg/L and recovered 31.8–32.7% of added Pb. The specific decrease in Pb and increase in Ca were observed in the presence of 1.0 mg/L each of Ca, Mg, Na, and K. Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested that the carboxylic acid group would be responsible for the adsorption of Pb. This study is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of the immobilized P. margaritaceum cell in removing Pb from aqueous solutions with simple solid–liquid separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we loaded cobalt-based zeolite imidazolate frameworks, ZIF-67 (Co), onto commercial filter paper to prepare catalytic filter paper (ZFP) for the in situ degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in water by activating peroxymonosulfate. The results showed that ZIF-67 (Co) was densely and uniformly distributed on the surface of the filter paper. The prepared ZFP could effectively degrade BPA in situ through a gravity-driven filtration process. Specifically, when the flow rate of the BPA solution passing through ZFP was lower than 10 mL/min, 0.02 mM of BPA could be completely degraded by ZFP. Furthermore, ZFP showed promising water matrix adaptability, which could provide promising BPA degradation efficiency in a wide pH range or in the existence of multiple anions. The scavenging tests demonstrated that both sulfate radical and hydroxyl radical were generated for BPA degradation, in which hydroxyl radical was the dominant active species. The ZFP also exhibited promising long-time use stability with a high mineralization rate. This study provides a novel method to prepare high-efficient catalyst paper for the in situ organic pollutant removal in water media via a prompt filtration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an integrated gas diffusion layer (GDL) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells by growing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in situ on carbon paper via the electro-polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) on carbon paper followed by a subsequent carbonization treatment process. The CNF/carbon paper showed a microporous structure and a significantly increased pore volume compared to commercial carbon paper. By utilizing this CNF/carbon paper in a PEM fuel cell, it was found that the cell with CNF/carbon paper had superior performance compared to the commercial GDL at both high and low humidity conditions, and its power density was as high as 1.21 W cm−2 at 100% relative humidity, which is 26% higher than that of a conventional gas diffusion layer (0.9 W cm−2). The significant performance enhancement was attributed to a higher pore volume and porosity of the CNF/carbon paper, which improved gas diffusion in the GDL. In addition, the superior performance of the cell with CNF/carbon paper at low relative humidity demonstrated that it had better water retention than the commercial GDL. This study provides a novel and facile method for the surface modification of GDLs to improve the performance of PEM fuel cells. The CNF/carbon paper with a microporous structure has suitable hydrophobicity and lower through-plane resistance, which makes it promising as an advanced substrate for GDLs in fuel cell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work, a coated paper was prepared with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) film to explore its use in eco-friendly food packaging. The paper was coated with PBAT film for packaging using hot pressing, a production method currently employed in the packaging industry. The coated papers were evaluated for their structural, mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. The structural morphology and chemical analysis of the coated paper confirmed the consistent formation of PBAT bi-layered on paper surfaces. Surface coating with PBAT film increased the water resistance of the paper samples, as demonstrated by tests of barrier characteristics, including the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), and water contact angle (WCA) of water drops. The transmission rate of the clean paper was 2010.40 cc m−2 per 24 h for OTR and 110.24 g m−2 per 24 h for WVTR. If the PBAT-film was coated, the value decreased to 91.79 g m−2 per 24 h and 992.86 cc m−2 per 24 h. The hydrophobic nature of PBAT, confirmed by WCA measurements, contributed to the enhanced water resistance of PBAT-coated paper. This result presents an improved PBAT-coated paper material, eliminating the need for adhesives and allowing for the fabrication of bi-layered packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pursuit of enhancing food packaging, nanotechnology, particularly green silver nanoparticles (G-AgNPs), have gained prominence for its remarkable antimicrobial properties with high potential for food shelf-life extension. Our study aims to develop corn starch-based coating materials reinforced with G-AgNPs. The mechanical properties were examined using a uniaxial tensile tester, revealing that starch coated with the highest G-AgNPs concentration (12.75 ppm) exhibited UTS of 87.6 MPa compared to 48.48 MPa of control paper, a significant (p < 0.02) 65% increase. The assessment of the WVP showcased a statistical reduction in permeability by up to 8% with the incorporation of the hydrophobic layer. Furthermore, antibacterial properties were assessed following ISO 22196:2011, demonstrating a strong and concentration-dependent activity of G-AgNPs against E. coli. All samples successfully disintegrated in both simulated environments (soil and seawater), including samples presenting G-AgNPs. In the food trial analysis, the presence of starch and G-AgNPs significantly reduced weight loss after 6 days, with cherry tomatoes decreasing by 8.59% and green grapes by 6.77% only. The results of this study contribute to the advancement of environmentally friendly packaging materials, aligning with the UN sustainable development goals of reducing food waste and promoting sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a notifiable viral disease caused by Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV). It is usually associated with high economic losses, including a loss of productivity, infertility, and death. LSDV shares genetic and antigenic similarities with Sheep pox virus (SPV) and Goat pox (GPV) virus. Hence, the LSDV traditional diagnostic tools faced many limitations regarding sensitivity, specificity, and cross-reactivity. Herein, we fabricated a paper-based turn-on fluorescent Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) sensor for the rapid detection of LSDV. The LSDV-MIPs sensor showed strong fluorescent intensity signal enhancement in response to the presence of the virus within minutes. Our sensor showed a limit of detection of 101 log10 TCID50/mL. Moreover, it showed significantly higher specificity to LSDV relative to other viruses, especially SPV. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a paper-based rapid detection test for LSDV depending on fluorescent turn-on behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant increase in the consumption of recycled fiber products has been observed worldwide, and the industry is forced to solve the challenges of recycled fiber quality and add strength agents and/or virgin fibers to reach sufficient properties. In order to investigate whether the mechanical and air permeability properties of waste fiber (WF) material can be significantly improved by adding wood kraft fibers (KF), hemp soda fibers (HF), and ammonium persulfate oxidated cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), different fiber blends were prepared and tested. Results revealed the excellence of hemp fibers over wood fibers regarding the improvement of WF products. The results of WF after the addition of 10% mixed fibers (KF + HF) were higher than the results of a 50% KF addition. The impact of CNF depended on fiber composition and properties. A formula for modeling the CNF impact on different fiber compositions was proposed. Obtained fiber material samples showed suitability for home composting, thus contributing to the goals of the European Green Deal regarding reducing landfill waste and the development of cleaner products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this work was to improve the barrier properties of selected papers against water, grease and oil or gases (water vapor and oxygen) by covering them with biodegradable commercial coating carriers based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The aim was also to obtain cellulose recyclable packaging materials with improved barrier characteristics. The properties of paper coatings based on CNCs and PVOH were characterized. Various paper coating techniques (flexographic printing, rotogravure printing and blade printing) were evaluated with respect to the final properties of the surface-modified paper with different starting grammages (40 g/m2, 70 g/m2, 100 g/m2). Functional properties, such as the barrier against oxygen, water vapor, water and grease; mechanical properties; and seal characterization of coated paper were examined. The results of this study demonstrated that the covering of the paper may improve the water, grease and oil barrier and that the best results were obtained for Gerstar 70 g/m2 coated with J12 coatings using the flexographic technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of enzyme-based biosensors for the detection and quantification of analytes of interest such as contaminants of emerging concern, including over-the-counter medication, provides an attractive alternative compared to more established techniques. However, their direct application to real environmental matrices is still under investigation due to the various drawbacks in their implementation. Here, we report the development of bioelectrodes using laccase enzymes immobilized onto carbon paper electrodes modified with nanostructured molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). The laccase enzymes were two isoforms (LacI and LacII) produced and purified from the fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus CS43 that is native to Mexico. A commercial purified enzyme from the fungus Trametes versicolor (TvL) was also evaluated to compare their performance. The developed bioelectrodes were used in the biosensing of acetaminophen, a drug widely used to relieve fever and pain, and of which there is recent concern about its effect on the environment after its final disposal. The use of MoS2 as a transducer modifier was evaluated, and it was found that the best detection was achieved using a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Moreover, it was found that the laccase with the best biosensing efficiency was LacII, which achieved an LOD of 0.2 µM and a sensitivity of 0.108 µA/µM cm2 in the buffer matrix. Moreover, the performance of the bioelectrodes in a composite groundwater sample from Northeast Mexico was analyzed, achieving an LOD of 0.5 µM and a sensitivity of 0.015 µA/µM cm2. The LOD values found are among the lowest reported for biosensors based on the use of oxidoreductase enzymes, while the sensitivity is the highest currently reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs), including lateral flow assays (LFAs), dipstick assays and microfluidic PADs (μPADs), have a great impact on the healthcare realm and environmental monitoring. This is especially evident in developing countries because PADs-based point-of-care testing (POCT) enables to rapidly determine various (bio)chemical analytes in a miniaturized, cost-effective and user-friendly manner. Low sensitivity and poor specificity are the main bottlenecks associated with PADs, which limit the entry of PADs into the real-life applications. The application of nanomaterials in PADs is showing great improvement in their detection performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy since the nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties. In this review, the research progress on the nanomaterial-based PADs is summarized by highlighting representative recent publications. We mainly focus on the detection principles, the sensing mechanisms of how they work and applications in disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring and food safety management. In addition, the limitations and challenges associated with the development of nanomaterial-based PADs are discussed, and further directions in this research field are proposed.

In this research, the decomposition of toxic organics from pulp and paper mill effluent by the sequential application of ozonation and biodegradation was studied. Ozonation, as a pre-treatment, was executed to transform the initial pollutants into less toxic compounds (such as organic acids of low molecular weights). Biodegradation was executed during three days with acclimated microorganisms that were able to complete the decomposition of the initial organic mixture (raw wastewater) and to achieve a higher degree of mineralization (85–90%). Experiments were performed under three different conditions: (a) only ozonation of the initial contaminants, (b) only biodegradation of residual water without previous treatment by ozone and (c) ozonation followed by biodegradation performed by acclimated microorganisms. In the case of 72 h of biodegradation, the mineralization efficiency reached 85% and 89% after 30 and 60 min of ozonation, respectively. The no significant difference in this parameter coincided with the calculated generalized microorganisms' consortia specific growing rate μ m a x that was reduced from 2.08 × 10−3 h−1 to 6.05 × 10−4 h−1 when the ozonation time was longer. The identification of the organics composition by gas chromatography with mass detector (GC-MS) before and after treatments confirmed that the proposed combined process served as a more efficient alternative to secondary and tertiary treatments (mineralization degree between 60 and 80% in average) of the paper industry wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the domain of architectural urban informatization, the automated precision recognition of two-dimensional paper schematics emerges as a pivotal technical challenge. Recognition methods traditionally employed frequently encounter limitations due to the fluctuating quality of architectural drawings and the bounds of current image processing methodologies, inhibiting the realization of high accuracy. The research delineates an innovative framework that synthesizes refined semantic segmentation algorithms with image processing techniques and precise coordinate identification methods, with the objective of enhancing the accuracy and operational efficiency in the identification of architectural elements. A meticulously curated data set, featuring 13 principal categories of building and structural components, facilitated the comprehensive training and assessment of two disparate deep learning models. The empirical findings reveal that these algorithms attained mean intersection over union (MIoU) values of 96.44% and 98.01% on the evaluation data set, marking a substantial enhancement in performance relative to traditional approaches. In conjunction, the framework's integration of the Hough Transform with SQL Server technology has significantly reduced the coordinate detection error rates for linear and circular elements to below 0.1% and 0.15%, respectively. This investigation not only accomplishes the efficacious transition from analog two-dimensional paper drawings to their digital counterparts, but also assures the precise identification and localization of essential architectural components within the digital image coordinate framework. These developments are of considerable importance in furthering the digital transition within the construction industry and establish a robust foundation for the forthcoming extension of data collections and the refinement of algorithmic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal readout technologies that do not require any instrument are essential for improving the convenience and availability of paper-based sensors. Thanks to the remarkable progress in material science and nanotechnology, paper-based sensors with instrument-free signal readout have been developed for multiple purposes, such as biomedical detection, environmental pollutant tracking, and food analysis. In this review, the developments in instrument-free signal readout technologies for paper-based sensors from 2020 to 2023 are summarized. The instrument-free signal readout technologies, such as distance-based signal readout technology, counting-based signal readout technology, text-based signal readout technology, as well as other transduction technologies, are briefly introduced, respectively. On the other hand, the applications of paper-based sensors with instrument-free signal readout technologies are summarized, including biomedical analysis, environmental analysis, food analysis, and other applications. Finally, the potential and difficulties associated with the advancement of paper-based sensors without instruments are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, tissue product producers try to meet consumers' requirements to retain their loyalty. In perforated products, such as toilet paper, these requirements involve the paper being portioned along the perforation line and not outside of it. Thus, it becomes necessary to enhance the behavior of the perforation line in perforated tissue papers. The current study aimed to verify if the perforation line for 0° (the solution found in commercial perforated products) is the best solution to maximize the perforation efficiency. A finite element (FE) simulation was used to validate the experimental data, where the deviations from the experiments were 5.2% for the case with a 4 mm perforation length and 8.8% for a perforation of 2 mm, and optimize the perforation efficiency using the genetic algorithm while considering two different cases. In the first case, the blank distance and the perforation line angle were varied, with the best configuration being achieved with a blank distance of 0.1 mm and an inclination angle of 0.56°. For the second case, the blank distance was fixed to 1.0 mm and the only variable to be optimized was the inclination angle of the perforation line. It was found that the best angle inclination was 0.67°. In both cases, it was verified that a slight inclination in the perforation line will favor partitioning and therefore the perforation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid degradation of pulping and papermaking wastewater in a pulp and paper mill is crucial for recycling purposes yet challenging to achieve. The purpose of this research is to provide a technical guide for the ozone degradation treatment process of pulp and paper mill wastewater and to explore the reaction mechanism of dissolved and colloidal substances (DCSs). This study is vital for effectively treating pulp and paper mill wastewater through ozonation. In the catalytic ozonation process to treat pulp and paper mill wastewater, a polyurethane sponge loaded with titanium dioxide was used as a catalyst. The optimal process conditions were determined to be 8 min of treatment time, a 16 mg/L ozone concentration, pH 9, and a 7.5% catalyst filling ratio. The COD reduction under these conditions is approximately 52%. The catalytic ozonation system, according to the FI-IR and GC-MS analyses, could degrade the large-molecule volatile organic compounds in the raw wastewater into small-molecule substances. Furthermore, the relative content of common DCSs in paper wastewater, such as palmitic acid and stilbene, could be reduced. The catalytic ozonation system is more effective for treating refractory organic compounds and has a higher COD reduction than the ozonation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once retracted, the citation count of a research paper might be intuitively expected to drop precipitously. Here, we assessed the post-retraction citation of life and medical sciences papers from two top-ranked, multidisciplinary journals Nature and Science, from 2010 to 2018. Post-retraction citations accounted for a staggering 47.7% and 40.9% of total citations (median values), respectively, of the papers included in our analysis. These numbers are comparable with those from two journals with lower impact factors, and with retracted papers from the physical sciences discipline. A more qualitative assessment of five papers from the two journals with a high percentage (>50%) of post-retraction citations, all of which are associated with misconduct, reveal different contributing reasons and factors. Retracted papers associated with highly publicized misconduct cases are more prone to being cited with the retraction status indicated, or projected negatively (such as in the context of research ethics and misconduct discussions), with the latter also indicated by cross-disciplinary citations by humanities and social sciences articles. Retracted papers that retained significant validity in their main findings/conclusions may receive a large number of neutral citations that are somewhat blind to the retraction. Retracted papers in popular subject areas with massive publication outputs, particularly secondary publications such as reviews, may also have a high background citation noise. Our findings add further insights to the nature of post-retraction citations beyond the plain notion that these are largely made through sheer ignorance or negligence by the citing authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical compounds dissolved in insulating oil, as indicators can excellently monitor the paper aging condition, which has attracted increasing interest in areas of transformer condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. Because of their outstanding features, such as good correlation with the degree of polymerization of cellulose paper and the aid of non-destructive online monitoring, chemical indicators have been effectively used for transformer condition assessment. In this study, a comprehensive, in-depth insight into the indicators of the aging of insulating paper from aging characteristics, physico-chemical characteristics, shortcomings of various compounds, generation pathways and mechanisms, and monitoring technologies are provided. It is expected that these chemical indicators can provide better guidance for the evaluation of paper insulation performance and transformer aging. In addition, the latest research progress, as well as current challenges and future prospects are also outlined. This study provides a theoretical basis and reference for chemical indicators in the fields of microscopic formation mechanism, diffusion equilibrium phenomenon, and insulation aging state assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper chromatography is a low-cost and facile analytical method traditionally used to analyze hydrophilic substances. For the application to substances with lower polarity, we prepared a stationary phase based on filter paper modified with phenyl isocyanate (PI-FP), bearing phenyl carbamate moieties for hydrophobic, π-π, and electrostatic interactions. The preparation and chromatographic methods were established by selecting papers, comparing different chemical structures, optimizing the modification procedure, investigating eluents, and quantitatively parameterizing the separation behavior based on the character of the analytes. PI-FP exhibited better separation performance than esterified FPs and enabled chromatographic analysis of various dyes with both positive and negative clogP (calculated water-octanol partition coefficient). We also demonstrated an application of this system for a preparative separation of dyes using thread-like paper modified with PI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review focuses on polymeric waste-paper composites, including state-of-the-art analysis with quantitative and qualitative discussions. Waste paper is a valuable cellulose-rich material, produced mainly from office paper, newspaper, and paper sludge, which can be recycled and returned to paper production or used in a new life cycle. A systematic literature review found 75 publications on this material over the last 27 years, with half of those published during the last five years. These data represent an increasing trend in the number of publications and citations that have shown an interest in this field. Most of them investigated the physicomechanical properties of composites using different contents of raw waste paper or the treated, modified, and cellulose-extracted types. The results show that polyethylene and polypropylene are the most used matrices, but polylactic acid, a biodegradable/sourced polymer, has the most citations. The scientific relevance of waste-paper composites as a subject includes the increasing trend of the number of publications and citations over the years, as well as the gaps identified by keyword mapping and the qualitative discussion of the papers. Therefore, biopolymers and biobased polymers could be investigated more, as well as novel applications. The environmental impact in terms of stability and degradation should also receive more attention regarding sustainability and life cycle analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO2 emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study was conducted to estimate the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of canaries' cages and those of other exotic pet birds, in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship. Furthermore, we determined the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates for antibiotics and commercial disinfectants. One pool of 258 cage paper pools was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%). Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, this is the first study conducted in Argentina on Salmonella spp. isolation from these materials of pet birds. However, Salmonella ser. Glostrup isolated strains could be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks, and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. Birds, including canaries and other birds, have become increasingly popular as pets. Bird fairs, where breeders gather and show their production in a championship setting, present a setting for possible Salmonella spp. contamination and transmission. Therefore, this study estimated the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of cages of exotic pet birds, including canaries. Collected Salmonella isolates were used to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile to 52 antibiotics and 17 commercial disinfectants, based on pure or a mixture of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkalis, halogens, peroxygen, and quaternary ammonium compounds. The samples consisted of 774 cage papers taken in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship, pooling three cage papers into one sterile sampling bag. Only one pool of the cage papers was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%), which belonged to the sample from three frill canary cages. Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, it should not be discounted because Salmonella ser. Glostrup can be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]