Search

We demonstrated the thermally robust reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) papers and their application in electromagnetic interference shielding. In order to overcome the thermal durability shortcomings of electromagnetic wave shielding paper based on rGO nanomaterial, rGO/BNNT electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding paper having excellent thermal durability could be manufactured using BNNT nanomaterials having excellent chemical and thermal stability at high temperature. With the addition of a little BNNT, the durability against temperature can be increased by more than two times while there is little reduction in EMI performance.

In this study, Taguchi experimental design was used to the optimize operating parameters for the degradation of paper mill effluent using electrochemical (EC) process with two-dimensional concentric aluminum tube electrodes (CATE). For this purpose, four significant experimental factors were used in four levels pH (6–9), electrolysis time (10–40 min), voltage (6–12 V) and surface area (357–624 cm(2)). The process parameters were optimized, through performing L16 orthogonal array of Taguchi technique, for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity. The percent COD and turbidity reductions were transferred into an accurate S/N ratio for a larger value is the better (LBT) response. The study presents a unique method of finding optimum combination of process parameters to illustrate their effect on the turbidity and COD reduction. The treatment conditions for the maximum elimination of the pollutants were second level of pH (7), third level of ET (30 min), fourth level of voltage (12 V) and second level of surface area (446 cm(2)). The confirmation experiment results were within the confidence intervals (CI) indicating an acceptable agreement between predicted and observed values. Based on the p-values, the electrolysis time and voltages were found to be the most significant factors for both COD and turbidity reduction. The findings of research indicated, that the Taguchi method can be used successfully for the treatment of paper industry effluent by electrochemical technique.

Purpose To study respiratory effects of exposure to soft paper dust exposure, a relationship that is rarely studied. Methods Soft tissue paper mill workers at a Swedish paper mill were investigated using a questionnaire and lung function and atopy screening. Spirometry without bronchodilation was performed with a dry wedge spirometer, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were obtained and expressed as percent predicted. Exposure to soft paper dust was assessed from historical stationary and personal measurements of total dust, in addition to historical information about the work, department, and production. The impact of high exposure to soft paper dust (> 5 mg/m3) vs. lower exposure ≤ 5 mg/m3, as well as cumulative exposure, was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Multivariate models were adjusted for smoking, atopy, gender, and body mass index. Results One hundred ninety-eight current workers (124 male and 74 female) were included. There were significant associations between both cumulative exposure and years of high exposure to soft paper dust and impaired lung function. Each year of high exposure to soft paper dust was associated with a 0.87% decrease in FEV1 [95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.39 to − 0.35] and decreased FVC (− 0.54%, 95% CI − 1.00 to − 0.08) compared to the lower exposed workers. Conclusions The present study shows that occupational exposure to soft paper dust (years exceeding 5 mg/m3 total dust) is associated with lung function impairment and increased prevalence of obstructive lung function impairment.

Abstract Tissue paper softness relies on two major factors, the bulk softness, which can be indicated by the elasticity of the sheet, and surface softness. Measurement of surface softness is complicated and often requires a multi-step process. A key parameter defining surface softness is the topography of the surface, particularly the crepe structure and its periodicity. Herein, we present a novel approach to measure and quantify the tissue paper surface crepe structure and periodicity based on the detection of waviness along the sample using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSM) and X-ray tomography (XRT). In addition, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) was used to characterize the tissue paper surface. We demonstrate that surface topography is directly correlated to the erosion of the doctor blade, which is used to remove the dry tissue paper from the Yankee cylinder. Because of its accuracy and simplicity, the laser confocal microscopy method has the potential to be used directly on the production line to monitor the production process of the tissue paper. XRT revealed more structural details of the tissue paper structure in 3D, and it allowed for the reconstruction of the surface and the internal structure of the tissue paper. Graphic abstract

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with high performance and low density are urgently needed with the rapid development of electronic communications. In this work, tuning solid–air interface of graphene paper was carried out to enhance multiple reflections of incident electromagnetic waves for high-performance EMI shielding. The large amount solid–air interface (57.8 m2 g−1) endowed the porous graphene paper with a high EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 31.0 dB, 50% enhancement from its counterpart of solid graphene paper. This porous graphene paper also showed an ultralow density of 0.02 g cm−3, an 18.5-fold decrease from its counterpart of solid graphene paper. Moreover, the EMI SE of obtained graphene papers exhibited proportional relationship with their specific surface area, further confirming the vital role of solid–air interface in the enhancement of EMI shielding. This work quantitatively demonstrates the significance of solid–air interface area for enhancing the EMI shielding performance and proposes an efficient guideline for the design of high-performance and low-density EMI shielding materials.

This paper presents a new approach towards the design of paper based autonomous microfluidic devices. Autonomy in the device operation is achieved through the incorporation of mechanically actuated microfluidic switches that are versatile in their design and may be configured to be simple time triggered ON or OFF switches or more complex switches that can be timed to be in multiple states (timed ON, followed by timed OFF). These switches are self-contained and require no external power for their operation, deriving their functionality solely through stored elastic energy. This paper presents the design and fabrication of these switches as fluidic analogs of electronic transistors, and their integration into microfluidic paper based circuit demonstrating their operation as a programmable paper-based microfluidic device.

In recent era of modern and bendable technology, energy dearth arises as a paramount subject around the globe with a dire demand of flexible and lightweight energy storage devices. This study targets fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and utility of abundantly available, cost effective, and environment friendly lignocelluloses (LC) fibers extracted from Carica papaya source, as a binder to bind active material (rGO) as robust and compact paper sheet. Fabricated samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction for crystallographic analysis, Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscope for morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for structural bonding, and Raman spectroscopy for vibrational modes. Robust and bendable rGO/LC paper electrode was tested for energy storage application by employing in different characterizations, i.e., cyclic voltammetry for capacitive behavior, galvanostatic charge–discharge for symmetric EDLC, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for resistive charge kinetics, respectively. rGO/LC composite sheet employed as working electrode in 3-electrode CV measurements and revealed specific capacitance of 591 F/g at a scan rate of 5 mV/s by keeping the undistorted shape of voltammograms at higher scan rates which present it as a suitable candidate for modern flexible and energy storage devices. rGO/LC-based symmetric cell revealed the highest specific capacitance of 228 F/g at applied current density of 0.1 A/g, the energy density of 6.3 Wh/kg, and power density of 129 W/kg, respectively. rGO/LC-based symmetric cell confirmed the cycling stability by revealing capacitance retention of 82% after 200 cycles. It can conclude that biomass-based rGO paper sheet can be a potential candidate as environmentally safe with remarkable electrochemical activity in energy storage applications.

Although Al-ion battery is attracting researchers’ attention worldwide, its volumetric energy density was not so promising due to low density of graphite-based positive electrodes in the current published literatures. Thus, defect-free yet densely packed graphene electrodes with high electronic conductivity and fast ionic diffusion are crucial to the realization of compacted Al-ion batteries with high volumetric energy density. In the present work, a self-supported and defect-free graphene-positive electrode (RHG-P-2850) was successfully produced by a hydriodic acid reduction of the graphene oxide (GO) method, followed by an ultrahigh temperature (2850 °C) annealing treatment. The density of the RHG-P-2850 (0.32 g cm−3) is currently the highest positive electrode material in the preparation of graphene-positive electrodes from GO. RHG-P-2850 positive electrode enables to deliver considerably high specific capacity 27.1 mAh cm−3 (85 mAh g−1) at the current density 2 A g−1. More importantly, a remarkably stable performance was achieved with 20% fading over 8000 cycles. The results enlighten and promote the design and preparation of densely packed graphene-positive electrode to develop high-performance Al/graphene battery.

A simple, scalable approach is developed to fabricate a flexible hybrid paper electrode composed of the polyaniline/graphene and the carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced bacterial cellulose. The prepared hybrid paper presents high areal capacitance of 4.145 F cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2 and an extremely low sheet resistance of 29.7 Ω sq.−1. The CF endows the paper electrode remarkable foldability with no mechanical destruction. Even after being repeatedly bent 180° up to 1000 times, the initial capacitance can be retained up to 98%. A fabricated all-solid-state supercapacitor based on the resulting paper electrode has an excellent areal capacitance of 630 mF cm−2 and energy density of 2.8 mWh cm−3. The results confirm that this approach can fabricate the highly foldable and shape-tailorable energy storage devices and may have wide potential applications.

Flexible and lightweight shielding materials recently have attracted increasing attention for terahertz wave due to the deteriorated performance of electronic equipment interferenced by electromagnetic yielding. Herein, flexible reduced graphene oxide (rGO) papers were prepared by solution evaporation method to attenuate the electromagnetic wave in terahertz field. They exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and remarkable electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness. The electrical conductivity of the rGO papers was improved from 54.07 to 78.67 S/cm after annealing at 400 °C. The rGO paper annealed at 400 °C was only ~ 370 µm in thickness and particularly exhibited an outstanding absorption performance of 17.6 dB at 0.7 THz. It has been found that the maximum absorption performance of rGO papers was basically equivalent to that of the metamaterials. Moreover, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 72.1 dB of the rGO papers was obtained at 0.6 THz, which indicated that ~ 99.99% of the power was shielded. Thus, the flexible rGO papers maybe a promising candidate for optimized electromagnetic shielding materials in the terahertz band.

The printing effect of paper packaging has an impact on the circulation effect of products. Only when the printing effect is good can it attract consumers’ purchasing desire. In this study, based on color management technology, the printing of the designed Bazhong specialty paper packaging was studied. Firstly, the content and process of color management were analyzed, and equipment correction and characterization were introduced. Then, the printing process of Bazhong specialty paper packaging was explored, and the printing equipment and the establishment of the profile file were analyzed. The application of color management achieves a high-quality printing effect, which provides a theoretical reference for its further application in the printing industry.

To improve the accuracy of color reproduction for camouflage printing, a new color matching method, named monitor-paper-fabric, was proposed by importing color management into textiles, which matched the printing pastes according to the color of the paper card printed by the ink-jet printer after color management. Not like the traditional color matching method, it matched the printing pastes according to the color from computer monitor after color correction. Two color matching methods were analyzed by comparing the color difference. It was found that the “monitor-paper-fabric” color matching method could be considered as a convenient and feasible color matching method. Most color differences between the monitor and the fabric in the camouflage pattern were reduced to lower than 4, except for color blocks 5 and 6. In addition, the color differences of six color blocks between the paper and the fabric were all less than 3.5, and were lower than those between the monitor and the fabric. The color consistency between the paper and the fabric was better than that between the monitor and the fabric.

The photon energy of terahertz waves is of the order of a few milli-electronvolts and is much lower than the thermal energy of ~ 26 meV at room temperature. However, the fast and sensitive detection of terahertz waves is notoriously difficult at ambient conditions. Moreover, the material flexibility is also very important within existing terahertz technologies for development of wearable and portable terahertz devices. We experimentally demonstrate that multiwall carbon nanotube flexible paper (MWCNT-FP) is one of the potential candidates to be used for terahertz detectors at room temperature. For the first time, MWCNT-FP sample is measured over a wide frequency band ranging from 0.02 to 4.5 THz at room temperature as compared to previously reported materials that demonstrate prominent frequency response between 0.2 and 2.5 THz. The MWCNT-FP sample delivered wide band absorption between 0.02 and 4.0 THz. Over the transmission, a high absorption peak is detected at 1.0 THz. The optical density spectrum is observed around 1.25 and 3.37 THz in the low-frequency regime and high-frequency regime, respectively. The present results suggest the potential application of MWCNT-FP as a wearable THz detector.

Highlights The superior conductivity and unique porous electrode structure in the TiN paper enable fast charging by simultaneously providing efficient ion diffusion and electron transport. The TiN paper-based supercapacitors exhibit charging/discharging at an ultrahigh scan rate of 100 V s−1 in a wide voltage window of 1.5 V in Na2SO4 neutral electrolyte and show zero capacitance loss after 200,000 cycles. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40820-019-0340-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users., Ultrafast-charging energy storage devices are attractive for powering personal electronics and electric vehicles. Most ultrafast-charging devices are made of carbonaceous materials such as chemically converted graphene and carbon nanotubes. Yet, their relatively low electrical conductivity may restrict their performance at ultrahigh charging rate. Here, we report the fabrication of a porous titanium nitride (TiN) paper as an alternative electrode material for ultrafast-charging devices. The TiN paper shows an excellent conductivity of 3.67 × 104 S m−1, which is considerably higher than most carbon-based electrodes. The paper-like structure also contains a combination of large pores between interconnected nanobelts and mesopores within the nanobelts. This unique electrode enables fast charging by simultaneously providing efficient ion diffusion and electron transport. The supercapacitors (SCs) made of TiN paper enable charging/discharging at an ultrahigh scan rate of 100 V s−1 in a wide voltage window of 1.5 V in Na2SO4 neutral electrolyte. It has an outstanding response time with a characteristic time constant of 4 ms. Significantly, the TiN paper-based SCs also show zero capacitance loss after 200,000 cycles, which is much better than the stability performance reported for other metal nitride SCs. Furthermore, the device shows great promise in scalability. The filtration method enables good control of the thickness and mass loading of TiN electrodes and devices. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40820-019-0340-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To clarify the socioeconomic factors influencing global paper and paperboard demand, a panel data analysis was conducted covering the period 1961–2014. This study used paper and paperboard demand as the dependent variable, and a country’s economic level, Internet usage rate, plastic packaging demand, and time trend as the explanatory variables. An inverse U-shaped quadratic relationship, such as an environmental Kuznets curve, was found between economic level and paper and paperboard demand, which saturates and begins to decline as economic level increases. The economic level representing the turning point differs significantly with the use, ranging from around 37,000 US$/person for newsprint paper to around 66,000 US$/person for printing and writing paper. For both newsprint paper and printing and writing paper, demand declines owing to the spread of the Internet as the economic level rises, although this reductive effect is greater for printing and writing paper than for newsprint paper. A substitution relationship is not found between wrapping paper and corrugated cardboard on the one hand and plastic packaging on the other hand as the economic level becomes higher.

Augmented reality technology is attracting increased attention, given the popularity of the smartphone. The utilisation of the smartphone with AR technology is also enabling mobile augmented reality (MAR) to become accessible. Stereoscopic vision offers users the benefit of depth perception, which can help improve user memory. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect on knowledge retention using MAR with stereoscopic vision. An experiment to compare a stereoscopic-based MAR application and a paper-based manual was designed to test the participants’ knowledge retention on a product part and disassembly process. The developed MAR adopted a smartphone and headset case to provide a stereoscopic view to the user. The experiment consisted of both pre-test and post-test phases where the pre-test phase examined the participant’s knowledge about the product, and the post-test phase focused on how much information the participants could recall. The post-test phase was conducted after 48 h following the pre-test phase since long-term memory required several hours in which to stabilise. The results showed that the MAR group had an advantage over the paper-based manual group for both information retentions having a mean score of 8.89 from the MAR group, compared with 6.33 for the paper-based manual group. Moreover, the MAR group was observed to have fewer errors in the post-test with a mean score of 0.53, whereas the paper-based achieved a score of 2.2. This result indicated that the MAR group and the paper-based manual group had equivalent performance in the completion time without the assistance tool. In addition, MAR had a better mean score for the subjective feedback (usefulness = 4.47, ease of use 4.18 and satisfaction = 4.07).

Laser-scribed graphene (LSG) electrodes have gained popularity in many miniaturized and lab on chip systems such as micro-energy harvester, flexible electronics, portable power storage, electrochemical sensors, etc. This study presents the development of a fuel cell on a cellulose filter paper with integrated LSG electrodes. Here, cellulose paper acts as a microchannel to transport the fluids through capillary action. Paper devices offer several important advantages, including the elimination of membrane and external pumps with the integrated co-laminar flow through embedded capillary systems. Herein, the paper-LSG fuel cell uses HCOOH and H2SO4 as fuel and electrolyte, respectively. Experiments have been performed to enhance the performance of paper-LSG fuel cell by optimizing various electrode types (Plain LSG, Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/LSG, Pure MWCNT), concentration of fuel and electrolyte, and different grades of cellulose paper microchannels to understand the impact to the porosity of paper. The developed paper-LSG fuel cell, with MWCNT/LSG as an optimized electrode, delivered a peak current density (CD) of 166.82 µA/cm2, and power density (PD) of 14.42 µW/cm2, at a stable OCP of 350 mV with Grade-1 cellulose microchannel. Such fuel cells are amenable to be utilized for sustainably powering various microelectronic devices.

Temperature is a critical extrinsic physical parameter that determines cell fate. Hyperthermia therapy has become an efficient treatment for tumor ablation. To understand the response of tumor cells under thermal shocks, we present a paper-based photothermal array that can be conveniently coupled with commercial 96-well cell culture plates. This paper chip device was fabricated in one step using Parafilm® and Kimwipers® based on a heat lamination strategy. Liquid was completely adsorbed and confined within the cellulose fibres of hydrophilic regions. Then, Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs) as the photothermal initiator were introduced into the loading wells, and thermal energy was generated via near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. After assembling the paper device with a 96-well plate, the temperature of each well could be individually controlled by varying the loading amount of PB NPs and laser irradiation time. As a proof-of-concept study, the effects of local thermal shocks on HeLa cells were investigated using MTT cell viability assay and Live/Dead cell staining. The variation of cell viability could be monitored in situ with controllable temperature elevation. The proposed paper photothermal array loaded with thermal initiators represents an enabling tool for investigating the hyperthermia responses of biological cells. Moreover, the facile fabrication technique for paper patterning is advantageous for customizing high-throughput microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) with extremely low cost.

All-inkjet-printing of transistors has received much attention for low cost and flexible integrated circuits. However, most flexible field-effect transistors (FETs) based on the emerging two-dimensional materials suffer from the high cost of substrate and electrode materials. The requirements for high-temperature synthesis and precise control in processing add another layer of complexity. To overcome these issues, low-cost flexible paper-based MoS2 FETs were fabricated by inkjet printing of MoS2 channel materials on paper. Additionally, we proposed and achieved the mask-less and low-temperature formation of source and drain electrodes on paper using in-situ selective-area copper reduction. A low sub-threshold swing of 80 mV/dec, high on/off ratio of 105, and very high turn-on current (Ion) of 200 μA of the paper-based flexible MoS2 FETs were demonstrated using the proposed low-cost and facile all-inkjet-printing technique. The all-inkjet-printing technique assisted by in-situ copper reduction opens new opportunities for low-cost and batch fabrication of paper-based electronic devices in ambient conditions.

In this work, a new method of bricks making based on waste paper has been developed for the thermal insulation of buildings. This method involves converting paper waste into aggregates and combining them with a Portland cement binder. A physical and thermal characterization of the Aggregate of Waste Paper (AWP) is carried out, followed by a structural study by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Six Paper Brick Types are made with the mass dosage variation of the composite. After drying the bricks in the open air for 28 days, experimental investigations were carried out to determine the density, the water absorption, the compressive and flexural strength, and the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves. In addition, a SEM analysis combined with an Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX) is performed to examine the adhesion between the AWP and the cement particles. The characterization results of the aggregates showed a low density and thermal conductivity amounting to170kg/m3 and 0.06 W/m.K, respectively, and the analysis of their microstructure by SEM demonstrated that their structure is composed of randomly distributed fibers. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the paper bricks are more resistant, since the compressive strength varies between 3.43 and 6.43 MPa, and their thermal properties are lower compared to the conventional bricks, from 0,0851 to 0,0978 W/m.K. Therefore, these findings clearly indicate that the newly made bricks represent an innovative solution for thermal insulation in buildings that can also be used as a structural material.

Paper transistors are indispensable devices for paper-based electronic biosensing systems. Existing paper transistors mainly use paper as a mechanical support in a passive fashion. By taking advantage of the cellulose fibers in paper, here we report a transistor-in-paper where paper is employed as an essential part to allow for low-voltage operation, which addresses the long-standing challenge of high-voltage operation with existing paper transistors. Such a low-threshold voltage is because of the ion gel/cellulose fiber composite dielectric formed by modifying the paper with ion gels. We further developed paper-based inverters as examples of logic gates and an integrated tactile sensing mat based on a transistor array–enabled multiplexing device. The results collectively indicate that the ion gel–modified paper leads to a class of flexible, low-voltage transistors and integrated electronic devices, which hold promise in many applications.

Applications of digital micromirror device for lidar are overviewed. A large Lagrange invariant value makes DMD as one of the attractive beam steering transmitter and receiver solutions for a time-of-flight lidar, especially with its an extended angular throw by synchronized pulsed laser illumination.

Background Gestational age (GA) is a key determinant of newborn survival and long-term impairment. Accurate estimation of GA facilitates timely provision of essential interventions to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. Menstrual based dating, ultrasound based dating, and neonatal estimates are the primarily used methods for assessing GA; all of which have some strength and weaknesses that require critical consideration. Last menstrual period (LMP) is simple, low-cost self-reported information, recommended by the World Health Organization for estimating GA but has issues of recall mainly among poorer, less educated women and women with irregular menstruation, undiagnosed abortion, and spotting during early pregnancy. Several studies have noted that about 20–50% of women cannot accurately recall the date of LMP. The goal of this study is therefore to improve recall and reporting of LMP and by doing so increase the accuracy of LMP based GA assessment in a rural population of Bangladesh where antenatal care-seeking, availability and utilization of USG is low. Method We propose to conduct a 4- parallel arm, superiority, community based cluster randomized controlled trial comparing three interventions to improve recall of GA with a no intervention arm. The interventions include (i) counselling and a paper based calendar (ii) counselling and a cell phone based SMS alert system (iii) counselling and smart-phone application. The trial is being conducted among 3360 adolescent girls and recently married women in Mirzapur sub-district of Bangladesh. Discussion Enrolment of study participants continued from January 24, 2017 to March 29, 2017. Data collection and intervention implementation is ongoing and will end by February, 2019. Data analysis will measure efficacy of interventions in improving the recall of LMP date among enrolled participants. Results will be reported following CONSORT guideline. The innovative conventional & e-platform based interventions, if successful, can provide substantial evidence to scale-up in a low resource setting where m-Health initiatives are proliferating with active support from all sectors in policy and implementation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02944747. The trial has been registered before starting enrolment on 24 October 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-6258-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Media components were optimized using two-step statistical design of experiments for enhancing endoglucanase/carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) production by Trichoderma reesei RUT C30. A Placket-Burman design identified cellulose concentration and pH as the most significant variables, which influenced the CMCase activity. Central composite design was employed to optimize these selected parameters. The optimal activity was obtained at cellulose concentration 19.7 g/L and pH of 7.2. Under the optimized conditions, CMCase activity was 83.63 ± 1.86 IU/mL and filter paper activity was 2.58 ± 0.2 filter paper units per mL. Enzyme productivity was higher compared to previous reports. The enzyme produced from T. reesei was concentrated and was evaluated for deinking of printed paper, which demonstrated the suitability of the enzyme for this application.

Sixty fungal cultures were isolated from agricultural soil, industrial soil, forest canopy soil having decomposed leaf litter and compost samples collected from different regions of India. Fifteen fungal cultures were selected qualitatively for the production of xylanase and cellulases and were identified employing ITS, NS and MNS primers. The enzyme cocktail consisting of 3811 IU g(-1) of xylanase and 9.9 IU g(-1) of cellulase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum MDU-6 was selected quantitatively for the deinking of diverse paper wastes. The enzyme production increased two fold when produced at tray level in comparison with flasks. The enzyme cocktail was effective in the deinking of old newspaper samples with significant removal of chromophores, phenolics and hydrophobic compounds and less sugar loss. While in case of examination papers and laser printed papers, ink removal was not very significant. Moreover, the sugar loss was significantly high in case of examination papers. The deinking results were further confirmed with FTIR analysis. Deinked newspaper pulp sample shows brightness of 52%, which was 9.6% high than its control sample. The ERIC value for deinked newspaper pulp was found to be 655.9 ppm. Thereafter, the deinked newspaper pulp was examined under light microscope after differential staining with safranin and malachite green and also examined under scanning and transmission electron microscope, which revealed fibrillation and perforation.

As part of a misconduct crackdown, Chinese funders are penalizing researchers who commission sham journal articles from ‘paper mills’, but some say the measures still don’t go far enough. As part of a misconduct crackdown, Chinese funders are penalizing researchers who commission sham journal articles from ‘paper mills’, but some say the measures still don’t go far enough.

This study is aimed at assessing the biobleaching activity of fungal xylanase on paper pulp isolated from Tirumala forest, Eastern Ghats of India. Of the 98 fungal isolates obtained after initial screening, eight isolates were selected and one potential strain was further cultivated under submerged fermentation for production of xylanase. The biobleaching efficiency on waste paper pulp and paper industry effluent was tested with crude enzyme. Xylanolytic activity by the chosen organism in submerged fermentation reached the maximum (981.1 U ml−1) on the 5th day of incubation. Molecular characterisation of the isolate led to its identification as Trichoderma asperellum which exhibited the production of enzyme even at alkaline pH of the culture medium. Xylanase pretreatment of paper pulp had shown reduction in the Kappa number by 4.2 points and increased brightness by 4.0 points. FTIR and SEM studies revealed loosening of pulp fibres after enzyme treatment. In conclusion, xylanase of Trichoderma asperellum was effective as a pulp biobleaching agent and the process is economical as well as eco-friendly.

Paper has been proposed as an alternative substrate material for graphene-based strain gauges due to its high flexibility and accessibility when compared to the conventional substrates such as polymer that is not only rigid but also not recyclable. In the fabrication of graphene-based strain gauges on paper, inkjet printing is commonly used as the main deposition method of graphene on paper as this process allows a systematic control of strain gauge resistance by manipulating several factors such as print passes and drop spacing. However, the availability of inkjet printers that allows the printing of graphene solution is an issue as industrial inkjet printers can be obtained only at a premium price while modification of commercial inkjet printers is a must to replace the original ink with graphene ink. To counter this issue, a commercial photo paper has been used for the first time as a substrate during vacuum filtration of graphene solution for layer–layer assembly of strain gauges on paper. With the resulting gauge factor of up to 83 at the maximum and minimum strain of 1.4% and 0.03% (sensitivity of 1.25%) respectively, the fabricated strain gauge from photo paper shows the potential of paper to be used as a component in the future wearable device. Meanwhile, the advantages of using vacuum filtration as the selected technique for the deposition of graphene meanwhile are demonstrated in this work by varying the gauge factor through controlling the graphene deposition volume.

We review the Delphi panel paper and address topics of non-consensus in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of pediatric cataract. The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study expanded our understanding of unilateral cataract surgery in infants 6 months and younger. While primary IOL implantation is accepted for children older than 2 years, long-term data is required to determine the optimal age for primary IOL. Primary management of the posterior capsule should consider the child’s unique risks and benefits. Recent benchmarking papers confirmed higher refractive prediction error than adults and there is a need for IOL calculation formulas that cater to the pediatric eye. The impact of next-generation sequencing, bag-in-the-lens, optic capture, and femtosecond laser are yet to be determined. Pediatric cataract management is challenging and questions remain on the best approach to some surgical aspects. Future long-term randomized trials will help us move toward consensus globally.

Nano-structured graphene oxide (GO) freestanding paper was synthesized by an arc recharge technique in flowing of oxygen for the first time. This technique offers new ways on how e.g. layers structure nanomaterials could be produced. The morphology and structural properties of the as-synthesized GO were examined by means of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electrom microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and selective area electron diffraction techniques. The structural and morphological characterizations revealed that the synthesized GO were well-defined nanosheets with a thickness of 6 nm. The optical band gap was calculated from the absorption spectrum, and was found to be 3.32 eV. Furthermore, we aim to use GO paper to develop new electromagnetic interference shielding sheets that have a high shielding effectiveness (SE) (over 30 dB) at frequencies in the 1---12 GHz range. The complex permittivity and total shielding effectiveness of as synthesized GO freestanding paper are measured at frequencies from 1 to 12 GHz. Finally, to enhance the performances of the electromagnetic shields effectiveness, five-layered GO sheets were made. Furthermore, the highest SE for the light-weight freestanding GO paper was 50 dB at 1 GHz, indicating commercial use for many industrial or military shielding applications as an attractive candidate for the new type of microwave shielding.

In his report to the president of the French Republic in November 2012 assessing France's return into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) military command structure, Hubert Vedrine, the former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, noted that France had no interest in leaving it again. His recommendations called for renewed action within the Alliance and the emergence of a European pillar. The timing should have been perfect, with France's draft White Paper on defence and security about to be published. However, at a time when budget cuts prevail, are these recommendations applicable and do they amount to more than just paying lip-service? This article focuses on a one-year period, from November 2012 to the latest debates around the Military Programming Law, reminiscent of Pierre Mendes-France's famous quote that governing is all about making choices.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer an emerging market of self-sufficient power sources, converting the mechanical energy of the environment to electricity. Recently reported high power densities for the TENGs provide new applications opportunities, such as self-powered sensors. Here in this research, a flexible graphene oxide (GO) paper was fabricated through a straightforward method and utilized as the electrode of TENGs. Outstanding power density as high as 1.3 W.m−2, an open-circuit voltage up to 870 V, and a current density of 1.4 µA.cm−2 has been extracted in vertical contact-separation mode. The all-flexible TENG has been employed as a self-powered humidity sensor to investigate the effect of raising humidity on the output voltage and current by applying mechanical agitation in two forms of using a tapping device and finger tapping. Due to the presence of superficial functional groups on the GO paper, water molecules are inclined to be adsorbed, resulting in a considerable reduction in both generated voltage (from 144 V to 14 V) and current (from 23 µA to 3.7 µA) within the range of relative humidity of 20% to 99%. These results provide a promising applicability of the first suggested sensitive self-powered GO TENG humidity sensor in portable/wearable electronics.

Background Neurological injuries remain the leading cause of death in comatose patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Adequate blood pressure is of paramount importance to optimize cerebral perfusion and to minimize secondary brain injury. Markers measuring global cerebral ischemia caused by cardiac arrest and consecutive resuscitation and reflecting the metabolic variations after successful resuscitation are needed to assist a more individualized post-resuscitation care. Currently, no technique is available for bedside evaluation of global cerebral energy state, and until now blood pressure targets have been based on limited clinical evidence. Recent experimental and clinical studies indicate that it might be possible to evaluate cerebral oxidative metabolism from measuring the lactate-to-pyruvate (LP) ratio of the draining venous blood. In this study, jugular bulb microdialysis and immediate bedside biochemical analysis are introduced as new diagnostic tools to evaluate the effect of higher mean arterial blood pressure on global cerebral metabolism and the degree of cellular damage after OHCA. Methods/design This is a single-center, randomized, double-blinded, superiority trial. Sixty unconscious patients with sustained return of spontaneous circulation after OHCA will be randomly assigned in a one-to-one fashion to low (63 mm Hg) or high (77 mm Hg) mean arterial blood pressure target. The primary end-point will be a difference in mean LP ratio within 48 h between blood pressure groups. Secondary end-points are (1) association between LP ratio and all-cause intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and (2) association between LP ratio and survival to hospital discharge with poor neurological function. Discussion Markers measuring cerebral ischemia caused by cardiac arrest and consecutive resuscitation and reflecting the metabolic changes after successful resuscitation are urgently needed to enable a more personalized post-resuscitation care and prognostication. Jugular bulb microdialysis may provide a reliable global estimate of cerebral metabolic state and can be implemented as an entirely new and less invasive diagnostic tool for ICU patients after OHCA and has implications for early prognosis and treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03095742). Registered March 30, 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3397-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This article describes a simple and inexpensive microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) for the determination of hexavalent chromium (CrVI) in water samples. The μPADs were fabricated on paper by photolithography using a photomask printed with a 3D printer and functionalized with reagents for a colorimetric assay. In the μPAD, CrVI reacts with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide to form a violet-colored complex. Images of μPADs were captured with a digital camera; then the red, green, and blue color intensity of each detection zone were measured using images processing software. The green intensity analysis was the best sensitive among the RGB color. A linear working range (40 - 400 ppm; R2 = 0.981) between the CrVI and green intensity was obtained with a detection limit of 30 ppm. All of the recoveries were between 94 and 109% in recovery studies on water samples, and good results were obtained.

Researchers say the complaint filed against Elisabeth Bik could have a ‘chilling effect’ on scholarly criticism. Researchers say the complaint filed against Elisabeth Bik could have a ‘chilling effect’ on scholarly criticism.

Scholarly efforts to predict the future character of the U.S.-China relationship abound. Few however looks to leaders’ beliefs as valid explanatory variables. In this paper, we argue that state leaders’ belief systems are key to understanding both the states’ intentions and policy choices. We analyze China’s national defense white papers (1998–2015) published to date as the source material to gauge the core collective beliefs of three generations of Chinese leadership. The operational code framework is employed to conceptualize and measure these beliefs. Our results identified important crossgenerational changes in a few belief indicators. In the Xi Jinping era, for instance, the political world is seen as less friendly and cooperative strategies are viewed less favorably. In terms of tactics, the policy tools “threaten” and “promise” are viewed as significantly more useful by the current leadership than by past Chinese leaders.

Exploiting the advantages of additive patterning process over complex fabrication processes, herein we report the fabrication of field-effect transistor (FET) using the screen-printing method. The graphene conductive composite dielectric ink as the channel and the dielectric layer respectively was screen printed on cellulose paper substrate. The fabricated device shows the hole and electron mobility of 135 $$\hbox {cm}^{2}/$$ V s and 98 $$\hbox {cm}^{2}/$$ V s respectively with an ultra-low leakage current of $$\sim $$ 25 nA. The proposed technique can be used for large-scale roll-to-roll commercial manufacturing of disposable FET-based sensors such as temperature and IR sensors, health monitoring devices etc.

Background Participant recruitment and retention are long-standing problems in clinical trials. Although there are a large number of factors impacting on recruitment and retention, some of the problems may reflect the fact that trial design and delivery is not sufficiently ‘patient-centred’ (i.e., sensitive to patient needs and preferences). Most trials collect process and outcome measures, but it is unclear whether patient experience of trial participation itself is routinely measured. We conducted a structured scoping review of studies reporting standardised assessment of patient experience of participation in a trial. Methods A structured search of Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and hand searching of included studies were conducted in 2016. Additional sources included policy documents, relevant websites and experts. We extracted data on trial context (type, date and location) and measure type (number of items and mode of administration), patient experience domains measured, and the results reported. We conducted a narrative synthesis. Results We identified 22 journal articles reporting on 21 different structured measures of participant experience in trials. None of the studies used a formal definition of patient experience. Overall, patients reported relatively high levels of global satisfaction with the trial process as well as positive outcomes (such as the likelihood of future participation or recommendation of the trial to others). Conclusions Current published evidence is sparse. Standardised assessment of patient experience of trial participation may provide opportunities for researchers to enhance trial design and delivery. This could complement other methods of enhancing the patient-centredness of trials and might improve recruitment, retention, and long-term patient engagement with trials. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3444-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A new era of stroke treatment may have begun with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) by fully deployed closed-cell self-expanding stents (stent-triever). Multiple case series and the first randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have now been published. More studies are under way involving large numbers of patients, which in turn has resulted in less strict "pragmatic" study protocols. Problems with current trials include a lack of standardisation in the conduct of the recanalisation procedure, the definition of primary endpoints such as the grade of arterial recanalisation and tissue reperfusion, and the post-surgical care provided. In Part 1 of this two part series, we outline the current situation and the major research questions.

Despite interesting and unique pharmacological properties, levosimendan has not proven a clear superiority to placebo in the patient populations that have been enrolled in the various recent multicenter randomized controlled trials. However, the pharmacodynamic effects of levosimendan are still considered potentially very useful in a number of specific situations.Patients with decompensated heart failure requiring inotropic support and receiving beta-blockers represent the most widely accepted indication. Repeated infusions of levosimendan are increasingly used to facilitate weaning from dobutamine and avoid prolonged hospitalizations in patients with end-stage heart failure, awaiting heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation. New trials are under way to confirm or refute the potential usefulness of levosimendan to facilitate weaning from veno-arterial ECMO, to treat cardiogenic shock due to left or right ventricular failure because the current evidence is mostly retrospective and requires confirmation with better-designed studies. Takotsubo syndrome may represent an ideal target for this non-adrenergic inotrope, but this statement also relies on expert opinion. There is no benefit from levosimendan in patients with septic shock. The two large trials evaluating the prophylactic administration of levosimendan (pharmacological preconditioning) in cardiac surgical patients with poor left ventricular ejection fraction could not show a significant reduction in their composite endpoints reflecting low cardiac output syndrome with respect to placebo. However, the subgroup of those who underwent isolated CABG appeared to have a reduction in mortality. A new study will be required to confirm this exploratory finding.Levosimendan remains a potentially useful inodilator agent in a number of specific situations due to its unique pharmacological properties. More studies are needed to provide a higher level of proof regarding these indications.

China’s paper production reached 79.8 × 106 t in 2008 and ranked number one in the world. Because of its high consumption of water, energy and materials and its serious pollution, the present processes are not likely to be sustainable. An alternative, the closed Water Loop-Papermaking Integration (WLPI) method, is put forward in this paper. The WLPI method can be realized in a recycled paper mill by adding technologies and using recycled water. Many industrial case studies have shown that a large quantity of water, energy and materials can be saved, and the quantity of waste sludge and wastewater discharge was minimized by using the WLPI method. The design of the water reuse system, control of calcium hardness, water recycling and minimal waste sludge are discussed. Anaerobic technology plays an important role in the WLPI method to lower cost, energy use and waste. In the brown paper and coated white board production, zero-effluent discharge can be realized. Fresh water consumption is only 1–2m3·t−1. For the paper mills with deinking and bleaching processes, about 10 m3·t−1 of fresh water and a similar amount of effluent discharge are needed. Power saving using anaerobic technology is 70% when recycled water is used in comparison with the conventional activated sludge process.Waste sludge can be decreased to about 5% of the initial process due to reuse of the waste sludge and the lower bio-sludge production of the anaerobic process.

By applying the ceramic coated paper process, filtration specialist Mann+Hummel has developed a new method of producing diesel particulate filters. Coiled paper elements are used. The new manufacturing method provides greater scope for design and optimises filtration characteristics.

Paper-based generators are essential elements for building all paper-based systems. To obtain robust paper-based generators with outstanding high power outputs, this paper introduced a new type of double-folding paper-based generator by folding two paper components together. The output performance levels of the double-folding generator were twice higher than that of the single-folding and parallel-plate generators. A peak power of ~3.24 mW was achieved under a stimulating frequency of 3 Hz. Furthermore, 47 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were lit directly by a double-folding paper-based generator assembled to the crack of a door that opens and closes. This finding indicated the potential applications of the double-folding generator in the production of door ornaments or for security in places where doors frequently open and close.

Developing two dimensional (2D) materials based ink is an advanced method for fabricating printable and flexible electronic devices. 2D few-layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) reveals a great potential for capacitive energy storage because of its layered structure (for ion intercalation), high surface area (provide active sites) and multi-valence state of Mo (introduce pseudocapacitive reactions). These unique properties could intensively improve the potential of MoS2 for supercapacitors. However, MoS2 is a semiconductor with low conductivity, which limits its performance in electrochemistry. In the meantime, MoS2 based ink for flexible energy storage application has been barely investigated. In this work, we design a MoS2 and carbon nanotube (MoS2/CNT) hybrid ink that uses exfoliated MoS2 nanosheet and CNT to fabricate a paper-based supercapacitor. A strong synergistic effect between MoS2 and CNT in capacitive performance was observed due to the good conductivity of CNT and high capacitance of MoS2. Paper-based solid-state device is also fabricated which reveals good flexibility and high capacitive performance. This hybrid ink represents a new road for flexible paper-based devices.

This work deals about the development of paper-based fuel cells with high open-circuit voltages for application in powering the micro-nanosystems such as bio-sensors. The developed fuel cell employs Whatman paper as the ion conductor placed between the anode and the cathode to replace expensive ion-conducting membranes such as Nafion. A maximum open-circuit voltage of ∼2.1 V per single cell and a power output of ∼4.5 mW cm−2 at ∼6 mA cm−2 are obtained when employing 1 M NaBH4 in 20 wt% NaOH solution and 1 M VO2 + in 2.5 M H2SO4 solution. Chronoamperometric measurement performed at 1 V indicates that the output power density varies from 6 to 1 mW cm−2 in about 100 min. The power delivered at the end of even 100 min is comparable to that of the peak power delivered by many of the micro-fuel cell systems reported in the literature.

USPTO patent data covering the years 1994---2008 is used in this study to examine the citation networks of electronic-paper display technology. Our primary aim is to provide a better understanding of the ways in which emerging firms interact with, and learn from, technology diffusers. Two implications can be drawn from our analysis. Firstly, emerging firms within an emerging industry can enhance their technological capabilities through positive external learning activity. Secondly, despite the fact that technology diffusers have clear technological advantages, with the emergence of a new field, their influence within the network could potentially be decayed if they fail to remain proactive in terms of the absorption of available external knowledge.

The European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) congress is an important venue, and the research presented can be a critical source of information used to impact clinical decisions and health policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of evidence of clinical free papers presented at the ESSKA congress from 2008 to 2016. Moreover, this study evaluated whether there were any changes in the distribution of level of evidence over time. Two reviewers screened the free papers presented at the ESSKA biannual congresses 2008–2016 for clinical evidence. Clinical papers included observational studies and trials involving direct interaction between an investigator and human subjects. Biomechanical studies, technique demonstrations, cadaveric studies, and panel discussions were excluded. The reviewers independently graded their level of evidence from level I (e.g. high-quality randomized trials) to level IV (e.g. case series and reports) using the classification system published by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Of 1036 free papers that were identified, 729 met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. Overall, 18% of studies were level I, 24% level II, 25% level III, and 33% level IV evidence. There was a significant improvement in level of evidence over time (p

Cleaning of paper is a challenging task due to the fact that a contamination should be removed and a fragile organic original material has to be preserved. Pulsed laser cleaning of artificially soiled Whatman© filter paper samples serving as models for historical paper was performed. Different cleaning strategies employing 8-ns laser pulses at 532 nm wavelength were applied to clean paper avoiding undesired effects like discoloration (yellowing) and mechanical deterioration of the substrate. Multi shot experiments with low-energy pulses were compared with single pulse investigations utilizing high pulse energies achieving a constant energy load incident on the samples in both cases. The cleaning efficiency and possible yellowing effects were evaluated by means of a multi spectral imaging system. An extensive microscopic analysis of the cleaned parts of the samples provided insight into the remaining soiling on the surface and in the bulk of the paper material after laser treatment. As a reference, a hard and a soft eraser were used to clean the samples.

Background: Infrared reflectography (IRR) remains an important method to visualize underdrawing and compositional changes in paintings. Older IRR camera systems are being replaced with near-infrared cameras consisting of room temperature infrared detector arrays made out of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) that operate over the spectral range of similar to 900 to 1700 nm. Two camera types are becoming prevalent. The first is staring array infrared cameras having 0.25-1 Megapixels where the camera or painting is moved to acquire tens of individual images that are later mosaicked together to create the infrared reflectogram. The second camera type is scanning back cameras in which a small InGaAs array (linear or area array) is mechanically scanned over a large image formed by the camera lens to create the reflectogram, typically 16 Megapixels. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. The staring IR array cameras offer more flexible collection formats, provide live images, and allow for the use of spectral bandpass filters that can provide reflectograms with better contrast in some cases. They do require a mechanical system for moving the camera or the artwork and post-capture image mosaicking. Scanning back cameras eliminate or reduce the amount of mosaicking and movement of the camera, however the need to minimize light exposure to the artwork requires short integration times, and thus limits the use of spectral bandpass filters. In general, InGaAs cameras are not sensitive in the 1700 to similar to 2300 nm spectral region, which has been identified in prior studies as useful for examining paintings with copper green pigments or thick lead white paints. Prior studies using cameras with sensitivity from 1000 to 2500 nm have found in general the performance at wavelengths longer than 1700 nm degraded relative to the performance at shorter wavelengths. Thus, there is interest in a camera system having improved performance out to 2500 nm that can utilize spectral bandpass filters. Methods: Design requirements for such an improved IRR camera system were determined by first re-examining the optimal spectral window for detecting underdrawing. Thus the wavelength dependence of the clarity of carbon black underdrawings on a chalk ground covered by various paint swatches was measured from 750 to 2500 nm. Second, analysis of the loss of light transmission (1000-2500 nm) and the impact of thermal radiation (3000-5000 nm) on the performance of IR arrays sensitive to the 1000-5000 nm region was analyzed. From the results of these studies, a high sensitivity, near-infrared (1000-2450 nm) indium antimonide (InSb) staring array camera with a cold filter that blocked light >2450 nm was constructed with a color-corrected macro lens capable of holding interference filters. The camera system was characterized in three spectral bands (1100-1400, 1500-1800, and 2100-2400 nm) using test targets and art objects. Results: The experimental results of the contrast difference between the model underdrawing on the chalk ground showed the optimal spectral window for a given pigment varied over the range from 700 to 2300 nm. The contrast in all cases was found to be low from 2300 to 2600 nm and even lower from 2600 to 5000 nm. This is attributable in part to broad absorption by the drying oil paint binder. Performance testing of the IRR camera found high signal-to-noise was observed in all three spectral bands due to the optimized macro lens having high transmission from 1000 to 2600 nm, a 100% efficiency cold stop, and a cold filter that blocks light >2450 nm. The camera was found to have high light sensitivity, requiring only similar to 30 to 50 lx from incandescent lamps having a color temperature of similar to 2060 K. The images produced in each spectral band were sharp, and the modulation at Nyquist (1/2 the sampling frequency) was 20%. IRR images of Old Master paintings, works on paper, and a warped panel painting were collected to test the practical utility of the camera system. Conclusions: The IR camera system presented here was found to produce a variety of high-resolution image products. The ability to extend image collection over the 1700-2450 nm spectral range was found in some examples to provide improved visibility of underdrawing. The ability to register the resulting multi-band IRR images with the color image offers opportunities to produce new image products such as false-color images and principal component images. These image products were found to give new insights into the construction of works of art. A collection scheme based on a 'Z-stack' method was found to solve the problem of producing high-resolution IRR images of highly warped panel paintings.