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Non-invasive diagnosis on biological liquid samples, such as urine, sweat, saliva, and tears, may allow patients to evaluate their health by themselves. To obtain accurate diagnostic results, target liquid must be precisely sampled. Conventionally, urine sampling using filter paper can be given as an example sampling, but differences in the paper structure can cause variations in sampling volume. This paper describes precise liquid sampling using synthetic microfluidic papers, which are composed of obliquely combined micropillars. Sampling volume accuracy was investigated using different designs and collection methods to determine the optimal design and sample collecting method. The optimized protocol was followed to accurately measure potassium concentration using synthetic microfluidic paper and a commercially available densitometer, which verified the usefulness of the synthetic microfluidic papers for precision sampling.

We describe herein a method of recharging used commercial spin columns or assembling homemade spin columns using filter paper as binding material for cost-effective, low throughput nucleic acid purification. The efficiency of filter paper-based spin columns was evaluated for purification of nucleic acids from various sources. Following protocols of commercial kits, we found filter paper to be a useful binding material for purification of nucleic acids, including plant genomic DNA, plant total RNA, PCR products, and DNA from agarose gels. However, filter paper has a weak binding affinity to plasmid DNA in tested miniprep protocols. Protocols for the use of filter paper recharged spin columns or homemade spin columns for low throughput purification of plant genomic DNA and total RNA with unused commercial kit buffers or less expensive homemade buffers are presented.

Although regression models play a central role in the analysis of medical research projects, there still exist many misconceptions on various aspects of modeling leading to faulty analyses. Indeed, the rapidly developing statistical methodology and its recent advances in regression modeling do not seem to be adequately reflected in many medical publications. This problem of knowledge transfer from statistical research to application was identified by some medical journals, which have published series of statistical tutorials and (shorter) papers mainly addressing medical researchers. The aim of this review was to assess the current level of knowledge with regard to regression modeling contained in such statistical papers. We searched for target series by a request to international statistical experts. We identified 23 series including 57 topic-relevant articles. Within each article, two independent raters analyzed the content by investigating 44 predefined aspects on regression modeling. We assessed to what extent the aspects were explained and if examples, software advices, and recommendations for or against specific methods were given. Most series (21/23) included at least one article on multivariable regression. Logistic regression was the most frequently described regression type (19/23), followed by linear regression (18/23), Cox regression and survival models (12/23) and Poisson regression (3/23). Most general aspects on regression modeling, e.g. model assumptions, reporting and interpretation of regression results, were covered. We did not find many misconceptions or misleading recommendations, but we identified relevant gaps, in particular with respect to addressing nonlinear effects of continuous predictors, model specification and variable selection. Specific recommendations on software were rarely given. Statistical guidance should be developed for nonlinear effects, model specification and variable selection to better support medical researchers who perform or interpret regression analyses.

The present work was focused to design a cheap, rapid, portable and easy to use filter paper based assay for the qualitative and quantitate analysis of acetone. Sodium alginate gel was loaded with the acetone specific optical signal probe, and subsequently coated onto filter paper surface to design portable colorimetric assays for acetone monitoring. The color of the paper sensor strip was observed to change from dark yellow to light yellowish in the presence of varying concentrations of acetone. Three different color analyzing models including RGB, HSV, and LAB were employed to probe the output optical signal, and their performance was compared in terms of better interpretation of the generated signal. The LAB model was found to provide better analytical figures of merit with a linear response for the acetone concentration ranging from 2.5 to 1500 ppm, and a limit of detection of 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, the specificity of the designed filter paper based sensor was demonstrated against different common interfering compounds. The results demonstrated the potential of our proposed filter paper based sensor as a novel tool for the analysis of acetone.

University scientific research ability is an important indicator to express the strength of universities. In this paper, the evaluation of university scientific research ability is investigated based on the output of sci-tech papers. Four university alliances from North America, UK, Australia, and China, are selected as the case study of the university scientific research evaluation. Data coming from Thomson Reuters InCites are collected to support the evaluation. The work has contributed new framework to the issue of university scientific research ability evaluation. At first, we have established a hierarchical structure to show the factors that impact the evaluation of university scientific research ability. Then, a new MCDM method called D-AHP model is used to implement the evaluation and ranking of different university alliances, in which a data-driven approach is proposed to automatically generate the D numbers preference relations. Next, a sensitivity analysis has been given to show the impact of weights of factors and sub-factors on the evaluation result. At last, the results obtained by using different methods are compared and discussed to verify the effectiveness and reasonability of this study, and some suggestions are given to promote China’s scientific research ability.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has gained traction as a precise and cost-effective method for species and waterways management. To date, publications on eDNA protocol optimization have focused primarily on DNA yield. Therefore, it has not been possible to evaluate the cost and speed of specific components of the eDNA protocol, such as water filtration and DNA extraction method when designing or choosing an eDNA protocol. At the same time, these two parameters are essential for the experimental design of a project. Here we evaluate and rank 27 different eDNA protocols in the context of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) eDNA detection in an estuarine environment. We present a comprehensive evaluation of multiple eDNA protocol parameters, balancing time, cost and DNA yield. We collected samples composed of 500 mL estuarine water from Deverton Slough (38°11'16.7"N 121°58'34.5"W) and 500 mL from tank water containing 1.3 juvenile Chinook Salmon per liter. Then, we compared extraction methods, filter types, use of inhibitor removal kit for DNA yield, processing time, and protocol cost. Lastly, we used an MCMC algorithm together with machine learning to understand the DNA yield of each step of the protocol as well as the interactions between those steps. Glass fiber filtration was to be the most resilient to high turbidites, filtering the samples in 2.32 ± 0.08 min instead of 14.16 ± 1.86 min and 6.72 ± 1.99 min for nitrocellulose and paper filter N1, respectively. The filtration DNA yield percentages for paper filter N1, glass fiber, and nitrocellulose were 0.00045 ± 0.00013, 0.00107 ± 0.00013, 0.00172 ± 0.00013. The DNA extraction yield percentage for QIagen, dipstick, NaOH, magnetic beads, and direct dipstick ranged from 0.047 ± 0.0388 to 0.475 ± 0.0357. For estuarine waters, which are challenging for eDNA studies due to high turbidity, variable salinity, and the presence of PCR inhibitors, we found that a protocol combining glass filters, magnetic beads, and an extra step for PCR inhibitor removal, is the method that best balances time, cost, and yield. In addition, we provide a generalized decision tree for determining the optimal eDNA protocol for other studies in aquatic systems. Our findings should be applicable to most aquatic environments and provide a clear guide for determining which eDNA protocol should be used under different study constraints.

Many microbial phenotypes are differentially or exclusively expressed on agar surfaces, including biofilms, motility, and sociality. However, agar-based assays are limited by their low throughput, which increases costs, lab waste, space requirements, and the time required to conduct experiments. Here, we demonstrate the use of wax-printed microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) to measure linear growth rate of microbes on an agar growth media as a means of circumventing the aforementioned limitations. The main production materials of the proposed μPAD design are a wax printer, filter paper, and empty pipet boxes. A single wax-printed μPAD allowing 8 independent, agar-grown colonies costs $0.07, compared to $0.20 and $9.37 for the same number of replicates on traditional microtiter/spectrophotometry and Petri dish assays, respectively. We optimized the μPAD design for channel width (3 mm), agar volume (780 μL/channel), and microbe inoculation method (razor-blade). Comparative analyses of the traditional and proposed μPAD methods for measuring growth rate of nonmotile (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and motile (flagellated Escherichia coli) microorganisms suggested the μPAD assays conferred a comparable degree of accuracy and reliability to growth rate measurements as their traditional counterparts. We substantiated this claim with strong, positive correlations between the traditional and μPAD assay, a significant nonzero slope in the model relating the two assays, a nonsignificant difference between the relative standard errors of the two techniques, and an analysis of inter-device reliability. Therefore, μPAD designs merit consideration for the development of enhanced-throughput, low-cost microbial growth and motility assays.

In accordance with the opinion of the World Health Organization and the World Water Council the development of effective technologies for the treatment of wastewater from heavy metals for their discharge into water bodies or reuse is an urgent task nowadays. Phytoremediation biotechnologies is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest way of the treatment of wastewater, suitable for sustainable development principals. The main disadvantage of the phytoremediation is the slow speed of the process. A method for accelerating the process of phytoremediation by the combined effect of magnetic and weak electric fields is proposed. The purpose of this study is to determine the values of the parameters of the magnetic and weak electric fields that are most suitable for extracting cuprum ions from wastewater using the higher aqua plants (Lemna minor). A corresponding technological process based on the results of the study is proposed. The results have shown that the removal of copper cations from sulfate solutions effectively occurs in the initial period of time (1–5 hours) under the influence of a magnetic field with an intensity of H = 2 kA/m. Under the combined influence of an electrical current with density j = 240 μA/cm2 and a magnetic field (H = 2 kA/m) the highest rate of copper extraction by duckweed leaves is achieved. Under these conditions, the greatest growth and development of plant leaves occurs. The paper presents the results of determining of the parameters of the electrochemical release from the eluate of the spent phytomass of duckweed. It has been determined that the release of metal occurs at E = 0.32 V. An original scheme for wastewater treatment from copper with subsequent separation of copper from the spent phytomass of duckweed is proposed. In general, the presented results are a scientific justification of wastewater treatment technologies and a contribution to resolving the crisis in the field of fresh water supply. An important contribution in the circular economy is a technology recommendation proposed for recovering copper from duckweed after wastewater treatment.

Fiber release during domestic textile washing is a cause of marine microplastic pollution, but better understanding of the magnitude of the issue and role of fabric care products, appliances and washing cycles is needed. Soiled consumer wash loads from U.K. households were found to release a mean of 114 ± 66.8 ppm (mg microfiber per kg fabric) (n = 79) fibers during typical washing conditions and these were mainly composed of natural fibers. Microfiber release decreased with increasing wash load size and hence decreasing water to fabric ratio, with mean microfiber release from wash loads in the mass range 1.0-3.5 kg (n = 57) found to be 132.4 ± 68.6 ppm, significantly (p = 3.3 x 10-8) higher than the 66.3 ± 27.0 ppm of those in the 3.5-6.0 kg range (n = 22). In further tests with similar soiled consumer wash loads, moving to colder and quicker washing cycles (i.e. 15°C for 30 mins, as opposed to 40°C for 85 mins) significantly reduced microfiber generation by 30% (p = 0.036) and reduced whiteness loss by 42% (p = 0.000) through reduced dye transfer and soil re-deposition, compared to conventional 40°C cycles. In multicycle technical testing, detergent pods were selected for investigation and found to have no impact on microfiber release compared to washing in water alone. Fabric softeners were also found to have no direct impact on microfiber release in testing under both European and North American washing conditions. Extended testing of polyester fleece garments up to a 48-wash cycle history under European conditions found that microfiber release significantly reduced to a consistent low level of 28.7 ± 10.9 ppm from eight through 64 washes. Emerging North American High-Efficiency top-loading washing machines generated significantly lower microfiber release than traditional top-loading machines, likely due to their lower water fill volumes and hence lower water to fabric ratio, with a 69.7% reduction observed for polyester fleece (n = 32, p = 7.9 x 10-6) and 37.4% reduction for polyester T-shirt (n = 32, p = 0.0032). These results conclude that consumers can directly reduce the levels of microfibers generated per wash during domestic textile washing by using colder and quicker wash cycles, washing complete (but not overfilled) loads, and (in North America) converting to High-Efficiency washing machines. Moving to colder and quicker cycles will also indirectly reduce microfiber release by extending the lifetime of clothing, leading to fewer new garments being purchased and hence lower incidence of the high microfiber release occurring during the first few washes of a new item.

Phytoseiids are predatory mites that prey on other mites and small arthropods, and several species are used in commercial agriculture for biological control of pests. To optimize phytoseiid mites' use in biocontrol, an efficient method for oral delivery of test compounds is required to assess their sensitivities to pesticides, RNAi for gene functional analysis and artificial diets. Here we developed four methods for oral delivery of a solution of xenobiotics to different life stages of the commercially available generalist predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus: (i) soaking mites in the solution, or allowing them to feed on (ii) spider mites soaked in the solution, (iii) a solution droplet, or (iv) solution-saturated filter paper. As measured by ingestion of a tracer dye, the droplet-based feeding system was most efficient; the dye was observed in the alimentary canal of >90% test mites of all life stages, with no mortality. The droplet-based feeding system was also effective for the commercially available specialist predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, with >80% delivery efficiency. This study paves the way for development of methods for high-throughput RNAi and for toxicological or nutritional assays in phytoseiid mites.

The objective of this study is to verify the feasibility of using biochar made from crop straw as a bitumen additive to improve some properties of bitumen. The differences between crop straw biochar prepared in a laboratory and commercial charcoal were investigated through scanning electron microscopy and laser particle size analyses. Furthermore, biochar-modified asphalt was prepared using the high-speed shear method, and the penetration, softening point, ductility at 15°C, and apparent viscosity of the asphalt binder with 6% biochar were measured at 120, 135, 150, 160, and 175°C. It was found that both the crop straw biochar and the commercial charcoal consist mainly of C, O, Si, and K, but the C content of crop straw biochar is slightly higher than that of commercial charcoal. The particle size of biochar is smaller than that of commercial charcoal, while the specific surface area is larger. It was determined that the addition of crop straw biochar significantly improved the high-temperature performance of asphalt, and that biochar and commercial charcoal have a similar influence on the high temperature performance of asphalt.

Concentrating fruit juices by freezing supports the maintenance of both nutrients and flavors. Development of the freezing concentration process has introduced equipment such as centrifuge or block freezing systems, which are suitable for large-scale commercial processing. However, the necessary characteristics of freeze concentration methods for juices include simplicity and low cost. This study examined the effects of different container shapes on the processes of freezing and melting. The shape of the container was found to be more important than the melting temperature, across a relatively large scale. Furthermore, the nutrient procyanidin B2 and saccharides were concentrated. The methods concentrated juice components under low cost conditions without complex equipment. This research thus not only offers benefits for commercial juice preparation but also provides new insight into effects of shape differences in concentration technologies.

A synthetic microbial consortium called Effective Microorganisms (EM) consists mainly of photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Various effects of EM∙XGOLD, a health drink produced by EM, on life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum were described previously. Here, we report our attempt to identify the active principle, termed EMF, that brought about the observed effects. Throughout the purification processes, the presence of the active principle was monitored by promoted fruiting body formation. By liquid-liquid separation the activity was recovered in aqueous phase, which, after concentration, was further subjected to reverse-phase column chromatography. No activity was detected in any eluant, while almost all the activity was recovered in residual insoluble material. The application of conventional organic chemistry procedures to the residual fraction did not lead to any informative results. Acid treatment of the insoluble material produced air bubbles, suggesting it to be composed of some inorganic carbonate. Viewed under scanning electronmicroscope, the residue revealed spherical particles of μm size range. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectroscopy pointed to the existence, on the surface of the particles, of magnesium and, to a certain extent, of potassium. In separate experiments, acid treatment and alkali neutralization of EM∙XGOLD completely wiped out the stimulatory activity of fruiting body formation. These lines of evidence indicate these Mg, K-containing microparticles to be an active principle of EM culture extract. How these particles exert their effect is currently under intensive investigation.

Annually, agricultural activity produces an enormous amount of plant biomass by-product. Many studies have reported the biomethane potential of agro-industrial wastes, but only a few studies have investigated applying the substrates in both batch and continuous mode. Tomato is one of the most popular vegetables globally; its processing releases a substantial amount of by-product, such as stems and leaves. This study examined the BMP of tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum Mill. L. cv. Alfred) waste. A comparative test revealed that the BMPs of corn stover, tomato waste,and their combination were approximately the same, around 280 mL methane/g Volatile Solid. In contrast, the relative biogas production decreased in the presence of tomato waste in a continuous mesophilic anaerobic digestion system; the daily biogas productions were 860 ± 80, 290 ± 50, and 570 ± 70 mL biogas/gVolatile Solid/day in the case of corn stover, tomato waste, and their mixture, respectively. The methane content of biogas was around 46–48%. The fermentation parameters of the continuous AD experiments were optimal in all cases; thus, TW might have an inhibitory effect on the microbial community. Tomato plant materials contain e.g. flavonoids, glycoalkaloids (such as tomatine and tomatidine), etc. known as antimicrobial and antifungal agents. The negative effect of tomatine on the biogas yield was confirmed in batch fermentation experiments. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the tomato plant waste caused significant rearrangements in the microbial communities in the continuously operated reactors. The results demonstrated that tomato waste could be a good mono-substrate in batch fermentations or a co-substrate with corn stover in a proper ratio in continuous anaerobic fermentations for biogas production. These results also point to the importance of running long-term continuous fermentations to test the suitability of a novel biomass substrate for industrial biogas production.

As a means of obtaining reproducible and accurate numbers of larvae for laboratory rearing, we tested a large-particle flow-cytometer type device called the ‘Automated Particle Counter’ (APC). The APC is a gravity-fed, self-contained unit that detects changes in light intensity caused by larvae passing the detector in a water stream and controls dispensing by stopping the flow when the desired number has been reached. We determined the accuracy (number dispensed compared to the target value) and precision (distribution of number dispensed) of dispensing at a variety of counting sensitivity thresholds and larva throughput rates (larvae per second) using < 1-day old Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti larvae. All measures were made using an APC algorithm called the ‘Smoothed Z-Score’ which allows the user to define how many standard deviations (Z scores) from the baseline light intensity a particle’s absorbance must exceed to register a count. We dispensed a target number of 100 An. gambiae larvae using Z scores from 2.5–8 and observed no difference among them in the numbers dispensed for scores from 2.5–6, however, scores of 7 and 8 under-counted (over-dispensed) larvae. Using a Z score ≤ 6, we determined the effect of throughput rate on the accuracy of the device to dispense An. gambiae larvae. For rates ≤ 98 larvae per second, the accuracy of dispensing a target of 100 larvae was - 2.29% ± 0.72 (95% CI of the mean) with a mode of 99 (49 of 348 samples). When using a Z score of 3.5 and rates ≤ 100 larvae per second, the accuracy of dispensing a target of 100 Ae. aegypti was - 2.43% ± 1.26 (95% CI of the mean) with a mode of 100 (6 of 42 samples). No effect on survival was observed on the number of An. gambiae first stage larvae that reached adulthood as a function of dispensing.

Previous studies have demonstrated that skin vibration is an important factor affecting the roughness perception of fine textures. For coarse textures, the determining physical factor is much less clear and there are indications that this might be participant-dependent. In this paper, we focused on roughness perception of both coarse and fine textures of different materials (glass particle surfaces and sandpapers). We investigated the relationship between subjective roughness ratings and three physical parameters (skin vibration, friction coefficient, and particle size) within a group of 30 participants. Results of the glass particle surfaces showed both spatial information (particle size) and temporal information (skin vibration) had a high correlation with subjective roughness ratings. The former correlation was slightly but significantly higher than the latter. The results also indicated different weights of temporal information and spatial information for roughness ratings among participants. Roughness ratings of a different material (sandpaper versus glass particles) could be either larger, similar or smaller, indicating differences among individuals. The best way to describe our results is that in their perceptual evaluation of roughness, different individuals weight temporal information, spatial information, and other mechanical properties differently.

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is the most damaging pathogen of soybeans in the United States. To assess the severity of nematode infestations in the field, SCN egg population densities are determined. Cysts (dead females) of the nematode must be extracted from soil samples and then ground to extract the eggs within. Sucrose centrifugation commonly is used to separate debris from suspensions of extracted nematode eggs. We present a method using OptiPrep as a density gradient medium with improved separation and recovery of extracted eggs compared to the sucrose centrifugation technique. Also, computerized methods were developed to automate the identification and counting of nematode eggs from the processed samples. In one approach, a high-resolution scanner was used to take static images of extracted eggs and debris on filter papers, and a deep learning network was trained to identify and count the eggs among the debris. In the second approach, a lensless imaging setup was developed using off-the-shelf components, and the processed egg samples were passed through a microfluidic flow chip made from double-sided adhesive tape. Holographic videos were recorded of the passing eggs and debris, and the videos were reconstructed and processed by custom software program to obtain egg counts. The performance of the software programs for egg counting was characterized with SCN-infested soil collected from two farms, and the results using these methods were compared with those obtained through manual counting.

The application of photocatalyst in pavements has received comprehensive attention in recent years due to its ability to decontaminate nitrogen oxides (NOx). However, it's remarkable that NOx also accumulated extensively in parking lots. The purpose of this study is to develop a movable photocatalytic plate (remarked photocatalytic KT plates) coupled with high activity to purify NOx. Firstly, the type of photocatalytic KT plates was determined according to NO removal experiment in laboratory. Then the plates were employed in the parking lots for removing NOx. One sample T-test, normality test and paired sample T-test methods for NOx concentration variation were conducted to determine the appropriate comparative means of dates under both dark and illuminated conditions. The difference of NOX concentration between dark and illuminated conditions was obtained to evaluate the photocatalytic removal efficiency. The results indicated that NO removal efficiency in laboratory and parking lots were 51.31% and 9.2%, respectively.

Intelligent biorefinery design that addresses both the composition of the biomass feedstock as well as fermentation microorganisms could benefit from dedicated tools for computational simulation and computer-assisted optimization. Here we present the BioLego Vn2.0 framework, based on Microsoft Azure Cloud, which supports large-scale simulations of biomass serial fermentation processes by two different organisms. BioLego enables the simultaneous analysis of multiple fermentation scenarios and the comparison of fermentation potential of multiple feedstock compositions. Thanks to the effective use of cloud computing it further allows resource intensive analysis and exploration of media and organism modifications. We use BioLego to obtain biological and validation results, including (1) exploratory search for the optimal utilization of corn biomasses-corn cobs, corn fiber and corn stover-in fermentation biorefineries; (2) analysis of the possible effects of changes in the composition of K. alvarezi biomass on the ethanol production yield in an anaerobic two-step process (S. cerevisiae followed by E. coli); (3) analysis of the impact, on the estimated ethanol production yield, of knocking out single organism reactions either in one or in both organisms in an anaerobic two-step fermentation process of Ulva sp. into ethanol (S. cerevisiae followed by E. coli); and (4) comparison of several experimentally measured ethanol fermentation rates with the predictions of BioLego.

Scientific and reasonable treatment of dredged silt can not only protect the ecological environment but also play an essential role in the utilization of silt resources. Due to high water content, low permeability and high organic matter content of the silt, a large amount of bacteria and harmful gases are often produced during the process of silt sedimentation. Thermal drying has been taken as a technically attractive method for harmless treatment of contaminated dredged silt. In this study, ultrasound technology is introduced to shorten the time needed for silt drying. A preliminary laboratory study is carried out to assess the effectiveness of ultrasound on thermal drying. A series of thermal drying tests, with and without ultrasound, were conducted on kaolin soil specimens that were prepared by settling and self-weight consolidation. The test results show that the length of drying time can be shortened by increasing temperature and ultrasound power. The drying time plays a dominant role in the determination of the total energy consumption. This is because reduction of drying time leads to significant decrease in energy consumption for thermal drying, and the energy consumption for additional ultrasound is relatively marginal. For thermal drying at temperatures 60 and 100°C, when combined with 100 W ultrasound, the length of drying time was shortened by 44.19% and 45.16%, and the energy consumption was saved by 30.07% and 38.16%, respectively; when combined with 60 W ultrasound, the length of drying time was shortened by 4.65% and 6.45%, but the energy consumption was increased by 9.79% and 0.48%, respectively. The combination of thermal drying and 100 W ultrasound is found to be optimal in terms of drying rate and energy consumption for silt drying.

Samples of bleached kraft pine cellulosic pulp, either treated with an enzyme preparation (a Thermomyces lanuginosus xylanase, an Aspergillus sp. cellulase, and a multienzyme preparation NS-22086 containing both these activities) or untreated, were refined in a laboratory PFI mill. The treatment with cellulases contained in the last two preparations significantly improved the pulp’s susceptibility to refining (the target freeness value of 30°SR was achieved in a significantly shorter time), increased water retention value (WRV) and fines contents while the weighted average fiber length was significantly reduced. These changes of pulp parameters caused deterioration of paper strength properties. The treatment with the xylanase, which partially hydrolyzed xylan, small amounts of which are associated with cellulose fibers, only slightly loosened the structure of fibers. These subtle changes positively affected the susceptibility of the pulp to refining (refining energy was significantly reduced) and improved the static strength properties of paper. Thus, the treatment of kraft pulps with xylanases may lead to substantial savings of refining energy without negative effects on paper characteristics.

In this paper, a two-stage filter for removing salt-and-pepper noise using noise detector based on characteristic difference parameter and adaptive directional mean filter is proposed. The first stage firstly detects the noise corrupted pixels by combining characteristic difference parameter and gray level extreme, then develops an improved adaptive median filter to firstly restore them. The second stage introduces a restoration scheme to further restore the noise corrupted pixels, which firstly divides them into two types and then applies different restoration skills for the pixels based on the classification result. One type of pixels is restored by the mean filter and the other type of pixels is restored by the proposed adaptive directional mean filter. The new filter firstly adaptively selects the optimal filtering window and direction template, then replaces the gray level of noise corrupted pixel by the mean value of pixels on the optimal template. Experimental results show that the proposed filter outperforms many existing main filters in terms of noise suppression and detail preservation.

BACKGROUND: Different setups and protocols have been developed for investigating insecticide effects on Anopheles (An.) mosquitoes, vectors of malaria. However, chemical uptake resulting from their tarsal contact with insecticide-treated material has seldom been investigated. To address the challenges encountered in the interpretation of bioassay data, a high throughput method for chemical analysis on malaria vectors was developed and validated for five selected insecticides including alpha-cypermethrin (aCYP), deltamethrin (DM), etofenprox (EPX), permethrin (PM), pirimiphos-methyl (PPM). METHODS: The method includes a single chemical extraction step via an ultrasound probe on mosquito samples and analysis via liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The protocol was established for two malaria vector species, Anopheles gambiae senso stricto (s.s.) and An. stephensi, both males and females. Recovery rates ranged from 70 to 100% without any influence of sex or species. The method was efficiently applied to female An. gambiae s.s. of the KISUMU1 reference strain, after susceptibility tests using the World Health Organization´s standard protocol. RESULTS: Susceptibility tests revealed 13.4-18.4 minutes knockdown times for 50% mosquitoes during exposure to EPX and pyrethroids. The mortality rates 24 hours post-exposure to insecticides were mostly 99-100%, except in two PM and three PPM assays suggesting possible or confirmed resistance to these insecticides. The mean insecticide uptake in dead mosquitoes ranged from 23 pg (aCYP) to 1812 pg (EPX) per specimen. However, the mean uptake in survivors to PM and PPM was reduced by at least 25%, suggesting that acute doses were not achieved in these specimens during bioassays. CONCLUSIONS: The developed and validated UHPLC-MS/MS method could be used to address some limitations of bioassays or to assess the penetration of insecticides in mosquito matrix with reference to cuticle thickness and other insecticide resistance mechanisms.

Miscanthus sinensis Andersson is a pioneer plant species that grows naturally at mining sites. Miscanthus sinensis can detoxify aluminium (Al) by producing phytosiderophores, such as chlorogenic acid, citric acid, and malic acid, and localizing Al in cell walls. Root-endophytic Chaetomium cupreum, which produces microbial siderophores, enhances Al tolerance in M. sinensis. However, we could not determine whether the siderophores produced by C. cupreum actually enhance Al tolerance in M. sinensis, because the microbial siderophores have not yet been identified in previous research. The purpose of this study was to clarify how C. cupreum chemically increases Al tolerance in M. sinensis under acidic mining site conditions, especially considering siderophores. Using instrumental analyses, the siderophore produced by C. cupreum was identified as oosporein. Comparison of the stability constant between Al and phytosiderophores and oosporein indicated that oosporein could detoxify Al similarly to chlorogenic acid, which shows higher stability constant than citric acid and malic acid. Inoculation test of C. cupreum onto M. sinensis in acidic mine soil showed that C. cupreum promoted seedling growth, and enhanced Al tolerance via inducing chlorogenic-acid production and producing oosporein. These results suggested that C. cupreum could chemically enhance Al tolerance and might promote growth via reducing excessive Al in cell walls, the main site of Al accumulation. In addition, the chemical enhancement of Al tolerance by C. cupreum might be important for M. sinensis to adapt to acidic mining sites.

There are large amounts of waste activated sludge (WAS) and kitchen waste (KW) produced every year in China. It has been confirmed that anaerobic co-digestion is an effective method to solve this problem. The targets of the present study were optimizing the digestive performances and clearing of the mechanism of bentonite addition by adding bentonite into digestive system. Group M (WAS: KW = 1:2, based on VS) presented higher cumulative methane yield (CMY), where the CMY increased from 19.8 to 36.3 mL/g VS with the bentonite dosage from 0 to 2 g/g VS. After bentonite addition, the lag phase of every digester presented an obvious decrease from 15.1 to 1.4 d. Furthermore, and the moderating effects on microbial community by bentonite. The addition of bentonite improved methane production, and it can also reduce the lag phase of methane production in co-digestion. What's more, bentonite addition increased the speed of pH recovery from 4.2-4.8 to normal level (7.0-8.0) and thus enhanced the system stability. The conclusion of this study can be used to guide practical engineering.