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A new paper-based microfluidic switch activated by surface acoustic wave (SAW) was presented. The switch was comprised of two folded paper microchannels and an unfolded paper microchannel. One of the folded paper microchannels was connected with the unfolded paper microchannel. Two interdigital transducers (IDTs) and two reflectors were fabricated on 128° yx-LiNbO3 substrate using microelectrical technology. When an amplified RF signal was applied to the IDTs, a droplet on the piezoelectric substrate was actuated to the unfolded paper microchannel by SAW. Folded angle of a folded paper microchannel was increased and connected with the other folded paper microchannel to implement ‘on’ function of the microfluidic switch. The switch was examined using red dye solution microfluids and mixed indicating solution of 330 mmol/L Citric acidmonohydrate, 10 mmol/L N-(1-Naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride and 50 mmol/L Sulfanilamide. The presented switch is valuable for programmable paper-based microfluidic de...

This study focusses on arttechnological aspects of eight cartoons from the collection of the Kupferstichkabinett of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. The cartoons were created in 1871/72 by Eduar...

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy defined by the accumulation of mature lymphocytes in the lymphoid tissues, bone marrow, and blood. Therapy for CLL is guided according to the Rai and Binet staging systems. Nevertheless, state-of-the-art protocols in disease monitoring, diagnostics, and prognostics for CLL are based on the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD is internationally considered to be the level of disease that can be detected by sensitive techniques and represents incomplete treatment and a probability of disease relapse. MRD detection has been continuously improved by the quick development of both flow cytometry and molecular biology technology, as well as by next-generation sequencing. Considering that MRD detection is moving more and more from research to clinical practice, where it can be an independent prognostic marker, in this paper, we present the methodologies by which MRD is evaluated, from translational research to clinical practice.

We analyzed and quantified the 100 most frequently cited papers in macular imaging using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The databases of the Institute for Scientific Information databases utilized for identification of articles in macular imaging using OCT over the last 25 years since the introduction of OCT in ophthalmology. All articles containing “optical coherence tomography” and “retina” without “glaucoma”. The publication dates of the 100 most-cited articles ranged from 1991 to 2015, with the greatest number of articles published in the 2000s, while the total number of citations per article was greatest for articles published in the 1990s. Most studies were conducted in the U.S. and represented Level-IV clinical outcome studies indicating that also small case series or cohort studies could gain attention. The top 5 senior authors contributed to 39 of the 100 selected publications and accrued a total of 66.0% of all citations of those articles.

Recent media ecologies are often characterized by their apparent excess and availability of information, in which elites have lost power to a multitude of citizen users. The 2010s, however, are marked by a new information battlespace, as governments, militaries and news organizations have arrested the initial chaotic free-for-all of the Internet. It was into this environment that the ‘Panama Papers’ were leaked in April 2016. We employ this story to illuminate some of the workings of information warfare in the contemporary Russian media ecology. We reveal the sophisticated gatekeeping work undertaken by a range of actors (state, journalists, news publics) in this ecology and their treatment of information across its historically established (television) and emergent (social) media forms.

Solar photo-Fenton process is an attractive, alternative treatment technology among advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of wastewater containing recalcitrant compounds. The feasibility of solar photo-Fenton process for the treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater was investigated in this study. The complete colour and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were obtained under optimal conditions, pH = 4, Fe2+ = 1 g/L, H2O2 = 5 g/L and irradiation time = 90 min. Also it enhances the biodegradability of wastewater and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD3)/COD ratio was found to increase from 0.028 to 0.83. The effluent’s BOD and total suspended solids concentrations were found to be 0 and 30 mg/L, respectively, which meets the requirements of the discharge standard.

The spatial distribution and hazard assessment of heavy metals in the paper mill contaminated area of Jagiroad, Assam, India were investigated using statistics, geostatistics and geographic information system techniques. The amounts of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb were determined from 188 samples collected within the contaminated area. Log-transformation was applied in order to achieve normality in the data-set. The ordinary kriging estimates of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb maps showed that high concentrations of heavy metals were located in the low-lying areas like bils (lakes). Indicator kriged probability maps of soil Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb were prepared based on the concentrations to exceed the respective Food and Agriculture Organization maximum permissible limit (MPL) value of 100, 3, 30 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. It was seen that more than 80% of the studied area has a higher than 50% probability to exceed the MPL value of Ni. Smaller areas in the north and west side of the study area displayed a higher concentration than t...

The modern headbox has many attributes that are highly significant for all paper-makers. Uniformity of flow, absence of streaks and large eddies, headbox stability and ease of operation are required features for all paper grades. Consistency in a headbox is a very important parameter in paper mills in their various stages of operations. Without the knowledge of consistency, it is not possible to optimize productivity with optimal quality. In the present study, a multivariable, linearized, state space model of a paper machine headbox was selected for control of consistency and liquid level in the headbox of a paper machine using the advanced control strategy Model Predictive Control (MPC). MPC uses a model to predict the process output along a future time horizon. It performs the calculation of a control sequence to optimize a performance index. It is based on receding horizon strategy so that at each instant the horizon is moved towards the future, involving the application of the first control s...

Due to high energy consumption in the Chinese paper industry, this study considers higher-energy efficiency for the multicylinder dryer section of paper machines. A common situation in the Chinese paper industry is that energy is consumed in extensive mode. In order to improve the energy efficiency of the paper machine dryer section, deeper analysis and optimization of process parameters are necessary. A NLP optimization method is developed for integration of steam system and air system to reduce the steam consumption and decrease the loads of centrifugal blowers in the multicylinder dryer section of a paper machine. Equality constraints of the optimization model are extracted from different process modules based on material and energy balance. Inequality constraints are from the production capacity, operating condition, etc. Two illustrative examples are presented in this paper. The results show that the optimization model is adaptive and convenient for application. For a newsprint machine, less dry air ...

The article compares the accuracy of forecasted and actual supply chain cost and price factors in a Nordic paper mill's sales to customers in two large European countries. Empirical longitudinal research data covering the years between 2002 and 2008 were obtained from a large integrated Finnish paper mill, and consisted of sales volumes, paper prices, variable costs, and transport costs. It was expected that the mill would be able to forecast demand, prices and costs accurately, but the empirical findings showed that the forecasts for paper price, demand, and cost varied from one market to another and were not highly accurate. In addition, the forecasting of gross margins seemed to be very inexact. It is concluded that there is a need for more reliable forecasting methods in the paper industry to anticipate economic development as paper demand and costs change.

The life of a transformer is limited by the degradation of its solid insulation. Winding conductors and other solid insulation materials in oil-immersed transformers have been insulated using cellulose products. For many years, manufacturers have met the needs of special applications by designing transformers using thermally upgraded materials to achieve lighter weight, higher power density and increased life. Recently, the effects of thermally upgraded insulation on diagnostic techniques such as gas-in-oil analysis, and indicators of their insulation degradation, have been reviewed. This paper describes evaluations of amine-impregnated thermally upgraded paper insulation's thermal degradation characteristics and decomposition reactions in mineral transformer oil. The thermal resistance of the thermally upgraded paper is evaluated by comparison with Kraft paper insulation. Further, aging degradation mechanisms of decompositional degradation of the thermally upgraded paper due to aging in mineral t...

The results indicate that electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method are reliable methods to measure taste with a high degree of reproducibility.To thoroughly evaluate the reliability of electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method for taste assessments.Thirty-nine healthy test persons without any history of chronic middle ear disease, aged between 27 and 62 years, were recruited. In all, 772 electrogustometry and 30 filter paper disc assessments were made. A nerve decay test was performed, with measures taken before and after eating sweet, sour, bitter, salt, a mild or spicy meal, after smoking, and after taking Swedish tobacco snuff ('snus'), as well as before and after local anesthesia of the tongue. Measurements were performed on 5 consecutive days and repeatedly during 1 day. The correlation between electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method was also studied.The results indicate that electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method are reliable methods to measure taste with a high degree of reproducibility. The only actions causing significant changes in the electrogustometry readings were eating a bitter substance and having local anesthesia of the tongue. The correlation between the methods was statistically significant except for the bitter flavor, where the correlation was just below the level of significance.

Based on KAMa pulp and paper mill, a polygeneration system integrated with a black liquor gasifier is proposed. The effects of CO2 captured by oxygen-fuel combustion and Selexol absorption on the p ...

Paper mills consume large quantities of water and consequently produce large volume of effluent. Direct water reuse is not always possible because of poor effluent quality. Membrane biological reactor (MBR) treatment of paper machine white water is a technology that could allow for water reuse. This study examined the technical viability of thermophilic treatment of paper machine effluents (white water) in a MBR. The research was divided into two experiments. The objective of Experiment I was to compare performance of MBR t reatment under mesophilic (35°C), thermotolerant (45°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions. The results showed that the increase in temperature led to a reduction in COD removal efficiency. No filamentous bacteria were found at 55°C and fl occulation was defi cient. The objective of Experiment II was to evaluate sludge microbial diversity in aerobic MBRs operating under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. Microbial community composition and structure was analyzed by polymerase chai...

The pulp and paper industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its energy consumption and impact on the environment. The ‘Cleaner Production’ (CP) approach has been widely utilised as a tool to meet environmental concerns by industry. However, because of the high initial capital cost of CP implementation, it is important to develop a model for prioritisation. In this paper, using analytic hierarchy process methodology, a tree-level hierarchy model was structured to facilitate the prioritisation process in the Kaveh Papermaking Company located in Iran. Using a literature review and field study, the proposed model can provide a framework for CP implementation in a paper factory. The results show that process change gives higher priority between 5 criteria and that repair of all leaks in the paper-making process gives higher priority between 35 sub-criteria. Process change was further evaluated and discussed in which input material changes gained higher priority. The results of this research can be used ...

The paper mill “SCA GRAPHIC LAAKIRCHEN AG” is situated in Austria and produces 486,000 to of graphic paper per year. A yearly amount of 6,923,000 m3 of wastewater with a COD-load of 7,819,000 kg is treated on site (2005). The trend towards brighter paper grades requires more intense bleaching of mechanical pulp and increased usage of chelating agents and optical brighteners. These chemicals are difficult to degrade with biological waste water treatment. Higher bleaching dissolves more lignin, which is hard to degrade as well. As a result the COD removal efficiency in the biological stage of the wastewater treatment plant drops and additional measures for enhanced COD reduction have to be implemented in order to maintain given discharge limits.

We read the article ‘Multiple intraventricular metastases from lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR G719X mutation: a case report’ by Kong et al.1 with interest. The paper is very interesting and well wri...

We are pleased to announce the new practice of a biennial “Best Paper Award” for the best articles published in Statistics in Biopharmaceutical Research (SBR). Eligible articles will be selected fr...

The series of UK Heat Transfer Conference (UKHTC) has been organized under the auspices of the UK National Heat Transfer Committee since 1984. The UKHTC is currently a premier forum in the UK for t...

In this paper we discuss our experiences of using wireless keypads for multiple-choice (MCQ) assessment and evaluate the benefits over traditional, paper-based MCQ assessment methods. A Personal Re...

A new economical, environmentally friendly wastewater treatment method, catalytic vacuum distillation (CVD) advanced wastewater treatment, is introduced in this paper. The CVD degradation of pulp and paper mill wastewater assisted by some promoters, such as sodium hydrate, ferric chloride and kaolin was investigated. The results show that the initial pH plays an important role on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and color removal. Kaolin can improve slightly the effect of treatment by vacuum distillation. Moreover, no distinct improvement effect was observed when ferric chloride was introduced into the catalytic vacuum distillation system. The results show that the quality of some effl uents can reach the standard of discharged wastewater. In addition, manifested by the effects of this method, the vacuum distillation is a promising technique for wastewater treatment.

Digital storage of cardiotocographic (CTG) tracings by fetal central monitoring systems (fCMS) obviates the need for printing, or alternatively, the tracings can be printed in regular paper instead of CTG thermal paper. We aimed at evaluating the impact of the introduction of the Omniview-SisPorto(®) system on CTG paper costs in a large university hospital. After introduction of the fCMS, there was an 87% reduction in median annual expenses with CTG paper in the labour ward (p = 0.011) and a 78% decrease in the prenatal clinic (p = 0.017), despite a more than 40% increase in the median number of observed women. Routine use of fCMS may provide an important reduction in hospital expenses associated with the use of thermal CTG paper, thus reducing the investment made in their acquisition and maintenance.

Seven rates of paper mill effluent (viz., 0%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were used for irrigation of V. radiata (mung bean) along with a control (bore well water). The effluent had significant (P 0.05) effects on moisture content, water-holding capacity (WHC), and bulk density (BD) in both the cultivated seasons: rainy (Kharif) and summer (Zaid) season. The agronomical performance of V. radiata was increased from 5% to 50% in the rainy season and 5% to 25% in the summer season as compared to the control. The enrichment factor (Ef) of various heavy metals were ordered for soil as Pb > Cd, Cr > Zn > Cu in rainy season...

A new method to increatse the operation speed for optical rewritable (ORW) liquid crystal alignment technology has been proposed. Conventionally, we prepared the azo dye layer by spin-coating solution of SD1 with different concentrations. The new method is to form a super thin azo-dye molecular alignment layer for LC display cell without spin-coating and rubbing processes. Compared to the conventional one, the new method provides much smaller azimuthal anchoring energy, and increases the rewriting speed a lot. Providing the advantages of conventional photoalignment methods, the use of super thin layer can obviously improve the operation speed of ORW technology for e-paper application.

Control strategies were created to reduce the operating costs of ozone stages of effluent treatment plants in paper mills as well as to improve the quality of the effluent. Biologically treated effluents from five mills were subjected to laboratory and pilot tests. All COD target values could be reached and maintained with SAC-based control strategies. Disturbing events were compensated with a deviation of only 2% within maximum 3.1 volume exchanges, depending on the kind of event. The SAC (spectral absorption coefficient) was found to be highly suitable for controlling the ozone dosage. In a SME paper mill, 20% of the operating costs of an ozone plant can be saved. The return on investment for such a system is thus about 8 months.

The central objectives of this paper are: i) to explore some of the implications of three issues that are to be found within the White Paper on Sport, namely, the protection of minors, free movement of players and the education and welfare of young athletes; and ii) to reflect upon the ways in which, and extent to which, the recommendations the European Commission makes in these areas may come to impact on the future welfare and employment and human rights of young people working in professional football Academies and Centres of Excellence (CoE) in England. In this regard, it is argued that, insofar as the Commission retains a commitment to ensuring the free movement of players and abolishing discrimination on the basis of nationality, this may do more to limit, than encourage, the willingness of professional football clubs to develop more young talented English players in their Academies and CoE. It is also suggested that while the White Paper places particular importance on implementing a range of strategies to tackle the abuse of young athletes and to protect the welfare of young people by, amongst other things, enhancing their education and training, in the context of professional football the efficacy of those strategies in bringing about desired change in young people's lives may be significantly constrained by the prevailing subcultures and values that surround the sport.

Hydrolysis of cellulosic wastes has been applied for environmental purposes and glucose production. An enzymatic process is proposed for such treatment of municipal cellulosic wastes, and the optimum conditions are described. It was found that different conditions should be applied for the treatment of soft or hard paper wastes, the most characteristic being pretreatment of wastes and temperature of the treatment process. Optimization of enzyme characteristics was also examined after stabilization of the enzymes by cross-linking. Endocellulase was better stabilized after cross-linking with EDAC whereas, exocellulase was better with glutaraldehyde. The application of cross-linked enzyme in the waste paper treatment process resulted in about a 25% increase of glucose liberation.

Effective sludge management is increasingly critical for pulp and paper mills due to high landfill costs and complex regulatory frameworks for disposal options such as sludge landspreading and composting. A novel continuous biodrying process has been developed to dry mixed sludge so that it can be combusted efficiently in a biomass boiler for energy recovery. Modeling this process is important in order to better understand the transport phenomena in the biodrying reactor and for design and scale-up of the process. A one-dimensional (1D) distributed model for heat transfer coupled with mass and biological transfer phenomena is introduced in this article that shows that the temperature of the sludge matrix is a critical parameter. The model assumes lumped parameters in the gas flow direction and distributed parameters in the (vertical) solids flow direction. Bioheat as a source term and evaporative heat as a sink term are critical issues. In order to evaluate the parameters and assess the model accuracy, a ...

Many key aspects of bridge design are governed by site-related, geometric, functional and constructional constraints. Economy is yet another decisive factor in public works, whilst enhanced...

With the increasing fascination of sport in society and the increasing availability of sport-related data, there are great opportunities to carry out sports analytics research. In this article, we ...

Background: Traumatic birth experiences may give rise to PTSD following childbirth (PTSD-FC). The perinatal period is associated with neurobiological alterations in HPA axis- and oxytocinergic systems also implicated in the response to trauma. However, little is known about neurobiological alterations in PTSD-FC and how these may play a role in the prevention and treatment of PTSD-FC. Recent research indicates a potential role for oxytocin. Aim and Objectives: To provide a synthesis of evidence on epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of PTSD-FC including neurobiological alterations and treatment-potential of hormones such as oxytocin. Method: Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Psychinfo, and Web of Science. Results: The prevalence for PTSD-FC ranges from 3-4% in community samples to up to 19% in high risk samples. Clinical trials in the treatment or prevention of PTSD-FC are scarce and do not include neurobiological alterations but the related domains of PTSD and the perinatal period provide findings relevant for PTSD-FC. A systematic search for exogenous oxytocin trials in women with PTSD-FC generated no findings. However, direct neurobiological and psychological effects of oxytocin were positive in trials with PTSD patients albeit negative in trauma-exposed individuals. In postpartum women an oxytocin-related increase of neural processing in reward-related areas was found as well as improved therapist- and infant relationships in women with postpartum depression although their mood worsened. Interpretation: Knowledge of epidemiological factors of PTSD-FC is adequate but research of treatment and prevention of PTSD-FC is scarce and lacks neurobiological data. Exogenous oxytocin has not been studied in PTSD-FC but treatment-relevant neurobiological and psychological changes have been found in PTSD and postpartum depression although negative oxytocin findings should also be acknowledged. Conclusions: This review provides recommendations and cautionary notes for future research into the neurobiological aspects of preventing and treating PTSD-FC.

Next year Green Letters will publish an issue on ‘petrofiction’ (forthcoming, 23:3). Its central concern is to explore the relationship between energy history and cultural history. Capital lies at ...

The pulp and paper industry is under regulatory pressure to reduce the volume of its water usage and wastewater discharge. To provide more efficient use of water resources and to minimise wastewater discharge, the design of water allocation networks has recently received increasing attention. Water system integration is often applied in the petroleum and chemical industry but much less so in the pulp and paper industry. We proposed a general methodology, nonlinear programming (NLP), for the design of optimal water use networks in a paper mill. The NLP requires specification of the lower and upper bounds on the contaminant concentrations flowing in and out of each process unit. This method can be effectively used to optimize the water network and minimise fresh water consumption and wastewater discharge in a paper mill. The minimised wastewater flows into a bio-treatment system where it is regenerated and can be reused for papermaking. We successfully achieved zero discharge of wastewater without affecting...

Medical recipe books in the early modern period provide an insight into the important role that women played in health care. The knowledge and experience they imply have been seen largely as a ‘gen...

I commend Drs. Prentice and Huang (PH) for their continued and longstanding commitment to the generation of knowledge concerning the nutritional causes of chronic diseases, and in their dedication ...

Computers are now widely used by children. Tablet computers are becoming widely available and promoted for use by school children. The primary objective of this study was to compare the posture and muscle activity of children using a tablet computer to the posture and muscle activity of children using a desktop computer and paper technology. Eighteen children (mean age 5.6 years) performed a colouring-in task in tablet, desktop and paper conditions. 3-D posture and muscle activity around the neck and shoulder was assessed. Tablet computer use was similar to paper use, with less neutral spinal posture, more elevated scapular posture and greater upper trapezius and cervical erector spinae activity. This was offset by greater variability of posture and muscle activity. Tablet computer use clearly results in different musculoskeletal stresses than desktop computer use. Computer use guidelines need to be appropriate to traditional and emerging technologies. Tablet computers are being promoted for use by adults and children. However, the physical impact of using this type of technology is not known. The findings of this study provide the first tablet-specific evidence to inform guidelines on wise use of tablet computers by children.

The aim of this article is to develop an experiment and a procedure to investigate the restoration of water-damaged paper and archival materials using freeze drying in order to allow a reproducible test and comparison of the influence of different operating conditions on drying time and restored paper quality. Firstly, a reproducible method for the preparation of soaked samples simulating water-damaged paper has been developed. Then, the samples have been freeze-dried in a laboratory-scale apparatus that allowed monitoring the temperature as well as the weight of the samples. The technique of evaporative freezing, which reduces the drying time required, has been used in this case. An innovative procedure for the visualization of the progress of the drying process has been validated, thus allowing the validation of a simple phenomenological model of the time evolution of the ice core volume; in addition, data on the residual moisture of the dried paper sheets in different zones have been given. Finally, op...

It is our great pleasure and honor to present this special issue of Heat Transfer Engineering to highlight some of the research works presented at the AIGE 2016 Conference on Energy Conversion, Man...

The acute and chronic effects of secondary-treated effluent from a New Zealand pulp and paper mill were assessed using both long-term adult and early life stage (ELS) laboratory exposures of rainbow trout. The relative impact of maternal exposure versus ELS exposure was assessed by a comparison of directly exposed eggs and larvae with the eggs and larvae of exposed adult trout that were reared in reference water. Rainbow trout were exposed to a secondary-treated mixed thermomechanical/bleached kraft mill effluent at a concentration of 15% or to reference water from the egg through to 320-d-old juveniles. The 2 adult rainbow trout exposures were undertaken with nominal concentrations of 10% and 12% treated effluent, respectively. There was no marked effect of water hardening with 15% effluent on fertility or survival of eggs to 16 d. In a subsequent exposure (with hardening in reference water), no significant effects were found on mortality to hatch, time to hatch, length at hatch, mortality to swim-up, mortality to 320 d, or deformity rate at hatch. At experimental termination (320 d), direct-exposed juveniles had smaller livers and reduced condition factor, likely due to differences in food consumption. In 2 subsequent consecutive experiments, exposure of adult trout to 10% and 12% effluent for 2 mo, followed by incubation of the fertilized eggs in reference water, produced no impact on fertility, survival to hatch, survival to swim-up, or length and weight of fry at swim-up. Exposure of adult trout to 12% treated effluent for 8 mo prior to egg fertilization also did not result in differing rates of fertility, mortality to hatch or mortality to swim-up. However, the 8-mo maternal exposure did result in swim-up fry that were significantly shorter and weighed less than the reference swim-up fry. This difference was directly attributable to smaller eggs in the 8-mo-exposed female trout. These results demonstrate that this pulp and paper mill effluent is more likely to elicit indirect impacts on progeny size through chronic exposure of adults to effluent during gonadal recrudescence rather than through direct exposure of early life stages to effluent.

A five-stage, sequential leaching procedure was used to determine the distribution of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni, Co, As, V, Ba, Ti and K) in fly ash from a pulp and paper mill complex between the water-soluble fraction (H2O), exchangeable fraction (CH3COOH), easily reduced fraction (HONH3Cl), oxidizable fraction (H2O2.CH3COONH4), and the residual fraction (HF+HNO3+HCl). The possible environmental risk associated with the eco-efficient utilization of fly ash as a fertilizer, especially the Cd load, was estimated. In addition, the mobility (i.e. bioavailability) of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cr was evaluated. The fly ash was derived from an electrostatic precipitator of a fluidized bed boiler in the co-combustion (55% bark and wood residues,45% peat) process at pulp and paper mill in Northern Finland. The accuracy of the leaching procedure was tested using a certified reference material SRM 1633b (Coal Fly Ash). The metals were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) o...

Since 2007, the Open Access journal PLOS ONE has published 194,622 expert-reviewed scientific papers, including 85 related to the human food sciences such as food safety, general food science, and nutrition. Seventy-five of their corresponding authors had previously published. Their most cited articles in other journals were identified and citation counts compared against those earned by their PLOS ONE papers. No PLOS ONE food sciences paper has yet been cited more than an author's best effort in the field in other journals. More than half (38) of the 75 PLOS ONE papers studied remain uncited even by their own authors.

This study investigates whether spatial learning outcomes differ with respect to different instructional media. Spatial thinking skills were tested pre- and postlesson implementation via the spatial thinking ability test as eighth grade students participated in either paper-based or digital map-based instruction. Students' attitudes toward geography, past travel experience, and demographic variables such as gender, were also examined to search for differences in spatial thinking skill development. Results of the study reveal that both paper and digital media aid in developing and improving spatial thinking skill acquisition among students.

The Hamlin Garland papers first came to the University of Southern California (USC) in 1940 and since then, various library staff, researchers, and student workers have applied different and sometimes conflicting processing strategies over a period of almost 80 years. In 2017, a National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant made possible the digitization and description of Garland’s correspondence. This gave current USC archivists the opportunity to address some of the issues and threats facing the Garland papers, while also providing new methods of access and discovery to this valuable collection.

Background Subjects with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) experience abdominal cramping, bloating, pressure, and pain. Due to an absence of clinical biomarkers for IBS-D severity, evaluation of clinical therapy benefits depends on valid and reliable symptom assessments. A patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument has been developed, comprising of two questionnaires – the IBS-D Daily Symptom Diary and IBS-D Symptom Event Log – suitable for clinical trials and real-world settings. This program aimed to support instrument conversion from pen-and-paper to electronic format. Materials and methods Digital technology (Android/iOS) and a traditional mode of administration study in the target population were used to migrate or convert the validated PRO IBS-D pen-and-paper measure to an electronic format. Equivalence interviews, conducted in three waves, each had three parts: 1) conceptual equivalence testing between formats, 2) electronic-version report-history cognitive debriefing, and 3) electronic version usability evaluation. After each inter-view wave, preliminary analyses were conducted and modifications made to the electronic version, before the next wave. Final revisions were based on a full analysis of equivalence interviews. The final analysis evaluated subjects’ ability to read, understand, and provide meaningful responses to the instruments across both formats. Responses were classified according to conceptual equivalence between formats and mobile-format usability assessed with a questionnaire and open-ended probes. Results Equivalence interviews (n=25) demonstrated conceptual equivalence between formats. Mobile-application cognitive debriefing showed some subjects experienced difficulty with font/screen visibility and understanding or reading some report-history charts and summary screens. To address difficulties, minor revisions/modifications were made and landscape orientation and zoom-in/zoom-out features incorporated. Conclusion This study indicates that the two administration modes are conceptually equivalent. Since both formats are conceptually equivalent, both are psychometrically reliable, as established in the pen-and-paper version. Subjects found both mobile applications (Android/iOS) offered many advantages over the paper version, such as real-time assessment of their experience., Video abstract

A data management system and a department-exposure matrix (PAPDEM) was designed and constructed to facilitate exposure assessment for a large multinational study on cancer risks among pulp, paper, and paper product workers. Exposure to 25 major agents was described by prevalence, P (i.e., proportion of the exposed, classified %-range), and level, L (i.e., annual mean concentration at work, classified). Some agents could be assessed only in qualitative terms. The assessment was specific to mill, work department, agent, and time period. The results of industrial hygiene measurements, information from detailed company questionnaires, and the professional judgments of the assessment team were the cornerstones of the assessment. Validity and consistency of the assessment were aimed at by setting default values for P and L prior to the assessment, accurately defining agents and exposure classes, dividing assessment work by subindustry, working in pairs, testing interrater agreement, and finalizing the estimates in a meeting. In spite of these precautions, good agreement between different assessors was difficult to reach. Exposure to chemical agents turned out to be widespread and complex with frequent multiple exposures. A computer-assisted exposure assessment system such as PAPDEM may save time and facilitate assessment in large epidemiological studies requiring complicated exposure assessment procedures. It also provides a good documentation of exposure assignments, which may be useful in the interpretation of the results and in future updates of the study.

Poor dose-regimen selection remains a key cause of the high attrition rate of investigational drugs in confirmatory trials, being directly related to the escalating costs of drug development. This article is a follow-up to the first white paper put forward by the PhRMA Working Group (WG) on Adaptive Dose-Ranging Studies (Bornkamp et al. 2007). It presents results and conclusions from a new round of simulation-based evaluations conducted by the WG, proposing a new set of recommendations to improve the accuracy and efficiency of dose-finding in clinical drug development.

Forty-five optically brightened blackand- white photographic papers from 12 manufacturers spanning 1956-2006 were studied to evaluate the brightener's impact on appearance and its light sensitivity under simulated daylight conditions. The appearance tests showed both small and large changes in appearance when the optical brightener was activated by inclusion of UV in the illuminating light source. All papers showed a decrease in the Yellowness Index value upon brightener activation, indicating a change in appearance to a color that is whiter than its unbrightened version. Three papers that were originally warm white in appearance, however, remained somewhat yellow in color even with activation of their optical brighteners. All of the 45 papers experienced some optical brightener loss as a result of prolonged exposure to simulated daylight with UV wavelengths included; many also experienced other color changes such as bleaching or yellowing of the paper substrate and loss of a chromophore at 570 n...

This manuscript focused on the degradation behavior of lignin and the reduction of residual COD in the biologically treated paper-mill effluent by means of ionized gas from nonthermal plasma unit. The removal efficiencies of COD, lignin, and color after treated with ionized gas were over 95, 93, and 97%, respectively. It has been found that the degradation of aromatic ring has been proved by FTIR, 1H NMR and UV spectra. The degradation of lignin through ionized gas was accompanied with the increase of and the decrease in pH. The results show that the residual COD in the biologically treated paper-mill effluent contains NBD matter with aromatic ring compounds. Also NBD organic matter such as aromatic ring in effluent treated with ionized gas was degraded. The residual COD declined by 60% at the ionized gas flow rate 5 L/min and HRT 30 min.