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Recently, actuating materials based on carbon nanotubes or graphene have been widely studied. However, present carbon-based actuating materials are mostly driven by a single stimulus (humidity, light, electricity, etc.), respectively, which means that the application conditions are limited. Here, a new kind of multiresponsive actuating material which can be driven by humidity, light, and electricity is proposed, so it can be used in various conditions. The fabrication is based on the simplest pencil-on-paper method, in which the pencil and paper are both low-cost and easily obtained daily materials. The actuation effect is more remarkable due to a dual-mode actuation mechanism, which leads to an ultralarge actuation (bending curvature up to 2.6 cm−1). Elaborately designed, the actuator can further exhibit a bidirectional bending actuation, which is a significant improvement compared with previous reported thermal actuators. What is more, a colorful biomimetic flower and a smart curtain are also fabricated, fully utilizing the printable characteristic of the paper and multiresponsive characteristic of the actuator. It is assumed that the newly designed actuating material has great potential in the fields of lab-on-paper devices, artificial muscles, robotics, biomimics, and smart household materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile method for the preparation of efficient and reusable nanocatalysts involving the painting of a commercial filter paper with a Pd@CNT (CNT=carbon nanotubes) ink was herein explored. The resulting paper-based material provided excellent results in the semihydrogenation of alkynes and alkynols and could be recycled at least five times without loss of activity or selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current methods of monitoring breathing require cumbersome, inconvenient, and often expensive devices; this requirement sets practical limitations on the frequency and duration of measurements. This article describes a paper-based moisture sensor that uses the hygroscopic character of paper (i.e. the ability of paper to adsorb water reversibly from the surrounding environment) to measure patterns and rate of respiration by converting the changes in humidity caused by cycles of inhalation and exhalation to electrical signals. The changing level of humidity that occurs in a cycle causes a corresponding change in the ionic conductivity of the sensor, which can be measured electrically. By combining the paper sensor with conventional electronics, data concerning respiration can be transmitted to a nearby smartphone or tablet computer for post-processing, and subsequently to a cloud server. This means of sensing provides a new, practical method of recording and analyzing patterns of breathing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the inhibitory effects of adsorption treatment on the degradation of oil–paper insulation and corrosive sulphur in oil. A thermal ageing experiment at 130°C was conducted using five different adsorbents to adsorb some impurities in oil on the 15th day of a 30 day ageing test, the related characteristics of oil–paper insulation before and after the adsorption treatment were measured and analysed. Meanwhile, a thermal ageing experiment at 150°C was also conducted before using five different adsorbents to adsorb dibenzyl disulphide (DBDS) in oil, energy dispersive X‐ray was used to evaluate the degree of the corrosion of windings. The result indicates that adsorption treatment is an effective method to inhibit the degradation of oil–paper insulation. A molecular sieve, silica gel and activated alumina can effectively improve the performance of oil–paper insulation. By contrast, the antioxidant (2, 6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐p‐cresol) can be also adsorbed by adsorbents, which accelerate the ageing degradation of the insulating oil. On the other hand, the adsorbents can adsorb DBDS in oil, but cannot remove all DBDS. The effect achieved from silica gel is especially significant, which not only effectively improves the performance of oil–paper insulation but also adsorbs DBDS in oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design and fabrication of electrically controlled paper actuators that operate based on the dimensional changes that occur in paper when the moisture absorbed on the surface of the cellulose fibers changes. These actuators are called 'Hygroexpansive Electrothermal Paper Actuators' (HEPAs). The actuators are made from paper, conducting polymer, and adhesive tape. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and can be fabricated using simple printing techniques. The central element of the HEPAs is a porous conducting path (used to provide electrothermal heating) that changes the moisture content of the paper and causes actuation. This conducting path is made by embedding a conducting polymer (PEDOT:PSS) within the paper, and thus making a paper/polymer composite that retains the porosity and hydrophilicity of paper. Different types of HEPAs (straight, precurved, and creased) achieved different types of motions (e.g., bending motion, accordion type motion). A theoretical model for their behavior is proposed. These actuators have been used for the manipulation of liquids and for the fabrication of an optical shutter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper sulphide deposition on insulating paper in oil‐impregnated power transformers affects the characteristics of oil‐paper insulation. Although several external factors, including electric field, contribute to the formation of deposition, the specific effect of electric field on copper sulphide deposition is still not well understood. This study presents an experimental research about the effect of an electric field on copper sulphide deposition. Paper pig‐tail wrapped copper winding were used, and 1.5 kV AC voltage at 130°C was applied on the winding for accelerated electric‐thermal ageing. The influence of partial discharge on deposition was investigated further. Results showed that the weight of copper sulphide depositions increased because of the presence of an electric field. Interestingly, this corrosion became serious under partial discharge effect. The electrochemical erosion and high temperature generated by partial discharge were considered as the main reasons for this phenomenon. The acid generated by the ageing of oil‐paper insulation further contributed to the acceleration of chemical reaction. The electric field aggravates Cu corrosion, which eventually leads to thermally induced dielectric breakdown of the insulating systems in transformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A moisture-dependent and temperature-dependent constitutive model for paper materials was proposed and implemented into a finite element model of the paper hydroforming process. Experimental hydroforming was conducted at temperatures of 23°C and 110 °C and moisture contents of 6.9 and 10.6 (respectively corresponding to 50 and 80% relative humidity). The proposed model, which also included the effects of drying, captured the extent of forming of all experimental results within reasonable accuracy. For the moisture content and temperature conditions in this study, the phenomenon of drying was found to be the reason why the application of temperature had a much greater effect on the degree of forming than hydroforming at various moisture contents. A simulation-based parametric study was conducted in order to identify the importance of various process and material parameters. This parametric study confirmed many previous empirical findings and was capable of quantifying the extent to which these process and material parameters affect the three-dimensional formability of paper. The coefficient of friction was identified as one of the most important factors when determining the extent of forming. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a paper device capable of carrying out target-induced rolling circle amplification (RCA) to produce massive DNA amplicons that can be easily visualized. Interestingly, we observed that RCA was more proficient on paper than in solution, which we attribute to a significantly higher localized concentration of immobilized DNA. Furthermore, we have successfully engineered a fully functional paper device for sensitive DNA or microRNA detection via printing of all RCA-enabling molecules within a polymeric sugar film formed from pullulan, which was integrated with the paper device. This encapsulation not only stabilizes the entrapped reagents at room temperature but also enables colorimetric bioassays with minimal steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel algorithm has been developed and validated to isolate individual papermaking fibres in micro-computed tomographic images of paper handsheets as a first step to characterize the structure of the paper. The three-step fibre segmentation algorithm segments the papermaking fibres by (i) tracking the hollow inside the fibres via a modified connected component methodology, (ii) extracting the fibre walls using a distance transform and (iii) labelling the fibres through collapsed sections by a final refinement step. Furthermore, postprocessing algorithms have been developed to calculate the length and coarseness of the segmented fibres. The fibre segmentation algorithm is the first ever reported method for the automated segmentation of the tortuous three-dimensional morphology of papermaking fibres within microstructural images of paper handsheets. The method is not limited to papermaking fibres, but can be applied to any material consisting of tortuous and hollow fibres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is nothing less about paper and its use when it comes to academic study as we experience increasingly converging media spaces and functionalities of online applications within the screens of our laptops, mobile phones and tablet devices. The paper persists, and the paperless office, classroom and pedagogy become nothing but pure rhetoric. Hence, it is most pertinent to focus on paper and its 'stickiness' in maintaining educational structures and practices. Usually hidden from view or neglected in educational technology studies is a consideration on how we think and interact not only with our mind but also with our heads and limbs. This paper will argue that paper has a composite place or bearing, a kind of stickiness to our technologised bodies, digital mobilities and hybrid practices in what I have coined here as papier-mach(in)e. This claim will be supported by evidence that demonstrates how we simply think both practically and pathically and that our mobilities in media and physical spaces are in one form or another meshed with paper. In fact, a drive towards a paperless classroom or pedagogy is without much foundation when it comes to mobilising a sustainable agenda for technology-enhanced learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is a cheap substrate which is in principle compatible with the process temperature applied in the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and hot wire CVD (HWCVD) of thin film silicon solar cells. The main drawback of paper for this application is the porosity due to its fibre like structure. The feature size (micrometre scale) is larger than the thickness of the applied photovoltaic layers. To overcome this problem, UV curable lacquer was used to planarize the surface. Plain 80 grams printer paper was taken as a substrate and the lacquer smoothens the rough surface of the paper such that a designed nanostructure can be imprinted for light scattering. In this manner single junction amorphous silicon solar cells with a HWCVD deposited intrinsic layer were processed on paper, without any concessions to the process temperature of 200 °C. The cell performance is comparable to that of reference cells grown on stainless steel, proving that solar cells can be deposited on paper substrates without sacrificing performance. PV on paper could be applied as "disposable" power source for gadgets, electronic labelling, remote sensing systems, etc. (Internet of Things). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flame retardant properties of paper coated with either poly(methylenephosphine) ( PMP) or poly(methylenephosphine oxide) ( PMP-O) are evaluated. Paper sheets made from thermomechanical pulp were coated with PMP ( Mn = 27,000 g mol−1, polydispersity index (PDI) = 1.47), PMP-O ( Mn = 30,000 g mol−1, PDI = 1.24), or monobasic ammonium phosphate (MAP) to achieve an approximate loading of 0.8 mmol P/g paper. Thermal stability studies by thermogravimetric analysis show that the paper degrades in two main stages, with the second thermo-oxidative stage having a slower rate of degradation for paper treated with flame retardants. The flame retardancy of the sheets was evaluated by Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry Standard Method T461 cm-00 and by limiting oxygen index (LOI) according to ASTM D2863. After leaching with water, samples coated with PMP or PMP-O show no loss of flame retardancy, while those coated with MAP lose all flame retardancy. The LOI of paper coated with PMP (23.1%) or PMP-O (25.9%) is higher than those of uncoated paper (19.6%), but lower than MAP-coated paper (34.7%). Analysis of the char provided evidence that the flame retardant mechanism of PMP and PMP-O involves the formation of phosphorus oxides and acids. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the effect of partial discharges (PDs) on the thermal breakdown voltage of oil-impregnated paper (OIP). A disk-shaped cavity in a stack of paper sheets formed the PD source. The paper sample was exposed to PDs for 18 h. Dielectric spectroscopy measurements were performed on the samples before and after exposure to PD activity. The dielectric spectroscopy results showed a big change in the real and imaginary part of the permittivity. These results were used to calculate the activation energy and heat losses inside the insulation. In order to investigate the possibility of thermal breakdown in the system, the OIP system was simulated by using the FEM software COMSOL Multiphysics. The heat produced by PD pulses and dielectric losses was considered in the simulation. The results show that for the OIP insulation, PD activity can reduce the thermal breakdown voltage by a factor up to 4 times. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indeed, the printed 384-well microtiter paper-based fluorescent chemosensor array system combined with imaging analysis and pattern recognition techniques successfully not only categorized saccharides and sulfur-containing amino acids but also classified mono- and disaccharide groups. Paper, sensors, pattern recognition, self-assembly, food analysis Keywords: paper; sensors; pattern recognition; self-assembly; food analysis EN paper sensors pattern recognition self-assembly food analysis 1 1 1 08/19/22 20220815 NES 220815 B A facile paper-based device b embedded with self-assembled fluorescent chemosensors displayed a fingerprint-like response pattern for targets, the image of which was rapidly captured by a portable digital camera. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT Kraft pulp fibers were used as substrates for the grafting of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) from available hydroxyl groups through ring-opening polymerization, targeting three different chain lengths (degree of polymerization): 120, 240, and 480. In a paper-making process, paper-sheet biocomposites composed of grafted fibers and neat pulp fibers were prepared. The paper sheets possessed both the appearance and the tactility of ordinary paper sheets. Additionally, the sheets were homogenous, suggesting that PCL-grafted fibers and neat fibers were compatible, as demonstrated by both Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microscopy and through dye-labeling of the PCL-grafted fibers. Finally, it was shown that the paper-sheet biocomposites could be hot-pressed into laminate structures without the addition of any matrix polymer; the adhesive joint produced could even be stronger than the papers themselves. This apparent and sufficient adhesion between the layers was thought to be due to chain entanglements and/or co-crystallization of adjacent grafted PCL chains within the different paper sheets. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42039. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Printed TFTs made from organic and metal-oxide semiconductors have much inferior electrical performance and reliability than their silicon counterparts. Cyclopentasilane is a liquid compound that has been found to transform into solid silicon after a UV polymerization and thermal annealing step of 350°C, making it possible for silicon devices to be printed, a much more simple and inexpensive method owing to the additive process. This thermal annealing, however, is too high for inexpensive substrates such as PET, PEN or paper. In this work we have for the first time produced poly-silicon and TFTs at a maximum temperature of 150°C using the liquid silicon ink and an excimer laser annealing process instead of a thermal annealing step. We have formed poly-silicon on inexpensive paper substrates. This could lead to new applications such as biodegradable high-speed ID-tags with a sensor for Internet of Things, which can be mass-produced at very low-costs by a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymers have been considered for use as cathode materials in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) since 1981 but problems with poor cycling stability, rapid self-discharge, and low energy and power densities have so far limited their applicability. Herein it is shown that nanostructured freestanding conducting polymer composites [e.g., polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI)] can be used to circumvent these shortcomings. Freestanding and binder-free PPy and cellulose-based composites can straightforwardly be used as versatile organic cathode materials for LIBs. The composite, reinforced with chopped carbon filaments (CCFs), exhibited a large active mass loading of approximately 10 mg cm−2, an areal capacity of 1.0 mAh cm−2 (corresponding to 102 mAh g−1), and stable cycling. With an active mass loading of 4.4 mg cm−2, a capacity of 0.22 mAh cm−2 (corresponding to 58 mAh g−1) was found for current densities of 5 A g−1 yielding discharge times of approximately 40 seconds, and a capacity retention of 91 % over 100 cycles was obtained at 0.2 A g−1. The present method constitutes a straightforward approach for the manufacturing of high-performance freestanding electroactive conducting-polymer-based paper-like electrodes for use in inexpensive and sustainable, high-performance organic LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in developing printable paper sensors to enable rapid testing of analytes for environmental, food safety, and clinical applications. A major challenge is to find suitable bioinks that are amenable to high-speed printing and remain functional after printing. We report on a simple and effective approach wherein an aqueous ink composed of megadalton-sized tandem repeating structure-switching DNA aptamers (concatemeric aptamers) is used to rapidly create patterned paper sensors on filter paper by inkjet printing. These concatemeric aptamer reporters remain immobilized at the point of printing through strong adsorption but retain sufficient segmental mobility to undergo structure switching and fluorescence signaling to provide both qualitative and quantitative detection of small molecules and protein targets. The convenience of inkjet printing allows for the patterning of internally referenced sensors with multiplexed detection, and provides a generic platform for on-demand printing of sensors even in remote locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical survey of 20 paper and board (P&B) materials intended for food use was carried out with the aim to identify chemicals with a potential to migrate into foods. Representative materials covering a range of uses (primary and secondary packaging and article for take away foods) were obtained from distributors. A screening approach was applied by means of solvent extraction with subsequent analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A large number of analytes were detected, and a chemometric approach was used to explore the data. Principal component analysis was used to identify and select some compounds as markers for sample classification. In the corrugated and printed packaging, it is worth emphasizing the presence of residual solvents, probably coming from printing inks, as well as hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds, mainly toluene and plasticizers linked also to the recycled pulp content such as diisobutyl phthalate or diisopropylnaphthalenes, whereas in the plastic-laminated samples, triacetin was identified as the prevailing compound. A literature search for safety data or legislative restrictions of the identified substances was performed. Additionally, the semi-quantification of the compounds in the packaging allowed a worst case estimation of food contamination by means of the infinite total migration model; occasionally, migration estimations overcame the specific migration limits. The chosen analytical methods coupled with a chemometric approach proved to be an effective way to describe the data; it may be concluded that only the simultaneous consideration of several chemicals with a multivariate approach allowed the investigated packaging materials to be distinguished. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration model of contaminants from inks on paper packaging to food is developed based on the penetration of ink in paper and Fick's diffusion. The printed paper is divided as ink layer and paper layer. The mass transfer coefficient hm and partition coefficient KF,P in the interface between paper and food are considered in the model. The model equation is solved, and the migration expression is obtained by using the method of separation of variables. The fitting method is used between the model and the migration experimental data to obtain the diffusion coefficients and mass transfer coefficients for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC). It is found that there exist linear relationships between ln( DP) and 1/ T, and also between ln( hm) and 1/ T for DBP and ATBC. The migrations of DBP in the paper sample 2402 at different temperatures and of ATBC in the paper sample 2401 at 50°C are predicted by using the model, and a good agreement is obtained between the model predictions and the migration experimental data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The production of traditional cellulose paper not only consumes lots of timber, but also brings about some environmental issues. Therefore, it is being increasingly replaced by synthetic paper. In this study, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/SiO2 synthetic paper with high application performance was prepared by the thermally induced phase separation method using mineral oil as diluent. The corresponding properties of synthetic paper, including surface morphology, overall porosity, tensile strength, thermal stability, acid and alkali resistance, whiteness, and inkjet print effect were investigated respectively. The results show that the overall porosity of UHMWPE/SiO2 synthetic paper is above 45%, and the tensile strength exceeds 4.3 MPa. UHMWPE/SiO2 synthetic paper also presents light weight, as well as good resistance to heat, acid and alkali. Meanwhile, the average whiteness of the samples is up to 91.8%. The sample K-50, which contains 31.5 wt % SiO2, takes on the best print performance caused by its dense surface and higher SiO2 content. It is indicated that UHMWPE/SiO2 synthetic paper has good market prospects in the color printing. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41529. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing rate of cellulose insulation materials (paper/pressboard) in oil‐impregnated transformers is largely determined by moisture. In this paper, several experiments were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions to quantitatively diagnose the amount of moisture in cellulose insulation using frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) technique, which has been proven to be an effective tool to predict the insulation condition in oil‐impregnated power equipment. The frequency dielectric response in oil‐impregnated pressboards, moisture content as well as test temperature, was monitored carefully, and a new dielectric characteristic parameter for the diagnosis of moisture content was proposed. In addition, the master curve technique was introduced to calibrate the temperature effect on FDS measurement results. These experiments revealed that a strong correlation exists between frequency dielectric parameter and moisture content in cellulose insulation. Such correlation can be utilised for better prediction of moisture content in paper–oil insulation. A modified assessment method for the diagnosis of moisture content in paper–oil insulation was investigated and its effectiveness was also demonstrated using a case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is an important material for many applications. During the centuries, it has been the most widely used writing support and therefore paper degradation is a major issue for cultural heritage. The main component of paper is cellulose, one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth. Cellulose oxidation is mainly responsible for the yellowing of the ancient samples, through the formation of chromophores. In order to investigate this issue and the chromophores' role, we exploit the optical properties combining non-destructive experiments and theoretical calculations based on ab-initio techniques. In this paper, we illustrate the method and show its application to three ancient paper samples. The procedure we describe is a precious tool for cultural heritage preservation: indeed, the approach we present is based on non-invasive and non-destructive measurements that allows a microscopic understanding of cellulose-based artifacts degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) is being used to assess the insulation condition of oil–paper power transformers. However, it has to date only been implemented on de‐energised transformers, which requires the transformers to be shut down for an extended period and may cause significant costs. To solve this issue, a newly improved monitoring method based on the FDS principle is proposed to implement the dielectric measurement on energised transformers. Moreover, a chirp waveform excitation and its novel processing method are introduced. Compared with the conventional FDS results, dielectric results from the energised insulation system have higher tanδ values because of the increased losses. To further understand the insulation ageing process, the effects of the geometric capacitance are removed from the measured imaginary admittance of the insulation system to enhance the ageing signature. The resulting imaginary admittance is then shown to correlate well with the central time constant in return voltage measurements results. The proposed methods address the issues on techniques used on energised transformers and provide a clue for on‐line FDS diagnostic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene and porous carbon materials are widely used as electrodes in supercapacitors. In order to form mechanically stable electrodes, binders can be added to the conducting electrode material. However, most binders degrade the electrical performance of the electrodes. Here we show that by using nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) as a binder the electrical properties, such as capacitance, were enhanced. The highest capacitance was measured at an NFC content of approximately 10 % in ratio to the total amount of active material. The NFC improved the ion transport in the electrodes. Thus, electrodes made of a mixture of nanographite and NFC achieved larger capacitances in supercapacitors than electrodes with nanographite only. In addition to electrical properties, NFC enhanced the mechanical stability and wet strength of the electrodes significantly. Furthermore, NFC stabilized the aqueous nanographite dispersions, which improved the processability. Galvanostatic cycling was performed and an initial transient behaviour of the supercapacitors during the first cycles was observed. However, stabilized supercapacitors showed efficiencies of 98-100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacity of Ag nanoparticles to destroy various micro‐organisms makes it one of the most powerful antimicrobial agents, an attractive feature against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Here, a simple method to develop coating of colloidal silver on paper using a biological method is presented. The coated paper was studied by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction technique and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of the coated paper against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was measured by agar diffusion method. This study shows the potential use of the coated paper as a food antimicrobial packing material for longer shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is often regarded as a prime candidate nano-reinforcement for the production of renewable nanocomposites. However, the mechanical performance of most BC nanocomposites is often inferior compared with commercially available polylactide (PLLA). Here, the manufacturing concept of paper-based laminates is used, i.e., 'PaPreg,' to produce BC nanopaper reinforced PLLA, which has been called 'nanoPaPreg' by the authors. It is demon­strated that high-performance nanoPaPreg ( vf = 65 vol%) with a tensile modulus and strength of 6.9 ± 0.5 GPa and 125 ± 10 MPa, respectively, can be fabricated. It is also shown that the tensile properties of nanoPaPreg are predominantly governed by the mechanical performance of BC nanopaper instead of the individual BC nanofibers, due to difficulties impregnating the dense nanofibrous BC network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preview of the articles "Bacterial Cellulose Nanopaper as Reinforcement for Polylactide Composites: Renewable Thermoplastic NanoPaPreg" by M. Tang, C. K. Williams , A. Bismarck, "Supramolecular Adhesives to Hard Surfaces: Adhesion Between Host Hydrogels and Guest Glass Substrates Through Molecular Recognition" by Y. Takashima , T. Sahara , T. Sekine , and "Shape Memory Particles Capable of Controlled Geometric and Chemical Asymmetry made from Aliphatic Polyesters" by S. M. Brosnan, A.M. S. Jackson, Y. Wang, which appeared in the periodical "Macromolecular Rapid Communications" in issue 35, 2014, is presented.

The characterisation of surface roughness is important in process control and metrology. A simple, low cost sensor which can be used for this measurement is one based on laser optical feedback interferometry. A target containing samples of similar abrasive paper with different levels of roughness was characterised using a sensor based on this technique, and the resulting measurements show that the standard deviation of the optical feedback signal was proportional to the roughness of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY This paper is concerned with the distributed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, aims and objectives Checklists have been adopted by various institutions to improve patient outcomes. In particular, readmission prevention checklists may be of potential value to improve patient care and reduce medical costs. As a result, a prior quality improvement study was conducted to create an intensive care unit readmission prevention checklist. The previous pilot demonstrated zero readmissions when the readmission prevention checklist was utilized but yielded low compliance (30%). Thus, a subsequent quality initiative was undertaken to refine the readmission prevention checklist with the primary aim of improved compliance while maintaining a reduced readmission rate that was observed with the original quality improvement study. Method A single-centre, cross-sectional study for assessing baseline data and a prospective observational study to assess the effectiveness of a refined readmission prevention checklist tool in a 20-bed tertiary medical-surgical intensive care unit at an academic medical centre in Rochester, MN was conducted. Medical patients admitted through the emergency department, upon direct transfer from outside facility, and post-operative surgical patients at our institution were included. A refined readmission prevention checklist tool was administered during an 8-week pilot period for medical and post-operative surgical patients. Results The refined readmission prevention checklist resulted in an even lower compliance (10.5%) from the initial phase likely resulting from utilization of a paper readmission prevention checklist in an electronic medical environment. Moreover, the refined readmission prevention checklist demonstrated a 22% unplanned readmission rate for patients in which the tool was utilized. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings of the current quality improvement study may serve to rethink the process of health care delivery that applies paper tools in an electronic medical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method is described for the patterned deposition of Teflon on paper to create an integrated platform for parallel organic synthesis and cell-based assays. Solvent-repelling barriers made of Teflon-impregnated paper confine organic solvents to specific zones of the patterned array and allow for 96 parallel flow-through syntheses on paper. The confinement and flow-through mixing significantly improves the peptide yield and simplifies the automation of this synthesis. The synthesis of 100 peptides ranging from 7 to 14 amino acids in length gave over 60 % purity for the majority of the peptides (>95 % yield per coupling/deprotection cycle). The resulting peptide arrays were used in cell-based screening to identify 14 potent bioactive peptides that support the adhesion or proliferation of breast cancer cells in a 3D environment. In the future, this technology could be used for the screening of more complex phenotypic responses, such as cell migration or differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel strategy via paper as an effective substrate has been introduced as a thermoelectric material in this work. Free-standing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/paper composite films are conveniently prepared by a one-step method of directly writing PEDOT:PSS solution on paper, making the process simple, rapid, and facile. The free-standing composite films display excellent flexibility, light weight, soaking stability in water, and great potential in large-scale production. Improved thermoelectric properties are obtained in PEDOT:PSS/paper composite films, owing to the simultaneously enhanced Seebeck coefficient (30.6 μV K−1) and electrical conductivity, and a low thermal conductivity (0.16 W m−1 K−1) compared with pristine PEDOT:PSS films. The results indicate that paper as an effective substrate is suitable for the preparation of high-performance and flexible thermoelectric materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 737-742 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY In this paper, the design of an interval observer with an adaptive dynamical gain is presented. The observer is formulated in the framework of robust state estimation of uncertain dynamical systems, where an interval that encloses the unknown state variables is provided. For a specific type of interval observer design, an optimal gain could provide the narrowest interval. Because this gain depends on the (unknown) state, it can however not be determined, and only intervals for this optimal gain can be estimated. Here, we propose a strategy to track, with a high gain observer, the optimal gain together with the computation of its derivative. The observer performance is first illustrated with the simple case of an uncertain bioreactor model. Then, we propose the real case of the estimation of microalgal oil in the framework of biofuel production. The proposed observer design, when applied to experimental data of Isochrysis affinis galbana, appears to be a suitable robust estimation technique. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY This paper presents a sufficient condition for observability of continuous-time switched nonlinear systems that also involve state jumps. Without the assumption of observability of individual modes, the sufficient condition is based on gathering partial information from each mode so that the state is completely recovered after several switchings. Based on the sufficient condition, a hybrid-type observer is designed, which comprises a copy of the actual plant and an error correction scheme at discrete time instants. In order to execute the proposed design, the observable component of the state at each mode needs to be estimated without transients or 'peaking' (caused by high-gain observers), and this motivates us to introduce a back-and-forth estimation technique. Under the assumption of persistent switching, analysis shows that the estimate thus generated converges asymptotically to the actual state of the system. Simulation results validate the utility of the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently our modern society is demanding flexible, low-cost, and lightweight electrochemical energy storage systems, which are very important in variety of applications ranging from portable consumer electronics to large industrial-scale power and energy management. Among different energy storage systems, flexible supercapacitors have been considered as one of the most promising candidates due to their significant merits such as high power density along with the unique properties of being flexible, lightweight, shape versatile, and eco-friendly in comparison to other energy storage systems. In this regard, this review article describes the principles of supercapacitors and the recent research progress on flexible supercapacitor electrodes, for which metal substrates, carbon-based paper, conventional paper, textiles, sponges, and cables are used as substrates to fabricate high-performance flexible supercapacitors. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives for the development of flexible supercapacitors based on bendable substrates and their applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT To improve the paper properties of the poly(1,3,4-oxadiazoles) (POD), the POD pulps were prepared by prechemical and mechanical methods to increase their polarity, contact area, and interaction. The fibrillated degree of the staple fibers was evaluated by the Canadian Standard Freeness and the specific surface area, while the surface free energy was calculated by the Micro-wilhelmy method. Meanwhile, the functional groups and compositions on the surface of the POD fibers were confirmed by the FTIR-ATR and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the surface morphological structure and the crystalline structure of the POD fibers were observed by the fiber analyzer, scanning electron microscope, and Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, respectively. It was found that the pronounced abrasive and distinctive grooves were formed on the surface of the POD fibers after prechemical and mechanical treatment. The surface free energy of POD fibers increased 8.41%, and the polar part increased by 32.10% after treatment. It was confirmed that the polar functional groups and fibril were formed after chemical and mechanical treatment, so the interaction of the POD fibers was highly enhanced, and as a result the apparent density, tensile strength, fold endurance, and tear strength of the paper formed by those treated fibers were all improved apparently. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39818. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Melamine formaldehyde (MF) resins are widely used for the gluing and surface coating of wood-based consumer products in the interior design of living environments. MF resins are especially relevant in decorative laminate applications because of their good performance-to-price ratio. In their industrial processing, an important intermediate state is the liquid MF prepolymer that is used for decorative paper impregnation. Here, the drying of impregnated papers is investigated with respect to premature curing. A new method to quantify water release upon drying that allows estimation of the degree of undesired precuring is described. Since curing proceeds via polycondensation, crosslinking brings about the release of water molecules. By thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), drying was studied in terms of water release due to physical drying (elimination of 'dilution water') and chemical crosslinking of the prepolymer to a three-dimensional MF network (elimination of chemically liberated water). The results obtained by TGA/IR spectroscopic analysis of the liberated volatiles show that the emission of water from b-stage MF can be clearly analytically separated into a physical (evaporation of dilution water) and a chemical (liberation via condensation) sequence. TGA experiments were correlated with curing experiments performed with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to estimate the residual crosslinking capacities of the impregnated papers. The drying conditions used during the preparation of impregnated decorative papers seemed to significantly affect their remaining reactivity only when harsh drying conditions were used. Upon heat exposure for prolonged time, precuring of the oligomer units results in a shift of the temperature maxima in TGA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39860. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research is to understand more fully the out-of-plane auxetic behavior of paper. In the reported research, initial characterization of the auxetic properties of common, commercially available papers is described. The results of these experiments suggest that the auxetic response seen in paper structures is related to the cellulose fiber network structure, as previously suggested, and is related to inter-fiber bonding and fiber organization in the sheet. These results also indicate that further study is needed to understand how materials and processing variables influence auxetic behavior. A mathematical model, attempting to explain auxetic response in an idealized arrangement of fibers is included. Ultimately, the fundamental understanding resulting from this research should lead to new product development opportunities for forest product-based paper materials as well as to the establishment of predictive structure-property relations for auxetic materials using paper as a model system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly flexible and nonflammable inorganic hydroxyapatite (HAP) paper made from HAP ultralong nanowires is reported. The paper can be used for printing and writing and is promising for the permanent and safe storage of information, such as archives and important documents. The HAP paper is also an excellent and recyclable adsorbent for organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient end-of-life solutions play an important role in developing sustainable packaging because they contribute to reducing resource wastage and environmental impact, whilst providing economic and social benefits. This paper briefly reviews current end-of-life solutions for fibre and bio-based materials for packaging in Europe. It also addresses current research in the field, as well as standardization, legislation and socio-economic aspects related to renewable packaging in Europe. This review focuses on the following groups of packaging materials: paper and board and bioplastics. With this hierarchy, recycling, organic recovery and energy recovery are analysed with regard to the processes and technologies that offer the most sustainable end-of-life options. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays (NRAs) were well integrated on the cellulose fibers (CFs) of waste paper via a facile hydrothermal method. By mechanically blending the waste paper with de-ionized water, abundant CFs were obtained and used as a sufficient platform for integrating ZnO NRAs. After coating a thin ZnO seed layer onto the surface of CFs and subsequent thermal treatment, the ZnO NRAs were densely grown, exhibiting high crystallinity and good photoluminescence properties. Their sizes were readily controlled by changing the concentration of the growth solution. To test the feasibility of an energy harvesting application using the prepared samples, the piezoelectric charge generation was explored under an external pushing force for the fabricated devices with polydimethylsiloxane-shielded ZnO NRAs on CFs for good contact to two electrodes (i.e., gold and indium tin oxide). This nanotechnology of recycling waste paper could be considered as a promising candidate for implementation in cost-effective and environment-friendly advanced materials and energy production. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO-organic hybrid white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) were demonstrated on a paper substrate. The configuration used for ZnO-organic hybrid WLEDs consists a layer of poly (9,9)-(dioctylfluorene) (PFO) on poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) on n-type ZnO nanorods grown by a low-temperature chemical aqueous method on paper substrate. Room temperature photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra reveal a broad visible region covering the range from 420 to 800 nm. By using room temperature-CL, we got luminescence information, especially to verify the origin of specific emissions, the internal absorption of the ultraviolet and the spatial distribution of radiative defects. It was observed that the visible wavelength range depends on the penetration depth of the excitation. This suggests that the concentration of deep levels responsible for the visible luminescence is at the sample surface to a depth of 1-2 µm when using an accelerating voltage up to 20-30 kV. The results indicate that demonstration of WLEDs on paper substrate with reasonable electrical performance greatly influences the reduction of substrate cost, furthermore, this may open way to fabricate optoelectronics devices on disposable substrates for large-area applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper properties, including the chemical or optical characteristics influence the quality and colorimetric characteristics of final printed colors. In this study, the effect of gloss, texture, and whiteness of the paper on the printed colors were investigated. The study was applied on 10 coated papers with different texture, gloss or whiteness, and the same grammage using two inkjet printers. It was found that the reproducibility of the printer can be affected with the paper brand, and this effect is statistically dependent on the brand of printer. The kind of paper significantly influences the light fastness of the final printed colors, and this effect statistically depends on the printer. Although, the paper's properties such as gloss and whiteness affect the gamut volume, it is not totally possible to model this effect. The effect of paper on the colorimetric values of the final printed colors is statistically significant. However, the influence of the brand of printer on the color changes via the paper difference is not statistically provable. Edge frequency technique was introduced as an appropriate method for computing texture properties of papers. The texture difference computed by this method shows a suitable correlation with the color differences caused by changing the paper's texture; however, it depends on the printer's brand. Furthermore, there is a good correlation between the Edge frequency difference and the gamut volume variation for papers with different texture while the other parameters such as gloss and whiteness are the same. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 38, 284-291, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To inhibit the photocatalytic degradation of organic material supports induced by small titania (TiO2) nanoparticles, four kinds of TiO2 nanoparticles, that is, commercial P25-TiO2, commercial rutile phase TiO2, rutile TiO2 nanorods and rutile TiO2 spheres, prepared from TiCl4, were coated with a thin, but dense, coating of silica (SiO2) using a conventional sol-gel technique to form TiO2/SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles. These core/shell particles were deposited and fixed as a very thin coating onto the surface of cellulose paper samples by a wet-chemistry polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer approach. The TiO2/SiO2 nanocoated paper samples exhibit higher whiteness and brightness and greater stability to UV-bleaching than comparable samples of blank paper. There are many potential applications for this green chemistry approach to protect cellulosic fibres from UV-bleaching in sunlight and to improve their whiteness and brightness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]