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The mechanical pulp industry is diversifying through the manufacture of high-value paper products, such as microfibrillated cellulose. However, the development of fibre quality is still energy-intensive. Enzymatic hydrolysis is hypothesized to promote fibre cutting, greater fibrillation, and reduce refining energy costs. Despite potential benefits, there is little understanding of the mechanisms behind fibre development during enzymatic hydrolysis of mechanical pulp. This work investigates how incubation pH and temperature during enzymatic hydrolysis impact the refining of mechanical pulp short fibres. Incubation with endoglucanase at pH 5 and 60 °C increased fibre cutting by approximately 20 %. Fibrillation was negatively affected at this condition, resulting in increased slim fines formation with refining. Incubation at pH 8 and 80 °C promoted >15 % reduction in fibre length, despite such conditions being associated with low enzyme activity. The pH variation modified the sedimentation height of the fibres and the conductivity of suspensions, indicating a change in fibre surface charge. Fibre morphology changes were induced by enzyme hydrolysis conducted at conditions representative of the full range of pH and temperature observed in mechanical pulp mills., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Heather Trajano reports financial support was provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Santiago Reynoso reports financial support was provided by Mitacs Canada. Shryia Rambia reports financial support was provided by Mitacs Canada. Heather Trajano reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by West Fraser Timber Company Ltd. Heather Trajano reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by AB Enzymes GmbH. Heather Trajano reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by Canfor Pulp Innovation. Heather Trajano has patent #US 11,608,596 B2 issued to Domtar Paper Company, LLC and The University of British Columbia. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Developing sustainable matrix and efficient bonding mode for preparing room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials with full-color afterglows is attractive but still challenging. Here, xylan, a hemicellulose by-product from the paper mill, is used to construct full-color RTP materials based on imine bonds. Xylan is oxidation by periodate to introduce aldehyde groups to increase reaction sites; aromatic amines with different π conjugations can be readily anchored to dialdehyde xylan (DAX) by imine chemistry. The dual rigid environments were constructed by hydrogen bonding and imine covalent bonding, which can facilitate the triplet population and suppress non-radiative transitions, thus the xylan derivatives display satisfactory RTP performances. As the degree of conjugation of the chromophore increases, the afterglow colors can be changed from blue to green, yellow, and then to red. Thus, such a universal, facile, and eco-friendly strategy can be used to fabricate full-color RTP materials, which show a bright future in information encryption and advanced anti-counterfeiting. These results unambiguously state that the biodegradable paper mill waste-based RTP materials are convincingly expected to replace and surpass petroleum polymer-based counterparts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A lignin-based PU coating was prepared for paper-based green packaging. Two representative diisocyanate were used to prepare the coatings. Due to the rigid aromatic, the physical properties of the TDI system reached the maximum below the lignin content of 40%. The HDI that contains flexible aliphatic chains alleviated the brittleness of coating, and it showed physical advantages when the lignin content was more than 50%. Owing to the high lignin content, the coating presented enhanced thermal stability. After coated with the lignin-based PU coatings, the dry tensile strength of coated paper was improved by 126%. Amazingly, the wet strength was increased from 0.31 to 12.6 MPa with an improvement nearly 40 times. Based on the coordination of lignin, Ag + was introduced into the PU matrix, which imparted the coating with excellent antibacterial ability. The colony forming units of E. coli and S. aureus were both less than 1. However, no inhibition halo was observed, which indicated that the Ag was firmly anchored on the coating and the antibacterial ability is only available when the bacterial contact the coating surface. The lignin-based PU coating with favorable sustainability and properties shows great potential in paper-based green packaging fields., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest infectious diseases, is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( MTB ) and remains a public health problem nowadays. Conventional MTB DNA detection methods require sophisticated infrastructure and well-trained personnel, which leads to increasing complexity and high cost for diagnostics and limits their wide accessibility in low-resource settings. To address these issues, we have developed a low-cost photothermal biosensing method for the quantitative genetic detection of pathogens such as MTB DNA on a paper hybrid device using a thermometer. First, DNA capture probes were simply immobilized on paper through a one-step surface modification process. After DNA sandwich hybridization, oligonucleotide-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were introduced on paper and then catalyzed the oxidation reaction of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The produced oxidized TMB, acting as a strong photothermal agent, was used for the photothermal biosensing of MTB DNA under 808 nm laser irradiation. Under optimal conditions, the on-chip quantitative detection of the target DNA was readily achieved using an inexpensive thermometer as a signal recorder. This method does not require any expensive analytical instrumentation but can achieve higher sensitivity and there are no color interference issues, compared to conventional colorimetric methods. The method was further validated by detecting genomic DNA with high specificity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first photothermal biosensing strategy for quantitative nucleic acid analysis on microfluidics using a thermometer, which brings fresh inspirations on the development of simple, low-cost, and miniaturized photothermal diagnostic platforms for quantitative detection of a variety of diseases at the point of care.

A soft body area sensor network presents a promising direction in wearable devices to integrate on-body sensors for physiological signal monitoring and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) for signal conditioning/readout and wireless transmission. However, its realization currently relies on various sophisticated fabrication approaches such as lithography or direct printing on a carrier substrate before attaching to the body. Here, we report a universal fabrication scheme to enable printing and room-temperature sintering of the metal nanoparticle on paper/fabric for FPCBs and directly on the human skin for on-body sensors with a novel sintering aid layer. Consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) paste and nanoadditives in the water, the sintering aid layer reduces the sintering temperature. Together with the significantly decreased surface roughness, it allows for the integration of a submicron-thick conductive pattern with enhanced electromechanical performance. Various on-body sensors integrated with an FPCB to detect health conditions illustrate a system-level example.

Thermal papers (e.g. point of sale receipts, adhesive labels, tickets) significantly contribute to contamination of paper material cycles and the environment with substances of (eco-) toxicological concern. In particular, they contain color developers like endocrine disrupting bisphenols in typical concentrations of about 1-2 percent per weight (wt%). Bisphenol A (BPA) was used as the common color developer over the last decades, but it will be restricted for thermal paper application in the European Union to a limit of 0.02 wt% from 2020 onwards. Consequently, a variety of BPA substituents such as bisphenol S (BPS) and its derivatives gain importance in thermal paper application. In this study, a rapid, reliable and cost-effective method for identification and quantification of BPA, alternative color developers and related substances like sensitizers is presented based on HPLC separation coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and Corona charged aerosol detection (CAD). Quantification was performed with regard to the intended use of the substances in thermal papers. Besides traditional UV external calibration using reference standards, alternative quantification approaches, in particular UV chromophore concentration for BPS derivatives and CAD universal response technique for low-volatile color developers, were applied and compared in order to allow quantification without reference substances. A market analysis for intended used color developers and sensitizers was performed on thermal paper samples (n = 211) collected in Germany during 2018 and 2019. Pergafast 201 (in 41.7% of the samples) was the most common color developer with concentrations above 0.02 wt%, followed by BPA (36.0%), BPS (13.3%) and other BPS derivatives known as D8, D-90, BPS-MAE and TGSA, that are mainly present in adhesive labels. Sensitizers were determined in over 90% of the samples., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The gut microbiota is recognized as having major impact in health and disease. Sample storage is an important aspect to obtain reliable results. Mostly recommended is immediate freezing, however, this is not always feasible. Faecal occult blood test (FOBT) papers are an appealing solution in such situations, and most studies find these to be applicable, showing no major changes within 7 days storage at room temperature (RT). As fieldwork often requires RT storage for longer periods, evaluation of this is warranted. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 19 paired faecal samples immediately frozen or kept five weeks and five months at RT on FOBT papers. Alpha-diversity evaluation revealed no effect of FOBT storage, and evaluation of beta-diversity showed that host explained 65% of community variation, while storage method explained 5%. Evaluation of community dispersion and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio revealed a larger effect of storage time for fresh-frozen samples. Single taxa evaluation (order-to-genus level) showed significant alterations of four (of 37) genera after five weeks and five genera after five months. When comparing the two timepoints, alterations were only detectable for fresh-frozen samples. Our findings reveal that long term storage on FOBT papers is an applicable approach for microbiota research.

Metagenomics has emerged to isolate novel enzymes from the uncultured microbiota in the environment. In this study, the metagenomic data obtained from camel rumen was considered as the potential source of microbial xylanase enzymes with proper activity in extreme conditions. The metagenomic data were assembled and contigs were used for in-silico identification of candidate thermostable enzyme. A novel thermostable xylanase enzyme, named PersiXyn1, with 1146 bp full-length gene which encodes a 381 amino acid protein was identified. Using the DNA template extracted from camel rumen metagenomic samples, the candidate enzyme genes were cloned and expressed in proper E. coli strains. The phylogenetic analysis showed the evolutionary position of PersiXyn1 among the known thermostable xylanases. The results of the CD analysis and determining the secondary structure of the enzyme, confirmed the presence of a high percentage of β-sheets as an important characteristic of thermophilic xylanases. The PersiXyn1 was active at a broad range of pH (6-11) and temperature (25-90 °C). The optimum pH and temperature were 8 and 40 °C respectively, and the enzyme maintained 80% of its maximum activity in the pH 8 and temperature 40 °C for 1 h. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph of enzyme treated pulp clearly showed that the effective use of enzymes in fiber separation may reduce the cost of carton paper production. The novelty of this enzyme lies in the fact that it is highly active and stable in a broad range of pH and temperature. This study highlights the potential importance of camel microbiome for discovering novel thermostable enzymes with applications in agriculture and industries., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Thermal printing is a fast, widespread and inexpensive technology that uses a developer to produce a print on the paper, among many applications. A common developer is bisphenol A (BPA), used for this purpose in its free form. Consequently, the handling of thermal paper, as evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority, was reported to be the second largest source of external human exposure to this endocrine disrupting chemical. Recently, reports have been made on the substitution of BPA by alternative developers, which are yet less studied. In this study, 311 receipts and other thermal paper products were collected from 14 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania and analysed using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. BPA was the most frequently used main developer and was detected in 194 thermal paper samples, which represents a detection frequency of 63%. A statistically significant difference in the detection of BPA was shown between continents. BPA was followed by bisphenol S (BPS) which was detected in 64 samples as the main developer. Pergafast 201 was the third most abundant main developer and detected in 37 samples as the main developer. Less frequently used main developers included BPS-MAE, TGSA, d-8, and d-90, many of them being BPS derivatives. Two oligomers of d-90 (n = 1 and n = 2) were also identified. The sensitizer diphenyl sulphone (DPS) was identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry for the first time and detected in combination with other developers than BPS for the first time. Despite the lack of structural, nation-wide legislation prohibiting the use of BPA in thermal paper, it is clear that alternative developers are currently globally in use for the manufacturing of thermal paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Foodborne pathogen is the primary cause of foodborne disease outbreak. Given its great damage, a sensitive, simple and rapid detection method is demanded. Herein, we described a self-priming polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/paper hybrid microfluidic chip, termed SPH chip, with mixed-dye-loaded loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for multiplex foodborne pathogens detection. Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) were chosen to verify the novel method. Compared to other similar detection devices, the SPH chip required easier fabrication process, less operation steps and lower cost. Additionally, the reaction result, especially for the weak-positive reaction, could be judged more accurately and conveniently due to the use of mixed-dye. Without pre-enrichment of bacteria in the food contaminated sample, the limit of detection (LOD) reached down to 1000 CFU mL -1 with high specific. Additionally, for fully exploiting the potential of SPH chip, a conceptual eight-channel detection chip was also developed. Overall, the reliable and excellent result demonstrated that the novel method had great potential to be applied in the wider range of pathogens detection or disease diagnose, especially in some resource-limited area., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ricin is a highly-toxic compound derived from castor plant beans. Several incidents involving contamination of residences and buildings due to ricin production or dissemination have occurred in recent years. The goal of this study was to determine whether ricin bioactivity could be attenuated in reasonable time via simple modifications of the indoor environment. Attenuation was assessed on six different materials as a function of temperature, relative humidity (RH), and contact time, using both a pure and crude preparation of the toxin. Ricin bioactivity was quantified via a cytotoxicity assay, and attenuation determined as the difference in ricin recovered from test and positive controls. The results showed that pure ricin could be attenuated successfully, while the crude ricin was generally more persistent and results more variable. We found no significant attenuation in crude ricin after two weeks at typical indoor environmental conditions, except on steel. Attenuation mostly improved with increasing temperature, but the effect of RH varied. For pure ricin, heat treatments at 40°C for 5 days or 50°C for 2-3 days achieved greater than 96% attenuation on steel. In contrast, appreciable recovery of the crude ricin preparation still occurred at 40°C after two weeks., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Paper-based biosensors offer a promising technology to be used at the point of care, enabled by good performance, convenience and low-cost. In this article, we describe a colorimetric vertical-flow DNA microarray (DNA-VFM) that takes advantage of the screening capability of DNA microarrays in a paper format together with isothermal amplification by means of Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA). Different assay parameters such as hybridization buffer, flow rate, printing buffer and capture probe concentration were optimized. A limit of detection (LOD) of 4.4 nM was achieved as determined by tabletop scanning. The DNA-VFM was applied as a proof of concept for detection of Neisseria meningitidis, a primary cause of bacterial meningitis. The LOD was determined to be between 38 and 2.1 × 10 6 copies/VFM assay , depending on the choice of DNA capture probes. The presented approach provides multiplex capabilities of DNA microarrays in a paper-based format for future point-of-care applications., (Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plastic microfluidic devices with embedded chitosan-modified Fusion 5 filter paper (unmodified one purchased from GE Healthcare) have been successfully developed for DNA extraction and concentration, utilizing two different mechanisms for DNA capture: the physical entanglement of long-chain DNA molecules with the fiber matrix of the filter paper and the electrostatic adsorption of DNA to the chitosan-modified filter fibers. This new method not only provided a high DNA extraction efficiency at a pH of 5 by synergistically combining these two capture mechanisms together, but also resisted the elution of DNA from filters at a pH > 8 due to the entanglement of DNA with fibers. As a result, PCR buffers can be directly loaded into the extraction chamber for "in situ PCR", in which the captured DNA were used for downstream analysis without any loss. We demonstrated that the capture efficiencies of a 3-mm-diameter filter disc in a microchip were 98% and 95% for K562 human genomic DNA and bacteriophage λ-DNA, respectively. The washes with DI water, PCR mixture, and TE buffer cannot elute the captured DNA. In addition, the filter disc can enrich 62% of λ-DNA from a diluted sample (0.05 ng/μL), providing a concentration factor more than 30-fold. Finally, a microdevice with a simple two-chamber structure was developed for on-chip cell lysis, DNA extraction, and 15-plex short tandem repeat amplification from blood. This DNA extraction coupled with "in situ PCR" has great potential to be utilized in fully integrated microsystems for rapid, near-patient nucleic acid testing.

By using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the effects of different additives (MgO, Al2O3 and ZnO) on the pyrolysis characteristics and activation energy of municipal solid waste (MSW), paper sludge (PS) and their blends in N2 atmosphere had been investigated in this study. The experiments resulted that these additives were effective in reducing the initial temperature and activation energy. However, not all the additives were beneficial to reduce the residue mass and enhance the index D. For the different ratios of MSW and PS, the same additive even had the different influences. The catalytic effects of additives were not obvious and the pyrolysis became difficult with the increase of the proportion of PS. Based on all the contrast of the pyrolysis characteristics, MgO was the best additive and 70M30P was the best ratio, respectively., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inkjet printing technology has brought significant advances in patterning various functional materials that can meet important challenges in personalized medical treatments. Indeed, patterning of photothermal active anisotropic gold nanoparticles is particularly promising for the development of low-cost tools for localized photothermal therapy. In the present work, stable inks containing PEGylated gold nanostars (GNSs) were prepared and inkjet printed on a pigment-coated paper substrate. A significant photothermal effect (ΔT ≅ 20 °C) of the printed patterns was observed under near infrared (NIR) excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the GNS with low laser intensity (I ≅ 0.2 W/cm(2)). Besides the pronounced photothermal effect, we also demonstrated, as an additional valuable effect, the release of a model fluorescent thiol-terminated Bodipy dye (BDP-SH) from the printed gold surface, both under bulk heating and NIR irradiation. These preliminary results suggest the way of the development of a new class of low-cost, disposable, and smart devices for localized thermal treatments combined with temperature-triggered drug release.

This study investigated the autohydrolysis pre-treatment prior to chemi-thermomechanical pulping (CTMP) process including the effects of autohydrolysis pretreatment with a lower severity on characteristics of the autohydrolysis liquor and hydrolyzed chips. The intensity of autohydrolysis, characterized by the severity factor, increased from 1.76 to 3.54, the hydrolyzed chips yield decreased from 99.0% to 86.7% and the xylose extraction yield increased from 0.8% to 44.0%. The content of holocellulose, pentosan and acid soluble lignin remained in the hydrolyzed chips decreased dramatically with increasing the treatment severity. After the autohydrolysis pretreatment, the resultant poplar chemi-thermomechanical pulp with a severity factor of 2.37 could obtain a 15.3 Nm/g tensile index, 58.6% ISO brightness and a 2.39 cm(3)/g bulk., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a group of lysosomal storage diseases caused by the deficiency/absence of enzymes which catalyze the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The use of biological samples dried on filter paper has been increasing because it makes it easy to ship them to reference laboratories. Urinary GAGs are the main biomarkers of MPS and, thus, we studied the correlations of determinations to GAGs and creatinine, as well as compared the GAGs' profile on electrophoresis, between urine and dried urine in filter paper (DUFP) samples. We also assessed the GAG stability over time under different storage temperatures., Methods: We quantified the GAG concentration in both sample types and compared the results by Pearson correlation., Results: The results were very similar, with r=0.97 for creatinine and with r=0.94 and r=0.98 for GAGs for controls and patients, respectively, with similar electrophoretic profiles. The GAG stability in DUFP was up to 30days at -20, 4, and 25°C and up to 21days at 37°C., Conclusion: Our proposal assessed urinary GAGs in DUFP and concluded that these samples can be used in the investigation of MPS, replacing urine samples in neonatal screening and monitoring of therapies, due to ease of transportation and storage., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Filter-paper (FP) blood sampling can facilitate wildlife research and expand disease surveillance. Previous work indicated that Nobuto FP samples from caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus subspecies) had comparable sensitivity and specificity to serum samples (≥ 80% for both) in competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (cELISAs) for Brucella spp., Neospora caninum, and West Nile virus. The same sensitivity and specificity criteria were met in indirect ELISAs for Brucella spp., bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1), parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI-3), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), with adjusted FP thresholds used for PI-3 and BRSV. Comparable sensitivity and specificity values to serum were also observed for FP in virus neutralization (VN) assays for bovine viral diarrhea virus types I and II; however, reduced sensitivity is a potential limitation of FP samples in protocols that require undiluted serum (i.e., VN and N. caninum cELISA). We evaluated the performance of FP samples from reindeer and caribou in these nine assays after simulating potential challenges of high-latitude field collections: 1) different durations of storage and 2) different processing/storage regimes involving freezing or drying. Sample pairs (serum and FP) were collected from reindeer and caribou populations in 2007-10 and were tested in duplicate. Comparable performance to serum was defined as sensitivity and specificity ≥ 80%. In the storage experiments, FP performance was determined after 2 mo of storage dry at room temperature, and after two longer periods (variable depending on assay; up to 2 yr). After 1 yr, compared to frozen serum stored for the same period, sensitivity was ≥ 88% for all but two assays (68% BHV-1; 75% PI-3), and specificity remained >90%. A limited trial evaluated the effect of freezing FP samples as opposed to drying them for storage. There were no observed detrimental effects of freezing on FP sample performance, but rigorous investigation is warranted.

This study is focused on defunctionalizing monomeric phenolics from lignin into simple phenols for applications such as phenol/formaldehyde resins, epoxidized novolacs, adhesives and binders. Towards this goal, Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was used to selectively remove hydroxyl, methoxy, carbonyl and carboxyl functionalities from the monomeric phenolic compounds from lignin to produce mainly phenol, cresols and xylenols. The results showed that anatase TiO2 was more selective and active compared to rutile TiO2. Catechols were found to be the most reactive phenolics and 4-ethylguaiacol the least reactive with anatase TiO2. An overall conversion of about 87% of the phenolics was achieved at 550°C with a catalyst-to-feed ratio of 5 w/w. Over 97% conversion of phenolics is achievable at moderate temperatures (550°C or ≤ 600°C) and a moderate catalyst-to-feed ratio of 6.5:1. The reactivity of catechols on TiO2 suggests that titania is a promising catalyst in the removal of hydroxyl moiety., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Apparatus to produce a spatially and temporally uniform heat source is described and this is used to visualize latent fingerprints deposited onto thermal paper by raising the temperature of the paper. Results show an improvement over previous research when fingerprint deposits are aged or the developed fingerprints faint; visualization being enhanced by the use of a blue LED light source of 465 nm peak wavelength. An investigation of the components in fingerprint sweat likely to affect the solubility and hence color change of the dye present in the thermal paper has shown that polar protic solvents able to donate a proton are favored and a polar amino acid found commonly in eccrine fingerprint sweat (lysine) has been shown able to produce the desired color change. Aged fingerprint deposits on thermal paper from a variety of sources up to 4 years old have been visualized with this technique., (© 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

Eucalyptus globulus sapwood and heartwood showed no differences in lignin content (23.0% vs. 23.7%) and composition: syringyl-lignin (17.9% vs. 18.0%) and guaiacyl-lignin (4.8% vs. 5.2%). Delignification kinetics of S- and G-units in heartwood and sapwood was investigated by Py-GC-MS/FID at 130, 150 and 170°C and modeled as double first-order reactions. Reactivity differences between S and G-units were small during the main pulping phase and the higher reactivity of S over G units was better expressed in the later pulping stage. The residual lignin composition in pulps was different from wood or from samples in the initial delignification stages, with more G and H-units. S/G ratio ranged from 3 to 4.5 when pulp residual lignin was higher than 10%, decreasing rapidly to less than 1. The S/H was initially around 20 (until 15% residual lignin), decreasing to 4 when residual lignin was about 3%., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper describes the results of laboratory experiments using a thermophilic aerobic MBR (TMBR) at 50 °C. An innovative use of submerged flat-sheet MBR modules to treat circuit wastewater from the paper industry was studied. Two experiments were conducted with a flux of 8-13 L/m(2)/h without chemical membrane cleaning. COD and BOD(5) elimination rates were 83% and 99%, respectively. Calcium was reduced from 110 to 180 mg/L in the inflow to 35-60 mg/L in the permeate. However, only negligible membrane scaling occurred. The observed sludge yield was very low and amounted to 0.07-0.29 g MLSS/g COD(eliminated). Consequently, the nutrient supply of ammonia and phosphate can be lower compared to a mesophilic process. Molecular-biological FISH analysis revealed a likewise high diversity of microorganisms in the TMBR compared to the mesophilic sludge used for start-up. Furthermore, ammonia-oxidising bacteria were detected at thermophilic operation., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel integrated thermophilic submerged aerobic membrane bioreactor (TSAMBR) and electrochemical oxidation (EO) technology was developed for thermomechanical pulping pressate treatment with the aim of system closure. The TSAMBR was able to achieve a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 88.6 ± 1.9-92.3 ± 0.7% under the organic loading rate of 2.76 ± 0.13-3.98 ± 0.23 kg COD/(m(3) d). An optimal hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.1 ± 0.1d was identified for COD removal. Cake formation was identified as the dominant mechanism of membrane fouling. The EO of the TSAMBR permeate was performed using a Ti/SnO(2)-Sb(2)O(5)-IrO(2) electrode. After 6-h EO, a complete decolourization was achieved and the COD removal efficiency was increased to 96.2 ± 1.2-98.2 ± 0.3%. The high-quality effluent produced by the TSAMBR-EO system can be reused as process water for system closure in pulp and paper mill., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Wood from the leguminous tree, Leucaena diversifolia, was subjected to hydrothermal treatment (autohydrolysis) at 160-180 °C for 0-30 min followed by ethanol-soda-anthraquinone delignification. The liquid phase contained 18.65 g of sugars per liter, and the solid phase had a gross heating value of 19.083 MJ/kg, but could also be used as a source of cellulose pulp for the production of paper with tear, burst, and tensile indexes of 2.4 N m2/kg, 2.6 MPa m2/kg and 40.7 kN m/kg, respectively. L. diversifolia lends itself readily to valorization for energy production, and also to integral, fractional exploitation by autohydrolysis and ethanol-soda-anthraquinone delignification, which can additionally bring environmental benefits to cropping zones., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inkjet-printable aqueous suspensions of conjugated polymer precursors are developed for fabrication of patterned color images on paper substrates. Printing of a diacetylene (DA)-surfactant composite ink on unmodified paper and photopaper, as well as on a banknote, enables generation of latent images that are transformed to blue-colored polydiacetylene (PDA) structures by UV irradiation. Both irreversible and reversible thermochromism with the PDA printed images are demonstrated and applied to flexible and disposable sensors and to displays., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Effects of temperature and temperature shock on the performance and microbial community structure of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) treating thermomechanical pulping pressate were studied for 416 days. The results showed that the SAnMBR system were highly resilient to temperature variations in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The residual COD in treated effluent was slightly higher at 55 °C than that at 37 and 45 °C. There were no significant changes in biogas production rate and biogas composition. However, temperature shocks resulted in an increase in biogas production temporarily. The SAnMBR could tolerate the 5 and 10 °C temperature shocks at 37 °C and the temperature variations from 37 to 45 °C. The temperature shock of 5 and 10 °C at 45 °C led to slight and significant disturbance of the performance, respectively. Temperature affected the richness and diversity of microbial populations., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper is a valuable sampling technique in clinical chemistry, but the stability of enzymes used in the diagnosis of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) needs to be evaluated., Methods: In a first experiment, blood from 20 subjects was collected using a syringe without additives and distributed into EDTA tubes, heparin tubes, and spotted on filter paper for the comparison of sampling effects. In a second experiment, blood from 30 healthy subjects was spotted on filter paper and analyzed for β-galactosidase and total hexosaminidase activities after storage of the samples at different temperatures for up to 180 days., Results: Initially, we observed that enzyme activities were the same, independent of the collection method. When DBS was stored at 37°C the activity of β-galactosidase dropped to 85% of the initial value after 180 days (p<0.05). At all other temperatures (-20°C, 4°C and 25°C), the results were within the methodological error. Total hexosaminidase activity did not change significantly during the entire study period and at different storage temperatures., Conclusions: The two enzymes investigated in the present study may be stored for up to 17 days (β-galactosidase) or 180 days (total hexosaminidase) until analysis without loss of activity.

Jatropha curcas is a major biodiesel crop. Large amount of deoiled cake is generated as by-product during biodiesel production from its seeds. Deoiled J. curcas seed cake was assessed as substrate for the production of xylanase from thermophilic fungus Scytalidium thermophilum by solid-state fermentation. The seed cake was efficiently utilized by S. thermophilum for its growth during which it produced good amount of heat stable extracellular xylanase. The solid-state fermentation conditions were optimized for maximum xylanase production. Under the optimized conditions viz. deoiled seed cake supplemented with 1% oat-spelt xylan, adjusted to pH 9.0, moisture content 1:3 w/v, inoculated with 1×10(6) spores per 5 g cake and incubated at 45 °C, 1455 U xylanase/g deoiled seed cake was obtained. The xylanase was useful in biobleaching of paper pulp. Solid-state fermentation of deoiled cake appears a potentially viable approach for its effective utilization., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tagasaste wood (Chamaecytisus proliferus L.F. ssp palmensis) was characterized, chemical and energy terms, and assessed its potential as a lignocellulosic raw material, and its integral fractionation by autohydrolysis and delignification with ethanol. The hydrothermal treatment of the raw material at 175-185 degrees C provided a liquor containing a substantially increased amount of oligomers (between 16.6% and 47.4% as percentages with respect to the content of the raw material in each polymer fraction). A cellulose pulp with autohydrolysis treatment increased yields (53-60%), reduced Kappa number (28.8-34.6) but also viscosity (755-857 mL/g), and decreased paper strength (2.97-5.22 kN m/kg). However, beating ethanol cellulose from tagasaste was found to improve its strength-related properties more markedly than in soda pulp from the same material (tensile index of 44 kN m/kg)., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lignocellulosic biomass offers economic and environmental advantages over corn starch for biofuels production. However, its fractionation currently requires energy-intensive pretreatments, due to the lignin chemical resistance and complex cell wall structure. Recently, ionic liquids have been used to dissolve biomass at high temperatures. In this study, thin sections of poplar wood were swollen by ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) pretreatment at room temperature. The samples contract when rinsed with deionized water. The controlled expansion and contraction of the wood structure can be used to incorporate enzymes and catalysts deep into the wood structure for improved pretreatments and accelerated cellulose hydrolysis. As a proof of concept, silver and gold nanoparticles of diameters ranging from 20 to 100 nm were incorporated at depths up to 4 mum. Confocal surface-enhanced Raman images at different depths show that a significant number of nanoparticles were incorporated into the pretreated sample, and they remained on the samples after rinsing. Quantitative X-ray fluorescence microanalyses indicate that the majority of nanoparticle incorporation occurs after an ionic liquid pretreatment of less than 1 h. In addition to improved pretreatments, the incorporation of materials and chemicals into wood and paper products enables isotope tracing, development of new sensing, and imaging capabilities.

Secondary pulp/paper-mill sludge (SPP) and sewage sludges (primary, secondary, and digested sewage sludges) were treated in supercritical water at temperatures ranging between 400 degrees Celsius and 550 degrees Celsius over 20-120 min for energy recovery. Low temperature and short reaction time favored the formation of heavy oil (HO) products, which were mainly composed of a variety of phenol and phenolic compounds, as well as some nitrogen-containing compounds, long-chain alkenes and alcohols, etc., with high gross calorific values (>36 MJ/kg). By contrast, the formation of synthetic gases, a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and other light hydrocarbons, were not significantly affected by reaction time but greatly enhanced with increasing temperature. The highest gas yield was obtained at 550 degrees Celsius, where 37.7 wt.% of the SPP (on dry basis) was converted into gases, with hydrogen yields as high as 14.5 mol H(2)/kg SPP (on a dry basis). In comparison to sewage sludges, SPP exhibited a greater capability for the production of HO and gases owing to its higher contents of volatiles and alkali metals, indicating a prospective utilization potential for SPP as a source of bio-energy., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The thermal stability of two enzymes adsorbed on paper, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was measured using a colorimetric technique quantifying the intensity of the product complex. The enzymes adsorbed on paper retained their functionality and selectivity. Adsorption on paper increased the enzyme thermal stability by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the same enzyme in solution. ALP and HRP enzymatic papers had half-lives of 533 h and 239 h at 23 degrees C, respectively. The thermal degradation of adsorbed enzyme was found to follow two sequential first-order reactions, indication of a reaction system. A complex pattern of enzyme was printed on paper using a thermal inkjet printer. Paper and inkjet printing are ideal material and process to manufacture low-cost-high volume bioactive surfaces.

The influence of the hydrothermal treatment conditions of rice straw (temperature--150-190 degrees C , time--0-20 min after reaching the operation temperature, and liquid/solid ratio--6-8), on the composition of liquid and solid fractions was studied. Polynomial models were found for to reproduce the experimental results with errors less than 6%. Operating to 190 degrees C, 15 min and 9 liquid/solid ratio was obtained high values of glucose (1.92 g/L), xylose (3.97 g/L), arabinose (0.99 g/L) and acetic acid (1.96 g/L), what allows to save capital when not operating with the maximum time and/or liquid/solid ratio; yield in the solid fraction is 88.1% and lignin content 24.43%. If what it is required to obtain good values of yield (96.46%) and lignin content, is necessary to operate to 150 degrees C, obtaining lower concentrations glucose (1.11%), xylose (2.78%), arabinose (0.56%) and acetic acid (0.39%). Ethanolamine pulping of solid fraction of hydrothermal treatment provides pulp with higher or similar properties to those obtained of pulping rice straw with ethanolamine or soda.

Heavy atom-chelated filter paper was synthesized and used as the substrate for room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The synthesis conditions for chelated paper were studied. The Pb-chelated filter paper could selectively induce the RTP of alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (alpha-NAA). The excitation and emission wavelengths of RTP of alpha-NAA were 300 nm and 521 nm, respectively. The concentration of alpha-NAA was linear with the RTP intensity in the range 2 x 10(-6)-6 x 10(-4) mol/L (correlation coefficient, 0.9999). The concentration detection limit was 1.35 x 10(-7) mol/L and the absolute detection limit was 0.25 ng/spot. The RSD (n = 10) was 1.7%. The method was applied to the analysis of water and vegetable samples with satisfactory results. Because the heavy atom was directly chelated onto the filter paper, the heavy-atom effect on the RTP of NAA was further increased and the analysis procedure was simple, fast and economical., (Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The aim of this research was to study the influence of lignin content and composting temperature on the biodegradation of lignin-containing pulp and paper products in a controlled composting test (European standard prEN 14046). Lignin reduced the biodegradation of the samples, and there was a linear correlation between the lignin content and the biodegradation of pulp and paper products at 58 degrees C. The influence of incubation temperature (35, 50 and 58 degrees C) on biodegradation was studied using bleached kraft paper containing 0.2 wt% lignin and mechanical pulp (stone-ground wood) containing 24-27 wt% lignin. Mechanical pulp biodegraded better at lower temperatures, while kraft paper biodegraded well at all three temperatures. Microbial activity was evaluated by measuring CO(2) evolution and the change in ATP content, and fungal biomass by measuring the ergosterol content during the composting experiments. Kraft paper strongly increased microbial activity during the controlled composting test, but the activity returned to the background level at the end of the composting test. The proportion of sample carbon converted to microbial biomass carbon was considerably higher at lower incubation temperatures. Changes in microbial community structure during biodegradation of mechanical pulp and kraft paper at 50 degrees C were studied by the PCR-based technique denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Changes in the microbial community were observed during the intensive degradation phase of kraft paper.

In tsBN2 cells, a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of the BHK21 cell line, with a ts-defect in its regulatory system for chromosome condensation, antigens that react with mitotic specific mouse monoclonal antibody MPM-2 were produced when premature chromosome condensation (PCC) was induced by a temperature shift. The polypeptides of antigens recognized by MPM-2 in tsBN2 cells with PCC were identical to those of antigens in mitotic cells. These antigens appeared concomitantly with chromosome condensation, which suggests that these mitotic-specific antigens may be related to chromosome condensation. As the production of mitotic-specific antigens was inhibited by W-7, a specific and potent antagonist of calmodulin, calmodulin may function in the mitotic phosphorylation of nonhistone protein.