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Highlights: [•] Oxidative group profiling of small ancient cellulose fragments coated with beeswax. [•] The main mechanism of deterioration was identified for the first time. [•] Beeswax coated cellulose was purely hydrolytically damage, no oxidation. [•] Hydrolysis caused by microorganisms secreting cellulolytic enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wilson's disease (WD), an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport, is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders in Korea. Despite its frequency, the incidence and carrier frequency of WD has not yet been estimated in the Korean population. We therefore screened for four major missense mutations (p.Arg778Leu, p.Ala874Val, p.Leu1083Phe, and p.Asn1270Ser) of the ATP7B gene in 476 newborn filter papers by real-time multiplex PCR and melting curve analysis using the SYBR Green intercalator method based on the amplification refractory mutation system test. Newborn filter papers with abnormal melting curves were subjected to subsequent sequence analysis. Three mutated alleles, one p.Arg778Leu and two p.Ala874Val, were detected among the 476 newborn filter papers (952 alleles). The carrier frequency and incidence of WD in the Korean population were determined as 1 in 88.2 and 30,778, respectively, by reversely calculating based on the Hardy-Weinberg law.

Wastepaper constitutes approximately half of municipal solid waste, making it a potential source of bioenergy. Newspaper was pretreated with an ammonia-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mixture in a shaking bath from room temperature to 80 degrees C, and then its enzymatic digestibility was measured. A significant amount of ink was removed from the newspaper slurry by the reciprocating movement of the shaking bath. In addition, the ammonia-H2O2 significantly swelled the substrate, thereby greatly increasing its susceptibility to enzymatic digestion. After pretreating the newspaper with conditions of 40 degrees C, 3 h, 130 strokes/min, and 4 wt% ammonia-2 wt% H2O2, the enzymatic digestibility was almost 90% of theoretical, or about 25% higher than that of untreated substrate. Digestibility was also investigated as a function of ammonia concentration, H2O2 concentration, shaking speed, pretreatment temperature, and time.