Wood Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

- by
- •
- Environmental microbiology, Environmental Monitoring, Multidisciplinary, Quantitative PCR

Grape brandy is a spirit drink produced by wine distillation and is matured in wooden casks. According to legislation, it can be characterised by the geographical area where the grapes were produced, the grape variety used and the selected distillation and ageing techniques. Distillation increases ethanol concentration and aromatic constituents which are already present in grapes or are developed during fermentation and distillation. During maturation in wooden casks, compounds that contribute to the aroma and taste are extracted from the wood. Hence the spirit acquires the desired softer mouth feel, aromatic complexity and overall quality. Different methods of analysis are used in order to pursuit this process by analysing volatile and non-volatile substances and correlate composition with quality. Analysis can also be useful in identification of brandy safety, potential adulterations, provenance and differentiation from other spirits drinks.

- by Stamatina Kallithraka and +1
- •
- Engineering, Wine, Wood, Volatile Organic Compounds

RATIONALE: Agarwood is the resinous material harvested from threatened Aquilaria species. We investigated how many protonated 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone ions were sufficient to make an accurate identification of agarwood. Analysis of 125 reference samples was carried out by direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-TOFMS). The identification criteria developed were applied to commercial samples. METHODS: We developed a technique that uses DART-TOFMS to detect 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Additionally, we developed a set of criteria to infer the presence of Aquilaria in commercial samples of wood chips, sawdust, incense and liquids. Additionally, we examined other fragrant woods to determine if they contained a chemical profile that could be falsely identified as agarwood. RESULTS: Analysis of reference and commercial samples (n = 151) established that DART-TOFMS provides reproducible mass spectra that are useful for inferring the genus of suspected agarwood samples. We identified 17 ions which were useful for authenticating agarwood. Comparison of the number of chromone ions detected by direct analyses of dry wood chips versus eluent analysis of methanol-extracted wood showed that results were similar. Lastly, analysis of 25 scented woods of other species did not give false positive results. CONCLUSIONS: Reliable criteria for inferring agarwood include the presence of diagnostic ions, m/z 319.118 or 349.129, in addition to ten or more ions characteristic of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Wood anatomists challenged with difficult morphological identifications can use this tool to assist in their analyses. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

- by Cady Lancaster
- •
- Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry, Flavonoids

Objectives: The health effects of chronic low-dose radiation exposure remains a controversial question. Monitoring after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine suggested that chronic low-dose radiation exposure was not linked to cancer mortality among the general population. However, elevated rates of birth defects in contaminated compared to uncontaminated regions suggest that exposure to radiation in utero might impact development and that chronic radiation exposure might represent an underestimated risk to human health.

- by Ralph Garruto
- •
- Evolutionary Biology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Anthropology, Food

RATIONALE: It is important for the enforcement of the CITES treaty to determine whether agarwood (a resinous wood produced in Aquilaria and Gyrinops species) seen in trade is from a plantation that was cultivated for sustainable production or was harvested from natural forests which is usually done illegally. METHODS: We analyzed wood directly using Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART ™) ionization coupled with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOFMS). Agarwood was obtained from five countries, and the collection contained over 150 samples. The spectra contained ions from agarwood-specific 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones as well as many other ions. The data was analyzed using either kernel discriminant analysis or kernel principal component analysis. Probability estimates of origin (wild vs cultivated) were assigned to unknown agarwood samples. RESULTS: Analysis of the DART-TOFMS data shows that many of the chromones found in cultivated and wild agarwood samples are similar; however, there is a significant difference in particular chromones that can be used for differentiation. In certain instances, the analysis of these chromones also allows inferences to be made as to the country of origin. Mass Mountaineer ™ software provides an estimate of the accuracy of the discriminate model, and an unknown sample can be classified as cultivated or wild. Eleven of the thirteen validation samples (85%) were correctly assigned to either cultivated or wild harvested for their respective geographic provenance. The accuracy of each classification can be estimated by probabilities based on Z scores. CONCLUSIONS: The direct analysis of wood for the diagnostic chromones using DART-TOFMS followed by discriminant analysis is sufficiently robust to differentiate wild from cultivated agarwood and provides strong inference for the origin of the agarwood.

- by Cady Lancaster
- •
- Earth Sciences, Principal Component Analysis, Mass Spectrometry, Thymelaeaceae

This paper describes a model of heat transfer for the convection section of a biomass boiler. The predictions obtained with the model are compared to the measurement results from two boilers, a 50 kW th pellet boiler and a 4000 kW th wood chips boiler. An adequate accuracy was achieved on the wood chips boiler. As for the pellet boiler, the calculated and measured heat transfer rates differed more than expected on the basis of the inaccuracies in correlation reported in the literature. The most uncertain aspect of the model was assumed to be the correlation equation of the entrance region. Hence, the model was adjusted to improve the correlation. As a result of this, a high degree of accuracy was also obtained with the pellet boiler. The next step was to analyse the effect of design and the operating parameters on the pellet boiler. Firstly, the portion of radiation was established at 3-13 per cent, and the portion of entrance region at 39-52 per cent of the entire heat transfer rate under typical operating conditions. The effect of natural convection was small. Secondly, the heat transfer rate seemed to increase when dividing the convection section into more passes, even when the heat transfer surface area remained constant. This is because the effect of the entrance region is recurrent. Thirdly, when using smaller tube diameters the heat transfer area is more energy-efficient, even when the bulk velocity of the flow remains constant.

- by Matti Sillanpää
- •
- Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biomass

Only little is known about whether single volatile compounds are as efficient in eliciting behavioral responses in animals as the whole complex mixture of a behaviorally relevant odor. Recent studies analysing the composition of volatiles in mammalian blood, an important prey-associated odor stimulus for predators, found the odorant trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal to evoke a typical ‘‘metallic, blood-like’ ’ odor quality in humans. We therefore assessed the behavior of captive Asian wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), South American bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), and Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) when presented with wooden logs that were impregnated either with mammalian blood or with the blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, and compared it to their behavior towards a fruity odor (iso-pentyl acetate) and a near-odorless solvent (diethyl phthalate) as control. We found that all four species displayed significantly more interactions w...

- by Mats Amundin
- •
- Carnivora, Multidisciplinary, Mammals, Dogs

Fertilization of Eucalyptus plantations using sewage sludge on unfertile tropical soils represents an alternative to using mineral N and P fertilizers. A 44-month field experiment was conducted to study the effects of increasing application of sludge, and its interactions with mineral N and P fertilizers, on wood volume. Four rates of sludge (0, 8, 15 and 23 Mg ha À1 , dry base), N (0, 47, 95 and 142 kg ha À1) and P (0, 28, 56 and 84 kg ha À1 of P 2 O 5) were combined in a 4 Â 4 Â 4 factorial scheme in a totally randomized block design. Response surface and age-shift modeling was used to establish an initial recommendation for mineral fertilization of the Eucalyptus plantations treated with sludge and to analyze the implications of increased growth on the duration of the forest cycle in a tropical climate. The results showed that from 8 to 44 months after planting, the sludge application (with or without N and P) yielded a statistically larger wood volume (P < 0.05), compared to ...

- by Antonio Enedi Boaretto
- •
- Environmental Science, Soil, Environmental Management, Medicine

Wood coatings are widely used for aesthetic and protective reasons. Assessment of coating performance during service life is crucial in order to establish a knowledge database for product optimization. A vast amount of techniques is available for analysis of a coating's behavior of which micro-imaging is an important tool. In addition to standard microscopy techniques, high-resolution X-ray tomography is presented as a modality offering non-destructive visualization of a coating and the substrate applied on. Combined with analysis of the 3D volumetric data, surface roughness, structure and thickness of the coating layer, penetration depth and related mechanical anchoring can be studied in relation with the underlying substrate. To provide a clear illustration of the possibilities and limitations of this technique, both an opaque solvent-borne and an opaque water-borne coating applied on two different wood types were scanned and analyzed. Clearly, three-dimensional X-ray imaging at high resolution produces valuable information merely by visualization. Moreover by proper analysis quantitative data is obtained taking into account the limitations of Xray computed tomography and of automated image processing.

- by Joris C R Van Acker
- •
- Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Image Processing, X-ray imaging
- by Jon Ayres
- •
- Nonparametric Statistics, Biomass, Environmental Health, Nepal

Forest ecosystems are fundamental for the terrestrial biosphere as they deliver multiple essential ecosystem services (ES). In environmental management, understanding ES distribution and interactions and assessing the economic value of forest ES represent future challenges. In this study, we developed a spatially explicit method based on a multi-scale approach (MiMoSe-Multiscale Mapping of ecoSystem services) to assess the current and future potential of a given forest area to provide ES. To do this we modified and improved the InVEST model in order to adapt input data and simulations to the context of Mediterranean forest ecosystems. Specifically, we integrated a GIS-based model, scenario model, and economic valuation to investigate two ES (wood production and carbon sequestration) and their trade-offs in a test area located in Molise region (Central Italy). Spatial information and trade-off analyses were used to assess the influence of alternative forest management scenarios on in...

- by A. Barbati
- •
- Forestry, Spatial Analysis, Carbon Sequestration, Italy

The tensile strength of beech substrates bonded with dispersions of alkali-denatured soy protein isolate (SPI) and wheat gluten (WG) was measured for comparison of bond strength and resistance to cold water. The proteins were denatured with 0.1 M NaOH (pH 13). Dispersions with different protein concentration and viscosity were investigated. The adhesive properties were studied at different press temperatures (90, 110, and 130 1C) and press times (5, 15, and 25 min). Two types of application methods were used in order to overcome the problem with different viscosity of the dispersions. In addition, SPI was denatured at two different pH levels (approximately 10 and 13) and with two different concentrations of salt (158 mM and 0.1 M), in order to compensate for the different isoelectric points of the proteins. The adhesive properties of WG powder with different particle sizes were also compared. The tensile strengths of the wood substrates were measured according to somewhat simplified versions of the European Standards EN 204 and EN 205. The bond lines were studied with light microscopy. The results indicate that the adhesive properties of SPI are superior, particularly with regard to water resistance. However, the water resistance of WG was to some extent improved when starved adhesive joints could be avoided. Similar tensile strength values were obtained for the dispersions of alkalidenatured SPI regardless of pH or salt concentration. No apparent difference in adhesive strength was observed for the WG dispersions from powder with different particle sizes.

- by Eva Malmström
- •
- Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Collage

Autohydrolysis and dilute-acid hydrolysis were used as pretreatment methods to enhance the enzymatic digestibility of cellulose in two different lignocellulosic substrates, a softwood mixture and an agricultural residue of almond shells. The changes in the chemical composition of the softwood mixture during dilute-acid pretreatment were studied, and the results were grouped by using a severity parameter, KR OH , which was derived from the kinetics of hemicellulose solubilization. The average degree of polymerization of the cellulose retained in the pretreated substrate, DP v , was investigated and its trend compared with that of almond shells. Cellulose DP v decreased for both the substrates from a value of 700 for the untreated lignocellulosic to around 200, which corresponds to the leveling-off degree of polymerization, as there is no significant variation in DP v when severity increases. Glucose yields after enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated substrates turned out to be higher for almond shells than for the softwood mixture, which had a very low susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis throughout the spectrum of experimental conditions investigated. At KR OH ) 15 000, the glucose yield for the softwood mixture is 44% of the potential fraction present in the pretreated pulp, while for almond shells the maximum yield surpasses 97% for KR OH ) 3. The different behavior between these lignocellulosic species is not caused by different degrees of cellulose depolymerization nor by the removal of different amounts of carbohydrates during pretreatments in equivalent conditions.

- by Xavier Farriol
- •
- Engineering, Chemistry, Kinetics, Polymerization
- by patricia cruz
- •
- Environmental microbiology, Culture, Glass, Multidisciplinary

Transportation planning is an important part of the supply chain or wood flow chain in forestry. There are often several forest companies operating in the same region and collaboration between two or more companies is rare. However, there is an increasing interest in collaborative planning as the potential savings are large, often in the range 5-15%. There are several issues to agree on before such collaborative planning can be used in practice. A key question is how savings should be distributed among the participants. In this paper, we investigate a number of possibilities based on economic models including Shapley value, the nucleolus, separable and non-separable costs, shadow prices and volume weights. We also propose a new allocation method, with the aim that the participants relative profits are as equal as possible. A large case study comprising eight forest companies in Sweden, is described and analyzed.

- by Kurt Jörnsten
- •
- Economics, Forestry, Supply Chain Management, Natural Resources
- by Ammaiyappan Selvam
- •
- Engineering, Soil, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon

Methods used for biosurfactant recovery include solvent extraction, precipitation, crystallization, centrifugation and foam fractionation. These methods cannot be used when distillery wastewater (DW) is used as the nutrient medium for biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BS2, because recovery of biosurfactant by any of these methods imparts color to the biosurfactant. The biosurfactant has a nonaesthetic appearance with lowered surface active properties. These methods cannot be used for continuous recovery of biosurfactant during cultivation. Hence, a new downstream technique for biosurfactant recovery from fermented DW comprised of adsorption-desorption processes using wood-based activated carbon (WAC) was developed. This study involves batch experiments to standardize the factors affecting the rate of biosurfactant adsorption onto WAC. WAC was the most efficient adsorbent among various ones tested (i.e., silica gel, activated alumina and zeolite). The WAC (1% w v-1), equilibrium time (90 min), pH range of 5-10 and temperature of 40°C were optimum to achieve 99.5% adsorption efficiency. Adsorption kinetics and intraparticle diffusion studies revealed the involvement of both boundary layer diffusion and intraparticle diffusion. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm of WAC indicated the formation of a monolayer coverage of the biosurfactant over a homogeneous carbon surface, while the Freundlich isotherm showed high adsorption at strong solute concentrations and low adsorption at dilute solute concentrations. WAC concentration of 4% w v-1 facilitated complete removal of the biosurfactant from collapsed foam (contained 5-fold higher concentration of biosurfactant than was present in fermented DW). Biosurfactant adsorption was of chemisorption type. Acetone (polar solvent) was a specific viable eluant screened among various ones tested because it selectively facilitated maximum recovery, i.e., 89% biosurfactant from WAC. By acetone treatment, complete regeneration of WAC was feasible and WAC can be reused for biosurfactant recovery up to 3 cycles. The recovered biosurfactant showed improved surface-active property (i.e., much lower critical micelle concentration value of 0.013 verses 0.028 mg mL-1 for biosurfactant recovered by classical methods). The reuse potential of WAC was assessed and results suggest that the carbon can be reused for three consecutive cycles for biosurfactant adsorption from fermented wastewater without any decrease in adsorption efficiency. Thus, this process forms a basis for continuous recovery of biosurfactant from fermented DW and concentrated foam. This process reduces the use of high cost solvent, avoids end product inhibition and minimizes product degradation.

- by Kirti V . Dubey
- •
- Engineering, Technology, Ultrafiltration, Adsorption

Introduction: Air pollution causes respiratory symptoms and pulmonary disease. Airway inflammation may be involved in the mechanism also for cardiovascular disease. Wood smoke is a significant contributor to air pollution, with complex and varying composition. We examined airway effects of two kinds of wood smoke in a chamber study. Materials and Methods: Thirteen subjects were exposed to filtered air and to wood smoke from the start-up phase and the burn-out phase of the wood-burning cycle. Levels of PM 2.5 were 295 µg/m 3 and 146 µg/m 3 , number concentrations 140 000/cm 3 and 100 000/cm 3 . Biomarkers in blood, breath and urine were measured before and on several occasions after exposure. Effects of wood smoke exposure were assessed adjusting for results with filtered air. Results: After exposure to wood smoke from the start-up, but not the burn-out session, Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) increased in serum after 4 hours, and in urine the next morning. CC16 showed a clear diurnal variation. Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) increased after wood smoke exposure from the burn-out phase, but partly due to a decrease after exposure to filtered air. No other airway markers increased.

- by Leo Stockfelt and +2
- •
- Biomarkers, Oxidative Stress, Wood, Volatile Organic Compounds
- by Kumi Pandya
- •
- Earth Sciences, Mining, Biological Sciences, Heavy metals

h i g h l i g h t s We measure and model ash deposition in a BFB boiler firing 4 different fuel blends. Only 100% wood chips showed not problematic for superheater fouling. The bulk of the deposits consisted of calcium-and potassium sulfate. The simulated molten salt as fouling predictor is in line with measurements. Simulated molten salt as percentage of total ash seemed no good fouling-predictor.

- by Arthur Stam
- •
- Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomass, Fouling

The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust by country, industry, the level of exposure and type of wood dust in 25member states of the European Union (EU-25) for the purposes of hazard control, exposure surveillance and assessment of health risks. National labour force statistics, a country questionnaire (in 15 member states, EU-15),

- by Violaine VEROUGSTRAETE
- •
- Engineering, European Union, Environmental Monitoring, Medicine

The aim of this study was to select effective and safe microbiocides for the disinfection and protection of historical wooden surfaces at the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. We tested seven active compounds against bacteria and moulds, of which didecyldimethylammonium chloride and N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine were effective even at 0.02%-2%. Subsequently, eight microbiocides containing the selected active ingredients were chosen and applied three times on the surface of wood samples colonized by bacteria and moulds. ABM-1 and ABM-2-6% solution; Rocima 101-8%; Preventol R 80-12%; Acticide 706 LV-15% and Boramon-30% were the most effective disinfectants. Under laboratory conditions, ABM-1, Boramon and Rocima 101 ensured antimicrobial protection of new wood samples for six months. In situ, 30% Boramon and 8% Rocima 101 applied by spraying effectively protected the historical wood from bacterial and mould growth for 12 and 3 months, respectively. Colour and luminance of the new wood were not altered after exposure to the biocides. Boramon and Rocima 101, applied by the spraying method, caused no significant change in the colour of the historical wood. Results from this study were used to develop a procedure for the protection of wood in historical buildings against biodeterioration.

- by Bogumił Brycki
- •
- Genetics, Fungi, Wood, Bacteria

The conversion of wood-based fiberboard materials into crack-free, monolithic, porous hard carbons is of significant interest due to their ability to perform in a multifunctional capacity. Three varieties of carbonized medium-density fiberboard (c-MDF) were studied for electrical, mechanical, and structural properties. X-ray diffraction data suggested that the volume fraction of large turbostratic crystallites increased with carbonization temperature (T). The volume fraction of large carb turbostratic crystallites had a positive correlation with elastic modulus and electrical conductivity. The c-MDF materials were approximately isotropic with respect to elastic modulus and exhibited increasing stiffness with increasing T (up to 4.5 carb GPa). Between 600 and 1400 8C, the electrical resistivity of c-MDF varied by seven orders of magnitude. The electrical resistivity of the hard carbon material in c-MDF 1400 8C was found to be within about an order of magnitude of polycrystalline graphite.

- by dennis nagle
- •
- Engineering, Microstructure, Manufacturing, Carbon

The effect of twelve weeks of composting on the mobility and bioavailability of cadmium in six composts containing sewage sludge, wood chips and grass was studied, along with the cadmium immobilization capacity of compost. Two different soils were used and Cd accumulation measured in above-ground oat biomass (Avena sativa L.). Increasing pH appears to be an important cause of the observed decreases in available cadmium through the composting process. A pot experiment was performed with two different amounts of compost (9.6 and 28.8 g per kg of soil) added into Fluvisol with total Cd 0.255 mg kg À1 , and contaminated Cambisol with total Cd 6.16 mg kg À1. Decrease of extractable Cd (0.01 mol l À1 CaCl 2) was found in both soils after compost application. The higher amount of compost immobilized an exchangeable portion of Cd (0.11 mol l À1 CH 3 COOH extractable) in contaminated Cambisol unlike in light Fluvisol. The addition of a low amount of compost decreased the content of Cd in associated aboveground oat biomass grown in both soils, while a high amount of compost decreased the Cd content in oats only in the Cambisol.

- by Pavel Tlustos
- •
- Environmental Engineering, Soil, Biomass, Waste Management

Coated carbide tools were tested for turning of wood-chip cement board. Coating materials, which were synthesized on the P30 carbide substrate, are titanium carbonitride, titanium nitride, chromium nitride, and titanium nitride/aluminum nitride. Cutting tests were performed at cutting speeds of 30, 40, 50 and 60 m/s, depth of cut of 1 mm, and feed of 0.05 mm/rev. Wear, parallel force and noise level were measured at every specified cutting length. The purpose was to discriminate various stages of wear of the coated carbide tools by the features extracted from parallel force and noise level. The results of the study show that both the parallel force and noise level generated by the tools tested were observed to increase linearly with increasing the tools wear, and would be good parameters for monitoring the tool wear. The parallel force and the noise level of the cutting tools also increased with increasing the cutting speeds for every specified cutting length. The parallel force became more sensitive than the noise level for monitoring the tool wear when the cutting speed was increased. coated carbide tool / parallel force / noise level / wood-chip cement board / cutting speed Résumé -Estimation de l'usure d'outils carbures revêtus à partir de paramètres extraits de l'analyse du bruit et des efforts de coupe.

- by Wayan Darmawan
- •
- Wood, Tool wear, Feature Extraction, Composite Material

Background The vast majority of households in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on wood energy—comprising firewood and charcoal—for their daily energetic needs. Such consumption trends are expected to remain a common feature of SSA’s wood energy production and supply chains, at least in the short- to medium-terms. Notwithstanding its importance, wood energy generally has low priority in SSA national policies. However, the use of wood energy is often considered a key driver of unsustainable management and negative environmental consequences in the humid and dry forests. To date, unsystematic assessments of the socio-economic and environmental consequences of wood energy use have underplayed its significance, thus further hampering policy debates. Therefore, a more balanced approach which considers both demand and supply dynamics is needed. This systematic map aims at providing a comprehensive approach to understanding the role and impacts of wood energy across all regions and aspects i...

- by Matthew Saunders
- •
- Business, Socioeconomics, Energy, Wood

Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.

- by Badr Satrani
- •
- Plant Biology, Wood, Extract
- by kübra terim
- •
- Wood, Glutathione, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase
- by Raul Albuquerque Sardinha and +1
- •
- Wood, Raw materials

Woody debris in rivers can be a significant source of roughness and consequently influences flow at both the local and reach scale. In order to develop a better quantitative understanding of the interaction between wood in rivers and stream flow, we thus performed a set of field measurements of the drag on model woody debris for conditions that prevail in typical natural streams. Our model debris consisted of PVC ''logs'' with diameters between 4 and 30 cm. The field setting allowed us to consider the hydrodynamic influence of a rough stream bottom, and our measurements thus complement previously published flume-based measurements. We found that, owing to the variation of velocity with water depth, some of our results differed appreciably from measurements made in smooth flumes. We determined the effects of (i) the orientation of the log, (ii) the size of the log relative to the water depth, (iii) the depth of the log in the water column, and (iv) leafless branches on the log. We found that the orientation of the log had no significant effect on the apparent drag coefficient. By contrast, because the water velocity varies with depth, the position of the log in the water column influenced the apparent drag for small logs. For large logs (diameter >30% of the water depth), however, the position of the log had little effect on drag. The ratio of the diameter of the log to the water depth, a quantity called ''blockage,'' also affected drag. As blockage increased, drag increases. For blockages greater than about 0.3, however, the drag becomes independent of blockage. Finally, we found that the presence of leafless branches does not increase the drag (within measurement sensitivity). D

- by Michael Manga
- •
- Geology, Geomorphology, Stress, Models

Extreme environments merit special attention and significance because of the possible existence of thermophilic microorganisms in such ecological niches. Keeping this in mind indigenous stove ash samples were explored for extremophilic bacteria in term of their biodiversity. Accordingly, this study reports 37 bacterial isolates from the local wood run oven (Tandoor) ash samples. All the isolated strains belong to genus Bacillus on the bases of morpho-cultural and biochemical considerations. The average temperature tolerance profile was >45°C thereby, indicating towards the thermophilic nature of the isolated strains. The Bacillus isolates were screened for 10 different hydrolytic enzymes (cellulase, xylanase, amylase, pectinase, caseinase, keratinase, lipase, esterase, dextranase and β-galactosidase) by plate screening method using the medium incorporated with specific substrate(s). It was found that keratinase was produced by all the isolates while, 36 (97.2%) isolates showed ca...

- by Tabbassum Kiran
- •
- Fermentation Technologies, Catalysis, Biology, Medicine

Since the 1980s the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been applied in museums, historic houses and archives to reduce the application of pesticides and damage to historic objects. Insect pests such as the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella), drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum), different Attagenus and Anthrenus species or the common furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum) have been known as museum pests for a long time, having caused major damage to the collections of natural or cultural history. The monitoring (regular inspection) with sticky blunder and pheromone traps plays a major role in IPM to detect an infestation and to locate damaged objects. The results of a monitoring in 2010 in ten museums in Berlin of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and the Museum of Ethnology, Vienna, the Austrian Theatre Museum and six collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna, are presented. The most common pests found in both cities were webbing clothes moths (T. bisselliella), the drugstore beetle (S. paniceum), the varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus (Nathrenus) verbasci) and silverfish (Lepisma saccharina). The khapra beetle (Trogoderma angustum) and the brown carpet beetle (Attagenus smirnovi), both common pests in homes and museums in Berlin, were not yet found in Vienna. A. smirnovi may be replaced in Vienna by the ecologically similar species, the black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor). Four wood destroying pests were found in the study, Nicobium castaneum in Berlin and the common furniture beetle (A. punctatum), Hexarthrum exiguum and the powderpost beetle (Lyctus brunneus) in Vienna. The distribution of these species, other insect pests and the success of the IPM programs are discussed.

- by Stefan Simon
- •
- Cultural Heritage, Pest Management, Biological Sciences, Wood
- by Cecilia Bustos
- •
- Wood Science, Prefabricated wood, Wood mechanics, Wood Engineering
- by john perlin
- •
- History, Culture, Global Environmental Change, Multidisciplinary
- by John Davy
- •
- Acoustics, Construction Materials, Sound, Multidisciplinary

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used as the tools to study the adsorption of bacteria onto surfaces of silica and polystyrene coated with materials related to papermaking. Cationic polyelectrolytes used as fixatives and retention aids in paper industry were found to promote irreversible adsorption of the ubiquitous white water bacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas taiwanensis, onto model surfaces of cellulose (pH 8). The high charged low molecular weight polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethyl) ammonium chloride (pDADMAC) adsorbed to silica surface as a flat and rigid layer, whereas the low charged cationic polyacryl amide (C-PAM) of high molecular weight adsorbed as a thick and loose layer. AFM images showed that the polyelectrolytes accumulated as layers around each bacterial cell. In the presence of wood hemicellulose (O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan) the bacteria adsorbed massively, as large, tightly packed rafts (up to 0.05 mm in size) onto the polystyrene crystal surface coated with wood extractives (pH 4.7). AFM and FESEM micrographs also showed large naked areas (with no bacteria) in between the bacterial rafts on the crystal surface. In this case, QCM-D only incompletely responded to the massiveness of the bacterial adsorption. The results indicate that cationic polymers can be used to increase the retention of bacteria from the process water onto the fibre web and that, depending on the balance between hemicelluloses and wood extractives and pH of the process waters, bacteria can be drawn from process waters onto surfaces.

- by Per Stenius
- •
- Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Polysaccharides, Cellulose

Vacuum pyrolysis of 100 g of lignin derived from steam explosion of wood yielded 42.7% oil, 38.0% charcoal, 10.0% gas and 9.3% pyrolytic water (wt. %, moisture and ash-free basis) at 465°C and below 2 kPa absolute pressure. The pyrolysis oil was fractionated into eight fractions, Fl-F8. Fl and F2 were mainly hydrocarbons and accounted for 3.4% of the anhydrous oil. F3 to F7 were mainly mono and diphenols and represented 41.6% of the anhydrous oil. F8 had very low GC/MS response due to its low volatility and/or high polarity. It may be possible to use directly fractions F3 to F7 in phenolic resin formulation.

- by Christian Roy
- •
- Engineering, Technology, Pyrolysis, Analysis

This paper assesses the increase in demand and supply for forest biomass for heating in Norway in 2020. By then there is a political aim to double the national production of bioenergy from the level in 2008. The competitiveness of woody biomass in central and district heating is analyzed in a model selecting the least-cost heating technology and scale in municipalities given a set of constraints and under different fuels price scenarios. The supply of forest biomass from roundwood is estimated based on data of forest inventories combined with elasticities regarding price and standing volumes. The supply of biomass from harvesting residues is estimated in an engineering approach based on data from the national forest inventories and roundwood harvest. The results show how the production of bioenergy is affected by changes in energy prices and support schemes for bioenergy. One conclusion from the analyses is that the government target of 14 TWh more bioenergy by 2020 is not likely to be met by current technologies and policy incentives. The contribution of the analysis is the detailed presentation of the heat market potentials and technology choices combined with supply functions for both roundwood and harvesting residues.

- by Monica Havskjold
- •
- Renewable Energy, Biomass, Bioenergy, Energy Policy

The impact of an improved wood burning stove (Patsari) in reducing personal exposures and indoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) was evaluated in 60 homes in a rural community of Michoacan, Mexico. Average PM 2.5 24-h personal exposure was 0.29 mg/m 3 and mean 48-h kitchen concentration was 1.269 mg/m 3 for participating women using the traditional open fire (fogon). If these concentrations are typical of rural conditions in Mexico, a large fraction of the population is chronically exposed to levels of pollution far higher than ambient concentrations found by the Mexican government to be harmful to human health. Installation of an improved Patsari stove in these homes resulted in 74% reduction in median 48-h PM 2.5 concentrations in kitchens and 35% reduction in median 24-h PM 2.5 personal exposures. Corresponding reductions in CO were 77% and 78% for median 48-h kitchen concentrations and median 24-h personal exposures, respectively. The relationship between reductions in median kitchen concentrations and reductions in median personal exposures not only changed for different pollutants, but also differed between traditional and improved stove type, and by stove adoption category. If these reductions are typical, significant bias in the relationship between reductions in particle concentrations and reductions in health impacts may result, if reductions in kitchen concentrations are used as a proxy for personal exposure reductions when evaluating stove interventions. In addition, personal exposure reductions for CO may not reflect similar reductions for PM 2.5 . This implies that PM 2.5 personal exposure measurements should be collected or indoor measurements should be combined with better time-activity estimates, which would more accurately reflect the contributions of indoor concentrations to personal exposures.

- by Rodolfo Jiménez
- •
- Engineering, Earth Sciences, Biomass, Environmental Monitoring

Carbon storage in aboveground tree biomass and soil organic matter (in depth of A layer development i.e., up to 20 cm) was studied in 22-32 year-old post-mining sites in the northwest of the Czech Republic. Four replicated sites afforested with different tree species (spruce, pine, larch, oak, lime or alder) were compared with sites left to natural regeneration which were dominated by aspen, birch and willow. No topsoil was applied at the sites; hence carbon accumulation resulted from in situ soil development on alkaline tertiary clays that were dumped on the heaps. In aboveground tree biomass, carbon storage ranged from 17.0 ± 5.9 (mean ± SEM) to 67.6 ± 5.9 t ha -1 and the rate of C accumulation increased from 0.60 ± 0.09 to 2.31 ± 0.23 t ha -1year -1 (natural regeneration \ pine \ spruce \ oak \ lime \ alder \ larch). Carbon storage in soil organic matter varied from 4.5 ± 3.7 to 38.0 ± 7.1 t ha -1 and the rate of C accumulation in soil organic matter increased from 0.15 ± 0.05 to 1.28 ± 0.34 t ha -1 year -1 at sites in the order: natural regeneration \ spruce \ pine, oak \ larch \ alder \ lime. Carbon storage in the soil was positively correlated with aboveground tree biomass. Soil carbon was equivalent to 98.1% of the carbon found in aboveground tree biomass at lime dominated sites, but only 21.8% at sites with natural regeneration. No significant correlation was found between C storage in soil and aboveground litter input. Total soil carbon storage was correlated positively and significantly with earthworm density, and occurrence of earthworm cast in topsoil, which indicated that bioturbation could play an important role in soil carbon storage. Hence, not only restoring of wood production, but also restoring of soil community is critical for C storage in soil and whole ecosystem.

- by Emil Cienciala
- •
- Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry, Regeneration, Carbon

Two southern pine kraft pulps with kappa numbers of 30.0 (SW1-0) and 48.0 (SW2-0) were oxygen delignified by 30-60% by varying the reaction temperature (78-110 C) and charge of sodium hydroxide (1.6-4.4%). O-bleachability was found to be correlated to the incoming kappa number and charge of sodium hydroxide employed. In general, a lower charge of caustic and a higher brownstock kappa number improved pulp bleachability. The residual lignin in the brownstocks and O-delignified kraft pulp samples was isolated and characterized by 13 C and 31 P NMR. 13 C NMR analysis of the residual lignin samples indicated that the post-oxygen delignified pulps were enriched with a-carbonyl groups and carboxylic acid groups. The content of b-O-aryl structures was increased by 23-36% depending on the extent of oxygen delignification. The post-oxygen delignified pulps were also shown to have increased substituted aryl carbons. 31 P NMR indicated that the relative content of condensed phenolic units increased by 9-20% after the oxygen delignification, depending on the severity of the O-stage. This observation was probably due to the accumulation or formation of 5,5-biphenyl structures in the process. The physical strength properties of brownstock and postoxygen delignified pulps were assessed in terms of zero-span strength, tensile strength, tear strength, and burst strength. Oxygen delignification led to a slight increase in the curls and kinks of the pulp fibers. The O-stage was shown to cause a 4.8-15.6% decrease in zero-span strength. In contrast, oxygen delignification increased tensile strength. This result could be explained as the improvement of fiber bonding after the oxygen bleaching.

- by Arthur Ragauskas and +1
- •
- Materials Engineering, Wood, Forestry Sciences, Sodium Hydroxide

Methanolic extracts of 20 medicinal plants were screened at 1-10 mg/ml for in vitro macrofilaricidal activity by worm motility assay against adult Setaria digitata, the cattle filarial worm. Four plant extracts showed macrofilaricidal activity by worm motility at concentrations below 4 mg/ml and an incubation period of 100 min. Complete inhibition of worm motility and subsequent mortality was observed at 3, 2, 1 and 1 mg/ml, respectively, for Centratherum anthelminticum, Cedrus deodara, Sphaeranthus indicus and Ricinus communis. 3-[4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay was carried out at 1 mg ml −1 and 4-h incubation period, and the results showed that C. deodara, R. communis, S. indicus and C. anthelminticum exhibited 86.56, 72.39, 61.20 and 43.15% inhibition respectively in formazan formation compared to the control.

- by Perumal Vanamail and +2
- •
- Microbiology, Parasitology, Medical Microbiology, Medicinal Plants
- by Helena Pereira
- •
- FTIR spectroscopy, Wood, Infrared spectroscopy, Chemical Analysis

Seed desiccation sensitivity limits the ex situ conservation of up to 47 % of plant species, dependent on habitat. Whilst desirable, empirically determining desiccation tolerance levels in seeds of all species is unrealistic. A probabilistic model for the rapid identification of woody species at high risk of displaying seed desiccation sensitivity is presented. The model was developed using binary logistic regression on seed trait data [seed mass, moisture content, seed coat ratio (SCR) and rainfall in the month of seed dispersal] for 104 species from 37 families from a semi-deciduous tropical forest in Panamá. For the Panamanian species, only seed mass and SCR were significantly related to the response to desiccation, with the desiccation-sensitive seeds being large and having a relatively low SCR (i.e. thin 'seed' coats). Application of this model to a further 38 species, of known seed storage behaviour, from two additional continents and differing vegetation types (drylan...

- by Hugh Pritchard
- •
- Decision Making, Water, Africa, Plant Biology
- by Riadh Ben Hamida and +1
- •
- Adolescent, Azerbaijan, Wood, Wrist joint
- by Vera Maximenko and +1
- •
- Catalysis, Biotechnology, Multidisciplinary, Cellulose

Key Word IndexÐCratoxylum maingayi; Guttiferae; wood; xanthones. AbstractÐ1,7-dihydroxy-, 2,8-dihydroxy-1-methoxy-, 1,7-dihydroxy-4-methoxyxanthone and the new 7hydroxy-1,2,3,8-tetramethoxyxanthone, were isolated from the wood of... more

- by Madalena Pinto
- •
- Phytochemistry, Biological Sciences, Wood, CHEMICAL SCIENCES