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Kindergarten und Schule sind ein essenzielles Element der sozialen Gesellschaft. Die Notwendigkeit für ihren Bau nimmt, trotz aller politischen und wirtschaftlichen Situation des Landes, nicht ab. Minsk, as a fast-growing city, needs a constant expansion of social, cultural and community facilities. „Die Wiese“ – der ausgewählter Bauplatz - ist eine Lücke in der typischen Bebauung von Minsk. Hier wurden bereits Bildungseinrichtungen geplant, aber nie realisiert. Diese Arbeit ist der Versuch auf eine konkrete Anfrage an Defizit an Kindergärten in der Umgebung zu beantworten. Basierend auf der Analyse der Anforderungen von weißrussischen Normen für Kindergärten, ihrer historischen Entwicklung, der städtischen Situation und der Berechnung der Vorschulkinderanzahl in dem betroffenen Stadtquartier wurde die Entwurfsaufgabe konkretisiert. Einfache funktionale Verbindungen, natürliche Materialien, die vielseitige Entwicklung der Kinder und ihrer Interessen stehen im Vordergrund. Arbeitskomfort für das Betreuungspersonal und die Orientierung der Räumlichkeiten nach Himmelsrichtungen sind ebenso wichtige Ideen, die in das Projekt eingebettet sind und den Entwurf formen. Berücksichtigung der städtebaulichen Idee und durch die Größe des Grundstücks ist der oben genannte Kindergarten nur ein Teil eines Gestaltungskonzeptes für ein Bildungscampus. Seine zukünftigen Baukörper ergänzen und erweitern gegenseitig ihre Funktionen., Kindergartens and schools are essential elements of any society. Despite certain issues in a political and economic state of a country, the need for the construction of such facilities never decreases. Minsk is a rapidly growing city that needs constant replenishment of social, cultural and municipal facilities. The selected construction site - “Field“ - is the open space in a typical building system of Minsk. The proposal for the construction of public facilities here was developed a long time ago but was never implemented. This work is an attempt to answer at a specific request at the lack of kindergartens in the area. This project was developed based on the Belarusian zoning code and construction code requirements for preschool institutions. To make the design task more concrete it considers the historical development of pre-school buildings, the urban situation and the predicted number of preschool children in the affects residential quarter. The project is built on the emphasis on simple and intuitive functional connections between the spaces and their zoning. The project consults the solar orientation and uses natural materials. Implemented design methods create an environment promoting children‘s versatile development and expansion of their interests. In addition, the convenience of workflow for the staff is taken into account. All of the above methods and ideas are incorporated in the project and helps to create the conceptual design of a kindergarten. Based on the urban planning idea and the size of the property this kindergarten project is just a part of a concept of a learning center. The objects of this learning center will complement and expand the functions of each other.

In the modern building industry wood as a building material has been looked on as one of the solutions to lower the environmentally impact of the building industry. Building types that normally have been reserved for concrete and steel are today being built with wood as main load bearing component. However, the structural robustness of high-rise wood building has been questioned. The concern relates to wood’s brittle failure-mode and therefore the capacity of wood buildings to withstand catastrophic events where a loadbearing structural part its removed from the construction. To counteract a brittle failure mode in wood and create a ductile failure mode that allows alternative load paths, ductile steel connectors are seen as a solution. With inspiration from the concrete and steel industry, catenary action is brought forward as the most efficient method to create an alternative load path in high-rise wood buildings. To create catenary action, a tube connector that allows excessive deformation with increasing strength was believed to have sufficient capacity. A test method for testing tube connector capacity in a catenary event was developed with a main focus on tube capacity and forces created on the surrounding structure in a catastrophic event. To achieve this, a long stroke reversed 4-point bending test was formed and testing of traditional fasteners and the tube connector was conducted. Test result from catenary capacity testing showed low to no capacity for traditional fastening methods, however, traditional fastening method created arcing action in the beginning of the test cycles. The traditional fasteners showed a consistency in failure mode with arching and wood crushing before connection failure in form of screw withdrawal. Tube connectors had low to no consistency in failure modes, but higher consistency in capacity. Failure mode regarding tubes consisted of steel failure in tube and wood failure in the test specimen. In general, the tubes connector showed promising capacity and ductility to create alternative load paths with the help of catenary action. The project has shown that some design development for the tube connector and lager scale testing are needed to completely understand tube connector capacity and failure mode.

Flame-retardant coatings have been serving their purpose since the romans ruled Europe. These products have been developed through the years, by mixing and synthetizing solutions, which have resulted in effective, although questionable, products due to their impact on the environment and our health. This matter has been addressed earlier, predominantly regarding fabrics. Now is the time to approach this issue by finding an environmentally and health friendly flame-retardant, that can be applied on wood. Phytic acid is a phosphorus based organic compound which is found abundant in nature and could potentially act as a non-toxic flame-retardant. The acid can form other complexes which could add additional flame-retardant mechanisms and desired characteristics of a flame-retardant. This potential flame-retardant was investigated using two different methods. The first method includes two test series which sought to explain how properties as concentration of phytic acid, pH and different additives affected flame-retardant behaviour. The first method was later changed and refined into the second method, to add higher reliability and validity to the conducted tests. The new method implemented additional analytical methods such as differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate particular compounds. The results from the thermogravimetric analysis show that wood samples which were coated with the flame-retardant, had twice the mass percentage remaining compared to the untreated wood samples.

RESUMO Este artigo verificou o comportamento estrutural à flexão de três configurações de vigas mistas de madeira e perfis de aço, por meio do método de homogeneização da seção mista, ensaios experimentais e simulação computacional. Foram analisadas viga de madeira sem reforço (V-SR), com perfis de chapa de aço dobrada fixada com parafuso tipo prisioneiro (V-PRI) e autoatarraxante (V-AUT). Foram realizados ensaios de flexão por 3 pontos, obtendo a força de ruptura e deslocamentos. Verificou-se que a forma ruptura das vigas foi similar em todas as configurações, ocorrendo na parte tracionada, sem apresentar flambagem lateral dos perfis de aço ou deformação plástica dos parafusos. Notou-se que a inserção dos perfis de aço ocasionou um aumento na resistência das vigas mistas, sendo de 100% nas vigas com perfis de chapa de aço dobrada fixada com parafuso tipo prisioneiro (V-PRI) e de 32% nas vigas com perfis de chapa de aço dobrada fixada com parafuso tipo autoatarraxante (V-AUT). As simulações pelo método dos elementos finitos apresentaram valores mais próximos ao comportamento na flexão das vigas V-SR e V-PRI no regime elástico (ELS). O método de homogeneização da seção mista mostrou-se mais próximo dos resultados experimentais nas vigas de madeira reforçadas (V-PRI e V-AUT). ABSTRACT This paper verified the structural behavior of three configurations of composite beams of wood and steel profiles, analytically by the mixed section homogenization method (MHSM), by experimental tests and simulated by the finite element method (FEM). Unreinforced wooden beam (V-SR), with bent steel sheet profiles fixed with stud (V-PRI) and self-tapping (V-AUT) screws were analyzed. The flexural behavior was analyzed by 3 points of these elements, represented by the load and displacement. It was found that the beam failure form was the same in all configurations, occurring in the tensioned part, without lateral buckling of the steel profiles or plastic deformation of the screws. It was noted that the insertion of steel profiles caused an increase in the strength of the composite beams, being 100% in the V-PRI sample and 32% in the V-AUT. The FEM simulations showed values closer to the bending behavior of the V-SR and V-PRI beams in the elastic regime (ELS). The experimental results of the V-AUT beams were more compatible with the mixed section homogenization model.

Bond line openings while an adhesive is still viscous (liquid or paste-like) leave characteristic marks. Air fingers and cavitation develop on the surface of the adhesive when joint parts are fully or partially separated before solidifying of the adhesive. Therefore, the observation of air fingers or cavitation provides important clues on the root cause of the failure of bond lines. There is still limited knowledge about the factors that lead to the formation of either air fingers or cavitation. Additionally, a resoftening of thermoplastic adhesives by high temperatures may be confused with air fingers or cavitation that developed before the initial curing. To improve the understanding of the adhesive structures, we assemble some experiments on this phenomenon. Air fingers dominate when air easily penetrates the adhesive, the adhesive thickness is high, and the adhesive has a low viscosity (early in the process). Cavitation dominates when the adhesive layer is thin, when the viscosity is high (late in the process) or when the air ingress is restricted.

I Ösmo med sin centralitet och dess växande befolkning, så vill jag rita ett kulturhus som lyfter stadens behov. Statistiken visar att Ösmo kommer att ha den största befolkningsökningen i Nynäshamns kommun, och kommer därmed behöva fortsätta utveckla sin egen identitet, då Ösmo idag i huvudsak fungerar som en sovstad. Byggnaden ska vara en markör på denna utveckling av Ösmo, från en sovstad till en egen stad med egen karaktär. Kulturhusets plusprogram kommer att bestå av en saluhall, en verkstadsdel och en idrottsdel. Saluhallen blir en mötesplats mellan den lokala produktionen och befolkningen, och kan på så sätt lyfta upp den lokala produktionen och jobba för en hållbar konsumtion. Saluhallen placeras i Ösmo då detta är ett relativt central plats i Nynäshamn med nära kopplingar till både motorväg och pendeltåg. Verkstäderna blir en plats för utbildning och för start up-verksamheter. Verkstadsdelen har lokaler för handarbete med trä, textilier, metall och keramik, och skulle även kunna användas i samarbete med lokala skolor för att väcka barnens intresse och främja kreativitet. Dessutom ska lokalerna användas av olika start-up eller privatpersoner för kommersiella eller personliga behov. Detta kan bli en mötespunkt för människor i närheten, och erbjuder en möjlighet att lära sig och utveckla intresse för handarbete för personer som kanske inte annars haft den möjligheten i hemmet, och ändra Ösmos identitet från en sovstad till en stad med egna arbetsplatser och verksamhet. Sist men inte minst är idrottsdelen, som består av gym och omklädningsrum och blir det första gymmet i hela Ösmo. Det närmaste gymmet ligger idag i Nynäshamn vilket är orimligt långt bort för Ösmoborna. Byggnadens relation till fotbollsplanen, gör det tillgängligt även för fotbollsspelarna att använda. Idén om byggnadens form kom ur och utvecklades efter skogen då tomten för närvarande är täckt av olika slags träd. Byggnadens form är inspirerad av trädens form, särskilt eken som sprider sina grenar och skapar ett tak. Därför utvecklades en modul för konstruktionen som liknar trädens utformning. Sedan ska modulen placeras bredvid varandra likt trädens placering i en skog. Det ledde till utformningen av en envåningsbyggnad som följer det relativt platta landskapet. In Ösmo with its centrality and its growing population, I want to design a cultural center that highlights the city's needs. The statistics show that Ösmo will have the largest population increase in Nynäshamn municipality, and will thus have to continue to develop its own identity, as Ösmo today essentially functions as a sleeping town. The building is to be a marker of this development of Ösmo, from a sleeping town to a city of its own with its own character.The Culture house's plus program will consist of a market hall, a workshop part and a sports part. The market hall becomes a meeting place between the local production and the population, and can thus lift the local production and work for sustainable consumption. The market hall is placed in Ösmo as this is a relatively central location in Nynäshamn with close connections to both the freeway and commuter train.The workshops become a place for training and for start-up activities. The workshop part has premises for handicrafts with wood, textiles, metal and ceramics, and could also be used in collaboration with local schools to arouse children's interest and promote creativity. In addition, the premises are to be used by various start-ups or private individuals for commercial or personal needs. This can become a meeting point for people nearby, and offers an opportunity to learn and develop an interest in needlework for people who might not otherwise have had that opportunity at home, and change Ösmo's identity from a sleeping town to a city with its own workplaces and activities. Last but not least is the sports section, which consists of a gym and changing room and will be the first gym in the whole of Ösmo. Today, the nearest gym is in Nynäshamn, which is unreasonably far away for Ösmo residents. The building's relationship to the football field, makes it available even for the football players to use.The idea for the shape of the building came out of and developed after the forest, as the site is currently covered with different kinds of trees. The shape of the building is inspired by the shape of the trees, especially the oak that spreads its branches and creates a roof. Therefore, a module was developed for the construction that resembles the design of the trees. Then the module must be placed next to each other, similar to the placement of the trees in a forest. This led to the design of a one-story building that follows the relatively flat landscape.

Within this text, I will discuss my process of making sculptures through my examining MA soloshow. It is a deeply personal reflection of my ideas and where they originate from, symbolsand what they speak of, materials and techniques they require. The theme of my sculptures ischildhood and memories, what I lost when growing up, and who I became. There is also astrong theme of craftsmanship in my work and, in this text, an exploration of materials andthe knowledge of my working hands. In this essay, I present four sculptures within thechapters THE BRAID, THE ROPE, THE MITTEN, and THE WELL. It aims to give the reader aninsight into my artistic process when creating my MA exam work.

A building designed to make a minimal impact on the site it occupies by way of external wooden load carrying frames that minimize the building's footprint. Aviarium is a center for "nature therapy" where visitors can engage with nature and the surrounding wetlands and bird life.

Mitt projekt består av ett kombinerat folkets hus och vad jag kallar ”centrum för fysisk aktivitet”, där en viktig del för mig är att främja alla sorters fysisk aktivitet där tävlingssporter inte nödvändigtvis prioriteras, och där det kan finnas någonting för alla. Den till ytan största enskilda delen av plusprogrammet, bassängen, är till skillnad från den klassiska badhusbassängen inte utformad för tävlingssim utan för att främja lek och andra vattenaktiviteter. Detta görs genom en irregulär form där flera mindre rumsligheter skapas, där man kan organisera allt från vattengympa och rehabiliterande träning, till simskola och lek. Andra viktiga delar av plusprogrammet är danssalen och tre aktivitetsrum, där tanken är att dessa rum inte ska vara alltför programmerade utan ska kunna användas till en rad olika aktiviteter baserat på önskemål och behov. Exempel på sådana aktiviteter skulle kunna vara dans, kampsport, rehabiliterande träning, yoga, och så vidare. Idén till detta kom ur att den enda träningsanläggningen som finns i området är en bollplan och en bollhall, och de närmaste faciliteterna för andra typer av träning ligger i Nynäshamn, med undantag från en simhall i närliggande Ösmo som just nu är planerad att rivas. Det här känns alltså som någonting som området skulle kunna dra mycket nytta av. Tanken med gestaltningen var att skapa en byggnad som blir en del av skogskanten och som fortsätter in i skogen. Strukturen baseras därför på pelare och vertikala modulliknande delar som följer skogens och markens form. Materialet är i huvudsak trä, och de spridda pelarna samt takfönster utplacerade här och var stärker känslan av att vara ute i skogen. De olika delarna av byggnaden – pelare, rumsligheter, och fönster – är utplacerade med en viss irregularitet och lekfullhet för att gynna den mer naturliga känslan. My project consists of a combined people's house and what I call a "centre for physical activity", where an important part for me is to promote all kinds of physical activity where competitive sports are not necessarily prioritized, and where there can be something for everyone. The largest individual part of the plus program, the pool, unlike the classic bathhouse pool, is not designed for competitive swimming but to promote play and other water activities. This is done through an irregular shape where several smaller spaces are created, where you can organize everything from water gym and rehabilitative training, to swimming school and play. Other important parts of the plus program are the dance hall and three activity rooms, where the idea is that these rooms should not be overly programmed but should be able to be used for a range of different activities based on wishes and needs. Examples of such activities could be dance, martial arts, rehabilitative exercise, yoga, and so on. The idea for this came from the fact that the only training facility available in the area is a ball field and a ball hall, and the nearest facilities for other types of training are in Nynäshamn, with the exception of a swimming hall in nearby Ösmo which is currently scheduled to be demolished. So this feels like something that the area could greatly benefit from. The idea with the design was to create a building that becomes part of the edge of the forest and that continues into the forest. The structure is therefore based on pillars and vertical module-like parts that follow the shape of the forest and the ground. The material is mainly wood, and the scattered pillars and skylights placed here and there strengthen the feeling of being out in the forest. The various parts of the building – columns, spaces, and windows – are placed with a certain irregularity and playfulness to favor the more natural feel.

The susceptibility of surface-modified wood, surface-modified acetylated wood and acetylated wood to mold and blue stain fungi was investigated. The surface modifications were based on fluorinated and non-fluorinated silicone nanofilaments for increased hydrophobicity. Results showed an increased mold resistance of the surface-modified superhydrophobic wood with mold appearing later or with less intensity on the modified surfaces than on the untreated wood in accelerated mold chamber tests due to the increased water resistance of the samples. All acetylated wood samples exhibited good mold resistance as the available water in acetylated wood was reduced. The surface modifications on acetylated wood had a slightly negative effect on mold resistance due to side effects from the modification. The surface-modified wood showed high blue stain fungi coverage, whereas almost no blue stain fungi were observed on the acetylated wood and surface-modified acetylated wood. The surface-modified superhydrophobic wood showed high mold coverage after conditioning in a high-humidity environment or after exposure to UV irradiation. Meanwhile, the acetylated wood and surface-modified superhydrophobic acetylated wood showed a small amount of mold coverage in these conditions.

Wood’s qualities probably make it the most outstanding material for construction. As a renewable building resource, wood is environmentally friendly and consumes the least amount of energy during manufacture. Although new materials have emerged over time, wood still remains one of those most used today.

Using fire-damaged wood is one of the efficient and resource-saving approaches to forest conservation. The object of the study is raw wood exposed to fire. The aim of the study is to analyze the mechanical properties of fire-damaged pinewood, the height of the trunk, and determine the possibility of its use as a structural material. Tests were carried out for static bending, compression along the fibers, and tension along the fibers. We performed the tests on samples taken from the lower, middle, and upper parts of the fired wood and compared them with wood that was not exposed to fire. It was established that during a ground and medium fire, the strength properties of wood are most reduced in the apical part of the trunk by 41.80 % compared to wood undamaged by fire. The smallest decrease in strength occurred in the lower part of the tree. It was determined that with sufficiently small damage to wood by fire, i.e., a decrease in the cross-sectional area to 15 %, it can be partially used as a structural material.

Tijekom povijesti tenisa, materijali korišteni za izradu reketa značajno su utjecali na performanse igrača. U početku su teniski reketi bili izrađeni od drva i bili su teški, što je igračima otežavalo stvaranje brzine i snage u udarcu. Međutim, s vremenom su se materijali počeli mijenjati kako bi se poboljšale performanse igrača. Prvo se s drvenih reketa prešlo na metalne, posebice aluminijske, a u sedamdesetim godinama prošloga stoljeća pojavljuju se i prvi kompozitni reketi, koji su bili lakši i čvršći. Ovi reketi omogućili su igračima da u udarcima imaju više brzine, snage i preciznosti, što je dovelo do poboljšanja igre i postavljanja novih rekorda. Konačno se pojavljuju i kompozitni reketi ojačani ugljičnim vlaknima koji imaju sve skupa najbolja svojstva i, uz aluminijske rekete, koriste se još danas. Sve u svemu, konstrukcijska rješenja i korišteni materijali zajedno igraju ključnu ulogu u utjecanju na svojstva reketa, što omogućava igračima da pronađu reket koji odgovara njihovom stilu igre i da tako postignu najbolje rezultate na terenu. U završnom radu prikazan je povijesni razvoj konstrukcija i izbora materijala za izradu teniskih reketa. Četiri različite vrste rekreativnih teniskih reketa, tri od proizvođača Babolat i jedan reket tvrtke Wilson, ispitani su u eksperimentalnom dijelu rada. Provedena su laboratorijska ispitivanja savijanjem i analize konstrukcijskih izvedbi te su doneseni odgovarajući zaključci. Throughout the history of tennis, the materials used for making rackets have had significant impact on player performance. In the beginning, tennis rackets were made of wood, and they were heavy, making it difficult for players to generate speed and power in their shots. However, as time went on, materials evolved to improve player performance. Wooden rackets were replaced with metal, specifically aluminium, and in the 1970s, the first composite rackets appeared, which were lighter and stronger. These rackets enabled players to have more speed, power and accuracy in their shots, resulting in better, more beautiful play and the setting of new records. Finally, composite rackets reinforced with carbon fibres emerged, which have the best overall properties and, along with aluminium rackets, are still used today. In conclusion, the construction design and the materials used for making tennis rackets have a significant impact on a racket’s properties. This has allowed players to find rackets that match their playing style, leading to improved performance and results on the court. This Bachelor thesis presents the historical development of constructions and materials selection for tennis rackets. Four different types of recreational tennis rackets, three from Babolat and one from Wilson, were tested in the experimental part of the thesis. Laboratory bending tests and analyses of design were carried out and appropriate conclusions were drawn.

Management of forest for wood production has altered ecosystem structures and processes and led to habitat loss and species extinctions, worldwide. Deadwood is a key resource supporting forest biodiversity, and commonly declines following forest management. However, different forest management methods affect dead wood differently. For example, uneven-aged silviculture maintains an age-stratified forest with ongoing dead wood production, while even-aged silviculture breaks forest continuity, leading to long periods without large trees. We asked how deadwood-dependent beetles respond to different silvicultural practices and if their responses depend on deadwood volume, and beetles preference for decay stages of deadwood. We compared beetle assemblages in five boreal forest types with different management strategies: clearcutting and thinning (both representing even-aged silviculture), selective felling (representing uneven-aged silviculture), reference and old growth forest (both uneven-aged controls without a recent history [~50 years] of management, but the latter with high conservation values). We collected beetles using window traps and by sieving the bark from experimental logs (bolts). Beetle assemblages on clear-cuts differed from all other stand types, regardless of trapping method or decay stage preference. Thinning differed from reference stands, indicating incomplete recovery after clear-cutting, while selective felling differed only from clear-cuts. In contrast to our predictions, early and late successional species responded similarly to different silvicultural practices. However, there were indications of marginal assemblage differences both between thinned stands and selective felling and between thinned and old growth stands (p = 0.10). The stand volume of early decay stage wood influenced assemblage composition of early, but not late successional species. Uneven-aged silviculture maintained species assemblages similar to those of the reference and old growth stands and might therefore be a better management option when considering biodiversity conservation.

Рассмотрены актуальные проблемы идентификации и классификации необработанной древесины. Сделан обзор положительной судебной практики по делам, связанным с идентификацией товаров группы 44 ТН ВЭД ЕАЭС. Показано, что участники ВЭД пытаются обойти законодательство, используя товары прикрытия для необработанной древесины, ограниченной к вывозу. Предложены пути решения проблем., The article discusses live issues of identification and classification of raw wood. The author reviews positive judicial practice in cases related to the identification of goods of the 44 FEACN group of the EAEU. The research shows that FEA participants try to circumvent the legislation by using cover products for raw wood restricted for export. The author proposes ways of solving the problems.

Торцовое прессование древесины является перспективным способом обработки шиповых заготовок. Реализация серийной обработки требует применения специальных приспособлений – штампов. Цель исследования – подобрать оптимальные конструктивные параметры такого штампа. В работе проанализированы критерии выбора штамповой оснастки, проведен сравнительный анализ существующих конструкций. Предложена конструктивная схема приспособления, максимально удовлетворяющая всем критериям. Pressing of wood in longitudinal direction is a promising way of joint processing. The implementation of serial processing requires the use of special devices - stamps. The purpose of the study is to select the optimal design parameters of such a stamp. The paper analyzes the criteria for choosing stamp equipment, a comparative analysis of existing designs. A constructive scheme of the device is proposed that satisfies all criteria as much as possible.

Rekordtemperaturen, Extremwetterereignisse und Höchstwerte in den globalen Treibhausgaskonzentrationen treffen Milliarden Menschen in der ganzen Welt. Allen voraussagen zum Trotz steigen Emissionen und Verbrauch aber weiterhin an. [1]In der aktuellen Bauwirtschaft, aber auch teilweise im universitären Kontext wird die Relevanz von klimaschonendem Bauen zu wenig beachtet. Besonders Architektinnen und Architekten sind als Entwickler:innen von Lebensräumen für die Zukunft gefordert, Maßnahmen sowie Konzepte zum klimaoptimierten Bauen zu schaffen.Diese Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Grundvoraussetzungen und aktuellen Entwicklungen in der Baubranche, sowie mitbesonderem Augenmerk auf der Klimarelevanz in den einzelnen Teilen.Darauf folgend werden Kriterien für ein klimagerechtes Bauen aufgestellt, in den verschiedenen Kategorien der Architektur - im Bezug auf Mobilität, technischen Grundsätzen,Freiflächen und auch sozialen Aspekten.Dieser Analyse folgend, wird ein Nachverdichtungsprojekt in Sulz in Vorarlberg entworfen.Rückbaubare Systeme und geringe Materialverbräuche sollen den Entwurfkennzeichnen. Aber auch eine optimierte Performance des Gebäudes während seiner Lebensdauer ist angestrebt.Der Projektentwurf zielt darauf ab, einen vorbildlichen Umgang mit der Umwelt zu demonstrieren und stellt die Herausforderung dar, Ressourceneffizienz als gesamtheitliches Konzept zu betrachten. Dieser fordert Abwägungen zwischen Form und Funktion, sowie zwischen Verbrauch und Benutzung von Rohstoffen.Anhand einer Stroh-Lehm-Holzkonstruktion,gepaart mit traditionellen Holzverbindungen und materialgleichen Verbindungsmitteln werden kreislauffähige Elemente entworfen und in den Zusammenhang gebracht.In Kombination mit bauphysikalischen Vorgaben,wie dem Schallschutz, Brandschutz und Feuchteschutz, aber auch Sommerlicher Überhitzung stellt das Projekt verschiedene Aspekte unserer Architektur in Frage.Die Ergebnisse dieser Diplomarbeit sollen einen beispielhaften Umgang mit Ressourcen in der Baubranche in Vorarlberg aufzeigen,sowie einen akademischen Beitrag zum aktuellen Diskurs in der Bauwirtschaft beitragen., Record temperatures, extreme weather events, and record levels of greenhousegas concentrations are affecting billions of people worldwide. Despite predictions tothe contrary, emissions and consumption continue to rise. [1]In the current construction industry, as wellas in the academic context, the relevance of climate-friendly construction is often overlooked.Architects, in particular, are challenged as developers of living spaces for the future to create measures and concepts for climate-optimized construction.This thesis examines the basic requirements and current developments in the construction industry, with a particular focus on the climate relevance in the individual parts.Criteria for climate-friendly constructionare then established in various categories of architecture, including mobility, technical principles, open spaces, and social aspects.Following this analysis, a redevelopment project in Sulz, Vorarlberg is designed.Recyclable systems and low material consumption should characterize the design.However, an optimized performance of the building during its lifetime is also aimed for.The project design aims to demonstrate exemplary environmental stewardship and represents the challenge of considering resource efficiency as a holistic concept. This requires weighing up form and function, aswell as consumption and use of raw materials.Circular elements are designed and integrated into the project through the use of astraw-clay-wood construction, paired with traditional wood connections and material matchingfasteners.In combination with building physics requirements,such as sound insulation, fireprotection, and moisture protection, as wellas summer overheating, the project challengesvarious aspects of our architecture.The results of this thesis aim to demonstrate an exemplary approach to resource use inthe construction industry in Vorarlberg, aswell as to make an academic contributionto the current discourse in the construction industry.

The article considers the application of the finite element method for the process of local pressing wood in longitudinal direction. A simulation model of a wooden billet has been created for calculations in the CAE system. A layered structure of the model is proposed, which will make it possible to predict the behavior of a wooden blank when pressing rectangular lugs. В статье рассмотрено применение метода конечных элементов для моделирования процесса местного торцового прессования древесины. Для расчетов в CAE-системе создана имитационная модель деревянной заготовки. Предложена слоистая структура модели, которая позволит прогнозировать поведение деревянной заготовки при прессовании прямоугольных проушин.

In the upcoming years, the proportion of elderly within the population will increase significantly (SCB, Socialstyrelsen). The share of aged is already, and will increasingly be, noticeably higher in municipalities on the countryside compared to in the cities. Accordingly, “a variety of dwellings and form of housing suitable for elderly” is asked for and needed (Socialstyrelsen, Boverket). This thesis is one respond to the situation and an addition to the housing possibilities for elderly; a proposal and a test of one way of dwelling as an elderly on the countryside. To this background, the thesis is a case study: an interpretation of the obsolescent typology “Undantaget”, a free standing (secondary) structure within the homestead on the countryside which the aged, previous owners often inhabited in preindustrial times. The case study is based on an investigation of the local vernacular building tradition. A contemporary dwelling for an elderly is explored, informed by vernacular tradition and its interwoven principles considering construction and tectonic, approach to/usage of resources as well as (else) economic, social and ecological aspects. A modified “Undantag” is proposed; an investigation of sustainable building and living intertwined.

Cachaça is the distilled beverage typical of Brazil and can be subjected to the aging process in wooden barrels. In addition to oak barrels, cachaça is also aged in barrels of different Brazilian native woods, resulting in a wide variety of its sensory characteristics. In this work, 172 cachaças aged in bálsamo, jequitibá, oak, and umburana barrels were analyzed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and by the classification methods of principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. Spectra were preprocessed by the first derivative by Savitzky-Golay smoothing, using a filter width and polynomial order determined through face-centered central composite designs. Multivariate analysis was realized using the spectra recorded at different wavelength differences, and models were compared by the classification errors in the test sets.The principal component analysis applied to the synchronous fluorescence spectra presented a tendency of separation by the wood used in the aging process, and the partial least squares discriminant analysis model constructed using the fluorescence spectra recorded at a wavelength difference of 30 nm provided better performance parameters (efficiency 91-97%, sensitivity 81-100%, and specificity 91-100%).Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy offers a promising approach for the classification of cachaças aged in bálsamo, oak, jequitibá, and umburana barrels, and the discriminant model can be used for routine analysis as a screening method. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Corner joints are critical points of wooden structures not only in furniture construction but also in traditional wooden architecture, especially in constructions without nails. This study was performed to determine the effects of particular factors such as the axis of assembly, types of material, and adhesive on the tensile performance of various modern and traditional types of wooden corner joints. For this purpose, various corner joint specimens were prepared with three different wooden materials: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris Lipsky) wood, Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra Lipsky) wood, and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) using two different adhesives: polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and polyurethane (Desmodur-VTKA) glues; and five different wooden joint types: dowel, tongue-and-groove, half-blind dovetail, screw, and eccentric screw joints. Tensile performance tests, vertical and parallel to the axis of assembly, were carried out according to ASTM D 1037 guidelines. Experiments indicated that, while the tensile performance of MDF specimen connected with a screw and PVAc adhesive was the highest under loading parallel to the axis of assembly (4592 N); it was the lowest under loading parallel to the axis of assembly in MDF specimen connected with tongue-and-groove joint and PVAc adhesive (260 N), respectively. As a result, it may be advantageous to apply screwed joints in corners for high tensile strength in parallel to the axis of the assembly., Kutni su spojevi kritične točke drvnih konstrukcija ne samo u proizvodnji namještaja nego i u tradicionalnoj drvnoj arhitekturi, posebice u konstrukcijama bez čavala. Ovo je istraživanje provedeno kako bi se utvrdili učinci specifičnih čimbenika kao što su os montaže, vrsta materijala i vrsta ljepila na vlačna svojstva različitih modernih i tradicionalnih vrsta drvnih kutnih spojeva. Za tu su svrhu pripremljeni različiti uzorci kutnih spojeva od tri vrste drvnog materijala: od drva bijelog bora (Pinus sylvestris Lipsky), drva lombardijske topole (Populus nigra Lipsky) i od srednje guste ploče vlaknatice (MDF), uz uporabu dvaju različitih ljepila: polivinilacetatnoga (PVAc) i poliuretanskoga (Desmodur-VTKA) te uz pet različitih vrsta drvnih spojeva: moždanika, pera i utora, poluzatvorenog lastina repa, vijka i ekscentra. Ispitivanja vlačnih svojstava okomito i paralelno s osi montaže provedena su u skladu s normom ASTM D 1037. Rezultati su pokazali da su najbolja vlačna svojstva MDF uzorka spojenoga vijkom i PVAc ljepilom pod opterećenjem paralelno s osi montaže (4592 N), a najlošijima su se pokazala vlačna svojstva MDF uzorka spojenoga perom i utorom te PVAc ljepilom pod opterećenjem paralelno s osi montaže (260 N). Prema tome, primjena vijaka u kutnim spojevima može biti dobar izbor za postizanje visoke vlačne čvrstoće paralelno s osi montaže.

The present study is based on the patent FR3052379A1, which consists of rolling and gluing green veneers to form structural size hollow tubes. The objective was to study the drying behavior of circular hollow tubes and investigate the method of crack detection using image correlation from green conditions to equilibrium moisture content. The manufactured tubes are composed of six plies. Three different configurations of global grain angle orientations with respect to the tube longitudinal axis are used: {0, 0, 0}°, {10, 0, 10}°, and {− 10, 0, 10}°. Each grain angle was made up of two plies. The tubes deformation and crack formation due to drying shrinkage were measured using a stereo digital image correlation system. The stereo correlation is suitable for measuring tangential shrinkage and studying the opening and/or closing of cracks on the surface of the tubes subjected to internal moisture variations and blocked deformations. The influence of grain angle was discussedin this paper; however, due to the very few numbers of samples, no conclusive findings can be made. The completion of this study was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Carnot Arts Institute. The authors also thank the Xylomat technical platform of the Xylomat scientific network financed by the ANR-10-EQPX-16 XYLOFOREST which was widely used to carry out this study.

Wood formation is controlled by transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) involving regulatory homeostasis determined by combinations of transcription factor (TF)-DNA and TF-TF interactions. Functions of TF-TF interactions in wood formation are still in the early stages of identification. PtrMYB074 is a woody dicot-specific TF in a TRN for wood formation in Populus trichocarpa. Here, using yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation, we conducted a genome-wide screening for PtrMYB074 interactors and identified 54 PtrMYB074-TF pairs. Of these pairs, 53 are novel. We focused on the PtrMYB074-PtrWRKY19 pair, the most highly expressed and xylem-specific interactor, and its direct transregulatory target, PtrbHLH186, the xylem-specific one of the pair's only two direct TF target genes. Using transient and CRISPR-mediated transgenesis in P. trichocarpa coupled with chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we demonstrated that PtrMYB074 is recruited by PtrWRKY19 and that the PtrMYB074-PtrWRKY19 dimers are required to transactive PtrbHLH186. Overexpressing PtrbHLH186 in P. trichocarpa resulted in retarded plant growth, increased guaiacyl lignin, a higher proportion of smaller stem vessels and strong drought-tolerant phenotypes. Knowledge of the PtrMYB074-PtrWRKY19-PtrbHLH186 regulation may help design genetic controls of optimal growth and wood formation to maximize beneficial wood properties while minimizing negative effects on growth.

The heterogeneity of horticultural substrates makes basic physical characteristics, such as total porosity and particle density, difficult to estimate. Due to the material source, inclusion of occluded pores, and hydrophobicity, particle density values reported from using liquid pyknometry, vary widely. Gas pycnometry was used to determine the particle density of coir, peat, perlite, pine bark, and wood substrates. Further precision was examined by gas species and separation by particle size. The calculated particle densities for each material determined by He, N2, and air were relatively constant and varied little despite the species of gas used. Particle size affected the measured particle density of perlite and pine bark but was minimal with coir, peat, and wood. Reducing the particle size removed more occluded pores and the measured particle density increased. Given the small variability, the use of particle density values obtained by gas pycnometry provides repeatable, precise measurements of substrate material total porosity.

Tree size shapes forest carbon dynamics and determines how trees interact with their environment, including a changing climate. Here, we conduct the first global analysis of among-site differences in how aboveground biomass stocks and fluxes are distributed with tree size. We analyzed repeat tree censuses from 25 large-scale (4-52 ha) forest plots spanning a broad climatic range over five continents to characterize how aboveground biomass, woody productivity, and woody mortality vary with tree diameter. We examined how the median, dispersion, and skewness of these size-related distributions vary with mean annual temperature and precipitation. In warmer forests, aboveground biomass, woody productivity, and woody mortality were more broadly distributed with respect to tree size. In warmer and wetter forests, aboveground biomass and woody productivity were more right skewed, with a long tail towards large trees. Small trees (1-10 cm diameter) contributed more to productivity and mortality than to biomass, highlighting the importance of including these trees in analyses of forest dynamics. Our findings provide an improved characterization of climate-driven forest differences in the size structure of aboveground biomass and dynamics of that biomass, as well as refined benchmarks for capturing climate influences in vegetation demographic models.

Tree species display a wide variety of water-use strategies, growth rates and capacity to tolerate drought. However, if we want to forecast species capacity to cope with increasing aridity and drought, we need to identify which measurable traits confer resilience to drought across species. Here, we use a global tree ring network (65 species; 1931 site series of ring-width indices-RWI) to evaluate the relationship of long-term growth-drought sensitivity (RWI-SPEI drought index relationship) and short-term growth response to extreme drought episodes (resistance, recovery and resilience indices) with functional traits related to leaf, wood and hydraulic properties. Furthermore, we assess the influence of climate (temperature, precipitation and climatic water deficit) on these trait-growth relationships. We found a close correspondence between the long-term relationship between RWI and SPEI and resistance and recovery of tree growth to severe drought episodes. Species displaying a stronger RWI-SPEI relationship to drought and low resistance and high recovery to extreme drought episodes tended to have a higher wood density (WD) and more negative leaf minimum water potential (Ψmin). Such associations were largely maintained when accounting for direct climate effects. Our results indicate that, at a cross-species level and global scale, wood and hydraulic functional traits explain species' growth responses to drought at short- and long-term scales. These trait-growth response relationships can improve our understanding of the cross-species capacity to withstand climate change and inform models to better predict drought effects on forest ecosystem dynamics.

Understanding the variations in plant traits across elevations may provide valuable insights into the species structure and function of forests and their responses to climate change. To explore the patterns of trait variation across elevations, we analysed 14 leaf and stem traits associated with resource acquisition and stress tolerance in Schima superba Gardner & Champion, Castanopsis chinensis (Sprengel) Hance, and Pinus massoniana Lambert trees at two elevations in a subtropical forest in southern China. Wood density increased, whereas crown width, leaf water potential at 0700 hours (ΨL-0700), and leaf δ18O decreased in high-elevation plants. Vessel diameter, daily maximum sap flux density, leaf δ13C, and leaf C and N concentrations per unit mass were comparable across elevations. We found species-specific variations in specific leaf area, midday leaf water potential, and leaf P concentration across elevations. Decreasing crown width with increasing elevation was associated with decreasing leaf δ18O and ΨL-0700, suggesting that higher stomatal conductance may moderate the loss of carbon assimilation. We elucidated the adaptive strategies of plants in response to environmental change, and showed that physiological traits varied in coordination with structural traits. Future studies incorporating multi-dimensional trait analyses can improve our understanding of the responses of forest ecosystems to climate change and global warming.

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data, the smart home has played a critical role in human life and smart cities, where large amounts of distributed sensors should be applied. Here, we report a natural wood-based triboelectric self-powered sensor (WTSS) for building the smart home system. Based on an effective and simple treatment strategy for natural wood, the WTSS shows superior sensitivity, flexibility, stability, and thinness. Owing to the extensive use of wood materials in home construction, the WTSS is integrated with household facilities and applied in three real-time human-machine interfaces, including a smart home control system, a smart password gate control system, and a smart floor monitoring system, with advantages of low cost, easy operation, and eco-friendliness. This work promotes the development of wood-based flexible electronics and shows potential applications in the construction of smart homes and future cities.

A bud bank is a pool of dormant meristems that enable plants to resprout after injury. While the bud bank on stem organs is established prior to injury as the stem grows, the bud bank on roots is considered at least partly formed as a response to disturbance events. To date, only woody species have been examined, and the establishment of reparative buds after injury without connection to the root vascular system has been confirmed; for herbs, no data are available. We tested whether root buds are formed spontaneously or induced after plant damage by studying root anatomy following plant injury in two congeneric perennial herbs. In a pot experiment with young plants of Inula britannica (root sprouter) and I. salicina (non-root sprouter), whole aboveground biomass was removed. Roots were sampled five times at 1-week intervals after disturbance events to evaluate bud occurrence and size, root and vessel diameters, sclerenchyma areas and carbohydrate storage. Compared to non-root-sprouting I. salicina, root-sprouting I. britannica presented more secondary thickening that was connected to adventitious bud formation and improved the root storage and transport capacity necessary for resprouting. Plant injury, in contrast to expectations, did not cause increased bud formation in I. britannica, and all buds were connected to the root vascular system. No root buds were observed in I. salicina. Our study implies that plants using bud banks on roots might depend on preformed buds. Comparative studies examining more species are needed to assess the generality of our findings.

The importance of plants as complex entities influenced by genomes of the associated microorganisms is now seen as a new source of variability for a more sustainable agriculture, also in the light of ongoing climate change. For this reason, we investigated through metatranscriptomics whether the taxa profile and behaviour of microbial communities associated with the wood of 20-year-old grapevine plants are influenced by the health status of the host. We report for the first time a metatranscriptome from a complex tissue in a real environment, highlighting that this approach is able to define the microbial community better than referenced transcriptomic approaches. In parallel, the use of total RNA enabled the identification of bacterial taxa in healthy samples that, once isolated from the original wood tissue, displayed potential biocontrol activities against a wood-degrading fungal taxon. Furthermore, we revealed an unprecedented high number of new viral entities (~120 new viral species among 180 identified) associated with a single and limited environment and with potential impact on the whole holobiont. Taken together, our results suggest a complex multitrophic interaction in which the viral community also plays a crucial role in raising new ecological questions for the exploitation of microbial-assisted sustainable agriculture.

PREMISE Wood density is a crucial plant functional trait related to plant strategies. Its ecological importance in small-stature growth forms (e.g., shrubs) has not been extensively examined. Given that hydraulic conduit dimensions vary positively with plant height and that there is a negative relationship between conduits' diameter and wood density, I hypothesize an also negative relationship between wood density and plant height. Knowing that bark and pith proportions are significant in small-diameter stems, I additionally disentangled the contribution of wood, bark and pith to stem density. METHODS I determined density in small-diameter stems across 153 species spanning all major angiosperm and gymnosperm orders by considering a diversity of growth forms (trees, treelets, shrubs, vines and hemiparasites). Stem cross-sections were dissected to consider density of wood with bark and pith (stem), wood with pith and without bark (barkless), wood with bark and no pith (pithless) and wood without bark and pith (wood only). Secondary growth was also measured. RESULTS Trees showed similar wood densities as non-self-supporting vines, and both of them showed significantly less dense wood than treelets, shrubs and hemiparasites. General comparisons resulted in that wood density was significantly denser than all other tissues' densities, and these differences did not depend on growth form. Wood density was significantly related to pith area proportions but not to growth rate or bark thickness proportion. CONCLUSIONS An implicit negative relationship between maximum plant height and stem density emerges as a property of plants likely linked to hydraulic conductive size. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Openmunicipal solid waste(MSW) dumpsites in India are significant hotspots of spontaneous fire and associated air and ground water pollution. Unscientific dumping of MSW poses a major threat to the surrounding environment and human health. One-year-old biodegradable waste components comprised of paper, cardboard, newspaper, textile, wood, grass leaves and coconut shell were analyzed for the determination of the moisture content (MC), smoldering temperature, ignition temperature, and ignition time. Principal component analysis of the old waste components revealed that cardboard, paper, newspaper and leaves are most susceptible waste components for spontaneous ignition. In contrast, MC was the most influential parameter for resulting changes in ignition temperature (

Extraction of natural resources through mining and logging activities provides revenue and employment across sub-Saharan Africa, a region with the highest burden of malaria globally. The extent to which mining and logging influence malaria transmission in Africa remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluate associations between mining, logging, and malaria in the high transmission setting of the Democratic Republic of the Congo using population-representative malaria survey results and geographic data for environmental features and mining and logging concessions. We find elevated malaria prevalence among individuals in rural areas exposed to mining; however, we also detect significant spatial confounding among locations. Upon correction, effect estimates for mining and logging shifted toward the null and we did not find sufficient evidence to detect an association with malaria. Our findings reveal a complex interplay between mining, logging, space, and malaria prevalence. While mining concessions alone may not drive the high prevalence, unobserved features of mining-exposed areas, such as human migration, changing vector populations, or parasite genetics, may instead be responsible.

Fungi play a significant role in wood fiber degradation since they possess enzymatic tools for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers. The study aims to demonstrate the interactive fungal traits when they grow together and its development with total dead wood fiber degradation speed. A lab experiment was designed to describe decomposition rates and fungal properties using nonlinear fitting model and logistic equation from preliminary data sets. The degradation speed of five (A, B, C, D, and E) different types of fungi with different growth rates were calculated at various relative humidity’s (35, 50, 65, 80, and 95 g.kg−). Results showed that the mycelium length of fungus A, has faster ideal growth rate than that of fungus B, with ecological niche width A

Eremanthus erythropappus hosts globoid stem galls induced by Neolasioptera sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) close to the stem apex, which do not compromise the shoot apical meristem (SAM). We hypothesize that maintenance of the SAM, as well as the increasing number of leaves per branch and of galled stem lengths and diameters, are a consequence of alterations in vascular cells and, consequently, in the priority for water flow from non-galled stems to the stem galls. Our study focuses on the globoid stem galls to evaluate if gall induction and development promote changes in structure and function of secondary xylem cells. Anatomical, cytological, histometric and physiological methods were used to analyse non-galled stem branches (NGS), mature globoid stem galls and stem portions below and above the galls. These analyses revealed that vessel elements are larger in stem galls and in stem portions above the galls. Under Neolasioptera sp. induction activity, the vascular cambium of E. erythropappus produces less numerous but larger vessel elements and overproduces parenchyma cells. Contrary to the vascular constriction hypothesis proposed for bacterial galls, the vascular traits of the Neolasioptera sp. stem galls on E. erythropappus result in priority for water flow to galls and the non-galled portions above the galls, allowing the maintenance of galled stem growth and development.

Preservative treatments increase the durability of wood, and one of the alternative treatments involves the use of chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Due to the toxicity of CCA, the disposal of CCA-treated wood residues is problematic, and burning is considered to provide a solution. The ecotoxicological potential of ash can be high when these components are toxic and mutagenic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and genotoxicity of bottom ash leachates originating from CCA-treated wood burning. Physical-chemical analysis of the leachates revealed that in treated wood ashes leachate (CCA-TWBAL), the contents of arsenic and chromium were 59.45 mg.L

Urban green areas are becoming increasingly recognized for their biodiversity potential. However, little is known about how urbanization shapes cryptic species communities, such as those residing in deadwood. In this study, we investigated downed Norway spruce trunks at intermediate stages of decay, in urban and semi-natural forests in southern Finland. To understand the interconnections between landscape context, deadwood characteristics and wood-inhabiting fungal communities, we studied structural characteristics, surface epiphyte cover and internal moisture and temperature conditions of the tree trunks, and fungal communities residing in the wood. Our findings showed that urban tree trunks had less epiphyte cover and lower moisture than trunks in semi-natural forests. Overall, urban forests provide less favourable habitats for a majority of the dominant wood-inhabiting fungal species and for red-listed species as a group. Yet, 33% of urban trunks hosted at least one red-listed species. While these landscape-scale effects may be driven by local climatic conditions as well as contingencies related to available species pools, our results also highlight the significance of substrate-scale variability of deadwood in shaping wood-inhabiting fungal communities. We show that epiphyte cover is a significant driver or indicator of these small-scale dynamic processes in deadwood.

Slurry fuels based on wood and coal processing and petroleum refinery waste are an environmentally friendly and economically feasible alternative to the conventional solid fuel-coal. As part of this experimental research, we compared a set of fuels (coal and coal-water slurries with and without petrochemicals) by normalizing and calculating the specific concentrations of pollutants from their combustion. The pollutant concentrations were normalized with respect to the mass of burnt fuel, the thermal energy released by combustion, specific mass emissions per unit time, specific maximum mass emissions, and specific mass emissions per 1 kg of fuel equivalent or 1 MJ of thermal energy. The key objective of this research was to develop a method for comparing composite fuels in terms of their relative environmental friendliness. As part of the research, coal combustion was notable for the peak emissions of gaseous pollutants irrespective of the fuel mass and combustion chamber temperature. When slurries were burnt, CO

Occurrence Gram-negative bacteria occur commonly in the inner tissues of stored coniferous and deciduous timber, showing a marked variation in numbers. The greatest maximal numbers are found in the sapwood of coniferous timber. The common constituents of the Gram-negative biota are potentially pathogenic species of Enterobacteriaceae family of the genera Rahnella, Pantoea, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella. The air of wood-processing facilities is polluted with the wood-borne Gram-negative bacteria and produced by them endotoxin, as demonstrated worldwide by numerous studies. Effects There are three potential pathways of the pathogenic impact of wood-borne Gram-negative bacteria on exposed woodworkers: allergic, immunotoxic, and infectious. Allergic impact has been underestimated for a long time with relation to Gram-negative bacteria. Hopefully, the recent demonstration of the first documented case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in woodworkers caused by Pantoea agglomerans which developed in extremely large quantities in birch sapwood, would speed up finding of new wood-related cases of HP caused by Gram-negative bacteria. The second pathway is associated with endotoxin, exerting strong immunotoxic (excessively immunostimulative) action. It has been demonstrated that endotoxin is released into wood dust in the form of nano-sized microvesicles, by peeling off the outer membrane of bacteria. Endotoxin microvesicles are easily inhaled by humans together with dust because of small dimensions and aerodynamic shape. Afterwards, they cause a nonspecific activation of lung macrophages, which release numerous inflammatory mediators causing an inflammatory lung reaction, chest tightness, fever, gas exchange disorders, and bronchospasm, without radiographic changes. The resulting disease is known as “Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome” or “toxic pneumonitis.” The potential third pathway of pathogenic impact is infection. The suspected species is Klebsiella pneumoniae that may occur commonly in wood dust; however, until now this pathway has not been confirmed. Conclusion Summarizing, Gram-negative bacteria-inhabiting timber should be considered, besides filamentous fungi and actinobacteria, as important risk factors of occupational disease in woodworkers that could be either HP with allergenic background or toxic pneumonitis elicited by endotoxin.

Being one of the most common wood in furniture and decoration, Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. (F. mandshurica) is a frequently used material for wood products. However, the resulting odor problem has not yet been solved so far. Thus, this study focused on exploring odor-active compounds and investigating the effect of environmental conditions on emission and odor attributes. F. mandshurica was studied via TD-GC-MS/O combined with microchamber. Totally, 15 kinds of key odor-active compounds were detected from F. mandshurica. The main odorous components were found to be aromatics, aldehydes and ketones, esters, alcohols and acids. Six kinds of attributes played a key role in the overall odor character of F. mandshurica. Fragrant was the predominant odor impressions, followed by vinegar and antiseptic solution. The proportion of the odor-active compounds concentration to total concentration decreased with an increase in the temperature and relative humidity, while the ratio of air exchange rate to the loading factor had little effect on this. The total concentration of F. mandshurica increased as the temperature and relative humidity increased, but these decreased as the ratio of air exchange rate to the loading factor increased, while the total odor intensity reduced with the rise in the ratio of air exchange rate to the loading factor. Time was found to be the most effective factor for eliminating emissions. Considering the environmental conditions in this study, 40 °C, 60% relative humidity and a 1.0 m

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones (PECs) are the principal constituents contributing to the distinctive fragrance of agarwood. How PECs are biosynthesized is currently unknown. In this work, we describe a diarylpentanoid-producing polyketide synthase (PECPS) identified from Aquilaria sinensis. Through biotransformation experiments using fluorine-labeled substrate, transient expression of PECPS in Nicotiana benthamiana, and knockdown of PECPS expression in A. sinensis calli, we demonstrate that the C6–C5–C6 scaffold of diarylpentanoid is the common precursor of PECs, and PECPS plays a crucial role in PECs biosynthesis. Crystal structure (1.98 Å) analyses and site-directed mutagenesis reveal that, due to its small active site cavity (247 Å3), PECPS employs a one-pot formation mechanism including a “diketide-CoA intermediate-released” step for the formation of the C6–C5–C6 scaffold. The identification of PECPS, the pivotal enzyme of PECs biosynthesis, provides insight into not only the feasibility of overproduction of pharmaceutically important PECs using metabolic engineering approaches, but also further exploration of how agarwood is formed., 2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones (PECs) contribute to the distinctive fragrance of agarwood. Here the authors identify a diarylpentanoid-producing polyketide synthase from Aquilaria sinensis and show how it catalyzes PEC formation.

Hierarchically cellular, stiff, and lightweight niobium carbide (NbC)-pyrolytic carbon (PyC) monolithic foam composites possessing excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) were developed via a natural wood template-based method. Pyrolytic carbon derived from the decomposed cellulose in the wood worked as the carbon source for the growth of NbC phase, and the NbC-PyC heterogeneous nano-interface formed between the residual PyC and the freshly formed NbC. Multi-loss mechanisms (e.g. conductive loss, dipole polarization loss, and especially interface polarization loss) were established by controlling the NbC content and residual PyC phase in the NbC-PyC foams, which significantly improved the absorption capability. Compared to 28.0 dB of PyC monolith, the EMI SE of NbC-PyC foam can reach 54.8 dB when the thickness is 0.5 mm, which outperforms the other porous-based shielding materials. Due to the highly porous structure of pristine wood, the resulting NbC-PyC foam exhibited a low density of 0.48 g/cm3, which is ~ 1/16 of dense NbC (7.78 g/cm3). Generally, this work introduces innovative ideas for designing novel and advanced transition metal carbide–carbon composite materials.

In this study, major factors involved in regulating ethanol production from wood by the saprotrophic white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 were investigated. P. sordida YK-624 produced ethanol from wood meal culture without the addition of any nutrients, and ethanol was produced from wood culture only when the oxygen concentration in headspace was reduced to ≤5%; thereafter, ethanol production ceased within a few days. Analyses of gene expression during aerobic incubation indicated that P. sordida simultaneously upregulates the glycolytic pathway from sugar uptake to pyruvate conversion during ethanol fermentation and suppresses pyruvate influx into the TCA cycle. Upon termination of ethanol fermentation, the expression of all tested genes was repressed, and the fungus ceased to grow. In contrast, the fungus could utilize ethanol for aerobic growth. These results suggest that ethanol fermentation by P. sordida functions as a short-term stress response system under anaerobic conditions during wood decay, enabling the fungus to rapidly resume growing when oxygen is supplied (e.g., following breakdown of plant cell walls or removal of the fungus from water immersion). This is the first report to describe the physiologic significance of ethanol fermentation in saprotrophic white-rot fungi.

This study aimed to test the hypothesis whether intrusive growth of initial cells is related to the increase in circumference of Robinia pseudoacacia vascular cambium—both qualitatively and quantitatively. The mode of intrusive growth of cambial initial cells was also studied. Samples collected from tree trunks were examined using series of semi-thin transverse sections. Anatomical reconstructions of radial and tangential planes of analysed fragments of cambial tissue were made. Observations and measurements have shown that the intrusive growth of R. pseudoacacia initial cells does not contribute to an increase in tangential dimension of observed tissue fragments where cell rearrangement occurs. Moreover, initially separated tangential walls of cells (between which cambial initial cell elongates intrusively) are transformed into obliquely oriented walls. These results stand in accordance with a statement that only symplastic growth of initials, not intrusive growth, is responsible for the increase in circumference in all woody plants with the continuous cambial cylinder. Moreover, we managed to capture the moment of transition of initial status from one cell to another for the first time. This phenomenon may be explained on the basis of the system of mechanical stresses operating not only in the secondary meristematic tissue but also in a whole plant organism.

Here, water-suspended smoke aerosol preparation was synthesized from biomass-based fuel, i.e., a widespread product for residential heating, wood sawdust (WP) (pine, poplar, and birch mixture), and its properties were compared in parallel experiments with the smoke preparation from plastics (PP). Molecular groups in the PM preparations were analyzed using Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. WP was assessed in neurotoxicity studies using rat cortex nerve terminals (synaptosomes). Generation of spontaneous and H2O2-evoked reactive oxygen species (ROS) detected using fluorescent dye 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein in nerve terminals was decreased by WP. In comparison with PP, WP demonstrated more pronounced reduction of spontaneous and H2O2-evoked ROS production. WP completely inhibited glutamate receptor agonist kainate-induced ROS production, thereby affecting the glutamate receptor-mediated signaling pathways. WP decreased the synaptosomal membrane potential in fluorimetric experiments and the synaptosomal transporter-mediated uptake of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, L-[14C]glutamate and [3H] γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), respectively. PP decreased the ambient synaptosomal level of [3H]GABA, whereas it did not change that of L-[14C]glutamate. Principal difference between WP and PP was found in their ability to influence the ambient synaptosomal level of [3H]GABA (an increase and decrease, respectively), thereby showing riskiness in mitigation of synaptic inhibition by PP and triggering development of neuropathology.

A schematic diagram of atmospheric pressure glow discharge mass spectrometry (APGD-MS) for hongmu detection.

Les na prostem je izpostavljen delovanju raznolikih dejavnikov razkroja, še posebno glivam. Nekatere lesne vrste so bolj odporne na glivni razkroj kot druge. V Kostanjevici na Krki že 60 let deluje forma viva, kjer so razstavljeni kipi, izdelani pretežno iz hrastovega lesa. Tanaka Eisaku, japonski kipar, je izdelal najstarejši kip z naslovom Japonski festival na prvi kostanjeviški Formi vivi leta 1961. Po 60 letih zunanje izpostavitve smo kip vizualno pregledali in ocenili njegovo stanje z uporabo rezistografa in vlagomera. Iz kipa smo izolirali nekaj vzorcev, jih preiskali s FTIR in XRF spektroskopijo, vzorcem določili gostoto s piknometrom GeoPyc in jih analizirali z lasersko in digitalno mikroskopijo. Na kipu je opaziti znake glivnega razkroja, izletne odprtine insektov in poškodbe zaradi delovanja ptic. Ocena razkrojenosti z rezistografom je pokazala, da je les razkrojen predvsem na čelih in v sredici. Poleg tega je na nekaj mestih močno razkrojena tudi beljava. Les je bil v zadnjih letih obdelan s površinskim premazom, po drugi strani v lesu ni bilo mogoče zaznati ostankov biocidov. V primeru, da želimo kip ohraniti zanamcem, ga je treba ustrezno konzervirati. Wood in outdoor applications is exposed to various decay factors, of which fungi are the most important. Some wood species are more resistant to fungal decay than others. Forma Viva in Kostanjevica has been exhibiting sculptures made mainly of oak wood for 60 years. The oldest sculpture is the work of Tanaka Eisaku entitled “Japanese Festival”. After 60 years, the condition of the sculpture was examined with a resistograph and a moisture metre. Several samples were isolated from the sculpture and examined with FTIR and XRF spectroscopy. The density of the samples was determined with GeoPyc and analysed in detail with laser and digital microscopy. Signs of fungal attack, as well as insect and bird damage can also be seen on the sculpture. The resistograph analysis showed that the wood is mainly decayed in the axial planes and in the core. In addition, the sapwood is severely decayed in some areas. The wood has been surface-coated in recent years however, there is no biocide residue in the wood. If the sculpture is to be preserved for posterity, it must be properly conserved.

Dead wood quantity and quality is important for forest biodiversity, by determining wood-inhabiting fungal assemblages. We therefore evaluated how fungal communities were regulated by stem traits and compartments (i.e. bark, outer- and inner wood) of 14 common temperate tree species. Fresh logs were incubated in a common garden experiment in a forest site in the Netherlands. After 1 and 4 years of decay, the fungal composition of different compartments was assessed using Internal Transcribed Spacer amplicon sequencing. We found that fungal alpha diversity differed significantly across tree species and stem compartments, with bark showing significantly higher fungal diversity than wood. Gymnosperms and Angiosperms hold different fungal communities, and distinct fungi were found between inner wood and other compartments. Stem traits showed significant afterlife effects on fungal communities; traits associated with accessibility (e.g. conduit diameter), stem chemistry (e.g. C, N, lignin) and physical defence (e.g. density) were important factors shaping fungal community structure in decaying stems. Overall, stem traits vary substantially across stem compartments and tree species, thus regulating fungal communities and the long-term carbon dynamics of dead trees.