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Nowadays, a significant increase in interest in renewable energy sources can be observed. Wind farms have been one of the solutions representing this trend for many years. One of the important elements of windmills is the blades. The data indicate that what to do with the blades after their use is a global problem, and so it is important to find a way to recycle them. Hence, this work aimed to use these blades in the production of wood-based materials. Two fractions of a fragmented blade were used for the tests: a small one and large one. Boards characterized by densities of 650 kg/m 3 and 700 kg/m 3 were produced, in which the assumed substitution of the wood material with a polymer was 20% or 40%. Mechanical properties such as bending strength (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bond strength (IB) were investigated. The 2S65 variant achieved the highest static bending strength and a modulus of elasticity of 2625 N/mm 2 . The second best result was noted for the 4S65 variant, which was significantly different from the 2S65 variant. In the case of the variants with a density of 700 kg/m 3 , no significant differences were found and their results were significantly lower. Moreover, research on thickness swelling (TS) after 24 h of immersion and water absorption (WA) were also conducted. The obtained results indicate that the manufactured boards are characterized by good physical and mechanical properties.

This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical properties determined in a 4-point bending test of beams made of lumber from which knots had been locally removed and the resulting loss replaced with sound wood. Three sets of beams were prepared, which differed in the number of layers/lamellas and the position of the lamellas from which edge knots were removed. All the lamellas used in the tests were subjected to a modulus of elasticity assessment. In addition to the distribution of defects, it determined the position of a given piece in the beam structure. The tests showed that high mechanical properties could characterise the beams produced in this way, i.e., a modulus of elasticity close to 12 kN/mm 2 and a strength above 40 N/mm 2 , if the lamellas without knots were located below the outer tension lamella. Significantly better results were obtained when PUR glue was used in the inserts rather than MUF. In this case, beams with an improved outer lamella in the tension zone using semi-circular inserts glued with PUR glue had an average strength of 34.6 N/mm 2 .

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of laminated beams containing selected wood species in the tension zone using a four-point bending test. Three beam types were manufactured with respect to the timber used in the tension zone, i.e., beams containing oak or beech timber of I and II quality class and pine timber with no defects (as defects had been removed). The manufactured beams were assessed with respect to bending strength and the modulus of elasticity. The obtained results were compared with the performance of BSH (Industrial beams GL made in Germany-Brettschichtholz) industrial beams. We concluded that beams made from pine timber are an appropriate alternative to spruce beams. The static bending strength of the beams made with hardwood faces was 70% higher than that of beams made with pine wood. All types of beams manufactured in the laboratory met the requirements of at least the GL24c class.

Glulam beams are increasingly used in the construction industry because of their high strength and the possibility of using round timber with smaller cross-sections. The load-bearing capacity of beams is strongly related to the quality of the outer layers and, in the case of wood, especially the tension zones. For these reasons, this study decided to replace the outer lamella with tensile plywood. The produced beams were subjected to static bending strength and modulus of elasticity evaluation. It was shown that the best static bending strength values were obtained for beams containing plywood in the tension layer. However, the change in structure in the tension zone of beams made of glued laminated timber results not only in an increase in the load capacity of elements produced in this way but also in a decrease in the range/range of the obtained results of bending strength. This way of modifying the construction of glued laminated beams allows a more rational use of available pine timber.

Numerous studies have shown that the geometry of micro-joints significantly affects the strength of the so joined timber element. The bending strength increases by creating a larger bonding area by increasing the length of the wedge joint. Although this type of joint has been successfully used for many years, it can still be troublesome to make. For these reasons, the present study investigated an easy-to-fabricate wedge joint, which we folded during the beams' formation and glued with the same adhesive as the individual lamellas. Although the research has not fully answered all the questions relevant to both scientific and technological curiosity, it indicates the great potential of this solution. Following the principle adopted in the ongoing wood optimisation work, we concluded that the beams of the target cross-section should be produced, and it should only be possible to cut them to a certain length. In this approach, we only removed defects at critical points for the beam structure and, in this way, up to 30% of the timber processed could be saved or better utilised.

The aim of this study was to assess the static bending strength of pine glulam manufactured when obtaining the main yield, i.e., structural timber or timber to be used in the production of structural glulam. Analyses were conducted on pine timber harvested from three different locations in Poland. Two beam variants were manufactured, differing in the timber arrangement, horizontal vs. vertical. It was shown that the static bending strength of beams manufactured in the vertical timber arrangement variant is slightly higher than that of beams produced from horizontally arranged layers, with the latter beams characterised by a smaller confidence interval for this strength. Moreover, it was found that the difference in the value of the 5th percentile for both beam types is slight and both beam types are considered to exhibit a high bending strength of over 40 N/mm 2 .

In this study, the possibility of using adhesives of natural origin for the manufacture of wood fiber-based lightweight panels was investigated. The boards, of a density ranging from 150 to 250 kg/m 3 , were glued together using commercial urea-formaldehyde resin (control board), solutions of rye flour and potato starch and two types of starch: oxidized and gelatinized. The density and density profile, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, acoustic properties and thermal conductivity were determined in the produced boards. These studies show that when food components are used as binding agents in the manufacture of lightweight wood fiberboards, the properties obtained can be comparable with those of commercial boards manufactured using synthetic agents.

The study analyzed potential applicability for asymmetric reinforcement of glulam beams using materials with a higher modulus of elasticity. Reinforcement elements included smooth and ribbed steel rods as well as basalt rods. These rods were placed only in the tensile zone, assuming that they will not only impart increased rigidity but first of all will reduce the scatter of bending strength values. What is significant, tests were conducted on timber with defects, as it is most commonly used in industrial practice. Analyses showed that this provides an increase in rigidity close to the assumed level. A significant increase in strength was observed. The manufactured beams reinforced with steel and basalt rods were characterized by mean bending strength amounting to 54 and 47 N/mm 2 , respectively. However, no significant improvement was found in the scatter of the observed variable. Beams reinforced with steel exhibit a 20% higher strength than unreinforced beams. The lower strength of beams reinforced with basalt bars may be related to the lower modulus of elasticity of the basalt itself.

The paper assessed the feasibility of manufacturing glued structural elements made of pine wood after grading it mechanically in a horizontal arrangement. It was assumed that the pine wood was not free of defects and that the outer lamellas would also be visually inspected. This would result in only rejecting items with large, rotten knots. Beams of the assumed grades GL32c, GL28c and GL24c were made of the examined pine wood. Our study indicated that the expected modulus of elasticity in bending was largely maintained by the designed beam models but that their strength was connected with the quality of the respective lamellas, rather than with their modulus of elasticity. On average, the bending strength of the beams was 44.6 MPa. The cause of their destruction was the individual technical quality of a given item of timber, which was loosely related to its modulus of elasticity, assessed in a bending test. Although the modulus of elasticity of the manufactured beam types differed quite significantly (11.45-14.08 kN/mm 2 ), the bending strength for all types was similar. Significant differences occurred only during a more detailed analysis because lower classes were characterized by a greater variation of the bending strength. In this case, beams with a strength of 24 MPa to 50 MPa appeared.

Gene therapy has become a promising technique for the treatment of cancer. Nevertheless, the success of gene therapy depends on the effectiveness of the vector. The challenge of a gene carrier is to deliver exogenous DNA from the site of administration into the nucleus of the appropriate target cell. Polymer-based vectors are biologically safe, have low production costs and are efficient tools for gene therapy. Although non-degradable polyplexes exhibit high gene expression levels, their application potential is limited due to their inability to be effectively eliminated, which results in cytotoxicity. The development of biodegradable polymers has allowed for high levels of transfection without cytotoxicity. For site-specific targeting of polyplexes, further modifications, such as incorporation of ligands, can be performed. Most expectations have been addressed to polyplexes architecture according it dynamic response with the microenvironment.