An Investigation of Fluid Water Movement in Birch during Drying through Variation of Wood Sap Surface Tension and Initial Average Moisture Content.

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The influence of sitting posture on mechanics and metabolic energy requirements during sit-skiing: a case report

Several different sitting postures are used in Paralympic cross-country sit-skiing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of sitting posture on physiological and mechanical variables during steady-state double-poling sit-skiing, as well as to determine how seat design can be improved for athletes without sufficient trunk control. Employing a novel, custom-designed seat, three trunk positions were tested while performing double-poling with submaximal oxygen consumption on an ergometer. Cycle kinematics, pole forces, and oxygen consumption were monitored. The athlete performed best, with longer cycle length and less pronounced metabolic responses, when kneeling with the trunk resting on a frontal support. For this case, a forward leaning trunk with knees below the hip joint was interpreted as most optimal, as it showed lower oxygen consumption and related parameters of performance during cross-country sit-skiing. Further investigations should examine whether such improvement is dependent on the level of the athlete’s handicap, as well as whether it is also seen on snow.</p

Astroturf seed traps for studying hydrochory

1. Astroturf mats can effectively trap diaspores dispersed by tidal water. 2. Within four tidal inundations, up to 745 propagules per m(2) and between three and eight different species per astroturf mat were trapped. Overall, 15 different species were collected on the astroturf mats, 10 of which were also present in the local vegetation. The other five species must have come from further away, making the method also suitable for studying long-distance dispersal. 3. The seed-retaining ability of the astroturf did not differ significantly for species with different seed characteristics. 4. The method will be useful for assessing actual seed dispersal at specific sites and over specific periods of time, and has particular relevance in predicting and evaluating the success of ecological restoration projects

Macro- and Micromechanical Behavior of 316LN Lattice Structures Manufactured by Electron Beam Melting

This work focuses on the possibility of processing stainless steel 316LN powder into lightweight structures using electron beam melting and investigates mechanical and microstructural properties in the material of processed components. Lattice structures conforming to ISO13314:2011 were manufactured using varying process parameters. Microstructure was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Compression testing was used to understand the effect of process parameters on the lattice mechanical properties, and nanoindentation was used to determine the material hardness. Lattices manufactured from 316L using EBM show smooth compression characteristics without collapsing layers and shear planes. The material has uniform hardness in strut shear planes, a microstructure resembling that of solid 316LN material but with significantly finer grain size, although slightly coarser sub-grain size. Grains appear to be growing along the lattice struts (e.g., along the heat transfer direction) and not in the build direction. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis reveals boundary precipitates with increased levels of chromium, molybdenum and silicon. Studies clearly show that the 316LN grains in the material microstructure are elongated along the dominating heat transfer paths, which may or may not coincide with the build direction. Lattices made from a relatively ductile material, like 316LN, are much less susceptible to catastrophic collapse and show an extended range of elastic and plastic deformation. Tests indicate that EBM process for 316LN is stable allowing for both solid and lightweight (lattice) structures