Use of through-boring to improve CCA or ACZA treatment of refractory Douglas-fir and grand fir

Large quantities of smaller diameter materials are available in the overstocked forests of eastern Oregon and Washington, but the costs of removing these materials and the long distances from markets sharply reduce the potential of this resource. Failure to thin these forests will sharply increase the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires. One potential use for these materials is as treated fence posts. Unfortunately, the wood of many of the species in this region (inland Oregon and Washington) is highly resistant to conventional pressure treatment. In this report, we describe tests to improve treatment using combinations of ammoniacal-based preservatives and through-boring. Through- boring had little overall effect on treatment results, while the use of an ammoniacal-based system markedly improved treatment

Variations in Longitudinal Permeability of Coastal Western Hemlock

The air permeability of western hemlock from coastal forests in western Oregon was assessed. Permeability varied widely among trees, as well as by position within individual trees. Permeability tended to decrease with distance inward from the bark, a trend implying that this species produces a heartwood zone. These variations may help to explain the treatability differences observed in lumber of this species

Cu-Doped TiO2: Visible Light Assisted Photocatalytic Antimicrobial Activity

Surface contamination by microbes is a major public health concern. A damp environment is one of potential sources for microbe proliferation. Smart photocatalytic coatings on building surfaces using semiconductors like titania (TiO2) can effectively curb this growing threat. Metal-doped titania in anatase phase has been proven as a promising candidate for energy and environmental applications. In this present work, the antimicrobial efficacy of copper (Cu)-doped TiO2 (Cu-TiO2) was evaluated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) under visible light irradiation. Doping of a minute fraction of Cu (0.5 mol %) in TiO2 was carried out via sol-gel technique. Cu-TiO2 further calcined at various temperatures (in the range of 500⁻700 °C) to evaluate the thermal stability of TiO2 anatase phase. The physico-chemical properties of the samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV⁻visible spectroscopy techniques. XRD results revealed that the anatase phase of TiO2 was maintained well, up to 650 °C, by the Cu dopant. UV⁻vis results suggested that the visible light absorption property of Cu-TiO2 was enhanced and the band gap is reduced to 2.8 eV. Density functional theory (DFT) studies emphasize the introduction of Cu+ and Cu2+ ions by replacing Ti4+ ions in the TiO2 lattice, creating oxygen vacancies. These further promoted the photocatalytic efficiency. A significantly high bacterial inactivation (99.9999%) was attained in 30 min of visible light irradiation by Cu-TiO2

Preservative treatment of Scots pine and Norway spruce

The ability to treat Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) with oilborne copper-8-quinolinolate or with waterborne chromated copper arsenate, ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate, or ammoniacal copper quaternary was assessed using commercial treatment facilities in the Pacific Northwest. In general, Scots pine was more easily treated than was Norway spruce, although neither species could be treated to the standards of the American Wood-Preservers' Association for dimension lumber without incising. Treatment was better with ammonia-based solutions, reflecting the ability of these systems to overcome the effects of pit aspiration and encrustation, and their ability to swell the wood to improve permeability. The results indicate that successful treatment of both species will require the use of incising. In addition, further research will be required to identify suitable schedules for successfully treating Norway spruce with oilborne copper-8-quinolinolate

NASA's Constellation Program: Milestones Towards the Frontier

This slide presentation reviews the status and progress made in the Constellation Program's work towards the goal of lunar and Martian exploration flights. It includes views of the various components of the program, and reviews the status of the engine tests, and the development of the Ares I-X towards test launch, the Orion Crew Module, the launch abort system, and the ground operations facilities

Effect of high temperature drying on permeability and treatment of western hemlock lumber

The effect of drying conditions on gas permeability and preservative treatability was assessed on western hemlock lumber. Although there were no differences in gas permeability between lumber dried at conventional and high temperatures, there were differences in preservative penetration. High-temperature drying was associated with improved penetration of ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate and reduced penetration of chromated copper arsenate. The reasons for these effects are unclear.The published article is copyrighted by Forest Products Society and can be found at: http://www.forestprod.org/buy_publications/forest_products_journal.php.Keywords: high temperature drying, gas permeability, lumber, copper, preservative treatment, western hemloc

Characteristics of Global Health Careers among Graduates of a Global Health Equity Residency Training Program in the United States

Background: The number of global health (GH) physician training programs in the United States has increased in the past decade. Few studies have explored the demographics of individuals in these programs, the impact of global health training on career development, and specific factors associated with whether graduates achieve a career in global health. Objectives: We aimed to describe characteristics of program graduates and quantify which previously identified factors were associated with achieving a self-defined career in GH among a cohort of graduates from one GH post-graduate training program in a highly resourced academic medical center in the United States between 2003 and 2018. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey and analyzed differences between participants who self-identified as having a career in GH compared to those who did not. Findings: Among 59 individuals invited to participate, 53 (89.9%) responded to the survey. Having a GH mentor was associated with having a career in GH (OR 10.3; p = 0.004). Those who had a GH career were more likely to have a clearly-defined career path (p = 0.03), have institutional support in their current job (p = 0.00006), be able to manage the split between their GH and non-GH work (p = 0.0001), find funding to achieve their objectives in GH (p = 0.01), invest in their personal and family life (p = 0.05), and split work abroad and domestically with few challenges (p = 0.01). Conclusions: We present sociodemographic and career characteristics for graduates from a GH training program in a highly resourced academic medical center in the United States. Mentorship, institutional support, funding, ability to balance GH with non-GH work, and time spent domestically or abroad are key factors associated with successful careers in GH. If institutional funding is allocated to strengthen these aspects of GH training, we anticipate more sustained GH career development

Examining the Interface Between Substance Misuse and Intimate Partner Violence

There is considerable theoretical and empirical support for a link between substance misuse and perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence. This review briefly summarizes this literature and highlights current research that addresses the interface between treatment for substance abuse and intimate partner violence. Suggestions for future research and clinical implications are provided