Improvement of the weathering resistance of wood /polyethylene composite using carbamate derivatives (IPBC) and Thiabendazole preservative materials

Poplar wood flour was spray treated with two preservative materials, (Thiabendazole or Carbamate derivatives (IPBC) with concentration of 0.9%) and then the wood/polyethylene composite samples with the composition of 60% wood, 38% polyethylene and 2% coupling agent were manufactured. The treated composite and control samples were exposed to weathering for 5 months using ASTM D1435 standard test method and the structural changes of the samples were analyzed using SEM microscopy. The roughness of WPCs was measured by roughness measuring device (Miyutoyo SJ 201P) before and after weathering. The SEM images showed that the highest surface changes due to weathering occurred in untreated samples. Both preservatives improved the weathering resistance of treated WPC. The differences in the roughness values root mean square roughness (Rq), mean peak-to-valley height (Rz) and average roughness (Ra)  before and after weathering were measured as 7.93, 38 and 4.88µm for control samples, 1.65, 21.7 and 42.2 µm for Thiabendazole-treated and 1.2, 1.5 and 0.79 µm for IPBC-treated samples, respectively. Both preservative materials significantly improved the weathering resistance of WPCs

Tilted Arch; Implementation of Additive Manufacturing and Bio-Welding of Mycelium-Based Composites

Bio-based materials have found their way to the design and fabrication in the architectural context in recent years. Fungi-based materials, especially mycelium-based composites, are a group of these materials of growing interest among scholars due to their light weight, compostable and regenerative features. However, after about a decade of introducing this material to the architectural community, the proper ways of design and fabrication with this material are still under investigation. In this paper, we tried to integrate the material properties of mycelium-based composites with computational design and digital fabrication methods to offer a promising method of construction. Regarding different characteristics of the material, we found additive manufacturing parallel to bio-welding is an appropriate fabrication method. To show the feasibility of the proposed method, we manufactured a small-scale prototype, a tilted arch, made of extruded biomass bound with bio-welding. The project is described in the paper

Effect of wetwood and blue stain (Ceratocystis spp.) on the drying rate and fluid transport coefficients of poplar (P. nigra)

In this research, the effect of wetwood and blue stain on the drying rate and fluid transport coefficients of poplar (P. nigra) was evaluated. For this purpose, five boards with dimensions of 150 × 35 × 45 mm were cut from wet‌ wood, normal ‌wood and stained -wood areas of freshly cut lumbers in Taleghan region and then dried to the final moisture content of 8 percent inside a laboratory dryer at temperature of 50 °C, relative humidity of 60% and air velocity of 1 m/s. Overall, drying time was 120 h. After drying, the transverse permeability and diffusion coefficients were measured. The results showed that the wetwood had no decreasing effect on the drying rate of poplar wood; however, it reached to the final moisture content slower due to higher initial moisture content. َAlso, the wetwood had no significant effect on the transverse permeability but reduced the diffusion coefficient. In contrast to the wetwood effects, the drying rate, permeability and diffusion coefficients were increased due to the blue stain

Non-viable sperm in the ejaculate: Lethal escorts for Contemporary viable sperm

Non-viable sperm ("dead sperm") are present invariable numbers in mammalian ejaculates and their number increase substantially when semen is stored, particularly cryopreserved. This review comparatively highlights, with experimental data in porcine, the role-played by non-viable sperm in the outcome of semen used in assisted reproductive technologies. As well, the review discusses our current understanding of their origin and the pathways involved when their large numbers negative influence the functional lifespan of contemporary viable sperm to eventually cause irreversible dysfunction that reduces their fertility potential and their ability to develop healthy embryos. Finally, it highlights procedures currently available to mitigate these harmful effects. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Funding Agencies|European Regional Development Fund; Spanish Government (MINECO-FEDER) [AGL2012-39903, MINECO AGL2015-69738-R]; Seneca Foundation of Murcia [19892/GERM/15]; Swedish Research Council VR, Stockholm, Sweden [2011-6353]; Swedish Research Council FORMAS, Stockholm, Sweden [2011-512]; Swedish Research Council FORSS, Stockholm, Sweden [312971]</p