Particleboard made from remediated CCA-treated wood: Evaluation of panel properties

CCA-treated southern yellow pine (SYP) chips were remediated utilizing acid extraction alone, and using acid extraction followed by bioleaching with the metal-tolerant bacterium Bacillus licheniformis CC01. "Cleaned" chips were used to make particleboard (PB) with 10 percent urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin, and the PB samples were evaluated for internal bond (IB), modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rapture (MOR), thickness swell (TS), water absorption, and decay resistance. PB panels prepared from just acid-extracted chips and two-step remediated chips showed an average 22 and 28 percent reduction, respectively, in IB and 41 and 13 percent reduction, respectively, in MOR compared to values for PB prepared with untreated SYP chips. An 8 to 10 percent increase in MOE in the acid-extracted-chip PB and remediated-chip PB compared to the untreated-chip PB suggested densification of the fiber surface had occurred. Water absorption and TS after 24-hour submersion increased in PB prepared from acid-extracted and remediated chips (14% to 15%). Water absorption and TS were less (28% and 39%, respectively) for the acid-extracted-chip PB compared to the untreated-chip PB. Decay resistance was variable, with low weight losses (less than or equal to 5%) for all PB samples exposed to Postia placenta and weight losses ranging from 11 to 25 percent for untreated and remediated PB exposed to Gloeophyllum trabeum. We conclude that reduced MOR and IB seen in remediated PB are the result of residual oxalic acid either embrittling the fiber or interfering with UF resin adhesion. Results of this study indicate that properties of remediated PB are diminished when CCA-treated chips are exposed to oxalic acid even at low acid concentrations for limited amounts of time

A Strategic Engineering Management Approach to Innovation and Organizational Sustainability: An Addition to the Engineering Management Curriculum?

The Baldrige National Performance Excellence Criteria (2013 -2014)1 places increased emphasis on organizational sustainability in terms of societal, environmental, and financial impacts; and innovation as a discontinuous change in engineering designs and/or business models. Such concepts may become important considerations for engineering managers in today\u27s global marketplace. Engineering management educators may become a major player in transforming compliance with performance specifications into an enhanced competitive business advantage by offering a total systems approach to managing innovation while ensuring the long term viability of the business itself. Throughout this article the authors use the Baldrige definition of sustainability/ organizational sustainability as cited above. However, from the Engineering Management perspective care must be taken to acknowledge that sustainability in the engineering profession often focuses on the environmental component of the triple bottom line as is true for leadership in energy and environmental design . The business literature often speaks of a sustainable competitive advantage underscoring the marketing and financial aspects. The total systems approach suggested in this article takes a strategic engineering approach to conducting trade-offs to determine impacts of alternative strategies that might place different levels of importance on the components of sustainability given in the Baldridge definition. The applied research presented in this paper provides a conceptual framework for translating strategy into implementation results via a modified Plan - Do - Check - Act Shewhart / Deming improvement opportunity identification and corrective action closed loop management cycle. The framework given in Figure 1 has proven effective in introducing discontinuous innovations in an engineering technology business and has three best practices embedded that have enhanced internal efficiencies as well. This framework may also make a contribution to those in higher education faced with the challenge of reforming engineering education in the Engineering Management curriculum. Engineering design has always involved innovation. However, from a management perspective, the creative step in the process requires a combination of business and engineering skills in order to create value that a customer is willing to pay a premium to receive. With today\u27s demands placed upon the engineering curriculum, little room is available for additional courses. Therefore, ways to embed these business and technology issues into our current engineering management courses could result in significant benefits. This paper also provides a practical example of one organization\u27s transformation from an electrical power distribution organization that expanded their customer provided services to include Internet, telephone and cable services over a fiber optic network through the systematic and simultaneous implementation of innovation and organizational sustainability principles. Of their almost 33,000 electric customers, over 14,000 also purchase one or more of the fiber optic offerings and the company is operating this business segment in the black. Now the organization continues to explore smart grid approaches to improve reliability and level electrical power system load demands

Stroke-like encephalopathy in an infant with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A lyase deficiency

A 2.5-year-old boy presented with acute metabolic decompensation in whom 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) lyase deficiency was diagnosed. Four days after metabolic decompensation, a stroke-like encephalopathy with tonic clonic convulsion of the left arm and leg and coma developed. Brain oedema and subsequent demarcation and atrophy were observed mainly within the supply areas of the right anterior and middle cerebral artery and to a lesser extent in various sites within the right hemisphere. Residual neurological deficits included spastic paresis of the left arm and leg. and left supranuclear facial palsy and aphasia, indicating bilateral diffuse brain affection. CONCLUSION: In the presented patient with HMG-CoA lyase deficiency, stroke-like encephalopathy occurred days after metabolic decompensation indicating ongoing (intracerebral) metabolic derangement. Monitoring of the intracerebral accumulation of toxic metabolites by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and of cerebral haemodynamics might be useful for a better understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of stroke-like encephalopathy and to identify patients at ris