Wooden Rods Research Articles

Split wooden rods for novel wood-based boards in the construction sector

Wood has been utilized as a building material for thousands of years. Nowadays, its renewable nature and carbon-storing capacity can become important factors in climate change mitigation efforts. This has led to a resurgence of timber engineering in recent years, with impressive multi-story timber buildings worldwide. However, it should not be overlooked that the wood sector will face several challenges in the coming years and decades to pave the way to a leading role of wood in the desired transition toward bioeconomy. Based on the assumption that an increasing demand for wood will make it a more precious resource, a couple of strains will emerge across the entire value chain of wood processing. This calls for innovations to address issues arising from predicted changes in resource provision, to increase material yields, and to promote reuse after the end of life. Our conceptual article proposes a new wood separation and processing method. This approach is inspired by the well-known production of wood shingles and is currently being developed for the implementation of new wood-based products.

Dual sustainability of rGO/CuCoO2 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial insights

New growth and photocatalytic activity of CuCoO2 and rGO/CuCoO2 nanocomposites were demonstrated for model organic pollutant (dye) and antibacterial studies. The rGO/CuCoO2 nanocomposites were designed by hydrothermal technique. CuCoO2 and rGO/CuCoO2 materials were investigated and characterized by several instrumental techniques like FT-IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), DRS-UV Visible spectroscopy, HRTEM, FESEM analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and BET investigations. XRD confirmed the CuCoO2 cubic phase structure. It seems to have been evaluated for FT-IR and the Raman results were better than anything else that should be satisfied. Hence, Cu–O or Co-O (M−O−M) modes were confirmed peaks at 400 to 900 cm−1. We proposed CuCoO2 and rGO/CuCoO2 ((25/75), (50/50) & (75/25)) composite materials band gap energies at 2.8 eV to 2.0 eV. So, these results are also one of the benefits in the application area. A Sedum morganianum Burrito − Burro’s plant’s tail-like morphology was obtained in the pure CuCoO2 materials, and different weight percentages of rGO composites were also identified in FESEM-analysis as wood fungi, rods, and sheets-like structures. The rGO/CuCoO2 sheet-like morphology was confirmed by HRTEM measurements. The elemental composition of materials was investigated by EDX spectroscopy. We can prepare to suggest that the synthesis potential in the prepared matter is tbepensumed Bache formulation and much less explored, first-time declared phases and novelty of the synthetic designs, new morphologies, and bandgap energies. The synthesized rGO/CuCoO2 materials were achieved by 94 % Methylene blue (MB) dye degradation in photocatalytic applications, in which case composites were more efficient with environment-friendly when compared to CuCoO2 nanoparticles. The role of the rGO composite can be divided into three different principles such as absorbance, charge separator, and photosensitizer. This rGO material can reflect a big absorption capacity depending on the dye to rGO, with parallelly obeyed for π-π interactions. Hence, it’s favored for catalytic improvement. Secondly, rGO degradation was improved to the charge separation and may be foiling for the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Finally, transform their wide bandgap semiconductor into the catalyst to facilitate parameters. The rGO/CuCoO2 composite materials have performed well in reusability and radical abilities. The antimicrobial activity of the CuCoO2 nanoparticle was investigated on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus &Enterococcus faecalis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli &Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strain. As promised rGO/CuCoO2 and CuCoO2 materials were examined for better degradation activities and antibacterial activities. Antibacterial efficacy studies play a major innovative role in the present work and have not been previously published. Hence, we have selected this kind of material.

Functional mapping of the somatosensory cortex using noninvasive fMRI and touch in awake dogs.

Dogs are increasingly used as a model for neuroscience due to their ability to undergo functional MRI fully awake and unrestrained, after extensive behavioral training. Still, we know rather little about dogs' basic functional neuroanatomy, including how basic perceptual and motor functions are localized in their brains. This is a major shortcoming in interpreting activations obtained in dog fMRI. The aim of this preregistered study was to localize areas associated with somatosensory processing. To this end, we touched N = 22 dogs undergoing fMRI scanning on their left and right flanks using a wooden rod. We identified activation in anatomically defined primary and secondary somatosensory areas (SI and SII), lateralized to the contralateral hemisphere depending on the side of touch, and importantly also activation beyond SI and SII, in the cingulate cortex, right cerebellum and vermis, and the sylvian gyri. These activations may partly relate to motor control (cerebellum, cingulate), but also potentially to higher-order cognitive processing of somatosensory stimuli (rostral sylvian gyri), and the affective aspects of the stimulation (cingulate). We also found evidence for individual side biases in a vast majority of dogs in our sample, pointing at functional lateralization of somatosensory processing. These findings not only provide further evidence that fMRI is suited to localize neuro-cognitive processing in dogs, but also expand our understanding of in vivo touch processing in mammals, beyond classically defined primary and secondary somatosensory cortices.

Drought Differently Modifies Tolerance and Metal Uptake in Zn- or Cu-Treated Male and Female Salix × fragilis L.

The aim of this study was to determine the tolerance to metals (Zn, Cu) and drought of male and female Salix × fragilis L. under isolated and combined treatments, and to assess the metal uptake and profiling of metabolic plant responses. The 14-day experiment was performed in a hydroponic system, and metals were applied at 1.5 mM in a Knop’s solution. Drought simulation was achieved by adding sorbitol at a moderate level (200 mM). Isolated Zn treatment enhanced plant growth, more pronouncedly in females. Equimolar Cu treatment caused diverse reactions, and females exhibited significantly higher tolerance. Male specimens were less tolerant to isolated drought and to combined drought and metal presence. The highest contents of Cu and Zn were found in roots, compared to the aboveground tissues (wooden rods and leaves), of both female and male metal-treated plants. Simultaneously applied drought limited Zn accumulation in roots and elevated its translocation to leaves while increasing Cu accumulation, predominantly in females showing higher tolerance. Both isolated and combined drought and metals reduced leaf water content, caused the allocation of mineral nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, and Na), and affected metabolism in a stressor-specific and sex-dependent manner. For males, Cu accumulation in the leaves was significantly correlated with the majority of metabolites, while for both sexes, kaempferol and salicylic acid were strongly correlated, indicating their role in tolerance against the metal. The obtained results are an excellent starting point for the practical use of male and female Salix × fragilis L. in areas heavily polluted with Cu or Zn and exposed to drought, for the purpose of their recultivation.

Transfer of Recalibration in Perceiving Surface Distance With a Haptic Sensory Substitution Device

Studies have shown that, to a large extent, performance of a given perceptual task is independent of the specific sensitivities of the anatomical components used to perform that task. Consequently, the object of calibration—what it is that people become calibrated to when performing a given perceptual task—may be likewise independent of the specific sensitivities of the anatomical components used to perform that task. The experiment reported here used a transfer of calibration paradigm to investigate this hypothesis as well as the more specific hypothesis that the object of calibration is independent of the sensitivity of a given anatomical component to the particulars of a given energy form. In a pretest and posttest, participants perceived the distance of an occluded surface by two different modalities—by exploring that surface with a wooden rod and by doing so with and Enactive Torch, a vibrotactile sensory-substitution device. In a practice session, we manipulated which modality participants used to perform this task (Rod or Enactive Torch) and whether feedback about performance was provided. We found that, when feedback was provided during the practice session, recalibration of perception of surface distance transferred from the rod to the Enactive Torch, and vice versa. This pattern of results is consistent with the hypothesis that the object of calibration in this perceptual task is (potentially) independent of the particular form of mechanical energy generated when exploring the surface.

Public health promotion of COVID-19 vaccination to rural consumers: synthesising the role of social media and religious belief systems

PurposeThe main purpose of the study was to synthesise the role of COVID-19 social media messages and indigenous religious beliefs on public health promotion initiatives among rural consumers in Zimbabwe.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted. Population consisting of 15 interviews and six focus groups was purposively sampled from Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo provinces in Zimbabwe. A thematic approach was used to present and analyse the data.FindingsRural consumers believed WhatsApp messages posted by people whom they know or influential personnel like health workers. Credibility of WhatsApp messages was enhanced through its ability to send videos and audios. Teachings and indoctrination by indigenous churches and misinformation were found to be an impediment in believing COVID-19 WhatsApp messages and vaccination by rural consumers. Faith healers in indigenous churches used various practices and artefacts like holy water, stone pebbles, clay pots, flags and wooden rods to pray and treat patients suffering from COVID-19 and other ailments.Practical implicationsSocial media messages, religious teachings and indoctrination may be a hindrance to rural consumers in adopting government public health promotion initiatives; hence, public health professionals need prior emic understanding and co-option of local leadership in vaccination campaigns.Originality/valueThis study outstretches the theoretical landscape in consumer behaviour and also practical contribution to health practitioners and marketers on breaking indigenous religious barriers and social media misconceptions on vaccination uptake through promotional strategies earmarked for rural consumers.

A Case Report On Dandalasaka W.S.R. To Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is one among the spondyloarthropathies which comprise of a set of inflammatory diseases. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterised by a chronic inflammatory arthritis predominantly affecting the sacroiliac joints and spine, which can progress to bony fusion of the spine. The cardinal feature is low back pain and early morning stiffness with radiation to the buttocks or posterior thighs.1 Symptoms are exacerbated by inactivity and relieved by movement. In Ayurveda, we can consider it as Dandalasaka,2 which is an extension of alasaka where in the extremely vitiated doshas go in tiryag gati(oblique direction) as the other passages are blocked by aggravated ama resulting in causing the body to become rigid like a wooden rod. We present a case of AS which was treated with Panchakarma procedures to relieve the symptoms and to reduce severity of the disease.

The Physical Pendulum: An Illustrative Teaching Laboratory Example Using a Long Rod

Here, a relatively simple laboratory experiment of a physical pendulum, suitable for students of science and engineering in the first courses of university physics, is presented to illustrate its dynamic behavior and to determine its inertia moment. To this end, a long wooden rod of length L = 99.8 cm and cross-section radius R = 1.73 cm was used as the physical pendulum. The period of oscillation was measured as a function of the distance from the rotation axis to the center of mass. It is shown that the oscillation period is a superposition of two contributions, namely, a linear and a hyperbolic function, which has a minimum at the distance hmin=I0/M, where I0 is the moment of inertia of the rod about the rotation axis at its center of mass, and M is its mass. It is further shown that this quantity is independent of mass for all bodies of constant density, and a numerical method is applied to obtain the moment of inertia of the rod. Results obtained from a laboratory experiment agree with the expected one within 4%.

The effects of dispersion on time-of-flight acoustic velocity measurements in a wooden rod

The stiffness of wood can be estimated from the acoustic velocity in the longitudinal direction. Studies have reported that stiffness measurements obtained using time-of-flight acoustic velocity measurements are overestimated compared to those obtained using the acoustic resonance and bending test methods. More research is needed to understand what is causing this phenomenon. In this work, amplitude threshold time-of-flight, resonance, and guided wave measurements are performed on wooden and aluminium rods. Using guided wave theory, it is shown through simulations and experimental results that dispersion causes an overestimation of time-of-flight measurements. This overestimation was able to be mitigated using dispersion compensation. However, other guided wave techniques could potentially be used to obtain improved measurements.

Degradation of wood buried in soils exposed to artificially lowered groundwater levels in a laboratory setting

Service life of wooden foundation piles could be at risk during modern urban construction work, as local groundwater conditions might change and cause increased degradation of nearby buried wood material. Maintaining a high groundwater level has been linked to good preservation conditions, but detailed studies on the effect of lowering the water level have not yet been performed. In this unique designed laboratory study, we explore how reduced water levels affect degradation rates of wood rods embedded in clay soil. In clay columns, effects of reduced water levels (30 cm, 60 cm) and fluctuating water levels (0–60 cm) were investigated at three levels (−5 cm, −30 cm, −55 cm). Two controls were included, one with no water reduction and one with sand soil. Redox potential was measured regularly at the three levels, and soil moisture was measured at start and end of experiment (12 months). Results showed that lowering water levels generally increased wood degradation. Decay took place almost exclusively by soft rot fungi and was highest at −5 cm below soil surface. At −55 cm depth and −400 mV redox potential, scarcely any decay was observed. Desiccation was highest in sand and in clay with −60 cm water reduction, and any decay process here had stopped. Surprisingly, fluctuating water level generated equally low decay rates as a high stable water level. Covered soil surfaces yielded less degradation and the effect was even comparable to that of a maintained high groundwater level. Protecting soils against desiccation could thus keep wood degradation at a minimum at open-air excavations. More experiments are needed to determine long-term effects and threshold values for decay in relation to redox potential.

Investigation of forced flow orientations on the burning behaviours of wooden rods using a synchronised multi-imaging system

The burning behaviour of a wooden rod under various forced flow conditions was investigated by employing a synchronised multi-imaging system integrating visible wavelength, short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), and Schlieren techniques. The wood samples were fixed horizontally and at an inclined angle to study the effect of the surface orientation under forced flow. A small-scale wind tunnel was developed to supply three types of forced flow: concurrent, opposed and cross flow. Each imaging technique helps to gain different physical insights of different aspects of the phenomenon. The combined data provides a comprehensive understanding of the flow effect on fire propagation. It was found that the forced flow strongly influences the often-invisible hot gas flow surrounding the burning rod. The heat feedback from the attached hot flow layer helped to maintain the surface temperature, which further influenced the burning behaviour. The mechanisms that the various flow orientation caused, affected the heated gas differently. Additionally, a method was proposed to monitor the burning process, which used thermal imaging to quantitatively calculate the area of pyrolysis zone on the surface. With the visualisation of the Schlieren images at the critical timings, it was found the thick hot gas flow underneath the wooden rod was a crucial factor that determined the intensity of burning, which may provide important guidance on effective wooden beam fire suppression and control.

Investigating the effect of drumstick diameter on drum sound level

Acoustic drum sets typically generate high sound levels when played. Over decades, players have developed numerous techniques and manufacturers have created various products to reduce sound levels. Many of these approaches and products not only lower sound levels but also alter the drum sound, which can impact sound quality for the drummer and listener. For example, multi-rods, a collection of wooden rods wrapped together, have been created as a quieter "alternative" to traditional drumsticks. Perceptively, multi-rods do not replicate the sound of a drumstick, however, creating their own unique sound and vibe. The same can be said for brushes, a collection of retractable metal bristles held together by a hollow case. Reducing the diameter of a traditional drumstick design may generate lower sound levels while maintaining a traditional drum sound. This study investigates the effect on sound level due to changes in drumstick diameter.

“El Viudo De Pescado”

“El Viudo De Pescado”

THE HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS FOR VEGETATIVE CHANNEL WITH GRAVEL BED DUNES

Aquatic plants are known to provide flow resistance and impact the turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy within the vegetated area. This paper further investigates the impact of both vegetation and dunes in open channels to the hydrodynamic characteristic of flow. Emergent vegetations were built from rigid wooden rod in staggered arrangement with 0.5% vegetations density were applied in the flume. Experiments were conducted with flow rate of 0.0058 m3/s throughout the experiments. Dunes were constructed from gravel of 2 mm size diameter in the shape of standing waves of three different lee slope angles of 3⁰, 6⁰ and 9⁰. Flow velocities are measured by using a velocimeter to get the raw data for the three-dimensional flow velocity in the x, y, and z directions. The velocities data were then analysed to calculate the mean velocity, turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy. Experimental results showed that, for all three lee slope angles presented higher flow velocity in the vegetated channel compared to the non-vegetated channel. It was also found that greater lee slope angle dunes generate higher velocity for both channels with and without vegetation. Higher turbulence intensity can be found near the bed area and greater turbulence intensity also shown in the positive slope of a dunes compared to negative slope area. Higher turbulent kinetic energy values were recorded within the vegetated channel compared to the non-vegetated channels.

Late prehistoric period fired clay objects and zoomorphic figurines in the eastern Powder River Basin of Wyoming

Excavation of Late Prehistoric period sites in the eastern Powder Basin of Wyoming has uncovered broken fired clay zoomorphic figurines and fired clay objects. Fired clay figurines and objects in association with a local manifestation referred to as the Thunder Basin phase first appear around AD 600. Shortly after AD 1000 the local use of small diameter cylindrical pit hearths/ovens ceased along with the manufacture of fired clay objects including figurines. Fired clay objects and figurines have been recovered from 15 of the 29 Late Prehistoric period Thunder Basin phase sites excavated to date. The sites are in a 24 km north to south by 25 km east to west area. Complexity of how the fired clay objects and figurines are made varies from simple forming from a lump to modeling around wooden rods that range from 1 to 9 mm in diameter. Some objects retain the charred remains of these rods. The fired clay objects are placed in five categories: zoomorphic heads, zoomorphic snouts or beaks, zoomorphic bodies, cylinders, and lumps.

Human–Robot Collaboration in 3D via Force Myography Based Interactive Force Estimations Using Cross-Domain Generalization

In this study, human robot collaboration (HRC) via force myography (FMG) bio-signal was investigated. Interactive hand force was estimated during moving a wooden rod in 3D with a Kuka robot. A baseline FMG-based deep convolutional neural network (FMG-DCNN) model could moderately estimate applied forces during the HRC task. Model performance can be improved with additional training data; however, collection of it was impractical and time-consuming. Available long-term multiple source data (32 feature spaces) during human robot interaction (HRI) with a linear robot collected over a long time period might be useful. Therefore, we explored a cross-domain generalization (CDG) technique that allowed pretraining a model to transfer knowledge between two unrelated source (2D-HRI) and target data (3D-HRC) for the first time. An FMG-based transfer learning with CDG (TL-CDG) model trained with these multiple source domains was examined in estimating applied forces from 16-channel FMG data during interactions with the Kuka robot. Two target scenarios were evaluated: <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">case</i> <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$i$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) collaborative task of moving the wooden rod in 3D, and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">case ii)</i> grasping interactions in 1D. In both cases, few calibration data finetuned the TL-CDG model and improved recognizing out-of-domain target data (case i: <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{R}^{2}\approx 60$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -63%, and case ii: <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{R}^{2}\approx 79$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -87%) compared to the baseline FMG-DCNN model. Hence, cross-domain generalization could be useful in platform-independent FMG-based HRI applications.

Investigation into wind effects on fire spread on inclined wooden rods by multi-spectrum and schlieren imaging

A combined imaging system that can monitor the visible flame, invisible hot flow, flame temperature and surface temperature was developed to investigate the combustion of wooden rods inclined at 30° under forced air flow. A micro wind tunnel is designed to generate the forced air flow that is at an angle with the fire rod. It is found that a low-speed air flow can enhance the combustion of the burning lifetime and charring rate, while a high wind speed can decrease the intensity of combustion. There were three aspects that were found to influence the burning and spreading of the fire: 1. The effect of flame temperature; 2. The temperature change of the wooden surface; 3. The effect of the flow field around the burning rods, particularly for the flow field underneath the rod surface. The statistics and visualisation have enhanced the understanding of the mechanisms of wood combustion in a forced air flow. The developed imaging system is beneficial for monitoring the combustion process because it can monitor the flame temperature, wood surface temperature and visualise the invisible hot combustion products simultaneously.

Mathematical model of the stress-strain state of a rod with an inhomogeneous layered structure

The stress-strain state (SSS) of a rod with an inhomogeneous layered structure is considered. On the basis of a brief review and analysis of the current state of research of rod systems, the relevance of the study of the SSS of layered-heterogeneous wooden structures is substantiated, taking into account the presence of different resistance of layers to tension and compression. On this basis, the authors solve the problem of determining the SSS of layered-heterogeneous wooden rods in creep conditions, where factors such as humidity and temperature, as well as the difference in the resistance of wood layers to stretching and compression are taken into account. When solving the problem, the mechanical-sorption creep of wood is also taken into account.

Features of modeling of stress and strain waves in an anisotropic medium on the example of a wooden element

This article describes the hypotheses of the occurrence, propagation, and modification of stress and strain waves caused by external loads in isotropic and anisotropic infinite and finite elastic media. A model of an infinite elastic medium experiencing a point external impulse is presented. The model demonstrates the propagation of a longitudinal plane wave. Compaction and rarefaction of the medium are observed in the plane with wave propagation. A graph of changes in the amplitude of a longitudinal plane wave is presented in the same coordinate system. The problem is posed of expanding the numerical model of a finite elastic medium in the form of an anisotropic wooden rod experiencing a plane external impulse. The model should demonstrate the propagation of longitudinal and transverse waves and describe the volumetric deformation of an anisotropic material. Compaction and rarefaction of the medium are shown in the plane, coinciding with the direction of wave propagation. A graph of the change in the shear wave amplitude is presented in the same coordinate system. The combination of these two graphsreveals the difference in wave propagation velocities and the combination of amplitudes. The model will make it possible to identify the presence of Rayleigh waves and to describe the reflection of waves from the boundary of the medium.

Tree growth forces and wood properties

Living wood in the tree performs a muscular action by generating forces at sapwood periphery and residual strains in dead sapwood fibres. Dissymmetric force generation around tree trunk is the motor system allowing movement, posture control and tree reshaping after accidents. Rather young trees are able to restore the verticality of their trunk after accidental rotation of the soil-root system due to wind or landslide, leading to typically curved stems shape. The very high dissymmetry of forces for the motor action is associated with the occurrence of reaction wood on one side of the inclined stem during many successive years. A method to reconstitute this biomechanical history from observations after tree felling, on either green or dry wood, is discussed. A selection of 17 such trees coming from 15 different species (13 different families), tropical or temperate, hardwoods or softwoods, were selected and peripheral residual strains were measured in situ before felling, on 8 position for each stem. Matched wooden rods were sawn and measured for their mechanical and physical properties at green and dry states, allowing the estimation of tree growth stress, i.e., the force created by the living wood. It was possible to build easy-to-use conversion coefficients between growth stress indicator (GSI), measured in situ by the single hole method, and growth strain and growth stress with the knowledge of basic density and green longitudinal elastic modulus. Maturation strain, specific modulus (as a proxy of micro-fibril angle) and longitudinal shrinkage are properties independent from basic density, whose variation among species was very large. On the whole range of compression wood, normal wood and tension wood strong relationships between these 3 properties were observed, but altogether no single model based on cell-wall microfibril angle only could be used. Growth forces are the product of 4 parameters: ring width, basic density, basic specific modulus and maturation strain, all of them being the result of wood formation. Thanks to the wide range of wood types and species, simple and highly significant formulas were obtained for the relationship between basic and dry density, green and dry longitudinal modulus of elasticity, basic and dry specific modulus. To estimate ring width in green state from values in dry state, radial shrinkage needs to be measured afterwards on dry specimens. Maturation strains is less accurately linked to late measurements on dry wood, but longitudinal shrinkage offers a rather good solution for an estimation provided that the wood type (softwood, hardwood with-G layer, hardwood without G-Layer) is known.