The contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Frankfurtertype sausages were investigated in depency on hot smoking conditions (glow smoke), type of casing, back fat content and different types of wood chips. For the smoking experiments three different types of smoke densities and ventilator velocities, three types of casings, four different back fat contents (10%, 20%, 30%, and 39%)...

Experimental efforts to determine how insects influence terrestrial wood decomposition are few, especially in temperate regions. To address this need, a five-year exclusion study was conducted in northern Mississippi, U.S.A., to quantify insect contributions to wood decay using one-meter loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) bolts. The study included three treatments: (1) ‘‘partially protected’’ bolts...

Evidence from both molecular phylogenies and the fossil record suggests that rates of species diversification often decline through time during evolutionary radiations. One proposed explanation for this pattern is ecological opportunity, whereby an initial abundance of resources and lack of potential competitors facilitate rapid diversification. This model predicts density-dependent declines in...

The use of clonal varieties in forestry offers great potential to improve growth traits (quantity) and wood properties (quality) of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Loblolly pine trees established via somatic embryogenesis (clones), full-sib zygotic crosses, and half-sib zygotic open-pollinated families were sampled to identify variation in growth and wood properties among and within clonal line...

Though silane chemistry has been used to crosslink unfilled polyethylene for many years, such crosslinking has only been recently applied to wood plastic composites to improve properties such as creep resistance. However, the presence of wood significantly changes the silane chemistry and a greater understanding is necessary for optimal processing and performance. We investigated three differen...

The dulling of cemented carbide cutting tools after milling five African wood species was studied. The wood specimens investigated varied in high temperature corrosivity (HTC), hard mineral contamination (HMC), and density (D). Attempts to replace the combustion method of evaluating the content of natural HMC in wood with spectral mass analysis methods, such as energy dissipative spectrum (EDAX...

The penetration of enzymes into wood cell walls during white rot decay is an open question. A postembedding immunoelectron microscopic technique was the method of choice to answer that question. Infiltration of pine wood specimens with a concentrated culture filtrate greatly improved the labeling density and, thereby, reproducibility. Characterization of the concentrated culture filtrate by sod...

Heat treatment may result in variation of wood equilibrium moisture content (EMC). During this study, tauari (Couratari oblongifolia), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), and oak (Quercus rubra) woods were heat-treated at 190, 200, and 210oC for 3 hours and then put into a conditioning chamber with a temperature from 30 to 75oC and a relative humidity from 50 to 90%. The isothermal moisture adsorption cu...

The Athel tree, Tamarix aphylla (L), can potentially be used as a biomass crop to help manage saline subsurface drainage water in arid land irrigated agriculture. In this study, Athel wood was used to manufacture medium-density particleboard with an aim of developing new applications for the saline wood. The research investigated the effects of different types of adhesives, particle sizes, bark...