Treesearch

In recent years, a bioinformatics method for interpreting genome-wide association study (GWAS) data using metabolic pathway analysis has been developed and successfully used to fnd signifcant pathways and mechanisms explaining phenotypic traits of interest in plants. However, the many scripts implementing this method were not straightforward to use, had to be customized for each project, required user supervision, and took more than 24 h to process data. PAST (Pathway Association Study Tool), a new implementation of this method, has been developed to address these concerns. PAST has been...

Runoff from heavy precipitation events can lead to microbiological contamination of source waters for public drinking water supplies. Philadelphia is a city of interest for a study of waterborne acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) because of frequent heavy precipitation, extensive impervious landcover, and combined sewer systems that lead to overflows. We conducted a time-series analysis of the association between heavy precipitation and AGI incidence in Philadelphia, served by drinking water from Delaware River and Schuylkill River source waters. AGI cases on each day during the study...

Biogeochemical processes in northern peatland ecosystems are influenced by seasonal temperature fluctuations that are changing with the climate. Methylmercury (MeHg), commonly produced in peatlands, affects downstream waters; therefore, it is important to understand how temperature transitions affect mercury (Hg) dynamics. We investigated how the freeze–thaw cycle influences belowground peat pore water total Hg (THg), MeHg, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Four large, intact peat columns were removed from an ombrotrophic peat bog and experimentally frozen and thawed. Pore water was...

This special issue of The Canadian Entomologist is dedicated to the memory of our colleague and friend, Dr. Steven J. Seybold (1959 -2019). Sadly, Dr. Seybold passed away unexpectedly 15 November 2019 while nearing completion of constructing the introduction to this special issue (Seybold and Fettig 2020).

Exotic grasses are a widespread set of invasive species that are notable for their ability to significantly alter key aspects of ecosystem function. Understanding the role and importance of these invaders in forested landscapes has been limited but is now rising, as grasses from Eurasia and Africa continue to spread through ecosystems of the Americas, Australia, and many Pacific islands, where they threaten biodiversity and alter various aspects of the fire regime. The ecological, social and economic impacts of the grass-fire cycle associated with species such as cheatgrass (Bromus...

Three compounding methods were compared to determine their effects on the organization of the interphase in nanocomposites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) processed via (1) direct compounding, (2) reactive extrusion using a coupling agent (PHBV-g-GMA), or (3) reactive extrusion using a peroxide free-radical initiator (dicumyl peroxide, DCP). Tensile testing showed that only the peroxide-aided extrusion resulted in improvement in strength by 13%. Analyzing the interphases via DSC, WAXRD, SAXS, ATR-FTIR, and XPS helped relate the...

The energy used for regulating building temperatures accounts for 14% of the primary energy consumed in the U.S. One-quarter of this energy is leaked through ineffcient glass windows in cold weather. The development of transparent composites could potentially provide affordable window materials with enhanced energy efficiency. Transparent wood as a promising material has presented desirable performances in thermal and light management. In this work, the performance of transparent wood is optimized toward an energy efficient window material that possesses the following attributes: 1) high...

This study describes assessment of the internal conditions of timber bridge structural members along Route 66 in California. These timber bridges were exposed to desert climate conditions for several decades, which can lead to a variety of deterioration. Overtime, the deterioration may cause loss of structural integrity within the bridges and lead to potentially hazardous conditions for the motoring public. Members from dismantled bridges were brought to the Forest Products laboratory inMadison,WI. Strength-reducing features including decay, splits and cracks, insect attack, and corrosion...

An object detection method of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) signals using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and dynamic time warping (DTW) is proposed in this study. Two groups of timber specimens were examined. The first group comprised of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) timber sections prepared in the laboratory with inserts of known internal characteristics. The second group comprised of timber girders salvaged from the timber bridges on historic Route 66 over 80 years. A GSSI Subsurface Interface Radar (SIR) System 4000 with a 2 GHz palm antenna was used to scan these two groups...

The use of acoustic waves for assessing wood properties in standing trees has been investigated extensively in recent years. Most studies were experimental in nature and limited to direct measurement of wave velocities in trees using a time-of-flight (TOF) method. How acoustic waves propagate in a tree trunk and how tree diameter, species, stand age, and juvenile wood affect wave propagation behavior in standing trees are not well understood. In this study, we examined propagation patterns of acoustic waves in a virtual tree trunk through numerical simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics®...