• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.596-606
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• 2019

N-acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing (AHL-QS) has been shown to regulate many physiological behaviors in Serratia marcescens MG1. In the current study, the effects of AHL-QS on the biosynthesis of acid and neutral products by S. marcescens MG1 and its isogenic ${\Delta}swrI$ with or without supplementing exogenous N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone ($C_6-HSL$) were systematically investigated. The results showed that swrI disruption resulted in rapid pH drops from 7.0 to 4.8, which could be restored to wild type by supplementing $C_6-HSL$. Furthermore, fermentation product analysis indicated that ${\Delta}swrI$ could lead to obvious accumulation for acidogenesis products such as lactic acid and succinic acid, especially excess acetic acid (2.27 g/l) produced at the early stage of fermentation, whereas solventogenesis products by ${\Delta}swrI$ appeared to noticeably decrease by an approximate 30% for acetoin during 32-48 h and by an approximate 20% for 2,3-butanediol during 24-40 h, when compared to those by wild type. Interestingly, the excess acetic acid produced could be removed in an AHL-QS-independent manner. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of genes responsible for acidogenesis and solventogenesis and showed consistent results with those of product synthesis. Finally, by close examination of promoter regions of the analyzed genes, four putative luxI box-like motifs were found upstream of genes encoding acetyl-CoA synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, ${\alpha}$-acetolactate decarboxylase, and Lys-like regulator. The information from this study provides a novel insight into the roles played by AHL-QS in switching from acidogenesis to solventogenesis in S. marcescens MG1.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.172-183
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• 2016

Densification of the inner part of oil palm trunk (OPT) by the close system compression (CSC) method was performed in this study. The effects of the compression temperature and time on the anatomical, physical and mechanical properties of OPT were evaluated. The inner part of OPT with an initial average density of $0.3g/cm^3$ was used as samples. Oven-dried samples were immersed in water and vacuumed until fully saturated and then compressed by CSC at 120, 140, 160 or $180^{\circ}C$ for 10, 20, 30 or 40 min. The anatomical characteristics of transverse and radial sections before and after compression were compared by optical microscopy. The physical and mechanical properties, including the density, recovery of set (RS), modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and compression parallel to grain were examined. It was observed that the anatomical characteristic of the inner part of OPT (i.e., vascular bundles, vessels, and parenchyma tissue) became flattened, fractured, and collapsed after compression by CSC. The RS decreased with increasing compression temperature and time. The lower RS indicated high dimensional stability. The physical and mechanical properties (i.e., density, MOR, MOE, and compressive strength) of the inner part of OPT increased with increasing compression temperature and time. Compression by the CSC method at $160^{\circ}C$ for 40 min was the optimum treatment.

• Entomological Research
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.348-353
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• 2018

A new whitefly species, Pealius yunnanensissp. nov., collected from Mengzi, Caoba village (Yunnan, China) on Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. (Urticales: Moraceae), is described with morphology, line illustrations, photographs and scanning electron microscope images. In addition, a checklist of Chinese species of Pealius is provided and all Pealius species recorded from Ficus around the world are listed. Specimens have been deposited in the Insect Collection of Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University (ZAFU), Lin'an, China.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.323-337
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• 2018

Merkusii pine wood (Pinus merkusii) was extensively planted throughout Indonesia, where it is only indigenous in northern Sumatera, by the Dutch during colonial times. The demand for this wood species, especially in the domestic market, has increased notably, despite its limited durability regarding decay resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of juvenile and mature wood on merkusii pine and to analyze its radial features from pith to bark based on density, shrinkage, static bending in modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity, fiber length, microfibril angle, and durability. A segmented modeling approach was used to find the juvenile-mature transition. The graveyard test was performed to characterize the termite resistance from pith to bark of merkusii pine. The maturations were estimated to start at radial increments of 15 cm from the pith by fiber length and of 12 cm from the pith by microfibril angle. The projected figures for the proportion of juvenile wood at breast height were around 65%. The results also indicate that the pine wood was $0.52g/cm^3$ in density, 1.45 in coefficient of anisotropy, which indicates its good stability, 7597 MPa in modulus of elasticity, and 63 MPa in modulus of rupture. Natural durability against subterranean termite of the merkusii pine wood was rated to be grade 4 to 0 from pith to bark. However, after being treated by Entiblu and Enborer preservatives, its rating increased to grade 10 to 9.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.566-577
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• 2015

White Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba Miq.) is one of the fast growing species in Indonesia and has the potential as the raw material for pulp and paper. In this research, 3, 5, and 7 years old White Jabon woods were pulped under different active alkali charge of 15%, 18%, 21%, 24%, and 27%, and its effect on delignification degree, kappa number, pulp yield, pulp viscosity, brightness, unbeaten freeness, and delignification selectivity was investigated. The results showed that tree age and active alkali concentration influenced the quality of pulp and pulping properties, except for that of unbeaten freeness. Delignification degree increased with increasing active alkali charge, and this brought about the decrease of pulp kappa number. The pulping yield tended to decrease below the Klason lignin of approximately 4%. Even though the 3 years old wood resulted in the highest brightness and highest delignification selectivity, the highest pulp viscosity was obtained with the 5 years old wood. The dominant fiber length of all wood ages was in the range of 1.2 - 2.0 mm. The 3 years old wood was considered to be the most promising raw material for kraft pulping in the view point of pulping properties, pulp quality and harvesting rotation.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.565-576
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• 2018

Cellulose acetate (CA) has been widely utilized for composite materials due to its high transparency and thermal resistance. In this study, CNCs (cellulose nanocrystals) were reinforced in CA nanocomposites for fortifying mechanical properties of the composites. In addition, CA nanocomposites reinforced with CNCs were manufactured by extrusion/injection processes applied with CNC-predispersion method for achieving a high dispersion level of CNCs in the CA matrix. According to the analysis of mechanical properties, the CA nanocomposite with 3 wt% CNCs has the highest tensile and flexural strengths due to the reinforcing effect of CNC nanoparticles. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the addition of acid hydrolyzed CNCs slightly lowered the initial pyrolysis temperature of CA nanocomposite.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.156-167
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to determine the physical and mechanical properties of glued laminated timber (glulam) manufactured from small-diameter logs of three wood species, Acacia mangium (mangium), Maesopsis eminii (manii), and Falcataria moluccana (sengon), with densities of 533, 392, and $271kg/m^3$, respectively. Glulam measuring 5 cm by 7 cm by 160 cm in thickness, width, and length, respectively, was made with three to five lamina, or layers, and isocyanate adhesive. The glulams contained either the same wood species for all layers or a combination of mangium face and back layers with a core layer of manii or sengon. Solid wood samples of the same size for all three species were included as a basis for comparison. Physical-mechanical properties and delamination tests of glulam referred to JAS 234:2003. The results showed that the properties of same species glulam did not differ from those of solid wood, with the exception of the shear strength of glulam being lower than that of solid wood. Wood species affected glulam properties, but three- and five-layer glulams were not different except for the modulus of elasticity. All glulams were resistant to delamination by immersion in both cold and boiling water. The glulams that successfully met the JAS standard were three- and five-layer mangium, five-layer manii, and five-layer mangium-manii glulams.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2020

Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) is a fast-growing wood species that is widely utilized for light construction and other purposes in Indonesia. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effects of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and SiO₂ nanoparticles (nano SiO₂) impregnation treatment on the dimensional stability and density of jabon wood and to identify the characteristics of impregnated jabon wood. Wood samples were immersed in water (as untreated), MEG, 0.5% MEGSiO₂, then impregnated by applying 0.5 bar of vacuum for 60 min, and then applying 2.5 bar of pressure for 120 min. The results showed that impregnation with MEG and Nano SiO₂ had a significant effect on the dimensional stability of jabon wood. Polymers can fill cell walls in wood indicated by increasing weight percentgain, antiswelling efficiency, bulking effect, and density, then decreasing in water uptake value. Jabon wood morphology by using SEM showed that MEGSiO₂ polymers can cover part of the pitsin the wood vessel wall of jabon. This finding was reinforced by EDX results showing that the silicon content was increased due to the addition of SiO₂ nano. The XRD diffraction pattern indicated that MEGSiO₂ treatment increased the degree of crystallinity in wood samples. Overall, treatment with 0.5% MEGSiO₂ led to the most improvement in the dimensional stability of 5-year-old jabon wood in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.145-162
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• 2019

This study aimed to increase the sugar and ethanol yield from the mengkuang plant biomass through biological and liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment and their combination. The results showed that biological pretreatments with 5% inoculum of the fungus Trametes versicolor resulted in the highest alpha cellulose content incubated for 30 days, and 10% inoculum resulted in the lowest lignin content. LHW pretreatment decreased the hemicellulose content of pulps from 10.17% to 9.99%. T. versicolor altered the structure of the mengkuang pulp by degrading the lignin and lignocellulose matrix. The resulting delignification and cellulose degradation facilitate the hydrolysis of cellulose into sugars. The alpha cellulose content after biological-LHW pretreatment was higher (78.99%) compared to LHW-biological pretreatment (76.85%). Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that biological-LHW combinated treatment degrades the cell wall structures. The ethanol yield for biological-LHW pretreated sample was observed 43.86% (13.11 g/L ethanol by weight of the substrate, which is much higher than that of LHW-biological pretreatment (34.02%; 9.097 g/L). The highest reducing sugar content about 45.10% was observed with a resulting ethanol content of 15.5 g/L at LHW pretreatment temperature of $180^{\circ}C$ for 30 min.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.542-554
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• 2023

This study is a continuation of our previous work, which focused on the resistance of jabon wood to termites after impregnation with wood vinegar (WV) and animal-based adhesive (kak). This paper presents the physicomechanical properties of fast-growing jabon wood impregnated with kak at two concentrations (8% and 10%) in wood vinegar or water as a solvent with and without 4% borax. The physical properties of the impregnation solution, that is, viscosity, density, pH, and solid content, were evaluated according to SNI 06-4567-1998. Some physical parameters, such as weight percent gain (WPG), density, water uptake, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), crystallinity, and mechanical properties, i.e., modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and compression strength parallel to the grain (CS), of the impregnated wood were determined. Based on these results, wood impregnated using a mixture of kak in WV presented better physical (increased WPG, density, dimensional stability, and crystallinity) and mechanical (increased MOE/MOR and compression strength) properties than wood impregnated with a water solvent or untreated wood. The wood impregnated using WV and water solvent improved the physical and mechanical properties. The density of the wood increased by 44%-58% and 32%-47%, ASE radial-tangential increased by 38%-45%; 15%-28% after 24 h of water immersion, crystallinity increased by 59%-74%; 36%, MOE increased by 46%-57%; 28%-31%, MOR increased by 29%-34%; 14%-27%, and compression strength increased by 40%-76%; 38%-72% values to untreated wood.