Research Articles

Red banana waste (Musa acuminata) residue (leaves, pseudostems, banana peels, banana stalks, and flowers) was used to produce bioethanol via Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The banana waste was dried and pretreated individually with sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. Alkaline treatment increased the reducing sugar content more than acid hydrolysis. Bioethanol production from banana residue via enzyme saccharification and fermentation was performed via the filter paperase enzyme and fermentation via S. cerevisiae. The bioethanol production was temperature dependent. Maximum production was achieved at 36 °C (27.3 ± 0.3 g/L), after 96 h (30.4 ± 1.1 g/L), at a 7.5% substrate concentration (33.5 ± 0.91 g/L) and at pH 5.0 (36.2 ± 0.48 g/L). The maximum bioethanol production was achieved by the immobilized S. cerevisiae cells after 96 h of fermentation (39.8 ± 0.55 g/L). Moreover, at this stage, bioethanol production was 35.9 ± 0.51 g/L in S. cerevisiae-free fermentation. The bioethanol yield was 11% greater in the immobilized culture than in the free-cell fermentation after four days. Beyond its renewable energy role, bioethanol reduces fossil fuel emissions associated with neurological and developmental disabilities, a connection that will be evaluated in forthcoming research.

Taurus cedar is a valuable tree species that is widely used in industrial forestry due to its high-quality, durable, and workable wood, making it preferred in furniture, construction, and wood technology sectors. Recognizing its economic and ecological importance, afforestation efforts have been carried out by the Isparta Regional Directorate of Forestry since 2009 to expand its distribution. However, climate change poses a severe threat to sustainable forestry and forest industries worldwide, with extreme events including heatwaves, irregular precipitation, water stress, and floods. This study aimed to model and map the current and future (to year 2100) distribution of Taurus cedar in the Isparta region under various climate scenarios using the MaxEnt. The model performance showed high prediction accuracy (AUC values) and the variables affecting the distribution were precipitation seasonality, elevation, precipitation of the driest quarter and landform index. Simulation results indicated that the combined percentage of suitable and highly suitable distributions currently stands at approximately 70% but is projected to decline by about 20% under the SSP 8.5 scenario. Comparing current and future projections revealed an estimated 71.5% reduction in Taurus cedar distribution. These findings stress the urgent need for conservation and adaptation measures to protect Taurus cedar from climate change and ensure its long-term survival.

The authors examined how the arrangement of corrugated board boxes influences the loading unit’s resistance to static pressure. The obtained values were compared with the basic strength test of a single box commonly used, which is the resistance to static pressure of BCT boxes. The subject of the study was FEFCO 201 flap boxes with touching flaps. The scope of work included measuring the static pressure resistance BCT of a single box and eight boxes stacked in two layers in two different ways, which are the most popular techniques for stacking boxes on a pallet when creating a loading unit. The strength of a single box, eight boxes stacked in columns, and eight boxes stacked in a blocking arrangement with overlapping edges was determined. The measurement results were compared, and conclusions were drawn.

Growing food crops in gold mine tailings is limited by low nitrogen and mercury contamination. Little is known about the responses of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica L.) to nitrogen-fixing bacteria biofertilizer. This study aimed to analyze changes in growth media properties, growth, biomass of water spinach, and mercury in both tailings-based growth media and intact plants following the application of the nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter. A liquid inoculum of Azotobacter was analyzed before the experiment. A greenhouse experiment was arranged in a randomized block design to evaluate three inoculant concentrations. Acidity and electrical conductivity of the inoculant were 7.95 and 1.74 mS/cm, respectively, while the Azotobacter count was 9.18 on a log scale. Introducing 5% and 10% inoculants increased microbial counts, total nitrogen, and acidity of the growth media, as well as shoot growth and biomass, but did not affect root length. Azotobacter did not affect mercury levels in the soil but increased mercury accumulation in intact plants. Mercury levels in soil and plants remained higher than the maximum threshold value. While soil pH and nitrogen levels showed a positive correlation with plant growth, mercury concentration in the soil exhibited a significant negative correlation. Because of high mercury accumulation, the water spinach was not safe for cultivation.

The effects of waste pulp fiber on the mechanical, physical, and technological properties of particleboard were investigated. For this purpose, 1.5%, 3%, 4.5%, and 6% were added to the middle layer of the chip blank. As an adhesive, 7% urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin was used in the middle layer and 12% in the top layer, in proportion to the dry chip weight. Chip blanks were pressed in a hydraulic press at 195 ± 5 °C, 30 kg/cm² pressure, and for 300 s, whereby test samples with dimensions of 550 x 550 x 19 mm³ and a density of 630 kg/m³ were produced. The 3% waste pulp fiber utilization provided optimum values, such as 7.3% and 27.2% improvements in bending strength and elastic modulus, respectively. However, 6.6% and 9.7% increases in thickness swelling (24 h) and water absorption (24 h) were observed. Moreover, there was a 24.6% increase in formaldehyde emissions. According to the results, it can be said that waste paper pulp fiber could be an alternative to wood raw material in particleboard production at low levels of addition.

The choice of furniture materials has a direct impact on thermal comfort, especially during prolonged contact. In this study, the COMSOL Multiphysics software was utilized to simulate the process of heat transfer from the human body, treated as a constant heat source, to the wood desktop material at a specific room temperature. By carefully adjusting various physical parameters, the specific effects of each factor on the change in contact temperature were thoroughly examined. Simultaneously, human body method experiments were conducted as a control to verify the simulation’s accuracy against real-world conditions. Additionally, a systematic analysis was performed to explore the influence of various physical parameters, such as density, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thickness, and decorative layer treatment, on temperature sensation. The primary objective was to address the existing challenge of achieving thermal comfort in wooden furniture design . The results suggest that the density, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thickness, and room temperature of the wood tabletop material significantly affect the contact temperature. Applying coatings or veneers to the wooden tabletop can also influence the variation in contact temperature.

The effects of particle size and species type were evaluated relative to the resistance to screwing and nailing of wood-plastic composites (WPC) made from the sawdust of pine, beech, poplar, and mixtures of these species (40%, 20%, and 40%, respectively), as well as alder species with a high-density polyethylene matrix. Wood-plastic composites were made from dried sawdust of the above species, after sizing to a weight ratio of 70% as filler with high-density polyethylene (HDP) by discontinuous pressing at a temperature of 185 °C, in two particle sizes of 40- and 80-mesh. Maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) was used as a coupling agent. Then, their resistance to screw and nail penetration was measured and compared according to the BS EN 1382 (2016) standard. With increasing particle size in all species, the resistance to screwing and nailing decreased significantly by about 2 to 13%. There were obvious differences between the resistance to screwing and nailing of the species, but these differences were not significant, and the resistances of the mixtures were near to the averages for these species.

Environmental pollution from diesel generator emissions contributes to the accumulation of heavy metals in surrounding vegetation, especially in urbanizing areas. This study assessed the bio-indicator potentials of tree bark and leaves from Terminalia catappa near diesel generator plants at Mountain Top University. The work focused on toxic metals (As, U, Ag, Pb, Cd, Se), heavy metals (Ba, Ti, V, Cu, Sn), and essential metals (Fe, K, Mg, Zn, Ca, Na, Mn). Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) revealed elevated levels of toxic metals such as Pb, Cd, and As, particularly in bark tissues. Notably, Pb reached 6.03 mg/kg in TL1 (tree leaves at location one) and over 6 mg/kg in TB1 (tree bark from location one), Cd ranged between 1.5 and 2.2 mg/kg, Ba (75.01 mg/kg in TB1) and (68.0 mg/kg in TB2), while Ti showed (90.1 mg/kg in TL3), (82.0 mg/kg in TL1) exceeding common phytotoxic thresholds. Barium recorded the highest heavy metal concentration in TB1, followed by Ti in TL3. SEM images confirmed the presence of particulate deposition more embedded in bark than on leaves—corroborating their role in pollution capture. The data highlight bark as a robust long-term indicator of environmental contamination, while leaves serve as responsive short-term sensors.

The adhesion strength was studied for water-based nano-varnishes applied to densified and thermally post-treated beech (Fagus orientalis L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) woods. Specimens were thermo-mechanically densified at different compression ratios (20% and 40%) and temperatures (110 °C and 150 °C), and subsequently thermally treated at 190, 200, and 210 °C. One-component (OWB) and two-component (TWB) nano-varnishes were applied, and adhesion strength was evaluated using the pull-off test. Results revealed that the modification processes greatly influenced adhesion, with distinct effects depending on wood species. For untreated beech, densification improved adhesion strength, whereas for pine, it either reduced or did not cause a pronounced change. A primary finding was that thermal treatment decreased adhesion strength for all specimens in a temperature-dependent manner; higher temperatures led to progressively lower adhesion. This decline was more pronounced in densified specimens (especially beech wood). The reason was attributed to the cohesive failure within the weakened wood substrate rather than adhesive failure at the varnish-wood interface. Across all treatment conditions, TWB varnish exhibited superior adhesion compared to OWB. The study concluded that densification may have a species-specific effect, while thermal treatment fundamentally reduces wood surface strength and, consequently, varnish adhesion.

The ranat ek belongs to the percussion family. It consists of wooden bars suspended by cords above a boat-shaped trough resonator and is played with two mallets. Serving as the principal instrument in the Thai Piphat ensemble, the ranat ek holds both musical and cultural significance in traditional Thai performance. This study examined its acoustic and tuning characteristics using modern signal analysis tools to contribute to audio preservation and future instrument design. The sound signals were recorded in real time using a PicoScope 3000. The notes identified for bars 1 to 17 ranged from C5 to E7. Grouped by octaves, octave 5 includes C5-A♯5, octave 6 includes C6-B6, and octave 7 includes C7-E7. The analysis revealed a non-tempered, heptatonic tuning system distinct from the Western equal temperament scale, reflecting the ranat ek’s unique cultural tuning identity. The note distribution across octaves confirmed a scale structure emphasizing natural harmonic overtones rather than fixed semitone intervals. These findings establish a scientific foundation for digital sound preservation and provide baseline data for AI-assisted sound modeling and immersive AR/VR applications in cultural heritage reconstruction. The study suggests that the collected data could inform sustainable instrument design using plant-based materials, supporting both cultural continuity and ecological innovation.