Volume 20 Issue 4

Although chemical fertilizers increase plant growth and crop yields, their usage over a long period harms soil health, damages the beneficial microorganisms, and reduces soil fertility. Therefore, there is interest in using natural biostimulants in agriculture instead of chemical fertilizers. This study aimed to examine how spraying with zinc (ZnO) and boron (B₂O₃) oxides, as well as the biostimulants yeast extract (YE) and seaweed extract (SWE), and their combinations affect the yield and fruit quality of Barhi date palm. The trees were sprayed four times starting from mid of February with one month between each two sprays with 50 mg/L ZnO + 50 mg/L B₂O₃; 100 mg/L ZnO + 100 mg/L B₂O₃; 0.2% or 0.4% YE; 0.2% or 0.4% SWE; 50 mg/L ZnO + 50 mg/L B₂O₃ + 0.2 % YE + 0.2 % SWE, (combination 1); 100 mg/L ZnO + 100 mg/L B₂O₃ + 0.4% YE + 0.4% SWE (combination 2) compared to not-treated trees. The results indicated that applying ZnO and B₂O₃, YE and SWE either individually or in combination effectively enhanced the productivity and fruit quality of the date palm cv. Barhi compared to the control. The results also showed that the combined application gave a larger improvement in the measured parameters, particularly combination 2, which was the best treatment, followed by combination 1.

The objective of this work was to enhance fire and decay resistance of wood materials using environmentally friendly and non-toxic wood preservatives. Two copper-based impregnation agents, Korasit KS and Tanalith-E, were applied to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) specimens. The fire performance was evaluated with ASTM E69 (2002) by measuring mass loss after fire exposure. Decay resistance was assessed according to EN 113 (2006), using white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor and brown-rot fungus Postia placenta over a 12-week incubation period. Specimens treated with 9% concentration of Korasit KS exhibited the lowest mass loss after fire exposure. Similarly, increasing the concentrations of both preservatives resulted in reduced mass loss under fire conditions. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s test (α = 0.05). Specimens impregnated with 9% Tanalith-E showed the lowest mass loss and the highest resistance to both T. versicolor and P. placenta. Overall, it is recommended that wood materials intended for industrial applications be impregnated with higher concentrations of Korasit KS to improve fire resistance, and with Tanalith-E to enhance biological durability against fungal decay.

To address the growing demand for sustainable, functional, and culturally aesthetic outdoor leisure chairs while enhancing their emotional and cultural significance, this study proposes a design strategy that integrates Kansei engineering with parametric derivation. Plant patterns derived from traditional Chinese artifacts were selected as the research subject, and their types and structural characteristics were systematically classified to construct a representative pattern library. The semantic differential method was employed to evaluate perceptual images and identify patterns consistent with the aesthetic values of outdoor furniture. By using parametric software, the shape of the pattern is simplified into functional holes, achieving lightweight and heat dissipation functions. Two conceptual designs for outdoor leisure chairs were realized using bio-based materials, resulting in reduced material use. The proposed designs were assessed using fuzzy evaluation methods, which yielded high satisfaction scores and validated the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach.

With the increasing emphasis on green home furnishing and ecological environment, reconstituted decorative thin wood is being used more widely as a new material with excellent performance and beautiful appearance. This paper discusses applying the color theory of reconstituted decorative thin wood from the perspective of green ecology. First, academic achievements are summarized related to reconstituted decorative thin wood and its color theory, exploring its research direction and future development trends. Secondly, this paper outlines the classical color system and theory, at the same time, based on the K-means algorithm, color extraction of reconstituted decorative thin wood samples, and establishes the color relationship network model. Using the basic theory and design method of prototype typology, the texture types of reconstituted decorative thin wood are classified, and the texture characteristics and texture composition of reconstituted artistic modeling thin wood are studied. Through data analysis of 96 questionnaires and summarizing and analyzing the results of the respondents’ perceived preferences for the experimental samples, the feasibility of the restructured decorative thin wood design scheme was verified based on the CNCSCOLOR color palette theory of color matching design. Then the degree of choice and the degree of willingness to purchase of the restructured decorative thin wood scheme and its application of the customized closet effect were evaluated through the Likert Scale.

The study explores the significance of wood as a surrogate of nature in Chinese traditional dance, emphasizing its dual role as both a medium for cultural transmission and an element of artistic expression. Through the analysis of wooden props such as fans and drums, the study reveals the symbolic meanings conveyed by wood in dance and its deep connection to nature and life. Through their biophilic interaction with wood, dancers articulate a reverence for nature and reflections on life, creating a unique cultural resonance with the audience. Case studies of the Han ethnic group’s Jiaozhou Yangge Fan Dance and the Tibetan Reba Dance illustrate the important role of wood in emotional expression and cultural identity. Future research can focus on the innovative incorporation of wood in contemporary dance to promote the integration of traditional and modern dance arts.

The article examines the main and interactive effects of thermal modification (TM), relative humidity (RH), and direction of vibration on the density, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and shear modulus of spruce wood. Samples were thermally modified at 180, 200, and 230 °C and then equilibrated at 20%, 44%, 76%, and 88% RH. The MOE in the longitudinal direction and the shear moduli G_LR and G_LT were calculated from the natural frequencies of the first three lateral vibration modes of free-free specimen. E_L-R and G_LR were determined from the vibration frequencies when the specimens vibrated laterally in the longitudinal-radial plane, while E_L-T and G_LT were determined from vibration frequencies when the specimens vibrated in longitudinal-tangential plane. Density, MOE, and shear moduli decreased at the highest TM level by averages of 16%, 9.8% and 9.7%, respectively. Acoustic coefficients such as the sound velocity (c), the sound radiation coefficient (R) and the characteristic acoustic impedance (ACE) were determined. On average, c and R increased as a function of RH from 1% to 3% and from 10% to 15%, respectively, while ACE decreased from 7% to 13%. The test material was classified for making soundboards for musical instruments.

Wooden covered bridges attract attention due to their architectural appearance and manufacturing technique. In this study, an ancient wooden covered bridge in Taoyuan, China, has been investigated, mainly with respect to its construction form and mechanical behavior. First, the same type of raw material used for the bridge, namely, beech, was tested to obtain its mechanical properties. Then, the material experimental values were used in a finite element model to study the mechanical behavior of the bridge, and the stress state and internal forces of the bridge were obtained. The numerical results indicate that the maximum deflection of the bridge of 10.73 mm under gravity load meets the requirements of not exceeding L/600 in the specification while it reaches 15.62 mm under both the gravity load and crowd load, exceeding the limit by 1.3%. The maximum and minimum normal stress of 1.13 MPa and -2.03 are much less than the ultimate tensile and compression strength of the wood, respectively. This means that the structural safety performance of the ancient wooden covered bridge is acceptable if the pedestrian number be controlled effectively. Finally, some tiny damage of the bridge was apparent. Some suggestions were provided according to the numerical results and the complex actions of long-term loads and a severe environment on the bridge to preserve this old historical bridge.

Xylanase has been used for bioconversion processes and has been applied in several industrial processes. The increased production cost of enzymes remains the bottleneck for commercial production of lignocellulosic enzymes. The application of agricultural waste as a culture medium is a major strategy to improve xylanase production and reduce production costs. In this study, date seed powder was pretreated with sulfuric acid, and the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents were 24.4±0.12%, 43.1±1.3%, and 23.5±0.3%, respectively. The moisture content of the date seed powder was 7.49±0.12%. The pretreated date seed powder was used as the substrate for xylanase production by Penicillium citrinum solid-state fermentation. The moisture content, pH, and inoculum were optimized for xylan production, and the optimum conditions were 45% moisture content, pH 5.5, and 3% inoculum concentration. The maximum xylanase production was found to be 605.3 U/g.

Urban parks have increasingly become pivotal settings for strengthening parent–child relationships; however, most on-site facilities remain predominantly adult-oriented. Accordingly, this study developed an operational, replicable, and iterative research framework for parent–child interactive seating in children’s parks, placing parent–child needs and sustainable design at its core. Anchored in the Double-Diamond process, a GT–Kano–AHP–QFD integrated innovation model was proposed to extract, classify, weight, and translate user requirements for such seating. By integrating these four methods, user needs were captured and addressed more precisely, thereby deepening understanding of design requirements for parent–child interactive seating. A rapid ideation workflow was subsequently implemented, combining large language models with diffusion models to generate concepts. The scheme was evaluated with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE), which indicated that the embedded, multifunctional interaction concept achieved the highest performance in functional adaptability, emotional interactivity, and life-cycle sustainability (composite score = 0.840). The findings demonstrated that the integrated innovation model simultaneously enhances user satisfaction and reduces carbon impact, providing a transferable procedural paradigm and empirical evidence for the sustainable design of parent–child seating and other micro-scale public amenities.

Wood-based furniture, which is valued for its durability and timeless elegance, remains popular among the elderly. Intelligent wooden sofas now transform traditional usage patterns through technological integration. This study explores elderly users’ needs and challenges in intelligent wooden sofa interaction. It examines user experience (UX) and user interface design (UI) trends for seniors in Intelligent furniture systems, followed by market analyses of existing wooden sofa designs and control apps. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews were used to assess elderly preferences toward intelligent wooden furniture. Survey results were used to inform user personas based on wooden furniture habits, with affinity diagrams identifying material perception mental models. The study involved 116 elderly participants, and questionnaire data for 16 indicators were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, confirming a four-dimensional structure through factor analysis (KMO=0.869, p<0.01). Based on the results, key areas for software improvement were identified, including ‘discoverability’, ‘usefulness of content’, and ‘aesthetics of the interface’. These findings are crucial for addressing user experience problems, correcting the product development direction, establishing a user-centric iterative path, and providing foundational insights for developing elderly-friendly intelligent wooden sofa designs.