In a previous study, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil extracted from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis, Sieb. et Zucc.) wood. This study aims to investigate the active anti-inflammatory constituents of P. koraiensis oil. The essential oil was extracted from P. koraiensis wood by hydrodistillation and was divided into six fractions (A–F) through fractional distillation. Then, the anti-inflammatory activities of the fractions (A–F) were determined. Fractions A and F markedly downregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. The main constituents of the active anti-inflammatory A and F fractions were (+)-α-pinene, (−)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, 3-carene, (+)-limonene, and longifolene. These six single compounds decreased the expression of inflammatory-related genes (i.e., IL-4 and IL-13) as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in LPS-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. (+)-α-Pinene, (−)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, and longifolene exhibited the strongest effects; these effects were comparable to those of the positive control (i.e., dexamethasone). The findings indicate that the interactions between these components exhibit potential for the management and/or treatment of inflammatory conditions as well as base structures for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

This study was conducted to determine the correlation between the mass loss (ML) of wood due to thermal modification and the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of thermally modified wood. After thermal modification of larch lumber under various temperature and time conditions, ML according to treatment temperature and time was measured, and the (EMC) of the thermally modified wood was evaluated for each treatment condition. As the treatment temperature increased and the treatment time became longer, the ML of wood due to thermal modification increased. In addition, as the treatment temperature increased, the difference in EMC between the non-treated wood and the thermally modified wood tended to increase. Finally, a robust logarithmic correlation was observed between the ML due to thermal modification and the EMC of the thermally modified wood. These results suggest that the EMC of thermally modified wood can be predicted by simply measuring the weight of wood before and after thermal modification.

A model-fitting method at a single heating rate (10 °C·min-1) was used to investigate the thermal kinetic characteristics of torrefied woody biomass. The kinetic parameters were examined for pine, oak, and bamboo samples with the order of the reaction set ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 and 1.0. Based on the thermogravimetric, derivative thermogravimetric, and derivative2 thermogravimetric curves obtained, the ranges at which substantial hemicellulose and cellulose pyrolysis occurs were set as the analysis range, and the kinetic parameters of each species were analyzed. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were obtained at these analytical ranges using two differential methods (Friedman and Chatterjee-Conard) and an integral method (Coats-Redfern). Although there were numerical differences between the results of the differential and integral methods, the thermal properties of each sample exhibited a consistent trend. Softwood was found to have the highest reactivity and intermolecular collisions per unit weight during thermal decomposition. In the case of the torrefied oak and torrefied bamboo, considering that the carbon content and fixed carbon content were approximately 24% to 25% higher than the softwood, it is appropriate to consider the thermal characteristics of each species for producing a solid fuel based on the application.

Wood, as a natural material that stores carbon, is gaining increasing attention and has potential for use in interior architectural applications. Given the long indoor stay time characteristic of modern society, it is important to scientifically understand the effects of indoor wood application on the occupants. In this study, three residential buildings with an identical area and structure were constructed with different degrees of wood coverage (0%, 45%, 90%) using Larix kaempferi. Subsequently, indoor air quality (IAQ) evaluations and relative humidity measurements were conducted to assess the physical and chemical changes in each environment. The IAQ in wooden and non-wooden environments met the recommended IAQ standards established in South Korea. The results of the 8-month observation showed that, the higher the wood coverage ratio, the more the indoor humidity fluctuations were alleviated, and, in the case of the 90% wood coverage ratio condition, the humidity was maintained 5.2% lower in the summer and 10.9% higher in the winter compared to the 0% condition. To further assess the physiological responses induced by the wooden environment, the heart rate variability (HRV) was measured and compared for 26 participants exposed to each environment for two hours. In environments with a 0% and 90% degree of wood coverage, no statistically significant differences were found in the participants’ HRV indicators. But, in the group exposed to the 45% wooden environment, the results showed an increase in HRV indicators, natural logarithm of high frequency power (lnHF): 4.87 → 5.40 (p < 0.05), and standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN): 30.57 → 38.48 (p < 0.05), which are known indicators of parasympathetic nervous system activation.

The importance of wooden buildings has been highlighted in recent years due to the energy-efficient and carbon storage effect of wood. This study investigates the willingness to pay for one-time tax payments of the citizens currently living in Seoul when Seoullo uses wood as a material for covering the surface of the facilities. The study examines the economic feasibility of Seoullo, which is a part of the government urban regeneration project that built a park on the desolate bridge in 2017. The result indicates that Seoul citizens who participated in the survey feel a greater preference for wood material rather than existing concrete used in Seoullo despite the tax burden. As a result, it is found that the respondents with children under the age of 8, respondents who are aware of the urban regeneration project, and respondents with respiratory disease have a lower marginal willingness to pay than those in the opposite groups. Moreover, the result shows that the respondents who consider farming or returning to rural areas, respondents in need of city improvement, respondents who chose wood as a preferred building material, and respondents with the experience of visiting Seoullo have a greater marginal willingness to pay for the wooden material than those in the opposite groups.