Traditional flame retardants often contain halogens and produce toxic gases when burned. Hence, in this study, low-cost, environmentally friendly compounds that act as fire retardants are investigated. These materials often contain nanoparticles, from which TiO₂ and SiO₂ are the most promising. In this work, pedunculate oak wood specimens were modified with sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃, i.e., water glass) and TiO₂, SiO₂, and ZnO nanoparticles using the vacuum-pressure technique. Changes in the samples and fire characteristics of modified wood were studied via thermal analysis (TA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The results of TA showed the most significant wood decomposition at a temperature of 350 °C, with a non-significant influence of the nanoparticles. A dominant effect of sodium silicate was observed in the main weight-loss step, resulting in a drop in decomposition temperature within the temperature range of 36–44 °C. More intensive decomposition of wood treated with water glass and nanoparticles led to a faster release of non-combustible gases, which slowed down the combustion process. The results demonstrated that wood modifications using sodium silicate and nanoparticle systems have potentially enhanced flame retardant properties.

While endophytic fungi offer promising avenues for bolstering plant resilience against abiotic stressors, the molecular mechanisms behind this biofortification remain largely unknown. This study employed a multifaceted approach, combining plant physiology, proteomic, metabolomic, and targeted hormonal analyses to illuminate the early response of Brassica napus to Acremonium alternatum during the nascent stages of their interaction. Notably, under optimal growth conditions, the initial reaction to fungus was relatively subtle, with no visible alterations in plant phenotype and only minor impacts on the proteome and metabolome. Interestingly, the identified proteins associated with the Acremonium response included TUDOR 1, Annexin D4, and a plastidic K+ efflux antiporter, hinting at potential processes that could counter abiotic stressors, particularly salt stress. Subsequent experiments validated this hypothesis, showcasing significantly enhanced growth in Acremonium‐inoculated plants under salt stress. Molecular analyses revealed a profound impact on the plant's proteome, with over 50% of salt stress response proteins remaining unaffected in inoculated plants. Acremonium modulated ribosomal proteins, increased abundance of photosynthetic proteins, enhanced ROS metabolism, accumulation of V‐ATPase, altered abundances of various metabolic enzymes, and possibly promoted abscisic acid signaling. Subsequent analyses validated the accumulation of this hormone and its enhanced signaling. Collectively, these findings indicate that Acremonium promotes salt tolerance by orchestrating abscisic acid signaling, priming the plant's antioxidant system, as evidenced by the accumulation of ROS‐scavenging metabolites and alterations in ROS metabolism, leading to lowered ROS levels and enhanced photosynthesis. Additionally, it modulates ion sequestration through V‐ATPase accumulation, potentially contributing to the observed decrease in chloride content.

The article deals with the influence of irregular tooth pitch on energy consumption of cross-cutting wood. In this article, the effect was assessed of feeding velocity and parameters of saw blade on the cutting power Pc of spruce (Picea Abies), pine (Pinus Sylvestris) and beech (Fagus Silvatica) wood during sawing with a guided circular saw. For the research, two types of circular saw blades were used, one of them having irregular tooth pitch. The circular saw blades had sintered carbide inserts with a diameter of D = 350 mm and the same number of teeth. The feed velocities were vf = 4, 8,12 m∙min-1 and revolutions n = 3000 min-1. The results showed that the circular saw blades with irregular tooth pitch have higher energy consumption than the circular saw blades with regular tooth pitch. The highest cutting power Pc was shown in the case of beech. It was also shown that energy consumption is increasing linearly with increasing feed velocity.

An analysis was conducted of the effects of cutting conditions in the cross-cutting of wood using circular saws. Gradual wear of the saw blade cutting wedges impacted the entire cutting process. Two different types of circular saw blades were used. One blade type featured sintered carbide tips and 54 saw blade teeth, whereas the other had high-speed steel with 56 teeth; both saw-blades were 600 mm in diameter with a rake angle of 20°. The two wood species were spruce (Picea abies) and beech (Fagus sylvatica). During sawing, the timber was fed at a velocity of vf = 6 and 12 m·min-1. The cutting speed (vc) was set at 60 m·s-1, 70 m·s-1 and 80 m·s-1. The saw blades were coated with three types of PVD coatings. The least energy intensive saw blade was a sintered carbide-free saw blade with a coating (AlTiN) at a displacement speed of 12 m·min-1 and cutting speed of 60 m·s-1 with a power of 1310,63 W. Any change of a saw blade considerably affected torque for all the wood species, so a particular type of saw blade will always have an impact on torque. Other parameters distinctively and individually influenced the process of wood sawing.

The role of Ophiostoma quercus in oak decline, a significant threat to European oak ecosystems, has been debated for nearly a century. This long-term field experiment assessed the aggressiveness of O. quercus on Quercus petraea and monitored both fungal spread and tree defense responses, combining pathology, microscopy, X-ray tomography, FTIR, HPLC and proteome analyses. Fifty-nine months post-inoculation, 30 % of trees exhibited decline symptoms, while 70 % displayed extensive cankers and lesions, 28.3 times larger than those on controls. Infected trees responded by forming tyloses, blocking water transport around the inoculation site. Following infection, increased deposition of polyphenolic compounds was observed in both barrier and reaction zones. Histopathological observations and FTIR measurements revealed enhanced local deposition of suberin, lignin, lignin-related compounds, and tannins within the lumens of ray parenchyma cells, and the cell walls of both libriform fibers and vessels. Proteomic analyses suggest that host trees are employing a salicylic acid-based defense strategy. At the tissue level, these analyses indicate a shift in metabolic pathways, with downregulation of lignin biosynthesis and upregulation of flavonoid and stilbenoid biosynthesis, as evidenced by increased chalcone synthase abundance. Our groundbreaking use of submicron-computed X-ray tomography on woody tissues could pave the way for the widespread adoption of non-destructive 3D scanning technology in plant-fungal interaction research. The findings of this study demonstrated the aggressiveness of O. quercus towards adult Q. petraea and its contribution to the widespread syndrome of oak decline.