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The introduction of new species in forest management must be undertaken with a degree of care, to help prevent the spread of invasive species. However, new species with higher profitability are needed to increase forest products value and the resilience of rural populations. Paulownia tomentosa has an extremely fast growth. The objective and novelty of this work was to study the potential use of young Paulownia trees grown in Portugal by using heat treatment to improve its properties, thereby allowing higher value applications of the wood. The average chemical composition of untreated and heat-treated wood was determined. The extractive content was determined by successive Soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane (DCM), ethanol and water as solvents. The composition of lipophilic extracts was performed by injection in GC-MS with mass detection. Insoluble and soluble lignin, holocellulose and α-cellulose were also determined. Physical (density and water absorption and dimensional stability) and mechanical properties (bending strength and bending stiffness) and termite resistance was also determined. Results showed that extractive content increased in all solvents, lignin and α-cellulose also increased and hemicelluloses decreased. Compounds derived from the thermal degradation of lignin were found in heat-treated wood extractions. Dimensional stability improved but there was a decrease in mechanical properties. Resistance against termites was better for untreated wood than for heat-treated wood, possibly due to the thermal degradation of some toxic extractives.
Bruno Esteves; Helena Ferreira; Hélder Viana; José Ferreira; Idalina Domingos; Luísa Cruz-Lopes; Dennis Jones; Lina Nunes. Termite Resistance, Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Paulownia tomentosa Wood before and after Heat Treatment. Forests 2021, 12, 1114 .
AMA StyleBruno Esteves, Helena Ferreira, Hélder Viana, José Ferreira, Idalina Domingos, Luísa Cruz-Lopes, Dennis Jones, Lina Nunes. Termite Resistance, Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Paulownia tomentosa Wood before and after Heat Treatment. Forests. 2021; 12 (8):1114.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Esteves; Helena Ferreira; Hélder Viana; José Ferreira; Idalina Domingos; Luísa Cruz-Lopes; Dennis Jones; Lina Nunes. 2021. "Termite Resistance, Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Paulownia tomentosa Wood before and after Heat Treatment." Forests 12, no. 8: 1114.
This article evaluates the relevant properties of cement-bonded particleboards (CBPB) made with a portion of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) particles replaced with an agricultural waste, banana pseudostem (Musa sp.). The industrial production of CBPB was simulated in the laboratory based on a reference composition defined by a manufacturing company. Test specimens were produced assuming 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% partial replacement of wood particles with banana pseudostem fibres. Some physical properties (bulk density, thermal conductivity, and dimensional stability) and the mould susceptibility of the different variables were assessed. Results show that the thermal conductivity of the boards increased with the banana fibre proportion and ranged between 0.233 W/(m.K) and 0.279 W/(m.K). The bulk density values generally increased with the banana fibre proportion and ranged between 1754–1995 kg/m3, being the highest value obtained for B50 (equal weight proportion of wood particles and banana fibres). Specimens with a higher percentage of banana fibres have reduced thickness resulting from swelling, ranging between 0.38% and 0.11% (for 0% and 75% of banana fibres, respectively). CBPBs with unsanded surfaces seem to be unsusceptible to mould development, whereas those with sanded surfaces, simulating wearing, show some bio-susceptibility. Mould development increases with the proportion of banana fibre. The results highlight the need for regular maintenance of the particleboards, thus avoiding surface wear over time and resulting in the exposure of the wood particles and/or banana fibres to the outside environment.
Lina Nunes; Eleonora Cintura; João Parracha; Bruno Fernandes; Vitor Silva; Paulina Faria. Cement-Bonded Particleboards with Banana Pseudostem Waste: Physical Performance and Bio-Susceptibility. Infrastructures 2021, 6, 86 .
AMA StyleLina Nunes, Eleonora Cintura, João Parracha, Bruno Fernandes, Vitor Silva, Paulina Faria. Cement-Bonded Particleboards with Banana Pseudostem Waste: Physical Performance and Bio-Susceptibility. Infrastructures. 2021; 6 (6):86.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLina Nunes; Eleonora Cintura; João Parracha; Bruno Fernandes; Vitor Silva; Paulina Faria. 2021. "Cement-Bonded Particleboards with Banana Pseudostem Waste: Physical Performance and Bio-Susceptibility." Infrastructures 6, no. 6: 86.
Lina Nunes; Maxime Verbist; Daniel F. Lima; Jorge M. Branco. Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry. Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleLina Nunes, Maxime Verbist, Daniel F. Lima, Jorge M. Branco. Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry. Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLina Nunes; Maxime Verbist; Daniel F. Lima; Jorge M. Branco. 2021. "Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry." Preliminary testing of moisture propagation at timber beam-ends in contact with wet masonry , no. : 1.
External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are constructive solutions widely used to increase the thermal insulation in new and retrofitted buildings. However, these systems can present several anomalies due to their constant exposure to weathering agents and anthropic factors. Water is generally the major cause of degradation. Thus, the application of water-repellent products can minimize the appearance of anomalies and increase the durability of the systems. In this paper, acrylic-based and siloxane-based hydrophobic products were applied to ETICS, with the aim of assessing the compatibility, effectiveness, and durability of these products. The moisture transport properties and mould susceptibility were assessed through laboratory tests on untreated and treated specimens. The durability of the hydrophobic treatments was also evaluated through artificial aging tests (heat-cold and freeze-thaw cycles). Results show that the protection products generally decreased water absorption, slightly decreased the drying rate, and presented adequate water vapor permeability. After aging, the products still had reasonable effectiveness and, with one exception, improved the water vapor diffusion of the systems. Additionally, ETICS underwent an alteration in the finishing coat (possible modification of the porosity) due to the aging cycles. No clear linear correlation was found between the contact angle values and water absorption results, evidencing the influence of other factors related to the composition of the water-repellent products.
Renata Roncon; Giovanni Borsoi; João Parracha; Inês Flores-Colen; Rosário Veiga; Lina Nunes. Impact of Water-Repellent Products on the Moisture Transport Properties and Mould Susceptibility of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems. Coatings 2021, 11, 554 .
AMA StyleRenata Roncon, Giovanni Borsoi, João Parracha, Inês Flores-Colen, Rosário Veiga, Lina Nunes. Impact of Water-Repellent Products on the Moisture Transport Properties and Mould Susceptibility of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems. Coatings. 2021; 11 (5):554.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRenata Roncon; Giovanni Borsoi; João Parracha; Inês Flores-Colen; Rosário Veiga; Lina Nunes. 2021. "Impact of Water-Repellent Products on the Moisture Transport Properties and Mould Susceptibility of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems." Coatings 11, no. 5: 554.
The present study aims at evaluating the impact of anobiid damage on pine timber elements. Anobiid attack produces a diffuse damage of the elements with a set of tunnels in random directions and sizes, thus confusing quantification. Therefore, a method was developed based on X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-XCT) to obtain, for naturally infested timber samples, an empirical correlation between lost material percentage (consumed by beetles) and timber apparent density (original, before degradation—OTD and residual, after degradation—RTD). The quantified density loss can then be used in further assessment of the structure. The results of the tests performed showed high correlation between original apparent density and lost material percentage (r2 = 0.60) and between residual apparent density and lost material percentage (r2 = 0.83), which confirms μ-XCT as a valuable tool to the required quantification. The loss of density results can be further applied on the definition of an assessment method for the evaluation of the residual strength of anobiids infested timber, thus contributing to reducing unnecessary replacement. The optimized procedure of the μ-XCT study for infested Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) is presented and discussed in this article.
João Parracha; Manuel Pereira; António Maurício; Paulina Faria; Daniel Lima; Marina Tenório; Lina Nunes. Assessment of the Density Loss in Anobiid Infested Pine Using X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography. Buildings 2021, 11, 173 .
AMA StyleJoão Parracha, Manuel Pereira, António Maurício, Paulina Faria, Daniel Lima, Marina Tenório, Lina Nunes. Assessment of the Density Loss in Anobiid Infested Pine Using X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography. Buildings. 2021; 11 (4):173.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoão Parracha; Manuel Pereira; António Maurício; Paulina Faria; Daniel Lima; Marina Tenório; Lina Nunes. 2021. "Assessment of the Density Loss in Anobiid Infested Pine Using X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography." Buildings 11, no. 4: 173.
The majority of thermal modification processes are at temperatures greater than 180 °C, resulting in a product with some properties enhanced and some diminished (e.g., mechanical properties). However, the durability of thermally modified wood to termite attack is recognised as low. Recent attempts at combining thermal modification with chemical modification, either prior to or directly after the thermal process, are promising. Buffers, although not influencing the reaction systems, may interact on exposure to certain conditions, potentially acting as promoters of biological changes. In this study, two zwitterionic buffers, bicine and tricine, chosen for their potential to form Maillard-type products with fragmented hemicelluloses/volatiles, were assessed with and without thermal modification for two wood species (spruce and beech), with subsequent evaluation of their effect against subterranean termites (Reticulitermes grassei Clément) and their symbiotic protists. The effect of the wood treatments on termites and their symbionts was visible after four weeks, especially for spruce treated with tricine and bicine and heat treatment (bicine HT), and for beech treated with bicine and bicine and heat treatment (bicine HT). The chemical behaviour of these substances should be further investigated when in contact with wood and also after heat treatment. This is the first study evaluating the effect of potential Maillard reactions with zwitterionic buffers on subterranean termite symbiotic fauna.
Sónia Duarte; Lina Nunes; Davor Kržišnik; Miha Humar; Dennis Jones. Influence of Zwitterionic Buffer Effects with Thermal Modification Treatments of Wood on Symbiotic Protists in Reticulitermes grassei Clément. Insects 2021, 12, 139 .
AMA StyleSónia Duarte, Lina Nunes, Davor Kržišnik, Miha Humar, Dennis Jones. Influence of Zwitterionic Buffer Effects with Thermal Modification Treatments of Wood on Symbiotic Protists in Reticulitermes grassei Clément. Insects. 2021; 12 (2):139.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSónia Duarte; Lina Nunes; Davor Kržišnik; Miha Humar; Dennis Jones. 2021. "Influence of Zwitterionic Buffer Effects with Thermal Modification Treatments of Wood on Symbiotic Protists in Reticulitermes grassei Clément." Insects 12, no. 2: 139.
Samples from the two most common pines grown in Portugal (Pinus pinaster Ait) and Spain (Pinus radiata, D. Don) were heat-treated in industrial facilities in accordance with ThermoWood ® class D. For both species, the variation in surface properties, of untreated and heat-treated wood after artificial weathering from 75 to 750 h, is presented. The analysis included the determination of color, roughness, gloss, and wettability before exposure and after each artificial weathering period. Untreated woods became darker faster, while in heat-treated woods, lightness remained approximately constant until 750 h of artificial weathering. Both untreated and heat-treated wood became more reddish in the beginning of the weathering process, turning greener for longer exposure times. Untreated woods became yellower in the beginning, turning into blueish tones later. Heat-treated wood turned slightly yellower until 750 h of weathering. Gloss decreased for untreated wood with no significant changes in heat-treated wood. Despite the changes, the gloss of both untreated and heat-treated wood converged to similar values. Roughness increased for both untreated and heat-treated woods. Artificial weathering increased the wettability of heat-treated wood.
Bruno M. Esteves; René Herrera; Jorge Santos; Luísa Carvalho; Lina Nunes; José Ferreira; Idalina J. Domingos; Luísa Cruz-Lopes. Artificial weathering of heat-treated pines from the Iberian peninsula. BioResources 2020, 15, 1 .
AMA StyleBruno M. Esteves, René Herrera, Jorge Santos, Luísa Carvalho, Lina Nunes, José Ferreira, Idalina J. Domingos, Luísa Cruz-Lopes. Artificial weathering of heat-treated pines from the Iberian peninsula. BioResources. 2020; 15 (4):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno M. Esteves; René Herrera; Jorge Santos; Luísa Carvalho; Lina Nunes; José Ferreira; Idalina J. Domingos; Luísa Cruz-Lopes. 2020. "Artificial weathering of heat-treated pines from the Iberian peninsula." BioResources 15, no. 4: 1.
In the present work, and for the first time, totally biosourced low-density particleboards were produced using cardoon particles (a no added value by-product from the Portuguese cheese making industry), bound with a potato starch adhesive. Different starch/cardoon ratios (0.6, 0.8, 1 and 1.2) were tested and the effect of different bio-based additives (chitosan, wood fiber and glycerol) on the performance of the adhesive system was evaluated. The best result was obtained for a formulation with a starch/cardoon mass ratio of 0.8, a chitosan/starch mass ratio of 0.05 and a water/starch mass ratio of 1.75. The particleboards produced had a density of 323 kg·m−3, internal bond strength of 0.35 N·mm−2 and thickness swelling of 15.2%. The values of density and internal bond strength meet the standard requirements of general-purpose lightweight boards for use in dry conditions according to CEN/TS 16368 specification. Moreover, the susceptibility of the formulations with best results was established against subterranean termites and one decay fungi.
Sandra Monteiro; Lina Nunes; Jorge Martins; Fernão Magalhães; Luísa Carvalho. Low-Density Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) Particleboards Bound with Potato Starch-Based Adhesive. Polymers 2020, 12, 1799 .
AMA StyleSandra Monteiro, Lina Nunes, Jorge Martins, Fernão Magalhães, Luísa Carvalho. Low-Density Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) Particleboards Bound with Potato Starch-Based Adhesive. Polymers. 2020; 12 (8):1799.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandra Monteiro; Lina Nunes; Jorge Martins; Fernão Magalhães; Luísa Carvalho. 2020. "Low-Density Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) Particleboards Bound with Potato Starch-Based Adhesive." Polymers 12, no. 8: 1799.
There is a need for new solutions in wood protection against marine wood borers and termites in Europe. A new solution could be the esterification of wood with sorbitol and citric acid (SCA) since these are inexpensive and readily available feedstock chemicals and have shown protective properties against fungal wood degradation in earlier studies and prevented macrobiological degradation, as shown in this study. Protection of wood products in the marine environment lacks available wood preservatives that are approved for marine applications. Termite infestation is opposed mainly by biocide treatments of wood. Several wood modification systems show high resistance against both marine borers and subterranean termites. However, the existing commercialized wood modification products are costly. Both macrobiological forms of degradation represent a great threat for most European wood species, which are rapidly and severely degraded if not properly treated. This study investigated esterified wood in standard field trials against marine wood borers, and against subterranean termites in laboratory trials in a no-choice and choice test. The treatment showed good resistance against wood borers in the marine environment after one season and against subterranean termites in the laboratory after eight weeks. The low termite survival rate (SR) in the no-choice test during the first week of testing indicates a mode of action that is incomparable to other wood modification treatments.
Andreas Treu; Lina Nunes; Erik Larnøy. Macrobiological Degradation of Esterified Wood with Sorbitol and Citric Acid. Forests 2020, 11, 776 .
AMA StyleAndreas Treu, Lina Nunes, Erik Larnøy. Macrobiological Degradation of Esterified Wood with Sorbitol and Citric Acid. Forests. 2020; 11 (7):776.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndreas Treu; Lina Nunes; Erik Larnøy. 2020. "Macrobiological Degradation of Esterified Wood with Sorbitol and Citric Acid." Forests 11, no. 7: 776.
Among biological agents, insect attacks may cause severe degradation of timber structures in the service life of buildings which leads to lower mechanical performance and, thus, maintenance problems over time. Additionally, compression perpendicular to the grain always features a weak spot with respect to the long-term mechanical performance of timber members and joints. In the present work, the respective strength and elastic modulus were thus investigated for insect deteriorated wood. Following a standardized geometry, small samples degraded by anobiids were extracted from beams made of sweet chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.) that were removed from service. Visual assessment of the external wood surfaces was then performed to identify areas infested by insects. Afterwards, destructive monotonic compression tests were carried out perpendicularly to the grain on the damaged area to determine the loss of compressive strength and elastic modulus. The experimental results showed that the loss of compressive strength and elastic modulus might be linearly correlated to the wood density loss for small samples infested by insects. Nonetheless, future work should focus on determining accurately the density loss in the insect-deteriorated part through non- or semi-destructive tests, in order to establish stronger relationships with the mechanical properties loss investigated.
Maxime Verbist; Jorge M. Branco; Lina Nunes. Characterization of the Mechanical Performance in Compression Perpendicular to the Grain of Insect-Deteriorated Timber. Buildings 2020, 10, 14 .
AMA StyleMaxime Verbist, Jorge M. Branco, Lina Nunes. Characterization of the Mechanical Performance in Compression Perpendicular to the Grain of Insect-Deteriorated Timber. Buildings. 2020; 10 (1):14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaxime Verbist; Jorge M. Branco; Lina Nunes. 2020. "Characterization of the Mechanical Performance in Compression Perpendicular to the Grain of Insect-Deteriorated Timber." Buildings 10, no. 1: 14.
External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are nowadays often used in new constructions but are also one of the most frequently used thermal retrofitting solutions for buildings.These systems have several advantages such as low installation cost, ease of application and increased thermal efficiency. Nevertheless, a number of questions have been raised on their long-time durability particularly related to biodeterioration. Biological growth is strongly influenced by several parameters, such as water content, temperature, pH but also by the type and hygroscopic properties of the building materials. It is therefore essential to understand and correlate those properties with biological growth. This paper aims at evaluating some ETICS characteristics that might influence surface mould development which is recognized as one of the major groups of deteriorating organisms. The susceptibility of the surface finishing layer and thermal insulation to biological growth was assessed through natural inocula and selected fungi and, whenever possible, correlated with water absorption and drying capacity. This study is part of a wider research project: WGB_Shield (Shielding building‘ facades on cities revitalization. Triple-resistance for water, graffiti and biocolonization of external thermal insulation systems) that aims at the development of ETICS with improved durability in the urban environment. Further development on this issue are ongoing.
João L. Parracha; Armand Cortay; Giovanni Borsoi; Rosário Veiga; Lina Nunes. Evaluation of ETICS Characteristics that Affect Surface Mould Development. XV International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components. eBook of Proceedings 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleJoão L. Parracha, Armand Cortay, Giovanni Borsoi, Rosário Veiga, Lina Nunes. Evaluation of ETICS Characteristics that Affect Surface Mould Development. XV International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components. eBook of Proceedings. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoão L. Parracha; Armand Cortay; Giovanni Borsoi; Rosário Veiga; Lina Nunes. 2020. "Evaluation of ETICS Characteristics that Affect Surface Mould Development." XV International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components. eBook of Proceedings , no. : 1.
In this article, an assessment method to estimate the residual strength of pine structural elements degraded by anobiids is presented. This novel method was developed in the laboratory to be used in situ and is based on the strength required to withdraw a screw on the surface of degraded timber. Samples of degraded maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) were submitted to micro-computed tomography (μ-XCT) to quantify density loss. This parameter is highly correlated with mechanical properties thus central for the assessment of timber structural capacity. Density loss values have been correlated with both screw withdrawal force and shear parallel to the grain strength showing significant relationships between these parameters. Using these correlations, the density loss of a degraded element and its shear strength parallel to the grain via the screw withdrawal force can be estimated enabling a valid quantitative assessment of the timber elements residual strength and, therefore, contributing to reduce unnecessary replacement, to boost eco-efficient interventions and to provide foundations required to perform experimental modelling tests.
João L. Parracha; Manuel Pereira; António Maurício; José Saporiti Machado; Paulina Faria; Lina Nunes. A semi-destructive assessment method to estimate the residual strength of maritime pine structural elements degraded by anobiids. Materials and Structures 2019, 52, 54 .
AMA StyleJoão L. Parracha, Manuel Pereira, António Maurício, José Saporiti Machado, Paulina Faria, Lina Nunes. A semi-destructive assessment method to estimate the residual strength of maritime pine structural elements degraded by anobiids. Materials and Structures. 2019; 52 (3):54.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoão L. Parracha; Manuel Pereira; António Maurício; José Saporiti Machado; Paulina Faria; Lina Nunes. 2019. "A semi-destructive assessment method to estimate the residual strength of maritime pine structural elements degraded by anobiids." Materials and Structures 52, no. 3: 54.
The safety assessment of old timber structures is an important issue, due to the long-term behaviour of wood and the structural complexity found in some older constructions. If the structure is degraded due to the action of wood-boring insects, the complexity of the analysis increases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of anobiid beetles’ attack on old timber structures. One major difficulty concerns the assessment of the effective strength of timber cross sections with anobiid damage. This happens because beetles’ attack produces a diffuse damage, with a set of tunnels in random directions.Compression parallel to the grain and screw withdrawal tests have been made in pine naturally degraded by anobiids (natural samples – NS) and in pine with artificially bored galleries (artificial samples – AS). 216 samples were tested (97 to screw withdrawal and 119 to compression). The original density of NS is unknown. For AS, 0.7% and 1.4% of lost material was simulated. Screw withdrawal and compression force values were related with density for AS (𝑟2 = 0.52 for compression; 𝑟2 = 0.56 for screw withdrawal). The results show a significant variation between the average results obtained both to the compression (42.9 MPa – AS; 27.2 MPa – NS) and to the pull- out (3.4 KN – AS; 2.2 KN – NS).Although there was an attempt to simulate the degradation by woodworm with the AS, with known density, the test results were significantly different from those obtained for the NS, where the percentage of lost material is unknown, as well as initial density. Thus, knowledge of residual timber density seems to be paramount to know the level of deterioration and the real impact of this on a structure. Further developments on this issue are ongoing.
Lina Nunes; João Luís Parracha; Paulina Faria; Pedro Palma; António Maurício; Manuel Pereira. Towards an assessment tool of anobiid damage of pine timber structures. IABSE Symposium, Guimarães 2019: Towards a Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management 2019, 1734 -1741.
AMA StyleLina Nunes, João Luís Parracha, Paulina Faria, Pedro Palma, António Maurício, Manuel Pereira. Towards an assessment tool of anobiid damage of pine timber structures. IABSE Symposium, Guimarães 2019: Towards a Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management. 2019; ():1734-1741.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLina Nunes; João Luís Parracha; Paulina Faria; Pedro Palma; António Maurício; Manuel Pereira. 2019. "Towards an assessment tool of anobiid damage of pine timber structures." IABSE Symposium, Guimarães 2019: Towards a Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management , no. : 1734-1741.
Maxime Verbist; Lina Nunes; Dennis Jones; Jorge M. Branco. Service life design of timber structures. Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures 2019, 311 -336.
AMA StyleMaxime Verbist, Lina Nunes, Dennis Jones, Jorge M. Branco. Service life design of timber structures. Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures. 2019; ():311-336.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaxime Verbist; Lina Nunes; Dennis Jones; Jorge M. Branco. 2019. "Service life design of timber structures." Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures , no. : 311-336.
Maria Antonietta Aiello; Anna Anzani; Pedro Arias Sánchez; Jorge M. Branco; Christian Brischke; Giuliana Cardani; Maria Do Rosário Veiga; Marcio Santos Faria; Francisco M. Fernandes; Elsa Garavaglia; Bahman Ghiassi; Rogiros Illampas; Ioannis Ioannou; Dennis Jones; Paula Lopez-Arce; Paulo B. Lourenço; Maria-Giovanna Masciotta; Lina Nunes; Guilherme Parsekian; Luís F. Ramos; Belén Riveiro Rodríguez; Humberto Ramos Roman; Ana Sánchez Rodríguez; António Santos Silva; Cláudio Oliveira Silva; Mario Soilán Rodríguez; Maxime Verbist; Els Verstrynge; Ainara Zornoza-Indart. List of contributors. Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures 2018, 1 .
AMA StyleMaria Antonietta Aiello, Anna Anzani, Pedro Arias Sánchez, Jorge M. Branco, Christian Brischke, Giuliana Cardani, Maria Do Rosário Veiga, Marcio Santos Faria, Francisco M. Fernandes, Elsa Garavaglia, Bahman Ghiassi, Rogiros Illampas, Ioannis Ioannou, Dennis Jones, Paula Lopez-Arce, Paulo B. Lourenço, Maria-Giovanna Masciotta, Lina Nunes, Guilherme Parsekian, Luís F. Ramos, Belén Riveiro Rodríguez, Humberto Ramos Roman, Ana Sánchez Rodríguez, António Santos Silva, Cláudio Oliveira Silva, Mario Soilán Rodríguez, Maxime Verbist, Els Verstrynge, Ainara Zornoza-Indart. List of contributors. Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures. 2018; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Antonietta Aiello; Anna Anzani; Pedro Arias Sánchez; Jorge M. Branco; Christian Brischke; Giuliana Cardani; Maria Do Rosário Veiga; Marcio Santos Faria; Francisco M. Fernandes; Elsa Garavaglia; Bahman Ghiassi; Rogiros Illampas; Ioannis Ioannou; Dennis Jones; Paula Lopez-Arce; Paulo B. Lourenço; Maria-Giovanna Masciotta; Lina Nunes; Guilherme Parsekian; Luís F. Ramos; Belén Riveiro Rodríguez; Humberto Ramos Roman; Ana Sánchez Rodríguez; António Santos Silva; Cláudio Oliveira Silva; Mario Soilán Rodríguez; Maxime Verbist; Els Verstrynge; Ainara Zornoza-Indart. 2018. "List of contributors." Long-term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures , no. : 1.
The concept of individuality has changed, since symbiosis is now accepted as being widespread and not an exception. Symbiotic microorganisms are not only crucial for the evolutionary and ecological success of many organisms (take land plants as an iconic example) but can also be key to many current human caused challenges (biomass degradation and bioenergy, for example). Nowadays, many tools are available allowing to study the hidden microbiological world, but we should not neglect that, for certain aims, researchers do need to incorporate these new technologies with less appealing and more classical approaches in an integrative framework. Using the example of lower termites' symbiosis with their protists, we intend to stimulate debate and to encourage cooperation between researchers toward high quality “big data” that can bring us closer to the pursued answers. The fast development of molecular techniques, especially the high-throughput sequencing methods (HTS) during the past years, has made the in-situ detection of microorganisms feasible. The perception that an organism is never alone is well established and fueled the desire to unveil the hidden world of the microbial symbiosis. In this new “omics era” a new set of tools and techniques allowing the study of not yet cultivated (or difficult to cultivate) symbionts are available. The advances in DNA sequencing technology and the use of the 16S rRNA gene as a taxonomic marker have enabled the genetic identification of bacteria, being nowadays a well-established approach (e.g., Otani et al., 2014; Bin et al., 2018). For symbiotic fungi metabarcoding, approaches targeting the mycobiome of plants (e.g., mycorrhizal fungus) or invertebrates (e.g., pathogenic fungus) have been widely employed and both primer sets and comparative databases are available and growing (for a review see Cuadros-Orellana et al., 2013). For other groups, like the protists, the approaches are less well established. In the microbial endosymbiosis world, the interactions may have several roles, from reproductive to digestive or even protective. A classic digestive endosymbiosis is the one between termites and their symbionts, and much of the research has been focused on the microbial symbiosis that aids the wood digestion process. The symbiotic association between termites and their hindgut symbionts has advantages for both, since the termites obtain energy as a result of the cooperative lignocellulose digestion, and hindgut symbionts have shelter, protection and food, supplied by the termite host (e.g., Brune, 2013; Tamschick and Radek, 2013). In addition to the synergistic digestive collaboration, symbionts of lower termites may also play a protective role against pathogens (see Peterson and Scharf, 2016). Flagellate protists inhabit the lower termite's gut, an ancestral trait shared with wood-feeding cockroaches (e.g., Lo and Eggleton, 2011; Brune and Dietrich, 2015). The gut protists belong to either the phylum Parabasalia or the order Oxymonadida (phylum Preaxostyla). Termite guts harbor a great diversity of protist species. The characterization of flagellate protists living inside termites is a challenging wide field of research, which initially relied solely on the morphological characterization of the cells (Leidy, 1877; Kudo, 1939; Grassé, 1952), and nowadays should ideally rely on an integrative taxonomic approach, using evidence from morphology and molecular data to delimit protist species (e.g., Carpenter et al., 2009; Harper et al., 2009; James et al., 2012) and contributing to solve the Linnean shortfall (Cardoso et al., 2011; Hortal et al., 2015). However, the identification of flagellate protists symbiotic to termites is highly impaired by the difficult task of maintaining a laboratory rearing of these organisms: the intricate physical and chemical conditions existing inside the termite hindgut (particularly, gradients of oxygen, hydrogen, and pH), powered by the protists and bacterial symbionts activities, are almost impossible to reproduce in a laboratory environment, and are of utmost importance for the survival of the different species of flagellate protists. Therefore, most methods for the analysis of these symbionts are limited to the direct observation of the hindgut of freshly killed and healthy termites, followed by the isolation of each cell from the microbiome and its morphologic description. Nowadays, this is clearly not enough. The morphologically described species, which associate to termites, amount to more than 400 parabasalids and 70 oxymonads (reviewed in Ohkuma and Brune, 2011). With the technological advances, some single cell sequences (from protists manually isolated under microscopy; Figure 1) are becoming available (Supplementary Table 1). However, many taxonomically important species have not yet been subjected to any molecular study. The in-situ detection of flagellate protists, through metabarcoding approaches is available but requires database data for bioinformatics comparison to obtain organisms' identification and biological role inference. Other studies, such as meta-transcriptomics are actually overcoming the drawback of the need of protists individual identification and focus on protists community of symbionts functional role by transcript inference (e.g., on lignocellulolytic process; Scharf et al., 2011; Xie et al., 2012; Raychoudhury et al., 2013, Liu et al., 2016). Even if the use of differential gene expression analyses for understanding community responses to specific conditions does overcome the need of flagellate protists species knowledge, these analyses do not contribute to our understanding of the protistan diversity nor to the identification of a given species (only community information) needed for a specific biotechnological purpose. Figure 1. (A) Extracted gut with different parts of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément gut: Foregut; Midgut,...
Sónia Duarte; Lina Nunes; Paulo Borges; Tania Nobre. A Bridge Too Far? An Integrative Framework Linking Classical Protist Taxonomy and Metabarcoding in Lower Termites. Frontiers in Microbiology 2018, 9, 2620 .
AMA StyleSónia Duarte, Lina Nunes, Paulo Borges, Tania Nobre. A Bridge Too Far? An Integrative Framework Linking Classical Protist Taxonomy and Metabarcoding in Lower Termites. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018; 9 ():2620.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSónia Duarte; Lina Nunes; Paulo Borges; Tania Nobre. 2018. "A Bridge Too Far? An Integrative Framework Linking Classical Protist Taxonomy and Metabarcoding in Lower Termites." Frontiers in Microbiology 9, no. : 2620.
Changes in flagellate protist communities of subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei across different locations were evaluated following four predictions: (i) Rural endemic (Portugal mainland) termite populations will exhibit high diversity of symbionts; (ii) invasive urban populations (Horta city, Faial island, Azores), on the contrary, will exhibit lower diversity of symbionts, showing high similarity of symbiont assemblages through environmental filtering; (iii) recent historical colonization of isolated regions—as the case of islands—will imply a loss of symbiont diversity; and (iv) island isolation will trigger a change in colony breeding structure toward a less aggressive behavior. Symbiont flagellate protist communities were morphologically identified, and species richness and relative abundances, as well as biodiversity indices, were used to compare symbiotic communities in colonies from urban and rural environments and between island invasive and mainland endemic populations. To evaluate prediction on the impact of isolation (iv), aggression tests were performed among termites comprising island invasive and mainland endemic populations. A core group of flagellates and secondary facultative symbionts was identified. Termites from rural environments showed, in the majority of observed colonies, more diverse and abundant protist communities, probably confirming prediction (i). Corroborating prediction (ii), the two least diverse communities belong to termites captured inside urban areas. The Azorean invasive termite colonies had more diverse protist communities than expected and prediction (iii) which was not verified within this study. Termites from mainland populations showed a high level of aggressiveness between neighboring colonies, in contrast to the invasive colonies from Horta city, which were not aggressive to neighbors according to prediction (iv). The symbiotic flagellate community of R. grassei showed the ability to change in a way that might be consistent with adaptation to available conditions, possibly contributing to optimization of the colonization of new habitats and spreading of its distribution area, highlighting R. grassei potential as an invasive species.
Sónia Duarte; Tânia Nobre; Paulo A. V. Borges; Lina Nunes. Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termiteReticulitermes grasseiClément. Ecology and Evolution 2018, 8, 5242 -5253.
AMA StyleSónia Duarte, Tânia Nobre, Paulo A. V. Borges, Lina Nunes. Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termiteReticulitermes grasseiClément. Ecology and Evolution. 2018; 8 (11):5242-5253.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSónia Duarte; Tânia Nobre; Paulo A. V. Borges; Lina Nunes. 2018. "Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termiteReticulitermes grasseiClément." Ecology and Evolution 8, no. 11: 5242-5253.
Quercus cerris, the Turkey oak, is an oak species native to southern central and southeastern Europe, extending into southwestern Asia. It is present in a large extent in the forests of the Republic of Kosovo, and at present used mainly for bio-energy. The potential use of Q. cerris wood for construction and higher value wood products has been investigated in the last years. However limited information is available on wood characteristics and performance, mainly regarding chemical composition and durability. The heartwood of Q. cerris taken from 70-90 year-old trees grown in two sites in Kosovo was studied regarding resistance to termite attack, chemical composition and hardness. The heartwood contained only 6,7% extractives, with a small content of tannins. The wood density was on average 0,81 at 12% moisture content and Brinell hardness 36,2 N mm-2. It was classified as not durable against subterranean termites and therefore not suitable for external use in ground contact in termite areas unless adequately protected. Nevertheless, Q. cerris wood showed adequate hardness and density for interior uses like flooring for domestic and commercial applications with moderate use.
A. Bajraktari; L. Nunes; S. Knapic; R. Pimenta; T. Pinto; S. Duarte; I. Miranda; H. Pereira. Chemical characterization, hardness and termite resistance of Quercus cerris heartwood from Kosovo. Maderas. Ciencia y tecnología 2018, 1 .
AMA StyleA. Bajraktari, L. Nunes, S. Knapic, R. Pimenta, T. Pinto, S. Duarte, I. Miranda, H. Pereira. Chemical characterization, hardness and termite resistance of Quercus cerris heartwood from Kosovo. Maderas. Ciencia y tecnología. 2018; (ahead):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Bajraktari; L. Nunes; S. Knapic; R. Pimenta; T. Pinto; S. Duarte; I. Miranda; H. Pereira. 2018. "Chemical characterization, hardness and termite resistance of Quercus cerris heartwood from Kosovo." Maderas. Ciencia y tecnología , no. ahead: 1.
Tânia Santos; Lina Nunes; Paulina Faria. Production of eco-efficient earth-based plasters: Influence of composition on physical performance and bio-susceptibility. Journal of Cleaner Production 2017, 167, 55 -67.
AMA StyleTânia Santos, Lina Nunes, Paulina Faria. Production of eco-efficient earth-based plasters: Influence of composition on physical performance and bio-susceptibility. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2017; 167 ():55-67.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTânia Santos; Lina Nunes; Paulina Faria. 2017. "Production of eco-efficient earth-based plasters: Influence of composition on physical performance and bio-susceptibility." Journal of Cleaner Production 167, no. : 55-67.
The outer bark of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) has a significant amount of cork tissue that may be an important source of chemicals derived from its natural polymers, suberin, cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. The present work focuses on the polyalcohol liquefaction of Douglas-fir bark with glycerol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in order to obtain a liquid that can be further processed to other chemicals and products. The results show that Pseudotsuga bark can be liquefied in a significant percentage in presence of alkali. The best liquefaction yield was obtained with 6% KOH as agents. Although the use of a cosolvent is favorable, good liquefaction yields can also be obtained by glycerol alone. Lower temperatures are favorable as they lead to acceptable liquefaction yields. FTIR-ATR studies showed that all the structural compounds of the bark were attacked and depolymerized. The process tested has a high potential for generation of value-added products from liquefied Douglas-fir bark.
Bruno Esteves; Luísa Paula Gonçalves Oliveira Valente Cruz-Lopes; José Ferreira; Idalina Domingos; Lina Nunes; Helena Pereira. Optimizing Douglas-fir bark liquefaction in mixtures of glycerol and polyethylene glycol and KOH. Holzforschung 2017, 72, 25 -30.
AMA StyleBruno Esteves, Luísa Paula Gonçalves Oliveira Valente Cruz-Lopes, José Ferreira, Idalina Domingos, Lina Nunes, Helena Pereira. Optimizing Douglas-fir bark liquefaction in mixtures of glycerol and polyethylene glycol and KOH. Holzforschung. 2017; 72 (1):25-30.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Esteves; Luísa Paula Gonçalves Oliveira Valente Cruz-Lopes; José Ferreira; Idalina Domingos; Lina Nunes; Helena Pereira. 2017. "Optimizing Douglas-fir bark liquefaction in mixtures of glycerol and polyethylene glycol and KOH." Holzforschung 72, no. 1: 25-30.