Cellulose of tree rings is often assumed to be predominantly formed by direct assimilation of CO2 by photosynthesis and consequently can be used to reconstruct past atmospheric 14C concentrations at annual resolution. Yet little is known about the extent and the age of stored carbon from previous years used in addition to the direct assimilation in tree rings. Here, we studied 14C in earlywood and latewood cellulose of four different species (oak, pine, larch and spruce), which are commonly used for radiocarbon calibration and dating. These trees were still growing during the radiocarbon bomb peak period (1958–1972). We compared cellulose 14C measured in tree-ring subdivisions with the atmospheric 14C corresponding to the time of ring formation. We observed that cellulose 14C carried up to about 50% of the atmospheric 14C signal from the previous 1–2 years only in the earlywood of oak, whereas in conifers it was up to 20% in the earlywood and in the case of spruce also in the latewood. The bias in using the full ring of trees growing in a temperate oceanic climate to estimate atmospheric 14C concentration might be minimal considering that earlywood has a low mass contribution and that the variability in atmospheric 14C over a few years is usually less than 3‰.

Plant-derived products rely heavily on the availability of phosphorus (P) in the soil. With reserves of P-rocks being limited, there is a growing demand to enhance the efficiency of P utilization by crops. Eucalypts, an important economic crop in many countries, is a source of timber, coal, essence oils, and cellulose. After identifying low P tolerant and susceptible species in a previous study, we explored the various physiological and biochemical responses of these same species to low P availability. The aim was to expand our understanding of how different P-nutrition responses might impact eucalypt wood production and traits related to its quality. Our results indicate that low soil P minimally affects physiological wood parameters in the young trees of Eucalyptus acmenoides, Corymbia maculata, E. grandis, E. globulus, and E. tereticornis. Decreases in cellulose contents and increases in lignin content and syringyl and guaiacyl (S/G) ratios were observed under low P and only in E. acmenoides plants. Wood density remained unaffected in all species. Additionally, bark, stem, and root P concentrations increased under sufficient P conditions in E. globulus, E. grandis, and E. tereticornis. These findings suggest that these plant parts may act as reserve pools of this nutrient.

The objective of this research was to study the cellulose addition effect on the geopolymerization of heated clay. The clay, composed of illite, plagioclase and kaolinite, was heated at 700°C for 2 h and mixed with cellulose (up to 10 mass%). The mixtures were NaOH-activated, and shaped samples were aged at 83°C for 30 days. The cured samples were investigated by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of the cellulose addition on the mechanical/physical properties was also evaluated. The results showed that zeolite ZK-14, hydrosodalite, sodium carbonate and a geopolymer composed of poly(sialate) units were formed in all cured samples. The relative amounts of zeolite and metakaolin evolved antagonistically, whereas that of illite slightly decreased with increasing cellulose content. Metakaolin and illite were involved in the geopolymerization process. Cellulose addition led to the improvement of the flexural strength of the samples and to porosity reduction. By contrast, water absorption was increased. The positive effect of cellulose on sample performance is explained on the basis of hydrogen bonding between the functional moieties of cellulose and the active sites of sample constituents, namely zeolites, metakaolin, illite and the geopolymer. As a filler, zeolite probably contributed to sample strengthening, and the detrimental impact of Na-carbonate was insignificant. Based on the results obtained, the composites could be used as binders for brick manufacturing or as lightweight mortars.

Lodging is the permanent displacement of stalks due to disrupted secondary cell walls caused by external factors, plant characters and their interaction. Anatomical, morphological and compositional traits are among lodging-inducing plant traits. In comparison with morphological and anatomical features, the correlation of lodging resistance and cell wall composition is not frequently reviewed. In this review, the relation between cell wall composition and lodging resistance of cereal stalks is comprehensively reviewed based on major cell wall components (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) and trace minerals. From the body of literatures reviewed across all cereal crops, lignin and cellulose were found to have significant positive correlation with lodging resistance. However, the effect of structural features of cellulose and lignin on lodging resistance was not investigated in most of the studies. This review also highlights the importance of biomass recalcitrance and lodging resistance trade-offs in the spectrum of genetic cell wall modifications.

Catalysts are very important in the use of cellulose, the main component of biomass, as a raw material for the large-scale production of liquid fuels and chemicals. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an extremely important intermediate in the fine chemical industry. HMF can be synthesized by acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose, glucose, cellulose, or sucrose. The conversion of cellulose to HMF is challenging due to its chemical structure. The objective of the present study was to devise a more facile synthesis method using transition metal-doped montmorillonite catalysts (10Cr-Mnt, 10Cu-Mnt, 10Fe-Mnt, and 10Zn-Mnt) by wet impregnation. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, specific surface area, and NH3-TPD analyses. The synthesized catalysts were used for the conversion of cellulose to 5-HMF in an aqueous medium. Among the metals studied, Cr showed the greatest catalytic activity. With the use of this catalyst, efficient conversion of cellulose to 5-HMF was achieved, affording a conversion yield of 93.47% and 5-HMF yield of 9.07% within 6 h at 200°C. The study described here could be useful for the efficient conversion of cellulose into 5-HMF, as well as into other biomass-derived chemicals.

Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay today account for well over a third of world exports of cellulose, yet this industry only came into existence in the late twentieth century. The evolution of this industry across the three countries is the object of this study. This nascent industry required direct government support in all three countries to be successful. Forestry laws and government investments in research, education, and factory construction were all needed to encourage local and foreign capital. There were differences among these countries in their linkages to other economic sectors as well as their export mix. But in all three countries, the forestry industry was part of a general modernization of agriculture that allowed for successful competition in world markets.

Spreading of pruning waste over the soil surface may increase soil organic carbon, thus improving soil physical properties and serving as a source of nutrients and energy for microbial populations. The aim of this study was to test the effect of the environmental conditions and the biochemical composition of pruning waste from avocado, cherimoya, mango and gardens on their decomposition process in a Mediterranean subtropical climate. Bagged pruning and garden waste were placed on the ground at a distance of 1 m around the trunk of the three trees from each crop. The concentrations in C, N, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, other extracts and ash were determined at the beginning of the experiment (T0), after six (T6) and 24 (T24) months in the field. Initially, significant differences were detected for all types of waste, especially in lignin, hemicellulose, cellulose and other extracts. No significant differences were found in the N content and the C content in mango pruning waste was significantly lower than that in avocado. The greatest weight loss recorded at T24 (63.2%) was related to the lower content in lignin, cellulose and other extracts. Weight losses and C concentrations showed negative correlations with lignin content. Despite the intense decomposition of all the waste, between 55 and 36.8% of the original weights were recorded at the end of the experiment. Recalcitrant C could be the result of the lignin concentrating in the case of the garden waste applied to the different crops.

Desoxyribosenucleic acid, DNA, and cellulose molecules self-assemble in aqueous systems. This aggregation is the basis of the important functions of these biological macromolecules. Both DNA and cellulose have significant polar and nonpolar parts and there is a delicate balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. The hydrophilic interactions related to net charges have been thoroughly studied and are well understood. On the other hand, the detailed roles of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions have remained controversial. It is found that the contributions of hydrophobic interactions in driving important processes, like the double-helix formation of DNA and the aqueous dissolution of cellulose, are dominating whereas the net contribution from hydrogen bonding is small. In reviewing the roles of different interactions for DNA and cellulose it is useful to compare with the self-assembly features of surfactants, the simplest case of amphiphilic molecules. Pertinent information on the amphiphilic character of cellulose and DNA can be obtained from the association with surfactants, as well as on modifying the hydrophobic interactions by additives.

Membranes with special wettability have attracted increasing interest for oil/water separation. Herein, the cellulose-based nanofibrous membrane was fabricated in an aqueous system by an electrospinning technique. The membrane was then modified successively through coating polydopamine and polyethyleneimine on the surface, which endowed the membrane with superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic character. The composition and morphology of the resultant membrane were characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscope, respectively. Surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions were used to evaluate the separation performance of the membrane at different pH values. It was found that the membrane displayed the excellent antifouling property and separation performance for all different emulsions, with separation efficiency above 99.1% due to the development of a hydration layer underwater on the membrane surface. The reusability study indicated that the modification coating was stable enough to effectively separate emulsions after recycling at least 20 times. The developed nanofibrous membrane, as well as the corresponding modification strategy, enriched the application of membranes with special wettability in the field of oil spills and oily wastewater treatments.

The CO2 absorption and liquid scintillation counting (LSC) are methods used in radioactivity monitoring programs of nuclear facilities for 14C measurements due to high number of samples and relatively high expected level of 14C concentration. The paper describes the chemical sample preparation applied to a quality control material (IAEA-C3 Cellulose), in order to evaluate the reproducibility of CO2 absorption method for this type of material. Consequently, in the experiments we used two home-made scintillation cocktails, containing two amines, 2-methoxyethylamine (MEA) and 3-methoxypropyl amine (MPA), which detained CO2 as carbamates. Due to the fact that the material used in the dedicated experiments is cellulose (contained in all vegetable materials), the method can be considered as appropriate for 14C determination from biological and vegetable materials.

There is increased interest in the use of cellulose nanomaterials for the mechanical reinforcement of composites due to their high stiffness and strength. However, challenges remain in accurately determining their distribution within composite microstructures. We report the use of a range of techniques used to image aggregates of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) greater than 10 µm2 within a model thermoplastic polymer. While Raman imaging accurately determines CNC aggregate size, it requires extended periods of analysis and the limited observable area results in poor reproducibility. In contrast, staining the CNCs with a fluorophore enables rapid acquisition with high reproducibility, but overestimates the aggregate size as CNC content increases. Multi-channel spectral confocal laser scanning microscopy is presented as an alternative technique that combines the accuracy of Raman imaging with the speed and reproducibility of conventional confocal laser scanning microscopy, enabling the rapid determination of CNC aggregate distribution within composites.

The radiocarbon (14C) dating of contaminated old wood has been seen as a challenge requiring many lengthy procedures, often using strong alkali extractions and carbon-containing solvents. Introduced here is a novel protocol called 2chlorOx, a twice-repeated sequence of alkaline hypochlorite and acidic chlorite oxidations, which is shown to work well for 14C and 13C measurements on both <5000 BP and >50,000 BP wood samples, producing results superior to those from conventional acidic chlorite or acidic dichromate oxidations. The 2chlorOx method employs only inorganic reagents, many samples can be completed in less than one day under normal laboratory conditions, and cellulose prepared in this way is usually paper-white in color.

We investigated the effect of offering supplementary dietary fibres to suckling piglets on their behaviour and performance before weaning. From 5 to 22 days of age, suckling piglets were offered a high-fibre diet (HF; 5% cellulose; n=5 litters), or a control low-fibre diet (n=5 litters). Piglets were housed with the sows in individual farrowing pens, and had access to maternal milk until weaning, at 23 days of age. Behaviours of six focal piglets per pen were scored at 6, 16 and 21 days of age. All piglets were individually weighed at 5, 15 and 20 days of age and feed intake was measured daily at the pen level. Piglets on the HF diet were more active than controls (P=0.05), and spent more time suckling or massaging the udder (P=0.01) and interacting with pen mates (P=0.008). Time spent manipulating pen mates, which may reflect re-directed foraging activity in the absence of substrate, accounted for most of the time spent interacting with pen mates (⩾73% of total time spent interacting). Dietary fibres had no effect on BW and feed intake. In conclusion, inclusion of cellulose in the supplemental diet of suckling piglets affects behaviour, with no deleterious effects on performance before weaning.

Eight polymers capable of forming aqueous gels were compared for their capacity to retain hydration over time, to promote spore germination, and to prolong the viability of germinated spores (= germlings) of Alternaria cassiae, a bioherbicide agent for sicklepod. When compared at a standard 0.1% w/w (gel/water) concentration, the eight gels retained hydration for 6 d with no significant differences among them in the rate of dehydration. The best concentration of each gel that yielded 95 to 100% spore germination within 6 h after hydration was then chosen, and the gels were compared at these concentrations to determine the duration of effectiveness of the gels. The effectiveness was rated on the basis of the proportions of alive germlings versus germinated spores and alive germlings versus total spores, determined with the aid of a fluorescent vital stain. Based on these two parameters, the most effective gel was Kelzan® xanthan gum. However, all gels supported > 50% alive germlings over a period of 1 wk, suggesting that the addition of any of these polymers to the inoculum suspension should enable the fungal propagules to remain moist for a prolonged period, benefit from the high ambient moisture to improve germination, and promote disease development. Accordingly, seven of these gels were tested for their ability to enhance pathogenicity of a mycelial inoculum of A. eichhorniae, a bioherbicide agent for waterhyacinth. Gellan gum and Kelgin®-HV were most effective in promoting disease, followed by Evergreen® 500 polyacrylamide, and Kelgin®-LV, Metamucil®, Kelzan® xanthan gum, and N-Gel™ were no better than the control inoculum without any gel. Thus, the gels may have differential effects on different fungi and inoculum types. Nonetheless, the results confirm the utility and feasibility of hydrophilic gels as formulating materials for bioherbicides.

Analyses of sediment cores from two lakes in the central Brooks Range provide temperature and moisture balance information for the past ∼8500 cal yr at century-scale resolution. Two methods of oxygen isotope analysis are used to reconstruct past changes in the effective moisture (precipitation minus evaporation) and temperature. Effective moisture is inferred from oxygen isotope ratios in sediment cellulose from Meli Lake (area ∼0.13 km2, depth 19.4 m). The lake has a low watershed-to-lake-area ratio (7) and significant evaporation relative to input. Summer temperature shifts are based on oxygen isotope analyses of endogenic calcite from Tangled Up Lake (area ∼0.25 km2, depth 3.5 m). This basin has a larger watershed-to-lake-area ratio (91) and less evaporation relative to input. Sediment oxygen isotope analyses from the two sites indicate generally more arid conditions than present prior to ∼6000 cal yr B.P. Subsequently, the region became increasingly wet. Temperature variability is recorded minimally at centennial scale resolution with values that are generally cool for the past ∼6700 cal yr. The timing and direction of climate variability indicated by the oxygen isotope time series from Meli and Tangled Up lakes are consistent with previously established late Holocene glacier advances at ∼5000 cal yr B.P. in the central Brooks Range, and high lake-levels at Birch Lake since ∼5500 cal yr B.P. This unique use of oxygen isotopes reveals both moisture balance and temperature histories at previously undetected high-resolution temporal scales for northern Alaska during the middle to late Holocene.

From the early days of radiocarbon dating, the standard sample treatment has involved removal of contamination from carbonates and humic acids by washes in acid and base, respectively. A modification of this acid-base-acid (ABA) method has been suggested, especially for material older than 20,000 yr. However, the criticism of ABA and application of a more aggressive oxidizing method, such as wet oxidation (ABOX) or cellulose extraction, might only be needed in some special cases, for example, in the case of poorly preserved or chemically treated wood. Separation of cellulose seems to be the ultimate solution; however, it is not always applicable when samples contain small amounts of wood. As a part of studies focusing on the chronology of late Pleistocene sedimentary processes in the Venetian–Friulian Plain and Carnic Alps (NE Italy), 14C analyses were performed on old wood samples found in sedimentary deposits of pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) age. Wood samples were treated by five methods: ABA, two modified ABA treatments (ABOX and ABA+Bleach), as well as two different cellulose separations. Infrared spectra of treated samples and 14C results show that in most cases the ABA method is sufficient in removing the contamination of naturally deposited wood, even when the wood is of very old age.

Hair ingested by licking during cat grooming can eventually coalesce into solid masses in cat gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that dietary fibre might reduce formation of these trichobezoars (hairballs). The effects of two insoluble fibre sources added to kibble diets were evaluated with respect to trichobezoar faecal excretion. Thirty-two cats and four diets were used in a randomised block design: a control diet without additional fibre, 10 % added sugarcane fibre, 20 % added sugarcane fibre or 10 % added cellulose. Animals were fed for 42 d and during three separate periods (days 15–17, 25–27 and 40–42), the cats were housed individually in metabolic cages and their faeces were totally collected. The faeces were evaluated and the trichobezoars were isolated and classified into small (<1 cm), medium (1·1–2 cm) or large (>2·1 cm). Means were evaluated by repeated measures ANOVA and contrasts (P < 0·05). Cats fed sugarcane fibre shown a linear reduction of small and medium trichobezoar excretion (number per cat per day; P = 0·004) as well as a reduction in trichobezoar mass excretion (mg per cat per day; P < 0·01). The control group showed increased faecal excretion of large trichobezoars (P = 0·003), which were not present in the high sugarcane fibre group (P < 0·006). No effect of cellulose was observed for any evaluated trait. Therefore, long fibres (sugarcane fibre) may cause greater peristaltic stimulation, increasing the propulsion of hair through the gut, but further research is needed to validate this mechanism. In conclusion, sugarcane fibre reduced faecal hairball elimination in cats, which may have clinical applications for the prevention of health problems related to trichobezoars.