Some unusual uses of charcoal

[Michaelangelica]

The suitability of a mixture of plaster of Paris and charcoal as a means to regulate the moisture content of coffee berries and the relative humidity (moisture conditions) of the rearing environment and its impact on rearing the coffee berry borer

Development of an improved laboratory production technique for the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei, using fresh coffee berries

Authors: Jaramillo, Juliana; Chabi-Olaye, Adenirin1; Poehling, Hans-Michael2; Kamonjo, Charles1; Borgemeister, Christian1

Source: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Volume 130, Number 3, March 2009 , pp. 275-281(7)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
Abstract:

The suitability of a mixture of plaster of Paris and charcoal as a means to regulate the moisture content of coffee berries and the relative humidity (moisture conditions) of the rearing environment and its impact on rearing the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was evaluated under laboratory conditions using two types of coffee.
Coffee berries were kept individually in vials with a 1-cm layer of the mixture, and the fresh weight of the berries was assessed, as well as the penetration of CBB into the berries, its survival, and its progeny production over a period of 55 days.
Significantly higher survival and progeny production was achieved when using the mixture regardless of the coffee type.
Compared to the vials without plaster of Paris/charcoal, a six- to sevenfold increase in survivorship of the F1 was recorded when using plaster of Paris/charcoal and in the latter treatment berries harboured on average more than 100 individuals, whereas only 1.7 in the vials without plaster of Paris.

Keywords: rearing; borer; total progeny; Coleoptera; Curculionidae; survival; fecundity; sex ratio
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2008.00820.x

Affiliations: 1: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya 2: Institute of Plant Diseases and Plant Protection, University of Hanover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hanover, Germany
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[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Why would anyone want to encourage the health of such a vile critter, first off
Secondly who the f*** would blow 40 some bucks for an article on it....wierd.....

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by DFINITLYDISTRUBD

Why would anyone want to encourage the health of such a vile critter, first off
Secondly who the f*** would blow 40 some bucks for an article on it....wierd.....

An efficient way to test the effectiveness of various controls for the borers in the lab is to raise them in situ.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Hmmmm.....K that makes perfect sence....Hope they is figurin out how to anihilate them damn bastards....My 3Gal. a day habit depends on it

BTW no that ain't a typo or an exaggeration on average I drink three gallons of coffee a day.

[Michaelangelica]

New bones from old wood

By Jeff Salton
00:26 August 16, 2009 PDT

Scientists have turned to trees in the search for better materials to use in human bone transplants. A new procedure being developed in Italy aims to turn blocks of wood - specifically red oak, rattan and sipo - into artificial bones. It is hoped that wood-derived bone substitutes will allow faster and more secure healing than currently available with metal and ceramic implants.

In the U.S., bone grafts are second only to blood transfusions on the list of transplants, hence, the amount of activity currently being undertaken in his field.

In this instance, the researchers chose wood because it closely resembles the physical structure of natural bone, "which is impossible to reproduce with conventional processing technology."

"Our purpose is to convert native wood structures into bioactive, inorganic compounds destined to substitute portions of bone," said Anna Tampieri, a scientist at the Instituto Di Scienza E Techologia Dei Materiali Ceramici in Italy.

To create the bone substitute, a block of wood - red oak, rattan and sipo work best – is heated until all that remains is pure carbon, which is basically charcoal.

New bones from old wood