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Global Village Space
Home Global Village Russia-Iran ties surge under US pressure
Russia-Iran ties surge under US pressure
M K Bhadrakumar |
A commentary entitled Tehran, Moscow boosting strategic relations, appearing last week in the Iran Daily newspaper, which is close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – and subsequently circulated by IRNA – noted as follows:
"Policies adopted by Tehran and Moscow are becoming more harmonious on a daily basis as their bilateral, as well as multilateral moves and measures, are becoming more consistent with each other."
The general expectation was that in the downstream of the 2015 Iran nuclear pact opening the door to Iran's integration with the international community, Russia-Iran ties might get atrophied. But the exact opposite is happening. A senior Iranian official told Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladmimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, at a meeting in Tehran last week that the two countries are having their relations at the highest level in recent times.
The free-trade deal between the EEU and Iran will be a game changer for Russian-Iranian economic cooperation on the whole. Meanwhile, with Russia's support, Iran has also applied for membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
If any single factor is to be held accountable for this, it must be the American policies. The US' containment policies toward Russia pursued under President Barack Obama have continued during the Trump presidency – and, arguably, even intensified. For Iran, on the other hand, the expected scale of integration with the international community has not materialized following the implementation of the 2015 nuclear pact due to the US' negative attitude. The inertia of the Obama period has given way to hostile US policies under President Trump.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Syria has found Russia and Iran on the same side as staunch supporters of President Bashar Al-Assad. The Russian-Iranian cooperation deepened progressively during the period since the deployment of Russian forces to Syria in September 2016 and proved effective in stemming the tide of the war in favor of the Syrian government.
Read more: To pull out of Syria or to attack Syria: The Trump…
In the process, the overall Russian-Iranian relations began acquiring a strategic character, which they had lacked previously. Today, the spectre of US sanctions haunts both countries. The quasi-alliance with Iran provides much-needed strategic depth to the Russian policies in the Middle East. Whereas, Russia's robust support on the vexed nuclear issue is invaluable help to Tehran at the present juncture. If Iran's relations with the West run into difficulty under US pressure, Tehran's dependence on Russia will only increase. Suffice to say, the more these countries face hostility from the US, the stronger their quasi-alliance is becoming. Shades of the "new type of relations" between Russia and China!
Two developments this week highlight that Middle Eastern politics has to reckon with a new geopolitical reality in the developing Russian-Iranian quasi-alliance. First, in a major statement two days ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hinted that following the recent western missile strike on Syria, Moscow may consider supplying the advanced S-300 missile defence system to Damascus.
A senior Iranian official told Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, at a meeting in Tehran last week that the two countries are having their relations at the highest level in recent times.
If Russia upgrades the Syrian air defence system, the military balance will shift in favor of Damascus and thereby Iran will also be a beneficiary, since Syrian capability to deter any further Israeli adventures in its air space will help the consolidation of long-term Iranian presence in the Levant as well. (Following the killing of several Iranian personnel in a recent Israeli missile attack on a Syrian base near Damascus, the Chief of the Iranian Army Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Saturday that "destroying the Zionist regime is one of the major tasks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.")
In a second development this week, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying that Russia has received the first shipment of oil under the oil-for-goods deal agreed upon in 2014 (and ratified by the two countries last year) with a view to eschew the use of US dollar in their bilateral trade transactions. Under the deal, Russia would initially buy 100,000 barrels a day from Iran and sell the country $45 billion worth of goods.
Read more: Trump and his generals lock horns over Syria
Indeed, the implications are profound when Russia and Iran, two energy superpowers, collaborate on oil trade. The two countries have also signed six provisional agreements to collaborate on "strategic" energy deals worth up to $30 billion. The Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov recently disclosed that Russian investment in developing Iran's oil and gas fields could total more than $50 billion.
According to Ushakov, Iran's formal entry into the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union is now only a matter of months. The free-trade deal between the EEU and Iran will be a game changer for Russian-Iranian economic cooperation on the whole. Meanwhile, with Russia's support, Iran has also applied for membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
M. K. Bhadrakumar has served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings as India's ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001). He writes extensively in Indian newspapers, Asia Times and the "Indian Punchline". This piece was first published in Indian Punchline. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space's editorial policy.
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ABOUT US MANIFESTO ACTIVITY REPORT 2019 -2020
POLICY AREAS VISION 2050
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ABOUT ALUMINIUM CONTACT US
Activity Report 2019 -2020
Aluminium at work
Recycling & Circular Economy
Recycling data
About Aluminium
The Aluminium Effect
Aluminium in use
Automotive and transport
Stories of innovation
© Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type by Jaguar MENA (Flikr)
Transport is the single largest sector for aluminium products in Europe, absorbing almost 40% of industry output. Its lightweight characteristics reduce the weight of a range of vehicles from passenger aircraft to cars, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.
Aluminium's light-weighting properties mean it already makes a substantial contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and improving fuel efficiency. Aluminium's lightweighting properties enable cars produced in Europe this year to prevent 50 million tons of unwanted CO2 in vehicle emissions during their lifetime. This makes a substantial contribution to reducing climate change.
Innovative car manufacturers such as Tesla, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, BMW and Daimler increasingly recognise that well-engineered aluminium car parts are as safe and strong as steel but up 40% lighter. It delivers significant enhancements in performance and agility and improves fuel economy and C02 emissions.
Moving up to Aluminium for Trucks
Aluminium in Cars: Unlocking the lightweighting potential
Every kilogram of aluminium replacing steel in car manufacture reduces the overall weight of the vehicle by a further kilogram. Using 100 kg of aluminium in a car reduces CO2 emissions by up to eight grams per kilometre travelled, saving up to 46 litres of fuel per year. This is why more and more car parts are now made from aluminium. As more and more electric cars reach the market, this is increasingly important. The lighter the vehicle, the longer the range on the same charge, making them cheaper to manufacture. Aluminium is also the perfect material for many of the components that electric vehicles use. Cooling solutions, battery frames and cables are now routinely fabricated from aluminium.
Automotive LCA Model
Automotive Aluminium Manual
The amount of aluminium in an average car has increased from 50 kg in 1990 to today's 151 kg. Experts projects that this could rise to 196 kg by 2025.
Aluminium in cars is already an excellent example of a circular economy. More than 90% of the metal is recovered after the end of the vehicle's life-cycle and re-used to create new aluminium products.
Our top priorities for the revision of the ELV Directive
As well as cars, aluminium is now widely used in trucks, particularly those carrying freight and therefore approach the maximum permitted vehicle weight. Reducing the dead weight of the vehicle allows it to carry a greater payload instead. With the maximum weight of trucks in Europe is regulated by law, each kg of weight saved on the truck or the trailer allows an extra kg of valuable load. This means fewer journeys and lower overall CO2 emissions.
This aluminium lightweighting is now extensively used in city buses. Given their frequent start-stop cycle, lightweighting makes a rapid contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality.
Aluminium also offers the possibility to make trucks safer in the future. In 2015, the EU decided to allow truck cabins to be longer, increasing their safety and aerodynamics. The aluminium industry has shown how to use this extra space to improve passive safety by introducing an energy-absorbing crash management system. Aluminium from trucks are recycled for more than 90%, another good example of circular economy.
Aluminium in Commercial Vehicles
Aluminium for Safer Trucks
Truck Recycling Studies
Keeping aluminium in the loop. Jaguar – Land Rover launched a project to ensure that the aluminium alloys used in their cars would be separated and returned to their partner Novelis after the end of their car's life-cycle.
Each kg of aluminium in today's articulated trucks saves 26 kg of CO2 throughout their life-cycle.
In 1903, the Wright Brothers choose an aluminium engine for their first aeroplane because of the weight it saved. Since then, the phenomenal growth of the aerospace industries has been built on its widespread adoption of aluminium. In the Airbus A380, aluminium accounts for 61% percent of the structural weight.
Aluminium is the metal that allowed mankind to leave; even into space. Since the launch of Sputnik almost 60 years ago, aluminium has been the material of choice for all types of space structures. Its high strength to weight ratio and its ability to withstand the stresses of launch and space operation has seen, aluminium used in the Apollo missions, Skylab, the space shuttles and the International Space Station. Aluminium alloys consistently exceed other metals for mechanical stability, dampening, thermal management and reduced weight.
NASA's Orion MPCV (Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) will serve as the next-generation space exploration vehicle. Its primary structures are made from an aluminium-lithium alloy and will be covered by an advanced version of the thermal protection tiles used on the space shuttle.
In the late 70's and the early 80's, many European capitals expanded their underground and tram networks, linking city centres with their suburbs. France also began to develop its high-speed train network.
This posed a range of technical challenges that aluminium was able to meet:
For underground and tramways, lightweight vehicles meant lower running costs and better acceleration.
For high speed trains, aluminium was essential to achieve speeds in excess of 300 km/h on traditional railway tracks.
For transporting goods and raw materials in across large geographical areas, alumimum offers considerable cost savings. Countries such as the USA, Canada, and South Africa, rich in natural resources, frequently need to transport these materials across considerable distances, between mines, production plants or port facilities. Using aluminium railcars offers increased payloads, often compensating their higher purchasing costs in under two years.
The TGV-Duplex weighs 12% less than the traditional TGV, transports 40% more passengers and provides superior passive safety.
Aluminium's excellent resistance to corrosion makes it the perfect material for shipbuilding. It is both light but has low maintenance costs.
Aluminium has been used in shipbuilding since the 19th century. However, the real turning point for the adoption widespread of aluminium in shipping came in the early 1990's, when European passenger and cargo sea transport grew at around 15% per year.
This increased traffic, along with the emergence of private operators meant that low running costs and high speeds offered a competitive advantages. Companies could undertake more journeys in less time while using less fuel. This stimulated demand for new vessels that could deliver economical high performance propulsion based on low weight.
The use of aluminium combined with the use of water-jet propulsion made it possible to create a new category of high-speed ferries made entirely of aluminium.
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Dryopteris aemula är en träjonväxtart. Dryopteris aemula ingår i släktet Dryopteris och familjen Dryopteridaceae.

Underarter

Arten delas in i följande underarter:

 D. a. aemula
 D. a. liliana

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aemula

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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У статті наведено список втрат українських сил у боях під Пісками.

Список загиблих

Андрієнко Олег Віталійович Загинув 11 січня 2021 внаслідок смертельного кульового поранення під час снайперського обстрілу окупантами під час виконання бойового завдання.

19 лютого 2022 року У Пісках внаслідок обстріл терористів ДНР Загинув Солдат Кононенко Денис Юрійович.

Зниклі безвісти та полонені
Обстріл 23 листопада 2014:
 разом з Андрієм Степанцем у бліндажі було ще четверо вояків

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Піски (Покровський район)


Lock in a great price for The Apsara – rated 8.7 by recent guests!
We spent 3 days in Luang Prabang and really enjoyed our stay here. So close to all the site seeing and restaurants. Great staff very friendly. Nice room and comfortable bed.
Loved the location close into everything. Enjoyed riding the bikes in the early morning. Quiet rooms were a plus. Air conditioner and fan worked well. Restaurant had good food.
Great location, large comfortable room with good amenities. Helpful staff, riverfront location and close to the main street, the temples, the museum and good restaurants. All around a good choice, not too modern. Traditional architecture and terraced restaurant for breakfast.
Conveniently located, close to restaurants, night markets and shops.
Wonderful staff, excellent breakfasts, good location, comfy bed, great service!
We liked the feel of the hotel. The friendliness and competence of the staff set the tone.
We traveled with my wife's sister and brother-in-law. Our rooms were large and airy and shared a narrow balcony on the second floor where we could sit, sip coffee, and take in the fascinating street scene.
The Apsara This rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard when it comes to price, facilities and services available. It's based on a self-evaluation by the property. Use this rating to help choose your stay!
The luxurious Apsara is located in Luang Prabang, a 5-minute walk from Wat Xieng Thong Temple. It features a restaurant and elegant nonsmoking rooms with modern oriental interiors. Wi-Fi and parking are free.
The Apsara restaurant serves a fine selection of Asian Fusion specialties. In-room dining options can be arranged.
뀐 Located in the top-rated area in Luang Prabang, this property has an excellent location score of 9.4!
When would you like to stay at The Apsara?
Offering views of the river and mountains, this air-conditioned room features a fridge and private balcony.
Offering views of the river and mountains, this air-conditioned room features a sofa bed and private balcony.
Rooms are located on the lower floors.
House Rules The Apsara takes special requests – add in the next step!
One adult is charged USD 30 per person per night in an extra bed.
The Apsara accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.
Our room was right next to a noisy kitchen of the restaurant next door. The breakfast had very limited options, we were served exactly the same type of fruit salad every day with toasted baguette, and the selection from the menu was limited, ordinary and uninteresting. The water pressure for the shower was very weak and either too hot or too cold.
Nothing really- all good! A pool would be good but no hotels within the town of Luang Prubang can have a pool. But for $5 you can go to hotels out of town with a pool so it's not a problem.
The room is dark. Air-condition-machine goes off unusual noise some time during midnight in my room, No7. That makes me uncomfortable.
Amazing stay at The Apsara. Stayed on the second floor. The rooms are spacious and have so much charm with high ceilings and traditional Laos furniture. Bedding was very comfortable. Staff was very nice and attentive. The hotel's restaurant Paste has delicious food. Guests can borrow bicycles to cycle along the Mekong river and in town. Overall a wonderful stay. Will go back.
One oddity of the conversion of the building from house to hotel is that, at least for our rooms, the toilet and shower shared the same space, which resulted in the toilet getting wet whenever someone showered. Not a major flaw, but a slight annoyance.
I really loved the bathroom, alot of space, clean and really nice design.
Everything was fantastic! Delicious breakfast, comfortable room and extremely friendly and helpful staff. Convenient location to all the sights. Would highly recommend!


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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49ers' Richard Sherman intercepts pass, mocks Vikings QB's catchphrase
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 11: Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers runs out of the tunnel prior to the NFC Divisional Round Playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Photo: Lachlan Cunningham, Getty Images
It's still unclear whether 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman was highlighting his own resume or mocking Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins' catchphrase after a third-quarter interception Saturday afternoon.
Either way, Sherman wasn't close to being finished talking — even after he helped San Francisco into the NFC championship game with a 27-10 victory over the Vikings in Santa Clara.
After telling the media to get comfortable in their seats for his filibuster, Sherman unleashed on his doubters.
"I get tired of hearing: 'Oh, man, he's a zone corner.' I get tired of hearing the excuses for why I'm great," Sherman said. "In the playoffs, in big games, I show up. I show up year in, year out, whether it's 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. Unless I tear my Achilles, I'm out there and doing my job at a high level."
That's what happens when you throw at @RSherman_25 😏#WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/uiLO6gwnvC
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 11, 2020
In 13 career postseason games, including the Super Bowl XLVIII victory over Denver in February 2014, Sherman has three interceptions and has not allowed a touchdown pass.
"It's like people got frustrated that I was so confident early on in my career. I was confident early, so people wanted me to fail," Sherman said. "When I didn't fail, it's like: 'How do we tear him down in other ways? How do we find a way to tear him down? How to we find a way to rip his game apart?' But I'm too consistent on a year in, year out basis."
Get a pick, take a pic @RSherman_25 | #BeLegendary pic.twitter.com/8PzM6JKsiL
Sherman was in man-to-man coverage when he picked off Cousins' pass Saturday.
49ers vs. Vikings
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Sherman read Adam Thielen's inside release and recognized the route the receiver would run on third down. The cornerback broke on the ball and beat Thielen to the spot. "Kirk threw a very catchable ball," Sherman said. "I appreciate it."
Sherman didn't address his in-game chatter, but he appeared to be mocking Cousins' rallying cry, "You like that?" after the interception. Other camera angles appeared to catch Sherman yelling: "Thirty-eight!"
Sherman's 35 regular-season interceptions and three postseason picks add up to 38.
Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron


text:
LIVE AT THE RAINBOW
Symphonic Prog
3.47 | 132 ratings | 26 reviews | 26% 5 stars
Good, but non-essential
Buy FOCUS Music
Live, released in 1973
1. Focus III (3:54)
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! (11:38)
3. Focus II (4:27)
4. Eruption: (8:29)
a) Orfeus
b) Answer
c) Orfeus
d) Answer
e) Pupilla
f) Tommy
g) Pupilla
5. Hocus Pocus (8:29)
6. Sylvia (2:48)
7. Hocus Pocus (reprise) (2:47)
- Jan Akkerman / guitars
- Bert Ruiter / bass, backing vocals
- Pierre van der Linden / drums
- Thijs van Leer / keyboards, flute, vocals
CD: EMI Records CDP 7 48969 (1988)
Red bullet Productions BV RB 66.190 (2001)
Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to SouthSideoftheSky for the last updates
Buy FOCUS Live At The Rainbow Music
Red Bullet 2001 $11.34
$8.52 (used)
Focus Live At The Rainbow - Sire Records 1973 - Used Vinyl LP Record - 1973 Pressing SAS-7408 - Rare Misprint Label - Hocus Pocus - Eruption - Sylvia - Focus III
Sire Records $9.95 (used)
More places to buy FOCUS music online
Buy FOCUS & Prog Rock Digital Music online:
AmazonMP3: Search for FOCUS DRM-Free MP3 Downloads @ Amazon.com MP3
FOCUS Live At The Rainbow ratings distribution
Collectors/fans only (5%)
FOCUS Live At The Rainbow reviews
Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
Another one of those Focus album that came with different sleeve depending on which side of the great pond you lived on. This is a very controversial album , some calling it useless but it is not that bad but most constuctive criticism is absolutely true.
One of the things I always regretted is that Focus always stretched out whatever few good ideas they had , and it is quite evident if you see them live. The Question Answer suite is listlessly rendered live and that Eruption version would not even wake me up if I slept in the crater of the volcano.
On the positive side the two Focus themes are fine (but why two of those?) and at the end of the record they stretch out Hocus Pocus around Sylvia .
It would have more stars if it did not feature that boring Eruption suite (and the concert version adds nothing new to the studio one although it is shortened for inclusion).
Not essential .
Posted Monday, February 2, 2004 | Review this album | Report (Review #22928)
Review by Guillermo
This live album was a disappointment for me in some things. One of the best things is that the band sometimes played with great energy, but in other parts of the album they sound somewhat "nervous" and "out of tune", like Akkerman`s guitar in some places. "Focus II" lacks the mellotron and the piano of the original version, so this live version is not very good. I read that using the mellotron in tours was a real problem for keyboard players in those days, because the instrument was out of tune easily. So maybe Thijs van Leer didn`t use it in this album for this reason.
Posted Sunday, September 5, 2004 | Review this album | Report (Review #22934)
Review by Philo
After the consistent flow of top drawer albums where Focus unleashed their self styled brand of Humorist progressive rock with a baroque and jazz leaning the Focus At The Rainbow album came across as a bit of a disappointment. When listening to a live album I want to hear the buzz and excitement of the band that have just begun and are building up momentum and energy as they move through the concert, but this is not what I get when listening to the album opener "Focus III". I felt a little lost and something of a gate crasher. The performance is good but the overall recording/production is somewhat muted here and there and the song arrangement for this listener sound uncomfortable and not at ease what so ever, almost as if the band themselves were at odds. The album versions of the tracks that appear on this live set are far more superior to this recording, but I was lead to believe that Focus At The Rainbow was a storming album which may have some sway at how disappointed I am with it as it lacks a serious vibe and ambient. That is not to say that Focus Live At The Rainbow actually poor, but the electricity and energy is missing in action and as I previously stated muted. "Hocus Pocus" which opened up the the excellent Making Waves album sounds trite and unconvincing. Akkerman's guitar sounds swallowed up in a melee of a poor guitar and amp set up and nowhere near as brash and edgy as the studio album counterpart. "Sylvia" gets lost in the sandwich that is the "Hocus Pocus" and its reprise at the end as the album more or less falls flat. I may even come back in time to have a different view on this album but usually a Focus album has me converted right away, but they were a band full of surprises. For me this is just another one. Disappointing and not a recommendation of what Focus could do with the talent they had in Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer on board who sound a little off on this recording.
Posted Monday, January 17, 2005 | Review this album | Report (Review #22936)
Review by Ivan_Melgar_M
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Prog Specialist
I always read terrible reviews about this album something with I don't agree, of course is not one of their masterpieces, but the quality of the music and the selection of songs is outstanding.
Probably some fans aren't too happy without The House of the King, but the mood of the concert is different to any other band, somehow dreamy and oneiric, with that atmosphere that covers the audience as a thick cloud of mist that covers the listener but instead of suffocating him the music helps to relax (Except of course for Hocus Pocus).
The album starts with the excellent Focus III, a beautiful track with a gentle intro of keyboards and guitar, it's pleasant to listen how the music perfectly flows, almost with no interruptions or dramatic changes until around the third minute when it turns more jazzy oriented as to prepare the organ ending, a short piece of art.
With no interruptions they lead us to Answers? Questions!! Questions? Answers! that creates a perfect contrast with the soft Focus III, the intro is almost frantic at some points based in Akkerman's great guitar riffs and Thijs Van Leer amazing keyboard plus an extra instrument in Thijs voice, because he's one of the few vocalist that doesn't use his voice for singing but for adding extra sounds and laments.
In this track there are many changes and sudden explosions with an organ that sounds very close to the Italian Farfisa of the late 60's that gives the strong Psychedelic sound, but around the middle Thijs offers us one of his incredible flute semi-solos ((with drums background followed by another semi solo by Jan Akkerman that reminds me a bit of Steve Hackett, From that point the songs keeps flowing gently with a jazzy atmosphere where all the members of the band are simply amazing. Eleven minutes of different but very talented prog' rock.
Talking about music that gently flows, it's the turn for Focus II, again introduced by Thijs keyboard enhanced by Jan's guitar and a very competent Bert Ruiter in the bass, the keyboard parts are faster than in Moving Waves affecting in some way the soft and perfect balance of the original version, but still very good and relaxing.
Eruption is based in the tragic Greek Myth of Orpheus, the man that created music who was destroyed after her true love's (Euridice) death and went to the rescue, of her down to hell.
The icy queen of the Underworld: Persephone, impressed with the beauty of Orpheus music, pleaded with her husband Hades to let Orpheus bring Euridice back to the land of the living. Hades could not deny his queen her request, and agreed to let Orpheus bring Euridice back on one condition: that he should not look upon her until they were both back in the land of the living. When they were about to reach the light, Orpheus felt doubts and turned back to see Euridice for a second before her soul was taken back to the world of the underworld.
The problem with this beautiful and complex song is that the version for The Rainbow Theater is too short (8:30 minutes against the 23:04 of the original version), this track was composed to musically describe a story and when mutilated for a live concert lacks of sense.
Despite this fact, works as an excerpt, because gives us a clear idea of the beauty of the music with the complex baroque sections like taken from a Cathedral and the peaceful passages that join perfectly with the next sound explosion. Jan Akkerman's solos require special attention because reminds me of Carlos Santana at some points.
The next track is the famous Hocus Pocus which as we all know is just a joke where Thijs yodels at his entire pleasure while Bert Ruiter and Pierre Van Der Linden backup him with appropriate bass and drums, don't take it seriously, not even Akkerman's guitar riffs, as I said before it's just a joke.
The last track (because Hocus Pocus Reprise is really a filler to complete the planned time) is Sylvia, Focus first commercial hit, Thijs dedicates this song to a girl that used to sing with him when both worked as backing vocalists for a well known Crooner from the Netherlands. Originally had lyrics but at certain point Thijs decided to use his voice for anything but singing, good track even when more commercially oriented.
Focus concerts were probably the simplest of Progressive Rock, they almost didn't used lights or created an spectacular show, they only did what they knew best, play their music, and for God's sake, they always did it well.
If you want to listen a frantic concert where people shouts and joins the band, don't buy it, but if you want a rare testimony of Focus calmed style on stage, it's a great purchase.
Despite the previous terrible reviews I'll give this album 4 stars because it showed me a new perspective of Focus working together.
Posted Monday, March 21, 2005 | Review this album | Report (Review #22937)
Review by greenback
This is a live album by Focus. It is an excellent live performance of the early Focus. The selected tracks are interesting: there are "Hocus Pocus", "Focus 2" "Sylvia" and a shortened version of the epic "Eruption", among others. The sound is pretty good, and the musicians almost sound like on the studio albums. The polite crowd favorably responds at the end and the beginning of the tracks. On "Focus 2", Jan Akkerman seems not at his best: he often hesitates: I think the track is a bit played too fast. The mellow version of "Eruption" is particularly brilliant. "Hocus Pocus" is almost better than the studio version: they play it much faster. The yodeling is very well succeeded, and there are even a couples of further extravagant vocals parts and whistling: IMPRESSIVE! The other shorter version of "Hocus Pocus" is also fantastic, with again another special & different yodeling.
Posted Saturday, April 2, 2005 | Review this album | Report (Review #22938)
Review by Gatot
When I tuned in Jakarta Alternative Station (the new radio that focused on seventies rock music) last night I heard they aired good stuff which most of them are 'rare' collection like Birth Control 'live' which I never heard before. But one track they featured was the one that I have been familiar with, ie. "Hocus Pocus" from "Live at The Rainbow" version. I then spun the CD in its entirely and it reminded me back to the glory days of seventies when prog and rock music were dominating the music industry. It's a rewarding experience listening to the album that I have not played for such a long time. Then I checked this site and found out a very "surprising" reviews about this live album which I think it's underrated for Focus as a legendary prog band. I said to myself that it can't be this album is rated with less than 4 stars because the overall performance of the band is really terrific.
Right after the release of Focus III album, the band recorded and released this live album at the Rainbow. The famous track "Focus III" (3:54) kicks off this live set with soft organ work combined with stunning guitar fills. It then flows seamlessly to "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" (11:38). By my definition, this track is performed lively and much more dynamic than the original studio version. I like the hard- edge guitar work combined with soaring organ sounds and excellent bass lines. "Focus II" (4:27) begins with a long sustain organ sound in an ambient nuance followed slowly with guitar fills / solo. The msuic tirns into high points with guitar leading the way as main melody combined with dazzling drum and punctuated organ sounds. The short drum solo during transitions have made the song more enjoyable and it's rockier.
"Eruption" (8:29) shows the band's relatively complex arrangement on stage; combining mostly organ sounds augmented with drums while guitar seems to play as fillers during opening part but it then plays bigger role after that especially during solo part with bluesy touch. "Hocus Pocus" (8:29) is a famous and legendary track by Focus and the band plays it differently throughout this show. It kicks off with a rocking guitar fills / riffs that a bit improvisational and it truly rocks! Jan Akermann plays his guitar skillfully augmented with drum. The track is performed flawlessly on stage even with the unique distant vocal style. The drum by Pierre van der Linden is also excellent as it dynamically create beats for the music. "Sylvia" (2:48) is for me a classical pop based music with organ as main rhythm and guitar plays lead melody. It's performed excellently by the band. "Hocus Pocus" (reprise) (2:47) concludes the album wonderfully.
As Ivan said, if you want to listen a frantic concert where people shout and join the band, don't buy it, but if you want a rare testimony of Focus calmed style on stage, it's a great purchase. I fully agree with him. In fact I did purchase this album not on a purpose but the first spin I was amazed about the show because I was familiar with all tracks featured here. Focus was one of the bands that colored my rightplaced childhood era. Keep on proggin' ..!
Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW
Posted Tuesday, September 13, 2005 | Review this album | Report (Review #46566)
Review by OpethGuitarist
A modest live album.
This is a pretty splotchy live album. Sometimes Focus seems all over the place, and while the tunes are still recognizable, some of it isn't very coherent. This isn't to say the band lacks talent, ability, or musical quality, it's just that compared to many other live records, this is less than stellar.
Most of this is entirely instrumental, (really Akkerman) noodling all over the fretboard. Questions Answers goes on for far too long, and should have been condensed. Wrapping Hocus Pocus around Sylvia was a bad idea as well. With a little more thought and preparation, this could have been a much better record.
Don't take my criticisms too much. I prefer studio albums over live albums almost exclusively, as I've never particularly enjoyed the live sound except in rare circumstances. Focus is a wonderful little Dutch band, but I'd start with the early studio albums before coming to this live piece.
Posted Tuesday, January 23, 2007 | Review this album | Report (Review #108574)
Review by Finnforest
This is my first review of the legends Focus though I've heard and liked solo Jan albums. I have to say I was a little less impressed than I expected to be but still rate this as good.
There are some tasty licks throughout but also some sloppy play and a general lack of cohesive play and underdevelopment. Inconsistent is perhaps the most accurate word for this set.
My favorite tracks are probably "Focus III" and "Focus II" that seem to get some energy out of the guys. "Hocus Pocus" is a song I've always had some trouble stomaching, the vocal games lost their novelty for me the second time I heard the song back in the 80s. The seven part track "Eruption" would seem to be a showcase number but never gets off the ground for me. There is some nice guitar work towards the end but nothing important. "Sylvia" is a nice melody but they seem to be just wringing it out by force rather than the more tasteful rendition it deserved.
All in all this is not a bad album but it's not great either. Recommended for Focus fans and guitar aficionados but only mildly.
Posted Thursday, June 14, 2007 | Review this album | Report (Review #125814)
It's very strange that a band like "Focus" who was jam oriented would cut by half one of their best songs. Still, it is what happened with "Focus III" one of the very few good songs from their third album. The same treatment is applied to "Eruption". A twenty-three minutes epic reduced to eight. Although the original showed some weak moments, this is maybe a bit severe.
Anyway, it's not too bad. Almost inaudible for about two minutes (they should have chosen other parts from it), the listener will get a great and wild moment (but just over a minute) before being brought back into the most tranquil and peaceful mode which remains during the majority of this version. Here and there, you 'll be awaken by stronger part like this during this fabulous guitar break almost sounding like a Santana one (and I really mean it).
The same emotional guitar play is featured during "Focus II". It sounds as if Latimer was playing with "Focus" before founding "Camel". "Answers" was the other pleasant moments of "III" and remains so. The flute is really beautiful and since I am quite found of this instrument, I reallly enjoy it every second.
The sound recording is excellent and even if it hardly can be considered as a masterpiece this is a pleasant live album. I would have liked to get songs of the caliber of "Focus I" or "House Of The King". And even if I believe that there are no better version of "Hocus" than the studio one, this one is crazier, funnier.
Four stars.
Posted Sunday, August 26, 2007 | Review this album | Report (Review #134964)
Review by Seyo
There is nothing essentially wrong with this live album, but it's not a very good one either!
First of all, if you already own studio albums Moving Waves and Focus III, then this one is redundant, unless you are a devoted fan. Live versions bring no added value and are actually less convincing than the originals.
While the first half of this record is good indeed (Focus II and III, Questions, Answers...), the second one is much less so. Performed twice and suffocating Sylvia, Hocus Pocus is very bad sounding, like the band were too exhausted playing this popular track.
PERSONAL RATING: 2,5/5
P.A. RATING: 2/5
Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 | Review this album | Report (Review #164405)
Review by kenethlevine
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Team
Recording quality notwithstanding, the offerings on this live production are not all that different from the studio recordings that gave them breath. This is not surprising given that FOCUS generally seems unimpressed with studio gimmickry and prefers their own technical flash.
The choice of material is nothing if not predictable, and it is rather telling that even abridged versions overstay their welcome, a testament to the superficiality of the compositions themselves. I do hear more Emersonian influence on "Eruption" than I remember, ELP having followed a far steeper commercial trajectory during the previous three years. "Hocus Pocus" lacks the immediate punch that was dealt in the studio, while the "Focus 2", Focus 3" and "Sylvia" are versions up to par with their antecedents.
If you are a fan, you probably already have this and are not regretting the investment if not singing its achievements from your veranda. If you are new to Focus, you'll do better than to chase this rainbow. Try a compilation or "Moving Waves".
Posted Saturday, November 20, 2010 | Review this album | Report (Review #326836)
Review by SouthSideoftheSky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team
Not focused enough
After only three studio albums in as many years, Focus released this live album in 1973. In my opinion, the band had yet to reach their artistic peak at this point (which came with 1974's Hamburger Concerto). Had they waited another year or two to record their first live album, they could have made it into a double album featuring tunes from all of their four first albums which are also their best four. This could, for example, have been released in 1975 instead of the uninspired Mother Focus album to keep the Focus brand alive while the band would have had time to regain some new inspiration.
Still, Live At The Rainbow is not a bad live album as it stands. It showcases Focus in the live setting performing some great early numbers. Strangely, some numbers are severely edited for no apparent reason, while others (most notably Hocus Pocus) have been extended beyond reason! I find the album as a whole reasonably enjoyable even if I feel that it could have been much better than it is. It is worth hearing for sure, but it does not hold up well in comparison with many other classic Prog bands' live albums from around the same time.
Live At The Rainbow remains a good addition to any collection that already holds all of the band's four first albums, but it is by no means the ultimate place to start investigating Focus. Start instead with those studio albums.
Good, but not essential
Posted Friday, April 26, 2013 | Review this album | Report (Review #949820)
I agree with some of the other reviewers on this site when it comes to this album. While it is true that the band technically performs very well, this recording somewhat lacks the energy required to keep one interested in a live album which is essential since otherwise we are listening to the sa ... (read more)
Report this review (#1546228) | Posted by Master of Sensation | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 | Review Permanlink
Focus in a live setting gives just some more energy then in the studio setting. The song selection for this live record is good and the production is just fine. The songs are often played a bit faster then the studio versions. Something one may expect of Focus are long jams, but this is not th ... (read more)
Report this review (#755546) | Posted by the philosopher | Sunday, May 20, 2012 | Review Permanlink
What a unique combination Akkerman - van Leer! Sorry to see that this great ego's didn't synergate for many years, but they have given us some beautiful songs. Especialle 'Tommy' and 'Focus II' are my favourites. As in many bands the rhythm section isn't often mentioned, and that's why Id like ... (read more)
Report this review (#278404) | Posted by jannie | Sunday, April 18, 2010 | Review Permanlink
Live at the rainbow is not the most interesting Focus record. It is something to fill the space between III & Hamburger concerto. This live record opens with one of the best things Thijs van Leer ever wrote: Focus III. Immediadely followed by an Bert Ruiter/ Jan Akkerman composition: Answers? ... (read more)
Report this review (#275125) | Posted by Rolf Bos | Sunday, March 28, 2010 | Review Permanlink
I like this album. Focus play the most important tracks that we want listen in they live performances. They begin with calm track of Focus III and have some guitar problems (Jan Akkerman smoke something?) but we was in 70 years my friends, and improvisations in live concerts show us how good a ... (read more)
Report this review (#252500) | Posted by João Paulo | Tuesday, November 24, 2009 | Review Permanlink
It is a great shame that there is no real good live recording of this fantastic band. This album is just one of many half decent live albums and do not give this band the service they deserve. Focus best recordings is most definate the studio albums. This despite of the raving reviews their gi ... (read more)
Report this review (#220885) | Posted by toroddfuglesteg | Saturday, June 13, 2009 | Review Permanlink
An album which often divides opinion amongst Focus fans - something of a rarity in that it's a live album which actually sounds live without multiple studio overdubs trying to 'tweak it to perfection'. If you are looking for note-for-note reproductions of studio performances this probably is not ... (read more)
Report this review (#194899) | Posted by barp | Wednesday, December 24, 2008 | Review Permanlink
The first album in any format that I ever bought, it's impossible for me to take a detached and wholly objective view of this record - but can you ever really do that with music that you love? I've owned 3 copies on vinyl and I've just ordered the JVC remastered version from Japan - which will ... (read more)
Report this review (#97506) | Posted by planetbass | Tuesday, November 7, 2006 | Review Permanlink
Recorded during the top their career, and Jan Akkerman was considered the next greatest guitarist virtuoso, Live at the Rainbow shows Focus at its best. The band plays really well of each other and it shows. The intricate and variative parts to the songs are far more "alive" than on the studio ... (read more)
Report this review (#52522) | Posted by flying teapot | Thursday, October 20, 2005 | Review Permanlink
If you could only have one Focus album, this would be it. The opening section of Answers Questions is pure magic and illustrates perfectly Akkerman's prowess as both a rythm player and a soloist in the space of a few bars. It still excites me as much now as it did when I first heard it at the a ... (read more)
Report this review (#52514) | Posted by | Thursday, October 20, 2005 | Review Permanlink
All the best of Focus in one album. Restrained and sober, classy interpretations, here they seem to be another band compared to the rest of their musical production, nothing to do with the not-always-welcomed pretentious twistings of the studio albums. I wish they were always this way. This r ... (read more)
Report this review (#22939) | Posted by ita_prog_fan | Saturday, May 7, 2005 | Review Permanlink
Excellent album, a must have, especially if you dig the old cathedral sounds of Mahivishnu Orchestra. Some of their albums can be a bit mellow, but this live album is a true exception Not liking the yodeling is the same as not liking the flute in Jethro Tull. Recorded in 1973, but has stood ... (read more)
Report this review (#22933) | Posted by | Saturday, August 14, 2004 | Review Permanlink
Mediocre live album released during a period when the band was at it`s peak and touring extensively. Even guitarist Jan Akkerman in an interview with The New Musical Express summed up the band`s performance during this period : " I played sevral times good but most of the time rotten, just because ... (read more)
Report this review (#22930) | Posted by Vibrationbaby | Thursday, April 29, 2004 | Review Permanlink
98% of live album in rock history are not essential and this makes no exception. Anyway, it can be a nice addiction for Focus fans, as it documents the band at the peak moment of their career. It's a pity the "Focus III", one of the best tune of early '70 prog, is played here in a short version. ... (read more)
Report this review (#22929) | Posted by | Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | Review Permanlink
Post a review of FOCUS "Live At The Rainbow"


No image of eternal life is more powerful or persistent than the tree of life. From the paradisiacal Garden of Eden to the apocalyptic New Jerusalem, the tree of life dominates the landscape, being mentioned explicitly more than two dozen times in the Latter,day Saint scriptural canon and alluded to many other times therein. From the temple to the cross, the symbol of the tree of life invites all to come unto Christ, to become planted by rivers of living water, and to bring forth and enjoy the fruits of God's love that are sweet above all else. This highly informative and beautifully illustrated book contains original essays by leading Latter,day Saint scholars and scholars of other faiths,including Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, Andrew C. Skinner, John W. Welch, and Margaret Barker,that focus on the tree of life symbol in the Bible, early Christianity, and the Book of Mormon, as well as in Southeast Asian, Islamic, and Maya temples, cultures, and art.


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ABRSM(Mother Infant Mental Health Research and Application Center) - Director's Message
Maternal Mental Health refers to the mental well-being of the mother during the so-called Perinatal Period, including the first year after birth, starting from pregnancy planning. As the psychological problems that may be experienced in this process affect the mother as well as her baby, the results are not limited to this period, but the future generations are also impressive. Research shows that the mother's mental illness can have negative emotional, physical and developmental consequences during infancy and childhood.
Infant Mental Health covers the social and emotional development of the baby from birth to the age of three and diseases that affect it. Starting from the period to fertilization until the age of three is a critical period in which the foundations of life and mental, physical, social and cognitive development are laid. Therefore, protection of maternal and infant mental health during pregnancy and 0-3 years of infancy and providing treatment of mental illnesses of the mother are considered to be the key to prevent physical and mental disorders that may occur throughout life.
Psychological problems are common in the perinatal period, which is critical for both mother and infants. On average, one in five women has a mental health problem during this period. Prenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum psychosis are the main ones. Attachment problems between the mother and the infant and its negative impact on adult life are also undesirable.
Depression, in this period is one of the leading emerging mental illness in Turkey every year nearly 300,000 women and infants are affected by depression after the birth of couples.
Although depression may be negative or destructive in every period of life, timely diagnosis and treatment should be emphasized as the effects on both the mother and the developing baby affect the pregnancy and postpartum period. Suicide may be the most important pregnancy complication in the postpartum period. Most maternal suicides in the last 20 years are preventable maternal deaths, and suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the first year after birth.
Although depression and other mental illnesses have acute and long-term adverse effects, 7 out of 10 mothers cannot receive treatment. Both health-related and social and economic consequences of untreated mental illnesses reveal a very serious picture. The total annual cost of mental health problems at birth in the UK is estimated at £ 8.1 billion. It has been found that 72% of this cost is associated with the long-term negative consequences of maternal untreated mental illness in infants.
Studies on mother-infant mental health were first started in France in 1818, and serious progress has been made in the provision of specialized mother-infant mental health services in many countries of the world. However, the needs have not been met at the desired level yet, in many countries, especially in developed countries, campaigns for the detection, education and treatment of mental disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth, state and private institution investments and special units are being established. In our country, there is a great need for studies to be carried out in interdisciplinary cooperation in this field.
Our center will be a platform for dialogue, research, development and implementation that works in accordance with science standards for future generations of mothers and babies of today, taking into account the needs of our country in the light of international knowledge and developments.
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Physical and mechanical properties of modified poplar veneers
Shu, Z., Liu, S., Zhou, L., Li, R., Qian, L., Wang, Y., Wang, J., and Huang, X. (2017). "Physical and mechanical properties of modified poplar veneers," BioRes. 12(1), 2004-2014.
To improve the performance and expand applications of poplar plantation wood, modified poplar veneers based on 1-butyl-3-methylchloride ([Bmim]Cl) were studied. Two groups of poplar veneers were impregnated in ionic liquid [Bmim]Cl (group C) and pure water (group B), separately. Techniques such as hot pressing-coagulation and bath-annealing were applied to these two groups to prepare modified samples. The physical and mechanical properties of each group were tested and characterized, using untreated group (A) as the control. The ductility and thickness variation rate of samples in group C were higher than those in group B. The width variation rate of samples in group C was 64% greater than those in group A and 50.4% greater than those in group B. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) results also showed the plasticity and the improvement in the transverse connection of samples in group C; these results were more obvious than that for samples in group B. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of samples in group C were higher than those of group B. Compared with the control group, the crystallinity index (CrI) of samples in groups B and C was increased and that of group C was the maximum, but the crystal form remained unchanged.
Zuju Shu,a Shengquan Liu,b,* Liang Zhou,b Rui Li,c Liangcun Qian,c Yunian Wang,b Jiajun Wang,b and Xiaohong Huang a
Keywords: Poplar veneer; [Bmim]Cl; Physical and mechanical properties
Contact information: a: School of Light Textile Engineering and Art, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei Anhui, China; b: School of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei Anhui, China; c: School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei Anhui, China;
* Corresponding author: liusq@ahau.edu.cn
Wood is a viscoelastic material primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Given the appropriate water and heat, the glass transition temperature of lignin and hemicellulose will be lowered to some extent, and the elastic modulus will be rapidly decreased to soften the wood and make it easy to mold (Li et al. 2004; Zhao and Zhao 2007).
Water has been applied as a plasticizer to study the fluidity of wood at a given temperature. The research group of Yamashita used a capillary rheological experiment to study the fluidity of wood. The results showed that the moisture content had a great influence on the fluidity and the extrusion quality, and the fluidity was improved with an increase in moisture content (Yamashita et al. 2006). They also manufactured cups by extrusion molding to study the fluidity of Cryptomeria japonica and cedar veneers. The results showed that moisture content and fiber orientation had important effects on the quality of finished products (Yamashita et al. 2007, 2008, 2009).
Wood itself is not thermoplastic. Under hydrothermal conditions, only hemicellulose and lignin are thermoplastic during wood molding. Highly crystalline cellulose constrains the quality of molded products (Li et al. 2006). Therefore, there is an increasing demand for a new suitable pretreatment method for improving the plasticity of wood to develop new light and green wood packaging products in a more efficient manner.
An ionic liquid (IL) is a low-temperature molten salt that has a melting point lower than 100 °C. The IL is entirely composed of ions and is a kind of liquid-state salt at or near room temperature. It has good solubility for a large number of inorganic and organic materials and has the double functions of solvent and catalyst. Various combinations of cations and anions can regulate the solubility in inorganic substances, water, organic compounds, and polymers, which has given them the name "designer solvents." ILs can also be recycled after simple treatment (Kosan et al. 2008; Abdulkhani et al. 2013). Some scholars have investigated cellulose solubility (Swatloski et al. 2002; Zhao et al. 2009; Liebner et al. 2010), separation of the three main components of wood (Wang et al. 2011; Yang et al. 2013; Abushammala et al. 2015), and subsequent saccharification after IL pretreatment (Lee et al. 2009; Fu et al. 2010). Some researchers have also made wood or wood fiber plastic using ILs (Ou et al. 2014a, 2014b, 2015). There has been minimal research on the molding of wood products based on the pretreatment of poplar veneer.
There are abundant poplar resources, and poplar is one of the main tree species used for afforestation in China. To improve its plasticity, 1-butyl-3-methylimizolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was used to impregnate poplar veneer and the effect of [Bmim]Cl on the physical and mechanical properties of poplar veneer was studied. If poplar wood can be directly used to manufacture light and green wood products through the modification of veneers, the efficiency of wood processing will be greatly improved; also, the shape of wood products will be unrestricted, which will have an important environmental, social, and economic impacts. At the same time, the application of fast-growing wood will be broadened to ensure sustainable forestry development (Liu and Bao 1999; Zhang and Sun 2001). So the goal of this research is to provide a theoretical basis for the application of poplars in the field of wood molding products.
Materials and Instruments
The hybrid poplar clones aged from 5 to 6 were randomly collected from the agricultural garden at Anhui Agriculture University. The lumbers were air-dried after being peeled. Selected lumbers, free from flaws such as knots, holes, cracks, fungi, and insect damage, were spirally cut into veneers 1.8 ± 0.1 mm thick. Ionic liquid [Bmim]Cl with a purity of 99.0% was purchased from Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and used without further purification. Pure water (PW) was manufactured in the laboratory at Anhui Agricultural University.
Preparation Method
The prepared veneers were randomly selected and cut into 30 mm × 25 mm samples and divided into three groups. Five replicates were used for each group. Each sample was dried to a constant weight at 60 °C in the air drying oven. Group A was kept untreated as the control group. The other two groups were impregnated with PW (group B) and IL (group C). The quantity of solution was sufficient to ensure the immersion of the specimen, but group B required to add water because of evaporation. The impregnation temperature was 80 °C, and immersion time should ensure uniform soaking.
Table 1. Instruments used for Experiments and Analysis
Hot-pressing
The impregnated samples were hot-pressed under a pressure of 10 MPa for 30 min at 160 °C. The hot-pressing created more dissolved lignin and cellulose (Fort et al. 2007). The veneer exhibited plastic deformation without fracture through the control of the processing parameters (Ou et al. 2014a).
Coagulation bath
Partially dissolved veneers were placed into PW at room temperature. In the coagulation bath, water was changed many times to exchange IL within the veneers. While IL was replaced, the components of veneers were recombined.
After coagulation, the veneers were annealed by hot-pressing under a pressure of 6 MPa for 30 min at 160 °C. This step not only made the venners molded, but also made the samples dried and the deformation fixed.
Characterization Methods
SEM analysis
Scanning electron microscopy was used to visualize the microstructure and evaluate the surface morphology of the modified wood. The samples were dried and subsequently sputter-coated with gold using a ion sputter coater for 30 s with a current of 10 mA prior to observation. Then, the surface topography of the samples was observed with a SEM using an accelerating voltage of 5 kV.
The modified samples were cut into longitudinal and transverse samples with dimensions of 30 mm × 3 mm. Three samples each group were selected randomly. The mechanical properties were determined by the standard test method of ASTM D638 (2003), using the electronic universal material testing machine at 25 °C and 50% relative humidity. The crosshead rate was 10 mm/min.
The samples were ball-milled after being frozen, and the dried powder was used for X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The powder XRD patterns for all samples were measured in reflection mode (CuKα radiation) on an X-ray diffractometer with a voltage of 36 kV and a current of 20 mA. Diffractograms were recorded in an angular range of 10° to 40° (2θ) with a scanning speed 0.5°/min. According to the scanning pattern, the (002) diffraction peak was near 2θ = 22° ,while there was a minimum peak near 2θ = 18°. The relative crystallinity index (CrI) was calculated according to the empirical formula of Segal et al. (1959),
where I002 is the intensity of the (002) diffraction angle (near 2θ = 22°), Iam is for non crystalline diffraction background scattering intensity (near 2θ = 18°), and CrI is the relative crystallinity index (Oh et al. 2005).
Macroscopic and Microscopic Morphology
Through macroscopic morphology, it was found that samples from both groups B and C had evident changes, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. A. Group B was the PW group without a chemical reagent, C was the IL group, and in the impregnation process, both water and IL can make the veneer swell. After hot-pressing, ductility was revealed in the width of both groups. The obvious changes indicated that water and IL can improve the plasticity of wood.
Figure 1 also shows that the width variation of samples in group C was 64% higher than that of group A, 50.4% higher than that of group B. In the thickness direction, samples in groups B and C were compressed without damage under the same treatment process; however, samples in group C were able to be compressed more than those in group B.
Fig. 1. Width and thickness variation: A: the untreated group; B: the PW group; C: the IL group
The results showed that [Bmim]Cl led to a better plasticity than water, which will lay the foundation for the hot-press molding of wood (Yamashita et al. 2006; Ou et al. 2014a; Šprdlík et al. 2016).
Compared with the untreated group, both PW and IL treatment could improve the plasticity of the veneers from the microscopic morphology (Fig. 2). During the impregnation and hot pressing, ionic liquid [Bmim]Cl may partially dissolve wood cell walls, namely cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose (Sun et al. 2009). And a small amount of dissolved components will be lost in the IL, while most will be kept in the veneers. Due to the combination of pressure and temperature during hot pressing, dissolved components in the venner made the deformation easier, which greatly improved the ductility of the veneer. In the coagulation bath, IL dissolved in the water, while most of the wood components did not dissolve.
Fig. 2. SEM results: A: the untreated group; B: the PW group; C: the IL group; subscript 1: × 180 times; subscript 2: ×1000 times
When the IL was transferred into the water, the dissolved cellulose recombined to regenerate because of hydrogen bonding (Kilpeläinen et al. 2007). The regeneration structure was fixed in the final molding process. However, the plasticity generated by water was limited, and the three main components in the wood could not be dissolved by water. In Fig. 2, more pores were observed in B1 and B2 than in C1 and C2. Through microscopic morphology, the flowability of samples in group C was found to be better than those of group B.
Because of the anisotropic structure of wood, the bonding strength of the transverse interface was much weaker than the longitudinal interface. When the force was applied in each direction, the maximum stress of the wood varied. The tensile strength of the longitudinal sections was much larger than that of the transverse sections. The mechanical properties of wood also exhibited anisotropic characteristics (Dudziak et al. 2016 ).
Stretching along the longitudinal interface, the force direction was along the fiber orientation. Stretching along the transverse interface, the force direction was perpendicular to the fiber direction. The longitudinal and transverse tensile strength and modulus of elasticity were listed in Table 2.
An obvious change in the mechanical properties of the different groups can be seen in Table 2. Especially for the tensile strength, the longitudinal and transverse performance gap between groups B and C was narrow. According to the data in Table 2, the ratio between the longitudinal and transverse tensile strength in group C was 38.99, which was obviously less than the one of 58.50 in group B. Meanwhile, it was found that the transverse specimens of the untreated group were not able to be collected completely, which indicated the transverse tensile strength was very low.
Table 2. Mechanical Properties of Samples
A: the untreated group; B: the PW group; C: the IL group; -: no data
Table 2 indicated that the longitudinal and transverse performance of samples in groups B and C was improved, and that the performance of samples in group C was better than that of samples in group B. The IL was able to not only soften and swell the veneers, but also dissolve a small amount of their components, while water can only soften and swell the veneers. During hot-pressing, the IL had almost no vapor pressure and dissolved more components of the veneers. On the other hand, water evaporated at a high temperature and pressure, and pyrolysis of the components easily occurred.
Regarding the IL group, the impact of the coagulation bath on the veneers was very important. The dissolved parts of the wood components formed new connections in the radial and tangential sections through the transverse transportation system. After regeneration, the new structure was fixed and a transverse weak network was formed, which can strengthen the weak interface and improve the transverse mechanical strength (Kilpeläinen et al. 2007). However, the results from the water group showed that water can only swell the veneers to a certain degree.
The deformation was easy to recover when the external force was removed, and to fix the deformation, all samples were annealed at the last step. Softening and dissolution made the samples less rigid before annealing. After the annealing treatment, the rigidity was recovered.
As demonstrated in Table 2, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of samples in group C was the highest and the MOE of samples in group B was slightly less than that of samples in group A. The difference in MOE may be explained by the components lost from samples in group A because of the high temperature and pressure during the hot-pressing and annealing process.
From Fig. 3(a), the 002 planes of group A, B, and C were located at 21.97°, 21.85°, and 21.73°, respectively, and their 001 planes were located at 15.82°, 15.11°, and 15.23°, respectively. Each treated group exhibited the same cellulose crystal form (cellulose I) as the control, which suggested that [Bmim]Cl may not destroy the cellulose crystal matrix in our research (Wei et al. 2012).
CrI was used to represent the proportion of the crystalline region in the polymer. According to Fig. 3(b), the CrI values calculated using Eq. 1 were 67%, 72.5%, and 73.4%, respectively, which indicated that the CrI of the treated groups increased compared with the control, and that samples in group C had the highest degree of crystallinity.
The water treatment group had soluble components that dispersed in the water when immersed at 80 °C. After being hot-pressed at 160 °C, hemicellulose was easy to use in pyrolysis. All of these factors contributed to an increase in the proportion of cellulose crystalline region. Therefore, the CrI of samples in group B was higher than that of samples in group A.
For the IL treatment group, veneers were fully swelled and only a few components were dissolved when dipped in 80 °C. When hot-pressed in 160 °C, more lignin and carbohydrates were dissolved. At the same time, the thermal mobility of the cellulose chains increased under the high temperature, which facilitated the rearrangement of amorphous cellulose. In the coagulation bath, the dissolved parts regenerated. The higher CrI may be primarily attributed to the loss of dissolved hemicellulose during the coagulation bath, but this is not the case for the veneer treated with [Bmim]Cl (Kilpeläinen et al. 2007).
Fig. 3. XRD analysis: (a): XRD patterns; (b): relative crystallinity index; A: the untreated group; B: the PW group; C: the IL group
Modified poplar veneers were successfully prepared using four steps: impregnation, hot pressing, coagulation bath, and annealing. The environmentally friendly solvent [Bmim]Cl partially dissolved the three main components of wood and laid groundwork for future research on molding wood products.
The width variation rate of samples in group C was 64% more than samples in group A, and 50.4% more than samples in group B, which showed a certain ductility in the width of samples in group The thickness variation rate of samples in group C was higher than that of samples in group B, suggesting that the ionic liquid [Bmim]Cl led to better plasticity than did pure water during the process.
Considering the results from SEM, both PW and IL improved the plasticity of wood. However, PW cannot dissolve wood components, so the pores still remained after annealing.
The mechanical properties of samples in groups B and C were greatly improved. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of samples in group C were higher than that of samples in group B. This result showed that [Bmim]Cl can not only expand and dissolve the wood components, but also protect the components of wood to a certain extent. For example, during the coagulation bath, the in situ regeneration and recombination of the dissolved components can effectively improve the binding of every
Each group had the same crystal form, but the CrI of the treatment groups increased. During the impregnation and hot pressing, the partially dissolved components were regenerated in the coagulation bath. Therefore, the CrI of samples in group C was the largest, reaching 73.4%.
The authors are grateful for the support of the Educational Commission of Anhui Province, China, Grant No. KJ2016A231, and the Discipline Backbone Cultivation Project of Anhui Agricultural University, Grant No. 2014XKPY-57.
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Article submitted: August 29, 2016; Peer review completed: October 15, 2016; Revised version received and accepted: January 2, 2017; Published: January 31, 2017.
From the macroscopic photos, the differences of color and ductility were obvious. Regarding group B without adding any chemical reagent, it was obvious that water can swell the wood and play a role in plasticity. Especially after hot-pressing, there was an obvious change in the width direction of veneer. Group C exhibited a deepened color and its change was more obvious in the width direction.
Fig. A. Photos of samples: A: the untreated group; B: the PW group; C: the IL group


text:
American Campus - Reif für die Uni? - Staffel 1 (2001-2003)
22 Min Komödie USA
Drehbuch Judd Apatow
Cast Jay Baruchel, Carla Gallo, Charlie Hunnam, Monica Keena, Seth Rogen, Timm Sharp, Christina Payano, Loudon Wainwright III, Jarrett Grode, Leroy Adams, Jason Segel, P.B. Smiley, Kevin Rankin, Matthew McKane, Amy Poehler, Kevin Hart
1x1 – Episode 1
It's Steven's first day of college. His roommates, Ron, Lloyd, and Marshall quickly accept him and organize a party for him. His dad shows up with some bad news. Steven meets Lizzie, who had a fight with her boyfriend. They have a fling.
Gesehen von 4 Usern
Steven turns to Lloyd for love advice. He suggests that Steven needs to take initiative, so Steven invites Lizzie to the showing of American Pie (1999) on campus. Eric calls her but Steven answers and taunts Eric which makes Lizzie angry.
Lizzie breaks up with her boyfriend Eric. Steven is glad at first but then realizes that Eric is actually a great guy and even tries to help him win her back. Ron has to down a keg of beer by 6PM. Marshall, Lloyd, and Rachel help.
Steven joins the kitchen staff of a restaurant to pay his tuition. His dad also finds a new job. Rachel falls for a student who turns out to be an obsessive celebrity impersonator. Marshall eats other people's half-eaten food.
Marshall gets sick, and instead of going to the campus health clinic like he had planned, Rachel persuades him to use natural remedies. Steven is getting irritated that he always has to sleep in on the rec room couch because Lloyd is constantly having sex. Steven convinces Lloyd to try to stick with one girl for a little while. But Lloyd's first attempt at a steady girlfriend isn't a great experience. Meanwhile Steven discovers a whole group of people in the common room who've been exiled because their roommates are having sex too, and forms a bond with them.
The gang's friend Perry invites Adam Sandler to visit the campus and meet his friends. He warns the gang not to make things awkward. Things get awkward. On top of that, Lizzie and Rachel fall for dickish Sandler and his grungy assistant.
Steven, Lizzie, and Rachel feel guilty after paying for someone to write their term papers, while Lloyd and Ron become addicted to online stock trading.
Luke convinces heartbroken Steven to become religious and love God instead of Lizzy. Marshall and Rachel turn her spare room into a party room even though Tina needs it to escape from her roommate who constantly practices the violin.
Marshall is reluctant to let his parents know that he isn't a business major. Ron gets propositioned by Lloyd's sister, Amanda. Rachel has to face the wrath of her control freak mother. Hal meets up with his estranged wife, Debra.
1x10 – Episode 10
Eric discovers that Lizzie cheated on him with Steven, and heads to UNEC to get his revenge. Lloyd helps Steven prepare for a fistfight.
Frustrated with the way his roommates have been treating him, Steven joins the Theta Delta Zeta fraternity. Meanwhile, Lizzie joins TDZ's Little Sisters.
Steven is fed up with TDZ in more ways than one. He quits, but it is not without repercussions.
Ron has a crush on a campus tour guide, Kelly, and she ends up getting invited up to the guys dorm for a rousing game of "Truth or Dare". Lloyd and Marshall compete for Rachel's affection, and Ron tries to impress Kelly. Steven gets upset when Lizzie is dared to talk about her best sexual experience, and it doesn't involve him. It ends up being a good night for everyone except Lloyd and Marshall, as everyone else starts pairing off.
Steven is unsure of where he stands with Lizzie, and Lloyd's ideas aren't helping him any. They spend their Saturday apart, but come to a revelation.
Steven plans the perfect date for Lizzie in order to show up Eric. Theo, Steven's friend from high school, shows up unexpectedly and ruins the day for Ron, Marshall and Lloyd.
On his way to see Steven, Hal meets and hooks up with the head RA Hillary. Ron and the gang see them getting it on, and Steven is bummed out. A jealous Lucien takes his anger out on Steven.
1x17 – Eric's POV
Backdoor pilot that serves as the series finale. The boys binge-watch Girls Gone Wild. The girls try to add highlights to Lizzie's hair but it goes horribly wrong. Eric's buddies from his copy shop try to help him get over Lizzie.
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