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The use of the management information systems has become necessary for any organization to improve efficiency, productivity , and improve performance in general.

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Wood is a versatile material that is used for various purposes due to its good properties, such as its aesthetic properties, acoustic properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties, etc. Its poor dimensional stability and low natural durability are the main obstacles that limit its use in mechanical applications. Therefore, modification is needed to improve these properties. The hydrothermal modification of wood exposes wood samples to elevated temperatures and pressure levels by using steam, water, or a buffer solution as the treating medium, or by using superheated steam. Abundant studies regarding hydrothermally treated wood were carried out, but the negative effect on the wood’s strength is one of the limitations. This is a method that boosts the dimensional stability and improves the decay resistance of wood with minimal decrements of the strength properties. As an ecofriendly and cost-effective method, the hydrothermal modification of wood is also a promising alternative to conventional chemical techniques for treating wood. Researchers are attracted to the hydrothermal modification process because of its unique qualities in treating wood. There are many scientific articles on the hydrothermal modification of wood, and many aspects of hydrothermal modification are summarized in review papers in this field. This paper reviews the hydrothermally modified mechanical properties of wood and their potential applications. Furthermore, this article reviews the effects of hydrothermal modification on the various properties of wood, such as the dimensional stability, chemical properties, and durability against termites and fungi. The merits and demerits of hydrothermal wood modification, the effectiveness of using different media in hydrothermal modification, and its comparison with other treating techniques are discussed.

This study examined and described the optical and photovoltaic (PV) characterizations of the Fruit Areca catechu (pinang) as a new type of organic sensitizer. Recent reports stated that including chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in the dye improves the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The effectiveness of PV dye was investigated by applying it in a DSSC. The absorption spectra indicated that natural dyes with CDCA has an excellent stabilizing ability. The Fourier-transform infrared spectra indicated the existence of carboxylic and hydroxyl functional groups in the naturally extracted dye. These functional groups were responsible for the rapid electron transfer and strong electronic linkages of interactions within the TiO2 surface. In this study, photoluminescence spectra analysis showed that by narrowing the bandgap, incorporating CDCA as a co-adsorbent in natural dye could generate a significant photocurrent. The overall power conversion efficiency was enhanced by 4.6%. Moreover, the cell efficiency reached up to 0.076% after adding 1.5 mM of CDCA without optimizing the sensitization time. Results demonstrated that the present study contributes toward the improvement of DSSC through efficient electron injection.

Due to the growing trend to promote alternative materials, the use of cellulosic fibers as filler/reinforcement in polymer composites has increased in popularity. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of flax fabric loading on the physical and mechanical properties of bio-phenolic/epoxy composites. The composites were fabricated using hand lay-up method in a mould and cured using a hot press. Bio-phenolic/epoxy blend was fabricated as control. The sample was tested for physical, tensile, flexural, impact and morphological properties. The result showed that, increasing the flax fabric loading has increased the water absorption and density of composites. The highest water absorption density was shown by the composite with 50 wt% flax fabric loading which is 3.73% and 1.23 g/cm3. In addition, there is no significant difference in void content for all composites. Moreover, the incorporation of flax fabric as reinforcement has improved the mechanical properties of composites. According to the morphological analysis results of the experiments, there was a good bonding interaction between the flax fabric and bio-phenolic/epoxy. The highest tensile strength, tensile modulus and impact strength was shown by composite with 50 wt% flax fabric which was 105.04 MPa, 9.10 GPa and 11.94 kJ/m2 respectively while composite with 40 wt% showed the highest flexural strength and modulus which was 150.45 MPa and 8.4 GPa respectively. It was concluded that, bio-phenolic/epoxy blend reinforced with 50 wt% flax fabric showed the best overall mechanical properties and it will be used in the future study to fabricate carbon/kevlar/flax reinforced bio-phenolic/epoxy for ballistic helmet application.