How Warping Impacts Wood Boards

While an Oregon State University professor for more than four decades, Doctor A. Morrie Craig conducted extensive toxicology research. Passionate about hiking and the outdoors, Dr. A. Morrie Craig also enjoys woodworking in his free time.

One of the challenges of wood over time is its tendency to warp. As a natural material, it is constantly equalizing to the level of humidity of the surrounding environment. Dry pieces can gain moisture through the surface pores in a humid environment, with the fibers swelling and the board slightly expanding. Conversely, wood will release moisture in a dry environment. These processes are particularly problematic with thinner pieces of wood that have less warping force resistance.

Kiln-dried wood involves drying the newly cut lumber within a controlled environment until it reaches the desired moisture content. This strengthens the board and makes it more stable but does not completely eliminate the moisture level changes experienced by any wood over time.

In preventing warping, stack boards with spacers that allow proper airflow around each piece. Alternatively, stack them so tight that there is no gap between them, and lay a piece of plywood at the top.

If wood does become warped, identify the cup (inside face), which tends to have drier, shrunken fibers. Wet that side as if applying a finish on wood and let the damp board sit overnight, wet face down. Wait a day, and repeat if this doesn’t resolve the issue.

A Condition Affecting Female Camels

Doctor A. Morrie Craig is a livestock disease and plant toxicology researcher who taught at a Pac-12 school for several decades. Among Dr. A. Morrie Craig’s works is an article on ovarian hydrobursitis in female camels published in the Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture.

Enclosed by the mesosalpinx and the mesovarium, the ovarian bursa is a peritoneal cavity in female mammals. It surrounds the ovaries, as well as the oviductal infundibulum. This small cavity has a purpose of transporting oocytes as part of the ovulation process.

According to studies of female camels, ovarian hydrobursitis syndrome initially takes root as an inflammatory process, with much of the bursal fluid that accumulates originating as follicular fluid. The latter is a dynamic and complex biological fluid that surrounds and nourishes the developing oocyte in the ovum.

The standard treatment for ovarian hydrobursitis involves surgically removing the affected bursa and ovary. Because one intact ovary still remains, fertility may be restored and maintained. By contrast, bilaterally affected camels have few options in maintaining fertility. While a transvaginal needle may be used to drain the fluid, the hydrobursitis will likely return in the future.

Global Entry Program Time Airport

A resident of Corvallis, Oregon, Doctor A. Morrie Craig spent over four decades teaching and conducting research for a Pac-12 institution. Outside of research and teaching, Dr. A. Morrie Craig also enjoys international travel.

For many international travelers, the US government’s Global Entry Program provides travelers with pre-approved clearances, which can translate into reduced wait times at the airport. One of the US’s five Trusted Traveler Programs, the program reduces the wait time usually associated with moving through customs.

To enter the program, applicants pay a one-time $100 fee and submit their applications. If approved, the applicant then stores information in the program’s database. When travelers check-in at a participating airport, they only need to scan their passports and fingerprints at a kiosk, fill out their electronic customs declaration form, and go to the baggage claim area.

The program does have a few stipulations, however. Applicants cannot have any pending criminal charges, warrants, or convictions. They also cannot have any customs, agricultural, or immigration violations. Additionally, the person cannot be the subject of any current investigations. They cannot be admitted into the US under immigration regulation. They have to prove they are low-risk.

Since its inception, the Global Entry Program has expanded to 58 US airports and 17 international airports across Europe, South and Central America, and Asia. The program has become quite popular, having 10 million presently enrolled in the program and receiving approximately 3.5 million applications a year.

Pacific Ocean Grassland Industry

Having acquired a Ph.D. from Oregon State in biophysics, Dr. A. Morrie Craig obtained a postdoc in molecular biology at CalTech. His research on tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) led to the development of the concept which the USDA calls Phyto-Ruminal-Bioremediation. He has more than four decades of experience in veterinary medicine. In October, Doctor A. Morrie Craig will speak at the International Grassland Congress in Nairobi, Kenya.

The IGC, which promotes the interchange of information on all aspects of the grassland industry, provides a comprehensive list of community resources available for grassland industry professionals across the globe. Resources available for the grassland industry professionals in the pacific ocean region include:

1. Grassland Society of Southern Australia

Established in 1959, the leading farmer organization seeks to facilitate the exchange of information on farm research, pasture, grazing, and land management.

2. The Australian Rangeland Society

The society exists to serve as a form for people in the rangelands to exchange ideas information and proffer solutions to common issues. An independent community, the organization seeks to promote the management and sustainable use of landscape resources.

3. New Zealand Grassland Association

With a membership of over 800, the NZGA provides a forum for its members to discuss grassland farming and promote research findings, technology, and its application within the industry.