M. M. Rahman¹, A. K. Ariffin², S. Abdullah², A. B. Rosli¹

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 197-210, 2007, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2007.003.197

Abstract Low weight and long lifetime are necessary requirements for automobiles to significantly reduce CO₂ emission and environmental burdens in their use. Aluminum alloys are one of the most promising materials selections for automobiles parts and electrical components to reduce their weight and to increase their specific strength. This paper presents the role of nitriding on the fatigue life of the vibrating cylinder block for a new two-stroke free piston engine using variable amplitude loading conditions. The finite element modeling and analysis have been performed utilising a computer aided design and a finite element analysis codes respectively. In addition, the fatigue… More >

J. Mohan¹, D. Carolan¹, N. Murphy¹, A. Ivankovic¹, D. Dowling¹

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.3, No.2, pp. 81-86, 2007, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2007.003.081

Abstract The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of a variety of plasma treatments on the surface properties of an epoxy-based composite material and to establish a relationship between these properties and the subsequent mechanical behaviour of adhesively bonded joints. To this end, specimens were subjected to three different types of plasma treatment: two short treatments (2min) of He and He plus O₂, and one long treatment (15min) of He plus O₂. The variation in surface energy of the composite specimens was examined in each case over a period of up to 3 days using contact angle measurements.… More >

M. M. Rahman¹, A.K. Ariffin, N. Jamaludin, C. H. C. Haron

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 69-82, 2006, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2006.002.069

Abstract This paper describes finite element based vibration fatigue analysis techniques to predict fatigue life using the narrow band frequency response approach. The life prediction results are useful for improving the component design at a very early development stage. The approach is found to be suitable for periodic loading but requires very large time records to accurately describe random loading processes. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effects of surface treatments on the fatigue life of the components of free piston linear engine. The finite element modeling and frequency response analysis have been performed using a computer-aided design… More >

L. Fratini¹, S. Pasta²

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.1, No.4, pp. 245-252, 2005, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2005.001.245

Abstract In the last years friction stir welding (FSW) has reached a quite large diffusion in the welding of aluminium alloys, difficult to be welded with traditional technologies. The objective of this investigation was to investigate the influence of FSW process parameters on the fatigue strength of the developed joints. Moreover, in order to improvement the strength of joint, the effect of a post-welding treatment has been highlighted; what is more a surface finish treatment has been developed with the aim to eliminate the stress concentration caused by welding process on the surface of the joints. Finally, the fracture locations have… More >

Turuelo NM¹, DR Pérez²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 260-264, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.260

Abstract In arid and semi-arid ecosystems, increasing and irreversible degradation in areas of high conservation value has prompted the search for various solutions, such as rehabilitation and ecological restoration. To implement these strategies, it is essential to solve critical issues affecting the establishment of plants in the field and the production of seedlings in nursery gardens. In the present work, the following pre-germination treatments were evaluated for the species Senna arnottiana and S. kurtzii, endemic to the Patagonian steppe (Payunia): (1) Immersion in water at 80 °C for 5 minutes; (2) Immersion in water at 80 °C for 10 minutes; (3)… More >

Sánchez J¹, J Sáenz Mata¹, J Flores³, E Jurado², E Estrada Castillón², O Aguirre², G Muro¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 252-259, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.252

Abstract The chemical and physical properties of the substrate produce positive or negative effects on the germination of seeds, and different pre-germination treatments are applied to obtain better results. However, the use of soil as a substrate where the species grows is usually not evaluated or used as a treatment. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the native substrate [two types of substrate where the woody species grow (clay and sand)] on the germination of Acacia farnesiana, Larrea tridentata and Prosopis laevigata. In addition, two groups were compared in seeds (grouped and not grouped) of… More >

MAHMOUD MOUSTAFA^1,2*, TAREK TAHA³, MOHAMED ELNOUBY⁴, NEHAL EL-DEEB⁵, GAMAL HAMAD⁶, M.A. ABUSAIED⁷, SULAIMAN ALRUMMAN¹

BIOCELL, Vol.41, No.2-3, pp. 67-73, 2017, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2017.41.067

Abstract Current investigation has shown that human exposure to aflatoxins is not limited to the administration of contaminated cereals, but water is another possible source. This study was aimed to design easily applicable method to eliminate aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) from contaminated drinking water. Electrospinning has been used for preparation of probiotic-coated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers. Both of these hybrid nanofibers were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). SEM showed the proper coating of probiotic strains (Kluyveromyces lactis CBS 2359 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 9763) on both nanofiber types. Different areas (1-5 cm²)… More >

Hui Qiao¹, Jingzhao Cui¹, Shuiping Ouyang¹, Jinjie Shi², Jia Ouyang^1,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.11, pp. 1197-1207, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.07735

Abstract As an important agricultural waste, corn cob is one of the most abundant lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, dilute acid pretreatment using seven different organic acids were compared for compositional analysis of corn cob. The first pKa of organic acids, influenced by the number and type of the side group and distance between two carboxylic groups, played a crucial role in the pretreatment effect. Citric acid was found to have better pretreatment performance than other tested dicarboxylic acids. Under the condition of 30 mM, 160°C and 60 min, the level of xylose reached 22.64 g/L in pretreatment liquid, and the… More >

Ja-Ryong Koo¹, Hye Min Park¹, Se Kyung Kim², Hyun Shik Yun^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.4, pp. 365-372, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.04170

Abstract Lactic acid is an important organic acid that is widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Lactic acid was produced from coffee ground waste which contains fermentable sugars and is increasingly generated from our daily dietary life. Among 114 strains of Lactobacillus species, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863 was selected for the production of lactic acid from coffee ground waste. Through alkali pretreatment and saccharification, cellulose and hemicellulose in coffee ground waste were converted into fermentable sugars. Pretreatment experiments were conducted at various alkali solution, concentrations, and times. Alkali pretreatment with 35 g/L of KOH at 121oC for 60… More >

Lizhong Mu^{1, *}, Qingzhuo Chi¹, Changjin Ji², Ying He¹, Ge Gao³

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.116, No.2, pp. 175-197, 2018, DOI:10.31614/cmes.2018.04191

Abstract To improve aneurysm treatment, this study examined the influence of clip locations on hemodynamic factors in patient-specific anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms with different aneurysmal angle. We proposed a simplified classification of ACoA aneurysms using aneurysmal angle, defined by the angle of pivot of the aneurysmal dome and the virtual two-dimensional plane created by both proximal A2 segments of anterior cerebral artery (ACA). ACoA aneurysms with three different aneurysmal angles, which are 15°, 80° and 120°, were analyzed in our study. In this work, we obtained hemodynamics before and after clipping surgery with three clip locations based on clinical clipping… More >