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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Comparison Of Phenolic Compounds And Antioxidant Capacities Of Traditional Sorghum Beers With Other Alcoholic Beverages, Fatouma Abdoul-Latif, Romaric G. Bayili, Louis C. Obame, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof. Oct 2012

Comparison Of Phenolic Compounds And Antioxidant Capacities Of Traditional Sorghum Beers With Other Alcoholic Beverages, Fatouma Abdoul-Latif, Romaric G. Bayili, Louis C. Obame, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Thirty samples of sorghum beers “dolo” were selected from traditionally fermented household manufacturers from Burkina Faso. Dolo samples were screened for their total phenolic content, proanthocyanidins and putative antioxidant capacities, and were compared with industrial beers and wines. Total phenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Proanthocyanidins content were determined by the method of HCl-butanol hydrolysis. Antioxidant activities were evaluated both with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and by the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) using 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical) (ABTS•+). The average contents of total phenols and proanthocyanidins were 506 μg GAE/ml of dolo and 45 μg APE/ml of dolo, respectively. An …


Characterization Of Conducting-Polymer-Based Bimorph Vibration Sensors, Weihua Li, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Lianbin Zhao, Yanzhe Wu, Dezhi Zhou, G G. Wallace Aug 2012

Characterization Of Conducting-Polymer-Based Bimorph Vibration Sensors, Weihua Li, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Lianbin Zhao, Yanzhe Wu, Dezhi Zhou, G G. Wallace

Professor Weihua Li

This paper presents theoretical and experimental investigation of mechanical-electrical properties of conducting polymers based bimorph sensors. A material parameter, hCP , is proposed to represent linear relationship between induction charge and the applied external deformation. Based on this assumption, a constitutive equation for bimorph sensors under steady-state external loadings are constructed and then solved. Mechanical-electrical properties of bimorph sensors are experimentally studied using both vibration-amplitude sweep mode and frequency sweep mode. The material parameter hCP , is identified by comparing theoretical analysis and experimental results. The applications of conducting polymers based bimorph sensors in smart structures are also discussed.


Toxicity Assessment And Analgesic Activity Investigation Of Aqueous Acetone Extracts Of Sida Acuta Burn F. And Sida Cordifolia L. (Malvaceae), Medicinal Plants Of Burkina Faso, Kiessoum Konate, Adama Hilou, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Alain Souza, Nicolas Barro, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Jacques Datté, Bertrand M’Batchi Aug 2012

Toxicity Assessment And Analgesic Activity Investigation Of Aqueous Acetone Extracts Of Sida Acuta Burn F. And Sida Cordifolia L. (Malvaceae), Medicinal Plants Of Burkina Faso, Kiessoum Konate, Adama Hilou, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Alain Souza, Nicolas Barro, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Jacques Datté, Bertrand M’Batchi

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Background Sida acuta Burn f. and Sida cordifolia L. (Malvaceae) are traditionally used in Burkina Faso to treat several ailments, mainly pains, including abdominal infections and associated diseases. Despite the extensive use of these plants in traditional health care, literature provides little information regarding their toxicity and the pharmacology. This work was therefore designed to investigate the toxicological effects of aqueous acetone extracts of Sida acuta Burn f. and Sida cordifolia L. Furthermore, their analgesic capacity was assessed, in order to assess the efficiency of the traditional use of these two medicinal plants from Burkina Faso. Method For acute toxicity …


Thermoelectric Module-Variable Conductance Heat Pipe Assemblies For Reduced Power Temperature Control, Corey Melnick, Marc Hodes, Gennady Ziskind, Martin Cleary, Vincent Manno Aug 2012

Thermoelectric Module-Variable Conductance Heat Pipe Assemblies For Reduced Power Temperature Control, Corey Melnick, Marc Hodes, Gennady Ziskind, Martin Cleary, Vincent Manno

Vincent P. Manno

Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are used to precisely maintain the setpoint temperature of photonic components generating variable heat loads under varying ambient conditions. The non-component side of TEMs is mounted onto conventional heat sinks (CHSs). At any combination of setpoint temperature, heat load and ambient temperature, there is a unique thermal resistance between the non-component side of a TEM and the ambient corresponding to minimal TEM power consumption. Indeed, a zero thermal resistance heat sink minimizes power consumption when a TEM operates in refrigeration mode, but when it operates in heating mode a relatively high thermal resistance one is optimal. This …


Investigation Of Thermomechanical Effects Of Lighting Conditions On Canvas Paintings By Laser Shearography, Morteza Khaleghi, Ivo Dobrev, Philip Klausmeyer, Ellery Harrington, Cosme Furlong Jul 2012

Investigation Of Thermomechanical Effects Of Lighting Conditions On Canvas Paintings By Laser Shearography, Morteza Khaleghi, Ivo Dobrev, Philip Klausmeyer, Ellery Harrington, Cosme Furlong

Morteza Khaleghi

Quantitative techniques to characterize thermomechanical effects of light on canvas paintings are necessary in order to better understand the deleterious effects that light has on precious art collections in museum exhibitions. In this paper, we present advances in the development of a customized laser shearography system for temporal characterization of in-plane displacements of canvas paintings when subjected to specific lighting conditions. The shearography system is synchronized with a thermal IR camera and concomitant measurements of derivatives of displacements along two orthogonal shearing directions as well as thermal fields are performed. Due to the nature of the measurements, we have developed …


Improving Endmilling Surface Finish By Workpiece Rotation And Adaptive Toolpath Spacing, Athulan Vijayaraghavan, Aaron Hoover, Jeffrey Hartnett, David Dornfeld Jul 2012

Improving Endmilling Surface Finish By Workpiece Rotation And Adaptive Toolpath Spacing, Athulan Vijayaraghavan, Aaron Hoover, Jeffrey Hartnett, David Dornfeld

Aaron M. Hoover

Free-form surfaces are being used in a growing number of engineering applications, especially in injection molding of consumer products. Decreasing the manufacturing cost and time of these molds will improve the efficiency of manufacturing injection molded consumer products. This paper is motivated by the need for simple strategies to improve the quality of and decrease the time required to machine free-form surfaces. We present two methods to improve the surface finish of parts finished with ball-nose endmilling. In the first method the surface finish is improved by finding an optimal orientation angle for the workpiece relative to the machining axis. …


Trajectory Generation In High-Speed, High-Precision Micromilling Using Subdivision Surfaces, Athulan Vijayaraghavan, Angela Sodemann, Aaron Hoover, J. Mayor, David Dornfeld Jul 2012

Trajectory Generation In High-Speed, High-Precision Micromilling Using Subdivision Surfaces, Athulan Vijayaraghavan, Angela Sodemann, Aaron Hoover, J. Mayor, David Dornfeld

Aaron M. Hoover

Motion control in high-speed micromilling processes requires fast, accurate following of a specified curvilinear path. The accuracy with which the path can be followed is determined by the speed at which individual trajectories can be generated and sent to the control system. The time required to generate the trajectory is dependent on the representations used for the curvilinear trajectory path. In this study, we introduce the use of subdivision curves as a method for generating high-speed micromilling trajectories. Subdivision curves are discretized curves which are specified as a series of recursive refinements of a coarse mesh. By applying these recursive …


Antibacterial Activity Against Beta- Lactamase Producing Methicillin And Ampicillin-Resistants Staphylococcus Aureus: Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (Fici) Determination, Kiessoun K Onate, Jacques François Mavoungou, Alexis Nicaise Lepengué, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Adama Hilou, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bertrand M’Batchi Jun 2012

Antibacterial Activity Against Beta- Lactamase Producing Methicillin And Ampicillin-Resistants Staphylococcus Aureus: Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (Fici) Determination, Kiessoun K Onate, Jacques François Mavoungou, Alexis Nicaise Lepengué, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Adama Hilou, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bertrand M’Batchi

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The present study reports the antibacterial capacity of alkaloid compounds in combination with Methicillin and Ampicillin-resistants bacteria isolated from clinical samples. The resistance of different bacteria strains to the current antibacterial agents, their toxicity and the cost of the treatment have led to the development of natural products against the bacteria resistant infections when applied in combination with conventional antimicrobial drugs. The antibacterial assays in this study were performed by using inhibition zone diameters, MIC, MBC methods, the time-kill assay and the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) determination. On the whole, fifteen Gram-positive bacterial strains (MRSA/ARSA) were used. Negative control …


Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum Apr 2012

Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum

Joe McLaughlin

No abstract provided.


Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum Apr 2012

Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum

Ishwar Khatiwada

No abstract provided.


Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum Apr 2012

Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum

Andrew Sum

No abstract provided.


Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum Apr 2012

Reviving The U.S. Rail And Transit Industry: Investments And Job Creation, Joan Fitzgerald, Lisa Granquist, Ishwar Khatiwada, Joe Mclaughlin, Michael Renner, Andrew Sum

Joan Fitzgerald

No abstract provided.


Bacteriocin Formation By Dominant Aerobic Sporeformers Isolated From Traditional Maari, Donatien Kabore, Line Thorsen, Dennis Sandris Nielsen, Torben Sune Berner, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jackobsen Jan 2012

Bacteriocin Formation By Dominant Aerobic Sporeformers Isolated From Traditional Maari, Donatien Kabore, Line Thorsen, Dennis Sandris Nielsen, Torben Sune Berner, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jackobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The antimicrobial activity of 8 Bacillus spp. and 2 Lysinibacillus spp. representing the predominant aerobic sporeformers during traditional maari fermentations, a traditional fermented baobab seeds product fromBurkina Faso,was investigated. The antimicrobial activitywas assessed against a total of 31 indicator organisms representing various Gram-negative and positive pathogens. The screening showed that 3 Bacillus subtilis strains (B3, B122 and B222) in particular had antimicrobial activity against some Gram-positive organisms and were selected for further studies. Itwas found that the antimicrobial substances producedwere heat stable, in-sensitive to catalase, sensitive to protease and trypsin but resistant to the proteolytic action of papain and proteinase …


Acid Resistance, Bile Tolerance And Antimicrobial Properties Of Dominant Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Traditional “Maari” Baobab Seeds Fermented Condiment, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bréhima Diawara, Mogens Jacobsen Jan 2012

Acid Resistance, Bile Tolerance And Antimicrobial Properties Of Dominant Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Traditional “Maari” Baobab Seeds Fermented Condiment, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bréhima Diawara, Mogens Jacobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Maari is a fermented food condiment obtained by spontaneous fermentation of seeds from the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata). Nine dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, isolated from traditional maari fermentation were examined for their resistance to pH 2.5, their tolerance to 0.3% bile and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria. The agar spot test was used to screen the dominant LAB for antagonistic activity against a total of 21 indicator organisms including Bacillus cereus strains, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus. It was observed that all LAB strains survived in 0.3% bile and exhibited antimicrobial …


The Restructuring Of The Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Sector, Tamilla Curtis, R Clarke Dec 2011

The Restructuring Of The Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Sector, Tamilla Curtis, R Clarke

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

No abstract provided.


Studying The Effect Of Laser Welding Parameters On The Quality Of Zek100 Magnesium Alloy Sheets In Lap Joint Configuration, Masoud Harooni, Fanrong Kong, Blair Carlson, Radovan Kovacevic Dec 2011

Studying The Effect Of Laser Welding Parameters On The Quality Of Zek100 Magnesium Alloy Sheets In Lap Joint Configuration, Masoud Harooni, Fanrong Kong, Blair Carlson, Radovan Kovacevic

Masoud Harooni

Magnesium has unique properties which makes it superior to many other metals. It has the best strengthto-weight ratio and the lowest density among structural metals. Therefore, it has been used in a variety of industries, including the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries. However, because of magnesium metallurgical properties, fusion welding poses a significant challenge. Laser welding is one of the most efficient joining processes for welding magnesium alloys because of its low heat input. Low alloy magnesium ZEK100 has been used in the automotive industry; however, little research has been published on the welding of this alloy. In this study, …