Current trends in ICE wear detection technologies: from lab to field

[EN] Research in internal combustion engine (ICE) tribology has been an active topic during the last decades, driven by different interest: first, in order to improve thermodynamics and overall engine performance, while nowadays there is an interest in reducing engine losses, including friction, in order to cut down fuel consumption and also exhaust emissions. Tribology is a tri-vector science, where friction is the fundamental phenomena occurring between two surfaces, wear is the consequence of the occurrence of friction and lubrication is the solution for diminish friction and eliminate wear presence in the tribological system. During the development of ICE, different technologies and techniques have been applied for detection of ICE wear, focused in different parts of the engine life and also used for different purposes, including research or maintenance. In this work, a comprehensive look on this field is done, where several techniques are explained and their main application and pros and cons are highlighted.CMT-Motores Térmicos would like to thank the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for its funding (Project no. TRA2015-70785-R) and Universitat Politècnica de València for its support through contract FPI-S2-2015-1065 of Programa de Apoyo para la Investigación y Desarrollo (PAID). The virtual vehicle research center acknowledges the financial support of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF): P27806-N30. Partial support was obtained from the "COMET - Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies Programme" of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (bmwfw), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Province of Styria and the Styrian Business Promotion Agency (SFG).Miró Mezquita, G.; Tormos, B.; Allmaier, H.; Sander, D.; Knauder, C. (2017). Current trends in ICE wear detection technologies: from lab to field. ASRO Journal of Applied Mechanics. 2(1):32-41. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/151294S32412

In vitro antiprotozoal activity of extract and compounds from the stem bark of Combretum molle.

The antiprotozoal activity of the Ethiopian medicinal plant Combretum molle (R. Br. ex G. Don.) Engl & Diels (Combretaceae) was evaluated by in vitro testing against Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani. The acetone fraction of the stem bark of this plant prepared by soxhlet extraction was inactive against the intracellular amastigotes of L. donovani and T. cruzi in murine peritoneal macrophages but showed significant activity against extracellular T. b. rhodesiense blood stream form trypomastigotes and trophozoites of P. falciparum with IC(50) values of 2.19 and 8.17 microg/mL, respectively. Phytochemical examination of the bioactive fraction resulted in the isolation of two tannins and two oleanane-type pentacyclic triterpene glycosides. One of the tannins was identified as the ellagitannin, punicalagin, whilst the structure of the other (CM-A) has not yet been fully elucidated. The saponins that were characterized as arjunglucoside (also called 4-epi-sericoside) and sericoside displayed no activity against any of the four species of protozoa tested. On the other hand, punicalagin and CM-A had IC(50) values of 1.75 and 1.50 microM, respectively, against T. b. rhodesiense and were relatively less toxic to KB cells (cytotoxic/antiprotozoal ratios of 70 and 48, respectively). The tannins also showed intermediate activity against P. falciparum, although their selectivity against these parasites was less favourable than the above. It appears that our findings are the first report of hydrolysable tannins exhibiting antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activities

Gestufte Lernhilfen als Mittel der Binnendifferenzierung im fächerübergreifenden Unterricht

Maak A-L, Besa K-S, Haunhorst D, Wilde M. Gestufte Lernhilfen als Mittel der Binnendifferenzierung im fächerübergreifenden Unterricht. In: Knauder H, Reisinger M, eds. Individuelle Förderung im Unterricht und in der Schule. Münster: Waxmann; 2019

Husbands' labour migration and wives' autonomy, Mozambique 2000–2006

The separation of migrants from the family unit, as a result of labour migration, can have profound effects on family organization and the lives of family members. Using data from a 2006 survey of 1,680 married women from 56 villages in southern Mozambique, we examined the relationship between men's labour migration and the decision-making autonomy of women who stayed behind. The results show that both men's cumulative migration history and current migration status are positively associated with women's autonomy, and that the effects on autonomy may persist even after the man's return. Three intervening factors—women's employment outside the home, lower fertility, and residential independence from extended family members—did not fully mediate the effects of men's labour migration. This is consistent with the assumption that the migrant's absence has a 'direct' effect on his wife's autonomy.Scott T. Yabiku, Victor Agadjanian and Arusyak Sevoya