Full-Locked Coil Ropes with HDPE Sheath: Studies of Mechanical Behavior of HDPE Under Accelerated Aging.

In accordance with German guideline ZTV-ING Part 4, full-locked coil ropes are provided with a three-layer corrosion protection coating based on epoxy resin and polyurethane, which must be renewed regularly. An alternative method is to use a coating of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is extruded onto the rope. In this article, the mechanical behavior of the thermoplastic material is studied, taking into account various accelerated aging processes, which are derived from the climatic boundary conditions of a real bridge structure and implemented in tests.

A Simple Surface Treatment for Improving the Adhesive Bonding Properties and Durability of an AlMg Alloy.

The structural adhesive bonding of aluminum is widely used in the aircraft and automotive industries. The surface preparation of aluminum prior to adhesive bonding plays a significant role in improving the bonding strength. Surface cleanliness, surface roughness, and surface chemistry can be controlled, primarily, by proper surface treatment methods.

Extracting regulatory active chromatin footprint from cell-free DNA.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a pivotal player in precision medicine, revolutionizing the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape. While its clinical applications have significantly increased in recent years, current cfDNA assays have limited ability to identify the active transcriptional programs that govern complex disease phenotypes and capture the heterogeneity of the disease. To address these limitations, we have developed a non-invasive platform to enrich and examine the active chromatin fragments (cfDNA) in peripheral blood.

Fatigue Strength Assessment of Friction Welds under Consideration of Residual Stress.

A reliable local-fatigue assessment approach for rotary friction-welded components does not yet exist. The scope of this paper is to present test results for the fatigue behaviour of rotary friction-welded solid shafts made of structural steel S355J2G3 (1.0570) and an approach to fatigue assessment considering residual stress.

Linear vs nonlinear ultrasonic testing of kissing bonds in adhesive joints.

Kissing bonds in adhesive joints are precursors to damage and failure in materials and components used in safety-critical industries. They are zero-volume, low-contrast contact defects widely regarded as "invisible" in conventional ultrasonic testing. In this study, the recognition of the kissing bonds is examined in automotive industry-relevant aluminum lap-joints with standard bonding procedures using epoxy- and silicone-based adhesives.