Multiscale Analysis of Sandwich Beams with Polyurethane Foam Core: A Comparative Study of Finite Element Methods and Radial Point Interpolation Method.

This study presents a comprehensive multiscale analysis of sandwich beams with a polyurethane foam (PUF) core, delivering a numerical comparison between finite element methods (FEMs) and a meshless method: the radial point interpolation method (RPIM). This work aims to combine RPIM with homogenisation techniques for multiscale analysis, being divided in two phases. In the first phase, bulk PUF material was modified by incorporating circular holes to create PUFs with varying volume fractions.

Changing the Mandibular Position in Rowing: A Brief Report of a World-Class Rower.

We investigated the acute biophysical responses of changing the mandibular position during a rowing incremental protocol. A World-class 37-year-old male rower performed two 7 × 3 min ergometer rowing trials, once with no intraoral splint (control) and the other with a mandibular forward repositioning splint (splint condition). Ventilatory, kinematics and body electromyography were evaluated and compared between trials (paired samples -test, ≤ 0.

Exploring Bio-Based Polyurethane Adhesives for Eco-Friendly Structural Applications: An Experimental and Numerical Study.

In response to heightened environmental awareness, various industries, including the civil and automotive sector, are contemplating a shift towards the utilization of more sustainable materials. For adhesive bonding, this necessitates the exploration of materials derived from renewable sources, commonly denoted as bio-adhesives. This study focuses on a bio-adhesive L-joint, which is a commonly employed configuration in the automotive sector for creating bonded structural components with significant bending stiffness.

Fracture Analysis of Highly Flexible Adhesives: Cohesive Zone Modelling across a Wide Spectrum of Temperatures and Strain Rates.

This study focuses on the prediction of the fracture mechanics behaviour of a highly flexible adhesive (with a tensile elongation of 90%), since this type of adhesive is becoming widely used in automotive structures due to their high elongation at break and damping capacity. Despite their extensive applications, the understanding of their fracture mechanics behaviour under varying loading rates and temperatures remains limited in the literature. In addition, current prediction models are also unable to accurately predict their behaviour due to the complex failure mechanism that such bonded joints have.

Predicting the Adhesive Layer Thickness in Hybrid Joints Involving Pre-Tensioned Bolts.

While most academic studies focus on the properties of cured joints, this research addresses the manufacturing process of hybrid joints in their uncured state. Hybrid joints that combine adhesive bonding with pre-tensioned bolts exhibit superior mechanical performance compared to exclusively bonded or bolted joints. However, the adhesive flow during manufacturing in hybrid joints often results in a nonuniform adhesive thickness, where obtaining an exact thickness is crucial for accurate load capacity predictions.

Design, Manufacturing, and Evaluation of Race and Automotive Prototypal Components Fabricated with Modified Carbon Fibres and Resin.

This study explores the enhancement of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) for automotive applications through the integration of modified carbon fibres (CF) and epoxy matrices. The research emphasizes the use of block copolymers (BCPs) and electropolymerisation techniques to improve mechanical properties and interfacial adhesion. Incorporating 2.

Three-Dimensional Melted Electrowriting Drug Coating Fibers for the Prevention of Device-Associated Infections: A Pilot Study.

Medical device-related infections (DRIs), especially prevalent among critically ill patients, impose significant health and economic burdens and are mainly caused by bacteria. Severe infections often necessitate device removal when antibiotic therapy is inefficient, delaying recovery. To tackle this issue, PCL drug-eluting coated meshes were explored, and they were printed via melt electrowriting (MEW).

Diagnostic Test Accuracy of Urinary DNA Methylation-based Biomarkers for the Detection of Primary and Recurrent Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: Diagnosis of primary and relapsed bladder carcinomas is accomplished by urethrocystoscopy, an invasive procedure, combined with urinary cytology, with limited sensitivity, resulting in a substantial burden. Thus, noninvasive biomarkers have been investigated, among which DNA methylation has shown promise. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy of DNA methylation biomarkers reported in the literature for bladder cancer detection, pinpointing the most informative one.

Pregnancy state before the onset of labor: a holistic mechanical perspective.

Successful pregnancy highly depends on the complex interaction between the uterine body, cervix, and fetal membrane. This interaction is synchronized, usually following a specific sequence in normal vaginal deliveries: (1) cervical ripening, (2) uterine contractions, and (3) rupture of fetal membrane. The complex interaction between the cervix, fetal membrane, and uterine contractions before the onset of labor is investigated using a complete third-trimester gravid model of the uterus, cervix, fetal membrane, and abdomen.

Tensile Strength and Mode I Fracture Toughness of Polymer Concretes Enhanced with Glass Fibers and Metal Chips.

This study experimentally investigates the influence of metal chips and glass fibers on the mode I fracture toughness, energy absorption, and tensile strength of polymer concretes (PCs) manufactured by waste aggregates. A substantial portion of the materials employed in manufacturing and enhancing the tested polymer concrete are sourced from waste material. To achieve this, semi-circular bend (SCB) samples were fabricated, both with and without a central crack, to analyze the strength and fracture behavior of the composite specimens.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Dubuisson Laparoscopic Lateral Suspension with Laparoscopic Sacropexy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Short-Term Results.

Background: Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) is the gold standard for the treatment of apical prolapse, although dissection of the promontory may be challenging. Laparoscopic lateral suspension (LLS) with mesh is an alternative technique for apical repair with similar anatomical and functional outcomes, according to recent studies. The purpose of this study was to compare these operative techniques.

Development of a Unified Specimen for Adhesive Characterization-Part 2: Experimental Study on the Mode I (mDCB) and II (ELS) Fracture Components.

Adhesive bonding has been increasingly employed in multiple industrial applications. This has led to a large industrial demand for faster, simpler, and cheaper characterization methods that allow engineers to predict the mechanical behavior of an adhesive with numerical models. Currently, these characterization processes feature a wide variety of distinct standards, specimen configurations, and testing procedures and require deep knowhow of complex data-reduction schemes.

Mode I Fatigue and Fracture Assessment of Polyimide-Epoxy and Silicon-Epoxy Interfaces in Chip-Package Components.

Semiconductor advancements demand greater integrated circuit density, structural miniaturization, and complex material combinations, resulting in stress concentrations from property mismatches. This study investigates the failure in two types of interfaces found in chip packages: silicon-epoxy mold compound (EMC) and polyimide-EMC. These interfaces were subjected to quasi-static and fatigue loading conditions.

Relevance of rs920778 and rs12826786 Genetic Variants in Bladder Cancer Risk and Survival.

The long non-coding RNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA () is associated with oncogenic features in bladder cancer and is predictive of poor clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with this disease. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the single nucleotide polymorphisms rs920778 and rs12826786 on bladder cancer risk and survival. This case-control study included 106 bladder cancer patients and 199 cancer-free controls.

A Novel Technique for Substrate Toughening in Wood Single Lap Joints Using a Zero-Thickness Bio-Adhesive.

In contemporary engineering practices, the utilization of sustainable materials and eco-friendly techniques has gained significant importance. Wooden joints, particularly those created with polyurethan-based bio-adhesives, have garnered significant attention owing to their intrinsic environmental advantages and desirable mechanical properties. In comparison to conventional joining methods, adhesive joints offer distinct benefits such as an enhanced load distribution, reduced stress concentration, and improved aesthetic appeal.

Cohesive Properties of Bimaterial Interfaces in Semiconductors: Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation Using an Inverse Cohesive Contact Approach.

Examining crack propagation at the interface of bimaterial components under various conditions is essential for improving the reliability of semiconductor designs. However, the fracture behavior of bimaterial interfaces has been relatively underexplored in the literature, particularly in terms of numerical predictions. Numerical simulations offer vital insights into the evolution of interfacial damage and stress distribution in wafers, showcasing their dependence on material properties.

Development of a multilayer fetal membrane material model calibrated using bulge inflation mechanical tests.

The fetal membranes are an essential mechanical structure for pregnancy, protecting the developing fetus in an amniotic fluid environment and rupturing before birth. In cooperation with the cervix and the uterus, the fetal membranes support the mechanical loads of pregnancy. Structurally, the fetal membranes comprise two main layers: the amnion and the chorion.

Effects of Mode Mixity and Loading Rate on Fracture Behavior of Cracked Thin-Walled 304L Stainless Steel Sheets with Large Non-Linear Plastic Deformation.

This study investigates the mixed-mode I/II fracture behavior of O-notched diagonally loaded square plate (DLSP) samples containing an edge crack within the O-notch. This investigation aims to explore the combined effects of loading rate and mode mixity on the fracture properties of steel 304L, utilizing DLSP samples. The DLSP samples, made from strain-hardening steel 304L, were tested at three different loading rates: 1, 50, and 400 mm/min, covering five mode mixities from pure mode I to pure mode II.

Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) Model for the Damage Mechanisms Present in Joints Bonded Using Adhesives Doped with Inorganic Fillers.

The use of adhesive bonding in diverse industries such as the automotive and aerospace sectors has grown considerably. In structural construction, adhesive joints provide a unique combination of low structural weight, high strength and stiffness, combined with a relatively simple and easily automated manufacturing method, characteristics that are ideal for the development of modern and highly efficient vehicles. In these applications, ensuring that the failure mode of a bonded joint is cohesive rather than adhesive is important since this failure mode is more controlled and easier to model and to predict.

Development and Study of a New Silane Based Polyurethane Hybrid Flexible Adhesive-Part 1: Mechanical Characterization.

The need for more sustainable adhesive formulations has led to the use of silane-based adhesives in different industrial sectors, such as the automotive industry. In this work, the mechanical properties of a dual cure two-component prototype adhesive which combined silylated polyurethane resin (SPUR) with standard epoxy resin was characterized under quasi-static conditions. The characterization process consisted of tensile bulk testing, to determine the Young's modulus, the tensile strength and the tensile strain to failure.

Characterization of Densified Pine Wood and a Zero-Thickness Bio-Based Adhesive for Eco-Friendly Structural Applications.

This study investigates a sustainable alternative for composites and adhesives in high-performance industries like civil and automotive. This study pioneers the development and application of a new methodology to characterize a bio-based, zero-thickness adhesive. This method facilitates precise measurements of the adhesive's strength and fracture properties under zero-thickness conditions.

Exo Supportive Devices: Summary of Technical Aspects.

Human societies have been trying to mitigate the suffering of individuals with physical impairments, with a special effort in the last century. In the 1950s, a new concept arose, finding similarities between animal exoskeletons, and with the goal of medically aiding human movement (for rehabilitation applications). There have been several studies on using exosuits with this purpose in mind.

The Development and Study of a New Silylated Polyurethane-Based Flexible Adhesive-Part 2: Joint Testing and Numerical Modelling.

The need for more sustainable adhesive formulations has presented the possibility of using silane-based adhesives in the automotive industry. In this work, a dual-cure two-component silylated polyurethane resin (SPUR) adhesive was tested in single-lap joints, to assess in-joint behaviour at room temperature under quasi-static conditions for aluminium substrates. The effect of two different overlap lengths, 25 and 50 mm, was also considered.

Numerical Simulations of Carbon-Fibre Impregnation with a Polymer as an Anisotropic Permeability Medium.

The impregnation process of carbon fibres with polymers is challenging to model due to the system's complexity, particularly concerning the following aspects: the complex rheology of the polymeric matrices and the presence of solid, continuous fibres, both with anisotropic properties, and the interaction between solid and fluid, which can change the displacement of fibres into a cyclic dependence. In this work, an interesting approach was considered by setting the fibres as a porous medium whose properties were calculated with microscale/macroscale cycle modelling. In the microscale modelling stage, two main assumptions can be made: (i) a homogeneous distribution with a representative cell or (ii) a stochastic distribution of fibres.

Rheological and Mechanical Properties of an Acrylic PSA.

The adhesion of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) is a complex phenomenon that can be understood through the characterization of different properties, including viscoelastic, mechanical, and fracture properties. The aim of the present paper is to determine the viscoelastic behaviour of an acrylic PSA and place it in the viscoelastic window, as well as to determine the tensile strength of the material. Additionally, different numbers of stacked adhesive layers and two crosshead speeds were applied to characterize the tensile strength of the adhesive in the different conditions.