Surface acoustic waves (Rayleigh waves) are analyzed for semi-infinite anisotropic solids only for essential propagation characteristics like the velocity and decaying parameters, which are important in engineering applications. The limitations of these results are obvious because devices are usually built on a finite piezoelectric substrate with propagation properties different from the analyt...

Based on the premise that large-scale failure of sea ice is governed by fracture mechanics, recently validated by Dempsey’s in situ tests of fracture specimens of a record-breaking size, this two-part study applies fracture mechanics and asymptotic approach to obtain approximate explicit formulas for the size effect in two fundamental problems. In the present Part I, the load capacity of a floa...

Thick wall structures are usually applied at a highly reduced frequency. It is crucial to study the refined dynamic modeling of thick plate, as it directly related mechanical characteristics an engineering structure or device, elastic wave scattering and stress concentration, motion stability control distributed parameter system. In this paper, based on partial differential operator theory, exa...

Given a set of taxa S and a complete set of quartet topologies Q over S, the problem of determining a phylogeny that satisfies the maximum number of topologies is called the Maximum Quartet Consistency (MQC) problem. The MQC problem is an NP-problem. MQC has been solved both heuristically and exactly. Exact solutions for MQC include Constraint Programming, Answer Set Programming and Pseudo-Bool...

Textbooks frequently extol plate tectonics theory without questioning what might be wrong with the theory or without discussing a competitive theory. How can students be taught to challenge popular ideas when they are only presented a one-sided view? In a just a few pages, I describe more than a century of geodynamic ideas. I review what is wrong with plate tectonics theory and with Earth expan...

The determination of the appropriate boundary conditions for a two-dimensional theory of elastic flat plates (and shells) consistent with the expected order of accuracy of the theory is both critical and challenging. The reciprocal theorem of elasticity will be applied in a novel way to obtain the appropriate stress boundary conditions for plate bending accurate to all order (with respect to th...

For very large systems of equations arising from 3D finite element formulation, pre-conditioned iterative solvers are preferred over direct solvers due to their reduced memory requirements. However, in the finite-element analysis of thin structures such as beam and plate structures, iterative solvers perform poorly due to the presence of poor quality elements. In particular, their efficiency dr...

It is a matter of general knowledge that neurulation, as it occurs in most chordate embryos, proceeds by longitudinal in-folding of the neural plate. Lovtrup (1965) ably described such morphogenetic movements as they occur in several neurulating amphibians. The mechanical causes of these movements are not clearly understood, however. In his review of the prominent theories of neurulation, Curti...

Laminate composites are widely used in automotive, aerospace, medical, and increasingly in consumer industries, due to their reduced weight, superior structural properties and cost-effectiveness. However, structural analysis of complex laminate structures remains challenging. 2D finite element methods based on plate and shell theories may be accurate and efficient, but they generally do not app...

The mechanics of defecation and fecal continence are poorly understood. Valvular theories for continence 2 rely on raised intra-abdominal pressure to force the anterior wall of the rectum downwards to close off the anorectal junction. Such theories are not consistent with EMG and radiological data which suggest a striated muscle sphincteric mechanism.3 It has been demonstrated that puborectalis...