Finite element analysis, of regular Kelvin foam models with all the material in uniform-thickness faces, was used to predict the compressive impact response of low-density closed-cell polyethylene and polystyrene foams. Cell air compression was analysed, treating cells as surface-based fluid cavities. For a typical 1 mm cell size and 50 s impact strain rate, the elastic buckling of cell faces, ...

We consider rate-independent models of static and quasistatic plasticity with hardening. These models are usually stated in terms of variational inequalities of the first or second kind, for the primal and dual formulations, respectively. In the static case, the dual variational inequality can be interpreted as the necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for an underlying optimization pr...

All abiotic stresses reduce plant growth and yield. The products of stress-inducible genes which could be directly protecting against these stresses include the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of various osmoprotectants like late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, antifreeze proteins, chaperones and detoxification enzymes. Another group of gene products involved in gene expression and...

Alfalfa is a worldwide grown forage crop and is important due to its high biomass production and nutritional value. However, the production of alfalfa is challenged by adverse environmental factors such as drought and other stresses. Developing drought resistance alfalfa is an important breeding target for enhancing alfalfa productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. In the present study, we us...