Delamination fracture of a two-dimensional functionally graded multilayered four-point bending beam that exhibits non-linear behaviour of the material is analyzed. The fracture is studied analytically in terms of the strain energy release rate. The beam under consideration has an arbitrary number of layers. Each layer has individual thickness and material properties. A delamination crack is loc...

Previous studies have identified sensitive periods for the developing barn owl during which visual experience has a powerful influence on the calibration of sound localization behavior. Here we investigated neural correlates of these sensitive periods by assessing developmental changes in the capacity of visual experience to alter the map of auditory space in the optic tectum of the barn owl. W...

In the present work the pull-in voltage of a micro cracked cantilever beam subjected to nonlinear electrostatic pressure was studied. Two mathematical models were employed for modeling the problem: a lumped mass model and a classical beam model. The effect of crack in the lumped mass model is the reduction of the effective stiffness of the beam and in the beam model; the crack is modeled as a m...

The solution of the Stokes problem in three-dimensional domains with edges has anisotropic singular behaviour which is treated numerically by using anisotropic nite element meshes. The velocity is approximated by Crouzeix-Raviart (non-conforming P 1) elements and the pressure by piecewise constants. This method is stable for general meshes (without minimal or maximal angle condition). The inter...

This paper presents a novel 4 dofs (3T-1R) parallel actuatedly redundant mechanism and its workspace analysis, based on a performance index involving velocity and force capabilities. The robot is capable of performing a half-turn about the z axis. Moreover, having all of its prismatic actuators along one direction; the x motion is independentonly limited by the stroke of the prismatic actuators...

High levels of strength- and stiffness-to-mass ratio can be achieved in slender structures by lengthwise tailoring their cross-sectional areas. During use, a non-prismatic beam element subject to surface forces or loads acting on only part cross-section. Practical examples involve tapered aircraft wings, wind turbine helicopter rotor blades under fluid pressure shear forces; arched beams bridge...

Nonlinear behavior of a functionally graded cantilever beam is analyzed under non-uniform hygro-thermal effect. To solve this problem, finite element method is applied within plane solid continua. Total Lagrangian approach is utilized in the nonlinear kinematic relations. Newton-Raphson method with incremental displacement is used in nonlinear solution. Comparison study is performed. Effects of...

The formation of prismatic dislocation loops is an important factor leading to radiation damage of metals. However, the formation mechanism and the size of the smallest stable loop has remained unclear. In this Rapid Communication, we use electronic structure calculations with millions of atoms to address this problem in aluminum. Our results show that there is a cascade of larger and larger va...

One of the main bottlenecks in natural language processing is the lack of a comprehensive lexicalized relation resource that contains fine grained knowledge on predicates. In this paper, we present PRISMATIC, a large scale lexicalized relation resource that is automatically created over 30 gb of text. Specifically, we describe what kind of information is collected in PRISMATIC and how it compar...

IMPORTANCE Myopia is a significant public health problem, making it important to determine whether a bifocal spectacle treatment involving near prism slows myopia progression in children. OBJECTIVE To determine whether bifocal and prismatic bifocal spectacles control myopia in children with high rates of myopia progression and to assess whether the treatment effect is dependent on the lag of ...