Article history: Received 5 February 2008 Available online 12 August 2008 This work is dedicated to the memory of Professor Liviu Librescu

The eggs of Dactylobiotus dispar, similar to other Tardigrada eggs, are covered with two shells: the vitelline envelope and the chorion. Ultrastructural studies have shown that the oocyte actively participates in the formation of both shells. The process of egg capsule formation begins at the midpoint of vitellogenesis. The chorion at first appears as isolated cones resulting from the exocytoti...

Modal signals of transverse sensing of truncated conical shells with simply supported boundary condition at both ends are investigated. The embedded piezoelectric layer on the surface of conical shell is used as sensors and output voltages of them in considered modes are calculated. The Governing sensing signal displacement equations are derived based on the Kirchhoff theory, thin-shell assumpt...