An appealing and engaging introduction to Continuum Mechanics in Biosciences This book presents the elements of Continuum Mechanics to people interested in applications to biological systems. It is divided into two parts, the first of which introduces the basic concepts within a strictly one-dimensional spatial context. This policy has been adopted so as to allow the newcomer to Continuum Mechanics to appreciate how the theory can be applied to important issues in Biomechanics from the very beginning. These include mechanical and thermodynamical balance, materials with fading memory and chemically reacting mixtures. In the second part of the book, the fully fledged three-dimensional theory is presented and applied to hyperelasticity of soft tissue, and to theories of remodeling, aging and growth. The book closes with a chapter devoted to Finite Element analysis. These and other topics are illustrated with case studies motivated by biomedical applications, such as vibration of air in the air canal, hyperthermia treatment of tumours, striated muscle memory, biphasic model of cartilage and adaptive elasticity of bone. The book offers a challenging and appealing introduction to Continuum Mechanics for students and researchers of biomechanics, and other engineering and scientific disciplines. Key features: Explains continuum mechanics using examples from biomechanics for a uniquely accessible introduction to the topic Moves from foundation topics, such as kinematics and balance laws, to more advanced areas such as theories of growth and the finite element method.. Transition from a one-dimensional approach to the general theory gives the book broad coverage, providing a clear introduction for beginners new to the topic, as well as an excellent foundation for those considering moving to more advanced application

This book is concerned with the study of continuum mechanics applied to biological systems, i.e., continuum biomechanics. This vast and exciting subject allows description of when a bone may fracture due to excessive loading, how blood behaves as both a solid and fluid, down to how cells respond to mechanical forces that lead to changes in their behavior, a process known as mechanotransduction. We have written for senior undergraduate students and first year graduate students in mechanical or biomedical engineering, but individuals working at biotechnology companies that deal in biomaterials or biomechanics should also find the information presented relevant and easily accessible. Table of Contents: Tensor Calculus / Kinematics of a Continuum / Stress / Elasticity / Fluids / Blood and Circulation / Viscoelasticity / Poroelasticity and Thermoelasticity / Biphasic Theory

Biomechanics is a component of Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The enormous progress in the field of health sciences that has been achieved in the 19th and 20th centuries would have not been possible without the enabling interaction and support of sophisticated technologies that progressively gave rise to a new interdisciplinary field named alternatively as bioengineering or biomedical engineering. Although both terms are synonymous, the latter is less general since it limits the field of application to medicine and clinical practice, while the former covers semantically the whole field of interaction between life sciences and engineering, thus including also applications in biology, biochemistry or the many '-omics'. We use in this book the second, with more general meaning, recalling the very important relation between fundamental science and engineering. And this also recognizes the tremendous economic and social impacts of direct application of engineering in medicine that maintains the health industry as one with the fastest growth in the world economy. Biomechanics, in particular, aims to explain and predict the mechanics of the different components of living beings, from molecules to organisms as well as to design, manufacture and use of any artificial device that interacts with the mechanics of living beings. It helps, therefore, to understand how living systems move, to characterize the interaction between forces and deformation along all spatial scales, to analyze the interaction between structural behavior and microstructure, with the very important particularity of dealing with adaptive systems, able to adapt their internal structure, size and geometry to the particular mechanical environment in which they develop their activity, to understand and predict alterations in the mechanical function due to injuries, diseases or pathologies and, finally, to propose methods of artificial intervention for functional diagnosis or recovery. Biomechanics is today a very highly interdisciplinary subject that attracts the attention of engineers, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, material specialists, biologists, medical doctors, etc. They work in many different topics from a purely scientific objective to industrial applications and with an increasing arsenal of sophisticated modeling and experimental tools but always with the final objectives of better understanding the fundamentals of life and improve the quality of life of human beings. One purpose in this volume has been to present an overview of some of these many possible subjects in a self-contained way for a general audience. This volume is aimed at the following major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, and Research Personnel.

This overview of the development of continuum mechanics throughout the twentieth century is unique and ambitious. Utilizing a historical perspective, it combines an exposition on the technical progress made in the field and a marked interest in the role played by remarkable individuals and scientific schools and institutions on a rapidly evolving social background. It underlines the newly raised technical questions and their answers, and the ongoing reflections on the bases of continuum mechanics associated, or in competition, with other branches of the physical sciences, including thermodynamics. The emphasis is placed on the development of a more realistic modeling of deformable solids and the exploitation of new mathematical tools. The book presents a balanced appraisal of advances made in various parts of the world. The author contributes his technical expertise, personal recollections, and international experience to this general overview, which is very informative albeit concise.

This monograph is the first in which the theory of groupoids and algebroids is applied to the study of the properties of uniformity and homogeneity of continuous media. It is a further step in the application of differential geometry to the mechanics of continua, initiated years ago with the introduction of the theory of G-structures, in which the group G denotes the group of material symmetries, to study smoothly uniform materials.The new approach presented in this book goes much further by being much more general. It is not a generalization per se, but rather a natural way of considering the algebraic-geometric structure induced by the so-called material isomorphisms. This approach has allowed us to encompass non-uniform materials and discover new properties of uniformity and homogeneity that certain material bodies can possess, thus opening a new area in the discipline.

This comprehensive volume presents a unified framework of continuum theories. It indicates that (i) microcontinuum theories (micromorphic and micropolar theories) are natural extension of classical continuum mechanics, and (ii) classical continuum mechanics is a special case of microcontinuum theories when the deformable material point is idealized as a single mathematical point. The kinematics and basic laws are rigorously derived. Based on axiomatic approach, constitutive theory is systematically derived for various kinds of materials, ranging from Stokesian fluid to thermo-visco-elastic-plastic solid. Material force and Thermomechanical-electromagnetic coupling are introduced and discussed. Moreover, general finite element methods for large-strain thermomechanical coupling physical phenomena are systematically formulated. Also, non-classical continuum theories (Nonlocal Theory, Mechanobiology, 4D printing, Poromechanics, and Non-Self-Similar Crack Propagation) are rigorously formulated with applications and demonstrated numerically.As an advanced monograph, this unique compendium can also be used as a textbook for several graduate courses, including continuum mechanics, finite element methods, and advanced engineering science theories. Extensive problems are provided to help students to better understand the topics covered.

Biomechanics of the Female Pelvic Floor, Second Edition, is the first book to specifically focus on this key part of women's health, combining engineering and clinical expertise. This edited collection will help readers understand the risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction, the mechanisms of childbirth related injury, and how to design intrapartum preventative strategies, optimal repair techniques, and prostheses. The authors have combined their expertise to create a thorough, comprehensive view of female pelvic floor biomechanics in order to help different disciplines discuss, research, and drive solutions to pressing problems. The book includes a common language for the design, conduct, and reporting of research studies in female PFD, and will be of interest to biomechanical and prosthetic tissue engineers and clinicians interested in female pelvic floor dysfunction, including urologists, urogynecologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, and physical therapists. - Contains contributions from leading bioengineers and clinicians, and provides a cohesive multidisciplinary view of the field - Covers causes, risk factors, and optimal treatment for pelvic floor biomechanics - Combines anatomy, imaging, tissue characteristics, and computational modeling development in relation to pelvic floor biomechanics

This book gives a comprehensive account of the formulation and computational treatment of basic geometrically linear models in 1D. To set the stage, it assembles some preliminaries regarding necessary modelling, computational and mathematical tools. Thereafter, the remaining parts are concerned with the actual catalogue of computational material models. To this end, after starting out with elasticity as a reference, further 15 different basic variants of material models (5 x each of {visco-elasticity, plasticity, visco-plasticity}, respectively) are systematically explored. The presentation for each of these basic material models is a stand-alone account and follows in each case the same structure. On the one hand, this allows, in the true sense of a catalogue, to consult each of the basic material models separately without the need to refer to other basic material models. On the other hand, even though this somewhat repetitious concept may seem tedious, it allows to compare the formulation and resulting algorithmic setting of the various basic material models and thereby to uncover, in detail, similarities and differences. In particular, the response of each basic material model is analysed for the identical histories (Zig-Zag, Sine, Ramp) of prescribed strain and stress so as to clearly showcase and to contrast to each other the characteristics of the various modelling options.

Biomechanics covers a wide field such as organ mechanics, tissue mechanics, cell mechanics to molecular mechanics. At the 6th World Congress of Biomechanics WCB 2010 in Singapore, authors presented the largest experimental studies, technologies and equipment. Special emphasis was placed on state-of-the-art technology and medical applications. This volume presents the Proceedings of the 6th WCB 2010 which was hold in conjunction with 14th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME) & 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Biomechanics (APBiomech). The peer reviewed scientific papers are arranged in the six themes Organ Mechanics, Tissue Mechanics, Cell Mechanics, Molecular Mechanics, Materials, Tools, Devices & Techniques, Special Topics.

Spiral Bound explores the potential for yoga as a healing modality by examining the body's anatomical structure as it has evolved embryonically. With a light touch approach, Karen weaves together threads of development to see how our morphological constraints arise in the earliest moments of life and how this rotation lays the spiral groundwork for rotational kinematics that encompass all tissue. This book sets out to link theory with practice, all at a conversational level richly illustrated with full-color photographs and drawings that bring the biomotion to life for practitioners and teachers of yoga. This book for anyone seeking to simplify the parts-list pedagogy of classical anatomy with contemporary research in fascia literature for an integrated approach especially suitable to postural yoga.