Tissue equivalents (TEs), formed by entrapping cells in a collagen gel, are an important model system for studying cell behavior. We have previously (Barocas and Tranquillo in J Biomech Eng 117:161-170, 1997a) developed an anisotropic biphasic theory of TE mechanics, which comprises five coupled partial differential equations describing interaction among cells and collagen fibers in the TE. The...

The giant nerve fiber of the squid (Loligo pealii L.) has been investigated in situ, and in fresh and fixed preparations, by differential interference microscopy and electron microscopy. A continuous, three-dimensional network, composed of threadlike elements, was disclosed in the axoplasm. The threadlike elements in the axoplasm are twisted as a whole into a steep, right-handed helix. In a per...

A model of fractional-order of thermoelasticity is applied to study a 2D problem of mode-I crack in a fibre-reinforced thermal environment. The crack is under prescribed distributions of heat and pressure. The normal mode analysis is applied to deduce exact formulae for displacements, stresses, and temperature. Variations of field quantities with the axial direction are illustrated graphically....

Braided composites have been used widely in many engineering fields where the high mechanical characteristics and light weight properties were important. In order to estimate the mechanical characteristics of the braided composites, the numerical technique is very effective to reduce the testing and production costs. However, if the architecture of fiber bundle is more complex such as 3-D braid...