Generally, spontaneous pattern formation phenomena are random and repetitive, whereas elaborate devices are the deterministic product of human design. Yet, biological organisms and collective insect constructions are exceptional examples of complex systems that are both self-organized and architectural. This book is the first initiative of its kind toward establishing a new field of research, Morphogenetic Engineering, to explore the modeling and implementation of “self-architecturing” systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the programmability and computational abilities of self-organization, properties that are often underappreciated in complex systems science—while, conversely, the benefits of self-organization are often underappreciated in engineering methodologies. Altogether, the aim of this work is to provide a framework for and examples of a larger class of “self-architecturing” systems, while addressing fundamental questions such as br” How do biological organisms carry out morphogenetic tasks so reliably? br” Can we extrapolate their self-formation capabilities to engineered systems?br” Can physical systems be endowed with information (or informational systems be embedded in physics) so as to create autonomous morphologies and functions?br” What are the core principles and best practices for the design and engineering of such morphogenetic systems?

The notion of swarm intelligence was introduced for describing decentralized and self-organized behaviors of groups of animals. Then this idea was extrapolated to design groups of robots which interact locally to cumulate a collective reaction. Some natural examples of swarms are as follows: ant colonies, bee colonies, fish schooling, bird flocking, horse herding, bacterial colonies, multinucleated giant amoebae Physarum polycephalum, etc. In all these examples, individual agents behave locally with an emergence of their common effect. An intelligent behavior of swarm individuals is explained by the following biological reactions to attractants and repellents. Attractants are biologically active things, such as food pieces or sex pheromones, which attract individuals of swarm. Repellents are biologically active things, such as predators, which repel individuals of swarm. As a consequence, attractants and repellents stimulate the directed movement of swarms towards and away from the stimulus, respectively. It is worth noting that a group of people, such as pedestrians, follow some swarm patterns of flocking or schooling. For instance, humans prefer to avoid a person considered by them as a possible predator and if a substantial part of the group in the situation of escape panic (not less than 5%) changes the direction, then the rest follows the new direction, too. Some swarm patterns are observed among human beings under the conditions of their addictive behavior such as the behavior of alcoholics or gamers. The methodological framework of studying swarm intelligence is represented by unconventional computing, robotics, and cognitive science. In this book we aim to analyze new methodologies involved in studying swarm intelligence. We are going to bring together computer scientists and cognitive scientists dealing with swarm patterns from social bacteria to human beings. This book considers different models of simulating, controlling, and predicting the swarm behavior of different species from social bacteria to humans.

Completing the PIR series, this volume summarizes the major advances made in the local and systemic use of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). Chapters are dedicated to the regulation of BMP-signaling pathways; biological actions of BMPs in bone, cartilage, and teeth; clinical applications; and the potential systemic use of BMPs for tissues beyond bone. The authors are all recognized experts in the field of tissue engineering and regeneration.

Demonstrating the latest research and analysis in the area of through-life engineering services (TES), this book utilizes case studies and expert analysis from an international array of practitioners and researchers – who together represent multiple manufacturing sectors: aerospace, railway and automotive – to maximize reader insights into the field of through-life engineering services. As part of the EPSRC Centre in Through-life Engineering Services program to support the academic and industrial community, this book presents an overview of non-destructive testing techniques and applications and provides the reader with the information needed to assess degradation and possible automation of through-life engineering service activities . The latest developments in maintenance-repair-overhaul (MRO) are presented with emphasis on cleaning technologies, repair and overhaul approaches and planning and digital assistance. The impact of these technologies on sustainable enterprises is also analyzed. This book will help to support the existing TES community and will provide future studies with a strong base from which to analyze and apply techn9olgical trends to real world examples.

Known as the bible of biomedical engineering, The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Fourth Edition, sets the standard against which all other references of this nature are measured. As such, it has served as a major resource for both skilled professionals and novices to biomedical engineering. Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering, the fourth volume of the handbook, presents material from respected scientists with diverse backgrounds in molecular biology, transport phenomena, physiological modeling, tissue engineering, stem cells, drug delivery systems, artificial organs, and personalized medicine. More than three dozen specific topics are examined, including DNA vaccines, biomimetic systems, cardiovascular dynamics, biomaterial scaffolds, cell mechanobiology, synthetic biomaterials, pluripotent stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, nanobiomaterials for tissue engineering, biomedical imaging of engineered tissues, gene therapy, noninvasive targeted protein and peptide drug delivery, cardiac valve prostheses, blood substitutes, artificial skin, molecular diagnostics in personalized medicine, and bioethics.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Unconventional Computation, UC 2012, held in Orléans, France, during September 3-7, 2012. The 28 revised full papers presented were carefully selected from numerous submissions. Conference papers are organized in 4 technical sessions, covering topics of hypercomputation, chaos and dynamical systems based computing, granular, fuzzy and rough computing, mechanical computing, cellular, evolutionary, molecular, neural, and quantum computing, membrane computing, amorphous computing, swarm intelligence; artificial immune systems, physics of computation, chemical computation, evolving hardware, the computational nature of self-assembly, developmental processes, bacterial communication, and brain processes

The opportunity that tissue engineering provides for medicine is extraordinary. In the United States alone, over half-a-trillion dollars are spent each year to care for patients who suffer from tissue loss or dysfunction. Although numerous books and reviews have been written on tissue engineering, none has been as comprehensive in its defining of the field. Principles of Tissue Engineering combines in one volume the prerequisites for a general understanding of tissue growth and development, the tools and theoretical information needed to design tissues and organs, as well as a presentation of applications of tissue engineering to diseases affecting specific organ systems. The first edition of the book, published in 1997, is the definite reference in the field. Since that time, however, the discipline has grown tremendously, and few experts would have been able to predict the explosion in our knowledge of gene expression, cell growth and differentiation, the variety of stem cells, new polymers and materials that are now available, or even the successful introduction of the first tissue-engineered products into the marketplace. There was a need for a new edition, and this need has been met with a product that defines and captures the sense of excitement, understanding and anticipation that has followed from the evolution of this fascinating and important field.Key Features* Provides vast, detailed analysis of research on all of the major systems of the human body, e.g., skin, muscle, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nerves* Essential to anyone working in the field* Educates and directs both the novice and advanced researcher* Provides vast, detailed analysis of research with all of the major systems of the human body, e.g. skin, muscle, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nerves* Has new chapters written by leaders in the latest areas of research, such as fetal tissue engineering and the universal cell* Considered the definitive reference in the field* List of contributors reads like a "who's who" of tissue engineering, and includes Robert Langer, Joseph Vacanti, Charles Vacanti, Robert Nerem, A. Hari Reddi, Gail Naughton, George Whitesides, Doug Lauffenburger, and Eugene Bell, among others

Regenerative Engineering and Developmental Biology: Principles and Applications examines cutting-edge developments in the field of regenerative engineering. Specific attention is given to activities that embrace the importance of integrating developmental biology and tissue engineering, and how this can move beyond repairing damage to body parts to instead regenerate tissues and organs. The text furthermore focusses on the five legs of the field of regenerative engineering, including: materials, developmental biology, stem cells, physics, and clinical translation. This book was written by leading developmental biologists; each chapter examines the processes that these biologists study and how they can be advanced by using the tools available in tissue engineering/biomaterials. Individual chapters are complete with concluding remarks and thoughts on the future of regenerative engineering. A list of references is also provided to aid the reader with further research. Ultimately, this book achieves two goals. The first encourages the biomedical community to think about how inducing regeneration is an engineering problem. The second goal highlights the discoveries with animal regeneration and how these processes can be engineered to regenerate body parts. Regenerative Engineering and Developmental Biology: Principles and Applications was written with undergraduate and graduate-level biomedical engineering students and biomedical professionals in mind.

What are the relations between the shape of a system of cities and that of fish school? Which events should happen in a cell in order that it participates to one of the finger of our hands? How to interpret the shape of a sand dune? This collective book written for the non-specialist addresses these questions and more generally, the fundamental issue of the emergence of forms and patterns in physical and living systems. It is a single book gathering the different aspects of morphogenesis and approaches developed in different disciplines on shape and pattern formation. Relying on the seminal works of D’Arcy Thompson, Alan Turing and René Thom, it confronts major examples like plant growth and shape, intra-cellular organization, evolution of living forms or motifs generated by crystals. A book essential to understand universal principles at work in the shapes and patterns surrounding us but also to avoid spurious analogies.

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is a special growth factor for the induction of new bone formation. Today, the extract of the BMP originating from bone tissue as well as genetically modified BMPs, particularly BMP-2 and -7, can be used. Though the BMP as an implant is as yet an unregistered drug or medical tool in Europe and the US, specialists are confident that it will obtain final government approval based on the results of clinical tests conducted on more than 3000 patients. This important book focuses mainly on the clinical BMP treatment of patients -- namely in orthopaedic cases (fractures, bone transplants, non-unions and pseudoarthroses), maxillofacial surgery (sinus lift before dental implantation), dental surgery (filling out of cavities) and spinal surgery (using a BMP implant instead of the patient's own bone).