A study on morphological and dynamical properties of neuronal growth cones

In the developing nervous system and in the adult brain, neurons constantly need to solve mechanical problems. Neuronal growth cones are the main motile structures located at the tip of neurites and are composed of a lamellipodium from which thin filopodia emerge. They are responsible for extension of neurite processes and for transducing signals from extracellular cues to alter directionality, branching, and motility. They must decide how to explore the environment and in which direction to grow; they also need to establish appropriate contacts, to avoid obstacles and to determine how much force to exert. The complete understanding of the nervous system and its basic unit, the neuron, demands a quantification of the behavioral pattern and the morphological characteristics..

Modeling and Simulation in Engineering

This book provides an open platform to establish and share knowledge developed by scholars, scientists, and engineers from all over the world, about various applications of the modeling and simulation in the design process of products, in various engineering fields. The book consists of 12 chapters arranged in two sections (3D Modeling and Virtual Prototyping), reflecting the multidimensionality of applications related to modeling and simulation. Some of the most recent modeling and simulation techniques, as well as some of the most accurate and sophisticated software in treating complex systems, are applied. All the original contributions in this book are jointed by the basic principle of a successful modeling and simulation process: as complex as necessary, and as simple as possible. The idea is to manipulate the simplifying assumptions in a way that reduces the complexity of the model (in order to make a real-time simulation), but without altering the precision of the results