Shear stress is a measure of how a force is distributed parallel to a surface, causing layers of a material to slide against each other. It plays a crucial role in determining the structural integrity and deformation behavior of materials under load, influencing fields such as fluid dynamics, material science, and civil engineering.
Vascular branching is a critical biological process that involves the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, ensuring efficient transport of nutrients and oxygen throughout an organism. This process is tightly regulated by genetic and environmental factors and is essential for normal development, wound healing, and the progression of diseases such as cancer.