Shear Flow Conditions Research Articles

Flow and crystallization of saturated fatty acid methyl esters and their binary mixtures

AbstractDemand for biodiesel has increased due to being a more environmentally‐friendly fuel. Cold weather operation of biodiesel is challenging due to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content in biodiesel. Saturated FAMEs crystallize at relatively high temperatures, increase the viscosity of biodiesel, and can clog fuel lines. Here, several factors altered crystallization temperature (CT) of FAMEs, including composition, shear rate, and cooling rate. The crystallization of pure and binary mixtures of methyl palmitate, methyl myristate, and methyl stearate were studied under shear flow and static conditions. Static phase CTs of pure methyl palmitate, methyl myristate, and methyl stearate were 26, 14, and 35°C, respectively. In binary mixtures, CTs were depressed up to 7°C, which agreed with freezing point depression theory. Increasing shear rate up to 100 s−1 decreased CT by 2°C compared to static conditions. Decreasing cooling rate from 1 to 0.1°C/min increased CT less than 2°C. Overall, FAME composition altered CT more than shear flow or cooling rate for pure and binary mixtures of three FAMEs.

Emicizumab enhances thrombus formation in vitro under high shear flow conditions in whole blood from patients with type 1 and type 3 von Willebrand disease.

Type 1 and type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) are caused by partial and complete, quantitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (VWF), respectively, and factor (F)VIII/VWF complex concentrates are used for haemostatic treatment. Emicizumab, mimics activated FVIII, reduces bleeding in haemophilia A patients. The effects of emicizumab on haemostasis in both types of VWD remain to be fully established, however. To examine the effects of emicizumab on thrombogenesis in type 1 and type 3 VWD. Perfusion chamber experiments under high shear conditions (2500s-1 ) combined with immunostaining were performed using whole blood samples from patients with type 1 (VWF:Ag 25 U/dl) and type 3 VWD (<1.0 U/dl). The addition of FVIII (1 U/ml) to type 1 blood did not affect thrombus formation, whilst supplementation with VWF (1.6 U/ml) or FVIII/VWF (1 U/ml/1.6 U/ml) enhanced thrombogenesis to a similar extent. FVIII/VWF promoted thrombus formation significantly more than VWF alone, however, in type 3 blood. Emicizumab (100 μg/ml) augmented thrombus formation in type 3 blood compared to FVIII, and this potency seemed to be somewhat greater than that of VWF. Surface coverage of formed thrombus in type 3 VWD was less than that in type 1 VWD, but thrombus height was comparable in both. The addition of emicizumab to type 3 blood enhanced thrombin generation and fibrin formation compared to control IgG. Emicizumab promoted mechanisms of thrombus formation in vitro in type 3 and type 1 VWD, suggesting the possibility of alternative therapeutic protocols in these patients.

Vasculogenic mimicry structures in melanoma support the recruitment of monocytes

ABSTRACT The progression of cancer is facilitated by infiltrating leukocytes which can either actively kill cancer cells or promote their survival. Our current understanding of leukocyte recruitment into tumors is largely limited to the adhesion molecules and chemokines expressed by conventional blood vessels that are lined by endothelial cells (ECs). However, cancer cells themselves can form their own vascular structures (a process known as vasculogenic mimicry (VM)); but whether they actively participate in the recruitment of leukocytes remains to be elucidated. Herein, we demonstrate that VM-competent human melanoma cell lines express multiple adhesion molecules (e.g. CD44, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and junction adhesion molecules (JAMs)) and chemokines (e.g. CXCL8 and CXCL12) relevant for leukocyte recruitment. Microfluidic-based adhesion assays revealed that similar to ECs, VM-competent melanoma cells facilitate the rolling and adhesion of leukocytes, particularly monocytes, under conditions of shear flow. Moreover, we identified ICAM-1 to be a key participant in this process. Transwell assays showed that, similar to ECs, VM-competent melanoma cells facilitate monocyte transmigration toward a chemotactic gradient. Gene expression profiling of human melanoma patient samples confirmed the expression of numerous leukocyte capture adhesion molecules and chemokines. Finally, immunostaining of patient tissue microarrays revealed that tumors with high VM content also contained higher numbers of leukocytes (including macrophages). Taken together, this study suggests an underappreciated role of VM vessels in solid tumors via their active participation in leukocyte recruitment and begins to identify key adhesion molecules and chemokines that underpin this process.

Capillary Flow Characterizations of Chiral Nematic Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions.

Studying the flow-induced alignment of anisotropic liquid crystalline materials is of major importance in the 3D printing of advanced architectures. However, in situ characterization and quantitative measurements of local orientations during the 3D printing process are challenging. Here, we report a microfluidic strategy integrated with polarized optical microscopy (POM) to perform the in situ characterization of the alignment of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) under the shear-flow condition of the 3D printer's nozzle in the direct ink writing process. To quantify the alignment, we exploited birefringence measurements under white and monochromatic light. We show that the flow-induced birefringence patterns are significantly influenced by the initial structure of the aqueous CNC suspensions. Depending on the CNC concentration and sonication treatment, various structures can form in the CNC suspensions, such as isotropic, chiral nematic (cholesteric), and nematic (gel-like) structures. In the chiral nematic phase, in particular, the shear flow in the microfluidic capillary has a distinct effect on the alignment of the CNC particles. Our experimental results, complemented by hydrodynamic simulations, reveal that at high flow rates (Er ≈ 1000), individual CNC particles align with the flow exhibiting a weak chiral structure. In contrast, at lower flow rates (Er ≈ 241), they display the double-twisted cylinder structure. Understanding the flow effect on the alignment of the chiral liquid crystal can pave the way to designing 3D printed architectures with internal chirality for advanced mechanical and smart photonic applications.

Effects of upstream shear flow on performance and flow characteristics of the drag-type hydrokinetic rotor

Effects of the incident shear flow on operational performance of a drag-type hydrokinetic rotor were investigated numerically. A flow visualization experiment was conducted to validate the numerical method. Energy conversion ability of the rotor under different incident shear flow conditions were analysed. The effects of the tip speed ratio were also taken into consideration. The results show that under the incident shear flow conditions, the upstream flow inclines downward and the velocity magnitudes at the upper and lower side of the rotor are significantly different, which affects the operation of the rotor. As the shear coefficient increases, the azimuthal angle range corresponding to the negative torque coefficient reduces and the fluctuation of the torque coefficient with the azimuthal angle appears delay phenomenon. The tip speed ratio has a great effect on the flow patterns around the rotor. The shape and position of the flow structures downstream of the rotor vary obviously with the tip speed ratio. The results are anticipated to provide sound support on the design and optimization of the drag-type hydrokinetic rotor in actual condition.

Dynamics and apparent permeability of the glycocalyx layer: Start-up and pulsating shear experiments in silico

We present a detailed study of the three-dimensional two-way fluid-structure interactions between viscous blood plasma and the hyperelastic solid nanofibers comprising the Endothelial Glycocalyx Layer, along with a simple analytical model. Examining the elasto-hydrodynamics under startup shear and pulsatile flow conditions, we shed light on mesoscopic events close to microvessel walls under physiologic conditions. Our findings impact the efficiency of paracellular and transcellular transport of biological molecules, plasma ions, and viruses. We correlate macroscopic properties like permeability to dimensionless terms, which can expand possible uses to similarly structured hairy networks.

Study on adhesion of heavy oil/brine/substrate system under shear flow condition

After the investigations of experiments and Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, the adhesion energy model was proposed to solve the discrimination of the minimum oil-gathering temperature of transportation (adhesion temperature, AT). The results of AT were in good agreement with the experimental results (error values around 0.1 °C–1.2 °C). And a 100-day cooling transportation test was conducted safely, indicating that the model was suitable for engineering application. It was found that the oil droplets were adhered to the initial adhesion layer on the pipeline wall by the dominant contribution of van der Waals (VDW) energy. In contrast, the electric double layer (EDL) energy can resist the coalescence between oil droplets and the initial adhesion layer. And the effects of different temperatures, oil droplet particle sizes, and salinity on the DLVO interaction energy were also analyzed. Furthermore, the effect of DLVO energy on the adhesion of heavy oil was obtained by combining the relationship between adhesion mass and AT.

Investigation on Vortex Induced Vibration Characteristics of Three-dimensional Marine Riser Considering Cross and Inline Flows Coupling Effect

ABSTRACT Marine risers typically experience nonlinear vibration failure problems caused by the ocean vortex excitation force. To resolve this, the Hamilton variational principle is applied to establish a vortex-induced vibration (VIV) model for a flexible riser. A wake oscillator model is employed to simulate the vortex-induced forces of cross flow (CF) and inline flow (IL) and their coupling, considering the effect of top tension and internal flow on the riser. The VIV model is solved by combining the Newmark–β and Runge–Kutta methods and then verified by comparing the calculation results of the proposed vibration model with data in published literature. Based on the foregoing, the effects of uniform flow, top tension, and shear flow on the VIV behaviour of risers with a large aspect ratio are systematically investigated. Moreover, the VIV characteristics are identified. First, the results demonstrate that, when the top tension is 10 t, the IL vibration is 0.73 Hz and the CF vibration is 0.36 Hz, which shows that the IL vibration is twice as high as the CF vibration. Moreover, the amplitude of the latter is between 7 and 21 times that of the former, which are respectively 0.018 and 0.12 m. Second, the shear velocity and top tension also have considerable influence on the IL vibration under shear flow. Third, the CF vibration has a frequency-locking effect under shear flow and uniform flow conditions. The IL vibration exhibits a frequency-locking effect under uniform flow and a multifrequency effect under shear flow. The study led to the formulation of a theoretical method for safety evaluation and a practical approach for effectively improving the service life of marine risers.

Prediction of the molecular-level critical shear rates for the liquid exfoliation of graphene layers

Liquid exfoliation is essential for enhancing the production of graphene with outstanding properties, and it is achieved by applying relevant shear force to graphene layers. This study predicted the critical shear rates required for the liquid exfoliation of different sizes of graphene with various layer numbers using molecular dynamics simulation. The simulations for the shear flow conditions were performed using the TIP4P water model, and the results were constrained using the SHAKE algorithm. In addition, the graphene layers and their van der Waals forces were modeled using Morse potentials. This enabled the accurate capturing of the differences between the shear rates in graphene layers and those in water molecules by simulation. Furthermore, the peeling and sliding exfoliation modes of graphene with varying layer numbers were extensively discussed.

Wetting properties of dehydrated biofilms under different growth conditions

Biofilms are resilient to environmental conditions and often resistant even to strong disinfectants. It is crucial to investigate their interfacial properties, which can be effectively characterized by wetting analysis. Wetting phenomena on biofilm surfaces have been poorly investigated in literature, in particular a systematic study of wetting on real biofilm-coated substrates including the application of external body forces (forced wetting, i.e.: centrifugal and gravitational forces) is missing. The aim of this work is to study the role of nutrient and shear flow conditions on wetting properties of Pseudomonas fluorescens dehydrated biofilms, grown on glass substrates. An innovative device (Kerberos®), capable to study spreading/sliding behavior under the application of external body forces, is used here for a systematic analysis of wetting/de-wetting liquid droplets on horizontal substrates under the action of tangential forces. Results prove that, under different growth conditions, (i.e., nutrients and imposed flow), biofilms exhibit different wetting properties. At lower nutrient/shear flow conditions, biofilms show spreading/sliding behavior close to that of pure glass. At higher nutrient and shear flow conditions, droplets on biofilms show spreading followed by imbibition soon after deposition, which leads to peculiar droplet depinning during the rotation test. Wetting properties are derived as a function of the rotation speed from both top and side views videoframes through a dedicated image analysis technique. A detailed analysis of biofilm formation and morphology/topography is also provided here.

Synthesis, Rheology, and Assessment of 3D Printability of Multifunctional Polyesters for Extrusion-Based Direct-Write 3D Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers the unprecedented ability to create medical devices with complex architectures matched to the patient’s anatomy. However, the development of 3D printable synthetic polymers for biomedical applications has been relatively slow. Here, we present the synthesis and characterization of a library of single-component, undiluted, modular multifunctional polyesters for extrusion-based direct-write 3D printing (EDP). The polyesters were synthesized using carbodiimide-mediated polyesterification of pendant functionalized diols and succinic acid and characterized using 1H NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and rheology. The rheology was characterized by using small amplitude oscillatory shear rheology and at steady-state shear flow conditions. The viscoelasticity of the polyesters was characterized by plotting master curves using the time–temperature superposition (TTS) principle, which were then validated by Van Gurp-Palmen and Cole–Cole plots. The 3D printability of the polyesters was assessed on the basis of several key parameters including the ability to extrude as continuous filaments, retain the printed shape, form multilayer constructs, and form bridge-spanning filaments without significant sagging or collapse. The rheological characterization suggests that the polyesters are unentangled melts that facilitate printing at ambient temperatures without the use of external additives or solvents. The presence of supramolecular interactions inducing pendant functional groups forms a temporary, physical cross-link-like network that enables 3D shape retention. The insights from this study will further assist in the design and characterization of 3D printable polymer melts for biomedical applications and standardizing the assessment of polymer 3D printability.

Contact-mediated nucleation in melt emulsions investigated by rheo-nuclear magnetic resonance.

Increasing the efficiency of disperse phase crystallization is of great interest for melt emulsion production as the fraction of solidified droplets determines product quality and stability. Nucleation events must appear within every single one of the μm-sized droplets for solidification. Therefore, primary crystallization requires high subcooling and is, thus, time and energy consuming. Contact-mediated nucleation is a mechanism for intensifying the crystallization process. It is defined as the successful nucleation of a subcooled liquid droplet induced by contact with an already crystallized droplet. We investigated contact-mediated nucleation under shear flow conditions up to shear rates of 457 s-1 for a quantitative assessment of this mechanism. Rheo-nuclear magnetic resonance was successfully used for the time-resolved determination of the solids fraction of the dispersed phase of melt emulsions upon contact-mediated nucleation events. The measurements were carried out in a dedicated Taylor-Couette cell. The efficiency of contact-mediated nucleation decreased with increasing shear rate, whereas the effective second order kinetic constant increased approximately linearly at small shear rates and showed a linear decrease for shear rates higher than about 200 s-1 . These findings are in accordance with coalescence theory. Thus, the nucleation rate is optimal at specific flow conditions. There are limitations for successful inoculation at a low shear rate because of rare contact events and at a high shear rate due to too short contact time.

The influence of surface roughness on the damage of von Willebrand Factor under shear flow condition.

Despite technological advances in mechanical circulatory support devices to treat end-stage heart failure, blood damage induced by non-physiological shear stress in operation often triggered clinical hemocompatibility complications. The loss of high molecular weight von Willebrand Factor (HMW-VWF) has been considered as an essential cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. In addition to the mechanics factors, interface factors may also affect blood damage, especially the surface characteristics. In this study, the effect of surface roughness on VWF damage under flow condition was investigated. A roller pump circulation experimental platform with a roughness embedded sample chamber was constructed to provide blood shearing flow condition. VWF molecular weight analysis, VWF antigen (VWF-Ag) concentration assay, and VWF ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF-Rico) assay were performed on the sheared blood samples. These variables are the main functional indicators of VWF. It was found that the surface roughness induced VWF damage is mainly caused by the loss of HMW-VWF rather than reducing the total amount of VWF. The threshold value of surface roughness for a rapid increase in the degradation of HMW-VWF under low flow rate was obtained between Ra 0.4 and 0.6 μm, which was smaller than the threshold for hemolysis. Our findings indicated that VWF is more sensitive to the interface factor of surface roughness than red blood cells, thus has a higher requirement for blood pump design. It could provide reference for the material design and processing in developing mechanical circulatory support devices.

Abstract 104: Deletion Of Myd88 In T-Cells Worsens Pathology In A Mouse Model Of Non-Ischemic Heart Failure Through Enhanced T-Cell Survival And Effector Function:

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death worldwide, associated with cardiac and systemic inflammation. However, no anti-inflammatory therapies have shown success thus far. Damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released in the heart can activate myeloid cells to promote antigen presentation to T-cells, which infiltrate the heart and participate in adverse cardiac remodeling. DAMP signaling converges onto the adaptor protein “Myeloid differentiation primary response 88” (MyD88). DAMP receptors and MyD88 are also expressed in T-cells, but their role in T-cell activation is unclear, and is unknown in the context of HF. We hypothesized that T-cell recognition of DAMPs through MyD88 causes “bystander activation” of T-cells and contributes to cardiac pathology in HF. Methods and Results: We reconstituted Tcra -/- mice, normally protected from HF, with WT or Myd88 -/- Type 1 helper T-cells (Th1) in the onset of transaortic constriction (TAC), a well-established model of HF. Surprisingly, we found that mice given Myd88 -/- Th1 cells exhibited significantly higher levels of cardiac T-cell infiltration, more severe fibrosis, and lower fractional shortening than mice given WT Th1 cells. We found that WT and Myd88 -/- Th1 cells had similar levels of IFNγ and Tbx21 by intracellular staining and RT-qPCR, indicating that MyD88 does not alter Th1 differentiation. However, Myd88 -/- Th1 cells secreted higher levels of IL-2 and TNFα, suggesting enhanced proliferative and pro-inflammatory effector function. We performed viability studies using live cell microscopy and measuring propidium iodide incorporation in real time, as well as by flow cytometry, and found that Myd88 -/- Th1 cells have a survival advantage compared to WT Th1 cells. Moreover, we found that Myd88 -/- Th1 cells exhibited higher levels of adhesion to ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, protein ligands involved in T-cell recruitment, compared to WT Th1 cells when perfused under conditions of shear flow. Conclusion: Together, these data demonstrate that T-cell MyD88 limits T-cell mediated pathology in HF by modulating Th1 effector function, survival, and adhesion ability. We identify novel role for T-cell MyD88 in cardiac inflammation that may be modulated in HF.

Liquid lead flow-accelerated corrosion testing with the rotating cage set-up: A CFD optimisation

In this study the rotating cage setup, a simple laboratory methodology extensively used for flow-accelerated corrosion and erosion-corrosion testing, is optimized via CFD simulations for flow-accelerated corrosion testing with liquid lead for lead-cooled nuclear reactors. In the rotating cage, samples manufactured from the material of interest are rotated in a bath of corrosive liquid to mimic the shear flow conditions found in actual applications such as pipes, heat exchangers and pumps. The optimized rotating cage design presented here allows circumventing the high flow resistance associated with the high density of liquid lead, and yields a more uniform flow around the testing samples that better reproduces actual pipe/channel flow conditions, which is instrumental to clearly and univocally associate the observed corrosion rates with the fluid shear.

Trypanosoma cruzi Exploits E- and P-Selectins To Migrate Across Endothelial Cells and Extracellular Matrix Proteins.

The Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi must extravasate to home in on susceptible cells residing in most tissues. It remains unknown how T. cruzi undertakes this crucial step of its life cycle. We hypothesized that the pathogen exploits the endothelial cell programming leukocytes use to extravasate to sites of inflammation. Transendothelial migration (TEM) starts after inflammatory cytokines induce E-selectin expression and P-selectin translocation on endothelial cells (ECs), enabling recognition by leukocyte ligands that engender rolling cell adhesion. Here, we show that T. cruzi upregulates E- and P-selectins in cardiac ECs to which it binds in a ligand-receptor fashion, whether under static or shear flow conditions. Glycoproteins isolated from T. cruzi (TcEx) specifically recognize P-selectin in a ligand-receptor interaction. As with leukocytes, binding of P-selectin to T. cruzi or TcEx requires sialic acid and tyrosine sulfate, which are pivotal for downstream migration across ECs and extracellular matrix proteins. Additionally, soluble selectins, which bind T. cruzi, block transendothelial migration dose dependently, implying that the pathogen bears selectin-binding ligand(s) that start transmigration. Furthermore, function-blocking antibodies against E- and P-selectins, which act on endothelial cells and not T. cruzi, are exquisite in preventing TEM. Thus, our results show that selectins can function as mediators of T. cruzi transendothelial transmigration, suggesting a pathogenic mechanism that allows homing in of the parasite on targeted tissues. As selectin inhibitors are sought-after therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases and cancer metastasis, they may similarly represent a novel strategy for Chagas disease therapy.

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF PLATELET IN CHILDREN WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL DISEASE

The aim of the study was to evaluate platelet activation and aggregation in children with irritable bowel disease (IBD), as well as the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on these processes. Platelet activation and aggregation in artificial shear flow were studied in 120 patients of both sexes aged 6 to 17 years with IBD. In pediatric patients with CD and UC, a significant increase in the activation and aggregation of platelets was revealed under shear flow conditions. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy leads to a decrease in the studied processes. It was found that IBD in children is characterized by significant changes in the functional properties of platelets (activation and aggregation processes).

A Phenomenological Study of Lab-Scale Tidal Turbine Loading under Combined Irregular Wave and Shear Flow Conditions

Tidal devices are likely to faced with shear flows and subjected to various wave climates. The paper presents an experimental study of the combined impacts of shear profile and irregular waves on the loading of a 1/20th scale device operating at peak power extraction. The experiments presented were conducted at various depths to facilitate analysis of the effects of the shear flow and wave impact on the device at various positions in the water column. The fluid field was measured at three different upstream positions and at three depths (top, middle and bottom of the rotor) for each experiment; in doing so, data from the device were captured three times. The fluid measurements were of a high quality and were analysed to present the structure flow upstream of the device, which contained velocity and turbulence profiles. The upstream measurement was utilised to understand the development of flow structures in the approach to the device, and the impact of the flow structures measured was confirmed via cross-covariance calculations. The long datasets gathered were used to produce full rotational probability density functions for the blade-root-bending moments for three blades. The spectral characteristics were also considered, and showed that rotor loading quantities are less reactive to smaller scale flow structures.

Point-of-Care Diagnostic Assays and Novel Preclinical Technologies for Hemostasis and Thrombosis.

Hemostasis is a complex wound-healing process involving numerous mechanical and biochemical mechanisms and influenced by many factors including platelets, coagulation factors, and endothelial components. Slight alterations in these mechanisms can lead to either prothrombotic or bleeding consequences, and such hemostatic imbalances can lead to significant clinical consequences with resultant morbidity and mortality. An ideal hemostasis assay would not only address all the unique processes involved in clot formation and resolution but also take place under flow conditions to account for endothelial involvement. Global assays do exist; however, these assays are not flow based. Flow-based assays have been limited secondary to their large blood volume requirements and low throughput, limiting potential clinical applications. Microfluidic-based assays address the aforementioned limitations of both global and flow-based assays by utilizing standardized devices that require low blood volumes, offer reproducible analysis, and have functionality under a range of shear stresses and flow conditions. While still largely confined to the preclinical space, here we aim to discuss these novel technologies and potential clinical implications, particularly in comparison to the current, commercially available point-of-care assays.

SAXS Signals from Double-Stranded DNA under Shear-Flow Conditions

SAXS Signals from Double-Stranded DNA under Shear-Flow Conditions