Microfluidic vessel-on-chip platform for investigation of cellular defects in venous malformations and responses to various shear stress and flow conditions.

A novel microfluidic platform was designed to study the cellular architecture of endothelial cells (ECs) in an environment replicating the 3D organization and flow of blood vessels. In particular, the platform was constructed to investigate EC defects in slow-flow venous malformations (VMs) under varying shear stress and flow conditions. The platform featured a standard microtiter plate footprint containing 32 microfluidic units capable of replicating wall shear stress (WSS) in normal veins and enabling precise control of shear stress and flow directionality without the need for complex pumping systems.

Human iPSC and CRISPR targeted gene knock-in strategy for studying the somatic TIE2 mutation in endothelial cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived endothelial cells (iECs) have emerged as a promising tool for studying vascular biology and providing a platform for modelling various vascular diseases, including those with genetic origins. Currently, primary ECs are the main source for disease modelling in this field. However, they are difficult to edit and have a limited lifespan.

A Study on the Simulation and Experiment of Evaporative Condensers in an R744 Air Conditioning System.

The heat transfer characteristics of evaporative condensers in an R744 air conditioning system were evaluated using the numerical and the experimental methods. Two configurations of condensers were studied: Case 1 with five layers of tubes and Case 2 with eight layers of tubes. In order to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics, the temperature field, the phase change, the pressure distribution, and thermodynamic parameters were considered.

Low-Cost, Accessible Fabrication Methods for Microfluidics Research in Low-Resource Settings.

Microfluidics are expected to revolutionize the healthcare industry especially in developing countries since it would bring portable, easy-to-use, self-contained diagnostic devices to places with limited access to healthcare. To date, however, microfluidics has not yet been able to live up to these expectations. One non-negligible factor can be attributed to inaccessible prototyping methods for researchers in low-resource settings who are unable to afford expensive equipment and/or obtain critical reagents and, therefore, unable to engage and contribute to microfluidics research.