Gas-cushioned droplet impacts with a thin layer of porous media

The authors are grateful to Dr. Manish Tiwari for introducing them to experiments involving droplet impacts with textured substrates. PDH is grateful for the use of the Maxwell High-Performance Computing Cluster of the University of Aberdeen IT Service. RP is grateful for the use of the High-Performance Computing Cluster supported by the Research and Specialist Computing Support service at the University of East Anglia.Peer reviewedPostprin

Sex-Dependent Effects of Bmal1-Deficiency on Mouse Cerebral Cortex Infarction in Response to Photothrombotic Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. There is increasing evidence that occurrence of ischemic stroke is affected by circadian system and sex. However, little is known about the effect of these factors on structural recovery after ischemic stroke. Therefore, we studied infarction in cerebral neocortex of male and female mice with deletion of the clock gene Bmal1 (Bmal1−/−) after focal ischemia induced by photothrombosis (PT). The infarct core size was significantly smaller 14 days (d) as compared to seven days after PT, consistent with structural recovery during the sub-acute phase. However, when sexes were analyzed separately 14 days after PT, infarct core was significantly larger in wild-type (Bmal1+/+) female as compared to male Bmal1+/+ mice, and in female Bmal1+/+, as compared to female Bmal1−/− mice. Volumes of reactive astrogliosis and densely packed microglia closely mirrored the size of infarct core in respective groups. Estradiol levels were significantly higher in female Bmal1−/− as compared to Bmal1+/+ mice. Our data suggests a sex-dependent effect and an interaction between sex and genotype on infarct size, the recruitment of astrocytes and microglia, and a relationship of these cells with structural recovery probably due to positive effects of estradiol during the subacute phase

Non-isothermal drop impact and evaporation on polymer nanofiber mats

The work describes the experimental and theoretical investigation of water drop impact onto electrospun polymer nanofiber mats deposited on heated stainless-steel foils. The measurements encompass water spreading over and inside the mat, as well as the corresponding thermal field. The results show that the presence of polymer nanofiber mats prevents receding motion of drops after their complete spreading and promotes the moisture spreading inside the mat over a large area of the heater, which facilitates a tenfold enhancement of heat removal as the latent heat of drop evaporation

Severe Sepsis Mimicking Primary Nonfunction Following Liver Transplantation: Normothermic Machine Perfusion Is a Potential Environment for Bacterial Overgrowth and Transmission From Donor to Recipient. A Case Report.

Primary nonfunction (PNF) in the early postoperative period following liver transplantation is fatal if not managed appropriately with early retransplantation. Severe early allograft dysfunction can mimic PNF. The identification of treatable causative factors such as sepsis, hepatic artery, or portal vein thrombosis is essential to distinguish it from PNF, and their early management may avoid the need for retransplantation. In this article, we describe a case of sepsis-induced severe liver dysfunction from a contaminated graft perfused with normothermic machine perfusion (NMP), which presented in a manner similar to PNF. The implications of graft contamination are poorly described. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial contamination of a graft that underwent NMP and subsequently caused severe sepsis in the recipient. The conditions created with NMP may be optimal for certain micro-organisms to thrive. The role of the liver in the immune system is complex as it provides an essential barrier to enterically derived portal venous pathogens and produces numerous acute phase proteins that augment the systemic immune response. Additionally, the liver is also known to restrain harmful and excessive systemic immune responses such as those that occur with the sepsis syndrome. The relationship between bacterial graft contamination, sepsis, and graft dysfunction may be multidirectional