We present here a new method to easily and reliably generate an array of hundreds of dispersed nanoliter-volume semi-droplets for single-cells culture and analysis. The liquid segmentation step occurs directly in indexed traps by a tweezer-like mechanism and is stabilized by spatial confinement. Unlike common droplet-based techniques, the semi-droplet wets its surrounding trap walls thus supporting the culturing of both adherent and non-adherent cells. To eliminate cross-droplet cell migration and chemical cross-talk each semi-droplet is separated from a nearby trap by an ∼80 pL air plug. The overall setup and injection procedure takes less than 10 minutes, is insensitive to fabrication defects and supports cell recovery for downstream analysis. The method offers a new approach to easily capture, image and culture single cells in a chemically isolated microenvironment as a preliminary step towards high-throughput single-cell assays.

The effect of radial throughflow on the instability of circular Couette flow is numerically studied for a viscoelastic fluid obeying the Giesekus model. An exact solution has been obtained for the base flow using the perturbation method with the cross-flow Reynolds number serving as the small parameter. The stability of the base flow to infinitesimally small, normal-mode, axisymmetric perturbations is studied using the linear temporal stability theory. An eigenvalue problem is obtained which is solved numerically using the pseudo-spectral, Chebyshev-based collocation method. The numerical results show that for small cross-flow Reynolds numbers, there exists a critical Weissenberg number at which the flow is at its most stable state. For sufficiently large cross-flow Reynolds numbers, however, it is predicted that the flow becomes monotonically less stable when the Weissenberg number is increased. These results suggest that elasticity can be used as an efficient means for the deliberate rise of Taylor cells in rotating micro-filter separators for self-cleaning purposes of the clogged pores.

No abstract

Bond funds and money market funds hold a sizable portion of fixed‐income securities and have experienced considerable growth over the recent decades. Moreover, the global financial crisis (GFC) was a turning point in identifying the hidden risks associated with these mutual funds. Nevertheless, and despite their significance, these funds are dwarfed by numerous studies on equity mutual funds. This paper conducts a systematic review and explores the primary research streams and emerging themes during the GFC and post‐GFC. Four main genealogies are identified: performance persistency and active management, green funds, ’funds’ flow and flow‐performance, and money market funds and financial crisis.