1
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Bucciarelli A, Mantegazza A, Haeberlin A, Obrist D. Relation between hematocrit partitioning and red blood cell lingering in a microfluidic network. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00519-8. [PMID: 39104120 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite increased interest in the effect of lingering red blood cells (LRBCs) on the heterogeneous hematocrit distribution in the microcirculation, quantitative data on LRBCs before and after the lingering event are still limited. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between red blood cell (RBC) lingering and hematocrit partitioning in a microfluidic model of a microvascular bifurcation in the limit of low hematocrit conditions (tube hematocrit <10%). To this end, the classification of LRBCs was performed based on timing, position, and velocity of the RBCs. The investigation provided statistical information on the velocity, shape, and orientation of LRBCs as well as on their lateral distribution in the parent and daughter vessels. LRBCs traveled predominantly close to the centerline of the parent vessel, but they marginated close to the distal wall in the daughter vessels. Differently than the RBC flow observed in the smallest vessels, no influence of lingering events on the local hematocrit partitioning was observed in our experiments. However, importantly, we found that LRBCs flowing in the daughter vessel after lingering may be connected to reverse hematocrit partitioning in downstream bifurcations by influencing the skewness of the hematocrit distribution in the daughter vessel, which relates to the so-called network history effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelia Bucciarelli
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Alberto Mantegazza
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andreas Haeberlin
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Obrist
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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2
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Amoudruz L, Economides A, Koumoutsakos P. The volume of healthy red blood cells is optimal for advective oxygen transport in arterioles. Biophys J 2024; 123:1289-1296. [PMID: 38641875 PMCID: PMC11140464 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are vital for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues through the intricate circulatory system. They achieve this by binding and releasing oxygen molecules to the abundant hemoglobin within their cytosol. The volume of RBCs affects the amount of oxygen they can carry, yet whether this volume is optimal for transporting oxygen through the circulatory system remains an open question. This study explores, through high-fidelity numerical simulations, the impact of RBC volume on advective oxygen transport efficiency through arterioles, which form the area of greatest flow resistance in the circulatory system. The results show that, strikingly, RBCs with volumes similar to those found in vivo are most efficient to transport oxygen through arterioles. The flow resistance is related to the cell-free layer thickness, which is influenced by the shape and the motion of the RBCs: at low volumes, RBCs deform and fold, while at high volumes, RBCs collide and follow more diffuse trajectories. In contrast, RBCs with a healthy volume maximize the cell-free layer thickness, resulting in a more efficient advective transport of oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Amoudruz
- Computational Science and Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Athena Economides
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petros Koumoutsakos
- Computational Science and Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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3
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Gholivand A, Korculanin O, Dahlhoff K, Babaki M, Dickscheid T, Lettinga MP. Effect of in-plane and out-of-plane bifurcated microfluidic channels on the flow of aggregating red blood cells. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2317-2326. [PMID: 38545688 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00151f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The blood flow through our microvascular system is a renowned difficult process to understand because the complex flow behavior of blood is intertwined with the complex geometry it has to flow through. Conventional 2D microfluidics has provided important insights, but progress is hampered by the limitation of 2-D confinement. Here we use selective laser-induced etching to excavate non-planar 3-D microfluidic channels in glass that consist of two generations of bifurcations, heading towards more physiological geometries. We identify a cross-talk between the first and second bifurcation only when both bifurcations are in the same plane, as observed in 2D microfluidics. Contrarily, the flow in the branch where the second bifurcation is perpendicular to the first is hardly affected by the initial distortion. This difference in flow behavior is only observed when red blood cells are aggregated, due to the presence of dextran, and disappears by increasing the distance between both generations of bifurcations. Thus, 3-D structures scramble in-plane flow distortions, exemplifying the importance of experimenting with truly 3D microfluidic designs in order to understand complex physiological flow behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirreza Gholivand
- Biomacromolecular Systems and Processes (IBI-4), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olivera Korculanin
- Ernst-Ruska Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C-3 Structural Biology), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- AG Biophysik, I. Physikalisches Institut (IA), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Knut Dahlhoff
- Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Mehrnaz Babaki
- Biomacromolecular Systems and Processes (IBI-4), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Timo Dickscheid
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
- Helmholtz AI, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Minne Paul Lettinga
- Biomacromolecular Systems and Processes (IBI-4), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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4
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Petkova-Kirova P, Murciano N, Iacono G, Jansen J, Simionato G, Qiao M, Van der Zwaan C, Rotordam MG, John T, Hertz L, Hoogendijk AJ, Becker N, Wagner C, Von Lindern M, Egee S, Van den Akker E, Kaestner L. The Gárdos Channel and Piezo1 Revisited: Comparison between Reticulocytes and Mature Red Blood Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1416. [PMID: 38338693 PMCID: PMC10855361 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Gárdos channel (KCNN4) and Piezo1 are the best-known ion channels in the red blood cell (RBC) membrane. Nevertheless, the quantitative electrophysiological behavior of RBCs and its heterogeneity are still not completely understood. Here, we use state-of-the-art biochemical methods to probe for the abundance of the channels in RBCs. Furthermore, we utilize automated patch clamp, based on planar chips, to compare the activity of the two channels in reticulocytes and mature RBCs. In addition to this characterization, we performed membrane potential measurements to demonstrate the effect of channel activity and interplay on the RBC properties. Both the Gárdos channel and Piezo1, albeit their average copy number of activatable channels per cell is in the single-digit range, can be detected through transcriptome analysis of reticulocytes. Proteomics analysis of reticulocytes and mature RBCs could only detect Piezo1 but not the Gárdos channel. Furthermore, they can be reliably measured in the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp method. While for the Gárdos channel, the activity in terms of ion currents is higher in reticulocytes compared to mature RBCs, for Piezo1, the tendency is the opposite. While the interplay between Piezo1 and Gárdos channel cannot be followed using the patch clamp measurements, it could be proved based on membrane potential measurements in populations of intact RBCs. We discuss the Gárdos channel and Piezo1 abundance, interdependencies and interactions in the context of their proposed physiological and pathophysiological functions, which are the passing of small constrictions, e.g., in the spleen, and their active participation in blood clot formation and thrombosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Petkova-Kirova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
- Department of Biochemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Nicoletta Murciano
- Nanion Technologies, 80339 Munich, Germany; (N.M.); (M.G.R.); (N.B.)
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (J.J.); (M.Q.); (L.H.)
| | - Giulia Iacono
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.I.); (C.V.d.Z.); (A.J.H.); (M.V.L.); (E.V.d.A.)
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Jansen
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (J.J.); (M.Q.); (L.H.)
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
| | - Greta Simionato
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Min Qiao
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (J.J.); (M.Q.); (L.H.)
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
| | - Carmen Van der Zwaan
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.I.); (C.V.d.Z.); (A.J.H.); (M.V.L.); (E.V.d.A.)
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas John
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
| | - Laura Hertz
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (J.J.); (M.Q.); (L.H.)
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
| | - Arjan J. Hoogendijk
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.I.); (C.V.d.Z.); (A.J.H.); (M.V.L.); (E.V.d.A.)
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadine Becker
- Nanion Technologies, 80339 Munich, Germany; (N.M.); (M.G.R.); (N.B.)
| | - Christian Wagner
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
- Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, L-1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marieke Von Lindern
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.I.); (C.V.d.Z.); (A.J.H.); (M.V.L.); (E.V.d.A.)
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephane Egee
- Biological Station Roscoff, Sorbonne University, CNRS, UMR8227 LBI2M, F-29680 Roscoff, France;
- Laboratory of Excellence GR-Ex, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Emile Van den Akker
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.I.); (C.V.d.Z.); (A.J.H.); (M.V.L.); (E.V.d.A.)
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (J.J.); (M.Q.); (L.H.)
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany (T.J.); (C.W.)
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5
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Stathoulopoulos A, Passos A, Kaliviotis E, Balabani S. Partitioning of dense RBC suspensions in single microfluidic bifurcations: role of cell deformability and bifurcation angle. Sci Rep 2024; 14:535. [PMID: 38177195 PMCID: PMC10767057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49849-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are a key determinant of human physiology and their behaviour becomes extremely heterogeneous as they navigate in narrow, bifurcating vessels in the microvasculature, affecting local haemodynamics. This is due to partitioning in bifurcations which is dependent on the biomechanical properties of RBCs, especially deformability. We examine the effect of deformability on the haematocrit distributions of dense RBC suspensions flowing in a single, asymmetric Y-shaped bifurcation, experimentally. Human RBC suspensions (healthy and artificially hardened) at 20% haematocrit (Ht) were perfused through the microchannels at different flow ratios between the outlet branches, and negligible inertia, and imaged to infer cell distributions. Notable differences in the shape of the haematocrit distributions were observed between healthy and hardened RBCs near the bifurcation apex. These lead to more asymmetric distributions for healthy RBCs in the daughter and outlet branches with cells accumulating near the inner channel walls, exhibiting distinct hematocrit peaks which are sharper for healthy RBCs. Although the hematocrit distributions differed locally, similar partitioning characteristics were observed for both suspensions. Comparisons with RBC distributions measured in a T-shaped bifurcation showed that the bifurcation angle affects the haematocrit characteristics of the healthy RBCs and not the hardened ones. The extent of RBC partitioning was found similar in both geometries and suspensions. The study highlights the differences between local and global characteristics which impact RBC distribution in more complex, multi-bifurcation networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Stathoulopoulos
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Andreas Passos
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Efstathios Kaliviotis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Stavroula Balabani
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK.
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
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6
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Hyakutake T, Tsutsumi Y, Miyoshi Y, Yasui M, Mizuno T, Tateno M. Red Blood Cell Partitioning Using a Microfluidic Channel with Ladder Structure. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1421. [PMID: 37512732 PMCID: PMC10385109 DOI: 10.3390/mi14071421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the partitioning characteristics of red blood cells (RBCs) within capillaries, with a specific focus on ladder structures observed near the end of the capillaries. In vitro experiments were conducted using microfluidic channels with a ladder structure model comprising six bifurcating channels that exhibited an anti-parallel flow configuration. The effects of various factors, such as the parent channel width, distance between branches, and hematocrit, on RBC partitioning in bifurcating channels were evaluated. A decrease in the parent channel width resulted in an increase in the heterogeneity in the hematocrit distribution and a bias in the fractional RBC flux. Additionally, variations in the distance between branches affected the RBC distribution, with smaller distances resulting in greater heterogeneity. The bias of the RBC distribution in the microchannel cross section had a major effect on the RBC partitioning characteristics. The influence of hematocrit variations on the RBC distribution was also investigated, with lower hematocrit values leading to a more pronounced bias in the RBC distribution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into RBC distribution characteristics in capillary networks, contributing to our understanding of the physiological mechanisms of RBC phase separation in the microcirculatory system. These findings have implications for predicting oxygen heterogeneity in tissues and could aid in the study of diseases associated with impaired microcirculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Hyakutake
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Yuya Tsutsumi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Yohei Miyoshi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Manabu Yasui
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 705-1 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina 243-0435, Japan
| | - Tomoki Mizuno
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Mizuki Tateno
- College of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
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7
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Nouaman M, Darras A, John T, Simionato G, Rab MAE, van Wijk R, Laschke MW, Kaestner L, Wagner C, Recktenwald SM. Effect of Cell Age and Membrane Rigidity on Red Blood Cell Shape in Capillary Flow. Cells 2023; 12:1529. [PMID: 37296651 PMCID: PMC10252257 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood flow in the microcirculatory system is crucially affected by intrinsic red blood cell (RBC) properties, such as their deformability. In the smallest vessels of this network, RBCs adapt their shapes to the flow conditions. Although it is known that the age of RBCs modifies their physical properties, such as increased cytosol viscosity and altered viscoelastic membrane properties, the evolution of their shape-adapting abilities during senescence remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of RBC properties on the microcapillary in vitro flow behavior and their characteristic shapes in microfluidic channels. For this, we fractioned RBCs from healthy donors according to their age. Moreover, the membranes of fresh RBCs were chemically rigidified using diamide to study the effect of isolated graded-membrane rigidity. Our results show that a fraction of stable, asymmetric, off-centered slipper-like cells at high velocities decreases with increasing age or diamide concentration. However, while old cells form an enhanced number of stable symmetric croissants at the channel centerline, this shape class is suppressed for purely rigidified cells with diamide. Our study provides further knowledge about the distinct effects of age-related changes of intrinsic cell properties on the single-cell flow behavior of RBCs in confined flows due to inter-cellular age-related cell heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Nouaman
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Alexis Darras
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Thomas John
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Greta Simionato
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Minke A. E. Rab
- Central Diagnostic Laboratory-Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Richard van Wijk
- Central Diagnostic Laboratory-Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias W. Laschke
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Christian Wagner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, L-1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Steffen M. Recktenwald
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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