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Several strategies exist capable of fabricating microlenses for applications such as cameras and solar cells. Among them, techniques based on printing curable liquid prepolymers including inkjet and electrohydrodynamic‐jet printing, or laser‐induced forward‐transfer (LIFT) offer unique advantages in terms of ease of integration, cost, and compatibility with flexible substrates. However, the optical properties of the so‐fabricated microlenses depend on the wettability of the liquid prepolymer, preventing the broad implementation of printing technologies for micro‐optics. Herein, how printing microdroplets on top of reconfigurable substrates allows overcoming this issue is reported. The strategy, called print‐n‐release, is based on depositing prepolymer microdroplets on top of mechanically stretched elastomeric substrates. Once the stress applied to the substrate is released, and provided pinning of the contact line, the microdroplet's base diameter decreases producing an increase in contact angle and reduction in radius of curvature. Following a curing step, the microdroplets are converted into microlenses whose shape no longer depends exclusively on their wetting properties, but also on the substrate elongation. It is demonstrated that, by combining LIFT with substrates elongated up to 80%, microlenses can be fabricated with a 400% increase in contact angle and a 90% reduction in focal length, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytosolic protein delivery remains elusive. The inability of most proteins to cross the cellular membrane is a huge hurdle. Here we explore the unique photothermal properties of gold nanorods (AuNRs) to trigger cytosolic delivery of proteins. Both partners, protein and AuNRs, are modified with a protease‐resistant cell‐penetrating peptide with nuclear targeting properties to induce internalization. Once internalized, spatiotemporal control of protein release is achieved by near‐infrared laser irradiation in the safe second biological window. Importantly, catalytic amounts of AuNRs are sufficient to trigger cytosolic protein delivery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that AuNRs with their maximum of absorption in the second biological window are used to deliver proteins into the intracellular space. This strategy represents a powerful tool for the cytosolic delivery of virtually any class of protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (RP‐EBUS) is a modern technique for diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions. It is assumed that the addition of transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) could increase the diagnostic value for RP‐EBUS. Objectives: The main objectives were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RP‐EBUS‐guided TBCB for diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions and comparing it with RP‐EBUS‐guided transbronchial forceps biopsy. Methods: Sixty patients with peripheral lung diseases were divided into two groups. Group I included 45 patients who were eligible for TBCB and they subjected to forceps transbronchial biopsy (forceps TBB) and TBCB guided by RP‐EBUS. Fifteen patients who were not eligible for TBCB were included in group II and they were subjected to forceps TBB and/or cytology retrieval procedures guided by RP‐EBUS. Results: In group I, forceps TBB had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of; 67.5%, 100%, 100%, 18.8%, and 69.8%, respectively, while TBCB had sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 75%, 100%, 100%, 23.1%, and 76.7%, respectively. The sensitivity in group II was 80% and the overall results including both groups were sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 85.2%, 100%, 100%, 42.8%, and 86.7%, respectively. Regarding the complications, only one patient (1.7%) had significant bleeding. One patient (1.7%) had pneumothorax and another patient (1.7%) suffered from hypoxemia. Conclusions: RP‐EBUS‐guided TBCB is a safe and effective technique for diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions. TBCB has achieved higher diagnostic values and better quality of samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inkjet printing (IJP) is the most widespread direct‐write technique in paper electronics. However, this technique cannot be used for printing devices on untreated regular paper, since its low‐viscosity nanoinks leak through the cellulose fibers. Thus, a planarization coating is frequently used as a barrier, even though this makes substrates more expensive and less eco‐friendly. Alternatively, high solid content screen printing (SP) inks could allow printing on regular paper due to their high viscosity and large particle size; however, they cannot be printed through IJP. Another digital technique is then required: laser‐induced forward transfer (LIFT). This work aims at proving the feasibility of LIFT for printing devices on regular paper. The main transfer parameters are systematically varied to obtain uniform Ag‐SP interconnects, whose performance is improved by a multiple‐printing approach. It results in low resistances with much better performance than those typical of IJP. After optimizing the functionality of the printed lines, a proof‐of‐concept consisting of a radio‐frequency inductor is provided. The characterization of the device shows a substantially higher performance than that of the same device printed with IJP ink in similar conditions, which proves the potential of LIFT for digitally fabricating devices on regular paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study illustrates an exploratory approach based on a Multiway Factor Analysis (MFA) to estimate rapidity of change in complex urban systems, based on 'fast' and 'slow' variables. The proposed methodology was applied to 18 socioeconomic indicators of long-term (1960-2010) transformations in 115 municipalities of Athens' metropolitan area (Greece), including demography, land-use/planning, and urban form and functions. Athens was regarded as a dynamic urban area with diversified structures and functions at the local scale, expanding through a self-organized pattern rather than a centralized planning strategy. Athens' urban system was described using nine supplementary (topographic and territorial) variables and 30 independent indicators assessing the local context in recent times. Exploratory data analysis found an increasing connectedness and redundancy among socioeconomic indicators during the phase of largest urban expansion (1960-1990). Only the rate of population growth was classified as a 'fast' variable for all five decades investigated. The overall rapidity of change was higher in 1960-1970, 1980-1990, and 2000-2010, decades that coincided with specific phases of urban expansion driven by migration inflow, second-home suburbanization, and Olympic games, respectively. Rapidity of change was high for functional indicators during all five decades studied, while demography indicators changed more rapidly in the first three decades and land-use/planning indicators in the last two decades. Rapidity of change was highest in peri-urban municipalities with a highly diversified economic structure dominated by industry. Our methodology provides a comprehensive overview of the transformations of a complex urban system, quantifying low-level indicators that are rarely assessed in the mainstream literature on urban studies. These results may contribute to design policies addressing complexity and promoting resilience in expanding metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central early lung cancers (CELC) are tumors arising from the central airways, roentgenographically occult, which are usually diagnosed by bronchoscopy after a positive sputum cytology. Most CELCs are undetectable for conventional white light bronchoscopy (WLB) but can be identified under autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB). Although AFB increases the sensitivity of WLB in detecting CELC, its low specificity remains a problem. Surgery has been the most accepted treatment for CELCs; however 20-30% of patients suffering CELC tend to have multicentricities and usually present with poor cardiopulmonary status. Therefore, surgery is not suitable in most of the cases and other therapeutic options such as bronchoscopic treatments should be considered. Because most endoscopic treatments are unlikely to be curative if the tumor has spread beyond the bronchial cartilage, accurate evaluation of CELC bronchial wall invasion is critical before selecting a bronchoscopic treatment. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a relatively new technique that has proven to be useful in the evaluation of the normal and cancer-invaded bronchial wall. Some authors have demonstrated that after adding EBUS assessment to AFB in autofluorescence-positive lesions the specificity increases from 50 to 90%. Other studies have focused on the ability of EBUS to detect bronchial wall invasion in patients with CELCs. They compared the EBUS images with pathological findings of surgical specimens of patients that underwent surgery; in most of the cases the correlation between EBUS and pathological findings increased over 90%. Furthermore, in patients not eligible for surgery, EBUS has proven to predict patients expected response to endoscopic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser‐induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a digital printing technique that uses a pulsed laser beam as the driving force to project material from a donor thin film toward the receiving substrate whereon that material will be finally deposited as a voxel. This working principle allows LIFT to operate with both solid and liquid donor films, which provides the technique with an unprecedented broad spectrum of printable materials, and thus makes it very competitive over other digital technologies, like inkjet printing. It is not only that LIFT can access a much wider range of ink viscosities and loading particle sizes; the possibility of printing from solid films allows the single‐step printing of multilayers and entire devices, and even makes possible 3D printing. This versatility translates, in turn, into a broad field of applications, from graphics production to printed electronics, from the fabrication of chemical sensors to tissue engineering. This monograph provides an extensive review of the LIFT technique, from its origins to the most recent achievements, focusing on the fundamental aspects of both its working principle and transfer dynamics, as well as on its broad range of applications. Printing materials with light. This review aims to be a complete review of laser‐induced forward transfer, a direct‐writing technique allowing to print a broad range of materials in both solid and liquid states. The review encompasses the fundamental aspects of the technique, as well as the applications, which range from printed electronics to tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]