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In this Letter, we show 3D steady-state trapping and manipulation of vapor bubbles in liquids employing a low-power continuous-wave laser using the Marangoni effect. Light absorption from photodeposited silver nanoparticles on the distal end of a multi-mode optical fiber is used to produce bubbles of different diameters. The thermal effects produced by either the nanoparticles on the fiber tip or the light bulk absorption modulate the surface tension of the bubble wall and creates both longitudinal and transversal forces just like optical forces, effectively creating a 3D potential well. Using numerical simulations, we obtain expressions for the temperature profiles and present analytical expressions for the Marangoni force. In addition, using an array of three fibers with photodeposited nanoparticles is used to demonstrate the transfer of bubbles from one fiber to another by sequentially switching on and off the lasers.

The most common approach to optically generate and manipulate bubbles in liquids involves temperature gradients induced by CW lasers. In this work, we present a method to accomplish both the generation of microbubbles and their 3D manipulation in ethanol through optothermal forces. These forces are triggered by light absorption from a nanosecond pulsed laser (λ = 532 nm) at silver nanoparticles photodeposited at the distal end of a multimode optical fiber. Light absorbed from each laser pulse quickly heats up the silver-ethanol interface beyond the ethanol critical-point (∼ 243 °C) before the heat diffuses through the liquid. Therefore, the liquid achieves a metastable state and owing to spontaneous nucleation converted to a vapor bubble attached to the optical fiber. The bubble grows with semi-spherical shape producing a counterjet in the final stage of the collapse. This jet reaches the hot nanoparticles vaporizing almost immediately and ejecting a microbubble. This microbubble-generation mechanism takes place with every laser pulse (10 kHz repetition rate) leading to the generation of a microbubbles stream. The microbubbles' velocities decrease as they move away from the optical fiber and eventually coalesce forming a larger bubble. The larger bubble is attracted to the optical fiber by the Marangoni force once it reaches a critical size while being continuously fed with each bubble of the microbubbles stream. The balance of the optothermal forces owing to the laser-pulse drives the 3D manipulation of the main bubble. A complete characterization of the trapping conditions is provided in this paper.

From a methodological perspective, the "mode effect," which refers to the phenomenon where different survey methods can yield different responses despite asking the same questions, presents a significant contemporary challenge. Existing solutions suggested in the literature, such as the implementation of multi-mode surveys, have their drawbacks as they may introduce bias that could impact respondent behavior. This study aims to identify distinct visitor segments within two large populations, assessing their patterns of visitation to both national and state parks. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the presence of the "mode effect" when concurrently conducting face-to-face and online surveys. The primary contribution of this research lies in confirming the persistence of the "mode effect," even when employing the same questionnaire for the same tourism product, during the same time frame, but among different populations. Furthermore, we propose various strategies to mitigate the "mode effect.", Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2025 The Authors.)

In this work, we present two new multifocal intraocular lens (MIOL) designs, both based on the silver mean kinoform diffractive lens. We demonstrate that a single aperiodic diffractive profile can be used to create two different MIOLs: one with a kinoform structure and the other with a stepwise profile. Quantitative assessment of the designs was carried out using the through focus modulation transfer function and the area under the modulation transfer function for the prediction of their visual performance. Our results show that both designs exhibit nearly identical optical performance at the design wavelength (λ = 550 nm), though their intrinsic longitudinal chromatic aberration differs significantly. Given that diffractive extended depth of focus (EDoF) intraocular lenses are prone to image degradation due to dysphotopic phenomena, we also compared the halos generated by these two designs and found notable differences in their behavior. Furthermore, under photopic conditions, the proposed lens designs demonstrated the potential to achieve visual acuity values of 0.2 logMAR or better across a vergence range from approximately 0 to 2 D. Finally, to qualitatively assess the behavior of the MIOLs, an objective experimental evaluation was conducted using an adaptive optics visual simulator in a model eye. Experimental results align with the quantitative assessment of the proposed designs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this article., (© 2024 Optica Publishing Group.)

In this work, we design and implement a new bifocal diffractive spiral lens within an optical tweezers system. The proposed diffractive optical element coined Kolokaski Kinoform Spiral Lens (KKSL), generates twin optical vortices along the propagation direction. The axial positions, as well as the diameters of the generated vortex beams, are correlated with the Kolakoski aperiodic sequence introduced in the design of the diffractive lens. The unique properties of KKSLs make it ideal for optical trapping applications, allowing independent multiple trapping and particle displacement within each optical vortex beam. We present both the focusing properties of KKSL and the experimental results of its integration into the optical tweezer setup., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this work, we present a new family of Zone Plates (ZPs) designed using the self-generating Kolakoski sequence. The focusing and imaging properties of these aperiodic diffractive lenses coined Kolakoski Zone Plates (KZPs) are extensively studied. It is shown that under monochromatic plane-wave illumination, a KZP produces two main foci of the same intensity along the axial axis. Moreover, one of the corresponding focal lengths is double the other, property correlated with the involved aperiodic sequence. This distinctive optical characteristic is experimentally confirmed. We have also obtained the first images provided by these bifocal new diffractive lenses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bacterial endospores, or simply spores, are formed by a diverse group of members within the phylum Bacillota and include notable genera such as Bacillus , Paenibacillus , and Clostridium . Spores are distributed ubiquitously in natural environments, with soil being an important primary reservoir for these microbes. As such, spores are present throughout the dairy farm environment, and transmission into raw milk occurs through several pathways that coalesce at the point of milk harvest. Despite the very low spore concentrations typically found in bulk tank raw milk, the impact of spores on dairy product quality, safety, and product conformance is widely documented. Processed dairy products affected by the presence of sporeforming bacteria include milk, cheese, dairy powders, ice cream mix, and more. Although raw milk is a major source of spores leading to quality, safety, and conformance issues in dairy products, the impact of other sources should not be discounted and may include ingredients (e.g., cocoa powder), contamination originating from biofilms in processing equipment, and even cross-contamination from the processing environment itself. Addressing spore contamination in the dairy system is complicated by this widespread distribution and by the diversity of these organisms, and successful source tracking often requires discriminatory molecular subtyping tools. Here, we review the key sources of sporeforming bacteria in the dairy system, the factors leading to the transmission of this diverse group of microbes into processed dairy products, and methods employed to enumerate and track spore contaminants., (© 2024, .)

The design and implementation of a multiplexed spiral phase mask in an experimental optical tweezers setup are presented. This diffractive optical element allows the generation of multiple concentric vortex beams with independent topological charges and without amplitude modulation. The generalization of the phase mask for multiple concentric vortices is also shown. The design for a phase mask of two multiplexed vortices with different topological charges is developed. We experimentally show the transfer of angular momentum to the optically trapped microparticles by enabling nearly independent orbiting dynamics around the optical axis within each vortex. The angular velocity of the confined particles versus the optical power in the focal region is also discussed for different combinations of topological charges., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Integration of transcriptomic testing into EUS-FNA samples is a growing need for precision oncology in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The NanoString platform is suitable for transcriptome profiling in low yield RNA samples. Methods: Inclusion of patients that underwent EUS-FNA cytological diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using 19G and/or 22G needles and subsequent surgical resection. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cytological and surgical samples underwent RNA extraction and transcriptomic analysis using a custom 52-gene NanoString panel of stromal PDAC features. Cell type abundance was quantified in FFPE specimens and correlated. Results: 18 PDAC patients were included. Mean EUS-FNA passes was 2 + 0.7. All FFPE passed the RNA quality control for genomic analysis. Hierarchical clustering on the global gene expression data showed that genes were differentially expressed between EUS and surgical samples. A more enriched cancer-associated fibroblasts and epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcriptomic profile was observed across surgical specimens whereas immunological biomarkers were more represented in EUS-FNA samples. Cytological examination confirmed a scanty representation of CAF and more immunological cell abundance in cytological samples in comparison to surgical specimens. Conclusion: Targeted transcriptomic NanoString profiling of PDAC samples obtained by EUS-FNA is a feasible approach for pre-surgical molecular analysis although stromal CAF/EMT mRNA biomarkers are underrepresented., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Pedrosa, Araujo, Cuatrecasas, Soy, López, Maurel, Sánchez-Montes, Montironi, Saurí, Sendino, Pérez, Ausania, Fernández-Esparrach, Espósito, Vaquero and Ginès.)

p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been proposed as a surrogate for TP53 mutations in penile squamous cell carcinomas (PSCC). We aimed to evaluate the performance of a pattern-based evaluation of p53 IHC in PSCC. Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing, p16 and p53 IHC, and whole exome sequencing were performed in a series of 40 PSCC. p53 IHC was evaluated following a pattern-based framework and conventional p53 IHC evaluation. Out of 40 PSCC, 12 (30.0%) were HPV-associated, and 28 (70.0%) were HPV-independent. The agreement between the p53 IHC pattern-based evaluation and TP53 mutational status was almost perfect (k = 0.85). The sensitivity and accuracy of the pattern-based framework for identifying TP53 mutations were 95.5% and 92.5%, respectively, which were higher than the values of conventional p53 IHC interpretation (54.5% and 70.0%, respectively), whereas the specificity was the same (88.9%). In conclusions, the pattern-based framework improves the accuracy of detecting TP53 mutations in PSCC compared to the classical p53 IHC evaluation.

Optical manipulation is interfacing disciplines in the micro and nanoscale, from molecular biology to quantum computation. Versatile solutions for increasingly more sophisticated technological applications require multiple traps with which to maneuver dynamically several particles in three dimensions. The axial direction is usually overlooked due to difficulties in observing particles away from an objective-lens focal plane, a normal element in optical tweezers, and in managing interparticle distances along the trapping beam propagating direction, where strong radiation pressure and shadowing effects compromise the simultaneous and stable confinement of the particles. Here, aperiodic kinoform diffractive lens based on the m-Bonacci sequence are proposed as a new trapping strategy. This lens provides split first-order diffractive foci whose separation depends on the generalized m-golden ratio. We show the extended manipulation capabilities of a laser tweezers system generated by these lens, in which concomitant trapping of particles in different focal planes takes place. Positioning particles in the axial direction with computer-controlled distances allows dynamic three-dimensional all-optical lattices, useful in a variety of microscale and nanoscale applications.

Clinical guidelines promote the identification of several targetable biomarkers to drive treatment decisions in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but half of all patients do not have a viable biopsy. Specimens from endobronchial-ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) are an alternative source of material for the initial diagnosis of NSCLC, however their usefulness for a complete molecular characterization remains controversial. EBUS-TBNA samples were prospectively tested for several biomarkers by next-generation sequencing (NGS), nCounter, and immunohistochemistry (PD-L1). The primary objectives were to assess the sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA samples for a comprehensive molecular characterization and to compare its performance to the reference standard of biopsy samples. Seventy-two EBUS-TBNA procedures were performed, and 42 NSCLC patients were diagnosed. Among all cytological samples, 92.9% were successfully genotyped by NGS, 95.2% by nCounter, and 100% by immunohistochemistry. There were 29 paired biopsy samples; 79.3% samples had enough tumor material for genomic genotyping, and 96.6% for PD-L1 immunohistochemistry. A good concordance was found between both sources of material: 88.9% for PD-L1, 100% for NGS and nCounter. EBUS-TBNA is a feasible alternative source of material for NSCLC genotyping and allows the identification of patient candidates for personalized therapies with high concordance when compared with biopsy.

This paper considers the most suitable market segment(s) from an environmental and local economic development perspective in the specific context of visits to natural environments. More specifically, the paper explores the distinctions and differences between tourists (non-residents) and residents with regard to visit behavior at natural attractions. By using the CHAID algorithm, a decision tree is constructed for means of transportation which serves as a key factor in the segmentation process. However, such a tree for visitors' resident or non-resident status cannot be built as a first explicative variable, unless it is statistically forced. Once it is forced, the tree opens in several sub-segments, for non-residents and residents alike. Finally, it allows understanding of the means of transportation used by visitors according to their geographical origin as well as a set of added independent variables: accommodation establishment, length of stay, season, and other demographic variables (educational level, gender, and age). Also, more importantly, we have obtained segments with no overlap configured according to all the aforementioned variables. This is a very strong result from a methodological point of view and for policy makers in destination settings., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Background: Wilkie syndrome, also referred as superior mesenteric artery syndrome, is an unusual cause of a proximal small bowel obstruction. It is characterised by the compression of the duodenum in its third portion due to a narrowing of the space between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. Its presentation symptoms are consistent and include the obstruction of the proximal small bowel. However, the physical and laboratory findings are non-specific. Nevertheless, many imaging methods are useful for its diagnosis. The management of this condition varies between observation and surgery, depending on each particular case., Clinical Case: The case is presented of a 19 year-old male who began with acute, intense abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. On examination, he had abdominal wall rigidity and hyperesthesia. Imaging studies were requested, revealing a decreased superior mesenteric artery angle, a shortening of the aortic mesenteric distance, and a decrease in the calibre of the third duodenal portion, all findings concomitant with Wilkie syndrome. Conservative treatment was applied and the patient was discharged without complications., Conclusions: Wilkie syndrome continues to be an unknown condition to the general practitioner, and the underdiagnosis of this condition may put a patient at risk of serious complications. A high index of suspicion is required to reach a diagnosis. Early treatment should give a good outcome most of the time., (Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

We present the case of a 56-yr-old woman with vague abdominal pain of approximately 5 months duration. An ultrasound study showed moderate dilation of the common bile duct. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography confirmed a cystic dilatation of the right hepatic duct with intra and extra hepatic component. The patient underwent right hepatectomy and complete excision of the cyst. Microscopically, the cyst wall was formed by fibrous tissue with mild acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrate, the inner surface showed a single layer of columnar epithelium and extensive squamous metaplasia without atypia, wich expressed p63 and high molecular weight cytoqueratin (34BE12).

The usefulness of the community pharmacy blood pressure (CPBP) method in the diagnosis or treatment of hypertension has not been adequately addressed in controlled studies. The authors' aim was to assess the agreement between awake ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), home blood pressure (HBP), and CPBP in treated hypertensive patients. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in 169 patients in which blood pressure (BP) was measured at the pharmacy (4 visits), at home (4 days), and by 24-hour ABP monitoring. Lin correlation-concordance coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate quantitative agreement. The qualitative agreement to establish the degree of BP control was evaluated using κ coefficient. The agreement was acceptable between HBP and CPBP (CCC=0.80 for systolic BP [SBP] and 0.80 for diastolic BP [DBP]; κ=0.62) and moderate between awake ABP and CPBP (CCC=0.74/0.67, respectively; κ=0.56). The Bland-Altman plots also showed lowest mean differences (0.5/0.3 for SBP and DBP, respectively) for the comparison between CPBP and HBP. The CPBP has a better agreement with HBP than with awake ABP. Thus, the CPBP measurement method could be a good alternative to HBP monitoring, whereas it cannot be used as a screening test to assess the degree of BP control by awake ABP., (© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)