Quality parameters analysis of optical imaging systems with enhanced focal depth using the Wigner distribution function

An analysis of the Strehl ratio and the optical transfer function as imaging quality parameters of optical elements with enhanced focal length is carried out by employing the Wigner distribution function. To this end, we use four different pupil functions: a full circular aperture, a hyper-Gaussian aperture, a quartic phase plate, and a logarithmic phase mask. A comparison is performed between the quality parameters and test images formed by these pupil functions at different defocus distances

High-repetition rate acoustic-induced Q-switched all-fiber laser

We report a high repetition rate actively Q switched all fiber laser. The acousto optic interaction controls the cou pling between co propagating core and cladding modes and is used to modulate the optical losses of the cavity, which permits to perform active Q-switching. Using 1.4 m of 300 ppm Er-doped fiber and a maximum pump power of 120 mW, we have obtained up to 1 W peak power pulses, with a pulse repetition rate that can be continuously varied from 1 Hz to 120 kHz and a pulse width that changes from 70 ns to 2.2 μs.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

High-repetition rate acoustic-induced Q-switched all-fiber laser

We report a high repetition rate actively Q switched all fiber laser. The acousto optic interaction controls the cou pling between co propagating core and cladding modes and is used to modulate the optical losses of the cavity, which permits to perform active Q-switching. Using 1.4 m of 300 ppm Er-doped fiber and a maximum pump power of 120 mW, we have obtained up to 1 W peak power pulses, with a pulse repetition rate that can be continuously varied from 1 Hz to 120 kHz and a pulse width that changes from 70 ns to 2.2 μs.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

High-repetition rate acoustic-induced Q-switched all-fiber laser

We report a high repetition rate actively Q switched all fiber laser. The acousto optic interaction controls the cou pling between co propagating core and cladding modes and is used to modulate the optical losses of the cavity, which permits to perform active Q-switching. Using 1.4 m of 300 ppm Er-doped fiber and a maximum pump power of 120 mW, we have obtained up to 1 W peak power pulses, with a pulse repetition rate that can be continuously varied from 1 Hz to 120 kHz and a pulse width that changes from 70 ns to 2.2 μs

Hydraulic fracture during epithelial stretching

The origin of fracture in epithelial cell sheets subject to stretch is commonly attributed to excess tension in the cells' cytoskeleton, in the plasma membrane, or in cell-cell contacts. Here, we demonstrate that for a variety of synthetic and physiological hydrogel substrates the formation of epithelial cracks is caused by tissue stretching independently of epithelial tension. We show that the origin of the cracks is hydraulic; they result from a transient pressure build-up in the substrate during stretch and compression manoeuvres. After pressure equilibration, cracks heal readily through actomyosin-dependent mechanisms. The observed phenomenology is captured by the theory of poroelasticity, which predicts the size and healing dynamics of epithelial cracks as a function of the stiffness, geometry and composition of the hydrogel substrate. Our findings demonstrate that epithelial integrity is determined in a tension-independent manner by the coupling between tissue stretching and matrix hydraulics.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

The combined use of gold nanoparticles and infrared radiation enables cytosolic protein delivery

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 internalised, 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

High-repetition rate acoustic-induced Q-switched all-fiber laser

We report a high repetition rate actively Q switched all fiber laser. The acousto optic interaction controls the cou pling between co propagating core and cladding modes and is used to modulate the optical losses of the cavity, which permits to perform active Q-switching. Using 1.4 m of 300 ppm Er-doped fiber and a maximum pump power of 120 mW, we have obtained up to 1 W peak power pulses, with a pulse repetition rate that can be continuously varied from 1 Hz to 120 kHz and a pulse width that changes from 70 ns to 2.2 μs.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Fine tuning the extracellular environment accelerates the derivation of kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells

The generation of organoids is one of the biggest scientific advances in regenerative medicine. Here, by lengthening the time that human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) were exposed to a three-dimensional microenvironment, and by applying defined renal inductive signals, we generated kidney organoids that transcriptomically matched second-trimester human fetal kidneys. We validated these results using ex vivo and in vitro assays that model renal development. Furthermore, we developed a transplantation method that utilizes the chick chorioallantoic membrane. This approach created a soft in vivo microenvironment that promoted the growth and differentiation of implanted kidney organoids, as well as providing a vascular component. The stiffness of the in ovo chorioallantoic membrane microenvironment was recapitulated in vitro by fabricating compliant hydrogels. These biomaterials promoted the efficient generation of renal vesicles and nephron structures, demonstrating that a soft environment accelerates the differentiation of hPSC-derived kidney organoids

Caveolin-1 dolines form a distinct and rapid caveolae-independent mechanoadaptation system.

In response to different types and intensities of mechanical force, cells modulate their physical properties and adapt their plasma membrane (PM). Caveolae are PM nano-invaginations that contribute to mechanoadaptation, buffering tension changes. However, whether core caveolar proteins contribute to PM tension accommodation independently from the caveolar assembly is unknown. Here we provide experimental and computational evidence supporting that caveolin-1 confers deformability and mechanoprotection independently from caveolae, through modulation of PM curvature. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals that caveolin-1 stabilizes non-caveolar invaginations-dolines-capable of responding to low-medium mechanical forces, impacting downstream mechanotransduction and conferring mechanoprotection to cells devoid of caveolae. Upon cavin-1/PTRF binding, doline size is restricted and membrane buffering is limited to relatively high forces, capable of flattening caveolae. Thus, caveolae and dolines constitute two distinct albeit complementary components of a buffering system that allows cells to adapt efficiently to a broad range of mechanical stimuli.We thank R. Parton (Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Queensland), P. Pilch (Boston University School of Medicine) and L. Liu (Boston University School of Medicine) for kindly providing PTRFKO cells and reagents, S. Casas Tintó for kindly providing SH-Sy5y cells, P. Bassereau (Curie Institute, Paris) for kindly providing OT setup, V. Labrador Cantarero from CNIC microscopy Unit for helping with ImageJ analysis, O. Otto and M. Herbig for providing help with RTDC experiments, S. Berr and K. Gluth for technical assistance in cell culture, F. Steiniger for support in electron tomography, and A. Norczyk Simón for providing pCMV-FLAG-PTRF construct. This project received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant 641639; grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033): SAF2014-51876-R, SAF2017-83130-R co-funded by ‘ERDF A way of making Europe’, PID2020-118658RB-I00, PDC2021-121572-100 co-funded by ‘European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR’, CSD2009- 0016 and BFU2016-81912-REDC; and the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer foundation (PROYE20089DELP) all to M.A.d.P. M.A.d.P. is member of the Tec4Bio consortium (ref. S2018/NMT¬4443; Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid/FEDER, Spain), co-recipient with P.R.-C. of grants from Fundació La Marató de TV3 (674/C/2013 and 201936- 30-31), and coordinator of a Health Research consortium grant from Fundación Obra Social La Caixa (AtheroConvergence, HR20-00075). M.S.-A. is recipient of a Ramón y Cajal research contract from MCIN (RYC2020-029690-I). The CNIC Unit of Microscopy and Dynamic Imaging is supported by FEDER ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’ (ReDIB ICTS infrastructure TRIMA@CNIC, MCIN). We acknowledge the support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through grants to M.M.K. (KE685/7-1) and B.Q. (QU116/6-2 and QU116/9-1). Work in D.N. laboratory was supported by grants from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant 812772 and MCIN (DPI2017-83721-P). Work in C.L. laboratory was supported by grants from Curie, INSERM, CNRS, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-17-CE13-0020-01) and Fondation ARC pour la Recherche (PGA1-RF20170205456). Work in P.R.-C. lab is funded by the MCIN (PID2019-110298GB-I00), the EC (H20 20-FETPROACT-01-2016-731957). Work in X.T. lab is funded by the MICIN (PID2021-128635NB-I00), ERC (Adv-883739) and La Caixa Foundation (LCF/PR/HR20/52400004; co-recipient with P.R.-C.). IBEC is recipient of a Severo Ochoa Award of Excellence from the MINECO. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the MCIN and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (grant CEX2020-001041-S funded by MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).S