Search Results (4,742)

5052 aluminum alloy has been widely used in aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, and electronic industries due to its low density, high specific strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. Understanding its laser-induced damage behavior under combined continuous-wave (CW) and nanosecond (ns) pulse laser irradiation is essential for optimizing combined laser processing. In this study, the damage behaviors induced by individual CW laser, individual ns pulse laser, and combined pulse laser were systematically investigated using high-speed imaging, infrared thermography, and three-dimensional surface characterization. The results show that the combined pulse laser significantly enhances both damage depth and material removal efficiency compared with single laser irradiation. Although the peak surface temperature remains nearly unchanged under different processing conditions, the crater morphology and penetration depth vary substantially. High-speed imaging reveals that plasma evolution and molten metal ejection dominate the material removal process. Variations in processing parameters significantly modify molten pool dynamics and plasma behavior. In particular, enhanced plasma shielding or excessive energy dissipation reduces the effective laser energy coupling, leading to decreased material removal efficiency. The synergistic interaction among molten pool evolution, plasma expansion, and molten metal ejection governs the final damage morphology. This study provides new insights into the dynamic interaction mechanisms between combined pulse laser and aluminum alloys, offering guidance for parameter optimization in high-precision laser micromachining. Full article

Laser-driven proton acceleration in hydrogen-rich media can be strongly modified by embedded plasmonic nanoantennas that localize electromagnetic energy on nanometer scales. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) project at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has achieved 8.6 MJ of fusion energy output from an estimated 2 MJ of energy delivered to the target. This has led to several laser fusion startup projects. Most of these operate on the same principle as the NIF project: relatively slow, mechanical compression and the resulting large thermal temperature increase. Most often, cryogenically frozen deuterium–tritium fuel is used in this reaction. This initial conventional method has disadvantages. The strongly compressed target expands faster than the fusion burn from the ignited center, so only a small part of the target fuses, and slow mechanical instabilities may also develop. The NAPLIFE Collaboration uses another method with radiation-dominated limited compression, aiming for simultaneous ignition. This is achieved by nanotechnology; laser light absorption is regulated by resonant nanoantennas. Full article

Bisphosphonates (BPs) and Denosumab (DMB) are antiresorptive agents (AA) commonly used in treatment of osteoporosis, multiple myeloma (8.0%), breast cancer (3.3%), prostate cancer (2.9%) and other malignancies (0.7%), bone metastases, and cancer-induced hypercalcemia. However, this therapy is associated with a significant risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), particularly after tooth extraction. The aim of this narrative review was to summarize current evidence on measures aimed to reduce the risk of MRONJ after tooth extraction, and to critically discuss the strength of evidence supporting each of these measures. Articles published in the years 2013–2025 were reviewed using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science databases. Available studies were categorized and compared with the use of selected prevention methods. The duration of the treatment, route of administration, dosage and type of AA have a significant impact on the risk of developing MRONJ. Antibiotic prophylaxis is considered in most published preventive protocols. However, the evidence supporting a single optimal regimen is limited. Patients from a high-risk group of MRONJ, demonstrating cancer, who were administered intravenous antiresorptive agents for longer than three years or zoledronic acid, or those with a history of jawbone necrosis or inflammation require prolonged antibiotic therapy (started before the procedure and continued up to 14 days after the procedure). Moreover, studies on the use of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and Concentrated Growth Factors (CGF) as a preventive measure have shown promising results in observational studies, along with antibiotic prophylaxis and optimal oral hygiene. Pentoxifylline with tocopherol and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) are recognized as potentially useful non-invasive preventions. However, evidence is limited due to the small sample sizes and heterogenous protocols. Vitamin D levels should be monitored, and oral supplementation should be considered if needed. AA therapy suspension prior to the surgical procedure must always be consulted with the attending physician. A multidisciplinary approach along with well-planned pre- and postoperative care is essential for safe tooth extraction in patients receiving AA therapy. Full article

Current micro/nanosystems mainly rely on a planar fabrication framework, where structures are built layer-by-layer on flat surfaces. This conventional approach leaves vertical sidewalls underutilized, posing geometric limits in packaging density, three-dimensional (3D) interconnects, and multi-surface functionalization. To overcome these constraints, sidewall patterning has emerged as a promising strategy, enabling 3D integrated circuits, templates for directed nanostructure synthesis, and microfluidic drag reduction. Nevertheless, traditional photolithography and non-photolithographic techniques face challenges when applied to vertical or curved 3D surfaces. Unidirectional radiation and restricted focal depths prevent high-fidelity pattern transfer, even when using soft lithography, scanning probes, or nanoimprinting. To address these geometric and mechanical barriers, our group has developed several approaches for patterning the sidewalls of microsystems, which are the primary focus of this review. Building upon our approaches, this review further surveys related sidewall-patterning strategies, including micro-transfer printing, multi-stimuli-responsive mechanics, block copolymer self-assembly, two-photon polymerization, and laser-induced forward transfer. Collectively, these techniques expand the capabilities of sidewall engineering and provide valuable insights into next-generation 3D micro- and nanomanufacturing. Full article

Femtosecond laser processing enables spatially controlled modification of the structure, composition, and functionality of advanced materials through highly localized energy deposition and laser–matter interaction mechanisms. This review discusses the role of ultrafast laser irradiation in the engineering of oxide-based functional systems, including functional oxides, oxide-containing layers, interfaces, and heterogeneous structures whose properties are substantially determined by an oxide component. The mechanisms governing laser-induced oxidation, phase transformation, elemental redistribution, defect generation, and hierarchical micro-/nanostructure formation are considered. Particular attention is given to the ability of femtosecond laser processing to create surfaces with tailored interactions with light, liquids, biological environments, and external stimuli, enabling responsive devices and advanced manufacturing strategies. Laser-modified oxide layers and nanostructured interfaces are analyzed as pathways for controlling surface energy, optical properties, chemical activity, and functional response. The relationship between laser-generated architectures and their applications in sensing, actuation, wetting control, and multifunctional systems is discussed. By connecting ultrafast laser surface engineering with emerging 4D manufacturing concepts, this review highlights femtosecond laser technologies as a versatile platform for designing systems with spatially programmed functionality and, where stimulus-dependent behavior is demonstrated, time-dependent performance. Such approaches provide opportunities for integrating adaptive oxide-based functional systems into advanced manufacturing. Full article

Real-time detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and toxic industrial chemicals underpins military protection, counter-terrorism, and emergency response. Yet field instruments usually fail for a reason unrelated to sensitivity: they cannot identify agents that are not already in their reference libraries, such as novel analogs, mixtures, and degradation products. We argue that this unknown-agent problem is a structural limitation of single-modality sensing, because any one class of information (molecular bonds, ion mobility, elemental composition, or chemical reactivity) is rarely sufficient to resolve an unfamiliar threat. We review the dominant field modalities, including FTIR, Raman/SERS, ion mobility and field-asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry, laser- and spark-induced plasma spectroscopy, metal-oxide sensor arrays, and portable mass spectrometry, and show that their weaknesses are largely complementary. We then set out the principle of orthogonal multimodal sensing, in which complementary information axes are combined by machine learning with anomaly and open-set detection so that unfamiliar agents are recognized as such rather than misidentified. Four hybrid architectures are critically compared, and we examine spark-induced decomposition diagnostics, consumable-free self-decontaminating field systems with edge AI, and the open challenges of standardized datasets, calibration transfer, and validation, before outlining a roadmap toward field-relevant recognition of unidentified chemical threats. Full article

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury is a prevalent and underreported condition, particularly among military service members, for whom effective prophylactic interventions are lacking. Nano-pulsed laser therapy (NPLT) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory approach that delivers short pulses of near-infrared light to generate optoacoustic effects within cerebral tissue and has previously demonstrated therapeutic benefit following TBI. In this study, we evaluated whether a single pre-exposure application of NPLT could confer protection against neurological, cognitive, and cellular sequelae of mild blast injury. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to receive NPLT or Sham treatment 24 h prior to either Sham or mild blast exposure using the Advanced Blast Simulator. Neurological reflexes and vestibulomotor function were assessed on post-injury days (PIDs) 1–5, while cognitive performance was evaluated using the Morris Water Maze on PIDs 13–17. Histological analyses of microglia, astrocytes, and myelination were performed on PID 17. A single mild blast did not significantly alter gross neurological function but was associated with deficits in fine motor coordination and cognitive performance. Pre-exposure NPLT modestly attenuated blast-associated fine motor dysfunction, with a significant improvement compared with TBI on PID 4. In the Morris Water Maze, TBI animals exhibited significantly increased latency compared with Sham on PIDs 13 and 17, whereas NPLT + TBI animals did not significantly differ from Sham across the testing period, consistent with preservation of cognitive performance. Histological responses were regionally heterogeneous: NPLT alone produced distinct glial alterations, while NPLT + TBI animals exhibited a mixture of treatment- and injury-associated responses rather than uniform normalization to uninjured controls. NPLT did not prevent localized blast-associated reductions in corpus callosum myelin staining. In naive animals, NPLT significantly increased hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression 24 h after treatment. A single pre-injury application of NPLT was associated with functional resilience following mild blast exposure despite persistent and regionally heterogeneous histopathological alterations. Increased hippocampal BDNF 24 h after NPLT, together with region-specific glial changes following NPLT in the absence of injury, demonstrates that a single treatment produces sustained molecular and cellular effects before blast exposure. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that prophylactic NPLT establishes an altered pre-injury biological state that may modify the subsequent response to blast and support further investigation of NPLT as a prophylactic strategy and of the mechanisms underlying NPLT-associated preconditioning. Full article

Additively manufactured components require machining of functional surfaces to meet geometric requirements. Due to low stiffness and non-nominal as-built geometry, they are susceptible to milling-induced shape deviations. This paper presents a geometric–numerical milling process simulation for predicting shape errors in compliant metallic laser powder bed fusion components. The method combines real-geometry-based technological numerical control simulation, quasi-static force prediction, finite element-based structural response simulation, and surface reconstruction between roughing and finishing to enable multistage operation. The approach is validated for linear and non-linear toolpaths with varying immersion angles and compliance conditions. The results show reproduced force profiles, while magnitude deviations highlight the relevance of deformation-dependent engagement feedback in high-compliance regions. An analytical back-calculation based on the effective engagement cross-section reveals that accounting for deflection-induced engagement reduction reduces force deviations. During roughing, maximum shape errors for linear and non-linear toolpaths are overestimated by 4–5%, and critical high-error regions are identified. The reconstructed intermediate geometry after roughing is essential for finishing, since neglecting geometry feedback underestimates finishing forces. With geometry feedback, the maximum finishing shape error is predicted as 0.090 mm, while the measured value is 0.086 mm. The simulation captures dominant quasi-static shape-error regimes and supports process-chain-oriented prediction in additive–subtractive manufacturing. Full article

Surface recession can underestimate laser-induced damage in 2.5D C/SiC composites because thermochemical degradation extends beneath the visible pit. Infrared thermography and micro-CT data from six laser conditions (400–1600 W·cm⁻², 3–12 s), together with SEM/EDS observations, were reanalysed using a layered phase-selective model tracking C, SiC and SiO₂ evolution. For the four conditions with resolvable damage, the internal degradation front lay 0.84–1.07 mm below the recession surface. At 800 W·cm⁻², the 0.02 mm difference between the 6 and 12 s front depths was below the 25 μm voxel size and within specimen uncertainty. The calibrated model matched rear-centre peak temperatures with a mean absolute percentage error of 4.37%, although larger transient discrepancies remained. Temperatures sampled at the measured front coordinates ranged from 2890 to 3080 K. Relative to 800 W·cm⁻² for 12 s, the 1600 W·cm⁻², 6 s condition caused greater near-surface SiC consumption and solid-mass loss, while the maximum retained SiO₂ density decreased from approximately 360 to 180 kg·m⁻³. These results distinguish geometric recession from internal degradation and support experimental-front mapping and mechanistic interpretation. The mapped states are condition-specific and do not constitute an independently predicted front criterion. Full article

In femtosecond-laser processing of titania in water, light can induce reduction and oxidation simultaneously. We follow this redox energy partitioning, in this perspective, from colloidal titania synthesis to hot-electron devices. Femtosecond ablation/fragmentation of an aqueous anatase suspension (515 nm, 230 fs, $5\mathsf{\mu }$J, fluence $F\approx 25.5$ J cm⁻²/pulse at clamped intensity ∼${10}^{13}$ W cm⁻²) yields surface-reduced, Ti³⁺-rich bluish TiO_2−x, while the same optical breakdown generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), among them H₂O₂ and HO^• radicals, which compete by re-oxidising Ti³⁺. When the reduced titania is decorated with plasmonic nanoparticles (e.g., Au), an n-type plasmonic photo-electrode is realised: $sp$ hot electrons are injected over the Schottky barrier, while the deep d-band supplies oxidising holes. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) proceeds in stages at potentials well above the formal $1.23$ V via the two-electron peroxide route (∼$1.77$ V) or, for sufficiently energetic holes, via the one-electron HO^• route (∼$2.7$ V). In a biased cell, H₂ evolves on Pt through the adsorbed (H₂⁺)_ad intermediate. The same Au/semiconductor physics on silicon enables sub-band-gap hot-electron photo-detection. Energy-level diagrams (flat-band and in-contact) and the $sp$- vs. d-band origin of the injected carriers are discussed. Full article

Nucleic acids are critical biomarkers that provide essential information throughout disease progression, making their detection critical to early diagnosis of both infectious and non-infectious diseases. However, existing detection methods, including classical analytical techniques and even most reported biosensors, are often constrained by complex procedures, high costs, and limited sensitivity, with the majority operating at the femtomolar level and failing to achieve single-molecule detection needed for early-stage diagnosis. Here, we report an electrochemical biosensor based on silver nanoflowers (AgNFs) integrated with stem-loop probes (SPs) for universal nucleic acid detection, using Norovirus RNA as a model target to validate the platform. The SPs serve as critical elements in a signal amplification system, converting target binding into a biotin–streptavidin recognition event, which leads to the accumulation of AgNFs-SP complexes on laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes and generates a strong electrochemical signal. Under optimized conditions with a 50 min hybridization incubation (total assay time ~60 min), the sensor exhibits a linear response to Norovirus RNA concentrations from 1 aM to 10 fM, with a measured detection limit of 1 aM, achieving single-molecule-level detection capability. For applications requiring faster turnaround, a 20 min hybridization incubation (~30 min total assay time) shifts the linear range to 0.1 fM–1 pM with a measured detection limit of 0.1 fM, offering more rapid quantification when the maximum sensitivity is not required. The proposed biosensor is cost-effective, amenable to miniaturization, and designed as a versatile platform adaptable to other nucleic acid targets by simply modifying the probe sequence, showing broad potential for early diagnosis of various diseases. Full article

Active Infrared Thermography is widely used to characterize laser–tissue interactions, yet quantitative extraction of non-Fourier transport parameters often relies on lock-in demodulation or computationally intensive inverse procedures. Here we propose Modulated-Laser Active Infrared Thermography (ML-AIT), a simplified protocol that exploits the central region of the laser spot, where lateral diffusion is minimized, enabling a one-dimensional (1D) spatial analysis of the temperature profile in ex vivo. porcine adipose tissue under periodic excitation (30–200 Hz). The measured spatial profiles are interpreted with generalized Cattaneo-type bioheat formulations, including fractional-order extensions that account for memory and subdiffusive heat spread in heterogeneous media. By fitting the frequency-dependent stationary spatial distributions, we compare classical Fourier, hyperbolic, and generalized Cattaneo descriptions within a unified analytical framework. The results show that, under the investigated conditions, the measured spatial decay is predominantly governed by optical attenuation, enabling the extraction of an effective optical attenuation coefficient from the thermographic profiles. ML-AIT thus provides a straightforward experimental and analytical approach for studying modulated laser-induced temperature profiles in ex vivoporcine adipose tissue. Full article

Ocular diseases, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), have a fibrotic component that negatively impacts vision. Unfortunately, few treatments are available to mitigate fibrosis in the eye. The clearance of inflammatory cells proceeds, at least in part, through the intrinsic cell death pathway in which Bcl-2 family members play integral roles. Here, we assessed the influence of Bcl-2 expression in mononuclear phagocytes (MP) on the engagement and clearance of inflammatory cells, choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and subsequent subretinal fibrosis in a mouse laser-induced CNV model. Lack of Bcl-2 expression in MP (Bcl-2^MP mice) decreased neutrophil (Gr1⁺) and microglia (Iba1⁺) presence without impacting M1 (CD80⁺) and M2 (CD206⁺) macrophage presence, CNV, or fibrosis during the first 2 weeks following laser photocoagulation. Later, after inflammation dampens, decreased later-stage fibrosis and CNV were noted in Bcl-2^MP mice, which were accompanied by increased presence of M2 macrophages (CD206⁺). However, how these increased levels of CD206⁺ M2 macrophages in the absence of Bcl-2 contribute to decreased CNV and fibrosis remains unknown. To address whether Bcl-2 expression affects other forms of ocular fibrosis, we utilized the dispase PVR model. Bcl-2^MP mice, or treatment of wild-type mice with Bcl-2 inhibitors, significantly decreased fibrosis in the PVR model. Furthermore, Bcl-2 inhibitors mitigated CNV and fibrosis (collagen I-defined) in wild-type mice during laser photocoagulation. Thus, inhibition of Bcl-2 activity prevents the late-stage clearance of CD206⁺ M2 macrophages during nAMD and PVR, mitigating ocular neovascularization and fibrosis. Full article

Ultrafast laser processing enables the creation of functional surfaces in metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and other materials through spatially controlled nonequilibrium energy deposition. However, the resulting surface functionality cannot be explained solely by laser parameters or geometric features. Femtosecond irradiation induces a sequence of coupled processes, including nanoscale structuring, phase transformation, chemical modification, defect formation, and relaxation, which define the final surface state. This review introduces the Surface-by-Design concept, where functional surfaces are considered as engineered material states formed through controlled laser–matter interaction rather than as predefined patterns. Representative examples including laser-induced periodic surface structures, hierarchical micro/nanotextures, modified oxide layers, and laser-generated functional interfaces are analyzed in relation to wettability, tribological behavior, corrosion resistance, optical response, and other properties. The review further examines how advanced characterization, digital engineering, beam shaping, in situ diagnostics, and data-driven methods contribute to controlling surface evolution. Remaining challenges include reproducibility, scalability, and reliable prediction of functional behavior during service conditions. Future progress in femtosecond laser surface engineering will depend on the ability to control not only the generated morphology but also the evolving structural and physicochemical state of functional interfaces. Full article

Cultural heritage faces accelerating threats from armed conflict and climate-induced disasters, generating emergency scenarios in which the window for documentation may be measured in hours. Traditional high-fidelity workflows such as Terrestrial Laser Scanning and survey-grade Structure-from-Motion campaign can be operationally incompatible with these constraints due to costly hardware and specialist-team requirements. Emergency image acquisition can be undertaken with consumer-grade equipment, while the same photographic dataset can subsequently support both an SfM-MVS mesh for metric and geometric analysis and a 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) representation for view-dependent visual interpretation. This paper evaluates an accessible, entirely graphical workflow for producing these complementary outputs, with particular attention paid to the 3DGS stage and without requiring programming or command-line expertise. We develop a theoretical case drawing on Brandinian restoration theory and the international conservation framework, introducing the concept of informational amnesia, the irreversible loss of a site’s documentary record, as a distinct and undertheorized category of heritage failure. We further argue that the democratization of 3DGS documentation cannot be measured by licensing cost alone: a tool distributed as open-source code but requiring command-line expertise presents an effective accessibility barrier functionally equivalent to a commercial paywall. True accessibility requires installable, graphical software operable by non-specialist practitioners in the field. We present a proof-of-concept application of this accessible pipeline, namely DJI Mini 5 Pro, RealityScan for photogrammetric reconstruction, and Lichtfeld Studio for 3DGS generation, to the Fontana d’Ercole at the Reggia di Venaria Reale (UNESCO World Heritage, Turin, Italy). Visual results show photorealistic, navigable 3DGS surrogates of architecturally complex heritage assets achievable by non-specialist operators within hours of acquisition and establish the empirical foundation for future quantitative evaluation. Full article