Magnifying Glass Research Articles

Eradication measures and products that inhibit in vitro mycelial growth of the fungus Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, the etiological agent of pitaya canker

The objective of this work was to identify the causal agent of the circular necrotic lesion present in cladodes and pitaya fruits, to test in vitro different products with potential fungicidal effect and to evaluate the effect of different eradicating products on infected pruned cladodes. Fruits and cladodes with symptoms of pitaya canker were analyzed using a magnifying glass and microscope. Isolation in PDA and inoculation was also carried out in healthy cladodes to observe symptoms. The isolated fungus was placed to grow in PDA culture medium previously mixed with the products; Castor oil, Prevam, Biometal copper, Kellus immune, Primecur, Kaumin, Bombardeiro, Serenade, Bordamil, Dithane, Bravonil, Mertin, Rovral, Sumilex, Mythos, Cantus, Fluazinam Nortox, Comet, Cercobin, Forum, Socre Flex, Cabrio Top, Orkestra, Opera, Nativo, Fusion, Tridium, Priori Xtra and Evolution. The products were applied to infected cladodes; Quaternary ammonia, Fortalece, Bordamil, Calda sulfocaucica all in concentrations of 5% and control with the objective of observing sporulation, spore germination and decomposition time. Pitaya cladodes and fruits presented stem canker caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum. The products; Prevam, Bordamil, Dithane, Mertin, Rovral, Sumilex, Fluazinam Nortox, Comet, Socre Flex, Cabrio Top, Orkestra, Opera, Nativo, Fusion, Tridium, Priori Xtra and Evolution at the doses tested completely inhibited the mycelial growth of the N. dimidiatum fungus. The products; Bordamil®, Sulfocaucic solution, Quaternary Ammonia and Fortalece® in concentrations of 5% accelerated the decomposition of the treated cladode and reduced the formation and germination of N. dimidiatum conidia.

Roger Ackling: Stillness as a drawing method

From 1974 until 2014 the British Artist Roger Ackling made drawings on found pieces of driftwood by using the sun’s rays focused through a magnifying glass. This research article discusses the contribution Ackling made to charting an ontology of drawing through a practice of stillness. By employing this method, he provides an original contribution to the knowledge base of drawing that values ephemerality and lightness through phenomenological bracketing. An evaluation is provided as to how Roger Ackling dwells upon and makes subject the precise moment of making in drawing.

PCOS phenotype focus: phenotype D under the magnifying glass.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is defined as the combination of polycystic morphology, hyperandrogenism, and ovulatory disruption; this heterogeneity presents a conundrum for the medical community. The Rotterdam criteria have governed the diagnosis of PCOS, separating the patient cohort into four distinct phenotypes. It has been suggested that the lone normoandrogenic phenotype, so-called phenotype D, should not be classified as a PCOS subtype, with phenotypes A, B, and C displaying a hyperandrogenic biochemical and clinical profile thought to be characteristic of PCOS. To understand how to treat phenotype D patients, this review shines a spotlight on the phenotype, gathering various reports of how phenotype D is differentiated from the other PCOS phenotypes.

Study of cell and drug interactions based on dual-mode detection using SPR and fluorescence imaging

The investigation of the interactions between cells and drugs forms a crucial aspect of biological and clinical medical studies. Generally, single-cell or local-cellular studies require a microscopic imaging system with high magnifications, which suffers from low detection throughputs and poor time responses. The study presented in this paper combined SPR and fluorescence to achieve cell localization, real-time monitoring of cell images and quantitative analysis of drugs. In order to obtain more comprehensive, accurate and real-time data, a dual-mode system based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence was constructed based on a 4× magnification lens. This enables simultaneous studies of an entire cell and a specific region of the cell membrane. An adaptive adjustment algorithm was established for distorted SPR images, achieving temporal and spatial matching of the dual-mode detection. The combination of SPR and fluorescence not only achieved micro-detection but also complemented the qualitative or quantitative limitations of SPR or fluorescence method alone. In system characterization, the response signal of SPR was noticed to increase with the increasing concentration of EGF in stimulated cells. It indicated that this platform could be employed for quantitative detection of the cell membrane region. Upon addition of EGF, a peak in the SPR curve was observed, and the cells in the corresponding SPR image turned whiter. This indicated that the platform can simultaneously monitor the SPR response signal and image changes. The response time of fluorescence in EGF testing was several seconds earlier than SPR, revealing that signal transduction first occurred in the whole cell and then propagated to the cell membrane region. The inhibitory ability of Gefitinib on cells was verified in a fast and real-time manner within 20 min. The results indicated that the detection limit of this method was 20 IU/mL for EGF and 10 µg/mL for Gefitinib. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the advantages of SPR and fluorescence dual-mode techniques in the analysis of cell-drug interactions, as well as their strong potential in drug screening.

Bi-layer deep feature fusion based mineral classification using hand-specimen images

Mineral classification is a crucial task for geologists. Minerals are identified by their characteristics. In the field, geologists can identify minerals by examining lustre, color, streak, hardness, crystal habit, cleavage, fracture, and specific features. Geologists sometimes use a magnifying hand lens to identify minerals in the field. Surface color can assist in identifying minerals. However, it varies widely, even within a single mineral family. Some minerals predominantly show a single color. So, identifying minerals is possible considering surface color and texture. But, again, a limited database of minerals is available with large-scale images. So, the challenges arise to identify the minerals using their images with limited images. With the advancement of machine learning, the deep learning approach with bi-layer feature fusion enhances the dimension of the feature vector with the possibility of high accuracy. Here, an experimental analysis is reported with three possibilities of bi-layer feature fusion of three CNN models like Alexnet, VGG16 & VGG19, and a framework is suggested. Alexnet delivers the highest performance with the bi-layer fusion of fc6 and fc7. The achieved accuracy is 84.23%, sensitivity 84.23%, specificity 97.37%, precision 84.7%, FPR 2.63%, F1 Score 84.17%, MCC 81.75%, and Kappa 53.59%.

Low Vision Practice and Service Provision Among Optometrists in Ghana: A Nationwide Survey

ABSTRACT Purpose To characterize practice patterns of low vision services among Optometrists in Ghana. Methods The nationwide cross-sectional survey identified entities through the Ghana Optometrists Association (GOA) registry and utilized a semi-structured questionnaire to consolidate survey information that comprises practitioners’ demographics, available services, diagnostic equipment, barriers to service provision and utilization, and interventions. Results 300 Optometrists were identified, with 213 surveyed (71% response rate). About fifty percent (52.6%) were in private practice, and more than two-thirds (77%) did not provide low vision services. Most (≥70%) reported lack of assistive devices, and basic eye care examination kits as the main barriers to low vision service provision. Similarly, practitioners reported unawareness of the presence of low vision centres (76.1%), and high cost of low vision aids (75.1%) as the prime perceived barriers for patients to utilize low vision services. Continuous professional development and public education (89–90%) were suggested as interventions to improve the uptake of low vision services. After statistical adjustment, private facility type (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.35, p = 0.010) and lack of basic eye examination kits (AOR = 0.32, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with reduced odds of low vision service provision. Conversely, ≥15 years of work experience (AOR = 6.37, p = 0.011) was significantly associated with increased odds of low vision service provision. Conclusions Overall, the results indicate inadequate low vision coverage and service delivery. Government policies must be directed towards equipping practitioners with equipment and subsidize patient cost of treatment to optimize low vision care.

Ectoparasitic profile of apparently healthy chicken in Agbani, Enugu State, Nigeria

Parasites constitute a major obstacle to poultry production, leading to significant losses in many poultry farms. The study examined the prevalence of ectoparasites on healthy poultry chickens in eight selected poultry farms in Agbani, Enugu State between the months of February and March 2023. A total of 300 chickens were examined from local and commercial farms. The farms comprised of 5 free-breed local farms (115 birds) and 3 commercial farms (185 birds) . Each of the sampled bird was placed on a white sheet of paper and examined for ectoparasite by ruffling the feathers with fine blunt toothed brush. Different parts of the body were thoroughly examined and in some cases with the aid of hand lens. Ectoparasites that fell on the paper were collected for further identification. The results showed that out of the 300 chickens sampled 130(43.3%) were found positive with ectoparasites. Two group of ectoparasites were identified from the sampled farms which were lice and mite. Lice occurred more in prevalence at 125(41.6%) in local farms than in commercial farms. Four species of lice identified were Liperus caponis (wing lice at 54(41.5%), Goniodes gigas (large chicken lies) at 33(25.3%), Menopon gallinae (shaft lice) at 31(23.8%) and Goniocotes gallinae (fluff lice) at 7(5.3%) while the two species of mite identified were Dermanyssus gallinae (red mite) at 4(3%) and Knemidocoptes mutans (scaly leg mite) at 1(0.7%). Multiple infestations of lice and mites were encountered only in local farms L2: 20(90%) lice, 2(9%) mite; L4: 18(90%) lice, 2(10%) mite and L5: 17(94%) lice, 1(5%) mite. The study indicated that ectoparasites were highly prevalent in free-breed local chicken and may be associated with poor hygienic practices. Therefore, application of integrated control strategy, good management practices and high level of proper hygiene practices are recommended.

Development of a dual-mode energy-resolved neutron imaging detector: High spatial resolution and large field of view

Energy-resolved neutron imaging is an effective way to investigate the internal structure and residual stress of materials. Different sample sizes have varying requirements for the detector's imaging field of view (FOV) and spatial resolution. Therefore, a dual-mode energy-resolved neutron imaging detector was developed, which mainly consisted of a neutron scintillator screen, a mirror, imaging lenses, and a time-stamping optical fast camera. This detector could operate in a large FOV mode or a high spatial resolution mode. To evaluate the performance of the detector, the neutron wavelength spectra and the multiple spatial resolution tests were conducted at CSNS. The results demonstrated that the detector accurately measured the neutron wavelength spectra selected by a bandwidth chopper. The best spatial resolution was about 20 μm in high spatial resolution mode after event reconstruction, and a FOV of 45.0 mm × 45.0 mm was obtained in large FOV mode. The feasibility was validated to change the spatial resolution and FOV by replacing the scintillator screen and adjusting the lens magnification.

Children’s Voices on the COVID-19 Pandemic as Presented in Swedish Junior and Daily Newspapers

This study focuses on children’s voices as they were presented in Swedish newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the ways in which journalists featured children’s experiences of everyday life during a time of crisis. A descriptive, thematic text analysis of 83 articles resulted in four prominent themes: children’s voices as a mouthpiece for or against school closure, children as cocreators of a new normal daily life, children as responsible and caring citizens, and COVID-19 as a magnifying glass for existing vulnerabilities in everyday life. The selection and representation of children’s viewpoints was adult led and limited, and the study thus calls for further research on media constructions of children/childhood and related consequences.

Physicochemical Characteristics of Feldspar Deposits in Zango Daji, Kogi State Using Geological Methods

Six rock samples were randomly collected and photographs, locational coordinates and elevation points were taken with appropriate tools and devices. Portions of samples were prepared into thin sections and observed under hand lenses, microscope, tested for hardness and other diagnostic properties. Specific density was also determined. The remaining samples were subjected to geochemical and mineralogical analysis. An average percentage composition of 17.1958 mass % of K2O was obtained which is far greater than its Calcium and Sodium contents, indicating it is a K-feldspar. Geochemical result showed averages of Si2O, Al2O3, K2O, Na2O, CaO, and Fe2O3, contents of 59.54 mass %, 17.83 mass %, 17.19 mass %, 2.33 mass %, 0.08 mass % and 1.60 mass % respectively while mineralogical results revealed it is orthoclase in view of its high alumina content of 17.83 percent. The results showed that the sample specification meets the British International Standard specification. Furthermore, electrical resistivity tomography survey was conducted by setting up Schlumberger Electrode Array to determine the significant resistivity contrast between the feldspar and the compact bedrock in the profile. The resistivity data of eight points were processed into Resists curves after conversion and subjecting the data by inversion with WinResist software to obtain 1 - D and 2 – D maps. Together with results of chemical analyses and vertical electrical sounding, the location map of mineralogical composition of the Oxides were determined. Field and petrographic evidence showed a potential source of gemstones and niobium. The study also revealed the occurrence of feldspar deposit are hosted by granitic and pegmatitic intrusive. The quantum and reserve estimates of both overburden layer and target mineral thickness were determined to be 44.3 ± 2.18 million metric tons and 741,933 ± 132,205 m³ respectively.

Stargardt Disease: A Rare Case Report

Introduction : To report a stargardt disease case
 Case Illustration : A 14 year young boy presented with chief complaints of blurry vision in both eyes since childhood. Progressive loss in his ability to differentiate between faces, colors and point out details of objects. On ocular examination, his visual acuity was 1/60 with retinoscopy value revealed +2.00 Dsph and was unable to read plates of Ishihara chart in both eyes. On indirect ophthalmoscopy optic disc were normal with sharp margins and orange color and absent foveal reflex in both eyes. Numerous small whitish flecks were seen around the macula in both the eyes with an ill-defined circular lesion was seen at the macula with beaten bronze appearance. Supportive therapy such as correction with low vision aids or the provision of sun protective glasses can help in the daily lives of patients.
 Discussion : Stargardt disease is an inherited macular degeneration that typically presents in the first two decades of life. The prevalence is in the region of 1 in 8–10,000 individuals. Study reported an annual incidence of 0.127 per 100,000. This case was also rarely reported in Indonesia. The age of onset and rate of progression vary greatly, with most experiencing symptoms in their teens or earlier.
 Conclusion : Stargardt disease case has been reported in a 14 year young boy. Progressive vision loss can be the only vision complaint from the patient. Supportive therapy such as correction with low vision aids or the provision of sun protective glasses can help in the daily lives of patients.

MANAGEMENT APPROACH OF LOW VISION IN RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA: WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Introduction : Retinitis pigmentosa is a chronic and progressive disease throughout patient’s life. Management low vision in retinitis pigmentosa patients are to maximize their remaining vision and provision of visual aids, it can be financial dan social burden.
 Case Illustration : A 56-year-old man came with blurred vision in his both eyes for 12 years. The patient had cataract surgeries and IOLs implantation in 2022. Ophthalmologic examination revealed the right eye was 4/40 and the left eye was 3/60. Funduscopic examination revealed the bone spicule appearance, blood vessel attenuation, and waxy disc pallor in both eyes. Contrast sensitivity test decreased and Farnsworth hue test showed mild to severe. Humphrey visual field examination showed peripheral visual field defect, therefore patient diagnosed with low vision caused by retinitis pigmentosa with bilateral pseudophakia and his Low Vision Quality of Life was intermediate.
 Discussion : Treatment includes pharmacological treatment with supplementation, optical or non-optical treatment, and rehabilitation. Spectacles clarified distant and near vision with Best Corrected Visual Acuity 6/30 with photochromic lenses, for adapting the light and gave addition lens +5.00 in both eyes. Rehabilitation enhances his head tracking, scanning, and habitual spotting skills. Lighting and typoscope would help his daily reading activities as well.
 Conclusion : Low vision requires several management approach, patient with visual impairment can get low vision aids to optimize his visual function based on his needs. Managing low vision in patient with visual impairment has to be considered from multiple aspects.

Improving Low Vision through Bioptic Telescope: A Case Series

Introduction : Low vision (LV) is a condition when a person have binocular visual acuity of less than 6/18 to light perception, or a visual field of less than 10 degrees from the point of fixation, even after treatment and/or standard refractive correction. In Indonesia, it is known that the number of LV patients is around 4.8% of all blindness. Bioptics telescope is handsfree magnifying lenses, attached to the spectacles, used to enhance moderate to distant vision for patients with severely damaged eyesight. However, the use of this device is still uncommon in Indonesia.
 Case Illustration : Bioptic Telescope prescribed to 3 patients, adaptation time were less than 48 hours. The 1st patient, 11 years old male with chorioretinitis toxoplasmosis, initial visual acuity (VA) 6/60 both eyes improved to 6/18 both eyes, and able to write/type 30 words per minutes. The 2nd patient, 18 years old male with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy, initial VA 1/60 Right Eye (RE) & 1/300 Left Eye (LE) improved to 6/18 RE, and able to write/type 10 words per 2 minutes. The 3rd patient, 25 years old female with congenital visual impairment, initial VA NLP RE & 6/60 LE improved to 6/24 LE, and able to write/type 20 words per minute.
 Discussion : 
 Conclusion : This study reports the initial experience with bioptic telescope in low vision patients. This device proven to significantly increase visual acuity with short adaptation time and learning curve to watch, read, write, and type. The ability to escalate patient's quality of life makes bioptic telescope superior from other (hand-held) telescope

PREVALENCE OF ECTOPARASITE TICK AND MITE INFESTATION ON DOMESTIC CHICKEN IN BALI

The raising of free-range chickens is generally intended as laying hens, broilers, and pets by the people of Indonesia. One of the common diseases affecting free-range chickens is the infestation of ectoparasites ticks and mites that can interfere with the health of chickens and even cause economic losses on a farm. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ectoparasite infestation of ticks and mites and to identify the types of ticks and mites that infest free-range chickens in Bali. The objects in this study were tick and mite ectoparasites that infested 5-6 month-old of 60 free-range chickens. Ticks ectoparasites were taken directly one by one using tweezers and for non-scabies mites were observed using a magnifying glass and taken using cotton wool soaked in 70% alcohol. Each ectoparasite taken from one individual chicken was put into an eppendorf tube filled with 70% alcohol. Identification was done by examining the preparations using a light microscope based on the CDC identification key (1966). The results of this study showed that the prevalence of ectoparasites in free-range chickens in Bali was 78% with a prevalence of ticks at 32% and a prevalence of mites at 78%. The types of ticks found were Haemaphysalis spp. and Megninia ginglymura mites. Further research is needed to identify the types of ectoparasites ticks and mites that infest chickens in Indonesia.

RECONSTRUCTING THE CHRONOLOGY OF BUILDING THE SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF UMM EL-JIMAL, JORDAN BY AMS RADIOCARBON DATING OF MORTAR AND PLASTER

ABSTRACTThe research aims to reconstruct the chronology of building the Southwest Church, Umm el-Jimal, Jordan by AMS radiocarbon dating organic inclusions uncovered from the mortars collected from the floor of the church, seat of the apse and the base of the north wall. It sheds light on the major aspects of mortar recipes at the time of their production. Samples were examined macroscopically with magnifying lenses and characterized using archaeometric techniques of optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The radiocarbon dates showed that 594–643 AD is the most probable age for flooring and plastering the church and 995–1154 AD is the earliest possible date for its final collapse. The preparatory layers of the church floor were laid on an older one, probably of a yard, and its north wall was raised on an older base, both most probably date to the late fifth–early sixth century AD. The production recipe of the mortars is made from a lime binder and inclusions mainly of organic (charcoal) and inorganic (quartz, grog, volcanics). The mortars have the same recipe regardless their bedding and jointing functions which remained unchanged during the building stages of church complex.

Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment.

Electronic head-mounted low vision aids (LVAs) can help children and young people (CYP) to access schoolwork and leisure activities which they would otherwise struggle to be able to do with traditional optical or hand held LVAs. SightPlus uses a smartphone mounted in a virtual reality headset controlled using a Bluetooth joystick. It offers users 0.7-24.3× magnification alongside enhanced modes to maximise vision. Eighteen participants aged 8-16 years with reduced vision were given SightPlus to use at home for four weeks. Visual acuity was assessed with and without SightPlus along with reading performance, contrast sensitivity, functional vision and quality of life questionnaires. Clinically significant improvements in distance vision (0.633logMAR SD ± 0.359), near vision (0.411logMAR SD ± 0.368), reading acuity (0.454LlogMAR SD ± 0.406) and critical print size (0.285logMAR ± 0.360) were seen when testing with SightPlus.However, there was a mean decrease in contrast sensitivity and reading speed when using SightPlus. Despite this, nine out of the 14 patients included for analysis indicated a preference to continue to use SightPlus. Of note, younger participants were more likely to show a preference for using SightPlus. All seven CYP aged 10 or under wanted to continue to use SightPlus; in contrast, only two of the seven participants aged 11 or over wanted to continue. Like the results in adult populations, SightPlus has been found to improve CYP visual functions. Older participants were less likely to want to continue to use SightPlus, potentially suggesting they have found other methods for managing sight loss.

High-resolution induction thermography for detection of micro-cracks in Ti-6Al-4V alloys

ABSTRACT This study focuses on establishing a non-contact Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) method for detecting micro-cracks in Ti-6Al-4 V sample using the Eddy Current Thermography (ECT) technique. The study employs an induction coil for heating the sample and a thermal camera equipped with magnifying lenses to monitor surface temperature distribution. The variations in the thermal image signify the presence of defects. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated through the examination of four samples featuring artificially created short notches, representing micro-cracks. These notches vary in dimensions, with notch openings approximately 20 µm, notch depths ranging from 1–10 µm, and notch lengths varying from 5 to 150 µm. The investigation explores the influence of the length and depth of short cracks on defect detection, revealing an increase in thermal contrast with both the length and width of the cracks. All notches are successfully detected using the proposed method, showcasing its applicability for real crack detection. The study concludes with the successful application of the method on a sample with actual cracks measuring less than 10 µm in width, 2 µm in depth, and a length of 100 µm.

Abnormality Determination of Spermatozoa Motility Using Gaussian Mixture Model and Matching-based Algorithm

Sperm analysis is an initial step in the examination conducted to identify infertility cases in humans. One aspect of sperm analysis involves observing the movement of spermatozoa and determining whether it is normal or abnormal. Normal spermatozoa movement is characterized by progressive motion at an average speed of 20 µm/second, while abnormal movement includes slow or non-motile spermatozoa. Traditional methods can be employed to assess the normality or abnormality of sperm movement, but they have drawbacks such as time-consuming procedures and diverse results depending on the expertise of the examiner. On the other hand, utilizing Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) equipment provides consistent results, albeit at a relatively high cost. Therefore, this research proposes an alternative method for determining sperm movement abnormalities using the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) for background subtraction and a matching-based algorithm to track and analyze the formed trajectories, distinguishing between normal and abnormal sperm movement. Human spermatozoa in real-time are used, and their movements are recorded in video format using a bright field microscope. The testing results for determining sperm movement abnormalities based on the GMM method and matching-based algorithm were successful, particularly in videos recorded at 50 fps recording speed, 20 minutes of liquefaction time, and 40x microscope lens magnification. This condition exhibited the highest average accuracy, with a tracking accuracy of 77.3% and an average accuracy for determining sperm motility abnormalities of 87.7%. Therefore, the combined tracking of sperm movement based on the GMM method and matching-based algorithm can be utilized to identify abnormalities in the movement of human spermatozoa.

Nematosit pada Tiga Spesies Karang Scleractinia, Acropora formosa, Seriatopora sp, dan Pocillopora damicornis Di Pantai Nirwana Sumatera Barat

This research was carried out in July - August 2022. The location of coral sampling is in the coral reefs of the Nirwana coast, West Sumatra. The objective by conducting this study is to determine the type of nematocysts in the body tissues of corals scleractinia, Acropora formosa, Seriatopora sp, and Pocillopora damicornis. Method to know the types of nematocysts from A. formosa, Seriatopora sp, and P. damicornis were carried out using an Olympus, microscope with x100 objective lens magnification at the Marine Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, University of Riau. Of the 25 major types of nematocysts known in the phylum Cnidarian, two types are found in these three species. The results showed that there were two main types of nematocysts, namely holotrichous isorhizas (HI) and micro basic p-mastigophore (MpM). The three coral species, A. formosa, Seriatopora sp, and P. damicornis, of the holotrichous isorhizas (HI) nematocysts type and the micro basic p-mastigophore (MpM) nematocyst, were found in the coral species A. formosa and P. damicornis. The type of nematocyst is thought to be used to attack and kill prey.

A Low‐Cost, User‐Friendly Rheo‐Optical Compression Assay to Measure Mechanical Properties of Cell Spheroids in Standard Cell Culture Plates

AbstractThe mechanical characterization of cell spheroids, one of the most widely used 3D biology models in vitro, is a hotspot of current research on the role played by the mechanical response of cells and tissues. The techniques proposed so far in the literature, while providing important scientific insights, require specialized equipment and technical skills that are not usually available in cell biology facilities. Here, an innovative rheo‐optical compression assay is presented: it is based on microscopy glass coverslips as the load is applied to cell spheroids in standard cell culture plates and on image acquisition with an optical microscope or even a smartphone equipped with adequate magnification lenses. Mechanical properties can be simply obtained by correlating the applied load to the deformation of cell spheroids measured by image analysis. The low‐cost, user‐friendly features of the proposed technique can boost mechanobiology research making it easily affordable to any biomedical lab equipped with cell culture facilities.