I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Mahendra P.
Raut
,
Andrea
Mele
,
Nicholas T. H.
Farr
,
Caroline S.
Taylor
,
David A.
Gregory
,
Jingqiong
Zhang
,
Yufeng
Lai
,
Annabelle
Fricker
,
Jon
Willmott
,
Candice
Majewski
,
Lyudmila
Mihaylova
,
Cornelia
Rodenburg
,
Ipsita
Roy
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33034]
Open Access
Abstract: Bone tissue engineering (BTE) aims to address the challenge of repairing critical size bone defects, but effective substitutes with suitable mechanical properties and bioactivity are still needed. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB)is a sustainable polymer with promising potential but suffers from poor mechanical properties and thermal instability. In this study, P(3HB) was reinforced with various carbon-based materials (CBMs) to evaluate thermomechanical and structural properties as well as biological responses, in composites before and after aging. CBMs with P(3HB) interactions and their spatial distribution were examined using advanced imaging, including Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Secondary Electron Hyperspectral Imaging (SEHI), and Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) analysis. Biological responses were assessed using various biocompatibility assays; cytotoxicity and osteogenicity with primary human osteoblasts (ECACC, 406-05a) and MG63 cells. Aged P(3HB)/inkjet composites showed a 140 % increase in Young's modulus (1.2 GPa), matching trabecular bone stiffness, with a 3 % lower processing temperature than neat P(3HB), enhancing suitability for 3D printing. SEHI revealed elevated OH (4.8 eV) and CO (5.7 eV) functional groups, resulting in increased surface hydrophilicity and promoted cellular responses. P(3HB)/inkjet demonstrated the highest cell attachment (267.5 ± 43.3 cells) and ALP activity (6.3 ± 0.7 nmol PNP/min), outperforming composites with Starbon (150.1 ± 38.3 cells, 6.1 ± 0.8 ALP) and activated carbon (103.4 ± 24.5 cells, 5.7 ± 0.5 ALP). All aged composites showed improved performance over their fresh counterparts. In contrast, TCP and neat P(3HB) exhibited the lowest levels of mineralization. 3D printing offers further potential for enhancing P(3HB)/inkjet composites through precise and bespoke scaffold design and clinical feasibility.
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Mar 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[38900, 36899]
Open Access
Abstract: The middle ear endures significant pressure variations during activities such as flying or diving, which can cause large displacements of the tympanic membrane and ossicles. While the middle ear of the general population usually withstands such displacements without impairing hearing function, little is known about the effects of sudden pressure changes in the middle ears of populations with connective tissue disorders, like osteogenesis imperfecta (OI or brittle bone disease). Similar to OI long bones, which fracture under minimal impact, we hypothesized that a sudden pressure change in the OI ear canal alters the ossicular chain integrity and impairs hearing function. Using the B6C3Fe a/a-Col1a1oim/oim (oim/oim) mouse model of severe OI, this study determines the impact of sudden pressure changes in the ear canal on hearing function by testing auditory brainstem response (ABR) and verifying ossicular structural integrity using synchrotron microtomography. No differences in baseline thresholds were observed between oim/oim mice and wild-type (WT) controls, as well as no changes in hearing function after pressure exposure, measured as (i) the change in the neural response amplitude at the highest sound level (ΔRMS90dB SPL), (ii) the change in ABR threshold (ΔThreshold), and (iii) the change in latency of the first positive peak of the neural response at the highest sound level (ΔLatency90dB SPL). However, post-pressure, the middle ear ossicles of oim/oim mice showed twice the incidence of incudomalleal joint abnormalities compared to healthy wild-type ears (27% vs. 13%), with incudomalleal joint narrowing, fractures, and particularly fusions.
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Feb 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[17616]
Open Access
Abstract: Ermine moths produce bursts of ultrasonic clicks that protect them from their predators. The clicks are produced by a tymbal organ that features a series of corrugated striations in the membrane of the hindwings. In response to wing folding during the wingbeat cycle, individual stria snap-through sequentially to excite the natural frequencies of a scaleless patch adjacent to the striations. Based on morphological characterization of the aeroelastic tymbal of Yponomeuta moths, we propose an analogue origami-like creased shell model to reproduce the actuation and sequential click production of the biological structure. The origami-like model helps to explain the governing biomechanics of aeroelastic tymbals; namely, the burst of clicks occurs as a result of a series of snapping vertex folds, reminiscent of the origami waterbomb, that buckle and snap-through in sequence when actuated by a global stimulus (wing folding). Such sequential buckling behaviour often occurs in pattern formation events and in the structural failure of compressed cylindrical shells and sandwich panels. Interestingly, ermine moths instead use this instability phenomenon for functionality—namely, phased acoustic sound emission—creating opportunities for new engineering applications.
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Feb 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Will J.
Dawson
,
Andrew R. T.
Morrison
,
Simon M.
Tonge
,
Matthew P.
Jones
,
Myles Kofi
Coke
,
Isabel C.
Antony
,
Kaz
Wanelik
,
Vyacheslav
Kachkanov
,
Partha P.
Paul
,
Bratislav
Lukić
,
Robert S.
Young
,
Zifa
Zuhair
,
James
Parker
,
Inez
Kesuma
,
Gargi
Giri
,
Liam
Bird
,
Alexander J. E.
Rettie
,
Rhodri
Jervis
,
James B.
Robinson
,
Denis
Cumming
,
Thomas S.
Miller
,
Paul R.
Shearing
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33315]
Open Access
Abstract: Drying of slurry cast electrodes is amongst the most energy intensive unit operations in battery manufacture. In spite of this, the optimisation of drying processes has been highly empirical, and there remains limited understanding of the interplay between drying dynamics and resulting microstructure. In this work, we used synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography in order to study the formation of mud cracks during the drying process, and evaluate their impact on the electrode microstructure. This was achieved by applying a reduced drying rate, which proved to be an effective means of studying the drying mechanism with a greater resolution and image contrast than otherwise possible. The rate of crack growth is measured, and the differing crack morphology resultant from changes in thickness (between 300 and 800 µm doctor blade gaps) and the presence of air bubbles in the slurry is demonstrated. Digital volume correlation is utilised to identify the specific location of crack formation before these cracks were visible, suggesting image correlation methods as an appropriate tool for process feedback in order to control or eliminate mud cracking. This new approach which enables direct quantification of the evolving microstructure during dynamic drying, in 3D, is therefore transformative in our understanding of the underlying physical processes and will guide rational optimisation of this industrially significant process.
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Feb 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33261]
Open Access
Abstract: Lithium metal (LM) and zero-excess lithium (ZE) anodes offer pathways to increase the energy density of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). We employ operando X-ray computed tomography combined with an image subtraction method to visualize lithium plating/stripping morphology, stack mechanical failure, and quantify the lithium reversibility in asymmetric Li6PS5Cl (LPSC)-based ASSBs. Lithium metal counter electrode (CE) and copper (Cu) working electrode (WE) emulate LM and ZE interface configurations, respectively. We compare bare Cu and silver-coated Cu (Ag/Cu) WEs under varying current densities. At 0.25 mA cm−2(WE), bare Cu shows edge-localized and non-uniform lithium deposition, while Ag/Cu facilitates more uniform lithium spreading, but results in higher first-cycle irreversibility and lower Coulombic efficiency. Above 0.5 mA cm−2(WE), failure in Li|LPSC|Cu cells initiate at the LPSC|Cu interface via spallation cracks. In contrast, Ag preserves interface integrity at the WE despite lithium initially plates at discrete nucleation spots. However, failure shifts to the Li|LPSC interface, where non-uniform lithium depletion at the CE exposes the underlying Cu, leading to spallation cracks upon subsequent plating. Mechanical finite element simulations support these observations and underscore the critical role of the nucleation layers in mitigating mechanical failure. This study highlights interface engineering as a key strategy to address electro-chemo-mechanical degradation in LM- and ZE-ASSBs.
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Jan 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Sissi
Dolci
,
Loris
Mannino
,
Eros
Rossi
,
Emanuela
Bottani
,
Francesca
Ciarpella
,
Nicola
Piazza
,
Isabel
Karkossa
,
Marzia
Di Chio
,
Benedetta
Savino
,
Benedetta
Lucidi
,
Giulia
Pruonto
,
Ilaria
Barone
,
Alessandra
Campanelli
,
Francesca
Cersosimo
,
Elisa
Setten
,
Stefano
Gianoli
,
Zulkifal
Malik
,
Giuseppe
Busetto
,
Alex
Pezzotta
,
Alessandra
Castagna
,
Nicolò
Martinelli
,
Silvia
Ferretti
,
Federico
Boschi
,
Adam
Doherty
,
Maria Teresa
Scupoli
,
Chiara
Cavallini
,
Giorgio
Malpeli
,
Alessia
Amenta
,
Ludovica
Sagripanti
,
Vincenzo
Silani
,
Patrizia
Cristofori
,
Eugenio
Scanziani
,
Marco
Sandri
,
Anna
Pistocchi
,
Patrizia
Bossolasco
,
Marco
Endrizzi
,
Kristin
Schubert
,
Guido Francesco
Fumagalli
,
Massimo
Locati
,
Francesco
Bifari
,
Ilaria
Decimo
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[32416]
Open Access
Abstract: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) enhance cancer progression by promoting angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and immune suppression. Nerve infiltration also contributes to tumor growth. However, the role of TAMs in promoting intratumoral nerve growth remains unclear. In this study, we have shown that TAMs express a distinct neural growth gene signature. TAMs actively enhanced neural growth within tumors and directly promoted in vitro neurite outgrowth. We identified secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) as a required mediator of TAM-driven neural growth and mTORC2 activation. Leveraging this TAM-neural growth function, we explored TAM neuroregenerative potential. Adoptive transfer of TAMs in severe complete-compressive-contusive spinal cord injury (scSCI) increased neuronal survival, axonal regrowth, and motor function recovery. Moreover, TAMs healed scSCI microenvironment and remodeled the cyst. Functional and proteomic analyses confirmed SPP1 and neural Rictor as necessary molecular mediators for TAM-induced regeneration. Our data unveil a role for TAMs in tumor innervation and neural tissue repair.
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Jan 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[35875]
Open Access
Abstract: Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) face significant challenges in achieving reversibility and cycling stability, primarily due to hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) and zinc dendrite growth. In this study, by employing carefully designed cells that approximate the structural characteristics of practical batteries, we revisit this widely held view through in-operando X-ray radiography to examine zinc dendrite formation and HER under near-practical operating conditions. While conventional understanding emphasizes the severity of these processes, our findings suggest that zinc dendrites and HER are noticeably less pronounced in dense, real-operation configurations compared to modified cells, possibly due to a more uniform electric field and the suppression of triple-phase boundaries. This study indicates that other components, such as degradation at the cathode current collector interface and configuration mismatches within the full cell, may also represent important barriers to the practical application of AZMBs, particularly during the early stages of electrodeposition.
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Dec 2025
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Kunning
Tang
,
Ryan T.
Armstrong
,
Peyman
Mostaghimi
,
Yufu
Niu
,
Quentin
Meyer
,
Chuan
Zhao
,
Donal P.
Finegan
,
Melissa
Popeil
,
Kamaljit
Singh
,
Hannah
Menke
,
Alexandros
Patsoukis Dimou
,
Tom
Bultreys
,
Arjen
Mascini
,
Mark
Knackstedt
,
Ying
Da Wang
Open Access
Abstract: The recent introduction of deep learning methods for image processing has greatly advanced the characterization of materials using three-dimensional (3D) X-ray imaging techniques. However, deep learning models often have difficulty performing consistently across images owing to unavoidable variations in imaging conditions, which create inconsistencies even for the same material. As a result, networks must frequently be retrained for new datasets, limiting their applicability and generalization. Thus, it is critical to reduce the variations between images to enable a single model to process multiple datasets. Herein, we introduce P3T-Net, a pseudo-3D domain transfer network that transfers diverse 3D images into a uniform domain before processing using deep learning models. Remarkably, P3T-Net enables the reuse of previously trained networks for processing new images and considerably reduces the computational cost of transferring 3D images across domains. These unique capabilities were demonstrated in the following scenarios: (i) image enhancement of fast scans for geological rock and hydrogen fuel cells, (ii) enhancement of images to match the quality of multi-source imaging for lithium-ion batteries, (iii) accurate segmentation of images captured under different conditions, and (iv) tera-scale 3D transfer (1011 voxels) on a single GPU. Overall, the proposed approach addresses cross-domain inconsistencies across various materials and conditions, thereby enabling more robust and generalizable deep learning solutions for a wide range of material imaging tasks.
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Dec 2025
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[21843]
Open Access
Abstract: Cortical bone is highly porous comprising of interconnecting network of vascular canals and osteocyte lacunae. Our understanding of the mechanisms coupling vascular: lacunar spatial organisation in cortical bone is poorly understood. Defining cellular cross talk mechanisms could be key in identification of reciprocal molecular signals driving increased cortical porosity with age.
Driven by the hypothesis that porosity within bone is heterogeneous and influenced by region-specific spatial cues, we utilised Synchrotron X-Ray computed tomography to characterise intracortical canal and osteocyte lacunae distribution, morphology and spatial arrangements in healthy and pathological murine bone.
We found that the posterior region of the tibiofibular (TFJ) junction exhibited the highest levels of cortical porosity and highest canal number density versus other regions. The volume of osteocyte lacunae volume positioned proximal to cortical vascular canals was highest in the posterior region. Following deletion of bone-derived VEGF the region-specific effects on lacunar: vascular arrangements described in the wild type TFJ were lost. Our results describe spatial diversity in osteocyte lacunae size within the bone cortex which associates with vascular canal arrangements which are maintained by VEGF.
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Dec 2025
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20721]
Open Access
Abstract: Light pollution is a major contributing factor to declines in global biodiversity1,2 that is steadily increasing in both severity and spatial extent.3,4,5 Artificial light at night degrades the natural visual environment by distorting and masking information vital to various nocturnal animal behaviors. In this study, we demonstrate that multiple discrete behavioral impacts of light pollution can occur simultaneously in different ecological contexts, potentially amplifying the negative consequences of light at night. We detail how artificial light at the ecologically critical transition between day and night modifies the nocturnal activity patterns of two ecologically distinct and phylogenetically distant terrestrial nocturnal arthropods: the long-distance migratory moth Helicoverpa armigera and the central-place foraging spider Drassodes. Moreover, we show that the same timing and levels of light pollution disrupt the celestial nocturnal pattern of polarized light, a visual cue used by these and other species for navigation.6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 We suggest that the concurrent effects of a single anthropogenic stressor can be synergistic and stress the importance of reviewing the relationships between the multiple effects of single stressors when evaluating their impacts.
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Dec 2025
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