I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[28574]
Open Access
Abstract: We present a flyscan compatible acquisition scheme for three-modal X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) with two-dimensional phase sensitivity. Our approach is demonstrated using a “beam tracking” setup, through which a sample’s attenuation, phase (refraction) and scattering properties can be measured from a single frame, providing three complementary contrast channels. Up to now, such setups required the sample to be stepped at each rotation angle to sample signals at an adequate rate, to prevent resolution losses, anisotropic resolution, and under-sampling artefacts. However, the need for stepping necessitated a step-and-shoot implementation, which is affected by motors’ overheads and increases the total scan time. By contrast, our proposed scheme, by which continuous horizontal and vertical translations of the sample are integrated with its rotation (leading to a “cycloidal-spiral” trajectory), is fully compatible with continuous scanning (flyscans). This leads to greatly reduced scan times while largely preserving image quality and isotropic resolution.
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Dec 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19322]
Abstract: In-line phase contrast synchrotron tomography combined with in situ mechanical loading enables the characterisation of soft tissue micromechanics via digital volume correlation (DVC) within whole organs. Optimising scan time is important for reducing radiation dose from multiple scans and to limit sample movement during acquisition. Also, although contrasted edges provided by in-line phase contrast tomography of soft tissues are useful for DVC, the effect of phase contrast imaging on its accuracy has yet to be investigated. Due to limited time at synchrotron facilities, scan parameters are often decided during imaging and their effect on DVC accuracy is not fully understood. Here, we used previously published data of intervertebral disc phase contrast tomography to evaluate the influence of i) fibrous image texture, ii) number of projections, iii) tomographic reconstruction method, and iv) phase contrast propagation distance on DVC results. A greater understanding of how image texture influences optimal DVC tracking was obtained by visualising objective function mapping, enabling tracking inaccuracies to be identified. When reducing the number of projections, DVC was minimally affected by image high frequency noise but with a compromise in accuracy. Iterative reconstruction methods improved image signal-to-noise and consequently significantly lowered DVC displacement uncertainty. Propagation distance was shown to affect DVC accuracy. Consistent DVC results were achieved within a propagation distance range which provided contrast to the smallest scale features, where; too short a distance provided insufficient features to track, whereas too long led to edge effect inconsistencies, particularly at greater deformations. Although limited to a single sample type and image setup, this study provides general guidelines for future investigations when optimising image quality and scan times for in situ phase contrast x-ray tomography of fibrous connective tissues.
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Nov 2022
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I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[26730]
Open Access
Abstract: Hydrogen can act as an energy store to balance supply and demand in the renewable energy sector. Hydrogen storage in subsurface porous media could deliver high storage capacities but the volume of recoverable hydrogen is unknown. We imaged the displacement and capillary trapping of hydrogen by brine in a Clashach sandstone core at 2–7 MPa pore fluid pressure using X-ray computed microtomography. Hydrogen saturation obtained during drainage at capillary numbers of <10−7 was ∼50% of the pore volume and independent of the pore fluid pressure. Hydrogen recovery during secondary imbibition at a capillary number of 2.4 × 10−6 systematically decreased with pressure, with 80%, 78% and 57% of the initial hydrogen recovered at 2, 5 and 7 MPa, respectively. Injection of brine at increasing capillary numbers up to 9.4 × 10−6 increased hydrogen recovery. Based on these results, we recommend more shallow, lower pressure sites for future hydrogen storage operations in porous media.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Francesca
Palermo
,
Nicola
Pieroni
,
Alessia
Sanna
,
Benedetta
Parodi
,
Consuelo
Venturi
,
Ginevra
Begani Provinciali
,
Lorenzo
Massimi
,
Laura
Maugeri
,
Gian Paolo
Marra
,
Elena
Longo
,
Lorenzo
D’amico
,
Giulia
Saccomano
,
Jonathan
Perrin
,
Giuliana
Tromba
,
Inna
Bukreeva
,
Michela
Fratini
,
Giuseppe
Gigli
,
Nicole
Kerlero De Rosbo
,
Alessia
Cedola
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[23997]
Open Access
Abstract: The 3D complexity of biological tissues and intricate structural-functional connections call for state-of-the-art X-ray imaging approaches to overcome limitations of classical imaging. Unlike other imaging techniques, X-ray phase-contrast tomography (XPCT) offers a highly sensitive 3D imaging approach to investigate different disease-relevant networks at levels ranging from single cell through to intact organ. We present here a concomitant study of the evolution of tissue damage and inflammation in different organs affected by the disease in the murine model for multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. XPCT identifies and monitors structural and cellular alterations throughout the central nervous system, but also in the gut, and eye, of mice induced to develop multiple sclerosis-like disease and sacrificed at pre-symptomatic and symptomatic time points. This study details the sequential evolution of multi-organ damages in the murine multiple sclerosis model showing the disease development and progression which is of relevance for the human case.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[22575]
Open Access
Abstract: Nature-inspired material design is driven by superior properties found in natural architected materials and enabled by recent developments in additive manufacturing and machine learning. Existing approaches to push design beyond biomimicry typically use supervised deep learning algorithms to predict and optimize properties based on experimental or simulation data. However, these methods constrain generated material designs to abstracted labels and to “black box” outputs that are only indirectly manipulable. Here we report an alternative approach using an unsupervised generative adversarial network (GAN) model. Training the model on unlabeled data constructs a latent space free of human intervention, which can then be explored through seeding, image encoding, and vector arithmetic to control specific parameters of de novo generated material designs and to push them beyond training data distributions for broad applicability. We illustrate this end-to-end with new materials inspired by leaf microstructures, showing how biological 2D structures can be used to develop novel architected materials in 2 and 3 dimensions. We further utilize a genetic algorithm to optimize generated microstructures for mechanical properties, operating directly on the latent space. This approach allows for transfer of information across manifestations using the latent space as mediator, opening new avenues for exploration of nature-inspired materials.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[16557]
Open Access
Abstract: Skeletal muscle contractions are critical for normal skeletal growth and morphogenesis but it is unclear how the detrimental effects of absent muscle on the bones and joints change over time. Joint shape and cavitation as well as rudiment length and mineralisation were assessed in multiple rudiments at two developmental stages [Theiler stage (TS)24 and TS27] in the splotch-delayed “muscle-less limb” mouse model and littermate controls. Chondrocyte morphology was quantified in 3D in the distal humerus at the same stages. As development progressed, the effects of absent muscle on all parameters except for cavitation become less severe. All major joints in muscle-less limbs were abnormally shaped at TS24, while, by TS27, most muscle-less limb joint shapes were normal or nearly normal. In contrast, any joints that were fused at TS24 did not cavitate by TS27. At TS24, chondrocytes in the distal humerus were significantly smaller in the muscle-less limbs than in controls, while by TS27, chondrocyte volume was similar between the two groups, offering a cell-level mechanism for the partial recovery in shape of muscle-less limbs. Mineralisation showed the most pronounced changes over gestation. At TS24, all muscle-less rudiments studied had less mineralisation than the controls, while at TS27, muscle-less limb rudiments had mineralisation extents equivalent to controls. In conclusion, the effects of muscle absence on prenatal murine skeletogenesis reduced in severity over gestation. Understanding how mammalian bones and joints continue to develop in an environment with abnormal fetal movements provides insights into conditions including hip dysplasia and arthrogryposis.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20984]
Open Access
Abstract: X-ray synchrotron radiation allows the investigation of many physical processes in unprecedented ways. One application, important to the fine chemicals industry, is characterizing the early stages of crystallization. To aid chemical engineers working in this area we developed the CrystalGrowthTracker package. It allows crystals to be found in videos and their growth rates measured, see Figure 1. We hope that this work can provide the basis for fully automated and 3D systems.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Maximilian
Ackermann
,
Jan C.
Kamp
,
Christopher
Werlein
,
Claire L.
Walsh
,
Helge
Stark
,
Verena
Prade
,
Rambabu
Surabattula
,
Willi
Wagner
,
Catherine
Disney
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Thomas
Illig
,
Diana J.
Leeming
,
Morten A.
Karsdal
,
Alexandar
Tzankov
,
Peter
Boor
,
Mark P.
Kuhnel
,
Florian P.
Länger
,
Stijn E.
Verleden
,
Hans M.
Kvasnicka
,
Hans H.
Kreipe
,
Axel
Haverich
,
Stephen M.
Black
,
Axel
Walch
,
Paul
Tafforeau
,
Peter D.
Lee
,
Marius M.
Hoeper
,
Tobias
Welte
,
Benjamin
Seeliger
,
Sascha
David
,
Detlef
Schuppan
,
Steven J.
Mentzer
,
Danny D.
Jonigk
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[27025, 27094]
Open Access
Abstract: Background: COVID-19 is characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation, ranging from mild symptoms to severe courses of disease. 9–20% of hospitalized patients with severe lung disease die from COVID-19 and a substantial number of survivors develop long-COVID. Our objective was to provide comprehensive insights into the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19 and to identify liquid biomarkers for disease severity and therapy response. Methods: We studied a total of 85 lungs (n = 31 COVID autopsy samples; n = 7 influenza A autopsy samples; n = 18 interstitial lung disease explants; n = 24 healthy controls) using the highest resolution Synchrotron radiation-based hierarchical phase-contrast tomography, scanning electron microscopy of microvascular corrosion casts, immunohistochemistry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging, and analysis of mRNA expression and biological pathways. Plasma samples from all disease groups were used for liquid biomarker determination using ELISA. The anatomic/molecular data were analyzed as a function of patients’ hospitalization time. Findings: The observed patchy/mosaic appearance of COVID-19 in conventional lung imaging resulted from microvascular occlusion and secondary lobular ischemia. The length of hospitalization was associated with increased intussusceptive angiogenesis. This was associated with enhanced angiogenic, and fibrotic gene expression demonstrated by molecular profiling and metabolomic analysis. Increased plasma fibrosis markers correlated with their pulmonary tissue transcript levels and predicted disease severity. Plasma analysis confirmed distinct fibrosis biomarkers (TSP2, GDF15, IGFBP7, Pro-C3) that predicted the fatal trajectory in COVID-19. Interpretation: Pulmonary severe COVID-19 is a consequence of secondary lobular microischemia and fibrotic remodelling, resulting in a distinctive form of fibrotic interstitial lung disease that contributes to long-COVID.
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Nov 2022
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B16-Test Beamline
I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[27987, 20763, 27144, 31131]
Abstract: X-ray phase-contrast tomography (X-PCT) techniques are capable of imaging samples with small differences in densities. They enable scientists to study biological or medical samples using high energy X-rays, which means less X-ray absorption and less sample damage, with high contrast quality. One branch of these techniques known as speckle-based methods have been well developed and demonstrated on real applications by different groups of developers using their own codes. However, there is lack of collective effort to package these methods into an open-source software which is easy-to-install, easy-to-use, well-documented, and optimized for speed. Such software is crucial to make the X-PCT techniques accessible to generic users and become regular tools. This report demonstrates the effort which implements speckle-based phase-retrieval methods in Python and GPU.
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Oct 2022
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I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[12585]
Open Access
Abstract: Background: Silicon carbide-fibre/silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are candidate materials for accident toler- ant fuel cladding in light water and advanced gas cooled nuclear fission reactors. The mechanical and damage behaviour of ceramic composites is sensitive to the composite geometry, the microstructure and the loading state. Reliable test methods are needed to investigate the subcritical damage that affects hermetic properties and strength, and this requires precise meas- urements under loading states that are representative of operating conditions.
Objective: The objective was a novel methodology to measure the deformation of an internally pressurised ceramic com- posite tube.
Methods: A burst test of an internally ground SiC/SiC (filament wound and braided) ceramic composite tube, pressurized by radial expansion of a compressed elastomer insert, was observed in situ by high resolution (synchrotron) X-ray tomography. The full field three-dimensional displacements were measured by digital volume correlation, with a precise rotation correc- tion applied to obtain the relative radial and circumferential displacements of the tube wall for the first time.
Results: The hoop strain, and its spatial variations, were determined as a function of the applied hoop stress and showed ovalisation and barreling of the tube. The quantity of subcritical matrix cracking increased with the tensile hoop strain, but the critical crack that caused rupture was not at the location of maximum tensile strain.
Conclusion: Precise measurements of the deformation during the burst test found non-uniform hoop strains that caused a non-uniform distribution of subcritical cracking, which could influence the hermetic properties and strength.
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Oct 2022
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