1
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Gholinia A, Donoghue J, Garner A, Curd M, Lawson MJ, Winiarski B, Geurts R, Withers PJ, Burnett TL. Exploration of fs-laser ablation parameter space for 2D/3D imaging of soft and hard materials by tri-beam microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 2024; 257:113903. [PMID: 38101083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2023.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Tri-beam microscopes comprising a fs-laser beam, a Xe+ plasma focused ion beam (PFIB) and an electron beam all in one chamber open up exciting opportunities for site-specific correlative microscopy. They offer the possibility of rapid ablation and material removal by fs-laser, subsequent polishing by Xe-PFIB milling and electron imaging of the same area. While tri-beam systems are capable of probing large (mm) volumes providing high resolution microscopical characterisation of 2D and 3D images across exceptionally wide range of materials and biomaterials applications, presenting high quality/low damage surfaces to the electron beam can present a significant challenge, especially given the large parameter space for optimisation. Here the optimal conditions and artefacts associated with large scale volume milling, mini test piece manufacture, serial sectioning and surface polishing are investigated, both in terms of surface roughness and surface quality for metallic, ceramic, mixed complex phase, carbonaceous, and biological materials. This provides a good starting place for those wishing to examine large areas or volumes by tri-beam microscopy across a range of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gholinia
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - J Donoghue
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - A Garner
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - M Curd
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - M J Lawson
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - B Winiarski
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Pecha 1282/12, Brno 62700, Czech Republic
| | - R Geurts
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, Eindhoven 5651GG, The Netherlands
| | - P J Withers
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - T L Burnett
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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2
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Ma CY, Nguyen TTH, Gajjar P, Styliari ID, Hammond RB, Withers PJ, Murnane D, Roberts KJ. Predicting the Strength of Cohesive and Adhesive Interparticle Interactions for Dry Powder Inhalation Blends of Terbutaline Sulfate with α-Lactose Monohydrate. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:5019-5031. [PMID: 37682633 PMCID: PMC10548469 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Grid-based systematic search methods are used to investigate molecule-molecule, molecule-surface, and surface-surface contributions to interparticle interactions in order to identify the crystal faces that most strongly affect particle behavior during powder blend formulation and delivery processes. The model system comprises terbutaline sulfate (TBS) as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and α-form lactose monohydrate (LMH). A combination of systematic molecular modeling and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is used to determine not only the adhesive and cohesive interparticle energies but, also the agglomeration behavior during manufacturing and de-agglomeration behavior during delivery after inhalation. This is achieved through a detailed examination of the balance between the adhesive and cohesive energies with the XCT results confirming the blend segregation tendencies, through the particle-particle de-agglomeration process. The results reveal that the cohesive interaction energies of TBS-TBS are higher than the adhesive energies between TBS and LMH, but that the cohesive energies of LMH-LMH are the smallest between molecule and molecule, molecule and surface, and surface and surface. This shows how systematic grid-search molecular modeling along with XCT can guide the digital formulation design of inhalation powders in order to achieve optimum aerosolization and efficacy for inhaled medicines. This will lead to faster pharmaceutical design with less variability, higher quality, and enhanced performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai Y. Ma
- Centre
for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process
Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Thai T. H. Nguyen
- Centre
for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process
Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Parmesh Gajjar
- School
of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, University
of Manchester, Oxford
Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Ioanna D. Styliari
- School
of Life and Medical Sciences, University
of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, U.K.
| | - Robert B. Hammond
- Centre
for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process
Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Philip J. Withers
- School
of Materials, Henry Royce Institute, University
of Manchester, Oxford
Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Darragh Murnane
- School
of Life and Medical Sciences, University
of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, U.K.
| | - Kevin J. Roberts
- Centre
for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process
Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, U.K.
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3
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Gajjar P, Styliari ID, Legh-Land V, Bale H, Tordoff B, Withers PJ, Murnane D. Microstructural insight into inhalation powder blends through correlative multi-scale X-ray computed tomography. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2023; 191:265-275. [PMID: 37657613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Dry powder inhalers (DPI) are important for topical drug delivery to the lungs, but characterising the pre-aerosolised powder microstructure is a key initial step in understanding the post-aerosolised blend performance. In this work, we characterise the pre-aerosolised 3D microstructure of an inhalation blend using correlative multi-scale X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT), identifying lactose and drug-rich phases at multiple length scales on the same sample. The drug-rich phase distribution across the sample is shown to be homogeneous on a bulk scale but heterogeneous on a particulate scale, with individual clusters containing different amounts of drug-rich phase, and different parts of a carrier particle coated with different amounts of drug-rich phase. Simple scalings of the drug-rich phase thickness with carrier particle size are used to derive the drug-proportion to carrier particle size relationship. This work opens new doors to micro-structural assessment of inhalation powders that could be invaluable for bioequivalence assessment of dry powder inhalers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmesh Gajjar
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; National Facility for Laboratory X-ray Computed Tomography, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Seda Pharmaceutical Development Services, Unit D, Oakfield Road, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Stockport SK8 3GX, UK.
| | - Ioanna Danai Styliari
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Victoria Legh-Land
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Hrishikesh Bale
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, 5300 Central Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568, USA
| | - Benjamin Tordoff
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Straße 22, 73447 Oberkochen, Germany
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; National Facility for Laboratory X-ray Computed Tomography, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Darragh Murnane
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
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4
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Wu Z, Wu S, Gao X, Lin Y, Xue Y, Withers PJ. The role of internal defects on anisotropic tensile failure of L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14681. [PMID: 37673912 PMCID: PMC10482850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39948-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of defects on tensile failure of additive manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy focusing particularly on the role of large pancake shaped loss of fusion (LOF) defects lying perpendicular to the build direction (BD). Time-lapse in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography during straining reveals how, when tested parallel to the BD, the LOF defects extend laterally with straining connecting to other defects and giving rise to low plasticity and an essentially brittle failure mode. When they are aligned edge-on to the straining direction, failure is characterised by a ductile cup-cone failure with significant elongation of the defects axially and extensive necking prior to failure. The soft fish-scale melt pool boundaries were also found to affect the fracture path. These results highlight the anisotropic effect of loss of fusion defects in controlling tensile ductility and the need to minimize their size and aspect ratio. In cases where these cannot be fully eliminated the component should be fabricated such that the BD is not aligned with the dominant in-service loading direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Shengchuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China.
| | - Xi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Ying Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Yanling Xue
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201204, China
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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5
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Warr R, Handschuh S, Glösmann M, Cernik RJ, Withers PJ. Quantifying multiple stain distributions in bioimaging by hyperspectral X-ray tomography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21945. [PMID: 36535963 PMCID: PMC9763266 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23592-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical staining of biological specimens is commonly utilised to boost contrast in soft tissue structures, but unambiguous identification of staining location and distribution is difficult without confirmation of the elemental signature, especially for chemicals of similar density contrast. Hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography (XCT) enables the non-destructive identification, segmentation and mapping of elemental composition within a sample. With the availability of hundreds of narrow, high resolution (~ 1 keV) energy channels, the technique allows the simultaneous detection of multiple contrast agents across different tissue structures. Here we describe a hyperspectral imaging routine for distinguishing multiple chemical agents, regardless of contrast similarity. Using a set of elemental calibration phantoms, we perform a first instance of direct stain concentration measurement using spectral absorption edge markers. Applied to a set of double- and triple-stained biological specimens, the study analyses the extent of stain overlap and uptake regions for commonly used contrast markers. An improved understanding of stain concentration as a function of position, and the interaction between multiple stains, would help inform future studies on multi-staining procedures, as well as enable future exploration of heavy metal uptake across medical, agricultural and ecological fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Warr
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
| | - Stephan Handschuh
- grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Glösmann
- grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert J. Cernik
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
| | - Philip J. Withers
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
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6
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Rawson SD, Bayram V, McDonald SA, Yang P, Courtois L, Guo Y, Xu J, Burnett TL, Barg S, Withers PJ. Tailoring the Microstructure of Lamellar Ti 3C 2T x MXene Aerogel by Compressive Straining. ACS Nano 2022; 16:1896-1908. [PMID: 35130692 PMCID: PMC8867911 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c04538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aerogels are attracting increasing interest due to their functional properties, such as lightweight and high porosity, which make them promising materials for energy storage and advanced composites. Compressive deformation allows the nano- and microstructure of lamellar freeze-cast aerogels to be tailored toward the aforementioned applications, where a 3D nanostructure of closely spaced, aligned sheets is desired. Quantitatively characterizing their microstructural evolution during compression is needed to allow optimization of manufacturing, understand in-service structural changes, and determine how aerogel structure relates to functional properties. Herein we have developed methods to quantitatively analyze lamellar aerogel domains, sheet spacing, and sheet orientation in 3D and to track their evolution as a function of increasing compression through synchrotron phase contrast X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT). The as-cast domains are predominantly aligned with the freezing direction with random orientation in the orthogonal plane. Generally the sheets rotate toward flat and their spacing narrows progressively with increasing compression with negligible lateral strain (zero Poisson's ratio). This is with the exception of sheets close to parallel with the loading direction (Z), which maintain their orientation and sheet spacing until ∼60% compression, beyond which they exhibit buckling. These data suggest that a single-domain, fully aligned as-cast aerogel is not necessary to produce a post-compression aligned lamellar structure and indicate how the spacing can be tailored as a function of compressive strain. The analysis methods presented herein are applicable to optimizing freeze-casting process and quantifying lamellar microdomain structures generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley D. Rawson
- Henry
Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Vildan Bayram
- Department
of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | | | - Pei Yang
- Department
of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | | | - Yi Guo
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BU, U.K.
| | - Jiaqi Xu
- Henry
Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Timothy L. Burnett
- Henry
Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Suelen Barg
- Department
of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
- Institute
of Materials Resource Management, Augsburg
University, Augsburg 86159, Germany
| | - Philip J. Withers
- Henry
Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
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7
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Papoutsellis E, Ametova E, Delplancke C, Fardell G, Jørgensen JS, Pasca E, Turner M, Warr R, Lionheart WRB, Withers PJ. Core Imaging Library - Part II: multichannel reconstruction for dynamic and spectral tomography. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021; 379:20200193. [PMID: 34218671 PMCID: PMC8255950 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The newly developed core imaging library (CIL) is a flexible plug and play library for tomographic imaging with a specific focus on iterative reconstruction. CIL provides building blocks for tailored regularized reconstruction algorithms and explicitly supports multichannel tomographic data. In the first part of this two-part publication, we introduced the fundamentals of CIL. This paper focuses on applications of CIL for multichannel data, e.g. dynamic and spectral. We formalize different optimization problems for colour processing, dynamic and hyperspectral tomography and demonstrate CIL's capabilities for designing state-of-the-art reconstruction methods through case studies and code snapshots. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synergistic tomographic image reconstruction: part 2'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Papoutsellis
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Scientific Computing Department, Science Technology Facilities Council, UK Research and Innovation, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
| | - Evelina Ametova
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | - Gemma Fardell
- Scientific Computing Department, Science Technology Facilities Council, UK Research and Innovation, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
| | - Jakob S Jørgensen
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Edoardo Pasca
- Scientific Computing Department, Science Technology Facilities Council, UK Research and Innovation, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
| | - Martin Turner
- Research IT Services, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ryan Warr
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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8
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Jørgensen JS, Ametova E, Burca G, Fardell G, Papoutsellis E, Pasca E, Thielemans K, Turner M, Warr R, Lionheart WRB, Withers PJ. Core Imaging Library - Part I: a versatile Python framework for tomographic imaging. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021. [PMID: 34218673 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4744394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We present the Core Imaging Library (CIL), an open-source Python framework for tomographic imaging with particular emphasis on reconstruction of challenging datasets. Conventional filtered back-projection reconstruction tends to be insufficient for highly noisy, incomplete, non-standard or multi-channel data arising for example in dynamic, spectral and in situ tomography. CIL provides an extensive modular optimization framework for prototyping reconstruction methods including sparsity and total variation regularization, as well as tools for loading, preprocessing and visualizing tomographic data. The capabilities of CIL are demonstrated on a synchrotron example dataset and three challenging cases spanning golden-ratio neutron tomography, cone-beam X-ray laminography and positron emission tomography. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synergistic tomographic image reconstruction: part 2'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Jørgensen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - E Ametova
- Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - G Burca
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC, UKRI, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - G Fardell
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC, UKRI, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
| | - E Papoutsellis
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC, UKRI, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - E Pasca
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC, UKRI, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
| | - K Thielemans
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Turner
- Research IT Services, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - R Warr
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - W R B Lionheart
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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9
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O'Sullivan JDB, Cruickshank SM, Withers PJ, Else KJ. Morphological variability in the mucosal attachment site of Trichuris muris revealed by X-ray microcomputed tomography. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:797-807. [PMID: 34216623 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic infections can be challenging to study because two dimensional light and electron microscopy are often limited in visualising complex and inaccessible attachment sites. Exemplifying this, Trichuris spp. inhabit a tunnel of epithelial cells within the host caecum and colon. A significant global burden of this infection persists, partly because available anthelminthics lack efficacy, although the mechanisms underlying this remain unknown. Consequently, there is a need to pioneer new approaches to better characterize the parasite niche within the host and investigate how variation in its morphology and integrity may contribute to resistance to therapeutic intervention. To address these aims, we exploited three-dimensional X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT) to image the mouse whipworm, Trichuris muris, in caeca of wild-type C57BL/6 and SCID mice ex vivo. Using osmium tetroxide staining to effectively enhance the contrast of worms, we found that a subset exhibited preferential positioning towards the bases of the intestinal crypts. Moreover, in one rare event, we demonstrated whipworm traversal of the lamina propria. This morphological variability contradicts widely accepted conclusions from conventional microscopy of the parasite niche, showing Trichuris in close contact with the host proliferative and immune compartments that may facilitate immunomodulation. Furthermore, by using a skeletonization-based approach we demonstrate considerable variation in tunnel length and integrity. The qualitative and quantitative observations provide a new morphological point of reference for future in vitro study of host-Trichuris interactions, and highlight the potential of microCT to characterise enigmatic host-parasite interactions more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D B O'Sullivan
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom; Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Sheena M Cruickshank
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J Else
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
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10
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Prajapati A, Morse S, Chirazi A, Burnett T, Withers PJ. Complementary time-lapse datasets of x-ray computed tomography and real-time strain mapping for an ex-situ study of non-crimp glass fibre composites under fatigue loading. Data Brief 2021; 37:107157. [PMID: 34095394 PMCID: PMC8167186 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Data published in this paper corresponds to a time-lapse ex-situ experiment aimed at analyzing the tension-tension fatigue damage in non-crimp glass-epoxy composites by multi-scale x-ray computed tomography (XCT) of the damage features and their timeline. This is then correlated with the strain fields obtained through digital image correlation (DIC). The XCT - DIC datasets by is acquired by interrupting mechanical fatigue tests at three time-steps, after the material has undergone 0 cycles, 70,000 cycles, 80,000 cycles, and 120,000 cycles. This is one of the first multi-modally correlated datasets available for these types of non-crimp glass fibre composites, which explore the structure-property relationship in a time-dependent behavior. This dataset can be used to explore glass-fibre composites microstructure under a progressive damage scheme and can be used to test and train a plethora of image processing and analysis techniques. This dataset can also be used as an attempt to model the fatigue behavior of quasi-unidirectional non-crimp fibre composites by image-based simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Prajapati
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Stuart Morse
- Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ali Chirazi
- Visualization Sciences Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bordeaux 33800, France
| | - Timothy Burnett
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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11
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Zhong X, Wade CA, Withers PJ, Zhou X, Cai C, Haigh SJ, Burke MG. Comparing Xe + pFIB and Ga + FIB for TEM sample preparation of Al alloys: Minimising FIB-induced artefacts. J Microsc 2021; 282:101-112. [PMID: 33210738 PMCID: PMC8246817 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the dual beam Xe+ plasma focused ion beam (Xe+ pFIB) instrument has attracted increasing interest for site-specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation for a local region of interest as it shows several potential benefits compared to conventional Ga+ FIB milling. Nevertheless, challenges and questions remain especially in terms of FIB-induced artefacts, which hinder reliable S/TEM microstructural and compositional analysis. Here we examine the efficacy of using Xe+ pFIB as compared with conventional Ga+ FIB for TEM sample preparation of Al alloys. Three potential source of specimen preparation artefacts were examined, namely: (1) implantation-induced defects such as amophisation, dislocations, or 'bubble' formation in the near-surface region resulting from ion bombardment of the sample by the incident beam; (2) compositional artefacts due to implantation of the source ions and (3) material redeposition due to the milling process. It is shown that Xe+ pFIB milling is able to produce improved STEM/TEM samples compared to those produced by Ga+ milling, and is therefore the preferred specimen preparation route. Strategies for minimising the artefacts induced by Xe+ pFIB and Ga+ FIB are also proposed. LAY DESCRIPTION: FIB (focused ion beam) instruments have become one of the most important systems in the preparation of site-specific TEM specimens, which are typically 50-100 nm in thickness. TEM specimen preparation of Al alloys is particularly challenging, as convention Ga-ion FIB produces artefacts in these materials that make microstructural analysis difficult or impossible. Recently, the use of noble gas ion sources, such as Xe, has markedly improved milling speeds and is being used for the preparation of various materials. Hence, it is necessary to investigate the structural defects formed during FIB milling and assess the ion-induced chemical contamination in these TEM samples. Here we explore the feasibility and efficiency of using Xe+ PFIB as a TEM sample preparation route for Al alloys in comparison with the conventional Ga+FIB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangli Zhong
- Department of MaterialsUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - C. Austin Wade
- Department of Materials, Materials Performance CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Philip J. Withers
- Department of Materials, Henry Royce InstituteUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Xiaorong Zhou
- Department of MaterialsUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Changrun Cai
- Department of MaterialsUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Sarah J. Haigh
- Department of MaterialsUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - M. Grace Burke
- Department of Materials, Materials Performance CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
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12
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Carneiro VH, Rawson SD, Puga H, Withers PJ. Macro-, meso- and microstructural characterization of metallic lattice structures manufactured by additive manufacturing assisted investment casting. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4974. [PMID: 33654178 PMCID: PMC7925644 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84524-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular materials are recognized for their high specific mechanical properties, making them desirable in ultra-lightweight applications. Periodic lattices have tunable properties and may be manufactured by metallic additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. However, AM can lead to issues with un-melted powder, macro/micro porosity, dimensional control and heterogeneous microstructures. This study overcomes these problems through a novel technique, combining additive manufacturing and investment casting to produce detailed investment cast lattice structures. Fused filament fabrication is used to fabricate a pattern used as the mold for the investment casting of aluminium A356 alloy into high-conformity thin-ribbed (~ 0.6 mm thickness) scaffolds. X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) is used to characterize macro- and meso-scale defects. Optical and scanning electron (SEM) microscopies are used to characterize the microstructure of the cast structures. Slight dimensional (macroscale) variations originate from the 3D printing of the pattern. At the mesoscale, the casting process introduces very fine (~ 3 µm) porosity, along with small numbers of (~ 25 µm) gas entrapment defects in the horizontal struts. At a microstructural level, both the (~ 70 μm) globular/dendritic grains and secondary phases show no significant variations across the lattices. This method is a promising alternative means for producing highly detailed non-stochastic metallic cellular lattices and offers scope for further improvement through refinement of filament fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- V H Carneiro
- CMEMS-UMinho, University of Minho, Campus of Azurém, 4800-058, Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - S D Rawson
- Department of Materials, The Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - H Puga
- CMEMS-UMinho, University of Minho, Campus of Azurém, 4800-058, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - P J Withers
- Department of Materials, The Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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13
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Gajjar P, Nguyen TTH, Sun J, Styliari ID, Bale H, McDonald SA, Burnett TL, Tordoff B, Lauridsen E, Hammond RB, Murnane D, Withers PJ, Roberts KJ. Crystallographic tomography and molecular modelling of structured organic polycrystalline powders. CrystEngComm 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d0ce01712d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Novel combination of crystallographic tomography and molecular modelling is used to examine the powder packing behaviour and crystal interactions for an organic polycrystalline powder bed.
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14
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Smith AD, Donoghue JM, Garner AJW, Lunt D, Harte A, Wilford K, Withers PJ, Preuss M. Novel Methods for Recording Stress-Strain Curves in Proton Irradiated Material. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5353. [PMID: 32210290 PMCID: PMC7093538 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62241-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractProton irradiation is often used as a proxy for neutron irradiation but the irradiated layer is typically <50 μm deep; this presents a problem when trying to obtain mechanical test data as a function of irradiation level. Two novel methodologies have been developed to record stress-strain curves for thin proton-irradiated surface layers of SA-508-4N ferritic steel. In the first case, in-situ loading experiments are carried out using a combination of X-ray diffraction and digital image correlation on the near surface region in order to measure stress and strain, thereby eliminating the influence of the non-irradiated volume. The second approach is to manufacture small-scale tensile specimens containing only the proton irradiated volume but approaching the smallest representative volume of the material. This is achieved by high-speed focused ion beam (FIB) milling though the application of a Xe+ Plasma-FIB (PFIB). It is demonstrated that both techniques are capable of recording the early stage of uniaxial flow behaviour of the irradiated material with sufficient accuracy providing a measure of irradiation-induced shift of yield strength, strain hardening and tensile strength.
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15
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Zhong XL, Haigh SJ, Zhou X, Withers PJ. An in-situ method for protecting internal cracks/pores from ion beam damage and reducing curtaining for TEM sample preparation using FIB. Ultramicroscopy 2020; 219:113135. [PMID: 33129062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2020.113135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Focused ion beam (FIB) milling has evolved to be one of the most important Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) site specific sample preparation techniques. However, this technique still poses challenges, such as the structural damage and potential curtaining issues often observed for thin TEM lamella. These artefacts can negatively affect the TEM analysis results. In particular, structures such as internal cracks and pores in FIB prepared TEM samples can often be damaged during sample preparation. This is commonly regarded as an unavoidable problem, even though microstructurally intact thin lamellae TEM samples are widely needed for the investigation of crack tips or pore morphologies in many different materials. This presents a strong driver for the development of innovative methods to overcome damage and curtaining issues during FIB sample preparation. Here we report on a new methodology developed to protect internal cracks and pores from ion beam damage. Our proposed method also mitigates curtaining issues, which often make TEM analysis more difficult. This method uses the FIB to sputter and redeposit material onto the edges of any cracks or pores in order to fill these features in-situ prior to lamella thinning. Case studies showcasing this method are presented, demonstrating the approach on a modular pure iron sample and on a porous laser treated Al/B4C composite sample. Our proposed 'filling' method has demonstrated a two key benefits; it preserves the integrity of the edges of any cracks and pores and it reducing curtaining. The results also demonstrate that this technique can be an alternative to conventional Gas Injection System (GIS) deposition for protecting the external top surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li Zhong
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Sarah J Haigh
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Xiaorong Zhou
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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16
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Prajapati A, Chirazi A, Mikkelsen LP, Burnett T, Withers PJ. Observing the evolution of fatigue damage and associated strain fields in a correlative, multiscale 3D time-lapse study of quasi-unidirectional glass fibre composites. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1088/1757-899x/942/1/012039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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17
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Gholinia A, Curd ME, Bousser E, Taylor K, Hosman T, Coyle S, Shearer MH, Hunt J, Withers PJ. Coupled Broad Ion Beam–Scanning Electron Microscopy (BIB–SEM) for polishing and three dimensional (3D) serial section tomography (SST). Ultramicroscopy 2020; 214:112989. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2020.112989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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18
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Gajjar P, Styliari ID, Nguyen TTH, Carr J, Chen X, Elliott JA, Hammond RB, Burnett TL, Roberts K, Withers PJ, Murnane D. 3D characterisation of dry powder inhaler formulations: Developing X-ray micro computed tomography approaches. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2020; 151:32-44. [PMID: 32268190 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Carrier-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations need to be accurately characterised for their particle size distributions, surface roughnesses, fines contents and flow properties. Understanding the micro-structure of the powder formulation is crucial, yet current characterisation methods give incomplete information. Commonly used techniques like laser diffraction (LD) and optical microscopy (OM) are limited due to the assumption of sphericity and can give variable results depending on particle orientation and dispersion. The aim of this work was to develop new three dimensional (3D) powder analytical techniques using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) that could be employed for non-destructive metrology of inhaled formulations. α-lactose monohydrate powders with different characteristics have been analysed, and their size and shape (sphericity/aspect ratio) distributions compared with results from LD and OM. The three techniques were shown to produce comparable size distributions, while the different shape distributions from XCT and OM highlight the difference between 2D and 3D imaging. The effect of micro-structure on flowability was also analysed through 3D measurements of void volume and tap density. This study has demonstrated for the first time that XCT provides an invaluable, non-destructive and analytical approach to obtain number- and volume-based particle size distributions of DPI formulations in 3D space, and for unique 3D characterisation of powder micro-structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gajjar
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - I D Styliari
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - T T H Nguyen
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Carr
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - X Chen
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK
| | - J A Elliott
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK
| | - R B Hammond
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - T L Burnett
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - K Roberts
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - D Murnane
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
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19
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O'Sullivan JDB, Cruickshank SM, Starborg T, Withers PJ, Else KJ. Characterisation of cuticular inflation development and ultrastructure in Trichuris muris using correlative X-ray computed tomography and electron microscopy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5846. [PMID: 32246000 PMCID: PMC7125116 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61916-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitic nematode Trichuris trichiura is a significant burden on public health in developing countries, and currently available drugs exhibit a poor cure rate. Worms live within a specialised tunnel of host intestinal epithelial cells and have anterior-ventral projections of the cuticle termed “cuticular inflations”, which are thought to be involved in host-parasite interactions. This work aimed to characterise structure and suggest a function of cuticular inflations in the most tractable and widely-used model of trichuriasis, Trichuris muris. Using scanning electron microscopy, we show for the first time that most cuticular inflations develop between the second and third larval moults. Correlative X-ray computed tomography (CT)-steered Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy enabled ultrastructural imaging of cuticular inflations, and showed the presence of an additional, web-like layer of cuticle between the median and cortical layers of the inflation. Additionally, we characterised variation in inflation morphology, resolving debate as to the inflations’ true shape in situ. Cells underlying the inflations had many mitochondria, and we highlight their potential capacity for active transport as an area for future investigation. Overall, insights from the powerful imaging techniques used provide an excellent basis for future study of cuticular inflation function.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D B O'Sullivan
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom. .,The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
| | - Sheena M Cruickshank
- The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Starborg
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Matrix Research, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J Else
- The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
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20
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Abstract
Recent developments within micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging have combined to extend our capacity to image tissue in three (3D) and four (4D) dimensions at micron and sub-micron spatial resolutions, opening the way for virtual histology, live cell imaging, subcellular imaging and correlative microscopy. Pivotal to this has been the development of methods to extend the contrast achievable for soft tissue. Herein, we review the new capabilities within the field of life sciences imaging, and consider how future developments in this field could further benefit the life sciences community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley D Rawson
- The Henry Royce Institute and School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jekaterina Maksimcuka
- The Henry Royce Institute and School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- The Henry Royce Institute and School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Sarah H Cartmell
- The Henry Royce Institute and School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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21
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Gajjar P, Styliari ID, Nguyen TTH, Carr J, Chen X, Elliott JA, Hammond RB, Burnett TL, Roberts K, Withers PJ, Murnane D. WITHDRAWN: 3D characterisation of dry powder inhaler formulations: Developing X-ray micro computed tomography approaches. Int J Pharm 2020:118988. [PMID: 31935476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P Gajjar
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - I D Styliari
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK
| | - T T H Nguyen
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Carr
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - X Chen
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
| | - J A Elliott
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
| | - R B Hammond
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - T L Burnett
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - K Roberts
- Centre for the Digital Design of Drug Products, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - D Murnane
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK.
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22
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23
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McDonald SA, Coban SB, Sottos NR, Withers PJ. Tracking capsule activation and crack healing in a microcapsule-based self-healing polymer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17773. [PMID: 31780720 PMCID: PMC6883056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural polymeric materials incorporating a microencapsulated liquid healing agent demonstrate the ability to autonomously heal cracks. Understanding how an advancing crack interacts with the microcapsules is critical to optimizing performance through tailoring the size, distribution and density of these capsules. For the first time, time-lapse synchrotron X-ray phase contrast computed tomography (CT) has been used to observe in three-dimensions (3D) the dynamic process of crack growth, microcapsule rupture and progressive release of solvent into a crack as it propagates and widens, providing unique insights into the activation and repair process. In this epoxy self-healing material, 150 µm diameter microcapsules within 400 µm of the crack plane are found to rupture and contribute to the healing process, their discharge quantified as a function of crack propagation and distance from the crack plane. Significantly, continued release of solvent takes place to repair the crack as it grows and progressively widens.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A McDonald
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - S B Coban
- Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Computational Imaging Group, Science Park 123, 1098XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - N R Sottos
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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24
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Burnett TL, Withers PJ. Completing the picture through correlative characterization. Nat Mater 2019; 18:1041-1049. [PMID: 31209389 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0402-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Natural and manufactured materials rely on complex hierarchical microstructures to deliver a suite of interesting properties. To predict and tailor their performance requires a joined-up knowledge of their multiphase microstructure, interfaces, chemistry and crystallography from the nanoscale to the macroscale. This Perspective reflects on how recent developments in correlative characterization can bring together multiple image modalities and maps of the local chemistry, structure and functionality to form rich multimodal and multiscale correlated datasets. The automated collection and digitization of multidimensional data is an essential part of the picture for developing multiscale modelling and 'big data'-driven machine learning approaches. These are needed to both improve our understanding of existing materials and exploit high-throughput combinatorial synthesis, processing and testing methods to develop materials with bespoke properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Burnett
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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25
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Starborg T, O'Sullivan JDB, Carneiro CM, Behnsen J, Else KJ, Grencis RK, Withers PJ. Experimental steering of electron microscopy studies using prior X-ray computed tomography. Ultramicroscopy 2019; 201:58-67. [PMID: 30928781 PMCID: PMC6504073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Using microCT pre-scans to accurately steer serial block face SEM. High throughput screening and mapping samples to reduce time hunting for features of interest. Using microCT to optimise specimen preparation and staining. Using microCT to guide site-specific TEM sample preparation.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can provide unrivalled high-resolution images of specific features and volumes of interest. However, the regions interrogated are typically very small, and sample preparation is both time-consuming and destructive. Here we consider how prior X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT) presents an opportunity to increase the efficiency of electron microscopy in biology. We demonstrate how it can be used to; select the most promising samples and target site-specific locations; provide a wider context of the location being interrogated (multiscale correlative imaging); guide sample preparation and 3D imaging schemes; as well as quantify the effects of destructive sample preparation and staining procedures. We present a workflow utilising open source software in which microCT can be used either broadly, or precisely, to experimentally steer and inform subsequent electron microscopy studies. As automated sample registration procedures are developed to enable correlative microscopy, experimental steering by prior CT could be beneficially routinely incorporated into many experimental workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Starborg
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Matrix Research, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - James D B O'Sullivan
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Claudia Martins Carneiro
- Immunopathology Laboratory, NUPEB, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Campus Universitário Morro do Cruzeiro, 35400-000 Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Julia Behnsen
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Kathryn J Else
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Richard K Grencis
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Matrix Research, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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26
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Baychev TG, Jivkov AP, Rabbani A, Raeini AQ, Xiong Q, Lowe T, Withers PJ. Reliability of Algorithms Interpreting Topological and Geometric Properties of Porous Media for Pore Network Modelling. Transp Porous Media 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-019-01244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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27
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Sykes D, Hartwell R, Bradley RS, Burnett TL, Hornberger B, Garwood RJ, Withers PJ. Time-lapse three-dimensional imaging of crack propagation in beetle cuticle. Acta Biomater 2019; 86:109-116. [PMID: 30660007 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Arthropod cuticle has extraordinary properties. It is very stiff and tough whilst being lightweight, yet it is made of rather ordinary constituents. This desirable combination of properties results from a hierarchical structure, but we currently have a poor understanding of how this impedes damage propagation. Here we use non-destructive, time-lapse in situ tensile testing within an X-ray nanotomography (nCT) system to visualise crack progression through dry beetle elytron (wing case) cuticle in 3D. We find that its hierarchical pseudo-orthogonal laminated microstructure exploits many extrinsic toughening mechanisms, including crack deflection, fibre and laminate pull-out and crack bridging. We highlight lessons to be learned in the design of engineering structures from the toughening methods employed. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We present the first comprehensive study of the damage and toughening mechanisms within arthropod cuticle in a 3D time-lapse manner, using X-ray nanotomography during crack growth. This technique allows lamina to be isolated despite being convex, which limits 2D analysis of microstructure. We report toughening mechanisms previously unobserved in unmineralised cuticle such as crack deflection, fibre and laminate pull-out and crack bridging; and provide insights into the effects of hierarchical microstructure on crack propagation. Ultimately the benefits of the hierarchical microstructure found here can not only be used to improve biomimetic design, but also helps us to understand the remarkable success of arthropods on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sykes
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Rebecca Hartwell
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Rob S Bradley
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Timothy L Burnett
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | | | - Russell J Garwood
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Lowe T, Avcu E, Bousser E, Sellers W, Withers PJ. 3D Imaging of Indentation Damage in Bone. Materials (Basel) 2018; 11:E2533. [PMID: 30551563 PMCID: PMC6316674 DOI: 10.3390/ma11122533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bone is a complex material comprising high stiffness, but brittle, crystalline bio-apatite combined with compliant, but tough, collagen fibres. It can accommodate significant deformation, and the bone microstructure inhibits crack propagation such that micro-cracks can be quickly repaired. Catastrophic failure (bone fracture) is a major cause of morbidity, particularly in aging populations, either through a succession of small fractures or because a traumatic event is sufficiently large to overcome the individual crack blunting/shielding mechanisms. Indentation methods provide a convenient way of characterising the mechanical properties of bone. It is important to be able to visualise the interactions between the bone microstructure and the damage events in three dimensions (3D) to better understand the nature of the damage processes that occur in bone and the relevance of indentation tests in evaluating bone resilience and strength. For the first time, time-lapse laboratory X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been used to establish a time-evolving picture of bone deformation/plasticity and cracking. The sites of both crack initiation and termination as well as the interconnectivity of cracks and pores have been visualised and identified in 2D and 3D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Lowe
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Egemen Avcu
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
- Ford Otosan Ihsaniye Automotive Vocational School, Machine and Metal Technologies, Kocaeli University, 41680 Kocaeli, Turkey.
| | - Etienne Bousser
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
- Engineering Physics Department, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal H3T1J4, QC, Canada.
| | - William Sellers
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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29
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Wang Y, Mikkelsen LP, Pyka G, Withers PJ. Time-Lapse Helical X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) Study of Tensile Fatigue Damage Formation in Composites for Wind Turbine Blades. Materials (Basel) 2018; 11:E2340. [PMID: 30469398 PMCID: PMC6266001 DOI: 10.3390/ma11112340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the fatigue damage mechanisms in composite materials is of great importance in the wind turbine industry because of the very large number of loading cycles rotor blades undergo during their service life. In this paper, the fatigue damage mechanisms of a non-crimp unidirectional (UD) glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) used in wind turbine blades are characterised by time-lapse ex-situ helical X-ray computed tomography (CT) at different stages through its fatigue life. Our observations validate the hypothesis that off-axis cracking in secondary oriented fibre bundles, the so-called backing bundles, are directly related to fibre fractures in the UD bundles. Using helical X-ray CT we are able to follow the fatigue damage evolution in the composite over a length of 20 mm in the UD fibre direction using a voxel size of (2.75 µm)³. A staining approach was used to enhance the detectability of the narrow off-axis matrix and interface cracks, partly closed fibre fractures and thin longitudinal splits. Instead of being evenly distributed, fibre fractures in the UD bundles nucleate and propagate locally where backing bundles cross-over, or where stitching threads cross-over. In addition, UD fibre fractures can also be initiated by the presence of extensive debonding and longitudinal splitting, which were found to develop from debonding of the stitching threads near surface. The splits lower the lateral constraint of the originally closely packed UD fibres, which could potentially make the composite susceptible to compressive loads as well as the environment in service. The results here indicate that further research into the better design of the positioning of stitching threads, and backing fibre cross-over regions is required, as well as new approaches to control the positions of UD fibres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK.
| | - Lars P Mikkelsen
- Composite Mechanics and Structures, Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Grzegorz Pyka
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Czech Republic, 67200 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, School of Materials, University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK.
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30
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López-Guimet J, Peña-Pérez L, Bradley RS, García-Canadilla P, Disney C, Geng H, Bodey AJ, Withers PJ, Bijnens B, Sherratt MJ, Egea G. MicroCT imaging reveals differential 3D micro-scale remodelling of the murine aorta in ageing and Marfan syndrome. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:6038-6052. [PMID: 30613281 PMCID: PMC6299435 DOI: 10.7150/thno.26598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aortic wall remodelling is a key feature of both ageing and genetic connective tissue diseases, which are associated with vasculopathies such as Marfan syndrome (MFS). Although the aorta is a 3D structure, little attention has been paid to volumetric assessment, primarily due to the limitations of conventional imaging techniques. Phase-contrast microCT is an emerging imaging technique, which is able to resolve the 3D micro-scale structure of large samples without the need for staining or sectioning. Methods: Here, we have used synchrotron-based phase-contrast microCT to image aortae of wild type (WT) and MFS Fbn1C1039G/+ mice aged 3, 6 and 9 months old (n=5). We have also developed a new computational approach to automatically measure key histological parameters. Results: This analysis revealed that WT mice undergo age-dependent aortic remodelling characterised by increases in ascending aorta diameter, tunica media thickness and cross-sectional area. The MFS aortic wall was subject to comparable remodelling, but the magnitudes of the changes were significantly exacerbated, particularly in 9 month-old MFS mice with ascending aorta wall dilations. Moreover, this morphological remodelling in MFS aorta included internal elastic lamina surface breaks that extended throughout the MFS ascending aorta and were already evident in animals who had not yet developed aneurysms. Conclusions: Our 3D microCT study of the sub-micron wall structure of whole, intact aorta reveals that histological remodelling of the tunica media in MFS could be viewed as an accelerated ageing process, and that phase-contrast microCT combined with computational image analysis allows the visualisation and quantification of 3D morphological remodelling in large volumes of unstained vascular tissues.
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Gajjar P, Jørgensen JS, Godinho JRA, Johnson CG, Ramsey A, Withers PJ. New software protocols for enabling laboratory based temporal CT. Rev Sci Instrum 2018; 89:093702. [PMID: 30278752 DOI: 10.1063/1.5044393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Temporal micro-computed tomography (CT) allows the non-destructive quantification of processes that are evolving over time in 3D. Despite the increasing popularity of temporal CT, the practical implementation and optimisation can be difficult. Here, we present new software protocols that enable temporal CT using commercial laboratory CT systems. The first protocol drastically reduces the need for periodic intervention when making time-lapse experiments, allowing a large number of tomograms to be collected automatically. The automated scanning at regular intervals needed for uninterrupted time-lapse CT is demonstrated by analysing the germination of a mung bean (vigna radiata), whilst the synchronisation with an in situ rig required for interrupted time-lapse CT is highlighted using a shear cell to observe granular segregation. The second protocol uses golden-ratio angular sampling with an iterative reconstruction scheme and allows the number of projections in a reconstruction to be changed as sample evolution occurs. This overcomes the limitation of the need to know a priori what the best time window for each scan is. The protocol is evaluated by studying barite precipitation within a porous column, allowing a comparison of spatial and temporal resolution of reconstructions with different numbers of projections. Both of the protocols presented here have great potential for wider application, including, but not limited to, in situ mechanical testing, following battery degradation and chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmesh Gajjar
- Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Jakob S Jørgensen
- Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Jose R A Godinho
- Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Chris G Johnson
- School of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Ramsey
- Nikon Metrology Inc., 12701 Grand River Avenue, Brighton, Michigan 48116, USA
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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32
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Lu X, Rawson SD, Withers PJ. Effect of hydration and crack orientation on crack-tip strain, crack opening displacement and crack-tip shielding in elephant dentin. Dent Mater 2018; 34:1041-1053. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dental.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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33
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Leung CLA, Marussi S, Atwood RC, Towrie M, Withers PJ, Lee PD. In situ X-ray imaging of defect and molten pool dynamics in laser additive manufacturing. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1355. [PMID: 29636443 PMCID: PMC5893568 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03734-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The laser-matter interaction and solidification phenomena associated with laser additive manufacturing (LAM) remain unclear, slowing its process development and optimisation. Here, through in situ and operando high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging, we reveal the underlying physical phenomena during the deposition of the first and second layer melt tracks. We show that the laser-induced gas/vapour jet promotes the formation of melt tracks and denuded zones via spattering (at a velocity of 1 m s-1). We also uncover mechanisms of pore migration by Marangoni-driven flow (recirculating at a velocity of 0.4 m s-1), pore dissolution and dispersion by laser re-melting. We develop a mechanism map for predicting the evolution of melt features, changes in melt track morphology from a continuous hemi-cylindrical track to disconnected beads with decreasing linear energy density and improved molten pool wetting with increasing laser power. Our results clarify aspects of the physics behind LAM, which are critical for its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Lun Alex Leung
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Sebastian Marussi
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Robert C Atwood
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Diamond House, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Michael Towrie
- Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Peter D Lee
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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34
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Tammas-Williams S, Withers PJ, Todd I, Prangnell PB. The Influence of Porosity on Fatigue Crack Initiation in Additively Manufactured Titanium Components. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7308. [PMID: 28779073 PMCID: PMC5544733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06504-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Without post-manufacture HIPing the fatigue life of electron beam melting (EBM) additively manufactured parts is currently dominated by the presence of porosity, exhibiting large amounts of scatter. Here we have shown that the size and location of these defects is crucial in determining the fatigue life of EBM Ti-6Al-4V samples. X-ray computed tomography has been used to characterise all the pores in fatigue samples prior to testing and to follow the initiation and growth of fatigue cracks. This shows that the initiation stage comprises a large fraction of life (>70%). In these samples the initiating defect was often some way from being the largest (merely within the top 35% of large defects). Using various ranking strategies including a range of parameters, we found that when the proximity to the surface and the pore aspect ratio were included the actual initiating defect was within the top 3% of defects ranked most harmful. This lays the basis for considering how the deposition parameters can be optimised to ensure that the distribution of pores is tailored to the distribution of applied stresses in additively manufactured parts to maximise the fatigue life for a given loading cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tammas-Williams
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK. .,School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - P J Withers
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - I Todd
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - P B Prangnell
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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35
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McDonald SA, Holzner C, Lauridsen EM, Reischig P, Merkle AP, Withers PJ. Microstructural evolution during sintering of copper particles studied by laboratory diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT). Sci Rep 2017; 7:5251. [PMID: 28701768 PMCID: PMC5507940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pressureless sintering of loose or compacted granular bodies at elevated temperature occurs by a combination of particle rearrangement, rotation, local deformation and diffusion, and grain growth. Understanding of how each of these processes contributes to the densification of a powder body is still immature. Here we report a fundamental study coupling the crystallographic imaging capability of laboratory diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT) with conventional computed tomography (CT) in a time-lapse study. We are able to follow and differentiate these processes non-destructively and in three-dimensions during the sintering of a simple copper powder sample at 1050 °C. LabDCT quantifies particle rotation (to <0.05° accuracy) and grain growth while absorption CT simultaneously records the diffusion and deformation-related morphological changes of the sintering particles. We find that the rate of particle rotation is lowest for the more highly coordinated particles and decreases during sintering. Consequently, rotations are greater for surface breaking particles than for more highly coordinated interior ones. Both rolling (cooperative) and sliding particle rotations are observed. By tracking individual grains the grain growth/shrinkage kinetics during sintering are quantified grain by grain for the first time. Rapid, abnormal grain growth is observed for one grain while others either grow or are consumed more gradually.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A McDonald
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - C Holzner
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc., 4385 Hopyard Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, USA
| | - E M Lauridsen
- Xnovo Technology ApS, Galoche Alle 15, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - P Reischig
- Xnovo Technology ApS, Galoche Alle 15, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - A P Merkle
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc., 4385 Hopyard Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, USA
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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36
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Mustansar Z, McDonald SA, Sellers WI, Manning PL, Lowe T, Withers PJ, Margetts L. A study of the progression of damage in an axially loaded Branta leucopsis femur using X-ray computed tomography and digital image correlation. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3416. [PMID: 28652932 PMCID: PMC5483328 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper uses X-ray computed tomography to track the mechanical response of a vertebrate (Barnacle goose) long bone subjected to an axial compressive load, which is increased gradually until failure. A loading rig was mounted in an X-ray computed tomography system so that a time-lapse sequence of three-dimensional (3D) images of the bone’s internal (cancellous or trabecular) structure could be recorded during loading. Five distinct types of deformation mechanism were observed in the cancellous part of the bone. These were (i) cracking, (ii) thinning (iii) tearing of cell walls and struts, (iv) notch formation, (v) necking and (vi) buckling. The results highlight that bone experiences brittle (notch formation and cracking), ductile (thinning, tearing and necking) and elastic (buckling) modes of deformation. Progressive deformation, leading to cracking was studied in detail using digital image correlation. The resulting strain maps were consistent with mechanisms occurring at a finer-length scale. This paper is the first to capture time-lapse 3D images of a whole long bone subject to loading until failure. The results serve as a unique reference for researchers interested in how bone responds to loading. For those using computer modelling, the study not only provides qualitative information for verification and validation of their simulations but also highlights that constitutive models for bone need to take into account a number of different deformation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zartasha Mustansar
- Research Centre for Modelling and Simulation, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.,School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | | | - Phillip Lars Manning
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Tristan Lowe
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Lee Margetts
- School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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37
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Zeng Y, Wang D, Xiong X, Zhang X, Withers PJ, Sun W, Smith M, Bai M, Xiao P. Ablation-resistant carbide Zr 0.8Ti 0.2C 0.74B 0.26 for oxidizing environments up to 3,000 °C. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15836. [PMID: 28613275 PMCID: PMC5474735 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-high temperature ceramics are desirable for applications in the hypersonic vehicle, rockets, re-entry spacecraft and defence sectors, but few materials can currently satisfy the associated high temperature ablation requirements. Here we design and fabricate a carbide (Zr0.8Ti0.2C0.74B0.26) coating by reactive melt infiltration and pack cementation onto a C/C composite. It displays superior ablation resistance at temperatures from 2,000–3,000 °C, compared to existing ultra-high temperature ceramics (for example, a rate of material loss over 12 times better than conventional zirconium carbide at 2,500 °C). The carbide is a substitutional solid solution of Zr–Ti containing carbon vacancies that are randomly occupied by boron atoms. The sealing ability of the ceramic’s oxides, slow oxygen diffusion and a dense and gradient distribution of ceramic result in much slower loss of protective oxide layers formed during ablation than other ceramic systems, leading to the superior ablation resistance. Hypersonic and aerospace applications motivate development of materials with improved resistance against ablation and oxidation at high temperatures. Here authors demonstrate a quaternary carbide, where sealing by surface oxides, slow oxygen diffusion and a graded structure yield improved ablation resistance over established ceramics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.,School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Dini Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Xiang Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Wei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Matthew Smith
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Mingwen Bai
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ping Xiao
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Bradley RS, Liu Y, Burnett TL, Zhou X, Lyon SB, Withers PJ, Gholinia A, Hashimoto T, Graham D, Gibbon SR, Hornberger B. Time-lapse lab-based x-ray nano-CT study of corrosion damage. J Microsc 2017; 267:98-106. [PMID: 28419456 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
An experimental protocol (workflow) has been developed for time-lapse x-ray nanotomography (nano-CT) imaging of environmentally driven morphological changes to materials. Two case studies are presented. First, the leaching of nanoparticle corrosion inhibitor pigment from a polymer coating was followed over 14 days, while in the second case the corrosion damage to an AA2099 aluminium alloy was imaged over 12 hours. The protocol includes several novel aspects relevant to nano-CT with the use of a combination of x-ray absorption and phase contrast data to provide enhanced morphological and composition information, and hence reveal the best information to provide new insights into the changes of different phases over time. For the pigmented polymer coating containing nominally strontium aluminium polyphosphate, the strontium-rich components within the materials are observed to leach extensively whereas the aluminium-rich components are more resistant to dissolution. In the case of AA2099 it is found that the initial grain boundary corrosion is driven by the presence of copper-rich phases and is then followed by the corrosion of grains of specific orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Bradley
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Y Liu
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - T L Burnett
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.,School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - X Zhou
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - S B Lyon
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.,School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - A Gholinia
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - T Hashimoto
- School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K
| | - D Graham
- AkzoNobel, Stoneygate Lane, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 0JY, U.K
| | - S R Gibbon
- AkzoNobel, Stoneygate Lane, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 0JY, U.K
| | - B Hornberger
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, 4385 Hopyard Rd, Pleasanton, California, U.S.A
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Bourne NK, Garcea SC, Eastwood DS, Parry S, Rau C, Withers PJ, McDonald SA, Brown EN. On compression and damage evolution in two thermoplastics. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2017; 473:20160495. [PMID: 28265185 PMCID: PMC5312121 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2016.0495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The well-known Taylor cylinder impact test, which follows the impact of a flat-ended cylindrical rod onto a rigid stationary anvil, is conducted over a range of impact speeds for two polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). In previous work, experiments and a model were developed to capture the deformation behaviour of the cylinder after impact. These works showed a region in which spatial and temporal variation of both longitudinal and radial deformation provided evidence of changes in phase within the material. In this further series of experiments, this region is imaged in a range of impacted targets at the Diamond synchrotron. Further techniques were fielded to resolve compressed regions within the recovered polymer cylinders that showed a fracture zone in the impact region. The combination of macroscopic high-speed photography and three-dimensional X-ray imaging has identified the development of failure with these polymers and shown that there is no abrupt transition in behaviours but rather a continuous range of responses to competing operating mechanisms. The behaviours noted in PEEK in these polymers show critical gaps in understanding of polymer high strain-rate response.
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Affiliation(s)
- N K Bourne
- School of Materials , University of Manchester , Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA , UK
| | - S C Garcea
- School of Materials , University of Manchester , Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA , UK
| | - D S Eastwood
- School of Materials , University of Manchester , Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA , UK
| | - S Parry
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK; Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Adelaide, Australia
| | - C Rau
- Diamond Light Source Ltd , Harwell Science and Innovation Campus , Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE , UK
| | - P J Withers
- School of Materials , University of Manchester , Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA , UK
| | - S A McDonald
- School of Materials , University of Manchester , Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA , UK
| | - E N Brown
- Explosive Science and Shock Physics Division , Los Alamos National Laboratory , Los Alamos, NM , USA
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Yu B, Bradley RS, Soutis C, Withers PJ. A comparison of different approaches for imaging cracks in composites by X-ray microtomography. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2016; 374:20160037. [PMID: 27242291 PMCID: PMC4901256 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
X-ray computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a key imaging tool in the characterization of materials, allowing three-dimensional visualization of an object non-destructively as well as enabling the monitoring of damage accumulation over time through time-lapse imaging. However, small defects and cracks can be difficult to detect, particularly in composite materials where low-contrast, plate-like geometries of large area can compromise detectability. Here, we investigate a number of strategies aimed at increasing the capability of X-ray CT to detect composite damage such as transverse ply cracking and delamination, looking specifically at a woven glass fibre-reinforced three-dimensional composite. High-resolution region of interest (ROI) scanning, in situ loading, phase contrast and contrast agents are examined systematically as strategies for improving the defect detectability. Spatial resolution, contrast, signal-to-noise ratio, full width at half maximum, user friendliness and measurement time are all considered. Taken together, the results suggest that high-resolution ROI scanning combined with the increased contrast resulting from staining give the highest defect detectability. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials'.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Yu
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - R S Bradley
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - C Soutis
- Aerospace Research Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Bourne NK, Parry S, Townsend D, Withers PJ, Soutis C, Frias C. Dynamic damage in carbon-fibre composites. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2016; 374:20160018. [PMID: 27242311 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Taylor test is used to determine damage evolution in carbon-fibre composites across a range of strain rates. The hierarchy of damage across the scales is key in determining the suite of operating mechanisms and high-speed diagnostics are used to determine states during dynamic loading. Experiments record the test response as a function of the orientation of the cylinder cut from the engineered multi-ply composite with high-speed photography and post-mortem target examination. The ensuing damage occurs during the shock compression phase but three other tensile loading modes operate during the test and these are explored. Experiment has shown that ply orientations respond to two components of release; longitudinal and radial as well as the hoop stresses generated in inelastic flow at the impact surface. The test is a discriminant not only of damage thresholds but of local failure modes and their kinetics. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials'.
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Affiliation(s)
- N K Bourne
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Centre for Matter under Extreme Conditions, School of Materials, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | - S Parry
- Centre for Matter under Extreme Conditions, School of Materials, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK Defence Science and Technology Organisation, PO Box 1500, Edinburgh, South Australia 5111, Australia
| | - D Townsend
- Centre for Matter under Extreme Conditions, School of Materials, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | - P J Withers
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - C Soutis
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - C Frias
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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42
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Zhang X, Aliasghari S, Němcová A, Burnett TL, Kuběna I, Šmíd M, Thompson GE, Skeldon P, Withers PJ. X-ray Computed Tomographic Investigation of the Porosity and Morphology of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coatings. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:8801-8810. [PMID: 26974706 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is of increasing interest for the formation of ceramic coatings on metals for applications that require diverse coating properties, such as wear and corrosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, and biocompatibility. Porosity in the coatings can have an important impact on the coating performance. However, the quantification of the porosity in coatings can be difficult due to the wide range of pore sizes and the complexity of the coating morphology. In this work, a PEO coating formed on titanium is examined using high resolution X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT). The observations are validated by comparisons of surface views and cross-sectional views of specific coating features obtained using X-ray CT and scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray CT technique is shown to be capable of resolving pores with volumes of at least 6 μm(3). Furthermore, the shapes of large pores are revealed and a correlation is demonstrated between the locations of the pores, nodules on the coating surface, and depressions in the titanium substrate. The locations and morphologies of the pores, which constitute 5.7% of the coating volume, indicate that they are generated by release of oxygen gas from the molten coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Sepideh Aliasghari
- Corrosion and Protection Group, School of Materials, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Aneta Němcová
- Corrosion and Protection Group, School of Materials, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Timothy L Burnett
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Ivo Kuběna
- Institute of Physics of Materials, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , Žižkova 22, Brno 616 62, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Šmíd
- Institute of Physics of Materials, Central European Institute of Technology , Žižkova 22, Brno 616 62, Czech Republic
| | - George E Thompson
- Corrosion and Protection Group, School of Materials, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Peter Skeldon
- Corrosion and Protection Group, School of Materials, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
- BP ICAM, The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
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Hashimoto T, Thompson GE, Zhou X, Withers PJ. 3D imaging by serial block face scanning electron microscopy for materials science using ultramicrotomy. Ultramicroscopy 2016; 163:6-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Bradley RS, Withers PJ. Post-processing techniques for making reliable measurements from curve-skeletons. Comput Biol Med 2016; 72:120-31. [PMID: 27035863 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Interconnected 3-D networks occur widely in biology and the geometry of such branched networks can be described by curve-skeletons, allowing parameters such as path lengths, path tortuosities and cross-sectional thicknesses to be quantified. However, curve-skeletons are typically sensitive to small scale surface features which may arise from noise in the imaging data. In this paper, new post-processing techniques for curve-skeletons are presented which ensure that measurements of lengths and thicknesses are less sensitive to these small scale surface features. The techniques achieve sub-voxel accuracy and are based on a minimal sphere-network representation in which the object is modelled as a string of minimally overlapping spheres, and as such samples the object on a scale related to the local thickness. A new measure of cross-sectional dimension termed the modal radius is defined and shown to be more robust in comparison with the standard measure (the internal radius), while retaining the desirable feature of capturing the size of structures in terms of a single measure. The techniques are demonstrated by application to trabecular bone and tumour vascular network case studies where the volumetric data was obtained by high resolution computed tomography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Bradley
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Philip J Withers
- Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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Kazantsev D, Guo E, Kaestner A, Lionheart WRB, Bent J, Withers PJ, Lee PD. Temporal sparsity exploiting nonlocal regularization for 4D computed tomography reconstruction. J Xray Sci Technol 2016; 24:207-219. [PMID: 27002902 PMCID: PMC4929339 DOI: 10.3233/xst-160546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
X-ray imaging applications in medical and material sciences are frequently limited by the number of tomographic projections collected. The inversion of the limited projection data is an ill-posed problem and needs regularization. Traditional spatial regularization is not well adapted to the dynamic nature of time-lapse tomography since it discards the redundancy of the temporal information. In this paper, we propose a novel iterative reconstruction algorithm with a nonlocal regularization term to account for time-evolving datasets. The aim of the proposed nonlocal penalty is to collect the maximum relevant information in the spatial and temporal domains. With the proposed sparsity seeking approach in the temporal space, the computational complexity of the classical nonlocal regularizer is substantially reduced (at least by one order of magnitude). The presented reconstruction method can be directly applied to various big data 4D (x, y, z+time) tomographic experiments in many fields. We apply the proposed technique to modelled data and to real dynamic X-ray microtomography (XMT) data of high resolution. Compared to the classical spatio-temporal nonlocal regularization approach, the proposed method delivers reconstructed images of improved resolution and higher contrast while remaining significantly less computationally demanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Kazantsev
- The Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Enyu Guo
- The Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Anders Kaestner
- Neutron Imaging and Activation Group, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Philip J. Withers
- The Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Peter D. Lee
- The Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
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46
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Nikolaidou T, Cai XJ, Stephenson RS, Yanni J, Lowe T, Atkinson AJ, Jones CB, Sardar R, Corno AF, Dobrzynski H, Withers PJ, Jarvis JC, Hart G, Boyett MR. Congestive Heart Failure Leads to Prolongation of the PR Interval and Atrioventricular Junction Enlargement and Ion Channel Remodelling in the Rabbit. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141452. [PMID: 26509807 PMCID: PMC4624927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure is a major killer worldwide. Atrioventricular conduction block is common in heart failure; it is associated with worse outcomes and can lead to syncope and bradycardic death. We examine the effect of heart failure on anatomical and ion channel remodelling in the rabbit atrioventricular junction (AVJ). Heart failure was induced in New Zealand rabbits by disruption of the aortic valve and banding of the abdominal aorta resulting in volume and pressure overload. Laser micro-dissection and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to investigate the effects of heart failure on ion channel remodelling in four regions of the rabbit AVJ and in septal tissues. Investigation of the AVJ anatomy was performed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Heart failure animals developed first degree heart block. Heart failure caused ventricular myocardial volume increase with a 35% elongation of the AVJ. There was downregulation of HCN1 and Cx43 mRNA transcripts across all regions and downregulation of Cav1.3 in the transitional tissue. Cx40 mRNA was significantly downregulated in the atrial septum and AVJ tissues but not in the ventricular septum. mRNA abundance for ANP, CLCN2 and Navβ1 was increased with heart failure; Nav1.1 was increased in the inferior nodal extension/compact node area. Heart failure in the rabbit leads to prolongation of the PR interval and this is accompanied by downregulation of HCN1, Cav1.3, Cx40 and Cx43 mRNAs and anatomical enlargement of the entire heart and AVJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Nikolaidou
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Xue J. Cai
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S. Stephenson
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Yanni
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tristan Lowe
- The Manchester Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Atkinson
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline B. Jones
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rida Sardar
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio F. Corno
- School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, University Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Halina Dobrzynski
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Philip J. Withers
- The Manchester Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C. Jarvis
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - George Hart
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mark R. Boyett
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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McDonald SA, Reischig P, Holzner C, Lauridsen EM, Withers PJ, Merkle AP, Feser M. Non-destructive mapping of grain orientations in 3D by laboratory X-ray microscopy. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14665. [PMID: 26494523 PMCID: PMC4615976 DOI: 10.1038/srep14665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to characterise crystallographic microstructure, non-destructively and in three-dimensions, is a powerful tool for understanding many aspects related to damage and deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline materials. To this end, the technique of X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) using monochromatic synchrotron and polychromatic laboratory X-ray sources has been shown to be capable of mapping crystal grains and their orientations non-destructively in 3D. Here we describe a novel laboratory-based X-ray DCT modality (LabDCT), enabling the wider accessibility of the DCT technique for routine use and in-depth studies of, for example, temporal changes in crystallographic grain structure non-destructively over time through ‘4D’ in situ time-lapse studies. The capability of the technique is demonstrated by studying a titanium alloy (Ti-β21S) sample. In the current implementation the smallest grains that can be reliably detected are around 40 μm. The individual grain locations and orientations are reconstructed using the LabDCT method and the results are validated against independent measurements from phase contrast tomography and electron backscatter diffraction respectively. Application of the technique promises to provide important insights related to the roles of recrystallization and grain growth on materials properties as well as supporting 3D polycrystalline modelling of materials performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A McDonald
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - P Reischig
- Xnovo Technology ApS, Galoche Alle 15, 4600 Køge, Denmark
| | - C Holzner
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc., 4385 Hopyard Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
| | - E M Lauridsen
- Xnovo Technology ApS, Galoche Alle 15, 4600 Køge, Denmark
| | - P J Withers
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - A P Merkle
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc., 4385 Hopyard Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
| | - M Feser
- Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc., 4385 Hopyard Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
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Fan Z, Mark AF, Lowe MJS, Withers PJ. Nonintrusive estimation of anisotropic stiffness maps of heterogeneous steel welds for the improvement of ultrasonic array inspection. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2015; 62:1530-1543. [PMID: 26276961 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2015.007018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
It is challenging to inspect austenitic welds nondestructively using ultrasonic waves because the spatially varying elastic anisotropy of weld microstructures can lead to the deviation of ultrasound. Models have been developed to predict the propagation of ultrasound in such welds once the weld stiffness heterogeneity is known. Consequently, it is desirable to have a means of measuring the variation in elastic anisotropy experimentally so as to be able to correct for deviations in ultrasonic pathways for the improvement of weld inspection. This paper investigates the use of external nonintrusive ultrasonic array measurements to construct such weld stiffness maps, representing the orientation of the stiffness tensor according to location in the weld cross section. An inverse model based on a genetic algorithm has been developed to recover a small number of key parameters in an approximate model of the weld map, making use of ultrasonic array measurements. The approximate model of the weld map uses the Modeling of anIsotropy based on Notebook of Arcwelding (MINA) formulation, which is one of the representations that has been proposed by other researchers to provide a simple, yet physically based, description of the overall variations of orientations of the stiffness tensors over the weld cross section. The choice of sensitive ultrasonic modes as well as the best monitoring positions have been discussed to achieve a robust inversion. Experiments have been carried out on a 60-mm-thick multipass tungsten inert gas (TIG) weld to validate the findings of the modeling, showing very good agreement. This work shows that ultrasonic array measurements can be used on a single side of a butt-welded plate, such that there is no need to access the remote side, to construct an approximate but useful weld map of the spatial variations in anisotropic stiffness orientation that occur within the weld.
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Anné J, Garwood RJ, Lowe T, Withers PJ, Manning PL. Interpreting pathologies in extant and extinct archosaurs using micro-CT. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1130. [PMID: 26246971 PMCID: PMC4525691 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeopathology offers unique insight to the healing strategies of extinct organisms, permitting questions concerning bone physiology to be answered in greater depth. Unfortunately, most palaeopathological studies are confined to external morphological interpretations due to the destructive nature of traditional methods of study. This limits the degree of reliable diagnosis and interpretation possible. X-ray MicroTomography (micro-CT, XMT) provides a non-destructive means of analysing the internal three-dimensional structure of pathologies in both extant and extinct individuals, at higher resolutions than possible with medical scanners. In this study, we present external and internal descriptions of pathologies in extant and extinct archosaurs using XMT. This work demonstrates that the combination of external/internal diagnosis that X-ray microtomography facilitates is crucial when differentiating between pathological conditions. Furthermore, we show that the use of comparative species, both through direct analysis and from the literature, provides key information for diagnosing between vertebrate groups in the typical pathological conditions and physiological processes. Micro-CT imaging, combined with comparative observations of extant species, provides more detailed and reliable interpretation of palaeopathologies. Micro-CT is an increasingly accessible tool, which will provide key insights for correctly interpreting vertebrate pathologies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Anné
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Russell J Garwood
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Tristan Lowe
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Philip J Withers
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Phillip L Manning
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
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50
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Kazantsev D, Van Eyndhoven G, Lionheart WRB, Withers PJ, Dobson KJ, McDonald SA, Atwood R, Lee PD. Employing temporal self-similarity across the entire time domain in computed tomography reconstruction. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2015; 373:rsta.2014.0389. [PMID: 25939621 PMCID: PMC4424485 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
There are many cases where one needs to limit the X-ray dose, or the number of projections, or both, for high frame rate (fast) imaging. Normally, it improves temporal resolution but reduces the spatial resolution of the reconstructed data. Fortunately, the redundancy of information in the temporal domain can be employed to improve spatial resolution. In this paper, we propose a novel regularizer for iterative reconstruction of time-lapse computed tomography. The non-local penalty term is driven by the available prior information and employs all available temporal data to improve the spatial resolution of each individual time frame. A high-resolution prior image from the same or a different imaging modality is used to enhance edges which remain stationary throughout the acquisition time while dynamic features tend to be regularized spatially. Effective computational performance together with robust improvement in spatial and temporal resolution makes the proposed method a competitive tool to state-of-the-art techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Kazantsev
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | - G Van Eyndhoven
- iMinds-Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - W R B Lionheart
- School of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - P J Withers
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | - K J Dobson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - S A McDonald
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - R Atwood
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - P D Lee
- Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
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