Article
Plant Sciences
Bernd Zechmann, Stefan Moestl, Guenther Zellnig
Summary: Focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and serial sectioning transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM) are powerful tools for the 3D reconstruction and volumetric extraction of plant cells, and there are differences between the two methods.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tong Xin, Yanan Lv, Haoran Chen, Linlin Li, Lijun Shen, Guangcun Shan, Xi Chen, Hua Han
Summary: This article proposes a new method for serial section registration using an unsupervised optical flow network to measure feature similarity and eliminate nonlinear deformation. The optical flow network is also used to estimate and compensate for cumulative registration error, enabling the reconstruction of biological tissue structures. Experimental results demonstrate that this method effectively improves the spatial continuity of serial sections and enhances the accuracy of registration and reconstruction for biological tissue structures.
Article
Physics, Applied
Carles Bosch, Joerg Lindenau, Alexandra Pacureanu, Christopher J. Peddie, Marta Majkut, Andrew C. Douglas, Raffaella Carzaniga, Alexander Rack, Lucy Collinson, Andreas T. Schaefer, Heiko Stegmann
Summary: Correlative multimodal imaging is a valuable method for investigating complex structural relations in life sciences. It requires establishing sample preparation workflows that are compatible with multiple imaging techniques. This can involve imaging a fluorescently labeled region of interest in a biological soft tissue sample with light microscopy before staining the specimen with heavy metals for higher resolution structural imaging.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Koji Yamane, Takao Oi, Mitsutaka Taniguchi
Summary: This study introduces a method of 3D reconstruction using serial sectioning transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM) and compares it with focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). The results show that there are no significant differences in structure, volume, and surface area between the two methods. This method is useful for observing large volumes of plant cells and organelles.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liza-Anastasia DiCecco, Andrew D'Elia, Chelsea Miller, Kyla N. Sask, Leyla Soleymani, Kathryn Grandfield
Summary: Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have been proposed as an alternative to traditional lengthy preparation methods for biological imaging using electron microscopy, allowing for imaging of hard-to-image soft and/or wet samples without dehydration. Future research avenues should focus on RTIL selection and optimization, applications for live cell processes, and electron beam and ionic liquid interaction studies.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. A. Mazo, A. C. Caballero, J. Rubio
Summary: In this study, cheap, abundant, and easily-obtained carbon fillers such as graphite and carbon black were successfully incorporated into a silicon oxycarbide matrix to obtain dense crack-free bulk composites with enhanced electrical and thermal conductivities. Raman parameters were crucial for understanding the electronic and/or phonon transport in the composites.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jungjae Park, Kunmo Koo, Namgyu Noh, Joon Ha Chang, Jun Young Cheong, Kyun Seong Dae, Ji Su Park, Sanghyeon Ji, Il-Doo Kim, Jong Min Yuk
Summary: GLC-EM is a powerful tool for direct visualization of wet biological samples and the microstructural dynamics of nanomaterials in liquids. By using graphene sheets as a viewing window and liquid container, GLC enables atomic-scale observation while maintaining intact liquids. Diverse scientific results have been reported in the material, colloidal, environmental, and life science fields using GLC-EM.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
L. T. Nguyen, D. J. Rowenhorst
Summary: This article demonstrates the fusion of traditional BSE imaging and EBSD mapping to create a unified 3D reconstruction of additively manufactured 316L stainless steel, showing that the method can leverage the strengths of both imaging techniques. The fully automated alignment procedures rely on optimized image warping techniques, with spatial alignment errors within a region of interest being on the order of 0-3 μm.
Review
Microscopy
Richard Busch, Christopher Tielemann, Stefan Reinsch, Ralf Mueller, Christian Patzig, Michael Krause, Thomas Hoeche
Summary: A novel method using initial notches for broad ion beam based sample sectioning is introduced, creating terraces with different erosion depths by milling a notch into the sample surface, followed by ion beam erosion. The method allows for efficient access to depth-dependent microstructure of materials and can be applied to both conducting and non-conducting specimens. Experimental parameters influencing preparation success are determined, and the method is used to analyze orientation dependent crystal growth phenomena during growth of surface crystals into the bulk.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sergey Mursalimov, Nobuhiko Ohno, Mami Matsumoto, Sergey Bayborodin, Elena Deineko
Summary: The study using SBF-SEM revealed that intercellular nuclear migration (INM) occurs in 90-100% of tobacco meiocytes, suggesting it is a normal part of tobacco meiosis, yet the reason for such behavior of nuclei remains unclear. The results obtained highlight the potential of SBF-SEM in unveiling unexplored features of plant meiosis.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Colin Ophus
Summary: Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) is a powerful characterization tool in materials science research, allowing examination of materials from functional devices to single atoms. This review outlines various STEM experimental methods, with a focus on quantitative data analysis and simulation enabled by open source software. It aims to introduce both classic and new methods to materials scientists, summarizing recent progress in STEM characterization and discussing strengths, weaknesses, and future directions for quantitative STEM research.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Munmun Basak, Md Lutfor Rahman, Md Farid Ahmed, Bristy Biswas, Nahid Sharmin
Summary: Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation technique with different precipitating agents, affecting the structure and size distribution. Various analysis methods showed highly correlated results, with SSP method being the most compatible.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ziqian Wang, Meng Gao, Tonghua Yu, Siyuan Zhou, Mingquan Xu, Motoaki Hirayama, Ryotaro Arita, Yuki Shiomi, Wu Zhou, Naoki Ogawa
Summary: Stacking order plays a significant role in the properties of van der Waals layered magnets, and recent studies suggest possible different stackings in few-layer crystals. This study combines atomic-scale electron microscopy and theoretical calculations to show that while the bulk stacking persists in bilayers of MnPS3, the local rippling effect lifts the monoclinic symmetry of the few layers. This finding reveals the impact of rippling on the microscopic symmetry of two-dimensional materials and suggests the possibility of approaching the two-dimensional Neel antiferromagnetic honeycomb lattice in MnPS3 without reaching monolayer thickness.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amber Dance
Summary: Computers trained to reduce noise in micrographs are now capable of handling fresh data autonomously.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mehmet Erman Mert
Summary: The study investigated the efficiency of hydrogen production by doping nickel foam precursors with nickel, cobalt particles, and decorating with silver nano-domes. The catalyst NF/NiCo-2/Ag showed the best performance in terms of lower hydrogen overpotential, higher HPE, stability, and response during the electrolysis process in 1 M KOH.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhao Shen, Edward Roberts, Naganand Saravanan, Phani Karamched, Takumi Terachi, Takuyo Yamada, Shengchuan Wu, Edmund Tarleton, David E. J. Armstrong, Philip J. Withers, Koji Arioka, Sergio Lozano-Perez
Summary: The study used a multi-technique characterisation approach to investigate the behavior of Alloy 690 steam generator tubes during long-term stress corrosion cracking (SCC) testing. The mechanisms of SCC and oxidation effects on tube strength were discussed, providing a quantitative measure for assessing and predicting this important degradation problem.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Weijian Qian, Shengchuan Wu, Zhengkai Wu, Saad Ahmed, Wen Zhang, Guian Qian, Philip J. Withers
Summary: This study focused on the fatigue crack propagation life of selective laser-melted AlSi10Mg alloy, revealing how pancake-shaped lack of fusion (LOF) defects can control fatigue resistance and lead to a large scatter in lifetime, analyzing the influence of single cracks and multiple cracks under high cycle fatigue (HCF).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
K. Fogarty, E. Ametova, G. Burca, A. M. Korsunsky, S. Schmidt, P. J. Withers, W. R. B. Lionheart
Summary: Point by point strain scanning is commonly used to map residual stress in engineering materials, but its spatial resolution is limited. Alternatively, wavelength resolved neutron transmission imaging can retrieve tomographic information about residual strain induced within materials. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate the reliable measurement of the second moment of strain distribution.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Manuel Carrera, Alejandro S. Cruces, Joseph F. Kelleher, Yee-Han Tai, John R. Yates, Philip J. Withers, Pablo Lopez-Crespo
Summary: This paper presents a new methodology for characterizing the plastic zone ahead of a fatigue crack, using experimental data and elastic strain maps to identify the size and shape of the plastic zone.
FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS & STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Xin Peng, Shengchuan Wu, Weijian Qian, Jianguang Bao, Yanan Hu, Zhixin Zhan, Guangping Guo, Philip J. Withers
Summary: A novel machine learning approach was developed to predict the fatigue life of laser powder bed fused AlSi10Mg alloy, with important parameters including applied stress and critical defect characteristics. The model accurately predicted fatigue lives, showing the significance of defect projected area in limiting fatigue life.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Miguel A. Hernandez, Konstantinos D. Bakoglidis, Philip J. Withers, Ping Xiao
Summary: This study demonstrates that thermal conductivity of graphite can be improved by infiltrating it with SiC or Si3N4, with good heat transfer between graphite and reinforcing particles.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
G. S. Schajer, M. B. Prime, P. J. Withers
Summary: This study identifies and describes the challenges in residual stress measurement methods and provides approaches to address these challenges. Despite the challenges, residual stress measurements can be successfully undertaken in practice.
EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wyatt A. Witzen, McLean P. Echlin, Marie-Agathe Charpagne, Tresa M. Pollock, Irene J. Beyerlein
Summary: This study investigates the intragranular distributions of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) in a polycrystalline tantalum sample under shock compression loading. Using TriBeam tomography, a highly resolved 3D map of the microstructure was obtained, allowing for the examination of grain boundaries, orientations, and voids. By combining the 3D characterization, GND formulation, and a sample with approximately 6000 grains, correlations between GND density per grain and grain characteristics were analyzed. The results show that GND density increases closer to the spall plane and that grains containing voids have high GND density concentrations in the intragranular region surrounding the void.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yi Guo, Timothy L. Burnett, Samuel A. McDonald, Michael Daly, Andrew H. Sherry, Philip J. Withers
Summary: This study utilized high-resolution CT technology to perform real-time 3D imaging during tensile straining of SA508 grade 3 nuclear pressure vessel steel, allowing direct observation of void development. The results validated previous inferences and theoretical models while also presenting new insights.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Etienne Bousser, Aleksey Rogov, Pavel Shashkov, Ali Gholinia, Nicolas Laugel, Thomas J. A. Slater, Philip J. Withers, Allan Matthews, Aleksey Yerokhin
Summary: This study demonstrates that the high-temperature alpha-Al2O3 phase can still be formed even if microdischarge is fully suppressed under specific processing conditions. Through the use of various techniques, the microstructural and chemical evolutions accompanying the gamma to alpha alumina transition were studied. The results provide strong evidence that the alpha phase can form spontaneously in regions of oxide with the appropriate temperature, grain size, and impurity distributions.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
M. D. White, A. Tarakanov, P. J. Withers, C. P. Race, K. J. H. Law
Summary: The study aims to explore methods for converting microstructural image data into compressed numerical descriptions, referred to as microstructural fingerprints. The effectiveness of these fingerprints is assessed through classification tasks and can also be used for regression tasks. The study demonstrates that transfer learning methods based on convolutional neural networks outperform other methods in classification tasks.
COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
N. R. Brodnik, C. Muir, N. Tulshibagwale, J. Rossin, M. P. Echlin, C. M. Hamel, S. L. B. Kramer, T. M. Pollock, J. D. Kiser, C. Smith, S. H. Daly
Summary: Experimental solid mechanics is experiencing a crucial moment where the integration of machine learning (ML) approaches into the discovery process is rapidly increasing. The adoption of ML methods in mechanics originated from non-science and engineering applications, raising concerns about the reliability of the obtained physical results. To address this, it is necessary to incorporate physical principles into ML architectures, evaluate and compare them using benchmark datasets, and test their broad applicability. These principles allow for meaningful categorization, comparison, evaluation, and extension of ML models across various experimental and computational frameworks. Two different use cases, acoustic emission and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, are examined to demonstrate the application of these principles and discussions are provided regarding the future prospects of trustworthy ML in experimental mechanics.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF SOLIDS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Fu-qiang Guo, Hui Zhang, Zhen-jun Yang, Yu-jie Huang, Philip J. Withers
Summary: This study develops a computational method for efficiently generating realistic 3D aggregates using micro X-ray Computed Tomography (μXCT) images, spherical harmonic (SH) analysis, and a random-field reconstruction algorithm. The method decomposes the real aggregate surface segmented from CT images, maps it with the SH function to radius fields at different scales, and reconstructs new aggregates based on statistical data and a folding algorithm. The method is verified by comparing morphology indices and demonstrated its flexibility in reconstructing new sets of random aggregates with specified morphology indices.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Philip J. J. Noell, Erin Karasz, Eric J. J. Schindelholz, Andrew T. T. Polonsky, Ian Campbell, Ryan M. M. Katona, Michael A. A. Melia
Summary: Assessing the lifetimes of alloys in humid, corrosive environments requires understanding the growth kinetics of individual instances of damage. Corrosion rates measured at the continuum scale provide limited information on local kinetics. This study used in-situ X-ray computed tomography to measure the growth rates of individual pits in aluminum exposed to a humid, chloride environment. The results show that pit growth rates are initially constant, but nonlinearities occur later due to droplet spreading and changes in the pit growth mode. Pit morphology was found to influence the dominant growth mode and duration.
NPJ MATERIALS DEGRADATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Devendra K. Jangid, Neal R. Brodnik, Amil Khan, Michael G. Goebel, McLean P. Echlin, Tresa M. Pollock, Samantha H. Daly, B. S. Manjunath
Summary: This paper presents a GAN capable of producing realistic microstructure morphology features and demonstrates its capabilities on a dataset of crystalline titanium grain shapes. It also introduces an approach to train deep learning networks to understand material-specific descriptor features based on existing conceptual relationships.
INTEGRATING MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATION
(2022)