#microcomputed tomography

[sitting-on-me-bum]

If you’re thinking ‘Hey that looks like microcomputed tomography of an Asian gecko inside a 7mm egg’, well … you’d be spot on.

Photograph: Ekaterina Strounina

Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

[bpod-bpod]

Mother’s Bugs

This study in mice demonstrates that the maternal microbiome promotes the growth of the placenta and its blood vessels. This image shows reconstructions made using micro-computed tomography of foetal-placental arteries

Read the published research paper here

Image from work by Geoffrey N. Pronovost and colleagues

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Science Advances, October 2023

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[typhlonectes]

160-million-year-old ‘Monkeydactyl’ was the first animal to develop opposable thumbs

The ‘Monkeydactyl’ was a flying reptile that evolved highly specialized adaptations in the Mesozoic Era.

A newly discovered flying dinosaur nicknamed “Monkeydactyl” is the oldest known creature that evolved opposable thumbs, according to new research published in Current Biology. The 160-million-year-old reptile is officially named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus. Discovered in China, the dinosaur was a darwinopteran pterosaur, a subgroup of pterosaurs, which first appeared 215 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Pterosaurs, like the pterodactyl, were the first vertebrates to evolve the ability of powered flight. But unlike other pterosaurs, the Monkeydactyl was the only species in its group known to have opposable thumbs. It’s a rare adaptation for non-mammals: The only extant examples are chameleons and some species of tree frogs. (Most birds have at least one opposable digit, though that digit is usually classified as a hallux, not a pollex, which means “thumb” in Latin.) To analyze the anatomy of K. antipollicatus, an international team of researchers used microcomputed tomography scanning, which generates images of the inside of the body...

Read more: 160-million-year-old ‘Monkeydactyl’ was the first animal to develop opposable thumbs - Big Think

[greenfrog04]

Parrotia flower blooming in Miocene rainforest

Published 10th July 2023

Description and study of the fossil flower of Parrotia zhiyani based on a well-preserved amber inclusion from the middle Miocene of Zhangpu, Southeast China using light microscope and microcomputed tomography techniques.

Amber fossil of Parrotia zhiyani.

Based on this paper and fossil, Parrotia zhiyani was a small flower with no petals and likely produced polymer. They had a pair of prominent bracts that the flower would've bloomed from. The androecium consists of 12 stamens (pollen producing area of flower), and each stamen consists of a short, slender filament and a prominent, elongated anther (pollen). The anthers with short simple hair like outgrowths on the outer surface and a prominent connective extension at the top were opened by vertical slits. Unlike its living relatives, the new Parrotia from Zhangpu grew in a Miocene seasonal tropical rainforest.

source:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jse.13001

[lipikatech]

Pulsed electromagnetic field applications: A corporate perspective

The three devices, Physio-Stim, Spinal-Stim and Cervical-Stim were each designed and developed specifically for osteogenesis stimulation. Each device incorporates a specific set of triangular shaped PEMF signals with the particular set of signals taking advantage of having its polarization and depolarization within the positive magnetic discipline vary as alerts inside each the bad and effective phase have been located to be much less effective. While PEMF indicators can be different thru transformations of their pulse period, burst period, amplitude, and variety of pulses/burst, the unique parameters for these three units had been chosen primarily based on preliminary preclinical research mixed with engineering issues such as battery existence and system portability. In vitro signalling pathways Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) is a technology that has been used in the treatment of a variety of diseases, with the potential to treat more than 300 human conditions without side effects. PEMF therapy is comprised of either low-intensity, rhythmic Bio-field Systems (BFS) and/or high-intensity, pulsed electromagnetic fields placed on specific locations within the body. The study reported by Patterson et al also looked at the effect of PEMF therapy on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The investigators found that both biofield stimulation and pulsed electromagnetic field exposure increased MSC proliferation with parathyroid hormone (PTH)-activated protein kinase signaling, which was similar to observations related to sustained PTH treatment Osteotomies/fracture repair Ibiwoye et al mentioned that bone was once preserved in a critical-sized osteotomy uncovered three hours day by day to PEMF (Physio-Stim) for 10 weeks. Specifically, bilateral, mid-diaphyseal fibular osteotomies have been carried out in aged rats that carried out a nonunion popularity inside 3–4 weeks which used to be accompanied by using PEMF exposure.Unilateral PEMF exposure preserved the fibulae bone mass as measured by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Osteoporosis Osteoporosis prevention in an early rodent model. The ovariectomized rats were subjected to daily PEMF exposure for 3 hours over 3 days after 3 days of ovariectomy and followed for 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks, and 24 weeks. Other groups were treated with bisphosphonates instead (alendronate; 3 subcutaneous injections / week; 10 μg / kg body weight). Micro-CT showed significantly more trabecular bone remaining at the L4 vertebrae in the PEMF group relative to sham (30% more) but other groups had similar preservation with significantly more bone than both alendronate alone and alendronate+PEMF-treated groups. Tenogenic and myogenic experiments In vitro differentiation and proliferation The effects of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on myocyte proliferation and differentiation have been studied in vitro using C2C12 murine myoblasts. PEMF exposure enhanced gene expression of growth factors in both human rotator cuff tenocytes (COL1, TGFβ-1, PDGFβ, BMP12 and TIMP4) and myocytes (MyoD). The implications from these results may be the potential use of PEMF as a non-operative treatment to improve clinical outcomes following rotator cuff repair. In vivo tendon healing Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) exposure is used to stimulate healing in tendon repair. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PEMF on tendon-to-bone healing after rotator cuff repair in rats, and the underlying mechanisms involved. The rats were treated with a PEMF at different frequencies (3.85–40 kHz) or durations (1 hours/day, 3 hours/day, or 6 hours/day). Tendon properties were assessed before surgery and at 4 weeks postoperatively. The results revealed that early improvements in tendon modulus was only found for PEMFs at lower fundamental frequencies (for all exposure durations). In addition, PEMFs with varying fundamental frequencies led to greater improvements in tendon modulus at higher fundamental frequencies

[greyschannel]

Atomic clock

#Atomic clock serial

#Atomic clock software

#Atomic clock Pc

A function of 3G/4G data telemetry is installed with USB modem to transfer the raw data stored in the micro SD card to a FTP server/Dropbox in the data center and a home PC.įigure 2.3.

#Atomic clock Pc

CAT operation is always monitored by another small micro PC, called PIC, and the SH7145F micro PC is forced to be reset by PIC when the communication of the PIC with the SH7145F stops for a predetermined period with unknown troubles. CAT system is slept between two consecutive transmissions to reduce power consumption for the case of larger transmission intervals.

#Atomic clock serial

The status of system operation is monitored via Bluetooth serial interface for the land-based CAT. As a result, receiving window can be selected widely to receive transmission signals safely. As an alternate method, correlation calculation is performed swiftly by carrying the SD data with raw data to the external PC. However, correlation calculation by the internal PC is not recommended because it exhausts much computational time especially for data acquired with a wide receiving window. The correlation calculation can be performed by the SH7145F microcomputer, equipped inside the CAT controller. As a result, a matched filter is constructed through the correlation with M sequence. The received signals are also cross-correlated by one-period replica of M sequence, used in the transmission to increase remarkably the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). After the 10-bit A/D conversion, the received data are sampled at twice the carrier frequency and stored as two-channel raw data in the 2 GB micro SD memory card. By taking a product of the received signals with cosine and sine functions, they are branched into two channels in-phase and quadrature components and low-pass filtered to pick up only signals related to the M sequence through complex demodulation. Acoustic signals coming from the counter station are received by the same transducer (called mono-static sonar), band-pass filtered, and amplified.

#Atomic clock software

A carrier phase modulated by pseudo random signals ( M sequence and Gold sequence), constructed by the software program, is transmitted at a predetermined time interval from a broadband transducer after power amplification. For the moored-type CAT system, GPS clocks are replaced by chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC). All clocks are provided by 1 Hz and 10 MHz clock signals from GPS. The timing of sound transmission and reception and A/D conversion is controlled coherently by SH7145F micro PC. In a field operation of CAT, this provides a critical advantage to protect the internal electric circuits from the attack by salty wind and makes a long-term stable operation of CAT system possible.īlock diagram of the land-based CAT system is shown in Fig. Thus radio waves from global positioning system (GPS) can propagate directly to the GPS receiver stored inside the container without opening the upper lid of the container. CAT controller is stored in a plastic container. Solar panels that supplement the rechargeable batteries are equipped as an option of the CAT system when a long-term operation is required. A tomography domain is surrounded by multi land-based CAT systems, and only sound traverses the tomography domain surrounded by the acoustic stations. The system is composed of a CAT controller and rechargeable batteries on land, and subsurface transducer and cable in water ( Fig. A land-based coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) system provides a new observation tool to enable oceanographic observation from the shore ( Zheng et al., 1997 Zheng et al., 1998).

[ricmlm]

The damage to the fossils and the small size of the animal made it extremely difficult to reconstruct the anatomy of the skull of the species, which helps to explain the centuries-old difficulties in classifying the animal. These difficulties were now resolved with the analysis of unique fossil specimens, which still had their heads perfectly embedded in the rocks. The researchers pored over the fossils with synchrotron X-ray microcomputed tomography and found three curved canals, consistent with the insides of jawed vertebrate ears. Other features of the Palaeospondylus skull resembled the skulls of two nearly contemporary fishes of the animal—Eusthenopteron and Panderichthys. Both of these animals belong to the lobe-finned fish taxon — and all tetrapods evolved from these fish. However, there is a problem with this hypothesis. The lack of teeth and dermal bones in Palaeospondylus is not consistent with tetrapodomorphs, which generally have these characteristics. It is not known if the teeth and jaws simply took longer to develop or if they were lost entirely. In the future, the team hopes to continue investigating this mysterious creature to answer this and other unanswered questions. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeO5-6bDSfr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: ULodz.VertebrateEvolution

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@web.rhpcs.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: ULodz.VertebrateEvolution > Date: 29 September 2021 at 06:07:04 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > Postdoc: EXILE - University of Łódź - Department of Ecology and > Vertebrate Zoology > > REMINDER – DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: 20 October 2021 > > An exciting postdoctoral position funded by the Polish National > Science Centre (NCN, grant EXILE) is available at the Department of > Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology of the University of Łódź (Poland) > under the supervision of Philippe Kok (STELLAR Research Group, see > https://ift.tt/3CYm8BY). The position is > offered for one year, renewable for two further periods of one year > (thus max 3 years) and is available from January 2022. > > Brief scientific summary of the project: > While potential responses of vertebrate communities to environmental > constraints have been widely tested in post-Pleistocene landscapes, > extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of vertebrate population density in > ancient insular terrestrial landscapes (fragmented paleosurfaces) > are essentially unknown. The overarching objective of this project > (acronym EXILE for EXobIoLogy on Earth) is to explore, document > and understand how environmentally hostile naturally fragmented > paleosurfaces may have driven/altered peculiar behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological adaptations, and ultimately the evolutionary > trajectories of vertebrates. EXILE focusses on the “Lost World” > moonlike tabletop mountains of northern South America (tepuis). We > hypothesize that ancient endemic lineages of vertebrates thriving > on these paleosurfaces, such as the toad genus Oreophrynella and the > lizard genus Riolama, have developed unique behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological traits/strategies to cope with the tepuis’ highly > contrasted environmental conditions. EXILE stems from our previous work in > this unique system and was inspired by unconventional findings, testimony > to the tremendous research discoveries yet to be made in this unusual > ecosystem. It is well known that body temperature and water balance are > jointly influenced by heat and water exchange within the organism and > between the organism and its environment. This exchange is modulated by > (i) the biophysical and physiological properties of the organism and by > (ii) behavioural strategies. Biophysical properties include morphology, > surface properties, and metabolic modes. For instance, skin colour, > thickness, and ultrastructure in reptiles and amphibians determine > heating capacity and resistance to water loss. EXILE will specifically > focus on two main complementary research axes: (1) thermal biology, > and (2) bio-physical adaptations to dehydration. We will use selected > Pantepui amphibians and reptiles on a single tepui summit at ca. 2,800 m > elevation. In order to situate these results in the appropriate ecological > and evolutionary context, we will also investigate non-insular upland > (ca. 1,000 m elevation) closely-related taxa in the surrounding Pantepui > tropical rainforest, as well as the closest relatives of the tepui > taxa living in a Neotropical post-Pleistocene landscape at similar > elevation (ca. 2,800 m elevation in the sub-paramo in the Andes). Field > expeditions coupled with the use of advanced techniques such as highly > sensitive thermal imagery, including the use of drones to record thermal > images of the landscapes from the air, will be carried out to complete > our project. We will also run a variety of cutting-edge behavioural > tests, either in the native environment of the animals or in our field > laboratory, and use modern imagery techniques (such as high-resolution > X-ray microcomputed tomography and electronic microscopy). > > Summary for the public is available here: > https://ift.tt/3F0v0sr > > Requirements: > We are looking for an out of the box thinker with strong motivation > and positive energy, as well as an eye for the details and excellent > organisational skills. The successful candidate will have a PhD in > biological or closely related science and experience in field work, > preferably under difficult conditions and during extended periods. The > EXILE project involves heavy field work in different locations (such > as tepui top, intervening forest at tepui foot, and one locality around > 2,800m elevation in the Andes), for usually 6-8 weeks, with at least 6 > distinct field campaigns over 2-3 years. > > The ideal candidate will also have some of the following: > o   Excellent publication record (according to experience); > o   Excellent skills in statistics; > o   Experience in behavioural tests; > o   Experience in thermal imagery (a drone pilot license is a plus); > o   Experience in μCT/ SR-μCT/SEM/TEM/soft-tissue staining techniques; > o   Experience in population estimates; > o   Background in amphibians and/or reptiles eco-physiology > > Among other things the successful applicant will conduct field work with > the PI and other external collaborators, help analysing the data and > disseminating our results (publications, conferences, etc.). Depending > on her/his skills (e.g., in genetics/genomics) the successful applicant > will be involved in other research projects of the group. > > Salary: > The salary is ca. 1200€ net/month. Note that living cost in Poland > is substantially lower than in western Europe (average salary in Poland > is ca. 850€ net/month). In addition, the University of Łódź offers > attractive bonus payments for high-quality publications. No need to say > that this position includes participation to the most exciting field > work one can dream of. > > Documents: > Review of applications will begin immediately (official deadline 20th of > October 2021) and continue until the position is filled. Please send a > full CV including contact details for two references and a motivation > letter to Philippe Kok (philippe.kok@biol.uni.lodz.pl). For more > information, please e-mail me at the same address or at pjrkok@gmail.com. > > > About the STELLAR Research Group: > STELLAR stands for [S]ystematics, [T]axonomy, [E]co[L]ogy and Evo[L]ution > of [A]mphibians and [R]eptiles, and is a new research group in the > Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology of the University of Łódź > (central Poland). We are integrative organismal biologists aiming at > generating and disseminating new knowledge about the origin and diversity > of amphibians and reptiles. Our group has broad interests in e.g., > biogeography, dispersal, phylogenetics, population genetics/genomics, > ecology, sociality, and physiology, mostly from an evolutionary > perspective. We have, for instance, a keen interest in understanding > how geographically isolated species/populations cope with extreme and > competitive terrestrial environments, and a great deal of our research > concerns high tepui (South American tabletop mountains) summit taxa. We > also conduct collections-based research, mainly revising the systematics > of several Guiana Shield amphibian and reptile taxa. Our two most recent > research projects – funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant from the > European Commission (HOSTILE, in collaboration with the Natural History > Museum, London) and a SONATA grant from the National Science Centre of > Poland (EXILE) – primarily aim at understanding the impact of South > American Old Climatically Buffered Infertile Landscapes (OCBILs) on (1) > genetic structure and phenotypic traits; and (2) behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological adaptations of amphibians and reptiles. We combine > field work, in situ behavioural tests (in native environment and/or in > our field laboratory), all sorts of advanced techniques such as highly > sensitive thermal imagery and laboratory approaches (e.g., molecular, > SEM, µ-CT scans) to answer our questions and test new hypotheses. > > > I am happy to discuss any PhD/postdoc/collaboration proposition, so please > do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to join our ambitious, > highly motivated team. > > > "Philippe J. R. Kok" > via IFTTT

[fumpkins]

'Wandering meatloaf' creature has teeth of iron

A weird mollusk, affectionately known as the “wandering meatloaf,” has teeth made of a rare iron mineral, previously found only along rocky coastlines, a new study finds. 

Researchers detected the rare iron mineral — called santabarbaraite — in the teeth of the rock-grazing mollusk Cryptochiton stelleri, nicknamed the “wandering meatloaf” because it looks just like one with its reddish-brown, up to 14-inch-long (36 centimeters) oval-shaped and shelled body. 

The discovery sheds light on how C. stelleri can scrape food off rocks, the researchers said. “[Santabarbaraite] has high water content, which makes it strong with low density. We think this might toughen the teeth without adding a lot of weight,” study senior author Derk Joester, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois, said in a statement.

Related: Photos: 508-million-year-old bristly worm looked like a kitchen brush

The wandering meatloaf, which also goes by the names giant Pacific chiton and giant gumboot chiton, is the largest known species of chiton, a marine mollusk with an ovalish, flattened body that has a shell made of overlapping plates, just like a pillbug. Chitons are known for their remarkably hard teeth, which are attached to their soft, flexible tongue-like radula. While searching for food, chitons scrape their tooth-covered radula over rocks, in order to grab algae and other food.

The “wandering meatloaf” chiton, or Cryptochiton stelleri, in the wild. (Image credit: Jerry Kirkhart)

Joester and his colleagues had previously studied chiton teeth, but they wanted to learn more about the stylus — the hollow structure that’s akin to the root of a human tooth, and which “connects the [chitons’] ultrahard and stiff tooth head to the flexible radula membrane,” the researchers wrote in the study. They did this by analyzing C. stelleri‘s chompers with a few high-tech techniques, including a synchrotron light source and transmission electron microscopy. 

These analyses revealed the santabarbaraite in the chiton’s upper stylus. “This mineral has only been observed in geological specimens in very tiny amounts and has never before been seen in a biological context,” Joester said. 

The discovery shows how this weird meatloaf uses its whole tooth, not just the ultrahard, durable cup, to collect food, the researchers said.

Image 1 of 5

Distribution of iron and phosphorous in the major lateral teeth of C. stelleri. Longitudinal section of the tooth and upper stylus. (Image credit: Northwestern University)

Image 2 of 5

Rendering of a virtual section of a single tooth head and upper stylus, generated from a 3D reconstruction as determined by synchrotron microcomputer tomography. (Image credit: Northwestern University)

Image 3 of 5

Scanning electron microscope image of the anterior end of the radula with mature teeth. (Image credit: Northwestern University)

Image 4 of 5

3D printing of bio-inspired composites. (Image credit: Northwestern University)

Image 5 of 5

A chiton’s mouth, with the radula just inside. (Image credit: David Young/Victoria High School, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

Next, the team tried to recreate the stylus’s chemical makeup with an ink designed for 3D printing. Study first author Linus Stegbauer, a former postdoctoral fellow in Joester’s laboratory, developed the ink with iron and phosphate ions mixed up with a biopolymer derived from the chiton’s teeth. Stegbauer, who is now a principal investigator at the Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology of the University of Stuttgart in Germany, and colleagues found that the experiment worked — the ink printed ultrahard, stiff and durable materials, as long as the scientists mixed it immediately before printing.

“As the nanoparticles form in the biopolymer, it gets stronger and more viscous,” Joester said. “This mixture can then be easily used for printing. Subsequent drying in air leads to the hard and stiff final material.”

The study was published online Monday (May 31) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Originally published on Live Science.

New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2021/06/01/wandering-meatloaf-creature-has-teeth-of-iron/

[kathleenseiber]

Bones were keepers in Bronze Age Britain

British researchers have uncovered a Bronze Age tradition of retaining and curating human remains as relics over several generations.

It’s a first, they say, made possible by radiocarbon dating and CT scanning, and provides a clue to how communities drew upon memory and the past to create their own social identities.

There already was evidence that people living in Britain 4500 years ago practised a range of funerary rites, but the new findings reveal that human remains were regularly kept and circulated among the living.

“Even in modern secular societies, human remains are seen as particularly powerful objects, and this seems to hold true for people of the Bronze Age,” says Thomas Booth from the University of Bristol, lead author of a paper in the journal Antiquity. “However, they treated and interacted with the dead in ways which are inconceivably macabre to us today.”

After analysing human remains and other materials buried with them, the researchers found that many partial remains were buried a significant time after a person died.

Booth says people seem to have curated the remains of people who likely played an important role in their life or their communities, or with whom they had a well-defined relationship – whether as friend or foe.

Pronged object found alongside human bone musical instrument. Credit: University of Birmingham/David Bukachit

In one example, a human thigh bone found in Wiltshire had been crafted to make a musical instrument and buried alongside a man found close to Stonehenge. The carefully carved and polished artefact was found with other items, including stone and bronze axes, a bone plate, a tusk and a unique ceremonial pronged object.

Radiocarbon dating suggests it belonged to someone this person knew during their lifetime.

“Although fragments of human bone were included as grave goods with the dead, they were also kept in the homes of the living, buried under house floors and even placed on display”, says principal investigator Joanna Brück.

The researchers also used microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) at the Natural History Museum in London to look at changes to bones produced by bacteria, to get a sense of how bodies were treated while decomposing.

Scans showed some were cremated before being split up, some were exhumed after burial, and some were de-fleshed by being left to decompose on the ground.

“This suggests that there was no established protocol for the treatment of bodies whose remains were destined to be curated, and the decisions and rites leading to the curation of their remains took place afterwards,” Booth says.

Bones were keepers in Bronze Age Britain published first on https://triviaqaweb.weebly.com/

[babbleuk]

Mummified Kitten, Snake, and Bird Are 'Unwrapped' in New X-Ray Study

These fascinating findings were made possible through the novel use of X-ray microcomputed tomography. from gizmodo http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2020/08/mummified-kitten-snake-and-bird-are-unwrapped-in-new-x-ray-study/

[drekingreen]

MICROCOMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF CALCIUM-HYDROXIDE EXPOSED VITAL NERVE TISSUE: A PILOT PROTOCOL

http://dlvr.it/RdYtTR

[healthtimetaylor]

Formononetin enhances bone regeneration in a mouse model of cortical bone defect.

PMID:  Br J Nutr. 2017 Jun ;117(11):1511-1522. Epub 2017 Jul 10. PMID: 28689509 Abstract Title:  Formononetin, a methoxy isoflavone, enhances bone regeneration in a mouse model of cortical bone defect. Abstract:  The bone regeneration and healing effect of formononetin was evaluated in a cortical bone defect model that predominantly heals by intramembranous ossification. For this study, female Balb/c mice were ovariectomised (OVx) and a drill-hole injury was generated in the midfemoral bones of all animals. Treatment with formononetin commenced the day after and continued for 21 d. Parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) was used as a reference standard. Animals were killed at days 10 and 21. Femur bones were collected at the injury site for histomorphometry studies using microcomputed tomography (μCT) and confocal microscopy. RNA and protein were harvested from the region surrounding the drill-hole injury. For immunohistochemistry, 5 µm sections of decalcified femur bone adjoining the drill-hole site were cut. μCT analysis showed that formononetin promoted bone healing at days 10 and 21 and the healing effect observed was significantly better than in Ovx mice and equal to PTH treatment in many aspects. Formononetin also significantly enhanced bone regeneration as assessed by calcein-labelling studies. In addition, formononetin enhanced the expression of osteogenic markers at the injury site in a manner similar to PTH. Formononetin treatment also led to predominant runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin localisation at the injury site. These results support the potential of formononetin to be a bone-healing agent and are suggestive of its promising role in the fracture-repair process.

read more

[petermorse]

Metamorphosis 2016, Erica Seccombe from Erica Seccombe on Vimeo.

Metamorphosis 2016, Erica Seccombe (single file from active stereoscopic projection installation) Pupa development at 15 degrees Celsius. 9 datasets from 10% to 100% growth 3D Micro CT. Imaging and Analysis Centre (IAC), NHM, London, Visualised and animated in Drishti by Erica Seccombe Thank you to Dr Farah Ahmed, IAC & Dr Daniel Martin-Vega,DLS , NHM, London, Dr Jill Middleton ANU Department of Applied Mathematics, Canberra, Dr Ajay Limaye, ANU VizLab, National Computational Infrastructure, Canberra ArtsACT Project Grant, an ACT Government initiative

In Metamorphosis the Artist explores one of the great mysteries of life though the transformation of fly larvae. Maggots are more commonly associated with death and decay, but like caterpillars they undergo a stage of transition before emerging as exquisite insects. In this movie, Erica has visualised and animated virtual pupa data captured through the science of 3D Microcomputed X-ray Tomography led by forensic research at the Natural History Museum in London. This new work is a result of her collaborative relationship with key researchers in visualising 3D and 4D data captured with Micro-CT at the NHM Imaging and Analysis Centre. Her residency at the NHM in 2015 was supported by an arts ACT project grant.

[scottdwhite1991]

What microCT Scanning Can Do for Additive Manufacturing

X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) has become widely used as a way to analyze and test additively manufactured parts, particularly for dimensional measurement and porosity analysis. In a paper... View the entire article via our website.

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: ULodz.VertebrateEvolution

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@web.rhpcs.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: ULodz.VertebrateEvolution > Date: 29 September 2021 at 06:07:04 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > Postdoc: EXILE - University of Łódź - Department of Ecology and > Vertebrate Zoology > > REMINDER – DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: 20 October 2021 > > An exciting postdoctoral position funded by the Polish National > Science Centre (NCN, grant EXILE) is available at the Department of > Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology of the University of Łódź (Poland) > under the supervision of Philippe Kok (STELLAR Research Group, see > https://ift.tt/3CYm8BY). The position is > offered for one year, renewable for two further periods of one year > (thus max 3 years) and is available from January 2022. > > Brief scientific summary of the project: > While potential responses of vertebrate communities to environmental > constraints have been widely tested in post-Pleistocene landscapes, > extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of vertebrate population density in > ancient insular terrestrial landscapes (fragmented paleosurfaces) > are essentially unknown. The overarching objective of this project > (acronym EXILE for EXobIoLogy on Earth) is to explore, document > and understand how environmentally hostile naturally fragmented > paleosurfaces may have driven/altered peculiar behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological adaptations, and ultimately the evolutionary > trajectories of vertebrates. EXILE focusses on the “Lost World” > moonlike tabletop mountains of northern South America (tepuis). We > hypothesize that ancient endemic lineages of vertebrates thriving > on these paleosurfaces, such as the toad genus Oreophrynella and the > lizard genus Riolama, have developed unique behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological traits/strategies to cope with the tepuis’ highly > contrasted environmental conditions. EXILE stems from our previous work in > this unique system and was inspired by unconventional findings, testimony > to the tremendous research discoveries yet to be made in this unusual > ecosystem. It is well known that body temperature and water balance are > jointly influenced by heat and water exchange within the organism and > between the organism and its environment. This exchange is modulated by > (i) the biophysical and physiological properties of the organism and by > (ii) behavioural strategies. Biophysical properties include morphology, > surface properties, and metabolic modes. For instance, skin colour, > thickness, and ultrastructure in reptiles and amphibians determine > heating capacity and resistance to water loss. EXILE will specifically > focus on two main complementary research axes: (1) thermal biology, > and (2) bio-physical adaptations to dehydration. We will use selected > Pantepui amphibians and reptiles on a single tepui summit at ca. 2,800 m > elevation. In order to situate these results in the appropriate ecological > and evolutionary context, we will also investigate non-insular upland > (ca. 1,000 m elevation) closely-related taxa in the surrounding Pantepui > tropical rainforest, as well as the closest relatives of the tepui > taxa living in a Neotropical post-Pleistocene landscape at similar > elevation (ca. 2,800 m elevation in the sub-paramo in the Andes). Field > expeditions coupled with the use of advanced techniques such as highly > sensitive thermal imagery, including the use of drones to record thermal > images of the landscapes from the air, will be carried out to complete > our project. We will also run a variety of cutting-edge behavioural > tests, either in the native environment of the animals or in our field > laboratory, and use modern imagery techniques (such as high-resolution > X-ray microcomputed tomography and electronic microscopy). > > Summary for the public is available here: > https://ift.tt/3F0v0sr > > Requirements: > We are looking for an out of the box thinker with strong motivation > and positive energy, as well as an eye for the details and excellent > organisational skills. The successful candidate will have a PhD in > biological or closely related science and experience in field work, > preferably under difficult conditions and during extended periods. The > EXILE project involves heavy field work in different locations (such > as tepui top, intervening forest at tepui foot, and one locality around > 2,800m elevation in the Andes), for usually 6-8 weeks, with at least 6 > distinct field campaigns over 2-3 years. > > The ideal candidate will also have some of the following: > o   Excellent publication record (according to experience); > o   Excellent skills in statistics; > o   Experience in behavioural tests; > o   Experience in thermal imagery (a drone pilot license is a plus); > o   Experience in μCT/ SR-μCT/SEM/TEM/soft-tissue staining techniques; > o   Experience in population estimates; > o   Background in amphibians and/or reptiles eco-physiology > > Among other things the successful applicant will conduct field work with > the PI and other external collaborators, help analysing the data and > disseminating our results (publications, conferences, etc.). Depending > on her/his skills (e.g., in genetics/genomics) the successful applicant > will be involved in other research projects of the group. > > Salary: > The salary is ca. 1200€ net/month. Note that living cost in Poland > is substantially lower than in western Europe (average salary in Poland > is ca. 850€ net/month). In addition, the University of Łódź offers > attractive bonus payments for high-quality publications. No need to say > that this position includes participation to the most exciting field > work one can dream of. > > Documents: > Review of applications will begin immediately (official deadline 20th of > October 2021) and continue until the position is filled. Please send a > full CV including contact details for two references and a motivation > letter to Philippe Kok (philippe.kok@biol.uni.lodz.pl). For more > information, please e-mail me at the same address or at pjrkok@gmail.com. > > > About the STELLAR Research Group: > STELLAR stands for [S]ystematics, [T]axonomy, [E]co[L]ogy and Evo[L]ution > of [A]mphibians and [R]eptiles, and is a new research group in the > Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology of the University of Łódź > (central Poland). We are integrative organismal biologists aiming at > generating and disseminating new knowledge about the origin and diversity > of amphibians and reptiles. Our group has broad interests in e.g., > biogeography, dispersal, phylogenetics, population genetics/genomics, > ecology, sociality, and physiology, mostly from an evolutionary > perspective. We have, for instance, a keen interest in understanding > how geographically isolated species/populations cope with extreme and > competitive terrestrial environments, and a great deal of our research > concerns high tepui (South American tabletop mountains) summit taxa. We > also conduct collections-based research, mainly revising the systematics > of several Guiana Shield amphibian and reptile taxa. Our two most recent > research projects – funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant from the > European Commission (HOSTILE, in collaboration with the Natural History > Museum, London) and a SONATA grant from the National Science Centre of > Poland (EXILE) – primarily aim at understanding the impact of South > American Old Climatically Buffered Infertile Landscapes (OCBILs) on (1) > genetic structure and phenotypic traits; and (2) behavioural, bio-physical > and eco-physiological adaptations of amphibians and reptiles. We combine > field work, in situ behavioural tests (in native environment and/or in > our field laboratory), all sorts of advanced techniques such as highly > sensitive thermal imagery and laboratory approaches (e.g., molecular, > SEM, µ-CT scans) to answer our questions and test new hypotheses. > > > I am happy to discuss any PhD/postdoc/collaboration proposition, so please > do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to join our ambitious, > highly motivated team. > > > "Philippe J. R. Kok" > via IFTTT