Bite force transmission and mandible shape in grasshoppers, crickets, and allies is not driven by dietary niches.

Although species evolve in response to many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, frequently one factor has a dominating influence on a given organ system. In this context, mouthpart shape and function are thought to correlate strongly with dietary niche and this was advocated for decades, e.g.

Synergistic Effect of CO in Accelerating the Galvanic Corrosion of Lithium/Sodium Anodes in Alkali Metal-Carbon Dioxide Batteries.

Rechargeable alkali metal-CO batteries, which combine high theoretical energy density and environmentally friendly CO fixation ability, have attracted worldwide attention. Unfortunately, their electrochemical performances are usually inferior for practical applications. Aiming to reveal the underlying causes, a combinatorial usage of advanced nondestructive and postmortem characterization tools is used to intensively study the failure mechanisms of Li/Na-CO batteries.

Technology-Based Counselling for People with Dementia and Their Informal Carers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Information technology can enhance timely and individual support for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and their informal carers.

Objective: To review the effectiveness of technology-based counselling interventions for people with dementia and informal carers.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials of remote dementia counselling interventions were included.

Codependent failure mechanisms between cathode and anode in solid state lithium metal batteries: mediated by uneven ion flux.

An in-depth understanding of the degradation mechanisms is a prerequisite for developing the next-generation all solid-state lithium metal battery (ASSLMB) technology. Herein, synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT) together with other probing tools and simulation method were employed to rediscover the decaying mechanisms of LiNiCoMnO (NCM)|LiPSCl (LPSCl)|Li ASSLMB. It reveals that the detachment and isolation of NCM particles cause the current focusing on the remaining active regions of cathode.

Feasibility of packed-bed trickling filters for partial nitritation/anammox: Effects of carrier material, bottom ventilation openings, hydraulic loading rate and free ammonia.

This study pioneers the feasibility of cost-effective partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) in packed-bed trickling filters (TFs). Three parallel TFs tested different carrier materials, the presence or absence of bottom ventilation openings, hydraulic loading rates (HLR, 0.4-2.

Effects of Microbeam Irradiation on Rodent Esophageal Smooth Muscle Contraction.

Background: High-dose-rate radiotherapy has shown promising results with respect to normal tissue preservation. We developed an ex vivo model to study the physiological effects of experimental radiotherapy in the rodent esophageal smooth muscle.

Methods: We assessed the physiological parameters of the esophageal function in ex vivo preparations of the proximal, middle, and distal segments in the organ bath.

Micromorphology of pineal gland calcification in age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Background: The formation of concrements in human pineal gland (PG) is a physiological process and, according to many researchers, is associated with the involution of PG structures. The majority of scientific publications concern progressive calcification of PG, leaving out studies on the destruction of already formed calcified concrements. Our study fills the gap in knowledge about calcified zones destruction in PG in normal aging and neuropathological conditions, which has not been addressed until now.

Deep Learning-Based Segmentation of Post-Mortem Human's Olfactory Bulb Structures in X-ray Phase-Contrast Tomography.

The human olfactory bulb (OB) has a laminar structure. The segregation of cell populations in the OB image poses a significant challenge because of indistinct boundaries of the layers. Standard 3D visualization tools usually have a low resolution and cannot provide the high accuracy required for morphometric analysis.

Technology-based counselling in dementia (TeCoDem): study protocol of a mixed-methods systematic review with qualitative comparative analysis and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Information technology can enhance timely and individual support for people with dementia and informal carers. There is some evidence that people with dementia and informal carers would benefit from technology-based counselling. However, it remains unclear which features of those interventions relate to beneficial outcomes and which aspects are necessary for a successful implementation.

Juvenile ecology drives adult morphology in two insect orders.

Most animals undergo ecological niche shifts between distinct life phases, but such shifts can result in adaptive conflicts of phenotypic traits. Metamorphosis can reduce these conflicts by breaking up trait correlations, allowing each life phase to independently adapt to its ecological niche. This process is called adaptive decoupling.

Discovery of in Myanmar Cretaceous Amber: Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Implications (Insecta, Diptera, Phoroidea).

sp. nov. is described from Late Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, integrating traditional observation techniques and X-ray phase contrast microtomography.

Estimation of sinking velocity using free-falling dynamically scaled models: Foraminifera as a test case.

The velocity of settling particles is an important determinant of distribution in extinct and extant species with passive dispersal mechanisms, such as plants, corals and phytoplankton. Here, we adapted dynamic scaling, borrowed from engineering, to determine settling velocity. Dynamic scaling leverages physical models with relevant dimensionless numbers matched to achieve similar dynamics to the original object.

Ultracompact 3D microfluidics for time-resolved structural biology.

To advance microfluidic integration, we present the use of two-photon additive manufacturing to fold 2D channel layouts into compact free-form 3D fluidic circuits with nanometer precision. We demonstrate this technique by tailoring microfluidic nozzles and mixers for time-resolved structural biology at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). We achieve submicron jets with speeds exceeding 160 m s, which allows for the use of megahertz XFEL repetition rates.

Neither cortical nor trabecular: An unusual type of bone in the heavy-load-bearing lower pharyngeal jaw of the black drum (Pogonias cromis).

Durophagous fish consume a diet based primarily on hard-shelled animals, mainly mollusks. In order to successfully perform this task, they are equipped with an extra set of jaws located in their throat called pharyngeal jaws. Here we present the results of a study of the structure of the bony material of the exceptionally powerful lower pharyngeal jaws (LPJs) of the black drum Pogonias cromis which generate the highest biting forces documented in bony fishes.

Semantic segmentation of synchrotron tomography of multiphase Al-Si alloys using a convolutional neural network with a pixel-wise weighted loss function.

Human-based segmentation of tomographic images can be a tedious time-consuming task. Deep learning algorithms and, particularly, convolutional neural networks have become state of the art techniques for pattern recognition in digital images that can replace human-based image segmentation. However, their use in materials science is beginning to be explored and their application needs to be adapted to the specific needs of this field.

Bayesian modeling of microwave radiometer calibration on the example of the Wendelstein 7-X electron cyclotron emission diagnostic.

This paper reports about a novel approach to the absolute intensity calibration of an electron cyclotron emission (ECE) spectroscopy system. Typically, an ECE radiometer consists of tens of separated frequency channels corresponding to different plasma locations. An absolute calibration of the overall diagnostic including near plasma optics and transmission line is achieved with blackbody sources at LN temperature and room temperature via a hot/cold calibration mirror unit.

Nanoporous gold: a hierarchical and multiscale 3D test pattern for characterizing X-ray nano-tomography systems.

Full-field transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) is a well established technique, available at various synchrotron beamlines around the world as well as by laboratory benchtop devices. One of the major TXM challenges, due to its nanometre-scale resolution, is the overall instrument stability during the acquisition of the series of tomographic projections. The ability to correct for vertical and horizontal distortions of each projection image during acquisition is necessary in order to achieve the effective 3D spatial resolution.

Corrigendum: Double-flow focused liquid injector for efficient serial femtosecond crystallography.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep44628.

Three-dimensional-printed gas dynamic virtual nozzles for x-ray laser sample delivery.

Reliable sample delivery is essential to biological imaging using X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs). Continuous injection using the Gas Dynamic Virtual Nozzle (GDVN) has proven valuable, particularly for time-resolved studies. However, many important aspects of GDVN functionality have yet to be thoroughly understood and/or refined due to fabrication limitations.

Synchrotron-based Phase Contrast-enhanced Micro-Computed Tomography Reveals Delaminations and Material Tearing in Water-expandable Root Fillings Ex Vivo.

Introduction: This study evaluated the integrity of calcium silicate sealer-based fillings made with hygro-expandable cones (HEC) that are commercially known as CPoint or Smartpoint.

Methods: Fourteen human canines were prepared according to a standardized, conventional endodontic treatment protocol and filled with the HEC/calcium silicate sealer. Three-dimensional imaging was performed with laboratory micro-computed tomography (μCT) at its highest resolution and was compared with synchrotron phase contrast-enhanced μCT (PCE-CT) scans of the treatment extending 1-7 mm from the apex.

The larval head anatomy of Rhyacophila (Rhyacophilidae) with discussion on mouthpart homology and the groundplan of Trichoptera.

The external and internal features of the larval head of Rhyacophila fasciata (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) were described in detail. Anatomical examinations were carried out using a multimethod approach including histology, scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser-scanning microscopy, microcomputed tomography, and computer-based three-dimensional reconstructions. Additionally, the information on the larval head of Limnephilus flavicornis (Limnephilidae) and Hydropsyche angustipennis (Hydropsychidae) available in the literature were reinvestigated.

Structural mouthpart interaction evolved already in the earliest lineages of insects.

In butterflies, bees, flies and true bugs specific mouthparts are in close contact or even fused to enable piercing, sucking or sponging of particular food sources. The common phenomenon behind these mouthpart types is a complex composed of several consecutive mouthparts which structurally interact during food uptake. The single mouthparts are thus only functional in conjunction with other adjacent mouthparts, which is fundamentally different to biting-chewing.

Head morphology of Tricholepidion gertschi indicates monophyletic Zygentoma.

The relic silverfish Tricholepidion gertschi is the sole extant representative of the family Lepidotrichidae. Its phylogenetic position is of special interest, since it may provide crucial insights into the early phenotypic evolution of the dicondylian insects. However, the phylogenetic position of T.