cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1795317161
title: Deciphering the Evolutionary History of Hermit Crabs

description: Exceptionally preserved fossils provide invaluable insights into the history of life. Most such specimens are preserved in two dimensions; however, in rare
cases, exceptionally preserved three-dimensional fossils can be found, revealing the morphology of extinct species in extraordinary detail. Here, we focus on
one such specimen, an exceptionally preserved fossil hermit crab from the Cretaceous of Spain. This specimen retains poorly mineralized structures that have
never previously been described in detail in extinct hermit crabs. Our aim is to study this fossil using synchrotron phase-contrast tomography, which is the optimal
approach for resolving the internal structure of this unique specimen. The results will be used to reconstruct a three-dimensional digital model of the hermit crab
fossil, which will form the basis for a phylogenetic analysis of modern and fossil species, thereby shedding new light on the evolutionary history of this important
group.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24654493.v1
title: Using citizen science to identify Australia’s least known birds and inform conservation action

description: Citizen science is a popular approach to biodiversity surveying, whereby data that are collected by volunteer naturalists may help analysts to understand the distribution and abundance of wild organisms. In Australia, birdwatchers have contributed to two major citizen science programs, eBird (run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Birdata (run by Birdlife Australia), which collectively hold more than 42 million records of wild birds from across the country. However, these records are not evenly distributed across space, time, or taxonomy, with particularly significant variation in the number of records of each species in these datasets. In this paper, we explore this variation and seek to determine which Australian bird species are least known as determined by rates of citizen science survey detections. We achieve this by comparing the rates of survey effort and species detection across each Australian bird species’ range, assigning all 581 species to one of the four groups depending on their rates of survey effort and species observation. We classify 56 species into a group considered the most poorly recorded despite extensive survey effort, with Coxen’s Fig Parrot <i>Cyclopsitta coxeni</i>, Letter-winged Kite <i>Elanus scriptus</i>, Night Parrot <i>Pezoporus occidentalis</i>, Buff-breasted Buttonquail <i>Turnix olivii</i> and Red-chested Buttonquail <i>Turnix pyrrhothorax</i> having the very lowest numbers of records. Our analyses provide a framework to identify species that are poorly represented in citizen science datasets. We explore the reasons behind why they may be poorly represented and suggest ways in which targeted approaches may be able to help fill in the gaps.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1723084082
title: Investigating and tuning negative thermal expansion in Zn2GeO4 via light ion doping: A XAS study

description: This proposal aims to investigate the anomalous behavior of the negative thermal expansion (NTE) in Zn2GeO4 compound and how it can be tuned by appropriated doping with light ions (Li or Mg). Materials which exhibit NTE are of great interest because of the possibility to create compounds with a tunable coefficient of thermal expansion in specific temperature ranges. However, a full understanding and controlling of NTE mechanisms are still a scientific challenging since this behavior can be driven by different mechanisms, such as low-wavenumber phonons, spontaneous polarization, or charge transfer phenomena. Therefore, this study envisages the use of the high-brilliance XAS beamline BM23 station to shed light on the NTE at local level of Zn2GeO4 nanocrystals. We expected to better understand the mechanisms of NTE in Zn2GeO4, which may enable a full control of their intrinsic thermal expansion
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24654493
title: Using citizen science to identify Australia’s least known birds and inform conservation action

description: Citizen science is a popular approach to biodiversity surveying, whereby data that are collected by volunteer naturalists may help analysts to understand the distribution and abundance of wild organisms. In Australia, birdwatchers have contributed to two major citizen science programs, eBird (run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Birdata (run by Birdlife Australia), which collectively hold more than 42 million records of wild birds from across the country. However, these records are not evenly distributed across space, time, or taxonomy, with particularly significant variation in the number of records of each species in these datasets. In this paper, we explore this variation and seek to determine which Australian bird species are least known as determined by rates of citizen science survey detections. We achieve this by comparing the rates of survey effort and species detection across each Australian bird species’ range, assigning all 581 species to one of the four groups depending on their rates of survey effort and species observation. We classify 56 species into a group considered the most poorly recorded despite extensive survey effort, with Coxen’s Fig Parrot <i>Cyclopsitta coxeni</i>, Letter-winged Kite <i>Elanus scriptus</i>, Night Parrot <i>Pezoporus occidentalis</i>, Buff-breasted Buttonquail <i>Turnix olivii</i> and Red-chested Buttonquail <i>Turnix pyrrhothorax</i> having the very lowest numbers of records. Our analyses provide a framework to identify species that are poorly represented in citizen science datasets. We explore the reasons behind why they may be poorly represented and suggest ways in which targeted approaches may be able to help fill in the gaps.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25572265.v1
title: Diet breadth of a critically endangered owl presents challenges for invasive rodent management: a conservation conundrum

description: Trophic interactions between threatened species complicate management. Similarly, interactions between threatened species and pest species present management challenges, given that pest control can lead to non-target impacts (e.g. trophic cascades or secondary poisoning). There are records of the critically endangered Norfolk Island Morepork <i>Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata</i> consuming both threatened songbirds and invasive rodents that are subject to management interventions. Nevertheless, the diet of the morepork remains largely unknown. We visually screened regurgitated pellets using a microscope, alongside environmental DNA (eDNA) screening of pellets and scats, to investigate the diet of the Norfolk Island Morepork. A total of 113 pellets and 19 scats were collected between October 2020 and June 2021. All moreporks screened with eDNA metabarcoding had consumed invasive rodents and at least one-third of samples contained rodents. The owls were also found to have consumed four of five endemic songbirds and possibly an endemic parrot, most of which are threatened. Environmental DNA metabarcoding detected more taxa overall, but visual screening identified a greater richness of Orthoptera and Coleoptera in the diet. The frequency with which the Norfolk Island Morepork consumed rodents presents a conundrum for conservation managers. Control of invasive rodents is considered essential to support threatened songbirds, yet this same action places the species at risk of secondary poisoning. Urgent investigations are needed to identify effective control methods for invasive rodents that are safe for non-target species.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1723084658
title: Measuring self-assembled micelle topologies of functionalised rylenes to build a predictive machine learning model

description: This project centres around the creation of machine learning models which will ultimately allow for the prediction of the morphology and ultimately the physical properties of self-assembled aggregates. Due to the mechanisms which lead to molecular self-assembly being poorly understood, the design of new materials for devices is often unachievable. We therefore are developing a model that would predict the morphology of the aggregate from chemical structure alone. In order to generate models capable of predicting the properties of self-assembled aggregates, high-resolution data across a range of compounds needs to be acquired to achieve a prediction with sufficient confidence in order to be useful. This could pave the way for the design of responsive organic materials with the capability of replacing metals in high-value mechanoresponsive devices, amongst other applications.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25572265
title: Diet breadth of a critically endangered owl presents challenges for invasive rodent management: a conservation conundrum

description: Trophic interactions between threatened species complicate management. Similarly, interactions between threatened species and pest species present management challenges, given that pest control can lead to non-target impacts (e.g. trophic cascades or secondary poisoning). There are records of the critically endangered Norfolk Island Morepork <i>Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata</i> consuming both threatened songbirds and invasive rodents that are subject to management interventions. Nevertheless, the diet of the morepork remains largely unknown. We visually screened regurgitated pellets using a microscope, alongside environmental DNA (eDNA) screening of pellets and scats, to investigate the diet of the Norfolk Island Morepork. A total of 113 pellets and 19 scats were collected between October 2020 and June 2021. All moreporks screened with eDNA metabarcoding had consumed invasive rodents and at least one-third of samples contained rodents. The owls were also found to have consumed four of five endemic songbirds and possibly an endemic parrot, most of which are threatened. Environmental DNA metabarcoding detected more taxa overall, but visual screening identified a greater richness of Orthoptera and Coleoptera in the diet. The frequency with which the Norfolk Island Morepork consumed rodents presents a conundrum for conservation managers. Control of invasive rodents is considered essential to support threatened songbirds, yet this same action places the species at risk of secondary poisoning. Urgent investigations are needed to identify effective control methods for invasive rodents that are safe for non-target species.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1723087323
title: Room-temperature X-ray radiation damage to protein crystals using serial crystallography in the EBS context.

description: Radiation damage is a major limitation in protein crystallography, especially at room temperature (RT), which can lead to incorrect biological interpretation.. Cryo-cooled samples (~100K) have now been used for decades to slow down its progression (~100 fold compared to RT) but such cryo-protection reduces the functionally-relevant conformational heterogeneity of the crystalline sample. 
RT data collection recently rejuvenated, through the advent of serial crystallography, in which the X-ray dose deposited on the sample is spread over a large number of microcrystals (typically tens of thousands). In a seminal experiment on ID13, we were able to characterize the progression of radiation damage at RT. However, with the recent EBS upgrade, a 10-fold increase in photon flux density has been obtained on ID13; we therefore propose to reproduce the experiment in these new conditions, to fundamentally understand the mechanism of radiation damage progress at such extreme photon regimes,.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1723087552
title: HIERARCHICAL RESTRUCTURING DURING THE DRYING OF BEADS OF COLLOIDAL GEL

description: How gels behave under stress is of uttermost relevance for many applications; it is also scientifically important and challenging, as it involves out-of-equilibrium multiscale materials. In this proposal, we propose to investigate how the structure of colloidal gels evolves during their compaction. To do so, we propose to couple standard imaging and SAXS measurements during the drying in a controlled environment of millimetric beads of fractal colloidal gels. We will characterize how the hierarchical multiscale (from nm to um) structure of gels evolves during drying, as a function of the drying rate and initial colloid volume fraction. We will compare the scattering profiles at rest to the ones during drying to extract the relevant length scales for the compaction and use reverse Monte-Carlo strategy to extract the structure of the colloidal gel during compaction, allowing us to unveil the physical mechanisms at play.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721772360
title: HUB Proposal: Human Organ Atlas Hub (HOAHub)

description: This HOAHub will create a physical and virtual Hub which uses HiP-CT to scan whole human organs with local cellular resolution, producing a “Human Organ Atlas in Health and Disease”. It will bridge clinical imaging (centimetre scale) to molecular modalities (nanometer scale), providing unprecedented insights into our bodies, helping cure or mitigate diseases from neuro-degeneration to cancer. The HOAHub will bring together interdisciplinary groups to produce the novel experimental and computational technologies needed to analyse and interpret the scale-bridging data. By transforming HiP-CT into an efficient tool, HOAHub will enable the clinical impact of synchrotron imaging to be realised. Through these scientific and technical efficiencies, HOAHub will not only advance biological, computational and medical fields, it will provide anatomical training resources and a new Gold Standard for validating CT, MRI and 3D histology, inspiring new techniques and real-world clinical insights.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721774618
title: Unveiling New Polymorphs and Phase Stability in the CaSiO3 System at Upper Mantle and Transition Zone Conditions

description: We propose conducting in-situ XRPD experiment to investigate the P-T stability and structure of CaSiO3 polymorphs and their destabilization phases in the P/T range of 0-15 GPa and 300-1500 K, corresponding to Earth's upper mantle and transition zone. Existing research point to the intricate nature of the phase diagram of CaSiO3. It reveals the presence of apx. five distinct polymorphs characterized by tetrahedral silicon units, with stability observed up to approximately 8 GPa. Beyond, there is a transition to a mixture of Ca2SiO4 and CaSi2O5 phases, the crystal structures of which may still be undetermined. These phases hold significant importance as accessory components within the Earth's mantle and are frequently encountered as inclusions in diamonds. Reconstructing the precise phase diagram, including the crystal structures and the pressure-temperature stability ranges of each phase, will contribute to a more accurate understanding of the depths at which diamonds originate.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721775027
title: High-throughput characterization of multi-component thin films

description: We propose a novel approach to the compositional optimization of complex two- and multi-component materials. The sample preparation chamber developed in our group allows deposition of multi-component organic thin films with lateral gradient distribution of the components. Spatially-resolved X-ray scattering measurements along the gradient axis of such samples will provide compositionally-resolved information about the crystalline structure, degree of intermixing and morphology of the blends. Exploiting machine learning (ML) tools for X-ray scattering data analysis, we will extract the relevant structural information from the measured data in close to real time. These results will be correlated with the optical properties of the same samples measured prior to the X-ray experiment. This study will not only contribute to a better understanding of structure-property correlations in organic blends, but also demonstrate a novel approach to high-throughput studies of multi-component systems.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721775736
title: Slip and twinning deformation mechanisms in titanium alloys in tension and compression

description: This proposal is part of the ongoing ERC PhD project “Size effect on the mechanical properties of polycrystalline materials in oxidizing and protective atmosphere”. The motivation of the project is to distinguish difference in strain distribution/grain orientation spread in “surface” grains and “core” grains of titanium-based materials and correlate these distributions to size effects in the presence of a free surface. Tensile and compression tests were already performed and surface EBSD characterisations were done to identify the anisotropic response of the material in tension (planar slip) versus compression (deformation twinning). Moreover, we propose an analysis of the effect of oxygen on the strain localisation and how it modifies the twinning behaviour of titanium. Our ambition is to extend and complement HR-EBSD and HR-DIC using SEM or LSCM with volumetric characterisations using a combination of diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) and topotomography (TT).
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721776245
title: Dynamic battery abuse testing with X-ray imaging
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721776565
title: Gut investigation of a mouse model of age-related human frailty syndrome to identify predictive signs of dementia.

description: We propose to investigate the gut of a murine model (SAMP8) of age-related human frailty syndrome to identify pathological alterations by means of nano
 X-ray phase contrast tomography (XPCT). The samples will be measured at different time-points from pre-symptomatic stages to detect and monitor the age-related impairment of intestinal barrier, which is indicated as a disease-relevant site by preliminary data obtained at the ID16 beamline. Since SAMP8 is a
 promising model for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we believe that the experiment could help to identify predictive signs of structural alterations as frailty indicators of progression to AD in the mouse, especially at the earliest phase of the disease.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1721778004
title: Spatial and chemical characterization of metal-enriched cells

description: We aim to study a new biotechnological process based on metal biosorption by cyanobacteria and valorization of metal-enriched organic materials (e.g., catalysts). Since heterogeneous systems like biomaterials may provide multiple binding or accumulation sites for metals, nano-XRF and nano-XANES measurements may increase the knowledge of the uptake mechanisms as well as characterize the materials obtained at the end of the process at a lower spatial scale providing information on localization, accessibility and properties of the metals. We will study the location and the chemical forms of three different metals in 7 samples comparing multi-metal interactions and evaluating the effect of a sequential addition of metals since we have already observed a positive effect on Cu uptake by Zn and Ni. ID21 beamline has all the characteristics for a successful turnout of the experiment: a nano-SXM for 2D nano-XRF and nano-XANES ( 2-11 keV) that can be used in vacuum and cryo conditions.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1720484542
title: Effect of melt densification on minor element incorporation at Earth’s lower mantle conditions

description: We will extend our study on the pressure and temperature induced structural changes around Sr and Y contained silicate melts and glasses relevant to magmatic processes in the deep Earth. We plan to extend our previous work on simplified glass compositions. In this follow-up, we will focus on the naturally most relevant basaltic composition. We will investigate in-situ at high P/T conditions of the Earth’s mantle the local structural environment of these cations, both in the glass and in the melt using a laser heated diamond anvil cell combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. These data will allow identifying effects of pressure-induced structural changes of the main silicate network onto the coordination of these cations that represent geochemically important trace elements as well as network-modifying cations. These data will provide unprecedented insights on the structural interplay between network-forming and NM-elements of melts throughout Earth’s mantle conditions.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1720487683
title: Monitoring Structural and Morphological Changes of IrOx Nanocatalysts Operando to Enhance Both Catalytic Activity and Stability

description: Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a promising technology for the production of de-carbonized hydrogen 1. However, the development of PEMWE is hindered by the low efficiency of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), currently catalyzed by IrOx particles. The annealing of IrOx electrocatalysts has been shown to improve stability at the cost of decreased OER activity. This tradeoff is in response to the annealing's effects on the morphology and the nature of the surface oxides2,3. To determine which parameter (the material structure4, the initial Ir oxidation state5, or both) controls these two antagonist properties, we have synthesized a library of IrOx nanocatalysts with tailored crystallite size, Ir oxidation state, and degree of crystallinity. We propose to investigate their structural and morphological changes operando in the recent PEMWE cell developed at ID31 and to bridge this unique information with the changes in OER activity and stability.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1719218822
title: Exploring the fate of Fe(III) at hydrothermal conditions

description: Iron is the most abundant redox-active element in many rocks and geofluids. Yet, the redox chemistry of Fe in high temperature geofluids remains controversial. Comprehensive in-situ XAS results suggest that reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) occurs around 200 °C, yet thermodynamic modelling and the presence of minerals such as magnetite indicate that Fe(III) exists at higher temperatures. Redox-active materials in autoclaves from previous in-situ experiments may have affected the results; here we plan to use sealed silica capillaries to measure the speciation of iron in saline geofluids at temperatures over 200 °C.
DOI: 10.15151/esrf-es-1719219077
title: Technetium interaction in solution with carbonate or at the mineral-water interface with vivianite

description: The fate of technetium (Tc) in the environment is of great concern due to its inherent radioactivity, being a hazardous material for living organisms. Tc is especially mobile as Tc(VII), but its migration is limited when it is reduced to Tc(IV) by electrochemical methods or by reductants e.g., Fe(II). Furthermore, the migration of Tc depends on the aqueous chemical speciation and the interaction of Tc with surfaces such as minerals or microorganisms. Our proposal is focused in two directions.
First, we have studied the redox aqueous chemistry of Tc carbonates. For the first time, we have observed the presence of Tc(V)-carbonate by Tc-99 NMR. We want to determine its structure by XAS.
Second, we have studied the immobilitzation of Tc by vivianite (Fe(II)-phosphate). The vivianites used in the experiments were synthetically and biogenically produced. We want to decipher the mechanism responsible of Tc immobilization, that might be influenced by pH due to mineral transfromation.