A metabolite sensor subunit of the Atg1/ULK complex regulates selective autophagy.

Cells convert complex metabolic information into stress-adapted autophagy responses. Canonically, multilayered protein kinase networks converge on the conserved Atg1/ULK kinase complex (AKC) to induce non-selective and selective forms of autophagy in response to metabolic changes. Here we show that, upon phosphate starvation, the metabolite sensor Pho81 interacts with the adaptor subunit Atg11 at the AKC via an Atg11/FIP200 interaction motif to modulate pexophagy by virtue of its conserved phospho-metabolite sensing SPX domain. Notably, core AKC components Atg13 and Atg17 are dispensable for phosphate starvation-induced autophagy revealing significant compositional and functional plasticity of the AKC. Our data indicate that, instead of functioning as a selective autophagy receptor, Pho81 compensates for partially inactive Atg13 by promoting Atg11 phosphorylation by Atg1 critical for pexophagy during phosphate starvation. Our work shows Atg11/FIP200 adaptor subunits bind not only selective autophagy receptors but also modulator subunits that convey metabolic information directly to the AKC for autophagy regulation.

Towards large scale orientation mapping using the eCHORD method.

eCHORD is an alternative method for orientation mapping in Scanning Electron Microscopy that involves channeling contrast observed in BSE images. The sample tilt being small (10°), eCHORD could be a promising method for large scale maps as it limits the image deformation sometimes observed with EBSD maps. However, when the magnification is low, the scan deflection of the beam becomes important, which may modify the channeling conditions of analyzed grains, leading to orientation errors. A correction method for the resulting orientations is proposed and a resulting map on a Si single crystal is presented with an experimental misorientation of 0.12° across a field of view of 2.3 × 1.7 mm2.

A spherical harmonic transform approach to the indexing of electron back-scattered diffraction patterns.

A new approach is proposed for the indexing of electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) patterns. The algorithm employs a spherical master EBSD pattern and computes its cross-correlation with a back-projected experimental pattern using the spherical harmonic transform (SHT). This approach is significantly faster than the recent dictionary indexing algorithm, but shares the latter's robustness against noise. The underlying theory is presented, followed by example applications, one on a series of Ni EBSD data sets recorded with decreasing signal-to-noise ratio, the other on a large shot-peened Al data set. The dependence of indexing speed and memory usage on the SHT bandwidth is explored. The speed gains of the new algorithm are achieved by executing real-valued Fast Fourier Transforms, explicitly incorporating crystallographic symmetry in the cross-correlation computation, and using efficient loop ordering to improve the caching behavior. The algorithm produces a cross-correlation array in the zyz Euler space; an orientation refinement procedure is proposed based on analytical derivatives of the Wigner d functions. The new approach can be applied to any diffraction modality for which the scattered intensity can be represented on a spherical surface.

Discrimination of dynamically and post-dynamically recrystallized grains based on EBSD data: application to Inconel 718.

The importance of angular resolution in EBSD analyses is discussed based on an Inconel 718 sample containing several populations of recrystallized grains, with subtle differences in dislocation contents. Classical EBSD analyses (with angular resolution in the range of 0.5-1°) do not allow for distinguishing recrystallized grains grown dynamically or post-dynamically. The angular resolution of EBSD orientation and misorientation data can be significantly improved (down to about 0.1-0.2°) either using more sophisticated Kikuchi pattern indexing methods and/or using the recently proposed LLASS denoising filter (Local Linear Automatic Smoothing Splines). Then the coexistence of both dynamically and post-dynamically recrystallized grains in the sample can be confirmed and quantified. ECCI images unambiguously confirm the conclusions drawn from the analysis of improved angular resolution EBSD data, and furthermore reveal the presence of thermal stress induced dislocations with typical patterns in water quenched Inconel 718 recrystallized grains. LAY DESCRIPTION: EBSD is widely used to study recrystallization phenomena. Conventional EBSD is nevertheless not able to distinguish dynamic recrystallized grains from post-dynamic recrystallized grains which differ by subtitle differences in dislocation contents. In this paper, we show that improving the orientation precision of EBSD data by means of different methods allows distinguishing these two recrystallized grains populations. Analyses and discussion are based on an Inconel 718, a famous Nickel-based superalloy in aeronautic.

Dynamical scattering image simulations for two-phase γ-γ' microstructures: A theoretical model.

We introduce an extension of the Darwin-Howie-Whelan (DHW) equations for the case of coherent L12 precipitates in an FCC matrix. The equations are similar in form to the conventional DHW equations and are sufficiently general to account for the different translational variants of the precipitate phase as well as for the displacement fields of arbitrary lattice defects. An approximate scheme to perform fast and accurate image simulations using a pre-computed list of scattering matrices is also introduced. Finally, the results of diffraction pattern and image simulations are shown for two synthetic microstructures for a Ni-Al alloy generated using phase field simulations. The dynamical scattering equations reveal that the precipitate phase superlattice beams can propagate through the disordered matrix, but they are fully decoupled from the fundamental waves.

Modeling dynamical electron scattering with Bethe potentials and the scattering matrix.

Bethe potentials were introduced by Bethe in 1928 as a first order perturbation approach to reducing the number of diffracted beams in dynamical electron scattering problems. The approach starts from the Bloch wave representation, and uses a threshold criterion to split the diffracted beams into two subsets, namely strong and weak beams. Since the use of Bloch wave based Bethe potentials for defect simulations is somewhat tedious, this paper applies the perturbation approach to the scattering matrix formalism, which is more readily adaptable for defect image simulations. The size of the dynamical matrix, and hence the computation time, can be reduced significantly. A threshold criterion for the separation of scattered beams into strong and weak sets is introduced. A general guideline in setting the threshold for strong or weak beam selection is discussed along with several parameters that may influence the threshold values, such as atomic number, accelerating voltage, structure complexity, incident beam tilt and temperature.

A phantom-based forward projection approach in support of model-based iterative reconstructions for HAADF-STEM tomography.

We introduce a forward model for the computation of high angle annular dark field (HAADF) images of nano-crystalline spherical particles and apply it to image simulations for assemblies of nano-spheres of Al, Cu, and Au with a range of sizes, as well as an artificial bi-sphere, consisting of solid hemispheres of Al and Cu or Al and Au. Comparison of computed intensity profiles with experimental observations on Al spheres at different microscope accelerating voltages provides confidence in the forward model. Simulated tomographic tilt series for both HAADF and bright field (BF) images are then used to illustrate that the model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) approach is capable of reconstructing sphere configurations of mixed atomic number, with the correct relative reconstructed intensity ratio proportional to the square of the atomic number ratio.

The Three-Dimensional Morphology of Growing Dendrites.

The processes controlling the morphology of dendrites have been of great interest to a wide range of communities, since they are examples of an out-of-equilibrium pattern forming system, there is a clear connection with battery failure processes, and their morphology sets the properties of many metallic alloys. We determine the three-dimensional morphology of free growing metallic dendrites using a novel X-ray tomographic technique that improves the temporal resolution by more than an order of magnitude compared to conventional techniques. These measurements show that the growth morphology of metallic dendrites is surprisingly different from that seen in model systems, the morphology is not self-similar with distance back from the tip, and that this morphology can have an unexpectedly strong influence on solute segregation in castings. These experiments also provide benchmark data that can be used to validate simulations of free dendritic growth.

Theory of dynamical electron channeling contrast images of near-surface crystal defects.

This paper describes the dynamical simulation of electron channeling contrast images (ECCIs) of dislocations. The approach utilizes both the Bloch wave formalism and the scattering matrix formalism to generate electron channeling patterns (ECPs). The latter formalism is then adapted to include the effect of lattice defects on the back-scattered electron yield, resulting in a computational algorithm for the simulation of ECCIs. Dislocations of known line direction and Burgers vector are imaged experimentally by ECCI and match well with simulated ECCIs for various channeling conditions. Experiment/simulation comparisons for ECPs and ECCIs are demonstrated for metals (Al), semiconductors (Si), and ceramics (SrTiO3).

Separation of electrostatic and magnetic phase shifts using a modified transport-of-intensity equation.

We introduce a new approach for the separation of the electrostatic and magnetic components of the electron wave phase shift, based on the transport-of-intensity equation (TIE) formalism. We derive two separate TIE-like equations, one for each of the phase shift components. We use experimental results on FeCoB and Permalloy patterned islands to illustrate how the magnetic and electrostatic longitudinal derivatives can be computed. The main advantage of this new approach is the fact that the differences in the power spectra of the two phase components (electrostatic phase shifts often have significant power in the higher frequencies) can be accommodated by the selection of two different Tikhonov regularization parameters for the two phase reconstructions. The extra computational demands of the method are more than compensated by the improved phase reconstruction results.

On the computation of the magnetic phase shift for magnetic nano-particles of arbitrary shape using a spherical projection model.

The magnetic phase shift of an electron wave traveling through a magnetized object is computed by considering the object to be made up of a collection of uniformly magnetized spheres arranged on the nodes of a cubic grid. In the limit of vanishing grid size, this approach becomes equivalent to other numerical approaches. Update equations are derived for the change of the magnetic phase shift when the magnetization of a single object voxel is modified. Example phase shift calculations are presented for a uniformly magnetized sphere, circular disks with an infinitely sharp vortex core and a smooth core, and an oval disk with a pair of vortices and an antivortex.

Diffraction contrast STEM of dislocations: imaging and simulations.

The application of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to crystalline defect analysis has been extended to dislocations. The present contribution highlights the use of STEM on two oppositely signed sets of near-screw dislocations in hcp α-Ti with 6wt% Al in solid solution. In addition to common systematic row diffraction conditions, other configurations such as zone axis and 3g imaging are explored, and appear to be very useful not only for defect analysis, but for general defect observation. It is demonstrated that conventional TEM rules for diffraction contrast such as g·b and g·R are applicable in STEM. Experimental and computational micrographs of dislocations imaged in the aforementioned modes are presented.

Microstructural tomography of a Ni(70)Cr(20)Al(10) superalloy using focused ion beam microscopy.

A focused ion beam (FIB) microscope has been used to simultaneously depth profile and image the gamma-gamma' microstructure of a nickel base superalloy using normal incidence milling in order to characterize the precipitate microstructure in three dimensions (3D). The normal incidence milling rates of the gamma and gamma' phases in this alloy are closely matched when the orientation of the depth-profiled surface is near 001, which allows for uniform material removal to depths up to a couple of microns. Depth-profiling experiments consisted of automated ion milling and collection of ion-generated secondary-electron images at specified intervals, and was demonstrated for a voxel resolution of roughly 15 x 15 x 16 nm(3). Image-processing software was used for automated processing of the 2D image sequence to render the gamma precipitate structure in 3D.

Determination of magnetic vortex polarity from a single Lorentz Fresnel image.

Nanoscale confinement of the magnetization in a magnetic element often results in the creation of a vortex structure. The vortex equilibrium state is characterized by the curling of the in-plane magnetization (chirality) and an out-of-plane core magnetization. The polarity of the vortex core can point up or down, independent of the chirality, and, thus, magnetic elements with a vortex core are interesting as four-state logic elements. We present an easy-to-use, quantitative method for the determination of both chirality and polarity from a single Fresnel image. This method offers direct evidence of the three-dimensional structure of a magnetic vortex and has significant advantages over the more complex methods currently in use.

Vector field electron tomography of magnetic materials: theoretical development.

The theory of vector field electron tomography, the reconstruction of the three-dimensional magnetic induction around a magnetized object, is derived within the framework of Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The tomographic reconstruction method uses as input two orthogonal tilt series of magnetic phase maps and is based on the vector slice theorem. An analytical reconstruction of the magnetic induction of a single magnetic dipole is presented as a proof-of-concept. The method is compared to two previously reported approaches: a reconstruction starting from the gradient of the magnetic phase maps, and a direct reconstruction of the magnetic vector potential. Numerical examples as well as estimates of the reconstruction errors for a range of magnetic particle shapes are reported.

Origin of magnetic and magnetoelastic tweedlike precursor modulations in ferroic materials.

Based on experimental observations of modulated magnetic patterns in a Co0.5Ni0.205Ga0.295 alloy, we propose a model to describe a (purely) magnetic tweed and a magnetoelastic tweed. The former arises above the Curie (or Néel) temperature due to magnetic disorder. The latter results from compositional fluctuations coupling to strain and then to magnetism through the magnetoelastic interaction above the structural transition temperature. We discuss the origin of purely magnetic and magnetoelastic precursor modulations and their experimental thermodynamic signatures.

[Acquired uterine arteriovenous fistula: report of one case]. / Fistule artério-veineuse utérine acquise: à propos d'une observation.

A case of acquired uterine arteriovenous fistula in a 28 Year old patient is reported that probably is secondary to a "difficult" delivery. Sono-graphic, MRI and angiographic findings are reported, before and after endovascular management.

High signals in the uterine cervix on T2-weighted MRI sequences.

The aim of this pictorial review was to illustrate the normal cervix appearance on T2-weighted images, and give a review of common or less common disorders of the uterine cervix that appear as high signal intensity lesions on T2-weighted sequences. Numerous aetiologies dominated by cervical cancer are reviewed and discussed. This gamut is obviously incomplete; however, radiologists who perform MR women's imaging should perform T2-weighted sequences in the sagittal plane regardless of the indication for pelvic MR. Those sequences will diagnose some previously unknown cervical cancers as well as many other unknown cervical or uterine lesions.