Welcome to the Amira-Avizo Software Use Case Gallery
Below you will find a collection of use cases of our 3D data visualization and analysis software. These use cases include scientific publications, articles, papers, posters, presentations or even videos that show how Amira-Avizo Software is used to address various scientific and industrial research topics.
Use the Domain selector to filter by main application area, and use the Search box to enter keywords related to specific topics you are interested in.

The elongate-necked aquatic plesiosaurs existed for 135 Myr during the Mesozoic. The function of this elongate neck is a point of debate. Using computed tomography and three-dimensional (3D) modelling, the range of motion (ROM) of the plesiosaur Nichollssaura borealis neck was assessed. To quantify the ROM, the intervertebral mobility was measured along the cervical vertebral column. This was done by manipulating the 3D models in the lateral and dorsoventral directions during two tri... Read more
Ramon S. Nagesan, Donald M. Henderson, Jason S. Anderson

Ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) is a quantitative imaging modality that non-destructively maps the 3D electron density inside an object with tens of nanometers spatial resolution. This method provides unique access to the morphology and structure of the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network (LCN) and nanoscale density of the tissue in the vicinity of an osteocyte lacuna. Our findings indicate that PXCT can non-destructively provide detailed, nanoscale information on the 3D org... Read more
Antonia Ciani, Hechmi Toumi, Stéphane Pallu, Esther H.R.Tsai, Ana Diaz, Manuel Guizar-Sicairos, Mirko Holler, Eric Lespessailles, Cameron M.Kewish | Synchrotron Soleil, France

Combined expansion and lattice light sheet microscopy enables high
speed, nanoscale molecular imaging of neural circuits over large volumes.
Optical and electron microscopy have made tremendous inroads in understanding the complexity of the brain, but the former offers insufficient resolution to reveal subcellular details and the latter lacks the throughput and molecular contrast to visualize specific molecular constituents over mm-scale or larger dimensions. We combined expansio... Read more
Ruixuan Gao, Shoh M Asano, Srigokul Upadhyayula, Igor Pisarev, Daniel E Milkie, Tsung-Li Liu, Ved Singh, Austin Graves, Grace H Huynh, Yongxin Zhao, John Bogovic, Jennifer Colonell, Carolyn M Ott, Christopher Zugates, Susan Tappan, Alfredo Rodriguez, Kishore R Mosaliganti, Sean G Megason, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Adam Hantman, Gerald M Rubin, Tom Kirchhausen, Stephan Saalfeld, Yoshinori Aso, Edward S Boyden, Eric Betzig

Cyclostome bryozoans are an ancient group of marine colonial suspension-feeders comprising approximately 700 extant species. Previous morphological studies are mainly restricted to skeletal characters whereas data on soft tissues obtained by state-of-the-art methods are still lacking. In order to contribute to issues related to cyclostome ground pattern reconstruction, we analyzed the morphology of the neuromuscular system Cinctipora elegans by means of immunocytochemical staining,... Read more
Thomas F. Schwaha, Stephan Handschuh, Andrew N. Ostrovsky, Andreas Wanninger

Acetabular fracture surgery is directed toward anatomical reduction and stable fixation to allow for the early functional rehabilitation of an injured hip joint. Recent biomechanical investigations have shown the superiority of using an additional screw in the infraacetabular (IA) region, thereby transfixing the separated columns to strengthen the construct by closing the periacetabular fixation frame. However, the inter-individual existence and variance concerning secure IA screw corridors a... Read more
Stephan Arlt, Hansrudi Noser, Andreas Wienke, Florian Radetzki, Gunther Olaf Hofmann, Thomas Mendel

Convergent evolution of a mobile bony tongue in flighted dinosaurs and pterosaurs
The tongue, with fleshy, muscular, and bony components, is an innovation of the earliest land-dwelling vertebrates with key functions in both feeding and respiration. Here, we bring together evidence from preserved hyoid elements from dinosaurs and outgroup archosaurs, including pterosaurs, with enhanced contrast x-ray computed tomography data from extant taxa. Midline ossification is a key component of the origin of an avian hyoid. The elaboration of the avian tongue includes the evolution o... Read more
Zhiheng Li, Zhonghe Zhou, Julia A. Clarke

Advances in the Synthesis and Long‐Term Protection of Zero‐Valent Iron Nanoparticles
Core@shell Fe@Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized via the thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)5) in the presence either of oleylamine (OAm) or a mixture of OAm and oleic acid (OA). The heterostructured nanocomposites formed do so by a postsynthetic modification of isolated Fe seeds. This proves the versatility of the coating procedure and represents a significant advantage over previous work with Co seeds owing to the higher magnetic susc... Read more
Joshua P. Mehta, Benjamin R. Knappett, Giorgio Divitini, Emilie Ringe, Paul A. Midgley, David Fairen‐Jimenez, Andrew E. H. Wheatley

Three-dimensional virtual histology of human cerebellum by X-ray phase-contrast tomography
To quantitatively evaluate brain tissue and its corresponding function, knowledge of the 3D cellular distribution is essential. The gold standard to obtain this information is histology, a destructive and labor-intensive technique where the specimen is sliced and examined under a light microscope, providing 3D information at nonisotropic resolution. To overcome the limitations of conventional histology, we use phase-contrast X-ray tomography with optimized optics, reconstruction, and image an... Read more
Mareike Töpperwien, Franziska van der Meer, Christine Stadelmann, and Tim Salditt

In-situ, time resolved monitoring of uranium in BFS:OPC grout. Part 2: Corrosion in water
To reflect potential conditions in a geological disposal facility, uranium was encapsulated in grout and submersed in de-ionised water for time periods between 2–47 weeks. Synchrotron X-ray Powder Diffraction and X-ray Tomography were used to identify the dominant corrosion products and measure their dimensions. Uranium dioxide was observed as the dominant corrosion product and time dependent thickness measurements were used to calculate oxidation rates. The effectiveness of physical and ch... Read more
C. A. Stitt, C. Paraskevoulakos, A. Banos, N. J. Harker, K. R. Hallam, H. Pullin, A. Davenport, S. Street, T. B. Scott

The electrochemical performance of Ni-YSZ SOFC anodes can quickly degrade during redox cycling. Mechanical damage at interfaces significantly decreases the number of active triple phase boundaries. This study firstly focuses on the sintering temperature impact on YSZ scaffold mechanical properties. The YSZ scaffold sintered at 1200 °C exhibited 56% Read more
B.Song; E.Ruiz-Trejo; N.P.Brandon

The Niata was a cattle variety from South America that figured prominently in writings on evolution by Charles Darwin. Its shortened head and other aspects of its unusual morphology have been subject of unsettled discussions since Darwin’s time. Here, we examine the anatomy, cranial shape, skull biomechanics, and population genetics of the Niata. Our results show that the Niata was a viable variety of cattle and exhibited anatomical differences to known chondrodysplastic forms. In cranial s... Read more
Kristof Veitschegger, Laura A. B. Wilson, Beatrice Nussberger, Glauco Camenisch, Lukas F. Keller, Stephen Wroe, Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra

Understanding the near-threshold crack growth behavior in an aluminum alloy by x-ray tomography
The near-threshold behavior of long cracks is evaluated using pre-cracked flat dogbone specimens of a commercial aluminum alloy in two heat treatment states. Once the threshold was known, the crack initially introduced by cyclic compression was propagated under load control with approximately
constant range of the stress intensity factor at values close to the threshold values. The 3D morphology of the crack and the spatial distribution of the primary precipitates obtained by µ-CT were... Read more
Marcel Wicke, Angelika Brueckner-Foit, Tina Kirsten, Martina Zimmermann, Fatih Buelbuel, Hans-Juergen Christ

3D characterization of the fracture mechanisms of a Fe-rich Al-Si-Cu alloy
The effect of the defect size and morphology on the fatigue damage evolution was analysed in a recycled Al-Si-Cu alloy by micro-computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. Fatigue tests were performed and the different crack initiation scenarios were characterized and classified. The interaction between shrinkage and gas pores was the key crack initiation mechanism and the ß-Al5FeSi particles did not play any role in the crack initiation phase. However, crack path analysis indicate... Read more
Angelika Brueckner-Foit, Inigo Bacaicoa, Martin Luetje, Marcel Wicke, Andreas Geisert, Martin Fehlbier

The flow distribution behaviour of open-cell metallic foam fuel cell flow-fields are evaluated using ex-situ optical analysis and X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT). Five different manifold designs are evaluated and flow distribution and pressure drop ... Read more
A.Fly, D.Butcher, Q.Meyer, M.Whiteley, A.Spencer, C.Kim, P.R.Shearing, D.J.L.Brett, R.Chen

In this study, chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) fiber reinforced composites were made at indoor temperatures. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the CBPC composites were studied. The CBPC matrix of aluminum phosphate binder, metakaolin, and magnesia with different Si/P ratios was prepared. The results show that when the Si/P ratio was 1.2, and magnesia content in the CBPC was 15%, CBPC reached its maximum flexural strength. The fiber reinforced CBPC composites were prep... Read more
Zhu Ding; Yu-Yu Li; Can Lu; Jian Liu

Mechanical adaptation of trabecular bone morphology in the mammalian mandible
Alveolar bone, together with the underlying trabecular bone, fulfils an important role in providing structural support against masticatory forces. Diseases such as osteoporosis or periodontitis cause alveolar bone resorption which weakens this structural support and is a major cause of tooth loss. However, the functional relationship between alveolar bone remodelling within the molar region and masticatory forces is not well understood. This study investigated this relationship by comparing m... Read more
Peter J. Watson, Laura C. Fitton, Carlo Meloro, Michael J. Fagan, Flora Gröning

3D Reconstruction of Lipid Droplets in the Seed of Brassica napus
Rapeseed is one of the most important and widely cultured oilseed crops for food and nonfood purposes worldwide. Neutral lipids are stored in lipid droplets (LDs) as fuel for germination and subsequent seedling growth. Most of the LD detection in seeds was still in 2D levels, and some of the details might have been lost in previous studies. In the present work, the configuration of LDs in seeds was obtained by confocal imaging combined with 3D reconstruction technology in Brassica napus<... Read more
Yongtai Yin, Liangxing Guo, Kang Chen, Zhenyi Guo, Hongbo Chao, Baoshan Wang, and Maoteng Licorresponding author

The morphological diversity of Garra barreimiae
Garra barreimiae (Fowler and Steinitz, Bull Res Counc Isr 5B:262–289, 1956) is a freshwater fish that lives throughout the Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Previously, four different genetic clades (West clade, C... Read more
Arthur Pichler; Harald Ahnelt; Sandra Kirchner; Helmut Sattmann; Elisabeth Haring; Stephan Handschuh; Jörg Freyhof; Reginald Victor; Luise Kruckenhauser

We have experimentally investigated the impact of heterogeneity on the dissolution of two limestones, characterised by distinct degrees of flow heterogeneity at both the pore and core scales. The two rocks were reacted with reservoir-condition CO2-saturated brine at both scales and scanned dynamically during dissolution. First, 1 cm long 4 mm... Read more
Menke H.P; Reynolds C.A.; Andrew M.G.; Pereira Nunes J.P.; Bijeljic B; Blunt M.J.

We introduce the application of microbial-induced calcite precipitation via the ureolytic soil bacterium Sporosarcina Pasteurii in freeze-dried form, as a means of enhancing overall MICP efficiency and reproducibility for geotechnical engineering applications. We show that the execution of urea hydrolysis and CaCO3 precipitation persist as a “cell-free” mechanism upon the complete breakdown of rehydrated cell clusters. Further, strength and stiffness parameters of bio-cemented ... Read more
Dimitrios Terzis, Lyesse Laloui

X-ray Tomographic Imaging of Tensile Deformation Modes of Electrospun Biodegradable Polyester Fibers
Electrospun constructs for the repair of load-bearing tissues are required to have adequate mechanical properties. However, the failure mechanisms of electrospun fibrous materials are not well understood. Existing literature focuses on failure modes of individual fibers and/or on bulk mechanical properties of whole fiber mats.
Electrospinning allows the production of fibrous networks for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing in health care. It enables the production of c... Read more
Jekaterina Maksimcuka; Akiko Obata ; William W. Sampson ; Remi Blanc ; Chunxia Gao ; Philip J. Withers ; Olga Tsigkou ; Toshihiro Kasuga ; Peter D. Lee ; Gowsihan Poologasundarampillai