X-ray scattering experiments at synchrotron sources are characterized by large and constantly increasing amounts of data. The great number of files generated during a synchrotron experiment is often a limiting factor in the analysis of the data, since appropriate software is rarely available to perform fast and tailored data processing. Furthermore, it is often necessary to perform online data reduction and analysis during the experiment in order to interactively optimize experimental design. This article presents an open-source software package developed to process large amounts of data from synchrotron scattering experiments. These data reduction processes involve calibration and correction of raw data, one-or two-dimensional integration, as well as fitting and further analysis of the data, including the extraction of certain parameters. The software, DPDAK (directly programmable data analysis kit), is based on a plug-in structure and allows individual extension in accordance with the requirements of the user. The article demonstrates the use of DPDAK for on-and offline analysis of scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data on biological samples and microfluidic systems, as well as for a comprehensive analysis of grazing-incidence SAXS data. In addition to a comparison with existing software packages, the structure of DPDAK and the possibilities and limitations are discussed.

Skeletal metastases, the leading cause of death in advanced breast cancer patients, depend on tumor cell interactions with the mineralized bone extracellular matrix. Bone mineral is largely composed of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals with physicochemical properties that vary significantly by anatomical location, age, and pathology. However, it remains unclear whether bone regions typically targeted by metastatic breast cancer feature distinct HA materials properties. Here we combined high-resolution X-ray scattering analysis with large-area Raman imaging, backscattered electron microscopy, histopathology, and microcomputed tomography to characterize HA in mouse models of advanced breast cancer in relevant skeletal locations. The proximal tibial metaphysis served as a common metastatic site in our studies; we identified that in disease-free bones this skeletal region contained smaller and less-oriented HA nanocrystals relative to ones that constitute the diaphysis. We further observed that osteolytic bone metastasis led to a decrease in HA nanocrystal size and perfection in remnant metaphyseal trabecular bone. Interestingly, in a model of localized breast cancer, metaphyseal HA nanocrystals were also smaller and less perfect than in corresponding bone in disease-free controls. Collectively, these results suggest that skeletal sites prone to tumor cell dissemination contain less-mature HA (i.e., smaller, less-perfect, and less-oriented crystals) and that primary tumors can further increase HA immaturity even before secondary tumor formation, mimicking alterations present during tibial metastasis. Engineered tumor models recapitulating these spatiotemporal dynamics will permit assessing the functional relevance of the detected changes to the progression and treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis.

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