Changes In Mineral Composition Research Articles

서울 석관동 유적의 미고결 퇴적층의 지구화학적 특성 및 제4기 지표환경변화

과거 인간활동과 유적형성에 대한 이해를 위해서 과거 환경변화 정보를 수집하고 구체화 하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 이러한 환경변화 정보는 유적지에 형성된 퇴적물을 대상으로 연대측정과 지화학 분석을 통해서 추적할 수 있다. 석관동 구석기 유적지 퇴적층은 약 5 미터의 미고결 퇴적층으로 크게 하부 기반암 풍화층, 그 위의 사면퇴적층 그리고 상부 하천퇴적층의 3부분으로 나뉠 수 있다. 이 가운데 상부 하천퇴적층을 대상으로 입도분석, 대자율 분석, 유기지화학, 광물조성분석, 주성분 원소분석, 방사성탄소연대측정 등을 실시하였다. 시료를 채취한 퇴적층 구간은 4개의 퇴적단위로 구분되며, 3개의 유기물 함량이 높은 퇴적층들이 포함되어 있다. 입도분석 결과 퇴적물 입자의 평균 크기가 일정하지 않고, 분급이 매우 불량하게 나타나며, 여러구간에서 상향 세립화 경향을 보인다. 또한 대자율 측정결과 3개의 유기물층에서 값이 증가하였고, 이러한 특징은 환경변화에 따른 광물의 조성과 관련된 것으로 추정된다. 주성분 원소와 광물조성은 기반암인 쥐라기 흑운모 화강암을 구성하는 주요광물과 유사하였으며, 기반암의 석영, K-장석, 운모 등에서 기인한 것으로 생각된다. 방사성 탄소연대측정결과 최하부 유기물층은 <TEX>$14,240{\pm}80yr$</TEX> BP로 나타났으며, 이는 이 퇴적층이 최후빙하기 이후의 점차 온난해지는 시기에 형성된 것으로 추정된다. 그리고 상부의 퇴적층은 플라이스토세 후기부터 홀로세에 이르는 기간에 형성된 것으로 해석된다. 결론적으로 연구지역인 석관동 유적은 계곡을 형성하는 하천활동과 사면퇴적 작용에 의해 퇴적물이 쌓이고, 자연제방과 같은 환경 또는 소규모 소택지 형태의 환경이 3 차례에 걸쳐 교대되었던 것으로 해석된다. To understand human activity in the past, the information about past environmental change including geomorphological and climatic conditions is essential and this can be traced by using age dating and geochemical analysis of sediments from the prehistoric sites. The sedimentary sequence of Seokgwan-dong Paleolithic Site located in Seoul was 5m long unconsolidated sediments and consists of lower part bedrock weathering sediments, slope deposits and upper-part fluvial deposits. In this study, upper part sediments were used to reconstruct past environmental change through age dating and various physical and chemical analyses including grain size, magnetic susceptibility and mineral and elements. The fluvial sediments can be divided into 4 units including three organic layers. Grain size analysis results showed that the sediments were very poorly sorted with fining upward features. Magnetic susceptibility was relatively high in the organic layers, indicating environmental changes causing mineral composition change at that times. The mineral and major element composition are similar to Jurassic biotite granite which mainly consists of quartz, K-feldspar, biotite and muscovite. The radiocarbon age of <TEX>$14,240{\pm}80yr$</TEX> BP was obtained from the lower most organic layer of Unit III(O), suggesting that the fluvial sediments formed at least from the early stage of deglacial period after the end of Last Glacial Maximum. Subsequent wet and warm climates and resultant fluvial process including slope sedimentation during the Holocene may have been responsible for the sedimentary sequence in Seokgwan-dong paleolithic site and surrounding area. The observed organic layers suggests frequent wetland occurrence combined with natural levee changes in this area.

A New Approach to Sampling Intact Fe Plaque Reveals Si-Induced Changes in Fe Mineral Composition and Shoot As in Rice.

The Fe (oxyhydr)oxide rind, or Fe plaque, that forms on aquatic plant roots is an important sorbent of metal(loid)s and plays a role in the attenuation of metal(loid) uptake into higher plants. However, the mineral composition of Fe plaque and thus its potential to sorb metal(loid)s is affected by solution chemistry. The predominant strategy to characterize Fe plaque using dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extraction and elemental analysis reveals total Fe quantity but misses the mineral structure of the Fe (oxyhydr)oxide. Here, we developed a new technique using gentle sonication to sample intact Fe plaque from the root system and concentrate it for subsequent mineralogical characterization using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. We then coupled that data with conventional DCB extraction. The sample preparation method was effective at concentrating As-bound Fe plaque minerals in a uniform coating onto membranes that could easily be analyzed with X-ray techniques. Using these methods, we show that the percentage of poorly ordered Fe minerals in Fe plaque increases with increasing pore-water Si in flooded rice paddy soils. These findings have implications for understanding mineral controls on As cycling in the soil-rice nexus, and the sampling approach can be adopted for other aquatic plant systems.

Detection of differentially expressed genes in broiler pectoralis major muscle affected by White Striping – Wooden Breast myopathies

White Striping and Wooden Breast (WS/WB) are abnormalities increasingly occurring in the fillets of high breast yield and growth rate chicken hybrids. These defects lead to consistent economic losses for poultry meat industry, as affected broiler fillets present an impaired visual appearance that negatively affects consumers’ acceptability. Previous studies have highlighted in affected fillets a severely damaged muscle, showing profound inflammation, fibrosis, and lipidosis. The present study investigated the differentially expressed genes and pathways linked to the compositional changes observed in WS/WB breast muscles, in order to outline a more complete framework of the gene networks related to the occurrence of this complex pathological picture. The biochemical composition was performed on 20 pectoralis major samples obtained from high breast yield and growth rate broilers (10 affected vs. 10 normal) and 12 out of the 20 samples were used for the microarray gene expression profiling (6 affected vs. 6 normal). The obtained results indicate strong changes in muscle mineral composition, coupled to an increased deposition of fat. In addition, 204 differentially expressed genes (DEG) were found: 102 up-regulated and 102 down-regulated in affected breasts. The gene expression pathways found more altered in WS/WB muscles are those related to muscle development, polysaccharide metabolic processes, proteoglycans synthesis, inflammation, and calcium signaling pathway. On the whole, the findings suggest that a multifactorial and complex etiology is associated with the occurrence of WS/WB muscle abnormalities, contributing to further defining the transcription patterns associated with these myopathies.

Effect of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation on bovine enamel surface during in-office tooth bleaching ex vivo.

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of using Er,Cr:YSGG laser during in-office tooth bleaching on bovine enamel surface to evaluate the safety of this therapy on tooth tissues. Thirty-six enamel specimens were prepared from bovine incisors and divided into three groups: Group 1 specimens (control) received no bleaching treatment; Group 2 received a conventional in-office bleaching treatment (40% H2O2); Group 3 received laser-assisted bleaching procedure (40% H2O2) utilizing an Er,Cr:YSGG laser. The specimens were stored for 10days after the bleaching treatment in artificial saliva. Vickers hardness was determined using a microhardness tester, and measurements for surface roughness were done using a VSI microscope. Three specimens for each experimental group were examined under SEM and mineral composition of the specimens was evaluated using EDS. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc, Wilcoxon signed rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests (a=0.05). The Vickers hardness of the enamel was reduced after in-office bleaching procedures (p<0.05), and changes in surface morphology of the enamel were observed. However, the surface roughness of the enamel was not influenced (p>0.05), and no changes in mineral composition of the enamel were detected after in-office bleaching procedures (p>0.05). The laser-assisted bleaching treatment with Er,Cr:YSGG laser did not influence the enamel surface compared to the conventional bleaching technique. The safety of the use of Er,Cr:YSGG laser during in-office tooth bleaching regarding the surface properties of the enamel was confirmed under in vitro conditions.

Pseudo-random renormalization group forward and inverse modeling of the electrical properties of some carbonate rocks

Electrical properties of carbonate rocks from North Sinai, Egypt, were investigated experimentally in the frequency domain (100Hz to 100kHz). Changes between electrical properties were attributed to changes in mineral composition and texture of samples. Asymmetric mixture laws cannot describe electrical behavior of heterogeneous rocks in the mentioned frequency range. A theoretical pseudo-random renormalization group (PRNG) method was developed to model electrical behavior of rock mixtures. The main goal of this paper is to make forward and inverse modeling using PRNG method for the electrical properties as a function of frequency for carbonate rocks with texture.In PRNG method four phases were used to take into account the texture in the samples. Four phases are the best that we could use in the model. We are trying to increase the competence of the model in the near future. In these four phases mainly conducting constituents (silt and clay) and mainly insulating constituents (sand, air and carbonate) may coat each other. With appropriately chosen coatings for the four phases, the PRNG method can reasonably model the electrical properties of the samples in the measured frequency range. Thus, an inverse problem is used to find the detailed structure of the four phases, which leads to the measured electrical properties of the samples, taking into account the measured concentrations of the different constituents of the samples. The inverse problem is based on minimizing the misfit between the measured frequency response for the conductivity and the dielectric constant and those obtained theoretically from the PRNG method. It was shown that the texture plays an important role in determining the A.C. electrical properties of heterogeneous samples.

Vermiculite as efficient sorbent of CeIII and CeIV

Environmental contextCerium, a Technology Critical Element with many technical, agricultural, and medicinal applications, is increasingly being discharged to the environment. One of the best ways to remove cerium from wastes is its fixation into inexpensive bulk material such as vermiculite. This paper investigates the mechanism of CeIII and CeIV uptake and capture by vermiculite in neutral and acidic aqueous solutions. AbstractThis study focussed on the mechanism of CeIII and CeIV uptake on vermiculite (Ver), which has been studied sporadically. Chemical equilibrium and leaching experiments in acid solutions were evaluated using batch experiments and changes of mineral composition were monitored by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. The concentrations of Ce, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al and Si were determined by atomic emission spectroscopy coupled with inductively coupled plasma (AES-ICP). The data for CeIII uptake on Ver in neutral aqueous solution were fitted both with adsorption and ion-exchange models. The latter, with a calculated selectivity constant =14.30 (L mmol–1)k–1, showed a better fit with experimental data than adsorption models. The uptake of CeIII on Ver at pH 2 was also controlled by intensive leaching of cations from 2:1 layers and therefore these data were not fitted. A much higher uptake of CeIV on Ver (~6 mequiv. g–1, i.e. ~210mgg–1) at pH 2 and 6 in comparison with the cation-exchange capacity of original vermiculite (1.28 mequiv. g–1) was found and explained. With regard to the different rate of CeIV species fixation on Ver, their different CeIV solubility in NaCl solution, aqueous acid solution (pH 2), and 3M H2SO4, three species of CeIV bonded on vermiculite are proposed. They are ion-exchanged CeIV, CeIV–complex 1 and CeIV–complex 2. The CeIV species uptake on Ver was quantitatively determined both for pH 2 and 6. The new findings show a very effective method of cerium uptake, especially from acidic aqueous solutions.

Effect of Ecklonia maxima seaweed extract on yield, mineral composition, gas exchange, and leaf anatomy of zucchini squash grown under saline conditions

The presence of NaCl in soil or water is one of the most critical environmental stresses limiting crop productivity worldwide. Seaweed extract (SWE) represents an important category of plant biostimulants able to improve crop tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as salinity. The current research aimed at elucidating the physiological and anatomical effects as well as the changes in mineral composition of greenhouse zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) treated with Ecklonia maxima SWE. Plants were sprayed every 2 weeks with a solution containing 3 mL L−1 of SWE. Zucchini squash plants were supplied with four nutrient solutions: 1 (non-salt control), 20, 40, or 60 mM NaCl. Increased salinity in the nutrient solution triggered a decrease in marketable yield, shoot biomass, Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) index, net CO2 assimilation rate (ACO2), transpiration rate (E), and leaf macronutrient concentration (P, K, Ca, and Mg), whereas it augmented Na and Cl concentrations in leaf tissue without altering PSII photochemistry. Anatomical changes in leaves, including an increase in lamina, palisade, spongy parenchyma thickness, and intercellular spaces, were recorded under saline conditions. Foliar application of SWE increased yield and shoot biomass by 12.0 and 17.4 %, respectively, as well as fruit dry matter and total soluble solid contents in comparison to untreated plants. This was associated with an improvement in ACO2 (+14 %), chlorophyll content (+8 %), and nutritional status (high K and low Na accumulation) in SWE-treated plants. The size of stomata was influenced by foliar application of SWE, since the smallest cell guard length and width were recorded in the leaves of SWE-treated plants. Finally, the phenolic compounds in both palisade and spongy parenchyma were higher in untreated than in SWE-treated plants.

A multiscale hydro-geochemical-mechanical approach to analyze faulted CO2reservoirs

This paper applies a multiscale hydro-geochemical-mechanical approach to analyze faulted CO2 reservoirs using the STOMP-CO2-R code that is coupled to the ABAQUS® finite element package. STOMP-CO2-R models the reactive transport of CO2 causing mineral composition changes that are captured by an Eshelby-Mori-Tanka model implemented in ABAQUS®. A three-dimensional (3D) STOMP-CO2-R model for a reservoir containing an inclined fault was built to analyze a formation containing a reaction network with five minerals: albite, anorthite, calcite, kaolinite, and quartz. A 3D finite element mesh that exactly maps the STOMP-CO2-R grid was developed for coupled analyses. The model contains alternating sandstone and shale layers. The impact of reactive transport of CO2 on the geomechanical properties of reservoir rocks are studied in terms of mineral composition changes that affect their geomechanical responses. Simulations assuming extensional and compressional stress regimes with and without coupled geochemistry are performed to study the stress regime effect on the risk of hydraulic fracture. The fault slip is examined as functions of stress regime, geomechanical, geochemical-mechanical effects, fault inclination, and position. The results show that mineralogical changes due to CO2 injection reduce the permeability and elastic modulus of the reservoir, leading to increased fluid pressure and risk of fracture in the injection location and the caprock seal. Shear failure in the fault leading to fault reactivation was not predicted to occur. However, stress regime, fault inclination, and fault position in light of the coupled hydro-geochemical-mechanical analysis have an important impact on the slip tendency factor and elastic fault slip. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability recorded in estuarine sediments of the Changjiang River, China

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has a strong influence on the climate of the Changjiang River basin, China, most notably upon extreme events such as flooding and drought. However, long-term historical records, which reveal the impacts of ENSO variability on climatic and environmental changes in this region, are scarce. A sediment core (G9) was collected from the estuarine delta of the Changjiang River. And its elemental ratios, mineral compositions, and grain size distribution were analyzed to investigate the links between sediment parameters in this region and the history of ENSO variability during the last century. Observed variations in K2O/Na2O, Al2O3/SiO2, and Rb/Sr ratios are synchronous with changes in mineral compositions and grain size throughout the sediment core. Lower K2O/Na2O, Al2O3/SiO2, and Rb/Sr ratios generally correspond to lower ratios of clay minerals to rock-forming minerals and larger grain sizes, which in turn correspond to periods of flooding in the Changjiang River basin. Such trends probably reflect increased physical erosion and the transport of greater amounts of coarse-grained suspended matter to the estuary. These geochemical proxies are also positively correlated with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Niño-3.4 region (120°W–170°W, 5°S–5°N) (using a low-pass filter with a cut-off of 13 years). We therefore conclude that (1) ENSO-related flood events in the Changjiang River basin have a strong influence on physical erosion processes in the upper catchment area and thereby influence the grain size distribution, elemental ratios, and mineral compositions of the estuarine sediments; and (2) the geochemical records presented here can serve as a proxy for ENSO-driven regional weathering variations on decadal to centennial time scales, because they could potentially be recorded in longer sediment cores recovered from the Changjiang River estuary.

Petrology of a Neoproterozoic Alaskan-type complex from the Eastern Desert of Egypt: Implications for mantle heterogeneity

This paper details petrological and geochemical studies of an ultramafic–mafic intrusion in the Southern Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Dahanib complex shows a concentric zonation, from dunites at the core, through chromitites, clinopyroxene-rich dunites, wehrlites, harzburgites, gabbronorites and layered gabbros, to hornblende gabbros/diorites at the rim, similar to other Alaskan-type complexes. These lithologies typically feature cumulate textures and layering. Their pyroxenes (Mg#s, 0.54–0.94) evidence Fe, Mn and Na enrichment, but Al, Cr, Mg and Ti are depleted with differentiation. Their chromian spinels have a wide range of Cr# (0.31–0.61), along with high Ti and Fe, as a result of their origin through crystal accumulation and reaction with interstitial liquids. The clinopyroxenes (Cpxs) in peridotites and gabbroic rocks, which are high in REE concentration (2–100 times chondrite), are depleted in LREE relative to HREE and are similar to Cpx crystallized from asthenospheric melts. The mineral inclusions in spinel, the chemistry of Cpx in peridotites (rich in Al, Cr, Na, Ti and ΣREE=13.7), and the melts in equilibrium with Cpx suggest that the Neoproterozoic lithosphere were partially refertilized by trace asthenospheric melts. The early magmas were possibly enriched by Mg, Cr, Ni, Ti, V and Sr, while the evolved types were rich in Fe, Mn, Na, Li, Zr, Co and REE via crystal accumulation and the interaction with interstitial liquids. The Neoproterozoic sub-arc mantle in Egypt is chemically heterogeneous and generally low in Nb, Ta, Zr and K, due to the low solubility of HFSE in slab-derived fluids and no other external addition of these elements. The large variations in lithology and chemistry, as well as the occurrence of scattered chromitite clots in the Dahanib peridotites, are related to a continuous supply of primitive magmas and/or the reaction between interstitial liquids and early cumulus crystals during multistage fractional crystallization. The Dahanib Alaskan-type rocks were fractionally crystallized from the hydrous tholeiitic-basaltic melts associated with a continuous supply of primitive magmas at the mantle–crust boundary in a sub-arc setting. Their parental melts are a mixture of the sub-arc mantle-derived melts associated with trace asthenospheric melts from the mantle diapir. The changes in lithology type, mineral composition, and chemistry between the Dahanib intrusion and the nearest intrusions can perhaps be attributed to mantle heterogeneity by several mantle plumes and to slab-derived inputs. These two causes could explain the large variety of parental magmas for Alaskan-type intrusions. There is a genetic link between the origins of ophiolites and Alaskan-type complexes because both of them originated in the sub-arc setting and both exhibit extension characteristics and subduction-zone components.

Changes in Biomass, Mineral Composition, and Quality of Cardoon in Response to [Formula: see text]:Cl(-) Ratio and Nitrate Deprivation from the Nutrient Solution.

Leaf extracts of cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis DC) are an important source of phenols. Soilless culture represents an important and alternative tool to traditional agriculture, since it allows a precise control of plant nutrition and the maximization of yield and quality of the product. Reducing N supply, while keeping quantity as high as possible is desirable for environmental and health-related reasons, especially that N deficiency can lead to improved concentrations of secondary plant metabolites. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out in order to determine the effect of a decreasing :Cl- ratio (80:20, 60:40, 40:60, or 20:80) and nitrate deprivation (0, 5, 10, or 15 days before harvest) on biomass production, leaf chlorophyll content and fluorescence, mineral composition, and phytochemicals in leaves of cardoon ‘Bianco Avorio’ grown in a floating system. Total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity increased linearly with Cl- availability, especially when nitrate was replaced by 80% of chloride (20:80 :Cl- ratio), without having a detrimental effect on yield. Total nitrogen and nitrate concentration in leaves decreased linearly with increasing Cl- in the nutrient solution. Total phenols and antioxidant capacity recorded after 15 days of nitrate deprivation were higher by 43.1, 42.8, and 44.3% and by 70.5, 40.9, and 62.2%, at 59, 97 and 124 days after sowing, respectively compared to the control treatment. The decrease in leaf nitrate content recorded under N-deprivation occurred more rapidly than the reduction in total nitrogen. Thus, up to 15 days of nitrate withdrawal can lower nitrates without sharply reduce total nitrogen or affecting growth and biomass of cultivated cardoon. The use of N-free nutrient solution prior to harvest or the replacement of nitrates with chlorides could be adopted among growers to improve the quality of the product and enhance sustainability of crop production system.

Interactive effects of cadmium and copper on metal accumulation, oxidative stress, and mineral composition in Brassica napus

Heavy metals’ frequent occurrence and toxicity caused considerable concerns in assessing the interactive effects of metals on exposed plants. Therefore, a hydroponic study was conducted to assess the growth response and physio-chemical changes in Brassica napus plants under single and combined stress of two environmentally alarming metals (Cd and Cu). Results showed that 15-day metal exposure to different metal concentrations (0, 50, 200 µM) significantly enhanced Cd accumulation, while lesser extent of Cu was observed in plant tissues. Nonetheless, Cu caused more pronounced oxidative damages and plant growth retardation. Both metals showed similar trend of changes in mineral composition, although Cu proved more damaging effect on K and Mn contents, and Cd on Zn contents. In combined treatments, Cd stimulated Cu uptake, notably at low concentration, while its own uptake was restricted by the presence of Cu. At either level of concentration, combined stress of these metals exacerbated plant growth inhibition and caused further oxidative damages compared to their individual stress. However, metals synergistic effects occurred only in conditions where Cu uptake was enhanced by Cd. A greater synergistic effect was observed in sensitive cultivar Zheda 622 as compared to the tolerant cultivar ZS 758. As to mineral composition, no metals synergistic effects were noted. This study highlighted the ecotoxicological significance of Cd-led Cu uptake in B. napus, which was assumed to drive metals’ synergistic toxicity, and showed that the relationship between Cd-led Cu uptake and plant growth responses could vary with respect to cultivar.

Age-related changes in the tooth-bone interface areaof acrodont dentition in the chameleon.

Chameleon teeth develop as individual structures at a distance from the developing jaw bone during the pre-hatching period and also partially during the post-hatching period. However, in the adult, all teeth are fused together and tightly attached to the jaw bone by mineralized attachment tissue to form one functional unit. Tooth to bone as well as tooth to tooth attachments are so firm that if injury to the oral cavity occurs, several neighbouring teeth and pieces of jaw can be broken off. We analysed age-related changes in chameleon acrodont dentition, where ankylosis represents a physiological condition, whereas in mammals, ankylosis only occurs in a pathological context. The changes in hard-tissue morphology and mineral composition leading to this fusion were analysed. For this purpose, the lower jaws of chameleons were investigated using X-ray micro-computed tomography, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and microprobe analysis. For a long time, the dental pulp cavity remained connected with neighbouring teeth and also to the underlying bone marrow cavity. Then, a progressive filling of the dental pulp cavity by a mineralized matrix occurred, and a complex network of non-mineralized channels remained. The size of these unmineralized channels progressively decreased until they completely disappeared, and the dental pulp cavity was filled by a mineralized matrix over time. Moreover, the distribution of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium showed distinct patterns in the different regions of the tooth-bone interface, with a significant progression of mineralization in dentin as well as in the supporting bone. In conclusion, tooth-bone fusion in chameleons results from an enhanced production of mineralized tissue during post-hatching development. Uncovering the developmental processes underlying these outcomes and performing comparative studies is necessary to better understand physiological ankylosis; for that purpose, the chameleon can serve as a useful model species.

Pathology and mineral composition of bone in the early stages of experimental osteomyelitis

Актуальность Изучение патогенетических закономерностей и характера структурных изменений в костной ткани на ранних стадиях острого остеомиелита является актуальным с точки зрения расширения представлений о механизмах развития осложнений у больных и проведения комплекса реабилитационных мероприятий.Цель работы Комплексная оценка патоморфологических изменений и особенностей минерального состава костной ткани на ранних стадиях развития острого остеомиелита в эксперименте.Материалы и методы Эксперименты проведены на 35 крольчатах обоего пола, в соответствии с биоэтическими требованиями. Острый гематогенный остеомиелит моделировали путем введения культуры стафилококка в костномозговой канал большеберцовой кости. Всех животных выводили из опыта под кратковременным эфирным наркозом путем воздушной эмболии через 30 мин. 6, 12, 24 и 48 часов после введения культуры стафилококка. На данных сроках эксперимента методами световой, электронной (сканирующей и трансмиссионной) микроскопии и рентгеновского электронно-зондового анализа изучались особенности патоморфологии и минерального состава костной ткани.Результаты и их обсуждение Во время первых 30 минут эксперимента микро- и ультрамикроскопические изменения в костной ткани были минимальными: сохранялись костные стержни с небольшими группами эритроцитов, а минеральный состав кости характеризовался снижением объемной доли натрия. На 6 часе эксперимента также не наблюдалось значительных структурных перестроек в костной ткани, однако происходило дальнейшее снижение концентрации натрия и магния, и увеличение объемной доли серы. В то же время, на данном сроке эксперимента отмечено повышение объемных долей кальция и фосфора. Морфологическая картина в последующие 12 часов эксперимента характеризовалась началом деструктивных процессов в костном мозге, с чем, вероятно, связаны некоторые перестройки минерального обмена костной ткани. Наблюдали резкое повышение концентрации натрия, при этом сохранялись высокие значения объемных долей внутрикостного кальция, фосфора и серы, что отражало повышенную минерализацию. К концу 1 суток эксперимента развивались процессы деструкции костной ткани, которые сопровождались деминерализацией. На 2 сутки отмечалась активация процессов остеогенеза, при этом деминерализация сохранялась.Заключение Таким образом, в течение 1-х суток от начала эксперимента структурные перестройки костной ткани отсутствуют, а изменения ее минерального состава связаны с процессами адаптации в ответ на активное воспаление в костномозговом канале. На 2-е сутки опыта развивающаяся деструкция костной ткани сопровождается явлениями остеопороза наряду с активацией остеосинтеза. Период в течение 1-х суток от попадания возбудителя можно рассматривать как наиболее благоприятный с точки зрения профилактики последующих осложнений.

Pedogenesis significantly decreases the stability of water-dispersible soil colloids in a humid tropical region

The stability of soil colloids influences soil physicochemical properties, soil development, and transfer of nutrients and contaminants to surface and ground waters. A better understanding of soil colloids stability dynamics during soil evolution is important for the evaluation of soil's capacity to retain nutrients and/or accommodate toxic contaminants. This study was aimed to determine changes in the stability of water-dispersible soil colloids that accompany mineral transformation and surface charge evolution during pedogenesis using a well characterized chronosequence derived from basalt in the humid tropical region of Hainan Island, South China. The results demonstrated that the pH-dependent colloid stability decreased significantly with tropical soil development, which we attribute to the substantial changes in clay mineral compositions and colloid surface charge properties. Clay minerals in the studied chronosequence were characterized by an increase of kaolinite, gibbsite and Fe oxides and a decrease of quartz and halloysite towards more advanced stages of weathering, which resulted in the decline of permanent negative charges in the older soils. The point of zero charge (pHPZC) increased while ∆pH decreased across the tropical soil chronosequence, being in good agreement with the observed lower colloid stability in aged soils dominated by kaolinitic minerals. Our study of colloid stability at long-term pedogenic time scale suggests young tropical soils (<180ka) with high surface charge are subjected to higher risk of clay movement and colloid-facilitated nutrients and contaminants transport. Careful management practices are thus required to avoid colloids dispersion and transport in young tropical soils either by reducing the frequency/intensity of pore-water flow or by liming to counter the high permanent negative charges.

The Fate of Trace Elements in Yanshan Coal during Fast Pyrolysis

In this study, a high-sulfur and high-ash yield coal sample obtained from the Yanshan coalfield in Yunnan, China was analyzed. A series of char samples was obtained by pyrolysis at various temperatures (300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 °C) and at a fast heating rate (1000 °C/min). A comprehensive investigation using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a mercury analyzer, ion-selective electrode (ISE) measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to reveal the effects of the pyrolysis temperature on the transformation behavior of trace elements (TEs) and the change in the mineralogical characteristics and functional groups in the samples. The results show that the TE concentrations in the raw coal are higher than the average contents of Chinese coal. The concentrations of Be, Li, and U in the char samples are higher than those in raw coal, while the opposite was observed for As, Ga, Hg, and Rb. The F and Se concentrations are initially higher but decrease with pyrolysis temperature, which is likely caused by associated fracturing with fluoride and selenide minerals. Uranium shows the highest enrichment degree, and Hg shows the highest volatilization degree compared to the other studied TEs. As the temperature increases, the number of OH groups decreases, and the mineral composition changes; for example, pyrite decomposes, while oldhamite and hematite occur in the chars. It is suggested that the behavior and fate of TEs in coal during fast pyrolysis are synergistically influenced by self-characteristic modes of occurrence and mineralogical characteristics.

Biotite weathering by Aspergillus niger and its potential utilisation

Biotite, as a type of associated mineral, is normally applied as a filling material for buildings, or is discarded as tailings. However, as a potassium-bearing phyllosilicate mineral, biotite can be easily weathered by fungi, which leads to its internal potassium being released for agricultural production (1), and the mineral residues being weathered by the fungus may be applied for adsorption of heavy metal ions (2). This work investigates the weathering of biotite by Aspergillus niger through the analysis of the differences in ion dissolution from biotite, producing of organic acids, the change of mineral morphology and composition by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Besides, the mineral residues were applied for adsorption of heavy metal ions. Results showed that the mycelia envelope the mineral and form fungal–mineral aggregates. The fungus can secrete a variety of organic acids including citric acid and oxalic acid; these attacked the surface and cleavage of biotite to release ions (Al3+, Fe3+, Mg2+, and K+). During incubation with A. niger, biotite weathered as shown by the relative decrease in biotite content and increase in interlayer spacing. Moreover, a certain concentration of phytic acid and tween-80 could promote the release of K+, and the fermentation liquid of rice bran has the same effect. Biotite residues showed a good adsorption for Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+. The results indicate that biotite can be biotransformed and release K+, of which the production can be acted as heavy metal ion adsorbent. It provides a reference for application of biotite in agriculture and control of heavy metal ion pollution in soil.

Late Quaternary changes in sediment composition on the NE Greenland margin (~73° N) with a focus on the fjords and shelf

In order to document changes in Holocene glacier extent and activity in NE Greenland (~73° N) we study marine sediment records that extend from the fjords (PS2631 and PS2640), across the shelf (PS2623 and PS2641), to the Greenland Sea (JM07‐174GC). The primary bedrock geology of the source areas is the Caledonian sediment outcrop, including Devonian red beds, plus early Neoproterozoic gneisses and early Tertiary volcanics. We examine the variations in colour (CIE*), grain size, and bulk mineralogy (from X‐ray diffraction of the &lt;2 mm sediment fraction). Fjord core PS2640 in Sofia Sund, with a marked red hue, is distinct in grain size, colour and mineralogy from the other fjord and shelf cores. Five distinct grain‐size modes are distinguished of which only one is associated with a coarse ice‐rafting signal – this mode is rare in the mid‐ and late Holocene. A sediment unmixing program (SedUnMixMC) is used to characterize down‐core changes in sediment composition based on the upper late Holocene sediments from cores PS2640 (Sofia Sund), PS2631 (Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord) and PS2623 (south of Shannon Is), and surface samples from the Kara Sea (as an indicator of transport from the Russian Arctic shelves). Major changes in mineral composition are noted in all cores with possible coeval shifts centred c. 2.5, 4.5 and 7.5 cal. ka BP (±0.5 ka) but are rarely linked with changes in the grain‐size spectra. Coarse IRD (&gt;2 mm) and IRD‐grain‐size spectra are rare in the last 9–10 cal. ka BP and, in contrast with areas farther south (~68° N), there is no distinct IRD signal at the onset of neoglaciation. Our paper demonstrates the importance of the quantitative analysis of sediment properties in clarifying source to sink changes in glacial marine environments.

An (in‐)coherent metamorphic evolution of high‐P eclogites and their host rocks in the Chinese southwest Tianshan?

AbstractIn the (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic terrane of the Chinese South Tianshan, discontinuous mafic blocks and boudins (former upper oceanic crust) are now embedded in voluminous (mainly metasedimentary) host rocks. Two different models were proposed and relate the occurrence of both high‐P and ultra‐high‐P mafic and metasedimentary rocks to either (i) a tectonic mélange style exhumation, with no exhumation of coherent units, but different lithologies derived from different depths juxtaposed and intermingled during exhumation in the subduction channel, or (ii) the evolution of two coherent metamorphic belts: one with high‐P and the other with ultra‐high‐P conditions. In contrast to most previous studies in the Chinese South Tianshan which focused either on single eclogites or metasedimentary rocks (assumed as representative), this study concentrates on the systematic investigation of both mafic boudins and their immediate sedimentary host rocks, because the investigation of both lithologies and the comparison of their metamorphic evolution is crucial to reconstruct the geodynamical context of the whole (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic complex. Several sample pairs consisting of both lithologies were geochemically investigated and their respective metamorphic evolution was reconstructed using geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling. The latter approach considers changes in the mineral assemblage during the metamorphic evolution, as well as changes in mineral composition, which may help to determine the metamorphic history of a rock despite the preservation of critical mineral assemblages. All samples experienced a clockwise P–T path with overall maximum P–T conditions of 540–550 °C and 1.9–2.25 GPa for the host rocks, and 555–575 °C and 2.2–2.5 GPa for the eclogites. Peak‐metamorphic temperatures of ~525–540 °C of the metasedimentary host rocks were also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material. Results from thermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling are consistent with the observation that none of the samples contains mineral relicts indicating UHP conditions (like coesite in garnet) and neither conventional thermobarometry, nor thermodynamical modelling resulted in P–T conditions in the stability field of coesite. Thus, no evidence of ultra‐high‐P conditions was found. Given that the whole sampled river valley lies within the proposed ‘ultra‐high‐P sub‐belt’ and considering former studies, which showed that at other places within this ‘unit’ both ultra‐high‐P and high‐P rocks are now juxtaposed on a small scale, the formation of the whole (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic belt in the Chinese South Tianshan as a tectonic mélange style exhumation is more convincing than the formation and juxtaposition of two coherent metamorphic units with high‐P and ultra‐high‐P conditions respectively.

Three-dimensional modeling of the reactive transport of CO2 and its impact on geomechanical properties of reservoir rocks and seals

This article develops a model to analyze CO2 reservoirs using the STOMP-CO2-R code that is interfaced with the ABAQUS® finite element package. The STOMP-CO2-R/ABAQUS® simulator accounts for the reactive transport of CO2 causing changes in mineralogy that modify the geomechanical properties of reservoir rocks and seals. Rocks’ elastic properties that vary during CO2 injection and govern the poroelastic behavior of rocks are modeled by an Eshelby–Mori-Tanka approach. A three-dimensional (3D) STOMP-CO2-R model for a CO2 reservoir containing a vertical fault was built to analyze a formation containing a reaction network with 5 minerals: albite, anorthite, calcite, kaolinite and quartz. A 3D ABAQUS® model that maps this STOMP-CO2-R model was built for the analysis using STOMP-CO2-R/ABAQUS®. The results show that after a long period of CO2 injection the mineralogical changes significantly reduced the permeability and elastic modulus of the reservoir in front of the fault leading to a reduction of the pressure margin to fracture at and beyond the injection location. The impact of reactive transport of CO2 on the geomechanical properties of reservoir rocks and seals are studied in terms of mineral composition changes that affect the rock stiffness, stress and strain distributions, and pressure margin to fracture.