Elemental Scientific Lasers’ Scientific Publications

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a technique that is increasingly becoming the standard analytical approach in archaeological science, especially for the analysis of glass, glaze, and metal. Its low detection limits, high precision and wide element range is twinned with a very small sample size, which makes it ideal for culturally valuable objects. However, in the past, the small sample chamber size in commercial laser systems has meant that the size of object that could be analysed is very limited. Ongoing work by various groups has demonstrated the potential of open architecture and portable systems to overcome this issue. This paper reports an example of this − the results of a validation on a ...

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The forensic uses of Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) are discussed in this chapter. By detecting and measuring chemical constituents in challenging materials, MS revolutionized forensic analysis, whereas IRMS improves precision in calculating isotopic compositions. It is described the ideas, instruments, and benefits of integrating MS with IRMS. Real-world examples show how important they are in drug analysis, toxicology, arson investigations, and counterfeit detection. Problems including equipment limits and contamination sources are addressed. The prospects of MS and IRMS in forensic science are discussed, with ongoing advances in resolving complex cases and delivering justice on the horizon....

Due to the widespread existence of cell heterogeneity and diversity, the analysis of trace elements and their species in single cell is of great significance to metallomics study. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a powerful method for trace element quantification. With the data acquisition mode of time-resolved analysis (TRA), ICP-MS can be further used for cells counting and elemental/biomolecular quantification in single cells. The challenge of this strategy exists in sensitivity, selectivity, throughput, and ability in distinguishing individual cells. Various microfluidic chips/devices have been designed, fabricated, and on-line coupled with TRA-ICP-MS to achieve the goal. Moreover, the location and distribution o...

Lidar (Light detection and ranging) emerged during the 1990s for commercial and civil use and provides representation of bare earth surface, vegetation, and ice coverage as well as coastal bathymetry at an unprecedented resolution and within a fraction of the acquisition time required by past surveying methods. The combination of high resolution and short acquisition time has opened new avenues into investigating the Earth’s surface, not only providing quantification of its three-dimensional shape but also of its temporal changes. This chapter provides an overview of the technical aspects of Lidar with a focus on airborne-Lidar systems and data acquisition and its potential for assessing or quantifying natural resources and hazards. Addit...

Emeralds - the green colored variety of beryl - occur as gem-quality specimens in over fifty deposits globally. While digital traceability methods for emerald have limitations, sample-based approaches offer robust alternatives, particularly for determining the geographic origin of emerald. Three factors make emerald suitable for provenance studies and hence for developing models for origin determination. First, the diverse elemental chemistry of emerald at minor (...

One of the most common endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment is bisphenol A (BPA). BPA-based products are becoming more prevalent worldwide. The contamination of BPA can exist in food, drinks, soil, dust, air, soil, and wastewater. BPA can enter the body through various including the respiratory, digestive, and dermal tract routes. Exposure to BPA has been linked to chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular and liver diseases. Although maximum concentrations of BPA in drinking water varied across regions between 0.014 μg/L, 6.4 μg/L, and 1.9 μg/L and 5.1 μg/L in groundwater and surface water, respectively, due to the efficiency of the treatment plants helped in reducing BPA levels in drinking w...

Beloziminsky alkaline ultramafic carbonatite massif (BZM) includes carbonatites, ijolites, meltegites, syenites (CIMS) layers and bodies and aillikites intrusions (∼ 645 - 621 Ma) within massif and Yuzhnaya pipe (YuP), locating in 16 km eastward. Comparisons of mineralogy and geochemistry of 19 CIMS samples (>1100 analyses) and > 16 aillikites (>2300 analyses) locating within the BZM and accounting aillikite minerals from pipes and dykes outside the massif ( Ashchepkov et al., 2020 ) (all together >5400) reveal great difference for rock-forming minerals and less for the accessories. The analyses of the pyroxenes in aillikite correspond to mantle Cr-diopside xenocrysts and megacrystic augites. The low-Na Ti-augites and diopsides as well as...

Mantle xenoliths from Zarnitsa pipe studied in gray eruptive breccias (early) brown autholitic breccia (BAB) and black macrocrystic kimberlites (last dike; BMK), include garnet and spinel dunites-harzburgites, pyroxenites, eclogites, glimmerites and megacrysts. PT reconstructions using xenoliths reveal sharply layered structure (8 levels), estimated with the single grain mineral estimates mark hot (Cpx, Ilm) and cold (OPx, Gar) inflected geotherm. The interaction with plume melts is found at the lithosphere asthenosphere boundary (LAB), pyroxenite layer (3-4 GPa), Gar-Sp transition and Moho. Eclogites reveal Fe# growth from LAB to middle pyroxenites layer. Clinopyroxenes and ilmenite estimates marks melt refertilisations in interlayers betw...

Elemental imaging in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is usually performed by placing laser shots adjacent to each other on the sample surface without spatial overlap. Seeing that signal intensity is directly related to the amount of ablated material, this restricts either spatial resolution (for a given excitation efficiency) or sensitivity (when reducing the laser spot size). The experimental applicability of a concept involving the spatial overlapping of shots on the sample surface is investigated and compared to the conventional approach. By systematic choice of spacing between laser shots, spatial resolution can be improved to the single digit micrometer range for a given laser spot size. Signal intensity is found to be linearly de...

The circumstances under which species diversify to genetically distinct lineages is a fundamental question in biology1. Atlantic herring is an extremely abundant zooplanktivorous species that is subdivided into multiple ecotypes that differ regarding spawning time and genetic adaption to local environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, and light conditions2,3. Here we show using whole genome analysis that multiple populations of piscivorous (fish-eating) herring have evolved sympatrically after the colonization of the brackish Baltic Sea within the last 8,000 years postglaciation. The piscivorous ecotype grows faster, and is much larger and less abundant than the zooplanktivorous Baltic herring. Lesions of the gill rakers in th...

The ubiquitous metabolite heme has diverse enzymatic and signalling functions in most mammalian cells. Cells can salvage heme from the extracellular environment or synthesise hemede novofrom succinyl-CoA and glycine through a series of 8 enzymatic reactions catalysed by heme biosynthesis enzymes (HBEs) localised in the mitochondria and the cytosol1,2. Through integrated analyses of mouse models, human cell lines and primary patient samples, we identifyde novoheme biosynthesis as a selective dependency in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The dependency is underpinned by a propensity of AML cells, and especially leukaemic stem cells (LSCs) to downregulate HBEs. The resultant low heme state upregulates self-renewal genes via the heme sensing tra...

Individuals with normal hearing exhibit considerable variability in their capacity to understand speech in noisy environments. Previous research suggests the cause of this variance may be due to individual differences in cognition and auditory perception. To investigate the impact of cognitive and perceptual differences on speech comprehension, 25 adult human participants with normal hearing completed numerous cognitive and psychoacoustic tasks including the Flanker, Stroop, Trail Making, Reading Span, and temporal fine structure (TFS) tests. They also completed a continuous multi-talker spatial attention task while neural activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). The auditory cortical N1 response was extracted as a measure ...

The pleiotropic roles of nSMase2-generated ceramide include regulation of intracellular ceramide signaling and exosome biogenesis. We investigated the effects of eliminating nSMase2 on early and advanced PDA, including its influence on the microenvironment. Employing the KPC mouse model of pancreatic cancer, we demonstrate that pancreatic epithelial nSMase2 ablation reduces neoplasia and promotes a PDA subtype switch from aggressive basal-like to classical. nSMase2 elimination prolongs survival of KPC mice, hinders vasculature development, and fosters a robust immune response. nSMase2 loss leads to recruitment of cytotoxic T cells, N1-like neutrophils, and abundant infiltration of anti-tumorigenic macrophages in the pancreatic preneoplastic...

A coding variant in Phospholipase D3 (PLD3) increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). PLD3 is a lysosomal protein, and endosomal and lysosomal abnormalities are linked to AD; however, the role of PLD3 in lysosomal homeostasis and its implications in AD remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted comprehensive studies integrating transcriptomics, proteomics, and cell biology approaches. We observed significant enlargement of lysosomes in neurons lacking PLD3, accompanied by increased endocytosis and autophagy, but a decline in lysosomal proteolytic activity. Lysosomes of PLD3-deficient cells underwent proteome remodeling, manifested by an enrichment of proteins involved in lysosomal biogenesis, endocytosis and...

A chemostratigraphic correlation between the siliciclastic Lower Paleozoic Amdeh Formation outcrops of the Saih Hatat area, just south of Muscat, and the hydrocarbon-bearing Haima Supergroup and Nimr Group of subsurface Oman is presented. The Amdeh Formation is a 3.4 km-thick succession of Cambrian to Ordovician-aged sandstones and shales, divided into five lithological members (Am1-Am5). The Amdeh Formation type section was sampled throughout for inorganic elemental geochemistry, quantitative mineralogy and U-Pb zircon geochronology. A robust chemostratigraphic framework for the equivalent Haima Supergroup and Nimr Group intervals, defined in the subsurface, is utilized to correlate with the Amdeh Formation. The Amdeh is interpreted to b...

Porphyritic alkaline dikes from Serra do Mar province (SE Brazil) carry clinopyroxene macrocrysts with a complex magmatic history. Clinopyroxene is the main macrocryst phase from the Bom Repouso dike, representing different populations. Based on petrographic features, mineral chemistry, and equilibrium relationships, the clinopyroxene populations are classified as antecrysts (green cores and colorless cores and mantles) and phenocrysts (Ti-augite mantle/rims). Calculated compositions for the liquid in equilibrium with the macrocryst cores indicate mafic (colorless cores) and felsic (green cores) alkaline melts. These were used as poles for mixing-model curves, revealing a hybrid origin for the host matrix. Clinopyroxene barometry reveals ke...

流通式-时间分辨分析系统(简称FT-TRA)是在二十一世纪初发展起来的一种快速反应(溶解)-分析系统，其原理基于自动色谱技术，利用特定流动相(反应液或淋洗液，如不同浓度的硝酸等)对固定相(自然样品)中的混合物进行淋洗(溶解)，从而达到分离和去除固定相中特定组分的效果［1］。FT-TRA系统的构建源于古海洋、古环境等相关地球化学代用指标开发验证的需求以及地球化学动力学过程的迫切需要，目前主要应用于清洗和溶解有孔虫、介形虫等微体生物壳体，并监测其出溶成分作为古海洋、古环境指标，另外也被证明可用于部分矿物(如镁橄榄石)的溶解参数测量［2-4...

The tea-dust glaze ancient porcelain is one of the earliest crystalline glaze, which is rarely studied deeply because of its rarity. In this study, the mineral crystals in tea-dust glaze made in Ding kiln of Northern Song Dynasty were analyzed and characterization by optical microscope (OM), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy coupled with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), laser confocal Raman spectrometer (LRS), high-resolution time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The results show that the main crystal phase in the glaze is the same as that of Longquanwu Kiln in Liao and Jin Dynasty, which is augite and anorthite.The overall performance...

磷灰石是火成岩、变质岩和沉积岩中广泛分布的含U矿物，开展磷灰石U-Pb年代学研究对揭示岩浆演化过程、示踪溯源等方面具有重要意义。激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-ICP-MS)分析是开展磷灰石U-Pb年龄微区分析的重要手段之一。当前，基体匹配磷灰石U-Pb定年矿物标样缺乏和标样中不可避免的普通铅是制约LA-ICP-MS高精度磷灰石U-Pb年龄分析的主要瓶颈。本文对比研究了标样中普通铅对LA-ICP-MS磷灰石U-Pb定年结果的影响，采用含普通铅的磷灰石MAD作外标直接开展U-Pb年龄校正，获得的被测样品年龄会产生显著的系统偏差(6%)；采用207Pb法或Tera-Wasserburg图解法先校正标样...

This study aims the classification of the cirrus clouds over the Observatory of Haute-Provence (OHP) in France. Rayleigh-Mie-Raman lidar measurement altogether with ERA5 dataset, are an-alyzed in order to provide geometrical morphology and optical cirrus properties over the site. The method of the cirrus cloud climatology presented here, is based on a threefold classification scheme based on the cirrus geometrical and optical properties, and their formation history. Principal component analysis (PCA) and subsequent clustering, result on four morphological cirrus classes, three optical groups, and two origin - related categories. Cirrus clouds occur approximately 37% of the time, with most being single-layered (66.7%). The mean cloud optical...

Deep-sea sediments rich in rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY) have gained worldwide interest because of the increasing demand for REY in green-energy technologies, aiming to establish a carbon-neutral future. Bioapatite fossils (Ca5(PO4)3-x(CO3)xF1+x) are regarded as the main REY host in marine deposits, however, their quantity is disproportionally low compared to the abundance of phosphorous and REY in deep-sea sediments. Here, we report novel pellets of abiotic authigenic carbonate fluorapatite (AA-CFA) that contain over ~23,000 μg/g REY, thus serving as another significant REY host in deep-sea sediments. We show that phosphorous likely originates from P-bound hydrothermal Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, and that AA-CFA is a previously overlooked...

Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings with visual stimuli require detailed coding to determine the periods of participant’s attention. Here we propose to use a supervised machine learning model and off-the-shelf video cameras only. We extract computer vision-based features such as head pose, gaze, and face landmarks from the video of the participant, and train the machine learning model (multi-layer perceptron) on an initial dataset, then adapt it with a small subset of data from a new participant. Using a sample size of 23 autistic children, and training on additional 2560 labeled frames (equivalent to 85.3 seconds of the video) of a new participant, the median area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for inattention dete...

Models of planetary core formation traditionally involve the fractionation of Fe,Ni-metal melts from silicate mantles after extensive silicate melting. However, in planetary bodies that form farther from their central star, where moderately volatile elements are more abundant, high concentrations of oxygen and sulfur stabilize Fe,Ni-sulfides over metals. Meteorite partial melting experiments show that percolative sulfide melt migration can occur in primitive, oxidized mineral assemblages prior to silicate melting. Complementary partial melting experiments with synthetic sulfides show that fractionation of liquid sulfide from solid residues yields distinct noble metal (Os, Ru, Ir, Pd, and Pt) trace element proportions that match those manife...

Magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles in the form of magnetite (Fe3O4) are present in the human brain. They have been hypothesized to biomineralize in situ, as a result of dysfunctional iron homeostasis related to Alzheimer’s disease, or to enter the brain as airborne pollution particles. Regardless of their origin, magnetic iron-oxides pose a potential hazard to human health due to their high redox activity and surface charge. Here we report measurements on four post-mortem human brainstems, with one brainstem showing approximately 100 times higher magnetite concentrations than the other cases. This brainstem came from a subject with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) that manifested in liver cirrhosis and massive hepatic iron overload. ...

Intercropping of hyperaccumulators and crops is a promising new method that simultaneously guarantees remediation and farming. Our previous work indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) improved the remediation effects of intercropping systems. However, trade-off strategies for cadmium (Cd) and phosphorus (P) uptake between Cd-hyperaccumulators and crops mediated by AMF remain unclear. Here, a Cd-hyperaccumulator, S. nigrum, was intercropped with upland rice in Cd-contaminated soil with AMF inoculation to evaluate the Cd and P allocation strategies in the intercropping system. The results indicated that the addition of AMF increased the total Cd accumulation in S. nigrum shoots (by 25.37%) and markedly reduced the Cd uptake in rice...

Important insights into the behaviour of chalcophile elements in magmatic systems can be obtained from the study of immiscible sulphide liquids (SL) and crystalline monosulphide solid solution (MSS) that are preserved as magmatic sulphides. Here, we report on the trace element compositions of >100 magmatic sulphides and the host volcanic glass from mid-ocean ridges, back-arc basins and intra-oceanic arcs. Most chalcophile elements (e.g., Cu, Zn, Se, Pb, Tl) are enriched in MSS hosted by mafic silicate melts from intra-oceanic arcs compared to those from back-arc basins and mid-ocean ridges, suggesting a contribution of these elements by subduction input. Partition coefficients of SL (DSL/SM) and MSS (DMSS/SM) relative to mafic silicate melt...

Pseudomorphous and perimorphous textures of quartz after hydrothermal gangue minerals like carbonates, baryte and fluorite are common worldwide. However, the genesis of siderite pseudomorphic replacements of baryte and a contemptuously perimorphic overgrowth of quartz has not studied in detail so far. To study this process, hydrothermal veins of the south Namibian hydrothermal vein type district are chosen as natural laboratories.Fluid inclusion data together with a detailed petrography of the paragenetic sequence and fluid inclusion assemblages reveal a temperature drop from early quartz I at ~170°C down to ~80°C in quartz III at almost constant salinities of 23.1 to 24.5 wt.% (NaCl+CaCl2). The chemistry of the observed fluid inclusion a...

Highlights• Thermal history modelling of detrital and basement AFT data indicates a slow cooling of the northern Oaxacan Complex since the Triassic period (~ 240 Ma)• The northern Oaxacan Complex did not experience any rapid cooling during the Mesozoic breakup of Pangea• The Mesozoic relief of the Oaxacan Complex is inherited from an older tectonic event: the assembly of Pangea...