X射线衍射技术应用于宝石鉴定-合成及晶体结构研究进展

因宝石检测常附带无损要求、宝石评价具科学性和不确定性等特点,X射线衍射(XRD)在宝石学这门矿物学的分支学科中的应用具有特殊性,其应用领域主要集中在三个方面。①宝石鉴定领域:对单晶宝石和多晶宝石进行物相鉴定、宝石产地特征研究以及宝石矿物多型的种类划分等。例如根据XRD图谱,可将品种繁多的微晶石英隐晶质变种玉髓中不同的SiO₂质矿物相精确区分;通过黏土矿物成分及其含量可将鸡血石中"地"的种类进行划分。②宝石矿物的晶体结构研究:对成分复杂的单晶宝石进行晶体化学分析、获取矿物类质同象替代情况、利用结晶度划分宝石品质。例如晶格参数中的c/a比值可将绿柱石的Al八面体类质同象替代和Be四面体类质同象替代进行区分;软玉中通过XRD数据计算出的结晶度与软玉的品质关系密切。③宝石学研究技术的开发:对宝石的优化处理过程进行监测,在宝石合成过程中检验矿物晶形大小、结晶质量及内应力等,以有机宝石的晶体结构为基础的人工养殖技术研究。例如尖晶石在热处理过程中,Mg离子由四面体中的T位迁移至八面体中的M位,导致M-O和T-O键长随温度变化,并反映在尖晶石的色调中;在托帕石合成过程中,XRD数据显示770~800℃时形成含氟托帕石(与天然托帕石结构相同),而在950℃和1000℃出现含氟托帕石离解成刚玉和莫来石。目前,我国在宝石学的XRD应用方面起步较晚,国外在宝石鉴定、优化与合成方面的应用相对成熟。本文认为,该技术与扫描电镜、质子探针等分析技术的联用仍有很大发展空间。     

脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)维甲酸X受体基因克隆及其在温盐胁迫和蜕皮周期中的表达分析

为了明确脊尾白虾维甲酸X受体基因在环境胁迫和蜕皮周期中的作用,本研究通过RACE技术克隆了脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)维甲酸X受体c DNA全长,命名为Ec RXR基因,该c DNA序列全长为1323 bp,开放阅读框(ORF)为855 bp,编码一个284个氨基酸组成的蛋白质,分子量为30.918 k Da,理论等电点为PI为6.788;Ec RXR基因推导氨基酸序列经Blastp在线比对分析显示,Ec RXR与已知甲壳动物RXR的同源性为71%—90%;系统进化树分析结果显示,脊尾白虾Ec RXR的氨基酸序列与日本沼虾RXR的氨基酸序列聚为一支。荧光定量RT-PCR分析表明,Ec RXR基因在各组织中均有表达,而在眼柄相对表达量较高,血淋巴中最低。Ec RXR基因在蜕皮周期中的表达规律表明,Ec RXR基因表达在不同蜕皮时期存在明显变化,在眼柄、肝胰腺、胃和肠中整体呈现上升趋势,在鳃中呈现先下降后上升的趋势,在表皮中呈现逐渐降低的趋势。Ec RXR基因在温度、盐度胁迫过程中的表达规律分析结果发现,温度、盐度胁迫均可显著改变Ec RXR基因在鳃和肝胰腺中的表达模式,温度胁迫下Ec RXR基因在鳃中呈先上升后下降的表达趋势,肝胰腺中整体呈先上升后下降再上升再下降的表达趋势;盐度对鳃和肝胰腺的调控模式相同,均呈先升高后下降的变化趋势。本研究结果表明Ec RXR基因在脊尾白虾蜕皮发育、酶活性调控及渗透压调节中发挥重要作用,为深入研究甲壳动物维甲酸X受体基因的功能提供了重要的基础信息。     

Copper Speciation in a Collection of Geochemical Reference Materials Using Sequential Extraction and Evaluation of the Validity Using XANES Spectroscopy

Copper speciation in a collection of Japanese geochemical reference materials (JSO‐1, JLk‐1, JSd‐1, ‐2, ‐3 and ‐4, JMs‐1 and JMs‐2) was achieved by sequential extraction and characterised using X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy. In the first step of the extraction, referred to as the acid fraction, between 1% and 20% total Cu within the reference materials was extracted. Such a result is typically accounted for by absorption of Cu onto clay minerals. However, the presence of Cu sulfate (an oxidation product of chalcopyrite) was observed in some of the stream sediments affected by mining activity (JSd‐2 and JSd‐3) instead. Copper was extracted in the reducible fraction (targeting Fe hydroxide and Mn oxide) (2–49% total Cu). Between 2% and 51% Cu was extracted in the oxidised fraction (targeting sulfides and organic matter). X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy clarified that the reducible fraction consisted of Cu bound to Fe hydroxide, whereas the oxidised fraction was a mixture of Cu bound to humic acid (HA) and Cu sulfide. In the oxidisable fraction, chalcopyrite was the predominant species identified in JSd‐2, and Cu bound to HA was the major species identified in JSO‐1 (a soil sample).     

Identification of Uranyl Minerals Using Oxygen K‐Edge X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Although most of the world's uranium exists as pitchblende or uraninite, this mineral can be weathered to a great variety of secondary uranium minerals, most containing the uranyl cation. Anthropogenic uranium compounds can also react in the environment, leading to spatial–chemical alterations that could be useful for nuclear forensics analyses. Soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has the advantages of being non‐destructive, element‐specific and sensitive to electronic and physical structure. The soft X‐ray probe can also be focused to a spot size on the order of tens of nanometres, providing chemical information with high spatial resolution. However, before XAS can be applied at high spatial resolution, it is necessary to find spectroscopic signatures for a variety of uranium compounds in the soft X‐ray spectral region. To that end, we collected the near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of a variety of common uranyl‐bearing minerals, including uranyl carbonates, oxyhydroxides, phosphates and silicates. We find that uranyl compounds can be distinguished by class (carbonate, oxyhydroxide, phosphate or silicate) based on their oxygen K‐edge absorption spectra. This work establishes a database of reference spectra for future spatially resolved analyses. We proceed to show scanning X‐ray transmission microscopy (STXM) data from a schoepite particle in the presence of an unknown contaminant.     

VCT的技术特性和临床价值

本文介绍了Light Speed VCT的技术特性,包括硬件、软件和图像重建的技术进步,以及这些技术进步带来的图像质量上的改进和临床应用.这些先进的临床应用包括5秒心脏成像、胸痛三联诊等.探讨了降低病人剂量的重要性以及实现图像质量和X射线剂量的和谐和同一.     

The strain‐dependent spatial evolution of garnet in a high‐P ductile shear zone from the Western Gneiss Region (Norway): a synchrotron X‐ray microtomography study

Reaction and deformation microfabrics provide key information to understand the thermodynamic and kinetic controls of tectono‐metamorphic processes, however, they are usually analysed in two dimensions, omitting important information regarding the third spatial dimension. We applied synchrotron‐based X‐ray microtomography to document the evolution of a pristine olivine gabbro into a deformed omphacite–garnet eclogite in four dimensions, where the 4^th dimension is represented by the degree of strain. In the investigated samples, which cover a strain gradient into a shear zone from the Western Gneiss Region (Norway), we focused on the spatial transformation of garnet coronas into elongated garnet clusters with increasing strain. The microtomographic data allowed quantification of garnet volume, shape and spatial arrangement evolution with increasing strain. The microtomographic observations were combined with light microscope and backscatter electron images as well as electron microprobe (EMPA) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis to correlate mineral composition and orientation data with the X‐ray absorption signal of the same mineral grains. With increasing deformation, the garnet volume almost triples. In the low‐strain domain, garnet grains form a well interconnected large garnet aggregate that develops throughout the entire sample. We also observed that garnet coronas in the gabbros never completely encapsulate olivine grains. In the most highly deformed eclogites, the oblate shapes of garnet clusters reflect a deformational origin of the microfabrics. We interpret the aligned garnet aggregates to direct synkinematic fluid flow, and consequently influence the transport of dissolved chemical components. EBSD analyses reveal that garnet shows a near‐random crystal preferred orientation that testifies no evidence for crystal plasticity. There is, however evidence for minor fracturing, neo‐nucleation and overgrowth. Microprobe chemical analysis revealed that garnet compositions progressively equilibrate to eclogite facies, becoming more almandine‐rich. We interpret these observations as pointing to a mechanical disintegration of the garnet coronas during strain localization, and their rearrangement into individual garnet clusters through a combination of garnet coalescence and overgrowth while the rock was deforming.     

Influence of pore size and geometry on peat unsaturated hydraulic conductivity computed from 3D computed tomography image analysis

In organic soils, hydraulic conductivity is related to the degree of decomposition and soil compression, which reduce the effective pore diameter and consequently restrict water flow. This study investigates how the size distribution and geometry of air‐filled pores control the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of peat soils using high‐resolution (45 µm) three‐dimensional (3D) X‐ray computed tomography (CT) and digital image processing of four peat sub‐samples from varying depths under a constant soil water pressure head. Pore structure and configuration in peat were found to be irregular, with volume and cross‐sectional area showing fractal behaviour that suggests pores having smaller values of the fractal dimension in deeper, more decomposed peat, have higher tortuosity and lower connectivity, which influences hydraulic conductivity. The image analysis showed that the large reduction of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity with depth is essentially controlled by air‐filled pore hydraulic radius, tortuosity, air‐filled pore density and the fractal dimension due to degree of decomposition and compression of the organic matter. The comparisons between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity computed from the air‐filled pore size and geometric distribution showed satisfactory agreement with direct measurements using the permeameter method. This understanding is important in characterizing peat properties and its heterogeneity for monitoring the progress of complex flow processes at the field scale in peatlands. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南极菲尔德斯半岛六种藻类和地衣植物的X荧光分析

为了研究南极的植物与环境间的关系 ,探讨植物在南极环境监测中的作用 ,在无标样条件下 ,利用微束 X荧光分析法对南极菲尔德斯半岛的 6种藻类和地衣植物进行了元素分析。其中藻类植物有孔石莼 (Ulva pertusa)、海膜 (H alymenia sp.)和大型鞘丝藻 (Lyngbya major) ,地衣植物有筛石蕊 (Cladonia borealis)、喇叭石蕊 (C.fimbriata)和松萝 (Usnea sp.)。研究结果发现 ,不同的藻类植物对各种元素的吸收能力不同 ,在 XRF(X射线荧光 )谱中 ,孔石莼比海膜含有更多的元素 ,象 As、Br和 Rb,Cu和 Zn的含量也较高。在大型鞘丝藻中 ,K比 Ca少 ,Zn的含量较高。在 3种地衣植物中 ,其 XRF谱中的元素种类组成非常相似 ,只是 Mn、Fe、Cu和 Zn等元素的相对含量有些差异