Physicochemical characterization of biological glass coatings

Metallic implants are widely used in orthopaedic surgery but metal release has been reported by several authors. High metallic ion concentration in surrounding tissues may play a major role in therapeutic failure. We have investigated in vivo and in vitro two biological glasses (BVA and BVH) used as coatings of metal implants. Physicochemical characterization was made by several complementary methods, particularly particle induced x‐ray emission (PIXE) and energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDXS) associated with electronic microscopy. Analyses clearly show the differences of behaviour between both glasses. The BVA glass is bioactive, i.e. it develops a direct chemical bond between prosthesis and bone by the formation of a calcium phosphate layer at its surface. These structural and compositional modifications are caused by hydrolysis of the glass. After its dissolution BVA glass is replaced by bone, which ensures better integration of the implant in the bone site. The BVH glass is not bioactive and is used as a cement to isolate the metal implant from the biological environment, but the coating disaggregates with implantation time and glass grains migrate through the bony lacuna network. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大气气溶胶粒径分布的数值拟合

介绍了对气溶胶质量浓度按粒径大小分布的数值拟合方法.列举了用10级采样器结合 PIXE 元素分析获得的北京大气气溶胶中元素质量浓度按粒径分布的拟合结果,讨论了实验与理论存在某些偏离的原因,以及数值拟合求得的分布参数在发生源推断中的应用.     

PIXE analysis of Tillandsia usneoides for air pollution studies at an industrial zone in Central Mexico

In order to find out if there is a relation between atmospheric particulate matter composition and human health effects, metals and other elements measurement are performed. Analysis of atmospheric aerosols collected in filters is the usual method to achieve this task. Biological monitors provide an advantageous alternative way of sampling, since there is no need of special sampling devices, and accumulation time can be as long as desired. In this study, Tillandsia usneoides a reliable air pollution biological monitor that occurs naturally throughout Mexico was used to monitor air quality of Tula–Tepeji corridor at central Mexico. This area is considered critical zone because of atmosphere contaminants high concentration. Some biomonitors were transplanted from a clean environment to four sites at the Tula corridor. Plants samples were collected every two weeks from February to April 2008. PM₁₀ sampling in filters was also performed simultaneously at three locations where T. usneoides was transplanted, for a comparison. Chemical composition was determined by PIXE. Results showed that T. usneoides incorporates anthropogenic elements reaching maximal levels after 6 to 10 weeks approximately. Since results obtained with biomonitors agree with those obtained with aerosol filters, T. usneoides could be employed as a first approximation to provide insights of the atmospheric pollution level previous to a detailed study using filters.     

PIXE and INAA studies on ancient potteries from Guangfulin relics in Shanghai

This paper reports the study of ancient potteries unearthed from the Guangfulin site in Shanghai. From the external features of these potteries, archeologists can classify them into two different cultural types: Liangzhu culture (local culture) and a new culture which might be derived elsewhere, but they can not recognize whether they were produced in the same place. Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) were used to measure the chemical compositions of the samples and the results were analyzed using multivariate statistics. We found that the two methods can complement each other and their database can be mutually referenced in the study of ancient potteries. Experimental results show that the compositions of the potteries from the two cultural types are different, which means that the materials for ancient potteries of new culture originate from elsewhere. This supports the archaeologists’ speculation that a group of ancient people migrated to Shanghai from some other places 4000 years ago.     

Simultaneous determination of seven elements (Cl, K, Ca, Br, Fe, Cu, Zn) in blood serum by PIXE

Summary Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) Spectra have been obtained for the blood serum of several old-age subjects by using the Van de Graaff accelerator of Catania University. The concentration levels of Cl, K, Ca, Br, Fe, Cu, Zn have been determined simultaneously within 2 min by using 5 l of blood serum. Good agreement with literature data has been found.

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Simultanbestimmung von sieben Elementen (Cl, K, Ca, Br, Fe, Cu, Zn) im Blutserum mit Hilfe von PIXE

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe des Van de Graaff-Beschleunigers der Univ. Catania wurden PIXE-Spektren vom Blutserum mehrerer alter Personen aufgenommen. Mit einer Probe von 5 l konnten die obigen sieben Elemente innerhalb von 2 min bestimmt werden. Die Übereinstimmung mit Literaturangaben war gut.

     

三种典型釉色汝官瓷和钧官瓷原料产地的PIXE分析

选取天青、天蓝、月白色汝官瓷样品27个、钧官瓷样品25个,将这些样品进行质子激发Χ射线荧光分析(PIXE),测定每个样品的化学组分.将所有样品的7种主量化学组成数据进行模糊聚类分析,得到以下结果:对于所分析的样品,其中钧官瓷胎样品的原料产地比较集中,汝官瓷胎的原料产地稍分散一些;多数汝官瓷胎和钧官瓷胎样品的原料产地接近但不相同,个别汝官瓷胎和钧官瓷胎样品有混在一起的情况;汝官瓷釉和钧官瓷釉样品的原料产地和配方明显不同但关系不是很远.     

Investigation of radiation-induced mixed interstitial configurations in a dilute nickel 1 at.% silicon alloy

Abstract

X-ray energy spectra induced by 1 MeV protons and the energy spectra of the backscattered protons have been examined in the <100> and <110> directions of Ni crystals containing 1 at.% Si. The channeling method was used to investigate interactions between the radiation-induced defects and the silicon atoms. From the measured minimum yields and from the shape of the angular scans the fraction of silicon atoms is determined, which are displaced into the <100> and <110> channels due to proton or helium irradiations and subsequent annealing treatments. In undamaged crystals about 98 % of the silicon atoms are on normal lattice sites. After irradiation a dose dependent fraction of the silicon atoms is displaced 0.05 nm away from the substitutional position indicating the formation of a mixed dumbbell consisting of one selfinterstitial atom and one silicon atom. However, the experimental data can also be interpreted by the assumption of a NiSi₂ complex, in which the silicon atoms are displaced 0.08 nm from the lattice site. Subsequent annealing from 50 K to 160 K does not change the configuration and the concentration of the silicon complexes. At room temperature the silicon atoms in the complex are positioned 0.04 nm from the lattice position. The silicon complexes were totally am ihilated at 400 K.     

Elemental Analysis of Cement by Calibration-Free Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) and Comparison with Laser Ablation – Time-of-Flight – Mass Spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDX), X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), and Proton Induced X-Ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE)

The purpose of the present study is to determine the elemental composition of Pakistani cement brands using calibration-free laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) and to compare the obtained results with the other analytical techniques such as, laser ablation – time-of-flight – mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and proton induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE). Compositional results reveal that all the cement brands are mainly composed of calcium, silicon, iron, aluminum, magnesium, potassium, sodium, titanium, lithium and strontium with varying concentrations. The compositions obtained by LIBS and LA-TOF-MS are in good agreement with results obtained by the other standard techniques and demonstrate the potential use of LIBS for the online monitoring of industrial cement production.     

Determination of Pb,Zr, Ti,Sr, Cr,Nb and La in lead zirconate titanate ceramics by particle‐induced X‐ray emission

A particle‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) technique has been used in the determination of the principal components Pb, Zr and Ti and the substituting elements Sr, Cr, Nb and La in lead zirconate titanate ceramics. In general, precision of analysis was concentration dependent from each element under study. For Pb, precision varied between 0.13% and 0.16%, at higher concentration of 59.32–64.5%. It was around 6–9% for Sr, Cr and Nb at concentrations of 1% or lower. Particular attention was devoted to the estimation of the analysis trueness. With this purpose, three methods were applied: (1) comparison of PIXE and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry concentrations, (2) recovery study and (3) comparison with a laboratory standard. Trueness of analysis was around 100 ± 10% for the evaluated elements Pb, Zr, Ti, Sr and Cr. The expected stoichiometry and elemental composition homogeneity of a wide group of produced ceramics were confirmed by the PIXE technique. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.