Trace metals and marine production processes : proceedings of a workshop held at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, February 28 -March 2, 1978 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Trace organic analysis : a new frontier in analytical chemistry : proceedings of the 9th Materials Research Symposium held at the National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland, April 10-13, 1978 /

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Trace metals in water supplies : occurrence, significance, and control : proceedings /

Mode of access: Internet.

Accuracy in trace analysis : sampling, sample handling, analysis : proceedings of the 7th Materials Research Symposium held at the National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Md., October 7-11, 1974 /

Includes bibliographical references.

Application of ICP-MS trace element analysis in study of ancient Chinese ceramics

Thirty-nine trace elements of the Song-Yuan period (960-1368 AD) porcelain bodies from Cizhou, Jizhou and Longquanwu kilns were analyzed with ICP-MS, a technique rarely used in Chinese archaeometry, to investigate its potential application in such studies. Trace element compositions clearly reflect the distinctive raw materials and their mineralogy at the three kilns and allow their products to be distinguished. Significant chemical variations are also observed between Yuan and Song-Jing dynasties samples from Cizhou as well as fine and coarse porcelain bodies from Longquanwu. In Cizhou, porcelains of better quality which imitate the famous Ding kiln have trace element features distinctive from ordinary Cizhou products, that indicates geochemically distinctive raw materials were used and which possibly also underwent extra refining prior to use. The distinct trace element features of different kilns and the various types of porcelains from an individual kiln can be interpreted from a geochemical perspective. ICP-MS can provide a large amount of valuable information about ancient Chinese ceramics as it is capable of analyzing >40 elements with a typical of precision < 2%.

ICP-MS Trace Element Analysis of Song Dynasty Porcelains from Ding, Jiexiu and Guantai kilns, North China

Bodies of Ding kiln white porcelains and their imitations from Guantai and Jiexiu kilns of the Chinese Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) were analysed for 40 trace elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Numerous trace element compositions and ratios allow these visually similar products to be distinguished, and a Ding-style shard of uncertain origin is identified as a likely genuine Ding product. In Jiexiu kiln, Ding-style products have trace element features distinctive from blackwares of an inferior quality intended for the lower end market. Based on geochemical behaviour of these trace elements, we propose that geochemically distinctive raw materials were used for Ding-style products of a higher quality, which possibly also underwent purification by levigation prior to use. Capable of analysing over 40 elements with a typical long term precision of < 2%, this high precision ICP-MS method proves to be very powerful for grouping and characterising archaeological ceramics. Combined with geochemical interpretation, it can provide insights into the raw materials and techniques used by ancient potters. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A trace element study of siderite-jasper banded iron formation in the 3.45 Ga Warrawoona Group, Pilbara Craton - Formation from hydrothermal fluids and shallow seawater

Shale-normalised rare earth element and yttrium (REE + Y) patterns for siderite-jasper couples in a banded iron formation of the 3.45 Ga Panorama Formation, Warrawoona Group, eastern Pilbara Craton, display distinct positive Y and Eu anomalies and weak positive La and Gd anomalies, combined with depleted light REE relative to middle and heavy REE. Ambient seawater and hydrothermal fluids are identified as major sources of REE + Y for the BIF. In the case of siderites, strong correlations between incompatible trace elements and trace element ratios diagnostic of seawater indicate variable input from a terrigenous source (e.g. volcanic ash). We propose a volcanic caldera setting as a likely depositional environment where jasper and siderite precipitated as alternating bands in response to episodic changes in ambient water chemistry. The episodicity was either driven by fluctuations in the intensity of hydrothermal activity or changes in magma chamber activity, which in turn controlled relative sea level. In this context, precipitation of jasper probably reflects background conditions during which seawater was saturated in silica due to evaporative conditions, while siderites were deposited most likely during intermittent periods of enhanced volcanic activity when seawater was more acidic due to the release of exhalative phases (e.g. CO2). © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Provenance of long-travelled dust determined with ultra-trace-element composition: A pilot study with samples from New Zealand glaciers

We report high-precision inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) compositional data for 39 trace elements in a variety of dust deposits, trapped sediments and surface samples from New Zealand and Australia. Dusts collected from the surface of alpine glaciers in the Southern Alps, New Zealand, believed to have undergone long-distance atmospheric transport from Australia, are recognizable on account of their overabundances of Pb and Cu with respect to typical upper crustal values. Long-travelled dust from Australia therefore scavenges these and other metals (e.g. Zn, Sb and Cd) from the atmosphere during transport and deposition. Hence, due to anthropogenic pollution, long-travelled Australian dusts can be recognized by elevated metal contents. The relative abundance of 25 other elements that are not affected by atmospheric pollution, mineral sorting (Zr and Hf) and weathering/solubility (alkali and earth alkali elements) reflects the geochemistry of the dust source sediment. As a result, we are able to establish the provenance of dust using ultra-trace-element chemistry at regional scale. Comparison of long-travelled dust chemistry with potential Australian sources shows that fits of variable quality are obtained. We propose that the best fitting potential source chemistry most likely represents the major dust source area. A binary mixing model is used to demonstrate that admixture of small quantities of local dust provides an even better fitting dust chemistry for the long-travelled dusts. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterisation of Chinese Tang sancai from Gongxian and Yaozhou kilns using ICP-MS trace element and TIMS Sr–Nd isotopic analysis

Tang sancai is one of the most important types of Chinese ceramics. To determine the provenance of Tang sancai is important to study ancient trade and other issues. In this paper we compare ICP-MS trace elements and TIMS Sr-Nd isotopes of visibly similar Tang sancai from two major production centres Gongxian and Yaozhou. The variation in contents/ratios of many of > 40 trace elements is small for samples from Gongxian, yet is considerably bigger for that from Yaozhou. However, the variation in Sr-87/Sr-86 and Nd-143/Nd-144 isotopic ratios is very small for samples from both places. Gongxian and Yaozhou samples have distinctive Sr-Nd isotopic and trace element features despite their similarity in major elements, and these analysis data can be interpreted with geochemistry, indicating that Sr and Nd isotopes have great potential in ceramic provenance studies. The distinct characterisation of these samples provides valuable criteria for identifying provenance of Tang sancai of uncertain origin. Two modern fakes are also analysed, and they can as well be distinguished from antique Tang sancai using above criteria. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Treating type 2 diabetes through insulin resistance

Type 2 diabetes is an insidious disorder, with micro and/or macrovascular and nervous damage occurring in many patients before diagnosis. This damage is caused by hyperglycaemia and the diverse effects of insulin resistance. Obesity, in particular central obesity, is a strong pre-disposing factor for type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the main site of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal and appears to be the first organ that becomes insulin resistant in the diabetic state, with later involvement of adipose tissue and the liver. This study has investigated the use of novel agents to ameliorate insulin-resistance in skeletal muscle as a means of identifying intervention sites against insulin resistance and of improving glucose uptake and metabolism by skeletal muscle. Glucose uptake was measured in vitro by cultured L6 myocytes and isolated muscles from normal and obese diabetic ob/ob mice, using either the tritiated non-metabolised glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose or by glucose disposal. Agents studied included lipoic acid, isoferulic acid, bradykinin, lipid mobilising factor (provisionally synonymous with Zinca2 glycoprotein) and the trace elements lithium, selenium and chromium. The putative role of TNFa in insulin resistance was also investigated. Lipoic acid improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in normal and insulin resistance murine muscles, as well as cultured myocytes. Isoferulic acid, bradykinin and LMF also produced a transient increase in glucose uptake in cultured myocytes. Physiological concentrations of TNFa were found to cause insulin resistance in cultured, but no in excised murine muscles. The effect of the M2 metabolite of the satiety-inducing agent sibutramine on lipolysis in excised murine and human adipocytes was also investigated. M2 increased lipolysis from normal lean and obese ob/ob mouse adipocytes. Arguably the most important observation was that M2 also increased the lipolytic rate in adipocytes from catecholamine resistant obese subjects. The studies reported in this thesis indicate that a diversity of agents can improve glucose uptake and ameliorate insulin resistance. It is likely that these agents are acting via different pathways. This thesis has also shown that M2 can induce lipolysis in both rodent and human adipocytes. M2 hence has potential to directly reduce adiposity, in addition to well documented effects via the central nervous system.

Depth-related variations of trace metal abundances in south Florida sediments

Variations in trace element abundances with depth in soils and sediments may be due to natural processes or reflect anthropogenic influences. The depth related variations of five major elements (Fe, Si, Al, Ca and Mg), seventeen trace elements (Mn, Cr, Ti, P, Ni, Ba, Sc, Sr, Sb, Zn, Pb, Cd, Co, V, Be, Cu and Y) and volatile loss patterns were examined for sediment cores from five sites in South Florida (Lake Okeechobee, SFWMD Water Conservation area 3B, F.I.U., the Everglades and Chekika State Recreation Area). Principal component analysis of the chemical data combined with microscopic examination of the soils reveal that depth-related variations can be explained by varying proportions of three natural soil constituents and one anthropogenic component. The results can be used as a geochemical baseline for human influence on South Florida soils.

Data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification: environmental and experimental context of data sets and related literature

The exponential growth of studies on the biological response to ocean acidification over the last few decades has generated a large amount of data. To facilitate data comparison, a data compilation hosted at the data publisher PANGAEA was initiated in 2008 and is updated on a regular basis (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.149999). By January 2015, a total of 581 data sets (over 4 000 000 data points) from 539 papers had been archived. Here we present the developments of this data compilation five years since its first description by Nisumaa et al. (2010). Most of study sites from which data archived are still in the Northern Hemisphere and the number of archived data from studies from the Southern Hemisphere and polar oceans are still relatively low. Data from 60 studies that investigated the response of a mix of organisms or natural communities were all added after 2010, indicating a welcomed shift from the study of individual organisms to communities and ecosystems. The initial imbalance of considerably more data archived on calcification and primary production than on other processes has improved. There is also a clear tendency towards more data archived from multifactorial studies after 2010. For easier and more effective access to ocean acidification data, the ocean acidification community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the data archiving effort, and help develop standard vocabularies describing the variables and define best practices for archiving ocean acidification data.

(Table 1, page 754) Estimated concentrations of various elements in nineteen manganese nodules

Using spectrochemical techniques Fe, Si, Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, V, Mo, Ti and Tl have been estimated in nineteen manganese nodules, eight from the Atlantic ocean, seven from the Pacific ocean and four from the Indian ocean. Though data on more samples are required before firm and detailed conclusions can be made about the distribution of elements in manganese nodules, several distinct features appear when the data on the nineteen samples are examined. Certain elements appear to enrich more strongly than others. For example, relative to igneous rocks Mo is much more strongly enriched than V. For several elements (Ni, Cu and particularly Co and Tl) the degree of enrichment in two Fe-low nodules is far smaller than in the other nodules. The magnitude of dispersion of concentration appears to vary considerably for different elements; thus, whereas variation of concentration of V is relatively small, that of Ni, Cu, Co and Tl is far larger. The statistical nature of the distribution of Fe in manganese nodules appears to be characteristic and different from that of the other elements studied so far. Of the possible inter-element relationships examined that of Ni-Cu appears to be the most strongly developed.