A 15N-poor isotopic composition for the solar system as shown by Genesis solar wind samples.

The Genesis mission sampled solar wind ions to document the elemental and isotopic compositions of the Sun and, by inference, of the protosolar nebula. Nitrogen was a key target element because the extent and origin of its isotopic variations in solar system materials remain unknown. Isotopic analysis of a Genesis Solar Wind Concentrator target material shows that implanted solar wind nitrogen has a (15)N/(14)N ratio of 2.18 ± 0.02 × 10(-3) (that is, ≈40% poorer in (15)N relative to terrestrial atmosphere). The (15)N/(14)N ratio of the protosolar nebula was 2.27 ± 0.03 × 10(-3), which is the lowest (15)N/(14)N ratio known for solar system objects. This result demonstrates the extreme nitrogen isotopic heterogeneity of the nascent solar system and accounts for the (15)N-depleted components observed in solar system reservoirs.

Chlorine isotope homogeneity of the mantle, crust and carbonaceous chondrites.

Chlorine in the Earth is highly depleted relative to carbonaceous chondrites and solar abundances. Knowledge of the Cl concentrations and distribution on Earth is essential for understanding the origin of these depletions. Large differences in the stable chlorine isotope ratios of meteoritic, mantle and crustal materials have been used as evidence for distinct reservoirs in the solar nebula and to calculate the relative proportions of Cl in the mantle and crust. Here we report that large isotopic differences do not exist, and that carbonaceous chondrites, mantle and crust all have the same 37Cl/35Cl ratios. We have further analysed crustal sediments from the early Archaean era to the Recent epoch and find no systematic isotopic variations with age, demonstrating that the mantle and crust have always had the same delta37Cl value. The similarity of mantle, crust and carbonaceous chondrites establishes that there were no nebular reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions, no isotopic fractionation during differentiation of the Earth and no late (post-core formation) Cl-bearing volatile additions to the crustal veneer with a unique isotopic composition.

MEP (Mars Environment Package): toward a package for studying environmental conditions at the surface of Mars from future lander/rover missions.

In view to prepare Mars human exploration, it is necessary to promote and lead, at the international level, a highly interdisciplinary program, involving specialists of geochemistry, geophysics, atmospheric science, space weather, and biology. The goal of this program will be to elaborate concepts of individual instruments, then of integrated instrumental packages, able to collect exhaustive data sets of environmental parameters from future landers and rovers of Mars, and to favour the conditions of their implementation. Such a program is one of the most urgent need for preparing human exploration, in order to develop mitigation strategies aimed at ensuring the safety of human explorers, and minimizing risk for surface operations. A few main areas of investigation may be listed: particle and radiation environment, chemical composition of atmosphere, meteorology, chemical composition of dust, surface and subsurface material, water in the subsurface, physical properties of the soil, search for an hypothesized microbial activity, characterization of radio-electric properties of the Martian ionosphere. Scientists at the origin of the present paper, already involved at a high degree of responsibility in several Mars missions, and actively preparing in situ instrumentation for future landed platforms (Netlander--now cancelled, MSL-09), express their readiness to participate in both ESA/AURORA and NASA programs of Mars human exploration. They think that the formation of a Mars Environment working group at ESA, in the course of the AURORA definition phase, could act positively in favour of the program, by increasing its scientific cross-section and making it still more focused on human exploration.

Solar wind record on the moon: deciphering presolar from planetary nitrogen.

Ion microprobe analyses show that solar wind nitrogen associated with solar wind hydrogen implanted in the first tens of nanometers of lunar regolith grains is depleted in 15N by at least 24% relative to terrestrial atmosphere, whereas a nonsolar component associated with deuterium-rich hydrogen, detected in silicon-bearing coatings at the surface of some ilmenite grains, is enriched in 15N. Systematic enrichment of 15N in terrestrial planets and bulk meteorites relative to the protosolar gas cannot be explained by isotopic fractionation in nebular or planetary environments but requires the contribution of 15N-rich compounds to the total nitrogen in planetary materials. Most of these compounds are possibly of an interstellar origin and never equilibrated with the 15N-depleted protosolar nebula.

Incorporation of short-lived (10)Be in a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion from the allende meteorite

Enrichments in boron-10/boron-11 in a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion from the Allende carbonaceous chondrite are correlated with beryllium/boron in a manner indicative of the in situ decay of short-lived beryllium-10. Because this radionuclide is produced only by nuclear spallation reactions, its existence in early solar system materials attests to intense irradiation processes in the solar nebula. The particle fluence inferred from the initial beryllium-10/beryllium-9 is sufficient to produce other short-lived nuclides, calcium-41 and manganese-53, found in meteorites, but the high canonical abundance of aluminum-26 may still require seeding of the solar system by radioactive stellar debris.

Oxygen isotopes and emerald trade routes since antiquity

Oxygen isotopic compositions of historical emerald artifacts from the Gallo-Roman period to the 18th century indicate that during historical times, artisans worked emeralds originating from deposits supposedly discovered in the 20th century. In antiquity, Pakistani and Egyptian emeralds were traded by way of the Silk Route. Together with Austrian stones, they were the only source of gem-quality emeralds. Immediately after the discovery of the Colombian mines by Spaniards in the 16th century, a new trade route was established, first via Spain to Europe and India and then directly via the Philippines to India. Since then, Colombian emeralds have dominated the emerald trade, and most of the high-quality emeralds cut in the 18th century in India originated from Colombia.

The effects of aluminum, iron, chromium, and yttrium on rat intestinal smooth muscle in vitro.

The modification of peristaltic activity in the presence of several metal ions has been investigated in the rat intestine by the isolated organ technique. The metals tested modify the intestinal movements: aluminum, chromium, and yttrium cause a decrease of amplitude, while iron showed no effect. By use of microscopic techniques, the presence of yttrium hydroxide was observed in the intestinal tissues. Iron also appears as a precipitate outside of the intestinal serosal, which may explain why iron did not modify the peristaltism. Chromium and aluminum were not apparent to microscope, despite being detected and quantified in the tissues by means of atomic emission spectrometer. We conclude that the trivalent ions of these elements may operate differently on the mechanisms of intestinal contractions: yttrium precipitates in intercellular spaces, iron precipitates outside the intestines, and chromium and aluminum remain in solution and are distributed homogeneously in the smooth intestinal muscle.

Helium Isotopic Evidence for a Lower Mantle Component in Depleted Archean Komatiite

Archean magnesium-rich komatiites require hot and presumably deep mantle sources, but their trace-element composition and radiogenic isotope composition are similar to those of modern mid-ocean ridge basalts, which originate in the upper mantle. The isotopic composition of helium extracted by sequential crushing of fresh olivines separated from two Archean and one mid-Proterozoic komatiites varies over three orders of magnitude, between a radiogenic end-member rich in helium-4 and a component rich in helium-3. Such helium-3 enrichment suggests the presence of a lower mantle component in Archean komatiites.

Primitive boron isotope composition of the mantle.

Boron isotope ratios are homogeneous in volcanic glasses of oceanic island basalts [-9.9 +/- 1.3 per mil, relative to standard NBS 951 (defined by the National Bureau of Standards)], whereas mid-oceanic ridge basalts (MORBs) and back-arc basin basalts (BABBs) show generally higher and more variable ratios. Melts that have assimilated even small amounts of altered basaltic crust show significant variations in the boron isotope ratios. Assimilation may thus account for the higher boron ratios of MORBs and BABBs. A budget of boron between mantle and crust implies that the primitive mantle had a boron isotope ratio of -10 +/- 2 per mil and that this ratio was not fractionated significantly during the differentiation of the mantle.

Dental abnormalities and early diagnosis of hyperphosphatasemia.

Dental hard tissue abnormalities have never been described as part of the symptoms associated with hyperphosphatasemia. Fourteen teeth obtained from a young man, who had a mild form of hyperphosphatasemia, were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. SEM revealed a thin enamel, presenting a prismatic structure with many pits, and atypical cementum and dentin showing numerous resorption areas. The X-ray diffractograms revealed poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite associated with alpha-tricalcium phosphate and magnesium hydroxide phases. SIMS data showed high Ca concentrations: 40.5 weight % ¿wt%; standard deviation (SD = 0.13) and 42.5 wt% (SD = 1.03) in enamel and dentin respectively, and high Ca/P weight ratios: 2.28 in the enamel, 2.65 in the dentin. The lack of crystallinity may be linked to the high content of proteins and magnesium adsorbed onto apatite. This study demonstrates the need for thorough radiographical and biological investigations for skeletal abnormalities, even in the absence of systemic symptoms, when generalized dental abnormalities of both enamel and dentin are observed.

Dialysis-associated arthropathy: secondary ion mass spectrometry evidence of aluminum silicate in beta 2-microglobulin amyloid synovial tissue and articular cartilage.

The role of aluminum accumulation in articular tissues of patients affected by dialysis-associated arthropathy (DAA) is questioned. The aim of this work is to identify the nature of these aluminum accumulations by the use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Al/Si ratios of about 1, measured by SIMS, strongly suggest for the first time the presence of aluminum silicates and possibly aluminum hydroxides in amyloid synovial tissue and articular cartilage of 1 patient with DAA and aluminum intoxication. This is thermodynamically consistent with the total dissolved Al and Si contents and pH measured in the synovial fluids. These results are similar to the abnormal Al distribution recently found by SIMS in the forebrain of chronic renal dialysis patients and to the amorphous aluminum silicates identified in the core of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease.