Specific Salt Effects on the Formation and Thermal Transitions Among β-Lactoglobulin and Pectin Electrostatic Complexes

Factors of ion specificity and ionic strength (I~0-100) were studied in the electrostatic complex formation and protein particle formation by thermal treatment for a β-lactoglobulin and pectin system. ζ-potential showed β-lactoglobulin and pectin began to interact near pH 5.50 and interactions were strengthened with decrease in pH. Visible light turbidimetry and light scattering at 90° revealed a trend in critical pH transitions for electrostatic complex formation based on both the ionic strength and the anion of the salt species, while effects of the monovalent cation was insignificant. Critical pH values for complex formation and separation (pHc and pHΦ) decreased with increasing ionic strength, with no significant differences seen between chloride and thiocyanate salts. The ionic strength equivalency of sulfate salts caused significant differences to pHc values, indicating that both ionic strength and specific ion effects influence complex formation. Heat-treatment at 80°C of the β-lactoglobulin/pectin complexes at pH 4.50 led to the creation of particles with a diameter of 200-400. Light scattering revealed particles at pH 4.50 were significantly smaller than those at pH 4.75. Morphological characterization of particles at pH 4.50 with KCl concentrations of 50 mm and greater revealed disruption in particle structure from rounded to more amorphous shapes and possible flocculation of particles. Turbidimetry development of complex and heat-treated particles during heat treatment was significantly different from the protein, alone, demonstrating a specific shielding effect on protein-polysaccharide interactions. Ion effects on particle size of heat-treated complexes is a simple means to reliably control particle formation for purposes of controlled release or modified colloidal flow

Unraveling magnetic fabrics

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility has been proven to be an excellent indicator for mineral fabrics and therefore deformation in a rock or sediment. Low-field anisotropy is relatively rapid to measure so that a sufficient number of samples can be measured to obtain a good statistical representation of the magnetic fabric. The physical properties of individual minerals that contribute to the observed magnetic fabric include bulk susceptibility and intrinsic anisotropy of the mineral phase, its volume concentration, and its degree of alignment. Several techniques have been developed to separate magnetic subfabrics arising from magnetization types, i.e., ferrimagnetism, antiferromagnetism, paramagnetism, and diamagnetism. Susceptibility anisotropy can be measured in low or high fields and at different temperatures in order to isolate a particular subfabric. Measuring the anisotropy of a remanent magnetization can also isolate ferrimagnetic fabrics. A series of case studies are presented that exemplify the value of isolating magnetic subfabrics in a geological context. It is particularly useful in rocks that carry a paramagnetic and diamagnetic subfabric of similar magnitude, such that they negate one another. Further examples are provided for purely paramagnetic subfabrics and cases where a ferrimagnetic subfabric is also identifie

A method for the separation of paramagnetic, ferrimagnetic and haematite magnetic subfabrics using high-field torque magnetometry

In this study, the contribution of the paramagnetic, ferrimagnetic and haematite components to the magnetic anisotropy is separated by means of high-field torque magnetometry. Torque measurements at different fields, which are high enough to saturate the ferrimagnetic minerals, however, still low enough that the torque resulting from the haematite is linear with field, allow for the separation of the three magnetic anisotropy components. The method has been applied to haematite single crystals in which no paramagnetic or ferrimagnetic components have been found contribute to the torque signal. The mean direction of the poles to the crystallographic basal plane in the haematite single crystals is subparallel to the minimum-susceptibility direction measured in low-field. The separation analysis has also been applied to highly deformed red beds from the Lower Glarus nappe complex (Switzerland). No ferrimagnetic phases are present in the rocks and, therefore, they cannot contribute to the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility. The magnetic fabric arises from a paramagnetic subfabric carried by the phyllosilicate minerals and haematite, in which the basal planes of both phases are in the cleavage plane. The measured magnetic lineation seen in low-field anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility appears to be an apparent lineation that arises from a weak girdling of haematite and the paramagnetic minerals conforming the roc

A refined biomonitoring study of airborne particulate matter pollution in Rome, with magnetic measurements on Quercus Ilex tree leaves

Elevated levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) are a current problem for air quality in many major metropolitan areas. Many European cities have tightened the PM limits in the air, due to advances in monitoring PM levels. In order to establish guidelines for monitoring and curbing anthropogenic PM output, a better understanding of its origin, composition and diffusion is required. Biomonitoring of magnetic properties of tree leaves has been suggested previously to be a good approach to measure pollution levels in cities both in space and time. We report on a magnetic biomonitoring study of PM in the city of Rome, conducted from 2005 October to December. We collected approximately 180 different sample sets of tree leaves of Quercus ilex, an evergreen oak widely distributed in Rome, at 112 different locations. Specific magnetic susceptibility χ of the leaf is used as a fast, easy and cost-effective proxy to assess levels of primary anthropogenic airborne PM pollution. Highly polluted areas correlate with high traffic areas, with an average susceptibility value of χ = 3.2 × 10−7 m3 kg−1. Low traffic zones are characterized by values more than an order of magnitude lower at χ = 1.4 × 10−8 m3 kg−1, and the background magnetic susceptibility is around χ = 2.6 × 10−9 m3 kg−1. The data show that distance dependence from the source is the most significant factor for the concentration of magnetic PM, and that pollution levels and sources can be reliably delineated by measuring magnetic susceptibility values on tree leaf samples of Q. ilex. A new protocol for magnetic susceptibility measurements is proposed, in order to account for changes due to water evaporation in the leaves as a function of time after collection of the samples. Additional magnetic analyses, such as acquisition of artificial remanences and hysteresis properties, were used to characterize the mineralogy and grain size of the magnetic PM. The results indicate that the population of ferrimagnetic phases have a homogenous composition and grain size throughout the investigated are

Separation of magnetic subfabrics by high-field, lowtemperature torque measurements

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) can serve as a good indicator of strain in deformed carbonate rocks with diamagnetic susceptibility (Owens and Rutter 1978; de Wall 2000). However, the magnetic fabric due to the diamagnetic carbonate minerals is usually very weak and interpretation of the AMS in these rocks is often complicated by the presence of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases which overprint the diamagnetic subfabric. For this reason contributions from ferromagnetic and paramagnetic minerals to the AMS should be separated for a reliable interpretation of the AMS. Ferromagnetic contributions to the AMS can be separated by high-field measurements, using a torque magnetometer (Martin- Hernandez and Hirt 2001). The remaining paramagnetic and diamagnetic contributions can be discriminated by their different temperature dependencies. The paramagnetic susceptibility increases as an inverse function of temperature, whereas the diamagnetic part remains constant. Altogether, AMS measurements at high fields and low temperatures allow for the discrimination of all three subfabrics. Test measurements with the high-field torque magnetometer at liquid nitrogen temperature were performed. It is possible to keep the specimens at low temperature over the measurement period using a cryostat. The main problem is the suppression of mechanical disturbances during the measurement so that the sensitivity of the instrument is retained. The torque of paramagnetic minerals increases strongly at low temperature which results in an amplification of the paramagnetic subfabric. The quantitative separation of diamagnetic and paramagnetic subfabric is under investigation. The result is promising when there is a significant diamagnetic signal.conferenc

Internal flow structures in columnar jointed basalt from Hrepphólar, Iceland: II. Magnetic anisotropy and rock magnetic properties

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and rock magnetic properties were measured on specimens from a basalt plate that was cut from a vertical section of a basalt column from Hrepphólar, Iceland. Macroscopic structures are clearly distinguishable in the plate, including banding inferred to represent viscous fingering parallel to the vertical axis of the column. Rock magnetic experiments indicate that the dominant ferromagnetic (sensu lato) mineral is titanomagnetite, Fe 3−x Ti x O4, with a Ti-composition of x = ~0.6. Magnetic properties are related to the position within the plate and reveal a dominant volume fraction of single domain titanomagnetite in the center of the basalt column, with multidomain titanomagnetite away from the center. The AMS determined by low-field measurements shows an inconclusive relationship with the visual structures, which arises from variation of the grain size (i.e., single domain versus multidomain) across the column. In contrast, the AMS measured with a high-field torsion magnetometer avoids the complication of magnetic domain state, as is demonstrated in this contribution, and additionally allows for the separation of ferrimagnetic from paramagnetic sub-fabrics. Both sub-fabrics display a clear relationship with the macroscopic structures and support the hypothesis that vertical flow of melt took place during development of the Hrepphólar columnar basalt. Maximum susceptibility axes of the ferrimagnetic sub-fabric are grouped near the vertical axis of the column. The paramagnetic sub-fabric varies systematically across the column in coincidence with internal structure. The shape of the magnetic susceptibility ellipsoid varies across the basalt column, showing an increasingly prolate fabric toward its cente

Separation of diamagnetic and paramagnetic anisotropy by high-field, low-temperature torque measurements

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of rocks can be composed of contributions from ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and diamagnetic minerals. However, in general the AMS of only one fraction is of interest. While there are several approaches to isolate the ferromagnetic contribution to the AMS, the separation of the diamagnetic from the paramagnetic contribution is still problematic. A new method for the separation of these two contributions based on high-field torque measurements at room and low-temperature is presented. The paramagnetic anisotropy increases at low temperature according to the Curie-Weiss law, whereas the diamagnetic contribution is temperature independent. If the paramagnetic AMS is due to perfectly oblate or prolate minerals and the ratio of the susceptibility differences at two temperatures is known, paramagnetic and diamagnetic AMS can be separated. When measuring in fields high enough to saturate the ferromagnetic phases all three contributions to the AMS can be separated. The separation of paramagnetic and diamagnetic AMS is demonstrated on natural crystals and synthetic calcite-muscovite aggregates. A high-field torque magnetometer, equipped with a cryostat for measurements at 77 K, allows sensitive measurements at two different temperatures. The sensitivity at 77 K is 3 × 10−7 J and standard-sized (palaeomagnetic) samples of 11.4 cm3 can be measured. This new method is especially suited for the investigation of diamagnetic fabrics of impure carbonate rock

Characterization of iron compounds in tumour tissue from temporal lobe epilepsy patients using low temperature magnetic methods

Excess iron accumulation in the brain has been shown to be related to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. However, identification and characterization of iron compounds in human tissue is difficult because concentrations are very low. For the first time, a combination of low temperature magnetic methods was used to characterize iron compounds in tumour tissue from patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Induced magnetization as a function of temperature was measured between 2 and 140 K after cooling in zero-field and after cooling in a 50 mT field. These curves reveal an average blocking temperature for ferritin of 10 K and an anomaly due to magnetite at 48 K. Hysteresis measurements at 5 K show a high coercivity phase that is unsaturated at 7 T, which is typical for ferritin. Magnetite concentration was determined from the saturation remanent magnetization at 77 K. Hysteresis measurements at various temperatures were used to examine the magnetic blocking of magnetite and ferritin. Our results demonstrate that low temperature magnetic measurements provide a useful and sensitive tool for the characterisation of magnetic iron compounds in human tissu

Magnetic fabric in ilmeniterich norites of the Bjerkreimer-Sokndal Layered Intrusion, Norway

The Bjerkreim-Sokndal (BKS) is a layered intrusion, located in the Mid- Proterozoic Egersund anorthosite-norite province within the Sveconorwegian province of the Baltic Shield, south Norway. The layered intrusion formed by influxes of more primitive magma into more evolved magma to produce six Megacyclic units (MCU), each of which can be divided into up to six subunits. From bottom to top in each megacycle the rocks consist of early plagioclase-rich norites, intermediate hemo-ilmenite-rich norites and later magnetite-rich norites. Aeromagnetic maps over the intrusion show large negative and positive anomalies. A negative anomaly with amplitude to - 13000 nT at 60m above ground is associated with hemo-ilmenite-rich norite layer MCU Ive. This layer IVe contains plagioclase, orthopyroxene, hemoilmenite, magnetite, and minor clinopyroxene, biotite, apatite and sulfides. Multi-domain (MD) magnetite makes up 2–3% of the rock. The negative magnetic anomaly associated with MCU IVe reaches its most negative value on the east limb of the Bjerkreim Lobe near Heskestad. The anomaly at Heskestad is part of a longer negative anomaly, which follows MCU IVe for more than 20 km around a large syncline. The average NRM intensity decreases from 25AM−1 along the east fold limb to 10AM−1 towards the hinge area to 7AM−1 at the hinge. The BKS has a penetrative deformation fabric within the syncline with the weakest deformation found in the hinge area and the strongest on the east limb. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to determine the lattice-preferred orientation (LPO) of orthopyroxene and ilmenite. The (100)-planes of the orthopyroxenes are found to lie parallel to a foliation in the rock, which is subparallel to the cumulate layering. Orthopyroxene c-axes form the steep lineation within the foliation plane. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) was measured for samples that were taken at five locations from the eastern limb to the hinge area of the syncline to investigate if the change in NRM intensity could be related to magnetic fabric.conferenc

Decoupling of paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic AMS development during the experimental chemical compaction of illite shale powder

Inclination shallowing of detrital remanent magnetization in sedimentary strata has solely been constrained for the mechanical processes associated with mud deposition and shallow compaction of clay-rich sediment, even though a significant part of mud diagenesis involves chemical compaction. Here we report, for the first time, on the laboratory simulation of magnetic assemblage development in a chemically compacting illite shale powder of natural origin. The experimental procedure comprised three compaction stages that, when combined, simulate the diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism of illite mud. First, the full extent of load-sensitive mechanical compaction is simulated by room temperature dry axial compression. Subsequently, temperature controlled chemical compaction is initiated by exposing the sample in two stages to amphibolite or granulite facies conditions (temperature is 490 to 750°C and confining pressure is 170 or 300 MPa) both in the absence (confining pressure only) and presence of a deformation stress field (axial compression or confined torsion). Thermodynamic equilibrium in the last two compaction stages was not reached, but illite and mica dehydroxylation initiated, thus providing a wet environment. Magnetic properties were characterized by magnetic susceptibility and its anisotropy (AMS) in both high- and low-applied field. Acquisition of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM), stepwise three-component thermal de-magnetization of IRM and first-order reversal curves were used to characterize the remanence-bearing minerals. During the chemical compaction experiments ferrimagnetic iron-sulphides formed after reduction of magnetite and detrital pyrite in a low sulphur fugacity environment. The degree of low-field AMS is unaffected by porosity reduction from 15 to ∼1 per cent, regardless of operating conditions and compaction history. High-field paramagnetic AMS increases with compaction for all employed stress regimes and conditions, and is attributed to illite transformation to iron-bearing mica. AMS of authigenic iron-sulphide minerals remained constant during compaction indicating an independence of ferrimagnetic fabric development to chemical compaction in illite shale powder. The decoupling of paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic AMS development during chemical compaction of pelite contrasts with findings from mechanical compaction studie