Effect of mineral elements on the formation of gallbladder stones using spectroscopic techniques.

Long-standing gallbladder stones have been recognized as one of the highest risk factors for gallbladder cancer. However, the growth and progression of gallbladder stones are still not well-known, and their uncovering requires accurate information on the formation/nucleation and complex compositional information of gallstones. Multiple and single gallstones are analyzed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Spectral signatures as well as spatial variation in the spectral intensities of different elements are observed in the LIBS spectra of the gallstones. In the multiple-type gallstones, the concentration of inorganic content increases from core to periphery, whereas a single gallstone shows the opposite trend from the point of nucleation/core. It is suggested that the concentration of inorganic elements (Mg, Ca, K, and Na) plays an important role in the nucleation and growth of gallstones; thus, accordingly, multiple- and single-type gallstones are found in the gallbladder. The presence of different electronic bands of molecules, such as CH, C2, CN, and NH, is confirmed by LIBS and FTIR. PAS has identified molecules, such as cholesterol, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate, in different gallstone samples. These results show that PAS combined with LIBS is a promising candidate for the compositional analysis of gallstones. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to discriminate different layers present in the gallstones.

Discrimination of gallbladder stone employing Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS).

Compositional analysis of gallstone samples has been carried out, using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS). Classification of gallstone has been made on the basis of intensities of the inorganic and organic constituents present in the LIBS spectra. A regression plot is drawn between LIBS spectral intensities of organic & inorganic elements and the stoichiometric ratio of Cholesterol, Bilirubin and Calcium Carbonate. Atomic lines of various elements, as well as molecular signatures of CaO Orange band, CN Violet band, and C2 Swan band, are observed in LIBS spectra. The relative hardness of gallstones is estimated from the intensity ratio of ionic to neutral atomic lines of the species observed in LIBS spectra. PAS is used for detecting molecular constituents in the gallstones. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is performed for the discrimination of gallstones. It is found that PAS data, in combination with LIBS provide a suitable method for the compositional analysis of gallstones.

The Plasma Spectroscopic Study of Dergaon Meteorite, India.

Meteorites are the recoverable portions of asteroids that reach the surface of the Earth. Meteorites are rare extraterrestrial objects studied extensively to improve our understanding of planetary evolution. In this work, we used calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) to evaluate the quantitative elemental and molecular analyses of the Dergaon meteorite, a H 4-5 chondrite fall sample from Assam, India. Spectral signatures of H, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, andIrweredetected. Along with the atomic emission, this work reports the molecular emission from FeO molecules. The concentration of the measured elements obtained using CF-LIBS is in close agreement with earlier reports. The elements H, N, and O and their concentrations are estimated by using CF-LIBS for the first time. This study applies laser spectroscopy to establish the presence of Ni, Cr, Co, and Ir in meteorites. The elemental analysis forms the basis for the establishment of the potential molecular composition of the Dergaon meteorite. Moreover, the elemental analysis approach bodes well for in-situ analyses of extraterrestrial objects including applications in planetary rover missions.

Evaluation of carbon capture in competent microalgal consortium for enhanced biomass, lipid, and carbohydrate production.

Enrichment of carbon dioxide (CO2) in environment is a major factor for enhancement of global warming on Earth surface. Microalgal consortia play an important role in inhibiting the alarming fluxes of CO2 through sustainable mechanism of bioconversion of CO2 into biomass. In the present investigation, eight heterogeneous consortia of cyanobacteria and green algae such as MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4, MC5, MC6, MC7, and MC8 for the sustainable utilization of effective CO2 sequestration and biomass production were studied. Two factorial central composite designs (% CO2 and pH) were used for optimization of cellular morphology, growth, and development of consortia. The photosynthetic quantum yield of consortium MC8 was found to be maximum (0.61) in comparison with other consortia. The morphological and physiological behavior of the above consortium was analyzed under C, 5, 10, and 15% concentrations of CO2 resource capture in 250 mL BG-11+ medium. We have identified that 10% CO2 concentrated medium maximally promoted the cellular growth in terms of cell dimension, dried biomass, carbohydrate, and lipid contents in this consortium. As such, the elemental composition of carbon and carbon capturing capability was high at 10% CO2 concentration. However, further CO2 enrichment (15%) led to decline in growth and morphology of cell size as compared to control. The results indicate that the optimum CO2 enrichment in consortia exhibits potent commercial utilization for rapid biomass production and plays a distinguished role in global carbon sequestration and mitigation agent.

Monitoring of toxic elements present in sludge of industrial waste using CF-LIBS.

Industrial waste is one of the main causes of environmental pollution. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to detect the toxic metals in the sludge of industrial waste water. Sludge on filter paper was obtained after filtering the collected waste water samples from different sections of a water treatment plant situated in an industrial area of Kanpur City. The LIBS spectra of the sludge samples were recorded in the spectral range of 200 to 500 nm by focusing the laser light on sludge. Calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) technique was used for the quantitative measurement of toxic elements such as Cr and Pb present in the sample. We also used the traditional calibration curve approach to quantify these elements. The results obtained from CF-LIBS are in good agreement with the results from the calibration curve approach. Thus, our results demonstrate that CF-LIBS is an appropriate technique for quantitative analysis where reference/standard samples are not available to make the calibration curve. The results of the present experiment are alarming to the people living nearby areas of industrial activities, as the concentrations of toxic elements are quite high compared to the admissible limits of these substances.

Potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the rapid identification of carious teeth.

The importance of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the rapid identification of teeth affected by caries has been demonstrated. The major and minor elemental constituents of teeth samples were analyzed using the prominent transitions of the atomic lines present in the sample. The elements detected in the tooth sample were: calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, strontium, titanium, carbon, phosphorous, hydrogen, oxygen, sodium, and potassium. The results revealed that the caries-affected part contained a less amount of calcium and phosphorous in comparison to the healthy part of the tooth sample, whereas higher content of magnesium, copper, zinc, strontium, carbon, sodium, and potassium were present in the caries-affected part. For the first time, we have observed that hydrogen and oxygen were less in healthy parts compared to the caries-affected part of the tooth sample. The density of calcium and phosphorous, which are the main matrix of teeth, was less in the caries-affected part than in the healthy part. The variation in densities of the trace constituents like magnesium and carbon, etc., in caries and healthy parts of the tooth sample are also discussed. The presence of different metal elements in healthy and caries-affected parts of the tooth samples and the possible role of different metal elements in the formation of caries have been discussed.

Detection sensitivity of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for Cr II in liquid samples.

The performance of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been evaluated for detection of toxic metals such as Cr in water. Pure aqueous solutions (unitary matrix) with variable Cr concentration were used to construct calibration curves and to estimate the LIBS limit of detection (LOD). The calibration curves for Cr in a binary matrix (Cr plus Cd) and a tertiary matrix (Cr plus Cd and Co) were used to evaluate the matrix effect on the LOD. The LOD for Cr was found to be 1.1, 1.5, and 2.0 ppm (parts in 10(6)) in a unitary, binary, and tertiary matrix, respectively. Once calibrated, the system was utilized for the detection and quantification of the Cr in tannery wastewater collected from different locations in the industrial area of Kanpur, India, where Cr concentrations were determined to be far higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency safe drinking water limit of 0.05 ppm.

Quantitative analysis of gallstones using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

The utility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for categorizing different types of gallbladder stone has been demonstrated by analyzing their major and minor constituents. LIBS spectra of three types of gallstone have been recorded in the 200-900 nm spectral region. Calcium is found to be the major element in all types of gallbladder stone. The spectrophotometric method has been used to classify the stones. A calibration-free LIBS method has been used for the quantitative analysis of metal elements, and the results have been compared with those obtained from inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) measurements. The single-shot LIBS spectra from different points on the cross section (in steps of 0.5 mm from one end to the other) of gallstones have also been recorded to study the variation of constituents from the center to the surface. The presence of different metal elements and their possible role in gallstone formation is discussed.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of molten aluminum alloy.

We have demonstrated that a fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) probe is suitable for measuring the concentration of minor constituents of a molten Al alloy in a laboratory furnace. For the first time to our knowledge we are able to record the LIBS spectra in several spectral regions of seven different molten Al alloy samples by inserting the LIBS probe inside the molten alloys, allowing us to obtain a ratio calibration curve for minor constituents (Cr, Mg, Zn, Cu, Si, etc.), using Fe as a reference element. A ratio calibration curve for Fe with a major element (Al) can also be obtained with which the concentration of Fe in the alloy can be determined. The effects of the surrounding atmosphere on the LIBS spectra of the molten alloy were investigated. Effects of focal length of the lens on the LIBS signals were also studied. LIBS spectra of a solid Al alloy recorded with the same LIBS probe were compared with the LIBS spectra of the molten alloy. Our results suggest that the LIBS probe is useful for monitoring the elemental composition of an Al melt in an industrial furnace at different depths and different positions inside the melt.

Optical emission from laser-induced breakdown plasma of solid and liquid samples in the presence of a magnetic field.

The optical properties of laser-induced plasma generated firm solid (Al alloy) and liquid (Mn, Cr, Mg, or Ti solutions) samples expanded across an external, steady magnetic field have been studied by atomic-emission spectroscopy. Various line emissions obtained from the constituents of the Al alloy and of the aqueous solution show an enhancement in intensity in the presence of an approximately 5-kG magnetic field. The enhancement of the signal was nearly a factor of 2 for the minor constituents of the solid samples and a factor of 1.5 for the elements in liquid phase. Temporal evolution of the emission from the solid sample showed maximum enhancement in emission intensity at 3-10-micros time delay after plasma formation in the laser energy range 10-50 mJ. However, for the liquid sample the maximum signal was for a gate delay of 3-25 micros the energy range 50-200 mJ. This enhancement in the emission intensity was found to be due to an increase in effective density of the plasma as a result of magnetic confinement when the plasma cooled after expansion. This enhanced emission was due to an increase in the rate of radiative recombination in the plasma.