1
|
Lorentz KO, Kamel G, Lemmers SAM, Miyauchi Y, Çubukçu E, Alpagut A, Büyükkarakaya AM. Synchrotron Radiation Fourier Transform Infrared (SR-FTIR) spectroscopy in exploring ancient human hair from Roman period Juliopolis: Preservation status and alterations of organic compounds. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 274:121026. [PMID: 35279516 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We explore the preservation status and alterations of organic compounds in Roman period human hairstrandsfrom a specific individual (M196) excavated at Juliopolis (JP). How do these organic compounds present in this c. 2000-year-old human hair compare to those present in modern hair? Alterations to organic compounds in archaeological human hair are caused by biological degradative processes dependent on multifactorial processes acting on the hair since the deposition of a body in a mortuary context. We investigate the type of organic compounds present using Synchrotron Radiation Fourier Transform Infrared (SR-FTIR). Juliopolis (Iuliopolis) is an ancient multiperiod city, located in the Çayırhan district of Nallıhan, northwest of Ankara. The Juliopolis necropolis from which M196 was recovered was in use throughout the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, and yielded over 700 tombs with numerous human remains. One tomb (M196) contained human remains of exceptional preservation status, including substantial amounts of hair. Human hair from archaeological contexts is not only extremely rare, but importantly, has high analytical value, with potential for analysis of diet, geographical origins, ancient DNA, metal exposure, and other aspects of life in a time-resolved manner. These data make significant contributions to the life history of the individual (osteobiography), as well as contribute towards key archaeological questions. As these analyses are in their majority destructive, prior evaluation of the preservation of sufficient amounts of the organic compounds on which many such analyses rely upon is crucial, to avoid unnecessary loss of precious ancient samples. The results of our SR-FTIR analyses at SESAME synchrotron show that keratin in the JP M196 is more degraded in comparison to the modern reference sample. However, the results also point to clear potential for further analyses with techniques relying on organic compound preservation, such as C and N isotopic analyses for diet, and aDNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K O Lorentz
- Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC), The Cyprus Institute (CyI), Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - G Kamel
- SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), Allan, Jordan; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - S A M Lemmers
- Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC), The Cyprus Institute (CyI), Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Y Miyauchi
- Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC), The Cyprus Institute (CyI), Nicosia, Cyprus; University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - E Çubukçu
- Department of Geology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - A Alpagut
- The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara, Turkey
| | - A M Büyükkarakaya
- Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey; Human Behavioral Ecology and Archaeometry Laboratory (IDEA Lab), Ankara, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bertrand L, Thoury M, Gueriau P, Anheim É, Cohen S. Deciphering the Chemistry of Cultural Heritage: Targeting Material Properties by Coupling Spectral Imaging with Image Analysis. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:2823-2832. [PMID: 34143613 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The chemical study of materials from natural history and cultural heritage, which provide information for art history, archeology, or paleontology, presents a series of specific challenges. The complexity of these ancient and historical materials, which are chemically heterogeneous, the product of alteration processes, and inherently not reproducible, is a major obstacle to a thorough understanding of their making and long-term behavior (e.g., fossilization). These challenges required the development of methodologies and instruments coupling imaging and data processing approaches that are optimized for the specific properties of the materials. This Account discusses how these characteristics not only constrain their study but also open up specific innovative avenues for providing key historical information. Synchrotron methods have extensively been used since the late 1990s to study heritage objects, in particular for their potential to provide speciation information from excitation spectroscopies and to image complex heritage objects and samples in two and three dimensions at high resolution. We examine in practice how the identification of key intrinsic chemical specificities has offered fertile ground for the development of novel synchrotron approaches allowing a better stochastic description of the properties of ancient and historical materials. These developments encompass three main aspects: (1) The multiscale heterogeneity of these materials can provide an essential source of information in the development of probes targeting their multiple scales of homogeneity. (2) Chemical alteration can be described in many ways, e.g., by segmenting datasets in a semiquantitative way to jointly inform morphological and chemical transformation pathways. (3) The intrinsic individuality of chemical signatures in artifacts triggers the development of specific strategies, such as those focusing on weak signal detection. We propose a rereading of the advent of these new methodologies for analysis and characterization and examine how they have led to innovative strategies combining materials science, instrument development, history, and data science. In particular, we show that spectral imaging and the search for correlations in image datasets have provided a powerful way to address what archeologists have called the uncertainty and ambiguity of the material record. This approach has implications beyond synchrotron techniques and extends in particular to a series of rapidly developing approaches that couple spectral and spatial information, as in hyperspectral imaging and spatially resolved mass spectrometry. The preeminence of correlations holds promise for the future development of machine learning methods for processing data on historical objects. Beyond heritage, these developments are an original source of inspiration for the study of materials in many related fields, such as environmental, geochemical, or life sciences, which deal with systems whose alteration and heterogeneity cannot be neglected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Bertrand
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM, F-91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mathieu Thoury
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la culture, UVSQ, MNHN, IPANEMA, F-91192 Saint-Aubin, France
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Geopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Étienne Anheim
- Centre de recherches historiques, EHESS, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Serge Cohen
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la culture, UVSQ, MNHN, IPANEMA, F-91192 Saint-Aubin, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sandt C, Borondics F. A new typology of human hair medullas based on lipid composition analysis by synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy. Analyst 2021; 146:3942-3954. [PMID: 33982696 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00695a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human hair is an organ that connects fundamental and applied research with everyday life through the cosmetic industry. Yet, the accurate compositional description of the human hair medulla is lacking due to their small size and difficulty with microextraction. Medullas are thus generally classified based on morphology. We investigated the chemical composition of the human hair medulla using synchrotron based infrared microspectroscopy. We confirmed that lipid signatures dominate the medulla infrared spectrum having 3-20 times higher lipid concentration compared to their surrounding cortex. Human hair medullas contain a mixture of non-esterified and esterified lipids, and carboxylate soaps in various proportions. We reveal the first direct spectroscopic evidence that medulla carboxylates are coordinated to calcium since they exhibit the specific calcium carboxylate signature. Using a representative sample, we observed a strong compositional variability between medullas that was unreported before. We detected calcium carboxylates in 76% of the medullas with one order of magnitude concentration variability between samples. All medullas contained esters with esterification varying by a factor of 30. Moreover, we detected the presence of crystalline calcium stearate in 9% of the medullas. We described a series of spectral markers to characterize medullas based on their lipid composition and propose to classify medullas in four to five groups. Our analysis provides a more detailed understanding of the chemical composition of human hair medullas that may impact cosmetics and biology. The origin and biological meaning of these variations must still be investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Sandt
- SMIS beamline, SOLEIL Synchrotron, BP48, l'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
| | - Ferenc Borondics
- SMIS beamline, SOLEIL Synchrotron, BP48, l'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Davey J, Spring G. Is ancestry, not natron, an explanation for fair haired children in Greco-Roman Egypt? Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2020; 16:207-215. [PMID: 32410108 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00225-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In an examination of three unwrapped mummified children from the Graeco-Roman Period of ancient Egypt there was an unexpected finding of fair hair. In the majority of unwrapped ancient Egyptian mummified bodies the hair was not fair but rather dark brown or black. To determine if exposure to natron during the mummification process was responsible for the fair hair color an experiment was carried out to partially replicate the environment in which bodies were desiccated. Fourteen samples of modern hair from various age groups, sex and ethnicity were subjected to synthetic natron for a period of 40 days to replicate the time taken to mummify a body. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of samples were employed to ascertain any significant changes in hair color after treatment. Ancient wigs were studied for evidence of post mortem changes to hair color since construction over 2,000 years ago. Results of the study showed no significant lightening of hair color and in several samples the hair significantly darkened as the result of exposure to the natron. There was not any evidence that hair lightened as the result of natural post mortem changes and this was confirmed by the study of the natural hair wigs that had not changed color post mortem. This study concluded that the fair hair observed in the three child mummies was not the result of exposure to natron or post mortem changes but rather it was probably due to ancestry because of the presence of diverse genomes that were introduced into ancient Egypt during the Greco-Roman Period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Davey
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. .,Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St., Southbank,, 3006 Victorian, Australia.
| | - Gale Spring
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, 3000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bertrand L, Gervais C, Masic A, Robbiola L. Paläo-inspirierte Systeme: Haltbarkeit, Nachhaltigkeit und bemerkenswerte Eigenschaften. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201709303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Bertrand
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ; Université Paris-Saclay, USR 3461; 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Frankreich
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint-Aubin; 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Frankreich
| | - Claire Gervais
- Bern University of Applied Sciences, HKB; Fellerstrasse 11 3027 Bern Schweiz
| | - Admir Masic
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Cambridge MA USA
| | - Luc Robbiola
- TRACES, CNRS, ministère de la Culture; Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, UMR 5608; 31100 Toulouse Frankreich
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bertrand L, Gervais C, Masic A, Robbiola L. Paleo-inspired Systems: Durability, Sustainability, and Remarkable Properties. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:7288-7295. [PMID: 29154403 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201709303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The process of mimicking properties of specific interest (such as mechanical, optical, and structural) observed in ancient and historical systems is designated here as paleo-inspiration. For instance, recovery in archaeology or paleontology identifies materials that are a posteriori extremely resilient to alteration. All the more encouraging is that many ancient materials were synthesized in soft chemical ways, often using low-energy resources and sometimes rudimentary manufacturing equipment. In this Minireview, ancient systems are presented as a source of inspiration for innovative material design in the Anthropocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Bertrand
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, USR 3461, 91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Claire Gervais
- Bern University of Applied Sciences, HKB, Fellerstrasse 11, 3027, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Admir Masic
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Luc Robbiola
- TRACES, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, UMR 5608, 31100, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fresnais M, Richardin P, Sepúlveda M, Leize-Wagner E, Charrié-Duhaut A. Omics for Precious Rare Biosamples: Characterization of Ancient Human Hair by a Proteomic Approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 21:361-370. [DOI: 10.1089/omi.2017.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Fresnais
- Laboratoire de spectrométrie de masse des interactions et des systèmes (LSMIS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, CMC UMR 7140, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascale Richardin
- Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Palais du Louvre, Paris, France
| | - Marcela Sepúlveda
- Laboratorio de Análisis e Investigación Arqueométricas y Laboratorio de Arqueologia y Paleoambiente, Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
| | - Emmanuelle Leize-Wagner
- Laboratoire de spectrométrie de masse des interactions et des systèmes (LSMIS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, CMC UMR 7140, Strasbourg, France
| | - Armelle Charrié-Duhaut
- Laboratoire de spectrométrie de masse des interactions et des systèmes (LSMIS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, CMC UMR 7140, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bertrand L, Bernard S, Marone F, Thoury M, Reiche I, Gourrier A, Sciau P, Bergmann U. Emerging Approaches in Synchrotron Studies of Materials from Cultural and Natural History Collections. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2016; 374:7. [DOI: 10.1007/s41061-015-0003-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
9
|
Pessanha S, Carvalho M, Carvalho ML, Dias A. Quantitative analysis of human remains from 18(th)-19(th) centuries using X-ray fluorescence techniques: The mysterious high content of mercury in hair. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2016; 33:26-30. [PMID: 26653740 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we report the unusual concentration of mercury in the hair of an individual buried in the 18th to mid-19th centuries and the comparison with the elemental composition of other remains from the same individual. Two energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) setups, one with tri-axial geometry and the second one with micro-beam capabilities and a vacuum system, for light elements detection, have been used. Quantitative evaluation of the obtained spectra were made by fundamental parameters and winAXIL program by compare mode method. The levels of Hg in the hair of buried samples presented a concentration over 5% (w/w), a significantly lower presence of this element in the cranium, and no Hg in the remaining organs. Furthermore, there was no evidence of Hg in the burial soil, which has been also analyzed. From this result, we could conclude that the possibility of post-mortem contamination from the burial surroundings is very unlikely. The obtained results are indicative of the apparent use of a mercury-based compound for medical purposes, most likely lice infestation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Pessanha
- LIBPhys-UNL, Laboratory for Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Marta Carvalho
- LIBPhys-UNL, Laboratory for Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Maria Luisa Carvalho
- LIBPhys-UNL, Laboratory for Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - António Dias
- LIBPhys-UNL, Laboratory for Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dallongeville S, Garnier N, Rolando C, Tokarski C. Proteins in Art, Archaeology, and Paleontology: From Detection to Identification. Chem Rev 2015; 116:2-79. [PMID: 26709533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Dallongeville
- Miniaturisation pour la Synthèse, l'Analyse & la Protéomique (MSAP), USR CNRS 3290, Université de Lille 1 Sciences et Technologies , 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Garnier
- SARL Laboratoire Nicolas Garnier , 63270 Vic le Comte, France
| | - Christian Rolando
- Miniaturisation pour la Synthèse, l'Analyse & la Protéomique (MSAP), USR CNRS 3290, Université de Lille 1 Sciences et Technologies , 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Caroline Tokarski
- Miniaturisation pour la Synthèse, l'Analyse & la Protéomique (MSAP), USR CNRS 3290, Université de Lille 1 Sciences et Technologies , 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
|
12
|
Tiwari MK, Gupta P, Sinha AK, Kane SR, Singh AK, Garg SR, Garg CK, Lodha GS, Deb SK. A microfocus X-ray fluorescence beamline at Indus-2 synchrotron radiation facility. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2013; 20:386-389. [PMID: 23412498 DOI: 10.1107/s0909049513001337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A microfocus X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy beamline (BL-16) at the Indian synchrotron radiation facility Indus-2 has been constructed with an experimental emphasis on environmental, archaeological, biomedical and material science applications involving heavy metal speciation and their localization. The beamline offers a combination of different analytical probes, e.g. X-ray fluorescence mapping, X-ray microspectroscopy and total-external-reflection fluorescence characterization. The beamline is installed on a bending-magnet source with a working X-ray energy range of 4-20 keV, enabling it to excite K-edges of all elements from S to Nb and L-edges from Ag to U. The optics of the beamline comprises of a double-crystal monochromator with Si(111) symmetric and asymmetric crystals and a pair of Kirkpatrick-Baez focusing mirrors. This paper describes the performance of the beamline and its capabilities with examples of measured results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M K Tiwari
- Indus Synchrotrons Utilisation Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, India.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kempson IM, Lombi E. Hair analysis as a biomonitor for toxicology, disease and health status. Chem Soc Rev 2011; 40:3915-40. [PMID: 21468435 DOI: 10.1039/c1cs15021a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hair analysis receives a large amount of academic and commercial interest for wide-ranging applications. However, in many instances, especially for elemental or 'mineral' analysis, the degree of success of analytical interpretation has been quite minimal with respect to the extent of such endeavors. In this critical review we address the questions surrounding hair analysis with specific intent of discovering what hair concentrations can actually relate to in a biogenic sense. This is done from a chemistry perspective to explain why and how elements are incorporated into hair and their meaning. This includes an overview of variables attributed to altering hair concentrations, such as age, gender, melanin content, and other less reported factors. Hair elemental concentrations are reviewed with regard to morbidity, with specific examples of disease related effects summarized. The application of hair analysis for epidemiology and etiology studies is enforced. A section is dedicated specifically to the area of population studies with regards to mercury, which highlights how endogenous and exogenous incorporation relies on species dependant metabolism and metabolic products. Many of the considerations are relevant to other areas of interest in hair analysis, such as for drug and isotopic analysis. Inclusion of a table of elemental concentrations in hair should act as a valuable reference (298 references).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan M Kempson
- Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Mummies are human remains with preservation of nonbony tissue. Mummification by natural influences results in so-called natural mummies, whereas mummification induced by active (human) intervention results in so-called artificial mummies, although many cultures practiced burial rites, which to some degree involved both natural and artificial mummification. Since they are so uniquely well-preserved, mummies may give many insights into mortuary practices and burial rites. Specifically, the presence of soft tissues may expand the scope of paleopathological studies. Many recent mummy studies focus on the development and application of nondestructive methods for examining mummies, including radiography, CT-scanning with advanced three-dimensional visualizations, and endoscopic techniques, as well as minimally-destructive chemical, physical, and biological methods for, e.g., stable isotopes, trace metals, and DNA. This article discusses mummification and gives a presentation of various key mummy finds and a brief history of mummy studies. A description of the extant key technologies of natural and medical science that are applied in mummy studies is given; along with a discussion of some of the major results in terms of paleopathology. It is also shown how mummy studies have contributed much to the knowledge of the cultural habits and everyday life of past populations. Finally the impact of mummy studies on analyses of mortuary practices and cultural history is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niels Lynnerup
- Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wortmann FJ, Popescu C, Sendelbach G. Effects of reduction on the denaturation kinetics of human hair. Biopolymers 2008; 89:600-5. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.20963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
16
|
Chapter 2 Synchrotron Imaging for Archaeology, Art History, Conservation, and Palaeontology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s1871-1731(07)80004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
|
17
|
Miller LM, Wang Q, Smith RJ, Zhong H, Elliott D, Warren J. A new sample substrate for imaging and correlating organic and trace metal composition in biological cells and tissues. Anal Bioanal Chem 2006; 387:1705-15. [PMID: 17115141 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-006-0879-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2006] [Revised: 09/19/2006] [Accepted: 09/21/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many disease processes involve alterations in the chemical makeup of tissue. Synchrotron-based infrared (IR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopes are becoming increasingly popular tools for imaging the organic and trace metal compositions of biological materials, respectively, without the need for extrinsic labels or stains. Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) provides chemical information on the organic components of a material at a diffraction-limited spatial resolution of 2-10 microm in the mid-infrared region. The synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microprobe is a complementary technique used to probe trace element content in the same systems with a similar spatial resolution. However to be most beneficial, it is important to combine the results from both imaging techniques on a single sample, which requires precise overlap of the IR and X-ray images. In this work, we have developed a sample substrate containing a gold grid pattern on its surface, which can be imaged with both the IR and X-ray microscopes. The substrate consists of a low trace element glass slide that has a gold grid patterned on its surface, where the major and minor parts of the grid contain 25 and 12 nm gold, respectively. This grid pattern can be imaged with the IR microscope because the reflectivity of gold differs as a function of thickness. The pattern can also be imaged with the SXRF microprobe because the Au fluorescence intensity changes with gold thickness. The tissue sample is placed on top of the patterned substrate. The grid pattern's IR reflectivity image and the gold SXRF image are used as fiducial markers for spatially overlapping the IR and SXRF images from the tissue. Results show that IR and X-ray images can be correlated precisely, with a spatial resolution of less than one pixel (i.e., 2-3 microns). The development of this new tool will be presented along with applications to paraffin-embedded metalloprotein crystals, Alzheimer's disease, and hair composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Miller
- National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Bldg 725 D, 75 Brookhaven Avenue, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Miller LM, Dumas P. Chemical imaging of biological tissue with synchrotron infrared light. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2006; 1758:846-57. [PMID: 16781664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2006.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2006] [Revised: 03/30/2006] [Accepted: 04/10/2006] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy (FTIRM) and imaging (FTIRI) have become valuable techniques for examining the chemical makeup of biological materials by probing their vibrational motions on a microscopic scale. Synchrotron infrared (S-IR) light is an ideal source for FTIRM and FTIRI due to the combination of its high brightness (i.e., flux density), also called brilliance, and broadband nature. Through a 10-microm pinhole, the brightness of a synchrotron source is 100-1000 times higher than a conventional thermal (globar) source. Accordingly, the improvement in spatial resolution and in spectral quality to the diffraction limit has led to a plethora of applications that is just being realized. In this review, we describe the development of synchrotron-based FTIRM, illustrate its advantages in many applications to biological systems, and propose some potential future directions for the technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Miller
- National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Proteomics was established 10 years ago by the analysis of microbial genomes via their protein complement or proteome. Bionics is an ancient art, which converts structures optimized by nature into advanced technical products. Previously, we analyzed survival modalities in nanobacteria and converted the interplay between survival-oriented protein functions and nanoscale mineral shells into models for advanced drug delivery. Exploiting protein functions observed in nature to design biomedical products and therapies could be named proteobionics. Here, we present examples for this new branch of nanoproteomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrei P Sommer
- Central Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kempson IM, Skinner WM. ToF-SIMS analysis of elemental distributions in human hair. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2005; 338:213-227. [PMID: 15713330 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2004] [Revised: 07/07/2004] [Accepted: 07/18/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Elemental distributions on whole and longitudinal sections of hairs plucked from the scalp were studied with the surface sensitive technique time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Endogenous and environmental influences on the distributions of elemental species were identified. The cuticle scales appear to play the major role in the accumulation of exogenous products. The functionality of the outer surfaces and scale edges each preferentially bind different elemental species. The majority of elements considered accumulated longitudinally on the outer surface of the hair above the scalp level. Internally, most elemental signals (especially Al) decreased longitudinally once exposed to the environment with the exception of Si, which showed an increase. Images of elemental distributions within the medulla suggest that regions of different reactivity exist and show a variable ability to accumulate elemental species. The greatest signal intensities were observed in the cuticle and medulla regions rather than the cortex. The cuticle is continually exposed to environmental contamination and the medulla may, or may not, exist in a hair. Therefore, the components of a hair that potentially contribute the most to the elemental concentrations (i.e. the cuticle and medulla) are also the most variable, and as such greatly complicate the interpretation of elemental concentrations in hair. Results also suggest that bleaching hair can enhance the accumulation of contaminants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan M Kempson
- Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095, Australia.
| | | |
Collapse
|