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We present a new approach to determine in situ CO2 and H2O concentrations in apatite via attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Absolute carbon and hydrogen measurements by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and elastic recoil detection (ERD) are used to calibrate ATR-FTIR spectra of CO2 and H2O in apatite. We show that CO2 and H2O contents in apatite can be determined via linear equations (r2 > 0.99) using the integrated area of CO2 and H2O IR absorption bands. The main benefits of this new approach are that ATR-FTIR analyses are non-destructive and can be conducted on polished sample material surfaces with a spatial resolution of ~ 35 μm. Furthermore, the wavenumber of the phosphate IR absorption band can be used to determine the crystallographic orientation of apatite, which allows for accurate quantification of CO2 and H2O in randomly orientated apatite grains. The limit of quantification of H2O in apatite is ~ 400 ppm and ~ 100 ppm for CO2. Via two examples, one from a carbonatite and one from a metasedimentary rock, we show that this new technique opens up new possibilities for determining volatile concentrations and behavior in a wide range of hydrothermal, igneous, and metamorphic systems.

Phosphostrontium carbonate hydroxyapatites having the general formula Sr sub(10)(PO sub(4)) sub(6 )(OH) sub((2-2x))(CO sub(3)) sub(x) were prepared by solid gas reaction at different temperatures in the range 0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1. Infrared spectroscopy investigation reveals a carbonate groups substituting hydroxyl ions. Intensity bands increasing with the carbonate amount introduced in the lattice, while the one corresponding to hydroxyl decreases until disappearance. The Rietveld refinement of the structural model using X-ray powder diffraction patterns is used to determine the substitution rate. It was quantified by the refinement of the occupancy sites affected by the substitution. The crystallographic study shows the evolution of the atomic coordinate in the apatite due to the carbonate incorporation. The variation of the main interatomic distances and the bond angles was also discussed.

Mineralization is a ubiquitous process in the animal kingdom and is fundamental to human development and health. Dysfunctional or aberrant mineralization leads to a variety of medical problems, and so an understanding of these processes is essential to their mitigation. Osteoblasts create the nano-composite structure of bone by secreting a collagenous extracellular matrix (ECM) on which apatite crystals subsequently form. However, despite their requisite function in building bone and decades of observations describing intracellular calcium phosphate, the precise role osteoblasts play in mediating bone apatite formation remains largely unknown. To better understand the relationship between intracellular and extracellular mineralization, we combined a sample-preparation method that simultaneously preserved mineral, ions, and ECM with nano-analytical electron microscopy techniques to examine osteoblasts in an in vitro model of bone formation. We identified calcium phosphate both within osteoblast mitochondrial granules and intracellular vesicles that transported material to the ECM. Moreover, we observed calcium-containing vesicles conjoining mitochondria, which also contained calcium, suggesting a storage and transport mechanism. Our observations further highlight the important relationship between intracellular calcium phosphate in osteoblasts and their role in mineralizing the ECM. These observations may have important implications in deciphering both how normal bone forms and in understanding pathological mineralization.

Quantifying common Pb, the non‐radiogenic Pb present in a mineral independent of in situ U decay, is essential for obtaining accurate U–Pb ages in common Pb‐bearing minerals such as apatite. However, constraining the amount and composition of common Pb, as well as the timing of its entrapment, remains a persistent challenge. Common Pb in apatites may be constrained by assuming a terrestrial Pb model and measuring 204Pb, or by fitting a two‐component mixing line between radiogenic and common components. Here, we utilize an approach that combines in situ K‐feldspar Pb isotopes (a primary common Pb reference due to negligible radiogenic ingrowth) with apatite U–Pb and trace element data. This approach allows us to understand growth relationships between apatite and K‐feldspar, providing a better framework for geo‐thermochronological interpretations. Igneous or high‐grade metamorphic apatite indicates a shared common Pb reservoir with co‐existing K‐feldspar. In contrast, recrystallized, low‐grade metamorphic apatite records distinct common Pb compositions from K‐feldspar in the same rock. Although some ages derived from recrystallized apatite appear statistically significant (e.g., Mean Squared Weighted Deviation ∼1, p(χ2) ≥ 0.05) when anchored in Tera‐Wasserburg plots using K‐feldspar 207Pb/206Pbi, they can be geologically inaccurate as the common Pb composition of recrystallized apatite is demonstrably different to the primary magmatic reservoir recorded by K‐feldspar. Rather, unanchored ordinate intercepts in Tera‐Wasserburg plots may better capture secondary common Pb signatures for recrystallized apatite, constraining common Pb at the time of (re)growth. We highlight the advantages of assessing K‐feldspar‐constrained 207Pb/206Pb corrections using a multi‐proxy geochemical approach, thereby refining thermal histories within complex geological settings.

Biological apatite in enamel, dentin, cementum, and bone is highly individualized hydroxyapatite with high tissue dependency. Often, standard and average textbook values for biological apatite do not apply to actual subjects, and the reported results of analyses differ among investigators. In particular, the term biological apatite is often confusingly and incorrectly used to describe carbonate apatite. The purpose of this review is to prevent further confusion. We believe that apatite should be well understood across disciplines and the terminology clearly defined. According to a definition by the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals Nomenclature and Classification, biological apatite formed by living organisms is a type of hydroxyapatite. More specifically, it is carbonated hydroxyapatite, which is quite different from frequently misnamed carbonate apatite. We hope that this definition will be widely adopted to remove confusion around the naming of apatite in many research and applied fields.

Nanocrystals of apatitic calcium phosphate impart the organic-inorganic nanocomposite in bone with favorable mechanical properties. So far, the factors preventing crystal growth beyond the favorable thickness of ca. 3 nm have not been identified. Here we show that the apatite surfaces are studded with strongly bound citrate molecules, whose signals have been identified unambiguously by multinuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. NMR reveals that bound citrate accounts for 5.5 wt% of the organic matter in bone and covers apatite at a density of about 1 molecule per (2 nm)², with its three carboxylate groups at distances of 0.3 to 0.45 nm from the apatite surface. Bound citrate is highly conserved, being found in fish, avian, and mammalian bone, which indicates its critical role in interfering with crystal thickening and stabilizing the apatite nanocrystals in bone.

The essential sources and processes required for the formation of Cu–(Au)-porphyry deposits have been part of a long-standing debate. In this study we investigate one of the youngest and best-preserved world-class Cu–(Au)-porphyry systems in order to learn more about melt sources and what geochemical tracers in zircon and apatite might be useful to identify ore-forming intrusions within porphyry systems. Combined, in-situ Hf, O, and Nd isotope analyses in zircon and apatite imply that the Tampakan magmas were derived from depleted mantle sources. Hence, we suggest that older crustal components or metasomatized mantle are not required for the production of metallogenically fertile magmas in island arc settings. Based on the compositions of apatite and zircon, we confirm that previously established fertility-indicator signatures of these minerals are useful to identify fertile porphyry systems. Our data show that intrusions directly associated with mineralization events contain apatite with elevated Cl and S concentrations compared to pre- and post- mineralization igneous events.

The East Kunlun Shan (EKLS) in northern Tibet occupies boundaries of the low‐relief topography and lower crustal low‐velocity zone in the interior plateau, making it ideal for exploring the relationship of surface deformation with underlying geodynamic processes. We used previous and new apatite (U‐Th)/He data to analyze the exhumation history and pattern throughout the EKLS and link surface deformation to deep structures. Integrated (U‐Th)/He ages reveal the rapid exhumation at 27–25 Ma, due to the coeval orogen‐scale tilting of the EKLS. Along with the crustal structures beneath the EKLS, it is inferred that orogen‐scale tilting is the isostatic response of the nonuniform crustal thickening related to northward injection of the Tibetan lower crust. This study highlights the role of ductile deformation within the lower crust in mountain building in northern Tibet, which shares a similarity with mountain building pattern in the eastern plateau margin. Plain Language Summary How deep geodynamic process affects shallow crustal deformation in Tibet is one of the key issues in understanding continental dynamics. The East Kunlun Shan (EKLS) defines northern boundaries of low‐relief topography and crustal low‐velocity zone in the interior plateau. In this study, we explore the relationship between surface deformation and underlying geodynamic processes in the EKLS by analyzing the shallow crustal exhumation pattern in conjunction with deep structures. Amounts of apatite (U‐Th)/He ages across the EKLS reveal the late Oligocene orogen‐scale tilting, indicating the involvement of indistinctive shallow crustal shortening in the mountain building process. Such a regional tilting may be the reflection of nonuniform crustal thickening related to the injection of the Tibetan lower crust when considering the crustal structures beneath the EKLS. By comparing the mountain building patterns in the northern and eastern margins of Tibet, we conclude that ductile deformation in the lower crust may be a common phenomenon to mountain building in plateau margins. Key Points Apatite (U‐Th)/He data reveal the accelerated exhumation at 27‐25 Ma and southward increasing exhumation across the East Kunlun Shan (EKLS) The EKLS has experienced the orogen‐scale tilting during the late Oligocene Orogen‐scale tilting of the EKLS may be the isostatic response of northward injection of the Tibetan weak lower crust

Some special implantable materials are defined as “bioactive” if they can bond to living bone, forming a tight and chemically-stable interface. This property, which is inherent to some glass compositions, or can be induced by applying appropriate surface treatments on otherwise bio-inert metals, can be evaluated in vitro by immersion studies in simulated body fluid (SBF), mimicking the composition of human plasma. As a result, apatite coating may form on the material surface, and the presence of this bone-like “biomimetic skin” is considered predictive of bone-bonding ability in vivo. This review article summarizes the story and evolution of in vitro bioactivity testing methods using SBF, highlighting the influence of testing parameters (e.g., formulation and circulation of the solution) and material-related parameters (e.g., composition, geometry, texture). Suggestions for future methodological refinements are also provided at the end of the paper.

Multimethod chronology was applied on intrusives bordering the Kyrgyz South Tien Shan suture (STSs) to decipher the timing of (1) formation and amalgamation of the suturing units and (2) intracontinental deformation that built the bordering mountain ranges. Zircon U/Pb data indicate similarities between the Tien Shan and Tarim Precambrian crust. Caledonian (∼440–410 Ma) and Hercynian (∼310–280 Ma) zircon U/Pb ages were found at the edge of the STSs, related to subduction and closure of the Turkestan Ocean and the formation of the suture itself. Permian‐Triassic (∼280–210 Ma) titanite fission track and zircon (U‐Th)/He data record the first signs of exhumation when the STSs evolved into a shear zone and the adjacent Tarim basin started to subside. Low‐temperature thermochronological (apatite fission track, zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He) analyses reveal three distinct cooling phases, becoming younger toward the STSs center: (1) Jurassic‐Cretaceous cooling ages provide evidence that a Mesozoic South Tien Shan orogen formed as a response to the Cimmerian orogeny; (2) Early Paleogene (∼60–45 Ma) data indicate a renewed pulse of STSs reactivation during the Early Cenozoic; (3) Neogene ages constrain the onset of the modern Tien Shan mountain building to the Late Oligocene (∼30–25 Ma), which intensified during the Miocene (∼10–8 Ma) and Pliocene (∼3–2 Ma). The Cenozoic signals may reflect renewed responses to collisions at the southern Eurasian border (i.e., the Kohistan‐Dras and India‐Eurasia collisions). This progressive rejuvenation of the STSs demonstrates that deformation has not migrated steadily into the forelands, but was focused on pre‐existing basement structures. Key Points The South Tien Shan suture formed before ~310‐280 Ma Jurassic and Early Cretaceous ages date a Mesozoic Tien Shan orogen Paleogene and Neogene reactivations rejuvenated towards the suture