Elemental Composition of Skeletal Muscle Fibres Studied with Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence (SR-XRF).

Diseases of the muscle tissue, particularly those disorders which result from the pathology of individual muscle cells, are often called myopathies. The diversity of the content of individual cells is of interest with regard to their role in both biochemical mechanisms and the structure of muscle tissue itself. These studies focus on the preliminary analysis of the differences that may occur between diseased tissues and tissues that have been recognised as a reference group.

Application of Factorisation Methods to Analysis of Elemental Distribution Maps Acquired with a Full-Field XRF Imaging Spectrometer.

The goal of the work was to investigate the possible application of factor analysis methods for processing X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) data acquired with a full-field XRF spectrometer employing a position-sensitive and energy-dispersive Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector, which provides only limited energy resolution at a level of 18% Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) at 5.9 keV. In this article, we present the design and performance of the full-field imaging spectrometer and the results of case studies performed using the developed instrument.

Investigation of the role and chemical form of iron in the ovarian carcinogenesis process.

Background: Ovarian cancer is one of the most frequent types of gynaecological malignancy among women. Despite the advances in diagnostic techniques, ovarian tumours are still detected at a late stage, thus the survival rate is very low. Iron is an essential metal in the human body, yet its potential role in ovarian carcinogenesis is yet to be determined.

Combined micro-XRF and TXRF methodology for quantitative elemental imaging of tissue samples.

Local differences in structural properties of biological specimens pose a major limitation to quantitative X-ray fluorescence imaging. This is because both the various tissue compartments of different density and variation in the sample thickness upon frequently used freeze-drying come up with the different values of the sample mass per unit area to be taken into account. Even though several solutions to tackle this problem based on the home-made standards for quantification in terms of thickness- and density-independent elemental mass fractions have been proposed, this issue is not addressed enough due to the samples' heterogeneity.

New Approaches for Correction of Interlayer Absorption Effects in X-ray Fluorescence Imaging of Paintings.

The X-ray fluorescence imaging technique allows not only the imaging itself but also the identification of the hidden paint layers what makes it much more versatile as compared with X-ray radiography. One of the main disadvantages of the former method is the fact that the characteristic X-rays from the deeper paint layers are absorbed in the covering layers. This effect is manifested by some artifacts that impede a proper interpretation of the acquired images.