Copper isotope fractionation during surface adsorption and intracellular incorporation by bacteria

Copper isotopes may prove to be a useful tool for investigating bacteria-metal interactions recorded in natural waters, soils, and rocks. However, experimental data which attempt to constrain Cu isotope fractionation in biologic systems are limited and unclear. In this study, we utilized Cu isotopes (δ⁶⁵Cu) to investigate Cu-bacteria interactions, including surface adsorption and intracellular incorporation. Experiments were conducted with individual representative species of Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, as well as with wild-type consortia of microorganisms from several natural environments. Ph-dependent adsorption experiments were conducted with live and dead cells over the pH range 2.5-6. Surface adsorption experiments of Cu onto live bacterial cells resulted in apparent separation factors (Δ⁶⁵Cu_{solution-solid} = δ⁶⁵Cu_solution − δ⁶⁵Cu_solid) ranging from +0.3‰ to +1.4‰ for B. subtilis and +0.2‰ to +2.6‰ for E. coli. However, because heat-killed bacterial cells did not exhibit this behavior, the preference of the lighter Cu isotope by the cells is probably not related to reversible surface adsorption, but instead is a metabolically-driven phenomenon. Adsorption experiments with heat-killed cells yielded apparent separation factors ranging from +0.3‰ to −0.69‰ which likely reflects fractionation from complexation with organic acid surface functional group sites. For intracellular incorporation experiments the lab strains and natural consortia preferentially incorporated the lighter Cu isotope with an apparent Δ⁶⁵Cu_{solution-solid} ranging from ∼+1.0‰ to +4.4‰. Our results indicate that live bacterial cells preferentially sequester the lighter Cu isotope regardless of the experimental conditions. The fractionation mechanisms involved are likely related to active cellular transport and regulation, including the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I). Because similar intracellular Cu machinery is shared by fungi, plants, and higher organisms, the influence of biological processes on the δ⁶⁵Cu of natural waters and soils is probably considerable.     

2011年5月11日西班牙东南洛尔卡Mw5．1地震诱发的大范围滑坡

2011年5月11日,一个中等震级地震（Mw5．1）袭击了西班牙东南部洛尔卡城和邻近地区,造成了显著的破坏和人员伤亡。通过地震影响区的野外考察对250多处主要是碎裂型（岩／土崩塌、碎裂的土质滑坡和岩崩）诱发滑坡进行了定点和特征描述。与以前该区域相似震级（Mw4．7～5．0）的地震事件,以及以前预测地震期间斜坡表现的模型结果相比,本次地震诱发滑坡的数量相当大。提出了几个原因来解释这种差异：（1）地震序列中相对高震级（Mw4．5）的前震可能弱化了区域内的斜坡强度;（2）这些事件产生了高的地震动峰值;（3）发生了地形场地效应。本研究的结果指出了在改进区域斜坡特征研究模型时考虑这些影响的重要性。     

东南极格罗夫山泛非期麻粒岩相变质作用

东南极格罗夫山主要由麻粒岩相高级变质岩和花岗岩类组成，其中变质岩以浅色和暗色含斜方辉石长英质片麻岩占主导地位，夹有少量镁铁质麻粒岩、变沉积岩和含方柱石钙硅酸盐岩。这些岩石一般都展示了平衡的矿物共生结构，但在镁铁质麻粒岩的单斜辉石中普遍发育斜方辉石(易变辉石)的出溶片晶。根据出溶辉石的重组分析获得麻粒岩相变质作用的峰期温度约为850℃，而浅色片麻岩中的石榴子石—斜方辉石—斜长石—石英组合给出的变质压力为0．61～0．67GPa。镁铁质麻粒岩中火成亚钙质普通辉石斑晶的保存表明格罗夫山地区可能只发育单一的泛非期高温麻粒岩相变质事件，岩石在高温变质之后经历了缓慢冷却过程，这主要归因于花岗质岩浆的板底垫托作用。     

Evaluation of the Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam. digestive gland metallothionein as a biomarker in a long-term field study: seasonal and spatial variability

A study was made of seasonal and spatial variability of metallothionein (MT) concentrations, determined spectrophotometrically in the soluble fraction of the digestive gland of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis, collected between 1999 and 2001 from several coastal and estuarine locations along the central Eastern Adriatic coast (Croatia). The seasonal influence on the MT and metal concentrations (higher values in winter-spring season, than in summer-autumn season) is more pronounced than the local site-specific influence. Furthermore, within each season a significant site-specific dependence on the MT and trace metal variations can be detected. An inverse relationship of mussel condition index (CI) and temperature with MT and trace metals levels indicates the influence of food abundance and mussel annual reproductive cycle. Substantially higher concentrations of both MT and Cd were recorded in mussels inhabiting estuarine locations, possibly indicating a markedly higher Cd bioavailability at these locations. The positive correlations obtained between MT and Cd in all seasons except autumn support an argument for application of digestive gland MT as a biomarker of Cd exposure, providing evidence for assessing the most appropriate season for mussel sampling.     

From Paleogeographic maps to Evolving Deep-time Digital Earth models

正Major advances in computational power,as well as community modelling workflows and an improvement in data availability,has revolutionized Earth sciences over the last decade.Geological data has been synthesized into flexible and open access plate tectonic and paleogeographic reconstructions using the open-source and cross-platform GPlates (www.gplates.org)software since 2008 (Muller et al.,2018;Muller et al.,2008).These digital plate     

灌溉后的黄土剪切特征变化

在中国甘肃省的黑方台阶地上从上世纪60年代开始出现人类定居和开垦活动,并自1968年发展为灌溉农业。随着灌溉的进行地面已出现沉陷和滑坡。地表沉陷是由灌溉水的充填引起黄土结构崩塌造成的。然而崩塌和湿润化对剪切特征的影响目前还不清楚。为了研究湿化后的黄土剪切特征的变化,进行了对马兰黄土未经扰动和重塑土样的直接剪切盒测试。结果显示未扰动土样的粘合力和内摩擦角在湿润化后都下降了,而所观察到的重塑土的弹度参数只有少许变化。未扰动土的不饱合粘合力,据认为其受胶结物质的影响,在饱合后消失了。经灌溉的土的不饱合强度参数与未灌溉土相比表现出差异,它们可能受土壤水分的强烈影响。