Biogenic processes in crystalline bedrock fractures indicated by carbon isotope signatures of secondary calcite

Variation in ¹³C/¹²C-isotope ratios of fracture filling calcite was analyzed in situ to investigate carbon sources and cycling in fractured bedrock. The study was conducted by separating sections of fracture fillings, and analyzing the ¹³C/¹²C-ratios with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Specifically, the study was aimed at fillings where previously published sulfur isotope data indicated the occurrence of bacterial sulfate reduction. The results showed that the δ¹³C values of calcite were highly variable, ranging from −53.8‰ to +31.6‰ (VPDB). The analysis also showed high variations within single fillings of up to 39‰. The analyzed calcite fillings were mostly associated with two calcite groups, of which Group 3 represents possible Paleozoic fluid circulation, based on comparison with similar dated coatings within the Baltic Shield and the succeeding Group 1–2 fillings represent late-stage, low temperature mineralization and are possibly late Paleozoic to Quaternary in age. Both generations were associated with pyrite with δ³⁴S values indicative of bacterial sulfate reduction. The δ¹³C values of calcite, however, were indicative of geochemical environments which were distinct for these generations. The δ¹³C values of Group 3 calcite varied from −22.1‰ to +11‰, with a distinct peak at −16‰ to −12‰. Furthermore, there were no observable depth dependent trends in the δ¹³C values of Group 3 calcite. The δ¹³C values of Group 3 calcite were indicative of organic matter degradation and methanogenesis. In contrast to the Group 3 fillings, the δ¹³C values of Group 1–2 calcite were highly variable, ranging from −53.8‰ to +31.6‰ and they showed systematic variation with depth. The near surface environment of <30 m (bsl) was characterized by δ¹³C values indicative of degradation of surface derived organic matter, with δ¹³C values ranging from −30.3‰ to −5.5‰. The intermediate depth of 34–54 m showed evidence of localized methanotrophic activity seen as anomalously ¹³C depleted calcite, having δ¹³C values as low as −53.8‰. At depths of ∼60–400 m, positive δ¹³C values of up to +31.6‰ in late-stage calcite of Group 1–2 indicated methanogenesis. In comparison, high CH₄ concentrations in present day groundwaters are found at depths of >300 m. One sample at a depth of 111 m showed a transition from methanogenetic conditions (calcite bearing methanogenetic signature) to sulfate reducing (precipitation of pyrite on calcite surface), however, the timing of this transition is so far unclear. The results from this study gives indications of the complex nature of sulfur and carbon cycling in fractured crystalline environments and highlights the usefulness of in situ stable isotope analysis.     

脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)维甲酸X受体基因克隆及其在温盐胁迫和蜕皮周期中的表达分析

为了明确脊尾白虾维甲酸X受体基因在环境胁迫和蜕皮周期中的作用,本研究通过RACE技术克隆了脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)维甲酸X受体c DNA全长,命名为Ec RXR基因,该c DNA序列全长为1323 bp,开放阅读框(ORF)为855 bp,编码一个284个氨基酸组成的蛋白质,分子量为30.918 k Da,理论等电点为PI为6.788;Ec RXR基因推导氨基酸序列经Blastp在线比对分析显示,Ec RXR与已知甲壳动物RXR的同源性为71%—90%;系统进化树分析结果显示,脊尾白虾Ec RXR的氨基酸序列与日本沼虾RXR的氨基酸序列聚为一支。荧光定量RT-PCR分析表明,Ec RXR基因在各组织中均有表达,而在眼柄相对表达量较高,血淋巴中最低。Ec RXR基因在蜕皮周期中的表达规律表明,Ec RXR基因表达在不同蜕皮时期存在明显变化,在眼柄、肝胰腺、胃和肠中整体呈现上升趋势,在鳃中呈现先下降后上升的趋势,在表皮中呈现逐渐降低的趋势。Ec RXR基因在温度、盐度胁迫过程中的表达规律分析结果发现,温度、盐度胁迫均可显著改变Ec RXR基因在鳃和肝胰腺中的表达模式,温度胁迫下Ec RXR基因在鳃中呈先上升后下降的表达趋势,肝胰腺中整体呈先上升后下降再上升再下降的表达趋势;盐度对鳃和肝胰腺的调控模式相同,均呈先升高后下降的变化趋势。本研究结果表明Ec RXR基因在脊尾白虾蜕皮发育、酶活性调控及渗透压调节中发挥重要作用,为深入研究甲壳动物维甲酸X受体基因的功能提供了重要的基础信息。     

基于18S和ITS-5.8S rDNA基因序列的白色霞水母(Cyanea nozakii)的分子鉴定与检测

采用通用引物PCR扩增法,测定了辽东湾海域的白色霞水母(Cyanea nozakii)螅状体、碟状体及水母体的18S以及ITS-5.8S r DNA序列,同时利用Gene Bank数据库中已有同源序列对其进行序列分析及系统分析。结果显示,白色霞水母3个个体的18S和ITS-5.8S r DNA序列完全一致。白色霞水母样品的ITS-5.8S r DNA序列与Gen Bank中未知真核生物的序列高度相似(≥99%),推测该物种可能是早期发育阶段(卵、浮浪幼虫或碟状体)的白色霞水母样品。霞水母属不同种间18S r DNA序列经比对后同源序列长度为1709bp,多态位点数33个;比对后ITS1同源序列长度为368bp,其中变异位点203个,简约信息位点数178个,单变异位点21个。基于18S r DNA基因序列的霞水母属种内和种间平均遗传距离分别为0、0.008,而基于ITS1序列的霞水母属种内和种间平均遗传距离分别为0.019、0.284。基于ITS1的种间遗传距离是种内遗传距离的15倍,适合于进行物种鉴定。NJ系统树的结果也表明同种的不同个体各自聚枝,其聚类结果大致与形态分类吻合。研究表明,ITS基因片段在霞水母不同种间变异较大,更适于大型水母种类鉴定、检测及属内种间水平的系统进化研究。     

利用父母本微卫星标记估计大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus L.)幼鱼生长性状的遗传参数

The estimation of genetic parameters has played an important role in animal selective breeding for growth traits.Recently studies show that molecular markers can be incorporated into genetic evaluations. In order to improve the performance of an incomplete pedigree(i.e, only parents are known) in the genetic evaluations, 12 microsatellite markers have been applied in the estimation of the genetic parameters for body weight in a farmed population(n=1 890) of juvenile turbot(Scophthalmus maximus L.). A new relatedness called parental molecular relatedness(PMR) is estimated based on results of genotyping of 48 parents(31 males, 17 females) with microsatellites markers. The feasibility of PMR in estimation of genetic parameters is verified by comparison with pedigree related(PR) which is obtained from a complete pedigree. The results demonstrate that a high correlation(0.872) between them is found. Heritabilities are estimated using the PMR(0.52±0.13) and PR(0.55±0.22) with the same animal model. A cross-validation shows that the predictive abilities of models using the PMR and the PR are identical(0.81). From that, a conclusion can be made that PMR and PR predicted genetic values equally well in a population of juvenile turbot. Therefore PMR can be applied as an alternative of the PR when only parents are known. However, for a better performance, more markers and more families should be included in a further study.     

Copper Speciation in a Collection of Geochemical Reference Materials Using Sequential Extraction and Evaluation of the Validity Using XANES Spectroscopy

Copper speciation in a collection of Japanese geochemical reference materials (JSO‐1, JLk‐1, JSd‐1, ‐2, ‐3 and ‐4, JMs‐1 and JMs‐2) was achieved by sequential extraction and characterised using X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy. In the first step of the extraction, referred to as the acid fraction, between 1% and 20% total Cu within the reference materials was extracted. Such a result is typically accounted for by absorption of Cu onto clay minerals. However, the presence of Cu sulfate (an oxidation product of chalcopyrite) was observed in some of the stream sediments affected by mining activity (JSd‐2 and JSd‐3) instead. Copper was extracted in the reducible fraction (targeting Fe hydroxide and Mn oxide) (2–49% total Cu). Between 2% and 51% Cu was extracted in the oxidised fraction (targeting sulfides and organic matter). X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy clarified that the reducible fraction consisted of Cu bound to Fe hydroxide, whereas the oxidised fraction was a mixture of Cu bound to humic acid (HA) and Cu sulfide. In the oxidisable fraction, chalcopyrite was the predominant species identified in JSd‐2, and Cu bound to HA was the major species identified in JSO‐1 (a soil sample).     

Identification of Uranyl Minerals Using Oxygen K‐Edge X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Although most of the world's uranium exists as pitchblende or uraninite, this mineral can be weathered to a great variety of secondary uranium minerals, most containing the uranyl cation. Anthropogenic uranium compounds can also react in the environment, leading to spatial–chemical alterations that could be useful for nuclear forensics analyses. Soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has the advantages of being non‐destructive, element‐specific and sensitive to electronic and physical structure. The soft X‐ray probe can also be focused to a spot size on the order of tens of nanometres, providing chemical information with high spatial resolution. However, before XAS can be applied at high spatial resolution, it is necessary to find spectroscopic signatures for a variety of uranium compounds in the soft X‐ray spectral region. To that end, we collected the near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of a variety of common uranyl‐bearing minerals, including uranyl carbonates, oxyhydroxides, phosphates and silicates. We find that uranyl compounds can be distinguished by class (carbonate, oxyhydroxide, phosphate or silicate) based on their oxygen K‐edge absorption spectra. This work establishes a database of reference spectra for future spatially resolved analyses. We proceed to show scanning X‐ray transmission microscopy (STXM) data from a schoepite particle in the presence of an unknown contaminant.     

粉煤灰基地质聚合物水热原位转化NaP型沸石分子筛的研究

以固体废弃物粉煤灰基地质聚合物为基本骨架,通过水热合成法将其原位转化为自支撑Na P型沸石分子筛型体,并研究了水热过程中碱液浓度、碱液体积、水热温度和水热时间对NaP型沸石分子筛结晶程度、形貌和机械强度的影响,得到粉煤灰基地质聚合物原位转化Na P型沸石分子筛型体的适宜条件为水热温度100℃、NaOH浓度2.0mol/L、NaOH体积50 m L、水热时间24 h。所得Na P型沸石分子筛型体的抗压强度为23.21 MPa,BET比表面积为50.46 m~2/g,已达到工业生产P型沸石的水平。该法工艺简单,环境友好,可控成型。在此方法的基础上通过改变原料配比和反应条件,可以合成其他类型的沸石分子筛型体。     

Comparison of ecophysiological characteristics between introduced and indigenous mangrove species in China

Due to its rapid growth, the introduced mangrove species Sonneratia apetala from Bangladesh has been widely used in mangrove restoration in southeastern China since 1985. As an indigenous mangrove species in Hainan, China, Sonneratia caseolaris was also planted in Guangdong Province for afforestation purposes. Both species have developed well in their new habitats, but their ecophysiological differences with the native mangrove species have not been studied. In this study, leaf gas exchange, water and nitrogen use efficiencies of two Sonneratia species were compared with those of selected native mangrove species (Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Kandelia candel, and Excoecaria agallocha) in Hainan and Shenzhen. The introduced S. apetala maintained lower carbon assimilation rate (A) and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) than the indigenous S. caseolaris. In Shenzhen, the two introduced Sonneratia had comparable photosynthetic rates and water use efficiency (WUE) with the native mangrove species, except that PNUE in S. caseolaris was significantly higher than in the native mangrove species. The two Sonneratia species showed significant overlap in PNUE and long-term WUE. Photosynthetic parameters derived from leaf photosynthetic light–response curves and A–C_i curves also suggested lower carbon assimilation capacities for the introduced Sonneratia than for the native mangrove species in both study sites. The lower light compensation point (LCP) of two introduced Sonneratia in both study sites also indicated a better adaptation to a low light regime than the native mangrove species. The results of photosynthetic capacities indicated that the introduced mangrove species have little competitive advantage over local native mangrove species in their respective new habitats.     

Daily variability of dissolved inorganic radiocarbon at three sites in the surface ocean

We report radiocarbon measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface water samples collected daily during cruises to the central North Pacific, the Sargasso Sea and the Southern Ocean. The ranges of Δ¹⁴C measurements for each cruise (11–30‰) were larger than the total uncertainty (7.8‰, 2-sigma) of the measurements. The variability is attributed to changes in the upper water mass that took place at each site over a two to four week period. These results indicate that variability of surface Δ¹⁴C values is larger than the analytical precision, because of patchiness that exists in the DIC Δ¹⁴C signature of the surface ocean. This additional variability can affect estimates of geochemical parameters such as the air–sea CO₂ exchange rate using radiocarbon.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and its carbon isotopic composition in sediment pore waters from the Shenhu area,northern South China Sea

The Shenhu area is one of the most favorable places for the occurrence of gas hydrates in the northern continental slope of the South China Sea. Pore water samples were collected in two piston cores (SH-A and SH-B) from this area, and the concentrations of sulfate and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and its carbon isotopic composition were measured. The data revealed large DIC variations and very negative δ ¹³C-DIC values. Two reaction zones, 0–3 mbsf and below 3 mbsf, are identified in the sediment system. At site SH-A, the upper zone (0–3 mbsf) shows relatively constant sulfate and DIC concentrations and δ ¹³C-DIC values, possibly due to bioturbation and fluid advection. The lower zone (below 3 mbsf) displays good linear gradients for sulfate and DIC concentrations, and δ ¹³C-DIC values. At site SH-B, both zones show linear gradients, but the decreasing gradients for δ ¹³C-DIC and SO₄ ²⁻ in the lower zone below 3 mbsf are greater than those from the upper zone, 0–3 mbsf. The calculated sulfate-methane interface (SMI) depths of the two cores are 10.0 m and 11.1 m, respectively. The depth profiles of both DIC and δ ¹³C-DIC showed similar characteristics as those in other gas hydrate locations in the world oceans, such as the Blake Ridge. Overall, our results indicate an anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO) process in the sediments with large methane flux from depth in the studied area, which might be linked to the formation of gas hydrates in this area.