Evidence of atmospheric sulphur in the martian regolith from sulphur isotopes in meteorites

Sulphur is abundant at the martian surface, yet its origin and evolution over time remain poorly constrained. This sulphur is likely to have originated in atmospheric chemical reactions, and so should provide records of the evolution of the martian atmosphere, the cycling of sulphur between the atmosphere and crust, and the mobility of sulphur in the martian regolith. Moreover, the atmospheric deposition of oxidized sulphur species could establish chemical potential gradients in the martian near-surface environment, and so provide a potential energy source for chemolithoautotrophic organisms. Here we present measurements of sulphur isotopes in oxidized and reduced phases from the SNC meteorites--the group of related achondrite meteorites believed to have originated on Mars--together with the results of laboratory photolysis studies of two important martian atmospheric sulphur species (SO2 and H2S). The photolysis experiments can account for the observed sulphur-isotope compositions in the SNC meteorites, and so identify a mechanism for producing large abiogenic 34S fractionations in the surface sulphur reservoirs. We conclude that the sulphur data from the SNC meteorites reflects deposition of oxidized sulphur species produced by atmospheric chemical reactions, followed by incorporation, reaction and mobilization of the sulphur within the regolith.     

Late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian sulphur cycle-An isotopic investigation of sedimentary rocks from the Yangtze Platform

The sulphur cycle responds to changes in seawater chemistry, biological evolution and tectonic activity. We follow an isotopic approach in order to constrain the state of the ocean/atmosphere system during late Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian. For this purpose, a sedimentary succession deposited on the Yangtze Platform, South China, was analysed for its sulphur isotopic composition in different S-bearing phases. Redox changes were defined by the degree of pyritization (DOP) values in order to show variations in the oxygenation of the depositional environment. The sulphur isotopic composition of late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian seawater sulphate ranges from +30‰ to +35‰ as evident from trace sulphate in unaltered carbonates and phosphorites. The isotopic composition for pyrite and organic sulphur varies between -16‰ and +23‰. The apparent sulphur isotopic fractionation between seawater sulphate and pyrite as well as organically bound sulphur varies between 7‰ and 50‰. This large fractionation, as well as its variability suggests a biological origin for pyrite and organically bound sulphur. The temporal evolution of different geochemical proxy signals is comparable for different successions across the Yangtze Platform.     

SAR11 marine bacteria require exogenous reduced sulphur for growth

Sulphur is a universally required cell nutrient found in two amino acids and other small organic molecules. All aerobic marine bacteria are known to use assimilatory sulphate reduction to supply sulphur for biosynthesis, although many can assimilate sulphur from organic compounds that contain reduced sulphur atoms. An analysis of three complete 'Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique' genomes, and public ocean metagenomic data sets, suggested that members of the ubiquitous and abundant SAR11 alphaproteobacterial clade are deficient in assimilatory sulphate reduction genes. Here we show that SAR11 requires exogenous sources of reduced sulphur, such as methionine or 3-dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) for growth. Titrations of the algal osmolyte DMSP in seawater medium containing all other macronutrients in excess showed that 1.5 x 10(8) SAR11 cells are produced per nanomole of DMSP. Although it has been shown that other marine alphaproteobacteria use sulphur from DMSP in preference to sulphate, our results indicate that 'Cand. P. ubique' relies exclusively on reduced sulphur compounds that originate from other plankton.     

Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea

The disappearance of iron formations from the geological record approximately 1.8 billion years (Gyr) ago was the consequence of rising oxygen levels in the atmosphere starting 2.45-2.32 Gyr ago. It marks the end of a 2.5-Gyr period dominated by anoxic and iron-rich deep oceans. However, despite rising oxygen levels and a concomitant increase in marine sulphate concentration, related to enhanced sulphide oxidation during continental weathering, the chemistry of the oceans in the following mid-Proterozoic interval (approximately 1.8-0.8 Gyr ago) probably did not yet resemble our oxygen-rich modern oceans. Recent data indicate that marine oxygen and sulphate concentrations may have remained well below current levels during this period, with one model indicating that anoxic and sulphidic marine basins were widespread, and perhaps even globally distributed. Here we present hydrocarbon biomarkers (molecular fossils) from a 1.64-Gyr-old basin in northern Australia, revealing the ecological structure of mid-Proterozoic marine communities. The biomarkers signify a marine basin with anoxic, sulphidic, sulphate-poor and permanently stratified deep waters, hostile to eukaryotic algae. Phototrophic purple sulphur bacteria (Chromatiaceae) were detected in the geological record based on the new carotenoid biomarker okenane, and they seem to have co-existed with communities of green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae). Collectively, the biomarkers support mounting evidence for a long-lasting Proterozoic world in which oxygen levels remained well below modern levels.     

大熊猫肠道抗生素耐药菌质粒的研究

对分离自四川省卧龙保护区大熊猫肠道的6株大肠杆菌的抗生素抗性与质粒的关系进行了研究,结果显示：6株大肠杆菌中都存在不同大小的质粒DNA;采用SDS高温法处理每株大肠杆菌后,有2类质粒在琼脂糖凝胶上的条带数减少,菌株的抗生素抗性水平也有所降低,有2株菌的某些抗生素抗性完全消失;将分离自6株大肠杆菌的质粒转化大肠杆菌JM109,获得1个氨苄青霉素抗性转化子.这些结果表明,大熊猫肠道中的大肠杆菌的抗生素抗性与它们含有的质粒有关.     

大熊猫肠道菌抗生素抗性菌转座酶的基因克隆和表达

对大熊猫肠道大肠杆菌抗生素抗性质粒pAm08CD7339全序列的生物信息学分析结果表明,该质粒中存在一个编码转座酶的DNA片段,两条DNA链均可编码转座酶,其编码区长度分别为717 bp和600 bp,编码238个和199个氨基酸残基（分别命名为Transposase238和Transposase199）.以pAm08CD7339质粒DNA为模板,利用PCR方法对2个转座酶基因进行扩增,构建相应表达质粒,转化不同大肠杆菌菌株进行表达,结果表明：Transposase199可以在E.coli BL2     

Evidence for only minor contributions from bacteria to sedimentary organic carbon

Because their molecular signatures are often prominent in extracts of sediments, bacteria are thought to be important contributors to petroleum source beds. It has been shown recently, however, that abundances of biomarkers do not always reflect relative contributions to sedimentary organic carbon (Corg). The contribution of photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria to sediments can be assessed effectively because the diagenetic products of distinctive carotenoids from these organisms occur widely and their biomass is isotopically labelled, being enriched in 13C. We show here that, although sediments and oils from the Western Canada and Williston basins contain prominent biomarkers of photosynthetic bacteria, the absence of 13C enrichment in the total Corg requires that the bacterial contribution is in fact minimal. Although the importance of bacterial reworking of sedimentary debris cannot be doubted, we argue that our findings, when considered in conjunction with those from other settings, suggest that bacterial biomass may commonly represent only a minor component of total Corg in carbonaceous rocks.     

Sponge spicules in phosphorites of the Early Cambrian Gezhongwu Formation, Zhijin, Guizhou

Phosphorites occurring at the bottom of the Cambrian system contain abundant small shelly fossils, which are the product of the first episode of life explosion in the Cambrian. It was previously reported that the small shelly fossils are dominated by hyolithids, olivooids, zhijinitids, conodontomorphs, yubelichitids, camenitids and algae, with minor amounts of sponge fossils. Large amounts of sponge spicules, diverse in form, have been found for the first time in the Gezhongwu Formation phosphorites at Shixing, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, of which such spicules as diaxon-triactins, diaxon-tetractins, pentaxon-pentactins and hexon-hexactins account for 30%. These spicules constitute the sponge clastic phosphorites made up of sponge clastics. Meanwhile, it is also expected that the radiation and diversity of sponge animals started as early as in the earliest Early Cambrian. Habit and burying environment of sponge animal are discussed in the paper.     

Position of South China in configuration of Neoproterozoic supercontinent

ConfigurationandevolutionofNeoproterozoicsu-percontinentandthepositionofSouthChinawithinithavebeenveryimportanttargetsinearthsciencesconcerningmanyforefronttopicsofgeneralinterest.InthecommonreconstructionofthesupercontinentRodinia,SouthChinawaslocatedbetweenAustraliaandLaurentia,andthusliesinthecenterofthesupercontinentandsoutheastofAus-tralia[1].Accordingtothenewpaleomagneticandgeo-chronologicaldataforthe~800MaXiaofengdykeinYi-changaswellasexistingdata,Lietal.[2]suggestthatRodiniawouldp…     

Finding of Neoproterozoic （～775 Ma） magmatism recorded in metamorphic complexes from the North Qilian orogen： Evidence from SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating

The Qilian Mountain is considered a part of the Cen- tral Orogenic Belt of China[1]. The Central Orogenic Belt of China, extending for a distance of about 4000 km long in the E-W direction from the east coast west- ward through the mainland China all the …     

煤炭燃烧产生SOX的控制技术

环境问题是影响当前世界发展的主题,必须全面进行环境治理.我国是以煤为主要能源的大国,煤炭燃烧产生的硫氧化物对大气环境的危害尤为严重,文章分析了煤炭燃烧过程中硫氧化物形成的机理,叙述了煤炭在燃烧前、燃烧过程及燃烧后相应的SOX控制技术及目前的应用现状,提出研究新型SOX控制技术的必要性.     

硫磺中铅的快速极谱分析

提出用硫化铵-氨水-过氧化氢分解硫磺试样,在0.63 mol/L醋酸—0.60 mol/L溴化钾—0.14 mol/L盐酸羟胺—0.30 mol/L硫酸铵体系中以单扫描极谱测定微量铅的方法.铅极谱峰电位为—0.48 V(相对饱和甘汞电极).铅浓度在0.2～1μg/mL范围内与峰电流成良好的分段线性关系.检出限为0.16 ng/mL.RSD为3.6%～5.6%.加标回收率为86%～93%.此法操作快速简单,用于硫磺中铅的测定,结果满意.     

高硫煤的利用途径

从我国高硫煤的形成和储存分布入手，结合现阶段我国高硫煤的使用状况，提出了科学利用高硫煤的合理性和重要性。     

催化极谱法快速测定硫磺中微量碲

采用硫化铵快速分解硫磺试样,在16.56 mol·L-1NH3·H2O-0.21 mol·L-1酒石酸钠-3.01×10-4mol·L-1Pb-1.50×10-2mol·L-1EDTA-0.12mol·L-1Na2SO3-3.2×10-4mol·L-1HNO3体系中以催化极谱法测定微量碲.极谱峰电位为-1.10V(VS·SCE).碲浓度在4～100ng/mL-1范围内与峰电流有良好的分段线性关系.检出下限为4ng·mL-1.方法的RSD为1.9%～2.3%,加标回收率为90.10%～96.00%.该法操作简便快速,用于硫磺样品的测定结果满意.     

中国硫沉降目标负荷的研究

研究了两种确定硫沉降目标负荷的方法——最小超临界负荷法和等比例降低超临界负荷法,介绍了其原理和相应的数学模型,并分析了用这两种方法确定的硫沉降目标负荷及相应的超临界负荷分布。和等比例削减ＳＯ２方案比较,采用上述两种方法,中国超临界负荷总量会明显降低,而最小超临界负荷法可以使超临界负荷的区域面积比２０００年无控方案减小约１２％。综合考虑技术、经济和区域公平性,建议在确定中国硫沉降目标负荷时采用这两种方法。