Recover vigorous cells of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 by capillary magnetic separation

Cultivable magnetotactic bacteria(MTB) in laboratory can provide sufficient samples for molecular microbiological and magnetic studies.However,a cold-stored MTB strain,such as Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1,often loses its ability to synthesize magnetosomes and consequently fails to sense the external magnetic field.It is therefore important to quickly recover vigorous bacteria cells that highly capable of magnetosome producing.In this study,a modified capillary magnetic separation system was designed to recover a deteriorating strain of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 that long-term cold-stored in a refrigerator.The results show that all cells obtained after a 3-cycle treatment were vigorous and had the ability to produce magnetosomes.Moreover,the 3rd-cycle recovered cells were able to form more magnetosome crystals.Compared with the colony formation method,this new method is time-saving,easily operated,and more efficient for recovering vigorous MTB cells.

Destruction geodynamics of the North China Craton and its Paleoproterozoic plate tectonics

Much attention has been paid in the last two decades to the physical and chemical processes as well as temporal-spatial variations of the lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton. In order to provide insights into the geodynamics of this variation, it is necessary to thoroughly study the state and structure of the lithospheric crust and mantle of the North China Craton and its adjacent regions as an integrated unit. Based on the velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle constrained from seismological studies, this paper presents various available geophysical results regarding the lithosphere thickness, the nature of crust-mantle boundary, the upper mantle structure and deformation characteristics as well as their tectonic features and evolution systematics. Combined with the obtained data from petrology and geochemistry, a mantle flow model is proposed for the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. We suggest that subduction of the Pacific plate made the mantle underneath the eastern Asian continent unstable and able to flow faster. Such a regional mantle flow system would cause an elevation of melt/fluid content in the upper mantle of the North China Craton and the lithospheric softening, which, subsequently resulted in destruction of the North China Craton in different ways of delamination and thermal erosion in Yanshan, Taihang Mountains and the Tan-Lu Fault zone. Multiple lines of evidence recorded in the crust of the North China Craton, such as the amalgamation of the Archean eastern and western blocks, the subduction of Paleo-oceanic crust and Paleo-continental residue, indicate that the Earth in the Paleoproterozoic had already evolved into the plate tectonic system similar to the present plate tectonics.

Magnetic properties of high-road-side pine tree leaves in Beijing and their environ-mental significance

This is a report on magnetic properties of highroad-side tree (Pinus pumila Regel) leaves collected along an expressway linking Beijing City and the Capital International Airport and further focus on their environmental contributions. A series of rock magnetic experiments show that the primary mag-netic mineral of leaf samples was identified to be magnetite,in the pseudo-single domain (PSD) grain size range 0.2―5.0 μm. On the other hand,magnet-ite concentration and grain size in leaves are ascer-tained to decrease with increasing of sampling dis-tance to highroad asphalt surface,suggesting that high magnetic response to traffic pollution is localized within a distance of some two meters away from highroad asphalt surface. Although magnetic suscep-tibility is ordinarily regarded as a simple,rapid and low-cost method for monitoring traffic pollution,saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) can be treated as a valid proxy for monitoring air par-ticulate matter (PM) when samples are magnetically weak. It is believed that a synthetic rock magnetic study is an effective method for determining concen-tration and grain size of ferromagnets in the atmos-pheric PM,and then it should be a rapid and feasible technique for monitoring atmospheric pollution.

Identification of the thick-layer greigite in sediments of the South Yellow Sea and its geological significances

Magnetic minerals in sediments of the continental shelf are sensitive to environmental changes.Therefore,to determine the exact phases of magnetic minerals is the prerequisite to investigate the paleoenvironmental significances.In this study,a comprehensive rock magnetic investigation,coupled with mineralogical studies,was carried out on the long core NHH01(with a length of 125.64 m)from the central continental shelf of the South Yellow Sea.Single-domain greigite was identified as the dominant magnetic carrier in sediments between44.90 and 51.80 m,and terrigenous magnetite is the major magnetic phase in the adjacent layers.The existence of greigite unambiguously indicates an anoxic environment.We tentatively interpreted that such an environment could be formed by the fast sea level changes,long-existing of the cold eddies during warm stages,or in a lake which might be related to locally tectonic uplifting.Therefore,the occurrence of the thick-layer greigite could supply a new perspective to paleoenvironmental or even tectonic studies.

Magnetic properties related to thermal treatment of pyrite

Detailed rock magnetic experiments were conducted on high-purity natural crystalline pyrite and its products of thermal treatments in both argon and air atmospheres. In argon atmosphere (reducing environment), the pyrite is altered by heating to magnetite and pyrrhotite; the latter is stable in argon atmosphere, and has coercive force and coercivity of remanence of ～20 and ～30 mT, respectively. Whereas in air, the pyrite is ultimately oxidized to hematite. First order reversal curve (FORC) diagram of the end product shows that the remanence coercivity of hematite is up to ～1400 mT. The corresponding thermal transformation process of pyrite in air can be simply summarized as pyrite→ pyrrhotite→magnetite→hematite. These results are helpful for understanding of sedimentary magnetism, secondary chemical remanence and meteorolite magnetic properties.

Partial anhysteretic remanent magnetization (pARM) of synthetic single-and multidomain magnetites and its paleoenvironmental significance

In order to isolate magnetic signals carried by single-domain (SD) ferrimagnetic (FM) minerals from multi-domain (MD) FM minerals, we developed a few pa- rameters using partial anhysteretic remanent magnetization (pARM). Because MD fraction contains only soft (easy to be demagnetized) coercivity spectrum, pARM(>20 mT) was sensitive in eliminating MD contributions. Ratio of pARM(5 mT, 10 mT)/pARM(0, 5 mT) is useful in quantifying a rela- tive abundance of mass ratio between SD and MD fractions. These new proxies can quickly characterize the details of grain size distribution of magnetic minerals in paleoclimatic and paleomagnetic studies.

Petromagnetic Properties of Granulite-Facies Rocks from the Northern North China Craton: Implications for Magnetic and Evolution of the Continental Lower Crust

This paper studies magnetic properties and composition of granulite-facies rocks of both the Neogene and Archean continental lower crust in the Neogene xenolith-bearing Hannuoba （汉诺坝） alkaline basalt and the exposed lower crustal section in the Archean Huai＇an （淮安） terrain （Wayaokou （瓦窑口）-Manjinggou （蔓菁沟） profile）, the northern North China Craton. It provides a unique oppor-tunity for a comparative study of magnetic properties and composition of both the Archean and Neogene continental lower crust. We measure magnetic parameters （susceptibility x and magnetic hysteresis parameters, such as saturation magnetization Js, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization Jrs, and intrinsic coercivity He） of eleven Hannuoba lower crustal xenoliths and nine terrain granulites from the Archean Huai＇an terrain. Results indicate that the average values of K,Js and Jrs of Archean granu- lites are 4 122×10^-6 SI, 523.1 A/m and 74.9 A/m, respectively, which are generally higher than those of granulite-facies xenoliths （1 657×10^-6 SI, 163.9 A/m and 41.9 A/m, respectively）. These two types of granulites contain ilmenite, （titano） magnetite, minor hematite and some ＂magnetic silicates＂ （clinopyroxene, plagioclase and biotite）. The Mg-rich ilmenite in granulite-facies xenolith is relatively higher than that in terrain granulites. We observe a more evolved character as higher magnetic as well as lower Sr/Nd, Cr/Nd, Ni/Nd, Co/Nd and V/Nd ratios in terrain granulites. These differences in magnetic characteristics reflect their different origins and evolutions. The high magnetization of granulites in the Huai＇an terrain represents magnetic properties of the Archean continental lower crust, and low magnetization of granufite-facies xenoliths represents mag- netic properties of the Cenozoic lower crusts in the northern North China Craton.