The use of photosynthesis inhibitor (DCMU) for in situ metabolic and primary production studies on soft bottom benthos

A selective chemical photosynthesis inhibitor, DCMU (Dichorophenyl-dimethylurea), dissolved in DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide) was substituted for the dark incubation method commonly used to measure the oxygen consumption in metabolic and primary production studies. We compared oxygen fluxes during light incubations with DCMU and dark incubations procedure, on soft bottom benthos. For this purpose, we studied the effects of different DCMU concentrations. A concentration of 5.10-5 mol 1-1 inside a clear incubation enclosure completely inhibits photosynthesis without affecting the metabolism of soft bottom benthos. (Résumé d'auteur

Oxygen and carbon dioxide fluxes at the water-sediment interface of a tropical lagoon

Oxygen demand, carbon dioxide release and total alkalinity shift were calculated from changes in oxygen, pH and total alkalinity produced by bottom dark incubations at the water-sediment interface of the 3 bottom types identified in a southwest lagoon in New Caledonia. Total sediment oxygen demand (AO?) was corrected from nonbioloyical oxygen demand (NBOD) In order to obtain the apparent biological activity (AOlO)T.o tal carbon dioxide flux (AC02)w as corrected from total alkalinity shift in order to estimate organic carbon processes. The resulting mean carbon dioxide flux (ACOzO= 2.58 mm01 m-' h-', SE = 0.12) exceeded biological oxygen demand (AO," = 1.60 mm01 m-' h-', SE = 0.08). The highly significant ratio estimates from functional regression lines of ACO," on A 0 2 and ACOzo on AOzO gave a total community respiratory quotient (CRQ) of 1.17 (SE = 0.06) and an organic respiratory quotient (CRQO)i,n volving only direct biological processes, of 1.42 (SE = 0.07) for the lagoon. The significance and the use of these ratios are discussed in order to calculate the anaerobic metabolism proportion (40.3 % of total metabolism for an aerobic respiratory quotient of 0.85). Thus, the simultaneous measurement in the field of O2 fluxes and CO2 fluxes, corrected from appropriate alkalinity changes, allows a rapid approach for estimating carbon production at the water-sediment interface of undisturbed communities

Thermodynamic Properties of the Spin-1/2 Antiferromagnetic ladder Cu2(C2H12N2)2Cl4 under Magnetic Field

Specific heat ($C_V$) measurements in the spin-1/2 Cu$_2$(C$_2$H$_{12}$N$_2$)$_2$Cl$_4$ system under a magnetic field up to $H=8.25 T$ are reported and compared to the results of numerical calculations based on the 2-leg antiferromagnetic Heisenberg ladder. While the temperature dependences of both the susceptibility and the low field specific heat are accurately reproduced by this model, deviations are observed below the critical field $H_{C1}$ at which the spin gap closes. In this Quantum High Field phase, the contribution of the low-energy quantum fluctuations are stronger than in the Heisenberg ladder model. We argue that this enhancement can be attributed to dynamical lattice fluctuations. Finally, we show that such a Heisenberg ladder, for $H>H_{C1}$, is unstable, when coupled to the 3D lattice, against a lattice distortion. These results provide an alternative explanation for the observed low temperature ($T_C\sim 0.5K$ -- $0.8K$) phase (previously interpreted as a 3D magnetic ordering) as a new type of incommensurate gapped state.Comment: Minor changes, list of authors complete