Nitrogen dynamics in the shallow groundwater of a riparian wetland zone of the Garonne, SW France: nitrate inputs, bacterial densities, organic matter supply and denitrification measurements

This study highlights the role of interactions between surface and sub-surface water of the riparian zone of a large river (the Garonne, SW France). Information is given about the role of surface water in supplying Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC ) to the riparian zone for nitrate removal processes. The densities of bacteria (up to 3.3106 cell m L-1) in groundwater are strongly conditioned by the water moving during flood events. Total bacterial densities in groundwater were related to surface water bacterial densities. In sediment, total bacteria are attached mainly to fine particles (90 % in the fraction < 1 mm). Spatial variations in organic carbon and nitrate content in groundwater at the site studied are correlated with exchanges between the groundwater and the river, from the upstream to the downstream part of the meander. Total bacterial densities, nitrate and decressing organic carbon concentrations follow the same pattern. These results suggest that, in this kind of riparian wetland, nitrate from alluvial groundwater influenced by agricultural practices may be denitrified by bacteria in the presence of organic carbon from river surface water

Haydeeite: a spin-1/2 kagome ferromagnet

The mineral haydeeite, alpha-MgCu3(OD)6Cl2, is a S=1/2 kagome ferromagnet that displays long-range magnetic order below TC=4.2 K with a strongly reduced moment. Our inelastic neutron scattering data show clear spin-wave excitations that are well described by a Heisenberg Hamiltonian with ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor exchange J1=-38 K and antiferromagnetic exchange Jd=+11 K across the hexagons of the kagome lattice. These values place haydeeite very close to the quantum phase transition between ferromagnetic order and non-coplanar twelve-sublattice cuboc2 antiferromagnetic order. Diffuse dynamic short-range ferromagnetic correlations observed above TC persist well into the ferromagnetically ordered phase with a behavior distinct from critical scattering

Control by pulse parameters of electric field-mediated gene transfer in mammalian cells

Wolf H, Rols MP, Boldt E, Neumann E, Teissie J. Control by pulse parameters of electric field-mediated gene transfer in mammalian cells. Biophysical Journal. 1994;66(2):524-531.Electric field-mediated gene transfer in mammalian cells (electrotransformation) depends on the pulsing conditions (field intensity, pulse duration, number of pulses). The effect of these parameters was systematically investigated using the transient expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and the beta-galactosidase activities in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Pulsing conditions inducing reversible permeabilization of the cell plasma membrane are not sufficient to induce gene transfer. The plasmid must be present during the electric pulse if it is to be transferred across the membrane into the cytoplasm. Only the localized part of the cell membrane brought to the permeabilized state by the external field is competent. Pulse duration plays a key role in the magnitude of the transfer. The field induces a complex reaction between the membrane and the plasmid that is accumulated at the cell interface by electrophoretic forces. This leads to an insertion of the plasmid, which can then cross the membrane

Magnetic excitations and electronic interactions in Sr2_2CuTeO6_6: a spin-1/2 square lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet

Sr$_2$CuTeO$_6$ presents an opportunity for exploring low-dimensional magnetism on a square lattice of $S=1/2$ Cu$^{2+}$ ions. We employ ab initio multi-reference configuration interaction calculations to unravel the Cu$^{2+}$ electronic structure and to evaluate exchange interactions in Sr$_2$CuTeO$_6$. The latter results are validated by inelastic neutron scattering using linear spin-wave theory and series-expansion corrections for quantum effects to extract true coupling parameters. Using this methodology, which is quite general, we demonstrate that Sr$_2$CuTeO$_6$ is an almost realization of a nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnet but with relatively weak coupling of 7.18(5) meV.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Magnetic structures and excitations in CePd2(Al, Ga)2 series: Development of the "vibron" states

CePd2Al2-xGax compounds crystallizing in the tetragonal CaBe2Ge2-type structure (space group P4/nmm) and undergoing a structural phase transition to an orthorhombic structure (Cmme) at low temperatures were studied by means of neutron scattering. The amplitude-modulated magnetic structure of CePd2Al2 is described by an incommensurate propagation vector k - =(dx, 12+dy, 0) with dx=0.06 and dy=0.04. The magnetic moments order antiferromagnetically within the ab planes stacked along the c axis and are arranged along the direction close to the orthorhombic a axis with a maximum value of 1.5(1) µB/Ce3+. CePd2Ga2 reveals a magnetic structure composed of two components: the first is described by the propagation vector k1 - =(12, 12, 0), and the second one propagates with k2 - =(0, 12, 0). The magnetic moments of both components are aligned along the same direction - the orthorhombic 100] direction - and their total amplitude varies depending on the mutual phase of magnetic moment components on each Ce site. The propagation vectors k1 - and k2 - describe also the magnetic structure of substituted CePd2Al2-xGax compounds, except the one with x=0.1.CePd2Al1.9Ga0.1 with magnetic structure described by k - and k1 - stays on the border between pure CePd2Al2 and the rest of the series. Determined magnetic structures are compared with other Ce 112 compounds. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments disclosed three nondispersive magnetic excitations in the paramagnetic state of CePd2Al2, while only two crystal field (CF) excitations are expected from the splitting of ground state J=52 of the Ce3+ ion in a tetragonal/orthorhombic point symmetry. Three magnetic excitations at 1.4, 7.8, and 15.9 meV are observed in the tetragonal phase of CePd2Al2. A structural phase transition to an orthorhombic structure shifts the first excitation up to 3.7 meV, while the other two excitations remain at almost the same energy. The presence of an additional magnetic peak is discussed and described within the Thalmeier-Fulde CF-phonon coupling (i.e., magnetoelastic coupling) model generalized to the tetragonal point symmetry. The second parent compound CePd2Ga2 does not display any sign of additional magnetic excitation. The expected two CF excitations were observed. The development of magnetic excitations in the CePd2Al2-xGax series is discussed and crystal field parameters determined

van der Waals interaction in nanotube bundles : consequences on vibrational modes

We have developed a pair-potential approach for the evaluation of van der Waals interaction between carbon nanotubes in bundles. Starting from a continuum model, we show that the intertube modes range from $5 cm^{-1}$ to $60 cm^{-1}$. Using a non-orthogonal tight-binding approximation for describing the covalent intra-tube bonding in addition, we confirme a slight chiral dependance of the breathing mode frequency and we found that this breathing mode frequency increase by $\sim$ 10 % if the nanotube lie inside a bundle as compared to the isolated tube.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Phonon and plasmon excitation in inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy of graphite

The inelastic electron tunneling spectrum (IETS)of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) has been measured with scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) at 6K. The observed spectral features are in very good agreement with the vibrational density of states (vDOS) of graphite calculated from first principles. We discuss the enhancement of certain phonon modes by phonon-assisted tunneling in STS based on the restrictions imposed by the electronic structure of graphite. We also demonstrate for the first time the local excitation of surface-plasmons in IETS which are detected at an energy of 40 meV.Comment: PRB rapid communication, submitte