TL;DR: For example, this article found that the trophic shift for C was lower for consumers acidified prior to analysis than for unacidified samples ( +0.5 + 0.13%o rather than 0.0%o, as commonly assumed).
Abstract: Use of stable isotope ratios to trace pathways of organic matter among consumers requires knowledge of the isotopic shift between diet and consumer. Variation in trophic shift among consumers can be substantial. For data from the published literature and supplementary original data (excluding fluid-feeding consumers), the mean isotopic shift for C was + 0.5 + 0.13%o rather than 0.0%o, as commonly assumed. The shift for C was higher for consumers analyzed as muscle (+ 1.3 + 0.30%o) than for consumers analyzed whole (+ 0.3 +0.14%o). Among consumers analyzed whole, the trophic shift for C was lower for consumers acidified prior to analysis (-0.2 + 0.21%o) than for unacidified samples ( +0.5 + 0.17%o). For N, trophic shift was lower for consumers raised on invertebrate diets (+ 1.4 + 0.21%o) than for consumers raised on other high-protein diets (+3.3 +0.26%o) and was intermediate for consumers raised on plant and algal diets (+2.2 +0.30%o). The trophic shift for S differed between high-protein (+ 2.0 + 0.65%o) and low-protein diets (-0.5 + 0.56%o). Thus, methods of analysis and dietary differences can affect trophic shift for consumers; the utility of stable isotope methods can be improved if this information is incorporated into studies of trophic relationships. Although few studies of stable isotope ratios have considered variation in the trophic shift, such variation is important because small errors in estimates of trophic shift can result in large errors in estimates of the contribution of sources to consumers or in estimates of trophic position.
TL;DR: Vibrational spectra for a single molecule adsorbed on a solid surface have been obtained with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and should lead to better understanding and control of surface chemistry at the atomic level.
Abstract: Vibrational spectra for a single molecule adsorbed on a solid surface have been obtained with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) Inelastic electron tunneling spectra for an isolated acetylene (C2H2) molecule adsorbed on the copper (100) surface showed an increase in the tunneling conductance at 358 millivolts, resulting from excitation of the C-H stretch mode An isotopic shift to 266 millivolts was observed for deuterated acetylene (C2D2) Vibrational microscopy from spatial imaging of the inelastic tunneling channels yielded additional data to further distinguish and characterize the two isotopes Single-molecule vibrational analysis should lead to better understanding and control of surface chemistry at the atomic level
TL;DR: In this paper, the second-order Doppler (SOD) shift has been used to determine the reduced isotopic partition function ratio (β-factor) for a wide range of minerals.
TL;DR: In this article, the product infrared spectrum was dominated by three strong 11B isotopic bands at 1299.3, 1282.8, and 1274.6 cm−1 with 10B counterparts at 1347.6, 1330.7, and 1322.2 cm− 1.
Abstract: Boron atoms from Nd:YAG laserablation of the solid have been codeposited with Ar/O2 samples on a 11±1 K salt window. The product infrared spectrum was dominated by three strong 11B isotopic bands at 1299.3, 1282.8, and 1274.6 cm− 1 with 10B counterparts at 1347.6, 1330.7, and 1322.2 cm− 1. Oxygen isotopic substitution (16O18O and 18O2 ) confirms the assignment of these strong bands to ν3 of linear BO2. Renner–Teller coupling is evident in the ν2 bending motion. A sharp medium intensity band at 1854.7 has appropriate isotopic ratios for BO, which exhibits a 1862.1 cm− 1 gas phase fundamental. A sharp 1931.0 cm− 1 band shows isotopic ratios appropriate for another linear BO2 species; correlation with spectra of BO− 2 in alkali halide lattices confirms this assignment. A weak 1898.9 cm− 1 band grows on annealing and shows isotopic ratios for a BO stretching mode and isotopic splittings for two equivalent B and O atoms, which confirms assignment to B2O2. A weak 2062 cm− 1 band grows markedly on annealing and shows isotope shifts appropriate for a terminal–BO group interacting with another oxygen atom; the 2062 cm− 1 band is assigned to B2O3 in agreement with earlier work. A strong 1512.3 cm− 1 band appeared on annealing; its proximity to the O2 fundamental at 1552 cm− 1 and pure oxygen isotopic shift suggest that this absorption is due to a B atom–O2 complex.
TL;DR: It is reported that the two most widely purported mechanisms, an isotopic shift in N inputs or isotopic discrimination by leaching, fail to explain this climate-dependent trend in 15N/14N, and microbial denitrification appears to be the major determinant of N isotopic variations across differences in rainfall.
Abstract: The nitrogen isotopic composition (15N/14N) of forested ecosystems varies systematically worldwide. In tropical forests, which are elevated in 15N relative to temperate biomes, a decrease in ecosystem 15N/14N with increasing rainfall has been reported. This trend is seen in a set of well characterized Hawaiian rainforests, across which we have measured the 15N/14N of inputs and hydrologic losses. We report that the two most widely purported mechanisms, an isotopic shift in N inputs or isotopic discrimination by leaching, fail to explain this climate-dependent trend in 15N/14N. Rather, isotopic discrimination by microbial denitrification appears to be the major determinant of N isotopic variations across differences in rainfall. In the driest climates, the 15N/14N of total dissolved outputs is higher than that of inputs, which can only be explained by a 14N-rich gas loss. In contrast, in the wettest climates, denitrification completely consumes nitrate in local soil environments, thus preventing the expression of its isotope effect at the ecosystem scale. Under these conditions, the 15N/14N of bulk soils and stream outputs decrease to converge on the low 15N/14N of N inputs. N isotope budgets that account for such local isotopic underexpression suggest that denitrification is responsible for a large fraction (24-53%) of total ecosystem N loss across the sampled range in rainfall.