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Excess Energy (excess + energy)
Selected AbstractsVeligers of an introduced bivalve, Limnoperna fortunei, are a new food resource that enhances growth of larval fish in the Paraná River (South America)FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2010ESTEBAN M. PAOLUCCI Summary 1.,Larvae of ,sábalo', Prochilodus lineatus, whose adults represent over 60% of overall fish biomass in the Río de la Plata Catchment, have been observed to feed intensively on veligers of the exotic bivalve Limnoperna fortunei. 2.,To assess the effects of this dietary shift on the growth of P. lineatus, 28-day laboratory experiments were carried out feeding newly hatched P. lineatus larvae with three diets: zooplankton artificially enriched with L. fortunei veligers; natural zooplankton; and zooplankton artificially enriched with cladocerans and copepods. The average length, weight and gut contents of the fish larvae were assessed weekly and metabolic rates of fish larvae were measured. 3.,Proportions of veligers in gut contents were always higher than those in the experimental diet: 100, 76 and 21% for veliger-enriched, natural and low-veliger diets, respectively. Larvae fed a veliger-enriched diet grew to a significantly larger size than larvae fed the other two diets. In energetic balance comparisons using metabolic rates and prey energy content, all three diets were sufficient to support metabolism and growth. The greatest values of excess energy at the end of each week were in the veliger-enriched experiments. 4.,Feeding on veligers of L. fortunei significantly enhances the growth of P. lineatus larvae and supports the idea that this new and abundant resource is selectively preyed upon by P. lineatus during its larval stage. Higher growth rates may stem from the higher energy contents of veligers compared to crustaceans and/or from the lower energy costs of capturing slower prey. [source] Role of the Charge Transfer State in Organic Donor,Acceptor Solar CellsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 37 2010Carsten Deibel Charge transfer complexes are interfacial charge pairs residing at the donor,acceptor heterointerface in organic solar cell. Experimental evidence shows that it is crucial for the photovoltaic performance, as both photocurrent and open circuit voltage directly depend on it. For charge photogeneration, charge transfer complexes represent the intermediate but essential step between exciton dissotiation and charge extraction. Recombination of free charges to the ground state is via the bound charge transfer state before being lost to the ground state. In terms of the open circuit voltage, its maximum achievable value is determined by the energy of the charge transfer state. An important question is whether or not maximum photocurrent and maximum open circuit voltage can be achieved simultaneously. The impact of increasing the CT energy,in order to raise the open circuit voltage, but lowering the kinetic excess energy of the CT complexes at the same time,on the charge photogeneration will accordingly be discussed. Clearly, the fundamental understanding of the processes involving the charge transfer state is essential for an optimisation of the performance of organic solar cells. [source] Fast foods, energy density and obesity: a possible mechanistic linkOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 4 2003A. M. Prentice Summary Fast foods are frequently linked to the epidemic of obesity, but there has been very little scientific appraisal of a possible causal role. Here we review a series of studies demonstrating that the energy density of foods is a key determinant of energy intake. These studies show that humans have a weak innate ability to recognise foods with a high energy density and to appropriately down-regulate the bulk of food eaten in order to maintain energy balance. This induces so called ,passive over-consumption'. Composition data from leading fast food company websites are then used to illustrate that most fast foods have an extremely high energy density. At some typical outlets the average energy density of the entire menus is ,1100 kJ 100 g,1. This is 65% higher than the average British diet (,670 kJ 100 g,1) and more than twice the energy density of recommended healthy diets (,525 kJ 100 g,1). It is 145% higher than traditional African diets (,450 kJ 100 g,1) that probably represent the levels against which human weight regulatory mechanisms have evolved. We conclude that the high energy densities of many fast foods challenge human appetite control systems with conditions for which they were never designed. Among regular consumers they are likely to result in the accidental consumption of excess energy and hence to promote weight gain and obesity. [source] The Occurrence of the psbS Gene Product in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and in Other Photosynthetic Organisms and Its Correlation with Energy Quenching,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Giulia Bonente To avoid photodamage, photosynthetic organisms have developed mechanisms to evade or dissipate excess energy. Lumen overacidification caused by light-induced electron transport triggers quenching of excited chlorophylls and dissipation of excess energy into heat. In higher plants participation of the PsbS protein as the sensor of low lumenal pH was clearly demonstrated. Although light-dependent energy quenching is a property of all photosynthetic organisms, large differences in amplitude and kinetics can be observed thus raising the question whether a single common mechanism is in action. We performed a detailed study of PsbS expression/accumulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and investigated its accumulation in other algae and plants. We showed that PsbS cannot be detected in Chlamydomonas under a wide range of growth conditions. Overexpression of the endogenous psbs gene showed that the corresponding protein could not be addressed to the thylakoid membranes. Survey of different unicellular green algae showed no accumulation of anti-PsbS reactive proteins differently from multicellular species. Nevertheless, some unicellular species exhibit high energy quenching activity, suggesting that a PsbS-independent mechanism is activated. By correlating growth habitat and PsbS accumulation in different species, we suggest that during the evolution the light environment has been a determinant factor for the conservation/loss of the PsbS function. [source] Daily dynamics of photosynthesis of the freshwater red alga Sirodotia delicatula (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta)PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2009Thiago Kusakariba SUMMARY The daily course of photosynthetic parameters of a population of the freshwater red alga Sirodotia delicatula from São Paulo State, Brazil (20°43,24,S, 49°18,21,W) was investigated under natural and laboratory conditions using dissolved oxygen and in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence techniques. Field specimens in laboratory conditions showed a defined daily pattern for net photosynthesis (NP) with two peaks observed in marine macroalgae and some freshwater red algae: the first (the highest) during the morning, and the second (the lowest and less evident) during the afternoon. Values of electron transport rate did not show a clear pattern of daily variation. NP results suggest the existence of an endogenous rhythm controlling photosynthesis. The study under natural conditions in two contrasting periods (autumn (June) and spring (October)) showed that the daily course of effective and potential quantum yield values was negatively correlated with irradiance and values were similar in the beginning and end of the day. These data evidenced, respectively, high excitement pressure on photosystem II and good recovery capacity (with lower values in spring) and a lack of irreversible photodamage to photosynthetic apparatus due to the prolonged exposure to high irradiances. Non-photochemical quenching values were also negatively correlated with the irradiance, suggesting a low dissipation capacity of excess energy absorbed by reaction centers. The results evidenced a typical pattern of daily variation with evident response to irradiance. [source] Coherence length and time of excitons in ZnSe quantum wellsPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 3 2004B. Dal Don Abstract We investigate the in-plane transport of excitons in quantum wells by nano-photoluminescence. The experimental method is based on a confocal microscope with an enhanced resolution given by the introduction of a solid immersion lens. In combination with pulsed laser excitation and streak-camera detection, we have access to transport phenomena on a timescale faster than the time of scattering with acoustic phonons and a length scale of the light wavelength. We use ZnSe-based quantum wells as a model system since hot excitons with well defined excess energy can be formed assisted by the emission of optical phonons. This results e.g. in a periodic quenching of the excitonic transport length as function of excitation excess energy which, in comparison, is not found in GaAs quantum wells. Monte Carlo simulations of the nonlinear expansion of the luminescence spot observed as a function of time reveal the difference between the spatial profiles of the luminescence and the exciton density. The latter shows an oscillatory behaviour in time due to the dominant backscattering, when the first acoustic phonon is emitted. From this oscillation we can determine simultaneously the coherence time and length of the excitonic transport in ZnSe quantum wells. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Mutations of genes in synthesis of the carotenoid precursors of ABA lead to pre-harvest sprouting and photo-oxidation in riceTHE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008Jun Fang Summary Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) or vivipary in cereals is an important agronomic trait that results in significant economic loss. A considerable number of mutations that cause PHS have been identified in several species. However, relatively few viviparous mutants in rice (Oryza sativa L.) have been reported. To explore the mechanism of PHS in rice, we carried out an extensive genetic screening and identified 12 PHS mutants (phs). Based on their phenotypes, these phs mutants were classified into three groups. Here we characterize in detail one of these groups, which contains mutations in genes encoding major enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, including phytoene desaturase (OsPDS), ,-carotene desaturase (OsZDS), carotenoid isomerase (OsCRTISO) and lycopene , -cyclase (,-OsLCY), which are essential for the biosynthesis of carotenoid precursors of ABA. As expected, the amount of ABA was reduced in all four phs mutants compared with that in the wild type. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis revealed the occurrence of photoinhibition in the photosystem and decreased capacity for eliminating excess energy by thermal dissipation. The greatly increased activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzymes, and reduced photosystem (PS) II core proteins CP43, CP47 and D1 in leaves of the Oscrtiso/phs3-1mutant and OsLCY RNAi transgenic rice indicated that photo-oxidative damage occurred in PS II, consistent with the accumulation of ROS in these plants. These results suggest that the impairment of carotenoid biosynthesis causes photo-oxidation and ABA-deficiency phenotypes, of which the latter is a major factor controlling the PHS trait in rice. [source] Effects of dietary starches and the protein to energy ratio on growth and feed efficiency of juvenile cobia, Rachycentron canadumAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 5 2010K.A. JR WEBB Abstract Optimization of the protein to energy ratio in juvenile cobia (Rachycentron canadum) would allow the production of diets that maximize growth without the addition of excess energy that may increase costs or even be detrimental to the health of the fish. During a 6-week growth trial, juvenile cobia (5.6 ± 0.5 g fish,1 initial weight) were fed five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing various protein to energy ratios using starch as the energy source. At the end of the trial, some fish were analysed for body composition characteristics while the rest were used to examine the excretion of dietary starch in the feces. Survival and growth were not significantly affected, but feed efficiency (ranging from 0.64 to 0.94) and daily consumption (ranging from 45.3 to 64.1 g kg,1 of body weight d,1) were affected. No reduction in consumption due to excess energy was noted. Analysis of the fecal carbohydrate data showed a linear relationship between dietary inclusion and excretion of carbohydrates with no sign of reaching saturation. Results of this study suggest that cobia can utilize dietary carbohydrates up to at least 340 g kg,1 of dry diet with an optimal protein to energy ratio of approximately 34 mg protein kJ,1metabolizable energy. [source] | ||||||||||