Apparent Size as the Determinant of Prey Selection by Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus)

Copyright by the Ecological Society of America. This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1935055.Although it is known that visual predation by planktivorous fish tends to be size selective, the mechanism by which fish select their prey has not previously been described. Experiments in which bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were given a binary choice between prey of different sizes presented at different distances showed the fish selected the prey that appeared largest, either because of its actual size or its proximity to the fish. This paper incorporates this mechanism of prey selection by apparent size into a model of bluegill predation. According to the model, bluegill, in choosing the apparently largest prey under all conditions, alter their diet composition depending upon the abundance of prey. When prey are abundant, bluegill predominantly select prey of the largest size class available because these have the greatest probability of appearing largest; as large prey become scarce and smaller prey have a greater chance of appearing large, the fish tend to eat more prey from smaller size classes. When the model is tested against data from published fish-feeding experiments, the predicted size ratios of prey eaten correlate accurately with the observed ratios and numbers of prey eaten

Slow Equilibration between Spectroscopically Distinct Trap States in Reduced TiO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Nanoparticles

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Understanding the nature of charge carriers in nanoscale titanium dioxide is important for its use in solar energy conversion, photocatalysis, and other applications. UV-irradiation of aqueous, colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of methanol gives highly reduced suspensions. Two distinct types of electron traps were observed and characterized by EPR and optical spectroscopies. The relative populations of the states depend on temperature, indicating a small energy difference, ΔH° = 3.0 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (130 ± 30 meV). Interconversion between the electron traps occurs slowly over the course of minutes to hours within the temperature range studied here, 0-50 °C. The slow time scale implies that interconversion involves changes in structure or stoichiometry, not just the movement of electrons. This occurrence of slow structural modification with changes in trap state occupancy is likely a general feature of reduced TiO2 systems at thermodynamic equilibria or photostationary states and should be considered in the design of TiO2-containing devices

A [3Fe-4S] cluster is required for tRNA thiolation in archaea and eukaryotes

The sulfur-containing nucleosides in transfer RNA (tRNAs) are present in all three domains of life; they have critical functions for accurate and efficient translation, such as tRNA structure stabilization and proper codon recognition. The tRNA modification enzymes ThiI (in bacteria and archaea) and Ncs6 (in archaea and eukaryotic cytosols) catalyze the formation of 4-thiouridine (s4U) and 2-thiouridine (s2U), respectively. The ThiI homologs were proposed to transfer sulfur via cysteine persulfide enzyme adducts, whereas the reaction mechanism of Ncs6 remains unknown. Here we show that ThiI from the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis contains a [3Fe-4S] cluster that is essential for its tRNA thiolation activity. Furthermore, the archaeal and eukaryotic Ncs6 homologs as well as phosphoseryl-tRNA (Sep-tRNA):Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS), which catalyzes the Sep-tRNA to Cys-tRNA conversion in methanogens, also possess a [3Fe-4S] cluster similar to the methanogenic archaeal ThiI. These results suggest that the diverse tRNA thiolation processes in archaea and eukaryotic cytosols share a common mechanism dependent on a [3Fe-4S] cluster for sulfur transfer

New bisexual form of Cavernocypris subterranea (Wolf, 1920) (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Idaho

Males of Cavernocypris subterranea were found for the first time in an Idaho spring. The bisexual form is described based on soft body parts and valves. The genus Cavernocypris now includes 2 bisexual and 1 parthenogenetic species

New bisexual form of Cavernocypris subterranea (Wolf, 1920) (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Idaho

Males of Cavernocypris subterranea were found for the first time in an Idaho spring. The bisexual form is described based on soft body parts and valves. The genus Cavernocypris now includes 2 bisexual and 1 parthenogenetic species

34531 gbn-60-3 entire book

ABSTRACT.-We report life history characteristics for 4 recently established populations of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Mosquitofish from thermally stable habitats, Bonham and Garrett, were characterized by maturity at large sizes, high fat reserves, and large embryos. In contrast, females from a thermally unstable habitat, Wabuska, matured at small sizes and had low fat reserves and small embryos. Females from Parker, a site with no appreciable thermal input, matured at intermediate sizes and had low fat reserves as well as large embryos. These populations shared a common ancestor in 1937; therefore, these results suggest either phenotypic plasticity or rapid evolution

Slow Equilibration between Spectroscopically Distinct Trap States in Reduced TiO₂ Nanoparticles

Understanding the nature of charge carriers in nanoscale titanium dioxide is important for its use in solar energy conversion, photocatalysis, and other applications. UV-irradiation of aqueous, colloidal TiO₂ nanoparticles in the presence of methanol gives highly reduced suspensions. Two distinct types of electron traps were observed and characterized by EPR and optical spectroscopies. The relative populations of the states depend on temperature, indicating a small energy difference, Δ<i>H</i>° = 3.0 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (130 ± 30 meV). Interconversion between the electron traps occurs slowly over the course of minutes to hours within the temperature range studied here, 0–50 °C. The slow time scale implies that interconversion involves changes in structure or stoichiometry, not just the movement of electrons. This occurrence of slow structural modification with changes in trap state occupancy is likely a general feature of reduced TiO₂ systems at thermodynamic equilibria or photostationary states and should be considered in the design of TiO₂-containing devices

A [3Fe-4S] cluster is required for tRNA thiolation in archaea and eukaryotes

The sulfur-containing nucleosides in transfer RNA (tRNAs) are present in all three domains of life; they have critical functions for accurate and efficient translation, such as tRNA structure stabilization and proper codon recognition. The tRNA modification enzymes ThiI (in bacteria and archaea) and Ncs6 (in archaea and eukaryotic cytosols) catalyze the formation of 4-thiouridine (s(4)U) and 2-thiouridine (s(2)U), respectively. The ThiI homologs were proposed to transfer sulfur via cysteine persulfide enzyme adducts, whereas the reaction mechanism of Ncs6 remains unknown. Here we show that ThiI from the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis contains a [3Fe-4S] cluster that is essential for its tRNA thiolation activity. Furthermore, the archaeal and eukaryotic Ncs6 homologs as well as phosphoseryl-tRNA (Sep-tRNA):Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS), which catalyzes the Sep-tRNA to Cys-tRNA conversion in methanogens, also possess a [3Fe-4S] cluster similar to the methanogenic archaeal ThiI. These results suggest that the diverse tRNA thiolation processes in archaea and eukaryotic cytosols share a common mechanism dependent on a [3Fe-4S] cluster for sulfur transfer

Experimental Support for a Single Electron-Transfer Oxidation Mechanism in Firefly Bioluminescence

Firefly luciferase produces light by converting substrate beetle luciferin into the corresponding adenylate that it subsequently oxidizes to oxyluciferin, the emitter of bioluminescence. We have confirmed the generally held notions that the oxidation step is initiated by formation of a carbanion intermediate and that a hydroperoxide (anion) is involved. Additionally, structural evidence is presented that accounts for the delivery of oxygen to the substrate reaction site. Herein, we report key convincing spectroscopic evidence of the participation of superoxide anion in a related chemical model reaction that supports a single electron-transfer pathway for the critical oxidative process. This mechanism may be a common feature of bioluminescence processes in which light is produced by an enzyme in the absence of cofactors