Magnetic exchange force microscopy with atomic resolution

The ordering of neighbouring atomic magnetic moments (spins) leads to important collective phenomena such as ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. A full understanding of magnetism on the nanometre scale therefore calls for information on the arrangement of spins in real space and with atomic resolution. Spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy accomplishes this but can probe only conducting materials. Force microscopy can be used on any sample independent of its conductivity. In particular, magnetic force microscopy is well suited to exploring ferromagnetic domain structures. However, atomic resolution cannot be achieved because data acquisition involves the sensing of long-range magnetostatic forces between tip and sample. Magnetic exchange force microscopy has been proposed for overcoming this limitation: by using an atomic force microscope with a magnetic tip, it should be possible to detect the short-range magnetic exchange force between tip and sample spins. Here we show for a prototypical antiferromagnetic insulator, the (001) surface of nickel oxide, that magnetic exchange force microscopy can indeed reveal the arrangement of both surface atoms and their spins simultaneously. In contrast with previous attempts to implement this method, we use an external magnetic field to align the magnetic polarization at the tip apex so as to optimize the interaction between tip and sample spins. This allows us to observe the direct magnetic exchange coupling between the spins of the tip atom and sample atom that are closest to each other, and thereby demonstrate the potential of magnetic exchange force microscopy for investigations of inter-spin interactions at the atomic level.     

Book Reviews

Systemic Practice and Action Research -     

Ascaris suum draft genome

Parasitic diseases have a devastating, long-term impact on human health, welfare and food production worldwide. More than two billion people are infected with geohelminths, including the roundworms Ascaris (common roundworm), Necator and Ancylostoma (hookworms), and Trichuris (whipworm), mainly in developing or impoverished nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In humans, the diseases caused by these parasites result in about 135,000 deaths annually, with a global burden comparable with that of malaria or tuberculosis in disability-adjusted life years. Ascaris alone infects around 1.2 billion people and, in children, causes nutritional deficiency, impaired physical and cognitive development and, in severe cases, death. Ascaris also causes major production losses in pigs owing to reduced growth, failure to thrive and mortality. The Ascaris-swine model makes it possible to study the parasite, its relationship with the host, and ascariasis at the molecular level. To enable such molecular studies, we report the 273 megabase draft genome of Ascaris suum and compare it with other nematode genomes. This genome has low repeat content (4.4%) and encodes about 18,500 protein-coding genes. Notably, the A. suum secretome (about 750 molecules) is rich in peptidases linked to the penetration and degradation of host tissues, and an assemblage of molecules likely to modulate or evade host immune responses. This genome provides a comprehensive resource to the scientific community and underpins the development of new and urgently needed interventions (drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests) against ascariasis and other nematodiases.     

Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Thin Films Based on Strong Polycations of Integral type

Nonstoichiometric interpolyelectrolyte complexes （NIPECs） as nanoparticles, on the one side, and nanostructured thin films with controlled architecture, deposited on some planar surfaces, on the other side, have been designed by eco-friendly techniques using strong polycations （PC） containing quaternary ammonium groups in the backbone and either strong polyanions or multicharged azo dyes.     

Primary structure of the precursor to the three major surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites

Recently, a class of protein antigens of high relative molecular mass (Mt) which can induce protective immunity against blood-stage malaria has been identified. In Plasmodium falciparum the protein has a Mr of approximately 195,000 (P195). It is the precursor of three proteins of Mr 83,000 (83K), 42K and 19K which are the major surface antigens of merozoites; thus it may also be useful for immunization against P. falciparum. Three studies describing the isolation of single short complementary DNA clones for part of the P195 gene sequence have been reported. Here we describe the complete structure of the P195 gene determined from further DNA clones, its organization within genomic DNA and the location of the specific processing fragments within the primary amino-acid sequence.     

大黄素对辣椒素诱导的TRPV1通道电流的抑制作用

本研究通过显微注射技术将TRPV1 cRNA(1ng/nL)注射至非洲爪蟾卵母细胞(20nL/个)体内,放置于G-ORi培养液中,并在(19±1)℃的恒温培养箱内表达.同时利用灌流技术将不同浓度梯度的大黄素、辣椒素按照设计顺序依次灌流进入流动腔,同时控制流速保证非洲爪蟾卵母细胞完全浸没于流动腔内.使用双电极电压钳技术记录0.1,1.0,10.0,50.0μmol/L浓度梯度的大黄素对500nmol/L浓度的辣椒素激活TRPV1电流的影响.得到大黄素作用辣椒素激活TRPV1通道的抑制作用表现出浓度依耐性和电压非依赖性,IC50=38μmol/L,Hill系数n=0.5.结果表明了大黄素对TRPV1位点的相互作用是负协同的,在天然药物里面是一类比较弱的拮抗剂,且大黄素在ORi溶液中开始析出沉淀的浓度在50~60μmol/L之间.我们首次发现了大黄素能够抑制TRPV1通道电流,这可能为开发新的镇痛药物提供理论基础.