Evidence for wavelike energy transfer through quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems

Photosynthetic complexes are exquisitely tuned to capture solar light efficiently, and then transmit the excitation energy to reaction centres, where long term energy storage is initiated. The energy transfer mechanism is often described by semiclassical models that invoke 'hopping' of excited-state populations along discrete energy levels. Two-dimensional Fourier transform electronic spectroscopy has mapped these energy levels and their coupling in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) bacteriochlorophyll complex, which is found in green sulphur bacteria and acts as an energy 'wire' connecting a large peripheral light-harvesting antenna, the chlorosome, to the reaction centre. The spectroscopic data clearly document the dependence of the dominant energy transport pathways on the spatial properties of the excited-state wavefunctions of the whole bacteriochlorophyll complex. But the intricate dynamics of quantum coherence, which has no classical analogue, was largely neglected in the analyses-even though electronic energy transfer involving oscillatory populations of donors and acceptors was first discussed more than 70 years ago, and electronic quantum beats arising from quantum coherence in photosynthetic complexes have been predicted and indirectly observed. Here we extend previous two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy investigations of the FMO bacteriochlorophyll complex, and obtain direct evidence for remarkably long-lived electronic quantum coherence playing an important part in energy transfer processes within this system. The quantum coherence manifests itself in characteristic, directly observable quantum beating signals among the excitons within the Chlorobium tepidum FMO complex at 77 K. This wavelike characteristic of the energy transfer within the photosynthetic complex can explain its extreme efficiency, in that it allows the complexes to sample vast areas of phase space to find the most efficient path.     

Reasons of Love: Response to Wolf

According to Wolf’s fitting fulfillment view, meaningfulness depends on the person’s subjective attraction to an activity being grounded in ‘reasons of love’ that concern the objective value of those activities. In this short comment, I argue that ‘reasons of love’—and thus reasons for regarding as meaningful—are not limited to those having to do with the objective value of activities and relationships, but include also what I call ‘reasons for the initiated’ and ‘reasons for me’.     

Multiple effects of oestrone and testosterone propionate in combination: Simultaneous effects on vaginal keratinization and uterine growth

Zusammenfassung Vier Gruppen ovariektomierter Ratten erhielten an drei aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen in Maisöl injiziert: 1,0 µg Oestron, 500 µg Testosteronpropionat (TP), Oestron + TP oder das Vehikel allein. 1 Tag nach der letzten Injektion wurden die Tiere getötet und Vagina und Uterus untersucht:Die durch Oestron verursachte Verhornung des Vaginalepithels wurde durch Zusatz von TP gehemmt, während das durch Oestron stimulierte Wachstum des Uterus durch TP-Zusatz noch weiter gefördert wurde. Umgekehrt wurde die durch TP bewirkte Mucifikation des Vaginalepithels durch Zusatz von Oestron ebenfalls gefördert.Je nach Organspezifität besteht also zwischen den Wirkungen von Testosteronpropionat und Oestron ein Synergismus oder ein Antagonismus.     

Oestrogen antagonisms: the effects of various steroids on the uterine growth produced in mice by oestriol

Zusammenfassung Das in juvenilen Mäusen durch Oestriol (100 µg) stimulierte Uteruswachstum wurde durch Testosteronpropionat blockiert. Mit Cortisonacetat, Cortisolacetat, Deoxycorticosteronacetat und Progesteron wurde keine solche Wirkung erzielt.