Permeation study of the potassium channel from streptomyces Lividans

A three-state hopping model is established according to experiments to study permeation of an open-state potassium channel from Streptomyces Lividans (KcsA potassium channel). The master equations are used to characterize the dynamics of the system. In this model, ion conduction involves transitions of three states, with one three-ion state and two two-ion states in the selectivity filter respectively. In equilibrium, the well-known Nernst equation is deduced. It is further shown that the current follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics in steady state. According to the parameters provided by Nelson, the current-voltage relationship is proved to be ohmic and the current-concentration relationship is also obtained reasonably. Additional validation of the model in the characteristic time to reach the steady state for the potassium channel is also discussed. This model lays a possible physical basis for the permeation of ion channel, and opens an avenue for further research.     

Regulation of BMP4 on the proliferation and differentiation in SVZa neural stem cells

The neural stem cells in the anterior subventricular zone (SVZa) mainly generate the progenitors that will differentiate into neurons, and along a highly circumscribed migratory access Rostral migratory stream (RMS), they migrate to the olfactory bulbs (OB). To understand the effects of BMPs on SVZa neural stem cells, in this study BMP4 at various concentrations was used to induce SVZa neural stem cells, and the living cell labeling using BMP4 promotor conjugated with red fluorescence protein showed the expression of BMP4 dynamically. The results demonstrated that low BMP4 doses (1-5 ng/mL) promoted while high doses (10-100 ng/mL) inhibited the proliferation of SVZa neural stem cells, and BMP4 promotedneuron differentiation in the early stage (1-3 d), howeverm, it inhibited the neuron commitment after 4 d. Noggin, the antagonist of BMP4, blocked the physiological effects of BMP4. In OB, BMP4 is mainly to accelerate the progenitors to withdraw from the cell cycle and trigger the differentiation, and in RMS, it promotes the proliferation of committed progenitors and not differentiation, further in SVZa, BMP4 enhances astrocyte commitment.     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of Co nanowire arrays of different crystal structures

It is important to find some developing high-density magnetic recording materials in magnetic recording field with the development of information and technique, in which vertical magnetic recording is a very important way and has received considerable attention[1—3]. The vertical magnetic recording materials require high squareness, suitable coercivity, and small size of storage element[4]. Someone used nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide as templates to fabricate uniform arrays of multi magneti…     

Progress in the synthesis and reactivity studies of metallabenzenes

Metallabenzenes are metallacyclohexatriene complexes that are derived by replacement of one of the CH groups in benzene with a transition-metal fragment. Their synthesis and aromatic properties have recently attracted considerable attention. This paper summarizes the progress in the synthesis, aromatic property, and reactivity studies of metallabenzenes. We will describe the synthesis and reactivity of typical metallabenzenes with various metals (e.g. osmium, iridium, and ruthenium, etc.), the synthesis and structure of a recent reported example of metallanaphthalene and several rare examples of novel and stable metallabenzynes. Finally, the possible future developments in this field have also been suggested.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of the trimetallic erbium tetrahydride complex [Li(THF)4][{(ButCp)2Er(μ-H)} 3-(μ3-H)]

Reaction of [(Bu′tCp)2Er(μ-CI)]2 with Bu′Li in 1:1 molar ratio in THF at -78℃, after work-up, afforded the trimetallic erbium tetrahydride complex [Li(THF)4][{(Bu′Cp)2Er(μ-H)}3(μ3-H)] (1) by β-hydrogen elimination reaction. Crystal structure determination reveals that complex 1 has discrete ion pair structure. The anion is composed of three (Bu′Cp)2Er units to form a triangle array connected by three bridged hydrogen atoms, and the fourth hydrogen atom coordinated to three Er^3 ions. The coordination num-ber for each Er^3 ion is 9.     

“Becoming Different”: Accessing University From a Low Socioeconomic Community—Barriers and Motivators

Access to tertiary education by individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds has been extremely low historically, despite policies to address this inequity. Twenty eight people from a low socio-economic community with almost the lowest rates of access to university in Australia were interviewed to identify the barriers they had encountered and the factors that had enabled them to access and complete a university qualification. Barriers reported occur both within the community, and external to, or on the boundary of the community. Internal barriers included lack of information about the existence of university or its value for individuals, cultural beliefs about acceptable aspirations, a lack of role models within the community, and a lack of the opportunity to compare the impact of a university education on lifestyle, opportunities and options. Motivators identified are categorised as nature of work; interest, role models/comparisons competition/proving, and encouragement.     

The Vision Conference: Facilitating Creative Processes

This paper presents the principles behind the design and management of the Vision Conference: a one-day workshop in which a large group of participants meet to create ideas, projects, and visions for the future activities of a local community or an organization. A case study from a local community in Denmark is also presented to illustrate the organization, planning, and management of a Vision Conference. The paper focuses on the three central social processes of the conference: group work, problem solving, and facilitation. The paper ends with a discussion of creativity and creativity techniques suitable for Vision Conferences.     

Quantum Mechanics and Computation

In quantum computation non classical features such as superposition states and entanglement are used to solve problems in new ways, impossible on classical digital computers.We illustrate by Deutsch algorithm how a quantum computer can use superposition states to outperform any classical computer. We comment on the view of a quantum computer as a massive parallel computer and recall Amdahls law for a classical parallel computer. We argue that the view on quantum computation as a massive parallel computation disregards the presence of entanglement in a general quantum computation and the non classical way in which parallel results are combined to obtain the final output.     

Algebraic Self-Dualityc as the ”Ultimate Explanation”

Shahn Majids philosophy of physics is critically presented. In his view the postulate that the universe should be self-explaining implies that no fundamental theory of physics is complete unless it is self-dual. Majid shows that bicrossproduct Hopf algebras have this property. His philosophy is compared with other approaches to the ultimate explanation and briefly analyzed.     

On The Impossibility Of Empirical Controls Of Scientific Theories – From The Point Of View Of A Psychologist

Standard considerations of philosophy of science are reformulated in psychological terms and arguments, suggesting a fundamental change in life perspective: subjective experiences or introspective data are subject to motivational biases and therefore not admitted as objective empirical facts in science, However, we never experience objects or events of the external world, i.e., so called objective facts, but exclusively subjective percepts or mental events. They are merely assumed to, but may or may not be accurate or distorted mental representations of objects or events of an external world. Accordingly, the latter are theoretical constructs, i.e., constructs of the fictitious but most successful predictive (implicit) theory, called external world, which seems to be constructed from regularities observed in mental events and serves as a reference fiction for, erroneously called empirical, tests of predictions of scientific theories.Relevant Publication: Micko, H.C.: 2001, Psychologie: Von der Geistes – zur Naturwissenschaft – und weiter wohin? Erkenntnistheoretische Erwägungen vor und nach dem Aufkommen des philosophischen Konstruktivismus. Ztschr. f. Psychologie, 209: 54–68.