A biomass carbon material with microtubule bundling and natural O-doping derived from goldenberry calyx and its electrochemical performance in supercapacitor

A promising biomass carbon material,manufactured by the carbonation of Physalis peruviana L.calyx at 700℃,is presented in this wo rk.Morphology characterization shows that the carbon material possesses long microtubule bundling and above 30%natural O-atom component on the surface.After KOH chemical etching,the materials maintain the oxygen content but exhibit more micropores and higher specific surface area up to 1732.6 m^2/g.Using as an electrode material for supercapacitor,the active carbon material exhibits high specific capacitance up to 339.7 F/g at 0.5 A/g in 3 mol/L KOH aqueous solution through three-electrode system.The active carbon material also exhibits excellent cycling stability(97%retention)by 10,000 cycles at 10 A/g.The outstanding electrochemical performances are attributing to the unique long microtubule bundling with much more pores and the abundant Oelement on the surface.This biomass carbon material with excellent electrochemical properties could be a useful material for multiple applications.     

荧光标记微管的光敏断裂及机理

荧光标记的微管经激发光照射会引起微管的断裂，但其断裂过程及机理并不清楚.通过光镊研究了微管光敏断裂的动态过程.实验结果表明组成微管的原丝并不是同时断裂的，而是相继断裂最终导致微管的断裂.经过一系列生物学实验，确定了活性氧中的自由基是造成微管光敏断裂的主要因素.根据光镊研究的结果推测了自由基作用于微管的机理. 关键词： 光镊 微管 断裂 自由基     

脑科学与量子理论

简要回顾了生物学与物理学之间的紧密关系，其中包括人工神经网络的经典物理模型和脑的某些量子理论；概要综述了细胞骨架微管的结构和生物功能及有关近期理论研究。注意到微声是细胞和神经元中重要的组成和功能单元，进而以较大篇幅介绍了近期关于微管的理论研究工作，特别是基于量子场论中两能级系统的赝自旋模型，对微管管壁上电子的动力学行为作了较深入的探讨；此外，基于量子场论，对微管中的水分子系统可能存在微波受激辐射也作了阐述。The present paper briefly reviews the relationship between biology and physics, especially including the classical physics models for the artificial neuron networks, some quantum theories for brains, and simply describes the structures and functions of cytoskeletal microtubules （MTs） in cells and some recent theoretical studies on MTs.Noting MTs are the important components and function units in cells and neurons, furthermore, the paper lays emphasis on our recent theoretical work on MTs. Particularly, based on the pseudo-spin quantum theory, the dynamic behavior of electrons on the MT wall has been discussed in some detail. Based on the quantum field theory, it has been described that the maser radiation might exist in the water molecular system within the MT.     

Cytoskeletal involvement in cotton fiber growth and development

The organization of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls influences physical properties of the wall and thus cell expansion characteristics. Developing cotton fiber represents an excellent model system for the analysis of the biological regulation of cell wall patterns. Current research indicates that the cytoskeleton has a major role in directing the deposition and organization of cellulose microfibrils in the cell walls of many plant systems, including developing cotton fibers. Both microtubules and microfilaments appear to be involved in regulating changes observed in microfibril patterns during fiber development. The polylamellate architecture of the fiber wall can be attributed to changes in the orientation of cytoplasmic microtubules which appear to direct the orientation of microfibril deposition in each successive layer of the fiber wall. In the drug-induced absence of microtubules, cellulose is deposited in the fiber wall in a swirled pattern of bundled microfibrils. Interaction between adjacent microfibrils may influence cell wall organization on a localized level. In contrast to the direct involvement of microtubules on wall organization, microfilaments appear to be indirectly involved in the deposition of cellulose microfibrils. Current evidence indicates that microfilaments influence wall organization by controlling changes in microtubules patterns. Although a greater understanding of the relationship between the cytoskeleton and the fiber wall is needed, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that genetic manipulation of cytoskeletal components is one path toward future direct manipulation of cell expansion characteristic in many plant systems and may lead to improvements in the textile qualities of cotton fibers.     

Dipole-Dipole Interaction and the Directional Motion of Brownian Motors

The electric field of the microtubule is calculated according to its dipole distribution. The conformationalchange of a molecular motor is described by the rotation ofa dipole which interacts with the microtubulc. The mricalsimulation for the particle current shows that this interaction helps to produce a directional motion along the microtubule.And tte average displacement executes step changes that resemble the experimental result for kinesin motors.     

Endoplasmatic reticulum shaping by generic mechanisms and protein-induced spontaneous curvature

The endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) comprises flattened vesicles (cisternae) with worm holes dubbed with ribosomes coexisting with a network of interconnected tubes which can extend to the cell periphery or even penetrate nerve axons. The coexisting topologies enclose a continuous luminal space. The complex ER topology is specifically controlled by a group of ER-shaping proteins often called reticulons (discovered by the group of Tom Rapoport [1]). They include atlastin, reticulon, REEP and the MT severing protein spastin. A generic ER shape controlling factor is the necessity to maximize the area-to-volume ratio of ER membranes in the highly crowded cytoplasmic space. I present a model of the ER-shaping function of the reticulons based on the Helfrich bending elasticity concept of soft shell shape changes. Common structural motifs of the reticulons are hydrophobic sequences forming wedge shaped hairpins which penetrate the lipid bilayer of the cell membranes. The wedge-like hydrophobic anchors can both induce the high curvature of the tubular ER fraction and ensure the preferred distribution of the reticulons along the tubules. Tubular junctions may be stabilized by the reticulons forming two forceps twisted by 90°. The ER extensions to the cell periphery and the axons are mediated by coupling of the tubes to the microtubules which is mediated by REEP and spastin. At the end I present a model of the tension driven homotype fusion of ER-membranes by atlastin, based on analogies to the SNARE–complexin–SNARE driven heterotype fusion process.     

Tubulin-dynein system in flagellar and ciliary movement

Eukaryotic flagella and cilia have attracted the attention of many researchers over the last century, since they are highly arranged organelles and show sophisticated bending movements. Two important cytoskeletal and motor proteins, tubulin and dynein, were first found and described in flagella and cilia. Half a century has passed since the discovery of these two proteins, and much information has been accumulated on their molecular structures and their roles in the mechanism of microtubule sliding, as well as on the architecture, the mechanism of bending movement and the regulation and signal transduction in flagella and cilia. Historical background and the recent advance in this field are described.     

A coarse grain model of microtubules

This paper proposes a 3-dimensional coarse grain model of microtubules and treats the tubulin monomer as a sphere of multiple patches, with parameters chosen to yield experimental values of bending and stretching stiffness. The model has demonstrated the ability to produce the bistability of tubulin sheets, elastic deformation near the tip, and cracking and peeling of protofilaments. This model is expected to take into account the structural and mechanical aspects underlying the physical mechanism of polymerization/depolymerization and dynamic instability of microtubules.     

研究意识问题的物理学途径

文章介绍了物理学理论和技术在研究意识问题中的应用进展。首先列出意识活动的一些主要特性，其次介绍新的仪器技术在确定意识的脑功能定位上的研究成果。最后介绍物理学的理论（特别是量子理论）在解释意识的机制上的作用，介绍信息理论在意识复杂性计算方面的应用。     

细胞骨架微管管壁的赝自旋模型

本文利用赝自旋模型描述细胞骨架微管管壁上的非束缚电子的动力学行为。基于微管的固有的对称结构及其电学性质，将其处理为一维铁电系统，用双阱势描述组成微管管壁的单个蛋白丝上的电偶极子的非线性动力学行为，进而，将此物理问题影射到赝自旋系统，并且通过采用平均场近似得到了一些物理结果。