光系统Ⅱ放氧复合物的光组装研究

光合水氧化是地球上最重要的生化过程之一。这个过程是在位于类囊体囊腔侧的放氧复合物中完成的。光系统II中的锰簇催化中心在四个连续的氧化还原反应作用下将水裂解为四个质子和氧气。水氧化的催化中心含有四个锰、一个钙离子、一至两个氯离子和一个具氧化还原活性的YZ(D1-Y161)。在光系统II的功能性组装过程中，氧合催化中心的形成是在一个被称作光组装的作用下完成的。光组装是无机锰、钙、氯离子与光系统II蛋白结合并在光驱动下氧化形成功能性放氧中心的过程。到目前为止，放氧复合物(OEC)的结构及水氧化的机理仍不清楚，光组装的研究工作对于阐明放氧复合物的结构与功能具有重要的理论和实际意义。 本论文研究了一系列具有不同配位环璄的锰化合物与去锰的PSII的光组装过程， 同时研究了稀土离子LaCl3和TbCl3及重金属离子Co2＋和Ni2＋对PSII 放氧活性及光组装的影响。主要结果如下： 1. 选择了咪唑氮配位的锰化合物和非咪唑氮配位的锰化合物与去锰的PSII 颗粒进行重组, 发现化合物中锰的配位结构与其恢复电子传递能力和放氧活性之间有一定关系。 研究结果表明，锰中心为锰-咪唑氮连接的化合物能够有效地恢复去锰PSII的电子传递能力和放氧活性;而非咪唑氮配位的锰化合物恢复电子传递和放氧活性的能力都相应较低甚至没有，由此推测，咪唑氮为放氧中心锰簇的一个配体。 2. 选择了两个不同价态的二核锰化合物和一个带氧桥的三核锰化合物与去锰的PSII 颗粒进行重组。 研究结果表明，三核锰化合物表现出比另外两个二核锰化合物更强的恢复放氧活性的能力，但其作为电子供体的能力比另外两个化合物要差。由此可推测，影响锰化合物恢复电子传递和放氧活性效率的因素是不同的。另外, 三核锰化合物在重组过程中对CaCl2非常敏感，我们推测锰化合物中的羧基与Ca2+之间存在相互作用，而这种作用有助于锰的配位进而促进光组装。三个化合物重组放氧复合物能力的大小顺序为：Mn3(III)锰化合物>Mn(III)Mn(III)锰化合物> Mn(III)Mn(IV)锰化合物。 3. 研究了LaCl3、 TbCl3 对光系统II放氧复合物光组装的影响。研究表明，在光组装过程中，两种稀土离子La3+和Tb3+对光系统II的光组装有很强的抑制作用，这种作用很大程度上依赖于Ca2+的存在，两种稀土离子在Ca2+结合位点是一个混合型竞争抑制剂。 另外，在10 mmol/L Ca2+存在时，抑制50%的光组装活性所需的稀土离子浓度比抑制50%功能性PSII的放氧活性所需的稀土离子浓度小约10倍，这对理解稀土离子对光合作用的影响具有重要的理论意义。 4．本文研究了Ni2＋和Co2＋两种金属离子对光系统II膜蛋白复合体结构与功能的影响。结果表明，毫摩尔级Ni2＋和Co2＋可以使完整的光系统II和去除17 kDa、23 kDa外周蛋白的光系统II的放氧活性被一定程度地抑制，而且对后者的抑制作用更强，在上述两种情况下，CaCl2可使抑制作用减轻。两种金属离子对给体侧的完整性有一定影响：5 mmol/L金属离子存在的时，可使17 kDa蛋白解离，10 mmol/L的金属离子存在时可使17 kDa、 23 kDa蛋白解离。两种金属离子在光组装过程中对Mn、Ca的组装无明显的影响。

Numerical approximation of a fractional-in-space diffusion equation (II) - with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions

In this paper, a space fractional di®usion equation (SFDE) with non- homogeneous boundary conditions on a bounded domain is considered. A new matrix transfer technique (MTT) for solving the SFDE is proposed. The method is based on a matrix representation of the fractional-in-space operator and the novelty of this approach is that a standard discretisation of the operator leads to a system of linear ODEs with the matrix raised to the same fractional power. Analytic solutions of the SFDE are derived. Finally, some numerical results are given to demonstrate that the MTT is a computationally e±cient and accurate method for solving SFDE.

Flop II

An installation of sculptural objects that combine references to the portrait bust, drapery and socle with quotidian and incidental objects from the artist's studio. The work form part of the artist's ongoing self-portrait project in which he enacts formal strategies for tempering the authority conveyed by the self-portrait as an artistic genre.

PSED II and the comprehensive Australian study of entrepreneurial emergence (CAUSEE)

Two current longitudinal studies in advanced countries, PSED II in the US and CAUSEE in Australia, have attempted to harmonize the major features of the research design. A comparison of the initial screening and first detailed interviews indicates a higher participation in new firm creation in the U.S. Similar types of persons are involved in both countries, albeit more immigrants, older individuals with more work experience and more established individuals in Australia. The nascent enterprises in the two countries are similar on many characteristics, although those in Australia report greater emphasis on new technology and international customers. Assessment of the prevalence of nascent enterprises and new firms from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor surveys indicates a higher prevalence of new firms in Australia. These two longitudinal projects may help determine if this reflects a high proportion of new firm births or greater survival in the early years among Australian new firms.

Concurrent multi-scale modeling of civil infrastructures for analyses on structural deteriorating—Part II : Model updating and verification

This paper is a continuation of the paper titled “Concurrent multi-scale modeling of civil infrastructure for analyses on structural deteriorating—Part I: Modeling methodology and strategy” with the emphasis on model updating and verification for the developed concurrent multi-scale model. The sensitivity-based parameter updating method was applied and some important issues such as selection of reference data and model parameters, and model updating procedures on the multi-scale model were investigated based on the sensitivity analysis of the selected model parameters. The experimental modal data as well as static response in terms of component nominal stresses and hot-spot stresses at the concerned locations were used for dynamic response- and static response-oriented model updating, respectively. The updated multi-scale model was further verified to act as the baseline model which is assumed to be finite-element model closest to the real situation of the structure available for the subsequent arbitrary numerical simulation. The comparison of dynamic and static responses between the calculated results by the final model and measured data indicated the updating and verification methods applied in this paper are reliable and accurate for the multi-scale model of frame-like structure. The general procedures of multi-scale model updating and verification were finally proposed for nonlinear physical-based modeling of large civil infrastructure, and it was applied to the model verification of a long-span bridge as an actual engineering practice of the proposed procedures.

A pilot test on the differences between domestic and international students' perceptions towards online learning in a Malaysian institution (part II)

Teaching to an international audience online can be significantly different as compared to a traditional classroom setting. In a traditional classroom setting, the students are usually removed from their own cultural context and required to operate in the lecturer’s context. International students coming to Malaysia to study are implicitly expected to, and often do, become familiar with the Malaysian culture and style of education. The use of educational technologies as a blended strategy in higher education programs offers challenges and opportunities for all students but this may be different for international students who come from varied backgrounds. With an increasingly competitive global demand for higher education, Malaysian institutions strive to be the hub of educational excellence and a preferred option for international students in coping with the challenges of studying abroad in a different culture. This research will evaluate how undergraduate students perceive their online learning experiences in a Malaysian institute. The OLES (Online Learning Environment Survey) will be used to explore the international and domestic students’ perception on e-learning and the findings of the last six OLES scales varying from (Equity, Enjoyment, Asychronocity, Evaluation & Assessments, Online Learning Tools, and Interface Design) will be reported in this research. An in-depth study will be conducted to compare and contrast the challenges of international students with domestic students. Major difficulties encountered and how these students actually cope with e-learning, as well as the strategies and tools used to overcome the challenges will be investigated.