Effect of coaxial laser cladding parameters on bead formation

We investigated the shape and morphology of nickel-based powder particles (Sulzer Metco) and coatings produced by laser gas-powder deposition onto steel substrates. Laser deposition was performed using an LC-10 IPG-Photonics laser complex equipped with a 10-kW fiber laser. The shape and microstructure of the samples were studied using optical and electronic microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results showed that the deposition speed and laser power significantly influenced the shape and size of the beads. The depth of diffusion of nickel into the steel substrate after deposition was less than 20 μm; the microstructure of the resulting coating was fcc Fe₃Ni. As a result, detailed information about the form and shape of the filler powder, modes of its deposition, and the resulting coating structure was obtained; this information is important for the production of high-quality products by additive technologies.     

Control of ion selectivity in potassium channels by electrostatic and dynamic properties of carbonyl ligands

Potassium channels are essential for maintaining a normal ionic balance across cell membranes. Central to this function is the ability of such channels to support transmembrane ion conduction at nearly diffusion-limited rates while discriminating for K+ over Na+ by more than a thousand-fold. This selectivity arises because the transfer of the K+ ion into the channel pore is energetically favoured, a feature commonly attributed to a structurally precise fit between the K+ ion and carbonyl groups lining the rigid and narrow pore. But proteins are relatively flexible structures that undergo rapid thermal atomic fluctuations larger than the small difference in ionic radius between K+ and Na+. Here we present molecular dynamics simulations for the potassium channel KcsA, which show that the carbonyl groups coordinating the ion in the narrow pore are indeed very dynamic ('liquid-like') and that their intrinsic electrostatic properties control ion selectivity. This finding highlights the importance of the classical concept of field strength. Selectivity for K+ is seen to emerge as a robust feature of a flexible fluctuating pore lined by carbonyl groups.     

TMEM70 mutations cause isolated ATP synthase deficiency and neonatal mitochondrial encephalocardiomyopathy

We carried out whole-genome homozygosity mapping, gene expression analysis and DNA sequencing in individuals with isolated mitochondrial ATP synthase deficiency and identified disease-causing mutations in TMEM70. Complementation of the cell lines of these individuals with wild-type TMEM70 restored biogenesis and metabolic function of the enzyme complex. Our results show that TMEM70 is involved in mitochondrial ATP synthase biogenesis in higher eukaryotes.