WikiJournal of Science/Volume 1 Issue 1

WikiJournal of Science
Open access • Publication charge free • Public peer review • Wikipedia-integrated

VOLUME 1 (2018)

ISSUE 1

Previous issue

Author: Mike Christie

Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. [...]

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.006

A card game for Bell's theorem and its loopholes

Authors: Guy Vandegrift, A card game for Bell's theorem and its loopholes

In 1964 John Stewart Bell made an observation about the behavior of particles separated by macroscopic distances that had puzzled physicists for at least 29 years, when Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen put forth the famous EPR paradox. Bell made certain assumptions leading to an inequality that entangled particles are routinely observed to violate in what are now called Bell test experiments. As an alternative to showing students a "proof" of Bell's inequality, we introduce a card game that is impossible to win. The solitaire version is so simple it can be used to introduce binomial statistics without mentioning physics or Bell's theorem. Things get interesting in the partners' version of the game because Alice and Bob can win, but only if they cheat. We have identified three cheats, and each corresponds to a Bell's theorem "loophole". This gives the instructor an excuse to discuss detector error, causality, and why there is a maximum speed at which information can travel.

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.005

Lysine: biosynthesis, catabolism and roles

Authors: Tatiana P. Soares da Costa, Cody J. Hall

Amino acids are an essential building block of all life and are commonly incorporated into extending polypeptide chains to produce proteins. Lysine is one such amino acid and is classified as basic and positively charged at physiological pH due to the presence of an additional amino chemical group on the side chain. Lysine has two main biosynthetic pathways, namely the diaminopimelate and α-aminoadipate pathways, which employ different enzymes and substrates and are found in different organisms. Lysine catabolism occurs through one of several pathways, the most common of which is the saccharopine pathway. Lysine plays several roles in humans, most importantly proteinogenesis, but also in the crosslinking of collagen polypeptides, uptake of essential mineral nutrients, and in the production of carnitine, which is key in fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, lysine is often involved in histone modifications, and thus, impacts the epigenome. Due to the importance of lysine in several biological processes, a lack of lysine can lead to several disease states including; defective connective tissues, impaired fatty acid metabolism, anaemia, and systemic protein-energy deficiency. In juxtaposition to this, an overabundance of lysine, caused by ineffective catabolism, can cause severe neurological issues.

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.004

ShK toxin: history, structure and therapeutic applications for autoimmune diseases

Authors: Shih Chieh Chang, Saumya Bajaj, George Chandy

Stichodactyla toxin (ShK) is a 35-residue basic peptide from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus that blocks a number of potassium channels. An analogue of ShK called ShK-186 or Dalazatide is in human trials as a therapeutic for autoimmune diseases.

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.003

Spaces in mathematics

Author: Boris Tsirelson

While modern mathematics use many types of spaces, such as Euclidean spaces, linear spaces, topological spaces, Hilbert spaces, or probability spaces, it does not define the notion of "space" itself. [...]

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.002

Editorial | The aims and scope of WikiJournal of Science

Authors: Thomas Shafee, WikiJournal of Science editorial board

WikiJournal of Science is an open access, peer reviewed journal, free of publication charges for its authors. It has Wikipedia-integration as a key feature and aims to encourage and recognise contributions to Wikipedia by academics. It is a sister journal to the established WikiJournal of Medicine, and covers science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This editorial will discuss the current aims and future scope of the journal, as well as the WikiJournal format in general.

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doi: 10.15347/WJS/2018.001