Evolution and Development of the Information Concept in Biological Systems: From Empirical Description to Informational Modeling of the Living Structures

With the purpose to smooth the way of a correct understanding of information concepts and their evolution,in this paper,is discussed the evolution and development of the concept of information in biological systems,showing that this concept was intuitively perceived even since ancient times by our predecessors,and described according to their language level of that times,but the crystallization of the real meaning of information is an achievement of our nowadays,by successive contribution of various scientific branches and personalities of the scientific community of the world,leading to a modern description/modeling of reality,in which information plays a fundamental role.It is shown that our reality can be understood as a contribution of matter/energy/information and represented/discussed as the model of the Universal Triangle of Reality(UTR),where various previous models can be suggestively inserted,as a function of their basic concern.The modern concepts on information starting from a theoretic experiment which would infringe the thermodynamics laws and reaching the theory of information and modern philosophic concepts on the world structuration allow us to show that information is a fundamental component of the material world and of the biological structures,in correlation with the structuration/destructuration processes of matter,involving absorption/release of information.Based on these concepts,is discussed the functionality of the biologic structures and is presented the informational model of the human body and living structures,as a general model of info-organization on the entire biological scale,showing that a rudimentary proto-consciousness should be operative even at the low-scale biological systems,because they work on the same principles,like the most developed bio-systems.The operability of biologic structures as informational devices is also pointed out.

Cryptanalysis of an Improved Flexible Ping-Pong Protocol in Perfect and Imperfect Quantum Channels

We recently proposed a flexible quantum secure direct communication protocol [Chin. Phys. Lett. 23 （2006） 3152]. By analyzing its security in the perfect channel from the aspect of quantum information theory, we find that an eavesdropper is capable of stealing all the information without being detected. Two typical attacks are presented to illustrate this point. A solution to this loophole is also suggested and we show its powerfulness against the most general individual attack in the ideal case. We also discuss the security in the imperfect case when there is noise and loss.

Centimeter-scale growth of two-dimensional layered high-mobility bismuth films by pulsed laser deposition

Ever since discovery of graphene,two-dimensional(2D)materials become a new tool box for information technology.Among the 2D family,ultrathin bismuth(Bi)has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years due to its unique topological insulating properties and large magnetoresistance.However,the scalable synthesis of layered Bi ultrathin films is rarely been reported,which would greatly restrict further fundamental investigation and practical device development.Here,we demonstrate the direct growth of homogeneous and centimeter-scale layered Bi films by pulsed laser deposition(PLD)technique.The as-grown Bi film exhibits high-purity phase and good crystallinity.In addition,both(111)and(110)-oriented Bi films can be synthesized by precisely controlling the processing temperature.The characterization of optical properties shows a thickness dependent band gaps(0.075-0.2 eV).Moreover,Bi thin-film-based field-effect transistors have been demonstrated,exhibiting a large carrier mobility of 220 cm2 V−1 s−1.Our work suggests that the PLD-grown Bi films would hold the potential to develop spintronic applications,electronic and optoelectronic devices used for information science and technology.

Luminescent properties and recent progress in applications of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks

Lanthanide metal-organic frameworks(Ln-MOFs), which is composed of organic bridging ligands and Ln3+ions/clusters, is an important component of luminescent MOFs. Compared with transition metal ions,lanthanide ions have a higher coordination number and abundant coordination geometry. Moreover, LnMOFs have special characteristics such as good porosity, topological diversity, high surface area and highly adjustable structure. The energy transfer(ET) process in Ln-MOFs could be easily affected by the interaction between host framework and guest, resulting in the change of luminescence intensity or color. Over the past few decades, the features of Ln-MOFs open the door to a range of incredibly important applications. However, there are few reviews on systemic summary of the various applications of Ln-MOFs. In this paper, we summarized the latest progress of Ln-MOFs applications, including the Ln-MOFs in chemical and biological sensors, optical information devices and catalysis, respectively, and discussed design mechanism. The possible problems in current research are briefly prospected, hoping to provide some helpful guidance for the future development of Ln-MOF materials.