INSPIRESat-1 Nanosat Mission

The INSPIRE, International Satellite Program in Research and Education, is a group of six institutes namely Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), USA, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), India, National Central University (NCU), Taiwan. Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, Le Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), France. Three institutions LASP, IIST and NCU are developing the first satellite of the program called the INSPIRESat-1, whose mission details and design are presented in this paper. The paper gives the details of payload, its mode of operations and its interface with other subsystems, Command and Data Handling (C&DH) system and its capabilities, Electrical Power Supply (EPS) subsystem, access and power analysis, and modes of operation. It also describes Flight Software (FSW), communication, Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), and structures

INSPIRESat-1: An Ionosphere and Solar X-ray Observing MicroSat

The International Satellite Program in Research and Education’s (INSPIRE) first satellite is an Ionosphere and Solar X-ray observing microsat slated for launch in November of 2019 onboard an ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The microsat has a mission specific structure fitting on a PSLV ring deployer. There are two payloads aboard with two different science objectives. The Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP) will take in-situ measurements of ion density, composition, temperature, velocity, and electron temperature. The CIP is a smaller version of the Advanced Ionosphere Probe (AIP, both developed in Taiwan) currently operating onboard the FORMOSat-5. This instrument is capable of sampling the ionosphere at 1 and 8 Hz. The second payload is the Dual Aperture X-ray Solar spectrometer (DAXSS). DAXSS is a modified Amptek X123 that will observe Solar X-rays, specifically soft X-rays. Hot plasma in the sun’s corona is best measured in the soft X-rays. Many emission lines for important elements (Fe, Si, Mg, S, etc) are in the soft X-ray range. Soft X-rays are always present in the sun but 100 times brighter during flares, these observations will also lend to understanding the temperature difference between the sun’s corona and photosphere. The solar soft x-rays are also important for the Earth’s Ionosphere, adding to the ionosphere observations made by CIP. The DAXSS instrument has heritage from a NASA calibration rocket experiment and two cubesats, MINXSS 1 and 2. The newer model Amptek X123 has much improved energy resolution for the X-ray spectrum. The primary science objectives of the INSPIRESat-1 are twofold. First, enabling the characterization of the temporal and spatial distributions of small-scale plasma irregularities like plasma bubbles and the Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM) in season, location, and time by CIP. Second, giving a greater understanding of why the Sun’s corona is orders of magnitude hotter than the photosphere, why there is an abundance of elements change during different solar events, and how these events (observed with greater soft x-ray fidelity) effect the earth’s ionosphere. In this paper, we present science expectations for the INSPIRESat-1 and a concept for coordinated Ionospheric measurements covering several altitudes and local times using three satellite platforms carrying the same CIP instrument (INSPIRESat-1, IDEASat/INSPIRESat-2, INSPIRESat-4, FORMOSat-5). We describe the development of DAXSS and how the dual aperture prevents the need for two X123 to get the similar data. We also highlight the unique development of the INSPIRESat-1 microsat being developed by international collaboration across three different universities

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

A Preliminary Design for the INSPIRESat-1 Mission and Satellite Bus: Exploring the Middle and Upper Atmosphere with CubeSats

Spanning an altitude range from 20 – 1000 km, the Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere forms the interface between the Earth system and near Earth space. Driven by solar activity, geomagnetic storms, as well as waves and tides propagating upward from below, the winds and temperatures in this region have important implications both for the Low Earth Orbit space environment, as well as understanding vertical coupling processes in the atmosphere as a whole. However, existing satellite measurements of this region are limited both in spatial and temporal coverage. There is therefore a need for compact sounding payloads that may be deployed using small satellites satisfying the payload requirements. As part of the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), we present a preliminary design and analysis for INSPIRESat-1: a CubeSat mission carrying the Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS) instrument being co-developed by CU LASP, GATS and Brandywine Photonics. This design for INSPIRESat-1 was spearheaded by students from National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan, in collaboration with Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO). The final design for INSPIRESat-1 will be based upon this design, in conjunction with parallel designs from other universities participating in the INSPIRE consortium

A Methodology of Retrieving Volume Emission Rate from Limb-Viewed Airglow Emission Intensity by Combining the Techniques of Abel Inversion and Deep Learning

The conversion of airglow intensity to volume emission rate (VER) is a common method for studying the ionosphere, but the contribution of the intensity conversion process to the uncertainty in estimated electron or ion density is significant. The Abel inversion is a commonly used method for retrieving VERs from vertical profiles of airglow intensities accumulated along the rays horizontally at the tangent point, but it requires that the intensities converge to zero at their uppermost height, which is often not the case due to observational limitations. In this study, we present a method for optimizing the retrieval of VER from satellite-measured airglow intensities using the techniques of deep learning and Abel inversion. This method can be applied to fill in unobserved or discontinuous observations in airglow intensity profiles with the Chapman function, allowing them to be used with the Abel inversion to determine VERs. We validate the method using limb 135.6 nm airglow emission intensity data from the NASA Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission. Our training process involves using three hidden layers with varying numbers of neurons, and we compare the performance of the best-performing deep learning models to Abel-transformed results from real-time observations. The combination of Abel inversion and deep learning has the potential to optimize the process of converting intensity to VER and improve the capacity for analyzing ionospheric observations

Synergistic activation of lamellar bismuth selenide anchored functionalized carbon nanofiber for detecting hazardous carbendazim in environmental water samples

Pesticides pollute natural water reservoirs through persistent accumulation. Therefore, their toxicity and degradability are serious issues. Carbendazim (CBZ) is a pesticide used against fungal infections in agricultural crops, and its overexploitation detrimentally affects aquatic ecosystems and organisms. It is necessary to design a logical, efficient, and field-deployable method for monitoring the amount of CBZ in environmental samples. Herein, a nano-engineered bismuth selenide (Bi Se )/functionalized carbon nanofiber (f-CNF) nanocomposite was utilized as an electrocatalyst to fabricate an electrochemical sensing platform for CBZ. Bi Se /f-CNF exhibited a substantial electroactive surface area, high electrocatalytic activity, and high conductivity owing to the synergistic interaction of Bi Se with f-CNF. The structural chemical compositions and morphology of the Bi Se /f-CNF nanocomposite were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Electrochemical analysis was carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The voltammetry and impedance experiments exposed that the Bi Se /f-CNF-modified GCE has attained adequate electrocatalytic function with amended features of electron transportation (R  = 35.93 Ω) and improved reaction sites (0.082 cm ) accessible by CBZ moiety along with exemplary electrochemical stability (98.92%). The Bi Se /f-CNF nanocomposite exhibited higher sensitivity of 0.2974 μA μM cm and a remarkably low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.04 nM at a broad linera range 0.001-100 μM. The practicability of the nanocomposite was tested in environmental (tap and pond water) samples, which supports excellent signal amplification with satisfactory recoveries. Hence, the Bi Se /f-CNF nanocomposite is a promising electrode modifier for detecting CBZ

The INSPIRESat-1: mission, science, and engineering

INSPIRESat-1 (IS-1) is a small scientific satellite being developed jointly by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the United States, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in India, the National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. This paper describes the science objectives of the IS-1 mission, the engineering and current development status. The IS-1 has completed all functional and performance tests as well as all environmental tests. The spacecraft is manifested on the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-52 mission in 2021. The IS-1 carries two scientific instruments: the Compact Ionospheric Probe (CIP) developed at NCU for studying Earth's dynamic ionosphere and the Dual-zone Aperture X-ray Solar Spectrometer (DAXSS) developed at LASP for studying the highly-variable solar X-ray radiation. It also carries a Command and Data Handling board developed by IIST. The primary science objectives of the INSPIRESat-1 are twofold. First, using CIP to characterize the temporal and spatial distributions of small-scale plasma irregularities like plasma bubbles in the ionosphere. Secondly, IS-1 aims to provide a greater understanding of why the Sun's corona is orders of magnitude hotter than the photosphere, why there is an abundance of elements change during different solar events, and how these events (observed with greater soft x-ray fidelity) affect the earth's ionosphere. The International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE) is a consortium of universities with active space programs, formed to advance space science and engineering.Nanyang Technological UniversityThe INSPIRE program was created and IS-1 was primarily developed through funding from the University of Colorado INSPIRE grant. IIST acknowledges funding from the Indian Department of Space and support from the Indian Space Research Organization for funding and review. LCC acknowledges support from grants 105-2111-M-008 -001 -MY3 and 108-2636-M-008-002 from the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology, the Higher Education Deep Cultivation Grant for the NCU Center for Astronautical Physics and Engineering from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, and contract NSPO-S-106035 from the Taiwan National Space Organization. AC acknowledges support from NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Start-Up grant

Altered corticospinal function during movement preparation in humans with spinal cord injury

KEY POINTS: In uninjured humans, transmission in the corticospinal pathway changes in a task‐dependent manner during movement preparation. We investigated whether this ability is preserved in humans with incomplete chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Our results show that corticospinal excitability is altered in the preparatory phase of an upcoming movement when there is a need to suppress but not to execute rapid index finger voluntary contractions in individuals with SCI compared with controls. This is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level after SCI. Overall our findings indicate that deficits in corticospinal transmission in humans with chronic incomplete SCI are also present in the preparatory phase of upcoming movements. ABSTRACT: Corticospinal output is modulated in a task‐dependent manner during the preparatory phase of upcoming movements in humans. Whether this ability is preserved after spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. In this study, we examined motor evoked potentials elicited by cortical (MEPs) and subcortical (CMEPs) stimulation of corticospinal axons and short‐interval intracortical inhibition in the first dorsal interosseous muscle in the preparatory phase of a reaction time task where individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI and age‐matched controls needed to suppress (NOGO) or initiate (GO) ballistic index finger isometric voluntary contractions. Reaction times were prolonged in SCI participants compared with control subjects and stimulation was provided ∼90 ms prior to movement onset in each group. During NOGO trials, both MEPs and CMEPs remained unchanged compared to baseline in SCI participants but were suppressed in control subjects. Notably, during GO trials, MEPs increased to a similar extent in both groups but CMEPs increased only in controls. The magnitude of short‐interval intracortical inhibition increased in controls but not in SCI subjects during NOGO trials and decreased in both groups in GO trials. These novel observations reveal that humans with incomplete cervical SCI have an altered ability to modulate corticospinal excitability during movement preparation when there is a need to suppress but not to execute upcoming rapid finger movements, which is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level. Thus, deficits in corticospinal transmission after human SCI extend to the preparatory phase of upcoming movements