In-situ analysis of 1.9 Ga chert with a miniature mass spectrometer for space: Chemical profiling of microfossils preserved in the host mineral

Stars and planetary system

Chemical identification of microfossils from Gunflint chert (1.88 Ga) with spaceborne Mass Spectrometer

Stars and planetary system

Capabilities of a space-born laser mass spectrometer for detection of planetary microsized-fossils

Instrumentatio

Productivity of corn Ross 140 depending on the level of the chemicalization of zonal soils of the republic of Tatarstan

It is known that one and the same corn plant material can be used to produce silage, cornage, milled grain, or grain for fodder. Each of them contains completely different amounts of nutrients and a wide range of gross yield of fodder units. The results of the research show the direct dependence of the choice of corn use on zonal features of the soil cover and the existing level of chemicalization of agricultural formations of the Republic of Tatarstan, which are considered in detail in this paper. Thus, in order to produce the ploughed grain or corn with the gross harvest of fodder units 7.94–8.82 t/ha and profitability of 78.7% on leached chernozems, which account for 38% of soils of the Republic of Tatarstan, it is recommended to cultivate corn using the complex application of agromeliorants and calculated norms of mineral fertilizers. Liming of acidic dark gray and gray forest soils with phosphorite and zeolite application in combination with NPK provides increase in gross harvest of fodder units of corn silage from 4.22 to 6.13 and 3.34 to 5.86 t/ha respectively. The high efficiency of agrochemicals application on corn crops and forage harvesting of different types of fodder taking into account zonal features of soil cover of the Republic of Tatarstan is also confirmed by economic indicators. The profitability of production of rolled grain reaches the maximum value (78.8%) in the variant with liming and phosphating of leached chernozem combined with the application of mineral fertilizers in rates calculated for obtaining the planned 35 t/ha of green mass. At the same time, on dark gray and gray forest soils as the yield of green mass increases under the influence of agromeliorants the total costs of silage production increases by 13.1 and 16.5 thousand rubles/ha compared with the control variants of the experiment (without agrochemicals). However, the costs of production of 1 000 fodder units are reduced to 9.9 and 10.4 thousand rubles respectively, provided that the sale price is about14 thousand rubles

Direct Laser Desorption of Amino Acids using LIMS

Stars and planetary system

Toward Detecting Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Planetary Objects with ORIGIN

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found on various planetary surfaces in the solar system. They are proposed to play a role in the emergence of life, as molecules that are important for biological processes could be derived from them. In this work, four PAHs (pyrene, perylene, anthracene, and coronene) were measured using the ORganics Information Gathering INstrument system (ORIGIN), a lightweight laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometer designed for space exploration missions. In this contribution, we demonstrate the current measurement capabilities of ORIGIN in detecting PAHs at different concentrations and applied laser pulse energies. Furthermore, we show that chemical processing of the PAHs during measurement is limited and that the parent mass can be detected in the majority of cases. The instrument achieves a 3σ detection limit in the order of femtomol mm−2 for all four PAHs, with the possibility of further increasing this sensitivity. This work illustrates the potential of ORIGIN as an instrument for the detection of molecules important for the emergence or presence of life, especially when viewed in combination with previous results by the instrument, such as the identification of amino acids. ORIGIN could be used on a lander or rover platform for future in situ missions to targets in the solar system, such as the icy moons of Jupiter or Saturn

Understanding Russia's return to the Middle East

Over recent years, there has been a significant resurgence of Russian power and influence in the Middle East, which has been evident in the diplomatic and military intervention into Syria. This article identifies the principal factors behind Russia’s return to the region. First, there are domestic political influences with the coincidence of the uprisings in the Middle East, the so-called ‘Arab Spring,’ with large-scale domestic opposition protests within Russia during the elections in 2011–2012. Second, there is the role of ideas, most notably the growing anti-Westernism in Putin’s third presidential term, along with Russia’s own struggle against Islamist terrorism. These ideational factors contributed to Russia’s resolve to support the Assad government against both Western intervention and its domestic Islamist opposition. Third, Russia has benefited from a pragmatic and flexible approach in its engagement with the region. Moscow seeks to ensure that it is a critical actor for all the various states and political movements in the Middle East

Towards detecting carbon chemistry on planetary objects with the ORIGIN space instrument

Instrumentatio

Russia and the Arab Spring: supporting the counter-revolution

Russia’s response to the Arab Spring ranged from apprehension to deep anxiety and diverged significantly from the US and the EU responses. While initially welcoming the popular demands for political reform in North Africa, the Russian reaction rapidly became more critical as a result of Western military intervention into Libya and the threat of the spread of Islamist extremism. It was these twin fears which prompted the Russian leadership to adopt an uncompromizing stance towards Syria. While geopolitical factors certainly played a role in driving Russian strategy, domestic political factors were also more significant. As the Russian leadership felt internally threatened by the growing opposition within the country, conflict in the Middle East highlighted the perceived flaws of the imposition of Western liberal democracy and the virtues of Russia’s own model of state-managed political order. There was, as such, a significant ideational and ideological dimension to the Russian response to the Arab Spring

DEVELOPMENT OF A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR AN INNOVATION PROJECT

The transition to the innovative type of development in particular and the innovative economy in general is expected to facilitate movement to the new tenor of technology for the Russian Federation. This, in turn, would allow the country to compete on an equal basis with other developed economies. Therefore, the issue of handling innovations is particularly important today. The paper describes a methodology for modifying the existing development standards using the UNIDO method as an example. The proposed version of a feasibility study to be submitted to potential investors makes it more accessible to inventors, and hence enhances their ability to bring their innovations to the market, which to a certain degree could give impetus to the development of the whole economic system of the country