Deep Space Missions for Small Satellites

Small satellites, with masses well under 100 kg, can perform useful deep space science missions for costs similar to those of low earth orbit and geosynchronous smallsats. Space Explorations has identified several interesting missions for smallsats, with the objective of developing turnkey space-science packages which would have a cost to the customer of $10,000,000 and be operable by one or a few people. We have analyzed one mission, a Lunar Polar Photographic Orbiter, in great detail over the last year. We conclude that it is commercially and scientifically feasible to produce a small lunar satellite which is capable of doing extensive, high-resolution photography of the moon. The LPPO would photograph those portions of the moon which have never been observed, at resolutions of 30 m, and it would remap the entire far southern quadrant of the moon at 100 times the resolution of existing maps

Intermolecular interactions in N-(ferrocenylmethyl)anthracene-9-carboxamide

The title compound, [Fe(C₅H₅)(C₂₁H₁₆NO)], was synthesized from the coupling reaction of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid and ferrocenylmethylamine. The ferrocenyl (Fc) group and the anthracene ring system both lie approximately orthogonal to the amide moiety. An amide-amide interaction (along the a axis) is the principal interaction [N...O = 2.910 (2) Å]. A C-H...π(arene) interaction [C...centroid = 3.573 (2) Å] and a C-H...O interaction [C...O = 3.275 (3) Å] complete the hydrogen bonding; two short (Fc)C...C(anthracene) contacts are also present

Full spectral fitting of Milky Way and M31 globular clusters: ages and metallicities

Context: The formation and evolution of disk galaxies are long standing questions in Astronomy. Understanding the properties of globular cluster systems can lead to important insights on the evolution of its host galaxy. Aims: We aim to obtain the stellar population parameters - age and metallicity - of a sample of M31 and Galactic globular clusters. Studying their globular cluster systems is an important step towards understanding their formation and evolution in a complete way. Methods: Our analysis employs a modern pixel-to-pixel spectral fitting technique to fit observed integrated spectra to updated stellar population models. By comparing observations to models we obtain the ages and metallicities of their stellar populations. We apply this technique to a sample of 38 globular clusters in M31 and to 41 Galactic globular clusters, used as a control sample. Results: Our sample of M31 globular clusters spans ages from 150 Myr to the age of the Universe. Metallicities [Fe/H] range from -2.2 dex to the solar value. The age-metallicity relation obtained can be described as having two components: an old population with a flat age-[Fe/H] relation, possibly associated with the halo and/or bulge, and a second one with a roughly linear relation between age and metallicity, higher metallicities corresponding to younger ages, possibly associated with the M31 disk. While we recover the very well known Galactic GC metallicity bimodality, our own analysis of M31's metallicity distribution function (MDF) suggests that both GC systems cover basically the same [Fe/H] range yet M31's MDF is not clearly bimodal. These results suggest that both galaxies experienced different star formation and accretion histories.Comment: A&A, in pres

Preface - Creativity and HCI: From Experience to Design in Education

Abstract included in text

SHCal04 Southern Hemisphere Calibration, 0–11.0 cal kyr BP

Recent measurements on dendrochronologically-dated wood from the Southern Hemisphere have shown that there are differences between the structural form of the radiocarbon calibration curves from each hemisphere. Thus, it is desirable, when possible, to use calibration data obtained from secure dendrochronologically-dated wood from the corresponding hemisphere. In this paper, we outline the recent work and point the reader to the internationally recommended data set that should be used for future calibration of Southern Hemisphere ¹⁴C dates

Long Term Interactions of Microorganisms and Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil in Tundra Soils at Barrow, Alaska

Oil was recovered from tundra soils two and seven years after spillage. Oil persisted in the upper soil layer. The depth of penetration appears to depend on soil moisture and drainage characteristics. Maximal penetration seems to occur within one year of spillage. Biodegradation of the oil was indicated by changes in the ratio of gas chromatographically resolved to unresolved components. Individual components appear to be preferentially degraded, but no evidence was found for significant preferential degradation of structural classes of hydrocarbons. Numbers of microorganisms were different in oil contaminated and reference soils generally showing continued enrichment, but in some soils showing inhibition of microbial populations

Integrated functions among multiple starch synthases determine both amylopectin chain length and branch linkage location in Arabidopsis leaf starch

This study assessed the impact on starch metabolism in Arabidopsis leaves of simultaneously eliminating multiple soluble starch synthases (SS) from among SS1, SS2, and SS3. Double mutant ss1- ss2- or ss1- ss3- lines were generated using confirmed null mutations. These were compared to the wild type, each single mutant, and ss1- ss2- ss3- triple mutant lines grown in standardized environments. Double mutant plants developed similarly to the wild type, although they accumulated less leaf starch in both short-day and long-day diurnal cycles. Despite the reduced levels in the double mutants, lines containing only SS2 and SS4, or SS3 and SS4, are able to produce substantial amounts of starch granules. In both double mutants the residual starch was structurally modified including higher ratios of amylose:amylopectin, altered glucan chain length distribution within amylopectin, abnormal granule morphology, and altered placement of α(1→6) branch linkages relative to the reducing end of each linear chain. The data demonstrate that SS activity affects not only chain elongation but also the net result of branch placement accomplished by the balanced activities of starch branching enzymes and starch debranching enzymes. SS3 was shown partially to overlap in function with SS1 for the generation of short glucan chains within amylopectin. Compensatory functions that, in some instances, allow continued residual starch production in the absence of specific SS classes were identified, probaby accomplished by the granule bound starch synthase GBSS1.ANR Génoplante GPLA0611GEuropean Union-FEDER, Région Nord Pas de Calais ARCir PlantTEQ5National Science Foundation DBI-0209789Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología BIO2009-07040Junta de Andalucía P09-CVI-470

Computational Predictive and Electrochemical Detection of Metabolites (CP-EDM) of Piperine

In this article we introduce a proof of concept strategy: Computational Predictive and Electrochemical Detection of Metabolites (CP-EDM) to expedite the discovery of drug metabolites. The use of a bioactive natural product, piperine, that has a well curated metabolite profile but has an unpredictable computational metabolism (Biotransformer v3.0) was selected. We developed an electrochemical reaction to oxidise piperine into a range of metabolites, which were detected by LC-MS. In turn, a series of chemically plausible metabolites were predicted based on ion-fragmentation patterns. These metabolites were docked into the active site of CYP3A4 using Autodock4.2 From the clustered low-energy profile of piperine in the active site it can be inferred that the most likely metabolic position of piperine (based on intermolecular distances to the Fe-oxo active site) is the benzo[d][1,3]dioxole motif. The metabolic profile was confirmed by literature comparison and the electrochemical reaction delivered plausible metabolites vide infra. Thus, demonstrating the power of the hyphenated technique of tandem electrochemical detection and computational evaluation of binding poses. Taken together, we outline a novel approach where diverse data sources are combined to predict and confirm a metabolic outcome for a bioactive structure