The Moon: Biogenic elements

The specific objectives of the organic chemical exploration of the Moon involve the search for molecules of possible biological or prebiological origin. Detailed knowledge of the amount, distribution, and exact structure of organic compounds present on the Moon is extremely important to our understanding of the origin and history of the Moon and to its relationship to the history of the Earth and solar system. Specifically, such knowledge is essential for determining whether life on the Moon exists, ever did exist, or could develop. In the absence of life or organic matter, it is still essential to determine the abundance, distribution, and origin of the biogenic elements (e.g., H, C, O, N, S, P) in order to understand how the planetary environment may have influenced the course of chemical evolution. The history and scope of this effort is presented

Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples

This volume contains abstracts that have been accepted by the Program Committee for presentation at the Workshop on Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples, held in Milpitas, California, January 16-18, 1989. Conveners are Sherwood Chang (NASA Ames Research Center) and Larry Nyquist (NASA Johnson Space Center). Program Committee members are Thomas Ahrens (ex-officio; California Institute of Technology), Lou Allamandola (NASA Ames Research Center), David Blake (NASA Ames Research Center), Donald Brownlee (University of Washington, Seattle), Theodore E. Bunch (NASA Ames Research Center), Humberto Campins (Planetary Science Institute), Jeff Cuzzi (NASA Ames Research Center), Eberhard Griin (Max-Plank-Institut fiir Kemphysik), Martha Hanner (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Alan Harris (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), John Kerrid-e (University of Califomia, Los Angeles), Yves Langevin (University of Paris), Gerhard Schwehm (ESTEC), and Paul Weissman (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Logistics and administrative support for the workshop were provided by the Lunar and Planetary Institute Projects Office

The Impact and Oxidation Survival of Selected Meteoritic Compounds: Signatures of Asteroid Organic Material on Planetary Surfaces

Polar, non-volatile organic compounds may be present on the surfaces (or near surfaces) of multiple Solar System bodies. If found, by current or future missions, it would be desirable to determine the origin(s) of such compounds, e.g., asteroidal or in situ. To test the possible survival of meteoritic compounds both during impacts with planetary surfaces and under subsequent (possibly) harsh ambient conditions, we subjected known meteoritic compounds to relatively high impact-shock pressures and/or to varying oxidizing/corrosive conditions. Tested compounds include sulfonic and phosphonic acids (S&P), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) amino acids, keto acids, dicarboxylic acids, deoxy sugar acids, and hydroxy tricarboxylic acids (Table 1). Meteoritic sulfonic acids were found to be relatively abundant in the Murchison meteorite and to possess unusual S-33 isotope anomalies (non mass-dependent isotope fractionations). Combined with distinctive C-S and C-P bonds, the S&P are potential signatures of asteroidal organic material

Localized and controlled delivery of nitric oxide to the conventional outflow pathway via enzyme biocatalysis: towards therapy for Glaucoma

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to lower intraocular pressure (IOP), however its therapeutic effects on outflow physiology are location- and dose-dependent. Here, a NO delivery platform that directly targets the resistance-generating region of the conventional outflow pathway and locally liberates a controlled dose of NO is reported. An increase in outflow facility (decrease in IOP) is demonstrated in mouse model

Carbon in the Galaxy: Studies from Earth and Space

Presented here is the text of the invited papers presented during a meeting entitled, Carbon in the Galaxy: Studies from Earth and Space, that was held at NASA Ames Research Center on November 5 and 6, 1987. For completeness, abstracts from all of the poster papers and the text of a paper summarizing what was learned during the course of the meeting are also included. The underlying premise for the meeting was that there is much to be gained by bringing together scientists from very different disciplines, all of whom study carbon in different ways for different reasons. The interchanges took place during the meeting and the contents of the enclosed papers validate that premise

Sulfur and Hydrogen Isotope Anomalies in Meteorite Sulfonic Acids

Intramolecular carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios were measured on a homologous series of organic sulfonic acids discovered in the Murchison meteorite. Mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionations were observed along with high deuterium/hydrogen ratios. The deuterium enrichments indicate formation of the hydrocarbon portion of these compounds in a low-temperature environment that is consistent with that of interstellar clouds. Sulfur-33 enrichments observed in methanesulfonic acid could have resulted from gas-phase ultraviolet irradiation of a precursor, carbon disulfide. The source of the sulfonic acid precursors may have been the reactive interstellar molecule carbon monosulfide

The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva: A post-embryonic gene regulatory network controlling organogenesis

The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva is an elegant model for dissecting a gene regulatory network (GRN) that directs postembryonic organogenesis. The mature vulva comprises seven cell types (vulA, vulB1, vulB2, vulC, vulD, vulE, and vulF), each with its own unique pattern of spatial and temporal gene expression. The mechanisms that specify these cell types in a precise spatial pattern are not well understood. Using reverse genetic screens, we identified novel components of the vulval GRN, including nhr-113 in vulA. Several transcription factors (lin-11, lin-29, cog-1, egl-38, and nhr-67) interact with each other and act in concert to regulate target gene expression in the diverse vulval cell types. For example, egl-38 (Pax2/5/8) stabilizes the vulF fate by positively regulating vulF characteristics and by inhibiting characteristics associated with the neighboring vulE cells. nhr-67 and egl-38 regulate cog-1, helping restrict its expression to vulE. Computational approaches have been successfully used to identify functional cis-regulatory motifs in the zmp-1 (zinc metalloproteinase) promoter. These results provide an overview of the regulatory network architecture for each vulval cell type

Inhibition of prostatic epithelial cell proliferation by a factor secreted specifically by prostatic stromal cells

Stromal cells from the prostate were recently shown to inhibit clonal growth of the prostatic carcinoma cell lines PC-3 (hormone-independent) and LNCaP (hormone-sensitive) in coculture. Our study revealed that stromal cell-conditioned medium strongly inhibited proliferation of PC-3 and LNCaP cells when grown in monolayer culture. Antiproliferative activity was found to be reversible, and was produced specifically by prostatic stromal cells and not by stromal cells derived from skin, foreskin, uterus, kidney, and Wilms' tumor. Inhibition was not species-specific, since the cell lines AT-2.1 and MATLyLu, derived from the Dunning rat prostate tumor, were also sensitive. No inhibition, however, occurred on breast and renal carcinoma cell lines, suggesting a prostate-specific action. The putative inhibiting factor(s) could be concentrated and partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The possible role in stromal control of epithelial cell proliferation is discussed

Visualization of conventional outflow tissue responses to netarsudil in living mouse eyes

AbstractVisual impairment due to glaucoma currently impacts 70 million people worldwide. While disease progression can be slowed or stopped with effective lowering of intraocular pressure, current medical treatments are often inadequate. Fortunately, three new classes of therapeutics that target the diseased conventional outflow tissue responsible for ocular hypertension are in the final stages of human testing. The rho kinase inhibitors have proven particularly efficacious and additive to current therapies. Unfortunately, non-contact technology that monitors the health of outflow tissue and its response to conventional outflow therapy is not available clinically. Using optical coherence tomographic (OCT) imaging and novel segmentation software, we present the first demonstration of drug effects on conventional outflow tissues in living eyes. Topical netarsudil (formerly AR-13324), a rho kinase/ norepinephrine transporter inhibitor, affected both proximal (trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s Canal) and distal portions (intrascleral vessels) of the mouse conventional outflow tract. Hence, increased perfusion of outflow tissues was reliably resolved by OCT as widening of the trabecular meshwork and significant increases in cross-sectional area of Schlemm’s canal following netarsudil treatment. These changes occurred in conjunction with increased outflow facility, increased speckle variance intensity of outflow vessels, increased tracer deposition in conventional outflow tissues and decreased intraocular pressure. This is the first report using live imaging to show real-time drug effects on conventional outflow tissues and specifically the mechanism of action of netarsudil in mouse eyes. Advancements here pave the way for development of a clinic-friendly OCT platform for monitoring glaucoma therapy

Reactive hyperemia is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in heart failure

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Impaired endothelial function, as assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), is an established risk factor for cardiovascular events. FMD is impaired in heart failure (HF) patients, but less is known about hyperemic brachial artery flow. We investigated the relationship between FMD and hyperemic flow with adverse clinical outcomes in HF patients. Methods Brachial artery FMD and hyperemic flow were assessed in 156 patients (70.5 % Male; 45.5% Caucasian; mean age (± SD) = 56.2 (±12.4) years) with HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the potential explanatory association of FMD and hyperemic flow with the composite outcome of death or cardiovascular hospitalization over a median 5-year follow-up period. Results Both FMD and hyperemic flow were negatively correlated with age, but unrelated to sex, race, body mass index, LVEF or N-terminal pro-B-Type natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP). Reduced hyperemic flow, but not FMD, was associated with an increased risk of death or cardiac hospitalization after controlling for traditional risk factors. Conclusion The association of reduced hyperemic flow with increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes suggests that micro-vascular function may be an important prognostic marker in patients with HF