Joint Observatories Kavli Science Forum

The Joint Observatories Kavli Science Forum in Chile was organised in a hybrid mode with the aim of encouraging collaborations, not only with the Chilean institutions but also between the different observing facilities based in Chile. The meeting featured scientific talks showing results obtained with the astronomical facilities based in Chile, but significant time was also dedicated to round-table discussions on Life Balance, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, and the Road Ahead (i.e., the future of those Chile-based facilities).Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, Conference Repor

The orbital period of the recurrent nova V2487 Oph revealed

We present the first reliable determination of the orbital period of the recurrent nova V2487 Oph (Nova Oph 1998). We derived a value of $0.753 \pm 0.016$ d ($18.1 \pm 0.4$ h) from the radial velocity curve of the intense He II $\lambda$4686 emission line as detected in time-series X-shooter spectra. The orbital period is significantly shorter than earlier claims, but it makes V2487 Oph one of the longest period cataclysmic variables known. The spectrum of V2487 Oph is prolific in broad Balmer absorptions that resemble a white dwarf spectrum. However, we show that they come from the accretion disc viewed at low inclination. Although highly speculative, the analysis of the radial velocity curves provides a binary mass ratio $q \approx 0.16$ and a donor star mass $M_2 \approx 0.21$ M$_\odot$, assuming the reported white dwarf mass $M_1 = 1.35$ M$_\odot$. A subgiant M-type star is tentatively suggested as the donor star. We were lucky to inadvertently take some of the spectra when V2487 Oph was in a flare state. During the flare, we detected high-velocity emission in the Balmer and He II $\lambda$4686 lines exceeding $-2000$ km s$^{-1}$ at close to orbital phase 0.4. Receding emission up to $1200$ km s$^{-1}$ at about phase 0.3 is also observed. The similarities with the magnetic cataclysmic variables may point to magnetic accretion on to the white dwarf during the repeating flares.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (October 9, 2023

New 9-Terpenyl(7-Terpenyl)Purines: synthesis and cytotoxicity

The purine ring system is one of the most widely distributed N-heterocycles in Nature [1] and many structurally modified purine nucleosides and nucleotides have activities ranging from antineoplastic and antiviral to antihypertensive, antiasthmatic, antituberculosis, etc [2]. Among the purine derivatives, we have put our attention on natural N-alkylpurines such as the asmarines or agelasimines, a group of secondary metabolites isolated from marine sponges with very interesting biological properties [3]. They have a diterpenoid moiety attached to the N-7 nitrogen atom of an adenine and are usually isolated in very small quantities, which limited their structure-activity relationship studies. Our research group has been involved for years in the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of cytotoxic compounds related to natural products, including the chemoinduction of bioactivity on inactive terpenoids [4]. These diterpenoid include compounds such as communic or cupressic acids that bear decaline moieties very close to those present in the above-mentioned marine natural products. These facts prompted us to design and prepare new terpenylpurine derivatives starting from natural monoterpenoids and diterpenoids, commercially available or isolated from their natural sources and transformed into appropriate alkylated agents. Thus, we have prepared purines alkylated at N-7 and N-9 positions with isoprenoids, monoterpenoids and diterpenoids, using two different synthetic approaches: from 6-chloropurine or from 4,5-diamine-6-chloropyrimidine. The structure of the synthesized purines are shown in the following figure. The purine analogues synthesized have been evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four tumour human cell lines (breast, non-small lung, cervical and hepatocellular carcinoma) and non-tumour cells (porcine liver primary cells). The most cytotoxic derivatives were those with a diterpenoid rest on the purine. The results obtained allowed to draw conclusions on the structure-activity relationship of the compounds in order to evaluate the influence of the terpenyl size on their cytotoxic properties

Disacáridos cianogénicos y benzoilados en hojas de Psydrax Locuples

Las plantas del género Psydrax y otras Rubiaceas relacionadas son usadas en la medicina popular africana frente a malaria, fiebre, dolores de cabeza, reumatismos, diarrea, conjuntivitis, micosis y otros cuadros infecciosos. Apenas existe bibliografía fitoquímica sobre este género: únicamente tres compuestos en la especie Psydrax livida [1]. Recientemente hemos comunicado las propiedades antioxidantes y citotóxicas de los extractos obtenidos de hojas de Psydrax locuples, planta arbórea utilizada particularmente en Mozambique para tratar la “doença da lua” en niños y recién nacidos, un síndrome relacionado con la epilepsia caracterizado por fiebre, vómitos, diarrea, dolor de cabeza y cólicos abdominales [2]. A partir del extracto de acetato de etilo de sus hojas se han aislado, mediante sucesivas cromatografías en columna y cromatografías en capa fina preparativas, varios disacáridos acetilados con estructura de (2R)-β-D-apiofuranosil-(1→6)-β-Dglucopiranosa. Estos disacáridos se pueden clasificar en dos familias en función de si el hidroxilo de la posición 1 de la β-D-glucopiranosa se encuentra benzoilado o si se encuentra unido a un residuo de mandelonitrilo formando glicósidos cianogénicos relacionados con la oxyanthina presente en Psydrax livida [1].Estos disacáridos son prácticamente desconocidos en el reino vegetal, tanto los benzoilados como los cianogénicos, siendo la mayoría nuevos productos naturales

A revised view of the Canis Major stellar overdensity with DECam and Gaia: new evidence of a stellar warp of blue stars

We present DECam imaging combined with Gaia DR2 data to study the Canis Major overdensity. The presence of the so-called Blue Plume stars in a low-pollution area of the color-magnitude diagram allows us to derive the distance and proper motions of this stellar feature along the line of sight of its hypothetical core. The stellar overdensity extends on a large area of the sky at low Galactic latitudes, below the plane, and between 230$^\circ < \ell < 255^\circ$. According to the orbit derived for Canis Major, it presents an on-plane rotation around the Milky Way. Moreover, additional overdensities of Blue Plume stars are found around the plane and across the Galaxy, proving that these objects are not only associated with that structure. The spatial distribution of these stars, derived using Gaia astrometric data, confirms that the detection of the Canis Major overdensity results more from the warped structure of the Milky Way disk than from the accretion of a dwarf galaxy.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA