Role of trace metal ions in chemical evolution. The case of free-radical reactions.

We have studied the effect of iron in the free-radical oligomerization of hydrogen cyanide and acetic acid, and found that iron(II) and iron(III) readily reduces or oxidizes free radicals, respectively. The transient species produced by these reactions do not induce a chain oligomerization process and, therefore, they protect the solute molecules from degradation. Analysis of the available kinetic data for the reactions of a variety of transition metal ions with free radicals indicate that transition metal ions behave similarly to iron. Since Fe, Zn and Mo are essential to all living organisms, and there seems to be no apparent difference in chemical reactivity among transition metal ions towards free radicals, we suggest that these metal ions probably protected the biomolecules from degradation induced by free-radical reactions in the later stages of chemical evolution.     

非线性非保守耦合系统的模态分岔与稳定性

用模态的方法分析了一个具有弹性耦合项的非线性耦合Van der Pol振子系统,研究了此系统的非相似模态运动及分岔,并通过理论和数值结果对模态运动的稳定性和合成性进行了分析.研究结果表明,模态的合成能有效地模拟原系统的衰减效应,即当系统作衰减运动时,理论和数值结果之间的误差很小.然而,当系统的参数穿越某个值后,系统的模态运动方程发生Hopf分岔,产生一个稳定的极限环,此时,模态的合成失效,特别表现在相位上.     

The cometary contribution to prebiotic chemistry.

Different estimates based on dynamical considerations, lunar cratering rates, Solar System chemical abundances, and the single-impact theory on the origin of the Earth-Moon system suggest that comets and other related small, volatile-rich primitive minor bodies captured by the Earth during the early Archean must have been a major source of volatiles on our planet. It is likely that a substantial fraction of the organic molecules present in the colliding cometary nuclei, which may have included nitrogen bases and the precursors of amino acids, were destroyed due to the high temperatures and shock wave energy associated with the collision. However, the presence of H2O, CN, CH, CO, CO2 and other carbon-bearing molecules and radicals in the atmosphere of the Sun and in circumstellar shells around carbon-rich stars suggests that at least simple carbon species could have survived the cometary collisions. Under the anoxic conditions thought to prevail in the prebiotic terrestrial paleoatmosphere, the post-collisional formation of a large number of excited molecules and radicals, and the rapid quenching of the expanding gaseous ball may have led, upon rapid cooling, to the formation of molecules of biogenic elements and to their eventual deposition in localized environments where complex organic compounds of biochemical significance may have been produced and accumulated.     

利用人工神经网络预报大磁暴

本文采用阈值预报的策略和人工神经网络BP模型,以13个太阳风参量和地磁AE,Dst指数作为输入,以0或1作为输出,提前4h预报大磁暴主相发生的时刻．结果表明,采用神经网络方法的阈值预报可以对灾害性磁暴的发生提前数小时做出比较准确的预报．     

The problems of simulation of planetary systems accumulation processes

Evolution of a system consisting of a great number of bodies that are gravitationally interacting and aggregating in contacts is considered. Body motions take place in the gravitational field of a central massive body (Sun or planet) in the same plane and at the initial time of system evolution orbits of all bodies are circular. It is shown that during evolution of the protoplanetary cloud, ring zones of matter rarefaction and condensation develop. Development of the condensation zones leads to the formation of planets, the most part of which acquire a direct rotation about their axes. In the case under consideration, approximate agreement between the law of planetary distances and that of geometric progression takes place as it is observed in planetary and satellite systems. The formation of the terrestrial planets and Jovian planets has been simulated. The principal numerical results have been obtained through digital simulation of planetary accumulation.     

Analysis of post-sunset F-region vertical plasma drifts during Counter Electrojet days using multi frequency HF Doppler Radar

In this paper, through a case study, an attempt has been made to bring out the relationship between post noon E-region electric field and post sunset F-region vertical plasma drift on quiet time Counter Electrojet (CEJ) days. Study carried out using the data from a multi frequency HF Doppler Radar and Digital Ionosonde located over Trivandrum (8.5° N; 77° E; 0.5° N dip lat.) a geomagnetic dip equatorial station in India during quite time CEJ days of the years 2004 and 2006, revealed some interesting aspects of the E region electrodynamics and post sunset F region electrodynamics. It has been observed that, in contrast to the normal electrojet (EEJ) days, the Pre-Reversal Enhancement (PRE) is either weakened or inhibited on CEJ days and the field reversal takes place much earlier than that on a normal day. It is suggested that even after the effects of the field reversal ceases to show up in the ground magnetic data, the reversed field may persist and shows up as a decrease in the PRE experienced by the F-region. In other words, the study indicates that the EEJ associated electrodynamics have a significant role in controlling the PRE.     

Remote sensing techniques for monitoring and managing irrigated lands

Agriculture in semi-arid tracts of the world depends on water to sustain its irrigation systems. Such agricultural systems either derive from government investments in the control of surface flow or they have been developed through the exploitation of groundwater sometimes by a large community of unsupervised individuals seeking to maximise their own advantage without concern for the resource upon which they depend in the medium and long term. In both cases government agencies need data on the area irrigated and the volume of water used. In countries with highly developed scientific and agricultural institutions the contribution of remote sensing, though significant, may only provide between five and ten per cent of the data required to guide regional and national managers. In countries without such institutions the proportion contributed by remote sensing can be very much higher, as shown in a recent study in North Africa. The paper will emphasise the importance of carefully structured sampling procedures, both to improve the areal estimates from satellite imagery and the estimates of water use based upon them. The role of satellite imagery in providing information on the status of water resources, on trends in water use and in the implementation of policies to extend or diminish irrigated land are discussed.     

Thermal reactions in interstellar ice: A step towards molecular complexity in the interstellar medium

Complex organic molecules are widely observed in star-forming regions, although their formation mechanisms are not well understood. Solid-state chemistry is thought to play an important role, but the solid-state reaction network is poorly known. We provide a list of purely thermal reactions involving electronically stable reactants to complement existing grain chemistry networks. The kinetic parameters of the reactions are given when available. These reactions lead to the formation of complex organic molecules, which were not considered previously. Eventually, these complex molecules are either released into the gas phase or incorporated into the organic residue found in meteorites. Thermal reactions are important because they are not limited by the UV flux or the slow diffusion of the radicals, and because they involve both surface and mantle molecules. Thermal reactions represent an important step in the formation of complex organic molecules that constitute the primitive material of comets and asteroids.     

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks and cell killing by charged particles.

It has been suggested that it is not simple double-strand breaks (dsb) but the non-reparable breaks which correlate well with the high biological effectiveness of high LET radiations for cell killing (Kelland et al., 1988; Radford, 1986). We have compared the effects of charged particles on cell death in 3 pairs of cell lines which are normal or defective in the repair of DNA dsbs. For the cell lines SL3-147, M10, and SX10 which are deficient in DNA dsb repair, RBE values were close to unity for cell killing induced by charged particles with linear energy transfer (LET) up to 200 keV/micrometer and were even smaller than unity for the LET region greater than 300 keV/micrometer. The inactivation cross section (ICS) increased with LET for all 3 pairs. The ICS of dsb repair deficient mutants was always larger than that of their parents for all the LET ranges, but with increasing LET the difference in ICS between the mutant and its parent became smaller. Since a small difference in ICS remained at LET of about 300 keV/micrometer, dsb repair may still take place at this high LET, even if its role is apparently small. These results suggest that the DNA repair system does not play a major role in protection against the attack of high LET radiations and that a main muse of cell death is non-reparable dsb which are produced at a higher yield compared with low LET radiations. No correlation was observed between DNA content or nuclear area and ICS.     

Surface-atmosphere interactions on Titan compared with those on the pre-biotic Earth.

The surface and atmosphere of Titan constitute a system which is potentially as complex as that of the Earth, with the possibility of precipitation, surface erosion due to liquids, chemistry in large surface or subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs, surface expressions of internal activity, and occasional major impacts leading to crustal melting. While none of the above have been observed as yet, the composition, density and thermal properties of Titan's atmosphere make it uniquely suited in the outer solar system as a place where such processes may occur. The one attribute of the Earth not expected on Titan is biological activity, which has had a profound effect on the evolution of the Earth's surface-atmosphere system. The earliest environment of Titan could have been warm enough for liquid ammonia-water solutions to exist on or near surface; pre-biotic organic processes may have taken place in such an environment. After a few hundred million years surface ammonia-water would have disappeared. Therefore, study of Titan through the Cassini-Huygens mission, planned for launch in 1997, primarily affords the opportunity to understand planet-wide surface-atmosphere interactions in the presence of fluids but in the absence of life. More speculative is the possibility that endogenic and exogenic heating continue to provide short-lived environments on Titan wherein pre-biotic organic processes in the presence of water happen.     

Microgravity and musculoskeletal system of mammals.

This review surveys data in the literature and our own findings concerning the effects of weightlessness on bones and muscles of white rats flown on Cosmos biosatellites and Spacelab-3. It has been shown that the magnitude and sign of functional changes in muscles depend on their biomechanical profile. Structural and metabolic foundations of functional adaptation and its dynamics have been identified: in 5-7 day flights muscle contractility changes are mainly associated with a diminished activity of excitation-contraction coupling, in longer-term flights they are produced by changes in myosin populations specific for myofibers of different functional profile. At early flight stages (up to 1 week) osteoporosis and bone demineralization are very mild; therefore decrease in bone mechanical strength may be caused by changes in physico-chemical parameters of the collagen-crystal system. In flights of up to 3 weeks noticeable osteoporosis develops which is primarily produced by osteogenesis inhibition and which is responsible for a marked decrease of bone strength. These changes may result from uncoupling of bone resorption and remodelling processes. This uncoupling is characterized as incomplete osteogenesis and may be caused by changes in the collagen composition of the organic bone matrix. The above-mentioned adaptive changes in muscle functions of specific skeletal compartments may play a role in different responses of various bones to weightlessness.     

基于神经网络融合模型的源代码注释自动生成

注释可以有效提高源代码的可读性、帮助开发者理解软件功能，对于软件的维护和演化起着关键作用. 当前源代码注释自动生成方面的研究存在一定局限，一是没有深入挖掘词法信息；二是没能很好的融合词法和语法信息. 因此，提出了基于神经网络融合模型的源代码注释自动生成方法，该方法利用编码器 解码器神经网络框架深度表征源代码的词法信息，结合基于语法树挖掘到的语法信息，使用融合机制形成更加全面的功能语义编码向量用于注释自动生成. 通过在公开数据集上进行实验，该方法在BLEU4、METEOR等评价指标上均优于对比的模型，验证了方法的有效性.     

From the interstellar clouds, through the inner to the outer solar system: a universally distributed complex organic chemistry. Preface.

High molecular weight organic compounds are involved in the chemistry and physics of many astrophysical and planetary objects. They are or should be present in interstellar dust, in comets and meteorites, in the Giant planets and Titan, in asteroids Triton and icy satellites. They represent a class of very complex organic material, part of which may have played a role in the origin of life on Earth. Thus they directly concern prebiotic chemistry and exobiology.     

Planetary protection issues related to human missions to Mars

In accordance with the United Nations Outer Space Treaties [United Nations, Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, UN doc A/RES/34/68, resolution 38/68 of December 1979], currently maintained and promulgated by the Committee on Space Research [COSPAR Planetary Protection Panel, Planetary Protection Policy accepted by the COSPAR Council and Bureau, 20 October 2002, amended 24 March 2005, http://www.cosparhq.org/scistr/PPPolicy.htm], missions exploring the Solar system must meet planetary protection requirements. Planetary protection aims to protect celestial bodies from terrestrial contamination and to protect the Earth environment from potential biological contamination carried by returned samples or space systems that have been in contact with an extraterrestrial environment. From an exobiology perspective, Mars is one of the major targets, and several missions are currently in operation, in transit, or scheduled for its exploration. Some of them include payloads dedicated to the detection of life or traces of life. The next step, over the coming years, will be to return samples from Mars to Earth, with a view to increasing our knowledge in preparation for the first manned mission that is likely to take place within the next few decades. Robotic missions to Mars shall meet planetary protection specifications, currently well documented, and planetary protection programs are implemented in a very reliable manner given that experience in the field spans some 40 years. With regards to sample return missions, a set of stringent requirements has been approved by COSPAR [COSPAR Planetary Protection Panel, Planetary Protection Policy accepted by the COSPAR Council and Bureau, 20 October 2002, amended 24 March 2005, http://www.cosparhq.org/scistr/PPPolicy.htm], and technical challenges must now be overcome in order to preserve the Earth’s biosphere from any eventual contamination risk. In addition to the human dimension of the mission, sending astronauts to Mars will entail meeting all these constraints. Astronauts present huge sources of contamination for Mars and are also potential carriers of biohazardous material on their return to Earth. If they were to have the misfortune of being contaminated, they themselves would become a biohazard, and, as a consequence, in addition to the technical constraints, human and ethical considerations must also be taken into account.     

中子星吸积柱中荷电粒子密度的分布及电场的形成

本文从刘维定理出发,通过相空间求平均,建立了中子星吸积柱中粒子流连续方程和动量迁移方程。并在静力学平衡下求出其解;建立了吸积柱中的荷电粒子分布;引出了某些有趣的新结果。      

Forecasting space weather: Can new econometric methods improve accuracy?

Space weather forecasts are currently used in areas ranging from navigation and communication to electric power system operations. The relevant forecast horizons can range from as little as 24 h to several days. This paper analyzes the predictability of two major space weather measures using new time series methods, many of them derived from econometrics. The data sets are the A_p geomagnetic index and the solar radio flux at 10.7 cm. The methods tested include nonlinear regressions, neural networks, frequency domain algorithms, GARCH models (which utilize the residual variance), state transition models, and models that combine elements of several techniques. While combined models are complex, they can be programmed using modern statistical software. The data frequency is daily, and forecasting experiments are run over horizons ranging from 1 to 7 days. Two major conclusions stand out. First, the frequency domain method forecasts the A_p index more accurately than any time domain model, including both regressions and neural networks. This finding is very robust, and holds for all forecast horizons. Combining the frequency domain method with other techniques yields a further small improvement in accuracy. Second, the neural network forecasts the solar flux more accurately than any other method, although at short horizons (2 days or less) the regression and net yield similar results. The neural net does best when it includes measures of the long-term component in the data.     

Two energy release processes for CMEs: MHD catastrophe and magnetic reconnection

It remains an open question how magnetic energy is rapidly released in the solar corona so as to create solar explosions such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Recent studies have confirmed that a system consisting of a flux rope embedded in a background field exhibits a catastrophic behavior, and the energy threshold at the catastrophic point may exceed the associated open field energy. The accumulated free energy in the corona is abruptly released when the catastrophe takes place, and it probably serves as the main means of energy release for CMEs at least in the initial phase. Such a release proceeds via an ideal MHD process in contrast with nonideal ones such as magnetic reconnection. The catastrophe results in a sudden formation of electric current sheets, which naturally provide proper sites for fast magnetic reconnection. The reconnection may be identified with a solar flare associated with the CME on one hand, and produces a further acceleration of the CME on the other. On this basis, several preliminary suggestions are made for future observational investigations, especially with the proposed Kuafa satellites, on the roles of the MHD catastrophe and magnetic reconnection in the magnetic energy release associated with CMEs and flares.     

Oxygen effect, hydrogen peroxide yields, and time scale of interaction of potentially damaging species in electron pulse irradiated bacterial spores.

A given integrated radiation dose delivered from a LINAC as a train of pulses (50/s), characteristically of 0.1 to 5 microseconds pulse length with dose rates within the pulse between 0.38 and 38 krads/microsecond, inactivates bacterial spores in water suspension more effectively than the same dose given as Co60 gamma rays. This enhancement of radiation damage occurs both in the presence and in the absence of oxygen and is not explained by either pulse dose rate or pulse length alone, but is monotonically related to the product of these pulse parameters, pulse dose. The enhancement appears to result from the interaction, within individual spores, of free radical species of average lifetime of about 2-5 microseconds. The time scale over which these species operate suggests that they are freely diffusable. Prevention, in part, of their damaging effect by the presence of selective scavenging agents is evidence that OH radicals are involved. Measurements of H2O2 yield for irradiation conditions that show a gradation of enhancement of damage correlate strongly with the extent of damage observed.     

Radiation chemistry of the hippocampal brain slice.

The in vitro hippocampal brain slice is a 0.4 mm thick neural network that can be used to study brain responses to radiation and related injuries. This preparation is unique in that it responds to ionizing radiation within minutes after exposure without complications from changes in vascularity, blood flow, blood pressure, etc. Electrophysiological studies have shown that x- and gamma-rays alter synaptic transmission and spike generation, elements of normal brain activity. To evaluate the role of hydroxyl free radicals (OH) in these changes, slices were exposed to dilute H2O2 solutions. EPR spin trapping experiments verified that OH is produced. Neural responses, while similar, were not identical to those due to radiation, possibly because of a different distribution of OH. Although H2O2 is freely diffusible, it produces OH at specific sites where, e.g. iron reduces it. In contrast, x- and gamma-rays produce OH more uniformly throughout the tissue. H2O2 may provide a better model for high-LET radiation where yields of radical products of water radiolysis are decreased and peroxide reactions predominate.     

Radiation stability of organic matter in liquid and frozen H2O, NH3 and water-ammonia mixtures

The redox properties of irradiated liquid and frozen H₂O, NH₃ and H₂O/NH₃ mixtures at 298 K and 77 K, resp., towards some simple organic molecules have been checked by injecting carrierfree ¹¹C atoms and analyzing their chemical state by means of radiochromatography. The reactions and the stability of organic products versus radiation dose (in this study by MeV protons) depend on temperature, phase state, mobility of radicals, their concentration and reactivity. Especially dangerous are the reactive OH and O₂H radicals which oxidize organic material to inorganic CO₂. Highest stability has been found at low temperatures (solid state, reduced mobility of radicals) and for systems containing H-donors (H₂O/NH₃ mixtures), which reduce the concentration of oxidizing radicals. The fact that many bodies in space consist of H₂O-ice with NH₃ and CH₄ additives at temperatures between 10 and 150 K is promising in view of the survival of organic matter under high doses of radiation.