Chemical evolution of RNA under hydrothermal conditions and the role of thermal copolymers of amino acids for the prebiotic degradation and formation of RNA.

The roles of thermal copolymers of amino acids (TCAA) were studied for the prebiotic degradation of RNA. A weak catalytic ability of TCAA consisted of Glu, L-Ala, L-Val, L-Glu, L-Asp, and optionally L-His was detected for the cleavage of the ribose phosphodiester bond of a tetranucleotide (5'-dCrCdGdG) in aqueous solution at 80 degees C. The rate constants of the disappearance of 5'-dCrCdGdG were determined in aqueous solutions using different pH buffer and TCAA. The degradation rates were enhanced 1.3-3.0 times in the presence of TCAA at pH 7.5 and 8.0 at 80 degrees C, while the hydrolysis of oligoguanylate (oligo(G)) was accelerated about 1.6 times at pH 8.0. A weak inhibitory activity for the cleavage of oligo(G) was detected in the presence of 0.055 M TCAA-Std. On the other hand, our recent study on the influences of TCAA for the template-directed reaction of oligo(G) on a polycytidylic acid template showed that TCAA has an acceleration activity for the degradation of the activated nucleotide monomer and an acceleration activity for the formation of G5' ppG capped oligo(G). This series of studies suggest that efficient and selective catalytic or inhibitory activities for either the degradation or formation of RNA under hydrothermal conditions could have hardly emerged from the simple thermal condensation products of amino acids. A scenario is going to be deduced on the chemical evolution of enzymatic activities and RNA molecules concerning hydrothermal earth conditions.     

氨合成-水热改性法制备氢氧化镁阻燃剂

为了解决氢氧化镁和聚合物之间的不相容问题, 对氨合成法-水热改性处理2步法制备高分散氢氧化镁阻燃剂进行了研究,分析了常温合成温度、水热改性温度和水热改性时间对制备大晶型、低比表面积氢氧化镁阻燃剂的影响.结果表明,经过水热改性处理改变了氢氧化镁晶体的生长习性,生成了形貌规则、粒径分布均匀、分散性良好的氢氧化镁六方片状颗粒.另外通过提高氯化镁浓度和氨水过量1倍,探讨了常温合成反应的转化率,认为应该在反应原料等当量下寻求提高转化率的可行方法.     

A minimal living system and the origin of a protocell

Based on our current knowledge of molecular biology a living entity os a negentropic system, made of specific catalytic and informational macromolecules, which has the ability to reproduce itself, selectively interact with the environment, increase complexity, undergo mutation and evolve by natural selection. At the cellular level the essential molecular attributes of a minimal living system are considered to be the following: (a) Linear informational molecules, protoRNA (protoDNA) at least 10 mononucleotides long, capable to code for at least 2 amino acids; (b) Code-translating molecules, aminoacyl-proto tRNAs at least 5 mononucleotides long; (c) Protoenzymes, oligopeptides of at least 2 amino acids, with measurable catalytic activity for phosphodiester, pyrophosphate and peptide bond formation; (d) Protoribosomes, RNA-peptide complexes which facilitate the interaction of the above three types of molecules, and (e) Protomembranes, liposomes made of amphiphilic lipids and peptides which can provide the semipermeability and the proton gradient necessary for the synthesis of pyrophosphate, ATP and other biochemical compounds. The transition from subcellular Lamarckian evolution to cellular Darwinian evolution required the cooperative interaction, within an internal microenvironment, of the above five types of molecular species.     

Extraction of hydrothermal alterations from ASTER SWIR data from east Zanjan,northern Iran

The use of satellite images for mineral exploration has been very successful in pointing out the presence of minerals such as smectite and kaolinite which are important in the identification of hydrothermal alterations. Shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) with the wavelength of ASTER SWIR bands between 1.65 and 2.43 μm has a good potential for mapping a hydrothermal alteration minerals such as alunite, pyrophyllite, kaolinite, illite–muscovite–sericite, and carbonate. In this range, hydroxide minerals which have been produced by hydrothermal alteration exhibit good absorption compared to shorter or longer wavelengths. In this research which aims to remove atmospheric and topographic effects from ASTER SWIR data, the authors used the log-residual method (LRM) with the minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation to create a pixel purity index (PPI) which was used to extract the most spectrally pure pixels from multispectral images. Spectral analyses of the clay mineralogy of the study area (east Zanjan, in northern Iran) were obtained by matching the unknown spectra of the purest pixels to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mineral library. Three methods, spectral feature fitting (SFF), spectral angle mapping (SAM), and binary encoding (BE) were used to generate a score between 0 and 1, where a value of 1 indicates a perfect match showing the exact mineral type. In this way, it was possible to identify certain mineral classes, including chlorite, carbonate, calcite–dolomite–magnesite, kaolinite–smectite, alunite, and illite. In this research, two main propylitic and phyllic–argillic zones could be separated using their compositions of these minerals. These two alteration zones are important for porphyry copper deposits and gold mineralization in this part of Iran.     

Formation of oligopeptides on the surface of small bodies in solar system by cosmic radiation.

The present experiment indicates that oligopeptides are easily produced in solid state from mixtures of simple amino acids by irradiating with high energy charged particles. We investigated such amino acids and their mixtures as tryptophan, tyrosine and glycine. The thin films was irradiated with protons (6.6 MeV). Such dipeptides as Trp-Trp, Gly-Tyr, Tyr-Gly, and Tyr-Tyr have been detected as products of irradiation. Cosmic rays might be an effective energy source for abiotic formation of bioorganic compounds on the surface of small bodies in the solar system on early stage of formation of planets as well as at present day.     

Synthesis,chemistry and photochemistry of cyanobutadiyne (HCCCCCN)

Cyanobutadiyne has been synthesized starting from the mono or bistributylstannyl derivative of 1,3-butadiyne and p-toluenesulfonyl cyanide. The UV spectrum of HC₅N and the ¹³C NMR spectrum of the deuterocyanobutadiyne DC₅N have been recorded for the first time. Cyanobutadiyne has been detected in the photolysis of mixtures of gases observed on Titan. Its formation starting from cyanoacetylene and acetylene also occurs in the presence of huge amounts of dinitrogen, the major constituent of the Titan’s atmosphere. The application of these findings to the atmosphere of Titan is discussed. The chemistry and photochemistry of cyanobutadiyne have been investigated. A photoadduct has been observed in the photolysis of cyanoacetylene and ethanethiol and, a univocal synthesis of this compound was performed by a nucleophilic addition reaction.     

Catalysis of peptide formation by inorganic oxides: high efficiency of alumina under mild conditions on the Earth-like planets.

Amino acid condensation catalyzed by inorganic oxides is a widely recognized way for prebiotic peptide formation. Silica and alumina are widely distributed in the Earth-like planets' crust as minerals of different complexity, and thus are attractive model catalysts for the studies of abiotic peptide synthesis. Experiments performed in other laboratories have shown that this process can be efficient at > 80 degrees C, which is not easy to find on the planetary surface in combination with sufficient concentrations of amino acids and necessary catalysts. In the present work we tested catalytic activity of three forms of alumina (which proved to be an efficient catalyst for this process) in the intermolecular condensation of L-alanine. We expanded the temperature interval down to 55 degrees C and used the simplest permanent heating procedure, without employing fluctuating drying/wetting conditions. The most important finding is that even under the lowest temperature considered (i.e. 55 degrees C), short peptide formation can be detected already after 10-30 days of heating. This fact implies that the abiotic peptide formation might occur in a wide variety of planetary environments, without need for high temperatures, given the presence of amino acid building blocks and alumina-containing minerals.     

Origin of organic compounds in carbonaceous chondrites.

Carbonaceous chondrites, a class of primitive meteorite, have long been known to contain their complement of carbon largely in the form of organic, i.e., hydrocarbon-related, matter. Both discrete organic compounds and an insoluble, macromolecular material are present. Several characteristics of these materials provide evidence for their abiotic origin. The principal formation hypotheses have invoked chemistry occurring either in the solar nebula or on the parent body. However, recent stable isotope analyses of the meteorite carboxylic acids and amino acids indicate that they may be related to interstellar cloud compounds. These results suggest a formation scheme in which interstellar compounds were incorporated into the parent body and subsequently converted to the present suite of meteorite organics by the hydrothermal process believed to have formed the clay minerals of the meteorite matrix.     

Vertical distribution of SO2 in upper cloud layer of Venus and Origin of U.V.-absorption

It is shown that decline of spherical albedo of Venus toward the ultraviolet can be explained by the presence of two absorbing agents: a) SO₂, for which abundance is 10¹¹ cm^?3 at height 68 km and scale height is about 1 km; b) some unknown aerosol absorbent, possibly a 1% FeCl₃ admixture in a sulfuric acid concentrated solution. A mechanism of aerosol formation is proposed.     

Formation of the first stars and quasars

We examine various observable signatures of the first generation of stars and low-luminosity quasars, including the metal enrichment, radiation background, and dust opacity/emission that they produce. We calculate the formation history of collapsed baryonic halos, based on an extension of the Press-Schechter formalism, incorporating the effects of pressure and H₂-dissociation. We then use the observed C/H ratio at z=3 in the Lyman-α forest clouds to obtain an average the star formation efficiency in these halos. Similarly, we fit the efficiency of black-hole formation, and the shape of quasar light curves, to match the observed quasar luminosity function (LF) between z=2−4, and use this fit to extrapolate the quasar LF to faint magnitudes and high redshifts. To be consistent with the lack of faint point-sources in the Hubble Deep Field, we impose a lower limit of ∼ 75 km s⁻¹ for the circular velocities of halos harboring central black holes.We find that in a ΛCDM model, stars reionize the IGM at z_reion=9−13, and quasars at z=12. Observationally, z_reion can be measured by the forthcoming MAP and Planck Surveyor satellites, via the damping of CMB anisotropies by ∼10% on small angular scales due to electron scattering. We show that if reionization occurs later, at 5 ≲ z_reion ≲ 10, then it can be measured from the spectra of individual sources. We also find that the Next Generation Space Telescope will be able to directly image about 1–40 star clusters, and a few faint quasars, from z >10 per square arcminute. The amount of dust produced by the first supernovae has an optical depth of τ=0.1−1 towards high redshift sources, and the reprocessed UV flux of stars and quasars distorts the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) by a Compton y-parameter comparable to the COBE limit, y ∼ 1.5 × 10⁻⁵.     

ASTER spectral sensitivity of carbonate rocks – Study in Sultanate of Oman

Remote sensing satellite data plays a vital role and capable in detecting minerals and discriminating rock types for explorations of mineral resources and geological studies. Study of spectral absorption characters of remotely sensed data are under consideration by the exploration and mining companies, and demonstrating the spectral absorption characters of carbonates on the cost-effective multispectral image (rather than the hyperspectral, Lidar image) for easy understanding of all geologists and exploration communities of carbonates is very much important. The present work is an integrated study and an outcome of recently published works on the economic important carbonate rocks, includes limestone, marl, listwaenites and carbonatites occurred in parts of the Sultanate of Oman. It demonstrates the spectral sensitivity of such rocks for simple interpretation over satellite data and describes and distinguishes them based on the absorptions of carbonate minerals in the spectral bands of advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) for mapping and exploration studies. The study results that the ASTER spectral band 8 discriminates the carbonate rocks due to the presence of predominantly occurred carbonate minerals; the ASTER band 5 distinguishes the limestones and marls (more hydroxyl clay minerals) from listwaenite (hydrothermally altered rock) due to the presence of altered minerals and the ASTER band 4 detects carbonatites (ultramafic intrusive alkaline rocks) which contain relatively more silicates. The study on the intensity of the total absorptions against the reflections of these rocks shows that the limestones and marls have low intensity in absorptions (and high reflection values) due to the presence of carbonate minerals (calcite and dolomite) occurred in different proportions. The listwaenites and carbonatites have high intensity of absorptions (low reflection values) due to the occurrence of Mn-oxide in listwaenites and carbonates in carbonatites apart the influence of major carbonate minerals that occurred predominantly in these rocks. The study of ASTER thermal infrared (TIR) spectral bands distinguished the marls have low emissivity of energy due to the presence of hydroxyl bearing alumina-silicate minerals from the other rocks such as limestones, listwaenites and carbonatites which have high emissivity due to the absence of hydroxyl bearing alumina-silicate minerals and the presence of carbonate minerals and carbonates.     

The escape of molecular hydrogen and the synthesis of organic nitriles in planetary atmospheres.

What is the influence of hydrogen escape from the atmosphere of small planetary bodies on the synthesis of organic molecules in that atmosphere? To answer this question, laboratory experiments have been performed to study the evolution of different reducing model atmospheres submitted to electrical discharges, with and without the simulation of H₂ escape. A study of mixtures of nitrogen and methane shows a very strong effect of H₂ escape on the formation of organic nitriles, the only nitrogen containing organics detected in the gas phase. These are HCN, CH  CCN, (CN)₂, CH₂CHCN, CH₃ CN and CH₃CH₂CN. The yield of synthesis of most of these compounds is noticeably increased, up to several orders of magnitude, when hydrogen escape is simulated. The escape of H₂ from the atmosphere of the primitive Earth may have played a crucial role in the formation of reactive organic molecules such as CHCCN or (CN)₂, which can be considered as important prebiotic precursors. These experimental results may also explain extant data concerning the nature and relative abundance of organics present in the atmosphere of Titan, a planetary satellite which may be an ideal model within our solar system for the study of organic cosmochemistry and exobiology.     

NMA survey of CO and HCN emission from nearby active galaxies

The Nobeyama Millimeter Array has been used to map CO(1-0) and HCN(1-0) emission in nearby Seyfert galaxies. A wide variety of molecular gas distributions are found, and there appears to be no “typical” gas distribution either in type-1 Seyferts or type-2s. All the gas distributions and kinematics in the observed Seyferts can be understood as a response to a non-axisymmetric potential in the central regions, suggesting that a small scale (a few 100 pc — a few kpc) distortion of the underlying potential is necessary for Seyfert activity, although it is not a sufficient condition. Circumnuclear star formation in the host of the observed Seyferts can occur via gravitational instabilities of the molecular gas, as in the case of star forming regions in non-Seyfert galaxies. Our results may support the idea that the host galaxies of Seyferts (both type-1s and 2s) and non-Seyferts are the same in terms of the fuel and trigger of star formation. Near the center of Seyfert nuclei (r < a few 100 pc), we find that the molecular gas tends to be gravitationally stable. We find that the R_HCN/CO value ranges over an order of magnitude, from 0.086 to 0.6 among Seyfert galaxies. It seems that the presence of kpc scale jet/outflows is related to the extremely high R_HCN/CO values.     

The N4,5 - OO Auger and “N3” N4,5O2,3 Coster-Kronig spectra of xenon induced by electron impact

The N_4,5OO Auger electron spectrum in the kinetic energy region (14–37) eV has been measured with high resolution at electron incident energies between 71 eV and 2019 eV. The Auger and satellite lines are assigned by comparison with previous literature data. Several states which correspond to the resonant Auger transitions from the 4d_{3/2, 5/2} 6p states are observed. The PCI effects on the N₅-O_2,3O_2,3(¹S₀) Auger peak when the incident electron energy approaches to the N₅ edge (67.55 eV) is investigated and it is found that the dependence of the energy shift on the excess energy, E_exc, is well represented by the function E_exc^β with β = (-1.40 ± 0.05). The ^“N₃^” N_4,5O_2,3 Coster-Kronig spectrum is measured at various electron incident energies. The assignments of the features are made in comparison with a similar spectrum from synchrotron radiation measured by Kivimäki et al. [J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 1999, 101–103, 43–47]. The Auger spectrum in the kinetic energy regions (68–78) eV and (90–138) eV is observed for the first time in an electron impact experiment and a comparison is made with the photoionization experiment by Hikosaka et al. [Phys. Rev. A 2007, 76, 032708].     

Comparison study of ductile iron produced with Martian regolith harvested iron from ionic liquids and Bosch byproduct carbon for in-situ resource utilization versus commercially available 65-45-12 ductile iron

As researchers continue to study methods to facilitate long-term missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability to manufacture high-quality mechanical and structural components on the Lunar and Martian surfaces remains a crucial piece to the puzzle for a sustained presence. Due to the immense cost of sending supplies to extraterrestrial bodies, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) methods are critical for the success and feasibility of these habitation missions. Ionic liquids (ILs) are currently being studied at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to harvest elemental metals from meteorites and regolith minerals. Additionally, the Bosch process is being explored as a life support system at MSFC for oxygen (O₂) regeneration, rendering a byproduct of elemental carbon (C). In this investigation, the viability of casting ductile iron (DI) using IL-sourced iron (IL-Fe) and Bosch C was studied given the range of applications and performance of DI as an as-cast alloy. Ingots were produced using commercial elements to simulate the use of IL-Fe with C sourced from the byproduct C of the Bosch process. Samples were cast and compared to commercially available 65–45-12 DI with phase transformation diagrams, microstructures, and hardness. Results showed that IL-sourced elements are a viable source of elemental alloying materials for a range of DI alloys, with some limitations.     

Integrating aeromagnetic data and Landsat-8 imagery for detection of post-accretionary shear zones controlling hydrothermal alterations: The Allaqi-Heiani Suture zone,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

The Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) underwent a regional carbonation event with CO₂ fluxes derived from the mantle and circulated along post-accretionary shear zones, thus affecting the redistribution of gold mineralization. Formerly, the analyses of remotely-sensed data have suggested regions of gold mineralization linked to the post-accretionary structured framework, but the results were insufficient for detailed prospecting in the ANS. In this research, aeromagnetic data and Landsat-8 imagery were integrated for delineating new high potential zones of gold mineralization in the Allaqi-Heiani Suture (AHS) zone, the ANS, South Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt. Aeromagnetic data were enhanced using the Center for exploration targeting (CET) grid enhancement technique to detect the main structures that control hydrothermal alterations in the study area. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique and ratios of spectral bands were applied to Landsat-8 data for mapping zones of hydrothermal alteration associated with gold mineralization. The traced structural elements from RTP, CET and Landsat-8 maps were statistically plotted and interpreted using rose diagrams. These diagrams indicated that the NW and NE trends are the most dominant in the RTP map and that the intersection zones obtained from the CET analysis are aligned along the NW-oriented trend. While the NNW, WNW and NE trends were the most dominant ones in Landsat maps. The integration of the results indicates several new high potential zones of gold and Cu/Ni mineralization types, which are mostly concentrated at the western part of the AHS zone. The hydrothermal alteration zones and associated gold mineralization are strongly linked to NW, NE, E-W and WNW trending lineaments. The approach used in this study can be applied to other parts of the ANS and other regions with similar geological conditions around the world.     

Enzyme—Mimicking properties of silicates and other minerals

The adsorptive and/or catalytic properties of clays, silicates in general, and other minerals are well known. More recently, their probable role in prebiotic syntheses of bio-organic compounds has become a matter of record. We demonstrate that, in addition to their role in $\text{de novo}$ formation of important biomolecules, clays, micas, fibrous silicates and other minerals mimick the activities of contemporary enzymes including oxidases, esterases, phosphatases and glucosidases. The existence of such capabilities in substances likely to be represented on the surfaces of Earth-like planets may offer a challenge to the technology and design of remote life detection systems which must then distinguish between bona fide biological chemistry and mineral-base pseudometabolism. It also raises questions about the importance of mineral surfaces in post-mortem transformations of organic metabolites in our own biosphere.     

Positive ion composition and electron density in a combined auroral and NLC event

The positive ion composition and electron density were measured in the lower ionosphere above Kiruna in salvo A of CAMP (Cold Arctic Mesopause Project). The CAMP/P (S37/P) payload carrying a magnetic ion spectrometer, positive ion and electron probes, and propagation experiments was launched on 3 August 1982 2332 UT during extended Noctilucent Clouds (NLC) and auroral activities over Kiruna. The measured electron density was 5×10³cm^?3 at 80 km and 2.5×10⁵cm^?3 at 90 km. The increase of ion and electron densities in the D- and E-region during twilight was caused by precipitating auroral particles. The height distribution of the positive ions measured by the mass spectrometer in the mass range 19–280 amu is different from a winter flight with similar auroral conditions. Below 85.5 km proton hydrates H⁺(H₂O)₃ ? H⁺(H₂O)₈ were the dominant ions. The heaviest proton hydrates H⁺(H₂O)₇ and H⁺(H₂O)₈ were most abundant at 82–85.5 km, the altitude of visible NLC. Above 85.5 km O₂⁺ and NO⁺ became dominant. A small metal ion layer was observed between 90.5–93 km with a maximum ion density of 10% of the total positive ion density at 91 km altitude. The metal ion density disappeared within about a km below 90.5 km.     

On the role of tidal winds in the descending of the high type of sporadic layer (Esh)

As the prevailing tidal winds in the E region are generated by heating mechanisms, the dynamics of Es layers impacted by solar tides is a relevant theme in the space weather studies. This paper aims to identify the tidal wind component involved in the mechanism of formation and descending of the high type of sporadic layer (Es_h). The Es_h layers observed at altitudes between around 120 and 150 km in the Brazilian low latitude stations of Jataí and São José dos Campos during the months of April, June, September and December of 2016 are used in this analysis. The height variability and altitude descent of the Es_h layers are analyzed from the h′Es parameter obtained by ionosonde data. In this study, the observational data are compared with the simulations generated by an extended version of the Ionospheric E-Region Model (MIRE). At higher altitudes in the E region, the results show that the prevailing tidal pattern and wind direction controlling the Es_h layer formation and descent are different depending on month: (a) in April and June the zonal wind component and the associated semidiurnal tidal oscillations prevail, with some differences in terms of time of occurrence and descending speeds, and (b) in September and December the diurnal tidal periodicities become dominant, and both the meridional and zonal wind components seem to control the descending of the Es_h layers. Since the role of the tidal periodicities and wind directions changed depending on the month, the results suggest a possible seasonal tidal wind pattern, which is not well understood from the present study but requires further investigation. Other relevant aspects of the observations and the modeling are highlighted and discussed.