Elucidation of an iterative process of carbon-carbon bond formation of prebiotic significance

Laboratory experiments carried out under plausible prebiotic conditions (under conditions that might have occurred at primitive deep-sea hydrothermal vents) in water and involving constituents that occur in the vicinity of submarine hydrothermal vents (e.g., CO, H(2)S, NiS) have disclosed an iterative Ni-catalyzed pathway of C-C bond formation. This pathway leads from CO to various organic molecules that comprise, notably, thiols, alkylmono- and disulfides, carboxylic acids, and related thioesters containing up to four carbon atoms. Furthermore, similar experiments with organic compounds containing various functionalities, such as thiols, carboxylic acids, thioesters, and alcohols, gave clues to the mechanisms of this novel synthetic process in which reduced metal species, in particular Ni(0), appear to be the key catalysts. Moreover, the formation of aldehydes (and ketones) as labile intermediates via a hydroformylation-related process proved to be at the core of the chain elongation process. Since this process can potentially lead to organic compounds with any chain length, it could have played a significant role in the prebiotic formation of lipidic amphiphilic molecules such as fatty acids, potential precursors of membrane constituents.     

A reappraisal of the habitability of planets around M dwarf stars

Stable, hydrogen-burning, M dwarf stars make up about 75% of all stars in the Galaxy. They are extremely long-lived, and because they are much smaller in mass than the Sun (between 0.5 and 0.08 M(Sun)), their temperature and stellar luminosity are low and peaked in the red. We have re-examined what is known at present about the potential for a terrestrial planet forming within, or migrating into, the classic liquid-surface-water habitable zone close to an M dwarf star. Observations of protoplanetary disks suggest that planet-building materials are common around M dwarfs, but N-body simulations differ in their estimations of the likelihood of potentially habitable, wet planets that reside within their habitable zones, which are only about one-fifth to 1/50th of the width of that for a G star. Particularly in light of the claimed detection of the planets with masses as small as 5.5 and 7.5 M(Earth) orbiting M stars, there seems no reason to exclude the possibility of terrestrial planets. Tidally locked synchronous rotation within the narrow habitable zone does not necessarily lead to atmospheric collapse, and active stellar flaring may not be as much of an evolutionarily disadvantageous factor as has previously been supposed. We conclude that M dwarf stars may indeed be viable hosts for planets on which the origin and evolution of life can occur. A number of planetary processes such as cessation of geothermal activity or thermal and nonthermal atmospheric loss processes may limit the duration of planetary habitability to periods far shorter than the extreme lifetime of the M dwarf star. Nevertheless, it makes sense to include M dwarf stars in programs that seek to find habitable worlds and evidence of life. This paper presents the summary conclusions of an interdisciplinary workshop (http://mstars.seti.org) sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and convened at the SETI Institute.     

论角度和角度量

本文是加拿大A.B.Torrens发表在1986.1 Metrologia杂志上的文章,对角度的单位制提出一些建议。国际单位制中已将角度列为辅助单位,并规定其单位为弧度,但在实际使用中有些混乱。作者对此提出一些看法,并建议使用因子η,使角度成为基本量之一。此文值得一读,特译出供有关同志参考。     

Responses of haloarchaea to simulated microgravity

Various effects of microgravity on prokaryotes have been recognized in recent years, with the focus on studies of pathogenic bacteria. No archaea have been investigated yet with respect to their responses to microgravity. For exposure experiments on spacecrafts or on the International Space Station, halophilic archaea (haloarchaea) are usually embedded in halite, where they accumulate in fluid inclusions. In a liquid environment, these cells will experience microgravity in space, which might influence their viability and survival. Two haloarchaeal strains, Haloferax mediterranei and Halococcus dombrowskii, were grown in simulated microgravity (SMG) with the rotary cell culture system (RCCS, Synthecon). Initially, salt precipitation and detachment of the porous aeration membranes in the RCCS were observed, but they were avoided in the remainder of the experiment by using disposable instead of reusable vessels. Several effects were detected, which were ascribed to growth in SMG: Hfx. mediterranei's resistance to the antibiotics bacitracin, erythromycin, and rifampicin increased markedly; differences in pigmentation and whole cell protein composition (proteome) of both strains were noted; cell aggregation of Hcc. dombrowskii was notably reduced. The results suggest profound effects of SMG on haloarchaeal physiology and cellular processes, some of which were easily observable and measurable. This is the first report of archaeal responses to SMG. The molecular mechanisms of the effects induced by SMG on prokaryotes are largely unknown; haloarchaea could be used as nonpathogenic model systems for their elucidation and in addition could provide information about survival during lithopanspermia (interplanetary transport of microbes inside meteorites).     

欧洲极轨平台上的中分辨率成像光谱仪

本文描述了中分辨率成像光谱仪(MERIS)的设计。该仪器已被选为计划于1997年发射的欧洲极轨平台上的一个核心仪器。其光谱覆盖范围为400nm到1050nm,覆盖区宽度为1500km,光谱分辨率为1.5nm,空间分辨率为260m。此仪器主要用于海洋、陆地和大气方面的研究。     

用于SAR图像的二维超分辨率谱分析

描述了现代谱分析技术应用于合成孔径雷达数据的情况，目的在于提高图像的几何分辨率（相对于采用压缩编码波形和合成孔所得到的图像分辨率而言），以便使随后的分类处理的性能也能有所提高。传统的频谱估值器（即FFT）产生的图像的方位和距离分辨率受到了瑞利极限的限制。用参数谱估值器（如那些位于去线性调频信号的自回归模型周围的估值器）取代FFT，可获得超分辨率图像。所提出的处理方案基于二维协方差方法。讨论了所预期的分辨率的改进和模拟分析的结果。已将这一技术用于机载SAR所获取的图像，分辨率提高了2倍。最后以对未来的研究和应用的展望来结束本文。     

高分辨力机载毫米波FM-CW SAR的研发

紧凑的FM—CW（调频-连续波）雷达技术和高分辨力SAR（合成孔径雷达）处理技术的结合将为体积小、重量轻且性价比高的成像雷达的发展铺平道路。然而，在空中观察地球表面这一领域中，将SAR用于FM—CW雷达是比较新颖的。通信传输和雷达国际研究中心（IRCTR）启动了一项关于FM—CW SAR的可行性研究。在该研究项目框架中，开发并测试了一种完全运转的机载FM—CW SAR验证系统。文中综述了地面测试的情况。此外，2004年6月在柏林附近的Strausberg机场进行了一次非常成功的空中试验。本文将介绍这些机载试验的初步结果。