Narrative psychological content analysis as a tool for psychological status monitoring of crews in isolated,confined and extreme settings

This paper is about a pilot application of narrative psychological content analysis in the psychological status monitoring of Crew 71 of a space analog simulation environment, the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). Both the method and its theoretical framework, Scientific Narrative Psychology, are original developments by Hungarian psychologists [5] (László, 2008). The software was NooJ, a multilingual linguistic development environment [11] (Silberztein, 2008). Three measures were conceptualized and assessed: emotional status, team spirit and subjective physical comfort. The results showed the patterns of these three measures on a daily basis at group level, and allowed for detecting individual differences as well. The method is adaptable to languages involved in space psychology, e.g. Russian, French and German in addition to English.     

Effect of gravity on the velocity of a crystallization front

The crystal growth from a liquid can be studied by methods of non-equilibrium thermodynamics of a discontinuity surface. These methods are used to derive the dependence of the crystalization velocity on transport and surface phenomena across and along an interface solid-liquid and on the acceleration of gravity.     

A method for estimating cross radiance

When imaging the surface from satellites or aircraft, “cross radiance” diminishes the information content of the pictures. In this paper a simple method is presented to estimate the value of cross radiance. This method includes a height-dependent aerosol size distribution model and the calculations refer to the single scattering approximation. The height variation of aerosol size distribution has significant effect on the value of cross radiance, while the areal distribution does not change much in comparison with that of the height-independent aerosol model.     

Unusually Distant Bow Shock Encounters at Mars: Analysis of March 24, 1989 Event

Detailed analysis of disturbances observed on 24 March, 1989 far upstream of the usual Martian bow shock position was completed with the use of the planetary obstacle and bow shock models relevant for the period of Phobos 2 observations and for low Mach numbers, respectively. It is proven that the system of discontinuities observed in the solar wind between 18:42 and 19:36 UT was the consequence of unusually distant planetary bow shock excursions. The cause was unusually small ρV ² and M _a values in the solar wind flow.     

Tírez lake as a terrestrial analog of Europa

Tírez Lake (La Mancha, central Spain) is proposed as a terrestrial analogue of Europa's ocean. The proposal is based on the comparison of the hydrogeochemistry of Tírez Lake with the geochemical features of the alteration mineralogy of meteoritic precursors and with Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer data on Europa's surface. To validate the astrobiological potential of Tírez Lake as an analog of Europa, different hydrogeochemical, mineral, and microbial analyses were performed. Experimental and theoretical modeling helped to understand the crystallization pathways that may occur in Europa's crust. Calculations about the oxidation state of the hypothetical Europan ocean were estimated to support the sulfate-rich neutral liquid model as the origin of Europa's observed hydrated minerals and to facilitate their comparison with Tírez's hydrogeochemistry. Hydrogeochemical and mineralogical analyses showed that Tírez waters corresponded to Mg-Na-SO(4)-Cl brines with epsomite, hexahydrite, and halite as end members. A preliminary microbial ecology characterization identified two different microbial domains: a photosynthetically sustained community represented by planktonic/benthonic forms and microbial mat communities, and a subsurficial anaerobic realm in which chemolithotrophy predominates. Fluorescence in situ hybridization has been used to characterize the prokaryotic diversity of the system. The subsurficial community seemed to be dominated by sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. Frozen Tírez brines were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared techniques providing spectra similar to those reported previously using pure components and to the Galileo spectral data. Calorimetric measurements of Tírez brines showed pathways and phase metastability for magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride crystallization that may aid in understanding the processes involved in the formation of Europa's icy crust. The use of fluorescence hybridization techniques for microbial detection and characterization in hypersaline environments makes this methodology strongly advisable for future Europa astrobiological missions.     

Bacterial communities and the nitrogen cycle in the gypsum soils of cuatro ciénegas basin, coahuila: a Mars analogue

Abstract The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified gypsum at several sites on Mars in 2005. These minerals constitute a direct record of past aqueous activity and are important with regard to the search of extraterrestrial life. Gale Crater was chosen as Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity's landing site because it is rich in gypsum, as are some desert soils of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico). The gypsum of the CCB, which is overlain by minimal carbonate deposits, was the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. To examine this Mars analogue, we retrieved gypsum-rich soil samples from two contrasting sites with different humidity in the CCB. To characterize the site, we obtained nutrient data and analyzed the genes related to the N cycle (nifH, nirS, and nirK) and the bacterial community composition by using 16S rRNA clone libraries. As expected, the soil content for almost all measured forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were higher at the more humid site than at the drier site. What was unexpected is the presence of a rich and divergent community at both sites, with higher taxonomic diversity at the humid site and almost no taxonomic overlap. Our results suggest that the gypsum-rich soils of the CCB host a unique microbial ecosystem that includes novel microbial assemblies. Key Words: Cuatro Ciénegas Basin-Gale Crater-Gypsum soil microbial diversity-Molecular ecology-Nitrogen cycle. Astrobiology 12, 699-709.     

Comparative metagenomics of two microbial mats at cuatro ciénegas basin I: ancient lessons on how to cope with an environment under severe nutrient stress

Abstract The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is an oasis in the desert of Mexico characterized by low phosphorus availability and by its great diversity of microbial mats. We compared the metagenomes of two aquatic microbial mats from the CCB with different nutrient limitations. We observed that the red mat was P-limited and dominated by Pseudomonas, while the green mat was N-limited and had higher species richness, with Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria as the most abundant phyla. From their gene content, we deduced that both mats were very metabolically diverse despite their use of different strategies to cope with their respective environments. The red mat was found to be mostly heterotrophic, while the green mat was more autotrophic. The red mat had a higher number of transporters in general, including transporters of cellobiose and osmoprotectants. We suggest that generalists with plastic genomes dominate the red mat, while specialists with minimal genomes dominate the green mat. Nutrient limitation was a common scenario on the early planet; despite this, biogeochemical cycles were performed, and as a result the planet changed. The metagenomes of microbial mats from the CCB show the different strategies a community can use to cope with oligotrophy and persist. Key Words: Microbial mats-Metagenomics-Metabolism. Astrobiology 12, 648-658.     

The gamma-irradiation of aqueous hydrogen cyanide in the presence of ferrocyanide or ferricyanide: implications to prebiotic chemistry.

The gamma-irradiation of 0.1 M, O2-free, aqueous HCN was studied in the presence of ferrocyanide or ferricyanide in the concentration range 10(-3) - 10(-5) M. This study was carried out in order to get an insight into the possible role that cyanocomplexes of iron may have played in promoting prebiotic syntheses via the free-radical oligomerization of HCN. It was found that ferrocyanide or ferricyanide have no effect on the irradiation of 0.1 M HCN solutions at concentrations < or = 10(-4) M. At high concentrations, 10(-3) M, they lead to a marked decrease in the conversion of HCN. There was no significant difference due to the oxidation state of iron used, particularly at high doses > or = 100 kGy.     

Creating a space exploration industry

The article provides an overview of funding for space exploration to the Moon and Mars under NASA's direction, and presents an argument for the creation of a commercial space industry.