Topological biosignatures: large-scale structure of chemical networks from biology and astrochemistry

The chemical basis of life involves more than simply the presence of biological molecules; biochemical systems embody a complex network of reactions with characteristic topological features. At the same time, chemical complexity is also present in nonbiological contexts, inviting us to clarify the relationship between chemistry and life through comparative studies. This study examines chemical networks from biology (the metabolism of E. coli) and astronomy (gas-phase reactions in dark molecular clouds) to establish common topological features that may be generic for any complex chemical system, as well as clear differences that may be topological signatures of life. The biological and astrochemical networks exhibit different scaling behaviors, and the network motifs found in the two systems show similarities as well as significant differences. The PageRank algorithm was used to quantify the degree to which individual species act primarily as products or reactants; in the metabolic network, these two roles are nearly identical for most species, whereas the astrochemical network shows a clearer partitioning into reactants and products.     

Abundance and diversity of microbial inhabitants in European spacecraft-associated clean rooms

The determination of the microbial load of a spacecraft en route to interesting extraterrestrial environments is mandatory and currently based on the culturable, heat-shock-surviving portion of microbial contaminants. Our study compared these classical bioburden measurements as required by NASA's and ESA's guidelines for the microbial examination of flight hardware, with molecular analysis methods (16S rRNA gene cloning and quantitative PCR) to further develop our understanding of the diversity and abundance of the microbial communities of spacecraft-associated clean rooms. Three samplings of the Herschel Space Observatory and its surrounding clean rooms were performed in two different European facilities. Molecular analyses detected a broad diversity of microbes typically found in the human microbiome with three bacterial genera (Staphylococcus, Propionibacterium, and Brevundimonas) common to all three locations. Bioburden measurements revealed a low, but heterogeneous, abundance of spore-forming and other heat-resistant microorganisms. Total cell numbers estimated by quantitative real-time PCR were typically 3 orders of magnitude greater than those determined by viable counts, which indicates a tendency for traditional methods to underestimate the extent of clean room bioburden. Furthermore, the molecular methods allowed the detection of a much broader diversity than traditional culture-based methods.     

The PROCESS experiment: an astrochemistry laboratory for solid and gaseous organic samples in low-earth orbit

The PROCESS (PRebiotic Organic ChEmistry on the Space Station) experiment was part of the EXPOSE-E payload outside the European Columbus module of the International Space Station from February 2008 to August 2009. During this interval, organic samples were exposed to space conditions to simulate their evolution in various astrophysical environments. The samples used represent organic species related to the evolution of organic matter on the small bodies of the Solar System (carbonaceous asteroids and comets), the photolysis of methane in the atmosphere of Titan, and the search for organic matter at the surface of Mars. This paper describes the hardware developed for this experiment as well as the results for the glycine solid-phase samples and the gas-phase samples that were used with regard to the atmosphere of Titan. Lessons learned from this experiment are also presented for future low-Earth orbit astrochemistry investigations.     

Adsorption of amino acids (ALA, CYS, HIS, MET) on zeolites: fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy investigations

Minerals adsorb more amino acids with charged R-groups than amino acids with uncharged R-groups. Thus, the peptides that form from the condensation of amino acids on the surface of minerals should be composed of amino acid residues that are more charged than uncharged. However, most of the amino acids (74%) in today's proteins have an uncharged R-group. One mechanism with which to solve this paradox is the use of organophilic minerals such as zeolites. Over the range of pH (pH 2.66-4.50) used in these experiments, the R-group of histidine (His) is positively charged and neutral for alanine (Ala), cysteine (Cys), and methionine (Met). In acidic hydrothermal environments, the pH could be even lower than those used in this study. For the pH range studied, the zeolites were negatively charged, and the overall charge of all amino acids was positive. The conditions used here approximate those of prebiotic Earth. The most important finding of this work is that the relative concentrations of each amino acid (X=His, Met, Cys) to alanine (X/Ala) are close to 1.00. This is an important result with regard to prebiotic chemistry because it could be a solution for the paradox stated above. Pore size did not affect the adsorption of Cys and Met on zeolites, and the Si/Al ratio did not affect the adsorption of Cys, His, and Met. ZSM-5 could be used for the purification of Cys from other amino acids (Student-Newman-Keuls test, p<0.05), and mordenite could be used for separation of amino acids from each other (Student-Newman-Keuls test, p<0.05). As shown by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, Ala interacts with zeolites through the [Formula: see text] group, and methionine-zeolite interactions involve the COO, [Formula: see text], and CH(3) groups. FT-IR spectra show that the interaction between the zeolites and His is weak. Cys showed higher adsorption on all zeolites; however, the hydrophobic Van der Waals interaction between zeolites and Cys is too weak to produce any structural changes in the Cys groups (amine, carboxylic, sulfhydryl, etc.); thus, the FT-IR and Raman spectra are the same as those of solid Cys.     

甲烷-空气贫燃料预混燃烧的数值模拟

针对燃气轮机燃烧室火焰筒中的甲烷-空气贫燃料预混燃烧问题,给出了基于八步化学反应动力学机理的数学模型。以某型航空发动机燃烧室火焰筒为例,对甲烷-空气贫燃料的预混燃烧进行数值模拟。研究结果表明,基于八步化学反应动力学机理的数值模拟方法,可以比较准确地反映燃烧产物的形成过程,在分析航空发动机燃烧室火焰筒内的贫燃料预混燃烧问题时具有较强的实用性。     

固体推进剂的非线性结构模型

在大多数固体推进剂特性的线性和非线性理论中,一个主要的缺陷在于忽略了内部损伤。对于那些已引出损伤参数的非线性理论,数值常数与推进剂的物理性质无关。而且,这些理论具有如此复杂的性质以至于要完成一个庞大的实验测试程序。已经提出了一个表示固体推进剂性质的简单方法。这个方法以一个基本定律为基础,该定律用一个应力衰减函数修正粘弹表达式。根据单轴试验数据,可用衰减函数表示推进剂的非线性性质。在卸载期损伤的表达式中,这个方法比过去的方法显示出重大的改进。分别定义松弛和再加载为过去最大应力的正态函数。利用这种方法对复杂的过程进行了预测,而且实测应力与预测应力很接近。     

金融危机影响滞后采取措施应对寒冬——金融危机下的商用飞机制造业

在金融危机向实体经济蔓延的情况下,人们普遍关心,航空制造业将发生怎样的变化？飞机市场是否将再次面临新飞机订单下降,原有储备订单被取消或推迟交付的情况？     

NASCOM网络管理结构的重建

Nascom地面通信系统的研制始于1958年的先驱计划。低速率系统(速率低于9.6kbps)的开发遵循现有标准。但高速系统没有可比较的标准,因此使用专用协议和定制硬件开发。 自地面保障系统建成后,技术又取得了巨大的进步。有了计算机硬件、软件和高速通信标准,而且现有工作站的性能超出了地面系统研制中使用的主机性能。 Nascom正处于改进其保障系统以及提供更多服务的过程中。信息交换系统(MSS),通信地址处理器(CAP)以及多路复用/分路器(MDM)自动控制系统(MACS)是几例使用X—windows,Motifus及简易网络管理协议(SNMP)等标准开发出的Nascom系统。而且,地球观测系统(EOS)通信(ECOM)计划把标准作为整个网络的组成部分来强调。向标准发展在改进操作质量的同时缩减了研制、维护和互操作费用。 已经制定了将Nascom网络和系统综合到公共网络管理结构中的设施和资源管理器(FARM)计划。结构中最大限度地采用标准和实现计算机自动化将带来成本不断下降,操作效率不断提高。第一步总是得出Nascom总的需求,并确定全部现有管理系统共有的功能。确定这些公共功能可在管理结构中实现过程的再利用并促进整个Nascom网络更多地采用自动化。 MSS、CAP、MACS和Ecom计划通过降低成本和提高质量。表明了商业成品(COTS)和标准的潜在价     

用于低轨卫星精密轨道确定的简化动力学法

全球定位系统(GPS)的测量量可促成一种简化动力学法，用于近地卫星的近厘末级定轨。利用这种方法，不同观测时刻的卫星状态间的转移由正规的动力学模型和由连续GPS载波相位数据以运动学法导出的卫星位置变化来完成。动力学信息和运动学信息间的相对权重可自由变化。协方差分析表明：当观测几何差而动力学模型好时，模型支配着状态转移的计算；动力模型差而观测几何好时，载波相位统治着状态转移的计算；而当运动学和动力学信息间没有明显优劣时，简化动力学联合法可显著提高轨道精度。本文给出简化动力学法中准最佳的择权准则，并研究了求解精度对权的敏感性。     

DARPA着手开发小型侦察卫星

美国防预研计划局(DARPA)提出一个由低地轨道卫星组成的监视、瞄准和侦察卫星(Starlite)方案,旨在直接为战区提供战术情报,而不需要依靠更复杂的系统.军方提倡这个方案的人说,此系统将意味着战区指挥员不再需要征得允许来观看卫