Immunological detection of small organic molecules in the presence of perchlorates: relevance to the life marker chip and life detection on Mars

The proposed ExoMars mission, due to launch in 2018, aims to look for evidence of extant and extinct life in martian rocks and regolith. Previous attempts to detect organic molecules of biological or abiotic origin on Mars have been unsuccessful, which may be attributable to destruction of these molecules by perchlorate salts during pyrolysis sample extraction techniques. Organic molecules can also be extracted and measured with solvent-based systems. The ExoMars payload includes the Life Marker Chip (LMC) instrument, capable of detecting biomarker molecules of extant and extinct Earth-like life in liquid extracts of martian samples with an antibody microarray assay. The aim of the work reported here was to investigate whether the presence of perchlorate salts, at levels similar to those at the NASA Phoenix landing site, would compromise the LMC extraction and detection method. To test this, we implemented an LMC-representative sample extraction process with an LMC-representative antibody assay and used these to extract and analyze a model sample that consisted of a Mars analog sample matrix (JSC Mars-1) spiked with a representative organic molecular target (pyrene, an example of abiotic meteoritic infall targets) in the presence of perchlorate salts. We found no significant change in immunoassay function when using pyrene standards with added perchlorate salts. When model samples spiked with perchlorate salts were subjected to an LMC-representative liquid extraction, immunoassays functioned in a liquid extract and detected extracted pyrene. For the same model sample matrix without perchlorate salts, we observed anomalous assay signals that coincided with yellow coloration of the extracts. This unexpected observation is being studied further. This initial study indicates that the presence of perchlorate salts, at levels similar to those detected at the NASA Phoenix landing site, is unlikely to prevent the LMC from extracting and detecting organic molecules from martian samples.     

实时监控系统中数据的获取与管理

以一套具体的过程控制系统为例，说明监控系统中数据采样频率的确定、多机系统中数据通讯的实现以及建立适当的数据结构和历史数据库，进行数据管理的方法。     

发散波束在媒质界面上的Goos-H(a)nchen位移与焦移

在全反射中研究了发散波束在两种不同媒质界面上Goos-H(a)nchen位移与焦移.首先,通过建立发散光束全反射简单光线模型来显示焦移的形成.然后,从波动光学出发,利用Fourier光学中的角谱法推导出Gauss发散波束入射下Goos-H(a)nchen位移和焦移的近似关系式.结果表明,由Carniglia 和 Brownstein 针对于均匀波束提出的Goos-H(a)nchen位移和焦移的微分关系式同样也适用于Gauss发散波束入射的情况.最后,通过数值模拟总结出了焦移的一些不同于Goos-H(a)nchen位移的特殊性质.这些特殊性质的发现为改善现有实验和工程精度提供了新路径.     

高校女生运用“运动套餐”课外体育锻炼效果的比较

本文拟对女大学生这一特殊的群体为研究对象,采用＂运动套餐＂实验法,结合问卷调查、文献资料法等,以《学生体质健康标准》为衡量标准,对其身体形态等方面产生的影响进行对照实验性的研究。经过十二周女大学生运用＂运动套餐＂课外体育活动实验,实验结果：实验组除体重指标以外呈现显著良性差异,实验组体重指数（BMI）朝正常体重区域发展,对控制体重有较好的作用,而对照组超重区域出现增长现象;实验组SCL90心理症状量表测试各项因子均值指标皆低于对照组,并抑郁、偏执两项因子出现差异;锻炼态度量表实验组各项指标除主观分量表均值以外皆高于对照组。结论：运用＂运动套餐＂实验组锻炼效果好于学校惯例式课外体育活动学生体育锻炼的效果,同时为高校体育课其它项目选项班设计不同的课外体育＂运动套餐＂提供参考。     

The relative role of visual and non-visual cues in determining the perceived direction of "up": experiments in parabolic flight

In order to measure the perceived direction of "up", subjects judged the three-dimensional shape of disks shaded to be compatible with illumination from particular directions. By finding which shaded disk appeared most convex, we were able to infer the perceived direction of illumination. This provides an indirect measure of the subject's perception of the direction of "up". The different cues contributing to this percept were separated by varying the orientation of the subject and the orientation of the visual background relative to gravity. We also measured the effect of decreasing or increasing gravity by making these shape judgements throughout all the phases of parabolic flight (0 g, 2 g and 1 g during level flight). The perceived up direction was modeled by a simple vector sum of "up" defined by vision, the body and gravity. In this model, the weighting of the visual cue became negligible under microgravity and hypergravity conditions.     

A culture-independent survey of the bacterial community in a radon hot spring

Paralana is an active, radon-containing hot spring situated in a region of South Australia's Flinders Ranges with a long history of hydrothermal activity. Our aim was to determine the bacterial composition of Paralana using a culture-independent, 16S rRNA-based technique. The presence of a diverse bacterial community was strongly suggested by the large number (approximately 180) of different ribotypes obtained upon analysis of nine hot spring samples. DNA sequencing of Paralana 16S rRNA genes corroborated this observation, identifying representatives of seven confirmed and two candidate divisions of the domain Bacteria. These included Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria (both beta and delta subdivisions), the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides group, Low G + C Gram-positives, Nitrospira, green non-sulfur bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, OP8, and OP12. No known ionizing radiation-resistant Bacteria were identified. Only one Paralana 16S rRNA sequence type (recombinant B5D) was homologous to a sequence previously identified from a radioactive environment.     

喷雾场特性的实验研究

采用全息方法对流动环境中实际喷嘴的喷雾场进行了大量的实验研究，获得了在不同工况下喷雾场液滴尺寸分布，液滴运动速度及运动角度和空间分布等许多实验结果，这些结果给出了喷雾特性随喷雾压力，气流速度和喷嘴尺寸等因素的变化特点，揭示了喷雾场中液滴速度及角度的分布规律，为喷雾运动的计算提供了有用的数据。     

Effects of simulated space radiation on immunoassay components for life-detection experiments in planetary exploration missions

Abstract The Life Marker Chip (LMC) instrument is part of the proposed payload on the ESA ExoMars rover that is scheduled for launch in 2018. The LMC will use antibody-based assays to detect molecular signatures of life in samples obtained from the shallow subsurface of Mars. For the LMC antibodies, the ability to resist inactivation due to space particle radiation (both in transit and on the surface of Mars) will therefore be a prerequisite. The proton and neutron components of the mission radiation environment are those that are expected to have the dominant effect on the operation of the LMC. Modeling of the radiation environment for a mission to Mars led to the calculation of nominal mission fluences for proton and neutron radiation. Various combinations and multiples of these values were used to demonstrate the effects of radiation on antibody activity, primarily at the radiation levels envisaged for the ExoMars mission as well as at much higher levels. Five antibodies were freeze-dried in a variety of protective molecular matrices and were exposed to various radiation conditions generated at a cyclotron facility. After exposure, the antibodies' ability to bind to their respective antigens was assessed and found to be unaffected by ExoMars mission level radiation doses. These experiments indicated that the expected radiation environment of a Mars mission does not pose a significant risk to antibodies packaged in the form anticipated for the LMC instrument. Key Words: Life-detection instruments-Planetary habitability and biosignatures-Radiation-Mars-Life in extreme environments. Astrobiology 12, 718-729.