Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation during Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions.

Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites. In the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, the radioactive decays of short-lived radionuclides, such as Al, cause the melting of ice, and aqueous alteration occurs in the early stages of solar system formation. Many experimental studies have shown that complex organic matter, including amino acids and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, is produced by such hydrothermal processes.

Head Gesture Interface for Mouse Stick Users by AAGI.

We developed a gesture interface (AAGI) for individuals with motor dysfunction who cannot use standard interface switches. These users have cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, or traumatic brain injury and experience involuntary movement, spasticity, and so on. In this paper, we describe a disabled user who utilizes a mouth stick for laptop PC input in daily life.

Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation in Aqueous Small Bodies in the Early Solar System.

Carbonaceous chondrites contain life's essential building blocks, including amino acids, and their delivery of organic compounds would have played a key role in life's emergence on Earth. Aqueous alteration of carbonaceous chondrites is a widespread process induced by the heat produced by radioactive decay of nuclides like Al. Simple ubiquitous molecules like formaldehyde and ammonia could produce various organic compounds, including amino acids and complex organic macromolecules.

Space Exposure of Amino Acids and Their Precursors during the Tanpopo Mission.

Amino acids have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies such as carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), which suggests that extraterrestrial organics could be the source of the first life on Earth, and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) or micrometeorites (MMs) are promising carriers of extraterrestrial organic carbon. Some amino acids found in CCs are amino acid precursors, but these have not been well characterized. The Tanpopo mission was conducted in Earth orbit from 2015 to 2019, and the stability of glycine (Gly), hydantoin (Hyd), isovaline (Ival), 5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin (EMHyd), and complex organics formed by proton irradiation from CO, NH, and HO (CAW) in space were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and/or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Effects of monthly intravenous ibandronate on bone mineral density and microstructure in patients with primary osteoporosis after teriparatide treatment: The MONUMENT study.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of sequential therapy with monthly intravenous ibandronate on bone mineral density (BMD) and microstructure in patients with primary osteoporosis who received teriparatide treatment.

Methods: Sixty-six patients with primary osteoporosis who had undergone teriparatide treatment for more than 12 months (mean 18.6 months) received sequential therapy with 1 mg/month intravenous ibandronate for 12 months.