Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-Surface (REASON).

The Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) is a dual-frequency ice-penetrating radar (9 and 60 MHz) onboard the Europa Clipper mission. REASON is designed to probe Europa from exosphere to subsurface ocean, contributing the third dimension to observations of this enigmatic world. The hypotheses REASON will test are that (1) the ice shell of Europa hosts liquid water, (2) the ice shell overlies an ocean and is subject to tidal flexing, and (3) the exosphere, near-surface, ice shell, and ocean participate in material exchange essential to the habitability of this moon. REASON will investigate processes governing this material exchange by characterizing the distribution of putative non-ice material (e.g., brines, salts) in the subsurface, searching for an ice-ocean interface, characterizing the ice shell's global structure, and constraining the amplitude of Europa's radial tidal deformations. REASON will accomplish these science objectives using a combination of radar measurement techniques including altimetry, reflectometry, sounding, interferometry, plasma characterization, and ranging. Building on a rich heritage from Earth, the moon, and Mars, REASON will be the first ice-penetrating radar to explore the outer solar system. Because these radars are untested for the icy worlds in the outer solar system, a novel approach to measurement quality assessment was developed to represent uncertainties in key properties of Europa that affect REASON performance and ensure robustness across a range of plausible parameters suggested for the icy moon. REASON will shed light on a never-before-seen dimension of Europa and - in concert with other instruments on Europa Clipper - help to investigate whether Europa is a habitable world.

Laboratory characterization of hydrothermally processed oligopeptides in ice grains emitted by Enceladus and Europa.

The Cassini mission provided evidence for a global subsurface ocean and ongoing hydrothermal activity on Enceladus, based on results from Cassini's mass spectrometers. Laboratory simulations of hydrothermal conditions on icy moons are needed to further constrain the composition of ejected ice grains containing hydrothermally altered organic material. Here, we present results from our newly established facility to simulate the processing of ocean material within the temperature range 80-150°C and the pressure range 80-130 bar, representing conditions suggested for the water-rock interface on Enceladus. With this new facility, we investigate the hydrothermal processing of triglycine (GGG) peptide and, for the first time, analyse the extracted samples using laser-induced liquid beam ion desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry, a laboratory analogue for impact ionization mass spectrometry of ice grains in space. We outline an approach to elucidate hydrothermally processed GGG in ice grains ejected from icy moons based on characteristic differences between GGG anion and cation mass spectra. These differences are linked to hydrothermal processing and thus provide a fingerprint of hydrothermal activity on extraterrestrial bodies. These results will serve as important guidelines for biosignatures potentially obtained by a future Enceladus mission and the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) instrument onboard Europa Clipper. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'.

Through-Ice Acoustic Communication for Ocean Worlds Exploration.

Subsurface exploration of ice-covered planets and moons presents communications challenges because of the need to communicate through kilometers of ice. The objective of this task is to develop the capability to wirelessly communicate through kilometers of ice and thus complement the potentially failure-prone tethers deployed behind an ice-penetrating probe on Ocean Worlds. In this paper, the preliminary work on the development of wireless deep-ice communication is presented and discussed. The communication test and acoustic attenuation measurements in ice have been made by embedding acoustic transceivers in glacial ice at the Matanuska Glacier, Anchorage, Alaska. Field test results show that acoustic communication is viable through ice, demonstrating the transmission of data and image files in the 13-18 kHz band over 100 m. The results suggest that communication over many kilometers of ice thickness could be feasible by employing reduced transmitting frequencies around 1 kHz, though future work is needed to better constrain the likely acoustic attenuation properties through a refrozen borehole.

Bioenergetics of iron snow fueling life on Europa.

The main sources of redox gradients supporting high-productivity life in the Europan and other icy ocean world oceans were proposed to be photolytically derived oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the icy shell, and reductants (Fe(II), S(-II), CH4, H2) from bottom waters reacting with a (ultra)mafic seafloor. Important roadblocks to maintaining life, however, are that the degree of ocean mixing to combine redox species is unknown, and ROS damage biomolecules. Here, we envisage a unique solution using an acid mine drainage (AMD)-filled pit lakes analog system for the Europan ocean, which previous models predicted to be acidic. We hypothesize that surface-generated ROS oxidize dissolved Fe(II) resulting in Fe(III) (hydr)oxide precipitates, that settle to the seafloor as "iron snow." The iron snow provides a respiratory substrate for anaerobic microorganisms ("breathing iron"), and limits harmful ROS exposure since they are now neutralized at the ice-water interface. Based on this scenario, we calculated Gibbs energies and maximal biomass productivities of various anaerobic metabolisms for a range of pH, temperatures, and H2 fluxes. Productivity by iron reducers was greater for most environmental conditions considered, whereas sulfate reducers and methanogens were more favored at high pH. Participation of Fe in the metabolic redox processes is largely neglected in most models of Europan biogeochemistry. Our model overcomes important conceptual roadblocks to life in icy ocean worlds and broadens the potential metabolic diversity, thus increasing total primary productivity, the diversity and volume of habitable environmental niches and, ultimately, the probability of biosignature detection.

Anaesthesia training designs across Europe: A survey-based study from the trainees committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.

BACKGROUND: Anaesthesiology training programs in Europe vary in duration, content, and requirements for completion. This survey-based study conducted by the Trainees Committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care explores current anaesthesia training designs across Europe. METHODS: Between May and July 2018, we sent a 41-item online questionnaire to all National Trainee Representatives, members of the National Anaesthesiologists Societies Committee, and Council Representatives of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) of all member countries. We cross-validated inconsistent data with different country representatives. RESULTS: Forty-three anaesthesiologists from all 39 associated ESAIC countries completed the questionnaire. Results showed considerable variability in teaching formats, frequency of teaching sessions during training, and differences in assessments made during and at the end of training. The reported duration of training was 60 months in 59% (n = 23) of participating countries, ranging from 24 months in Russia and Ukraine to 84 months in the UK. CONCLUSION: This study shows the significant differences in anaesthesiology training formats across Europe, and highlights the importance of developing standardised training programs to ensure a consistent level of training and to improve patient safety. This study provides valuable insights into European anaesthesia training, and underlines the need for further research and collaboration to improve requirements.

Cretan HLA genetics supports its early Minoan culture as a link between North Africa and Europe.

HLA studies in Crete show that this population is related to North Africans and also Iberians. This may be a reflection of a common prehistoric first Europeans relationships with North Africans and drying Saharan emigration after 10,000 years BC; it may be specifically represented by a primitive and early cult to the bull in both Cretan (Minoan) and Iberian populations. In the present study, unrelated Cretans representing different Island parts have been studied for class II HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 alleles. The most frequent ones were HLA-DRB1*11:01 and HLA-DRB1*07:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:01 and DQB1*05:01. Also, the Cretan HLA class II haplotype HLA-DBR1*11:01-DQB1*03:01 had the highest frequency and is also common to other Mediterraneans, including Iberians. In addition, DRB1*07:01-DQB1*02:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:02-DQB1*03:02 Cretan haplotypes are shared with North Africans (the latter with Algerians, Tunisians and Moroccans). In summary, Crete was one of the first European classic cultures (Minoan) which was probably an early link, like Iberia, between North Africa /Sahara and Europe,also supported by genetic results.

Chapter 7: Assessing Habitability Beyond Earth.

All known life on Earth inhabits environments that maintain conditions between certain extremes of temperature, chemical composition, energy availability, and so on (Chapter 6). Life may have emerged in similar environments elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond. The ongoing search for life elsewhere mainly focuses on those environments most likely to support life, now or in the past-that is, potentially habitable environments. Discussion of habitability is necessarily based on what we know about life on Earth, as it is our only example. This chapter gives an overview of the known and presumed requirements for life on Earth and discusses how these requirements can be used to assess the potential habitability of planetary bodies across the Solar System and beyond. We first consider the chemical requirements of life and potential feedback effects that the presence of life can have on habitable conditions, and then the planetary, stellar, and temporal requirements for habitability. We then review the state of knowledge on the potential habitability of bodies across the Solar System and exoplanets, with a particular focus on Mars, Venus, Europa, and Enceladus. While reviewing the case for the potential habitability of each body, we summarize the most prominent and impactful studies that have informed the perspective on where habitable environments are likely to be found.

Hand Anthropometry of Italian Elite Male Swimmers / Antropometría de la Mano en Nadadores Italianos Masculinos de Élite

SUMMARY: Hand size is part of the anthropometric parameters that are assessed in swimmers to select elite athletes, as certain anthropometric relationships involving hand measurements are significantly correlated with sports performance in various swimming disciplines. The authors present the results of the anthropometric study carried out on the hands of 15 elite male Italian swimmers from to the Italian national open water swimming team. All swimmers participated at least once in World Cup and Absolute Italian Championships, winning at least one medal in their sporting career. In particular, the sample includes a medallist at the World Championships, a winner of the World Cup ultra swim marathon circuit and medallists at the European Championships. The sample consisted of 15 elite male swimmers with a mean age of 28.93 years. The following anthropometric measurements were taken on each athlete: Stature; weight; seven dimensions on each hand: hand length; hand breadth metacarpal; palm length; middle finger length; index finger length; thumb distance; and the distance from the thumb root to first flexure line of the index finger - trigger length. The size of the hands is an important factor in the swimmer's propulsion and push as a larger hand allows for greater support in the water and consequently generates more resistance. The anthropometric characteristics of the hands of Italian swimmers are missing from the anthropometric data already reported in the literature and can be used to make comparisons with elite athletes from other nations. Furthermore, anthropometric measurements could be used as predictors to estimate the swimmers' chance of success.

El tamaño de la mano es uno de los parámetros antropométricos que se evalúan en los nadadores para seleccionar a los deportistas de élite. Los autores presentan los resultados de un estudio antropométrico realizado en las manos de 15 nadadores italianos masculinos de élite pertenecientes al equipo nacional de natación en aguas abiertas. Todos los nadadores participaron al menos una vez en Copas del Mundo y Campeonatos de Italia, ganando al menos una medalla en su carrera deportiva. En concreto, la muestra incluye un medallista en los Campeonatos del Mundo, un ganador de la Copa del Mundo del circuito de ultra maratón de natación y medallistas en los Campeonatos de Europa. La muestra consta de 15 nadadores masculinos de élite con una edad media de 28,93 años. Se tomaron las siguientes medidas antropométricas a cada atleta: estatura; peso; siete dimensiones en cada mano: longitud de la mano, anchura de la mano en el metacarpiano, longitud de la palma, longitud del primer, segundo y tercer dedo, distancia entre la raíz del primer dedo y la primera línea de flexión del segundo dedo. El tamaño de las manos es un factor importante para la propulsión y el empuje del nadador, ya que una mano más grande permite un mayor apoyo en el agua y, en consecuencia, genera más resistencia. Las características antropométricas de las manos de los nadadores italianos faltan en los datos antropométricos recolectados en la literatura y pueden utilizarse para hacer comparaciones con los atletas de élite de otras naciones. Además, las medidas antropométricas podrían utilizarse como predictores para estimar las posibilidades de éxito de los nadadores.

Biological functions at high pressure: transcriptome response of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to hydrostatic pressure relevant to Titan and other icy ocean worlds.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a key driver of life's evolution and diversification on Earth. Icy moons such as Titan, Europa, and Enceladus harbor potentially habitable high-pressure environments within their subsurface oceans. Titan, in particular, is modeled to have subsurface ocean pressures ≥ 150 MPa, which are above the highest pressures known to support life on Earth in natural ecosystems. Piezophiles are organisms that grow optimally at pressures higher than atmospheric (0.1 MPa) pressure and have specialized adaptations to the physical constraints of high-pressure environments - up to ~110 MPa at Challenger Deep, the highest pressure deep-sea habitat explored. While non-piezophilic microorganisms have been shown to survive short exposures at Titan relevant pressures, the mechanisms of their survival under such conditions remain largely unelucidated. To better understand these mechanisms, we have conducted a study of gene expression for Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 using a high-pressure experimental culturing system. MR-1 was subjected to short-term (15 min) and long-term (2 h) HHP of 158 MPa, a value consistent with pressures expected near the top of Titan's subsurface ocean. We show that MR-1 is metabolically active in situ at HHP and is capable of viable growth following 2 h exposure to 158 MPa, with minimal pressure training beforehand. We further find that MR-1 regulates 264 genes in response to short-term HHP, the majority of which are upregulated. Adaptations include upregulation of the genes argA, argB, argC, and argF involved in arginine biosynthesis and regulation of genes involved in membrane reconfiguration. MR-1 also utilizes stress response adaptations common to other environmental extremes such as genes encoding for the cold-shock protein CspG and antioxidant defense related genes. This study suggests Titan's ocean pressures may not limit life, as microorganisms could employ adaptations akin to those demonstrated by terrestrial organisms.

Contribution to the Study of Lichenicolous Fungi from Northwest Iberian Peninsula (León and Lugo Provinces).

We have found 117 taxa of lichenicolous fungi in the studied area. In this paper, we describe five taxa: Arthonia boomiana on Nephromopsis chlorophylla, Lawalreea burgaziana on Platismatia glauca, Pronectria scrobiculatae on Lobarina scrobiculata, Trichonectria parmeliellae on Parmeliella testacea and Trichonectria rubefaciens ssp. cryptoramalinae on Ramalina. Furthermore, the next records are interesting chorologically from the Iberian Peninsula: Arthophacopsis parmeliarum, Catillaria lobariicola, Lichenopuccinia poeltii, Myxotrichum bicolor, Nanostictis christiansenii, Niesslia lobariae, Opegrpaha sphaerophoricola, Pronectria fragmospora, Rhymbocarpus aggregatus, R. neglectus, and Tremella cetrariicola.

Investigating Europa's Habitability with the Europa Clipper.

The habitability of Europa is a property within a system, which is driven by a multitude of physical and chemical processes and is defined by many interdependent parameters, so that its full characterization requires collaborative investigation. To explore Europa as an integrated system to yield a complete picture of its habitability, the Europa Clipper mission has three primary science objectives: (1) characterize the ice shell and ocean including their heterogeneity, properties, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange; (2) characterize Europa's composition including any non-ice materials on the surface and in the atmosphere, and any carbon-containing compounds; and (3) characterize Europa's geology including surface features and localities of high science interest. The mission will also address several cross-cutting science topics including the search for any current or recent activity in the form of thermal anomalies and plumes, performing geodetic and radiation measurements, and assessing high-resolution, co-located observations at select sites to provide reconnaissance for a potential future landed mission. Synthesizing the mission's science measurements, as well as incorporating remote observations by Earth-based observatories, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other space-based resources, to constrain Europa's habitability, is a complex task and is guided by the mission's Habitability Assessment Board (HAB).

Solid-State Single-Molecule Sensing with the Electronic Life-Detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE).

Growing evidence of the potential habitability of Ocean Worlds across our solar system is motivating the advancement of technologies capable of detecting life as we know it-sharing a common ancestry or physicochemical origin with life on Earth-or don't know it, representing a distinct emergence of life different than our one known example. Here, we propose the Electronic Life-detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE), a solid-state single-molecule instrument payload that aims to search for life based on the detection of amino acids and informational polymers (IPs) at the parts per billion to trillion level. As a first proof-of-principle in a laboratory environment, we demonstrate the single-molecule detection of the amino acid L-proline at a 10 µM concentration in a compact system. Based on ELIE's solid-state quantum electronic tunneling sensing mechanism, we further propose the quantum property of the HOMO-LUMO gap (energy difference between a molecule's highest energy-occupied molecular orbital and lowest energy-unoccupied molecular orbital) as a novel metric to assess amino acid complexity. Finally, we assess the potential of ELIE to discriminate between abiotically and biotically derived α-amino acid abundance distributions to reduce the false positive risk for life detection. Nanogap technology can also be applied to the detection of nucleobases and short sequences of IPs such as, but not limited to, RNA and DNA. Future missions may utilize ELIE to target preserved biosignatures on the surface of Mars, extant life in its deep subsurface, or life or its biosignatures in a plume, surface, or subsurface of ice moons such as Enceladus or Europa. One-Sentence Summary: A solid-state nanogap can determine the abundance distribution of amino acids, detect nucleic acids, and shows potential for detecting life as we know it and life as we don't know it.

Exploring the Interior of Europa with the Europa Clipper.

The Galileo mission to Jupiter revealed that Europa is an ocean world. The Galileo magnetometer experiment in particular provided strong evidence for a salty subsurface ocean beneath the ice shell, likely in contact with the rocky core. Within the ice shell and ocean, a number of tectonic and geodynamic processes may operate today or have operated at some point in the past, including solid ice convection, diapirism, subsumption, and interstitial lake formation. The science objectives of the Europa Clipper mission include the characterization of Europa's interior; confirmation of the presence of a subsurface ocean; identification of constraints on the depth to this ocean, and on its salinity and thickness; and determination of processes of material exchange between the surface, ice shell, and ocean. Three broad categories of investigation are planned to interrogate different aspects of the subsurface structure and properties of the ice shell and ocean: magnetic induction, subsurface radar sounding, and tidal deformation. These investigations are supplemented by several auxiliary measurements. Alone, each of these investigations will reveal unique information. Together, the synergy between these investigations will expose the secrets of the Europan interior in unprecedented detail, an essential step in evaluating the habitability of this ocean world.

A Review on Hypothesized Metabolic Pathways on Europa and Enceladus: Space-Flight Detection Considerations.

Enceladus and Europa, icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, are believed to be habitable with liquid water oceans and therefore are of interest for future life detection missions and mission concepts. With the limited data from missions to these moons, many studies have sought to better constrain these conditions. With these constraints, researchers have, based on modeling and experimental studies, hypothesized a number of possible metabolisms that could exist on Europa and Enceladus if these worlds host life. The most often hypothesized metabolisms are methanogenesis for Enceladus and methane oxidation/sulfate reduction on Europa. Here, we outline, review, and compare the best estimated conditions of each moon's ocean. We then discuss the hypothetical metabolisms that have been suggested to be present on these moons, based on laboratory studies and Earth analogs. We also detail different detection methods that could be used to detect these hypothetical metabolic reactions and make recommendations for future research and considerations for future missions.

Organic Catalytic Activity as a Method for Agnostic Life Detection.

An ideal life detection instrument would have high sensitivity but be insensitive to abiotic processes and would be capable of detecting life with alternate molecular structures. In this study, we propose that catalytic activity can be the basis of a nearly ideal life detection instrument. There are several advantages to catalysis as an agnostic life detection method. Demonstrating catalysis does not necessarily require culturing/growing the alien life and in fact may persist even in dead biomass for some time, and the amplification by catalysis is large even by minute amounts of catalysts and, hence, can be readily detected against abiotic background rates. In specific, we propose a hydrolytic catalysis detection instrument that could detect activity in samples of extraterrestrial organic material from unknown life. The instrument uses chromogenic assay-based detection of various hydrolytic catalytic activities, which are matched to corresponding artificial substrates having the same, chromogenic (preferably fluorescent) upon release, group; D- and L-enantiomers of these substrates can be used to also answer the question whether unknown life is chiral. Since catalysis is a time-proportional product-concentration amplification process, hydrolytic catalytic activity can be measured on a sample of even a minute size, and with instruments based on, for example, optofluidic chip technology.

Magnetic Field Modeling and Visualization of the Europa Clipper Spacecraft.

The goal of NASA's Europa Clipper Mission is to investigate the habitability of the subsurface ocean within the Jovian moon Europa using a suite of ten investigations. The Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) and Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) investigations will be used in unison to characterize the thickness and electrical conductivity of Europa's subsurface ocean and the thickness of the ice shell by sensing the induced magnetic field, driven by the strong time-varying magnetic field of the Jovian environment. However, these measurements will be obscured by the magnetic field originating from the Europa Clipper spacecraft. In this work, a magnetic field model of the Europa Clipper spacecraft is presented, characterized with over 260 individual magnetic sources comprising various ferromagnetic and soft-magnetic materials, compensation magnets, solenoids, and dynamic electrical currents flowing within the spacecraft. This model is used to evaluate the magnetic field at arbitrary points around the spacecraft, notably at the locations of the three fluxgate magnetometer sensors and four Faraday cups which make up ECM and PIMS, respectively. The model is also used to evaluate the magnetic field uncertainty at these locations via a Monte Carlo approach. Furthermore, both linear and non-linear gradiometry fitting methods are presented to demonstrate the ability to reliably disentangle the spacecraft field from the ambient using an array of three fluxgate magnetometer sensors mounted along an 8.5-meter (m) long boom. The method is also shown to be useful for optimizing the locations of the magnetometer sensors along the boom. Finally, we illustrate how the model can be used to visualize the magnetic field lines of the spacecraft, thus providing very insightful information for each investigation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11214-023-00974-y.

Welcome, how are you doing? - towards a systematic mental health screening and crisis management for newly arriving refugees.

Background: Compared to the general German population, refugees in Germany are a high-risk group for trauma spectrum disorders. Currently, many barriers exist for the implementation of a screen-and-treat approach for mental disorders as part of the routine health care provision during the early stage of the immigration process.Objective: The aim of the present study was to develop and test a systematic screening approach to identify individual refugees in need of mental health care during the initial immigration phase.Method: 167 newly arrived refugees underwent a screening interview with the Refugee Health Screener (RHS) carried out by Intercultural Therapy Assistants (ITAs). The ITAs were super-vised by psychologists at a reception centre in Bielefeld, Germany. A subsample of 48 persons partici-pated in clinical validation interviews.Results: Findings demonstrated the need for and feasibility of a systematic screening during the initial immigration phase. However, established cut-off values of the RHS had to be adapted and the screening procedure had to be adjusted due to the needs of a significant number of refugees in severe psychological crises.Conclusion: A systematic screening that is applied shortly after arrival facilitates the early identification of refugees at risk of developing mental disorders and may be helpful to prevent chronic symptom development and an aggravation of psychological crises.

A systematic complementary screening procedure during the initial immigration phase was found to be useful for the identification of refugees in need of mental health care.The procedure could be implemented both safely and efficiently in conjunction with the initial medical check-up for recently arrived refugees.Responding to the needs of the refugees immediately following their arrival in Germany, we adjusted the cut-off of the screening instrument and suggest to explicitly include a detection procedure for severe psychological crises.

An active microbiome in Old Faithful geyser.

Natural thermal geysers are hot springs that periodically erupt liquid water, steam, and gas. They are found in only a few locations worldwide, with nearly half located in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Old Faithful geyser (OFG) is the most iconic in YNP and attracts millions of visitors annually. Despite extensive geophysical and hydrological study of geysers, including OFG, far less is known of the microbiology of geysed waters. Here, we report geochemical and microbiological data from geysed vent water and vent water that collects in a splash pool adjacent to OFG during eruptions. Both waters contained microbial cells, and radiotracer studies showed that they fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) when incubated at 70°C and 90°C. Shorter lag times in CO2 fixation activity were observed in vent and splash pool waters incubated at 90°C than 70°C, suggesting cells are better adapted or acclimated to temperatures like those in the OFG vent (∼92-93°C). 16S rDNA and metagenomic sequence data indicated that both communities are dominated by the autotroph Thermocrinis, which likely fuels productivity through the aerobic oxidation of sulfide/thiosulfate in erupted waters or steam. Dominant OFG populations, including Thermocrinis and subdominant Thermus and Pyrobaculum strains, exhibited high-strain level genomic diversity (putative ecotypes) relative to populations from nongeysing YNP hot springs that is attributed to the temporal chemical and temperature dynamics caused by eruptions. These findings show that OFG is habitable and that its eruption dynamics promote genomic diversity, while highlighting the need to further research the extent of life in geyser systems such as OFG.

Comparison of COVID-19 Outcomes With Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Prevalence in Europe: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction We hypothesized that the geographic distributions of COVID-19 and alpha-1 antitrypsin alleles prevalence are similar. We investigate whether there is a relationship between the geographical density of the COVID-19 pandemic and the distributions of alpha-1 antitrypsin alleles. Methods This research is a cross-sectional study. Alpha-1 antitrypsin PI*MS, PI*MZ, PI*SS, PI*SZ, and PI*ZZ genotypes frequencies of European countries were compared with the case and death data related to the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 1, 2022.  Results A significant relationship was found between the rates of COVID-19 cases and the rates of individuals with alpha-1 antitrypsin PI*MS, PI*MZ, PI*SS, PI*SZ, and PI*ZZ genotypes allele in European countries. Conclusions The findings showed that the prevalence distribution of the alleles of the gene defect that causes alpha-1 antitrypsin insufficiency is related to the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic data.

Spectroscopic Detection of Biosignatures in Natural Ice Samples as a Proxy for Icy Moons.

Some of the icy moons of the solar system with a subsurface ocean, such as Europa and Enceladus, are the targets of future space missions that search for potential extraterrestrial life forms. While the ice shells that envelop these moons have been studied by several spacecrafts, the oceans beneath them remain unreachable. To better constrain the habitability conditions of these moons, we must understand the interactions between their frozen crusts, liquid layers, and silicate mantles. To that end, astrobiologists rely on planetary field analogues, for which the polar regions of Earth have proven to be great candidates. This review shows how spectroscopy is a powerful tool in space missions to detect potential biosignatures, in particular on the aforementioned moons, and how the polar regions of the Earth are being used as planetary field analogues for these extra-terrestrial environments.