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No other figure was able to organize and catalyze the seminal interest of space exploration in Argentina more than Teófilo Tabanera. Born in 1909, Tabanera showed an early interest in the possibilities of space travel and dedicated most of his life to popularize it in his country. He created the Sociedad Argentina Interplanetaria (1949), which was the first space enthusiast's organization in Latin America. Present in the first meeting of representatives of various space societies, which led to the creation of the International Astronautical Federation, Tabanera was able to bring his enthusiasm to this new organization. A prolific writer, Tabanera wrote the first books about space exploration in Spanish, and organized many courses and conferences on the subject. When the Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales (the Argentine Space Agency) was created in 1960 by a decree of President Arturo Frondizi, Tabanera was appointed as its first administrator. There, with meager funds, he organized launch campaigns and international projects on sounding rockets. Thanks to his knowledge of the international space sector, Tabanera invited many experts to Argentina, among them Wernher von Braun and even the Apollo XI crew, just a few months after their return from the Moon. He continued his activities in the IAF (International Astronautical Federation) serving as vice president for seven terms, and was a cofounder of the International Academy of Astronautics (I.A.A.). His many contributions, both to the Argentine and international space sector, are a testimony to his undying enthusiasm and interest in space as a way of advancing humankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the most important and active pioneers of the space activities in Argentina was Miguel Sánchez Peña, an aeronautical engineer and an officer of the Argentine Air Force. Sánchez Peña was the organizer of Argentina''s governmental space program in the 1970s and part of the 80s, and contributed immeasurably to the Nation''s sounding rocket program. Born in Mendoza, Argentina in 1925, Sánchez Peña attended the Military Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Militar) in Córdoba, and later the Air Force Engineering School. Graduated as an engineer in 1959 he was sent to the University of Michigan in the United States to complete his graduate studies earning a Masters of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. There he had the opportunity to study with several future NASA astronauts such as Theodore Freeman, Edward White and James McDivitt. After his return to Argentina in 1961 he was put in charge of the Space Development Group (Grupo de Desarrollos Espaciales) of the Air Force in Córdoba. While with the Air Force he managed the development of a family of various sounding rockets for high altitude research. Sánchez Peña was also in charge of the first Argentine rockets launched from Antarctica in 1965, as well as the first tests on an Argentine-fabricated rocket (Orión) from Wallops Island in the United States, in 1966. The Orion was the first operational sounding rocket constructed in South America. In the middle of the 1970s Miguel Sánchez Peña was named president of the CNIE (National Space Research Commission). Starting with just a modest one-desk office at the Argentine Air Force headquarters, in only a few years he turned CNIE into a multi-center organization with several hundred employees, three operational launch centers across the country and a family of research rockets open to the international scientific community. He was also actively representing Argentina in many IAF congresses, and was a member of the International Academy of Astronautics. After leaving CNIE he became president of the Asociación Argentina de Ciencias Espaciales (AACE), an IAF Member organization which was the continuation of the space organization created by Teófilo Tabanera in 1951. Miguel Sánchez Peña was, without doubt, the most active president of CNIE and thanks to his vision, hard work and the international trust he created, his efforts made it possible for Argentina to participate in many cooperative space experiments with partners like France, Germany, Perú, the United Kingdom and the United States. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the most important developers of liquid propellant rocket engines in Argentina was Polish-born Ricardo Dyrgalla. Dyrgalla immigrated to Argentina from the United Kingdom in 1946, where he had been studying German weapons development at the end of the Second World War. A trained pilot and aeronautical engineer, he understood the intricacies of rocket propulsion and was eager to find practical applications to his recently gained knowledge. Dyrgalla arrived in Argentina during Juan Perón''s first presidency, a time when technicians from all over Europe were being recruited to work in various projects for the recently created Argentine Air Force. Shortly after immigrating, Dyrgalla proposed to develop an advanced air-launched weapon, the Tábano, based on a rocket engine of his design, the AN-1. After a successful development program, the Tábano was tested between 1949 and 1951; however, the project was canceled by the government shortly after. Today, the AN-1 rocket engine is recognized as the first liquid propellant rocket to be developed in South America. Besides the AN-1, Dyrgalla also developed several other rockets systems in Argentina, including the PROSON, a solid-propellant rocket launcher developed by the Argentine Institute of Science and Technology for the Armed Forces (CITEFA). In the late 1960s, Dyrgalla and his family relocated to Brazil due mostly to the lack of continuation of rocket development in Argentina. There, he worked for the Institute of Aerospace Technology (ITA) until his untimely death in 1970. Ricardo Dyrgalla deserves to be recognized among the world''s rocket pioneers and his contribution to the science and engineering of rocketry deserves a special place in the history of South America''s rocketry and space flight advocacy programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the development of a full-pressure space suit to be used in the Argentine Gauchito suborbital space vehicle. Rationales for providing full-pressure suits with bailout capabilities for both crew and passengers are first discussed. Mishaps during past US and Russian space missions are also presented to show how the hazards of reentry and landing can be mitigated by a robust space suit with bailout capabilities. Results from the testing of the suit''s helmet, enclosure mechanisms, gloves, cooling system, thermal garment, and mobility range are presented followed by a description of the suit''s emergency operating procedures. Testing of the suit culminated in an altitude chamber and a high-altitude glider flight. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Past research efforts have focused on the energy difference between altered locomotion methods in reduced gravity at different speeds, suggesting that skipping is energetically more efficient than walking and running in these environments. While skipping may be more beneficial from an energy standpoint, the full range of reasons behind the gait transition and locomotion selection have not been researched. This includes damage to the leg muscles, which is partially prevented by a transition from walking to running locomotion methods known as the walk-run transition. In a space environment, these factors will play a role in astronaut health and injury prevention. Participants walked, ran, and skipped on a treadmill for this study while being supported by an analog for activity on other planets called the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS). These intervals were performed under 1g, then under simulated 0.38g, and 0.17g conditions to simulate gravity conditions on Mars and the Moon. Electromyography was used to monitor muscle activation, along with the Vicon motion capture system for 3D motion analysis. Results show that there are significant changes (p < 0.05) in activation of the TA and MG under simulated Martian and Lunar gravity conditions, as well as significant changes (p < 0.05) in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion under several conditions. These findings suggest that there are fundamental changes in the way humans move in these reduced gravity environments and that the effect these changes have on the body should be included in the development of astronaut training regimen and equipment development. These changes may affect safety issues associated with locomotion, including increased trip and fall risks. Additionally, the reduction of energy expenditure demonstrated in this study, as well as detrimental effects from gait asymmetry on muscle growth, may prove to be counterproductive to efforts meant to reduce muscle and bone degradation in reduced gravity environments. The efficacy of running or skipping as preferred methods of locomotion in reduced gravity environments are yet to be sufficiently supported by gait analysis. • Muscle activation varies by locomotion method in simulated reduced gravity. • Ankle angles vary by locomotion method in simulated reduced gravity. • Walking, running and skipping offer tradeoffs in reduced gravity. • Fall risks negate energy advantages of skipping in reduced gravity. • Increase muscle activation from walking is a benefit in reduced gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During our ongoing efforts to develop a small molecule inhibitor targeting the β-amyloid cleaving enzyme (BACE-1), we discovered a class of compounds bearing an aminoimidazole motif. Initial optimization led to potent compounds that have high Pgp efflux ratios. Crystal structure-aided design furnished conformationally constrained compounds that are both potent and have relatively low Pgp efflux ratios. Computational studies performed after these optimizations suggest that the introduction of the constraint enhances potency via additional hydrophobic interactions rather than conformational restriction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A small molecule inhibitor of β-secretase with a unique binding mode has been developed. Crystallographic determination of the enzyme–inhibitor complex shows the catalytic aspartate residues in the active site are not engaged in inhibitor binding. This unprecedented binding mode in the field of aspartyl protease inhibition is described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]