Genomic and transcriptomic changes complement each other in the pathogenesis of sporadic Burkitt lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is the most common B-cell lymphoma in children. Within the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), we performed whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of 39 sporadic BL. Here, we unravel interaction of structural, mutational, and transcriptional changes, which contribute to MYC oncogene dysregulation together with the pathognomonic IG-MYC translocation. Moreover, by mapping IGH translocation breakpoints, we provide evidence that the precursor of at least a subset of BL is a B-cell poised to express IGHA. We describe the landscape of mutations, structural variants, and mutational processes, and identified a series of driver genes in the pathogenesis of BL, which can be targeted by various mechanisms, including IG-non MYC translocations, germline and somatic mutations, fusion transcripts, and alternative splicing

Since 2015 the SinoGerman research project SIGN supports water quality improvement in the Taihu region, China

The Taihu (Tai lake) region is one of the most economically prospering areas of China. Due to its location within this district of high anthropogenic activities, Taihu represents a drastic example of water pollution with nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate), organic contaminants and heavy metals. High nutrient levels combined with very shallow water create large eutrophication problems, threatening the drinking water supply of the surrounding cities. Within the international research project SIGN (SinoGerman Water Supply Network, www.water-sign.de), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), a powerful consortium of fifteen German partners is working on the overall aim of assuring good water quality from the source to the tap by taking the whole water cycle into account: The diverse research topics range from future proof strategies for urban catchment, innovative monitoring and early warning approaches for lake and drinking water, control and use of biological degradation processes, efficient water treatment technologies, adapted water distribution up to promoting sector policy by good governance. The implementation in China is warranted, since the leading Chinese research institutes as well as the most important local stakeholders, e.g. water suppliers, are involved

The ESA Hera mission to the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos: Planetary Defense and Science

International audienceThe Hera mission is in development for launch in 2024 within the ESA Space Safety Program. Hera will contribute to the first deflection test of an asteroid, in the framework of the international NASA-and ESA-supported Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) collaboration. Hera will also offer a great science return

Hera - the European contribution to the international AIDA Mission to Didymos

Hera is an ESA mission of opportunity whose primary objective is to observe and validate the outcome of a kinetic impactor deflection test on a Near-Earth Asteroid, thus providing valuable information for future mitigation capabilities. Hera is part of the international Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission, together with NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). The DART spacecraft constitutes the projectile that will perform the deflection test, which will be observed by a cubesat provided by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), piggy-packed on DART, as well as from ground-based observations. Hera constitutes a rendez-vous mission that will closely examine the physical and dynamical state of the target asteroid – the small member of the binary Near-Earth Asteroid (65803) Didymos – in the aftermath of the DART impact, reaching Didymos a few years after DART. The consequences of a potential asteroid impact on Earth to our society could be very severe. Impactors in the 100-500m range, causing damage on regional scale are relatively numerous. An asteroid impact is likely the only natural disaster that we may be able to accurately predict and prevent. AIDA will demonstrate and validate the technology of choice for impact mitigation. DART will hit the secondary component of Didymos, whose size ( 170m) is within the range that is most relevant for mitigation purposes. Hera will measure the individual mass of Didymoon, which will allow us to estimate the efficiency of the momentum transfer – this will give us a better knowledge of the limits of applicability of the kinetic impact method (in terms of asteroid size). Furthermore, Hera will accurately measure the post-impact dynamical state of the Didymos system, thoroughly investigate the DART impact crater, and determine the surface properties of both objects. These observations that Hera will perform are essential for validating/refining our impact models, which will enable us to scale the Hera results to other asteroids, thus increasing our capabilities for efficiently deflecting an asteroid, when needed in the future. Hera will be equipped with the Asteroid Framing Cameras (flight spares of the DAWN framing cameras), the Planetary Altimeter (PALT) as a lidar, and a hyper-spectral imager. In addition, two 6 unit cubesats will be carried to Didymos by Hera. The mission and payload status of Hera and AIDA will be described in this talk

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission: Science Proximity Operations

International audienceThe moon of the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos is the target of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. This mission is a joint concept between NASA and ESA to investigate the effectiveness of a kinetic im-pactor in deflecting an asteroid. The mission is composed of two components: the NASA-led Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) that will impact the Did-ymos moon (henceforth Didymoon), and the ESA-led Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) that will survey the Didymos system. Using much of ESA's Rosetta experience , the AIM mission will undertake all the proximity operations both before and after the impact produced by DART. The physical and dynamical characterization of both Didymain (primary) and Didymoon is of maximum importance in the joint AIDA mission and the main purpose of the AIM spacecraft. The characterization includes measuring before and after the DART impact, the internal properties of the primary and secondary, the mass of Didymoon, the surface geology and regolith properties of both objects, and the dynamical state of Didymoon [1]. In this abstract, we summarize the proximity operations needed to achieve the scientific objectives of the AIM spacecraft using the broad suite of experiments it will carry to satisfy its mission objectives

Effects of ball milling on biochar adsorption of contaminants in water: A meta-analysis

Reckless release of contaminants into the environment causes pollution in various aquatic systems on a global scale.Biochar is potentially an inexpensive and environmentally friendly adsorbent for removing contaminants fromwater. Ball milling has been used to enhance biochar's functionality; however, global analysis of the effect of ball millingon biochar's capacity to adsorb contaminants in aqueous solutions has not yet been done. Here, we conducted ameta-analysis to investigate the effects of ball milling on the adsorption/removal capacity of biochar for contaminantsin aqueous solutions, and to investigate whether ball milling effects are related to biochar production, ball milling, andother experimental variables. Overall, ball milling significantly increased biochar adsorption capacity towards both inorganicand organic contaminants, by 69.9%and 561.9%, respectively. This could be attributed to ball milling increasingbiochar surface area by 2.05-fold, pore volume by 2.39-fold, and decreasing biochar pH by 0.83-fold. The positiveadsorption effects induced by ball milling varied widely, with the most effective being ball milling for 12 to 24 h at 30

MASCOT2 - A small body lander to investigate the interior of 65803 Didymos' moon in the Frame of AIDA/AIM

In the frame of NEO exploration and planetary defence, the two-part AIDA mission is currently studied by NASA and ESA. Being composed of a kinetic impactor, DART (NASA), and by an observing spacecraft, AIM (ESA), AIDA has been designed to deliver vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of a kinetic impact onto a small body and the key physical properties of the target asteroid. This will enable derivation of the impact response of the object as a function of its physical properties, a crucial quantitative point besides the qualitative proof of the deflection. In the course of the AIM mission definition, a lander has been studied as an essential element of the overall mission architecture. It was meant to be deployed on Didymoon, the secondary body of the binary NEA system 65803 Didymos and it was supposed to significantly enhance the analysis of the body’s dynamical state, mass, geophysical properties, surface and subsurface structure. The mission profile and the design of the 13kg nano-lander have been derived from the MASCOT lander flying aboard Hayabusa2, differing from its predecessor by having an increased lifetime of more than three months, a surface mobility capability including directed movement, a sensor system for localization and attitude determination on the surface and a redesigned mechanical interface to the mother spacecraft. The MASCOT2 instrument suite consists of a bi-static, low frequency radar (LFR) as main instrument, supported by an accelerometer (DACC), a camera (MasCAM), a radiometer (MARA) and a magnetometer (MasMAG); the latter three already flying on MASCOT. Besides the radar measurements, the camera is meant to provide high-resolution images of the landing area, and accelerometers to record the bouncing dynamics by which the top surface mechanical properties can be determined. During the DART impact, MASCOT2 was expected to be able to detect the seismic shock, providing valuable information on the internal structure of the body. MASCOT2 was supposed also to serve as a technology demonstrator for very small asteroid landing and extended operations powered by a solar generator. In this paper, we describe the science concept, mission analysis of the separation, descent and landing phase, the operational timeline, and the latest status of the lander’s design. Despite the fact that AIM funding has not been fully confirmed during the ESA Ministerial conference in 2016, MASCOT2 is an instrument package of high maturity and major interest for planetary defense and NEO science. With appropriate tailoring and optimization, it can be considered and studied for future missions