BepiColombo - Mission Overview and Science Goals

BepiColombo is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, ESA, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, to perform a comprehensive exploration of Mercury. Launched on $20^{\mathrm{th}}$ 20 th October 2018 from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, the spacecraft is now en route to Mercury.Two orbiters have been sent to Mercury and will be put into dedicated, polar orbits around the planet to study the planet and its environment. One orbiter, Mio, is provided by JAXA, and one orbiter, MPO, is provided by ESA. The scientific payload of both spacecraft will provide detailed information necessary to understand the origin and evolution of the planet itself and its surrounding environment. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, the only terrestrial planet besides Earth with a self-sustained magnetic field, and the smallest planet in our Solar System. It is a key planet for understanding the evolutionary history of our Solar System and therefore also for the question of how the Earth and our Planetary System were formed.The scientific objectives focus on a global characterization of Mercury through the investigation of its interior, surface, exosphere, and magnetosphere. In addition, instrumentation onboard BepiColombo will be used to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Major effort was put into optimizing the scientific return of the mission by defining a payload such that individual measurements can be interrelated and complement each other.

Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

This review paper summarizes the research of Mercury’s magnetosphere in the Post-MESSENGER era and compares its dynamics to those in other planetary magnetospheres, especially to those in Earth’s magnetosphere. This review starts by introducing the planet Mercury, including its interplanetary environment, magnetosphere, exosphere, and conducting core. The frequent and intense magnetic reconnection on the dayside magnetopause, which is represented by the flux transfer event “shower”, is reviewed on how they depend on magnetosheath plasma β and magnetic shear angle across the magnetopause, following by how it contributes to the flux circulation and magnetosphere-surface-exosphere coupling. In the next, Mercury’s magnetosphere under extreme solar events, including the core induction and the reconnection erosion on the dayside magnetosphere, the responses of the nightside magnetosphere, are reviewed. Then, the dawn-dusk properties of the plasma sheet, including the features of the ions, the structure of the current sheet, and the dynamics of magnetic reconnection, are summarized. The last topic is devoted to the particle energization in Mercury’s magnetosphere, which includes the energization of the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause boundaries, reconnection-generated magnetic structures, and the cross-tail electric field. In each chapter, the last section discusses the open questions related to each topic, which can be considered by the simulations and the future spacecraft mission. We end this paper by summarizing the future BepiColombo opportunities, which is a joint mission of ESA and JAXA and is en route to Mercury.

Diplomasi Ekonomi Indonesia dalam Merespon RED II

Lahan Kelapa Sawit yang sangat luas menjadikan Indonesia sebagai pengeskpor kelapa sawit terbesar di dunia. Pada tahun 2017 kelapa sawit menyumbang devisa kepada Negara sebesar USD 23 Miliar atau setara sekitar Rp 300 Triliun, ekspor pada tahun 2017 naik 26% dari tahun sebelumnya. Pada tahun 2020 nilai ekspor kelapa sawit mencapai USD 22,97 Miliar atau setara dengan 320,5 Triliun. Pasar ekspor kelapa sawit Indonesia telah menjangkau pada Negara-Negara besar antara lain China, Uni Eropa dan India. Namun, pada tahun 2017 Uni Eropa merilis kebijakan Delegated Act on Low and High ILUC-Risk Biofuel dalam Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) menggolongkan minyak sawit sebagai indirect land use change-risk biofuel (ILUC). Adanya kebijakan tersebut mendorong Indonesia untuk melakukan strategi diplomasi ekonomi dalam merespon kebijakan tersebut. Adapun diplomasi ekonomi yang dilakukan oleh Indonesia antara lain menghadiri pertemuan nasional maupun internasional seperti menghadiri pertemuan dengan Negara penghasil kelapa sawit, dan Joint Mission di Eropa. Mengupayakan lewat WTO, mengupayakan minyak sawit Indonesia bersertifikat berkelanjutan, mengadakan perjanjian dagang dengan Swiss dan kerjasama produksi kelapa sawit dengan Belanda.

Microlensing survey combining Roman and Euclid Space Telescopes

<p>As the Kepler mission has done for hot exoplanets, the ESA Euclid and NASA Roman missions have the potential to create a breakthrough in our understanding of the demographics of cool exoplanets, including planets on very wide orbits, unbound, or "free-floating", planets (FFPs). Current ground-based microlensing observations have provided preliminary evidence for a potentially significant population of Super-Earth FFPs. Roman will dedicate part of its core survey program to the detection of cool exoplanets via microlensing, while Euclid may undertake a microlensing program as an ancillary science goal. We argue that simultaneous observations of short-duration microlensing events by Roman and Euclid will enable not just the verification of FFPs, but also a direct measurement of their masses, distances and transverse motions, via the detection of microlens parallax between Euclid and Roman. We use simulations of the joint-mission detection capabilities to show that parallax detections will be possible down to Earth-mass FFPs. The mass and phase-space measurements from a joint survey could thus provide strong clues to the primary mode of FFP formation.</p> <p>We also demonstrate that an early brief Euclid survey (∼5 h) of the Roman fields shortly after the Euclid launch would be also very valuable. It would allow the measurement of at least 10% of the events’  relative proper motions and 35% of the lens magnitudes very early on the life of the Roman Survey. We further discuss additional valuable science that will be facilitated by a joint Roman-Euclid microlensing campaign.</p>

A Cross University-Led COVID-19 Rapid-Response Effort: Design, Build, and Distribute Drexel AJFlex Face Shields

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a new cross-community leadership team came together, collaborated, coordinated across academic units with external community partners, and executed a joint mission to address the unmet clinical need for medical face shields during these unprecedented times. Key aspects of this success include the ability to forge and leverage new opportunities, overcome challenges, adapt to changing constraints, and serve the significant need across the Philadelphia region and healthcare systems. We teamed to design-build durable face shields (AJFlex Shields). This was accomplished by high-volume manufacturing via injection molding and by 3-D printing the key headband component that supports the protective shield. Partnering with industry collaborators and civic-minded community allies proved to be essential to bolster production and deliver approximately 33,000 face shields to more than 100 organizations in the region. Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, clinicians, product designers, manufacturers, distributors, and dedicated volunteers is committed to continuing the design-build effort and providing Drexel AJFlex Shields to our communities.

BepiColombo Science Investigations During Cruise and Flybys at the Earth, Venus and Mercury

The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute.

PENDIDIKAN GEOSISTA SEBAGAI UPAYA MEMINIMALKAN PENGGUNAAN GADGET PADA ANAK: SEMINAR-WORKSHOP UNTUK GURU DAN ORANG TUA

Currently, the use of gadgets has been rampant in all levels of society, including among children. Uncontrolled use of gadgets has more negative impacts, both from social, health, academic and psychosocial aspects. In this regard, the role of parents and teachers is needed to anticipate or reduce the negative impact of using gadgets. However, an understanding of the dangers of gadgets to children and how to prevent or overcome them is not necessarily understood comprehensively by parents and teachers. Seeing these conditions, an innovative activity was carried out which aims to 1) provide an understanding of the dangers of exposure to gadgets and social media in children and 2) socialize and demonstrate the concept of geoscience education and geo-tourism based on geopark as an alternative to reduce gadget exposure to children, as well as enrich practical experiences using the concept of geoscience and geotourism (geosista). This activity is designed for teachers and parents with the hope of being a source of inspiration and also as a guide to be practiced when with children both at school and at home. The concept of GEOSISTA (geoscience and geo-tourism based on Geopark) is considered important for the people of the island of Lombok by considering the potential of a landscape that can provide benefits in both economic, social and cultural aspects. The activities, which are packaged in the form of seminars and workshops, are felt to have an impact on increasing participants' understanding and skills in applying the Geosista concept as an effort to reduce gadget dependence on children. In addition, building a generation that has a strong character in preserving the environment through science can be expected to be a joint mission, both for teachers and parents

ESTUDIO EXPERIMENTAL: MANEJO DEL METISOPRINOL EN PACIENTES CON COVID-19

El covid-19 es una enfermedad caracterizada por presentar síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda y disfunción multisistemica. El presente ensayo clínico aleatorio controlado de diseño experimental se realizó con la finalidad de demostrar la eficacia del metisoprinol en el manejo antiviral alternativo del covid 19, en vista de no existir un tratamiento efectivo comprobado en la actual pandemia mundial decretada por la OMS. Se evaluó una población de 60 pacientes, distribuida en grupos de 30 (grupo experimental y un grupo control) de cualquier edad y sexo con comorbilidades controladas, los cuales presentaron signos y síntomas de SARS-CoV-2 y S02 mayor de 90% respirando aire ambiente en fase clínica menor de 15 días asistidos en consulta médica a domicilio en la ciudad de Guayaquil, Ecuador entre el periodo de marzo y abril de 2020. Dicho estudio se desarrolló para determinar un protocolo piloto que genere menos efectos adversos, evite complicaciones médicas en pacientes sintomáticos y revierta el cuadro clínico e imagenológico. Se demostró por cálculo de riesgo relativo la posibilidad casi nula de persistir signos y síntomas, así como la presencia de lesiones pulmonares en controles imagenológicos en un 03.33 % y reactividad rRT-PCR del 10% tratados con metisoprinol. Palabras Clave: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Metisoprinol. Referencias [1]“Interpretación de las pruebas diagnósticas frente a sars-cov-2”, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ponencia, versión 2, 2020. [2]X.Yang, Y.Yu, J.Xu, S. Huaging, X. Jia'an, L.Hong, et al, “Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study”. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Vol 8. pp. 475-481, May 2020. [3]D.Wang, B.Hu, C.Hu, et al, “Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China”. JAMA, Vol.323, 11, pp. 1061–1069, March 2020. [4]“Protocolo de investigación de los primeros casos y sus contactos directos (FFX) de la enfermedad por Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)”, Organización Mundial de la Salud, versión 2, 2020. [5]“Manejo clínico del COVID-19: atención hospitalaria”, Ministerio de Sanidad Gobierno de España, documento técnico, 2020. [6]L. Baden, and E. Rubin, “Covid-19 - The Search for Effective Therapy.” The New England journal of medicine, vol. 382, 19, pp.1851-1852, March 2020. [7]B. Cao, Y. Wang, D. Wen, et al, “A Trial of Lopinavir-Ritonavir in Adults Hospitalized with Severe Covid-19”, The New England journal of medicine, vol. 382, 19, pp.1787-1799. [8]“Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”, World health Organization, report, 2020. [9]S. Mallapaty, “Mystery deepens over animal source of coronavirus”, Nature, vol. 579, pp.18-19, March 2020. [10]TT. Lam, N. Jia, YW. Zhang, et al, “Identifying SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses in Malayan pangolins”, Nature, March 2020.

SCOR: A secure international informatics infrastructure to investigate COVID-19

Global pandemics call for large and diverse healthcare data to study various risk factors, treatment options, and disease progression patterns. Despite the enormous efforts of many large data consortium initiatives, scientific community still lacks a secure and privacy-preserving infrastructure to support auditable data sharing and facilitate automated and legally compliant federated analysis on an international scale. Existing health informatics systems do not incorporate the latest progress in modern security and federated machine learning algorithms, which are poised to offer solutions. An international group of passionate researchers came together with a joint mission to solve the problem with our finest models and tools. The SCOR Consortium has developed a ready-to-deploy secure infrastructure using world-class privacy and security technologies to reconcile the privacy/utility conflicts. We hope our effort will make a change and accelerate research in future pandemics with broad and diverse samples on an international scale.

Qubbet el-Hawa, 2019

This field report covers the work of the Egypt Exploration Society and Macquarie University Joint Mission during the period of 2018 and 2019 at Qubbet el-Hawa (third to fifth field seasons). Excavations focused on the infrastructure of the Lower Necropolis (Sites B and C) and the discovery of the causeway of Tomb QH90 (Site E). A detailed analysis of the pottery found and archaeometrical results complement the report.