The troops disengaged after dialogue at the local level, sources said.

New Delhi, May 10: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to rush Central teams to 10 COVID-19 hit states, which are witnessing high case load and spurt in numbers, reported IANS. The states include Gujarat,

New Delhi, May 10: Troops of India and China were involved in a fierce face-off and many of them sustained minor injuries in the clash near Naku La in the Sikkim sector along the Sino-Indo border on Saturday, official sources

Mexico's health ministry confirmed 1,938 new cases of coronavirus infection on Saturday, along with 193 additional deaths, as government models projected that infections could peak this weekend.

Mexico's health ministry confirmed 1,938 new cases of coronavirus infection on Saturday, along with 193 additional deaths, as government models projected that infections could peak this weekend.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, India is going through a nationwide lockdown that has been extended to May 17. More and more Indians are adopting the social distancing norms due to the pandemic. Due to this, Delhi has witnessed a 60 percent reduction in air pollution.

Archives, Room Use Only - HE7673.B46 1923

A 27-year-old man attacked three policemen with a chopper near Marine Drive early on Saturday.Karan Pradip Nayar, a resident of Silver Oaks Estate near Breach Candy, was arrested.

Troops of India and China were involved in a fierce face-off and many of them sustained minor injuries in the clash near Naku La in the Sikkim sector along the Sino-Indo border on Saturday. The troops disengaged after dialogue at the local level. "Troops resolve such issues mutually as per established protocols. Such an incident occurred after a long time," said a source.

Researchers find that morphologically normal cells near a tumor have undergone molecular changes similar to the tumor cells.

The troops disengaged after dialogue at the local level

3 cops hurt in chopper attack near Marine Drive

An alert loco driver of a goods train saved the lives of at least 20 migrant workers by applying the emergency brakes and halting the train just 100 metres away from them near Pune on Friday evening. The migrants were walking on the tracks between the Uruli and Loni stations. The incident happened barely 14 hrs after 16 migrants were killed on Aurangabad tracks.

Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with around 20,228 positive cases of infection and 779 deaths.

Free-electron lasers (FELs) based on superconducting accelerator technology and storage ring facilities operate with bunch repetition rates in the MHz range, and the need arises for bunch-by-bunch electron and photon diagnostics. For photon-pulse-resolved measurements of spectral distributions, fast one-dimensional profile monitors are required. The linear array detector KALYPSO (KArlsruhe Linear arraY detector for MHz-rePetition rate SpectrOscopy) has been developed for electron bunch or photon pulse synchronous read-out with frame rates of up to 2.7 MHz. At the FLASH facility at DESY, a current version of KALYPSO with 256 pixels has been installed at a grating spectrometer as online diagnostics to monitor the pulse-resolved spectra of the high-repetition-rate FEL pulses. Application-specific front-end electronics based on MicroTCA standard have been developed for data acquisition and processing. Continuous data read-out with low latency in the microsecond range enables the integration into fast feedback applications. In this paper, pulse-resolved FEL spectra recorded at 1.0 MHz repetition rate for various operation conditions at FLASH are presented, and the first application of an adaptive feedback for accelerator control based on photon beam diagnostics is demonstrated.

A fabrication method comprising near-field holography (NFH) with an electron beam lithography (EBL)-written phase mask was developed to fabricate soft X-ray varied-line-spacing gratings (VLSGs). An EBL-written phase mask with an area of 52 mm × 30 mm and a central line density greater than 3000 lines mm−1 was used. The introduction of the EBL-written phase mask substantially simplified the NFH optics for pattern transfer. The characterization of the groove density distribution and diffraction efficiency of the fabricated VLSGs indicates that the EBL–NFH method is feasible and promising for achieving high-accuracy groove density distributions with corresponding image properties. Vertical stray light is suppressed in the soft X-ray spectral range.

X-ray double-crystal monochromators face a shift of the exit beam when the Bragg angle and thus the transmitted photon energy changes. This can be compensated for by moving one or both crystals accordingly. In the case of monolithic channel-cut crystals, which exhibit utmost stability, the shift of the monochromated beam is inevitable. Here we report performance tests of novel, asymmetrically cut, channel-cut crystals which reduce the beam movements by more than a factor of 20 relative to the symmetric case over the typical energy range of an EXAFS spectrum at the Cu K-edge. In addition, the presented formulas for the beam offset including the asymmetry angle directly indicate the importance of this value, which has been commonly neglected so far in the operation of double-crystal monochromators.

A portable IR fiber laser-heating system, optimized for X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) spectroscopy with signal collection through the radial opening of diamond anvil cells near 90°with respect to the incident X-ray beam, is presented. The system offers double-sided on-axis heating by a single laser source and zero attenuation of incoming X-rays other than by the high-pressure environment. A description of the system, which has been tested for pressures above 100 GPa and temperatures up to 3000 K, is given. The XES spectra of laser-heated Mg0.67Fe0.33O demonstrate the potential to map the iron spin state in the pressure–temperature range of the Earth's lower mantle, and the NIS spectra of laser-heated FeSi give access to the sound velocity of this candidate of a phase inside the Earth's core. This portable system represents one of the few bridges across the gap between laser heating and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopies with signal collection near 90°.

X-ray absorption linear dichroism of rutile TiO2 at the Ti K-edge provides information about the electronic states involved in the pre-edge transitions. Here, linear dichroism with high energy resolution is analyzed in combination with ab initio finite difference method calculations and spherical tensor analysis. It provides an assignment of the three pre-edge peaks beyond the octahedral crystal field splitting approximation and estimates the spatial extension of the corresponding final states. It is then discussed for the first time the X-ray absorption (XAS) of pentacoordinated titanium atoms due to oxygen vacancies and it is found that, similarly to anatase TiO2, rutile is expected to exhibit a transition on the low-energy side of peak A3. Its apparent absence in the experiment is related to the degree of p–d orbital mixing which is small in rutile due to its centrosymmetric point group. A recent XAS linear dichroism study on anatase TiO2 single crystals has shown that peak A2 has an intrinsic origin and is due to a quadrupolar transition to the 3d energy levels. In rutile, due to its centrosymmetric point group, the corresponding peak A2 has a small dipole moment explaining the weak transition. The results are confronted with recent picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy on rutile TiO2 nanoparticles.

UK's only active fracking site near Blackpool records largest ever earth tremor as homeowners complain of windows shaking  iNews

'Surrey swarm' earthquakes not caused by nearby oil extraction, study suggests  Science Daily

This study explores the possibility of measuring the dynamics of proteins in solution using X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) at nearly diffraction-limited storage rings (DLSRs). We calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of XPCS experiments from a concentrated lysozyme solution at the length scale of the hydrodynamic radius of the protein molecule. We take into account limitations given by the critical X-ray dose and find expressions for the SNR as a function of beam size, sample-to-detector distance and photon energy. Specifically, we show that the combined increase in coherent flux and coherence lengths at the DLSR PETRA IV yields an increase in SNR of more than one order of magnitude. The resulting SNR values indicate that XPCS experiments of biological macromolecules on nanometre length scales will become feasible with the advent of a new generation of synchrotron sources. Our findings provide valuable input for the design and construction of future XPCS beamlines at DLSRs.

During single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) phase transitions, a polymorph of a compound can transform to a more stable form while remaining in the solid state. By understanding the mechanism of these transitions, strategies can be developed to control this phenomenon. This is particularly important in the pharmaceutical industry, but also relevant for other industries such as the food and agrochemical industries. Although extensive literature exists on SCSC phase transitions in inorganic crystals, it is unclear whether their classications and mechanisms translate to molecular crystals, with weaker interactions and more steric hindrance. A comparitive study of SCSC phase transitions in aliphatic linear-chain amino acid crystals, both racemates and quasi-racemates, is presented. A total of 34 transitions are considered and most are classified according to their structural change during the transition. Transitions without torsional changes show very different characteristics, such as transition temperature, enthalpy and free energy, compared with transitions that involve torsional changes. These differences can be rationalized using classical nucleation theory and in terms of a difference in mechanism; torsional changes occur in a molecule-by-molecule fashion, whereas transitions without torsional changes involve cooperative motion with multiple molecules at the same time.

A Thomson scattering X-ray source can provide quasi-monochromatic, continuously energy-tunable, polarization-controllable and high-brightness X-rays, which makes it an excellent tool for X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT). In this paper, we examined the suppression of Compton scattering background in XFCT using the linearly polarized X-rays and the implementation feasibility of linearly polarized XFCT based on this type of light source, concerning the influence of phantom attenuation and the sampling strategy, its advantage over K-edge subtraction computed tomography (CT), the imaging time, and the potential pulse pile-up effect by Monte Carlo simulations. A fan beam and pinhole collimator geometry were adopted in the simulation and the phantom was a polymethyl methacrylate cylinder inside which were gadolinium (Gd)-loaded water solutions with Gd concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 wt%. Compared with the case of vertical polarization, Compton scattering was suppressed by about 1.6 times using horizontal polarization. An accurate image of the Gd-containing phantom was successfully reconstructed with both spatial and quantitative identification, and good linearity between the reconstructed value and the Gd concentration was verified. When the attenuation effect cannot be neglected, one full cycle (360°) sampling and the attenuation correction became necessary. Compared with the results of K-edge subtraction CT, the contrast-to-noise ratio values of XFCT were improved by 2.03 and 1.04 times at low Gd concentrations of 0.2 and 0.5 wt%, respectively. When the flux of a Thomson scattering light source reaches 1013 photons s−1, it is possible to finish the data acquisition of XFCT at the minute or second level without introducing pulse pile-up effects.

The diffraction response of a single crystal to electric field measured by X-ray diffraction by angles close to π. Such schemes allow one to determine with high (~ 10–5–10–6) accuracy the relative changes in the lattice constant.

Invasive species, contaminants, excessive nutrient's and sediment are just some of the many factors threatening sensitive wetlands and seagrass beds.

The post Smithsonian to lead study on degradation of nearshore coastal habitats of the Chesapeake appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found evidence of the youngest black hole known to exist in our cosmic neighborhood. The 30-year-old object is a remnant of SN 1979C, a supernova in the galaxy M100 approximately 50 million light years from Earth.

The post Chandra X-ray Observatory finds youngest nearby black hole appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Faced with insufficient time and inadequate library resources to tackle the problem on their own, they instead posted a catalog of specimen images to Facebook and turned to their network of colleagues for help.

The post Facebook friends help scientists quickly identify nearly 5,000 fish specimens collected in Guyana appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

New observations by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, show there are significantly fewer near-Earth asteroids in the mid-size range than previously thought.

The post Infrared survey reveals fewer near-Earth asteroids than previously thought appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, left, talks with Carlos Jaramillo, scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, at a research site near the Panama […]

The post Wayne Clough & Carlos Jaramillo, at a research site near the Panama Canal. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Deep observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory of Cygnus OB2 have been used to detect the X-ray emission from the hot outer atmospheres, or coronas, of young stars in the cluster and to probe how these great star factories form and evolve.

The post Cygnus OB2: Probing a nearby stellar cradle appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Archaeologists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama have discovered a cluster of 12 unusual stones in the back of a small, prehistoric rock-shelter near the town of Boquete.

The post 4,000-year-old shaman’s stones discovered near Boquete, Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

New data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory offer a glimpse into the environment of a star before it exploded earlier this year, and insight into […]

The post Chandra Observatory searches for trigger of nearby supernova appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The Jamaican golden swallow was last seen in 1982. From 1994 to 2012, Smithsonian ornithologist Gary Graves combed the island of Jamaica to document several […]

The post After a nearly 20-year search, this Jamaican bird is probably extinct appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The post After a bulldozer unearthed five statues in Ain Ghazal, Jordan in 1984, Smithsonian conservators carefully restore these otherworldy figures appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A new genetic analysis has revealed that many Amazon tree species are likely to survive human-caused climate warming in the coming century, contrary to previous findings that temperature increases would cause them to die out.

The post Warming climate unlikely to cause near-term extinction of ancient Amazon trees, study says appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The structural and nonlinear optical properties of a new anilinium hybrid crystal of chemical formula (C6H7NCl+·NO3−)3 have been investigated. The crystal structure was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements performed at a temperature of 100 K which show that the compound crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric space group (Pna21). The structural analysis was coupled with Hirshfeld surface analysis to evaluate the contribution of the different intermolecular interactions to the formation of supramolecular assemblies in the solid state that exhibit nonlinear optical features. This analysis reveals that the studied compound is characterized by a three-dimensional network of hydrogen bonds and the main contributions are provided by the O...H, C...H, H...H and Cl...H interactions, which alone represent ∼85% of the total contributions to the Hirshfeld surfaces. It is noteworthy that the halogen...H contributions are quite comparable with those of the H...H contacts. The nonlinear optical properties were investigated by nonlinear diffuse femtosecond-pulse reflectometry and the obtained results were compared with those of the reference material LiNbO3. The hybrid crystals exhibit notable second (SHG) and third (THG) harmonic generation which confirms its polarity is generated by the different intermolecular interactions. These measurements also highlight that the THG signal of the new anilinium compound normalized to its SHG counterpart is more pronounced than for LiNbO3.

A new report from the National Research Council lays out options NASA could follow to detect more near-Earth objects (NEOs) – asteroids and comets that could pose a hazard if they cross Earths orbit.

There would not be sufficient benefit to updating estimates of the social cost of carbon (SCC) within a year based only on the revision of a specific climate parameter in the existing framework used by the government’s interagency group to measure the SCC, says a new interim report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The technical update on the asset, which Wheaton Precious Metals owns a production stream on, is explored in a CIBC report.

A recent study has investigated how waste disposal sites in southern Italy have affected residents living nearby. Villagers reported being annoyed by odours, but the perceptions of residents living in the village closest to the facilities were possibly influenced by receiving financial compensation for the presence of the facilities.

A recent study has investigated how waste disposal sites in southern Italy have affected residents living nearby. Villagers reported being annoyed by odours, but the perceptions of residents living in the village closest to the facilities were possibly influenced by receiving financial compensation for the presence of the facilities.