Single-crystal growth, differential thermal analysis (DTA), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray structural studies and polarized microscopy observations of bis(ethylenediammonium) tetrabromozincate(II) bromide [NH3(CH2)2NH3]2[ZnBr4]Br2 are presented. A reversible phase transition is described. At room temperature, the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system. In some cases, the single crystals are twinned into two or more large domains of ferroelastic type with domain walls in the (100) crystallographic plane. DTA and DTG measurements show chemical stability of the crystal up to ∼538 K. In the DSC studies, a reversible isostructural phase transition was revealed at ∼526/522 K on heating/cooling run, respectively. Optical observation on the heating run reveals that at the phase transition the plane of twinning (domain wall) does not disappear and additionally the appearance of a new domain structure of ferroelastic type with domain walls in the planes (101), (101), (100) and (001) is observed. The domain structure pattern is preserved after cooling to the room-temperature phase and the symmetry of this phase is unchanged.

The strong interaction of high-energy electrons with a crystal results in both dynamical elastic scattering and inelastic events, particularly phonon and plasmon excitation, which have relatively large cross sections. For accurate crystal structure refinement it is therefore important to uncover the impact of inelastic scattering on the Bragg beam intensities. Here a combined Bloch wave–Monte Carlo method is used to simulate phonon and plasmon scattering in crystals. The simulated thermal and plasmon diffuse scattering are consistent with experimental results. The simulations also confirm the empirical observation of a weaker unscattered beam intensity with increasing energy loss in the low-loss regime, while the Bragg-diffracted beam intensities do not change significantly. The beam intensities include the diffuse scattered background and have been normalized to adjust for the inelastic scattering cross section. It is speculated that the random azimuthal scattering angle during inelastic events transfers part of the unscattered beam intensity to the inner Bragg reflections. Inelastic scattering should not significantly influence crystal structure refinement, provided there are no artefacts from any background subtraction, since the relative intensity of the diffracted beams (which includes the diffuse scattering) remains approximately constant in the low energy loss regime.

Human tRNA (uracil-5-)-methyltransferase 2 homolog A (TRMT2A) is the dedicated enzyme for the methylation of uridine 54 in transfer RNA (tRNA). Human TRMT2A has also been described as a modifier of polyglutamine (polyQ)-derived neuronal toxicity. The corresponding human polyQ pathologies include Huntington's disease and constitute a family of devastating neuro­degenerative diseases. A polyQ tract in the corresponding disease-linked protein causes neuronal death and symptoms such as impaired motor function, as well as cognitive impairment. In polyQ disease models, silencing of TRMT2A reduced polyQ-associated cell death and polyQ protein aggregation, suggesting this protein as a valid drug target against this class of disorders. In this paper, the 1.6 Å resolution crystal structure of the RNA-recognition motif (RRM) from Drosophila melanogaster, which is a homolog of human TRMT2A, is described and analysed.

The electric field responses of the average and local lattice strains and polar nanoregions of relaxor ferroelectric PMN-30PT single crystals were revealed by multi-scale and time-resolved X-ray diffraction under DC and AC electric fields.

The impact of sample thickness and experimental noise on angular correlation analysis from scanning electron nanobeam diffraction patterns of disordered carbon are investigated and analyzed regarding the interpretability of the analysis results.

Lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit giant piezoelectric properties owing to their heterogeneous structures. The average and local structures measured by single-crystal X-ray diffraction under DC and AC electric fields are reviewed in this article. The position-dependent local lattice strain and the distribution of polar nanodomains and nanoregions show strong electric field dependence, which contributes to the giant piezoelectric properties.

In electron microscopy the principle of reciprocity is often used to imply time reversal symmetry. While this is true for elastic scattering, its applicability to inelastic scattering is less well established. From the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy for a thermally isolated system must be constant for any reversible process. Using entropy and statistical fluctuation arguments, it is shown that, while reversibility is possible at the microscopic level, it becomes statistically less likely for higher energy transfers. The implications for reciprocal imaging modes, including energy loss and energy gain measurements, as well as Kainuma's reciprocal wave model are also discussed.

In powder diffraction, lattice symmetry relaxation causes a peak to split into several components which are not resolved if the degree of desymmetrization is small (pseudosymmetry). Here the equations which rule peak splitting are elaborated for the six minimal symmetry transitions, showing that the resulting split peaks are generally broader and asymmetric, and suffer an hkl-dependent displacement with respect to the high-symmetry parent peak. These results will be of help in Rietveld refinement of pseudosymmetric structures where an exact interpretation of peak deformation is required.

Algebraic expressions for averaging linear and nonlinear stiffness tensors from general anisotropy to different effective symmetries (11 Laue classes elastically representing all 32 crystal classes, and two non-crystalline symmetries: isotropic and cylindrical) have been derived by automatic symbolic computations of the arithmetic mean over the set of rotational transforms determining a given symmetry. This approach generalizes the Voigt average to nonlinear constants and desired approximate symmetries other than isotropic, which can be useful for a description of textured polycrystals and rocks preserving some symmetry aspects. Low-symmetry averages have been used to derive averages of higher symmetry to speed up computations. Relationships between the elastic constants of each symmetry have been deduced from their corresponding averages by resolving the rank-deficient system of linear equations. Isotropy has also been considered in terms of generalized Lamé constants. The results are published in the form of appendices in the supporting information for this article and have been deposited in the Mendeley database.

To fully exploit ultra-short X-ray pulse durations routinely available at X-ray free-electron lasers to follow out-of-equilibrium dynamics, inherent arrival time fluctuations of the X-ray pulse with an external perturbing laser pulse need to be measured. In this work, two methods of arrival time measurement were compared to measure the arrival time jitter of hard X-ray pulses. The methods were photoelectron streaking by a THz field and a transient refractive index change of a semiconductor. The methods were validated by shot-to-shot correction of a pump–probe transient reflectivity measurement. An ultimate shot-to-shot full width at half-maximum error between the devices of 19.2 ± 0.1 fs was measured.

A new experimental setup combining X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) in the hard X-ray regime and a high-pressure sample environment has been developed to monitor the pressure dependence of the internal motion of complex systems down to the atomic scale in the multi-gigapascal range, from room temperature to 600 K. The high flux of coherent high-energy X-rays at fourth-generation synchrotron sources solves the problems caused by the absorption of diamond anvil cells used to generate high pressure, enabling the measurement of the intermediate scattering function over six orders of magnitude in time, from 10−3 s to 103 s. The constraints posed by the high-pressure generation such as the preservation of X-ray coherence, as well as the sample, pressure and temperature stability, are discussed, and the feasibility of high-pressure XPCS is demonstrated through results obtained on metallic glasses.

Synchrotron-radiation-based techniques are a powerful tool for the investigation of materials. In particular, the availability of highly brilliant sources has opened the possibility to develop techniques sensitive to dynamics at the atomic scale such as X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). XPCS is particularly relevant in the study of glasses, which have been often investigated at the macroscopic scale by, for example, differential scanning calorimetry. Here, we show how to adapt a Flash calorimeter to combine XPCS and calorimetric scans. This setup paves the way to novel experiments requiring dynamical and thermodynamic information, ranging from the study of the crystallization kinetics to the study of the glass transition in systems that can be vitrified thanks to the high cooling rates reachable with an ultrafast calorimeter.

Understanding the correlation between chemical and microstructural properties is critical for unraveling the fundamental relationship between materials chemistry and physical structures that can benefit materials science and engineering. Here, we demonstrate novel in situ correlative imaging of the X-ray Compton scattering computed tomography (XCS-CT) technique for studying this fundamental relationship. XCS-CT can image light elements that do not usually exhibit strong signals using other X-ray characterization techniques. This paper describes the XCS-CT setup and data analysis method for calculating the valence electron momentum density and lithium-ion concentration, and provides two examples of spatially and temporally resolved chemical properties inside batteries in 3D. XCS-CT was applied to study two types of rechargeable lithium batteries in standard coin cell casings: (1) a lithium-ion battery containing a cathode of bespoke microstructure and liquid electrolyte, and (2) a solid-state battery containing a solid-polymer electrolyte. The XCS-CT technique is beneficial to a wide variety of materials and systems to map chemical composition changes in 3D structures.

In a photoinjector electron source, the initial transverse electron bunch properties are determined by the spatial properties of the laser beam on the photocathode. Spatial shaping of the laser is commonly achieved by relay imaging an illuminated circular mask onto the photocathode. However, the Gibbs phenomenon shows that recreating the sharp edge and discontinuity of the cut profile at the mask on the cathode is not possible with an optical relay of finite aperture. Furthermore, the practical injection of the laser into the photoinjector results in the beam passing through small or asymmetrically positioned apertures. This work uses wavefront propagation to show how the transport apertures cause ripple structures to appear in the transverse laser profile even when effectively the full laser power is transmitted. The impact of these structures on the propagated electron bunch has also been studied with electron bunches of high and low charge density. With high charge density, the ripples in the initial charge distribution rapidly wash-out through space charge effects. However, for bunches with low charge density, the ripples can persist through the bunch transport. Although statistical properties of the electron bunch in the cases studied are not greatly affected, there is the potential for the distorted electron bunch to negatively impact machine performance. Therefore, these effects should be considered in the design phase of accelerators using photoinjectors.

The split-and-delay unit (SDU) at FLASH2 will be upgraded to enable the simultaneous operation of two temporally, spatially and spectrally separated probe beams when the free-electron laser undulators are operated in a two-color scheme. By means of suitable thin filters and an optical grating beam path a wide range of combinations of photon energies in the spectral range from 150 eV to 780 eV can be chosen. In this paper, simulations of the spectral transmission and performance parameters of the filter technique are discussed, along with a monochromator with dispersion compensation presently under construction.

The influence of the crystal synthesis method on the crystallographic structure of caffeine–citric acid co­crystals was analyzed thanks to the synthesis of a new polymorphic form of the cocrystal. In order to com­pare the new form to the already known forms, the crystal structure of the new cocrystal (C8H10N4O2·C6H8O7) was solved by powder X-ray diffraction thanks to synchrotron experiments. The structure determination was performed using `GALLOP', a recently developed hybrid approach based on a local optimization with a particle swarm optimizer, particularly powerful when applied to the structure resolution of materials of pharmaceutical inter­est, com­pared to classical Monte-Carlo simulated annealing. The final structure was obtained through Rietveld refinement, and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to locate the H atoms. The symmetry is triclinic with the space group Poverline{1} and contains one mol­ecule of caffeine and one mol­ecule of citric acid per asymmetric unit. The crystallographic structure of this cocrystal involves different hydrogen-bond associations com­pared to the already known structures. The analysis of these hydrogen bonds indicates that the cocrystal obtained here is less stable than the co­crystals already identified in the literature. This analysis is confirmed by the determination of the melting point of this cocrystal, which is lower than that of the previously known co­crystals.

The Azotobacter vinelandii FeSII protein forms an oxygen-resistant complex with the nitrogenase MoFe and Fe proteins. FeSII is an adrenodoxin-type ferredoxin that forms a dimer in solution. Previously, the crystal structure was solved [Schlesier et al. (2016), J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 239–247] with five copies in the asymmetric unit. One copy is a normal adrenodoxin domain that forms a dimer with its crystallographic symmetry mate. The other four copies are in an `open' conformation with a loop flipped out exposing the 2Fe–2S cluster. The open and closed conformations were interpreted as oxidized and reduced, respectively, and the large conformational change in the open configuration allowed binding to nitrogenase. Here, the structure of FeSII was independently solved in the same crystal form. The positioning of the atoms in the unit cell is similar to the earlier report. However, the interpretation of the structure is different. The `open' conformation is interpreted as the product of a crystallization-induced domain swap. The 2Fe–2S cluster is not exposed to solvent, but in the crystal its interacting helix is replaced by the same helix residues from a crystal symmetry mate. The domain swap is complicated, as it is unusual in being in the middle of the protein rather than at a terminus, and it creates arrangements of molecules that can be interpreted in multiple ways. It is also cautioned that crystal structures should be interpreted in terms of the contents of the entire crystal rather than of one asymmetric unit.

Single-particle imaging using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) is a promising technique for observing nanoscale biological samples under near-physiological conditions. However, as the sample's orientation in each diffraction pattern is unknown, advanced algorithms are required to reconstruct the 3D diffraction intensity volume and subsequently the sample's density model. While most approaches perform 3D reconstruction via determining the orientation of each diffraction pattern, a correlation-based approach utilizes the averaged spatial correlations of diffraction intensities over all patterns, making it well suited for processing experimental data with a poor signal-to-noise ratio of individual patterns. Here, a method is proposed to determine the 3D structure of a sample by analyzing the double, triple and quadruple spatial correlations in diffraction patterns. This ab initio method can reconstruct the basic shape of an irregular unsymmetric 3D sample without requiring any prior knowledge of the sample. The impact of background and noise on correlations is investigated and corrected to ensure the success of reconstruction under simulated experimental conditions. Additionally, the feasibility of using the correlation-based approach to process incomplete partial diffraction patterns is demonstrated. The proposed method is a variable addition to existing algorithms for 3D reconstruction and will further promote the development and adoption of XFEL single-particle imaging techniques.

The application of grazing-incidence total X-ray scattering (GITXS) for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis using >50 keV X-rays from synchrotron light sources has created new opportunities for structural characterization of supported thin films with high resolution. Compared with grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, which is only useful for highly ordered materials, GITXS/PDFs expand such analysis to largely disordered or nanostructured materials by examining the atomic pair correlations dependent on the direction relative to the surface of the supporting substrate. A characterization of nanocrystalline In2O3-derived thin films is presented here with in-plane-isotropic and out-of-plane-anisotropic orientational ordering of the atomic structure, each synthesized using different techniques. The atomic orientations of such films are known to vary based on the synthetic conditions. Here, an azimuthal orientational analysis of these films using GITXS with a single incident angle is shown to resolve the markedly different orientations of the atomic structures with respect to the planar support and the different degrees of long-range order, and hence, the terminal surface chemistries. It is anticipated that orientational analysis of GITXS/PDF data will offer opportunities to extend structural analyses of thin films by providing a means to qualitatively determine the major atomic orientation within nanocrystalline and, eventually, non-crystalline films.

A pressure-induced triclinic-to-monoclinic phase transition has been caught `in the act' over a wider series of high-pressure synchrotron diffraction experiments conducted on a large, photoluminescent organo-gold(I) compound. Here, we describe the mechanism of this single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition, the onset of which occurs at ∼0.6 GPa, and we report a high-quality structure of the new monoclinic phase, refined using aspherical atomic scattering factors. Our case illustrates how conducting a fast series of diffraction experiments, enabled by modern equipment at synchrotron facilities, can lead to overestimation of the actual pressure of a phase transition due to slow transformation kinetics.

Density functional theory methods are applied to crystal structures and stabilities of phases from the aleksite homologous series, PbnBi4Te4Sn+2 (n = homologue number). The seven phases investigated correspond to n = 0 (tetradymite), 2 (aleksite-21R and -42R), 4 (saddlebackite-9H and -18H), 6 (unnamed Pb6Bi4Te4S8), 8 (unnamed Pb8Bi4Te4S10), 10 (hitachiite) and 12 (unnamed Pb12Bi4Te4S14). These seven phases correspond to nine single- or double-module structures, each comprising an odd number of atom layers, 5, 7, (5.9), 9, (7.11), 11, 13, 15 and 17, expressed by the formula: S(MpXp+1)·L(Mp+1Xp+2), where M = Pb, Bi and X = Te, S, p ≥ 2, and S and L = number of short and long modules, respectively. Relaxed structures show a and c values within 1.5% of experimental data; a and the interlayer distance dsub decrease with increasing PbS content. Variable Pb—S bond lengths contrast with constant Pb—S bond lengths in galena. All phases are n-fold superstructures of a rhombohedral subcell with c/3 = dsub*. Electron diffraction patterns show two brightest reflections at the centre of dsub*, described by the modulation vector qF = (i/N) · dsub*, i = S + L. A second modulation vector, q = γ · csub*, shows a decrease in γ, from 1.8 to 1.588, across the n = 0 to n = 12 interval. The linear relationship between γ and dsub allows the prediction of any theoretical phases beyond the studied compositional range. The upper PbS-rich limit of the series is postulated as n = 398 (Pb398Bi4Te4S400), a phase with dsub (1.726 Å) identical to that of trigonal PbS within experimental error. The aleksite series is a prime example of mixed layer compounds built with accretional homology principles.

A significant part of the present and future of optoelectronic devices lies on thin multilayer heterostructures. Their optical properties depend strongly on strain, being essential to the knowledge of the stress level to optimize the growth process. Here the structural and microstructural characteristics of sub-micron a-ZnO epilayers (12 to 770 nm) grown on r-sapphire by metal–organic chemical vapour deposition are studied. Morphological and structural studies have been made using scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction. Plastic unit-cell distortion and corresponding strain have been determined as a function of film thickness. A critical thickness has been observed as separating the non-elastic/elastic states with an experimental value of 150–200 nm. This behaviour has been confirmed from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements. An equation that gives the balance of strains is proposed as an interesting method to experimentally determine this critical thickness. It is concluded that in the thinnest films an elongation of the Zn—O bond takes place and that the plastic strained ZnO films relax through nucleation of misfit dislocations, which is a consequence of three-dimensional surface morphology.

In recent decades, sustained theoretical and software developments have clearly established that representation analysis and magnetic symmetry groups are complementary concepts that should be used together in the investigation and description of magnetic structures. Historically, they were considered alternative approaches, but currently, magnetic space groups and magnetic superspace groups can be routinely used together with representation analysis, aided by state-of-the-art software tools. After exploring the historical antagonism between these two approaches, we emphasize the significant advancements made in understanding and formally describing magnetic structures by embracing their combined use.

The nitro­gen–sulfur Schiff base proligand S-n-octyl 3-(1-phenyl­ethyl­idene)di­thio­carbazate, C17H26N2S2 (HL), was prepared by reaction of S-octyl di­thio­carbamate with aceto­phenone. Treatment of HL with nickel acetate yielded the complex bis­[S-n-octyl 3-(1-phenyl­ethyl­idene)di­thio­carbazato]nickel(II), [Ni(C17H25N2S2)2] (NiL2), which was shown to adopt a tetra­hedrally distorted cis-square-planar coordination geometry, with the NiSN planes of the two ligands forming a dihedral angle of 21.66 (6)°. Changes in the geometry of the L ligand upon chelation of Ni2+ are described, involving a ca 180° rotation around the N(azomethine)—C(thiol­ate) bond.

We report the synthesis and structures of two transition-metal complexes involving 2-(2-hy­droxy­phen­yl)benzimidazole (2hpbi – a ligand of inter­est for its photoluminescent applications), with cobalt, namely, bis­[μ-2-(1H-1,3-benzo­diazol-2-yl)phenolato]bis­[ethanol(thio­cyanato)­cobalt(II)], [Co2(C13H9N2O)2(NCS)2(C2H6O)2], (1), and manganese, namely, bis­[μ-2-(1H-1,3-benzo­diazol-2-yl)phenolato]bis­{[2-(1H-1,3-benzo­diazol-2-yl)phenolato](thio­cyanato)­mang­an­ese(III)} dihydrate, [Mn2(C13H9N2O)4(NCS)2]·2H2O, (2). These structures are two recent examples of a fruitful collaboration between researchers at the Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination Organique/Organic Coordination Chemistry Laboratory (LCCO), University of Dakar, Senegal and the National Crystallography Service (NCS), School of Chemistry, University Southampton, UK. This productive partnership was forged through meeting at Pan-African Conferences on Crystallography and quickly grew as the plans for the AfCA (African Crystallographic Association) developed. This article therefore also showcases this productive partnership, in celebration of the IUCr's 75 year anniversary and the recent inclusion of AfCA as a Regional Associate of the IUCr.

The synthetic availability of mol­ecular water oxidation catalysts containing high-valent ions of 3d metals in the active site is a prerequisite to enabling photo- and electrochemical water splitting on a large scale. Herein, the synthesis and crystal structure of di­ammonium {μ-1,3,4,7,8,10,12,13,16,17,19,22-dodeca­aza­tetra­cyclo­[8.8.4.13,17.18,12]tetra­cosane-5,6,14,15,20,21-hexa­onato}ferrate(IV) acetic acid tris­olvate, (NH4)2[FeIV(C12H12N12O6)]·3CH3COOH or (NH4)2[FeIV(L–6H)]·3CH3COOH is reported. The FeIV ion is encapsulated by the macropolycyclic ligand, which can be described as a dodeca-aza-quadricyclic cage with two capping tri­aza­cyclo­hexane fragments making three five- and six six-membered alternating chelate rings with the central FeIV ion. The local coord­ination environment of FeIV is formed by six deprotonated hydrazide nitro­gen atoms, which stabilize the unusual oxidation state. The FeIV ion lies on a twofold rotation axis (multiplicity 4, Wyckoff letter e) of the space group C2/c. Its coordination geometry is inter­mediate between a trigonal prism (distortion angle φ = 0°) and an anti­prism (φ = 60°) with φ = 31.1°. The Fe—N bond lengths lie in the range 1.9376 (13)–1.9617 (13) Å, as expected for tetra­valent iron. Structure analysis revealed that three acetic acid mol­ecules additionally co-crystallize per one iron(IV) complex, and one of them is positionally disordered over four positions. In the crystal structure, the ammonium cations, complex dianions and acetic acid mol­ecules are inter­connected by an intricate system of hydrogen bonds, mainly via the oxamide oxygen atoms acting as acceptors.

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) is a powerful tool for the investigation of dynamics covering a broad range of timescales and length scales. The two-time correlation function (TTC) is commonly used to track non-equilibrium dynamical evolution in XPCS measurements, with subsequent extraction of one-time correlations. While the theoretical foundation for the quantitative analysis of TTCs is primarily established for equilibrium systems, where key parameters such as the diffusion coefficient remain constant, non-equilibrium systems pose a unique challenge. In such systems, different projections (`cuts') of the TTC may lead to divergent results if the underlying fundamental parameters themselves are subject to temporal variations. This article explores widely used approaches for TTC calculations and common methods for extracting relevant information from correlation functions, particularly in the light of comparing dynamics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems.

Slow-cooled CF8M duplex stainless steel is used for critical parts of the primary coolant pipes of nuclear reactors. This steel can endure severe service conditions, but it tends to become more brittle upon very long-term aging (tens of years). Therefore, it is essential to understand its specific microstructure and temporal evolution. As revealed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses, the microstructure consists of millimetre-scale ferritic grains within which austenite lath packets have grown with preferred crystallographic orientations concerning the parent ferritic phase far from the ferrite grain boundaries. In these lath packets where the austenite phase is nucleated, the lath morphology and crystal orientation accommodate the two ferrite orientations. Globally, the Pitsch orientation relationship appears to display the best agreement with the experimental data compared with other classical relationships. The austenite lath packets are parallel plate-shaped laths, characterized by their normal n. A novel methodology is introduced to elucidate the expected relationship between n and the crystallographic orientation given the coarse interfaces, even though n is only partly known from the observation surface, in contrast to the 3D crystal orientations measured by EBSD. The distribution of retrieved normals n is shown to be concentrated over a set of discrete orientations. Assuming that the ferrite and austenite obey the Pitsch orientation relationship, the determined lath normals are close to an invariant direction of the parent phase given by the same orientation relationship.

Geological samples are inherently multi-scale. Understanding their bulk physical and chemical properties requires characterization down to the nano-scale. A powerful technique to study the three-dimensional microstructure is X-ray tomography, but it lacks information about the chemistry of samples. To develop a methodology for measuring the multi-scale 3D microstructure of geological samples, correlative X-ray micro- and nanotomography were performed on two rocks followed by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis. The study was performed in five steps: (i) micro X-ray tomography was performed on rock sample cores, (ii) samples for nanotomography were prepared using laser milling, (iii) nanotomography was performed on the milled sub-samples, (iv) samples were mounted and polished for SEM analysis and (v) SEM imaging and compositional mapping was performed on micro and nanotomography samples for complimentary information. Correlative study performed on samples of serpentine and basalt revealed multiscale 3D structures involving both solid mineral phases and pore networks. Significant differences in the volume fraction of pores and mineral phases were also observed dependent on the imaging spatial resolution employed. This highlights the necessity for the application of such a multiscale approach for the characterization of complex aggregates such as rocks. Information acquired from the chemical mapping of different phases was also helpful in segmentation of phases that did not exhibit significant contrast in X-ray imaging. Adoption of the protocol used in this study can be broadly applied to 3D imaging studies being performed at the Advanced Light Source and other user facilities.

The design and first results of a high-transmission soft X-ray spectrometer operated at the X-SPEC double-undulator beamline of the KIT Light Source are presented. As a unique feature, particular emphasis was placed on optimizing the spectrometer transmission by maximizing the solid angle and the efficiencies of spectrometer gratings and detector. A CMOS detector, optimized for soft X-rays, allows for quantum efficiencies of 90% or above over the full energy range of the spectrometer, while simultaneously offering short readout times. Combining an optimized control system at the X-SPEC beamline with continuous energy scans (as opposed to step scans), the high transmission of the spectrometer, and the fast readout of the CMOS camera, enable the collection of entire rapid resonant inelastic soft X-ray scattering maps in less than 1 min. Series of spectra at a fixed energy can be taken with a frequency of up to 5 Hz. Furthermore, the use of higher-order reflections allows a very wide energy range (45 to 2000 eV) to be covered with only two blazed gratings, while keeping the efficiency high and the resolving power E/ΔE above 1500 and 3000 with low- and high-energy gratings, respectively.

We explore a special class of periodic graphs, ladder graphs, whose edges can coincide when embedded vertices are moved. Many of these exhibit additional non-crystallographic graph symmetries.

In this photo taken on February 10, 2020 a 'love kit' is seen on the bed in a room at the Dragonfly hotel in Mumbai.; Credit: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images

A new survey shows that in the era of widespread vaccine availability, American couples are more satisfied in their relationships -- and some are even getting more experimental than they have been.

Led by Indiana University Kinsey Institute researcher Justin Lehmiller in collaboration with the website Lovehoney, which describes itself as “global sexual happiness experts,” the report looked at responses from 2,000 U.S. adults age 18-45, including an oversample of 200 who identified as LGBTQ, and among the major findings of the survey were that more than half (51 percent) of respondents said their sexual interests had changed during the pandemic, and many of those said they’d started trying things they hadn’t before. It also found that 44 percent of people surveyed said they were communicating better with their partner, and among singles surveyed 52 percent say they’re less interested in casual sex and more than a third of them said they weren’t interested in having sex on the first date.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with Professor Lehmiller about the survey, its findings and how the pandemic impacted Americans’ views on relationships and sex.

Guest: 

Justin Lehmiller, social psychologist and research fellow at Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute who conducted the “Summer of Love” survey; author of “Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life” (Hachette Go, July 2020); host of the “Sex and Psychology” podcast; he tweets @JustinLehmiller

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Family Builders, the adoption service of Catawba County Social Services, can now help adult adoptees, birth parents and their close relatives find each other. Not all counties in North Carolina offer this service, which is called Confidential Intermediary Services. Until recently all adoption records were sealed under North Carolina state law. In 2008, a new law took effect that allowed the release of certain records to adult adoptees and birth parents, if both parties agreed.

High schools that successfully engage students in learning have many things in common.

Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

The U.S. electric power delivery system is vulnerable to terrorist attacks that could cause much more damage to the system than natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, blacking out large regions of the country for weeks or months and costing many billions of dollars, says a newly released report by the National Research Council.

Insufficient sleep can decrease a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver’s level of alertness, which may increase the risk of a crash, yet little is known about effective ways to minimize that risk, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

U.S. adults perform comparably to adults in other economically developed countries on most measures of science knowledge and support science in general, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

New Report Outlines Research Agenda to Better Understand the Relationship Among Microbiomes, Indoor Environments, and Human Health

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines policies and practices governing dual-use research in the life sciences – research that could potentially be misused to cause harm – and its findings identify multiple shortcomings.

Consumer access to effective and affordable medicines is an imperative for public health, social equity, and economic development, but this need is not being served adequately by the biopharmaceutical sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Assessments of a person’s ability to function at work provide important information for disability determinations, and many validated tests are available to assess work-related physical and mental functions.

July 18 marks Nelson Mandela Day, which honors the legacy of the late President of South Africa and recognizes the nearly three decades that he spent in prison during apartheid. In accordance with the Nelson Mandela Rules (revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners), adopted by the UN in 2015, this internationally recognized day is to be used to promote humane conditions of imprisonment and to raise awareness of prisoners as a continuous part of society.

To more accurately quantify disaster-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies supporting disaster response should adopt a uniform national framework of data collection approaches and methods for distinguishing direct from indirect disaster deaths, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The U.S.-based Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has formed a cooperative understanding with the Colombia-based Sociedad Panamericana de Investigación en Transporte y Logística (Pan-American Society of Transportation Research, PANAMSTR).

There are the telltale signs of aging — a few more wrinkles, graying hair, and changes in posture. Other changes are less obvious. Aging-related changes also occur within the gut microbiome — a collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in your digestive tract.

Survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk of experiencing disabling conditions, both from the cancer itself and from the effects of treatment, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced awards totaling $3.4 million to support four projects that reduce the burden of disaster-related mental health consequences with a focus on acute disasters.

A new roundtable will hold its first public meeting on Jan. 23 to discuss challenges associated with incorporating climate change into the macroeconomic analyses used for federal policymaking. The roundtable’s activities will inform a new White House interagency working group.

Strengthening and expanding critical safety net programs is necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on children and families, says a new report that examines the substantial toll the pandemic has taken on their health and well-being, especially those in marginalized communities.