In the crystal structure of the title compound, {[Co(C11H9NSO5)(C10H9N3)]0.5C3H7NO·H2O}n or {[Co(dmtb)(dpa)]·0.5DMF·H2O}n (dmtb2– = 5-[(di­meth­yl­amino)­thioxometh­oxy]-1,3-benzene­dicarboxyl­ate and dpa = 4,4'-di­pyridyl­amine), an assembly of periodic [Co(C11H9NSO5)(C10H9N3)]n layers extending parallel to the bc plane is present. Each layer is constituted by distorted [CoO4N2] octa­hedra, which are connected through the μ2-coordination modes of both dmtb2– and dpa ligands. Occupationally disordered water and di­meth­yl­formamide (DMF) solvent mol­ecules are located in the voids of the network to which they are connected through hydrogen-bonding inter­actions.

The receptor ability of diethyl N,N'-(1,3-phenyl­ene)dicarbamate (1) to form host–guest com­plexes with theophylline (TEO) and caffeine (CAF) by mechanochemistry was evaluated. The formation of the 1–TEO com­plex (C12H16N2O4·C7H8N4O2) was preferred and involves the conformational change of one of the ethyl carbamate groups of 1 from the endo conformation to the exo conformation to allow the formation of inter­molecular inter­actions. The formation of an N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond between 1 and TEO triggers the conformational change of 1. CAF mol­ecules are unable to form an N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond with 1, making the conformational change and, therefore, the formation of the com­plex impossible. Conformational change and selective binding were monitored by IR spectroscopy, solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The 1–TEO com­plex was characterized by IR spectroscopy, solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

By studying the structures of (μ-1,4,10,13-tetra­thia-7,16-di­aza­cyclo­octa­deca­ne)bis[iodidopalladium(II)] diiodide penta­(diiodine), [Pd2I2(C12H26N2S4)](I)2·5I2 or [Pd2I2([18]aneN2S4)](I)2·(I2)5, and 4,7,13,16,21,24-hexa­oxa-1,10-diazo­niabi­cyclo­[8.8.8]hexa­cosane triiodide iodide hemi­penta­(diiodine) di­chloro­methane mono­solvate, C18H38N2O62+·I3−·I−·2.5I2·CH2Cl2 or [H2([2.2.2]cryptand)](I3)(I)(I2)2.5·CH2Cl2, we confirm the structural variety of extended polyiodides achievable upon changing the shape, charge and dimensions of the cation template, by altering the synthetic strategy adopted and/or the experimental conditions. Although it is still often difficult to characterize discrete [I2m+n]n− polyiodides higher than I3− on the basis of structural parameters, such as I—I bond distances, FT–Raman spectroscopy appears to identify them as aggregates of I2, I− and (symmetric or slightly asymmetric) I3− building blocks linked by I⋯I inter­actions of varying strengths. However, because FT–Raman spectroscopy carries no information about the topological features of extended polyiodides, the two techniques should therefore be applied in combination to enhance the analysis of this kind of compounds.

The activation of C—C bonds by transition-metal com­plexes is of continuing inter­est and aceto­nitrile (MeCN) has attracted attention as a cyanide source with com­paratively low toxicity for organic cyanation reactions. A di­iron end-on μ-η1:η1-CN-bridged com­plex was obtained from a crystallization experiment of an open-chain iron–NHC com­plex, namely, μ-cyanido-κ2C:N-bis­{[(aceto­nitrile-κN)[3,3'-bis­(pyridin-2-yl)-1,1'-(methyl­idene)bis­(benzimidazol-2-yl­idene)]iron(II)} tris­(hexa­fluoro­phos­phate), [Fe2(CN)(C2H3N)2(C25H18N6)2](PF6)3. The cyanide appears to originate from the MeCN solvent by C—C bond cleavage or through carbon–hy­dro­gen oxidation.

The detection of specific biological macromolecules in cryogenic electron tomography data is frequently approached by applying cross-correlation-based 3D template matching. To reduce computational cost and noise, high binning is used to aggregate voxels before template matching. This remains a prevalent practice in both practical applications and methods development. Here, the relation between template size, shape and angular sampling is systematically evaluated to identify ribosomes in a ground-truth annotated data set. It is shown that at the commonly used binning, a detailed subtomogram average, a sphere and a heart emoji result in near-identical performance. These findings indicate that with current template-matching practices macromolecules can only be detected with high precision if their shape and size are sufficiently different from the background. Using theoretical considerations, the experimental results are rationalized and it is discussed why primarily low-frequency information remains at high binning and that template matching fails to be accurate because similarly shaped and sized macromolecules have similar low-frequency spectra. These challenges are discussed and potential enhancements for future template-matching methodologies are proposed.

Protein crystallography is an established method to study the atomic structures of macromolecules and their complexes. A prerequisite for successful structure determination is diffraction-quality crystals, which may require extensive optimization of both the protein and the conditions, and hence projects can stretch over an extended period, with multiple users being involved. The workflow from crystallization and crystal treatment to deposition and publication is well defined, and therefore an electronic laboratory information management system (LIMS) is well suited to management of the data. Completion of the project requires key information on all the steps being available and this information should also be made available according to the FAIR principles. As crystallized samples are typically shipped between facilities, a key feature to be captured in the LIMS is the exchange of metadata between the crystallization facility of the home laboratory and, for example, synchrotron facilities. On completion, structures are deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and the LIMS can include the PDB code in its database, completing the chain of custody from crystallization to structure deposition and publication. A LIMS designed for macromolecular crystallography, IceBear, is available as a standalone installation and as a hosted service, and the implementation of key features for the capture of metadata in IceBear is discussed as an example.

Crystal polymorphism serves as a strategy to study the conformational flexibility of proteins. However, the relationship between protein crystal packing and protein conformation often remains elusive. In this study, two distinct crystal forms of a green fluorescent protein variant, NowGFP, are compared: a previously identified monoclinic form (space group C2) and a newly discovered ortho­rhombic form (space group P212121). Comparative analysis reveals that both crystal forms exhibit nearly identical linear assemblies of NowGFP molecules interconnected through similar crystal contacts. However, a notable difference lies in the stacking of these assemblies: parallel in the monoclinic form and perpendicular in the orthorhombic form. This distinct mode of stacking leads to different crystal contacts and induces structural alteration in one of the two molecules within the asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic crystal form. This new conformational state captured by orthorhombic crystal packing exhibits two unique features: a conformational shift of the β-barrel scaffold and a restriction of pH-dependent shifts of the key residue Lys61, which is crucial for the pH-dependent spectral shift of this protein. These findings demonstrate a clear connection between crystal packing and alternative conformational states of proteins, providing insights into how structural variations influence the function of fluorescent proteins.

The structures of the simplest symmetric primary ethers [(CnH2n+1)2O, n = 1–3] determined under high pressure revealed their conformational preferences and intermolecular interactions. In three new polymorphs of di­ethyl ether (C2H5)2O, high pressure promotes intermolecular CH⋯O contacts and enforces a conversion from the trans–trans conformer present in the α, β and γ phases to the trans–gauche conformer, which is higher in energy by 6.4 kJ mol−1, in the δ phase. Two new polymorphs of di­methyl ether (CH3)2O display analogous transformations of the CH⋯O bonds. The crystal structure of di-n-propyl ether (C3H7)2O, determined for the first time, is remarkably stable over the whole pressure range investigated from 1.70 up to 5.30 GPa.

In the folded state, biomolecules exchange between multiple conformational states crucial for their function. However, most structural models derived from experiments and computational predictions only encode a single state. To represent biomolecules accurately, we must move towards modeling and predicting structural ensembles. Information about structural ensembles exists within experimental data from X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Although new tools are available to detect conformational and compositional heterogeneity within these ensembles, the legacy PDB data structure does not robustly encapsulate this complexity. We propose modifications to the macromolecular crystallographic information file (mmCIF) to improve the representation and interrelation of conformational and compositional heterogeneity. These modifications will enable the capture of macromolecular ensembles in a human and machine-interpretable way, potentially catalyzing breakthroughs for ensemble–function predictions, analogous to the achievements of AlphaFold with single-structure prediction.

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.

Syntheses of the acyclic amidinium salts, morpholino­formamidinium hexa­fluorido­phosphate [OC4H8N—CH=NH2]PF6 or C5H11N2O+·PF6−, 1, and pyrrolidinoformamidinium hexa­fluorido­phosphate [C4H8N—CH= NH2]PF6 or C5H11N2+·PF6−, 2, were carried out by heating either morpholine or pyrrolidine with triethyl orthoformate and ammonium hexa­fluorido­phosphate. Crystals of 1 obtained directly from the reaction mixture contain one cation and one anion in the asymmetric unit. The structure involves cations linked in chains parallel to the b axis by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds in space group Pbca, with glide-related chains pointing in opposite directions. Crystals of 1 obtained by recrystallization from ethanol, however, showed a similar unit cell and the same basic structure, but unexpectedly, there was positional disorder [occupancy ratio 0.639 (4):0.361 (4)] in one of the cation chains, which lowered the crystal symmetry to the non-centrosymmetric space group Pca21, with two cations and anions in the asymmetric unit. In the pyrrolidino compound, 2, cations and anions are ordered and are stacked separately, with zigzag N—H⋯F hydrogen-bonding between stacks, forming ribbons parallel to (101), extended along the b-axis direction. Slight differences in the delocalized C=N distances between the two cations may reflect the inductive effect of the oxygen atom in the morpholino compound.

In the title compound, C10H8N4O3·C3H7NO, the asymmetric unit contains two crystallographically independent mol­ecules A and B, each of which has one DMF solvate mol­ecule. Mol­ecules A and B both feature intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming S(6) ring motifs and consolidating the mol­ecular configuration. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect mol­ecules A and B, forming R22(8) ring motifs. Weak C—H⋯O inter­actions link the mol­ecules, forming layers parallel to the (overline{2}12) plane. The DMF solvent mol­ecules are also connected to the main mol­ecules (A and B) by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.8702 (17) Å] between the layers also increase the stability of the mol­ecular structure in the third dimension. According to the Hirshfeld surface study, O⋯H/H⋯O inter­actions are the most significant contributors to the crystal packing (27.5% for mol­ecule A and 25.1% for mol­ecule B).

The title mol­ecule, [Fe2(C5H5)2(C23H17ClN2)]·C3H7NO, is twisted end to end and the central N/C/N unit is disordered. In the crystal, several C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions lead to the formation of layers, which are connected by further C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (60.2%) and H⋯C/C⋯H (27.0%) inter­actions. Hydrogen bonding, C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions and van der Waals inter­actions dominate the crystal packing.

In the structure of the title compound, C22H22N4O4·C3H7NO·H2O, the entire tricyclic system is approximately planar except for the carbon atom bearing the two methyl groups; the meth­oxy­phenyl ring is approximately perpendicular to the tricycle. All seven potential hydrogen-bond donors take part in classical hydrogen bonds. The main mol­ecule and the DMF combine to form broad ribbons parallel to the a axis and roughly parallel to the ab plane; the water mol­ecules connect the residues in the third dimension.

Di-μ-hydroxido-bis­[di­bromido­(di­methyl­formamide-κO)ethyl­tin(IV)], [Sn2Br4(C2H5)2(OH)2(C3H7NO)2], was prepared from ethyl­tin(IV) bromide and N,N-di­methyl­formamide (DMF) in air. The crystal structure exhibits the typical structural features of dimeric Lewis-base-stabilized monoorganotin(IV)–dihalide–hydroxides, RSnHal2(OH), i.e. two octa­hedrally coordinated Sn atoms are linked together via two bridging hydroxide groups, resulting in a centrosymmetric four-membered rhomboid-like Sn–OH ring with acute angles at the Sn atom, obtuse angles at the O atoms and two different tin–oxygen bond lengths. With the shorter bond trans to the ethyl group, this observation underlines once more the so-called trans-strengthening effect in monoorganotin(IV) com­pounds with octa­hedrally coordinated Sn atoms. Differences and similarities in the bond lengths and angles in the four-membered Sn–OH rings have been worked out for the rings in dimeric diorganotin(IV)–halide–hydroxides, [R2SnHal(OH)]2, and hydrates of dimeric tin(IV)–trihalide–hydroxide–aqua–hydrates, [SnHal3(OH)(H2O)]2·nH2O.

The cyclic peptide cyclo(Val-Leu-Leu-d-Phe-Pro)2 (peptide 1) was specifically designed for structural chemistry investigations, drawing inspiration from Gramicidin S (GS). Previous studies have shown that Pro residues within 1 adopt a down-puckering conformation of the pyrrolidine ring. By incorporating fluoride-Pro with 4-trans/cis-isomers into 1, an up-puckering conformation was successfully induced. In the current investigation, introducing hy­droxy­prolines with 4-trans/cis-isomer configurations (tHyp/cHyp) into 1 gave cyclo(Val-Leu-Leu-d-Phe-tHyp)2 methanol disolvate monohydrate, C62H94N10O12·2CH4O·H2O (4), and cyclo(Val-Leu-Leu-d-Phe-cHyp)2 monohydrate, C62H94N10O12·H2O (5), respectively. However, the puckering of 4 and 5 remained in the down conformation, regardless of the geometric position of the hydroxyl group. Although the backbone structure of 4 with trans-substitution was asymmetric, the asymmetric backbone of 5 with cis-substitution was unexpected. It is speculated that the anti­cipated influence of stress from the geometric positioning, which was expected to affect the puckering, may have been mitigated by inter­actions between the hydroxyl groups of hy­droxy­proline, the solvent mol­ecules, and peptides.

This study presents the synthesis, characterization and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the title mononuclear complex, [PdCl2(C12H14N4)]·C3H7NO. The compound crystalizes in the P21/c space group of the monoclinic system. The asymmetric unit contains one neutral complex Pd(HLc-Pe)Cl2 [HLc-Pe is 2-(3-cyclo­pentyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)pyridine] and one mol­ecule of DMF as a solvate. The Pd atom has a square-planar coordination. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the bc plane. A Hirshfeld surface analysis showed that the H⋯H contacts dominate the crystal packing with a contribution of 41.4%. The contribution of the N⋯H/H⋯N and H⋯O/O⋯H inter­actions is somewhat smaller, amounting to 12.4% and 5%, respectively.

Hard X-ray microscopes with 20–30 nm spatial resolution ranges are an advanced tool for the inspection of materials at the nanoscale. However, the limited efficiency of the focusing optics, for example, a Fresnel zone plate (ZP) lens, can significantly reduce the power of a nanoprobe. Despite several reports on ZP lenses that focus hard X-rays with 20 nm resolution – mainly constructed by zone-doubling techniques – a systematic investigation into the limiting factors has not been reported. We report the structural effects on the focusing and imaging efficiency of 20–30 nm-resolution ZPs, employing a modified beam-propagation method. The zone width and the duty cycle (zone width/ring pitch) were optimized to achieve maximum efficiency, and a comparative analysis of the zone materials was conducted. The optimized zone structures were used in the fabrication of Pt-hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) ZPs. The highest focusing efficiency of the Pt-HSQ-ZP with a resolution of 30 nm was 10% at 7 keV and >5% in the range 6–10 keV, whereas the highest efficiency of the Pt-HSQ-ZP with a resolution of 20 nm was realized at 7 keV with an efficiency of 7.6%. Optical characterization conducted at X-ray beamlines demonstrated significant enhancement of the focusing and imaging efficiency in a broader range of hard X-rays from 5 keV to 10 keV, demonstrating the potential application in hard X-ray focusing and imaging.

A new study from USGS describes a previously unknown process of marine mineral formation in the Arctic Ocean, driven by frictional heating along tectonic faults rather than by hydrothermal activity. 

Source: Dr. Douglas Loe 11/05/2024

Leede Financial Inc. analyst Dr. Douglas Loe, in a research report published on November 4, 2024, maintained a Buy rating on Profound Medical Corp. (PROF:NASDAQ; PRN:TSX) with a price target of US$18.00. The report follows Profound's announcement that its TULSA-PRO device will receive a Category One CPT code from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Loe highlighted the significance of the reimbursement update, stating, "We have long viewed device-specific U.S. reimbursement codes for TULSA-PRO to be integral to its broader adoption in urology/oncology markets, and today's update thus solidifies TULSA-PRO's status on that theme."

The analyst emphasized the favorable reimbursement rates, noting, "Hospitals/ASCs will be reimbursed at the Medicare average of US$12,992/US$10,728 per procedure. This is sufficient economic incentive in our view to drive TULSA-PRO installed base and procedure volume growth in F2025 and thereafter."

Regarding growth projections, Loe stated, "Our model assumes that consolidated revenue/EBITDA/EPS in F2025 of US$34.9M/(US$3.9M)/(US$0.20/shr), but then lifting substantially on all metrics to US$59.1M/US$14.7M/US$0.10/shr in F2026 and then to US$95.5M/US$38.1M/US$1.05/shr in F2027."

The report highlighted potential strategic interest, with Loe noting, "We expect urology-focused suitors to show tangible interest in Profound as the annual top-line performance approaches US$100M on a run-rate basis, which our model projects by FH227."

Leede Financial's valuation methodology combines multiple approaches. Loe explained, "Our valuation still based on NPV (20% discount rate) and multiples of our F2027 EBITDA/fd EPS forecasts (US$38.1M & US$1.05/shr, respectively), with our EV calculation incorporating FQ224 balance sheet data (cash of US$34.1M, total debt of US$6.0M) and fully-diluted S/O of 26.0M."

The analyst also noted that while F2024 is a transition year, F2025 is expected to be transformative for U.S. TULSA-PRO adoption rates.

In conclusion, Leede Financial's maintenance of its Buy rating and US$18 price target reflects confidence in Profound Medical's growth potential following the favorable reimbursement update. The share price at the time of the report of US$7.35 represents a potential return of approximately 145% to the analyst's target price, highlighting the significant upside potential as the company advances its commercialization efforts.

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( Companies Mentioned: PROF:NASDAQ; PRN:TSX, )

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The pandemic has once again felled Burning Man. Some burners still plan to gather for informal events on the dusty Black Rock Desert Playa this summer.; Credit: Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

And so it goes: Burning Man 2021 is canceled. It's the second year in a row, the popular arts festival won't be held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert due to the pandemic.

"We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022," event officials announced in a blog post on Tuesday. In a frequently-asked-questions section, organizers added: "We've heard from many who don't feel ready to come to Black Rock City. While we're confident in our ability to get a permit and to safeguard public health, we know that co-creating Black Rock City in 2021 would put tremendous strain on our community while we are still ironing out uncertainty."

Many would-be attendees praised the decision in comments on the Burning Man website and on social media as a safe one; others are anxiously anticipating a bigger and better 2022 Burn.

But the cancellation has put many people in the event's host community at ease.

Wary of a trend of rising coronavirus cases in some parts of the region, Washoe County's district health officer Kevin Dick said "the right call was made," in order to lower the risk of spreading infection.

"The event draws thousands of people from all over the world," Dick said in an email. "We are seeing large outbreaks of COVID-19 occurring in a number of countries, areas where very contagious COVID-19 variants of concern are prevalent and where low rates of vaccination are occurring."

The head of a local Paiute tribe is also feeling less burdened knowing there won't be the annual pilgrimage. The main highway to get to the Black Rock Desert playa, which normally draws tens of thousands of people to the summer event, cuts through tribal lands.

"For us it is a sigh of relief," said Janet Davis, chairwoman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

Although the event — which brings in about $63 million to the state annually — gives the tribal community a welcome financial boost, Davis said.

"We don't know who's vaccinated and who's not," she said. "We've been trying to keep our reservation safe and that happening was too soon for us to open."

As with last year, the organization will offer virtual programming during Burn Week, from Aug. 29 through Sept. 7, an experience they say drew 165,000 participants in 2020.

In response to a request for more details on the reasons for the cancellation, Burning Man organizers declined to comment further. Earlier this month, though, CEO Marian Goodell said the organization was "weighing the gravity" of implementing a vaccination requirement that she said challenged "radical inclusion," one of the group's 10 principles.

Still, for many burners, the news won't extinguish their plans to trek to the desert in droves. Just like last year, revelers are preparing to hold unofficial gatherings on public land in place of the annual event.

Last summer, those events — the so-called "rogue" and "free" burns or, unmistakably, "Not Burning Man" — drew an estimated 3,000 people to Black Rock Desert during the time Burning Man is normally held, according to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that approves the organization's permits each year.

Kevin Jervis, one such attendee who now lives in Gerlach — a tiny desert town near the event site — welcomed this year's cancellation.

He called it "more of a relief than anything. ... A lot of us liked it better the way it happened last year."

During the informal festivities, Jervis spent a few days between the playa and its outskirts. He said he and his fellow burners felt like it represented the festival's freewheeling roots.

"I've had friends that have been going since '94 and they said it was a lot more like it used to be. We didn't have to go by regulations," he said. "We could have guns, dogs ... it was a lot freer."

Even before the pandemic, burners increasingly saw an annual gathering under siege.

Event-goers who adhere to Burning Man's counterculture beginnings say the festival's explosion in popularity in the past decade has welcomed a host of bad actors who trash the desert and surrounding communities and disregard the event's founding principles, including "decommodification" and the eco-friendly philosophy of "leave no trace."

Some of those perceived threats come from festival officials themselves, he said. A ticket to the main event alone cost over $400 in 2019 — a financial hurdle critics say goes against another tenet long espoused, that "everyone is invited."

"People that have never been before came out last year because they either couldn't get a ticket other years or they were just kind of curious. Or they didn't have the money to go to the actual Burn," said Jervis.

As for the Pyramid Lake Paiute community, with the reservation largely closed during that period last year, Davis said, "we really didn't see the impact" from a public health standpoint.

"You're not talking about 65 — 75,000 people." While there was more traffic, she said, "they moseyed on through and moseyed on out."

In the years leading up to the pandemic, BLM had been cracking down on the event's growth. Were the festival to return this year, Burning Man organizers said they would have had to meet a population cap of 69,000, down from its 80,000 limit for previous events.

Jervis says he won't miss what he describes as organizers' leniency toward "elites" who set up VIP areas at their camps and hire out to construct their art creations instead of making their own.

"A lot of people have gotten sick of what Burning Man's kind of become," he said.

Even if this year was a go, he said, burners would still be setting up their own Burning Man-adjacent happenings.

Following the announcement of the event's cancellation, people are taking to Facebook groups to reminisce about last year's unsanctioned burns and discuss preparations for their own this summer.

"So it seems that as of today there isn't going to be an official [Burning Man Ceremony] this year," James Zapata wrote. "So who's joining me in the dust?"

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

Catawba County has upgraded a feed from its 911 Center of the information on calls regarding traffic incidents. The feed shows the type of incident reported, such as a vehicle accident, stranded motorist or vehicle fire, and gives the location of the incident. Only traffic related incidents are reported through this feed.

The committee compiled existing information about the status of children in the county. It also held public meetings and surveyed members of the public about their priorities and ideas. The committee found that most children in the county are well-cared for, but that a substantial number are falling through the cracks. A major cause of concern is the large number of children living in poverty.

Catawba County has launched a performance dashboard, a program that will be the gateway for hundreds of pieces of data on dozens of topics related to the County government, demographics and quality of life. Catawba County Facts and Figures, offers users a choice of exploring data grouped into eight broad categories.

Randy Cress, currently the Systems and Network Manager for Rowan County, North Carolina, is named Catawba County's new Chief Information Officer.

The explosive growth of information technology is having a profound impact on our lives.

Welcome to the public release of the latest Institute of Medicine report on the quality of health care in America.

To significantly reduce the tens of thousands of deaths and injuries caused by medical errors every year, health care organizations must adopt information technology systems that are capable of collecting and sharing essential health information on patients and their care, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Each year, tens of millions of Americans, young and old, choose to learn about science in informal ways -- by visiting museums and aquariums, attending after-school programs, pursuing personal hobbies, and watching TV documentaries, for example.

Nurses roles, responsibilities, and education should change significantly to meet the increased demand for care that will be created by health care reform and to advance improvements in Americas increasingly complex health system, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Every year, approximately 100 million* adult Americans experience chronic pain, a condition that costs the nation between $560 billion and $635 billion annually, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Americas health care system has become too complex and costly to continue business as usual, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine

A new report from the National Research Council has upheld the listing of formaldehyde as “known to be a human carcinogen” in the National Toxicology Program 12th Report on Carcinogens (RoC).

The end of a roadside guardrail must be designed so that it is not a hazard to occupants of a vehicle striking it and so that it absorbs energy in a crash and redirects the vehicle into a safe trajectory.

We are pleased to announce that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are exploring ways to mobilize our expertise to counter misinformation on the web related to science, engineering, and health.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines Task Force on the 2020 Census today issued a letter report and submitted it as a public comment to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which recently requested public comments on the 2020 Census.

Medicine regulatory authorities — including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — should strengthen cooperation with other countries’ regulators to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

National Academies host three events to explore ways to expand the reach of accurate science and health information online

In order to enhance the accessibility of trustworthy health information on its platform, YouTube asked the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to identify preliminary definitions of “authoritative” sources of health information and the criteria by which these sources derive and maintain their authority.

As vaccination campaigns begin ramping up around the world, experts discuss how variants, misinformation, and “brain drain” are affecting pandemic-control efforts.

The U.S. surgeon general has released a public advisory calling misinformation a “serious threat to public health.” The National Academies have been addressing misinformation in health and science on multiple fronts and are taking steps to help cultivate a fact- and evidence-based information environment.

In a new NAE Perspective, Chris Hendrickson says there are opportunities in the next few decades to reshape the landscape of familiar transportation systems, with transformations emerging in vehicle propulsion, automation, and telecommunications.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should make changes to its integrated risk information system (IRIS) assessments handbook to ensure it provides clear operational instructions for those conducting assessments, and transparency regarding the assessment process, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Almost 110,000 Americans are waiting for organ transplants, but there are significant inequities in who gets access to the waiting list and an eventual transplant. A new report recommends several policy changes to create a more fair, equitable, and patient-focused system for organ allocation.

Rapid advances in small satellite technology and associated launch and production capabilities have transformed the space industry. A new report recommends ways the government can partner with commercial entities to enhance national missions and make transformative science advancements.

Ensuring that populations globally are actively engaged in society while living longer, healthier lives will require a multisector, all-of-society approach. A new NAM report provides a roadmap with recommendations for addressing the needs of older people in the next five years and other actions to improve healthy longevity by 2050.