sing Consumers feel increasingly familiar with AI but less informed on quantum technology, finds survey By www.retailtechnologyreview.com Published On :: Mon, 13 Nov 7780 17:29:58 +0000 New research by BSI reveals growing public confidence in AI capabilities, with over half (51%) of respondents saying AI could perform some aspects of their job, up from 38% in 2023.Whilst the survey highlighted some concerns related to deployment, it showed that people are optimistic about AI’s capabilities.... Full Article Retail Supply Chain Data Capture Critical Issues
sing "Protrusions and herniated discs - blame the leg-crossing position". Here's why By english.pravda.ru Published On :: Wed, 19 Apr 2023 12:57:00 +0300 Neurologist-vertebrologist and manual therapy specialist, Professor of the UnitelmaSapienza Roman University and the UniCamillus International Medical University, Jalal Saidbegov, explains why sitting cross-legged can have a negative impact on the health of the spine. This position can cause a disruption of the anatomical structures of the intervertebral disc, which can lead to the development of protrusions and hernias in the lumbar region. Even for healthy individuals, this position is not very beneficial, so it should not be abused. However, there are a number of recommendations that can help reduce the risk of negative consequences: If you cannot avoid this position, try not to sit in it for a long time and not use it too often. Try to sit in this position for no more than five minutes, after which switch legs, making the upper leg the lower one, and vice versa. This will help redistribute the load on the spine and reduce its one-sided tension. Never bend forward or twist when sitting in this position, as this can further increase the load on the intervertebral discs. It is better to spend most of the time sitting in a classic and more useful position, leaning back and resting against the back of the chair, without leaving empty space between the lower back and the lower part of the chair back. Your legs should be able to reach the floor freely. If your chair or armchair is too high, you can use a footrest to achieve a comfortable position. Full Article Health
sing First-Generation Nursing Student Dallas Martin Finds Success at UA Little Rock By www.newswise.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:50:47 EST Dallas Martin, a first-generation senior nursing major from Helena, Arkansas, really does it all. This wife and mom of two is a full-time student at UA Little Rock, set to graduate in December with her bachelor's degree in nursing, while also working full-time as a physician's registered nurse in oncology and hematology at Carti Cancer Center in Little Rock. Full Article
sing Dehumanising Child-Free Women in Film and TV Gives Misogyny a Stage By www.newswise.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:40:25 EST University of South Australia PhD student Belinda Lees has explored how screenwriters could create more nuanced and complex child-free women protagonists in biopics, after uncovering the barrage of often negative portrayals in existing media. Full Article
sing Power Line Test Bed Energizes Technologies for Increasing Grid Capacity By www.newswise.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:30:18 EST As population growth and extreme temperatures strain the United States power grid, utilities and equipment manufacturers are looking for ways to increase the amount of electricity the grid can carry. The Powerline Conductor Accelerated Testing Facility, or PCAT, located at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is one of the only facilities in the country where companies can try out new transmission line technologies for long time periods in extremes of wind, weather, temperature and electrical load conditions. Full Article
sing Fishing Boat Sinks in Waters off Jeju, 2 Dead, 12 Missing By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 08:30:07 +0900 [Domestic] : Two people are dead and 12 others are missing after a fishing boat sank in waters off Jeju Island on Friday morning. The Jeju branch of the Korea Coast Guard said it received a distress call around 4:46 a.m. on Friday, indicating that a 129-ton vessel Geumseong was sinking 24 kilometers northwest of ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing Search Continues for 12 Missing Crew Members of Sunken Fishing Boat By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:42:26 +0900 [Domestic] : Rescue workers are continuing the search for 12 missing crew members of a fishing boat that sank in waters off Jeju Island early on Friday. The Jeju branch of the Coast Guard said it is mobilizing all available resources for the search, as the first 24 hours are considered crucial with water ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing Search for 12 Missing Crew Members of Sunken Fishing Boat Continues for 2nd Day By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:34:22 +0900 [Domestic] : Search for 12 missing crew members of a fishing boat that sank in waters off Jeju Island continued for the second straight day on Saturday. According to the Jeju branch of the Korea Coast Guard, a remotely operated vehicle(ROV) is set to be submerged once in the morning and again in the afternoon for ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing Rescue Workers Retrieve One of 12 Missing Crew Members from Sunken Fishing Boat By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 11:22:11 +0900 [Domestic] : Rescue workers on Saturday found the body of one of the 12 missing crew members of a fishing boat that sank off Jeju Island on Friday. According to the Jeju branch of the Korea Coast Guard, a body was retrieved in waters 24 kilometers northwest of Hallim Port at 11:18 p.m. Saturday and transported to Jeju ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing Another Body Found in Search for Missing Geumseong Crew Members By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 08:40:26 +0900 [Domestic] : Another body was found in the search for missing crew members after a fishing boat sank off Jeju Island last week. According to the Jeju branch of the Korea Coast Guard on Monday, the body was found close to the sunken boat around 4 p.m. Sunday during an underwater search using a remotely operated ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing Search Continues for 10 Missing Crew Members from Sunken Fishing Boat By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:31:20 +0900 [Domestic] : The search for missing crew members continued for the fourth straight day on Monday, after a fishing boat sank in waters off Jeju Island. According to the Jeju branch of the Korea Coast Guard, 47 vessels and eight aircraft were dispatched to search for the eight South Koreans and two Indonesians who remain ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing JCS: N. Korea May Have Fired New Solid-Fuel ICBM Using 12-Axle TEL By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:57:14 +0900 [Inter-Korea] : The South Korean military said North Korea may have fired a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) on Thursday, using the recently unveiled 12-axle transporter erector launcher(TEL). At a press briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) spokesperson Lee Sung-joon shared the early-stage ...[more...] Full Article Inter-Korea
sing 2024 Paris Paralympics Ends with Closing Ceremony By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:42:05 +0900 [Sports] : The 2024 Paris Paralympics came to a close on Sunday after a 12-day run. The global sports festival wrapped up Sunday night with a glitzy closing ceremony at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris. About 44-hundred athletes with disabilities competed in 22 sporting events, representing 169 ...[more...] Full Article Sports
sing Singer Kim Ho-joong Gets 30 Months in Prison in Hit-and-Run Case By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:01:18 +0900 [Domestic] : Singer Kim Ho-joong has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for crashing into a taxi with his car and fleeing the scene. The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling on Wednesday, saying Kim drove under the influence of alcohol and caused injuries and material damage, yet irresponsibly ...[more...] Full Article Domestic
sing N. Korea Slams EU for Proposing Human Rights Resolution By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:58:02 +0900 [International] : North Korea has slammed the European Union(EU) for moving to adopt a resolution to address human rights violations in the North. In an announcement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the North’s permanent mission to the UN criticized the EU for following what it called the United ...[more...] Full Article International
sing Writers Association: Han's Nobel Feat 'Blessing for Literary Language' By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:24:03 +0900 [Culture] : The Writers Association of Korea says Han Kang’s recognition with a Nobel Prize in Literature is a blessing for literary language. The association, one of the nation’s most prominent writers’ groups, said in a statement Friday that the latest feat is a reminder of the role that literature plays in ...[more...] Full Article Culture
sing Rosé and Bruno Mars' 'APT.' Reaches No. 2 on UK Official Singles Chart By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Sat, 02 Nov 2024 11:45:26 +0900 [Culture] : BLACKPINK member Rosé's latest collab with American pop star Bruno Mars, "APT.," has reached number two on the United Kingdom's Official Singles Chart, the highest ranking on the chart by a female K-pop artist. After debuting at number four on October 25, "APT." jumped two spots to number two in the ...[more...] Full Article Culture
sing Stray Kids to release new single featuring Charlie Puth By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: 2024-04-22 Stray Kids is set to release a new digital single featuring global pop star Charlie Puth.The new single “Lose My Breath” will drop on May 10. Charlie Puth is a familiar name in the K-pop industry and...[more...] Full Article
sing Astro's Jinjin drops new single in remembrance of Moonbin By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: 2024-04-22 Jinjin of Astro has dropped a single in remembrance of bandmate Moonbin who passed away one year ago.The digital single “Fly”, which features Moonbin’s voice, was co-written by the two members of...[more...] Full Article
sing Sunmi to release new single next month By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: 2024-05-06 Sunmi is set to drop a new single in June. The new single has been written by the singer herself, and she recently finished shooting the music video in Croatia.The upcoming single comes around eight months after...[more...] Full Article
sing Jennie to Relase New Single By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: 2024-10-08 +09:00 Jennie, a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink, will be releasing a new single this week. Titled, “Mantra,” the new release will drop Oct. 11. The highly anticipated comeback comes...[more...] Full Article Economy&It
sing What Is the Singularity? And Should You Be Worried? By electronics.howstuffworks.com Published On :: Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:15:25 -0400 The technological singularity happens when computers develop their own intelligence. Learn about the technological singularity. Full Article
sing Crystal structure predictions for molecules with soft degrees of freedom using intermonomer force fields derived from first principles By journals.iucr.org Published On :: Full Article text
sing Automated selection of nanoparticle models for small-angle X-ray scattering data analysis using machine learning By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-29 Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is widely used to analyze the shape and size of nanoparticles in solution. A multitude of models, describing the SAXS intensity resulting from nanoparticles of various shapes, have been developed by the scientific community and are used for data analysis. Choosing the optimal model is a crucial step in data analysis, which can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for non-expert users. An algorithm is proposed, based on machine learning, representation learning and SAXS-specific preprocessing methods, which instantly selects the nanoparticle model best suited to describe SAXS data. The different algorithms compared are trained and evaluated on a simulated database. This database includes 75 000 scattering spectra from nine nanoparticle models, and realistically simulates two distinct device configurations. It will be made freely available to serve as a basis of comparison for future work. Deploying a universal solution for automatic nanoparticle model selection is a challenge made more difficult by the diversity of SAXS instruments and their flexible settings. The poor transferability of classification rules learned on one device configuration to another is highlighted. It is shown that training on several device configurations enables the algorithm to be generalized, without degrading performance compared with configuration-specific training. Finally, the classification algorithm is evaluated on a real data set obtained by performing SAXS experiments on nanoparticles for each of the instrumental configurations, which have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy. This data set, although very limited, allows estimation of the transferability of the classification rules learned on simulated data to real data. Full Article text
sing The single-atom R1: a new optimization method to solve crystal structures By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-03-18 A crystal structure with N atoms in its unit cell can be solved starting from a model with atoms 1 to j − 1 being located. To locate the next atom j, the method uses a modified definition of the traditional R1 factor where its dependencies on the locations of atoms j + 1 to N are removed. This modified R1 is called the single-atom R1 (sR1), because the locations of atoms 1 to j − 1 in sR1 are the known parameters, and only the location of atom j is unknown. Finding the correct position of atom j translates thus into the optimization of the sR1 function, with respect to its fractional coordinates, xj, yj, zj. Using experimental data, it has been verified that an sR1 has a hole near each missing atom. Further, it has been verified that an algorithm based on sR1, hereby called the sR1 method, can solve crystal structures (with up to 156 non-hydrogen atoms in the unit cell). The strategy to carry out this calculation has also been optimized. The main feature of the sR1 method is that, starting from a single arbitrarily positioned atom, the structure is gradually revealed. With the user's help to delete poorly determined parts of the structure, the sR1 method can build the model to a high final quality. Thus, sR1 is a viable and useful tool for solving crystal structures. Full Article text
sing Mapping domain structures near a grain boundary in a lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric film using X-ray nanodiffraction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: Direct measurements have been taken of nanoscale domain structure in ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate around a grain boundary. Characterizing the evolution of this structure under an electric field is critical for predicting dielectric and piezoelectric response. Full Article text
sing Improving the reliability of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements of anisotropic precipitates in metallic alloys using sample rotation By journals.iucr.org Published On :: Rotations of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering samples during acquisition are shown to give a drastic improvement in the reliability of the characterization of anisotropic precipitates in metallic alloys. Full Article text
sing Real-time analysis of liquid-jet sample-delivery stability for an X-ray free-electron laser using machine vision By journals.iucr.org Published On :: This paper describes real-time statistical analysis of liquid jet images for SFX experiments at the European XFEL. This analysis forms one part of the automated jet re-alignment system for SFX experiments at the SPB/SFX instrument of European XFEL. Full Article text
sing TOMOMAN: a software package for large-scale cryo-electron tomography data preprocessing, community data sharing and collaborative computing By journals.iucr.org Published On :: Here we describe TOMOMAN (TOMOgram MANager), an extensible open-sourced software package for handling cryo-electron tomography data preprocessing. TOMOMAN streamlines interoperability between a wide range of external packages and provides tools for project sharing and archival. Full Article text
sing High accuracy, high resolution measurements of fluorescence in manganese using extended-range high-energy-resolution fluorescence detection By journals.iucr.org Published On :: We explain analysis of RIXS, HERFD and XR-HERFD data to discover new physical processes in manganese and manganese-containing materials, by applying our new technique XR-HERFD, developed from high resolution RIXS and HERFD. Full Article text
sing Improving the reliability of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements of anisotropic precipitates in metallic alloys using sample rotation By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-11-04 Nanometric precipitates in metallic alloys often have highly anisotropic shapes. Given the large grain size and non-random texture typical of these alloys, performing small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) measurements on such samples for determining their characteristics (typically size and volume fraction) results in highly anisotropic and irreproducible data. Rotations of flat samples during SAXS/WAXS acquisitions are presented here as a solution to these anisotropy issues. Two aluminium alloys containing anisotropic precipitates are used as examples to validate the approach with a −45°/45° angular range. Clear improvements can be seen on the SAXS I(q) fitting and the consistency between the different SAXS/WAXS measurements. This methodology results in more reliable measurements of the precipitate's characteristics, and thus allows for time- and space-resolved measurements with higher accuracy. Full Article text
sing Mapping domain structures near a grain boundary in a lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric film using X-ray nanodiffraction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-29 The effect of an electric field on local domain structure near a 24° tilt grain boundary in a 200 nm-thick Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 bi-crystal ferroelectric film was probed using synchrotron nanodiffraction. The bi-crystal film was grown epitaxially on SrRuO3-coated (001) SrTiO3 24° tilt bi-crystal substrates. From the nanodiffraction data, real-space maps of the ferroelectric domain structure around the grain boundary prior to and during application of a 200 kV cm−1 electric field were reconstructed. In the vicinity of the tilt grain boundary, the distributions of densities of c-type tetragonal domains with the c axis aligned with the film normal were calculated on the basis of diffracted intensity ratios of c- and a-type domains and reference powder diffraction data. Diffracted intensity was averaged along the grain boundary, and it was shown that the density of c-type tetragonal domains dropped to ∼50% of that of the bulk of the film over a range ±150 nm from the grain boundary. This work complements previous results acquired by band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy, suggesting that reduced nonlinear piezoelectric response around grain boundaries may be related to the change in domain structure, as well as to the possibility of increased pinning of domain wall motion. The implications of the results and analysis in terms of understanding the role of grain boundaries in affecting the nonlinear piezoelectric and dielectric responses of ferroelectric materials are discussed. Full Article text
sing An active piezoelectric plane X-ray focusing mirror with a linearly changing thickness By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-01-01 X-ray mirrors for synchrotron radiation are often bent into a curved figure and work under grazing-incidence conditions due to the strong penetrating nature of X-rays to most materials. Mirrors of different cross sections have been recommended to reduce the mirror's slope inaccuracy and clamping difficulty in order to overcome mechanical tolerances. With the development of hard X-ray focusing, it is difficult to meet the needs of focusing mirrors with small slope error with the existing mirror processing technology. Deformable mirrors are adaptive optics that can produce a flexible surface figure. A method of using a deformable mirror as a phase compensator is described to enhance the focusing performance of an X-ray mirror. This paper presents an active piezoelectric plane X-ray focusing mirror with a linearly changing thickness that has the ability of phase compensation while focusing X-rays. Benefiting from its special structural design, the mirror can realize flexible focusing at different focusing geometries using a single input driving voltage. A prototype was used to measure its performance under one-dimension and two-dimension conditions. The results prove that, even at a bending magnet beamline, the mirror can easily achieve a single-micrometre focusing without a complicated bending mechanism or high-precision surface processing. It is hoped that this kind of deformable mirror will have a wide and flexible application in the synchrotron radiation field. Full Article text
sing Protocol using similarity score and improved shrink-wrap algorithm for better convergence of phase-retrieval calculation in X-ray diffraction imaging By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-01-01 In X-ray diffraction imaging (XDI), electron density maps of a targeted particle are reconstructed computationally from the diffraction pattern alone using phase-retrieval (PR) algorithms. However, the PR calculations sometimes fail to yield realistic electron density maps that approximate the structure of the particle. This occurs due to the absence of structure amplitudes at and near the zero-scattering angle and the presence of Poisson noise in weak diffraction patterns. Consequently, the PR calculation becomes a bottleneck for XDI structure analyses. Here, a protocol to efficiently yield realistic maps is proposed. The protocol is based on the empirical observation that realistic maps tend to yield low similarity scores, as suggested in our prior study [Sekiguchi et al. (2017), J. Synchrotron Rad. 24, 1024–1038]. Among independently and concurrently executed PR calculations, the protocol modifies all maps using the electron-density maps exhibiting low similarity scores. This approach, along with a new protocol for estimating particle shape, improved the probability of obtaining realistic maps for diffraction patterns from various aggregates of colloidal gold particles, as compared with PR calculations performed without the protocol. Consequently, the protocol has the potential to reduce computational costs in PR calculations and enable efficient XDI structure analysis of non-crystalline particles using synchrotron X-rays and X-ray free-electron laser pulses. Full Article text
sing In situ characterization of stresses, deformation and fracture of thin films using transmission X-ray nanodiffraction microscopy By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-01-01 The use of hard X-ray transmission nano- and microdiffraction to perform in situ stress and strain measurements during deformation has recently been demonstrated and used to investigate many thin film systems. Here a newly commissioned sample environment based on a commercially available nanoindenter is presented, which is available at the NanoMAX beamline at the MAX IV synchrotron. Using X-ray nanoprobes of around 60–70 nm at 14–16 keV and a scanning step size of 100 nm, we map the strains, stresses, plastic deformation and fracture during nanoindentation of industrial coatings with thicknesses in the range of several micrometres, relatively strong texture and large grains. The successful measurements of such challenging samples illustrate broad applicability. The sample environment is openly accessible for NanoMAX beamline users through the MAX IV sample environment pool, and its capability can be further extended for specific purposes through additional available modules. Full Article text
sing Submillisecond in situ X-ray diffraction measurement system with changing temperature and pressure using diamond anvil cells at BL10XU/SPring-8 By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-19 Recently, there has been a high demand for elucidating kinetics and visualizing reaction processes under extreme dynamic conditions, such as chemical reactions under meteorite impact conditions, structural changes under nonequilibrium conditions, and in situ observations of dynamic changes. To accelerate material science studies and Earth science fields under dynamic conditions, a submillisecond in situ X-ray diffraction measurement system has been developed using a diamond anvil cell to observe reaction processes under rapidly changing pressure and temperature conditions replicating extreme dynamic conditions. The development and measurements were performed at the high-pressure beamline BL10XU/SPring-8 by synchronizing a high-speed hybrid pixel array detector, laser heating and temperature measurement system, and gas-pressure control system that enables remote and rapid pressure changes using the diamond anvil cell. The synchronized system enabled momentary heating and rapid cooling experiments up to 5000 K via laser heating as well as the visualization of structural changes in high-pressure samples under extreme dynamic conditions during high-speed pressure changes. Full Article text
sing ProSPyX: software for post-processing images of X-ray ptychography with spectral capabilities By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-09 X-ray ptychography is a coherent diffraction imaging technique based on acquiring multiple diffraction patterns obtained through the illumination of the sample at different partially overlapping probe positions. The diffraction patterns collected are used to retrieve the complex transmittivity function of the sample and the probe using a phase retrieval algorithm. Absorption or phase contrast images of the sample as well as the real and imaginary parts of the probe function can be obtained. Furthermore, X-ray ptychography can also provide spectral information of the sample from absorption or phase shift images by capturing multiple ptychographic projections at varying energies around the resonant energy of the element of interest. However, post-processing of the images is required to extract the spectra. To facilitate this, ProSPyX, a Python package that offers the analysis tools and a graphical user interface required to process spectral ptychography datasets, is presented. Using the PyQt5 Python open-source module for development and design, the software facilitates extraction of absorption and phase spectral information from spectral ptychographic datasets. It also saves the spectra in file formats compatible with other X-ray absorption spectroscopy data analysis software tools, streamlining integration into existing spectroscopic data analysis pipelines. To illustrate its capabilities, ProSPyX was applied to process the spectral ptychography dataset recently acquired on a nickel wire at the SWING beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron. Full Article text
sing Sub-micrometre focusing of intense 100 keV X-rays with multilayer reflective optics By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-22 A high-flux sub-micrometre focusing system was constructed using multilayer focusing mirrors in Kirkpatrick–Baez geometry for 100 keV X-rays. The focusing mirror system had a wide bandwidth of 5% and a high peak reflectivity of 74%. Performance was evaluated at the undulator beamline BL05XU of SPring-8, which produced an intense 100 keV X-ray beam with a bandwidth of 1%. When the light source was focused directly in both vertical and horizontal directions, the beam size was measured to be 0.32 µm (V) × 5.3 µm (H) with a flux of 1 × 1012 photons s−1. However, when a limited horizontal slit was used to form a secondary source, the focusing beam size decreased to 0.25 µm (V) × 0.26 µm (H) with a flux of 6 × 1010 photons s−1. The 200 nm line and space patterns of a Siemens star chart made of tantalum were clearly resolved by the absorption contrast of the focused beam. This 100 keV focusing system is applicable to various fields of nondestructive analyses with sub-micrometre resolutions. Full Article text
sing Optimization of synchrotron radiation parameters using swarm intelligence and evolutionary algorithms By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-22 Alignment of each optical element at a synchrotron beamline takes days, even weeks, for each experiment costing valuable beam time. Evolutionary algorithms (EAs), efficient heuristic search methods based on Darwinian evolution, can be utilized for multi-objective optimization problems in different application areas. In this study, the flux and spot size of a synchrotron beam are optimized for two different experimental setups including optical elements such as lenses and mirrors. Calculations were carried out with the X-ray Tracer beamline simulator using swarm intelligence (SI) algorithms and for comparison the same setups were optimized with EAs. The EAs and SI algorithms used in this study for two different experimental setups are the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). While one of the algorithms optimizes the lens position, the other focuses on optimizing the focal distances of Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors. First, mono-objective evolutionary algorithms were used and the spot size or flux values checked separately. After comparison of mono-objective algorithms, the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm NSGA-II was run for both objectives – minimum spot size and maximum flux. Every algorithm configuration was run several times for Monte Carlo simulations since these processes generate random solutions and the simulator also produces solutions that are stochastic. The results show that the PSO algorithm gives the best values over all setups. Full Article text
sing At-wavelength metrology of an X-ray mirror using a downstream wavefront modulator By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-04-08 At-wavelength metrology of X-ray optics plays a crucial role in evaluating the performance of optics under actual beamline operating conditions, enabling in situ diagnostics and optimization. Techniques utilizing a wavefront random modulator have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, accurately mapping the measured wavefront slope to a curved X-ray mirror surface when the modulator is downstream of the mirror has posed a challenge. To address this problem, an iterative method has been developed in this study. The results demonstrate a significant improvement compared with conventional approaches and agree with offline measurements obtained from optical metrology. We believe that the proposed method enhances the accuracy of at-wavelength metrology techniques, and empowers them to play a greater role in beamline operation and optics fabrication. Full Article text
sing A distributed data processing scheme based on Hadoop for synchrotron radiation experiments By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-04-24 With the development of synchrotron radiation sources and high-frame-rate detectors, the amount of experimental data collected at synchrotron radiation beamlines has increased exponentially. As a result, data processing for synchrotron radiation experiments has entered the era of big data. It is becoming increasingly important for beamlines to have the capability to process large-scale data in parallel to keep up with the rapid growth of data. Currently, there is no set of data processing solutions based on the big data technology framework for beamlines. Apache Hadoop is a widely used distributed system architecture for solving the problem of massive data storage and computation. This paper presents a set of distributed data processing schemes for beamlines with experimental data using Hadoop. The Hadoop Distributed File System is utilized as the distributed file storage system, and Hadoop YARN serves as the resource scheduler for the distributed computing cluster. A distributed data processing pipeline that can carry out massively parallel computation is designed and developed using Hadoop Spark. The entire data processing platform adopts a distributed microservice architecture, which makes the system easy to expand, reduces module coupling and improves reliability. Full Article text
sing Wavefront analysis and phase correctors design using SHADOW By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-04-23 Knife-edge imaging is a successful method for determining the wavefront distortion of focusing optics such as Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors or compound refractive lenses. In this study, the wavefront error of an imperfect elliptical mirror is predicted by developing a knife-edge program using the SHADOW/OASYS platform. It is shown that the focusing optics can be aligned perfectly by minimizing the parabolic and cubic coefficients of the wavefront error. The residual wavefront error provides precise information about the figure/height errors of the focusing optics suggesting it as an accurate method for in situ optical metrology. A Python program is developed to design a customized wavefront refractive corrector to minimize the residual wavefront error. Uniform beam at and out of focus and higher peak intensity are achieved by the wavefront correction in comparison with ideal focusing. The developed code provides a quick way for wavefront error analysis and corrector design for non-ideal optics especially for the new-generation diffraction-limited sources, and saves considerable experimental time and effort. Full Article text
sing 3D imaging of magnetic domains in Nd2Fe14B using scanning hard X-ray nanotomography By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-05-21 Nanoscale structural and electronic heterogeneities are prevalent in condensed matter physics. Investigating these heterogeneities in 3D has become an important task for understanding material properties. To provide a tool to unravel the connection between nanoscale heterogeneity and macroscopic emergent properties in magnetic materials, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) is combined with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. A vector tomography algorithm has been developed to reconstruct the full 3D magnetic vector field without any prior noise assumptions or knowledge about the sample. Two tomographic scans around the vertical axis are acquired on single-crystalline Nd2Fe14B pillars tilted at two different angles, with 2D STXM projections recorded using a focused 120 nm X-ray beam with left and right circular polarization. Image alignment and iterative registration have been implemented based on the 2D STXM projections for the two tilts. Dichroic projections obtained from difference images are used for the tomographic reconstruction to obtain the 3D magnetization distribution at the nanoscale. Full Article text
sing Soft X-ray wavefront sensing at an ellipsoidal mirror shell By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-06 A reliable `in situ' method for wavefront sensing in the soft X-ray domain is reported, developed for the characterization of rotationally symmetric optical elements, like an ellipsoidal mirror shell. In a laboratory setup, the mirror sample is irradiated by an electron-excited (4.4 keV), micrometre-sized (∼2 µm) fluorescence source (carbon Kα, 277 eV). Substantially, the three-dimensional intensity distribution I(r) is recorded by a CCD camera (2048 × 512 pixels of 13.5 µm) at two positions along the optical axis, symmetrically displaced by ±21–25% from the focus. The transport-of-intensity equation is interpreted in a geometrical sense from plane to plane and implemented as a ray tracing code, to retrieve the phase Φ(r) from the radial intensity gradient on a sub-pixel scale. For reasons of statistical reliability, five intra-/extra-focal CCD image pairs are evaluated and averaged to an annular two-dimensional map of the wavefront error {cal W}. In units of the test wavelength (C Kα), an r.m.s. value sigma_{cal{W}} = ±10.9λ0 and a peak-to-valley amplitude of ±31.3λ0 are obtained. By means of the wavefront, the focus is first reconstructed with a result for its diameter of 38.4 µm, close to the direct experimental observation of 39.4 µm (FWHM). Secondly, figure and slope errors of the ellipsoid are characterized with an average of ±1.14 µm and ±8.8 arcsec (r.m.s.), respectively, the latter in reasonable agreement with the measured focal intensity distribution. The findings enable, amongst others, the precise alignment of axisymmetric X-ray mirrors or the design of a wavefront corrector for high-resolution X-ray science. Full Article text
sing Sub-nanometre quality X-ray mirrors created using ion beam figuring By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-21 Ion beam figuring (IBF) is a powerful technique for figure correction of X-ray mirrors to a high accuracy. Here, recent technical advancements in the IBF instrument developed at Diamond Light Source are presented and experimental results for figuring of X-ray mirrors are given. The IBF system is equipped with a stable DC gridded ion source (120 mm diameter), a four-axis motion stage to manipulate the optic, a Faraday cup to monitor the ion-beam current, and a camera for alignment. A novel laser speckle angular measurement instrument also provides on-board metrology. To demonstrate the IBF system's capabilities, two silicon X-ray mirrors were processed. For 1D correction, a height error of 0.08 nm r.m.s. and a slope error of 44 nrad r.m.s. were achieved. For 2D correction over a 67 mm × 17 mm clear aperture, a height error of 0.8 nm r.m.s. and a slope error of 230 nrad r.m.s. were obtained. For the 1D case, this optical quality is comparable with the highest-grade, commercially available, X-ray optics. Full Article text
sing Revealing the structure of the active sites for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO over Co single atom catalysts using operando XANES and machine learning By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-25 Transition-metal nitrogen-doped carbons (TM-N-C) are emerging as a highly promising catalyst class for several important electrocatalytic processes, including the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The unique local environment around the singly dispersed metal site in TM-N-C catalysts is likely to be responsible for their catalytic properties, which differ significantly from those of bulk or nanostructured catalysts. However, the identification of the actual working structure of the main active units in TM-N-C remains a challenging task due to the fluctional, dynamic nature of these catalysts, and scarcity of experimental techniques that could probe the structure of these materials under realistic working conditions. This issue is addressed in this work and the local atomistic and electronic structure of the metal site in a Co–N–C catalyst for CO2RR is investigated by employing time-resolved operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) combined with advanced data analysis techniques. This multi-step approach, based on principal component analysis, spectral decomposition and supervised machine learning methods, allows the contributions of several co-existing species in the working Co–N–C catalysts to be decoupled, and their XAS spectra deciphered, paving the way for understanding the CO2RR mechanisms in the Co–N–C catalysts, and further optimization of this class of electrocatalytic systems. Full Article text
sing StreamSAXS: a Python-based workflow platform for processing streaming SAXS/WAXS data By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-07-15 StreamSAXS is a Python-based small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) data analysis workflow platform with graphical user interface (GUI). It aims to provide an interactive and user-friendly tool for analysis of both batch data files and real-time data streams. Users can easily create customizable workflows through the GUI to meet their specific needs. One characteristic of StreamSAXS is its plug-in framework, which enables developers to extend the built-in workflow tasks. Another feature is the support for both already acquired and real-time data sources, allowing StreamSAXS to function as an offline analysis platform or be integrated into large-scale acquisition systems for end-to-end data management. This paper presents the core design of StreamSAXS and provides user cases demonstrating its utilization for SAXS/WAXS data analysis in offline and online scenarios. Full Article text
sing Study on the UV FEL single-shot damage threshold of an Au thin film By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-07-23 The damage threshold of an Au-coated flat mirror, one of the reflective optics installed on the FEL-2 beamline of the Dalian Coherent Light Source, China, upon far-UV free-electron laser irradiation is evaluated. The surface of the coating is characterized by profilometer and optical microscope. A theoretical approach of the phenomenon is also presented, by application of conventional single-pulse damage threshold calculations, a one-dimensional thermal diffusion model, as well as finite-element analysis with ANSYS. Full Article text
sing New opportunities for time-resolved imaging using diffraction-limited storage rings By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-07-30 The advent of diffraction-limited storage rings (DLSRs) has boosted the brilliance or coherent flux by one to two orders of magnitude with respect to the previous generation. One consequence of this brilliance enhancement is an increase in the flux density or number of photons per unit of area and time, which opens new possibilities for the spatiotemporal resolution of X-ray imaging techniques. This paper studies the time-resolved microscopy capabilities of such facilities by benchmarking the ForMAX beamline at the MAX IV storage ring. It is demonstrated that this enhanced flux density using a single harmonic of the source allows micrometre-resolution time-resolved imaging at 2000 tomograms per second and 1.1 MHz 2D acquisition rates using the full dynamic range of the detector system. Full Article text
sing Spexwavepy: an open-source Python package for X-ray wavefront sensing using speckle-based techniques By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-07-30 In situ wavefront sensing plays a critical role in the delivery of high-quality beams for X-ray experiments. X-ray speckle-based techniques stand out among other in situ techniques for their easy experimental setup and various data acquisition modes. Although X-ray speckle-based techniques have been under development for more than a decade, there are still no user-friendly software packages for new researchers to begin with. Here, we present an open-source Python package, spexwavepy, for X-ray wavefront sensing using speckle-based techniques. This Python package covers a variety of X-ray speckle-based techniques, provides plenty of examples with real experimental data and offers detailed online documentation for users. We hope it can help new researchers learn and apply the speckle-based techniques for X-ray wavefront sensing to synchrotron radiation and X-ray free-electron laser beamlines. Full Article text