A diminutive bat with cinnamon-brown coloring collected in 1979 in Ecuador by mammalogist Don Wilson of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History represents a new species a recent paper in the journal “Mammalian Biology” has revealed.

The post New species of bat named from central coastal Ecuador appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Galaxies are sometimes found in large clusters with many hundreds of members. Typically there is a giant elliptical galaxy near the center; most of these ellipticals are very bright emitters of radio radiation as a result of activity around supermassive black holes at their nuclei.

The post Enriching the Intracluster Medium appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A description and photos of the green-headed tanager (Tangara seledon), a bird native to east-central South America, can be found in the Species of the […]

The post Green-headed Tanager (Tangara seledon) of east-central South America appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Smithsonian scientists have confirmed that chytridiomycosis, a rapidly spreading amphibian disease, has reached a site near Panama’s Darien region. This was the last area in the entire mountainous neotropics to be free of the disease. This is troubling news for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, a consortium of nine U.S. and Panamanian institutions that aims to rescue 20 species of frogs in imminent danger of extinction.

The post Deadly amphibian disease detected in the last disease-free region of Central America appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Most people think of black holes as giant vacuum cleaners sucking in everything that gets too close. But the supermassive black holes at the centers […]

The post Event Horizon Telescope Reveals Magnetic Fields at Milky Way’s Central Black Hole appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The humble salamander may provide evidence to support a controversial claim that North and South America were joined together much earlier than previously thought. The […]

The post Salamander DNA reveals evidence of older land connection between Central and South America appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

By now, most of the United States has started to feel the first cool caresses of winter. Everything is pumpkin spiced, and the last crickets […]

The post Feathered diplomats unite pupils in North and Central America appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Corn, known also as maize, is a vital crop in the U.S. and throughout the Americas. First domesticated in Mexico some 9,000 years ago, scientists […]

The post Study dates corn as staple crop in Central America beginning 4,300 years ago appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

UTLA says it is at an impasse with the Los Angeles Unified School District over a new contract for its 31,000 teachers. ; Credit: File photo by Letsdance Tonightaway/Flickr Creative Commons

The United Teachers Los Angeles declared an impasse Wednesday in its talks with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The action opens the way for a mediator to be brought in to help bring about a settlement.

Contract talks have been ongoing since July, UTLA said on its website.

"There is still a significant gap between the two sides on compensation," the union stated. UTLA is seeking an 8.5 percent, one-year increase; LAUSD has offered a 5 percent increase. 

The union said the district is "refusing to bargain in good faith on student learning conditions, and threatening educator layoffs as a scare tactic."

LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said in a statement that the district agrees the talks are at an impasse.

"I've been disappointed and frustrated by the lack of progress toward an agreement," he said. "It's my hope that the appointment of a mediator will lead to an expeditious settlement that ultimately supports our students and the District at large."

UTLA represents 31,000 members, including teachers and health and human service professionals.

The differences between the two sides amount to more than $800 million, the district said in its statement. Cortines has maintained that the district is facing a deficit. The union insists the district has money.

Other issues dividing the two sides include class room size and teacher evaluations.

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

In an August 18 letter, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement informed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that it should cease all work on a study of the potential health risks for people living near surface coal mine sites in Central Appalachia.

Despite progress in recent decades, more than 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities occur each year in the U.S. To address this persistent problem, stakeholders -- from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement -- should work together to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The growing influence of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the seafood industry means that they now play a central role in setting standards for sustainable fisheries. In a new study, researchers used the Dutch Good Fish Guide to illustrate how NGOs can efficiently engage consumers, industry, fishermen and government.

A new study suggests that abandoned farmland is widespread in Europe and that not all land that has been abandoned is unsuitable for farming. Understanding how abandoned farmland is distributed may be important for making land management decisions – for instance, recultivation versus reversion to forest.

A recent study has highlighted the potential of one form of solar power, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), to make a significant contribution to meeting future electricity demands from renewable sources in Europe.

Plastic debris is a serious environmental concern, as a physical pollutant as well as a chemical pollutant when it breaks down in the marine environment. A new study has now shown that plastics can also concentrate other pollutants, with significantly higher concentrations of toxic pollutants adhering to soft, rubbery plastics, rather than hard, glassy plastics.

Construction of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants – electricity generation which concentrates sunlight to generate heat – can have a range of negative effects on wildlife, but these effects are short lived, new research has found. Once in use, CSP plants can even have some positive effects, reducing soil erosion, for instance.

Researchers have developed a new approach for identifying regions that are most suitable for expanding ecosystem services. This could be used to help inform spatial planning decisions. By modelling ecosystem services’ opportunity costs in relation to agricultural revenue, the study provides a map of suitable areas of ecosystem service expansion in Eastern Europe.

A recent study has assessed how the choice and cultivation of native and introduced pine tree species affects the impact of insect pests and fungal diseases in Spanish plantations. Native maritime pine trees appeared to be more susceptible to insect attack, whilst non-native Monterey pines were more likely to suffer from fungal attacks. Thinning trees also had differing effects on reducing the effects of pests, depending on the tree species.

Scientists have modelled the potential benefits of decentralised flood protection (DFP) in Central Europe and conclude that it could be a significant step towards natural flood management in the EU.

A new study from Spain has explored economic degrowth (the scaling back of economic models based on growth) in the water sector and indicates that rainwater harvesting and reclaimed water use are most aligned to degrowth principles.

Reusing waste water for non-drinking uses in decentralised plumbing networks may improve the efficiency of water supply in urban areas, a new study has found. Modelling this approach in San Francisco, researchers found that, depending on the local geography, a decentralised water supply could lead to energy savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from water treatment of around 30%. Improvements in emerging water-treatment technologies are likely to lead to further savings, which could help increase the efficiency of urban water supply.

With the microblogging site emerging as a key platform for information dissemination, many central banks are active on Twitter, especially in these times of economic uncertainties amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bumblebees are negatively affected by the insecticide azadirachtin even at concentrations 50 times lower than the recommended levels used by farmers, recent laboratory experiments have revealed. No males hatched in laboratory colonies that were fed on recommended levels of the pesticide and, even at concentrations 50 times lower, the males that did hatch were deformed, and there were significantly fewer compared to an untreated colony.

Combinations of antibiotics have been found in high enough concentrations to pose a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems, in a recent Spanish study. Antibiotics can have toxic effects on the bacteria and algae that form the basis of aquatic ecosystems.

Municipal wastewater is a major source of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. Results from a recent study suggest that collecting and treating urine separately from other forms of sewage could be a cost-effective way to reduce the harmful effects of pharmaceuticals on the environment, while also providing a source of nutrients for fertilising agricultural crops.

A recent study has assessed the environmental impact of a group of technology-critical elements (TCEs) — niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), gallium (Ga), indium (In), germanium (Ge) and tellurium (Te) — that, to date, have been relatively under-researched. The researchers reviewed published concentrations of these elements in environmental archives and evaluated trends over time in surface waters. Overall, they found no evidence that the rising use of these elements in modern technologies is causing environmental concentrations to increase on a global level. These findings are relevant to future policy discussions regarding the source, usage and presence of less-studied TCEs, particularly in relation to critical raw metals.

Copper (Cu) is frequently used in agricultural practices, particularly in fungicides, used extensively in the management of permanent crops, such as vineyards, olive groves, and fruit orchards — all crops of significant economic importance to the EU. An investigation into the factors influencing Cu distribution in the topsoils of 25 EU Member States has identified that, in conjunction with other factors such as topsoil properties, land cover, and climate, such agricultural management practices play a role in influencing Cu concentration. The analysis used 21 682 soil samples from the EU-funded Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS)¹ and found that vineyards, olive groves, and orchards had the highest mean soil Cu concentrations of all land use categories. The findings highlight the major impact of land use and agricultural practices on soil Cu concentrations and emphasise a need for more sustainable land management practices.

The presence and accumulation of micropollutants1 (anthropogenic trace contaminants) in aquatic environments is an area of policy concern for the EU. In order to better understand how these chemicals enter and are transported within water systems, this study investigated the occurrence and concentration of a broad spectrum of micropollutants across Austria’s water system. Municipal waste-water effluents were found to be the emission pathway with the highest concentrations of some micropollutants. The study also demonstrated that levels of other micropollutants are higher in rivers, atmospheric deposition and groundwater than in waste-water effluents and that these sometimes exceeded environmental quality standards for surface waters.

Overall concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soil have declined, according to research conducted in Norway and the UK. The researchers suggest that there has been a reduced influence of primary sources of some POPs on soils for these two countries in recent years.

A recent global study has estimated that, each year, 1.5 million people die early from cardiopulmonary diseases and 0.1 million people die early from lung cancer caused by exposure to PM2.5 pollution. A further 0.4 million people are estimated to die early from respiratory diseases caused by exposure to surface ozone (O3) pollution. Although short-lived air pollutants have the largest influence on air quality and premature deaths, controlling methane emissions as well would improve air quality and reduce the number of people dying prematurely each year, the study suggests.

CULPEPER — The bridge on Route 250 (Ivy Road) over Little Ivy Creek near Ivy west of Charlottesville is open to traffic, one day ahead of its scheduled reopening. Crews are now working to remove signs and other detour indicators along Route 250 and Interstate 64.

The post Hi-tech armour manufacturer lands first commercial contract appeared first on The Lead SA.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 1 – 2pm

This is an online event. Registered participants will receive information on how to connect to the Virtual Career Fair prior to the beginning of the event.

We will have 4 employers:

• Spartan Nash careers.spartannash.com
  
• APH autopartshq.com…
  
• Meduit www.meduitrcm.com…
  
• Opportunity Matters www.opportunitymatters.org…
  

000
WTNT64 KNHC 110400
TCUAT4

Tropical Storm Michael Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL142018
1200 AM EDT Thu Oct 11 2018

...12 AM EDT POSITION UPDATE...
...MICHAEL WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA...
...DAMAGING WINDS STILL OCCURRING INLAND...

NOAA Doppler weather radar data indicate that the center of Michael
is now moving into south-central Georgia. Tropical storm-force
winds continue over central and southern Georgia, and are spreading
across the coast of southeastern Georgia.

This will be the last hourly position update issued by the National
Hurricane Center on Michael. The next intermediate advisory will be
issued at 2 AM EDT...0600 UTC.


SUMMARY OF 1200 AM EDT...0400 UTC...INFORMATION
-----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...32.3N 83.6W
ABOUT 30 MI...45 KM SSW OF MACON GEORGIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH...115 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NE OR 40 DEGREES AT 17 MPH...28 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...975 MB...28.79 INCHES

$$
Forecaster Beven

The Central North Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th.

The companies are considering a new contract for 2021.

Here are some of the most popular downstream-related articles on Rigzone this past week.

 
 000
 TCCA22 KNHC 220036
 STDCCA
 
 SATELLITE TROPICAL DISTURBANCE RAINFALL ESTIMATES
 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
 0015 UTC WED JUL 22 2009
  
  
 SYSTEM NAME/IDENTIFIER...CARIBBEAN DIST
  
                                              MAX RAINFALL
   DATE/TIME      LOCATION       MOTION      MEAN      LAST
  -----------   ------------     ------     -------   -------
  22/0015 UTC   17.2N  69.0W     280/22      2.5 IN    5.0 IN
  
  
 LAST RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION...
  
      DISTANCE          LEFT OF CENTER      RIGHT OF CENTER
    -------------      ---------------      ---------------
    0 TO 1 DEGREE       0.4 TO  2.1 IN       0.5 TO  2.2 IN
    1 TO 2 DEGREE       0.0 TO  0.6 IN       0.4 TO  1.7 IN
    2 TO 3 DEGREE       0.0 TO  0.1 IN       0.6 TO  2.0 IN
    3 TO 4 DEGREE       0.0 TO  0.1 IN       2.1 TO  5.0 IN
  
  
                         ...LEGEND...
  
 SYSTEM NAME/IDENTIFIER...NAME OR NUMBER ASSIGNED TO SYSTEM
                          (E.G. TROPICAL STORM ALPHA, TROPICAL
                          DISTURBANCE 01, SURFACE TROUGH)
  
 DATE/TIME...             DAY OF MONTH AND TIME IN UNIVERSAL TIME
                          COORDINATES (UTC) IN A DY/HRMN FORMAT
  
 LOCATION...              ESTIMATED CENTER OF SYSTEM OR ADVISORY
                          POSITION FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE IN TENTHS
                          OF DEGREES OF LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
  
 MOTION...                ESTIMATED DIRECTION AND SPEED OF SYSTEM
                          IN DEGREES AND KNOTS
  
 MEAN MAXIMUM RAINFALL... THE 24-HOUR MEAN MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION OF
                          RAINFALL FOR THE SYSTEM IN INCHES BASED
                          ON FOUR SATELLITE IMAGES SIX HOURS APART
  
 LAST MAXIMUM RAINFALL... THE MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION OF RAINFALL FOR
                          THE SYSTEM IN INCHES BASED ON THE MOST
                          RECENT SATELLITE IMAGE
  
 RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION... THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL WITHIN FOUR
                          DEGREES (240 NM) LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE
                          SYSTEM CENTER IN ONE DEGREE (60NM)
                          INCREMENTS...LOOKING DOWNSTREAM
                          (1 IN = 25.4 MM)
  
 NELSON 
  
 NNNN
 
 
 
 
 

Even years after the onset of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, radiation is still making its way across the Pacific.

The public park is one of the rare places in the city where ancient rocks, rich with history, mingle with modern life.

Michael Pollan explains how having such a centralized food system can be dangerous to the country.

Apex Logistics employees converted a storage space into every college man's dream hangout, complete with pinups and gym equipment.

This Spanish farmer's free-range geese fatten up naturally for migration season.

The chicken chain is working with THRIVE to purchase coffee from farmers who can by-pass the middleman and get paid up to 10x more for their beans.

Al Gore has the radical idea that more of our decisions should be made based on facts and reason.

This famous urban greenspace is where the locals go to shrug off big city living and where the tourists go to see what all the fuss is about.

World Central Kitchen founded by Chef José Andrés has served over 3 million meals since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, and it's not done yet.

'Coral Colors' showcases the psychedelic beauty of marine invertebrates.

Contractual terminology of auto insurance contracts