In this study, the atomic structure of the ternary icosahedral ZnMgTm quasicrystal (QC) is investigated by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure is found to be a member of the Bergman QC family, frequently found in Zn–Mg–rare-earth systems. The ab initio structure solution was obtained by the use of the Superflip software. The infinite structure model was founded on the atomic decoration of two golden rhombohedra, with an edge length of 21.7 Å, constituting the Ammann–Kramer–Neri tiling. The refined structure converged well with the experimental diffraction diagram, with the crystallographic R factor equal to 9.8%. The Bergman clusters were found to be bonded by four possible linkages. Only two linkages, b and c, are detected in approximant crystals and are employed to model the icosahedral QCs in the cluster approach known for the CdYb Tsai-type QC. Additional short b and a linkages are found in this study. Short interatomic distances are not generated by those linkages due to the systematic absence of atoms and the formation of split atomic positions. The presence of four linkages allows the structure to be pictured as a complete covering by rhombic triacontahedral clusters and consequently there is no need to define the interstitial part of the structure (i.e. that outside the cluster). The 6D embedding of the solved structure is discussed for the final verification of the model.

Ubiquitous as they may be today, the origin of the Christmas tree is unknown to most. The tradition of decorating a tree, usually an evergreen […]

The post Agustín Stahl: Scientist Who Introduced the “Arbol de Navidad” (Christmas Tree) to Puerto Rico appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To catch lizards on the offshore islands close to St. Croix in the Caribbean, Smithsonian herpetologist Nicole Angeli uses a lasso of thread looped at […]

The post Mongooses wiped them out. Now Nicole Angeli wants the St. Croix ground lizard home again appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The development of antiviral strategies requires a clear understanding of the principles that control the protein arrangements in viral shells. Considered here are those capsids that violate the paradigmatic Caspar and Klug (CK) model, and it is shown that the important structural features of such anomalous shells from the Picobirnaviridae, Flaviviridae and Leviviridae families can be revealed by models in the form of spherical icosahedral packings of equivalent rhombic structural units (SUs). These SUs are composed of protein dimers forming the investigated capsids which, as shown here, are based on the rhombic triacontahedron (RT) geometry. How to modify the original CK approach in order to make it compatible with the considered rhombic tessellations of a sphere is also discussed. Analogies between capsids self-assembled from dimers and trimers are demonstrated. This analysis reveals the principles controlling the localization of receptor proteins (which recognize the host cell) on the capsid surface.

Visa has teamed up with Kenyan telecom Safaricom, operator...

To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon – the largest oil spill in U.S. history – a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for an international, multi-institutional comprehensive campaign of research, observation, and analysis activities that would help improve understanding and prediction of the Gulf of Mexico’s Loop Current System (LCS).

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced a new grant opportunity focused on enhancing coastal community resilience and well-being in the Gulf of Mexico region.

The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced a new collaboration with Shell and others to provide $1 million in funding support for a pilot effort to convert an existing ocean mooring owned by Shell into the first long-term deep ocean observatory in the Gulf of Mexico.

Following recommendations from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report released earlier this year, the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) is developing a long-term research campaign to improve understanding and prediction of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS).

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced a new funding opportunity to provide up to $2.5 million in grants to foster innovative approaches that support its ongoing efforts to improve understanding and prediction of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS).

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced $2 million in grant awards for seven new projects through its Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) Grants 2 competition.

Today the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its review of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) draft monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s plan to dilute and dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico is technically viable, provided that the plan’s implementation challenges and system vulnerabilities are resolved.

Peter Epstein of Epstein Research discusses the macro picture for precious metals prices and one junior that he believes will benefit from higher prices.

Visit the aureport.com for more information and for a free newsletter

Circus of Books storefront.; Credit: Netflix/Circus Of Books (2020)

Rachel Mason had, to a certain extent, the normal upbringing you’d imagine a family of five with small business owner parents would have. But in her documentary, ‘Circus of Books’, she pulls the curtain on the double-life her parents led as modest business owners and pillars of the LGBTQ community.

Karen and Barry Mason established West Hollywood’s Circus of Books on Santa Monica Boulevard in the 1980s. What seemed like an unassuming bookstore was actually a gay porn shop that became an institution in the LGBTQ community during a time when homosexuality was still largely unaccepted. The store was far from being a “bookstore with a circus theme”. The Los Angeles-based shop was the central hub for gay pornography around the country, once one of the main distributors for adult films. 

While the store was becoming a home for gay culture and pride, the Masons largely kept their business a secret from colleagues, friends, family, even their own children. It’s a central conflict that Rachel Mason explores throughout the film as the daughter of two shop owners caught between the pressures of maintaining a traditional family image and making a living as gay pornography distributors.

Today on FilmWeek, we’re joined by ‘Circus of Books’ director Rachel Mason for a conversation on her documentary and the experience of creating a film with her parents and their secret as the subject.

‘Circus Of Books’ is currently streaming on Netflix. For more on the film from LAist’s Mike Roe, click here.

Guest:

Rachel Mason, director of the Netflix documentary ‘Circus of Books’ and daughter of Circus of Books owners Karen and Barry Mason; she tweets @RachelMasonArt

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

People using a coworking space.; Credit: Cross Campus

In a sign of increased desire of professionals to work remotely, the successful Santa Monica shared workspace Cross Campus is opening a second location in Pasadena later this month, and the company hopes to open eight others in Southern California and beyond in the next two years. 

Dubbed by one user as  the “nerve center” of the Silicon Beach tech scene, Cross Campus opened its membership-based workspace facility in Santa Monica in 2012.   

But co-founder Ronen Olshansky said the shared workspace phenomenon isn't limited to coders. 

"Fewer and fewer people are making the traditional drive into the corporate office," Olshansky said. "They're working remotely as professionals, going off on their own as freelancers, or they're starting their own companies as entrepreneurs."  

A forecast from Forrester Research says that 43 percent of workers will telecommute by 2016, compared to estimates of about a quarter of the workforce telecommuting last year. 

Olshansky said that, for many people, working from home or in a coffee shop isn't productive. 

That's led shared workspaces to pop up in Los Angeles, Culver City and Santa Monica. Among them: Maker City L.A., WeWork, NextSpace, Coloft and Hub LA.  

Los Angeles-based tech investor David Waxman said these kind of shared spaces are crucial for the early stages of tech ventures.

"When you’re just starting out, and capital is very scarce, having not to commit to an entire office but having part of an office is very important," Waxman said.  “There comes a collective energy when a bunch of entrepreneurs get together in the same space, even if they’re not working on the same project."

And he said Pasadena is a good choice for a shared workspace.

"It is the home of Caltech, the Arts Center, and IdeaLab — probably the world’s first tech incubator — started there," he said.

But he said the need isn't limited to Pasadena.

"In Silver Lake, in South Pasadena, in Glendale, you see a lot of little pockets of  people getting together, and as soon as there’s a critical mass, we’ll see co-working spaces like Cross Campus come into being," said Waxman, who named his investment firm TenOneTen after the two freeways that connect Santa Monica and the Westside to Pasadena. 

Alex Maleki of IdeaLab in Pasadena is happy a well-known company is opening up in his city. 

"Anything that helps attract talent and capital to the region," Maleki said, "is absolutely fantastic."

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

Greenbriar Capital has signed an agreement for the design and construction of the Caribbean's largest solar project.

‘Perovskite solar cells’ (PSCs) are less costly than conventional silicon solar cells, but one of their key components is energy-intensive to manufacture as high temperatures are needed. Now researchers have identified new alternative materials for this component which cut energy demands as they can be produced at low temperatures.

A three-step chemical process could successfully recover high-purity silicon from recycled photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, new tests show. The scientists behind the research say that recycling not only helps the PV industry meet regulatory requirements, but also reduces pressure on demand for raw materials.

NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites caught Hurricane Newton's two landfalls in Mexico.

read more

US teens are more likely to vape for the flavourings found in e-cigarettes rather than nicotine, suggests research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

read more

A new index that condenses the overall environmental impact of pollutants at a particular site into a single value has been developed. This unique number captures the health status of the territory in terms of the risk of the pollutants to animals and plants in ecosystems, human health and the long-term fate of the pollutants in the environment.

Neonicotinoid and fipronil insecticides have a range of impacts on birds, mammals and fish, a new review of scientific literature has found. A house sparrow would need to eat just one and a half beet seeds treated with a common neonicotinoid to receive a lethal dose, for instance. The insecticides may also have equally important effects on vertebrate wildlife, such as reducing insect prey and hence food supply.

Beetles that are helpful to farmers can be poisoned if they feed on slugs that have eaten crops treated with neonicotinoids, a new study reports. The slugs themselves are not harmed by neonicotinoids. In American field trials, researchers found that plots planted with neonicotinoid-treated soybeans contained more slugs, fewer beetle predators and had 5% lower yields. The insecticide may be reducing the beetles’ effectiveness as a natural control of slug pests.

Honeybees and bumblebees prefer feeding on nectar laced with certain neonicotinoid pesticides to uncontaminated food, new research has shown. Far from the predictions of some, that bees would avoid food contaminated with neonicotinoid pesticides if given the choice, a new study has shown that bees did not avoid any of the three most common neonicotinoids: imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or clothianidin. Furthermore, they showed a preference for imidacloprid and thiamethoxam over uncontaminated sugar solutions.

Migrating tundra peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) experienced increased levels of harmful hydrocarbons in their blood following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study finds. Blood from juvenile females was found to have the highest levels of contamination.

Neonicotinoids are pesticides applied to plants to protect them from insects. The use of neonicotinoids may lead to contamination of aquatic environments through, among other routes, the input of contaminated plant material into waterways. While it is well established that direct exposure to contaminated water endangers aquatic invertebrates, scientists have now published findings indicating that dietary exposure through the consumption of contaminated plant material puts leaf-shredding species at increased risk. The researchers recommend that policymakers registering systemic insecticides (those whose active ingredients are transported throughout the plant tissues) consider dietary exposure, and its potential implications for ecosystem integrity, in addition to other exposure pathways.

Earlier this year, I learned something about DICOM datasets that surprised me. I had downloaded a Head-Neck CT+PET study, and I wanted to create a volume array in MATLAB. I tried to do this the hard way at first, and of course I got it wrong. (Spoiler: there's an easy... read more >>

Today I will show you how I plotted this treble clef symbol in MATLAB:... read more >>

Emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) tetrafluoromethane (TFM) and hexafluoroethane (HFE) reported by industry accounted for only around half actual levels measured in the atmosphere between 2002 and 2010, new research reveals. The semiconductor and aluminium production industries, the two main sources of these gases, have reported success in their voluntary efforts to control these emissions. However, this does not match ‘top-down’ atmospheric monitoring, the researchers say.

A museum’s new exhibition will feature work by one of the most influential British book illustrators.

The post $50 million luxury hotel planned at iconic Barossa Valley winery appeared first on The Lead SA.

This file is in PDF format, requiring the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

This file is in PDF format, requiring the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

000
ACCA62 TJSJ 302335
TWOSPN

Perspectiva sobre las Condiciones del Tiempo Tropical
Emitido por El Centro Nacional de Huracanes Miami, FL
Traducido por el Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia San Juan, PR
700 PM EST sabado 30 de noviembre de 2019

Para el Atlantico Norte...Mar Caribe y Golfo de Mexico:

No se espera formacion de ciclon tropical durante los proximos 5
dias.

Esta es la ultima Perspectiva sobre las Condiciones del Tiempo
Tropical regular de la Temporada de Huracanes 2019. Las perspectivas
rutinarias sobre las condiciones del tiempo tropical comenzaran
nuevamente en junio 1, 2020. Fuera de la temporada, Perspectivas
Especiales sobre las Condiciones del Tiempo seran emitidas de ser
necesarias.

$$

Pronosticador Beven
Traduccion RVazquez

000
WTPZ22 KNHC 161752
TCMEP2

POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SEVENTEEN-E
SPECIAL FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 4
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP172019
1800 UTC WED OCT 16 2019

CHANGES IN WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THIS ADVISORY...

THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH
FOR THE COAST OF SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OF WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

POTENTIAL TROP CYCLONE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.6N 96.6W AT 16/1800Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 35 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHWEST OR 310 DEGREES AT 12 KT

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 1007 MB
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.

REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.6N 96.6W AT 16/1800Z
AT 16/1200Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 15.8N 95.7W

FORECAST VALID 17/0000Z 17.3N 97.6W...INLAND
MAX WIND 20 KT...GUSTS 30 KT.

FORECAST VALID 17/1200Z...DISSIPATED

REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 16.6N 96.6W

THIS IS THE LAST FORECAST/ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

688
FZNT32 KNHC 091522
OFFN21

Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami, FL
1122 AM EDT Sat May 9 2020

Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast for the Gulf of Mexico

Seas given as significant wave height, which is the average
height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be
more than twice the significant wave height.

Synopsis for the Gulf of Mexico

.SYNOPSIS...A cold front from extends from the Florida Big Bend
to 28N90W to 25N95W then transitions to a stationary front to
22N98W. A surface trough is ahead of the front in the Bay of
Campeche. The front will move to the central Gulf waters today
and gradually stall through Sun. An area of low pressure is
expected to develop over the SW Gulf today, and track NE toward
South Florida on Sun. The stalled front will then transition
back to a cold front and exit the southeastern Gulf on Mon.
Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms will impact most of
the southern and eastern Gulf waters this weekend.

Gulf of Mexico N of 26N W of 87W

.THIS AFTERNOON...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TONIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.SUN...E winds less than 10 kt, shifting to NE in the afternoon.
Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.MON...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.
.MON NIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft.
.TUE...SE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.WED...SE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.WED NIGHT...SE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft.

Gulf of Mexico from 22N to 26N W of 87W

.THIS AFTERNOON...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.TONIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.SUN...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.MON...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.MON NIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.WED...SE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft.
.WED NIGHT...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.

SW Gulf of Mexico S of 22N W of 87W

.THIS AFTERNOON...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.TONIGHT...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.SUN...N winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.MON...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.MON NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.WED...SE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.WED NIGHT...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Gulf of Mexico E of 87W

.THIS AFTERNOON...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 ft or less,
building to 3 ft in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.
.SUN...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.MON...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.MON NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.WED...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.
.WED NIGHT...E winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.

Commercial potential of the new discovery will be assessed in the next phase.

Operations have been completed on the Ehecatl-1 exploration well on Block 7, located in the Sureste Basin Offshore Mexico.

Qatar will acquire 30 percent of Total's participating interest in select blocks in the Campeche basin.