UK Geothermal: boiling beneath the surface?  Power Technology

Green light for Cheshire geothermal energy research  BBC News

The title hepta­nuclear alkoxido(oxido)vanadium(V) oxide cluster complex, [V7(C10H19O)O17(C18H24N2)3]·CH3CN, was obtained by the reaction of [V8O20(C18H24N2)4] with 4-tert-butyl­cyclo­hexa­nol (mixture of cis and trans) in a mixed CHCl3/CH3CN solvent. The complex has a V7O18N6 core with approximately Cs symmetry, which is composed of two VO4 tetra­hedra, two VO6 octa­hedra and three VO4N2 octa­hedra. In the crystal, these complexes are linked together by weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bi­pyridine ligand and the V7O18N6 core, forming a one-dimensional network along the c-axis direction. Besides the complex, the asymmetric unit contains one CH3CN solvent mol­ecule. The contribution of other disordered solvent mol­ecules to the scattering was removed using the SQUEEZE option in PLATON [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18]. The unknown solvent mol­ecules are not considered in the chemical formula and other crystal data.

After crystallization during ionothermal syntheses in phospho­nium-containing ionic liquids, the structure of (NH4)3Al2(PO4)3 [tri­ammonium dialuminum tris­(phosphate)] was refined on the basis of powder X-ray diffraction data from a synchrotron source. (NH4)3Al2(PO4)3 is a member of the structural family with formula A3Al2(PO4)3, where A is a group 1 element, and of which the NH4, K, and Rb forms were previously known. The NH4 form is isostructural with the K form, and was previously solved from single-crystal X-ray data when the material (SIZ-2) crystallized from a choline-containing eutectic mixture [Cooper et al. (2004). Nature, 430, 1012–1017]. Our independent refinement incorporates NH4 groups and shows that these NH4 groups are hydrogen bonded to framework O atoms present in rings containing 12 T sites in a channel along the c-axis direction. We describe structural details of (NH4)3Al2(PO4)3 and discuss differences with respect to isostructural forms.

X-ray imaging of soft materials is often difficult because of the low contrast of the components. This particularly applies to frozen hydrated biological cells where the feature of interest can have a similar density to the surroundings. As a consequence, a high dose is often required to achieve the desired resolution. However, the maximum dose that a specimen can tolerate is limited by radiation damage. Results from 3D coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) of frozen hydrated specimens have given resolutions of ∼80 nm compared with the expected resolution of 10 nm predicted from theoretical considerations for identifying a protein embedded in water. Possible explanations for this include the inapplicability of the dose-fractionation theorem, the difficulty of phase determination, an overall object-size dependence on the required fluence and dose, a low contrast within the biological cell, insufficient exposure, and a variety of practical difficulties such as scattering from surrounding material. A recent article [Villaneuva-Perez et al. (2018), Optica, 5, 450–457] concluded that imaging by Compton scattering gave a large dose advantage compared with CDI because of the object-size dependence for CDI. An object-size dependence would severely limit the applicability of CDI and perhaps related coherence-based methods for structural studies. This article specifically includes the overall object size in the analysis of the fluence and dose requirements for coherent imaging in order to investigate whether there is a dependence on object size. The applicability of the dose-fractionation theorem is also discussed. The analysis is extended to absorption-based imaging and imaging by incoherent scattering (Compton) and fluorescence. This article includes analysis of the dose required for imaging specific low-contrast cellular organelles as well as for protein against water. This article concludes that for both absorption-based and coherent diffraction imaging, the dose-fractionation theorem applies and the required dose is independent of the overall size of the object. For incoherent-imaging methods such as Compton scattering, the required dose depends on the X-ray path length through the specimen. For all three types of imaging, the dependence of fluence and dose on a resolution d goes as 1/d4 when imaging uniform-density voxels. The independence of CDI on object size means that there is no advantage for Compton scattering over coherent-based imaging methods. The most optimistic estimate of achievable resolution is 3 nm for imaging protein molecules in water/ice using lensless imaging methods in the water window. However, the attainable resolution depends on a variety of assumptions including the model for radiation damage as a function of resolution, the efficiency of any phase-retrieval process, the actual contrast of the feature of interest within the cell and the definition of resolution itself. There is insufficient observational information available regarding the most appropriate model for radiation damage in frozen hydrated biological material. It is advocated that, in order to compare theory with experiment, standard methods of reporting results covering parameters such as the feature examined (e.g. which cellular organelle), resolution, contrast, depth of the material (for 2D), estimate of noise and dose should be adopted.

Birds do it. Bees do it. And in a laboratory in northern California, scientists using bumblebees recently figured out the best way to measure it--vertical lift!

The post Laboratory tests reveal precise way to measure vertical lift in bumblebees and other small insects and birds appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The study found that infants whose mothers had higher levels of available milk energy soon after their birth, coped more effectively (moved around more, explored more, ate and drank) and showed greater confidence (were more playful, exploratory, curious and active) with this novel situation.

The post New study sees mother’s milk as a communications link that shapes infant temperament appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The Kepler spacecraft was launched in March of 2009 to study extrasolar planets. One of its major goals is the detection of terrestrial planets in habitable zones.

The post Kepler spacecraft used by Smithsonian astronomers to find other earths appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The challenges of conceiving only get greater as we get older. But if you have some of the most prized genes within your entire species, […]

The post High hopes for 60 year-old crocodile to become mother again appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The 11 farthest known stars in our galaxy are located about 300,000 light-years from Earth, well outside the Milky Way’s spiral disk. New research by […]

The post Farthest Milky Way stars might be ripped from another galaxy appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Marine mammologist Matthew Leslie aims his crossbow from the bow of a moving boat at the dolphins riding the breaking waves below. A dolphin will […]

The post Some dolphins cross the Pacific more easily than others. Why that matters for protecting them appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

When a natural disaster strikes, it devastates lives and homes, and can even destroy a culture’s identity and history. After a disaster, humanitarian response is […]

The post Protecting Puerto Rico’s heritage from another disaster appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

When the heat and humidity of the Washington, D.C. summer sends its residents scrambling for air conditioning and iced coffee, the animal care specialists at […]

The post How do National Zoo animals beat the heat? Bloodsicles and other frozen delicacies appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Sanjeev Chavan Nayak and Vegesna Radha

C3G (RapGEF1) plays a role in cell differentiation and is essential for early embryonic development in mice. In this study, we identify C3G as a centrosomal protein colocalizing with cenexin at the mother centriole in interphase cells. C3G interacts through its catalytic domain with cenexin, and they show interdependence for localization to the centrosome. C3G depletion caused a decrease in cellular cenexin levels. Centrosomal localization is lost as myocytes differentiate to form myotubes. Stable clone of cells depleted of C3G by CRISPR/Cas9 showed the presence of supernumerary centrioles. Overexpression of C3G, or a catalytically active deletion construct inhibited centrosome duplication. Cilia length is longer in C3G knockout cells, and the phenotype could be reverted upon reintroduction of C3G or its catalytic domain. Association of C3G with the basal body is dynamic, decreasing upon serum starvation, and increasing upon reentry into the cell cycle. C3G inhibits cilia formation and length dependent on its catalytic activity. We conclude that C3G inhibits centrosome duplication and maintains ciliary homeostasis, properties that may be important for its role in embryonic development.

The number and diversity of tectonic landforms in our solar system “is truly remarkable,” Watters and Schultz write. Photographs of these structures have stimulated a range of scholarly investigations.

The post Book Review: Planetary Tectonics examines otherworldly landforms appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Looking for another Earth? An international team of researchers has pinpointed which of the more than 4,000 exoplanets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission are most […]

The post Another Earth? Kepler astronomers pinpoint likeliest candidates appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To the Hopewell Culture, ancient Native Americans who sought out the exotic from near and far, metal was a rare and precious resource. Copper, found […]

The post Ancient Native American beads traced to otherworldy source: an iron meteorite appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The post After a bulldozer unearthed five statues in Ain Ghazal, Jordan in 1984, Smithsonian conservators carefully restore these otherworldy figures appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The post Natural History Museum curator Nick Pyenson explains how scientists know what dinosaurs and other extinct animals ate appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Meet Rachel Page, a Smithsonian scientist in Panama who studies frog-eating bats (fringe-lipped bats), among other topics. Her current research focuses on learning and memory in neotropical bats, combining field studies with laboratory experiments to learn about predator cognition and its effects on the evolution of their prey.

The post Meet our Scientist Rachel Page. She studies frog-eating bats, and other animals, in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Last October Smithsonian Folkways released “The Brothers Nazaroff: The Happy Prince,” a boisterous, high-energy tribute to cult Yiddish troubadour Nathan “Prince” Nazaroff, who recorded the […]

The post Animated Music Video: “Ich A Mazeldicker Yid” by The Brothers Nazaroff appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

This animation tells a Cheyenne story of how the Big Dipper came to be when a girl and her loyal brothers escape from a bison. […]

The post Quillwork Girl and Her New Seven Brothers appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The Encyclopedia of Life is an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered. The Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library joined together to initiate the project, bringing together species and software experts from across the world. Lean more at www.eol.org

The post The Encyclopedia of Life is a global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants and other life forms on Earth appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Zebra mussels in the Great Lakes, lionfish in the Atlantic and pythons in the Everglades: Large creatures like these generally draw the spotlight when talking […]

The post DNA is trusty new weapon for detecting slime nets and other invasive marine parasites appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

File: A general view during player introductions before game one of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 9, 2015 in Los Angeles.; Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Do you want to track the Dodgers as the new season gets underway, but either don't have cable or are at work during the game? Maybe you want to keep an eye on the boys in blue but have an office job that gives you checks in black and white, and you want to keep your bleeding red for your favorite team from sending your bank account into the red as well. Or maybe you just aren’t going to have access to a TV at the time. Here are four ways to check the Dodgers out this season.

1. Track what’s happening with MLB.com’s free Gameday service

Want to see what’s going on as if the Dodgers game was a video game? You have to pay if you want to watch video (with alternate angles!) or listen to audio with Major League Baseball's MLB.tv service — but you can watch virtual avatars simulating the game with MLB Gameday for free. Just visit MLB.com/scores, then click on the Gameday button beneath the game you want to follow. Or, you can keep it more old school by tracking scores on the scores page — alongside video highlights.

2. Follow what’s going on on Twitter

Want to keep an eye on things but don’t want to stare at a streaming video feed? You can follow what’s happening with Twitter. The Dodgers themselves tweet highlights and results at @Dodgers, plus you can do a search for “Dodgers” or track what’s happening on various popular hashtags, including #Dodgers, #ThinkBlue and #ITFDB (It’s Time For Dodgers Baseball).

3. Listen to the radio, over the air or online

The official Dodgers radio broadcaster in L.A. is AM 570 L.A. Sports. As noted above, you can also pay to listen to audio from MLB.tv — but the service isn't available for local, "in-market" games, which are blacked out as part of their contracts with local broadcasters. The Dodgers broadcasts are also available in Spanish on 1020 AM KTNQ.

4. Stream ESPN on your computer, phone or tablet

ESPN lets you watch the opening day game and others throughout the season online... well, some of you, at least. Due to various cable company deals and other red tape, you have to already be a cable subscriber — sorry, cord cutters — but most major cable company subscribers can log in and stream the Dodgers online, or using ESPN's mobile apps available on iOS and Android. That also means you can find a friend who has cable, and team up with them to watch online — or just hang out at their place for the foreseeable future.

Many other Dodgers games throughout the season will be on SportsNet L.A., but you have to subscribe to Charter Spectrum, Time Warner, or Bright House in the L.A. area to get this channel. However, five of the games this season will be shown on KTLA, expanding your options for potentially checking the Dodgers out. You can find out more in the SportsNet L.A. FAQ.

How are you tracking the Dodgers? Let us know in the comments or by tweeting us at @KPCC.

This story has been updated; it was originally published in 2013.

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

Los Angeles Unified school board candidates, from left, Andrew Thomas, Ref Rodriguez and Bennett Kayser take a group photo after a debate at Eagle Rock High School on Feb. 5, 2015. ; Credit: Cheryl A. Guerrero for KPCC

Los Angeles Unified school board candidate Ref Rodriguez collected $21,000 in campaign donations from employees of his charter school network, Partnerships to Uplift Communities, in his bid to unseat incumbent Bennett Kayser in East Los Angeles’ District 5.

Most striking, a handful of his workers – a janitor, maintenance worker, tutor — are donating at or near the contribution limit, $1,100.

The contributions are a measure of supporters' high hopes to unseat Kayser in favor of Rodriguez, a candidate friendly to charter schools.

Rodriguez, an charter school administrator at Partnerships to Uplift Communities, received most of his financial support from the California Charter School Association Advocates, which received donations from such wealthy donors as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist Eli Broad.

Kayser, a former teacher elected as a board member in 2011, collected his largest donations from labor unions, particularly the United Teachers Los Angeles. 

Most of the money working toward Kayser and Rodriguez's reelection are not funneled into their individual campaigns, but to independent expenditure committees which are not subject to the $1,100 contribution limit.

In her first foray into political giving, Luz Maria Lopez, an office worker, donated $1,000 donation to the Rodriguez campaign, twice the amount of Partnerships to Uplift Communities' CEO, Jacqueline Elliot.

“I really believe in Ref. My kids go to PUC schools,” said Lopez, who has been employed by PUC since it opened 15 years ago.  

The employee contributions weren't coerced and will not be reimbursed, Rodriguez said. Many of them can be traced back to a holiday break fundraiser at Rodriguez’s sister’s home in La Puente.

“I know for many of them this is a tremendous sacrifice,” he said. “It’s just been sort of an outpouring of folks belief in me and what we are trying to do for the city.”

Charter school groups major funders

Direct campaign donations from individual contributors, such as Rodriguez’ employees, make up 18 percent of the money spent in the LAUSD’s District 5 school board race. 

The biggest donor is charter school advocacy groups, such as the California Charter School Association Advocates.

Donations have also come from self-described education reform groups that support charter school expansion and firing teachers deemed ineffective, among other issues.

All told, the advocacy groups contributed more than $700,000 to activities in support of Rodriguez and working against Kayser.

On the other side, UTLA funneled $330,000 of members’ contributions to activities supporting Kayser and working against Rodriguez.

While UTLA has turned up its political spending in the board race to stay competitive, it is routinely outspent, said Oraiu Amoni, the union’s political director.

“We never are going to be able to match [reformers] dollar for dollar,” Amoni said. “So our biggest thing is making sure our members are educated, are engaged, are aware — and vote.”

So far, campaigns and committees have spent more than $2 million on the 13 Los Angeles Unified school board candidates, according to filings with the L.A. City Ethics Commission. The contributions have paid for mailing of glossy ads, phone banks, billboards, robocalls and commercials on Spanish-language radio. 

Total contributions are expected to increase in the few days remaining before the primary and swell again in any May runoff. 

Even in major races, aggressive campaigns fueled by growing contributions from special interest groups make it difficult for candidates not affiliated with interest groups to stay competitive.

Limitless independent expenditures are "playing a major role in smaller and local elections,” said Ryan Brinkerhoff, campaign manager for Andrew Thomas, the unaffiliated candidate in the District 5 race.

Thomas, a professor at Walden University, donated $51,000 to his campaign, making him his own biggest contributor. He’s also attracted sizable local support: about 70 percent of his campaign donations come from residents who live in District 5.

Thomas has received no contributions from political action committees or advocacy groups.

Can he win?

“I think so, but it’s getting harder and harder,” Brinkerhoff said. “The results of this election are going to be very telling.”

Outside contributors, local concerns

When public schools were created in the United States, local communities were given control over their governance. Outside money “undermines the relationship between community members and their local public institutions,” according to John Rogers, an education professor at UCLA. 

“It undermines their sense that they own those institutions, and those institutions are theirs to be shaped,” he said.

Without the funds from Broad, Bloomberg and other large donors, Rodriguez’s employees’ contributions would have made up more than 30 percent of his campaign support. Instead, it’s 4 percent.

Kayser has also received support from outside the district, including donations from the American Federation of Teachers and the California Teachers Association.

"The voters have an interest in open and transparent elections in which outside dollars don't have too large an influence," Rogers said. 

To read more about the school board election and City Council races, visit the KPCC 2015 voter guide.

Clarification: This article has been updated to make clear that the California Charter Schools Association does not support or advocate for teacher firing policies. Support for incumbent Kayser from outside the district has also been noted.

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

Darkly colored, carotene-rich fruits and vegetables -- such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and broccoli -- provide the body with half as much vitamin A as previously thought.

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.

On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

Current federal tax provisions have minimal net effect on greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from the National Research Council.

A series of educational modules has been developed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to help students in professional schools – law, public policy, medicine, journalism, and business – understand science and its role in decision making.

Our ability to observe and predict severe weather events and other disasters has improved markedly over recent decades, yet this progress does not always translate into similar advances in the systems used in such circumstances to protect lives.

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.

While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides mental health care of comparable or superior quality to care provided in private and non-VA public sectors, accessibility and quality of services vary across the VA health system, leaving a substantial unmet need for mental health services among veterans of the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The current process for planetary protection policy development is inadequate to respond to increasingly complex solar system exploration missions, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine responds to questions from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding the effectiveness of homemade fabric masks to protect others from the viral spread of COVID-19 from potentially contagious asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals.

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.

There are still a couple dozen tickets left for one of the most interestingly-cast performances of H.G. Wells, Orson Welles and Howard Koch's "War of the Worlds." On Saturday, Jan. 17,  generations of Star Trek actors will take on the world's most famous radio show.

The cast — directed by Jim Fall — features: René Auberjonois (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: TNG”), Dean Haglund (“The X-Files”), Walter Koenig ("Star Trek"), Linda Park ("Star Trek: Enterprise"), Jason Ritter (“The Event”), Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Voyager”), Armin Shimerman (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) and Wil Wheaton, playing... Orson Welles.

The performance is a fundraiser for Sci-Fest LA, the new annual science fiction play festival, so tickets aren't cheap — but they're scarce, and this looks like a memorable night.

KPCC and "Off-Ramp" celebrated the 75th anniversary of the broadcast last year by distributing the original 1938 performance, and a new documentary, internationally... introduced by George Takei, another original Trek actor you might have heard of.

War of the Worlds: Sat., Jan. 17,  8 PM; The Acme Theatre, 135 North La Brea Ave. LA CA 90036

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

On Monday, California State University, Fullerton announced it was planning to begin the fall 2020 semester online, making it one of the first colleges to disclose contingency plans for prolonged coronavirus disruptions.

"Our plan is to enter [the fall] virtually," said Pamella Oliver, the schools provost, at a virtual town hall. "Of course that could change depending on the situation, depending on what happens with COVID-19. But at this point that's what we're thinking."

The public institution in Southern California also said it hopes to resume in-person learning when it's safe to do so.

Oliver asked faculty to start planning for fall virtual classes now, citing the pain felt this spring when the university was forced to transition to online classes. "Having to jump quickly, without having in-depth plans," she said, "added to the difficulty."

Colleges and universities moved spring classes online, and many also closed campuses in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are now grappling with how long the disruptions will last, and what the fall semester will look like, but many have been hesitant to announce their fall plans publicly.

College enrollment was already on a downward trend before the pandemic, making it a competitive field for college recruiters — every student they sign up counts. The big question is: Will students still enroll if college is all online? And will colleges that were already in dire financial straits survive the outbreak?

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