Update to BGS’s AGS file utilities tool released  British Geological Survey

Funding awarded for study on hydrogen storage potential in the East Midlands  British Geological Survey

BGS joins new initiative supporting technical career paths  British Geological Survey

New appointments to BGS Science Advisory Committee  British Geological Survey

Electromagnetic geophysics in Japan: a conference experience  British Geological Survey

UK Minerals Yearbook 2023 now available to download  British Geological Survey

Forty years and counting: new topsoil data provides most extensive snapshot of environmental pollution effects  British Geological Survey

2024 BGS summer placements scheme  British Geological Survey

Local MP helps BGS launch a ‘living laboratory’  British Geological Survey

What lies beneath Liverpool?  British Geological Survey

New underground observatory open for research  British Geological Survey

BGS Open Day 2024  British Geological Survey

New community launched to support effective management of the subsurface  British Geological Survey

World Mineral Production 2018 to 2022 is now available  British Geological Survey

Seabed geology data: stakeholder consultation  British Geological Survey

BGS to update geological maps of Strathmore  British Geological Survey

BGS announces collaboration with Ordnance Survey  British Geological Survey

Geochemistry and health in the Kenyan Rift Valley  British Geological Survey

Quake it off: Taylor Swift concerts shake Edinburgh  British Geological Survey

1,2-Bis(3,5-di­methyl-2-thienyl)perfluoro­cyclo­pentene formed its own spherulites by sublimation onto the hydro­philic surfaces of the (0001) planes of α-quartz and sapphire substrates. The formation of different morphologies of these spherulites was attributed to the surface properties of each substrate. Depending on the morphology of the spherulites, hollow rod crystals with cross sections of different sizes and shapes and branching structures were generated on the surfaces of the spherulites.

Sublimation methods utilizing the surface properties of substrates can address the challenge of controlling hollow morphologies in rod crystals. Spherulites were formed on the hydrophilic surface of the (0001) planes of α-quartz and sapphire substrates by sublimation of 1,2-bis(3,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a). Various types of hollow morphologies, distinguished by the size and shape of their cross sections and by the presence or absence of branching structures, were formed separately on α-quartz and sapphire substrates. Such precise control of the hollow morphologies was attributed to the wettability of each substrate, leading to the formation of spherulites of 1a. In addition, it was indicated that the formation process of the surface morphologies of spherulites was associated with the hollow morphologies of rod crystals of 1a.

A new processing technique for synchrotron scanning 3D X-ray diffraction data is introduced, utilizing symmetric Bragg reflections hkl and hkl, known as Friedel pairs. This technique is designed to tackle the difficulties associated with large, highly deformed, polyphase materials, especially geological samples.

The present study introduces a processing strategy for synchrotron scanning 3D X-ray diffraction (s3DXRD) data, aimed at addressing the challenges posed by large, highly deformed, polyphase materials such as crystalline rocks. Leveraging symmetric Bragg reflections known as Friedel pairs, our method enables diffraction events to be precisely located within the sample volume. This method allows for fitting the phase, crystal structure and unit-cell parameters at the intra-grain scale on a voxel grid. The processing workflow incorporates several new modules, designed to (i) efficiently match Friedel pairs in large s3DXRD datasets containing up to 108 diffraction peaks; (ii) assign phases to each pixel or voxel, resolving potential ambiguities arising from overlap in scattering angles between different crystallographic phases; and (iii) fit the crystal orientation and unit cell locally on a point-by-point basis. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique on fractured granite samples, highlighting the ability of the method to characterize complex geological materials and show their internal structure and mineral composition. Additionally, we include the characterization of a metal gasket made of a commercial aluminium alloy, which surrounded the granite sample during experiments. The results show the effectiveness of the technique in recovering information about the internal texture and residual strain of materials that have undergone high levels of plastic deformation.

An integrated computer software system for macromolecular crystallography (MX) data collection at the BL02U1 and BL10U2 beamlines of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is described. The system, Finback, implements a set of features designed for the automated MX beamlines, and is marked with a user-friendly web-based graphical user interface (GUI) for interactive data collection. The Finback client GUI can run on modern browsers and has been developed using several modern web technologies including WebSocket, WebGL, WebWorker and WebAssembly. Finback supports multiple concurrent sessions, so on-site and remote users can access the beamline simultaneously. Finback also cooperates with the deployed experimental data and information management system, the relevant experimental parameters and results are automatically deposited to a database.

A section in the Acta Crystallographica Section C article by Raymond & Girolami [Acta Cryst. (2023), C79, 445–455] stated that the product of the reaction of [(Cp*Rh)2(μ-OH)3]+ (Cp* is 1,2,3,4,5-penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­diene) with 1-methyl­thymine (1-MT) at pH 10 and 60 °C, to synthesize the anionic com­ponent [RhI(η1-N3-1-MT)2]−, was not an RhI com­plex, but rather an AgI com­plex, due to the use of silver triflate (AgOTf) to remove Cl− from [Cp*RhCl2]2 to synthesize [Cp*Rh(H2O)3](OTf)2, a water-soluble crystalline com­plex. We will clearly show that this premise, as stated, is invalid, while the authors have simply avoided several important facts, including that Cp*OH, a reductive elimination product, at pH 10 and 60 °C, was unequivocally identified, thus leading to the RhI anionic com­ponent [RhI(η1-N3-1-MT)2]−. More importantly, AgOH, from the reaction of NaOH at pH 10 with any potentially remaining AgOTf, after the AgCl was filtered off, would be insoluble in water. Furthermore, a control experiment with the inorganic com­plex Rh(OH)3, reacting with 1-methyl­thymine at pH 10, provided no product, and this bodes well for a similar fate with AgOTf and 1-methyl­thymine, i.e. at pH 10, AgOTf would again be converted to the water-insoluble AgOH; therefore, no reaction would occur! Finally, a 1H NMR spectroscopy experiment was carried out with synthesized and crystallized [Cp*Rh(H2O)3](OTf)2 in D2O at various pD values; at pD 8.65 no reaction took place, while at pD 13.6, and at 60 °C for 2 h, a reductive elimination reaction caused the precipitation of Cp*OH. The subsequent 1H NMR spectrum clearly demonstrated, in the absence of any AgI com­plexes, that the solution structure and the X-ray crystals in D2O were similar. A postulated mechanism for this novel anionic com­ponent structure, as published previously [Smith et al. (2014). Organometallics, 33, 2389–2404], will be presented, along with the experimental data, to insure the credibility of our results. We will also answer the comments in the response of Drs Raymond and Girolami to this rebuttal.

We stand fully behind our earlier suggestion [Raymond & Girolami (2023). Acta Cryst. C79, 445–455] that the claim by Fish and co-workers [Chen et al. (1995). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117, 9097–9098; Smith et al. (2014). Organometallics, 33, 2389–2404] of a linear two-coordinate rhodium(I) species is incorrect, and that the putative rhodium atom is in fact silver.

For cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) of beam-sensitive biological specimens, a planar sample geometry is typically used. As the sample is tilted, the effective thickness of the sample along the direction of the electron beam increases and the signal-to-noise ratio concomitantly decreases, limiting the transfer of information at high tilt angles. In addition, the tilt range where data can be collected is limited by a combination of various sample-environment constraints, including the limited space in the objective lens pole piece and the possible use of fixed conductive braids to cool the specimen. Consequently, most tilt series are limited to a maximum of ±70°, leading to the presence of a missing wedge in Fourier space. The acquisition of cryo-ET data without a missing wedge, for example using a cylindrical sample geometry, is hence attractive for volumetric analysis of low-symmetry structures such as organelles or vesicles, lysis events, pore formation or filaments for which the missing information cannot be compensated by averaging techniques. Irrespective of the geometry, electron-beam damage to the specimen is an issue and the first images acquired will transfer more high-resolution information than those acquired last. There is also an inherent trade-off between higher sampling in Fourier space and avoiding beam damage to the sample. Finally, the necessity of using a sufficient electron fluence to align the tilt images means that this fluence needs to be fractionated across a small number of images; therefore, the order of data acquisition is also a factor to consider. Here, an n-helix tilt scheme is described and simulated which uses overlapping and interleaved tilt series to maximize the use of a pillar geometry, allowing the entire pillar volume to be reconstructed as a single unit. Three related tilt schemes are also evaluated that extend the continuous and classic dose-symmetric tilt schemes for cryo-ET to pillar samples to enable the collection of isotropic information across all spatial frequencies. A fourfold dose-symmetric scheme is proposed which provides a practical compromise between uniform information transfer and complexity of data acquisition.

Biological materials have outstanding properties. With ease, challenging mechanical, optical or electrical properties are realised from comparatively `humble' building blocks. The key strategy to realise these properties is through extensive hierarchical structuring of the material from the millimetre to the nanometre scale in 3D. Though hierarchical structuring in biological materials has long been recognized, the 3D characterization of such structures remains a challenge. To understand the behaviour of materials, multimodal and multi-scale characterization approaches are needed. In this review, we outline current X-ray analysis approaches using the structures of bone and shells as examples. We show how recent advances have aided our understanding of hierarchical structures and their functions, and how these could be exploited for future research directions. We also discuss current roadblocks including radiation damage, data quantity and sample preparation, as well as strategies to address them.

In addressing the challenges faced by laboratories and universities with limited (or no) cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) infrastructure, the ESRF, in collaboration with the Grenoble Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), has implemented the cryo-EM Solution-to-Structure (SOS) pipeline. This inclusive process, spanning grid preparation to high-resolution data collection, covers single-particle analysis and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). Accessible through a rolling access route, proposals undergo scientific merit and technical feasibility evaluations. Stringent feasibility criteria demand robust evidence of sample homogeneity. Two distinct entry points are offered: users can either submit purified protein samples for comprehensive processing or initiate the pipeline with already vitrified cryo-EM grids. The SOS pipeline integrates negative stain imaging (exclusive to protein samples) as a first quality step, followed by cryo-EM grid preparation, grid screening and preliminary data collection for single-particle analysis, or only the first two steps for cryo-ET. In both cases, if the screening steps are successfully completed, high-resolution data collection will be carried out using a Titan Krios microscope equipped with a latest-generation direct electron counting detector coupled to an energy filter. The SOS pipeline thus emerges as a comprehensive and efficient solution, further democratizing access to cryo-EM research.

October 2024 issue of the Idaho Hydrologic Update from the USGS Idaho Water Science Center.

Geologic mapping has been one of the most fundamental mandates of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since its establishment in 1879. Congress created the USGS to "classify the public lands and examine the geological structure, mineral resources, and products within and outside the national domain."

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

This Buy-rated Canadian explorer-developer is working to achieve first mover status in this emerging clean energy space. Find out what all it has done and is doing.

This Buy-rated Canadian explorer-developer is working to achieve first mover status in this emerging clean energy space. Find out what all it has done and is doing.

Long-term population trends for some North American pollinators -- bees, birds, bats, and other animals and insects that spread pollen so plant fertilization can occur -- are demonstrably downward, says a new report from the National Research Council.

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.

Over the next five years, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) should encourage and be among co-leaders in the federal government’s development of an enduring interagency mechanism to address an array of biological threats – including natural disease outbreaks, accidental releases, and intentional attacks -- to deployed U.S. forces and to the nation itself, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The sustainability of the nation’s biological collections is under threat, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The emergence of biological physics as a field has had an impact on artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, the global response to COVID-19, and more. A new report outlines research directions and recommends ways federal agencies and universities can help strengthen the field’s future.

EPA should conduct an ecological risk assessment of ultraviolet filters used in sunscreens, given the evidence that aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. and possibly endangered species are exposed to these UV filters, and given the importance of these ingredients in skin cancer prevention.

The insufficient supply of seeds from native plants is a major barrier to ecological restoration and other revegetation projects across the U.S., especially as climate change increases the possibility of extreme weather events that can damage natural areas.

India's imports of PCs/laptops, tablets, Wifi Dongles, Smart Card Reader, and Android TV Boxes were worth USD 8.8 billion in 2022-2023.

Snack and bakery companies rely on a wide range of logistics and warehousing technology in their operations. 

Another way of feeling safe on your job is in terms of psychological safety. This is mental and emotional safety. Do you feel it’s safe for you to put it out there — opinions and ideas?

Hospitality Tech Pioneer Bottles Waiting Appoints Thomas Fischer to Board, Unveils Suite of Game-Changing Apps & Integrations for Nightlife Venues and Patrons

LogicalDOC is proud to wrap up Q1 2024 with huge success and accolades from the Gartner Digital Markets brands - Software Advice, and GetApp. Our product was recognized in various flagship reports in Q1

Mr. Griff channels years of varied expertise into his work with Massachusetts General Hospital

Ms. Ryan recently retired from her position at the School of Radiology at Mercyhealth

Yiqun Han recognized for expertise in breast cancer research and treatment

A two year clinical study by the National Institute of Health in Washington, DC concluded that animals neutered with Neuticles do not suffer post operative trauma whereas pets without the implants do.