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Hike paddy MSP, incentive bonus to check stubble burning: Punjab CM to PM




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Worker’s death triggers panic

Though he tested negative for COVID-19, staff seek compensation




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HC denies bail to accused in TNPSC recruitment scam

The Madras High Court has refused to grant bail to one of the accused in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) recruitment scam pertaining




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Two UP migrant workers returning from Gujarat in trains die en route: Police

Asked about the incidents, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said he that he is aware of them.




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Coronavirus | ICMR to test for community transmission in 75 districts

Health Ministry to send central teams to 10 States.




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Conduct health test for sanitation workers: KTR

Officials told to prepare for the monsoon




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Police, not judges, award ‘punishment’

Moving the barricades in the sun is their punishment, say police




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Learning app offers free service

Edusap can be downloaded from Playstore and Appstore




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Coronavirus | West Bengal govt forms teams for surveillance support, monitoring of treatment at hospitals

The team members will pay regular visits to these hospitals and send reports to the department, the state government said in an order.




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Morning Digest: Migrant workers lug crashed hopes en route their homes; ICMR to test for community transmission in 75 districts, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day




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Elon Musk threatens to exit California over virus restrictions

He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future.




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Erode administration clarifies on list of shops that can be opened

With confusion prevailing over opening of shops, the district administration has issued clarification and released list of shops that can be opened an




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Learn the art of living with Covid-19 pandemic: Nitin Gadkari to retailers

Gadkari also assured the retailers of looking into their demands of financial aid from the government




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The competition between dehydrogenation and dehydration reactions for primary and secondary alcohols over gallia: unravelling the effects of molecular and electronic structure via a two-pronged theoretical/experimental approach

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2020, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C9CY02603G, Paper
Lorella Izzo, Tommaso Tabanelli, Fabrizio Cavani, Paola Blair Vàsquez, Carlo Lucarelli, Massimo Mella
The relative dehydrogenation/dehydration reactivity imparted by nanostructured gallium(III) oxide on alcohols was investigated via electronic structure calculations, reactivity tests and DRIFT-IR spectroscopy.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




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Universities to hold exams after lockdown ends

Universities in Bengal would hold undergraduate and postgraduate end-semester examinations within a month of the lockdown being lifted, education minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday after a discussion with vice-chancellors of state varsities.




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Strewn currency notes create panic in MP's Chhatarpur district




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IndiGo's pay cuts for senior employees to remain effective through FY21

The aviation sector has been hit hard due to the suspension of all commercial passenger flights during the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the country




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Audit companies exploring digital options to clear lockdown hurdle

While many companies are sharing documents digitally, some have also opened their servers to auditors to access the data they require




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‘Disaster could have been of a greater magnitude’

The tank behaved like a pressure cooker, say experts




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AOC is making house calls in 'Animal Crossing.'

We may be required to socially distance here in the physical world, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is still making house calls-in Animal Crossing.




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10/16:00 CST Marine Wind Warning Summary for the Northern Territory




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Consume kabasura kudineer to boost immunity: Minister

Revenue Minister R. B. Udayakumar said that people must consume kabasura kudineer on an empty stomach everyday to boost their immunity. He said this




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Karnataka: Nine trade unions to oppose any amendment to labour laws, increase in working hours

Nine trade unions under the umbrella of Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) have said it would oppose any proposal to increase the working hours an




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Covid-19: Pandemic may force automobile companies to adopt more automation on shop-floor

A digital shop-floor with specific interventions on planning and execution will become the new normal, says EY India Partner and Automotive Sector Leader Vinay Raghunath




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'Ye bewakoof kisi aur ko banana': Mohammed Shami recalls instance when MS Dhoni told him off over a bouncer

The incident took place back in 2014 during India's test match against New Zealand.




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Sania Mirza cuddles with her son in bed

Picture shows Sania and her son, wearing nightsuits all cuddled up in bed. Izhaan has a sweet smile on his face that can brighten anyone's day.




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'Sad that our PM didn't condole death of PK, Chuni'

With the nationwide lockdown in place to fight the spread of COVID-19, the first condolence meeting held on virtual platform. Banerjee had died on March 20 after a prolonged illness while Goswami succumbed to cardiac arrest on April 30.




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Online Chess: India suffers twin defeats, finishes 5th

With Viswanathan Anand resting, the Indian team managed to hold their own against the favourites before Yu Yangyi subdued B Adhiban with black pieces to secure another victory in the tournament.




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How reigning F1 champ Hamilton is spending downtime

'I'm excited to get back in, I really do miss it. This has been almost a blessing on one side because it gives you more appreciation for the things that you love and do.'




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Boris Johnson to set out Covid-19 warning system in public address





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COVID-19 survivor Zoa Morani donates blood for plasma therapy




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Punjab: Balbir Singh Senior admitted to a private hospital due to pneumonia




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Manimajra: Whisky thieves pull out Rs 13L stock

Thieves broke into a liquor vend in Manimajra and stole 204 liquor boxes worth around Rs 13 lakh on Friday.




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Amruta Khanvilkar, Aneri Vajani and others share photos with their mothers




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Mother’s Day 2020: Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, Mahesh Babu and others share adorable photos




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Device for source position stabilization and beam parameter monitoring at inverse Compton X-ray sources

Compact X-ray sources based on inverse Compton scattering provide brilliant and partially coherent X-rays in a laboratory environment. The cross section for inverse Compton scattering is very small, requiring high-power laser systems as well as small laser and electron beam sizes at the interaction point to generate sufficient flux. Therefore, these systems are very sensitive to distortions which change the overlap between the two beams. In order to monitor X-ray source position, size and flux in parallel to experiments, the beam-position monitor proposed here comprises a small knife edge whose image is acquired with an X-ray camera specifically designed to intercept only a very small fraction of the X-ray beam. Based on the source position drift recorded with the monitor, a closed-loop feedback stabilizes the X-ray source position by adjusting the laser beam trajectory. A decrease of long-term source position drifts by more than one order of magnitude is demonstrated with this device. Consequently, such a closed-loop feedback system which enables stabilization of source position drifts and flux of inverse Compton sources in parallel to experiments has a significant impact on the performance of these sources.




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Microsecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction for the investigation of fatigue behavior during ultrasonic fatigue loading

A new method based on time-resolved X-ray diffraction is proposed in order to measure the elastic strain and stress during ultrasonic fatigue loading experiments. Pure Cu was chosen as an example material for the experiments using a 20 kHz ultrasonic fatigue machine mounted on the six-circle diffractometer available at the DiffAbs beamline on the SOLEIL synchrotron facility in France. A two-dimensional hybrid pixel X-ray detector (XPAD3.2) was triggered by the strain gage signal in a synchronous data acquisition scheme (pump–probe-like). The method enables studying loading cycles with a period of 50 µs, achieving a temporal resolution of 1 µs. This allows a precise reconstruction of the diffraction patterns during the loading cycles. From the diffraction patterns, the position of the peaks, their shifts and their respective broadening can be deduced. The diffraction peak shift allows the elastic lattice strain to be estimated with a resolution of ∼10−5. Stress is calculated by the self-consistent scale-transition model through which the elastic response of the material is estimated. The amplitudes of the cyclic stresses range from 40 to 120 MPa and vary linearly with respect to the displacement applied by the ultrasonic machine. Moreover, the experimental results highlight an increase of the diffraction peak broadening with the number of applied cycles.




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Generating three-color pulses in high-gain harmonic-generation free-electron lasers with a tilted electron bunch

A multi-color light source is a significant tool for nonlinear optics experiments, pump–dump/repump–probe experiments and in other fields. Here, a novel method is proposed to create three-color pulses based on a high-gain harmonic-generation (HGHG) free-electron laser with a tilted electron bunch. In this method, the initial bunch tilt is created by transverse wakefields after the bunch passes through a corrugated structure with an off-axis orbit, and is further enlarged in a following drift section. Then the tilted bunch experiences the off-axis field of a quadrupole magnet to cool down the large transverse velocity induced before. After that, it enters an HGHG configuration adopting a transverse gradient undulator (TGU) as the radiator, where only three separated fractions of the tilted bunch will resonate at three adjacent harmonics of the seed wavelength and are enabled to emit three-color pulses simultaneously. In addition, the use of the natural transverse gradient of a normal planar undulator instead of the TGU radiator to emit three-color pulses is also studied in detail. Numerical simulations including the generation of the tilted bunch and the free-electron laser radiation confirm the validity and feasibility of this scheme both for the TGU radiator and the natural gradient in the extreme-ultraviolet waveband.




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An enlightening procedure to explain the extreme power of synchrotron radiation

A simple approach exploits quantum properties to justify the dependence on γ4 of the total synchrotron emitted power. It also clarifies some apparent puzzles and brings to light the underlying, multiple relativistic phenomena.




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Progress in HAXPES performance combining full-field k-imaging with time-of-flight recording

An alternative approach to hard-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) has been established. The instrumental key feature is an increase of the dimensionality of the recording scheme from 2D to 3D. A high-energy momentum microscope detects electrons with initial kinetic energies up to 8 keV with a k-resolution of 0.025 Å−1, equivalent to an angular resolution of 0.034°. A special objective lens with k-space acceptance up to 25 Å−1 allows for simultaneous full-field imaging of many Brillouin zones. Combined with time-of-flight (ToF) parallel energy recording this yields maximum parallelization. Thanks to the high brilliance (1013 hν s−1 in a spot of <20 µm diameter) of beamline P22 at PETRA III (Hamburg, Germany), the microscope set a benchmark in HAXPES recording speed, i.e. several million counts per second for core-level signals and one million for d-bands of transition metals. The concept of tomographic k-space mapping established using soft X-rays works equally well in the hard X-ray range. Sharp valence band k-patterns of Re, collected at an excitation energy of 6 keV, correspond to direct transitions to the 28th repeated Brillouin zone. Measured total energy resolutions (photon bandwidth plus ToF-resolution) are 62 meV and 180 meV FWHM at 5.977 keV for monochromator crystals Si(333) and Si(311) and 450 meV at 4.0 keV for Si(111). Hard X-ray photoelectron diffraction (hXPD) patterns with rich fine structure are recorded within minutes. The short photoelectron wavelength (10% of the interatomic distance) `amplifies' phase differences, making full-field hXPD a sensitive structural tool.




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Transmission measurement at the Bernina branch of the Aramis Beamline of SwissFEL

The transmission of the optical components of the Bernina branch of the Aramis beamline at SwissFEL has been measured with an X-ray gas monitor from DESY and compared with a PSI gas detector upstream of the optical components. The transmission efficiencies of the Mo, Si and SiC mirror coatings of the Aramis beamline and the various other in-beam components were evaluated and compared with theoretical calculations, showing an agreement of 6% or better in all cases. The experiment has also shown the efficacy of the high-harmonic rejection mirrors at the Bernina branch of the Aramis beamline at SwissFEL, and characterized the transmission efficiency of the on-line spectrometer in the Aramis beamline. The theoretical transmission of the mirror coatings match the experimental data to within 7%. The accuracy of these measurements was checked against a radiative bolometer from a Japanese collaboration and found to agree to a level of 4% or better. Further comparisons with a diamond detector from a US-based inter-institute collaboration demonstrated a good agreement for the attenuator settings of the beamline.




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X-ray fluorescence analysis of metal distributions in cryogenic biological samples using large-acceptance-angle SDD detection and continuous scanning at the Hard X-ray Micro/Nano-Probe beamline P06 at PETRA III

A new Rococo 2 X-ray fluorescence detector was implemented into the cryogenic sample environment at the Hard X-ray Micro/Nano-Probe beamline P06 at PETRA III, DESY, Hamburg, Germany. A four sensor-field cloverleaf design is optimized for the investigation of planar samples and operates in a backscattering geometry resulting in a large solid angle of up to 1.1 steradian. The detector, coupled with the Xspress 3 pulse processor, enables measurements at high count rates of up to 106 counts per second per sensor. The measured energy resolution of ∼129 eV (Mn Kα at 10000 counts s−1) is only minimally impaired at the highest count rates. The resulting high detection sensitivity allows for an accurate determination of trace element distributions such as in thin frozen hydrated biological specimens. First proof-of-principle measurements using continuous-movement 2D scans of frozen hydrated HeLa cells as a model system are reported to demonstrate the potential of the new detection system.




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Methods for dynamic synchrotron X-ray respiratory imaging in live animals

Small-animal physiology studies are typically complicated, but the level of complexity is greatly increased when performing live-animal X-ray imaging studies at synchrotron and compact light sources. This group has extensive experience in these types of studies at the SPring-8 and Australian synchrotrons, as well as the Munich Compact Light Source. These experimental settings produce unique challenges. Experiments are always performed in an isolated radiation enclosure not specifically designed for live-animal imaging. This requires equipment adapted to physiological monitoring and test-substance delivery, as well as shuttering to reduce the radiation dose. Experiment designs must also take into account the fixed location, size and orientation of the X-ray beam. This article describes the techniques developed to overcome the challenges involved in respiratory X-ray imaging of live animals at synchrotrons, now enabling increasingly sophisticated imaging protocols.




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A five-axis parallel kinematic mirror unit for soft X-ray beamlines at MAX IV

With the introduction of the multi-bend achromats in the new fourth-generation storage rings the emittance has decreased by an order of magnitude resulting in increased brightness. However, the higher brightness comes with smaller beam sizes and narrower radiation cones. As a consequence, the requirements on mechanical stability regarding the beamline components increases. Here an innovative five-axis parallel kinematic mirror unit for use with soft X-ray beamlines using off-axis grazing-incidence optics is presented. Using simulations and measurements from the HIPPIE beamline at the MAX IV Laboratory it is shown that it has no Eigen frequencies below 90 Hz. Its positioning accuracy is better than 25 nm linearly and 17–35 µrad angularly depending on the mirror chamber dimensions.




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A lathe system for micrometre-sized cylindrical sample preparation at room and cryogenic temperatures

A simple two-spindle based lathe system for the preparation of cylindrical samples intended for X-ray tomography is presented. The setup can operate at room temperature as well as under cryogenic conditions, allowing the preparation of samples down to 20 and 50 µm in diameter, respectively, within minutes. Case studies are presented involving the preparation of a brittle biomineral brachiopod shell and cryogenically fixed soft brain tissue, and their examination by means of ptychographic X-ray computed tomography reveals the preparation method to be mainly free from causing artefacts. Since this lathe system easily yields near-cylindrical samples ideal for tomography, a usage for a wide variety of otherwise challenging specimens is anticipated, in addition to potential use as a time- and cost-saving tool prior to focused ion-beam milling. Fast sample preparation becomes especially important in relation to shorter measurement times expected in next-generation synchrotron sources.




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Limited angle tomography for transmission X-ray microscopy using deep learning

In transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) systems, the rotation of a scanned sample might be restricted to a limited angular range to avoid collision with other system parts or high attenuation at certain tilting angles. Image reconstruction from such limited angle data suffers from artifacts because of missing data. In this work, deep learning is applied to limited angle reconstruction in TXMs for the first time. With the challenge to obtain sufficient real data for training, training a deep neural network from synthetic data is investigated. In particular, U-Net, the state-of-the-art neural network in biomedical imaging, is trained from synthetic ellipsoid data and multi-category data to reduce artifacts in filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction images. The proposed method is evaluated on synthetic data and real scanned chlorella data in 100° limited angle tomography. For synthetic test data, U-Net significantly reduces the root-mean-square error (RMSE) from 2.55 × 10−3 µm−1 in the FBP reconstruction to 1.21 × 10−3 µm−1 in the U-Net reconstruction and also improves the structural similarity (SSIM) index from 0.625 to 0.920. With penalized weighted least-square denoising of measured projections, the RMSE and SSIM are further improved to 1.16 × 10−3 µm−1 and 0.932, respectively. For real test data, the proposed method remarkably improves the 3D visualization of the subcellular structures in the chlorella cell, which indicates its important value for nanoscale imaging in biology, nanoscience and materials science.




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Understanding the mechanical limitations of the performance of soft X-ray monochromators at MAX IV laboratory

MAX IV is a fourth-generation, or diffraction-limited, synchrotron light source with a number of state-of-the-art beamlines. The performance of a beamline is, to a high degree, set by the energy resolution it can achieve, which in turn is governed to a large extent by the monochromator. During the design phase of a monochromator, the mechanical requirements must be fully understood and met with margin. During commissioning, the performance must be verified and optimized. In this paper, six soft X-ray monochromators at MAX IV beamlines (Bloch, Veritas, HIPPIE, SPECIES, FinEstBeAMS and SoftiMAX) are examined with a focus on their resolving power, energy range and the time required to change measurement range, as those parameters are dependent on each other. The monochromators have a modern commercial design, planned and developed in close collaboration with the vendors. This paper aims to present the current status of the commissioning at MAX IV with emphasis on elucidating the mechanical limitations on the performance of the monochromators. It contains analysis of the outcome and our approach to achieve fast and high-resolution monochromators.




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Beyond simple small-angle X-ray scattering: developments in online complementary techniques and sample environments

Possibilities in auxiliary technique combinations with small- and wide-angle X ray scattering are described, as well as more complicated sample environments used in X-ray and neutron scattering.




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Correlated changes in structure and viscosity during gelatinization and gelation of tapioca starch granules

Melting of the semicrystalline structure of native tapioca starch granules is correlated to solution viscosity for elucidating gelatinization and gelation processes.