Accurate modeling of conformational energies is key to the crystal structure prediction of conformational polymorphs. Focusing on molecules XXXI and XXXII from the seventh blind test of crystal structure prediction, this study employs various electronic structure methods up to the level of domain-local pair natural orbital coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples [DLPNO-CCSD(T1)] to benchmark the conformational energies and to assess their impact on the crystal energy landscapes. Molecule XXXI proves to be a relatively straightforward case, with the conformational energies from generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional B86bPBE-XDM changing only modestly when using more advanced density functionals such as PBE0-D4, ωB97M-V, and revDSD-PBEP86-D4, dispersion-corrected second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (SCS-MP2D), or DLPNO-CCSD(T1). In contrast, the conformational energies of molecule XXXII prove difficult to determine reliably, and variations in the computed conformational energies appreciably impact the crystal energy landscape. Even high-level methods such as revDSD-PBEP86-D4 and SCS-MP2D exhibit significant disagreements with the DLPNO-CCSD(T1) benchmarks for molecule XXXII, highlighting the difficulty of predicting conformational energies for complex, drug-like molecules. The best-converged predicted crystal energy landscape obtained here for molecule XXXII disagrees significantly with what has been inferred about the solid-form landscape experimentally. The identified limitations of the calculations are probably insufficient to account for the discrepancies between theory and experiment on molecule XXXII, and further investigation of the experimental solid-form landscape would be valuable. Finally, assessment of several semi-empirical methods finds r2SCAN-3c to be the most promising, with conformational energy accuracy intermediate between the GGA and hybrid functionals and a low computational cost.

A 6D structure model for face-centred icosahedral quasicrystals consisting of so-called pseudo-Mackay and mini-Bergman-type atomic clusters is proposed based on the structure model of the Al69.1Pd22Cr2.1Fe6.8 3/2 cubic approximant crystal (with space group Pa3, a = 40.5 Å) [Fujita et al. (2013). Acta Cryst. A69, 322–340]. The cluster centres form an icosahedral close sphere packing generated by the occupation domains similar to those in the model proposed by Katz & Gratias [J. Non-Cryst. Solids (1993), 153–154, 187–195], but their size is smaller by a factor τ2 [τ = (1 + (5)1/2)/2]. The clusters cover approximately 99.46% of the atomic structure, and the cluster arrangement exhibits 15 and 19 different local configurations, respectively, for the pseudo-Mackay and mini-Bergman-type clusters. The occupation domains that generate cluster shells are modelled and discussed in terms of structural disorder and local reorganization of the cluster arrangements (phason flip).

A plug-flow fixed-bed cell for synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) idoneous for the study of heterogeneous catalysts at high temperature, pressure and under gas flow is designed, constructed and demonstrated. The operating conditions up to 1000°C and 50 bar are ensured by a set of mass flow controllers, pressure regulators and two infra-red lamps that constitute a robust and ultra-fast heating and cooling method. The performance of the system and cell for carbon dioxide hydrogenation reactions under specified temperatures, gas flows and pressures is demonstrated both for PXRD and XAFS at the P02.1 (PXRD) and the P64 (XAFS) beamlines of the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY).

Bone material contains a hierarchical network of micro- and nano-cavities and channels, known as the lacuna-canalicular network (LCN), that is thought to play an important role in mechanobiology and turnover. The LCN comprises micrometer-sized lacunae, voids that house osteocytes, and submicrometer-sized canaliculi that connect bone cells. Characterization of this network in three dimensions is crucial for many bone studies. To quantify X-ray Zernike phase-contrast nanotomography data, deep learning is used to isolate and assess porosity in artifact-laden tomographies of zebrafish bones. A technical solution is proposed to overcome the halo and shade-off domains in order to reliably obtain the distribution and morphology of the LCN in the tomographic data. Convolutional neural network (CNN) models are utilized with increasing numbers of images, repeatedly validated by `error loss' and `accuracy' metrics. U-Net and Sensor3D CNN models were trained on data obtained from two different synchrotron Zernike phase-contrast transmission X-ray microscopes, the ANATOMIX beamline at SOLEIL (Paris, France) and the P05 beamline at PETRA III (Hamburg, Germany). The Sensor3D CNN model with a smaller batch size of 32 and a training data size of 70 images showed the best performance (accuracy 0.983 and error loss 0.032). The analysis procedures, validated by comparison with human-identified ground-truth images, correctly identified the voids within the bone matrix. This proposed approach may have further application to classify structures in volumetric images that contain non-linear artifacts that degrade image quality and hinder feature identification.

Superconducting undulators (SCUs) can offer a much higher on-axis undulator field than state-of-the-art cryogenic permanent-magnet undulators with the same period and vacuum gap. The development of shorter-period and high-field SCUs would allow the free-electron laser and synchrotron radiation source community to reduce both the length of undulators and the dimensions of the accelerator. Magnetic measurements are essential for characterizing the magnetic field quality of undulators for operation in a modern light source. Hall probe scanning is so far the most mature technique for local field characterization of undulators. This article focuses on the systematic error caused by thermal contraction that influences Hall probe measurements carried out in a liquid helium cryostat. A novel procedure, based on the redundant measurement of the magnetic field using multiple Hall probes at known relative distance, is introduced for the correction of such systematic error.

Understanding the correlation between chemical and microstructural properties is critical for unraveling the fundamental relationship between materials chemistry and physical structures that can benefit materials science and engineering. Here, we demonstrate novel in situ correlative imaging of the X-ray Compton scattering computed tomography (XCS-CT) technique for studying this fundamental relationship. XCS-CT can image light elements that do not usually exhibit strong signals using other X-ray characterization techniques. This paper describes the XCS-CT setup and data analysis method for calculating the valence electron momentum density and lithium-ion concentration, and provides two examples of spatially and temporally resolved chemical properties inside batteries in 3D. XCS-CT was applied to study two types of rechargeable lithium batteries in standard coin cell casings: (1) a lithium-ion battery containing a cathode of bespoke microstructure and liquid electrolyte, and (2) a solid-state battery containing a solid-polymer electrolyte. The XCS-CT technique is beneficial to a wide variety of materials and systems to map chemical composition changes in 3D structures.

X-rays can penetrate deeply into biological cells and thus allow for examination of their internal structures with high spatial resolution. In this study, X-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography is combined with an X-ray-compatible optical stretcher and microfluidic sample delivery. Using this setup, individual cells can be kept in suspension while they are examined with the X-ray beam at a synchrotron. From the recorded holograms, 2D phase shift images that are proportional to the projected local electron density of the investigated cell can be calculated. From the tomographic reconstruction of multiple such projections the 3D electron density can be obtained. The cells can thus be studied in a hydrated or even living state, thus avoiding artifacts from freezing, drying or embedding, and can in principle also be subjected to different sample environments or mechanical strains. This combination of techniques is applied to living as well as fixed and stained NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts and the effect of the beam energy on the phase shifts is investigated. Furthermore, a 3D algebraic reconstruction scheme and a dedicated mathematical description is used to follow the motion of the trapped cells in the optical stretcher for multiple rotations.

Two-directional beam-tracking (2DBT) is a method for phase-contrast imaging and tomography that uses an intensity modulator to structure the X-ray beam into an array of independent circular beamlets that are resolved by a high-resolution detector. It features isotropic spatial resolution, provides two-dimensional phase sensitivity, and enables the three-dimensional reconstructions of the refractive index decrement, δ, and the attenuation coefficient, μ. In this work, the angular sensitivity and the spatial resolution of 2DBT images in a synchrotron-based implementation is reported. In its best configuration, angular sensitivities of ∼20 nrad and spatial resolution of at least 6.25 µm in phase-contrast images were obtained. Exemplar application to the three-dimensional imaging of soft tissue samples, including a mouse liver and a decellularized porcine dermis, is also demonstrated.

Modeling the behavior of a prototype cantilevered X-ray adaptive mirror (held from one end) demonstrates its potential for use on high-performance X-ray beamlines. Similar adaptive mirrors are used on X-ray beamlines to compensate optical aberrations, control wavefronts and tune mirror focal distances at will. Controlled by 1D arrays of piezoceramic actuators, these glancing-incidence mirrors can provide nanometre-scale surface shape adjustment capabilities. However, significant engineering challenges remain for mounting them with low distortion and low environmental sensitivity. Finite-element analysis is used to predict the micron-scale full actuation surface shape from each channel and then linear modeling is applied to investigate the mirrors' ability to reach target profiles. Using either uniform or arbitrary spatial weighting, actuator voltages are optimized using a Moore–Penrose matrix inverse, or pseudoinverse, revealing a spatial dependence on the shape fitting with increasing fidelity farther from the mount.

The ability to freely control the polarization of X-rays enables measurement techniques relying on circular or linear dichroism, which have become indispensable tools for characterizing the properties of chiral molecules or magnetic structures. Therefore, the demand for polarization control in X-ray free-electron lasers is increasing to enable polarization-sensitive dynamical studies on ultrafast time scales. The soft X-ray branch Athos of SwissFEL was designed with the aim of providing freely adjustable and arbitrary polarization by building its undulator solely from modules of the novel Apple X type. In this paper, the magnetic model of the linear inclined and circular Apple X polarization schemes are studied. The polarization is characterized by measuring the angular electron emission distributions of helium for various polarizations using cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy. The generation of fully linear polarized light of arbitrary angle, as well as elliptical polarizations of varying degree, are demonstrated.

Starting from [Mn(C5H4Br)(PPh3)(CO)2] (1a), the cymantrenyl thio­ethers [Mn(C5H4SMe)(PPh3)(CO)2] (1b) and [Mn{C5H4–nBr(SMe)n}(PPh3)(CO)2] (n = 1 for com­pound 2, n = 2 for 3 and n = 3 for 4) were obtained, using either n-butyllithium (n-BuLi), lithium diiso­propyl­amide (LDA) or lithium tetra­methyl­piperidide (LiTMP) as base, followed by electrophilic quenching with MeSSMe. Stepwise consecutive reaction of [Mn(C5Br5)(PPh3)(CO)2] with n-BuLi and MeSSMe led finally to [Mn{C5(SMe)5}(PPh3)(CO)2] (11), only the fifth com­plex to be reported containing a perthiol­ated cyclo­penta­dienyl ring. The mol­ecular and crystal structures of 1b, 3, 4 and 11 were determined and were studied for the occurrence of S⋯S and S⋯Br inter­actions. It turned out that although some inter­actions of this type occurred, they were of minor importance for the arrangement of the mol­ecules in the crystal.

The expansive scientific software ecosystem, characterized by millions of titles across various platforms and formats, poses significant challenges in maintaining reproducibility and provenance in scientific research. The diversity of independently developed applications, evolving versions and heterogeneous components highlights the need for rigorous methodologies to navigate these complexities. In response to these challenges, the SBGrid team builds, installs and configures over 530 specialized software applications for use in the on-premises and cloud-based computing environments of SBGrid Consortium members. To address the intricacies of supporting this diverse application collection, the team has developed the Capsule Software Execution Environment, generally referred to as Capsules. Capsules rely on a collection of programmatically generated bash scripts that work together to isolate the runtime environment of one application from all other applications, thereby providing a transparent cross-platform solution without requiring specialized tools or elevated account privileges for researchers. Capsules facilitate modular, secure software distribution while maintaining a centralized, conflict-free environment. The SBGrid platform, which combines Capsules with the SBGrid collection of structural biology applications, aligns with FAIR goals by enhancing the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability of scientific software, ensuring seamless functionality across diverse computing environments. Its adaptability enables application beyond structural biology into other scientific fields.

Here, a machine-learning method based on a kinetically informed neural network (NN) is introduced. The proposed method is designed to analyze a time series of difference electron-density maps from a time-resolved X-ray crystallographic experiment. The method is named KINNTREX (kinetics-informed NN for time-resolved X-ray crystallography). To validate KINNTREX, multiple realistic scenarios were simulated with increasing levels of complexity. For the simulations, time-resolved X-ray data were generated that mimic data collected from the photocycle of the photoactive yellow protein. KINNTREX only requires the number of intermediates and approximate relaxation times (both obtained from a singular valued decomposition) and does not require an assumption of a candidate mechanism. It successfully predicts a consistent chemical kinetic mechanism, together with difference electron-density maps of the intermediates that appear during the reaction. These features make KINNTREX attractive for tackling a wide range of biomolecular questions. In addition, the versatility of KINNTREX can inspire more NN-based applications to time-resolved data from biological macromolecules obtained by other methods.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) was among the first proteins whose X-ray crystal structure was solved to atomic resolution. CA proteins have essentially the same fold and similar active centers that differ in only several amino acids. Primary sulfonamides are well defined, strong and specific binders of CA. However, minor variations in chemical structure can significantly alter their binding properties. Over 1000 sulfonamides have been designed, synthesized and evaluated to understand the correlations between the structure and thermodynamics of their binding to the human CA isozyme family. Compound binding was determined by several binding assays: fluorescence-based thermal shift assay, stopped-flow enzyme activity inhibition assay, isothermal titration calorimetry and competition assay for enzyme expressed on cancer cell surfaces. All assays have advantages and limitations but are necessary for deeper characterization of these protein–ligand interactions. Here, the concept and importance of intrinsic binding thermodynamics is emphasized and the role of structure–thermodynamics correlations for the novel inhibitors of CA IX is discussed – an isozyme that is overexpressed in solid hypoxic tumors, and thus these inhibitors may serve as anticancer drugs. The abundant structural and thermodynamic data are assembled into the Protein–Ligand Binding Database to understand general protein–ligand recognition principles that could be used in drug discovery.

The development of instrumentation as well as applications for megahertz X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Single Particles, Clusters, and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography instrument of the European XFEL are introduced here.

This review focuses on low-dose near-field X-ray speckle phase imaging in the differential mode introducing the existing algorithms with their specifications and comparing their performances under various experimental conditions.

In this work, we showed that the use of ethanol to increase image contrast when imaging cardiac tissue with synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging (X-PCI) leads to heterogeneous tissue shrinkage, which has an impact on the 3D organization of the myocardium.

Dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM) is a full-field imaging technique that non-destructively maps the structure and local strain inside deeply embedded crystalline elements in three dimensions. In DFXM, an objective lens is placed along the diffracted beam to generate a magnified projection image of the local diffracted volume. This work explores contrast methods and optimizes the DFXM setup specifically for the case of mapping dislocations. Forward projections of detector images are generated using two complementary simulation tools based on geometrical optics and wavefront propagation, respectively. Weak and strong beam contrast and the mapping of strain components are studied. The feasibility of observing dislocations in a wall is elucidated as a function of the distance between neighbouring dislocations and the spatial resolution. Dislocation studies should be feasible with energy band widths of 10−2, of relevance for fourth-generation synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser sources.

This article describes a correction procedure for the removal of indirect background contributions to measured small-angle X-ray scattering patterns. The high scattering power of a sample in the ultra-small-angle region may serve as a secondary source for a window placed in front of the detector. The resulting secondary scattering appears as a sample-dependent background in the measured pattern that cannot be directly subtracted. This is an intricate problem in measurements at ultra-low angles, which can significantly reduce the useful dynamic range of detection. Two different procedures are presented to retrieve the real scattering profile of the sample.

Propagation-based phase contrast, for example in the form of edge enhancement contrast, is well established within X-ray imaging but is not widely used in neutron imaging. This technique can help increase the contrast of low-attenuation samples but may confuse quantitative absorption measurements. Therefore, it is important to understand the experimental parameters that cause and amplify or dampen this effect in order to optimize future experiments properly. Two simulation approaches have been investigated, a wave-based simulation and a particle-based simulation conducted in McStas [Willendrup & Lefmann (2020). J. Neutron Res. 22, 1–16], and they are compared with experimental data. The experiment was done on a sample of metal foils with weakly and strongly neutron absorbing layers, which were measured while varying the rotation angle and propagation distance from the sample. The experimental data show multiple signals: attenuation, phase contrast and reflection. The wave model reproduces the sample attenuation and the phase peaks but it does not reproduce the behavior of these peaks as a function of rotation angle. The McStas simulation agrees better with the experimental data, as it reproduces attenuation, phase peaks and reflection, as well as the change in these signals as a function of rotation angle and distance. This suggests that the McStas simulation approach, where the particle description of the neutron facilitates the incorporation of multiple effects, is the most convenient way of modeling edge enhancement in neutron imaging.

High-pressure crystallographic data can be measured using a diamond anvil cell (DAC), which allows the sample to be viewed only along a cell vector which runs perpendicular to the diamond anvils. Although centring a sample perpendicular to this direction is straightforward, methods for centring along this direction often rely on sample focusing, measurements of the direct beam or short data collections followed by refinement of the crystal offsets. These methods may be inaccurate, difficult to apply or slow. Described here is a method based on precise measurement of the offset in this direction using a confocal optical device, whereby the cell centre is located at the mid-point of two measurements of the distance between a light source and the external faces of the diamond anvils viewed along the forward and reverse directions of the cell vector. It is shown that the method enables a DAC to be centred to within a few micrometres reproducibly and quickly.

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National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers from North Carolina State and Elon universities have developed a technique that allows them to remotely control the movement of soft robots, lock them into position for as long as needed and later reconfigure the robots into new shapes. The technique relies on light and magnetic fields. "By engineering the properties of the material, we can control the soft robot's movement remotely; we can get it to hold a given shape; we can then return the robot to its original shape or further modify its movement; and we can do this repeatedly. All of those things are valuable, in terms of this technology's utility in biomedical or aerospace applications," says Joe Tracy, a professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a paper on the work. In experimental testing, the researchers demonstrated that the soft robots could be used to form "grabbers" for lifting and transporting objects. The soft robots could also be used as cantilevers or folded into "flowers" with petals that bend in different directions. "We are not limited to binary configurations, such as a grabber being either open or closed," says Jessica Liu, first author of the paper and a Ph.D. student at NC State. "We can control the light to ensure that a robot will hold its shape at any point."

Image credit: Jessica A.C. Liu

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Author Ta-Nehisi Coates, seen here in 2019, will join the faculty of Howard University.; Credit: Mary Altaffer/AP

Less than a week after trustees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill belatedly voted to grant tenure to New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, Howard University announced Hannah-Jones will instead be joining its faculty.

Howard, the prestigious historically Black university in Washington, D.C., also announced it is hiring writer and Howard alumnus Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of Between the World and Me.

Their positions were funded by nearly $20 million in donations from the Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as an anonymous donor.

The funding establishes the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism, a tenured position to be held by Hannah-Jones.

Hannah-Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her 1619 Project, will also establish the Center for Journalism and Democracy, which the university says will train aspiring journalists in "the investigative skills and historical and analytical expertise needed to cover the crisis our democracy is facing."

The news is a blow to UNC, which has had its reputation damaged by its handling of Hannah-Jones' appointment to an endowed professorship at its journalism school. For months, trustees declined to consider granting her tenure, a highly unusual move considering her tenure was backed by the relevant academic leaders.

Some of the opposition came from Walter Hussman, an Arkansas newspaper publisher and alumnus whose $25 million donation to the UNC's journalism school led to its being named for him.

As NPR's David Folkenflik reported, Hussman said "he was given pause by some prominent scholars' criticism that Hannah-Jones distorted the historical record in arguing that the protection of slavery was one of the Founding Fathers' primary motivations in seeking independence from the British."

Amid the turmoil, other Black faculty members at UNC said they were considering leaving the university, and students protested on behalf of Hannah-Jones.

The university's student body president Lamar Richard penned an open letter last month to the UNC community, saying the university is unprepared for the reckoning that's required, and "[u]ntil this rebirth occurs, Carolina is not deserving of your talents, aspirations, or successes."

Hannah-Jones had said she would not accept UNC's offer without tenure, which UNC's Trustees finally approved in a 9-4 vote.

But the messy and contentious process spoiled it for her.

"Look what it took to get tenure," Hannah-Jones said, noting that every other chair of the position dating to the 1980s had been granted tenure, and that all were white. Hannah-Jones received unanimous approval from the faculty during the tenure process.

"And so to be denied it, and to only have that vote occur on the last possible day, at the last possible moment, after threat of legal action, after weeks of protest, after it became a national scandal – it's just not something that I want anymore," she told CBS This Morning.

Hannah-Jones said she never wanted her hiring to become a public scandal — she was simply hoping to give back to her beloved alma mater. And instead, she said, it became "embarrassing" to be passed over for tenure. She said she was never told by UNC-Chapel Hill's chancellor, provost or trustees why her tenure was not taken up in November or January.

The veteran journalist reportedly had offers from a number of universities after the botched process at UNC. So how did she pick Howard?

She said one of her few regrets was not going to Howard as an undergraduate. And she traced her choice to join its faculty to her own story, beginning as a second-grader bused to a white school.

"I've spent my entire life proving that I belong in elite white spaces that were not built for Black people," she told CBS. "I decided I didn't want to do that anymore. That Black professionals should feel free, and actually perhaps an obligation, to go to our own institutions and bring our talents and resources to our own institutions and help to build them up as well."

She said she won her battle for fair treatment at UNC, "but it's not my job to heal the University of North Carolina. That's the job of the people in power who created this situation in the first place."

Hannah-Jones said she's trying to raise even more money for Howard, and that she's eager to join the faculty this summer.

"To be able to bring that type of resources to a university that always punches above its weight, I'm so excited," she said. "Something great came out of this."

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

Catawba County Assistant Planning Director, Mary George, has been named 2012 Outstanding Contributor to Agriculture by the Hickory Kiwanis Club

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners took action at its meeting on February 4, 2013, to dedicate the entrance area of the Catawba County Justice Center in honor of retired Sheriff L. David Huffman and his 32 years of services to the county, including four as a county commissioner and 28 as Sheriff.

More targeted aircraft testing and simulation should be conducted to uncover design characteristics in new flight control systems that -- in rare circumstances -- may mislead pilots and result in unstable or dangerous flight conditions, says a new report by a National Research Council committee.

Smokers who are exposed to radon appear to be at even greater risk for lung cancer, because the effects of smoking and radon are more powerful when the two factors are combined, says a new report by a committee of the National Research Council.

Bacteria that resist antibiotics can be passed from food animals to humans, but not enough is known to determine the public health risks posed by such transmission, says a new report by a committee of the National Research Council.

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.

Given the minimal impact of long prison sentences on crime prevention and the negative social consequences and burdensome financial costs of U.S. incarceration rates, which have more than quadrupled in the last four decades, the nation should revise current criminal justice policies to significantly reduce imprisonment rates, says a new report from the National Research Council.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carries out experiments in which volunteer participants agree to be intentionally exposed by inhalation to specific pollutants at restricted concentrations over short periods to obtain important information about the effects of outdoor air pollution on human health.

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 emergence of inexpensive small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) that operate without a human pilot, commonly known as drones, has led to adversarial groups threatening deployed U.S. forces, especially infantry units.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is collaborating with the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Program to convene a series of workshops aimed at improving community preparedness for future oil spills.

Recent gains against the burden of illness, injury, and disability and commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) are insufficient to close the enormous gaps that remain between what is achievable in human health and where global health stands today, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Current cancer control efforts in the United States typically are fragmented and uncoordinated, but taking a systems approach to establish a U.S. National Cancer Control Plan would address the challenge more holistically, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are ubiquitous fluorinated organic compounds found widely in manufactured products, from firefighting foam to stain-resistant carpets. These water- and oil-repellent compounds are known to degrade slowly over time, and have been found in humans, drinking water, and even in Arctic ecosystems.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine finds new and innovative approaches to dust control are needed at Owens Lake, California, to improve air quality, reduce water use, and preserve habitats.

In light of the present situation in the U.S., we believe that it is essential to explore a wide range of options for treating the increasing numbers of very ill patients with COVID-19 respiratory illness.

Instead of an “all-or-nothing” approach to disease prevention, Americans need guidance on how to safely return to school, work, and other activities mid-pandemic, said panelists at a May 13 COVID-19 Conversations webinar.

The National Academy of Medicine today announced Stephen P. Hinshaw is the recipient of the 2020 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health, for basic and applied research on individuals with externalizing disorders, and for efforts to reduce mental illness stigma through youth-based programs and the promotion of humanization.