Used in everything from the detergent that washes our clothes to the toothpaste that keeps our mouths clean, chemicals play an integral role in society.

While it's hard to imagine life without them, if not used in a responsible way their effect on the natural world and us can be harmful.

The European Commission has stated that some chemicals "can severely damage our health or the environment," while the World Health Organization has previously estimated that exposure to selected chemicals resulted in the loss of 1.6 million lives in 2016.

It's against this backdrop that the notion of "green chemistry" comes into play. In relatively simple terms, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has defined it as "the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances."

The EPA goes on to explain that the idea of green chemistry relates to a product's entire life cycle, which includes everything from its design and production to utilization and disposal.

Paul Anastas is the director of Yale University's Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. Speaking on the latest episode of CNBC's Sustainable Energy, he explained how he became interested in the subject.

"When I was a young chemist, I looked around at all of the technological miracles that chemistry produced," he said. "And then I looked at the other side of the equation all of the unintended consequences of pollution and its effect on the environment and on human health," he added.

"So green chemistry is really a way of keeping all of those technological miracles, those innovations, without all of those unintended consequences."

Anastas, together with John Warner a chemist who is now president and chief technology officer of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry co-authored the book "Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice," a key body of work in the field.

First published in 1998, the book lists 12 principles of green chemistry, one of which focuses on the prevention of waste, a subject that Anastas expanded upon when speaking to CNBC.

"Waste, we need to recognize, is a man-made concept," he said. "In nature, there is no waste: every time a waste is generated, an organism evolves to use that waste as a feedstock."

He added: "And so, we think about how to do the same thing in industry, how you either prevent or avoid waste, or utilize whatever waste in a valuable way."

With attitudes regarding pollution and the environment shifting in recent years, many governments and businesses are emphasizing their commitments to sustainable practices.

But while actions need to match words and there is clearly a long way to go, Anastas sought to emphasize the changes that were being made.

"I simply cannot name an industry sector that isn't using green chemistry," he said. "Everything from pharmaceuticals, to plastics, everything from cosmetics to the way that we generate, store and transport our energy," he added. "Now, I'm not going to say that companies are doing it systematically or in all of their products, but great strides are being made."

When it comes to the production of chemicals, there is some serious work to be done, however. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2018 direct carbon dioxide emissions from primary chemical production hit 880 million tonnes, a jump of almost 4% compared to 2017. The IEA goes on to describe the chemical sector as being "the largest industrial consumer of both oil and gas."

Anastas was asked how easy it would be to lower the use of energy in chemical production by applying the principles of green chemistry.

"We've forced chemicals to do things they didn't naturally want to do," he said. "So we've heated them up, we've put them under pressure and we've tortured them to obey and become the things we want them to become," he added.

"But it's not just the quantities of energy that's important, it's the character and the nature of energy that we use: it needs to be renewable and non-depleting, and nontoxic, and not polluting."

Originally posted here:
How 'green chemistry' could have a big part to play in the future - CNBC

Online Learning

To offer more than pre-recorded lab demonstrations or virtual laboratories to remote students, two chemistry instructors at Missouri S&T have refined their approach, which uses real-time live-streamed demonstrations of experiments.

Klaus Woelk, an associate professor of chemistry, and Philip Whitefield, professor emeritus of chemistry, have published a paper through the American Chemical Society about their experiences with online chemistry labs to provide best practices for other educators in similar circumstances.

To keep students engaged, the synchronous sessions include small-group breakout sessions and on-the-spot activities like having students name compounds; balance chemical equations; predict the outcomes of experiments; and calculate masses, amounts and concentrations for the chemicals used.

The sessions last for three hours and run on Zoom. Breakouts include groups of four, allowing the students to discuss the experiments and make their calculations before they're called back to the main room to give their answers.

The university's current physical distancing guidelines limit the number of people in a lab to three, which is exactly how many it takes to do the livestreaming. Each virtual lab includes an instructor, a teaching assistant and a camera operator. They run two cameras one attached to the board where the instructor writes formulas, and the other a portable webcam that moves around the room and shows close-ups of chemical measures, mixtures and reactions. A university article on the process mentioned that the camera operator "always has the right-of-way."

Since the experiments are live, there's no editing unlike many videos showing online labs. "How helpful is it when the chef says to saut the onions until they're translucent, then the camera cuts to the finished onions?" said Whitefield. "You sit there and think, 'How long do you cook them? I don't know.'"

As a result, in the livestream labs, mistakes and spills can happen, which is part of the learning too. The instructors show how to clean up the spills following safety guidelines. In fact, writing safety rules is part of the students' coursework in the class.

A particular challenge of the virtual labs, the faculty members noted, was the "lack of sensory experience, especially smell."

"Some substances smell fruity, some are minty, some produce a rough smell, and we need to be creative to emulate that online for our students," explained Woelk. "When students are back on campus, I think we'll send them little samples. Once the experiment is done, I can have them open the sample of the product and they can report the scent."

Another drawback is a lack of participation in large groups. As the two instructors pointed out, some students "log in only for the points given and pay no attention to the livestream."

For that reason, future sessions "may require students to add screenshots of the livestreamed sessions to their post-lab reports and provide individual answers to assigned tasks during the livestream," said Woelk. Recordings won't be made available, thereby preventing students from scanning through the session to find the answers they need for their reporting.

Classes for the latest semester at Missouri S&T began in late August. Now about 144 students attend science classes in person, while another 400 are continuing with livestreamed instruction.

"As Close as It Might Get to the Real Lab Experience Live-Streamed Laboratory Activities" is available to subscribers of the Journal of Chemical Education.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [emailprotected] or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

See original here:
Livestreamed Chemistry Labs Keep Learning Real Mistakes, Spills and All - Campus Technology

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is known for his deep three point shots, his clutch, game-winning moments, and his ability to bring his team back from a deficit. Beyond that, hes clearly stepped into his role as THE leader among his teammates, both on and off the court. Countless stories paint Lillard reaching out to new teammates when they come to the Blazers, Whether theyre a rookie or a seasoned veteran coming in from another team, Portlands star is known to offer new players his phone number, his home, his guidance, and his friendship.

Jusuf Nurkic was no exception when he came to the Blazers in a mid-season trade in 2017. This wasnt the Nurkic that Portland has come to know and love. The center was struggling after his time in Denver, riddled with the reputation of being discontent, lazy, somewhat of a pouter. Something had to change.

One night in November of 2017, just a few months after Nurkic joined the Blazers, the change came. The stage was a halftime locker room in Sacramento; the Trail Blazers were struggling. As the rest of the team hit the court to warm up for the second half, Nurkic sat sullenly on the bench. It didnt take long for Lillard to join him and offer encouragement. Unfortunately, the Blazers still lost that night. The two talked on the plane ride home that night, in conversation that was both critique and compliment. It seemed to do the trick. After scoring only 4 points and struggling against the Kings, Nurkic came out with a strong performance two days later. (source: NBC Sports)

Building genuine, real relationships with his teammates is Lillards approach. The Trail Blazers culture highlights trust and teamwork, largely due to Lillards leadership and encouragement.

Back in 2016, Lillard told Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN, When they think about leadership, most people think you just follow one person. But you build a tribe. You give people something to believe in. You give them hope. They dont become a follower. They join your tribe. Its more important to believe in what were working toward as a tribe than it is getting them to follow what I want them to follow. Our purpose becomes the same. To this day, Lillard practices what he preaches in a big way.

The relationship between Lillard and Nurkic has deepened and intensified over the last few years. From that relationshipcentered around Lillards ability to build bonds that allow him to speak frankly and honestly with his teammatesNurkic has gone from an afterthought to a crucial part of Portlands starting line up.

The relationship remains on full display. In 2017, Nurkic told Jason Quick of NBC Sports, I definitely feel it. I definitely feel it. Ive never had somebody like this, somebody like Dame,. He is there for me, no matter if Im good or bad. He is an amazing person, and he will make me better.

Nurkics difficult years in Denver are easily forgotten now that hes excelling in Portland. In his 3.5 years with the Blazers, Nurkic has played an average of 28 minutes per game, compared to the 17 minutes per game he was averaging in Denver. Before coming to the Blazers, Nurkic averaged 7.7 points a game. In Portland, hes averaged 15.7, twice as much. 5.8 rebounds in Denver have morphed to a full 10 sin Portland. Nurkic has become a much more valuable player since landing with the Trail Blazers.

In the process, Nurk Fever has taken over the Moda Center. The Bosnian Beast has become a fan favorite in Portland. His constant sense of humor and love for his teammates coupled with his dominating play have made him popular among the fans. This transformation in production and personality wasnt about his personal qualities alone. Portlands culture helped him transition from the player he was to the player he was meant to be.

Lillard seems to make everyone around him better. His teammates, both past and present, have nothing but praise for him and his leadership. Portland has fielded plenty of big talent in their history, but Lillard stands apart...largely due to his ability to build a culture of trust and teamwork. Not only is he a star himself, he makes everyone around him better versions of themselves.

Michael Jordan once said Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. Raw skill and pure talent are inarguable components to a winning team. Superstars are the driving force in bringing a team a championship. But once that talent threshold has been reached, small differences pay big dividends. Ultimately chemistry, relationships and trust amongst teammates are also important in the race for a ring. Lillard and Nurkic wouldnt be the first teammates to make a solid case that chemistry, trust, and teamwork can take a playeror a franchisefrom good to great, but they are my favorite example. Winning is always an incredible feeling, and for any team and their subsequent fan base, thats the ultimate goal. But watching a team come together like the Trail Blazers do both on the court and off the court is absolute magic.

This sponsored post was published according to our guiding principles.

Here is the original post:
Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic are proof that chemistry matters - Blazer's Edge

The Brooklyn Nets are all in. The fans have remained patient, endured a bridge year or two along the way. Now, however, in 2020-21 its championship or bust. The waiting is over. No excuses, just win.

But, of course, its never that simple. Did you think it was going to be simple?

Health concerns aside, naturally, but the Nets face the dreaded c word (chemistry) and questions about fit and how well theyll mesh together until, well, whenever the 2020-21 season starts.

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, the teams big three have played a combined zero minutes together. Zero.

In fact, Durant told J.J. Redick, as a guest on his podcast, that he too was excited to see how it will all play out, noting that hes only ever played with Kyrie Irving during the Olympics and in All-Star games.

Throw in, of course, a brand new head coach in Steve Nash who is, yeah, a brand new head coach and its certain well hear the team chemistry narrative hard and heavy over the next handful of months.

Will it work? If so, how long will it take to work? Do I need to wait another year?

Great questions. To which, my answers are: shrug emoji.

What we we know, though, is that Durant and Irving, along with DeAndre Jordan, had talked about this ad nauseam and wouldnt have signed up to play together if they truly believed it wouldnt work.

This wasnt a GMs thought-experiment. This was two players (three, with DJ) determining whether or not they believe they can play together.

Look back to Media Day, earlier this season.

It was 4:16am on June 30 when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan hopped on a three-way FaceTime to discuss their futures in the NBA. The only thing they truly knew, according to the three, is that they wanted to play together. Ultimately, in Brooklyn.

With KD and DJ, it was 4:16 in the morning, us just talking about our futures and how this opportunity ahead of us is something that we havent had in our careers; the ability to make a choice, sitting down, actually talking in detail about the future and the investment we had in each other and the investment we wanted to have in Brooklyn, so it made sense all the way around, and then having the incredible people they have in the organization made it that much easier, said Irving.

And of playing alongside Irving and the relationship they have, Durant said:

Ive been following him since high school. Ive tried to follow him throughout his career...Its very rare that you get to this point and have a decision in front of us where we can control our destinies. We sat down and talked about it and what basketball meant to us as a whole, and I think this is the perfect spot for us to hone our skills and keep going.

This feels different. Different from 2013 when the Nets went all in creating a collage-style NBA team, where you had Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce who absolutely loathed the kind of player that Deron Williams was, and a head coach in Jason Kidd who only ever knew his players as peers and in year one was already thinking about how to gain more power within the organization.

This isnt that. That was the product of a GM, slash owner, putting a fantasy basketball team together.

I wont pretend like I knew it wouldnt work at the time, but I also know enough about that team and this team to know where the reality starts and the anxiety ends.

With Irving and Durant its different. They had been talking about playing together for two years, Durant told Showtimes All the Smoke.

Ive been having conversations with Kyrie for the last two years, he noted. Not even about playing together, as just brothers. We didnt plan on playing together. We played against each other in my second year with the Warriors and we had a mutual friend and we just bonded together and we bonded on life in general ... and basketball in general, that just formed over time.

He didnt like where his situation was at and me either in Golden State. And just to see how this will work. Lets try it out. And DJ wanted to play with us and be that center for us that can hold it down and play for something really, play for a team thats going somewhere and not just bouncing around the league. We knew hed be a vital piece for us going forward, not just as a star, but being a good teammate. So it just worked out.

Two years. Durant wanted to play with Irving, having complete confidence that they would fit perfectly together; as Durant referred to Irving as an artist on the basketball court.

As for Nash, hes seemingly the perfect fit for both Durant and Irving.

James Herbert of CBS Sports writes of the fit:

I think its going to be really good for Kyrie, [Raja] Bell said. And I dont mean to make it sound one-sided, cause obviously Kyries going to play really well and thats going to help Steve, but I think Kyrie is at a point in his career where its time for him to take that next step into real leadership and getting real results on the team that hes leading. Even though hell be co-leading with Kevin Durant.

Irving will like Nash, Bell said, because everybody does. And Nash will work at the relationship to where Kyrie trusts him. Trust is a big deal to Irving, and Nash should earn it the same way he earned trust as a player: By being himself and putting the team first.

Trust.

Nash already has the trust of Kevin Durant, having worked with him as a player-development consultant during Durants final season in Golden State.

This is the head coach that Durant wanted, and the coach that Irving likely had to sign off on.

And thats where we begin and, hopefully, end the conversation about chemistry. The three main cogs in this wheel all want to be playing/coaching alongside each other. Thats a great start!

You dont always get that in the NBA.

Will it work? Again, I have no idea. But are we off to a good start? A start that stinks nothing like 2013? Most definitely.

This sponsored post was published according to our guiding principles.

Excerpt from:
When it comes to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the chemistry already exists - NetsDaily

A quick look at the Lions' first-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson. Wochit

It had been a while 315 days to be exact since Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had thrown a pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson in a game.

Sure, they had gotten some practice during training camp and offseason workouts that Stafford organized. But no one knew how good their chemistry would be in the season opener, given the major irregularities of the offseason.

It would have been understandable if there was some rust. Maybe a little miscommunication. After all, they hadnt played together in a game since Staffords season ended with a back injury Nov. 3. Hockensons season ended with an ankle injury suffered Nov. 28.

ButStafford and Hockenson looked like they were in midseason form Sunday, and their production was one of the highlights in a 27-23 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Week 1 review: How no crowd noise impacted Lions vs. Bears

Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) celebrates his touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at Ford Field, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

Theyve done a good job since weve gotten back at camp, really just working together, coach Matt Patricia said Thursday. Theres a lot of periods during practice where, maybe special teams where theyre not involved, and the two of them will take some of that extra time to go work on the nuances of routes or reads, coverage looks and some game plan stuff that we do in those situations. I think all just those extras that add up through the course of practice and being on the same page help during the game.

Did it ever. The two appeared to be in lockstep throughout the game. Hockenson caught five passes on five targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. And two of his catches were among the Lions 10 longest plays.

Certainly in some of the game plan plays that we had, Patricia said, I thought were well-designed to try to get T.J. the ball, and some of those situations were really good. I think those guys spend a lot of time on them in the meeting room, but on the field during the extra stuff, not just during the team periods.

Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson runs against Bears free safety Eddie Jackson during the first half at Ford Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

That chemistry was apparent Sunday. The Bears had a hard time containing Hockenson throughout the game and the creative play-calling certainly helped.

But it was one of Hockensons more mundane plays that exemplified his work with Stafford and the trust theyve developed. With the score tied at 3 in the second quarter, the Lions ran a play-action pass on first down from their 39-yard line. The Bears four-man rush penetrated quickly and Stafford was forced to throw off his back foot. Hockenson was behind the line of scrimmage and the only viable option. He caught Staffords quick pass and ran for an 8-yard gain.

Looking to Week 2: Lions' Kenny Golladay in danger of missing Packers game

Hockensons touchdown catch also showed how much trust Stafford had in his second-year tight end. Despite tight coverage, Stafford zipped a hard pass up the middle on second-and-goal from the 4-yard line for a 20-6 lead in the third quarter.

Yeah it was good, Stafford said Wednesday of his chemistry with Hockenson. Coach did a nice job drawing up some play to get him some chances and he capitalized on them. His touchdown, hes probably the most-covered guy on the field. I jammed it in there to him, but it was a nice catch. I was happy for him.

Stafford and the Lions will need as many of their weapons playing well if they want to keep pace with the powerful offenses theyre about to face, starting Sunday with the Green Bay Packers, who have the NFLs top-ranked scoring offense after Week 1.

But Hockenson represents something a little different. As the eighth overall pick last year, he represents a sizable investment from the franchise and a key building block for the future.

Obviously the more guys rolling and playing at a high clip that we can get on offense, the better well be, Stafford said. T.J.s one of those guys thats a weapon for us and weve got to make sure everybody on our offense is getting touches and were going from there.

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Lionscontent.

Read this article:
Why Detroit Lions' T.J. Hockenson and Matthew Stafford already have great chemistry - Detroit Free Press

The Chemistry Department, housed in the Roy & Diana Vagelos Laboratories building, will accept Ph.D. applications from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 for fall 2021.

One day after School of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven J. Fluharty announced that school-funded Ph.D. admissions would be canceled for the 2021-2022 academic year, the Chemistry Department posted on its website that it will continue to accept new Ph.D. students.

While the Chemistry department must endure the same budget cut as the other SAS departments, Chemistry Ph.D. students are typically supported by research grants from government agencies such as National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and pharmaceutical and chemical companies, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department Chair David W. Christianson wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The Chemistry department is, therefore, able to structure the budget cut over a period of years, allowing it to continue accepting students to its Ph.D. program, Christianson wrote. The fall 2021 cohort, however, will be smaller than usual, according to the department website.

"The cuts in our graduate program are a tremendous blow for the U.S. chemistry workforce at a time when discovery and innovation are reaching unprecedented news heights," Christianson wrote. "We can only hope that the SAS financial position will improve soon."

Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Beth S. Wenger confirmed that a few graduate programs, particularly in the natural sciences, will be able to continue to accept a "limited number" of Ph.D. students into its programs thanks to external funds.

Students can submit Ph.D. applications to the Chemistry department from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 for fall 2021 admission. Graduate Record Examinations, commonly known as GRE, scores are not required for this application cycle, according to the website.

Christianson took to Twitter earlier today to address the confusion surrounding Ph.D. admissions.

To correct erroneous information that is circulating in the Twitterverse: @PennChemistry will be admitting Ph.D. students in the coming year, although our entering class will be a bit smaller, he wrote. Our exciting journey of discovery continues

Fluharty and Wenger wrote in an email to SAS standing faculty and graduate students on Tuesday that the decision to pause admissions for school-funded Ph.D. programs was made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemics impact on the schools finances.

Get our newsletter, Dear Penn, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

While we recognize that this news is disappointing, we also believe that this is the most responsible course of action in these unsettled times, Fluharty and Wenger wrote. "We hope to accept applications in the fall of 2021 and welcome a new cohort of graduate students in the 2022-23 academic year."

In the coming weeks, Fluharty and Wenger will meet with graduate and department chairs to create a program that will provide funding to current Ph.D. students who require extra time to complete their degrees.

"Our graduate students fuel the fires of discovery in Penn Chemistry, and ultimately in the academic and industrial labs that they join after they graduate," Christianson wrote.

Read more here:
Chemistry department will not pause admissions for Ph.D. students next academic year - The Daily Pennsylvanian

By Scott Jenkins | September 17, 2020

The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; http://www.americanchemistry.com) reported that with the recovery in the U.S. economy slowing, U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose by 0.5 percent in August, off from an upwardly-revised 2.2 percent gain in July, a 5.0 percent gain in June, a 0.3 percent gain in May, and the record 12.7 percent decline in April. Of the 28 specialty chemical segments that ACC monitors, 27 expanded in August, an improvement from the expansion in 26 markets in July and the decline across all markets in April. On a sequential basis, diffusion was 96 percent in August, an improvement from 93 percent in July. It was 0 percent in April. Of the 25 segments that showed growth in August, 15 featured gains of 1.0 percent or more, ACC said.

During August, overall specialty chemicals volumes were off by 9.3 percent on a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis. Volumes stood at 101.9 percent of their average 2012 levels in August. This is equivalent to 6.94 billion pounds (3.15 million metric tons). On a Y/Y basis, there were gains in only three market and functional specialty chemical segments: Cosmetic additives, electronic chemicals, and flavors and fragrances. On a year-earlier basis, diffusion was 11 percent in August, equal to July and June, but much worse than at the start of the year.

Specialty chemicals are materials manufactured on the basis of the unique performance or function and provide a wide variety of effects on which many other sectors and end-use products rely. They can be individual molecules or mixtures of molecules, known as formulations. The physical and chemical characteristics of the single molecule or mixtures along with the composition of the mixtures influence the performance end product. Individual market sectors that rely on such products include automobile, aerospace, agriculture, cosmetics and food, among others.

Specialty chemicals differ from commodity chemicals. Specialties may only have one or two uses, whereas commodities may have multiple or different applications for each chemical. Commodity chemicals comprise most of the production volume in the global marketplace, while specialty chemicals make up most of the diversity in commerce at any given time and are relatively high value, with greater market growth rates.

This data set is the only timely source of market trends for 28 market and functional specialty chemical segments. Chemistry directly touches over 96 percent of all manufactured goods, and trends in these specialty chemical segments provide a detailed view of trends in manufacturing. The data also shed light on how various consumer end-use markets are performing compared to others in the marketplace.

The rest is here:
Specialty chemical markets in the US improve in August, ACC says - ChemEngOnline

This past decade has been the worst of times for the Phoenix Suns franchise. After making the playoffs in 29 of their first 42 seasons, the Suns have missed the playoffs for 10 straight years. TEN STRAIGHT YEARS.

To (hopefully) put a stopper on this painful decade, to exorcise the inhuman demons that spoiled the franchise, we will spend the day recapping the decade in the form of best and worst team-wide chemistry experiments with Suns rosters.

I am keeping this analysis on a team-wide level, rather than focusing on individual failures, because I dont live my life pointing fingers at individuals. I judge the whole, not the individual parts. Because its the whole that really matters. So while we will mention individuals in each section, its their impact on the whole team record, sustainability that will be the deciding factor on grading team chemistry. Capice?

Without further ado, lets recap the best and worst team-wide chemistry experiments of the 2011-2020 playoff-less decade.

2013-14 Playing stupid Suns win 48 games!

New GM Ryan McDonoughs first roster gutting was supposed to yield a young, rebuilding team that would likely win less than 20 games. The roster was a mishmash of one-year rentals and young prospects led by a novice rookie coach who had no business winning games.

Yet win they did! The playing stupid Suns (actual P.J. Tucker quote after a big win, I swear) ran out to a 19-11 start, survived the loss of Eric Bledsoe, and finished 48-34 tied for the winningest non-playoff season in league history. The surprising Suns had a grip on the 7th seed with less than a week to go, but Goran Dragics ankle injury and a team-wide bout of the yips doomed those final games and the Suns finished 9th.

Nearly every player on the roster enjoyed their career-best year, and they all seemed to love each other. Dragic was the golden boy, Gerald Greens girl was buds with coach Jeff Hornaceks wife, Bledsoe and the Morrii were the future and postseason recaps were just about incremental improvements for the next season.

But because of the short-term roster construction the only player among the 10-man rotation with more than a year left on his contract was Miles Plumlee. Most of them were free agents in some form the day the season concluded. Youll see in the worst section how money and impatience quashed that euphoria.

2020 Bubble Suns go 8-0!

Over the last ten years, theres only two chemistry experiments that shot fireworks of joy. And one of the two only lasted eight games. But what an eight games this was!

Amid a pandemic that forced the entire worlds population into lockdown, the NBA created a Bubble of 22 teams to compete for playoff seedings and ultimately declare a league champion. The Suns were the 21st of 22, barely invited because the 26-39 Suns managed to stay within shouting distance of the 8th and final seed, and the NBA wanted some drama before the playoffs began.

The Suns were given eight games to make up a six-game deficit a 1 in 10,000 chance. But in the spirit of Lloyd Christmas they made the most of that chance. Not one player complained about the weird conditions. Instead, they locked in and embraced the chance to prove themselves worthy of being a playoff contender. The youngest team in the league went 8-0, blowing out teams by more than 12 points per game on average, and came one failed jumper short of qualifying for a play-in game for that 8th seed. They were truly this close to breaking that playoff drought! The euphoria didnt end in Orlando. After the season, three different players posted requests on social media to spend the rest of their careers in Phoenix.

Whats different about this 2020 Suns team from the 2013-14 team is that five of the top six players in the rotation have 2+ years left on contract, role players who love their role, and a coach/GM tandem who intentionally built this roster for the long term.

2012-13 Lindsey Hunter All-Stars

My first year with media credentials began with a fresh-faced Goran Dragic saying why not? about making the playoffs. Well, because he was surrounded by the likes of Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson, Luis Scola, Marcin Gortat and Shannon Brown, thats why. The Suns were so bad they fired beloved Alvin Gentry after an abortion (Gentrys word) of a loss that dropped them to 13-28 on the year, promoting NeverCoached Lindsey Hunter for a limping finish that not only had Jared Dudley begging for massive roster change but also killed any hope for a under-24 future including Beasley, the Morrii and Kendall Marshall.

Hunter was fired. GM Lance Blanks was fired. Most of Gentrys well-heeled coaching staff literally quit mid-season when Hunter was promoted. And only four of the players survived that summers roster purge.

2014-15 Hydra Lineup

As mentioned above, the 2013-14 Suns were a fireworks display that quickly became a dumpster fire. With most of the roster fighting over money in new contracts that off-season, why not bring in Isaiah Thomas to further engender angst over roles and playing time? Oh and lets piss off the free-agent-to-be golden boy by turning him into a small forward in order to get on the court? As the season opened, Green and IT complained about playing time in their own ways while Dragic quietly seethed over his own demise. A token signing of his younger brother Zoran did nothing to ease Gorans discontent.

Then the worst possible thing happened: despite a winning record at the All-Star break, Dragic blasted the front office and demanded a trade, which triggered the oh my god (Wojs words) trade deadline fire sale that destroyed the team for years to come. That team, despite having the best players coming or going (McDs words) in Markieff Morris and Brandon Knight, wilted from playoff contention to losers in 10 of their last 11 games.

While all this Hydra stuff was going on, the Morrii thanked the organization for their $52 million contract by starting their Timeline of Self-Destruction that bled into the next season too.

2015-16 Morrii Drama

For the second summer in a row, McDonough swung big and mostly missed on free agency. And he managed to make matters even worse by dumping one of the Morrii for cap space they didnt end up needing. That left Markieff Morris openly angry and playing awful basketball when he wasnt traded by opening day, scuttling the entire 2015-16 season before it even started.

And for the second time in three years, the popular head coach and his entire coaching staff were gone by the All-Star break, replaced by a first-year player development coach and leftovers.

All the joy of 2014 was now gone gone gone. But at least we could look forward to some great picks in the 2016 Draft plus the (finally!) addition of combo guard Bogdan Bogdanovic from overseas! Yeahhhh...

2017-18 Klutch Fail

But that is not all the worst chemistry experiments of the decade. Oh no, that is not all. How can we forget I Dont wanna be here after the team set an NBA record for losing margin in their first three games of a season (93 points in 3 games). The ongoing crown jewel of McDonoughs tenure, Eric Bledsoe, checked out on the Suns along with head coach Earl Watson when owner Robert Sarver gave Watson an ultimatum: dump your agent, or we dump you as coach. Bledsoe and Watson shared Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul, and they chose their agent over their team.

They added one more embarrassing losing season to the decades toll, and only had by this time gotten Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson out of the last three years of abject losses. The only silver lining to the 2017-18 season was getting in position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 Draft.

This sponsored post was published according to our guiding principles.

More here:
The Suns best and worst chemistry experiments over last decade - Bright Side of the Sun

They were created from fat molecules and DNA. Inside the cell, the DNA converts to RNA and produces proteins. Pores on the outside of the cell open and send proteins into neighbouring living cells and influence them.

Mansy said it sounds like science fiction, but he believes artificial cells could be used for a type of personalized medicine that monitors changing conditions in real-time.

He could see them being used to detect and respond to cancer, deliver antibiotics if the artificial cells detect a bacterial infection, or to release dopamine. Alack of dopamine is believed to cause Parkinsons disease.

If you had artificial cells that were able to assess the levels of dopamine and in very localized environments, and then when the levels drops below whats necessary, it switches on synthesizes some dopamine and releases it, that would be a very effective way of dealing with a specific problem, he said.

I think a lot of people thought this was impossible people were rolling their eyes thinking yeah, why are you trying to do something that, I guess to some people, sounds a bit too sci-fi, but it works Ithink really, the skys the limit with something like this.

One of the main advantages advantage of artificial cells is being able to design them from the ground up for a particular purpose, Mansy said, making them more predictable than using living bacteria for a similar purpose.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

Continued here:
Artificial 'smart cells' created by U of A chemist could be used to treat illness at cellular level - Edmonton Journal

As the union representative for the Cubs this year, Ian Happ has taken crash courses in labor relations, public health and the economics of staging a 60-game season in the middle of a pandemic. Looking at Major League Baseballs COVID-19 protocols for the playoff bubble, Happ noticed language about having to ask for permission to go for a walk outside your hotel room.

That feels more like a zoo animal than a baseball player or a human, Happ said in a matter-of-fact tone.

In simpler times, former Cubs manager Joe Maddon would bring the zoo animals to Wrigley Field. Road trips revolved around themes such as onesie pajamas, NFL jerseys and dressing like Pedro Strop, not prepackaged meals, personal protective equipment and self-isolation. But the Cubs are a first-place team with virtually a 100 percent chance to make the playoffs, in part, because they acknowledged the discipline and sacrifices it will take to stay healthy, protect their families and...

Read the original here:
Anthony Rizzos message and the team chemistry built inside Cubs playoff bubble - The Athletic

Academic research organisations and science groups in the US have expressed alarm at the State Department revoking more than 1000 visas of Chinese graduate and postgraduate students between 1 June and 8 September. The cancellation of these visas was carried out under a proclamation President Trump announced back in May that prohibits individuals from studying or conducting research in the US if they are found to be affiliated with the Chinese government or its military.

The proclamation safeguards US national security by limiting the [Peoples Republic of Chinas] ability to leverage Chinese graduate students and researchers in the United States to steal United States technologies, intellectual property and information to develop advanced military capabilities, the State Department said. The measure directs the agency to consider revoking the visas of Chinese nationals holding valid F student or J exchange visas the vast majority of which are graduate students and researchers if deemed to be linked to Chinas military strategy.

The high risk graduate students and research scholars represent a small subset of the total number of Chinese students and scholars coming to the US, according to the State Department. We continue to welcome legitimate students and scholars from China who do not further the Chinese Communist Partys goals of military dominance, the agency said.

The rescinded visas only apply to Chinese students and scholars currently outside America, who were either trying to enter the US for the first time or return, according to Brad Farnsworth with the American Council on Education.

News about these revoked visas came shortly after the Department of Homeland Securitys acting chief, Chad Wolf, delivered a State of Homeland Security speech on 9 September in which he discussed the US governments actions to block visas for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers to prevent them from stealing sensitive research.

From intellectual property theft and stealing trade secrets that rob from American innovators to hacking attempts to penetrate and compromise American organisations conducting Covid research to abusing student visas to exploit American academia, the actions of China may be unabating, but they are not unthwartable, Wolf stated.

Researchers at US institutions with ties to China are increasingly being targeted at US universities, not only by the State Department but also the Justice Department and universities. Fifteen researchers from China who worked at the University of North Texas were recently ordered by the university to leave the US immediately after the university cut ties with the Chinese Scholarship Council that funds their work and is run by Chinas education ministry. These individuals are from various disciplines and departments across the university but none are chemists, according to the university.

The researchers access to the universitys emails, servers and other materials was cut straightaway. As their visas were also immediately terminated, the university advised them to contact their hosts and arrange to be accompanied to collect their personal items from campus.

Ben Corb, a spokesman for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is also worried. What I find most troubling is the complete lack of transparency about exactly why the relationship was ended with these scholars they are working with, he tells Chemistry World. There are 15 scientists [at the University of North Texas] who were told essentially that they have got to pack their bags and get out of the country relatively immediately, and nobody has provided an actual reason that will have a chilling effect on others who might want to engage and collaborate with the US.

While US academic and scientific organisations agree that there are certainly valid security concerns, they also suggest that nationalism in the US is bleeding into science.

American Chemical Society spokesperson Glenn Ruskin says his organisation supports precautions to protect US intellectual property, but is concerned that broad-brush measures targeting specific countries may result in unintended negative impacts to the US research enterprise. We hope these recent actions are based on specific findings, he adds.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is also weighing in. We are today facing new challenges and greater scrutiny by the government, says Joanne Carney, who heads government relations for the organisation. We need to ensure that our efforts to protect national security do not damage Americas leadership in science and engineering, she warns.

See the original post:
US revokes over 1000 visas of Chinese students and researchers - Chemistry World

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "North America Fracking Chemicals Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The North America fracking chemicals market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 8.77% during the forecast period

Factors such as high active rig count, longer lateral lengths, increased number of frac stages per well, and the amount of fracking fluid used per frac stage are expected to drive the market. Moreover, the market is expected to be driven by the completion of a large number of uncompleted wells in the United States. However, volatile crude oil prices and the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing are restraining the hydraulic fracturing services market and, in turn, the fracking chemicals market in North America.

Key Market Trends

Water-Based Fluid Segment to Dominate the Market

United States to Dominate the Market

Competitive Landscape

The North America fracking chemicals market is moderately fragmented. Some of the key players are Halliburton Company, BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, CES Energy Solutions Corp, and Solvay SA.

Key Topics Covered:

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope of the Study

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Study Assumptions

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET OVERVIEW

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Market Size and Demand Forecast, in USD billion, till 2025

4.3 Recent Trends and Developments

4.4 Government Policies and Regulations

4.5 Market Dynamics

4.5.1 Drivers

4.5.2 Restraints

4.6 Supply Chain Analysis

4.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Fluid Type

5.1.1 Water-Based

5.1.2 Foam-Based

5.1.3 Others

5.2 Well Type

5.2.1 Vertical

5.2.2 Horizontal & Directional

5.3 Geography

5.3.1 United States

5.3.2 Canada

5.3.3 Rest of North America

6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.2 Strategies Adopted by Leading Players

6.3 Company Profiles

6.3.1 The Dow Chemical Company

6.3.2 Parchem Fine & Specialty Chemicals Inc.

6.3.3 Halliburton Company

6.3.4 Solvay SA

6.3.5 SNF Group

6.3.6 DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

6.3.7 BASF SE

6.3.8 Flotek Industries Inc.

6.3.9 CES Energy Solutions Corp.

7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rmkcmp

Follow this link:
North America Fracking Chemicals Market to 2025 with Halliburton, BASF, Dow Chemical, CES Energy Solutions, and Solvay Dominating -...

Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh stand ready to take over the world by defending it from evil in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Black Widow, the first film from Marvel Studios since the indomitable one-two punch of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Even before uniting onscreen for the MCU movie, Johansson and Pugh shared a bond of sorts by working with Laura Dern in different movies and by both being nominated for Oscars this year. Having already weathered a delay from the original May release date, Marvel fans are more than a little eager to see them become a new Marvel super duo.

Johansson, has been acting since she was a teenager, gaining her first wide attention with the 1996 indie feature Manny & Lo, which netted her an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

Two years later, she would act opposite and be directed by her future Captain America: Winter Soldier star, Robert Redford, in the film The Horse Whisperer.

Her star kept rising over the next few years, in films as varied as Ghost World and Eight Legged Freaks. Another early career peak came in Sofia Coppolas acclaimed film Lost in Translation, where she acted opposite Bill Murray. She was double-nominated by the Golden Globes for that film and for The Girl with the Pearl Earring, although Oscar nominations for Johansson did not follow, surprising many.

She joined the MCU in 2010 with her performance as Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2. That movie is generally considered one of Marvels lesser efforts, but it will long be remembered for introducing Black Widow. Fans took to the character immediately, eyeing her for a solo movie, but that failed to materialize until after Natasha died in Endgame.

Her standalone movie will depict events taking place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, where she returns to Russia to meet with her family, including a sister figure played by Pugh.

RELATED: Why the MCU Wouldnt Dare Kill Off Florence Pughs Black Widow Character After 1 Movie

Pugh and Johansson both enjoyed banner years in 2019, with their ascendant paths eventually crossing on the awards circuit. Before last year, Pugh had already been getting notice with acclaimed performances in movies such as 2016s Lady Macbeth.

However, 2019 was the year that Pugh well and truly arrived, with a hat trick of acclaimed performances: as wrestler Paige in Fighting with My Family, as a woman getting in over her head in the brightly lit horror film Midsommar and for playing Amy March in Greta Gerwigs Little Women, the last of which got her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Johansson, too, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress last year, for the film Jojo Rabbit, directed by Taika Waititi, who made Thor: Ragnarok. Johansson was also nominated in the lead actress category for the film Marriage Story, also starring Laura Dern, who won the Best Supporting Actress award for that film.

As it happened, Dern also starred as Marmee in Little Women.

Although Pughs and Johanssons chemistry has only been glimpsed in the trailers for Black Widow, Marvel fans on Reddit are already applauding the pair.

A fan posted a behind the scenes shot of the actresses on set, with another fan remarking. They have more chemistry than Johansson and Ruffalo.

That was a reference to the short-lived romance between Black Widow and Bruce Banner, which had been cultivated in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The bad news is the pandemic pushed the release date of Black Widow from May to November. The good news for fans that it puts it in close proximity with Wonder Woman: 1984.

That film has also been delayed a number of times, but Warner Bros. just pushed it to Christmas Day, meaning one month fans get Johansson and Pugh, and the next month they get Gal Gadot.

Good things come to those who wait. Fans just hope they dont have to wait any longer for either movie.

Continue reading here:
Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh Have 'More Chemistry Than Johansson and Ruffalo' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet