The five Perry seniors sit in front of their respective cubicles preparing for another practice Tuesday afternoon. It will be one of the last times these Commodores will dress as a team.

Even though they seem as calm as though it was the opening practice of the season, there is a different feeling circulating through the air.

These players, who have already etched their name in Perry athletic lore as they face Wellington in the Division IV state semifinals today, smile and joke, but there is also the slight tension of knowing they are preparing for the biggest game of their high school careers.

The five stand as one at this point and say they are ready for the big challenge as a team.

I think there is no particular leader on the team, Jakoby Lane-Harvey said. I think we are all leaders. It could come down to any thing at any time and anyone of us can step up and get the job done.

And even though no one claims to be the de facto head honcho, the personalities of the players began to show who is a more vocal leader and who leads by example.

As on the court Lane-Harvey steps out as Perrys primary weapon and spokesperson.

Even though he is more vocal, Lane-Harvey is more than willing to share the spotlight with his teammates.

It that same sense of attitude that Tabler said made the senior guard a first team, all-state selection this year despite his scoring numbers declining the past two seasons.

I think a prime example is Jakoby Lane-Harvey, Tabler said. I think Jakoby Lane-Harveys average has dipped since his sophomore year and as a sophomore or junior he was not a first-team all-state player, so I think he started to get that if I can share the basketball, get others involved and get my points when I need to get them, but rack up the rebounds and assists that I can get the team where we want to go and get more accolades with team success.

With Lane-Harvey sacrificing points and understanding what it took to win games, the other seniors on the team thrived. Orion Monford became a tremendous scoring threat, leading the team with a 16.4 scoring average, and teammate LaMonte Nichols has become a defensive specialist. Plummie Gardner had the task of being the man of the moment. The quarterback reads where he needs to be on the court and contributes wherever he is needed. Kobe Glover, the big man inside and the most soft spoken, provided the necessary muscle and rebounding underneath the basket.

Tabler has seen the growth of these players since junior high and said he knew if they stuck together and worked hard they would take Perry to new heights.

These kids have been together for a very long time, Tabler said. They mean more they will ever know to this basketball program and done for this school.

Tabler points to the teams accomplishment such a one Northwest Central Conference loss in the last four years, two district titles, a regional title and a winning streak that stands at 20.

Called good ambassadors to the school by their head coach, Tabler said they are top-notch student athletes.

Coming into this year, the Commodores were determined to go one step further than last year after getting stopped in regional finals and they are now focused on the biggest prize.

It took a lot of hard work in the offseason and coming together and getting the job done, Orion Monford said.

But the season did not begin that way. After reeling starting off 4-0, Perry lost three consecutive games and the Commodores found themselves rudderless, and apparently drifting off to the sea of mediocrity.

Led by Tabler and the seniors, Perry got things moving in the right direction and that soon turned into 20-game win streak and a trip to state.

Chemistry, Lane-Harvey said. I think the biggest thing was chemistry. We had a lot of scorers coming out and we didnt know what roles we had so I think the biggest thing that we fixed was our chemistry.

Tabler said this a turning point in the season.

The Shawnee was the wake up call. Van Wert was the second wake up call and I think after that Van Wert game, even though we lost to Wapak, we started to discover we didnt need to score all those points as an individual. That we needed to play better team defense. I think it finally clicked with the kids where they said hey if we want to get where we want to get. We better change something.

With the team coming together, Perry entered the postseason with a renewed purpose and confidence. Prior to the regionals, the death of assistant head coach Herb Lane Jr. tested the teams resolve but its resiliency allows the team to keep moving forward.

It is not hard to keep your focus with a coach like coach Tab, Lane-Harvey said. Every day is something different. We all push ourselves to get better. I think that is why I really think we are such a great team.

All the seniors expressed excitement about heading down to Columbus and playing in the Final Four.

Like my teammates said it is going to be a great feeling but we are also going to have butterflies because we have never been there, Nichols said. The atmosphere is going to great and there are going to be thousands of people watching us.

Tabler, who played at state with Lima Central Catholic in the 1990s, has tried to give the team some advice.

He (Tabler) gives us a few pointers but you really cant explain it in detail because there is so much you cant explain, Lane-Harvey said. He tells us when you get out there to stay focused and come prepared to play. They are going to have runs, we are going to have runs. But stay focused.

at James S. Trent arena at Kettering Fairmont High School March 17,2017 Photos by Don Speck

http://limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Perry-plays.jpgat James S. Trent arena at Kettering Fairmont High School March 17,2017 Photos by Don Speck

Commordores find formula to earn spot at state

Reach Jose Nogueras at 567-242-0468 or on twitter at @JoseNogueras1

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The Lima News | Team chemistry key for Perry - Lima Ohio

What Is Chemistry?

Chemistry is the study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. This is also the definition for physics, by the way. Chemistry and physics are specializations of physical science. Chemistry tends to focus on the properties of substances and the interactions between different types of matter, particularly reactions that involve electrons. Physics tends to focus more on the nuclear part of the atom, as well as the subatomic realm.

Really, they are two sides of the same coin.

The formal definition of chemistry is probably what you want to use if you're asked this question on a test.

Because understanding chemistry helps you to understand the world around you. Cooking is chemistry. Everything you can touch or taste or smell is a chemical. When you study chemistry, you come to understand a bit about how things work. Chemistry isn't secret knowledge, useless to anyone but a scientist. It's the explanation for everyday things, like why laundry detergent works better in hot water or how baking soda works or why not all pain relievers work equally well on a headache. If you know some chemistry, you can make educated choices about everyday products that you use.

You could use chemistry in most fields, but it's commonly seen in the sciences and in medicine. Chemists, physicists, biologists, and engineers study chemistry.

Doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physical therapists, and veterinarians all take chemistry courses. Science teachers study chemistry. Fire fighters and people who make fireworks learn about chemistry. So do truck drivers, plumbers, artists, hairdressers, chefs... the list is extensive.

Whatever they want.

Some chemists work in a lab, in a research environment, asking questions and testing hypotheses with experiments. Other chemists may work on a computer developing theories or models or predicting reactions. Some chemists do field work. Others contribute advice on chemistry for projects. Some chemists write. Some chemists teach. The career options are extensive.

There are several sources for help. A good starting point is the Science Fair Index on this website. Another excellent resource is your local library. Also, do a search for a topic that interests you using a search engine, such as Google.

Start with the Chemistry 101 Topic Index or list of Questions Chemistry Students Ask. Check out your local library. Ask people about the chemistry involved in their jobs.

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Chemistry 101 - What Is Chemistry? - thoughtco.com

On March 31 at a university not so far away Chem Wars!

Northern Illinois Universitys Chemistry Club invites the public to its annual Spring Chemistry Demo Night at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, in Cole Hall room 100.

This year, the Chemistry Club will put on Chem Wars, a show that will feature a number of thrilling experiments that could have been used by the big film studios in Hollywood to create the special effects in the science fiction franchises we all love and cherish.

We certainly hope that the Star Wars theme draws lots of people to come to the show, Chemistry Club President Marina Galluzzo said in a news release. However, I am confident that when they leave they will not only better understand the chemical concepts behind these experiments but also appreciate the love of chemistry that all volunteers participating in the show share.

Faculty members helping with this years demo include Tim Hagen, Lee Sunderlin, Chong Zheng, Tim Perkins and the Chemistry Clubs faculty adviser, Oliver Hofstetter.

The annual Chem Demo really is the highlight of the year when it comes to presenting ourselves and reaching out to the community. It is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate that science is fun and that scientists are just people like you and me, Hofstetter said in the release.

While the night will include some crowd favorites from previous years, such as the liquid nitrogen bomb and ping-pong madness, the Chem Club also will serve freshly prepared ice cream at the end of the performance.

Expect bright flashes of light and intermittent periods of low light and/or darkness during the event.

Free parking will be available in the NIU Parking Deck starting at 5 p.m., except for reserved and handicapped spaces.

For more information about the Chemistry Demo, email Marina Galluzzo at mgalluzzo@niu.edu.

For more information about the Chemistry Club, email Hofstetter at ohofst@niu.edu.

See the article here:
Chemistry Club to host 'Star Wars' theme demo night - The MidWeek

Its getting hot in here! Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess set social media on fire after their racy rodeo on Dancing With the Stars on Monday, March 20, and they admitted to Us Weekly, theyve got obvious chemistry.

The champion bull rider, 29, gushed about his dance partner after the premiere: I was telling her before we started tonight, I said, 'I can't look at you for too long, I feel like I might get distracted,' and maybe that's why I missed some of my steps.

He added: Shes obviously beautiful.

Despite ripping up the dance floor with their bold display, Burgess, 31, got coy over Boltons praises.

Oh gosh, she told reporters. I am a professional! No, no, we have a great chemistry and we have a lot of fun but first and foremost we're just trying to do a great job in this competition. I want to stay in it to tell his story, I want everyone to get to know him and I want to take this man to the final. And that is our priority! I think everyone's making a big deal about our obvious chemistry.

Bolton then clarified: Everyone should know she's 100 percent just as professional as she obviously is beautiful and a great dance teacher, and she's pushing me hard and I've been working hard and I just want to make her proud on the dance floor.

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

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Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess Open Up About Their 'Obvious Chemistry' on 'Dancing With the Stars' - Us Weekly

Are "Dancing with the Stars" professional bull rider Bonner Bolton and sexy partner Sharna Burgess saddling up off the set?

The reality show's season 24 premiere showed lots of flirtation and spicy innuendo involving the handsome rodeo star, 29, and the longtime "DWTS" pro, 31.

Burgess was seen blushing and gushing over Bolton in rehearsal footage that showed her first meeting him in his Texas hometown.

'DWTS' NEWS: JUDGES GIVE FORMER 'SNL' STAR CHRIS KATTAN SHOCKING LOW SCORES

Then Bolton declared on camera as their training progressed, "I'm dancing with the prettiest lady in the house."

Judges continued to stoke the romance angle after the couple performed their Monday premiere episode cha cha, for which they received a solid score of 22.

Bruno Tonioli teased the dancer, "Sharna, you're in for the ride of a lifetime!"

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX ENTERTAINMENT NEWS.

And handsome Bonner, who has also worked as a model, told co-host Erin Andrews in their "DWTS" Sky Box interview about his dance coach, "She's been drilling me hard."

After the show, while not outright confirming a romance, Burgess said of dating rumors, "I think they are set on fire right now because of our [rehearsal footage] package and the accidental innuendoes in the Sky Box. Obviously, we have chemistry."

She coyly told FOX411, "Yes, we are both single."

Bolton chimed in, "Definitely, both very single."

In January 2016, Bolton broke his neck after a bull threw him off and he landed on his head, leaving him temporarily paralyzed. The dangerous injury will likely be discussed further on "DWTS" if he continues to progress in the competition.

'DWTS' RECAP: SHOW'S FIRST BASEBALL PLAYER IS BIG HIT IN THE BALLROOM

On Monday night, all of the stars performed but there was no elimination, so they dance again next Monday, March 27.

Bolton told FOX411 about Burgess, "It was so much fun just to dance and to be with such a great partner and teacher. She's been very patient. Obviously, it's not easy to teach a cowboy who was paralyzed just over a year ago from the sport of bull riding to learn how to dance and be coordinated, but she's doing a heck of a job even though I missed some things tonight. I had so much fun and I'm going to feed off of God and try to bring it even more next week."

He said, "I think every woman loves a man that can dance, right?" as Burgess smiled by his side.

The dance professional has been teamed with other rough and ready celeb competitors in the past, such as amputee war veteran Noah Galloway and race car driver James Hinchcliffe. Both of those stars already had girlfriends when they performed with Burgess.

"People with near-death experiences seems to be my cup of tea," Burgess told FOX411. "I love telling their stories" through dance.

Bolton added, "She's like the dance therapist. She gets the special ones, obviously."

And maybe now, she also gets a boyfriend from "DWTS"?

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'DWTS' romance? Bull Rider Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess say there's 'chemistry' - Fox News

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

By Nicholas Snow

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Rose Mercadante Seminar Series is pleased to present a seminar entitled "Amine-Modified Silicates as Acid/Base Bifunctional Catalysts and Catalyst Supports" by Dr. Christopher Jones of the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.

The seminar will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday March 28, 2017 in the Helen Lerner Amphitheater, Science and Technology Center. The University Community is invited to attend.

Amine modified porous silicates are highly versatile materials. We have explored synthesis-structure-property relationships for these materials in the separation of organic species from gas or liquid phases, as well as for CO2 capture. Building on this, our recent endeavors in the design and application of porous silicate supported amines in catalysis will be described. Catalysts based on discrete molecular amines that act as basic sites have been employed in reactions of importance in synthetic organic chemistry such as aldol condensations and related reactions. Similar materials are demonstrated to be useful supports for metal nanoparticles that offer outstanding performance in the semi-hydrogenation of alkynes into cis-alkenes.

Professor Jones is the Love Family Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and the Associate Vice President for Research at Georgia Tech.

Dr. Jones leads a research group that works in the broad areas of materials, catalysis and adsorption.

Since joining Georgia Tech, Dr. Jones has been recognized with a number of awards for his research and teaching. The American Chemical Society recognized his catalysis research with the Ipatieff Prize in 2010, followed by the North American Catalysis Society with the Paul H. Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis in 2013.

In 2016, he was recognized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as the top chemical engineer under 45 with the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress.

Dr. Jones is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the new journal, ACS Catalysis, which was recognized with the 2012 Prose Award as the Best New Journal in Science, Technology or Medicine, by the American Association of Publishers.

As Associate Vice-President for Research, Jones is responsible for leading and managing interdisciplinary research activities across six colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and the Enterprise Innovation Institute.

Categories: Arts and Culture , Health and Medicine , Research

For more information, please contact:

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Chemistry Seminar - Dr. Christopher Jones - Seton Hall University News & Events

The operator of a Commerce City oil refinery says it has shut down the facility after a malfunction that spewed a chemical byproduct into the surrounding community the second such incident in recent months.

In a statement posted to social media, Suncor Energy said that the refinery, located just north of Denver city limits near the intersection of Brighton Boulevard and Interstate 270, experienced an "equipment malfunction" at around 5:40 p.m. today, March 17. The incident caused the release of catalyst, a clay-like substance used in the refining process.

"As a precautionary measure, we sounded a vapor release alarm and immediately initiated our response plan," the company's statement says. "The unit has been put in safe mode."

Brighton Boulevard was temporarily closed due to the malfunction, but has since reopened. Suncor notified residents on March 9 that it planned to conduct maintenance on the refinery that would last "approximately two weeks" and involve "periods of increased flaring." Visible plumes of yellowish smoke were being emitted from the facility's smokestacks today, according to social media posts from residents.

Suncor's description of today's incident is nearly identical to that of a December 11 "operational upset" that caused a yellowish plume of ash-like material to drift into Commerce City and fall on cars and other outdoor surfaces, leading two nearby schools to be placed on lockdown. The incident caused the refinery to be shut down for nearly a month.

Safety documents released by Suncor in the aftermath of the December 11 incident indicated that its catalyst materials are rated as slight health hazards, according to the National Fire Protection Associations hazard identification scale. The company advised residents at the time to "take standard hygiene practices such as washing hands and/or any affected clothing."

Suncor says that it is "concerned" about today's incident and is monitoring the situation. "All employees are accounted for and community air monitoring is in place," the company's statement reads. "Well provide more information as it becomes available and as response activities allow."

In a statement, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed that Suncor had notified regulators of an equipment failure that resulted in "highly visible opacity emissions" and that the company had been in contact with local emergency services and health officials. The department does not believe there is ongoing risk to the community, according to the statement.

"Suncor security personnel conducted monitoring with handheld devices for a range of materials, including hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, and observed no elevated levels," CDPHE's statement says. "We will monitor the situation and review data from the air monitors we have placed around the Suncor refinery."

Earlier this month, CDPHE officials announced a record $9 million agreement with Suncor to settle a wide variety of violations identified in recent state inspections of the facility. The Suncor plant would also be subject to the new air-monitoring and reporting regulations outlined in legislation backed by Democratic lawmakers at the State Capitol.

In its apology for the December 11 incident, Suncor assured community members that the company had "already taken a number of steps to help prevent such an incident from happening again."

Chase Woodruff is a staff writer at Westword interested in climate change, the environment and money in politics.

Link:
Suncor Refinery Reports Another Malfunction, Chemical Release - Westword

Athens, Ga. - Gregory H. Robinson, University of Georgia Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. A nonprofit organization with a heritage that spans 175 years, the Royal Society of Chemistry is the United Kingdom's professional body for chemical scientists and the largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences.

Robinson joins his department of chemistry colleague, Graham Perdue Professor Henry "Fritz" Schaefer, who was elected in 2005 as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

A 2012 Humboldt Research Award from Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and a 2014 recipient of the Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award, Robinson is an internationally recognized scholar whose scientific achievements have been described as groundbreaking. Over the past 25 years, Robinson and his team have published a series of fundamental findings that have reshaped how scientists view chemical bonding in many chemical compounds.

"This is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Robinson in recognition of his creative and pioneering work in inorganic synthetic chemistry," said Jonathan Amster, professor and head of the department of chemistry. "The number of American RSC Fellows is quite small, and so Greg has established himself as a member of an elite group. This brings honor not only to him, but to our department and the university."

Robinson's research concerns the synthesis, structure and stabilization of compounds containing multiple bonds between heavier main group elements, such as gallium and lead. Recently, Robinson's research team, which includes Schaefer and research scientist Yuzhong Wang, prepared a rare silicon oxide molecule that was dubbed a precursor to "molecular sand."

"To be named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is a tremendous honor, and to now be associated with some of the world's most notable chemists is equally humbling," Robinson said. "This international honor is a testament to the gifted students and creative colleagues that have been a part of our research team over the years."

The Royal Society of Chemistry partners with industry and academia, promotes collaboration and innovation, advises governments on policy and promotes the talent, information and ideas that lead to great advances in science.

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UGA's Robinson named Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry - UGA Today

MADISON HEIGHTS, MI Michigan officials say a yellow-green chemical liquid that seeped onto I-696 on Friday poses no imminent risk to the public.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy had workers vacuuming sewers and working inside Madison Heights-based Electro-Plating Services over the weekend.

According to the Associated Press, the chemical oozed out of the building's basement and entered a storm sewer on the freeway and a sewer clean-out between the business and the freeway's service drive.

The liquid was identified as water contaminated with Hexavelent Chromium, a chemical typically used in textile dyes, wood preservation and inks.

And while there is little risk to the public, officials told the Associated Press that the freeway embankment is "significantly impacted."

The company was issued a cease-and-desist order in December 2016 due to hazardous waste mismanagement. Crews removed chemicals from the property but did not clean up soil or groundwater contamination.

Last month, the company was ordered to pay $1.5 million and its owner, Gary Sayers, received one year in prison for illegally storing hazardous waste.

Sayers knowing, illegal storage of waste cyanide, highly corrosive wastes, toxic chromium waste, and reactive wastes posed a significant danger and threat to nearby communities and the environment, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement in November.

Federal officials added that Sayers "stonewalled" efforts and warnings for years to properly deal with the wastes.

According to the Associated Press, samples of the liquid were taken for testing and those results are expected by Tuesday. Officials from EGLE, as well as other local, state and federal agencies, met Sunday in Detroit.

Read more here:
Yellow-green chemical spill on I-696 no imminent risk to the public, officials say - MLive.com

ODESSA, Tx. (KOSA) -- 1:53 P.M. UPDATE: According to the City of Odessa, the shelter in place has now been lifted.___

A shelter in place has been issued and one firefighter has been hospitalized following a chemical fire on Friday.

The fire, located at a business near East 67th Street and Andrews Highway, started just before 11 a.m.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles in each direction.

The City of Odessa then issued a shelter in place for homes and businesses in the immediate area. The shelter in place will remain in effect until an air quality check comes back clean.

Officials are asking that residents stay away from the area until that time.

A firefighter who responded to the fire came into contact with acetic acid and was hospitalized. The firefighter is expected to be okay.

CBS7 will update this story as more information becomes available.

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Firefighter hospitalized battling chemical fire in north Odessa, shelter in place lifted - CBS7 News

FILE PHOTO: A United Steelworkers flag flies outside the Local 1299 union hall in Ecorse, Michigan, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United Steelworkers sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in federal court on Thursday in a bid to reverse its gutting of a safety rule at chemical plants, the union said.

The largest U.S. industrial unions lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia adds to previous litigation against the rollback of Obama-era chemical safety rules.

The Trump administrations EPA in November released its Risk Management Program, which rids chemical plants of what EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said were unnecessary regulatory burdens.

The plan weakened the Obama-era 2017 Chemical Disaster Rule, which bolstered measures to reduce risk at chemical plants with measures like third-party audits and safety technology analysis. The measure was developed in the wake of a deadly 2013 explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 people.

Eliminating these requirements will allow a profit-hungry industry to police itself while putting workers, first responders and the public at risk, Tom Conway, the USWs international president, said in a statement.

The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The union said recent incidents at facilities where its members work prompted its lawsuit to reinstate the Chemical Disaster Rule, citing a fire and explosions at a Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery in June.

In December, a coalition of 13 environmental and science organizations sued the EPA in federal appeals court to challenge its crippling of the Chemical Disaster Rule, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act.

Reporting by Sebastien Malo; Editing by Dan Grebler

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United Steelworkers sues EPA over weakening of chemical safety rule - Reuters

This year, all over the world, a spotlight has shone briefly but brightly on the periodic table, opening up conversations about chemistry. 150 years since the discovery of periodicity, 2019 was a perfect candidate for a year-long celebration of the most iconic diagram in our discipline.

Children have memorised it and sung songs of the elements; arrays of cupcakes have been baked, iced with element symbols and then devoured; and countless science outreach events have explored the origins, history and future of the building blocks of our universe. But what comes next?

As chemists we dont need to be convinced of the importance of the elements and our subject for society, but sadly some members of the public still seem to feel detached from both.

In their recent Nature Chemistry article, Finding the Central Science, Rene Webster and Margaret Hardy explored chemistrys lack of visibility in relation to other disciplines.1

In their recentNature Chemistryarticle, Finding the central science, Rene Webster and Margaret Hardy explored chemistrys lack of visibility in relation to other disciplines.

One of the issues explored by Webster and Hardy is the challenge of translating chemistry beyond its own borders, outside of discipline-specific publications (such as this very magazine) and into the popular press. For example, the pair highlight that the number of Google searches for chemistry spike at the time of the year that the Nobel prizes are announced. To keep chemistry in the spotlight, we need to tell stories that cause spikes year-round.

So how do we do that?Well, one way is to try to find ways to connect chemistry to important events that have already captured the attention of the public. We need to bring chemistry to where people already are and to what theyre already reading, watching or listening to. Mirroring the excellent work of the infographics by Compound Interest, we should pitch mainstream media stories that link chemistry to sporting competitions, cultural or religious festivals and news stories, and remind people that chemistry touches all of our lives.

I think its also high time for some prime-time chemistry TV shows, or rather a new series on one of the streaming giants. And of course, we need to get even better at making our breakthroughs more relatable.

Chemistry is undoubtedly tricky to communicate to non-experts, but we have to find ways to tell stories about our central science that connect with people and their lives.

In some ways the elements, when arranged in their table, are so ubiquitous that they feel disconnected from our everyday lives.

Ironically, the periodic table, despite being such a recognisable symbol of our science, can be a hindrance to making those connections.

In his book Periodic Tales, Hugh Aldersey-Williams clearly articulates something that Ive often thought but have been unable to eloquently express: The table seemed in some funny way to belittle its own contents. With its relentless logic of sequence and similarity, it made the elements themselves, in their messy materiality, almost superfluous.

In some ways the elements, when arranged in their table, are so well known, so ubiquitous, that they feel disconnected from our everyday lives. Almost like theyve been tidied away and arent available to be played with. And in part, as expressed by Webster and Hardy, the table suggests a sort of completeness to our science, as though chemistry knowledge and discovery happened as part of history, not in our present or future.

Sibrina Collins, executive director of Marburger STEM Center at Lawrence Technical University in the US, has explored ways to embed chemistry in popular culture in order to better connect with her students.2,3 She likes to make sure that we culturally connect with people, so they can see how chemistry directly impacts society.

Sibrina Collins, executive director of Marburger STEM Center at Lawrence Technical University in the US, has explored ways to embed chemistry in popular culture in order to better connect with her students.She likes to make sure that we culturally connect with people, so they can see how chemistry directly impacts society.

I loved Marvel Studios Black Panther, says Collins. As I watched the film, I just kept wondering where the fictional element vibranium would fit on the periodic table.

Collins then set this question for her general chemistry students to answer.It was really a thought experiment, which allows students to understand for themselves how the periodic table is arranged, she explains.

Collins work extended beyond university students to high schoolers, who were invited to make their own vibranium solutions in the university laboratories. Through this process, they learned more about copper and cobalt and their importance for our everyday lives.

Additionally, one of the main characters inBlack Panther is Shuri,a prodigious talent as a scientist and engineer. She is also a young black woman a refreshing change from stereotypical representations of Stem professionals by Hollywood, and an important role model for a new generation of scientists.

For me, Collins work is just one example of the way that we should try to weave chemistry into public conversations and our culture. The IYPT has been a resounding success throughout 2019but the elements, the table and our discipline need to feel current, accessible and expansive if were going to keep the spotlight shining.

View original post here:
What's next after the International Year of the Periodic Table? - Chemistry World

FOXBOROUGH Tom Brady targeted NKeal Harry once in Houston.

Texans cornerback Bradley Roby beat him to the spot on the slant, picked the ball off, and Brady didnt look to Harry for the rest of the game.

The first-round pick is intent on making sure that doesnt affect his chemistry with Brady moving forward. Hes trying to leave that play in Texas.

Its football. Things happen," Harry said. "What youve gotta do is, you just have to keep moving forward, have a short memory, and thats how I approach it.

Though he missed the first two months of the season with an ankle injury, Harry maintains that hes comfortable in the Patriots offense, even if the results havent been there yet.

Everything theyre asking me to do is reasonable," he said. "Everything theyre asking me to do is something I can do and something Im capable of doing. So its just putting in the work and getting it done. No excuses.

Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was insightful in explaining that time really the only way Harry and fellow rookie Jakobi Meyers can build trust with Brady.

I think patience is something that I know everybody wants everything to be a finished product, and we do too, but at the same time you have to understand theres going to be a process and were going to try to stick to it, McDaniels said. "We have to be committed to it, and we know that its productive when we stay the course and continue to coach the right things and fix the right things and then the players go out and make corrections and they have success with it.

Once they make the corrections and have success with it, they gain confidence in it and they start to trust each other more, and theres no shortcut to that.

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NKeal Harry hopeful Houston interception wont affect chemistry with Tom Brady: Keep moving forward, have a - MassLive.com

Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant (10) has scored 15 touchdowns in his first 21 regular-season games.

PITTSBURGH -- Wide receiver Martavis Bryant acknowledged making a few plays in Tuesday's organized team activities, including a "quick" over-the-top play off a Ben Roethlisberger lob pass for a big gain in 11-man work.

Bryant knows he'll need many more days like this to work his way back into the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense for 2017.

"It's still going to take time," Bryant said. "With the work put in, the chemistry will come back."

Bryant, who returns to the practice field after missing all of last season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, has attended each of the first four OTA sessions while looking to "knock the rust off," he said. Bryant is under conditional reinstatement from the NFL.

His weight is up to 225, and he believes he's maintained his elite speed on the field while creating a drug-free environment off it.

Typically, throwing to Bryant increases the chances for a big play. Bryant has scored 15 touchdowns in his first 21 regular-season games. But simply being on the field is most important to Bryant, who says he isn't worried about when or how he gets the ball.

"All I know is with trust comes consistency," Bryant said. "As long as I handle my business, the rest should come back. I'm not going to stress over that. I'm just going to continue to do what I'm doing."

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Martavis Bryant: Chemistry will 'take time' coming back - ESPN (blog)

Exam board AQA has apologised for including an unanswerable question inits A-level Chemistrypaper.

Pupils sitting the exam this afternoon were told to leave out one of the questions in the paper.

Schools were contacted about the mistake before today's exam to ensure students could be told, AQA has said.

But some pupilson social media claimed that they were onlynotified in the middle of the exam and some say they were nottold at all:

Pupils will be awarded the two marks from the question, which has had to be discounted.

An AQA spokesperson said: "This shouldn't have happened and we are sorry it did.

"Each of our exam papers goes through a lot of checks, but unfortunately errors can very occasionally slip through.

"When they do, we always make sure that students don't lose out. But one error is still one too many, so we are carrying out a detailed investigation".

The mistake came on the same dayTes revealed that exam board OCRhad made an error in its Biology A-level paper.

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? FollowTeson Twitterand likeTeson Facebook.

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Exam board AQA apologises after error in A-level chemistry exam - TES News

UCI graduate student Cory Windorff could have studied abroad for a year in Bangkok, Barcelona or Buenos Aires. Instead, he chose an austere outpost at the Los Alamos National Laboratory near Santa Fe, New Mexico. What the location lacked in culture and amenities, it more than made up for in historical significance, and it allowed the young researcher to play a central role in a groundbreaking scientific discovery.

In 2015, Windorff went to Los Alamos with the support of UCI and a Science Graduate Student Research Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy. While there, he served as a key member of a team of chemists that uncovered a previously unknown oxidation state of plutonium, the highly radioactive, synthetic element used in nuclear power plants and weaponry.

Chemists are generally aware of the applications of plutonium and have known the available oxidation states since it was first made decades ago, says Windorff, who was awarded a Ph.D. in chemistry this summer. But we still dont fundamentally understand everything we would like to know about plutonium and some of its closely related elements, including all of their oxidation states, apparently. This is important information because oxidation states dictate how elements will react in chemical compounds.

Derived by either adding electrons to the outer shells of atoms or taking them away, oxidation states are fundamental aspects of elements on the periodic table. In nomenclature perplexing to nonchemists, removing electrons results in a plus oxidation state, and adding them produces a minus state. (This has to do with the fact that electrons have a negative charge.) A well-known example is rust, which is iron 3 plus (with three missing electrons) in chemistry terminology. Windorff and his colleagues had a breakthrough when they added an electron to plutonium 3 plus to make plutonium 2 plus.

The charge on a metallic element is a basic quantity in chemistry, says William Evans, UCI professor of chemistry and Windorffs Ph.D. adviser. Oxidation states have been studied extensively by scientists for over 100 years, and many thought that all were well-established.

But Evans and his students have made a habit of toppling these assumptions.

Their focus has largely been on the metals called lanthanides and actinides in the two rows usually shown at the bottom of the periodic table, separate from the main body of elements. In a lab in UCIs Frederick Reines Hall, Evans team developed innovative techniques to tease out new oxidation states for six lanthanide elements and three actinide metals.

Their approach involves combining reagents at low temperatures and working quickly before the materials decompose. Evans students log a lot of hours with their hands inside glove boxes (transparent sealed containers that allow manipulation of substances inside), mixing compounds, and moving samples in and out of cold baths and freezers to keep things chilly and stable.

When a perfect crystal is formed, its loaded onto a diffractometer and X-rayed to tell the researchers exactly where the atoms are in the molecules. You can see your target metal ion surrounded by a group of atoms we call ligands that protect the ion were studying, Evans says.

With the help of Los Alamos actinide chemist Stosh Kozimor, a veteran of the Evans lab, Windorff was able to bring these techniques to the national lab to be used on plutonium; he worked closely with Los Alamos senior scientist Andrew Gaunt.

Cory was a fourth-year graduate student, so he was at his peak in terms of his ability to make these molecules, Evans says. We cant handle plutonium here its too dangerous but they can at Los Alamos, and they wanted to work with us on this project, so what better way than to drop your student into the lab that has the capacity to do this.

He notes that the young chemist not only got to participate in cutting-edge research, but benefited from exposure to the national lab environment.

Windorff agrees: It was an unbelievable experience, being able to rub elbows and shake hands with so many well-known scientists from a field that Im interested in. It was really exciting. When I came back to UCI after a year in Los Alamos, I began to think differently about my research because of what I learned there.

The sojourn also opened his eyes to possible new career paths. I had always thought about a position in academia after I got my Ph.D., Windorff says. Los Alamos made me think about doing research at a national lab, so Ive included a few in my application process.

For Evans, the driving factor is the ongoing quest for fundamental knowledge about the world around us.

Whats special to me is the idea that were finding out things about the elements that we never knew were possible and this after looking closely at them for years and years, he says. As a scientist, you might think, Okay, weve gone about as far as we can go, then somebody finds something completely different that opens up a whole new world. That, to me, is what makes this plutonium oxidation state research a very big deal.

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On the cutting edge of chemistry - UCI News

Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt, professor of chemistry.

Plutonium has long been part of many countries nuclear energy strategies, but scientists are still unlocking the mysteries behind this complicated element and seeing how they can use heavier, nuclear elements to clean up nuclear waste.

Now, new research by Florida State University Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt shows that plutonium doesnt exactly work the way scientists thought it did. The findings will contribute to his teams efforts to develop technologies to clean up nuclear waste.

The work was published today in Nature Chemistry.

Albrecht-Schmitt and a team of researchers have been studying plutonium Pu on the Periodic Table of Elements for almost two decades to understand how it behaves chemically, and how it differs from lighter elements like iron or nickel. To Albrecht-Schmitts surprise, a plutonium-organic hybrid compound that his team assembled in the lab behaved much like compounds made with lighter elements.

What makes this discovery so interesting is that the material rather than being really complicated and really exotic is really, really simple, Albrecht-Schmitt said. Your imagination goes wild, and you think Wow, I could make that class of compound with many other types of heavy elements. I could use other heavy elements like uranium or maybe even berkelium.

The team observed that electrons were shuttling back and forth between two different plutonium ions.The movement of electrons between two positive ions is an action that typically happens between ions of lighter elements like iron, which is why lighter elements are often used in biology to accomplish chemical reactions.

Albrecht-Schmitt said his team immediately realized there was something unique about the compound they had engineered in the lab simply because of its color.

Plutonium makes wild, vibrant colors, Albrecht-Schmitt said. It can be purple, it can be these beautiful pinks. It can be this super dark black-blue. This compound was brown, like a beautiful brown chocolate bar. When we saw that color, we knew something was electronically unusual about it.

Albrecht-Schmitts work is part of his labs overall mission to better understand the heavier elements at the very bottom of the periodic table. Last year, he received $10 million from the Department of Energy to form a new Energy Frontier Research Center that will focus on accelerating scientific efforts to clean up nuclear waste.

In order to develop materials that say trap plutonium, you first have to understand at the most basic level, the electronic properties of plutonium, Albrecht-Schmitt said. So that means making very simple compounds, characterizing them in exquisite detail and understanding both experimentally and theoretically all of the properties youre observing.

Albrecht-Schmitt and his research team have conducted similar work on the elements californium and berkelium.

Other authors on the paper are FSU graduate students Samantha Cary, Shane Galley, Matthew Marsh, Justin Cross and Jared Stritzinger; FSU research professor David Hobart; National High Magnetic Field Laboratory researcher Ryan Baumbach; Bloomsburg University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Matthew Polinski; and Laurent Maron of the Institut National des Sciences Appliques in Toulouse, France.

The work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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New plutonium discovery lights way for FSU chemistry professor's ... - Florida State News

Teams of industrial chemical scientists from six companies, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Corning, Dow Chemical, DuPont Crop Protection, Genentech, and Merck, are being honored with the American Chemical Societys Heroes of Chemistry awards.

Started in 1996, the Heroes program recognizes industrial chemical scientists whose innovative work has led to the development of commercially successful products ingrained with chemistry for the benefit of humankind.

Their creative spirit, commitment to excellence, and technical talent are tangible evidence of the ACS Vision, Improving peoples lives through the transforming power of chemistry, says ACS President Allison Campbell.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb team is being honored for its development of direct acting antiviral agents, Daklinza (daclatasvir) and Sunvepra (asunaprevir), which have produced hepatitis C cure rates of greater than 95%. The team consists of Makonen Belema, Min Gao, Andrew Good, Lawrence Hamann, Fiona McPhee, Nicholas Meanwell, Van Nguyen, Paul Scola, Lawrence Snyder, Li-Qiang Sun, and Alan Wang.

The Corning team of Dana Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Pushkar Tandon invented ClearCurve optical fibers to overcome the hurdle of bendability in optical fiber technology.

The team from Dow Chemical developed Avanse acrylic resins and Evoque pre-composite polymers to help make architectural paints greener and more economical. The awardees are Linda Adamson, James Bardman, Kebede Beshah, Marie Bleuzen, James Bohling, Ward Brown, Brownell, Michael Clark, Stan Beth Cooper, Steven Edwards, David Fasano. Catherine Finegan, John Hook, Melinda Keefe, Alvin Maurice, Ozzie Pressley, William Rohrbach, and Wei Zhang.

Dow Chemical tests architectural paint formulations at an exposure station in Spring House, Pa.

Credit: Dow Chemical

The DuPont Crop Protection team discovered DuPont Zorvec, the first member of a novel class of fungicides to control diseases caused by oomycete pathogens. The team consists of John Andreassi, Mary Ann Hanagan, Lisa Hoffman, Robert Pasteris, and James Sweigard.

The team from Genentech discovered and developed Erivedge (vismodegib), the first medicine to be approved for the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced basal cell carcinoma. The honorees are Remy Angelaud, Georgette Castanedo, Janet Gunzner, Mike Koehler, Jim Marsters, Kirk Robarge, Scott Savage, Dan Sutherlin, Vickie Tsui, and Shumei Wang.

And the team from Merck developed Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir), a prescription medicine to treat chronic hepatitis C infection in adults. The team members are Craig Coburn, Steven Harper, Daria Hazuda, Kate Holloway, Bin Hu, Nigel Liverton, John McCauley, Craig McKelvey, Mark McLaughlin, Peter Meinke, Michael Rudd, Vincenzo Summa, Feng Xu, Ping Zhaung, and Bin Zhong.

The company teams will be honored during an awards gala at the fall ACS national meeting in Washington, D.C., in August.

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ACS names 2017 Heroes of Chemistry - Chemical & Engineering News

SANTA MONICA, Calif. Kristaps Porzingis was the first to see something and say something when he expressed that despite the Knicks early-season success, something was missing. The second-year big man proved to have great foresight.

I think it was pretty easy to tell from the inside that were not that good of a team, Porzingis said after Sundays practice. We can win games based off of our talent, but thats not going to last long, and thats exactly what happened.

Porzingis said he felt that way when the Knicks were 14-10, but he never thought it would turn out as bad as it has. Since then, they have gone 13-32. Theyve clinched a fourth straight losing season and, according to Derrick Rose, need a miracle to make the playoffs.

The Knicks are 6 12 games behind the Eastern Conferences last playoff spot with 13 to play. Theyre closer to getting a higher draft pick than making the playoffs.

We all expected big things out of this year, said Porzingis, who should return Monday night against the Clippers after missing the previous game with a bruised left thigh. . . . I felt like we would make good runs but we werent there at that level yet where we wanted to be. And you can see it now were not where we wanted to be.

A lack of defense has been the Knicks most glaring deficiency, but Porzingis delved a little deeper into what he saw that was missing.

Just more work, attention to details, keep growing as a team, he said. Obviously, a good team needs some time to play together. This was our first year for most guys playing together. It never happens like that: You trade a couple of players and there you go, youre a championship contender.

Its understandable that we werent going to win the championship, but I could tell that we werent there yet where we wanted to be.

The Knicks made changes during the season to their game plans, their defense and their offensive system. It led Porzingis to say after the loss to the Nets on March 12 that theres a lot of confusion and its from top to bottom. Four days later, the Knicks again lost to the Nets, the NBAs worst team.

It shows where we are right now, Porzingis said Sunday.

With Carmelo Anthony, Rose and Porzingis, the Knicks thought they could be one of the top teams in the East and be able to make some noise in the playoffs. But Rose lamented that they never developed chemistry. We didnt click, he said. We didnt have that connection that we wanted throughout the season. You need that to go far in this league.

Now Porzingis said all thats left is to play as hard as possible.

Thats hard to do now in this situation where youre down and not winning games and not where you want to be, which is the playoffs, he said. Its tough mentally, but just to be able to sleep at night, we have to go out every night and give our all. And once the season is over, its over.

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Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Rose see lack of Knicks' chemistry ... - Newsday

While Jonathon has been inspired to try out different training techniques with his own dog, a cocker spaniel called Marley, nothing has stuck so far: My dog is somewhat of a handful I end up getting taken out for walks rather than the other way around.

Around his PhD, Jonathon is also president of the Forensic Science Society at the University of Leicester. He works alongside the committee to organise events for the forensic science students, giving current undergraduates the opportunity to see where their degree might take them.

Through my research, I have a lot of contacts on a range of forensics subjects. We invite guest speakers to the university so that current students can find out whats going on in the wider field.

I think its really important that undergraduates get this opportunity and I think a lot of lecture courses dont always highlight the importance of networking and keeping up to date with current research. The projects that Im working on now are a result of my networking seeing what research is out there and whos doing what. I really wanted to give that back to the community.

We recently took a group of first and third year undergraduate students to a conference and it was fantastic to see how engaged they were talking to people in the field. It was really nice to see them get the chance to network, without our direct help, but as a result of our organisation.

Jonathon is also a member of KENYON International Emergency Services, a crisis management organisation that brings together relevant experts in the case of natural disasters. He can be called out to a disaster, anywhere in the world, as a human identification officer, to help with victim recovery.

Jonathon recently received one of our Researcher Mobility Grants, which give early career researchers funding for a short placement at a different institution to where theyre currently based. They help early stage researchers build links with potential collaborators and enhance the scope of their work. Jonathon spent a month at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), in the centre for forensic science working with the Shari Forbes group. The centre has an associated body farm, so Jonathon can work with human samples. Watch this space for an update on how he got on.

In the future, Jonathon wants to establish his own research group in the area of victim recovery, with different teams of researchers investigating different variables. He sees the Sydney centre as a good model to work towards.

I want to move the UK forward in victim recovery detection. Were quite behind in terms of dog training. We need to spend more time looking at, and understanding, all of the fundamental science were often jumping ahead but we need to pause and test the applications of the science in the field.

Jonathon also feels its incredibly important to continue building links with police taskforces, bridging the gap between academic research and work in the field.

I think the communication between police forces and universities is quite restricted at the moment. Not a lot of researchers get the opportunity to go out there and work with a taskforce. Once I meet a police officer, we always stay in contact and they can talk to me about the project or any problems that theyre facing on a case. Its all about making sure that communication remains open so theyve always got that guidance there to support their work.

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Sniffing out a career in chemistry - Royal Society of Chemistry