Jiayin Yuan was recently appointed associate professor of chemistry and biomolecular science at Clarkson University.

Yuan received his bachelor of engineering degree in applied chemistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, P. R. China, his master of science in macromolecular chemistry from the University of Siegen, Germany, and his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Before coming to this position, Yuan did research in polymer/colloid/materials chemistry at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany.

He has teaching experience as an associate faculty member of the International Max Planck Research School and at the University of Potsdam, where he completed his habilitation in 2015, according to a press release from Clarkson.

His recent honors include receiving the Otto-Warburg Award, the Max Planck Society Postdoc Fellowship, the European Research Council starting grant award, the Dr. Hermann-Schnell Award of the German Chemical Society and the Dozentenpreis des Fonds from the Foundation of the German Chemical Industry, the release said.

Yuan has organized scientific gatherings and presentations in Europe as well as the United States. He has published about 120 articles and five book chapters, and has been guest editor and served on editorial boards of professional journals. He also has provided referee service for journals and funding agencies.

He has presented his work in many countries, including Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, China, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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Clarkson University appoints professor of chemistry and biomolecular science - North Country Now

VARANASI: The holy city Varanasi is not turning out to be the cakewalk the BJP might have hoped for its Assembly candidates in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.

Factors like consolidation of opposition votes and well-entrenched rival candidates against BJP's perceived fumbling in picking its nominees have come together to make contests close in this high-profile seat.

BJP President Amit Shah might have dismissed opposition's suggestions that multiple public events by Modi here besides deployment of a number of union ministers and top party leaders in campaigning is indicative of "desperation" in his ranks but it is clear that his party is going out of the way to ensure a good saffron show.

"I am a little critical. There is an excess effort from the BJP and people can feel it. Everybody has a role and stature and I think it (Modi's numerous events) diminishes the prime minister's chair," said Ashok Kumar Upadhyay, a professor in Political Science Department of Banaras Hindu University.

He, however, told that the overdrive may end up helping the saffron party by winning over floating voters who are guided by the "wave".

The BJP had won three of the five seats falling in the Varanasi parliamentary constituency in 2012 and has changed two of the three winners this time round.

Neelkanth Tiwari is making his electoral debut replacing seven-time MLA Shyamdev Roy Chaudhari in Varanasi South seat and Saurabh Srivastava takes the baton from his mother Jyotsana Srivastava in Varanasi Cantonment. Both changes have not gone down well with sections of party cadres.

The party leadership has worked overtime to placate Chaudhari, well-regarded for his affability and accessibility, with Shah reaching out to him.

The change in Cantonment has invited allegations of dynasty politics as the Srivastava family has long held the constituency and even Saurabh Srivastava's late father was an MLA before his mother stepped in his shoes.

In Varanasi North, Muslims are in substantial numbers and have rallied around the Samajwadi Party-Congress candidate and former MLA Abdul Samad Ansari.

Ravindra Jaisawal of the BJP had won from here by a narrow margin and the combined votes of the two alliance partners has made matters difficult for him.

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BJP hopes Modi chemistry will prevail over Congress-SP in Varanasi - Economic Times

Comprised solely of percussionist Russ Lawton andkeyboardistRay Paczkowski, the simplicity of the Soule Monde lineup belies the density of sound they conjure up. As a result, the title of their second full-length album, Must Be Nice, might represent a remark rival musicians would make in admiration of this alliance between the two long-time members of the Trey Anastasio Band.

Recording largely live, Lawton and Paczkowski sound much more comfortable establishing and maintaining grooves in the studio on this latest effort than on their eponymous debut in 2012. Its usually not fair to compare live and studio performances, but it is worth noting that hearing tracks on this album, such as Influence Too (with its furious close) and Compared to Jody, can elicit much the same response as observing Soule Monde on stage: the duo sound like a much larger ensemble.

These two musicians respective styles of playing are the natural and subsequently effortless source (s) of their wholly original material here and, in turn, their arrangements of the songs. It might not become obvious right away (unless perhaps headphones are in place), but Must Be Nices all-Vermont recording and mixing (at Lovetown Studios) plus mastering (at The Tank) might well approximate the sensation of sitting between the Lawton and Paczkowski on, among other cuts, Immigrant Too: the hard-hitting drumming alternately slaps and hammers, while organ lines swirl around the clipped syncopation coming from the clavinet .

Soule Monde continuously swings too, and in unusual ways, for instance, as they jump in and out of the breakdowns contained in Rocket. Meantime, in keeping with the title of Take My Hand, Lawton and Paczkowski generate an increasingly insistent pace during the course of its seven minutes plus. One of the comparatively longer of the eight tracks comprising Must Be Nice, it is nevertheless as streamlined as its surroundings, cuts timing between five and six minutes (except for the two and half duration approximately on the melodica-laced Kota), the instrumental purity of which Soule Monde preserve with minimal and largely unobtrusive overdubbing.

If there was any thought of adding vocals to render this music more accessible (sic), no evidence appears to that effect and the continuity over the course of the record suggests such modification is wholly unnecessary. On the contrary, Soule Monde distinguishes themselves throughout Must Be Nice, as thoroughly with the quietly haunting Mina, for instance, as during the bouncy likes of Took You Long Enough in all its is danceable glory. The complementary nature of those numbers mirrors the chemistry between Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski which, in turn, should compel repeated playings of this record and subsequently reveal an admirable durability.

Originally posted here:
Russ Lawton & Ray Paczkowski Brew Ideal Chemistry on Soule Monde 'Must Be Nice' LP (ALBUM REVIEW) - Glide Magazine

Dec 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller takes in a game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and San Diego State Aztecs during the second half at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres: Why Not? by Diane Calkins

San Diego Padres: Ranked Fourth Best Farm System by Jonathan Goehring

While Matt Kemp received most of the criticism for helping to create a toxicclubhouse culture in 2016, apparently Derek Norris also contributed. According to Darren Smith on the Mighty 1090, he was surprised that Padres players mentioned Norris often as one of the culprits.

Norris apparently spread his negative attitude around but also zeroed in on Austin Hedges, the player he was supposedly mentoring. To make matters worse, pitchers didnt like throwing to him either.

Surely Norris lousy attitude could not have just developed in San Diego and been a complete secret, so one has to wonder why A.J. Preller traded for him and sent Yasmani Grandal to the Dodgers where hes become the primary backstop. Even more ironic, the major return for Grandal was none other than Kemp himself.

If Preller had even glanced at Molly Knights book The Best Team Money Can Buy, he would have learned that the Dodgers yearned to get him out of the dugout and off the field, and to shed his gigantic contract. The Padres, of course, obliged and did one of their major rivals in the National League West a huge favor. In fact, the team continues to line Kemps pockets, to the tune of $8.5 million dollars this year.

Want your voice heard? Join the Friars on Base team!

Ironically Grandal has not been the catcher of choice for Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Instead he preferred throwing to A.J. Ellis, who was traded last summer. Both cried when they received the news.

A stat head like Preller, Andrew Friedman obviously disregarded the importance of the level of comfort Kershaw had working with Ellis. Of course, the best pitcher on the planet will not wither and turn into a journeyman with a 5.00 ERA, but the change undoubtedly carried a psychic cost.

In his brief history with the Padres, Preller also traded another catcher favored by the pitching staff. He sent Rene Rivera, who had become Andrew Cashners personal catcher, to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014.

Padres fans can only hope that Preller, not known for his attention to personal relationships, has grown to understand the importance of team chemistry.

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San Diego Padres: Chemistry 101 - Friars on Base - Friars on Base

Chemists and molecular biologists have made an unexpected discovery in infection biology. The researchers can now show that two proteins that bind to one another slow down a chemical reaction central to the course of the disease in the bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The results have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

"The discovery paves way for new insights in the regulation of bacterial virulence. The results have given us a new opportunity to study the pathogenic ability in bacteria," says Magnus Wolf-Watz, researcher at the Department of Chemistry at Ume University, who led the study together with Hans Wolf-Watz, professor at the Department of Molecular Biology.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and many similar bacteria infect humans by injecting toxins, so-called effector proteins, through a needle-like organelle called injectisome. Previous research has already shown that the protein YscU plays an important part in the regulation of effector protein transportation. YscU is unique in its ability to cleave itself in two parts, as a consequence, one of these parts is then transported out through the injectisome.

By combining biological experiments with studies on atomic level, the research team discovered that another protein, YscP, binds to YscU and regulates its self-cleaving abilities. When the proteins bound to one another, the speed of the self-cleaving was greatly reduced.

"The chemical process behind the self-cleaving was cooled down by the interaction and was hence slowed down. The result is a good example of how biology and chemistry nearly always go hand in hand and is a huge step forward. This gives us new opportunities to study the regulation of the course of diseases," says Hans Wolf-Watz.

The studies on atomic level were conducted using magnetic resonance spectroscopy at the Department of Chemistry at the NMR for Life platform, which is a national infrastructure for NMR in Sweden.

"The initial investment to fund an NMR instrument that the Kempe Foundations facilitated paved way for further funding from both the Wallenberg Foundations and SciLifeLab. Also, the protein expertise platform in our labs was of crucial importance for undertaking the research project," says Magnus Wolf-Watz.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Umea University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Frozen chemistry controls bacterial infections -- ScienceDaily - Science Daily

What is vinyl?Vinyl is a particular type of plastic that was first created by a German chemist, Eugen Baumann, in 1872. Decades later, two chemists at a German chemical company tried to use the poly-vinyl chloride, or PVC as it's more commonly called, in commercial products but were unsuccessful. It wasn't until 1928 that an American chemist, Waldo Semon, experimenting with a new adhesive for rubber, created the modern PVC as we know it and its now-ubiquitous presence in our daily lives.How is vinyl made?The discovery of PVC was completely by chance. Eugen Baumann had accidentally left a flask of vinyl chloride in the sunlight (as chemists are wont to do). Inside, a white solid polymer polymer had materialized. Though Baumann was a renowned chemist and professor at various German universities, he never applied for a patent for his discovery of PVC.

Decades later, two chemists at a German chemical company called Griesheim-Elektron tried to mold the substance into commercial products, but also had no luck processing the hard substance. It wasn't until American inventor Waldo Semon came along, while working at the B.F. Goodrich Company, that PVC's versatile uses were fully explored.

In 1928, Semon was experimenting with vinyl polymers, a substance that was widely known but considered useless. In his 1999 obituary in The New York Times, he was quoted as recalling in a recent interview, "People thought of it as worthless back then. They'd throw it in the trash.'' Little did they know.

During Semon's many experiments, he created a powdery substance with a texture not unlike flour and sugar. PVC's makeup consists of chlorine, based on common salt, and ethylene, which is derived from crude oil. The powder didn't work as Semon had hoped, but he continued to investigate, this time adding solvents to the powder and heating it to a high temperature.

What emerged was a jelly-like substance that could be tweaked to be both harder or more elastic enter the modern PVC. Semon continued to play in his laboratory, further discovering that this gelatinous substance could be easily molded, would not conduct electricity, and was both waterproof and fire-resistant.

But with the stock market crash of 1929, Semon had to wait a couple more years before anyone was interested in the new plastic. According to the Times obituary, Semon had a "lightbulb moment" in the 1930s while watching his wife, Marjorie, make curtains. Seeing that this vinyl could be manipulated into a fabric, he eventually convinced his bosses to market the material under the trade name Koroseal. By 1933, Semon had received the patent, and shower curtains, raincoats, and umbrellas made out of PVC began rolling out in production. Semon was inducted into the Invention Hall of Fame in 1995 at age 97, with more than 100 patents under his name.

It is predicted that with the rise of electric cars, more and more companies with ties to the oil industry will turn their attention to plastic production. This will undoubtedly put more emphasis on petrochemicals, which now use 15% of fossil fuels as their feedstocks, but are expected to rise to 50% by 2040, according to Bloomberg. As global movements committed to the climate crisis continue to push the message that single-use plastic is a system failure, there is no doubt that the fossil fuel industry will be fighting right back.

But Big Oil doesnt think so; according to Tim Young at the Financial Times, petrochemicals are the only major source of oil demand where growth is expected to accelerate. These forecasts assume a steady, strong demand for plastic will translate into increasing consumption of feedstock. They provide a rare ray of optimism for the oil industry against increasingly dire long-term predictions that growth of other demand sources will slow.

Imperishability, once plastic's greatest asset, is now one of our earth's curses. The current plastic economy sees about 90% of its products used once, then discarded. An editorial in the journal Nature Communications predicts: "We need a fundamental change in order to make a noticeable impact on the plastic waste seeping into our environment. A new plastic future in which biodegradable polymers replace conventional plastics could be the answer."

However, even biodegradable plastic has its challenges. These "green" plastics require industrial composting to break down and continue to encourage the very root of our problem: a disposable culture based on the convenience of living in the moment. The anti-plastic movement continues to grow, but with one of the biggest and most powerful industries behind it, PVC, literally and figuratively, has a long life ahead of it.

TH's Lloyd has a few thoughts on plastics and vinyl; you can view his unfiltered lecture here.

What is vinyl? Let's explore how this ubiquitous and versatile plastic is made, what its uses are, and all of its safety concerns.

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Vinyl: the plastic found in (almost) everything - Treehugger

House's insight into athletic success has allowed him to not only impact baseball, where he currently works with many of the game's top pitchers, but also to extend his efforts into college football and the NFL.

House is the subject of this week's Q&A:

MLB.com: How did you become so involved in the football world?

House: When we first started doing motion analysis, we captured any movement we could capture. We have Dan Marino in the computer. We have Joe Montana, Steve Beuerlein. Remember Todd Marinovich, robo quarterback? We had a bunch of elite quarterbacks captured. All the data measured, but I didn't know what we were looking at. Then obviously we threw footballs in a baseball environment when I was a coach in the Padres' system and at the big leagues with the Rangers. I got that from the trainer in San Diego, Dick Dent. He figured out you have to have proper throwing mechanics to throw a spiral.

MLB.com: But that was taking football to baseball. Where, along the line, did you get involved in dealing with the football players?

House: Cam Cameron was the offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers, and I had been working with his boys in baseball. Both his sons pitched. Drew Brees was his quarterback. He said, "You know, do you think you might be able to talk to Drew?" I worked with him for about a year and a half. Then in the last game of his tenure with the Chargers, he blew his shoulder out really bad. He dislocated the right shoulder and suffered a 360-degree tear of the rotator cuff and labrum.

Dr. [James] Andrews put him back together, but didn't think Drew would ever throw a professional pass again. I got seriously involved with the rehab, and one thing leads to another. Nine months later, he signed with the Saints. And as they say, the rest is history. In sports, the word of mouth has an impact. I started with Drew, and one day another quarterback showed up, and all of a sudden I'm working with six or seven guys. Over the last four years, we've been working with 26 of the No. 1 quarterbacks in the NFL, a bunch of backups and most of the elite college quarterbacks.

MLB.com: I guess it's that old saying about timing. You were considered the nutty professor with the Rangers back in the 1980s, but you are readily accepted in the new century in the NFL.

House: Somebody's got to take a shot at being first. I've always been looking for a better way. It's finally starting to pay off. The really cool thing is we've figured out that rotational athletes -- hitters, golfers, tennis, football, softball, baseball -- are pretty much the same animal. The preparation and the movements are all really, really close. If you can teach pitching, you can teach quarterbacking. If you can teach quarterbacking, you can teach the physical movements and the physical preparations to hit like tennis, whatever. It got kind of easy once we started looking at the analytics of outcome and moving back to the process.

MLB.com: The process?

House: Sports are all about outcomes. You get contracts and big money if you're a pro guy because of outcomes. You get college scholarships because of outcome. The analytics out there are really good for that, but the confidence intervals and the standard deviations when you're measuring outcome aren't as good as when you're measuring process. Our confidence intervals and our standard deviations are more measurable, more quantifiable and more defendable than what the analytics guys are doing. Analytics are really good. We're just a little bit more predictable, because we're measuring process, not outcome.

We do movement analysis. We do functional strength. We do nutrition and sleep, and we do mental emotions. I was doing that with the Rangers. We've just gotten better and better and better working with the process, not the outcome.

MLB.com: You were a pioneer in analytics.

House: I was fortunate to run across Craig Wright. We did a book, "Diamond Appraised." We actually preceded Bill James and all those guys. We really didn't know what we were doing. Timing is everything. I just happened to be sitting at the bus stop when three dimensional motion analysis showed up, wireless CMG, sleeping monitor, what muscles were doing. Then obviously I went to school and got my Ph.D. in psychology and a master's in nutrition. It was just pretty much luck of the draw. Blind squirrels find an acorn.

MLB.com: Did it ever get frustrating that you had such a hard time being accepted with what's now commonplace?

House: It frustrated me that I wasn't a good enough communicator to make people understand the value involved with what we were doing. There were times when I had my feelings hurt, but it didn't stop me from pushing, because I knew we were doing something that was measurable and quantifiable for the first time in sport. That held me together.

MLB.com: What about how the human element plays into it? That's one thing that people seem to lose some sight of.

House: We're genetically predisposed for affiliation and failure. We are born with overwhelming need to be affiliated with something, and we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Where people have trouble identifying team chemistry, it basically boils down to those two things: the affiliation process, we want to belong to something, a team, and if that affiliation returns positive, you stay affiliated. Then the failure side of the equation -- if you're with a team that doesn't embrace failure as part of the learning process, then the attachment of feelings to failure or success gets in the way of the process.

The perfect example is what the Patriots do. On their wall, when you walk in their locker room, it basically says three things: do your job, trust the process, trust your teammate. That's it. Think about this: When people go to the Patriots, who do you think reframes to be affiliated? The Belichick boys or the new guys? The new guys. When you go to the Patriots, no matter what your personality, Randy Moss or whoever.

That's what creates chemistry. Going to the Cleveland Browns right now, they really don't have a process the kids can hang their hats on, so they're going in with kind of a question mark on how affiliated they're going to be to the Cleveland Brown Way until there's either a pre-sold chemistry like Belichick has, because his process is proven to everybody it works. Unless an organization can create a process that a player wants to be affiliated with -- and unless those players can reframe performance, success or failure, around that process -- they don't have chemistry.

MLB.com: Hal Keller used to say when he scouted amateurs he liked to see them have a bad day, because everybody fails at some point and the successful players deal with failure.

House: That's affiliation. Remember, you asked if I had my feelings hurt at the lack of acceptance 30, 40 years ago? I bought into the process I was involved with, not how it was being perceived. My value proposition was in my process, not the outcome of me being a great pitching coach or a great communicator or whatever. Eventually, if you're confident of your process and you have a belief system, your process is measurable, quantifiable and dependable, eventually it wins out.

MLB.com: As young player, how did you get so involved in the analytics aspect?

House: I never expected to play past college. When I left USC and signed with the Braves, I figured it was going be a real good summer job while I went ahead and got my Ph.D. I was pursuing baseball, living, breathing, dying baseball. That was my passion. But as a parallel process, I was in the classroom doing academics and research. Looking back, everybody had the same goals down, but they weren't talking to each other as they were approaching that goal. If I have a value to sports right now, it's connecting dots between different disciplines and making everybody aware that we all want to win the Super Bowl and we all want to win a Wor
ld Series, let's not be fractured with the process. Let's make sure we're all on the same page, so we have organizational process and team chemistry.

MLB.com: Is that exciting for you?

House: When I first started realizing how big the disconnects were in baseball, I didn't think there was any hope that I would see this in my lifetime, but now I do. The awareness now that there's a better way is starting to change throughout the game. I'm talking from Rookie ball to the Major Leagues, from the front-office analytics guys all the way down to the clubhouse. Other sports have figured it out a little quicker. Baseball's coming along, and it's going to be just fine. I've been involved in the game 50 years, and I'd like to think I carried the torch a little bit, and the kids that are standing on my shoulders now will take it home.

Tracy Ringolsby is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Q&A: House on team chemistry, analytics - MLB.com

Jan 15, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) pats guard Russell Westbrook (0) on the head as he hugs center Enes Kanter (11) after a play against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Views from OKC: Two poor efforts in two consecutive nights by Tony Heim

The Key to the OKC Thunder Season May Be the Utah Jazz by Eric Snyder

One thing that really resembles family in my mind is happiness, love and togetherness. Sitting around the table on Thanksgiving and giving thanks for what you have. Waking up early on Christmas Day to see the joy on the face of your family of what you got them. Being there for each other in the hard times and the good times. Loving each other until the day you die.

Something that has been missing in the Thunder and my own family, until recently. Before this season, the OKC Thunder seemed to be a really good team that just coasted into the playoffs and hoped of winning a championship every year. Yes, announcers and the crowd made OKC seem like a big family, but the team didnt truly play like it.

Related: A Salute to the Recently Traded OKC Thunder Players Payne, Morrow and Lauvergne

Sure, there appeared to be a togetherness about the team, but they all seemed to be disappointed in each other every year. Every year they would fall short of their goal.

Even though the OKC Thunder have gotten worse roster wise, they have gotten better as a team and family. I think Durant leaving has made Oklahoma City stronger as a community and the Thunder stronger as a team.

Feb 3, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after hitting a 3 point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

When Durant did decide to leave, the city and state seemed to have a black cloud over it, but only for a short time. With Russell Westbrook re-signing a 3 year deal, it gave fans something to feel great and important about after they had just been thrown under the bus.

When Westbrook gave his full commitment to the OKC Thunder, it gave fans a sense of security. A sense that you know everything is going to be okay. Something that happens all the time in families. If someone leaves or dies, someone has to step up and be the leader of the family. That is something Westbrook has taken hold of and ran with.

Related: Westbrook demonstrates MVP Leadership on and off the court

If someone leaves or dies, someone has to step up and be the leader of the family. That is something Westbrook has taken hold of and ran with.

All of Oklahoma can follow his lead. This is his team and state now. Before, Oklahoma and Thunder fans were always known for their great sense of pride, but now the Thunder and its fans seem to bleed with pride. Thunder blue runs through the veins of every single Thunder fan stronger now than it ever has.

With pride comes happiness. The Thunder may never win a championship with the current squad, but they have something that many teams dont have. That is pride, hope and happiness. That is something that can never be taken away from a person. You can take away their player, but you cant take away the hope.

Displaying a sense of family is something the team on the court seems to be displaying now more than ever. Even though the Thunder are obviously not better without Durant, they appear to have a bigger sense of pride and We Be Okay attitude.

Related: Durants Departure Served to Remind OKC of Resiliency

With Russ as the leader, nothing seems impossible for this team. From Russ to Victor to Steven to Enes and all the others, nothing will stand in these guys way.

Fittingly, Russell will be growing his own family off court as well when his wife Nina Earl introduces their first child into the world. One big beautiful family

-5/2017-

A post shared by Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) on Mar 1, 2017 at 9:49am PST

I guess what I am trying to get out of those reading this is winning isnt everything. Sure, it makes money and produces championships, but having a great organization to stand by every night also makes basketball fun.

Loyalty is a rare commodity now, and if you can find someone who still has it, cherish them.

Kids can look up to this organization as an example. Visiting children in hospitals and building libraries are great. But, staying when everyone says go, speaks volumes. In a world where everyone chases, that isnt always the right answer. Loyalty is a rare commodity now, and if you can find someone who still has it, cherish them.

Cherish them like family. Westbrook will go down as an all-time great in not only the NBA, but in Oklahoma history. He is our guy now and we need to stand behind him with all that we have. Let him know we appreciate him anytime that we can. He could have easily left us behind after Durant bolted, but he decided to stay with the ones who have trusted him since he was drafted.

He put his full trust in us and we will put our full trust in him. So, the next time you take a win for granted, just remember the Thunder. Same with families. The next time you see them, just stop a second and notice how fortunate and lucky you are.

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Retooled OKC Thunder roster exudes family chemistry - Thunderous Intentions

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- D.J. Carton sat at the podium, answering questions the day before Ohio State basketballs matchup with Minnesota.

He answered question after question about how a team who was just ranked No. 2 in the country and looked like a potential Final Four team had fallen so far in just 28 days. The freshman rattled off a multitude of reasons ranging from a lack of passion, to team chemistry, to how shooting woes have impacted every other facet of the game.

About seven minutes into the Wednesday media session, Kaleb Wesson joined him, echoing many of the same sentiments. Neither looked happy with the current situation, but they also may be the primary sources to the solution to the problem.

I dont think anybody as special as D.J., but Ive played with pretty good guards before, Wesson said. Hes different and special.

Carton and Wesson are a product of what happens when there's a clash in styles of play on a team's two most important positions. Wesson is the team's best player and the primary weapon of attack while Carton is arguably the team's most talented player with an upside that could ne day turn him into a first-round NBA Draft pick. Both are a lot for an opposing defense to deal with, but this isn't a match made in heaven.

Wesson is a 6-foot-9, 270-pound big man who does his best work on the block. He's a highly-skilled, smart basketball player who uses his size and footwork to impact a game. He's best in the half-court, although his ability to knock down threes at an efficient rate makes him dangerous as a trailer in transition.

Carton is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard who's explosiveness made him the state of Iowa's very own version of Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook. He thrives in the open court and it's why he was a four-star recruit. But it's been a while since he hasn't been the focal point of an offense and even longer since he's played with someone of Wesson's caliber.

"I've never played with a big man that can dunk consistently," Carton said. "My focus has never really been to get the ball in the post. It's something new to me. It's a different offensive brand that I wasn't comfortable coming into."

At Bettendorf High School in Iowa, the offense was predicated on putting the ball in Carton's hands and allowing him to make decisions. He made a habit of going 94 feet and making plays in the open court and has shown that same ability at times at the college level.

When teams tried to slow him down and play in the half-court, he got high ball screen after high ball screen giving him the ability to get downhill to create for himself and others. He never had to worry about a post entry pass or waiting on a post player to get position on the block. Now he does, and the adjustment has been anything but smooth.

"We didnt ever play through a big man, Cartons high school coach Curtis Clark told cleveland.com. "We played through D.J. 100 percent. We played through him regardless of how good our posts were or not. We thought our best chance to win was if the ball was in his hands whether he shot or got a shot for someone else. "

The two have had their moments where they've looked like a quality one-two punch for the Buckeyes. An exhibition game against Cedarville provided a glimpse at what the two could do together in a perfect world. During a three-minute stretch in the second half of a 95-52 win, the two combined to score 17 straight points while Carton provided three and assists and a steal and Wesson added three rebounds.

In those two, Ohio State has two ways to attack you offensively. Wesson would provide dominance down low while Carton along with transfer C.J. Walker would provide much-improved play at point guard and enhance OSU's capabilities in transition. Instead, the two styles rival each other. Wesson has been everything he was expected to be this season while Carton can, at times, go too fast for his own good, leading to high turnover, low assists games. Both can't live in the same space and since this is Wesson's team, his style wins while Carton is often a casualty.

I had to play a lot of half-court in high school, but it was nothing like this, Carton said. Nothing where you have to pay attention to detail for all 30 seconds. Its definitely a big change and being patient and getting the best shot for the team.

The Big Ten is arguably the best conference in college basketball, but its also vastly different than where the game is at the moment. While most teams whether at the college or pro level run every facet of their offense through its perimeter players, the Big Ten goes through the big man. Wesson is just one of many that exists in that conference, including Minnesotas Daniel Oturu, who came into the Thursday nights matchup averaging 20.2 points per game. He was held to just 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting while Marcus Carr once again put together a solid performance with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to go along with the game-winning three-pointer.

Head coach Chris Holtmann acknowledges how different this league is than any other he's coached in and how he's had to adjust his approach because of it. Yet he's still going to be hard on his floor generals, especially one as talented as Carton.

"I don't know if I've had a team where it's been that different," Holtmann said. "But we've established how we want to play and try to play through our interior as much as possible. Kaleb obviously can't do it on his own in this league."

Wesson is Ohio State's best player, but Carton maybe its most talented. Yet these two couldn't have games that are more polar opposite. There's a long list of reasons for why Ohio State is no longer among the best in the country. Building chemistry between these two might cure some of that.

Their two styles don't match, but somehow they must find a way to coexist.

"It takes some time, it takes playing together," Holtmann said. "One who's a veteran and ones who's younger and trying to find his way a little bit. One has to get the ball thrown to him and the other has the ball in his hands. It's a different dynamic."

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D.J. Carton and Kaleb Wesson finding chemistry could help solve Ohio State basketballs offensive woes - cleveland.com

Jan 30th 2020

NEW YORK

IN 2013 CHARLES LIEBER, a pioneer of nanoscience who is now the chairman of Harvard Universitys chemistry department, visited the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT), in China, to celebrate the founding of a lab he was credited by that university with helping to establish and oversee: the WUT-Harvard Joint Nano Key Laboratory. It was a remarkable coup. WUT is an institution of little renown. Harvard is generally regarded as the top of the academic tree. And Dr Lieber, whose research has since become part of Elon Musks ambitious scheme to supercharge the human brain with nanotechnology, has been seen as a potential Nobel laureate.

Harvards officials had not, however, approved the laboratory and did not know about it until early 2015, according to the US Department of Justice. Nor did they know that while conducting his research with grants from the Department of Defence and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr Lieber was, according to federal authorities, also being paid up to $50,000 a month by WUT, plus at least $150,000 in living expenses, as a prized recruit in Chinas Thousand Talents programme to bring foreign scientists, and return Chinese expatriates, to that countrys research laboratories.

On January 28th agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Dr Lieber on a charge of lying to federal authorities after his having denied his alleged participation in the Thousand Talents programme. He was jailed pending a court hearing on January 30th. Harvard placed him on administrative leave and said it was co-operating with the authorities while conducting its own review. (Dr Liebers lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.) The Justice Department also announced charges against two Chinese nationals who had been in Boston ostensibly as researchers. One, a lieutenant in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) who is now in China, allegedly worked on behalf of PLA officials and has been charged with visa fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to federal investigators. The other, who is under arrest, allegedly tried in December to smuggle to China 21 vials of material stolen from a teaching hospital.

By putting one of Harvards superstars in handcuffs, federal authorities seek to shock Americas research institutions into greater vigilance about collaborations with Chinese counterparts. At the least the arrest is expected to have a chilling effect on research partnerships between America and China after a decade in which they have flourished. Certainly, the Trump administration would not view that as a bad thing. The Justice Department has said that more than 90% of prosecutions for economic espionage since 2011 have involved a link to China. Christopher Wray, the FBIs director, has lamented to Congress the navet of American academia, and has cited Chinas so-called talent plans as a vehicle for the theft of research.

One concern of federal authorities, including investigators at the NIH, has been the establishment of shadow labs in China run by Thousand Talents recruits in parallel with their American-funded research. Those authorities may consider the WUT-Harvard Joint Nano Key Laboratory to be such a shadow lab. In an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint against Dr Lieber, the FBI, quoting emails between him and a professor at WUT, says that in 2012 he entered into a Thousand Talents agreement that promised, in addition to his personal compensation, 11m yuan ($1.74m) from WUT and the Chinese government for development of the joint laboratory, including the recruitment of talent.

The contract called for Dr Lieber to publish high-level articles in renowned journals and to host international conferences in the name of Wuhan University of Technology, and to guide young scholars and doctoral students, helping them publish in respected international journals. In January 2013, the affidavit says, he signed a five-year contract formalising Harvards co-operation in the joint lab, and obliging Harvard to host researchers from WUT for two months a year.

According to the FBI, officials from Harvard said Dr Lieber did not have the authority to sign such a contract. Those officials also said they eventually became aware of the joint laboratory, and that Dr Lieber was its director, in about early 2015. When confronted, Dr Lieber told Harvard officials that WUT was using Harvards name and logo without his knowledge and consent, the affidavit says.

In 2018, the affidavit says, Dr Lieber told investigators from the defence department that he was never asked to participate in the Thousand Talents programme, but that he wasnt sure how China might describe him. The FBI also says he caused Harvard to report falsely to the NIH that he was not a participant in the recruitment programme (the NIH requires disclosure of such foreign payments to grant applicants). Meanwhile, the email traffic quoted in the FBI affidavit describes the payments to Dr Lieber going into a Chinese bank account set up on his behalf and, on occasions he visited Wuhan, given to him in cash.

In return for its association with Dr Lieber, Wuhan University of Technology may have burnished its reputation in nanoscience, and developed some young scholars in the field. The lab itself was meant to focus on nanowire-based lithium ion batteries for electric cars, per the contract Dr Lieber allegedly signed. In recent years Dr Liebers research has focused on neural lace technology, the still-nascent field that Mr Musk is looking to develop. Mr Musks own paper on the topic cites Dr Lieber as well as Chinese researchers who worked in his lab at Harvard.

It is not clear how much special insight Chinese researchers gained that they would not otherwise have had. Leading scientists routinely note that in such high-level research international collaboration is increasingly common, and can happen organically. Most research is published openly for all to see. It is not certain that Chinese largesse was required to pry open the wonders of a top laboratory at the worlds most prestigious university. But the Trump administration says that was precisely the goal of the Thousand Talents programme, and that university administrators and scientists have been asleep to the threat such recruitment programmes pose. If so, no longer.

This article appeared in the Science and technology section of the print edition under the headline "An American chemist is suspected of illegal dealings with China"

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An American chemist is suspected of illegal dealings with China - The Economist

How Dance Partners Create Chemistry Onstage New York Times ... as part of the company's spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, their New York debut together in this most paradigmatic of ballets.) It got me thinking: What is it that makes certain partnerships click? Where does the essence of that ...

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How Dance Partners Create Chemistry Onstage - New York Times

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry.

The Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry is designed for students who are planning for a non-research career in a field related to Chemistry. Students learn a wide array of topics in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Students learn how to write scientific reports, analyze data, and place these results in a broader scientific context.

Undergraduate Contact Information:

Dr. Dan Strongin, ChairBeury Hall, Room 130215-204-7118

Dr. Ann Valentine, Vice ChairBeury Hall, Room 352215-204-7118

Dr. Steven Fleming, Faculty Advisor (Last names A-C)Beury Hall, Room 344215-204-0359sfleming@temple.edu

Dr. Roy Keyer, Faculty Advisor (Last names D-G)Beury Hall, Room 440215-204-7286roy.keyer@temple.edu

Dr. Spiridoula Matsika, Faculty Advisor (Last names H-K)Beury Hall, Room 242215-204-7703spiridoula.matsika@temple.edu

Dr. Andrew Price, Faculty Advisor (Last names L-M)Beury Hall, Room 222C215-204-1048acprice@temple.edu

Dr. Vince Voelz, Faculty Advisor (Last names N-R)Beury Hall, Room 240215-204-1973vincent.voelz@temple.edu

Dr. Vladi Wilent, Faculty Advisor (Last names S-T)Beury Hall, Room 440215-204-7186vladi.wilent@temple.edu

Dr. Michael Zdilla, Faculty Advisor (Last names U-Z)SERC, Room 656215-204-7886michael.zdilla@temple.eduNote: Due to restricted access to the 6th floor of SERC, please email Dr. Zdilla to set up an appointment.

Courses listed under the major requirements for the degree will be included in the calculation of the major GPA. Courses that could not apply toward the major as an elective or required course would not be counted in the calculation of the major GPA. This would include CHEM1027, for example.

To graduate with Distinction in Major, students are required to achieve a 3.33 GPA or higher in all the Chemistry courses in their major.

All prospective majors should schedule an appointment with one of the departmental advisors (names of current Faculty Advisors are available in the About section) to plan a program of study. The recommended order of courses for the major is listed below; a different order is acceptable as long as the student adheres to prerequisite requirements.

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Chemistry, B.A. < Temple University

The shortest days of the year are upon us. Are you finding it tough to have the motivation to get outdoors and actually do something like exercise?

The die-hard snowmobilers, skiers and hockey enthusiasts are out. But what about the rest of us? It turns out we may have a good excuse. Cold and dark actually have physiological effects on our bodies that are tough to overcome.

All animals deal with the cold in different ways. Many birds migrate to warmer climes. A number of Alaskans head for Hawaii. Birds store fat. So do Alaskans.

The bar-tailed godwit shrinks its internal organs we should be so lucky to have that ability; it would save trying to shed those Christmas pounds. Wood frogs convert glycogen stored in their liver to glucose which lowers the freezing point of liquids in their bodies, thus preventing ice crystals that cause cells to rupture. They also bury themselves in the mud, which would play havoc with those people who work for a living.

All animals store some body fat for the winter months. However, it isnt just the cold that affects us. Theres also the radically changing daylight. Consider that the mid-December day is a brief five hours compared to the summer days that are nearly 24 hours long.

All organisms respond to and anticipate that change. Our circadian rhythm allows us and other animals to know the time of day no matter whether light or dark. Humans, with our light bulbs and ticking clocks, are a little more out of tune than most animals, but we still have the ability in our systems. Our circadian rhythm regulates our body temperature and our wake-sleep cycles.

Circadian rhythm also is responsible for our physiological, emotional and behavioral functions.

During summer months, you might take a walk after work or run to the lake to fish for an hour before bed. Mid-December? That rarely happens. More than likely it is home to the couch, a beer and whats on TV.

This is not about being lazy. It is about chemicals.

And, it it not something new. Alexander the Great figured this out way back in 350 B.C. He noticed that plants leaves drooped at night and perked up in the mornings. Soldiers also. More recently, scientists have been able to put a better understanding on what we have known for several thousand years attack just before dawn.

The internal clock in mammals is run by a part of the brain known as the supracinsmatic nucleus. This portion of the brain instructs the pineal gland to secrete melatonin. Melatonin triggers the changes needed to adapt to winter, plus aids sleep control.

Light halts melatonin production. This is one of the reasons you can go fishing after work in July without feeling exhausted.

Rising early in the winter, or staying up well after dark, has our bodies producing sleep-inducing melatonin while we are still up. We are sleepy. Our rhythms naturally shift a bit to compensate and disrupt our sleep cycle with our circadian rhythm. How can overcome this cycle?

Adjusting your diet can help. Stay away from simple sugars like Christmas cookies. Complex carbohydrates are better because they can work on the pleasure sensors in our brains that release dopamine.

Those carbs you are ingesting are going to require some sort of exercise program. Pick something you like to do or odds are you wont stick with it. Get out for a walk. Park your car at the far end of the lot at the grocery store of at work and walk the extra few hundred feet. Look up at the sky and count stars. Find the Big Dipper and Orion. Walk your dog in the morning and evening.

If you cant force yourself to get outside, there is one other solution for the couch potatoes. Spend a few bucks and buy a light box. They are readily available and emit a full-spectrum natural light. Research shows that a half-hour spent in front of a light box, best done in the morning, will reap great benefits in your mental state in overcoming the downside of excess melatonin production.

Get up early, buy the newspaper and read my column in front of the light box. It isnt outdoors, but it is closer than eating corn chips by candlelight.

John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives near Paxson with his family. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and a two-time winner of the Yukon Quest.

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Chemistry, not laziness, is why your couch beckons to you during the dark days of December - Anchorage Daily News

Penny Jennings

A new technique created by Brian Shao, Alex Bagdasarian, Stasik Popov and Hosea Nelson (from left) allows complex molecules to be assembled in fewer steps than previously possible.

When scientists develop the chemical formulas for new products such as fuels and medications, they often must first create molecules that havent previously existed.

A basic step toward creating new molecules is selectively breaking and re-forming the chemical bonds that connect the atoms that make them up. One of the chief challenges is that the bond between carbon and hydrogen atoms the building blocks of many molecules is exceptionally strong, so chemists often have to resort to using rare and expensive chemicals like iridium to convert it into other, more useful types of chemical bonds. Scientists refer to this process as functionalizing the bonds.

Now, a team of UCLA chemists has developed a new technique for breaking carbonhydrogen bonds and making carboncarbon bonds. The approach uses catalysts made of two abundant and inexpensive elements, silicon and boron. Their research waspublished in Science.

Hosea Nelson, a UCLA assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry and senior author of the study, said the energy industry has been interested in taking very simple hydrocarbon molecules like methane and turning them into new fuels.

This new method will enable scientists to incorporate methane into bigger molecules, he said.

Penny Jennings

Popov, Nelson, Shao and Bagdasarian

Another potential application would be converting methane, one of the primary components of natural gas, into something thats denser and easier to contain after it has been drilled from the Earth. The current process is complicated because methane, a light gas, tends to escape into the atmosphere.

Nelson collaborated on the study with UCLA graduate students Brian Shao, Alex Bagdasarian and Stasik Popov.

The researchers used their new technique to create a compound similar to a phenyl cation, a chemical substance that has been studied theoretically but rarely investigated in actual laboratory experiments. They then used the compound to slice through carbonhydrogen bonds in methane and benzene, which allowed them to insert other atoms and form carboncarbon bonds, which are the basic building blocks of molecules that make up living organisms, as well as fuels and pharmaceuticals.

Besides demonstrating that phenyl cationlike compounds exist, the new technique allows complex molecules to be assembled in far fewer reaction steps than was previously possible, which could save chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers time and money. Another advantage of the method is that, unlike previous approaches, it can be performed at temperatures and gas pressures that are easily attainable in a laboratory.

The process could also be used to alter the molecules in existing pharmaceuticals to make them more effective, safer or less addictive.

The chemists have tested their technique using very small samples of reactants far less than a gram. But Nelson is hopeful that the methodology can be scaled up to be useful for a broad range of real-world chemical reactions.

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New chemical reaction developed at UCLA could eventually yield new fuels and medications - UCLA Newsroom

The two-man chemistry behind NYCFC's best team ever New York Post It is a small body of work to be sure, but David Villa says this is the best New York City FC team yet. The results say he is right, and his burgeoning chemistry with new midfielder Maxi Moralez is a big reason why. I think so,'' Villa said as he ...

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The two-man chemistry behind NYCFC's best team ever - New York Post

March 16, 2017 by Mark Lorch, The Conversation Whered I leave my bunsen burner? Credit: Shutterstock

I hate ironing, I'll do more or less anything to avoid it. So faced with a giant pile of laundry I got easily distracted. I started to wonder why those shirts emerged from the machine looking like a tangled bag of rags. How come the cotton clothes get crumpled so easily? And what's with easy-iron garments, why don't they need so much pressing?

Since I'm a scientist I know its important to understand the theory behind a methodology. And so it became imperative, before unleashing the iron and its board, that I found the answers to these pressing questions.

It turns out that the wrinkles in my shirts are all down to the chemisty of plant-based fabrics. Cotton, linen, hemp and so on are predominantly made of cellulose. Cellulose is what's known as a polymer because it consists of thousands of glucose molecules joined together to form linear chains. Each glucose subunit is "sticky" because it can bind to neighbouring cellulose molecules via something called hydrogen bonds. Individually, these bonds are very weak, but together they form a strong network that gives the fabric its strength.

These hydrogen bonds are particularly dynamic in that they are forever breaking and then rapidly reforming. As a result, clothes start taking on the shape that they are left in. This isn't a problem if I get around to putting freshly ironed shirts on a hanger. But it is an issue when I chuck them in a heap on the "floordrobe". As they sit there in a pile, the bonds break and reform, the clothes take up the new shape of the fabric, and the creases set in place.

Just add water

Things get even worse when water enters the equation (like in the washing machine). Water molecules insert themselves between the cellulose molecules, break up the hydrogen bonds and act like a lubricant, allowing the cellulose molecules to slide over each other. Then, when the fabric dries, the cotton keeps its now wrinkled shape. And that is the state of the pile of shirts that now stands before me.

This is where the hot, steaming iron comes in. The combination of heat and moisture quickly breaks the hydrogen bonds. As I apply these with a bit of pressure, all the cellulose molecules are forced to lie parallel with each other, so flattening the cloth.

But what if I want to avoid doing the ironing? The wrinkled look is always an option and, as an academic, I can just about pull it off. But occasionally I do need a pressed shirt. I could go with the age-old practice of starching my clothes to keep them crease free. This works because starch is also a polymer made from glucose, so it too can form all those sticky hydrogen bonds.

But, unlike cellulose, starch is a branched polymer. This means that if I apply it to cellulose, it sticks and acts like a scaffolding holding all the cellulose molecules in place. The drawback is that it gives me a rather stiff look and more to the point the starch is soluble so it just comes out in the wash. The net result is that it doesn't do much to reduce my list of chores I still need to iron and I'd just have to apply starch too boot.

What I need is a more permanent version of starch. And that's exactly what I get in easy-iron clothing. Originally, formaldehyde was used to permanently link cellulose molecules together, stopping them sliding about and limiting the amount of wrinkles that formed. More recently, formaldehyde (which isn't very nice stuff) has been replaced with friendlier (but even less easy to pronounce) cross-linkers such as dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea. The wrinkle-resistant shirts are good in a pinch but they have a slightly plastic feel that I don't particularly like and they still release tiny amounts of formaldehyde which can irritate the skin.

The pile of laundry is still waiting for me. But at least I have the theory of ironing all straightened out, and so I suppose I'd best just get on with the practical session. Or maybe I'll go for that crumpled look and just call myself a theoretical ironist.

Explore further: 3-D printing with cellulose: World's most abundant polymer could rival petroleum-based plastics

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Purdue researchers have discovered the structure of the enzyme that makes cellulose, a finding that could lead to easier ways of breaking down plant materials to make biofuels and other products and materials.

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Next-generation steel and metal alloys are a step closer to reality, thanks to an international research project involving a University of Queensland scientist.

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How chemistry can make your ironing easier - Phys.Org

Usually when you hear the word chemical, you think of something synthetic, cooked up in a laboratory, but ingredients extracted from plants and minerals are chemicals too.

A natural ingredient is a chemical, and a synthetic one is also a chemical; it doesnt mean that just because its natural that it is necessarily best for you, Alice said.

For one company, its natural credentials might be used as its selling point, while for another its scientifically engineered compounds are touted as the best for your skin. Both approaches can be misleading and are a source of frustration for Alice.

If youre thinking about the interaction with the body, where a particular chemical comes from is not necessarily going to give you a good indication about whether it is good for you or not, you actually have to look at that interaction, she said.

Our bodies are built on chemistry; everything in us is chemistry.

Look at the ingredients label on a typical moisturiser or shampoo and there will likely be a list of unintelligible chemical names, which most of us wont have a clue what they are. But theres a growing interest among consumers, and safety concerns about certain ones have been raised in recent years.

SLS and parabens, for example, while considered safe by the EU, have been cited as possible hormone disrupters and irritants. As a result, you might have spotted SLS-free or paraben-free labels on some of your favourite products.

Because of strict UK and EU regulations that govern what can go into our food and cosmetic products, and extensive safety testing, Alice thinks consumers should not be overly worried.

But, without mentioning any ingredients in particular, she does suggest, It is a question of keeping an eye on the research and seeing whether those things do turn out to be bad for us or not. We see changes in the regulations all the time as new research is done, looking in detail at particular compounds.

If there is concern about a particular compound, you can always apply the precautionary principle and avoid them, but you have to be careful you dont get paranoid about it.

Ethics and The Environment

When it comes to buying both everyday and luxury cosmetic products for herself, Alice says ethics plays a big role in her choices.

If youre buying something like that, it is really important to know it is ethical and youre buying something that feels luxurious and is lovely for you, but youre doing it with concern for the environment and with concern for all the people whove been involved in it as well, she said.

Dr Alice Roberts

So this year, Alice is working with organic beauty brand Green People as their official adviser on science communication to get all of us thinking about the chemistry of everyday products.

For me public engagement with science is about having a much more open and wider discussion about science and technology and also making sure that you are providing information to people in an accessible way, said Alice, who is also professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham.

Its really important that there is dialogue between scientists and the general public; its about sharing information more effectively and being able to make decisions about where science is going in the future,where technology is going in the future, as a society. We need to make sure that we are much more scientifically literate as a society.

As a long-time user of Green Peoples products, she is proud to be an ambassador for a company that has rigorous organic, fair trade and environmental policies and have always put a lot of scientific research intotheir products.

The fact [Green People] have this ethical concern about the impact on the environment and people so they are concerned about making sure they are using fair trade sourced ingredients, making sure they are as ethical as they can be with their ingredients I think that is great, said Alice.

And, of course, they dont test on animals, a practice Alice finds puzzling. I am just very confused by the fact that cosmetics have ever been tested on animals; it is such a peculiar thing to do if you dont need to do it and you dont need to do it.

For me, the fact that for Green People [no animal testing] has been a central tenet of the way that they work and that they wouldnt now aim to sell products in countries which are asking for products to be tested on animals, I think that is really important for my own personal ethics.

While animal testing for cosmetics is banned in the EU, China, however, currently requires all imported cosmetic products to have undergone such testing.

Continued here:
The chemistry of beauty - The Epoch Times

Allie Daniels was in fourth-grade when she discovered her passion for chemistry, and now, armed with a St. Ambrose education, she is encouraging other girls to pursue their science dreams.

"Continue to discover new things daily. Look at the world around you and ask why. Look for answers. Once you set goals for yourself, there is nothing that can hold you back," Allie said.

"Women are an integral part of science. Whether it be research, teaching or being a doctor or astronaut, the possibilities are endless," she added, and based on experience, she knows.

On May 13, Allie will graduate cum laude with a St. Ambrose Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, with minors in biology, forensic science and justice. This fall she will join a prestigious five-year program at the University of Tennessee in pursuit of a doctoral degree in Analytical Chemistry.

It wasn't until Allie was in fourth grade that she learned about chemistry. "I vividly remember experiments like the classic erupting volcano and counting the number of water drops I could get to stay on a penny before the surface tension caused the water to run off the penny," she said.

"Experiments like these had me in awe. I began to do my own experiments at home."

Her interest and passion grew when she attended the SAU Chemistry for Kids summer camp in 2005.

"I spent those four days in Lewis Hall learning all about what chemistry really is," Allie recalled. "I remember making batteries out of a banana, doing paper chromatography to figure out who wrote a secret message, doing tests to discover what the identity of a powder was, and, on the last day, using all the skills I had learned to solve a real mystery. From that week on, I was in love with chemistry."

When Allie looks back on the camp, she speaks of the significance of one professor and how he made her decision to attend SAU an easy one.

"I remember Dr. (Andrew) Axup was wearing his signature rainbow lab coat as he showed us what a chemical reaction' consisted of on that first day: bubbles, heat and fizzing. I was thoroughly amazed. Little did I know, the same professor who had introduced me to real life chemistry that week would be the first professor I ever had in college."

She feels blessed to have attended St. Ambrose.

"Professors in the chemistry department have done all in their power to make sure I am successful in graduate school. Whether it was answering my countless questions and helping me think through problems, or staying until 7 p.m. so I could be in the lab, my professors have always gone above and beyond to make my experience at Ambrose the best it could be," she said.

Allie knows a large part of the next five years will revolve around research, something some find daunting.

Not Allie.

"The chemistry program at SAU has continuously challenged me to think critically and solve problems. I have had the opportunity to do research through the Introduction to Chemical Research class, the Undergraduate Summer Research Institute at SAU, and my senior research project through the chemistry and honors programs. Research is at the heart of chemistry, and my time at Ambrose has made me love lab work," Allie said.

"I was also able to be a tutor and a Supplemental Instruction leader at Ambrose, which really prepared me to teach and gave me a love for teaching chemistry."

In addition, Allie was a member of the Honors Program, Mock Trial, Bridge Bible Fellowship, Campus Ministry, Phi Eta Sigma, Dance Marathon, as well as various intramural sports. Before graduation, she served as secretary for the Chemistry Club and the College Republicans.

Her endless passion for chemistry is evident in her words.

"I've learned that with research, things don't always go as planned. The most challenging aspect for me was staying positive when I often became frustrated with results I was, or wasn't, getting," she said.

"But to me, there is nothing more rewarding than working extremely hard at solving a problem that has been holding you back and rising above that. It's like Edison and the light bulb. You can fail thousands of times, but it only takes that one success to take you to heights you didn't think you could reach."

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Grad Stories '17: A Chemical Reaction - St. Ambrose University

PORTSMOUTH Shawnee State University offers help for any student enrolled in a chemistry class at the Chemistry Study Center, located in Room 341 in Massie Hall.

The Chemistry Study Center employs SSU students as their tutors who are able to help in the following chemistry classes: Preparation for College Chemistry, Principles of Chemistry, General Chemistry 1 and 2, Intro to Organic Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry 1 and 2. No appointments are necessary, but a list of the tutoring schedule can be found online at http://www.ssuscience.com/csc/csc.html.

The Chemistry Study Center tutors will be able to help with a number of chemistry problems, including balancing chemical equations, conversions, defining chemistry terms and more.

The study center is great place for students to come if they just have a question, or need help with lab reports, or even just to study for any of their chemistry classes, said Dr. Andrew Napper, Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences. Since it is staffed by student tutors, it is less intimidating for them to reach out for help.

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Chemistry Study Center open to Shawnee State students - Jackson County Times-Journal

Brooks Pate, a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Virginia, has won the universitys top prize for faculty entrepreneurship. The universitys Licensing and Ventures Group, which helps faculty members turn their research findings into products that can be developed for the commercial market, has given Pate its annual Edlich-Henderson Innovator of the Year Award.

Pates work on molecular rotational spectroscopy led to the invention of an instrument that dramatically reduces the time and effort needed to perform complex chemical analysis.

Molecular rotational spectrometers now marketed by the Charlottesville-based company BrightSpec use electromagnetic pulses to detect the rotational frequency of molecules. This allows users to determine the chemical makeup of a sample that could be made up of hundreds of substances relatively quickly and cheaply.

Its highly useful to scientists in a wide variety of fields, said Michael Straightiff, executive director of the Licensing and Ventures Group.

Brooks innovation is really going to enable the use of a technology that was viewed as cost-prohibitive to be opened up to new use, Straightiff said. Its having the impact we seek as an institution.

Scientists can use this tool to conduct analysis in challenging environments, Pate, 52, said. For example, astronomers studying star- and planet-forming regions can, using this technology, map out the molecular compositions of bodies thousands of light years away.

Researchers studying chemical reactions in the body sometimes take samples that include hundreds of different substances; molecular rotational spectroscopy makes this process faster and easier, Pate said. Pharmaceutical companies also have taken an interest, looking at how molecule shape variations in their drugs might affect patients.

The driver behind this technology was trying to solve some fundamental problems in chemistry, how molecules react and change into new molecules, he said.

Analyzing the molecular makeup of a substance based on movement always has been possible, but only recently has technology made it practical. Advances in semiconductor technology made it possible to build spectrometers capable of performing this analysis in a fraction of the time it used to take; Pate estimates he has reduced it by a factor of 10,000.

Pate said he envisions doctors using rotational spectroscopy to analyze samples from patients bodies breath, for example and looking for the chemical markers of a disease. The School of Medicine is exploring the possibility, he said.

When he first began working on it in the 1990s, rotational spectroscopy was an obscure topic. Pates work since has earned him widespread attention in 2001, he won the coveted MacArthur Fellows grant, which comes with an unrestricted $500,000 award along with commercial success.

Its an illustration of the reasons to invest in basic science, Pate said.

Bob Lloyd, CEO of BrightSpec, helped Pate market the finished product. BrightSpecs clients include the Max Planck Society in Germany, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Energy, according to the companys website.

Lloyd said Pates groundbreaking ideas helped sell investors on BrightSpec and gave the company a running start.

What we really invested in was Brooks, Lloyd said. Hes such a dynamo and creative thinker and brilliant scientist. He really works hard and is very creative and problem-solving. The technology worked we just really believed in Brooks.

Pate will give a public lecture on his work in the Dome Room of the Rotunda at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Anyone interested in attending must RSVP by emailing the Licensing and Ventures Group at lvg@virginia.edu or by calling (434) 924-2175.

Link:
Chemistry professor wins UVa's top prize for innovation | UVa news ... - The Daily Progress