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DOD watchdog will review military use of cancer-linked chemical | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Danzig

The Pentagons internal watchdog will review the militarys response to a cancer-linked chemical spread in part by its use of firefighting foam.

A class of chemicals abbreviated as PFAS has contaminated water in at least 425 military sites, pushing Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: VA deputy secretary fired | Impeachment trial winds down with closing arguments | Pentagon watchdog to probe use of cancer-linked chemical DOD watchdog will review military use of cancer-linked chemical US Africa Command chief makes pitch for military presence amid reported plans for cuts MORE to take action on his first day in office and start a task forceto address the substance.

The review from the DODs Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a response to a request spearheaded Rep. Dan KildeeDaniel (Dan) Timothy KildeeOvernight Defense: VA deputy secretary fired | Impeachment trial winds down with closing arguments | Pentagon watchdog to probe use of cancer-linked chemical DOD watchdog will review military use of cancer-linked chemical Pelosi digs in on impeachment rules fight MORE (D-Mich.) that asks how long the DOD has known PFAS was harmful to human health, how the military will address cleaning up the substance, and howit will take care of service members and communities harmed by PFAS.

Simply, it appears the scope of the problem far outweighs the allocated resources and focus of the DOD, lawmakers wrote in their July request.

Lawmakers have undertaken numerous efforts to push the military to take greater steps to address PFAS, including measures in the defense policy actthat required the military to end its use of PFAS-laden firefighting foam.

OIGs decision to review the militarys response could be something of a road map for the DOD but also for lawmakers eager to make sure funds allocated for cleanup are being used effectively.

The agencys own PFAS task force, however, is also expected to release its findings shortly.

The militarys financial liability on PFAS is already expected to exceed its original $2 billion estimate.

The DOD did not respond to request for comment.

Originally posted here:
DOD watchdog will review military use of cancer-linked chemical | TheHill - The Hill

Birds of a feather: On Trump-Modi chemistry – The Hindu

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Danzig

When he visits India for the first time later this month, U.S. President Donald Trump can expect thronging crowds in Gujarat and perhaps a substantive discussion on trade policy in New Delhi, but more than anything, it is his growing bonhomie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is expected to steal the limelight. Indeed, this chemistry was evident during the four times that they met in 2019. The pinnacle of those encounters for Mr. Modi was undoubtedly the public relations victory that he won when Mr. Trump graced the Howdy Modi! event in Houston before some 50,000 Indian-Americans. Now Mr. Modi is returning the favour perhaps, as he has, in Mr. Trumps words, promised an attendance of five to seven million, from the airport to the new Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel cricket stadium, the worlds largest; here, they will address the Kem chho Trump! event before an expected 1.25 lakh people. While there will always be areas of untapped potential in bilateral cooperation, things could hardly be better between the two nations at this time of global turbulence, in trade and security. On the former issue, despite skirmishes surrounding tariffs in specific sectors, such as medical devices, and counter-tariffs following the U.S.s termination of its Generalised System of Preferences toward India last year, there is hope for at least a limited trade deal pegged at $10-billion that could take a measure of stress out of the protracted closed-door negotiations. Prospects look brighter still on defence cooperation. India is reportedly moving toward approving a $2.6-billion deal for 24 Lockheed Martin-built MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. An agreement to buy a $1.867-billion integrated air defence weapons system is also on the cards.

Notwithstanding this slew of positive, if incremental, cooperative advances, it is the deeper fault lines across the two countries domestic polities that could, in the longer-term, impact the prospects for smooth cooperation in the bilateral space. For instance, the Indian governments recent policy shifts regarding special status for Kashmir as well as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register have spooked some U.S. Democrats, including Senators and lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Some have explicitly voiced concerns about the impact in terms of Indias commitment to remaining a tolerant, pluralist democracy. In this context, if the November 2020 presidential election puts a Democrat in the White House, it could potentially impact some of Indias plans. Even if Mr. Trump wins a second term, deepening Congressional opposition to India-friendly White House policies could endanger bilateral prospects. In this sense, there are limits to how much India can peg its strategic plans on the personal chemistry between its leader and the U.S. President.

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Why diversity and inclusion at conferences matter | Opinion – Chemistry World

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Danzig

Most of us know how beneficial scientific conferences are; as graduate students, we often make our first professional connections outside of our own department through such meetings. New collaborations develop, cutting edge research is announced and careers are made at meetings and conferences. Having access to these opportunities is critical to career advancement in the near and long term.

Unfortunately, scientific conferences are not equally accessible or welcoming to all. Not all venues are accessible to colleagues with physical disabilities, or have facilities that are safe for transgender attendees. Current and historical practices and structures that are part of scientific meetings often result in stereotype threat, instances of microaggressions, and overall feelings of exclusion.

For example, scientists who are new parents may find it difficult to attend or participate in all aspects of a meeting. Such participants struggle with an extra cognitive load and the financial burden of arranging for childcare on site or at home to be able to attend. This extra level of effort to participate can impact the way these scientists feel included in the meeting and are able to engage.

The participation and inclusion of colleagues from diverse backgrounds is morally imperative

In another example, the 2018 report Sexual Harassment of Women by the US National Academies of Sciences found that womenworking in science are more likely to suffer harassment, with higher incidence rates among those with intersectional identities, such as women of colour or LGBTQ women. As a result they may choose not to engage where these aggressions can happen easily, such as in field work situations or at conferences.

The participation and inclusion of colleagues from diverse backgrounds is morally imperative and critical to improving the quality of scientific discovery and understanding. Conferences are an important place to take steps towards inclusion. Such actions not only improve the experiences of everyone in attendance, but also serve as a mechanism to foster inclusion in science more broadly.

The scientific community still has an embarrassingly low level of participation from women, particular ethnic and racial groups, LGBTQ colleagues, scientists with disabilities, and others from historically marginalised social identities.The 2014 Royal Society report A Picture of the UK Scientific Workforce showed that those demographics are less likely to hold senior leadership roles in science occupations than colleagues from majority populations. In the UK, only 7.9% of chemistry professors in the UK are female. Only 2.9% of UK-based scientists come from ethnic minority backgrounds. This lack of representation is evident and even exacerbated in our professional meetings and conferences.

A rich body of research shows that diversity and inclusion leads to better, more creative science

Denying historically underrepresented colleagues full access and opportunities to participate in scientific exchange, mentoring and career advancement limits not only them, but the field as a whole. Exclusive practices mean we lose access to complex types of diversity such as knowledge practices (epistemic), values (axiological) and ways of being (ontological). These stem from the lived experiences of people who are physically and culturally different from one another, and provide rich ground in which innovation can thrive. A rich body of research now shows that diversity and inclusion leads to better, more creative science.13

To realise such potential, we need to redesign our scientific institutions and activities more broadly to create opportunities for all individuals to thrive in scientific exchange, mentoring and career advancement. In addition, we need to understand that broadening participation is both about increasing the numbers of diverse participants and ensuring that they can fully contribute their expertise.

Today we are fortunate to have publications and resources for anyone wanting to understand more about the needs of underrepresented populations in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem). To implement the needed changes, however, requires that we also challenge our own past norms and engage in evidence-based practices for creating positive experiences for a more diverse group of peers.

There are many actions before, during and after conferences that can drastically improve inclusivity (see box). The first step is to ensure that multiple perspectives are brought to bear on the way in which the meeting is designed by appointing an organising committee that reflects the diversity you are seeking.

We are all, whenever we attend a conference, responsible for enacting a culture shift towards inclusion

One way that conference organisers should remove barriers for attendance is by making sure the conference venue follows accessibility standards. Even if some venues have not updated their facilities, conference organisers can negotiate temporary fixes. For example, attendees of the 2019 annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science found temporary reassignment and signage of bathrooms to make them accessible and safe for all genders.

When planning the agenda of a scientific conference, a diverse speaker lineup should be prioritised. This is in recognition that whomever talks has the power. An equitable set of keynote speakers helps to advertise that the conference is welcoming and inclusive. Visual messaging is another crucial aspect of advertising to review. Nothing can be more counterproductive than a group photo of mostly able bodied, all white male attendees on a meeting website trying to solicit registrations from scientists from a wide range of backgrounds.

Clear messaging and support needs to continue throughout the conference. Opening remarks are important for setting an inclusive and welcoming tone, and can highlight and normalise the services available, such as quiet rooms or lactation rooms. In a similar vein, questions and discussions should be moderated in such ways that give equitable voice to participants regardless of career stage or social identities.

But its not just conference organisers who should work on making meetings more inclusive. We are all, whenever we attend a conference, responsible for enacting a culture shift towards inclusion. Each attendee has the opportunity and arguably the responsibility to treat all colleagues with openness, respect and collaboration. Actions you can take to support inclusion include being selective about which conferences you attend, prioritising those that demonstrate commitments to diversity and inclusion. Or you may choose to encourage conference organisers to adopt more inclusive practices. If you are unable to attend a meeting, you could recommend an alternate attendee who not only represents your area of scholarly expertise, but may also represent an underrepresented career stage or social identity.

In addition, we need scientific institutions, societies and organisations to foster a culture where colleagues are taught to lean in on issues of inequity to correct the harmful behavior of other colleagues. There are no bystanders: only those who are harmed, those who do the harm and those who let it be done.

Science is a team sport and meetings are our stadium

Such actions can significantly lessen the burden on those from underrepresented backgrounds, who often shoulder the work of advancing diversity and inclusion. We can only address underrepresentation and exclusion if we understand it as a collective problem that requires us all to commit to making conferences more creative and welcoming spaces. Science is a team sport and meetings are our stadium, and so it is critical we recruit and sustain diverse and complementary talents to avoid falling into rote patterns that lack innovation and inclusivity. Fostering diversity and inclusion in scientific meetings will enable a better scientific community, and thus
better science.

The guide Inclusive Scientific Meetings: Where to Start4provides anyone involved in organising scientific conferences with the knowledge and resources to make a difference, as well as background on the latest research on diversity, equity and inclusion in the Stem context. Written by a group of scientists and leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion in Stem, the guide was co-developed by 500 Women Scientists, the Earth Science Womens Network, and the Aspen Global Change Institute. Some of the tips it shares for organising inclusive events include:

Prioritise a diverse group of co-organisers, speakers and attendees

When organising keynotes, give female and underrepresented participants equitable standing with able-bodied, white men

Make sure your conference venue follows accessibility standards and has bathroom facilities for individuals from non-binary genders

Work with conveners to provide access to aid for travel and childcare

Review conference communications and advertising for inclusive language and visual messaging

Require attendees to agree to workshop rules of engagement and/or a code of conduct as part of registration

Ask for each participants preferred gender pronoun as part of registration, and include on official rosters and nametags

Use opening remarks to set an inclusive tone, for example by highlighting and normalising some of the available support

Post and publicise the conferences code of conduct around the venue

Identify staff or volunteers who can be contacted if the code of conduct is violated, and be clear about enforcement mechanisms

Establish equitable rules of engagement regarding discussion dynamics. How will questions be fielded?

Provide chairs for speakers and panellists

Use microphones and speakers during presentations and discussions to assist with auditory accessibility

Plan activities to help participants (especially those who are not already familiar with others in attendance) to connect with each other

Create open opportunities for conference attendees to contribute to post-workshop publications

Ensure appropriate attribution of conference-generated ideas

Document results on the effectiveness of inclusion-promoting strategies and share them through published meeting notes. Highlight lessons learned, recognise challenges, celebrate successes and honour everyones efforts. The notes can also serve as a valuable example for peer institutions, and inspire a broader systemic change.

Mason Crosby on Green Bay Packers 6-1 record, chemistry: This is the way you want to start a season – WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

The Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau gave the rest of the NFL its first true glimpse of what Matt LaFleurs offense can look like with Aaron Rodgers at the helm and it was scary. Rodgers had his best game by far under the new Packers coach, throwing for 429 yards and five touchdowns and running for another as Green Bay beat the Oakland Raiders 42-24 on Sunday. Rodgers completed 25 of 31 passes to eight different targets and finished with the first perfect passer rating of his career, leading LaFleurs offense to a season-high in points. Even with top target Davante Adams sidelined for the third straight game with turf toe, Rodgers threw for his most touchdowns in a game since Sept. 28, 2015, against the Chiefs.

Afterward, Rodgers called it the most complete that Ive played.

FOX6s Kaitlin Sharkey: Youve played with Aaron Rodgers for a long time. Youve seen his great games, great moments, and then he comes away with, Sunday, six touchdowns, are there any of these games or any of these times when you go, Like, is this really happening? Because hes had so many of these great moments, how does a game like Sunday stand out?

Yeah, I mean, hes not gonna have too many more opportunities to have records. Like, you know, its like, he just seems to have set, you know, pretty much all of them, so I didnt realize that hadnt been happening, or he hadnt done it. You know, I guess I wouldve assumed that hed probably had a perfect game at some point, or a perfect passer rating, but I mean, what a great teammate. What a great example of what it is to lead a team. Just goes out there and performs every game, every day, and you know you can count on Aaron to have a good game, and put it all on the line, so.

FOX6s Kaitlin Sharkey: And then looking ahead, the rhythm you guys have had on offense, just the way the team is playing, the chemistry, do you really feel like the sky is the limit for this team because things are starting to click? Everyones getting more comfortable with where theyre supposed to be, their roles, play calls, things like that?

I do, said Crosby. I mean, I dont think weve had a complete game on all three phases, and, you know, well all admit that we have a little bit more, we can tighten it down just a little bit more.

FOX6s Kaitlin Sharkey: Finally, were you disappointed you didnt get a Lambeau Leap on Sunday?

Yeah, you know, I kind of, honestly, I will look back at the film, said Crosby. I did take a dive, you know, on the extra point right before half, so, you know, Im trying to add a lot to, you know, my resume here, you know, as far as what I can do, but Ill take a 42-point game where, you know, I just have extra points all day. Thats OK with me.

44.501341-88.062208

Excerpt from:
Mason Crosby on Green Bay Packers 6-1 record, chemistry: This is the way you want to start a season - WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee

Rethinking Chemical Synthesis With Cell-free Biocatalysis – Technology Networks

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Danzig

Traditionally chemical synthesis is a lengthy, step-by-step, or rather "batch-by-batch", process. However, new technologiesand approaches are driving the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry forward with continuous processes now making the task of turning low-value materials into high-value therapeutics, quicker, more efficient and cost-effective, and cleaner.

Technology Networks recently had the pleasure of speaking withDebut Bio's CEODr Joshua Britton. We discuss the evolution of chemical manufacturing, key challenges faced by those working in the field, andthe benefits of combining biocatalysis and continuous manufacturing.Laura Lansdowne (LL): For some of our readers that may be less familiar with Debut Bio, could you tell us a little more about the company? Joshua Britton (JB): Debut Bio creates therapeutic molecules in a faster and cheaper manner while avoiding toxic metals and resultant waste streams. Our core technology relies on the combination of immobilized enzymes with continuous manufacturing in a cell-free environment.The company is built on the knowledge that nature has evolved enzymes for millions of years to perform bio-transformations to exacting specifications in a green and sustainable manner. To that end, weve created a platform for cell-free biocatalysis utilizing immobilized enzymes and continuous flow chemistry to help our customers rethink the way they perform chemical synthesis.

Our patented and scalable solutions help shift our partners away from batch manufacturing toward more sustainable, clean, and cost-effective methods of production.

By leveraging Debut Biotech's platform, pharmaceutical companies will no longer have to perform long and tedious syntheses when they want to create complex pharmaceuticals that resemble the molecules found in nature. Instead, they can simply use our enzyme-based system to turn low-value materials, such as glucose, into high-value therapeutics and intermediates in a sustainable manner.

When companies want to get the exact molecules found in nature with therapeutic benefits, they can again use our technology platform. As Debut Bio advances, we expect our platform capabilities to broaden to a large number of small molecule therapeutics that will allow quick, green, and cost-effective access to these value-added molecules.LL: What does traditional chemical manufacturing look like and how has chemical manufacturing evolved over the years?JB: The grand challenge of the twenty-first century is the transition to greener, more sustainable manufacturing processes that efficiently use raw materials, eliminate waste, and avoid the use of toxic and hazardous substances. At present, the pharmaceutical industry relies on a production process known as batch manufacturing that has remained the status quo for 75+ years. This lengthy step-by-step chemical vat process often requires using oil products, scarce metals, and costly intermediates. In short, batch manufacturing is dirty, slow, and expensive. In fact, it is estimated that the pharmaceutical industry alone wastes nearly $50bn per year on inefficient batch manufacturing processes. To remain competitive, many incumbent manufacturers are interested in partnerships that will allow them to transition to bio-based chemical production.Enter continuous manufacturing. In continuous manufacturing, a pump (or pumps) continuously passes a low value reactant solution through a reactor in which it is transformed. In our case, the reactor contains a large number of complex immobilized enzymes. After a set amount of time, the product exits the reactor and is collected. Continuous manufacturing often provides improved enzyme stability, reaction rates, selectivity, lifetime, and efficiency to cell-free systems, yet no continuous cell-free system exists. In general, continuous manufacturing is the distinct opposite to batch manufacturing.

In batch manufacturing, a reaction is started, it is run for a certain amount of time, and then the reaction is stopped. Then, the product is isolated and the whole process starts again. In continuous manufacturing, a solution is continuously passed through a reactor. As the solution enters one side of the reactor and then exits, it is transformed. In this sense, the reaction can run indefinitely and through a smaller infrastructure. Additionally, continuous manufacturing allows for quicker reaction times and better control, as well as the potential for analytical technology to follow the reaction in real time.LL: What are some of the main challenges faced by those working in the area of pharmaceutical manufacturing?JB: As I mentioned earlier, the pharmaceutical industry wastes $50bn per year on inefficient batch manufacturing processes; this can be dramatically improved. As pharmaceutical cost drives innovation into the pharmaceutical sector, new and improved methods that can create cost competitive routes to molecules of interest are welcomed.Additionally, while green chemistry principles are often emphasized as a driver, in our experience, this is often superseded by cost. If a company can offer better routes to pharmaceuticals with green chemistry at the core of its inception; that would be a welcomed advance.

In terms of continuous manufacturing and the pharmaceutical sector, there has been a lot of noise in this area over the past seven years. While there has been some great academic advances in continuous manufacturing that have been translated into industry (photochemical reactions, for example), many improvements published in continuous manufacturing systems offer only marginal advancements such as a reduction in reaction time or temperature; these have had less of an effect. We must remember that when researchers and companies talk about scale, many pharmaceuticals are created at a quantity that would not warrant continuous production.

In our experience, continuous manufacturing can offer consistency, stability, real-time monitoring and feedback and improved safety. While new routes are often created, the likelihood of a company changing its designated route to an active pharmaceutical ingredient is limited both by cost and regulatory reapproval; these systems must provide better benefits to see true adoption.

Finally, pharmaceuticals are becoming more complex as companies target both new and old diseases. As many of these molecules are adapted and inspired by natural products, synthetic chemistry and methodology must adapt and change to keep up with demand. While many of these transformations can (and will) be achieved in synthetic chemistry, what would it be like if these complex transformations could be achieved with enzymes? What happens if complex pharmaceuticals could be created by a simple enzyme sequence alone or coupled with a chemical step? What happens if we can make synthetic chemistry inferior to enzyme pathways for pharmaceutical creation - these questions drive us to new scientific levels.LL: What are the key benefits of combining biocatalysis and continuous manufacturing to create molecules?JB: When you combine an enzyme transformation with continuous manufacturing, you open a world of process benefits and consistency.For example, in continuous manufacturing systems the product of the reaction can be removed and so that the enzyme always sees a fresh solution of substrate; this can drive reactivity to new levels.

Additionally, coupling enzyme systems in continuous manufacturing systems have shown a decrease in side reactions (byproducts). When we immobilize enzymes for their use in continuous systems, we offer a range of benefits including improved stability, recyclability, selectivity, reaction rates, and the enzyme does not have to be removed from the product.

Finally, continuous manufacturing allows the enzyme system to be scaled in an economical and effective way to meet a demand. Compared to the large typical enzyme reactors. A continuous system could save dramatically on reactor footprint and cost.

Joshua Britton was speaking to Laura Elizabeth Lansdowne, Senior Science Writer for Tec
hnology Networks.

Continued here:
Rethinking Chemical Synthesis With Cell-free Biocatalysis - Technology Networks

Taking Ritalin to study may change brain chemistry – Futurity: Research News

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Danzig

For young people who dont have ADHD, recreationally taking Ritalin may lead to changes in brain chemistry associated with risk-taking behavior, sleep disruption, and other undesirable effects, a new study suggests.

Ritalin, the brand name for methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant used to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), is a growing problem among college students who use it without a prescription as a so-called study enhancer. The drug works by increasing the concentration of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that control reasoning, problem solving, and other behaviors.

Although Ritalins effectiveness in treating ADHD is well-documented, few studies have looked at the drugs effect on non-prescribed illicit use, says Panayotis (Peter) Thanos, senior research scientist at the Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo. We wanted to explore the effects of this stimulant drug on the brain, behavior, and development on non-ADHD subjects.

Recent studies put college students nonprescription use of stimulant drugs (Ritalin and amphetamines such as Adderall and Dexedrine) at rates anywhere between 14 and 38 percent, depending on the type of college and age of student. The common belief is that these drugs can help students to focus and concentrate when studying and perform better on tests. Alarmingly, these drugs are finding their way into high schools, as well, for the same reasons.

Thanos team looked at changes in the brains of rats who received regular doses of methylphenidate during what would be equivalent to adolescence in humans, a time of significant brain growth and development.

We saw changes in the brain chemistry in ways that are known to have an impact on the reward pathway, locomotor activity, and other behaviors, as well as effects on body weight, Thanos says.

These changes in brain chemistry were associated with serious concerns such as risk-taking behaviors, disruptions in the sleep/wake cycle, and problematic weight loss, as well as resulting in increased activity and anti-anxiety and antidepressive effects.

Further research indicated that female subjects were more sensitive to the behavioral effects of methylphenidate than the males.

Thanos hopes that studying the effects of methylphenidate on those without ADHD may lead to a greater understanding of how the drug works on the brain and behavior, and can help researchers understand the impact of the drug on young people throughout development.

Understanding more about the effects of methylphenidate is also important as people with ADHD show greater risk to be diagnosed with a drug dependency problem, Thanos says. In addition, this study highlights the potential long-range risks college students take in using Ritalin for a quick study boost.

This research appeared in the Journal of Neural Transmission in May and in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience in March.

The New York State Research Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health funded Thanos research. Coauthors are David Komatsu of Stony Brook University and Michael Hadjiargyrou of the New York Institute of Technology.

Source: University at Buffalo

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Taking Ritalin to study may change brain chemistry - Futurity: Research News

Chemistry key to Shawnee tennis doubles team’s success – Lima Ohio

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Fredricko

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP Throughout the years at Shawnee, Indians head coach Steve Jones has often paired his top two singles players as a doubles team in order to enhance their chances of getting to state.

While on paper, it sounds like a formula for success it may not work if the chemistry is not right.

But that was not the case when Michael Rutter, the Indians No. 1 singles player throughout the year, and Isaac Hanover, the No. 2 player during the season, formed a doubles team at the onset of the postseason that has advanced to the Division II state boys tournament.

The Shawnee juniors will open state play against the Pepper Pike Orange pair of Santiago Bustamente and Rahul Krisman at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason on Friday.

The Indian duo won the district title Saturday by defeating the Archbold team of Jereme Rupp and Luke McQuade 6-0, 6-1 in the championship match.

I knew Michael had some nagging, small little injuries and I was a little worried about him going singles and all the abuse it was going to take on him so we basically decided that because of how he and Isaac played at the Port Clinton tournament where they won the entire thing in the A division we would put them together, Jones said. There was some chemistry there and some momentum behind those two.

Having started out playing doubles for Shawnee, both were familiar with playing doubles and it did not hurt that the two netters have known each other for quite some time so the transition to playing as duo was not difficult for either one.

Jones said the key to the pairs winning run during the postseason is that both are serious players who work hard in the off season to perfect their games. Primarily working with Jeff Brown, tennis director at Westwood Tennis and Fitness Center, the two have honed their skills.

Jeff works them pretty hard and works on things that he thinks are weaknesses and they end up sort of complimenting each other when they play together, Jones said. One of their weaknesses might be the other guys strength and visa versa.

Hanover and Rutter agreed that the positive experience playing at Port Clinton was the start of a doubles team that could be highly successful.

I thought we had great chemistry, said Hanover, who felt they had the potential to make a big run in the postseason. I thought we played really well against some tough competition and so that kind of led to the decision of playing in sectionals and districts.

Rutter reinforced Hanover and Jones sentiment that the duos showing at the Port Clinton tournament was instrumental in putting the two together for a possible postseason run.

We both have a great set of skills that we can use at the levels weve succeeded at, Rutter said.

At the onset of the sectionals, Hanover said he and Rutter looked at each other and said This is it. This is where we start. And from there the two said they would take it match by match and work together to break down their opponents and expose their weaknesses.

Hanover added the reasons the two work well together is their strong play at the net and they are great at finishing points.

Rutter, who narrowly missed state with his brother two years ago after falling in the district, said the primary goal was to make state. Another motivating factor for Rutter was upholding family tradition. All his brothers have advanced to state and now he has joined that elite group.

The brothers success really motivated me, Rutter said. Tim, Sam, Johnny all went to state one year and that was huge for me. I lost a match two years to go to state with my brother, Tim, against one of the kids we played in district to go to state so that really helped me in that match.

By the time they got to districts, the two began to iron out more of the kinks in the duos play. Another factor that came into play was the right mindset to play at the district level. While this was Hanovers first time, Rutter, who has been to districts three times, was there to offer a little insight of what it takes to win at the district level.

I think he (Hanover) has been doing great, Rutter said. I didnt have anything to say to him other than to do his job and he knows his job well and I am thankful to have him as a partner. The things he can do really help.

Hanover admits that the first day of districts was a little rough but by the second day they had worked out the kinks and dominated the opposition.

Getting over the district hump is a great accomplishment but at state the pair is going to face a whole new level of tough competition.

I think it is absolutely awesome that we have gotten this far, Hanover said. I would like to see us get to the second day of state which I think is very doable and we just have to keep doing what we have been doing and playing smart and playing aggressive.

Rutter added that the goal was to make state and see what they could do there.

Jones said if these two stay focused they can make some noise at state.

They need to play at the top of their game, Jones said. They cannot let anything go. They cannot slide in any way and they have to make sure they capitalize on every mistake the other team makes.

The Shawnee doubles team of Michael Rutter, left, and Isaac Hanover will be playing in the Division II state tennis tournament after capturing first at the Northwest district tournament held at Bowling Green State University.

http://limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_Indian-pair.jpgThe Shawnee doubles team of Michael Rutter, left, and Isaac Hanover will be playing in the Division II state tennis tournament after capturing first at the Northwest district tournament held at Bowling Green State University.

Pair chase state title starting Friday

Reach Jose Nogueras at 567-242-0567 or on twitter @JoseNogueras1

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Chemistry key to Shawnee tennis doubles team's success - Lima Ohio

A fresh math perspective opens new possibilities for computational chemistry – Phys.Org

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Danzig

June 1, 2017 by Linda Vu This image shows the structure of berkelium in oxidation state +IV. Researchers used the new Berkeley Lab algorithm to calculate the absorption spectrum and confirm what what several experimental results have been hintingthat the element berkelium breaks form with its heavy element peers by taking on an extra positive charge when bound to a synthetic organic molecule. This property could help scientists develop better methods for handling and purifying nuclear materials. Credit: Bert de Jong, Berkeley Lab

Glow-in-the-dark objects seem magical when you're a kidthey can brighten up a dark room without the need for electricity, batteries or a light bulb. Then at some point you learn the science behind this phenomenon. Chemical compounds called chromophores become energized, or excited, when they absorb visible light. As they return to their normal state, the stored energy is released as light, which we perceive as a glow. In materials science, researchers rely on a similar phenomenon to study the structures of materials that will eventually be used in chemical catalysis, batteries, solar applications and more.

When a molecule absorbs a photonthe fundamental particle of lightelectrons in the molecular system are promoted from a low-energy (ground) state to a higher-energy (excited) state. These responses resonate at specific light frequencies, leaving "spectral fingerprints" that illuminate the atomic and electronic structures of the system being studied.

In experiments, the "spectral fingerprints" or absorption spectrum, are measured with state-of-the-art facilities like the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). In computer simulations, these measurements are typically captured with a quantum mechanical method called Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT). The computational models are critical in helping researchers make the most of their experiments by predicting and validating results.

Yet despite its usefulness, there are times when TDDFT cannot not be used to calculate the absorption spectrum of a system because it would require too much time and computer resources. This is where a new mathematical "shortcut" developed by researchers in Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD) comes in handy. Their algorithm speeds up absorption calculations by a factor of five, so simulations that used to take 10 to 15 hours to compute can now be done in approximately 2.5 hours.

A paper describing this method was published in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation (JCTC). And the new approach for computing the absorption spectrum will be incorporated in an upcoming release of the widely used NWChem computational chemistry software suite later this year.

New Algorithms Lead to Computational Savings

To study the chemical structure of new molecules and materials, scientists typically probe the system with an external stimulustypically a laserthen look for small electronic changes. Mathematically, this electronic change can be expressed as an eigenvalue problem. By solving this eigenvalue problem, researchers can get a good approximation of the absorption spectrum, which in turn reveals the resonant frequencies of the system being studied. Meanwhile, the corresponding eigenvector is used to calculate how intensely the system responded to the stimulus. This is essentially the principle behind the TDDFT approach, which has been implemented in several quantum chemistry software packages, including the open-source NWChem software suite.

While this approach has proven to be successful, it does have limitations for large systems. The wider the energy range of electronic responses a researcher tries to capture in a system, the more eigenvalues and eigenvectors need to be computed, which also means more computing resources are necessary. Ultimately, the absorption spectrum of a molecular system with more than 100 atoms becomes prohibitively expensive to compute with this method.

To overcome these limitations, mathematicians in CRD developed a technique to compute the absorption spectrum directly without explicitly computing the eigenvalues of the matrix.

"Traditionally, researchers have had to compute the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of very large matrices in order to generate the absorption spectrum, but we realized that you don't have to compute every single eigenvalue to get an accurate view of the absorption spectrum," says Chao Yang, a CRD mathematician who led the development of the new approach.

By reformulating the problem as a matrix function approximation, making use of a special transformation and taking advantage of the underlying symmetry with respect to a non-Euclidean metric, Yang and his colleagues were able to apply the Lanczos algorithm and a Kernal Polynomial Method (KPM) to approximate the absorption spectrum of several molecules. Both of these algorithms require relatively low-memory compared to non-symmetrical alternatives, which is the key to the computational savings.

Because this method requires less computing power to achieve a result, researchers can also easily calculate the absorption spectrum for molecular systems with several hundreds of atoms.

"This method is a significant step forward because it allows us to model the absorption spectrum of molecular systems of hundreds of atoms at lower computational cost." says Niranjan Govind, a computational chemist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who collaborated with the Berkeley Lab team on the development of the method in the NWChem computational chemistry program.

Recently Berkeley Lab scientists used this method to calculate the absorption spectrum and confirm what several experimental results have been hintingthat the element berkelium breaks form with its heavy element peers by taking on an extra positive charge when bound to a synthetic organic molecule. This property could help scientists develop better methods for handling and purifying nuclear materials. A paper highlighting this result appeared April 10 in the journal Nature Chemistry.

"The experimental results were hinting at this unusual behavior in berkelium, but there wasn't enough experimental evidence to say yes, 100 percent, this is what we're seeing," says study co-author Wibe Albert de Jong, a CRD scientist. "To be 100 percent sure, we did large computational simulations and compared them to the experimental data and determined that they were, indeed, seeing berkelium in an unusual oxidation state."

This new algorithm was developed through a DOE Office of Science-supported Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) project focused on advancing software and algorithms for photochemical reactions. SciDAC projects typically bring together an interdisciplinary team of researchers to develop new and novel computational methods for tackling some of the most challenging scientific problems.

"The interdisciplinary nature of SciDAC is a very effective way to facilitate breakthrough science, as each team member brings a different perspective to problem solving," says Yang. "In this dynamical environment, mathematicians, like me, team up with domain scientists to identify computational bottlenecks, then we use cutting-edge mathematical techniques to address and overcome those challenges."

Explore further: Supercomputing mimics berkelium experiments to validate new find

More information: Jiri Brabec et al. Efficient Algorithms for Estimating the Absorption Spectrum within Linear Response TDDFT, Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation (2015). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00887

The Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) has enabled scientists to explore an unexpected oxidation state in the rare, radioactive element berkelium that was first observed in experiment. ...

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A fresh math perspective opens new possibilities for computational chemistry - Phys.Org

Despite chemistry of stars, Korean comedy ‘The King’s Case Note’ is easily dismissed – Los Angeles Times

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Danzig

Theres at least one hyphen too many where the intermittently entertaining South Korean historical-mystery-adventure-comedy-drama The Kings Case Note is concerned.

Theres a workable, quirky Holmes-Watson dynamic in this yarn about a king who sets out with the aid of a loyal but somewhat clueless savant assistant to unmask the perpetrators behind a nefarious conspiracy to dethrone him. However, the peripatetic tone fails to hold viewer attention.

When he takes a position as official royal historian, baby-faced scholar Seo (Ahn Jae-hong) doesnt quite realize that the job description goes considerably beyond chronicling each and every word of the glib King Yejong (Lee Sun-kyun).

Seos attention to detail and photographic memory comes in handy for the more pressing task at hand embarking on a caper that will pit them against a giant ghost fish, ominous scarecrows and lethal herbs, among other challenges.

Unfortunately, as choreographed by director Moon Hyun-Sung, the adventure seldom gets sufficiently up to speed, and on the occasions it threatens to come to life, the pedestrian action sequences fail to compensate for that lethargic pace.

Given the intriguing era (the story takes place during the 500-year Joseon Dynasty, which ended with Japans annexation of Korea) and relaxed comic chemistry between Lee and Ahn, one is left hoping for a case that isnt so mechanically open and shut.

-------------

The Kings Case Note

In Korean with English subtitles

Rating: Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

Playing: CGV Cinemas, Los Angeles; CGV Cinemas, Buena Park

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour

calendar@latimes.com

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Despite chemistry of stars, Korean comedy 'The King's Case Note' is easily dismissed - Los Angeles Times

Chemistry professor says goodbye after 43 years at UNM – UNM Newsroom

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Danzig

After more than four decades at The University of New Mexico, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology Professor Richard Holder is saying goodbye after a long and distinguished career.

The department is hosting a celebration to honor Holder on Wednesday, May 3 from 3 4 p.m. in the SMLC Atrium. All are welcome to attend.

A Wyoming native and graduate of Yale University, Holder came to UNM in 1974 as a tenure-track assistant professor after a stint at Vassar College in New York state. Over the next 43 years, he would go on to serve UNM in a variety of roles and make the jump into faculty administration, a move inspired by a year working as a program director with the National Science Foundation.

In 1986, Holder moved from a fulltime position in chemistry to UNMs Provosts Office where he stayed for 25 years, working in several positions including Deputy Provost and Dean of University College. And, while he never entirely gave up teaching, something he says had a positive impact on his administrative efforts, he says it was those years working in Provosts Office where he feels he made the biggest impact.

As an administrator, I always felt my job was to support the faculty, make life easier for them and make sure they had what they needed to succeed, he said. I think thats what faculty administrators are supposed to do and thats what I tried to do for all those years.

During his time in the Provosts Office, Holder oversaw tenure & promotions, the hiring process as well as student complaints and grievances. He says one of his most memorable accomplishments was helping bolster UNMs Honors College which, at the time, was not yet an accredited college. Today, hes proud of the fact that UNM has one of the most robust and successful Honors Colleges in the country.

Over the years, Holder saw nine Provosts come through the office, and while he enjoyed working at that level, helping shape the University in many ways, in 2011, he made the decision to leave the Provosts Office and go back to teaching fulltime.

I really enjoy teaching, I enjoy chemistry and I love working with the students, he said. Even though I kept teaching over the years, being a fulltime administrator really takes a lot of your attention so being able to come back to it has been great.

And its those relationships, the interactions with his students and fellow faculty members, he says he will miss the most.

But, even though he will officially retire after this semester, Holder says he wont completely disappear from campus. He plans to continue to work in the department and has not ruled out the possibility of teaching a class or two in the future. For right now though, he says hes looking forward to doing a bit of travelling and spending more time volunteering with the local horse rescue, Walkin N Circles Ranch.

The non-profit organization, which Holder is Board President of, rescues mistreated and abandoned horses, rehabilitating them before adopting them out to good homes. Its a cause he says is close to his heart.

Im originally from Wyoming, so doing something with horses is sort of a genetic thing, he said.

According to their website, Walkin N Circles has rescued more than 60 horses with 60 more currently at their ranch in the Edgewood area. Holder hopes to be able to dedicate more time to the organization and help it continue to grow and save more and more horses in the future.

As for UNM, Holder says hes grateful for everything the University has done for him and the relationships hes been able to build here. And while its not secret that UNM is facing some big issues across campus, he says its important to remember all the good things that happen here every day.

I think people need to remember that no matter whats happening at the administrative level and at Scholes Hall the faculty, staff and students are doing the work of the University and by in large, that work is continuing to happen in a great way, he said. We have a lot to proud of around here.

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Chemistry professor says goodbye after 43 years at UNM - UNM Newsroom

Syrian refugee in Romania: ISIS banned chemistry and biology – EURACTIV

Posted on April 28, 2017 by ev1

In recent years, the Syrian community in Romania grew due to the ongoing civil war. They say they like Romania. They have their school there. But still, the refugees wish to eventually return home, they told EURACTIV.ro.

We met some of them at the Tichrin Arabic School. They came from Syria, some of them years ago, others just recently. They are professors and teach the Arab children English, mathematics, Romanian language, chemistry, physics and other disciplines.

They did not come locked in a truck, they did not cross the sea in an inflatable boat along with dozens of other people. Still, the ones that came, in the recent years, had the same reason for which tens of thousands risk their lives on the road: the conflict in Syria.

They are part of the intellectual class of Syria. At home, they had everything they needed. They had status. Even if they support the Assad regime, the consequences of the conflict are the same for them. ISIS and the absurd rules they had to obey forced them to leave. Romania has become a second home for them.

Some years ago, an ambitious Kurd from a village in northern Syria won a scholarship to study abroad. He ended up in Havana, where he learned Spanish. Elias later returned to Syria, where he became a translator at the state news agency, SANA. EURACTIV Romania reports.

They remember what they went through in Syria, the way they lost their relatives or how they cheated death by choosing to leave. Still, they hope that the conflicts will end and that they will be able to return home. Until then, they have found a purpose in Romania.

Amal, the English teacher

My husband is a dentist. He has studied in Romania 20 years ago. When armed groups occupied the area where we lived, we thought that the best idea would be to come here in Romania. At first, I didnt want to leave and we waited more than we should have. I can still remember how my child used to put his fingers into his ears not to hear the gunshots around. He said I do not want to die! I do not want to die! Why are the armed groups attacking?

I remember something that affected me badly. One day, when I was taking my child to an exam, some masked men came before us. Why are you walking like that? Why are you dressed like that? they asked. Where are you going? Later you will not be able to do what you want anymore. We will be able to do anything. Something like that What is more, explosions were everywhere, all day and all night long. After that, we came here.

We decided we should come to Romania because my husband had been here before, and we could come legally.

I am not sure if there is an intact wall left of our house.

We left everything in Syria. My husband had a factory, a medical cabinet. We believe that if Syria will become peaceful again, we will surely return there. In Syria, in our country, people are peaceful. It is very strange what happened there.

In Romania, I work as an English teacher at Arabic School.

I know nothing of what is happening back home. The whole family left from there.

I just returned from Syria a week ago. There are entire areas destroyed, where the terrorists are located. I lived in Romania. My parents came many years ago. I went to school here, I worked here, but I want to go back to Syria, to do something there too. I mean, I did something here and now I wanted to do something there as well.

I am born in Romania, but I seriously think of doing something in Syria, just like other young people, to implement in Syria everything that we have learned.

Salman Assad, the manager of the Syrian Arabic School

In Damascus, it was totally safe up until problems started to appear. The boutiques and stores were left open when their owners had to leave for somewhere. They used to put a chair in front of the door, and nobody entered. The stores remained open. Who would come to steal? Nobody would.

You stop your car, leave the window open, the car open You have your bag there I am not exaggerating. I am telling the truth, sir. You return to your car 2, 3, 4 hours later. It is perfect, as you left it. To be perfectly fair, something can happen, but it is 1 in 100 cases. That is normal. But in general, that is Syria.

For us, Romania is the second country. I am a Syrian, and now Im also Romanian. I went to school here, and afterwards, I returned to Syria, after my PhD. I came back to serve in the army. I did not run from the army. That is the truth. I came back. I served. I worked. Then, I returned here (to Romania) without planning to live here. I came and after a while, I started to think that I want to help my child to learn. Darin was in the first grade. Her mother was in charge with education and she wanted to teach the children, so she did a class at home a school at home. This is where the idea to create a school was born.

Romania has a long history with Syria. If Romanian considers Syria It is logical We are brothers. Romanians get along very well with Syrians. It is a great thing and thats why I like Romania so much.

If you would say to me Go to Switzerland, the biggest villa, the biggest car, the largest salary. Live there in Geneva or live here in Bucharest. Honestly, I prefer to leave here, pure and simple, without even thinking about it.

The Romanian from Homs

My father is Syrian. I am a Syrian and a Romanian as well. My mother is a Romanian. I was born in Romania. Then, in 1999, we went back to Syria. I stayed there until 2016. We had the possibility to come back to Romania anytime we wanted.

In Homs, the bombings began in 2012. The city was freed from terrorists and placed again under the government rule.

We held together. We fled to Damascus, where we stayed for a year. Afterwards, we returned home, but we did not manage to escape the danger. Our house was destroyed after two explosions and I could not take it anymore. Ive lost my house and two cousins in the explosion. We came back to Romania temporarily. After everything is finished, I will go back to Homs, to the ruins that I left behind and rebuild our home.

I teach chemistry. In Deir ez-Zor, for example, they banned chemistry for heresy. What does that mean, chemistry is heresy? The Islamic State, these terrorists banned chemistry because they said it is from the devil. Biology was banned as well. They say that trying to understand the science of creation meddles with the science of God It should be prohibited. They banned biology and chemistry. They are not normal people. In reality, Islam encourages science, it is not against it, Islam encourages education. The Islamic State is not Islam. We are Muslims and we know that.

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Syrian refugee in Romania: ISIS banned chemistry and biology - EURACTIV

Humans alter Earth’s chemistry from beyond grave – Daily Sabah

Posted on April 28, 2017 by ev1

The focus of man's impact on nature is often based on live interaction, however, our decomposing corpses also alter the delicate chemical balance in the soil after death, scientists warned on Wednesday.

Whether our bodies are buried or cremated, they leach iron, zinc, sulfur, calcium and phosphorus into ground that may later be used in farms, forests or parks.

While essential as general nutrients, human funerary practices mean the elements are being concentrated in cemeteries instead of being dispersed evenly throughout nature, according to new research.

As a result, in some places the nutrients are overly concentrated for optimal absorption by plants and creatures, while deficient in others.

Furthermore, human bodies also contain more sinister elements, such as mercury from dental fillings.

"Chemical traces of decomposed bodies can frequently be very well distinguished in soil," said Ladislav Smejda of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, who took part in the unusual probe.

"These traces persist for a very long time, often for centuries to millennia," explained Smejda.

"The effects will become more pronounced as more and more dead bodies are laid to rest," Smejda said in Vienna, where he unveiled the research at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union.

"What we do today with our dead will affect the environment for a very, very long time," he said.

"Maybe it is not a huge problem in our current perspective, but with an increasing global population, it might become a pressing problem in the future."

Smejda and a team used X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze soil chemicals in graves and ash "scattering gardens."

Pushing up daisies

Using animal carcasses, they also measured the theoretical impact of an ancient practice called "excarnation," where the dead are left out in the open for nature to take its course.

In all three cases, the ground contained "significantly" higher concentrations of chemicals compared to its surroundings, Smejda said.

If cemeteries did not exist, human remains, like those of animals, would be distributed randomly and the nutrients they release would be reused "again and again, everywhere," the researcher told AFP.

"[But concentrating them in certain places] is something that can be regarded as not natural. It's human impact, and we are changing natural levels," he said.

Now the question is: "Can we come up with a better idea [of] how to distribute these necessary elements across wider landscapes?" Smejda added.

"Certainly it is potentially possible to invent, develop and put into practice ... new methods of human burial or new treatments that could be more environmentally friendly, more ecological," he added.

He conceded this was a "taboo" topic for many with funerary customs deeply rooted in culture and religion.

"It's a very complex matter, and we are only at the beginning of this discussion, I think," he said.

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Humans alter Earth's chemistry from beyond grave - Daily Sabah

Chemistry demonstration ends with a ‘boom’ | Northwest Herald – Northwest Herald

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Danzig

PEKIN As a kindergartner used her weight in an attempt to crush a liquid-filled bottle, her fellow students looked on as it was unscathed.

The lesson, one of many during a Bradley University chemistry demonstration, proved that liquids could not be compressed. The bottles counterpart, however, was filled with air and crumbled when the petite student stepped on it.

For the last part of a school day in February at L.E. Starke Primary School, students and teachers had a visit from the Bradley University Chemistry Club Demo Crew led by professor Dean Campbell.

Students also saw how liquid nitrogen could freeze a racquetball, making it as fragile as glass, and then saw it shatter after being thrown against a wall.

A simpler demonstration was then held showing that household items such as Alka-Seltzer and water could be combined in a film canister to make miniature rockets. The carbon dioxide gas resulting from the chemical reaction of the two created pressure within the canister, separating it from its lid and blasting it more than 10 feet in the air.

We try and get to educate the community on different aspects of science get them excited about science. Some people use the word edutainment, Campbell said, adding: We dont want it to be scary. We want it to be accessible to people in the safest way as we possibly can.

Campbell, who teaches chemistry and biochemstry, was accompanied by four Bradley students for the visit.

Before the demonstration, students in Marj Oeshs second-grade class were researching and preparing science experiments of their own.

Just as the carbon dioxide and water combination created pressure in the film canisters, Claire Schaefer and Addison Johnson had a similar project of their own answering the question of what happens when a Mentos mint is dropped into soda.

Once the two are combined, there will be an explosion, the girls said.

Our question is how much soda will we have left in the bottle after we add five Mentos, Schaefer said.

We predict the Coca-Cola will have less [liquid] in the bottle, Johnson replied.

Bradley graduate student Dannielle Wentzel said making chemistry less threatening at a young age will hopefully get kids more interested in the field.

I think of what we try to do ... is use things that are accessible for a teacher or a parent, Wentzel said. Personally, I always like to talk about what you encounter on your day-to-day life that is chemistry.

An added bonus for Wentzel, she said, was getting the girls involved in the STEM fields of study.

I want to be out there as much as I can, because seeing that we have three girls doing this demo, its something that they could do, Wentzel said.

Even today, I had a girl tell me, I want to be a science person, and she was in kindergarten.

To end the excitement of seeing chemistry in action, the Demo Crew ended it with a boom. A balloon with air was popped, creating a pop heard throughout the gymnasium. The next two balloons, however, were filled with hydrogen gas, and when lit, gave off a louder explosion with a bright yellow flame.

Campbell said the Demo Crew has been doing these community events since 2007 and has done more than 200 of them at various locations in the Peoria area.

___

Source: (Peoria) Journal Star, http://bit.ly/2lEJCXY

___

Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com

This is an AP-Illinois Exchange story offered by the (Peoria) Journal Star.

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Chemistry demonstration ends with a 'boom' | Northwest Herald - Northwest Herald

With offseason program starting, Cowboys begin chemistry test – ESPN (blog)

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Danzig

FRISCO, Texas -- A recurring theme from the Dallas Cowboys' success in 2016 was their chemistry.

Whether the winning led to the chemistry or the chemistry led to the winning is an unanswerable question, but the Cowboys clearly believed in it.

On Monday, the Cowboys officially start their offseason program at The Star, but for the better part of a month a number of players have been at the facility for unofficial captains' practices.

Phase 1 of the offseason program is really no different than what the players have been going through, except now there can be official contact with the strength and conditioning coaches. Players can go through strength and conditioning work as well as rehab for two weeks.

Phase 2 lasts three weeks with players and coaches interacting for the first time in teaching sessions on the field, but the offense and defense cannot work against each other.

The Cowboys will begin Phase 3 of the program on May 23 and have three weeks of organized team activities (10 practices total) followed by the only mandatory event of the offseason: the June veteran minicamp. There is no contact or pads, but the offense and defense can go through one-on-one, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills.

A year ago the Cowboys credited their offseason work for their camaraderie that led them through difficult times in the season. Head coach Jason Garrett believes players who work together will stick together. The Cowboys dealt with injuries beyond the compression fracture suffered by Tony Romo in the preseason last year and still succeeded. Left tackle Tyron Smith, wide receiver Dez Bryant, cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Morris Claiborne and left guard La'el Collins missed significant time last year, but the Cowboys felt the work put in through May and June served them well from September on.

While a lot of the Cowboys' free-agent signings have been at The Star for the captains' workouts, the start of the offseason program allows players like Nolan Carroll II, Stephen Paea, Damontre Moore and Byron Bell to get used to how the Cowboys do business in an official way.

The workouts will also allow players coming back from missing last season, like Jaylon Smith and Charles Tapper, to get on the field away from the rehab process. Players like DeMarcus Lawrence (back) Tyrone Crawford (shoulder), who are coming back from offseason surgeries, should be able to step up their work.

The Cowboys will also be on the lookout for new leaders to emerge.

The Cowboys have lost Romo, Barry Church and Brandon Carr to either the CBS Sports booth or free agency. Those three played significant roles and also had solid leadership voices that will be missed.

Jason Witten and Sean Lee have the largest voices on either side of the ball, but Dak Prescott and Bryant will have the opportunity to grow into larger roles, as well as third-year safety Byron Jones. The type of leader Garrett believes is best are those who lead by example. It's not about how much weight is lifted or how fast they run, but how dedicated they are to the process.

Monday officially starts the process.

If the Cowboys can follow up their 2016 success with as much or more success in 2017, they will point back to the work they put in during March, April and May.

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With offseason program starting, Cowboys begin chemistry test - ESPN (blog)

Our Decomposing Bodies Are Altering Earth’s Chemistry – Seeker – Seeker

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Danzig

Daniele Carotenuto/Getty Images Earth

Whether our bodies are buried or cremated, they leach iron, zinc, sulfur, calcium, and phosphorus into soil that might later be used as farms, forests, or parks.

It's not only in life that humans leave their mark on nature. In death, our decomposing corpses alter the chemistry of precious soil, scientists warned on Wednesday.

Whether our bodies are buried or cremated, they leach iron, zinc, sulfur, calcium, and phosphorus into ground that might later be used as farms, forests, or parks.

They are essential nutrients, but human funerary practices mean they are being concentrated in cemeteries instead of being dispersed evenly throughout nature, according to new research.

This means that in some places the nutrients may be over-concentrated for optimal absorption by plants and creatures, while lacking in others.

Furthermore, human bodies also contain more sinister elements, such as mercury from dental fillings.

Chemical traces of decomposed bodies can frequently be very well distinguished in soil, said Ladislav Smejda of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, who took part in the unusual probe. These traces persist for a very long time, for centuries to millennia.

RELATED: Life Continues Within the Body After Death, Evidence Shows

The effects will become more pronounced as more and more dead bodies are laid to rest, Smejda said in Vienna, where he unveiled the research at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union.

What we do today with our dead will affect the environment for a very, very long time, he said. Maybe it isnot such a problem in our current perspective but with an increasing population globally it might become a pressing problem in the future.

Smejda and a team used X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze soil chemicals in graves and ash scattering gardens.

Pushing up daisies Using animal carcasses, they also measured the theoretical impact of an ancient practice called excarnation, whereby the dead are left out in the open for nature to take its course.

In all three cases, Smejda said, the ground contained significantly higher concentrations of chemicals compared to the surrounding areas.

If there had been no cemeteries, human remains, like those of animals, would be distributed randomly for the nutrients they release to be reused again and again, everywhere, the researcher told AFP.

RELATED: Rare Coffin Birth' Found in Black Death Burial Site

But concentrating them in certain places, he said, is something that can be regarded as not natural. It's a human impact, we are changing natural levels.

Now the question, he added, is: Can we come up with a better idea [of] how to distribute these necessary elements across wider landscapes?

Certainly there is a potential to invent, to develop and to put into practice... new ways of human burial or new treatments that could be more environmentally friendly, more ecological.

Smejda conceded that this is a taboo topic for many, with funerary customs deeply rooted in culture and religion.

It's a very complex matter, he noted, and we are just at the start of this discussion, I think.

WATCH: What Does Death Smell Like?

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Our Decomposing Bodies Are Altering Earth's Chemistry - Seeker - Seeker

Smokies hoping to continue Single-A chemistry | Sports … – Maryville Daily Times

Posted on April 16, 2017 by ev1

KODAK As the minor league baseball playoffs drew to a close last season, the Chicago Cubs Single-A affiliate, Myrtle Beach, found itself in an 0-1 hole after one game of the Mills Cup Championship Series, a five-game series between the top two teams of the Carolina League.

That was the last loss of the season for the Pelicans, who rattled off three straight wins over Lynchburg to claim the Cup in four games, winning the title for a second straight year.

The core of that team is still together, but its wearing a different uniform this season, as six starting position players and two starting pitchers from the Pelicans find themselves on the Tennessee Smokies opening-day roster.

I think it can carry over, Smokies manager Mark Johnson said at the teams media day on Wednesday. It does excite me, but its a new year. Just like for the big league team, 2016 was 2016. We have to turn the page and move on. We have to start for today, and see how good we can get for today.

The new year comes with talented new pieces to build around, starting with David Bote. The infielder was named the Carolina League postseason MVP after hitting .341 with six home runs and 41 RBIs in 72 games with the Pelicans last season.

The Longmont, Colo., native was 10 for 15 with four RBIs in the championship series, including a 2-for-4 performance in the deciding game. Hes now hoping he, and his teammates, can translate that success to Double-A. Hes off to a good start, hitting .355 with four RBIs through eight games.

There are really good guys on this team, Bote said. A lot of us have played together for the last three years. A lot of us were in Myrtle Beach last year. We play hard, and we play the game right. Its just a really good group.

Bote isnt the only Pelican star to make his way to the Smokies. Charcer Burks, Ian Rice, Jeffrey Baez, Andrew Ely and Erick Castillo played key roles for Myrtle Beach in the field last season, while Trevor Clifton and James Pugliese picked up wins on the mound in the championship series.

Clifton (No. 7) and game four starter Preston Morrison (No. 29) are ranked as top-30 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization. Burks has taken over the lead-off spot for the Smokies, a place where the Houston native thrived last season. Burks hit .247 with a .356 on base percentage for the Pelicans. He hit 11 home runs and had 43 RBIs.

Hes off to a hot start this season for the Smokies, hitting .281 with an on base percentage of .361 early in the year.

The team chemistry with all these guys right now is awesome, Burks said. We still have that same mentality of whatever it takes to win games. Right now, were just getting a feel for this league. Everybody is still getting adjusted, but as far as clubhouse feel, its just awesome.

Chemistry is a fickle aspect of minor league baseball. Players are constantly moving up and down in an organization, meaning teammates come and go. On top of that, teammates are competing for a limited number of spots on a major league roster, making it difficult to balance camaraderie and a competitive edge.

As far as Double-A baseball goes, however, the Smokies are off to a good start when it comes to putting together a fluid team.

Absolutely, that does help, Johnson said of the continuity. A lot of these guys didnt just play together last year, but have played together for several years. Thats definitely a key component in having good chemistry.

Follow @Taylor_White94 on Twitter for more from sports writer Taylor White.

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Smokies hoping to continue Single-A chemistry | Sports ... - Maryville Daily Times

Horizon baseball uses solid team chemistry to formulate success – Scottsdale Independent

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Fredricko

Pitcher Colin King tosses out a pitch during Horizons 53 home win over Mountain Ridge Wednesday, April 12. (Independent Newsmedia/Josh Martinez)

Most creations need time to set into place before they can reach their full potential and that is no different with the Horizon High School baseball team.

As of Friday, April 14, the Huskies are basking in a 2031 record and have recently drummed out a five-game winning streak to rank among some of the top teams in 6A. With all this success on his hands, head coach Eric Kibler said he thinks his team is enjoying the effects of many years of playing together.

These kids have played together since they were little kids, so that chemistry developed a long time ago and has increased, he said in an April 13 interview. They care for each other a lot, they pull for each other, theyre not willing to give anything up. I think that is the key, theyve played together for so much that they want it so much for each other.

This familiarity has led to a strong bulwark of team chemistry, one that pitcher Colin King said has pushed the team to a high level.

I just want to emphasize how good our team chemistry is this year, he said. I know everybody is enjoying the season. Even our role players are doing a good job coming off the bench, knowing their job and everybodys contributing.

King is part of a solid pitching rotation of which Coach Kibler said is one of the teams biggest strengths. As of Friday, April 14 morning, Horizon as a team has an earned run average of 3.05 and a total of 157 strikeouts, according to statistics on MaxPreps.com.

King has dialed up a 2.15 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 45 and two-thirds innings pitched to pace the rest of the rotation. King is one of three Husky pitchers with an ERA of 3.0 or lower and one of four pitchers with 20 or more strikeouts.

Horizon outfielder Sam Brown jogs to the dugout after an out during Horizons 53 home victory Wednesday, April 12 over Mountain Ridge High School. (Independent Newsmedia/Josh Martinez)

King said the key to the pitching crews success is an aggressive approach from the mound.

We like to get ahead early that way we get them to swing at maybe a breaking pitch or get a ground ball to get the out, he said.

Another aspect King said makes his job a lot easier is the trust he has for the defense behind him, especially in the outfield. King credits four-year starting centerfielder Evan Williams as being the anchor in the outfield. King was not the only one to notice and appreciate the outfields contributions.

Our defense out there is one of the best weve had here, Coach Kibler said. Thats really helped our pitchers, obviously. They have a lot more confidence that if a ball goes out there, its going to get caught.

While Coach Kibler doesnt see much wrong with his teams defensive and pitching efforts, he would like some improvements in the teams hitting. The team has a season batting average of .318 and have recorded an average of three runs per game over its past five.

Along with this, Coach Kibler said he would like to see his team play loose and have fun in the game over the rest of the regular season. The Huskies play their final regular season game Monday, April 24.

Through King and the rest of the team, it appears Coach Kiblers wish is becoming a reality.

This is the most fun Ive had in awhile playing baseball, King said. Its the best team chemistry Ive seen in the three years Ive been on varsity. Weve been playing together most of us since eighth grade, a lot of guys since little league. We play ping pong in the clubhouse before games. We do competitions at the end of practice every day. Its just been a lot of fun this year.

News Services Reporter Josh Martinez can be contacted at jmartinez@newszap.com or at 623-445-2738

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Horizon baseball uses solid team chemistry to formulate success - Scottsdale Independent

Chemistry Goes To The Comics Thanks To One Marquette University Student – WUWM

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Danzig

Teaching often means using creative ways to get through to students about complex subjects. For example, an assignment led one Marquette University undergrad to create a comic book about chemistry. WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach reports.

Teaching often means using creative ways to get through to students about complex subjects.For example, at Marquette University, an assignment has led one undergrad to create a children's comic book about chemistry.

Art has often been used to teach, including about science. Even very commercial art. For example, in the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, a submarine crew was made tiny and sent inside a man. A trailer from the film boasted, "Off on a fantastic voyage, actually entering, inside, the human body, exploring an unknown universe! Unknown danger!"

About 30 years later, the cartoon The Magic School Bus shrunk the bus, teacher Ms. Frizzle and most of her students, and sent them inside a classmate named Arnold. "We're heeeere. Yay, we're back where we started. These are Arnold's skin cells. Cool!" the travelers exclaimed.

When Pouya Mirzaei was growing up, the first year Marquette University student was a fan of The Magic School Bus. He says that helped whenhis general chemistry professor asked their class last fall to create a children's book about chemistry.

Mirzaei eventually decided to shrink his characters, Danny and Noble, so Danny could get a better understanding of atoms.

"Specifically, it's atomic bonds, so how atoms interact with each other. It's one of the more basic principles of chemistry. So since this is targeted towards children, I thought the best principles to choose are the basic ones," Mirzaei recently told WUWM.

Mirzaei is majoring in biomedical sciences and hopes to go to medical school. But he decided he make his assignment a comic book because he's also had another ambition.

''Ever since I was a kid, I loved reading comic books. It was like one of my favorite pastimes. And one of my dreams, is to create a comic book when I am older. So, I thought this is a good chance to practice. It'll take me some extra time, but why not? Mirzaei said.

Stuck With Atomic Bonds is the title of the comic book. Mirzaei says he got a little stuck trying to finish the 12 pages of illustrations.

"Doing all that in a small, compact time, it takes a lot out of you," Mirzaei said.

Mirzaei says to finish the comic book and keep up in other classes required about 20 hours of work, including an all-nighter or two. But he says the effort was worth it, as Marquette University chemistry professor Llanie Nobile says Mirzaei got an A on the assignment.

The instructor only found out during our interview that the character Noble is named after her. Nobile says one of her goals was to see if her students picked up what she was teaching them, by having them explainit to others.

"Because I think it was Albert Einstein that said, 'If you can explain something simply, you understand it,' " she said.

That's also a skill useful for adults, Nobile adds.

"A lot of times, if we work with just other scientists, we can keep things pretty complicated. But when you look outside, when we're dealing with the media, or dealing with the business side, finances, for us to understand what we know on more layman's terms, is a bit challenging," Nobile said.

Keeping things simple, fun and creative are things many educators do every day. But Mirazaei says he'd like to see more of that.

"Anything that's not just beingtold facts. That seems like it would spark a lot more interest," Mirzaei said.

Mirazaei knows something about keeping things interesting. His comic book ends with the cliffhanger of characters Danny and Noble not knowing how to get back to normal size. Do they make it, eventually?

"We'll have to see," Mirzaei answered, adding that Stuck With Atomic Bonds may have a sequel.

Do you have a question about innovation in Wisconsin that you'd like WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach to explore? Submit it below.

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Chemistry Goes To The Comics Thanks To One Marquette University Student - WUWM

Chemistry 101 – Texas A&M University

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Danzig

Texas A&M chemist Simon North officiated the Aug. 17, 2019 wedding of two of his former students, chemistry graduates Julia Santell 19 and Josiah Day 19.

Courtesy of Julia Santell-Day and Josiah Day

During his past two-plus decades as a college professor, Texas A&M University chemist Simon North has gotten his fair share of requests from students, ranging from help understanding a particular concept, for a curve on a recent test, advice on graduate schools and letters of recommendation.

Last spring he fielded his most unique request to date when two former students in his freshman chemistry course, Texas A&M senior chemistry majors Julia Santell 19 and Josiah Day 19, asked him to officiate at Aug. 17 wedding.

One of the benefits of an academic life is getting to know interesting young people and to watch them develop and grow and set out to make the world a better place, said North, head of theTexas A&M Department of Chemistry since 2016. The Class of 2019 is probably the most memorable class in my 22 years at Texas A&M.

The event featured multiple Texas A&M chemistry majors and several of Josiahs Corps of Cadets buddies in the wedding party, along with additional faculty members as honored guests. For his part beyond the traditional something new, old, borrowed and blue, North contributed the Texas-certified officiant status he earned online, as well as a powerful human touch.

North wrote his wedding-day remarks in a leather notebook gifted to him by the mother of another of his former students, 2004 Texas A&M chemistry graduate Dr. Matthew Rowan, who died in August 2016 along with his wife, Sunday Stewart Rowan, in a hot air balloon accident near Lockhart, Texas.

Fittingly, North gifted the notebook to the Days as a compelling keepsake and testament to enduring relationships that of husbands and wives, as well as that of student and teacher.

A marriage ceremony is a wonderful, joyous event a chance to celebrate publicly a lifetime commitment of two fantastic people. I have known Julia and Josiah since they were freshmen in my chemistry class in the fall of 2015. It is interesting that the first email I received from Julia asked about hypergolic propellants. For the non-chemists, these consist of two components which spontaneously ignite when they come into contact with each other. As a couple, Julia and Josiah are both inquisitive, interested and present. They are both kind, polite and respectful. They have both surrounded themselves with kind, supportive and loving friends. And they have excellent chemistry.

Julia and Joshia graduated from Texas A&M last May. To read more about their story, visit the College of Science website.

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Chemistry 101 - Texas A&M University

Questionable research practices are hurting junior researchers | News – Chemistry World

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Danzig

A third of early-career researchers have had their work harmed by the questionable research practices of colleagues based at their institution, an online survey of over 600 Australian researchers has found. That number is higher for women, with roughly four in 10 reporting being affected by the questionable research practices of colleagues at their institution.

The survey also found that a third of women and 29% of men also reported being affected by these practices by colleagues at other institutions. This was surprising, says study co-author Kate Christian, who studies higher education practices at Federation University Australia in Ballarat, Victoria. I can only surmise that those people are collaborators.

The study, published as a preprint, included 658 doctoral or postdoctoral researchers, around half of whom are working in the health or medical sciences. Over half the respondents said that their research had been hurt by a lack of support from institutional leaders, and over a quarter said they had suffered harassment from those in positions of power.

More than 15% of female respondents and around 11% of male respondents said they feel unsafe at work, the survey found. When asked what they would change about their work environment, more than half pointed to job insecurity.

Christian says she was told during interviews with some researchers that leadership at institutions typically know about many of the problems, but choose not to do anything about them. If they could be taught not to brush it under the carpet, to not tolerate the bullying and harassment, to improve the supervision and to generally tighten up looking after young researchers, life would be improved, she says.

The study follows another survey of over 4000 researchers released last month by the UK biomedical research charity Wellcome Trust, which reported widespread bullying and harassment, as well as long working days and pressure to publish papers.

The parallels to the Wellcome survey are striking, and thus I do think this study gives further evidence for the wide prevalence of such issues across academia globally, says Toma Susi, vice chair of Young Academy of Europe (YAE), a network of early-career researchers.

In a 2019 survey, YAE found that half of junior researchers work more than 50 hours a week. There is an increasing, and I think justified, concern that such interconnected problems with research culture and job security are leading to stress, burnout and mental health issues, as well as potentially undermining the integrity of research, Susi says.

Ferric Fang, a microbiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle who has investigated research misconduct, notes that the term used by the new survey questionable research practices is quite broad. It would be nice to have more details on specific practices, Fang says. Susi agrees.

For Fang, one thing is clear. The status quo is unacceptable, he says. We will not have a robust scientific enterprise if many of the most talented trainees become discouraged and choose other career paths.

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