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Tom Savage building chemistry with teammates | Texans Wire – Texans Wire

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Danzig

The last time Tom Savage entered a season as the presumptive starting quarterback was four years ago, when, as a senior, he guided the Pitt Panthers to a 6-6 record that culminated in a 30-27 victory in the Little CaesarsPizza Bowl.

Nearly five months after that game, which Savage was knocked out of early, the Houston Texans selected Savage in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. After waiting in the wings three seasons, the now 27-year-old signal caller will finally get his chance to become an NFL starter.

After three long years watching and learning head coach Bill OBriens complex offensive scheme, Savage entered OTAs as Houstons starting quarterback. Despite the acquisition of Deshaun Watson via the 2017NFL Draft, Savage plans on finishing 2017 as the starter.

To do that, Savage will need to build chemistry and rapport with his teammates on both sides of the ball. Accordingto Savage, getting the chance to practice against the leagues top defense is invaluable.

Its a good bonding experience obviously within the team, but the challenges are they are the Houston Texans defense, said Savage. Im realizing you have to get this ball out quick, especially with that front and those guys covering.

As difficult as its been, Savage seems to be enjoying the challenge.I love this because were all out there competing and were all kind of if you heard it were all yapping at each other. Its a good bonding experience.

Even more important for Savage and the rest of the Texans offense in OTAs is to work on timing, chemistry and getting the offense functioning as a unit much better than they did in 2016.

By opening OTAs as the starter, Savage is now receiving important first-team reps, which give him that opportunity to build a rapport with his lineman, backs and receivers.

Its helping a lot, Savage said about playing with the starters. We get a limited time, and we all have to meet extra a little bit after if we want to get better. Thats what it comes down to.

But Savage knows that while staying after practice with his pass catchers is important, lining up with the entire offense, going over cadences and learning to work as a cohesive unit is the most important take away from Mays OTAs.

Just repetition and stuff were doing after practice and extra meetings. We get a limited time, and we all have to meet extra a little bit after if we want to get better, said Savage. Thats what it comes down to.

Despite this being his first season as a starter, Savage isnt preparing differently than he has in his previous three seasons, but he understands he is now being counted on as a leader.

I think a little more of it is in the communication, obviously, with some of the guys. When youre a third-string quarterback, youre not really going up to DeAndre Hopkins and telling him how you want a bow route or something. Now communication comes in and you have to be on the same page with all of them. Thats what were working on now.

Entering his fourth season as a pro, Savage knows the spotlight will be on him. Its a great opportunity. I hate to say its special because I have to go out there and I have to earn it every day, said Savage.

Savage also knows in the NFL you must constantly earn playing time, so hes not necessarily ready to celebrate his new role. Perhaps with veteran savvy, Savage thinks there will be time to celebrate later.

Itll be special at the end of the season.

Run The Jewels 3, Three Years Later: The Intangible Chemistry Of Killer Mike and El-P – HotNewHipHop

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Danzig

Hip-Hop knows no geographical bounds.Since flying the nest of its birthplace to connect artists and fans around the world, imaginary lines in the sand or coastal divides have became obsolete, allowing for a creative free-for-all that links up MCs with varying backgrounds to compliment one anothers styles.

After crowning themselves the top tag team for two summers on their second album, Run The Jewels have become thebenchmark for what canhappen when two former solo artists from entirely different heritages and traditions consolidate their efforts for a common goal. And on Christmas Eve, 2016, hip-hop fans were rewarded for their patience with the neo-futuristic masterpiece that is RTJ3. Once again distributed to the world free of charge, the album expanded on the mix of bombastic production, mentally stimulating bar-work and healthy dose of satirical cockiness that wed grown to love from Mike and El. But above all, it stands as a totem to their uncontainable chemistry that leaps off of every track and makes you feel the kinship thats placed front and center of everything they do.

Although Killer Mike may have his cut his teeth in the creative hotbed of Dungeon Family era Atlanta while EL-P set the stage for countless hip-hop subversives to come as one half of Company Flow, the pairing radiate an ideological and musical synergy that you never quite got from a Watch The Throne or What A Time To Be Alive. As evident in their playful Tiny Desk Concert, its almost hard to believe that one of the greatest duos of a generation is the by-product of El getting the call to produce just 3 jams for the southern MC & activist.RTJ came about after the two converged for Killer Mikes fifth and presently final solo projectR.A.P Music, introduced toone another by Adult Swims Jason Demarco. Their moniker, of course, iscribbed from LL Cool Js Cheesy Rat Blues. Initiallyhesitantabout dedicating so much time to another artists vision, all of that dissipated when the two found inspiration in another unlikely crossover. "We were looking at records like AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and thinking about how Ice Cube left N.W.A. and went to the East Coast,"El told Pitchfork. "He hooked up with the Bomb Squad, and that yielded this amazing combination of sounds. That's what we were going for."

Els description of the records conception to Red Bull Music Academy sounds as organic as it comes and would set the precedent from there on out. "I wasnt just making beats for him and sending them. We sat in a room for three months. There were no managers and there was no one else. There were no other voices, and there was no idea except two fully grown, aging children, just trying to make themselves smile." Even though they were trying to entertain themselves, the ensuing album garnered some of the best reviews of Killer Mikes entire career and led both men to consider whether their natural rapport equated to lightning in a bottle. Irreconcilable with the success that theyre privy to now, lets not forget that the straight talking, hard-hitting work on R.A.P Music was crafted by two men that had been struck with the scornful disinterest of the hip-hop world at different times in their careers. And for a tandem that exudes self-assurance from every syllable, the multitalented producer/rapper EL-P real name Jaime Meline isnt afraid to admit that it came during a period of great uncertainty.

"Run the Jewels and me and Mike and our connection and everything came out of a time, a period of time I lost," he informed underground radio legends Stretch & Bobbito. "I had personally lost everything, everything that I had been working on, including any personal money that I had or any, you know, the record label [Def Jux] that I'd been working on for 10 years and all and friends that had passed away. A lot of stuff kind of fell out from underneath my feet completely. I had a period of time where I was - a couple years where I was really - I had been humbled by the world. And I'd been humbled by the universe." Pairedwith Killer Mike revealing that he was"a strip club promoter for a year or so when I fell off," both men had nothing to lose. The sense of reckless abandon,described by Mikeas"that bad guy shit," billows out of their first project under the banner of Run The Jewels.

Dropped just over a year after R.A.P Music, their eponymous debut is all clattering beats and scintillating punchlines that held hip-hop to ransom. Featuring seminal offerings such as Sea Legs, DDFH and the Big Boi-flanked Banana Clipper, the project set the tone for their take-no-prisoners approach to both production and songcraft and contains some of the finest tracks of their entire careers.

"Musically, I feel like Ive found my soulmate," Killer Mike said to C-Ville in 2014. "Ive tried to explain it a thousand different times and given a thousand different answers. But I think it just comes straight down to it was just meant, you know?" Backed up by Els claims that it is simply their "relationship extended into the creative endeavour" and that "you can hear the difference," their dynamic is one thats been eked out to the world in snippets and makes listeners yearn to be a fly on the wall for their studio sessions. On a rare occasion that they allowed a camera crew to get a glimpse of the process, the recording of Run The Jewels 2 in Garrison, NY saw Mike give a little insight into the unorthodox delegation of labour that governs them.

"Youve got one player who shows up to practice every day and youve got another guy whos like practice? PRACTICE? but yet somehow we win championships and Im happy about it." As this 6 minute Fader mini-doc proves, the end product is not born of some unspoken telekinesis and healthy debate is more than welcome. Soundtracked by the strains of Mikes incendiary verse on album opener Jeopardy, the duo bicker over whether El needs to hop on it as Killer Mike lobbies to just put down that long dope ass verse to let motherfuckers know that this shit is real for the next 40 minutes or so. When the record emerged, the foreboding track arrived complete with standout verses from both Mike and El, while the latter signing off and setting up the fizzling chaos of Oh My Darling Dont Cry with a line thats not only became an epithet for the group, but puts their shared power into perspective: "I been here making raw shit and never asked to be lauded, Run the Jewels is the answer, your question is what's poppin'?"

Incapable of delivering a carbon copy of what had went before, RTJ pushed the formula of the original record to unforeseen heights and bombarded the listener with a heady mix of slick talk (Blockbuster Night Pt 2, Love Again), social commentary (Early, Crown) and thrilling sonic experiments ("Angel Duster", "All My Life"). As to why evolution is so deep rooted into their shared psyche, El explained to DIY that it comes from nurturing their relationship from infancy to something self-sustainable and brimming with its own identity. "Its like raising a kid," El told the publication. "Every year that kid is alive, it has more to say, that kid has more ideas, and more experience. For us as artists, the reason we have managed to stay sharp is because there was never a moment in our minds where we got comfortable with what weve done. We were always dead-set on doing the next thing."

When the "next thing"arrived on that fateful Christmas eve, theyd once again re-emerged with another new vantage point from which to launch a gripping assault on the world. Informed by the seemingly inconsequential activities of"smoking weed, eating shrooms and watching Big Trouble In Little China everyday," their third release took their pre-established sound from the previous two outings up to a colourful and purposefully maximal highpoint. Sporting some of the most potent lyricism Killer Mike has ever conjured-- see his emotionally raw verse on Report To The Shareholders-- while El-P cavorts around the musical world like a true titan and bends the essence of electronica, boom-bap and other disparate sounds (Call Ticketro
n, Panther Like A Panther, Down) to his will. Killer Mike stated their post-2016 election record was devised as a a call to organize, and a way to remain hopeful if you are out on the streets protesting and I think we did that.

Now, as the world continues to spiral even deeper into a state of disrepair, the return of that insatiable chemistry is approaching and couldnt come at a better time. Although El-P has explicitly stated that therell be no Christmas miracle this time around, his freshly tweeted description of the album as a screaming, careening fireball of a record is enough to keep the excitement at a boiling point.

Proving themselves to be the crew you can trust, warranty-plus for fucking shit up, a recently published sit-down that Killer Mike had for Patreon not only encapsulated their journey and how mutually beneficial their partnership is but reiterated that theyve not lost sight of the ethos thats stood them in such good stead to this point. "The overnight success came after ten years of attempting to find the sound that he already had. You stay true to your ideas, but if an idea is not working, dont be afraid to adjust. Run The Jewels is Run The Jewels because we are our own masters."

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Run The Jewels 3, Three Years Later: The Intangible Chemistry Of Killer Mike and El-P - HotNewHipHop

What we need to know to make our labs safer – Chemistry World

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Danzig

Academic chemistry is, by its very nature, a risky activity. When we create new molecules and ask new questions, there is always the possibility that things could go wrong in unexpected and dangerous ways. This inherent risk is nothing new. In the 1840s, when August Kekul began his studies in Justus von Liebigs laboratory, he was supposedly told: If you want to become a chemist you have to ruin your health. Who does not ruin his health by his studies, nowadays will not get anywhere in chemistry.

In the years since then, our methods, facilities and lab equipment have evolved. However, attitudes towards safety sometimes seem to be stuck in the 19th century. Despite the regular occurrence of major incidents resulting in significant damage to people and property, little is known about why these happen in academic labs. We dont even have an answer to the basic question of how big a problem they are.

Over the last decade, lab safety incidents have led to at least one death per year worldwide. However, in many instances, regulatory gaps confound an accurate determination of how many injuries occur. For example, in Ontario, Canada, unpaid students working in a professors lab are not covered by the provincial board regulating workplace safety. If an incident results in injuries to a full-time staff member, a report would be filed; however, should the victim be an undergraduate volunteer or a PhD student on a scholarship, the province would not necessarily be notified.

In Canada alone, there are 13 provincial regulatory boards, each having their own standards for what type of incident is reportable. No entity has a comprehensive answer to how many incidents occur each year across the country. The few studies that have looked at incident frequency in North America paint a troubling picture: 1530% of laboratory personnel have witnessed or been involved in an incident severe enough to warrant attention from a medical professional. In any other field of study or area of work, an injury rate this high would be shocking and grounds for further inquiry. The lack of systematic outrage indicates that in chemistry, it goes with the territory.

Do certain characteristics of the individual, the lab or the institution make incidents more likely to happen? Again, we have no idea. We cannot find any studies that looked at how the skills, knowledge, experience or attitudes of research personnel are associated with the occurrence of safety problems in the lab. Similarly, there have been no systematic studies investigating the occurrence and recurrence of incidents within specific departments or universities, nor has there been research looking at the role of situational factors, such as time of day, in causing incidents. Often, when a significant incident has occurred, case studies are written providing these details. Although these are interesting and there is much to learn from them, anecdotes are a poor basis for establishing policy.

Practising academic chemists often dont have the time or methodological background to ask the types of questions that will reveal how hazards arise in the lab. However, there also seems to be ignorance that safety is even an issue. Lab personnel participating in studies of safety culture report that safety is a high priority in their labs and that these are safe places to work. However, their behaviours tell another story. Often these same studies show that participants dont conduct risk assessments before performing laboratory work, dont use existing safety information to develop experimental procedures, and dont consistently wear protective equipment. Many report that they have not received safety training (or have not received it in a timely fashion) and would not know how to handle an emergency in the lab such as a fire or flood. Safety is generally taken more seriously in industrial workplaces, but data shows that even there, employee compliance with safety policies remains far less than ideal.

Its a contradiction scientists say they care about safety but behave in profoundly unsafe ways. Our conclusion is that cavalier behaviour in the lab has become normalised in the discipline. The field still observes Liebigs credo: advancing chemistry requires maximising productivity at the possible expense of safety.

To change attitudes in the field, we need lots of data. We currently have none. We need to know how many incidents occur, what kind, who is involved, where and when they happen and, most importantly, why. Why this individual, why this lab, why this university? We also need to know what happens after the incident. Do injuries heal? Do those involved recover, or do they develop anxiety about lab work or doubts about their field of study? But first, theres another question we need to answer. How do we convince academic chemistry that this is a problem worth caring about? This requires all of us who care about safety to push the discipline in the right direction together.

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What we need to know to make our labs safer - Chemistry World

Free chemistry day camps offered for middle school girls – Smile Politely – Champaign-Urbana’s Online Magazine

Posted on May 10, 2017 by ev1

If you know of a girl entering sixth, seventh, or eighth grade who shows interest in science, The American Chemical Society- Women's Chemist Committee is offering 2 day camps for them to explore the field of chemistry. It's no secret that women are seriously underrepresented in the STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) fields, so every opportunity to bring girls into the fold is an opportunity to change that. And it'sfree,people! Check out the press release and flyer below for dates and info on how to sign up:

Subject: UIUC Chemistry Day Camp for Middle School Girls

This summer your rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls have an awesome and fun opportunity. The American Chemical Society - Women's Chemist Committee (WCC) is hosting their tenth annual "Bonding with Chemistry: A Day Camp for Girls". We will be having the day camps on Saturday, June 24th and Saturday, July 8th from 9-3pm. Our day camp allows middle school girls to play and learn about chemistry through exciting and fun hands-on demonstrations, led by current University chemistry graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Registration for the day camp is FREE! To sign up for this fun-filled event, parents can fill out this easy form: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/9132920.

For more information regarding the day camp, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Michaela Carlson and Courtney Ford at wccgirlsdaycamp@gmail.com

Thank you for your time and we hope to meet some of your students for some chemistry fun this summer!

Sincerely,

The ACS-WCC Board

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Free chemistry day camps offered for middle school girls - Smile Politely - Champaign-Urbana's Online Magazine

Bonding over basketball (and chemistry) at a Target deli – ESPN

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Fredricko

By Matt Eisenberg | May 17, 2017 espnW.com

Courtesy of Mohammed Jaljouli

Mohammed Jaljouli was surprised when his co-worker, Adele Walters, brought handwritten notes from watching a basketball game on TV. That's when he knew she was seriously interested in learning more about the sport.

Adele Walter learned everything she knows about basketball at a Target deli in Salt Lake City.

Before she found out exactly who LeBron James, Isaiah Thomas and Gordon Hayward were, she needed to know about the game itself, starting with how teams score points. So her 20-year-old coworker, Mohammed Jaljouli, explained the different types of shots: layups, 3-pointers, free throws. Then they moved on to fouls -- and that took awhile.

One night, she finished her shift, returned home and watched an NBA playoff game with her cats, two orange tabbies named Bambi and Schnicklefritz. But when she put it on, the game moved by so quickly that she didn't know why everything was happening the way it was.

So she grabbed a Sharpie and a piece of paper, used her DVR and began taking notes.

"Of all the things I hate in this life," Walter said, "I hate not understanding something."

She wrote down Pacers guard Lance Stephenson's statistics as they appeared on the screen. Based on her notes, the Cavaliers were leading the Pacers 38-34 midway through the second quarter of Game 4 in their first-round series. She jotted down the postseason's leading scorers. She copied the Western Conference bracket -- back when the Utah Jazz were down 2-1 in their first-round series against the Clippers.

Walter went back to the deli the next day, and instead of talking to Jaljouli about chemistry or "Longmire," the A&E series starring Robert Taylor, she showed Jaljouli the notes. She wanted to know more, mostly because of him.

"She paused the TV while she was watching the game and she literally wrote down everything that confused her," Jaljouli said. "That was the best part to me."

Jaljouli has loved the sport his whole life.

"He's just absolutely galvanized, and that gets my attention," Walter said.

For Jaljouli, it started with a Nintendo 64 video game. Originally from Queens, he grew up as a Miami Heat fan thanks to Dwyane Wade. Often, after finishing a 1-9 p.m. shift, he heads to the court to put up some shots with his brother.

Courtesy of Mohammed Jaljouli

Mohammed Jaljouli and Adele Walters like to talk about three things: chemistry, "Longmire" and basketball.

Walter is the mother of four children who are in their 30s and 40s. She made a point to note that one of her sons is a medic in the military and another is a doctor. "All 10 of my grandchildren are geniuses, just ask me," she said with a laugh. Her husband, Bryan, died in 2008 of a heart attack.

She says Target is "the right environment for me" and enjoys working there. She is also a science junkie. She used to work as a licensed practical nurse, and she was entranced by the documentary "Particle Fever." When she found out that Jaljouli studied chemistry at Salt Lake Community College with hopes of transferring to the University of Utah, they immediately clicked.

"Adele's a really good talker," Jaljouli said, "so she could talk about anything for hours."

Their group at the deli at Target loves thoughtful, challenging conversation, with the occasional pun. Basketball is another way for them to connect.

Walter didn't tell Jaljouli she'd be taking notes while watching the game. He thought she would watch a little bit of the game and then change the channel and put on something else. Needless to say, he was surprised to see her with a page of notes from the night before.

"That's when I knew she was really determined to learn," he said.

She paused the TV while she was watching the game and she literally wrote down everything that confused her. That was the best part to me.

Mohammed Jaljouli

Jaljouli explained who LeBron James was, mentioning his departure from and return to Cleveland. "He's a machine," Walter said.

She likes 5-foot-9 guard Isaiah Thomas and his Celtics. She's rooting for Boston not because she has any close ties to the city -- she was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana -- but rather because Robert B. Parker's books on the detectives Spenser and Hawk were set there.

Jaljouli can tell her basketball IQ is growing. For instance, she now abbreviates FT for free throws and can easily follow statistics. Plus, she remembered who Gordon Hayward was when he strolled into Target after the Jazz's season ended (though she didn't recognize him until Jaljouli pointed him out). And since Jaljouli and Walter share a bond -- no chemistry pun intended -- he makes for a good mentor.

"He's in chemistry, so he's very, very specific about everything, and I love it," Walter said. "Very clear and very detailed, and he slows it down to the pace that you understand."

It isn't the flashy dunks and highlight plays that keep Walter intrigued. It's the mental aspect of the game. How players can so easily find a rhythm and perfect their shooting motion. The physics. How 1/16th of an inch can be the difference between a shot going through the net or deflecting off the rim. The coordination. How much each player needs to process around him to set up a shot.

"It's so cerebral," she said.

Her NBA Finals prediction is Cavs-Warriors, and even after the playoffs end she plans to keep following the sport. In another week or so, she thinks she'll be able to watch a full game and understand everything that's happening. Once she grasps that knowledge, she'll have a deeper level of care.

"She loves it too now," Jaljouli said. "She's so interested, and I love that. It's teaching somebody your favorite thing in the world."

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Bonding over basketball (and chemistry) at a Target deli - ESPN

Global Project Will Help Promote Green Chemistry in Developing Countries – Yale News

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Fredricko

The F&ES-based Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale (CGCGE) has entered into a three-year global collaboration that will promote the principles and implementation of green chemistry in low- and middle-income countries.

The Global Project on Green Chemistry, a public-private initiative led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will increase global awareness and deploy green chemistry approaches and technologies.

Drawing on a large research consortium led by experts at the Yale center and other international partners, the collaboration will develop curricula and training on green chemistry practices.

Green chemistry is defined as the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry approaches have benefited people around the world by making the products people use safer and their manufacturing processes less polluting, said Paul T. Anastas, director of the CGCGE.

While many nations have enacted laws and established structures to reduce the amount of chemicals used and numerous companies have adopted chemical management programs to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals the increasing variety and complexity of chemicals expose serious gaps in government and international policies and corporate practices.

As a partner in the collaboration, the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale will provide technical content and organize training workshops for partner institutions in other countries.

We are very happy to be working with UNIDO and GEF on this important project. Anastas added.

The Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale advances sustainability by catalyzing the effectiveness of the green larger chemistry community through research, policy and outreach, education, international collaborations, and working with industry.

While the Center's education program is focused on teaching undergraduate and graduate students in the principles and practices of green chemistry, it also provides opportunities for faculty training and offers development and dissemination of curriculum materials on green chemistry and green engineering to practitioners as well.

The Global Project on Green Chemistry is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a partnership that uses targeted investments to address some of the worlds most challenging issues.

The GEF is pleased to fund this first global public-private initiative that will help bridge the gap between science and real-world application of Green Chemistry approaches, said Evelyn Swain, environmental specialist at the GEF.

UNIDO is a leader in chemicals management, having advanced initiatives that address the challenges of hazardous chemicals through holistic, wide-ranging actions and preventive design and management of chemicals and waste.

Other partners in the global project include the German Federal Environmental Foundation and Braskem, the largest thermoplastic resins producer in the Americas.

The collaboration was officially launched during an event in Brazil, which was attended by more than 150 participants from industry, science, policy, and other professional backgrounds. In addition to numerous presentations about the different facets of green chemistry including a keynote by Paul Anastas green chemistry experts from Brazil, Egypt, Peru, Serbia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka gave presentations on the potential for green chemistry in their countries.

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Global Project Will Help Promote Green Chemistry in Developing Countries - Yale News

Chemistry building for Herd football team | Marshall Sports | herald … – Huntington Herald Dispatch

Posted on April 29, 2017 by ev1

HUNTINGTON - Following the 2016 season, there was undoubtedly many areas where Marshall University's football team needed improvement to get back to its winning ways.

Marshall had a 3-9 season in 2016, following three consecutive seasons with at least 10 victories.

Some of the problems in 2016 involved techniques and nuances of the game, but the biggest need was about team chemistry - something that deteriorated as the 2016 season progressed.

As losses piled up, team cohesion broke down - so much so that at one point Marshall head coach Doc Holliday went on to say the Thundering Herd "wasn't a good team right now." In the winter months and into spring practice much of the focus has been on that area.

"I see us getting back to that camaraderie across the ball, outside of your own little world," said Bill Legg, the Marshall offensive coordinator. "That's a good thing to see, for sure. Quarterbacks spend all their time together. Wide receivers spend all their time together. Offensive linemen spend all their time together. That cohesion is natural, but this year, there's a lot more coming from everybody."

Team cohesion is important because when things start to go bad like they did in 2016 it is easy for one position group of players to begin pointing fingers at another position when the team cohesion isn't present.

Nearly all of Marshall's players involved in the 2016 season had never experienced much adversity associated with losing. When things went bad, nobody - veterans included - really knew how to handle it, and it was a tough situation for all.

"There was a mindset that 'We're just going to do it again because we are Marshall and we have an M on our helmet,'" Legg said. "Reality, all of the sudden was, 'Dude, you've got to go and take it because we've got a target on our back every single time we step on the field because we are Marshall.'

"You don't win games because we are Marshall. You win games because you've got really smart, tough, gritty football players that love each other wearing Marshall helmets that go out to compete for four quarters."

During the offseason and this spring Marshall strength and conditioning coach Luke Day put players in situations that were so demanding and tough they had to learn to lean on each other for support to make it through, which helped build chemistry.

"Coach Day has done not just a phenomenal job getting them bigger and stronger, but also with life lessons," Legg said. "It's sinking in and it is starting to feel - it's not all the way there, yet - but it's starting to feel like it felt two years ago, three years ago, four years ago."

Differences have been visible throughout the spring sessions as players from different positions congratulate effort as the team grows.

Those instances included quarterback Chase Litton coming off the sideline to congratulate defensive lineman Channing Hames for a sack, running back Keion Davis congratulating the linebackers for good tackles and wide receivers acknowledging secondary players when they make plays.

Those gestures can be the difference between success and failure on the field this fall.

"If we can just stay the course individually and collectively, then we give ourselves a chance," Legg said. "We could go from having the biggest drop-off to having the biggest turnaround."

Marshall puts the wraps on spring practice with a 9:15 a.m. Saturday scrimmage.

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Chemistry building for Herd football team | Marshall Sports | herald ... - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Hilarious and emotional: our inaugural Chemistry Stories event – Royal Society of Chemistry

Posted on April 29, 2017 by ev1

Yorkshire puddings and Niagara Falls

For the first Chemistry Stories event, eight chemists and non-chemists told their chemistry-related stories at a gathering in the University of Cambridge Chemistry Department. These included a humanising tale of a Yorkshire pudding "defeating" chemistry and the hilarious description of a final year postgrads desperation for results causing "Niagara Falls" in the University of Cambridge Chemistry Department.

Edwin Silvester, our news and media manager and former BBC journalist, told the story of how he went from hating science in senior school and accusing his friend of being "too interesting to do science and maths A-levels" to being inspired by a group of kids doing science experiments in a shopping centre finally ending up working with us at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

As well as the many lighthearted and funny stories, there was also an emotional element to the evening when Sarah Madden described how chemistry taught her to "try, try again" after overcoming illness and finishing her chemistry degree.

The event was conceived and coordinated by Susan Vickers, Public Engagement Executive at the Royal Society of Chemistry and the person responsible for using the PAC research to revise our public engagement strategy.

As Susan explains: "I was so impressed by the storytellers at our event; it can be daunting to tell such personal stories to an audience!

"The stories were so entertaining and great at demonstrating the human and emotional side of chemistry. Stories are more interesting, understandable, and memorable than lectures and we plan to use this approach more in the future."

The next Chemistry Stories event will be in Burlington House on Tuesday 30 May and will be packed with more chemistry accounts and anecdotes. For more information email Susan Vickers (using the "Public outreach" details on the left of this page)or check out ourevents page.

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Hilarious and emotional: our inaugural Chemistry Stories event - Royal Society of Chemistry

Softball Notebook: Kays off to hot start behind team chemistry – Kankakee Daily Journal

Posted on April 12, 2017 by ev1

Kankakee has had excellent pitching in each of the last three seasons thanks to its staff ace, Sara Serena. The junior pitcher has also been the team's most productive offensive threat over that span.

But in past seasons, the Kays sometimes seemed to lack that extra something that would push them over the edge.

This year, coach Deb Johnston and her team may have found what they've been looking for.

While plenty of the hitters in the lineup aren't new to the team this season, veteran players like Ashton Thomas, Kaylee Seppelfrick, Alanna Glogowski and Tyler Thomas have been around. However, so far this season, it seems like everyone is hitting their stride all at the same time.

Part of that can no doubt be attributed to the foursome of upperclassmen having gained experience. All four, along with Serena, play travel softball in the summer.

But when you watch the team on the field, the positive atmosphere that surrounds the team is quickly apparent and the chemistry that exists between the players translates in between the lines. There is a rather small gap in age between the 12 players that make up Kankakee's roster while Arseneau and Jen Sotello are the lone sophomores.

To Johnston, the close relationships between players fosters a desire to succeed not for themselves, but for each other.

They all want to contribute," she said. "They know what needs to be done and have that desire. They see the other kids contributing and they want to be a part of the offense. Just listening to them, when they get a hit, they're excited and their teammates are excited for them."

"Success breeds success and the more we have, the better off they're going to be."

The Kays have found some of that success in the early-going. They have already picked up wins against stout opponents like TF South and Shepard and are clobbering conference opponents like Rich South, who they defeated 27-0 on Tuesday.

The whole thing still revolves around Serena with good reason, she drove in 11 RBIs in the win against Rich South while notching 15 strikeouts in the circle but the increase in offensive output could be what makes the difference.

Johnston doesn't shy away from competition, so the remainder of the schedule is filled with a slew of serious challenges like Herscher, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Beecher and Bishop McNamara. They'll have plenty of opportunities to test their mettle before the postseason rolls around.

"If the season plays out the way we expect, you will be on a winning team." Johnston tells her players, some of which have never been a part of a team with a winning record in any sport.

"Success is important and you're playing for a purpose, you're playing to get better and you're playing to win," she said. "We want to make sure where we are at the end of the year is not where we are now."

Watseka gets off to hot start despite cold weather

It's early but Watseka seems to be meeting its lofty preseason expectations.

The Warriors came into the season neck-and-neck with Dwight as the favorite to win a Sangamon Valley Conference championship and their excellent nucleus of returning producers was a big reason why.

Multi-sport stars like Magan Harris, Summer Cramer and the Bauer sisters, Madison and Kennedy are anything but strangers to stepping up and providing leadership for a team.

All four are off to hot starts through eight games this season.

Harris is leading the charge with a .520 batting average, five home runs, 20 RBIs and five stolen bases. Madison Bauer has posted an on-base percentage of .655, thanks to her patient approach. She's drawn 10 walks to go with three doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs.

The Warriors lost their season-opener to Fisher, who finished fourth in Class 1A last year, after squandering a lead in the late innings. Since then, they've rattled off seven straight wins.

"We're pleased with our start," said head coach Barry Bauer. "Like anyone else, we wish we had gotten a few more games in (due to the weather cancellations). After Easter, I think we're going to be packing them in and playing pretty much every night."

"We had high expectations coming into the season and we're pretty happy with where we're at right now."

The biggest x-factor for the Warriors, though, has been pitcher Taylor Hotaling.

After setting the Warriors' single season record in strikeouts last season, the senior has come back stronger than ever this year.

Through eight games, Hotaling has fanned 87 hitters and struck out at least 10 in every game she's pitched.

She doesn't have exceptional velocity but her track record of striking out hitters speaks for itself. Her command has been impeccable over the course of her career and it's paying dividends once again in 2017.

Her signature moment this year came against Urbana. The Warriors scheduled the much larger 3A program to fill a spot left by a scheduling conflict with Tri-Point. After Hotaling was through with them, Urbana may have wished it had left the schedule alone.

Hotaling tossed a no-hitter in a 12-0 win, striking out 16 along the way. Going up two classes from 1A to 3A and winning in that fashion is truly an impressive feat.

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Softball Notebook: Kays off to hot start behind team chemistry - Kankakee Daily Journal

Humans alter Earth’s chemistry from beyond the grave – Phys.org – Phys.Org

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Danzig

April 26, 2017 by Maritte Le Roux A young man pays his respects to his ancestors at a cemetery in Shanghai

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, sulphur, calcium and phosphorus into ground that may 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."

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 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 analyse 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, the ground contained "significantly" higher concentrations of chemicals compared to the surrounds, Smejda said.

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.

But concentrating them in certain places "is something that can be regarded as not natural. It's a human impact, 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 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."

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 just at the start of this discussion, I think."

Explore further: Increased water availability from climate change may release more nutrients into soil in Antarctica

2017 AFP

As climate change continues to impact the Antarctic, glacier melt and permafrost thaw are likely to make more liquid water available to soil and aquatic ecosystems in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, potentially providing a more ...

People who care about improving the environment in life may soon be able to do so after death. Entrepreneurs in Europe have developed two new and unusual methods of body disposal including a low-heat cremation method ...

Well-trained cadaver dogs can be remarkably adept at discerning the smell of human remains from those of animals. Mimicking these canines' abilities in an artificial nose would be a huge help in disasters when thousands of ...

A new scientific study of medieval human bones, excavated from a deserted English village, suggests the corpses they came from were burnt and mutilated. Researchers from the University of Southampton and Historic England ...

Ancient Britons may have intentionally mummified some of their dead during the Bronze Age, according to archaeologists at the University of Sheffield.

Gardeners tend to look at earthworms as good helpers that break down fallen leaves and other organic matter into nutrients plants can use.

Tropical rainforests are often described as the "lungs of the earth," able to inhale carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and exhale oxygen in return. The faster they grow, the more they mitigate climate change by absorbing ...

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso produces enough soybeans to be the equivalent of Iowa and Illinois put together. But it also plays home to lush Amazon rain forest, one of the richest, and most vulnerable, ecological treasures ...

Recent articles have declared that deposits of raw mineral materials (copper, zinc, etc.) will be exhausted within a few decades. An international team including the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has shown that ...

A new climate model developed by Yale scientists puts the "global warming hiatus" into a broader historical context and offers a new method for predicting global mean temperature.

Climate change may be putting cyanobacteria that are crucial to the functioning of the ocean at risk as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases and the acidity of ocean water changes.

University of Adelaide researchers have constructed a marine food web to show how climate change could affect our future fish supplies and marine biodiversity.

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Humans alter Earth's chemistry from beyond the grave - Phys.org - Phys.Org

Chemistry papers challenged a paradigm – until the authors spotted … – Retraction Watch (blog)

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Danzig

Several years ago, a groupof four chemists believedthey had stumbled upon evidence that contradicted a fairly well-established model in fluid dynamics.

Between 2013 and 2015, the researchers published a series of four papers detailing their results two in ACS Macro Letters and two in Macromolecules.Timothy P. Lodge, the journals editor and a distinguished professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, explained that the results were somewhat controversial, because they appeared to contradict the generally accepted model for how somepolymer fluids move.

Indeed, the papers sparked debate between the authors and other experts who questioned the new data, arguing it didnt upend the previous model.

Then, in 2015, the authors realized their critics might be correct.

The authors began to suspect something wasnt quite right after a 2015 paper in ACS Macro Letters reported significantlydifferent results. Last author Zhen-Gang Wang, a professor of chemical engineering at California Institute ofTechnology, explained:

We first got alarmed by the large discrepancy with our results reported in a paper by Cao and Lihktman (ref. 6 in our retractions) for a very similar system.

Wang and his team wanted to understand the source of this discrepancy, so they went back to check their data and protocols:

To resolve the discrepancy, we did a lot ofindependent checking using different protocols, including using a new program written from scratch by anotherstudent in one of the PIs group.

Theseindependenttestsconvinced us that our published results were wrong, Wang said.

Further digging revealedthe source of the problem: a glitch in the computer code used to derive their simulation results. Wang explained:

As we have described in our retractions, the source of errors was a coding glitch in thetreatment of the thermal bath.

Once Wang and his team understood what had happened, they contacted Lodge and other experts in the field to let them know:

We immediately informed the editor in chief for Macromolecules and ACS Macro Letters, Prof. Timothy Lodge, and sent out an e-mail message to dozens of people in the field, acknowledging that our previous results were wrong and told them about the errors.

Wang said this was an unfortunate but inadvertent mistake. And Lodge agreed:

There is no indication that the mistakes were deliberate in any way.

Even so, because the results were based on unreliable code, Lodge said that, a simple correction wasnt enough. Lodge reviewed the matter with the American Chemical Society (ACS), which publishes both journals, along withother experts in science publishing, and determined that a retraction was the right thing:

This case is unfortunate, but it happens. Science is self-correcting.

We commend Wang and his co-authors for their transparency and efforts to uncover and rectify the problem.

The retraction notices also provide an extensive account of what happened. Heres the retraction notice for the first paper in the series, Evolution of Chain Conformation and Entanglements during Startup Shear, published in ACS Macro Letters in 2013 and cited 12 times:

In recent years, we published a series of four papers in ACS Macro Letters and Macromolecules(1-4) reporting Brownian Dynamics simulation results on startup shear of entangled polymers for shear rates in the regime d > 1 but R < 1, where R and d are respectively the Rouse time and reptation time. Our results showed significant chain stretching (measured by the contour length of the primitive chain) and suggested, based on analysis of the different components of stress, that the origin of the shear stress overshoot was due to chain stretching followed by retraction instead of chain orientation, in contradiction to the predictions of the reptation/tube theory. Our results also implied violation of the empirical stress-optical rule generally believed to hold in this regime, as pointed out by Masubuchi and Watanabe.(5) Subsequently, Cao and Likhtman(6) published their simulation results on a very similar system and found results in strong disagreement with ours their results showed little chain stretching and conformed to the stress-optical rule.

In order to resolve these discrepancies, we performed many tests, including using a new code written from scratch. We are now convinced that our previous results were wrong. Both the new code and independent runs (on LAMMPS with the fix deform protocol) at Akron by Yexin Zheng, a joint student between Shi-Qing Wang and Mesfin Tsige using the equilibrated copies of systems from three different sources (one of our previous copies, a copy provided by Dr. Robert Hoy, and a new copy generated at Akron), produced results similar to those reported by Cao and Likhtman.

The source of errors has been identified to be in the treatment of the heat bath under shear, which resulted in much lower temperatures than T = 1 (in scaled units) for the sheared samples. The same errors were introduced in both the Langevin heat bath and the DPD heat bath. The reduced temperatures resulted in longer relaxation times. The chain stretching reported in our earlier work was thus a result of this artifact. These errors invalidate all the data at finite shear rates reported in our published papers, and render our conclusions baseless. The authors therefore request retraction of the Article Evolution of Chain Conformation and Entanglements during Startup Shear and the other three affected articles.

The other three retractions contain almost identical wording. Here are links to the notices and papers:

Hat tip: Rolf Degen

Like Retraction Watch? Consider making atax-deductible contribution to support our growth. You can also follow uson Twitter, like uson Facebook, add us to yourRSS reader, sign up on ourhomepagefor an email every time theres a new post, or subscribe to ourdaily digest. Clickhere to review our Comments Policy. For a sneak peek at what were working on,click here.

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Chemistry papers challenged a paradigm - until the authors spotted ... - Retraction Watch (blog)

Saunders studies chemistry to beat mom’s MS – McPherson Sentinel

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Danzig

SALINA Harrah, Oklahoma native Apryl Saunders is compelled by the idea of one day defeating multiple sclerosis, or MS, a disease from which her mother suffers. But thats a long way from the love of softball that helped her get to Kansas Wesleyan University five years ago.

Saunders entered her freshman year at KWU as a talented softball infielder with dreams of becoming a doctor. As she pursued a pre-med track, her biology and chemistry classes began to capture her attention. Seeing her talent for the sciences, Dr. James Townsend, chair of the KWU chemistry department, helped her to apply for and get two remarkable research experiences.

First, she participated in a study abroad opportunity at the Nottingham Trent University in England.

Her research in chemistry there further stoked her interest and led her to apply for and receive a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant, funded by the National Science Foundation, to conduct research in structural biology at the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Townsend helped me so much at Kansas Wesleyan, Saunders. The study abroad and REU opportunities were so important. Between sophomore and junior year, I still wanted to go to medical school after college, but I felt so confirmed by the research opportunity at OU that I came back to college determined to get a degree in chemistry.

After graduating with honors from KWU with a bachelors degree in chemistry and biomedical chemistry, Saunders entered the graduate program in chemistry at OU to pursue a doctoral degree in medicinal chemistry.

Currently working in the Duerfeldt Lab, Saunders is researching medicines targeting diabetes and vision loss. For Saunders, the work is increasingly personal as she learns to manipulate molecules and medicines that can change and save lives. Her mother suffers with multiple sclerosis, and Saunders would one day like to dedicate her research efforts to treatments for MS.

I discovered I liked being behind the formation of medicines, Saunders explains, and less inclined to want to give or prescribe drugs. And as I learn about the chemistry of medicine and the differences we can make in treatment, I want to continue my work and see if I can possibly help change the outcomes of MS treatment. My mother suffers with MS and making a difference with MS is very important to me.

At KWU, a full 60 percent of the science faculty are women, which was a quiet but powerful inspiration for Saunders. The majority of science professors are women at KWU, Saunders says. Seeing so many women leaders created a great environment, and I felt like I had a place there. I was pushed to excel and felt as though I could be an accomplished scientist at KWU.

Kansas Wesleyan University is a private four-year college founded in Salina, Kansas in 1886.

Affiliated with The United Methodist Church, KWU offers unique and innovative undergraduate degrees and a Master of Business Administration. The university, recognized as a College of Distinction, is characterized by excellence within a caring environment and student-centered education. At Kansas Wesleyan, students are encouraged to get involved in the classroom and in the community, explore academic interests and participate in activities, learn and serve in Salina and the world. Learn more at http://kwu.edu.

Warriors focus on chemistry as Stephen Curry joins Kevin Durant – ESPN (blog)

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Fredricko

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors lost to the Utah Jazz 105-99 in a game that meant little to the hosts beyond building habits.

The Warriors had nothing tangible to gain but perhaps benefited from testing their mettle against Rudy Gobert at the rim (he was as brilliant as his 17 points, 18 boards and two blocked shots suggests). It was also the game that saw Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry get their first minutes together since Feb. 28, when Durant suffered an MCL sprain against the Washington Wizards.

"I mean it's been a while since we played together, but the flow was there," Curry said after the game. "It was kind of choppy at first. That's the way Utah kind of slowed the tempo down."

He added, "We had some bright spots, some good runs, got some good spurts."

On Curry and Durant playing a lot simultaneously, Kerr said, "That was part of the idea tonight was to get them as many minutes as possible, so we left KD out there longer than we did last game in terms of his runs. So both first and third quarter I think they got about 10 minutes action together, each."

Prior to that injury, the Durant/Curry dynamic had been workable, but not exactly living up to preseason expectations. Many thought they'd operate within a devastating pick-and-roll, and that has yet to happen. Still, the Warriors are successful with both on the floor, and Monday night gave us glimpses of how the two work together.

The beginning seemed to presage some deference, as Curry passed up an open 3-pointer to assist Durant on a midrange shot. Durant then returned the favor as he passed out of the post for a Curry 3 at the top of circle.

Check out the team site for more game coverage

As the Warriors played lax defense, the fun stuff came later when Curry tossed an outlet to Durant that led to a Green dunk. The Warriors might have dominated this game had they finished more plays like that. Instead, they botched a few easy transition opportunities.

In the beginning, Curry didn't need easy baskets to do his damage, as he was content to shell the Jazz from deep (28 points, six 3-pointers in 30 minutes of play). As the season winds to a close, Curry looks, subjectively, like last year's MVP candidate -- finally. That's quite a positive sign for a Warriors team, obviously.

As for the Durant watch, he certainly looks to be in good condition on a couple of highlight plays. On one, Durant crossed over Dante Exum in transition and threw down a furious slam. On another, Durant zipped past Joe Ingles and dunked right in the face of Joel Bolomboy.

Of the dunks, Durant said, "It felt really good man, I can't lie. I'm a little hesitant early on these first few games, just exploding off and just making moves I normally make. Seems like most second halves these last two games I've just been saying, 'Forget it, just go out there and try some stuff.'"

Durant looks athletic as ever, and the midrange jumper is accurate, but the 3-point shot isn't quite there yet. Durant scored 16 points on 12 shots, but went 0-of-5 from deep. Despite more space than he had in Oklahoma City's offense, Durant is shooting 28.4 percent from 3-point territory over his past 19 games dating back to Jan. 20.

That's a luxury issue for a team that didn't have to try on Monday because their 1-seed status is assured. The Warriors have a few kinks to work out, but theirs are smaller and less gnarled than what everyone else is going through.

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Warriors focus on chemistry as Stephen Curry joins Kevin Durant - ESPN (blog)

Chemistry set: Maypearl’s wild science has the Panthers on the top of 17-3A class after Friday district rout – Waxahachie Daily Light

Posted on April 11, 2017 by ev1

Marcus S. Marion | mmarion@waxahachietx.com

MAYPEARL Not including edging Grandview by one run, Maypearl has outscored its opponents 66-9 in six seemingly scientific district victories.

Sixteen of those runs came during Friday night's 16-0 shutout of Keene High School at Panther Field and helped Maypearl High School remain the undefeated No. 1 seed of District 17-3A.

It was also the (10-6, 7-0) Panthers' seventh consecutive victory and the third team held scoreless during that stretch.

"The pitching has been a focal point this season and helped us get to where we are right now," Panther Head Coach Brian Bilbrey said. "Dakota (Davis) was great and has been all year long on the mound as has Lonnie (Brooks) and anyone else who has taken on that responsibility."

Despite the juggernaut success of the regular season, Bilbrey said he's reserving judgment on where this year's team stands with others he's coached.

"Each year each team has its own personality," he continued. "This year's team has done a really good job of putting in the work. They are always doing extra work on their own and its paid off with their play. We just keep working the way we have been working and try to build off what we've been able to accomplish. If we practice the right way with lots of energy and emphasize the details we feel good things will happen."

There was more than a possibility the Panthers felt on the proverbial "right track" after Davis tossed a two-hit, seven-strikeout and 60-pitch five-inning gem against the visiting Bulldogs. Only Payton Denning and DeMarcos Peireira were able to reel hits off Maypearl's right-handed ace during 14 total at-bats.

While the Keene struggled to earn bases, Maypearl stockpiled hits. It used 16 to score 16 runs and run-rule their district opponents two innings shy of a complete game. Six of those earned bases came from the bats of Brooks (3-for-4, 3 RBIs), Davis (2-for-3, 1 RBI), Luis Dermas (3-for-3, 5 RBIs) and Tanir Horton (3-for-4, 3 RBIs).

Every player on the Maypearl roster, save two players, got at least one hit. Every player, though, contributed, regardless of if it was a hit, run scored or a lead-extending sacrifice.

There were stolen bases in the first, third and fourth innings that helped buoy the Panther lead and basereunning that turned a seven-inning high school baseball district matchup into a blowout.

In addition to logging multi-hit and multi-steal performances on their season resumes, Brooks, Davis, Dermas and Horton accounted for 12 runs batted in.

Cole Maxwell, Chase Reeher and Sam Taylor helped round out the RBI total at 15. For Horton and the Panthers, though, there is one word that defines his current team versus ones in the past.

Chemistry.

"Our chemistry is stronger now than ever," he said. "We've had awesome chemistry in the past but this team seems locked in every at-bat, inning, game and stretch. Even when we stumble there's always someone to play savior whether its Luis, Robert (Pinter), Sam, Cole, Ken (McGinn) or Cory (Nix). We all have the same goal in mind and are unified by our desire to reach it. That's getting to the state championship one step at a time and winning the whole thing. You can't win a title in a team sport like baseball without chemistry."

That chemistry exists despite a possible txhightschoolbaseball.com snub that left Maypearl unranked a week after knocking off Grandview's Zebra, the No. 4 3A team in its state poll.

"Rankings don't mean anything to us because, at the end of the day, every team has to compete," he continued. "We play our best nine against another team's best nine and we go and compete. We play with a chip on our shoulders every game because we feel like we have something to prove to everyone every game we step inside the diamond. We love being the underdogs because it gives us a little extra motivation. It makes us who we are, chemistry included. Everybody from your starting pitcher to your bullpen pitchers and your leadoff batter to your pinch hitter or reserve players has to be on the same page. Baseball is like music. We're the instruments and Coach Bilbrey is the virtuoso. All we have to do is play."

The Panthers are seemingly stockpiling good vibes. They sit in first place and are in the driver's seat to the district championship with four games left on the regular-season schedule including a finale rematch with Grandview High School.

Counting Rice High School, Maypearl's 7 p.m. Tuesday opponent at RHS Bulldog Field, three of the Panthers' next four opponents have won less than five games. The (4-11, 3-4) Bulldogs lost their Friday night matchup to Scurry-Rosser High School 1-0. It was Rice's third consecutive loss.

"Rice is a good team that's well-coached," Bilbrey said about keeping the momentum this late in the season. "We'll have our hands full. It starts with our pitching. If we pitch well, play good defense, and get a couple of timely hits we'll give ourselves a chance."

Marcus S. Marion can be reached for story idea submissions or concerns at (469) 517-1456. Follow him on Twitter at @MarcusMarionWNI.

Practical chemistry under challenging conditions – Royal Society of Chemistry

Posted on April 11, 2017 by ev1

Gena Marsh and her student Jovan have been spending their Time4Chem doing extra chemistry during lunch breaks, even synthesising solvents for school lessons.

I work in an international school in Italy, teaching IB Diploma Chemistry. Because of the city I live in there are always new students with different backgrounds and experiences in chemistry.

One of these students is Jovan he joined our school a year and a half ago from Belgrade in Serbia. His theoretical chemistry knowledge is superb, but his knowledge of practical techniques had been severely limited. Having few friends and little initial inclination to socialise (my Italian students are loud!) he spent a lot of time in my classroom and it became clear that we have a shared love of chemistry in all of its aspects from the mundane to the arcane!

So during lunchtimes and after school we have spent time developing his practical skills in chemistry and also introducing him to some of the other students in his year group with similar interests. Over the last 18 months his abilities have improved greatly.

Recently, in lessons, we have started organic chemistry and, while I have access to some solvents, over the years before I arrived the stocks were allowed to run out or were disposed of, either due to health and safety rules or lack of use.

This state of affairs has been in parts frustrating and heart-breaking, as some of the best reactions are denied to us. However, on one such occasion Jovan stepped up and offered to synthesise the missing solvent for a simple organic practical. As most of you will be aware, the synthesis of cyclohexanone is a two-step process: it took Jovan about 175 minutes to produce about 7 cm3 of it, but it allowed us to compare it with cyclohexane and cyclohexene, enabling my students to observe the differences in reactivity.

It was a great chance to see that the time he has spent in the lab has been put to good use and along the way he has made friends too. For example, many of my other students seek him out at lunchtimes when they need more help.

For Jovan, he enjoys being in the chemistry lab and I think he appreciated having someone trust him to do this reaction with minimal supervision. When I asked, his response was "but I enjoyed the synthesis"!

Jovan Gec (centre), with fellow students Giacomo La Scala (left) and Niccol Pacchiaroti (right) Picture: Gena Marsh

Chemistry Club wins the 2020 ‘Battle of the Chemistry Clubs’ competition – MSUToday

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Danzig

Michigan State Universitys Chemistry Club took first place in the 13th annual Battle of the Chemistry Clubs, or BCC, competition held Feb. 1.

The MSU Younger Chemists Committee sponsors the annual BCC competition to attract chemistry clubs from throughout Michigan. Held on the MSU campus, this years competition included 10 colleges and universities in teams of at least four students each. The BCC first began as a competition between UM-Flint and the University of Detroit, Mercy, in 2007.

"On behalf of the department, I congratulate our Chemistry Club champions, said Robert Maleczka, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry in the MSU College of Natural Science, or NatSci.This group of chemistry majors has shown a great esprit de corps and are terrific examples of students getting the most out of their MSU experience.A shout-out to the clubs advisor, Sheba Onchiri, is also most certainly in order!"

I consider such competitions as one of the best ways to demonstrate students talents, Onchiri said. If we fail to provide these kinds of forums, some students may not discover their hidden talents and other skills they possess. Above all, these events help students build self-confidence, teamwork and other soft skills vital in the world today. I am so proud of the Chemistry Club and all they have accomplished in the short time they have been in operation. Go Legends!

BCC events cover a full day. Competitive events in the morning include chemistry Jenga, a safety rules obstacle course, identifying elemental trivia in haiku poems and tests on International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, or IUPAC, knowledge. IUPAC is the unified system of nomenclature, measurements and atomic mass values for chemists. MSU dominated in all these categories and held first place after the mornings events.

"Our expectation as we were waiting for the results of the morning was just to be in the top five, said Natasha Perry, MSU Chemistry Club vice president.

MSU's club continued to hold its lead throughout the afternoon in the titration race and in timed events that tested students knowledge of density laws and regions of the visible light spectrum. The competition closed with jeopardy-style trivia questions on a variety of chemistry knowledge before moving on to the Final Jeopardy round and winning the competition.

When we found out that we won, we were at first speechless, Perry said. I know that winning will allow our club to flourish and was an exceptional way for seniors to finish their last year."

A senior, Perry plans to pursue a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, with a focus on either organometallics or total synthesis. She is still deciding which graduate program to attend.

I believe this success at the BCC will be very important for the future of MSU's Chemistry Club in attracting members, said Austin King, MSU Chemistry Club president, who started the club in spring 2019. Having fun and being passionate about chemistry is the clubs main focus; students will see the accomplishments the club has made and want to be a part of it.

King will start graduate school in chemistry at MSU in the fall and looks forward to seeing new members help the club continue to grow.

MSU's Chemistry Club fosters and promotes passion for chemistry among students, who come from a variety of backgrounds and majors but share a common desire to expand their knowledge of the world around them. The club focuses on having fun and exploring chemistry topics rarely addressed in standard colloquia. Club members enjoy exploring some of the unusual as well as the practical applications of chemistry.

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Chemistry Club wins the 2020 'Battle of the Chemistry Clubs' competition - MSUToday

Lacking a teacher, Atlantic City High School offers chemistry on … – Press of Atlantic City

Posted on April 10, 2017 by ev1

ATLANTIC CITY The school district advertised three times for a certified chemistry teacher last summer and fall, and three times they failed to get a candidate to accept the job.

So they turned to Edmentum, a provider of online courses, to fill the gap. This year, four classes at the high school are being taught via the online course, with backup support from a teacher.

This is the way of the future, said Assistant Superintendent Sherry Yahn, who said they are looking at other online programs.

Not everyone is happy with the shift. Students in the chemistry classes didnt mind being able to work at their own pace, but almost all interviewed said they would prefer a live teacher.

Raymond Berger, left, 17, of Atlantic City and Citlalli Madden, right, 17, of Ventnor, juniors at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class, get help from a proctor, Diana Arndt, middle, Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Image Brown, 17, of Atlantic City, is a junior at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Diana Arndt is a proctor at Atlantic City High School for an online chemistry class where beakers and other chemistry equipments is rarely used and there is no teacher. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Zabirul Rafee, 16, of Ventnor, is a sophomore at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Melanie Jupin, special education inclusion teacher oversees students in online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Citlalli Madden, 17, of Ventnor, junior at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Students in online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School are taking the course online without a chemistry teacher. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Raymond Berger, 17,of Atlantic City, is a junior at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Angelica Anthony, 15, of Brigantine is a sophomore at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Robert Lamoreux, chemistry teacher oversees students in online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Basically its like youre teaching yourself, junior Citlalli Madden, 17, of Ventnor, says of the online chemistry class she takes at Atlantic City High School. Madden says she is getting an A but would prefer a live teacher.

Robert Lamoreux, chemistry teacher oversees students in online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Chemistry beakers are used as storage in an online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Zabirul Rafee, 16, of Ventnor, is a sophomore at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Sophomore Angelica Anthony, 15, of Brigantine, says its boring to just sit at a screen for 45 minutes during the class.

Atlantic City High School Junior Raymond Berger, left, 17, gets help from proctor Diana Arndt while taking an online chemistry class at the school. Arndt is certified in Earth science but not chemistry.

Robert Lamoreux, chemistry teacher oversees students in online chemistry class at Atlantic City High School. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)

Jordan Faustino, 16, of Margate, a sophomore at Atlantic City High School in an online chemistry class where beakers and other chemistry equipments is rarely used. Thursday April 6, 2017. (Viviana Pernot / Staff Photographer)