Long Island school closed over chemical fears – FOX 5 NY

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Northport MS closed

Over the weekend, the district announced the relocation of students and staff from Northport Middle School for the rest of the year.

NORTHPORT, N.Y. - Alexa Valentino graduated from Northport Middle Schoolin Suffolk County two years ago. She remembers frequently feeling sick and leaving early.

"The next day after a rainy day, not only was the building flooding and disgustingbut the smell, I don't even know how to explain it," Valentino said. "Just a rotten smell."

Many of her classes were held in the G-wing, an area of the school that's been closed off to students and staff since mid-December amidst the discovery of high levels of mercury found outside the classrooms in a leaching pool.

But additional septic tanks recently tested positive for benzene, a potentially dangerous chemical compound that could cause headaches, confusion and even cancer.

Over the weekend, the district announced the relocation of students and staff for the rest of the year.

John Kobel taught science and technology at the school for more than 20 years. He now has heavy metal poisoning, skin and prostate cancer, and is relying on medication to stay alive.

"I take five in the morning, five at night," he said. "I'm on two inhalers and I'm on allergy shots."

Classes will be canceled for Northport Middle School on Tuesday and Wednesday. In a letter to the district, the superintendent said the move is in the best interest of the students and staff.

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Local leaders are calling on the state to assist with emergency funding to help with the transition.

"We can always look back but the more important thing now is to make sure our children, students, faculty are safe and they're getting the education that they really need," state Sen. Jim Gaughran said.

Parent Nicole Mulholland said it will be a trying transition.

"At first it was 'Yay there's no school for a few days,' then it sets in, like my school is gone, who will I be with? What friends will I be with? I'm going to a new place," she said. "This is scary. There's nothing easy about this process."

Parents who have fought to close the school plan to get together to provide emotional support to children and teachers throughout the week. They will also be looking into a feasibility study to see if reopening the school is realistic.

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Long Island school closed over chemical fears - FOX 5 NY

Using art to explain chemistry, NVC professor writes and illustrates his own book – Napa Valley Register

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Dr. Steven Fawls lifelong journey from wanting to do chemistry at the age of 7 to writing the definitive college chemistry textbook at age 62, is the stuff of legend.

After teaching chemistry for nearly 40 years, including 32 at Napa Valley College, Fawl decided that it was about time that he put his years of experience down on paper.

To that end, he wrote an 800-page textbook. It took just three years to write, a feat that takes most authors 10 years or more to accomplish.

What makes the text notable is that he not only wrote the words but he also created all of the artwork. He drew nearly 2,000 images and graphics, including some that have never before been seen or conceived in any previous textbook.

The book, Insights in Chemistry, is receiving rave reviews from college chemistry educators who say Fawl is breaking new ground in a subject that has been around for approximately 24 centuries.

Fawl is already putting together a more concise, and even more graphically appealing, revised edition, due to be published in August.

I like chemistry because it answers the question, Why? said Fawl, who said he acquired an appreciation of art from his mother and a passion for writing from his father.

Fawl always had an aptitude for math and science but also had a strong interest in art.

In his senior year of high school he received a full-ride scholarship to art school, but turned it down in order to study chemistry.

I remember sitting down with my father to discuss my choices. He told me that if I went into chemistry, that I could still do my art, so now I do both.

So, throughout his teaching career Fawl has used art to explain chemistry.

There are topics in chemistry where we tell students that something happens and we never tell them why, he said.

Most of the time this happens because neither the books nor the instructors understand the topic well enough to explain it themselves. But when you use art, chemistry becomes real.

Through my art I have created images of things that have never been seen before. You understand it when you see it, and I have discovered ways of explaining these concepts through my art.

While his publisher had been happy to print several of Fawls lab manuals, more was expected of the longtime educator.

They asked me if I was working on anything else that might interest them and I told them that I had written the beginning of a chemistry textbook. They told me that they couldnt afford to publish a chemistry book because of the cost of the artwork. I smiled and told them, But I am going to do all the artwork, and they gave me the go-ahead.

As a result, I have created many images that have never been seen before and in some cases never conceived before. I am lucky because I dont have to depend on someone else to interpret my words in order to draw my pictures. I draw exactly what I see in my mind. If I hadnt been an artist, my students would never have seen the most important images in my book.

Through his art, Fawl has achieved an unprecedented insight into subjects that most instructors do not understand, especially in the area of quantum mechanics.

Quantum mechanics is hard, Fawl explains, but not because the topic is that difficult, I just think that it is taught poorly. For example, most instructors have little or no understanding of the shapes of atomic orbitals, but in my book, I explain exactly how and why these shapes are made.

This past year, Fawl was asked to give a presentation to a group of students who teach in NVCs Supplemental Instructor program.

Using his art background, Fawl gave these students jars of Play-Doh and some kitchen knives and a simple set of rules.

Following those rules, the students were able to create accurate 3D models of atomic orbitals that have never been drawn in any book. The technique is said to be groundbreaking.

Richard Thompson-Bremer, Emeritus Professor of English at NVC and one of Fawls mentors, complemented Fawl for writing a chemistry book that even he could understand.

The book has revelatory 3-D images, said Bremer.

Dr. Fawl offers leading-edge thinking, presenting concepts and methods not addressed in prior textbooks. His students are privileged to learn with a mentor who models critical and creative thinking.

Dr. Steven Farmer, chemistry professor at Sonoma State University, agreed.

This is easily the most proficient teaching textbook Ive ever seen, said Farmer. It contains several new methods for explaining general chemistry concepts.

NVC chemistry professor Josh Hanson said his students are reading the textbook because they enjoy it.

They can just open it up and start reading and learning, said Hanson, who taught at Woodland College, Cosumnes River College and UC Davis before coming to NVC this year.

The book presents an alternate way of looking at things, different than the way I learned and taught chemistry. I come from a different background, so its interesting to see students doing something I never taught them, and doing it well.

Hanson said he would not be surprised to see other college chemistry programs using the book.

I would like to see the book in more places because it is instructional instead of encyclopedic. Steve has a background in art and he uses that in his chemistry, Hanson said.

One of Fawls former students, Dr. Robert Cattolica, biology instructor at Chabot College, credits his academic and professional success to Fawls rigorous academic standards, coupled with highly effective and engaging teaching techniques.

Several of Fawls students, after they completed the chemistry series at Napa Valley College, moved on to UC Davis. Some, like James Carter, became tutors there.

Under Dr. Fawls apprenticeship I fell in love with chemistry, said Carter, who is studying for his doctorate at UNLV. When he applied to Davis, he wanted to become a tutor in organic chemistry but the school was reluctant to accept a community college as a prerequisite, said Carter.

They were not certain that any community college would be comparable or adequate, so they required me to take a placement exam. When I scored over the 90th percentile, they told me my education was good enough, and they offered me a position as an instructional aide, a tutor, doing academic workshops.

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‘Wonder Woman’a winner for best romantic chemistry in a superhero film – Sacramento Bee

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Sacramento Bee
'Wonder Woman'a winner for best romantic chemistry in a superhero film
Sacramento Bee
Richard Donner's Superman spoiled us. When the Man of Steel first soared toward the heavens with Lois Lane on an exhilarating flyover date, the 1978 movie heightened our expectation for most superhero films to follow: Future costumed crimefighters ...
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Blackhawks’ third line creating chemistry and points | CSN Chicago – Comcast SportsNet Chicago

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ANAHEIM, Calif. Ryan Hartman could see a number of reasons why he and his current linemates were finding the back of the net more lately.

"We've been with each other for a bit, that could be part of it. We're feeling comfortable with each other, finding chemistry. Sometimes it is puck luck, sometimes it may be matchups with certain teams that you pay better against," said Hartman, who will enter the final regular-season game with 19 goals. "It's been a good run. Hopefully we continue that into the playoffs and keep that four-line rotation."

Marian Hossa had the night off on Thursday when the Blackhawks lost tothe Anaheim Ducks but he, Hartman and Marcus Kruger have developed some chemistry and points in recent games. Their recent production is helping the Blackhawks keep more of that four-line rotation that worked so well for them back in February, and that they'll need in the playoffs.

"Well with that line, make sure there's contribution offensively but you know you'll get reliability defensively. Krugs has the hot stick right now and has scored some nice goals for us. But the reliability with that line is what you like about it," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Predictability is what we count on."

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Kruger and Hossa looked like they were onto something in the Blackhawks' first-round series against the St. Louis Blues last spring. Hossa's rebound 26-goal season, coupled with the top two lines finding success, lets the Blackhawks put Hossa elsewhere to bolster scoring depth. Add Hartman, who's been confident and unafraid to shoot no matter who he's playing with, and it's become a good combination. It just took time for them to feel each other out.

"Something like that, yeah," Hossa said. "There's lots of good potential on that line. Krugsy's steady defensively, can make some plays. Hartsy likes to go hard to the net and create space and also he has a really good shot. If he uses it more often I think it's to his advantage. It's about holding onto the puck a little more in the offensive zone and that way we can create more chances."

When the Blackhawks start the playoffs next week they should have their lineup fairly set. The fourth line is, perhaps, the only area of some question. The Blackhawks have always found success with a four-line roll that gives them the right blend of defense and production. The Hartman-Kruger-Hossa combination has provided the former consistently, the latter recently.

"We're going to need everybody," Kruger said. "We're coming close to playoffs and in the playoffs, it'll be tighter games. You need everyone bringing it because it's going to be tough to score goals."

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (AP) -- The U.S. women's hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women's world championship final Friday night.

Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring 10:17 into the extra period to make the Americans winners on and off the ice. After threatening to sit out the tournament, they won a contentious fight with USA Hockey for better wages that will allow the country's best female hockey players to make a living playing the sport.

"I'm so proud of this team for performing the way we did after battling the way we did off the ice," said Meghan Duggan, the Americans' captain. "A lot of history was made."

The U.S. won its fourth straight world championship title and eighth in the last 10 tries against their rivals, who will get their shot at revenge as defending Olympic champions next year in South Korea.

Brianne Jenner tied it at 2 for Canada midway through the third period on a power play after Kacey Bellamy's second goal early in the period gave the Americans their first lead in the gold-medal game.

The U.S. had two power plays in the third period with 7:24 and 2:24 left along with another power play early in OT, but couldn't capitalize on the opportunities to score a go-ahead goal with an extra skater.

Canada's Meghan Agosta scored 1:01 into the game, and Bellamy tied it 3 1/2 minutes later.

Nicole Hensley stopped 28 shots for the U.S.

Canada's goaltender, Shannon Szabados, was tested much more and made 37 saves.

"She was unbelievable," Agosta said. "She kept us in the game."

The Americans boldly said they would boycott the tournament, which would've embarrassed USA Hockey at a tournament held in an arena named after the organization, if they didn't get more money and perks their male counterparts get such as flying in business class and staying at nice hotels. The landmark deal allows them to make more than $70,000 during non-Olympic years and as much as $129,000 in Olympic years, including 2018, when combined with contributions from the United States Olympic Committee.

"We knew that was going to be a bond that was unbreakable," Knight said.

USA Hockey looked like it tried to break the unified front of American women, trying to find lower-caliber players to take their spots in the world championship if Plan B became necessary.

"They didn't want to forgo this opportunity, but they were willing to do it," Dee Spagnuolo, one of the attorneys who represented the women without a fee, said during the first intermission at USA Hockey Arena. "Every time we huddled up to make tough decisions before and during negotiations, they were united and firm. This team off the ice is so united and in adverse, tense situations in games, it helps them win on the ice, too."

The U.S. carried the momentum from the win against USA Hockey into the eight-nation tournament by dominating the competition until their rivals pushed them into OT.

The Americans were the better team in the end, though, creating lots of scoring chances in the sudden-death period that could have lasted up to 20 minutes. They didn't need that much time to finish the Canadians off with a second straight OT victory in a world championship gold-medal game.

Knight, who made a no-look, between-the leg pass to set up Bellamy's second goal, was trailing on a 3-on-2 rush when Coyne dropped a pass to her and she scored from the inside of the left circle. In the 2011 world championship final, Knight also scored the gold-medal winning goal in OT.

"She's one of the best in the world and she comes up big when you need her and the moment is huge," Bellamy said. "That's what's what make her so special. When everything is on the line, she comes through clutch."

When Knight lit the goal lamp, the jubilant Americans screamed with joy and hugged in a huge huddle.

"Nothing compares to a gold-medal game against Canada," Bellamy said. "The emotions are so high. The energy in the building was incredible and it was a really fast-paced game and we had to fight to the end."

The Canadians, meanwhile, skated in the other direction. They rested their gloves on their knees and stared at the ice in silence as a sold-out crowd at USA Hockey Arena roared.

In the beginning of the tournament, Canada struggled before rallying to face off against the Americans as they've done in all 18 world championships. The Canadians opened with a 2-0 loss to the U.S. and a stunning, 4-3 setback against Finland before bouncing back with an 8-0 rout of Russia and a 4-0 win over the Finns in the semifinals.

"We were resilient the whole tournament," Agosta said.

Watchas the Blackhawks take on the Los Angeles Kingstoday on CSN and streaming live on CSNChicago.com. Coverage begins at 4:30p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live..Then stick around after the final buzzer to watch Blackhawks Postgame Live for highlights and analysis.

Click here to watch the game or download the NBC Sports App, your home for live streaming coverage of the Blackhawks.

Five Things to Watch:

1. Artemi Panarin bonus watch.

Well, it's Game No. 82, meaning it's the final cha
nce the Russian winger can cash in on his bonuses for the second straight year. If Panarin finishes the season among the top-10 in forwards in points, he earns a $1.725 million bonus that will carry over into next year's salary cap. He's currently ranked ninth with 73 points.

2. How many points will Patrick Kane finish with?

With Connor McDavid at 97 points and Kane at 88, it looks like there will be a new Art Ross Trophy winner. Kane's 106 points last year was a career high, and his current 88 is tied for second-best after reaching that same total during the 2009-10 season.

3. The fight for playoff roster spots.

Joel Quenneville would like to nail down his bottom-six, and doesn't prefer to rotate it often throughout the playoffs. That means a handful of players will be competing for two roster spots in the final audition of the regular season. Those players include Andrew Desjardins, John Hayden, Vinnie Hinostroza, Tomas Jurco,Dennis Rasmussen andJordin Tootoo.

4. Ryan Hartman's pursuit of 20 goals.

We mentioned this in the previous game, but it's worth paying attention to in the final contest after the Blackhawks were shut out Thursday in Anaheim. Hartman is one goal away from becoming the seventh 20-goal scorer on the team this year, and it'd be the first time the Blackhawks would accomplish that feat since 1989-90.

5. Can Blackhawks set franchise road record?

The Blackhawks have had two cracks at trying to set a new franchise record in road wins, currently sitting at 24. They reached that mark during the 2014-15 season, and will look to make it 25 today.Will third time be the charm?

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Dennis Smith (Photo submitted) – Mississippi State Newsroom

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Contact: Karyn Brown

STARKVILLE, Miss.Veteran chemist and researcher Dennis Smith is the new head of Mississippi State Universitys Department of Chemistry.

His position as the leader of the College of Arts and Sciences department will begin July 1, pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. After many years in academia at Clemson University and the University of Texas at Dallas, Smith spent the last few years focusing on private sector consulting, research and entrepreneurial ventures.

Dr. Smith is widely known in both academic and industry circles for his research in polymeric materials and composites, said Rick Travis, interim dean of MSUs College of Arts and Sciences. We anticipate that he will host partnerships with researchers on campus and in the private sector.

Smiths professional interests include science and technology leadership, technology transfer, entrepreneurship and chemistry/materials research.

I am looking forward to all aspects of this new leadership challenge, such as enabling increased funded research, multidisciplinary collaboration and recruiting, Smith said. But most of all, personally,I look forward to mentoring individual faculty, students and staff and helping to identify and unleash their own unique potential and ultimate successful contributions.

Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and mathematics from Missouri State University in 1988. In 1992, he completed a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Florida. Along with his extensive research career, he has published 137 refereed journal articles, 28 U.S. patents issued or pending, over 300 conference papers, five book editorships, and more than 200 invited lectures in 23 countries.

The College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 24 academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities.

Natural and physical science research projects have been supported over the decades by the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

Research expenditures in the humanities are also an important part of Mississippi States overall research portfolio. Additionally, the NSF has ranked MSU among the top 25 for research expenditures in the social sciences.For more information on MSUs College of Arts and Sciences, visit http://www.cas.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

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Sarin and sentimentality: Trump and Assad’s emotional chemistry – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Sarin and sentimentality: Trump and Assad's emotional chemistry
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Why then, after 27 children died in Tuesday's alleged chemical attack in the Syrian province of Idlib, did an emotionally charged President Trump, highlighting that beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack, abruptly reverse ...
Chemical agent used in Syria attack still unidentifiedChemistry World (subscription)
Chemical reaction: Trump in U-turn, bubbling with Syria regime changeRT
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Former UM president Royce Engstrom returning to teach chemistry … – The Missoulian

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Royce Engstrom, former president of the University of Montana, will return to the university to teach chemistry.

Engstrom is expected to teach Chemistry 104 and an honors course titled "The ways of knowing," according to the University of Montana's Academic Planner.

As first reported Wednesday in the Montana Kaimin and confirmed by UM spokeswoman Paula Short, Engstrom will begin teaching courses this fall.

The honors course is "a critical assessment of contrasting epistemological stances expressed in various views of the divine, nature, society, and the self," according to the Academic Planner.

It describes Chemistry 104 as "an introduction to chemistry for those who feel they have an inadequate background to enroll in CHMY 121N or 141N." Each course is worth three credits.

Chemistry classes present a retention problem, said Chris Palmer, who chairs the UM Chemistry Department. Engstrom wants to help with developing these classes to help students stay with the subject, Palmer said.

It is typical for administrators to be tenured with a department of their specialty, Palmer said. When Engstrom left his position as president, he was given the option of joining the chemistry department faculty, Palmer said. Engstrom was enthusiastic about the chance to contribute on the introductory level, Palmer said.

The honors course Engstrom will be teaching is a core class meant for first-year honors students, said Brock Tessman, dean ofDavidson Honors College. The class curriculum is centered around students evaluatinghow they come to know truths in the world.

The university does not have an official salary level for Engstrom at this time, according to Terri Phillips, UM associate vice president for Human Resource Services. Engstrom's salary during his final year as president was $303,145.

In late November, Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian asked Engstrom, who became president in 2010 after George Dennison retired, to step down. Sheila Stearns now serves as interim president.

Only two other former university presidents have returned to teach after leaving the top position, according to university archives. In the 1940s, George Simmons resigned as university president and returned to his position as a zoology professor.In 1990,James Koch left the president's job and went on to teach a few history classes at the university.

Engstrom began his academic career as a chemistry professor at the University of South Dakota. He served in many capacities there, including chair of the department and eventually serving as provost before joining the UM administration in 2007, where he also served as provost before being chosen as president.

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California Adds New Priority Consumer Product for Green Chemistry Regulation – JD Supra (press release)

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Student to represent Wisconsin in national chemistry competition – Lake Country Now

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An eighth-grader from Oconomowoc won a statewide chemistry competition and received an expenses-paid trip to compete at the national level.

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Lake Country 1:31 p.m. CT April 6, 2017

School brief(Photo: Matt Colby/Now Media Group)Buy Photo

An eighth-grader from Oconomowoc won a statewide chemistry competition and received an expenses-paid trip to compete at the national level.

Ryan Swanson, a student at Nature Hill Intermediate School, bested 25 fifth- to eighth-grade students to become the 2017 Wisconsin You Be The Chemist State Challenge Champion. Students from around the state came together at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to compete for the top prize. Swanson will represent Wisconsin at the National You Be The Chemist Challengein Washington, D.C. in June.

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No longer in limbo: Journal lifts 2015 expression of concern from chemistry paper – Retraction Watch (blog)

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All too often, when an article is flagged by a journal thats concerned about the findings, the notice lingers in limbo, leaving readers unclear whether or not to rely on the findings. One chemistry papers two-year stint in purgatory ended last month, when the journal lifted its expression of concern (EOC) and replaced it with a correction.

The journal chose to swap the 2015 EOC with a correction after the authors addressed its concerns in a follow-up paper, also published inOrganic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

The journals executive editor Richard Kelly provided further insights aboutwhat happened:

The authors contacted us following publication of their original article to let us know that they had overlooked an aspect in their calculations which could have affected a mechanism that they had proposed in their article. They informed us that they were carrying out additional work to assess what impact this had on their results and that they planned to publish that once completed.

While the researchers were conducting the additionalresearch, the journal published an EOC to alert readers, Kelly added:

We informed the author that we would assess any steps necessary to correct the scientific record once they had completed their follow-up research. In the interim we published an expression of concern to inform readers of this information and also to let them know that we would provide an update on publication of the follow up work.

Kelly explained that when the authors submitted anew paper, which addressed their concerns, the journal decided to replace the EOC with a correction, informing readers of the resolution and pointing them to the updated research:

In late 2016 the author submitted their latest research to the journal, which was published following our usual peer review processes. This paper addressed the concerns that the author had in their original work, and we felt that the most appropriate way to inform readers of this was to replace the expression of concern with a correction which explained the background to the situation and directed readers to the second article.

Heres the official correction notice from the journal for A unifying mechanism for the rearrangement of vinyl allene oxide geometric isomers to cyclopentenones (a paper which has been cited three times):

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry published an expression of concern (Org. Biomol. Chem., 2015, 13, 11580) in order to alert our readers to concerns expressed to us by the authors following publication due to an error in the calculations in the article. The authors overlooked in their calculations the existence of diradical triplet states in some of the structures. They informed us that taking them into account could change the main findings of the mechanistic proposal based on the formation and rearrangement of cyclopropanones, which were left as the only explanation of the experimentally observed enantioselectivity for the rearrangement of Z vinyl allene oxides, but not of the E isomers. The authors have now published a new article which addresses their concerns about the error in their original calculations. The new article is: Rearrangement of vinyl allene oxide geometric isomers to cyclopentenones. Further computational insights with biologically relevant model systems by Adn B. Gonzlez-Prez et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c6ob02791a

Accordingly, Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry is officially removing its expression of concern.

Heres the original 2015 EOC notice:

The Royal Society of Chemistry has been contacted by the corresponding author of this article to inform us that they have found an error in the calculations in the article. The authors overlooked in their calculations the existence of diradical triplet states in some of the structures. They inform us that taking them into account could change the main findings of the mechanistic proposal based on the formation and rearrangement of cyclopropanones, which were left as the only explanation of the experimentally observed enantioselective for the rearrangement of Z vinyl allene oxides, but not of the E isomers.

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry is publishing this expression of concern in order to alert our readers of these concerns. The authors are currently carrying out a further study in order to assess the impact that this has on the findings in the manuscript. An expression of concern will continue to be associated with this manuscript until the authors inform us of the outcome of this further study, and we will work with the authors to ensure readers are notified of any implications this has for the results published in this article.

And heres a link to the new paper, Rearrangement of vinyl allene oxide geometric isomers to cyclopentenones. Further computational insights with biologically relevant model systems, published in Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

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No longer in limbo: Journal lifts 2015 expression of concern from chemistry paper - Retraction Watch (blog)

Team chemistry key to Kilgore’s soccer success – Longview News-Journal

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KILGORE It would be easy for David Garcia to look around the field and have a flashback.

It wouldn't be one just from this past season, but a memory from eight or more years ago.

"Since our rec teams, U-8, U-10, our team was called 'Little Mexico," Garcia, a four-year starter for the Kilgore Bulldogs, said. "We've got that chemistry with one another, eight years of it.

"It's not just the defense, this team has been together for a while."

Coupled with the long history of playing alongside one another has come a large amount of wins. Today marks the third-straight season that the Bulldogs will compete in the regional tournament.

Kilgore meets Dallas A Plus Academy at 4 p.m. today in a Class 4A, Region II semifinal at Tyler's Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

"We don't get down on one another and we've got great communication," fellow defender and senior Mateo Meraz said. "Four-straight defenders together on a team that we've been on since we played city league.

"That helps the chemistry."

Kilgore, which enters today with an 18-5-2 record, has a high-flying offense with 14 different goal scorers led by 18 each from sophomore Elian Torres and senior Yonatan Contreras and 14 different players with assists.

That offense is matched by the Bulldog defense with a back line of Garcia, Meraz, Jordi Contreras and Daniel Stifford who, alongside keeper Kaleb Jett have worked 11 shutouts on the season and four total goals through three playoff games.

"We just feed off another's energy," Meraz said. "It's a matter of matching one another and we've done that this season."

Added third-year head coach Austin Walker: "David and Mateo's leadership is excellent. Jordi has stepped into his role well and it's been a smooth transition for him. Daniel Stifford and Jaime Veloz have rounded out that back four, or when we drop five, making them very strong."

Not much is known about the Bulldogs' next opponent Dallas A Plus Academy, which took down Terrell, 1-0, in the regional quarterfinal round. The Knights come in with a 13-3 record and a 63-15 goals for/goals allowed mark.

"We don't know a lot about them," Walker said. "They tend to pack the middle and don't play outside as much, which is good for us because that's where we like to go.

"They're very physical and very high pressure all of the time. They're quick to press and like to get up in people's faces."

Kilgore enters today with momentum on its side having taken down defending state champion Palestine this past Tuesday with a convincing 4-2 win. It avenged a loss to the Wildcats this past season in a shootout in the state semifinals.

"I feel like we've been pretty focused for a few weeks now," Garcia said. "Palestine, they were a rival and we knew what we had to do.

"We beat them and now it's time to keep going."

Tuesday may as well be as far away as the state semifinal game a year ago.

"It really gave us a boost of confidence," Meraz added. "We've got a lot of momentum behind us with some great practices. It's going to to take us forward."

The goal, however, lies ahead of this coming weekend.

"We want to get back to where we've been," Walker said. "To do that, we've got to play this game right now.

"We can't let that Palestine win be a high point for us. Yes, it's exciting. Yes, we beat the team that knocked us out. There's more to be played and the job is not over yet."

CLASS 4A, REGION II TOURNAMENT

Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, Tyler

SEMIFINALS, TODAY

BOYS

Dallas A Plus Academy (13-3) vs. Kilgore (18-5-2), 4 p.m.

Irving Ranchview (19-1-1) vs. Chapel Hill (16-7-1), 6:30 p.m.

FINAL, SATURDAY

Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

GIRLS

SEMIFINALS, TODAY

Mabank (19-5) vs. Athens (14-10-1), 11 a.m.

Terrell (23-5) vs. Palestine (16-7-5), 1:30 p.m.

FINAL, SATURDAY

Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.

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Team chemistry key to Kilgore's soccer success - Longview News-Journal

Former Sen. David Vitter lobbying for American Chemistry Council – Washington Examiner

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Former Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is now lobbying for a trade association for chemical companies.

According to a lobbying registration form, Vitter registered to lobby for the American Chemistry Council on March 15. His employer is Mercury, a lobbying and public relations firm he joined in February.

ACC was a major donor supporting Vitter. The group gave more than $100,000 to a super PAC backing his failed gubernatorial run in 2014. Vitter retired from Congress when his Senate term was up in January.

Vitter currently cannot lobby his former congressional colleagues, as he is subject to a two-year "cooling-off period," but he can lobby the Trump administration.

As senator, Vitter was leading figure in getting bipartisan legislation on chemical regulation reform passed an effort supported by ACC. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act updated the Toxic Substances Control Act which was passed in 1976. Former President Barack Obama signed the bill last year.

ACC did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Former Sen. David Vitter lobbying for American Chemistry Council - Washington Examiner

Chemistry Professors brew beer, talk science – the Inkwell

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Lila Miller, A&E Editor

Vats of beer being brewed at the Southbound Brewery.

Last month, Armstrong Chemistry Professors presented another installation of Science on Tap featuring the Hoptimization of the [beer] Brewing Process. The event was hosted by Drs. Sarah Gray and Sarah Zingales of the chemistry department.

The professors began the lecture asking if anyone had ever brewed beer before explaining their mission. The Chemistry department partnered with Southbound Brewery to do chemical research and optimize the taste of different beers within the company. Gray and Zingales provided a presentation explaining that beer is made from four basic ingredients.

Using Kinect toys to illustrate chemical compounds, the professors explained the nuances of brewing. They passed around jars of hops, flowers and pellets making sure to warn attendees of the pungent smells.

Dont sneeze into the hops, Zingales said.

Gray explained that the hops are necessary as a preservative and suppress the growth of microorganisms. Ales, porters, stouts and wheat beers are fermented from the top. Lager yeast beers include pilsners, bocks and American malt liquor. The last types of beer use wild yeast and produce lambics, sours and saison brews.

The audience sampled two types of beer provided by local microbrewery, Southbound., as the professors discussed how oxidation of flavors minimizes staleness of beer aldehydes and bisulfites, key ingredients within the alcohol.

Another factor to consider when brewing beer is light sensitivity, they explained. The professors compared the tastes of Corona and Heineken as they are packaged in clear and green bottles, respectively.

Light sensitivity plays a key role in the taste of beer. They explained that the beer will skunk in wake of excessive sun exposure.

Southbounds Scattered Sun Wit beer was used to test the International Bittering Units (IBUs) from hops to distinguish changing flavors and how to improve the brew. All of the instruments used to test the beer and extract alpha acids to measure the IBUs were already available on campus.

Local resident Luisa Strada was pleasantly surprised by the effort required to brew beer well. I didnt realize how much chemistry was involved, and its cool that theyre helping [Southbound] the company, she said.

Gray and Zingales concluded by offering starter tips and discussing set-ups available for brewers from the novice to the expert. Be sure to check the event calendar for their next Science on Tap event involving cyber security. Cheers.

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Chemistry Professors brew beer, talk science - the Inkwell

Affordable, Entry-level Flow Chemistry Systems – Technology Networks

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Available in a choice of configurations the Uniqsis FlowLab range are affordable and easy-to-use flow chemistry systems ideal for use in research, education and for those wishing to try flow chemistry without the associated costs of a fully automatic system.

Built around the same high quality components as used in the widely acclaimed Uniqsis FlowSyn system, both the FlowLab and FlowLab Cold offer uncompromised performance at an entry-level price.

The FlowLab system comprises two high pressure pumps, a HotCoil coil reactor station and FlowLab system control computer. The computer, pumps and HotCoil are connected over a LAN using an Ethernet hub. In this way, the system can be controlled remotely by Wi-Fi, allowing the control computer to be conveniently operated outside the fume hood. FlowLab Cold includes the Polar Bear Plus Flow module which provides cooling down to -40C without the need for liquid nitrogen or solid carbon dioxide (Cardice).

The system can be further adapted using HotColumn which can accommodate up to six column reactors for catalysts or scavenging applications, or in the case of FlowLab Cold, fitted with a static reactor/mixer chip holder. In addition, there are options to add a third HPLC pump and a second reactor module such as a HotCoil or Polar Bear Plus Flow which together provide an operating temperature range of - 40C to +300C. An optional inline Flow-UV detector can also be included to monitor dispersion and help to determine the optimum point at which to begin and end product collection.

FlowLab application software provides control of the system via a step-through interface that can be learnt in minutes and is highly intuitive to use. Programs can be designed and saved reactions run automatically, including priming and washing. The program is monitored on a real time display showing temperatures and pressures. FlowLab also automatically detects any modules that have been added to the system.

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‘Gifted’ is powered by family chemistry – The Boston Globe

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Chris Evans and The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb ditch Marvel-scale spectacle to get back to basics with Gifted, the emotionally absorbing story of a grade-school math prodigy caught in a messy custody dispute. But many of the dramatic heroics come from Evanss young costar, Mckenna Grace, whose appeal and flashes of terrific naturalism help lend the film just the sort of nontraditional-family chemistry its after.

Grace (TVs Designated Survivor) is Mary Adler, a precocious cutie still waiting on those new front teeth to grow in, but not waiting excitedly at all for her first day of school. Shed much rather continue hanging with Frank (Evans), her uncle and guardian, around the scruffy, cozy Florida coastal bungalow they share with their one-eyed cat. Still, Frank believes his late sister would have wanted Mary to spend her days with regular kids in a regular educational setting, child genius or no. So off he sends her, despite her protests, his own misgivings, and warnings from their affectionately bossy neighbor (Octavia Spencer) that theyre headed for big problems.

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Neighbor ladys instincts are spot on, as Marys intellectual gifts quickly draw attention at school, much of it unwanted. Her fascinated teacher (likably authentic Jenny Slate, Evanss real-life ex-girlfriend) means well, but the administrative machine promptly summons Franks semi-estranged, intellectual elitest mother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), from Boston to take charge of the situation. We can sense the forced diagnostic trip up to MIT in Marys immediate future, if not the full extent of the legal fight Frank is dragged into by achievement-fixated Evelyn.

The courtroom scenes feel like a case of the film underestimating its own dramatic strength. No need for over-the-top plaintiff lawyering when weve got diversions such as Frank and Evelyns intriguingly civilized ability to compartmentalize feuding from conversing. Evans and Duncans deft performances also make it redundant to hear straight-from-the-script character IDs: We definitely get that hes the quiet, damaged hot guy and shes exacting, uncompromising.

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You may find yourself wishing that Webb (500 Days of Summer) would just power through court. Wed gladly watch more of Grace and Evans silhouetted against the sunset, their connection evident in his indulgent posing as her makeshift jungle gym. Or Grace and Spencer joyfully belting out a home-karaoke cover of the Cher-Tina Turner duet (who remembered?) Shame, Shame, Shame. Or even just the way that child and guardian address each other Frank? Mary? with a mock gravity that couldnt be more charming. Now thats chemistry.

GIFTED

Directed by Marc Webb. Written by Tom Flynn. Starring Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate. At Boston Common, Fenway, suburbs. 101 minutes. PG-13 (thematic elements, language, some suggestive material).

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The Right Chemistry: In hand washing, role of soap is key – Montreal Gazette

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Lady Macbeth is enjoying renewed popularity in light of the current coronavirus situation. Will these hands neer be clean she asks in the famous sleepwalking scene as she mimics washing her hands. She doesnt exactly exercise the right technique, but of course, the action is symbolic. The damned spot she is trying to rid herself of isnt physical, it is guilt.

Today, handwashing has a different kind of guilt associated with it. That guilt descends if we dont sing at least two stanzas of Happy Birthday as we lather with soap, scrub the backs and palms, twist a thumb as we grip it with the other hand or ensure that our nails have received enough attention. Although soap was well-known by 1606 when Shakespeare wrote his classic play, it was not commonly used. Sanitation was not a component of life. Any knowledge that invisible microbes could transmit disease would not emerge until the 19th century. However, even before Louis Pasteur laid the foundations for the germ theory of disease in the 1860s, a Hungarian physician hit upon the importance of washing hands to prevent disease transmission.

As a young doctor, Ignaz Semmelweiss was keenly aware of childbed fever. It was not unusual for a mother to die within a week of giving birth, but he did note that more women were dying after giving birth if they were attended by doctors than by nurses. Semmelweiss became obsessed with this conundrum. He performed numerous autopsies on the dead women in a search of some causative agent, but found none. Then in 1847 came a tragic breakthrough. One of his colleagues cut himself during an autopsy and soon died of symptoms that were remarkably similar to childbed fever. Semmelweiss surmised that some sort of cadaver particles must have gotten into his friends bloodstream and killed him. And perhaps these same cadaver particles were also killing the women! Now the difference between the two obstetrics wards became clear. The doctors who assisted in the births in the infamous death ward, and who performed internal exams on the women before and after birth, often came directly from the autopsy room where they were trying to solve the horrific problem of childbed fever. Could they be infecting their patients with some sort of cadaver particles? This now seemed possible. After all, doctors hands constantly smelled of cadavers.

The conclusion now seemed obvious. Semmelweiss urged all doctors and students to thoroughly wash their hands after performing autopsies. But even with thorough washing, a faint smell of the autopsy room persisted so he decreed that the hands should be rinsed in a hypochlorite solution. Hypochlorite bleach at the time was already known to eliminate smells, although why it did so was not understood.

The results of the hand washing bordered on the miraculous. Within a year, the death rate fell from a high of 30 per cent to 3 per cent. The notorious death ward was no more. Semmelweiss was elated by this result, but he was also troubled by it. He realized that he himself had probably been responsible for many deaths as he rushed back and forth between the obstetrics ward and the autopsy room. His feelings of guilt coupled with his conviction that he had made a major discovery converted Semmelweiss into a hand wash promoting zealot. Still, it took decades before the importance of handwashing took hold in the medical community.

Today, with our extensive knowledge of disease transmission by microbes it is clear why handwashing works. Bacteria and viruses are either inactivated or rinsed away. Soap molecules have one end that is soluble in water and another that dissolves in fatty substances, or lipids. Most dirt is of an oily or greasy nature and attracts the fat-soluble end, leaving the other end to be anchored in water. Rinsing then pulls the oily dirt off any surface to which it is attached. In the case of COVID-19, soap can actually destroy the virus responsible for the disease. Coronaviruses are composed of a core of nucleic acids, either RNA or DNA, surrounded by a protective coating made of proteins and fats. The fat-soluble end of the soap molecule embeds itself in the lipid layer and the virus is then literally pulled apart since the rinsing water is tugging the other end. The reason for the 20-30 second time period is to ensure that the soap makes contact with whatever microbes may be present.

Washing with soap and water is more effective than using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Alcohol can dissolve fats, so it is capable of stripping away the lipid layer of a virus and thereby inactivate it, but the problem is that unlike washing with soap it doesnt remove dirt and may not get at viruses that are stuck in the dirt. Of course, when soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers can step in as long as they contain at least 60 per cent alcohol.

Being urged to stay home because of this virus, why not make use of the opportunity find a version of Macbeth to watch? I dont think eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat or tongue of dog are the solution to COVID-19, although equally nonsensical regimens are being peddled by the charlatans who emerge out of the woodwork whenever a crisis such as this presents.

joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca

Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill Universitys Office for Science & Society (mcgill.ca/oss). He hosts The Dr. Joe Show on CJAD Radio 800 AM every Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m.

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The Right Chemistry: In hand washing, role of soap is key - Montreal Gazette

The chemistry of clean energy – POLITICO.eu

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The possibilities behind cutting-edge technologies blending with architectural advantages to generate beautiful energy efficient buildings | Shutterstock

Heinz Haller, Executive Vice President and President of Dow Europe, Middle East, Africa and India | DOW

The European Union is about to take important decisions that will decide how we will produce, distribute and consume energy. Such a modern, reliable and low-carbon energy system requires innovative and modern materials. Alongside energy and digital technology, chemicals are essential if the EU is to succeed in providing its Clean Energy for All Europeans proposals.

What is a senior executive of a global chemical company doing at a European energy conference?

Last week, I was in Brussels speaking at a high-level EU energy policy conference. What is a senior executive of a global chemical company doing at a European energy conference? Arguing against EU energy policy? No, calling to strengthen it! The chemical industry is providing key solutions for energy efficiency, storage and renewables and is actually working to improve its own energy performance even more. Over the past 25 years, industrys energy consumption has decreased by 24 percent while production has increased by 70 percent. That is an impressive bump in energy efficiency since 1990 and that doesnt include any credit for the benefits of our products.

I came to Brussels to make EU policymakers aware of the contribution chemicals make to Europes energy system. As a global leader in the chemical industry, at Dow we understand that we play an important role in creating Europes energy future. We produce modern, innovative materials; we make building insulation, high-strength materials for wind turbine blades and lightweight vehicles, seals and heat transfer fluids for solar power, energy efficiency electrical cables, and many more innovations needed for energy storage. Not many people realize that without chemicals we would not be able to build the Energy Union we want and provide Clean Energy for All Europeans.

If we want Europe to be more energy efficient, we will need products of the chemical industry to do the job.

For example, as the worlds major producer of silicones, I am very proud that thanks to such products, wind turbines can resist extreme weather, require less maintenance and be more reliable. Silicones are also essential to bind the giant rotor blades to the turbines themselves. And because silicones can withstand the suns unrelenting rays year after year, they are ideal for solar technology. Take solar panels for example, advancements using silicones have made them far more efficient, durable and affordable than ever before. Assembling and installing solar cells is also easier now, thanks to silicones. Its no wonder that 90 percent of solar panels today make use of them. Altogether, solar accounts for 10 percent of Europes share of renewable electricity. If we want Europe to be more energy efficient, we will need products of the chemical industry to do the job. So the question is not whether we need these products but rather: will we be able to develop, produce and use them in Europe or not?

I was pleased to see EU Research Commissioner Moedas speaking about Europes research funding going towards innovation in the energy sector. It shows that the European Commission is trying to take a comprehensive approach and is trying to break silos. I look forward to also seeing a greater involvement of DG GROW and DG Environment in ensuring that the decisions we take in the field of chemical policy do not make it unnecessarily more difficult or more expensive to provide the solutions to meet the EUs energy and climate targets.

Without chemicals we will not be able to build the Energy Union and provide Clean Energy for All Europeans. The good news is that Europe already has a strong and innovative chemical industry developing and producing materials that allow us to make our homes, vehicles and offices more comfortable and energy efficient. But innovation is a never-ending process and there is so much more that we can create and improve. I am excited about the challenges ahead; as we like to think at Dow, lets imagine the possibilities and find out how the innovative solutions that the chemical industry brings will turn them into realities.

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The chemistry of clean energy - POLITICO.eu

Physical forces at the interface with biology and chemistry – PLoS Blogs

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Cell behaviour, tissue formation/regulation, physiology and disease are all influenced by cellular mechanics and physical forces. The field of mechanobiology has for a long time striven to fully understand how these forces affect biological and cellular processes, as well as developing new analytical techniques. At the same time, the properties of advanced smart materials, such as self-healing, self-reporting and responsive polymers, have been determined by a complex interplay between the thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanics of dynamic bonding strategies. These are tightly connected to the field of mechanochemistry, whichaims to elucidate and harness molecular level design principles and translate these to the bulk material level as emergent properties. At this interface between disciplines lies an emerging and exciting research area that has been strongly facilitated by the collaboration of physicists, chemists, engineers, materials scientists, and biologists.

We had the pleasure of speaking to Kerstin Blank and Matthew Harrington, who have been working on how mechanical forces influence biological systems, molecules and responsive biomaterials, about their views of the field and the recent Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology conference of which PLOS ONE was one of the proud sponsors.

How did you first become interested in this topic?

Kerstin: When I started in this field in 2000, I was mostly impressed by the technical possibilities. I was working with Hermann Gaub, one of the leaders in single-molecule force spectroscopy. I found it fascinating that we could stretch a single biological molecule and observe its response. I did ask myself sometimes if this was just something that physicists like to play with or if one could solve biomedically relevant questions with this approach. Now, almost 20 years later, it has become very evident that a large number of biological systems are regulated by mechanical forces in many different ways.

Matt: My educational background was primarily in biology and biochemistry, but I became fascinated with the capacity of certain biological materials to exhibit self-healing responses in the absence of living cells. I reasoned that this must arise from specific chemical and physical design principles in the material building blocks themselves, and I became obsessed with figuring out how this works. This led me to the self-healing materials community, which was largely populated with chemists and materials engineers, but not so many biologists. When I began to see that many of the same principles at play in synthetic self-healing materials were present in nature, and that in some cases nature was going well beyond the state of the art in synthetic self-healing materials, I realized the enormous potential at the interface of mechanobiology and mechanochemistry. I havent looked back since.

Which areas are you most excited about?

Kerstin: I find it very intriguing how cells utilize mechanical information from their environment and then feed it into intracellular biochemical signalling cascades. Understanding these mechanosensing and mechanotransduction processes requires knowledge of the cellular players and their interactions. But to develop the complete picture, we also need to investigate how cells interact with their extracellular environment. This also involves understanding the microscopic and macroscopic mechanical properties of the extracellular environment. I am highly excited about the development of molecular force sensors that convert mechanical force into a fluorescent signal. This allows for the localized detection of cell traction forces and, in the future, will also enable us to visualize force propagation inside materials that mimic the natural extracellular matrix.

Matt: I am currently most excited about understanding how and why nature uses different transient interactions to control the fabrication and viscoelastic mechanical responses of biopolymeric materials and the potential this has for the development of sustainable advanced polymers of the future. Recent discoveries in the field clearly show that in contrast to traditional polymers, living organisms commonly use specific supramolecular interactions based on dynamic bonds (e.g. hydrogen bonding, metal coordination or pi-cation interactions) to guide the self-assembly and mechanical properties of protein-based materials. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these labile bonds enable a certain dynamicity and responsiveness in these building blocks that provides potential inspiration for environmentally friendly materials processing and active/tuneable material properties. These concepts are already being adapted in a number of exciting bio-inspired polymers.

What progress has the field made in the last years?

Kerstin: It is now well-established that cells are able to sense and respond to the elastic and viscoelastic properties of the material they grow in. We have also learned a lot about how the mechanical signal is converted into biochemical signalling on the intracellular side. This is a direct result of many new technological developments, including the molecular force sensors described above. It is further a result of the increasing development of extracellular matrix mimics with well-defined and tuneable mechanical properties and microstructures.

Matt: Due to recent technological advances it is becoming possible to link specific aspects of mechanical material responses directly to structural features at multiple length scales. The better we understand these structure-property relationships, the better we can optimize the material response. This provides an intimate feedback loop that has enabled major breakthroughs in the fields of active matter, including self-healing and self-reporting polymers.

What is the real-world impact?

Kerstin: It is widely accepted that mechanical information plays a key role in stem cell differentiation. It has further been shown that mutated cells, e.g. in cancer or cardiovascular diseases, have different mechanical properties and show alterations in processing mechanical information. Understanding the origin of these changes and being able to interfere with them will have direct impact in disease diagnostics and treatment. Engineering materials with molecularly controlled structures and mechanical properties will further enable the community to direct stem cell differentiation in a more defined manner for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Matt: Aside from biomedical impacts, the insights gained from understanding the structure-function relationships defining the mechanical response of molecules are also extremely relevant for the development and sustainable fabrication of next generation advanced polymers. Given the global threat of petroleum-based plastics processing and disposal, this is an extremely important aspect of the research in this field.

What are the challenges and future developments of the field?

Kerstin: At this moment, we usually try to relate the macroscopic material properties (measured in the lab) with the microscopic environment that cells sense. In my view, we are missing a key piece of information. We need to understand how the macroscopic properties of a material emerge from its molecular composition, topography and hierarchical structure. In combination, all these parameters determine the mechanical properties of a material and, more importantly, what the cells see. In fact, this is not only key for the development of new extracellular matrix mimics. The same questions need to be answered for understanding how nature assembles a wide range of structural and functional materials with outstanding properties, such as spider silk, cellulose composites and nacre. Here, I see a great potential for future collaboration between disciplines.

Matt: There are enormous challenges on the bio-inspiration si
de of the field involved with transferring design principles extracted from biological materials into synthetic systems. Biology is inherently complex, so there is a common tendency to distil the extracted concept to a single functional group or concept, while often there are collective effects that are lost by this more reductionist approach. On the biological side, a key challenge is ascertaining which are the relevant design principles. On the bio-inspired side, there are challenges in finding appropriate synthetic analogues to mimic the chemical and structural complexity of the natural system. Overcoming this barrier requires cross-disciplinary communication and feedback and is an extremely exciting and active area in our field.

Why and when did you decide to organize a conference on this topic?

Kerstin & Matt: While both working at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, we quickly realized that the cell biophysics, biomaterials, mechanochemistry and soft matter communities are all interested in very similar questions while using similar methods and theoretical models; however, we had the impression that they hardly interact with each other. We thought of ways to change this and organizing a conference was clearly one way to do it. The first conference with the topic Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology: from molecular mechanisms to smart materials took place in Berlin in 2017. When bringing this idea forward in our respective communities, we immediately realized that we hit a nerve. Now that the conference has taken place for the second time in Montreal in 2019, we really got the feeling that we are starting to create a community around this topic. There will be another follow up conference from August 23-25, 2021 in Berlin (@mcb2021Berlin).

What are the most interesting and representative papers published in PLOS ONE in this field?

Kerstin: The paper Monodisperse measurement of the biotin-streptavidin interaction strength in a well-defined pulling geometry, published by Sedlak et al., is a highly interesting contribution to the field of single-molecule force spectroscopy, which was also presented at the conference. This work highlights the methodological developments in single-molecule force spectroscopy since its very early days. The authors from the Gaub labhave re-measured the well-known streptavidin-biotin interaction, now with a very high level of control over the molecular setup. It clearly shows how far the field has come and also that protein engineering, bioconjugation chemistry, instrumentation development and data analysis all need to go hand in hand to obtain clear and unambiguous experimental results. Clearly, considering a defined molecular setup is not only crucial for this kind of measurement but also for the development of biomimetic materials with controlled mechanical properties.

Sedlak SM, Bauer MS, Kluger C, Schendel LC, Milles LF, Pippig DA, et al. (2017) Monodisperse measurement of the biotin-streptavidin interaction strength in a well-defined pulling geometry. PLoS ONE 12(12): e0188722,https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188722

Matt: Accurately detecting and measuring the mechanical forces at play inside living cells is one of the key challenges in the field of mechanobiology, given the small size and dynamic nature of the intracellular environment. However, this information is extremely important for understanding the role of mechanics in regulating cellular functions such as growth, differentiation and proliferation, as well as disease states. In the Nuclei deformation reveals pressure distributions in 3D cell clusters paper from the Ehrlicher group, the authors address this challenge by using fluorescently labelled proteins in the cell nucleus coupled with confocal microscopy to measure compressive pressures within cells and cell clusters. Using this methodology, they explored the effect of cell number and shape of multicellular clusters on the internal compressive pressure within cells, providing potentially important insights for cellular signalling and function. These studies have potential applications in both in vitro and in vivo models, and provide a relatively simple methodology for acquiring intracellular mechanical data.

Khavari A, Ehrlicher AJ (2019) Nuclei deformation reveals pressure distributions in 3D cell clusters. PLoS ONE 14(9): e0221753,https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221753

Other PLOS ONE representative papers:

Kerstin Blank studied Biotechnology at the University of Applied Sciences in Jena and obtained her PhDin Biophysics under the supervision of Prof Hermann Gaub at Ludwig-Maximilians Universitt in Munich. After two postdocs at the Universit de Strasbourg and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, she became an Assistant Professor at Radboud University in Nijmegen in 2009. In 2014, she moved to the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces where she holds the position of a Max Planck Research Group Leader. Her research interests combine biochemistry and single molecule biophysics with the goal of developing molecular force sensors for biological and materials science applications.

Matthew J. Harrington is Canada Research Chair in Green Chemistry and assistant professor in Chemistry at McGill University since 2017. He received his PhD in the lab of J. Herbert Waite from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Afterwards, he was a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow and then research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in the Department of Biomaterials. His research interests are focused on understanding biochemical structure-function relationships and fabrication processes of biopolymeric materials and translating extracted design principles for production of sustainable, advanced materials.

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Physical forces at the interface with biology and chemistry - PLoS Blogs

Community Pushes for Answers on Toxic Chemical Found at McClymonds High – Post News Group

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A community meeting, co-hosted by the New McClymonds Committee and the McClymonds 100 Year Committee, is seeking answers about the closure and moving of students and staff to temporary locations after a small amount of a cancer-causing chemical, trichloroethylene (TCE), was discovered in the groundwater at McClymonds High School in West Oakland.

At the meeting, held March 3 at West Oakland Senior Center, parents said they wanted to their children and themselves to be tested for TCE exposure. Others raised suspicions that the school might have been closed to facilitate the transfer of the site to a charter school or to sell the property.

The results of testing of 200 sites on campus in February showed no TCE on campus except for a small concentration in the boiler room in a sump pump, according to Ben Coach Tapscott.

Prior tests in August and October found no TCE on the campus.

If no TCE is found, when will the students be moved back to McClymonds? Asked Tapscott. Hopefully, the kids will get back in their school soon.

Tapscott said another community meeting will be held after March 9 new test results are released.

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Community Pushes for Answers on Toxic Chemical Found at McClymonds High - Post News Group