Public donations sought for career returners’ chemistry fellowship – Chemistry World (subscription)

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The University of Oxford is asking the public for donations to support a new chemistry fellowship that will be awarded to someone returning to research after a career break.

The Dorothy Hodgkin fellowship named after the x-ray crystallographer and chemistry Nobel laureate who was the first woman at the university to receive maternity pay aims to help address the leaky pipeline of women leaving academia. The initial goal is to fund a five-year research post in the universitys chemistry department as well as a stipendiary lecturer to cover teaching.

The crowdfunding campaign is a joint enterprise between the universitys chemistry department and Somerville College, where Hodgkin was a fellow.

So far it has raised more than 162,000 of the 500,000 target. When the total reaches 196,500 it will be matched by a group of four anonymous donors. Eventually, the project hopes to raise enough money to ensure a continuous stream of fellows returning to chemistry.

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Public donations sought for career returners' chemistry fellowship - Chemistry World (subscription)

Value of EU to UK chemistry revealed – Chemistry World (subscription)

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Chemistry is one of the big winners when it comes to EU research funding securing almost 55 million in 201415 alone. This is according to an analysis for the national academies, which found that chemistry was one of the top five disciplines when it came to attracting European research grants behind only clinical medicine, biosciences and physics. It also relies heavily on that funding: on average, EU grants accounted for 23% of departmental research income in the same year. This funding is now under threat with Britains planned exit from the EU.

Jason Love, head of inorganic chemistry at Edinburgh University isnt surprised: Its a broad subject so its able to get funding from medical research, biological research, more fundamental physical sciences research and materials. The breadth [] means we will collaborate widely. Moreover, there are a lot of challenges in chemistry that cant be solved in isolation. On average, over the past six years, 16% of his departments research funding has come from EU programmes.

Overall, higher education has taken the lions share of Horizon 2020 funding coming into the UK: over 1.93 billion (1.69 billion) by the end of 2016, equating to 63% of the total. Higher education institutions (HEI) arent so successful in other countries. To put the scale of EU investment in context, in 201415 HEIs reported 725 million in EU funding, which was 12% of their total income from grants and contracts, or around 25% of the 2.75 billion in research grants provided through UK government bodies.

The sector also attracts significant support from the European Regional Development Fund, and loans from the European Investment Bank which, according to the reports authors, Technopolis, have enabled research institutes to move forward earlier with more ambitious development plans. These endorsements from the bank can also be key in attracting other investors.

Amer Gaffar, director of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, says a 1.6 million award allowed Manchester Metropolitan University to get the centre off the ground quickly. Its doors will open at the end of the year and provide SMEs with equipment to develop hydrogen fuel cells. EU funding has also allowed his team to build partnerships across Europe that will be vital to the success of the centre.

EU research programmes provide unique personal grants and fellowships. During the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) the predecessor to Horizon 2020 the UK won over 22% of European Research Council (ERC) grants. These not only provide science funding but enable us to attract international staff, which is incredibly important, says Claire Carmalt, head of chemistry at University College London. 1520% of her departments funding portfolio comes from the EU.

Last year one of its researchers won an ERC consolidator grant, which backs ground-breaking, risky research. The department, she adds, will leverage off the exciting science it supports. Edinburghs chemistry department also has two starting grants that help cement early stage careers. Love questions whether the UK government will offer more funds for early career researchers. These can really kick start a career or push on to important innovations, he notes.

Those grants also provide a flexibility not offered by UK funding sources. A lot of UK research council grants have an industrial or manufacturing focus [] whereas EU funding can have projects for fundamental science, says Carmalt. We need the fundamental research to get us to the applied.

Schemes such as the Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions, which support mobility between countries, are fantastic for bringing across really top people to the UK and help diversify talent, Carmalt adds. The UK has been very successful in winning these awards. But both Carmalt and Love are concerned that Brexit will mean losing academic staff from across the EU: How will we plug the gap? asks Carmalt. Edinburgh has already lost EU colleagues.

UK industry also gets substantial funding for research from the EU. In the first two years of Horizon 2020, companies received an average of 189 million a year. SMEs have been particularly successful, attracting more funding from Horizon 2020 and FP7, than any other country. It also accounts for a much higher proportion of R&D spend by SMEs than for the UK business sector as a whole. SMEs did particularly well in thematic funding such as ICT, nanosciences and materials.

Companies that took part in projects in FP7 report improved access to markets. Large companies also report significant benefits. The reports authors notes that the framework programmes facilitates strategic collaboration across Europe and helps underpin the innovation ecosystem by supporting the pipeline of ideas and talent from universities. They also point to the unique scale and reach of Horizon 2020 joint technology initiatives such as those on innovative medicines and hydrogen fuel cells, dwarf anything being done on a national scale.

Analysis suggests that public R&D expenditure like Horizon 2020 has a significant crowding-in effect, encouraging further private investment in R&D outside the programme. Studies suggest that for every 1 spent on R&D by the European commission, a further 0.74 will be invested by companies or other organisations in the wider EU economy. Technopolis argues that the effect could be stronger in an advanced economy like the UKs.

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Pacelli’s Krusa awarded Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award – Portage County Gazette

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Joyce Krusa (center) accompanied by her daughter, Alliey, and husband, Brian receives the Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award by the Central Wisconsin Section of the American Chemical Society. (Contributed photo)

Pacelli Catholic High School teacher Joyce Krusa was recently awarded the Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award by the Central Wisconsin Section of the American Chemical Society, a regional group of chemistry educators and professionals covering the central and northcentral Wisconsin region.

This year, (the) ACS-Central Wisconsin Chapter has chosen an outstanding high school chemistry teacher that (is) deserving of special recognition, said Gary Shulfer, chair of ACS-Central Wisconsin Chapter and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point chemistry professor.

Devoting more than 15 years of her professional life to science education, Krusa possesses great leadership and has developed strong relationships with her students. As a result, more than 30 percent of her students pursue undergraduate degrees in science-related fields.

Krusa has taken on a big role in developing STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum at Pacelli implementing both engineering and biomedical engineering tracks. She works to create learning opportunities for students that are rigorous and relevant.

Currently, one of her students is finishing a two-year STEM capstone internship with a local manufacturer, one of very few internships of this type for high school students in the state of Wisconsin.

I was nominated by a former student, said Krusa. The idea that a student of mine thought this much to nominate me is very humbling.

PCHS principal Larry Theiss also submitted a recommendation letter on Krusas behalf.

She constantly strives to create projects and lessons that draw they students into the learning making it fun, engaging, and interesting, said Theiss in his letter. She challenges them to expand their understanding in order to help them achieve higher levels of understanding and critical thinking.

Krusa was honored at the annual ACS-Central Wisconsin Chapter awards banquet on May 11 at Draganettis Ristorante in Eau Claire.

For my peers to recognize me for this award is one of the highlights of my teaching career, said Krusa.

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Pacelli's Krusa awarded Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award - Portage County Gazette

India still outside chemistry’s ‘big league’ – Chemistry World (subscription)

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The number of quality chemistry research papers coming out of India is on the up, but still lags far behind China and must accelerate if India is to become a major global player in chemistry. Thats the conclusion of a new scientometric analysis of chemistry research in India that uses Chinas explosive research growth as a benchmark.

While the total number of chemistry papers with Indian authors published between 2007 and 2014 grew at an impressive three-year moving average of 8.9%, the study shows that the country continues to be poorly represented in the top journals. This is despite India making up 17% of the worlds population. When publications in only high quality journals are considered Indias rank falls, leading to the question are we publishing mediocre stuff? state the authors of the study.

Between 2011 and 2015 Indian chemists published 144 papers in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), the study notes, far behind Chinas 1857. In another top journal, Chemical Communications, India accounted for 794 papers from 2011 through to 2015, compared to 6084 from China. The study notes that India accounts for only 2.3% of the 2234 papers in the top one percentile of the most highly cited chemistry papers published in 2014, compared to 38% from China, whose lead over India in 2000 was meagre.

That only a small number of Indian researchers and institutions publish in leading journals is also a matter for concern, the authors contend. Despite an increase in research output and international collaboration, chemistry research in India is still not in the big league.

The study is based on chemistry research publication data from 19912015 collected from various databases, including Natureindex.com, SCImago and Web of Science. The authors focused on 25 leading chemistry journals six of which are general chemistry journals and on chemistry papers published in leading general science journals Nature, Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new study comes in the wake of three earlier prominent studies focusing on general science in India but which included sections on chemistry. Each of those three reports from Nature Index, Elsevier, and Thomson Reuters was largely positive on the current state of, and outlook, for chemistry in India.

Subbiah Arunachalam, lead author of the new report, tells Chemistry World that his study differs from the other three in several ways, most significantly by focusing only on chemistry and on papers published in top chemistry journals. By such careful selection of journals, we ensured only papers of certain quality would be included in our analysis, he says. He says the study also presents a comparative data breakdown on papers from several Asian nations, as well as Indian institutions published in JACS, Chemical Communications and Angewandte Chemie. We have also commented on the increase in internationally co-authored papers and their propensity to attract more citations. On the overall state of chemistry in India, Arunachalam says I would say strengths certainly outweigh the weaknesses.

Sandeep Verma, head of the department of chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, says that the strong suit of the study is its narrative based on quantitative data. However, the authors summarily deliver a verdict that chemistry research is not making rapid progress in India based on the premise of publishing in JACS, Angewandte Chemie or Chem Comm. While these three journals are top of the line with high impact factors, one has to also consider core journals such as Organic Letters or Journal of Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Journal of Physical Chemistry, preferred widely by Indian chemists who feel comfortable within traditional boundaries.

Verma concludes: Therefore, the rhetoric of are we publishing mediocre stuff is high-handed and is based on an arguable premise. Thus, in my opinion, this paper presents a small part of a complex story of chemistry research in India.

Abhishek Dey, an inorganic chemist at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Kolkata, notes that the study does show that the younger scientists are publishing more in high impact journals. However, he says another parameter the study could have included was reviewing activity by these authors. It not only shows the credibility of the scientist as a go to expert but also shows their commitment towards the development of journals they publish in.

I am quite hopeful about the future of chemistry in India, says Dey. There has been a lot of really great appointments thanks to the new institutes that have come up. If these institutes can provide good academic environments to their faculty, chemistry research should get much better in the days to come. That being said, we still have a long way to go to be considered as a leader in the area.

Verma agrees that the future of Indian chemistry looks bright. But he says the field needs more support from the Indian government, which he says favours the biological sciences over physical. The numbers presented in this paper are actually a tribute to the resolute nature of Indian chemists given poor infrastructure as a main adversary impeding their reach to the top, he says. Indian chemists will shine if optimal research resources and robust funding policies are made available on a priority basis.

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India still outside chemistry's 'big league' - Chemistry World (subscription)

Chemistry teacher accused of having sex with student in car – NBC4i.com

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PORT ST. LUCIE, FL (WFLA) A Port St. Lucie chemistry teacher is facing felony sexual assault charges after police say she had sex with a 17-year-old student.

Police began investigating Tiffany Michelle Geliga, 35, after school administrators at Port St. Lucie High School told them a mother of a 17-year-old student contacted the school to say the teacher had texted her son numerous times, sometimes in the early hours of the morning.

The womans son told school officials nothing inappropriate happened between him and Geliga, but he did believe the teacher was involved in an inappropriate relationship with another student.

That student, a 17-year-old boy, was questioned by school officials and admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with Geliga that involved late-night calls and texts. He also said they had sex on two separate occasions.

Police say Geliga and the student had sex off-campus in the teachers car in late April or early May.

The victim said Geliga had tutored him at Port St. Lucie High School, where she was hired in 2014.

Detectives launched an investigation into Geligas relationship with the 17-year-old boy and monitored a controlled phone call between the boy and the teacher. In the call, Geliga admitted to her sexual relationship with the teen, telling the boy she had never done anything inappropriate with other students just you. Police say she then offered to treat the student to a stay at a West Palm Beach hotel, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Geliga was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault by persons 24-years-old or older on a victim 16 or 17-years-old.

Geliga was released Friday from the St. Lucie County Jail on $30,000 bond, according to jail officials.

An investigation into theirrelationship is ongoing.

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Chemistry teacher accused of having sex with student in car - NBC4i.com

Chemistry teacher charged with fleeing from police, other counts – Scranton Times-Tribune

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A chemistry teacher from the Carbondale Area School District faces charges after police said he drove an all-terrain vehicle erratically on Old Forge streets, threatened another motorist with a firearm and refused to speak to officers investigating the initial allegations.

Police charged Ross Gerald Merieski, 35, 1247 Mowery St., Old Forge, with misdemeanor counts of fleeing from a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct as well as a long list of driving offenses.

Old Forge Police responded about 8 p.m. Sunday to a Main Street car wash, after someone called 911 to report a man on an ATV had shown a handgun to another motorist there after a confrontation over his driving.

When the officer located a man driving an ATV who fit the witnesss description and pulled his squad car alongside the vehicle, Merieski responded to the officers request to talk by saying Im not getting fined and this is Old Forge, not Scranton before speeding off, according to the police report.

The officer followed Merieski in his squad car until the suspect retreated to the ATV trail off of Pittston Avenue, threatening to drive away if the officer came closer. The officer tried to approach on foot and question the man, but retreated when he saw the suspect was armed.

Im from Old Forge, the man repeatedly yelled, according to the police report.

The officer then went to interview two witnesses outside a bar, who identified the man as Merieski, a former teacher of theirs at Old Forge High School. While there, the suspect drove his ATV past and gestured with his arm, though the officer could not determine what the gesture was, he wrote in the report.

Once backup arrived, the three officers chased the man briefly, who accelerated to speeds exceeding 50 mph while ignoring several stop signs.

The trio of officers broke off and went to his home to wait for him. He eventually approached on foot and they arrested him.

At the Old Forge Police Headquarters, the officers detected a strong smell of alcohol on him, according to their report.

When they asked him to write a statement, he became aggressive, telling officers he was a chemistry teacher and had work in the morning.

Charge me already and send me home, he said, according to the police report.

He was released on $15,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Asked if Merieski had been disciplined, the Carbondale Area School District said it had put a professional employee on administrative leave this week, but would not comment further because its a personnel matter, business manager David Cerra said.

Contact the writer:

pcameron@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100 x5365,

@pcameronTT on Twitter

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Chemistry teacher charged with fleeing from police, other counts - Scranton Times-Tribune

Debra Winger and Tracy Letts on their chemistry in ‘The Lovers’ and, reluctantly, on Hollywood and women – Los Angeles Times

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At this point, any movie starring Debra Winger is worth our attention. Since taking a break from Hollywood for six years at the height of her fame in the mid-90s, the three-time Oscar nominee has maintained a mystique as the One Who Walked Away. Which overlooks the fact that since returning to acting in 2001, she has worked steadily, on projects such as Jonathan Demmes Rachel Getting Married and the recent Netflix sitcom The Ranch.

But we like that mystique, Winger says in a recent interview in Los Angeles, breaking into her unmistakable, irrepressible full-throated laugh. Dont list any of my credits. Lets stick with the mystique. Its self-perpetuating sometimes; it doesnt matter what I do.

What she has done now includes The Lovers, in which Winger stars as Mary, a woman having an affair behind the back of her husband, Michael (Tracy Letts). He is too distracted to notice or care because he is carrying on an affair of his own. (Aidan Gillen and Melora Walters play their respective paramours.) An impending visit from their college-age son (Tyler Ross) and his new girlfriend (Jessica Sula) becomes a catalyst for both Mary and Michael to truly shake things up.

With its powerfully understated and finely detailed performances from Winger and Letts, the picture is a welcome return for writer and director Azazel Jacobs, whose previous film was 2011s Terri starring John C. Reilly and Jacob Wysocki. (In the interim, Jacobs worked on the television series Doll & Em.)

The chemistry between Winger and Letts, the flinty sparks that fly between them, gives The Lovers much of its energy.

I did not know that was going to happen until the first day of shooting. That was a total welcome surprise, Jacobs says in a separate interview. They just from the beginning found this groove with each other and challenged and inspired and just brought everything to a much higher level. Its what youre always hoping for, but its hard to aim for, hard to expect.

Jacobs recalls that he first met Winger when she came to a screening of Terri. She subsequently sent him a letter of appreciation that he came to cherish. (Winger says she took up letter writing after someone gave her a box of personalized stationary, recounting other notes of thanks and praise to Olivier Assayas, Juliette Binoche and Mike Leigh.)

Jacobs and Winger kept in touch, and he tried out a few ideas on her, but it wasnt until the exploration of marriage in The Lovers that she grew interested enough to participate.

Winger, with bare feet, slim black jeans and a black button-down shirt, sits alongside Letts, the award-winning playwright and actor, who on this day in a West Hollywood hotel suite wears brown boots, gray jeans and a grey fitted T-shirt. Theres an easy back-and-forth between the two, with a cheerful lightness replacing their on-screen marital tension.

While both of their characters in the film carry on affairs outside their marriage, neither Winger nor Letts ever judged them for it, feeling it more important to understand why they behaved the way they did.

Its a really interesting thing to consider what are the things you are willing to judge other people for. And that line changes as I get older, Letts says. Im getting to be a combination of less judgmental and more thin-skinned.

The movies elegantly roving visual style began in part when a Steadicam wouldnt work and cinematographer Tobias Datum suggested a very long dolly shot instead. While Jacobs was initially skeptical, once he saw how well it went, he continued down that path, particularly after he noticed how well Datum and Winger collaborated.

Debra, she knows camera like Ive never experienced in an actress, Jacobs says. Ive never witnessed anybody fall in sync with a cameraperson like that. Hes always predicting where the actors are going, but she could just as easily tell where he wanted to go.

Since Wingers breakout role in Urban Cowboy and on through films such as An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment, The Sheltering Sky and Shadowlands, she has been bringing to the screen performances once described by the late L.A. Times critic Charles Champlin as vibrantly sensual.

At the same time, she garnered a reputation as a difficult collaborator, leading Shirley MacLaine to notoriously refer to Wingers turbulent brilliance in an Oscar acceptance speech. Winger also didnt mind saying publicly when she didnt like how a picture had turned out, which broke with many of the unspoken protocols of Hollywood decorum.

So, has she changed at all in how she approaches her work?

Nope. So you go figure, Winger says with a hint of mischief. I am changed the way people grow and change, but Im not mellow. Looking toward Letts, she adds, Ask him. I am not mellow.

Letts jumps in, adding, In terms of this film, Debra wasnt hard to work with for me at all. I think its not talking out of school to say she liked me, she liked the director, she liked the [director of photography], she liked the script.

Debra isnt somebody who suffers fools, and lets also identify this out loud, shes a woman. And if a woman expresses an opinion, and if she expresses it however she expresses it, grumpy or demanding or whatever spin you want to put on it, theres a whole different value placed on that because shes a woman.

I cant disagree with this very intelligent man, Winger says with a smile. And I didnt ask him to say that.

As Winger has been making her way back into the spotlight over the last few years, it has coincided with a moment when the attention to women in Hollywood, both behind and in front of the camera, has amplified and picked up momentum.

I so ignore it, Winger says. Were not pushing the needle by talking about it. Something must be done. Measures must be taken. I dont want to talk about it. Its the first argument I had with Gloria Steinem, and we continue to have that argument every week when we go out to dinner. I get going out when you have a specific goal or a cause or something you need to accomplish, but opening up a conversation about women in film,' I swear to God, I dont get it.

She pauses, then adds, Im going to get in trouble for that.

The sense that Hollywood pushed Winger away, had no place for someone like her, is what led Rosanna Arquette to title a 2002 documentary on women and Hollywood Searching for Debra Winger. (Winger herself has never watched it.) Winger grows suddenly tongue-tied when asked to address the idea that she is an oracle for a younger generation of women.

You do it by example, not by what you say, interjects Letts. Youve done it by example. Youre not going to say anything to summarize the experience of women in Hollywood.

True, Winger says, but I wish that the strength could come from somewhere other than the source of pain. Thats the clue Ive found, and young actresses, I can pick them out, I can see them, and there is a fearlessness and something scary about them at the same time. Because they come with a fierceness that says, I am not going to look for my power from the source that wants to take it away. Thats not who I am going to get involved in the struggle with. My sense of power is going to come from my life. And from, in a way, ignoring that fact that you think I shouldnt be here.

She nevertheless seems well aware of the totemic fascination she holds for people as someone who made her own decisions regarding what is now referred to as work-life balance. But she is also very conscious of the kinds of movies she both wants to be in and wants to see, movies rooted in relationships and genuine human experiences.

For Winger, The Lovers is not a small film.

I think its right-sized, she says. I think this film is right-sized.

REVIEW: In 'The Lovers,' Debra Winger and Tracy Letts give us an achingly poignant portrait of a modern marriage

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Debra Winger and Tracy Letts on their chemistry in 'The Lovers' and, reluctantly, on Hollywood and women - Los Angeles Times

Chemistry onstage makes Faith Hill and Tim McGraw a top tour … – Lincoln Journal Star

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LAS VEGAS The love story of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill started on a tour two decades ago and that sparkling chemistry onstage has made them one of the genre's biggest headliners.

The country couple with movie star glamour has sold over 63 million albums in the U.S. between their two careers, has earned two Grammys for duets they sang together and has three children. This year, they are releasing their first-ever duet album together and started their third installment of their highly successful Soul2Soul World (it launched in April).

"I haven't been on a stage like this in 10 years and that is no lie," Hill said of the tour. "I can tell you right now I am fired up."

During an Associated Press interview with the couple before their rehearsal at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas earlier this month, Hill and McGraw were giddy with anticipation.

"She's ready to turn it loose," McGraw said.

"Age is not an issue," added Hill, who together with her husband will be turning 50 during the tour that runs through October.

The Mississippi-born Hill and the Louisiana-born McGraw fell in love when she opened for him on his 1996 Spontaneous Combustion tour and they married that year.

In 2000, the first Soul2Soul tour grossed $48.8 million, making it the best grossing country tour in North America that year, according to Pollstar. The Soul2Soul II tour was even more successful, grossing $88.8 million in 2006, and made it the 3rd highest grossing North American tour that year.

McGraw credited their success on the road to the fact that they are very different singers who push each other to expand their ranges onstage.

"Faith, I would say, is more of an R&B, sort of gospel-inspired singer," McGraw said. "And I think I am more a '70s rock, arena rock, Merle Haggard meets arena rock kind of singer. She brings me a little bit more to the R&B side, and I bring her more to the arena rock side, and I think it creates a sort of magic."

Their first duet together, "It's Your Love," was on McGraw's 1997 "Everywhere" album, which was followed by "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me," from Hill's multiplatinum album "Faith." Since then, they have had several popular duets, including their latest, "Speak to A Girl," which jumped into the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot country songs chart after they performed it on the ACM Awards.

But they say they don't always agree in music, or in marriage, but McGraw said commitment is key.

"Look, there is no secret," Hill said. "Either you like one another or you don't. You want to stay married or you don't. You work at it, or you don't. Simple as that. It is not always easy and there are moments that are rocky."

"But you don't walk away," McGraw said.

"I would rather live a life in rocky road ice cream than vanilla any day of the week," Hill said. "Honestly, vanilla gets boring after a couple of days."

A smiling McGraw adds: "So I am not vanilla!"

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Chemistry onstage makes Faith Hill and Tim McGraw a top tour ... - Lincoln Journal Star

The first one-bit chemical memory unitthe ‘chit’ – Phys.Org

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May 5, 2017 Three droplets with circulating chemical fronts can store information. The first chemical bit has been demonstrated by researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Credit: IPC PAS, Grzegorz Krzyzewski

In classical computer science, information is stored in bits; in quantum computer science, information is stored in quantum bits, or qubits. Experiments at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw prove that chemistry is also a suitable basis for storing information. The chemical bit, or 'chit,' is a simple arrangement of three droplets in contact with each other, in which oscillatory reactions occur.

In typical electronic memory, zeros and ones are recorded, stored and read by physical phenomena such as the flow of electricity or the change in electrical or magnetic properties. Dr. Konrad Gizynski and Prof. Jerzy Gorecki from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) in Warsaw have demonstrated a working memory based on chemical phenomena. A single bit is stored here in three adjoining droplets, between which chemical reaction fronts propagate steadily, cyclically, and in a strictly defined manner.

The chemical foundation of this form of memory is the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. The course of the reaction is oscillatory. When one cycle ends, the reagents necessary to start the next cycle are reconstituted in the solution. Before the reaction stops, there are usually several tens to hundreds of oscillations. They are accompanied by a regular change in the colour of the solution, caused by ferrointhe reaction catalyst. The second catalyst used by the Warsaw researchers was ruthenium. The introduction of ruthenium causes the BZ reaction to become photosensitivewhen the solution is illuminated by blue light, it ceases to oscillate. This feature makes it possible to control the course of the reaction.

"Our idea for the chemical storage of information was simple. From our previous experiments, we knew that when Belousov-Zhabotinsky droplets are in contact, chemical fronts can propagate from droplet to droplet. So we decided to look for the smallest droplet systems in which excitations could take place in several ways, with at least two being stable. We could then assign one sequence of excitations a logic value of 0, the other 1, and in order to switch between them and force a particular change of memory state, we could use light," explains Prof. Gorecki.

Experiments were carried out in a container filled with a thin layer of lipid solution in oil (decane). Small amounts of oscillating solution added to the system with a pipette formed droplets. These were positioned above the ends of optical fibres brought to the base of the container. To prevent the droplets from sliding off the optical fibres, each was immobilized by several rods protruding from the base of the container.

The search began with a study of pairs of coupled droplets in which four types (modes) of oscillation can take place: droplet one excites droplet two; droplet two excites droplet one; both droplets excite each other simultaneously; both excite each other alternately (i.e., when one is excited, the other one is in the refractory phase).

"In paired droplet systems, most often, one droplet excited the other. Unfortunately, only one mode of this type was always stable, and we needed two," says Dr. Gizynski. "Both droplets are made up of the same solution, but they never have exactly the same dimensions. As a result, in each droplet, the chemical oscillations occur at a slightly different pace. In such cases, the droplet oscillating more slowly begins to adjust its rhythm to its faster 'friend.' Even if it were possible with light to force the slower oscillating droplet to excite the faster oscillating droplet, the system would return to the mode in which the faster droplet stimulated the slower one."

In this situation, the IPC PAS researchers looked into triplets of adjoining droplets arranged in a triangle (so each droplet touched its two neighbours). Chemical fronts can propagate here in many ways: Droplets may oscillate simultaneously in anti-phase, two droplets can oscillate simultaneously and force oscillations in the third, etc. The researchers were most interested in rotational modes, in which the chemical fronts passed from droplet to droplet in a 1-2-3 sequence or in the opposite direction (3-2-1).

A droplet in which the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction proceeds excites rapidly, but it takes much longer for it to return to its initial state and only then can become excited again. So if in the 1-2-3 mode the excitation were to reach droplet three too quickly, it would not get through to droplet one to initiate a new cycle, because droplet one would not have enough time to 'rest.' As a result, the rotational mode would disappear. IPC PAS researchers were only interested in rotational modes capable of multiple repetitions of the cycle of excitations. They had an added advantage: The chemical fronts circulating between the droplets resemble a spiral wave, and waves of this type are characterized by increased stability.

Experiments showed that both of the studied rotational modes are stable, and if a system enters one of them, it remains until the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction ceases. It was also proved that by correctly selecting the time and length of illumination of appropriate droplets, the direction of rotation of the excitations can be changed. The triplet droplet system, with multiple chemical fronts, was thus capable of permanently storing one of two logic states.

"In fact, our chemical bit has a slightly greater potential than the classical bit. The rotational modes we used to record states zero and one had the shortest oscillation periods of 18.7 and 19.5 seconds, respectively. So if the system oscillated any slower, we could talk about an additional third logic state," commented Dr. Gizynski, and notes that this third state could be used, for example, to verify the correctness of the record.

The research on memory made up of oscillating droplets was basic in nature and served only to demonstrate that stable storage of information using chemical reactions is possible. The newly formed memory reactions were only responsible for storing information, while its recording and reading required physical methods. It will likely be many years before a fully functioning chemical memory can be built as part of a future chemical computer.

Explore further: The prototype of a chemical computer detects a sphere

More information: Konrad Gizynski et al, Chemical memory with states coded in light controlled oscillations of interacting BelousovZhabotinsky droplets, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. (2017). DOI: 10.1039/c6cp07492h

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Maine Compass: Flame retardants an example of better living through chemistry gone awry – Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

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The Maine Legislature are considering L.D. 182, a bill with the goal of eliminating the chemical treatment of furniture to prevent fires. What? Are the folks behind this bill against safety? Actually, no just the opposite is true.

The history of this practice dates back to the 1960s, when chemical flame retardants were first invented for industrial use. Someone in California later had what seemed like a great idea. Since house fires were often triggered by cigarettes igniting furniture, couldnt we treat household upholstery to slow down the burn? The chemical manufacturers helped promote the idea to the state legislature, and a bill passed that established California standards for furniture treatment, which ended up being used nationally, since California is such a big market. California, by the way, rescinded the bill about five years ago because of toxicity concerns.

The worst flame retardants PDBEs were voluntarily discontinued by the chemical industry around a decade ago. Multiple animal studies documented an association between exposure to these molecules and imbalance in the delicate regulation of both the sex hormone and thyroid systems. Human exposure was tied to pregnancy complications, birth defects, and lower IQ scores. Their chemical properties put them in the category of endocrine disruptors able to interfere with the basic pathways in our cells that regulate body balance. Endocrine disruptors also are thought to be contributing to the obesity epidemic and the increase in type 2 diabetes.

The chemicals that have replaced PDBEs, unfortunately, have similar molecular structures and similar metabolites and are associated with the same toxicities.

Fire retardants work by either inhibiting the process of oxidation chemically (remember: burning is oxidation) or by having the materials form a char, creating a physical block to burning. This all makes sense, perhaps, if a cigarette really is the source of ignition. If the fire starts in the homes electrical system or stove, however, the addition of retardants delays the burning of the couch by 20 to 30 seconds, max. Tighter fabric weaves have the same effect.

It is remarkable how much of these chemicals are added to upholstery up to 5 percent by weight. They are not chemically bound to the furniture component, and can off-gas and be inhaled, or migrate to the surrounding indoor environment and become part of house dust. Old furniture ends up in landfills, leading to dispersion of these materials in the outdoor environment. All of us have measurable amounts in our bodies. American levels are much higher than European, because we put so much more into our furniture than they do overseas.

Worldwide, more than 4 billion pounds are produced yearly, leading to substantial environmental contamination. Because these substances are bio-accumulative, they make their way into soils, then up the food chain with subsequent storage in animal tissues. Levels in breast milk have increased 100 fold since the 1970s. Even North American polar bears have measurable blood levels with reproductive effects presenting another challenge to their survival on top of the disintegrating ice pack.

As a pediatrician, I am most concerned about their developmental impact on children, who are playing on the floor, more in contact with house dust, and mouthing their hands and toys. There is another group, however, who may be more at risk of toxicity than kids our volunteer and professional firefighters. When burned, fire retardants tend to form dioxins, a class of compounds that are known potent carcinogens. One of the replacement chemicals is TRIS, which was removed from infant sleepwear decades ago because of cancer concerns. While our firefighters wear protective equipment, repeated exposures on the job are inevitable.

Firefighters feel that the 20- to 30-second delay to the time that the couch or mattress catches fire does little to help them save lives or property. At the February legislative hearing on L.D. 182, the head of the state firefighters organization described his experience in losing friends to cancer, and argued passionately in favor of passage of the bill. The bill itself is titled An Act to Protect Firefighters though pediatricians would not object to adding kids to that title.

Both organizations that I represent the Maine Chapters of Physicians for Social Responsibility and the American Academy of Pediatrics would urge our legislators to support this bill. Flame retardants are like the lead we used to put in gasoline an example of better living through chemistry gone awry. They provide little or no benefit, contaminate our environment, and cause substantial harm.

Sydney R. Sewall, M.D./MPH, has been a pediatrician in Augusta for more than 30 years. He lives in Hallowell.

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Forest Hills Central baseball team possesses chemistry, pitching, depth – MLive.com

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ADA The Fab Four have Come Together on the diamond once again for Forest Hills Central this spring.

Rangers coach Mark Rasmussen likes the vibe that juniors Miko Rodriguez, Nate Doolittle, Jake Heilman, and Johnny Irish bring to his team. All four have been starting on the varsity since they were freshmen.

We have a lot of experienced kids coming back, Rasmussen said. The experience is a big plus for us. It's just amazing how the growth is from their sophomore to junior years.

I like the chemistry the way the kids are working. We have to be able to stay focused every day and come ready to play.

Four FHC juniors Rodriguez, Doolittle, Heilman, and Irish have been playing varsity baseball for three years. All four are pitchers. Rodriguez will patrol center field when he's not on the bump, while Doolittle plays shortstop, Irish plays around the infield, and Heilman is a catcher.

All four are strong hitters. Heilman will bat cleanup.

Rodriguez has already committed to Texas A&M, according to Rasmussen.

Miko Rodriguez a key ingredient for us, Rasmussen said. He has tremendous bat speed, and he can throw, hit-and-run, and has gotten a lot stronger.

Reed Alec is a strong hitting senior right fielder, and will be batting in the No. 3 slot for the Rangers this spring. Seniors Sean Wing and pitcher/infielder Mark Scannel also provide the Rangers with some strong arms and solid bats.

I really like this team, Rasmussen said. We have a lot of pieces to the puzzle and a lot of really good kids. I've got a lot of pitchers, and a lot of depth.

We have some good senior leadership, and I really like that. It's a nice team so far with some good chemistry.

The Rangers were 20-12 overall and finished runner-up to Caledonia in the OK White Conference in 2016.

We have a lot of depth this year, and there is a lot of good competition going on right now, Rasmussen said. The kids seem to be playing more with sense of urgency and competing every day.

I really like how hard these kids have been working, and they should be doing some nice things this season.

The OK White Conference has changed somewhat with Caledonia, Grand Rapids Christian, and East Grand Rapids moving to different leagues, with Forest Hills Northern, Northview, Greenville, and Cedar Springs joining the OK White.

It's going to be tough, Rasmussen said. We're going to have to come and play every game. We just need good chemistry and everybody doing their jobs.

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New Albany Roundup: Boys lacrosse team building chemistry – ThisWeek Community News

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DAVE PURPURA THISWEEKSPORTS.COM @ThisWeekDave

Only time will tell whether Andre White of the New Albany High School boys lacrosse team can surpass last year's 71-goal performance.

White, a senior midfielder, is more concerned with building on the 18 assists he made last season and helping the Eagles advance beyond the Division I Central Region tournament.

"I don't really worry about (statistics). I am focused on the team winning a state championship. That's all I really care about," said White, a Hartford University recruit. "Our chemistry is looking better. Everybody is working harder than we did last year. We have started to mesh better. Practices are flowing better.

"We know where we will throw the ball next. Everything is flowing right."

Three of New Albany's top four scorers return from last year's 12-8 team in White, senior attacker Noah Bressler (16 goals, 20 assists) and junior midfielder Drew Miller (28 goals, 17 assists). Miller is a Rollins College commit, and Bressler is a three-year starter.

White had five goals through two games, all of them coming in a 15-11 loss to Dublin Coffman on March 25.

"Noah has developed quite a bit athletically. He has always been on the smaller side, but he's put in the work in the weight room and is dodging harder to the cage," sixth-year coach Chris Brown said. "We don't expect (White) to score 71 goals again. If he can do it, great. If not, it's OK. ...

"I want to see some more balance between goals and assists, maybe distribute the ball more. He is a great playmaker. He is out there and goes hard all the time. He is always on. He's never slacking. I think his vision is better on the field, understanding where other people are supposed to be as opposed to before, where he was more an individual player."

New Albany was 1-1 before playing Pickerington North on March 29.

Junior attacker Nathan Reader and sophomore attacker Cody Roberts each had two goals in a 5-4 season-opening win over Granville on March 22.

Last year, the Eagles lost to eventual state champion Upper Arlington 14-9 in a regional semifinal.

They went 4-2 in the OCC-Ohio Division to finish third behind champion Dublin Scioto (6-0).

Now in the OCC-Buckeye as part of the conference's realignment, the Eagles begin league play April 6 at Olentangy Liberty.

While New Albany returns its two goalkeepers from last year in junior Matt Huizenga and sophomore Perry Dolan, the Eagles need to replace much of their defense. Returnees there include seniors Andrew Chang and Anthony Jimenez, junior Chandler Wilson and sophomore Luke Muter.

According to Brown, sophomore Peter Ackley is expected to step in as faceoff specialist, replacing 2016 graduate Michael Brendle. Brendle, who had 55 goals and 17 assists as a senior, now plays at Otterbein.

"We've looked strong in pretty much every position," Bressler said. "We have a few experienced players, and we have a lot of young players. It's exciting to see how it will turn out."

Rounding out the roster are seniors Elijah Bridges (midfielder), Matthew Dinsmore (defender), Will Green (midfielder), Piercen Kirigiti (midfielder), Louis Miranda (attacker), Nathan Phillips (midfielder) and Akil Stokes (midfielder), juniors Joshua Bridges (midfielder) and Patrick Cooper (attacker), sophomores Ryan Conley (defender), Aiden Day (midfielder), Owen Dunn (midfielder), Mav Spellman (defender) and Brode White (attacker) and freshmen Patrick Gurd (midfielder) and Lucas Kasper (defender).

"So far we are as athletic, if not more athletic, than we've ever been as far as our speed and our size," Brown said. "Those are good things."

Girls lacrosse team off to fast start

Featuring a roster dominated by sophomores, the girls lacrosse team got out to a 3-0 start thanks in part to an offense that averaged 13 goals per game.

New Albany has early wins over Springboro (16-5 in its season and home opener March 18), Dublin Jerome (11-8 on March 21) and Worthington Kilbourne (12-7 on March 24). Senior attacker Molly Berend and sophomore attacker Emily Rezabek each had four goals in the opener, and against Jerome senior attacker Gracie Pine led the way with four.

Berend added three more against Kilbourne, and her nine are tied with Pine for the team lead.

"We have only two seniors and a couple juniors (in goalie Catherine Ryan and defender Sarah Teas)," seventh-year coach Dave Ferguson said. "We are young, but we're excited. As usual, I try to play a very tough schedule and I think that will help us, but we will have to work hard for every victory."

Rezabek, an Ohio State commit, is one of 14 sophomores on the roster. She had 48 goals and 18 assists as a freshman, third behind three-time All-American and 2016 graduate Liza Hernandez (83 goals, 24 assists) and Berend (54 goals, 26 assists).

New Albany went 19-4 overall a year ago, losing to Massillon Jackson 8-7 in a Division I state semifinal. It was the Eagles' first state tournament appearance since 2013.

Berend is a Florida Southern recruit, and Pine will play for Lindenwood.

"Emily Rezabek is just an outstanding athlete," Ferguson said. "She provides a great dimension to the entire team. (Sophomore) Alyssa Kneedler is another midfielder who will be very competitive. (Sophomore midfielder) Chloe Platte is another one, and so is (sophomore defender/midfielder) Zoe Kellerman. Zoe has made some nice transitions and has been very effective."

Kneedler played for Pickerington North last year, scoring a team-best 47 goals.

Rounding out the roster are sophomores Liz Beckner (attacker), Erin Carson (defen-der), Valentina DiLorenzo (defender), Blythe Ferguson (midfielder), Grace Hoover (attacker), Addyson Koterba (defender), Margeaux LaJeunesse (attacker), Regan Roteff (defender), Lauren Sokol (attacker) and Sarah Zinsmeister (defender) and freshman Julia Brisk (goalie).

The Eagles begin OCC-Buckeye play April 6 at home against Liberty. They went 4-0 in the OCC-Capital last year.

dpurpura@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekDave

BOYS LACROSSE

March 22 -- vs. Granville

March 25 -- vs. Dublin Coffman

March 29 -- vs. Pickerington North

March 31 -- at Dublin Scioto

April 1 -- vs. Hilliard Bradley

*April 6 -- at Olentangy Liberty

April 8 -- at Thomas Worthington

*April 11 -- vs. Olentangy Orange

*April 13 -- vs. Westerville North

*April 18 -- at Olentangy

April 21 -- at DeSales

*April 25 -- at Westerville Central

*April 27 -- vs. Westerville South

April 29 -- vs. Worthington Kilbourne

*May 2 -- at Big Walnut

May 4 -- vs. Delaware

May 6 -- at St. Charles

May 9 -- vs. Dublin Jerome

GIRLS LACROSSE

March 18 -- vs. Springboro

March 21 -- at Dublin Jerome

March 24 -- vs. Worthington Kilbourne

April 4 -- vs. Dublin Coffman

*April 6 -- vs. Olentangy Liberty

April 8 -- vs. Massillon Jackson

*April 11 -- at Olentangy Orange

*April 13 -- at Westerville North

April 15 -- vs. Cincinnati Indian Hill

*April 18 -- vs. Olentangy

April 21 -- vs. Mason

*April 24 -- vs. Westerville Central

*April 27 -- at Westerville South

April 28 -- at Medina

April 29 -- Cleveland Heights Tournament

*May 2 -- vs. Big Walnut

May 3 -- at Upper Arlington

May 6 -- at Cincinnati Sycamore

*League contest

Below are the coming schedules for the New Albany baseball, softball, boys tennis and track & field teams:

BASEBALL

*March 31 -- At Newark

*April 3 -- Home vs. Newark

*April 5 -- Home vs. Big Walnut

SOFTBALL

April 1 -- At Upper Arlington with Westerville North

April 3 -- Home vs. Mount Vernon

April 5 -- At Olentangy Liberty

BOYS TENNIS

April 3 -- Home vs. St. Charl
es

April 5 -- At Columbus Academy

TRACK & FIELD

April 1 -- Wildcat Premier at Hilliard Davidson

April 4 -- At Marysville with Pickerington North B

*League contest

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Teacher has right chemistry for honor – Hometownlife.com

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Plymouth High School teacher Scott Milam was honored with the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award by the Plymouth-Canton Board of Education. Brad Kadrich

IB chemistry teacher Scott Milam accepts the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award from Plymouth-Canton Board of Education Trustee Patricia Mullen.(Photo: Brad Kadrich)

When Plymouth-Canton school officials were trying to figure out classroom assignments last year, it looked like some applicants for the IB chemistry program were going to have to be turned away.

Plymouth High School science teacher Scott Milam, who was scheduled to teach the course, threw up both hands at Principal Cheri Steckel and said, "Don't cut any of them! I'll teach them all!"

Steckel recalled the story Tuesday night, when the P-CCS Board of Education honored Milam with the district's Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award. The award came after Milam was named the Michigan Science Teachers Association High School Science Teacher of the Year.

"He really just embraces teaching all kids," said Steckel, who hired Milam seven years ago. "It's the quality I most admire in him."

Steckel praised Milam for his efforts in making chemistry accessible for all students, regardless of level of strength. He not only teaches in traditional styles in the classroom, but engages students on their terms as well. For instance, he has made hundreds of YouTube videos, using straight teaching techniques and parody he even sings one video to the tune of a song from Disney's "Little Mermaid" to get his points across.

"He is insanely knowledgeable about chemistry," Steckel said. "He has a way of making it understandable to his students. He's also a really cool problem-solver. He has creative ways of writing grants and getting things for the classroom."

"I feel like what Iteach, a lot of little tiny things, have tremendous impact on what Ido," said Milam, who thanked, among others, IB coordinator Casey Swanson, who recruited Milam to teach IB chemistry. "That was a game-changer for me. It's kind of what I was destined to do."

bkadrich@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @bkadrich

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Don Trip & Starlito Show Incredible Chemistry Again on ‘Step Brothers THREE’ (Album Review) – HipHop-N-More (blog)

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Chemistry is the key to being successful for anything in life. While many artists opt for the solo approach, they still need to have chemistry with other artists they have featured on their songs and producers who make their beats. Finding another artist that you click with from the beginning isnt an easy process. We hold duos to a high standard thanks to the timeless music weve received from Gangstarr, Mobb Deep, Outkast, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, and more. Many fans of the Hip-Hop genre have fallen in love with Killer Mike & El-P as a result of this. Run The Jewels is fantastic and have excellent chemistry but many Hip-Hop fans have been sleeping on a duo that has an even better dynamic: Don Trip & Starlito a.k.a. Step Brothers.

2011 is the official inception of Step Brothers as Trip and Lito teamed up for a mixtape that took listeners by surprise. The way they created that mixtape was the audio version of a 2-on-1 fast break. Trip would lob a verse for Starlito to slam home only for Star to flip the verse behind his back for Trip to lay it in. Six years later, the duo have perfected their fast break rhymes and showmanship to go for the three peat on Step Brothers Three.

Things havent changed much between the two as Trip and Starlito kick off the project with Yeah 5x, a record that serves as pre-game warmup. The Brothers take turns kicking clever wordplay while thumping bass cuts through your ears. What sounds like an exercise is really a record that has deeper meaning; Lito mentions the harsh life he lived growing up while Trip recounts a time where he would rather die than to let you take his stash. Everything comes full circle as Lito raps, you can see the pain all in my eyes cause I dont cry much. The basketball metaphors for this review were inspired by Boomshakalaka, another record that has Lito and Trip running the two man weave with punchlines galore.

Pistol on me like Im Pete Maravich, shooter like Im Stojakovic, you would think Id play for Gregg Poppovich/moral of the story, you aint robbin s**t Starlito on Boomshakalaka

You have to applaud Trip and Starlito on how well they work together. Its been reported they only work on songs while theyre in the studio with each other; no emailing or sending songs at all. You can feel this chemistry throughout the project but its exceptionally noticeable on the storytelling records such as Good Cop, Bad Cop. As they did on Step Brothers 2with Caesar & Brutus, they go into detail on a subject that will hit home for many people. Good Cop, Bad Cop examines two sides of the police force as Craig is a black officer and Bart is a racist white officer. I wont spoil this for you but the way they blend the story together feels cinematic and could easily be adapted to a Hollywood film at some point.

In the past the duo have used guest features but this album is feature free with the exception of singer Robin Raynelle on No Rearview 3. Step Brothers 3shifts moods every three-four songs, a move that is commendable and shows Trip and Lito have been working on album structure to give us something different for the third installment of this excellent series of music. The beginning of the album is designed for those fans who love punchlines and fun bars. This transitions into more storytelling for the second quarter of the album before Trip and Starlito show a more emotional and vulnerable side for the final act. If Step Brothers 3were a basketball game it would start out with the razzle dazzle we love before ending with a game winning three-pointer for your favorite team. You cant win a championship without chemistry and this is why Don Trip & Starlito have secured the three-peat in the form of Step Brothers 3.

Repeatable: Yeah 5x, Good Cop, Bad Cop, 25th Song, Remember

Skippable: None

By Joe Coad

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Shirish K. Shah, chemistry professor – Baltimore Sun – Baltimore Sun

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Shirish K. Shah, a retired chemistry professor and former Homeland resident, died Sunday of complications from dementia in Winter Springs, Fla. He was 75.

He was born and raised in Ahmedabad, India, and educated in Jesuit schools before moving to Ithaca, N.Y., in 1960, when he entered Cornell University. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1964 from Cornell in physics.

He then studied at the University of Delaware where he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry, and began his teaching career at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.

It was during this time that Dr. Shah met and fell in love with Kathleen Long, who had been a nun. He converted to Catholicism, and they were married in 1972.

He became a U.S. citizen in 1974, family members said.

In 1979, the couple moved to Baltimore and later to a home on Purlington Way in Homeland.

During the next 34 years until retiring in 2013, Dr. Shah taught chemistry at Baltimore City Community College, Coppin State University and Notre Dame of Maryland University.

In addition to college students, he also taught nursing school students, law enforcement officers and firefighters. Additionally, he taught auto mechanics, drafting design and computer skills to prison inmates.

At the time of his retirement, he was on the faculty of Morgan State University. He was a longtime active member of the Maryland Chapter of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Shah, who moved to Orlando, Fla., in 2014, was a cricket fan and enjoyed watching Bollywood films.

Dr. Lawrence Shah of Winter Park, Fla., said his father sported typical professorial attire and favored ill-fitting pants, a corduroy blazer with elbow patches, and a "pocket protector full of unusable pens."

His wife died in 2007.

Dr. Shah donated his body to the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and at his request, no services will be held.

His only survivor is his son.

frasmussen@baltsun.com

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What’s in your water? The potentially harm chemical the state isn’t testing for – KBJR 6

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DULUTH, MN-- What are PFAS? If you don't know, you're not alone. Scientists say these contaminants could be in the water you're drinking and they're likely already in your blood.

PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They're man-made chemicals and they've been used in a wide variety of products since the 1940's.

They're now so widespread, the EPA says you can find them in food, commercial household products, your workplace, your home, your drinking water, and just out in the environment.

The problem with PFAS is they're also known as forever chemicals. That means they don't break down, they can accumulate over time, and extensive studies have shown they're bad for us.

The 148th Fighter Wing is a key source for PFAS contamination in Duluth.

Their high-flying jets need high-powered fuel. When it catches fire, it's hard to put out. The 148th fire department uses firefighting foam, which contains high levels of PFAS.

"We don't really have a choice to divert from those types of products," said Maj. Ryan Blazevic, a Bioenvironmental Engineer for the 148th.

They have to use the foam. It's mandated by the military and the FAA because it works quickly on fires.

In 2007, the 148th learned the foam could be harmful. They started testing in 2010.

"To our knowledge, we're one of the first military installations which began testing for this substance.," said 148th Spokesperson Audra Flanagan.

The tests showed the PFAS foam had contaminated the ground water in certain areas of the base, and it was spreading.

"We're also finding these types of chemicals in lower concentrations in the surface water downstream in Miller Creek and in some of the streams and wetlands that connect to Rice Lake to the north," said Mark Elliot, a Hydrologist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,

Elliot said they tested 50 private drinking water wells in the area. Two came back positive.

"They're the closest ones, just downstream, and those two wells are the only ones that we've identified PFAS contaminants that are over Minnesota Health advisory levels," said Elliot.

He said the people who live on those properties are receiving bottled water while more testing continues.

"We do have indications that these contaminants are spreading offsite, and so that's something we need to investigate further," Elliot said.

Duluth is not alone in its PFAS problem. The non partisan, non profit Environmental Working Group recently tested water from 44 communities.

43 came back positive, including Hayward, Bemidji, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Senior scientist David Andrews said it's worrying.

"People should be concerned because actually the latest scientific research indicates that exposure, even down to the part per trillion level, could be of concern," he said.

According to Andrews, low levels of PFAS exposure have been linked to reduced effectiveness of vaccines, lowered immune systems, and increases in cholesterol.

High levels of exposure have been linked to a wide variety of cancers and infertility.

"These chemicals seem to hit every single system in the body," said Andrews.

PFAs are not regulated as part of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Minnesota Department of Health tested for PFAS in Duluth's drinking water 5 years ago. They say no contaminants were found in that sample.

Health department reps say Duluth gets its drinking water from Lake Superior, so PFAS in the groundwater nearby is "not an immediate concern".

They don't have plans to test the water for PFAS again any time soon. Elliot thinks they should.

"I think there should be testing and screening for PFAS contaminants, yeah," he said.

The 148th is taking steps to mitigate their use of PFAS firefighting foam. They no longer train with the foam and only use it when absolutely necessary.

"To my knowledge, in the recent years we haven't expended any foam that's documented here on this installation," said Blazevic.

The Air Force is testing 200 air bases nationwide to see where the PFAS contamination is worst. They'll then prioritize cleanup.

"The safety of our community, our airmen, their families, is paramount to us and we take this topic very seriously," said Flanagan.

The National Defense Authorization Act also set a timeline for military units to move away from using PFAS firefighting foam by the year 2024.

Taking steps to protect yourself from PFAS in the water won't come cheap.Andrews said typical filter systems won't cut it. A reverse-osmosis system under your sink will filter out all the chemicals, but they cost a few hundred dollars.

"Really we want to see community-wide filtration systems and we think the polluters should be held accountable for that so the companies that manufactured and released this contamination should be the ones paying for the cleanup and the filtration systems," said Andrews.

According to Andrews, regulations have been slow to catch up with the growing awareness of just how wide-spread these contaminants are.

There are no enforceable state or federal PFAS regulations, just suggested guidelines.

Despite not testing Duluth's drinking water since 2015, the Minnesota Department of Health said they have no reason to suspect PFAS are in Duluth's water source in any concentrations that would pose a health concern.

However, because PFAS are forever chemicals, any delay to address the issue could be too late.

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St. Cloud softball benefiting from balanced lineup and team chemistry – Orlando Sentinel

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Not much has gone wrong for St. Cloud on the softball field this season.

Led by four seniors and three freshman in the starting lineup, the Bulldogs have gotten contributions from all corners of the diamond while hitting .358 as a team and allowing just six earned runs thus far.

St. Cloud, ranked No. 6 in the Sentinel Super Six rankings, will enter next weeks prestigious Kissimmee Klassic as the top seed in the tournaments 16-team Gold Bracket.

Theres a lot of great balance and senior leadership on the team, and a lot of the young girls are buying into the program and what were about, St. Cloud coach Ray Whobrey said. The chemistry of this team is unbelievable.

After losing in the second round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, Whobrey turned to former St. Cloud coach Mike Clark to work with pitchers and catchers. Clark took the Bulldogs to the state final four in 1998.

Senior Skylar Whobrey has benefited as shes blossomed in the circle a year after being half of a two-pitcher rotation. Whobrey entered the week at 11-0 with 75 strikeouts and a 0.25 earned run average through 56 innings while primarily working the screwball and curveball.

Run support has been aplenty for the Bulldogs as senior Emily Henderson and junior Briana Rodriguez have stood out as slap-hitters at the top of the lineup. They have combined for 27 stolen bases.

While Henderson leads the team with a .514 batting average (18-for-35), its been sophomore catcher Ariana Manzanaras garnering rave reviews as the biggest surprise of the season. Shes hitting .500 (18-for-36) with 25 RBI and eight hits for extra bases.

Whats been nice with [Manzanaras] is if I have both Bri and Emily on the bases, its almost a guarantee shes going to knock a double and score them both, Whobrey said. Shes been on fire and has been playing like a senior with her leadership and the whole thing.

Most area teams get back to regular season play this week after some took part in spring break tournaments.

No. 2 West Orange won the Montverde Academy Invitational Softball Tournament with a 6-3 win over Bishop Moore. Pitcher Lauren Mathis and catcher Maggie Wheless were named most valuable players.

Winter Springs appears to be rounding into form after winning four games at Bartows Rutenbar Classic. The Bears host Seminole on Wednesday then travel to Lake Howell on Friday. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Port Orange Spruce Creek fell from the Super Six after placing third as hosts of the Battle at the Beach.

Records through Monday. Last weeks ranking in parenthesis if different.

1. Timber Creek (11-1)

2. West Orange (13-2)

3. Orange City University (12-5)

4. Deltona (11-2)

5. Eustis (10-1)

6. (NR) St. Cloud (11-1)

Second Six: Hagerty, Lake Howell, Winter Springs, Port Orange Spruce Creek, Bishop Moore, Seminole.

jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com

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St. Cloud softball benefiting from balanced lineup and team chemistry - Orlando Sentinel

Duncan Grapefruits and Chemistry Court – Discover Magazine (blog)

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Duncan Grapefruits and Chemistry Court - Discover Magazine (blog)

Energy Department partners with chemical group to keep plastic waste out of oceans – Washington Examiner

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The Department of Energy is partnering with the American Chemistry Council to develop technologies to recycle plastic and keep waste out of rivers, oceans, and landfills.

The Energy Department will sign a memorandum of understanding on Monday afternoon with the chemical industry's trade group that enables them to collaborate on a number of projects.

These include creating technologies that collect plastic more easily once it has entered waterways, producing new plastics that are recyclable by design, and developing technologies that upcycle waste chemicals from plastic into other commercial products.

For example, the Energy Department cited the possibility of reclaiming material contained in the plastic of a water bottle and selling that to automakers for use in building vehicles.

Through this partnership with the American Chemistry Council, the Department of Energy is furthering its mission to spur American innovation and leadership in energy efficient recycling technologies and the manufacture of new plastics that are recyclable by design to reduce plastic waste in our rivers, oceans, and landfills," said Mark W. Menezes, the Energy Departments undersecretary of energy.

The partnership is part of the Energy Departments "Plastics Innovation Challenge, an initiative announced by former Secretary Rick Perry late last year that encourages collaboration with the private sector to accelerate energy-efficient technologies that reduce plastic waste in oceans and landfills. Most of the plastic used by people today is not recycled but instead turns up in landfills or leaks into the environment.

The Energy Department framed the project as an extension of the Trump administration's approach to energy policy, in which it looks to incentivize private sector innovation, as opposed to imposing regulations or mandates to pursue aims.

Seeking to court swing voters ahead of President Trump's reelection campaign, the administration is looking to promote aspects of its environmental record related to traditional agenda items, such as cleaning up toxic waste sites, combating lead in drinking water, and cleaning up oceans, while downplaying the threat of climate change.

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Energy Department partners with chemical group to keep plastic waste out of oceans - Washington Examiner

My Chemical Romance and the evolution of emo – Louder

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When The Daily Mail waged atypically putrid and ill-informed campaign against My Chemical Romance and the dangers of emo music in 2008, it was the first time many people had ever been confronted by the term. Much guffawing and puzzled looks were exchanged around the country by so-called normal folk. What was this emo music that My Chemical Romance were the leading lights of?

The irony, to anyone au fait with the roots of this music, is that when MCR were tagged as the genres figureheads, it totally changed the definition of what emo actually was. The tag emo, derived from the emotional hardcore of the mid-80s punk scene, bears little or no resemblance to Gerard Way and co. From Rites Of Springs meek and melody-heavy tunes, the Descendents geeky, lovelorn buzzsaw punk or Fugazis discordant, socially conscious and freeform ire, the inspiration for emo was radically different from theself-loathing horror punk itsnow associated with.

It was established as a genuine movement and sub-genre during the 90s as a slew of bands took the sound of hardcore and stripped it of all the bullish machismo that had become the norm, instead infusing it with an honesty and sensitivity that had never been heard before. Jawbox, Far, Nada Surf, Gameface, Garrison and more all existed deep within the underground, pulling in a more introspective, thoughtful college audience that eschewed the glue-sniffing, phlegm-gobbing aesthetic of traditional punk rock. These were bands who were influenced as much by The Smiths as they were by Black Flag ironic given that MCR openly admitted that those two groups had a huge influence on their sound.

What they didnt do was sell records, ensuring that emo was still an unheard-of, word-of-mouth movement in the main. That was until the turn of the millennium, as the globe-straddling commercial behemoth of nu metal began to run out of ideas and its fans were forced to searchelsewhere for an antidote to its creative decline.

Those seduced by the heavier elements soon found sanctuary in the nascent metalcore movement and the reimagining of thrash that bands such as Lamb Of God andTrivium delivered. But for those who related to early nu metals wounded lyrical honesty and forward-thinking sonic approach, the void was filled by a group of post-hardcore acts, led by Glassjaw, At The Drive-In and And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. Theybeganto actually infiltrateMTVandmainstream culture while being confusingly monikeredas emo, post-rock and screamo at various times. Clearly, emo was stillimpossible to pin down to an actual sound.

It was the success of Jimmy Eat World, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and British acts Funeral For A Friend and Hundred Reasons that offered emo a clearly defined sound and look. Skinny jeans, fringes and classic American apparel were married to chiming guitars, whisper-to-shriek vocals and a melding of anthemic choruses with indie-esque punk.

This is where MCR come in. Having toured with the aforementioned Thursday and Taking Back Sunday here in the UK, it was easy to pigeonhole them alongside their peers, yet they were radically different to those bands. The only real comparisons would be AFI and Alkaline Trio, two bands that ignored heartbreak and introspection and instead concentrated on a black-hearted, gothic-heavy, macabre sound that wasstrongly influenced by the Misfits B-movie schlock punk.

In fact, Gerard Way himself stated bluntly that MCR never felt partofor identified with the scene. Basically, its never been an accurate way to describe us, he told American college website TheMaine Campus. I think emo is fucking garbage; its bullshit. Ithink theres bands that we unfortunately get lumped in with thatare considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo.

Of course, once MCR broke, the look and sound of emo were definedby their every action. Despite being vocally anti-violence andanti-suicide, themes of self-harm, depression and distress becameinexplicably linked with their sound and image. They were followed by countless also-rans trying to pull the exact same trick. Now every band that adds even a touch of melancholy to their music, from Black Veil Brides to Bring Me The Horizon, are sneeringly referred to with the tag.

For better or worse, the change in emos DNA isall due to the massive impact of My Chemical Romance.

My Chemical Romance head out on tour later this year. Check out full dates below:

Jun 18: Milton Keynes, Stadium MK, UKJun 20: Milton Keynes, Stadium MK, UKJun 21: Milton Keynes, Stadium MK, UKSep 09: Detroit, Little Caesars Arena, MISep 11: St Paul Xcel Energy Center, MNSep 12: Chicago Riot Fest, ILSep 14: Toronto Scotiabank Arena, ONSep 15: Boston TD Garden, MASep 17: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NYSep 18: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center, PASep 20: Atlanta Music Midtown, GASep 22: Newark Prudential Center, NJSep 26: Sunrise BB&T Center, FLSep 29: Houston Toyoto Center, TXSep 30: Dallas American Airline Center, TXOct 02: Denver Pepsi Center, COOct 04: Tacoma Dome, WAOct 06: Oakland Arena, CAOct 08: Los Angeles The Forum, CAOct 10: Sacramento Aftershock, CAOct 11: Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena, NV

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My Chemical Romance and the evolution of emo - Louder