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The Chemistry Club creates half day networking master classes to meet demand

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Danzig

The Chemistry Club, a leading independent organisation serving the technology sector, has today announced that it will run a series of half-day intensive networking master classes in the UK. They are aimed at senior executives are set to launch later this year and have been co-created with leading industry trainers.

London (PRWEB UK) 15 March 2012

The Chemistry Club aims to cover every aspect of face-to-face networking as well as creating a simulated networking event to help delegates practice their new found skills. The half day master classes will offer a condensed version the full day master class and cover all key areas of networking including; how to develop confidence in your ability to connect with people you dont know, how to start, sustain and finish conversations, combating nervousness, and learning how to prepare for events. Understanding how to present information about yourself, how to make a lasting impression, and improving your self-projection will also be covered.

The master class will cost 1100 + VAT and to ensure all attendees gain maximum value from the programme, number of delegates at each session will be kept to a minimum. Every individual who attends one of the companys half-day courses can also take advantage of follow-on telephone support.

About The Chemistry Club

The Chemistry Club is a leading organisation serving the technology industry. The business was established in 1999 and holds a series of business-to-business events, executive coaching, special briefings, and networking master classes in the Central London area. The company run by Mark Simon is known for its networking events which have enabled people to meet and share their opinions in a neutral environment. For more information, please refer to The Chemistry Club website at http://www.networkingmasterclass.com/

Ross Hall FTI Consulting 020 7269 9334 Email Information

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The Chemistry Club creates half day networking master classes to meet demand

Chemistry Students Prepare No Bake Cookies as Project

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Danzig

Hamburg High School's chemistry classes recently participated in an experiment accompanied by an interesting project.

Chemistry instructor Rose Hamilton created an experiment for the students to make cookies in the lab. Students made no-bake cookies in class, and they were required to make a dozen cookies from scratch for homework.

The students were given guidelines on how to make the cookies at home. They had to make the cookies from scratch, and the students were required to have pictures taken of them while they were making the cookies. The students then presented the cookies to their class, along with the recipe they had chosen.

According to Mrs. Hamilton, the experiment allowed the classes to work with limiting reactants, those factors that limit the amount of other reactants that can combine to produce the desired product. In the "cookie lab," the students were given a bag of sugar with an unknown amount and a recipe. The students had to determine how much sugar, or limiting reactant, they had and then calculate how much of each of the other ingredients they needed in order to make the "perfect cookie."

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Chemistry Students Prepare No Bake Cookies as Project

Drew Sharp: MSU has incredible chemistry, but is that enough?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Danzig

E AST LANSING -- Tom Izzo begged Branden Dawson to stay home to rest his surgically repaired knee. But Dawson heard the revelry in the background on the Michigan State bus Sunday night. He wanted to be part of a resurrection that would have amazed even Lazarus.

Dawson told Izzo that he would meet the team when it returned from the Big Ten tournament. When the bus pulled into the Breslin Center tunnel near midnight, a car followed, with the recuperating Dawson in the passenger's seat.

The players immediately greeted their fallen teammate. They had a surprise for him.

Dawson couldn't make the trip to Indianapolis, so the players arranged their own net-cutting ceremony in their Breslin Center locker room, giving the freshman the opportunity to experience that most treasured college tournament ritual: taking scissors to twine.

"It was all the players' idea," Izzo said Monday. "But that's what this team is all about. There's such a special bond, a special connection. I know it's a clich calling a team a family, but that's what this team really is."

This was a family in mourning a week ago. They choked away the chance to have the regular-season Big Ten title all to themselves. There's no other way to phrase it. Izzo called the home loss to Ohio State on the final day his most heartbreaking defeat -- and the man has endured more than his share of emotional coaching torture -- not just because of the conference consequences, but also because he lost his most athletic player, Dawson, for the remainder of the season.

But once again, the Spartans offered a lesson in resilience.

"I didn't think a No. 1 seed was possible at this same time last week," Izzo conceded.

Everyone searches for that epiphany, that moment of clarity when all external forces, mystical and real, align. But when searching for an impetus Monday, Izzo reverted back to what he called "the power of chemistry." Some teams simply heal faster emotionally than others. Some teams see adversity as an opportunity for growth. Some teams simply refuse to fall apart when fate challenges their fortitude.

Izzo admitted that, if given the option, he probably would take the outright regular-season championship over the Big Ten tournament. He called himself a "regular-season guy" but conceded that how the Spartans won the tournament -- and thus earned a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament -- was probably the best thing for the program.

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Drew Sharp: MSU has incredible chemistry, but is that enough?

Baseball team chemistry strong

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Danzig

Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 4:28 pm | Updated: 12:44 pm, Fri Feb 24, 2012.

Time to spit sunflower seeds again.

Baseball season has begun with new talent aboard for Simpson as the 2012 season unfolds.

The Storm is fairly young this year, which makes it exciting for head coach Ben Blake. With a lot to look forward to, Simpson has been out on the baseball field, football field, Cowles Fieldhouse and The Yard working on batting, fielding and pitching to get ready for the season.

"It is the start of spring and better weather," Blake said. "We have a great group of guys, and we get a chance to play baseball, it's hard not to be excited."

Seniors Colton Calvert and Chris Dorff are also very excited for the season to begin. Both have agreed that team chemistry is at an all-time high since they began playing for Simpson.

"I think we have a great group of guys," Calvert said. "We all get along very well. Having a good group of guys is the first step in having a good team. I feel like our chemistry is really good which will help a lot when only having a small amount of seniors."

The seniors on the 2012 roster are: Dorff, Calvert, Grant Thomas, Kyle Ruehle and Brian Birks.

"The seniors have done a good job so far, and we will need them to lead the way on the field for us to be successful," Blake said.

Dorff is optimistic about this season and is also happy to see the chemistry boost up.

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Baseball team chemistry strong

Sirona Biochem Announces Addition of Dr. Brett Premack as Scientific Consultant

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Danzig

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 14, 2012) - Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SBM.V - News)(PINKSHEETS:SRBCF.PK - News)(FRANKFURT:ZSB.F - News), a biotechnology company specializing in carbohydrate chemistry technology, announced today the appointment of Dr. Brett Premack as Scientific Consultant. Dr. Premack will consult and advise on preclinical development activities, particularly pertaining to alliances between public and private research organizations.

"Dr. Brett Premack's expertise in drug discovery and preclinical development will bring tremendous value in the evaluation and development of our therapeutic portfolio," said Dr. Howard Verrico, President & CEO of Sirona Biochem. "Our chemistry platform technology gives us several program options and our ability to attract high-calibre talent like Dr. Premack enables us to efficiently advance these programs," Dr. Verrico added.

About Dr. Brett Premack

Dr. Brett Premack is a Pharmaceutical Consultant and Technology Analyst based in San Francisco, California. He has held a number of key leadership positions in biotechnology and academia and has more than 15 years experience providing independent, strategic and technical analysis to drug discovery and pre-clinical programs in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. He is currently a technology and strategic development consultant with Qu Biologics, a clinical-stage cancer biopharmaceutical company based in Vancouver, Canada. Previously, Dr. Premack was with ChemoCentryx, Inc. as the company's first Scientific Director after serving four years on the company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Premack was instrumental in bringing four new immunomodulatory chemokine receptor antagonist programs to the clinic (Phase I, II, III trials) for underserved inflammatory diseases. He was co-designer and developer of EnabaLink(TM), a collection of proprietary cell- and molecular-based functional genomics assays for evaluating immune system drug targets. As Manager, Funded Programs, he directed high-level public and private partnerships between industry, NIH, NIAID and DARPA focused on small molecule drug discovery and vaccine adjuvant programs, leading to ongoing clinical trials and testing of several radical vaccine approaches in primates. Before joining ChemoCentryx, Dr. Premack was an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Molecular Biology Institute and Investigator at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr, Premack has also held previous roles at Stanford University Medical Center, Syntex Research, Roche Bioscience, Neurex Inc. (now Elan Pharmaceuticals) and Photon Technologies Inc. Dr. Premack is a former recipient of the California AIDS New Investigator Award and the Breast Cancer Novel IDEA Award. Dr. Premack regularly speaks at major scientific conferences and is author or inventor of more than 25 published scientific papers and issued patents.

About Sirona Biochem Corp.

Sirona Biochem is a biotechnology company developing diabetes therapeutics, cancer vaccine antigens, skin depigmenting and anti-aging agents for cosmetic use, and biological ingredients. The company utilizes a proprietary chemistry technique to improve pharmaceutical properties of carbohydrate-based molecules. For more information visit http://www.sironabiochem.com.

Sirona Biochem cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Sirona Biochem's forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Sirona Biochem's business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Sirona Biochem does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Sirona Biochem Announces Addition of Dr. Brett Premack as Scientific Consultant

Nobel-winning UCI chemistry professor Sherry Rowland remembered

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Danzig

The world's largest natural products convention, a celebration of all things healthy and eco-friendly, was being held at the Anaheim Convention Center Saturday when F. Sherwood Rowland, 84, died at his home in Corona del Mar.

It's not much of a stretch to say that Rowland, 84, helped spawn the industry that drew more than 60,000 people and 2,000 exhibitors. In 1973, the UC Irvine chemistry professor and a young researcher on his team, Mario Molina, discovered that manmade chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons destroyed the Earth's fragile and vital ozone layer.

The pair faced criticism and scorn from the chemical industry before being vindicated and winning the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1995. In 1987, the international Montreal Treaty was ratified to phase out CFCs, which were found in aerosol sprays, electronic solvents and air-conditioning coolants.

As I walked the convention floor this weekend, I saw entrepreneurs with products that aim to respect human health and the Earth's precious resources. I don't think Sherry Rowland, a plain-spoken and no-nonsense kind of guy, would wax enthusiastic over acai berry-green tea energy drinks, chia-seed cranberry bars or compostable baby diapers. But I think he would appreciate the idea that people need to be careful with what they do to their bodies and the planet. He called it "being prudent."

I wrote a book about Rowland and Molina's discovery in 1988 (The Ozone Crisis). At first I was intimidated by Rowland when I sought him out to write the book. He was twice my size (6 feet, 5 inches), twice my age and had at least twice my IQ. I was pregnant and sick that year, but he was kind and patient, submitting to many interviews and turning over reams of books and notes to me.

He showed the same generosity to his students teaching undergraduate chemistry at UC Irvine for many years and hanging out in the lab with grad students and colleagues until just a few months ago. He didn't reap huge financial gain from his research. He was just a scientist with a deep sense of humanity. Orange County, UC Irvine the world was lucky to have him.

Follow me: twitter.com/LATShariRoan

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Nobel-winning UCI chemistry professor Sherry Rowland remembered

'Smash' Recap: 'Chemistry'

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Danzig

by Erin Strecker

Uh-oh. There's just one week until the workshop goes live before an audience, and as you might have expected, there were problems galore on last night's episode of "Smash." Julias script, and her affair with Michael, still werent totally finished, Karen realized she had only about $300 in her bank account (yikes!) and, worst of all, Ivy lost her voiceand possibly her claim as Marilyn?

One minute Ivy was fine, making catty comments and strutting around the studio, and the next, she was on vocal rest, and Julia, Eileen and Derek flirted with the idea of replacing her with Karen if she didnt improve, an idea that unbeknownst to them, Karen overheard.

At home, Ivy was resting and took some medicine, which everyone repeatedly explained would help with her voice, but would have a bunch of weird side effects. No one mentioned that the weirdest side effect would be her singing, alone in her room, and then going full "Black Swan" on everyone, seeing Marilyn Monroe and Karen behind her over her shoulder. Time to try and sleep it off.

Meanwhile, Eileen and Ellis formed a weird partnership that will definitely implode before the season is done. Ellis helped her out while she was apartment searching, and then she wound up at a downtown bar with him. You havent seen the last of this newly formed duo. I dont think its going in this direction, but Im just putting it out there: I wouldnt be too surprised if those two started hooking up. Eileen is newly single, and Ellis is determined to claw his way to the top, and nothingnot Julia, not his obnoxious personality and certainly not the idea of age-appropriate relationshipsare going to get in his way.

For those that thought Julia and Michaels porch make out would be the end of the Affair Round Two, youve clearly never seen a TV drama before. Obviously, things were about to get way dicier. Julia felt pretty bad about the whole thing, or at least extremely nervous her husband would find out, and tried to keep her distance from Michael during the next rehearsal. But no good deed make-out session goes unpunished, and Michael wanted more. So he called her (and her newly returned husband!), texted her and then finally, went for the always-romantic move: Casual stalking. He snuck up to the studio at night for some impromptu topless making out that presumably led to them shacking up on the couch in the studio. Convenient!

While Julia was ruining her personal life, Karen was attempting to improve her professional one, since the $200 a week she was getting paid for the Marilyn musical certainly wasnt paying the bills. Ivy had previously booked a bar mitzvah, which she gave away to one of the ensemble girls, who gave it away to Karen. Karen had never done a bar mitzvah before, and spent most of the time waiting for a follow-up text from Derek after he let her know her Marilyn moment might be happening sooner than expected if Ivys voice didnt improve. (Might need you tomorrow. Must be discreet.)

Her obsessive phone checking didnt get in the way of her performing a totally random Florence + the Machine "Shake It Out" cover against a backdrop of awkward 13-year-olds dancing. While she sounded lovely, the scene seemed totally tacked on to the show, simply to have Katharine McPhee sing a sell-able song available for download. Thats "Glee"s move, "Smash." But at least one audience member was impressed, and afterwards, Karen got the business card of Bobby Raskin, a big-time Broadway producer. She wont be a chorus girl for long.

At practice the next day (six days until the big workshop!) the other girls explained what Bobby Raskin's interest means to Karen, and she gave him a callwell have to wait to find out what exactly he told her, but the mere fact Ivy gave up a gig and now Karen is on the phone with Mr. Raskin was simply too much for Ivy, and during the run-through, when Derek made a typically snide comment, she snapped, and yelled at him that he had to be nicer, hes not that cute, and, per usual for explosive fights with drama queens, announced to the whole cast that the two were sleeping together and he wasnt that great in bed. She then stormed out with Tom close behind her. End scene.

Crushers: What do you think about the new friendship between Eileen and Ellis? Do you think Karen will have her workshop moment in the spotlight as Marilyn? After her rehearsal outburst, how much longer will Ivy and Derek be an item? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!

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'Smash' Recap: 'Chemistry'

Ireland name squad for Chemistry Cup

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Danzig

Irish head coach Billy Walsh has confirmed a nine-man squad for the 39th Chemistry Cup which gets underway in Halle, Germany on Wednesday.

The Irish team arrived in Halle on Friday last following an intensive training camp in Hennef, Germany.

Irish 2012 Olympians Michael Conlan and Darren O'Neill are included in the Irish Chemistry Cup panel along with 2010 and 2011 European champions Paddy Barnes and Joe Ward.

David Oliver Joyce, Ross Hickey, Adam Nolan, Steven Ward and Con Sheehan will wear the Irish lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight, heavyweight and super-heavyweight vests by the banks of the river Saale.

John Joe Nevin, who has also qualified for the 30th Olympiad, has withdrawn from the tournament after picking up a facial injury boxing for Paris United against Milano Thunder in the World Series of Boxing on Monday week last.

Hosts Germany, Algeria, Austria, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Romania, Russia and Uzbekistan have registered to compete in Halle.

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LSD to treat alcoholism?

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

— Trippy

It might sound far out (man), but it seems LSD can treat alcohol dependency according to a meta-analysis of previous clinical trials.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD, or (8?)-N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-9,10-didehydroergoline-8-carboxamide to give it its systematic name, was discovered by Albert Hoffman in 1943 and you can find out more about this amazing compound in our podcast. As mentioned in the podcast, Sandoz, the firm Hoffman worked for, thought that LSD might be useful in treating alcoholism and depression but that all kind of got side-lined with the rise in use of LSD as a mind expanding drug in the 60s.

However, in the 60s and 70s some trials to investigate LSD’s use in treating alcohol dependency were carried out. Teri Krebs and Pål-Ørjan Johansen, of the Department of Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trodheim, Norway, identified six trials that met their criteria for experimental setup and then pooled the results. They found that 59% of patients given a single dose of LSD showed improvement, compared with 38% of the control patients. This positive effect seemed to last between six and 12 months after just a single dose.

Krebs and Johansen don’t know how LSD helps with alcoholism, whether it adjusts brain chemistry, or the trip just helps patients gain more insight into their problems (there’s that expanding the mind thing again), but again it seems that revisiting a compound that has been written off can lead to new uses. Previously, Krebs and Johansen have suggested MDMA can treat post-traumatic stress disorder and of course thalidomide is now being investigated to treat cancer. Perhaps LSD is due for a rethink as well.

The research is published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Laura Howes

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http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

UC Irvine Nobel winner F. Sherwood Rowland dies

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Danzig

F. Sherwood Rowland, the UC Irvine chemistry professor who warned the world that man-made chemicals could erode the ozone layer, has died. He was 84.

Rowland, known as Sherry, died Saturday at his home in Corona del Mar, the university announced. He had Parkinson's disease.

In 1995, Rowland was one of three people awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work explaining how chlorofluorocarbons, ubiquitous substances once used in an array of products from spray deodorant to industrial solvents, could destroy the ozone layer, the protective atmospheric blanket that screens out many of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

The prize was awarded more than two decades after Rowland warned of the problem, and challenges to his theory plagued him for many years before he won widespread recognition for his work and leaders of nations worldwide began to act to ban or reduce usage of the chemicals.

The discovery was about more than just stratospheric ozone, said Donald Blake, a chemistry professor at UC Irvine who worked closely with Rowland for more than two decades. It was about the whole environment and the realization that something we can do in California could have effects somewhere else in the world. It was the start of the global era of the environment.

Born on June 28, 1927, in Delaware, Ohio, Rowland attended college before joining the Navy. He resumed his studies in chemistry at the University of Chicago in 1948.

As Rowland later acknowledged, his timing was superb. The university was home to Nobel Prize winner Willard F. Libby--the chemist who developed the carbon-14 dating technique and who became Rowland's mentor--and hosted such esteemed scientists as Enrico Fermi and Edward Teller.

After completing his doctorate, he took a job at Princeton University as a chemistry instructor. He later joined the faculty at the University of Kansas, but when the UC Irvine campus opened in 1965, he was lured from Kansas to become the school's inaugural chairman of the chemistry department. A full obituary will follow at latimes.com/obits.

-- Shari Roan and Claire Noland

Photo: F. Sherwood Rowland in his lab. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

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UC Irvine Nobel winner F. Sherwood Rowland dies

Chemistry in its element – chlorophyll

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

The green, green grass of home reminds us that pretty much all life on earth owes its existence to the light-harvesting powers of humble chlorophyll. Duncan McMillan reveals how in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast.

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International women’s day

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

Today is international women’s day. That’s something to celebrate – women have made boundless contributions to our scientific and cultural advancement, from Marie Curie and the Bronte sisters to Ada Yonath and Dolly Parton.

But in another sense it’s an indictment of our culture that we feel we have to make special efforts to highlight these people’s work just because they are women. Should great contributions not be recognised simply on their own merit? Of course this is the ideal, but history tells us that ideals are rarely realised. Marie Curie was denied election to the French Academy of Sciences, despite discovering two new elements. The Brontes initially published many of their novels under male-sounding names to disguise their gender.

But while authors, artists, musicians and actors (barring the Rising Star award nominees for this year’s Baftas) seem to have made more progress in overcoming the burden of gender discrimination, despite the best of intentions, the statistics show that women are consistently under-represented in top leadership positions in industry and academia. There are a few exceptions – including (not before time) the RSC’s first ever female president, Lesley Yellowlees from the University of Edinburgh,UK. The deficit translates into media representation as well – how are we to inspire the next generation of female scientists (or businesswomen, or even politicians and journalists) when the ‘experts’ they see and hear consulted on TV, radio and in the newspapers are up to 80% male?

It’s not through lack of effort, but a result of the structure and systems behind business and academia. There are a barrage of initiatives and schemes aimed at overcoming these differences – the US National Science Foundation has committed to efforts to retain female graduates (of which there are more than men across the US in science subjects) in science-related research and industry, and schemes to try and change how the academic system works to make it easier for women to return to academia. Channel 4 and Sky News have pledged to up the number of female experts they consult to at least 30%.

Here’s hoping some of these measures begin to redress the balance and level the playing field a little. Maybe one day we’ll get over looking at race, gender, age and dress sense, and judge people on their ideas and actions. Call me a dreamer if you will…

Phillip Broadwith

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Materials in the flatland

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

Last night, Russian physics Nobel laureate Kostya Novoselov delivered the annual Kohn Award Lecture at Imperial College London, where he presented his vision for the future of two-dimensional materials. Novoselov, co-discoverer of graphene – the single atom thick chicken-wire-esque allotrope of carbon – told a packed lecture theatre that graphene could revolutionise the telecommunications and electronics industries.

With the election results in Russia just in and Vladimir Putin once more prime minister, Novoselov made an effort to keep away from politics, but did perhaps nail his colours to the mast when laying out what makes graphene so special. When he talked about conventional semiconductors he compared them to Russia and North Korea, describing them as one party states, where the border between the two isn’t very porous to movement – for this analogy the movement of electrons and holes. Graphene, by contrast, was compared to the US, where each state can be either Republican or Democrat – electrons or holes – but they can move freely between state borders.

Novoselov said that the future for graphene is likely to lie with combining it with other two-dimensional materials like boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, magnesium diboride and fluorographene. At Novoselov’s home in Manchester University, they’re already building sandwich structures of these compounds with the hope of building materials with unique properties. Novoselov says that they could have a huge range of uses from solar cells to LCD screen to touchscreen technology. But he predicts that the killer app for these materials is still out there waiting to be discovered – these materials will be more than just another replacement for other semiconductors. To find unique uses for these materials he says we’ll have to think outside the box.

Patrick Walter

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http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

Linsane chemistry a thing of the past

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

MILWAUKEE Sometimes, its the most over-used, over-worked term in sports. Chemistry? You know what the best team chemistry is? Having Babe Ruth hitting third in your lineup, Lou Gehrig fourth. Having Michael Jordan running one side of the floor, Scottie Pippen the other. Terry Bradshaw throwing the football, Lynn Swann catching it.

Thats good enough chemistry that you can slap it on the periodic table.

But sometimes, its the most over-looked, undervalued element in all of sports. Sometimes there really is a delicate balance, a fleeting mixture of talent and tenacity, of star power and selflessness. Weve seen it all across the sporting universe this year: the Cardinals in baseball, the Mavericks in basketball, the Giants in football.

EPA

MIDDLE MAN: Jeremy Lin (center), who had 20 points and 13 assists, goes up for a shot between Beno Udrih and Larry Sanders (right) during the first half of the Knicks 119-114 loss to the Bucks last night.

You know good chemistry in basketball, Amare Stoudemire said last night, when you see it. Its obvious.

And bad chemistry? Thats even more obvious, and in some ways its more damaging than good chemistry is helpful. Bad chemistry is destructive. Its divisive. And in the case of the Knicks, it can be every bit as devastating to the health of the unit as a staph infection.

They sprinkled bad chemistry all over three states, four cities and two time zones across the past six days. They arrived in Boston last Sunday sitting at .500 and talking large about soaring up the Eastern Conference food chain. By the time they take the floor tomorrow at the Garden they will be four games south of sea level, clinging to a one-game loss-column lead over the Cavaliers the Cavaliers! for the eighth and final playoff slot in the East.

The are battered, they are bleeding, they are broken. And they are beaten. They hit their first 11 shots of the game last night against the Bucks and didnt even escape the first quarter with the lead. They performed their nightly self-exhumation, shaving all but one point off a 15-point lead with seven minutes left, twice possessing the ball with a chance to take the lead in the final moments.

Never could.

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Linsane chemistry a thing of the past

Linsane chemistry thing of the past for Knicks

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

Thats good enough chemistry that you can slap it on the periodic table.

EPA

You know good chemistry in basketball, Amare Stoudemire said last night, when you see it. Its obvious.

Never could.

Stage chemistry

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Danzig

Michelle Griffin has written and stars in a new comedy cabaret show Love, Chemistry and Cryogenics, playing at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC) Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24. I caught up with her mid-rehearsals to find out how on earth science and cabaret come together on stage.

Where did you get the wacky idea for a cabaret show about science?

My original thought was simply what is the least likely subject for a cabaret? I felt that science was a fairly unconventional theme, but also one with a great deal of potential. There is a surprising amount of music written on the subject of science, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore several B-movie, science fiction clichs. This theme is also something of a tribute to my family, all of whom are in the medical sciences. My father is a (retired) Hospital Scientist, my mother is a Physiotherapist, and my sister is an Occupational Therapist, so science is something that runs in the family.

So, is Love, Chemistry and Cryogenics autobiographical?

Faintl y autobiographical - it contains a kernel of truth wrapped in a thick layer of complete fabrication. I was considered something of a nerd in primary school (my nickname for a while was Dictionary) and I've always had an interest in science and geek culture. The teacher aspect of the character was also pretty familiar territory, but in reality, I think I'd make a pretty poor scientist. I wouldn't mind being cryogenically frozen and re-awoken in the distant future, though.

When did you first get involved in music and performing?

I started attending Early Childhood Music classes at about three years of age. This involved singing nursery songs, marching about to the beat, and sitting around making noise on a variety of percussion instruments. This set me up pretty well for my current career, as sitting around making noise is essentially what I do for a living.

Map out your music career to date for us...

I studied piano in Bathurst with Jennie Menzies, and later at Newcastle Conservatorium with Natalia and Gian-Franco Ricci. I sang in a lot of choirs, and performed with the Newcastle Chamber Choir in several national and international tours. In my twenties, I started having singing lessons with Maureen Lewis. These days I work as a piano and singing teacher, accompanist and choral director at Mitchell Conservatorium and various schools in the Bathurst region. In my spare time I have founded a kazoo orchestra, written several youth theatre shows, and taught myself to play the ukulele.

Who are your big musical influences? Do we see their mark on this new solo show?

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Stage chemistry

Clothing Chemistry: Mixing two classes proves successful

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Danzig

Paris Cooperative High School teachers Angie Propst and Brett Block presented their students with a team-taught lesson crossing over their subject areas of Clothing and Chemistry to identify the fiber content of various types of fabric.

Propst, the creator of the lesson, wanted to further her Clothing classs existing investigation of fiber characteristics by adding a science inquiry component. Some of the fibers used were natural and others synthetic.

Students used the observable absorbency rate in dye and burn characteristics, together with an elimination chart, to determine each fabrics fiber content.

Students also observed how the burning is affected by treatment with a flame retardant made by Chemistry Club students in lab using boric acid and borax detergent.

Mixing this solution had to be done carefully due to the solubility of the boric acid. Aspects of solubility and supersaturated solutions were investigated by the Chemistry Club students.

This lesson promoted student to student learning as Chemistry and Clothing students were paired together. The importance of lab safety and the use of a controlled experiment were modeled by the Chemistry students. Clothing students shared the base knowledge used for deductive reasoning with the characteristics of synthetic fibers verses natural fibers and characteristics of weaves verses knits.

Due to the success of this lab, it will be incorporated into both the Advanced Chemistry and Clothing curricula.

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Clothing Chemistry: Mixing two classes proves successful

Team chemistry keys Lions' turnaround

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Danzig

By MIKE CAMUNAS | Special correspondent Published: March 10, 2012 Updated: March 10, 2012 - 12:00 AM

First-year Saint Leo men's basketball coach Lance Randall's one-year plan didn't go exactly according to plan.

"Our plan was to win right away with no short cuts, but whether or not the one-year plan translated into (going to the NCAA Tournament), we're not sure, but we're here and we couldn't be happier," Randall said in a phone interview from Huntsville, Ala.

The Lions (18-11) are happy as they prepare for the program's first NCAA Division II Tournament berth in the team's 40-plus-year history. One of only eight teams selected, No. 5 Saint Leo will face No. 4-seeded Florida Tech (22-6) tonight at approximately 9:30 in Spragins Hall at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and marks a remarkable turnaround season from 12-16 that had only two conference wins.

This season is the Lions best since 1997-98 when they finished 19-9.

"I think we've been more concerned with the process than the product," said Randall, who, as the program's 10th head coach, also helped guide Wisconsin-Stevens Point to the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship. "When we sat down with these recruits, we told them that we're an intense staff that will demand a lot on and off the court and to be expected to be pushed. Everyone bought in and learned what it would take to win.

"The chemistry off our players has been the key."

While junior guard Trent Thomas has been averaging 14.9 points per game, Randall points to Marcus Ruh (13.4 ppg), Shaun Adams (9.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Dominick Robinson (8.1 ppg) being vital to a team that returned just three players from last season.

"We needed some locker-room kids," said Randall, a Wisconsin native who has brought success to every level he's coach, including high-school state titles and taking a 2-23 Webster University team in 1997 and turning it into conference champions and NCAA contenders. "We wanted character kids, which we got, and why we got better in season."

As is, that one-year plan was in jeopardy, as the Lions started the season 2-3, then had a three-game losing streak in late January. Following that, Saint Leo got scorching hot, winning 10 of its last 11 games, including nine in a row before losing in the SSC championship game to Florida Southern, a No. 7 seed.

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Team chemistry keys Lions' turnaround

Texas A&M notebook: Chemistry still an issue as women enter postseason

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Danzig

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Texas A&M coach Gary Blair revealed a little secret this week concerning the defending national champions. The Aggies, Blair contends, are in serious search of cohesion with the postseason at hand.

"We're hurting for chemistry on this team," he said, later adding, "We're supposed to be a big dog, not a Chihuahua."

Teams that have wrapped up their regular seasons typically have their chemistry questions answered by now - for better or worse. The third-seeded Aggies face sixth-seeded Kansas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Big 12 tournament, and Blair vows he can still find an answer in time for A&M to make another deep run in the NCAA postseason.

Creatively accountable

"We don't have a finger-pointing problem and we don't have parent problems, but we're lacking chemistry, and when you don't have certain things you're used to having, you've got to create things another way," he said. "That's why they pay me the middle-sized bucks, to figure out a way to create that chemistry now that we're in the postseason."

A couple of wins in Kansas City and a rematch with top-ranked Baylor for the Big 12 title - the powerful programs have each won two of the last four league tourney titles - could go a long way toward shoving this team in the right direction for an NCAA run.

"We lost by 23 (in Waco) and we only lost by seven (in College Station) and we were in the entire game," A&M guard Sydney Carter said following the programs' last meeting. "You see what you did right, and you keep working on those things and keep getting better."

Cooking up wins

It's not like the Aggies are chopped beef (an appreciated menu item in K.C.) this season. They've lost three of four, but prior to that won six of seven. Expectations are simply much higher following the university's first national title in basketball nearly a year ago, when then-seniors Danielle Adams and Sydney Colson led the charge.

As for this year's leaders?

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Texas A&M notebook: Chemistry still an issue as women enter postseason

Chemistry students step into the spotlight

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Danzig

Chemistry students step into the spotlight

By Catherine Monson '12 March 8, 2012

Although St. Olaf students often get the chance to display their work for professors and students, few find themselves presenting to hundreds of graduate students, Ph.D.s, and professionals in their field of interest. But five seniors will have exactly that opportunity this weekend when they travel to Orlando, Florida, for PittCon the largest annual analytical chemistry conference in the world.

The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy draws more than 17,000 people from 90 countries to present their latest findings and connect with other chemists, academics, and professionals.

"The fact that four posters prepared by St. Olaf students were accepted for presentation at PittCon is fantastic," says Associate Professor of Chemistry Doug Beussman '92, who worked with the students to submit research abstracts. "This is the largest number of students and projects we've ever brought to the conference."

Last summer Beussman worked with all five students on their research projects, three of which dealt with forensic science Beussman's main area of interest. Jason Eckmann analyzed fibers that could be used as crime scene evidence, Britta Anderson studied date-rape drugs in beverage residues, and Brooke Reaser's project dealt with laboratory methods of human scent differentiation to mimic that of body search dogs. The fourth project, conducted by Aaron Chamberlain and Rob Pieh, examined the various proteins of a single-celled organism called a Tetrahymena thermophila. Each of these projects has been invited to present at the main poster session, a peer-reviewed, day-long event separate from the undergraduate poster session.

Adrenaline rush "Presenting to professionals and graduates in the field presents a unique opportunity that is both exhilarating and nerve-racking," says Reaser. "It will be a two-hour rush of adrenaline to talk about the research I conducted with people who are equally fascinated by the field. We're all nervous, but Professor Beussman did a wonderful job of preparing us for this experience."

In addition to presenting their posters, the students will attend symposiums and oral presentations about a variety of topics. At the Employment Bureau, they will be able to submit their resumes for a variety of jobs. In addition, the students as well as Beussman are excited to view the newest laboratory equipment from the more than 930 vendors at an instrument exhibition.

"Four of these five students took an instrumental analysis course, which is the advanced analytical course at St. Olaf," says Beussman. "In the class we talked about a whole host of instruments, some of which we have here at St. Olaf and many which we don't. So this will be a good opportunity for them to go and actually see these instruments and talk to people who make them."

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Chemistry students step into the spotlight

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