Nashville, Tenn. (WKRN)- Organized team practice activities, or OTAs, are useful for many reasons, especially when it comes to getting familiar with new faces on the roster.

The Tennessee Titans have plenty of new additions this year, specifically on offense. And while OTAs arent mandatory, quarterback Ryan Tannehill is on the practice field, getting familiar with his new targets.

The more that we can cover now, the better were going to be. There is a lot we can take in and learn during this time of the year, said Tannehill. We dont have a game were preparing for so we are trying new things offensively. The quarterbacks are able to try new things and those young guys, rookies are able to take in a lot of information.

Whether it be Dez Fitzpatrick or Racey McMath, Tannehill said the rookies have made a good first impression.

Tannehill added, We have a bunch of young, talented guys. They are tall and athletic and can make plays on the football, so were excited about what they bring to us physically, and its good to see them coming out everyday and competing.

Josh Reynolds is also a new face in the wide receivers room, and right now it looks like he will be playing opposite of AJ Brown on Sundays. Tannehill took some extra time working with him this week, and will put a little extra emphasis on building that chemistry.

As I learn the way he moves and his range and speed, those little moments, when we get those one-on-one times together are going to be huge as we head into training camp. If we can sneak some reps in here this Spring, it will help us down the road, said Tannehill.

And while Tannehill wasnt able to get in any extra work with some of the veteran players this past Spring, he has been keeping close tabs on tight end Anthony Firkser, and is optimistic about what hell be able to contribute this upcoming season.

He just needs to stay on track with what he is doing, hes been working extremely hard. Before I got here I was watching tape on him, and hes been working extremely hard. Now he needs to continue that and keep getting better, said Tannehill.

OTAs will continue throughout next week, with Titans mini-camp happening June 15-17 at St. Thomas Sports Park.

Link:
Titans QB Tannehill taking advantage of OTAs, building chemistry with new players - WKRN News 2

Continuing its record on higher education buildings, Skanska USA has been picked to lead construction of the planned Frost Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Science at the University of Miami (UM) at its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida.

The approximately 90,000 sq ft project includes imaging and science research laboratories, administrative and research offices, a lecture hall, a multipurpose gathering space, and associated building support spaces.

It will bring together scientists from several molecular-based disciplines to do collaborative research work, using approaches relying on molecular design, discovery and development.

Designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture, the project is expected to break ground by the end of the year and is slated for completion in summer 2022.

The facility will seek LEED Silver Certification at a minimum, joining other Skanska built projects including the Mercedes-Benz U.S Headquarters and Town of Andover, Bancroft Elementary School.

It will be Skanskas second project for UM, having built the Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios, which was selected as Project of the Year for the Urban Land Institutes Vision Awards, in 2015.

Announcing the Frost Institute award, Skanska said spending on education building projects is projected to reach close to $108bn by next year, citing Statista.

Skanska is currently working on the University of South Floridas (USF) Research Park Mixed Use Lab & Office project in Tampa and recently delivered the USF Healths Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in downtown Tampa.

Michael C. Brown, executive vice president and general manager of Skanskas Florida building operations, said: As a company, we continue to specialise and focus on developing research and academic buildings for universities throughout Florida that will have a positive impact in their local communities and beyond through their work and studies.

Image: The 90,000 sq ft Frost Institute will bring together scientists from several molecular-based disciplines to do collaborative research (Render courtesy of Skanska USA)

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Skanska to build $36m chemistry institute for the University of Miami - News - GCR - GCR

INDIANAPOLIS Local businesses were evacuated, and neighbors were advised to stay inside, after a chemical reaction sent a plume of orange vapor into the air on the east side.

The Indianapolis Fire Department and Marion County Public Health Department were called to 2728 N. Emerson Ave. Thursday morning.

IFD said the orange cloud, which was visible along I-70, resulted from a reaction between nitric acid and moisture inside a container. The reaction pushed smoke into the area, which quickly began to dissipate.

IFD urged neighbors to shelter in place and close their doors and windows. Nearly 30 people were evacuated from a pair of nearby businesses as a precaution, IFD said.

The vapor can be irritating to the eyes and lungs, IFD said, adding that hazardous material crews were responding to the scene.

The Marion County Public Health Department said it would assist with monitoring air quality.

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Chemical reaction sends plume of orange smoke into air on east side, leads to shelter in place advisory - Fox 59

Remember the storyline that the Brooklyn Nets might struggle in the postseason as the chemistry among their All-Star trio develops? Well, never mind.

The Nets defeated the short-handed Boston Celtics, 141-126, with Kevin Durant (42), Kyrie Irving (39) and James Harden (23) combining for 104 points. And Harden added a career playoff-high 18 assists as the Celtics took a 3-1 series lead over the Celtics.

With Durant, Irving and Harden playing just eight games together in the regular season, it might seem that the Nets would need some time to figure out how to best complement each other even as they downplayed such talk.

Irving rebounded from a poor-shooting Game 3 loss by hitting 6 of his 12 3-pointers. After the game, a fan threw a water bottle at him as he left the court.

Mental toughness? One of the best Ive ever seen. For him, all the emotions or whatever is going through his mind, which Im sure a million things go through his mind, Harden said of Irving. He goes out there, blocks everything out and just (is) himself and from a guy that probably would say he didnt play his best game in Game 3, came in and had a killer instinct, killer mentality, and had a will to win Game 4. It showed. He was aggressive, and when Kais aggressive like that, nobody can guard him. That gives our team energy as well. Big-time effort from him, big-time effort from our team.

It helps that they are playing a short-handed Celtics team missing Jaylen Brown (out for the playoffs, wrist surgery) and Kemba Walker (out for Game 4 with left knee bone bruise).

Durant is averaging 34.7 points, Harden is averaging 26.2 and Irving is at 24.7.

The 104 points scored by Durant, Irving and Harden tied an NBA playoff record for three teammates set by Boston's John Havlicek, Jo Jo White and Dave Cowens in 1973 and matched in 1986 by Dominique Wilkins, Randy Whitman and Spud Webb.

State of the series: Nets lead 3-1. Game 5 is Tuesday in Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

Story continues

James Harden had 23 points and 18 assists in the Nets' 141-126 win over the Celtics on Sunday.

The Clippers claimed there was no reason to panic after they were swept in the first two games of this playoff series at home. It appears they were right. The Clippers are showing the kind of resilience expected of a title contender by overpowering the Mavericks from the start to even up their series. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 29 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting. And suddenly, the Clippers may have revived their title-contender status. At the very least, they regained home-court advantage. Were where we were supposed to be, said Nicolas Batum. We're supposed to be at 2-2, technically. So we're going to go home and have to take care of home court. Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who had 19 points on 9 of 24 shooting, was certainly in pain, coach Rick Carlisle said, after he played through a strained neck for a second consecutive game.

State of the series: Series tied 2-2. Game 5 is Wednesday in Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET, TNT)

Its easy to think of the Hawks as a solo act. Trae Young is clearly their leader, but their supporting cast isnt bad, either. John Collins contributed 22 points and Danilo Gallinari added 20 to support Youngs 27 points to help the Hawks take a 3-1 series lead. The Hawks have a chance to advance out of the first round of the postseason for the first time since 2016. We have so many guys who are skilled with the basketball, Collins said. We have great chemistry with each other. I think the sky's the limit with this team when we do the right things.

State of the series: Hawks lead 3-1. Game 5 is Wednesday in New York (Time TBD)

The Phoenix Suns got even Sunday. With stifling defense and balanced offense, coupled with Anthony Davis missing the second half with a groin injury and Chris Paul playing his best ball since injuring his right shoulder in Game 1. The playoffs bring you to your limits in a lot of ways and that's how you grow, Suns coach Monty Williams said. You're watching our young team grow on the fly. With Davis out and Paul looking more like himself in posting a team-high 18 points, nine assists and zero turnovers in 32 minutes, Phoenix returns home with huge momentum for Tuesday's Game 5 at Phoenix Suns Arena.

--- Duane Rankin

State of the series: Series tied 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday in Phoenix (10 p.m. ET TNT)

NBA PLAYOFF SCHEDULE: First-round matchups, results, game times and TV info

Joel Embiid has been the dominant force and is easily having the best postseason of his career. That is why the Sixers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, have a chance to sweep their first playoff series since 1991 when they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 3-0. Embiid had a career playoff-high 36 points on 18 shots in Game 3. I cant imagine anybody playing better than him, Wizards coach Scott Brooks. As a result, the Sixers definitely have a sweep on their mind. We want to get the sweep so we can get some rest, 76ers guard Ben Simmons said. But this is a tough team. You never know what you are going to get every night, especially with [Bradley] Beal and [Russell] Westbrook. So weve got to come prepared on Monday.

State of the series: Sixers lead 3-0. Game 4 is Monday in Washington (7 p.m. ET, TNT)

The last time the Grizzlies were in the postseason, Mike Conley was one of the main reasons they got there. In their first trip back since 2017, Conley might be one of the main reasons for their early exit. The former face of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies that made seven straight trips to the postseason, Conley is having the kind of success in Utah that he had in Memphis. And that is good news for the No. 1 Jazz. He has averaged 23 points against the Grizzlies, helping the Jazz to a 2-1 series lead. Mike was terrific on both ends of the floor. He was Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell said after Game 3. And he always has been for us all year, and he's taken it to an even another level. And I feel like when you have a guy like that who can handle the ball, who can control the game, as well, it makes my life and my job easier. So when I get certain shots, it's because he sees things, he's communicating that with me or he's putting me in positions to go ahead and score and make plays too. A lot of that too is Mike Conley being here. He's big time.

State of the series: Jazz lead 2-1. Game 4 is Monday in Memphis (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

If you study a box score of a Trail Blazers game and discover that Damian Lillard shoots 1 of 10 from the field, there wouldnt be much expectation of a successful outcome for Portland. But Lillard had just 10 points in Game 3, and the Blazers defeated the Nuggets 115-95. Norman Powell, who won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, picked up the slack. Powell led the Blazers with 29 points to help the Blazers even the series. If he continues to play well and Lillard rebounds, the Blazers could make make trouble for the Nuggets. I love these types of games, these kinds of moments. It's the moment where nothing else matters, Powell said. You get caught up in the course of the season with stats sometimes, this-that-and-the-other, road trips, but when you get into the playoffs, the only thing that matters is winning.

State of the series: Series tied 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday in Denver (9 p.m. ET, NBATV)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brooklyn Nets' Big 3 had record-scoring night in cruising past Celtics

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Brooklyn Nets get an A+ on their chemistry test, cruise to easy NBA playoff win over Celtics - Yahoo Sports

Eric Ferreira guides students through some pressure-packed courses

Eric Ferreiras own early fascination with solving puzzles helps him inspire students to piece together the logic behind organic chemistry.

I was always interested in logic puzzles and things of that nature that as a kid, said Ferreira, an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences chemistry department. As a sophomore in college, my first semester organic chemistry professor really illustrated the logic behind it, and it made perfect sense to me.

As Ferreiras undergraduate research position brought him into the lab, his career trajectory took shape around his knack for spatial reasoning as a route to problem-solving.

Eric Ferreira (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Organic chemistry relies heavily on spatial reasoning, logic, and some have even compared it to learning a foreign language, he said, noting that the cumulative nature and nomenclature of the science really does suggest an analogy to foreign language fluency.

Ferreira has frequently taught graduate and advanced level undergraduate courses, and in spring 2021, he is teaching the honors and majors section of second semester organic chemistry.

The often pressure-packed sequence of courses, with implications for professional schools and entrance exams, can occupy an outsized role in students perception and performance. Here he sees the foundational aspect of the science firsthand. Ferreira says the daunting reputation of organic chemistry at UGA is not at all unusual, but its also a mark of how vitally the subject relates to so many fields and disciplines.

It has a tough reputation, but if they can have an open mind, theres some really cool stuff students learn about how chemistry and organic chemistry touch everything and why its important to learn to go on to a career in medicine, to be able understand its broad relevancy and connections, he said.

Those underlying logical principles also play a leading role in solving problems in Ferreiras research lab, where his team designs methods for making new chemical bonds to construct molecules of biological interest, such as pharmaceuticals. We really try to think about, on the fundamental level, how to make those molecules step by step. The nature of those steps, how we design new transformations, might enable us to make these molecules more efficiently, more selectively, and with higher yields.

His lab has already synthesized a few natural products, existing compounds from marine or plant sources with interesting molecular structures. These present possibilities for understanding how those types of molecules might be able to engage enzymes in the body and induce a desired biological response.

The rich diversity that you can get from plant sources in terms of molecular structure is a lot more than what you can just easily synthesize from scratch, he said. Recognizing those architectures, understanding how they can induce a physiological response, thinking about how they are synthesized biologically, and how we might be able to synthesize them in the lab, help us to best use the tools that we have or inspire us to invent new ones.

Another focus of their work is in catalytic alkyne activations, designing transformations that use the notion that a metal will associate with the alkyne, initiate reactivity, and ultimately react with other functionalities in the molecule. The lab has developed new ways to make carbon-carbon bonds that build up complex architectures in molecules very efficiently, transformations they can study as key steps toward natural products synthesis.

We use the principles of arrow-pushing mechanisms, a simple representation of the flow of electrons, which is the foundation of carbon-carbon bond formation. We teach arrow-pushing in chapter five in organic chemistry, and its threaded through the entire rest of the organic chemistry sequence, he said, connecting his work in the lab back to the classroom.

In our own research, it really is our ability to understand electron flow, and how we can exploit that in new bond constructions, that enables building these molecules that could have promising bioactivities, he added.

Ferreiras aptitude for puzzles is also at work on the Building Steering Committee for the ISTEM Research Building, which will house faculty researchers and students from chemistry and engineering when it opens in fall 2021.

Theres has been a lot of thought for how we want this building to be shaped and organized, and one of the really nice things about it is its going to blend chemistry and engineering together, to be more dynamic for people to talk to each other and hopefully spur new collaborations, he said.

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Unraveling the logic behind organic chemistry - University of Georgia

Posted: Feb 5, 2021 / 03:29 PM CST / Updated: Feb 5, 2021 / 06:21 PM CST

OWENSBORO, Ky (WEHT) The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is working to determine the cause of a chemical leak that spilled into the Ohio River.

The leak was discovered late Wednesday at Dart Polymers in Owensboro. Dart processes styrene monomer into polystyrene used to manufacture food & beverage packaging.

The company says about 900 gallons of styrene monomer escaped from the outfall of a collection basin. Approximately 300 gallons left the property and entered the environment, including the Ohio River.

Work to vacuum the chemical from the collection basin continues, and absorbent materials and barriers have been used to limit its spread. KEEC says downstream water systems have been notified and are proactively treating the water.

In a statement, Dart officials said:

Dart followed its rigorous emergency response plan to contain the release and notified appropriate federal and state agencies. Officials have visited the facility to review Darts cleanup and remediation efforts per agency protocols. As a result of the remediation efforts undertaken, Dart believes river water quality and community water supply was not affected. The investigation to determine the cause of the release is ongoing.

(This story was originally published on February 5, 2021)

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Authorities working to clean up chemical spill that leaked into the Ohio River - Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW)

ExoMars observing water in the Martian atmosphere. Credit: ESA

Sea salt embedded in the dusty surface of Mars and lofted into the planets atmosphere has led to the discovery of hydrogen chloride the first time the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has detected a new gas. The spacecraft is also providing new information about how Mars is losing its water.

A major quest in Mars exploration is hunting for atmospheric gases linked to biological or geological activity, as well as understanding the past and present water inventory of the planet, to determine if Mars could ever have been habitable and if any water reservoirs could be accessible for future human exploration. Two new results from the ExoMars team published today in Science Advances unveil an entirely new class of chemistry and provide further insights into seasonal changes and surface-atmosphere interactions as driving forces behind the new observations.

Weve discovered hydrogen chloride for the first time on Mars. This is the first detection of a halogen gas in the atmosphere of Mars, and represents a new chemical cycle to understand, says Kevin Olsen from the University of Oxford, UK, one of the lead scientists of the discovery.

Hydrogen chloride gas, or HCl, comprises a hydrogen and chlorine atom. Mars scientists were always on the look-out for chlorine- or sulfur-based gases because they are possible indicators of volcanic activity. But the nature of the hydrogen chloride observations the fact that it was detected in very distant locations at the same time, and the lack of other gases that would be expected from volcanic activity points to a different source. That is, the discovery suggests an entirely new surface-atmosphere interaction driven by the dust seasons on Mars that had not previously been explored.

In a process very similar to that seen on Earth, salts in the form of sodium chloride remnants of evaporated oceans and embedded in the dusty surface of Mars are lifted into the atmosphere by winds. Sunlight warms the atmosphere causing dust, together with water vapor released from ice caps, to rise. The salty dust reacts with atmospheric water to release chlorine, which itself then reacts with molecules containing hydrogen to create hydrogen chloride. Further reactions could see the chlorine or hydrochloric acid-rich dust return to the surface, perhaps as perchlorates, a class of salt made of oxygen and chlorine.

You need water vapor to free chlorine and you need the by-products of water hydrogen to form hydrogen chloride. Water is critical in this chemistry, says Kevin. We also observe a correlation to dust: we see more hydrogen chloride when dust activity ramps up, a process linked to the seasonal heating of the southern hemisphere.

Data plot showing measurements of hydrogen chloride in the atmosphere of Mars, as collected by the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas orbiter. The detections were also confirmed by the complementary instrument, Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD). The global dust storm of 2018 is indicated by the brown/orange gradient. The plot shows the locations of the measurements over time (solar longitude) and planetary latitude. Credit: Korablev et al (2021)

The team first spotted the gas during the global dust storm in 2018, observing it appear simultaneously in both northern and southern hemispheres, and witnessed its surprisingly quick disappearance again at the end of the seasonal dusty period. They are already looking into the data collected during the following dust season and see the HCl rising again.

It is incredibly rewarding to see our sensitive instruments detecting a never-before-seen gas in the atmosphere of Mars, says Oleg Korablev, principal investigator of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite instrument that made the discovery. Our analysis links the generation and decline of the hydrogen chloride gas to the surface of Mars.

Extensive laboratory testing and new global atmospheric simulations will be needed to better understand the chlorine-based surface-atmosphere interaction, together with continued observations at Mars to confirm that the rise and fall of HCl is driven by the southern hemisphere summer.

The discovery of the first new trace gas in the atmosphere of Mars is a major milestone for the Trace Gas Orbiter mission, says Hkan Svedhem, ESAs ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter project scientist. This is the first new class of gas discovered since the claimed observation of methane by ESAs Mars Express in 2004, which motivated the search for other organic molecules and ultimately culminated in the development of the Trace Gas Orbiter mission, for which detecting new gases is a primary goal.

As well as new gases, the Trace Gas Orbiter is refining our understanding of how Mars lost its water a process that is also linked to seasonal changes.

Liquid water is once thought to have flowed across the surface of Mars as evidenced in the numerous examples of ancient dried out valleys and river channels. Today, it is mostly locked up in the ice caps and buried underground. Mars is still leaking water today, in the form of hydrogen and oxygen escaping from the atmosphere.

Understanding the interplay of potential water-bearing reservoirs and their seasonal and long-term behavior is key to understanding the evolution of the climate of Mars. This can be done through the study of water vapour and semi-heavy water (where one hydrogen atom is replaced by a deuterium atom,a form of hydrogen with an additional neutron).

The deuterium to hydrogen ratio, D/H, is our chronometer a powerful metric that tells us about the history of water on Mars, and how water loss evolved over time. Thanks to the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, we can now better understand and calibrate this chronometer and test for potential new reservoirs of water on Mars, says Geronimo Villanueva of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and lead author of the new result.

With the Trace Gas Orbiter we can watch the path of the water isotopologues as they rise up into the atmosphere with a level of detail not possible before. Previous measurements only provided the average over the depth of the whole atmosphere. It is like we only had a 2D view before, now we can explore the atmosphere in 3D, says Ann Carine Vandaele, principal investigator of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument that was used for this investigation.

The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter studies water vapour and its components as it rises through the atmosphere and out into space. By looking specifically at the ratio of hydrogen to its heavier counterpart deuterium, the evolution of water loss over time can be traced. Credit: ESA

The new measurements reveal dramatic variability in D/H with altitude and season as the water rises from its original location.Interestingly, the data show that once water is fully vapourised, it mostly displays a common large enrichment in semi-heavy water, and a D/H ratio six times greater than Earths across all reservoirs on Mars, confirming that large amounts of water have been lost over time, says Giuliano Liuzzi of American University and NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and one of the lead scientists of the investigation.

Seasonal variability of water (left) and D/H (right) for the northern (top) and southern (bottom) hemispheres, as determined by the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.Water is observed to reach high altitudes of greater than 80 km during regional and global dust storms, and at the onset of southern summer (labeled aspirator from the latin word to aspire, or rise/climb up). Colder temperatures at the poles and in the middle atmosphere lead to fractionation of water and an apparent decrease of the D/H. Yet, when water is fully vapourised, it displays a strong enrichment of six times that of Earths oceans, confirming that large amounts of water have been lost to spa
ce over time.Credit: Villanueva et al (2021)

ExoMars data collected between April 2018 and April 2019 also showed three instances that accelerated water loss from the atmosphere: the global dust storm of 2018, a short but intense regional storm in January 2019, and water release from the south polar ice cap during summer months linked to seasonal change. Of particular note is a plume of rising water vapor during southern summer that would potentially inject water into the upper atmosphere on a seasonal and yearly basis.

The graphic shows a simple representation (not to scale) of the three observing modes that will be used by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. In nadir mode (left) the spacecraft looks directly at the sunlight reflected from the surface and atmosphere of Mars. In limb mode (centre) it looks across the martian horizon at emission from the atmosphere. In solar occultation mode (right), the instruments point through the atmosphere toward the Sun and observe how different atmospheric ingredients absorb the Suns light. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

Future coordinated observations with other spacecraft including NASAs MAVEN, which focuses on the upper atmosphere, will provide complementary insights to the evolution of water over the martian year.

The changing seasons on Mars, and in particular the relatively hot summer in the southern hemisphere seems to be the driving force behind our new observations such as the enhanced atmospheric water loss and the dust activity linked to the detection of hydrogen chloride, that we see in the two latest studies, adds Hkan. Trace Gas Orbiter observations are enabling us to explore the martian atmosphere like never before.

References:

Transient HCl in the atmosphere of Mars by Oleg Korablev, Kevin S. Olsen, Alexander Trokhimovskiy, Franck Lefvre, Franck Montmessin, Anna A. Fedorova, Michael J. Toplis, Juan Alday, Denis A. Belyaev, Andrey Patrakeev, Nikolay I. Ignatiev, Alexey V. Shakun, Alexey V. Grigoriev, Lucio Baggio, Irbah Abdenour, Gaetan Lacombe, Yury S. Ivanov, Shohei Aoki, Ian R. Thomas, Frank Daerden, Bojan Ristic, Justin T. Erwin, Manish Patel, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose-Juan Lopez-Moreno and Ann C. Vandaele, 10 February 2021, Science Advances.DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4386

Water heavily fractionated as it ascends on Mars as revealed by ExoMars/NOMAD by Geronimo L. Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Matteo M. J. Crismani, Shohei Aoki, Ann Carine Vandaele, Frank Daerden, Michael D. Smith, Michael J. Mumma, Elise W. Knutsen, Lori Neary, Sebastien Viscardy, Ian R. Thomas, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Bojan Ristic, Manish R. Patel, James A. Holmes, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose Juan Lopez-Moreno and NOMAD team, 10 February 2021, Science Advances.DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8843

The papers are based on data collected by the ACS and NOMAD instruments onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

A forthcoming paper Seasonal reappearance of HCl in the atmosphere of Mars during the Mars year 35 dusty season by K. Olsen et al has been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

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A New Chemistry: ExoMars Orbiter Discovers New Gas and Traces Water Loss on Mars - SciTechDaily

Immerse yourself in the composition, structure, properties and reactions of matter, especially of atomic, elemental and molecular systems. Experience a challenging but nurturing environment and take courses in analytical, biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry.

Undergraduate and graduate students perform original research in a number of different areas of chemistry, from theoretical and experimental physical chemistry to organic synthesis, nanomaterials and biochemistry.

The Department of Chemistry is located in the Center for Science and Technology (CST) on the eastern edge of campus.

The department is equipped with state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities and an outstanding technical support staff. Available instrumentation includes the following, to name a few:

Other support services include the Chemistry Stores, an on-campus source for commonly used laboratory supplies and chemicals, and electronics and glass blowing shops, where highly specific research equipment is designed and fabricated. The Science and Technology Library offers an outstanding collection of scientific literature and electronic resources.

There are many career possibilities for a chemistry major. Chemical, drug and oil companies are certainly options. Here are some others:

Learn more about all your options by speaking with your advisor.

A team of A&S chemists are working to develop a superconductor that could store vast amounts of energy and make the electrical power grid much more efficient.

Chemist Davoud Mozhdehi is working on an autonomous synthetic material that could create what he calls smart plastics.

Researchers are investigating a nanoparticle that could 'disguise' itself for entry into the brain.

REU grant draws students from around the country for summer research.

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Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and ...

Last season, the North Penn boys basketball team needed a strong finish to the regular season to earn a spot in the District 1-6A playoffs.

The Knights went 5-3 over their final eight games to finish 9-13 and grab the 24th and final postseason spot. They upset CB West in the first round and, after losing to Pennridge, picked up wins over Council Rock South and CB East to earn a spot in the state tournament.

North Penn is starting faster this year, getting out to a 4-2 start with a chance to move into first place in the Suburban One League Colonial Division at home against CB East Tuesday night.

The Knights credit their offseason work for their early-season success. The players got into three groups of five led by Billy Coley, Josh Jones and Joe Larkins that would meet during the shutdown to work out.

We did whatever we could shoot around, work out any way we could and that was a big piece, Jones said, because we spent about a month with each other when some other teams werent able to really meet. I think that kickstarted it for us.

We would go to parks, wed run hills, all kinds of stuff like that for a solid month. The groups were competing, we had to send in videos to get points with the coaches. The winners got gift cards of their choice, my group won, so we all got Chipotle gift cards.

I like to believe we put in more work than any other team during preseason even when we couldnt get in the gym, Coley said. We worked on building chemistry early, I told the guys in my group we have to have good chemistry if we want to win basketball games.

That chemistry has the Knights on a three-game winning streak heading into Tuesday nights 7 p.m. tip against the Patriots.

Freshmen Phenoms

Despite area basketball teams playing this season with limited offseason work, a couple freshmen are quickly making an impact on the court Plymouth Whitemarshs Jaden Colzie and Upper Dublins Amy Ngo.

Colzie has played a key role in the Colonials 5-0 start to the 2021 campaign. In their two closest wins of the year both coming last week the point guard scored 11 points in a six-point win over Upper Dublin and 16 points in a 12-point win over Abington.

Against the Cardinals, Colzie scored seven of his points in the second quarter to help extend a 17-15 lead to 28-19 at halftime. He hit three three-pointers to highlight his team-high 16 points against the Ghosts.

Ngo was stealing the show on Upper Dublins Senior Night against Wissahickon before exiting the game early in the fourth. She scored 16 points which led the team before she sat with the game in hand and showed she could score at all levels Friday night. She hit a pair of three-pointers during a 10-point second quarter and her defense helped force the Trojans into 20 turnovers. She also had 13 points in a win over Hatboro-Horsham earlier in the season.

Cant Stop Stover

Upper Dublin center Drew Stover is scoring at will this season. Through six games, the 6-foot-7 senior has scored 26, 29, 31, 27, 28 and 30 points. His 28.5 points per game average has the Cardinals at 5-1 and in second place in the SOL Liberty Division.

Hes a force, Upper Dublin coach Chris Monahan said after Stover posted 27 points and 13 rebounds against PW last week. Hes got a soft touch around the rim, can finish with both hands around the rim. Hes doing a better job this year establishing position. Hes doing a good job offensive rebounding and getting put-backs. Hes a problem for other teams.

Its not an easy job, PW forward Luke DiCianno said of guarding Stover. The gameplan really was to try and stop him from getting into the post. Hes dominant in the post.

The Cardinals, who are currently No. 7 in the District 1-6A rankings, face Hatboro-Horsham and Quakertown this week.

PCL Ready To Go

The Philadelphia Catholic League basketball season starts this Friday and area teams are ready to get back on the floor.

On the boys side, Archbishop Carroll hosts Archbishop Ryan at 6 p.m. and La Salle hosts Neumann-Goretti at 7 p.m.

For the girls, Carroll travels to Archbishop Wood for a 7 p.m. matchup.

MediaNews Group reporter Andrew Robinson contributed to this article.

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North Penn off to fast start after building chemistry in offseason - papreplive.com

Avant Organics LLC, a new specialty chemicals company created by Crest Industries, expects to invest $4 million in Alexandria for a new manufacturing business.

Avant Organics plans to sign a lease at the Central Louisiana Regional Port and hire 40 new workers with average annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits.

Pineville-based Crest Industries already has more than 800 workers in the state for customers in electrical infrastructure, distribution, industrial services and natural resources.

Avant Organics expects to use scientific research to enhance flavor and fragrances in food and beverage products but also pharmaceuticals and other industries. The company expects to begin production by the third quarter.

The Louisiana Economic Development department negotiated with Crest Industries in early 2021 for an economic incentive package, which includes workforce training through FastStart along with a $500,000 performance-based grant to offset infrastructure costs. The company is eligible for the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, a tax abatement up to 80% for 10 years pending local municipal approval and the Quality Jobs program,which is a cash rebate to companies up to 6% for no more than 10 years in addition to state sales and use tax rebate on capital expenditures.

Link:
Specialty chemical business looks to invest $4 million in Alexandria - The Advocate

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Cast Teases What Sharon's Been Up To, Other Plot Hints

The cast of 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' can't say much, but are excited for the new series.

Following in Captain America's footsteps is a weighty task literally. When Chris Evans' Steve Rogers retired at the end of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, he left his mantle and star-spangled shield to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson. On The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, debuting March 19 on Disney+, Sam is grappling with what it might mean to carry on Cap's role which meant Mackie had to learn how to throw that oversize red-white-and-blue Frisbee. "I didn't realize how heavy it was," he admits with a laugh. "A 10-pound weight hanging off your arm is not the easiest thing to deal with."

Captain America's legacy looms over the next Marvel live-action show, which follows Sam and his surly metal-armed friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), as they face new threats. Ahead of the show's debut, EW spoke with Mackie and Stan for our March issue, and the two stars teased the six-episode series as part action-packed superhero epic, part awkward buddy-comedy. "There's an odd-couple kind of back-and-forth there," Stan explains. "Like, 'I don't really like you, but I might need you.'"

Sam and Bucky have been reluctant allies since they first bickered over legroom in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. They're both battle-hardened veterans trying to do Cap proud, but they have what head writer Malcolm Spellman calls "a fire-and-ice dynamic."

"There's a real chemistry there," he says of Mackie and Stan, who often improvise insults on set. "Imagine getting to write the first installment of a buddy-cop series, knowing exactly what the rhythm and flavor is with the two characters before you even start."

Illustration by Joshua Swaby for EW

Story continues

Both Sam and Bucky have spent most of their screen time in sidekick roles, but the new series will dive deeper into each man's psyche. Sam is wrestling with the aftereffects of the Infinity War and what it might take to become the next Captain America a role the rest of the world may not be ready to embrace. "The idea of whether or not a Black man could become Captain America just felt like a huge moment and a huge opportunity," Spellman adds.

Meanwhile, Bucky, the World War II soldierturnedeyeliner-wearing assassin, is still reckoning with his murderous past and how to cope in a world without Steve. "How does that guy function in 2021, in the times of today?" Stan explains. "And there's comedic parts: How does he deal with technology? Is this guy ordering Postmates at home?"

Mackie and Stan aren't the only recurring Marvel vets, either: Daniel Brhl's villain Baron Zemo is back to wreak more havoc after dividing the Avengers in Civil War, and Emily VanCamp's former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Sharon Carter, will also return. New to the cast is Wyatt Russell as the militaristic John Walker, a.k.a. U.S. Agent who, in the comics, is a government-approved replacement for Captain America.

Ultimately, Mackie and Stan say they're excited to carve out their own little corner of the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"We didn't lose that feeling of security and espionage," Mackie says. "It still feels like you're in a Philip K. Dick novel [or] a Tom Clancy movie. But at the same time, it's Sebastian and I, and we're idiots, so you get more of us being ourselves."

A version of this story appears in the March issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands Feb. 19 and available here. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

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Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan tease the 'odd-couple' chemistry of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Yahoo Entertainment

In the past few years, researchers have turned increasingly to data science techniques to aid problem-solving in organic synthesis.

Researchers in the lab ofAbigail Doyle, Princeton's A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Chemistry,have developed open-source software that provides them with a state-of-the-art optimization algorithm to use in everyday work, folding whats been learned in the machine learning field into synthetic chemistry.

Princeton chemists Benjamin Shields and Abigail Doyle worked with computer scientist Ryan Adams (not pictured) to create machine learning software that can optimize reactions using artificial intelligence to speed through thousands of reactions that chemists used to have to labor through one by one.

Photo by

C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

The software adapts key principles of Bayesian Optimization (BO) to allow faster and more efficient syntheses of chemicals.

Based on the Bayes Theorem, a mathematical formula for determining conditional probability, BO is a widely used strategy in the sciences. Broadly defined, it allows people and computersuse prior knowledge to inform and optimize future decisions.

The chemists in Doyle's lab, in collaboration withRyanAdams, a professor of computer science,and colleagues at Bristol-Myers Squibb, comparedhuman decision-making capabilities with the software package. They found that the optimization tool yields both greater efficiency over human participants and less bias on a test reaction. Their work appears in the current issue of the journal Nature.

Reaction optimization is ubiquitous in chemical synthesis, both in academia and across the chemical industry, said Doyle.Since chemical space is so large, it is impossible for chemists to evaluate the entirety of a reaction space experimentally. We wanted to develop and assess BO as a tool for synthetic chemistry given its success for related optimization problems in the sciences.

Benjamin Shields, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Doyle lab and the papers lead author, created the Python package.

I come from a synthetic chemistry background, so I definitely appreciate that synthetic chemists are pretty good at tackling these problems on their own, said Shields. Where I think the real strength of Bayesian Optimization comes in is that it allows us to model these high-dimensional problems and capture trends that we may not see in the data ourselves, so it can process the data a lot better.

And two, within a space, it will not be held back by the biases of a human chemist, he added.

The software started as an out-of-field project to fulfill Shields doctoral requirements. Doyle and Shield then formed a team under the Center for Computer Assisted Synthesis (C-CAS), a National Science Foundation initiative launched at five universities to transform how the synthesis of complex organic molecules is planned and executed. Doyle has been a principal investigator with C-CAS since 2019.

Reaction optimization can be an expensive and time-consuming process, said Adams, who is also the director of the Program in Statistics and Machine Learning. This approach not only accelerates it using state-of-the-art techniques, but also finds better solutions than humans would typically identify. I think this is just the beginning of whats possible with Bayesian Optimization in this space.

Users start by defining a search space plausible experiments to consider such as a list of catalysts, reagents, ligands, solvents, temperatures, and concentrations. Once that space is prepared and the user defines how many experiments to run, the software chooses initial experimental conditions to be evaluated. Thenit suggests new experiments to run, iterating through a smaller and smaller cast of choices until the reaction is optimized.

In designing the software, I tried to include ways for people to kind of inject what they know about a reaction, said Shields. No matter how you use this or machine learning in general, theres always going to be a case where human expertise is valuable.

The software and examples for its use can be accessed at this repository. GitHub links are available for the following: software that represents the chemicals under evaluation in a machine-readable format via density-functional theory; software for reaction optimization; and the game that collects chemists decision-making on optimization of the test reaction.

"Bayesian reaction optimization as a tool for chemical synthesis," byBenjamin J. Shields, Jason Stevens, Jun Li, Marvin Parasram, Farhan Damani, Jesus I. Martinez Alvarado, Jacob M. Janey, Ryan P. Adams andAbigail G. Doyle, appears in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Nature (DOI:10.1038/s41586-021-03213-y). This research was supported by funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Princeton Catalysis Initiative, the National Science Foundation under the CCI Center for Computer Assisted Synthesis (CHE-1925607), and the DataX Program at Princeton University through support from the Schmidt Futures Foundation.

Editor's note: You can read the unabridged version of this story on the Department of Chemistry homepage.

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Chemistry and computer science join forces to apply artificial intelligence to chemical reactions - Princeton University

When you are trying to understand chemical reactions, imagine that you are working with the atoms. Imagine the building blocks are right in front of you on the table. Sometimes we use our chemistry toys to help us visualize the movement of the atoms. We plug and unplug the little connectors that represent chemical bonds. There are a few key points you should know about chemical reactions:

1. A chemical change must occur. You start with one molecule and turn it into another. Chemical bonds are made or broken in order to create a new molecule. One example of a chemical reaction is the rusting of a steel garbage can. That rusting happens because the iron (Fe) in the metal combines with oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere. Chemical bonds are created and destroyed to finally make iron oxide (Fe2O3).

When a refrigerator or air conditioner cools the air, there is no reaction in the air molecules. The change in temperature is a physical change. When you melt an ice cube, it is a physical change. When you put bleach in the washing machine to clean your clothes, a chemical change breaks up the molecules in your stains.

2. A reaction could include atoms, ions, compounds, or molecules of a single element. You need to remember that a chemical reaction can happen with anything, just as long as a chemical change occurs. If you put pure hydrogen gas (H2) and pure oxygen gas in a room, they might be involved in a reaction to form water (H2O). However, it will be in very very small amounts. If you were to add a spark, those gases would be involved in a violent chemical reaction that would result in a huge explosion (exothermic). Another chemical reaction might include silver ions (Ag+). If you mix a solution with silver ions with a solution that has chloride (Cl-) ions, silver chloride (AgCl) precipitate will form and drop out of solution.

3. Single reactions often happen as part of a larger series of reactions. When a plant makes sugars, there might be as many as a dozen chemical reactions to get through the Calvin cycle and eventually create (synthesize) glucose (C6H12O6) molecules. The rusting example we used earlier only showed you the original reactants and final products of the chemical reaction. There were several intermediate reactions where chemical bonds were created and destroyed. The silver chloride example only focused on the ions. In reality, the two solutions were created when two salts dissociated (split into ions) in water.

Mars: Why is Curiosity Looking for Organics? (NASA/JPL Video)

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Chem4Kids.com: Reactions: Overview

Michael Porter Jr. came to a realization during the three weeks he was away from the Nuggets.

While abiding by the NBAs health-and-safety protocols from January 1 to 19, he saw Denvers defense perk up. He noticed the starters meshing once again. He watched as Will Barton, the former starter before Porter earned the job in December, was beginning to get comfortable.

And, upon his return in Phoenix on Friday night, he didnt bemoan the loss of his starting spot.

Coming back into the rotation after being out so long, that was my mindset, Porter said after scoring a team-high 30 points and snatching eight rebounds in Denvers 117-113 win at Dallas on Monday night. We had been playing pretty good, I just wanted to come in and help the team any way I could. Will was playing really good at the three, and I didnt want to mess anything up. I just wanted to come in and give a spark off the bench. Now, me and those guys have really developed a chemistry.

No one outside of Nuggets coach Michael Malone knows whether it will stay this way. Nor, frankly, should anyone care. Not with the way Porter closed on Monday night or the way the second unit pounded Dallas reserves 63-29.

Following Jamal Murrays ejection in the third quarter, Porter took over. When he checked into the game with 4:28 left in the third, the Mavs were on a 9-0 run, evidently enthused following Murrays apparent cheap shot to Tim Hardaway Jr. It got to 90-83, in favor of Dallas, before it got any better.

Playing alongside Nikola Jokic, JaMychal Green, Monte Morris and Gary Harris, Porter and the Nuggets ripped off a 9-4 run to close the quarter and seize momentum.

It was more of the same in the fourth, with Denvers second unit flipping the game on its head and their plucky defense undermining any chance at a Dallas run. Porter, who had 18 second-half points, didnt come out the rest of the night.

Asked whether he appreciated Porters readiness to contribute in the moment, coach Michael Malone said:I would say, as opposed to appreciating it, I expect it.

For all the times Malone hasnt wanted to single out Porter, elevating him above the rest of the team, it was a signal of the trust Porters built in his coach. When things are trending sideways, as they were in the aftermath of Murrays ejection, Malone knows he has a no-conscious sniper who can score no matter the situation.

I definitely dont back away from the moment, Porter said. Im just as confident when theres two minutes left on the clock as when theres 20 minutes.

That much was obvious when Porter buried a corner 3-pointer to give the Nuggets a commanding 114-107 lead with 42 seconds remaining, then kissed his right shooting hand, a smile beaming across his face.

Im not surprised by anything Michael does, Malone said. Hes supremely talented.

In the three games hes been back, Porters averaged 17.0 points on 53% shooting, including 55% from 3-point range, along with 8.3 rebounds in 27 minutes per game.

He aint skip a beat, said JaMychal Green. I dont know if hes got a gym in his own house or whatever, but it seems like he hasnt even missed a game.

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Nuggets Michael Porter Jr. admits he didnt want to disrupt chemistry upon return to team - The Denver Post

Photosensitized synthesis of protected aminoalcohols. Credit: WWU Glorius Group

New method for generating the least accessible form of vicinal aminoalcohols; study published in Nature Catalysis.

Whether in beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure or in natural products, so-called vicinal aminoalcohols are high-quality organic compounds that are found in many everyday products. However, their production is difficult. For a long time, chemists have tried to develop efficient methods of synthesizing them.

In their recent study published in the journal Nature Catalysis, scientists led by Prof. Dr. Frank Glorius of Mnster University have found a solution for the production of a special variant of aminoalcohols. The new method helps to study the properties of the substance and to find applications for these new compounds in the future, emphasizes Frank Glorius from the Organic Chemistry Institute at Mnster University.

Vicinal aminoalcohols can occur in two different variants called regioisomers in which the amine and alcohol functional groups exchange positions. Although they are thus very similar, they often have different biochemical properties. Installation of both amine and alcohol groups in one step poses a major challenge. The discovery of the Asymmetric Amino Hydroxylation Reaction with which one of the regioisomers can be produced, even rewarded the chemist Barry Sharpless with a Nobel Prize in 2001. However, the other regioisomer cannot be synthesized by similar method and remained a long-standing problem until now. With the help of the chemists new photo-initiated reaction method, the synthesis of the other regioisomer has now also become efficiently possible.

Mowpriya Das (left) and Dr. Tuhin Patra. Credit: WWU Glorius Group

Unactivated alkenes containing a carbon-carbon double bond are known as feedstock chemicals for reaction processes due to their good availability. In general, the installation of both amine and alcohol groups in one step via this carbon-carbon double bond of unactivated alkene is at all times initiated by the amine group, followed by the addition of the alcohol group. As a result, always a particular regioisomer of the vicinal aminoalcohol is formed. Now the scientists have identified a particular class of amine-like compounds that are reactive yet stable enough to allow first the addition of the alcohol group to the carbon-carbon double bond, followed by the addition of the amine group to generate the previously inaccessible opposite regioisomer of the vicinal aminoalcohols.

Like plants use chlorophyll to convert light into energy, we use what is called a photocatalyst, explains Dr. Tuhin Patra, first author of this study. This species can absorb the light from blue LEDs and transfer its energy into a molecule directly involved in the reaction. This simultaneously releases the amine and alcohol groups. This process, in which the molecules transfer electrons to each other, is called energy transfer, the scientist explains.

Fascinatingly, the new method generates the least accessible regioisomer of the vicinal aminoalcohols in such a manner that both the alcohol and amine groups are protected from further reactions. Depending on the users needs, one of the two alcohol or amine groups can now be reactivated without affecting the other. However, even both groups can be enabled to react further at the same time, if that is necessary for the synthesis of further requirements.

Previous designs usually install only one group at a time in a complex multistep overall process. Our design not only allows the installation of two different groups in one step with desired protection, but also reliably generates the least accessible regioisomer, offering the chance to investigate future applications of this compound, concludes Frank Glorius.

Reference: Metal-free photosensitized oxyimination of unactivated alkenes with bifunctional oxime carbonates by Tuhin Patra, Mowpriya Das, Constantin G. Daniliuc and Frank Glorius, 4 January 2021, Nature Catalysis.DOI: 10.1038/s41929-020-00553-2

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Chemists Succeed in Synthesis of Aminoalcohols by Utilizing Blue Light - SciTechDaily

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a talented team in recent seasons. They have two of the brightest stars in the game, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, who bring unique skills to the floor.

However, there have always been questions whether they can win together. One school of thought holds they cant play together and the chemistry is always off.

To begin the 2020-21 season, there seems more synergy between them. They are talking much more and they are morphing into becoming real leaders for their team.

Not that the previous year we havent been on the court very close, but this year has just been different, beamed Embiid. I cant even explain it. Hes just been different. I love playing with him, and Im sure he loves playing with me too. I dont know how to explain it. Its just been fun having someone like that.

The Sixers offense has been running through Embiid to begin the season, and for good reason, but he also understands that he does not have to do that for this team. He does not have to be the playmaker or anything like that. Thats what he has Simmons for.

I can be a playmaker, but I dont need to be a playmaker because I got it, the big fella said with a smile. My job is to play defense and score the ball, and make plays when they double- and triple-team me. His job is to be huge on defense and also make plays offensively for our guys. Hes been amazing this year.

There is also more talking off the floor which translates to more success on the court. Both see the game from a different viewpoint and they are talking with each other more off the floor than they did in the past.

The other day, he texted me and said Im missing you so many times on your duck-ins, said Simmons. Little things like that, it continues to help the team chemistry grow and guys are willing to make plays even if guys dont make the right pass or miss something, guys want to make the right plays and things like that so our relationship is continuing to grow.

For Philadelphia to grow into the title contender it believes it can be, the Sixers will need Embiid and Simmons to lead the way. It will not matter what the other guys on the floor do if the stars are not playing at their best.

We both see different things so now for me and Jo, I think the relationship continues to grow, added Simmons. We talk a lot more now in terms of being on the floor and certain things we say. Knowing where he wants the ball, all the sets, and just flying, getting into the flow of the game, and just trying to read it the right way.

The Sixers will look to continue to grow on Saturday when they hit the road to face the Detroit Pistons.

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Sixers stars Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid explain their newfound chemistry - Sixers Wire

PETOSKEY Before the state of Michigan and Michigan High School Athletic Association shut things down in November, Petoskey, like most girls basketball teams around the state of Michigan, had the benefit of getting at least a weeks worth of practices in before closing up shop.

But, that was approaching three months ago.

Petoskey senior Jamisyn Karr makes a layup during a drill in Tuesday's practice.

A lot has changed in that time, though not with a whole lot benefiting high school basketball teams.

On Tuesday, the Petoskey varsity girls were back on the court, trying to build chemistry and prepare for the start of a season thats already been moved a few times.

Still, Petoskey head coach Bryan Shaw and his group of 12 girls are keeping a positive mindset.

It is what it is, said Shaw. Theyve been great this week, but two and half weeks without contact will be tough. Well just do drills and walk them through offense and transition stuff.

Petoskey's Gabriella Guy sends a pass down to a teammate during a drill.

Shaw has perhaps his most talented group of players since taking the reins of the girls program six years back, though theres two big questions facing this group still.

The first hurdle that players and Shaw will deal with is meshing.

The team features six varsity returnees, five that are back as returning starters, along with two players off the junior varsity and another four as newcomers to the school and program altogether.

With just a week of practices before the initial shutdown and the inability to have any close contact on the court during practices now, building chemistry is the tricky part for Shaw.

Thats the bummer is that there was no summer (activity), no fall and we had one week (in November) but we had three kids gone, he said. So, we dont know yet and probably wont until we play. Off the court, its been great and during drills its been very good. I just dont know what its going to look like when we play for real.

From top to bottom of the roster, theres a whole lot to like about Shaws 2021 group.

Petoskey's Dana Cole shoots a free throw during practice on Tuesday.

Returning guards Kenzie Bromley, Hayley Flynn and Ellie Pollion, who all started as freshmen and sophomores last season, bring good ball handling and passing skills, along with the ability to score on the fastbreak.

Returnees Jamisyn Karr and Sydney Mann have also each shown a good shot in years past, both with the ability to knock down shots from three-point range.

Then theres sophomore newcomers Eva, Grayson and Caroline Guy, as well as senior sister Gabriella Guy, who bring height, athleticism and a great deal of basketball talent to the court.

Add in Paige Simard, Dana Cole and Hope Wegmann to the mix and you get to the second problem of where exactly does everyone fit?

All five starting jobs are up for grabs and court time wont be easy to come by, though, thats a good problem to have for Shaw.

Our strength is going to be our competitiveness because weve got a lot of girls who are competing for jobs and theyre pushing each other, said Shaw.

Petoskey players (from left) Eva Guy, Caroline Guy and Kenzie Bromley listen to head coach Bryan Shaw during a break in practice.

For the first time in a while, the Petoskey girls program also seems to finally have true basketball players dedicated to the sport, rather than just good athletes staying in shape for sports in other seasons.

Its evident in the smoothness of practices, both before and after the pause, and the competitive nature of the group Shaws working with in a condensed 16-game regular season.

And anyone who knows Shaw and assistants Gina Wittenberg and Sean Pollion knows the group of coaches are always excited to get the season started, though this year there seems to be a bit extra pep in their step.

Gina, Sean and I have been like kids at Christmas the last few months and here we are getting pushed back, added Shaw. Were excited.

Note: story and photos will run in the Thursday, Jan. 21 print edition.

Follow @DrewKochanny on Twitter

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Petoskey girls return to the court, focus on building chemistry for talented group - Petoskey News-Review

It was late in the second quarter of the Packers divisional-round game against the Rams on Saturday. Los Angeles had just scored its first touchdown, and Green Bay got the ball back with 29 seconds remaining until halftime, leading 16-10. As the Rams kicked off, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers talked with coach Matt LaFleur on the sideline before taking the field. LaFleur said that hed been watching film of the Rams defense in two-minute situations just before the game and told Rodgers what to look out for. Even in the moment, Rodgers chuckled at LaFleurs extreme preparedness.

I was like, What? Rodgers said after the game, a 32-18 Green Bay win. Thats what you were doing before the game?

After their conversation, Rodgers took the field and quickly drove the Packers into field goal range before time expired.

But thats the beauty in him, his style, and his staff. Theres no stone left unturned.

Two years ago, the Packers fired Mike McCarthy and chose LaFleur as their new head coach, pairing him with Rodgers for what the organization hoped would lead to a continuation of Rodgerss prime. Like other candidates hired in that 2019 cycle, LaFleur was young, coached offense, and bore a slight resemblance to Sean McVay, the Rams head coach whom LaFleur worked under in 2017 as an offensive coordinator. The trend of hiring these kinds of young, offensive-minded coaches with no head-coaching experience garnered some well-deserved skepticism, but LaFleurs two-year tenure has vindicated Green Bays decision. The Packers beat McVays Rams to advance to the NFC championship against the Buccaneers next Sunday. LaFleur has gotten the Packers to this round of the playoffs two years in a row and is one of seven head coaches to do so in their first two years on the job. He is 28-7 as a head coach in the regular season and playoffs, having won more games in his first two seasons than any other coach in Packers franchise history.

Whether LaFleur winds up with his name on a stadium or a trophy will be determined later. For now, hes been the right coach for the Packers because hes succeeded in the most important part of his job: having a healthy push-pull with Rodgers.

When Green Bay had its opening, Rodgers wanted a head coach who would push and challenge him. Theres an obvious understanding between the two, and Rodgers went out of his way several times to praise LaFleur after the win against the Rams. They clearly respect each others football acumen, but it also seems like part of Rodgerss appreciation for LaFleur comes from how hes made his job easier.

This was one of those weeks where we were working through it, Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, and I feel like it just got fine-tuned and fine-tuned even more each day, Rodgers said. Matt is such a grinder.

Rodgers also credited LaFleurs play-calling, particularly his willingness to go back to the play-action deep pass, resulting in a 58-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard with seven minutes left after the same play resulted in an incompletion on a drop by Lazard earlier in the game.

When the play was called I was thinking touchdown, for sure, Rodgers said.

That play typifies LaFleurs influence on the Packers, particularly Rodgers. LaFleurs offense is a by-product of the Mike ShanahanGary Kubiak system McVay runs in Los Angeles and Kyle Shanahan runs in San Francisco. Its designed to elevate quarterbacks. In Green Bay, though, LaFleur gets to run it with a passer already in the NFLs stratosphere. In getting ready for the no. 1 defense, both LaFleur and Rodgers played their ideal roles: LaFleur obsessively prepared the game plan and watched two-minute-drill film up until kickoff; Rodgers took advantage and balled out.

I think as a coach sometimes, specifically as an offensive coach going into this game, I probably had a lot more anxiety than our players in terms of just going up against a defense that throws some unique looks at you, LaFleur said. Our players never flinched.

The Packers got to this stage of the playoffs last season only to get steamrolled by Kyle Shanahans 49ers, but that Green Bay team seemed much weaker than this one. Both teams finished 13-3, but the 2019 Packers finished ninth by DVOA; this seasons group finished third. Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns last season, and hes thrown a league-high 48 this season.

Were just a better, much more efficient team, Rodgers said last week.

Thats happened with largely the same roster Green Bay had in 2019, with some of the difference coming from LaFleurs offense functioning more smoothly in his second year.

Its possible to have seen this coming when LaFleur was hired. His career highlight at that time was as the offensive coordinator on McVays 2017 Rams that ranked 10th in total offense and won the NFC West before losing to the Falcons in the wild-card round. Hed also been the quarterbacks coach in Atlanta for two seasons under Kyle Shanahan, who was then the offensive coordinator. In one of those seasons, 2016, the Falcons offense ranked second in the NFL and saw quarterback Matt Ryan win the sole MVP award of his career. The hiring of anyone whod swapped hair gel tips with McVay reached the level of unintentional comedy when the Cardinals announced Kliff Kingsburys hire by noting he was friends with McVay, but its undeniable that the quarterback-friendly offenses those coaches run currently dominate the NFL. If the Packers beat the Buccaneers next Sunday, it will be the third year in a row that the head coach of the NFC champion will be someone who coached on Mike Shanahans Washington staff from 2010 to 2013. LaFleurs rsum may not have been the longest among the available coaching candidates in 2019, but hed had success working with offenses and quarterbacks. Chemistry with Rodgers was always the most important part of LaFleurs job description. Hes achieved that, and the rest of the offense has fallen into place.

Before the game, Rodgers and LaFleur shared a long hug. LaFleur pumped his quarterback up for a few moments.

I said, Hey, man, whatever you see out there, understand that I totally trustyoure the guy in charge out there, so whatever you see, go with it, LaFleur said.

Rodgers nodded. LaFleur slapped him on the back of the jersey. Then he went back to watching the Rams two-minute film.

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Matt LaFleur Aced the Chemistry Test With Aaron Rodgers - The Ringer

TipRanks

Stock markets are up and holding near record high levels, a condition that would usually make life difficult for dividend investors. High market values normally lead to lower dividend yields but even in todays climate, its still possible to find a high-yielding dividend payer. You need to look carefully, however. The market story of the past year has been unusual, to say the least. Last winter saw the steepest and deepest recession in market history but it was followed by a fast recovery that is only now slowing. Many companies pulled back on their dividends at the height of the corona panic, but now they are finding that yields are too low to attract investors, and are looking to start increasing payments again. In short, the valuation balance of the stock market is out of whack, and equities are still trying to regain it. Its leaving a murky picture for investors as they try to navigate these muddy waters. Wall Streets analysts and the TipRanks database together can bring some sense to the seemingly patternless situation. The analysts review the stocks, and explain how they are fitting in; the TipRanks data provides an objective context, and you can decide if these 10% dividend yields are right for your portfolio. Ready Capital Corporation (RC) We will start with a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on the commercial market segment. Ready Capital buys up commercial real estate loans, and securities backed by them, as well as originating, financing, and managing such loans. The companys portfolio also includes multi-family dwellings. Ready Capital reported solid results in its last quarterly statement, for 3Q20. Earnings came in at 63 cents per share. This result beat expectations by 75% and grew 133% year-over-year. The company finished Q3 with over $221 million in available cash and liquidity. During the fourth quarter of 2020, Ready Capital closed loans totaling $225 million for projects in 11 states. The projects include refinancing, redevelopment, and renovations. Fourth quarter full results will be reported in March. The extent of Ready Capitals confidence can be seen in the companys recent announcement that it will merge with Anworth Mortgage in a deal that will create a $1 billion combined entity. In the meantime, investors should note that Ready Capital announced its 4Q20 dividend, and the payment was increased for the second time in a row. The company had slashed the dividend in the second quarter, when COVID hit, as a precaution against depressed earnings, but has been raising the payment as the pandemic fears begin to ease. The current dividend of 35 cents per share will be paid out at the end of this month; it annualizes to $1.40 and gives a sky-high yield of 12%. Covering the stock from Raymond James, 5-star analyst Stephen Laws writes, Recent results have benefited from non-interest income and strength in the loan origination segment, and we expect elevated contributions to continue near-term. This outlook gives us increased confidence around dividend sustainability, which we believe warrants a higher valuation multiple. Laws sees the companys merger with Anworth as a net-positive, and referring to the combination, says, [We] expect RC to redeploy capital currently invested in the ANH portfolio into new investments in RC's targeted asset classes. In line with his comments, Laws rates RC shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and sets a $14.25 price target. His target implies an upside of 23% over the next 12 months. (To watch Laws track record, click here) There are two recent reviews of Ready Capital and both are Buys, giving the stock a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Shares in this REIT are selling for $11.57 while the average price target stands at $13.63, indicating room for ~18% upside growth in the coming year. (See RC stock analysis on TipRanks) Nustar Energy LP (NS) The energy and liquid chemical markets may not seem like natural partners, but they do see a lot of overlap. Crude oil and natural gas are highly hazardous to transport and store, an important attribute they share with industrial chemicals and products like ammonia and asphalt. Nustar Energy is an important midstream player in the oil industry, with more than 10,000 miles of pipeline, along 73 terminal and storage facilities. The relatively low oil prices of the past two years have cut into the top and bottom lines of the energy sector and that is without accounting for the COVID pandemics hit to the demand side. These factors are visible in Nustars revenues, which fell off in the first half of 2019 and have remained low since. The 3Q20 number, at $362 million, stands near the median value of the last six quarters. Through all of this, Nustar has maintained its commitment to a solid dividend payout for investors. In a nod to the pandemic troubles, the company reduced its dividend earlier this year by one-third, citing the need to keep the payment sustainable. The current payment, last sent out in November, is 40 cents per share. At that rate, it annualizes to $1.60 and gives a yield of 10%. Barclays analyst Theresa Chen sees Nustar as a solid portfolio addition, writing, We think NS offers unique offensive and defensive characteristics that position the stock well vs. midstream peers. NS benefits from a resilient refined products footprint, exposure to core acreage in the Permian basin, a foothold in the burgeoning renewable fuels value chain, as well as strategic Corpus Christi export assets we think NS is a compelling investment idea over the next 12 months. Chen sets a $20 price target on the stock, backing her Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating and suggesting ~27% upside for the year. (To watch Chens track record, click here) Interestingly, in contrast to Chen's bullish stance, the Street is lukewarm at present regarding the midstream company's prospects. Based on 6 analysts tracked by TipRanks in the last 3 months, 2 rate NS a Buy, 3 suggest Hold, and one recommends Sell. The 12-month average price target stands at $16.40, marking ~5% upside from current levels. (See NS stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Like a person breaking up a cat fight, the role of catalysts in a chemical reaction is to hurry up the process and come out of it intact. And, just as not every house in a neighborhood has someone willing to intervene in such a battle, not every part of a catalyst participates in the reaction. But what if one could convince the unengaged parts of a catalyst to get involved? Chemical reactions could occur faster or more efficiently.

Depiction of the experimental setup where palladium nanorods lie atop gold nanobars. In this image, an electron beam is directed at the sample to watch the catalytic interactions between the hydrogen molecules (in green) and the palladium catalyst. The light driving the illumination is shown in red. (Image credit: Katherine Sytwu)

Stanford University material scientists led by Jennifer Dionne have done just that by using light and advanced fabrication and characterization techniques to endow catalysts with new abilities.

In a proof-of-concept experiment, rods of palladium that were approximately 1/200th the width of a human hair served as catalysts. The researchers placed these nanorods above gold nanobars that focused and sculpted the light around the catalyst. This sculpted light changed the regions on the nanorods where chemical reactions which release hydrogen took place. This work, published Jan. 14 in Science, could be an early step toward more efficient catalysts, new forms of catalytic transformations and potentially even catalysts capable of sustaining more than one reaction at once.

This research is an important step in realizing catalysts that are optimized from the atomic-scale to the reactor-scale, said Dionne, associate professor of materials science and engineering who is senior author of the paper. The aim is to understand how, with the appropriate shape and composition, we can maximize the reactive area of the catalyst and control which reactions are occurring.

Simply being able to observe this reaction required an exceptional microscope, capable of imaging an active chemical process on an extremely small scale. Its difficult to observe how catalysts change under reaction conditions because the nanoparticles are extremely small, said Katherine Sytwu, a former graduate student in the Dionne lab and lead author of the paper. The atomic-scale features of a catalyst generally dictate where a transformation happens, and so its crucial to distinguish whats happening within the small nanoparticle.

For this particular reaction and the later experiments on controlling the catalyst the microscope also had to be compatible with the introduction of gas and light into the sample.

To accomplish all of this, the researchers used an environmental transmission electron microscope at the Stanford Nano-Shared Facilities with a special attachment, previously developed by the Dionne lab, to introduce light. As their name suggests, transmission electron microscopes use electrons to image samples, which allows for a higher level of magnification than a classic optical microscope, and the environmental feature of this microscope means that gas can be added into what is otherwise an airless environment.

Stanford Vice Provost and Dean of Research Kathryn Moler wants all research resources to be as readily available as books in a library. This model would enable faculty and students to pursue the most innovative research in flexible, collaborative teams.

You basically have a mini lab where you can do experiments and visualize whats happening at a near-atomic level, said Sytwu.

Under certain temperature and pressure conditions, hydrogen-rich palladium will release its hydrogen atoms. In order to see how light would affect this standard catalytic transformation, the researchers customized a gold nanobar designed using equipment at the Stanford Nano-Shared Facilities and the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility to sit below the palladium and act as an antenna, collecting the incoming light and funneling it to the nearby catalyst.

First we needed to understand how these materials transform naturally. Then, we started to think about how we could modify and actually control how these nanoparticles change, said Sytwu.

Without light, the most reactive points of the dehydrogenation are the two tips of the nanorod. The reaction then travels through the nanorod, popping out hydrogen along the way. With light, however, the researchers were able to manipulate this reaction so that it traveled from the middle outward or from one tip to the other. Based on the location of the gold nanobar and the illumination conditions, the researchers managed to produce a variety of alternative hotspots.

This work is one of the rare instances showing that it is possible to tweak how catalysts behave even after they are made. It opens up significant potential for increasing efficiency at the single-catalyst level. A single catalyst could play the role of many, using light to perform several of the same reactions across its surface or potentially increase the number of sites for reactions. Light control may also help scientists avoid unwanted, extraneous reactions that sometimes occur alongside desired ones. Dionnes most aspirational goal is to someday develop efficient catalysts capable of breaking down plastic at a molecular level and transforming it back to its source material for recycling.

Dionne emphasized that this work, and whatever comes next, would not be possible without the shared facilities and resources available at Stanford. (These researchers also used the Stanford Research Computing Center to do their data analysis.) Most labs cannot afford to have this advanced equipment on their own, so sharing it increases access and expert support.

What we can learn about the world and how we can enable the next big breakthrough is so critically enabled by shared research platforms, said Dionne, who is also senior associate vice provost for research platforms/shared facilities. These spaces not only offer critical tools, but a really amazing community of researchers.

Additional Stanford co-authors include former postdoctoral scholar Michal Vadai, former doctoral student Fariah Hayee, and graduate students Daniel K. Angell, Alan Dai and Jefferson Dixon.

This research was funded by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; the National Science Foundation, including the Alan T. Waterman award, the U.S. Department of Energy (partially as part of the Photonics at Thermodynamic Limits Energy Frontier Research Center), Office of Science, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, the Gabilan Stanford Graduate Fellowship, the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford, the Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence (DARE) Doctoral Fellowship Program at Stanford. Dionne is also a courtesy faculty in Radiology, member of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Stanford Bio-X, and an affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy.

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