Newswise October 23, 2020 Contaminated soils with heavy metals or petrochemicals harm human health. And, children are 2-3 times more susceptible to the effects of contamination than adults.Translating Soil Chemistry Science to Improve Human Healthisa symposium to be held at theTranslating Visionary Science to PracticeASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting. The virtual meeting will be hosted Nov. 9-13, 2020 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. Media are invited; preregistration is required.

The presentations are:

Presentations may be watched asynchronously, and there will be a scheduled Q&A time to speak with presenters during the meeting. Presentations will be available for online viewing for 90 days after the meeting for all registrants. For more information about theTranslating Visionary Science to Practice 2020meeting,visithttps://www.acsmeetings.org/.

Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by Nov. 2, 2020 is required. Visithttps://www.acsmeetings.org/mediafor registration information.

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Translating soil chemistry science to improve human health - Newswise

Paper in, product out

A typical chemist running a known reaction will start by finding the method described in a published paper. Mehr et al. report a software platform that uses natural language processing to translate the organic chemistry literature directly into editable code, which in turn can be compiled to drive automated synthesis of the compound in the laboratory. The synthesis procedure is intended to be universally applicable to robotic systems operating in a batch reaction architecture. The full process is demonstrated for synthesis of an analgesic as well as common oxidizing and fluorinating agents.

Science, this issue p. 101

Robotic systems for chemical synthesis are growing in popularity but can be difficult to run and maintain because of the lack of a standard operating system or capacity for direct access to the literature through natural language processing. Here we show an extendable chemical execution architecture that can be populated by automatically reading the literature, leading to a universal autonomous workflow. The robotic synthesis code can be corrected in natural language without any programming knowledge and, because of the standard, is hardware independent. This chemical code can then be combined with a graph describing the hardware modules and compiled into platform-specific, low-level robotic instructions for execution. We showcase automated syntheses of 12 compounds from the literature, including the analgesic lidocaine, the Dess-Martin periodinane oxidation reagent, and the fluorinating agent AlkylFluor.

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A universal system for digitization and automatic execution of the chemical synthesis literature - Science Magazine

Learn from doing things in real life. Thats the idea behind several hot trends in education for younger children: think outdoor school, forest school and other project-based learning programs.

But can these sorts of ideas help dust off high school chemistry?

Two Washington University in St. Louis educators believe that high school students will learn chemistry better when they crunch actual climate data, rather than memorize the periodic table by rote. And several California school districts agree rolling out the Washington University educators new high school chemistry curriculum this fall, even as they are adapting to different methods of teaching online or as hybrid programs.

The new curriculum is co-authored by Michael E. Wysession, a professor in earth and planetary sciences, and Bryn Lutes, a lecturer in chemistry, both in Arts & Sciences, along with colleague Chris Moore, a professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

That was the intention of our program all along that it could be used entirely in a digital form if needed, Wysession said. California is adopting it widely. Most of Los Angeles, most of San Bernardino the big school districts are now going to be using this program.

Importantly, this is the first time in the United States when a large amount of rigorous, quantitative, science-based climate science and climate change science will be presented to all students, he said.

Experience Chemistry, the new curriculum published by Savvas Learning Company (formerly Pearson K-12), is the first high school chemistry program to fully include the Next Generation Science Standards adopted by 45 of 50 states, Wysession noted. These standards break down some of the barriers that once siloed physics and chemistry subject matter as if it only existed in the laboratory.

Instead, the new science content is presented through storylines focused on engaging and relevant real-world phenomena from Earth and space sciences.

For example, acids and bases are learned through the phenomena of dying coral reefs and ocean acidification.

The new chemistry program focuses on the scientific practices and activities that students experience labs, activities and data analysis and not on content that they memorize. Students who actively learn this way not only become more engaged in the topics, but find science more fun, research shows.

Eager to feature actual climate data and not hypothetical examples Wysession leaned on current and former collaborators from his 30-plus years of research and teaching to obtain permissions to republish and use real datasets for the new curriculum.

We even got permission to use many figures directly from the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he said. He conferred with many climate scientists, including Washington Universitys Bronwen Konecky, in developing more than 150 pages of rigorous climate-related content for Experience Chemistry.

Wysession is optimistic that the new curriculum will continue to be adopted more widely. Ultimately, many of its themes may be picked up and shared by other textbook providers as well. California school districts are often seen as leaders in shaping much of the high school educational program nationwide.

A great number and eventually maybe even a majority! of American students will learn in high school about the science of climate change and the role that humans play in it, Wysession said. Eventually this will change the understanding of climate science by the voting public.

The students have told us that they are ready. The international protests led by high school and even middle school students about climate change have shown us that they want to talk about this, Wysession said. They get it, and they are engaged.

We would be doing them a disservice on multiple levels if we didnt talk about human impacts, he said. They dont want to just hear the rhetoric about it, they want to know the science. This generation of students is far better prepared to talk about and address the issues of climate change than any before it.

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Updating high school chemistry with a focus on climate, real-world examples | The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom

The Bachelorettealums Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron continue to play with our hearts. After quarantining together for weeks, they admitted they were not dating. Now, they were spotted together again, and fans cannot get past how they look at each other. Is there something there?

After The Bachelorette Season 15, fans will remember that Brown quickly broke up with her final choice Jed Wyatt because he had a girlfriend at home. She chose to go out on a date with Cameron, but nothing came of it. Fans spotted the model with Gigi Hadid shortly after.

However, when Camerons mother died in March 2020, Brown flew down to Florida to console her friend. Only two weeks later, the nation locked down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The pair quarantined together in Jupiter, Florida, sharing videos and photos daily of their antics with several friends.

RELATED: The Bachelorette: Hannah Brown is Spilling All the Tea With Her New YouTube Channel

Every day, fans would speculate that Brown and Cameron were back together. However, the Tannah shippers were heartbroken again when Brown told fans via Instagram that she was still single.

You know, I definitely want to be in a relationship, Brown said in an Instagram live on May 6, 2020. I think Im finally getting to the point where I can say that I could do that at this point in my life. I think I needed a little break, and I definitely took that. Im going to be single until its right. I dont date around, really. You have to date people, but I date, like, seriously.

Although she doesnt explain why shes not dating Cameron, we can see that they make great friends. The former Bachelor contestant said that the quarantine was good for them.

We got to kind of air a lot of things out and became friends again and put a lot of stuff in our past, Cameron toldEntertainment Tonight.

Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron met up in Los Angeles, California, on Sept. 29, 2020, and thepaparazzigrabbed a few photos. In the pictures, the two are having lunch together; however, fans point out how they look at each other says something more.

She is into him, and its unrequited thats my read, one fan wrote onReddit. Just look at how she looks at him. Honestly, for a while, I thought he could do better, but Im beginning to think theyd be good for each other.

RELATED: The Bachelorette: Hannah Brown and Other Former Stars Explain Why Their Relationships Didnt Work

Other fans agree, that coy, playful look on her face says it all.

Camerons friend, filmmaker Jacob Laham, took a sweet photo with Brown and shared it with hisInstagram Story. However, fans want to know why she cant do the same with Cameron.

Yep, Im ready to get on this roller coaster again, another fan added. And Ill be ready the next time it happens too. And the next time. Pretty much until they end up together.

Theres something about these two that fans love to see. Hopefully, they see the chemistry all of their fans do and decide to give their relationship another chance.

See more here:
'The Bachelorette': Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron Were Spotted in LA Together 'That Chemistry is Undeniable' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The first holy grail paper was written by IBM researcher Phaedon Avouris, excited by the power of new tools that were enabling chemists to manipulate matter at the atomic level.

In 1981, IBMs Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer designed the first scanning tunnelling microscope (STM), an invention that soon saw them awarded a physics Nobel prize. Four years later, Binnig patented the atomic force microscope (AFM), a similar device that probes materials atomic structures by measuring the force between sample and tip, rather than electric current as is the case with the STM. Today, many instruments incorporate the two systems into the same device, allowing force and current to be analysed simultaneously.

We got excited that besides being able to see the atoms, we could also make changes in that scale

Phaedon Avouris, IBM Research

Prior to these discoveries, Avouris was using diffraction methods to study the chemistry and physics of solid surfaces, but he quickly realised the power of the new techniques. When the STM came along, I got involved early on and started seeing what we usually refer to as the atoms basically some representation of the charge density of the atomic arrangements. We were just totally flabbergasted. It was so revealing, he recalls. It was so different to what diffraction had told us at sort of a macroscopic average structure, there were so many local variations, defects, different domains of structures [revealed by STM].

Avouris and his team would work late into the night to minimise the effect that vibrations made by people walking around the building would have on their ultra-precise experiments. As we went along, we noticed that there were changes on the surface as we were scanning it over and over, he remembers. And after we did some careful experimentation, we realised that some of the changes were not spontaneous we were actually inducing these movements of atoms.

It became apparent that as the STM tip moved, mechanical forces could slide atoms along the surface. By applying a current, atoms could even be made to hop from the surface to the tip and back again. We got excited that besides being able to see the atoms, we could also make changes in that scale, which was really unheard of up to that point. It was tremendous excitement, says Avouris.

A string of stunning experiments followed, showcasing the incredible level of control that chemists could now exert over their samples. In an iconic demonstration in 1990, IBMs Don Eigler and Erhard Schweizer used STM at very low temperatures to manoeuvre 35 xenon atoms across a crystalline nickel surface, spelling out the companys name. Three years later, Eiglers lab used similar techniques to build a ring of 48 iron atoms on a copper surface. This was dubbed the quantum corral due to the extraordinary standing wave patterns produced by surface electrons trapped inside the structure.

After that initial burst of results and optimism, for many years, it was a slowly dawning realisation that it was simply harder than we imagined to take the next steps, says Chris Lutz, who joined Eiglers team in 1990. There was plenty of new physics obtained by arranging well-separated atoms on close-packed surfaces, but it was hard to see the atomic arrangements in any close-packed structure, to identify the element of a given atom, or to put the atoms where we wanted to make a molecule.

Compared to many of the other areas' citation networks, this one is relatively simple with clearly defined clusters of researchers.

The largest node is Gerd Binnig's, who invented scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

The cluster to the left is made up of researchers using these techniques to look at biological systems, represented here by Carlos Bustamante.

Carbon nanotube researchers make up another cluster this is Rick Smalley's network.

Don Eigler is part of a larger cluster using AFM and STM for atomic manipulation. Eigler famously wrote IBM using xenon atoms.

Compared to many of the other areas' citation networks, this one is relatively simple with clearly defined clusters of researchers.

The largest node is Gerd Binnig's, who invented scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

The cluster to the left is made up of researchers using this technique to look at biological systems, represented here by Carlos Bustamante.

Carbon nanotube researchers make up another cluster - this is Rick Smalley's network.

Don Eigler is part of a larger cluster using AFM and STM for atomic manipulation. Eigler famously wrote IBM using xenon atoms.

A major breakthrough came in 2000, when a group led bySaw-Wai Hla, then at the Free University of Berlin,used STM toperform an Ullmann coupling reaction. First they used a voltage pulse from the STM tip to abstract iodine from two iodobenzene molecules. Then they used the tip to drag the two resulting phenyls next to each other, before supplying enough activation energy to fuse them together and form a biphenyl molecule.

Soon after, a group led by Oscar Custance and Seizo Morita at Osaka University, Japan, performed some astonishing room temperature manipulations with an AFM. In 2005, they used an AFM to carry out controlled lateral manipulations of atoms within the top layer of a semiconductor. Three years later they showed atoms in a semiconductors upper layer could be interchanged with atoms coming from the AFM tip. The team even showed that it was possible to distinguish different types of atoms with the AFM.

I think that was definitely a big milestone in atom manipulation, says Leo Gross, the team leader of IBMs atom and molecule manipulation group in Zurich, Switzerland. Gross explains that Custances findings inspired his team to start using AFM, previously having focused solely on STM.

In 2009, Gross team made another leap forwards. By attaching a single carbon monoxide molecule to the AFM tip, they could drastically improve the resolution of their images to the point that they could view individual bonds within organic molecules. The CO tip even enables Gross and his co-workers to distinguish different types of bonds. Last year, they used the technique to study a rare carbon allotrope, whose structure had been debated by theoretical chemists for years. Rival groups had argued that cyclo[n]carbons could either take on a polyynic structure, formed from alternating single and triple carboncarbon bonds, or a cumulenic structure with consecutive double bonds. The problem was that these compounds are highly reactive and very difficult to study.

Gross team started with a masked version of the molecule that had been prepared by Harry Andersons group in Oxford. The masking groups stabilised the material enough for it to be deposited onto an inert surface, cooled down to 5K. Then with voltage pulses we could remove these masking groups and form the ring, says Gross. Then we used our high resolution imaging and what we saw was a nine-fold symmetric structure, where the nine triple bonds become bright, giving more repulsion in the AFM, and the single ones become dark. So from taking these images we could actually find out that its a polyynic structure.

Other technical advances are opening up the possibilities for atomic manipulation. One of the driving forces for this research has been the desire to create nanoscale devices, and ever smaller data storage.

Thirty years ago, it took Eigler and Schweizer 22 hours of continuous work to spell out IBM with 35 atoms. By 2016, it took the same amount of time for an automated STM to write a kilobyte of data, controlling the positions of more than 8100 chlorine atoms on a copper surface. Sander Ottes team at the Technical University of Delft used this system to perform Monte Carlo simulations and to code passages from Richard Feynmans Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom lecture and Darwins On the Origin of Species.

Today, Lutz is in charge of IBMs nanomagnetism project and is aiming to push the lim
its of data storage even further by controlling individual atoms spins. Starting around the year 2000 we began looking more intensely into magnetic properties, and we built a new machine that could cool to half a Kelvin, and had a magnetic field up to a few Tesla, which let us look at the Zeeman energy to flip the spin of an atom, says Lutz. In 2012, they made a magnetic memory bit out of just 12 iron atoms. With a single current pulse from the STM tip, the IBM team could flip the spin of all 12 atoms simultaneously switching the tiny antiferromagnets between two magnetic states.

And in recent years, the group has developed a way to use electron spin resonance with the STM. This gives them the ability to control the nuclear spins of individual atoms, and even use those atoms as sensors to measure the magnetic properties of other atoms nearby.

It amazes me nearly every day that we are looking at atoms one at a time. Often, I pause and think about how there is one atom that were studying today, sitting inside the helium dewar that Im standing next to, and its likely to be there in just the same spot tomorrow, says Lutz. What that atom does can change my day for the worse or for the better, and its performance represents what every atom of that isotope would do in the same circumstances.

A few years after writing the holy grail paper, Avouris research changed direction and he went on to make major contributions to the field of carbon nanotechnology, before retiring in 2016. But he looks back fondly on his time as an atom manipulator. It is a really beautiful field, it gives you a unique insight into the world of atoms and molecules in real space. I still love it, he says. My happiest years of my research life were when, late at night, me and my postdoc would sit there in front of the screen and admire the exotic landscapes that we saw in front of our eyes.

Correction: This article was updated on 29 September, a previous versiongave an incorrectaffiliation for Oscar Custances early work on room temperature manipulations and did not mention Seizo Morita was the co-leader.

Citation race caption: This plot shows the 20 most cited papers related to atomic and molecular manipulation that have been published in the last 25 years. Many of these papers are related to the fabrication of nanoelectronics and also to the analysis of biomolecules. With 896 citations, Leo Gross paper on using an AFM with CO tips to identify individual bonds within organic molecules is the fourth highest ranked paper despite being one of the most recently published papers in the top 20

Citation network caption: This chart links researchers who have been cited in key papers on atomic manipulation over the last quarter of a century to the authors of those papers. There appear to be distinct groups who are commonly cited by each other. The largest node on the far right of the image is Gerd Binnig, the co-inventor of both the scanning tunnelling microscope and atomic force microscope, who was awarded the 1986 Nobel prize in physics for his work on the STM. The large cluster in the middle shows many of the researchers whose work is discussed in this story, including Don Eigler, Oscar Custance and Saw-Wai Hla. Phaedon Avouris appears in the large left-of-centre cluster alongside other researchers with interests in nanotechnology, while the furthest left group highlightsresearchers known for their work on biomolecules

Co-authorship network caption: In this chart, researchers are connected to other researchers with whom they have published key papers on atomic and molecular manipulation. Oscar Custance appears as a dark blue node in one of the clusters to the right of centre this colouring signifies that his first key paper in our data set was published between 19951999. Leo Gross, whose key paper on CO tips for AFMs was published in 2009, appears as a lighter blue node slightly below Custance. The large number of small clusters illustrates the wide ranging applications of tools such as STM and AFM, as well as other molecular manipulation techniques like optical tweezers. The large node in the centre of the chart is the University of Bristols Jonathan Reid whose group use optical and electrodynamic techniques to analyse aerosol particles

Geo caption: This map shows the location of authors of important papers on atomic manipulation published since 1995. It appears that most of the major players in this field are concentrated in the US, Europe and Japan. We can see the growth in the field in the late 1990s to early 2000s, following some lean years in the mid-1990s

For an explanation of how these data visualisations were built, read Behind the data

Further reading

1 M Garg and K Kern, Attosecond coherent manipulation of electrons in tunneling microscopy,Science, 2020, 367, 411 (DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz1098)

2 X Zeng et al, Nanoscale tailoring of supramolecular crystals via an oriented external electric field,Nanoscale, 2020,12, 15072 (DOI: 10.1039/d0nr01946a)

3 A Sweetman, N R Champness and A Saywell, On-surface chemical reactions characterised by ultra-high resolution scanning probe microscopy,Chem. Soc. Rev., 2020,49, 4189 (DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00166j)

4 R J P Romn et al, Tunneling-current-induced local excitonic luminescence in p-doped WSe2 monolayers,Nanoscale, 2020,12, 13460 (DOI: 10.1039/d0nr03400b)

5 D Peller et al, Sub-cycle atomic-scale forces coherently control a single-molecule switch,Nature, 2020, 585, 58 (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2620-2)

6 M R Tchalala et al, Tip-induced oxidation of silicene nano-ribbons,Nanoscale Adv., 2020, 2, 2309 (DOI: 10.1039/d0na00332h)

7 S Ghamariet al, Dielectrophoretic borophene tweezer: Sub-10mV nano-particle trapping,Appl. Surf. Sci., 2020, 527, 146859 (DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.146859)

8 V Jansson et al, Growth mechanism for nanotips in high electric fields,Nanotechnology, 2020, 31, 355301 (DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab9327)

9 M Leisegang et al, Guiding a protoncontrolled directionality in a single molecule,J. Phys. Chem. C, 2020, 124, 10727 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c01913)

10 J Qi et al, Force-activated isomerization of a single molecule,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 10673 (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c00192)

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Manipulation of matter at the atomic level | Feature - Chemistry World

A new study suggests that high levels of chloride from industry and burning plastic waste could be responsible for enhanced haze and fog formation in Delhi and Chennai,1 leading to around half the reduced visibility in Indias capital city and having serious implications for health and the economy. The results could help researchers understand why some polluted regions are more prone to smog and cloud than others.

Many cities in India are affected by pollution, with air quality being particularly bad in winter. Particulate matter a mixture of suspended solid and liquid particles is a key atmospheric contaminant that affects millions of people across the country. The low visibility associated with haze and fog can cause air traffic delays and increase motor vehicle accidents, notes Pengfei Liu, an atmospheric chemist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, who led the study together with Sachin Gunthe of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The severe air pollution also causes increases in cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases, he adds. We cant tackle this air pollution problem unless we understand the chemical mechanism behind it.

It is unclear why Delhi is more affected by haze and fog than other polluted Asian cities, although a large fraction of its particulate matter is primary organic matter. Now, the international team may have found the answer. We determined the chemical composition of atmospheric fine particles in Indian cities and observed unexpectedly high concentrations of chloride, Liu says.

The team monitored the mass and chemical composition of particulate matter smaller than 1m in Delhi and Chennai in real time and then performed thermodynamic modelling to uncover the role of chloride in haze and fog formation.

They demonstrated that particulate matter grows very fast due to co-condensation of HCl, ammonia and water, explains Manabu Shiraiwa, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, in the US, who was not involved in the study. He points out that India has a unique environment, characterised by high ammonia release from agriculture and significant chlorine emissions due to burning waste.

Winter mornings in Delhi are usually cold and humid, offering the ideal conditions for the process to take place. Gas-phase HCl emitted from plastic-containing waste burning and industrial processes can dissolve in aerosol water, explains Liu. Ammonia can then react with HCl to form ammonium chloride, stabilising chloride in the particle phase, he adds. This particle-phase chloride can absorb even more water from air, leading to a quick growth of the aerosol particles into haze and fog droplets. We estimate that this mechanism can contribute more than 50% of the visibility deterioration in Delhi.

Yafang Cheng from the Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany believes that the discovery will help to develop more locally tailored strategies. The identified high chloride concentration is a special characteristic of air pollution in India, different from other megacities such as Beijing, she says. This finding has very important implications for air-pollution management in India. Besides learning from examples in other places of the world, India may now develop its own, more precise and cost-effective solution against its severe haze pollution, for example, targeting the control of chlorine emissions.

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Atmospheric chemistry discovery could help Indian cities clear away the haze - Chemistry World

Newswise BUFFALO, N.Y. Looking for a hands-on science project to do with your children this fall? The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is back.

Held annually since 2014, the contest challenges K-12 students and teachers to grow the biggest, most beautiful crystals they can using aluminum potassium sulfate (alum), a nontoxic chemical used in water purification.

This year, the contest takes on new meaning, with many schools across the country operating under a remote or hybrid learning model, says founder Jason Benedict, a University at Buffalo chemist with two school-aged kids.

Now, more than ever, with so many kids being at home, they need fun, hands-on scientific activities, says Benedict, PhD, an associate professor of chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. Growing crystals means they can take a break from their screens and do an exciting activity thats going to teach them something about crystals and crystal growth. You can do this as a family."

The contest is open to K-12 students and teachers, whether they are back in the classroom or learning at home.

Participants can register for the competition by filling out the 2020 entry form and ordering bottles of crystal-growing material for $8. The deadline to order alum is Oct. 1. Crystal-growing begins on Oct. 19, coinciding with National Chemistry Week, and goes on for five weeks.

Crystals are really special objects where all of the ions or molecules are lined up in repeating patterns," Benedict says. "People are exposed to crystals in a variety of ways in their daily lives. Snowflakes, for example, are all crystals. Salt and sugar are crystals. There are crystals inside of computers. Pharmaceuticals are crystalline. Well-tempered chocolate is an example: The snap of a well-tempered piece of chocolate is because the chocolate has a particular crystal form inside of it."

In addition to categories judging crystals by size and quality, the contest will again include a coolest crystal category that awards participants for cultivating crystals with a creative flourish, whether that means coloring crystals, trapping an object inside of them or implementing some other innovation.

Winners in various categories will be able to choose between cash prizes or hands-on magnetic science models that kids can manipulate to learn about crystal structures.

During the competition, teachers, students and families can share their excitement with the community of crystal-growers by posting updates on Twitter using the contests hashtag, #2020USCGC, Benedict says.

Submissions will be judged at UB.

The 2019 competition reached about 150 teams representing thousands of K-12 students and teachers, and homeschooling families in 33 states.

Growing crystals: A tiny sparkle in dark times

The experience of growing a sparkly, single crystal from scratch can be memorable for children.

Each team or participant starts with 100 grams of powdered alum. To grow a crystal, kids dissolve the material into water, then let the water evaporate. This causes the compound to emerge from the solution to form a crystal.

Its work that requires patience and finesse: If the water evaporates too quickly, too much of the alum will crystallize, causing imperfections such as occlusions or jagged edges (think rock candy). Go too slow, and youll get a miniscule crystal.

If the participants have half as much fun growing their crystals as we do receiving them, were going to have a lot of happy kids, parents and teachers, Benedict says.

How-to videos for growing large, single crystals:

Sponsors:

The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is sponsored by the American Crystallographic Association (which is based in Buffalo), the U.S. National Science Foundation, VWR and Wards Science, the UB Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University, the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry, the University of Central Florida Department of Chemistry, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society, Bruker, The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Krackeler Scientific, and Rigaku, along with individuals who have made donations. To make a gift to support the contest, visit the competitions fundraising page.

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Socially distanced chemistry for kids: Join the U.S. Crystal Growing Competition! - Newswise

Following an unprecedented offseason for Wichita State basketball, Head Coach Gregg Marshall was left searching for answers.

According to Marshall, last seasons team was the first time in his coaching career that the team chemistry was bad. As a result, the Shockers had six players transferring out of the program.

With the seven newcomers that have been added to this years roster, Marshall has placed an importance on team chemistry and feels it has improved to this point.

Ive had multiple players, newcomers and returners, tell me how different this is and how much better it is. I didnt see any problems at this time last year, Marshall said.

They can talk the talk, but weve got to walk the walk. Weve got to support each other and pull for each other. There are 16 young men on this team, and theyve all got to be pulling in the same direction. Whether you start or come off the bench, whether you play 32 minutes or 12 minutes, its about Wichita State being the best that they can be.

On Sept. 16, the NCAA announced that the start date for the 2020-21 basketball season would get pushed back until Nov. 25. Marshall said that the conference had been considering doing a round-robin for conference play with each team playing each other twice.

In terms of non-conference play, much is still up in the but the schedule will most likely look much different than in years past.

Were losing our exhibition game, our private scrimmage and a few non-conference games where our seven newcomers would be learning our system and playing a game, Marshall said. There will be no gimmees on our schedule. Every game will be a Quad I or Quad II game on our schedule. Well have to grow up very quickly.

As the season gets closer, the more the program will be allowed to get out on the floor. As of Wednesday, the program will be able to partake in twelve hours a week which includes eight hours of basketball-related work and four hours of strength and conditioning.

For Marshall, he feels that to this point they have been able to use these times productively especially in getting the newcomers up to speed.

All of these practice times, were using to the utmost, Marshall said. Were training them up and theyre doing a great job of listening and coming by and talking to us. These are guys that want to be great players and they want to win. Im looking forward to the expanded time we get as of tomorrow.

One of the big question marks that still remain for the upcoming season is whether or not fans will be allowed to attend games for this upcoming season. Overall, Marshall feels that not having fans at games would have a big impact for WSU.

For us, its going to be a big difference, Marshall said. I hate it for our fans. I hate it for our players because theres nothing like playing in Koch Arena. I dont know how theyre going to do that and thats something the athletic administration has to figure out. It cant be easy. Its not something we want to do, but were going to do the right thing for the health of our fans and our supporters as well as the health of our team.

Overall, Marshall had high praise for all six returners to the program and felt that they were able to take advantage of the extended time off as they prepare for the upcoming season.

We feel good about the work these guys have put in during the pandemic, Marshall said. Their bodies have improved. Their games have improved. Theyve taken strides with their development. Its exciting. Its a lot of fun working with these young men. Were chomping at the bit ready to get going.

Read the rest here:
'We've got to walk the walk:' Wichita State looks to regain team chemistry as they return to the court - Wichita State Sunflower

There is an important ingredient when it comes to making a romantic movie and thats chemistry. Matthew McConaughey had this with one co-star so they worked together in another romantic movie. That was Kate Hudson and this is what they had in common.

RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Explained the Real Reason He Stopped Doing Romantic Comedies

McConaughey and Hudsons first movie was How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which was released in 2003. He played Ben, an arrogant man who works in advertising. She played Andie, a writer who is determined to write a piece on how to lose a guy quickly. They then unexpectedly fall in love despite her efforts.

The actors then paired up again for Fools Good, which was released in 2008. This time the actors played Finn (McConaughey) and Tess (Hudson), a married couple who is looking for treasure. This search helps the distanced couple fall back in love with each other.

The actors havent worked together since then. But McConaughey has revisited his role in the first movie to talk about their chemistry.

RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Says He Became Lifelong Friends with These Costars In Real Life

The actors had to have some kind of real connection in order to do multiple romantic roles together. McConaughey talked about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in his#McConaugheyTakesseries.

The main thing is that the male and the female or the two leads have to have some chemistry, he said. If they dont, it doesnt matterhow good that script is. Theres a lot of improv, theres a lot of banter. Its about timing, comedic timing.

McConaughey added, Theres a buoyancy that theyre built on, you have to sort of bounce from cloud to cloud. Dance between the raindrops, I used to say.

The actor talked about what made their connection work. Kate and I had great chemistry, obviously we worked after that on other films. But we had a really good push and pull, he explained. She had a lot of rock n roll and I did too, the way we would parry with each other really worked in that film.

RELATED:Matthew McConaughey Would Consider a Return To Rom-Coms for a Sequel To 1 Really Good Past Film

Some fans might wonder if there was any real romance between McConaughey and Hudson. But they were in relationships with other people when they worked together.

McConaughey has been married to Camila Alves since 2012. They share three children together named Levi, Livingston, and Vida.

Hudson was married to Chris Robinson from 2000 to 2007, and they share a child named Ryder. She later got in a relationship with Danny Fujikawain 2017, and they share a child named Rani. Hudson also has another child named Bingham, who she had with Matt Bellamy.

So it seems like it was all work between the two actors. But luckily, their chemistry made filming easier.

Follow this link:
Matthew McConaughey Reveals Why He Had 'Great Chemistry' With Kate Hudson - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

[H]ere are five common healthy halo buzzwords to look out for.

1) Clean

Everything from clean ingredients to clean food to describing your diet as clean eating and even going as far as to describe your entire lifestyle as clean living are plastered all over some of the most popular social media influencers pages. So, what does it mean? Great question! It can mean whatever you want it to mean. It has absolutely no scientific or practical meaning.

5) No toxic chemicals

There is no such thing as a toxic chemical, there are only toxic doses. The phrase the dose makes the poison applies to all chemicals, both natural and synthetic. Every chemical, even water, can be toxic at a given dose.

No food organic or otherwise contains a toxic level of pesticides, and organic farming uses pesticides of which have overlapping toxicities to those of synthetic pesticides. The organic industry has done an excellent job of misinforming consumers about conventional foods and positioning organic as safer and healthier even though this is not the case.

Unfortunately, consumers will continue to be misinformed and misled by marketing campaigns and trendy buzzwords. The best thing to do is to just skip over the marketing labels and look at the factual information located on the back of the food package.

Read the original post

Excerpt from:
Viewpoint: There's no such thing as a 'toxic' chemical (it's all based on dose and exposure)and 4 other common food marketing myths busted - Genetic...

Some of you screwballs out there have been complaining that I'm not giving enough chemistry lessons. No accounting for taste. If you'd asked me a few years ago when I first started writing these miserable thingsI would have doubted thatmy own family would bother to read them, but it turns out that they've become strangely popular.

So, let's do another.

THE MORE OR LESS SORDID HISTORY OF HEROIN

Here's the first journal articleon the synthesis of heroin. It is long and complex, despite the fact that the conversion of morphine to heroin is (now) a trivial reaction that can be done in minutes.

The title of the first reported synthesis of heroin. Wright, C. R. A.: On the action of organic acids and their anhydrides on the natural alkaloids, Journal of Chemical Society, 1874, 12, 1031. The paper contains no chemical structures, only molecular formulas. Does anyone know why? (1)

Source: Journal of the Chemical Society

OK, it's time...

Making Heroin is Easy Peasy. But it wasn't in 1874

Our progress in fightingpain hasn't progressed much since 1874, but organic chemistry has. It took four pages of experimental details for Wright to describe the procedure for the synthesis, purification, and analysis of the heroin he made. All of this for one very simple reaction...

Acetylation of morphine: Two hydroxyl groups react with acetic anhydride to form two acetateesters (red boxes) (heroin).

By contrast, the synthesis of aspirin from salicylic acid an almost identicalchemical reaction takes10 minutes(plus a little purification time) in an experiment suitedfor high schoolor organic 101 students.

Salicylic acid contains one hydroxyl group, which is easily acetylated to form aspirin. The acetyl group is shown in the red box.

See how similar the two reactions are?

ASPIRIN VS. HEROIN

In the 1890s Felix Hoffman, a German chemist working for Bayerwas acetylating everything in sightto examine the change in properties ofchemicals/drugs when hydroxyl groups are converted to acetate esters. Although Hoffman wasn't the first person to synthesize either aspirin or heroin, he did make both for Bayer, which sold both of them...at the same time... and in the same ad(!).

A Bayer ad, date unknown, selling both aspirin and heroin. Image: Bomb Magazine

You've withstood theDCLFHTM so what is your reward?

A BIOCHEMISTRY LESSON FROM HELL!

Why do the acetyl groups found inheroin and aspirin give the drugs enhanced properties compared to the hydroxylversions, morphine, and salicylic acid, respectively? The acetyl groups make a very big difference in the potency of the drugs in each case, but for different reasons.

ASPIRIN

Figure1: The inhibition of COX by aspirin. Aspirin forms a covalentbond to a serine group near the active site, which prevents the normal substrate from entering the channel to the catalytic (active) site ofthe enzyme.Source: Tulane University

Aspirin and other NSAIDs work by inhibiting a critical enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX), which catalyzes the conversion ofa ubiquitous biomolecule,arachidonic acid (AA) into prostaglandinsand thromboxanesextremely potent hormones that have multiplefunctions throughout the body, including, pain and inflammation. As seen in Figure1, aspirin (4) fits into the channel in COX that leads to the catalytic (active) site (black dot).

Once there, the acetyl group, whichis chemically reactive,reacts irreversiblywith the serine another way of saying that aspirin transfersthe acetyl group to COX forming a covalent bond.Once theserine group of the enzyme has been acetylated things grind to a halt; the enzyme is inactivated.Arachidonic acid can no longer reach the catalytic site on COX so it cannot be convertedtoprostaglandins and thromboaxnes.This explains why aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.treatpain, fever, and inflammation (and also why they screw up your stomach.)

MAKING SENSE OF MORPHINE AND HEROIN

The function of the acetyl groups in heroin is completely different than thatin aspirin. In this case, they aremerely delivery devices -sort of molecular UPS trucks.

The two hydroxyl groups in morphine make themolecule hydrophilic (water-loving the opposite of lipophilic fat-loving). Lipophilic molecules are usually better at penetrating cells (and also getting into the brain) because they can pass more easily through cell membranes. Lipophilicityis measured or calculated(2) and expressed by a unit called logP, the higher the value the more lipophilic the molecule. (P is called the partition coefficient.Don't ask.) All you need to know is this:

A drug targeting the central nervous system (CNS) should ideally have a logP value around 2

Source: ACD Labs

Now, let's look at the logP values for morphine, heroin, and its primarymetabolite, 6-monoacetylmorphine. It should not be surprising that each time anacetyl group replaces a hydroxyl groupthe molecule becomesmore lipophilic. (For the chemical structure of these drugs see Figure 2 below.)

Morphine (two hydroxyl group)- 0.8

6-Monoacetylmorphine (one hydroxy group) -1.3

Heroin (no hydroxyl groups) -1.5

Sorry to interrupt your coma, but there is a bit more information you need to know in order to understand why heroin behaves like heroin metabolism.

Although heroin's logPis closeto 2 the ideal value for CNS drugs the difference between it and morphine, 0.7 doesn't seem like a big deal. But keep in mind thata 0.7 log10 unit difference means that heroin is6.5-timesmore lipophilic than morphine, so it gets to the brain more easily (this explains the "heroin rush").

Heroin's two acetyl groups are metabolized at different rates and atdifferent places in the body. This what makes heroin such an effective and deadly drug.

Figure 2. Metabolism of heroin. Original Source: Science Direct

Step 1. The acetyl group at the 3 position of heroin(3) (red box) is very reactive. It is cleaved by esterase enzymesin the blood in a few minutes, forming 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM). This reaction occurs so quickly that heroin doesn't even reach the brain. And if it did, it wouldn't matter because heroin itself is not an opioid agonist.

Step 2. 6-MAM is also deacetylatedin the blood, formingmorphine, but not so fastthat it cannot reach the brain. It does so very quickly. In fact,6-MAM itselfis a mu-opioid agonist and this is probablywhy heroin packs more of a punch than morphine. Additionally, 6-MAM isdeacetylatedby the brain to give morphine.

It is not completely clear whether the "heroin rush" is due to 6-MAM itself, the rapid delivery of 6-MAM to the brain where it is converted to morphine, or both. But it doesn't really matter. Heroin is a very effective pro-drug of morphine (and/or 6-MAM).

It's amazing, in a twisted sort of way, that heroin, the scourge of mankind (at least until fentanyl came along) is a quintessential example of the power of pro-drugs.

Chemistry lesson over. Biochemistry lesson over.

You can wake up now.

NOTES:

(1) At this time chemical structures were unknown. Chemists could not determine how the atoms of a molecule were connected, only the molecular formula of that molecule.

(2) Virtually all the numbers given for logP are calculated, not measured. To do this, itwould take an eternity and cause chemists to be hurling themselvesinto the Kilauea Volcano. I have no idea how this calculation is done and am perfectly content to keep it that way.

(3) Why is that called the 3-position? Although there are rules for assigning numbers tomolecules for the purpose of naming them I'd rather drink nitric acid than go back and relearn them. Nomenclature makes organic chemists (more) crazy.

(4) Aspirin is the only NSAID to inhibit COX by forming a covalent bond. The others do so by tightly (but reversibly) binding to the enzyme.

Visit link:
All the Chemistry You Never Wanted to Know About Heroin, & More - American Council on Science and Health

Market Insights

Global chemical distribution market is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data bridge market research analyses that the market is expected to reach USD 359.14 billion by 2027 growing at a growth rate of 5.80% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. The chemical distribution market is growing due to the distribution of chemicals to many end user industries such as construction, automotive, infrastructure, electronics and pharmaceuticals among others.

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Major Market Players Covered in The Chemical Distribution Market Are:

The major players covered in the report are Univar Inc., HELM AG, Brenntag AG, ICC Industries, Inc., Barentz International B.V., Azelis S.A., Omya AG, Biesterfeld AG, Safic-Alcan, STOCKMEIER Group, REDA Chemicals, Ashland, BASF SE, Jebsen & Jessen Pte Ltd., Quimidroga, solvadis deutschland gmbh and TER HELL & CO. GMBH among other players domestic and global. Market share data is available for Global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Global Chemical Distribution MarketScope and Segments

Global chemical distribution market is segmented on the basis of type, product and end-use. The growth among segments helps you analyse niche pockets of growth and strategies to approach the market and determine your core application areas and the difference in your target markets.

On the basis of type, the global chemical distribution market is segmented into mixing, manufacturing, technical and safety training, packaging, and waste removal.

Based on product, the market is segmented into specialty chemicals, commodity chemicals. The speciality chemicals are further segmented into case, agrochemicals, electronic, construction, specialty polymers & resins, others. Commodity chemicals are further segmented into plastic & polymers, synthetic rubber, explosives, petrochemicals and others.

Based on the end-use, the chemical distribution market is segmented into specialty chemicals and commodity chemicals. Speciality chemicals are further segmented into automotive & transportation, construction, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, textiles, others. Commodity chemicals are further segmented into downstream chemicals, textiles, automotive & transportation, electrical & electronics, industrial manufacturing, others. Construction holds the largest share of the market in speciality revenue.

Regional Analysis

Get Table of Contents with Charts, Figures & Tables @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-chemical-distribution-market

Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Chemical Distribution Market:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope Chemical Distribution market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of Chemical Distribution Market.

Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of Chemical Distribution

Chapter 4: Presenting Chemical Distribution Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2013-2018

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of Chemical Distribution market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions.

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

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Chemical Distribution Market 2020 Expected to Reach at USD 359.14 Billion By 2027 Industry Challenges, Key Vendors, Drivers, Trends and Forecast...

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Four family members who all hold degrees in chemical engineering have come together to honor the life of beloved professor and mentor Jim Turpin.

A gift from the Mourot family will establish the Dr. Jim L. Turpin Student Advising Center in the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering.

The $50,000 gift from Morrilton, Arkansas, natives Michael (B.S.Ch.E.'76, M.S.Ch.E.'77) and Janet Mourot was made to honor Turpin's impact on their family. Turpin served the College of Engineering for more than 40 years.

Mourot, his sons and his daughter-in-law all graduated from the department while Turpin was teaching. Joshua and Rebecca Mourot both graduated in 2003, and Jordan Mourot graduated in 2005, all with bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering.

During his distinguished career, Turpin received multiple teaching awards including the UA Alumni Association Outstanding Teaching Award in 1982, the Catalyst National Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1991, the Carnegie Foundation Arkansas Professor of the Year in 1996, and the College of Engineering Outstanding Service to Students Award in 2003. He was also a founding member of the UA Teaching Academy and a co-director of the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

More importantly, he made it his goal to personally know each of his students, and in doing so encouraged, mentored and profoundly impacted hundreds if not thousands of young lives.

Michael Mourot, who retired after 27 years with Dow Chemical and now is senior vice president with Sinclair Group Consulting, credited Turpin with showing him career opportunities that shaped the course of his life.

"Coming from a small Arkansas town the idea of chemical engineering was unknown," he said. My original plan was to be high school math teacher and a coach. Dr. Turpin helped change my plan. I was able to work for Dow for many years and then as a consultant. It was special to me to have Dr. Turpin as a mentor and then to have my two sons also mentored by him. It is a bond we will always share."

For Jordan Mourot, who graduated in 2005, Turpin was instrumental in his decision to come to the University of Arkansas, and he said Turpin was with him every step of his college career.

"Dr. Turpin was the person who welcomed me and everyone else into Intro 1 my freshman year and then sent me out with Process Control as a senior and gave me a hug on the stage at graduation," he said. "His messages in class, in particular the first lecture in Intro 1 and the last in Process Control had nothing to do with any technical problem solving, but were focused on ourselves and how the next four to six years in school and in industry would shape our lives. In those lectures, he gave us his heartfelt advice in living within your means and challenging yourself to continue learning in all that you do."

Jordan is now a Local Improvement Leader for Dow Chemical in Terneuzen, Netherlands.

2003 graduates Joshua and Rebecca Mourot both recalled Turpin's sage life advice.

"Everyone knew that when you were struggling or feeling overwhelmed that you went and talked to Dr. Turpin," Rebecca said. "After a visit with him, you'd walk out of his office feeling a little better and knowing that everything was going to be OK. He took the time to help me with scholarships and deciding between job offers, and his help and advice didn't stop once we left the university."

"Mentorship was at the core of Dr. Turpin's role in the department," Joshua said. "He was a great teacher and a transformational mentor. It is nearly impossible to find a student he taught that won't echo that reality; his ability to understand the individual person and tailor advice to their needs and situation was unique. As time passed for me in school, our meetings went from encouragement and just getting through a semester to planning for the future and strategizing not only about the next steps in my career, but about prioritizing my life. I am excited to be a part of establishing an advising center in his name as a representation of his tireless efforts to always deliver for his students."

Joshua attended medical school after graduation and is now a bariatric and advanced laparoscopic general surgeon.

Turpin's influence reached to all members of the Mourot family. Mallory Garcia (Mourot), Mike and Janet's daughter, said, "Dr. Turpin was very special to our entire family. As an example of how he cared for and influenced all of my family, I did not go to Arkansas, but he sent me a letter when I graduated high school even though I was not going to U of A." Mallory now works for Qbtech.

Michael Mourot said he hoped the advising space will bring together students and faculty and will lead to the same life-changing relationships his family forged.

"This new advising space will hopefully be a means for students to figure out their paths in their time in Fayetteville and beyond," he said. "From my experience, Dr. Turpin valued the one-on-one discussion time with his students to get to understand what you as the student wanted and how 'we' could get to that point. He never sugarcoated anything, but he was straight forward with you and made it clear that he was there to help. I hope that this space provides for those relationships between students and the faculty to grow."

More:
Gift to Honor Turpin's Impact in Chemical Engineering - University of Arkansas Newswire

MUSKEGON, MI A multinational chemical company will close a Muskegon Township facility within the next two years, citing a consolidation of production.

The Germany-based BASF announced Monday that it will close a herbicide production facility, located at 1740 Whitehall Road in Muskegon Township, by 2022.

The township facility, formerly a Bayer CropScience facility, produces glufosinate-ammonium (GA) for use as a non-selective herbicide. It has been in operation since 1975.

BASF is also shuttering a plant in Knapsack, Germany, and 100 employees are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the closure. A breakdown of how many of those are employed in the Muskegon-area facility was not available.

A formal timeline for the closure has not yet been determined, according to the release.

Muskegon Township Supervisor Jennifer Hodges told MLive that she had not been informed about the closure prior to being contacted by media.

She said the local plant employs about 70 people, and she has since been told the plant is expected to be closed by July 2021.

She added that the property could be desirable for other industrial use. The campus is owned by BASF Agricultural Solutions US LLC, and spans 387 acres, according to public records.

BASF Agricultural Solutions US LLC is listed as the property owner of 1740 Whitehall Road, which includes 16 buildings totaling nearly 184,000 square feet. Most of the buildings on the property were built in 1976, with one 51,000-square-foot manufacturing building added in 1997.

A representative for BASF did not immediately respond to MLives requests for comment.

Like many companies that depend on the automotive industries, BASF has seen declining profits this year. The company said it will lose 2.12 billion in the third quarter (about $2.48 billion), and sales have fallen about 5 percent compared to this quarter last year. Shares in the company are down as well, according to market reports.

But earnings have improved since the height of the pandemic, according to a trade publication for the chemical and engineering industries. All told, the company is expected to post sales of $68 billion, down from $69 billion posted last year.

Elsewhere in the Muskegon area, manufacturers tied to the automotive industry have also faced downturns -- and layoffs -- because of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, Howmet Aerospace, a major employer in Whitehall, laid off about a quarter of its workforce earlier this year, citing decreased demand from major automotive plants.

But auto parts manufacturer Hilite International has recently signaled intentions to expand in Whitehall, adding about 108 jobs, mostly entry-level, to the area.

Read more on MLive:

Hilite to expand auto parts manufacturing operations, create 100 jobs in Whitehall

Marijuana retail, consumption outlets invited to locate in downtown Muskegon Heights

Jump in coronavirus cases causes anxiety for Muskegon County health director

Read the rest here:
BASF chemical producer to halt Muskegon Township operations - MLive.com

According to new Los Angeles Clipperscoach Ty Lue, the team's biggest issue this past season was chemistry, or a lack thereof. In Lue's eyes though, the chemistry wasn't an off-court issue, or the result of players not liking each other. Instead, Lue thinks that the lack of continuity caused by injuries is what prevented the Clippers from finding a real rhythm.

"I think when you talk about chemistry and continuity, it is not off the court, the guys not liking each other," Lue said in his virtual introductory press conference, via ESPN. "When you talk about chemistry, it is more so [Paul George] came in and he had shoulder surgery, so he was out, he missed the whole training camp and was out the first 11 games of the season. Kawhi [Leonard] came in and couldn't participate in the whole training camp, and then we lost Pat Beverley, in and out of the lineup a few times."

Moving forward, Lue is obviously hopeful that the Clippers will be able to develop more consistent chemistry, and a big part of that is leadership. As the two stars of the team, most automatically expect that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be L.A.'s de facto leaders. However, that won't necessarily be the case according to Lue, who thinks that leadership will be a collaborative effort between several of the squad's veteran players, as well as the head coach himself.

"Leadership is different," Lue said. "You can talk about our two players, Kawhi and PG, they lead by example... And you are not going to have the best players be the natural leaders at all times. It doesn't happen like that. I think a lot of leadership has to come from me, has to come from Kawhi, PG, Lou and Pat Beverley. It's going to be collective... I got to show them different ways of leadership and they got to show me different ways of leadership. I don't know everything. They don't know everything. ... The biggest thing about leadership is just communication."

Heading into his new gig facing championship expectations, Lue knows that there will be immense pressure on him and his players, but he thinks that all parties are prepared.

"Anytime you have a chance to win a championship, it's pressure," Lue said. "I want to be one of the greatest coaches. In order to be great, you have to win."

There will be some added pressure on the Clippers this season as Leonard and George both have the option to opt-out of their current contracts after the 2020-21 campaign, and if things don't go well again, that possibility could become a reality. Lue isn't worried about that though, as he's confident that the two stars will remain in Clippers uniforms for the foreseeable future.

"I think Kawhi, PG are here to stay for a long time. We just gotta make it a great environment and we have to win," Lue said. "... [Leonard and George] are going to have to adjust to my system and my program. But also I also have to be able to adjust to their comfort zone and what makes them better. Also setting the tone defensively of being the two best two-way players in the league. I think it starts on the defensive end with those two guys with setting a tone defensively. I think health is the biggest thing moving forward."

After leading LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016, Lue certainly has experience when it comes to dealing with pressure-packed situations. That experience will serve him well in L.A., where he will be expected to hit the ground running. Next season, the Clippers will at least have to advance farther in the postseason than they did this year -- when they were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals -- for Lue's first season to be considered successful.

More here:
Ty Lue says Clippers' chemistry issues were due to injuries and a resulting lack of continuity - CBS Sports

A lot has happened since 1995. Smartphones, streaming, googling and graphene Youtube stars and Netflix, Amazon and Brexit banking crash, Obama, Crispr and the Mars rover Twin Towers, vaccines, Englands got the same Queen you get the idea. All the wonders and terrors of the 21st century were just around the corner and we were all much younger, still unironically partying like it was 1999. In that year, a group of chemists got together and curated a list of their subjects holy grails. In this special were exploring what has become of that list.

At just eight topics, the list is hardly exhaustive, but nor is it meant to be. There were many worthy and fascinating chemistry queries in 1995, and there are even more today as the original editors noted, these areas are a tiny fraction of the goals in chemistry deserving critical study. Their aim, Richard Zare recalls, was to highlight promising pathways as a challenge to curious minds a gauntlet as much as a grail. You may agree with their choices but I suspect youll have plenty of your own suggestions too. I hope theres at least something that rouses your curiosity, but if not youd still be in good company: in a letter to the issues editors back in 1995 Linus Pauling declined to participate, saying he didnt have any interest in the Holy Grails mentioned.

What is clear is that each grail has posed a challenge big enough, and a prize worthy enough, to attract the attention and effort of chemists for decades. And as Philip Ball notes, its the journey theyve taken that matters, not the destination. Which is what weve tried to focus on in this collection: tracking those journeys and mapping the pathways of science over a quarter of a century, to to ask ourselves, Well, how did we get here? The topics are a lens to look at the often meandering method of science to see how it brings us answers to our questions, but often by indirect routes.

Of course, there have been predictable changes and anticipated discoveries in each area, and much of the progress has been by the patient, incremental inching that typifies good science. But there are also many surprises, and looking back we can see how those unexpected changes have brought new ideas and directions for research. In 1995, cuprates were the hottest thing in high-temperature superconductors, and theyre still the material of choice for most in that area. But two decades later, a few researchers compressing metal superhydrides look like they will actually scoop the prize.

Weve also explored the publication data to reveal other each aspects of these stories. For example, some areas represent a sizeable portion of our community (it will surprise no one to learn that coaxing CH bonds into chemistry attracts more chemists than any of the other grails) while others are niche subjects confined to relatively small groups of specialists. Our bibliometric analysis also reveals something about the character of each field some are highly connected and collaborative, others more insular. And we get some hints of how answers uncovered in one field are connected to questions in another. We also see some of the changes in our society reflected here: water splitting and solar fuels papers, for example, have seen a huge surge over the last decade.

In that respect its worth noting that the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1995 was awarded to Paul Crutzen, Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland for revealing the impact of CFCs on the ozone layer. 25 years later, the damage is now slowly being reversed, but thats largely thanks to political and economic action, not scientific. These grails (and many other fields of chemistry) could deliver truly transformational technologies, but as we face the immediate crisis of Covid-19 and a looming climate crisis, we should remember that science wont change much on its own.

Still, science has a vital role to play, and its clear that every answer it supplies brings many more questions too. Personally, the most exciting aspect of reviewing 25 years of research has been the realisation that theres so much more to come. What lies ahead waiting to be discovered?

Roll on 2045

See the rest here:
Searching for the holy grails of chemistry | Opinion - Chemistry World

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2020) Instructors in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky are combining technology, learning techniques honed by experience, and human interaction to provide multifaceted learning environments for their students.

The goal, as always, is to keep students engaged with hands-on instruction methods even if the current pandemic limits face-to-face class time.

Students learn by working on problems, not just by listening, said Alberto Corso, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Mathematics. Thats what I tell all of my students. We all like to watch our favorite basketball teams play, but we cant play with them unless we practice. We need to be on the court and practice three-pointers.

The chemistry and mathematics departments present prime examples of this commitment to teaching excellence, as faculty members combine recorded lectures, Zoom class meetings for questions and some in-person work in problem-solving for students taking gateway classes.Teachers discuss this technique as a flipped classroom, where students take an active part in their education. They watch videos to prepare themselves for interaction with faculty and teaching assistants.

The flipped classroom has been the big innovation in teaching over the past 10 years, said Kathi Kern, director and associate provost of Teaching, Learning, and Academic Innovation. Two of our very popular undergraduate courses flipped almost 10 years ago HIS 121 (War and Society), and STA 210 (Introduction to Statistical Reasoning). In each of these courses, faculty pre-recorded lectures so that class time could be devoted to discussion, analysis and experiments, with faculty and graduate students interacting with the undergrads. This style of teaching in Stats 210 was the inspiration for the design of some of the large, interactive classrooms in the Jacob Science Building.

Kern compared flipped classrooms to preparing for discussion in a seminar.

Students shouldnt come to class just to listen to a faculty member, she said. Its like reading a novel on your own and coming to class to discuss it. You could use your class time to watch a documentary film, but if people already have absorbed that material, then they get to interact with each other. They encounter the material initially on their own, but then they make sense of it with their faculty.

The idea of the flipped classroom informs teaching in the colleges gateway chemistry classes, said Allison Soult, senior lecturer and director of general chemistry. Technology has aided instructors in interactive learning, and that technology continues to benefit students during the pandemic. Such programs as the Canvas online learning system and the interactive PlayPosit app make coordinating classes easier and more meaningful.

We already had our students watching videos, and then we had them come to class to do active learning activities, Soult said. Weve recorded four- to six-minute videos some people go a little longer and then we use a tool called PlayPosit. The app lets you insert questions. The questions pop up, and you have to answer them before you can go on. The app then sends the answers back to Canvas for a grade.

The app motivates the students to watch the videos and measures their understanding of the content. Then students can come to class through Zoom and ask more advanced questions.

Before class, I can go in and see that the students were struggling with this topic, Soult said. Then in my Zoom session, I can do an overview of that topic, and Ill record that session as part of my class.

In gateway mathematics classes, faculty members are mixing in-person and online class meetings with recorded lectures to give students a full look at this difficult subject, Corso said. Corso is teaching a yearlong calculus class for biology majors. Faculty members worked diligently before the semester started to plan out lectures, information sessions and recitations with teaching assistants to make sure a mix of in-person, live-conferencing and video lectures would do the trick.

To devise our plan and this is something for all the service classes that math teaches, with about 5,000 students in any given semester the coordinators of the courses met together over the summer every week with a different topic: How do we do the lectures? How do we organize the recitations? How do we organize the exams and quizzes? For my class, we decided wed have videos that the students could watch on their own time, and then the class time would be used for answering questions.

Thus, Corso is teaching his class by mixing lectures and question sessions with working on problems in groups the heart of mathematical learning.

Typically, our calculus classes meet for lecture three times a week and for small recitation sections twice a week, he said. For small recitations, on Tuesdays, half the class is supposed to be in the classroom, and half the class is watching the livestreaming in Echo 360. Students can type questions and ask the TA from home. On Thursdays, its more of a Zoom meeting where students typically work in groups with problem sheets.

Katherine Paullin, lecturer in mathematics, coordinates 22 sections of college algebra, including two joint college-credit classes in high schools. The classes all have the same basic Canvas shell that students can work from and interact with instructors.

We redid the class over the summer of 2019, she said. All students are seeing video lectures that I recorded myself. They have a Canvas page where they can read the definitions of the terms I use and the formulas, and then they get to watch a video of me working problems just as I would in the classroom.

Those recorded video lectures actually can be a benefit for instruction, Kern said.

Students are first introduced to the course topics with a recorded lecture, and then they deepen their understanding with discussions, applications, simulations and sample working problems, she said. Its the same model as the classic lecture with recitation sections or labs: a time to be exposed to the material and then a time to practice. In this model, the practice more often takes place with the professor rather than solely the graduate assistants. Faculty spend a lot of time making their recorded lectures, because its too painful to post something that isnt good. Another advantage is that a recorded lecture can be captioned, which helps all sorts of students. And, of course, a lot of students like having a recorded lecture that they can review before exams.

For one student Grace Kearney, a UK student in Kerns Citizenship, Diversity and Community class the flipped classes offer her decided advantage when it comes to preparation and study.

I think that flipped classes make it easier to learn in class because youve already been exposed to the material, Kearney said. I liked flipped classes, because they give me independence and flexibility as to when I start learning material. Its also nice because you can normally get your questions sorted out in class, instead of having to email your professor.

The college algebra sections demonstrate the problem-solving abilities of university instructors: Paullin points out that different teachers are approaching the class with a great deal of flexibility.

Each instructor is using the class time as they choose, she said. We have three sections that are completely online. Were all doing things a little bit differently.

And its that flexibility along with the technological innovations that assist both online and in-person learning that iscreating opportunities for innovation amid trying times, said UK Provost David W. Blackwell.

Through blending different delivery methods, our faculty members are demonstrating their creativity and dedication to deliver quality courses for our students under difficult health and safety guidelines, Blackwell said. These techniques accelerate and improve learnin
g even beyond the pandemic setting, which is a concept we have been leaning into we want to come out of this better than we were before.

Were all adapting to new modalities, Paullin said. Thats what we do as educators.

See the article here:
Not By the Book: Chemistry, Math Gateway Instructors Adapt to Hybrid, Interactive Learning During Pandemic - UKNow

The Timberwolves are running their first group workouts and scrimmages since the NBA postponed its season March 11. They likely wont take the floor again for another few months after this as the NBA decides when it will begin the next season.

Of course, coach Ryan Saunders has been installing concepts the Wolves will be using on both ends of the floor, but the main objectives of this camp, he said, were just to find a safe way to be around each other and to compete. If they did nothing else, this time would still be a success.

Our No. 1 goal within this week was to compete, Saunders said. Because its been a really long time since theyve been able to do that in more of a structured setting. Then we also wanted to connect with this group. While youre connecting, you also want to be able to build relationships. We talked about it today where the team that is the most connected will get a jump start on next season whenever next season starts.

Under President Gersson Rosas the Wolves have made a concerted effort to grow their off-court chemistry. Before last season there was a trip to the Bahamas, and after Rosas revamped the roster at the trade deadline, the Wolves took advantage of a trip to Miami to get in some team bonding.

But does off-court chemistry actually lead to on-court chemistry? Does playing well require that everybody be friends off it? Saunders thinks there is a correlation.

Theres a lot of documented teams that have been talented groups but, throughout the league, and not just in basketball, but in other sports, that maybe have a lot of talent but they arent the most connected group away from competition on the court or field, Saunders said. So I do believe that it plays a role.

It helps to accomplish that when the team is isolated in a hotel for a few weeks with nothing else to do.

When you talk about culture, when you watch these playoffs, you see a lot of these teams that have gone through those types of builds, and those are the things that they do they play together, they play hard and they play for each other, Saunders said.

An important part of establishing that, Rosas said, is the continuity Saunders has brought with his coaching staff. The NBA coaching carousel has been in full swing now with big names like Mike DAntoni and Doc Rivers becoming available.

But Rosas has liked what he has seen from Saunders, especially after being handed a completely different roster at the trade deadline and not having Karl-Anthony Towns for a significant chunk of the season.

We knew when youre going into the process of building a program, its hard, Rosas said. I talked about it last year when I took this job that this first season wasnt going to be about the record. It wasnt going to show what we were doing. It was going to be more about our ability to establish a program, to establish an identity, to change the philosophy and bring the organization into more of a modern platform. And weve done that in a lot of ways.

Excerpt from:
Group workouts give Wolves a chance to work on chemistry - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Knoxville, TN When the Tennessee Volunteers kick off on Saturday night there will be one Volunteer who will be going through his 6th opening night with two different teams.

After missing nearly the entire 2018 season, Brandon Kennedy was granted a sixth year of eligibility with the Vols. The former Alabama graduate joined the big orange after the sec had to change its graduate transfer rule in order for Kennedy to be eligible immediately.Kennedy will have the most experience on an offensive line that is all 5-stars and he feels the chemistry couldnt be better.

I think we have better chemistry now because throughout this whole fall camp weve relied on some guys that may not usually get certain opportunities. Theyve been able to learn and grow and also some of the young guys have been able to get more opportunities. This whole pandemic has allowed them to come along, and we feel great going into the first game at who we will have out there, says Kennedy.

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Vols R-senior Brandon Kennedy talks about the chemistry of offensive line - WJHL-TV News Channel 11

"We started well by winning Nos. 3 and 4 singles and Nos. 1 and 2 doubles," Alexandria head coach Dave Ronning said. "I think that was encouraging to get those right off the bat. I always want the kids to look around the courts at their teammates because that will lift you up too. Moorhead is a solid team. They split with Willmar, so getting that quick start was the key for us."

Jaya Hatlestad returns a serve in the No. 4 singles match. Hatlestad won 6-1, 6-1 in Alexandria's 5-2 win over Moorhead. (Jared Rubado / Echo Press)

One of the first wins on the board came from Jaya Hatlestad in the No. 4 singles match. She beat her opponent 6-1, 6-1, and has settled into her role.

"I feel comfortable playing singles because I'm in the same spot I was in last year," Hatlestad said. "There's always adjustments you have to make for each opponent. I think what helped is we played some weaker teams at the start of the season that is rebuilding. We have confidence now when we are playing teams like Moorhead."

Hatlestad routinely picks up a point for the Cardinals. Because of Alexandria's depth, she is slotted in the fourth singles spot, even though she has the talent to put her higher up on other teams.

Sarah Jiang returns a backhand shot during her No. 3 singles win over Elizabeth Glatt. Alexandria beat Moorhead 5-2 on Tuesday afternoon. (Jared Rubado / Echo Press)

"We are really happy with Jaya's progress," Ronning said. "She's getting better every single match. Sarah (Jiang) too. She's never been blown out even in the ups and downs she's had. When they get beat, it's always a tough three sets. I'm really happy with our depth and what we have going on there."

Alexandria's top two doubles teams each have only one loss on the season. With only 11 regular season meets on the schedule, each pairing's instant connection has given them an edge.

"It's really fun to see because we didn't know what to expect," Ronning said. "Whitly (Netland) played No. 3 doubles last year and Kaylee (Svee) was playing singles. We didn't know if the chemistry was going to be there or not. Right from the get-go they had it. Same with Anna (Doherty) and MaKenna (Aure). They're such great athletes, and I encourage them to just fly around the court. They play hockey together, and I want them to play hockey out here."

MaKenna Aure lunges for a low shot on on Thursday afternoon while her partner, Anna Doherty, waits in the backcourt. Aure and Doherty won their No. 2 doubles match 6-1, 6-1.

Hatlestad believes the connections on the court comes from the leadership.

"We have a lot of seniors out here," Hatlestad said. "There's a lot of girls that have been playing since freshman year. I think it's shown how well this team works together even though we are on our own. We are always cheering each other on in between points. In practice, we know we can make each other better because we know everybody's potential."

With only one meet left before the conference tournament, Ronning thinks his girls can take another step forward.

"The sky's the limit with this team, and I really believe that," Ronning said. "When we go to Brainerd, that's going to tell us a lot. Whether we beat them or not, we just want to go there and compete really hard, so we get some momentum going into the conference tournament."

Anna Doherty jumps to return a shot in her No. 2 doubles match against Moorhead. Doherty and MaKenna Aure beat their opponents 6-1, 6-1. (Jared Rubado / Echo Press)

ALEXANDRIA 5, MOORHEAD 2

SINGLES- No.1 Katryna Hanson(M) def. Briana Holm 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; No. 2 Nicole Hoogland (M) def. Tabea Roggenbuck 6-2, 6-1; No. 3 Sarah Jiang (A) def. Elizabeth Glatt 6-1, 6-1; No. 4 Jaya hatlestad (A) def. N/A 6-1, 6-1; DOUBLES- No. 1 Kaylee Svee-Whitly Netland (A) def. Azylen Lunak-Bailey Overbo 6-2, 6-4; No. 2 Anna Doherty-MaKenna Aure (A) def. JOsie Palmer-Anna Kiser 6-1, 6-2; No. 3 Macie Tilleskjor-Grace Reed (A) def. Kylie Torkelson-Sophie Swenson 6-3, 6-2;

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Girls tennis: Cardinal's chemistry continues to persevere in win over Spuds - Echo Press