While most wrestling fans think of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels from the famous in and out-of-the-ring battles they had during the mid-90s, hardcore wrestling fans will know that Hart and Michaels had been battling each other long before that. The initial matches between the duobegan in the WWE Tag Team division, when Hart and Hart Foundation partner Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart battled Michaels and partner Marty Jannetty in the late '80s and early '90s, both for pride and the WWE Tag Team Championships.

It's those matches between The Hart Foundation and The Rockers that long-time WWE executive Bruce Prichard recalls with fondness of the time Michaels and Hart worked together. During the most recent episode of "Something to Wrestle," he revealed just why the two teams worked so well together.

"I think the chemistry that Shawn and Marty had with Bret and Anvil was gold," Prichard said. "It was instant. Sometimes it takes a while for guys' styles to mesh and really have that chemistry. In my opinion, from day one when they met, they had that chemistry. It was instantaneous, and it was enjoyable to watch.You got lost in the match versus a heel and a babyface. It was spectacular, and it wasn't a hokey babyface match. It was two exciting teams going out there and having a hell of a match. Two different styles, and I thought they gelled awesome together. It was some of the greatest matches."

The two iconic tag teams wrestled each other numerous times inWWE in the '80s and '90s, before they parted ways, following which Hart and Michaels achieved superstardom as singles stars.

If you use any quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

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WWE Exec Bruce Prichard Discusses Chemistry Between The Hart Foundation & The Rockers - Wrestling Inc.

Have you seen the sausage ad? Andrew Scott asked me.

No, no, were not going to talk about that, Paul Mescal said.

It was a mid-November morning in Los Angeles, and I was having breakfast with two actors who have created some of the most indelible romantic leads of recent vintage: Scott, 47, played the Hot Priest on the second season of Fleabag, while the 27-year-old Mescal broke through and broke hearts as the conflicted jock Connell in Hulus Normal People.

Now, instead of aiming those love beams at women, theyll point them at each other in the drama All of Us Strangers, due Dec. 22 in theaters. Its like an Avengers-level team-up, if the Avengers recruited exclusively from the ranks of sad-eyed Irish heartthrobs who caused a sensation over the 2019-20 television season.

But before we could talk about their sexy, shattering new movie, Scott gently ribbed his co-star about an ad for an Irish sausage brand, Denny, that Mescal had starred in just out of drama school. (Though the rest of the world was introduced to Mescal in Normal People, Ireland already knew him from the ubiquitous sausage commercial.)

Look, I needed that job in a massive way, Mescal said. That paid my rent for the rest of the year. But if I could take it back

Ah, no, its lovely you have that! Scott said. I actually thought the character you created in the sausage ad was

career defining? Mescal offered.

It made me want a sausage! Scott said a little too eagerly, causing both men to laugh. Easy, folks, thats too easy a joke, Mescal said.

Scott and Mescals teasing, affectionate chemistry is put to excellent use in All of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years). Scott stars as Adam, a lonely writer who finds that his childhood home has become a mysterious portal that allows him to reconnect with his long-dead parents (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell). At the same time as Adam grapples with this past made manifestly present, he navigates an uncertain but tantalizing future with his neighbor Harry (Mescal), with whom he develops an intense romantic bond.

Over breakfast, we discussed the movie, which recently took the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards in addition to wins for directing, writing and Mescals supporting performance. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.

Andrew, you were attached to this movie first. How did you feel when Paul was cast?

SCOTT I was really thrilled because I was hoping that people would be able to see how cinematic and brilliant that role is.

MESCAL It never occurred to me that people wouldnt be interested in it.

SCOTT Well, the character is such a vessel for love. To be able to play love, its something that you have to just know how to embody, and Paul is so excellent about being able to allow the audience in. When I heard he was interested, I was saying to Andrew, Make that happen!

MESCAL Even if I didnt like the script or Andrew Haigh as much as I do, and I knew Andrew [Scott] was going to be doing the film, I still would have done the film.

SCOTT Would you?

MESCAL A hundred percent. And I know that probably sounds sycophantic, but when I was reading it and imagining youd do it, I thought, This is built for an actor of your caliber. Theres lots of brilliant dramatic actors in the world, but what I think separates Andrew is his capacity to understand the dramatic requirements of a scene but also to play utterly against it. He finds humor in subject matter like this, which is really quite heavy, and if you can make an audience laugh, youre halfway to making them cry.

This is a very tactile movie, too.

SCOTT Theres so much touching, whether thats familial touching or a more sensual thing. People have talked an awful lot about the chemistry and the sex between our characters, but actually what I think is really radical and affecting about the relationship is how affectionate and tender they are with each other. Its such a beautiful thing to play, isnt it? Just real care.

MESCAL I find it healing to watch that kind of emotional intimacy. I remember being surprised when we watched it for the first time, because I didnt remember being so close to your face when we were talking, how we were totally taking each other in. Theres a weird thing that I dont think you can cheat: You know how when somebody you love is talking to you, and you look at their lips? Its like, Jesus, I cant remember doing that.

Andrew, youve said before that acting is a matter of revealing. Whats being revealed about you by taking on this role?

SCOTT I think an awful lot, if Im honest. Im happy to be able to say that to be emancipated from shame has been genuinely the biggest achievement of my life. For a long time, I have felt very comfortable with myself, but it doesnt take much to go back there something a taxi driver can say can still wound you. If he might say, Youve got a wife? You could go, No, I dont, or is that sort of a lie by omission? I think the challenge was to undo the work and go to that place where you feel frightened.

How were you able to emancipate yourself from shame?

SCOTT I genuinely think that acting helped me. When I was a kid, I started doing elocution lessons because I had a really bad lisp. She sells seashells, I had to say that 17 times a day. So they sent me to elocution, which was boring, but eventually it was speech and drama classes. I was so shy and terrified, but then someone would say, Get up and do an improvisation, and some part of me felt

MESCAL free?

SCOTT Free, and I loved it. And then I practiced it a little bit more and then started doing it as a job. When I was 18 or 19, I was playing gay parts but I wasnt out. A lot of people within the industry were queer, so I was surrounded by them and then, bit by bit, started to feel confident. To make something like [All of Us Strangers], it moves me, because I never thought that Id get a chance to expose myself so much in a film like this or for it to be in such a trusting environment with such brilliant colleagues.

And do you rush headlong into the chance to expose yourself like that?

SCOTT I do. Its my responsibility. The further I go into acting, I think thats all it is, actually.

In the first scene you share, Pauls character is boldly trying to flirt his way into Andrews apartment. Paul, its a kick to see you play a man so assertive and sure of what he wants.

MESCAL I was just so giddy because I dont think Ive got many opportunities to play somebody like that. It reminded me of characters I would have played in drama school a lot more front-footed, a little bit bolder. Part of it was surprising an audience that might associate me with more interior, back-footed characters that Ive played.

SCOTT I remember so clearly you saying the line, Theres vampires at my door. That line could seem completely preposterous and its a hard sell, but its unique, right? Im obsessed with writing that has a real autograph about it.

MESCAL ChatGPT wouldnt come up with that.

SCOTT Exactly. And human beings have an extraordinary
way of expressing themselves. I feel the same way when people talk about big acting.

MESCAL I love big acting.

SCOTT Some people do that kind of polite, nobody-will-notice-me acting, and sometimes it can be a little dull.

MESCAL Youre looking for an opportunity to play something truthfully, but also if that truth can be a bigger, more fractious choice, maybe that could be fun.

Whats the biggest acting youve ever done?

SCOTT Oh my God. Pick a card, any card. I did a play called Present Laughter by Nol Coward, about a guy whos an over-the-top actor. It was kind of a farce, and Im obsessed with farce.

MESCAL I am so jealous of people who can do farce, I dont know where I would start.

SCOTT Its all about timing the slam of the door, and theres no greater feeling than when youre talking to the other actor and you are waiting for the audience to stop laughing. Youd love it because its so physical as well.

MESCAL Im just a bit scared of comedy because I didnt do a lot of it in drama school. Dont think [Ive got] a particularly funny disposition.

SCOTT Are you out of your mind? Im going to have a little think now.

MESCAL Id love to do a rom-com.

SCOTT I think youd be very good at playing some sort of neurotic.

MESCAL Really?

SCOTT Yeah. I love those kinds of characters that dont have a sense of humor.

MESCAL No sense of humor. Great. I can do that, I can do that easily. [Laughs.]

With Normal People and Fleabag, where you played romantic leads, how did you handle the intensity of the audience imprinting on you?

MESCAL I remember the first couple of months of that happening, I was like, Jesus, what can I do? And the answer is actually nothing. Theres nothing you can do about it if somebody wants to imprint or project onto you.

SCOTT That was all during the pandemic, wasnt it?

MESCAL Yeah, yeah.

Was it better or worse that you were in your house for most of it?

MESCAL Much, much better. Even doing junkets when Normal People came out, I was really glad to do it within the confines of my own home. I could put the laptop down and nobody knew where I was.

Andrew, you werent trapped at home when Fleabag came out. Could you tell something had changed in the way people perceived you?

SCOTT It already happened a little bit when I did Sherlock [playing Moriarty] because that really does have a fandom. There were like a thousand people that would come to set, it was absolutely insane.

MESCAL Jesus.

SCOTT So Fleabag" was completely different in that sense. It didnt have the same frenzy.

Maybe not as you were filming it, but there was definitely a passionate fandom once it was released.

SCOTT There was, but I really enjoyed that because I love the show. Im so proud of it and I loved that part, so I liked that it really affected people so much.

MESCAL Still! I watch it once a year.

Paul, you even dressed as the hot priest for Halloween.

MESCAL I did. That went down a bit of a storm.

When you have a breakthrough project like those two series, and youre seen differently in this business afterward, is it hard not to get swept up by all the offers that come your way?

MESCAL I know what I like. I dont have the confidence in myself as an actor to do something that isnt good. I dont think I can pull the wool over peoples eyes with bells and whistles in terms of performance, and Im actually glad I cant do that.

SCOTT But is it weird when you are in L.A. now? I opened up my curtains this morning, and there you are.

MESCAL Yeah, my Gucci billboard.

SCOTT Thats insane.

MESCAL It is bananas. Yeah, Im really proud of that, but Im also acutely aware the only reason thats happening is because people are enjoying the work that Im doing. It can all disappear, like that.

Paul, youre currently working on Ridley Scotts sequel to Gladiator. Im sure youve been pursued for a lot of blockbusters, so what made you choose this one?

MESCAL I love the first film and I think Ridley is an all-time great, so that was a no-brainer to me. I dont really have a desire to make lots of big films in my life, but if this was the only big film I was ever to make, I would put my name into the mix anywhere for that. Im having a great time doing it, but I also think theres an obligation to understand that I dont want an audience to get bored of me, or expect me to do the big indie film every year or two, because theyre really hard to get right.

Which is hard to get right, the big film or the indie?

MESCAL A film like All of Us Strangers or Aftersun. Ive been incredibly lucky that those scripts came across my desk because theres lots of other indies that are really well intentioned that dont reach an audience. Also, its hard to go to the emotional well year after year with stuff like this, so I dont want an audience to get bored of my choices or expect that Im going to do that.

SCOTT Do you remember you got the Gladiator call when we were on the set of All of Us Strangers? You were so excited. I think I was even more excited, but you were so lit up about it. I think one of the fun things about being an actor thats open to you is that you can do whatever you really want.

MESCAL Thats what makes you tick, to go from scenes like we get to play in All of Us Strangers to then doing stuff where youre running around in an arena. If I was to boil down why I love this job, its that you get to go to work and pretend all day long but the thing that you would imagine as a child is actually actualized.

SCOTT Have there been any moments in Gladiator where youre like, This is amazing?

MESCAL The first day was just bananas. There was camels and thousands of extras. Two close-ups on me. A close-up on the action. And youre just like, Ive got to fake this till I make it. Wild. Wild. Wild.

SCOTT Yeah, its playing. It really is. Youre required to play a part, youre not required to work a part.

Its heartening to hear you both describe acting as play or pretend. You talk about it in such joyful terms, but some of the other leading men Ive spoken to will

MESCAL fetishize the pain.

SCOTT It embarrasses them.

MESCAL Its important to say that pretend doesnt make it any less emotional or difficult to do, but I think it actually gives you a greater range of possibility in a scene. Thats not to say there werent days on [All of Us Strangers] that felt like some sort of psychological torture.

SCOTT Absolutely.

MESCAL But the act of making it? It cant be that, because then it just becomes about How hard can I grip this table? How much pain can I put myself through in order to talk about it to the press?

SCOTT I think of it sometimes like you invited somebody around for dinner and you said, I could not find any organic chicken in the market, it was an absolute nightmare. Then I had to ho
over the place from top to bottom. And theyre just like, Give me a glass of wine. I dont want to hear about what you did, Im just here for dinner.

MESCAL Yeah, thats spot on.

SCOTT What you need to do is have the generosity to get the chicken out.

MESCAL Organic or not.

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Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott on All of Us Strangers - The New York Times

As much as bookworms want to hold onto their beloved original stories, bringing books to life visually on-screen is bound to bring about some changes. Bonnie Garmus's debut novel,

Now, the wildly popular New York Times bestseller is also a hit Apple TV+ miniseries starring (and co-produced by) the Brie Larson. And, yes, the show absolutely, 100%, without-a-doubt, does the book justice...and more! Even with all the changes in the storyline, it still exudes the same heart and great storytelling that Garmus was able to pull off with her written words. The TV adaptation also adds even more layers and nuance to the story by tweaking certain details, both big and small.

Warning! Spoilers ahead.

1. In the book: Elizabeth Zott is a chemist at the Hastings Research Institute, with her own lab technicians and a whole team working under her supervision. However, she is underestimated, mocked, and disrespected by her colleagues. This is because they see her as an overly-ambitious scientist, especially since she only has a Master's in Chemistry and not a PhD.

On the show: Though Elizabeth is clearly qualified to be a chemist, she is underemployed as a lab tech. Many of her male colleagues perceived her just as a pretty face and as a glorified secretary.

2. In the book: Calvin and Elizabeth have a fateful encounter, outside of work while outside a theatre. He got food poisoning after a date and accidentally throws up on her, and she winds up taking him home and caring for him.

On the show: This whole scene takes place at a Little Miss Hastings pageant held by their employer. Elizabeth is forced to participate in the pageant, which highlights the sexist demands of her job. But it also allows Calvin to take notice of her as the only unhappy contestant. As Elizabeth grabs her coat to make an early exit, she encounters Calvin, who then vomits on her due to an allergic reaction to Mrs. Donatti's perfume.

3. In the book: Readers meet Harriet Sloane much later in the book, as Elizabeth and Calvin's neighbour. She is an older white woman whose four grown children have already flown the coop, and is left at home with her sexist, abusive, alcoholic husband whom she doesn't love.

On the show: Harriet, played by none other than Aja Naomi King, is introduced early on in the series as a young Black woman whose husband is serving overseas in the Korean War. Aside from being a mother to two young kids, she also works as a legal aide, an environmentalist, and a civil rights activist. Her role in the series is much larger, and an important addition to the plot as it brings more diversity and injects a much-needed social commentary on race during that time.

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4. In the book: In her university days, Elizabeth was sexually assaulted by an old, sleazy professor named Dr. Meyers. He brutally attacks her one night when he finds her still working and running tests for his latest research project. She's able to stop her assailant by stabbing him with a pencil, but this leads to her losing her place in her programme after she refuses to offer a statement of regret.

On the show: Young Elizabeth was able to stop her assailant in the exact same way, with the same consequences. The difference is that in the series, it's someone she considers a friend and mentor who sexually assaults her. Dr. Bates a character invented for the show's purposes pushes himself on her despite her telling him that she doesn't see him that way.

5. In the book: Calvin proposes to Elizabeth at the Hastings cafeteria in front of all their colleagues. He does this, despite the fact that Elizabeth has expressed that she doesn't see herself getting married. She says no, and this leads to a big fight, which they eventually settle when they agree to move in together.

On the show: As their relationship progresses, Elizabeth makes it very clear to Calvin that she has no intention to get married or have kids. She explains that she wants to put her career first, and achieve all her ambitions. He accepts all of this without question.

6. In the book: Though Elizabeth doesn't want to have children, that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be a dog mum! After moving in together, she and Calvin agree that they want a dog in their lives. As it so happens, a dog follows Elizabeth home from a nearby deli. They wind up keeping him, and he gets a funny name after Elizabeth mishears Calvin. When he asks her what the pup's name is, she mishears him and reads the time: Six-Thirty.

On the show: Six-Thirty appears much earlier in the series. In the second episode, Elizabeth finds him sniffing around in her backyard by the trash cans. She takes pity on the poor pup and feeds him. It becomes clear that she's adopted her new furry friend when she brings him to Calvin's house. When he asks her what the dog's name is, she says it's Six-Thirty because of the time he wakes her up in the morning just like clockwork.

7. In the book: Elizabeth blames herself for Calvin's untimely death. She was the one who insisted that he be vigilant about keeping Six-Thirty on a leash whenever they went on runs together. Calvin took this seriously. But one night, during their walk, Six-Thirty gets frightened by a loud noise in front of a parking lot. He tries to run away from Calvin. Calvin then trips and hits his head. He then gets run over by a police car.

On the show: Six-Thirty hates his new leash, and is stubborn about running with it. It's the dog's behaviour that leads Calvin to be run over by a bus.

8. In the book: Another character who is majorly different in the books is Fran Frask, the head of personnel at Hastings. Fran is much more jealous and cruel in the novel, as she seems almost happy because of Elizabeth's misery. She delights in seeing her torn apart by grief. And when Fran finds out that Elizabeth is pregnant (before Elizabeth even realises it herself), she uses this to get her fired from Hastings.

But Fran gets a great character development arc, and eventually works for Calvin's friend, Reverend Wakely, as his secretary.

On the show: After Calvin's death, Fran is shown as someone who is much more sympathetic. From the very beginning, she is portrayed as much more caring than the character in the book. She doesn't get fired because Fran tells on her, but rather once it became apparent to her boss that she was unmarried and pregnant.

9. In the book: Elizabeth names her daughter Mad in a similar way as Six-Thirty. It was an accident! Elizabeth was exhausted, frustrated, and still grieving. With all the emotions running through her, she thought the nurse had asked her how she was feeling after labour. The nurse was actually asking for the baby's name. And, thus, Mad Zott it was.

On the show: After giving birth, the nurse told Elizabeth to name the baby after how she was feeling in the moment.

10. In the book: At a young age, it becomes clear that Mad is a brilliant kid who gets her smarts from her genius parents. But instead of encouraging her, Mad's teacher treats her awfully because of how smart she is.

On the show: Mad's teacher acknowledges that she doesn't belong at the school, and instead recommends her to a private school where she can truly thrive as a student.

11. In the book: Elizabeth takes the job for the cooking show Supper at Six after she felt she had no other great options financially. She had just quit Hastings (after she returned post-firing due to pregnancy) following an incident wherein Donatti stole her research. And she als
o felt guilty because one of Mad's classmates had told her they were poor.

On the show: Elizabeth needed the Supper at Six gig in order to pay for Mad's private school tuition.

12. In the book: Elizabeth refuses to endorse sponsorin a product she sees as vile and immoral for Supper at Six. She even goes as far as discouraging her audience from buying anything from the brand. Elizabeth's boss Phil intended to punish her for this, and attempts to sexually assault her. But she was prepared, threatening him by pulling out a kitchen knife from her bag. He suffers a heart attack and faints on the spot.

On the show: Elizabeth doesn't react as dramatically to the proposed sponsorship as she did in the book. Her refusal to endorse the product results in a three-day suspension during which Supper at Six plays reruns instead.

13. In the book: Reverend Wakely and Calvin became friends after a lecture Calvin gave at his university. They hit it off and became pen pals, talking about everything from the existence of God to their mundane lives. But their friendship ended abruptly when Calvin wrote that he wished his own father was dead. He was unaware that Reverend Wakely's father was critically ill at the time. But when Wakely learned of Calvin's death, he feels guilty, and decides to preach at his old friend's funeral.

On the show: Wakely and Calvin remained friends, and wrote to each other until the day he died.

14. In the book: Walter is the single father of Amanda, Mad's elementary school friend. His wife had left him, but he finds love once more with Harriet who ends up divorcing her husband.

On the show: The miniseries's version of Harriet is in a loving relationship with her soldier husband. It didn't make sense to give her and Walter, the TV producer who pitched Supper at Six, a love connection. But he does find love with Fran. The two confess their feelings for one another in the show's finale.

15. In the book: Elizabeth's happy ending is that she becomes the Head of Chemistry at Hastings replacing Donatti.

On the show: Elizabeth finds joy in her new role as a chemistry teacher.

Read more:
Lessons in Chemistry book and TV show differences - Cosmopolitan UK

The first biocatalytic route to produce a broad range of lactams highly sought-after building blocks for drugs, including penicillin antibiotics has been discovered. The work, which created an enzyme from an iron-containing muscle protein to catalyse lactam synthesis, could offer a simpler, cheaper and more efficient way to make them.

Lactams are ring-shaped amides, derived from amino alkanoic acids, that come in different forms depending on the number of atoms in their rings. Although a few organic synthesis strategies to make lactams already exist, a route via direct CH amidation, which functionalises unreactive CH bonds, could offer a more convenient and efficient alternative.

Such a route, however, has remained elusive. Only -lactams, which have five-membered rings, had been made via CH amidation, but it required expensive, rare metal catalysts that were inefficient, used harsh oxidising reagents and produced chemical waste. Now, researchers in the US and China have found a new approach using an iron-based enzyme derived from the haem-complex in myoglobin, a protein found in muscles.

Our methodology significantly improves upon previous methods in that it enables the cyclisation of dioxazolone substrates by means of an inexpensive, renewable and non-toxic iron-based enzyme, says Rudi Fasan, who led the work, formerly at the University of Rochester, now at the University of Texas at Dallas, US. This method offers excellent stereoselectivity, it is scalable and it has a particularly broad substrate scope, allowing for the synthesis of lactams of varying ring size.

The team were inspired by previous work that had shown iron-based enzymes could catalyse reactions and introduce nitrogen into substrates. Wondering if this could work in lactam synthesis using dioxazolone reagents as nitrene precursors, the researchers set about testing various iron-containing enzymes and proteins for their activity producing -lactams via CH amidation.

They arrived at an engineered myoglobin mutant, which the team had previously found had enhanced activity for nitrene transfer. Tests showed it reacted with dioxazolones to yield tiny yet detectable amounts of -lactam. Further mutations were then engineered in the active site of the mutant myoglobin to improve its performance.

Identifying an engineered variant and reaction conditions that maximise the productive reaction while minimising side reactions was critical, says Fasan. While we have previously found that engineered myoglobin features an unusually broad substrate scope, its applicability across different lactam ring sizes was particularly remarkable.

Results showed that the myoglobin catalyst could make a broad range of lactams including , and varieties in good yields. -lactams are particularly important for antibiotics. Whats more, the researchers demonstrated the simplicity and efficiency of the approach by producing two drug molecules one an alkaloid natural product, the other a synthetic drug in almost half the number of steps and in higher yields than other methods to make the same molecules.

The authors use stable, non-hazardous nitrene precursors derived from cheap and abundant carboxylic acids, so there is more chance that their method could find practical applications for scalable enzymatic synthesis of pharmaceuticals, says Jason Micklefield, a biocatalyst expert at the University of Manchester, UK. They also show that their new enzymes are amenable to engineering, broadening the substrate scope and even switching the enantioselectivity.

A key goal of our work is to make available to the synthetic community novel biocatalytic methods for stereoselective synthesis that are both enabling and practical, says Fasan. Because of the technical simplicity of the present method, its high stereoselectivity and scalability, we expect it will represent an attractive method for lactam synthesis in both academic settings and in industry.

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Biocatalysis breakthrough enables synthesis of lactam building blocks for drugs - Chemistry World

Trauma from experiencing extreme weather events and other climate disasters can change the way your brain works, making it harder to process information, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of California and California State University analyzed existing electroencephalography (EEG) scans taken from survivors of Californias 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history.

They then compared the group to a control population that had never been exposed to the fire, finding that those who had survived the fire showed significant differences in brain activity and cognitive function.

These findings are worthy of note, as much of the previous research related to climate change-caused disasters focused on more subjective, self-reported impacts like mood and stress disorders. Co-author Jyoti Mishra told The Hill that this study aimed to identify more objective changes to the brain.

And we find that indeed, there are specific cognitive differences relative to a control population that was never exposed to the fires, she told the outlet.

For instance, fire survivors were more prone to distractibility. They also appeared to have higher frontal lobe activity, which indicates they were putting in more effort to process information.

Over the last 50 years, the frequency of weather disasters has increased by five times, according to the World Meteorological Organization. These catastrophes kill an average of 115 people and cause an estimated $202 million in losses every day, WHO reports.

The new findings add to a body of research that explores how trauma affects the brain. For instance, researchers from the University of Rochester found that trauma can be life-changing for an individual, physically altering the brain, which appears to re-wire itself after these experiences.

We are learning more about how people exposed to trauma learn to distinguish between what is safe and what is not, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, one of the studys authors, told Neuroscience News. Their brain is giving us insight into what might be going awry in specific mechanisms that are impacted by trauma exposure, especially when emotion is involved.

Mishra says that the new study is important in understanding how natural disasters can affect mental wellness.

I think mental health has been overlooked for a long time in this context, Mishra told The Hill. The objective findings that we have, in terms of the cognitive and brain function changes, they are striking in that they appear even six months to a year after the first disaster actually hit. So the communities are living, in this case, with changes in their physiology that are long-lasting and coping with that stress on a daily basis.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.

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Research shows how a common form of trauma can seriously alter your brain chemistry: '[The findings] are striking' - Yahoo News

During a recent edition of Something to Wrestle, WWE executive Bruce Prichard compared the chemistry of The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) and The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) when they first started working together. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):

I think the chemistry that Shawn and Marty had with Bret and Anvil was gold. It was instant. Sometimes it takes a while for guys styles to mesh and really have that chemistry. In my opinion, from day one when they met, they had that chemistry. It was instantaneous, and it was enjoyable to watch.You got lost in the match versus a heel and a babyface. It was spectacular, and it wasnt a hokey babyface match. It was two exciting teams going out there and having a hell of a match. Two different styles, and I thought they gelled awesome together. It was some of the greatest matches.

More here:
Bruce Prichard on Chemistry With Hart Foundation & The Rockers - 411mania.com

A new machine learning tool can analyse wines chemical profiles and use this to accurately predict where they were produced. The system could aid the wine industrys efforts to authenticate the origins of its products.

Each wine has a complex chemical profile, which is shaped by things like the soil and climate of the area where the grapes were grown its terroir as well as the individual practices of the wine producer. While individual molecules can have a big impact on a wines flavour and can provide key insights as to where the wine was produced, the vast array of compounds within any wine makes analysing it a difficult task.

A research team led by Stphanie Marchand from the University of Bordeaux, France, and Alexandre Pouget from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, developed a machine learning system to analyse the full chemical profiles of various wines. The machine learning algorithms analysed unprocessed gas chromatograms of 80 different wines produced across 12 harvest years at seven wine estates in Frances Bordeaux region. From this information, the system could deduce which wines were produced on the same estates with 100% accuracy. The system deduced the wines vintage with 50% accuracy.

The researchers note that it remains to be seen how their GC-based classifier would perform when provided with the chemical profiles of wines from beyond the Bordeaux region. They also state that it would be interesting to compare the performance of their system with an expert human wine taster in a blind taste test.

See the rest here:
Machine learning tool fed red wines' chemical profiles can deduce where they're from - Chemistry World

MORGANTOWN It is one of the few things in this world you can run out of without having it to begin with.

Time.

It is no longer on the side of the WVU mens basketball team and its head coach Josh Eilert, yet its the one thing the Mountaineers need the most.

WVU STATS

Were trying to figure out our new identity offensively, Eilert said. Itll come with some time. Not that its an excuse, but thats where were at right now. Figure out that identity and that chemistry that is going to make us good in the end.

The revolving door has never stopped for WVU (4-7), which hosts Toledo (6-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday inside the Coliseum.

When its all said and done, WVU may wind up with four or five all-Big 12-type players in its lineup.

The kicker is none of them Quinn Slazinski, Noah Farrakhan, Kerr Kriisa, RaeQuan Battle or Jesse Edwards all played together in so much as one game.

That may not change until late January or early February, as Edwards recovers from surgery on his right wrist.

And while Edwards established himself as the teams go-to guy over the first two months of the season, he did so without Battle and Kriisa in the lineup.

Both guards will play today. Battle will be coming off his 29-point debut against Radford, held the same day Edwards was being operated on.

Kriisa scored 20 points in his season debut, but then struggled to score a game later when Battle made his debut.

Its going to click soon, Battle said. All it takes is a little bit of time and chemistry and trust with each other. Its going to jell pretty soon.

How soon is the question?

Normally, it doesnt take a long time, Battle continued. You just have to buy into what the coaches are telling you. If youre paying attention in practice and get your reps in like you should, it should be second nature.

The flip side to the coin is Eilert just isnt working in three new guys four if you count forward Akok Akok, who missed seven games this season with a medical condition.

Hes also got players like Josiah Harris, Kobe Johnson and Seth Wilson, who were playing more than 30 minutes a game to start the season, but now find themselves with different roles.

Getting some other guys some minutes that have to step up to help us is certainly a challenge, especially with the short time frame, Eilert said. Ive said it over and over Im a planning guy. I try to be organized and plan things, but every time I have a plan, a wrench gets thrown in it.

WVU was ranked No. 200 in the NCAA NET rankings Friday, the lowest of any Big 12 school.

Getting that turned around would be enough of a chore for any coach, let alone one like Eilert, who has yet to have a full deck of cards at his disposal.

Its been change after change, and like I said, theres been a lot of wrenches thrown into the process, Eilert said. Im growing as a coach and as a person. Im going to continue to fight like hell every day for our guys to make sure they are competing and playing the right way.

I think we can get some of this chemistry built. We need some consistency out on the floor. Were not there yet.

TOLEDO at WVU

WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday WHERE: WVU Coliseum TV: ESPN+ (Online subscription needed) RADIO: 100.9 JACK-FM WEB: dominionpost.com

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WVU hosts Toledo with hopes it can solidify some chemistry in a hurry - The Dominion Post

Dubbed Coscientist, the system uses the language model behind the chatbot ChatGPT. With a prompt such as perform multiple Suzuki reactions, the AI browses the internet to learn about the reactions, scours relevant literature and hardware documentation for information, and in minutes, outlines the procedures necessary to perform these reactions. It then writes a code, which a robot uses to run the experiment.

We are converting bits to atoms, says Gabe Gomes, a chemist and chemical engineer at Carnegie Mellon University, in a press briefing. Taking a natural language prompt, the bits, and converting it into an actual chemical reaction.

Coscientist could successfully perform the complex Nobel Prize-winning palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reaction named after Akira Suzuki with a 50% yield the very first time. It could also accurately plan procedures to synthesize common pharmaceutical compounds such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Gomes says he and his team are fully aware of the potential illicit use of Coscientist and are collaborating with other researchers and policymakers to prevent such misuse.

Tiago Rodrigues, a medicinal chemist at the University of Lisbon, says that Coscientist fills the important gap of communication necessary to meet the long-standing goal of self-driving labs. AI chemists such as Coscientist and ChemCrow, which was recently developed by another research team, could enable the full automation of the design-make-test cycle, he says. This can have tremendous impact in terms of productivity since researchers can dedicate their time to other tasks..

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AI chemist performs complex experiments based on plain text prompts - Chemical & Engineering News

Ask rival coaches in the Pac-12 about Washington, and almost all come back to the same larger point about this Huskies team: They just know how to win.

That seems like it would be an obvious point, considering two of the four teams in the College Football Playoff are undefeated and the other two are 12-1. But this vibe goes a little deeper for Kalen DeBoers team.

The nine Pac-12 coaches The Athletic interviewed for this scouting report, who were granted anonymity in exchange for candid opinions, admitted they expected Oregon to beat Washington in their rematch in the Pac-12 Championship Game. And yet, once again, the Huskies found a way to win.

The power of belief, resiliency and complete buy-in is a real thing in sports, especially with college teams.

GO DEEPER

Big 12 coaches on Texas vs. Washington: 'The best Texas team' in years

The biggest thing with these guys is that they know how to win, said one Pac-12 offensive line coach. Look at how many close games theyve won. Thats really cool. They keep grinding, believing. Honestly, I thought Oregon would get after them (in the rematch). I was surprised. You gotta give those guys a lot of credit.

Theyre on a 20-game win streak, said a Pac-12 wide receivers coach. We tend to forget that. It wasnt always pretty, but they found a way to win. Its hard to win games. Thats a true testament to their culture and the players in that locker room who have ice in their veins.

Over the past two years, the Huskies are 10-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less and 9-0 vs. Top 25 teams. DeBoer is 11-1 all-time against ranked opponents. Another Pac-12 O-line coach said he was shocked when Washington, almost a 10-point underdog, beat Oregon again.

It felt like those last three or four games they were holding on, he said. But then, they went out and whipped Oregon. It takes a lot of balls to win the way theyre winning. Theres something to be said about that. I think (DeBoer) is such a damn good football coach. I would not count those guys out.

They just have a special chemistry with all the pieces aligning, said a Pac-12 defensive analyst. I think they have this special camaraderie with all the vets on their team who decided to come back for one more year.

After having the nations No. 113 offense in yards per play in 2021, the year before DeBoer took over, Washington improved dramatically last year to No. 10 and led the country in passing. In the offseason, Nick Saban tried to hire offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who opted to remain in Seattle, and things have kept humming for the Huskies. Theyre up to No. 5 in yards per play and again lead the nation in passing. Theyre also third in plays of 30 yards or longer with 41.

They can score on anybody, said one Pac-12 head coach. Thats where theyre dangerous. They take a ton of shots downfield.

Theyre so well-coached and do such a good job with formations and protections, said a Pac-12 defensive analyst. Its very difficult to effectively blitz them. Credit to those coaches for making it so difficult with the way they position their receivers, tight ends and running backs in a non-normal alignment. They shift all over the place pre-snap.

Theyre one of the slowest operations in our conference. If you are bringing pressure, they get to a look that kinda blocks it up. They build those shot opportunities with all their shifts, dummy hard-counts. They get you on your heels because youre always trying to adjust.

In Michael Penix Jr., Washington has a strong-armed quarterback playing with a lot of confidence. Penix is connecting on 66 percent of his passes, and thats with a lot of tough downfield throws. His TD-to-INT ratio is 33-to-9.

Its really impressive how tight that ball spins coming out of his hand and with all the different throws he can make, said the defensive analyst. He takes a lot more downfield throws. Hes as talented a quarterback as Ive seen with touch on the ball.

He gets it out fast and I thought he was ridiculously accurate down the field, said a Pac-12 line coach. Its like a lot of those throws he makes are indefensible.

Theres not a throw he cant make, said a Pac-12 receivers coach. That thing spins, man. Its nice, light, catchable. Does a good job of buying extra time, sliding around and he has so much trust in his guys.

Its also hard to choose which is the better group Penix is working with between the O-line and the receivers. Both are elite and make rival coaches gush.

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SEC coaches on Bama vs. Michigan: Can the Wolverines score on the Tide D?

In Rome Odunze and JaLynn Polk, the Huskies have two 1,000-yard receivers. Odunze, who clocked a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and a 4.19 pro agility shuttle time this offseason, has 81 receptions for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns. Polk has 60 catches for 1,000 yards and eight TDs.

But the most dynamic of the Huskies big three is Jalen McMillan, who was slowed by a knee injury this season and has 34 catches for 468 yards and three touchdowns. McMillan looked ready to roll by the end of the season, as he led the Huskies in the Pac-12 title game with nine catches for 131 yards. In 2022, he led the team with nine TD grabs and also had 1,098 receiving yards.

McMillan, who has a baseball background, tracks the ball incredibly well. He also has elite short-area quickness. Polk has exceptionally strong hands and makes a lot of plays against double coverage. Hes their muscle, said a Pac-12 receivers coach. Odunze is ultra-competitive and is terrific after the catch.

Rome is very good at contested catches and he is really physical at the top of the route, said the defensive analyst. Theyre all so good at the battle for the ball. Theyre causing DBs to get PIs (pass interference).

Germie Bernard, a sophomore transfer from Michigan State, is another weapon.

They feed off of each other, said the receivers coach. Bernards playing well too, and hes good in the return game or theyll hand it to him and run sweeps. Any of them can beat you. The other thing a lot of people dont talk enough about is what they do up front. The last two years they have been just as good as anyone.

Washington allowed just 11 sacks in 13 games and ranks No. 2 in the FBS, behind only Oregon, in sack rate allowed at 2.2 percent, per TruMedia. Left tackle Troy Fautanu was honored with the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12s top offensive lineman. At 6 feet 4, 315 pounds, Fautanu is a 400-pound bencher who ran a 5.1 40 and vertical-jumped almost 30 1/2 inches.

Their O-line is incredibly athletic, said the defensive analyst. Fautanu is extremely athletic and plays with tenacity. He has a real edge. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten, at 6-6, 300 pounds, is also really good and considered a terrific technician. Parker Brailsford, a 6-2, 280-pound redshirt freshman, made second-team All-Pac-12 at center.

A Pac-12 offensive line coach said Fautanu and Rosengarten are the best two tackles in the Pac-12, particularly as it pertains to pass protection, but he did also note that the Huskies will be facing much bigger and better D-lines in the Playoff.

I dont think theyve played a defensive front like what theyre about to see (with Texas), said the coach. The best front we have in the Pac-12 was UCLA and then probably Oregon, but theyre not what Texas and Michigan have, or probably what Alabama has.

The other underrated aspect of the offense is Dillon Johnson,
their running back, who is third in the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,113 yards and 14 TDs. In games against ranked opponents, the Mississippi State transfer averaged 108 yards per game.

Theyve become so much more balanced in the last month, said one Pac-12 head coach. Johnson has rushed for 683 yards and eight TDs in the past five games.

He runs so hard, said a Pac-12 receivers coach. He has really good balance. Hes always moving forward, getting four and five yards a pop on first down. To me, hes become the difference.

The defense, ranked No. 67 in yards per play (up from No. 70 last year), is not what it was the last time Washington made the CFP in the 2016 season, when Vita Vea and Greg Gaines anchored a stout front and Budda Baker led a star-studded secondary.

It aint like they have those freak shows they used to have back there, said a Pac-12 offensive line coach. Theyre not dominant on that side of the ball, but theyre still pretty solid. (Bralen Trice) is a really good player. Take away what his stats say (8.5 TFLs, five sacks), he is really disruptive and shows up on tape. He can line up anywhere.

Trice, a junior, is probably not quite as well known nationally as the other edge player, Zion Tupuola-Fetui (ZTF), but he is the player most of the competition worried about more. Trice was named a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus.

ZTF is 20 pounds lighter, but hes still a slippery guy to block. He broke out in 2020, making seven TFLs and three forced fumbles in a pandemic-shortened season that was only four games for Washington. This year, hes made five TFLs and three sacks.

The ends are really good, said another Pac-12 O-line coach. Theyre physical and big. Theyll get after you. Their inside guys are just stout. If you just want to take em on straight, they can lock on you.

The leader of the defense is sixth-year former walk-on Edefuan Ulofoshio, who has 83 tackles and six TFLs. Hes missed only nine tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. Hes super smart and is their quarterback, said a Pac-12 receivers coach.

Linebackers Alphonzo Tuputala and Carson Bruener are also very solid. I think theyre OK at linebacker, better than average and average in the secondary, said a Pac-12 head coach.

If youre looking for a weakness on the defense, we thought it was their corners, said a Pac-12 receivers coach. If your front can protect, they can be had.

Another Pac-12 receivers coach agreed that the Huskies cornerbacks are where theyre probably most vulnerable, though he did say that he thinks theyre good around them.

Washington did allow the most plays of 30 yards or more in the Pac-12 (26), which ranked No. 123 in the country. Its something Steve Sarkisian, with a strong-armed quarterback and a dangerous group of receivers in his own right, will definitely look to exploit.

GO DEEPER

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Most of the coaches we spoke to said they could see this one going either way but leaned toward Texas.

I think Texas will present different problems for them that teams in our league couldnt, said a Pac-12 head coach. Those two inside guys (TVondre Sweat and Byron Murphy) are a lot better than any (defensive tackles) in the Pac-12, and I dont think Washington is particularly strong there.

Theyll be able to disrupt things for Washingtons offense and a lot of their stuff is shots down the field that are long-developing plays. Penix isnt going to have time. I also think Sark and his receivers can take advantage of a secondary that we didnt think was very good at all.

(Top photo: Jesse Beals / Icon Sportswire via Getty)

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Washington vs. Texas: Pac-12 coaches say Huskies team chemistry is their biggest thing - The Athletic

Its that time of the year when we rewind to memorable moments which brought joy and tugged at our hearts. Many of those moments were brought to us by couples who scorched many screens with their electrifying chemistry. Here are nine K-drama couples who stole the show and made viewers wish the reel would translate into real, because thats how convincing they were!

This drama takes place in Joseon, focusing on a man who swore to eternal bachelorhood and a woman who has not given up on love despite two failed marriages. My Dearest, starring Namgoong Minas Lee Jang Hyun and Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae, won hearts as well as topped ratings for its intense storyline, enthralling narrative, and even more so for the passionate and mesmerizing chemistry shared between the two leads. These two complement each other in every possible way. Both Gil Chae and Jang Hyun are self-assured, resilient, and loyal, and they endear with their altruism.

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Handsome rich boy Gu Won (Lee Junho) hates fake smiles and smiles in general. Behold the irony when he finds himself falling head-over-heels in love with Cheon Sa Rang (YoonA), who has a sunny smile on her face whatever be the circumstances. This groovy romance unfolds along the corridors of the hotel King The Land. Gu Won is the heir-in-waiting in a power struggle with his sister, and Sa Rang is one of the best employees and staff at the elusive hotel.

Lee Junho and YoonAs palpable chemistry is the true star of the show. Both popular idol-turned-actors, fans had been waiting to see them together on screen, and they didnt disappoint. The two endeared as Gu Won and Sa Rang, giving many cute moments and some squeal-worthy onscreen kisses. These two were shipped as one of the most popular onscreen pairs.

Moving is a superhero action drama about teenagers with hidden superhuman powers and their parents who, unbeknownst to them, harbor a painful secret from their pasts. Jo In Sung plays Kim Doo Sik, a black ops agent, while Han Hyo Joo plays Lee Mi Hyun, a former agent who later becomes a single mother. Kim Doo Sik and Lee Mi Hyun have a past, and when they meet, their turbulent history once again comes to the fore.

But what is undeniable is their chemistry, which was searing. The delicate portrayal of the romance between the two captivated viewers, and the development of their relationship was articulated through memorable gestures and their moving dialogues. Their on-screen kisses set the screens ablaze, and fans would not stop asking for more.

You can use me however you want, says Sung Hoons Seo Do Guk emotionally to Han Yi Joo (Jung Yoo Min). He found his way into her heart and to viewers hearts as well with that one phrase. He is a man who is willing to put himself out for a woman he loves and endure the harshest of circumstances. Han Ji Yoo wants revenge on her family and her husband, who have manipulated and mistreated her over the years. When she gets a second chance at life, she approaches the handsome yet aloof Seo Do Guk to enter into a contract marriage with her. He willingly obliges and becomes her frontman against all the wrongs done to her.

Perfect Marriage Revenge has it all: love, hate, betrayal, and some awesome performances by all the characters. Sung Hoon and Jung Yoo Min have a scorching chemistry, and one can feel the tense yet obvious attraction between the two.

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A high-flying lawyer named Jang Shin Yu (Rowoon) is tormented by a centuries-long family curse. He meets Lee Hong Jo (Jo Boh Ah), a diligent but low-ranking civil servant, who more or less keeps herself away from everyone. He realizes that she could be the one who holds the key to his salvation and help him break through his fate.

Destined With You combines the thrills of the supernatural along with some slapstick humor. However, what draws one in is the chemistry between Rowoon and Jo Bo Ah. Rowoon especially articulates to perfection how his character falls in love and falls first. These two gave us several romantic moments to savor as they battle forces of nature as well as play along with viewers heartstrings.

Its been a year, and Han Jun Hee (Jeon Yeo Been) has been grieving the passing of her boyfriend Yeon Jun (Ahn Hyo Seop) and is unable to find closure. On her birthday, Jun Hee receives a cassette player, and as she starts listening to the haunting melody Gather My Tears by Seo Ji Won, she is transported back in time to 1998. Waking up in the body of her doppelgnger, a high school student named Kwon Min Ju, she meets the confident and popular Si Heon (Ahn Hyo Seop), who looks exactly like her late boyfriend. Are their fates intertwined? And do the answers to her present lie in the past?

A time-slip drama which can be a bit confusing at times, this drama will still keep you riveted. The performances as well as the taut chemistry between Jeon Yeon Been and Ahn Hyo Seop will pull you in, and the attraction between the two pulses through as they navigate through loss and heartbreak.

A former national athlete name Nam Haeng Sun (Jeon Do Yeon) now runs a popular side dish store. She has devoted herself to bringing up her niece, Hae Yi (Roh Yoon Seo), and supporting her brother. Choi Chi Yeol (Jung Kyung Ho), a star instructor in one of the most sought-after academies, is strung and aloof to the point of being arrogant. They do seem like an unlikely couple, but when sparks fly, they are perfect. As the two strike a friendship which blossoms into love, they have their struggles and hardships to overcome.

Crash Course in Romance is a heartwarming story of how two people who are not really in the prime of youth look at romance and companionship.

Devilishly delicious is possibly the best way to describe the romance between Song Kangs Jung Gu Won and Kim Yoo Jungs Do Do Hee. She is a demon-like chaebol heiress, popularly called The Devil in Hermes, and she doesnt trust anyone. He is a gorgeous man, but is an actual demon who has lost his powers. As they find themselves on a blind date of sorts, it is the start of their nonstop bickering and ranting. As circumstances lead to a contractual marriage between the two, what is undeniable is their irresistible chemistry, which is nothing less than fire. Their piercing gazes and obvious attraction plays havoc onscreen.

Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung make an arrestingly handsome couple and will most probably have you squealing in delight. The color palette and impeccable styling in this show gets another vote as well itll be hard to see a more gorgeously turned out couple.

Han Hae Na (Park Gyu Young) is a teacher who feels she is cursed to a life of loneliness, and it is all due to her rather strange malady. She turns into a dog whenever kissed by a man. One day, she mistakenly kisses her colleague Jin Seo Won (Cha Eun Woo), the handsome math teacher. The inevitable happens and she turns into a dog. And the only way to rectify this is for Seo Won to kiss her back so she can turn back into a human. But the catch is that Seo Won is petrified of dogs.

Cha Eun Woo and Park Gyu Young give a woof-worthy show, and the cute romance unfolding between the two has made everyone give it a paw up. The initial awkwardness and the gentle pull of attraction is pretty sweet as these two find their way around the other.

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Hey Soompiers, which one of these couples had the best chemistry? Let us know in the comments below!

Puja Talwaris a Soompi writer with a strongYang YangandLee Junhobias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewedLee Min Ho,Gong Yoo,Cha Eun Woo, andJi Chang Wookto name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

Currently watching:Welcome to Samdalri

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9 K-Drama Couples Who Scorched The Screens With Their Chemistry In 2023 - soompi

Rochester researchers have reported a strategy to understand how quantum coherence is lost for molecules in solvent with full chemical complexity. The findings open the door to the rational modulation of quantum coherence via chemical design and functionalization. Credit: Anny Ostau De Lafont

The findings can be used to design molecules with custom quantum coherence properties, laying the chemical foundation for emerging quantum technologies.

In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states at the same time, defying the logic of everyday experiences. This property, known as quantum superposition, is the basis for emerging quantum technologies that promise to transform computing, communication, and sensing. But quantum superpositions face a significant challenge: quantum decoherence. During this process, the delicate superposition of quantum states breaks down when interacting with its surrounding environment.

To unlock the power of chemistry to build complex molecular architectures for practical quantum applications, scientists need to understand and control quantum decoherence so that they can design molecules with specific quantum coherence properties. Doing so requires knowing how to rationally modify a molecules chemical structure to modulate or mitigate quantum decoherence. To that end, scientists need to know the spectral density, the quantity that summarizes how fast the environment moves and how strongly it interacts with the quantum system.

Until now, quantifying this spectral density in a way that accurately reflects the intricacies of molecules has remained elusive to theory and experimentation. But a team of scientists has developed a method to extract the spectral density for molecules in solvent using simple resonance Raman experimentsa method that captures the full complexity of chemical environments. Led by Ignacio Franco, an associate professor of chemistry and of physics at the University of Rochester, the team published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using the extracted spectral density, it is possible not only to understand how fast the decoherence happens but also to determine which part of the chemical environment is mostly responsible for it. As a result, scientists can now map decoherence pathways to connect molecular structure with quantum decoherence.

Chemistry builds up from the idea that molecular structure determines the chemical and physical properties of matter. This principle guides the modern design of molecules for medicine, agriculture, and energy applications. Using this strategy, we can finally start to develop chemical design principles for emerging quantum technologies, says Ignacio Gustin, a chemistry graduate student at Rochester and the first author of the study.

The breakthrough came when the team recognized that resonance Raman experiments yielded all the information needed to study decoherence with full chemical complexity. Such experiments are routinely used to investigate photophysics and photochemistry, but their utility for quantum decoherence had not been appreciated. The key insights emerged from discussions with David McCamant, an associate professor in the chemistry department at Rochester and an expert in Raman spectroscopy, and with Chang Woo Kim, now on the faculty at Chonnam National University in Korea and an expert in quantum decoherence, while he was a postdoctoral researcher at Rochester.

The team used their method to show, for the first time, how electronic superpositions in thymine, one of the building blocks of DNA, unravel in just 30 femtoseconds (one femtosecond is one-millionth of one billionth of a second) following its absorption of UV light. They found that a few vibrations in the molecule dominate the initial steps in the decoherence process, while solvent dominates the later stages. In addition, they discovered that chemical modifications to thymine can significantly alter the decoherence rate, with hydrogen-bond interactions near the thymine ring leading to more rapid decoherence.

Ultimately, the teams research opens the way toward understanding the chemical principles that govern quantum decoherence. We are excited to use this strategy to finally understand quantum decoherence in molecules with full chemical complexity and use it to develop molecules with robust coherence properties, says Franco.

Reference: Mapping electronic decoherence pathways in molecules by Ignacio Gustin, Chang Woo Kim, David W. McCamant and Ignacio Franco, 28 November 2023,Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309987120

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Scientists Just Cracked a Quantum Puzzle: New Strategy Reveals Full Chemical Complexity of Quantum Decoherence - SciTechDaily

If youve missed seeing My Dearest stars Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin together on screen, Knowing Bros (Ask Us Anything) has you covered!

On December 24, the popular JTBC variety show aired a sneak peek of its next episode, which will feature the two actors as guests.

The preview begins with Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin back in character as Lee Jang Hyun and Yoo Gil Chae from their hit drama My Dearest. Knowing Bros cast members Seo Jang Hoon and Kang Ho Dong then try to replicate their romantic chemistry, with Kang Ho Dong coyly winking for the camera as Seo Jang Hoon pulls him in for a hug.

After the Knowing Bros cast members reminisce about the plot of My Dearest, Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin share behind-the-scenes stories from the shoot. Super Juniors Kim Heechul notes that back when the drama was still airing, the time slots for My Dearest and Knowing Bros overlapped, and My Dearest consistently beat their show in viewership ratings. Namgoong Min jokingly replies, You guys need to find strength after losing to My Dearest all the time.

The Knowing Bros members then try their hand at acting through a historical drama of their very own, with Ahn Eun Jin searching for her true dearest among Namgoong Min and the cast members. The actress also dances to NewJeans Hype Boy at one point during her search.

Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jins episode of Knowing Bros will air on January 6 at 8:50 p.m. KST. Check out the full preview below!

In the meantime, watch Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin in My Dearest on Viki here:

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Watch: Namgoong Min And Ahn Eun Jin Show Off Their Real-Life Chemistry In Knowing Bros Preview - soompi

Much like superhero movies, romantic comedies have also had a quiet year in Hollywood. From Reese WitherspoonsYour Place or Mineto Jennifer LawrencesNo Hard Feelings, most high-profile romantic comedies have neither managed to boast an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score nor cross the $100 million mark at the box office.

Early reactions to Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powells R-rated rom-comAnyone but Yousuggest the ending of 2023 is not going to be any better for the genre. In this specific case, the reason behind the underwhelming reviews ironically might have to do with the great chemistry between the lead stars.

Read more:I almost died falling off a cliff taking my pants off: Glen Powell Details Embarrassing Moment of Getting Naked In Front of Sydney Sweeney

Often, in the case of romantic comedies, the biggest draw for viewers is the dynamic between stars rather than the storyline itself. The friction between the lead pair is usually a staple of the genre and a source of the majority of the laughs.

FromThe Proposal(Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds) andKnocked Up(Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen) toYouve Got Mail(Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) all highly-admired movies have main characters who bring very different things (and personalities) to the table initially before slowly understanding each other and eventually falling for each other.

In that regard,Sydney SweeneyandGlen Powells enemies-to-lovers story about Bea and Ben, who after a sour initial attraction are forced to pretend to be the perfect couple at a destination wedding in Australia, has left critics disappointed. Sweeney and Powells chemistry is so good that they never really manage to convince the viewers that they really dislike each other after their first date ends badly.

Richard Lawson ofVanity Fairnotes:

Theres not enough friction, not enough tension between difference and similarity. Neither character is scrappy, neither is an underdog, neither is believable in their insecurity.

Another complaint about Anyone but You,which is now in theaters, is that the focus on Powells incredible physique and Sweeneys beautiful appearance makes it tough for viewers to see them acting as regular individuals. Director Will Gluck has simply failed to make his characters relatable.

Read more:Anything can kill you in Australia: Sydney Sweeney Went Through Excruciating Pain After a Freak Incident While Shooting Anyone But You

One of the reasons fans might find it hard to overlook their adorable on-screen chemistry is many headlines about an alleged affair between them during the filming ofAnyone but You.It all started when Sweeney and Powell were pictured looking deeply in love during their movies filming in Australia earlier this year.

However, both actors have frequently denied such suggestions. Sweeney, 26, recently revealed that such claims affected her co-star, stating toGlamour:

It was really hard on Glen, which made me sad because [otherwise] it was such a beautiful experience for the both of us. I care for him so much.

The 35-year-old was in a relationship with Jehane-Marie Gigi Paris at the time the rumors concerning his romance with Sweeney started to fly. Recently, Powell and Paris decided to split. Meanwhile, theEuphoriastar is engaged to Jonathan Davino.

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"Neither is believable in their insecurity": Sydney Sweeney's Undeniable Chemistry With Glen Powell Has Ruined Their ... - FandomWire

GoldieBlox and Discovery Education are teaming up to launch Maker High, a Roblox experience and resource for educators to teach chemistry in middle and high school classrooms.

In Maker High, kids can learn through Chem Lab Escape, a virtual escape room set in a lab where high school students explore core concepts of chemistry. Different challenges include combining elements and solutions to create chemical reactions and adding and removing heat energy to water to navigate an obstacle course.

GoldieBlox has over a decades worth of experience making STEM fun and inclusive, especially for girls who have been traditionally excluded from STEM fields, says Debbie Sterling, CEO and Founder of GoldieBlox. Maker High empowers students to understand and master STEM concepts. Maker High makes learning fun by meeting students where they already are: on Roblox. Every detail of these resources is thoughtfully designed to strike that hard-to-reach balance of entertainment and academic rigor, all while delivering the learning content in an accessible, inclusive way.

Maker High is also supplemented by student-driven activities and investigations that comply with Next Generation Science Standards and help teachers educate kids on particle motion and types of chemical reactions.

Research shows that game-based learning proves an effective teaching tool in an educators toolbox, says Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Social Impact at Discovery Education.

Downloadable lesson plans inspired by Maker High will be available at makerhigh.discoveryeducation.com to go with the new game.

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GoldieBlox and Discovery Education Combine 'Roblox' with Chemistry Class - The Toy Book

Biophysicists might be able to answer the question of why the chemical building blocks which formed the first life on earth were able to survive despite being bathed in gamma radiation.

Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Its estimated that the first life on our planet single-celled organisms emerged out of the primordial soup of chemicals in the first oceans 4 billion years ago. But its not clear why radiation didnt prevent these chemicals from forming life in the first place.

Today, Earth is protected from harmful cosmic radiation by our magnetic field. Scientists arent clear on the exact age, but its estimated that the magnetic field only formed, at most, about 3.5 billion years ago.

Such radiation causes the production of reactive forms of oxygen that damage organic molecules.

New research published in Nature Communications suggests that the first cell-like structures on Earth contained radiation-resistant manganese antioxidants, protecting the first cells to evolve.

Previous studies have shown that chains of phosphate residues and manganese ions protect organic molecules from oxidative stress caused by radiation. This has been seen in the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, which is resistant to high doses of gamma radiation.

Two models of the first cells, called protocells, are proposed in the new research. These coacervates (liquid droplets that model protocells) are polyphosphate-manganese and polyphosphate-peptide coacervates.

Exposure to high levels of gamma radiation saw the polyphosphate-manganese coacervates stay intact while the polyphosphate-peptide coacervates were destroyed.

The authors, led by biophysicist Professor Bing Tian from the Zheijiang University in China, believe that this could give an insight into how protocells formed and were able to survive high radiation on early Earth.

They suggest that a polyphosphate-manganese coacervate might have provided protection for proteins and the first DNA molecules that were absorbed into the first protocells.

These protocells would over a billion years evolve into the first cyanobacteria and eventually eukaryotic cells which would evolve into the first animals.

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Why didn't radiation prevent life on Earth from starting? - Cosmos

5 December 2023

Did your chemistry lessons involve baking chocolate lava cakes? Have you ever wanted to eat your biology homework? While Lessons in Chemistry brought a fictional cooking-as-chemistry story to TV viewers this fall, real-life scientist Pia Srensens students are some of the few who can actually answer yes.

Srensens directs Harvard Universitys Science and Cooking program, which teaches science lessons through the culinary arts. She is the author and editor of several books, including the best-seller Science and Cooking: Physics meets Food, from Homemade to Haute Cuisine.

In this episode of CultureLab, Pia explains how understanding chemistry and biology can help us to make the perfect cheese sauce, offers up a masterclass in fermentation and teaches us what insects have to do with why your avocado goes brown and why acids can stop the process. She also describes how to make Lutfisk, Swedens gelatinous answer to ceviche, an admittedly acquired taste of a dish.

To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com.

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CultureLab: Teaching science through cooking with Pia Sorenson's real life 'Lessons in Chemistry' - New Scientist

Heavy rains most likely caused low salinity and dissolved oxygen rates in Casco Bay this year, raising long-term pollution and productivity concerns for the local section of the fast-warming Gulf of Maine, according to the Friends of Casco Bay.

Casco Bay remains healthy overall, but the near-shore waters face a plethora of threats, especially stormwater pollution, that are exacerbated by the extreme rain events and rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change, Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca said.

A marine environment is dynamic, changing with every tide and season, but climate change is speeding up those natural changes to alarming rates, Frignoca said. The changes are coming too fast now. Nature cant keep up. We arent keeping up. A way of life is vanishing.

Casco Bay is warming by about a degree every decade, according to three decades worth of data from two dozen seasonal and real-time monitoring sites. Once-productive mudflats are devoid of clams. Eelgrass beds are disappearing. Near-shore lobstermen now fish 24 miles out to sea.

The region is responding to the changes as best it can, Frignoca said building oyster shell reefs to prevent salt marsh erosion and studying how to develop heat-resistant strains of eelgrass but this years heavy rains show the unexpected impact that climate change can have on the sprawling inlet.

The salinity level was too low to have been caused by direct rainfall alone, Chief Scientist Mike Doan said. Such swings could only be caused by massive amounts of stormwater runoff cascading off the impervious surfaces of Maines most densely developed communities.

And with that much more stormwater runoff about 250 million gallons of it from Portland alone compared with 70 million gallons in a dry year comes all the pollutants that stormwater runoff is likely to carry, from forever chemicals to microplastics to excess nitrogen.

Nitrogen is necessary for plant growth, but when stormwater runoff dumps too much sewage and agricultural or lawn runoff into the bay, it can trigger a population explosion of phytoplankton that smothers mud flats, closes clam beds, and chokes out eelgrass beds.

Doan is anxiously awaiting the results of this years nitrogen tests to come back from the lab.

While reduced salinity is a warning sign about polluted runoff and could post longer-term threats, it hasnt declined enough yet to have direct effects on marine life.

Dissolved oxygen is often used as an overall indicator of the health of the bay, Doan said. In its pristine state, Casco Bay is a cold, oxygen-rich home to 850 species of marine life. As the bay warms, oxygen rates are expected to decline, he said warm water cant hold as much oxygen.

Continuous sensors deployed off Portland, Falmouth and Harpswell showed the dissolved oxygen rate was below the six-year daily average in January and February, from April to June, and from July through September. For weeks at a time, this years oxygen rate was the lowest recorded in that time.

Although lower than normal, Doan said the oxygen rates were not so low as to pose an immediate threat to marine life, Doan said. He said it is too early to tell if this one-year decline possibly caused by a decline in photosynthesis brought on by overcast skies will turn into a long-term trend.

The problem is expected to intensify with climate change as the Northeast region of the U.S. sees more rainfall and more frequent extreme precipitation events that dump 2 or more inches of rain in a day, according to the latest National Climate Assessment.

Frignoca plans to present the Friends of Casco Bays findings to the Maine Climate Council, which is working on an update to the states climate action plan, and to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, which is about to start work on an overhaul of the states stormwater runoff regulations.

The new regulations should require developers to prepare for more frequent and intense rainfall in a hotter, wetter Maine, Frignoca said. To address Portlands needs, the regulatory scope should be broadened to apply to redeveloped properties and lots with less than an acre of paved surface.

She thinks the regulations should promote low-impact development and require projects to treat stormwater runoff before it can be discharged into a water body, like is currently being done on many newly built schools and in the parking area around The Maine Mall.

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As Casco Bay warms, climate change alters its chemistry in unexpected ways - Press Herald

Though The Marvels did not set the box office on fire, the chemistry between Brie Larsons Captain Marvel, Iman Vellanis Ms Marvel, and Teyonah Parris Monica Rambeau, was the bright spark of the film. One of the entertaining threads that ran through the plotline, was Vellanis Ms Marvel attempting to come up with creative superhero names for Parris Monica Rambeau.

While the Ms Marvel star put forth many fun monikers for the character, the name Nova that she suggested, made audiences wonder if she was hinting at the potential future appearance of Richard Rider, aka Nova, in a possible Young Avengers film. Vellani though, was quick to clarify that she was in fact, wanting to see another version of the character.

Also Read: Dont move too much: Despite Being the Biggest MCU Fan, Iman Vellani Finds 1 Aspect of Filming to be Highly Embarrassing

The culmination of The Marvels starring Brie Larson and Iman Vellani, dropped major hints about a potential Young Avengers roundup which could be the next big project for the MCU. While there is still no confirmation or information regarding this, Vellani, for her part, seemed to hint at the presence of one Marvel character who could play a significant role, if the film materialized.

The Ms Marvel actors entertaining game of finding a superhero name for Monica Rambeau in the film, led to audiences wondering if one of the names, Nova, was indicative of the Marvel character Richard Rider aka Nova, and his possible inclusion in a film based on Young Avengers.

Vellani though, was quick to state that she was actually a fan of the other iteration of the character named Sam Alexander, a thirteen-year-old hero who inherited a Nova helmet from his father. While the young star was hypothetically open to having both versions of Nova, she spoke to The Direct about why Sam Alexander appealed to her, along with her affinity for Miles Morales and The Champions comics, in which her character Kamala Khan also features.

I love Sam Alexander, and I love Miles [Morales]. Im a big fan of The Champions comics, especially the more recent runs. Like Kamala, Miles, and Sam, their chemistry is so sweet. And I want her to have like more that young energy in her life. So yeah, those two would probably be my top choice. I think.

When asked if Champions would be a better name for her team than Young Avengers, Vellani stated that she loved the former, but wasnt sure how the fan base would react to the name.

Also Read: I would love to see that: Iman Vellani Reveals Her Pick For Ms. Marvel Season 2 Villain

The possibility of a Young Avengers film in the MCU is still in a very nascent stage. But that didnt stop Ms Marvel star Iman Vellani from dreaming about a potential team of young superheroes led by her character Kamala Khan. While the star held her cards close to her chest regarding the various young superheroes who could feature in the ensemble, she expressed her desire to see a crossover with Tom Hollands Spider-Man. In an interview with The Direct, Vellani said,

I would love to see a team-up [with Tom Hollands Spider-Man]. Their team-ups in the comics are honestly one of my favorites. So, that would be cool.

Like The Marvels actor, fans too would be extremely eager to see these two young stars join forces sometime in the future. Until then, it remains to be seen if Marvel and Kevin Feige make a Young Avengers film happen.

Also Read: Iman Vellani was Proven Wrong About 1 MCU Debate that Even Confused the Fans

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Their chemistry is so sweet: Despite Hinting at a Potential Nova Debut in the MCU, Iman Vellani Does Not Have Her ... - FandomWire

Real Chemistry has eliminated 66 positions, representing 3% of its 2,000-person workforce.

The impacted employees, spanning varying departments, were provided severance packages including healthcare benefits and career support to ease the transition, said Real Chemistry CEO Shankar Narayanan.

These changes are both necessary and difficult, given the market headwinds faced by our clients and the impact to our business, Narayanan said in a statement to PRWeek. We approached making them in a thoughtful way and believe they help us be more agile in how we partner with our clients and continue to invest in innovation that exceeds their expectations.

He added that Real Chemistry has always stayed fluid, and it made sense to do this now to support our continued growth in 2024.

The reduction comes amid recent leadership additions. Rachi Govil joined Real Chemistry as chief client officer of integrated marketing communications in September; Steve Behm was added to lead the crisis and corporate reputation practice in August; and Brian Tjugum joined as global social impact practice leader the same month.

Real Chemistry joins a series of firms cutting back on staffing this year. Ketchum let go of more than 20 employees this week; BCW laid off 21 North America employees earlier this month; Zeno Group eliminated 3% of its global workforce in June; Edelman laid off about 240 employees, or 4% of its workforce; and WE let go of less than 5% of its staff the same month.

Additionally, Praytell laid off fewer than 10 employees due to a bogey in May and Weber Shandwick eliminated the roles of just under two dozen staff members in late February.

Real Chemistry reported a revenue increase of 17% to $555 million globally and 18% to $513 million in the U.S. in 2022, according to PRWeeks 2023 Agency Business Report.

This article originally appeared on PRWeek US.

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Real Chemistry eliminates 3% of its workforce - MM+M Online