November is a big month for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Chemical Security every year. It marks the anniversaries of CISAs two cornerstone chemical security programs, as well as the anniversary of CISA as an organization, and it is also the nations Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month. Under normal circumstances, the CISA Chemical Security team is hard at work every November celebrating the annual accomplishments of our teammates, developing strategic plans for the coming year, and setting new programmatic milestones to keep the American people safe and secure from the threat of chemical terrorism.

But 2023 is not a normal November for CISA Chemical Security. This summer, Congress allowed the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) programs statutory authority to expire, leaving our nation without a regulatory chemical security program for the first time in 15 years. Rather than celebrating the programs 16th anniversary Nov. 20, we are facing a more somber milestone: today marks four months since the expiration of the CFATS program.

As we call on all Americans to Resolve to be Resilient, we are also testing our own resilience within the CISA Chemical Security family. CISA continues to urge Congress to reauthorize the CFATS program. CFATS provides essential resilience for the chemical industry by enabling chemical facility owners and operators to understand the risks associated with their chemical security holdings, develop site security plans and programs, conduct site inspections, coordinate with local law enforcement and first responders, and continue to reevaluate each facilitys security posture based on changes in its chemical holdings and threat nexus. We at CISA follow our own advice: we believe in putting the right security plans and countermeasures in place before an incident occurs to reduce the risk of incidents occurring and improving resilience during and after incidents to reduce the impact on our communities and our nation. You can learn more about these security and resilience principles through CISAs Shields Ready campaign, which includes four key pillars:

Identifying Critical Assets

Through CFATS, CISA screened more than 40,000 chemical facilities, identified 3,200 of those sites as high-risk, and worked with those facilities to understand the risks posed by their chemical holdings and develop appropriate security plans. CISA was constantly monitoring the landscape of dangerous chemicals across the nation as individual facilities tiered in and out of the program based on increases or decreases in these chemical holdings. Without CFATS, our agency no longer has an accurate national profile of the locations of these dangerous chemicals. We estimate that over the past four months, a minimum of 200 new chemical facilities have already acquired dangerous chemicals that ought to be more carefully secured; other facilities could be stockpiling these chemicals in excess of their existing security precautions, increasing the risk of terrorist exploitation.

Assessing Risk

The ability to screen personnel is an essential component of security when a chemical facility is deciding whether to grant an employee unescorted access to dangerous chemicals or critical assets. Under CFATSs Personnel Surety Program, chemical facilities could submit names of personnel with or seeking access to dangerous chemicals and critical assets; CISA would then vet those names against the Terrorist Screening Database. As of July 2023, CISA was conducting terrorist vetting on an average of 9,000 names per month. Based on this rate of vetting, CISA estimates that in the past four months, facilities have had to make decisions on granting access to about 36,000 employees without their being vetted beforehand by CISA for terrorist ties. Prior to the lapse in authority, CFATS identified more than 10 individuals with possible ties to terrorism over the lifetime of the Personnel Surety Program. Given that rate of vetting, CISA likely would have identified an individual with or seeking access to dangerous chemicals as a known or suspected terrorist at some point over the past four months. We cannot sound the alarm loudly enough: every day this program is offline is too long.

Security Planning

Under CFATS, chemical facilities were required to develop site-specific security plans to mitigate the risks associated with possession of dangerous chemicals. Without CFATS, we cannot inspect high-risk sites or assist these facilities with security planning efforts unless they approach the agency voluntarily for an assessment via the ChemLock program. We were conducting an average of 160 site inspections every month under CFATS; of those, more than a third identified security gaps, which were then added to site security plans for remediation. We can safely estimate that hundreds of security gaps have gone unidentified since July, meaning that chemical facilities are operating with no knowledge of these gaps or guidance on how to address them.

Continual Improvement

CISA Chemical Security and the high-risk facilities previously regulated by CFATS worked together to ensure continuous improvement and adapt to the changing threat environment. Through regular and recurring CFATS compliance inspections, we were able to provide lessons learned and best practices to address emerging threats and challenges and, based on the performance-based nature of the regulation, require facilities to amend security plans to account for these risks. This, in conjunction with updated guidance and resources, helped to ensure continuous growth in the chemical security community. Prior to the lapse in authority, this process was going to be further enhanced by a proposed rulemaking effort to enhance the physical and cybersecurity standards required of CFATS.

For facilities, the steady continuity of the CFATS program meant that they could project their security budgets years in advance; this is why CISA has traditionally supported long-term program reauthorization. Reliable and reasonable regulation bolsters resilience by allowing industry to make wise choices and build security into their budgets. Suddenly allowing the program to expire with no alternative in place has already led to confusion and concern across the chemical industry, reducing the chemical sectors resilience in the face of an ever-changing threat landscape.

Looking Ahead

For CISA Chemical Security, resilience means showing up to work, day after day, determined to keep dangerous chemicals out of the hands of terrorists by fighting for the reauthorization of CFATS and doing everything that we can on a voluntary basis in the meantime. Our staff have been unwavering in their dedication to the chemical security mission. While the CFATS program is lapsed, we continue to offer expertise to chemical facilities on a voluntary basis through the ChemLock program, which is available to any facility with dangerous chemicals regardless of whether they were previously tiered under CFATS. Inspectors nationwide continue to offer on-site assessments and assistance, which chemical facilities may request via the ChemLock Services Request Form on the ChemLock homepage. Let me be clear, however: while the voluntary ChemLock program complements the CFATS program, it is in no way a replacement for CFATS.

We know the threat of chemical terrorism did not go away simply because the CFATS program expired. We know the best practices to protect dangerous chemicals against terrorist exploitation still work, and we continue to strive to share that knowle
dge with the chemical industry via the ChemLock program on a voluntary basis. But as we ask the nation to reflect on its security posture and Resolve to #BeResilient, we must face the fact that the absence of the CFATS program is a national security gap too great to ignore. As we call on the American people to examine the resiliency plans for the critical infrastructure that supports our everyday lives, we at CISA also call on Congress to reauthorize CFATS as a pillar of security and resilience for the nations chemical sector. This is a resolution we cannot afford to break.

To stay up to date about CISAs chemical security programs, be sure to follow CISA on Twitter and LinkedIn, and follow the hashtags #CFATS and #ReauthorizeCFATS for the latest news about CFATS reauthorization.

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Resilience in a Time of Uncertainty: National Chemical Security ... - CISA

With the Season One finale of Lessons in Chemistry airing last Friday, were reminiscing on the deliciousness that graced our screens. While thinking about re-creating a recipe from the show, you may be unsure of where to even startshould you go classic with the comforting chicken pot pie, or is settling on a vintage dessert the way to go?

Lucky for you (and for us!), we talked to Chef Courtney McBroom, the Apple TV+ shows food consultant and recipe developer, for her advice. But first, she shared how she was able to incorporate her love of old-fashioned cooking and baking into each dish.

I'm obsessed with vintage cooking and that's one of the reasons why I ended up working on the show, McBroom said in an interview with EatingWell. I have a huge collection of vintage cookbooks, so a lot of the food that I make is already very similar to some of the stuff that we put on the show. I grew up watching Julia Child and even Martha Stewartwhich clearly isn't the 50s or 60s, but I feel like it's all the same vibe: big casseroles, large roasts, things of that nature.

Want to know the recipe that McBroom recommends for any level of chef or home cook to try? Its actually a chocolaty dessert thats easy to make ahead.

I think that not only the easiest but also potentially the most delicious are the Lunchbox Brownies, she said. They're chocolate peanut butter brownies and they're so easy to makeand they're so gooey and delicious! I would say that one's a good starter recipe.

Get the Recipe: Lunchbox Brownies

Theyre a dessert that the whole family will love, and theyre given the name Lunchbox Brownies for a reasontheyre easy to pack alongside a lunch! Using simple ingredients, these brownies remind us of our own Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Brownies.

However, if youre up for a more tedious recipe, McBroom has two personal favorites that she loved making for the show: The Perfect Lasagna and The Garden Galette.

I have to mention the lasagna because it's delicious, she explained. We put so much time and energy into perfecting the lasagna and it's so heavily featured on the show, but I also really love the galette, which is in the scene where Elizabeth is making this beautiful vegetable galette and she's rolling it out, and then it pans up and you can see it coming out of the oven. And it's so pretty, that was one of the first scenes that we did and was one of the first things I made. That will always be very special for me.

For more recipes from the first season, check out the whole catalog of pies, savory dishes and more on the shows website. And if youre looking for healthier options that replicate these beloved classics, take a look at this collection of vintage recipes just like Grandma used to make.

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The Easiest Recipe to Make from 'Lessons in Chemistry,' According ... - EatingWell

The Chicago Blackhawks are not a winning team. They havent been for quite some time now but they have been rebuilding the right way ever since Kyle Davidson took over as the GM of the team.

The farm system is in great shape and there are some good young players in the NHL lineup right now. Of course, they are led by Connor Bedard who was the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He has lived up to his generational talent hype since coming into the league.

Defenseman Kevin Korchinski has been a big part of the rebuild as well. The Hawks made him a 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and he made his NHL debut this year along with Bedard.

Although one is a forward and the other is a defenseman, these two are starting to put some chemistry together on the ice.

They were both good with each other at the 2022-23 World Junior Championships playing for Team Canada. They ended up winning the Gold Medal as a team and both of them were a big part of it.

On Thursday night, the Hawks took a beating from the Detroit Red Wings. However, the one goal that they scored will make Blackhawks fans happy. Lukas Reichel scored a goal thanks to a really nice play made by Korchinski and Bedard.

This is one of many examples of these two making big plays together on the ice. Even when they miss, they are creating chances. They believe that they can make an impact on every shift which is great. If they are confident, the rest of the team can follow their lead even though they are the young ones.

Another good example is the overtime winner that Korchinski scored set up by Bedard last week against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a big moment for them as they made a big play together and the team ended a losing streak because of it.

A lot of what Chicago does over the next handful of years is going to be with these two in the middle of it all. It should be a lot of fun watching them grow and develop their game.

On Friday, the league announced that Connor Bedard is the Rookie of the Month for November. He had six goals and six assists for 12 points during that time. He is making such a big impact right away which is exactly what this team needed.

There wont be a lot of winning down the stretch but that just means another good player will be drafted high in the 2024 draft. As long as these two keep playing well and developing, the Blackhawks will be alright. They are back in action on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.

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Blackhawks stars Korchinski and Bedard have incredible chemistry - Puck Prose

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Despite a late-November release, Emerald Fennells Saltburn has quickly become one of the years most talked-about movies, already generating Oscar buzz. Ahead of the films screening at Austin Film Festival last month, The Daily Texan sat down with the Academy Award-winning writer-director to talk about her new film.

The Daily Texan: What was the most important lesson you brought from your first film, Promising Young Woman, when making Saltburn?

Emerald Fennell: With Promising, it was (made in) a short amount of time and I had a specific idea in my head that wasnt obvious to other people initially. We had an amazing time, but there wasnt time to have the moments of collaboration, which means you end up with really special, interesting and complicated things. We were running against the clock. This time, having more time in prep so I could dig into the production design even more than I had in Promising Young Woman let people be their best.

DT: Did having that extra time benefit your writing or directing process more?

EF: The writing process is always the same. Ive been visiting Saltburn in my head for eight years it was one of the imaginary worlds I visited a lot. I live in the world and go there as Oliver, and then bit by bit, the story and the characters coalesce and then after years and years, certain scenes are done. And then things change and once it stops changing, once the story is finished, I write it down. In terms of directing, I didnt want to make something with an insane budget (or) an insane amount of time because that makes it a bit slack. Youve got to be up against the clock and up against the budget, making everything work and having to be imaginative all the time.

DT: What was your intention with the mirror symbolism that permeates the film?

EF: So much of it was me and (cinematographer) Linus (Sandgren) talking about doubling and not only the idea of the doppelganger, but our identities and how unbelievably fractured and elusive they are. It made sense that you would always be seeing somebody looking at themselves but not quite themselves or seeing versions of them duplicated. But also, theres something about this genre and the nature of those houses which lends itself to voyeurism. The idea of these houses is that there are eyes everywhere but you never see them and there are hands that you never see clearing everything away because the staff only appear once the family leave. Theres a sexy voyeurism built into the architecture of the houses. And of course the thing about the mirror thats so important is that you can break it but it just gets fixed you can never really break it.

DT: What made Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi the right pair to put at the center of this film?

EF: So much of its about chemistry. Barrys got this extraordinary, fascinating, enigmatic charisma. Jacob is similarly charismatic but (hes) much more open. Theyre a brilliant pair because theyre both doing something very different but equally powerful. I hadnt seen Jacob in Euphoria when I met him, but I like to speak to people before I talk about a project. Im interested in how honest people are. Thats not to say were not all lying to each other and ourselves all the time, its more like, are we going to be able to have a real conversation? And its difficult because its personal and complicated. There are lots of people who do want to get into that kind of stuff. But for me, to make something complicated, honest, difficult, sticky and sexy in a disturbing way, youve got to be comfortable talking about things.

DT: What advice do you have for student filmmakers?

EF: If theres something you dont understand, or you feel like theres an itch you cant quite scratch, the best thing to do is to write it or make it because the likelihood is other people feel the same way, and theyll want to talk about it too and connect with it. Its going for the thing that feels complicated and interesting, whatever that is.

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Emerald Fennell talks mirrors, chemistry in 'Saltburn' The Daily ... - The Daily Texan

Signage is seen at the entrance of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing Rights

Dec 1 (Reuters) - A chemical industry trade group on Friday urged a U.S. appeals court to vacate an order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requiring its members to perform new tests to determine whether a petrochemical solvent is toxic to birds, saying the agency failed to explain why the costly analysis was necessary.

Vinyl Institute attorney Eric Gotting told a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the EPA had to better explain why existing data was not sufficient before ordering such "time consuming and expensive" tests.

The group has said in court documents that, without a ruling in its favor, the chemical industry could face a "parade of unsubstantiated" testing orders in other reviews in the next several years that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

Circuit Judge Florence Pan, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, asked Gotting what good it would do for the court to tell the EPA to add a more thorough explanation to its testing order since the agency already appeared to have detailed its consideration of testing related to similar chemicals elsewhere in the administrative record.

Isnt that just a formality? Pan asked.

Gotting pushed back, saying the EPA had not supported the need for the testing in the broader record, either.

Amendments to the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) passed by Congress in 2016 for the first time gave the EPA authority to require new testing, instead of only relying on existing data to determine toxicity.

Gotting said the 2016 revisions require the EPA to thoroughly explain why it needs new testing, but the agency did not do so.

I dont think the information is there yet, Gotting said. He added: Even in the administrative record, they still have to point this court to something where they did some analysis.

U.S. Department of Justice attorney Laura Brown said Friday the law was changed to strengthen and streamline reviews and argued the Vinyl Institute is seeking to impose unnecessary and burdensome procedures on the EPA that would undermine the intent of the revisions.

Were at the point where, is EPAs burden to explain everything they did in a test order and the purpose of the test order? The reason Congress has given EPA this new authority is to make the process simpler for EPA to get the information, Brown said.

But Circuit Judge Justin Walker, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, said he is not sure the EPA can just ask that their word be taken at face value that testing is needed when issuing orders, even if the agency doesnt need to list every piece of evidence it has already looked at.

I think thats a broad spectrum and I think probably the standard is in between there, he said.

The EPA had told Formosa Plastics Corp, Westlake Chemical Corp, Occidental Chemical Corp and other Vinyl Institute members in 2022 that it had some data indicating that 1,1,2-trichloroethane, which is used in plastics and petrochemical manufacturing, may be toxic to birds, but said it needed further testing to confirm.

EPA reporting data indicates more than 100 million pounds of the chemical were produced or imported into the U.S. in most years between 1986 and 2015.

The panel also included Circuit Judge Karen Henderson, an appointee of former Republican President George H.W. Bush, who largely remained quiet during the arguments.

The case is Vinyl Institute Inc. V. EPA, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, case No. 22-1089.

For the Vinyl Institute: Eric Gotting, Peter de la Cruz and Gregory Clark of Keller and Heckman

For the EPA: Laura Brown of the U.S. Department of Justice

Reporting by Clark Mindock

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Chemical industry urges U.S. appeals court to curtail EPA testing ... - Reuters

Astrophysicists using NASAs James Webb Space Telescope have discovered that teenage galaxies, emerging within the first 2-3 billion years after the Big Bang, exhibit high temperatures and unexpected elements like nickel. This research, part of the CECILIA Survey, provides new insights into the early stages of galactic development.

Similar to human teenagers, teenage galaxies are awkward, experience growth spurts and enjoy heavy metal nickel, that is.

A Northwestern University-led team of astrophysicists has just analyzed the first results from the CECILIA (Chemical Evolution Constrained using Ionized Lines in Interstellar Aurorae) Survey, a program that uses NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study the chemistry of distant galaxies.

According to the early results, so-called teenage galaxies which formed two-to-three billion years after the Big Bang are unusually hot and contain unexpected elements, like nickel, which are notoriously difficult to observe.

The research was published on November 20 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. It marks the first in a series of forthcoming studies from the CECILIA Survey.

Were trying to understand how galaxies grew and changed over the 14 billion years of cosmic history, said Northwesterns Allison Strom, who led the study. Using the JWST, our program targets teenage galaxies when they were going through a messy time of growth spurts and change. Teenagers often have experiences that determine their trajectories into adulthood. For galaxies, its the same.

Light from 23 distant galaxies, identified with red rectangles in the Hubble Space Telescope image at the top, were combined to capture incredibly faint emission from eight different elements, which are labelled in the JWST spectrum at the bottom.Although scientists regularly find these elements on Earth, astronomers rarely, if ever, observe many of them in distant galaxies. Credit: Aaron M. Geller, Northwestern, CIERA + IT-RCDS

One of the principal investigators of the CECILIA Survey, Strom is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Northwesterns Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a member of Northwesterns Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Strom co-leads the CECILIA Survey with Gwen Rudie, a staff scientist at Carnegie Observatories.

Named after Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, one of the first women to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy, the CECILIA Survey observes spectra (or the amount of light across different wavelengths) from distant galaxies. Strom likens a galaxys spectra to its chemical DNA. By examining this DNA during a galaxys teenage years, researchers can better understand how it grew and how it will evolve into a more mature galaxy.

For example, astrophysicists still dont understand why some galaxies appear red and dead while others, like our Milky Way, are still forming stars. A galaxys spectrum can reveal its key elements, such as oxygen and sulfur, which provide a window into what a galaxy was previously doing and what it might do in the future.

These teenage years are really important because thats when the most growth happens, Strom said. By studying this, we can begin exploring the physics that caused the Milky Way to look like the Milky Way and why it might look different from its neighboring galaxies.

In the new study, Strom and her collaborators used the JWST to observe 33 distant teenage galaxies for a continuous 30 hours this past summer. Then, they combined spectra from 23 of those galaxies to construct a composite picture.

This washes out the details of individual galaxies but gives us a better sense of an average galaxy. It also allows us to see fainter features, Strom said. Its significantly deeper and more detailed than any spectrum we could collect with ground-based telescopes of galaxies from this time period in the universes history.

The ultra-deep spectrum revealed eight distinct elements: Hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, sulfur, argon, and nickel. All elements that are heavier than hydrogen and helium form inside stars. So, the presence of certain elements provides information about star formation throughout a galaxys evolution.

While Strom expected to see lighter elements, she was particularly surprised by the presence of nickel. Heavier than iron, nickel is rare and incredibly difficult to observe.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would see nickel, Strom said. Even in nearby galaxies, people dont observe this. There has to be enough of an element present in a galaxy and the right conditions to observe it. No one ever talks about observing nickel. Elements have to be glowing in gas in order for us to see them. So, in order for us to see nickel, there may be something unique about the stars within the galaxies.

Another surprise: The teenage galaxies were extremely hot. By examining the spectra, physicists can calculate a galaxys temperature. While the hottest pockets with galaxies can reach over 9,700 degrees Celsius (17,492 degrees Fahrenheit), the teenage galaxies clock in at higher than 13,350 degrees Celsius (24,062 degrees Fahrenheit).

This is justadditional evidence of how different galaxies likely were when they were younger, Strom said. Ultimately, the fact that we see a higher characteristic temperature is just another manifestation of their different chemical DNA because the temperature and chemistry of gas in galaxies are intrinsically linked.

Reference: CECILIA: The Faint Emission Line Spectrum of z 23 Star-forming Galaxies by Allison L. Strom, Gwen C. Rudie, Ryan F. Trainor, Gabriel B. Brammer, Michael V. Maseda, Menelaos Raptis, Noah S. J. Rogers, Charles C. Steidel, Yuguang Chen, and David R. Law, 20 November 2023, The Astrophysical Journal Letters. DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad07dc

The study was supported by NASA, the Pittsburgh Foundation, and the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement. The data were obtained from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes at the Space Telescope Science Institute and from the W.M. Keck Observatory.

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Strange Chemistry: Webb Reveals Teenage Galaxies Are ... - SciTechDaily

Following an offseason highlighted by player movement, the Wolves have decided to stand behind the often-criticized duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. This comes despite a significant amount of noise from fans and media alike, who believed the pairing would fail to develop chemistry.

Now, the Minnesota Timberwolves have opened the 2023-24 NBA season with a 12-4 record, the best 16-game start to a campaign in franchise history, surely proving many doubters wrong.

For most of the prior season, the Gobert trade was widely regarded as a failed experiment; however, the truth is that the team didn't have a significant sample size with the two big men playing together. Towns only played 29 total regular season games last year due to a calf injury, with 27 of those games being played with the Frenchman.

The NBA is a league now dominated by player movement, and with anything that alters the fabric of a top sports league, there will be positives and negatives. The reason I bring that up is because I believe this has drastically changed fan and media expectations. In this era of the league, it seems there is little patience. If players are underperforming in a fresh situation, there is no grace period to become adjusted to new coaching philosophies, new teammates and even a whole new city.

Now, in their second year together, the twin towers seem to be finally meshing in Minnesota. Towns are actively trying to involve Gobert on offense, and the two seem to be truly understanding the spacing they need to maintain when on the court together.

Of course, the two bigs play a huge part in the Timberwolves success so far, but Anthony Edwards has taken a huge leap and can now be labeled, in my opinion, as a budding superstar.

Ant has increased his scoring from 24.6 to 26.6 ppg, but more importantly, he has shown tremendous growth and maturity as a facilitator. Averaging a career-high 5.3 apg, Edwards growth is displayed even more from the eye test rather than looking at the numbers. The young All-Star has emphasized making the extra pass this season, a mentality that has seemingly trickled down the roster.

With players like Gobert, versatile wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and veteran Mike Conley becoming more comfortable embracing their roles, the Wolves have been able to shift into another gear.

When watching, you can see a sense of urgency and togetherness throughout the team, a dynamic that has been missing for quite some time. The players clearly enjoy sharing the court and are playing for more than just a paycheque.

Equipped with a deep bench, a young superstar, and a versatile big-man tandem, the Timberwolves championship window is now, and who knows how long itll be open.

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The importance of the Timberwolves' chemistry - Dunking with Wolves

Since chlorohydrazones are planar molecules, it is in principle possible to distinguish between their E and Z stereoisomers. Chlorohydrazones are known to preferentially assume the Z configuration around the C=N double bond, and their (E, Z) isomerization is almost suppressed [...] Read more.Since chlorohydrazones are planar molecules, it is in principle possible to distinguish between their E and Z stereoisomers. Chlorohydrazones are known to preferentially assume the Z configuration around the C=N double bond, and their (E, Z) isomerization is almost suppressed at room temperature. The lack, or rather the difficulty, of such an isomerization has been conveniently addressed by the in-depth theoretical study of seven C-methoxycarbonyl-N-aryl chlorohydrazones (aryl = phenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 4-iodophenyl, 2-chlorophenyl, 2-bromophenyl, and 2-iodophenyl). DFT B97M-D4/cc-pVTZ calculations of these C-methoxycarbonyl-N-aryl chlorohydrazones, supported by the XRD determination of the molecular structure, provided a complete picture of the isomerization processes in the studied compounds. The analysis of the energetics, molecular geometry, and electronic structure (the latter in the framework of the Quantum Theory of Atoms In Molecules) showed that the Z isomers are thermodynamically favored because, within the low-energy planar isomers with extensive conjugation, the electrostatic interactions between the dipoles of the CO, CCl, and NH bonds overcome the stabilization induced by the NH O bond present in the E isomers. We confirmed that the (E, Z) isomerization occurs by the umklapp mechanism, in which the NHAr moiety rotates in the molecular plane towards a linear C=NN configuration and then proceeds to the other isomer. The (E, Z) isomerization is very slow at room temperature because the umklapp interconversion has high barriers (110 kJ/mol) despite the extended electron delocalization present in the transition state.Full article

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MDPI - Publisher of Open Access Journals

THE HAGUE, Netherlands27September 2022The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical (OPCW), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), organised an analytical chemistry course held in Hyderabad, India from 5 to 16 September 2022.

The course enhanced the chemical analysis skills of chemistry professionals from OPCW Member States with economies that are developing or in transition. Experts delivered comprehensive briefings on the provisions and implementation of the Chemical Weapons (CWC). During the two-week training, participants gained theoretical skills and practiced techniques to analyse chemicals that are subject to the CWC. In particular, the chemistry professionals received advanced insights on analytical techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and derivatisation. The training also covered methods for sample preparation.

The Chairperson of the Indian National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention, Ms Neel Kamal Darbari underlined in her opening remarks that: The skill enhancement on the analysis of CWC-related chemicals to analytical chemists from Member States is highly essential for the better implementation of CWC at national level and helps in extending scientific collaborations for the peaceful use of chemistry across the world.

The course was attended by 20 participants from 16 OPCW Member States: Algeria, Brazil, Chile, India, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

OPCW analytical development courses assist chemists to acquire practical experience in the analysis of chemicals subject to the CWC. The objectives of these courses are to: equip specialists with the skills to analyse chemicals subject to the CWC; enhance the capacities of industry, academia, and laboratories to implement the CWC at a national level; disseminate best practices in chemical analysis; and broaden the global pool of qualified chemistry professionals.

Article XI of the CWC, Economic and Technological Development, provides international cooperation for the economic and technological development of States Parties.

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Conventions entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

Over 99% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

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OPCW and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology enhance analytical skills of chemists from developing countries | OPCW - Organisation for the...

Banner image:Chemistry chair Wei Zhang (right) and Graduate Research Assistant Zepeng Lei study plastic materials in the Zhang Lab. (Credit:Patrick Campbell/CU Boulder)

One day in the not-too-distant future, the plastics in our satellites, cars and electronics may all be living their second, 25th or 250th lives.

New research from CU Boulder, published in Nature Chemistry, details how a class of durable plastics widely used in the aerospace and microelectronics industries can be chemically broken down into their most basic building blocks and then formed once again into the same material.

Its a major step in the development of repairable and fully recyclable network polymers, a particularly challenging material to recycle, as it is designed to hold its shape and integrity in extreme heat and other harsh conditions. The study documents how this type of plastic can be perpetually broken down and remade, without sacrificing its desired physical properties.

We are thinking outside the box, about different ways of breaking chemical bonds, said Wei Zhang, lead author of the study and chair of the chemistry department. Our chemical methods can help create new technologies and new materials, as well as be utilized to help solve the existing plastic materials crisis.

A detail of recycled plastic.Photo by Patrick Campbell/CU Boulder.

The PCN film directly peeled off from the glass substrate shows high transparency and flexibility. Photo by Zepeng Lei.

Their results also suggest that revisiting the chemical structures of other plastic materials could lead to similar discoveries of how to fully break down and rebuild their chemical bonds, enabling the circular production of more plastic materials in our daily lives.

In the mid-20th century, plastics were ubiquitously adopted in almost every industry and part of life as they are extremely convenient, functional and cheap. But half a century later, after exponential demand and production, plastics pose a major problem to the health of the planet and to people. The production of plastics requires large amounts of oil and the burning of fossil fuels. Disposable plastics create hundreds of millions of tons of waste every year, which ends up in landfills, oceans and even in our bodies, in the form of microplastics.

Recycling, therefore, is key to reducing plastic pollution and fossil fuel emissions this century.

Conventional recycling methods mechanically break down polymers into powders, burn them or use bacterial enzymes to dissolve them. The goal is to end up with smaller pieces that can be used for something else. Think shoes made from recycled rubber tires or clothing made from recycled plastic water bottles. Its not the same material anymore, but it doesnt end up in a landfill or the ocean.

But what if you could rebuild a new item from the same material? What if recycling didnt just offer a second life to plastics, but a repeat experience?

Thats exactly what Zhang and his colleagues have accomplished: They reversed a chemical method and discovered they can both break and form new chemical bonds in a particularly high-performance polymer.

This chemistry can also be dynamic, can be reversible, and that bond can be reformed, said Zhang. We are thinking about a different way to form the same backbone, just from different starting points.

They do this by breaking the polymerpoly meaning manyback into singular monomers, its molecules, a concept of reversible or dynamic chemistry. Whats especially novel about this latest method is that it has not only created a new class of polymer material that, like Legos, are easy to build, break apart and rebuild over and over, but the method can be applied to existing, especially hard-to-recycle polymers.

These new chemical methods are also ready for commercialization and can plug and play with current industrial production.

It can really benefit future design and development of plastics to not only create new polymers, but its also very important to know how to convert, upcycle and recycle older polymers, said Zhang. By using our new approach, we can prepare many new materialssome of which could have similar properties to the plastics in our daily life.

This advance in the closed-loop recycling of plastics is inspired by the natural world, as plants, animals and human beings alike are currently part of a planetary-level, circular system of recycling, said Zhang.

Why cant we make our materials the same way?

Additional authors on this publication include: Zepeng Lei, Hongxuan Chen, Yicheng Rong and Yiming Hu, Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder; Chaoqian Luo and Kai Yu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Denver; Yinghua Jin, RockyTech, Ltd. Boulder, Colorado; and Rong Long, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder.

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Plastics of the future will live many past lives, thanks to chemical recycling - University of Colorado Boulder

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst's message to frustrated fans

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst's message to frustrated Badger fans

Mark Stewart, Wochit

MADISON The constant is change.

That has been the story for Wisconsins offensive line this season. Due to injuries, illness and the growing pains of building the unit, coach Bob Bostad has not employed the same five players from one week to the next through the first four weeks of the season.

Are we getting closer to what the final product might look like?

With left tackle Jack Nelson set to return after an illness sidelined him for the Ohio State game, the Badger coacheswill get an extensive look at their retooled line when they play host to Illinois at 11 a.m. Saturday.

While it would have been nice see how the group fared last week against the third-ranked team in the nation, this game with Illinois is more important in the scheme of the season. The path for the Badgers to regainprominence in the Big Ten starts with taking care of business in the West Division.

I think theyre battling. I think weve got some good pieces up there. But those guys five have to play as one, UW offensive coordinator Bobby Engram said. I think Bo is doing a great job of having guys ready to go play, sub in and rotate when needed.

Eight linemen have started in the first four games for the Badgers. Three of those players made their first career start this season. Combine that inexperience with steady changes in the lineup and the unit is one of many for UW that has a high ceiling for growth during the final two months of the season.

More: An approach that has served us well: Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh will be patient with Paul Chryst through these tough times

More: Wisconsin receiver Skyler Bell driven by missed opportunities at Ohio State as he and the Badgers prep for an 'aggressive' Illinois defense

More: 'I just hope you guys are there to see it': Linebacker Nick Herbig hints UW will be ready for Illinois after an ugly loss last week

Saturday's projected starting lineup of center Joe Tippmann, Nelson, left guard Tyler Beach, right guard Tanor Bortolini and right tackle Trey Wedig will be Wisconsins fourth in five games. When you consider the mid-game change against New Mexico State that saw Michael Furtney make way for Bortonlini and Logan Brown make way for Wedig, the unit has basically been different every week.

The switch to Bortonlini, who missed a significant portion of camp due to a knee injury, and Wedig, who worked at center and right guard before returning to right tackle, the position he played in high school, provided an immediate boost to the offense two weeks ago. Last week, under the spotlight of a nationally televised game on the road, the two were solid despite the lopsided final score.

I thought there were some good points in it, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. Im not trying to sound like a broken record, but there are some areas that weve got to be better on this, but I thought they both handled the situation. … I thought they handled the noise, handled going against the players. Were in the Big Ten now, conference play and youre going to see really good players."

Junior Logan Brown filled in for Nelson last week but Chryst confirmed Thursday that Nelson, a redshirt sophomore from Stoughton, will be back on the field Saturday,

Hell anchor a line facing an Illinois defense that has allowed a touchdown or less in three games.

Nellie is a guy that certainly brings an energy to us, Chyrst said. We feel like he is a talented player. There is a reason he was a starter for us. Hopefully the week continues to go in a positive trend. … He s a guy we all trust.

Wisconsin ranks 10th in the Big Ten in total offense with the only times it moved the ball consistently coming against Illinois State, an FCS team,and New Mexico State, which is 1-4.

With right tackle Riley Mahlman, the Game 1 starter, out indefinitely due to a right leg injury, what we see Saturday could be the Badgers' No. 1 unit for the foreseeable future. After being sidelined for a month, Bortonlini, who started five games last year, is getting better each week. Wedig, meanwhile, said he feel growing confidence after playing extensively the past two games.

The value of allowing a group to jell isn't lost on Chryst.

You are in as close a space and there arent many things a lineman doesnt do that doesnt entail another individual, he explained. If its a run play, typically there are one or more combination blocks, and if you look at pass protection there arent many times where youre just getting flat-out straight rush up the field and youre just blocking your guy.

Ask the Badgers about the effects ofthe constant changes to the line and theyll downplay them. Beach, the Port Washington native, and Bortolini, said there are enough other times during camp and practice when different combinations are used that lineup changes arent a big deal. Wedig echoed those thoughts, saying that if you gave him a week of preparation hed feel comfortable playing next to anyone.

They're focused on getting the season back on track against Illinois.

New opponent. New stuff. New defense, Beach said. I think the biggest thing is bringing over the corrections from last week and any confidence we gained as a group, carry that over to next week.

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'Five have to play as one': Wisconsin works to build continuity, chemistry on offensive line - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Just for show! Dancing With the Stars contestants are often asked whether their onstage chemistry indicates an offscreen romantic connection.

I gotta know are those your acting skills or was that real? cohost Alfonso Ribeiro asked Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater after their Rumba to Elvis Presleys Always On My Mind during a September 2022 episode.

If youre really doing a good job acting, it all comes from the truth so theres something real in every performance, Donovan replied. Slater, for her part, was silent.

During that nights post-show interview, the U.K. native told Us Weekly she was so glad the 90210 alum had answered Ribeiros question for them.

I couldnt believe it. I was like, That question! Like, wow, just out the blue, Slater said. We really do get on and have great chemistry, which made this dance so much easier. But then when Alfonso asked that question, I was so glad you answered because I was like, I cant.

The Hallmark Channel star, for his part, explained that his acting experience prepared him for having a strong connection with his dance partner.

A lot of the movies I do, its [the] romantic lead and you have at least a couple scenes that are intimate scenes. And youre with someone who [could] very well be married or that you just met or youre not in a relationship and so you have to create that and luckily, weve had a few weeks of getting to know each other to become friends and break down that wall and be comfortable with it. I just answered as truthfully as I could, and it is the truth, he said.

In August 2022, Us confirmed that Slater had split from her husband and fellow DWTS pro, Sasha Farber. Theyve been apart for many months now, a source said at the time. They both have not been wearing their wedding rings and are each leading a single life.

The insider noted that although the duo had not filed for divorce, they were figuring out what their lives looked like without each other.

Its been a difficult time since they really care about each other and have been together for so long, the source said. Slater and Farber exchanged vows in 2018 after dating on and off since 2011.

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Every Time Dancing With The Stars Partners Have Defended Their Chemistry and Denied Dating Rumors - Us Weekly

Farmington Hills Mercy sophomore Jillian Collins attempts to block a shot from Bloomfield Hills Marian senior Ella Schomer.

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FARMINGTON HILLS A mix of senior leadership, chemistry and pure talent is a dynamic trio that continues to be a recipe for success for one Farmington Hills volleyball team.

Recognized for their 2019 Michigan High School Athletic Association Division One State Championship and decade-long success rate, Farmington Hills Mercy (21-5) continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the Division One.

Currently ranked No. 3 in Division One according to the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association, Mercys 20-2 record this season showcases a team prepared to make a run in the playoffs.

I think we just have that kind of program, Mercy coach Loretta Vogel said. Every year, we teach the skills from the time theyre freshmen, so its just the skills they continue to build on themselves.

Led by seniors Ella Shields (outside hitter), Erin Kline (setter), Lauren Mullan (middle hitter), and Julia Pallozzi (defensive setter), Mercys senior leadership has been a key part in its success this year. Shields was an all-State honorable mention honoree last season.

For all us seniors this year, we really got everyone closer this year, and it really helps us on and off the court, Kline said.

Along with the four seniors are two upperclassmen leaders in junior outside hitter Angie Butler and junior outside/middle hitter Lana LaFontaine.

Mercys highest numbers this season come from its sophomore class, led by star setter and third team all-State honoree Campbell Flynn. Juniors Jillian Collins (outside hitter), Kaitlyn Pallozzi (outside/middle hitter), Keira McNutt (defensive setter) and Ava Fitzgerald (outside hitter) have made significant contributions this year for Mercy.

While a mixed bag in age, the team chemistry remains Mercys biggest strength.

I think last year, there were a lot of new people on the team, and this year, I feel were a lot closer and we play well together and work together, Shields said. I think were more of a team this year than last year.

The chemistry and continuity has been at an all-time high this year, and Vogel said its everywhere, from the players to the coaching staff.

Many of us have been at Mercy for years together, Vogel said. That continuity is helpful, without a doubt.

Mercys coaching staff consists of Mallory Kopa, Angela Kalczynski and Andrew Thompson.

Mercys chemistry has paid off on the offensive and defensive ends, but the offensive unit has been especially dominant this season.

Were very tall, and I think we run the offense really well, Campbell said. If its a 6-2 or 5-1, I think we distribute the ball really well.

While Mercy continues its successful season, it will undoubtedly have to deal with Bloomfield Hills Marian in its run for a state title. Marian, who has won back-to-back Division One state championships, has bested Mercy in each of their last two playoff meetings.

Marian got the better of Mercy this season in a three-set sweep on Sept. 28, but it will be a different atmosphere and a different Mercy team, come playoff time.

Mercy has done it before when they beat Marian on their way to a state championship title in 2019, and theyre ready to do it once more.

Its been a rivalry for so many years, Shields said. Its like, Oh, its Marian. Its always a huge game.

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HONOLULU (KHON2) A statewide ban on two chemicals in sunscreen that went into effect in 2021 is not enough, according to Maui County councilmember Kelly King.

King said banning Oxybenzone and Octinoxate to help protect Hawaiis marine ecosystem only solved part of the problem.

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Those chemical names are trademark names. So, you can take any of those chemicals, you can add a little something something to it, you can call it something else, and now its not on the list of banned chemicals, King said.

So, we just decided to go for it, make all chemicals illegal, do the most protective thing we could do.

Only mineral-based sunscreens can be used, sold or distributed on the Valley Isle starting Saturday, Oct. 1 unless the person has a prescription.

Fines run up to $1,000, but warnings are more likely to be issued through a complaint-based system with the Department of Environmental Management.

So, its not like we have the sunscreen police driving around, looking at peoples sunscreens and reading labels, King said.

She added that retailers and distributors will have to pay the most attention to the new rule.

Its highly unlikely that a tourist is going to get a warning and then be in the same place, you know, for the second warning and ever get a fine. But once we can eliminate the distribution, King said, then I think that slows it. Thatll make a tremendous difference.

Tourists will also need to be educated on the change, according to King. A similar bill is scheduled to go in effect on Thursday, Dec. 1 on Hawaii Island, but only for the sale and distribution of chemical sunscreens.

Allowing people to have that understanding that they can still use what theyd like to use, we just dont want a broader distribution and availability in our stores here, said Hawaii County councilmember Rebecca Villegas.

Lawmakers said a statewide ban on chemical sunscreens is tricky. Rep. Lisa Marten said there was pushback from health industries with concerns over skin cancer in the past.

And that is an extremely legitimate concern, you know, here in Hawaii we have very high rates of skin cancer, and if we didnt have great alternatives to the chemical sunscreens, then I wouldnt support it myself, Rep. Marten said.

Rep Marten said a statewide ban if it is proposed and passed would likely follow the Big Island model that still allows chemical sunscreens to be used but not sold.

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Thats what you see at this store, thats what you buy. It wont be a big deal, I dont see any reason to go after the individual consumers, Rep. Marten said.

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Maui bans chemical sunscreens, Hawaii Island to follow - KHON2

We essentially created from nothing a product ready to go into clinical testing, says Daniel Fitzgerald, chief executive of UK-based Halo Therapeutics about his companys pan-coronavirus antivirals.

The biotech launched at a challenging time in the middle of the pandemic. We had an [active pharmaceutical ingredient, API] to begin with, explains Fitzgerald. What we needed to do was formulation, chemistry, device and preparing for a clinical trial application. Instead of starting the costly and lengthy process of finding a lab space, buying in the right equipment and assembling in-house teams, we developed a drugdevice combination product entirely using [contract research organisations, CROs], up to a clinical trial application.

[Contract development and manufacturing organisations] are, in my opinion, the pharma industrys special forces unit: a highly specialised team that functions behind the scenes, doing difficult tasks in high pressure situations, says Peter DeYoung, chief executive of one such CDMO, Piramal Global Pharma, headquartered in India.

A few decades ago, drug development was often done directly by pharma companies that commanded in-house teams of thousands of scientists. Towards the mid-1990s, there was really a change, says Mark Chadwick, chief commercial officer of CRO Charnwood Molecular whose newest site in Loughborough, UK, used to be an AstraZeneca research facility employing 2000 people. Top 10 pharma companies often had many divisions of molecular biology internally, and in the last 20 years, those divisions disappeared, adds Fitzgerald. This was entirely outsourced, mostly to Asia, just because of price.

For pharma based in Europe and the US looking for low cost and high expertise, CDMOs in China have long been a major source of drug precursors, while companies in India have broadly focused on finished drug products and biologics. But salaries in some of the major hubs in Asia have gone up a lot and so has the cost of goods sold, so theres some reversal, Fitzgerald explains.

The advantage of CROs and CDMOs is that you can look globally for the precise competencies that you need.

The effects of the Covid pandemic came into play here too, says DeYoung. The markets embrace of onshoring is real and we have responded, recognising that the definition of which shore varies and depends on the vantage point of our customer and their needs.

Minzhang Chen, co-chief executive of China-headquartered WuXi AppTec, explains that its subsidiary, WuXi STA, is steadily increasing its global footprint across the US, Europe and Asia. It added a new drug product manufacturing facility in Switzerland in 2021. Another site, focusing on formulation development and manufacturing for oral solid and injectable drugs, is under construction in the US.

Piramal also acquired a US site specifically to address the needs for US-based drug products, DeYoung explains. Weve taken major steps in the area of supply chain security by becoming less reliant on China and rethinking the raw material pipeline.

I think pharma companies have turned the corner in terms of their appetite to outsource development, says Eduard Viladesau, partner and associate director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who is the firms topic lead in contract manufacturing and external supply in the pharmaceutical industry. The scale and scope of outsourcing has changed markedly, agrees Chadwick. At the start of my career [in the early 2000s], I worked for a company called BioFocus (now Charles River) and drug discovery outsourcing was in its infancy. Now it is a global industry.

Instead of one-off project transactions, there has been a move to long-term strategic partnerships between the contractors and their clients. Particularly in the biotech sector, CDMOs are often seamlessly integrated with any in-house development and manufacturing departments. Many small and virtual pharma companies, those that consist of only few employees and few, if any, facilities, could not exist without CDMOs.

There is a traditional division between contract research and contract manufacturing organisations, CROs and CMOs, respectively. The former support pharmaceutical companies in their drug discovery and clinical research efforts, while the latter offer activities focused on manufacturing both of active pharmaceutical ingredients and entire drug products, sometimes even including packaging.

But over the last five to eight years, there has been a rise of organisations that aim to be one-stop shops for anything from early-stage research to manufacturing. Whereas eight years ago the true CDMO was a myth, I think thats not true anymore, says Viladesau. The integration between development and manufacturing is valuable even to big pharma companies, because it really greatly reduces the tech transfer and scale up risk.

The pandemic marked a turning point for the relationship between CDMOs and pharma companies, Viladesau and colleagues wrote in a BCG article. Pre-2020, pharma companies usually outsourced services on a project-by-project basis. Long-term partnerships were rare; around 80% lasted no longer than a few years. During the pandemic, CDMOs suddenly became a huge source of additional research and manufacturing capacity though it remains unclear whether this will translate to more strategic collaborations in the long run.

The relationship has become more integrated and broader, with increasing use of [contract research, development and manufacturing organisation, CRDMO] companies from the early phases through to the complete life cycle, agrees Chen, who defines WuXi STA as one such CRDMO. Partnerships have shifted from transactional to strategic. [This] requires that CRDMOs have development technologies, manufacturing capacities and proven quality systems, as well as the experience and expertise.

For biotechs, especially virtual and emerging companies, its much the same, albeit deeper, adds DeYoung. Some of those clients do not have any in-house technical infrastructure and capabilities, and definitely dont have a deep bench of talent to rely on for specific technical needs. While big pharma companies often work with a different contractor for each step of the drug life cycle, smaller firms may prefer to partner with a CRDMO that offers a wider array of research and manufacturing services, says Viladesau. This lowers the burden of having to manage a complex set of partners for each individual step.

Speed and competency are the two major components when it comes to making decisions around outsourcing, Fitzgerald explains. The advantage of CROs and CDMOs is that you can look globally for the precise competencies that you need. Its difficult to build this especially if youre a small company in one location.

The outsourcing market for biological products sugars, proteins, nucleic acids or even whole cells and tissues is growing at 1015% per year, compared with 67% growth in small-molecule drug compounds. While new chemical entities remain the largest segment of the CDMO market, DeYoung says, Biologics have been riding a wave over the last few decades and are certainly part of the change the market has experienced.

The fastest growth, however, is happening in entirely new classes of treatment: RNA therapeutics, protein degraders, cyclopeptides, antibody drug conjugates and gene therapy. They are very highly outsourced, because normally theyre very small, so for every individual pharma player it rarely makes sense to invest in building a whole plant, says Viladesau.

I cant see us going back to a situation where a pharma company employs thousands of scientists I think that world has gone.

These new modalities require a completely different set of equipment and expertise than traditional drug molecules or even biologics. Moreover, the new modalities market encompasses so many different technologies, it would be nearly impossible for a single company to develop expertise in all of them and bear all the financial risk for drugs f
ailing. But with the help of specialist CDMOs, firms can dip in and out of different therapeutic fields. Its difficult to see a trend yet, given its already heavily outsourced, Viladesau points out.

Despite this propensity for outsourcing, when one of these new products turns out to be a clear winner, originator companies will probably eventually invest in in-house manufacturing, Viladesau suggests. Because even for all the talk about CMOs being capable, there is still a preference by pharma companies to own the manufacturing capability.

Multiple, interconnected factors continue to drive growth in outsourcing services. Chadwick points to pharma firms efforts to maximise value for shareholders; Fitzgerald highlights aspects of cost and technological advancements. DeYoung notes that large firms want to reduce their assets and costs, while emerging companies want to hit milestones as quickly and efficiently as possible, even if it means failure. The average number of drug approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration almost doubled between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade, and that increase is associated with more demand for outsourcing and more opportunities for deeper integration into the pharmaceutical ecosystem.

Drugs featuring complex molecules and substances require investment in new technologies, says Chen a decision that may be more easily made by a specialist CRDMO than a pharma company. WuXi STA has recently added an injectable platform for small molecules and new modalities. Piramal has added capabilities in peptide APIs and biologics. CRDMO companies will continue to evolve in the next few years, investing in cutting edge science and technologies to enable innovation, such as targeted protein degradation and photoredox chemistry, Chen says.

More generally, the pharmaceutical industry has understood that specialist companies can often be more productive than internal resources in the R&D process, says Chadwick. Specialist CROs often see many projects across a number of targets and therapeutic areas, whereas employees working in a small or large pharmaceutical company may focus on a particular area. He suggests the CDMO market will continue to grow over the next five to 15 years. I cant see that going back to a situation where a pharma company employs thousands of scientists I think that world has gone.

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An evolution in pharma outsourcing | Business - Chemistry World

Who is that?

The teenage whispers around the room werent actually meant to be quiet.

That was fine with me.

I was in this strange room filled with young people because my professor said I needed observation hours, and the woman who had welcomed me into her classroom had answered the phone and said sure, come on over.

I fell in love with journalism as a 14-year-old kid. By the end of freshman year, I told everyone I wanted to be a high school newspaper adviser. Six years later, I started my observation hours in this classroom of whispering kids to make that dream come true

Shes my probation officer, but dont tell anyone, Sandra Brown, the teacher who had answered my call, whispered back to the students who asked.

Shocked, the kids looked from her to me and back. Most doubted the story but wondered if maybe, just maybe, their teacher had a secret past.

Thus began my relationship with one of the most incredible mentorships of my life.

Mentorship is defined as the act or process of helping and guiding another person to support their personal development.

Janice Omadeke, CEO and Founder of the Mentor Method, says chemistry is essential to a strong mentorship. She is absolutely correct.

I retired this year from a long, incredibly successful, and fulfilling career as a high school journalism teacher. Little did I know that the initial moment of humor by my to-be mentor set the stage for one of the main reasons I not only made it as a teacher but thrived in the classroom.

Sandra and I hit it off immediately. When I graduated with my teaching certificate and was hired by the school where Sandra taught, she asked me to take over the newspaper program. My dream, handed to me by a veteran who believed I could do the job.

Like all jobs, in teaching, there are policies, procedures, and company expectations to follow. Sandras mentorship extended far beyond the walls of my classroom and helped me learn to excel at the expectations. She challenged me to do more and be better.

More than that, her mentorship helped me through the rocky times of the job and kept me going when the simple fact is most educators dont.

Thats the magic of strong mentorship.

As that new teacher who was given a chance, I didnt understand how essential Sandras mentorship was or the work she had to do to make the mentorship work.

As Omadeke said, chemistry is essential.

Sandra and I got along immediately. But I wasnt Sandras only mentee. She understood the importance of the job, and she worked to build the chemistry that leads to a strong mentor/mentee relationship.

Sandra also introduced me to a core group of strong educators who were constantly working to improve the craft of teaching. Because of Sandra, I not only had a great mentor, I had a mentor group to help me learn the ins and outs of the job, a job that was constantly changing as emerging research showed new ways of helping students succeed.

Omadeke says the traits of mentorship center on comfortability, connection, and whether you click or clash.

Some of those elements arent always immediately obvious. As a mentor over the years, I learned it sometimes takes time to get to comfortability and connection. But if the immediate reaction you have to a person is the abrasive clash, definitely tread carefully.

A strong mentor is invaluable. A mentor you clash with can create havoc for your career. Trust your gut there. That clash feeling is also a type of chemistry, and if you feel it, for reason or not, its time to move on.

Today Sandra is one of my dearest friends. Thats not always where a strong mentorship takes you, but its great that it can. Now she can help mentor me through the weird wonderfulness that is retirement. Im looking forward to it.

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Chemistry: The key ingredient to a successful mentorship - The American Genius

The Brooklyn Nets have struggled to get close to a championship for a long time. Despite having elite stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have failed to win the NBA Championship last year or even impress their fans. The Nets finished seventh in the Eastern Conference last season with a 44-38 record. They managed to reach the conference semi-finals.

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Unfortunately, the Milwaukee Bucks won the series by 4-3 ending all hopes for the Brooklyn Nets. One of the major reasons behind their lack of championship-winning performance was the lack of chemistry between players. Recently, the Nets players were spotted having dinner together in Brooklyn.

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The images of players were uploaded on the Brooklyn Nets official Twitter page. Stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons appear to be having a great time bonding together over dinner.

The Nets would hope to develop a more closely knit team in order to win a championship in the future. It has been a while since the Nets have done well enough to get close to a championship.

The Nets roster has faced a great deal of uncertainty during the off-season. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving requested a trade during the summer. The Nets have been actively involved in trade negotiations for the NBA champs. However, the two-time NBA champ could not find the right team.

Meanwhile, Irving was involved in an exchange trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for Russell Westbrook. But, the two teams could not reach an agreement. Thus, it is highly likely that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will play the next season with the Nets.

Watch This Story: Ben Simmons blockbuster Nets debut, Stephen Curry vs Damian Lilliard, and other moments to look out for.

The Brooklyn Nets fans were quite excited about the team having a dinner night together. It was a nice initiative for the team to clear out the fog and enjoy a moment of bonding together. Here are some of the reactions from the fans.

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Fans were thrilled by seeing the Big three of Durant, Irving, and Simmons together. They wished the Nets team will make the next season count and finally win a championship for the first championship since 1976.

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Creating That Chemistry: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Nets Having Fun at Dinner Has Nets Fans Excited for the Season - EssentiallySports

UConn sophomore Jordan Hawkins chats with the media following Wednesday's practice at the Werth Family Center. (Gavin Keefe/The Day) Buy Photo Reprints UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley addresses the media following Wednesday's practice at the Werth Family Center in Storrs. (Gavin Keefe/The Day) Buy Photo Reprints

Storrs Tristen Newton and Jordan Hawkins are more than UConn basketball teammates.

Theyre roommates, too.

It was coach Dan Hurleys idea to room the two together.

Coach did that on purpose, Newton said after Wednesdays practice. He wanted the point guard and shooter to be together. He wants us to jell together.

They both could be in the starting lineup when the regular season begins.

Newton, a transfer from East Carolina, is one of the leading candidates to fill the starting point guard vacancy while Hawkins, a shooting guard, is looking to have a breakout sophomore season.

Theyre getting along great and building chemistry on and off the court.

Hes a great dude, Newton said. At first, it was pretty rough. But now were everywhere together. You see him, youre going to see me. Its a great relationship.

Hurley is setting a tough tone during the first official week of practice. He has a lot to sort out with eight newcomers on the roster before the season opener on Nov. 7 against Stonehill.

Theres been a noticeable ramp up in the intensity this week in practice. The Huskies went for about two hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday.

The first week, youre really trying to build team toughness and a training camp type of mentality, Hurley said. Even looking past some things fundamentally that might not be exactly what you want to challenge people. Before you can play well or win, youve got to learn how to fight and fight hard and fight together and build a camaraderie through a great challenge, so we put these guys through a fire with these practice plans early to try to build a strong, together team.

The Huskies felt the effects of Wednesdays grueling practice.

My legs hurt, but Ill be alright, Hawkins said.

Hawkins, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with a reputation as a lethal perimeter weapon, will be a key player for the Huskies. He showed flashes of potential while battling injuries last season. He earned a spot on the All-Big East freshman team, averaging 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Since the season ended last March, Hawkins has been working on his ballhandling, moves off the dribble, playmaking and defensive skills.

Im trying to become a two-way player, he said.

Hurley is in favor of that happening. He wants Hawkins to be more than just player with a sweet looking jump shot.

We need him to play both ends of the court, Hurley said. But we just want him to be as prolific a scorer/shooter as he can be this year. Anything that he gets a look at, we want him firing.

UConn lost a lot of point production with the departure of four of the teams five leading scorers from last seasons team.

Newton has the ability to light up the scoreboard.

Last year as a starter for East Carolina, Newton averaged a career-best 17.7 points to go with 4.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists during his junior season.

But it will be difficult to replace All-Big East first team point guard R.J. Cole.

Newton, along with the other newcomers, will have to get up to speed quickly

We need production from him, Hurley said. Obviously, we know hes a guy thats averaged a lot of points per game at a pretty good level.We know that the scoring will translate. Some of the facilitators and point guard-type of things that you have to know, the nuances of the game, were working through.

The play in and play out motor, the life or death nature of Big East basketball, were trying to get across to all these new guys that havent been in it.

Hawkins has been impressed with Newton during workouts.

Tristen has been looking really good, Hawkins said.

Hurley names team captains

Hurley usually doesnt name team captains, but felt compelled to do just that this season, picking sophomore Adama Sanogo and junior Andre Jackson, two returning starters.

For me, thats the best compliment that you give a player in your program, Hurley said. Their work ethic is off the charts. Theyve accomplished players in terms of their production and what theyve been able to do in their career. Theyre about winning. I think they can handle the burden of leadership.

News and notes

Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun watched practice Wednesday and talked to the coaching staff and team afterwards. He said I out-cursed him today, which I know is not true because Ive been up here to watch Coach work and Ive seen him in the Big East tournament and I shared the court with him when I was a player, Hurley said. I couldnt hear everything that he was saying but I know it wasnt always nice. Hurley values Calhouns advice and would like to bring the Hall of Famer back to more practices this season. Hurley on running full practice sessions: You get that long practice headache from screaming for two hours and 20 minutes, so it feels good. Freshman Donovan Clingan, who starred at Bristol Center, says hes in the best shape of his life. Ive never felt better.

g.keefe@theday.com

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Newton, Hawkins building chemistry on and off the basketball court at UConn - theday.com

The lure of exploring endless possibilities and the challenge of solving puzzles is what drew Bonnie Buss to the field of chemistry. That combination is something she hopes will also inspire and excite her students, both in the classroom and the lab, as she steps into her new role as assistant professor in UNCs Chemistry and Biochemistry department this fall.

We have the periodic table thats relatively limited in the number of elements, but you can combine them and do things with them in an infinite number of ways, Buss said. Its actually pretty easy to get into a lab and make something that nobody else has ever made, to be an inventor. Then theres the puzzle side of it. You have all of these pieces of information, and you have to figure out how to solve a problem or determine what questions you can ask. Chemistry is not just about being smart, its about solving puzzles.

Buss, who earned her bachelors in Chemistry from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from Colorado State University, has spent much of her career in the lab, most recently engaged in post-doctoral research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Her research is focused on sustainability, applying her skills and knowledge to solving the very real-world puzzle of how to reduce plastic waste and pollution.

The idea of sustainability is a pretty big focus in the academic chemistry community, Buss said. Theres a lot of government funding in this area and policy and motivation to solve these kinds of problems from all sorts of angles. My special take on this issue is being able to use light to either make plastics in a very sustainable way or to break down the plastics we already have into useful materials.

According to Buss, while not completely unique, the research shes doing does have the potential to stand out in the field.

Relative to some academic groups, theres definitely some economic motivation behind the research Im doing, Buss said. Were trying to develop things that make high value products. So, if we do come across a really solid approach, its something that people will have an economic incentive to adopt. There are a lot of ways to do everything out there, but if its really expensive, nobodys going to do it.

Buss is hoping to share her research with students and is actively recruiting both undergraduate and graduate students into her lab for hands-on research in photochemistry, plastics and sustainability. Its something she thinks will appeal to all experience levels and disciplines, and she encourages interested students to contact her.

The research well do here is really fun since were using light to do all of the chemistry, everything is very colorful, Buss continued.

Its a kind of research where we still use very fundamental ideas in chemistry, like talking about catalysts, things that can drive chemical reactions. But well use these in a very real world and applied approach, adds Buss. This research is something thats perfect for this environment, especially within the context of getting students excited and driving them to pursue careers in science, hopefully.

Michael Mosher, interim department chair, professor of Chemistry and manager of UNCs Brewing Laboratory Science Program, is excited to welcome Buss to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and speaks highly of her research efforts to advance the science of polymer and plastic sustainability.

The results of her studies will be of paramount importance to the students in our program as they explore potential careers in chemistry, Mosher said.

While Buss is excited about her work in the lab, shes equally excited about the classroom and looks forward to working with students closely as an instructor and a research advisor.

Having people to teach and mentor - thats what drew me back to academia, the idea that I can work with students, help guide them, and set them up for success whatever their future may be. I chose UNC in particular because of the emphasis on doing right by the student. Its the combination of the teaching culture and the relatively smaller class sizes, while still getting the big university feel. I think its a pretty special place in that regard.

Buss will be teaching general chemistry and organic chemistry this year She is one of seven new faculty members in UNCs College of Natural and Health Sciences this fall. She is joined by Charles Lenell, Audiology and Speech Language Sciences; Lindsay Green, Nursing-Family/Emergency Nurse Practitioner; Teresa Buckner, Nutrition and Dietetics; Dannon Cox, Public Health-Community Health Education; Aryn Taylor, Rehabilitation Counseling and Sciences and Human Services; and Koo Yul Kim, Kinesiology-Sport Administration.

written by Deanna Herbert

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New Chemistry Professor Sharing the Science of Solving Real World Problems - UNCO News Central

BRIGHTON TWP. Residents looking to safely dispose of potentially dangerous chemicals will have an opportunity to recycle these items next weekend.

Beaver County and the Pennsylvania Resources Council plan to host a recycling drive at the Bradys Run Park Recycling Center for the safe disposal of household chemicals on Oct. 8. Visitors are asked to pay a $20 fee to recycle up to 10 gallons or 50 pounds of these chemicals and electronic devices.

Materials being collected at the recycling center include:

According to event organizers, additional fees may occur for the disposal of oversized loads at the discretion of staff members on site. Visitors recycling fire extinguishers will also need to pay an additional $12 charge per device and those wishing to recycle liquid mercury will need to pay an additional $15 per pound of the material.

Visitors are asked to place all of the chemicals and items in their trunks or the bed of a truck to assist in the donation process.

All forms of payment will be accepted at the event. Advance registration is required to participate in the recycling drive. Visitors can register online at prc.org/CollectionEvents or by calling 412-488-7490.

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PRC to host household chemical recycling drive in Bradys Run Park next weekend - The Times