Category Archives: Chemistry

Challenged to create a product using skills they learned in chemistry class, eighth-graders at Bettendorf Middle School came up with items from scented nail polish and deodorant to sports drinks and edible slime.

The products were on display Friday during the school's first Chemistry Expo.

The event was part of a project-based learning assignment, said teacher Tanya Gilmore. The students also were responsible for creating posters and a website to market their product.

"It's sort of a way for them to connect the concepts they've learned throughout the year with something real, making chemistry more real to them," Gilmore said. "I think they surprised themselves with how much they actually know."

The students were challenged to create a product that did not just add something to an existing product, but to use their chemistry skills to create something new.

Kassidie Harmon said her group considered making root beer but decided that was too easy. Instead, they chose to make root-beer-flavored gum.

Her group had to order gum base online, but was able to find root beer extract at a local grocery store. They then experimented with different combinations of gum base, root beer extract, corn syrup and sugar.

"It took us five tries," she said. "We had to add a lot of sugar."

After distributing samples to classmates and visitors at the Chemistry Expo, Kassidie said most people either seemed to love the gum or hate it.

"There was no in-between," she said.

Ian Beck's group decided to make deodorant, but wasn't thrilled with the result.

The group used a mixture of corn starch, baking soda and perfumes, which team member Helena Sparbel said were chosen because they smelled like "old lady."

The aroma of the resulting product was a little too strong.

"Enough to knock people out," Ian said.

The team added water to dilute the scent, leaving the final product a little gooey.

"Making it into a stick was not the best idea," Ian said.

The young chemists agreed the project was a more enjoyable way to learn than the usual chemistry lab assignment.

"This was actually a lot of fun," Kassidie said.

Go here to see the original:
Students test products made in chemistry project

Silicon, which is less electronegative than carbon or hydrogen atoms, can significantly alter the electronic characteristics of an organic molecule. Replacing the hydrogen atoms of an aromatic C–H group with silyl groups has emerged as an important strategy in industrial-scale chemical synthesis because these substituents can tune molecular reactivity, enabling construction of elaborate chemical frameworks. 

Chemists normally use transition metals such as platinum or rhodium to catalyze aromatic silylation reactions. But to achieve high conversions, these catalysts need to be mixed with additional hydrogen acceptor reagents, which can generate unwanted waste products, including alkanes. 

Hou and colleagues have pioneered studies into rare-earth metals, such as scandium, which have different catalytic properties to transition metals. Recently, they found that ‘half-sandwich’ scandium complexes, bonded on one side by a flat organic ring, showed unique activity and selectivity in the presence of carbon double bonds. This made investigations of unsaturated aromatic molecules a natural next step. 

When the researchers mixed a methoxy–benzene compound called anisole with the half-sandwich scandium catalyst and a phenylsilane, they found that the silyl group substituted onto the aromatic ring with excellent selectivity and yields (Fig. 1). Furthermore, the catalyst did not require hydrogen acceptor reagents, and generated only H2 gas as a by-product. Hou notes that this reaction is highly advantageous in terms of atom economy.

X-ray and spectroscopic measurements revealed that the working form of the catalyst, which contained a pair of ‘bridging’ hydrogen atoms, activated the reaction by coordinating the anisole’s methoxy group to the rare-earth metal. According to Hou, this relatively strong interaction directs silylation to occur almost exclusively at the position adjacent to the methoxy unit on the aromatic ring—a 'regioselectivity' that outshines that of transition metal catalysts, whose weak oxygen–metal interactions often produce an undesirable mix of silylation isomers.

The team will continue to explore new approaches to improving catalytic sustainability and selectivity by tapping into the extraordinary properties of rare-earth metals.

More information: Oyamada, J., et al. Scandium-catalyzed silylation of aromatic C–H bonds. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 50, 10720–10723 (2011).

Takimoto, M., et al. Scandium-catalyzed regio- and stereospecific methylalumination of silyloxy/alkoxy-substituted alkynes and alkenes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 131, 18266–18268 (2009).

Provided by RIKEN (news : web)

Go here to read the rest:
Economizing chemistry, atom by atom

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d20db2/russian_federation) has announced the addition of GlobalData 's new report "Russian Federation In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture" to their offering.

GlobalData's new report, Russian Federation In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture provides key market data on the Russian Federation In Vitro Diagnostics market. The report provides value (USD million) data for each segment and sub-segment within seven market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on company financials and pipeline products, wherever available.

Scope

Market size and company share data for In Vitro Diagnostics market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture. Annualized market revenues (USD million) data for each of the segments and sub-segments within seven market categories. Data from 2003 to 2010, forecast forward for 7 years to 2017. 2010 company shares and distribution shares data for each of the seven market categories. Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Russian Federation In Vitro Diagnosticsmarket.

Companies Mentioned:

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Siemens Healthcare Abbott Laboratories bioMerieux S.A. Beckman Coulter, Inc. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Sysmex Corporation Becton, Dickinson and Company DiaSorin S.p.A Alere Inc. Phadia AB Qiagen N.V. DIAGNOSTICA STAGO, Inc. Danaher Corporation Gen-Probe Incorporated PerkinElmer, Inc. HORIBA, Ltd. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Grifols, S.A. Immucor, Inc. Hologic, Inc. Cellestis Limited Life Technologies Corporation Mindray Medical International Limited

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d20db2/russian_federation

See the rest here:
Research and Markets: Russian Federation In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017

MILWAUKEE, Wis.—

   The tag-team approach is back. And now no one is talking about LeBron James or Dwyane Wade being better by themselves. Not when they're playing this well in tandem. Not after these past three games.

   With Wade back from the sprained right ankle that kept him out for six games, James and Wade have regained their common stride in victories against the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets, part of the five-game winning streak the Heat carry into Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

   "It is at an all-time high right now, honestly," James said of the chemistry between the two. "It is just a chemistry that we have.  Last year was a blueprint for us.  It is not like we look for each other more than others, it kind of just happens.

   "We're two of the fastest guys in the league when it comes to a break and it is kind of pick-your-poison with the defender, either allow me to get a dunk or allow D-Wade to get a dunk. We are two unselfish players. If a guy is open, we pass it."

   There has been plenty of ball movement between the two over the past three games, with nine Wade assists for James baskets and five James assists for Wade baskets.

   Many of those passes have resulted in spectacular plays.

   Mostly it's been Wade-to-James that has provided the ultimate theatrics.

   "If there was one guy that I've thrown the most lobs to in my life, it's been LeBron, from All-Star games, to Olympics, and obviously playing with the Heat," Wade said.

 "I kind of have a feel for when he's coming. I hear him trucking out of the corner of my ear. I see him and he's the kind of guy that you can just throw it up and he'll get it."

   Then Wade gets to witness.

   "He makes you look good," Wade said. "Just trying to reward him for running hard."

   James said he has a similar feel.

   "We both know," he said of the open-court feel for each other, "also knowing the game and knowing what is going on.

    "When a guy like D-Wade has a good rhythm, you have to keep feeding him."

    Right now, the going is particularly good.

     "It is a residual of all these games and that even goes back to last year," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We played over 100 games and we had those few extra months, we were able to get much more comfortable with each other and get on the same page.

    "Those guys are such high-IQ players, it was a matter of time before they learned how to play off each other."

   Or, in this latest case, re-learned.

   "They understand what our keys to success are: We have to defend. We have to play off misses. And that gives us an opportunity to play out in the open court," Spoelstra said. "They have been very explosive with that."

   Spoelstra said the two can be particularly explosive when he can keep their minutes down, which he did in Monday's rout of the Hornets. That becomes easier with the bench playing well recently, particularly forward Mike Miller.

   "We have depth right now, now that we are healthy," Spoelstra said. "We can take them out and put in other guys to really put the pressure on."

On the outs

    The last time the Heat played the Bucks, veteran swingman Stephen Jackson was coming off a one-game benching for failing to make it to the shootaround the previous game against the New York Knicks.

    Now Jackson, the mercurial scorer, is coming off another benching, held out of the Bucks' Monday victory over the Detroit Pistons because of what coach Scott Skiles said was a rotation decision.

   Jackson said Monday was the first time he had been held out of a game when healthy and not being disciplined.

   Factoring in is the recent upgraded play of Bucks guard Shaun Livingston, who previously had a brief stint with the Heat. Livingston has started the past seven games in Milwaukee's backcourt alongside Brandon Jennings.

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat

Read the original here:
James says chemistry with Wade 'at an all-time high'

Last season, building chemistry was the underlying theme of the Heat’s season. There was very little between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade during that 9-8 start — the two stars took turns watching each other, not playing off of each other. That started to change as the season wore on and into the playoffs and things looked better — until they ran into the ultimate chemistry of the Dallas Mavericks.

This season chemistry is not a problem. Never been better.

So says LeBron James, speaking to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. (Hat tip to Eye on Basketball.)

“It is at an all-time high right now, honestly,” James said of the chemistry between the two. “It is just a chemistry that we have. Last year was a blueprint for us. It is not like we look for each other more than others, it kind of just happens.

“We’re two of the fastest guys in the league when it comes to a break and it is kind of pick-your-poison with the defender, either allow me to get a dunk or allow D-Wade to get a dunk. We are two unselfish players. If a guy is open, we pass it.”

Chemistry and winning are inexorably linked in the public mind — winning teams have chemistry, losing teams do not. That deduction often comes after the fact. In the Heat’s case, the chemistry with Wade and LeBron always seems to be better when they have better players around them that forces defenders to make choices rather than focus solely on them. No doubt LeBron and Wade are more comfortable with each other on the court now than they were a year ago at this time, but the up-tempo style of play and better surrounding cast are a part of that equation, too.

It’s that whole equation that should have other teams concerned.

Link:
LeBron says chemistry at ‘all-time high’ with Wade

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b8cab1/forensic_chemistry) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Forensic Chemistry Handbook" to their offering.

A concise, robust introduction to the various topics covered by the discipline of forensic chemistry

The Forensic Chemistry Handbook focuses on topics in each of the major chemistry-related areas of forensic science. With chapter authors that span the forensic chemistry field, this book exposes readers to the state of the art on subjects such as serology (including blood, semen, and saliva), DNA/molecular biology, explosives and ballistics, toxicology, pharmacology, instrumental analysis, arson investigation, and various other types of chemical residue analysis. In addition, the Forensic Chemistry Handbook:

Covers forensic chemistry in a clear, concise, and authoritative way Brings together in one volume the key topics in forensics where chemistry plays an important role, such as blood analysis, drug analysis, urine analysis, and DNA analysis Explains how to use analytical instruments to analyze crime scene evidence Contains numerous charts, illustrations, graphs, and tables to give quick access to pertinent information

Media focus on high-profile trials like those of Scott Peterson or Kobe Bryant have peaked a growing interest in the fascinating subject of forensic chemistry. For those readers who want to understand the mechanisms of reactions used in laboratories to piece together crime scenes and to fully grasp the chemistry behind it this book is a must-have.

Author:

Lawrence Kobilinsky is currently the Chairman of the Department of Sciences and Professor of Biology and Immunology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. An internationally renowned forensic scientist, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences as well as the New York Microscopical Society. He has published extensively in the areas of identification and individualization using protein genetic markers and DNA analysis, and is the coauthor of Wiley's DNA: Forensic and Legal Applications

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b8cab1/forensic_chemistry

View original post here:
Research and Markets: Forensic Chemistry Handbook