ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: November 13, 2013

ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: November 13, 2013

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News Items in This Edition


Clues to cocaine’s toxicity could lead to better tests for its detection in biofluids

A new study on cocaine, the notorious white powder illegally snorted, injected or smoked by nearly 2 million Americans, details how it may permanently damage proteins in the body...


Improving detection of radioactive material in nuclear waste water

As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive...


New way to dissolve semiconductors holds promise for electronics industry

Semiconductors, the foundation of modern electronics used in flat-screen TVs and fighter jets, could become even more versatile as researchers make headway on a novel, inexpensive way to turn them into thin films...


Maximizing broccoli's cancer-fighting potential

Spraying a plant hormone on broccoli — already one of the planet’s most nutritious foods — boosts its cancer-fighting potential, and researchers say they have new insights on how that works...


Major chemical companies turn to new specialties for growth

Triggered by the recession that began in 2008, major chemical companies are aggressively re-inventing themselves through multi-billion dollar overhauls, reports Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society...


Journalists’ Resources

ACS Experts: Chemistry Sources for Reporters
On a deadline? Need a reliable explanation of a chemistry concept? Then you need an ACS Expert. We have a growing list of scientists who can comment about neuroscience, green chemistry, pharmaceutical science, policy issues and much more. Just contact us at newsroom@acs.org.

ACS National Meeting News
Couldn't go to the ACS 246th National Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis? Then check out our resources for info you might have missed:
Press releases: www.eurekalert.org/acsmeet.php
Press conferences: www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive

Toolkits on Global Challenges/Research Funding
Journalists covering some of the great global challenges of the 21st century and federal funding of research and development (R&D) can find videos and scores of other resources in websites that the American Chemical Society has prepared on those topics. An additional toolkit on sustainability in the global food supply will be available later in 2013. 

ACS Press Release Archive
Visit our press release archive for news on a variety of chemistry-related topics.

ACS Videos

The American Chemical Society encourages news organizations, museums, educational organizations and other websites to embed links to these videos.

ACS Video of the Month:
The Chemistry of Natural Dyes - Bytesize Science

From crimson red to lavender to mustard yellow, vibrant hues can be coaxed from common (and a few uncommon) ingredients to add color to fabrics. The ACS' Bytesize Science series explains the chemistry behind natural dyes with a new episode filmed at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn. The episode is available at http://youtu.be/Gwk1B66dvAM.

C&EN Video Spotlight:
Reporting on a 30-Year-Old Historic Tire Fire

In 1983, some 7 million tires caught fire in Winchester, Va. The resulting inferno raged for nine months before it went out. As the rubber melted, it turned into oil that soaked into the ground and ran downhill toward a stream. Years later, the spot where the fire had occurred became a Superfund site and was eventually cleaned up. In researching the event for a story, C&EN Senior Correspondent Steve Ritter traveled to Winchester to see the site and talk with reporters who originally covered the fire. In this clip, he sits down with C&EN Associate Editor Lauren K. Wolf to talk about his detective work. Read the story and watch the video.

ACS Podcasts

Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions
This special series of ACS podcasts focuses on some of the 21st century’s most daunting challenges, and how chemists and other scientists are finding solutions. Listen to the podcasts at www.acs.org/GlobalChallenges

Science Elements
Science Elements is a podcast that makes cutting-edge scientific discoveries from ACS journals available to a broader public audience. Listen to the podcasts at www.acs.org/ScienceElements.

This is the latest American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs Weekly PressPac with news from ACS’ more than 40 peer-reviewed journals and Chemical & Engineering News.

This information is intended for your personal use in news gathering and reporting and should not be distributed to others. Anyone using advance ACS Office of Public Affairs Weekly PressPac information for stocks or securities dealing may be guilty of insider trading under the federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Please cite the individual journal, or the American Chemical Society, as the source of this information.

The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.