Theism and Psychological Science: A Call for Rapprochement

The authors offer two arguments for the inclusion of theism in natural science. First, an argument against excluding theism is offered. Though early roots of science promoted a view that it is a way to accumulate knowledge that is untainted by presuppositions and traditions, postmodern critiques call this into question. Scientists have sometimes rejected religion as a context-dependent, tradition-based way of knowing, yet science itself is also context-dependent and tradition-based. Second, an argument for including theism in psychological is offered. Theistic beliefs are relevant insofar as they are part of human experience for many, they represent a form of human diversity, and they have been associated with some positive health outcomes

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (–)-Myrifabral A and B

A catalytic enantioselective approach to the Myrioneuron alkaloids (−)-myrifabral A and (−)-myrifabral B is described. The synthesis was enabled by a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation, that generates the C(10) all-carbon quaternary center. A key N-acyl iminium ion cyclization forged the cyclohexane fused tricyclic core, while vinyl boronate cross metathesis and oxidation afforded the lactol ring of (−)-myrifabral A. Adaptation of previously reported conditions allowed for the conversion of (−)-myrifabral A to (−)-myrifabral B

The Higgs Legacy of the LHC Run I

Based on Run I data we present a comprehensive analysis of Higgs couplings. For the first time this SFitter analysis includes independent tests of the Higgs-gluon and top Yukawa couplings, Higgs decays to invisible particles, and off-shell Higgs measurements. The observed Higgs boson is fully consistent with the Standard Model, both in terms of coupling modifications and effective field theory. Based only on Higgs total rates the results using both approaches are essentially equivalent, with the exception of strong correlations in the parameter space induced by effective operators. These correlations can be controlled through additional experimental input, namely kinematic distributions. Including kinematic distributions the typical Run I reach for weakly interacting new physics now reaches 300 to 500 GeV.Comment: 29 pages, 15 figure