Protecting the environment for self-interested reasons. Altruism is not the only pathway to sustainability

Concerns for environmental issues are important drivers of sustainable and pro-environmental behaviors, and can be differentiated between those with a self-enhancing (egoistic) vs. self-transcendent (biospheric) psychological foundation. Yet to date, the dominant approach for promoting pro-environmental behavior has focused on highlighting the benefits to others or nature, rather than appealing to self-interest. Building on the Inclusion Model for Environmental Concern, we argue that egoistic and biospheric environmental concerns, respectively, conceptualized as self-interest and altruism, are hierarchically structured, such that altruism is inclusive of self-interest. Three studies show that self-interested individuals will behave more pro-environmentally when the behavior results in a personal benefit (but not when there is exclusively an environmental benefit), while altruistic individuals will engage in pro-environmental behaviors when there are environmental benefits, and critically, also when there are personal benefits. The reported findings have implications for programs and policies designed to promote pro-environmental behavior, and for social science research aimed at understanding human responses to a changing environmen

High-Valent Organometallic Palladium and Nickel Complexes and their Roles in Carbon-Carbon and Carbon-Heteroatom Bond Formation Reactions

The development of palladium catalysis has been influential in a wide range of organic transformations, in particular C-C coupling, C-Heteroatom coupling and C-H functionalization reactions. These catalytic transformations normally proceed through the Pd0/II catalytic cycle. These reactions are remarkably useful, however, they suffer from two major problems: -hydride elimination and palladium black deposition. To circumvent these problems, recent reports have been focused on developing novel organic transformations proceeding through high-valent palladium and nickel catalytic cycles. To this point, we recently reported the isolation and characterization of various mononuclear PdIII complexes using the tetradentate ligands, N,N-di-alkyl-2,11-diaza[3.3](2,6)pyridinophane (RN4, R = tBu, iPr, Me). As a result, the ligand effects on the stability and reactivity of the corresponding high-valent palladium complexes were studied. Herein, we report our continued effects to improve our overall understanding of these high-valent complexes and the roles they may play in catalytic transformations. First, we investigated the synthesis and utilization of an asymmetric N4 ligand, resulting in the destabilization of the ensuing PdIII complexes. Then we synthesized a series of arene-substituted nickel complexes to study the effect of altering the electronics and sterics of the ligand on the nickel complexes stability and reactivity. The synthesis and reactivity of the first reported dialkyl NiIII complexes was investigated next. These studies along with additional synthesis and characterization of a NiIV complex provided strong evidence for the involvement of NiIV intermediates during nickel catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Lastly, we investigated the deprotonation of the N4 ligand system in hopes of facilitating various C-H activation reactions. All told, these studies gave us valuable insights into high-valent palladium and nickel complexes relevant to C-C coupling, C-Heteroatom coupling and C-H functionalization reactions. By continuing to improve our understanding of these valuable organic transformations, we can continue to develop more effective catalytic systems

Retinoblastoma binding protein 4 maintains cycling neural stem cells and prevents DNA damage and Tp53-dependent apoptosis in rb1 mutant neural progenitors

Retinoblastoma-binding protein 4 (Rbbp4) is a WDR adaptor protein for multiple chromatin remodelers implicated in human oncogenesis. Here we show Rbbp4 is overexpressed in zebrafish rb1-embryonal brain tumors and is upregulated across the spectrum of human embryonal and glial brain cancers. We demonstrate in vivo Rbbp4 is essential for zebrafish neurogenesis and has distinct roles in neural stem and progenitor cells. rbbp4 mutant neural stem cells show delayed cell cycle progression and become hypertrophic. In contrast, rbbp4 mutant neural precursors accumulate extensive DNA damage and undergo programmed cell death that is dependent on Tp53 signaling. Loss of Rbbp4 and disruption of genome integrity correlates with failure of neural precursors to initiate quiescence and transition to differentiation. rbbp4; rb1 double mutants show that survival of neural precursors after disruption of Rb1 is dependent on Rbbp4. Elevated Rbbp4 in Rb1-deficient brain tumors might drive proliferation and circumvent DNA damage and Tp53-dependent apoptosis, lending support to current interest in Rbbp4 as a potential druggable target

Experiencing a Severe Weather Event Increases Concern About Climate Change

Climate change is primarily driven by human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and may therefore be mitigated by changes to human behavior (Clayton et al., 2015; IPCC, 2018). Despite efforts to raise awareness and concern about climate change, GHG emissions continue to rise (IPCC, 2018). Climate change seems to be at odds with the immediate, present threats to which humans are adapted to cope (Gifford et al., 2009; Schultz, 2014; van Vugt et al., 2014). In contrast to immediate dangers, climate change is typically abstract, large scale, slow and often unrelated to the welfare of our daily lives (e.g., Ornstein and Ehrlich, 1989; Gifford, 2011). But there are moments when the consequences of climate change are readily apparent, such as extreme weather events. In the current paper, we examine the impact of personal experience with an extreme weather event, and the impact of this experience on beliefs about climate change, and intentions to take actions that can help prepare for and mitigate the consequences of climate change

Methylation of plasmacytoma c-myc genes

The chromosomal translocation associated with many tumors of immunoglobulin-producing cells frequently results in the joining of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus and the c-myc oncogene. This translocation of c-myc has profound structural and functional consequences for the oncogene, including loss of the 5 ' end of the gene and transcriptional deregulation. We report in this communication that translocation results in a new methylation pattern of c-myc. In normal kidney and liver tissue, the c-myc gene is methylated at its 3' end. The translocated gene in plasmacytoma DNA is extensively demethylated. On the other hand, the nonrearranged c-myc gene in plasmacytoma DNA (which is transcriptionally silent) is extensively methylated. In addition, we confirm the nucleotide sequence (with 19 discrepancies out of 1400 bp) 5' to the murine c-myc gene, as reported by Corcoran et al. [Cell 40 (1985) 71-79].Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25882/1/0000445.pd

Improving Patients' Understanding of Terms and Phrases Commonly Used in Self‐Reported Measures of Sexual Function

There is a significant gap in research regarding the readability and comprehension of existing sexual function measures. Patient-reported outcome measures may use terms not well understood by respondents with low literacy

Co-benefits of addressing climate change can motivate action around the world

Personal and political action on climate change is traditionally thought to be motivated by people accepting its reality and importance. However, convincing the public that climate change is real faces powerful ideological obstacles1, 2, 3, 4, and climate change is slipping in public importance in many countries5, 6. Here we investigate a different approach, identifying whether potential co-benefits of addressing climate change7 could motivate pro-environmental behaviour around the world for both those convinced and unconvinced that climate change is real. We describe an integrated framework for assessing beliefs about co-benefits8, distinguishing social conditions (for example, economic development, reduced pollution or disease) and community character (for example, benevolence, competence). Data from all inhabited continents (24 countries; 6,196 participants) showed that two co-benefit types, Development (economic and scientific advancement) and Benevolence (a more moral and caring community), motivated public, private and financial actions to address climate change to a similar degree as believing climate change is important. Critically, relationships were similar for both convinced and unconvinced participants, showing that co-benefits can motivate action across ideological divides. These relationships were also independent of perceived climate change importance, and could not be explained by political ideology, age, or gender. Communicating co-benefits could motivate action on climate change where traditional approaches have stalled