Spectroscopic investigations of the electronic structure of neptunyl ions.

Molecular electronic structures are innately sensitive to the geometric and chemical environments around the metal center of coordination compounds . However, the interrelationships between the electronic structures and molecular geometries of actinide species, which often contain more than one electron in the Sf valence shell, are quite complex due to the large numbers of possible electronic states and high densities of vibronically enabled transitions .1'2 Investigations of the optical signatures of simple, well-defined molecular systems should provide the most straightforward approach for unharnessing these fundamental relationships, and in particular, systems with a single electron in the valence Sf shell, such as the neptunyl ion (Np0 22+), should provide the most viable means for characte rizing actinide electronic structure. Furthermore, Sf orbital-occupied actinide systems exhibit not only visible and ultraviolet ligand-to-metal charge-transfer spectral bands, but also near-infrared Sf-Sf transitions resulting from promotion of a Sf electron to an orbital of primarily Sf character

Social Justice and Technocracy: Tracing the Narratives of Inclusive Education in the United States

Over the past two decades, the percentage of American students with disabilities educated in general classrooms with their nondisabled peers has risen by approximately fifty percent. This gradual but steady policy shift has been driven by two distinct narratives of organisational change. The social justice narrative espouses principles of equality and caring across human differences. The narrative of technocracy creates top-down, administrative pressure through hierarchical systems based on quantitative performance data. This article examines these two primary policy narratives of inclusive education in the United States, exploring the conceptual features of each and initiating an analysis of their application in the public schools

Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic extensional and compressional history of East Laurentian margin sequences: The Moine Supergroup, Scottish Caledonides

Neoproterozoic siliciclastic-dominated sequences are widespread along the eastern margin of Laurentia and are related to rifting associated with the breakout of Laurentia from the supercontinent Rodinia. Detrital zircons from the Moine Supergroup, NW Scotland, yield Archean to early Neoproterozoic U-Pb ages, consistent with derivation from the Grenville-Sveconorwegian orogen and environs and accumulation post–1000 Ma. U-Pb zircon ages for felsic and associated mafic intrusions confirm a widespread pulse of extension-related magmatism at around 870 Ma. Pegmatites yielding U-Pb zircon ages between 830 Ma and 745 Ma constrain a series of deformation and metamorphic pulses related to Knoydartian orogenesis of the host Moinerocks. Additional U-Pb zircon and monazite data, and 40Ar/39Ar ages for pegmatites and host gneisses indicate high-grade metamorphic events at ca. 458–446 Ma and ca. 426 Maduring the Caledonian orogenic cycle.The presence of early Neoproterozoic silici clastic sedimentation and deformation in the Moine and equivalent successions around the North Atlantic and their absence along strike in eastern North America reflect contrasting Laurentian paleogeography during the breakup of Rodinia. The North Atlantic realm occupied an external location on the margin of Laurentia, and this region acted as a locus for accumulation of detritus (Moine Supergroup and equivalents) derived from the Grenville-Sveconorwegian orogenic welt, which developed as a consequence of collisional assembly of Rodinia. Neoproterozoic orogenic activity corresponds with theinferred development of convergent platemargin activity along the periphery of the supercontinent. In contrast in eastern North America, which lay within the internal parts of Rodinia, sedimentation did not commence until the mid-Neoproterozoic (ca. 760 Ma) during initial stages of supercontinent fragmentation. In the North Atlantic region, this time frame corresponds to a second pulse of extension represented by units such as the Dalradian Supergroup, which unconformably overlies the predeformed Moine succession

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies

Excited states of methano-bridged [10]-, [14]-, and [18]annulenes. Evidence for strong transannular interaction, and relation to homoaromaticity

Measurements of the absorption, polarized fluorescence, and MCD of 1,6-methano[10]annulene, 1,6:8,13-bismethano[14]annulene, and 1,6:8,17:10,15-trismethano[18]annulene along with the semiempirical p-electron and AVE calcns. on these and related annulenes are reported. The transannular interaction in the methano-bridged annulenes is strong, and these homoarom. mols. can be viewed as examples of arrested transition states along electrocyclic reaction paths. In addn. to the anticipated Lb, La, Bb, and Ba transitions originating in the conjugated (4N + 2)-electron annulene perimeter, at least one further low-energy transition is present, but its nature is not well understood. The MCD of the bridged annulenes agrees with the expectation based on the general theory for cyclic (4N + 2)-electron systems and the abs. signs agree with the relative size of orbital energy differences obtained from CNDO/S calcns

Excited singlet states of "hairpin" polyenes

The synthesis and UV-visible, polarized-fluorescence and MCD spectra of 6 U-shaped hairpin polyenes (e.g., I) are reported. Qual. arguments and results of p-electron calcns. permit the identification of 4 excited singlet states and their assignment to mixts. of singly and doubly excited configurations. The hairpin polyenes represent a link between the all-trans-polyenes on the 1 hand and the annulenes and acenes on the other; they have the topol. of the former and a geometry near that of the latter