DOCSLIB.ORG

022216 NAE Bridge Wi05

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
022216 NAE Bridge Wi05 Winter 2005 The BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY Large-Scale Activity-Recognition Systems Matthai Philipose Science and Engineering Research That Values the Planet Arne Jacobson and Daniel M. Kammen The Promise of Synthetic Biology Jay Keasling Agent-Based Modeling as a Decision-Making Tool Zoltán Toroczkai and Stephen Eubank Fuel Cells: Current Status and Future Challenges Stuart B. Adler Organic Semiconductors for Low-Cost Solar Cells Chiatzun Goh and Michael D. McGehee Promoting the technological welfare of the nation by marshalling the knowledge and insights of eminent members of the engineering profession. The BRIDGE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Craig R. Barrett, Chair Wm. A. Wulf, President Sheila E. Widnall, Vice President W. Dale Compton, Home Secretary George Bugliarello, Foreign Secretary William L. Friend, Treasurer Editor in Chief (interim): George Bugliarello Managing Editor: Carol R. Arenberg Production Assistant: Penelope Gibbs The Bridge (USPS 551-240) is published quarterly by the National Academy of Engineering, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC. Vol. 35, No. 4, Winter 2005 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bridge, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418. Papers are presented in The Bridge on the basis of general interest and time- liness. They reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of the National Academy of Engineering. The Bridge is printed on recycled paper. © 2005 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Erratum In the table on p. 8 in the September issue, the names of the cities for Microsoft and Oracle should have been Beijing, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. A complete copy of The Bridge is available in PDF format at http://www.nae.edu/TheBridge. Some of the articles in this issue are also available as HTML documents and may contain links to related sources of information, multimedia files, or other content. The Volume 35, Number 4 • Winter 2005 BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY Editor’s Note 3 Cutting-Edge Research in Engineering Pablo G. Debenedetti Features 5 Large-Scale Activity-Recognition Systems Matthai Philipose An activity-recognition system could improve the lives of the elderly and infirm. 11 Science and Engineering Research That Values the Planet Arne Jacobson and Daniel M. Kammen Ecological stewardship will be the guiding scientific principle for new avenues of inquiry. 18 The Promise of Synthetic Biology Jay Keasling Synthetic biologists may soon design and build engineered biological systems. 22 Agent-Based Modeling as a Decision-Making Tool Zoltán Toroczkai and Stephen Eubank Control over agent-based systems can be achieved via modeling tools. 28 Fuel Cells: Current Status and Future Challenges Stuart B. Adler Fuel cells of the future will be based on solid electrolytes. 33 Organic Semiconductors for Low-Cost Solar Cells Chiatzun Goh and Michael D. McGehee The world will need access to 30TW of power without releasing carbon into the atmosphere. NAE News and Notes 40 NAE Newsmakers 40 2005 Annual Meeting 42 Chairman’s Remarks 44 President’s Address 48 2005 NAE Founders Award Acceptance Remarks 50 2005 Bueche Award Acceptance Remarks (continued on next page) The BRIDGE 52 Gordon Prize Lecture 56 Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellows 57 ExxonMobil Scholar-in-Residence 57 CASEE Scholar-in-Residence 58 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Holds 2005 Meeting at GE Global Research Center 60 NAE Hosts Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium 61 Leading Philanthropists Inducted into Einstein Society 62 Calendar of Meetings and Events 63 In Memoriam 64 Publications of Interest The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self- The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the author- to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility ity of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional char- has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on ter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, The National Research Council was organized by the National under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its adminis- science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering tration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal gov- accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the ernment. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engi- Council has become the principal operating agency of both the neering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages edu- National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engi- cation and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of neering in providing services to the government, the public, and the engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered of Engineering. jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respec- tively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org WINTER 2005 3 Editor’s Note Cutting-Edge Research Garrick Louis and Amy Smith organized the session in Engineering on engineering for developing communities, which The U.S. Frontiers of Engi- opened with a presentation by Kurt Kornbluth. He neering (FOE) Symposium, described the DISASCARE Wheelchair Center in a yearly event sponsored by Zambia, a project that makes use of locally available NAE, brings together some resources to address technological needs. Daniele Lan- 100 outstanding young engi- tagne highlighted engineering inputs to the Centers for neers (ages 30 to 45) from Disease Control and Prevention Safe Water System academia, industry, and gov- (SWS) Program. This initiative provides safe drinking ernment laboratories for water to people with no access to infrastructure-treated Pablo G. Debenedetti is the Class three days of sharing ideas water through point-of-use water chlorination, water of 1950 Professor of Engineering and learning about cutting- storage in safe containers, and education to improve and Applied Science at Princeton edge research on a broad hygiene and water practices. Julie Beth Zimmerman University and an NAE member. range of engineering topics. explained how engineers could use the principles of The competitively selected green engineering as a design protocol for promoting emerging engineering leaders who attend FOE symposia sustainability. She argued that a design framework that represent a wide spectrum of backgrounds, interests, and incorporates sustainability factors as performance crite- talents, and the event offers them a unique opportunity ria could advance the goals of prosperity and a health- to learn about the latest research in engineering areas ier environment. Daniel Kammen, who gave the last other than their own. Six papers based on this year’s presentation in the session, focused on sustainability presentations are included in this issue of The Bridge. science. In his paper (p. 11), he argues for the devel- The eleventh FOE Symposium, held on Septem- opment of a science and engineering research agenda in ber 22–24, 2005, at the General Electric Global which the preservation of natural and social systems Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, encom- plays a central role. passed four themes: ID and verification technologies, Luis Amaral and Kelvin Lee organized the session on engineering for developing communities, engineering the engineering of complex systems. In a brief opening complex systems, and energy resources for the future. talk, Luis Amaral identified the distinguishing character- The session on ID and verification technologies was istic of complex systems as the emergence of behavior chaired by Visvanathan Ramesh. The first speaker, not foreseeable by the system designer. In Alessandro Peter Belhumeur, addressed the challenge of face recog- Vespignani’s presentation, he showed how the computa- nition as a computational pattern-recognition or tional study of complex networks, such as the World Wide machine-learning problem. He described the chal- Web, can provide valuable insights into infrastructure lenges that lie ahead, such as handling voluntary design, epidemiology, and social science. Jay Keasling, changes in facial expression and natural outdoor whose paper is printed in this issue (p. 18), described syn- lighting. Jonathon Phillips focused on the design of thetic biology, that
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rhazya Stricta S
    IENCE SC • VTT VTT S CIENCE • T S E Alkaloids of in vitro cultures of N C O H I N Rhazya stricta S O I V Dis s e r ta tion L • O S 93 G Rhazya stricta Decne. (Apocynaceae) is a traditional medicinal T Y H • R plant in Middle East and South Asia. It contains a large number of G I E L S H 93 E G terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), some of which possess A I R H C interesting pharmacological properties. This study was focused on H biotechnological production tools of R. stricta, namely undifferentiated cell cultures, and an Agrobacterium rhizogenes- mediated transformation method to obtain hairy roots expressing heterologous genes from the early TIA pathway. Rha zya alkaloids comprise a wide range of structures and polarities, therefore, many A analytical methods were developed to investigate the alkaloid l k contents in in vitro cultures. Targeted and non-targeted analyses a l o were carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry i d (GC-MS), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra s o performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC- f i MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. n Calli derived from stems contained elevated levels of v i t r strictosidine lactam compared to other in vitro cultures. It o was revealed that only leaves were susceptible to Agrobacterium c u infection and subsequent root induction. The transformation l t u efficiency varied from 22% to 83% depending on the gene. A total r e of 17 TIAs were identified from hairy root extracts by UPLC-MS.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1995 No. 65 House of Representatives The House met at 11 a.m. and was PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DESIGNATING THE HONORABLE called to order by the Speaker pro tem- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the FRANK WOLF AS SPEAKER PRO pore [Mr. BURTON of Indiana]. TEMPORE TO SIGN ENROLLED gentleman from New York [Mr. SOLO- BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS f MON] come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. THROUGH MAY 1, 1995 DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO Mr. SOLOMON led the Pledge of Alle- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- TEMPORE giance as follows: fore the House the following commu- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the nication from the Speaker of the House fore the House the following commu- United States of America, and to the Repub- of Representatives: nication from the Speaker. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, WASHINGTON, DC, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. April 7, 1995. WASHINGTON, DC, I hereby designate the Honorable FRANK R. April 7, 1995. f WOLF to act as Speaker pro tempore to sign I hereby designate the Honorable DAN BUR- enrolled bills and joint resolutions through TON to act as Speaker pro tempore on this MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE May 1, 1995. day. NEWT GINGRICH, NEWT GINGRICH, A message from the Senate by Mr. Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review on Tabernaemontana Spp.: Multipotential Medicinal Plant
    Online - 2455-3891 Vol 11, Issue 5, 2018 Print - 0974-2441 Review Article A REVIEW ON TABERNAEMONTANA SPP.: MULTIPOTENTIAL MEDICINAL PLANT ANAN ATHIPORNCHAI* Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Bangsaen, Chonburi 20131 Thailand. Email: [email protected] Received: 01 March 2016, Revised and Accepted: 29 January 2018 ABSTRACT Plants in the genus Tabernaemontana have been using in Thai and Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment several diseases. The great majority constituents of Tabernaemontana species have already been subjected to isolation and identification of monoterpene indole alkaloids present in their several parts. Many of monoterpene indole alkaloids exhibited a wide array of several activities. The biogenesis, classification, and biological activities of these alkaloids which found in Tabernaemontana plants were discussed in this review and its brings the research up-to-date on the bioactive compounds produced by Tabernaemontana species, directly or indirectly related to human health. Keywords: Tabernaemontana plants, Phytochemistry, Biogenesis, Terpene indole alkaloids, Biological activities. © 2018 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4. 0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i5.11478 INTRODUCTION alkaloids are investigated. All monoterpene indole alkaloids are derived from aromatic amino acid tryptophan and the iridoid terpene Several already drugs were discovered from the natural products. secologanin (Scheme 1). Tryptophan converts to tryptamine using Especially, the treatments of infectious diseases and oncology have tryptophan decarboxylase which is a pyridoxal-dependent enzyme. benefited from numerous drugs which were found in natural product The specific iridoid precursor was subsequently identified as sources.
    [Show full text]
  • J.C.S. Perkin I
    2308 J.C.S. Perkin I The Biosynthesis of Monoterpenoid lndole Alkaloids from Strictosidine By Naotaka Nagakura, (Mrs.) Martin8 Ruffer, and Meinhart H. Zenk," Lehrstuhl fur Pflanzenphysiologie, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, D 4630 Bochum, W. Germany The differential incorporation of doubly labelled strictosidine and vincoside into several indole alkaloids belonging to the Corynanthe (3a and 3p series), Aspidosperma, and lboga types in three plant families has been studied, and it has been demonstrated that only strictosidine is incorporated while vincoside is metabolically inert in these plants with regard to alkaloid formation. During the conversion of strictosidine into the 3P-indole alkaloids, the hydrogen atom at the 3-position is lost, while it is retained during the biosynthesis of the 32 alkaloids. The chemical synthesis of [7-3H]secologanin, an important intermediate for further work in the biosynthesis of monoterpenoid alkaloids, is also described. THEfundamental research of Battersby and Arigoni and (S)-3a stereochemistry, is indeed the key intermediate their associates during the past decade has established in the formation of the three classes of monoterpenoid the central role of loganin and secologanin (2) in the indole alkaloids (Asfiidosfierma, Iboga, and Corynanthe) biosynthesis of a multitude of monoterpenoid indole in Catharanthus roseus (syn. Vinca rosea) plants as well alkaloids. Secologanin (2) is the ultimate precursor for as a variety of other species in cell cultures by in vivo the C-9/C-10 non-tryptamine carbon skeleton
    [Show full text]
  • Biosynthesis by in Situ Hybridization (ISH)
    Localization of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) biosynthesis by in situ hybridization (ISH) By Elizabeth Edmunds, Hons. B.Sc. A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Biotechnology In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Masters of Science August, 2012 Brock University St. Catha rines, Ontario ©Elizabeth Edmunds, 2012 ii Acknowledgments First and foremost I would like to thank Dr. Vincenzo Deluca for the opportunity to work in his laboratory under his mentorship. I have appreciated the helpful insight that has guided me through the course of this project. I have gained a valuable experience being able to learn from such an established and knowledgeable researcher. Secondly, I would like to thank my committee members Dr. Jeffrey Atkinson and Dr. Heather Gordon for their support and advice and their time to serve on my advisory committee. Thirdly, I would like to thank my colleagues and co-workers for their patience and helpful advice throughout my project. Particular mention must be given to Dr. Carlone's lab for their assistance and insight into in situ hybridization techniques. Finally, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude and appreciation towards my family and friends for their support. I would not be where I am today without the support and love from my mother and father, as well as Craig Easton. iii Abstract Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIA) are among the largest and most complex group of nitrogen containing secondary metabolites that are characteristic of the Apocynaceae plant family including the most notable Catharanthus roseus. These compounds have demonstrated activity as successful drugs for treating various cancers, neurological disorders and cardiovascular conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Impediments to Service: Women in the Military and the Rule of Law
    08__MURNANE.DOC 6/18/2007 3:03 PM LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS TO SERVICE: WOMEN IN THE MILITARY AND THE RULE OF LAW LINDA STRITE MURNANE* PREAMBLE Since our nation’s birth, women have been engaged in the national defense in various ways. This article will examine the legal impediments to service by women in the United States military. This brings to light an interesting assessment of the meaning of the term “Rule of Law,” as the legal exclusions barring women from service, establishing barriers to equality and creating a type of legal glass ceiling to preclude promotion, all fell within the then-existing Rule of Law in the United States. Finally, this article looks at the remaining barriers to women in the military and reasons to open all fields and all opportunities to women in today’s military. I. THE CONCEPT OF THE RULE OF LAW Albert Venn Dicey, in “Law of the Constitution,” identified three principles which establish the Rule of Law: (1) the absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power; (2) equality before the law or the equal subjection of all classes to the ordinary law of the land administered by the ordinary courts; and (3) the law of the constitution is a consequence of the rights of individuals as defined and enforced by the courts.1 This concept of the Rule of Law has existed since the beginning of the nation, most famously reflected in the writings of John Adams in drafting the * Colonel, USAF, Ret. The author acknowledges with gratitude the research assistance of Vega Iodice, intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and lawyer apprentice at the Iodice Law Firm in Naples, Italy, in the preparation of this article.
    [Show full text]
  • Deploying Microbial Synthesis for Halogenating and Diversifying Medicinal Alkaloid Scaffolds
    Downloaded from orbit.dtu.dk on: Sep 28, 2021 Deploying Microbial Synthesis for Halogenating and Diversifying Medicinal Alkaloid Scaffolds Bradley, Samuel Alan; Zhang, Jie; Jensen, Michael Krogh Published in: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology Link to article, DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.594126 Publication date: 2020 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link back to DTU Orbit Citation (APA): Bradley, S. A., Zhang, J., & Jensen, M. K. (2020). Deploying Microbial Synthesis for Halogenating and Diversifying Medicinal Alkaloid Scaffolds. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8, [594126]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.594126 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. fbioe-08-594126 October 19, 2020 Time: 19:15 # 1 REVIEW published: 23 October 2020 doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.594126 Deploying Microbial Synthesis for Halogenating and Diversifying Medicinal Alkaloid Scaffolds Samuel A. Bradley, Jie Zhang and Michael K.
    [Show full text]
  • Undergrad Cat Back 2012-2014
    Directory of faculty anD aDministrators Appointment date refers to the date of original hire Donald l. Basch, Professor of economics to the College. BA, Trinity College; MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale University. Appointed 1980. faculty, college of arts anD sciences Kirk James Beattie, Professor of Political science and international relations maria abate, assistant Professor of Biology BA, Kalamazoo College; MA, PhD, University of BA, University of California, Davis; PhD, Michigan. Appointed 1985. Northeastern University. Appointed 2011. Donna Beers, Professor of mathematics Paul abraham, Professor and chair of education BA, MS, PhD, University of Connecticut. and Director of matesl Program Appointed 1986. BA, Boston College; MEd, Boston University; D EdD, Harvard University. Appointed 1993. michael Berger, associate Professor of chemistry i r BA, Cornell University; MBA, Boston University; e MA, PhD, Harvard University. Appointed 2005. c Joan abrams, Professor of Practice in t communications o r BA, MS, Simmons College; MPA, Harvard renee Bergland, Professor of english y University. Appointed 1999. BA, St. John’s College; PhD, Columbia University. o f Appointed 1999. f Zachary abuza, Professor of Political science and a c international relations stephen Berry, assistant Professor of History u l BA, Trinity College, MALD; PhD, Tufts University. BA, MEd, Vanderbilt University; MLIS, University t y Appointed 1996. of Southern Mississippi; PhD, Duke University. Appointed 2007. anna aguilera, assistant Professor of Biology AB, Brown University; MS, University of Joy Bettencourt, associate Professor of Practice Massachusetts, Amherst; PhD, University of in education and Westford campus coordinator Massachusetts, Boston. Appointed 2012. BA, University of Colorado; MEd, Antioch College. Appointed 1999. ron allen, senior lecturer of Behavior analysis BS, MS, PhD, University of Florida.
    [Show full text]
  • AFDD Template Guide LEADERSHIP and FORCE DEVELOPMENT
    AFDDLEADERSHIP Template AND Guide FORCE DEVELOPMENT Air Force20 DoctrineSeptember Document 2002 1-1 8 November. 2011 BY ORDER OF THE AIR FORCE DOCTRINE DOCUMENT 1-1 SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 8 NOVEMBER 2011 SUMMARY OF CHANGES This document is substantially revised and must be completely reviewed. The structure of the document has been changed to present information in a more cohesive manner, reducing the number of chapters from four to three. The discussion on the meaning of the term ―Airman‖ has been completely revised (Chapter 1). The discussion on leadership has been expanded to include a historical review of leadership doctrine for the Air Force (Chapter 2). Enduring competencies have been replaced by institutional competencies (Chapter 3 and Appendix C). A new appendix has been added: The Institutional Competency List (Appendix C). The appendix containing case studies has been renamed ―leadership studies‖ to more accurately reflect the contents, and new studies have been added (Appendix E). Supersedes: AFDD 1-1, 18 Feb 06 OPR: LeMay Center/DDS Certified by: LeMay Center/CC (Maj Gen David S. Fadok) Pages: 92 Accessibility: Available on the e-publishing website at www.e-publishing.af.mil for downloading Releasability: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication Approved by: NORTON A. SCHWARTZ, General, USAF Chief of Staff FOREWORD The Air Force develops leaders. Leadership is a skill that we learn, develop, and practice; it is not necessarily inherited nor ingrained in our DNA. This doctrine document presents the Air Force‘s best practices for creating leaders and applying leadership. Leaders do not abruptly appear fully developed and ready to perform.
    [Show full text]
  • Columbia Accident Investigation Board Member Biographies
    COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES Adm. Harold W. Gehman Jr., U.S. Navy retired, completed more than 35 years of active duty in October 2000. His last assignment was as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, and as the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, one of the five U.S. Unified Commands. Immediately after retiring, Gehman served as Co-chairman of the Department of Defense review of the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. Gehman graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a commission in the Navy from the Naval ROTC program. He served at all levels of leadership and command and was promoted to four-star admiral in 1996. He became the 29th Vice Chief of Naval Operations in September 1996. As Vice Chief he was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, formulated the Navy's $70 billion budget, and developed and implemented policies governing the Navy's 375,000 personnel. Maj. Gen. John L. Barry is Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Barry is a 1973 honor graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He graduated from Fighter Weapons School, and was a test and evaluation pilot at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. He was selected as a White House Fellow at NASA and worked as the NASA administrator's executive assistant and White House liaison during the Challenger accident, and he served as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlocking the Diversity of Alkaloids in Catharanthus Roseus: Nuclear Localization Suggests Metabolic Channeling in Secondary Metabolism
    Brief Communication Unlocking the Diversity of Alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus: Nuclear Localization Suggests Metabolic Channeling in Secondary Metabolism Graphical Abstract Authors Anna Stavrinides, Evangelos C. Tatsis, ..., Vincent Courdavault, Sarah E. O’Connor Correspondence [email protected] (S.E.O.), [email protected] (V.C.) In Brief How plants transform the central biosynthetic intermediate strictosidine into thousands of divergent alkaloids has remained unresolved. Stavrinides et al. discover a nuclear-localized alcohol dehydrogenase homolog responsible for conversion of strictosidine aglycone to tetrahydroalstonine that appears to interact with an upstream pathway enzyme. Highlights d Tetrahydroalstonine synthase catalyzes the formation of a plant-derived alkaloid d Tetrahydroalstonine synthase is localized to the nucleus d Tetrahydroalstonine synthase and the preceding pathway enzyme interact d Discovery of a gene controlling structural diversity of monoterpene indole alkaloids Stavrinides et al., 2015, Chemistry & Biology 22, 336–341 March 19, 2015 ª2015 The Authors http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.02.006 Chemistry & Biology Brief Communication Unlocking the Diversity of Alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus: Nuclear Localization Suggests Metabolic Channeling in Secondary Metabolism Anna Stavrinides,1 Evangelos C. Tatsis,1 Emilien Foureau,2 Lorenzo Caputi,1 Franziska Kellner,1 Vincent Courdavault,2,* and Sarah E. O’Connor1,* 1Department of Biological Chemistry, The John Innes Centre, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK 2Universite´ Franc¸ ois Rabelais de Tours, EA2106 ‘‘Biomole´ cules et Biotechnologies Ve´ ge´ tales’’, 37200 Tours, France *Correspondence: [email protected] (S.E.O.), [email protected] (V.C.) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.02.006 This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
    [Show full text]
  • Harry Potter Is Most Challenged Fourth Year In
    v52n2_final.qxd 02/25/2003 5:12 PM Page 45 ISSN 0028-9485 March 2003 Vol. LII No. 2 www.ala.org/nif The best-selling Harry Potter series of children’s books by J.K. Rowling tops the list of books most challenged in 2002, according to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom. The Potter series drew complaints from parents and others concerned about the books’ focus on wizardry and magic. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 515 reports of challenges last year, a fifteen percent increase since 2001. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. The majority of challenges are reported by public libraries, schools and school libraries. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Harry Potter Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each challenge reported, four or five remain unreported. The “Ten Most Challenged Books of 2002” reflect a wide variety of themes. The is most books, in order of most frequently challenged are: G Harry Potter series, by J. K. Rowling, for its focus on wizardry and magic. challenged G Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for being sexually explicit, using offensive language and being unsuited to age group. fourth year G The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier (the “Most Challenged” book of 1998), for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group. G I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, for sexual content, racism, in row offensive language, violence and being unsuited to age group.
    [Show full text]