British Geological Survey recreates Great Britain in Minecraft  Eurogamer.net

The title compound, C12H11N3O2S, was synthesized by a condensation reaction of 2-acetyl­indan-1,3-dione and thio­semicarbazide in ethanol in the presence of glacial acetic acid. The mol­ecule adopts a thio­ketone form. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of 1H-inden-1,3(2H)-dione and hydrazinecarbo­thio­amide units is 86.32 (7)°. Weak intra­molecular N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are observed. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked via pairs of weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers. The dimers are further linked into a three-dimensional network through N—H⋯S and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.5619 (10)–3.9712 (9) Å].

The equimolar reaction between a racemic mixture of (R)- and (S)-camphorquinone with thio­semicarbazide yielded the title compound, C11H17N3OS [common name: (R)- and (S)-camphor thio­semicarbazone], which maintains the chirality of the methyl­ated chiral carbon atoms and crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group C2/c. There are two mol­ecules in general positions in the asymmetric unit, one of them being the (1R)-camphor thio­semicarbazone isomer and the second the (1S)- isomer. In the crystal, the mol­ecular units are linked by C—H⋯S, N—H⋯O and N—H⋯S inter­actions, building a tape-like structure parallel to the (overline{1}01) plane, generating R21(7) and R22(8) graph-set motifs for the H⋯S inter­actions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the major contributions for crystal cohesion are from H⋯H (55.00%), H⋯S (22.00%), H⋯N (8.90%) and H⋯O (8.40%) inter­actions.

The majestic feathers of the greater bird of paradise (Paradisaea apoda) have inspired people for thousands of years. Like many birds on the isolated island […]

The post Feathers of seduction – the connection between birds and people of New Guinea appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The Sun glows with a surface temperature of about 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,932 degrees Fahrenheit). On the other hand its hot outer layer, the corona, […]

The post Magnetic reconnection in the sun appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Samantha-Su Z. Taylor, Nicole L. Jacobsen, Tasha K. Pontifex, Paul Langlais, and Janis M. Burt

Connexin 37 (Cx37) expression profoundly suppresses proliferation of rat insulinoma (Rin) cells in a manner dependent on gap junction channel (GJCh) functionality and the presence and phosphorylation status of its carboxyl-terminus (CT). In Rin cells growth arrested by induced Cx37 expression, serine 319 (S319) is frequently phosphorylated. Preventing phosphorylation at this site (alanine substitution; S319A) relieved Cx37 of its growth suppressive effect whereas mimicking phosphorylation at this site (aspartate substitution; S319D) enhanced Cx37's growth suppressive properties. Like Cx37-WT, -S319D GJChs and hemichannels (HChs) preferred the closed state, rarely opening fully, and gated slowly. In contrast, Cx37-S319A channels preferred open states, opened fully, and gated rapidly. These data indicate that phosphorylation-dependent conformational differences in Cx37 protein and channel function underlie Cx37-induced growth arrest vs. growth permissive phenotypes. That the closed state of -WT and Cx37-S319D GJChs and HChs favors growth arrest suggests that rather than specific permeants mediating cell cycle arrest, the closed conformation instead supports interaction of Cx37 with growth regulatory proteins that result in growth arrest.

The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace, featuring a bow motif with nine sparkling and extremely rare blue diamonds, recently joined the National Gem Collection in the […]

The post Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The humble salamander may provide evidence to support a controversial claim that North and South America were joined together much earlier than previously thought. The […]

The post Salamander DNA reveals evidence of older land connection between Central and South America appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Scientists from the Migratory Bird Center of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are using transmitters to track the movements of shorebirds–the long-billed curlew, red knot, […]

The post Studying migratory connectivity of shorebirds on the Texas coast appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Identifying and understanding the migratory connectivity of birds throughout an entire annual cycle (not just the times of year they are in your back yard), […]

The post Video: Protecting songbirds by Better Understanding their Migratory connectivity appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Scientific inspiration springs from many sources. In the case of Smithsonian botanist David Kenfack, ant bites were the inspiration for a recent paper he co-authored […]

The post Sweet life: tropical plants attract ants with sugary nectar appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Long ago, one great ocean flowed between North and South America. When the narrow Isthmus of Panama joined the continents about 3 million years ago, […]

The post Recent Connection Between North and South America Reaffirmed appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Internet and phone connections are essential for effective communicators and for success in business. New results from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama show […]

The post Ant bridges connect tropical tree crowns appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

In this file photo, students warm up in a mariachi class at Hamilton High School.; Credit: Susanica Tam for KPCC

Los Angeles Unified's arts education leaders took steps to renew long-dormant community partnerships with arts organizations Wednesday, part of an effort to revitalize arts education in the nation’s second largest school district. 

At the Los Angeles Cathedral in downtown L.A., the district's new arts ed director, Rory Pullens, held his first meeting with community arts organizations. More than 100 people representing several dozen groups attended the event.

Pullens outlined the district's arts plans and how community partners can help boost the arts for students.

“Guess what," Pullens said, getting a round of applause with cheers of support from some of the attendees. "We're back." 

RELATED: LAUSD decision ushers in new source of funding for arts education

Pullens lauded the district's recent announcement clearing the way for arts funding for low-income students, and pointed to new allocations this year that helped some of the district's schools purchase items like art supplies.

He also said the district is working on a school survey to create an arts equity index that will change the way the district allocates arts funds. The index would measure how well schools are providing arts instruction and arts access to students. Originally planned for release last year, the index is now expected next month.

But Pullens also painted a grim picture of the district’s current arts offerings. He said about a third of the district's middle schools currently offer little or no exposure to the arts. Some of the district’s students can go through both elementary and middle school without taking a single arts class, he said. Because of gaps in arts instruction, students who start learning an instrument in elementary school, for example, might not have classes to continue music study in their middle or high schools.

Pullens further talked about widespread budget problems, but took district leaders to task for failing to restore arts funding to the budget as the recession eased.

He said the arts education branch is still facing a deficit. Superintendent Ramon Cortines told reporters recently that the district as a whole is looking at a $160 million shortfall heading into the 2015-2016 school  year.

Despite the mixed funding news, for many in attendance, the meeting marked a positive shift in the district's arts strategy. Some groups currently serve as partners with the district, but the gathering was the first major effort in several years to reach out to organizations with the aim of restoring arts in the schools.

Jay McAdams, the executive director of 24th Street Theatre, said he remembered a few years back when the district emailed a cease-and-desist letter calling for an end to all arts partnership programs. He saw Wednesday's meeting as a major turnaround. 

"This is just a real breath of fresh air. There’s hope, there’s hope for first time in a long time for arts," he said. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Improved understanding of the coupled natural-human coastal system will help promote resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems under rapidly changing environmental conditions and support informed decision-making, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

In light of the present situation in the U.S., we believe that it is essential to explore a wide range of options for treating the increasing numbers of very ill patients with COVID-19 respiratory illness.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Science Foundation announced today the formation of a Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) to connect social and behavioral science researchers with decision-makers who are leading the response to COVID-19. SEAN will respond to the most pressing social, behavioral, and economic questions that are being asked by federal, state, and local officials by working with appropriate experts to quickly provide actionable answers.

Will Davidson and his Minecraft creation, modeled off the Santa Cruz Mission; Credit: Steve Henn

Minecraft is a deceptively simple video game. You're dropped into a virtual world, and you get to build things. It's like a digital Lego set, but with infinite pieces.

Its simplicity makes it a big hit with kids, like 10-year old Will Davidson. Last year, Will built a Spanish mission for a school report. He modeled his off the Santa Cruz Mission. "I made a chapel over here," Davidson says. "I also have a bell tower."

After he turned in his report, he added a few things. Like skeleton archers. "And zombies ... and exploding things, and spiders, that try to kill you," he said.

Minecraft is popular with kids because they're free to create almost anything, says Ramin Shokrizade, a game designer.

Also, kids aren't manipulated into clicking buttons to buy add-ons within the game. In other games, designers give players a special power for free at first, then take it away and offer it back at a price.

Zynga, the creator of Farmville, calls this fun pain, according to Shokrizade. "That's the idea that, if you make the consumer uncomfortable enough, and then tell them that for money we'll make you less uncomfortable, then [they] will give us money," he says.

Kids, Shokrizade says, are especially susceptible to this — and Minecraft has a loyal following, in part, because it doesn't do it.

Susan Linn, from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, agrees. She says a big reason she likes Minecraft is because after you purchase the game upfront, that's it.

"Parents don't have to worry that their kids are going to be targeted for more marketing," Linn says. "How forward-thinking!"

But Linn is worried. Microsoft bought Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, on Monday for $2.5 billion, and she says that any time a large company spends billions to acquire a smaller company, executives are bound start looking for new ways to get even more money out of it.

Marine Protected Areas should be managed as integrated networks rather than isolated units because of the high degree of exchange between them, a new study suggests. The researchers found that the large majority of sea bream (Sparidae) and wrasse (Labridae) fish spawned in MPA study sites in the Mediterranean Sea were transported via currents to other MPAs and unprotected areas, highlighting their interconnected nature.

Long ago, one great ocean flowed between North and South America. When the narrow Isthmus of Panama joined the continents about 3 million years ago, it also separated the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean. If this took place millions of years earlier, as recently asserted by some, the implications for both land and sea life would be revolutionary. Aaron O'Dea, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), and colleagues writing in Science Advances firmly set the date at 2.8 million years ago.

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