Publications by authors named "R L Spicer"

Southwest China is characterized by high plateaus, large mountain systems, and deeply incised dry valleys formed by major rivers and their tributaries. Despite the considerable attention given to alpine plant radiations in this region, the timing and mode of diversification of the numerous dry valley plant lineages remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the macroevolution of Isodon (Lamiaceae), a lineage commonly distributed in the dry valleys in southwest China and wetter areas of Asia and Africa.

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Droughts of increasing severity and frequency are a primary cause of forest mortality associated with climate change. Yet, fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the complex physiology of trees limit the development of more effective management strategies to mitigate drought effects on forests. Here, we highlight some of the basic research needed to better understand tree drought physiology and how new technologies and interdisciplinary approaches can be used to address them.

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The multi-site replication study, Many Labs 2, concluded that sample location and setting did not substantially affect the replicability of findings. Here, we examine theoretical and methodological considerations for a subset of the analyses, namely exploratory tests of heterogeneity in the replicability of studies between "WEIRD and less-WEIRD cultures". We conducted a review of literature citing the study, a re-examination of the existing cultural variability, a power stimulation for detecting cultural heterogeneity, and re-analyses of the original exploratory tests.

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Coordination cage catalysis has commonly relied on the endogenous binding of substrates, exploiting the cavity microenvironment and spatial constraints to engender increased reactivity or interesting selectivity. Nonetheless, there are issues with this approach, such as the frequent occurrence of product inhibition or the limited applicability to a wide range of substrates and reactions. Here we describe a strategy in which the cage acts as an exogenous catalyst, wherein reactants, intermediates and products remain unbound throughout the course of the catalytic cycle.

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