The Athletic Intelligence Quotient and performance in the National Basketball Association.

Prior to selecting an NBA player, teams consider multiple factors, including game film and tests of agility, strength, speed, anthropometry, and personality. In recent years, as the other major professional sports have begun to place greater emphasis on the measurement of cognitive abilities, so too have representatives in the NBA. In this study, the predictive validity of an empirically-supported measure of cognitive ability (AIQ) was examined vis-à-vis performance outcomes in the NBA. Specifically, AIQ scores were obtained from 356 NBA prospects prior to their draft between 2014 and 2019. The players' professional status and subsequent performance were assessed through composite and isolated NBA statistics. ANOVAs demonstrated that there were significant differences between NBA and non-NBA players, and subsequent independent samples t-tests revealed that NBA players had significantly higher AIQ scores than non-NBA players for 3 out of 4 factors and the Full Scale AIQ Score. Additionally, using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, it was demonstrated that the AIQ predicted some modest statistically significant relationships with multiple NBA stats (e.g., Player Efficiency Rating, Effective Field Goal Percentage), after controlling for the impact of draft placement. While the effect sizes for these differences and relationships were somewhat small, such findings are consistent with sport analytics and the restricted range when evaluating professional athletes. Given the expanding role of analytics and cognitive assessment in the NBA, the potential importance of the AIQ is considered in the draft process.

Anion binding with two polyammonium macrocycles of different dimensionality.

A comparative study of the binding of nitrate and sulfate with a polyammonium monocycle L(1), (3,6,9,17,20,23-hexaazatricyclo[23.3.1.1(11,15)]-triaconta-1(29),11,13,15(30),25,27-hexaene), and the corollary bicycle L(2), (1,4,12,15,18,26,31,39-octaazapentacyclo-[13.13.13.1(6,10).1(20,24).1(33,37)]-tetratetraconta-6,7,9,20(43),21,23,33(42),34,36-nonaene), is reported. Potentiometric studies indicated negligible binding for L(1) and nitrate, but high affinity was observed for sulfate (log K(H5L(SO4)/H5L-SO4) = 3.53(1), log K(H6L(SO4)/H6L-SO4) = 4.36(1)). Stronger binding was observed for the cryptand L(2) with both nitrate and sulfate (log K(H6L(NO3)/H6L-NO3) = 3.11(5), log K(H7L(NO3)/H7L-NO3) = 3.55(5); log K(H6L(SO4)/H6L-SO4) = 4.43(1), log K(H7L(SO4)/H7L-SO4) = 4.97(5)). Five crystal structures are reported: the nitrate (1) and sulfate (2) salts of L(1), the free base (3) of L(2), and the nitrate (4) and tosylate (5) salts of L(2). Structural results for L(1) indicate relatively planar monocycles with cis and trans orientations of the phenyl groups for 2 and 1, respectively, with the anions above and below the monocycle rings. For L(2), key features include an encapsulated water and intricate water network in 3, two encapsulated and four external nitrates and two external water molecules in 4, and six external tosylates with sulfonate groups pointing into the cavity and eight external waters in 5.

MicroITIES detection of nitrate by facilitated ion transfer.

A microITIES array, created by laser photoablation of a 12-microm polyester film, was used to investigate electroassisted anion transfer between two immiscible electrolyte solutions. Besides measuring directly the transfer of nitrate to the organic phase, the enhancement of transfer of the cation (K+) by facilitated anion (counterion) transfer was measured as well. In the presence of a triamide derived from tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren), which is known to function as a host for nitrate, the current responses for both nitrate and potassium transfer were monitored. The linear relationships between the current responses and nitrate concentration formed the basis of an anion sensor with a dynamic range from 0.1 to 5 mM. A dual facilitated transfer mechanism is proposed to explain the enhancement phenomenon.

Enhancement of CsNO3 extraction in 1,2-dichloroethane by tris(2-aminoethyl)amine triamide derivatives via a dual-host strategy

A systematic study of a dual-host system exhibiting pairwise anion/cation separations has been performed for CsNO3 extraction. Tripodal triamides 1-4 and 9 derived from condensation of hexanoic (for 1), octanoic (for 2), decanoic (for 3), lauric (for 4), and p-tert-butylbenzoic (for 9) acid with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) were used together with tetrabenzo-24-crown-8, a well-known Cs+ cation receptor. By using 5 mM crown ether in the organic phase and 10 mM CsNO3 with 0.1 mM HNO3 in the aqueous phase, tripods 1, 2, and 9 enhance CsNO3 extraction by factors of 2.4, 1.7, and 4.4, respectively (for 50 mM amide concentration), while the corresponding monoamide controls 5-8 derived from n-propylamine (5, 6) or N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (7, 8) and hexanoic (5, 7) or octanoic (6, 8) acid derivatives gave no significant enhancement under the same conditions. This behavior may be ascribed to nitrate complexation by the triamides, which lowers the overall thermodynamic barrier for the salt transfer to the organic phase. The nitrate binding was confirmed by 1H NMR titration of receptor solutions, using tetrabutylammonium nitrate. Association constants for the formation of the anion-nitrate complexes were found to vary between 33 and 52 M-1 for the more soluble triamides. The synergistic effects for CsNO3 extraction are in reasonable agreement with the values predicted theoretically from the measured association constants. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the predominant formation of 1:1 tripod-nitrate complexes. Monoamide controls gave no evidence of anion complexation.

Binding of phosphate with a simple hexaaza polyammonium macrocycle.

A mixture of dihydrogen phosphate and phosphoric acid has been crystallized with a hexaprotonated 26-membered polyammonium macrocycle, 1,4,7,14,17,20-hexaazacyclohexacosane, as the counterion. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with unit cell parameters of a = 10.006(2) A, b = 12.525(1) A, c = 19.210(2) A, beta = 102.91(1) degrees, and V = 2346.6(5) A3. The hexaprotonated macrocycle is located on a crystallographic center of inversion and is surrounded by eight phosphate anions. Six of the phosphates are dihydrogen phosphates (H2PO4-), and the other two are neutral phosphoric acid molecules. Intricate hydrogen-bonding networks, involving the anionic and neutral phosphates and the protonated macrocycle, dominate the crystal lattice. Potentiometric studies using NaCl as the supporting electrolyte indicate high formation constants for the triprotonated macrocycle, H3L3+, with PO4(3-) at pH approximately 9.5 (log K = 4.55(4)), for the tetraprotonated macrocycle, H4L4+, with monohydrogen phosphate, HPO4(2-), at pH approximately 8.0 (log K = 6.01(3)), and for ditopic complexes with H5L5+ and H6L6+ and dihydrogen phosphate, H2PO4-, at pH approximately 4.0 (log K = 6.16(6)) and pH approximately 2.5 (log K = 6.44(5)), respectively. The ditopic behavior in the simple polyazamacrocycle receptor is a somewhat unusual occurrence, as is the finding of phosphoric acid species in the crystal structure.

Structure of the product from a novel cyclization reaction involving a C(6)-substituted uridine analog.

5,6,7,7a,9,10,14b,14c-Octahydro-4-[2,3-O-(1-methylethylidene )-beta-D- ribofuranosyl]cyclopenta-[4,5]pyrimido[5',4':3,4]pyrrolo[2,1- a]isoquinoline-1,3(2H,4H)-dione, C25H31N3O6, M(r) = 469.54, tetragonal, P4(3)2(1)2, a = 12.577 (2), b = 12.577 (2), c = 29.893 (4) A, V = 4729 (1) A3, Z = 8, Dx = 1.319 g cm-3, lambda (Cu K alpha) = 1.5418 A, mu = 7.9 cm-1, F(000) = 2000, T = 298 K, final R = 0.038, wR = 0.064 for all 1884 independent reflections and 432 variables. The crystal structure shows a syn conformation around the N(1)--C(1') single bond, consistent with other C(6)-substituted uridine analogs, and an unusual O(1') endo conformation of the ribose ring. The stereochemistries of the three newly created chiral centers are 14cR, 4aR, 7aS.