bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
N‐Phenylated N‐Heteroacenes: Synthesis, Structures, and Properties
Authors: Gu Xiao , Shan Bowen , He Zikai , Miao Qian 
Published: September 2016

AbstractHerein, two novel N‐phenylated N‐heteroacenes (1 and 2) are reported, along with details of their synthesis, structures, and properties. Compound 1 is a N‐hetero analogue of rubrene, but differs from rubrene by having a bent backbone and behaving as an insulator in the solid state owing to the lack of π–π interactions. Compound 2 is a N‐hetero analogue of 6,13‐diphenylpentacene (DPP) with essentially the same molecular geometry and crystal packing as DPP, but exhibiting a field effect mobility higher than that of DPP by two orders of magnitude.
Porphyromonas gingivalis induced periodontitis exacerbates progression of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats
Authors: Kuraji Ryutaro , Ito Hiroshi , Fujita Miyako , Ishiguro Hitomi , Hashimoto Shuichi , Numabe Yukihiro 
Published: September 2016

AbstractNon‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease that can develop into hepatocirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma. In recent years, epidemiological and animal studies have reported that Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a known periodontopathic bacteria, is closely related to NASH. However, previous studies could not demonstrate a direct relationship between periodontitis, P. gingivalis infection, and NASH. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of P. gingivalis‐associated periodontitis on the onset and progression of NASH. Forty‐two male Wistar rats were used in this study. Rats were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks in order to induce fatty liver. At 4 weeks from the start of feeding, the animals were performed ligature placement around the maxillary first molar tooth in order to induce experimental periodontitis, and then a P. gingivalis slurry was applied around the ligature twice in a week for 8 weeks (HFD/Pg(+) group). Controls were given the slurry without P. gingivalis after ligature placement using the same protocol (HFD/Pg(−) group). Significant increases in alveolar bone resorption and inflammation in periodontal tissue around the molar tooth in the HFD/Pg(+) group were observed when compared with the HFD/Pg(−) group. Moreover, histological images showing NASH characterized by perivenular lipid deposition including big fatty drops, ballooning degeneration, and focal necrosis with inflammatory cells were confirmed in the liver of rats in the HFD/Pg(+) group. Significant increases in alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and C‐reactive protein levels were observed in the HFD/Pg(+) group. Furthermore, endotoxin levels in serum in the HFD/Pg(+) group were significantly higher than those in the HFD/Pg(−) group. The present study demonstrated that experimental periodontitis induced by P. gingivalis led to the progression of NASH in rats with fatty liver. Increased levels of endotoxin derived from P. gingivalis infection appear to play a considerable role in the progression of NASH.
High‐Performance Carbon Aerogel Air Cathodes for Microbial Fuel Cells
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyuan , He Weihua , Zhang Rufan , Wang Qiuying , Liang Peng , Huang Xia , Logan Bruce E. , Fellinger Tim‐Patrick 
Published: September 2016

AbstractInvited for this month's Cover are the groups at Tsinghua University, Max‐Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, and Penn State University, and their collaborators at Harbin Institute of Technology and Stanford University. They present a new nitrogen‐doped ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) air cathode for use in microbial fuel cells, allowing high power generation and simultaneous wastewater treatment. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201600590.
Aegean wall lizards switch foraging modes, diet, and morphology in a human‐built environment
Authors: Donihue Colin M. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractForaging mode is a functional trait with cascading impacts on ecological communities. The foraging syndrome hypothesis posits a suite of concurrent traits that vary with foraging mode; however, comparative studies testing this hypothesis are typically interspecific. While foraging modes are often considered typological for a species when predicting foraging‐related traits or mode‐specific cascading impacts, intraspecific mode switching has been documented in some lizards. Mode‐switching lizards provide an opportunity to test foraging syndromes and explore how intraspecific variability in foraging mode might affect local ecological communities.Because lizard natural history is intimately tied to habitat use and structure, I tested for mode switching between populations of the Aegean wall lizard,Podarcis erhardii, inhabiting undisturbed habitat and human‐built rock walls on the Greek island of Naxos. I observed foraging behavior among 10 populations and tested lizard morphological and performance predictions at each site. Furthermore, I investigated the diet of lizards at each site relative to the available invertebrate community.I found that lizards living on rock walls were significantly more sedentary—sit and wait—than lizards at nonwall sites. I also found that head width increased in females and the ratio of hindlimbs to forelimbs in both sexes increased as predicted. Diet also changed, with nonwall lizards consuming a higher proportion of sedentary prey. Lizard bite force also varied significantly between sites; however, the pattern observed was opposite to that predicted, suggesting that bite force in these lizards may more closely relate to intraspecific competition than to diet.This study demonstrates microgeographic variability in lizard foraging mode as a result of human land use. In addition, these results demonstrate that foraging mode syndromes can shift intraspecifically with potential cascading effects on local ecological communities.
Choosing a mate in a high predation environment: Female preference in the fiddler crab Uca terpsichores
Authors: Perez Daniela M. , Christy John H. , Backwell Patricia R. Y. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe interplay between a receiver's sensory system and a sender's courtship signals is fundamental to the operation of sexual selection. Male courtship signals that match a female receiver's preexisting perceptual biases can be favored yet the message they communicate is not always clear. Do they simply beacon the male's location or also indicate his quality? We explored this question in a species of fiddler crab Uca terpsichores that courts under elevated predation risk and that mates and breeds underground in the safety of males' burrows. Sexually receptive females leave their own burrows and are thereby exposed to avian predators as they sequentially approach several courting males before they choose one. Males court by waving their single greatly enlarge claw and sometimes by building a sand hood next to their burrow entrance. Hoods are attractive because they elicit a risk‐reducing orientation behavior in females, and it has been suggested that claw waving may also serve primarily to orient the female to the male. If the wave communicates male quality, then females should discriminate mates on the basis of variation in elements of the wave, as has been shown for other fiddler crabs. Alternatively, variation in elements of the claw waving display may have little effect on the display's utility as a beacon of the location of the male and his burrow. We filmed courting males and females under natural conditions as females responded to claw waving and chose mates. Analysis of the fine‐scale courtship elements between the males that females rejected and those they chose revealed no differences. When predation risk during courtship is high, males' courtship displays may serve primarily to guide females to safe mating and breeding sites and not as indicators of male quality apart from their roles as beacons.
Runoff and sediment response to tree control and seeding on a high soil erosion potential site in Utah: evidence for reversal of an abiotic threshold
Authors: Roundy Bruce A. , Farmer Mark , Olson Jay , Petersen Steven , Nelson Deanna R. , Davis Jim , Vernon Jason 
Published: September 2016

AbstractExpansion of piñon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees into semi‐arid sagebrush steppe may cause these systems to pass a biotic threshold into weed dominance and recurrent fire, as well as pass an abiotic threshold of accelerated soil erosion. To determine effects of chaining to reduce trees and seeding to increase vegetation cover, we measured runoff and sediment after natural precipitation on 10 m2 intercanopy runoff plots on untreated and treated areas over a 5‐year period. The former sagebrush steppe study site was in an advanced phase of tree infilling before treatment and is underlain by lacustrine sediments with clay loam soils on moderate steep slopes. These characteristics, and the potential for high‐intensity thundershowers, make this site one of high soil erosion potential. Chaining‐seeding greatly increased vegetation cover from 4.5% on untreated plots to 23.5% on chained‐seeded plots by the first year after treatment. These cover increases were associated with runoff that was reduced from 44.2 to 9.4 L and sediment from 557.9 to 53.9 g from runoff plots, averaged over the 5 years. Piecewise regression indicated significant threshold decreases in runoff and sediment when vegetation cover exceeded 12 and 11%. High annual precipitation (53 cm) supported successful revegetation on this site in association with chaining and produced sufficient intercanopy cover to reverse an abiotic threshold of soil loss that is associated with advanced tree infilling. Tree reduction and restoration of intercanopy vegetation may have significant hydrologic benefits on sites with high erosion potential where piñon–juniper has expanded into sagebrush steppe.
Functional diversity of non‐lethal effects, chemical camouflage, and variation in fish avoidance in colonizing beetles
Authors: Resetarits William J. , Pintar Matthew R. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractPredators play an extremely important role in natural communities. In freshwater systems, fish can dominate sorting both at the colonization and post‐colonization stage. Specifically, for many colonizing species, fish can have non‐lethal, direct effects that exceed the lethal direct effects of predation. Functionally diverse fish species with a range of predatory capabilities have previously been observed to elicit functionally equivalent responses on oviposition in tree frogs. We tested this hypothesis of functional equivalence of non‐lethal effects for four predatory fish species, using naturally colonizing populations of aquatic beetles. Among taxa other than mosquitoes, and with the exception of the chemically camouflaged pirate perch, Aphredoderus sayanus, we provide the first evidence of variation in colonization or oviposition responses to different fish species. Focusing on total abundance, Fundulus chrysotus, a gape‐limited, surface‐feeding fish, elicited unique responses among colonizing Hydrophilidae, with the exception of the smallest and most abundant taxa, Paracymus, while Dytiscidae responded similarly to all avoided fish. Neither family responded to A. sayanus. Analysis of species richness and multivariate characterization of the beetle assemblages for the four fish species and controls revealed additional variation among the three avoided species and confirmed that chemical camouflage in A. sayanus results in assemblages essentially identical to fishless controls. The origin of this variation in beetle responses to different fish is unknown, but may involve variation in cue sensitivity, different behavioral algorithms, or differential responses to species‐specific fish cues. The identity of fish species occupying aquatic habitats is crucial to understanding community structure, as varying strengths of lethal and non‐lethal effects, as well as their interaction, create complex landscapes of predator effects and challenge the notion of functional equivalence.
Soil microbial communities influence seedling growth of a rare conifer independent of plant–soil feedback
Authors: Rigg Jessica L. , Offord Cathy A. , Singh Brajesh K. , Anderson Ian , Clarke Steve , Powell Jeff R. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractPlant–soil feedback, the reciprocal relationship between a plant and its associated microbial communities, has been proposed to be an important driver of plant populations and community dynamics. While rarely considered, understanding how plant–soil feedback contributes to plant rarity may have implications for conservation and management of rare species. Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) is a critically endangered species, of which fewer than 100 trees are known to exist in the wild. Seedling survival within the first year after germination and subsequent recruitment of Wollemi pine is limited in the wild. We used a plant–soil feedback approach to investigate the functional effect of species‐specific differences previously observed in the microbial communities underneath adult Wollemi pine and a neighboring species, coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), and also whether additional variation in microbial communities in the wild could impact seedling growth. There was no evidence for seedling growth being affected by tree species associated with soil inocula, suggesting that plant–soil feedbacks are not limiting recruitment in the natural population. However, there was evidence of fungal, but not bacterial, community variation impacting seedling growth independently of plant–soil feedbacks. Chemical (pH) and physical (porosity) soil characteristics were identified as potential drivers of the functional outcomes of these fungal communities. The empirical approach described here may provide opportunities to identify the importance of soil microbes to conservation efforts targeting other rare plant species and is also relevant to understanding the importance of soil microbes and plant–soil feedbacks for plant community dynamics more broadly.
2D Hexagonal Boron Nitride (2D‐hBN) Explored as a Potential Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Khan Aamar F. , Randviir Edward P. , Brownson Dale A. C. , Ji Xiaobo , Smith Graham C. , Banks Craig E. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractCrystalline 2D hexagonal Boron Nitride (2D‐hBN) is explored as a potential electrocatalyst towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) when electrically wired via a drop‐casting approach upon a range of carbon based electrode surfaces; namely, glassy carbon (GC), boron‐doped diamond (BDD), and screen‐printed graphitic electrodes (SPEs). We consider the ORR in acidic conditions and critically evaluate the performance of unmodified and 2D‐hBN modified electrodes, implementing coverage studies (commonly neglected in the literature) in order to ascertain the true impact of this novel nanomaterial. The behaviour of 2D‐hBN towards the ORR is shown to be highly dependent upon both the underlying carbon substrate and the coverage/mass utilised. 2D‐hBN modified SPEs are found to exhibit the most beneficial response towards the ORR, reducing the peak potential by ca. 0.28 V when compared to an unmodified/bare SPE. Such improvements at this supporting substrate are inferred due to favourable 2D‐hBN interaction with ridged surfaces exposing a high proportion of edge regions/sites, where conversely, we show that relatively smooth substrate surfaces (such as GC) are less conducive towards successful 2D‐hBN immobilisation. In this paper, we reveal for the first time (in the specific case of using a rough supporting substrate) that 2D‐hBN gives rise to beneficial electrochemical behaviour towards the ORR. Unfortunately, this material is not considered an electrocatalyst for use within fuel cells given that the estimated number of electrons transferred during the ORR ranges between 1.90–2.45 for different coverages, indicating that the ORR at 2D‐hBN predominantly produces hydrogen peroxide. 2D‐hBN does however have potential and should be explored further by those designing, fabricating and consequently electrochemically testing modified electrocatalysts towards the ORR.
Metal Organic Framework‐Derived Cobalt Dicarboxylate as a High‐Capacity Anode Material for Lithium‐ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Liping , Zhao Mingjuan , Qiu Jiliang , Gao Peng , Xue Jing , Li Jingze 
Published: September 2016

AbstractConsiderable attention has been paid to metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) for applications as electrode materials for lithium‐ion batteries recently. In this study, we use cobalt terephthalate CoC8H4O4 (CoTPA), one type of MOFs, as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries for the first time. It delivers a high discharge capacity of about 700 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles with superior capacity retention. In contrast to the conventional lithium‐storage mechanism of MOF‐based anodes in organic carbonyl units, both the inorganic unit (Co2+) and the organic unit (carbonyl group) offer multi‐electron transfer reactions, which results in such a high capacity.
Probabilistic analysis of soil‐structure interaction effects on the seismic performance of structures
Authors: Mirzaie Fariborz , Mahsuli Mojtaba , Ghannad Mohammad Ali 
Published: September 2016

SummaryThis paper revisits the phenomenon of dynamic soil‐structure interaction (SSI) with a probabilistic approach. For this purpose, a twofold objective is pursued. First, the effect of SSI on inelastic response of the structure is studied considering the prevailing uncertainties. Second, the consequence of practicing SSI provisions of the current seismic design codes on the structural performance is investigated in a probabilistic framework. The soil‐structure system is modeled by the sub‐structure method. The uncertainty in the properties of the soil and the structure is described by random variables that are input to this model. Monte Carlo sampling analysis is employed to compute the probability distribution of the ductility demand of the structure, which is selected as the metrics for the structural performance. In each sample, a randomly generated soil‐structure system is subjected to a randomly selected and scaled ground motion. To comprehensively model the uncertainty in the ground motion, a suite of 3269 records is employed. An extensive parametric study is conducted to cover a wide range of soil‐structure systems. The results reveal the probability that SSI increases the ductility demand of structures designed based on the conventional fixed‐based assumption but built on flexible soil in reality. The results also show it is highly probable that practicing SSI provisions of modern seismic codes increase the ductility demand of the structure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heat and Mass Transfer Flow of a Nanofluid over an Inclined Plate under Enhanced Boundary Conditions with Magnetic Field and Thermal Radiation
Authors: Reddy P. Sudarsana , Sreedevi P. , Chamkha Ali J. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThis article presents the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics of a nanofluid over an inclined porous vertical plate with thermal radiation and chemical reaction. The new enhanced concentration boundary condition on the surface of the wall is considered in this analysis. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations using the similarity variables and are solved numerically using the finite element method. The effect of key parameters such as magnetic parameter (M), buoyancy ratio (Nr), Prandtl number (Pr), thermal radiation (R), Brownian motion (Nb), thermophoresis (Nt), Lewis number (Le), and chemical reaction parameter (Cr) on velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions is discussed in detail and the results are shown graphically. Furthermore, the impact of these parameters on skin‐friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number is also investigated and the results are shown in tabular form. The developed algorithm is validated with works published previously and was found to be in good agreement. The thermal boundary layer thickness is elevated, whereas the solutal boundary layer thickness retards with the improving values of the Brownian motion parameter (Nb). The rates of nondimensional temperature and concentration both decelerate with higher values of the thermophoresis parameter (Nt).
Biomaterial microarchitecture: a potent regulator of individual cell behavior and multicellular organization
Authors: Hogrebe Nathaniel J. , Reinhardt James W. , Gooch Keith J. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractInsoluble cues from a cell's surrounding microenvironment have increasingly been shown to be important regulators of cell behavior. The microarchitecture of biomaterials used for 3D cell encapsulation, however, is often underappreciated as an important insoluble factor guiding cell activity. In this review, we illustrate that the subcellular physical features of a scaffold influence a range of cell behaviors, including morphology, cytoskeletal organization, migration, matrix remodeling, and long‐range force transmission. We emphasize that the microarchitecture of stromal extracellular matrix (ECM)—specifically the fact that it consists of a network of long interconnecting fibers with micron and nanometer‐sized diameters—is an important determinant of how cells naturally interact with their surrounding matrix and each other. Synthetic biomaterials with a microarchitecture similar to stromal ECM can support analogous cellular responses, suggesting that this fibrous microarchitecture is a key regulator of these cell behaviors. Drawing upon examples from in vitro, in silico, and in vivo studies, we compare these behaviors in fibrous matrices to those of cells cultured within nanoporous matrices (e.g., alginate and PEG gels) as well as macroporous scaffolds to highlight key differences in the cellular response to each type of microarchitecture. Understanding how microarchitecture affects cell behavior can lead to more efficient biomaterial selection when designing tissue engineered scaffolds for therapeutic applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 640–661, 2017.
Bioactive glass‐based surfaces induce differential gene expression profiling of osteoblasts
Authors: Ferraz Emanuela P. , Oliveira Fabiola S. , de Oliveira Paulo T. , Crovace Murilo C. , Peitl‐Filho Oscar , Beloti Marcio M. , Rosa Adalberto L. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe ability of Biosilicate® with two crystalline phases (BioS‐2P) to drive osteoblast differentiation encourages the investigation of the cellular mechanisms involved in this process. Then, the aim of our study was to analyze the large‐scale gene expression of osteoblasts grown on BioS‐2P compared with Bioglass®45S5 (45S5). Osteoblasts differentiated from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured under osteogenic conditions on BioS‐2P, 45S5 and polystyrene (control). After 10 days, the expression of 23,794 genes was analyzed using mRNA Sequencing and the data were validated by real‐time PCR. The BioS‐2P exhibited 5 genes upregulated and 3 downregulated compared with 45S5. Compared with control, BioS‐2P upregulated 15 and downregulated 11 genes, while 45S5 upregulated 25 and downregulated 21 genes. Eight genes were commonly upregulated and 4 downregulated by both bioactive glasses. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that bioactive glasses affect the gene expression profiling of osteoblasts. Most of the regulated genes by both BioS‐2P and 45S5 are associated with the process of mineralization highlighting their osteostimulation property that is, at least in part, derived from the ability to modulate the intracellular machinery to promote osteoblast genotype expression. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 419–423, 2017.