bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
One‐Pot Selective Catalytic Synthesis of Pyrrolidone Derivatives from Ethyl Levulinate and Nitro Compounds
Authors: Vidal Juan D. , Climent Maria J. , Corma Avelino , Concepcion Dr Patricia , Iborra Sara 
Published: November 2016

AbstractN‐substituted 5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones were prepared in a one‐pot process starting from ethyl levulinate and nitro compounds in the presence of a nanosized Pt‐based catalyst. Pt supported on TiO2 nanotubes (Pt/TiO2‐NT) catalyzed the synthesis of N‐substituted 5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones through a cascade process involving the reduction of nitro compounds, formation of the intermediary imine, hydrogenation, and subsequent cyclization. A bifunctional metal–acid system was a suitable catalyst for the process. Pt supported on TiO2 showed lower catalytic activity than Pt/TiO2‐NT owing to the strong adsorption of nitro compounds during the first reaction step that poisoned the acidic sites and strongly decreased the rate of amination and cyclization. However, Pt/TiO2‐NT with milder acid sites was less affected by the adsorption of nitro compounds and the full cascade process could proceed. The results indicate that the prepared Pt/TiO2‐NT is a chemoselective and reusable catalyst that can be applied to the synthesis of a variety of N‐substituted 5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones starting from nitro compounds with excellent yields in absence of an additional organic solvent under mild reaction conditions.
Cooperative Catalytic Activation of Si−H Bonds: CO2‐Based Synthesis of Formamides from Amines and Hydrosilanes under Mild Conditions
Authors: Luo Rongchang , Lin Xiaowei , Chen Yaju , Zhang Wuying , Zhou Xiantai , Ji Hongbing 
Published: November 2016

AbstractA simple cooperative catalytic system was successfully developed for the solvent‐free N‐formylation of amines with CO2 and hydrosilanes under ambient conditions, which was composed of a Zn(salen) catalyst and quaternary ammonium salt. These commercially available binary components activated the Si−H bonds effectively, owing to the intermolecular synergistic effect between Lewis base and transition metal center (LB–TM), and subsequently facilitated the insertion of CO2 to form the active silyl formats, thereby leading to excellent catalytic performance at a low catalyst loading. Furthermore, the bifunctional Zn(salen) complexes, with two imidazolium‐based ionic‐liquid (IL) units at the 3,3′‐position of salen ligand, acted as intramolecularly cooperative catalysts, and the solvent‐regulated separation resulted in facile catalyst recycling and reuse.
Secure CAS‐based authentication scheme for mobile pay‐TV systems
Authors: Wang Feng , Chang Chin‐Chen , Wu Hsiao‐Ling 
Published: November 2016

SummaryPay‐television has become a popular added‐value service in mobile systems. Recently, Yeh and Tsaur proposed an authentication scheme for mobile pay‐television based on Sun and Leu's scheme. However, we found that Yeh and Tsaur's scheme has some security flaws, ie, impersonation attack with knowing mobile set's identity card, the adversary impersonates the head‐end system attack, the replay attack, the denial‐of‐service attack, and collusion attack. To overcome these problems, in this paper, we propose an improved scheme by storing a head‐end system signature and using a password. In addition, our proposed scheme keeps all the merits of Yeh and Tsaur's scheme. Furthermore, the performance analysis shows that the computation cost and the communication cost of our scheme are decreased dramatically compared to Yeh and Tsaur's scheme.
Mid‐21st‐century climate changes increase predicted fire occurrence and fire season length, Northern Rocky Mountains, United States
Authors: Riley Karin L. , Loehman Rachel A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractClimate changes are expected to increase fire frequency, fire season length, and cumulative area burned in the western United States. We focus on the potential impact of mid‐21st‐century climate changes on annual burn probability, fire season length, and large fire characteristics including number and size for a study area in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Although large fires are rare they account for most of the area burned in western North America, burn under extreme weather conditions, and exhibit behaviors that preclude methods of direct control. Allocation of resources, development of management plans, and assessment of fire effects on ecosystems all require an understanding of when and where fires are likely to burn, particularly under altered climate regimes that may increase large fire occurrence. We used the large fire simulation modelFSim to model ignition, growth, and containment of wildfires under two climate scenarios: contemporary (based on instrumental weather) and mid‐century (based on an ensemble average of global climate models driven by the A1BSRESemissions scenario). Modeled changes in fire patterns include increased annual burn probability, particularly in areas of the study region with relatively short contemporary fire return intervals; increased individual fire size and annual area burned; and fewer years without large fires. High fire danger days, represented by threshold values of Energy Release Component (ERC), are projected to increase in number, especially in spring and fall, lengthening the climatic fire season. For fire managers,ERCis an indicator of fire intensity potential and fire economics, with higherERCthresholds often associated with larger, more expensive fires. Longer periods of elevatedERCmay significantly increase the cost and complexity of fire management activities, requiring new strategies to maintain desired ecological conditions and limit fire risk. Increased fire activity (within the historical range of frequency and severity, and depending on the extent to which ecosystems are adapted) may maintain or restore ecosystem functionality; however, in areas that are highly departed from historical fire regimes or where there is disequilibrium between climate and vegetation, ecosystems may be rapidly and persistently altered by wildfires, especially those that burn under extreme conditions.
Rapid latitudinal range expansion at cold limits unlikely for temperate understory forest plants
Authors: Beauregard Frieda , de Blois Sylvie 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe ask whether climate warming will be likely to trigger rapid northward range expansion for understory plants in the northeastern forests of North America at the temperate–boreal forest ecotone. We answer this question through a detailed analysis of contemporary occupancy patterns at cold range edges and by looking for patterns consistent with climate or other environmental (e.g., edaphic) limitations. We first identify each species' realized growing degree‐day niche to sample zones central, at the tail, or beyond the edge of this niche. We model habitat suitability, based on 11 nonclimate variables, for each species, and compare the availability of, and occupancy on, suitable sites across zones, with the assumption that a limiting climate is likely to result in decreased occupancy or abundance on otherwise suitable sites toward the range limit. We also check for evidence of shifts to warm microclimate conditions at the range limit as a potential indication of climate limitations. Based on our habitat models, we find that the availability of suitable sites declines across these three zones for most species, while occupancy increases on suitable sites at range edge, and abundance does not vary significantly. Some species shifted to sites with warm microclimate conditions; of these, several also declined in abundance suggesting climate limitations. We conclude, however, that for most species studied, suitable site availability appears to determine the northern edges of distribution and, consequently, warming may not necessarily lead to near‐term range expansions.
Microplastic in surface waters of urban rivers: concentration, sources, and associated bacterial assemblages
Authors: McCormick Amanda R. , Hoellein Timothy J. , London Maxwell G. , Hittie Joshua , Scott John W. , Kelly John J. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe ecological dynamics of microplastic (<5 mm) are well documented in marine ecosystems, but the sources, abundance, and ecological role of microplastic in rivers are unknown and likely to be substantial. Microplastic fibers (e.g., synthetic fabrics) and pellets (e.g., abrasives in personal care products) are abundant in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and can serve as a point source of microplastic in rivers. The buoyancy, hydrophobic surface, and long transport distance of microplastic make it a novel substrate for the selection and dispersal of unique microbial assemblages. We measured microplastic concentration and bacterial assemblage composition on microplastic and natural surfaces upstream and downstream of WWTP effluent sites at nine rivers in Illinois, United States. Microplastic concentration was higher downstream of WWTP effluent outfall sites in all but two rivers. Pellets, fibers, and fragments were the dominant microplastic types, and polymers were identified as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Mean microplastic flux was 1,338,757 pieces per day, although the flux was highly variable among nine sites (min = 15,520 per day, max = 4,721,709 per day). High‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed bacterial assemblage composition was significantly different among microplastic, seston, and water column substrates. Microplastic bacterial assemblages had lower taxon richness, diversity, and evenness than those on other substrates, and microplastic selected for taxa that may degrade plastic polymers (e.g., Pseudomonas) and those representing common human intestinal pathogens (e.g., Arcobacter). Effluent from WWTPs in rivers is an important component of the global plastic “life cycle,” and microplastic serves as a novel substrate that selects and transports distinct bacterial assemblages in urban rivers. Rates of microplastic deposition, consumption by stream biota, and the metabolic capacity of microplastic biofilms in rivers are unknown and merit further research.
Finding partners in a habitat mosaic: Patch history and size mediate host colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Tipton Alice G. , Miller‐Struttmann Nicole E. , Galen Candace 
Published: November 2016

AbstractRestoration of glades over the past 30 years, involving removal of woody cover and re‐establishment of herbaceous plant communities, has created an archipelago of habitat patches varying in age, size, and isolation. Within these glades, habitat varies in quality from edge to core. We investigated impacts of within‐ and among‐glade variation on the frequency of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for two host species, Schizachyrium scoparium and Rudbeckia missouriensis, and the plant community at large. We also conducted a soil analysis to explore the role of nutrient resources in mediating putative habitat effects. We used Akaike's information criterion (AIC) to evaluate a set of a priori models that assessed effects of glade size, isolation, age, and edge effects on AMF colonization. In community samples, AMF colonization increased while variation in AMF colonization decreased with restoration age. Edge effects also reduced plant community AMF colonization. AMF colonization was higher in R. missouriensis than in S. scoparium, but increased for both species in core habitat. Glade size had no direct effect on AMF at the plant scale, but indirectly affected overall AMF occupancy at the landscape scale via its geometric relationship to glade edge:core ratio. Hosts in small glades that are dominated by edge exhibit lower occupancy rates. The first two axes in a principal components analysis (PCA) combining soil nutrient variables explained 74% of sample variance: PC1 correlated positively with organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) and decreased from the edge to the core of older glades. PC2, which correlated positively with pH and negatively with available P, increased with time since restoration. While results are consistent with a role of soil properties in explaining edge and age effects, the two PCA dimensions themselves are weakly correlated with AMF colonization. Overall, our findings suggest that environmental filters associated with woody encroachment limit the colonization of otherwise suitable herbaceous hosts and create a landscape mosaic with larger, older glades serving as hotspots or reservoirs of AMF root colonization and smaller, newly restored glades as cold spots or potential sinks.
Topical gabapentin gel alleviates allodynia and hyperalgesia in the chronic sciatic nerve constriction injury neuropathic pain model
Authors: Shahid M. , Subhan F. , Ahmad N. , Ali G. , Akbar S. , Fawad K. , Sewell R.D.E. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackgroundSystemic gabapentin is a mainstay treatment for neuropathic pain though there are side‐effects. Localized therapy may curtail such side‐effects so a topical gabapentin dermal application was examined in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain.MethodsPartial denervation CCI was achieved by rat sciatic nerve ligation. Gabapentin gel (10% w/w) was applied three times daily on the ipsilateral or contralateral plantar surface of the hind‐paw, whereas in a concurrent systemic study, gabapentin was intraperitoneally administered daily (75 mg/kg) for 30 days. Tests for static‐ and dynamic‐mechano‐allodynia [paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) to von Frey filament application and latency (PWL) to light brushing], cold‐allodynia [paw withdrawal duration (PWD) to acetone], heat‐ (PWL and PWD) and mechano‐hyperalgesia (PWD to pin prick) were utilized to assess pain, whereas effects on locomotion (open field) and motor balance (rotarod and footprint analysis) were measured on days 5–30 post surgery.ResultsTopical application of gabapentin gel ipsilaterally but not contralaterally alleviated CCI‐induced static‐ (days 10–30) and dynamic‐allodynia (days 15–30), suppressed cold‐allodynia (days 10–30), heat‐ (days 15–30) and mechano‐hyperalgesia (days 5–30) indicating a local action. Systemic gabapentin exhibited similar pain profiles but was associated with motor impairment. The gabapentin gel formulation afforded desirable neuropathic pain alleviating effects devoid of unwanted systemic side‐effects.ConclusionsThese outcomes disclose an expedient pharmacological validation of the effectiveness of topical gabapentin gel against an extensive range of nociceptive stimulus modalities utilizing the CCI‐induced neuropathic pain model. They also advocate further clinical studies on topical gabapentin with regard to certain neuropathic pain syndromes.SignificanceSystemic gabapentin neuropathic pain management carries side‐effects ostensibly preventable by localized therapy. This study validates the effectiveness potential of a topical gabapentin gel against an extensive range of nociceptive stimulus modalities utilizing the chronic constriction injury‐induced neuropathic pain model.
Medical specialists care and hospital costs for low back pain in the Netherlands
Authors: Itz C.J. , Ramaekers B.L.T. , van Kleef M. , Dirksen C.D. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackgroundTo examine the organization of medical specialist care and hospital costs for low back pain (LBP) in the Netherlands.MethodsAggregated health insurance claims data were provided on all diagnosis treatment combination (DTC) declarations for LBP patients first referred to the hospital in the 2nd half of 2008 and retrieved from Vektis, an organization that collects health insurance claims data. Data were available up to 1 January 2012. The data included patient characteristics, DTC‐specific information including: neurology, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, anaesthesiology and radiology.ResultsIn total 80,652 LBP patients were referred to the hospital for the first time in the second half of 2008 accumulating to a total of 173,620 DTC's with total costs of €194 million. Of these patients, 56% were female and 61% aged above 50 years at first referral to the hospital. The average number of DTC's and costs per patient were 2.15 and €2410, respectively (during the follow‐up period of 3.0–3.5 year). Moreover, 51% of the patients needed only one DTC; less than 10% of patients needed 5 DTC's. Following the DTC number, the share of consultations to the neurologist decreased, whereas that of the anaesthesiology specialism increased. The largest portion of costs was allocated to the anaesthesiology and neurosurgery specialisms.ConclusionsIn the Netherlands, LBP patients consult a variety of medical specialists, in particular, the neurology, hospital costs for LBP patients are expected to increase given the rising incidence. Optimal diagnosis and tailored treatment plans might result in reduced costs and improved patient outcomes.SignificanceLow back pain patients consult various specialists, with the majority first referred to the neurologist. More than half of the LBD patients require only one DTC and less than 10% needed five DTC's or more. The largest portion of the hospital costs for LBP patients is allocated to the anaesthesiology and neurosurgery specialisms.
Semifluorinated Polymers as Ion‐selective Electrode Membrane Matrixes
Authors: Carey Jesse L. , Hirao Akira , Sugiyama Kenji , Bühlmann Philippe 
Published: November 2016

AbstractMost commercially available fluorous polymers are ill suited for the fabrication of ion‐selective electrode (ISE) membranes. Therefore, we synthesized semifluorinated polymers for this purpose. Ionophore‐free ion‐exchanger electrodes made with these polymers show a selectivity range (≈14 orders of magnitude) that is nearly as wide as found previously for liquid fluorous ion‐exchanger electrodes. These polymers were also used to construct ISE membranes doped with fluorophilic silver ionophores. While the resulting ISEs were somewhat less selective than their fluorous counterparts, the semifluorinated polymers offer the advantage that they can be doped both with fluorophilic ionophores and traditional lipophilic ionophores, such as the silver ionophore Cu(II)‐I (o‐xylylenebis[N,N‐diisobutyldithiocarbamate]). We also cross‐linked these polymers, producing very durable membranes that retained broad selectivity ranges. K+ ISEs made with the cross‐linked semifluorinated polymer and the ionophore valinomycin showed selectivities similar to those of PVC membrane ISEs but with a superior thermal stability, the majority of the electrodes still giving a theoretical (Nernstian) response after exposure to a boiling aqueous solution for 10 h.
Failure of double friction pendulum bearings under pulse‐type motions
Authors: Bao Yu , Becker Tracy C. , Hamaguchi Hiroki 
Published: November 2016

SummaryAlthough the behavior of friction sliding bearings is well understood, the failure behavior has not been thoroughly investigated. However, predicting and understanding the failure of bearings is an important key in designing isolated structures to minimize their collapse in extreme events, and thus, this study is critical. Because of its relative simplicity and particular availability in certain markets, the failure of the double friction pendulum (DFP) bearing at its physical displacement limit is investigated. The bearing is modeled with a rigid body model including inertia for each of the bearing components. A nonlinear viscoelastic impact model is included to simulate the impact between bearing components. As isolation systems are particularly vulnerable to long‐period excitations, analytical pulses are used as input excitations to investigate the influences of pulse parameters on the failure of DFP. The influences of DFP design parameters are investigated as well. To confirm that the response to the analytical pulses correctly represents the behavior under long‐period ground motions, wavelet analysis to is performed on 14 pairs of pulse‐type ground motion records to extract their pulses, and the failure prediction made from the extracted analytical pulse is compared with the failure from the real ground motions. It is found that using the extracted pulses provides a good estimation for the failure prediction of the ground motions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modelling exterior unreinforced beam‐column joints in seismic analysis of non‐ductile RC frames
Authors: De Risi Maria Teresa , Ricci Paolo , Verderame Gerardo M. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe seismic response of non‐ductile reinforced concrete (RC) buildings can be affected by the behaviour of beam‐column joints involved in the failure mechanism, especially in typical existing buildings. Conventional modelling approaches consider only beam and column flexibility, although joints can provide a significant contribution also to the overall frame deformability. In this study, the attention is focused on exterior joints without transverse reinforcement, and a possible approach to their modelling in nonlinear seismic analysis of RC frames is proposed. First, experimental tests performed by the authors are briefly presented, and their results are discussed. Second, these tests, together with other tests with similar features from literature, are employed to calibrate the joint panel deformability contribution in order to reproduce numerically the experimental joint shear stress–strain behaviour under cyclic loading. After a validation phase of this proposal, a numerical investigation of the influence of joints on the seismic behaviour of a case study RC frame – designed for gravity loads only – is performed. The preliminary failure mode classification of the joints within the analysed frame is carried out. Structural models that (i) explicitly include nonlinear behaviour of beam‐column joints exhibiting shear or anchorage failure or (ii) model joints as elements with infinite strength and stiffness are built and their seismic performance are assessed and compared. A probabilistic assessment based on nonlinear dynamic simulations is performed by means of a scaling approach to evaluate the seismic response at different damage states accounting for uncertainties in ground‐motion records. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel antibody targeting sequence 31–35 in amyloid β protein attenuates Alzheimer's disease‐related neuronal damage
Authors: Cheng Li , Zhang Jun , Li Xin‐Yi , Yuan Li , Pan Yan‐Fang , Chen Xiao‐Rong , Gao Tian‐Ming , Qiao Jian‐Tian , Qi Jin‐Shun 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTAmyloid β protein (Aβ) plays a critical role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our previous studies indicated that the sequence 31–35 in Aβ molecule is an effective active center responsible for Aβ neurotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. In the present study, we prepared a novel antibody specifically targeting the sequence 31–35 of amyloid β protein, and investigated the neuroprotection of the anti‐Aβ31–35 antibody against Aβ1–42‐induced impairments in neuronal viability, spatial memory, and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rats. The results showed that the anti‐Aβ31–35 antibody almost equally bound to both Aβ31–35 and Aβ1–42, and pretreatment with the antibody dose‐dependently prevented Aβ1–42‐induced cytotoxicity on cultured primary cortical neurons. In behavioral study, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of anti‐Aβ31–35 antibody efficiently attenuated Aβ1–42‐induced impairments in spatial learning and memory of rats. In vivo electrophysiological experiments further indicated that Aβ1–42‐induced suppression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity was effectively reversed by the antibody. These results demonstrated that the sequence 31–35 of Aβ may be a new therapeutic target, and the anti‐Aβ31–35 antibody could be a novel immunotheraputic approach for the treatment of AD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.