bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability of Circumferential Bone Level Assessment around Single Implants in Healed Ridges and Extraction Sockets Using Cone Beam CT
Authors: Raes Filiep , Renckens Liesbet , Aps Johan , Cosyn Jan , De Bruyn Hugo
Published: October 2011

Purpose: Cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) provides three‐dimensional information and could absolutely be useful for evaluating circumferential implant bone levels. However, the accuracy and precision of the technique has not been described. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy and precision of CBCT (i‐CAT®, Imaging Sciences International®, Hatfield, PA, USA) using periapical radiographs (PA) as a reference and to evaluate the circumferential bone level on CBCT around immediately loaded single implants placed in healed ridges (CIT, conventional implant treatment) and extraction sockets (IIT, immediate implant placement).

Materials and Methods: PA and CBCT radiographs were obtained from 26 single Astra Tech Osseospeed™ implants (Astra Tech AB, Mölndal, Sweden) 1 year after loading in respectively healed ridges (CIT) or extraction socket (IIT). For accuracy analysis, the three mesial and three distal interproximal levels obtained by CBCT were pooled to enable a comparison with PA. Precision was analyzed by intra‐ and interexaminer reliability calculation from mesial and distal sites on CBCT. The circumferential bone level considered all eight positions assessed on CBCT.

Results: Accuracy of CBCT was low (R = 0.325/p = .019) given the fact that bone level of the total group was 0.70 mm (standard deviation [SD] 0.78, range 0.00–3.20) on PA and 0.23 mm (SD 0.27, 0.00–1.20) on CBCT (p < .001) with only 42% of the measurements showing deviation within 0.2 mm. However, intra‐ and interexaminer reliability were favorable (R ≥ 0.611/p < .001, ≥83%). The mean circumferential bone level on CBCT was 0.21 mm (SD 0.30) and 0.26 mm (SD 0.18) for IIT and CIT, respectively. The impact of the treatment strategy was not significant.

Conclusion: PA should be the standard technique to assess interproximal bone level but correlates poorly with the CBCT measurements. However, the precision of CBCT was high. CBCT requires further improvements of hardware and/or software. Within the limitations of the study, there is an indication that the buccal bone 1 year after implant treatment is evenly preserved when implants are immediately loaded in extraction sockets or in healed bone.
Morphometric analysis of the brain vesicles during the human embryonic period by magnetic resonance microscopic imaging
Authors: Nakashima Takashi , Hirose Ayumi , Yamada Shigehito , Uwabe Chigako , Kose Katsumi , Takakuwa Tetsuya
Published: October 2011

The development of the brain vesicles between Carnegie stages (CS) 17 and 23 was analyzed morphometrically using 177 magnetic resonance image data derived from the Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos. Whole embryonic volume was 106.55 ± 21.08 mm3 at CS17, exponentially increasing to CS23 when it reached 1357.28 ± 392.20 mm3. Length of brain vesicles was 29.83 ± 2.52 mm at CS17, increased almost linearly and reached 49.31 ± 6.66 mm at CS23. The rate of increase was approximately 4.2 times higher on the dorsal side than on the ventral side. The increase in the length of the brain vesicles resulted mainly from that of the prosencephalon, and the rate of increase was three times higher on the dorsal side than on the ventral side of the prosencephalon.
Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) Inhibitors in Erectile Dysfunction: The Proper Drug for the Proper Patient
Authors: Corona Giovanni , Mondaini Nicola , Ungar Andrea , Razzoli Elisa , Rossi Andrea , Fusco Ferdinando
Published: October 2011

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a very common multidimensional disorder affecting men worldwide. Physical illness, reaction to life stresses, or an unhappy couple relationship influence clinical outcome. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are recognized as efficacious and well tolerated, and are the first-line treatment for ED.

Sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil are the most widely used and studied PDE5 inhibitors. Data acquired during a routine diagnostic workup for ED should be taken into account when choosing the best PDE5 inhibitor for the individual patient, creating an individualized treatment plan, and going beyond “experience-based” subjective opinion and unfounded ideas and prejudice regarding currently available drugs.

Aim

As the process of matching a given patient’s profile to any selected PDE5 inhibitor often relies more on physician’s personal convictions than on solid evidence, the aim of this review is to identify the main clinical, demographic, and relational factors influencing the choice of the PDE5 inhibitor to be used for the treatment of ED.

Methods

A systematic literature search and current treatment guidelines were evaluated in a systematic manner.

Main Outcome Measures

The main clinical, cultural, and demographical factors to be considered for the treatment of ED have been identified.

Results

Main factors influencing the choice of the treatment for ED have been described. A short list of items that may help in choosing the right PDE5 inhibitor for the treatment of different patients in daily clinical practice has been prepared.

Conclusions

The simple algorithms prepared should be a useful tool to be used in daily practice, which may help in choosing the right treatment for each subject affected by ED.
Population-Based Estimates of Medical Comorbidities in Erectile Dysfunction in a Taiwanese Population
Authors: Chung Shiu-Dong , Chen Yi-Kuang , Kang Jiunn-Horng , Keller Joseph J. , Huang Chung-Chien , Lin Herng-Ching
Published: October 2011

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is usually associated with systemic disorders. This population-based study supports and expands on previous research. It also presents data in a Taiwanese male population where existing data on this topic remain sparse.

Aim

The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence and risk of 36 medical comorbidities in patients with ED compared with the general population.

Methods

A total of 2,213 patients with ED and 11,065 matching controls were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset. We chose 22 comorbidities from the Elixhauser comorbidity index, 10 highly prevalent medical conditions in an Asian population, and four male gender-specific comorbidities for analysis.

Main Outcome Measurement

Conditional logistic regression analyses conditioned on age group and monthly income were performed to investigate the risk of various comorbidities for patients with and without ED, after adjusting for the geographic region and level of urbanization of the patient’s community.

Results

Patients with ED were at an increased risk for multiple systemic comorbidities. Conditional regression analyses showed that patients with ED were at a higher risk for hypertrophy of the prostate (odds ratio [OR] = 12.87), chronic prostatitis (OR = 9.36), alcohol abuse (OR = 3.60), drug abuse (OR = 2.62), urinary incontinence (OR = 2.58), ankylosing spondylitis (OR = 2.19), peripheral vascular disorder (OR = 1.98), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.94), psychoses (OR = 1.97), depression (OR = 1.88), uncomplicated diabetes (OR = 1.91), complicated diabetes (OR = 1.84), hepatitis B or C (OR = 1.71), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.69), and chronic pulmonary disease (OR = 1.55) than patients without ED.

Conclusion

The results show that patients with ED have a higher prevalence of multiple noncardiovascular comorbidities than the general population in Taiwan.
On the association of ULXs with young superclusters: M82 X-1 and a new candidate in NGC 7479
Authors: Voss R. , Nielsen M. T. B. , Nelemans G. , Fraser M. , Smartt S. J.
Published: October 2011

We investigate the spatial coincidence of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with young massive stellar clusters. In particular, we perform astrometry on Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data of two ULXs that are possibly associated with such clusters.

To date, M82 X-1 is the only ULX claimed to be coincident with a young massive stellar cluster. We remeasure the position of this source with a high accuracy and find that the position of the X-ray source is 0.65 arcsec away from the stellar cluster, corresponding to an offset significance of 3σ.

We also report the discovery of a new candidate, based on observations of NGC 7479. One of the ULXs observed in three X-ray observations is found to be spatially coincident (within 1σ of the position error) with a young supercluster observed in the HST images. In the brightest state, the absorbed luminosity of the ULX is a few times 1040 erg s−1, and in the faintest state below the detection limit of ∼4 times 1039 erg s−1. The luminosity in the brightest state requires an accreting black hole mass of at least 100 M⊙ assuming isotropic emission. However, it is possible that the source is contaminated by X-ray emission from the nearby supernova SN2009jf. In this case, the luminosity of the ULX is in a range where it is strongly debated whether it is a super-Eddington stellar mass black hole or an intermediate-mass black hole. The colours of the host cluster indicate a young stellar population, with an age between 10 and 100 Myr. The total stellar mass of the cluster is ∼5 × 105 M⊙.
Weak- and strong-field dynamos: from the Earth to the stars
Authors: Morin J. , Dormy E. , Schrinner M. , Donati J.-F.
Published: October 2011

Observations of magnetism in very low mass stars recently made important progress, revealing characteristics that are now to be understood in the framework of dynamo theory. In parallel, there is growing evidence that dynamo processes in these stars share many similarities with planetary dynamos. We investigate the extent to which the weak-field versus strong-field bistability predicted for the geodynamo can apply to recent observations of two groups of very low mass fully-convective stars sharing similar stellar parameters but generating radically different types of magnetic fields. Our analysis is based on previously published spectropolarimetric and spectroscopic data. We argue that these can be interpreted in the framework of weak- and strong-field dynamos.
Elite Strategies in a Global World: A Typology of Polish Patriots
Authors: Kaftan Joanna
Published: October 2011

This study focuses on how Polish elites view the relationship between Polish identity and Poland's place in the world. Samples of priests, politicians, and intellectuals were interviewed in 1999 and 2009. A typology of four ideal types is proposed: ideological nationals, pragmatic nationals, pragmatic transnationals, and ideological transnationals. This typology can be viewed as a continuum of elite emphasis ranging between national and transnational themes. This continuum of emphasis can be seen when examining elite responses to questions concerning NATO membership, EU membership, Polish identity, and Polish democracy. This study finds that while the majority of Polish priests and politicians wished to emphasise national over transnational themes, intellectuals stressed transnational themes. Nevertheless, most acknowledged the inseparable nature of these themes when they talked about the contemporary Polish nation.
Uninformative Parameters and Model Selection Using Akaike's Information Criterion
Authors: ARNOLD TODD W.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: As use of Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) for model selection has become increasingly common, so has a mistake involving interpretation of models that are within 2 AIC units (ΔAIC ≤ 2) of the top‐supported model. Such models are <2 ΔAIC units because the penalty for one additional parameter is +2 AIC units, but model deviance is not reduced by an amount sufficient to overcome the 2‐unit penalty and, hence, the additional parameter provides no net reduction in AIC. Simply put, the uninformative parameter does not explain enough variation to justify its inclusion in the model and it should not be interpreted as having any ecological effect. Models with uninformative parameters are frequently presented as being competitive in the Journal of Wildlife Management, including 72% of all AIC‐based papers in 2008, and authors and readers need to be more aware of this problem and take appropriate steps to eliminate misinterpretation. I reviewed 5 potential solutions to this problem: 1) report all models but ignore or dismiss those with uninformative parameters, 2) use model averaging to ameliorate the effect of uninformative parameters, 3) use 95% confidence intervals to identify uninformative parameters, 4) perform all‐possible subsets regression and use weight‐of‐evidence approaches to discriminate useful from uninformative parameters, or 5) adopt a methodological approach that allows models containing uninformative parameters to be culled from reported model sets. The first approach is preferable for small sets of a priori models, whereas the last 2 approaches should be used for large model sets or exploratory modeling.
Natal Dispersal and Philopatry of Red Foxes in Urban and Agricultural Areas of Illinois
Authors: GOSSELINK TODD E. , PICCOLO KIMBERLY A. , VAN DEELEN TIMOTHY R. , WARNER RICHARD E. , MANKIN PHIL C.
Published: October 2011

Abstract:Dispersal and philopatry may be influenced by habitat, intraspecific and interspecific interactions, and resource quality. Dispersal may vary substantially between urban and rural wildlife populations due to differences in urban‐rural habitat and trophic relationships. We examined effects of environmental, body condition, and social influences on dispersal and philopatry of urban and rural red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in east‐central Illinois and western Indiana, USA. We recorded 96 dispersal events and 66 cases of philopatry in juvenile foxes. We used Akaike's Information Criterion to evaluate regression models of dispersal probability, initiation date, distance, and days spent dispersing. Habitat (i.e., urban‐rural), sex, row‐crop percentage in natal home ranges, family home‐range overlap, and social interactions with family members all influenced dispersal probability. Juvenile foxes with fewer row crops in their home ranges, individuals with high intra‐familial overlap of summer range, females, and urban foxes were associated with philopatry. Dispersals began mid‐September and ended in March. Rural juveniles dispersed 23 days earlier than did urban conspecifics. Heavier foxes (capture wt) and those with heavily row‐cropped home ranges dispersed earlier. Littermates dispersed at similar times, although in different directions. Dispersal distances averaged 44.8 km for all foxes (range = 1–478 km). Male and urban foxes dispersed farther than female and rural foxes, respectively. Time between dispersal and settlement averaged 41.2 days (range = 2–114 days), with urban foxes dispersing over longer time periods. Dispersal direction between the sexes had different directional distributions, though mean vectors for both were oriented north. Dispersing foxes selected cropland in proportion to availability, whereas grassland was selected preferentially. We demonstrate influences of habitat, resource availability, familial social interactions, and interspecific interactions on dispersal and philopatry of juvenile red foxes in an intensively row‐cropped region of the Midwest. Our findings demonstrate red fox dispersal ecology differences in urban and rural environments. In intensively row‐cropped regions of the Midwest where landscape crop harvest alters dispersal timing, minimizing seasonal habitat changes with permanent vegetative structure (e.g., crop food plots, native grass fields) would likely delay dispersal activity, and increase survival.
Regional‐Scale Assessment of Deer Impacts on Vegetation Within Western Connecticut, USA
Authors: RUTHERFORD ANGELA C. , SCHMITZ OSWALD J.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: High densities of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are believed to cause broad‐scale forest regeneration failure and loss of plant diversity. But, the empirical basis for such presumptions is limited. We, therefore, conducted a survey in western Connecticut, USA, woodlots to examine how spatial variation in deer densities influences variation in impacts on plant species abundance, identity and diversity, and tree regeneration. We also used a Geographic Information System to quantify trends between land‐cover type and deer density. Deer density was not correlated with any vegetation or land use variable. This suggests that deer density is not a leading factor determining variation in vegetation impacts across western Connecticut.
Evaluating Survey Methods for Monitoring a Rare Vertebrate, the Sonoran Desert Tortoise
Authors: ZYLSTRA ERIN R. , STEIDL ROBERT J. , SWANN DON E.
Published: October 2011

Abstract:Effective conservation requires strategies to monitor populations efficiently, which can be especially difficult for rare or elusive species where field surveys require high effort and considerable cost. Populations of many reptiles, including Sonoran desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), are challenging to monitor effectively because they are cryptic, they occur at low densities, and their activity is limited both seasonally and daily. We compared efficiency and statistical power of 2 survey methods appropriate for tortoises and other rare vertebrates, line‐transect distance sampling and site occupancy. In 2005 and 2006 combined, we surveyed 120 1‐km transects to estimate density and 40 3‐ha plots 5 times each to estimate occupancy of Sonoran desert tortoises in 2 mountain ranges in southern Arizona, USA. For both mountain ranges combined, we estimated density to be 0.30 adult tortoises/ha (95% CI = 0.17–0.43) and occupancy to be 0.72 (95% CI = 0.56–0.89). For the sampling designs we evaluated, monitoring efforts based on occupancy were 8–36% more efficient than those based on density, when contrasting only survey effort, and 17–30% more efficient when contrasting total effort (surveying, hiking to and from survey locations, and radiotracking). Occupancy had greater statistical power to detect annual declines in the proportion of area occupied than did distance sampling to detect annual declines in density. For example, we estimated that power to detect a 5% annual decline with 10 years of annual sampling was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.75–0.98) for occupancy and 0.43 (95% CI = 0.35–0.52) for distance sampling. Although all sampling methods have limitations, occupancy estimation offers a promising alternative for monitoring populations of rare vertebrates, including tortoises in the Sonoran Desert.
Hyperspectral Analysis of Columbia Spotted Frog Habitat
Authors: SHIVE JEREMY P. , PILLIOD DAVID S. , PETERSON CHARLES R.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: Wildlife managers increasingly are using remotely sensed imagery to improve habitat delineations and sampling strategies. Advances in remote sensing technology, such as hyperspectral imagery, provide more information than previously was available with multispectral sensors. We evaluated accuracy of high‐resolution hyperspectral image classifications to identify wetlands and wetland habitat features important for Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) and compared the results to multispectral image classification and United States Geological Survey topographic maps. The study area spanned 3 lake basins in the Salmon River Mountains, Idaho, USA. Hyperspectral data were collected with an airborne sensor on 30 June 2002 and on 8 July 2006. A 12‐year comprehensive ground survey of the study area for Columbia spotted frog reproduction served as validation for image classifications. Hyperspectral image classification accuracy of wetlands was high, with a producer's accuracy of 96% (44 wetlands) correctly classified with the 2002 data and 89% (41 wetlands) correctly classified with the 2006 data. We applied habitat‐based rules to delineate breeding habitat from other wetlands, and successfully predicted 74% (14 wetlands) of known breeding wetlands for the Columbia spotted frog. Emergent sedge microhabitat classification showed promise for directly predicting Columbia spotted frog egg mass locations within a wetland by correctly identifying 72% (23 of 32) of known locations. Our study indicates hyperspectral imagery can be an effective tool for mapping spotted frog breeding habitat in the selected mountain basins. We conclude that this technique has potential for improving site selection for inventory and monitoring programs conducted across similar wetland habitat and can be a useful tool for delineating wildlife habitats.
Effects of Exploitation on Black Bear Populations at White River National Wildlife Refuge
Authors: CLARK JOSEPH D. , EASTRIDGE RICK , HOOKER MICHAEL J.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: We live‐trapped American black bears (Ursus americanus) and sampled DNA from hair at White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas, USA, to estimate annual population size (N), growth (γ), and density. We estimated N and γ with open population models, based on live‐trapping data collected from 1998 through 2006, and robust design models for genotyped hair samples collected from 2004 through 2007. Population growth was weakly negative (i.e., 95% CI included 1.0) for males (0.901, 95% CI = 0.645–1.156) and strongly negative (i.e., 95% CI excluded 1.0) for females (0.846, 95% CI = 0.711–0.981), based on live‐trapping data, with N from 1999 to 2006 ranging from 94.1 (95% CI = 70.3–137.1) to 45.2 (95% CI = 27.1–109.3), respectively, for males and from 151.4 (95% CI = 127.6–185.8) to 47.1 (95% CI = 24.4–140.4), respectively, for females. Likewise, mean annual γ based on hair‐sampling data was weakly negative for males (0.742, 95% CI = 0.043–1.441) and strongly negative for females (0.782, 95% CI = 0.661–0.903), with abundance estimates from 2004 to 2007 ranging from 29.1 (95% CI = 21.2–65.8) to 11.9 (95% CI = 11.0–26.9), respectively, for males and from 54.4 (95% CI = 44.3–77.1) to 27.4 (95% CI =24.9–36.6), respectively, for females. We attribute the decline in the number of females in this isolated population to a decrease in survival caused by a past translocation program and by hunting adjacent to the refuge. We suggest that managers restructure the quota‐based harvest limits until these growth rates recover.
Changes in Kit Fox Defecation Patterns During the Reproductive Season: Implications for Noninvasive Surveys
Authors: RALLS KATHERINE , SHARMA SANDEEP , SMITH DEBORAH A. , BREMNER‐HARRISON SAMANTHA , CYPHER BRIAN L. , MALDONADO JESÚS E.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: Noninvasive survey methods based on analyzing DNA extracted from feces can be useful for carnivores that are difficult to study by other methods. Changes in fecal deposition patterns associated with reproduction in kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) might affect results of such surveys. We used a trained dog to collect fresh scats on 2‐km transects in the home ranges of 11 radiocollared female kit foxes in January, February, and March 2008 and determined sex of the individual that deposited the scats by amplifying the zinc finger protein gene. Female foxes give birth in mid‐February to mid‐March. We found a similar number of scats each month. In January, the sex ratio of the scats was not different from the expected 1:1. However, in February there were almost 2 male scats for every female scat and in March there were >8 male scats for every female scat. Comparing March to January, there were more male scats on all 11 transects and fewer female scats on 10 of 11 transects. Around the time pups are born, both sexes appear to show changes in fecal deposition patterns that make it easier to find male scats and harder to find female scats. Effects of these changes on survey results will vary depending on the purpose and design of the survey. Surveys to determine distribution and relative abundance would probably not be negatively affected by these changes. However, if surveys to estimate abundance are conducted during the reproductive season, they could result in an underestimate of population size unless the increased heterogeneity in scat detectability is taken into account.
Survival and Breeding Transitions for a Reintroduced Bison Population: a Multistate Approach
Authors: PYNE MATTHEW I. , BYRNE KERRY M. , HOLFELDER KIRSTIN A. , MCMANUS LINDSAY , BUHNERKEMPE MICHAEL , BURCH NATHANIAL , CHILDERS EDDIE , HAMILTON SARAH , SCHROEDER GREG , DOHERTY PAUL F.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: The iconic plains bison (Bison bison) have been reintroduced to many places in their former range, but there are few scientific data evaluating the success of these reintroductions or guiding the continued management of these populations. Relying on mark‐recapture data, we used a multistate model to estimate bison survival and breeding transition probabilities while controlling for the recapture process. We tested hypotheses in these demographic parameters associated with age, sex, reproductive state, and environmental variables. We also estimated biological process variation in survival and breeding transition probabilities by factoring out sampling variation. The recapture rate of females and calves was high (0.78 ± 0.15 [SE]) and much lower for males (0.41 ± 0.23), especially older males (0.17 ± 0.15). We found that overall bison survival was high (>0.8) and that males (0.80 ± 0.13) survived at lower rates than females (0.94 ± 0.04), but as females aged survival declined (0.89 ± 0.05 for F ≥15 yr old). Lactating and non‐lactating females survived at similar rates. We found that females can conceive early (approx. 1.5 yr of age) and had a high probability (approx. 0.8) of breeding in consecutive years, until age 13.5 years, when females that were non‐lactating tended to stay in that state. Our results suggest senescence in reproduction and survival for females. We found little support for the effect of climatic covariates on demographic rates, perhaps because the park's current population management goals were predicated from drought‐year conditions. This reintroduction has been successful, but continued culling actions will need to be employed and an adaptive management approach is warranted. Our demographic approach can be applied to other heavily managed large‐ungulate systems with few or no natural predators.
Culling Versus Density Effects in Management of a Deer Population
Authors: UENO MAYUMI , KAJI KOICHI , SAITOH TAKASHI
Published: October 2011

Abstract: Wildlife managers often manipulate hunting regulations to control deer populations. However, few empirical studies have examined the level of hunting effort (hunter‐days) required to limit population growth and demographic effects through harvesting of females. Moreover, the relative importance of density effects on population growth has not been quantified. We reconstructed a sika deer [Cervus nippon] population over a period of 12 years (1990–2001) using age‐ and sex‐specific harvest data. Using cohort analysis, we analyzed population dynamics, focusing on 1) the relationship between hunting effort and hunting‐induced mortality rate, 2) relative contributions of hunting mortality and recruitment of yearlings to annual changes in population growth rate, and 3) annual variation in recruitment rate. Population size increased until 1998 and declined thereafter. The population growth rate changed more in response to annual changes in recruitment rate than hunting mortality rate. Temporal variation in recruitment rate was not controlled by birth rate alone; direct density dependence, intensities of hunting mortality for fawns, and for females (≥2 yr of age), which accounted for the fawn survival rate, were required as factors to explain temporal variation. Density effects on the recruitment rate were not strong enough to regulate the population within the study period; high hunting mortality, with intensive female harvesting, was necessary to prevent population growth. Hunting effort was a good predictor of the hunting mortality rate, and female harvest had a negative effect on the recruitment rate through fawn survival. We suggest that >3,500 hunter‐days and prioritization of female harvesting are required to prevent increases in this deer population.
Regional Synthesis of Habitat Relationships in Shrubland Birds
Authors: SCHLOSSBERG SCOTT , KING DAVID I. , CHANDLER RICHARD B. , MAZZEI BENJAMIN A.
Published: October 2011

Abstract:Shrubland birds are declining throughout the eastern United States. To manage scrub‐shrub habitats for birds, managers need information on avian habitat relationships. Past studies have produced contradictory results in some cases and may be of limited generality because of site‐ and habitat‐specific factors. We studied shrubland birds across 6 habitats in 3 New England states to provide more general information on habitat relationships than has been possible in past studies. Our study sites included all major scrub‐shrub habitats in New England: wildlife openings, regenerating clear‐cuts, beaver ponds, utility rights‐of‐way, pitch pine (Pinus rigida) woodlands, and scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) barrens and ranged from Connecticut to northern New Hampshire, with research conducted from 2002 to 2007. Using N‐mixture models of repeated point counts, we found that 6 of 12 shrubland birds preferred areas with greater shrub cover. An additional 4 species appeared to prefer areas with lower‐stature vegetation and greater forb cover. Eight of 10 bird species showed relationships with cover of individual plant species, withSpiraeaspp., willows (Salixspp.), alders (Alnusspp.), and invasive exotics being the most important. We recommend that shrubland management for birds focus on providing 2 distinct habitats: 1) areas of tall (>1.5 m) vegetation with abundant shrub cover and 2) areas of lower (<1.5 m) vegetation with abundant forb cover but fewer shrubs.
Food Resources for Wintering and Spring Staging Black Ducks
Authors: PLATTNER DAWN M. , EICHHOLZ MICHAEL W. , YERKES TINA
Published: October 2011

Abstract:A bioenergetic approach has been adopted as a planning tool to set habitat management objectives by several United States Fish and Wildlife Service North American Waterfowl Management Plan Joint Ventures. A bioenergetics model can be simplified into 2 major components, energetic demand and energetic supply. Our goal was to estimate habitat‐specific food availability, information necessary for estimating energy supply for black ducks (Anas rubripes) wintering on Long Island, New York, USA. We collected both nektonic and benthic samples from 85 wetland sites dispersed among 5 habitat types (salt marsh, mud flat, submersed aquatic vegetation, brackish bay, and freshwater) commonly used by black ducks in proportion to expected use. Biomass varied among habitats (F4,5> 7.46,P< 0.03) in 2004–2005, but there was only marginal variation in 2005–2006 (F3,4= 5.75,P= 0.06). Mud flats had the greatest biomass (1,204 kg/ha, SE = 532), followed by submersed aquatic vegetation (61 kg/ha, SE = 18), and salt marsh (34 kg/ha, SE = 6). In the second year of the study, freshwater had the greatest biomass (306 kg/ha, SE = 286), followed by mud flats (85 kg/ha, SE = 63), and salt marsh (35 kg/ha, SE = 4). Our results suggest food density on wintering grounds of black ducks on coastal Long Island is considerably lower than for dabbling ducks using inland freshwater habitats, indicating black duck populations are more likely than other species of dabbling ducks to be limited by winter habitat. We recommend targeting preservation, restoration, and enhancement efforts on salt marsh habitat.
Detectability of American Mink Using Rafts to Solicit Field Signs in a Population Control Context
Authors: REYNOLDS JONATHAN C. , PORTEUS TOM A. , RICHARDSON SUZANNE M. , LEIGH RHIAN J. , SHORT MIKE J.
Published: October 2011

Abstract: American mink (Neovison vison) are an ecologically damaging invasive species where they have been introduced in Europe. Effectiveness of mink population control by trapping has been difficult to assess, without knowing how efficiently mink are caught by traps or detected by other methods. Use of track‐recording rafts to detect mink and guide trapping effort has proved efficient and leads to a supposition that no detection indicates absence of mink. To draw this conclusion with any confidence requires a measure of detectability. We applied occupancy models to data from an earlier study to estimate detectability of individual American mink on track‐recording rafts. Estimated detectability of individual mink, per raft, and 2‐week check period varied between 0.4 in late summer and 0.6 in late autumn. By inference, risk of failing to detect a mink that was present would be <5% given 4–6 independent opportunities to detect it. These opportunities could be created either by using a raft spacing that ensured multiple detections of each mink or by monitoring rafts through a succession of check intervals. Within certain simple constraints, raft location did not contribute substantially to detection probability. These findings will allow field operators, strategists, and funders to assess with confidence the success of efforts to control mink density. We expect the estimation of individual detectability to be similarly valuable in population control or eradication of other species.
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Low‐Altitude Aerial Surveys
Authors: WATTS ADAM C. , PERRY JOHN H. , SMITH SCOT E. , BURGESS MATTHEW A. , WILKINSON BENJAMIN E. , SZANTOI ZOLTAN , IFJU PETER G. , PERCIVAL H. FRANKLIN
Published: October 2011

Abstract: Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are proposed as a useful alternative to manned aircraft for some aerial wildlife surveys. We described the components and current capabilities of a small UAS developed specifically for wildlife and ecological surveys that is currently in field use for a variety of applications. We also reviewed government regulations currently affecting the use of UASs in civilian airspace. Information on capabilities and regulations will be valuable for agencies and individuals interested in the potential UASs offer for monitoring wildlife populations and their habitat. Descriptions of current uses and recommendations for future employment will be helpful in implementing this technology efficiently for aerial surveys as the civilian sector begins to adopt UASs for peacetime missions.
Dissociating motor cortex from the motor
Authors: Schieber Marc H.
Published: October 2011

Abstract  During closed‐loop control of a brain–computer interface, neurons in the primary motor cortex can be intensely active even though the subject may be making no detectable movement or muscle contraction. How can neural activity in the primary motor cortex become dissociated from the movements and muscles of the native limb that it normally controls? Here we examine circumstances in which motor cortex activity is known to dissociate from movement – including mental imagery, visuo‐motor dissociation and instructed delay. Many such motor cortex neurons may be related to muscle activity only indirectly. Furthermore, the integration of thousands of synaptic inputs by individual α‐motoneurons means that under certain circumstances even cortico‐motoneuronal cells, which make monosynaptic connections to α‐motoneurons, can become dissociated from muscle activity. The natural ability of motor cortex neurons under voluntarily control to become dissociated from bodily movement may underlie the utility of this cortical area for controlling brain–computer interfaces.
Simulation and Model Validation of the Surface Cooling System for Improving the Power of a Photovoltaic Module
Authors: Kim Dong-Jun , Kim Dae Hyun , Bhattarai Sujala , Oh Jae-Heun
Published: October 2011

One of the unique features of photovoltaic (PV) modules is the power drop that occurs as the silicon temperature increases due to the characteristics of the crystalline silicon used in a solar cell. To overcome this reduction in power, module surface cooling using water circulation was employed. The model performance was then conceptually evaluated and experimentally verified. A transient model was developed using energy balances and heat and mass transfer relationships from various other sources to simulate the surface cooling system. The measurements were in good agreement with the model predictions. The maximum deviation between the measured and predicted water and silicon temperature differed by less than 4 °C. The maximum power enhancement in response to the cooling was 11.6% when compared with a control module. The surface cooling system also washed the module surface via water circulation, which resulted in an additional power up of the PV module in response to removal of the particles that interfere with solar radiation from the surface of the PV module. Accordingly, the cooling system could reduce maintenance costs and prevent accidents associated with cleaning. In addition, the increase in cooling water temperature can serve as a heat source. The system developed here can be applied to existing photovoltaic power generation facilities without any difficulties as well.
Physical, Mechanical, and Degradability Properties of Chemically Treated Jute Fiber Reinforced Biodegradable Nanocomposites
Authors: Hossain M. K. , Dewan M. W. , Hosur M. V. , Jeelani S.
Published: October 2011

Biodegradable composites were fabricated using chemically treated woven jute fiber, a biodegradable polymer (biopol), and 2–4 wt. % montmorillonite K10 nanoclay by compression molding process. Physical, mechanical, and biodegradability properties of these composites were evaluated in this study. Morphology of modified surfaces of jute fabrics examined using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed improved surfaces for better adhesion with matrix. Nanoclay infused samples demonstrated lower moisture and water absorption compared with treated jute fiber biopol composites and untreated jute fiber biopol composites. The effect of moisture absorption on flexural properties and degradability on the dynamic mechanical properties was also studied. Flexural properties were found to degrade with moisture absorption, and the percentage reduction was lower in nanoclay infused samples compared with samples without nanoclay. Storage modulus decreased with biodegradation and rate of decrease was lower in nanoclay infused specimens.
Walther Bothe and Bruno Rossi: The birth and development of coincidence methods in cosmic-ray physics
Authors: Bonolis Luisa
Published: October 2011

In 1924, Walther Bothe and Hans Geiger applied a coincidence method to the study of Compton scattering with Geiger needle counters. Their experiment confirmed the existence of radiation quanta and established the validity of conservation principles in elementary processes. At the end of the 1920s, Bothe and Werner Kolhörster coupled the coincidence technique with the new Geiger–Müller counter to study cosmic rays, marking the start of cosmic-ray research as a branch of physics. The coincidence method was further refined by Bruno Rossi, who developed a vacuum-tube device capable of registering the simultaneous occurrence of electrical pulses from any number of counters with a tenfold improvement in time resolution. The electronic coincidence circuit bearing Rossi’s name was instrumental in his research on the corpuscular nature and the properties of cosmic radiation during the early 1930s, a period characterized by a lively debate between Millikan and followers of the corpuscular interpretation. The Rossi coincidence circuit was also at the core of the counter-controlled cloud chamber developed by Patrick Blackett and Giuseppe Occhialini, and became one of the important ingredients of particle and nuclear physics. During the late 1930s and 1940s, coincidences, anti-coincidences and delayed coincidences played a crucial role in a series of experiments on the decay of the muon, which inaugurated the current era of particle physics.
Acoustics as a tool to answer fundamental marine ecological questions: Thanks Van!
Authors: Eckman James E.
Published: October 2011

Van Holliday was an acoustician with a sound appreciation (apologies) of the complexity, importance, and beauty of marine animals and plants. His bio-acoustical work, motivated initially by an interest in the significant impacts of fish on acoustic backscatter, rapidly led to studies that addressed the value of that backscatter in answering scientific questions about fish. His research and interests expanded rapidly to provide us with new tools capable of detecting and mapping zooplankton. Moreover, his later efforts contributed to an appreciation of the dynamics and importance of the productivity of benthic microalgae in shallow sediments. While many appreciate the value of his contributions to acoustics, and to the basic detection and mapping of planktonic and nektonic life forms, fewer scientists appreciate that the tools (hardware and software) he developed have helped open a door that enables us to address fundamental biological and ecological questions regarding plankton dynamics and benthic-pelagic couplings: questions that still remain inadequately explored. From my perspective as a former program manager at ONR, I will discuss some of Vans contributions that provide a gateway to asking, and answering, a wide-range of ecologically important questions.
Parsing the prose of D. V. Holliday
Authors: Foote Kenneth G.
Published: October 2011

The published works of D. V. Holliday have been praised as exemplifying the scientific method [K. G. Foote, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 115, 2521 (2004)]. They also exemplify a direct writing style that embodies some elements of a physical theory. Paraphrasing P. Duhem in The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory (Princeton University, 1954), these works, by Holliday, communicate “as simply, as completely, and as exactly as possible, a whole group of experimental” findings. These stylistic features are illustrated by reference to three papers published in JASA under Holliday's name, one with a coauthor, during the period 1972–1980.
Vibrational characteristics of wood, aluminum, and composite hockey sticks
Authors: Hunt Linda J. , Russell Daniel A.
Published: October 2011

The stick used by ice hockey players consists of a long straight shaft attached to a curved blade. Composite materials have replaced wood and aluminum shafts for the vast majority of current professional and amateur players. The stiffness of the shaft plays a crucial role in the amount of potential energy that can be stored and released during a slap shot. Shafts are available in a wide range of stiffness and flex ratings in order to match player preference. Several wood, aluminum, and composite shafts were tested using a roving hammer experimental modal analysis with and without their blades. Mode shapes of the shaft tested alone were found to be those of a free-free beam. For shafts of similar lengths, aluminum shafts had the highest resonance frequencies and the lowest damping coefficients, while wood shafts had the lowest frequencies and the highest damping. Vibrational characteristics of whole sticks, including one-piece, two-piece sticks (shaft and blade from same material), and hybrid (shaft and blade of different materials) show that the presence of the blade significantly lowers the frequencies of the torsional modes of vibration. These results, especially damping coefficients, suggest reasons for the anecdotally preferred “feel” provided by composite sticks.
Sequential Bayesian filtering for a varying model-order passive fathometer problem
Authors: Yardim Caglar , Michalopoulou Zoi-Heleni , Gerstoft Peter
Published: October 2011

Sequential model selection is demonstrated for a drifting passive fathometer case. It has been shown that, by processing noise data at a specific array location, a reflector sequence can be extracted, consisting of a summation of sinc pulses. The center of each pulse identifies the depth of a reflector in the ocean environment at that location. Extracting the number and peak/depth locations of these pulses in the reflector sequence provides insight in the sediment structure of the medium. Collecting data in multiple ranges, a process facilitated by the drifting array, allows the study of multiple reflector sequences. Similarly to spatial time delay tracking with Bayesian filters that sample from posterior density functions, we treat sequences obtained at different ranges as data arriving sequentially into a particle filter that extracts at every range (state) the number of pulses and their corresponding depths using an observation equation. A state equation then predicts reflectors at the next range and updates estimates accordingly. The number of pulses varies with range, following changes in sediment layering. Probability density functions of the number of layers and their depths are calculated and demonstrate the successful tracking of changes in the structure of the ocean environment and the uncertainty therein.
Azimuthal Fourier mode decomposition of generic incident fields in the frequency domain: Computational model and results
Authors: Zampolli Mario , Espana Aubrey L. , Williams Kevin L. , Marston Philip L.
Published: October 2011

The 3-D scattering from axisymmetric objects illuminated by nonaxisymmetric incident acoustic fields can be computed efficiently using finite element models, in which the field variables are decomposed via azimuthal Fourier series expansions. The number of azimuthal modes needed is determined by the convergence of the decomposition of the incident field. For simple cases, the field decomposition can be described analytically. For more complex incident fields, however, a closed form azimuthal Fourier series representation of the incident field is often not possible. A pre-processing step is presented, in which the incident field is decomposed numerically at the Gauss points on the wet surface of the target. This approach makes it possible to treat general cases, such as scattering from objects included inside heterogeneous media, at shallow grazing angle, when the symmetry axis of the object is not perpendicular to the interface between the two media. Other applications include decomposing the boundary scattered field re-incident on an object. The model is applied to scattering from a 2:1 aluminum cylinder, included in a fast fluid medium above a slow fluid medium, with the source in the slow medium, and the results are compared to ultrasonic tank measurements. [Work supported by ONR/ONRG.]
Scattering by an elastic object in the time domain for underwater acoustic applications by means of the spectral-element method
Authors: Cristini Paul , Komatitsch Dimitri
Published: October 2011

The increase in computational power which has been occurring during the past years makes it possible to consider the full wave simulation in the time domain of the propagation of acoustic waves in more and more complex configurations in underwater acoustics. Among the various derivations of the finite element method, the spectral-element method has proven to be an efficient and robust tool in seismology. This method combines the accuracy of the pseudospectral method and the flexibility of the finite element method. Its intrinsic properties lend itself very well to numerical simulations on parallel computers, which nowadays is a very big advantage. We will present some results obtained by means of the SPECFEM software, a freely available code which implements the spectral-element method. Its use in underwater acoustics is natural since all types of media which can be encountered in the oceanic environment have already been implemented: fluid, elastic, viscoelastic, anisotropic, and poroelastic. Some illustrative examples of the diffraction of an acoustic wave by an elastic object in various situations will be presented. In particular, a special attention will be paid to the nature of the medium in which the object is embedded.