bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Avian occupancy response to oak woodland and savanna restoration
Authors: Vander Yacht Andrew L. , Keyser Patrick D. , Buehler David A. , Harper Craig A. , Buckley David S. , Applegate Roger D. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTOak (Quercusspp.) woodlands and savannas throughout the Mid‐South, USA have become closed‐canopy forests through succession in the absence of fire, contributing to declines in disturbance‐dependent avian species. Restoration could ameliorate these trends, but effects of such management practices on avian communities of the Mid‐South are poorly understood. We implemented an experiment on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee with treatments involving fall (Oct) or spring (Mar) fire with woodland (14 m2/ha) or savanna (7 m2/ha) residual basal area and unmanaged control stands (20 ha each). We conducted fixed‐radius point counts 3 times annually (2010–2012) and analyzed trends in naïve occupancy for 41 species. For 20 species with adequate data (10 early‐, 10 late‐successional), we performed multiple‐season, robust‐design occupancy modeling and accounted for detection bias. We then used mixed‐model polynomial regression to define relationships between occupancy and measures of live and dead basal area, midstory density, and herbaceous groundcover. Restoration substantially altered forest structural characteristics but did not affect the occupancy of most late‐successional species. In contrast, the presence of early‐successional species increased as live basal area decreased and herbaceous groundcover increased. Only 3 of 41 species (hooded warbler [Setophaga citrina], ovenbird [Seiurus aurocapilla], and worm‐eating warbler [Helmitheros vermivorum]) exhibited reduced occupancy as woodland and savanna conditions were approached. The presence of all other species, including 13 regionally and 2 continentally declining, remained constant or increased as restoration progressed. Woodland conditions of 10 m2/ha live basal area and 20% herbaceous groundcover maximized occupancy of early‐successional species with little consequences for late‐successional species. Proceeding further toward savanna conditions negatively affected species associated with lower strata of mature‐forests but further increased the presence of some early‐successional species. Midstory density and dead basal area were poor predictors of occupancy and thus may be necessary but not sufficient in promoting early‐successional species. Our results suggest implementing oak woodland and savanna management in the Mid‐South could benefit disturbance‐dependent birds of high conservation priority with minimal negative impacts on the presence of late‐successional species. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.
Mechanisms for Imparting Conductivity to Nonconductive Polymeric Biomaterials
Authors: Patton Alexander J. , Poole‐Warren Laura A. , Green Rylie A. 
Published: May 2016

Traditionally, conductive materials for electrodes are based on high modulus metals or alloys. Development of bioelectrodes that mimic the mechanical properties of the soft, low modulus tissues in which they are implanted is a rapidly expanding field of research. Many polymers exist that more closely match tissue mechanics than metals; however, the majority do not conduct charge. Integrating conductive properties via incorporation of metals and other conductors into nonconductive polymers is a successful approach to producing polymers that can be used in electrical interfacing devices. When combining conductive materials with nonconductive polymer matrices, there is often a tradeoff between the electrical and mechanical properties. This review analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of approaches involving coating or layer formation, composite formation via dispersion of conductive inclusions through polymer matrices, and in situ growth of a conductive network within polymers.
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Polymer–Graphene Nanocomposite Materials for Electrochemical Biosensing
Authors: Sobolewski Peter , Piwowarczyk Magdalena , Fray Mirosława El 
Published: May 2016

Biosensing is an important and rapidly developing field, with numerous potential applications in health care, food processing, and environmental control. Polymer–graphene nanocomposites aim to leverage the unique, attractive properties of graphene by combining them with those of a polymer matrix. Molecular imprinted polymers, in particular, offer the promise of artificial biorecognition elements. A variety of polymers, including intrinsically conducting polymers (polyaniline, polypyrrole), bio‐based polymers (chitosan, polycatechols), and polycationic polymers (poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), polyethyleneimine), have been utilized as matrices for graphene‐based nanofillers, yielding sensitive biosensors for various biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules.
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Fabrication of Dendrimer‐Based Polyion Complex Submicrometer‐Scaled Structures with Enhanced Stability under Physiological Conditions
Authors: Naoyama Kenshiro , Mori Takeshi , Katayama Yoshiki , Kishimura Akihiro 
Published: May 2016

Submicrometer‐scaled (subμ‐) self‐assembled materials have been developed based on polyion complex (PIC) formation, in particular for biomedical‐applications. However, sufficient stability under physiological conditions is required for their practical use. In this study, PIC formation behavior is examined using a block aniomer, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(aspartic acid), and homocatiomers, poly(l‐lysine) (LPK) and dendritic poly(l‐lysine) (DPK) with different generations, to elucidate the contribution of the dendritic architecture to stability enhancement. LPK‐based PIC shows a subμ‐vesicular structure only at 25 °C in the absence of NaCl; in contrast, DPK‐based PIC forms a subμ‐structure under physiological salt concentration and temperature conditions, even when the number of charges of a single molecule is much smaller than that of LPK. Moreover, the formation of subμ‐vesicular and ‐spherical micellar structures is dependent on DPK generation. Thus, the molecular backbone architecture of the PIC component plays an important role not only in expanding the preparation conditions and enhancing stability, but also in controlling the self‐assembled structures, mainly due to the spatially restricted structures of dendrimers.
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Interrater reliability of electrodiagnosis in neonatal brachial plexopathy
Authors: Spires Mary Catherine , Brown Spencer M. , Chang Kate Wan‐Chu , Leonard James A. , Yang Lynda J‐S. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTIntroduction: We investigated interrater reliability of overall assessment of nerve root lesions by electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) in neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP). Methods: Two blinded, board‐certified reviewers retrospectively reviewed de‐identified EDX data from 37 infants with NBPP for 2005–2012. Only nerve conduction and electromyography needle data were included. The examiners independently assigned 1 of 4 nerve root lesion categories: (1) pre‐ganglionic lesion (avulsion), (2) post‐ganglionic lesion (rupture), (3) normal, or (4) “unable to determine.” Simple percentage agreement, the Cohen kappa statistic representing interrater reliability for each nerve root (C5–T1), and overall kappa between examiners were evaluated. Results: Interrater reliabilities were substantial to almost perfect for each nerve root except C5. Considering all nerve roots, overall interrater reliability was substantial (kappa = 0.62); simple percentage agreement was 75% (138/185). Conclusions: Interrater reliability of nerve root assessment by EDX for infants with NBPP was high for C6–T1 root levels, but less reliable for C5 because of technical factors. Muscle Nerve 55: 69–73, 2017
A bug reproduction approach based on directed model checking and crash traces
Authors: Nayrolles Mathieu , Hamou‐Lhadj Abdelwahab , Tahar Sofiène , Larsson Alf 
Published: May 2016

AbstractReproducing a bug that caused a system to crash is an important task for uncovering the causes of the crash and providing appropriate fixes. In this paper, we propose a novel crash reproduction approach that combines directed model checking and backward slicing to identify the program statements needed to reproduce a crash. Our approach, named JCHARMING (Java CrasH Automatic Reproduction by directed Model checkING), uses information found in crash traces combined with static program slices to guide a model checking engine in an optimal way. We show that JCHARMING is efficient in reproducing bugs from 10 different open source systems. Overall, JCHARMING is able to reproduce 80% of the bugs used in this study in an average time of 19 min. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is the data on your wearable device secure? An Android Wear smartwatch case study
Authors: Do Quang , Martini Ben , Choo Kim‐Kwang Raymond 
Published: May 2016

SummaryThe increasing convergence of wearable technologies and cloud services in applications, such as health care, could result in new attack vectors for the ‘Cloud of Things’, which could in turn be exploited to exfiltrate sensitive user data. In this paper, we analyze the types of sensitive user data that may be present on a wearable device and develop a method to demonstrate that they can be exfiltrated by an adversary. To undertake this study, we select the Android Wear smartwatch operating system as a case study and, specifically, the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch. We present a technique that allows an adversary to exfiltrate data from smartwatches. Using this technique, we determine that the smartwatch stores a relatively large amount of sensitive user data, including SMS messages, contact information, and biomedical data, and does not effectively protect this user data from physical exfiltration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Critical shear displacement theory: on the way to extending the scope of shear design and assessment for members without shear reinforcement
Authors: Yang Yuguang , den Uijl Joop , Walraven Joost 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThis paper presents a new theory for the shear capacity of reinforced concrete members without shear reinforcement. While recognizing that there are multiple failure mechanisms, the theory attributes the opening of a critical flexural shear crack as the lower bound of the shear capacity. It proposes that the shear displacement of an existing flexural crack can be used as the criterion for the unstable opening of the critical flexural shear crack. Based on the theory, the paper presents a simplified shear evaluation model. Compared with the current shear provisions in the design codes, the model is characterized by good accuracy and a solid physical background. It demonstrates a great flexibility for dealing with complex design conditions. As an example, the paper discusses the possibility of extending the theory to the shear resistance of higher‐strength concrete. The suggested method provides a more logical and fluent transition from normal‐ to high‐strength concrete and shows good agreement with experimental observations.
From soil to sea: the role of groundwater in coastal critical zone processes
Authors: Sawyer Audrey H. , Michael Holly A. , Schroth Andrew W. 
Published: May 2016

Near coasts, surface water–groundwater interactions control many biogeochemical processes associated with the critical zone, which extends from shallow aquifer to vegetative canopy. For example, submarine groundwater discharge delivers a significant fraction of weathering products such as silica and calcium to the world's oceans. Owing to changing fertilizer and land use practices, submarine groundwater discharge is also responsible for high nitrogen loads that drive eutrophication in marine waters. Submarine groundwater discharge is generally unmonitored due to its heterogeneous and diffuse spatial patterns and complex temporal dynamics. Here, we review the physical processes that drive submarine groundwater discharge at various spatial and temporal scales and highlight examples of interdependent critical zone processes. Like the inland critical zone, the coastal critical zone is undergoing rapid change in the Anthropocene. Disturbances include warming air and sea temperatures, sea‐level rise, increasing storm severity, increasing nutrient and contaminant inputs, and ocean acidification. In a changing world, it is more important than ever to understand complex feedbacks between dynamic surface water‐groundwater interaction, rocks, and life through long‐term monitoring efforts that extend beyond inland rivers to coastal groundwater. WIREs Water 2016, 3:706–726. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1157This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change
Science of Water > Water Quality
Resonances from QCD bound states and the 750 GeV diphoton excess
Authors: Kats Yevgeny , Strassler Matthew J. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Pair production of colored particles is in general accompanied by production of QCD bound states (onia) slightly below the pair-production threshold. Bound state annihilation leads to resonant signals, which in some cases are easier to see than the decays of the pair-produced constituents. In a previous paper (arXiv:1204.1119) we estimated the bound state signals, at leading order and in the Coulomb approximation, for particles with various spins, color representations and electric charges, and used 7 TeV ATLAS and CMS resonance searches to set rough limits. Here we update our results to include 8 and 13 TeV data. We find that the recently reported diphoton excesses near 750 GeV could indeed be due to a bound state of this kind. A narrow resonance of the correct size could be obtained for a color-triplet scalar with electric charge −4/3 and mass near 375GeV, if (as a recent lattice computation suggests) the wave function at the origin is somewhat larger than anticipated. Pair production of this particle could have evaded detection up to now. Other candidates may include a triplet scalar of charge 5/3, a triplet fermion of charge −4/3, and perhaps a sextet scalar of charge −2/3.
Mediastinal Adiposity Influences the Technical Difficulty of Thoracic Procedure in Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy
Authors: Okamura Akihiko , Watanabe Masayuki , Kurogochi Takanori , Imamura Yu , Nishida Koujiro , Mine Shinji 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackgroundObesity is considered to influence the difficulty of surgery. However, whether mediastinal adiposity influences the difficulty of the thoracic procedure in minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) remains unclear.MethodsComputed tomography volumetry was performed in 142 patients who underwent MIE between 2012 and 2014. We measured abdominal visceral fat area (AVFA) at the umbilicus level and mediastinal fat area (MFA) at the tracheal carina level. The influence of MFA on the difficulty of the thoracic procedure was assessed using the thoracic procedure duration as a parameter, and the effect of MFA on morbidity after MIE was assessed.ResultsMFA was significantly smaller than AVFA (p < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between them (p < 0.01). A significant positive correlation was observed between MFA and thoracic procedure duration (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that MFA was independently correlated with prolonged thoracic procedure duration (p < 0.01). Regarding postoperative complications associated with the thoracic procedure, there were no significant differences in MFA between patients with or without pneumonia and those with or without chylothorax. Patients who experienced recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) had greater MFA than those who did not (p = 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed that MFA was a significant predictor of the occurrence of RLNP (p = 0.04).ConclusionsAlthough the extent of mediastinal adiposity was much lesser than that of abdominal visceral adiposity, it could be a predictor of the difficulty of the thoracic procedure as well as the risk of RLNP in MIE.
Challenges in Testosterone Measurement, Data Interpretation, and Methodological Appraisal of Interventional Trials
Authors: Trost Landon W. , Mulhall John P. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Male hypogonadism is a common condition, with an increasing body of literature on diagnosis, implications, and management. Given the significant variability in testosterone (T) from a physiologic and assay perspective, a thorough understanding of factors affecting T values and study methodology is essential to interpret reported study outcomes appropriately. However, despite the large number of publications on T, there are no reference materials consolidating all relevant and potentially confounding factors necessary to interpret T studies appropriately.

Aims
To create a resource document that reviews sources of T variability, free vs total T, assay techniques and questionnaires, and study methodology relevant to interpreting outcomes.

Methods
A PubMed search was performed of all the T literature published on T variability, assay techniques, and T-specific questionnaires. Results were summarized in the context of their impact on interpreting T literature outcomes and methodology.

Main Outcome Measures
Effect of various factors on T variability and their relevance to study methodology and outcomes.

Results
Several factors affect measured T levels, including aging, circadian rhythms, geography, genetics, lifestyle choices, comorbid conditions, and intraindividual daily variability. The utility of free T over total T is debatable and must be compared using appropriate threshold levels. Among various assay techniques, mass spectrometry and equilibrium dialysis are gold standards. Calculated empirical estimates of free T also are commonly used and accepted. Hypogonadism-specific questionnaires have limited utility in screening for hypogonadism, and their role as objective end points for quantifying symptoms remains unclear. Numerous aspects of study methodology can directly or indirectly affect reported outcomes, including design (randomized, prospective, retrospective), duration, populations studied (age, comorbid conditions), low T threshold, therapeutic agent used, objective measurements and end points selected, and statistical interpretation.

Conclusion
Critical appraisal of the T literature requires an understanding of numerous factors resulting in T variability, study design and methodology, and limitations of assay techniques and objective measurement scales.
Experimental investigation of flowfield over an iced aerofoil
Authors: Manshadi M.D. , Esfeh M.K. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTWind-tunnel measurements were used to study the characteristics of the unsteady separation bubbles on a NACA 0015 aerofoil with simulated two-dimensional leading-edge glaze ice accretions. The unsteadiness present in the iced-aerofoil flowfield was determined using measurements of the time-dependent aerofoil surface pressure distribution at Reynolds number of 1.0 × 106. Additionally, the unsteady flow features were investigated through the power spectrum of the stream-wise velocity fluctuations using a hot-wire anemometry. The results showed that the highest value of root-mean-square fluctuation of the surface pressure consistently occurred upstream of the mean shear-layer reattachment location. Spectral analysis of stream-wise velocity fluctuations near reattachment location revealed evidence of the regular frequency at Strouhal numbers of 0.5-0.63. Moreover, the low-frequency oscillations associated with shear-layer flapping was also identified in the wake velocity spectra on the order of 10 Hz that resulted in Strouhal numbers of 0.0186-021.
Numerical and experimental validation of a morphed wing geometry using Price-Païdoussis wind-tunnel testing
Authors: Koreanschi A. , Sugar-Gabor O. , Botez R.M. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTAn experimental validation of an optimised wing geometry in the Price-Païdoussis subsonic wind tunnel is presented. Two wing models were manufactured using optimised glass fibre composite and tested at three speeds and various angle-of-attack. These wing models were constructed based on the original aerofoil shape of the ATR 42 aircraft and an optimised version of the same aerofoil for a flight condition of Mach number equal to 0.1 and angle-of-attack of 0°. The aerofoil's optimisation was realised using an ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm coupled with a cubic spline reconstruction routine, and was analysed using XFoil aerodynamic solver. The optimisation was concentrated on improving the laminar flow on the upper surface of the wing, between 10% and 70% of the chord. XFoil-predicted pressure distributions were compared with experimental data obtained in the wind tunnel. The transition position was estimated from the experimental pressure data using a second derivative methodology and was compared with the transition predicted by XFoil code. The results have shown the agreement between numerical and experimental data. The wind-tunnel tests have shown that the improvement of the laminar flow of the optimised wing is higher than the value predicted numerically.
Simplified propeller analysis and design including effects of stall
Authors: Traub L.W. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTA simplified method to analyse propellers based on vortex theory is presented. Small-angle approximations are implemented to eliminate the need for iteration in the determination of the induced angle-of-attack. A stall model is developed and combined with analytic relations describing the blade aerofoil characteristics, eliminating the need for look-up tables of aerofoil behaviour. The method is also extended to serve as an optimal propeller design tool. Comparisons of the approach with experiment are presented for validation as an analysis tool. Use of the theory as a design tool is also demonstrated through contrast with an existing blade design methodology.
Method for evaluating the landing aircraft sequence under disturbed conditions with the use of Petri nets
Authors: Skorupski J. , Florowski A. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTOne of the important tasks that air traffic management services are faced with today is the task of maximising airport capacity. This can be achieved at the tactical level through proper organisation of air traffic around an airport. In recent years, many methods and algorithms for scheduling aircraft landings have been developed; they take into account various optimisation goals. The aim of this paper was to create a method that would allow one to evaluate landing aircraft sequences resulting from these control algorithms, especially in the presence of random disturbances. This method involves modelling the landing aircraft sequence by using Petri nets. The model and the computer tool that have been developed make it possible to take into account different kinds of disturbances and examine the effectiveness of various control strategies under these conditions. This paper presents two experiments that test disturbances with different characteristics and of different intensities. It has been shown that small but more frequent disturbances lead to the worsening of evaluation scores for a given sequence to a lesser extent than rare but larger disturbances. This is particularly important for control algorithms in which the focus is on high aircraft density. If the type of particular disturbances is properly assessed, then it will be possible to assist the decision-maker (air traffic controller) by providing him/her with quantitative evaluations of possible solutions.