bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Avoidance of channel interference in polygonal IoT networks
Authors: Zin HyeonCheol , Kim ChongGun , Wu Mary , Kim Shinheon 
Published: March 2017

SummaryOne of the popular methods studied for indoor positioning is based on Wi‐Fi signal strength. But distance decisions using signal strength show not only intuitive results but also irregular results. Some sensors are used to increase the correctness of indoor positioning. Compass sensors and laser sensors were proven to be good additional methods for better positioning in a Wi‐Fi–based system. The main role of Wi‐Fi access points (APs) in indoor positioning is making the preliminary decision using received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signals and providing the infrastructure for communications.Sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) are almost synonymous these days. For communication between sensors, the sensors are connected to the network based on a Wi‐Fi AP. The effective use of different channels among neighboring APs is a big challenge, because sensor nodes have limited power. Because of the radio frequency characteristics in wireless communication, interference and packet collisions can occur among the channels of neighboring APs. The undesirable usage of overlapping channels among neighboring APs may lead to increased energy consumption because of the resulting re‐transmissions. Based on this study, overlapping channels among neighboring APs can decrease the performance of preliminary Wi‐Fi–based positioning.The communication range for an AP is considered as the cell. By assigning non‐overlapping channels among neighboring cells, the interference problem between channels among the APs can be resolved. In this study, a simple and straightforward, exclusive channel‐allocation algorithm is proposed. It allocates exclusive channels among neighboring APs. The whole network topology based on APs can be expressed as various polygonal networks. In order to complete non‐collision channel allocation, we provide 5 rules to support the proposed algorithm. The results of our experiment show that the proposed algorithm successfully assigns exclusive channels among neighboring APs using only 4 channels in a complicated polygonal network topology.
Simultaneous use of multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification assay and flow cytometric DNA ploidy analysis in patients with acute leukemia
Authors: Reyes‐Núñez Virginia , Galo‐Hooker Evelyn , Pérez‐Romano Beatriz , Duque Ricardo E. , Ruiz‐Arguelles Alejandro , Garcés‐Eisele Javier 
Published: March 2017

BackgroundThe aim of this work was to simultaneously use multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay and flow cytometric DNA ploidy analysis (FPA) to detect aneuploidy in patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia.MethodsMLPA assay and propidium iodide FPA were used to test samples from 53 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia referred to our laboratory for immunophenotyping. Results were compared by nonparametric statistics.ResultsThe combined use of both methods significantly increased the rate of detection of aneuploidy as compared to that obtained by each method alone. The limitations of one method are somehow countervailed by the other and vice versa.ConclusionsMPLA and FPA yield different yet complementary information concerning aneuploidy in acute leukemia. The simultaneous use of both methods might be recommended in the clinical setting. © 2017 International Clinical Cytometry Society
“Giving” and “responding” differences in gestural communication between nonhuman great ape mothers and infants
Authors: Schneider Christel , Liebal Katja , Call Josep 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn the first comparative analysis of its kind, we investigated gesture behavior and response patterns in 25 captive ape mother–infant dyads (six bonobos, eight chimpanzees, three gorillas, and eight orangutans). We examined (i) how frequently mothers and infants gestured to each other and to other group members; and (ii) to what extent infants and mothers responded to the gestural attempts of others. Our findings confirmed the hypothesis that bonobo mothers were more proactive in their gesturing to their infants than the other species. Yet mothers (from all four species) often did not respond to the gestures of their infants and other group members. In contrast, infants “pervasively” responded to gestures they received from their mothers and other group members. We propose that infants’ pervasive responsiveness rather than the quality of mother investment and her responsiveness may be crucial to communication development in nonhuman great apes.
Foxd4 is essential for establishing neural cell fate and for neuronal differentiation
Authors: Sherman Jonathan H. , Karpinski Beverly A. , Fralish Matthew S. , Cappuzzo Justin M. , Dhindsa Devinder S. , Thal Arielle G. , Moody Sally A. , LaMantia Anthony S. , Maynard Thomas M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMany molecular factors required for later stages of neuronal differentiation have been identified; however, much less is known about the early events that regulate the initial establishment of the neuroectoderm. We have used an in vitro embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation model to investigate early events of neuronal differentiation and to define the role of mouse Foxd4, an ortholog of a forkhead‐family transcription factor central to Xenopus neural plate/neuroectodermal precursor development. We found that Foxd4 is a necessary regulator of the transition from pluripotent ESC to neuroectodermal stem cell, and its expression is necessary for neuronal differentiation. Mouse Foxd4 expression is not only limited to the neural plate but it is also expressed and apparently functions to regulate neurogenesis in the olfactory placode. These in vitro results suggest that mouse Foxd4 has a similar function to its Xenopus ortholog; this was confirmed by successfully substituting murine Foxd4 for its amphibian counterpart in overexpression experiments. Thus, Foxd4 appears to regulate the initial steps in establishing neuroectodermal precursors during initial development of the nervous system.
The modelled cost‐effectiveness of cognitive dissonance for the prevention of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in adolescent girls in Australia
Authors: Le Long Khanh‐Dao , Barendregt Jan J. , Hay Phillipa , Sawyer Susan M. , Paxton Susan J. , Mihalopoulos Cathrine 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackgroundEating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), are prevalent disorders that carry substantial economic and social burden. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the modelled population cost‐effectiveness of cognitive dissonance (CD), a school‐based preventive intervention for EDs, in the Australian health care context.MethodA population‐based Markov model was developed to estimate the cost per disability adjusted life‐year (DALY) averted by CD relative to no intervention. We modelled the cases of AN and BN that could be prevented over a 10‐year time horizon in each study arm and the subsequent reduction in DALYs associated with this. The target population was 15‐18 year old secondary school girls with high body‐image concerns. This study only considered costs of the health sector providing services and not costs to individuals. Multivariate probabilistic and one‐way sensitivity analyses were conducted to test model assumptions.ResultsFindings showed that the mean incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio at base‐case for the intervention was $103,980 per DALY averted with none of the uncertainty iterations falling below the threshold of AUD$50,000 per DALY averted. The evaluation was most sensitive to estimates of participant rates with higher rates associated with more favourable results. The intervention would become cost‐effective (84% chance) if the effect of the intervention lasted up to 5 years.ConclusionAs modelled, school‐based CD intervention is not a cost‐effective preventive intervention for AN and BN. Given the burden of EDs, understanding how to improve participation rates is an important opportunity for future research.
Species distribution models predict temporal but not spatial variation in forest growth
Authors: van der Maaten Ernst , Hamann Andreas , van der Maaten‐Theunissen Marieke , Bergsma Aldo , Hengeveld Geerten , van Lammeren Ron , Mohren Frits , Nabuurs Gert‐Jan , Terhürne Renske , Sterck Frank 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBioclimate envelope models have been widely used to illustrate the discrepancy between current species distributions and their potential habitat under climate change. However, the realism and correct interpretation of such projections has been the subject of considerable discussion. Here, we investigate whether climate suitability predictions correlate to tree growth, measured in permanent inventory plots and inferred from tree‐ring records. We use the ensemble classifier RandomForest and species occurrence data from ~200,000 inventory plots to build species distribution models for four important European forestry species: Norway spruce, Scots pine, European beech, and pedunculate oak. We then correlate climate‐based habitat suitability with volume measurements from ~50‐year‐old stands, available from ~11,000 inventory plots. Secondly, habitat projections based on annual historical climate are compared with ring width from ~300 tree‐ring chronologies. Our working hypothesis is that habitat suitability projections from species distribution models should to some degree be associated with temporal or spatial variation in these growth records. We find that the habitat projections are uncorrelated with spatial growth records (inventory plot data), but they do predict interannual variation in tree‐ring width, with an average correlation of .22. Correlation coefficients for individual chronologies range from values as high as .82 or as low as −.31. We conclude that tree responses to projected climate change are highly site‐specific and that local suitability of a species for reforestation is difficult to predict. That said, projected increase or decrease in climatic suitability may be interpreted as an average expectation of increased or reduced growth over larger geographic scales.
Shortcuts in biodiversity research: What determines the performance of higher taxa as surrogates for species?
Authors: Rosser Neil 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBiodiversity research is often impeded by the time and resources required to identify species. One possible solution is to use higher taxa to predict species richness and community composition. However, previous studies have shown that the performance of higher taxa as surrogates for species is highly variable, making it difficult to predict whether the method will be reliable for a particular objective. Using 8 independent datasets, I tested whether higher taxa accurately characterize the responses of beetle and ant communities to environmental drivers. For each dataset, ordinations were carried out using species and higher taxa, and the two compared using the Procrustes m² statistic (a scale‐independent variant of Procrustes sum of squares). I then modelled the relationship between five hypothesised explanatory variables and 1) Procrustes m², and 2) the coefficient of determination (R²) for the correlation between richness of species and higher taxa. The species to higher taxon ratio, community structure, beta diversity, completeness of sampling, and taxon (beetles or ants) were all significant predictors of m², together explaining 88% of the variance. The only significant predictor of R² was the species to higher taxon ratio, which explained 45% of the variance. When using higher taxa to predict community composition, better performance is expected when the ratio of species to higher taxa is low, in communities with high evenness and high species turnover, and when there is niche conservation within higher taxa. When using higher taxa to predict species richness, effective surrogacy can be expected when the species to higher taxon ratio is very low. When it is not, surrogacy performance may be strongly influenced by stochastic factors, making predictions of performance difficult.
Stoichiometric traits of stickleback: Effects of genetic background, rearing environment, and ontogeny
Authors: Leal Miguel Costa , Best Rebecca J. , Durston Dan , El‐Sabaawi Rana W. , Matthews Blake 
Published: March 2017

AbstractPhenotypes can both evolve in response to, and affect, ecosystem change, but few examples of diverging ecosystem‐effect traits have been investigated. Bony armor traits of fish are good candidates for this because they evolve rapidly in some freshwater fish populations, and bone is phosphorus rich and likely to affect nutrient recycling in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we explore how ontogeny, rearing environment, and bone allocation among body parts affect the stoichiometric phenotype (i.e., stoichiometric composition of bodies and excretion) of threespine stickleback. We use two populations from distinct freshwater lineages with contrasting lateral plating phenotypes (full vs. low plating) and their hybrids, which are mostly fully plated. We found that ontogeny, rearing environment, and body condition were the most important predictors of organismal stoichiometry. Although elemental composition was similar between both populations and their hybrids, we found significant divergence in phosphorus allocation among body parts and in phosphorus excretion rates. Overall, body armor differences did not explain variation in whole body phosphorus, phosphorus allocation, or phosphorus excretion. Evolutionary divergence between these lineages in both allocation and excretion is likely to have important direct consequences for ecosystems, but may be mediated by evolution of multiple morphological or physiological traits beyond plating phenotype.
Coral reef mesopredators switch prey, shortening food chains, in response to habitat degradation
Authors: Hempson Tessa N. , Graham Nicholas A. J. , MacNeil M. Aaron , Williamson David H. , Jones Geoffrey P. , Almany Glenn R. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDiet specificity is likely to be the key predictor of a predator's vulnerability to changing habitat and prey conditions. Understanding the degree to which predatory coral reef fishes adjust or maintain prey choice, in response to declines in coral cover and changes in prey availability, is critical for predicting how they may respond to reef habitat degradation. Here, we use stable isotope analyses to characterize the trophic structure of predator–prey interactions on coral reefs of the Keppel Island Group on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. These reefs, previously typified by exceptionally high coral cover, have recently lost much of their coral cover due to coral bleaching and frequent inundation by sediment‐laden, freshwater flood plumes associated with increased rainfall patterns. Long‐term monitoring of these reefs demonstrates that, as coral cover declined, there has been a decrease in prey biomass, and a shift in dominant prey species from pelagic plankton‐feeding damselfishes to territorial benthic algal‐feeding damselfishes, resulting in differences in the principal carbon pathways in the food web. Using isotopes, we tested whether this changing prey availability could be detected in the diet of a mesopredator (coral grouper, Plectropomus maculatus). The δ13C signature in grouper tissue in the Keppel Islands shifted from a more pelagic to a more benthic signal, demonstrating a change in carbon sources aligning with the change in prey availability due to habitat degradation. Grouper with a more benthic carbon signature were also feeding at a lower trophic level, indicating a shortening in food chains. Further, we found a decline in the coral grouper population accompanying a decrease in total available prey biomass. Thus, while the ability to adapt diets could ameliorate the short‐term impacts of habitat degradation on mesopredators, long‐term effects may negatively impact mesopredator populations and alter the trophic structure of coral reef food webs.
Not all weeds are created equal: A database approach uncovers differences in the sexual system of native and introduced weeds
Authors: Van Etten Megan L. , Conner Jeffrey K. , Chang Shu‐Mei , Baucom Regina S. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWeedy species provide excellent opportunities to examine the process of successful colonization of novel environments. Despite the influence of the sexual system on a variety of processes from reproduction to genetic structure, how the sexual system of species influences weediness has received only limited consideration. We examined the hypothesis that weedy plants have an increased likelihood of being self‐compatible compared with nonweedy plants; this hypothesis is derived from Baker's law, which states that species that can reproduce uniparentally are more likely to successfully establish in a new habitat where mates are lacking. We combined a database of the weed (weedy/nonweedy) and introduction status (introduced/native) of plant species found in the USA with a database of plant sexual systems and determined whether native and introduced weeds varied in their sexual systems compared with native and introduced nonweeds. We found that introduced weeds are overrepresented by species with both male and female functions present within a single flower (hermaphrodites) whereas weeds native to the USA are overrepresented by species with male and female flowers present on a single plant (monoecious species). Overall, our results show that Baker's law is supported at the level of the sexual system, thus providing further evidence that uniparental reproduction is an important component of being either a native or introduced weed.
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction
Authors: Howison Ruth A. , Olff Han , van de Koppel Johan , Smit Christian 
Published: March 2017

AbstractGrazing ecosystems ranging from the Arctic tundra to tropical savannas are often characterized by small‐scale mosaics of herbivore‐preferred and herbivore‐avoided patches, promoting plant biodiversity and resilience. The three leading explanations for bistable patchiness in grazed ecosystems are (1) herbivore‐driven nutrient cycling, (2) plant‐growth–water‐infiltration feedback under aridity, and (3) irreversible local herbivore‐induced abiotic stress (topsoil erosion, salinity). However, these insufficiently explain the high temporal patch dynamics and wide‐ranging distribution of grazing mosaics across productive habitats. Here we propose a fourth possibility where alternating patches are governed by the interplay of two important biotic processes: bioturbation by soil fauna that locally ameliorates soil conditions, promoting tall plant communities, alternating with biocompaction by large herbivores that locally impairs soil conditions, and promotes lawn communities. We review mechanisms that explain rapid conversions between bioturbation‐ and biocompaction‐dominated patches, and provide a global map where this mechanism is possible. With a simple model we illustrate that this fourth mechanism expands the range of conditions under which grazing mosaics can persist. We conclude that the response of grazing systems to global change, as degradation or catastrophic droughts, will be contingent on the correct identification of the dominant process that drives their vegetation structural heterogeneity.
Periodic continuous‐time movement models uncover behavioral changes of wild canids along anthropization gradients
Authors: Péron Guillaume , Fleming Christen H. , de Paula Rogerio C. , Mitchell Numi , Strohbach Michael , Leimgruber Peter , Calabrese Justin M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMost species exhibit periodic behaviors in response to cycles in resources and risks in the environment (circadian, lunar, seasonal, and so on). The ability to respond to anthropogenic perturbations by modifying periodic behaviors remains little studied, as does the question of whether and how periodic behaviors translate into periodic patterns in animal space use, on which we focus. Extending existing continuous‐time stochastic movement models, we propose two new parametric approaches to detect and quantify periodic patterns of space use in animal tracking data, via periodicity in the expected position or circulation in the stochastic component of the path. We use them to study the movements of maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) along anthropization gradients. These case studies illustrate how periodic patterns can be of natural origin (cycles in the environment) or anthropogenic origin (periodicity in human activity or restrictions on available habitat), suggesting a role for periodic patterns of space use in species persistence in anthropized areas. The method builds upon and extends existing functionalities in the R‐package ctmm, in which the necessary tools are made available.
Carbon dynamics of river corridors and the effects of human alterations
Authors: Wohl Ellen , Hall Robert O. , Lininger Katherine B. , Sutfin Nicholas A. , Walters David M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractResearch in stream metabolism, gas exchange, and sediment dynamics indicates that rivers are an active component of the global carbon cycle and that river form and process can influence partitioning of terrestrially derived carbon among the atmosphere, geosphere, and ocean. Here we develop a conceptual model of carbon dynamics (inputs, outputs, and storage of organic carbon) within a river corridor, which includes the active channel and the riparian zone. The exchange of carbon from the channel to the riparian zone represents potential for storage of transported carbon not included in the “active pipe” model of organic carbon (OC) dynamics in freshwater systems. The active pipe model recognizes that river processes influence carbon dynamics, but focuses on CO2 emissions from the channel and eventual delivery to the ocean. We also review how human activities directly and indirectly alter carbon dynamics within river corridors. We propose that dams create the most significant alteration of carbon dynamics within a channel, but that alteration of riparian zones, including the reduction of lateral connectivity between the channel and riparian zone, constitutes the most substantial change of carbon dynamics in river corridors. We argue that the morphology and processes of a river corridor regulate the ability to store, transform, and transport OC, and that people are pervasive modifiers of river morphology and processes. The net effect of most human activities, with the notable exception of reservoir construction, appears to be that of reducing the ability of river corridors to store OC within biota and sediment, which effectively converts river corridors to OC sources rather than OC sinks. We conclude by summarizing knowledge gaps in OC dynamics and the implications of our findings for managing OC dynamics within river corridors.