bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sharp‐tailed grouse lek attendance and fidelity in upper Michigan
Authors: Drummer Thomas D. , Corace R. Gregory , Sjogren Stephen J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractTo assess and improve existing monitoring protocols for sharp‐tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we used data from 58 radio‐collared grouse (46 M, 12 F) monitored within 3 openland landscape types: a xeric, conifer‐dominated site, a wetland‐dominated site, and a site dominated by low‐intensity agriculture. We used lek counts and radio telemetry to determine lek attendance rates, factors affecting lek attendance rates, lek fidelity, and inter‐sexual variation in these parameters. Our analysis indicated lek attendance varied with respect to sex of bird, day of year, time after sunrise, and wind speed. Peak male lek attendance rates exceeded those of females by up to 40%, and peak lekking activity for both males and females occurred during the second and third weeks of April. Male lekking activity occurred earlier and was sustained longer than that of females. Lekking activity was negatively related to time of day and wind speed. We observed strong lek fidelity as radio‐collared birds attended a primary lek 94% of the time, indicating a low probability of multiple counting of individual birds. We also proposed a method to adjust lek count data for the probability that birds are on a lek during lek counts. Our proposed method can be used by researchers and managers to improve estimates of the number of birds attending a lek by reducing the negative bias associated with observed counts. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Non‐permanent radiotelemetry leg harness for small birds
Authors: Kesler Dylan C. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractI developed a modified leg harness for mounting radiotelemetry transmitters to small birds, which includes a weak link that allows telemetry equipment to be shed. Over 4 years, I mounted 62 transmitters on 49 Tuamotu kingfishers (Todiramphus gambieri) using weak‐link harnesses. Kingfishers retained 86% of transmitters for the duration of monitoring periods (23–66 days) whereas 22 of 23 transmitters were shed from birds resighted after 6–15 months. Apparent mortality was no higher for radio‐marked birds than for birds without transmitters. The weak‐link harness is an improvement to existing transmitter attachment techniques and provides a useful, effective, and ethical means of studying bird movements. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
A component system for broadcasting sound for research and management
Authors: Farrell Shannon L. , Campomizzi Andrew J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe designed, deployed, and evaluated a sound broadcast system for use in an experiment investigating response of songbirds to conspecific vocalizations in habitat selection; the system was functional, flexible, and allowed for easy assembly, customization, and repair. Broadcast of sound in the field can enable study of animal response to predators, conspecifics, heterospecifics, noise, and other stimuli and is being considered for a variety of management applications. However, no published method is available for building a sound broadcast system from readily available components for use in the field. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
A preliminary study assessing risk to Tasmanian devils from poisoning for red foxes
Authors: Hughes Channing , Gaffney Robbie , Dickman Christopher R. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe recent introduction of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to Australia's island state of Tasmania represents a major threat to native fauna. In response, the Tasmanian government has begun a fox eradication program using Foxoff®, a bait containing the poison sodium monofluoroacetate (commonly known as 1080). The bait is potentially attractive to native Tasmanian carnivores as well as to foxes. Of particular concern is the endangered Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), which is already at risk from an emergent infectious disease, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). In both a captive and a field study using non‐toxic Foxoff bait, we assessed bait palatability and possible effects of demographics, hunger level, bait age, and bait burial method on the likelihood of bait uptake by Tasmanian devils. Captive devils showed varying interest in the bait, but wild devils appeared to find it uniformly palatable. In the captive study, males and younger, captive‐born animals were more likely to excavate and remove bait. Subterranean burial at 15 cm was the most effective deterrent to bait excavation; effectiveness decreased at shallower depths and with surface‐level bait buried beneath soil mounds. Our findings suggest that the current fox‐baiting campaign may negatively impact individual devils. More extensive study is necessary to assess potential risk at the population level. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Estimating utilization distributions with kernel versus local convex hull methods
Authors: Lichti Nathanael I. , Swihart Robert K. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractEstimates of utilization distributions (UDs) are used in analyses of home‐range area, habitat and resource selection, and social interactions. We simulated data from 12 parent UDs, representing 3 series of increasingly intense space‐use patterns (clustering of points around a home site, restriction of locations to a network of nodes and corridors, and dominance of a central hole in the UD) and compared the ability of kernel density estimation (KDE) and local convex hull (LCH) construction to reconstruct known UDs from samples of 10, 50, 250, and 1,000 location points. For KDE, we considered 4 bandwidth selectors: the reference bandwidth, least‐squares cross‐validation (LSCV), direct plug‐in (DPI), and solve‐the‐equation (STE). For the sample sizes and UD patterns tested here, KDE achieved significantly higher volume‐of‐intersection (VI) scores with known parent UDs than did LCH; KDE also provided less biased home‐range area estimates under many conditions. However, LCH minimized the UD volume that occurred outside the true home range boundary (Vout). Among the KDE bandwidth estimators, relative performance depended on the type and intensity of space use patterns, sample size, and the metric used to evaluate performance. Biologists should use KDE for UD and home range estimation within a probabilistic context, unless their objective is to exclude potentially unused areas by defining the area delimited by data. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Effects of sagebrush treatments on multi‐scale resource selection by pygmy rabbits
Authors: Wilson Tammy L. , Howe Frank P. , Edwards Thomas C. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe effects of widespread sagebrush removal treatments on pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) are not well understood. Due to reliance on sagebrush, pygmy rabbits are among the species for which these treatments may be detrimental. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of experimental sagebrush treatment on 8 radio‐collared pygmy rabbits between and within home range habitat selection using Monte Carlo simulation from null models. Pygmy rabbits were not extirpated from plots containing habitat treatments, and we found no evidence that treatments affected home range placement. The mean treatment distance of observed home range centers did not differ from repeated trials of random points. However, we found evidence of within home range selection against treatments from 2 of 8 rabbits located close to the treatments. The mean treatment distance of all observed locations for these 2 rabbits was greater than expected based on a null model. We also used snow tracking to show that pygmy rabbits entered treatments in 4 out of 21 trials, which was less often than expected by chance (G2 = 8.662, P = 0.003). Conservatively, sagebrush removal treatments should not be conducted on active or recently active pygmy rabbit burrows. Elsewhere near known pygmy rabbit sites, treated patches should be small and connected by untreated corridors to prevent potentially limiting movement of rabbits among the untreated habitat. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Time energy budgets and food use of Atlantic brant across their wintering range
Authors: Ladin Zachary S. , Castelli Paul M. , Mcwilliams Scott R. , Williams Christopher K. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe conducted extensive behavioral and food sampling of Atlantic brant (Branta bernicla hrota) across their winter range and used time–activity budgets for brant to determine daily energy expenditure (DEE). Sampling occurred 1 December–31 May 2006–2008 in 11,225‐km2 sites between Rhode Island and Virginia containing important estuarine and upland habitat. To calculate DEE we used instantaneous scan sampling to estimate time–activity budgets. We also determined foods eaten by brant and energy density of food plants. Last, we quantified body condition of brant, which differed among years, months, regions, and ages, and sexes. Overall DEE for brant was 1,530 ± 64 kJ/day. There was considerable variation in time–activity budgets among years, months, regions, habitat, tide, temperature, and time‐of‐day, but we detected no significant difference in DEE of brant between years or among regions. However, DEE in January (2,018 ± 173 kJ/day) was nearly double the DEE of brant in May (1,048 ± 137 kJ/day). Brant spent their time feeding (32.3%), swimming (26.2%), resting (16.2%), and flying (14.5%). The percent of brant foreguts sampled contained macroalgae (53%) eelgrass (Zostera marina; 18%), salt marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora; 17%), and terrestrial grass (Poa. sp.) and clover (Trifollium sp.; 9%). Energy density differed by vegetation type: macroalgae (12.6 ± 0.1 kJ/g), eelgrass (14.1 ± 0.1 kJ/g), new‐growth salt marsh cordgrass (16.9 ± 0.2 kJ/g), and terrestrial grass and clover (17.7 ± 0.1 kJ/g). Atlantic brant exhibited behavioral plasticity thereby allowing modification of daily activity budgets to meet seasonally varying energetic requirements associated with wintering and spring staging. Recognizing a variable DEE can be used along with eventual estimates of food biomass and total metabolizable energy on the landscape to calculate carrying capacity (goose use days) on state, region, or range‐wide scales. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Home range and habitat selection of spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada
Authors: Williams Perry J. , Gutiérrez R.J. , Whitmore Sheila A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe studied home range and habitat selection of radio‐marked adult California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) randomly selected from among the breeding population of owls in the central Sierra Nevada, California from June to October 2006. The most parsimonious home‐range estimate for our data was 555 ha (SE = 100 ha). Home‐range size was positively correlated with the number of vegetation patches in the home range (habitat heterogeneity). We used resource selection ratios to examine selection of vegetation types by owls within our study area. Owl home ranges contained a high proportion of mature conifer forest, relative to its availability, although the confidence interval for this estimate overlapped one. We also used resource selection functions (RSF) to examine owl foraging habitat selection. Relative probability of selection of foraging habitat was correlated with vegetation classes, patch size, and their interaction. Owls showed highest selection rates for large patches (>10 ha) of pole‐sized coniferous forest. Our results suggested that spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada used habitat that contained a high proportion of mature conifer forest at the home‐range scale, but at a finer scale (foraging site selection) owls used other vegetation classes interspersed among mature forest patches, consistent with our hypothesis that spotted owls may use other forest types besides old growth and mature forests when foraging. Our study provides an unbiased estimate of habitat use by spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada. Our results suggest that forest managers continue to protect remaining mature and old‐growth forests in the central Sierra Nevada because owl home ranges contain high proportions of these habitats. However, our results also showed that owls used younger stands as foraging habitat so that landscape heterogeneity, with respect to cover types, may be an important consideration for management but we did not attempt to relate our findings to fitness of owls. Thus management for some level of landscape heterogeneity for the benefit of owls should proceed with caution or under an adaptive management framework. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Using multiple methods to assess detection probabilities of forest‐floor wildlife
Authors: Otto Clint R. V. , Roloff Gary J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractMany previous comparisons of multiple sampling methods have assumed that detection probabilities for each method are either constant or equal to one. We used 4 sampling methods to estimate detection probabilities for forest‐floor dwelling amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. We investigated associations between seasonality and precipitation on species detection and explored sample design tradeoffs for future studies. Although we captured 25 species, we could reliably detect (detection probability >0.15) only northern short‐tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) and pygmy and masked shrews (Sorex spp.) using drift fences and red‐backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) using visual encounter surveys (VES). The use of multiple sampling methods improved detection probabilities for only red‐backed salamanders (${\hat {p}}_{{\rm VES}} $ = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.24–0.38, ${\hat {p}}_{{\rm all methods}} $ = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.32−0.44). Parameter estimates indicated detection of both shrew species was positively related to increased precipitation. Detection probabilities for pygmy and masked shrews and red‐backed salamanders were positively and negatively associated with date, respectively. Our power analysis revealed that sampling during rain events increased the power of detecting a change in sorid occupancy by ≥40% (α = 0.05). Our results demonstrate the need to incorporate species detectability when comparing the effectiveness of different trapping methodologies. Furthermore, our study highlights the utility of power analyses for exploring study design tradeoffs for research and monitoring programs. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Effectiveness of AV‐1011® to reduce damage to drill‐planted rice from blackbirds
Authors: Cummings John L. , Byrd Robert W. , Eddleman William R. , Engeman Richard M. , Tupper Shelagh K. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe determined efficacy of AV‐1011® (a 50% anthraquinone product; Arkion® Life Sciences, New Castle, Delaware) on drill‐planted rice seed to reduce blackbird damage and determine residue levels of anthraquinone (AQ) in rice seeds and seedlings and in the mature rice crop under field enclosures at the University of Missouri‐Delta Center farm near Portageville, Missouri. Red‐winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) damage was higher for untreated than AV‐1011® treated rice seedlings at assessment period 3, 15 days postplanting (F1,141 = 15.81, P < 0.001), and at assessment period 4, 19 days postplanting (F1,136 = 11.54, P = 0.001). Blackbird damage to AV‐1011‐treated seedling for assessment periods 3 and 4 was 8% and 7%, respectively, while blackbird damage to untreated seedlings during the same assessment periods was 52% and 44%. More blackbirds used untreated plots than AV‐1011‐treated plots during assessment periods 2–4 (F1,17.8 = 20.02, P < 0.001). Overall concentrations of AQ on seeds averaged 5,993 µg/g or 0.59% during the test period. Concentrations of AQ in mature rice seed and plant collected at harvest averaged 1.22 µg/g and 0.10 µg/g, respectively. AV‐1011 offers promise for reducing bird depredations to newly planted rice, but additional testing should be conducted to evaluate this repellent in a large‐scale field setting. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Sensitivity‐enhancement methods for surface plasmon sensors
Authors: Shalabney A. , Abdulhalim I. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSurface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors have been a mature technology for more than two decades now, however, recent investigations show continuous enhancement of their sensitivity and their lower detection limit. Together with the recent investigations in localized SPR phenomena, extraordinary optical transmission through nanoapertures in metals, and surface‐enhanced spectroscopies, drastic developments are expected to revolutionize the field of optical biosensing. Sensitivity‐enhancement (SE) techniques are reviewed focusing both on the physical transduction mechanisms and the system performance. In the majority of cases the SE is associated with the enhancement of the electromagnetic field overlap integral describing the interaction energy within the analyte. Other important mechanisms are the interaction between plasmons and excitons and between the analyte molecules and the metal surface. The lower detection limit can be reduced significantly if systems with high signal‐to‐noise ratio are used such as common‐path interferometry, ellipsometry or polarimetry systems.
Ultrafast fiber lasers for strong‐field physics experiments
Authors: Limpert J. , Hädrich S. , Rothhardt J. , Krebs M. , Eidam T. , Schreiber T. , Tünnermann A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe recent demonstration of rare‐earth‐doped fiber lasers with a continuous‐wave output power approaching the 10‐kW level with diffraction‐limited beam quality proves that fiber lasers constitute a scalable solid‐state laser concept in terms of average power. In order to generate high peak power pulses from a fiber several fundamental limitations have to be overcome. This can be achieved by novel experimental strategies and fiber designs that offer an enormous potential towards ultrafast laser systems combining high average powers (> kW) and high peak power (> GW). In this paper the challenges, achievements and perspectives of ultrashort pulse generation and amplification in fibers are reviewed. This kind of laser system will have a tremendous impact on strong‐field physics experiments, such as the generation of coherent light by high‐harmonic generation. So far, applications in the interesting EUV spectral range suffer from the very low photon count leading to nonrelevant integration times with highly sophisticated detection schemes. High repetition rate high average power fiber lasers can potentially solve this issue. First demonstrations of high repetition‐rate strong‐field physics experiments using novel fiber laser systems will be discussed.
Design of Polyphosphazene Hydrogels with Improved Structural Properties by Use of Star‐Shaped Multithiol Crosslinkers
Authors: Potta Thrimoorthy , Chun ChangJu , Song Soo‐Chang 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe feasibility of using a star‐shaped crosslinker to produce a hydrogel with controlled mechanical properties and degradation rates was investigated. The aqueous blends of functional polymers and crosslinkers formed a solution at low temperature and a hydrogel with desired mechanical properties at body temperature. The introduction of star‐shaped crosslinkers affected the microscopic and macroscopic properties of the hydrogel. The fabricated hydrogels could be suitable for many potential biomedical applications because of their injectability, tunable mechanical properties, controlled degradation rate and gel formation under physiological conditions. magnified image
Free Radical Polymerization Kinetics of Vinylsulfonic Acid and Highly Acidic Properties of its Polymer
Authors: Okayasu Teruyuki , Hibino Toshiyasu , Nishide Hiroyuki 
Published: March 2011

AbstractPoly(vinylsulfonic acid) (PVS) possesses a high acid content (ion‐exchange capacity in the chemical formula = 9.2 meq · g−1). Its monomer, vinylsulfonic acid (VSA), had a high acid dissociation ability (Hammett acid function = 0.74 in water), and a high ionic conductivity (0.04–0.11 S · cm−1). The radical polymerization of VSA with various initiators was kinetically investigated. The ESR spectrum of the VSA polymerization mixture showed a strong signal ascribed to the propagation carbon radical of VSA. The molecular weight of PVS increased with the increasing monomer concentration and decreasing radical initiator concentration to yield the PVS with a molecular weight of 4.0 × 104. Proton‐conductivity of PVS under hydrated and nonhumidified conditions was on the order of 10−1 and 10−3–10−6 S · cm−1, respectively. magnified image
Controlled Alternating Copolymerization of (Meth)acrylates and Vinyl Ethers by Using Organoheteroatom‐Mediated Living Radical Polymerization
Authors: Mishima Eri , Yamago Shigeru 
Published: March 2011

AbstractAlternating copolymers comprised of (meth)acrylates and vinyl ethers with controlled molecular weights and polydispersities were synthesized for the first time by living radical polymerization using organotellurium, stibine, and bismuthine chain transfer agents. Combining living alternating copolymerization and living radical or living cationic polymerization afforded hitherto unavailable block copolymers with controlled macromolecular structures. magnified image
Solution‐processible Thieno‐[3,4‐b]‐pyrazine Derivatives with Large Stokes Shifts for Non‐doped Red Light‐emitting Diodes
Authors: Li Qing , Li Jiuyan , Ren Huicai , Duan Yongheng , Gao Zhanxian , Liu Di 
Published: March 2011

AbstractA group of novel thieno‐[3,4‐b]‐pyrazine‐cored molecules containing polyphenyl dendrons with or without arylamino or carbazolyl surface groups (DTP, N‐DTP and C‐DTP) are synthesized and investigated. They are characterized by extra large Stokes shifts of over 250 nm. In addition, to provide the site‐isolation effect on the planar emissive core, the bulky dendrons enable these molecules to be solution processible. The peripheral carbazolyl or arylamino units facilitate the hole transporting ability in the neat films of these molecules. These dendritic materials are used as a non‐doped emitting layer to fabricate organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a spin coating technique and saturated red emission is obtained. The dendritic molecules with arylamino or carbazolyl surface groups (N‐DTP and C‐DTP) exhibit a brightness of 1020 cd m−2 and a luminous efficiency of 0.6 cd A−1, both higher than the dendritic analog without the surface functional groups (DTP), even superior to the small molecular reference compound which fails to transmit pure red emission under identical conditions. This performance is also comparable with that from vacuum deposited thieno‐[3,4‐b]‐pyrazine‐based counterparts and that for some other solution processible red fluorescent dendrimers. This is the first example of solution processible thieno‐[3,4‐b]‐pyrazine derivatives for OLED applications. magnified image