Assessing Ongoing Electronic Resource Purchases: Linking Tools to Synchronize Staff Workflows

Ongoing electronic resource purchases represent a substantial proportion of collections budgets. Recognizing the necessity of systematic ongoing assessment with full selector engagement, Columbia University Libraries appointed an Electronic Resources Assessment Working Group to promote the inclusion of such resources within our current culture of assessment. This article describes the Working Group’s implementation of an electronic resource renewal reminder system in Google Calendar, a calendar already in use by selectors for daily scheduling. In discussing this particular solution, this article shows how libraries can link existing systems together to move beyond their limitations and integrate them into existing staff workflows

Probability of Cost-Effective Management of Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in North America

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the most damaging pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the midwestern United States and Canada. We compared three soybean aphid management techniques in three midwestern states (Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota) for a 3-yr period (2005–2007). Management techniques included an untreated control, an insecticidal seed treatment, an insecticide fungicide tank-mix applied at flowering (i.e., a prophylactic treatment), and an integrated pest management (IPM) treatment (i.e., an insecticide applied based on a weekly scouting and an economic threshold). In 2005 and 2007, multiple locations experienced aphid population levels that exceeded the economic threshold, resulting in the application of the IPM treatment. Regardless of the timing of the application, all insecticide treatments reduced aphid populations compared with the untreated, and all treatments protected yield as compared with the untreated. Treatment efficacy and cost data were combined to compute the probability of a positive economic return. The IPM treatment had the highest probability of cost effectiveness, compared with the prophylactic tank-mix of fungicide and insecticide. The probability of surpassing the gain threshold was highest in the IPM treatment, regardless of the scouting cost assigned to the treatment (ranging from $0.00 to$19.76/ha). Our study further confirms that a single insecticide application can enhance the profitability of soybean production at risk of a soybean aphid outbreak if used within an IPM based system

A cool starspot or a second transiting planet in the TrES-1 system?

We investigate the origin of a flux increase found during a transit of TrES-1, observed with the HST. This feature in the HST light curve cannot be attributed to noise and is supposedly a dark area on the stellar surface of the host star eclipsed by TrES-1 during its transit. We investigate the likeliness of two possible hypothesis for its origin: A starspot or a second transiting planet. We made use of several transit observations of TrES-1 from space with the HST and from ground with the IAC-80 telescope. On the basis of these observations we did a statistical study of flux variations in each of the observed events, to investigate if similar flux increases are present in other parts of the data set. The HST observation presents a single clear flux rise during a transit whereas the ground observations led to the detection of two such events but with low significance. In the case of having observed a starspot in the HST data, assuming a central impact between the spot and TrES-1, we would obtain a lower limit for the spot radius of 42000 km. For this radius the spot temperature would be 4690 K, 560 K lower then the stellar surface of 5250 K. For a putative second transiting planet we can set a lower limit for its radius at 0.37 R$_J$ and for periods of less than 10.5 days, we can set an upper limit at 0.72 R$_J$. Assuming a conventional interpretation, then this HST observation constitutes the detection of a starspot. Alternatively, this flux rise might also be caused by an additional transiting planet. The true nature of the origin can be revealed if a wavelength dependency of the flux rise can be shown or discarded with a higher certainty. Additionally, the presence of a second planet can also be detected by radial velocity measurements.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Is it possible to detect planets around young active G and K dwarfs?

Theoretical predictions suggest that the distribution of planets in very young stars could be very different to that typically observed in Gyr old systems that are the current focus of radial velocity surveys. However, the detection of planets around young stars is hampered by the increased stellar activity associated with young stars, the signatures of which can bias the detection of planets. In this paper, we place realistic limitations on the possibilities for detecting planets around young active G and K dwarfs. The models of stellar activity based on tomographic imaging of the G dwarf HD 141943 and the K1 dwarf AB Dor also include contributions from plage and many small random starspots. Our results show that the increased stellar activity levels present on young solar-type stars strongly impacts the detection of Earth-mass and Jupiter-mass planets and that the degree of activity jitter is directly correlated with stellar v sin i. We also show that for G and K dwarfs, the distribution of activity in individual stars is more important than the differences in induced radial velocities as a function of spectral type. We conclude that Jupiter-mass planets can be detected close-in around fast-rotating young active stars, Neptune-mass planets around moderate rotators and that Super-Earths are only detectable around very slowly rotating stars. The effects of an increase in stellar activity jitter by observing younger stars can be compensated for by extending the observational base-line to at least 100 epochs.Peer reviewe

Spatial Distribution of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae): A Summary of the Suction Trap Network

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an economically important pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the United States. Phenological information ofA. glycines is limited; specifically, little is known about factors guiding migrating aphids and potential impacts of long distance flights on local population dynamics. Increasing our understanding of A. glycines population dynamics may improve predictions of A. glycines outbreaks and improve management efforts. In 2005 a suction trap network was established in seven Midwest states to monitor the occurrence of alates. By 2006, this network expanded to 10 states and consisted of 42 traps. The goal of the STN was to monitor movement of A. glycines from their overwintering hostRhamnus spp. to soybean in spring, movement among soybean fields during summer, and emigration from soybean to Rhamnus in fall. The objective of this study was to infer movement patterns ofA. glycines on a regional scale based on trap captures, and determine the suitability of certain statistical methods for future analyses. Overall, alates were not commonly collected in suction traps until June. The most alates were collected during a 3-wk period in the summer (late July to mid-August), followed by the fall, with a peak capture period during the last 2 wk of September. Alate captures were positively correlated with latitude, a pattern consistent with the distribution of Rhamnus in the United States, suggesting that more southern regions are infested by immigrants from the north

COBALT: A GN&C Payload for Testing ALHAT Capabilities in Closed-Loop Terrestrial Rocket Flights

The COBALT (CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technology) payload is being developed within NASA as a risk reduction activity to mature, integrate and test ALHAT (Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology) systems targeted for infusion into near-term robotic and future human space flight missions. The initial COBALT payload instantiation is integrating the third-generation ALHAT Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) sensor, for ultra high-precision velocity plus range measurements, with the passive-optical Lander Vision System (LVS) that provides Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) global-position estimates. The COBALT payload will be integrated onboard a rocket-propulsive terrestrial testbed and will provide precise navigation estimates and guidance planning during two flight test campaigns in 2017 (one open-loop and closed- loop). The NDL is targeting performance capabilities desired for future Mars and Moon Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL). The LVS is already baselined for TRN on the Mars 2020 robotic lander mission. The COBALT platform will provide NASA with a new risk-reduction capability to test integrated EDL Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) components in closed-loop flight demonstrations prior to the actual mission EDL

Surface Geometric and Electronic Structure of BaFe2As2(001)

BaFe2As2 exhibits properties characteristic of the parent compounds of the newly discovered iron (Fe)-based high-TC superconductors. By combining the real space imaging of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S) with momentum space quantitative Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) we have identified the surface plane of cleaved BaFe2As2 crystals as the As terminated Fe-As layer - the plane where superconductivity occurs. LEED and STM/S data on the BaFe2As2(001) surface indicate an ordered arsenic (As) - terminated metallic surface without reconstruction or lattice distortion. It is surprising that the STM images the different Fe-As orbitals associated with the orthorhombic structure, not the As atoms in the surface plane.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Texas Citrus: Orchard Spraying.

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A WFI survey in the Chamaeleon II dark cloud

We present the results of an optical multi-band survey for low-mass Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) stars and young Brown Dwarfs (BDs) in the Chamaeleon II (Cha II) dark cloud. This survey constitutes the complementary optical data to the c2d Spitzer Legacy survey in Cha II. Using the Wide-Field Imager (WFI) at the ESO 2.2m telescope, we surveyed a sky area of about 1.75 square degrees in Cha II. The region was observed in the Rc, Ic and z broad-bands, in H-alpha and in two medium-band filters centered at 856 and 914 nm. We select PMS star and young BD candidates using colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and theoretical isochrones reproduced ad-hoc for the WFI at the ESO2.2m telescope system. The selection criteria are also reinforced by using the previously known PMS stars in Cha II to define the PMS locus on the CMDs and by investigating the infrared (IR) colours of the candidates. By exploiting the WFI intermediate-band photometry we also estimate the effective temperature and the level of H-alpha emission of the candidates. Our survey, which is one of the largest and deepest optical surveys conducted so far in Cha II, recovered the majority of the PMS stars and 10 member candidates of the cloud from previous IR surveys. In addition, the survey revealed 10 new potential members. From our photometric characterisation, we estimate that some 50% of the 20 candidates will result in true Cha II members. Based on our temperature estimates, we conclude that several of these objects are expected to be sub-stellar and give a first estimate of the fraction of sub-stellar objects.Comment: 26 pages, 18 figure

Energy Analysis and Energy Conservation Options for the Addition to Records Storage Building

The energy use and peak load requirements of the addition to Records Storage Building in Austin, Texas were analyzed using the DOE 2.1B building energy simulation program. An analysis was made for the building as specified in schematic designs and primary drawings. To reduce the solar heat gain of the building through the windows and skylights, a glass with high reflectivity and low overall heat transfer coefficient was used to study the reduction of glass conduction and glass solar loads. Other options which were studied included increasing the wall and roof insulation,- reducing the light level, temperature setback, and implementing the proposed ASHRAE standards. Finally, the energy consumption of the building was compared with the energy consumption of the building with solar film and other options which conformed to the proposed ASHRAE energy standard