Sub‐Antarctic Magellanic Ornithology. The First Decade of Bird Studies at Omora Ethnobotanical Park, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve

No abstract

Towards spin injection from silicon into topological insulators: Schottky barrier between Si and Bi2Se3

A scheme is proposed to electrically measure the spin-momentum coupling in the topological insulator surface state by injection of spin polarized electrons from silicon. As a first approach, devices were fabricated consisting of thin (<100nm) exfoliated crystals of Bi2Se3 on n-type silicon with independent electrical contacts to silicon and Bi2Se3. Analysis of the temperature dependence of thermionic emission in reverse bias indicates a barrier height of 0.34 eV at the Si-Bi2Se3 interface. This robust Schottky barrier opens the possibility of novel device designs based on sub-band gap internal photoemission from Bi2Se3 into Si

Tuning the proximity effect in a superconductor-graphene-superconductor junction

We have tuned in situ the proximity effect in a single graphene layer coupled to two Pt/Ta superconducting electrodes. An annealing current through the device changed the transmission coefficient of the electrode/graphene interface, increasing the probability of multiple Andreev reflections. Repeated annealing steps improved the contact sufficiently for a Josephson current to be induced in graphene.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

NOTEWORTHY BIRD RECORDS IN SONTECOMAPAN, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Registramos observaciones sobresalientes de aves en el sur del estado de Veracruz. Se reporta la tercera localidad donde se ha registrado la polluela pechigris (Laterallu sexilis) para el país, el primer registro para el estado del rascón cuello rufo (Aramides axillaris), el segundo registro de colimbo mayor (Gavia immer) para el sur del estado, así como el registro de una pareja de hocofaisanes (Crax rubra) en el área de manglar de Sontecomapan

Triple-Star Candidates Among the Kepler Binaries

We present the results of a search through the photometric database of eclipsing Kepler binaries (Prsa et al. 2011; Slawson et al. 2011) looking for evidence of hierarchical triple star systems. The presence of a third star orbiting the binary can be inferred from eclipse timing variations. We apply a simple algorithm in an automated determination of the eclipse times for all 2157 binaries. The "calculated" eclipse times, based on a constant period model, are subtracted from those observed. The resulting O-C (observed minus calculated times) curves are then visually inspected for periodicities in order to find triple-star candidates. After eliminating false positives due to the beat frequency between the ~1/2-hour Kepler cadence and the binary period, 39 candidate triple systems were identified. The periodic O-C curves for these candidates were then fit for contributions from both the classical Roemer delay and so-called "physical" delay, in an attempt to extract a number of the system parameters of the triple. We discuss the limitations of the information that can be inferred from these O-C curves without further supplemental input, e.g., ground-based spectroscopy. Based on the limited range of orbital periods for the triple star systems to which this search is sensitive, we can extrapolate to estimate that at least 20% of all close binaries have tertiary companions.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables; ApJ, 2013, 768, 33; corrected Fig. 7, updated references, minor fixes to tex

The value of travel time: random utility versus random valuation

This paper identifies, relates and compares two popular modelling approaches to estimate the value of travel time changes. The first (random utility [RU]) assumes that the random component of the model relates to the difference between the utilities of travel options; the second (random valuation [RV]) assumes that it relates to the difference between the value of travel time and a suggested valuation threshold. This paper gives details of the theoretical relationship between the two approaches and compares them empirically at several levels of model sophistication. Datasets from two national studies (the UK and Denmark) are employed. The results show a consistent superiority of the RV approach and a systematic gap in the value of travel time between approaches. A similar pattern across models is found in both countries. This raises questions about the validity of results using the RU approach. The analysis has direct implications for both researchers and policy-makers

Evolution of the largest mammalian genome

The genome of the red vizcacha rat (Rodentia, Octodontidae, Tympanoctomys barrerae) is the largest of all mammals, and about double the size of their close relative, the mountain vizcacha rat Octomys mimax, even though the lineages that gave rise to these species diverged from each other only about five million years ago. The mechanism for this rapid genome expansion is controversial, and hypothesized to be a consequence of whole genome duplication or accumulation of repetitive elements. To test these alternative but nonexclusive hypotheses, we gathered and evaluated evidence from whole transcriptome and whole genome sequences of T. barrerae and O. mimax. We recovered support for genome expansion due to accumulation of a diverse assemblage of repetitive elements, which represent about one half and one fifth of the genomes of T. barrarae and O. mimax, respectively, but we found no strong signal of whole genome duplication. In both species, repetitive sequences were rare in transcribed regions as compared to the rest of the genome, and mostly had no close match to annotated repetitive sequences from other rodents. These findings raise new questions about the genomic dynamics of these repetitive elements, their connection to widespread chromosomal fissions that occurred in the T. barrerae ancestor, and their fitness effects ? including during the evolution of hypersaline dietary tolerance in T. barrerae.Fil: Evans, Ben J.. Mc Master University; CanadáFil: Upham, Nathan S.. Mc Master University; Canadá. Field Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Golding, G. Brian. Mc Master University; CanadáFil: Ojeda, Ricardo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Ojeda, Agustina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentin