Spectro-Thermometry of M dwarfs and their candidate planets: too hot, too cool, or just right?

We use moderate-resolution spectra of nearby late K and M dwarf stars with parallaxes and interferometrically determined radii to refine their effective temperatures, luminosities, and metallicities. We use these revised values to calibrate spectroscopic techniques to infer the fundamental parameters of more distant late-type dwarf stars. We demonstrate that, after masking out poorly modeled regions, the newest version of the PHOENIX atmosphere models accurately reproduce temperatures derived bolometrically. We apply methods to late-type hosts of transiting planet candidates in the Kepler field, and calculate effective temperature, radius, mass, and luminosity with typical errors of 57 K, 7%, 11%, and 13%, respectively. We find systematic offsets between our values and those from previous analyses of the same stars, which we attribute to differences in atmospheric models utilized for each study. We investigate which of the planets in this sample are likely to orbit in the circumstellar habitable zone. We determine that four candidate planets (KOI 854.01, 1298.02, 1686.01, and 2992.01) are inside of or within 1-sigma of a conservative definition of the habitable zone, but that several planets identified by previous analyses are not (e.g. KOI 1422.02 and KOI 2626.01). Only one of the four habitable-zone planets is Earth sized, suggesting a downward revision in the occurrence of such planets around M dwarfs. These findings highlight the importance of measuring accurate stellar parameters when deriving parameters of their orbiting planets.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, accepted to ApJ. Added requisite significant Figures to Equations 6-8. Fixed a formatting error in the machine readable tables. All spectra now downloadable from http://www.as.utexas.edu/~amann/files/th_spec

The Feasibility of Counting Songbirds Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Obtaining unbiased survey data for vocal bird species is inherently challenging due to observer biases, habitat coverage biases, and logistical constraints. We propose that combining bioacoustic monitoring with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology could reduce some of these biases and allow bird surveys to be conducted in less accessible areas. We tested the feasibility of the UAV approach to songbird surveys using a low-cost quadcopter with a simple, lightweight recorder suspended 8 m below the vehicle. In a field experiment using playback of bird recordings, we found that small variations in UAV altitude (it hovered at 28, 48, and 68 m) didn\u27t have a significant effect on detections by the recorder attached to the UAV, and we found that the detection radius of our equipment was comparable with detection radii of standard point counts. We then field tested our equipment, comparing songbird detections from our UAV-mounted recorder with standard point-count data from 51 count stations. We found that the number of birds per point on UAV counts was comparable with standard counts for most species, but there were significant underestimates for some—specifically, issues of song masking for a species with a low-frequency song, the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura); and underestimation of the abundance of a species that was found in very high densities, the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). Species richness was lower on UAV counts (mean = 5.6 species point−1) than on standard counts (8.3 species point−1), but only slightly lower than on standard counts if nonaudible detections are omitted (6.5 species point−1). Excessive UAV noise is a major hurdle to using UAVs for bioacoustic monitoring, but we are optimistic that technological innovations to reduce motor and rotor noise will significantly reduce this issue. We conclude that UAV-based bioacoustic monitoring holds great promise, and we urge other researchers to consider further experimentation to refine techniques

DataDay!: Designing and Assessing a Research Data Workshop for Subject Librarians

BACKGROUND Many libraries have launched or adapted services to address the research data needs of campus faculty and students. At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder), local demand for research data training emerged from a broader assessment of training needs for subject librarians. The findings from this assessment led to the development of a day-long workshop called DataDay! that aimed to expand and translate the skills of subject librarians into the context of research data support. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM The DataDay! workshop incorporated hands-on exercises with expert presentations, informal discussions, and print handouts. The workshop allowed participants to gain experience with activities like working with real data sets and developing materials for outreach about research data services. Several instruments were used to assess the workshop learning outcomes, which included changes in knowledge and comfort levels related to engaging in research data support. Assessment activities also measured how well participants applied concepts taught in the workshop to novel situations. NEXT STEPS Future research data training efforts for CU-Boulder librarians will be informed by the DataDay! workshop assessment results, and this workshop may provide a model for other institutions to use to train subject librarians to adapt to new roles in support of research data. There is also a need for the lessons learned from local training efforts like DataDay! to inform the development of resources to support the broader subject librarian community as their institutions launch and grow research data services

Online Mapping Tools for Geolocating Amish Settlements

This technical note demonstrates the value of using online mapping tools as a method of geolocating Amish settlements. Primarily using freely available Bing and Google maps and published lists of the addresses of Amish ministers, we geolocated 1,362 Amish households in Ohio and 1,203 in Pennsylvania, representing about 10% of Amish households in those states. From these data we were able to derive a population density map of the Amish across Ohio and Pennsylvania. We caution that our map is merely a model and based on several assumptions, but the product is a finer resolution map of Amish distribution than has previously been published. We add that the locations of Amish schools provide another promising avenue for geolocation of Amish settlements, but we were not able to locate sufficiently comprehensive lists to include them in our analysis

Assessing scholarly communication and research data training needs

Purpose – This study aims to develop a systematic approach for assessing local training needs in order to reskill liaison librarians for new roles in scholarly communication and research data management. Design/methodology/approach – This study followed a training needs assessment approach to develop a survey instrument that was administered electronically to liaison librarians. Survey data were analysed to create an overall prioritization score used to rank local training topics in terms of need. Additional data will inform the design, including formats, of a training agenda to meet these needs. Findings – Survey results indicated that training for research data topics should be prioritized and addressed using hands-on methods that would allow liaison librarians to develop tangible skills directly applicable to individual outreach activities. Research limitations/implications – Training priorities often involve factors beyond the scope of this training needs assessment methodology. This methodology also presupposes a list of potential training topics. All training efforts resulting from this study will be assessed in order to determine the effectiveness of the initial interventions and inform the next steps in this iterative training agenda. Practical implications – Involving potential trainees in the prioritization and development of a training agenda provides valuable information and may lead to increased receptivity to training. Originality/value – This study provides a model for academic libraries to use to assess training needs in order to reskill current staff to adapt to a rapidly changing research and scholarly communication landscape