Emergence and Adult Biology of \u3ci\u3eAgrilus Difficilis\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a Pest of Honeylocust, \u3ci\u3eGleditsia Triacanthos\u3c/i\u3e

Emergence and adult biology of Agrilus difficilis were examined in relation to its host Gleditsia triacanthos. began as early as 5 June in 1982 and completed as late as 22 July in 1983. Females lived significantly longer, 48 days, than males, 29 days. Average fecundity was one egg per day during a 36-day oviposition period

Dry bean water use/yield production function to estimate dryland yields in the U.S. Central High Plain

Dry edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) could be used to diversify dryland rotational cropping systems in the U.S. Central High Plains. Dryland production potential of dry bean is undocumented in this region. The objectives of this study were to determine dry bean yield and water use under a range of water availability conditions in order to produce a water use-yield production function and to use that production function in conjunction with long-term precipitation records to estimate average yields and probabilities of attaining given yields. Dry bean was grown over a six-yr period at Akron, CO under a line-source gradient irrigation system to impose a range of water availability conditions. Seed yield was linearly correlated with water use resulting in a production function defined as seed yield (kg ha−1)=8.24 X (water use [mm] - 104). The slope was similar to another seed legume, field pea (Pisum sativum L.). This production function was used with the long-term precipitation record to determine an average dry bean yield of 1192 kg ha−1 (range 359–2514 kg ha−1). These yield estimates were used to create a cumulative probability exceedance graph of yield that can be used to assess production risk as farmers consider the possibility of including dry bean as a component of a dryland crop rotation

Mixed state Pauli channel parameter estimation

The accuracy of any physical scheme used to estimate the parameter describing the strength of a single qubit Pauli channel can be quantified using standard techniques from quantum estimation theory. It is known that the optimal estimation scheme, with m channel invocations, uses initial states for the systems which are pure and unentangled and provides an uncertainty of O[1/m^(1/2)]. This protocol is analogous to a classical repetition and averaging scheme. We consider estimation schemes where the initial states available are not pure and compare a protocol involving quantum correlated states to independent state protocols analogous to classical repetition schemes. We show, that unlike the pure state case, the quantum correlated state protocol can yield greater estimation accuracy than any independent state protocol. We show that these gains persist even when the system states are separable and, in some cases, when quantum discord is absent after channel invocation. We describe the relevance of these protocols to nuclear magnetic resonance measurements

Soil Water Extraction for Several Dryland Crops

Dryland cropping decisions would benefit from information about soil water extraction by various candidate crops. The objectives of this experiment were to: (i) quantify average soil water extraction by depth in the soil profile for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), proso millet (Panicum milliaceum L.) , and dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), and (ii) verify previously published values of drained upper limit (DUL) and lower limit (LL) of water extraction for each crop grown on a silt loam soil in northeastern Colorado. Soil water contents at planting and physiological maturity were measured over a 21-yr period. Average ending soil water was least at all measurement depths for wheat and greatest for millet. The greatest total profile water extraction was seen for wheat (141 mm) and the least for pea (46 mm). Soil water extraction occurred, on average, from the 0- to 180-cm profile for wheat, 0- to 150-cm profile for corn, 0- to 120-cm profile for millet, and 0- to 90-cm profile for pea. When soil water was plentiful at planting and followed by dry growing season conditions, millet extracted soil water from the entire 0- to 180-cm profile. Crop rotational sequences utilizing shallow rooted crops (such as millet and pea) that do not fully extract soil water at lower depths will allow for greater soil water availability to subsequent crops such as wheat and corn that are able to explore the lower soil profile more effectively for soil water

Minimal qudit code for a qubit in the phase-damping channel

Using the stabilizer formalism we construct the minimal code into a D-dimensional Hilbert space (qudit) to protect a qubit against phase damping. The effectiveness of this code is then studied by means of input-output fidelity.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. REVTe

Hilbert's projective metric in quantum information theory

We introduce and apply Hilbert's projective metric in the context of quantum information theory. The metric is induced by convex cones such as the sets of positive, separable or PPT operators. It provides bounds on measures for statistical distinguishability of quantum states and on the decrease of entanglement under LOCC protocols or other cone-preserving operations. The results are formulated in terms of general cones and base norms and lead to contractivity bounds for quantum channels, for instance improving Ruskai's trace-norm contraction inequality. A new duality between distinguishability measures and base norms is provided. For two given pairs of quantum states we show that the contraction of Hilbert's projective metric is necessary and sufficient for the existence of a probabilistic quantum operation that maps one pair onto the other. Inequalities between Hilbert's projective metric and the Chernoff bound, the fidelity and various norms are proven.Comment: 32 pages including 3 appendices and 3 figures; v2: minor changes, published versio

Discrimination of unitary transformations in the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm

We describe a general framework for regarding oracle-assisted quantum algorithms as tools for discriminating between unitary transformations. We apply this to the Deutsch-Jozsa problem and derive all possible quantum algorithms which solve the problem with certainty using oracle unitaries in a particular form. We also use this to show that any quantum algorithm that solves the Deutsch-Jozsa problem starting with a quantum system in a particular class of initial, thermal equilibrium-based states of the type encountered in solution state NMR can only succeed with greater probability than a classical algorithm when the problem size exceeds $n \sim 10^5.$Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

First Records of Established Populations of \u3ci\u3eIxodes scapularis\u3c/i\u3e (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected from Three Nebraska Counties

Reported cases of Lyme disease in Nebraska have been assumed to be imported from other endemic areas. Previous surveillance efforts provided no evidence of established populations as only individual specimens of Ixodes scapularis (Say) had been collected. In the winter of 2018, adult I. scapularis were found on a dog at Two Rivers State Recreation Area, Douglas County, prompting tick collection at the site and nearby natural areas. In May 2019, all life stages of host-seeking I. scapularis were collected using dragging and flagging techniques in sites located near the Platte River in Douglas, Sarpy, and Saunders counties. This is the first documentation of established populations of I. scapularis in Nebraska