Control of the Apple Clearwing Moth, Synanthedon myopaeformis, with Tree-Trunk Applications of Reduced-risk Insecticides, Nematodes and Barriers

Apple clearwing moth (ACM), Synanthedonmyopaeformis Borkhausen (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), wasdiscovered in an apple orchard in Cawston, British Columbia in 2005.  This xylophagous, invasive Europeanspecies has become a serious problem in high-density apple orchards wheresize-controlling rootstocks are attacked by the wood-boring larvae.  Seven screening trials with reduced-riskinsecticides for conventional (seven treatments) and organic apple production (threetreatments) were established in two commercial high-density mixed-variety appleplantings in Cawston.  Our objectiveswere (1) to screen several new synthetic insecticides having novel chemistriesthat purportedly have reduced risks, (2) to evaluate use of several organically-approvedspray materials, including nematodes, and (3) to compare the efficacy ofvarious products when applied at different times during the growing season.  Single, hand-gun sprays delivering treatmentsin 2000 L of water ha-1 at 200 psi were applied as curative sprays targeting mature larvae inrootstock-scion graft unions in May and October 2008, and June 2009.  Among seven treatments tested, only theinsect growth regulator, Rimon® 10 EC (10% novaluron), at 2.4 L a.i.ha-1, caused significant reductions in adult emergence compared withuntreated controls in all experiments.  Whenapplied twice as preventativetreatments during flight of male ACM in 2008, Altacor®, Belt®,Delegate™ and Rimon all caused significant reductions in adult emergence thefollowing year; Rimon caused the greatest reduction (-96.4%).  In a similar 2009 trial only Rimon reducedpopulations the following year.  One curative or two preventative applications of the organic materials, Entrust®,Crocker’s Fish Oil®, or Purespray Green Oil™, at anyspray timing, did not control ACM.  The nematode,Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) (1×105infective juvenile nematodes / 100 ml of water / tree) provided significant controlof ACM in one spring 2008 trial.  In two 2009nematode-only experiments, a sawdust paste tree-trunk barrier applied over nematodeapplications made either in May or August, caused significant reductions in emergenceof ACM adults.  Curative tree-trunk spraysof Rimon 10 EC at the tested rate are recommended for control of ACM inconventional apple orchards.  There is noeffective organic control for ACM at this time, but tree-trunk barriers andnematodes may warrant further study

A search for the decay B+→K+ννˉB^+ \to K^+ \nu \bar{\nu}

We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral-current decay $B^+ \to K^+ \nu \bar{\nu}$ in a data sample of 82 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the {\sl BABAR} detector at the PEP-II B-factory. Signal events are selected by examining the properties of the system recoiling against either a reconstructed hadronic or semileptonic charged-B decay. Using these two independent samples we obtain a combined limit of ${\mathcal B}(B^+ \to K^+ \nu \bar{\nu})<5.2 \times 10^{-5}$ at the 90% confidence level. In addition, by selecting for pions rather than kaons, we obtain a limit of ${\mathcal B}(B^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar{\nu})<1.0 \times 10^{-4}$ using only the hadronic B reconstruction method.Comment: 7 pages, 8 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

High-reflectivity broadband distributed Bragg reflector lattice matched to ZnTe

We report on the realization of a high quality distributed Bragg reflector with both high and low refractive index layers lattice matched to ZnTe. Our structure is grown by molecular beam epitaxy and is based on binary compounds only. The high refractive index layer is made of ZnTe, while the low index material is made of a short period triple superlattice containing MgSe, MgTe, and ZnTe. The high refractive index step of Delta_n=0.5 in the structure results in a broad stopband and the reflectivity coefficient exceeding 99% for only 15 Bragg pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

EuFe2_2As2_2 under high pressure: an antiferromagnetic bulk superconductor

We report the ac magnetic susceptibility $\chi_{ac}$ and resistivity $\rho$ measurements of EuFe$_2$As$_2$ under high pressure $P$. By observing nearly 100% superconducting shielding and zero resistivity at $P$ = 28 kbar, we establish that $P$-induced superconductivity occurs at $T_c \sim$~30 K in EuFe$_2$As$_2$. $\rho$ shows an anomalous nearly linear temperature dependence from room temperature down to $T_c$ at the same $P$. $\chi_{ac}$ indicates that an antiferromagnetic order of Eu$^{2+}$ moments with $T_N \sim$~20 K persists in the superconducting phase. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field is also determined.Comment: To appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., Vol. 78 No.

Improved measurement of CP asymmetries in B-0 ->(c(c)over-bar)K0((*)) decays

We present results on time-dependent CP asymmetries in neutral B decays to several CP eigenstates. The measurements use a data sample of about 227x10(6) Upsilon(4S)-> B (B) over bar decays collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. The amplitude of the CPasymmetry, sin2 beta in the standard model, is derived from decay-time distributions from events in which one neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in a final state containing a charmonium meson and the other B meson is determined to be either a B-0 or (0) from its decay products. We measure sin2 beta=0.722 +/- 0.040(stat)+/- 0.023(syst) in agreement with the standard model expectation

Measurement of the electron energy spectrum and its moments in inclusive B -> Xe nu decays

We report a measurement of the inclusive electron energy spectrum for semileptonic decays of B mesons in a data sample of 52 million Y(4S)-->B(B) over bar decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B-meson factory at SLAC. We determine the branching fraction, first, second, and third moments of the spectrum for lower cutoffs on the electron energy between 0.6 and 1.5 GeV. We measure the partial branching fraction to be B(B-->Xenu,E-e>0.6 GeV)=[10.36+/-0.06(stat.)+/-0.23(sys.)]%