34,991 research outputs found
EFFECT OF RACCOON (PROCYON LOTOR) REDUCTION ON BLANDINGâS TURTLE (EMYDOIDEA BLANDINGII) NEST SUCCESS
The Lake County Forest Preserve District has monitored a state-endangered Blandingâs Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) population at two adjoining nature preserves along the IllinoisâWisconsin border since 2004. Prior to predator management, 92.3% of documented and unprotected natural Blandingâs Turtle nests (12 of 13) and 88% of monitored artificial nests have been at least partially depredated. The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of subsidized Raccoon (Procyon lotor) removal efforts in increasing the nest success of Blandingâs Turtles. During AprilâMay 2013 and 2014, we captured and euthanized 78 Raccoons from our 2 km2 study area. We estimated pre-removal abundance estimates using the Leslie depletion method; it appeared that we removed 83â89% of the Raccoons from the study area each year and pre-removal density estimates were 37.5% lower in 2014 than 2013. During the study period, we monitored 22 Blandingâs Turtle in situ unprotected nests. In 2013, one of seven (14%) Blandingâs Turtle nests was partially depredated and no nests were completely depredated, indicative of a successful impact of Raccoon removal on Blandingâs Turtle nest success. However in 2014, nine of 15 (60%) Blandingâs Turtle nests were depredated. Our results provide some evidence that removal of Raccoons may have increased Blandingâs Turtle nest success but other factors, such as a functional response of surviving Raccoons or depredation by other subsidized predators may be contributing to decreased nest success
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Generalised additive dependency inflated models including aggregated covariates
Let us assume that X, Y and U are observed and that the conditional mean of U given X and Y can be expressed via an additive dependency of X, λ(X)Y and X + Y for some unspecified function . This structured regression model can be transferred to a hazard model or a density model when applied on some appropriate grid, and has important forecasting applications via structured marker dependent hazards models or structured density models including age-period-cohort relationships. The structured regression model is also important when the severity of the dependent variable has a complicated dependency on waiting times X, Y and the total waiting time X+Y . In case the conditional mean of U approximates a density, the regression model can be used to analyse the age-period-cohort model, also when exposure data are not available. In case the conditional mean of U approximates a marker dependent hazard, the regression model introduces new relevant age-period-cohort time scale interdependencies in understanding longevity. A direct use of the regression relationship introduced in this paper is the estimation of the severity of outstanding liabilities in non-life insurance companies. The technical approach taken is to use B-splines to capture the underlying one-dimensional unspecified functions. It is shown via finite sample simulation studies and an application for forecasting future asbestos related deaths in the UK that the B-spline approach works well in practice. Special consideration has been given to ensure identifiability of all models considered
Entanglement versus mixedness for coupled qubits under a phase damping channel
Quantification of entanglement against mixing is given for a system of
coupled qubits under a phase damping channel. A family of pure initial joint
states is defined, ranging from pure separable states to maximally entangled
state. An ordering of entanglement measures is given for well defined initial
state amount of entanglement.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. Replaced with final published versio
Analysis of a convenient information bound for general quantum channels
Open questions from Sarovar and Milburn (2006 J.Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 8487)
are answered. Sarovar and Milburn derived a convenient upper bound for the
Fisher information of a one-parameter quantum channel. They showed that for
quasi-classical models their bound is achievable and they gave a necessary and
sufficient condition for positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) attaining
this bound. They asked (i) whether their bound is attainable more generally,
(ii) whether explicit expressions for optimal POVMs can be derived from the
attainability condition. We show that the symmetric logarithmic derivative
(SLD) quantum information is less than or equal to the SM bound, i.e.\
and we find conditions for equality. As
the Fisher information is less than or equal to the SLD quantum information,
i.e. , we can deduce when equality holds in
. Equality does not hold for all
channels. As a consequence, the attainability condition cannot be used to test
for optimal POVMs for all channels. These results are extended to
multi-parameter channels.Comment: 16 pages. Published version. Some of the lemmas have been corrected.
New resuts have been added. Proofs are more rigorou
Directly estimating non-classicality
We establish a method of directly measuring and estimating non-classicality -
operationally defined in terms of the distinguishability of a given state from
one with a positive Wigner function. It allows to certify non-classicality,
based on possibly much fewer measurement settings than necessary for obtaining
complete tomographic knowledge, and is at the same time equipped with a full
certificate. We find that even from measuring two conjugate variables alone,
one may infer the non-classicality of quantum mechanical modes. This method
also provides a practical tool to eventually certify such features in
mechanical degrees of freedom in opto-mechanics. The proof of the result is
based on Bochner's theorem characterizing classical and quantum characteristic
functions and on semi-definite programming. In this joint
theoretical-experimental work we present data from experimental optical Fock
state preparation, demonstrating the functioning of the approach.Comment: 4+1 pages, 2 figures, minor change
Error correction in ensemble registers for quantum repeaters and quantum computers
We propose to use a collective excitation blockade mechanism to identify
errors that occur due to disturbances of single atoms in ensemble quantum
registers where qubits are stored in the collective population of different
internal atomic states. A simple error correction procedure and a simple
decoherence-free encoding of ensemble qubits in the hyperfine states of alkali
atoms are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Study of the system using QCD sum rules
In this talk I present a study of the system made by using the
method of QCD sum rules. Considering isospin and spin projectors, we
investigate the different configurations and obtain three mesons with
isospin , spin , , and with masses MeV,
MeV, and MeV, respectively. The last state can be
related to (spin 2) listed by the Particle Data Group, while one
of the first two might be associated with , whose spin-parity is
unknown. In the case of we also find evidences of three states with
spin 0, 1 and 2, respectively, with masses MeV, MeV,
and MeV.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the XXXVI Reuni\~ao de Trabalho
sobre F\'isica Nuclear no Brasil, Maresias, S\~ao Paulo, Brazi
Quantum state engineering, purification, and number resolved photon detection with high finesse optical cavities
We propose and analyze a multi-functional setup consisting of high finesse
optical cavities, beam splitters, and phase shifters. The basic scheme projects
arbitrary photonic two-mode input states onto the subspace spanned by the
product of Fock states |n>|n> with n=0,1,2,.... This protocol does not only
provide the possibility to conditionally generate highly entangled photon
number states as resource for quantum information protocols but also allows one
to test and hence purify this type of quantum states in a communication
scenario, which is of great practical importance. The scheme is especially
attractive as a generalization to many modes allows for distribution and
purification of entanglement in networks. In an alternative working mode, the
setup allows of quantum non demolition number resolved photodetection in the
optical domain.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
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