Convergent structure of multitrophic communities over three continents

Ecological theory predicts that communities using the same resources should have similar structure, but evolutionary constraints on colonization and niche shifts may hamper such convergence. Multitrophic communities of wasps exploiting fig fruits, which first evolved about 75MYA, do not show long-term “inheritance” of taxonomic (lineage) composition or species diversity. However, communities on three continents have converged ecologically in the presence and relative abundance of five insect guilds that we define. Some taxa fill the same niches in each community (phylogenetic niche conservatism). However, we show that overall convergence in ecological community structure depends also on a combination of niche shifts by resident lineages and local colonizations of figs by other insect lineages. Our study explores new ground, and develops new heuristic tools, in combining ecology and phylogeny to address patterns in the complex multitrophic communities of insect on plants, which comprise a large part of terrestrial biodiversity

Book Reviews

Book Review 1Book Title: Sociobiology and Conflict. Evolutionary perspectives on competition, cooperation, violence and warfareBook Authors: Edited by J. van der Dennen & V. Falger Published by Chapman and Hall, LondonBook Review 2Book Title: Namib EcologyBook Author: Edited by M.K. SeelyTransvaal Museum Monograph No.7, 1990.Book Review 3Book Title: Bird MigrationBook Author: T. Alerstam Cambridge University Press, 1990. 420 pages ISBN 0521 328 659.Book Review 4Book Title: Parasitism and Host BehaviourBook Authors: Edited by C.J. Barnard & J.M. BehnkePublished by Taylor & Francis Ltd, London.Book Review 5Book Title: The Mammals of the Southern African SubregionBook Authors: J.D. Skinner & the late R.H.N. Smithers Published by the University of Pretoria, 1990

Book Reviews

Book Review 1Book Title: The Physiology of ReproductionBook Authors: Editors-in-Chief: E. Knobil, & J.D. KneillRaven Press, 1988. 2633 pagesBook Review 2Book Title: Long-term Studies in Ecology: Approaches and AlternativesBook Author: Gene E. LikensSpringer-Verlag, New York, 1988. 214 pages, 27 figures. ISBN 3-540-96743-5.Book Review 3Book Title: Oceans of Life off Southern AfricaBook Authors: Edited by Andrew I.L. Payne & Robert J.M. Crawford and illustrated by Anthony P. van DalsenVlaeberg Publishers, Cape Town, 1989. 300 pp., numerous figures, tables and photographs.Book Review 4Book Title: Biotic Diversity in Southern Africa: Concepts and ConservationBook Author: Edited by B.J. HuntleyOxford University Press, Cape Town, 1989. 380 pages, hardback edition.Book Review 5Book Title: Ecosystems of the World 14B, Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems: Biogeographical and Ecological StudiesBook Authors: Edited by H. Leith & M.J.A. WergerElsevier, 1989

A new species of Ormyrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Ormyridae) developing in figs of Ficus microcarpa in Europe

Known by many names, the Chinese banyan (Ficus microcarpa L.) is a monoecious plant species originating from south-eastern Asia which has been introduced as an ornamental in numerous areas outside its native range, including the Mediterranean. Like every species of Ficus, it is associated with a series of chalcid wasp species, known as fig wasps. These species are distributed in the families Agaonidae, Epichrysomallidae, Eurytomidae, Ormyridae and Pteromalidae. In this publication, we describe a new species of Ormyrus Westwood, 1832 (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Ormyridae), O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov., reared from figs of F. microcarpa collected from Greece and Cyprus. The new species is compared with O. lini and O. watshami. This species is likely to be a parasitoid of Meselatus bicolor Chen, 1999 (Hymenoptera, Epichrysomallidae). In addition, the previously unknown female of O. lini is also described and illustrated. This publication constitutes the first report of species of Ormyrus associated with figs in Europe

Book Reviews

Book Review 1Book Title: Pheromones of Social BeesBook Author: John B. FreeChapman & Hall, 1987. 218 pp.Book Review 2Book Title: Insects - PlantsBook Authors: V. Labeyrie et alDr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, 1987. 459 pp.Book Review 3Book Title: The Ecology of Woodland Rodents: Bank voles and wood miceBook Authors: Edited by J.R. Flowerdew, J. Gurnell & J.H.W GippsThe Zoological Society of London. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1985. 418 pp.Book Review 4Book Title: Visual behavior in salamandersBook Author: Gerhard RothSpringer-Verlag, Berlin, 1987. 301 pp.Book Review 5Book Title: Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of MarsupialsBook Author: Ian D. HumeMonographs on Marsupial Biology. Cambridge University Press, 1982. 256 pp.Book Review 6Book Title: Neurobiology and Behavior of HoneybeesBook Authors: Edited by Randolf Menzel & Alison MercerSpringer-Verlag, 1987.334 pp.Book Review 7Book Title: Ecology and Productivity of an African Wetland SystemBook Author: G.A. EllenbroekDr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, 1987. 267 pagesBook Review 8Book Title: Biological Surveys of Estuaries and Coasts Estuarine and Brackish Water Sciences Association HandbookBook Authors: Edited by J.M. Baker & W.J. WolffCambridge University Press, 1987. 449 pp.Book Review 9Book Title: Caste Differentiation in Social InsectsBook Authors: Edited by J.A.L. Watson, S.M. Okot-Kotber & C.H. NoirotPergamon Press, Oxford, 1985. 399 pp.Book Review 10Book Title: Sistematica, filogenia y biogeografia de la subfamilia Gibbiinae (Coleoptera, Ptinidae)Book Author: Xavier BellésTreballs del Museu de Zoologia, 1985, No.3, Barcelona. 94 pp.Book Review 11Book Title: A Biologist's Advanced MathematicsBook Author: D.R. CaustonAllen & Unwin, London 326 pp.Book Review 12 Book Title: Reproduction in Mammals: 5 Manipulating reproductionBook Authors: Edited by C.R. Austin & R.V. ShortCambridge University Press, London, New York, New Rochelle, Melbourne, Sydney. 235 pp.Book Review 13Book Title: Vertebrate Fetal MembranesBook Author: Harland W. MossmanMacmillan press, 1987. 383 pp.Book Review 14Book Title: Avian Physiology (Fourth edition)Book Author: Edited by P.O. SturkieSpringer-Verlag, New York, 1986. 516 pp

Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by Fermi and Swift during the LIGO-Virgo Run O3b

We search for gravitational-wave signals associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi and Swift satellites during the second half of the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (2019 November 1 15:00 UTC-2020 March 27 17:00 UTC). We conduct two independent searches: A generic gravitational-wave transients search to analyze 86 GRBs and an analysis to target binary mergers with at least one neutron star as short GRB progenitors for 17 events. We find no significant evidence for gravitational-wave signals associated with any of these GRBs. A weighted binomial test of the combined results finds no evidence for subthreshold gravitational-wave signals associated with this GRB ensemble either. We use several source types and signal morphologies during the searches, resulting in lower bounds on the estimated distance to each GRB. Finally, we constrain the population of low-luminosity short GRBs using results from the first to the third observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The resulting population is in accordance with the local binary neutron star merger rate. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society

Narrowband Searches for Continuous and Long-duration Transient Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars in the LIGO-Virgo Third Observing Run

Isolated neutron stars that are asymmetric with respect to their spin axis are possible sources of detectable continuous gravitational waves. This paper presents a fully coherent search for such signals from eighteen pulsars in data from LIGO and Virgo's third observing run (O3). For known pulsars, efficient and sensitive matched-filter searches can be carried out if one assumes the gravitational radiation is phase-locked to the electromagnetic emission. In the search presented here, we relax this assumption and allow both the frequency and the time derivative of the frequency of the gravitational waves to vary in a small range around those inferred from electromagnetic observations. We find no evidence for continuous gravitational waves, and set upper limits on the strain amplitude for each target. These limits are more constraining for seven of the targets than the spin-down limit defined by ascribing all rotational energy loss to gravitational radiation. In an additional search, we look in O3 data for long-duration (hours-months) transient gravitational waves in the aftermath of pulsar glitches for six targets with a total of nine glitches. We report two marginal outliers from this search, but find no clear evidence for such emission either. The resulting duration-dependent strain upper limits do not surpass indirect energy constraints for any of these targets. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of binary black hole coalescences confidently observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include the effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that have already been identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total source-frame mass M > 70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz emitted gravitational-wave frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place a conservative upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0 < e ≤ 0.3 at 16.9 Gpc−3 yr−1 at the 90% confidence level

Search for gravitational-wave transients associated with magnetar bursts in advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo data from the third observing run

Gravitational waves are expected to be produced from neutron star oscillations associated with magnetar giant f lares and short bursts. We present the results of a search for short-duration (milliseconds to seconds) and longduration (∼100 s) transient gravitational waves from 13 magnetar short bursts observed during Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo, and KAGRA’s third observation run. These 13 bursts come from two magnetars, SGR1935 +2154 and SwiftJ1818.0−1607. We also include three other electromagnetic burst events detected by FermiGBM which were identified as likely coming from one or more magnetars, but they have no association with a known magnetar. No magnetar giant flares were detected during the analysis period. We find no evidence of gravitational waves associated with any of these 16 bursts. We place upper limits on the rms of the integrated incident gravitational-wave strain that reach 3.6 × 10−²³ Hz at 100 Hz for the short-duration search and 1.1 ×10−²² Hz at 450 Hz for the long-duration search. For a ringdown signal at 1590 Hz targeted by the short-duration search the limit is set to 2.3 × 10−²² Hz. Using the estimated distance to each magnetar, we derive upper limits upper limits on the emitted gravitational-wave energy of 1.5 × 1044 erg (1.0 × 1044 erg) for SGR 1935+2154 and 9.4 × 10^43 erg (1.3 × 1044 erg) for Swift J1818.0−1607, for the short-duration (long-duration) search. Assuming isotropic emission of electromagnetic radiation of the burst fluences, we constrain the ratio of gravitational-wave energy to electromagnetic energy for bursts from SGR 1935+2154 with the available fluence information. The lowest of these ratios is 4.5 × 103