Freezing line of the Lennard-Jones fluid: a Phase Switch Monte Carlo study

We report a Phase Switch Monte Carlo (PSMC) method study of the freezing line of the Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid. Our work generalizes to soft potentials the original application of the method to hard sphere freezing, and builds on a previous PSMC study of the LJ system by Errington (J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 120}, 3130 (2004)). The latter work is extended by tracing a large section of the Lennard-Jones freezing curve, the results for which we compare to a previous Gibbs-Duhem integration study. Additionally we provide new background regarding the statistical mechanical basis of the PSMC method and extensive implementation details.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Global priorities for conservation across multiple dimensions of mammalian diversity

Conservation priorities that are based on species distribution, endemism, and vulnerability may underrepresent biologically unique species as well as their functional roles and evolutionary histories. To ensure that priorities are biologically comprehensive, multiple dimensions of diversity must be considered. Further, understanding how the different dimensions relate to one another spatially is important for conservation prioritization, but the relationship remains poorly understood. Here, we use spatial conservation planning to (i) identify and compare priority regions for global mammal conservation across three key dimensions of biodiversity-taxonomic, phylogenetic, and traits-and (ii) determine the overlap of these regions with the locations of threatened species and existing protected areas. We show that priority areas for mammal conservation exhibit low overlap across the three dimensions, highlighting the need for an integrative approach for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, currently protected areas poorly represent the three dimensions of mammalian biodiversity. We identify areas of high conservation priority among and across the dimensions that should receive special attention for expanding the global protected area network. These high-priority areas, combined with areas of high priority for other taxonomic groups and with social, economic, and political considerations, provide a biological foundation for future conservation planning efforts

Involving the public in health research in Latin America: making the case for mental health

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) has been increasingly encouraged in health services and research over the last two decades. Particularly strong evidence has been presented with regard to the impact PPIE has in certain research areas, such as mental health. Involving the public in mental health research has the potential to improve the quality of research and reduce the power imbalance between researchers and participants. However, limitations can be frequent and include tokenistic involvement and lack of infrastructure and support. Nevertheless, PPIE has the potential to impact mental health research in the Latin American context, where existing policies already support public involvement in health research and where the burden of mental disorders is significant. There are many lessons to learn from the evidence of PPIE in other regions. Latin America now has the opportunity tackle one of today’s most important issues: effective health care service delivery for all, based on evidence from comprehensive health research. Health research policy; community-based participatory research; mental health; Latin America

Damage Spreading During Domain Growth

We study damage spreading in models of two-dimensional systems undergoing first order phase transitions. We consider several models from the same non-conserved order parameter universality class, and find unexpected differences between them. An exact solution of the Ohta-Jasnow-Kawasaki model yields the damage growth law $D \sim t^{\phi}$, where $\phi = t^{d/4}$ in $d$ dimensions. In contrast, time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations and Ising simulations in $d= 2$ using heat-bath dynamics show power-law growth, but with an exponent of approximately $0.36$, independent of the system sizes studied. In marked contrast, Metropolis dynamics shows damage growing via $\phi \sim 1$, although the damage difference grows as $t^{0.4}$. PACS: 64.60.-i, 05.50.+qComment: 4 pags of revtex3 + 3 postscript files appended as a compressed and uuencoded file. UIB940320

Are infestations of Cymomelanodactylus killing Acropora cytherea in the Chagos archipelago?

Associations between branching corals and infaunal crabs are well known, mostly due to the beneficial effects of Trapezia and Tetralia crabs in protecting host corals from crown-of-thorns starfish (e.g., Pratchett et al. 2000) and/or sedimentation (Stewart et al. 2006). These crabs are obligate associates of live corals and highly prevalent across suitable coral hosts, with 1–2 individuals per colony (Patton 1994). Cymo melanodactylus (Fig. 1) are also prevalent in branching corals, mostly Acropora, and are known to feed on live coral tissue, but are generally found in low abundance (<3 per colony) and do not significantly affect their host corals (e.g., Patton 1994). In the Chagos archipelago, however, infestations of Cymo melanodactylus were found on recently dead and dying colonies of Acropora cytherea