Two New Western Atlantic Species of the Gobiid Fish Genus Gobionellus, with Remarks on Characteristics of the Genus

Two new western Atlantic species of Gobionellus (family Gobiidae) are described and figured. G. comma, which is presently known only from the southern Caribbean Sea, off Venezuela, is characterized primarily by a dark, comma-shaped bar in the suborbital area. G. atripinnis, which has been found only in the western Gulf of Mexico, from southern Texas to Veracruz, Mexico, is most readily distinguished by an elongate black blotch in the male\u27s spinous dorsal fin and in having 16 pectoral fin rays. G. comma is closely related to the eastern Pacific G. manglicola. The relationships of G. atripinnis are more obscure. Important diagnostic characters of Gobionellus are presented, together with preliminary conclusions concerning the interrelationships of the genera Evorthodus and Oxyurichthys, which closely resemble Gobionellus in several important ways. Although groundwork is laid for possible synonymization of these genera (including discussion of nomenclatural problems), such action is deferred until more comprehensive studies are completed. A total of 14 coarse-scaled species of Gobionellus are recognized. These are included in a taxonomic key, which also includes a geographic range statement for each species. Also included in the key are the two species of Evorthodus, which are frequently confused with the coarse-scaled Gobionellus. This key does not include the recently-described G. munizi Vergara 1978, specimens of which we have not had the opportunity to examine. Comments are included, however, regarding this species\u27 validity and probable relationships, based on text of the original description and accompanying figures

Reflection symmetry breaking scenarios with minimal gauge form coupling in brane world cosmology

This article synthesises and extends recent work on the cosmological consequences of dropping the usual Z_2 reflection symmetry postulate in brane world scenarios. It is observed that for a cosmological model of homogeneous isotropic type, the relevant generalised Birkhoff theorem establishing staticity of the external vacuum in the maximally symmetric ``bulk'' outside a freely moving world brane will remain valid for the case of motion that is forced by minimal (generalised Wess Zumino type) coupling to an external antisymmetric gauge field provided its kinetic action contribution has the usual homogeneous quadratic form. This means that the geometry on each side of the brane worldsheet will still be of the generalised Schwarzschild anti de Sitter type. The usual first integrated Friedmann equation for the Hubble expansion rate can thereby be straightforwardly generalised by inclusion of new terms involving 2 extra parameters respectively measuring the strength of the gauge coupling and the degree of deviation from reflection symmetry. Some conceivable phenomenological implications are briefly outlined, and corresponding limitations are derived for possible values of relevant parameters.Comment: 13 pages latex (revised to rectify a couple of sign transcription errors

Series solutions for a static scalar potential in a Salam-Sezgin Supergravitational hybrid braneworld

The static potential for a massless scalar field shares the essential features of the scalar gravitational mode in a tensorial perturbation analysis about the background solution. Using the fluxbrane construction of [8] we calculate the lowest order of the static potential of a massless scalar field on a thin brane using series solutions to the scalar field's Klein Gordon equation and we find that it has the same form as Newton's Law of Gravity. We claim our method will in general provide a quick and useful check that one may use to see if their model will recover Newton's Law to lowest order on the brane.Comment: 5 pages, no figure

Closed System of Equations on a Brane

We obtain a generic closed system of equations on a brane that describes its inner evolution and give a method for extending solutions on the brane to the bulk. We also discuss the cosmological implications of the closed system of equations obtained. We consider bulk spaces with both spacelike and timelike extra dimension, with and without the $Z_2$ symmetry of reflection relative to the brane.Comment: 11 pages, revtex. Substantially revised version to be published in PL

Rurality or distance to care and the risk of homelessness among Afghanistan and Iraq veterans

INTRODUCTION: To date, no studies have examined the relationship of rurality and distance to nearest VA facility to risk of homelessness. METHODS: We examined differences in the rate of homelessness within a year of a Veteran's first encounter with the VA following last military separation based on rurality and distance to the nearest VA facility using multivariable log-binomial regressions. RESULTS: In our cohort of 708,120 Veterans, 73% were determined to have a forwarding address in urban areas, 59.2% and 86.7% lived within 40 miles of the nearest VA medical center (VAMC), respectively. Veterans living in a rural area and those living between 20+ miles away from the nearest VAMC were at a lower risk for homelessness. CONCLUSIONS: Our unique dataset allowed us to explore the relationship between geography and homelessness. These results are important to policy makers in understanding the risk factors for homelessness among Veterans and planning interventions

Separation Distribution of Vacuum Bubbles in de Sitter Space

We compute the probability distribution of the invariant separation between nucleation centers of colliding true vacuum bubbles arising from the decay of a false de Sitter space vacuum. We find that even in the limit of a very small nucleation rate per unit Hubble volume the production of widely separated bubble pairs is suppressed. This distribution is of particular relevance for the recently proposed ``colliding bubble braneworld'' scenario, in which the value of Omega_k (the contribution of negative spatial curvature to the cosmological density parameter) is determined by the invariant separation of the colliding bubble pair. We also consider the probability of a collision with a `third' bubble.Comment: 15 pages REVTEX, 2 Postscript figure

Dynamics of the infinitely-thin kink

We consider the dynamics of the domain-wall kink soliton, in particular we study the zero mode of translation. In the infinitely-thin kink limit, we show that the zero mode is almost completely frozen out, the only remnant being a dynamically constrained four-dimensional mode of a single but arbitrary frequency. In relation to this result, we show that the usual mode expansion for dealing with zero modes -- implicit collective coordinates -- is not in fact a completely general expansion, and that one must use instead a traditional generalised Fourier analysis.Comment: 13 pages; v2: added references, to appear in Phys Lett

A Novel Massage Therapy Technique for Management of Chronic Cervical Pain: A Case Series

Background: Neck pain is a generalized condition resulting from a complex etiology with presentation of a wide variety of symptoms. Neck pain is most often accompanied by decreased range of motion (ROM), muscle and joint stiffness, and limitations in functional capabilities. This condition may result in significant personal and societal burden. Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of a novel massage therapy intervention by following the treatment regimen and outcomes of two patients experiencing chronic neck pain. Participants: Two patients (46 and 53 years old) experienced chronic (>5 years) neck pain. Both patients reported pain, limited ROM, and muscle and joint stiffness. Additionally, the first patient reported a lack of sleep, and both patients stated their pain interfered with their quality of life and activities of daily living. Intervention: Patients received the Integrative Muscular Movement Technique (IMMT) intervention approximately twice a week for a total of eight treatments, each approximately 20 minutes in duration. Results: Both patients experienced a reduction in pain and an increase in cervical ROM in flexion, extension, rotation, and sidebending. The first patient also reported an increased ability to sleep. Both patients reported an increased ability to perform activities of daily living, including work-related responsibilities. Conclusions: For the two patients included in this report, therapist observations and patient reports indicate that inclusion of the IMMT treatment in a treatment regimen for chronic neck pain may lead to decreased pain and increased cervical ROM. These positive effects of the IMMT intervention may have a role in enhancing functional outcomes of these patients