The threatened status of restricted-range coral reef fish species

Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystem in the sea. Throughout the world they are being overfished, polluted and destroyed, placing biodiversity at risk. To date, much of the concern over biodiversity loss has centred on local losses and the possibility of global extinction has largely been discounted. However, recent research has shown that 24% of reef fish species have restricted ranges (< 800 000 km(2)), with 9% highly restricted (< 50 000 km(2)). Restricted-range species are thought to face a greater risk of extinction than more widespread species since local impacts could cause global loss. We searched for information on status in the wild and characteristics of 397 restricted-range reef fish species. Fish body size, habitat requirements and usefulness to people were compared with those of a taxonomically-matched sample of more widespread species. We found that on average species with restricted ranges were significantly smaller (mean total length 19.1 cm versus 24.4 cm), tended to have narrower habitat requirements and were less used by people. Greater habitat specificity will tend to increase extinction risk while, if real, more limited usefulness (equivalent to exploitation) may reduce risk. Fifty-eight percent of restricted-range species were considered common/abundant in the wild and 42% uncommon/rare. Population status and threats to 319 species for which data were available were assessed according to the categories and criteria of the IUCN red list of threatened animals. A number of species were found to be rare, were exploited and had highly restricted ranges overlapping areas where reef degradation is particularly severe, placing them at a high risk of extinction. Five species were listed as Critically Endangered, two of them possibly already extinct in the wild, one as Endangered and 172 as Vulnerable. A further 126 species fell into Lower Risk categories and 11 were considered Data Deficient. Given the intensity of impacts to reefs, the broad geographical areas affected and the large numbers of restricted-range species, global extinctions seem likely. Urgent management action is now crucial for the survival of several species of reef fishes

To punish first and reward second: Values determine how reward and punishment affect risk-taking behavior

The current study investigated whether manipulating participants’ pre-exposure to reward and punishment affects the extent to which sensation seeking and values predict risk-taking behavior. Participants (n = 195) were randomly allocated to one of two conditions, defined by the order at which they were rewarded or punished for risk-taking behavior. Risk-taking behavior was measured in both conditions using the Balloon Analogue Risk Test, however this was set-up such that participants in group 1 were rewarded for risk-taking behavior prior to being punished, whereas participants in group 2 were punished for risk-taking behavior prior to being rewarded. Participants also completed questionnaires designed to measure sensation seeking and the values of ‘stimulation’ (the need for novelty and excitement) and ‘hedonism’ (the need for sensuous pleasure). It was found that stimulation predicted risk taking behavior in the ‘reward-then-punishment’ condition, whereas hedonism predicted risk-taking behavior in the ‘punishment-then-reward’ condition. Sensation-seeking was found to be an indirect predictor of risk-taking behavior in both conditions. It is tentatively concluded that the extent to which an individual’s risk-taking behavior is guided by their values (hedonism, stimulation) largely depends on their prior exposure to the order of contingent reward and punishment

A Unification of Models of Tethered Satellites

In this paper, different conservative models of tethered satellites are related mathematically, and it is established in what limit they may provide useful insight into the underlying dynamics. An infinite dimensional model is linked to a finite dimensional model, the slack-spring model, through a conjecture on the singular perturbation of tether thickness. The slack-spring model is then naturally related to a billiard model in the limit of an inextensible spring. Next, the motion of a dumbbell model, which is lowest in the hierarchy of models, is identified within the motion of the billiard model through a theorem on the existence of invariant curves by exploiting Moser's twist map theorem. Finally, numerical computations provide insight into the dynamics of the billiard model

Disease as a Larval Mortality Factor in Alfalfa Weevil, \u3ci\u3eHypera Postica\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Populations in Illinois

During the 1974 growing season, larvae of the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), were examined for pathogens. Three larvae out of 715 examined were infected with a microsporidium. This infection was present in both Washington and Mason counties in Illinois

Violation of the equivalence principle from light scalar fields: from Dark Matter candidates to scalarized black holes

Tensor-scalar theory is a wide class of alternative theory of gravitation that can be motivated by higher dimensional theories, by models of dark matter or dark ernergy. In the general case, the scalar field will couple non-universally to matter producing a violation of the equivalence principle. In this communication, we review a microscopic model of scalar/matter coupling and its observable consequences in terms of universality of free fall, of frequencies comparison and of redshifts tests. We then focus on two models: (i) a model of ultralight scalar dark matter and (ii) a model of scalarized black hole in our Galactic Center. For both these models, we present constraints using recent measurements: atomic clocks comparisons, universality of free fall measurements, measurement of the relativistic redshift with the short period star S0-2 orbiting the supermassive black hole in our Galactic Center.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, contribution to the 2019 Gravitation session of the 54th Rencontres de Morion

Quantum effects with an X-ray free electron laser

A quantum kinetic equation coupled with Maxwell's equation is used to estimate the laser power required at an XFEL facility to expose intrinsically quantum effects in the process of QED vacuum decay via spontaneous pair production. A 9 TW-peak XFEL laser with photon energy 8.3 keV could be sufficient to initiate particle accumulation and the consequent formation of a plasma of spontaneously produced pairs. The evolution of the particle number in the plasma will exhibit non-Markovian aspects of the strong-field pair production process and the plasma's internal currents will generate an electric field whose interference with that of the laser leads to plasma oscillations.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX2

Meson spectroscopy and properties using Dyson-Schwinger equations

We study pseudoscalar and scalar mesons using a practical and symmetry preserving truncation of QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations. We investigate and compare properties of ground and radially excited meson states. In addition to exact results for radial meson excitations we also present results for meson masses and decay constants from the chiral limit up to the charm-quark mass, e. g., the mass of the chi_{c0} (2P) meson.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, To appear in the proceedings of 9th International Workshop on Meson Production, Properties and Interaction (Meson2006), Krakow, Poland, 9 - 13 June 200

Solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation for a pseudoscalar meson in Minkowski space

A new method of solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation for a pseudoscalar quark-antiquark bound state is proposed. With the help of an integral representation, the results are directly obtained in Minkowski space. Dressing of Green's functions is naturally taken into account, thus providing the possible inclusion of a running coupling constant as well as quark propagators. First numerical results are presented for a simplified ladder approximation