Indication for circular organization of column sprite elements associated with Eastern Mediterranean winter thunderstorms

We report synchronized optical observations of sprites in Israel during the winters of 2006/7–2007/8. Based on several events, we suggest that the elements of columniform sprites are organized in spaced intervals on the circumference of a circle centered directly above, or a little offset, to the vertical direction from the parent lightning. In 2D images most of the cases show columns to be arranged in highly eccentric elliptical forms or in straight rows. The analysis of the optical images provided the geometrical dimensions of the columns and their spatial organization. We used an electrostatic model of the QE field with reasonable assumptions on the location and magnitude of the cloud charge center, constrained by ELF evaluation of the Charge Moment Change in the parent flash, to show that the observed diameter of the columnar arrangement closely matches the conventional breakdown field line contour at the same altitude.     

Isolation of CYP2L2 and two other cytochrome P450 sequences from a spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, hepatopancreas cDNA library

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases constitute an enzyme superfamily, with at least 74 known families. Members of CYP families 1–4 are important in the phase 1 metabolism of lipophilic xenobiotics, such as those found in contaminated marine environments. Previous studies (James et al. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (1996) 329, 31–38) showed that a major form of P450 in spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, hepatopancreas was CYP2L1, a new sub-family, and that there was evidence for other P450 forms in hepatopancreas. We now report the sequence of a second member of this subfamily, named CYP2L2, present in P. Argus hepatopancreas. The deduced amino acid sequences of CYP2L1 and CYP2L2 share 54.7% sequence identity and an additional 13.6% of the sequences show conservative substitutions. Analysis of the sequences of CYP2L1, CYP2L2 and other representative CYP2 family members (from rat and mouse sub-families 2A, 2B, 2D and 2E) showed that the crustacean sequences clustered together. In addition to CYP2L2, cDNA clones of 66 to 117 base pairs from the 5′ coding region of two more P450 isoforms were isolated from the spiny lobster cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of one of these additional cDNA clones was identical to the first 22 amino acids of the N-terminal sequence of a P450 protein previously isolated from hepatopancreas microsomes. These studies confirm earlier biochemical evidence that the hepatopancreas contains multiple forms of cytochrome P450.     

Impediments to the management of shared aquifers: A political economy perspective

The reliance on aquifers which are shared by more than one country is increasing. Yet, shared aquifers are only rarely addressed in international treaties, despite the wide recognition of the desirability of comprehensive coordinated management. In order to identify the impediments to reaching agreements on the management of shared aquifers, and the factors that may assist in overcoming these impediments, the political economy of transboundary groundwater exploitation is outlined, and the Israeli-Palestinian case examined. It is argued that the main impediment to the conclusion of international agreements on groundwater is the array of domestic power structures, and particularly the power of small cohesive interest groups. The analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian 1995 interim agreement, and the negotiations leading to it, suggest that this impediment can be overcome, if the domestic interests are recognized in advance, and addressed in the agreement. It also shows that high level politics can play a positive role in forcing water negotiators to conclude an agreement.

Entrepreneurship in the periphery and local growth: the case of northern Israel

Entrepreneurship in the northern periphery in Israel should be viewed as a response to the crisis in rural agriculture during the 1980’s. Most entrepreneurs left their farms for salaried employment for a few years and they took professional courses in order to learn necessary skills before they opened their enterprises. They have developed new small entreprizes using local resources at times informally as means to reduce risks and they specialize mainly in internal tourism and construction related branches. While Jewish entrepreneurs develop mainly tourism activities oriented toward the national market, Arab entrepreneurs develop mainly construction related branches to local and home regional markets. Both represent two styles of peripheral activities. It seems that both styles has only limited potential to overcome their marginality.     

Optical observations of transient luminous events associated with winter thunderstorms near the coast of Israel

We report the results of two observation campaigns conducted during the Northern Hemisphere winters of 2005–6 and 2006–7 aiming to detect transient luminous events (TLEs) above winter thunderstorms in the vicinity of Israel and the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. In 10 out of 31 different observation nights we detected 66 events: 56 sprites and 10 Elves. The detection ranges varied from 250 to 450 km. Sprites were found to be produced by active cells with a vertical dimension of 5–9 km and cloud top temperature ~ − 40 °C, embedded in a much larger matrix of stratiform precipitating cloudiness. This configuration closely resembles the conditions for winter sprites in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Synchronized with the optical observations, ELF data were recorded at two observation stations in Israel and Hungary in order to qualify and quantify parameters of the parent lightning discharge associated with the TLEs. These stations are located 500 km and 2100 km respectively from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where most TLEs occur. Among the optically observed TLE events, we found that all the ELF signals were produced solely by positive cloud-to-ground flashes (+ CGs), most of which were recorded in Israel (88%) and Hungary (77%). Calculation of the Charge Moment Change showed average values of 1400 ± 600 C km, with some extreme events exceeding 3500 C km. The average time delay between the ELF transient of the parent + CG and the observed sprites was 55 ms, with shorter delays for column sprites (42 ± 34 ms) compared to carrot sprites (68 ± 34). Furthermore, based on the ELF data, there were no early identifiable precursors to TLE occurrence in the regional lightning activity. From the spatial formation of the observed columniform sprites, we propose that columniform sprites are sometimes arranged in a 3-dimensional circular pattern, thus mapping the instantaneous electric field in the mesosphere.     

High-redshift objects as probes of nearby cosmic voids

We show that present day observational techniques make it possible to detect diffuse gas masses down to ～10¹⁰ M _⊙ in cosmic voids with linear sizes of ～1 Mpc or larger. The observations consist of searches for absorption lines, similar in character to those produced in galactic interstellar clouds, in the spectra of high-redshift objects located beyond previously identified voids adjoining nearby superclusters.     

Tidal evolution of the Galilean satellites: A linearized theory

The Laplace resonance among the Galilean satellites Io, Europa, and Ganymede is traditionally reduced to a pendulum-like dynamical problem by neglecting short-period variations of several orbital elements. However, some of these variations that can now be neglected may once have had longer periods, comparable to the “pendulum” period, if the system was formerly in deep resonance (pairs of periods even closer to the ratio 2:1 than they are now). In that case, the dynamical system cannot be reduced to fewer than nine dimensions. The nine-dimensional system is linearized here in order to study small variations about equilibrium. When tidal effects are included, the resulting evolution is substantially the same as was indicated by the pendulum approach, except that evolution out of deep resonance is found to be somewhat slower than suggested by extrapolation of the pendulum results. This slower rate helps support my hypothesis that the system may have evolved from deep resonance, although other factors still need to be considered to determine whether that hypothesis is quantitatively viable.     

Coal Waste,Socioeconomic Change,and Environmental Inequality in Appalachia: Implications for a Just Transition in Coal Country

Resource-dependent communities are subject to both unstable economic patterns and environmental degradation associated with extractive industries. However, few studies have empirically analyzed these dynamics in tandem and over time. This paper explores whether Appalachian neighborhoods closer to coal waste impoundments experienced steeper poverty changes from 1990 to 2000. Impoundment failures have resulted in some of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history and scientists have expressed concerns over their growing heights and risks. Spatial regression models show that neighborhoods closer to impoundments have higher poverty increases on average, even after controlling for mining employment and other variables. These findings highlight the need for a deeper consideration of the environmental inequalities associated with the continued downturn of coal production and employment in the United States. Further, discussions about just transitions must recognize the legacy hazards and externalities associated with extractive industries – and their impacts on communities.     

The role of grains in molecular chemical evolution

The observations of dust gas in diffuse and molecular clouds are shown to reflect not only their current state but their past history. The interpretation of infrared spectra of dust in molecular clouds using appropriate core-mantle grains shows that: (1) the kinds and amounts of ices, (2) the relative proportion of such important interstellar molecules as H₂O and CO, (3) the evidence for the less abundant solid species X–CN, COS, H₂S, and (4) the thermal history of the dust may all be demonstrated quantitatively from laboratory analog studies of ultraviolet photoprocessing of relevant ices and from theoretical studies of gas-dust interactions. In diffuse clouds the dust is shown to consist predominantly of refractory organic compounds which originate as residues of the photoprocessing of volatile ices in molecular clouds and which undergo further physical and chemical evolution in the diffuse clouds.Review paper presented at a Workshop on The Role of Dust in Dense Regions of Interstellar Matter, held at Georgenthal, G.D.R., in March 1986.