A note on Einstein-Maxwell solutions and vacuum to electrovac solutions transforms

We discuss a direct construction of solitonic solutions in the Einstein-Maxwell system and analyze the connection of these with vacuum to electrovac transforms of the usual Belinskii-Zakharov vacuum solutions in the static and Einstein-Rosen waves cases.It should be noted that the construction of Belinskii is the same as the one that appears in the Kaluza-Klein ansatz, although in his case there is no direct interpretation to the scalarg ₅₅ fieldSupported by a CONICET fellowship.     

Historical intensity VIII earthquakes along the Rhone valley (Valais, Switzerland): primary and secondary effects

In recent years the upper Rhone Valley has been one of the most intensively investigated regions by the Swiss Seismological Service. The high seismicity in the region encourages research in the seismological field and one main focus has been historical seismology. This report presents the state of the art of our historical investigations by giving an overview of the effects of four damaging earthquakes with intensity larger than VII, for which a fairly large number of documents could be found and analyzed. The overview includes the events of 1584 (Aigle, epicentral intensity VIII), 1755 (Brig, epicentral intensity VIII), 1855 (Visp, epicentral intensity VIII), and 1946 (Sierre, epicentral intensity VIII for the main shock and intensity VII for the largest aftershock). The paper focuses mainly on primary and secondary effects in the epicentral region, providing the key data and a general characterization of the event. Generally, primary effects such as the reaction of the population and impact on buildings took more focus in the past. Thus building damage is more frequently described in historic documents. However, we also found a number of sources describing secondary effects such as landslides, snow avalanches, and liquefaction. Since the sources may be useful, we include citations of these documents. The 1584 Aigle event, for example, produced exceptional movements in Lake Geneva, which can be explained by an expanded sub aquatic slide with resultant tsunami and seiche. The strongest of the aftershocks of the 1584 event triggered a destructive landslide covering the villages Corbeyrier and Yvorne, VD. All macroseismic data on the discussed events are accessible through the webpage of the Swiss Seismological Service (http://www.seismo.ethz.ch).     

Coca’s haunting presence in the agrarian politics of the Bolivian lowlands

This essay explores the role of the coca economy in the politics of basic foodstuff production in the lowlands department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Efforts throughout the 1980s and 1990s to diminish the coca economy in Santa Cruz have led to a significant decrease in the physical presence of coca in the region. This paper argues that while coca has been physically eradicated, the relationships and inequalities that characterized the coca economy at its height in the 1980s and 1990s continue to haunt present-day agrarian relations and decisions in the region. Using the framework of haunting and drawing on stories narrating the intersections between the livelihood challenges of rice farmers in the province of Ichilo, Santa Cruz, regional agrarian politics, and regional-state governance conflicts, I explore how the coca economy matters to the dynamics of principal agrarian foodstuff production. While coca cultivation in Ichilo is expressly assigned to the past and modern agrarian politics are explicitly articulated as “post-coca,” this paper offers a reminder about how the coca economy continues to shape present day agrarian politics, even as it is considered “successfully” eradicated.     

Seasonal variations in lipid composition of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus from the Menez Gwen vent field

Specimens of the hydrothermal mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus collected in Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field (NE Atlantic) during 2002–2003 were examined for feeding patterns variations through three seasons. The fatty acid profile and lipid classes of the mussels were studied, together with the MODIS/AQUA-derived near-surface chlorophyll a to test the hypothesis that surface productivity might be related to the feeding patterns of this species. The lipid levels showed pronounced seasonal fluctuations with the highest values occurring in January and August. Seasonal variations in lipid classes and fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipids in the mussels are presented. Differences in the fatty acid profile of lipid classes in different seasons suggest that the higher energy requirements in summer and winter were supplied by bacterial biomarkers ω7 MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), whereas ω6 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and NMI (non-methylene-interrupted) fatty acids predominated during the spring. The MODIS/AQUA data show marked seasonal variability and an anomalous peak during January of 2003, although this cannot be directly linked to lipid composition variation.