Meteor fireball sounds identified

Sounds heard simultaneously with the flight of large meteor fireballs are electrical in origin. Confirmation that Extra/Very Low Frequency (ELF/VLF) electromagnetic radiation is produced by the fireball was obtained by Japanese researchers. Although the generation mechanism is not fully understood, studies of the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project (MORP) and other fireball data indicate that interaction with the atmosphere is definitely responsible and the cut-off magnitude of -9 found for sustained electrophonic sounds is supported by theory. Brief bursts of ELF/VLF radiation may accompany flares or explosions of smaller fireballs, producing transient sounds near favorably placed observers. Laboratory studies show that mundane physical objects can respond to electrical excitation and produce audible sounds. Reports of electrophonic sounds should no longer be discarded. A catalog of over 300 reports relating to electrophonic phenomena associated with meteor fireballs, aurorae, and lightning was assembled. Many other reports have been cataloged in Russian. These may assist the full solution of the similar long-standing and contentious mystery of audible auroral displays

The Newcastle meteor radar

A brief history and development of the Newcastle Meteor Radar system is given. Also described are its geographical coordinates and its method of operation. The initial objective when the project was commenced was to develop an entirely digital analyzer capable of recognizing meteor echo signals and recording as many of their parameters as possible. This objective was achieved

Mysid crustaceans as standard models for the screening and testing of endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Author Posting. © Springer, 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Ecotoxicology 16 (2007): 205-219, doi:10.1007/s10646-006-0122-0.Investigative efforts into the potential endocrine-disrupting effects of chemicals have mainly concentrated on vertebrates, with significantly less attention paid to understanding potential endocrine disruption in the invertebrates. Given that invertebrates account for at least 95% of all known animal species and are critical to ecosystem structure and function, it remains essential to close this gap in knowledge and research. The lack of progress regarding endocrine disruption in invertebrates is still largely due to: (1) our ignorance of mode-of-action, physiological control, and hormone structure and function in invertebrates; (2) lack of a standardized invertebrate assay; (3) the irrelevance to most invertebrates of the proposed activity-based biological indicators for endocrine disruptor exposure (androgen, estrogen and thyroid); (4) limited field studies. Past and ongoing research efforts using the standard invertebrate toxicity test model, the mysid shrimp, have aimed at addressing some of these issues. The present review serves as an update to a previous publication on the use of mysid shrimp for the evaluation of endocrine disruptors (Verslycke et al., 2004a). It summarizes recent investigative efforts that have significantly advanced our understanding of invertebrate-specific endocrine toxicity, population modeling, field studies, and transgeneration standard test development using the mysid model.Supported by a Fellowship of the Belgian American Educational Foundation

Temple building on the Egyptian margins: the geopolitical issues behind Seti II and Ramesses IX’s activity at Amheida

Middle Eastern Studie