Israel Institute for Advanced Studies

Abstract We present the satellite vegetation index time series model for detecting historical floods in ungauged hyperarid regions (SatVITS‐Flood). SatVITS‐Flood is based on observations that floods are the primary cause of local vegetation expansion in hyperarid regions. To detect such expansion, we used two time‐series metrics: (a) trend change detection from the Breaks For Additive Season and Trend and (b) a newly developed seasonal change metric based on Temporal Fourier Analysis (TFA) and the growing‐season integral anomaly (TFA‐GSIanom). The two metrics complement each other by capturing changes in perennial plant species following extreme, rare floods and ephemeral vegetation changes following more frequent floods. Metrics were derived from the time series of the normalized difference vegetation index, the modified soil‐adjusted vegetation index, and the normalized difference water index, acquired from MODIS, Landsat, and Advanced Very High‐Resolution Radiometer. The timing of the change was compared with the date of the flood and the magnitude of change with its volume and duration. We tested SatVITS‐Flood in three regions on different continents with 40‐year‐long, systematic, reliable gauge data. Our results indicate that SatVITS‐Flood can predict flood occurrence with an accuracy of 78% and precision of 67% (Recall = 0.69 and F1 = 0.68; p < 0.01), and the flood volume and duration with NSE of 0.79 (RMSE = 15.4 × 106 m3 event−1), and R2 of 0.69 (RMSE = 5.7 days), respectively. SatVITS‐Flood proved useful for detecting historical floods and may provide valuable long‐term hydrological information in poorly documented areas, which can help understand the impacts of climate change on the hydrology of hyperarid regions.

The spectral-based photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and leaf surface temperature (Tleaf ) derived from thermal imaging are two indicative metrics of plant functioning. The relationship of PRI with radiation-use efficiency (RUE) and Tleaf with leaf transpiration could be leveraged to monitor crop photosynthesis and water use from space. Yet, it is unclear how such relationships will change under future high carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2 ]) and drought. Here we established an [CO2 ] enrichment experiment in which three wheat genotypes were grown at ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (550 ppm) [CO2 ] and exposed to well-watered and drought conditions in two glasshouse rooms in two replicates. Leaf transpiration (Tr ) and latent heat flux (LE) were derived to assess evaporative cooling, and RUE was calculated from assimilation and radiation measurements on several dates along the season. Simultaneous hyperspectral and thermal images were taken at 1.5 mfrom the plants to derive PRI and the temperature difference between the leaf and its surrounding air ( Tleaf-air ). We found significant PRI and RUE and Tleaf-air and Tr correlations, with no significant differences among the genotypes. A PRI-RUE decoupling was observed under drought at ambient [CO2 ] but not at elevated [CO2 ], likely due to changes in photorespiration. For a LE range of 350 W m-2 , the ΔTleaf-air range was 10°C at ambient [CO2 ] and only 4°C at elevated [CO2 ]. Thicker leaves in plants grown at elevated [CO2 ] suggest higher leaf water content and consequently more efficient thermoregulation at high [CO2 ] conditions. In general, Tleaf was maintained closer to the ambient temperature at elevated [CO2 ], even under drought. PRI, RUE, ΔTleaf -air , and Tr decreased linearly with canopy depth, displaying a single PRI-RUE and ΔTleaf -air Tr model through the canopy layers. Our study shows the utility of these sensing metrics in detecting wheat responses to future environmental changes.

Abstract The article provides an edition and translation of eight early Islamic acknowledgment(iqrār)deeds written in Early New Persian, which are preserved in the National Library of Israel. The acknowledgment deeds are part of a rich trove of manuscripts known as the “Afghan Genizah”, reportedly found in the area of Bāmiyān in central Afghanistan. Dated between the years 395–430/1005–1039, the eight discussed acknowledgment deeds are probably the earliest extant legal documents written in New Persian. This implies that Islamic legal documents were drawn up in New Persian in the area of Bāmiyān—and perhaps in other eastern Iranian territories—as early as the beginning of the 5th/11thcentury. Furthermore, a thorough examination of the formulaic structure of these acknowledgment deeds reveals their reliance on Arabic legal formulae, which may reflect an early stage of legal writing in New Persian.

We give the rst onstru tion of a pseudo-random generator with optimal seed length that uses (essentially) arbitrary hardness. It builds on the novel re ursive use of the NWgenerator in [8℄, whi h produ ed many optimal generators one of whi h was pseudo-random. This is a hieved in two stages rst signi antly redu ing the number of andidate generators, and then eAE iently ombining them into one. We also give the rst onstru tion of an extra tor with optimal seed length, that an handle sub-polynomial entropy levels. It builds on the fundamental onne tion between extra tors and pseudo-random generators dis overed by Trevisan [21℄, ombined with onstru tion above. Moreover, using Kolmogorov Complexity rather than ir uit size in the analysis gives super-polynomial savings for our onstru tion, and renders our extra tors better than known for all entropy levels.

We discuss a generalized dynamic mean-field method combining the advantages of explicit pair correlations and of configuration interaction. The approximate dynamical method, which we call time-dependent self-consistent-field configuration interaction (TDSCF2-CI), is constructed by including N(N−1)/2 TDSCF2 configurations. In each configuration a given pair of N coupled modes is directly (not in the mean-field approach) correlated; the N(N−1)/2 configurations include all such choices of pairs. As such, it has both the usual advantages of TDSCF and improvements due to some inclusion of correlations (exact results for any two-mode problem, improved descriptions of dynamical corrections, and greater accuracy). A three-mode model Hamiltonian is analyzed using five approximate treatments, i.e., the usual TDSCF, the three TDSCF2 forms, and the TDSCF2-CI one. The quantities for comparison with the exact results include the decay P(t) of the initial state, the time dependencies of the energies e(i) of individual modes, and the overlap S(t) of the corresponding approximate wave function with the exact one. We find, indeed, that explicit inclusion of pair correlations improves the description of the quantum dynamics of the system.

Poles and Jews: A Balance Sheet Chimen Abramsky, Maciej Jachimczyk and Antony Polonsky (eds.). The Jews in Poland. Oxford: Blackwell, 1986. 264pp. £29.50. Judaism in Moscow: An Insider's Story Emanuel Michlin. Hagahelet (The Glowing Coals). Jerusalem: Shamir, 1986. 336 pp. Index (partial). Soviet Jewish Theatre Performs in New York Turn Balalaika, performed by the Soviet Jewish Musical Chamber Theatre1 at the Symphony Space Theatre, New York, 6, 7‐and 8 June 1987.

In this article the author describes workplace communities in British hotels and discusses the relationships between the workplace community and employees' subculture, family life and leisure patterns. He also discusses the role of the workplace community as an alternative to bureaucratic organisation and the consequences for people of working in a leisure context.

Exact diabatic/adiabatic branching ratios and final state distributions are presented for a reactive model for nonadiabatic transitions, applicable to situations where the coupling term is approximately constant over the region where the interpotential seam crosses the two valleys. Comparison is made with the Bauer–Fischer–Gilmore (BFG) and Franck–Condon (FC) models for a variety of situations. A new index γ=(vRΔGR/vrΔGR), where subscripts R and r denote translational and vibrational variables, respectively, is introduced as a measure of the validity of the two approximations. The FC approximation is shown to become exact for γ≳≳1, while the BFG approximation is preferred for γ<<1.