87 research outputs found
Assessment of hemostatic profile in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis using Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM)
No full textBackground: This study aimed to explore the hemostatic profile of neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) using Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and to investigate if ROTEM parameters have the capacity to play a role in the differentiation of NEC from sepsis at the disease onset. Methods: This observational study included 62 neonates (mean gestational age 31.6 weeks and mean birth weight 1620g) hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. The neonates were categorized in three groups: neonates with NEC (Bell stage II and above), neonates with sepsis and healthy neonates and they were matched 1:1:1 with regards to gestational age, delivery mode, and sex. Clinical, laboratory data as well as measurements of ROTEM parameters at disease onset were recorded. Results: ROTEM parameters differed between neonates with NEC and neonates with sepsis, indicating that NEC results in accelerated clot formation and higher clot strength compared to sepsis. The EXTEM CFT and A10 parameters demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance for NEC in terms of discrimination between NEC and sepsis (AUC, 0.997; 95% CI: 0.991–1.000 and 0.973; 95% CI: 0.932–1.000, respectively). Conclusions: Neonates with NEC manifested accelerated clot formation and higher clot strength compared to septic and healthy neonates, as these were expressed by ROTEM parameters. Impact: This work reports data on the hemostatic profile of neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) using Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and the capacity of ROTEM parameters in differentiating of NEC from sepsis at the disease onset. Neonates with NEC present acceleration of coagulation and exhibit a hypercoagulable profile, as this is expressed by ROTEM parameters, in comparison to septic and healthy neonates. ROTEM parameters demonstrated a good diagnostic capacity in differentiating NEC from sepsis at the disease onset. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc 2023
A stochastic differential model for cell migration and mutual cell-cell interactions
No full textMotivated by two biological questions concerning the way radiation treatment affects cell behaviour and the way interactions between cells control cell segregation and cluster formation, we constructed a mathematical model for cell migration and interactions. Starting from first principles and basic biological assumptions, we arrived at a stochastic differential equation where the drift term accounts for short term interactions between cells and the random term accounts for independent cell motion. Likelihoods of different values for model parameters given particle paths were obtained using Girsanov theorem, and then used to estimate actual parameter values by maximising these likelihoods (MLE). Accuracy of this method was tested by comparing estimated parameter values given computer generated paths to the actual values used to generate these paths, for a few different drift functions. Application of this technique to a data set containing real cell paths which were observed in laboratory experiments studying the effect of radiation treatment on cell migration and interaction unveiled a clear trend in cells’ response: radiation dosage of 10Gy was found to increase cell motility by 50% and diminish cell adhesion effectively to zero. An extended version of our model which further accounts for cell births and interactions between different population types was designed to help understand cell segregation and cluster formation regulated by cell membrane proteins called Eph and ephrin. First this helped identify the significant components in controlling the behaviour and dynamics displayed by the biological system, which has countlessly more components over many time and distance scales. Second, when compared against experimental results it was able to replicate both the dynamics and range of cell segregation that was observed in the laboratory by our collaborators. We thus present here a powerful yet simple model which is both generic and versatile. With only a small number of parameters that can be estimated from data containing cell paths, it holds information regarding independent cell motion and mutual cell-cell interactions, and can reproduce, predict and help analyse dynamics and behaviours observed in laboratory experiments
"Simha Rotem (1924-2018): Ad memoriam. The broom and the resilience"
No full textSimha Rotem was born in Warsaw in 1924. He was one of the most important member of the Warsaw
Ghetto uprising in April 1943. Under the cover name of Kazik. He was a leader of the young Jews who were one of the
first in Europe to rebel against the Nazi occupation. His original name is Symon Rathajzer, who upon his arrival in
Israel he changed in Simha Rotem to symbolize a new beginning. His heroic and history is full of anecdotes that
encroach of the unbelievable. Rotem came in and out of the ghetto, through the city’s sewers, besieged and burned, to
bringing news and organizing the escape of the few survivors. Thanks to him the last fighters of the ghetto succeeded in
acriding the “Aryan” area of the city, finding refuge from not Jewish people connected with the Polish resistance. In
1944 Rotem fighted in the Warsaw uprising against the Nazi occupation. He was one of the leader of the Jewish exodus
from Poland to Israel. He contributed to save thousands of people. The author died in Jerusalem in 2018
Measuring message gossiping in P2P networks and providing incentives in cryptocurrencies
No full textThesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-48).In this thesis, we present Plutus, an efficient and game-theoretically proven incentive mechanism for Algorand, a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency. In order to operate, Algorand requires users to constantly propagate messages but has no mechanism to incentivize users to do so. Plutus solves this problem by keeping track of each message propagation path and rewarding the users who propagated messages using a lottery. We implemented a prototype of Plutus on top of Algorand to measure the performance and overhead of Plutus. Experimental results show that with Plutus, Algorand's block confirmation time increases by only 7% and that there is no penalty on Algorand's scalability.by Rotem Hemo.M. Eng
A Transitional Gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae) from the Miocene of Israel
No full textabstract: We describe a new species of gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae: Ctenodactylinae), Sayimys negevensis, on the basis of cheek teeth from the Early Miocene of the Rotem Basin, southern Israel. The Rotem ctenodactylid differs from all known ctenodactylid species, including Sayimys intermedius, which was first described from the Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Instead, it most resembles Sayimys baskini from the Early Miocene of Pakistan in characters of the m1-2 (e.g., the mesoflexid shorter than the metaflexid, the obliquely orientated hypolophid, and the presence of a strong posterolabial ledge) and the upper molars (e.g., the paraflexus that is longer than the metaflexus). However, morphological (e.g., presence of a well-developed paraflexus on unworn upper molars) and dimensional (regarding, in particular, the DP4 and M1 or M2) differences between the Rotem gundi and Sayimys baskini distinguish them and testify to the novelty and endemicity of the former. In its dental morphology, Sayimys negevensis sp. nov. shows a combination of both the ultimate apparition of key-characters and incipient features that would be maintained and strengthened in latter ctenodactylines. Thus, it is a pivotal species that bridges the gap between an array of primitive ctenodactylines and the most derived, Early Miocene and later, gundis.The article is published at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.015180
The Angiostrongylus vasorum excretory/secretory and surface proteome contains putative modulators of the host coagulation
No full textAngiostrongylus vasorum is a cardiopulmonary nematode of canids and is, among others, associated with bleeding disorders in dogs. The pathogenesis of such coagulopathies remains unclear. A deep proteomic characterization of sex specific A. vasorum excretory/secretory proteins (ESP) and of cuticular surface proteins was performed, and the effect of ESP on host coagulation and fibrinolysis was evaluated in vitro. Proteins were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and functionally characterized through gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis. In total, 1069 ESP (944 from female and 959 from male specimens) and 1195 surface proteins (705 and 1135, respectively) were identified. Among these were putative modulators of host coagulation, e.g., von Willebrand factor type D domain protein orthologues as well as several proteases, including serine type proteases, protease inhibitors and proteasome subunits. The effect of ESP on dog coagulation and fibrinolysis was evaluated on canine endothelial cells and by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). After stimulation with ESP, tissue factor and serpin E1 transcript expression increased. ROTEM revealed minimal interaction of ESP with dog blood and ESP did not influence the onset of fibrinolysis, leading to the conclusion that Angiostrongylus vasorum ESP and surface proteins are not solely responsible for bleeding in dogs and that the interaction with the host’s vascular hemostasis is limited. It is likely that coagulopathies in A. vasorum infected dogs are the result of a multifactorial response of the host to this parasitic infection.University of Zurich, SwitzerlandBusiness Unit Animal Health, German
When complexity leads to simplicity: Ocean surface mixing simplified by vertical convection
No full textHow Prevalent is Functional Alternative Splicing in the
No full textthis article can be found at doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2003.12.004 Corresponding author: Gil Ast ([email protected]
Filistata insidiatrix
No full textFilistata insidiatrix (Forsskål, 1775) Figs 2, 3C–D, I, 5 B, D, F, 6, 8H, 10A, E, Q Aranea insidiatrix Forsskål, 1775: 86. Filistata insidiatrix – Simon 1895: 1067. Remarks Please see WSC (2022) for a full synonymic list of this species, and Zonstein & Marusik (2019) for description, diagnosis, natural history, and additional distribution records. Updated diagnosis Males are similar to those of F. betarif sp. nov. and F. albens by having an elongate pedipalpal femur and tibia, and by a subconical copulatory bulb with a terminally hooked embolus (Fig. 6; see also Zonstein & Marusik 2019: fig. 27). Males differ from those of F. albens by their longer copulatory bulb and from those of F. betarif sp. nov. by their inconspicuous embolic keel (Fig. 8H (arrow), 5B, k) (conspicuous keel in F. betarif sp. nov., Fig. 5A). Females have a pair of large spermathecae that may be partially divided or undivided (Fig. 3C–D) and their variation includes the observed morphology of F. betarif sp. nov.; thus females are not diagnosable through morphology alone, they can be diagnosed using DNA barcoding of the COI gene. Material examined ANGOLA • 1 ♀; Luanda, Luanda; [8.83833° S, 13.23444° E]; N. Chatelain leg.; USNM 1656 • 1 ♀; Namibe, Baia das Pipas, in house; [14.95° S, 12.18333° E]; Jan. 1960; Brühl leg.; ZMB. EGYPT • 1 ♀; Cairo; [30.04442° N, 31.23571° E]; O. Manley leg.; ZMB 4375. FRANCE • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Var, Brignoles, Gonfaron; 43.34158° N, 6.29443° E; 2017; M. Stockmann leg.; MACN-Ar 39461 • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Languedoc-Roussillon, Banyuls-sur-Mer; [42.48343° N, 3.12887° E]; 21 Mar. 1968; H.W. Levi, F. Levi and L.R. Levi leg.; MCZ 39864 • 1 ♀; no further data; [42.44097° N, 3.16469° E]; Spatz leg.; ZMB 1053 • 2 ♀♀; southern France; AMNH • 1 ♀; southern France; ZMB 5021. GREECE • 1 imm.; Attica, Sounion; [37.65915° N, 24.01476° E]; 30 Nov. 1978; B. Malkin leg.; AMNH • 2 ♀♀; Crete, Akrotiri; [35.55°N, 24.13333° E]; Feb.–Mar. 1925; A. Schultz leg.; ZMB 6205 • 1 ♀; Crete, Agios Nikolaos; 35.31006° N, 25.57781° E; Jul. 2019; M. Stockmann leg.; MACN-Ar 41844 • 3 ♀♀, 1 imm.; NW Crete; [35.55° N, 24.13333°E]; A. Schultz leg.; ZMB 6208 • 1 ♀; Crete; [36.39316° N, 25.46151° E]; Oertzen leg.; ZMB 6951 • 1 ♀; Cyclades Islands, Santorini; 36.40922° N, 25.43221° E; May 1988; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN-Ar 20563 • 1 imm.; Kea; [37.60758° N, 24.31037° E]; 30 Sep. 1925; A. Schultz leg.; ZMB 6203 • 2 ♀♀; Kythira; [36.26327° N, 22.97737° E]; Aug. 1925; ZMB • 1 ♀; Rhodes, Kalavarda; [36.33998° N, 27.94949° E]; 7 Dec. 1978; B. Malkin leg.; AMNH • 1 ♀; Thera; [36.39316° N, 25.46151° E]; 1972; Hillas and Goerligen (?) leg.; ZMB. ISRAEL • 1 ♂; upper Galilee, Ba’al-Shem-Tov Forest, Meron Mountains; 32.9821° N, 35.47381° E; 13–20 Nov. 2007; T. Levanony leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 imm.; upper Galilee, Dan; 33.24° N, 35.655° E; 14 May 2012; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; upper Galilee, En Ya’aqov; 33.00764° N, 35.23889° E; 4–9 Feb. 2007; I. Shtirberg leg.; pitfall; SMNH • 1 ♂; upper Galilee, Nahal Keziv; [33.04234° N, 35.17882° E]; 31 Jul. 2010; C. Drees and L. Friedman leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 13 Nov. 2010; L. Friedman and C. Drees leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; upper Galilee, near Elon, Nahal Bezet Nature Reserve, Sharakh cave, entrance of cave; 33.074° N, 35.2379° E; 233 m. a.s.l.; 17 Feb. 2020; I.L.F. Magalhaes, E. Gavish-Regev, Z. Ganem, S. Aharon, N. Givon and M. Arnedo leg.; MACN- Ar 41218 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 41226 • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 17 Feb. 2020; I.L.F. Magalhaes, E. Gavish-Regev, Z. Ganem, S. Aharon, N. Givon and M. Arnedo leg.; twilight zone; MACN-Ar 41261 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 41825 • 1 ♂; upper Galilee, Senir; 33.23333° N, 35.66667° E; 250 m. a.s.l.; 2 Nov. 2013; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 1 ♀; upper Galilee, Yehiam, in cave; [32.99611° N, 35.22109° E]; 15 Nov. 1949; A. Shulov leg.; HUJ-INVAr 20290 • 1 ♀; upper Galilee, Yir’on, small cave; 33.0672° N, 35.4672° E; 28 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21049 • 1 ♀; upper Galilee, Yonim cave, in depth; 32.9236° N, 35.2168° E; 25 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ -INVAr 21050 • 1 ♂; upper Galilee, north slope of Mount Meron, Meron Field School; 33.01667° N, 35.39167° E; 1 Nov. 2013; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 2 imm.; lower Galilee, near Teverya (Tiberias), Berniki, large cave; 32.7775° N, 35.5401° E; 27 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21051 • 1 ♀; lower Galilee, near Teverya (Tiberias), Berniki, medium cave; 32.7768° N, 35.5413° E; 27 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21052 • 1 ♂; Mount Karmel, HaKarmel Nature Reserve, Karmel Ridge, Nahal Me’arot; Gamal cave; [32.6705° N, 34.96598° E]; 4 Nov. 2013; D. Rotem leg.; SMNH • 1 ♀; Mount Karmel, near Hefa (Haifa), HaKarmel Nature Reserve, Karmel Ridge; Ornit cave, inside cave; 32.7567° N, 34.98975° E; 209 m. a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2020; I.L.F. Magalhaes, E. Gavish-Regev, Z. Ganem, S. Aharon and M. Arnedo leg.; MACN-Ar 41215 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 41813 • 1 ♂; Mount Karmel, Yagur; [32.74153° N, 35.07683° E]; 4 Dec. 1939; HUJ-INVAr 20283 • 1 ♀; coast of Karmel, ‘ Atlit; [32.69088° N, 34.94291° E]; 8 Sep. 1944; HUJ-INVAr 20287 • 1 ♂; coast of Karmel, Ma'agan Mikha'el, malaise trap; [32.55871° N, 34.91782° E]; 2–28 Dec. 2010; W. Kuslitzky leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 12 Oct. 1992; Y. Lubin leg.; HUJ • 1 ♀; coast of Karmel, route to Zikhron-Y’aqov [32.57391° N, 34.95198° E]; 24 Mar. 1940; HUJ-INVAr 20286 • 1 ♀; Judean Hills, ‘ Adullam National Park, Midras; 31.655° N, 34.94167° E; 15 Nov. 2012; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH IFM-0272 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Judean Hills, ‘ Adullam National Park; [31.64474° N, 34.96089° E]; Apr. 2003; U. Columbus leg.; SMNH • 2 ♂♂; same locality as for preceding; 20 May 2002; Y. Mandelik and A. Landsman leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; Judean Hills, Ramat Avishur; [31.65° N, 34.92° E]; 14 May 2002; Y. Mandelik leg.; pitfall trap; HUJ • 1 ♀; Judean Mountains, Jerusalem; [31.78333° N, 35.2° E]; 29 May 1944; A. Shulov leg.; HUJ-INVAr 20288 • 1 ♀, 1 imm.; same locality as for preceding; Oct. 1936; A. Shulov leg.; HUJ-INVAr 20284 • 1 ♀; Judean Mountains, Newe Ya’akov (= Kefar Ivri); [31.84177° N, 35.24276°]; 30 Dec. 1939; A. Shulov leg.; HUJ-INVAr 20289 • 1 ♀; Judean Mountains, Qiryat'Anavim, under bark; [31.80991° N, 35.12084° E]; 20 Jan. 1940; HUJ-INVAr 20285 • 1 ♂; Samaria, Gilboa'; [32.48248° N, 35.42137° E]; 30 Jan. 2011; L. Friedman and C. Drees leg.; SMNH • 1 ♀; Samaria, Sal’it cave; 32.2454° N, 35.0456° E; 25 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21053 • 1 ♂; Sharon plain, Ramot Hashavim, in house; 32.16667° N, 34.88333° E; 9 Mar. 2013; T. Eshcoly leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; Jordan Valley, Nahal HaGal; [32.6341° N, 35.534° E]; 16 Jul. 2010; C. Drees and L. Friedman leg.; SMNH • 2 imm.; Jordan Valley, Nir Dawid (= Tel’ Amal); [32.50406° N, 35.45762° E]; 29 Sep. 1939; A. Shulov leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21061. ITALY • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Sardinia, Baunei; [40.03175° N, 9.66327° E]; J. Wunderlich leg.; SMF 59579 • 1 ♂; Sardinia, Porto Torres; [40.83134° N, 8.40587° E]; 7 Apr. 1952; Esk. Zool. Just. Ffn. Leg.; SMF • 1 ♀; Sorgono; [40.0272° N, 9.10196° E]; 1917; Häuser and Krausse leg.; ZMB • 7 ♀♀, 6 imm.; Toscania, Siena, 4 km S of San Giminiano, Fattoria Voltrona; [43.46728° N, 11.04348° E]; 12 Dec. 2001; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN-Ar 10378 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 10379. JORDAN • 1 ♂; Amman, Fuhais; [32.00408° N, 35.78451° E]; Dec. 1980; R. Kinzelbach leg.; SMF 57068. MOROCCO • 1 ♀; Saffi; [32.30082° N, 9.2272° W]; Quedenfeldt leg.; ZMB • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Sefrou, Travertine Falls; 33.83333° N, 4.83333° W; 25 Dec. 1986; V. and B. Roth leg.; CAS 9060650 • 1 imm.; same locality as for preceding; 25 Dec. 1996; V. Roth leg.; CAS 9057617 • 1 ♀, 1 imm.; Souss-Massa- Draâ, Ouarzazate, Amerzgane, Telouet; 31.06659° N, 7.14178° W; Oct. 2016; M. Stockmann leg.; MACN-Ar 41845 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Tafilalt, Errachidia, Aoufous, Ziz Valley; 31.75176° N, 4.1968° W; Oct. 2016; M. Stockmann leg.; MACN-Ar 39463. PALESTINE • 1 ♀; Judean desert, 15 km E of Jerusalem, Fawar Spring, Wadi Qelt; [31.8401° N, 35.3489° E]; 7 Mar. 1975; H.W. Levi leg.; MCZ 39890 • 1 ♀, 1 imm.; Judean desert, Nahal Perat Nature Reserve, Inbal cave; 31.8332° N, 35.3019° E; 26 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 21054 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Judean desert, Nahal Perat Nature Reserve, I’qul cave; [31.8318° N, 35.30842° E]; 26 May 2014; S. Aharon and E. Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ-INVAr 20276. SPAIN • 4 ♀♀; Alicante, Benidorm; [38.54106° N, 0.12249° W]; 1961; K.W. Haller leg.; AMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 3 imm.; same collection data as for preceding; AMNH • 1 ♀; Almeria, 25 km from Almeria, Salinas de Cerillos; [36.70498° N, 2.66982° W]; 25 Jun. 1967; B. Malkin leg.; AMNH • 1 imm.; Balearic Islands, Mallorca, Colonia de Sant Jordi, 50 km SE of Palma, on house walls; 39.31727° N, 2.99381° E; 15 Sep. 2007; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN-Ar 20558 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 20560 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 20561 • 1 imm.; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 20564 • 1 ♀; Balearic Islands, Mallorca, Colonia Saint Jordi, 50 km SE of Palma, on walls of houses; [39.31727° N, 2.99381° E]; 15 Sep. 2007; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN- Ar 42348 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 42347 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 42346 • 1 ♀; Barcelona; [41.38504° N, 2.17347° E]; 13 Sep. 1986; J.A. Coddington leg.; caught in the middle of an imaginal molt, has two sets of spermathecae; USNM 1656 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; USNM 1656 • 2 ♂♂; Castellón, N of L’Alcora, stone walls; 40.08974° N, 0.19945° W; 300 m. a.s.l.; 30 May 2010; S. Huber and A. Schönhofer leg.; at night; SMF • 1 ♀; Cataluña, Barcelona, Barcelona; 41.40423° N, 21.54461° E; Jan. 1988; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN- Ar 20562 • 1 ♀, 1 imm.; Madrid; [40.41678° N, 3.70379° W]; 1961; K.W. Haller leg.; AMNH • 3 ♀♀, 1 imm.; Madrid, Navas del Rey; [40.38776° N, 4.25° W]; 1961; K.W. Haller leg.; AMNH • 9 ♀♀, 11 imm.; Madrid, Vaciamadrid; [40.35191° N, 3.53573° W]; 1961; K.W. Haller leg.; AMNH • 22 ♀♀, 6 imm.; Madrid, Vaciamadrid; 1961; K.W. Haller leg.; AMNH • 1 ♀; Murcia, Fortuna, Espacio Natural de Ajanque; [38.14949° N, 1.10128° W]; CRBA 861 • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 19 Jun. 2004; CRBA 860 • 4 ♀♀, 1 imm.; Tarragona, Monte Poulet; 41.11903° N, 1.24451° E; 23 Dec. 1986; M.J. Ramírez leg.; MACN-Ar 20559 • 1 ♂; Teruel, Molinos; 40.81945° N, 0.45083° W; Apr. 1985; J. Moles leg.; MACN-Ar 20565 • 1 ♀, 1 imm.; no further data, on a slope; [39.66422° N, 0.22674° W]; 17 Jun. 1993; S. Lideese leg.; ZMB 30578. TUNISIA • 1 ♀; Djerba; [33.8076° N, 10.84515° E]; V. Bilgner leg.; ZMB K.786. VENEZUELA • 1 ♀; Miranda, Caracas suburbs, caves near Cementerio del Este; [10.45038° N, 66.81118° W]; Jul. 1986; J.A. Coddington leg.; USNM 3222. NO DATA • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 2 imm.; Mediterranean region; ZMB • 1 ♀; ZMB 533 • 1 ♀; ZMB 580 • 1 ♀; MNRJ 1434. Distribution Widely distributed in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East (Fig. 4A), with records (probably introduced) in the Azores, Socotra Island, Cabo Verde, Angola and Venezuela. In Israel, it is distributed in Mediterranean areas in the north (Fig. 4B); in some localities only females are known, and thus it is possible these records could belong to F. betarif sp. nov., although it is more likely these records are of F. insidiatrix since they broadly overlap with records of males.Published as part of Magalhaes, Ivan L. F., Aharon, Shlomi, Ganem, Zeana & Gavish-Regev, Efrat, 2022, A new semi-cryptic Filistata from caves in the Levant with comments on the limits of Filistata insidiatrix (Forsskål, 1775) (Arachnida: Araneae: Filistatidae), pp. 149-174 in European Journal of Taxonomy 831 on pages 155-161, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.831.1875, http://zenodo.org/record/691693
Listening as Contemplation: A reflexive thematic analysis of listening to modular-based compositions
No full textThis paper and the live demonstration that accompanies it constitute part of a practice-based autoethnography that focuses on an engagement with modular synthesizers in the process of composing electronic music. Driven by the author’s meditation practice, this study examines how modular-based practices might embody, articulate, and promote contemplative insights, i.e., experiential understandings that arise through meditation. To develop effective approaches for working with this concept, the author employs the enquiry cycle of self-reflection: an iterative approach borrowed from action research, divided into stages of planning, acting, and reflecting on action (Haseman, 2010). This entails developing bespoke hardware and software configurations alongside musical sketches, recording performances of those sketches, and reflecting on the recordings before repeating the cycle. In this process, different methods for capturing data are used at different stages of the cycle, including text-based logs, patch diagrams and audio-visual journals.
Based on autoethnographic data collected and analysed elsewhere, certain guiding principles for contemplative music making are established upon initiating the cycle. These include pattern-based repetition, gradual musical process, timbral transformation and a particular interest in spatial effects. These emphases are seen to reflect the Buddhist notion of emptiness, according to which all objects—both physical and imaginary—are empty of their own existence, products of a complex web of causes and conditions. Following these guidelines, the author suggests several modular-based tools and techniques. Sequencing, for one, is offered as a way of establishing patterns, whereas sequence operations and delay processes create permutations and a sense of polyphony through pattern-overlay. Working with the idea of space as material, the case of the Make Noise Erbe-Verb is examined due to its affordance of flexible voltage control over digital reverb parameters. Finally, the author examines working with the harmonic oscillator, a device that employs Pythagorean just intonation to create complex timbres.
Showcasing his contemplative approach for working with modular synthesizers, the author performs a selection of works in progress using the suggested setup. Much like the practice of vipassana, where attention is directed towards the flux of bodily sensations, the resultant pieces promote a shift from goal-oriented, teleological forms of listening to a moment-to-moment observation of sound as changing phenomenon
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