The Geo-biographies of Spatial Knowledge: Regional Planning from Israel to Sierra Leone and Back

This article examines the flow of spatial knowledge in different locations and territorial scales, focusing on the geographies of regional planning and its transplantation in the work of two Israeli planners, Arie and Ursula Oelsner. We argue that too often, researchers focus on the movement of spatial knowledge from Western countries to developing countries. We shed light on alternative ways in which this traffic follows different models, that are related to specific political and national constellations. Based on historical study and a thick description of two projects in Israel and Africa planned by these two Israeli planners, we show that spatial knowledge is not only the generator of discourse and of the professional community partaking in it, but also traverses space, crossing national borders and geographies. This dynamic, we suggest, has a politics of its own, as part of its movement and development within the global space, particularly in the movement between first and third worlds

Technopolitics, Development and the Colonial-Postcolonial Nexus: Revisiting Settlements Development Aid from Israel to Africa

This article focuses on the interrelationship between colonial development in Israel and the export of knowledge and practices to Africa. We argue that at the core of the Israeli aid project to Africa is the Cold War and the global technopolitics of this era, that is, the use of technological methods and practices to achieve political ends. The main question to be discussed throughout this article is whether the Zionist settlement enterprise and its ‘export’ to Africa is not only a unique historical event but rather is part of the global imperial debate. We point to the way in which the technopolitics of development in Israel is directly related to the concepts prevalent in the country during the period under discussion in several interrelated ways. First, it was embedded in an Orientalist discourse in which the ‘backward native’ becomes a consumer of modern technologies migrating from a territory where knowledge is produced to the territories that consume its products. Second, the view of Africa was part of a wider epistemological system in which orientalism was also ‘inward’ both toward the Jewish Mizrahi population and to the Palestinian population

Doxycycline induced oesophageal ulcers in a navy ship crewmember

A healthy 25-year-old crewmember of a navy ship was diagnosed with suspected pneumonia and prescribed 100 mg twice a day of doxycycline for 10 days. During the 7th day of treatment the patient joined his navy ship to sail aboard and 2 days later, immediately after taking the doxycycline capsule, he felt a forceful pain in the median chest which was followed with odynophagia of both solid foods and liquids. The patient adhered to the administration guidelines of the doxycycline, except drinking 330 mL of beer, 3 h before taking the capsule. A working diagnosis of atypical chest pain, possibly due to oesophagitis, was made. The patient was advised to fast and rest and treatment with intravenously (IV) H2-receptor antagonist, clear fluids and analgesics was started. Later on, due to lack of improvement in the patient’s status and the potential risk of future deterioration, a decision was made to evacuate the patient to a hospital. Gastroscopy, revealed 3 ulcers in the mid-oesophagus and the patient was hospitalised for treated of IV antacids and fluids with gradual improvement. This case emphasizes the limitation of diagnosing and treating a common side effect in the middle of the sea and the potential risk in taking medications with alcohol

ivrit.ai: A Comprehensive Dataset of Hebrew Speech for AI Research and Development

We introduce "ivrit.ai", a comprehensive Hebrew speech dataset, addressing the distinct lack of extensive, high-quality resources for advancing Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology in Hebrew. With over 3,300 speech hours and a over a thousand diverse speakers, ivrit.ai offers a substantial compilation of Hebrew speech across various contexts. It is delivered in three forms to cater to varying research needs: raw unprocessed audio; data post-Voice Activity Detection, and partially transcribed data. The dataset stands out for its legal accessibility, permitting use at no cost, thereby serving as a crucial resource for researchers, developers, and commercial entities. ivrit.ai opens up numerous applications, offering vast potential to enhance AI capabilities in Hebrew. Future efforts aim to expand ivrit.ai further, thereby advancing Hebrew's standing in AI research and technology.Comment: 9 pages, 1 table and 3 figure

Planning, Justice and LGBT Urban Politics in Tel-Aviv : a Queer Dilemma

The paper discusses planning policies and urban politics, their relation to LGBT communities in the city, and their potential to promote spatial justice within the local planning policies. The paper briefly reviews the main theoretical issues discussed in the literature regarding the connection between planning and sexuality. It also reviews three theoretical concepts of justice that relate to planning policy and urban politics: distributive Justice, procedural justice and recognition. The case study of the Gay Center at Tel Aviv's Meir Park is analyzed with reference to these three spatial justice concepts. The main argument is that the center is a clear example of distributive and procedural justice. However, when we analyze this case study in light of the concept of recognition, the findings are somewhat ambiguous. On the one hand, the case of the Gay Center indicates growing recognition of Tel Aviv's LGBT community. On the other hand, a queer analysis shows that this recognition is partial as it is limited to certain parts of the community and to spaces frequented by LGBTs in Tel-Aviv.El document discuteix les polítiques de planificació i la política urbana, la seva relació amb les comunitats LGBT a la ciutat i el seu potencial per promoure la justícia espacial dins de les polítiques de planificació locals. El document revisa breument els principals temes teòrics tractats a la literatura sobre la connexió entre planificació i sexualitat. També es revisen tres conceptes teòrics de justícia relacionats amb la política de planificació i la política urbana: la justícia distributiva, la justícia processal i el reconeixement. L'estudi de cas del Centre Gai al Parc Meir de Tel-Aviv s'analitza amb referència a aquests tres conceptes de justícia espacial. L'argument principal és que el centre és un clar exemple de justícia distributiva i processal. No obstant això, quan analitzem aquest cas a la llum del concepte de reconeixement, les conclusions són una mica ambigües. D'una banda, el cas del Centre Gai indica un reconeixement creixent de la comunitat LGBT de Tel-Aviv. D'altra banda, una anàlisi queer mostra que aquest reconeixement és parcial, ja que es limita a certes parts de la comunitat i als espais freqüentats per LGBT a Tel-Aviv.El documento analiza las políticas de planificación y las políticas urbanas, su relación con las comunidades LGBT en la ciudad y su potencial para promover la justicia espacial dentro de las políticas de planificación local. El artículo revisa brevemente los principales temas teóricos discutidos en la literatura con respecto a la conexión entre planificación y sexualidad. También revisa tres conceptos teóricos de la justicia que se relacionan con la política de planificación y las políticas urbanas: la justicia distributiva, la justicia procesal y el reconocimiento. El estudio de caso del Centro Gay en el Parque Meir de Tel-Aviv se analiza con referencia a estos tres conceptos de justicia espacial. El argumento principal es que el centro es un claro ejemplo de justicia distributiva y procesal. Sin embargo, cuando analizamos este estudio de caso a la luz del concepto de reconocimiento, los hallazgos son algo ambiguos. Por un lado, el caso del Centro Gay indica un creciente reconocimiento de la comunidad LGBT de Tel-Aviv. Por otro lado, un análisis queer muestra que este reconocimiento es parcial, ya que está limitado a ciertas partes de la comunidad y a los espacios frecuentados por LGBT en Tel-Aviv.Le document traite des politiques de planification et des politiques urbaines, de leurs relations avec les communautés LGBT de la ville et de leur potentiel à promouvoir la justice spatiale dans les politiques de planification locales. Le document passe brièvement en revue les principales questions théoriques abordées dans la littérature concernant le lien entre planification et sexualité. Il passe également en revue trois concepts théoriques de la justice liés aux politiques de planification et à la politique urbaine : la justice distributive, la justice procédurale et la reconnaissance. L'étude de cas du Centre gay du parc Meir de Tel Aviv est analysée en référence à ces trois concepts de justice spatiale. L'argument principal est que le centre est un clair exemple de justice distributive et procédurale. Cependant, lorsque nous analysons cette étude de cas à la lumière du concept de reconnaissance, les résultats sont quelque peu ambigus. D'une part, le cas du Gay Center indique une reconnaissance croissante de la communauté LGBT de Tel Aviv. D'autre part, une analyse queer montre que cette reconnaissance est partielle, car elle se limite à certaines parties de la communauté et aux espaces fréquentés par les LGBT à Tel-Aviv

Judíos, indios y el mito del crimen ritual. El caso de Chamula, Chiapas, 1868

Between 1867 and 1869 in the Chiapas Highlands of Mexico, indigenous people of the Tsotsil Mayan municipality of Chamula rebelled against the mixed-blood “ladinos” of the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas. According to “official history”, the indigenous people were accused of crucifying a child from Chamula on Holy Friday, 1868. This accusation may be compared with the “blood libel,” which was blamed on the Jews. In both cases, a child was said to be sacrificed through a ritual crime imitating the Passion of Christ, in which the spilled blood was consumed. The transference of the blood libel against the Jews to the indigenous people of Mexico begs us to ask whether the latter event as an isolated occurrence or a response to a more elaborate system of thought linking the “savage Indian” with the Jew, assassin of the Son of God.Entre 1867 y 1869 se vivió en Los Altos de Chiapas la rebelión de los indios chamulas contra los ladinos de San Cristóbal de Las Casas conocida como Guerra de Castas. Según la historia oficial, los indígenas crucificaron el Viernes Santo de 1868 a un niño de dicha comunidad tsotsil. Este hecho puede compararse con la "leyenda de sangre" imputada a los judíos, y su transferencia a los indios suscita preguntarse si se trata de un suceso aislado, o si responde a una lógica que vincula al indio salvaje con el judío como el asesino del Hijo de Dios

Potentially toxic metals in historic landfill sites: Implications for grazing animals

Municipal waste disposal is an increasing global problem, frequently solved by the use of landfill sites. Following closure, such sites contain a legacy of pollutants and must be managed to provide a safe and useful end life. The soils and vegetation from four historic landfill sites were analysed to determine the extent of pollution by potentially toxic metals (PTMs). Data were subsequently assessed to determine if post closure uses involving grazing were safe for the animals. The heaviest and widest spread soil contamination was due to Ni. Concentrations at all sites exceeded the 95th percentile value for rural soils, in one case by a factor of 30. Cu and Pb contamination was identified at some sites, but no evidence of Al or Zn contamination was found. Oral bioaccessibility testing showed that the availability of Ni in soil was exceedingly low, whilst that of Cu and Pb was high. Concentrations in plant shoots differed significantly amongst the sites, but interspecific differences in shoot concentration were only significant in the case of Cu. The results indicated that exposure levels to grazers would be at or below tolerable levels, indicating that it is generally safe to graze historic landfill. However, animals could be exposed to higher levels of PTMs than would be expected from rural locations, and grazing under conditions where soil consumption may be high could result in levels of exposure to Al, Ni and Pb exceeding tolerable levels. © Springer International Publishing 2014

Synergism among oxidants, proteinases, phospholipases, microbial hemolysins, cationic proteins, and cytokines

A striking similarity exists between the pathogenetic properties of group A streptococci and those of activated mammalian professional phagocytes (neutrophils, macrophages). Both types of cells are endowed by the ability to adhere to target cells; to elaborate oxidants, hydrolases, and membrane-active agents (hemolysins, phospholipases); and to freely invade tissues and destroy cells. From the evolutionary point of view, streptococci might justifiably be considered the forefathers of “modern” leukocytes. Our earlier findings that synergy between a streptococcal hemolysin (streptolysin S, SLS) and a streptococcal thiol-dependent proteinase and between cytotoxic antibodies + complement and streptokinase-activated plasmin readily killed tumor cells, led us to hypothesize that by analogy to the pathogenetic mechanisms of streptococci, the mechanisms of tissue destruction initiated by activated leukocytes in inflammatory sites, as well as in tissues undergoing episodes of ischemia and reperfusion, might also be the result of the synergistic effects among leukocyte-derived oxidants, phospholipases, proteinases, cytokines, and cationic proteins. The current report extends our previous synergy studies with endothelial cells to two additional cell types-monkey kidney epithelial cells and rat beating heart cells. Monolayers of 51 Cr-labeled cells that had been treated by combinations of sublytic amounts of hydrogen peroxide (generated either by glucose oxidase, xanthine-xanthine oxidase, or by paraquat) and with sublytic amounts of a variety of membrane-active agents (streptolysin S, phospholipases A 2 and C, lysophosphatides, histone, chlorhexidine) were killed in a synergistic manner (double synergy). Crystalline trypsin markedly enhanced cell killing by combinations of oxidant and the membrane-active agents (triple synergy). Injury to the cells was characterized by the appearance of large membrane blebs that detached from the cells and floated freely in the media, looking like lipid droplets. Cytotoxicity induced by the various combinations of agonists was depressed, to a large extent, by scavengers of hydrogen peroxide (catalase, dimethyl thiourea, and by Mn 2+ ) but not by SOD or by deferoxamine. When cationic agents were employed together with hydrogen peroxide, polyanions (heparin, polyanethole sulfonate) were also found to inhibit cell killing. It is proposed that in order to effectively combat the deleterious toxic effects of leukocyte-derived agonists on cells and tissues, antagonistic “cocktails” comprised of cationized catalase, cationized SOD, dimethylthiourea, Mn 2+ + glycine, proteinase inhibitors, putative inhibitors of phospholipases, and polyanions might be concocted. The current literature on synergistic phenomena pertaining to mechanisms of cell and tissue injury in inflammation is selectively reviewed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44507/1/10753_2004_Article_BF00918977.pd

Value incoherence precedes value change: Evidence from value development in childhood and adolescence across cultures

We test the theory that personality incoherence may instigate personality change in the context of personal values. Values’ near-universal organization makes value incoherence assessment straightforward. The study included 13 longitudinal samples from seven cultures (Australia, Israel Palestinian citizens, Israel Jewish majority, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Switzerland), total N = 7,126, and T1 Mage ranging between 6 and 18. Each participant reported values between two- and six-times. Using unfolding analysis, we calculated the fit of the internal value structure of each participant at the first time point to the value structure in their sample (normative structure) and to the theoretical structure of values. We estimated value change using Growth Curve Modeling (when at least three measurement times were available) and the difference between T1 and T2 in each sample. We correlated value incoherence with value change and estimated the effect across samples using a meta-analysis. Incoherence with the structure of values predicted greater value change. The associations were stronger when participant’s value structures were compared to the normative value structure at T1 than when they were compared to the theoretical structure. A meta-regression analysis indicated that effects were not moderated by age. We discuss possible underlying processes and implications for personality development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio