The dermestid beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) of the Maltese Archipelago (Central Mediterranean)

The dermestid beetle fauna of the Maltese Islands is reviewed, based on literature records and where possible examination of earlier citations and of recently collected material. Nintheen species of Dermestidae are reported for the Maltese Islands and the following ones represent new records for this area: Dermestes (Dermestinus) maculatus DeGeer, 1774, Attagenus civetta (Mulsant et Rey, 1868), Attagenus fasciatus (Thunberg, 1795), Anthrenus (Anthrenus) delicatus Kiesenwetter, 1851, A. (A.) flavipes flavipes LeConte, 1854, A. (A.) dorsatus Mulsant et Rey, 1868, Trogoderma glabrum (Herbst, 1783), and T. inclusum LeConte, 1854. A new synonym are proposed: Attagenus tigrinus (Fabricius, 1792) (= Attagenus maltensis Pic, 1894 syn. n.)peer-reviewe

Discontinuities in recurrent neural networks

This paper studies the computational power of various discontinuous real computational models that are based on the classical analog recurrent neural network (ARNN). This ARNN consists of finite number of neurons; each neuron computes a polynomial net-function and a sigmoid-like continuous activation-function. The authors introducePostprint (published version

Complex Systems Science and Brain Dynamics

Brain systems with their complex and temporally intricate dynamics have been difficult to unravel and comprehend. While great advances have been made in understanding genetics, neural behavior, gray versus white matter and synaptic plasticity, it remains a particular challenge to understand how human diseases and disorders develop from internal neural level irregularities, e.g., in channels, membranes and mutations before they lead to an observable disease. The field of system biology has advanced significantly, giving rise to high expectations of tying separate biological phenomena into more expansive rational systems. Denis Noble, a pioneer of systems biology, who developed the first viable mathematical model of the working heart in 1960, has been influential in calling the community to focus on creating computer and mathematical models of organic life to interpret functions from the molecular level to that of the whole organism (Noble, 2006). Our approach to modelin

To Kill or Not to Kill: (When) That Is the Question? A Legislative Treatise on Battered Israeli Women Facing a Dead End Road

This Paper seeks to examine the legal framework in which the self-defense exception is applied in Israel in circumstances of domestic violence. The Paper scrutinizes the issue with reference to recent amendments to the Israeli Penal Code pertaining to the ‘castledefense’ which grants a person defending his home and property-wide protection from criminal liability. In light of these amendments, the lack of legislative harmony between the exception to criminal liability applied when defending property and the deficient protection afforded to victims of ongoing, severe domestic violence, is striking. Aside from a critical review of Israeli legislation on the issue, this Paper suggests an appropriate legal framework to apply the selfdefense exception in circumstances of domestic abuse. The proposal creates legal harmony within the self-defense exceptions in Israeli criminal law, taking the path of legislative amendments enacted recently in the Australian state of Victoria, as well as several states in the United States