Showing papers by "University of Haifa published in 1979"

Genetic diversity and environmental associations of wild barley, hordeum spontaneum, in israel.

Abstract: Genetic variability within and between populations of the wild progenitor of barley was studied electrophoretically. Thirty enzyme loci were assayed in 437 individuals representing 11 populations ofH. spontaneum in Turkey. The results indicated that: (a)H. spontaneum in Turkey is genetically rich in allozyme variation, but because of predominant self-pollination the variation is maintained as different homozygotes in the population; (b) genetic differentiation of populations includes clinal, regional, and local patterns, sometimes displaying sharp geographic differentiation over short distances; (c) overall indices of allozymic diversity and some allele frequencies of wild barley are significantly correlated with the environment and are predictable ecologically, chiefly by combinations of temperature and humidity variables; (d) a high percentage of alleles (66%) occur in local areas or are distributed sporadically rather than widespread; (e) Wright Fixation index was very high, F=0.995; (f) genetic distance was high (D=0.11, ranging from 0.031 to 0.288) between populations, and (g) average relative genetic differentiation was high among populations (Gst=0.47, ranging from 0.02 to 0.66).

The Poll Tax in Sasanian Babylonia the Talmudic Evidence

Abstract: The BT evidence on the poll tax in Babylonia dates on the whole to the fourth century. It therefore provides evidence for a period in which we lack detailed information on Sasanian taxation. The evidence consisted of nineteen pericopae comprising legal discussions, anecdotes, and Biblical exegesis. The details on the tax were generally mentioned only in passing. In several cases, we could not be sure of the precise meaning or implication of the passages or of crucial terms appearing in them. Consequently, the information we derived from these sources did not yield a coherent picture, and our conclusions were often tentative. But since we have almost no other evidence for this period, whatever we can learn is of value. I shall summarize here the results of my investigation.

Academic Achievement of Elementary School Children in Small-Group versus Whole-Class Instruction

Abstract: A three week experiment was conducted comparing the academic achievement of pupils in five classrooms (N = 108) taught in small cooperative groups against that of pupils from five classes (N = 109) taught in the traditional whole-class approach. Special achievement tests were prepared for each grade level, two through six. These tests were constructed with items requiring responses at low and high levels of cognitive functioning. Pupils in grades two, four, and six from small-group classrooms excelled on high level items as predicted. Pupils in the fifth grade produced superior answers on questions requiring original contributions. Achievement scores of both groups did not differ on items measuring low level cognitive functioning.

Personal and Social Components of the Protestant Ethic

Abstract: Summary In an attempt to assess social group correlates of scores on the Mirels-Garrett Protestant Ethic scale, 219 American male and female students were administered the scale, together with items dealing with religious group affiliation, ethnic self-identification, political self-identification, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs. Results showed that for the American students, Protestant Ethic scores were related significantly to religious self-identification, ethnic background, political self-identification, and religious beliefs. They were not related to socioeconomic status. Results are interpreted as indicating that for the American student sample Protestant Ethic scores are not a “personality variable” but reflect social and cultural background elements.

Pollintation ecology of, and hybridization between, orchis coriophora l. and o. collina sol. ex russ. (orchid aceae) in israel

Abstract: Summary The flower of Orchis coriophora L. contains free nectar in the spur and is very fragant; it attracts a large gallery of pollinators mainly Apis mellifera. The capsule production rate is about 90% O. collina Sol. ex Russ. has empty spurs and is scentless; pollinators are scarce and capsule production rate is about 25%. The species are sympatric in some habitats in Israel and create rare hybrids which seem to be the result of common pollinators. It is suggested that each of the two species represents different pollination strategy in the genus. This view and the implications on self and cross pollination are discussed.

The Persian Economy in the Mid-19Th Century

Abstract: A new chapter in Persia's economic history started in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Although it is true that the deviation was not complete, and that certain economic changes were already becoming evident somewhat earlier, the more significant developments, which changed the economic structure of Persia and modernized its economic system, did not begin before the last thirty odd years of the 19th century. It is the aim of this study to present an outline of the main characteristics of the Persian economy prior to the period of modernization and change, namely in and around the 1850s.

Genetic diversity in the wild progenitor of barley in Israel

Abstract: Genetic structure of populations ofHordeum spontaneum, the wild progenitor of barley, was studied electropho-retically in proteins encoded by 28 gene loci in 1179 individuals representing 28 populations covering the entire ecological range in Israel; for comparison, the same test was conducted in 100 random seeds of Composite Cross XXI (generation 17) of cultivated barley,Hordeum vulgare. The results indicate that: a)H. spontaneum in Israel is genetically highly polymorphic, b) clinal, regional and local genetic patterns are significantly correlated with and predictable by climatic and soil variables, suggesting the operation of natural selection, and c) natural populations are on the average more variable than the tested Composite Cross generation. This genetic variation awaits testing and exploitation in breeding programs.

Genetic diversity and climatic determinants of tree frogs in Israel.

Abstract: Allozymic variation in proteins encoded by 27 loci was analyzed electrophoretically in 218 adult specimens, mostly males, representing 8 populations, 5 central and 3 marginal, of lemon yellow treefrogs, Hyla arborea savignyi, in Israel along two transects of increasing aridity: (a) north to south and (b) west to east. The results indicate that (a) Of the 27 loci examined, 5 are monomorphic in all 8 populations; 9 are locally and weakly polymorphic; 6 are regionally and weakly polymorphic; and 7 are regionally and strongly polymorphic; (b) In the populations studied, no alternative fixations were found in any of the 27 loci, except in the Wasit population. The commonest allele predominates across all populations, except Wasit, central as well as marginal; (c) Clinal patterns associated with increasing aridity southwards and eastwards occur in polymorphism, P, heterozygosity, H, and in allele frequencies of Ldh-1, Fum, Got-1, and Sdh; (d) For habitat generalists, treefrogs have above average number of alleles per locus, A, and polymorphism, P, while the heterozygosity, H, is average. All three estimates A, P, and H exhibit wide geographic variation decreasing progressively southwards and eastwards; (e) Central populations harbor more genic variation then marginal populations; (f) Genic similarity between populations is high; (g) Significant gametic phase disequilibria were found in several tests in 2 populations; (h) P, H, and allozymic variation in several gene loci are significantly correlated and predictable by environmental variables, primarily those related to water; (i) Morphological and allozymic variations are uncorrelated.

Bedload transport associated with high stream power, Jordan River, Israel

Abstract: During a flood of a magnitude that recurs once in 100 years, boulders up to 1700 mm in size were transported in the Jordan and Meshushim Rivers, northern Israel. Bedload discharge rates were estimated for periods of 3-72 hr of peak flow by a combination of hydrologic and geomorphic methods. Bedload transport rate is proportional to unit stream power in excess of that necessary for initial motion, raised to the power 3/2, as has been shown for data on other rivers.

Background killing vectors and conservation laws in Rosen's bimetric theories of gravitation

Abstract: The problem of global energy, linear momentum, and angular momentum in Rosen's bimetric theories of gravitation is considered from the point of view of motions of the background space-time. It turns out that by means of background Killing vectors global mechanical integrals for matter and field can be defined in a correct manner. For the flat-background bimetric theory conditions are obtained which have been imposed on the algebraic structure of the matter tensorT v μ in order to get global mechanical conservation laws. For bimetric gravitation theories based on a cosmological (nonflat) background the set of Killing vectors is found. For these theories the obtained restrictions on the algebraic structure ofT v μ lead to global generation laws (instead of conservation laws in the flat-background theory) for mechanical quantities. In particular cases the generation effect vanishes and then conservation laws exist. By means of the method developed in this paper, Rosen's homogeneous isotropic universe in the framework of the cosmological-background bimetric theory withk=1 is considered. It turns out that such a universe does not generate globally, but will generate locally. The global energy of this universe is found to be zero.

The Middle East in China's foreign policy, 1949-1977

Abstract: List of tables Abbreviations Preface Introduction 1. China's encounter with the Middle East 2. Sino-Arab peaceful co-existence 3. The struggle against imperialism 4. The struggle against imperialism and revisionism 5. The struggle against social imperialism Conclusion Appendix I: the Middle East in China's foreign ministry: structure and personnel Appendix II: the Middle East in China's economic relations Notes Bibliography Index.

Locus of control and success in self-initiated attempts to stop smoking

Abstract: Investigated the relationship between self-control behavior and individual differences on Rotter's I-E scale. Ss (N = 42) who were successful in self-initiated attempts to stop smoking showed a more internal locus of control than Ss who were either unsuccessful in their attempts to quit or who never attempted to quit smoking on their own. Further, it was found that Ss who succeeded in quitting were more likely to use abrupt smoking cessation techniques than those who failed in their attempts to quit smoking. The results of this study point out the importance of the locus of control orientation in designing self-control programs for the modification of smoking behavior.

Figural symbolism in Chinese ideographs.

Abstract: Hebrew-speaking subjects were presented with 42 pairs of Chinese characters designating antonymic concepts and were required to match them with their corresponding Hebrew words. Correct translation was significant and was related to foreign language study and academic experience. Highest success was found for the activity domain of the semantic differential and for attributes judged to afford a diagrammatic representation. Examination of the character-referent relationships suggested that translation success was due to principles of figural symbolism rather than to pictographic representation of the attributes in question. The results are seen as suggestive of the effects of figural symbolization on the invention and/or evolution of natural scripts and are discussed in terms of the manner in which the graphic medium has been fashioned to convey abstract concepts.

A note on a modified block replacement policy for units with increasing marginal running costs

Abstract: The model for a modified block replacement policy (MBRP) is extended to include running costs. An illustrative example is worked out for the case when item life is exponentially distributed and marginal running cost per unit time increases linearly with the age of the item.

Habitat selection in evolving mole rats.

Abstract: The actively speciating four chromosomal species of fossorial mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi complex in Israel (2n=52, 58, 54 and 60) which inhabit an increasingly arid environment in this order were tested to determine their habitat preference. The testing apparatus simulated four climatic regimes based on temperature and humidity combinations corresponding to the climatic origins of the four chromosomal species: coolhumid, cool-dry, warm-humid and warm-dry, respectively. The tests involved 175 adults comprising all four chromosome species and representing 10 populations. Out of the 139 analyzed animals 88% selected the warm cages and only 12% selected the cool cages. The four karyotype progressively preferred the warm-dry cage in the following order: 53, 59, 60 and 72% for 2n=58, 52, 54 and 60 respectively, largely in accord with their increasingly arid climatic origins. Even larger differences were found in populations within karyotypes in accord with the local climatic variation within a karyotype range. The results of our analysis indicate that the chromosomal species and populations select their climatic habitat in accord with the climatic conditions of their geographic localities. The humidity index appears to be the prime differentiator of habitat selection and may have been a substantial ecological factor in species differentiation and distribution of the Spalax ehrenbergi complex in Israel.

Learned helplessness and depression among Israeli women

Abstract: Depressed and nondepressed Ss were exposed to either inescapable noise or no noise conditions in an attempt to replicate a typical learned helplessness study (Miller & Seligman, 1975) with Israeli student nurses. The inescapable noise was presented either as a personally important task or as an unimportant task. When later tested on a series of 20 patterned anagrams, no performance differences were found between depressed and nondepressed Ss as was found in previous studies, nor did the importance manipulation affect performance. Within the depressed group only, it was found that the more the Ss believed they had control over the noise, the better was their performance in the anagrams. Similarly, only among the depressed was the rated aversiveness of the noise positively related to anagram performance. Depressed were only able to assess accurately the number of failures on the anagrams, while nondepressed did equally well in assessing both positive and negative aspects of their performance. The results are discussed in terms of Seligman's learned helplessness model of depression and Beck's cognitive model of depression.

Group Processes in Early Childhood: A Dimension of Human Development

Abstract: A family-centered view of socialization has dominated child development research literature. Particularly lacking is knowledge of the influences of group participation where it is available and enc...

The Social Ecology of Tel-Aviv A Study in Factor Analysis

Abstract: This article analyzes the urban ecology of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area using data from the 1972 census. The method used is factor analysis. The following factors are identified: (a) socioeconomic status: distributed along radial sectors; (b) life cycle stage: differentiated according to concentric zonal pattern; (c) religious orthodoxy: mostly concentrated in one of the suburban towns. A fourth factor whose interpretation is not clear appears to be associated with crowded housing conditions.

Environment and development: The case of Israel

Abstract: Israel is a developed society according to economic measures and a developing one by virtue of its social propensities. This fact affected environmental politics in two ways: there is an “environmental crisis” caused by industrialization and economic growth. This crisis, however, has not induced active environmental politics prevalent in most developed societies: demands for improvements are articulated by elites rather than by attentive publics; ideologies emphasize national development which override environmental considerations; responsive capabilities are low. This pattern of politics, which is typical of developing societies, was explained by the predominance of the national goals, manifested in the structure of the economic and political institutions. A third category to the “two world” model was suggested, in order to cover the gap between developing and developed societies which may occur in the transition of the former to the latter.

What teachers think about small‐group teaching

Abstract: A questionnaire assessing attitudes toward small‐group teaching (SGT) was administered to 442 elementary and secondary school teachers from 26 randomly selected schools in Israel. Data was collected on teachers’ prior experience with SGT, their knowledge of the basic characteristics of this approach and their perception of colleagues’ support for the use of innovative teaching techniques. Teachers expressed somewhat negative attitudes toward SGT on a scale dealing with teacher control of the class, but they were distinctly positive on a scale about the efficiency of SGT for presenting subject matter, and most positive regarding the effect of SGT on pupil development. Teachers experienced with SGT were more positive on 2 out of 3 attitude scales than were those with no experience. Data from measures of teachers’ understanding of SGT characteristics, their perception of colleagual support for innovative teaching and prior experience with SGT accounted for 30 per cent of the variance (canonical R = 0.55) in ...

Is death a proper subject for the classroom? Comments on death education.

Abstract: Agroup of teachers participating in a course on death education claimed, almost accusingly, that the incidence of death in their school communities had increased remarkably since they had begun delving into the subject. It does not take an expert in statistical probability to refute such statements and expose them as an inclination toward magical thinking. Yet such apprehensions should be approached with consideration. A programme of death education in the schools is controversial. The main issue in this controversy is whether death education should be part of the regular curriculum or whether death should only be dealt with as children are forced to face the deaths of relatives or members of the community. In either case, the teaching staff itself must have some prior preparation in death education so that it is equipped as well as possible to help its students grapple with a difficult, emotion-charged issue. Teachers’ attitudes toward death are not different from the attitudes common to adults in Western culture. Such attitudes are typically laden with anxiety and characterized by the avoidance reaction, rendering many adults incapable of dealing with the subject of death in an educational framework. An additional barrier is the idealization of childhood as a blissful

Community oriented preparation for emergency: Cope

Abstract: This article argues the case for anticipatory intervention in schools and community in order to enhance better coping behavior in times of crisis and emergency. The different situations of stress cover loss of parent through desertion or death; long absence of parent from family (army service, hospitalization, voyage); divorce; threat to freedom, to peace, to life through enemy attack; and threat to home and hearth via economic or natural disaster. It is argued that children and teachers will benefit from certain modes of behavior, given training and practice in them before a crisis occurs. Such behavior would facilitate open expression of inner stress, via verbal and nonverbal media. Specific instructional units for use in classrooms were developed by a group of special-education students from Haifa University, who helped to implement them in several elementary and high schools in a northern development town. The units cover a variety of activities: uses of literary material, stimuli for creativ...

Curriculum Implementation and the Nature of Curriculum Materials

Abstract: (1979). Curriculum Implementation and the Nature of Curriculum Materials. Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 247-255.

Training of teachers in strategies that develop independent learning skills in their pupils

Abstract: Summary This study explored various aspects of independent learning and should be considered a multi‐purpose project. In the first place, an attempt was made to identify some salient components of independent learning. We would not claim that independent learning consists of these components only; on the contrary, we assume that there are individual differences in the style and techniques of the independent learner. The justification for training teachers in this strategy is that it tries to develop more favourable pupil attitudes towards learning and thought processes such as fluency, divergency, analysis, synthesis, etc., which are considered important educational goals. Skills in locating and using materials and sources of information are agreed upon as important, but little is done to improve them. The second phase of the study focused on the teacher training strategy. The usual inservice education programmes, in universities or other settings, consist mainly of lectures and discussions. Workshops or ...