Showing papers by "University of Haifa published in 2008"
TL;DR: This article conducted a meta-analysis of all the studies reported in them and found that the overall mean weighted effect size was 0.53 (medium effect), which is quite similar to the average effect size of traditional, face-to-face therapy.
Abstract: Internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions have been used for more than a decade, but no comprehensive review and no extensive meta-analysis of their effectiveness have been conducted. We have collected all of the empirical articles published up to March 2006 (n = 64) that examine the effectiveness of online therapy of different forms and performed a meta-analysis of all the studies reported in them (n = 92). These studies involved a total of 9,764 clients who were treated through various Internet-based psychological interventions for a variety of problems, whose effectiveness was assessed by different types of measures. The overall mean weighted effect size was found to be 0.53 (medium effect), which is quite similar to the average effect size of traditional, face-to-face therapy. Next, we examined interacting effects of various possible relevant moderators of the effects of online therapy, including type of therapy (self-help web-based therapy versus online communication-based etherapy), ty...
1,142 citations
Book•
21 Jan 2008TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a discourse on thinking about (mathematical) thinking and its relation to discourse in the context of mathematical discourse, and discuss how we mathematize and what we do about it.
Abstract: Introduction Part I. Discourse on Thinking: 1. Puzzling about (mathematical) thinking 2. Objectification 3. Commognition: thinking as communicating 4. Thinking in language Part II. Mathematics as Discourse: 5. Mathematics as a form of communication 6. Objects of mathematical discourse: what mathematizing is all about 7. Routines: how we mathematize 8. Explorations, deeds, and rituals: what we mathematize for 9. Looking back and ahead: solving old quandaries and facing new ones.
885 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that the extreme ambiguity of English spelling-sound correspondence has confined reading science to an insular, Anglocentric research agenda addressing theoretical and applied issues with limited relevance for a universal science of reading.
Abstract: In this critique of current reading research and practice, the author contends that the extreme ambiguity of English spelling-sound correspondence has confined reading science to an insular, Anglocentric research agenda addressing theoretical and applied issues with limited relevance for a universal science of reading. The unique problems posed by this "outlier" orthography, the author argues, have focused disproportionate attention on oral reading accuracy at the expense of silent reading, meaning access, and fluency, and have significantly distorted theorizing with regard to many issues-including phonological awareness, early reading instruction, the architecture of stage models of reading development, the definition and remediation of reading disability, and the role of lexical-semantic and supralexical information in word recognition. The dominant theoretical paradigm in contemporary (word) reading research--the Coltheart/Baron dual-route model (see, e.g., J. Baron, 1977; M. Coltheart, 1978) and, in large measure, its connectionist rivals--arose largely in response to English spelling-sound obtuseness. The model accounts for a range of English-language findings, but it is ill-equipped to serve the interests of a universal science of reading chiefly because it overlooks a fundamental unfamiliar-to-familiar/novice-to-expert dualism applicable to all words and readers in all orthographies.
843 citations
TL;DR: A novel algorithm for detection of certain types of unusual events based on multiple local monitors which collect low-level statistics that is robust and works well in crowded scenes where tracking-based algorithms are likely to fail.
Abstract: We present a novel algorithm for detection of certain types of unusual events. The algorithm is based on multiple local monitors which collect low-level statistics. Each local monitor produces an alert if its current measurement is unusual and these alerts are integrated to a final decision regarding the existence of an unusual event. Our algorithm satisfies a set of requirements that are critical for successful deployment of any large-scale surveillance system. In particular, it requires a minimal setup (taking only a few minutes) and is fully automatic afterwards. Since it is not based on objects' tracks, it is robust and works well in crowded scenes where tracking-based algorithms are likely to fail. The algorithm is effective as soon as sufficient low-level observations representing the routine activity have been collected, which usually happens after a few minutes. Our algorithm runs in real-time. It was tested on a variety of real-life crowded scenes. A ground-truth was extracted for these scenes, with respect to which detection and false-alarm rates are reported.
822 citations
TL;DR: Effectiveness of the endogenous analgesia system obtained at a pain‐free state seems to reflect the individual’s ability to tackle noxious events, identifying patients ‘at risk’ to develop post‐intervention chronic pain.
Abstract: Surgical and medical procedures, mainly those associated with nerve injuries, may lead to chronic persistent pain. Currently, one cannot predict which patients undergoing such procedures are 'at risk' to develop chronic pain. We hypothesized that the endogenous analgesia system is key to determining the pattern of handling noxious events, and therefore testing diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) will predict susceptibility to develop chronic post-thoracotomy pain (CPTP). Pre-operative psychophysical tests, including DNIC assessment (pain reduction during exposure to another noxious stimulus at remote body area), were conducted in 62 patients, who were followed 29.0+/-16.9 weeks after thoracotomy. Logistic regression revealed that pre-operatively assessed DNIC efficiency and acute post-operative pain intensity were two independent predictors for CPTP. Efficient DNIC predicted lower risk of CPTP, with OR 0.52 (0.33-0.77 95% CI, p=0.0024), i.e., a 10-point numerical pain scale (NPS) reduction halves the chance to develop chronic pain. Higher acute pain intensity indicated OR of 1.80 (1.28-2.77, p=0.0024) predicting nearly a double chance to develop chronic pain for each 10-point increase. The other psychophysical measures, pain thresholds and supra-threshold pain magnitudes, did not predict CPTP. For prediction of acute post-operative pain intensity, DNIC efficiency was not found significant. Effectiveness of the endogenous analgesia system obtained at a pain-free state, therefore, seems to reflect the individual's ability to tackle noxious events, identifying patients 'at risk' to develop post-intervention chronic pain. Applying this diagnostic approach before procedures that might generate pain may allow individually tailored pain prevention and management, which may substantially reduce suffering.
693 citations
TL;DR: It is contended that online support groups are designed to foster, and many of them actually do, well-being, a sense of control, self-confidence, feelings of more independence, social interactions, and improved feelings-all nonspecific but highly important psychological factors.
643 citations
27 Oct 2008
TL;DR: This work presents FairplayMP, a system for secure multi-party computation that supplements the Fairplay system and modified the BMR protocol in a novel way and considerably improved its performance by using the Ben-Or-Goldwasser-Wigderson (BGW) protocol for the purpose of constructing gate tables.
Abstract: We present FairplayMP (for "Fairplay Multi-Party"), a system for secure multi-party computation. Secure computation is one of the great achievements of modern cryptography, enabling a set of untrusting parties to compute any function of their private inputs while revealing nothing but the result of the function. In a sense, FairplayMP lets the parties run a joint computation that emulates a trusted party which receives the inputs from the parties, computes the function, and privately informs the parties of their outputs. FairplayMP operates by receiving a high-level language description of a function and a configuration file describing the participating parties. The system compiles the function into a description as a Boolean circuit, and perform a distributed evaluation of the circuit while revealing nothing else. FairplayMP supplements the Fairplay system [16], which supported secure computation between two parties. The underlying protocol of FairplayMP is the Beaver-Micali-Rogaway (BMR) protocol which runs in a constant number of communication rounds (eight rounds in our implementation). We modified the BMR protocol in a novel way and considerably improved its performance by using the Ben-Or-Goldwasser-Wigderson (BGW) protocol for the purpose of constructing gate tables. We chose to use this protocol since we believe that the number of communication rounds is a major factor on the overall performance of the protocol. We conducted different experiments which measure the effect of different parameters on the performance of the system and demonstrate its scalability. (We can now tell, for example, that running a second-price auction between four bidders, using five computation players, takes about 8 seconds.)
578 citations
TL;DR: Findings from two models supported the hypothesis that internalized stigma affects hope and self-esteem, leading to negative outcomes related to recovery and it is recommended that interventions be developed and tested to address the important effects ofinternalized stigma on recovery.
Abstract: Objective: The mechanisms by which internalized stigma affects outcomes related to recovery among people with severe mental illness have yet to be explicitly studied. This study empirically evaluated a model for how internalized stigma affects important outcomes related to recovery. Methods: A total of 102 persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders completed measures of internalized stigma, awareness of mental illness, psychiatric symptoms, self-esteem, hopefulness, and coping. Path analyses tested a predicted model and an alternative model for the relationships between the variables. Results: Results from model 1 supported the view that internalized stigma increases avoidant coping, active social avoidance, and depressive symptoms and that these relationships are mediated by the impact of internalized stigma on hope and self-esteem. Results from model 2 replicated significant relationships from model 1 but also supported the hypothesis that positive symptoms may influence hope and self-esteem. Conclusions: Findings from two models supported the hypothesis that internalized stigma affects hope and selfesteem, leading to negative outcomes related to recovery. It is recommended that interventions be developed and tested to address the important effects of internalized stigma on recovery. (Psychiatric Services 59:1437–1442, 2008)
472 citations
06 Apr 2008
TL;DR: It is found that a Q&A site's community of users contributes to its success, and it was typically higher in Google Answers (a fee-based site) than in the free sites the authors studied, and paying more money for an answer led to better outcomes.
Abstract: Question and answer (Q&A) sites such as Yahoo! Answers are places where users ask questions and others answer them In this paper, we investigate predictors of answer quality through a comparative, controlled field study of responses provided across several online Q&A sites Along with several quantitative results concerning the effects of factors such as question topic and rhetorical strategy, we present two high-level messages First, you get what you pay for in Q&A sites Answer quality was typically higher in Google Answers (a fee-based site) than in the free sites we studied, and paying more money for an answer led to better outcomes Second, we find that a Q&A site's community of users contributes to its success Yahoo! Answers, a Q&A site where anybody can answer questions, outperformed sites that depend on specific individuals to answer questions, such as library reference services
448 citations
TL;DR: A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)–based integrated physical map of the largest chromosome, 3B, that alone is 995 megabases is constructed, establishing a template for the remaining wheat chromosomes and demonstrating the feasibility of constructing physical maps in large, complex, polyploid genomes with a chromosome-based approach.
Abstract: As the staple food for 35% of the world's population, wheat is one of the most important crop species. To date, sequence-based tools to accelerate wheat improvement are lacking. As part of the international effort to sequence the 17-billion-base-pair hexaploid bread wheat genome (2n = 6x = 42 chromosomes), we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based integrated physical map of the largest chromosome, 3B, that alone is 995 megabases. A chromosome-specific BAC library was used to assemble 82% of the chromosome into 1036 contigs that were anchored with 1443 molecular markers, providing a major resource for genetic and genomic studies. This physical map establishes a template for the remaining wheat chromosomes and demonstrates the feasibility of constructing physical maps in large, complex, polyploid genomes with a chromosome-based approach.
401 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between CEO values and organizational culture, and between organizational culture and firm performance, and found that CEO self-directive values were associated with innovation-oriented cultures, security values associated with bureaucratic cultures and benevolence values were related to supportive cultures.
Abstract: Few empirical works have examined the process through which CEO dispositions relate to organizational outcomes. In this study we examined the relationships between CEO values and organizational culture, and between organizational culture and firm performance. Data were collected from different sources (26 CEOs, 71 Senior Vice Presidents and 185 other organizational members), and include organizational financial performance data collected at two points in time. In support of our hypotheses, CEO self-directive values were associated with innovation-oriented cultures, security values were associated with bureaucratic cultures and benevolence values were related to supportive cultures. In turn, cultural dimensions showed differential associations with subsequent company sales growth, an index of organizational efficiency and assessments of employee satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: This article investigated the effect of contrastive analysis and translation activities on the incidental acquisition of single words and collocations in high school learners of the same L1 and comparable L2 (English) proficiency.
Abstract: The study investigates the effect of explicit contrastive analysis and translation activities on the incidental acquisition of single words and collocations. We compared three high school groups of learners of the same L1 and comparable L2 (English) proficiency. Each group represented one instructional condition: meaning focused instruction (MFI), non-contrastive form-focused instruction (FFI), and contrastive analysis and translation (CAT). The target items consisted of ten unfamiliar words and ten collocations in L2—English. The MFI group performed content-oriented tasks which did not require attention to the target items. The FFI group performed text-based vocabulary tasks which focused on the target items. The CAT group was assigned text-based translation tasks: from L2 into L1, and from L1 into L2. During the correction stage, the teacher provided a contrastive analysis of the target items and their L1 translation options. Time-on-task was kept constant in the three groups. After completing the tasks, the three groups were tested on the retention of the target items by two tests: active recall and passive recall. A week later, the participants received the same tests. The CAT (contrastive analysis and translation) group significantly outperformed the other two groups on all the tests. These superior results are discussed in light of the ‘noticing’ hypothesis, ‘pushed output’, ‘task-induced involvement load’, and the influence that L1 exerts on the acquisition of L2 vocabulary.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed that organizational dyads and groups inhabit emotion cycles: emotions of an individual influence the emotions, thoughts and behaviors of others; others' reactions can then influence their future interactions with the individual expressing the original emotion, as well as that individual's future emotions and behaviors.
Book•
23 Sep 2008
TL;DR: This book discusses the role of Collaboration in Improving Statistics Education: In Learning, in Teaching, and in Research, and how to Reason about Statistical Inference.
Abstract: Foreword Roxy Peck Preface Joan Garfield and Dani Ben-Zvi Part I. The Foundations of Statistics Education Chapter 1 The Discipline of Statistics Education Chapter 2 The Research on Teaching and Learning Statistics Chapter 3 Creating a Statistical Reasoning Learning Environment Chapter 4 Assessment in Statistics Education Chapter 5 Using Technology to Improve Student Learning of Statistics Part II. From Research to Practice: Developing the Big Ideas of Statistics Introduction to Part II Connecting Research to Teaching Practice Chapter 6 Learning to Reason about Data Chapter 7 Learning to Reason about Statistical Models and Modeling Chapter 8 Learning to Reason about Distribution Chapter 9 Learning to Reason about Center Chapter 10 Learning to Reason about Variability Chapter 11 Learning to Reason about Comparing Groups Chapter 12 Learning to Reason about Samples and Sampling Distributions Chapter 13 Learning to Reason about Statistical Inference Chapter 14 Learning to Reason about Covariation Part III. Implementing Change through Collaboration Introduction to Part III The Role of Collaboration in Improving Statistics Education: In Learning, in Teaching, and in Research Chapter 15 Collaboration in the Statistics Classroom Chapter 16 Collaboration in Teaching and Research ReferencesResources Tables of Activities Author Index Subject Index
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how characteristics of the daily work context related to employees' resistance to change through aspects of the change process, showing that the relationships of leader-member exchange and perceived development climate with employees’ resistance to a merger were fully mediated by three change process characteristics (i.e., information, participation, and trust in management).
Abstract: In the last decade, researchers have started to investigate the psychological processes that are involved in employees’ experiences of organisational change. The present study examined how characteristics of the daily work context related to employees’ resistance to change through aspects of the change process. The results supported the research model, showing that the relationships of leader–member exchange and perceived development climate with employees’ resistance to a merger were fully mediated by three change process characteristics (i.e. information, participation, and trust in management). In addition, two individual-level characteristics (i.e. openness to job changes, and organisational tenure) showed significant relationships with resistance to change. Employees’ role breadth self-efficacy was not related to resistance. Together, the results suggest a number of ways in which organisations can increase the effectiveness of their change efforts.
Au cours de la derniere decennie, les chercheurs ont commenceaetudier les processus psychologiques a l’œvre dans les experiences des employes lors d’un changement organisationnel. La presente etude examine la facon dont les caracteristiques d’un contexte de travail quotidien sont en lien avec la resistance au changement des salaries a travers certains aspects du processus de changement. Les resultats confirment le modele de recherche en montrant que les relations de LMX (Leader–Member Exchange) et du climat de developpement percu avec la resistance des salaries a une fusion etaient totalement mediees par trois caracteristiques processuelles de changement (l’information, la participation et la confiance dans la direction). De plus, les caracteristiques individuelles (ouverture aux changements de travail et titularisation au sein de l’organisation) sont significativement liees a la resistance au changement. L’efficacite de l’ampleur du role des salaries n’est pas liee a la resistance. Ensemble, ces resultats ouvrent quelques voies que les organisations peuvent utiliser pour augmenter l’efficacite de leurs efforts de changement.
TL;DR: Context and dispositional correlates of the motivation to contribute to open source initiatives are explored and the hypothesized relationships were found between contributors' personal values and their motivations for contributing.
University of Toronto1, University of Haifa2, Pomeranian Medical University3, Creighton University4, University of Oslo5, Université de Montréal6, McGill University7, Erasmus University Rotterdam8, Sheba Medical Center9, Tel Aviv University10, University of British Columbia11, University of Western Ontario12, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre13, University of Pennsylvania14, Medical University of Vienna15, Harvard University16, Mayo Clinic17, Fox Chase Cancer Center18, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center19, Ohio State University20, Curie Institute21, Hamilton Health Sciences22, Clalit Health Services23, University of San Francisco24, Rambam Health Care Campus25, University of Chicago26, City of Hope National Medical Center27, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center28, University of Vermont29, University of Alberta30, University of Manitoba31, New York University32, York University33, University of Saskatchewan34, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center35, University of Michigan36
TL;DR: Nearly one‐half of the women at risk for breast cancer had taken no preventive option, relying solely on screening, and there were large differences in the uptake of the different preventive options by country of residence.
Abstract: Several options for cancer prevention are available for women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, including prophylactic surgery, chemoprevention and screening. The authors report on preventive practices in women with mutations from 9 countries and examine differences in uptake according to country. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were contacted after receiving their genetic test result and were questioned regarding their preventive practices. Information was recorded on prophylactic mastectomy, prophylactic oophorectomy, use of tamoxifen and screening (MRI and mammography). Two thousand six hundred seventy-seven women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation from 9 countries were included. The follow-up questionnaire was completed a mean of 3.9 years (range 1.5-10.3 years) after genetic testing. One thousand five hundred thirty-one women (57.2%) had a bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy. Of the 1,383 women without breast cancer, 248 (18.0%) had had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. Among those who did not have a prophylactic mastectomy, only 76 women (5.5%) took tamoxifen and 40 women (2.9%) took raloxifene for breast cancer prevention. Approximately one-half of the women at risk for breast cancer had taken no preventive option, relying solely on screening. There were large differences in the uptake of the different preventive options by country of residence. Prophylactic oophorectomy is now generally accepted by women and their physicians as a cancer preventive measure. However, only the minority of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation opt for prophylactic mastectomy or take tamoxifen for the prevention of hereditary breast cancer. Approximately one-half of women at risk for breast cancer rely on screening alone.
TL;DR: This article is a review of the literature on intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from fathers to sons in families of war veterans and highlights the current paucity of knowledge regarding family members and extrafamilial systems that may contribute to intergenerations transmission of PTSD or to its moderation.
Abstract: This article is a review of the literature on intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from fathers to sons in families of war veterans. The review addresses several questions: (1) Which fathers have a greater tendency to transmit their distress to their offspring? (2) What is transmitted from father to child? (3) How is the distress transmitted and through which mechanisms? And finally, (4) Which children are more vulnerable to the transmission of PTSD distress in the family? Whereas the existing literature deals mainly with fathers' PTSD as a risk for increased emotional and behavior problems among the children, this review also highlights the current paucity of knowledge regarding family members and extrafamilial systems that may contribute to intergenerational transmission of PTSD or to its moderation. Little is also known about resilience and strengths that may mitigate or prevent the risk of intergenerational transmission of trauma.
TL;DR: DNIC testing, thus, seems to be relatively independent of the stimulation conditions, making it an easy to apply tool, suitable for wide range applications in pain psychophysics.
Abstract: Descending modulation of pain can be demonstrated psychophysically by dual pain stimulation. This study evaluates in 31 healthy subjects the association between parameters of the conditioning stimulus, gender and personality, and the endogenous analgesia (EA) extent assessed by diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm. Contact heat pain was applied as the test stimulus to the non-dominant forearm, with stimulation temperature at a psychophysical intensity score of 60 on a 0-100 numerical pain scale. The conditioning stimulus was a 60s immersion of the dominant hand in cold (12, 15, 18 degrees C), hot (44 and 46.5 degrees C), or skin temperature (33 degrees C) water. The test stimulus was repeated on the non-dominant hand during the last 30s of the conditioning immersion. EA extent was calculated as the difference between pain scores of the two test stimuli. State and trait anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores were assessed prior to stimulation. EA was induced only for the pain-generating conditioning stimuli at 46.5 degrees C (p=0.011) and 12 degrees C (p=0.003). EA was independent of conditioning pain modality, or personality, but a significant gender effect was found, with greater EA response in males. Importantly, pain scores of the conditioning stimuli were not correlated with EA extent. The latter is based on both our study population, and on additional 82 patients, who participated in another study, in which EA was induced by immersion at 46.5 degrees C. DNIC testing, thus, seems to be relatively independent of the stimulation conditions, making it an easy to apply tool, suitable for wide range applications in pain psychophysics.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed research on customer aggression and sexual harassment in service contexts along the following lines: 1) Antecedents of customer misbehavior as reflected in organizational perceptions, customer motives (e.g., low level of perceived risk) and role-related risk factors (e) dependence on customer, working outside the organization, climate of informality); 2) the effect of customer aggression on service provider well-being, work-related attitudes and behavior; 3) Coping strategies used by service providers in response to customer aggression, and 4) a comparison
TL;DR: Several critical points of speciation-related chromosomal change are drawn attention, namely: (a) interrelations between chromosomal rearrangements and repetitive DNA fraction; (b) mobility of ribosomal DNA clusters; and (c) rDNA and transposable elements as perpetual generators of genome instability.
Abstract: Chromosomal change is one of the more hotly debated potential mechanisms of speciation. It has long been argued over whether--and to what degree--changes in chromosome structure contribute to reproductive isolation and, ultimately, speciation. In this review we do not aim to completely analyze accumulated data about chromosomal speciation but wish to draw attention to several critical points of speciation-related chromosomal change, namely: (a) interrelations between chromosomal rearrangements and repetitive DNA fraction; (b) mobility of ribosomal DNA clusters; and (c) rDNA and transposable elements as perpetual generators of genome instability.
TL;DR: Sex differences were here identified in children (ages 9-15) across two linguistic tasks for words presented in two modalities and activation in the inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri and left fusiform gyrus of girls was greater than in boys.
TL;DR: This paper examined the extent to which attitudes toward foreigners vary across European countries using data from the European Social Survey for 21 countries and found that negative attitudes towards foreigners tend to be more pronounced in countries characterized by large proportions of foreigners, where economic conditions are less prosperous, and where support for right-wing political parties is more prevalent.
Abstract: The research examines the extent to which attitudes toward foreigners vary across European countries. Using data from the European Social Survey for 21 countries the analysis reveals that foreigners' impact on society is viewed in most countries in negative rather in positive terms. The negative views are most pronounced with regard to foreigners' impact on crime and least pronounced with regard to foreigners' impact on culture. Multi-level regression analysis demonstrates that the negative views tend to be more pronounced among individuals who are socially and economically vulnerable and among individuals who hold conservative political ideologies. The analysis also reveals that negative attitudes toward foreigners tend to be more pronounced in countries characterized by large proportions of foreigners, where economic conditions are less prosperous, and where support for right-wing political parties is more prevalent. The analysis shows that inflated perception of the size of the foreign population is li...
TL;DR: The main data come from the polyphagous pest species Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), which are intricately associated with their host plants as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) comprise tiny phloem-sucking insects. The sessile development of their immatures and their phloem-feeding habits (with minimal physical plant damage) often lead to plant-mediated interactions with other organisms. The main data come from the polyphagous pest species Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), which are intricately associated with their host plants. Although these associations might not represent aleyrodids in general, we rely on them to highlight the fundamental role of host plants in numerous ecological interactions between whiteflies, other herbivores, and their natural enemies. Plant traits often affect the activity, preference, and performance of the whiteflies, as well as their entomopathogens, predators, and parasitoids. Leaf structure (primarily pubescence) and constitutive and induced chemical profiles (defensive and nutritional elements) are critically important determinants of whitefly fitness. Pest management-related and evolutionary biology studies could benefit from future research that will consider whiteflies in a multitrophic-level framework.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identified clusters of toddlers with ASD who shared sensory profiles and examined differences in affective symptoms across these clusters, using cluster analysis 170 toddlers with ASDs were grouped based on parent rating of the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile (Dunn, 2002) under-responsivity, overresponsivity and seeking scales.
Abstract: Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) show variability in their sensory behaviors. In this study we identified clusters of toddlers with ASDs who shared sensory profiles and examined differences in affective symptoms across these clusters.
Method: Using cluster analysis 170 toddlers with ASDs were grouped based on parent rating of the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile (Dunn, 2002) under-responsivity, over-responsivity, and seeking scales. Affective symptoms were evaluated with the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (Carter & Briggs-Gowan, 2005).
Results: Three clusters were identified: (1) low frequency of sensory symptoms (n = 44); (2) high frequency of symptoms (n = 49); and (3) mixed (n = 77); high frequency of under-and over-responsivity and low frequency of seeking). Relative to the low frequency cluster, parents rated toddlers in the high frequency and mixed clusters (both characterized by high frequencies of sensory under- and over-responsivity) as higher on negative emotionality, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Sensory and affective differences among clusters remained after co-varying severity of ASD symptoms.
Conclusions: Interdisciplinary assessments are recommended for toddlers with ASDs in order to identify the interplay of sensory and affective symptoms.
TL;DR: The authors provide a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in research involving the emotional intelligence (EI) construct, and distinguish what is known from what is unknown in relation to three paramount concerns of EI research: conceptualization, assessment, and applications.
Abstract: Almost from its inception, the emotional intelligence (EI) construct has been an elusive one. After nearly 2 decades of research, there still appears to be little consensus over how EI should be conceptualized or assessed and the efficacy of practical applications in real life settings. This paper aims at providing a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in research involving this newly minted construct. Specifically, in separate sections of this article, we set out to distinguish what is known from what is unknown in relation to three paramount concerns of EI research, i.e., conceptualization, assessment, and applications. In each section, we start by discussing assertions that may be made with some degree of confidence, elucidating what are essentially sources of consensus concerning EI. We move then to discuss sources of controversy; those things for which there is less agreement among EI researchers. We hope that this “straight talk” about the current status of EI research will provide a platform for new r...
TL;DR: The results provide coherence of the previously reported case‐control and cohort studies with the co‐distribution of LAN and breast cancer on a population basis and yield an estimated 73% higher breast cancer incidence in the highest LAN exposed communities compared to the lowest LAN exposure communities.
Abstract: Recent studies of shift‐working women have reported that excessive exposure to light at night (LAN) may be a risk factor for breast cancer. However, no studies have yet attempted to examine the co‐...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a model describing how future orientation is affected by high challenge (or resilience) in the face of political violence, which is mediated by hope and moderated by four factors: cultural orientations, developmental period, interpersonal relationships, and intrapersonal characteristics.
Abstract: Drawing on the importance of future orientation for adolescent development this analysis presents a model describing how future orientation is affected by high challenge (or resilience) in the face of political violence. The analysis consists of three parts. The first two present future orientation conceptualization and the psychological processes underlying threat and challenge/resilience, respectively. Consequently, the third part outlines an integrated model positing that the effect of challenge/resilience on future orientation is mediated by hope and moderated by four factors: cultural orientations, developmental period, interpersonal relationships, and intrapersonal characteristics.
TL;DR: Three studies were carried out to provide information about the EyeToy's potential for use in rehabilitation, including the testing of healthy young adults and those using GestureTek's IREX VR system.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of using a low-cost video-capture virtual reality (VR) platform, the Sony PlayStation II EyeToy, for the rehabilitation of older adults with disabilities. This article presents three studies that were carried out to provide information about the EyeToy's potential for use in rehabilitation. The first study included the testing of healthy young adults (N = 34) and compared their experiences using the EyeToy with those using GestureTek's IREX VR system in terms of a sense of presence, level of enjoyment, control, success, and perceived exertion. The second study aimed to characterize the VR experience of healthy older adults (N = 10) and to determine the suitability and usability of the EyeToy for this population and the third study aimed to determine the feasibility of the EyeToy for use by individuals (N = 12) with stroke at different stages. The implications of these three studies for applying the system to rehabilitation are discussed.
TL;DR: Predictors of probable PTSD in a multivariate model for Jews were refusal to report income, being traditionally religious, economic and psychosocial resource loss, greater traumatic growth, and lower social support and for Arabs, predictors were low education and economic resource loss among those exposed to terrorism.
Abstract: Israel has faced ongoing terrorism since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. The authors examined risk and resiliency factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 1,117 Jews and 394 Arab adult citizens of Israel during August and September 2004 through telephone interviews. Probable PTSD was found among 6.6% of Jews and 18.0% of Arabs. Predictors of probable PTSD in a multivariate model for Jews were refusal to report income, being traditionally religious, economic and psychosocial resource loss, greater traumatic growth, and lower social support. For Arabs, predictors were low education and economic resource loss among those exposed to terrorism. Findings for only those directly exposed to terrorism were similar to those for the overall national sample.