Showing papers by "University of Haifa published in 2010"
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of past and contemporary theory and research on distress tolerance is provided and key areas for future empirical study of this construct are proposed.
Abstract: We review theory and empirical study of distress tolerance, an emerging risk factor candidate for various forms of psychopathology. Despite the long-standing interest in and promise of work on distress tolerance for understanding adult psychopathology, there has not been a comprehensive review of the extant empirical literature focused on the construct. As a result, a comprehensive synthesis of theoretical and empirical scholarship on distress tolerance, including integration of extant research on the relations between distress tolerance and psychopathology, is lacking. Inspection of the scientific literature indicates that there are a number of promising ways to conceptualize and measure distress tolerance, as well as documented relations between distress tolerance factors and psychopathological symptoms and disorders. Although promising, there also is notable conceptual and operational heterogeneity across the distress tolerance literature. Moreover, a number of basic questions remain unanswered regarding the associations between distress tolerance and other risk and protective factors and processes, as well as its putative role(s) in vulnerability for and resilience to psychopathology. Thus, the current article provides a comprehensive review of past and contemporary theory and research and proposes key areas for future empirical study of this construct.
687 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the possibility that lifelong bilingualism may lead to enhanced efficiency in the ability to shift between mental sets, and found that bilinguals incurred reduced switching costs in the task-switching paradigm when compared with monolinguals.
Abstract: This study investigated the possibility that lifelong bilingualism may lead to enhanced efficiency in the ability to shift between mental sets. We compared the performance of monolingual and fluent bilingual college students in a task-switching paradigm. Bilinguals incurred reduced switching costs in the task-switching paradigm when compared with monolinguals, suggesting that lifelong experience in switching between languages may contribute to increased efficiency in the ability to shift flexibly between mental sets. On the other hand, bilinguals did not differ from monolinguals in the differential cost of performing mixed-task as opposed to single-task blocks. Together, these results indicate that bilingual advantages in executive function most likely extend beyond inhibition of competing responses, and encompass flexible mental shifting as well.
480 citations
TL;DR: It appears that parental personality, psychopathology and related cognitions and emotions contribute to parental sleep-related behaviors and ultimately influence infant sleep, however, the links are bidirectional and dynamic so that poor infant sleep may influence parental behaviors and poor infantSleep appears to be a family stressor and a risk factor for maternal depression.
451 citations
Book•
12 Nov 2010TL;DR: Cluster algebras, introduced by Fomin and Zelevinsky in 2001, are commutative rings with unit and no zero divisors equipped with a distinguished family of generators (cluster variables) grouped in overlapping subsets of the same cardinality (the rank of the cluster algebra) connected by exchange relations as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Cluster algebras, introduced by Fomin and Zelevinsky in 2001, are commutative rings with unit and no zero divisors equipped with a distinguished family of generators (cluster variables) grouped in overlapping subsets (clusters) of the same cardinality (the rank of the cluster algebra) connected by exchange relations Examples of cluster algebras include coordinate rings of many algebraic varieties that play a prominent role in representation theory, invariant theory, the study of total positivity, etc The theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links to a wide range of subjects including representation theory, discrete dynamical systems, Teichmuller theory, and commutative and non-commutative algebraic geometry This book is the first devoted to cluster algebras After presenting the necessary introductory material about Poisson geometry and Schubert varieties in the first two chapters, the authors introduce cluster algebras and prove their main properties in Chapter 3 This chapter can be viewed as a primer on the theory of cluster algebras In the remaining chapters, the emphasis is made on geometric aspects of the cluster algebra theory, in particular on its relations to Poisson geometry and to the theory of integrable systems|Cluster algebras, introduced by Fomin and Zelevinsky in 2001, are commutative rings with unit and no zero divisors equipped with a distinguished family of generators (cluster variables) grouped in overlapping subsets (clusters) of the same cardinality (the rank of the cluster algebra) connected by exchange relations Examples of cluster algebras include coordinate rings of many algebraic varieties that play a prominent role in representation theory, invariant theory, the study of total positivity, etc The theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links to a wide range of subjects including representation theory, discrete dynamical systems, Teichmuller theory, and commutative and non-commutative algebraic geometry This book is the first devoted to cluster algebras After presenting the necessary introductory material about Poisson geometry and Schubert varieties in the first two chapters, the authors introduce cluster algebras and prove their main properties in Chapter 3 This chapter can be viewed as a primer on the theory of cluster algebras In the remaining chapters, the emphasis is made on geometric aspects of the cluster algebra theory, in particular on its relations to Poisson geometry and to the theory of integrable systems
440 citations
TL;DR: This poster presents a meta-modelling procedure called “spot-spot localization analysis” (SLA) which allows for direct measurement of the effects of anesthetics on the tremor and tremor-like symptoms in patients.
427 citations
TL;DR: This work proposes a prototypical Split Inverse Problem (SIP) and a new variational problem, called the Split Variational Inequality problem (SVIP), which is a SIP that entails finding a solution of one inverse problem under a given bounded linear transformation.
Abstract: We propose a prototypical Split Inverse Problem (SIP) and a new variational problem, called the Split Variational Inequality Problem (SVIP), which is a SIP. It entails finding a solution of one inverse problem (e.g., a Variational Inequality Problem (VIP)), the image of which under a given bounded linear transformation is a solution of another inverse problem such as a VIP. We construct iterative algorithms that solve such problems, under reasonable conditions, in Hilbert space and then discuss special cases, some of which are new even in Euclidean space.
427 citations
TL;DR: The aim with this article is to discuss dyadic analysis using data from separate interviews, which is then analyzed on both individual and dyadic levels, based on data from a recent study on second couplehood in old age.
Abstract: Qualitative studies on dyads have increased over the last two decades. However, emphasis has been on their thematic content, and very few methodological advances have occurred for conducting this type of research. For instance, literature exists about ways to collect dyadic data, but not how to analyze it. Our aim with this article is to discuss dyadic analysis using data from separate interviews, which is then analyzed on both individual and dyadic levels. We focus on the contrasts and overlaps between the partners’ versions as reflected in the text and subtext, and on the descriptive and interpretive levels, based on data from our recent study on second couplehood in old age. We examine how dyadic analysis assists in deriving themes related to the nature of couple relationships, which could otherwise not have been reached.
369 citations
TL;DR: It was concluded that the pattern of mentalizing impairments in psychopathy resembles remarkably that seen in participants with lesions of the frontal lobe, particularly with OFC damage, providing support for the notion of amygdala-OFC dysfunction in Psychopathy.
366 citations
TL;DR: These findings provide evidence for the functional independence of cognitive from affective ToM and point to an important role of the right DLPFC within neural networks mediating cognitive ToM.
358 citations
TL;DR: The potential contribution of interactions between tumour cells and the microenvironment in metastatic sites, in regulating tumour dormancy vs. metastatic growth is reviewed, particularly on the potential role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating maintenance and release from dormancy.
357 citations
TL;DR: Drought- and salt-tolerant genes and quantitative trait loci have been identified in T. dicoccoides and H. spontaneum and have great potential in wheat and barley improvement.
Abstract: Drought and salinity are the major abiotic stresses that dramatically threaten the food supply in the world. Tribe Triticeae, including wheat and barley, possesses tremendous potential for drought and salt tolerance that has been extensively and practically identified, tested, and transferred to wheat cultivars with proven expression of tolerance in experimental trials. Triticum dicoccoides and Hordeum spontaneum, the progenitors of cultivated wheat and barley, have adapted to a broad range of environments and developed rich genetic diversities for drought and salt tolerances. Drought- and salt-tolerant genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified in T. dicoccoides and H. spontaneum and have great potential in wheat and barley improvement. Advanced backcross QTL analysis, the introgression libraries based on wild wheat and wild barley as donors, and positional cloning of natural QTLs will play prevailing roles in elucidating the molecular control of drought and salt tolerance. Combining tolerant genes and QTLs in crop breeding programs aimed at improving tolerance to drought and salinity will be achieved within a multidisciplinary context. Wild genetic resistances to drought and salinity will be shifted in the future from field experiments to the farmer.
TL;DR: Old and new methods of measuring fluctuating asymmetry are reviewed, including measures of dispersion, landmark methods for shape asymmetry, and continuous symmetry measures, and attempts to explain conflicting results.
Abstract: Fluctuating asymmetry consists of random deviations from perfect symmetry in populations of organisms. It is a measure of developmental noise, which reflects a population’s average state of adaptation and coadaptation. Moreover, it increases under both environmental and genetic stress, though responses are often inconsistent. Researchers base studies of fluctuating asymmetry upon deviations from bilateral, radial, rotational, dihedral, translational, helical, and fractal symmetries. Here, we review old and new methods of measuring fluctuating asymmetry, including measures of dispersion, landmark methods for shape asymmetry, and continuous symmetry measures. We also review the theory, developmental origins, and applications of fluctuating asymmetry, and attempt to explain conflicting results. In the process, we present examples from the literature, and from our own research at “Evolution Canyon” and elsewhere.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine key issues, arguments and conceptualizations in the scholarship on pilgrimage in order to better understand how it has changed over the years and indicate a shift to a post-modern approach within the study of pilgrimage, particularly with regard to the increasingly obfuscated boundary between tourism and pilgrimage reflected in the terms secular pilgrimage and religious pilgrimage.
TL;DR: The present findings indicate that the FCR is a sensitive, valid, and reliable acoustic metric for distinguishing dysarthric from unimpaired speech and for monitoring treatment effects, probably because of reduced sensitivity to interspeaker variability and enhanced sensitivity to vowel centralization.
Abstract: Purpose The vowel space area (VSA) has been used as an acoustic metric of dysarthric speech, but with varying degrees of success. In this study, the authors aimed to test an alternative metric to t...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that the valence of information about the hero affected the level of identification and the time of deeds of a character in a movie, but not the identification.
TL;DR: The authors provide a selective genealogy of the critical turn in place-name studies and consider three complementary approaches to analyzing spatial inscription as a toponymic practice: political semiotics, governmentality studies, and normative theories of social justice and symbolic resistance.
Abstract: The study of place naming, or toponymy, has recently undergone a critical reformulation as scholars have moved beyond the traditional focus on etymology and taxonomy by examining the politics of place-naming practices. In this article, we provide a selective genealogy of the 'critical turn' in place-name studies and consider three complementary approaches to analyzing spatial inscription as a toponymic practice: political semiotics, governmentality studies, and normative theories of social justice and symbolic resistance. We conclude by proposing that future scholarship should explore the political economy of toponymic practices as a step toward expanding the conceptual horizon of critical place-name studies.
TL;DR: The history, current status, and future trends in the study of medicinal mushrooms are analyzed to draw attention to many critically important unsolved problems in the future development of medicinal mushroom science in the 21st century.
Abstract: The present review analyzes the history, current status, and future trends in the study of medicinal mushrooms. The target of the present review is to draw attention to many critically important unsolved problems in the future development of medicinal mushroom science in the 21st century. Special attention is paid to mushroom polysaccharides. Many, if not all, higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides in fruit bodies, cultured mycelium, and cultured broth. The data on mushroom polysaccharides are summarized for approximately 700 species of higher Hetero- and Homobasidiomycetes. The chemical structure of polysaccharides and its connection to antitumor activity, including possible ways of chemical modi fication, experimental testing, and clinical use of antitumor or immunostimulating polysaccharides, as well as possible mechanisms of their biological action, are discussed. Particularly, and most importantly for modern medicine, are polysaccharides with antitumor and immunostimulating properties. Several of the mushroom polysaccharide compounds have proceeded through Phase I, II, and III clinical trials and are used extensively and successfully in Asia to treat various cancers and other diseases. A total of 126 medicinal functions are thought to be produced by medicinal mushrooms and fungi, including antitumor, immunomodulating, antioxidant, radical scavenging, cardiovascular, antihypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antifungal, detoxification, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects.
TL;DR: Even among young adults, the effects of secondary, cognitive tasks on gait speed are strongly influenced by prioritization, suggesting that there is an age-associated decline in the ability to flexibly allocate attention to gait.
Abstract: Results. Young adults significantly increased gait speed in the gait prioritization condition compared with gait speed in the no-instruction condition; a similar tendency was seen in the older adults. Gait speed was reduced when priority was given to the cognitive task in both age groups; however, this effect was less dramatic in the older adults. In the young adults, prioritization of gait tended to have different effects on gait speed among both men and women. In the older adults, but not in the young adults, all dual-task conditions produced increased gait variability, whereas prioritization did not alter this gait feature. Limitations. The sample size and the relative homogeneity of the older adults could be considered as possible limitations of the study. Conclusions. Even among young adults, the effects of secondary, cognitive tasks on gait speed are strongly influenced by prioritization. This finding was less significant in the older adults, suggesting that there is an age-associated decline in the ability to flexibly allocate attention to gait. Somewhat surprisingly, when prioritization was not explicitly instructed, gait speed in both young and older adults most closely resembled that of the condition when they were instructed to focus attention on the cognitive task.
15 Aug 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the oblivious RAM protocol was redesigned using modern tools, namely Cuckoo hashing and a new oblivious sorting algorithm, and the resulting protocol uses only O(n) external memory, and replaces each data request by O(log 2 n) requests.
Abstract: We reinvestigate the oblivious RAM concept introduced by Goldreich and Ostrovsky, which enables a client, that can store locally only a constant amount of data, to store remotely n data items, and access them while hiding the identities of the items which are being accessed. Oblivious RAM is often cited as a powerful tool, but is also commonly considered to be impractical due to its overhead, which is asymptotically efficient but is quite high. We redesign the oblivious RAM protocol using modern tools, namely Cuckoo hashing and a new oblivious sorting algorithm. The resulting protocol uses only O(n) external memory, and replaces each data request by only O(log2 n) requests.
TL;DR: The findings strongly suggest that students' reflective narratives are a rich source of information about the elements of both the informal and hidden curricula, in which medical students learn to become physicians.
Abstract: PurposeThe aim of this study was to use medical students' critical incident narratives to deepen understanding of the informal and hidden curricula.MethodThe authors conducted a thematic analysis of 272 stories of events recorded by 135 third-year medical students that “taught them something
TL;DR: It is proposed that accepting a definition of oneself as mentally ill and assuming that mental illness means incompetence and inadequacy impact hope and self-esteem, which further impact suicide risk, coping, social interaction, vocational functioning, and symptom severity.
Abstract: The impact of the experience and diagnosis of mental illness on one's identity has long been recognized; however, little is known about the impact of illness identity, which we define as the set of roles and attitudes that a person has developed in relation to his or her understanding of having a mental illness. The present article proposes a theoretically driven model of the impact of illness identity on the course and recovery from severe mental illness and reviews relevant research. We propose that accepting a definition of oneself as mentally ill and assuming that mental illness means incompetence and inadequacy impact hope and self-esteem, which further impact suicide risk, coping, social interaction, vocational functioning, and symptom severity. Evidence supports most of the predictions made by the model. Implications for psychiatric rehabilitation services are discussed.
26 Sep 2010
TL;DR: This work states that information heterogeneity can indeed be identified in any of the pillars of a recommender system: the modeling of user preferences, the description of resource contents, the modeling and exploitation of the context in which recommendations are made, and the characteristics of the suggested resource lists.
Abstract: 1. MOTIVATION AND GOALS In recent years, increasing attention has been given to finding ways for combining, integrating and mediating heterogeneous sources of information for the purpose of providing better personalized services in many information seeking and ecommerce applications. Information heterogeneity can indeed be identified in any of the pillars of a recommender system: the modeling of user preferences, the description of resource contents, the modeling and exploitation of the context in which recommendations are made, and the characteristics of the suggested resource lists.
TL;DR: It is suggested that a dysfunctional pattern of empathic capacity may account for behavioral difficulties in BPD.
Abstract: We sought to characterize the cognitive and affective empathic abilities of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) While controls showed higher cognitive as compared with affective empathy scores, the BPD group demonstrated the opposite pattern These results suggest that a dysfunctional pattern of empathic capacity may account for behavioral difficulties in BPD
16 May 2010
TL;DR: This work introduces SCiFI, a system for Secure Computation of Face Identification which performs face identification which compares faces of subjects with a database of registered faces in a secure way which protects both the privacy of the subjects and the confidentiality of the database.
Abstract: We introduce SCiFI, a system for Secure Computation of Face Identification. The system performs face identification which compares faces of subjects with a database of registered faces. The identification is done in a secure way which protects both the privacy of the subjects and the confidentiality of the database. A specific application of SCiFI is reducing the privacy impact of camera based surveillance. In that scenario, SCiFI would be used in a setting which contains a server which has a set of faces of suspects, and client machines which might be cameras acquiring images in public places. The system runs a secure computation of a face recognition algorithm, which identifies if an image acquired by a client matches one of the suspects, but otherwise reveals no information to neither of the parties. Our work includes multiple contributions in different areas: A new face identification algorithm which is unique in having been specifically designed for usage in secure computation. Nonetheless, the algorithm has face recognition performance comparable to that of state of the art algorithms. We ran experiments which show the algorithm to be robust to different viewing conditions, such as illumination, occlusions, and changes in appearance (like wearing glasses). A secure protocol for computing the new face recognition algorithm. In addition, since our goal is to run an actual system, considerable effort was made to optimize the protocol and minimize its online latency. A system - SCiFI, which implements a secure computation of the face identification protocol. Experiments which show that the entire system can run in near real-time: The secure computation protocol performs a preprocessing of all public-key cryptographic operations. Its online performance therefore mainly depends on the speed of data communication, and our experiments show it to be extremely efficient.
TL;DR: This article found that people can reconstruct or "reverse engineer" the appraisals underlying an emotional reaction and use this appraisal information to draw person perception inferences about their character, such as being more aggressive, and self-confident, but also less warm and gentle than a person who reacted with sadness.
Abstract: The present research aimed to assess how people use knowledge about the emotional reactions of others to make inferences about their character. Specifically, we postulate that people can reconstruct or “reverse engineer” the appraisals underlying an emotional reaction and use this appraisal information to draw person perception inferences. As predicted, a person who reacted with anger to blame was perceived as more aggressive, and self-confident, but also as less warm and gentle than a person who reacted with sadness (Study 1). A person who reacted with a smile (Study 1) or remained neutral (Study 2) was perceived as self-confident but also as unemotional. These perceptions were mediated by perceived appraisals.
TL;DR: Support for each theory in the existing anxiety, autism, and neuroscience literature is examined, and it is discussed how each theory informs choice of interventions and implications for future studies.
Abstract: Anxiety disorders and sensory over-responsivity (SOR) are common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and there is evidence for an association between these two conditions. Currently, it is unclear what causal mechanisms may exist between SOR and anxiety. We propose three possible theories to explain the association between anxiety and SOR: (a) SOR is caused by anxiety; (b) Anxiety is caused by SOR; or (c) SOR and anxiety are causally unrelated but are associated through a common risk factor or diagnostic overlap. In this paper, we examine support for each theory in the existing anxiety, autism, and neuroscience literature, and discuss how each theory informs choice of interventions and implications for future studies.
Book•
17 Jun 2010
TL;DR: Recognizing the fundamental relevance and group theory of symmetry has the potential to play an important role in computational sciences.
Abstract: In the arts and sciences, as well as in our daily lives, symmetry has made a profound and lasting impact. Likewise, a computational treatment of symmetry and group theory (the ultimate mathematical formalization of symmetry) has the potential to play an important role in computational sciences. Though the term Computational Symmetry was formally defined a decade ago by the first author, referring to algorithmic treatment of symmetries, seeking symmetry from digital data has been attempted for over four decades. Computational symmetry on real world data turns out to be challenging enough that, after decades of effort, a fully automated symmetry-savvy system remains elusive for real world applications. The recent resurging interests in computational symmetry for computer vision and computer graphics applications have shown promising results. Recognizing the fundamental relevance and potential power that computational symmetry affords, we offer this survey to the computer vision and computer graphics communities. This survey provides a succinct summary of the relevant mathematical theory, a historic perspective of some important symmetry-related ideas, a partial yet timely report on the state of the arts symmetry detection algorithms along with its first quantitative benchmark, a diverse set of real world applications, suggestions for future directions and a comprehensive reference list.
TL;DR: The theoretical and empirical bases of distress tolerance research are presented and a number of questions regarding its theoretical conceptualization and measurement, associations with related constructs and psychopathology, and role in therapeutic change and intervention remain unanswered.
Abstract: In this article we present the theoretical and empirical bases of distress tolerance research. Although distress tolerance offers a promising lens through which to better understand various psychological symptoms and disorders, further theoretical development and empirical inquiry is needed to promote our understanding of the construct. Overall, a number of questions regarding its theoretical conceptualization and measurement, associations with related constructs and psychopathology, and role(s) in therapeutic change and intervention remain unanswered. Directions for future research are discussed to stimulate further empirical study on this theoretically and clinically promising topic.
07 Jul 2010
TL;DR: The goal is to design encryption schemes for mass distribution of data, which enable to deter users from leaking their personal keys, trace the identities of users whose keys were used to construct illegal decryption devices, and revoke these keys as to render the devices dysfunctional.
Abstract: Our goal is to design encryption schemes for mass distribution of data , which enable to (1) deter users from leaking their personal keys, (2) trace the identities of users whose keys were used to construct illegal decryption devices, and (3) revoke these keys as to render the devices dysfunctional. We start by designing an efficient revocation scheme, based on secret sharing. It can remove up to t parties, is secure against coalitions of up to t users, and is more efficient than previous schemes with the same properties. We then show how to enhance the revocation scheme with traitor tracing and self-enforcement properties. More precisely, how to construct schemes such that (1) each user’s personal key contains some sensitive information of that user (e.g., the user’s credit card number), in order to make users reluctant to disclose their keys. (2) An illegal decryption device discloses the identity of users that contributed keys to construct the device. And, (3) it is possible to revoke the keys of corrupt users. For the last point, it is important to be able to do so without publicly disclosing the sensitive information.