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Showing papers by "University of Haifa published in 2016"



Proceedings ArticleDOI
27 Jun 2016
TL;DR: This work proposes an algorithm, linear in the size of the image, deterministic and requires no training, that performs well on a wide variety of images and is competitive with other state-of-the-art methods on the single image dehazing problem.
Abstract: Haze limits visibility and reduces image contrast in outdoor images. The degradation is different for every pixel and depends on the distance of the scene point from the camera. This dependency is expressed in the transmission coefficients, that control the scene attenuation and amount of haze in every pixel. Previous methods solve the single image dehazing problem using various patch-based priors. We, on the other hand, propose an algorithm based on a new, non-local prior. The algorithm relies on the assumption that colors of a haze-free image are well approximated by a few hundred distinct colors, that form tight clusters in RGB space. Our key observation is that pixels in a given cluster are often non-local, i.e., they are spread over the entire image plane and are located at different distances from the camera. In the presence of haze these varying distances translate to different transmission coefficients. Therefore, each color cluster in the clear image becomes a line in RGB space, that we term a haze-line. Using these haze-lines, our algorithm recovers both the distance map and the haze-free image. The algorithm is linear in the size of the image, deterministic and requires no training. It performs well on a wide variety of images and is competitive with other stateof-the-art methods.

1,082 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The world atlas of zenith artificial night sky brightness is modelled with VIIRS DNB data and calibrated with new high-resolution satellite data and new precision sky brightness measurements, showing that more than 80% of the world and more than 99%" of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies.
Abstract: Artificial lights raise night sky luminance, creating the most visible effect of light pollution—artificial skyglow. Despite the increasing interest among scientists in fields such as ecology, astronomy, health care, and land-use planning, light pollution lacks a current quantification of its magnitude on a global scale. To overcome this, we present the world atlas of artificial sky luminance, computed with our light pollution propagation software using new high-resolution satellite data and new precision sky brightness measurements. This atlas shows that more than 80% of the world and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies. The Milky Way is hidden from more than one-third of humanity, including 60% of Europeans and nearly 80% of North Americans. Moreover, 23% of the world’s land surfaces between 75°N and 60°S, 88% of Europe, and almost half of the United States experience light-polluted nights.

898 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
11 Jul 2016-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors performed whole-genome sequencing in 2,657 European individuals with and without diabetes, and exome sequencing for 12,940 individuals from five ancestry groups.
Abstract: The genetic architecture of common traits, including the number, frequency, and effect sizes of inherited variants that contribute to individual risk, has been long debated. Genome-wide association studies have identified scores of common variants associated with type 2 diabetes, but in aggregate, these explain only a fraction of the heritability of this disease. Here, to test the hypothesis that lower-frequency variants explain much of the remainder, the GoT2D and T2D-GENES consortia performed whole-genome sequencing in 2,657 European individuals with and without diabetes, and exome sequencing in 12,940 individuals from five ancestry groups. To increase statistical power, we expanded the sample size via genotyping and imputation in a further 111,548 subjects. Variants associated with type 2 diabetes after sequencing were overwhelmingly common and most fell within regions previously identified by genome-wide association studies. Comprehensive enumeration of sequence variation is necessary to identify functional alleles that provide important clues to disease pathophysiology, but large-scale sequencing does not support the idea that lower-frequency variants have a major role in predisposition to type 2 diabetes.

866 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A theoretical framework is suggested that focuses on the overarching role of oxytocin in regulating the salience of social cues through its interaction with the dopaminergic system and is dependent on baseline individual differences such as gender, personality traits, and degree of psychopathology.

626 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The development of an underwater gripper that utilizes soft robotics technology to delicately manipulate and sample fragile species on the deep reef is presented, making it the first use of soft robotics in the deep sea for the nondestructive sampling of benthic fauna.
Abstract: This article presents the development of an underwater gripper that utilizes soft robotics technology to delicately manipulate and sample fragile species on the deep reef. Existing solutions for deep sea robotic manipulation have historically been driven by the oil industry, resulting in destructive interactions with undersea life. Soft material robotics relies on compliant materials that are inherently impedance matched to natural environments and to soft or fragile organisms. We demonstrate design principles for soft robot end effectors, bench-top characterization of their grasping performance, and conclude by describing in situ testing at mesophotic depths. The result is the first use of soft robotics in the deep sea for the nondestructive sampling of benthic fauna.

580 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that sponges are a reservoir of exceptional microbial diversity and major contributors to the total microbial diversity of the world's oceans, and a model of independent assembly and evolution in symbiont communities across the entire host phylum is supported.
Abstract: Sponges (phylum Porifera) are early-diverging metazoa renowned for establishing complex microbial symbioses. Here we present a global Porifera microbiome survey, set out to establish the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these host-microbe interactions. We show that sponges are a reservoir of exceptional microbial diversity and major contributors to the total microbial diversity of the world's oceans. Little commonality in species composition or structure is evident across the phylum, although symbiont communities are characterized by specialists and generalists rather than opportunists. Core sponge microbiomes are stable and characterized by generalist symbionts exhibiting amensal and/or commensal interactions. Symbionts that are phylogenetically unique to sponges do not disproportionally contribute to the core microbiome, and host phylogeny impacts complexity rather than composition of the symbiont community. Our findings support a model of independent assembly and evolution in symbiont communities across the entire host phylum, with convergent forces resulting in analogous community organization and interactions.

456 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
04 May 2016-Neuron
TL;DR: It is observed that optogenetically induced oxytocin release enhanced olfactory exploration and same-sex recognition of adult rats and generates states for optimized information extraction in an early cortical top-down network that is required for social interactions with potential implications for sensory processing deficits in autism spectrum disorders.

260 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Nicola Barban1, Rick Jansen2, Ronald de Vlaming3, Ahmad Vaez4  +281 moreInstitutions (83)
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported a large genome-wide association study of both sexes including 251,151 individuals for AB and 343,072 individuals for NEB and identified 12 independent loci that are significantly associated with AB and NEB.
Abstract: The genetic architecture of human reproductive behavior-age at first birth (AFB) and number of children ever born (NEB)-has a strong relationship with fitness, human development, infertility and risk of neuropsychiatric disorders However, very few genetic loci have been identified, and the underlying mechanisms of AFB and NEB are poorly understood We report a large genome-wide association study of both sexes including 251,151 individuals for AFB and 343,072 individuals for NEB We identified 12 independent loci that are significantly associated with AFB and/or NEB in a SNP-based genome-wide association study and 4 additional loci associated in a gene-based effort These loci harbor genes that are likely to have a role, either directly or by affecting non-local gene expression, in human reproduction and infertility, thereby increasing understanding of these complex traits

237 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
23 Dec 2016-Science
TL;DR: A long-term study of the migration of large and small insects over the southern United Kingdom for a decade reveals a major transport process with implications for ecosystem services, processes, and biogeochemistry.
Abstract: Migrating animals have an impact on ecosystems directly via influxes of predators, prey, and competitors and indirectly by vectoring nutrients, energy, and pathogens. Although linkages between vertebrate movements and ecosystem processes have been established, the effects of mass insect “bioflows” have not been described. We quantified biomass flux over the southern United Kingdom for high-flying (>150 meters) insects and show that ~3.5 trillion insects (3200 tons of biomass) migrate above the region annually. These flows are not randomly directed in insects larger than 10 milligrams, which exploit seasonally beneficial tailwinds. Large seasonal differences in the southward versus northward transfer of biomass occur in some years, although flows were balanced over the 10-year period. Our long-term study reveals a major transport process with implications for ecosystem services, processes, and biogeochemistry.

236 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Michael Fausnaugh1, Kelly D. Denney1, Aaron J. Barth2, Misty C. Bentz3, M. C. Bottorff4, Michael T. Carini5, K. V. Croxall1, G. De Rosa6, M. R. Goad7, Keith Horne8, Michael D. Joner9, Shai Kaspi10, Minjin Kim11, S. A. Klimanov, Christopher S. Kochanek1, D. C. Leonard12, Hagai Netzer13, Bradley M. Peterson1, K. Schnülle14, S. G. Sergeev, Marianne Vestergaard15, W. Zheng16, Ying Zu17, P. Arévalo18, C. Bazhaw3, G. A. Borman, Todd A. Boroson, W. N. Brandt19, A. A. Breeveld20, Brendon J. Brewer21, E. M. Cackett22, D. M. Crenshaw3, E. Dalla Bontà, A. de Lorenzo-Cáceres8, M. Dietrich23, Rick Edelson24, N. V. Efimova, Justin Ely6, Phil Evans7, A. V. Filippenko16, K. Flatland12, N. Gehrels25, S. Geier, J. M. Gelbord, L. Gonzalez12, V. Gorjian26, Catherine J. Grier19, Catherine J. Grier1, D. Grupe27, Patrick B. Hall28, S. Hicks5, D. Horenstein3, T. Hutchison4, Myungshin Im29, J. J. Jensen30, J. D. Jones3, Jelle Kaastra31, Brandon C. Kelly32, J. A. Kennea, Sang Chul Kim11, Kirk T. Korista33, G. A. Kriss34, J. C. Lee11, P. Lira35, F. MacInnis4, E. R. Manne-Nicholas3, S. Mathur1, I. M. McHardy36, C. Montouri37, R. Musso4, S. V. Nazarov, Ryan Norris3, J. A. Nousek19, D. N. Okhmat, A. Pancoast38, I. E. Papadakis39, J. R. Parks3, Liuyi Pei2, Richard W. Pogge1, J.-U. Pott14, S. E. Rafter40, H.-W. Rix14, D. A. Saylor3, J. S. Schimoia41, M. H. Siegel, M. Spencer9, D. A. Starkey8, H.-I. Sung11, K. G. Teems3, Tommaso Treu32, Tommaso Treu42, C. S. Turner3, Phil Uttley43, Carolin Villforth44, Y. Weiss10, Jong-Hak Woo29, H. Yan45, S. Young24 
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used data obtained with the MODS spectrographs with funding from National Science Foundation (NSF) and the NSF Telescope System Instrumentation (TSIP), with additional funds from the OhioBoard of Regents and the Ohio State University Office of Research.
Abstract: The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: The Ohio State University, and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota and University of Virginia; The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University. This paper used data obtained with the MODS spectrographs built with funding from National Science Foundation (NSF) grant AST-9987045 and the NSF Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP), with additional funds from the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio State University Office of Research. This paper made use of the modsIDL spectral data reduction pipeline developed in part with funds provided by NSF Grant AST - 1108693. The Liverpool Telescope is operated on the island of La Palma by Liverpool John Moores University in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias with financial support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. KAIT and its ongoing operation were made possible by donations from Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Hewlett-Packard Company, AutoScope Corporation, Lick Observatory, the NSF, the University of California, the Sylvia and Jim Katzman Foundation, and the TABASGO Foundation. Research at Lick Observatory is partially supported by a generous gift from Google. Support for HST program number GO-13330 was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. M.M.F., G.D.R., B.M.P., C.J.G., and R.W.P. are grateful for the support of the NSF through grant AST- 1008882 to The Ohio State University. A.J.B. and L.P. have been supported by NSF grant AST-1412693. A.V.F. and W.- K.Z. are grateful for financial assistance from NSF grant AST- 1211916, the TABASGO Foundation, and the Christopher R. Redlich Fund. M.C. Bentz gratefully acknowledges support through NSF CAREER grant AST-1253702 to Georgia State University. M.C. Bottorff acknowledges HHMI for support through an undergraduate science education grant to Southwestern University. K.D.D. is supported by an NSF Fellowship awarded under grant AST-1302093. R.E. gratefully acknowledges support from NASA under awards NNX13AC26G, NNX13AC63G, and NNX13AE99G. J.M.G. gratefully acknowledges support from NASA under award NNH13CH61C. P.B.H. is supported by NSERC. M.I. acknowledges support from the Creative Initiative program, No. 2008-0060544, of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRFK) funded by the Korean government (MSIP). M.D.J. acknowledges NSF grant AST-0618209 used for obtaining the 0.91 m telescope at WMO. SRON is financially supported by NWO, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. B.C.K. is partially supported by the UC Center for Galaxy Evolution. C.S.K. acknowledges the support of NSF grant AST-1009756. D.C.L. acknowledges support from NSF grants AST-1009571 and AST-1210311, under which part of this research (photometric observations collected at MLO) was carried out. We thank Nhieu Duong, Harish Khandrika, Richard Mellinger, J. Chuck Horst, Steven Armen, and Eddie Garcia for assistance with the MLO observations. P.L. acknowledges support from Fondecyt grant #1120328. A.P. acknowledges support from a NSF graduate fellowship, a UCSB Dean’s Fellowship, and a NASA Einstein Fellowship. J.S.S. acknowledges CNPq, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Brazil) for partial support and The Ohio State University for warm hospitality. T.T. has been supported by NSF grant AST-1412315. T.T. and B.C.K. acknowledge support from the Packard Foundation in the form of a Packard Research Fellowship to T.T.; also, T.T. thanks the American Academy in Rome and the Observatory of Monteporzio Catone for kind hospitality. The Dark Cosmology Centre is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. M.V. gratefully acknowledges support from the Danish Council for Independent Research via grant no. DFF–4002-00275. J.-H.W. acknowledges support by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (No. 2010-0027910). E.D.B. is supported by Padua University through grants 60A02-5857/13, 60A02-5833/14, 60A02-4434/15, and CPDA133894. K.H. acknowledges support from STFC grant ST/M001296/1. S.A.K. thanks Dr. I. A. Rakhimov, the Director of Svetloe Observatory, for his support and hospitality. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The time-limited, short-term use of very low dosages of sublingual buprenorphine was associated with decreased suicidal ideation in severely suicidal patients without substance abuse.
Abstract: Objective:Suicidal ideation and behavior currently have no quick-acting pharmacological treatments that are suitable for independent outpatient use. Suicidality is linked to mental pain, which is modulated by the separation distress system through endogenous opioids. The authors tested the efficacy and safety of very low dosages of sublingual buprenorphine as a time-limited treatment for severe suicidal ideation.Method:This was a multisite randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of ultra-low-dose sublingual buprenorphine as an adjunctive treatment. Severely suicidal patients without substance abuse were randomly assigned to receive either buprenorphine or placebo (in a 2:1 ratio), in addition to their ongoing individual treatments. The primary outcome measure was change in suicidal ideation, as assessed by the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale at the end of each of 4 weeks of treatment.Results:Patients who received ultra-low-dose buprenorphine (initial dosage, 0.1 mg once or twice daily; mean final dos...

Journal ArticleDOI
Tal Zarsky1
TL;DR: This article aims to provide policy makers and scholars with a comprehensive framework for approaching these thorny issues in their various capacities, and focuses its attention on a general analytical framework, which will be applied to a specific subset of the overall discussion.
Abstract: We are currently witnessing a sharp rise in the use of algorithmic decision-making tools. In these instances, a new wave of policy concerns is set forth. This article strives to map out these issues, separating the wheat from the chaff. It aims to provide policy makers and scholars with a comprehensive framework for approaching these thorny issues in their various capacities. To achieve this objective, this article focuses its attention on a general analytical framework, which will be applied to a specific subset of the overall discussion. The analytical framework will reduce the discussion to two dimensions, every one of which addressing two central elements. These four factors call for a distinct discussion, which is at times absent in the existing literature. The two dimensions are (1) the specific and novel problems the process assumedly generates and (2) the specific attributes which exacerbate them. While the problems are articulated in a variety of ways, they most likely could be reduced to two bro...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is argued that motor and cognitive processes are functionally related and most likely share a similar evolutionary history and this is supported by clinical and neural data showing that some brain regions integrate both motor and Cognitive functions.
Abstract: In this article, we argue that motor and cognitive processes are functionally related and most likely share a similar evolutionary history. This is supported by clinical and neural data showing that some brain regions integrate both motor and cognitive functions. In addition, we also argue that cognitive processes coincide with complex motor output. Further, we also review data that support the converse notion that motor processes can contribute to cognitive function, as found by many rehabilitation and aerobic exercise training programs. Support is provided for motor and cognitive processes possessing dynamic bidirectional influences on each other.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The field is sorely in need of research reporting findings and reliability for attentional bias scores using multiple methods, including those focusing on dynamic processes over time, and researchers are urged to test and report reliability of all measures.
Abstract: The use of unreliable measures constitutes a threat to our understanding of psychopathology, because advancement of science using both behavioral and biologically oriented measures can only be certain if such measurements are reliable. Two pillars of the National Institute of Mental Health's portfolio-the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative for psychopathology and the target engagement initiative in clinical trials-cannot succeed without measures that possess the high reliability necessary for tests involving mediation and selection based on individual differences. We focus on the historical lack of reliability of attentional bias measures as an illustration of how reliability can pose a threat to our understanding. Our own data replicate previous findings of poor reliability for traditionally used scores, which suggests a serious problem with the ability to test theories regarding attentional bias. This lack of reliability may also suggest problems with the assumption (in both theory and the formula for the scores) that attentional bias is consistent and stable across time. In contrast, measures accounting for attention as a dynamic process in time show good reliability in our data. The field is sorely in need of research reporting findings and reliability for attentional bias scores using multiple methods, including those focusing on dynamic processes over time. We urge researchers to test and report reliability of all measures, considering findings of low reliability not just as a nuisance but as an opportunity to modify and improve upon the underlying theory. Full assessment of reliability of measures will maximize the possibility that RDoC (and psychological science more generally) will succeed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The existing evidence regarding the potential role of natural antioxidants in the treatment of NAFLD is summarized, possible future clinical applications are examined and natural antioxidants are reported to have beneficial effects in preclinical models ofNAFLD and in pilot clinical trials, and thus need clinical evaluation.
Abstract: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is emerging as a main health problem in industrialized countries. Lifestyle modifications are effective in the treatment of NAFLD; however, the long-term compliance is low. Therefore, several pharmacological treatments have been proposed but none has shown significant efficacy or long-term safety. Natural polyphenols are a heterogeneous class of polyphenolic compounds contained in vegetables, which are being proposed for the treatment of different metabolic disorders. Although the beneficial effect of these compounds has traditionally related to their antioxidant properties, they also exert several beneficial effects on hepatic and extra-hepatic glucose and lipid homeostasis. Furthermore, natural polyphenols exert antifibrogenic and antitumoural effects in animal models, which appear relevant from a clinical point of view because of the association of NASH with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Several polyphenols, such anthocyanins, curcumin and resveratrol and those present in coffee, tea, soy are available in the diet and their consumption can be proposed as part of a healthy diet for the treatment of NAFLD. Other phenolic compounds, such as silymarin, are commonly consumed worldwide as nutraceuticals or food supplements. Natural antioxidants are reported to have beneficial effects in preclinical models of NAFLD and in pilot clinical trials, and thus need clinical evaluation. In this review, we summarize the existing evidence regarding the potential role of natural antioxidants in the treatment of NAFLD and examine possible future clinical applications.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relationship between perceptions of the organization's learning climate and employees' proactivity, knowledge sharing, creativity, and adaptivity, and found that employee engagement explained the relationship more thoroughly than similar concepts such as job satisfaction and job involvement.
Abstract: Summary Employee engagement has recently been introduced as a concept advantageous to organizations. However, little is known about the value of employee engagement in explaining work performance behaviors compared with similar concepts. The learning climate, defined as the organization's beneficial activities in helping employees create, acquire, and transfer knowledge, has also been proposed as an antecedent of employee engagement. Using data from a sample of 625 employees and their supervisors in various occupations and organizations throughout Israel, we investigated employee engagement as a key mechanism for explaining the relationship between perceptions of the organization's learning climate and employees' proactivity, knowledge sharing, creativity, and adaptivity. We also tested whether employee engagement explained the relationship more thoroughly than similar concepts such as job satisfaction and job involvement. Multilevel regression analyses supported our hypotheses that employee engagement mediates the relationship between the perceived learning climate and these extra-role behaviors. Moreover, engagement provides a more thorough explanation than job satisfaction or job involvement for these relationships. The implications for organizational theory, research, and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Amygdala and hippocampal volume were reduced among children with maltreatment exposure and were negatively associated with SCR to the CS+ during early conditioning in the total sample, although these associations were negative only among non-maltreated children and were positive among maltreated children.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a wide range of outstanding issues for understanding, monitoring, and predicting drought in the Middle East and southwest Asia are discussed, including dynamics of the region, including orography, thermodynamic influence on vertical motion, storm-track changes, and moisture transport.
Abstract: The Middle East and southwest Asia are a region that is water stressed, societally vulnerable, and prone to severe droughts. Large-scale climate variability, particularly La Nina, appears to play an important role in regionwide droughts, including the two most severe of the last 50 years—1999–2001 and 2007/08—with implications for drought forecasting. Important dynamical factors include orography, thermodynamic influence on vertical motion, storm-track changes, and moisture transport. Vegetation in the region is strongly impacted by drought and may provide an important feedback mechanism. In future projections, drying of the eastern Mediterranean region is a robust feature, as are temperature increases throughout the region, which will affect evaporation and the timing and intensity of snowmelt. Vegetation feedbacks may become more important in a warming climate. There are a wide range of outstanding issues for understanding, monitoring, and predicting drought in the region, including dynamics of ...

Journal ArticleDOI
24 May 2016-eLife
TL;DR: Transcriptome and genome data from twenty stony coral species and a selection of reference bilaterians were studied to elucidate coral evolutionary history and identify genes that encode the proteins responsible for the precipitation and aggregation of the aragonite skeleton on which the organisms live.
Abstract: Transcriptome and genome data from twenty stony coral species and a selection of reference bilaterians were studied to elucidate coral evolutionary history. We identified genes that encode the proteins responsible for the precipitation and aggregation of the aragonite skeleton on which the organisms live, and revealed a network of environmental sensors that coordinate responses of the host animals to temperature, light, and pH. Furthermore, we describe a variety of stress-related pathways, including apoptotic pathways that allow the host animals to detoxify reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that are generated by their intracellular photosynthetic symbionts, and determine the fate of corals under environmental stress. Some of these genes arose through horizontal gene transfer and comprise at least 0.2% of the animal gene inventory. Our analysis elucidates the evolutionary strategies that have allowed symbiotic corals to adapt and thrive for hundreds of millions of years.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that patterns of interactivity among learners can be measured, and teach us, not just about group dynamics and collaboration, but also about the actual individual learning process.
Abstract: The increased use of online discussions in learning environments both formal and informal, positions the construct of interactivity as central to learning. Interactivity in learning communities' online discourse is viewed in this study as a socio-constructivist process. It is the network of interactions among content items and participants which drives a collective knowledge construction process. Conceptualizing interactivity in the literature is still unclear and not enough is known about its role in knowledge construction and about its relationship to learning outcomes. In addition, assessing learning outcomes using analytics has not matured fully and is still subject to intense development. This study thus sets out to investigate the role of interactivity as a process of knowledge construction within online discussions, and in particular, its association with learning outcomes, as measured by formal assessment tasks. We present significant positive correlations between various interactivity measures, taken from various learning communities, and a set of well-known learning assessments. We suggest that patterns of interactivity among learners can be measured, and teach us, not just about group dynamics and collaboration, but also about the actual individual learning process. We show an empirical operationalization framework for interactivity in learning communities.Interactivity measures and various learning outcomes assessments are positively associated.Interactivity dimensions are suggested, theoretically and empirically based.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Muscle mass loss and fat accumulation in the muscle in the elderly, with or without the presence of obesity, may explain some of the functional and metabolic defects shown in the frail, sarcopenic population.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work reports the positional cloning of Snn1, a member of the wall-associated kinase class of receptors, which is known to drive pathways for biotrophic pathogen resistance, and demonstrates that necrotrophic pathogens such as P. nodorum hijack host molecular pathways that are typically involved in resistance toBiotrophic pathogens.
Abstract: Necrotrophic pathogens live and feed on dying tissue, but their interactions with plants are not well understood compared to biotrophic pathogens The wheat Snn1 gene confers susceptibility to strains of the necrotrophic pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum that produce the SnTox1 protein We report the positional cloning of Snn1, a member of the wall-associated kinase class of receptors, which are known to drive pathways for biotrophic pathogen resistance Recognition of SnTox1 by Snn1 activates programmed cell death, which allows this necrotroph to gain nutrients and sporulate These results demonstrate that necrotrophic pathogens such as P nodorum hijack host molecular pathways that are typically involved in resistance to biotrophic pathogens, revealing the complex nature of susceptibility and resistance in necrotrophic and biotrophic pathogen interactions with plants

Journal ArticleDOI
Aaron Cohen1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that perceptions of organizational politics and perceived accountability are two mediators of the relationship between the dark triad personalities and counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that primary care settings are important for the early detection of PTSD, which can be improved through indicated screening and PCP education.
Abstract: Research suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common, debilitating and frequently associated with comorbid health conditions, including poor functioning, and increased health care utilization. This article systematically reviewed the empirical literature on PTSD in primary care settings, focusing on prevalence, detection and correlates. Twenty-seven studies were identified for inclusion. Current PTSD prevalence in primary care patients ranged widely between 2 % to 39 %, with significant heterogeneity in estimates explained by samples with different levels of trauma exposure. Six studies found detection of PTSD by primary care physicians (PCPs) ranged from 0 % to 52 %. Studies examining associations between PTSD and sociodemographic variables yielded equivocal results. High comorbidity was reported between PTSD and other psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety, and PTSD was associated with functional impairment or disability. Exposure to multiple types of trauma also raised the risk of PTSD. While some studies indicated that primary care patients with PTSD report higher levels of substance and alcohol abuse, somatic symptoms, pain, health complaints, and healthcare utilization, other studies did not find these associations. This review proposes that primary care settings are important for the early detection of PTSD, which can be improved through indicated screening and PCP education.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The role of leader–member exchange in the relationship between two types of person–environment fit over time: person–organization and person–job fit, and subsequent turnover is examined.
Abstract: Person–environment fit has been found to have significant implications for employee attitudes and behaviors. Most research to date has approached person–environment fit as a static phenomenon, and without examining how different types of person–environment fit may affect each other. In particular, little is known about the conditions under which fit with one aspect of the environment influences another aspect, as well as subsequent behavior. To address this gap we examine the role of leader–member exchange in the relationship between two types of person–environment fit over time: person–organization and person–job fit, and subsequent turnover. Using data from two waves (T1 and T2, respectively) and turnover data collected two years later (T3) from a sample of 160 employees working in an elderly care organization in the Netherlands, we find that person–organization fit at T1 is positively associated with person–job fit at T2, but only for employees in high-quality leader–member exchange relationships. Higher needs–supplies fit at T2 is associated with lower turnover at T3. In contrast, among employees in high-quality leader–member exchange relationships, the demands–abilities dimension of person–job fit at T2 is associated with higher turnover at T3.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Determining the health and stability of MCEs, their biodiversity, and the degree of genetic connectivity among SWRs and Mces, will ultimately indicate the ability of M CEs to contribute to the resilience of SWRsand help to guide future management and conservation strategies.
Abstract: The Second International Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) workshop was held in Eilat, Israel, October 26–31, 2014. Here we provide an account of: (1) advances in our knowledge of MCE ecology, including the central question of the potential vertical connectivity between MCEs and shallow-water reefs (SWRs), and that of the validity of the deep-reef refugia hypothesis (DRRH); (2) the contribution of the 2014 MCE workshop to the central question presented in (1), as well as its contribution to novel MCE studies on corals, sponges, fish, and crabs; and (3) gaps, priorities, and recommendations for future research stemming from the workshop. Despite their close proximity to well-studied SWRs, and the growing evidence of their importance, our scientific knowledge of MCEs is still in its infancy. During the last five years, we have witnessed an ever-increasing scientific interest in MCEs, expressed in the exponential increase in the number of publications studying this unique environment. The emerging consensus is that lower MCE benthic assemblages represent unique communities, either of separate species or genetically distinct individuals within species, and any significant support for the DRRH will be limited to upper MCEs. Determining the health and stability of MCEs, their biodiversity, and the degree of genetic connectivity among SWRs and MCEs, will ultimately indicate the ability of MCEs to contribute to the resilience of SWRs and help to guide future management and conservation strategies. MCEs deserve therefore management consideration in their own right. With the technological advancements taking place in recent years that facilitate access to MCEs, the prospects for exciting and innovative discoveries resulting from MCE research, spanning a wide variety of fields, are immense.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that increased flight costs are an important proximate cause of juvenile mortality in white storks and likely in other soaring migrants and that natural selection is operating on juvenile variation in flight efficiency.
Abstract: Migration conveys an immense challenge, especially for juvenile birds coping with enduring and risky journeys shortly after fledging. Accordingly, juveniles exhibit considerably lower survival rates compared to adults, particularly during migration. Juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia), which are known to rely on adults during their first fall migration presumably for navigational purposes, also display much lower annual survival than adults. Using detailed GPS and body acceleration data, we examined the patterns and potential causes of age-related differences in fall migration properties of white storks by comparing first-year juveniles and adults. We compared juvenile and adult parameters of movement, behaviour and energy expenditure (estimated from overall dynamic body acceleration) and placed this in the context of the juveniles' lower survival rate. Juveniles used flapping flight vs. soaring flight 23% more than adults and were estimated to expend 14% more energy during flight. Juveniles did not compensate for their higher flight costs by increased refuelling or resting during migration. When juveniles and adults migrated together in the same flock, the juvenile flew mostly behind the adult and was left behind when they separated. Juveniles showed greater improvement in flight efficiency throughout migration compared to adults which appears crucial because juveniles exhibiting higher flight costs suffered increased mortality. Our findings demonstrate the conflict between the juveniles' inferior flight skills and their urge to keep up with mixed adult-juvenile flocks. We suggest that increased flight costs are an important proximate cause of juvenile mortality in white storks and likely in other soaring migrants and that natural selection is operating on juvenile variation in flight efficiency.

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TL;DR: This meta-analysis quantitatively reviewed existing literature on social anxiety and internet use, examining the relationships between SA and three internet use variables: feelings of comfort online; time spent online; and problematic internet use (PIU).

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TL;DR: This article used the O*NET archive of occupation traits to operationalize the concepts of essentialism and vertical inequality more exhaustively than in past research and found that much vertical segregation remains even after the physical, analytic, and interactional forms of essentialisms are controlled.
Abstract: Why is there so much occupational sex segregation in the 21st century? The authors cast light on this question by using the O*NET archive of occupation traits to operationalize the concepts of essentialism and vertical inequality more exhaustively than in past research. When the new model is applied to recent U.S. Census data, the results show that much vertical segregation remains even after the physical, analytic, and interactional forms of essentialism are controlled; that essentialism nonetheless accounts for much more of total segregation than does vertical inequality; that the physical and interactional forms of segregation are especially strong; that the physical form of essentialism is one of the few examples of female-advantaging segregation; and that essentialism takes on a fractal structure that generates much finely detailed segregation at detailed occupational levels. The authors conclude by discussing how essentialist processes partly account for the intransigence of occupational sex segrega...