University of Haifa

About: University of Haifa is a education organization based out in Haifa, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7558 authors who have published 27141 publications receiving 711629 citations. The organization is also known as: Haifa University & Universiṭat Ḥefah.

On the contribution of kindergarten writing to grade 1 literacy: A longitudinal study in Hebrew

Abstract: This longitudinal study examined the relationship between kindergarten word writing and grade 1 literacy in a large sample of Israeli children. In kindergarten, a majority of children produced writing which displayed most of the graphospatial characteristics of conventional word writing, although only one-third of the children demonstrated a working knowledge of the alphabetic principle. Kindergarten writing significantly predicted variance in all three measures of grade 1 literacy (decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension), even after controlling for general intelligence. We also investigated the role of alphabetic skills and socioliteracy variables in accounting for the predictive power of kindergarten writing. Kindergarten alphabetic skills (phonemic awareness and knowledge of letter names), but not socioliteracy factors (parental print exposure, parents' reading to child, and Clay's Concepts about Print), explained all the variance contributed by kindergarten writing to grade 1 decoding and spelling. In the case of reading comprehension, both alphabetic and socioliteracy variables were able to account for the predictive power of kindergarten writing. As a precursor of reading comprehension, kindergarten writing appears to reflect both domain-specific alphabetic skills and broader socioliteracy factors underlying the higher order cognitive competencies essential for comprehending text.

Adaptive, intelligent presentation of information for the museum visitor in PEACH

Abstract: The study of intelligent user interfaces and user modeling and adaptation is well suited for augmenting educational visits to museums. We have defined a novel integrated framework for museum visits and claim that such a framework is essential in such a vast domain that inherently implies complex interactivity. We found that it requires a significant investment in software and hardware infrastructure, design and implementation of intelligent interfaces, and a systematic and iterative evaluation of the design and functionality of user interfaces, involving actual visitors at every stage. We defined and built a suite of interactive and user-adaptive technologies for museum visitors, which was then evaluated at the Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento, Italy: (1) animated agents that help motivate visitors and focus their attention when necessary, (2) automatically generated, adaptive video documentaries on mobile devices, and (3) automatically generated post-visit summaries that reflect the individual interests of visitors as determined by their behavior and choices during their visit. These components are supported by underlying user modeling and inference mechanisms that allow for adaptivity and personalization. Novel software infrastructure allows for agent connectivity and fusion of multiple positioning data streams in the museum space. We conducted several experiments, focusing on various aspects of PEACH. In one, conducted with 110 visitors, we found evidence that even older users are comfortable interacting with a major component of the system.

Ocular regression conceals adaptive progression of the visual system in a blind subterranean mammal.

Abstract: THE mole rat, Spalax ehrenberghi, is an extreme example of natural visual degeneration in mammals: visual pathways are regressed and incomplete1, and the absence of visual cortical potentials or an overt behavioural response to light have led to the conclusion that Spalax is completely blind2–4. But structural and molecular investigations of the atrophied, subcutaneous eye suggest a functional role for the retina in light perception5,6, and entrainment of circadian locomotor and thermoregulatory rhythms by ambient light demonstrates a capacity for photoperiodic detection2,7–9. We report here that severe regression of thalamic and tectal structures involved in form and motion perception is coupled to a selective hypertrophy of structures subserving photoperiodic functions. As an alternative to the prevalent view that ocular regression results from negative or nonselective evolutionary processes10–12, the differential reduction and expansion of visual structures in Spalax can be explained as an adaptive response to the underground environment.

Effects of catastrophizing on pain perception and pain modulation.

Abstract: The multidimensional experience of pain is thought to be partially influenced by the pain modulation system as well as by individual psychological components. Recent studies demonstrated possible common neural network mediating both domains. The present study examined the relationships between pain perception, pain modulation, and catastrophizing in healthy subjects. Forty-eight participants (29 females and 19 males) completed the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) and underwent psychophysical tests in order to evaluate the modulation of pain, using the diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm. Contact heat pain (47.0°C applied for 1 min), which was used as the “test” stimulation, was applied before and after a physical effort that induces pain (repeated squeezing of a hand grip device), which was used as a “conditioning” stimulus. Numeric pain scale intensities (NPS, 0–10) were evaluated four times during each of two separate consecutive runs of heat stimulation. Results showed a significant positive correlation of PCS with heat pain (r = 0.48, p < 0.0005) and with muscle pain (r = 0.31, p = 0.03). In addition, significant negative correlations were found between PCS and DNIC effect (r = −0.34, p = 0.02). Moreover, once catastrophizing was entered into the regression analysis, the previously significant effect of gender was no longer found. In conclusion, individuals with high catastrophizing levels demonstrated higher pain intensities and lower effects of DNIC indicating that catastrophizing might have a significant impact on pain perception via an association with pain modulation.