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.

Emotions in Management and the Management of Emotions: The Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Politics on Public Sector Employees

Abstract: Readers are invited to a rendezvous with the meaning of the heart and emotions in public administration. Despite the growing interest in recent years in emotional intelligence within the managerial literature, too little has been written about emotional intelligence within the public sector. This is surprising in light of New Public Management voices that stress flexibility, responsiveness, and a focus on the needs and demands of citizens. The functionality of the heart in a mind-oriented bureaucracy is analyzed, and a model is suggested for exploring the relationship between emotional intelligence, organizational politics, and employees' performance in public agencies. This model is empirically tested in two Israeli municipalities. The results support a moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between organizational politics and emotional commitment, as well as between organizational politics and employees' absenteeism. Other direct mediating effects of political perceptions and skills are noted. Implications for theory development, future empirical studies, as well as practical recommendations are suggested.

Cannabinoids modulate hippocampal memory and plasticity.

Abstract: Considerable evidence demonstrates that cannabinoid agonists impair whereas cannabinoid antagonists improve memory and plasticity. However, recent studies suggest that the effects of cannabi- noids on learning do not necessarily follow these simple patterns, partic- ularly when emotional memory processes are involved. We investigated the involvement of the cannabinoid system in hippocampal learning and plasticity using the fear-related inhibitory avoidance (IA) and the non- fear-related spatial learning paradigms, and cellular models of learning and memory, i.e., long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). We found that microinjection into the CA1 of the CB1/CB2 re- ceptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (5 lg/side) and an inhibitor of endocanna- binoid reuptake and breakdown AM404 (200 ng/side) facilitated the extinction of IA, while the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (6 ng/side) impaired it. WIN55,212-2 and AM251 did not affect IA conditioning, while AM404 enhanced it, probably due to a drug-induced increase in pain sensitivity. However, in the water maze, systemic or local CA1 injections of AM251, WIN55,212-2, and AM404 all impaired spatial learning. We also found that i.p. administration of WIN55,212-2 (0.5 mg/kg), AM404 (10 mg/kg), and AM251 (2 mg/kg) impaired LTP in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 projection, whereas AM404 facilitated LTD. Our findings suggest diverse effects of the cannabinoid system on CA1 memory and plasticity that cannot be categorized simply into an impair- ing or an enhancing effect of cannabinoid activation and deactivation, respectively. Moreover, they provide preclinical support for the sugges- tion that targeting the endocannabinoid system may aid in the treatment of disorders associated with impaired extinction-like processes, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. V C 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The consequences of emerging HRM practices for employees' trust in their managers

Abstract: This study examines the consequences of emerging human resource management (HRM) practices for employees' trust in their managers from a combination of the theory of exchange and a resource‐base perspective. Using a national sample of 230 respondents, the research reported here portrays the paths which link the consequences of emerging HRM practices to employees' trust in their managers. In this framework, HRM consequences represent a proxy in which managers' actions, behaviours, and procedures affect employees' trust in their managers. The results indicate a significant and positive influence of empowerment, organisational communication and procedural justice as determinants of employees' trust in their managers. Using structural equation analysis, findings also indicate that procedural justice mediates the impact of employee development on their trust in their managers. Implications for strategic HR policies in organisations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Large retrotransposon derivatives : abundant, conserved but nonautonomous retroelements of barley and related genomes

Abstract: Retroviruses and LTR retrotransposons comprise two long-terminal repeats (LTRs) bounding a central domain that encodes the products needed for reverse transcription, packaging, and integration into the genome. We describe a group of retrotransposons in 13 species and four genera of the grass tribe Triticeae, including barley, with long, approximately 4.4-kb LTRs formerly called Sukkula elements. The approximately 3.5-kb central domains include reverse transcriptase priming sites and are conserved in sequence but contain no open reading frames encoding typical retrotransposon proteins. However, they specify well-conserved RNA secondary structures. These features describe a novel group of elements, called LARDs or large retrotransposon derivatives (LARDs). These appear to be members of the gypsy class of LTR retrotransposons. Although apparently nonautonomous, LARDs appear to be transcribed and can be recombinationally mapped due to the polymorphism of their insertion sites. They are dispersed throughout the genome in an estimated 1.3 x 10(3) full-length copies and 1.16 x 10(4) solo LTRs, indicating frequent recombinational loss of internal domains as demonstrated also for the BARE-1 barley retrotransposon.

The presence of Rickettsia is associated with increased susceptibility of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to insecticides.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The presence of certain symbiotic microorganisms may be associated with insecticide resistance in insects. The authors compared the susceptibility of two isofemale lines, Rickettsia-plus and Rickettsia-free, of the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to major insecticides from different chemical groups, including imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, pyriproxyfen, spiromesifen and diafenthiuron. RESULTS: While the Rickettsia-plus and Rickettsia-free lines showed no differences in their susceptibility to imidacloprid and diafenthiuron, higher susceptibility of the Rickettsia-plus line to acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, spiromesifen and especially pyriproxyfen was observed. LC90 values indicated that the Rickettsia-free line was 15-fold more resistant to pyriproxyfen than the Rickettsia-plus line. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that the infection status of B. tabaci populations by Rickettsia is an important consideration that should be taken into account when performing resistance monitoring studies, and may help in understanding the dynamics of B. tabaci resistance, symbiont-pest associations in agricultural systems and the biological impact of Rickettsia on whitefly biology.  2008 Society of Chemical Industry