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.

Why Classical Decision Theory is an Inappropriate Standard for Evaluating and Aiding Most Human Decision Making

Abstract: In its normative role, classical decision theory is an abstract system of propositions that is designed to describe the choices of an ideal hypothetical decision maker—omniscient, computationally omnipotent Economic Man—given the theory's very specific assumptions about the nature of the decision task. The assumption that classical theory is prescriptively appropriate has motivated nearly 40 years of empirical behavioral research—every study that has evaluated the quality of human decision making using the prescriptions of classical theory as the standard of comparison has been a reaffirmation of this assumption. Even the most casual reader of the decision literature is aware of the research on decision heuristics and biases. This work, started in large part by Ward Edwards, Daniel Kahneman, and Amos Tversky, and subsequently carried on both by them and by many other researchers, focuses upon judgment rather than decision making. However, insofar as it has examined decision making per se, it suggests or documents discrepancies between decision behavior and classical theory.

Citizens' Perceptions of Politics and Ethics in Public Administration: A Five-Year National Study of Their Relationship to Satisfaction with Services, Trust in Governance, and Voice Orientations

Abstract: In recent decades organizational politics (OP) has become a growing field of interest in managerial studies. To date, the major scholarly effort has been dedicated to the exploration of intraorganizational politics based on employees' perceptions. However, one of the important aspects of this phenomenon is the way in which it is viewed by the external organizational environment-by customers, clients, and as far as governmental agencies are concerned, by the general public as well. This article examines citizens' perceptions of organizational politics and ethics in public administration systems. It focuses on the relationship between these perceptions and several key outcomes of modern bureaucracy such as satisfaction with services, trust in governmental institutions, and the resulting voice orientations and actions by the public (i.e., political efficacy, political participation). The data for the study were gathered from a half decade's worth of national surveys in Israel. The results point to meaningful direct and indirect relationships between organizational politics and ethics in the public sector, satisfaction, trust, and voice orientation. The article ends with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and suggestions for future studies.

The let-7 –Imp axis regulates ageing of the Drosophila testis stem-cell niche

Abstract: Adult stem cells support tissue homeostasis and repair throughout the life of an individual. During ageing, numerous intrinsic and extrinsic changes occur that result in altered stem-cell behaviour and reduced tissue maintenance and regeneration. In the Drosophila testis, ageing results in a marked decrease in the self-renewal factor Unpaired (Upd), leading to a concomitant loss of germline stem cells. Here we demonstrate that IGF-II messenger RNA binding protein (Imp) counteracts endogenous small interfering RNAs to stabilize upd (also known as os) RNA. However, similar to upd, Imp expression decreases in the hub cells of older males, which is due to the targeting of Imp by the heterochronic microRNA let-7. In the absence of Imp, upd mRNA therefore becomes unprotected and susceptible to degradation. Understanding the mechanistic basis for ageing-related changes in stem-cell behaviour will lead to the development of strategies to treat age-onset diseases and facilitate stem-cell-based therapies in older individuals.

Integration of Motor Imagery and Physical Practice in Group Treatment Applied to Subjects With Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract: Background and Purpose. The application of motor imagery practice in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a novel treatment approach for improving motor function. The purpose of this study was to compare group treatment using a combination of physical and motor imagery practice with group treatment using only physical practice in subjects with PD.Methods. Of 23 patients with idiopathic PD, 12 received combined therapy, whereas 11 received physical therapy alone. Exercises for both groups were applied during 1-h sessions held twice a week for 12 weeks. Comparable motor tasks provided to both groups included callisthenic exercises, functional tasks, and relaxation exercises. However, the experimental group was treated with both imagery and real practice, whereas the control group received only physical exercises. Outcome measures included the time required to complete sequences of movements, the performance of balance tasks, impairment and functional scores on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating ...