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.

Participative Decision Making in Schools: A Mediating-Moderating Analytical Framework for Understanding School and Teacher Outcomes

Abstract: The increasing emergence of participation in decision making (PDM) in schools reflects the widely shared belief that flatter management and decentralized authority structures carry the potential fo...

Mountain pass theorems and global homeomorphism theorems

Abstract: We show that mountain-pass theorems can be used to derive global homeomorphism theorems. Two new mountain-pass theorems are proved, generalizing the “smooth” mountain-pass theorem, one applying in locally compact topological spaces, using Hofer’s concept of mountain-pass point, and another applying in complete metric spaces, using a generalized notion of critical point similar to the one introduced by Ioffe and Schwartzman. These are used to prove global homeomorphism theorems for certain topological and metric spaces, generalizing known global homeomorphism theorems for mappings between Banach spaces.

Contact heat-evoked temporal summation: tonic versus repetitive-phasic stimulation.

Abstract: Temporal summation (TS) is usually evoked by repetitive mechanical or electrical stimuli, and less commonly by tonic heat pain. The present study aimed to examine the TS induction by repetitive-phasic versus tonic heat pain stimuli. Using 27 normal volunteers, we compared the extent of summation by three calculation methods: start-to-end pain rating difference, percent change, and double-logarithmic regression of successive ratings along the stimulation. Subjects were tested twice, and the reliability of each of the paradigms was obtained. In addition, personality factors related to pain catastrophizing and anxiety level were also correlated with the psychophysical results. Both paradigms induced significant TS, with similar increases for the repetitive-phasic and the tonic paradigms, as measured on 0-100 numerical pain scale (from 52.9+/-11.7 to 80.2+/-15.5, p<0.001; and from 38.5+/-13.3 to 75.8+/-18.3, p<0.001, respectively). The extent of summation was significantly correlated between the two paradigms, when calculated by absolute change (r=0.543, p=0.004) and by regression (r=0.438, p=0.025). Session-to-session variability was similar for both paradigms, relatively large, yet not biased. As with other psychophysical parameters, this poses some limitations on TS assessment in individual patients over time. The extent of TS induced by both paradigms was found to be associated with anxiety level and pain catastrophizing. Despite some dissimilarity between the repetitive-phasic and the tonic paradigms, the many similarities suggest that the two represent a similar physiological process, even if not precisely the same. Future clinical applications of these tests will determine the clinical relevance of the TS paradigms presented in this study.

Virtual reality provides leisure time opportunities for young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Abstract: Due to limitations in their physical abilities, adults with cerebral palsy (CP) have relatively few opportunities to engage in independent leisure activities. This pervasive lack of opportunity often leads to the development of dependent behavioral patterns and learned helplessness. The objective of this pilot study was to explore ways in which virtual reality can provide positive and enjoyable leisure experiences during physical interactions with different game-like virtual environments and potentially lead to increased self-esteem and a sense of self-empowerment. The study sample consisted of five young male adults with CP and severe intellectual disabilities who are non-speaking and who use wheelchairs for mobility. Each participant experienced three game-like virtual scenarios via VividGroup's Gesture Xtreme video capture virtual reality (VR) system. The participant's video captured image was processed on the same plane as screen graphical animations that react in real time in response to his movement...