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.

Genetic diversity and environmental associations of wild barley,Hordeum spontaneum, in Turkey

Abstract: Genetic variability within and between populations of the wild progenitor of barley was studied electrophoretically Thirty enzyme loci were assayed in 437 individuals representing 11 populations ofH spontaneum in Turkey The results indicated that: (a)H spontaneum in Turkey is genetically rich in allozyme variation, but because of predominant self-pollination the variation is maintained as different homozygotes in the population; (b) genetic differentiation of populations includes clinal, regional, and local patterns, sometimes displaying sharp geographic differentiation over short distances; (c) overall indices of allozymic diversity and some allele frequencies of wild barley are significantly correlated with the environment and are predictable ecologically, chiefly by combinations of temperature and humidity variables; (d) a high percentage of alleles (66%) occur in local areas or are distributed sporadically rather than widespread; (e) Wright Fixation index was very high, F=0995; (f) genetic distance was high (D=011, ranging from 0031 to 0288) between populations, and (g) average relative genetic differentiation was high among populations (Gst=047, ranging from 002 to 066) The spatial patterns and environmental correlates and predictors of genetic variation ofH spontaneum in Turkey, indicated that genetic variation in wild barley populations is not only common, but also at least partly, adaptive Therefore, a much fuller exploitation of these genetic resources by breeding is warranted

Can Surgical Teams Ever Learn? The Role of Coordination, Complexity, and Transitivity in Action Team Learning

Abstract: Recognizing that current theories of team learning do not apply to short-term action teams, we conceptualize how action teams may learn and test hypotheses regarding the performance-related effects of such learning, the mechanisms mediating such effects, and the conditions governing their magnitude. We operationalized the level of action team learning (ATL) in terms of the regularity and number of role-based, guided team reflexivity experiences of an action team's members. Testing our hypotheses on 250 surgical teams, we find that higher levels of ATL are associated with shorter surgical duration, with this effect mediated by team helping and workload sharing, particularly under conditions of greater team task complexity. Additionally, we find higher levels of ATL to be directly associated with a reduced number of adverse events in low-complexity surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Challenges experienced by paid peer providers in mental health recovery: a qualitative study.

Abstract: Peer providers are increasingly employed in mental health services. We explored challenges experienced by 31 peer providers in diverse settings and roles using in-depth interviews, as part of a larger study focusing on their recovery (Moran et al. in Qual Health Res, 2012). A grounded theory approach revealed three challenge domains: work environment, occupational path, and personal mental health. Challenges in the work environment differed between conventional mental health settings and consumer-run agencies. Occupational domain challenges included lack of clear job descriptions, lack of skills for using one’s life story and lived experience, lack of helping skills, and negative aspects of carrying a peer provider label. Personal mental health challenges included overwork and symptom recurrence. Implications for all domains are discussed, with focus on training and skill development.

Multilingualism as a New Linguistic Dispensation

Abstract: This paper aims to show that the development of multilingualism in the world has reached a point where, in terms of scale and significance, it is comparable with and assimilable to politico-economic aspects of globalisation, global mobility and ‘postmodern’ modes of thinking. The paper situates multilingualism in its relationship with the most dramatic social changes currently occurring in the world, notably the transformation of the experience of time and space, as well as global mobility, which has resulted in unprecedented diversity and heterogeneity in the populations of individual countries and regions. It argues that multilingualism is the ineluctable concomitant of all dimensions of globalisation and that the application in the relevant literature of the notion of a new linguistic dispensation to recent shifts in the language/society interface is entirely justified by the facts. Finally, taking an historical perspective, it seeks to make a case for the claim that, although multilingual ind...

PKR: A Kinase to Remember

Abstract: Aging is a major risk factor for many diseases including metabolic syndrome, cancer, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. Identifying mechanistic common denominators underlying the impact of aging is essential for our fundamental understanding of age-related diseases and the possibility to propose new ways to fight them. One can define aging biochemically as prolonged metabolic stress, the innate cellular and molecular programs responding to it, and the new stable or unstable state of equilibrium between the two. A candidate to play a role in the process is protein kinase R (PKR), first identified as a cellular protector against viral infection and today known as a major regulator of central cellular processes including mRNA translation, transcriptional control, regulation of apoptosis, and cell proliferation. Prolonged imbalance in PKR activation is both affected by biochemical and metabolic parameters and affects them in turn to create a feedforward loop. Here, we portray the central role of PKR in transferring metabolic information and regulating cellular function with a focus on cancer, inflammation, and brain function. Later, we integrate information from open data sources and discuss current knowledge and gaps in the literature about the signaling cascades upstream and downstream of PKR in different cell types and function. Finally, we summarize current major points and biological means to manipulate PKR expression and/or activation and propose PKR as a therapeutic target to shift age/metabolic-dependent undesired steady states.