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.

Decoding the hologram: Scalar fields interacting with gravity

Abstract: We construct smeared conformal field theory (CFT) operators which represent a scalar field in anti--de Sitter (AdS) space interacting with gravity. The guiding principle is microcausality: scalar fields should commute with themselves at spacelike separation. To $\mathcal{O}(1/N)$ we show that a correct and convenient criterion for constructing the appropriate CFT operators is to demand microcausality in a three-point function with a boundary Weyl tensor and another boundary scalar. The resulting bulk observables transform in the correct way under AdS isometries and commute with boundary scalar operators at spacelike separation, even in the presence of metric perturbations.

A neural circuit for comorbid depressive symptoms in chronic pain

Abstract: Comorbid depressive symptoms (CDS) in chronic pain are a common health problem, but the neural circuit mechanisms underlying these symptoms remain unclear. Here we identify a novel pathway involving 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) projections from the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN) to somatostatin (SOM)-expressing and non-SOM interneurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). The SOMCeA neurons project directly to the lateral habenula, an area known involved in depression. Inhibition of the 5-HTDRN→SOMCeA pathway produced depression-like behavior in a male mouse model of chronic pain. Activation of this pathway using pharmacological or optogenetic approaches reduced depression-like behavior in these mice. Human functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed that compared to healthy controls, functional connectivity between the CeA-containing centromedial amygdala and the DRN was reduced in patients with CDS but not in patients in chronic pain without depression. These findings indicate that a novel 5-HTDRN→SOMCeA→lateral habenula pathway may mediate at least some aspects of CDS.

Effects of carbon and nitrogen sources on Pleurotus ostreatus ligninolytic enzyme activity

Abstract: The effect of various carbon and nitrogen sources on laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), and peroxidase production by two strains of Pleurotus ostreatus was investigated The maximal laccase yield of P ostreatus 98 and P ostreatus 108 varied depending upon the carbon source from 5 to 62 U l−1 and from 55 to 390 U l−1, respectively The highest MnP and peroxidase activities were revealed in medium supplemented by xylan Laccase, MnP, and peroxidase activities of mushrooms decreased with supplementation of defined medium by inorganic nitrogen sources Peptone followed by casein hydrolysate appeared to be the best nitrogen sources for laccase accumulation by both fungi However, their positive effects on enzyme accumulation were due to a higher biomass production The secretion of MnP and peroxidase by P ostreatus 108 was stimulated with supplementation of casein hydrolysate to the control medium since the specific MnP and peroxidase activities increased 15-fold and 35-fold, respectively

Effects of exposure to literary Arabic on reading comprehension in a diglossic situation

Abstract: Reading difficulties in Arabic in elementary schoolare usually attributed to the diglossia of the Arabiclanguage, whereby the spoken language is totallydifferent from literary Arabic, the language of booksand school instruction. Educators, teachers, andparents still believe that exposure of young Arabicspeakers to literary Arabic in the preschool period isa burden for them, and is not useful. The presentpost hoc study examined the influence of exposure toliterary Arabic of preschool children on their readingcomprehension of literary Arabic stories in grades 1and 2. Participants in the study were 282children, 135 from grade 1 and 147 from grade 2. Ofthe participants, 144 constituted the experimentalgroup, and were exposed to literary Arabic throughouttheir preschool period. The 138 participants of thecontrol group were exposed not to literary but tospoken Arabic during that period. These children weretested for reading comprehension at the end of grade1 and grade 2 and compared with the control group. The results generally indicate better readingcomprehension results for the children who wereexposed to literary Arabic than for the children whowere exposed only to spoken Arabic.