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This study examines the outcome of incongruence between home and school religious environments on predicting adolescent identification with religious values and worldview in Israeli religious high schools, and the possible mediating effects of general and identity-related aspects of school climate. The study compares Jewish students from religious observant Orthodox families with those from less-observant "Masorti" ("traditionalist") families. A total of 9090 Israeli high school students from 76 religious public schools participated. Students identified their parent's home as "Religious" or "Masorti" and filled out a measure on their own religious identification. School climate indices surveyed included aspects of good teacher-student and school-student relationships, and climate indices related to identity development processes. Results demonstrate that students from "Masorti" families experience school less favorably and identify less with school values. Identity climate indices were involved in mediating this relationship, demonstrating that school pedagogies fostering positive identity processes may play a key role in value formation in adolescence.

The integration of visual programming in early formal education has been found to promote computational thinking of students. Teachers' intuitive perspectives about optimal learning processes -- "folk psychology" -- impact their perspectives about teaching "folk pedagogy" and play a significant role in integrating educational technologies, such as visual programming, within the formal curriculum. This study was conducted based on the mixed method research paradigm. First, a folk pedagogy questionnaire was distributed to 89 teachers who integrate differing technologies in their classroom in order to identify the teachers' pedagogical perspectives: constructivist versus instructivist. Then, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 teachers who teach Scratch in order to gain a deeper understanding of their instructivist/constructivist perspectives and actual pedagogical practices and strategies. Finally, we analyzed 96 students' programming artifacts to explore differences, if any, in students' outcomes related to the pedagogical perspectives of their teachers. Findings revealed that pedagogical perspectives are reflected in teaching strategies and assessment practices employed in a visual programming environment. It is promising that teaching visual programming promoted constructivist pedagogy even among instructivist teachers and was consequently reflected in student perspectives and expressed in their programming artifacts. We discuss theoretical and educational implications of these findings.

Digital technologies provide opportunities for enhancing teaching, learning and teacher professional development (TPD). Some TPD courses can now be learned online and require trainees to conduct self-regulated learning (SRL). The revised Self-Regulated Learning Model (RSRLM) defines seven components of self-regulation: motivation, engagement, forethought, performance, reflection, monitoring, and management. This study examined self-regulated learning processes, strategies and challenges in the context of a micro-learning, blended TPD course for ICT leaders, aimed to expose them to advanced pedagogical-technological knowledge and practices. The participants were 172 Israeli ICT school leaders. Data collection through a multiple-choice and open-ended questionnaire was followed-up by semi-structured interviews with 13 of the participants. The coding (n = 953) revealed all seven components of the RSRLM model. In addition, bottom-up coding revealed characteristics of cognitive (n = 323) and emotional perceived learning (n = 405). Finally, multiple regression analysis explained 16.2% of variance in TPD achievement by seniority in teaching, seniority in teacher training, and cognitive perceived learning. In addition, cognitive and emotional perceived learning explained 48.4% of variance in willingness to participate in future TPD courses using the micro-learning approach. We discuss the implications of the findings for SRL theory, the perceived learning framework, and the practice of TPD.

Increasingly evidence suggests that the self-reported health status (SRH) of 2nd generation immigrant youth (native-born youth with at least one parent who was born abroad) may be lower than non-immigrant youth. This cross-sectional study compared the SRH of 2nd generation immigrant to non-immigrant youth (n = 291), accounting for confounders including a clinical measure (i.e., body mass index), internal resources (i.e., diet, exercise, smoking), and external resources (i.e., socioeconomic status, family social support). Regressions showed SRH was associated with socioeconomic status (p < 0.05), family social support (p < 0.05) and exercise (p < 0.05) but not immigrant status. Yet, bivariate analyses, showed that among youth, 2nd generation immigrants had poorer diets (p < 0.01), were smokers (p < 0.0001), had lower socioeconomic status (p < 0.05) and less family social support (p < 0.05). Thus, although SRH did not differ by immigration status among youth, the differences in internal and external resources by immigrant status may lead to health differences in the future.

This research explored how digital leaders, being teachers responsible for integrating technologies into teaching, envisaged their roles. Bottom-up content analysis of metaphors from 55 digital leaders revealed a typology describing them as change agents across three 'extent' and two 'depth' dimensions. Most leaders described "the extent of change" associated with their role consistently with the Islands of Innovation and Comprehensive Innovation frameworks, rather than the broader School Communities of Innovation approach. Most metaphors reflected superficial change rather than fundamental change. Although the digital leader role was created to spur innovative change, this is not how most educational practitioners envisage it.

This study explored teacher experience in leading Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in K-12 and conducting blended synchronous and asynchronous instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's purpose was to understand the pedagogical, technological, and organizational challenges and benefits of computing-enhanced digital learning environments, and to explore teachers' pedagogical strategies. This study employed a qualitative research paradigm using nation-wide, online samples, which included 133 elementary and secondary school teachers from Hebrew-speaking and Arabic-speaking schools in Israel. Participants were asked to share their perspectives and experiences of ERT through open-ended questions in an online questionnaire. The bottom-up analysis of the data, based on the Grounded Theory approach, yielded 1,822 statements reflecting teachers' perceptions of pedagogical, technological, and organizational challenges (N = 580) and benefits of ERT (N = 827). The analysis also revealed a variety of pedagogical distance learning strategies used by teachers (N = 415). The study raises the need to turn a curse into a blessing by incorporating the experience of remote technology-enhanced learning and online activities into the school agenda on a regular basis. Thus, teachers and students would develop important digital competencies and be prepared for the next emergency event. The implications of our findings for educational theory and practice of educational computing are discussed.

This study explored (1) pedagogical strategies in Educational Coding and Robotics (ECR) learning which can develop computational thinking of students and (2) the degree of teacher centrality in the ECR classroom. In addition, we investigated (3) the added value of the Small Private Online Course (SPOC) to teacher professional development (TPD). We analyzed reflections of 80 in-service teachers on TPD through the SPOC (1,091 statements) and conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 of them one year after completing the course and teaching ECR in the classroom (328 statements). The most prominent strategies immediately after the TPD were "constructing learning experiences," "tinkering & debugging," and "interdisciplinary learning," while one year later, "experiential learning" and "collaborative learning" were more common. Regarding the degree of teacher centrality, a year after teaching ECR curriculum the teachers had a significantly higher percentage of statements reflecting their role as a "guide-on-the-side" and as "a partner" of students in the learning process. Regarding the contribution of the SPOC for TPD, teacher statements revealed significantly more benefits than challenges in both points of time. Interestingly, the same categories emerged bottom-up as benefits and challenges: a variety of "control dimensions," "independent learning," "learning and knowledge management" and "collaboration." Implications for educational theory and ECR practice are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of online collaborative learning experiences on students' digital collaboration skills and on the sustainability of e-collaboration in schools' culture--comparing individualistic versus collectivistic cultures. In addition, we explored how the leadership experience of schools' ICT coordinators was predicted by their sense of professionalism and cognitive, emotional and social aspects of perceived learning (PL), while leading the collaborative projects. The participants were ICT coordinators from 513 Israeli schools; 214 of whom were Hebrew-speakers, and 299 Arabic-speakers. The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, which included multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The results showed significant differences between a variety of the coordinator-related variables as a function of learning culture (more individualistic vs.more collectivistic). Coordinators' leadership experience was a powerful predictor of students' digital collaboration skills, but did not predict the sustainability of e-collaboration. Coordinators' emotional PL predicted the sustainability of collaboration in both schools with more individualistic and with more collectivistic learning cultures. The implications of the findings for educational theory and practise are discussed.

Background: Home-based palliative care is a growing trend, necessitating a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by professional staff members in this setting. The shift to home-based care has been driven by advances in technology, changing demographics, and a move toward more patient-centered approaches. As a care setting, the home environment offers distinct characteristics, presenting both advantages and drawbacks for patients and healthcare providers. Objectives: This study aims to explore the experiences and perceptions of professional staff members providing palliative care in patients' homes. Design: A qualitative descriptive study. Methods: Qualitative study with 36 home-based hospice professionals using questionnaires and interviews. Thematic analysis identified key themes in staff experiences and challenges. Results: The central theme of "The Professional Guest" highlights the hybrid identity and boundary role professional staff members must navigate, being both medical professionals and guests in the patient's domain. Four sub-themes emerged: (1) Observing and Applying, emphasizing the conscious scanning of the home environment to build trust and tailor care plans; (2) Asking for Permission, respecting the patient's territory and adapting to their norms; (3) Expecting the Unexpected, maintaining flexibility and improvising in unfamiliar situations; and (4) Preparing the Ground for Your Absence, equipping patients and families with comprehensive self-care guidance during professional staff members' absences. Conclusion: The "Professional Guest" phenomenon captures the complexities of providing care in patient's homes, necessitating a delicate balance between professionalism and personal vulnerability. Specialized training programs and policies should be developed to support professional staff members in navigating this hybrid identity and effectively negotiating the boundaries between professional and personal spheres. Plain language summary: Home visits for end-of-life care: understanding healthcare workers' experiences This study looks at how healthcare workers feel about providing end-of-life care in patients' homes. As more people choose to receive care at home rather than in hospitals, it's important to understand the challenges healthcare workers face in this setting. The researchers interviewed 36 healthcare workers from different backgrounds who work for a home-hospice service in Israel. They found that these workers often feel like "Professional Guests" in patients' homes—they need to be both medical experts and respectful visitors. This can be tricky to balance. The study identified four main ways healthcare workers handle this situation: They carefully observe the home environment to build trust and plan care. They ask permission before doing things, respecting that they're in the patient's space. They stay flexible and ready for unexpected situations. They teach patients and families how to manage when healthcare workers aren't there. The study concludes that providing care in patients' homes is complex and requires a delicate balance between being professional and being personally involved. The researchers suggest that special training programs and policies should be created to help healthcare workers navigate these challenges and provide the best possible care for patients at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was twofold: to determine if deficits in motor skill proficiency and learning were present in 2-year-old children identified with early expressive language delay compared to peers without the delay, and to distinguish how motor skill proficiency and learning behaviors may manifest differently across culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Method: The study involved 54 children (24–36 months of age), 23 of whom were identified as having an expressive language delay. Furthermore, 16 participants were American and English-speaking and 38 were Israeli and Hebrewspeaking. After motor and language skill proficiency was assessed using a variety of measures, each child and participating parent were introduced to a nonsymmetrical-shaped insertion task so that motor learning skills could be observed. This block insertion task was observed for each child at three time points and included a transfer task (same task, new nonsymmetrical shape). Results: Children with early expressive language delay were statistically significantly more likely to exhibit deficits in fine-motor proficiency than peers without language delay, regardless of country of origin or language spoken. Furthermore, participants with language delay demonstrated significantly higher error rates in transfer task completion compared with peers. Finally, participants in the U.S. sample indicated lower fine-motor skills and higher error rates than those in the Israeli sample. Conclusion: Differences in motor skill proficiency were universally associated with language delay status, indicating support for the notion that language acquisition deficits may extend beyond the linguistic system even in young children identified as late talkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most children who are removed from their homes by social services have siblings. Yet, siblinghood is an unnoticed and understudied field of interest. Professionals lack a framework for addressing this common issue in out‐of‐home placement decision‐making and caregiving. The current study examined how professionals in family group homes in Israel perceive and approach sibling bonds, as well as the main barriers and benefits they identify regarding siblinghood among children in out‐of‐home placements. Five focus groups were held with 34 professionals, and a thematic analysis was conducted. The participants identified siblings as a source of support, comfort and security to one another. On the other hand, they worried about the sibling bond inhibiting a child's development. They also revealed two approaches regarding the role of out‐of‐home placements: a space for individual development versus a transition station in the child's and family's life journey. They also referred to the uniqueness of every sibling group and, hence, the significant weight of professional intuition in decision‐making processes. The discussion addresses the challenges of intuitive decision‐making in cases of siblings in out‐of‐home placements and stresses the need for more informed decision‐making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distance education system may be viewed in terms of intrapersonal and interpersonal instructional dialogues that mediate the learning and instructional resources that enable such dialogues. Instructional resources include self-instruction texts, tutorial sessions, instructor availability, Web sites, and more. This study investigated the kinds of dialogues engaged in by Open University students and the kinds of resources they used while studying an intermediate-level chemistry course. Research objectives were to document (a) what study strategies if any, involving which resources and dialogues, were generally used by students; (b) what dialogue types, enabled through which resources, were specifically used by students to overcome conceptual difficulties; and (c) how the use of resources and dialogues in the chemistry course compared with students' experiences in other science courses. It was found that all students initially chose individual study characterized by intrapersonal dialogue. Only when individual study failed did students opt for interpersonal dialogue. This finding conflicts with the assumed importance often ascribed to interpersonal dialogue by some distance education theorists. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second-most prevalent cause of mortality resulting from infectious diseases worldwide. It is caused by bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). In Israel, TB incidence is low, acknowledged by the WHO as being in a pre-elimination phase. Most cases occur among immigrants from high TB incidence regions like the Horn of Africa and the former Soviet Union (FSU), with occasional outbreaks. The outbreak described in this report occurred between 2018 and 2024, increasing the incidence rate of TB in the region. Control of this outbreak posed challenges due to factors including a diverse population (including Ethiopian immigrants, Israeli-born citizens, and immigrants from other countries), economic and social barriers, and hesitancy to disclose information. The unique multidisciplinary team formed to address these challenges, involving the local TB clinic, district health ministry, health maintenance organization (HMO) infectious disease consultant, neighborhood clinic, and National Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory (NMRL), achieved effective treatment and containment. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) proved pivotal in unraveling patient connections during the outbreak. It pinpointed those patients overlooked in initial field investigations, established connections between patients across different health departments, and uncovered the existence of two distinct clusters with separate transmission chains within the same neighborhood. This study underscores collaborative efforts across sectors that successfully contained a challenging outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Israel, coverage of health needs is delivered by four health maintenance organizations (HMOs), which are budgeted by the government according to the recommendations of the National Drug Formulary (NDF) Committee. For medications not listed in the NDF, individuals may request to cover the costs by the HMO Exemptions Committee (DEC). The objectives of the current study, a first of its kind, are to document the DEC decision process, to identify its components and to determine the decisions' clinical outcome. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all members (≥ age 18) of the Maccabi Healthcare Service (MHS) who submitted a request to the DEC between June 2017 and December 2018. Collected data include patient demographics, clinical information and components of the decision process. Decision success (i.e., clinical outcome correlated with DEC decision) was determined by clinical outcome over at least one-year follow-up. Results: A total of 335 requests were included. Strong evidence and rare disease were positively associated with approvals, while the availability of alternative treatments and costs were negatively associated. The majority of decisions (75%) met predicted clinical outcomes. Only estimated costs were found to be associated with decision success. Conclusions: Factors that reduce the potential costs of a requested drug are significantly associated with higher odds for drug approval, but only when the evidence supports potential benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal epiglottitis, a non-infectious cause of epiglottitis, is a rare entity that shares some clinical features with infectious epiglottitis. This study presents 16 years of experience in diagnosing and managing thermal epiglottitis. A retrospective descriptive study in a tertiary center in southern Israel included confirmed cases of thermal epiglottitis in children (0–18 years) between 2004 and 2020 by endoscopy. Of approximately 600,000 pediatric ER admissions between 2004 and 2020, seven children were diagnosed by endoscopy with thermal epiglottitis (mean age 24 months, 71% males). Clinical presentation included stridor, respiratory distress, and drooling. Four children had fever and elevated inflammatory markers at presentation and were treated with systemic antibiotics. All were treated with systemic steroids. The median length of stay in the PICU was five days, and four patients required intubations. All fully recovered without experiencing any sequelae. Conclusion: Thermal epiglottitis stands as a potential contributor to acute upper airway obstruction. Although it's rarity, it should be discussed in any child with acute upper airway obstruction. It is essential to inquire directly about the accidental intake of hot beverages, particularly in cases lacking fever or elevated inflammatory markers. What is Known: • Thermal epiglottitis is a rare, non-infectious condition sharing clinical features with infectious epiglottitis. • Common presentations include stridor, respiratory distress, and drooling. What is New: • Thermal epiglottitis is a potential contributor to acute upper airway obstruction, urging consideration even in the absence of fever or elevated markers. • Direct inquiry about hot beverage intake for diagnosis is essential for diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an editorial focuses on the implications of childbirth during war in Israel following the October 7 attacks, exploring the impact on birth outcomes, perinatal mental health, and changes in birth plans and procedures. It highlights the unique challenges faced by maternity ward staff and birthing individuals in a high-income country with accessible healthcare but high exposure to war.

This study examines the meaning attributed to the contribution of technology to pedagogical practices from the perspective of school ICT leaders. While previous studies use metaphors for bottom-up exploration, this study employs an innovative combination of bottom-up and top-down metaphor analysis based on two frameworks: (a) metaphors of general learning (Paavola, Lipponen, & Hakkarainen, 2004)--acquisition, participation, and knowledge creation, and (b) metaphors of digital learning (Shamir-Inbal & Blau, 2016)--toolbox, active player, creative mind, shared desktop, and inter-connected world. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 ICT leaders, including eight elementary school ICT coordinators and five regional ICT coordinators. All three metaphors of general learning and five digital learning metaphors were found in perspectives and pedagogical practices reported by the interviewees. However, the prevalence of each metaphor and the intersections of general and digital learning metaphors were quite different. The analysis based on metaphors shed light on the perspectives of ICT leaders regarding the meaning and nature of learning processes and on pedagogical practices in their schools.

This study examines how the leaders of technology integration in educational institutions--school principals and ICT facilitators--assess systemic changes that occurred in their schools. The study collected the data from Israeli elementary schools towards the end of the third and the fourth years of the gradual National ICT program. The research questions explored (1) the predictors of the general school ICT culture and (2) changes over time in the general school ICT culture and its components. An online questionnaire was distributed to all elementary schools in the Northern District and filled out jointly by the school principal and ICT facilitator. A total of 392 questionnaires (91.2% response rate) were analyzed. The following predictors explained 63% of variance in general school ICT culture: the percent of teachers who frequently use ICT in lessons, using technology for enhance pedagogy, teachers' digital competence, digital content use, its design by teachers, pedagogical update of class website, school portal update (negative predictor), e-communication within school staff, and teacher-parents e-communication. Regarding the impact of time, the results indicated that between the 3rd and 4th years of ICT integration significant changes still occur in the general school ICT culture and most of its components.

Technological changes in the digital age require schools to integrate innovative technologies in learning and the curriculum. This study analyzes data collected from elementary schools toward the end of the second and the third years of the national program for the gradual integration of ICT in Israeli schools. The study examines how school principals and ICT coordinators assess the systemic changes that have occurred in their schools. The parameters explored were collaboration (intraschool vs. interschool collaboration), digital content (using vs. designing digital content), and e-communication (within the teaching staff vs. between staff and families). An online questionnaire was distributed to the entire district of the Ministry of Education. The analysis was carried out on a total of 358 schools. Regression analysis showed that intraschool collaboration, digital content use and design, pedagogical update of class websites, and e-communication within the teaching staff explained 47.7% of variance in the general quality of ICT integration. It seems that school ICT leaders assess the general quality of ICT integration according to internal factors--in terms of collaboration within their schools and online interactions with colleagues--rather than external factors--collaborative activities between schools or e-communication with students and parents.

Investigation into the earliest signs of autism in infants has become a significant sub-field of autism research. This work invokes specific ethical concerns such as use of "at-risk" language, communicating study findings to parents and the future perspective of enrolled infants when they reach adulthood. This study aimed to ground this research field in an understanding of the perspectives of members of the autism community. Following focus groups to identify topics, an online survey was distributed to autistic adults, parents of children with autism and practitioners in health and education settings across 11 European countries. Survey respondents (n = 2317) were positively disposed towards early autism research, and there was significant overlap in their priorities for the field and preferred language to describe infant research participants. However, there were also differences including overall less favourable endorsement of early autism research by autistic adults relative to other groups and a dislike of the phrase "at-risk" to describe infant participants, in all groups except healthcare practitioners. The findings overall indicate that the autism community in Europe is supportive of early autism research. Researchers should endeavour to maintain this by continuing to take community perspectives into account.

Aim/Purpose: The aim of the study is to examine what ICT coordinators perceive as the main elements of knowledge needed to implement ICT successfully into school culture. Background: For the past few years, Israel's Ministry of Education has been running a national program of adapting the education system to the 21st century skills. Key teachers have been appointed as ICT coordinators. Their role was to implement technology in schools. Methodology: The participants in this study were 130 ICT coordinators in Israeli Hebrew and Arabic schools. Those ICT coordinators had to attend a special in-service 60- hour course throughout an entire school year. The research tool was the reflection of the ICT coordinators who were asked to complete at the end of the in-service course. Narrative analysis was chosen as the main approach to data analysis. Contribution: We claim that ICT coordinators maintain a complex perception of their role, based on broad personal and professional knowledge that enables them to lead the needed changes. Findings: Based on the findings the coordinators revealed primary successful elements of their work: (a) technological aspects, (b) pedagogical aspects, (c) the organizational aspects, and (d) the ICT coordinator as a leader of systemic change. The first two elements already appear in the TPACK construct, while the others constitute organizational knowledge (OK) and leadership knowledge (LK) that enables the coordinators to facilitate ICT implementation in schools, and these are the unique elements of this study. Recommendations for Practitioners We recommend that when choosing ICT coordinators or ICT implementation leaders at school, one should check not only that they possess the familiar TPACK knowledge, but also organizational knowledge and leadership knowledge that was found essential to successful completion of the coordinators' role. Impact on Society: This study has shed light on the nature and significance of leadership knowledge (LK) and its function as an additional expression of TPACK. Future Research: We suggest that future research about educational technology leaders' TPACK be drawn from these results.

Data regarding the contribution of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts to real-world uptake of influenza vaccination remains unclear. This cross-sectional survey-based study among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically, previous COVID-19 vaccines uptake, on the intention to vaccinate for influenza during 2021–2022 season. Participants engaged in an online survey addressing vaccination history and current vaccine-related preferences. The survey was delivered prior to the initiation of the IDF's annual influenza immunization campaign. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to analyze factors correlated with unwillingness to receive influenza vaccine. Overall, 825 invitations to participate in the survey were distributed and the overall response rate was 78.5%. Among the 648 participants who replied (61.6% males, median age of 20 years), 51.9% were willing to receive the upcoming influenza vaccine. Factors associated with vaccine reluctance included being female, not receiving the previous season's influenza vaccine, not having a previous diagnosis of COVID-19, and having decreased uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Among participants not intending to receive an influenza vaccine, 50.3% stated that they are healthy and have no need for the vaccine and 36.2% stated they received too many vaccines over the previous year. The results of this study may suggest that influenza vaccination rates in the post-COVID-19 vaccine era may be reduced due to a perceived "vaccine saturation" phenomenon, owing to the density of COVID-19 vaccine administration. Future interventions such as campaigns related to maximizing influenza vaccination coverage should address repeated doses of COVID-19 vaccine administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents methods to proactively choose individuals to test for infection during a pandemic such as COVID-19, characterized by high contagion and presence of asymptomatic carriers. We show that by a smart integration of exploration/exploitation balancing, contact tracing, and location-based sampling, one can effectively mitigate the disease spread and significantly reduce the infection rates and death rates. Under different vaccination policies and under different compliance levels to quarantine order and/or testing requests, our smart testing algorithm can bring down the death rate significantly by 20% to 30%, as well as the percentage of infected drops by approximately 30%. The load on hospitals at peak times, a crucial aspect of managing COVID-19, drops, by 50% when implementing smart testing. We also show how procedural fairness can be incorporated into our method and present results that show that this can be done without hurting the effectiveness of the mitigation that can be achieved. This paper presents methods to choose individuals to test for infection during a pandemic such as COVID-19, characterized by high contagion and presence of asymptomatic carriers. The smart-testing ideas presented here are motivated by active learning and multi-armed bandit techniques in machine learning. Our active sampling method works in conjunction with quarantine policies, can handle different objectives, and is dynamic and adaptive in the sense that it continually adapts to changes in real-time data. The bandit algorithm uses contact tracing, location-based sampling and random sampling in order to select specific individuals to test. Using a data-driven agent-based model simulating New York City we show that the algorithm samples individuals to test in a manner that rapidly traces infected individuals. Experiments also suggest that smart-testing can significantly reduce the death rates as compared with current methods, with or without vaccination. While smart testing strategies can help mitigate disease spread, there could be unintended consequences with fairness or bias when deployed in real-world settings. To this end we show how procedural fairness can be incorporated into our method and present results that show that this can be done without hurting the effectiveness of the mitigation that can be achieved. History: Ahmed Abbasi, Senior Editor; Maytal Saar-Tsechansky, Associate Editor. Funding: W. Yahav is supported by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and the Henry Crown Institute of Business Research in Israel. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.1215. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates a pilot of integrating tablet computers in the elementary education. The research questions address the impact of tablet integration on learning and pedagogy. This qualitative case study crosschecks non-participated observations on students who work with tablet PCs, the school staff reflection on the integration as presented on the school blog, a focus group of fifth graders, interviews with the school principal and four teachers who are involved in the implementation, and three parents who assisted in a tablet-based extracurriculum project. The findings revealed that the most significant added value of tablet use is in mobile learning in out-of-class setting, while in in-class learning teacher would prefer using laptops because of tablet technical limitations. The findings are discussed in terms of technological pedagogical and content knowledge TPACK framework and "digital wisdom" of teachers and students. Pedagogical potential of tablet in developing digital wisdom is analyzed based on five metaphors of mobile learning: using a device as a "toolbox," "creative mind," "participation activator," "shared mobile desktop," and "connected world." For massive implementation in the education system, we recommend that decision makers should integrate tablets only if mobile learning is a significant component in the instructional design.

The goal of the study was to examine the joint and distinct contribution of attachment security and social anxiety to Arab children's peer competence in middle childhood. We focused on Arab children as very little research has examined close relationships for this group. A sample of 404 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade Arabic students (203 boys and 201 girls), mostly from lower middle-class neighborhoods in northern Israel, participated in the study. In a cross-sectional design, bivariate correlations and regression analyses were performed, and findings revealed that attachment security was negatively related to distancing strategies in help-seeking and help-giving contexts, whereas social anxiety was positively related to these strategies. Secure attachment was also associated with providing reassurance to friends, and with peer competence as perceived by teachers. The possible implications of the socio-cultural context, suggestions for future studies, and implications for school intervention are discussed.

This study examines chemistry lecturers' considerations for using open educational resources (OER) in their teaching. Recent technological developments provide innovative approaches for teaching chemistry and visualizing chemical phenomena. End users' improved ability to upload information online enables integration of various pedagogical models and learning theories. These improvements strengthen the need for up-to-date evaluation tools for educational websites. Building on existing taxonomies, a set of new criteria for the evaluation of online learning materials was developed and used to analyze 100 websites directed towards teaching chemistry. In addition, a questionnaire was circulated among 100 chemistry lecturers from various higher education institutions in Israel, 66 of whom responded. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with 17 of the questionnaire respondents. Our findings demonstrate that most of the chemistry lecturers who were interviewed integrate innovative learning materials such as simulations, videos and exercises found online in their teaching, but do not use web 2.0 that enables content sharing and collaborative learning. With respect to the selection of web-based learning materials, we found that the lecturers interviewed tended to select OER intuitively, mainly considering the reliability of information, pedagogical issues and the visual contribution, while paying less attention to collaborative learning and content sharing.

The study characterized children's literacy, mothers' beliefs, and writing mediation of homeschooled compared to formally schooled kindergartners. Participants were 60 children (ages 4-6) and their mothers (30 in homeschooling). At the children's home, we assessed children's literacy, maternal beliefs, and video-recorded mother-child joint writing of a birthday invitation. Results showed that homeschooled children had lower literacy levels than those formally schooled. Homeschooling mothers reported lower levels of belief in learning activities and demands from their children and showed lower levels of writing mediation. Maternal writing mediation predicted children's writing, beyond the child's phonological awareness and schooling (home vs. formal).

Simple Summary: This study examined the efficacy and diagnostic yield of founder variant testing as an initial screening method for individuals with a personal or family history of cancer. The results indicate that this approach is ineffective and has a limited ability to detect significant germline variants. Given these findings, we raise doubts about the benefits of employing such testing and suggest a transition from a two-step approach to expansive genetic testing. Founder pathogenic variants (PVs) are prevalent in Israel. This study investigated the current practice of offering cancer patients two-step genetic testing, starting with targeted testing for recurring founder PVs, followed, if negative, by next-generation sequencing. A total of 2128 subjects with cancer or a positive family history underwent oncogenetic testing with a panel of 51 recurring PVs at a tertiary medical center in March 2020–January 2023. Those with a known familial PV (n = 370) were excluded from the analysis. Among the remainder, 128/1758 (7%) were heterozygous for at least one variant, and 44 (34%) carried a PV of medium-high penetrance (MHPV). Cancer was diagnosed in 1519/1758 patients (86%). The diagnostic yield of founder MHPV testing was 2% in cancer patients and 4% in healthy individuals with a positive family history. It was higher in Ashkenazi Jews than non-Ashkenazi Jews and Arabs, but not over 10% for any type of cancer, and it was significantly higher in younger (<40 years) than older (>50 years) individuals (7% vs. 1%). Eighty-four of the heterozygotes (66%), mostly Ashkenazi Jews, harbored a low-penetrance variant (LPV) not associated with the diagnosed cancer, usually APC c.3902T>A. These findings question the advantage of two-step testing. LPVs should not be included in targeted testing because this can lead to an overestimation of the yield, and their detection does not preclude further comprehensive testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Previous research on the association between body mass index (BMI) and visual impairment (VI) in youth has reported inconsistent findings. We aimed to investigate this association in a national cohort of Israeli adolescents. Methods: This retrospective, population‐based, cross‐sectional study included 1 697 060 adolescents (56.4% men; mean age 17 years) who underwent mandatory pre‐military service assessments from 1993 to 2017. BMI was classified based on the US age‐ and sex‐matched percentiles. Unilateral or bilateral VI was classified as best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 6/9 in either or both eyes, respectively. Sex‐stratified regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables were used to analyse the BMI‐VI relationship. Results: Overall, 17 871 (1.05%) and 5148 (0.30%) adolescents had unilateral and bilateral VI, respectively. Compared with high‐normal BMI (50th to 85th percentile), adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for unilateral and bilateral VI gradually increased with higher BMI, reaching 1.33 (1.13–1.55) and 1.80 (1.37–2.35) in men with severe obesity, and 1.51 (1.24–1.84) and 1.52 (1.08–2.14) in women with severe obesity, respectively. Men with underweight also had increased ORs for unilateral and bilateral VI (1.23; 1.14–1.33 and 1.59; 1.37–1.84, respectively), a pattern not observed in women (0.96; 0.86–1.07 and 1.02; 0.83–1.25, respectively). Results were maintained when the outcome was restricted to mild VI, as well as in subgroups of adolescents with unimpaired health and those without moderate‐to‐severe myopia. Conclusions: Abnormal BMI, and particularly obesity, is associated with increased OR for VI in late adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early years of children's lives are critical for their healthy development. Although children's growth and development rates may vary, a significant delay during early childhood could indicate a medical or a developmental disorder. Developmental surveillance is used worldwide by healthcare providers in routine encounters, as well as by educators and parents, to elicit concerns about child development. In this work, we used a national dataset of developmental assessments to describe temporal trends of milestone attainment rates and associations between milestone attainment and various sociodemographic factors. Methods: The study included 1,002,700 children ages birth until 6 years with 4,441,689 developmental visits between the years 2016 and 2020. We used the Israeli developmental scale to assess the annual rates of failure to attain language, social and motoric milestones by the entire population, as well as by subgroups stratified by sociodemographic factors. In addition, we evaluated the rates of parental concern for child development and of the nurse's report of development inadequate for age. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyze the impact of different sociodemographic factors on the odds of failure to attain milestones, while controlling for confounding. Results: Milestone failure rates progressively increased over the examined years in all developmental domains, and most prominently in the language domain. Conversely, the rates of parental concern for developmental delay remained constant. In multivariable analysis, higher risk of milestone attainment failure was observed in children whose mothers were divorced, unemployed, immigrant, had lower education, of Bedouin origin or were over 40 years old when giving birth. Conclusions: This report describes national trends of child development in the gross motor, fine motor, language, and social domains. A periodic report of these trends should be published to objectively evaluate subgroups in need for intervention, and to assess the effectiveness of intervention programs in attempt to maximize the developmental potential of children in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of historically advantaged groups are often unwilling to support actions or policies aimed at reducing inequality between advantaged and disadvantaged groups, even if they generally support the principle of equality. Based on past research, we suggest a self-affirmation intervention (an intervention in which people reflect on a positive trait or value in order to affirm their positive self-image) may be effective for increasing the willingness of advantaged group members to address inequality. Importantly, while self-affirmation has been only operationalized as a written exercise in the past, in this project, we adapt it into video messages for use in public campaigns. In Study 1, we experimentally tested an initial video adaptation of self-affirmation and found that it was effective in increasing the willingness of advantaged group members to address inequality in the context of Jewish–Arab relations in Israel. Based on this study, two NGOs developed a real campaign video and used it in their public campaign, and we tested this applied intervention (in Study 2) and found it to be effective compared to a control condition that only presented information about inequality. Together, these studies represent the first implementation of self-affirmation in real-world campaigns and indicate that it can be an effective way to increase support for action to address inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares facets of self-concept in gifted and non-identified Israeli adolescent students. The self-concept mean score profile of gifted vs. non-selected Israeli students was significantly different, with gifted students reporting higher mean levels of academic self-concept, but lower mean levels of social, personal, and physical self-concepts when compared with their non-identified counterparts. Overall, gifted students showed different patterns of self-concept than their peers. The data are discussed in view of theory and past research in the gifted literature.

Background: Quantifying qualitative data as part of mixed‐methods research (MMR) can add to the study results' analysis. Comparable results may reinforce the conclusions, while differences hold an opportunity for an in‐depth discussion. To date, there is little guidance for researchers seeking to quantify their qualitative data. Objectives: Describing conversion of qualitative data to quantitative values, comparison with matched questionnaire results, discussing the benefits of this process and the matched MMR design. Methods: We describe in detail how qualitative data from 46 interviews were converted into quantitative values (i.e., quantitative–qualitative values, QQVs) using MMR design, enabling a comparison of results from interviews and questionnaires obtained from the same participants. This process was embedded in a larger MMR study on family‐caregivers caring for people‐with‐end‐stage‐dementia conducted between the years 2020–2021. Results: A QQV was generated for three main themes and compared to the questionnaires' scores regarding the same topics. There were no significant differences between the scores regarding 'satisfaction with nurses and physicians care', and 'discussion with nurses and physicians about end‐of‐life care'. However, for 'burden', the QQV score was significantly higher than the questionnaires' score. Discussion: We described how to use a matched MMR design to produce and compare QQV from interviews with questionnaire scores. This methodology may allow further valuable discussion if the results are either similar or not, and for better integration and easier presentation of the results. Comparable results can reinforce the conclusions from both parts of the MMR study, while differences hold an opportunity for an in‐depth discussion regarding their meaning and context. Although we claim that this methodology can be embedded in the MMR structure and contribute significantly to the discussion's depth, it by no means replaces the traditional MMR design. Patient and Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of childhood's most common skin conditions. Although pediatricians often diagnose and manage it, more than half refer even mild cases to dermatologists. In this study, we aimed to evaluate pediatric residents' and pediatricians' self-confidence regarding their ability to diagnose and manage AD. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted with Israeli pediatric residents and pediatricians in 2022. The questionnaire was designed to distinguish participants with high vs. low self-confidence characteristics regarding their ability to diagnose and treat AD. In total, 171 participants completed the questionnaire (59.4% women; age, 41.1 ± 10.6 years); 39.1% of the participants were residents, while 60.9% were board-certified pediatricians. Overall, 64.4% of the responders reported below or average confidence (score ≤ 3, on a scale of 1–5) in diagnosing and treating AD in children. The group with higher self-confidence was significantly older (44.39 vs. 39.14 years, P = 0.003), had more years of experience in evaluating pediatric AD (P = 0.004), had trained in dermatology during their residency (P = 0.02) with a longer training period (P = 0.01), and with more than three training methods (P = 0.009). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that high self-confidence was associated with age older than 40 years and training in dermatology during residency (odds ratios = 5.63 [P = 0.04] and 3.36 [P = 0.05], respectively). Conclusion: Most pediatric residents and pediatricians were not particularly confident in treating children with AD. Those with high self-confidence were older, had been exposed to more patients, and had been trained in dermatology during their residency with various methods and for longer periods. Therefore, we encourage the implementation of a training program in dermatology during pediatric residency programs. What is Known: • Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of childhood's most common skin conditions and often presents to pediatricians for diagnosis and management. • Many pediatricians refer children with even mild cases of AD to dermatologists. What is New: • Most pediatric residents and pediatricians report low confidence in diagnosing and treating pediatric AD. • Physicians with high self- confidence were older, exposed to more AD patients, and had been trained in dermatology during their residency with various methods and for longer periods. Therefore, the implementation of a training program in dermatology during pediatric residency programs is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAMs) are detected antenatally. The majority of newborns are asymptomatic. Patients are prone to subsequent respiratory complications and to a lesser extent malignant transformation remains concerning. In Israel, until 2013, pediatric surgeries were performed by thoracotomy. To minimize its morbidity, we introduced thoracoscopy using a mentorship approach. We present our experience with thoracoscopic resections coordinated by the mentorship of a pediatric worldwide leader in his field and compare our results with resections performed by thoracotomy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of records of children operated between 2013 and 2020 was conducted. Data were compared using t-test for quantitative variables. Results: Fifty patients were operated by thoracoscopy with a median age of 4 years, a thoracoscopic lobectomy performed in 68%. There was no conversion with a median length of stay (LOS) of 3½ days. Thirty patients were operated by thoracotomy by a thoracic surgeon with a median age of 3.5 years. A lobectomy was performed in 87% with a median LOS of 7 days. Conclusions: Thoracoscopic lobectomy is a technically demanding procedure with a long learning curve, strongly related to the low volume of cases. The role of a mentorship program in acquiring those surgical skills is crucial through standardization of the technique applied and supervised by the mentor. Early thoracoscopy for congenital pulmonary lesions at an early age can be achieved with a low conversion rate and minimal complications creating a change in the paradigm of practice when considering surgery for CPAM in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Maintaining healthcare services and ensuring the presence of healthcare personnel (HCP) during periods of conflict and high-intensity warfare in Israel including the significant security event that occurred on May 2021, pose significant challenges for hospitals in the range of missile attacks. The May 2021 event, marked by intense hostilities and military actions, brought about heightened security escalations and increased risks in the region. Despite the prevailing threat of missile attacks and ongoing security concerns, hospitals in the affected areas were required to sustain their services and uphold care standards. In light of these circumstances, this study aims to identify the factors that influence the percentage of HCP reporting for work during these intense periods of security escalations and wartime in Israel. Specifically, it explores the relationships between resilience, sense of danger, and HCP absenteeism in the context of the ongoing conflict. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for designing interventions aimed at decreasing HCP absenteeism during security escalations, wartime, and emergency situations, ultimately contributing to the resilience and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in this challenging environment. Methods: During a relative calm period from December 2021 to January 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted at a southern Israeli general hospital, situated within the range of missile attacks in the midst of a longstanding conflict. The study focused on HCP who were employed before May 21, which marked the end of the last war state at that time. The questionnaire, consisting of measures for resilience using the Conor-Davidson scale (CD-RISC 10) and the sense of danger assessed with the Solomon & Prager inventory, was administered online to all hospital employees at Assuta Ashdod Hospital, located in the southern city of Ashdod, Israel. This approach was chosen due to the challenging nature of conducting a study during an existing war, making it impractical to carry out the research during such periods of active war. Results: In total, 390 employees completed the survey (response rate of 24%). Of this sample, 77.4% reported fully to work during the last security escalations in May 2021. Most of the sample (84.1%) felt insecure on the way to work. The HCP who reported fully to work had a higher level of resilience than employees who reported partially or did not come to work at all (p =.03). A higher sense of danger in the workplace correlated with a 73% increase in absenteeism (p <.01). Absenteeism (partial or full) was higher among HCP with children who require supervision (p <.01). Hospital preparedness for emergencies as perceived by the employees increased HCP attendance at work (p =.03). Conclusions: Hospital management should consider designing programs aimed at potentially strengthening the level of resilience and fostering a greater sense of security among hospital personnel, which might encourage greater attendance at work during wartime, crises, or emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most aftershocks occur in areas experiencing large co‐seismic stress changes, yet some occur long after the mainshock in remote lightly stressed regions. The triggering mechanism of these remote delayed aftershocks is not well understood. Here, we study aftershocks occurring in the Dead Sea (DS) area following the 2023 Mw7.8 and Mw7.6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Most aftershocks cluster along previously quiescent structures off‐ the main DS fault strand. Visual inspection disclosed three aftershocks instantaneously triggered by the Mw7.6 in the northern DS basin, and match‐filtering revealed a delayed aftershock. Waveform similarity and temporal clustering suggest the northern DS aftershocks re‐rupture a stick‐slip patch loaded by surrounding creep. Velocity‐gradient seismograms show the Mw7.6 exerted larger transient stresses than the Mw7.8, which may explain triggering by the Mw7.6, but not by the Mw7.8. This account of instantaneously triggered repeaters underscores the role of interactions between aseismic and seismic slip in remote triggering. Plain Language Summary: Most aftershocks occur in areas experiencing large co‐seismic permanent stress changes, yet some occur long after the mainshock in remote regions experiencing small stress changes. The physics controlling the triggering of remote delayed aftershocks is not well understood. Here, we report on remotely triggered aftershocks in the Palestine Territories and Israel following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake pair. The main fault within the study area is the Dead Sea (DS) Transform (DST), yet most aftershocks occur on secondary structures located off‐ the main DST fault strand. This indicates off‐fault structures are presently more pre‐stressed than the main DST fault, which has important implications for seismic hazard analysis. We document a sequence of four aftershocks re‐rupturing the same fault patch in the Northern DS basin. Three of these aftershocks were triggered during the Mw7.6 surface‐wave passage, and one aftershock is delayed. We do not observe triggering in the study area due to the larger and closer Mw7.8. The non‐triggering by the Mw7.8 and later triggering by the Mw7.6 is explained in terms of the mainshock source properties. The aftershock decay rates and moments are consistent with a model in which a stick‐slip patch is being loaded by creep in the surrounding area. Key Points: We document a dramatic earthquake rate increase in the Palestine Territories and Israel following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakesWe provide the first account of instantaneous remotely triggered repeating aftershocks triggered by the Mw7.6 mainshockNon‐triggering by the Mw7.8 and later triggering by the Mw7.6 underscores the role of aseismic and seismic fault slip interactions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews empirical research related to the personality and affective characteristics of gifted students in the Israeli educational context. The educational backdrop for the research is described and group differences in personality, emotional intelligence, self-identity, and mental health are discussed. Conclusions include a number of broad observations bearing on the personality and affective profiles of gifted students garnered from the research conducted in the Israeli scene over the past few decades.

The Ministry of Education in Israel has, over the past two years, been running an education program designed to lead the implementation of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in schools. Implementation of the program is accompanied by training and support of teachers selected to be ICT leaders. The role of the ICT leader is divided to two positions: (1) the School ICT Coordinator, in charge of ICT reform at their school, and (2) the Regional ICT Advisor, in charge at the district level and operating in several schools. Participants in the current research were 226 ICT leaders from one of the districts in Israel that participated in the ICT reform. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the contribution of the ICT reform on schools' ICT leaders and schools' strengths. We also had a theoretical basis for assuming that the ICT leaders will experience personal empowerment as a result of their position and training. Thus, we set out to evaluate the personal empowerment patterns of ICT leaders and how they relate to the schools' strengths. The strengths were identified using content analysis on ICT leaders' perceptions of the schools' strengths. This analysis revealed nine fields in which the schools improved following the ICT plan: information sharing, student empowerment, dialogue, technological assimilation, teacher empowerment, management optimization, pedagogical change, bridging the gaps, and community visibility. These nine fields were categorized to three aspects of school change following ICT reform: pedagogical, technological, and organizational aspects. The personal empowerment of the ICT leaders was measured with an online questionnaire in which the ICT leaders reported their sense of learning and satisfaction as leaders of organizational change. This served as a measure of personal empowerment in the pedagogical and technological domains. The results showed that ICT leaders who reported pedagogical change at school also had significantly higher pedagogical and technological personal empowerment. We assume that these results represent a gradual model, in which the pedagogical strength is the end stage of the ICT implementation process. The findings highlight the importance of providing professional guidance for ICT leaders as messengers of innovative pedagogical perception in schools following ICT implementation. Also, they shed light in the process of ICT implementation and can help construct new ways of evaluating such processes.

Adjustment to the transition from high school to military service in Israel was examined in a longitudinal study with a sample of 120 late-adolescent girls. During their senior year in high school (Time 1) the young women were administered the Adult Attachment Interview. Their coping and adjustment to the new environment were assessed (at two further points in time after the transition) by reports of the young women, their mothers, their fathers, and their friends. Young women with preoccupied attachment representations demonstrated the lowest levels of adjustment at both the second and third time points. Young women with dismissing attachment representations did not differ from those with autonomous attachment representations. Satisfaction with social support from parents mediated the association between attachment representations and adjustment (assessed by the young women's reports). (Contains 3 tables and 1 footnote.)

In this paper we describe the learning process of a group of experienced chemistry teachers in a specially designed workshop on molecular symmetry and continuous symmetry. The workshop was based on interactive visualization tools that allow molecules and their symmetry elements to be rotated in three dimensions. The topic of continuous symmetry is a new field of study that provides a quantitative description of the distance of a specific structure from perfect symmetry. Using novel online tools, teachers were able to perform these calculations with the emphasis on the chemistry, rather than on the mathematics of the calculations. Our results show that even a very basic knowledge of symmetry and continuous symmetry opens up new ways of thinking about and looking at molecules. The addition of visualization tools creates a deeper understanding of molecular structure. Moreover, even though molecular symmetry is not a mandatory part of the chemistry high-school curriculum in Israel, familiarity with concepts of symmetry can help teachers understand and explain other topics, such as chirality and the polarity of molecules. Our results indicate that highly advanced content can influence the way teachers think, understand and teach. This experience can shed light on curriculum choices for teachers' education. (Contains 1 footnote, 1 figure, and 5 tables.)

This study investigated the relations between early adolescents' academic motivational orientations and an aspect of quality of friendship: intimacy. Two-hundred and three Jewish-Israeli seventh grade students responded to surveys asking them about their academic achievement goals and about characteristics of their friendships. Variable-centered regression analyses suggested that mastery goals were positively associated with mutual sharing of difficulties, trust, and adaptive social problem-solving between friends, whereas performance-approach goals were negatively associated with intimacy friendship. Moreover, both performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals were associated with mistrust, inconsideration, and tension between friends. A person-centered analysis, employing cluster analysis, suggested that profiles with a higher level of mastery goals relative to both types of performance goals were associated with less mistrust among friends in comparison with profiles with a higher level of performance goals relative to mastery goals. The findings point to the connection between academic motivation and social relationships in school.

This study examined academically gifted (N=83) and non-gifted (N=125) high school students from Israel to compare mean emotional intelligence (EI) scores, various assessment procedures, and relations between EI and ability, across different populations. Participants completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), the Schutte Self-Report Inventory (SSRI), and the Vocabulary subtest of the Hebrew version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R-95). Gifted students scored higher on the MSCEIT, but lower on the SSRI. Findings suggest that individual differences are measure dependent, with the profile of scores variable across EI assessment procedures. Concepts assessed by the MSCEIT resemble a type of intelligence, whereas findings with the SSRI are problematic from this perspective. The paper concludes with a discussion of measurement issues, alternative perspectives on tests of EI, and suggestions for future research.

Whereas the desire for revenge for an unjust deed is considered natural, its use within the therapeutic setting is scarce, specifically in sexually victimized children. The study aimed to find how experiencing sexual molestation during childhood and the revenge fantasy is reflected in drawings and narratives of sexually victimized children. Following ethical approval and signing a consent form, 14 children who experienced sexual abuse and were psychologically treated (ages 11–18) were recruited. They were asked to draw two drawings: "draw an unjust event that had happened to you" and "draw what you would have liked to happen to the person that unjustly treated you." At completion, participants were asked to give a narrative to each drawing. Phenomenological analysis of the drawings and narratives indicated that most participants refrained from using more than two colours, did not draw the perpetrator and drew schematic figures. The main themes that emerged in the drawings and the narratives were feeling of loneliness, aloneness, and the desire for role reversal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The 'second victim' phenomenon, (SVP) refers to a health professional who was involved in an adverse event (AE) and continues to suffer from the event to the detriment of personal and professional functioning. The second victims' natural history of recovery model predicts stages of the phenomenon from AE occurrence until the 'moving on' stage and serves as a suitable structure for many organizational support programs worldwide. Purpose: Using the second victims' natural history of recovery model to examine the impact of the SVP on Israeli nurses, with a specific focus on the organizational support they felt they required compared with the support they felt that they had received from their organizations. Methods: Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted, using a semi-structured questionnaire, among nurses who had experienced the SVP. The interviews were recorded subject to the interviewees' consent, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings: Throughout all six stages of recovery, all interviewees reported physical and emotional manifestations following exposure to an AE, regardless of the type of event or severity. They also reported difficulty in emotion regulation, as well as damage to functioning and overall quality of life. Most of the nurse interviewees reported a need to share the events with someone, but, despite this desire to receive appropriate support, almost none of them proactively requested help from a professional source, nor did their organizational management initiate proactive support. This lack of referral for further assistance is possibly explained through limited awareness of the SVP as a valid response to an AE, a perceived lack of legitimacy to receive organizational support, and personal barriers that accompany the phenomenon. Conclusions: Appropriate organizational support, offered proximal to an AE as well as over time, is essential for the nurse, the patient, and the organization. Personal barriers, together with limited awareness, may challenge the identification and provision of appropriate assistance. Hence, it is important to address the phenomenon as part of the general organizational policy to improve the quality of care and patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates effects of skill flexibility on Israeli secondary teachers' work attitudes and job performance. Both role and functional flexibility were associated with improved teachers' work performance; role flexibility is linked to high organizational commitment and low powerlessness. Principals appreciate skill flexibility, but organizational support is problematic. Contains 61 references. (MLH)

Recent political polarization has illustrated how individuals with opposing political views often experience ongoing events in markedly different ways. In this study, we explored the neural mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon. We conducted fMRI scanning of 34 right- and left-wing participants (45% females) watching political videos (e.g., campaign ads and political speeches) just before the elections in Israel. As expected, we observed significant differences between left- and right-wing participants in their interpretation of the videos' content. Furthermore, neuroimaging results revealed partisanship-dependent differences in activation and synchronization in higher-order regions. Surprisingly, such differences were also revealed in early sensory, motor, and somatosensory regions. We found that the political content synchronized the responses of primary visual and auditory cortices in a partisanship-dependent manner. Moreover, right-wing (and not left-wing) individuals' sensorimotor cortex was involved in processing right-wing (and not left-wing) political content. These differences were pronounced to the extent that we could predict political orientation from the early brain-response alone. Importantly, no such differences were found with respect to neutral content. Therefore, these results uncover more fundamental neural mechanisms underlying processes of political polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on first cases of COVID‐19 in Israel. Topics include mandatory face masks, isolation after exposure to a positively tested individual, and partial or total national lockdowns; and treatment of children and adolescents as outpatients due to the limitations imposed on clinic visits and an unease concerning treatment through video‐meetings.

In this article we focus on the gendered national construction on Israeli stamps commemorating renowned women over the course of Israel's history. We analyze gender construction on both the selection of the stamps and in their design. Based on analyses of the social role of women in Israeli historiography, archival documents, interviews with fourteen key figures involved in conceiving and designing the stamps, and the way stamp design constructs gendered memory, we outline major aspects of commemorating women in stamps: gender blindness, women's accomplishments, identity politics, and the emergence of gender as a theme. These are discussed in the context of gendering in official commemoration, the development of feminist historiography and discourse in Israel, and the conjunction of these issues and stamp design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]