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Objective: Vaccination against preventable infections is important for the management of rheumatic diseases (RDs). This study assessed the vaccination coverage and predictors among patients with RDs using real-world data from Israel., Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study, based on a Maccabi Healthcare Services database, included adult patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as of April 30, 2019. Age-specific vaccination coverage for influenza (past year), pneumococcal (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine [PPSV23] and/or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV13]), and live-attenuated herpes zoster (HZ) vaccines (past 5 years) was reported. Logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of vaccination., Results: The study included 14,528 patients (RA: n = 6932; PsA: n = 4395; SLE: n = 1951; > 1 condition: n = 1250). Influenza vaccine coverage among patients with RA, PsA, and SLE was 45.1%, 36.2%, and 33.7%, respectively. For PPSV23, corresponding rates were 19.6%, 16.2%, and 12.6%, respectively. In the elderly population (≥ 65 years), 63.2% had influenza vaccine in the past year and 83.4% had a PPSV23 vaccine in the past 5 years or at age ≥ 65. For PCV13 and HZ, coverage in the overall study population was low at 4.8% and 3.6%, respectively. Central residence and treatment with corticosteroids and biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs within the past 5 years were significant predictors of vaccination coverage across all vaccines ( P < 0.05). Other predictors varied by vaccine, including female sex (influenza, PPSV23, PCV13), age (influenza, PPSV23), chronic comorbidities (influenza, PPSV23, PCV13), shorter disease duration (PCV13), and high socioeconomic status (PCV13, HZ)., Conclusion: This study demonstrated suboptimal coverage of influenza, pneumococcal, and HZ vaccination in patients with RA, PsA, and SLE, in particular among younger adults in Israel., (Copyright © 2024 by the Journal of Rheumatology.)

Described is the design and evaluation of a learning unit which includes the basics of computerized feedback control. Included are sample topics, descriptions of the achievement measures, and conclusions of the study. (CW)

Measles vaccine is administered in Israel as part of the routine childhood immunization program, at ages 1 and 6 years. In this study, we assessed seropositivity of the Israeli population against measles before the onset and propagation of the 2018-2019 measles outbreak. From the Israel Center for Disease Control National Serum Bank, 3,164 samples collected during 2015 were tested for measles antibodies. All the tests were performed using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) commercial kit (Enzygnost, Anti-Measles Virus/IgG: Behring, Marburg, Germany). The overall seropositivity rate for measles was 90.7%. The seropositivity rate at 6 months and younger was 48.9%, and decreased to 3.8% among infants aged 6-11 months. Seropositivity increased to 90.7% in the 1-4-year age group, and reached 96.1% for 5-9 year-old children. Our results suggest high immunity in the Israeli population against measles virus, but not high enough to prevent outbreaks because of pockets of specific population groups with low immunization coverage. Infants between ages 6 and 11 months and children younger than 2 years had the lowest seropositivity rates being the age groups with the highest attack rates of measles during the epidemic of 2018. Efforts should be aimed at avoiding any delay in vaccination once a child reaches the age of 1 year and improving immunity levels in children aged 1-4 years.

Introduction: Cryptorchidism is the most common genitourinary disorder in male neonates, with an incidence of 2-5% in term neonates and 30% in preterm infants. Known complications of this condition include impaired fertility and an increased risk of malignancy. This leads to a high frequency of imaging tests, specifically ultrasonography. Use of ultrasound aims to identify non-palpable testis, however current literature does not support such an approach., Goals: To evaluate the efficacy of clinical follow-up of cryptorchidism in neonates and to evaluate the need for ultrasonography., Methods: This prospective study was performed at the Lis Maternity Hospital in the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center during a 14 month period. During that period some 4,500 male neonates were born at our hospital. Every newborn was examined within 8 hours of delivery by a pediatrician skilled in neonatal physical examinations. Excluded from the study were preterm infants, neonates in which prenatal examination demonstrated genitourinary abnormalities and neonates with additional congenital abnormalities. Healthy term babies in which one or both testes were not palpable were re-examined within a day by a senior neonatologist (M.B.) to establish their diagnosis, and then reexamined daily by the same physician until their discharge from the hospital. Babies who had one or both testis which were not palpable on discharge were followed-up weekly at a hospital clinic for 2 more weeks., Results: Of 4,500 male neonates born during the study period, 41 (0.9%) were diagnosed with a non-palpable testis, and 8 (0.18%) had bilateral non-palpable testes; 5 babies were lost to followup and excluded from the analysis; 26 of 44 testes (29%) became palpable before discharge from the nursery, by the 3rd day of life. After a weekly follow up from discharge, 13 (29%) additional testes became palpable over the 4-14th day of life. Overall, 88% of non-palpable testes became palpable by 14 days of age., Conclusions: Close clinical follow-up during the first weeks after birth allows localizing most congenitally non-palpable testing and clarifying the need for performing imaging studies not routinely necessary to diagnose and refer babies with cryptorchidism for further treatment.

In this article the author discusses war crimes, and the use of war crimes statutes to prosecute political grievances against authorities in countries that already possess functioning and efficient legal systems such as Great Britain, the United States and Israel. The central focus of the article is on the characterization of Israeli soldiers and civilians as war criminals who have used violence to prevent terrorist acts or to punish individuals guilty of murder. Among other issues the article examines the characterization of Israel as being similar to South Africa in the apartheid era.

Background and Aims: This study was designed to find predictors for adverse post-operative outcomes in elderly patients aged 80 years and older, who underwent urologic surgery., Methods: In this prospective observational study, we analysed data, including age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, co-morbidities, number of regular medications, type and extent of surgery, type of anesthesia, duration of surgery and hospitalization, post-operative morbidity and mortality. We studied the correlations between each pre- and intra-operative parameter to the consequence, to find predictors for adverse outcome., Results: During a 12-month period, 217 patients underwent 294 urologic procedures in our institution. Ninety-eight procedures (33%) were followed by complications and 11 patients (5%) died. Patients who had uneventful surgery and hospitalization were significantly younger than those who experienced morbidity or mortality. There was a significantly higher complication rate among patients with a higher ASA class or with ischemic heart disease, following higher graded or longer operations, and after emergency surgery., Conclusions: Older age is a significant risk factor. Patients with higher ASA class or ischemic heart disease are at higher risk for post-operative complications and thus, require careful follow-up. In this age population, extensive or prolonged surgery should be carefully considered.

Background: The relationship between H. pylori infection and anemia in childhood is still unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the association between H. pylori infection and anemia or iron deficiency in school-age children and in infants., Materials and Methods: Six- to 9-year-old Israeli Arab children (N = 202) and infants (N = 197) were examined for hemoglobin and ferritin levels. ELISA was used to detect H. pylori antigens in stool specimens collected from the participants. Household characteristics were obtained through personal interviews with the mothers., Results: The prevalence of anemia was 15.5 versus 5.5% in H. pylori-positive and -negative school-age children, respectively and 34.5 versus 29.8% in H. pylori-positive and -negative infants, respectively. The Mantel-Haenszel age-adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.6 (95%CI 1.0, 2.6). In multivariate analysis controlling for socioeconomic variables, H. pylori infection was associated with 2.8 higher prevalence of anemia only in school-age children: adjusted PR 2.8 (95% CI 0.9, 9.3). The adjusted mean difference in hemoglobin levels between H. pylori infected school-age children and uninfected ones was -0.372 gr/dL (95% CI -0.704, -0.039) (p = .04). The respective mean ferritin difference was -6.74 μg/L (95% CI -13.38, -.011) (p = .04). Such differences were not found in infants., Conclusions: H. pylori infection is associated with higher prevalence of anemia in school-age children independently of socioeconomic variables. Such association was not observed in infants. These findings are of clinical and public health importance., (© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

We examined the association between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and low ferritin levels in sera of 509 Israeli Arab children aged 1 to 19 years. Serum ferritin levels were measured using the immunoturbidity assay. ELISA was used to detect serum IgG antibodies to H pylori and IgG antibodies to H pylori CagA strains. Low ferritin level was found between 14.5% and 8.6% of the H pylori seropositive and seronegative participants, respectively (P = 0.035). A trend for a higher frequency of low ferritin was detected among H pylori-CagA seropositive children. Multivariate analysis showed an increased frequency of low ferritin only among children younger than or equal to 5 years: adjusted OR 4.62 (95% CI 1.53-13.99) P = 0.007.

Background: The population is progressively aging and an increasing number of elderly patients face surgical treatment., Objective: The current study was designed to examine the perioperative morbidity and mortality of elderly patients undergoing orthopedic or urologic surgery and look for predictors for adverse outcome., Methods: This is a prospective study of elderly patients, 80 years of age and older, who underwent elective or emergent orthopedic or urologic surgery in our institution during a 5-month period. Data were collected on age, gender, chronic diseases, number of regular medications, whether or not the patient was bedridden before surgery, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, type of surgery and anesthesia, duration of hospitalization, and 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality. We studied correlations between pre- and intraoperative parameters and postoperative complications., Results: During the study period, 39 patients underwent urologic surgery and 147 patients underwent orthopedic surgery. Age ranged from 80 to 98 years (85 +/- 4.2 years, mean +/- SD). One patient had an intraoperative complication, 5 patients had postoperative complications within 1 day of surgery, and 23 had complications within 1 month of surgery. Five (2.7%) patients, all of whom were operated urgently, died after surgery. Postoperative complications correlated significantly to poor ASA class (p = 0.01), urgency of the procedure (p = 0.03), and extent (p = 0.02) and duration (p = 0.01) of surgery. No significant correlation was found between outcome and any other pre- or intraoperative factors., Conclusions: Elderly surgical patients with poor ASA class or following urgent, extensive or long surgery are at a higher risk for postoperative morbidity and mortality, mandating special perioperative care., (Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Nine premature infants developed early onset sepsis and/or pneumonia with Haemophilus influenzae during a period of 53 months (January 2000 -May 2004). Their respiratory problems were pneumonia-like rather than classic respiratory distress syndrome. In 8 of the cases, the pathogen was a beta-lactamase-negative, nontypable H. influenzae. In the remaining case, the Haemophilus identified was type d. Before January 2000, no case of beta-lactamase-negative, nontypable H. influenzae sepsis or pneumonia had been recorded.

Background: Obesity, a common condition in developed countries, is recognized as a threat to health., Objectives: To describe the distribution of weight in pregnant women and evaluate the influence of obesity on pregnancy outcome in a high parity northern Israeli population., Methods: The study included 887 women who gave birth in the Western Galilee Medical Center during the period August to November 1995. The patients were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese according to body mass index. Maternal demographic, obstetric, and perinatal variables were compared. A control group of 167 normal weight women were matched with the obese group for maternal age, parity, and gestational age., Results: Obese mothers had a higher incidence of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension compared to normal weight mothers (5.4% vs. 1.8%, and 7.2% vs. 0.6% respectively, P < 0.01), a higher rate of labor induction (20.4% vs. 10.2%, P < 0.01), and a higher cesarean section rate (19.6% vs. 10.8%, P < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in the prevalence of macrosomia in the offspring (16.8% vs. 8.4%, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Obese pregnant women are at high risk for complications during delivery and therefore need careful pre-conception and prenatal counseling, as well as perinatal management.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, and hence, sufficient herd immunity is obligatory to prevent infection transmission. Measles is still a cause of considerable disease burden globally, mainly in children. During a national measles outbreak in Israel in 2018–2019, the peak incidence rates occurred in the Jerusalem district. Most measles cases in the Jerusalem district (75.5%, 1702) were observed in children younger than 15 years of age, 49.2% (1109) were in children under 5 years of age, and 18.9% (425) were in infants under 1 year of age. The routine measles vaccination schedule includes two doses at 1 and 6 years of age. Most cases (1828, 81.1%) were unvaccinated (zero measles vaccine doses). These cases comprised the 425 affected infants under 1 year of age, who were ineligible for vaccination, along with the 1403 children over 1 year of age, who were otherwise unvaccinated. This study aimed to describe the epidemiologic and laboratory features of this measles outbreak, and to investigate case ascertainment (laboratory confirmed compared to epidemiologically confirmed cases). The study population included 2254 measles cases notified during the period spanning June 2018 to May 2019 in the Jerusalem district (incidence rate 176 per 10,000 population). Of the 2254 cases, 716 (31.8%) were laboratory confirmed, and 1538 (68.2%) were confirmed as epidemiologically linked. Most laboratory confirmed cases (420, 58.7%) underwent real-time PCR tests. Serological tests (measles IgM and IgG) were used in 189 (26.4%) cases, and a combination of RT-PCR and serology was used in 107 (14.9%) cases. In a multivariate model analysis, the variables significantly associated (after adjustment) with higher odds for laboratory confirmation included month of disease onset (late), additional measles cases in the household (single case), place of medical treatment (hospital; either emergency department, or hospitalization) and vaccination status (at least one prior vaccine dose). The measles outbreak described demonstrates the urgency of addressing vaccination gaps with appropriate outbreak prevention programs. The road to measles elimination needs to be paved with robust public health infrastructure, excellent field epidemiology for outbreak surveillance, investigation, and control, and laboratory proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of social workers leaving the profession occurs frequently, underscoring the importance of understanding factors contributing to the intention to stay (ITS) in the profession. Based on the job demands–resources theory (JD-R), this study examined selected social worker workplace "demands" (i.e. their organizational sector of employment and level of work–family conflict) and "resources" (i.e. levels of meaning, locus of control, and salary satisfaction at work). Online survey data were obtained from 407 Israeli social workers. The findings showed that higher levels of meaning and salary satisfaction at work, greater professional seniority, and lower levels of work–family conflict were associated with greater ITS in the profession. Data were gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling examination of variables contributing to the ITS during times of crisis. These findings confirm that meaning at work is the main factor that motivates social worker ITS in the profession. Salary satisfaction was also found to be an essential factor, highlighting the recent escalation in social worker demands for fair compensation in Israel. Greater work–family balance also contributed to ITS. These findings should be considered by governmental decision makers and welfare service providers wishing to preserve this essential workforce, not just in Israel but also in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 outbreak created challenges for higher education as well as opportunities for transitioning to flexible models of teaching and learning adapted to the vision and culture of institutions of higher education in the new era. This study examines students’ perceptions of face-to-face teaching and learning on the academic campus, after engaging in multiple e-Learning models during the pandemic. The findings of the current study show that we cannot resume full face-to-face learning as in the past. Most students (some 60%) expressed a clear and unequivocal preference for exclusive online learning. Students nonetheless expressed the belief that studying on campus allows them interpersonal and social interactions with students and faculty on campus. The findings of the current study support the consensus within the scientific community regarding the beneficial effects of socio-emotional learning programs on academic, emotional, and behavioral capabilities, the atmosphere in class, and students’ achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering technology-enhanced science learning in elementary schools is an ongoing challenge as young students are not always motivated to engage with science lessons. The use of technology, such as digital sensors and data recorders, has been found to result in higher engagement with science. However, the association between technology-enhanced science learning and students' motivation to learn, from a cross-cultural viewpoint, is still discussed among researchers. Thus, the goal of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the motivation to learn science of elementary school students from different countries and cultural backgrounds; (b) to identify phases of technology-enhanced science learning and their association with students' motivation. Applying the sequential mixed-methods research design, data were collected via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and online observations. The study included seven experienced science teachers from the USA and Israel and 109 sixth-grade students: English speakers (N = 43), Arabic speakers (N = 26), and Hebrew speakers (N = 40). The findings indicated differences in students' internal motivation, in terms of "interest and enjoyment," "connection to daily-life," and "cross-cultural interactions," with medium ratings for "self-efficacy." The study identified and characterized two consecutive phases of technology-enhanced science learning—"divergence" and "convergence"—that can be associated with motivation to learn science. Overall, the study's results highlight the importance of seamlessly embedding technology to support cross-cultural learning of scientific practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work is a highly stressful occupation, its practice requiring coping with complex situations integral to serving the most deprived populations. Professionals in this field experience varying degrees of secondary trauma, burnout and psychological distress imperiling their own well-being. This study uses the newest framework of intrinsic job attributes to examine a multidimensional model of intrinsic job quality constructs to explain perceived stress (PS) amongst national sample of social workers in Israel (N  = 2,542). Based on cross-sectional data, we employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to construct intrinsic job quality index. Structural equation model (SEM) and path analyses revealed the adverse effect of workload and a poor physical working environment on social workers' PS. Social environment factors relating to superiors' and co-workers' support and sense of recognition mediated the effects of workload, job autonomy, physical working environment and meaningful work on social workers' PS through diverse pathways. These findings may inform policy measures responding to the urgent need to monitor social workers' workload and suggest how to nurture a stress-reducing social environment in social services in order to promote social workers' well-being and the quality of the services they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a period of 2 weeks Campylobacter jejuni infection was diagnosed in seven infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. An identical serotype of Camp. jejuni was found in five of the cases. Investigations suggested that a common source of infection or infection acquired from mothers during delivery were unlikely. The dates of onset and the common serotype indicate that the outbreak may have been caused by person-to-person spread.

Although sound is an everyday phenomenon that we hear about constantly, numerous studies have reported that students often exhibit learning difficulties in understanding this subject. Only a few studies have proposed programs involving practical learning experiments to provide students with solid conceptual knowledge. Moreover, little research to date has dealt with the topic of sound from the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) perspective. The need for this research is rooted in the general lack of learning materials developed according to integrative STEM and in the shortage of interdisciplinary contents that specifically address the subject of sound. The Sound, Waves and Communication Systems (SWCS) program was developed in Sakhnin in Israel to integrate the learning of science and technology through the extensive use of Information and Computer Technologies (ICT). The study aimed at exploring middle school students' achievements and motivation in learning the program and discovering the factors that might affect these elements. The participants in the study are 120 middle school students (7th-graders), divided into six separate groups: two groups (40 students) participated in the pilot study, whereas four groups (80 students) took part in the main study. The study adopted a mixed method research design, and combined quantitative and qualitative methods that included observations in class, administering a students' motivation questionnaire before and after studying the course, giving achievement exams, and analyzing the students' projects. The findings showed that despite difficulties in learning the subject, the students eventually managed to gain a conceptual understanding and their self-efficacy significantly increased. The flexible integration of the teachers' instruction, the hands-on lab work, the use of ICT, and project-based learning all contributed to the participants' success and motivation in learning the current course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an ethnographic study analyzing the influence of students' social backgrounds on students' entitlement and agency in relation to floor rights. Classroom interactions were video-recorded, and interviews were conducted in a socially diverse fifth-grade in Israel. Descriptive statistics and micro-analyses of participation patterns reveal a discursive mechanism whereby students from more privileged backgrounds, endowed with higher senses of entitlement and agency, use floor obtaining strategies, such as calling out and begging, which increase their learning opportunities, often at the expense of their less privileged peers. The research contributes to expanding our understanding of the mechanisms of educational injustice, advancing us towards their rectification. As such, the study may be of interest to both educational researchers as well as practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines ethnic identification among minority middle-class subjects in a novel way, centering on adolescents from Mizrahi (descendants of Jewish immigrants from Middle East and North Africa) families. Guided by liberal assumptions—that proper social order is achieved when individuals interact free from hierarchies—US literature on race and ethnicity has conceptualized ethnic identification by minorities either as a political strategy to resist subordination, or as an act of submission to structures that compel minorities to internalize a stigmatized identity, which then impairs integration into middle-class culture. Similarly, Israeli literature examining middle-class Mizrahim tends to characterize Mizrahi ethnic identification as an act of submission that engenders an internal conflict between ethnic and middle-class status. This study, however, rather than employing a top-down approach to explain the causes of minority ethnic identification, focuses on the meaning adolescents themselves attribute to their ethnicity. Based on interviews with middle-class Mizrahi adolescents, this work uncovers a world of meaning within the middle class in which Mizrahi identity is associated with positive characteristics such as hipness and authenticity, serving, therefore, to improve adolescents' self-confidence and social status among their peers. By revealing the existence of spaces that do not conform to the liberal logic, wherein a stigmatized ethnicity is not a burden but rather a valuable cultural resource granting belonging and privileges, this study contributes to the literature of ethnicity, showing that minority ethnic identification is not necessarily an act of resistance or submission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research investigated expressions of, reasons, implications and coping strategies for burnout according to twenty-three Arab ethnic-national minority social workers in Arab welfare bureaus in Israel. Interview data indicated that burnout is expressed in somatisation and interpersonal behaviours with clients and colleagues. As in Arab culture, personal emotional suffering is not mentioned. Micro- and meso-level factors were ignored. Macro-level dependence on the establishment includes professional training and government policies inappropriate for the Arab population's unique needs. Interviewees mentioned only minor consequences, ensuring their continued employment. They rationalised and universalised burnout as normative, sufficing with indirect coping strategies, for example social events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to use the bibliometric analysis method to examine the scientific articles published between 2000-2022 in the field of Arabic Language Teaching (ALT) and to visualize the obtained data with visual mapping technique. The dataset consists of 861 educational research articles indexed in the "Web of Science" database and containing the terms Arabic teaching or Arabic learning or Arabic education. Content analysis and bibliometric analysis were used in the analysis of the data. In the research, the distribution of publications by language, years, countries, journals, organizations, publications and keywords were accessed. In addition, the data obtained were presented by creating visual maps with common word analysis. The results showed that the most used keywords "Arabic", "higher education", "Arabic language" and "bilingualism". Most of the web of science indexed studies in the field of Arabic Language Teaching (ALT) are from the USA and Israel. The journals that publish the most papers in the field of Arabic Language Teaching (ALT) are "Reading and Writing" and "Foreign Language Annals". This study provides a guide for new studies, to identify the trends in the field of Arabic teaching and to compare the existing research on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine how 21st-century skills are implemented in the Israeli education system. For a better, in-depth understanding of the reasons underlying the manner in which said skills are implemented among educators in Israel, Hofstede's cultural dimension theory was applied as an analytical tool. This is a pioneer research and contributes to the scientific literature in the realms of education and multiculturalism. Study findings indicate the importance of understanding the relationships between cultural dimensions and cooperative education, creative teaching, motivation for teaching, teaching empathy, and implementing the multicultural approach in teaching and learning processes. These findings have implications on the development of skills, knowledge, and values required to shape the education system's graduates. These young people will integrate into the global labor market in the future and steer Israeli society towards social change centered on parity and egalitarianism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education instructors constantly rely on educational data to assess and evaluate the behavior of their students and to make informed decisions such as which content to focus on and how to best engage the students with it. Massive open online course (MOOC) platforms may assist in the data-driven instructional process, as they enable access to a wide range of educational data that is gathered automatically and continuously. Successful implementation of a data-driven instruction initiative depends highly on the support and acceptance of the instructors. Yet, our understanding of instructors' perspectives regarding the process of data-driven instruction, especially with reference to MOOC teaching, is still limited. Hence, this study was set to characterize MOOC instructors' interest in educational data and their perceived barriers to data use for decision-making. Taking a qualitative approach, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with higher education MOOC instructors from four public universities in Israel. Findings indicated that the instructors showed great interest mostly in data about social interactions between learners and about problems with the MOOC educational resources. The main reported barriers for using educational data for decision-making were lack of customized data, real-time access, data literacy, and institutional support. The results highlight the need to provide MOOC instructors with professional development opportunities for the proper use of educational data for skilled decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mortality rates are used to evaluate the quality of hospital care after adjusting for disease severity and, commonly also, for age, comorbidity, and laboratory data with only few parameters of the complete blood count (CBC). Objective: To identify the parameters of the CBC that predict independently in‐hospital mortality of acutely admitted patients. Population: All patients were admitted to internal medicine, cardiology, and intensive care departments at the Laniado Hospital in Israel in 2018 and 2019. VARIABLES: Independent variables were patients' age, sex, and parameters of the CBC. The outcome variable was in‐hospital mortality. Analysis: Logistic regression. In 2018, we identified the variables that were associated with in‐hospital mortality and validated this association in the 2019 cohort. Results: In the validation cohort, a model consisting of nine parameters that are commonly available in modern analyzers had a c‐statistics (area under the receiver operator curve) of 0.86 and a 10%‐90% risk gradient of 0%‐21.4%. After including the proportions of large unstained cells, hypochromic, and macrocytic red cells, the c‐statistic increased to 0.89, and the risk gradient to 0.1%‐29.5%. Conclusion: The commonly available parameters of the CBC predict in‐hospital mortality. Addition of the proportions of hypochromic red cells, macrocytic red cells, and large unstained cells may improve the predictive value of the CBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies the notion of 'alternative futures' in globalisation and education by focusing specifically on the intersection between religion and education. Through an in-depth exploration utilising a case-study approach, we delve into the organisational dynamics of an Israeli school catering to a closed-off, traditional Jewish religious community while also proactively embedding specific forms of internationalisation. We identify and analyse the conflicting rationales and agenda maintained by this school based on interviews with the school's community, including teachers, superintendents, school leadership, and parents. We argue that the ideas of segregation, religionalisation, and nationalism are nurtured through the hybridity of the networks of influence, custom-tailored by the school's leadership to serve this unique community. In particular, we analyse the school's distinctive practices, norms, and routines designed to overcome the gap between the seemingly contradictory values of universalism vs particularity; globalisation vs nationalism; segregation vs unity; and religion vs modernity, and the ways that these dynamics play out in a country struggling for (self)-recognition as a Jewish and Democratic State, while being situated in an intractable internal and external conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public willingness to comply with the police is desirable in democratic societies, and even more so in high-risk policing tasks such as protest policing. To allow freedom of speech while maintaining public order, officers require protesters to follow orders and cooperate. The process-based model of policing suggests that protesters' compliance will be mainly affected by their general perceptions of the police—primarily, trust in the police and perceptions of just policing procedures. In conjunction, police actions during a demonstration and the dynamics between officers and protesters can also affect protesters' willingness to comply. This study uses a series of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models to analyse survey responses of 470 protesters who participated in the 'Occupy' protests in Israel during 2012. Findings suggest that positive evaluations of trust in the police and policing procedures correlate with compliance; however, when protesters perceived police actions as negative, they were less willing to comply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study explored different mentoring strategies: simulations and case studies regarding ethical dilemmas involved with employment of intellectual developmental disability workers in supported employment using questionnaires of psychological empowerment, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward employing intellectual developmental disability workers in the free market. Participants were 83 social workers and 60 employers and were divided into simulations, case studies, and control groups. All participants in the simulations and case studies groups attended nine mentoring sessions throughout one year, where they completed questionnaires at the beginning, the end, and six months after mentoring. Findings: The level of employers' psychological empowerment and their positive attitudes toward employment of individuals with intellectual developmental disability in their organizations were higher than among the social workers, but the social workers' self-efficacy level was higher. In addition, we found that mentoring using simulations had more influence than the case studies. The study findings showed that the more dynamic the mentoring, the greater the changes in psychological empowerment perceptions, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward employing intellectual developmental disability workers, both during the study and subsequently. Applications: There is considerable importance in developing in-service training and active mentoring for all those involved in the challenges of supported employment. Simulations with participation of actors among social workers and employers, regarding ethical challenges in supported employment are the recommended mentoring methods, as compared to the case studies tested in the current study. Therefore, the study findings encourage the development of advanced mentoring processes among social workers and employers based on simulations, for coping with ethical challenges in supported employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between psychological distress among social workers and their intention to leave the profession through the economic and social exchange perspective. The research sample was comprised of 380 Israeli social workers who manually filled in structured questionnaires regarding psychological distress, economic and social exchange between employees and employers in their workplace, self-defined burnout and demographic information. The data analysis showed that higher levels of psychological distress were associated with higher economic exchange and with lower social exchange, which resulted in increased intention to leave. These findings are important for understanding the process that social workers experience regarding the emergence of psychological distress and for clarifying that this process consists of two concurrent components: increasing preoccupation with economic aspects and increasing emotional distancing from the profession. On the basis of the transactional model of stress and coping and the social and economic exchange perspectives, it would be desirable to develop an organisational culture that promotes social exchange (trust, manager support, teamwork), which would allow social workers to cope with active emotional regulation and to strengthen their sense of belonging to the profession and thus reduce their intention to leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the financial discourse on insecurity using a case study of the promotion of lay finance in Israel. Based on an analysis of financial courses, conferences, online texts and books that are designed for the lay public, the analysis shows that promoters of financial market engagements use everyday stories of marital and work-related insecurities—stories of divorce, betrayal, abandonment, unemployment and the like—to illustrate that economic risks are ubiquitous. Their stories render risk-thinking a general practice of knowing that is applicable to everyday life. At the same time, the stories shift the focus from the statistical meaning to the symbolic meaning of the risks taken. They present the risks of key social institutions as symbols of personal weakness, helplessness or humiliation, and grant the impersonal risks of financial markets a relative advantage. Analysing these findings from the perspective of the sociology of knowledge, I argue that lay financial discourse marks a radicalization of neoliberal discourse as studied by Foucault and that it is characterized by a much broader deconstructive scope than currently acknowledged. Its focus on frightening insecurities deconstructs the social knowledge that constitutes key institutions, exacerbating and feeding on their dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity is growing in work organizations and inclusive climates are gaining increasing significance. The Optimal Distinctiveness Theory (ODT) can be applied as an organizational framework that designates both belongingness and uniqueness as components of inclusion. The study sought to examine the experiences of healthcare workers who are members of a minority ethnic group in the context of a violent conflict. Fifty in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals – Jews and Arabs – employed at eleven public hospitals in Israel. The interviews reveal the diversity of staff members at Israeli public hospitals. Arab workers, specifically, experience both belongingness and uniqueness. The former is reinforced by values of humanism and professionalism, whereas the latter cannot be fully manifested: Their cultural and religious uniqueness is respected, but their opinions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are silenced. They experience tension and ambiguity and their inclusion in the organization is not effected in full. ODT implementation will improve our understanding of how to achieve inclusion of minority group workers in healthcare organizations, particularly in conflictual contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report findings pertaining to connections between social workers' exposure to daily stressors, the work benefits they receive, their levels of burnout and their well-being. We examined (i) the associations between social workers' perceived exposure to daily stressors and their well-being; (ii) the mediating effect of burnout on these associations; and (iii) the moderating effect of extrinsic and intrinsic work benefits on the relationships between perceived exposure to daily stressors and burnout. Participants were 486 social workers, working in various organisations and with diverse populations in Israel. Of the various findings, two are of particular interest. One is that workers' depersonalisation of their clients mediated the relationship between the workers' exposure to daily stressors and their psychological distress. The other is that neither intrinsic nor extrinsic work benefits weakened the association between workers' exposure to daily stressors and their burnout, in terms of personal accomplishment. On the contrary, high benefits of either kind strengthened this association. These unexpected findings are discussed within the frameworks of relationships between service users and service providers and of Wilensky's compensatory theory. While this study was based in Israel, its conclusions bear relevance to social workers in other countries as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Values play a crucial role in the credo of social work. Recent definitions of the profession delineate the values that should guide social work worldwide. At the same time, social workers' employment patterns and changes in the traditional welfare state have resulted in fragmentations in the profession, highlighting the importance of shared professional values. This study is the first to examine value profiles endorsed by social workers, as well as the association between such profiles and social workers' perceived job performance. Participants in the study were 519 social workers, working in various organizations and with diverse populations in Israel. Its findings delineate three value profiles identified among our sample—growth-focused, social-focused and growth-self-focused. Differences between social workers endorsing each profile were found in terms of workers' perceived job performance and perceived job-related abilities. These findings are discussed with relation to their unique contribution to what is known about values supported by social workers, as well as concerning the relationship between these values and social workers' job-related functioning in the context of the social work profession and social services in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educating students to become participatory citizens in their country is one of the explicit tasks of public education in a democratic-liberal state. In this article, I use civics education in Israel as a case study for the examination of the justification and the practicability of implementing political education in schools, as opposed to implementing its rivals –ideological education or a-political education. I argue that a liberal-democratic stance and its educational implication—political education—are two concepts submerged in ideology, and, as a result, political education in schools is not ideology-free. I also argue that the common kind of political-civic education in Israel is irrelevant for the significant minorities of Palestinian and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens. Revealing the emptiness and futility of present-day political-civil education leads me to propose to separate this education into different ideological-educational streams, allowing each of them to emphasize its ideology in civil-political education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim in this article is to understand the nonprofit organizations that declared to promote social good by focusing on peace and coexistence activities and assess why some survived under challenging contexts while others became inactive. Method: The study is based on a database of peace and coexistence organizations obtained from the registrar of associations in Israel. The nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were divided into active and inactive organizations. Results: Our key findings suggest that Israeli-registered sustained peace/coexistence NGOs are those that do not focus on meetings between people from the conflicting sides, are centrally committed to peace/coexistence, and are anchored in the Jewish sector of the state. Conclusion: Our findings pave the way for social work entrepreneurs aiming to work toward peace and coexistence to better plan the establishment and sustainability of peace and coexistence NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, organizations are in a constant state of competition. The intensity of competition increases annually and the need to continuously improve organizational performance has never been greater. Managers must be on a constant lookout for ways to maximize their organizations' strategic resources. The purpose of this article is to extend the emerging empirical literature on the firm-level impact of human resource management practices. Results based on a national sample of organizations from private and public sectors in Israel indicate that these practices have a significant impact on both the perceived organizational and market performance of the organization. The single independent variable found to be statistically significant in affecting perceived organizational performance was training practices. In the case of perceived market performance, sociologists found that, in addition to training practices, employee selection practices also significantly affected the perceived market performance.

Israel, like many other countries worldwide, suffers from a lack of skilled human resources with technological qualifications. Ta'asiyeda, an association established by the Manufacturers' Association, has operated for the past 27 years an educational intervention program to promote students to technological routes and prepare them for the labor market by creating cooperation between the education sector, industry and employers. A formative evaluation research was conducted using quantitative methods to identify the level of satisfaction with the intervention program expressed by principals, teachers and industry staff. For this research, a new questionnaire was developed and validated and quantitative statistical data was collected from 222 participants (principals, teachers and industrialists) that participated in the Ta'asiyeda program. The research results show that all program participants were equally satisfied with Ta'asiyeda's contribution with regard to the five aspects examined in the research: The collaboration between the industry and schools; Pedagogic components of the intervention program (knowledge, values and skills); The implementation process of this educational model in Israel; Students' motivation for technological education; Contribution to participants (from the education system and the industrial system). In comparisons conducted between the research populations, it was found that in the cases of significant differences, industrialists were more critical and less satisfied. With some aspects, respondents from high schools were less satisfied than respondents from junior high schools. And industrialists from the high-tech industry and from the low-tech industry ranked their satisfaction similarly and relatively high. The research conducted proposes an effective optimal feasible model to help the organization make decisions leading to program improvement. The research conclusions can be adapted to other countries that cope with this issue of connecting education and industry for promoting and encouraging technological education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite associated with gastrointestinal illness. In immune-compromised individuals, the infection may become life-threatening. Cryptosporidiosis is a mandatory-reported disease but little was known about its prevalence and associated morbidity in Israel. Currently, laboratory diagnosis is based on microscopy or copro-antigen tests and the disease is underreported. Molecular assays, which are more sensitive and specific, are now increasingly used for identification and screening. Here, the molecular epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis is explored for the first time. Samples from 33 patients infected during an outbreak of 146 laboratory confirmed cases that occurred in Haifa and Western Galilee in 2015 were genotyped, as well as samples from 36 patients sporadically infected during 2014–2018 in different regions. The results suggest that Cryptosporidium subtypes found in Israel are more similar to those reported in the neighboring countries Jordan and Egypt than in European countries. C. hominis was the predominant species in the center and the north of Israel, implicating human-to-human transmission. C. hominis IeA11G3T3 was the most prevalent subtype contributing to morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on education policy and politics in Israel, this essay examines how ethnic segregation is established and sheds light on the latest curricular developments that place a heavy emphasis on Jewish identity. The first part of the paper underscores the rising influence of the radical right in Israel and it’s political theology. The second part presents the Apartheid education in South Africa. In doing so, this part underscores the roles of segregation and religion in establishing a justificatory system that legitimises racial superiority and presents Apartheid education as ‘civilising’ and ‘modernising’. In the third part, the paper discusses how segregation and religious-ethnonationalism make up an apartheid-like reality in Israel, focusing on recent curricular policies. The final part presents concluding thoughts on racism and colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the case of development and evaluation of a STEM-oriented 30-h robotics course for junior high school students (n = 32). Class activities were designed according to the P3 Task Taxonomy, which included: (1) practice—basic closed-ended tasks and exercises; (2) problem solving—small-scale open-ended assignments in which the learner can choose the solution method or arrive at different answers; and (3) project-based learning—open-ended challenging tasks. The research aimed at exploring students’ working patterns, achievements in learning the course, and the impact of this experience on students’ motivation to learn STEM subjects. Evaluation tools included a final exam on factual, procedural and conceptual knowledge in the STEM subject learned in the course, class observations, interviews with the students, and administrating an attitude questionnaire before and after the course. Since the experimental class was quite heterogenic in regard to students’ prior learning achievements and motivation to learn, some of the students completed just the basic exercises, others coped well with the problem-solving tasks, and only a few took it upon themselves to carry out a complex project. However, all students showed high motivation to learn robotics and STEM subjects. In summary, robotics provides a very rich and attractive learning environment for STEM education. Yet, the realization of this potential depends largely on careful design of the course methodology and especially the students’ assignments in the class. One should recognize that often only some students are capable of learning a new subject on their own through project work, and these students also need to gain additional knowledge and skills before dealing with complex projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the involvement of civil society organizations in human rights education (HRE) in Israel. Focussing on the educational programs of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), as a qualitative instrumental case study, this article examines the conceptions of good citizenship embedded in these programs. Specifically, the article analyzes the educational programs' goals, content, targeted populations, and practices. The analysis revealed that ACRI's HRE model reflect four ideal types of citizens: citizen of a democratic liberal state, citizen of a participatory polity, citizen of an ethical profession, and citizen of an empowered community. These constitute a multilayered human rights discourse that enables ACRI to engage differentially with various sectors and populations, while still remaining faithful to the ethno-national parameters of a Jewish and democratic state political framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study focusing on differences in Israeli Jewish and Arab chemistry teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning of chemistry in the upper secondary schools. Israel is a country experiencing the problems of diverse cultural orientation of its inhabitants but applying the same educational system to its diverse cultural sectors. Education includes the same curriculum in chemistry for both the Israeli Jewish and Arab cultural sectors as well as final examinations (matriculation) set centrally by the Ministry of Education. Thus, this study can serve as a striking case for other countries facing similar cultural diversity. The study is based on two different instruments that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The qualitative data stem from chemistry teachers’ drawings of themselves as teachers in a typical classroom situation accompanied by four open questions. The data analysis follows three qualitative scales: beliefs about classroom organization, beliefs about teaching objectives and epistemological beliefs. A quantitative study gives insights into teachers’ beliefs about what characterizes good education. The main goal of the present paper is to determine whether both groups of chemistry teachers with different sociocultural background in Israel hold different views about education in general and chemistry education in particular. The findings provide evidence that in Israeli chemistry classrooms, the beliefs of Arabic teachers differ from those of the Jewish teachers, although both groups live in the same country and operate the same educational system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including feminist Jewish teacher in a college in northern Israel, inequality and discrimination experienced by Arab students in Israeli academia, and inferioriority felt by Arab students.

During their studies, social work students tend to think highly of their field education, but little is known about how they perceive it retrospectively after graduation. This question is relevant in view of the continuing debate on the nature and costs of field education. This, together with the advance of evidence-based social work practice, raises questions about the optimum balance between learning in the field and in the classroom. The two-year follow-up study presented here explored differences in the perceptions of fifty-eight social workers about various aspects of field education. The findings of this quantitative study reveal that, after working one year in the ‘real world’, participants tend to think less of their field education. Moreover, they evaluate the associations between their academic courses and field education significantly lower than during their studies. We discuss the relevance of field education to current needs of the profession and suggest that field education should provide not only in-depth understanding of complex situations, but also skills for dealing with the overwhelming and broad nature of work in the social services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The population of obese patients is progressively growing and bariatric operations are becoming increasingly common. Morbidly obese patients require special anesthetic care and are often considered to be difficult to ventilate and intubate. The VivaSight™ Single Lumen tube is an endotracheal tube with a camera embedded in its tip. The view from the tip appears continuously on a monitor in the anesthesiologist's vicinity. The aim of this study was to assess the VivaSight™ in comparison with conventional endotracheal tube as an aid in the intubation and surveillance of tube position during surgery of obese patients. Methods This is a prospective study of 72 adult obese patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The patients were randomly assigned to be intubated by either the VivaSight™ (40 patients, test group) or a conventional endotracheal tube (32 patients, control group). Data on the patients, the pre-operative airway evaluation, the endotracheal intubation and the postoperative outcome were collected and compared. Results The Mallampati scores were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group. Endotracheal intubation took 29 ± 10 and 24 ± 8 seconds using the VivaSight™ and a conventional tube respectively (p = 0.02). Three of the patients in the control group, while none of those in the test group, had soft tissue injury (p < 0.05). Conclusion We found the VivaSight™ SL to be helpful in the endotracheal intubation and continuous surveillance of tube position in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study conducted in the context of chemistry education reforms in Israel. The study examined a new biochemistry learning unit that was developed to promote in-depth understanding of 3D structures and functions of proteins and nucleic acids. Our goal was to examine whether, and to what extent teaching and learning via model-based learning and animations of biomolecules affect students' chemical understanding. Applying the mixed methods research paradigm, pre- and post-questionnaires as well as class-observations were employed in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. The research population included 175 grade twelve students, divided into three research groups: (a) hands-on exploration of animations, (b) teacher's demonstrations of animations, (c) traditional learning using textbooks. Findings indicated that the integration of model-based learning and 3D animations enhanced students' understanding of proteins' structure and function and their ability to transfer across different levels of chemistry understanding. Findings also indicated that teachers' demonstrations of animations may enhance students' 'knowledge'-a low order thinking skill; however, in order to enhance higher levels of thinking, students should be able to explore 3D animations on their own. Applying constructivist and interpretative analysis of the data, three themes were raised, corresponding to cognitive, affective, and social aspects of learning while exploring web-based models and animations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined sense of burnout among 126 social workers who directly treat children and adolescents within the human service professions. Burnout was investigated in relation to social workers' demographic characteristics (age, family status, education, and seniority at work), extrinsic and intrinsic work conditions, and social support by colleagues, direct supervisors, and organization managers. Findings indicated, on average, a moderate intensity of burnout among these social workers who directly treat children and adolescents. Burnout was significantly negatively correlated with age, seniority, intrinsic (psychological) work conditions, and social support within the organization. Colleague and supervisor support contributed significantly to explaining the variance in burnout intensity. Various explanations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a considerable increase in business and social organizations' relationships, resulting from the decline of the welfare state and reduction of resources in the public sector, particularly in the social services. This article examines the process by which social workers and businesses develop such relationships in public services and nonprofits. Exploratory qualitative research was conducted among 10 community social workers, the majority of the social workers serving in that area in Israel. The findings indicate the benefits, difficulties, and dilemmas involved in partnerships between social workers and businesses. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the implications of the relations between business and social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]