Cesarean Sections and Family Planning Among Ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews.

The elevated frequency of Cesarean sections (C-sections) in OECD countries not only burdens health systems financially but also heightens the risks for mothers and infants. This study explores the feasibility of reducing C-section rates by examining the Israeli ultra-Orthodox population, noted for its large families and low C-section rates. We analyze birth data from an Israeli hospital, focusing on ultra-Orthodox mothers with husbands who are yeshiva students compared to other mothers.

Using the pan-genomic framework for the discovery of genomic islands in the haloarchaeon .

In this study, we use pan-genomics to characterize the genomic variability of the widely dispersed halophilic archaeal species ). We include a multi-regional sampling of newly sequenced, high-quality draft genomes. The pan-genome graph of the species reveals 50 genomic islands that represent rare accessory genetic capabilities available to members.

Dynamic responses of Fusarium mangiferae to ultra-violet radiation.

The repair capacity of ultra-violet (UV) light DNA damage is important for adaptation of fungi to different ecological niches. We previously showed that in the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum photo-reactivation dependent UV repair is induced at the germling stage and reduced at the filament stage. Here, we tested the developmental control of the transcription of photolyase, UV survival, UV repair capacity, and UV induced mutagenesis in the foliar pathogen Fusarium mangiferae.

Immune gene expression and epigenetic potential affect the consumption of risky food by female house sparrows.

When organisms move into new areas, they are likely to encounter novel food resources. Even if they are nutritious, these foods can also be risky, as they might be contaminated by parasites. The behavioural immune system of animals could help them avoid the negative effects of contaminated resources, but our understanding of behavioural immunity is limited, particularly whether and how behavioural immunity interacts with physiological immunity.

Anger and disgust shape judgments of social sanctions across cultures, especially in high individual autonomy societies.

When someone violates a social norm, others may think that some sanction would be appropriate. We examine how the experience of emotions like anger and disgust relate to the judged appropriateness of sanctions, in a pre-registered analysis of data from a large-scale study in 56 societies. Across the world, we find that individuals who experience anger and disgust over a norm violation are more likely to endorse confrontation, ostracism and, to a smaller extent, gossip.

Colorful image reconstruction from neuromorphic event cameras with biologically inspired deep color fusion neural networks.

Neuromorphic event-based cameras communicate transients in luminance instead of frames, providing visual information with a fine temporal resolution, high dynamic range and high signal-to-noise ratio. Enriching event data with color information allows for the reconstruction of colorful frame-like intensity maps, supporting improved performance and visually appealing results in various computer vision tasks. In this work, we simulated a biologically inspired color fusion system featuring a three-stage convolutional neural network for reconstructing color intensity maps from event data and sparse color cues.

Changes in social norms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across 43 countries.

The emergence of COVID-19 dramatically changed social behavior across societies and contexts. Here we study whether social norms also changed. Specifically, we study this question for cultural tightness (the degree to which societies generally have strong norms), specific social norms (e.

Cytonuclear interactions modulate the plasticity of photosynthetic rhythmicity and growth in wild barley.

In plants, the contribution of the plasmotype (mitochondria and chloroplast) in controlling the circadian clock plasticity and possible consequences on cytonuclear genetic makeup have yet to be fully elucidated. A genome-wide association study in the wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum) B1K collection identified overlap with our previously mapped DRIVERS OF CLOCKS (DOCs) loci in wild-cultivated interspecific population.

The Effect of Being Vaccinated and National Vaccination Rates on Individuals' Cognitions, Emotions, and Economic Expectations: Evidence from Israel.

Background: Israel was the first nation to establish a vaccination program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, its citizens could look to no other country to help them judge its influence. People's predictions of their safety should depend on whether they were vaccinated, whereas their predictions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic should be based on the degree of progress of the vaccination program.

Longitudinal Genotype-Phenotype (Vineland Questionnaire) Characterization of 15 ADNP Syndrome Cases Highlights Mutated Protein Length and Structural Characteristics Correlation with Communicative Abilities Accentuated in Males.

Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) is essential for neurodevelopment and de novo mutations in ADNP cause the ADNP syndrome. From brain pathologies point of view, tauopathy has been demonstrated at a young age, implying stunted development coupled with early/accelerated neurodegeneration. Given potential genotype-phenotype differences and age-dependency, we have assessed here a cohort of 15 individuals (1-27-year-old), using 1-3 longitudinal parent (caretaker) interview/s (Vineland 3 questionnaire) over several years.

Crickets in the spotlight: exploring the impact of light on circadian behavior.

Crickets serve as a well-established model organism in biological research spanning various fields, such as behavior, physiology, neurobiology, and ecology. Cricket circadian behavior was first reported over a century ago and prompted a wealth of studies delving into their chronobiology. Circadian rhythms have been described in relation to fundamental cricket behaviors, encompassing stridulation and locomotion, but also in hormonal secretion and gene expression.

Wired together, change together: Spike timing modifies transmission in converging assemblies.

The precise timing of neuronal spikes may lead to changes in synaptic connectivity and is thought to be crucial for learning and memory. However, the effect of spike timing on neuronal connectivity in the intact brain remains unknown. Using closed-loop optogenetic stimulation in CA1 of freely moving mice, we generated unique spike patterns between presynaptic pyramidal cells (PYRs) and postsynaptic parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive cells.

Are Members of Political Out-Groups More Morally or Physically Disgusting?

Recent research has found that Americans are disgusted by anonymous members of their political out-group. Determining whether the disgust elicited by political out-group members is more physical or moral may contribute to the understating of what enables its elicitation and regulation. Building on research showing the experience of moral disgust involves relatively abstract construal and the experience of physical disgust involves relatively concrete construal, we predicted that disgust experienced toward political out-group members is more moral than physical.

Exploring exercise adherence and quality of life among veteran, novice, and dropout trainees.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify and reveal the different contexts, variables, and factors that may influence adherence to physical activity among veteran, novice, and dropout trainees, such as the frequency of the weekly training units, the trainees preferred type of exercise, the purpose of the physical activity, and the relationship between support and supervision by fitness instructors and professionals. This study also examined the relationships between trainees, seniority and the strength of the habit and adherence to physical activity, the effects of personal variables such as age and gender on adherence to physical activity, and how the seniority and adherence of trainees may affect their quality of life.

Methods: A total of 460 participants drawn from the broader Israeli exercise community, which encompasses a diverse range of individuals within the general adult population, were engaged in this study.

"Saving Journalism from Facebook's Death Grip"? The Implications of Content-Recommendation Platforms on Publishers and Their Audiences.

Previous research on the platformization of news has mostly been devoted to considering the effects of social media on the news industry. The current study focuses on Taboola and Outbrain, two leading content recommendation platforms. The companies form "partnerships" with news organizations, through which they take over a designated space on news websites and curate news, sponsored content, and advertisements, creating a blend that-the companies claim-maximizes monetization.

The number of different digits determines solution and verification of multiplication problems.

The solution and verification of single-digit multiplication problems vary in speed and accuracy. The current study examines whether the number of different digits in a problem accounts for this variance. In Experiment 1, 41 participants solved all 2-9 multiplication problems.

Continuous symmetry and chirality measures: approximate algorithms for large molecular structures.

Quantifying imperfect symmetry of molecules can help explore the sources, roles and extent of structural distortion. Based on the established methodology of continuous symmetry and chirality measures, we develop a set of three-dimensional molecular descriptors to estimate distortion of large structures. These three-dimensional geometrical descriptors quantify the gap between the desirable symmetry (or chirality) and the actual one.

Selective Perchlorate Sensing Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy with Self-Assembled Monolayers of semiaza-Bambusurils.

In the last two decades, perchlorate salts have been identified as environmental pollutants and recognized as potential substances affecting human health. We describe self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of novel semiaza-bambus[6]urils (semiaza-BUs) equipped with thioethers or disulfide (dithiolane) functionalities as surface-anchoring groups on gold electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) with Fe(CN) as a redox probe, together with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ellipsometry, were employed to characterize the interactions at the interface between the anchoring groups and the metal substrate.

Functional consequences of a rare human serotonergic 5-HT receptor variant.

Serotonin (5-HT) plays a central role in various brain functions via the activation of a family of receptors, most of them G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). 5-HT receptor, the most abundant 5-HT receptors, was implicated in many brain dysfunctions and is a major target for drug discovery. Several genetic polymorphisms within the 5-HT receptor gene were identified and linked to different conditions, including anxiety and depression.

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Risk Parameters through Intermittent Fasting: A Machine Learning Approach.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels. Despite the availability of pharmacological treatments, dietary plans, and exercise regimens, T2DM remains a significant global cause of mortality. As a result, there is an increasing interest in exploring lifestyle interventions, such as intermittent fasting (IF).

NAP (Davunetide): The Neuroprotective ADNP Drug Candidate Penetrates Cell Nuclei Explaining Pleiotropic Mechanisms.

(1) Background: Recently, we showed aberrant nuclear/cytoplasmic boundaries/activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) distribution in ADNP-mutated cells. This malformation was corrected upon neuronal differentiation by the ADNP-derived fragment drug candidate NAP (davunetide). Here, we investigated the mechanism of NAP nuclear protection.

Short-term auditory priming in freely-moving mice.

Priming, a change in the mental processing of a stimulus as a result of prior encounter with a related stimulus, has been observed repeatedly and studied extensively in humans. Yet currently, there is no behavioral model of short-term priming in lab animals, precluding research on the neurobiological basis of priming. Here, we describe an auditory discrimination paradigm for studying response priming in freely moving mice.