Science, Medicine, & Education

Mathematical model may encourage bike-sharing for commuters

TEL AVIV (Press Release) — The new environmentally-friendly concept of municipal “bike-sharing” is taking over European cities like Paris, and American cities like New York are also looking into the idea. It allows a subscriber to “borrow” a bike from one of hundreds of locations in the city, use it, and return it to another location […]

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Academic Freedom or Academic License at Brooklyn College

By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — Those of you spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for your children’s college education, and paying taxes to support colleges, may be interested in a current brouhaha at my alma mater, Brooklyn College. A doctoral student, Kristofer Petersen, 1 ½ years into his studies, was hired

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Doctors giving ‘second opinions’ may be influenced by non-medical factors

BEER SHEVA, Israel (Press Releasse)A new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers indicates that physicians who give second opinions may be influenced by the first opinion and other external factors. In the study, the researchers presented hypothetical scenarios with no clear cut clinical answers to a national sample of orthopedic surgeons and

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Pioneering work on cellular repair processes wins Clowes Award for cancer research

TEL AVIV (Press Release) — Prof. Yosef Shiloh of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine is the first Israeli researcher ever to win the prestigious Clowes Award for cancer research, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Florida later this year. The prize includes

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Researcher says fibroblasts can both hinder and aid cancer growth

TEL AVIV (Press Release) — The most common connective tissue cell in animals is the fibroblast, which plays an important role in healing wounds. But Dr. Neta Erez of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine has now demonstrated that fibroblasts can also do a body great harm, helping to ”recruit“ immune cells for tumor growth.

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Similarities found between psychopaths and people with frontal brain injuries

HAIFA (Press Release)–People diagnosed as psychopathic have difficulty showing empathy, just like patients who have suffered frontal head injury. This has been shown in a new study from the University of Haifa. “Our findings show that people who have psychopathic symptoms behave as though they are suffering frontal brain damage,” said Dr. Simone Shamay-Tsoory, who

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Measuring ‘Social IQ’ of bacteria may advance efforts to enlist some strains as alliles

TEL AVIV (Press Release)― IQ scores are used to assess the intelligence of human beings. Now Tel Aviv University has developed a “Social-IQ score” for bacteria ― and it may lead to new antibiotics and powerful bacteria-based “green” pesticides for the agricultural industry. An international team led by Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University’s

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Larvae become salamanders quicker if they sense danger but the process holds other dangers

HAIFA (Press Release)–Fast development is often perceived as an advantage, as it enables better harmony with one’s environment and readiness to cope with the challenges that it poses. However, research conducted at the University of Haifa, Israel, and University of California, Santa Cruz, and published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE*, found that the acceleration

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Admiral who headed Shin Bet named chair of University of Haifa executive committee

HAIFA (Press Release) –Admiral (ret.) Ami Ayalon has been appointed Chairman of the Executive Committee of the University of Haifa, Israel. Ayalon, 65, has previously served as commander of the Israeli Navy; director of the Israeli Security Agency (the Shin Bet); member of Knesset; and cabinet minister. He is currently chairman of AKIM Israel, the

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Chomsky student creates computer model that may disprove teacher’s language theories

TEL AVIV (Press Release) ― Although we’re convinced that baby is brilliant when she mutters her first words, cognitive scientists have been conducting a decades-long debate about whether or not human beings actually “learn” language. Most theoretical linguists, including the noted researcher Noam Chomsky, argue that people have little more than a “language organ” ― an

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Israelis develop system to let you see who’s tracking you on Facebook

TEL AVIV (Press Release)—Privacy in the digital age is a sensitive issue for both governments and individuals, as recent news about WikiLeaks and Facebook proved. A new research project at Tel Aviv University may better educate citizens of the virtual world about their privacy ― and even help Facebook users avoid truly embarrassing moments. It’s

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Early Childhood Educators to meet in Phoenix; San Diegan Tammy Vener to assume presidency

PHOENIX, Arizona (Press Release)–The Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ), an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), will honor 11 years of Reform Judaism’s support of Jewish early childhood education at their annual meeting here this week. The conference, from Jan 12-15, will explore the theme “Ani V’Atah: You and I Can

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Move over laser technology, here comes the spaser

TEL AVIV (Press Release) ― Lasers have revolutionized the communications and medical industries. They focus light to zap tumors and send digital TV signals and telephone communications around the world. But the physical length of an ordinary laser cannot be less than one half of the wavelength of its light, which limits its application in many

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Israeli professor has gloomy forecast for current proposals to increase efficiency of solar technology

TEL AVIV (Press Release) ― In recent years, developers have been investigating light-harvesting thin film solar panels made from nanotechnology –– and promoting efficiency metrics to make the technology marketable. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is providing new evidence to challenge recent “charge” measurements for increasing solar panel efficiency. Offering a less expensive, smaller solution than

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Science, Medicine, & Education