MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and have a critical role in many biological processes... more MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and have a critical role in many biological processes in health and disease conditions. Recent studies showed that Blood-brain barrier (BBB) break down is directly leading to brain dysfunction and damage. We thus hypothesized that miRNA expression profiles in brain subjected to different insults to the BBB would show common as well as unique miRNA expression profiles. Based on previously published aray data from BBB-injured or albumin-exposed brains (Cacheaux et aI., 2009) the top 50 3'UTR significant BBB genes that considered with all the known Rattus norvegicus mirna (249 miRNAs) downloded from Rfam database were chosen as potential targets. We used NBmiRTar target prediction tool (Yousef et aI., 2007) and the procedure predicted 357 target sites. In this study, rat's brains were exposed to sodium deoxycholate - a known BBB opener, serum-derived albumin and vascular damage induced by Rose-bengal with focal laser exposure. Sham-operated animals were used as controls. From the prediction results, we validate the regulation of hsamiR-342, hsa-miR-326 candidates and hsa-mir-Iet-7c miRNAs as an internal control by using TaqMan miRNA Real Time PCR assay. MiRNAs changed more than 1.5-fold in brain after each experimental manipulation; hsa-mir-326 and hsa-miR-342 were significantly (pvalue = 0.0158 and 0.0017, respectively) upregulated in brains after sodium deoxycholate treatment and Rose-bengal with focal laser exposure, respectively. Our study revealed significant (pvalue = 0.0038) downregulation of hsa-miR-342 in brains treated with serumderived albumin compared to control brains. The results show the possible use of brain miRNAs as biomarkers for BBB injury; that selected brain miRNAs may be associated with common vascular injuries and that concerted changes in gene expression after brain injury are potentially accounted for by changes in miRNA expression.
Trenched and diked contours (TDC) are used in hilly arid regions worldwide to reduce runoff and s... more Trenched and diked contours (TDC) are used in hilly arid regions worldwide to reduce runoff and soil erosion. The TDC is based on three parts: ‘runoff contributing area’, trench, and adjacent soil dike on the hillslope contours. Surveys over the Northern Negev indicate the hydrological interrelation between the inter‐dike surface and the dike. This study hypothesized that all the TDC parts are hydrologically interrelated. The objective is to analyze the soil's physical properties that influence the interrelation from dike construction until maturation and the influences of these interrelations on soil fertility, salinity, and stability. TDC systems, also known as ‘Shikim’, were constructed by the KKL‐JNF (Karen Kayemet L'Israel. The Jewish National Foundation) all over the hills of the Northern Negev, the semiarid region of Israel, from the 1950s until present, which gives the ability to analyze the dynamic of water flows inside the TDC s along their existence. The findings ...
The Israel Society for Neuroscience—ISFN—was founded in 1993 by a group of Israeli leading scient... more The Israel Society for Neuroscience—ISFN—was founded in 1993 by a group of Israeli leading scientists conducting research in the area of neurobiology. The primary goal of the society was to promote and disseminate the knowledge and understanding acquired by its members, and to strengthen interactions between them. Since then, the society holds its annual meeting every year in Eilat usually during December. At this annual meetings, the senior Israeli neurobiologists, their teams, and their graduate students, as well as foreign scientists and students, present their recent research findings in platform and poster presentations, and the program of the meeting is mainly based on the 338 received abstracts which are published in this volume. The meeting also offers the opportunity for the researchers to exchange information with each other, often leading to the initiation of collaborative studies. Both the number of members of the society and those participating in the annual meeting is ...
The wild species of tomato Solanum pennellii (Lpa) is more tolerant to salt-induced oxidative str... more The wild species of tomato Solanum pennellii (Lpa) is more tolerant to salt-induced oxidative stress than the cultivated species Solanum lycopersicum (Lem), due to the increase of several antioxidative metabolites and enzymes in this species under stress. The increase of reduced glutathione (GSH), one of these metabolites, in NaCl-treated Lpa, is due at least partly to the elevation of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-ECS). Introgression line IL 8–3, which was found to include the Lpa orthologue of the γ-ECS gene (Lpa γ-ECS) in Lem's genetic background, was used to assign this gene to chromosome 8 and to assess its relative contribution to the effective antioxidative response of Lpa to stress. The growth of IL 8–3 and Lem plants responded similarly to NaCl and cadmium (Cd) stresses. In both genotypes, GSH and H2O2 levels responded also similarly to NaCl stress. NaCl and Cd stresses affected similarly the transcription of the γ-ECS gene in leaves of both IL 8–3 and Lpa plants. Th...
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) contains a substantial amount of valuable antioxidant phenols that ca... more Olive mill wastewater (OMW) contains a substantial amount of valuable antioxidant phenols that can be recovered for industrial application as food additives and pharmaceuticals. The present study was aimed at extracting different phenolic OMW fractions, and determining their antioxidant potential. Five different OMW fractions were obtained using fractionation techniques, their antioxidant potential determined by DPPH, ORAC and a β-carotene bleaching test. The total phenol level ranged between 115 and 170 mg/l. The phenolic compounds present in individual fractions were identified using the HPLC-PAD method, where the main compounds were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, verbascoside, oleuropein, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid. The five OMW fractions showed different antioxidant levels depending on the test used. DPPH test showed that the fraction of alkyl aromatic alcohols (AAAs) was the best with EC(50) of 20 mg/l and the pure hydroxytyrosol with 2 mg/l. ORAC test showed that AAA and semi hydrolysed total phenol (s-TP) fractions were significantly better than Trolox when compared to 20 mg/l of Trolox.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011
Polyphenols or phenolic compounds are groups of secondary metabolites widely distributed in plant... more Polyphenols or phenolic compounds are groups of secondary metabolites widely distributed in plants and found in olive mill wastewater (OMW). Phenolic compounds as well as OMW extracts were evaluatedin vitrofor their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenesandStaphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coliandKlebsiella pneumoniae). Most of the tested phenols were not effective against the four bacterial strains when tested as single compounds at concentrations of up to 1000 μg mL−1. Hydroxytyrosol at 400 μg mL−1caused complete growth inhibition of the four strains. Gallic acid was effective at 200, and 400 μg mL−1againstS. aureus, andS. pyogenes, respectively, but not against the gram negative bacteria. An OMW fraction called AntiSolvent was obtained after the addition of ethanol to the crude OMW. HPLC analysis of AntiSolvent fraction revealed that this fraction contains mainly hydroxytyrosol (10.3%), verbascoside (7.4%), and tyrosol (2...
The main objective of this study was to screen endogenous microorganisms grown on olive mill soli... more The main objective of this study was to screen endogenous microorganisms grown on olive mill solid wastes (OMSW) with the potential to ferment pentoses and produce ethanol. Two yeasts were isolated and identified as Issatchenkia orientalis, and Pichia galeiformis/manshurica. The adaptation of the strains displayed a positive impact on the fermentation process. In terms of xylose utilization and ethanol production, all strains were able to utilize xylose and produce xylitol but no ethanol was detected. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation process on hydrolysate undergo detoxification, strain I. orientalis showed the best efficiency in producing of ethanol when supplemented with glucose. Using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process following pretreatment of OMSW, the average ethanol yield was 3 g/100 g dry OMSW. Bioethanol production from OMSW is not economic despite the raw material is cheap.
A pioneering way for performing drug-loaded liposome nano-structures is presented. Aqueous soluti... more A pioneering way for performing drug-loaded liposome nano-structures is presented. Aqueous solutions of liposome structures were prepared by a simple way and used as a model for exploring cell membrane structure and drug carriers. Drug solutions of Acamol and Optalgin were prepared, colored by food dye and then penetrated into the hydrophilic interior part of the liposome structure. In a second step of the experiment, the size of drug-loaded liposome structures were minimized from micro-scale to nanometer scale (400 nm, 100 nm) using Mini-Extruder apparatus.
This study examines how learning acid-base concepts can be made more relevant for students. It an... more This study examines how learning acid-base concepts can be made more relevant for students. It analyzes how the concepts learned in chemistry by tenth graders are aligned with their everyday lives. Two approaches to teaching are compared: the Low Relevance Approach (LRA) and the High Relevance Approach (HRA). The HRA approach emphasizes learning how chemistry materials are relevant to students’ daily life.The subject taught was acids and bases. Following the intervention program, a perception-type motivation and satisfaction questionnaire was administered to the students in order to determine the effect that the ‘relevant experiential’ teaching style had on students’ attitudes towards chemistry, regarding their motivation for and satisfaction when studying chemistry, and on their academic achievements in the chemistry. Based on the assessment of students' cognitive and scholastic performance, it is clear that relevance-oriented experiments in chemistry significantly contribute t...
One of the most important thing for every person and in particularly a teenage pupil, is to feel ... more One of the most important thing for every person and in particularly a teenage pupil, is to feel belong to the society he lives in, and feel that his status in the given society is strong and secure. Often times we wondered how can we assist our pupils to develop a sense of belonging; what is the best way to strengthen vital behavioral patterns, and what could be done to harness pupils and parents to significant process that will be relevant to each pupil; a process that will enable all the pupils to develop in his own pace developing behaviors and acquire skills that will help him in various relationships with the environment and with himself. The project "Pink Spectacles" started in the Majd-El Kurum junior high on November 2009, following a workshop that took place in the School of Education of Haifa University. The workshop focused upon the importance of parental involvement in the education of their children and their participation in the educational work, especially ...
Many primary school pupils find it difficult to apply inquiry skills in general and variable cont... more Many primary school pupils find it difficult to apply inquiry skills in general and variable control in particular, and fail to appreciate the importance of control groups in scientific research. The present study focused on levels of thinking among sixth-graders in the course of an open-ended inquiry activity, by following the planning and execution of an experiment, isolation and variable control, and the difficulties encountered by students in the implementation of various inquiry skills. The study population consisted of forty-four sixth-graders from a primary school in the Arab sector in Israel's Northern District. The students were divided into two groups, one that underwent a process of intervention in teaching in the form of three lessons using the CASE approach, while the other learned with the New Outlook textbook. The study's results point to a significant difference between the CASE intervention group and the New Outlook intervention group with respect to the fin...
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and have a critical role in many biological processes... more MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and have a critical role in many biological processes in health and disease conditions. Recent studies showed that Blood-brain barrier (BBB) break down is directly leading to brain dysfunction and damage. We thus hypothesized that miRNA expression profiles in brain subjected to different insults to the BBB would show common as well as unique miRNA expression profiles. Based on previously published aray data from BBB-injured or albumin-exposed brains (Cacheaux et aI., 2009) the top 50 3'UTR significant BBB genes that considered with all the known Rattus norvegicus mirna (249 miRNAs) downloded from Rfam database were chosen as potential targets. We used NBmiRTar target prediction tool (Yousef et aI., 2007) and the procedure predicted 357 target sites. In this study, rat's brains were exposed to sodium deoxycholate - a known BBB opener, serum-derived albumin and vascular damage induced by Rose-bengal with focal laser exposure. Sham-operated animals were used as controls. From the prediction results, we validate the regulation of hsamiR-342, hsa-miR-326 candidates and hsa-mir-Iet-7c miRNAs as an internal control by using TaqMan miRNA Real Time PCR assay. MiRNAs changed more than 1.5-fold in brain after each experimental manipulation; hsa-mir-326 and hsa-miR-342 were significantly (pvalue = 0.0158 and 0.0017, respectively) upregulated in brains after sodium deoxycholate treatment and Rose-bengal with focal laser exposure, respectively. Our study revealed significant (pvalue = 0.0038) downregulation of hsa-miR-342 in brains treated with serumderived albumin compared to control brains. The results show the possible use of brain miRNAs as biomarkers for BBB injury; that selected brain miRNAs may be associated with common vascular injuries and that concerted changes in gene expression after brain injury are potentially accounted for by changes in miRNA expression.
Trenched and diked contours (TDC) are used in hilly arid regions worldwide to reduce runoff and s... more Trenched and diked contours (TDC) are used in hilly arid regions worldwide to reduce runoff and soil erosion. The TDC is based on three parts: ‘runoff contributing area’, trench, and adjacent soil dike on the hillslope contours. Surveys over the Northern Negev indicate the hydrological interrelation between the inter‐dike surface and the dike. This study hypothesized that all the TDC parts are hydrologically interrelated. The objective is to analyze the soil's physical properties that influence the interrelation from dike construction until maturation and the influences of these interrelations on soil fertility, salinity, and stability. TDC systems, also known as ‘Shikim’, were constructed by the KKL‐JNF (Karen Kayemet L'Israel. The Jewish National Foundation) all over the hills of the Northern Negev, the semiarid region of Israel, from the 1950s until present, which gives the ability to analyze the dynamic of water flows inside the TDC s along their existence. The findings ...
The Israel Society for Neuroscience—ISFN—was founded in 1993 by a group of Israeli leading scient... more The Israel Society for Neuroscience—ISFN—was founded in 1993 by a group of Israeli leading scientists conducting research in the area of neurobiology. The primary goal of the society was to promote and disseminate the knowledge and understanding acquired by its members, and to strengthen interactions between them. Since then, the society holds its annual meeting every year in Eilat usually during December. At this annual meetings, the senior Israeli neurobiologists, their teams, and their graduate students, as well as foreign scientists and students, present their recent research findings in platform and poster presentations, and the program of the meeting is mainly based on the 338 received abstracts which are published in this volume. The meeting also offers the opportunity for the researchers to exchange information with each other, often leading to the initiation of collaborative studies. Both the number of members of the society and those participating in the annual meeting is ...
The wild species of tomato Solanum pennellii (Lpa) is more tolerant to salt-induced oxidative str... more The wild species of tomato Solanum pennellii (Lpa) is more tolerant to salt-induced oxidative stress than the cultivated species Solanum lycopersicum (Lem), due to the increase of several antioxidative metabolites and enzymes in this species under stress. The increase of reduced glutathione (GSH), one of these metabolites, in NaCl-treated Lpa, is due at least partly to the elevation of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-ECS). Introgression line IL 8–3, which was found to include the Lpa orthologue of the γ-ECS gene (Lpa γ-ECS) in Lem's genetic background, was used to assign this gene to chromosome 8 and to assess its relative contribution to the effective antioxidative response of Lpa to stress. The growth of IL 8–3 and Lem plants responded similarly to NaCl and cadmium (Cd) stresses. In both genotypes, GSH and H2O2 levels responded also similarly to NaCl stress. NaCl and Cd stresses affected similarly the transcription of the γ-ECS gene in leaves of both IL 8–3 and Lpa plants. Th...
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) contains a substantial amount of valuable antioxidant phenols that ca... more Olive mill wastewater (OMW) contains a substantial amount of valuable antioxidant phenols that can be recovered for industrial application as food additives and pharmaceuticals. The present study was aimed at extracting different phenolic OMW fractions, and determining their antioxidant potential. Five different OMW fractions were obtained using fractionation techniques, their antioxidant potential determined by DPPH, ORAC and a β-carotene bleaching test. The total phenol level ranged between 115 and 170 mg/l. The phenolic compounds present in individual fractions were identified using the HPLC-PAD method, where the main compounds were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, verbascoside, oleuropein, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid. The five OMW fractions showed different antioxidant levels depending on the test used. DPPH test showed that the fraction of alkyl aromatic alcohols (AAAs) was the best with EC(50) of 20 mg/l and the pure hydroxytyrosol with 2 mg/l. ORAC test showed that AAA and semi hydrolysed total phenol (s-TP) fractions were significantly better than Trolox when compared to 20 mg/l of Trolox.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011
Polyphenols or phenolic compounds are groups of secondary metabolites widely distributed in plant... more Polyphenols or phenolic compounds are groups of secondary metabolites widely distributed in plants and found in olive mill wastewater (OMW). Phenolic compounds as well as OMW extracts were evaluatedin vitrofor their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenesandStaphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coliandKlebsiella pneumoniae). Most of the tested phenols were not effective against the four bacterial strains when tested as single compounds at concentrations of up to 1000 μg mL−1. Hydroxytyrosol at 400 μg mL−1caused complete growth inhibition of the four strains. Gallic acid was effective at 200, and 400 μg mL−1againstS. aureus, andS. pyogenes, respectively, but not against the gram negative bacteria. An OMW fraction called AntiSolvent was obtained after the addition of ethanol to the crude OMW. HPLC analysis of AntiSolvent fraction revealed that this fraction contains mainly hydroxytyrosol (10.3%), verbascoside (7.4%), and tyrosol (2...
The main objective of this study was to screen endogenous microorganisms grown on olive mill soli... more The main objective of this study was to screen endogenous microorganisms grown on olive mill solid wastes (OMSW) with the potential to ferment pentoses and produce ethanol. Two yeasts were isolated and identified as Issatchenkia orientalis, and Pichia galeiformis/manshurica. The adaptation of the strains displayed a positive impact on the fermentation process. In terms of xylose utilization and ethanol production, all strains were able to utilize xylose and produce xylitol but no ethanol was detected. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation process on hydrolysate undergo detoxification, strain I. orientalis showed the best efficiency in producing of ethanol when supplemented with glucose. Using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process following pretreatment of OMSW, the average ethanol yield was 3 g/100 g dry OMSW. Bioethanol production from OMSW is not economic despite the raw material is cheap.
A pioneering way for performing drug-loaded liposome nano-structures is presented. Aqueous soluti... more A pioneering way for performing drug-loaded liposome nano-structures is presented. Aqueous solutions of liposome structures were prepared by a simple way and used as a model for exploring cell membrane structure and drug carriers. Drug solutions of Acamol and Optalgin were prepared, colored by food dye and then penetrated into the hydrophilic interior part of the liposome structure. In a second step of the experiment, the size of drug-loaded liposome structures were minimized from micro-scale to nanometer scale (400 nm, 100 nm) using Mini-Extruder apparatus.
This study examines how learning acid-base concepts can be made more relevant for students. It an... more This study examines how learning acid-base concepts can be made more relevant for students. It analyzes how the concepts learned in chemistry by tenth graders are aligned with their everyday lives. Two approaches to teaching are compared: the Low Relevance Approach (LRA) and the High Relevance Approach (HRA). The HRA approach emphasizes learning how chemistry materials are relevant to students’ daily life.The subject taught was acids and bases. Following the intervention program, a perception-type motivation and satisfaction questionnaire was administered to the students in order to determine the effect that the ‘relevant experiential’ teaching style had on students’ attitudes towards chemistry, regarding their motivation for and satisfaction when studying chemistry, and on their academic achievements in the chemistry. Based on the assessment of students' cognitive and scholastic performance, it is clear that relevance-oriented experiments in chemistry significantly contribute t...
One of the most important thing for every person and in particularly a teenage pupil, is to feel ... more One of the most important thing for every person and in particularly a teenage pupil, is to feel belong to the society he lives in, and feel that his status in the given society is strong and secure. Often times we wondered how can we assist our pupils to develop a sense of belonging; what is the best way to strengthen vital behavioral patterns, and what could be done to harness pupils and parents to significant process that will be relevant to each pupil; a process that will enable all the pupils to develop in his own pace developing behaviors and acquire skills that will help him in various relationships with the environment and with himself. The project "Pink Spectacles" started in the Majd-El Kurum junior high on November 2009, following a workshop that took place in the School of Education of Haifa University. The workshop focused upon the importance of parental involvement in the education of their children and their participation in the educational work, especially ...
Many primary school pupils find it difficult to apply inquiry skills in general and variable cont... more Many primary school pupils find it difficult to apply inquiry skills in general and variable control in particular, and fail to appreciate the importance of control groups in scientific research. The present study focused on levels of thinking among sixth-graders in the course of an open-ended inquiry activity, by following the planning and execution of an experiment, isolation and variable control, and the difficulties encountered by students in the implementation of various inquiry skills. The study population consisted of forty-four sixth-graders from a primary school in the Arab sector in Israel's Northern District. The students were divided into two groups, one that underwent a process of intervention in teaching in the form of three lessons using the CASE approach, while the other learned with the New Outlook textbook. The study's results point to a significant difference between the CASE intervention group and the New Outlook intervention group with respect to the fin...
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