Ruppin Academic Center

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between prewar status-quo bias (SQB) and emotional measurements taken during the Isarel-Hamas War. A sample of 1,053 Israeli participants (ages 25–66; 50% females) was surveyed before and during the war, using the war’s onset as a natural experiment to explore the association of SQB with various measures of subjective well-being and anxiety. The findings indicate that despite stable levels of global life evaluation and meaning in life, the war triggered significant shifts in the affective component of subjective well-being, namely, positive and negative emotions. The results show that prewar SQB levels were concurrently positively associated with negative emotions and negatively associated with positive emotions (in addition to global life evaluation and meaning in life). However, a longitudinal effect was found only for negative emotions during the war, even after controlling for prewar negative emotions and other demographic and war-related variables. Similar results were obtained for anxiety: prewar SQB longitudinally predicted higher levels of anxiety during war, after adjusting for a proxy measure of prewar anxiety and other covariates. This indicates that prewar SQB levels are strongly associated with concurrent variation in negative emotions during national trauma, beyond prior levels. The results have substantial economic implications, suggesting that interventions aimed at reducing SQB (e.g., education that empowers individuals to transcend their familiar boundaries and adapt to adverse changes) may enhance emotional resilience in crisis situations, offering valuable insights for policymakers to improve societal well-being in times of upheaval.

Abstract This study presents the first multi‐year assessment quantifying the contribution of primary production to vertical carbon flux in the ultra‐oligotrophic southeastern Levantine basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Depth‐integrated (0–180 m) daily primary productivity (PP) was 25% higher in the mixed winter period than in the stratified period (123 and 98 mg C m −2 d −1 respectively) and the predominant photoautotrophs contributed ~ 5%–11% of the bulk particulate organic carbon (POC). Time‐resolved sediment trap data at 180 and 280 m from 2016 to 2020 showed POC fluxes ranging from 0.5 to 5.3 mg C m −2 d −1 (stratified‐period) and 1.8 to 13.5 mg C m −2 d −1 (mixed‐period), with primary producers potentially contributing 2.6%–7% of the POC flux at 180 m. Our calculated e‐ratios are some of the lowest recorded in oligotrophic environments, reaching 0.061 during mixing and 0.026 under stratified conditions. High bacterial‐to‐primary production ratios and bacterial coupling to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) suggest that intense microbial recycling constrains the transformation of primary production to particulate export and reduces the biological pump efficiency. Our data show that applying generalized export models can overestimate export in the Levantine basin by overlooking microbial recycling and lateral carbon transport, underscoring the need for region‐specific models that incorporate these processes under increasingly warm, stratified, and oligotrophic ocean conditions.

The October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel led to over 1,200 civilian deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals to Gaza. While prior studies have documented the psychological toll on directly affected populations, the broader emotional impact of the ongoing hostage crisis on the general public remains unclear. This study explored how public concern for the hostages relates to psychological distress and functional impairment, focusing on prolonged grief-like responses in the context of unresolved national uncertainty. A nationally representative sample of 515 Israeli adults completed self-report questionnaires at two time points: August 2023 (pre-attack) and May 2025. Measures included anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, cumulative stress, emotional burnout, and daily functioning. Concern for the hostages was rated on a 4-point scale. Symptoms associated with Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) were measured using an adapted PG-13 scale. Multivariate analyses controlled for baseline distress and trauma exposure. Higher concern levels were significantly associated with elevated distress across all symptom domains. Approximately half of the participants (48.7%) reported elevated levels of PGD-like symptoms in relation to the hostage situation, exhibiting significantly higher psychological symptoms and lower functional well-being, including poorer sleep, reduced concentration, and diminished optimism and hope. Findings indicate that the prolonged hostage crisis constitutes a collective psychological burden marked by ambiguous loss and unresolved national trauma. This form of distress affects even those without direct exposure. Mental health efforts may therefore benefit from addressing distress related not only to direct trauma and bereavement, but also to prolonged uncertainty and symbolic loss.

Introduction This study explored the contribution of various contact modes of adult children with their parents to the children's emotional closeness with parents and to the children's life satisfaction. Methods Students at colleges and universities in Israel ( N = 557) and in Germany ( N = 535) were recruited during 2010-2011 and 2013-2014, respectively, through convenience sampling and completed web-based questionnaires reporting on the frequency of each contact mode with their parents (phone, in-person, and digital), their emotional closeness with their parents and their own satisfaction with life. Structural equation models tested the associations between the study variables among the Israeli and German samples while comparing them across the samples. Results The results in both samples showed positive associations between the adult children's phone contact and emotional closeness with both parents and between in-person contact and emotional closeness with fathers. Among both samples, phone contact emerged as the strongest contributor to higher emotional closeness. Digital contact was associated with higher emotional closeness with both parents in the German sample only. Emotional closeness with either parent was associated with adult children's higher life satisfaction in both countries. Discussion During the pre-COVID-19 era, in both Germany and Israel, direct and synchronous vocal communication contributed to intergenerational connections and wellbeing.

Illustrated digital picture books are widely used for second-language reading and vocabulary growth. We ask how close current generative AI (GenAI) tools are to producing such books on demand for specific learners. Using the ChatGPT-based Learning And Reading (C-LARA) platform with GPT-5 for text/annotation and GPT-Image-1 for illustration, we ran three pilot studies. Study 1 used six AI-generated English books glossed into Chinese, French, and Ukrainian and evaluated them using page-level and whole-book Likert questionnaires completed by teachers and students. Study 2 created six English books targeted at low-intermediate East-Asian adults who had recently arrived in Adelaide and gathered student and teacher ratings. Study 3 piloted an individually tailored German mini-course for one anglophone learner, with judgements from the learner and two germanophone teachers. Images and Chinese glossing were consistently strong; French glossing was good but showed issues with gender agreement, register, and naturalness of phrasing; and Ukrainian glossing underperformed, with morphosyntax and idiom errors. Students rated tailored English texts positively, while teachers requested tighter briefs and curricular alignment. The German pilot was engaging and largely usable, with minor image-consistency and cultural-detail issues. We conclude that for well-supported language pairs (in particular, English–Chinese), the workflow is close to classroom/self-study usability, while other language pairs need improved multi-word expression handling and glossing. All resources are reproducible on the open-source platform. We adopt an interdisciplinary stance which combines aspects taken from computer science, linguistics, and language education.

Abstract We introduce a Vectorial Graph Distance (VGD), a distance measure between graphs, a novel metric that extends our previously defined Vectorial Tree Distance (VTD) to general undirected, unweighted graphs. The method converts each graph into a unique tree by combining a bounded quotient graph, constructed using node-betweenness centrality, with a modified breadth-first search (BFS) that ensures uniqueness. Once converted, the resulting trees are compared using the VTD, yielding a structured, vector-valued distance that reflects hierarchical differences between graphs. We further demonstrate the utility of the VGD by applying it to the ENZYMES dataset (BRENDA), showing that it successfully distinguishes molecular graphs from different enzyme classes. The approach captures meaningful structural distinctions and provides an interpretable, multi-level measure of graph similarity.

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background:</bold> The global healthcare system is grappling with a severe shortage of nursing staff, a deficit exacerbated by the prevalent Second Victim Phenomenon (SVP), where nurses experience significant emotional, physical, and professional distress after involvement in adverse events (AEs). Research consistently links SVP to nurse absenteeism and turnover, underscoring the critical need for effective support systems. Unlike many countries with established SVP support, Israel lacks systemic national and organizational level strategies, leading to potential underreporting of AEs and a hidden burden of distress among caregivers. This study examined the association between SVP and absenteeism and turnover intentions among Israeli nurses, specifically investigating the roles of direct managers and the organization. <bold>Methods:</bold> A culturally diverse sample of 174 postgraduate nurses who reported experiencing an adverse event the Hebrew-validated Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (H-SVEST), assessing psychosocial factors and employment outcomes (turnover intentions, absenteeism). <bold>Results:</bold> Over 90% of nurses reported psychological and physical distress following AEs. Physical distress emerged as a primary driver for both turnover intentions and absenteeism. In contrast, professional self-efficacy and various forms of organizational support (from colleagues, supervisors, and the institution) acted as critical protective factors, significantly reducing these negative outcomes. The path analysis model explained 52.7% of the variance in turnover intentions and 39.2% in absenteeism. Notably, supervisor support significantly and negatively predicted absenteeism (B = -0.243, p &lt; .01). <bold>Conclusions:</bold> This study provides the first quantitative examination of SVP among Israeli nurses, affirming its profound impact on workforce stability. Our findings highlight the significant role of physical distress in predicting turnover and absenteeism in the Israeli context. The crucial role of various forms of organizational support and professional self-efficacy as mitigating factors underscores the urgent need for structured, systematic support systems within Israeli healthcare

Abstract Objectives This study addressed the pressing need for culturally adapted mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for the Arab-Bedouin population in Israel, a marginalized group facing socio-economic hardships, limited access to mental health resources, and unique cultural challenges. Specifically, the research examined the association between mindfulness and mental well-being within this community and investigates how Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) might be adapted to meet their cultural needs. Methods Two complementary studies were conducted. The first was a cross-sectional quantitative study involving 181 Arab-Bedouin participants who completed validated scales measuring trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and key mental health indicators, including well-being, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. The second study employed qualitative methods, with in-depth interviews with eight Arab-Bedouin mental health professionals who completed an adapted MBSR program. Thematic analysis was applied to explore their perspectives on necessary cultural adaptations for effective implementation. Results Quantitative analysis showed strong positive associations between mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental well-being, with higher mindfulness and self-compassion linked to lower anxiety, depression, and stress. Qualitative findings emphasized essential cultural adaptations, including delivering MBSR in Arabic, integrating Islamic values, and providing gender-sensitive practices, all of which fostered cultural alignment and increased participant engagement. Participants highlighted the value of the instructor’s cultural background and the use of relatable examples. Conclusions Mindfulness practices are associated with improved mental health outcomes in the Arab-Bedouin community. Culturally adapting MBSR to address language, gender norms, and Islamic teachings enhances its relevance and effectiveness, highlighting the potential of tailored MBIs in promoting well-being in marginalized communities.