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This article is part of a wide-scope research examining teachers' perceptions regarding the organizational profile of their school. Research participants were asked about nine parameters that outline the school's organizational structure (Chen-Levi, 2019). Main research questions were: How do the three different groups of position-holders in the school- administrative staff, homeroom teachers, and subject-matter teachers -- perceive the organizational profile of their school? What is the importance of each parameter that comprises a school's organizational profile? A loglinear analysis was performed to test whether the three groups differed in the way they related to these parameters. Differences or similarities in the faculty's perception of the school will have implications on the staff's internal cohesion, quality of its communication and staff members' motivation to contribute to change-related tasks that require a long-term view. Analysis of teachers' responses produced a picture according to which the criteria they regard as central to the school's organizational structure are: curriculum content and teaching methods, as well as innovation and changes in the organization. These areas are cornerstones in education. They stressed the need to expose students to a rich and varied education, challenging and encouraging curiosity in many disciplines by means of creative tools and constant innovation.

The teaching profession is highly stressful. Stress is a negative phenomenon that develops under conditions of uncontrollable, prolonged and increased pressure. In this study, our goal is (a) to investigate teachers' perception of the sources of stress in school in light of the neoliberal reforms and (b) to compare these sources of stress in primary school, middle school and high school teachers. We hypothesize that the demands and the workload to improve scores in standardized tests, increase the need of teachers to take work home. Therefore, home demands may conflict with school demands. Furthermore, the greatest pressure is on elementary and middle school teachers: Early efforts to improve student achievements in the lower grades would result in better-prepared students in high schools. Data about the sources of stress is based on a previous study of Buskila, Buskila, Giris and Ablin (2019) that investigated the connection between the effects of stress on teachers on somatic syndromes. Three hundred and twenty-one public school teachers working in the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Israel participated in the study. Findings of the mean of the entire samples revealed that the highest level of stress was caused by intense teaching schedule with insufficient breaks. The second cause was related to the composition of the students in the class, and the third was home demands conflicting with school demands. In the middle schools, the highest levels of stress are caused by school principals (M=5.98, SD=3.09) and second is in high school (M=5.00, SD=3.33). The highest level of stress caused by the superintendent is on primary school teachers (M=3.97, SD=3.33) and the second are the middle school teachers (M=3.79, SD = 2.95). The lowest stress level was in high school (M=2.68, SD=2.83). Three significance differences of stress were found among primary, middle, and high schools: The school principal is the highest source of pressure in the middle schools (P=0.034), and the superintendent causes the highest level of stress in primary schools (P=0.006). The third cause was in high school, related to physical school conditions (p=0.002). These results are relevant to teachers, educators, and policy makers involved in planning and managing educational strategies and teachers' schedules. Identifying and preventing the sources of stress can facilitate better teaching conditions, and a more effective and efficient atmosphere in school.

This study aims to explore teachers' perceptions of the role played by school principals in promoting teachers' well-being. The teachers in Israel have a low professional self-image and work under stressful conditions. Psychological wellbeing combines a good feeling with effective functioning and promoting wellbeing can enhance efficacy at work. This is a qualitative study, with a personal interpretive paradigm of teachers' reflections. Data was collected from 53 teachers and analyzed in a four-stage process: condensing, coding, categorizing, and theorizing. The study was based on the planned theory (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), and the data was encoded and categorized according to the Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2004) emotional intelligence (EI), leadership competence which founds to enhance well-being and effectiveness at work. Findings indicate that school principals can play an important role in promoting teachers' wellbeing by displaying relationship management, which generates the highest level of EI: Creating a positive emotional climate, keeping relationships on the right track, and demonstrating genuine concern for teachers. Understanding the importance of EI and mastering it by educational leaders is important for promoting well-being. It is significant for the positive functioning of the teachers and school system. This study contributes to the epistemology of promoting teachers' well-being and developing EI by educational leader.

Objective: This study sought to examine whether the sense of coherence (SoC) and resilience among female fibromyalgia (FM) patients increased after participation in a fibrotherapy intervention program (FTI) and whether SoC and resilience increased among female FM patients (FFMPs) exposed to security threats who changed their coping strategies to problem-oriented coping. Methods: Ninety-six FFMPs aged 19–75 enrolled in the FTI program led by Rabbi Firer in Sderot, Israel. The intervention program is divided into three stages, each comprising a distinct weekly treatment plan. The treatment plans encompass the following modalities: physiotherapy adapted to FM conditions, group therapy, hydrotherapy, horticultural therapy/cooking therapy, Pilates, pottery therapy, and kundalini yoga. Each stage spans a duration of 10 weeks, culminating in a total program duration of 30 weeks. Results: The findings show that after participating in FTI, the problem-orientation level of coping and health indicators, including functional ability and physiological scores (pre- and post-exertion), increased while psychological distress levels decreased. Overall, all the physiological scales measured before and after the FTI showed a significant improvement among the entire sample. FFMPs with problem-oriented strategies reported higher levels of SoC and resilience after participating in the FTI program. Conclusions: The FTI provided FFMPs with tools to understand the meaning of their disease and its management, whereas before they were preoccupied with the presence of the disease and its negative impact on their lives. The participation of FFMPs in the FTI leads to a perceptual change, the adoption of problem-oriented coping strategies, and the increased utilization of coping resources, namely, SoC and resilience. Problem-oriented coping combined with high SoC and resilience led FFMPs to adopt health strategies such as physical activity and other empowering activities that raised their physical and mental health indicators.

Abstract Background Low-grade, chronic inflammation in the central nervous system characterized by glial reactivity is one of the major hallmarks for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) provide the primary source of cholinergic innervation of the human cerebral cortex and may be differentially vulnerable in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the impact of chronic neuroinflammation on the cholinergic function is still unclear. Methods To gain further insight into age-related cholinergic decline, we investigated the cumulative effects of aging and chronic neuroinflammation on the structure and function of the septal cholinergic neurons in transgenic mice expressing interleukin-6 under the GFAP promoter (GFAP-IL6), which maintains a constant level of gliosis. Immunohistochemistry combined with unbiased stereology, single cell 3D morphology analysis and in vitro whole cell patch-clamp measurements were used to validate the structural and functional changes of BFCN and their microglial environment in the medial septum. Results Stereological estimation of MS microglia number displayed significant increase across all three age groups, while a significant decrease in cholinergic cell number in the adult and aged groups in GFAP-IL6 mice compared to control. Moreover, we observed age-dependent alterations in the electrophysiological properties of cholinergic neurons and an increased excitability profile in the adult GFAP-IL6 group due to chronic neuroinflammation. These results complimented the significant decrease in hippocampal pyramidal spine density seen with aging and neuroinflammation. Conclusions We provide evidence of the significant impact of both aging and chronic glial activation on the cholinergic and microglial numbers and morphology in the MS, and alterations in the passive and active electrophysiological membrane properties of septal cholinergic neurons, resulting in cholinergic dysfunction, as seen in AD. Our results indicate that aging combined with gliosis is sufficient to cause cholinergic disruptions in the brain, as seen in dementias.

Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is defined as a chronic pain syndrome that is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and diffuse stiffness. In addition, neuropsychological symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, poor mood, cognitive impairment, and headaches are often reported. Many reports have addressed the coexistence of affective disorders and anxiety with FMS, yet few have focused on its association with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We investigated the occurrence of classical patterns of OCD in participants with FMS and assessed their effect on pain perception and functional impairment. Material and Methods: The research population included 37 patients diagnosed with FMS, treated at the Rheumatology Clinic in the Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. We used validated questionnaires including a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on average and maximal pain intensity, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Obsessive questionnaire, and the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Results: Patients with FMS were found to have intrusive and obsessive thoughts regarding pain for several hours every day, causing a high degree of anxiety and high levels of pain, catastrophizing, and magnification, leading to helplessness and functional impairment. In total, 27% of the patients reported severe malfunction due to pain and pain ideation, and 49% demonstrated mild obsessive compulsive symptoms that were strongly correlated with pain intensity and functional impairment. Conclusions: Obsessive compulsive thinking patterns contribute to pain magnification and to the cognitive aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome.

This article is part of a wide-scope research examining teachers’ perceptions regarding the organizational profile of their school. Research participants were asked about nine parameters that outline the school’s organizational structure (Chen-Levi, 2019). Main research questions were: How do the three different groups of position-holders in the school- administrative staff, homeroom teachers, and subject-matter teachers – perceive the organizational profile of their school? What is the importance of each parameter that comprises a school's organizational profile? A loglinear analysis was performed to test whether the three groups differed in the way they related to these parameters. Differences or similarities in the faculty's perception of the school will have implications on the staff’s internal cohesion, quality of its communication and staff members' motivation to contribute to change-related tasks that require a long-term view. Analysis of teachers’ responses produced a picture according to which the criteria they regard as central to the school’s organizational structure are: curriculum content and teaching methods, as well as innovation and changes in the organization. These areas are cornerstones in education. They stressed the need to expose students to a rich and varied education, challenging and encouraging curiosity in many disciplines by means of creative tools and constant innovation.

IntroductionThe exact pathogenesis of fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is unclear. However, various infectious have been implicated with the development of FM after their acute phase. We aimed to investigate the incidence of FM syndrome among convalesced individuals following hospitalization for Acute Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19).MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study on patients who were discharged after COVID-19 hospitalization from the Sheba Medical Center, Israel, between July 2020 to November 2020. A phone interview was performed consisting of the following questionnaires: the Fibromyalgia Survey Diagnostic Criteria Questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire to evaluate resilience, and the Subjective Traumatic Outlook Questionnaire to assess the associated psychological aspects of the trauma. The incidence of post-COVID FM was calculated and regression models were performed to identify predictors.ResultsThe study population consisted of 198 eligible patients who completed the phone interview. The median age was 64 (52-72) and 37% were women. The median follow-up was 5.2 months (IQR 4.4-5.8). The incidence of FM was 15% (30 patients) and 87% (172 patients) had at least one FM-related symptom. Female gender was significantly associated with post-COVID FM (OR 3.65, p = 0.002). In addition, high median Subjective Traumatic Outlook scores and low median Sense of Coherence scores were both significantly associated with post-COVID FM (OR 1.19, pConclusionsFM is highly prevalent among COVID-19 convalescent patients. Our finding suggests that a significant subjective traumatic experience and a low resilience are highly associated with post-COVID FM.

The teaching profession is highly stressful. Stress is a negative phenomenon that develops under conditions of uncontrollable, prolonged and increased pressure. In this study, our goal is (a) to investigate teachers' perception of the sources of stress in school in light of the neoliberal reforms and (b) to compare these sources of stress in primary school, middle school and high school teachers. We hypothesize that the demands and the workload to improve scores in standardized tests, increase the need of teachers to take work home. Therefore, home demands may conflict with school demands. Furthermore, the greatest pressure is on elementary and middle school teachers: Early efforts to improve student achievements in the lower grades would result in better-prepared students in high schools. Data about the sources of stress is based on a previous study of Buskila, Buskila, Giris and Ablin (2019) that investigated the connection between the effects of stress on teachers on somatic syndromes. Three hundred and twenty-one public school teachers working in the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Israel participated in the study. Findings of the mean of the entire samples revealed that the highest level of stress was caused by intense teaching schedule with insufficient breaks. The second cause was related to the composition of the students in the class, and the third was home demands conflicting with school demands. In the middle schools, the highest levels of stress are caused by school principals (M=5.98, SD=3.09) and second is in high school (M=5.00, SD=3.33). The highest level of stress caused by the superintendent is on primary school teachers (M=3.97, SD=3.33) and the second are the middle school teachers (M=3.79, SD = 2.95). The lowest stress level was in high school (M=2.68, SD=2.83). Three significance differences of stress were found among primary, middle, and high schools: The school principal is the highest source of pressure in the middle schools (P=.034), and the superintendent causes the highest level of stress in primary schools (P=.006). The third cause was in high school, related to physical school conditions (p=.002). These results are relevant to teachers, educators, and policy makers involved in planning and managing educational strategies and teachers’ schedules. Identifying and preventing the sources of stress can facilitate better teaching conditions, and a more effective and efficient atmosphere in school.

Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is defined as a chronic pain syndrome that is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and diffuse stiffness. In addition, neuropsychological symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, poor mood, cognitive impairment, and headaches are often reported. Many reports have addressed the coexistence of affective disorders and anxiety with FMS, yet few have focused on its association with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We investigated the occurrence of classical patterns of OCD in participants with FMS and assessed their effect on pain perception and functional impairment. Material and Methods: The research population included 37 patients diagnosed with FMS, treated at the Rheumatology Clinic in the Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. We used validated questionnaires including a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on average and maximal pain intensity, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Obsessive questionnaire, and the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Results: Patients with FMS were found to have intrusive and obsessive thoughts regarding pain for several hours every day, causing a high degree of anxiety and high levels of pain, catastrophizing, and magnification, leading to helplessness and functional impairment. In total, 27% of the patients reported severe malfunction due to pain and pain ideation, and 49% demonstrated mild obsessive compulsive symptoms that were strongly correlated with pain intensity and functional impairment. Conclusions: Obsessive compulsive thinking patterns contribute to pain magnification and to the cognitive aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study sought to examine whether the sense of coherence (SoC) and resilience among female fibromyalgia (FM) patients increased after participation in a fibrotherapy intervention program (FTI) and whether SoC and resilience increased among female FM patients (FFMPs) exposed to security threats who changed their coping strategies to problem-oriented coping. Methods: Ninety-six FFMPs aged 19–75 enrolled in the FTI program led by Rabbi Firer in Sderot, Israel. The intervention program is divided into three stages, each comprising a distinct weekly treatment plan. The treatment plans encompass the following modalities: physiotherapy adapted to FM conditions, group therapy, hydrotherapy, horticultural therapy/cooking therapy, Pilates, pottery therapy, and kundalini yoga. Each stage spans a duration of 10 weeks, culminating in a total program duration of 30 weeks. Results: The findings show that after participating in FTI, the problem-orientation level of coping and health indicators, including functional ability and physiological scores (pre- and post-exertion), increased while psychological distress levels decreased. Overall, all the physiological scales measured before and after the FTI showed a significant improvement among the entire sample. FFMPs with problem-oriented strategies reported higher levels of SoC and resilience after participating in the FTI program. Conclusions: The FTI provided FFMPs with tools to understand the meaning of their disease and its management, whereas before they were preoccupied with the presence of the disease and its negative impact on their lives. The participation of FFMPs in the FTI leads to a perceptual change, the adoption of problem-oriented coping strategies, and the increased utilization of coping resources, namely, SoC and resilience. Problem-oriented coping combined with high SoC and resilience led FFMPs to adopt health strategies such as physical activity and other empowering activities that raised their physical and mental health indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore teachers’ perceptions of the role played by school principals in promoting teachers' well-being. The teachers in Israel have a low professional self-image and work under stressful conditions. Psychological well-being combines a good feeling with effective functioning and promoting well-being can enhance efficacy at work. This is a qualitative study, with a personal interpretive paradigm of teachers' reflections. Data was collected from 53 teachers and analyzed in a four-stage process: condensing, coding, categorizing, and theorizing. The study was based on the planned theory (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), and the data was encoded and categorized according to the Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2004) emotional intelligence (EI), leadership competence which founds to enhance well-being and effectiveness at work. Findings indicate that school principals can play an important role in promoting teachers’ well-being by displaying relationship management, which generates the highest level of EI: Creating a positive emotional climate, keeping relationships on the right track, and demonstrating genuine concern for teachers. Understanding the importance of EI and mastering it by educational leaders is important for promoting well-being. It is significant for the positive functioning of the teachers and school system. This study contributes to the epistemology of promoting teachers' well-being and developing EI by educational leader.

Background. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a chronic widespread pain disorder, has been associated with various models of stress, including those that are workplace-related. In a previous study, we have documented the significantly increased prevalence of FMS among schoolteachers, as well as correlating symptoms with stressful workplace-related factors. In the current study, we have focused on the specific population of kindergarten teachers and attempted to document both the prevalence of FMS symptoms among this group and the association with stress and symptoms of posttrauma. Methods. All participants in the study were working as kindergarten teachers in Israel at the time of the study. Participants responded to a questionnaire documenting FMS symptom, which included the widespread pain index (WPI) and symptom severity scale (SSS), which together constitute the suggested American College of Rheumatology (ACR) FMS diagnostic criteria. Additional items on the questionnaire documented work motivation and performance, the occurrence of workplace-related stressful events, and the presence of posttraumatic symptoms. Results. 242 participants were recruited to the current study, including 239 (98.8%) females and 3 (1.2%) males. 62 individuals (25.6%) were found to fulfill ACR FMS criteria. Significant differences in work performance were found between teachers fulfilling FMS criteria compared with those not fulfilling criteria. Thus, FMS-positive teachers reported significantly higher rates of missing workdays, leaving work early, and a lower quality of interaction with children in the kindergarten and with peers and supervisors. Motivation to work was also significantly lower among these individuals. The widespread pain index (WPI) and symptom severity scale (SSS), which together constitute the components of the FMS diagnostic criteria, were positively correlated with both stress and posttraumatic symptoms. In addition, widespread pain, disordered sleep, difficulty with concentration, and other FMS symptoms were strongly correlated with many specific stressful factors at the workplace, including the number of children in the kindergarten, interaction with parents, lack of optimal physical conditions in the classrooms, and various demands on behalf of the educational system. Conclusion. FMS symptoms were found to be highly prevalent among Israeli kindergarten teachers, at a rate that greatly exceeds the prevalence in the general Israeli population. Stressful work-related events appear to be positively associated with the occurrence of FMS symptoms and may serve as triggers for their development. Healthcare professionals treating individuals engaged in this occupation should be vigilant for the occurrence of symptoms that are clinically associated with FMS and overlapping functional disorders.

ObjectiveTo identify predicators of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) that are associated with a severe COVID-19 disease course.MethodsWe utilized the data base of the Clalit Health Services (CHS); the largest public organization in Israel, and extracted data concerning patients with FM. We matched two subjects without FM to each subject with FM by sex and age and geographic location. Baseline characteristics were evaluated by t-test for continuous variables and chi-square for categorical variables. Predictors of COVID-19 associated hospitalization were identified using univariable logistic regression model, significant variables were selected and analyzed by a multivariable logistic regression model.ResultsThe initial cohort comprised 18,598 patients with FM and 36,985 matched controls. The mean age was 57.5± 14.5(SD), with a female dominance of 91%. Out of this cohort we extracted the study population, which included all patients contracted with COVID-19, and consisted of 571 patients with FM and 1008 controls. By multivariable analysis, the following variables were found to predict COVID-19 associated hospitalization in patients with FM: older age (OR, 1.25; CI, 1.13-1.39; pConclusionThe current population-based study revealed that FM per se was not directly associated with COVID-19 hospitalization or related mortality. Yet classical risk factors endangering the general population were also relevant among patients with FM.

Glia, a non-excitable cell type once considered merely as the connective tissue between neurons, is nowadays acknowledged for its essential contribution to multiple physiological processes including learning, memory formation, excitability, synaptic plasticity, ion homeostasis, and energy metabolism. Moreover, as glia are key players in the brain immune system and provide structural and nutritional support for neurons, they are intimately involved in multiple neurological disorders. Recent advances have demonstrated that glial cells, specifically microglia and astroglia, are involved in several neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While there is compelling evidence for glial modulation of synaptic formation and regulation that affect neuronal signal processing and activity, in this manuscript we will review recent findings on neuronal activity that affect glial function, specifically during neurodegenerative disorders. We will discuss the nature of each glial malfunction, its specificity to each disorder, overall contribution to the disease progression and assess its potential as a future therapeutic target.

Slices of neuronal tissue maintain a high degree of topographical and functional properties of neurons and glia and therefore are extensively used for measurements of neuronal activity at the molecular, cellular and network levels. However, the lifespan of slice preparations is narrow, averaging of 6-8 hours. Moreover, the average viability of brain slices varies according to animal age and region of interest, leading to the high variability and low reproducibility of recorded data.Previous techniques to increase the viability of brain slices focused on reducing cytotoxicity by chemical means, including alterations of the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) composition to alleviate the direct damage of the slicing procedure or adding protective antioxidants to reduce cellular deterioration. In this protocol, we use a combination of hypothermia with firm control of the aCSF conditions in the recovery chamber (pH, temperature, and bacteria levels) to extend the slice viability significantly.Given the breadth of its usage, improving slice viability and longevity can considerably increase data reproducibility and reduce the cost, time, and number of animals used in neurophysiological studies.

Synchronization of neuronal activity in the brain underlies the emergence of neuronal oscillations termed “brain waves”, which serve various physiological functions and correlate with different behavioral states. It has been postulated that at least ten distinct mechanisms are involved in the formulation of these brain waves, including variations in the concentration of extracellular neurotransmitters and ions, as well as changes in cellular excitability. In this mini review we highlight the contribution of astrocytes, a subtype of glia, in the formation and modulation of brain waves mainly due to their close association with synapses that allows their bidirectional interaction with neurons, and their syncytium-like activity via gap junctions that facilitate communication to distal brain regions through Ca2+ waves. These capabilities allow astrocytes to regulate neuronal excitability via glutamate uptake, gliotransmission and tight control of the extracellular K+ levels via a process termed K+ clearance. Spatio-temporal synchrony of activity across neuronal and astrocytic networks, both locally and distributed across cortical regions, underpins brain states and thereby behavioral states, and it is becoming apparent that astrocytes play an important role in the development and maintenance of neural activity underlying these complex behavioral states.