I. Ibanez-Casas, Brooke Crespo Leonard, Miquel Perez-Garacia, A. Puente
{"title":"Protocol for the Development of a Computerized Battery for Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Assessment: The EMBRACED Project","authors":"I. Ibanez-Casas, Brooke Crespo Leonard, Miquel Perez-Garacia, A. Puente","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.01","url":null,"abstract":"Globalization is making our world increasingly diverse. However, the field of neuropsychological assessment hasn’t addressed this diversity appropriately and people around the world are being assessed with instruments that are not culturally adapted for them. Practitioners are using tests that were originally created for Western culture(s) to evaluate patients of all demographic backgrounds. The solution is the development of computerized cross-cultural tests, but there is no established standard procedure for creating a battery that is comprehensive, modular, psychometrically robust, easy to use, free, and culturally salient. The EMBRACED battery is intended to be exactly that. The protocol for its development followed strict, evidence-based scientific methods for the determination of all its neuropsychological domains, their relevant constructs, and the best tasks to measure them; the tasks and stimuli are also computerized. The EMBRACED battery is user-friendly, cost-effective, and patient-guided. The preliminary results obtained to date show that culture has a significant effect on neuropsychological test performance, with bias in favor of Western populations. Our field has an ethical responsibility to improve our instruments, increase fairness in testing, and to fight for social justice around the world, which is precisely the aim of the EMBRACED project.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"103 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115572768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Determination of Genetic variation among Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae Isolates from Palestine and other Geographic regions using ITS and β-tubulin Sequences, RFLP and ISSR Data","authors":"Isra' Al-Qadi, Iba' Farrah, Naim Iraki","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.39.2-2022.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.39.2-2022.02","url":null,"abstract":"In this work we report the genetic variation of ten isolates of entomopathogenic fungi, four of which were isolated from Palestine while the remaining six were from other geographic regions. The variation was determined using molecular-based techniques including; sequence analysis of β-tubulin (BT) gene, the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) 1 & 2 of the rDNA, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) analysis. The sequencing data of ITS regions confirmed the taxonomic identity of six isolates as Metarhizium anisopliae while the identity of the other four as Beauveria bassiana . These data also revealed that the two Palestinian Beauveria b . isolates are probably new strains since theyshowed 99% homology with the best match sequences reported in the gene bank. The restriction digestion of the ITS2 sequences produced a fingerprint for the PAL-M01 isolate. The ITS and BT sequences were able to distinguish the B-Bot genotype from the other Beauveria b. isolates. In contrast, the ITS could discriminate the three Metarhizium isolates: Ma-7, PAL-M01, and PPRC. Moreover, the ISSR analysis detected high levels of polymorphism among the Beauveria b . (80%) and the Metarhizium a . (90%) isolates. The fact that the PPRC and B-Bot isolates areobviously genetically different from their Metarhizium a. and Beauveria b . counterparts could be attributed to their distant geographic origins. The molecular data obtained in this work can be utilized for specific identification of each ofthese isolates which, would facilitate the local use of these fungi as biocontrol agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study, in Palestine, attempting to discriminate between EPF isolates using advanced molecular techniques.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"259 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136002478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Puertas-Gonzalez, Borja Romero-Gonzalez, R. Caparros-Gonzalez, Carolina Mariño-Narvaez, M. Peralta-Ramírez
{"title":"The relationship between maternal personal growth during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment","authors":"J. Puertas-Gonzalez, Borja Romero-Gonzalez, R. Caparros-Gonzalez, Carolina Mariño-Narvaez, M. Peralta-Ramírez","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.02","url":null,"abstract":"Optimal adaptation to changes that occur during pregnancy is essential to prevent possible negative effects on maternal psychological health (such as stress or postpartum depression). In fact, an adequate adaptation to the new life situation has implications on the subsequent offspring´s development. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the potential association between levels of personal growth and maternal age during pregnancy with the subsequent cognitive and motor neurodevelopment of the offspring at 6 months of age. Twenty-three pregnant women participated in this longitudinal study. The participants were assessed during the three trimesters of pregnancy using the Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale (Ryff, 1989). The neonates´ neurodevelopment was assessed using the BSID-III at 6 months of age. A multiple linear regression analysis was carried out using maternal growth during pregnancy and gestational age as independent variables, and the levels of cognitive and motor neurodevelopment of the babies at 6 months of age as dependent variables. The results showed that personal growth during pregnancy predicted cognitive neurodevelopment. Personal growth was also positively related with the scalar score of the fine motor subscale. Findings from this study suggest that maternal personal growth during pregnancy is a predictor of the later infants´ neurodevelopment at 6 months of age.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"61 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117143651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"مفاهيم \" حماية الطّفولة\" وتضمينها في برامج العلوم الاجتماعيّة من وجهة نظر ممثلي وممثّلات هذه التّخصصات في الجامعات الفلسطينيّة","authors":"Minerva Jarayseh","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.39.2-2022.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.39.2-2022.03","url":null,"abstract":"هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم مدى تضمين مفاهيم حماية الطّفولة ضمن البرامج الأكاديمية في تخصّصات العلوم الاجتماعيّة في ثلاث جامعات فلسطينيّة والدّور الذي تقوم به تخصّصات العلوم الاجتماعيّة في الجامعات الفلسطينية في تجهيزها لطلبة هذه التخصصات على مستوى المعرفة النظرية والمهاريّة.بالإضافة الى العمل على توجهات الطلبة.اعتمدت الدّراسة على المنهج الوصفيّ الكيفيّ واستُخدمت المقابلة مع رئيسات ورؤساء دوائر العلوم الاجتماعية في ثلاث جامعات فلسطينية تمثّل مناطق الوسط (جامعة القدس-أبو ديس)، والشمال (جامعة النجاح الوطنية)، والجنوب (جامعة بيت لحم) كعيّنة قصديّة ممثلة عن الجامعات الفلسطينية التسع في محافظات الضفة الغربية.أشارت النتائج الى وجود تركيز متفاوت بين الجامعات الثلاث حول المعرفة العلمية على تزويد الطلبة ببعض النظريات والأدبيات المتعلقة بحماية الطّفولة وضمان إلمامهم بالاتفاقيات الدولية المتعلقة بحماية الطّفولة، بالإضافة إلى اعتماد هذه الجامعات على مساقات التدريب الميداني بشكل رئيس وعلى بعض الفعاليات والأنشطة المتعلقة بالطفولة من خلال شراكة الجامعات مع المؤسسات المجتمعية المتخصصة في قطاع الطفولة لتزويدهم بالمهارات التي تعمل البرامج على اكسابها للطلبة.كما وأبرزت نتائج الدراسة التفاوت الواضح في تركيز البرامج الأكاديمية وقدرتها على إكساب الطلبة للتوجّهات الإيجابية والإنسانيّة نحو قطاع الطفولة كقطاع مهمش يتعرض لكافة الانتهاكات على المستوى السياسي والاجتماعي والثقافي.أوصت الدراسة بضرورة تطوير البرامج الأكاديمية لتكون أكثر تخصصية وتعمقًا في موضوع حماية الطفولة ولتساهم بشكل أقوى في صقل شخصية وقدرات الطلبة المعرفية ليكونوا أكثر جاهزية ومهنية للتعامل مع قطاع الطفولة بعد التخرج، بالإضافة الى ضرورة العمل المشترك بين الجامعات لبناء إطار فكري مشترك يقوم على مبادئ الميثاق الأخلاقي لعمل المرشدين/ات والاخصائيين/ات الاجتماعيين/ات خصوصًا فيما يتعلق بتحضيرهم الاكاديمي للتعامل مع قضايا حماية الطفولة بهدف تقليص التفاوت المعرفي والمهاريّ النسبي بين خريجي/ات الجامعات من تخصّصات العلوم الاجتماعية.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125001428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian Castro, Nathalia Quiroz Molinares, Elizabeth Verbel Saumeth, C. García de la Cadena, Geraldine Ruiz Avendaño, Carlos Jose De los Reyes-Aragon
{"title":"Exploring the relationship between mental health and neuropsychological functioning in female survivors of IPV","authors":"Christian Castro, Nathalia Quiroz Molinares, Elizabeth Verbel Saumeth, C. García de la Cadena, Geraldine Ruiz Avendaño, Carlos Jose De los Reyes-Aragon","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.39.1-2022.03","url":null,"abstract":"Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) refers to a series of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuses exercised over another individual during an intimate relationship. Several mental health difficulties have been reported related to IPV, and recently neuropsychological alterations have been also described in this population. This study has three aims: first, to explore the existence of mental health-based groups in women with and without a history of IPV; second, to establish whether belonging to the IPV group is related to having a poorer mental health and finally, to establish if women with mental health has a lower neuropsychological functioning. Fourteen female survivors of physical and psychological IPV, and 14 matched control women (CG) were assessed for their mental health and neuropsychological functions. A mental health protocol was used to evaluate the variables of anxiety, depression, and perception of stress. In addition, a protocol of neuropsychological tests evaluated alternating attention, long-term memory, abstract thinking, learning, and interference control. Results showed that (1) participants were grouped into two clusters: better mental health and poorer mental health. The main grouping variable was anxiety. (2) Women with a history of IPV had poorer mental health, and (3) women with poorer mental health had lower attentional ability, long-term memory, abstract thinking and working memory. These findings show the importance of assessing anxiety, which is one of the predictors of mental health problems in victims of IPV. Furthermore, it is important to protocolize a form of assessment including neuropsychological variables.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126534969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Re-conceptualizing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Neuropsychological Condition // اضطراب ما بعد الصدمة كحالة نفسية-عصبية: نظرية بديلة","authors":"Antonio E. Puente","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.34.2017.0105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.34.2017.0105","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims at re-conceptualizing PTSD as a neuropsychological construct and reconsidering the understanding of both the perpetrator and victim of the trauma from a neuropsychological perspective. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is considered a modern mental disorder secondary to an individual's experience of emotional trauma. Further such trauma should disappear or be adjusted to as a function of the passage of time and as a function of psychotherapeutic interventions. The findings of this study reveal that PTSD produces changes that are neurocognitive in nature. Furthermore, significant neuropsychological deficits arise as a function of PTSD or at least some forms of PTSD via acute or chronic traumatic exposure.","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132974966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"الأسس الأخلاقية وعلاقتها بالأبعاد الثلاثة للتسلطية والسلوك السياسي لدى طلبة الجامعات في محافظات غزة // Moral Foundations and their Relationship to the Three\u0000 Components of Authoritarianism and Political Behavior among Gaza University Students","authors":"سفيان أبو نجيلة","doi":"10.13169/bethunivj.34.2017.0056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.34.2017.0056","url":null,"abstract":"هدفت هذه الدراسة الى التحقق من صحة بعض الافتراضات !النظرية الأسس الأخلاقية!.، وبعض آراء الباحثين التي ترى أن الاختلاف في الاتجاهات السياسية، وما يمثله من خلافات سياسية، ربما تعكس\u0000 -في جزء منها- الاختلافات في الأسس الأخلاقية. واستخدم الباحث عينة عشوائية من طلبة ثلاث جامعات من كبرى الجامعات في محافظات غزة، وهي: جامعة الأزهر والجامعة الإسلامية وجامعة الأقصى،\u0000 بلغ عدد مفرداتها ١١٠٥ طلاب ذكورا واءناقا من المنتمين وغير المنتمين للتذظيماتا/الحركات السياسية الفلسطينية وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة انه توجد علاقة ارتباطية عكسية دالة بين السلوك السياسي\u0000 وجميع أبعاد مقياس الأسس الأخلاقية، ما عدا بعد الولاء للجماعة فكان الارتباط موجبا. كما توجد علاقة ارتباطية طردية دالة إحصائبا بين جميع أبعاد مقياس الأسس الأخلاقية وجميع أبعاد مقياس\u0000 التسلطية، ما عدا بعد الولاء للجماعة فكان الارتباط عكسيا. كما وبينت نتائج تحليل الانحدار التدريجي صحة، افتراضر نظرية الأسس الأخلاقية، نسبيا، إذ تنبأت غالبية متغيرات الأسس الأخلاقية\u0000 بالدرجة الكلية للتسلطية وابعادها الثلاثة، وتنبأت بعض متغيرات الأسس الأخلاقية، بالسلوك السياسي. كما وبينت النتائج وجود فروق دالة في الأسس الأخلاقية والسلوك السياسي، بين المنتمين\u0000 وغير المنتمين للتنظيمات الفلسطينية، وجاءت الفروق في الأسس الأخلاقية في اتجاه غير المنتمين، بينما جاءت الفروق في السلوك السياسي، في اتجاه المنتمين، ولم تبين النتائج وجود أية فروق\u0000 دالة في التسلطية بأبعادها الثلاثة. واخيرا، بينت النتائج وجود فروق دالة في كل من التسلطية بأبعادها الثلاثة ودرجتها الكلية، والسلوك السياسي، بين المنتمين لحماس والمنتمين لفتح، وجاءت\u0000 الغروق في اتجاه المنتمين لحماس، في حين لم تبين النتائج وجود أية فروق دالة إحصائيا في الأسس الأخلاقية بين المجموعتين","PeriodicalId":177028,"journal":{"name":"Bethlehem University Journal","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132238580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}