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This article reviews the deterioration of government stability in Israel since the late 1990s and in the last three years in particular and examines the causes and consequences of this reality. The findings indicate several factors that have been contributing to government instability in Israel beginning from the late 1990s. One is the considerable heterogeneity typical of Israeli society, which encourages the establishment of many sectoral parties based on faith, country of origin, or some common interest. The second is related to cultural changes that derive from embracing a utilitarian worldview which has begun to spread throughout Israeli society and to leave its mark on the citizens' voting patterns, and the third is related to the many possible options for dissolving the Knesset. These factors, together and separately, have led to an inability to form a stable government that has sufficient electoral power to lead long-term policy processes. Instead, government stability is eroding increasingly, politicians are developing a reasoning that is based on narrow interests and neglecting the values and ideologies for which they were chosen. All this in order to preserve their political survival, which has become their top goal, instead of promoting wide public interests.

In a time of growing climate crisis, and despite the global warming trend, Israeli citizens routinely enjoy a regular constant supply of clean fresh water thanks to local desalination plants. Establishment of the desalination plants has become a model of water management for many countries in an era of growing climate crisis. At the same time, Israel’s water sector is faced with challenges and threats related to earthquakes, various states of warfare, and security confrontations. In such times of emergency, Israel’s water sector is particularly vulnerable to disruptions of the water infrastructure and its adequate operation by both contamination of the water sources and damage to the desalination plants. This study examines the challenges of the Israeli water sector that require it to contend with these emergency situations in an era of reliance on desalination plants. The research findings lead to the conclusion that public policy on managing the water sector, manifested in the development and establishment of water desalination plants, has resolved Israel’s water crisis, put an end to its dependency on the amount of precipitation and on natural water sources, and allowed for an increase in water production to match the rise in consumption. Nonetheless, as successful as this public policy may be, it does not consider the possibility of extreme scenarios and does not develop the entire range of steps necessary to confront them, and thus it undermines the ability of the Israeli water sector to provide its citizens with water in times of emergency.

The growing congestion in delivery rooms in Israeli hospitals is the underlying issue of the current study. Aim: The study sought to examine various alternatives for public policy aimed at reducing congestion. The choice of Israel as a case study derives from its conspicuous imbalance between supply and demand in the maternity, resulting from the high demand for prenatal and birthing services on one hand and the low supply, both in absolute terms and relative to OECD countries, of medical resources such as physicians, nurses, and hospital beds. The research combines quantitative research that includes analysis of data related to human resources and hospital beds in Israel compared to other countries on one hand and data on productivity and childbirth in Israel on the other, and qualitative research that includes examination of the different alternatives to hospital-based birth. The research findings present fertility and birth data for Israel in the last decade, which are leading to increased congestion and crowding in delivery rooms and maternity wards at local hospitals. Discussion: Two possible alternatives are proposed for designing and implementing public policy capable of contributing to the regulation of this congestion. One is the home birth, and the second is private birthing centers. The research conclusions indicate that policymakers in Israel must anticipate the increasing congestion in hospital delivery rooms and maternity wards and expedite efforts at designing alternative solutions before the emergence of a crisis situation that will make it essential to identify immediate solutions.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive scarring disease arising from impaired regeneration of the alveolar epithelium after injury. During regeneration, type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AEC2s) assume a transitional state that upregulates multiple keratins and ultimately differentiate into AEC1s. In IPF, transitional AECs accumulate with ineffectual AEC1 differentiation. However, whether and how transitional cells cause fibrosis, whether keratins regulate transitional cell accumulation and fibrosis, and why transitional AECs and fibrosis resolve in mouse models but accumulate in IPF are unclear. Here, we show that human keratin 8 (KRT8) genetic variants were associated with IPF. Krt8-/- mice were protected from fibrosis and accumulation of the transitional state. Keratin 8 (K8) regulated the expression of macrophage chemokines and macrophage recruitment. Profibrotic macrophages and myofibroblasts promoted the accumulation of transitional AECs, establishing a K8-dependent positive feedback loop driving fibrogenesis. Finally, rare murine transitional AECs were highly senescent and basaloid and may not differentiate into AEC1s, recapitulating the aberrant basaloid state in human IPF. We conclude that transitional AECs induced and were maintained by fibrosis in a K8-dependent manner; in mice, most transitional cells and fibrosis resolved, whereas in human IPF, transitional AECs evolved into an aberrant basaloid state that persisted with progressive fibrosis.

Academic practitioners are judged and evaluated by the different academic institutions and by government regulators associated with these institutions. There are various criteria for evaluating the work of faculty members in the areas of research, teaching, and contribution to the department, the academic institution and the community. In Israel, much significance is attributed to research criteria, particularly due to the budgeting method of public academic institutions and the strong emphasis on research output. At the same time, faculty members are required to occupy various administrative roles related to the activity of the department, the faculty, and the academic institution, concurrent with their research and teaching occupations. Hence, the current study seeks to examine whether these circumstances generate a clash between the array of functions and tasks required of faculty members. In other words, do faculty members who assume an administrative role 'pay the price' and are their research and teaching outcomes affected? To examine this issue, data were collected on the performance measures of 485 senior faculty members in a case study of a single university-level institution, with the aim of examining the associations between personal-familial background variables and professional background variables, and outcomes regarding research output, teaching quality and academic administration. The research findings indicate a drop in research output measures and teaching survey scores of faculty members who occupied an administrative role. The research findings indicate an association between the administrative occupation of faculty members and their research and teaching measures, while distinguishing between the different academic faculties, academic ranks, and gender. These findings have fundamental implications for the policy regarding promotion of faculty members, recognizing the \"price\" they pay for taking part in administrative roles, particularly in the initial years of their academic career.

Neutrophils are the first immune cells to reach inflamed sites and contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Yet, little is known about the pattern of neutrophil infiltration in inflamed skin in vivo and the mechanisms mediating their recruitment. Here, we provide insight into the dynamics of neutrophil infiltration in skin in response to acute or repeated inflammatory stress, highlighting a novel keratinocyte- and keratin 17 (K17)-dependent mechanism that regulates neutrophil recruitment to inflamed skin. We used the phorbol ester TPA and UVB, alone or in combination, to induce sterile inflammation in mouse skin. A single TPA treatment results in a neutrophil influx in the dermis that peaks at 12 h and resolves within 24 h. A subsequent TPA treatment or a UVB challenge, when applied 24 h but not 48 h later, accelerates, amplifies, and prolongs neutrophil infiltration. This transient amplification response (TAR) is mediated by local signals in inflamed skin, can be recapitulated in ex vivo culture, and involves the K17-dependent sustainment of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) activity and release of chemoattractants by stressed keratinocytes. K17 binds RACK1, a scaffold protein essential for PKCα activity. The N-terminal head domain of K17 is crucial for its association with RACK1 and regulation of PKCα activity. Analysis of RNAseq data reveals a signature consistent with TAR and PKCα activation in inflammatory skin diseases. These findings uncover a novel, keratin-dependent mechanism that amplifies neutrophil recruitment in skin under stress, with direct implications for inflammatory skin disorders.

The three dimensional (3D) reconstruction of movement from videos is widely utilized as a method for spatial analysis of movement. Several approaches exist for a 3D reconstruction of movement using 2D video projection, most of them require the use of at least two cameras as well as the application of relatively complex algorithms. While a few approaches also exist for 3D reconstruction of movement with a single camera, they are not widely implemented due to tedious and complicated methods of calibration. Here we propose a simple method that allows for a 3D reconstruction of movement by using a single projection and three calibration markers. Such approach is made possible by tracking the change in diameter of a moving spherical marker within a 2D projection. In order to test our model, we compared kinematic results obtained with this model to those with the commonly used approach of two cameras and Direct Linear Transformation (DLT). Our results show that such approach appears to be in line with the DLT method for 3D reconstruction and kinematic analysis. The simplicity of this method may render it approachable for both clinical use as well as in uncontrolled environments.

The paper portrays public policy steps taken in order to reduce housing prices, formulated and implemented in Israel 2008-2015, and analyzes them in light of the locally prevalent economic worldview and governance structure. Analysis of the policy shows that in order to understand the justifications for its formulation it should be viewed through the positivist worldview that focuses on the subjective considerations of policy shapers that neutralize its objective-normative efficacy. The paper stresses the impact of the country's governance structure at each point in time on the type of policy chosen and determines that a democratic but weak and unstable governance structure leads to the formulation and implementation of a positivist policy reflecting politicians' narrow interests of reelection. In contrast, stable democratic rule supported by a sound majority of a single ruling party can easily sustain public policy that expresses the normative approach, reflecting social values as defined by politicians.

Abstract The insect excretory system contains two organ systems acting in concert: the Malpighian tubules and the hindgut perform essential roles in excretion and ionic and osmotic homeostasis. For over 350 years, these two organs have fascinated biologists as a model of organ structure and function. As part of a recent surge in interest, research on the Malpighian tubules and hindgut of Drosophila have uncovered important paradigms of organ physiology and development. Further, many human disease processes can be modeled in these organs. Here, focusing on discoveries in the past 10 years, we provide an overview of the anatomy and physiology of the Drosophila excretory system. We describe the major developmental events that build these organs during embryogenesis, remodel them during metamorphosis, and repair them following injury. Finally, we highlight the use of the Malpighian tubules and hindgut as accessible models of human disease biology. The Malpighian tubule is a particularly excellent model to study rapid fluid transport, neuroendocrine control of renal function, and modeling of numerous human renal conditions such as kidney stones, while the hindgut provides an outstanding model for processes such as the role of cell chirality in development, nonstem cell–based injury repair, cancer-promoting processes, and communication between the intestine and nervous system.

Intro -- Real Estate Titans 7 Key Lessons from the World's Top Real Estate Investors -- Praise for Real Estate Titans -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- My Quest to Meet the World's Real Estate Titans -- Making Real Estate Wisdom Go Viral -- Notes -- Part I Interviews with Real Estate Titans -- Chapter 1 Richard Mack -- In His Own Words -- The Big Opportunity -- The Polish Job -- Local Knowledge -- The Radio Tower King -- The Stroke of a Pen -- Investment Philosophy -- Starting Over -- Big Opportunities -- A Little Leverage -- Technology -- Keep the Faith -- My Philosophy -- Notes -- Chapter 2 Urs Ledermann -- Humble Beginnings -- Reimagine the Vision -- Seeking Beauty -- Not All Roses -- Starting Over -- Learning by Doing -- Chapter 3 Ronald Terwilliger -- Love What You Do -- The Importance of Mentoring -- Be Realistic -- Real Estate and Recessions -- Keep Learning -- The Two Markets -- My Philosophy -- Chapter 4 Gina Diez Barroso -- Starting Out -- The Right Project -- The Real Estate Business -- Technology -- Education Is My Passion -- Dalia Empower -- My Advice -- My Philosophy -- Chapter 5 Elie Horn -- Humble Beginnings -- Keep Learning -- My Philosophy -- Notes -- Chapter 6 Richard Ziman -- The Early Days -- Opportunities -- Family Business -- Mentors -- Finding the Perfect Deal -- Chapter 7 Robert Faith -- In His Own Words -- Sweat Equity -- The Denver Downsides -- Adding Value -- Additional Advice -- Career Advice -- Mentors -- My Philosophy -- Chapter 8 Chaim Katzman -- Starting Out -- Trends in the Marketplace -- Disruption -- Words of Wisdom -- Chapter 9 Rohit Ravi -- The Foundation -- Developing an Island -- Starting Over -- Market Shocks -- Technology -- My Philosophy -- Chapter 10 Joseph Sitt -- In His Own Words -- Starting Out -- Valuable Lessons from the Stock Market -- Approaching Real Estate Deals -- Opportunities.