Waleed Jarjoura

ABSTRACT Earth's dynamic history can be investigated by looking at the mark left in the paleomagnetic record. Core processes drive the continuously changing geomagnetic field, which has been recorded on Earth's surface by newly forming igneous rocks and sediments. We construct a continuous time varying model of Paleomagnetic Axial Dipole Moment (PADM) variations over the past two million years using almost 1500 globally distributed absolute paleointensity data from the PINT08 and Geomagia50 databases and 90 distinct relative paleointensity records from sediment cores that are now archived in the MagIC PMAG database. Our modeling is carried out using maximum likelihood (ML) estimation to find a regularized cubic B-spline model with reasonable misfit to the data. As part of the modeling procedure we solve for scaling factors needed to transform the relative paleointensity records to virtual axial dipole moments (VADM). The resulting model is designated PADM2M and provides a new global estimate of the time varying PADM for 0-- 2~Ma. We compare our results to existing relative paleointensity stacks and find both similarities and differences. Similarities include the recovery of the expected paleointensity lows at field reversals and excursions, while differences are best illustrated by a statistical analysis of the properties of the model.

עיוורון מוחלט מלידה נחשב למגבלה המשפיעה, באופן קיצוני, על התפתחות מיומנויות חושיות-מוטוריות בסיסיות, מעכבת תהליכים תפיסתיים חיוניים ומשבשת את יעילותם של תהליכי אינטגרציה חושית. ילדים הסובלים מעיוורון מלידה עשויים לפתח ליקויים תפיסתיים והתפתחותיים המשפיעים על קשת רחבה של מיומנויות מוטוריות ותפיסתיות ותפקודים עיסוקיים, ובכללם רכישת מיומנויות זיהוי טקטילי של תבניות ברייל והדפסה של כתב ברייל במכונת ברייל. ליקויים התפתחותיים הם אבני נגף של ממש העומדות לפני סיכויי ההצלחה בלמידה של תלמידים הלוקים בעיוורון מלידה ובנוסף לכך מוגדרים גם כ-"ילדים רב-בעייתיים" מבחינה תפקודית (Multi-dysfunctional children). מטרת המאמר היא לתאר את קשיי התפקוד בכלל ואת קשיי הלמידה בפרט של מיומנויות ההדפסה במכונת ברייל ומיומנויות הזיהוי של כתב ברייל, בקרב תלמידי בית ספר יסודי הסובלים מליקויים התפתחותיים בנוסף למצב העיוורון המולד. המאמר כולל, בין השאר, התייחסות לבעייתיות הייחודית המאפיינת את השפות הערבית והעברית בהקשר זה. בחלקו האחרון של המאמר מוצגות כמה הצעות לביסוס דרכי התערבות הטיפולית הרצויה לילדים אלה ...

In various cases of visual impairments, the individuals are referred to expert Ophthalmologists in order to establish a correct diagnosis. Children with visual-impairments confront various challenging experiences in life since early childhood throughout lifespan. In some cases, blind infants, especially due to congenital hydrocephalus, suffer from high intra-cranial pressure and, consequently, go through a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery in order to limit the neurological symptoms or decrease the cognitive impairments. In this article, a detailed description of numerous crucial implications of the V/P shunt surgery, through the right posterior-inferior parieto-temporal cortex, on the observed preliminary capabilities that are prerequisites for the acquisition of literacy skills in braille, basic Math competencies, braille printing which suggest Gerstmann syndrome in the blind. In addition, significant difficulties orientation and mobility skills using the Cane, in general organi...

Stroop interference effects occur when word reading and the target words’ print color naming are incongruent. This interference reflects reading proficiency while naming print color instead of reading color’s names. We devised a tactile version of the Stroop test in which the congruity between three target materials (paper, Braillon, and plastic) and the embossed materials’ names, in braille, was manipulated. The participants’ task was to palpate and name the target materials. The baseline condition was a board with 63 cells each containing one of the target materials. Three similarly constructed boards had (a) a single non-sensical triplet of braille letters embossed on all stimuli, and (b) the first three consonants of the material’s name, embossed in braille, congruently, or (c) incongruently. A total of 45 blind participants were tested: young adults, high school, and elementary school students (16, 10, and 3 mean years of braille reading, respectively). Older, more experienced braille readers showed the largest Stroop interference costs, in speed and accuracy, not only in the incongruent condition but also in the non-sense (non-word) condition compared to the congruent condition. Also, the adults committed more errors compared to high school students in the incongruent condition. However, the more experienced braille readers were faster in the congruent condition compared to the non-word condition. Elementary school children showed no relative gains in the congruent versus non-word condition, and only small incongruence (interference) costs in speed or accuracy. These findings indicate that braille reading competes with tactile material naming, as a function of reading proficiency, even for non-sensical letter strings, a Stroop effect.

Orientation and navigation skills are considered as crucial prerequisites for efficient wayfinding in the surrounding environment and in community both for sighted and blind individuals of all ages. In case of partial or total loss of vision, navigation and wayfinding become more challenging. The acquisition of proficient orientation and navigation by visually deprived individuals is possible when accurate guidance and training are available, and the central nervous system is intact. In cases of head trauma, neurological lesions (specifically, right hemispheric lesions), or genetic factors, the acquisition of orientation and navigation becomes a disturbed process. In some severe cases, the individuals become, literally, “space-less.” This profound disorientation leads to inefficient functional outcomes, especially when the environment is unfamiliar. These spatially disoriented individuals with loss of independence in both indoor and outdoor wayfinding skills need a long-term, persis...

אנשים בעלי לקות ראייה חדה או עיוורון רוכשים מיומנויות קריאה של כתב ברייל. עיוורים המתקשים בקריאה נזקקים להתערבות בריפוי בעיסוק לצורך הערכה וטיפול במיומנויות הביצוע ובמיומנויות התהליך הדרושות לרכישה יעילה של כתב ברייל (ג'רג'ורה, 2004). ג'רג'ורה (2012) בחן את הזיהוי של תבניות ברייל באמצעות תכנית התערבות המבוססת על אימון לזיהוי והבחנה בין זוגות של תבניות ברייל. המדגם: 31 בוגרים בריאים ללא ניסיון קודם במישוש תבניות ברייל (ממוצע גילאים 4.6±27.2, 8 גברים ו-23 נשים). שיטה: המשתתפים חולקו לקבוצת-מחקר ולקבוצת-ביקורת. שתיהן עברו סדרת מפגשים שבהם נבחנו, בעיניים-מכוסות, במטלות זיהוי והבחנה של תבניות ברייל בגודל סטנדרטי (ss) ושל תבניות מוגדלות (LL) לפי סדר אקראי, ונדרשו להגיב מילולית: זהה או שונה. רק קבוצת המחקר עברה תהליך הוראה דקלרטיבית לגבי תבניות ברייל. המפגשים היו ביום הראשון, אחרי 24 שעות, אחרי 3 חודשים ואחרי 6 חודשים, שוב נמדדו המהירות והדיוק של הזיהוי של תבניות ברייל הן בגודל הסטנדרטי (ss) והן בתבניות המוגדלות (LL). תוצאות: המשתתפים משתי הקבוצות הראו שיפור ולמידה הן במהלך...

Stroop interference effects occur when word reading and the target words' print color naming are incongruent. This interference reflects reading proficiency while naming print color instead of reading color's names. We devised a tactile version of the Stroop test in which the congruity between three target materials (paper, Braillon, and plastic) and the embossed materials' names, in braille, was manipulated. The participants' task was to palpate and name the target materials. The baseline condition was a board with 63 cells each containing one of the target materials. Three similarly constructed boards had (a) a single non-sensical triplet of braille letters embossed on all stimuli, and (b) the first three consonants of the material's name, embossed in braille, congruently, or (c) incongruently. A total of 45 blind participants were tested: young adults, high school, and elementary school students (16, 10, and 3 mean years of braille reading, respectively). Older, more experienced braille readers showed the largest Stroop interference costs, in speed and accuracy, not only in the incongruent condition but also in the nonsense (non-word) condition compared to the congruent condition. Also, the adults committed more errors compared to high school students in the incongruent condition. However, the more experienced braille readers were faster in the congruent condition compared to the non-word condition. Elementary school children showed no relative gains in the congruent versus non-word condition, and only small incongruence (interference) costs in speed or accuracy. These findings indicate that braille reading competes with tactile material naming, as a function of reading proficiency, even for non-sensical letter strings, a Stroop effect.

In various cases of visual impairments, the individuals are referred to expert Ophthalmologists in order to establish a correct diagnosis. Children with visual-impairments confront various challenging experiences in life since early childhood throughout lifespan. In some cases, blind infants, especially due to congenital hydrocephalus, suffer from high intra-cranial pressure and, consequently, go through a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery in order to limit the neurological symptoms or decrease the cognitive impairments. In this article, a detailed description of numerous crucial implications of the V/P shunt surgery, through the right posterior-inferior parieto-temporal cortex, on the observed preliminary capabilities that are prerequisites for the acquisition of literacy skills in braille, basic Math competencies, braille printing which suggest Gerstmann syndrome in the blind. In addition, significant difficulties orientation and mobility skills using the Cane, in general organizational skills and social interactions were observed. The primary conclusion of this report focuses on raising awareness among neuro-surgeons towards the need for alternative intracranial routes for V/P shunt implantation in blind infants that preserve the right posterior-inferior parieto-temporal cortex that is hypothesized to modulate the tactual-spatial cues in braille discrimination. A second conclusion targets educators and therapists that address the acquired dysfunctions in blind individuals due to V/P shunt surgeries. Visual impairments or total blindness can be caused by various factors in infants, children and adults. In such conditions, the individual is referred to an Ophthalmologist in order to determine the correct diagnosis of each case. The basic ophthalmological assessment, which can be done in the private practice, comprises of visual acuity measurements with correction, the Amsler Grid test (test with squares) for determining metamorphopsia, an examination of the anterior segment with a slit lamp, a gonioscopy for early diagnosis of new vessels in the angle between the iris and the cornea, a tonometry (measurement of intraocular pressure), a fundoscopy by dilated pupils of eyes the doctor is able to examine the optic disc, the macula, vitreous and retinal periphery and a digital photograph, if feasible. The photograph of the fundus records the patient's clinical presentation and in doing so we can monitor any progression of the disease (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2016).

Abstract
Braille reading is a crucial literacy skill for blind individuals and an important model to study non-visual modes of communication. All Braille letters, symbols and digits are derived from a basic 6 raised-dots template creating various combinations of multiple or single raised-dot patterns. Although the Braille code is uniform and reading procedures are standard for all languages and Braille teaching approaches are often quite similar, the specific language taught can make the process of acquisition more complex.
Many studies have addressed Braille reading speed and accuracy in English, but no study targeted the speed and accuracy of Arabic Braille reading. Here we report our findings on Braille reading accuracy and speed in three different age groups of Arab participants in Israel: 10(±2.5) year-olds attending elementary schools (N=20), 16(±1.7) year-olds high-school students (N=13) and young adults (23±2.6 years) (N=24). All participants read vowelized and un-vowelized word lists and vowelized and un-vowelized texts printed in Arabic Braille. The results showed that as in studies of English Braille reading, Braille reading rates in Arabic improve as a function of the readers' age, reflecting the accumulation of reading experience. However, Arabic Braille readers in all age groups were consistently slower compared to English Braille readers. In addition, Arabic Braille readers were prone to read less accurately, with participants of all age groups committing more phonetic reading errors in the unvowelized words and texts compared to vowelized reading tests. On the other hand, the older participants did not commit mirror-image errors nor letter-skipping errors, which were noted in the younger participants.
We propose that while the accumulation of experience with the Braille template leads to an increase in vowelized Arabic reading accuracy and speed, specific characteristics of Arabic diglossia and the ambiguity of unvowelized Arabic result in a marked slowness in Braille reading.