Recent Publications
Michael Edelstein, Haneen Shibli, Jacob Bornstein: Differences in knowledge, attitudes and intentions towards HPV vaccination among young adults from diverse socio-cultural groups in Israel: A cross-sectional study (Vaccine . )
In Israel, The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is recommended to both genders up to age 26. Many 18-26 olds missed their opportunity for vaccination during school. Our study described HPV knowledge, attitudes and vaccination intentions among unvaccinated 18-26 Israeli adults across various demographics, aiming to inform future catch-up vaccination strategies.
Liron Leibovitch: Direct Anterior vs. Posterior Approach in Simultaneous Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis (Cureus .)
Simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty (SimBTHA) offers benefits such as reduced hospital stay and costs for patients with bilateral hip disease. However, the optimal surgical approach remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of SimBTHA performed via the direct anterior approach (DAA) versus the posterior approach (PA).
Nofar Mizrachi, Tobias Kube, Liron Rozenkrantz: Perceiving immunity, predicting somatic symptoms: Validation of the 'Perceived Immunity' scale and its association with daily health (Br J Health Psychol . )
While ample research links health beliefs to physical health in both healthy and clinical populations, the specific health beliefs that drive this effect remain underexplored. Addressing this gap is critical for mechanistic examinations and targeted intervention development. Building on previous work, this study aimed to assess subjective beliefs about immune system efficacy and develop a novel Perceived Immunity scale.
Liron Leibovitch: Direct anterior vs other surgical approaches in patients with lumbar stiffness undergoing total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Arch Orthop Trauma Surg .)
The effectiveness of the direct anterior approach (DAA) compared to other surgical approaches for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with lumbar spine stiffness remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare clinical outcomes, including dislocation rates and other complications, between DAA and other surgical approaches for THA in patients with lumbar spine stiffness.
Dylan DSouza, Olawumi Giwa, Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern: ChiTaRS 8.0: the comprehensive database of chimeric transcripts and RNA-seq data with applications in liquid biopsy (Nucleic Acids Res . )
This updated database provides unique information on 1055 chimeric breakpoints derived from public datasets using chromosome conformation capture techniques (the Hi-C datasets). It also includes an expanded list of gene fusions that are potential drug targets, and chimeric breakpoints across 934 cell lines, positioning ChiTaRS 8.0 as a valuable resource for testing personalized cancer therapies.
Sagi Hamo, Lee S Izhaki-Tavor, Moshe Dessau: The RNA Silencing Suppressor P8 From High Plains Wheat Mosaic Virus is a Functional Tetramer (J Mol Biol .)
In plants, RNA interference (RNAi) serves as a critical defense mechanism against viral infections by regulating gene expression. However, viruses have developed RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) proteins to evade this defense mechanism....Our study focuses on P8, an RSS protein from HPWMoV. Understanding its structure and assembly is a crucial step toward comprehending how these viruses counteract host defenses, aiding in combatting malnutrition.
Khalaf Kridin: Mortality in adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: A real world cohort study (J Allergy Clin Immunol . )
Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), a common and debilitating disease, is widely held not to be life-limiting, but the mortality of CSU has not been investigated. Objective: To assess all-cause mortality in CSU patients, risk for comorbidities that are leading causes of death and impact of guideline-recommended urticaria treatments on mortality rates.
Mary Rudolf: Pediatricians at the forefront of child mental health? A Delphi method exploration (Isr J Health Policy Res .)
Rising mental health challenges among children and adolescents are a global concern. However, a shortage of professionals, inadequate competence and lack of resources hamper necessary care, presenting a major challenge to health service provision. Community pediatricians, frequently the initial contact for mental health issues, are in a key position to improve access to care. The Delphi method was employed as an initial step toward redefining the role of pediatricians and the re-design of pediatric responses within Israeli primary mental health care.
Omry Koren: Antibiotic-perturbed microbiota and the role of probiotics (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol .)
The disruptive effect of antibiotics on the composition and function of the human microbiota is well established. However, the hypothesis that probiotics can help restore the antibiotic-disrupted microbiota has been advanced, with little consideration of the strength of evidence supporting it.
Avi Benov, Elon Glassberg: The Turkish Earthquake: Adapting a Relevant Medical Relief Response Mode ( Disaster Med Public Health Prep .)
On February 6, 2023, a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria..... the State of Israel dispatched 2 missions, with the first on the ground the same day as the earthquake. Under guidance of the local health authorities, it was determined that the most effective approach would be to support an existing medical facility rather than establishing a standalone field operation....
Khalaf Kridin: Biological, as opposed to classic antipsoriatic drug or apremilast, treatment mitigates the risk of death and cardiovascular disease in psoriasis (EBioMedicine .)
Cardiovascular comorbidity increases morbidity and mortality in psoriasis. Systemic treatments, particularly biologics, are effective in alleviating skin and joint inflammation. Conversely, the impact of systemic therapy on cardiovascular disease risk and mortality in psoriasis remains uncertain.
Omry Koren: International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice (Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol .)
There is growing interest in the potential exploitation of the gut microbiome as a diagnostic tool in medicine, but evidence supporting its clinical usefulness is scarce. An increasing number of commercial providers offer direct-to-consumer microbiome diagnostic tests without any consensus on their regulation or any proven value in clinical practice, which could result in considerable waste of individual and health-care resources and potential drawbacks in the clinical management of patients. We convened an international multidisciplinary expert panel to standardise best practices of microbiome testing...
Jumanah Essa-Hadad, Michael Edelstein: Enablers to high vaccination uptake among a disadvantaged minority population: a qualitative study of the Arab population of Israel (Isr J Health Policy Res . )
Over 1.9 million Arabs live in Israel and constitute 21% of the total population. Despite being a disadvantaged minority population with wide gaps in health indicators, Arabs have higher Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates compared with the general Jewish population.
Naama T Cohen: Evaluating Cancer Risk in a Large Cohort of 25,008 Vitiligo Patients: Insights from a Comprehensive Cohort Population-Based Study (J Am Acad Dermatol .)
Current research presents inconsistent results concerning the incidence of various malignancies among patients with vitiligo. Objectives: To evaluate the risk for cancer in patients with vitiligo.