Recent Publications

Ramadan is a month within the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims are required to fast (abstain from food and drink) during the daytime (from sunrise to sunset) for the entire month. Due to the established connection between fasting and dehydration and acute sialadenitis (infection of salivary glands), the aim of this study is to determine if there is a higher frequency of sialadenitis among the Muslim population during Ramadan than during other months of the year. (Michael V Joachim, Yasmine Ghantous, Suleiman Zaaroura, Kutaiba Alkeesh, Tameem Zoabi, Imad Abu El-Na'aj)

To the best of our knowledge, our case is the first to describe caterpillar sign (CS) to appear temporally in an infant with definitive infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), confirming that abdominal ultrasonography (US) is the imaging modality of choice when this entity is suspected. (Bshara Mansour, Adib Habib, Hussein Shamaly, Zahi Abou Nassar, Ahlam Abu Ahmad)

Nuclear lamins (NLs) are essential components of the animal cell nucleus involved in the regulation of a plethora of molecular and cellular processes. Mutations in NLs can lead to the development of a wide range of distinct disease phenotypes, laminopathies, consisting of cardiac, neuromuscular, metabolic and premature aging syndromes. In addition, alterations in the expression of nuclear lamins were associated with different types of neoplastic diseases. This integrative review summarizes and discusses the recent findings on the emerging roles of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers (ULMs) in the regulation of NLs, highlighting the intriguing molecular associations and cross-talks occurring between NLs and these regulatory molecules under physiological conditions and in the disease states.

Presents seven pediatric patients with appendicitis, all with late diagnosis resulting from different aspects of the fear from the current global COVID-19 pandemic.

The objectives of this study were to gather an expert opinion survey and to evaluate the suitability of summarized indications and interventions for damage control orthopedics (DCO).

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, teams around the world are now advocating for a new approach to monitoring transmission: tapping into cellphone location data to track infection spread and warn people who may have been exposed. Here we present data collected in Israel through this approach so far and discuss the privacy concerns, alternatives and different ‘flavors’ of cellphone surveillance. We also propose safeguards needed to minimize the risk for civil rights.

Growing evidence shows the contribution of physical activity interventions to the gut microbiome. However, specific physical activity characteristics that can modify the gut microbiome are unknown. This review's aim was to explore the contribution of physical activity intervention characteristics on human gut microbiome composition, in terms of diversity, specific bacterial groups, and associated gut microbiome metabolites. 

Oral P2Y₁₂ receptor antagonists exhibit delayed onset of platelet inhibition in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Selatogrel is a potent, highly selective, and reversible P2Y₁₂ receptor antagonist with a rapid onset and short duration of action. This study sought to assess inhibition of platelet aggregation following subcutaneous administration of selatogrel in patients with AMI.

Personalized cancer immunotherapy targeting patient-specific cancer/testis antigens (CTA) and neoantigens may benefit from large-scale tumor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) peptidome (immunopeptidome) analysis, which aims to accurately identify antigens presented by tumor cells. While significant efforts have been invested in analyzing the HLA peptidomes of fresh tumors, it is often impossible to obtain sufficient volumes of tumor tissues for comprehensive HLA peptidome characterization. This work attempted to overcome some of these obstacles by using patient-derived xenograft tumors (PDX) in mice as the tissue sources for HLA peptidome analysis. 

The home environment is regarded as a safe, comfortable environment, however, home can also be a stressful place. Compared to staying in the indoor home environment, the effects of short visits to outdoor urban environments on short-term psychological, physiological and cognitive responses were not studied previously. This study evaluates whether visits to different urban and ethnic environments, in comparison to staying in the home indoor environment, leads to short-term changes in psychological, physiological and cognitive responses and whether these responses are independent of ethnicity. (Keren Agay-Shay)

Evaluates the efficacy and safety of lymphaticovenular anastomosis in patients with lymphedema. (Assi Drobot , Ibrahim Abu Shakra, Fahed Merei,  Kamal Khatib, Amitai Bickel, Samer Ganam, Grigori Bogouslavski, Nour Karra, Badran Mahran, Walid Kassis, Leonid Kogan, Denis Drobot, Michael Weiss, Eli Kakiashvili)

Letter to the Editor:

There is already broad recognition of the challenges of cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if the current situation last, we anticipate that thousands of cases will be diagnosed late or in some cases will be missed. Herein, we discuss the ramifications of pausing cancer screening programs and turn a spotlight to advocate for maintaining the early detection programs running. This will hopefully prevent a ‘cancer boom’ that will meet an exhausted health system after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will subside.

Characterizes variables that may predict the need for endoscopic intervention in inpatients admitted for several causes who during the hospitalization developed acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB).

The viral pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), generated by a novel mutated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), is turning into a serious worldwide public health emergency, evolving exponentially. While the main organ targeted in this diseased are the lungs, other vital organs such as the heart and kidney may be implicated. The main host receptor of the SARS-CoV-2 is angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a major component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The ACE2 is also involved in testicular male regulation of steroidogenesis, and spermatogenesis. As the SARS-CoV-2 may have the potential to infect the testis via ACE2, and adversely affect male reproductive system, it is essential to commence with targeted studies to learn from current pandemic, with the possibility of preemptive intervention depending on findings and the time course of the continued pandemic.

Identifies the changing trends of uropathogens over the years 2010–2017 and examines the incidence of both antibiotic resistance and extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in urine cultures from pediatric patients.