Recent Publications

After an acute infection, older persons may benefit from geriatric rehabilitation (GR). This study describes the recovery trajectories of post-COVID-19 patients undergoing GR and explores whether frailty is associated with recovery.

The International Federation for Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Global Registry aims to provide descriptive data about the caseload and penetrance of surgery for metabolic disease and obesity in member countries. The data presented in this report represent the key findings of the eighth report of the IFSO Global Registry.

In the biomedical field, the differentiation between sex and gender is crucial for enhancing the understanding of human health and personalizing medical treatments, particularly within the domain of orthopedics. This distinction, often overlooked or misunderstood, is vital for dissecting and treating musculoskeletal conditions effectively. This review delves into the sex- and gender-specific physiology of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons, highlighting how hormonal differences impact the musculoskeletal system's structure and function, and exploring the physiopathology of orthopedic conditions from an epidemiological, molecular, and clinical perspective, shedding light on the discrepancies in disease manifestation across sexes. 

Examines the renal effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibition among non-diabetic individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a real-world setting.

This study explores the relationship between acquired punctal stenosis (PS) and ocular surface disease (OSD), assessing causal mechanisms and clinical impacts, utilizing a combination of a comprehensive literature review and a detailed analysis of a patient cohort from a tertiary care center.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major etiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma with approximately 30% of HCC being due to HCV infection worldwide. HCV eradication by antivirals greatly reduces the risk of HCC; nevertheless, HCC remains to occur in CHC patients who have achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). The proportion of post-SVR HCC among newly diagnosed HCC patients is increasing in the DAA era and might be due to preexisting inflammatory and fibrotic liver background, immune dysregulation between host and virus interaction, as well as host epigenetic scar, genetic predispositions and alternations. By means of applying surrogate markers and adopting risk stratification, HCC surveillance should be consistently performed in high-risk populations. In this review, we discuss the possible molecular mechanism, risk factors and surveillance strategy for HCC development after HCV eradication.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected health care systems worldwide, and the field of dentistry is no exception. Odontogenic infections in pediatric patients pose unique challenges to treatment and diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, and treatment of pediatric maxillofacial odontogenic infections during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19.

Coronavirus diasease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause both pulmonary and systemic inflammation, potentially determining multi-organ dysfunction. The thyroid gland is a neuroendocrine organ that plays an important role in regulating immunity and metabolism. Low serum levels of thyroid hormones are common in critical disease situations. The association between low thyroid hormone levels and mortality in COVID-19 intensive care patients has yet to be studied.

Review

In Israel and Gaza, following the atrocities of 7 October 2023 and the ensuing war, children cannot fail to wonder, “Am I next?”. Adults are at a loss for reassuring words.

Armed conflict damages the physical and mental health of children. War disrupts the social determinants of health as well as the healthcare systems designed to maintain it....The situation of the children in Gaza is acute, but we must remember, there are children on both sides of this war-torn border. As experts in public health, our professional knowledge and experiences fill us with fears for the future, especially that of the children. Preserving their health and safety is a security issue for the entire region.

Examine the association between late adolescence ADHD and the risk of serious injury in early adulthood.

This retrospective study compared Class II orthodontic non-extraction treatment using Carriere Motion Appliance (CMA) and Twin Block (TB) appliances.

Delirium is common during acute infection in older patients and is associated with functional decline. Geriatric rehabilitation (GR) can help older patients to return to their premorbid functional level. It is unknown whether delirium affects GR outcomes in patients with acute infection. We evaluated whether delirium affects trajectories of activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL) recovery in GR after COVID-19 infection.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a challenging autoimmune disease, characterized by an immune system assault on insulin-producing β-cells. As insulin facilitates glucose absorption into cells and tissues, β-cell deficiency leads to elevated blood glucose levels on one hand and target-tissues starvation on the other. Despite efforts to halt β-cell destruction and stimulate recovery, success has been limited. Our recent investigations identified Protease-Activated Receptor 2 (Par2) as a promising target in the battle against autoimmunity. We discovered that Par2 activation's effects depend on its initial activation site: exacerbating the disease within the immune system but fostering regeneration in affected tissue.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is defined as chronic pelvic pain plus a bladder symptom, usually urge. Evidence is offered to show IC/BPS forms part of the posterior fornix syndrome (PFS), which was defined in 1993 as: chronic pelvic pain (CPP), urge, frequency, nocturia, abnormal emptying, post-void residual urine, caused by uterosacral ligament (USL) laxity and cured or improved by USL repair.