Recent Publications

Defining how pregnant women respond to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination is critical to optimize vaccination strategies that protect mother and infant at the epidemic. This study aimed to compare Anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike IgG of vaccinated vs. infected women and to determine the optimal timing of maternal vaccination during pregnancy at the time of epidemic.

(Raneen Abu Shqara, Maya Wolf, Susana Mikhail Mustafa, Inshirah Sgayer, Tikva Assulyn, Abdallah Abu Zraki Nadine Askhar Majadla, Hagai Rechnitzer, Mona Shehadeh, Vered Fleisher Sheffer, Mor Bordeynik-Cohen, Orly Yakir, Lior Lowenstein, Eyal Sela, Michael Edelstein, Amiel Dror)

About 40% of pregnant women are anemic and at an increased risk for complications. We examined the efficacy of inpatient anemia workup and treatment in pregnant women diagnosed with moderate-severe anemia (hemoglobin < 10 mg/dL), during hospitalization in the late second-trimester and third-trimester.

During the puerperium enoxaparin is given to high risk women to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE), a leading cause for maternal mortality. Enoxaparin activity is measured by peak plasma anti-Xa levels. The prophylactic range of anti-Xa is 0.2-0.6 international units (IU)/mL. Values above and below this range represent subprophylactic and supraprophylactic levels, respectively. Weight-based enoxaparin administration was superior to fixed dose in achieving anti-Xa prophylactic range. It is unknown; however, which enoxaparin weight-based administration is superior - by using once daily weight-categories or 1 mg/kg body weight. Objective: To compare the efficacy in reaching prophylcatic anti-Xa levels and adverse effects profile of the two weight-based enoxaparin dosing protocols.

Deciphering the origins of phenotypic variations in natural animal populations is a challenging topic for evolutionary and conservation biologists. Atypical morphologies in mammals are usually attributed to interspecific hybridisation or de-novo mutations. Here we report the case of four golden jackals (Canis aureus), that were observed during a camera-trapping wildlife survey in Northern Israel, displaying anomalous morphological traits, such as white patches, an upturned tail, and long thick fur which resemble features of domesticated mammals. Another individual was culled under permit and was genetically and morphologically examined. Paternal and nuclear genetic profiles, as well as geometric morphometric data, identified this individual as a golden jackal rather than a recent dog/wolf-jackal hybrid. Its maternal haplotype suggested past introgression of African wolf (Canis lupaster) mitochondrial DNA, as previously documented in other jackals from Israel. When viewed in the context of the jackal as an overabundant species in Israel, the rural nature of the surveyed area, the abundance of anthropogenic waste, and molecular and morphological findings, the possibility of an individual presenting incipient stages of domestication should also be considered.

 The objective of this study was to characterise post-COVID condition symptoms and symptom clusters, their duration and prevalence.

In this report, we describe the first national scale multi-laboratory evaluation of monkeypox virus (MPXV) DNA commercial PCR kits. The objective of this study was to evaluate 2 kits by different diagnostic laboratories across Israel. 

PIK3CA activating mutations are found in 40% of advanced breast cancer and are associated with worse prognosis. PI3K blockage is associated with insulin resistance, leading to hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Alpelisib is the first PI3K inhibitor used in cancer treatment. Laboratory evidence indicated that alpelisib-induced hyperinsulinemia offsets the drug's efficacy, but insulin levels were not tested in the clinical trials that evaluated alpelisib for breast cancer. Hyperglycemia could also interfere with anti-tumor effects of PI3K inhibitors by inducing Immune tolerance and altered mitochondrial metabolism. We have monitored insulin levels in 4 breast cancer patients with concomitant metabolic syndrome treated with alpelisib, and pre-treated patients with baseline increased insulin levels with pioglitazone, a potent insulin sensitizer, to target both hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, and we report the treatment course of these patients.

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Mouse models are key tools for investigating host-microbiome interactions. However, shotgun metagenomics can only profile a limited fraction of the mouse gut microbiome. Here, we employ a metagenomic profiling method, MetaPhlAn 4, which exploits a large catalog of metagenome-assembled genomes (including 22,718 metagenome-assembled genomes from mice) to improve the profiling of the mouse gut microbiome. 

The annular epiphysis (AE) is a peripheral ring of cortical bone that forms a secondary ossification center in the superior and inferior surfaces of vertebral bodies (VBs). The AE is the last ossification site in the skeleton, typically forming at about the 25th year of life. The AE functions jointly with vertebral endplates to anchor the intervertebral discs to the VBs. Purpose: To establish accurate data on the sizes of the AE of the cervical spine (C3-C7); to compare the ratios between areas and the ratios of the AE to VBs; to compare the ratios between the superior and inferior VB surface areas; and to compare AE lengths between the posterior and anterior midsagittal areas.

Full title: Lior Segev , Abraham O Samson: Response to Eglash re: "The Risk of Breakthrough Bleeding Justifies the Use of Combined Hormonal Contraception Over Progesterone-Only Pills While Breastfeeding": Combined Hormonal Contraception Is Not Without Disadvantages, But Is Acceptable During Lactation (Breastfeed Med
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In their well-designed meta-analysis, Sozzi et al. are trying to end a long-lasting well-known surgical debate¹ and to determine the best method for a stapled esophagojejunostomy...

The lung surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) leaks into the blood, settling on the luminal aspect of blood vessels to create active hydrophobic spots.  Nanobubbles are formed at these spots from dissolved gas. We hypothesized that when a large molecule in the blood comes into contact with a nanobubble at the active hydrophobic spots, its tertiary structure is disrupted.

Intrathoracic cancer can cause hyponatremia, but it is uncertain whether mild hyponatremia in the outpatient setting should be regarded as an early sign of intrathoracic cancer. Objectives: To evaluate the risk of undiagnosed intrathoracic cancer in patients with new persistent mild hyponatremia.

The two cerebral hemispheres influence the immune response differently. While the left hemisphere enhances cellular immunity, the right hemisphere inhibits it.  Objectives: To determine whether immune and inflammatory markers correlated with stroke severity and hospitalization duration as a function of stroke side.