Recent Publications

Objective: To examine neonatal outcomes at birth among twins conceived spontaneously or by medically assisted reproduction (MAR).

The diabetes epidemic which impacts many people globally necessitates patient education to enhance self-management. Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots hold promise in automizing patient education and lessening healthcare providers' burden. This study assesses the utility of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot created by OpenAI, in responding to the diabetes knowledge questionnaire (24-DKQ). 

Ischemic stroke, a leading global cause of death and disability, is commonly caused by carotid arteries atherosclerosis. Carotid artery calcification (CAC) is a well-known marker of atherosclerosis. Such calcifications are classically detected by ultrasound screening. In recent years it was shown that these calcifications can also be inferred from routine panoramic dental radiographs. In this work, we focused on panoramic dental radiographs taken from 500 patients, manually labelling each of the patients' sides (each radiograph was treated as two sides), which were used to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm to automatically detect carotid calcifications. 

Remote damage control resuscitation (RDCR) aims to apply the principles of damage control resuscitation to prehospital and austere care, emphasizing early control of compressible hemorrhage, balanced volume resuscitation, and the prevention or correction of coagulopathy, acidosis, hypothermia, and hypocalcemia. Over the past decades, the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps (IDF-MC) has made significant efforts to integrate the principles of RDCR into prehospital trauma care in the military. Study design and methods: In this article, we reflect on the implementation of RDCR in the prehospital setting by the IDF-MC, sharing successes, challenges, considerations on guideline changes, and their assessment over time.

Limb and junctional hemorrhage are leading causes of potentially preventable death among trauma casualties. Hemorrhage control for these regions could be achieved by direct or indirect pressure. The manual pressure points (MPP) involves applying manual pressure on the arterial supply to occlude distal blood flow without the need for specialized equipment. Study design and methods: Prospective, non-randomized, human volunteer, controlled environment study involving 38 healthy military caregivers, with 26 participants attending a short instructional session. During a medical exercise, participants were requested to apply pressure on the supraclavicular and femoral points aiming to stop regional blood flow, measured by distal pulse palpation. The measures recorded included achievement of distal pulse cessation, success in achieving cessation for a full minute, and subjects' pain scores reported after each attempt.

During 4 months of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, nurses in a pediatric emergency department (ED) used surgical and clear face masks in triage. This study aimed to find out if the type of face mask influenced children’s

Enveloped RNA viruses are rare among plant viruses. Fimoviridae is a newly founded family of plant viruses within the Bunyavirales order that inflicts diverse crop losses worldwide. The fig mosaic virus (FMV), the representative member of the Fimoviridae family, was shown to be a causative agent for the fig mosaic disease. Like all bunyaviruses, FMV has a segmented, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome that is encapsulated by the viral nucleoprotein (N). Here, we present high-resolution crystal structures of FMV N in its RNA-free and RNA-bound forms, revealing a "paper fortune teller" structural transition between the two states. 

Universal immunization substantially reduces morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. In recent years, routine immunization coverage has varied considerably among countries across the WHO European Region, and among different populations and districts within countries. It has even declined in some countries. Sub-optimal immunization coverage contributes to accumulations of susceptible individuals and can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The European Immunization Agenda 2030 (EIA2030) seeks to build better health in the WHO European Region by ensuring equity in immunization and supporting immunization stakeholders in devising local solutions to local challenges....

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an essential gatekeeper for the central nervous system and incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is higher in infants with a history of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We discovered a rare disease trait in thirteen individuals, including four fetuses, from eight unrelated families associated with homozygous loss-of-function variant alleles of ESAM which encodes an endothelial cell adhesion molecule.

This cohort study assesses the relative stability of median and mean survival time estimates reported in cancer clinical trials.

This year marks the anniversary of the 80th year of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943 -2023), a very important and significant turning point in the history of the Holocaust. The Uprising is not the only demonstration of courage and strength, in rebelling against the brutal Nazi oppressor: there was another form of intellectual and spiritual resistance in the ghetto - medical resistance. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals resisted. Not only did they provide very diverse and dedicated medical assistance to the ghetto residents, but they went beyond their professional duties in initiating research on Hunger Diseases and in founding a clandestine medical school. The medical work in the Warsaw Ghetto is a symbol of the victory of the human spirit.

Full name of article: The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease (ECSVD), and the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC) Consensus Statement on the Management of Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease (ECSVD), and the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC) developed consensus statements on pre-invasive vulvar lesions in order to improve the quality of care for patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN).

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents one of the most common metabolic comorbidities and is present in 30% to 40% of patients with acromegaly. This rate is expected to increase further along with the prevalence of DM Patients with acromegaly develop insulin resistance due to excess growth hormone (GH), and insulin insufficiency may occur in those with longstanding disease. Moreover, second-generation somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) also contribute to the increased development of new-onset diabetes and worsening hyperglycemia. Worthy of mentioning that patients with acromegaly are at increased risk for cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and the coexistence of diabetes might even worsen these conditions.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) continues to be a severe and fatal complication of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). CS patients have a high mortality rate despite significant progress in primary reperfusion, the management of heart failure and the expansion of mechanical circulatory support strategies. The present study addressed the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of ACS patients complicated with CS.

Bacterial conjugation is one of the most abundant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms, playing a fundamental role in prokaryote evolution. A better understanding of bacterial conjugation and its cross talk with the environment is needed for a more complete understanding of HGT mechanisms and to fight the dissemination of malicious genes between bacteria. Here, we studied the effect of outer space, microgravity, and additional key environmental cues on transfer (tra) gene expression and conjugation efficiency, using the under studied broad-host range plasmid pN3, as a model.