Recent Publications

We developed a prediction model for postprandial glycemic response (PPGR) in pregnant women, including those with diet-treated gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and healthy women, and explored the role of gut microbiota in improving prediction accuracy.

This report presents a healthy 2.5-year-old child exhibiting headache, ptosis, exotropia, and left mydriasis. Initial neuroimaging, including computed tomography (CT), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and standardized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), failed to identify any lesions; however, high-resolution MRI revealed an ovoid mass adjacent to the left proximal oculomotor nerve within the superior cavernous sinus.

Odontogenic tumors are rare lesions with varied clinical presentations and behaviors. A dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT) is a rare odontogenic neoplasm that can be classified into central (intraosseous) and peripheral (extraosseous) types, with a central DGCT often presenting as a bone-expanding lesion. We report a case of a multimorbid 66-year-old male patient with a central DGCT presenting as a painless, 3 × 5.3 cm expansile mass in the right mandibular body.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia in adults, is increasing in prevalence globally. Catheter ablation (CA), particularly pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), is a key treatment option. Pulmonary vein isolation can be performed using different energy sources, including cryoballoon ablation (CBA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or pulse field ablation. Anaesthesia modalities for these procedures include general anaesthesia (GA), deep sedation (DS), and conscious sedation (CS). However, the optimal anaesthesia modality remains unclear, as previous studies have shown mixed outcomes. This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of different anaesthesia modalities in PVI.

Correspondence

In the Netherlands HPV-vaccination uptake is low among females with a Moroccan or Turkish migration background. The aim of this study was to identify health system barriers to HPV-vaccine uptake among these females.

Neuropathic pain remains one of the leading causes of global disability. The mechanism of neuropathic pain development and maintenance involves mitochondrial dysfunction induced-neuronal apoptosis of peripheral and central nociceptive pathways. The TRPV1 is a non-selective cation channel, which has a high Ca2+ permeability, playing an essential role in neuronal apoptosis in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury. However, the mechanism of how TRPV1 activation in the spinal cord induces mitochondrial dysfunction-mediate neuronal apoptosis, resulting in allodynia is unknown. 

Overweight and obesity are a global pandemic, contributing to death and disability-adjusted life-years. Obesity is a major factor in the onset of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). Yet, several knowledge gaps remain: For several CIDs, inconsistent results have been reported, relating to their obesity-imposed risk, data on most rare CIDs remain unavailable, sex differences and racial disparities remain mostly unaddressed.

Incisional hernia (IH) repair in morbidly obese (MO) patients poses significant challenges due to higher risks of complications and recurrence. Traditional open repairs are linked to increased morbidity, driving interest in minimally invasive techniques. The enhanced view totally extra-peritoneal Rives-Stoppa (eTEP-RS) technique shows promise as a laparoscopic method for IH repair, but data on its efficacy and safety in MO patients are limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of the eTEP-RS approach specifically for IH repair in this high-risk population.

APOL1 Renal Risk Variants (APOL1RRVs, G1, and G2) are known to be toxic to glomerular podocytes and causally associated with an enhanced prevalence and progression of many different etiologies of chronic kidney disease (CKD), leading to the delineation of a new disease designation of APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD). Notably, APOL1RRVs have not consistently been shown to increase the prevalence or severity of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression, which is the most common cause of End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). While this apparent discrepancy seems perplexing, its clarification should provide important mechanistic and therapeutic insights. 

Obesity is a feature affecting nearly all life aspects. As the burden of obesity is increasing steadily, it leads to the increasing prevalence of diabetes, and most other common non-communicable diseases. A comprehensive approach for the prevention of obesity appears to constitute the most effective intervention to reduce their prevalence worldwide. In this review, we highlight pregnancy as a key period in a woman's life, which can improve compliance with different types of diet, physical activity, and behavioural programs, affecting the next generation's health, and breaking the vicious cycle of family obesity.

Epidemiological data are lacking on patients in the rural areas who are being admitted after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We report here the first descriptive analysis study of patients who were hospitalized and treated after OHCA at an academic medical center in the Lower Galilee which located in the north part of Israel.

Post-hemithyroidectomy hypothyroidism is a recognized complication, though its incidence and risk factors remain variably reported. This study aimed to determine the incidence of hypothyroidism post-hemithyroidectomy, identify associated risk factors, and assess temporal changes in thyroid hormone levels.

Despite a global drop of under-five mortality by 59% between 1990 and 2019, it remains high in Low- and Middle- income Countries (LMICs)with a preponderance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Southern and Central Asia. Besides preterm and intrapartum complications, undernutrition contributes 45% of the deaths in these developing regions. In Africa, under-five mortality due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has stagnated at 10-40%, higher than WHO targets and the SDGs projections.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignancy of the thyroid gland, typically associated with an indolent course and favourable prognosis. However, although rare, PTC can demonstrate aggressive behaviour, including vascular invasion with extension into major vessels. Intraluminal tumor thrombus involving the great veins, such as the internal jugular vein (IJV), is an uncommon but significant complication. We present the case of a 56-year-old male who was referred to our clinic for evaluation of a right-sided anterior neck mass.