Recent Publications

Health and health care inequities persist because the efforts to eliminate them have ignored structural racism, typically using a power neutral approach to diagnose and solve the problem. Critical theory can address many of the conceptual weaknesses of current approaches, help identify how racism operates in health care, and open the door for more effective individual employee and organizational actions to advance health equity. We apply Martín-Baró's (1996) liberation psychology to lessons we learned through implementing a transdisciplinary national health and health care equity program. 

 Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) represents a spectrum of ischemic myocardial disease including unstable angina (UA), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Various prognostic scores were developed for patients presenting with NSTEMI-ACS. Among these scores, the GRACE risk score offers the best discriminative performance for prediction of in-hospital and 6-month mortality. However, the GRACE score is limited and cannot be used in several ethnic populations. Moreover, it is not predictive of clinical outcomes other than mortality. Objectives: To assess the prognostic value of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and laboratory biomarkers in predicting 6-month major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including hospitalization, recurrent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), stroke, and cardiovascular mortality in patients with NSTEMI treated with PCI.

(Alla Lubovich, Mariana Issawy, Liza Grosman-Rimon, Fabio Kusniec, Ibrahim Marai, Doron Sudarsky, Edo Y Birati, Offer Amir, Shemy Carasso, Gabby Elbaz-Greener)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prevalent chronic liver disorders. Acute cholangitis (AC) is a life-threatening illness. Objectives: To determine whether NAFLD is a risk factor for the severity of AC.

Does our mood change as time passes? This question is central to behavioural and affective science, yet it remains largely unexamined. To investigate, we intermixed subjective momentary mood ratings into repetitive psychology paradigms. 

Refers to: "Interpreting with Caution the Lack of Association between Isotretinoin, Depression and Suicide"

Women have a clinical advantage over men in relation with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [CVD] (morbidity and mortality). This advantage disappears once women become older, and on their 7th decade the risk to develop CVD equals men at that age. There have been several theories about this gender difference that were related to hormones, and the different morphology and physiology that characterize the cardiovascular system in women. In this review the different mechanisms will be reviewed and discussed.

Several poliovirus incidents were reported in high-income countries (HIC) in 2022, which have required large-scale public health responses. Strategies to address persistent disparities in childhood vaccination coverage will be crucial to prevent and control circulation, and sustain elimination in HIC.

Behçet disease (BD) is a multisystemic disease that commonly involves the eyes. Although it affects patients in all age groups, data on ocular disease by age of onset are limited. This retrospective, multicenter study aimed to compare epidemiology, systemic and ocular manifestations, treatments and outcomes between three age groups: juvenile (<18 years), adult (18-39 years) and late (≥40 years) disease onset. 

Clostridioides difficile is the most common infectious agent of nosocomial diarrhea. C. difficile infection (CDI) pathogenesis and disease severity depend on its toxins (toxins A, B and binary) and on the host's immune response, especially the innate immune system. The current study examined the efficacy of macrophage activity, macrophages viability and cytokine secretion levelsin response to different sequence type (ST) strains of C. difficile.

Lymph node metastases in non-well differentiated thyroid cancer (non-WDTC) are common, both in the central compartment (levels VI and VII) and in the lateral neck (Levels II to V). Nodal metastases negatively affect prognosis and should be treated to maximize locoregional control while minimizing morbidity. In non-WDTC, the rate of nodal involvement is variable and depends on the histology of the tumor. For medullary thyroid carcinomas, poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas, and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, the high frequency of lymph node metastases makes central compartment dissection generally necessary. In mucoepidermoid carcinomas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, sarcomas, and malignant thyroid teratomas or thyroblastomas, central compartment dissection is less often necessary, as clinical lymphnode involvement is less common. We aim to summarize the medical literature and the opinions of several experts from different parts of the world on the current philosophy for managing the neck in less common types of thyroid cancer.

The treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among high-risk populations is an essential component of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination. However, non-compliance with LTBI treatment remains a major obstacle hindering TB elimination efforts. We have previously reported high treatment compliance with nurse-managed, twice-weekly, directly observed Isoniazid treatment (DOT) for LTBI among hard-to-reach Ethiopian immigrants (EI's). Objectives: to compare rate of completion of treatment, cost, and major adverse drug events with daily self-administered Isoniazid treatment (SAT) to nurse-managed Isoniazid DOT among hard-to-reach EIs.

Tardive syndrome (TS) refers to persistent hyperkinetic, hypokinetic, and sensory complaints appearing after chronic neuroleptics and other dopamine receptor-blocking agents (DRBAs). It is defined as involuntary movements, often rhythmic, choreiform, or athetoid, involving the tongue, face, extremities, and sensory urges such as akathisia and lasts for a few weeks. TS develops in association with neuroleptic medication usage for a few months at least. There is usually a delay between the initiation of the causative drug and the onset of abnormal movements. However, it was soon noted that TS can also develop early, even days or weeks after DRBAs begin. However, the longer the exposure, the greater the risk of developing TS. Tardive dyskinesia, dystonia, akathisia, tremor, and parkinsonism are frequent phenomenologies of this syndrome.

 Prophylactic antibiotic use in preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (PPROM) is associated with significantly-reduced intra-amniotic infection and improved neonatal outcome, although data are insufficient to determine the optimal antibiotic regimen. Ampicillin resistance has changed the epidemiology of neonatal sepsis. We compared the efficacy of two antibiotic regimens in prolonging the latency period in women with PPROM.

(Inshirah Sgayer, Yara Nakhleh Francis, Vered Fleisher Sheffer, Hagai Rechnitzer, Lior Lowenstein, Maya Frank Wolf)

Antimicrobial resistance is currently a recognized global health problem stemming from poor antibiotic stewardship by health workers and inappropriate antimicrobial use by patients. Data showing the extent of poor antimicrobial stewardship in low- and middle-income countries are scanty though high incidences of antimicrobial resistance are increasingly reported in many settings across the globe. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to evaluate prescriptions for antimicrobials in East Africa.

Antimicrobial resistance is currently a recognized global health problem stemming from poor antibiotic stewardship by health workers and inappropriate antimicrobial use by patients. Data showing the extent of poor antimicrobial stewardship in low- and middle-income countries are scanty though high incidences of antimicrobial resistance are increasingly reported in many settings across the globe. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to evaluate prescriptions for antimicrobials in East Africa.