חדשות המחקר
Mary C J Rudolf: Tackling obesity while preventing obesity stigma (Arch Dis Child .)
Obesity is a significant public health problem. Prevalence is rising in children and young people, with lifelong health impacts and implications for paediatric clinical practice. Obesity stigma is increasingly acknowledged as a problem within health services. Health professionals can inadvertently contribute to this stigma, which is harmful and in itself can promote weight gain. A complex web of factors contributes to obesity, and a simplistic approach exclusively focused on personal responsibility, diet and exercise is unhelpful. A more nuanced, sensitive and informed approach is needed, with careful use of language and non-judgemental partnership working.
Inshirah Sgayer, Tala Barbara, Asal Darwish, Ala Aiob, Lior Lowenstein, Maya Frank Wolf, Marwan Odeh: The Accuracy of Sonographic Fetal Weight in Very Preterm Infants (≤32 weeks) (J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod . )
Examines the accuracy of sonographic fetal weight to predict birthweight in very preterm infants (<32 weeks), and to compare the accuracy of estimated fetal weight (EFW) between those small for gestational age (SGA) and those appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
Hila Ben-Amram, Maya Azrad, Jackie Cohen-Assodi, Adi Sharabi-Nov, Shimon Edelstein, Keren Agay-Shay, Avi Peretz: Biofilm Formation by Hospital-Acquired Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Respiratory Samples (J Epidemiol Glob Health .)
Hospital-acquired resistant infections (HARI) are infections, which develop 48 h or more after admission to a healthcare facility. HARI pose a considerably acute challenge, due to limited treatment options. These infections are associated bacterial biofilms, which act as a physical barrier to diverse external stresses, such as desiccation, antimicrobials and biocides. We assessed the influence of multiple factors on biofilm production by HARI -associated bacteria.
Nishu Dalal: A novel method for enrichment of Morganella morganii in fecal samples using designed culture medium (Cell Biochem Funct . )
Morganella morganii is a gram negative, facultative anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium, commonly found in environment and in the intestine of human, mammals, and reptiles as a part of their gut microbiome. M. morganii can cause Gram-negative folliculitis, black nail infection, acute retiform purpura, fetal demise, and subdural empyema. The increasing frequency of M. morganii infections generate the need for efficient methods to enrich the presence of M. morganii in clinical samples to make its detection easier.
Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes (RHINO) scale: Translation, Cross-cultural adaptation and Validation for Hebrew-speaking patients (Facial Plast Surg .)
Patient reported outcomes questionnaires are accepted measurement tools to evaluate procedures results. The Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes (RHINO) scale is an English-language validated and reliable quality-of-life instrument that evaluates both functional and aesthetic outcomes after rhinoplasty, and is not available in Hebrew.
(Netanel Eisenbach, Matti Mizrachi, Amiel Dror, Rania Faris, Tali Jane Ohayon, Ohad Ronen, Eyal Sela)
Baruh Polis, Chaim Putterman: Animal models of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: deciphering the complexity and guiding therapeutic development (Autoimmunity .)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses formidable challenges due to its multifaceted etiology while impacting multiple tissues and organs and displaying diverse clinical manifestations. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to SLE complexity, with relatively limited approved therapeutic options. Murine models offer insights into SLE pathogenesis but do not always replicate the nuances of human disease. This review critically evaluates spontaneous and induced animal models, emphasizing their validity and relevance to neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE).
Yaara Artsi: Large language models for generating medical examinations: systematic review (BMC Med Educ .)
Writing multiple choice questions (MCQs) for the purpose of medical exams is challenging. It requires extensive medical knowledge, time and effort from medical educators. This systematic review focuses on the application of large language models (LLMs) in generating medical MCQs.
David Karasik: A perspective on muscle phenotyping in musculoskeletal research (Trends Endocrinol Metab .)
Musculoskeletal research should synergistically investigate bone and muscle to inform approaches for maintaining mobility and to avoid bone fractures. The relationship between sarcopenia and osteoporosis, integrated in the term 'osteosarcopenia', is underscored by the close association shown between these two conditions in many studies, whereby one entity emerges as a predictor of the other. In a recent workshop of Working Group (WG) 2 of the EU Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 'Genomics of MusculoSkeletal traits Translational Network' (GEMSTONE) consortium (CA18139), muscle characterization was highlighted as being important, but currently under-recognized in the musculoskeletal field. Here, we summarize the opinions of the Consortium and research questions around translational and clinical musculoskeletal research, discussing muscle phenotyping in human experimental research and in two animal models: zebrafish and mouse.
Chaim Putterman: Characterisation of choroid plexus-infiltrating T cells reveals novel therapeutic targets in murine neuropsychiatric lupus (Ann Rheum Dis .)
Diffuse central nervous system manifestations, referred to as neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE), are observed in 20-40% of lupus patients and involve complex mechanisms that have not yet been adequately elucidated. In murine NPSLE models, choroid plexus (ChP)-infiltrating T cells have not been fully evaluated as drivers of neuropsychiatric disease.
Khalaf Kridin: Is vitiligo associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes? Perceptions from a population-based study (Australas J Dermatol .)
While some studies have shown an association of vitiligo with obesity, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome,1, 2 the risk of cardiovascular diseases among patients with vitiligo remains a scope of controversy. This study aimed to investigate the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with vitiligo as compared to control individuals. In addition, we aim to estimate the influence of these cardiovascular conditions on the survival of patients with vitiligo.
Tzipora C Falik Zaccai: A genetic survey of patients with familial idiopathic intracranial hypertension residing in a Middle Eastern village: genetic association study (Eur J Med Res .)
The aim of this study was to determine whether genetic variants are associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in a unique village where many of the IIH patients have familial ties, a homogenous population and a high prevalence of consanguinity. Several autosomal recessive disorders are common in this village and its population is considered at a high risk for genetic disorders.
Amir Mari: Research gap in esophageal achalasia: a narrative review (Dis Esophagus . )
In recent years, new translational evidence, diagnostic techniques, and innovative therapies have shed new light on esophageal achalasia and revamped the attention on this relatively rare motility disorder. This narrative review aims to highlight the most recent progress and the areas where further research is needed.
Galin Shir, Keren Hanna: The Predictive Potential of Heart Rate Variability for Depression (Neuroscience . )
Heart rate variability (HRV),a measure of the fluctuations in the intervals between consecutive heartbeats, is an indicator of changes in the autonomic nervous system. A chronic reduction in HRV has been repeatedly linked to clinical depression. However, the chronological and mechanistic aspects of this relationship, between the neural, physiological, and psychopathological levels, remain unclear. In this review we present evidence by which changes in HRV might precede the onset of depression.
Sophia Eilat-Tsanani: Real-World Effectiveness of Single-Inhaler Triple Therapy for COPD: Impact of Diabetes Comorbidity (COPD . )
Type 2 diabetes is a frequent comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, with the GOLD treatment recommendations asserting that the presence of diabetes be disregarded in the choice of treatment.
In a cohort of COPD patients with frequent exacerbations, initiators of single-inhaler triple therapy or dual bronchodilators were compared on the incidence of COPD exacerbation and pneumonia over one year, adjusted by propensity score weighting and stratified by type 2 diabetes.
Atara Uzan-Yulzari, Sondra Turjeman, Carmel Even, Omry Koren: The crosstalk between intestinal microbiota and MDSCs fuels colitis associated cancer development (Cancer Res Commun .)
Intestinal chronic inflammation is associated with microbial dysbiosis and accumulation of various immune cells including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which profoundly impact the immune microenvironment, perturb homeostasis and increase the risk to develop colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). However, the specific MDSCs-dysbiotic microbiota interactions and their collective impact on CAC development remain poorly understood. In this study, using a murine model of CAC, we demonstrate that CAC-bearing mice exhibit significantly elevated levels of highly immunosuppressive MDSCs, accompanied by microbiota alterations. Both MDSCs and bacteria that infiltrate the colon tissue and developing tumors can be found in close proximity, suggesting intricate MDSC-microbiota crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment. To investigate this phenomenon, we employed antibiotic treatment to disrupt MDSC-microbiota interactions.