חדשות המחקר

Several commercially available software packages exist for the analysis of three-dimensional cine phase-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with three-directional velocity encoding (four-dimensional (4D) flow CMR). Only sparse data are available on the impact of these different software solutions on quantitative results. We compared two different commercially available and widely used software packages and their impact on the forward flow volume (FFV), peak velocity (PV), and maximum wall shear stress (WSS) per plane.

Approximately 20-40% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), which often manifests as cognitive dysfunction and depression. Currently, there are no approved treatments for NPSLE because its underlying mechanisms are unclear. Identifying relevant mediators and understanding their contribution to pathogenesis are crucial for developing targeted treatment options. Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) is a multifunctional acute-phase protein that plays important roles in immune cell differentiation, migration, and function. LCN2 has been implicated in models of neuroinflammatory disease.

The Econeurobiology of the brain describes the environment in which an individual's brain develops. This paper explores the complex neural mechanisms that support and evaluate enrichment at various stages of development, providing an overview of how they contribute to plasticity and enhancement of both achievement and health.

Response to Letter

[Ruba Tuma, Nomy Dickman, Raymond Farah, Rola Khamisy-Farah]

Comment here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39372504/

Newborn screening (NBS) for isovaleric acidemia (IVA) reduces mortality and morbidity; however, it has also resulted in the detection of individuals with an asymptomatic or mild presentation for which early detection via newborn screening has not been proven to alter neurological outcome. We reevaluated biochemical and molecular data for newborns flagged positive for IVA in aim of developing a new screening algorithm to exclude the latter from positive screening. 

Riboswitches are naturally occurring regulatory segments of RNA molecules that modulate gene expression in response to specific ligand binding. They serve as a molecular 'switch' that controls the RNA's structure and function, typically influencing the synthesis of proteins. Riboswitches are unique because ...

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes several gastrointestinal diseases. Its virulence factors contributing to disease development include biofilm formation, cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) proteins that induce host tissue damage. In addition, urease activity enables H. pylori growth in the gastric acidic environment. This work aimed to characterize bacterial factors associated with biofilm production among 89 clinical H. pylori isolates, collected from patient gastric biopsies.

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare oral manifestations between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative patients and to examine associations between oral symptoms, Ct values of E and N SARS-CoV-2 viral genes, and the implications of low Ct values indicating a high viral load, which is a predictive factor for the outcome of COVID-19.

The microbiome has been linked to numerous neurological and psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. Nevertheless, correlating microbial perturbations to pathophysiological aspects of schizophrenia remains elusive, as study participants are typically medicated when sampled, complicating mechanistic investigation. Here we explored specific microbial and metabolic alterations in schizophrenia patients, while explicitly considering their medications. 

In this review, we document lipotoxicity in obesity manifestations and the beneficial health effects of the Mediterranean diet derived from monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly from olive oil.

Correction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39592555/

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is a genetic disorder resulting in overproduction of hepatic oxalate, potentially leading to recurrent kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure. Lumasiran, the first RNA interference therapeutic approved for infants and young children, is a liver-directed treatment that reduces hepatic oxalate production...Here, we report interim efficacy and safety findings from ILLUMINATE-B following 30 months of lumasiran treatment. 

Immunoglobulin G₄ (IgG₄)-related disease is an immune-mediated fibroinflammatory disorder, most commonly affecting the pancreas, salivary glands, and lacrimal glands (Citation1). Immunoglobulin G₄-related breast disease (IgG₄-BD) is very rare and generally presents as a lump or mastitis (Citation2). We report two cases of IgG₄-BD: one with a painful left breast mass and erythema nodosum and the other with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and recurrent bilateral IgG₄-related mastitis.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in large language models like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini AI, marks a transformative era in technological innovation. This study explores the potential of AI in ophthalmology, focusing on the capabilities of ChatGPT and Gemini AI. While these models hold promise for medical education and clinical support, their integration requires comprehensive evaluation. This research aims to bridge a gap in the literature by comparing Gemini AI and ChatGPT, assessing their performance against ophthalmology residents using a dataset derived from ophthalmology board exams.

Antibiotic use is a risk factor for development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). IBDs are characterized by a damaged mucus layer, which does not separate the intestinal epithelium from the microbiota. Here, we hypothesized that antibiotics affect the integrity of the mucus barrier, which allows bacterial penetrance and predisposes to intestinal inflammation. We found that antibiotic treatment led to breakdown of the colonic mucus barrier and penetration of bacteria into the mucus layer. 

(Jasmin Sawaed, Lilach Zelik, Maria Naama, Ateret Gordon, Mor Zigdon, Elad Rubin, Shahar Telpaz, Sonia Modilevsky, Shira Ben-Simon, Aya Awad, Sarina Harshuk-Shabso, Meital Nuriel-Ohayon, Michal Werber, Shai Bel)

A surgical site infection (SSI) is a postoperative infection that occurs at or near the surgical incision. SSIs significantly increase morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and healthcare costs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established hospital hygiene precaution guidelines for the prevention of SSIs, which were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aims to explore the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on SSI incidence among initially uninfected postoperative patients. We hypothesize that these enhanced precautions would reduce the incidence of SSIs.