חדשות המחקר

Hereditary orotic aciduria is an extremely rare, autosomal recessive disease caused by deficiency of uridine monophosphate synthase. Untreated, affected individuals may develop refractory megaloblastic anemia, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and crystalluria. Newborn screening has the potential to identify and enable treatment of affected individuals before they become significantly ill.

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. 

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. 

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.

Editorial

Vitamin D (VitD) deficiency has garnered significant attention in contemporary medical research. Although the canonical biological activity of VitD manifests itself mainly in the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, recent studies show that, thanks to the presence of numerous receptors, VitD may also play an important role in regulating the immune system. VitD deficiency has been demonstrated to impact autoimmune disease, coeliac disease, infections (including respiratory/COVID-19), and patients with cancer. Recent studies also show that VitD plays a significant role in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs). Many studies have shown a correlation between low VitD levels and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis - Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), Graves' disease (GD), and postpartum thyroiditis (PPT). This review article, therefore, describes the current state of knowledge on the role of VitD in AITDs, including HT, GD, and PTT.