Publications by authors named "Avraham S"

Objectives: This study investigates sperm utilization and disposal patterns in Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) patients undergoing long-term sperm storage. OAT is a major contributor to male infertility. Cryopreservation is a common practice as a "fertility insurance" in case of further deterioration until azoospermia.

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  • Macrophages are diverse cells that inhabit all body tissues, with specific types residing in organs and additional subtypes recruited during injury.
  • A specific population of recruited macrophages, marked by certain gene expressions, has been linked to fibrosis in various injury and cancer models.
  • Blocking Notch2 increases these macrophages in the lungs, but evidence suggests they actually help reduce fibrosis rather than cause it, highlighting their potential protective role during lung injuries.
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  • The study aimed to understand factors affecting the long-term use and disposal of cryopreserved semen straws among cancer patients over nearly three decades.
  • Out of 445 participants, 55 used thawed semen for fertility treatments, 65 disposed of their straws, while a majority of 325 did neither, with younger patients showing lower rates of usage and disposal.
  • The findings suggest a need for policies on cryopreservation that consider efficiency, cost, and patient demographics, potentially requiring consent from patients before preservation to alleviate unnecessary burdens.
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Although many Fertility Centers have adopted day 5 or 6 embryo transfer policy, yet, 30% of embryo transfers in the US are performed on day 3. This is mainly due to concerns related to longer embryo culture effect and higher rates of embryo transfer cancellation on day 5, with no effect on cumulative pregnancy rate. We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing individual embryo transfer order rank, best embryo for fresh transfer and intention to freeze, of day-3 and day-5 embryos based on their morphology score.

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Background: Collection of detailed dietary data is labor intensive and expensive, harmonization of existing data sets has been proposed as an effective tool for research questions in which individual studies are underpowered.

Methods: In this paper, we describe the methodology used to retrospectively harmonize nutritional data from multiple sources, based on the individual participant data of all available studies, which collected nutritional data in Israel between 1963 and 2014. This collaboration was established in order to study the association of red and processed meat with colorectal cancer.

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In order to explore the association between meat consumption and gastrointestinal/colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and to estimate the Israeli population attributable fraction (PAF), we conducted a collaborative historical cohort study using the individual participant data of seven nutritional studies from the past 6 decades. We included healthy adult men and women who underwent a nutritional interview. Dietary assessment data, using food-frequency or 24-h recall questionnaires, were harmonized.

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The aim of our study was to evaluate if the response to follicular GnRH agonist (GnRHa) trigger be used to predict intracycle ovarian response in GnRH antagonist cycles among women undergoing fertility preservation IVF. We conducted a prospective study of 146 GnRH antagonist oocyte pickup (OPU) cycles to evaluate GnRHa stimulation test (GAST). On day 2 of the cycle, basal E2 were measured, followed by injection of 0.

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  • Sperm banks have evolved to focus on single women and female couples instead of just heterosexual couples with male infertility, reflecting societal changes and advances in fertility treatments.
  • A study analyzed the demographic trends of 4,265 single women who received sperm donations in Israel over a 30-year period, dividing the data into six 5-year periods.
  • Findings showed that the average age of single women seeking sperm donation decreased from 39.58 years to 38.08 years, with Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews being the predominant ethnic groups, while women from conservative backgrounds tend to seek sperm donation later in life.
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Purpose: To investigate cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa among patients with azoospermia.

Methods: In this retrospective study spanning from October 1993 to December 2021, we examined men diagnosed with azoospermia who underwent testicular spermatozoa cryopreservation. Data from medical records included utilization and disposal of sperm samples, age at initial cryopreservation.

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Introduction: Ocular rosacea is an underdiagnosed form of rosacea that may occur with or without typical cutaneous signs of rosacea. One of the common manifestations is dry eyes. Although the use of intense pulsed light (IPL) in the treatment of rosacea-related dry eyes has been reported, a recent review is lacking.

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The effect of the mRNA-BNT162b2 vaccine administered prior to fertility treatments has been addressed in several studies, presenting reassuring results. Cycle outcomes of patients receiving the vaccine during the stimulation itself have not been previously described. This retrospective cohort study included patients who received mRNA-BNT162b2-vaccine during the stimulation of fresh IVF cycles, between January-September 2021, age matched to pre-stimulation vaccinated patients and to non-vaccinated patients.

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Background And Objective: The adoption of plant-based diets in recent years has increased the need for accurate assessments of dietary intake among vegans, vegetarians, semi-vegetarians, and omnivores. This study aimed at developing and validating a modular web-based food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the MY-VEG-FFQ. This FFQ was based on the original FFQ (O-FFQ) designed for the Israeli population and incorporates a skip algorithm tailored for different dietary patterns.

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Background: Sperm donation has undergone significant medical and social transformations in recent decades. This study aimed to explore Israeli students' perceptions towards sperm donation and investigate the potential influence of demographic characteristics on these perceptions.

Design: The study encompassed 254 students from Tel-Aviv University, who completed an anonymous online survey in January-February 2021.

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This prospective study aimed to test the ability of follicular GnRH agonist challenge test (FACT) to predict suboptimal response to GnRH agonist trigger, assessed by LH levels post ovulation trigger in non-medical oocyte cryopreservation program. The study included 91 women that underwent non-medical fertility preservation. On day two to menstrual cycle, blood tests were drawn (basal Estradiol, basal FSH, basal LH, Progesterone) and ultrasound (US) was performed.

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Rosacea is a common chronic skin disease distributed primarily around the central face. Ocular manifestations of rosacea are poorly studied, and estimates of prevalence vary widely, ranging from 6% to 72% in the rosacea population. Treatment options for ocular rosacea include lid hygiene, topical and oral antibiotics, cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion, oral vitamin A derivatives, and intense pulsed light; however, a direct comparison of treatment methods for ocular rosacea is lacking.

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Semaglutide is a new weight loss treatment that has received substantial media attention in recent years. Anaesthetists must be aware of a potentially dangerous side effect of the drug: decreased gastric emptying. This is caused by effects on gastric smooth muscle, mediated by the vagal afferent nerves.

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Objective: To study the preference of sperm donors with identity disclosure (ID) versus anonymous donors (AD) and to understand if this selection affects clinical outcomes in an Israeli population.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who chose imported sperm donation during 2017-2021. Of these, 526 used their own (autologous) oocytes and 43 patients used donated oocytes (DO).

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Background: Sperm banks initially focused on providing sperm donation (SD) to heterosexual couples grappling with severe male infertility. Notable advancements in fertility treatments and sociological trends have broadened the scope of SD toward single women and same sex female couples.

Objectives: To evaluate SD recipient characteristics over the last three decades in Israel according to demographic parameters.

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Unlabelled: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common cause of pediatric morbidity, but a standardized protocol to guide decision-making about bronchoscopy is lacking. We aimed to validate a new Foreign body aspiration score (FOBAS) for the pediatric emergency department (ED). Patients aged 0-18 years referred to the ED for suspected FBA were prospectively enrolled.

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Background: We aimed to assess in a prospective multicenter study the quality of echocardiographic exams performed by inexperienced users guided by a new artificial intelligence software and evaluate their suitability for diagnostic interpretation of basic cardiac pathology and quantitative analysis of cardiac chamber and function.

Methods: The software (UltraSight, Ltd) was embedded into a handheld imaging device (Lumify; Philips). Six nurses and 3 medical residents, who underwent minimal training, scanned 240 patients (61±16 years; 63% with cardiac pathology) in 10 standard views.

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Background: Sperm banks face a continuously evolving gap between the increasing demand for sperm donation (SD) vs. limited available reserve. To improve donors' recruitment and increase supply, motivations towards SD should be investigated specifically among young men who have the potential to become donors.

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Background: Ocular rosacea is an underdiagnosed form of rosacea that may occur without typical cutaneous signs of rosacea. Manifestations include blepharitis, lid margin telangiectasias, and scleritis. A systematic comparison of treatment options for ocular rosacea in children is lacking.

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Background: The wide implementation of sperm freezing presents a growing burden on sperm banks.

Objectives: To evaluate sperm freezing and usage patterns over 30 years, according to demographic parameters of age at first cryopreservation and number of children, and indication for cryopreservation.

Material And Methods: This retrospective, population based, cohort study included all sperm cryopreservation cases performed at a tertiary referral center from October 1993 to December 2021, among patients aged 18 years and older.

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5-Methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine are epigenetic modifications involved in gene regulation and cancer. We present a new, simple, and high-throughput platform for multi-color epigenetic analysis. The novelty of our approach is the ability to multiplex methylation and de-methylation signals in the same assay.

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