Publications by authors named "Dagan R"

Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), specifically PCV10 and PCV13, on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) globally, highlighting how these vaccines have reduced the prevalence of disease caused by vaccine-type serotypes after extensive use.
  • It describes the methodology of data collection from various surveillance sites, which aimed to evaluate IPD cases that occurred five years after the vaccines were implemented, focusing on different age groups for analysis.
  • Findings indicate significant differences in serotype distribution between PCV10 and PCV13 sites; notably, certain serotypes, such as 19A and serotype 3, were prevalent in specific age groups, signaling ongoing challenges in controlling
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Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages.

Methods: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%.

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Introduction: We hypothesized that response to infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), administered during peak respiratory viral seasons could be blunted, particularly to higher carrier-load PCVs.

Methods: We did a post-hoc analysis of a large, double-blind, randomized study comparing 13-valent vs. 7-valent PCVs (PCV13; PCV7) administered to infants (at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months).

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Background: Nirsevimab is an extended half-life, highly potent neutralizing monoclonal antibody against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein, with efficacy in preventing RSV-associated medically attended (MA) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and medically vulnerable children (aged ≤24 months). This post-hoc exploratory analysis examined the incidence of LRTI from RSV and other respiratory pathogens during a 2:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of nirsevimab, in healthy-term and late-preterm (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) characteristics and mortality rates among adults in Israel, focusing on the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) and serotypes not included in the previous PCV13.
  • Data from 2009 to 2018 revealed that PCV20non13 serotypes made up 26% of IPD cases, with a 16.2% case-fatality rate (CFR), while PCV13 had a CFR of 21.1%, indicating that PCV20 could potentially reduce IPD mortality.
  • The findings suggest that while PCV20non13 serotypes show comparable mortality rates to PC
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Article Synopsis
  • RSV is a significant cause of infant mortality and poses health risks for older adults, prompting the development of various vaccines and treatments, including a protein-based maternal vaccine and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specifically for infants.* -
  • High-income countries have seen public health benefits from using nirsevimab, and several vaccines for older adults have also been approved, with ongoing clinical trials for multiple vaccine types targeting different age groups.* -
  • There's a need to address disparities in vaccine access, especially in low- and middle-income countries, with plans to advance RSV vaccination efforts globally in the near future.*
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Lower respiratory tract infections, commonly caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), pose a substantial global health burden, especially in children younger than 5 years of age. A deeper understanding of the relationship between RSV and pneumococcus would aid the development of health-care approaches to disease prevention and management. We completed a systematic review to identify and assess evidence pertaining to the relationship between RSV and pneumococcus in the pathogenesis of childhood respiratory infections.

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Understanding how pathogens spread across geographical space is fundamental for control measures such as vaccination. (the pneumococcus) is a respiratory bacterium responsible for a large proportion of infectious disease morbidity and mortality globally. Even in the post-vaccination era, the rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) remain stable in most countries, including Israel.

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Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy accounting for 1% of all head and neck cancers. Treatment for ACC has its challenges and risks, yet few outcomes studies exist. We present long-term outcomes of patients with ACC of the head and neck treated with proton therapy (PT).

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The first assortment of achiral pentafluorosulfanylated cyclobutanes (SF-CBs) are now synthetically accessible through strain-release functionalization of [1.1.0]bicyclobutanes (BCBs) using SFCl.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Phase 3 MELODY trial evaluated the effectiveness of nirsevimab in preventing RSV in children during their second RSV season.
  • Results showed that there was no increase in medically attended RSV lower respiratory infections or disease severity in children who received nirsevimab compared to those who received a placebo.
  • The clinical trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov under NCT03979313, confirming its scientific validity.
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The demand for protein products has significantly risen in the last few years. In western countries, animals are the primary source of protein; however, plants could take a share of this market due to lower production costs, among other advantages such as a lower environmental footprint. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

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Background: Pediatric esthesioneuroblastoma (EN) can infiltrate skull base anatomy, presenting challenges due to high radiation doses and pediatric tissue sensitivity. This study reports outcomes of pediatric EN treated with proton radiotherapy (PT).

Procedure: Using an IRB-approved prospective outcomes registry, we evaluated patient, tumor, and treatment-related variables impacting disease control and toxicity in pediatric nonmetastatic EN treated with modern multimodality therapy, including PT.

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Background: Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have proliferated due to increasing opioid-related deaths. We evaluated acute opioid use changes for 64 patients treated with highly conformal radiotherapy (RT) following a state-mandated PDMP.

Methods: Patients receiving proton therapy (PT) (n=40), intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) (n=14), or both (n=10) were divided into preintervention (n=26) and postintervention cohorts (n=38); records were reviewed retrospectively under an institutional review board (IRB)-approved tracking protocol.

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Controlled experiments at the level of individual plants show that legume species use different strategies for the regulation of symbiotic dinitrogen fixation in response to nitrogen availability. These strategies were suggested to improve legume fitness in the context of the plant community, although rarely studied at this level. We evaluated how nitrogen availability and conspecific vs heterospecific interactions influenced the strategy of regulation of nitrogen fixation.

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This study investigated the feasibility of combining high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with the simulation capabilities of the Nucleonica Nuclear Science Portal with the aim to determine the properties of Cf sources. In this contribution, we present the results for a 20-month-old and a 49-year-old Cf source. In particular, the question arises whether the neutron emission rate can be determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy.

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Background: Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is a common childhood infectious disease. Deep learning models show promise in X-ray interpretation and diagnosis, but their validation should be extended due to limitations in the current validation workflow. To extend the standard validation workflow we propose doing a pilot test with the next characteristics.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sinonasal neoplasms (both benign and malignant) are complex issues for clinicians, highlighting the need for collaboration to improve patient care, as presented in the International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Sinonasal Tumors (ICSNT).
  • The ICSNT document organizes findings into four main sections: general principles, benign neoplasms, malignant neoplasms, and quality of life, covering 48 specific topics and providing evidence-based recommendations and summaries based on their rigor.
  • This comprehensive document reflects a collective effort from an international team to advance understanding and intervention methods for sinonasal neoplasms, while also identifying future research opportunities.
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Objective: To compare dispensed oral antibiotic prescription rates (DAPRs) after implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in high antibiotic-prescribing clinics (HPC) with low antibiotic-prescribing clinics (LPC) in 2 distinct ethnic groups of children (Jewish and Bedouin children) <5 years of age.

Methods: Clinics with ≥50 insured children, active both pre-PCV (2005-2009) and post-PCV (2010-2018) implementation, were included. HPC and LPC were defined by DAPRs above or below the median in each age and ethnic group.

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Background: We report the results of an international multi-institutional cohort of oligometastatic (OMD) head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with SBRT.

Methods: Patients with OMD HNC (≤5 metastases) treated with SBRT between 2008 and 2016 at six institutions were included. Treated metastasis control (TMC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by multivariable analysis (MVA).

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Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-derived synthetic CTs to monitor the daily dose and trigger a plan review for adaptive proton therapy (APT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Methods: For 84 HNC patients treated with proton pencil-beam scanning (PBS), same-day CBCT and verification CT (vfCT) pairs were retrospectively collected. The ground truth CT (gtCT) was created by deforming the vfCT to the same-day CBCT, and it was then used as a dosimetric baseline and for establishing plan review trigger recommendations.

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Objectives: Following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction, community pediatric dispensed prescription rates (DPR) of oral antibiotics declined, in parallel to respiratory tract infection (RTI). We assessed the dynamics of outpatient parenteral ceftriaxone DPR.

Methods: Computerized data for children <5 years were examined during 13 years (including 4 pre-PCV years).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Analysis showed that RSV A and B infections occurred at similar rates, with some noteworthy substitutions in their fusion proteins affecting susceptibility to nirsevimab.
  • * Despite some binding site changes, over 99% of RSV isolates from the trials remained sensitive to nirsevimab, indicating its continued effectiveness.
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