Publications by authors named "David Serfaty"

Novel male contraceptives have been in development for well over half a century, and despite a robust predicted global market for new methods, funding for research and development has been extremely limited. While the pharmaceutical industry previously supported male contraceptive research and development, industry partners are only spectators in the current space, awaiting a product that has been de-risked by the public sector before re-entering the field. Current male contraceptive development efforts are thus primarily funded by nonprofit, non-governmental, and government agencies who also act as the primary advocates for the field.

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Background: While several studies have noted smell impairment in schizophrenia, it is unclear whether this impairment extends to acute psychosis and whether it is associated with more severe illness as expressed in extended hospitalization.

Objectives: To evaluate the olfactory function of patients in an acute psychotic state and correlate it with clinical symptomatology and length of hospitalization.

Methods: Olfactory function was assessed in 20 patients with schizophrenia in their first week of hospital admission for acute psychosis compared with matched controls.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study (BZK40+) investigated the effectiveness and safety of a spermicide containing benzalkonium chloride in women aged 40 and above, aiming to assess its contraceptive efficacy over 12 months.
  • - A total of 151 women participated, with a high retention rate; 95.4% completed the initial 6-month phase, and 41.7% opted to continue for another 6 months, applying the spermicide in 96.3% of their sexual encounters.
  • - Remarkably, the study reported a Pearl Index of 0 pregnancies during the 12-month period, indicating effective contraception, but the authors suggest caution in interpreting these results due to the usual lower efficacy of spermicides
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Background: Young Jewish Ultra-Orthodox women usually show less disturbances in body image and eating in comparison to less religious communities. By contrast, problems with eating are highly unknown and unrecognized in Jewish Ultra-Orthodox males.

Aim: To investigate whether in Ultra-Orthodox males, restricting-type AN (AN-R) with highly obsessional physical activity and unspecified restricting eating disorder (ED) in the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) would lead to severe physical and emotional morbidity.

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Few if any methodologically robust studies of first-episode psychosis have been carried out in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population. The opening of an inpatient psychiatry department within an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Israel offered the unique opportunity to study the specifics of first -episode psychosis in this subpopulation. Medical records of 60 ultra-Orthodox male Jewish patients with first-episode psychosis were examined over the first 18 months of the new department's operation.

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This study evaluates the nature and intensity of anxiety, interpretations of the COVID-19 pandemic and coping modalities of hospitalized patients with mental illness compared with their caregivers. One hundred and fifty-one subjects were evaluated with a specially designed questionnaire. Psychiatric inpatients reported more anxiety and more negative feelings than staff members and healthy subjects, but inpatients felt protected by the hospital and Ministry of Health (MoH) measures.

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This study aims to describe the role that religion and belief may play in members of the Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish population hospitalized in the Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center and diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Religion was judged essential by the patients in the management of their illness. Forty percent of the patients perceive their illness as their destiny, 26.

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Religious coping is prevalent among individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders, however its clinical relevance has been insufficiently studied. Thirty ultra-Orthodox Jewish patients experiencing current psychotic symptoms and receiving treatment in the inpatient and day-care units were administered measures assessing severity of psychotic symptoms, psychological distress/well-being, beliefs about treatment credibility/expectancy, and aspects of religious belief and coping. Among men, negative religious coping was associated with lower treatment credibility.

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Pharmaceutical companies in countries that have community-oriented models of healthcare, unlike other countries with highly privatised healthcare systems, such as the United States, cannot legally advertise medications directly to patients. Thus, the physician is entirely responsible for choosing the right medication, and needs to take important professional and ethical concerns into consideration during this decision-making process. Pharmaceutical companies invest considerably in in marketing products to physicians.

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Background: Schizophrenia is associated with severe cognitive deficits, particularly episodic memory deficits, that interfere with patients' socio-professional functioning. Retrieval practice (also known as testing effect) is a well-established episodic memory strategy that involves taking an initial memory test on a previously learned material. Testing later produces robust long-term memory improvements in comparison to the restudy of the same material both in healthy subjects and in some clinical populations with memory deficits.

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In recent years, the importance of cultural sensitivity and the adaptation of mental health services to diverse populations has been growing. Simultaneously, awareness of psychiatric illnesses and treatment is increasing, even among the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) population in Israel, with specialized services developing. Many studies have emphasized the central role of religion and belief in the coping styles of those with mental illness and their healing processes.

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Our aim was to provide a consensus of best practice in intrauterine contraception (IUC) for French practitioners. A meeting of 38 gynaecologists was held to establish a consensus of best practice in IUC, using the validated nominal group (NG) method to reach consensus. Seventy questions were posed covering insertion, monitoring and removal of IUC devices.

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Editorial.

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care

October 2016

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Objectives: Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are the most widely used contraceptive method in Europe. Paradoxically, rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion are still remarkably high. A lack of knowledge about COCs is often reported to lead to poor adherence, suggesting an unmet need for adequate contraceptive counselling.

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The obesity 'epidemic' continues to increase, mostly but not only in developed countries. As overweight and obese women are at an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) at baseline and at a much higher risk during pregnancy, it is essential to help these women to plan pregnancies carefully and to use contraceptives with a positive ratio of benefits versus risks. The Expert Group on hormonal and molecular contraception of the European Society of Contraception convened to review the existing evidence and propose recommendations to the prescribers in line with most recent studies and with the Medical Eligibility Criteria of the World Health Organisation.

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Since its introduction in 1960, the combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill has become one of the most widely and frequently used methods of contraception worldwide. Although highly effective, early COC formulations were associated with significant adverse effects and unacceptable cardiovascular risk. Improvements in tolerability and safety have been achieved, without compromises in effectiveness, primarily via hormone dosage reductions and the development of several new progestins.

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A retrospective clinical review was done on 54 revision hip patients. Radiological analysis examined the Gross and AAOS classifications, stem position, cement mantles, allograft and evolution (subsidence, resorption and remodelling). The Harris Hip score was used for clinical assessment.

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