Impact of COVID-19 mandatory lockdown on maternal gestational weight gain and neonatal macrosomia rate at an academic medical center in Israel.

Background: In an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), governments restricted outdoor activities and imposed lockdown quarantine. This change in lifestyle probably affected individuals' eating habits and physical activity.

Objective: To examine the effect of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal antenatal weight gain, neonatal macrosomia, and other maternal and neonatal outcomes of women delivering at an academic medical center in Israel.

Meperidine Compared With Nitrous Oxide for Intrapartum Pain Relief in Multiparous Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and adverse effects of intravenous meperidine and inhaled nitrous oxide for intrapartum analgesia in multiparous patients.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the delivery ward of a university teaching medical center in Afula, Israel. Multiparous patients with term, singleton pregnancies who were in labor were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 50 mg intravenous meperidine or inhaled nitrous oxide.

Impact of "natural" cesarean delivery on peripartum blood loss: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Early skin-to-skin contact after vaginal delivery increases milk production and may increase oxytocin release, leading to a reduction in the rate of postpartum hemorrhage.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of "natural" cesarean deliveries on perioperative maternal blood loss.

Study Design: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted at a single university-affiliated medical center, between August 2016 and February 2018.

ATP-citrate lyase promotes axonal transport across species.

Microtubule (MT)-based transport is an evolutionary conserved process finely tuned by posttranslational modifications. Among them, α-tubulin acetylation, primarily catalyzed by a vesicular pool of α-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1 (Atat1), promotes the recruitment and processivity of molecular motors along MT tracks. However, the mechanism that controls Atat1 activity remains poorly understood.

Thawing day 3 embryos and culturing to day 5 may be a better method for frozen embryo transfer.

Purpose: Does thawing cleavage embryos and culturing them for transfer as blastocysts improve pregnancy and perinatal outcomes compared to transferring thawed blastocysts?

Methods: Retrospective, observational cohort study performed at two assisted reproductive technology centers, 2014 to 2020. A total of 450 patients with 463 thawed embryo transfer cycles were divided into 2 groups according to the embryonic developmental stage at cryopreservation and transfer: 231 thawed blastocysts (day 5 group) and 232 thawed cleavage embryos that were cultured for 2 days and transferred as blastocysts (day 3-5 group). The two groups were compared for demographics, routine parameters of IVF treatment, pregnancy rates, and perinatal outcomes.

Comparative study of population genomic approaches for mapping colony-level traits.

Social insect colonies exhibit colony-level phenotypes such as social immunity and task coordination, which are produced by the individual phenotypes. Mapping the genetic basis of such phenotypes requires associating the colony-level phenotype with the genotypes in the colony. In this paper, we examine alternative approaches to DNA extraction, library construction, and sequencing for genome wide association studies (GWAS) of colony-level traits using a population sample of Cataglyphis niger ants.

Publisher Correction: The Interplay between Incipient Species and Social Polymorphism in the Desert Ant Cataglyphis.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The Interplay between Incipient Species and Social Polymorphism in the Desert Ant Cataglyphis.

In social insects, due to considerable polyphenism as well as high level of hybridization, the delimitation of species can be challenging. The genus Cataglyphis presents a high level of diversification, making it an excellent model with which to study evolutionary paths. Israel appears to be a "hot spot" for recent speciation in this genus.

Delayed Chronotropic Response due to Autonomic Imbalance Presenting as Dyspnea on Early Exertion: A Complication of Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery has shown promising outcomes in improving overall morbidity and mortality in morbidly obese patients. Cardiovascular risk reduction from weight loss is well known in the literature. However, little is highlighted about the cardiovascular complications of massive and rapid weight loss associated with bariatric surgery.

miR126-5p Downregulation Facilitates Axon Degeneration and NMJ Disruption via a Non-Cell-Autonomous Mechanism in ALS.

Axon degeneration and disruption of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are key events in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology. Although the disease's etiology is not fully understood, it is thought to involve a non-cell-autonomous mechanism and alterations in RNA metabolism. Here, we identified reduced levels of miR126-5p in presymptomatic ALS male mice models, and an increase in its targets: axon destabilizing Type 3 Semaphorins and their coreceptor Neuropilins.

Fluoxetine treatment is effective in a rat model of childhood-induced post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients, their therapeutic efficacy is limited. Childhood adversities are considered a risk factor for developing PTSD in adulthood but may trigger PTSD without additional trauma in some individuals. Nevertheless, just as childhood is considered a vulnerable period it may also be an effective period for preventive treatment.

Ventricular fibrillation induced by high-output ICD shock: report of cases and review of literature.

This report highlights the importance of realising that even the modern-day implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) with R wave synchronised appropriate shocks have a potential proarrhythmic effect. We present two cases of ventricular fibrillation induction resulting from an appropriate ICD shock observed in two different patients at our institution. Such cases have not been reported before.

A Novel Solution for the High Defibrillation Threshold in Patients with a DF-4 Lead: Adding a High Voltage Adaptor/Splitter.

A high defibrillation threshold occurs in approximately 6% of implants. The defibrillation threshold can be improved by addition of a defibrillation lead. However, the DF-4 high energy ICD header precludes the addition of a defibrillation lead.

Deadly proposal: a case of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare adrenergically mediated arrhythmogenic disorder classically induced by exercise or emotional stress and found in structurally normal hearts. It is an important cause of cardiac syncope and sudden death in childhood. Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is a genetic cardiac channelopathy with known mutations involving genes affecting intracellular calcium regulation.

Do stress responses promote leukemia progression? An animal study suggesting a role for epinephrine and prostaglandin-E2 through reduced NK activity.

In leukemia patients, stress and anxiety were suggested to predict poorer prognosis. Oncological patients experience ample physiological and psychological stress, potentially leading to increased secretion of stress factors, including epinephrine, corticosteroids, and prostaglandins. Here we tested whether environmental stress and these stress factors impact survival of leukemia-challenged rats, and studied mediating mechanisms.

Juvenile Leigh syndrome, optic atrophy, ataxia, dystonia, and epilepsy due to T14487C mutation in the mtDNA-ND6 gene: a mitochondrial syndrome presenting from birth to adolescence.

An increasing number of reports describe mutations in mitochondrial DNA coding regions, especially in mitochondrial DNA- encoded nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit genes of the respiratory chain complex I, as causing early-onset Leigh syndrome. The authors report the molecular findings in a 24-year-old patient with juvenile-onset Leigh syndrome presenting with optic atrophy, ataxia dystonia, and epilepsy. A brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia and thalamic hypointensities, and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed an increased lactate peak.

A large homozygous deletion in the SAMHD1 gene causes atypical Aicardi-Goutiéres syndrome associated with mtDNA deletions.

Aicardi-Goutiéres syndrome (AGS) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder with clinical symptoms mimicking a congenital viral infection. Five causative genes have been described: three prime repair exonuclease1 (TREX1), ribonucleases H2A, B and C, and most recently SAM domain and HD domain 1 (SAMHD1). We performed a detailed clinical and molecular characterization of a family with autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder showing white matter destruction and calcifications, presenting in utero and associated with multiple mtDNA deletions.

Chronic non-paroxysmal neuropathic pain - Novel phenotype of mutation in the sodium channel SCN9A gene.

Background: Gain-of-function mutations in the SCN9A gene (encoding to NaV1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel) cause two rare paroxysmal pain disorders: inherited erythromelalgia (IEM) and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEDP). These phenotypes are characterized by episodic extreme localized pain with cutaneous autonomic signs.

Synergism between immunostimulation and prevention of surgery-induced immune suppression: an approach to reduce post-operative tumor progression.

Background: A unique opportunity to eradicate cancer is presented immediately after the excision of the primary tumor, but surgical procedures often induce the release of immunosuppressing factors that render cell mediated immunity ineffective. Here we tested the hypothesis that integration of peri-operative immunostimulation and blockade of immunosuppression could synergistically improve post-operative anti-metastatic immunity and long-term survival.

Methods: Two syngeneic tumor models in F344 rats were employed, studying post-operative tumor progression.

Kin composition effects on reproductive competition among queenless honeybee workers.

Kin selection and inclusive fitness theories predict that, in hopeless queenless (QL) groups, competition or cooperation will occur over male production among workers of different patrilines. Competition is expected to involve mutual inhibition of reproduction and to affect fertility advertisement. To examine kin effect on these phenomena, we studied QL groups of honeybee workers comprising three types of kin structure: groups composed of pure single patrilines, groups composed of three mixed patrilines (all originating from colonies headed by single-drone-inseminated queens), and control groups composed of bees originating from naturally mated queens.

Improving SVT discrimination in single-chamber ICDs: a new electrogram morphology-based algorithm.

Introduction: Wide-spread adoption of ICD therapy has focused efforts on improving the quality of life for patients by reducing "inappropriate" shock therapies. To this end, distinguishing supraventricular tachycardia from ventricular tachycardia remains a major challenge for ICDs. More sophisticated discrimination algorithms based on ventricular electrogram morphology have been made practicable by the increased computational ability of modern ICDs.

Autologous control of a highly malignant syngeneic CRNK-16 leukemia in the rat: a role for NK cells.

It is unclear whether autologous immunity could be recruited to restrict the progression of leukemia. Patients harboring leukemia commonly display suppressed cell mediated immunity, which may contribute to their inability to control the disease. Immune response against leukemia is evident in allogeneic HLA-mismatched bone marrow transplantation, implicating the involvement of NK cells.