Pain-Associated Diagnoses in Childhood Before the Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Study.

Pediatric pain significantly affects children's lives, leading to school absenteeism, impaired social interactions, and psychological distress. The perception of sensory signals as pain is influenced by the brain's noradrenergic system, and recent evidence suggests that chronic pain may impact cognitive functioning and emotional regulation. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with alterations in the dopaminergic/noradrenergic systems, which could affect pain perception.

Nature of the Association between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cervical Cancer and Its Potential Therapeutic Implications.

It is now established that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer (CC) or its precursor, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). However, the underlying mechanisms of this association have not been elucidated. RA is characterized by unresolved chronic inflammation.

Glycoprotein Acetyls Is a Novel Biomarker Predicting Cardiovascular Complications in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and early onset atherosclerosis is well depicted, each with an important inflammatory component. Glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), a novel biomarker of inflammation, may play a role in the manifestation of these two inflammatory conditions. The present study examined a potential mediating role of GlycA within the RA-atherosclerosis relationship to determine whether it accounts for the excess risk of cardiovascular disease over that posed by lipid risk factors.

Analysis of the Associations of Measurements of Body Composition and Inflammatory Factors with Cardiovascular Disease and Its Comorbidities in a Community-Based Study.

The associations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with comorbidities and biochemical and body composition measurements are repeatedly described but have not been studied simultaneously. In the present cross-sectional study, information on CVD and comorbidities [type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HTN), and hyperlipidemia (HDL)], body composition, levels of soluble markers, and other measures were collected from 1079 individuals. When we examined the association of each comorbidity and CVD, controlling for other comorbidities, we observed a clear pattern of the comorbidity-related specific associations with tested covariates.

Pathogens Causing Pediatric Community Acquired Urinary Tract Infections and Their Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance: A Nationwide Study.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in childhood are common and are associated with considerable acute morbidity and long-term complications. The need for updated data to optimize empiric antibiotic therapy is crucial. We aimed to investigate the pathogens causing pediatric community acquired UTIs, their correlation with demographic characteristics, and trends in their antimicrobial resistance.

The Association Between Repeated Measured Febrile Episodes During Early Childhood and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Large-Scale Population-Based Study.

Objective: We examined the association between the number, magnitude, and frequency of febrile episodes during the 0 to 4 years of life and subsequent diagnosis of ADHD.

Methods: This population-based case-control study in an Israeli HMO, Leumit Health Services (LHS), uses a database for all LHS members aged 5 to 18 years between 1/1/2002 and 1/30/2022. The number and magnitude of measured fever episodes during the 0 to 4 years were recorded in individuals with ADHD ( = 18,558) and individually matched non-ADHD controls in a 1:2 ratio ( = 37,116).

Relationships between Circulating Biomarkers and Body Composition Parameters in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Community-Based Study.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex disease involving multiple physiological, biochemical, and metabolic abnormalities. The search for reliable biomarkers may help to better elucidate its pathogenesis and develop new preventive and therapeutic strategies. In the present population-based study, we looked for biomarkers of MetS among obesity- and inflammation-related circulating factors and body composition parameters in 1079 individuals (with age range between 18 and 80) belonging to an ethnically homogeneous population.

Increased Rate of Familial Mediterranean Fever in Children With ADHD: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Objective: There is growing evidence of involvement of inflammatory mechanisms in ADHD. Previous studies found significantly higher rates of ADHD among children with FMF. The present study examined the rate of exposure to FMF in children with a later (within a 5-year period) diagnosis of ADHD compared to non-ADHD children.

Physician-Patient Communication Course: When the Inauguration of a New Israeli Medical School Coincided with COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The curriculum of the Adelson School of Medicine at Ariel University, the newly established sixth medical school in Israel, includes a simulation center-based extended course on physician-patient communication, aiming to help students master the core competency of interpersonal and communication skills. For more than a year following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school suspended most face-to-face (F2F) encounters, transforming most teaching activities to remote platforms. The paper outlines the ways we adapted teaching of this course to these circumstances, the reactions of students and mentors to the changes and results of 1st year students' survey.

The Association of Weight Reduction and Other Variables after Bariatric Surgery with the Likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background And Aims: Although obesity has been confirmed as a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severity, the role of post-bariatric surgery (BS) variables and the infection is unclear. We, therefore, aimed to study comprehensively the relationship between the extent of weight reduction after surgery and other demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables with the rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was performed, utilizing advanced tracking methodologies on the computerized database of a nation-wide health maintenance organization (HMO).

Pediatric antibiotic stewardship programs in Europe: a pilot survey among delegates of The European Academy of Pediatrics.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Efforts to promote the judicious use of antibiotics and contain AMR are a priority of several medical organizations, including the WHO. One effective way to achieve this goal is the deployment of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs).

Process of drug registration in Israel: the correlation between the number of discussions within the Ministry of Health and postapproval variations by EMA and/or FDA.

Objectives: US FDA and EMA allow facilitated regulatory pathways to expedite access to new treatments. Limited supportive data may result in major postapproval variations. In Israel, partly relying on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), clinical data are reviewed independently by the Advisory Committee of Drug Registration (ACDR).

The Association between Previous Antibiotic Consumption and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

: The susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection is complex and not yet fully elucidated, being related to many variables; these include human microbiome and immune status, which are both affected for a long period by antibiotic use. We therefore aimed to examine the association of previous antibiotic consumption and SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large-scale population-based study with control of known confounders. A matched case-control study was performed utilizing the electronic medical records of a large Health Maintenance Organization.

Bacterial vs viral etiology of fever: A prospective study of a host score for supporting etiologic accuracy of emergency department physicians.

Background: A host-protein score (BV score) that combines the circulating levels of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) and C-reactive protein (CRP) was developed for distinguishing bacterial from viral infection. This study assessed the potential of the BV score to impact decision making and antibiotic stewardship at the emergency department (ED), by comparing BV score's performance to physician's etiological suspicion at patient presentation.

Methods: Rosetta study participants, aged 3 months to 18 years with febrile respiratory tract infection or fever without source, were prospectively recruited in a tertiary care pediatric ED.

How to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children? determinants associated with vaccine compliance.

Objective: Three aims: to elucidate determinants associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children and the association with parental vaccination; to compare rates of PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 results between vaccinated and unvaccinated children; to estimate the rate of parental COVID-19 vaccination and its association with the vaccination rate of their children.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all children aged 5-11 years registered at a central district in Israel from November 21st, 2021 to April 30th, 2022, and characterized COVID-19 vaccinated vs. unvaccinated individuals.

Clozapine Suppresses the Gene Expression and the Production of Cytokines and Up-Regulates Cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA in Human Astroglial Cells.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic neurodevelopmental psychotic disorder. The immune system and neuroinflammation seem to play a central role in the pathophysiology of SCZ. Clozapine is an effective atypical antipsychotic used for treatment-resistant SCZ.