Developing a length of stay prediction model for newborns, achieving better accuracy with greater usability.

Background: One in ten newborn children is born prematurely. The elongated length of stay (LOS) of these children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has important implications on hospital occupancy figures, healthcare and management costs, as well as the psychology of parents. In order to allow accurate planning and resource allocation, this study aims to create a generalizable and robust model to predict the NICU LOS of preterm newborns.

[NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS - AN ONGOING CHALLENGE].

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major cause for morbidity and mortality among neonates, especially among low birth weight premature infants. Even though NEC has been highly investigated during the last few decades, understanding of the pathogenesis is still relatively poor. Throughout the years protective measures, as well as risk factors, were identified, but there is still no clear prevention strategy, and the percentage of neonates suffering of NEC was not changed.

"Golden Hour" quality improvement intervention and short-term outcome among preterm infants.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement intervention during the first hour of life ("Golden Hour") on short-term preterm neonatal outcome.

Study Design: A comprehensive protocol designed for initial stabilization and treatment of preterm infants that included cord blood sampling, use of a dedicated resuscitation room and improved team communication using Crew Resource Management tools. The infants admitted before and after implementation of the protocol were retrospectively compared in a matched case-control design.

Propagating cell-membrane waves driven by curved activators of actin polymerization.

Cells exhibit propagating membrane waves which involve the actin cytoskeleton. One type of such membranal waves are Circular Dorsal Ruffles (CDR) which are related to endocytosis and receptor internalization. Experimentally, CDRs have been associated with membrane bound activators of actin polymerization of concave shape.

CYP1A1 and CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms in Israeli Jewish women with cervical cancer.

Hypothesis: To assess the frequency distribution of the CYP1A1 and CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms in Israeli Jewish women with cervical cancer.

Methods: Forty-three Israeli Jewish women with cervical cancer and 123 healthy Israeli Jewish women were assessed. CYP1A1 (2 alleles) and CYP2D6 polymorphism was analyzed using an allele-specific, polymerase chain reaction-based method.