Efficacy of Birth Dose Vaccination in Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Engerix-B and Sci-B-Vac.

Peripartum transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from an infected mother to the child can be prevented in most but not all cases by immediate vaccination of the newborn. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two licensed hepatitis B vaccines, Engerix-B versus Sci-B-Vac, in preventing peripartum HBV transmission. A prospective multicenter randomized controlled study in 4 delivery centers was performed from 2009 to 2014.

Double-blind randomized trial of progesterone to prevent preterm birth in second-trimester bleeding.

Introduction: Second-trimester vaginal bleeding increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. We aimed to examine the efficacy of vaginal progesterone to reduce preterm birth rate in women with second-trimester vaginal bleeding.

Material And Methods: Two-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving pregnant women with second-trimester vaginal bleeding.

Screening Arab Israeli Pregnant Women for Group B Streptococcus by the AmpliVue GBS Assay: Are the Rates Higher than the National Average?

Background: The recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding universal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) at 35-37 weeks gestational age in pregnancy is not accepted in Israel.

Diagnosis and Classification of 17 Diseases from 1404 Subjects via Pattern Analysis of Exhaled Molecules.

We report on an artificially intelligent nanoarray based on molecularly modified gold nanoparticles and a random network of single-walled carbon nanotubes for noninvasive diagnosis and classification of a number of diseases from exhaled breath. The performance of this artificially intelligent nanoarray was clinically assessed on breath samples collected from 1404 subjects having one of 17 different disease conditions included in the study or having no evidence of any disease (healthy controls). Blind experiments showed that 86% accuracy could be achieved with the artificially intelligent nanoarray, allowing both detection and discrimination between the different disease conditions examined.

Religion and family planning.

Religion is embedded in the culture of all societies. It influences matters of morality, ideology and decision making, which concern every human being at some point in their life. Although the different religions often lack a united view on matters such contraception and abortion, there is sometimes some dogmatic overlap when general religious principles are subject to the influence of local customs.

Tuberculosis during Pregnancy in Northern Israel, 2002-2012: Epidemiology and Clinical Practices.

Background: Atypical presentation of tuberculosis (TB) during pregnancy may cause diagnostic delay and adversely influence pregnancy outcome.

Objectives: To examine the incidence and clinical and epidemiological features of TB during pregnancy and investigate infection control measures at delivery and during the postpartum period.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all reported cases of TB diagnosed during pregnancy to 6 months postpartum in Israel's Northern Health District (2002-2012).

Barriers to human papillomavirus vaccine acceptability in Israel.

Barriers to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptability in Israel include Israel's relatively low incidence of cervical cancer; the religiously-based 80% circumcision rate in Israel, which is regarded as contributing to the lower incidence of HPV infection in the country; the fact that HPV vaccine provides immunity against only few virus types; the vaccine's high cost; and the perception that HPV transmission is associated with unacceptable sexual relations. A recent survey has demonstrated that, following media two campaigns, Israeli's level of awareness of the vaccine increased but the actual vaccination rate remained low, at approximately 10%. Survey findings also indicated that an enduring barrier to HPV vaccination is the vaccine's high cost.

The petrous portion of the temporal bone as shown on sonography between 14 and 40 weeks' gestation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of sonographically identifying, measuring, and constructing nomograms of the fetal petrous bone, the part of the temporal bone that houses the auditory apparatus.

Methods: A total of 248 consecutive pregnant women between 14 and 40 weeks' gestation were included. During a routine scan using transvaginal or transabdominal sonography, the fetal head was assessed in transverse sections.