Recent Publications
Yara Hamshawi, Assaf Malka, Ron Piran: P systems with protein rules ( Journal of the Franklin Institute)
Membrane computing or P-systems is a subfield of natural computing, which models living systems with mathematical tools. In classical membrane-computing, cells or organs are surrounded by a simple membrane and computational events take place in either side of the membrane. We have developed a new conceptual tool to better fit P-systems to higher-order organisms, which rely on the actual membrane structure of the cell and on the biochemical reactions (rules), which take place on the membrane of different organs in our body. To demonstrate the power of this new concept, we modeled the process of maintaining normoglycemia in healthy individuals as well as in type-I and type-II diabetes patients. The main challenge was to prioritize the insulin-producing β-cells over other organs, i.e., once glucose has entered the body, it must first enter specifically into pancreatic β-cells in order to release the hormone Insulin. However, using classical membrane computing, we could not implement this hierarchy. Therefore, we chose to utilize the membrane actual physiology and add its properties to the current definitions of membrane computing. In particular, we use enzymes and protein-transporters (as well as channels) to apply algebraic rules. In addition, we show that the defined systems are universal, by simulating register machines. Thus, allowing deterministic manner operations in a non-deterministic system by giving membrane-specific rules. To our gratification, we succeeded to adequately describe the process of glucose homeostasis in health and disease while bringing the science of membrane-computing closer to the natural world.
Erez Kachel, Liza Grosman-Rimon, Shachar Yehezkeel, Leonid Sternik, Ehud Raanani: The Modified Sternoplasty: A Novel Surgical Technique for Treating Mediastinitis (Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open . )
Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is one of the most complex and devastating complications post cardiac surgery. We present here the modified sternoplasty, a novel surgical technique for treating DSWI post cardiac surgery.
Michal Carmiel Haggai, Inshirah Sgayer, Jacob Bornstein, Marwan Odeh, Lior Lowenstein, Maya Frank Wolf: Liver stiffness and steatosis in preeclampsia as shown by transient elastography - a prospective cohort study (Am J Obstet Gynecol . )
Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder and the leading cause of severe morbidity and death in pregnancy. Liver involvement in preeclampsia ranges from elevated liver enzyme levels to hepatic infarction or rupture. Endothelial dysfunction leads to changes in blood flow and congestion and may be involved in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Changes in splanchnic blood flow and portal congestion can result in altered liver stiffness. Transient elastography is a non-invasive ultrasound-based technique that measures organ stiffness as well as steatosis, therefore widely used in clinical hepatology. Previous studies reported elevated liver stiffness and liver steatosis, as measured by transient elastography, in women with preeclampsia. This study followed changes in liver stiffness and steatosis, as measured by transient elastography, from the antepartum period to one-week postpartum among women with preeclampsia versus healthy controls; and evaluated the association of preeclampsia severity with transient elastography results.
Dally-Gottfried Orna: Early exposures and inherent factors in premature newborns are associated with type 1 diabetes (Pediatr Res .)
Pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves immune responses that may be associated with early exposure to environmental factors among preterm newborns. The aim of this work was to evaluate for association between T1D and maternal, nutritional, and medical exposures during the neonatal period among premature newborns.
Ohad Ronen; Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules (THYCOVID): a retrospective, international, multicentre, cross-sectional study (Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol .)
Since its outbreak in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted resources from non-urgent and elective procedures, leading to diagnosis and treatment delays, with an increased number of neoplasms at advanced stages worldwide. The aims of this study were to quantify the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to evaluate whether delays in surgery led to an increased occurrence of aggressive tumours.
Shemy Carasso, Offer Amir: The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and In-hospital Survival in Patients Admitted With Acute Heart Failure (Front Cardiovasc Med .)
The association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and clinical outcomes following acute heart failure (AHF) hospitalization is debated in the literature. Our objective was to study the real-world relationship between BMI and in-hospital mortality in patients who were admitted with AHF.
Gassan Moady, Shahar Perlmutter, Shaul Atar: The Prognostic Value of Natriuretic Peptides in Stable Patients with Suspected Acute Myocarditis: A Retrospective Study (J Clin Med .)
Risk stratification in acute myocarditis is based on the clinical signs of heart failure, the degree of cardiac dysfunction, and the findings in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The aim of the current study is to examine the prognostic yield of the natriuretic peptide N-terminal-pro hormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in acute myocarditis among patients with preserved/mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
Avi Benov, Elon Glassberg: Humanitarian Medical Aid Mission in the Middle of a Pandemic - Israeli Experience in Equatorial Guinea (Prehosp Disaster Med .)
In March 2021, a series of explosions shook a military base in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. As a response to government officials' request, the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps (IDF-MC) deployed an emergency aid team that faced two major challenges: (1) understanding the scenario, the injury patterns, and the needs of the local medical system; and (2) minimizing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak threats. This report describes the team design, the activities performed before and during the deployment, analyzes the pathology encountered, and shares lessons learned from the mission.
Tal Shachar: Temporal Hollowing Causes, Classifications, and Treatment Options: A Systematic Review (J Cosmet Dermatol .)
Recent developments in surgical techniques and grading schemas to treat temporal hollowing necessitate critically assessing their efficacy. This systematic review presents the currently available protocols for temporal hollowing, aimed toward improving the clinical approach, for the benefit of the surgeon and patient.
Adeeb Zoabi, Idan Redenski, Daniel Oren, Adi Kasem, Asaf Zigron, Shadi Daoud, Liad Moskovich, Fares Kablan, Samer Srouji: 3D Printing and Virtual Surgical Planning in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (J Clin Med . )
Compared to traditional manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing and 3D printing stand out in their ability to rapidly fabricate complex structures and precise geometries. The growing need for products with different designs, purposes and materials led to the development of 3D printing, serving as a driving force for the 4th industrial revolution and digitization of manufacturing. 3D printing has had a global impact on healthcare....The current review offers our perspective on the implementation of 3D-based technologies in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, while indicating major clinical applications. Moreover, the current report outlines the 3D printing point-of-care concept in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Inbar Ben Shachar: Predicting the rate of adjuvant postoperative chemo/radiation in cervical cancer with tumor size ≥2 cm and <4 cm: An Israeli Gynecologic Oncology Group study (Surg Oncol .)
Women with cervical cancer who undergo radical hysterectomy are often treated postoperatively with chemoradiation. Patient selection that minimizes adjuvant treatment is valuable. We compared two methods for predicting postoperative adjuvant treatment of women with tumor size ≥2 cm and <4 cm.
Daniel Kovarsky, Adi Shani, Alon Rod, Dan Ciubotaru, Nimrod Rahamimov: Effectiveness of intra-venous steroids for preventing surgery for lumbo-sacral radiculopathy secondary to intervertebral disc herniation: a retrospective study of 213 patients (Sci Rep
The natural history of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy is favorable, with 95% of patients expected to be pain-free within 6 months of onset. Despite the favorable prognosis, operative treatment is often chosen by patients unable to "ride out" the radicular episode. Prospective studies comparing surgical with non-surgical treatment have demonstrated similar long-term results. We conducted a retrospective case-series study of patients with a lumbar disc herniation and intractable radicular pain without significant neurological deficits treated with intra-venous dexamethasone.
Nir Qvit: How Similar Are Proteins and Origami? (Biomolecules . )
Protein folding and structural biology are highly active disciplines that combine basic research in various fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science, with practical applications in biomedicine and nanotechnology. However, there are still gaps in the understanding of the detailed mechanisms of protein folding, and protein structure-function relations. In an effort to bridge these gaps, this paper studies the equivalence of proteins and origami.