Publications by authors named "Jasmine Tan"

Introduction: Foreign domestic workers are increasingly hired in Singapore as live-in caregivers for patients with advanced cancer. Language barriers and different cultural backgrounds can make caregiving potentially challenging. This study aims to explore the experiences of migrant live-in caregivers caring for patients with advanced cancer.

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Study Objectives: Optimal cutoff values of oximetry indices that differentiate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from primary snoring (PS) are not well-established. Our study aimed to assess the utility of overnight oximetry indices in differentiating PS from OSA and assessing OSA severity, compared to polysomnography, in children with suspected OSA.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children (1-18 years of age) with snoring who underwent polysomnography.

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Background: Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in children and has been associated with neurological complications. The molecular mechanisms involved in EV-A71 pathogenesis have remained elusive.

Methods: A siRNA screen in EV-A71 infected-motor neurons was performed targeting 112 genes involved in intracellular membrane trafficking, followed by validation of the top four hits using deconvoluted siRNA.

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Background: Screening patients with patient-reported outcome measures allows identification of palliative care concerns. The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) was developed in the United Kingdom for this purpose. Tools developed in another setting might not be readily usable locally.

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With approximately 3.8 billion people at risk of infection in tropical and sub-tropical regions, Dengue ranks among the top ten threats worldwide. Despite the potential for severe disease manifestation and the economic burden it places on endemic countries, there is a lack of approved antiviral agents to effectively treat the infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focused on understanding genetic factors related to headaches in individuals of East Asian ancestry, specifically Han Chinese, using a large sample size of 108,855 participants, which included 12,026 headache cases from the Taiwan Biobank.
  • - Significant genetic variants were identified linked to headache phenotypes: one on Chromosome 17 for broadly defined headaches (rs8072917) and another on Chromosome 8 for severe headaches (rs13272202), highlighting their potential roles in headache biology.
  • - The research findings suggest that the identified genetic variants could also have implications for related health issues, and the study's methodology could be applied to diverse populations globally, paving the way for new genetic tests and drug development. *
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Background: The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) was developed in the United Kingdom for health assessment in advanced illness.

Objectives: To evaluate the validity and reliability of a culturally adapted IPOS (both patient and staff versions) for heart failure (HF).

Design/setting: We recruited HF patients and staff from a tertiary hospital in Singapore.

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Background: Persons with advanced cancer may participate in Phase 1 clinical trials - first-in-human trials that are conducted with the main objectives of safety and dosing. The motivations for participation are not well understood and may include hope for cure.

Aim: To explore the perspectives of persons with advanced cancer in order to understand the motivations for participating in Phase 1 clinical trials, experiences while being on trial and views on palliative care provision.

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Objective: To determine the effectiveness of telehealth interventions in reducing community falls risk or rates compared to equivalent in-person interventions in adults with neurological conditions.

Data Sources: Eight electronic databases, trial registries and search engines were searched for the concepts 'falls', 'neurological conditions', and 'telehealth', limited to English language, from inception until August 2022.

Review Methods: Search for original research where the intervention was delivered via synchronous videoconferencing with the aim of reducing falls and falls-related outcomes.

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Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection produces more severe symptoms and a higher mortality in men than in women. The role of biological sex in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is believed to explain this sex disparity. However, the contribution of gender factors that influence health protective behaviors and therefore health outcomes, remains poorly explored.

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Background: Multiple trauma deserves early prognostication and stratification. Copeptin, a precursor of vasopressin, is produced in response to stress. We examined the association between serum levels of copeptin and mortality risk in patients with multiple trauma.

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Flow is a gratifying state of deep involvement and absorption that individuals report when facing a challenging activity and they perceive adequate abilities to cope with it (EFRN, 2014). The flow concept was introduced by Csikszentmihalyi in 1975, and interest in flow research is growing. However, to our best knowledge, no scoping review exists that takes a systematic look at studies on flow which were published between the years 2000 and 2016.

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It is often difficult for patients with advanced heart failure (HF) to decide whether to live with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or not. Little is known about their decisional needs prior to LVAD implantation and if these needs were met in the Asian cultural setting. We aimed to explore the influences, concerns, and needs surrounding the decision-making process of the LVAD implantation among multi-ethnic Asian patients with HF.

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Using the Taiwan Biobank, we aimed to identify traits and genetic variations that could predispose Han Chinese women to primary dysmenorrhea. Cases of primary dysmenorrhea included those who self-reported "frequent dysmenorrhea" in a dysmenorrhea-related Taiwan Biobank questionnaire, and those who have been diagnosed with severe dysmenorrhea by a physician. Controls were those without self-reported dysmenorrhea.

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Flow is a highly focussed state of consciousness that is rewarding, fulfilling, and sought after by many, especially musicians. It is characterised by exceptional levels of concentration, loss of self-consciousness, and competent control over one's actions. Several personality and non-cognitive traits have been positively linked with flow proneness, such as emotional intelligence; however, anxiety is thought to be the antithesis of flow, yet the relationship between trait anxiety and flow proneness in musicians is not adequately characterised.

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Caregivers are essential for improved outcomes in patients living with left ventricular assist device (LVAD). There is a paucity of research on a long-term LVAD caregivers' experiences and burdens. The aim of this study was to explore long-term challenges and needs of LVAD caregivers in the Asian health care setting.

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Inflammation in the tumor microenvironment has been shown to promote disease progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, the role of macrophage metabolism in promoting inflammation is unclear. Using an orthotopic mouse model of PDAC, we demonstrate that macrophages from tumor-bearing mice exhibit elevated glycolysis. Macrophage-specific deletion of Glucose Transporter 1 (GLUT1) significantly reduced tumor burden, which was accompanied by increased Natural Killer and CD8+ T cell activity and suppression of the NLRP3-IL1β inflammasome axis.

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Janus particles contain two or more chemical properties typically on opposing faces. With various property combinations possible, there are several potential applications, such as surfactants and drug delivery. However, scaling up the particle production process at reasonable cost is a limiting factor, and the method reported here aims to circumvent this issue.

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Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection produces more severe symptoms and a higher mortality in men than in women. The role of biological sex in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is believed to explain this sex disparity. However, the contribution of gender factors that influence health protective behaviors and therefore health outcomes, remains poorly explored.

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We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine choral singing's effect on cognitive decline in aging. Older Singaporeans who were at high risk of future dementia were recruited: 47 were assigned to choral singing intervention (CSI) and 46 were assigned to health education program (HEP). Participants attended weekly one-hour choral singing or weekly one-hour health education for two years.

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Here we asked whether impaired timing in older adults results from an aging clock or a more general brain and cognitive decline. Healthy aging adults (N = 70, aged 62-83 years) tapped to the beat of a periodic and a syncopated rhythm. Analyses focused on performance differences between rhythms (periodic-syncopated), which reduced the impact of timing unrelated processes.

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Aim: A subgroup of children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) requires treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This study's aims were: 1) to determine if the optimal CPAP for the treatment of OSA in children correlates with body mass index (BMI); 2) to determine the correlation between polysomnographic variables and optimal CPAP in children with OSA; and 3) to develop a CPAP predictive equation for children with OSA.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with OSA who underwent CPAP titration studies.

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Context: Challenges experienced by patients with the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and their caregivers during the early period after LVAD implantation are well documented. However, little is known about long-term challenges, supportive care needs, and views toward supportive care of Asian LVAD patients and caregivers.

Objectives: We aimed to explore the experiences of multiethnic Asian LVAD patients and caregivers so as to identify their long-term challenges, supportive care needs, and views toward supportive care.

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There has been a lot of speculation that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may be at increased risk for adverse outcomes. We reviewed the available evidence, and have not found this to be the case. We recommend that patients on such medications should continue on them unless there is a clinical indication to stop their use.

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