The effect of small increases in blood glucose on insulin secretion and endogenous glucose production in humans.

Small glycemic increments (≤0.5 mmol/L) can exert suppressive actions on endogenous glucose production (EGP) however it is unclear if this is an insulin dependent or independent process. Here, we performed a low-rate glucose infusion in control participants without diabetes and in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to better understand this phenomenon.

Persistent and chronic opioid use after ambulatory surgery in US veterans (2011-2018).

Background: Opioid use beyond the perioperative period is a recognized adverse outcome, primarily studied in inpatients after complex major surgeries. Our goals are to determine the risk after ambulatory surgery and identify risk factors associated with long-term opioid prescriptions.

Methods: Our ambulatory surgery cohort included 1,393,332 veterans from October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2018 (fiscal year [FY] 12-18).

Network Differential in Gaussian Graphical Models from Multimodal Neuroimaging Data.

Multimodal brain network analysis has the potential to provide insights into the mechanisms of brain disorders. Most previous studies have analyzed either unimodal brain graphs or focused on local/global graphic metrics with little consideration of details of disrupted paths in the patient group. As we show, the combination of multimodal brain graphs and disrupted path-based analysis can be highly illuminating to recognize path-based disease biomarkers.

Examining spousal and family support as predictors of long-term weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes following bariatric surgery in Singapore: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Postoperative outcomes vary considerably across bariatric patients and may be related to psychosocial factors. In this study, we examined whether a patient's family support predicts postsurgical weight loss and the remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design: Retrospective cohort study in Singapore.

Predicting Psychological Symptoms When Facebook's Digital Well-being Features Are Used: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

Background: Prior research has linked social media usage to poorer mental health. To address these concerns, social media platforms have introduced digital well-being tools to help users monitor their engagement. Nonetheless, little is known about the effectiveness of these tools.

Tracking Private WhatsApp Discourse About COVID-19 in Singapore: Longitudinal Infodemiology Study.

Background: Worldwide, social media traffic increased following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the spread of COVID-19 content has been described for several social media platforms (eg, Twitter and Facebook), little is known about how such content is spread via private messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp (WhatsApp LLC).

Objective: In this study, we documented (1) how WhatsApp is used to transmit COVID-19 content, (2) the characteristics of WhatsApp users based on their usage patterns, and (3) how usage patterns link to COVID-19 concerns.

Comparing organ donation decisions for next-of-kin versus the self: results of a national survey.

Objectives: Intensive care audits point to family refusal as a major barrier to organ donation. In this study, we sought to understand refusal by accounting for the decision-maker's mindset. This focused on: (1) how decisions compare when made on behalf of a relative (vs the self); and (2) confidence in decisions made for family members.

Confidence in government and rumors amongst migrant worker men involved in dormitory outbreaks of COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: In the COVID-19 pandemic, confidence in the government and access to accurate information have been critical to the control of outbreaks. Although outbreaks have emerged amongst communities of international migrant workers worldwide, little is known about how they perceive the government's response or their exposure to rumors.

Methods: Between 22 June to 11 October 2020, we surveyed 1011 low-waged migrant workers involved in dormitory outbreaks within Singapore.

Mental health of international migrant workers amidst large-scale dormitory outbreaks of COVID-19: A population survey in Singapore.

Introduction: Worldwide, COVID-19 clusters have emerged within communities of international migrant workers operating in high-density work and living environments. Despite their increased vulnerability, no study has documented the mental health burden of COVID-19 amongst these groups. To address this gap, we conducted a survey of migrant workers involved in large-scale dormitory outbreaks within Singapore.

Meal-time Smartphone Use in an Obesogenic Environment: Two Longitudinal Observational Studies.

Background: Despite a large volume of research on the impact of other digital screens (eg, televisions) on eating behavior, little is known about the nature and impact of mealtime smartphone use.

Objective: We investigated how smartphones are used in everyday meals, whether phone users differ according to mealtime phone use patterns, and whether specific phone functions (particularly food photography) would affect the amount and enjoyment of food eaten.

Methods: Across 2 studies, we used the experience sampling method to track 1780 meals in situ.

Vulnerability to rumours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

Introduction: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many rumours have emerged. Given prior research linking rumour exposure to mental well-being, we conducted a nationwide survey to document the base rate of rumour exposure and factors associated with rumour vulnerability.

Methods: Between March and July 2020, 1,237 participants were surveyed on 5 widely disseminated COVID-19 rumours (drinking water frequently could be preventive, eating garlic could be preventive, the outbreak arose because of bat soup consumption, the virus was created in an American lab, and the virus was created in a Chinese lab).

Behavioural changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a nationwide survey in Singapore.

Introduction: As part of infection control measures for COVID-19, individuals have been encouraged to adopt both preventive (such as handwashing) and avoidant behavioural changes (e.g. avoiding crowds).

Nudging patients and surgeons to change ambulatory surgery pain management: Results from an opioid buyback program.

Background: Optimal postoperative opioid stewardship combines adequate pain medication to control expected discomfort while avoiding abuse and community diversion of unused prescribed opioids. We hypothesized that an opioid buyback program would motivate patients to return unused opioids, and surgeons will use that data to calibrate prescribing.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of postambulatory surgery pain management at a level II Veterans Affairs rural hospital (2017-2019).

Predicting Public Uptake of Digital Contact Tracing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Nationwide Survey in Singapore.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, new digital solutions have been developed for infection control. In particular, contact tracing mobile apps provide a means for governments to manage both health and economic concerns. However, public reception of these apps is paramount to their success, and global uptake rates have been low.

The Relation Between Official WhatsApp-Distributed COVID-19 News Exposure and Psychological Symptoms: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: In a global pandemic, digital technology offers innovative methods to disseminate public health messages. As an example, the messenger app WhatsApp was adopted by both the World Health Organization and government agencies to provide updates on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). During a time when rumors and excessive news threaten psychological well-being, these services allow for rapid transmission of information and may boost resilience.

Buyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017-2018.

To implement an opioid buyback program after ambulatory surgery. We performed a prospective cohort study of 578 opioid-naïve patients prescribed opioids after ambulatory surgery at a rural US Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital from 2017 to 2018. We reimbursed $5 per unused opioid pill ($50 limit) returned to our VA for proper disposal.

When the camera eats first: Exploring how meal-time cell phone photography affects eating behaviours.

Advances in cell phone technology have the potential to disrupt eating patterns. In this research, we focused on the camera function of a cell phone, characterizing: (i) the extent to which this function is used during meals; (ii) whether meal-time photographers show signs of pathological eating; and (iii) whether the act of taking food photographs alters the amount and enjoyment of food eaten. In the first study, we used the experience sampling method to track one week of meals from 137 young adults.

Eligibility, Enrollment, and Completion of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Stroke Rehabilitation: What Are the Barriers?

Background: People after stroke benefit from comprehensive secondary prevention programs including cardiac rehabilitation (CR), yet there is little understanding of eligibility for exercise and barriers to use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine eligibility for CR; enrollment, adherence, and completion; and factors affecting use.

Design: This was a prospective study of 116 consecutive people enrolled in a single outpatient stroke rehabilitation (OSR) program located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

A Web-Based Photo-Alteration Intervention to Promote Sleep: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Receiving insufficient sleep has wide-ranging consequences for health and well-being. Although educational programs have been developed to promote sleep, these have had limited success in extending sleep duration. To address this gap, we developed a Web-based program emphasizing how physical appearances change with varying amounts of sleep.

Brain Death in Asia: Do Public Views Still Influence Organ Donation in the 21st Century?

Background: Historically, brain death legislation was adopted in Asia at a much later stage than it was in the West, with heated public debates surrounding these laws. In this study, we investigated whether the poor acceptance of brain death continues to the present day, focusing on the following: (1) what the Asian public understands brain death to be; (2) how views toward brain death are compared with those of cardiac death; and (3) the extent to which brain death perception contributes to the low rate of deceased organ donation that has been observed amongst Asians.

Methods: Using a door-to-door sampling strategy, we recruited 622 residents in Singapore between September 2016 and July 2017.

Omega-3 (ω-3) and social skills interventions for reactive aggression and childhood externalizing behavior problems: a randomized, stratified, double-blind, placebo-controlled, factorial trial.

Background: While studies suggest that nutritional supplementation may reduce aggressive behavior in children, few have examined their effects on specific forms of aggression. This study tests the primary hypothesis that omega-3 (ω-3), both alone and in conjunction with social skills training, will have particular post-treatment efficacy for reducing childhood reactive aggression relative to baseline.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo-controlled, factorial trial, a clinical sample of 282 children with externalizing behavior aged 7-16 years was randomized into ω-3 only, social skills only, ω-3 + social skills, and placebo control groups.

Soybean Resistance to White Mold: Evaluation of Soybean Germplasm Under Different Conditions and Validation of QTL.

Soybean ( L. Merr.) white mold (SWM), caused by (Lib) de Barry), is a devastating fungal disease in the Upper Midwest of the United States and southern Canada.

To Message or Browse? Exploring the Impact of Phone Use Patterns on Male Adolescents' Consumption of Palatable Snacks.

Surveys of mobile phone usage suggest that adolescents habitually use their phones while eating. In this study, we explored whether the manner in which one uses a mobile phone - to engage in a social or non-social activity - can affect appetite regulation. Participants were fifty male adolescents randomly assigned to engage in one of the following phone-based activities: (1) sending and receiving messages (social activity), or (2) reading a neutral article (non-social activity).