Clinical Outcomes of 111 Patients with Early Onset Idiopathic Scoliosis (EOIS) Receiving Brace Treatment: A Longitudinal Retrospective Cohort Study.

: Bracing is one of the first-line treatment for early-onset idiopathic scoliosis (EOIS) to control curves from progression. This study aimed to explore the determinants that govern bracing effectiveness in EOIS. : One hundred and eleven patients with EOIS (mean age of 8.

A fully convolutional neural network for comprehensive compartmentalization of abdominal adipose tissue compartments in MRI.

Background: Existing literature has highlighted structural, physiological, and pathological disparities among abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) sub-depots. Accurate separation and quantification of these sub-depots are crucial for advancing our understanding of obesity and its comorbidities. However, the absence of clear boundaries between the sub-depots in medical imaging data has challenged their separation, particularly for internal adipose tissue (IAT) sub-depots.

Identification and reproducibility of dietary patterns assessed with a FFQ among women planning pregnancy.

Objective: To identify a posteriori dietary patterns among women planning pregnancy and assess the reproducibility of these patterns in a subsample using two dietary assessment methods.

Design: A semi-quantitative FFQ was administered to women enrolled in the Singapore PREconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes study. Dietary patterns from the FFQ were identified using exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

Pregnancy Outcomes in COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study in Singapore.

Introduction: Pregnant women are reported to be at increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to underlying immunosuppression during pregnancy. However, the clinical course of COVID-19 in pregnancy and risk of vertical and horizontal transmission remain relatively unknown. We aim to describe and evaluate outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 in Singapore.

Ovarian biomarkers predict controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilisation treatment in Singapore.

Introduction: Ovarian biomarkers have been shown to predict responses to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in predominantly Caucasian populations, with limited studies performed in Southeast Asian women in Singapore.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone and oestradiol levels, antral follicle count (AFC), body mass index, ovarian volume, and age to establish thresholds for the prediction of poor (< 4 oocytes retrieved) and excessive responses (> 19 oocytes retrieved) in 263 women undergoing COH. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to calculate probabilities for poor and excessive responders to COH.

Immunological observations and transcriptomic analysis of trimester-specific full-term placentas from three Zika virus-infected women.

Objectives: Effects of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection on placental development during pregnancy are unclear.

Methods: Full-term placentas from three women, each infected with ZIKV during specific pregnancy trimesters, were harvested for anatomic, immunologic and transcriptomic analysis.

Results: In this study, each woman exhibited a unique immune response with raised IL-1RA, IP-10, EGF and RANTES expression and neutrophil numbers during the acute infection phase.

Comparison between Single and Double Cleavage-Stage Embryo Transfers, Single and Double Blastocyst Transfers in a South East Asian In Vitro Fertilisation Centre.

Introduction: This study investigated the differences in clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR) and multiple pregnancy rate (MPR) between double cleavage-stage embryo transfers compared to single and double blastocysts stage embryo transfers in a single academic medical centre.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study performed at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital In Vitro Fertilisation (KKIVF) Centre of all women who underwent fresh-cycle in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles over a 5-year period. The outcome measures were CPR, LBR and MPR.

Quantitative mass spectrometry of human reticulocytes reveal proteome-wide modifications during maturation.

Erythropoiesis is marked by progressive changes in morphological, biochemical and mechanical properties of erythroid precursors to generate red blood cells (RBC). The earliest enucleated forms derived in this process, known as reticulocytes, are multi-lobular and spherical. As reticulocytes mature, they undergo a series of dynamic cytoskeletal re-arrangements and the expulsion of residual organelles, resulting in highly deformable biconcave RBCs (normocytes).

Long-Term Fate of Human Fetal Liver Progenitor Cells Transplanted in Injured Mouse Livers.

Liver progenitor cells have the potential to repair and regenerate a diseased liver. The success of any translational efforts, however, hinges on thorough understanding of the fate of these cells after transplant, especially in terms of long-term safety and efficacy. Here, we report transplantation of a liver progenitor population isolated from human fetal livers into immune-permissive mice with follow-up up to 36 weeks after transplant.

Rapid Assessment Zika Virus Knowledge Among Clinical Specialists in Singapore: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Introduction: We report the results of a rapid assessment of Zika virus awareness among key clinical specialties in Singapore.

Methods: Between June 6 and June 19, 2016 we conducted an online survey of doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology, neonatology and paediatrics in Singapore. The survey included 15 multiple choice questions to measure respondents' knowledge of Zika virus in four domains covering clinical and public health.

Zika Virus Infects Human Fetal Brain Microglia and Induces Inflammation.

Background: The unprecedented reemergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) has startled the world with reports of increased microcephaly in Brazil. ZIKV can infect human neural progenitors and impair brain growth. However, direct evidence of ZIKV infection in human fetal brain tissues remains elusive.

Plasma Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Poor Sleep Quality and Night-Time Eating at Mid-Pregnancy in Singapore.

Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) deficiency, poor sleep quality, and night-time eating, have been independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but their inter-relationships are yet to be evaluated. We aimed to investigate the associations between maternal plasma 25OHD status and sleep quality and circadian eating patterns during pregnancy. Data on pregnant women ( = 890) from a prospective cohort (Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes) were analyzed.

Biodegradable poly-ε-caprolactone microcarriers for efficient production of human mesenchymal stromal cells and secreted cytokines in batch and fed-batch bioreactors.

Large numbers of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) used for a variety of applications in tissue engineering and cell therapy can be generated by scalable expansion in a bioreactor using microcarriers (MCs) systems. However, the enzymatic digestion process needed to detach cells from the growth surface can affect cell viability and potentially the potency and differentiation efficiency. Thus, the main aim of our study was to develop biocompatible and biodegradable MCs that can support high MSC yields while maintaining their differentiation capability and potency.

CXCR4 identifies transitional bone marrow premonocytes that replenish the mature monocyte pool for peripheral responses.

It is well established that Ly6C monocytes develop from common monocyte progenitors (cMoPs) and reside in the bone marrow (BM) until they are mobilized into the circulation. In our study, we found that BM Ly6C monocytes are not a homogenous population, as current data would suggest. Using computational analysis approaches to interpret multidimensional datasets, we demonstrate that BM Ly6C monocytes consist of two distinct subpopulations (CXCR4 and CXCR4 subpopulations) in both mice and humans.

Fusion of Human Fetal Mesenchymal Stem Cells with "Degenerating" Cerebellar Neurons in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Model Mice.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) migrate to damaged tissues, where they participate in tissue repair. Human fetal MSCs (hfMSCs), compared with adult MSCs, have higher proliferation rates, a greater differentiation capacity and longer telomeres with reduced senescence. Therefore, transplantation of quality controlled hfMSCs is a promising therapeutic intervention.

Maternal Circadian Eating Time and Frequency Are Associated with Blood Glucose Concentrations during Pregnancy.

Background: Synchronizing eating schedules to daily circadian rhythms may improve metabolic health, but its association with gestational glycemia is unknown.

Objective: This study examined the association of maternal night-fasting intervals and eating episodes with blood glucose concentrations during pregnancy.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study within a prospective cohort in Singapore.

A High-Dimensional Atlas of Human T Cell Diversity Reveals Tissue-Specific Trafficking and Cytokine Signatures.

Depending on the tissue microenvironment, T cells can differentiate into highly diverse subsets expressing unique trafficking receptors and cytokines. Studies of human lymphocytes have primarily focused on a limited number of parameters in blood, representing an incomplete view of the human immune system. Here, we have utilized mass cytometry to simultaneously analyze T cell trafficking and functional markers across eight different human tissues, including blood, lymphoid, and non-lymphoid tissues.

Biodegradable ECM-coated PCL microcarriers support scalable human early MSC expansion and in vivo bone formation.

Background Aims: Human mesenchymal stromal cells or marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are of great interest for bone healing due to their multi-potency and trophic effects. However, traditional MSC expansion methods using 2-dimensional monolayer (MNL) flasks or cell stacks are limited by labor-intensive handling, lack of scalability, the need for enzymatic cell harvesting and the need for attachment to a scaffold before in vivo delivery. Here, we present a biodegradable microcarrier and MSC bioprocessing system that may overcome the abovementioned challenges.

Predominantly nighttime feeding and weight outcomes in infants.

Background: The influence of circadian feeding patterns on weight outcomes has been shown in animal and human studies but not in very young children.

Objective: We aimed to examine the association of infant circadian feeding patterns at 12 mo of age with subsequent growth and weight status after 1 y.

Design: Mothers from a Singapore birth cohort (n = 349) reported the food given to their infants and the feeding time at 12 mo of age.

Soluble Factors from Human Fetal Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Preparation of Conditioned Medium and Its Effect on Tumor Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess some unique features (inherent tumor tropism, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties) that are not commonly found in conventional anti-cancer agents. These cells are known to secrete a vast array of proteins including growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, extracellular matrix metalloproteinases, and their corresponding inhibitors which exhibit profound effects on the microenvironment. However, the lack of a uniform method for culturing MSCs and their paracrine factors has hindered our understanding of MSC biology.

Limited value of pro-inflammatory oxylipins and cytokines as circulating biomarkers in endometriosis - a targeted 'omics study.

Endometriosis is a common, complex gynecologic disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissues at extrauterine sites. Elevation in protein and lipid mediators of inflammation including oxylipins and cytokines within the peritoneum characterize the inflamed pelvic region and may contribute to the survival and growth of displaced endometrial tissues. The presence of a clinically silent but molecularly detectable systemic inflammation in endometriosis has been proposed.

Expansion in microcarrier-spinner cultures improves the chondrogenic potential of human early mesenchymal stromal cells.

Background Aims: Cartilage tissue engineering with human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) is promising for allogeneic cell therapy. To achieve large-scale hMSC propagation, scalable microcarrier-based cultures are preferred over conventional static cultures on tissue culture plastic. Yet it remains unclear how microcarrier cultures affect hMSC chondrogenic potential, and how this potential is distinguished from that of tissue culture plastic.

Development and Characterization of Organic Electronic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Bones have been shown to exhibit piezoelectric properties, generating electrical potential upon mechanical deformation and responding to electrical stimulation with the generation of mechanical stress. Thus, the effects of electrical stimulation on bone tissue engineering have been extensively studied. However, in bone regeneration applications, only few studies have focused on the use of electroactive 3D biodegradable scaffolds at the interphase with stem cells.