Serotonin acts through multiple cellular targets during an olfactory critical period.

Serotonin (5-HT) modulates early development during critical periods when experience drives heightened levels of plasticity in neurons. Here, we investigate the cellular mechanisms by which 5-HT modulates critical period plasticity (CPP) in the olfactory system of . We first demonstrate that 5-HT is necessary for experience-dependent structural plasticity in response to chronic CO exposure and can re-open the critical period long after it normally closes.

A cross-sectional study on advance care planning documentation attitudes during national advance care planning week in a South-East Asian country.

Background: Through advocacy initiatives such as roadshows during "National ACP Week", the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) had increased advance care planning (ACP) engagement since 2011. Project Happy Apples (PHA), a community initiative project led by medical students from the National University of Singapore, also conducted a public exhibition to raise ACP awareness during this period. This study aimed to investigate and identify predictors of attitudes towards ACP documentation among 'ACP Week' respondents which may be used to formulate strategies to increase ACP documentation in Singapore.

Slow art plus: developing and piloting a single session art gallery-based intervention for mental health promotion via a mixed method waitlist randomized control trial.

Introduction: The current study builds on the expertise of National Gallery Singapore and Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) in developing and piloting an enhanced version of the Slow Art program, namely "Slow Art Plus" for mental health promotion.

Methods: A single-site, open-label, waitlist Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design comprising of a treatment group and waitlist control group was adopted (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05803226).

Outcomes of Patients Presenting With Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Who Underwent Surgical Revascularization.

Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is a leading cause of emergency hospitalization across Europe. This study evaluates the in-hospital and mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) after NSTEMI. A retrospective analysis of all cases who underwent isolated CABG after NSTEMI from September 2017 to September 2022 at our center.

Association of Gene Expression and Tremor Network Structure.

Background: Transcriptomic changes in the essential tremor (ET)-associated cerebello-thalamo-cortical "tremor network" and their association to brain structure have not been investigated.

Objective: The aim was to characterize molecular changes associated with network-level imaging-derived phenotypes (IDP) found in ET.

Methods: We performed an imaging-transcriptomic study in British adults using imaging-genome-wide association study summary statistics (UK Biobank "BIG40" cohort; n = 33,224, aged 40-69 years).

Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro-biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models.

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest-climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition.

Exocentric and Egocentric Views for Biomedical Data Analytics in Virtual Environments-A Usability Study.

Biomedical datasets are usually large and complex, containing biological information about a disease. Computational analytics and the interactive visualisation of such data are essential decision-making tools for disease diagnosis and treatment. Oncology data models were observed in a virtual reality environment to analyse gene expression and clinical data from a cohort of cancer patients.

Sustainable production of lipids from cocoa fatty acid distillate fermentation driven by adaptive evolution in Yarrowia lipolytica.

Single cell oil production using oleaginous yeasts is a promising alternative to animal and plant-derived lipids. But substrate costs for microbial fermentation are a major bottleneck. Using side streams as alternative to substrates like glucose, for growing yeast, is a potential cost-effective solution.

Nationwide safety surveillance of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines following primary series and first booster vaccination in Singapore.

Background: The real-world safety profile of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines remains incompletely elucidated.

Methods: We performed a nationwide post-market safety surveillance analysis in Singapore, on vacinees aged 5 years and older, through mid-September 2022. Observed-over-expected (O/E) analyses were performed to identify potential safety signals among eight shortlisted adverse events of special interest (AESIs): strokes, cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis/pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, immune thrombocytopenia, convulsions and appendicitis.

Predicting sea levels using ML algorithms in selected locations along coastal Malaysia.

In consideration of the distinct behavior of machine learning (ML) algorithms, six well-defined ML used were carried out in this study for predicting sea level on a day-to-day basis. Data compiled from 1985 to 2018 was utilized for training and testing the developed models. An assessment of the multiple statistics-driven regression algorithms resulted such that each tested location was associated with a particular preferred model.

Analysis of urban heat islands with landsat satellite images and GIS in Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan City.

Cities are growing geographically in response to the enormous increase in urban population; consequently, comprehending growth and environmental changes is critical for long-term planning. Urbanization transforms naturally permeable surfaces into impermeable surfaces, causing an increase in urban land surface temperature, leading to the phenomenon known as urban heat islands. The urban heat islands are noticeable across Malaysia's rural communities and villages, particularly in Kuala Lumpur.

Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.

The eye is prone to various forms of afflictions, either as a manifestation of primary ocular disease or part of systemic disease, including the cardiovascular system. A thorough cardiovascular examination should include a brief ocular assessment. Hypertension and diabetes, for example, would present with retinopathy and dyslipidaemia would present with corneal arcus.

Prediction Model and Mechanism for Drying Shrinkage of High-Strength Lightweight Concrete with Graphene Oxide.

The excellent performance of graphene oxide (GO) in terms of mechanical properties and durability has stimulated its application potential in high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC). However, more attention needs to be paid to the long-term drying shrinkage of HSLWC. This work aims to investigate the compressive strength and drying shrinkage behavior of HSLWC incorporating low GO content (0.

Effect of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Properties and Durability of High-Strength Lightweight Concrete Containing Shale Ceramsite.

An effective pathway to achieve the sustainable development of resources and environmental protection is to utilize shale ceramsite (SC), which is processed from shale spoil to produce high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC). Furthermore, the urgent demand for better performance of HSLWC has stimulated active research on graphene oxide (GO) in strengthening mechanical properties and durability. This study was an effort to investigate the effect of different contents of GO on HSLWC manufactured from SC.

Case report on a rare complication after transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal malignancy vesicorectal fistula.

Introduction And Importance: Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (TaTME) represents the latest surgical approach in rectal cancer management. We present a rare case of vesicorectal fistula (VRF) following a complication of TaTME surgery.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male underwent a Hartmann's procedure for perforated rectosigmoid cancer in 2019.

Coupling nitrate capture with ammonia production through bifunctional redox-electrodes.

Nitrate is a ubiquitous aqueous pollutant from agricultural and industrial activities. At the same time, conversion of nitrate to ammonia provides an attractive solution for the coupled environmental and energy challenge underlying the nitrogen cycle, by valorizing a pollutant to a carbon-free energy carrier and essential chemical feedstock. Mass transport limitations are a key obstacle to the efficient conversion of nitrate to ammonia from water streams, due to the dilute concentration of nitrate.

Feasibility of a Geriatric Oncology Longitudinal End to End (GOLDEN) Program in a Tertiary Cancer Center in Singapore.

Introduction: In the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), 2 pilot programs providing (i) surgical prehabilitation before cancer surgery and (ii) geriatric oncology support for older adults planned for chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy were merged to form the Geriatric Oncology Longitudinal End to eNd (GOLDEN) program in 2019 to support patients from the time of their cancer diagnosis, through their treatment process, to cancer survivorship.

Methods And Materials: Older adults aged ≥65 years were enrolled in either surgical prehabilitation, the geriatric medical oncology (GO) arm, or both. All patients undergo a geriatric assessment.

A bridge to recovery: an interpretative phenomenological analysis with peer support specialists in Singapore.

Recovery-oriented mental health care approach is gaining acceptance in Asian countries, including Singapore. Following Western countries, Singapore started hiring peer support specialists (PSS) as part of mental healthcare services. The aim of this paper was to explore and understand how individual peer support specialists in Singapore perceive and make sense of their role given their unique perspective as both recipients and providers of mental healthcare treatment.

Transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: it's come a long way and here to stay.

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) was introduced as a novel technique to deal with rectal cancers. Its transanal approach offered the shortest distance to approach a challenging location, allowing an excellent visualization of the distal resection margin. Since its introduction in 2010, a significant amount of research has been put in to measure its development.

Adulteration Detection of Edible Bird's Nests Using Rapid Spectroscopic Techniques Coupled with Multi-Class Discriminant Analysis.

Edible bird's nests (EBNs) are vulnerable to adulteration due to their huge demand for traditional medicine and high market price. Presently, there are pressing needs to explore field-deployable rapid screening techniques to detect adulteration of EBNs. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using a handheld near-infrared (VIS/SW-NIR) spectroscopic device for the determination of EBN authenticity against the benchmark performance of a benchtop mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometer.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of COVID-19 Vaccination among Adults in Singapore: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Public health measures promoting compliance of COVID-19 vaccination requires understanding of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). This study explored the KAP and risk factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination, including changes in preventive practices before and after vaccination in a high-income country, Singapore. An online cross-sectional study among Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 21 years and older was conducted from July to August 2021.

An exploratory study on the knowledge, attitude and practice of sharp disposal among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Background: The use of exogenous insulin exposes the patients to sharps (insulin pen needles and lancets). Improper sharps disposal increases the risk of transmitting diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other blood borne diseases.

Aims: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of sharp disposal among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in the Northern Peninsular of Malaysia.