The Causal Effects of Lifestyle Factors on Osteoarthritis: A Two-sample Mendelian Randomisation Study.

Background: Modern sedentary lifestyles are prevalent among individuals with osteoarthritis. However, direct evidence linking such behaviours as causative factors of osteoarthritis remain limited due to the presence of confounding variables.

Objective: This study aims to determine the extent to which lifestyle factors have causal effects on osteoarthritis through a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study.

Fungal infections and control strategies in cultured marine finfish: a minireview.

Marine fish farming served as a sustainable alternative to capture fisheries. However, it faced challenges such as disease management, water quality maintenance, and minimizing environmental impacts. Among these challenges, fungal infections are particularly concerning.

"Excluding Myself From What I Need the Most": Experiences of Loneliness in People With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Despite advancements in pharmacological treatments, living with inflammatory arthritis (IA) (including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)) can make it challenging to engage in social activities, which may increase the risk of loneliness. Although loneliness is predominantly prevalent in IA, its origin and impact on mental health status on daily life with IA remain unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the experiences of people with IA in relation to loneliness.

Ongoing loss of viable neurons for weeks after mild perinatal hypoxia-ischemia.

Unlabelled: Mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is common in neonates with no evidence-based therapies, and 30-40% of patients experience adverse outcomes. The nature and progression of mild injury is poorly understood. Thus, we studied the evolution of mild perinatal brain injury using longitudinal two-photon imaging of transgenic fluorescent proteins as a novel readout of neuronal viability and activity at cellular resolution.

Ambient PM exposure and tuberculosis reactivation: a cross-sectional study in an intermediate burden city.

Hong Kong is an intermediate tuberculosis (TB) endemicity city dominated by reactivation diseases. A cross-sectional study on the clinical and epidemiologic data of newly diagnosed TB cases was conducted in such a setting, to examine the association between ambient PM and TB reactivation. After the exclusion of cases most likely resulting from recent infection, four distinct TB population phenotypes were delineated by latent class analysis based on their reactivation risk and clinical profiles ( = 2,153): '' (26%), '' (34%), '' (19%) and '' (21%).

Computer-Aided High Tibial Osteotomy-A Comparative Study of Commonly Used 3D Printing Technology and Navigation Application.

Background: High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a surgical procedure for treating certain knee conditions. Proper execution of HTO can preserve joint function and delay or avoid the need for total knee replacement. This study compared different 3D printing techniques (fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, and direct metal laser sintering) and a navigation system for their suitability in assisting HTO surgeries.

The Long-Term Risk of Metachronous Advanced Adenoma Recurrence After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Colorectal Neoplasia: A Propensity-Score Matched Longitudinal Cohort With 5-Year Follow-Up.

Introduction: Long-term data on metachronous advanced adenoma (AA) recurrence after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remain scarce, leading to a lack of a standardized surveillance strategy. This study aims to evaluate the long-term risk of recurrent AA after ESD.

Materials And Methods: A longitudinal retrospective cohort study with propensity-score matching was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Hong Kong.

The potential carcinogenicity of orthopaedic implants - a scoping review.

Background: Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients receive an orthopaedic or dental implant containing metals such as cobalt, chromium and titanium. Since the European Chemicals Agency (2020) classified pure cobalt metal as a Category 1B carcinogen, manufacturers of products containing ≥ 0.1% of this metal must perform a risk assessment and justify that there are no viable alternatives.

The "Silent" Threat: Group G Streptococcus Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). PD carries an increased risk of peritonitis, often secondary to poor technique. A small subset of patients may present with "silent" peritonitis, or peritonitis in the absence of fever and abdominal pain, making diagnosis and treatment challenging.

COVID-19 vaccination and cerebral small vessel disease progression-A prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The association between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and cerebrovascular diseases raised a concern of cerebrovascular safety of COVID-19 vaccines. We aimed to determine the risk of radiologic cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) progression with BNT162b2 and CoronaVac.

Methods: In this community-based prospective cohort study, community-dwelling subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and 4 months after vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac.

Displacement of extracellular chloride by immobile anionic constituents of the brain's extracellular matrix.

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Membrane currents evoked by GABA receptor activation have uniquely small driving forces: their reversal potential (E) is very close to the resting membrane potential. As a consequence, GABA currents can flow in either direction, depending on both the membrane potential and the local intra and extracellular concentrations of the primary permeant ion, chloride (Cl).

Effects of cricket powder on structural and mechanical properties of soy protein isolate extrudates.

This study investigated the impact of cricket powder (CP) incorporation on the structural and mechanical properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) extrudates. The physicochemical properties of CP, rheological properties of SPI-CP blends and their potential structuring properties were evaluated. The results showed that CP had a high protein content (72.

Isolated Lower Limb Vasculitis Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case Report.

Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease defined by inflammation within blood vessels, typically manifesting systemically with multi-organ complications and clinical features. Isolated vasculitis itself, however, is extremely rare and not characteristically based on the pathophysiology of the condition. Whilst there have been cases of isolated vasculitis in large-medium vessels (e.

Skeletal muscle relaxant for the treatment of fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background/importance: Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder that significantly impairs patient well-being. Evaluating the efficacy of muscle relaxants for treating fibromyalgia is crucial for improving patient care.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of muscle relaxants in patients with fibromyalgia.

Neuroinflammation in comorbid depression in Alzheimer's disease: A pilot study using post-mortem brain tissue.

Comorbid depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with poorer prognosis than either condition alone. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of both depression and AD, but much of the existing research has been based on peripheral blood immune markers. Relatively little is known about the neuroinflammatory environment when these conditions occur simultaneously and using immune measures directly in the brain tissue.

Selecting optimal wearables for measuring physiological arousal in robot-delivered mindfulness-based exercises.

While social robots show promise for therapeutic interventions, accurate assessments of (vulnerable) participants' affective outcomes require attention. The careful selection of devices for recording autonomic processes in response to stress-inducing and relaxing exercises is essential to ensure data quality recordings and participants' comfort. This foundational study assessed two commonly utilized devices to record electrodermal activity (EDA), indexed through skin conductance, concerning their sensitivity to stress-relaxation manipulations and social validity during a robot intervention: a sock with a Shimmer device and a wrist-worn Empatica E4.

Maintaining good mental health in people with inflammatory arthritis: a qualitative study of patients' perspectives.

Purpose: It is well-documented that people with inflammatory arthritis (IA) exhibit a high prevalence of symptoms related to anxiety and depression. Less is known about what contributes to good mental health in people with IA. Therefore, this study aims to explore how some patients maintain good mental health despite living with IA.

Vaccine equity implementation: exploring factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine delivery in the Philippines from an equity lens.

Background: During the early phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, low and middle-income countries (LMICs) were facing challenges in achieving equitable vaccine delivery. Few studies have contextualized global vaccine distributive injustice into national-specific contexts to understand its impact on vaccine delivery from an equity perspective. We aimed to investigate factors influencing equitable COVID-19 vaccine delivery in the Philippines and to provide recommendations to enhance equitable vaccine delivery in LMICs to prepare for future health emergencies.

Transforming healthcare with integrated inter-professional education in a research-driven medical school.

Singapore, located strategically at the meeting point of the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, has established itself as a global financial and economic hub. Despite its small geographical size, Singapore is home to over 5 million people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The city-state's medical education landscape has evolved significantly over the past century.

Safer Pediatric Sedations: Simulation Checklists to Improve Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills in Emergency Medicine Residents.

Background Pediatric sedation is a low-frequency, high-stakes procedure. This study aimed to train emergency medicine (EM) residents in pediatric procedural sedation through a sedation checklist, enhancing patient safety. Methods EM residents completed a pre-test and a survey on their knowledge and experiences with sedation protocols.

Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses of cyprinids induced by a live attenuated vaccine against cyprinid herpesvirus 2 infection in comparison to the virus non-permissive high temperature water treatment.

The live attenuated vaccine (P7-P8 strain) against cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) infection of goldfish shows high protective efficacy. However, the underlying immune mechanism induced by P7-P8 vaccination remains unknown. It is known that the fish survived in the primary infection with CyHV-2 by the virus non-permissive high temperature (HT) water treatment elicit immunity against secondary virus challenge.

Downregulation of PIK3IP1/TrIP on T cells is controlled by TCR signal strength, PKC, and metalloprotease-mediated cleavage.

The protein known as PI3K-interacting protein (PIK3IP1), or transmembrane inhibitor of PI3K (TrIP), is highly expressed by T cells and can modulate PI3K activity in these cells. Several studies have also revealed that TrIP is rapidly downregulated following T cell activation. However, it is unclear how this downregulation is controlled.