Integration of National Chemical Hazards Monitoring, Total Diet Study, and Human Biomonitoring Programmes for Food Safety Exposure Assessment in Singapore.

Food safety and food security can impact the quality of human life, and these two aspects are interrelated alongside many influencing external factors. Global stressors such as climate change, recent pandemic, and geopolitical tensions have demonstrated tangible impacts on food security and safety. Food and food system innovation is a key strategy towards feeding the world in a more sustainable and climate-resilient manner.

Facet joint septic arthritis: A review of cases.

Facet joint septic arthritis is a rare; yet, severe spinal infection often misdiagnosed due to its non-specific clinical presentation and radiological mimickers. This case series illustrates various clinical presentations, imaging features, and outcomes of patients with facet joint septic arthritis. We demonstrate different disease stages to aid clinicians and radiologists in recognizing this condition.

Oral delivery of stabilized lipid nanoparticles for nucleic acid therapeutics.

Gastrointestinal disorders originate in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and the therapies can benefit from direct access to the GIT achievable through the oral route. RNA molecules show great promise therapeutically but are highly susceptible to degradation and often require a carrier for cytoplasmic access. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are clinically proven drug-delivery agents, primarily administered parenterally.

Update on Transcatheter Interventions in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

The field of adult congenital interventions is unique in the world of cardiac catheterization, combining the structural concepts commonly employed in pediatric heart disease and applying them to adult patients, who are more amenable to device intervention as they no longer experience somatic growth. Rapid advances in the field have been made to match the growing population of adult patients with congenital heart disease, which currently surpasses the number of pediatric patients born with congenital heart disease. Many congenital defects, which once required surgical intervention or reoperation, can now be addressed via the transcatheter approach, minimizing the morbidity and mortality often encountered within adult congenital surgeries.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) patient information-seeking behavior: a qualitative study.

Background: Approximately 13% of women in the United States of reproductive age seek infertility services. Assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization, is used to help patients achieve pregnancy. Many people are not familiar with these treatments prior to becoming patients and possess knowledge gaps about care.

Opportunities for de-escalation of aspirin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation at high stroke risk receiving direct oral anticoagulants.

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of stroke that can be attenuated with newer anticoagulants, called direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Before the emergence of DOACs, warfarin or aspirin (ASA) was used for stroke prevention. Owing to the increased risk of bleed with concomitant anticoagulation therapy, populations that may benefit from ASA therapy are becoming limited.

A metagenomics-based workflow for the detection and genomic characterization of GBS in raw freshwater fish.

Unlabelled: The unexpected foodborne outbreak in Singapore in 2015 has accentuated Group B (GBS, ) sequence type 283 as an emerging foodborne pathogen transmitted via the consumption of contaminated raw freshwater fish. Isolation-based workflows utilizing conventional microbiological and whole-genome sequencing methods are commonly used to support biosurveillance efforts critical for the control management of this emerging foodborne pathogen. However, these isolation-based workflows tend to have relatively long turnaround times that hamper a timely response for implementing risk mitigation.

Lineage tracing reveals a novel PDGFRβ satellite cell subset that contributes to myo-regeneration of chronically injured rotator cuff muscle.

Massive rotator cuff (RC) tendon tears are associated with progressive fibro-adipogenesis and muscle atrophy that altogether cause shoulder muscle wasting. Platelet derived growth factor β (PDGFRβ) lineage cells, that co-express PDGFRα have previously been shown to directly contribute to scar formation and fat accumulation in a mouse model of irreversible tendon and nerve transection (TTDN). Conversely, PDGFRβ lineage cells have also been  shown to be myogenic in cultures and in other models of skeletal muscle injury.

Building Healthy Babies: A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a Pre-Conception Program in Ontario.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to gather Ontario clinicians' and public members' views on the design of a pre-conception patient education program.

Methods: In this mixed-methods study, online surveys comprised of rank order, multiple choice, and short answer questions were completed by clinicians and public members. Semi-structured focus groups consisting of 2-6 participants each were then held via videoconference.

Singapore's Total Diet Study (2021-2023): Study Design, Methodology, and Relevance to Ensuring Food Safety.

A total diet study is often used to evaluate a population's baseline dietary exposure to chemical hazards from across the diet. In 2021-2023, Singapore carried out a TDS, and this article presents an overview of the study design and methodological selections in Singapore's TDS, as well as its relevance to ensuring food safety. A food consumption survey was conducted on Singapore citizens and permanent residents, where food consumption patterns of the Singapore population were identified.

An optimized multi-technique based analytical platform for identification, characterization and quantification of nanoplastics in water.

Nanoplastics (NPs) have been identified as an emerging concern for the environment and our food chains in recent years. Monitoring the concentration and size of nanoplastics is essential to assess the potential risks that nanoplastic particles may pose. In this study, we presented a multi-technique based analytical platform to identify, characterize and quantify nanoplastics in water samples through a combination of sample pre-concentration, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AF4-MALS) and pyrolysis-GC/MS (Py-GC/MS).

Characteristics of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Investigated in Singapore: 2018-2021.

There is a need to study the characteristics of outbreaks via Singapore's outbreak surveillance system to understand and identify the gaps in food safety for targeted policy interventions due to the increasing trend in gastroenteritis outbreaks and consequential increase in foodborne-related deaths and economic burden on public health systems worldwide. A total of 171 gastroenteritis outbreaks were investigated in Singapore from January 2018 to December 2021. This study analyzed the annual trend of investigated gastroenteritis outbreaks, the proportion of outbreaks by implicated sources of food, and the proportion of the type of pathogens identified from human cases, food samples, and environmental swabs collected from outbreak investigations.

Occurrence and Dietary Exposure of 3-MCPD Esters and Glycidyl Esters in Domestically and Commercially Prepared Food in Singapore.

This study investigated the prevalence and occurrence of 3-monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDEs) and glycidyl esters (GEs) in domestically and commercially prepared food in Singapore and assessed the total dietary exposure for the Singaporean population. Minimal impact on the formation of 3-MCPDEs and GEs was observed from the domestic cooking methods commonly practiced in Singapore such as deep frying and stir frying. The estimated total dietary exposure to 3-MCPDEs for the Singaporean population (aged 15 to 92) was 0.

Determination and Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles in Liquor Using Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation Hyphenated with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

The EU has approved the usage of gold as a food additive (E175) and it has been applied in numerous foods for coloring and decoration purposes. Different from the general assumption that edible gold is mainly present in the form of flakes or external coating in foods, this work demonstrated that gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) can be released from gold flakes and extracted under optimized conditions. To support future risk assessment associated with the exposure of Au NPs to human health, an effective approach was established in this study for both size characterization and mass determination of Au NPs released in a commercial gold-containing liquor using Asymmetric Flow Field-flow Fractionation (AF4) hyphenated with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Surveillance of veterinary drug residues in food commonly consumed in Singapore and assessment of dietary exposure.

Non-judicious and indiscriminate use of veterinary drugs in animal husbandry may result in accumulation of residues in animal tissues, and consequently in food for human consumption. The abuse of veterinary drugs presents a potential risk to consumer health, especially if the residue level is higher than the health-based guidance value (HBGV) such as the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Contamination of drug residues in food also promotes the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which poses a serious threat to public health globally.

Gradeability and Reproducibility of Geographic Atrophy Measurement in GATHER-1, a Phase II/III Randomized Interventional Trial.

Objective: To validate GATHER-1 inclusion criteria and the study's primary anatomic end point by assessing the reproducibility of geographic atrophy (GA) measurements and factors that affect reproducibility.

Design: Post hoc analysis of phase II/III clinical trial.

Subjects: All 286 participants included in the GATHER-1 study.

Cultural Beliefs Regarding Breast Reconstruction in a Minority Group.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can significantly affect a woman's health and well-being. Several studies have identified factors contributing to disparities in breast reconstruction among ethnic groups, but few have examined the experience of Hispanic women.

Methods: Hispanic women who had undergone breast reconstruction were interviewed in retrospective focus groups.

Occurrence and Dietary Exposure to Acrylamide from Foods Consumed within and outside Main Meals in Singapore.

This study investigated the influence of 'snackification' in Singaporean diets, leading to increased dietary acrylamide exposure. Acrylamide concentrations in commonly consumed foods within and outside the main meals were measured using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). High acrylamide concentrations were detected in vegetables cooked at high temperatures (ranging from 0.

Food Safety Controls during Bulk Food Preparation-An Observational Analysis.

Seeing the palpable impact of food poisoning associated with catering operations, we surveyed caterers with and without past hygiene violations to examine staffing, food safety practices and correlations with microbial counts in food and the processing environment. Past infringements did not negatively impact the current execution of food safety measures nor the microbial quality of food. In preference to added stringencies for errant operators, we discuss alternative efforts to augment food safety, as well as the policy implications thereof.

Impacts of Anxiety and Depression on Clinical Hypertension in Low-Income US Adults.

Introduction: Depression and anxiety are common leading causes of disability and are associated with systemic effects including cardiovascular comorbidities. Low-income populations may experience higher frequencies of depressive or anxiety-related symptoms, and be at greater risk for developing hypertension.

Aim: We performed a cross-sectional study of low-income participants who completed hypertension and disability questionnaires as part of the 2017-2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to identify associations between depressive/anxiety-related symptoms and hypertension status.

Automatic bolus tracking in abdominal CT scans with convolutional neural networks.

Background: Bolus tracking can optimize the time delay between contrast injection and diagnostic scan initiation in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), yet the procedure is time-consuming and subject to inter- and intra-operator variances which affect the enhancement levels in diagnostic scans. The objective of the current study is to use artificial intelligence algorithms to fully automate the bolus tracking procedure in contrast-enhanced abdominal CT exams for improved standardization and diagnostic accuracy while providing a simplified imaging workflow.

Methods: This retrospective study used abdominal CT exams collected under a dedicated Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Distinct human skeletal muscle-derived CD90 progenitor subsets for myo-fibro-adipogenic disease modeling and treatment in multiplexed conditions.

Chronic muscle injuries, such as massive rotator cuff tears, are associated with progressive muscle wasting, fibrotic scarring, and intramuscular fat accumulation. While progenitor cell subsets are usually studied in culture conditions that drive either myogenic, fibrogenic, or adipogenic differentiation, it is still unknown how combined myo-fibro-adipogenic signals, which are expected to occur , modulate progenitor differentiation. We therefore evaluated the differentiation potential of retrospectively generated subsets of primary human muscle mesenchymal progenitors in multiplexed conditions in the presence or absence of 423F drug, a modulator of gp130 signaling.