Association of dysfunctional adiposity index with kidney impairment is accounted for by pigment epithelium-derived factor in type 2 diabetes mellitus - An 11-year follow-up of the SMART2D cohort study.

Aims: This novel longitudinal study investigated the association of the new dysfunctional adiposity index (DAI) with kidney impairment in multi-ethnic Asians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the mediation effect of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF).

Methods: T2DM adults followed for up to 10.5 years were analyzed (n = 1611).

Quantitative peripheral live single T-cell dynamic polyfunctionality profiling predicts lung cancer checkpoint immunotherapy treatment response and clinical outcomes.

Background: Predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), e.g., programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportional score (TPS), remain limited in clinical applications.

Characterizing biomarkers of ageing in Singaporeans: the ABIOS observational study protocol.

Ageing is the primary driver of age-associated chronic diseases and conditions. Asian populations have traditionally been underrepresented in studies understanding age-related diseases. Thus, the Ageing BIOmarker Study in Singaporeans (ABIOS) aims to characterise biomarkers of ageing in Singaporeans, exploring associations between molecular, physiological, and digital biomarkers of ageing.

Proteomic analysis reveals dysregulation of peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complex auto-inflammatory disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, which results in axonal de-myelination and symptoms including fatigue, pain, and difficulties with vision and mobility. The involvement of the immune system in the pathology of MS is well established, particularly the adaptive T cell response, and there has been a particular focus on the IL-17-producing subset of Th17 cells and their role in driving disease. However, the importance of innate immune cells has not been so well characterised.

Genetic investigations of autosomal recessive inherited ichthyosis impressed by fetal ultrasound: Exome sequencing and haplotype linkage analysis.

Objective: Ichthyosis are complex skin diseases, characterized by hyperkeratosis with various degrees of thickening, desquamation, and erythema. The prenatal diagnosis of ichthyosis is challenged due to the clinical and genetic heterogeneity and the late-onset of fetal features on ultrasound scan. Here, we reported two fetuses with Harlequin ichthyosis (HI), a severe subtype of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI), who were diagnosed prenatally by images and genetic investigations.

Bayesian optimization driven strategy for detecting credit card fraud with Extremely Randomized Trees.

Credit card usage has surged, heightening concerns about fraud. To address this, advanced credit card fraud detection (CCFD) technology employs machine learning algorithms to analyze transaction behavior. Credit card data's complexity and imbalance can cause overfitting in conventional models.

Clinical Applicability of 2-Field High-Resolution and Extended HLA-Allele Typing in Deceased Donor Kidney Allocation.

HLA-compatibility remains an important triage test for deceased donor kidney allocation. Low-intermediate resolution donor HLA-typing is typically available at allocation, but its accuracy in assigning pre-transplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibody (DSA) and HLA mismatches compared to 2-field high-resolution typing is poorly characterised. Consecutive deceased donor/recipient pairs from a single centre between 2016 and 2020 were included.

Radio frequency-based human activity dataset collected using ESP32 microcontroller in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight indoor experiment setups.

This study presents the "ESP32 Dataset," a dataset of radio frequency (RF) data intended for human activity detection. This dataset comprises 10 activities carried out by 8 volunteers in three different indoor floor plan experiment setups. Line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios are represented by the first two experiment setups, and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios are simulated in the third experiment setup.

The association between osteoprotegerin and arterial stiffness in a 10-year longitudinal study of patients with type 2 diabetes.

: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) inhibits vascular calcification which is central to pathogenesis of arterial stiffness. However, it promotes inflammation by upregulating expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), thereby contributing to arterial stiffness. We investigated longitudinal association between OPG and arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes (T2D), causality of the association and mediation by VCAM-1.

Admission of Older Patients to Geriatric Inpatient Care from the Emergency Department Compared with Admission through Acute Medical Unit: Cost and Length of Stay Outcomes.

Objective: To investigate whether direct admission to geriatric inpatient care from the emergency department (EMD) was associated with lower length of stay (LOS) and cost compared to patients admitted through an acute medical unit (AMU).

Methods: Retrospective single-centre cohort study conducted using hospital database on older patients ≥ 75 years discharged from geriatric inpatient service in a tertiary academic centre from March 2021 to September 2021 who were admitted through AMU or direct from EMD.

Intervention: Traditional AMU run by internists followed by geriatrician led-care compared with geriatrician led-care.

Associations between Physical Performance Tests with Cognitive Changes: The Moderating Effect of Cognitive Status.

Introduction/objective: Age-related cognitive decline has been linked with risk factors, including physical performance. Prior studies investigating such associations were typically conducted in clinical settings within Western populations with a frequent focus on late neurocognitive diagnostic stages (i.e.

New evidence on patella resurfacing in modern total knee arthroplasty for all inflammatory arthritis in a mixed Asian population.

Background: Traditional teaching advocates for routine patella resurfacing (PR) during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with inflammatory arthritis. However, evidence on this topic remains limited in the Asian population. This study aims to evaluate the postoperative outcomes and complication of patella resurfacing (PR) during primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Asian patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Machine learning-based prediction of DNA G-quadruplex folding topology with G4ShapePredictor.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is able to form non-canonical four-stranded helical structures with diverse folding patterns known as G-quadruplexes (G4s). G4 topologies are classified based on their relative strand orientation following the 5' to 3' phosphate backbone polarity. Broadly, G4 topologies are either parallel (4+0), antiparallel (2+2), or hybrid (3+1).

Factors Influencing the Selection of Dentistry as a Career Among Prospective Candidates: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This study aimed to analyse the impact of sociodemographic factors on dental school candidates' decision to pursue dentistry as their career of choice.

Materials And Methods: Candidates shortlisted by three dental schools were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire study, featuring a validated instrument containing sociodemographic questions and 16 motivational items grouped into four domains: economic, professional, vocational and personal background reasons. The variations in motivational item scores across sociodemographic factors were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test (age, sex, ethnicity, having relatives in the dental profession and dentistry as the first choice) and Kruskal-Wallis test (dental school and family income).

Semi-invasive therapies for pain in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: The increasing number of semi-invasive pain therapies in knee osteoarthritis poses challenges in decision-making. This review aimed to simultaneously compare established intra-articular therapies with newer peri-articular therapies and explore effect modifiers.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials were searched from five electronic databases without date or language restrictions.

Fall risk prediction using temporal gait features and machine learning approaches.

Introduction: Falls have been acknowledged as a major public health issue around the world. Early detection of fall risk is pivotal for preventive measures. Traditional clinical assessments, although reliable, are resource-intensive and may not always be feasible.

Ultrahigh electromechanical response from competing ferroic orders.

Materials with electromechanical coupling are essential for transducers and acoustic devices as reversible converters between mechanical and electrical energy. High electromechanical responses are typically found in materials with strong structural instabilities, conventionally achieved by two strategies-morphotropic phase boundaries and nanoscale structural heterogeneity. Here we demonstrate a different strategy to accomplish ultrahigh electromechanical response by inducing extreme structural instability from competing antiferroelectric and ferroelectric orders.

Health Policy Implications of Digital Replantation.

There have been dwindling numbers of replantations in the United States. Despite the advocacy for centralization in hand trauma, the fundamental landscape and attitudes of surgeons toward replantation have remained lackluster. There is growing and substantial evidence to demonstrate the superior outcomes of replantation in comparison to revision amputation in most scenarios.

Cellular Uptake of Phase-Separating Peptide Coacervates.

Peptide coacervates self-assembling via liquid-liquid phase separation are appealing intracellular delivery vehicles of macromolecular therapeutics (proteins, DNA, mRNA) owing to their non-cytotoxicity, high encapsulation capacity, and efficient cellular uptake. However, the mechanisms by which these viscoelastic droplets cross the cellular membranes remain unknown. Here, using multimodal imaging, data analytics, and biochemical inhibition assays, we identify the key steps by which droplets enter the cell.

Evaluation of the Xpert Carba-R assay for quantifying carbapenemase-producing bacterial load in stool samples.

Background: The spread of Carbapenemase-producing Organisms (CPO) remains a major threat globally. Within clinical settings, the existing method of determining gene load involves traditional culture to determine bacterial load and polymerase-chain-reaction-based Xpert Carba-R Assay to determine carbapenemase gene type. However, there is a need for a fast and accurate method of quantifying CPO colonisation to study the risk of persistent CPO carriage.