Asthma prescribing trends, inhaler adherence and outcomes: a Real-World Data analysis of a multi-ethnic Asian Asthma population.

Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) is the mainstay therapy for asthma, but general adherence is low. There is a paucity of real-world inhaler prescribing and adherence data from Asia and at the population level. To address these gaps, we performed a real-world data analysis of inhaler prescribing pattern and adherence in a multi-ethnic Asian asthma cohort and evaluated the association with asthma outcomes.

Impact of COVID infection on lung function test and quality of life.

Post-COVID-19 pulmonary sequalae are well-recognized early in the pandemic. Survivorship clinics are crucial for managing at-risk patients. However, it is unclear who requires pulmonary function test (PFT) and when PFTs should be performed.

Global Epidemiology and Genetics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Classically, HCC develops in genetically susceptible individuals who are exposed to risk factors, especially in the presence of liver cirrhosis. Significant temporal and geographic variations exist for HCC and its etiologies.

A High-Yield Streptomyces Transcription-Translation Toolkit for Synthetic Biology and Natural Product Applications.

Streptomyces spp. are a major source of clinical antibiotics and industrial chemicals. Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 10712 is a fast-growing strain and a natural producer of chloramphenicol, jadomycin, and pikromycin, which makes it an attractive candidate as a next-generation synthetic biology chassis.

A Rare Case of Dengue Encephalitis with Raised Procalcitonin.

BACKGROUND Dengue virus is a common arbovirus with uncertain neurotropism. Dengue encephalitis is a rare but fatal manifestation of severe dengue. Diagnosis requires high clinical suspicion.

A Cell-Free Toolkit for Synthetic Biology.

Prokaryotic cell-free coupled transcription-translation (TX-TL) systems are emerging as a powerful tool to examine natural product biosynthetic pathways in a test tube. The key advantages of this approach are the reduced experimental time scales and controlled reaction conditions. To realize this potential, it is essential to develop specialized cell-free systems in organisms enriched for biosynthetic gene clusters.

Endovascular Deep Vein Stenting of Symptomatic Post-Thrombotic and Non-Thrombotic Iliac Vein Stenotic Lesions: A Multicentre Cohort Experience from Singapore.

Introduction: This paper presents our experience with deep venous stenting in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort of patients with symptomatic Non-Thrombotic Iliac Vein Lesions (NIVL) and Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS).

Materials And Methods: This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study of patients who had symptomatic deep venous disease. Stent patency rate was evaluated using Duplex ultrasonography immediately post-intervention and at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Computed tomography venography versus intravascular ultrasound in the diagnosis of iliofemoral vein stenosis.

: Iliofemoral vein stenosis can cause debilitating chronic venous disease. Diagnostic tools include both computed tomography venography (CTV) and intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS). We aim to compare the diagnostic performance of CTV and IVUS.

Multiple neoplasia in a patient with Gitelman syndrome harboring germline monoallelic mutation.

Gitelman syndrome is a rare, recessively inherited disease characterized by chronic hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia as a result of defective electrolyte co-transport at the level of the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney. Here, we present the first report of a patient with Gitelman syndrome who developed multiple neoplasia including colorectal polyposis, synchronous colorectal cancers, recurrent breast fibroadenomata and a desmoid tumor. Whole-exome sequencing confirmed germline compound heterozygous mutations of c.

Review of imaging and endovascular intervention of iliocaval venous compression syndrome.

Iliocaval venous compression syndrome (ICS) is the extrinsic compression of the common iliac vein by the overlying iliac artery against the vertebra. Chronic compression can lead to venous stenosis and stasis, which manifests as chronic venous disease and treatment resistance. Therefore, early recognition of ICS and prompt treatment are essential.

Case Report: An Unusual Presentation of Bilateral Subclavian Stenosis in a Patient with Asymptomatic Hypotension.

BACKGROUND Subclavian stenosis is an uncommon clinical condition associated with severe cardiovascular complications, usually presenting with claudication and subclavian steal syndrome. Here we describe the rare case of bilateral subclavian artery stenosis in an asymptomatic patient. CASE REPORT Our patient was a 63-year-old chronic smoker with no prior medical history whose chief complaint was dyspnea from an exacerbation of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Functional analysis of clinical germline variants.

Germline pathogenic variants in account for one-third of familial breast cancers. The majority of function requires heterodimerization with In contrast to , is a low-penetrance gene with an unclear clinical relevance, partly because of limited functional evidence. Using patient-derived lymphoblastoid cells, we functionally characterized two pathogenic variants (c.

Germline Pathogenic Variants in Homologous Recombination and DNA Repair Genes in an Asian Cohort of Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Growing evidence suggests a role for cancer susceptibility genes such as and in young-onset colorectal cancers Using a cohort of young colorectal cancer patients, we sought to identify and provide functional evidence for germline pathogenic variants of DNA repair genes not typically associated with colorectal cancer.

Methods: We recruited 88 patients with young-onset colorectal cancers seen at a general oncology center. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify variants in DNA repair and colorectal cancer predisposition genes.

Polar gigantism and the oxygen-temperature hypothesis: a test of upper thermal limits to body size in Antarctic pycnogonids.

The extreme and constant cold of the Southern Ocean has led to many unusual features of the Antarctic fauna. One of these, polar gigantism, is thought to have arisen from a combination of cold-driven low metabolic rates and high oxygen availability in the polar oceans (the 'oxygen-temperature hypothesis'). If the oxygen-temperature hypothesis indeed underlies polar gigantism, then polar giants may be particularly susceptible to warming temperatures.

Turning waste medicines to cost savings: A pilot study on the feasibility of medication recycling as a solution to drug wastage.

Background: Unused medicines represent a major source of wastage in healthcare systems around the world. Previous studies have suggested the potential cost savings from recycling the waste medicines. However, issues of product safety and integrity often deter healthcare institutions from recycling donated medications.

Association between Total Daily Doses with duration of hospitalization among readmitted patients in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Increased length of stay (LOS) in the hospital incurs substantial financial costs on the healthcare system. Multiple factors are associated with LOS. However, few studies have been done to associate the impact of Total Daily Doses (TDD) and LOS.

Lipid-dendrimer hybrid nanosystem as a novel delivery system for paclitaxel to treat ovarian cancer.

Combining lipids and dendrimers into one formulation is an emerging platform in the drug delivery field. This study aims to (i) develop and characterize a lipid-dendrimer hybrid (LDH) nanosystem for the hydrophobic anticancer drug paclitaxel, and (ii) evaluate its in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity in ovarian cancer models. The LDH nanosystems were prepared from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) G4.

Dual-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with poly(ethylene glycol) conjugation and thiolation improved blood compatibility.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the blood compatibility of dual-functionalized poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers.

Methods: The cationic PAMAM dendrimer of generation 4.0 (PM4.

Follow-up care practices and barriers to breast cancer survivorship: perspectives from Asian oncology practitioners.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the perspectives of Asian oncology practitioners on the physical and psychosocial issues experienced by breast cancer survivors (BCS), current survivorship care practices, and the barriers to follow-up care.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. Oncology practitioners were recruited from a major cancer center in Singapore and through two regional cancer meetings that took place in Singapore and Malaysia in 2013.

Association between number of doses per day, number of medications and patient's non-compliance, and frequency of readmissions in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Objective: To investigate whether number of doses per day and number of medications are significantly associated with the number of readmissions and to study the association of readmission frequency with other medical and socio-demographic variables.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study involving 432 patients who were readmitted within 15 days of previous hospital discharge between January 1, 2013 and March 31, 2013. Relevant medical records were collected from the national electronic databases of every public tertiary hospital in Singapore.