Development and Validation of a Smartphone Application for Neonatal Jaundice Screening.

Importance: This diagnostic study describes the merger of domain knowledge (Kramer principle of dermal advancement of icterus) with current machine learning (ML) techniques to create a novel tool for screening of neonatal jaundice (NNJ), which affects 60% of term and 80% of preterm infants.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a smartphone-based ML app to predict bilirubin (SpB) levels in multiethnic neonates using skin color analysis.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This diagnostic study was conducted between June 2022 and June 2024 at a tertiary hospital and 4 primary-care clinics in Singapore with a consecutive sample of neonates born at 35 or more weeks' gestation and within 21 days of birth.

Lipopeptides from Bacillus atrophaeus MCM61 and melatonin suppress gray mold-induced oxidative stress in cut roses (Rosa hybrida L.) and improve vase life.

Application of melatonin and lipopeptides (LPs) derived from Bacillus strains is considered an efficient strategy to control plant diseases at both pre and postharvest stages. However, the combined application of melatonin and LPs has not been studied yet. Therefore, the present study presents the synergistic effect of melatonin and LPs produced by Bacillus atrophaeus strain MCM61 against gray mold disease and its impact on quality parameters and vase life of cut roses.

A Socioecological Framing of the Experiences of Caregivers of Children With Cerebral Palsy in South Africa Post COVID-19.

Background: Post COVID-19, caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in South Africa face unique challenges.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Gauteng, South Africa.

Mothers prefer a hybrid model of postpartum care: a pilot mixed method study.

Background: Telehealth, including video consultation (VC), has become prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the experience and concern of women using VC for postpartum care has yet to be adequately studied but is crucial for their adoption. The study aimed to assess the experience and attitude of postpartum mothers (PPM) towards using VC as a novel model of care delivery and the factors that could potentially affect their adoption.

Evaluating a multicomponent intervention for managing kidney outcomes among patients with moderate or advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD): protocol for the Strategies for Kidney Outcomes Prevention and Evaluation (SKOPE) randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a global health challenge with high morbidity and mortality rates. Early detection and prompt intervention are critical in preventing progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and cardiovascular complications. Effective CKD management requires comprehensive care packages that integrate both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions within collaborative, team-based models, aiming to enhance patient outcomes and overall quality of life.

Exploring the Challenges Faced by Primary Care Physicians in Providing Optimal Care for Patients With Hypertension: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Globally, most patients with hypertension have suboptimal blood pressure (BP) control. Multiple barriers prevent primary care physicians (PCPs) from effectively caring for these patients. This study aimed to explore the challenges faced by PCPs in providing optimal care for patients with hypertension, with a specific focus on identifying new barriers.

Incidence, Associated Factors, and Behavioral Consequences of Intraoperative Awareness and Dreams During General Anesthesia Among Adult Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background  The intraoperative awareness with recall phenomenon involves the memory of intraoperative events. The reported incidence is 0.001%.

Epilepsy surgery for children with epileptic spasms: A systematic review and meta-analysis with focus on predictors and outcomes.

To conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding rates and predictors of favorable seizure outcome after resective surgery for epileptic spasms (ES) in pediatric patients. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards were followed. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL for articles published on the prevalence or incidence of epileptic spasm since 1985.

Pupillary constriction on stimulation of the parietal cortex-A novel finding.

Pupillary changes can be an important semiologic feature in focal epilepsy. Though the subcortical networks involving pupillomotor function have been described, cortical generators of pupillary dilation and constriction in humans are not well known. In this report, we describe a case of pupillary constriction occurring during seizures in a patient with drug resistant focal epilepsy.

Caregiver perspectives on the long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with cerebral palsy in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges faced by children with cerebral palsy (CP), including limited access to therapy services, financial strain and disruptions in schooling and social activities. However, the specific long-lasting impacts of the pandemic on families of children with CP in the South African context remain underexplored.

Aim: To explore the long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with CP in South Africa.

Distribution and reference values of peripheral perfusion index in neonates from population-wide screening.

Background: Peripheral perfusion index (PPI) is useful in a variety of neonatal settings. Currently, available reference values are from small numbers and highly variable.

Methods: We sought to generate reference values of PPI by analysing previously collected data from newborns who underwent mandated universal pulse oximetry and PPI screening from 2018 to 2021 using uniform protocol and equipment.

Biostimulants: A sufficiently effective tool for sustainable agriculture in the era of climate change?

Climate change is currently considered as one of the main concerns of the agriculture sector, as it limits crop production and quality. Furthermore, the current context of global crisis with international political instability and war conflicts over the world is pushing the agriculture sector even more to urgently boost productivity and yield and doing so in a sustainable way in the current frame of climate change. Biostimulants can be an effective tool in alleviating the negative effects of environmental stresses to which plants are exposed, such as drought, salinity, heavy metals and extreme temperatures etc.

Audit of a Revised Pathway Aimed at Expediting Diagnosis and Treatment for Suspected Achilles Tendon Rupture.

Treatment outcomes for Achilles tendon ruptures depend upon prompt diagnosis and management. A local study in 2018 highlighted inefficiencies in patient management, and a revised protocol was introduced allowing investigation and referral to be initiated by other healthcare professionals. This retrospective audit evaluates the impact of this on the timescale from presentation to treatment.

Amelioration of chromium toxicity in wheat plants through exogenous application of nano silicon.

Chromium (Cr) contamination in agricultural soils poses a risk to crop productivity and quality. Emerging nano-enabled strategies show great promise in remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals and enhancing crop production. The present study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of nano silicon (nSi) in promoting wheat growth and mitigating adverse effects of Cr-induced toxicity.

Empowering patients in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the usability and utility of an online diabetes self-management tool.

Background: Despite the potential advantages of Internet-based diabetes self-management education, its adoption was not widespread among Singapore's public primary care clinics (polyclinics). An interactive online tool was thus developed to help educate patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and was now ready for user testing before implementation.

Aim: To explore the perceived utility and usability of the educational tool in patients with suboptimally-controlled T2DM in a Singapore primary care setting.

Exploring primary care physicians' challenges in using home blood pressure monitoring to manage hypertension in Singapore: a qualitative study.

Objective: Hypertension guidelines recommend using home blood pressure (HBP) to diagnose, treat and monitor hypertension. This study aimed to explore the challenges primary care physicians (PCPs) face in using HBP to manage patients with hypertension.

Method: A qualitative study was conducted in 2022 at five primary care clinics in Singapore.

Synergistic interplay between melatonin and hydrogen sulfide enhances cadmium-induced oxidative stress resistance in stock ( L.).

Ornamental crops particularly cut flowers are considered sensitive to heavy metals (HMs) induced oxidative stress condition. Melatonin (MLT) is a versatile phytohormone with the ability to mitigate abiotic stresses induced oxidative stress in plants. Similarly, signaling molecules such as hydrogen sulfide (HS) have emerged as potential options for resolving HMs related problems in plants.

Postoperative shunt failure following hemispherectomy in pediatric patients with pre-existing hydrocephalus.

Objective: The risk of hydrocephalus following hemispherectomy for drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) remains high. Patients with pre-existing hydrocephalus pose a postoperative challenge, as maintaining existing shunt patency is necessary but lacks a clearly defined strategy. This study examines the incidence and predictors of shunt failure in pediatric hemispherectomy patients with pre-existing ventricular shunts.

A Five-Year Retrospective Closed Cohort Study to Find a Superior Anaesthetic Technique for Caesarean Section From a Haemodynamic Perspective.

Background A cesarean section (CS) is common and requires a safe and effective anesthetic technique for the safety of both the mother and the fetus. This study aims to compare the intraoperative hemodynamic safety profile with general anesthesia (GA) and regional anesthesia (RA) and propose a superior technique for cesarean from the hemodynamic perspective. Methods After obtaining ethical committee approval, a retrospective closed cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent cesarean with GA and RA.

Tuning active sites on biochars for remediation of mercury-contaminated soil: A comprehensive review.

Mercury (Hg) contamination is acknowledged as a global issue and has generated concerns globally due to its toxicity and persistence. Tunable surface-active sites (SASs) are one of the key features of efficient BCs for Hg remediation, and detailed documentation of their interactions with metal ions in soil medium is essential to support the applications of functionalized BC for Hg remediation. Although a specific active site exhibits identical behavior during the adsorption process, a systematic documentation of their syntheses and interactions with various metal ions in soil medium is crucial to promote the applications of functionalized biochars in Hg remediation.

A Novel Smartphone App for Self-Monitoring of Neonatal Jaundice Among Postpartum Mothers: Qualitative Research Study.

Background: Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) or hyperbilirubinemia is a ubiquitous condition in newborn infants. Currently, the transcutaneous bilirubinometer is used to screen for NNJ in health care facilities, where neonates need to be physically present (ie, a centralized model of care for NNJ screening). Mobile health (mHealth) apps present a low-cost, home-based, and noninvasive system that could facilitate self-monitoring of NNJ and could allow mothers the convenience of screening for NNJ remotely.