Singapore's COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Programme: Strategies and Insights From a Pandemic Year.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance was crucial for monitoring virus spread and identifying variants. Effective surveillance helped understand transmission dynamics. Singapore had success in combating COVID-19 through its surveillance programmes.

Supporting Research Staff Working With People Experiencing Homelessness: Integrating Trauma-Informed and Resilience-Building Approaches Into Community-Engaged Research Studies.

Traumatic experiences are highly prevalent among people experiencing homelessness who face structural inequities, which may impact engagement in research. Research staff ("staff") working with people experiencing homelessness are under-equipped to cope with structural inequities and the trauma present in participants' lives, even if they are well-trained in the regulatory aspects of the research process. Six staff involved in tobacco cessation intervention research with people experiencing homelessness described their experiences and highlighted areas of training to integrate trauma-informed and resilience-building approaches to support field staff and people experiencing homelessness.

Vitamin D3 Improves Adipose Stromal Cell Survival and Human Fat Graft Retention in Xenograft Model.

Adipose stem cells are considered one of the primary drivers of autologous fat graft biological activity and survival. We have previously demonstrated that hormonally active VD3 improved adipose stem cell viability in ex vivo and in vivo fat grafting models. In this study, we evaluated the inactive form of VD3 (cholecalciferol) on adipose stromal cell (ASC) phenotype during hypoxia and the subsequent effect on human fat graft retention in the xenograft model.

Evolution of the Push-2-Spin Fat Graft Processing Device: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk of Contamination.

Background: Small-volume fat graft efficiency is a critical determinant of the cost and material effectiveness of aesthetic fat grafting in the clinical space. Recent development of devices, such as the Push-2-Spin (P2S) system (Pittsburgh, PA), has improved upon the process by yielding a rapid, handheld, multi-use system to minimize operative time and mess.

Objectives: In this study, the authors describe further technical innovations on the P2S prototype that improve operative ease of use, time, and safety.

Modification of bacterial microcompartments with target biomolecules post-translational SpyTagging.

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are proteinaceous organelle-like structures formed within bacteria, often encapsulating enzymes and cellular processes, in particular, allowing toxic intermediates to be shielded from the general cellular environment. Outside of their biological role they are of interest, through surface modification, as potential drug carriers and polyvalent antigen display scaffolds. Here we use a post-translational modification approach, using copper free click chemistry, to attach a SpyTag to a target protein molecule for attachment to a specific SpyCatcher modified BMC shell protein.

Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Linked Smoking Cessation Intervention for Adults Experiencing Homelessness.

: Interventions are needed to increase access to tobacco treatment for people experiencing homelessness. We developed a community pharmacist-linked cessation program for adults experiencing homelessness that included one-time, pharmacist-delivered counseling and furnishing nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for 3 months. : We conducted a single-arm, uncontrolled trial of the pharmacist-linked intervention among adults experiencing homelessness recruited from three homeless shelters in San Francisco, CA.

Local Delivery of Adipose Stem Cells Promotes Allograft Survival in a Rat Hind-Limb Model of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation.

Background: Adipose stem cells (ASCs) are a promising cell-based immunotherapy because of their minimally invasive harvest, high yield, and immunomodulatory capacity. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of local versus systemic ASC delivery on vascularized composite allotransplant survival and alloimmune regulation.

Methods: Lewis rats received hind-limb transplants from Brown Norway rats and were administered donor-derived ASCs (passage 3 or 4, 1 × 10 6 cells/rat) locally in the allograft, or contralateral limb, or systemically at postoperative day 1.

Surgical Nipple Delay and its Expanded Indications for Nipple-sparing Mastectomy.

Unlabelled: Necrosis of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) or surrounding skin has been reported in 6%-30% of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) patients, with higher rates associated with larger breasts, previous breast surgery, previous radiation, and active smoking. The nipple delay (ND) procedure is known to improve viability of the NAC in NSM patients with high-risk factors.

Methods: A single-institution retrospective review was done of patients who underwent ND and NSM or NSM alone from 2012 to 2022.

Active Vitamin D3 (Calcitriol) Increases Adipose Graft Retention in a Xenograft Model.

Background: Autologous fat grafting, although broadly indicated, is limited by unsatisfactory retention and often requires multiple procedures to achieve durable outcomes. Graft survival is strongly influenced by the magnitude and duration of post-engraftment ischemia. Calcitriol is a pleiotropic, safe nutrient with cell-specific influence on viability and metabolic flux.

Comparison of Soluble and Liposome Encapsulated, Sustained Release Latanoprost for Focal Adipose Reduction.

To address the lack of non-cytotoxic, non-surgical options to treat undesirable focal adiposity of the face, we propose use of the anti-glaucoma medication and prostaglandin F2α analogue latanoprost, which has a well-described side effect of periorbital adipose shrinkage. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of soluble and liposomal latanoprost for focal fat reduction. To compare efficacy, single administrations of either the FDA-approved cytolytic drug deoxycholic acid (DOCA), latanoprost, or liposomal latanoprost were injected into ob/ob mouse inguinal fat pads.

Use of wound edge inversion (epibole) to generate recalcitrant and inflamed diabetic wounds.

Robust and predictive pre-clinical models of recalcitrant diabetic wounds are critical for advancing research efforts toward improving healing. Murine models have logistic and genetic benefits versus larger animals; however, native murine healing inadequately represents clinically recalcitrant wounds in humans. Furthermore, current humanization techniques employing devices, deleterious mutations or chemical agents each carry model-specific limitations.

Quantifying the Pipeline of Ethnically Underrepresented in Medicine Physicians in Academic Plastic Surgery Leadership.

Background: The lack of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) physicians in academic plastic surgery is emerging as a critical issue. Lack of diversity has a negative effect on patient care and on the culture of our health care system. This study reports the current status of ethnically UIM physicians in the plastic surgery pipeline, starting from the medical student level and progressing to national leadership positions.

Local Recurrence Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer Oligometastases Treated With Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report local failure (LF) outcomes and associated predictors in patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with CRC metastases to the brain, liver, spine, or lung treated with SABR between 2001 and 2016. Time to LF was summarized using cumulative incidence of LF curves with death as a competing risk.

Access and communication for deaf individuals in Australian primary care.

Background And Aims: The Australian Deaf Community face barriers that impede their access to, and communication within, primary health care settings. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to access and communication for deaf individuals and Auslan interpreters in Australian general practice settings.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Auslan interpreters and four deaf participants recruited from interpreter organisations and social media.

Cross-sectional study of prevalence and risk factors, and a cost-effectiveness evaluation of screening and preventive treatment strategies for latent tuberculosis among migrants in Singapore.

Objectives: WHO recommends that low burden countries consider systematic screening and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in migrants from high incidence countries. We aimed to determine LTBI prevalence and risk factors and evaluate cost-effectiveness of screening and treating LTBI in migrants to Singapore from a government payer perspective.

Design: Cross-sectional study and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) deficiency attenuates high fat diet induced obesity and insulin resistance.

Increased phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) activity has been found to be associated with obesity, and metabolic syndrome in humans. However, whether or not PLTP has a direct effect on insulin sensitivity and obesity is largely unknown. Here we analyzed the effect by using PLTP knockout (PLTP) mouse model.

Convolutional neural networks automate detection for tracking of submicron-scale particles in 2D and 3D.

Particle tracking is a powerful biophysical tool that requires conversion of large video files into position time series, i.e., traces of the species of interest for data analysis.

ZMapp Reinforces the Airway Mucosal Barrier Against Ebola Virus.

Filoviruses, including Ebola, have the potential to be transmitted via virus-laden droplets deposited onto mucus membranes. Protecting against such emerging pathogens will require understanding how they may transmit at mucosal surfaces and developing strategies to reinforce the airway mucus barrier. Here, we prepared Ebola pseudovirus (with Zaire strain glycoproteins) and used high-resolution multiple-particle tracking to track the motions of hundreds of individual pseudoviruses in fresh and undiluted human airway mucus isolated from extubated endotracheal tubes.

Stereolithography-Based 3D Printed "Pillar Plates" that Minimizes Fluid Transfers During Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is one of the most popular and indispensable tools in molecular biology. Despite numerous advances in ELISA methods that markedly improve the sensitivity and throughput of detection, a hallmark of all ELISA continues to be repeated pipetting of fluids that is not only cumbersome but can easily introduce errors or contaminations. Robotics, despite obvious advantages, remains expensive.

Continuous ambulatory adductor canal catheters for patients undergoing knee arthroplasty surgery.

Study Objective: To determine after knee arthroplasty surgery the feasibility of discharging patients home on postoperative day 1 with continuous adductor canal blocks.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Outpatient setting after hospital discharge.

Acupoint stimulation, massage therapy and expressive writing for breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Unlabelled: Researches have accumulated using non-pharmacologic interventions including acupoint stimulation, massage therapy and expressive writing to manage breast cancer-related symptoms. Results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can get contradictory.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the effects on the quality of life, negative emotions and disease-related symptoms among women with breast cancer.

RAD51B Activity and Cell Cycle Regulation in Response to DNA Damage in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Common genetic variants mapping to two distinct regions of RAD51B, a paralog of RAD51, have been associated with breast cancer risk in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). RAD51B is a plausible candidate gene because of its established role in the homologous recombination (HR) process. How germline genetic variation in RAD51B confers susceptibility to breast cancer is not well understood.

Targeting DNA-PKcs and telomerase in brain tumour cells.

Background: Patients suffering from brain tumours such as glioblastoma and medulloblastoma have poor prognosis with a median survival of less than a year. Identifying alternative molecular targets would enable us to develop different therapeutic strategies for better management of these tumours.

Methods: Glioblastoma (MO59K and KNS60) and medulloblastoma cells (ONS76) were used in this study.

Microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis after rugby tournament, Singapore.

We investigated an outbreak of 47 probable and 6 confirmed cases of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis involving participants of an international rugby tournament in Singapore in April 2012.The mode of transmission was eye contact with soil. Vittaforma corneae was identified in 4 of 6 corneal scrapings and in 1 of 12 soil water samples.