Layer-by-Layer Multitargeting Strategy for Enhanced Photothermal Therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) presents unique advantages, including high temporal and spatial controllability and relatively few toxic side effects. Active targeting modifications of photothermal agents can deliver nanoprobes to tumors more efficiently, reducing toxic side effects while improving efficacy. In this work, the polyphenols, gallic acid, folic acid (FA), hyaluronic acid (HA), and Fe(III) were selected to prepare a self-photothermal nanoplatform Ga/Fe/HA/FA based on polyphenol-metal self-assembly.

Identifying Dietary Triggers Among Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

Background/objectives: Excess adiposity, affecting 43% of the global adult population, is a major contributor to cardiometabolic diseases. Lifestyle behaviours, specifically dietary habits, play a key role in weight management. Real-time assessment methods such as Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) provide context-rich data that reduce recall bias and offer insights into dietary triggers and lapses.

Youth Epidemiology and Resilience (YEAR) in a student population: prevalence and predictors of mental health symptoms.

Background: Adolescence is a pivotal developmental phase, marked by a high prevalence of mental health issues. The Singapore Youth Epidemiology and Resilience (YEAR) study aims to assess the prevalence of mental health symptoms, sociodemographic risk factors, and the protective role of resilience in a multi-ethnic, Asian school-going adolescent population.

Methods: School-based adolescents aged 11-18 and their parents were invited from a stratified sample of national schools, designed to be demographically representative of the mainstream school-going population.

Microbiological surveillance result of endoscopes after INTERCEPT Foam Spray: a quasi-experimental pilot study in Singapore.

Background/aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of INTERCEPT Foam Spray (IFS) application on delayed endoscope reprocessing through microbiological surveillance culture (MSC).

Methods: A quasi-experimental, matched-comparison pilot study was conducted using gastrointestinal endoscopy. IFS was applied to the endoscopes after precleaning and before reprocessing the next day.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and development of intergenerational overall and subtypes of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We aimed to summarize the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its intergenerational cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) impacts in both mothers and offspring post-delivery in existing literature.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were utilized for searching publications between January 1980 and June 2024, with data extraction and meta-analysis continuing until 31 July 2024. Based on a predefined PROSPERO protocol, studies published as full-length, English-language journal articles that reported the presence of GDM during pregnancy and its association with any CVD development post-delivery were selected.

Handcrafted Silicone Coated Filament for Mice Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Models.

As the global population ages, ischemic stroke has risen to become the second leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, placing an immense burden on both society and families. Although treatments such as intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular interventions can substantially improve the outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke, only a small percentage of individuals benefit from these therapies. To advance our understanding of the disease and to discover more effective treatments, researchers are continuously developing and refining animal models.

Effects of Parental Predictors on Postpartum Depression.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is highly prevalent and plagues a significant proportion of parents. Postpartum depression also exerts various negative consequences on infant development and parent-infant relationships. Social support is identified as an important factor influencing many parental predictors, and may affect the development of PPD.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and development of intergenerational non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: It is known that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)-complicated pregnancies could affect maternal cardiometabolic health after delivery, resulting in hepatic dysfunction and a heightened risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hence, this study aims to summarise existing literature on the impact of GDM on NAFLD in mothers and investigate the intergenerational impact on NAFLD in offspring.

Methods: Using 4 databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus) between January 1980 and December 2023, randomized controlled trials and observational studies that assessed the effect of maternal GDM on intergenerational liver outcomes were extracted and analysed using random-effects meta-analysis to investigate the effect of GDM on NAFLD in mothers and offspring.

Development and validation of the Dermatology Social Comparison (DSC) Scale.

Background: Social comparison, the process of evaluating one's characteristics in relation to others, influences individuals' self-perception and behavior. However, instruments are scarce for assessing social comparison in the medical setting.

Objectives: Our aim was to develop and validate a new scale for assessing social comparison.

Activin receptors in human cancer: Functions, mechanisms, and potential clinical applications.

Activins are members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily and act as key regulators in various physiological processes, such as follicle and embryonic development, as well as in multiple human diseases, including cancer. They have been established to signal through three type I and two type II serine/threonine kinase receptors, which, upon ligand binding, form a final signal-transducing receptor complex that activates downstream signaling and governs gene expression. Recent research highlighted the dysregulation of the expression or activity of activin receptors in multiple human cancers and their critical involvement in cancer progression.

Incorporation of Decidual Stromal Cells Derived Exosomes in Sodium Alginate Hydrogel as an Innovative Therapeutic Strategy for Advancing Endometrial Regeneration and Reinstating Fertility.

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) stands as a prevalent medical condition characterized by endometrial fibrosis and scar tissue formation within the uterine cavity, resulting in infertility and, in severe cases, recurrent miscarriages. Cell therapy, especially with stem cells, offers an alternative to surgery, but concerns about uncontrolled differentiation and tumorigenicity limit its use. Exosomes, more stable and immunogenicity-reduced than parent cells, have emerged as a promising avenue for IUA treatment.

Macrophage polarization in spinal cord injury repair and the possible role of microRNAs: A review.

The prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury (SCI) have always posed significant medical challenges. After mechanical injury, disturbances in microcirculation, edema formation, and the generation of free radicals lead to additional damage, impeding effective repair processes and potentially exacerbating further dysfunction. In this context, inflammatory responses, especially the activation of macrophages, play a pivotal role.

Preconception maternal retinal venular widening and steeper resistance increments in the utero-fetoplacental circulation in pregnancy.

We investigated the relationship of preconception maternal retinal vasculature and utero-fetoplacental circulation in ensuing pregnancy. Embedded in a hospital-based, prospective preconception cohort, 396 women with a singleton live birth were included for analysis. We assessed retinal vascular caliber during preconception phase and retrieved ultrasonogram results documenting utero-fetoplacental circulatory indices using Doppler ultrasonography and documented them at 18-21 weeks, 24-28 weeks, and 32-34 weeks where available.

Manganese-Based Nanotheranostics for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Mediated Precise Cancer Management.

Manganese (Mn)-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a competitive imaging modality for cancer diagnosis due to its advantages of non-invasiveness, high resolution and excellent biocompatibility. In recent years, a variety of Mn contrast agents based on different material systems have been synthesized, and a series of multi-purpose Mn nanocomposites have also emerged, showing satisfactory relaxation efficiency and MRI performance thus possess the transformation and application value in MRI-synergized cancer diagnosis and treatment. This tutorial review starts from the classification and properties of Mn-based nanomaterials, and then summarizes various preparation and functionalization strategies of nanosized Mn contrast agents, especially focuses on the latest progress of Mn contrast agents in MRI-synergized precise cancer theranostics.

Early Pregnancy Maternal Plasma Phospholipid Saturated Fatty Acids and Fetal Growth: Findings from a Multi-Racial/Ethnic Birth Cohort in US.

Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) during pregnancy are associated with disrupted metabolic programming among offspring at birth and later growth. We examined plasma phospholipid SFAs in early pregnancy and fetal growth throughout pregnancy. We enrolled 321 pregnant women from the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort at gestational weeks 8-13.

Preconception maternal retinal arteriolar narrowing and fetal growth throughout pregnancy: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the association between preconception maternal retinal arteriolar calibre and fetal growth.

Design, Setting And Population: A hospital-based, prospective preconception cohort including 369 women with a singleton live birth.

Methods: We collected detailed information on sociodemographic status, pregnancy history and lifestyle, and performed retinal imaging at the preconception visit.

miR-31 ameliorates type 2 diabetic vascular damage through up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Aims: microRNA may be a new therapeutic direction for diabetes. As a typical tumor marker, miR-31 is involved in a variety of metabolic diseases, but the specific role is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-31 on type 2 diabetes mellitus and its accompanying vascular injury, as well as on the effects of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α inhibitor (HIF1AN), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A expression in vitro and in vivo.

Dynamic BH3 profiling identifies pro-apoptotic drug combinations for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has relatively ineffective first/second-line therapy for advanced disease and only 18% five-year survival for early disease. Drug-induced mitochondrial priming measured by dynamic BH3 profiling identifies efficacious drugs in multiple disease settings. We use high throughput dynamic BH3 profiling (HTDBP) to identify drug combinations that prime primary MPM cells derived from patient tumors, which also prime patient derived xenograft (PDX) models.