Implementation of First-Trimester Screening and Prevention of Preeclampsia: A Stepped Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial in Asia.

Background: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of a first-trimester screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia in Asia.

Methods: Between August 1, 2019, and February 28, 2022, this multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized trial included maternity/diagnostic units from 10 regions in Asia. The trial started with a period where all recruiting centers provided routine antenatal care without study-related intervention.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of permethrin and temephos-resistant Ae. aegypti revealed diverse differentially expressed proteins associated with insecticide resistance from Penang Island, Malaysia.

Synthetic insecticides are the primary vector control method used globally. However, the widespread use of insecticides is a major cause of insecticide-resistance in mosquitoes. Hence, this study aimed at elucidating permethrin and temephos-resistant protein expression profiles in Ae.

Trends in the surgical treatment of posterior shoulder instability in the United States from 2016 to 2020.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe trends in the incidence of open versus arthroscopic management of posterior shoulder instability (PSI) as well as the patients undergoing these procedures in the United States over time.

Methods: The PearlDiver Patient Records Database was utilized for this study. Cases of PSI and surgery were identified via the appropriate ICD-10-CM and CPT codes.

High-pitched tin-filtered CT pulmonary angiography in radiation dose reduction for pulmonary embolism investigations in young females.

Introduction: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the gold standard test to investigate pulmonary embolism (PE). This technique carries significant radiation risk in young females because of radiosensitive breast and thyroid tissues. A high-pitched CT technique offers significant radiation dose reduction (RDR) and minimises breathing artefact.

Sex Differences in Association Between Gut Microbiome and Essential Hypertension Based on Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring.

Background: Sex differences in the pathogenesis of hypertension exist. While gut microbiota (GM) has been associated with hypertension, it is unclear whether there are sex-linked differences in the association between GM and hypertension.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the sex differences in associations between GM characterized by shotgun sequencing, GM-derived short-chain fatty acids, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in 241 Hong Kong Chinese (113 men and 128 women; mean age, 54±6 years).

Assessing COVID-19-related health literacy and associated factors among school teachers in Hong Kong, China.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic developed rapidly, with changing guidelines, misinformation, inaccurate health information and rumors. This situation has highlighted the importance of health literacy, especially among educators. The aims of this study were (i) to assess COVID-19-specific health literacy among school teachers in Hong Kong and (ii) to examine its association with demographic factors, self-endangering work behaviors (i.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Perceived Stress, Well-Being and Their Relations with Work-Related Behaviours among Hong Kong School Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The health and well-being of school leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic have been largely neglected compared to the health and well-being of students and teachers. This study assessed the magnitude of perceived stress and well-being and the associated factors, including number of working hours, work-related sense of coherence (work-SoC), perceived stress, self-endangering work behaviour, secondary burnout symptoms, and satisfaction with work, among school leaders in Hong Kong, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional, survey-based study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 259 eligible school leaders in Hong Kong from April 2021 to February 2022.

Modification of bladder thermodynamics in stress urinary incontinence patients submitted to trans-obturator tape: A retrospective study based on urodynamic assessment.

It needs to be clarified whether trans-obturator tape (TOT)-enhanced urethral resistance could impact the voiding function. Although TOT has been well-recognized for enhancing urethral resistance to restore continence in stress urinary incontinence (SUI) patients, whether the bladder's voiding functions adapt to the TOT-enhanced resistance has not been adequately investigated. This study thereby aimed to investigate whether TOT impacts the bladder's thermodynamic efficacy during the voiding phase.

Nurse-led reinforced education by mobile messenger improves the quality of bowel preparation of colonoscopy in a population-based colorectal cancer screening program: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Adequate bowel preparation is an important colonoscopy quality indicator. Reinforced education is effective in improving bowel preparation quality of colonoscopy with mixed indications. However, it remains unclear whether such improvement can be consistently observed in pre- and post-irrigation during colonoscopy in screening population.

Medical cannabis use by rheumatology patients in routine clinical care: results from The Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative.

Objectives: Medical cannabis is often used to alleviate common symptoms in patients with chronic conditions. With cannabis legalisation in Canada and easier access, it is important that rheumatologists understand its potential impact on their practice. Among patients attending rheumatology clinics in Ontario we assessed: the prevalence of medical cannabis use; symptoms treated; rheumatologists' perceptions.

High-risk Pathologic Features Based on Presenting Findings in Advanced Intraocular Retinoblastoma: A Multicenter, International Data-Sharing American Joint Committee on Cancer Study.

Purpose: To determine the value of clinical features for advanced intraocular retinoblastoma as defined by the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) cT3 category and AJCC Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force (OOTF) Size Groups to predict the high-risk pathologic features.

Design: International, multicenter, registry-based retrospective case series.

Participants: Eighteen ophthalmic oncology centers from 13 countries over 6 continents shared evaluations of 942 eyes enucleated as primary treatment for AJCC cT3 and, for comparison, cT2 retinoblastoma.

Trust and Trade-Offs in Sharing Data for Precision Medicine: A National Survey of Singapore.

Background: Precision medicine (PM) programs typically use broad consent. This approach requires maintenance of the social license and public trust. The ultimate success of PM programs will thus likely be contingent upon understanding public expectations about data sharing and establishing appropriate governance structures.

Conformational control of Cas9 by CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA guides mitigates off-target activity in T cells.

The off-target activity of the CRISPR-associated nuclease Cas9 is a potential concern for therapeutic genome editing applications. Although high-fidelity Cas9 variants have been engineered, they exhibit varying efficiencies and have residual off-target effects, limiting their applicability. Here, we show that CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA (chRDNA) guides provide an effective approach to increase Cas9 specificity while preserving on-target editing activity.

A mixed-methods study to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of aerobic exercise for primary dysmenorrhea: A study protocol.

Background And Purpose: Several studies have evaluated the effects of high-intensity aerobic training (HIAT) on pain severity and quality of life (QoL) among women with primary dysmenorrhea. However, to date, no studies have evaluated the effectiveness of HIAT on academic performance or absenteeism or examined the cost-effectiveness of HIAT relative to other treatments in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying aerobic exercise-induced analgesia in primary dysmenorrhea remain unclear.

Cytokine release syndrome in a patient with colorectal cancer after vaccination with BNT162b2.

Patients with cancer are currently prioritized in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs globally, which includes administration of mRNA vaccines. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) has not been reported with mRNA vaccines and is an extremely rare immune-related adverse event of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We present a case of CRS that occurred 5 d after vaccination with BTN162b2 (tozinameran)-the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-in a patient with colorectal cancer on long-standing anti-PD-1 monotherapy.

Cytokine signaling convergence regulates the microglial state transition in Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic analyses have revealed the pivotal contribution of microglial dysfunctions to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Along AD progression, the accumulation of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) including beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau continuously stimulates microglia, which results in their chronic activation. Chronically activated microglia secrete excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines, which further regulate microglial responses towards DAMPs.

Factors impacting length of stay and survival in patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies and malignant bowel obstruction.

Objectives: Malignant bowel obstruction in patients with gynecologic malignancies can impose a large symptomatic burden. The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with shorter length of hospital stay and overall survival in gynecologic oncology patients with malignant bowel obstructions.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed from December 2014 to March 2019 on patients admitted to a tertiary care center with a malignant bowel obstruction and advanced gynecologic malignancy.

SLFN11 informs on standard of care and novel treatments in a wide range of cancer models.

Background: Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) has been linked with response to DNA-damaging agents (DDA) and PARP inhibitors. An in-depth understanding of several aspects of its role as a biomarker in cancer is missing, as is a comprehensive analysis of the clinical significance of SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker to DDA and/or DNA damage-response inhibitor (DDRi) therapies.

Methods: We used a multidisciplinary effort combining specific immunohistochemistry, pharmacology tests, anticancer combination therapies and mechanistic studies to assess SLFN11 as a potential biomarker for stratification of patients treated with several DDA and/or DDRi in the preclinical and clinical setting.

Changes in the upper airway, hyoid bone and craniofacial morphology between patients treated with headgear activator and Herbst appliance: A retrospective study on lateral cephalometry.

Background: The present study compared the treatment changes in the upper airway, hyoid bone position and craniofacial morphology between two groups of children with skeletal class II malocclusion treated with the headgear activator (HGA) and Herbst appliance (Herbst).

Setting And Sample Population: Orthodontic population from the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong.

Methods: Thirty-four skeletal class II patients treated with the HGA (17 patients, mean age 10.

Complete loss of ATM function augments replication catastrophe induced by ATR inhibition and gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer models.

Background: Personalised medicine strategies may improve outcomes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but validation of predictive biomarkers is required. Having developed a clinical trial to assess the ATR inhibitor, AZD6738, in combination with gemcitabine (ATRi/gem), we investigated ATM loss as a predictive biomarker of response to ATRi/gem in PDAC.

Methods: Through kinase inhibition, siRNA depletion and CRISPR knockout of ATM, we assessed how ATM targeting affected the sensitivity of PDAC cells to ATRi/gem.