Publications by authors named "Vivian Lin"

Introduction: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (CAH) is a rare genetic condition characterized by cortisol deficiency and excess adrenal androgens. CAH treatment is a lifelong balancing act between the need to reduce excess androgens, typically with supraphysiologic glucocorticoid (GC) doses, and concerns about potentially serious GC-related adverse events. Tradeoffs between the consequences of excess androgens versus GCs must be constantly reassessed throughout each patient's lifetime, based on current clinical needs and treatment goals.

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: Uveal melanomas (UMs) are rare but often deadly malignancies that urgently require viable treatment options. UMs often exhibit tumour heterogeneity, with macroscopic and microscopic differences in morphology between different regions of the same tumour. However, to date, the clinical significance of this and how it may help guide personalised therapy have not been realised.

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Cellulitis is a common skin infection often requiring antibiotic treatment. However, misdiagnosis and inappropriate antibiotic use contribute to antibiotic resistance and healthcare costs. We aimed to evaluate the impact of dermatology consultation on treatment modification in patients with suspected cellulitis and to determine whether dermatologists' evaluation can be used as a reference to diagnose suspected cellulitis.

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( ) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), the leading cause of infectious-disease related deaths worldwide. TB infections present as a spectrum from active to latent disease. In the human host, faces hostile environments, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and low pH.

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Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) metastasizing to the parotid gland can cause facial nerve (FN) dysfunction secondary to direct invasion, perineural spread, or surgical ablation. This study aims to characterize the prevalence of preoperative FN involvement in metastatic cSCC to the parotid and identify risk factors resulting in FN sacrifice.

Methods: Patients with parotid metastases from cSCC, treated surgically with parotidectomy with curative intent were identified through a retrospective cohort analysis of a prospectively maintained Sydney Head and Neck database from 1992 to 2021.

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Objective: We performed a systematic literature review to identify and describe pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: We searched PubMed for studies evaluating pharmacist-led ASP interventions in LMICs from January 1, 2012, to November 4, 2023.

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Objectives: We assessed the effectiveness of heterologous vaccination strategy in immunocompromised individuals regarding COVID-19 outcomes, comparing it to homologous approaches.

Design: Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1, 2020 to September 29, 2023.

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Interactions between plants and soil microbial communities that benefit plant growth and enhance nutrient acquisition are driven by the selective release of metabolites from plant roots, or root exudation. To investigate these plant-microbe interactions, we developed a photoaffinity probe based on sorgoleone (rgoleone iazirine lkyne for hotoffinity abeling, SoDA-PAL), a hydrophobic secondary metabolite and allelochemical produced in root exudates. We applied SoDA-PAL to the identification of sorgoleone-binding proteins in SO1, a potential plant growth-promoting microbe isolated from sorghum rhizosphere soil.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, notably in ophthalmology, where its ability to interpret images and data can significantly enhance disease diagnosis and patient care. Recent developments in oculomics, the integration of ophthalmic features to develop biomarkers for systemic diseases, have demonstrated the potential for providing rapid, non-invasive methods of screening leading to enhance in early detection and improve healthcare quality, particularly in underserved areas. However, the widespread adoption of such AI-based technologies faces challenges primarily related to the trustworthiness of the system.

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2-Benzylbenzimidazoles, or "nitazenes", are a class of novel synthetic opioids (NSOs) that are increasingly being detected alongside fentanyl analogs and other opioids in drug overdose cases. Nitazenes can be 20× more potent than fentanyl but are not routinely tested for during postmortem or clinical toxicology drug screens; thus, their prevalence in drug overdose cases may be under-reported. Traditional analytical workflows utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) often require additional confirmation with authentic reference standards to identify a novel nitazene.

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Article Synopsis
  • The mucociliary transport apparatus plays a crucial role in lung health by using coordinated cilia movement to clear mucus and particles through a process called metachrony.
  • Researchers hypothesized that disruptions in calcium signaling would hinder metachrony and reduce mucociliary transport (MCT), and they tested this using imaging techniques on human and ferret tracheae.
  • Results showed that metachrony significantly enhances MCT by 48% in both species and that calcium signaling is essential for maintaining this coordinated movement.
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Background: Adrenal insufficiency in patients with classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is treated with glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Control of adrenal-derived androgen excess usually requires supraphysiologic glucocorticoid dosing, which predisposes patients to glucocorticoid-related complications. Crinecerfont, an oral corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor antagonist, lowered androstenedione levels in phase 2 trials involving patients with CAH.

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Objective: We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination against post-COVID conditions (long COVID) in the pediatric population.

Design: Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 1, 2019, to August 14, 2023, for studies evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post-COVID conditions among vaccinated individuals < 21 years old who received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

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Background: Penicillin's long-standing role as the reference standard in syphilis treatment has led to global reliance. However, this dependence presents challenges, prompting the need for alternative strategies. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of these alternative treatments against nonneurological syphilis.

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The opioid crisis in the United States is being fueled by the rapid emergence of new fentanyl analogs and precursors that can elude traditional library-based screening methods, which require data from known reference compounds. Since reference compounds are unavailable for new fentanyl analogs, we examined if fentanyls (fentanyl + fentanyl analogs) could be identified in a reference-free manner using a combination of electrospray ionization (ESI), high-resolution ion mobility (IM) spectrometry, high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS), and higher-energy collision-induced dissociation (MS/MS). We analyzed a mixture containing nine fentanyls and W-15 (a structurally similar molecule) and found that the protonated forms of all fentanyls exhibited two baseline-separated IM distributions that produced different MS/MS patterns.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study in Brazil compared long COVID effects in hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with diagnoses made using WHO criteria at a 90-day follow-up.
  • Among the 1,409 patients studied, long COVID prevalence was 47.1% in hospitalized and 49.5% in non-hospitalized patients, with factors like female sex and depression indicating higher risks.
  • The findings suggest that early depression screening can help healthcare workers anticipate long COVID risks, leading to better patient management.
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Objective: We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination against post-COVID conditions (long COVID) among fully vaccinated individuals.

Design: Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 1, 2019, to June 2, 2023, for studies evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against post-COVID conditions among fully vaccinated individuals who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

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