Nacre-like ceramic composites: Properties, functions and fabrication in the context of dental restorations.

Dental restorations are in increasing demand, yet their success rate strongly decreases after 5-10 years post-implantation, attributed in part to mismatching properties with the surrounding buccal environment that causes failures and wear. Among current research to address this issue, biomimetic approaches are promising. Nacre-like ceramic composites are particularly interesting because they combine multiple antagonistic properties making them more resistant to failure in harsh environment than other materials.

Protocol update and baseline characteristics for the TRIal to slow the Progression of Diabetes (TRIPOD) randomized controlled trial.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and other adverse health conditions, is on the rise in Singapore. TRIPOD is a randomized controlled trial aimed to determine whether complementing usual care with an evidence-based diabetes management package (DMP) -comprising access to an evidence-based app, health coaching, pedometer, glucometer and weighing scale, with or without a financial rewards scheme (M-POWER rewards), can improve mean HbA levels at months 6 and 12.

Methods: The protocol was published in Trials, accessible via https://trialsjournal.

Clinical Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate-A Systematic Review.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was (a) to explore the current clinical applications of AI/ML (Artificial intelligence and Machine learning) techniques in diagnosis and treatment prediction in children with CLP (Cleft lip and palate), (b) to create a qualitative summary of results of the studies retrieved.

Materials And Methods: An electronic search was carried out using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science Core Collection. Two reviewers searched the databases separately and concurrently.

Ambient temperature and hospital admissions for non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in the tropics.

Background: Myocardial infarction is an important cause of cardiovascular mortality and can be precipitated by climatic factors. The temperature dependence of myocardial infarction risk has been well examined in temperate settings. Fewer studies have investigated this in the tropics where thermal amplitudes are narrower.

Who to Be Treated: Nomogram Using Self-Reported Periodontal Screening Instrument among English-Speaking Adults in Multi-Ethnic Singapore.

Periodontal disease is a major public health problem. This study aimed to develop a nomogram using a self-reported periodontitis screening instrument in predicting severe periodontitis (SP), defined by the World Workshop on Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions, and evaluate its utility in clinical setting. An Akaike information criterion selected multivariable model was developed to predict SP using a self-reported questionnaire, with a nomogram developed based on its regression coefficients.

Should we stop dual anti-platelet therapy for dental extractions? An umbrella review for this dental dilemma.

Objectives: Dual Anti-platelet Therapy (DAPT) are prescribed to patients who had or are at risk of cerebrovascular or cardiovascular ischemic events. This umbrella review appraises existing systematic reviews on the risk of bleeding related complications during and after dental extractions for patients on DAPT.

Study Data And Sources: This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered to the PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) database.

Manipulative and body-based methods in chronic kidney disease patients: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: and purpose: Among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, manipulative and body-based methods (MBM) have demonstrated efficacy in improving symptoms such as fatigue. This review aims to summarize the efficacy and safety of MBM among CKD patients.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, CENTRAL and PsycInfo.

Early quality of life outcomes after surgery in head and neck cancer survivors with EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-HN35 in an Asian tertiary centre.

Background: The objective of the study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of head and neck cancer survivors after surgical treatment and to identify patients' main concerns. The study also aims to establish pre-treatment reference values particularly for the Asian patient. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck module (EORTC QLQ-HN35) were used for objective evaluation.

Bacterial cellulose adhesive composites for oral cavity applications.

Topical approaches to oral diseases require frequent dosing due to limited retention time. A mucoadhesive drug delivery platform with extended soft tissue adhesion capability of up to 7 days is proposed for on-site management of oral wound. Bacterial cellulose (BC) and photoactivated carbene-based bioadhesives (PDz) are combined to yield flexible film platform for interfacing soft tissues in dynamic, wet environments.

Improved Glycemic Control and Variability: Application of Healthy Ingredients in Asian Staples.

A reduction in carbohydrate intake and low-carbohydrate diets are often advocated to prevent and manage diabetes. However, limiting or eliminating carbohydrates may not be a long-term sustainable and maintainable approach for everyone. Alternatively, diet strategies to modulate glycemia can focus on the glycemic index (GI) of foods and glycemic load (GL) of meals.

Application of a BMP2-binding heparan sulphate to promote periodontal regeneration.

Periodontitis is the most common inflammatory disease that leads to periodontal defects and tooth loss. Regeneration of alveolar bone and soft tissue in periodontal defects is highly desirable but remains challenging. A heparan sulphate variant (HS3) with enhanced affinity for bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) that, when combined with collagen or ceramic biomaterials, enhances bone tissue regeneration in the axial and cranial skeleton in several animal models was reported previously.

Comparison of Different Methods for Spongin-like Collagen Extraction from Marine Sponges ( and ): Physicochemical Properties and In Vitro Biological Analysis.

This study aimed to compare different protocols (Protocol 1: P1; Protocol 2: P2; Protocol 3: P3; Protocol 4: P4) for the extraction of spongin-like collagen (SC) from marine sponges. The SEM micrographs demonstrated a fibrillar structure for the extracts from and the nodular/particulate aggregates for . FTIR showed for all samples peaks similar to collagen for both species.

Clinical presentations of social communication disorder: A case series.

Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is a new DSM-5 diagnostic category poorly understood by clinicians. We describe a case series of four individuals diagnosed with SCD to identify common characteristics and differences in presentations of the disorder. All cases had deficits in the area of social communication, and sub-threshold level of restricted and repetitive behaviours, not sufficient to meet criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Epidemiologic trends of infants with orofacial clefts in a multiethnic country: a retrospective population-based study.

Cleft births surveillance is essential in healthcare and prevention planning. Data are needed in precision medicine to target upstream management for at-risk individuals. This study characterizes Singapore's population-based orofacial cleft topography by ethnicity and gender, and establishes the cleft cohort's infant mortality rate.

Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the jaw in a β-Thalassemia intermedia patient.

The resultant anemia in hemoglobinopathies like thalassemia can lead to expansion of the bone marrow cavities due to compensatory hyperplasia. This article reports a case of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the left maxillary alveolus in a patient with β-Thalassemia intermedia. The area affected presented as areas of osteosclerosis on the radiographic examination and sequestrectomy of the left maxillary alveolus was performed after consultation with his hematologist.

Dental Subphenotypes in Infants With Orofacial Clefts-A Longitudinal Population-Based Retrospective Radiographic Study of the Primary and Secondary Dentitions.

Objectives: To determine the developmental patterns of primary and secondary dentitions in infants with orofacial clefts.

Design: Retrospective, longitudinal, population-based cohort study.

Materials: Longitudinal records and radiographs of 192 nonsyndromic Northern European infants with isolated unilateral cleft lip (UCL, n = 111) and isolated cleft palate (CP, n = 81).

Deep orofacial phenotyping of population-based infants with isolated cleft lip and isolated cleft palate.

Isolated orofacial clefts (OFC) are common with poorly understood aetiology. Heterogeneous phenotypes and subphenotypes confound aetiological variant findings. To improve OFC phenome understanding, population-based, consecutive, pre-treatment infants with isolated unilateral cleft lip (UCL, n = 183) and isolated cleft palate (CP, n = 83) of similar ancestry were grouped for deep phenotyping.

Caregiver- and Child-Reported Anxiety Using an Autism-Specific Measure: Measurement Properties and Correlates of the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASC-ASD) in Verbal Young People with ASD.

Identifying and measuring anxiety in young people on the autism spectrum can be challenging. The present study investigated the use of the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASC-ASD), a self- and caregiver-rated screening tool in a Singaporean sample of ninety-one verbal autistic youths and their caregivers. Internal consistency ranged from satisfactory to desirable (α = .

Inhibitory effects of xylitol and sorbitol on Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans biofilms are repressed by the presence of sucrose.

Objective: Among the preventive and therapeutic options available for dental caries, sugar alcohols (xylitol and sorbitol) have been widely promoted as oral healthcare products due to its perceived anticariogenic effect. However, the therapeutic efficacy of these sugar alcohols against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in a sucrose supplemented environment, as found in disease-prone conditions in the oral cavity, has not been adequately investigated.

Methods: Single and mixed-species biofilm formation was evaluated in medium with different concentrations of xylitol, sorbitol with or without sucrose supplementation.

Lactobacillus Plantarum 108 Inhibits Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans Mixed-Species Biofilm Formation.

is the principal biofilm forming oral pathogen associated with dental caries. Studies have shown that , a commensal oral fungus is capable of forming pathogenic mixed-species biofilms with The treatment of bacterial and fungal infections using conventional antimicrobial agents has become challenging due to the antimicrobial resistance of the biofilm mode of growth. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of secretory components of , a potentially promising probiotic strain, against and single and mixed-species biofilms.

Oral health status and barriers to care in a multiethnic mixed disability center: Rethinking disability community dental services.

Aims: There are currently neither onsite services nor any known studies that addresses oral health of persons with special care needs (PSCN) within disability activity centers in Singapore. This study aims to report on the oral health status, disability-related barriers, and assess how these barriers limit care pathways.

Methods And Results: 29 PSCN from a multiethnic mixed disability day activity center were screened over two days.

Nanodelivery Systems for Topical Management of Skin Disorders.

Topical drug delivery has inherent advantages over other administration routes. However, the existence of stratum corneum limits the diffusion to small and lipophilic drugs. Fortunately, the advancement of nanotechnology brings along opportunities to address this challenge.