Life space restriction following disruptive life events: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Restriction of life space mobility is associated with adverse health outcomes including depression, morbidity, mortality and poorer quality of life. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 and associated employment loss on the life space of older adults in Singapore.

Methods: An in-person survey was administered to a cohort of older Singaporeans above 50 years old (N = 1,118).

Why Does an "Avatar Nose" Appear After Dermal Filler Injection? Insights From a Cadaveric Study on the Nasofrontal Ligament.

Background: Nonsurgical rhinoplasty (NSR) with dermal fillers has gained popularity because of its immediate and visible results, minimal downtime, and long-lasting effects. However, complications such as filler migration can lead to the development of the "Avatar nose," a condition where the nose appears unnaturally wide and bulbous in the nasion area, disrupting facial harmony. This phenomenon is often exacerbated by the presence of a taut nasofrontal ligament, which tethers the periosteum to the dermal layer and influences nasal contour.

Comparison of Different Machine Learning Methodologies for Predicting the Non-Specific Treatment Response in Placebo Controlled Major Depressive Disorder Clinical Trials.

Placebo effect represents a serious confounder for the assessment of treatment effect to the extent that it has become increasingly difficult to develop antidepressant medications appropriate for outperforming placebo. Treatment effect in randomized, placebo-controlled trials, is usually estimated by the mean baseline adjusted difference of treatment response in active and placebo arms and is function of treatment-specific and non-specific effects. The non-specific treatment effect varies subject by subject conditional to the individual propensity to respond to placebo.

Leveraging Iron in the Electrolyte to Improve Oxygen Evolution Reaction Performance: Fundamentals, Strategies, and Perspectives.

Electrochemical water splitting is a pivotal technology for storing intermittent electricity from renewable sources into hydrogen fuel. However, its overall energy efficiency is impeded by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. In the quest to design high-performance anode catalysts for driving the OER under non-acidic conditions, iron (Fe) has emerged as a crucial element.

Clinical utility of plasma p-tau217 in identifying abnormal brain amyloid burden in an Asian cohort with high prevalence of concomitant cerebrovascular disease.

Introduction: Using an Asian cohort with high prevalence of concomitant cerebrovascular disease (CeVD), we evaluated the performance of a plasma immunoassay for tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (p-tau217) in detecting amyloid beta positivity (Aβ+) on positron emission tomography and cognitive decline, based on a three-range reference, which stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups for Aβ+.

Methods: Brain amyloid status (Aβ- [n = 142] vs Aβ+ [n = 73]) on amyloid PET scans was assessed along with the plasma ALZpath p-tau217 assay to derive three-range reference points for PET Aβ+ based on 90% sensitivity (lower threshold) and 90% specificity (upper threshold).

Results: Plasma p-tau217 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.

MEDIATOR15 destabilizes DELLA protein to promote gibberellin-mediated plant development.

Mediator, a transcriptional coactivator, regulates plant growth and development by interacting with various transcriptional regulators. MEDIATOR15 (MED15) is a subunit in the Mediator complex potentially involved in developmental control. To uncover molecular functions of Arabidopsis MED15 in development, we searched for its interactors.

Striving for excellence in a little red dot: Exploring the evolution of oral and maxillofacial surgery training and practice in Singapore.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) is a field that straddles knowledge and clinical experience from both medical and dental specialties. In the small island nation of Singapore, the rapidly and constantly changing needs of its diverse and aging population, as well as changes in the mindsets of both students and educators have led to many developments in the local OMS program. Tied to the only dental school in the country, the curriculum of the training program has kept up with the changes in the demographics and attitudes of the local patient pool, which comprises a multicultural population with both traditional and modern mindsets.

Feasibility of long-range telesurgical robotic radical gastrectomy in a live porcine model.

Background: Telesurgery has been made increasingly possible with the advancements in robotic surgical platforms and network connectivity. However, long-distance transnational complex robotic surgeries such as gastrectomy have yet to be attempted.

Methods: Multiple transnational network connections by Science Innovation Network (SINET), Japan Gigabit Network (JGN), and Arterial Research and Education Network in Asia-Pacific (ARENA-PAC) were established and tested by multiple surgeons in a dry box model.

Efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy versus case management for psychological distress in adolescents and young adults in a community-based youth mental health service in Singapore: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: There are insufficient scalable, evidence-based treatments to meet increasing mental health needs of young people. Offering interim, brief interventions for young persons with psychological distress can improve access to care and mitigate adverse effects of long waiting times. This study tests the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), a strength-based, goal-directed intervention, in adolescents and young adults at a community-based youth mental health service in Singapore.

Cohort profile: the potentially preventable burden of community-acquired pneumonia in South African adults in the era of widespread PCV13 immunisation and antiretroviral therapy roll-out, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic - the multicentre, multimethod PotPrev Study.

Purpose: In the setting of an established childhood pneumococcal vaccination programme with immediate initiation and treatment of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLWH), the risk of adult pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is not recently described. We aimed to investigate CAP incidence, recurrence, mortality, risk factors and microbiology before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants: Adults aged ≥18 years were enrolled in three South African provinces from March 2019 to October 2021, with a brief halt during the initial COVID-19 lockdown.

Predictive accuracy of lactate albumin ratio for mortality in intensive care units: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: The lactate albumin ratio (LAR), a simple prognostic marker used in intensive care units (ICUs), combines lactate and serum albumin levels to predict patient outcomes. Despite its potential, the predictive accuracy of the LAR remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of the LAR in predicting mortality among patients in the ICU.

Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Targeting PET/CT With 68Ga-NOTA-RM26 in the Assessment of Glioma and Combined Multiregional Biopsies.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of 68Ga-NOTA-RM26 (68Ga-RM26), a gastrin-releasing peptide receptor-targeting antagonist labeled with the radionuclide 68Ga, in the diagnosis of high-grade gliomas and in combination with multiregional biopsies using PET/CT.

Patients And Methods: After institutional review board approval and informed consent, a total of 35 patients with suspected glioma lesions were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent 68Ga-RM26 PET/CT scans within 2 weeks before surgery.

Developmental Venous Anomaly: Its Impact on Brain Parenchymal Function as Revealed by FDG PET.

Developmental venous anomaly (DVA) is a common benign brain vascular malformation, typically asymptomatic, with intervention required when complications arise. We present the case of a 63-year-old man with mild cognitive decline whose brain FDG PET showed decreased uptake not only at the site of DVA, but in the extended surrounding parenchyma where MRI showed no parenchymal abnormalities. DVAs arise from developmental irregularities in the embryonic venous system, but likely affecting a greater extent of the surrounding parenchymal functions.

Harnessing the tumor microenvironment: targeted cancer therapies through modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is integral to cancer progression, impacting metastasis and treatment response. It consists of diverse cell types, extracellular matrix components, and signaling molecules that interact to promote tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Elucidating the intricate interactions between cancer cells and the TME is crucial in understanding cancer progression and therapeutic challenges.

Echocardiographic phenotypes of diabetic myocardial disorder: evolution over 15 months follow-up in the ARISE-HF trial.

Background: Diabetic myocardial disorder (DbMD, evidenced by abnormal echocardiography or cardiac biomarkers) is a form of stage B heart failure (SBHF) at high risk for progression to overt HF. SBHF is defined by abnormal LV morphology and function and/or abnormal cardiac biomarker concentrations.

Objective: To compare the evolution of four DbMD groups based on biomarkers alone, systolic and diastolic dysfunction alone, or their combination.

Preclinical and First-in-Human Study of a Compact Radionuclide Labeled Self-Assembly Nanomedicine for Chemo-Radio-Theranostics of Cancer.

The emerging combination of chemotherapy and radionuclide therapy has been actively investigated to overcome the limitations of monotherapy and augment therapeutic efficacy. However, it remains a challenge to design a single delivery vehicle that can incorporate chemotherapeutics and radionuclides into a compact structure. Here, a chelator DOTA- or NOTA-modified Evans blue conjugated camptothecin molecule (EB-CPT) nanoprodrug was synthesized, which could self-assemble into nanoparticles due to its inherent amphiphilicity.

Comparison between ruptured anterior choroidal artery aneurysms and ruptured intracranial aneurysms in other locations in relation to aneurysm dimensions at rupture.

Purpose: It was noticed that anterior choroidal artery (AChoA) aneurysms appear to rupture at relatively smaller sizes compared with aneurysms in other intracranial locations, based on anecdotal clinical experience. We therefore aimed to compare ruptured AChoA aneurysms with other ruptured aneurysms in other intracranial locations, pertaining to aneurysm dimensions. This may help in finding out if the rupture risk stratification, based on the amalgamation of aneurysms of multiple locations in one group, precisely estimates aneurysm rupture risk.

All-angle unidirectional flat-band acoustic metasurfaces.

Flat bands have empowered novel phenomena such as robust canalization with strong localization, high-collimation and low-loss propagation. However, the spatial symmetry protection in photonic or acoustic lattices naturally forces flat bands to manifest in pairs aligned at an inherently specific angle, resulting in a fixed bidirectional canalization. Here, we report an acoustic flat-band metasurface, allowing not only unidirectional canalization at all in-plane angles but also robust tunability in band alignment.

Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study.

Background: Singapore's large aging population poses significant challenges for the health care system in managing cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of identifying and implementing effective interventions. Cognitive training delivered remotely as a digital therapeutic (DTx) may serve as a scalable and accessible approach to overcoming these challenges. While previous studies indicate the potential of cognitive training as a promising solution for managing cognitive decline, understanding the attitudes and experiences of older adults toward using such DTx platforms remains relatively unexplored.