The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer in Singapore.

: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented lockdowns and social distancing measures, which may delay the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to review the impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of CRC. : Patients who underwent colonoscopy or surgery for CRC were included.

Assessing the impact of frailty in elderly patients undergoing emergency laparotomies in Singapore.

Introduction: The global rise in ageing populations poses challenges for healthcare systems. By 2030, Singapore anticipates a quarter of its population to be aged 65 or older. This study addresses the dearth of research on frailty's impact on emergency laparotomy (EL) outcomes in this demographic, emphasising the growing significance of this surgical intervention.

Multi-disciplinary diabetic limb salvage programme in octogenarians with diabetic foot ulcers is not futile: An observational study with historical controls.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary diabetic limb salvage programme in improving clinical outcomes and optimising healthcare utilisation in 406 patients aged ≥80 years with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), compared to 2392 younger patients enrolled from June 2020 to June 2021 and against 1716 historical controls using one-to-one propensity score matching. Results showed that elderly programme patients had lower odds of amputation-free survival (odds ratio: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.

Effect of blood type on mortality among patients with brain metastases.

Objective: ABO blood type has been associated with mortality among patients with cancer, but this association has thus far not been investigated among patients with brain metastases. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between ABO blood type and mortality among patients who underwent surgical resection of brain metastases.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent surgical resection of brain metastases between 2011 and 2019 was conducted.

Elective Delivery versus Expectant Management for Gastroschisis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction:  The optimal timing of delivery for pregnancies complicated by prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find whether elective or expectant delivery is associated with improved neonatal outcome.

Materials And Methods:  MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for studies up to 2021 that reported timing of delivery for prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis.

Impact of RNA degradation on influenza diagnosis in the surveillance system.

Background: The continuous evolution of influenza viruses is monitored by the World Health Organization Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. Sample quality is essential for surveillance quality.

Methods: To evaluate the RNA degradation of clinical samples, influenza-like illness samples were collected from four sentinel hospitals, and seasonal influenza was tested by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and quantified by digital reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction at different time points.

Icariin induces osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and mineralization through estrogen receptor-mediated ERK and JNK signal activation.

Icariin, the main active flavonoid glucoside isolated from Herba epimedii (HEF), is an anabolic agent in bone that has been reported to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats and postmenopausal women. However, the molecular mechanism for this anabolic action of Icariin remain largely unknown. Here, we found that Icariin could promote MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cell proliferation and reduce cell apoptosis, associated with increased mRNA levels of positive regulators of cell cycle gene Cyclin E and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), decreaed mRNA level of negative regulator gene, Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitor B (Cdkn2B), and reduced caspase-3 activity.