Gut microbiota-derived imidazole propionate predicts cardiometabolic risk in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background And Aims: The gut microbiota is a modulator of cardiometabolic disease. Circulating imidazole propionate (ImP) is a microbiota-derived proatherogenic amino acid metabolite modulating the inflammatory response of myeloid cells, endothelial function and glucose metabolism. This study examined the prognostic value of ImP in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Changes in pain prevalence among older adults in Singapore: Findings from a nationwide study.

Objective: Pain adversely affects individuals' quality of life and increases the burden on the healthcare system. However, few studies have examined pain among older adults in Asia. Hence, our study investigated (i) the prevalence and correlates of pain in 2023, and (ii) changes in pain prevalence and its correlates between 2013 and 2023 among older adults in Singapore.

Embedded interlocking membrane interface enables highly stable and water-permeable membrane distillation of hypersaline wastewater.

The lack of robust distillation membranes to resist scaling/wetting remains a significant barrier to applying membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline wastewater treatment. Constructing a functional surface layer was demonstrated to be a promising strategy against membrane scaling/wetting. However, conventional surface coating processes could increase water transport resistance and low compatibility between the surface layer and hydrophobic substrate, deteriorating membrane efficacies and stabilities.

Trends and projections of heart failure among adolescents and young adults: an in-depth analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Background: The prevalence of heart failure (HF) continues to rise with a growing impact on younger populations, while epidemiological comprehensive data on HF in adolescents and young adults remain scarce.

Objectives: This study aimed to report population shifts and HF burden among individuals aged 15-49 years from 1990 to 2021, with projections through 2035.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 for individuals aged 15-49 years.

Steatotic Liver Disease as a Risk Enhancer in the Presence of Metabolic Syndrome.

Background & Aims: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is an overarching term to encompass metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), MASLD with increased alcohol intake (MetALD), and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). However, the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on the association between SLD and mortality risk remains uncertain. This study aims to compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality across SLD subtypes stratified by MetS.

Impact of Omicron BA.5 infection on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Introduction: Physiological and immunological adaptations during pregnancy may elevate the risk of adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This retrospective study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of pregnant women and the maternal and neonatal outcomes during pregnancy following Omicron BA.5 variant infection.

PARIS coronary thrombosis risk score combined with D-dimer to guide new oral anticoagulant antithrombotic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention: study protocol for the PRIDE-ACS trial.

Introduction: Residual thrombosis risk is an important contributor to ischaemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although previous studies have shown that rivaroxaban 2.5 mg two times per day in ACS patients with high ischaemic risk can significantly reduce the risk of ischaemic recurrence and mortality, individualised treatment with low-dose rivaroxaban is still rare.

A nationwide study exploring the factors associated with psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global adverse event that affected many individuals' well-being. Resilience is an essential component that allows one to cope during stressful events such as the pandemic. Not many studies have longitudinally explored changes in resilience across time during the pandemic in the Southeast Asia region.

The Challenge in Burden of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Perspective From the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) poses significant clinical management challenges due to gaps in understanding its global epidemiology. We analyzed PAH-related disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), deaths, and prevalence from 1990 to 2021. Age-period-cohort models and regression analyses assessed temporal trends and projected burdens to 2050.

Tracking the Prevalence of Depression Among Older Adults in Singapore: Results From the Second Wave of the Well-Being of Singapore Elderly Study.

Late-life depression has serious public health implications due to its impact on healthcare systems and the economy. As the prevalence of depression tends to change over time across populations, continuous disease surveillance is warranted to inform evidence-based preventive interventions. The well-being of the Singapore elderly (WiSE) is the second study in the series that looked at the prevalence and correlates of depression in a multiethnic population in Singapore.

Plasma CCL3 predicts adverse heart failure outcomes in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Fibro-fatty replacement of the myocardium plays a key role in the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and may be associated with progressive heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate the characteristic of the fibro-fatty tissues of ACM patients and the plasma chemokines levels according to HF burden.

Methods: The expression level of markers for brown, beige, and white fat of fibro-fatty tissues was determined using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Impact of D-Dimer on the Prognostic Value of PARIS Thrombosis Risk Score in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Undergoing PCI: From a Large Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Guideline-recommended PARIS thrombotic risk score predicts coronary thrombosis events (CTE) in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. We aim to evaluate whether D-dimer, a thrombotic biomarker, can predict long-term adverse events and improve the prognostic value of PARIS score.

Methods And Results: This is a post-hoc analysis on a prospective cohort of 10,724 Chinese patients undergoing PCI.

Tolerant and highly-permeable membrane aerated biofilm reactor enabled by selective armored membrane.

Membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is a promising technology for dramatically reducing aeration energy consumption in wastewater treatment. However, the crucial membranes, including microporous hydrophobic membranes and dense membranes, are intolerant to fouling and possess high oxygen transfer resistance respectively, hindering their application potential. Herein, we developed a tolerant and highly-permeable membrane aerated biofilm reactor (THMABR) with a selective armor layer on the membrane to support the biofilm.

Amine-Modified ZIF Composite Membranes: Regulated Nanochannel Interactions for Enhanced Cation Transport and Precise Separation.

Electromembrane water treatment technologies are attracting attention for their energy efficiency and precise separation of counterions. However, ion-exchange membranes exhibit low ionic conductance and selectivity for ions with similar charges. In this study, we developed a novel ZIF-8 composite membrane with amine-modified nanochannels through an in situ PEI-assisted seeding and secondary growth method.

Prevalence of dementia in Singapore: Changes across a decade.

Introduction: The study aimed to assess changes in the prevalence of dementia in Singapore over the past decade.

Methods: The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) 2023 and the WiSE 2013 studies were comprehensive, single-phase, cross-sectional surveys conducted among older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore. WiSE 2023 included 2010 older adults and 1798 informants, whereas WiSE 2013 comprised 2565 older adults and 2421 informants.

The MADS-RIPENING INHIBITOR-DIVARICATA1 module regulates carotenoid biosynthesis in nonclimacteric Capsicum fruits.

Carotenoids play indispensable roles in the ripening process of fleshy fruits. Capsanthin is a widely distributed and utilized natural red carotenoid. However, the regulatory genes involved in capsanthin biosynthesis remain insufficient.

High-stable bimetallic AgCu nanoalloys with core-shell structures for sustainable antibacterial and biofouling mitigation in nanofiltration.

Nanofiltration (NF) is crucial for advancing water purification and wastewater reuse technologies. Incorporating biocidal nanoparticles (NPs) such as AgNPs and CuNPs is promising for developing antibacterial and antibiofouling NF membranes, while their application is limited by NPs aggregation, high cost, and severe ion release. In this study, we developed novel NF membranes by integrating bimetallic AgCu nanoalloys via an in-situ reduction and coordination method facilitated by a polydopamine/polyethyleneimine (PDA/PEI) intermediate layer.

A modified transactional model of stress and coping on depressive symptoms among informal caregivers of persons with dementia.

Informal caregivers are crucial to the care of persons with dementia (PWD), but their role is often reported as challenging. This study aims to examine caregiver stress and depressive symptoms among informal caregivers of PWD using a modified transactional stress and coping model. Path analysis was conducted among a sample of informal caregivers of PWD in Singapore (n = 281) using information on functional dependence and memory and behavioral problems of PWD, and self-reported measurements on caregivers' knowledge of dementia, perceived positive aspects of caregiving, social support, coping patterns, caregiving self-efficacy, caregiving burden and depressive symptoms.

Adherence to COVID-19 measures and the associated factors: evidence from a two-wave longitudinal study in Singapore.

Background: At the onset of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when pharmaceutical interventions were not readily available, governments relied on public health mandates and social distancing measures to counter rising infection rates. In order to address the dearth of longitudinal studies, this study sought to identify factors associated with continued adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours in Singapore.

Methods: Data were from a two-wave longitudinal cohort study; baseline study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2021 and follow-up study from October 2021 to September 2022.

Proenkephalin improves cardio-renal risk prediction in acute coronary syndromes: the KID-ACS score.

Background And Aims: Circulating proenkephalin (PENK) is a stable endogenous polypeptide with fast response to glomerular dysfunction and tubular damage. This study examined the predictive value of PENK for renal outcomes and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: Proenkephalin was measured in plasma in a prospective multicentre ACS cohort from Switzerland (n = 4787) and in validation cohorts from the UK (n = 1141), Czechia (n = 927), and Germany (n = 220).

Tourmaline triggered biofilm transformation: Boosting ultrafiltration efficiency and fouling resistance.

Ultralow pressure filtration system, which integrates the dual functionalities of biofilm degradation and membrane filtration, has gained significant attention in water treatment due to its superior contaminant removal efficiency. However, it is a challenge to mitigate membrane biofouling while maintaining the high activity of biofilm. This study presents a novel ceramic-based ultrafiltration membrane functionalized with tourmaline nanoparticles to address this challenge.

Suppression of RCAN1 alleviated lipid accumulation and mitochondrial fission in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Although metabolic disturbance is a characteristic of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM), the detailed pathogenesis of DbCM remains unknown.

Methods: We used a heart transplantation (HTx) cohort to explore the effect of diabetes mellitus on heart failure (HF) progression dependent of myocardium. Microscopic and ultramicroscopic pathology were used to depict the pathological features of human myocardium of DbCM.

Supramolecular assembly of Polydopamine@Fe nanoparticles with near-infrared light-accelerated cascade catalysis applied for synergistic photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) via Fenton-like reaction is greatly attractive owing to its capability to generate highly cytotoxic •OH radicals from tumoral hydrogen peroxide (HO). However, the antitumor efficacy of CDT is often challenged by the relatively low radical generation efficiency and the high levels of antioxidative glutathione (GSH) in tumor microenvironment. Herein, an innovative photothermal Fenton-like catalyst, Fe-chelated polydopamine (PDA@Fe) nanoparticle, with excellent GSH-depleting capability is constructed via one-step molecular assembly strategy for dual-modal imaging-guided synergetic photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic therapy.