Automatic brain segmentation in cognitive impairment: Validation of AI-based AQUA software in the Southeast Asian BIOCIS cohort.

Introduction: Interpretation and analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in clinical settings comprise time-consuming visual ratings and complex neuroimage processing that require trained professionals. To combat these challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can aid clinicians in interpreting brain MRI for accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases but they require extensive validation. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the use of AI-based AQUA (Neurophet Inc.

Perceptions and anticipated factors influencing the adoption of early supported discharge through hospital-at-home.

Background: Hospital-at-home (HaH) is an alternative care model that allows patients to receive quality, individualized care from their homes. This can reduce hospital bed utilization through early supported discharge (ESD) or admission avoidance (AA).

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the patient's perceptions and anticipated factors of this model of care with a focus on the factors that affect their acceptance of ESD in a multi-ethnic Asian country that remains underexplored.

3D printed gyroid scaffolds enabling strong and thermally insulating mycelium-bound composites for greener infrastructures.

Mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) grown from fungi onto solid lignocellulosic substrates offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based materials. However, their limited mechanical strength and durability are often insufficient for practical applications. In this work, we report a method for designing and developing strong and thermally insulating MBCs.

Expert consensus on the burden of respiratory syncytial virus disease and the utility of nirsevimab for disease prevention and protection of infants.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of pediatric acute lower respiratory tract infection worldwide. In Singapore, RSV substantially contributes to the morbidity and mortality of children aged < 5 years, particularly during their first year of life, with hospitalization rates peaking during epidemic outbreaks. This expert consensus paper aims to provide an overview of the RSV disease burden, unmet needs, and the urgency for RSV prevention in all infants.

Age-specific neural responses to SMA and M1 stimulation during implicit motor sequence learning: Insights from a concurrent tDCS-fNIRS approach.

Implicit Motor Sequence Learning (IMSL) is critical for automating motor skills, yet it declines with age, impacting independence and quality of life. This study investigated the age-specific roles of the primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) in IMSL using a novel concurrent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) approach. Twenty younger adults (21-32 years old [M = 24.

Corrigendum to "Latent profile analysis of students' motivation and outcomes in mathematics: An organismic integration theory perspective" [Heliyon Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2017, Article e00308].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Improving type 2 diabetes detection among at-risk individuals - comparing the effectiveness of active opportunistic screening using spot capillary-HbA1c testing and venous HbA1c testing: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Delayed diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes increases diabetes-related complications, making the high prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong an important concern. Point-of-care capillary HbA1c (POC-cHbA1c) testing holds promise as a comparably accurate, convenient, and timely alternative to venous HbA1c (vHbA1c) for type 2 diabetes screening, yet randomized trials are lacking. This study compared the effectiveness of a 2-step active opportunistic screening strategy using POC-cHbA1c versus usual practice employing vHbA1c and multiple clinic visits in detecting type 2 diabetes among at-risk primary care patients.

Disseminated Infection and Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy in a Patient With Activated PI3K Delta Syndrome 2.

Hyperammonemia syndrome (HS) from infection is typically reported in posttransplant recipients, particularly lung transplant. We describe a young woman with activated PI3K delta syndrome 2 who presented with HS from disseminated infection with septic arthritis. We also performed a literature review of -associated HS in nontransplant patients.

Risk of myocardial infarction and Osteoporosis: Insights from the 2015-2018 NHANES and Mendelian randomization Studies.

Background: There are some common pathophysiological risk factors between myocardial infarction and osteoporosis, and the exact relationship between the two is not yet clear. Our study aims to provide evidence on the relationship between myocardial infarction and osteoporosis through the analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis from 2015 to 2018.

Methods: A two-sample MR study using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) was conducted to determine the causal relationship between myocardial infarction and osteoporosis.

A common form of dominant human IFNAR1 deficiency impairs IFN-α and -ω but not IFN-β-dependent immunity.

Autosomal recessive deficiency of the IFNAR1 or IFNAR2 chain of the human type I IFN receptor abolishes cellular responses to IFN-α, -β, and -ω, underlies severe viral diseases, and is globally very rare, except for IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 deficiency in Western Polynesia and the Arctic, respectively. We report 11 human IFNAR1 alleles, the products of which impair but do not abolish responses to IFN-α and -ω without affecting responses to IFN-β. Ten of these alleles are rare in all populations studied, but the remaining allele (P335del) is common in Southern China (minor allele frequency ≈2%).

Induced pluripotent stem cell-related approaches to generate dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson's disease.

The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in affected patient brains is one of the pathological features of Parkinson's disease, the second most common human neurodegenerative disease. Although the detailed pathogenesis accounting for dopaminergic neuron degeneration in Parkinson's disease is still unclear, the advancement of stem cell approaches has shown promise for Parkinson's disease research and therapy. The induced pluripotent stem cells have been commonly used to generate dopaminergic neurons, which has provided valuable insights to improve our understanding of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis and contributed to anti-Parkinson's disease therapies.

The PvRBP2b-TfR1 interaction is not essential for reticulocytes invasion by Plasmodium vivax isolates from Cambodia.

Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread of the different Plasmodium species able to infect humans and is responsible for most malaria cases outside Africa. An effective, strain-transcending vaccine that alleviates or suppresses erythrocyte invasion would be a game-changer in eliminating vivax malaria. Recently, the binding of P.

Impact of smoke-free legislation on stroke risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Secondhand smoke significantly increases the risk of cerebrovascular diseases, prompting recent public smoking bans. We aimed to ascertain the effects of smoke-free legislation on stroke incidence and mortality.

Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus up to August 13, 2023, for studies reporting changes in stroke incidence following partial or comprehensive smoking bans.

Thermal and pH stress dictate distinct mechanisms of monoclonal antibody aggregation.

Protein aggregation is a significant challenge in the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which can be exacerbated by stress conditions encountered along its production pipeline. In this study, we examine how thermal and pH stress conditions influence mAb aggregation mechanisms. We observe a complex interplay between these factors that significantly affects mAb stability, particularly under combined stress conditions.

Proteomics profiling and association with cardiorenal complications in type 2 diabetes subtypes in Asian population.

Aim: Among multi-ethnic Asians, type 2 diabetes (T2D) clustered in three subtypes; mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD), mild age-related diabetes with insulin insufficiency (MARD-II) and severe insulin-resistant diabetes with relative insulin insufficiency (SIRD-RII) had differential cardio-renal complication risk. We assessed the proteomic profiles to identify subtype specific biomarkers and its association with diabetes complications.

Methods: 1448 plasma proteins at baseline were measured and compared across the T2D subtypes.

Characterizing the Relationship between Expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs), DNA Methylation Quantitative Trait Loci (mQTLs), and Breast Cancer Risk Variants.

Purpose: To assess the association of a polygenic risk score (PRS) for functional genetic variants with the risk of developing breast cancer.

Methods: Summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and heterogeneity in dependent instruments (HEIDI) were used to identify breast cancer risk variants associated with gene expression and DNA methylation levels. A new SMR-based PRS was computed from the identified variants (functional PRS) and compared to an established 313-variant breast cancer PRS (GWAS PRS).

Identification of an inhibitory pocket in falcilysin provides a new avenue for malaria drug development.

Identification of new druggable protein targets remains the key challenge in the current antimalarial development efforts. Here we used mass-spectrometry-based cellular thermal shift assay (MS-CETSA) to identify potential targets of several antimalarials and drug candidates. We found that falcilysin (FLN) is a common binding partner for several drug candidates such as MK-4815, MMV000848, and MMV665806 but also interacts with quinoline drugs such as chloroquine and mefloquine.

The role of perfusion, grey matter volume and behavioural phenotypes in the data-driven classification of cognitive syndromes.

Background: The use of structural and perfusion brain imaging in combination with behavioural information in the prediction of cognitive syndromes using a data-driven approach remains to be explored. Here, we thus examined the contribution of brain structural and perfusion imaging and behavioural features to the existing classification of cognitive syndromes using a data-driven approach.

Methods: Study participants belonged to the community-based Biomarker and Cognition Cohort Study in Singapore who underwent neuropsychological assessments, structural-functional MRI and blood biomarkers.

Exploring TRF2-Dependent DNA Distortion Through Single-DNA Manipulation Studies.

TRF2 is a component of shelterin, a telomere-specific protein complex that protects the ends of mammalian chromosomes from DNA damage signaling and improper repair. TRF2 functions as a homodimer and its interaction with telomeric DNA has been studied, but its full-length DNA-binding properties are unknown. This study examines TRF2's interaction with single-DNA strands and focuses on the conformation of the TRF2-DNA complex and TRF2's preference for DNA chirality.

Risk of wound infection with use of sterile versus clean gloves in wound repair at the Emergency Department: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study Objective: Sterile gloves are widely used during wound repair procedures in Emergency Departments (ED) worldwide. It is unclear whether sterile gloves protect against postoperative wound infections. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine if sterile gloves offer significant protection against wound infections compared to clean gloves for wound repair in the ED.