OUTCOME MEASURE: Concave/convex side breast volume difference (BVD), computed tomographic external breast appearance parameters (extraversion angle (EA), coverage angle (CA), axial breast height (ABH), nipple-to-sternum distance (NSD), thoracic rib cage parameter (inclination angle (IA)), and Breast Satisfaction and Psychosocial Well Being domains of Breast-Q Q™ questionnaires.
METHODS: This was a prospective study of 50 IS patients recruited between June 2017 and December 2018 who had pre-operative CT scans available for review. Pre-operative radiological parameters as stated above were evaluated. Breast volume difference (BVD) was calculated using the formula: 100 * {(CC BV - CV BV)/[(CC BV + CV BV)/2]}. Breast-Q™ questionnaires were administered pre-operative and post-operatively. The percentage of patients who achieved the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was reported.
RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (66%) had significant BVD with the concave side larger in 52.0% of patients. BVD had significant correlation with ABH, NSD, CA, and EA. There was no significant correlation between pre-operative Cobb angle with BVD and IA. There was also no significant correlation between Tanner stage and the radiological parameters. Breast satisfaction and psychosocial well-being domains improved after surgery and the satisfaction with breast domain minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was achieved in 83.7% of patients, while the psychosocial well-being domain reached the MCID in 75.5% of patients (p
METHODS: From 2023 to 2024, researchers were invited to present their patient-fronting research proposals to PRAGMATIC. Before the presentation, researchers submitted a lay-language research proposal summary that the committee reviewed in advance. The proposals were presented at 3-monthly PRAGMATIC meetings with the committee providing written and verbal feedback. After each meeting, researchers completed a questionnaire capturing the number, type, acceptability, and helpfulness of the committee's feedback. Reporting followed recommended PPI reporting standards (GRIPP2-LF).
RESULTS: PRAGMATIC reviewed seven projects and generated 26 potentially actionable feedback. Researchers included two nurses, one medical student, one research associate, and three primary care physicians. Project topics included asthma, postnatal mental health, hearing loss, cervical cancer screening, female smoking, and osteoarthritis. The researchers accepted majority of the feedback (21/26, 80.8%) and rated them as helpful (24/26, 92.3%). The most impact was observed in intervention design and data collection, where feedback led to the adoption of remote interviews, reduced intervention duration, and medical device software refinement. Feedback on participant selection were less accepted but led to improved methodological justification.
CONCLUSION: Initial evaluations indicate that a structured PPI programme can positively shape study design and implementation in primary care research. These findings are encouraging and have potential to inform future refinements to guide PPI in research.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: PPI partners were involved in the co-design of study materials, ensuring their clarity, relevance, and acceptability to participants.
AIM: This clinical audit evaluates the quality of orthodontic practice, focusing on documentation, attendance, emergency handling, and financial management at the orthodontic postgraduate clinic.
METHODS: This clinical audit included 110 patients who completed their orthodontic treatment care under postgraduate students from April 2023 to June 2024. The audit checklist was adapted from the available standards and guidelines. The audit was divided into two parts: details of the tenth criteria for the examination and diagnosis (ED) form and six assessment attributes, namely, treatment progress records. The level of compliance was measured as the percentage of records meeting the criteria. The data were statistically analysed with SPSS.
RESULTS: Out of the records reviewed, 80 (72.7%) were found to be fully documented, although radiographic findings and supervisor signatures were frequently missing. Additionally, 64.5% of patients had non-attendance exceeding 8 weeks, which was strongly correlated with longer treatment times (r = 0.744, p
RESULTS: The CBS solvent and steam distillation extracts (except for ethyl acetate-fermented CBS) were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 0.0625 mg mL-1, whereas both fermented and non-fermented steam distillation CBS extracts were found to be active against Candida albicans with MICs at 1 mg mL-1. Overall, steam distillation extracts possessed enhanced antimicrobial activity in comparison with solvent extracts of CBS. Fermented CBS extracts were found to possess better antimicrobial activity than non-fermented CBS extracts. Metabolomics analysis identified theobromine (TB) and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) as molecules that contributed to antimicrobial activity against S. mutans. Results showed that caffeine (CAF), TB and TMP were active against S. mutans and Acinetobacter baumannii, whereas CAF and TB were active against C. albicans. Significant synergistic effects of CAF, TB, and TMP with ciprofloxacin (CIP) were observed against Klebsiella aerogenes.
CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the significant potential of bioactive compounds present in CBS for use in the development of sustainable antimicrobial agents. These naturally occurring compounds, including CAF, TB, and TMP, exhibited notable antimicrobial properties, which could also be harnessed to enhance the activity of commonly used antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin. Future studies could focus on determining the mode of action of these bioactive molecules. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study involved the review of all maternal cases with suspected PE who underwent diagnostic CTPA in year 2022.
RESULTS: A total of 120 patients represented by 90 pregnant patients and 30 post-partum patients were included in the analysis. The prevalence rate of PE was 22.5% (27/120) and gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence rate was significantly higher (48.1% vs. 26.9%; p = 0.037) in PE cohort. Besides, the proportion of patients with moderately and extremely raised peak D-dimer levels were significantly higher among the PE cohort. In patients with PE, the position of the most proximal clot was identified as subsegmental (n = 6, 22.2%) and segmental (n = 21; 77.8%). The predicted PE risk based on PAG score demonstrated poor calibration with the observed PE risk across all three groups, namely low-risk group (2.3% vs. 15.4%), intermediate-risk group (11.6% vs. 26.3%) and high-risk groups (61.5% vs. 0.0%).
CONCLUSION: Overall, PE among pregnant and post-partum populations remain a convoluted disease without distinctive clinical features. There is a need for a prospectively validated PE risk scores to guide its clinical diagnostic pathway.
METHODS: We recruited 500 adult Singaporeans using quota sampling. Each participant completed 20 cTTO tasks through computer-assisted interviews, followed by open- and closed-ended questions. Two-part regression models assessed both the likelihood and the extent of WTD ratings, and qualitative content analysis evaluated participants' reasoning for their health state valuations.
RESULTS: Of the 500 participants (mean age 48.1 years; 52.6% had tertiary education), 76.8% identified as Chinese. Overall, 33.0% assigned WTD values, and 16.1% assigned '- 1' values. Age, education, marital status, interviewer and caregiving experience were associated with WTD ratings, though none remained significant in the multivariable analysis. Similar factors were linked to '- 1' values, with middle age being the only factor that remained significant in the multivariable analysis. Qualitative data showed that middle-aged participants often cited worries about imposing physical, mental, or financial burdens on their families.
CONCLUSIONS: Preferences for immediate death over living in poor health are common in Singapore, particularly among middle-aged respondents. Concerns about burdening family members appear to drive these preferences, reflecting broader cultural values. These insights may clarify the high frequency of '-1' values in EQ-5D valuation studies across Asia.
METHODS: Gastric cancer data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease study, and refrigerator ownership data were sourced from GlobalDataLab. Countries were excluded from the analysis if they lacked refrigerator ownership data for more than 10 years or had over 80% ownership at the start of data collection. The relationship between the two variables was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.
RESULT: Countries were screened using the inclusion criteria, and 85 countries from five continents were included in the study. Seventy-three countries demonstrated a negative correlation between refrigerator ownership and gastric cancer among their male populations, and 55 countries showed comparable results among their female populations. Thirteen countries exhibited a positive correlation between the two variables.
CONCLUSION: Increasing refrigerator ownership appears to be associated with decreasing gastric cancer rates. Further research is needed to identify the specific risk factors involved in gastric cancer pathogenesis in the 13 countries where this association was not observed.
METHODS: A total of 151 archived self-sampled high vaginal swabs from the Sarawak Urban and Rural Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination Programme (Program SUARA) were analyzed. hrHPV detection and genotyping were performed using Anyplex, which identifies 14 hrHPV genotypes, and M10, which detects HPV16, HPV18, and other hrHPV categorized into six genogroups. Agreement between the assays was evaluated using Cohen's Kappa (κ), McNemar's test, and overall agreement percentages. Statistical significance was determined with p-values, and discordant results were further analyzed for potential diagnostic implications.
RESULTS: The overall agreement between M10 and Anyplex for hrHPV detection was 92.05% (κ = 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.93), indicating almost perfect agreement. M10 demonstrated comparable sensitivity for detecting HPV16, HPV18, and other hrHPV genotypes, achieving 96.91% agreement (κ = 0.89, 95%CI 0.73-1.00) in hrHPV classification when discordant results were excluded. Genogrouping also showed almost perfect agreement (κ = 0.91, 95% CI 0.82-0.98). McNemar's test indicated no significant difference in hrHPV detection rates (p > 0.05), affirming their comparable performance in detecting clinically significant hrHPV infections.
CONCLUSION: The SD Biosensor Standard™ M10 HPV POCT and the Seegene Anyplex™ II HPV HR assay demonstrated almost perfect agreement in hrHPV detection and classification, supporting their complementary roles in cervical cancer prevention. M10's rapid, field-deployable design makes it suitable for resource-limited settings, while Anyplex provides enhanced genotyping capability in laboratory environments, allowing informed vaccine strategy. Incorporating both assays into cervical cancer prevention programs can improve screening coverage and accessibility, particularly in underserved areas. These findings align with the World Health Organization's cervical cancer elimination goals, reinforcing the importance of adaptable diagnostic tools in diverse healthcare contexts.
METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the association among physical activity (PA), functional fitness, and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults, and to examine whether functional fitness mediates this association. This study utilized a cross-sectional design, encompassing 224 participants aged 65 or above, with 41.07% male and 58.93% female. The data were collected in 2023 using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, and Senior Fitness Test. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess associations among the variables, and mediation analysis was performed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.
RESULTS: The results indicated that PA had a moderate positive correlation with cognitive function (r = 0.437, p