INTRODUCTION: Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been available in Singapore since 2016, its uptake among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM) is low. The iPARTY study was established to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of PrEP and a PrEP teleconsultation service for young GBMSM aged 18 to 29 years. METHOD: A total of 53 young GBMSM were enrolled in the iPARTY study. They had a total of 5 in-person consultations and teleconsultations, at 12-week intervals. Laboratory tests and quarterly baseline surveys were performed to assess PrEP adherence, sexual behaviour, and incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). RESULTS: Thirty-five participants completed the entire 12-month follow-up. Most participants had positive experiences with PrEP teleconsultations. There was a statistically significant fall in participants' aggregate Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores throughout the study. Self-reported PrEP adherence decreased over the course of the study, denoting improved mental health. Although self-reported condom use for anal intercourse and participants' risk perception of HIV decreased after PrEP adoption, there was no statisti-cally significant increase in STI incidence. CONCLUSION This pilot project has shown that PrEP services provide an opportunity for YMSM to access sexual health testing, treatment and counselling, and may even have tangible benefits on the mental health of this population. Teleconsultation is shown to be a suitable platform for the delivery of such services. Collaborative initiatives are crucial to further enhance the affordability and accessibility of PrEP in Singapore, and to improve patient adherence.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Anti-HIV Agents/administration & dosage* ; Feasibility Studies ; Health Risk Behaviors ; HIV Infections/psychology* ; Incidence ; Medication Adherence ; Mental Health/statistics & numerical data* ; Pilot Projects ; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/statistics & numerical data* ; Sexual and Gender Minorities/statistics & numerical data* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/prevention & control* ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Telemedicine/statistics & numerical data* ; Homosexuality, Male/statistics & numerical data*

Humans ; Lung Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors

Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary pattern alternating between eating and fasting periods within a 24-hour cycle, has garnered recognition for its potential to enhance both healthspan and lifespan in animal models and humans. It also shows promise in alleviating age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) spans a severity range from mild cognitive deficits to severe cognitive deficits and loss of function in vascular dementia. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion has emerged as a significant contributor to VCI, instigating vascular pathologies such as microbleeds, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, neuronal loss, and white matter lesions. Preclinical studies in rodents strongly suggest that IF has the potential to attenuate pathological mechanisms, including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death pathways in VCI models.Hence, this supports evaluating IF in clinical trials for both existing and at-risk VCI patients. This review compiles existing data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI-related vascular and neuronal pathologies, emphasizing the mechanisms by which IF may mitigate these issues. Hence providing a comprehensive overview of the available data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI by emphasizing the underlying mechanisms that make IF a promising intervention for VCI.

Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary pattern alternating between eating and fasting periods within a 24-hour cycle, has garnered recognition for its potential to enhance both healthspan and lifespan in animal models and humans. It also shows promise in alleviating age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) spans a severity range from mild cognitive deficits to severe cognitive deficits and loss of function in vascular dementia. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion has emerged as a significant contributor to VCI, instigating vascular pathologies such as microbleeds, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, neuronal loss, and white matter lesions. Preclinical studies in rodents strongly suggest that IF has the potential to attenuate pathological mechanisms, including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death pathways in VCI models.Hence, this supports evaluating IF in clinical trials for both existing and at-risk VCI patients. This review compiles existing data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI-related vascular and neuronal pathologies, emphasizing the mechanisms by which IF may mitigate these issues. Hence providing a comprehensive overview of the available data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI by emphasizing the underlying mechanisms that make IF a promising intervention for VCI.

Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary pattern alternating between eating and fasting periods within a 24-hour cycle, has garnered recognition for its potential to enhance both healthspan and lifespan in animal models and humans. It also shows promise in alleviating age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) spans a severity range from mild cognitive deficits to severe cognitive deficits and loss of function in vascular dementia. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion has emerged as a significant contributor to VCI, instigating vascular pathologies such as microbleeds, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, neuronal loss, and white matter lesions. Preclinical studies in rodents strongly suggest that IF has the potential to attenuate pathological mechanisms, including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death pathways in VCI models.Hence, this supports evaluating IF in clinical trials for both existing and at-risk VCI patients. This review compiles existing data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI-related vascular and neuronal pathologies, emphasizing the mechanisms by which IF may mitigate these issues. Hence providing a comprehensive overview of the available data supporting IF’s potential in treating VCI by emphasizing the underlying mechanisms that make IF a promising intervention for VCI.

In order to guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has released the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Considering the physiological particularities of the neonatal period, blood transfusion practices for neonates are more complex than those for other children, the guidelines include a separate chapter dedicated to neonatal blood transfusion. This paper interprets the background and evidence for the compilation of the neonatal blood transfusion provisions, hoping to aid in the understanding and implementation of the neonatal blood transfusion section of the guidelines.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Blood Transfusion/standards* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Aims: The search for new antibiotics is an ongoing effort and has expanded to pristine niche areas in the Antarctic in recent years due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens that outpaced the discovery of new antibiotics. We have recently isolated two new actinomycetes strains, INACH3013a and INACH3013b, which displayed antimicrobial properties from soil samples collected from Ardley Island, Antarctica. Hence, an investigation was carried out to identify them and to characterise the antimicrobial compounds produced. Methodology and results: Strains, INACH3013a and INACH3013b were identified based on their 16S rDNA sequence alignment to those in the GenBank. The results showed that strain INACH3013a was closest to Streptomyces spp. while strain INACH3013b was closest to Streptomyces corallincola and Streptomyces bullii. The extracellular compounds they produced were extracted using various solvents and the extracted compounds were tested against the test pathogens. The dichloromethane extracts from strains, INACH3013a and INACH3013b inhibited mainly Gram-positive pathogens that include Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus equorum, Bacillus cereus K3 and Enterococcus faecalis while extracts from strain INACH3013b also inhibited a Gram-negative pathogen, Klebsiella pneumonia 14x. Predominantly non-polar constituents seem responsible for antibacterial effects, with dichloromethane extracts proving most efficacious, followed by chloroform and ethyl acetate. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The research highlights the potential of Streptomyces spp. INACH3013a and INACH3013b as a source of potential novel antibiotics. This research explores Antarctic Streptomyces strains' antimicrobial capabilities, enabling the potential for the discovery of novel antibiotics and revealing how these compounds may have helped them to compete and survive in nutrient-deficient Antarctic niches.

Objective: To investigate the clinicpathological characteristics of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the gastrointestinal tract, and to discuss its diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Methods: Five cases of gastrointestinal ALK-positive ALCL diagnosed and treated in Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, between 2011 and 2019 were collected. There were three male and two female patients, aged 5-42 years (mean 25 years). These patients clinically presented with fever and night sweats, weight loss, abdominal pain, abdominal mass, ulcers, bleeding, or intestinal obstruction, and underwent surgical resection of the tumors or endoscopic biopsy. The clinical manifestations, auxiliary examinations, histopathological characteristics, immunophenotypes and genetic alterations were analyzed. Results: In this cohort, one case was common type, two cases were monomorphic variant of common type, and two cases were small cell variant. The tumor cells in all cases expressed ALK, CD30, and one or more T lymphocyte markers, while all the markers of B lymphocyte and plasmacyte were negative. Clonality analysis showed that two cases had clonal T cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement, one case had no clonal TCR but Ig gene rearrangement, and one case had no clonal TCR and Ig gene rearrangements. During the 4 to 67 months' follow-up, two patients died of the disease, two were alive with free of disease and one had a relapse. Conclusions: ALK-positive ALCL of the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare, and has poor prognosis. Lymphoma originating from this site with CD30 and ALK-positive phenotypes may be considered to be ALCL; however differentiation from other tumors that had anaplastic features, expressed CD30 and or ALK, in particular, ALK positive large B-cell lymphoma is necessary.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic/pathology* ; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics* ; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase ; Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics*

Humans ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors/pathology* ; Osteosarcoma/pathology* ; Fibrosarcoma ; Bone Neoplasms/surgery*