INTRODUCTION: Preterm birth (PTB) remains a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Understanding Singapore's PTB trends and associated risk factors can inform effective strategies for screening and intervention. This study analyses PTB trends in Singapore from 2017 to 2023, identifies risk factors in this multi-ethnic population and evaluates a predictive model for PTB. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of all PTBs between 22+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation, from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2023, was performed by extracting maternal and neonatal data from electronic medical records. These PTBs were taken from the registry of births for Singapore and SingHealth cluster data. Cochran- Armitage trend test and multinomial logistic regression were used. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model was developed to test and predict the risk of PTB. RESULTS: The PTB rate in Singapore did not show a significant change. However, there was modest downward trend in the SingHealth population from 11.3% to 10.2%, mainly in late spontaneous PTBs (sPTBs). sPTBs accounted for ∼60% of PTBs. Risk factors for very/extreme sPTB included Chinese ethnicity, age ≥35 years, body mass index (BMI) ≥23 kg/m², being unmarried, primiparity, twin pregnancy and maternal blood group AB. The XGBoost model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75, indicating moderate ability to predict PTB. CONCLUSION The overall PTB rate in Singapore has not improved. This study underscores the importance of local factors, particularly advanced maternal age, BMI, primiparity, unmarried, Chinese ethnicity and maternal blood group AB influencing PTB risk. Artificial intelligence methods show promise in improving PTB risk stratification, ultimately supporting personalised care and intervention.
Humans ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Premature Birth/ethnology* ; Pregnancy ; Adult ; Infant, Newborn ; Asian People/statistics & numerical data* ; Gestational Age ; Body Mass Index ; Maternal Age ; Logistic Models ; Ethnicity

INTRODUCTION: The primary objective of this guideline is to establish evidence-based recommendations for the clinical use of parenteral nutrition (PN) in adult patients within the acute hospital setting in Singapore. METHOD: An expert workgroup, consisting of healthcare practitioners actively involved in clinical nutrition support across all public health institutions, systematically evaluated existing evidence and addressed clinical questions relating to PN therapy. RESULTS: This clinical practice guideline developed 30 recommendations for PN therapy, which cover these key aspects related to PN use: indications, patient assess-ment, titration and formulation of PN bags, access routes and devices, and monitoring and management of PN-related complications. CONCLUSION This guideline provides recommendations to ensure appropriate and safe clinical practice of PN therapy in adult patients within the acute hospital setting.
Humans ; Singapore ; Parenteral Nutrition/adverse effects* ; Adult

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally. HCM can precipitate heart failure (HF) by causing the cardiac tissue to weaken and stretch, thereby impairing its pumping efficiency. Moreover, HCM increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, which in turn elevates the likelihood of thrombus formation and stroke. Given these significant clinical ramifications, research into the etiology and pathogenesis of HCM is intensifying at multiple levels. In this review, we discuss and synthesize the latest findings on HCM pathogenesis, drawing on key experimental studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo. We also offer our insights and perspectives on these mechanisms, while highlighting the limitations of current research. Advancing fundamental research in this area is essential for developing effective therapeutic interventions and enhancing the clinical management of HCM.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Animals

Objective: Bariatric surgery effectively treats non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The glutamate-serine-glycine (GSG) index has emerged as a non-invasive diagnostic marker for NAFLD, but its ability to monitor treatment response remains unclear. This study investigates the GSG index's ability to monitor NAFLD's response to bariatric surgery. Methodology: Ten NAFLD participants were studied at baseline and 6 months post-bariatric surgery. Blood samples were collected for serum biomarkers and metabolomic profiling. Hepatic steatosis [proton density fat fraction (PDFF)] and fibroinflammation (cT1) were quantified with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), and hepatic stiffness with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Amino acids and acylcarnitines were measured with mass spectrometry. Statistical analyses included paired Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon-signed rank test, and Pearson’s correlation. Results: Eight participants provided complete data. At baseline, all had hepatic steatosis (BMI 39.3 ± 5.6 kg/m2, PDFF ≥ 5%). Post-surgery reductions in PDFF (from 12.4 ± 6.7% to 6.2 ± 2.8%, p = 0.013) and cT1 (from 823.3 ± 85.4ms to 757.5 ± 41.6ms, p = 0.039) were significant, along with the GSG index (from 0.272 ± 0.03 to 0.157 ± 0.05, p = 0.001). Conclusion The GSG index can potentially be developed as a marker for monitoring the response of patients with NAFLD to bariatric surgery.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Amino Acids ; Metabolomics

Acute high altitude disease (AHAD) is a general term for a series of clinical reactions that occur when the body fails to adapt to the low-pressure hypoxic environment of high altitudes. Mild cases can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting, while more severe cases can lead to life-threatening conditions such as pulmonary edema, cerebral edema and other critical conditions that can be fatal. With the increasing demand for high altitudes deployment, understanding the common preventive measures of AHAD can reduce its morbidity or mortality to a certain extent, which is of great benefit to those who reside temporarily at high altitudes. In recent years, as people's health awareness has improved, there has been a growing attention towards non-pharmacological methods of disease prevention. At the same time, non-pharmacological therapy has significant therapeutic effects in preventing and treating high-altitude diseases, which has attracted the attention of researchers in this field. This review summarizes the major non-pharmacological preventive components of modern medicine and outlines the current non-pharmacological approaches to AHAD from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, intending to serve clinical purposes and improve the onset and prognosis of AHAD.

Objective To investigate the role of miR-194-3p in regulating functional changes in osteoblasts in a simulated microgravity environment and to provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanical response mechanisms of osteoblasts in extreme mechanical environments.Methods The effects of microgravity on osteoblasts were simulated by using a rotary cell culture system.MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were transfected with an miR-194-3p inhibitor and changes in proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis,and mineralization were assessed using MTT assay,RT-PCR,Western blot,double fluorescence staining,and alizarin red staining.Results Elevated expression of miR-194-3p under simulated microgravity conditions led to the suppression of osteoblast proliferation,differentiation,and mineralization to a certain extent,while promoting osteoblast apoptosis.However,transfection with the miR-194-3p inhibitor significantly downregulated miR-194-3p expression and partially reversed the reduced osteoblast proliferation,decreased expression of osteogenic differentiation markers such as ALP,OCN,and COL-I genes and proteins,decreased bone mineralization nodules,and increased osteoblast apoptosis induced by microgravity exposure.These findings indicated that miR-194-3p effectively ameliorates abnormal osteoblast function under microgravity conditions.Conclusions MiR-194-3p acts as a negative regulatory factor in the mechanical responses of osteoblasts under simulated microgravity.

Objective:To analyze the detection strategy and basic detection situation of markers of infectious diseases transmitted by transfusion in blood testing laboratories of blood stations in China.Methods:Based on the data of practice comparison working party of Blood Stations in Mainland of China from 2017 to 2021, the data on the testing strategies and the basic detection information of the markers for the transmission of infectious diseases through transfusion in the member laboratories of the practice comparison working party of Blood Stations in Mainland of China from 2017 to 2021 were collected, and the situation of the selection for testing markers, testing strategy and the testing method and other relevant aspects were sorted out and analyzed by charts.Results:The selection of the testing markers was consistent, but HTLV testing item was added in some member laboratories. The detection strategy of using two ELISA reagents and one nucleic acid testing (NAT) reagent simultaneously was adopted in 47 member blood stations; 3) NAT method was dominated by mini pool-NAT in member laboratories. The number of members adopting mini-pools of 8 (MP8)-NAT decreased from 17 in 2017 to 14 in 2021, while the number of members adopting mini-pools of 6 (MP6)-NAT increased from 13 in 2017 to 22 in 2021; Roche NAT system accounted for the largest proportion.Conclusions:In order to ensure blood safety and avoid missing detection, the blood stations still adopt the detection strategy of using two ELISA reagents and one nucleic acid testing (NAT) reagent simultaneously; Meanwhile, in order to increase the NAT positive rate, the proportion of mini pool-NAT mainly decreased year by year despite its dominating role, while the proportion of individual donation-NAT increased year by year; NAT method is transiting from mini-pools of 8 (MP8) to mini-pools of 6 (MP6); The proportion of imported NAT system used in NAT laboratory is relatively large.

Objective: To investigate the etiology, complications, and prognostic factors of stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5) in children. Methods: A case series study was conducted to retrospectively analyze the general situation, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, genetic testing, and follow-up data (until October 2022) of 174 children with CKD5 who were diagnosed and hospitalized at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from April 2012 to April 2021. The characteristics of complications in the children were compared based on age, gender, and etiology. Based on the presence or absence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), patients were divided into LVH group and non LVH group for analyzing the influencing factors of cardiovascular disease. Patients were also divided into death group and survival group, peritoneal dialysis group and hemodialysis group based on the follow-up data for analyzing the prognostic factors. The chi-square test, independent sample t-test, Fisher exact probability test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were used to analyze data among different groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 174 children with CKD5 were enrolled in the study (96 boys and 78 girls), aged 11.2 (8.2, 13.0) years. Congenital kidney and urinary tract malformations (CAKUT) were the most common causes of the CKD5 (84 cases, 48.3%), followed by glomerular diseases (83 cases, 47.7%), and among which 28 cases (16.1%) were hereditary glomerular diseases. The common complications of CKD5 included anemia (98.2%, 165/168), mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease (CKD-MBD) (97.7%, 170/174), lipid metabolism disorders (87.5%, 63/72), hypertension (81.4%, 127/156) and LVH (57.6%,57/99). The incidences of hypertension in primary glomerular disease were higher than that in CAKUT(93.8%(30/32) vs.73.7%(56/76),χ²=5.59,P<0.05). The incidences of hypertension in secondary glomerular disease were higher than that in CAKUT and that in hereditary kidney disease (100.0%(20/20) vs. 73.7%(56/76), 68.2%(15/22), both P<0.05). The incidence of hypocalcemia in CAKUT, primary glomerular disease, and hereditary kidney disease was higher than that in secondary glomerular disease (82.1%(69/84), 88.2%(30/34), 89.3%(25/28) vs. 47.6%(10/21), χ²=10.21, 10.75, 10.80, all P=0.001); the incidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism in women was higher than that in men (80.0%(64/80) vs. 95.0%(57/60), χ²=6.58, P=0.010). The incidence of LVH in children aged 6-<12 was higher than that in children aged 12-18 (73.5%(25/34) vs. 43.1%(22/51), χ²=7.62, P=0.006). Among 113 follow-up children, the mortality rate was 39.8% (45/113). Compared to the survival group, the children in the death group had lower hemoglobin, higher blood pressure, lower albumin, lower alkaline phosphatase and higher left ventricular mass index ((67±19) vs. (75±20) g/L, 142 (126, 154) vs. 128(113, 145) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (91±21) vs. (82±22) mmHg, 32 (26, 41) vs. 40 (31, 43) g/L, 151 (82, 214) vs. 215 (129, 37) U/L, 48 (38, 66) vs. 38(32, 50) g/m^2.7,t=2.03, Z=2.89, t=2.70, Z=2.49, 2.79, 2.29,all P<0.05), but no independent risk factors were identified (all P>0.05). The peritoneal dialysis group had better alleviation for anemia, low calcium, and high phosphorus than the hemodialysis group ((87±22) vs. (72±16) g/L, (1.9±0.5) vs. (1.7±0.4) mmol/L, (2.2±0.7) vs. (2.8±0.9) mmol/L, t=2.92, 2.29, 2.82, all P<0.05), and the survival rate of the peritoneal dialysis group was significantly higher than that of the hemodialysis group (77.8% (28/36) vs. 48.4% (30/62), χ²=8.14, P=0.004). Conclusions: CAKUT is the most common etiology in children with CKD 5, and anemia is the most common complication. The incidence of complications in children with CKD 5 varies with age, gender and etiology. Anemia, hypertension, hypoalbuminemia, reduced alkaline phosphatase and elevated LVMI may be the prognostic factors in children with CKD5. Peritoneal dialysis may be more beneficial for improving the long-term survival rate.
Male ; Humans ; Child ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/therapy* ; Hypertension ; Risk Factors ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/etiology* ; Anemia/etiology*

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammation involving large vessels and it often occurs in young women of childbearing age. We described a case of a 29- year- old lady with previous history of proliferative ischemic retinopathy was noted to have low upper limbs blood pressure and weak upper limb pulses postpartumly. An urgent CT angiogram of thorax revealed features suggestive of large vessel vasculitis with involvement of ascending arch, descending aorta and its main branches, corresponding to type II TA . She was diagnosed to have Takayasu arteritis post delivery, and she underwent a successful pregnancy without intrapartum and postpartum complications. High index of suspicion must be given for pregnant patient who have persistent low blood pressure and weak pulse for early detection to avoid severe complications.