Medicine & Healthcare

Community rehabilitation; psychological impact of caregiving emerges as top interests

The somatic nuclear protein kinase VRK-1 increases the worm’s lifespan through AMPK activation, and this mechanism can be applied to promoting human longevity, the study reveals.

Recurrent miscarriages (RM) cause frustration and trauma to couples who want to have a child. However, not all couples can find out about the underlying reasons because of medical constraints. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has successfully developed a new genome sequencing test called ChromoSeq to identify the genetic defects for married couples, who suffered from RM. When compared with the conventional karyotyping analysis, ChromoSeq offers greater accuracy in detecting potential genetic abnormalities associated with RM in affected couples. The team conducted a study on the innovation and the findings were recently published in the international journal American Journal of Human Genetics.

Dr. Timothy Liong Tipoe, a 2019 graduate of the MBChB programme in the Global Physician-Leadership Stream of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has been awarded the Esther Yewpick Lee Millennium Scholarship to pursue a DPhil in Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford, starting from October this year. Timothy has always excelled in academics, as demonstrated by his 11A*s in the 2012 General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and a perfect score of 45 in the 2014 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

Prognosis describes how serious a patient’s cancer is and his or her chance of survival. A genetic biomarker is a clinically useful tool to help estimate the state of the disease. A study, conducted by the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine), has identified a gene called GPR18 which can be a biomarker to help form the prognosis for a patient in nine cancer types. The research team has also provided new insights into B-cells for a cancer patient’s prognosis. The findings were recently published in the international scientific journal Communications Biology - Nature.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Nano a high-speed atomic-force microscopy study of the formation of protein fibrils (amyloids) associated with pathologies in collaborated research with Showa University. Mixing different variants of a single protein and changing the acidity of its environment is shown to result in significant variations in amyloid structure and elongation rates.

A study conducted over the past 18 years has found differences between lead exposure effects in young Japanese boys versus girls.

In a May 2020 Webinar, Dr. Sam Shah, Global Digital Health Advisor and Consultant with UK’s National Health System (NHS) discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping healthcare with technology, specifically the response of UK’s NHS.

COVID19 is teaching us one more new lesson – to look for new-onset diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in COVID19 patients by post-COVID19 vigilance.

Music training does not have a positive impact on children’s cognitive skills, such as memory, and academic achievement, such as maths, reading or writing, according to a study published in Memory & Cognition.

Epstein-Barr virus rewires host epigenome to turn on latent genetic enhancers that activate proto-oncogenes, leading to tumorigenesis in stomach cancer

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up unimaginable challenges for healthcare workers. Even simple outpatient procedures such as endoscopies can expose staff to the risk of infection.

A research group has developed a new, lightweight and motor-less device that can be easily attached to an ankle support device - otherwise known as an ankle foot orthosis (AFO). The new device will aid stroke patients in their rehabilitation, improving their walking and preventing falls.

A simple, rapid assay­­ to evaluate neutralizing antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) is described in a paper published in Nature Biotechnology.

– Human dosing of LUNAR-COV19 expected soon. – Differentiated STARR™ mRNA vaccine expected to produce humoral and cellular immunity at very low doses. – New preclinical data demonstrates neutralising antibody titres continue to increase for 50 days after a single administration.

Filipino youth organization, UN SDSN Youth – Philippines, is paving the way for accessible information on the current pandemic.

Acute kidney injuries can sometimes trigger the deterioration of small blood vessels and capillaries, leading to chronic kidney disease. But, this process is not completely understood. Now, for the first time, researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, in collaboration with teams from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA, have successfully used ultrasound super-resolution (USR) imaging to observe this process in live mice, revealing the promise of USR as a powerful diagnostic and research tool, and enhancing understanding of the disease.

Researchers from the School of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) have recently applied an advanced statistical approach to analyse risk factors that may be causally related to COVID-19 infection. Results suggested that diabetes may be a risk factor leading to increased susceptibility to or severity of COVID-19 infection through changes in ACE2 expression, which is a key receptor for the virus. A substantial proportion of COVID-19 death cases in Hong Kong suffered from diabetes. There is an urgent need to confirm risk factors and the mechanisms in order to protect the susceptible groups and identify effective treatments. The current study results were recently published in the international scientific journal Diabetes Care.

15 organizations recognized for their exemplary performance and valuable contributions in shaping new trends across Asia-Pacific

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation can cause a loss of protective goblet cells from the colon’s inner lining, which can be fatal. But boosting those cells beforehand could improve the outcome.

Scientists at Hokkaido University and collaborators have identified how inflammatory changes in tumors caused by chemotherapy trigger blood vessel anomalies and thus drug-resistance, resulting in poor prognosis of cancer patients.

Digital edition of CAREhab – Singapore Rehabilitation Conference 2020 postpones to 17 – 18 July 2020 in light of Singapore General Elections

Novel system for simultaneously measuring brain electrical signals from multiple zebrafish opens up path to cheaper and faster drug screening for neurological disorders

An International Islamic University Malaysia study highlights the need for strong oral hygiene awareness among school staff caring for disabled children.

The newly established Institute of Health Equity of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has collaborated with the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK in a study which investigates the effects of housing affordability on physical and mental health in Hong Kong. The findings show that unaffordable housing worsens the physical and mental health of Hong Kong people, and the relative deprivation of necessities has a mediating role between housing affordability and health. It is the first “health equity” study of its kind in Asia and the results were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has recently conducted a global survey to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urological care. This is the world’s first survey of its kind and includes a large sample of urology professionals from 6 continents. Results from over 1,000 participants showed that on average 28% of urology outpatient clinics, 30% of outpatient investigations and procedures, and 31% of urological surgeries had a delay of more than 8 weeks. The degree of cut-down of urological services increased with the degree of COVID-19 outbreak.

Have you ever thought about why some people are more vulnerable to catching a virus? And why some get more severe infection than others? Gut microbiota, which is a fine balance between good and bad bacteria, regulates our immune system. Imbalance in gut microbiota (dysbiosis) will make us susceptible to infections.

* CAREhab 2020 in conjunction with 6th Singapore Rehabilitation Conference to take place virtually via tech-enabled CAREhab GO platform live on 10-11 July * Delegates to have full access to digital library of video content and exhibition showcase in their own time from 10 July 2020 to February 2021, meeting convenient learning needs

COVID19 is teaching us several new lessons and also preaching us to learn from the past experiences.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba and RIKEN in Japan spark a hibernation-like state in mice—a species that does not naturally hibernate