Changing epidemiological trends of inflammatory bowel disease in Asia

( Wee Khoon Ng ),( Sunny H. Wong ),( Siew C. Ng ) 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.2

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become more common in Asia over the past few decades. The rate of increase in prevalence of the disease varies greatly in Asia, with several countries in East Asia experiencing a more than doubled increase in IBD prevalence over the past decade. Historically, ulcerative colitis (UC) is more common than Crohn`s disease (CD) in Asia. However, a reverse trend is beginning to appear in more developed countries in Asia such as Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. While Asian IBD patients share many similarities with their Western counterparts, there are important differences with significant clinical implications. In Asia, there are more men with CD, more ileo-colonic involvement in CD, less familial aggregation, fewer extra-intestinal manifestations and worse clinical outcomes for older-onset patients with UC. These differences are likely related to the different genetic makeup and environmental exposures in different regions. Evaluation of the differences and rates in epidemiologic trends may help researchers and clinicians estimate disease burden and understand the reasons behind these differences, which may hold the key to unravel the etiology of IBD. (Intest Res 2016;14:111-119)

The Radon-Nikodym Theorem for a Nonabsolute Integral on Measure Spaces

Ng Wee Leng 대한수학회 2004 대한수학회보 Vol.41 No.1

We prove the Radon-Nikod'{y}m theorem for a nonabsolute integralon measure spaces endowed with metric topologies and hence providea descriptive definition of the integral.

COVID -19: Protection of Workers at the Workplace in Singapore

Ng, Wee Tong Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2021 Safety and health at work Vol.12 No.1

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in movement restrictions being instituted globally and the cessation of work at many workplaces. However, during this period, essential services such as healthcare, law enforcement, and critical production and supply chain operations have been required to continue to function. In Singapore, measures were put in place to protect the workers from infection at the workplace, as well as to preserve the operational capability of the essential service in a COVID-19 pandemic environment. This paper critically analyses the measures that were implemented and discusses the extension to broader general industry.

THE RADON-NIKODYM THEOREM FOR A NONABSOLUTE INTEGRAL ON MEASURE SPACES

Leng, Ng-Wee Korean Mathematical Society 2004 대한수학회보 Vol.41 No.1

We prove the Radon-Nikodym theorem for a nonabsolute integral on measure spaces endowed with metric topologies and hence provide a descriptive definition of the integral.

Meta-analytic review of the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin on threat processing in humans

Leppanen, Jenni,Ng, Kah Wee,Kim, Youl-Ri,Tchanturia, Kate,Treasure, Janet Elsevier 2018 Journal of affective disorders Vol.225 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P><B>Background</B></P> <P>Heightened threat sensitivity is a transdiagnostic feature in several psychiatric disorders. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to reduce fear related behaviours and facilitated fear extinction in animals. These findings have led to increasing interest to explore the effects of intranasal oxytocin on threat processing in humans.</P> <P><B>Methods</B></P> <P>The review included 26 studies (N = 1173), nine of which included clinical populations (N = 234). The clinical groups included were people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, depression, anxiety, and alcohol dependence disorder. We examined the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin on startle response, attentional responses, and behavioural responses to threat.</P> <P><B>Results</B></P> <P>A single dose of intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the physiological startle response to threat in healthy people with a small effect size. However, oxytocin did not have significant effects on attentional bias towards social or disorder-specific threat, fixation towards threatening stimuli among healthy or clinical populations, or on threat related behavioural approach or avoidance responses.</P> <P><B>Limitations</B></P> <P>No studies investigated the effects of oxytocin on the startle response to threat among clinical populations. Additionally, only one of the reviewed studies had sufficient power to detect at least a moderate effect of oxytocin according to our criterion.</P> <P><B>Discussion</B></P> <P>The synthesis of literature suggest that oxytocin may influence the salience of threatening stimuli among healthy individuals, increasing the startle response to threat. It would be of interest to investigate the effects of oxytocin on the startle response to threat among clinical populations.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> The review explores the effects of intranasal oxytocin on threat processing. </LI> <LI> Intranasal oxytocin increased startle response to threat in healthy people. </LI> <LI> No significant effects on attentional or approach responses were observed. </LI> </UL> </P>

Yemen’s Cholera Epidemic Is a One Health Issue

Qin Xiang Ng,Michelle Lee Zhi Qing De Deyn,Wayren Loke,Wee Song Yeo 대한예방의학회 2020 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.53 No.4

Yemen has been faced with the worst cholera epidemic of modern times, with more than 1 million suspected cases and 3000 deaths at the time of writing. This problem is largely due to the longstanding civil war between pro-government forces and the Houthi armed movement, which has severely damaged already vulnerable sanitation and healthcare facilities and systems in the country. It is further compounded by a dire lack of basic amenities, chronic malnutrition, and unfavourable weather conditions. Another contributory component may be aerial transfer by cholera-infected chironomid insects. To contain the spread of cholera in Yemen, a nation-wide armistice should be negotiated, and national and local committees must be convened to coordinate efforts on the ground. Community isolation facilities with proper sanitation, reliable disposal systems, and a clean water supply should be set up to isolate and treat sick patients. The continuity of vaccination programmes should be ensured. Public health campaigns to educate local communities about good hygiene practices and nutrition are also necessary. The One Health paradigm emphasizes a multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary understanding and approach to prevent and mitigate the threat of communicable diseases. This paradigm is highly applicable to the ongoing cholera crisis in Yemen, as it demands a holistic and whole-of-society approach at the local, regional, and national levels. The key stakeholders and warring parties in Yemen must work towards a lasting ceasefire during these trying times, especially given the extra burden from the mounting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak worldwide.

Laser hemorrhoidoplasty versus conventional hemorrhoidectomy for grade II/III hemorrhoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ian Jun Yan Wee,Chee Hoe Koo,Isaac Seow-En,Yvonne Ying Ru Ng,Wenjie Lin,Emile John Kwong-Wei Tan 대한대장항문학회 2023 Annals of Coloproctolgy Vol.39 No.1

Purpose: This study compared the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LH) vs. conventional hemorrhoidectomy (CH) in patients with grade II/III hemorrhoids. Methods: PubMed/Medline and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized and nonrandomized studies comparing LH against CH in grade II/III hemorrhoids. The primary outcomes included postoperative use of analgesia, postoperative morbidity (bleeding, urinary retention, pain, thrombosis), and time of return to work/daily activities. Results: Nine studies totaling 661 patients (LH, 336 and CH, 325) were included. The LH group had shorter operative time (P<0.001) and less intraoperative blood loss (P<0.001). Postoperative pain was lower in the LH group, with lower postoperative day 1 (mean difference [MD], –2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], –3.44 to –0.75; P=0.002) and postoperative day 7 (MD, –3.94; 95% CI, –6.36 to –1.52; P=0.001) visual analogue scores and use of analgesia (risk ratio [RR], 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42–0.81; P=0.001). The risk of postoperative bleeding was also lower in the LH group (RR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.12– 0.28; P<0.001), with a quicker return to work or daily activities (P=0.002). The 12-month risks of bleeding (P>0.999) and prolapse (P=0.240), and the likelihood of complete resolution at 12 months, were similar (P=0.240). Conclusion: LH offers more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than CH, with reduced morbidity and pain and earlier return to work or daily activities. Medium-term symptom recurrence at 12 months was similar. Our results should be verified in future well-designed trials with larger samples.

Short-term comparative outcomes between reverse shoulder arthroplasty for shoulder trauma and shoulder arthritis: a Southeast Asian experience

Julia Poh Hwee Ng,Sherlyn Yen Yu Tham,Saketh Kolla,Yiu Hin Kwan,James Chung Hui Tan,Timothy Wei Wen Teo,Andy Teck Huat Wee,Dong Hao Toon 대한견주관절의학회 2022 대한견주관절의학회지 Vol.25 No.3

Background: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), first introduced as a management option for cuff tear arthropathy, is now an accepted treatment for complex proximal humeral fractures. Few studies have identified whether the outcomes of RSA for shoulder trauma are comparable to those of RSA for shoulder arthritis. Methods: This is a retrospective, single-institution cohort study of all patients who underwent RSA at our institution between January 2013 and December 2019. In total, 49 patients met the inclusion criteria. As outcomes, we evaluated the 1-year American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Constant shoulder scores, postoperative shoulder range of motion, intra- and postoperative complications, and cumulative revision rate. The patients were grouped based on preoperative diagnosis to compare postoperative outcomes across two broad groups. Results: The median follow-up period was 32.8 months (interquartile range, 12.6–66.6 months). The 1-year visual analog scale, range of motion, and Constant and ASES functional scores were comparable between RSAs performed to treat shoulder trauma and that performed for arthritis. The overall complication rate was 20.4%, with patients with a preoperative diagnosis of arthritis having significantly more complications than those with a preoperative diagnosis of trauma (34.8% vs. 7.7%). Conclusions: Patients who underwent RSA due to a proximal humeral fracture or dislocation did not fare worse than those who underwent RSA for arthritis at 1 year, in terms of both functional and radiological outcomes.

Partial Purification and Characterization of Polyphenol Oxidase from Chinese Parsley (Coriandrum sativum)

Hanbin Lin,Allan Wee Ren Ng,Chen Wai Wong 한국식품과학회 2016 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.25 No.suppl1

Purification and characterization of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from Chinese parsley (Coriandrum sativum) were achieved. Crude PPO exhibited an enzyme activity of 1,952.24 EU/mL. PPO was partially purified up to 6.52x with a 10.89% yield using gel filtration chromatography. Maximal PPO activity was found at 35oC, pH 8.0 for 4-methylcatechol and at 40oC, pH 7.0 for catechol. PPO showed a higher affinity towards 4-methylcatechol, but a higher thermal stability when reacting with catechol. LCysteine was a better inhibitor than citric acid for reducing PPO activity at concentrations of 1 and 3mM in the presence of either substrate. Two 46 kDa isoenzymes were identified using SDS-PAGE. Isolation and characterization of Chinese parsley serves as a guideline for prediction of enzyme behavior leading to effective prevention of enzymatic browning during processing and storage, including inhibition and inactivation of PPO.

Assessing the performance of ChatGPT in answering questions regarding cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Yee Hui Yeo,Jamil S. Samaan,Wee Han Ng,Peng-Sheng Ting,Hirsh Trivedi,Aarshi Vipani,Walid Ayoub,Ju Dong Yang,Omer Liran,Brennan Spiegel,Alexander Kuo 대한간학회 2023 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.29 No.3

Background/Aims: Patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) require extensive and personalized care to improve outcomes. ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a large language model, holds the potential to provide professional yet patient-friendly support. We aimed to examine the accuracy and reproducibility of ChatGPT in answering questions regarding knowledge, management, and emotional support for cirrhosis and HCC. Methods: ChatGPT’s responses to 164 questions were independently graded by two transplant hepatologists and resolved by a third reviewer. The performance of ChatGPT was also assessed using two published questionnaires and 26 questions formulated from the quality measures of cirrhosis management. Finally, its emotional support capacity was tested. Results: We showed that ChatGPT regurgitated extensive knowledge of cirrhosis (79.1% correct) and HCC (74.0% correct), but only small proportions (47.3% in cirrhosis, 41.1% in HCC) were labeled as comprehensive. The performance was better in basic knowledge, lifestyle, and treatment than in the domains of diagnosis and preventive medicine. For the quality measures, the model answered 76.9% of questions correctly but failed to specify decision-making cut-offs and treatment durations. ChatGPT lacked knowledge of regional guidelines variations, such as HCC screening criteria. However, it provided practical and multifaceted advice to patients and caregivers regarding the next steps and adjusting to a new diagnosis. Conclusions: We analyzed the areas of robustness and limitations of ChatGPT’s responses on the management of cirrhosis and HCC and relevant emotional support. ChatGPT may have a role as an adjunct informational tool for patients and physicians to improve outcomes.