Bedside endoscopic inspection of colorectal anastomoses in the early postoperative period: a 2-center prospective feasibility study

Nijssen David J.,Hompes Roel,Tuynman Jurriaan,Wiggers Jimme K.,Bemelman Willem A.,Sahid Saidah,Kinross James,Laméris Wytze 대한대장항문학회 2025 Annals of Coloproctolgy Vol.41 No.2

Purpose: Early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage (AL) after colorectal surgery can reduce severe postoperative morbidity and ensure successful treatment. This study evaluated the feasibility of bedside endoscopic inspection of the anastomosis early postoperatively using a point-of-care digital rectoscope. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at 2 tertiary centers. Patients who underwent minimally invasive or open sphincter-preserving surgery with creation of a colorectal or coloanal anastomosis were included. Data were collected from December 2022 to October 2023. Bedside anastomotic inspections were performed postoperative day (POD) 3 to 5 using a point-of-care digital rectoscope.The primary outcome was feasibility, defined as adequate clinical assessment of the anastomosis during bedside inspection. Secondary outcomes included patient tolerability, efficacy compared to other diagnostic methods, and clinical outcomes during 90 days of follow-up. Results: In total, 35 patients were included. All bedside anastomotic inspections were carried out successfully. The examination showed complete visibility of the entire anastomosis in 30 patients (85.7%), with minimal discomfort reported by 3 (8.6%). No adverse events were recorded. AL occurred in 6 patients (17.1%), with 3 cases detected during bedside inspections between POD 3 and 5. Two leaks were detected without clinical or biochemical suspicion. Three patients with negative rectoscopy between POD 3 and 5 were later diagnosed with AL: 2 by a computed tomography scan and 1 by a bedside rectoscopy. Conclusion: Bedside inspection of rectal anastomoses early postoperatively is feasible and tolerable for patients. Routine anastomotic inspections can detect early AL even without clear clinical or biochemical signs.

Evaluation of Visual Acuity, Macular Thickness, and Level of Proteinuria in Children with Nephrotic Syndrome

Lam Mun-Wei(Mun-Wei Lam),Mohd Yazid Aiman-Mardhiyyah(Mohd Yazid Aiman-Mardhiyyah ),Abdul Aziz Hayati(Abdul Aziz Hayati ),Ilias Mohamad Ikram(Ilias Mohamad Ikram ),Evelyn Li Min Tai(Evelyn Li Min Tai ) 대한안과학회 2023 Korean Journal of Ophthalmology Vol.37 No.1

Purpose: Macular edema, serous retinal detachment, and retinal pigment epithelial detachment have been reported in patients with nephrotic syndrome. However, there is limited data about macular thickness in children with nephrotic syndrome. The aim of this study was to compare the mean macular thickness in children with nephrotic syndrome and in a control group and to correlate it with visual acuity and level of proteinuria. Methods: The comparative cross-sectional study included 66 children aged 6 to 17 years with nephrotic syndrome and healthy control seen in two tertiary centers in Malaysia. We recorded demographic data, as well as visual acuity, level of proteinuria, and the mean macular thicknesses in both groups. The mean macular thickness was measured using Stratus optical coherence tomography according to nine areas of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study map. Results: The mean foveal thickness was 238.15 ± 22.98 μm for children with nephrotic syndrome and 237.01 ± 22.60 μm for the control group. There was no significant difference in the mean macular thickness between the groups (p = 0.843). A significant correlation with visual acuity was observed in the superior outer macula (r = – 0.41, p = 0.019), the nasal outer macula (r = –0.41, p = 0.019), and the inferior outer macula (r = –0.40, p = 0.021). There was no significant correlation between the mean macular thickness and level of proteinuria (p = 0.338), although those with higher levels of proteinuria demonstrated a trend towards increased macular thickness. Conclusions: The mean macular thickness in children with nephrotic syndrome was similar to that of healthy children. A significant correlation between the mean thickness of the outer macular layer and the presenting visual acuity was observed. There was no correlation between the mean macular thickness and the level of proteinuria.

Methodological Study on the Evaluation of Face Mask Use Scale among Public Adult: Cross-Language and Psychometric Testing

Lam, Simon Ching,Chong, Andy Chun Yin,Chung, Jessie Yuk Seng,Lam, Ming Yee,Chan, Lai Man,Shum, Cho Yee,Wong, Eliza Yi Ni,Mok, Yat Man,Lam, Ming Tat,Chan, Man Man,Tong, Ka Ying,Chu, Oi Lee,Siu, Fong Ki 한국성인간호학회 2020 성인간호학회지 Vol.32 No.1

Purpose: This study aimed to establish the translation adequacy and examine the psychometric properties of FaceMask Use Scale (FMUS). Methods: This methodological study employed a cross-sectional design with repeatedmeasures. Phase 1 examined the equivalence and relevance of English and Chinese versions of FMUS. Phase2 examined the internal consistency, stability and construct validity. Different sample batches (213 universitystudents and 971 general public) were used appropriately for psychometric testing. The 2-phase data were collectedbetween January and April 2017. Results: In Phase 1, the semantic equivalence and relevance (item- and scale-levelcontent-validity-index=100%) was satisfactory. Furthermore, from 133 paired test-retest responses, the quadraticweighted kappa (.53~.73, p<.001) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC=.81) between the English andChinese version of FMUS were satisfactory. In Phase 2, FMUS demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency(Cronbach’s ⍺=.80~.81; corrected item-total correlation coefficients=.46~.67) and two-week test-retest stability(ICC=.84). The known-groups method (t=3.08, p<.001), exploratory (71.10% of total variance in two-factor model)and confirmatory factory analysis (x2/df=4.02, Root Mean Square Residual=.03, Root Mean Square Error ofApproximation=.06, Goodness of Fit Index=.99, Comparative Fit Index=.99) were all satisfactory for establishingthe construct validity. Conclusion: The FMUS has an equivalence Chinese and English versions, satisfactoryreliability and validity for measuring the practice of face mask use. This poses clinical and research implications forthose community health nurses who works on respiratory protection. Further research should be conducted on the‘negligent practice’ of FMU.

베이징 국립 경기장 - 해석과 시작품 시험

Kylie Lam, Thomas Lam 한국공간구조학회 2010 한국공간구조학회지 Vol.10 No.1

Factors Affecting the Development of Vietnamese Construction and Real Estate Companies

Giang Lam PHAN(Giang Lam PHAN ),Thuy Dieu NGUYEN(Thuy Dieu NGUYEN ),Chi Thi NGUYEN(Chi Thi NGUYEN ),Lan NGUYEN(Lan NGUYEN ),Le Thi TRAN(Le Thi TRAN ) 한국유통과학회 2022 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.9 No.9

This study aims to investigate the factors that contribute to the sustainable development of 334 Vietnamese construction and real estate companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Vietnam over a 5-year period from 2016 to 2020. By using regression analysis with the support of STATA software through examining the financial statements, which involves looking into crucial ratios including capital structure, profitability, firm size, accounts receivable management, and tangible assets investment, this study sheds light on whether these accounting indicators could help predict the construction and real estate companies growing potential in the future. Nevertheless, these ratios slightly contribute to the explanation of the change in revenue growth ratio, with a result of 1.6%, indicating that the value relevance of accounting information provides a modest and insignificant effect on investment decisions. This is understandable because the Vietnamese construction and real estate market still has many shortcomings in handling unexpected events, as well as the industry’s peculiarities related to major capital sources from bank loans. Based on this study, governmental authorities and business executives should plan appropriate risk management policies and measures to contribute to the sustainable development of construction and real estate companies.

Neurapraxia following neck lifting procedures—anatomical consideration, contributing factors, and management strategies: a case report

Phoebe Kar Wai Lam(Phoebe Kar Wai Lam) 대한미용의학회 2024 대한미용의학회지 Vol.8 No.2

Thread-lift procedures are becoming increasingly popular for treatingof skin laxity, particularly in the neck and submental regions. However, these procedures carry risks, including potential nerve injury, which can result in sensory and motor deficits. To document unusual complications following a thread-lift procedure and highlight the importance of understanding the complex anatomy of the neck and submental region to prevent such complications. A 40-year-old woman presented with concurrent unilateral weakness and numbness on the right side of her neck, including loss of the platysmal band and paresthesia behind the earlobe. The patient was evaluated clinically, and imaging studies were conducted to assess the extent of the nerve injury. The patient previously underwent a thread-lift procedure, including inserting lifting threads from behind the ears using sharp needles and absorbable threads, with one thread per side. Despite gradual improvement in sensation, muscle weakness and loss of the platysmal band persisted for approximately two months post-procedure. Further evaluation revealed that the patient experienced compression or minor injury to the greater auricular nerve (GAN), leading to neurapraxia (grade 1) and loss of sensation behind the right ear. In addition, the cervical branch of the facial nerve (CBFN) has been implicated in muscle weakness and platysmal band loss. This case underscores the importance of understanding the intricate anatomy of the neck and submental region to avoid injury to critical structures such as the GAN and CBFN. Adopting techniques such as working within the sub-platysma plane and using up to 0.4 mm diameter threads with blunt cannulas may help mitigate the risk of nerve damage. This report highlights the need for meticulous surgical practice and ongoing professional development to ensure the safety and efficacy of thread-lift procedures.

Twenty-four months long-term follow-up report on the effect of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid suspension suture in Asian with mild-moderate face laxity

Lam Phoebe Kar Wai,Fung Chi Pun,Lam James Yui,Luk Wang Lung,Lee Alvin Ka Wai,Lee Cheuk Hung,Tam Paul Man Kei,Lau Edwin Kwan Chark 대한미용의학회 2022 대한미용의학회지 Vol.6 No.1

Background: There was evidence of improvement in mid-face laxity using three pairs of suspension sutures in mid-face lifting in our early and mid-term follow-up. Objective: This 24-month prospective follow-up study aimed to determine the efficacy of mid-face lifting and lower jawline contouring using poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) sutures in Asian patients. Methods: Ten healthy volunteers received three pairs of 8-cones bidirectional cones sutures at the mid-face. One of the ten volunteers lost to follow-up, and all remaining patients followed up for 24 months. Our primary outcome measure is the change in the facial laxity rating scale (FLRS), an “improvement” defined as at least “one-grade change” in FLRS. Other assessment parameters include the severity of the nasolabial fold (NLF), assessed on the wrinkle severity rating scale (WSRS). The secondary outcome measures were the self-satisfaction rating scale (SSRS) and global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS), rated by participants at each follow-up interval. Results: A linear improvement in the mid-face was observed almost immediately after treatment, with progressive improvement up to at least 12 months following the intervention and no deterioration by 24 months. This improvement was significant (p<0.05), and the differences between before and after treatment at each follow-up interval were large (Cohen’s d>0.8). Contour improvement for the lower face followed a similar trend, except for a delay in the observable differences at three months (Cohen’s d=0.29, 0.8 at six weeks and three months, respectively). The differences in the level of patient satisfaction were significant (p<0.05) from 6 weeks to 24 months, peaking between 12 and 18 months, based on both the GAIS and SSRS ratings. No observed complications. Conclusion: Mid-facing lifting in Asian patients with mild-to-moderate laxity is safe and effective with PLGA bidirectional cone sutures, with concurrent improvement in the lower face contour and elevated patient satisfaction over the 24-month follow-up period.

Enhancing Transformer-based Cooking Recipe Generation Models from Text Ingredients

Khang Nhut Lam,My-Khanh Thi Nguyen,Huu Trong Nguyen,Vi Trieu Huynh,Van Lam Le,Jugal Kalita 한국정보통신학회 2024 Journal of information and communication convergen Vol.22 No.4

Recipe generation is an important task in both research and real life. In this study, we explore several pretrained language models that generate recipes from a list of text-based ingredients. Our recipe-generation models use a standard self-attention mechanism in Transformer and integrate a re-attention mechanism in Vision Transformer. The models were trained using a common paradigm based on cross-entropy loss and the BRIO paradigm combining contrastive and cross-entropy losses to achieve the best performance faster and eliminate exposure bias. Specifically, we utilize a generation model to produce N recipe candidates from ingredients. These initial candidates are used to train a BRIO-based recipe-generation model to produce N new candidates, which are used for iteratively fine-tuning the model to enhance the recipe quality. We experimentally evaluated our models using the RecipeNLG and CookingVN-recipe datasets in English and Vietnamese, respectively. Our best model, which leverages BART with re-attention and is trained using BRIO, outperforms the existing models.

Biology and predatory ability of the reduviid Sycanus falleni Stal (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) fed on four different preys in laboratory conditions

Truong Xuan Lam,Pham Huy Phong,Thai Thi Ngoc Lam 한국응용곤충학회 2020 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.23 No.4

The reduviid Sycanus falleni Stal (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is an important predatory insect in biological control pests in vegetable, soybean, corn and rice plants. It is omnivorous species and has a wide range of prey. The influence of fed on four different preys as Pieris rapae (Linnaeus), Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), Plutela xylostella (Linnaeus) and Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) on biological parameters, ability to eat prey and body weight of the nymph and adult of S. falleni were evaluated in laboratory conditions (26 ± 2 °C, 75 ± 5% RH and light:dark 14:10 h) in Vietnam. The biological parameters of reduviid S. falleni reared on the laboratory were determined by observing the development stage of egg, development stage of nymph, pre-oviposition period, life cycle, longevity of adult, number of eggs laid, sex ratio. The nymph and adults of reduviid S. falleni consumption the number of P. xylostella, P. rapae, S. litura and C. cephalonica larvae were different, and an adult female consumed more than an adult male while the body weight of the I and V nymphal instars, male and female adults of reduviid S. falleni wasn't significantly different (P < 0.01).

Outcome of mid- and lower face lifting using bidirectional cone sutures at 6 months and 1 year

Phoebe Kar Wai Lam,James Yui Lam,Alvin Kar Wai Lee,Clyde Wang Lung Luk,Paul Man Kei Tam,Cheuk Hung Lee 대한미용의학회 2021 대한미용의학회지 Vol.5 No.1

Soft tissue ptosis occurs with age, leading to loss of facial volume. The facial retaining ligamentous system is an intricate network of fibrous tissues connecting the whole face, restraining soft tissues from gravitational forces, and opposing facial movements. With proper positioning and anchorage within the ligamentous grid and superficial fat repositioning, lifting the mid-face and adjacent areas (e.g., jowl) is likely to occur. We aimed to determine whether inserting 3 pairs of bidirectional cone sutures can effectively improve the nasolabial fold (mid-face) and jowl (lower face) in Asian patients with mild to moderate mid-face laxity at 6 months and 12 months. Ten healthy volunteers with mild to moderate facial laxity received 3 pairs of bidirectional cone threads, inserted in a straight parallel technique. Based on validated evaluation parameters: facial laxity rating scale (FLRS) and the wrinkle severity rating scale, a total of 7 independent reviewers, among which 3 assessed the change in mid-face laxity (nasolabial fold), and the other 4 reviewers evaluated the change in jowl or lower face contour based on FLRS at 6 months and 12 months. All reviewers were experienced esthetic doctors. According to the reviewers’ evaluation based on the validated parameters, there was a linear improvement in the mid-face laxity/nasolabial fold and lower face laxity/jawline contour self-reporting patients’ satisfaction at 6 months and 12 months compared to baseline in all 10 patients. There was continuous improvement in mid-face laxity and lower face laxity from baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment. The evaluation results among the reviewers were similar, apart from reviewer 7. All patients gave their best rating at 12 months, and their satisfaction almost doubled compared to that before treatment.