Effectiveness of initiating biologics in severe asthma patients with high steroid exposure

Peer reviewedPostprin

Biomarker-defined clusters by level of Type 2 inflammatory involvement in severe asthma

Peer reviewedPostprin

Real-life biomarker response to anti-IL5 and anti-IgE therapies in severe asthma patients

Funding: This study was conducted by the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI) Pte Ltd and was partially funded by Optimum Patient Care Global and AstraZeneca Ltd. No funding was received by OPRI for its contribution.Peer reviewedPostprin

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Severe Asthma in the Asian Pacific Region : data from the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR)

Peer reviewe

Characterization of patients in the International Severe Asthma Registry with high steroid exposure who did or did not initiate biologic therapy

Peer reviewedPostprin

Association between T2-related co-morbidities and effectiveness of biologics in severe asthma

Acknowledgments The authors thank Mr. Joash Tan (BSc, Hons), of the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), and Ms Andrea Lim (BSc, Hons) of the Observational Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI) for their editorial and formatting assistance that supported the development of this publication. Funding statement: This study was conducted by the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI) Pte Ltd and was partially funded by Optimum Patient Care Global and AstraZeneca Ltd. AstraZeneca UK LimitedPeer reviewe

Negotiating Health and Migration Aspirations: Lay Health Beliefs among Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers in Shanghai and Beijing

Adopting both demographic and ethnographic approaches, this thesis examines the processes through which health inequalities are reinforced and reproduced among rural migrants in contemporary urban China. It places a particular focus on what appears to be a common struggle shared by rural migrant workers, that of meeting their migration aspirations and expectations while afflicted by health, illness and disease-related constraints. This thesis will first examine the demographic health characteristics of Chinese migrant workers’ before utilising ethnographic research approaches to examine their subjective constructions of health knowledge and lay health practices. By contrasting how migrant workers, specifically migrant parents, manage their family health problems in different individual and social settings, my thesis explores the micro-mechanisms of the reproduction of health inequalities as reflected in migrant workers’ understandings and interpretations of health-related behaviours, lay health beliefs and lay aetiologic accounts. Ultimately, this thesis illustrates the processes through which social inequalities have become embedded in health, which, in turn, shape people’s subjective understandings of achievement and health. Similar to other migrant workers over the world, the health challenges faced by Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers are influenced by many other broad social inequalities and limitations they encounter in new spaces. As this thesis demonstrates, it is not simply enough to address the health challenges of migrant workers in a vacuum, focusing on illness or disease alone. A greater focus must be placed on understanding the aspirations of migrant workers and their changing perspectives throughout their migration journeys

Abnormal Appearance Detection of Substation Based on Image Comparison

Based on image comparison, a novel algorithm for abnormal appearance detection of substation is proposed. Previous spatial states of an object are compared to its current representation in a digital image. Firstly, saliency maps are acquired using a fast implementation method of salient region detection. Based on saliency maps, image registration was completed by ORB (Oriented Fast and Rotated Brief). Then, sliding widow algorithm is applied to transform the whole image comparison problem into sub-image comparison problem. Textural feature and shape feature vectors (TSFVs) representing contents of images are generated by feature level fusion. Finally, decisions are automatically made as to whether or not change at the outline has occurred by the Euclidean distance of TEFVs. Experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance in abnormal appearance detection of substation

Abnormal Appearance Detection of Substation Based on Image Comparison

Based on image comparison, a novel algorithm for abnormal appearance detection of substation is proposed. Previous spatial states of an object are compared to its current representation in a digital image. Firstly, saliency maps are acquired using a fast implementation method of salient region detection. Based on saliency maps, image registration was completed by ORB (Oriented Fast and Rotated Brief). Then, sliding widow algorithm is applied to transform the whole image comparison problem into sub-image comparison problem. Textural feature and shape feature vectors (TSFVs) representing contents of images are generated by feature level fusion. Finally, decisions are automatically made as to whether or not change at the outline has occurred by the Euclidean distance of TEFVs. Experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance in abnormal appearance detection of substation

An Effective and Simple Way to Establish Elastase-Induced Middle Carotid Artery Fusiform Aneurysms in Rabbits

Objective. Elastase-induced aneurysms in rabbits have been proposed as a preclinical tool for device development, but there is still much deficiency in those aneurismal models. So we need to explore the efficient and convenient animal models for the investigation of intracranial aneurysms. Then, we compared and analyzed three methods of elastase-induced carotid artery aneurysms in rabbits and aimed to find a simple, effective, and reproducible method for creating elastase-induced aneurysms. Methods. 42 standard feeding male adult Japanese white rabbits (3.05±0.65 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups and treated with elastase ablation to create common carotid artery (RCCA) aneurysm models: Group A (root-RCCA medication group, n=12), Group B (mid-RCCA medication group, n=18), and Group C (ligated RCCA+medication group, n=12). For Group A, the origin of the RCCA was blocked by two temporary aneurysm clips, and the resulting 2 cm cavity was infused with elastase for 20 min, then the clip was removed and the RCCA was not ligated. For Group B, the middle part of RCCA was treated the same way as Group A and the RCCA was not ligated. For Group C, the middle part of RCCA was treated as Group B, but the distal RCCA was ligated. After the aneurysm models were created for 3 weeks, prior to sacrificing the animals, color Doppler ultrasound and angiography were performed for blood flow measurements inside the aneurysms. Histological analysis (such as SMA-α, CD31, CD34, CD68, collagen IV, and Ki67) and the other relevant indexes were compared between the ideal model’s aneurysmal tissues and the human intracranial aneurysm’s tissues to confirm whether we have successfully established elastase-induced aneurysm models. Results. Compared with human intracranial aneurysm specimens by the color Doppler ultrasound, angiography, and changes in the inner diameter of arteries, all three methods have successfully established the elastase-induced aneurysm models. Histology showed that biological responses were similar to both human cerebral aneurysms and previously published elastase-induced rabbit aneurysm models. Group A and Group B had the same morphology, but Group A had a higher mortality rate than Group B. Group B and Group C had different morphology. The aneurysm of Group C was more similar to human cerebral aneurysms but had a higher mortality rate than Group B. Group B was confirmed not only as an alternative method but also as a more safe and effective method for creating elastase-induced aneurysm models. Conclusion. Through analysis and comparison, the Group B is proven to be the simplest, reproducible, and most effective modeling method. The aneurysm model established by Group B can be used for basic research related to aneurysm mechanism. We have provided a new and effective method for basic research on aneurysm