National Skin Centre (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

This randomized, double-blind controlled study aims to compare the effect on appearance of post- surgical scars between daily application of siSPARC microneedle patch versus siSPARC + siLR4A microneedle patches. These are patches comprising short microneedles embedded with hydrolysed RNA (siRNAs).

Inflammatory skin disorders are usually assessed by disease scoring system such as Scoring AD (SCORAD)/Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) for atopic eczema and psoriasis respectively. The current approach to score the severity of these inflammatory skin disorders is through clinical observations and questionnaires. These scores however do not reflect the structural characteristics of the skin such as morphology, vasculature architecture and dermis thickness and are subject to inter and intra-assessor variability. Objective inflammatory diseases indicators through non-invasive imaging techniques have the potential to be an important clinical tool to shed light on its severity in an objective manner. Furthermore, given the abundance of cutaneous vasculature, non-invasive imaging in patients with chronic inflammatory skin conditions allows the investigators to evaluate in detail how co-morbidities of metabolic syndrome, especially type 2 diabetes, further affects the vasculature or the epidermis in the skin. It helps to answer the question of whether a tighter control of the "overlying" skin condition helps in management of the underlying co-morbidities.
Currently, there are many skin imaging modalities available to visualize the morphology and vascular architecture non-invasively, but they are hindered by their penetration depth and lack of contrast. Examples include optical coherence tomography (OCT), high-frequency ultrasound, and Doppler based ultrasound. In this study, these shortcomings will be circumvented through the usage of photoacoustic mesoscopic imaging, a non-invasive, high resolution, intrinsic or contrast-enhanced imaging technique, which can provide functional and metabolic information at greater depths, and an optical fibre-based handheld confocal Raman spectroscopy system with inbuilt data processing algorithms and software, which allows for highly effective and accurate analysis of various skin constituents, such as ceramides, filaggrin, and hydration. These technologies will allow the investigators to study inflammatory and skin barrier markers in, as well as correlations between, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes, and obesity. In addition, by studying the skin before and after therapeutic interventions, this study will aid in understanding the mechanisms of action and efficacy of various interventions.

The investigators aim to assess the efficacy of a multi-component intervention on condom use and sexually transmitted infection (STIs) in female entertainment workers and men frequenting entertainment establishments (EEs), using a quasi-experimental design. Joo Chiat and Golden Mile Complex will be selected purposively as control cluster sites (n=220) with follow-up of entertainment workers at 6 weeks. The same sites will be used as intervention sites after a 3-months 'wash out' period. Self-reported condom use, vaginal swab samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for cervical gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections, and throat swabs for culture for pharyngeal gonorrhoea will be assessed. Clark Quay will be the intervention venue for the heterosexual men while Tanjong Pagar will be the equivalent control site. Using time location sampling, cross-sectional samples of men patronising these establishments will be assessed on self-reported condom use at baseline (n=600) and 6 months after the intervention (n=400) in both intervention and control groups.