Associations between IL12B polymorphisms and tuberculosis in the Hong Kong Chinese population

Background. Interleukin (IL)-12 plays a vital role in regulating cell-mediated immunity against tuberculosis (TB). Methods. To test whether IL12B genetic polymorphisms might contribute to human TB susceptibility, we examined the genotype frequencies of 5 IL12B polymorphisms (at promoter, intron 2, intron 4, exon 5, and 3′ untranslated region [UTR]) in 516 patients with TB and 514 healthy control subjects from the Hong Kong Chinese population. Results. Individuals homozygous for the IL12B intron 2-repeat marker (ATT) 8 had a 2.1-fold increased risk of developing TB (P < .001) (odds ratio, 2.14 [95% confidence interval, 1.45-3.19]). Estimation of the frequencies of multiple-locus haplotypes composed of IL12B promoter, intron 2, intron 4, and 3′ UTR alleles revealed potential risk haplotypes (designated "A" and "K") and protective haplotypes (designated "B") for TB. Furthermore, combining the genotype data of the 4 informative IL12B loci revealed a strong association between a specific genotype pattern, termed "diplotype I" (heterozygous A and K haplotypes), and TB. In contrast, diplotype II (homozygous BB haplotypes) appeared protective against TB. Conclusions. These findings support the association between IL12B intron 2 polymorphism and TB and between specific IL12B haplotypes and TB.published_or_final_versio

Effect of ZnO surface defects on efficiency and stability of ZnO-based perovskite solar cells

ZnO as an alternative electron transport layer (ETL) material for perovskite solar cell applications has drawn increasing research interest due to its comparable energy levels to TiO2, relatively high electron mobility, as well as its feasibility to be processed at low temperatures for potential applications in flexible devices. Nevertheless, ZnO based perovskite devices usually exhibit inferior performance and severe stability drawbacks which are related to the surface defects of ZnO ETL. In this study, to investigate the correlation between ZnO defect composition and resulting device performance, different approaches of preparing ZnO ETL are compared in terms of the perovskite morphology and device performance. In addition, direct manipulations of ZnO surface defects are performed by various surface treatments, and the photovoltaic performance of devices with ZnO ETL subjected to different surface treatments is compared. Surface modification of ZnO ETL by ethanolamine (EA) is demonstrated to efficiently enhance the photovoltaic performance of resulting ZnO based devices. © (2017) COPYRIGHT Societypublished_or_final_versio

Human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine: Immunogenicity and safety in healthy Chinese women from Hong Kong

Objective To assess the immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine in Chinese women aged 18 to 35 years enrolled from Hong Kong. Design Double-blind, randomised controlled trial with vaccine and placebo groups. Setting Single-centre study in Hong Kong. Participants Three hundred women enrolled (150 per group) between March 2006 and June 2007. Interventions Subjects received three doses of human papillomavirus-16/18 vaccine or placebo (aluminium hydroxide), administered intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months. Main outcome measures Human papillomavirus-16/18 seroconversion rates and geometric mean titres at month 7 (in human papillomavirus-16/18 recipients); reactogenicity and safety (in all subjects). Results A total of 294 women completed the study (148 in the vaccine group, 146 in placebo group). All initially seronegative subjects in the vaccine group had seroconverted for human papillomavirus-16/18 antibodies by month 7. Anti-human papillomavirus-16 and anti-human papillomavirus-18 antibody geometric mean titres were 10 422 (95% confidence interval, 8730-12 442) EL.U/mL and 4649 (3975-5437) EL.U/mL, respectively. High compliance (99% in both groups) was observed for the three-vaccination course. The frequencies of local injection site reactions were higher in the vaccine than placebo group; pain being the most common symptom in both groups. Regarding solicited symptoms, fatigue and myalgia were the most frequent in both groups. Five serious adverse events (four in vaccine group, one in placebo group) were reported, but all were considered unrelated to the vaccinations. Conclusion The human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine was highly immunogenic, safe, and generally well tolerated in Chinese women from Hong Kong.published_or_final_versio

Improving corporate governance in state-owned corporations in China: which way forward?

This article discusses corporate governance in China. It outlines the basic agency problem in Chinese listed companies and questions the effectiveness of the current mechanisms employed to improve their standards of governance. Importantly, it considers alternative means through which corporate practice in China can be brought into line with international expectations and stresses the urgency with which this task must be tackled. It concludes that regulators in China must construct a corporate governance model which is compatible with its domestic setting and not rush to adopt governance initiatives modelled on those in cultures which are fundamentally different in the hope of also reproducing their success

Bilateral pheochromocytomas in MEN2A syndrome: a two-institution experience

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Identification of novel porcine and bovine parvoviruses closely related to human parvovirus 4

Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4), a recently discovered parvovirus found exclusively in human plasma and liver tissue, was considered phylogenetically distinct from other parvoviruses. Here, we report the discovery of two novel parvoviruses closely related to PARV4, porcine hokovirus (PHoV) and bovine hokovirus (BHoV), from porcine and bovine samples in Hong Kong. Their nearly full-length sequences were also analysed. PARV4-like viruses were detected by PCR among 44.4% (148/333) of porcine samples (including lymph nodes, liver, serum, nasopharyngeal and faecal samples), 13% (4/32) of bovine spleen samples and 2% (7/362) of human serum samples that were sent for human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus antibody tests. Three distinct parvoviruses were identified, including two novel parvoviruses, PHoV and BHoV, from porcine and bovine samples and PARV4 from humans, respectively. Analysis of genome pequences from seven PHoV strains, from three BHoV strains and from one PARV4 strain showed that the two animal parvoviruses were most similar to PARV4 with 61.5-63% nt identities and, together with PARV4 (HHoV), formed a distinct cluster within the family Parvoviridae. The three parvoviruses also differed from other parvoviruses by their relatively large predicted VP1 protein and the presence of a small unique conserved putative protein. Based on these results, we propose a separate genus, Hokovirus, to describe these three parvoviruses. The co-detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, the agent associated with the recent 'high fever' disease outbreaks in pigs in China, from our porcine samples warrants further investigation. © 2008 SGM.published_or_final_versio

Hybrid SPECT/CT for the assessment of a painful hip after uncemented total hip arthroplasty

Background The diagnosis of hip pain after total hip replacement (THR) represents a highly challenging question that is of increasing concern to orthopedic surgeons. This retrospective study assesses bone scintigraphy with Hybrid SPECT/CT for the diagnosis of painful THR in a selected cohort of patients. Methods Bone SPECT/CT datasets of 23 patients (mean age 68.9 years) with a painful hip after THR were evaluated. Selection of the patients required an inconclusive radiograph, normal serum levels of inflammatory parameters (CRP and ESR) or a negative aspiration of the hip joint prior to the examination. The standard of reference was established by an interdisciplinary adjudication-panel using all imaging data and clinical follow-up data (>12 month). Pathological and physiological uptake patterns were defined and applied. Results The cause of pain in this study group could be determined in 18 out of 23 cases. Reasons were aseptic loosening (n = 5), spine-related (n = 5), heterotopic ossification (n = 5), neuronal (n = 1), septic loosening (n = 1) and periprosthetic stress fracture (n = 1). In (n = 5) cases the cause of hip pain could not be identified. SPECT/CT imaging correctly identified the cause of pain in (n = 13) cases, in which the integrated CT-information led to the correct diagnosis in (n = 4) cases, mainly through superior anatomic correlation. Loosening was correctly assessed in all cases with a definite diagnosis. Conclusions SPECT/CT of THA reliably detects or rules out loosening and provides valuable information about heterotopic ossifications. Furthermore differential diagnoses may be detected with a whole-body scan and mechanical or osseous failure is covered by CT- imaging. SPECT/CT holds great potential for imaging-based assessment of painful prostheses

MEG resting state functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease related dementia

Parkinson's disease (PD) related dementia (PDD) develops in up to 60% of patients, but the pathophysiology is far from being elucidated. Abnormalities of resting state functional connectivity have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study was performed to determine whether PDD is likewise characterized by changes in resting state functional connectivity. MEG recordings were obtained in 13 demented and 13 non-demented PD patients. The synchronization likelihood (SL) was calculated within and between cortical areas in six frequency bands. Compared to non-demented PD, PDD was characterized by lower fronto-temporal SL in the alpha range, lower intertemporal SL in delta, theta and alpha1 bands as well as decreased centro-parietal gamma band synchronization. In addition, higher parieto-occipital synchronization in the alpha2 and beta bands was found in PDD. The observed changes in functional connectivity are reminiscent of changes in AD, and may reflect reduced cholinergic activity and/or loss of cortico-cortical anatomical connections in PDD. © 2008 The Author(s)

A review of the distribution of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments and its application to considerations of risk

We review the evolution, state of the art and future lines of research on the sources, transport pathways, and sinks of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments to include the atmosphere, soils, and street and indoor dusts. Such studies reveal reductions in the emissions of some elements of historical concern such as Pb, with interest consequently focusing on other toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Hg, Zn, and Cu. While establishment of levels of these elements is important in assessing the potential impacts of human society on the urban environment, it is also necessary to apply this knowledge in conjunction with information on the toxicity of those trace elements and the degree of exposure of human receptors to an assessment of whether such contamination represents a real risk to the city’s inhabitants and therefore how this risk can be addressed

Staphylococcus aureus Survives with a Minimal Peptidoglycan Synthesis Machine but Sacrifices Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance

Many important cellular processes are performed by molecular machines, composed of multiple proteins that physically interact to execute biological functions. An example is the bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis machine, responsible for the synthesis of the main component of the cell wall and the target of many contemporary antibiotics. One approach for the identification of essential components of a cellular machine involves the determination of its minimal protein composition. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen, renowned for its resistance to many commonly used antibiotics and prevalence in hospitals. Its genome encodes a low number of proteins with PG synthesis activity (9 proteins), when compared to other model organisms, and is therefore a good model for the study of a minimal PG synthesis machine. We deleted seven of the nine genes encoding PG synthesis enzymes from the S. aureus genome without affecting normal growth or cell morphology, generating a strain capable of PG biosynthesis catalyzed only by two penicillin-binding proteins, PBP1 and the bi-functional PBP2. However, multiple PBPs are important in clinically relevant environments, as bacteria with a minimal PG synthesis machinery became highly susceptible to cell wall-targeting antibiotics, host lytic enzymes and displayed impaired virulence in a Drosophila infection model which is dependent on the presence of specific peptidoglycan receptor proteins, namely PGRP-SA. The fact that S. aureus can grow and divide with only two active PG synthesizing enzymes shows that most of these enzymes are redundant in vitro and identifies the minimal PG synthesis machinery of S. aureus. However a complex molecular machine is important in environments other than in vitro growth as the expendable PG synthesis enzymes play an important role in the pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance of S. aureus