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reassortment of pandemic h1n1/2009 influenza a virus in swine.the emergence of pandemic h1n1/2009 influenza demonstrated that pandemic viruses could be generated in swine. subsequent reintroduction of h1n1/2009 to swine has occurred in multiple countries. through systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in swine from a hong kong abattoir, we characterize a reassortant progeny of h1n1/2009 with swine viruses. swine experimentally infected with this reassortant developed mild illness and transmitted infection to contact animals. continued reassortment of ...201020558710
dietary exposure of secondary school students in hong kong to polybrominated diphenyl ethers from foods of animal origin.this paper reports levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) in a wide range of foods of animal origin and estimates their dietary exposure for secondary school students in hong kong, china. dietary exposure to pbdes was estimated using local food consumption data obtained from secondary school students in 2000 and the concentrations of pbdes in food samples taken from local market in 2008. the pbde levels on a fresh weight basis for fish ranged from 13 to 6600 pg g(-1), for seafood and s ...201020104380
high prevalence of primary enfuvirtide (enf) resistance-associated mutations in hiv-1-infected patients in hong kong.enfuvirtide (enf) is a viral fusion inhibitor used in patients failing highly active antiretroviral therapy (haart). mutations associated with enf resistance have been identified within amino acid positions 36-45 of gp41. as enf will be introduced to hong kong, an understanding of the prevalence of naturally occurred enf resistance mutations is important before implementation of enf treatment.201020116329
logistical feasibility and potential benefits of a population-wide passive-immunotherapy program during an influenza pandemic.treatment strategies for severe cases of pandemic influenza have focused on antiviral therapies. in contrast, passive immunotherapy with convalescent blood products has received limited attention. we consider the hypothesis that a passive-immunotherapy program that collects plasma from a small percentage of recovered adults can harvest sufficient convalescent plasma to treat a substantial percentage of severe cases during a pandemic. we use a mathematical model to estimate the demand and supply ...201020133660
genetic identity of aminoglycoside-resistance genes in escherichia coli isolates from human and animal sources.a bacterial collection (n=249) obtained in hong kong from 2002 to 2004 was used to investigate the molecular epidemiology of aminoglycoside resistance among escherichia coli isolates from humans and food-producing animals. of these, 89 isolates were gentamicin-sensitive (human n=60, animal n=29) and 160 isolates were gentamicin-resistant (human n=107, animal n=53). overall, 84.1% (90/107) and 75.5% (40/53) of the gentamicin-resistant isolates from human and animal sources, respectively, were fou ...201020185552
de-stigmatising human papillomavirus in the context of cervical cancer: a randomised controlled trial.to identify the components of a human papillomavirus (hpv) message contributing to reducing the stigma of hpv in cervical cancer.201020186874
residues of persistent organic pollutants (pops) in human milk in hong kong.data on pesticide body load in the south china region are scarce. here, we report the concentrations of 24 persistent organic pollutants (pops), in 10 pools of human milk samples, collected at 2-6weeks postpartum from 238 primiparous women living in hong kong and south china, who participated in the 2002-2003 who exposure study. residues were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detector and confirmed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. the mean levels of alpha-hch (m ...201020199797
school closure and mitigation of pandemic (h1n1) 2009, hong kong.in hong kong, kindergartens and primary schools were closed when local transmission of pandemic (h1n1) 2009 was identified. secondary schools closed for summer vacation shortly afterwards. by fitting a model of reporting and transmission to case data, we estimated that transmission was reduced approximately 25% when secondary schools closed.201020202441
modeling and predicting seasonal influenza transmission in warm regions using climatological parameters.influenza transmission is often associated with climatic factors. as the epidemic pattern varies geographically, the roles of climatic factors may not be unique. previous in vivo studies revealed the direct effect of winter-like humidity on air-borne influenza transmission that dominates in regions with temperate climate, while influenza in the tropics is more effectively transmitted through direct contact.201020209164
linkage of angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms with hypertension in a sibling study of hong kong chinese.the angiotensinogen gene has been linked with human essential hypertension in whites but the relationship in asian populations has been less consistent. this study aimed to examine genetic associations between hypertension and the m235t, t174m, and g-217a polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen gene in chinese siblings.201020216084
heterogeneous mutations of the atp2c1 gene causing hailey-hailey disease in hong kong chinese.hailey-hailey disease (hhd) is a rare autosomal dominant dermatosis. it causes suprabasilar acantholysis leading to vesicular and crusted erosions affecting the flexures. mutation of atp2c1 gene encoding the human secretory pathway ca(2+) /mn(2+) -atpase (hspca1) was identified to be the cause of this entity.201020236194
multifaceted ergonomic intervention programme for community nurses: pilot study.this paper is a report of a pilot study conducted to investigate the effect of a tailor-made ergonomic intervention programme for community nurses.201020337794
cd209 (dc-sign) -336a>g promoter polymorphism and severe acute respiratory syndrome in hong kong chinese.cd209 (dc-sign) is an important c-type lectin which acts a receptor of many pathogens. the single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) -336a>g in the cd209 promoter has been demonstrated to regulate promoter activity and to be associated with several important infectious diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus-1 (hiv-1), mycobacterium tuberculosis, and dengue fever. cd209 facilitates severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars)-coronavirus spike protein-bearing pseudotype driven infection of permiss ...201020359516
b cell responses to h5 influenza ha in human subjects vaccinated with a drifted variant.b cell responses after immunization with a drifted h5 influenza/a/vietnam/1203/04 vaccine were characterized in the peripheral blood of human subjects primed with experimental recombinant h5 influenza a/hong kong/156/97 vaccine. antibody secreting cells were assayed by elispot against a panel of recombinant hemagglutinin and control proteins. increased frequencies of h5 ha-specific antibody secreting and memory b cells could be observed within 7 days of re-vaccination. furthermore, these respons ...201019932673
multiplex molecular detection of respiratory pathogens in children with asthma exacerbation.up to 80% of asthma exacerbations in white children are associated with viral upper respiratory infections. the relative importance of different respiratory pathogens and relevant microbiological data in asian children are unclear. this study elucidated the epidemiology of respiratory infections in hong kong children with asthma exacerbation.201019749009
prevention of nosocomial transmission of swine-origin pandemic influenza virus a/h1n1 by infection control bundle.after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in hong kong, the importance of preventing nosocomial transmission of respiratory viruses has become a top priority in infection control. during the containment and early mitigation phases of the swine-origin influenza virus (s-oiv) a h1n1 pandemic, an infection control bundle consisting of multiple coherent measures was organised by our infection control team to minimise nosocomial transmission. this included repeated open staff forum achi ...201020061056
the natural viral load profile of patients with pandemic 2009 influenza a(h1n1) and the effect of oseltamivir treatment.the natural history of viral shedding from the upper respiratory tract of the new pandemic 2009 influenza a(h1n1) and the effect of oseltamivir treatment were uncertain.201020061398
full genome analysis of an emerging cluster of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype b infection in hong kong.with considerable capacity for genetic diversification, new hiv-1 genotypes have been reported over the years. three hiv-1 isolates previously genotyped as b using gag and env sequences were completely sequenced and reanalyzed. several amino acid mutations were found in vif, rev, and nef genes but not in gag or env sequences. these alterations have not previously been reported in hong kong. the investigation of phylogenetic relatedness revealed that a region of the vif of the studied hong kong i ...201020063993
part 4. interaction between air pollution and respiratory viruses: time-series study of daily mortality and hospital admissions in hong kong.background: populations in asia are not only at risk of harm to their health through environmental degradation as a result of worsening pollution problems but also constantly threatened by recurring and emerging influenza epidemics and. pandemics. situated in the area with the world's fastest growing economy and close to hypothetical epicenters of influenza transmission, hong kong offers a special opportunity for testing environmental management and public health surveillance in the region. in t ...201021446214
sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in hong kong: the role of migration status.female sex workers (fsw) have been considered reservoirs and vectors of sexually transmitted infections (sti) in the community. this study estimated the prevalence of sti/human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) among fsw of various migration and residential status in hong kong and identified possible risk factors.201021199136
the effective reproduction number of pandemic influenza: prospective estimation.timely estimation of the transmissibility of a novel pandemic influenza virus was a public health priority in 2009.201020805752
increased genetic diversity of hiv-1 circulating in hong kong.hiv-1 group m strains are characterized into 9 pure subtypes and 48 circulating recombinant forms (crfs). recent studies have identified the presence of new hiv-1 recombinants in hong kong and their complexity continues to increase. this study aims to characterize the hiv-1 genetic diversity in hong kong. phylogenetic analyses were performed by using hiv-1 pol sequences including protease and partial reverse transcriptase isolated from 1045 local patients in hong kong from 2003 to 2008. for the ...201020808942
major pollutants in soils of abandoned agricultural land contaminated by e-waste activities in hong kong.polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah), polychlorinated biphenyl (pcb), polybrominated diphenyl ether (pbde) compounds and five heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and zinc) were determined in soil samples collected from six sites of abandoned agricultural land affected by electronic-waste: e-waste dismantling workshop [ew (dw)], e-waste open burning site [ew (obs)], e-waste storage [ew (s)], and agricultural (a) in the new territories, hong kong. persistent organic pollutants (pops) a ...201020811881
sorption and desorption of antibiotic tetracycline on marine sediments.tetracycline is commonly used for human therapy and veterinary purposes as well as agricultural feed additives. in this study, batch experiments were carried out to investigate the sorption behaviour of tetracycline on marine sediments. the sediment samples were collected from victoria harbour, hong kong. sorption isotherms of tetracycline on marine sediments can be well described by a freudlich model. the calculated k(f) varied from 1.12 to 2.34lg(-1). after h(2)o(2) oxidation for removing the ...201019913873
associations of polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein a1/c3/a4/a5 gene cluster with familial combined hyperlipidaemia in hong kong chinese.familial combined hyperlipidaemia (fch) is the most common genetic dyslipidaemia associated with coronary artery disease. single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) and haplotypes in the apoa1/c3/a4/a5 gene cluster are associated with fch in caucasians and with elevated triglycerides (tg) in various ethnic groups. we examined these associations with fch in hong kong chinese.201019732897
incidence of common respiratory viral infections related to climate factors in hospitalized children in hong kong.hong kong has a subtropical climate and an influenza seasonality lying approximately mid-way (march-june) between those of the northern (november-march) and southern (june-september) hemispheres. respiratory syncytial virus (rsv) shares a similar seasonality to that of influenza in hong kong and is another important respiratory infection of childhood. daily virus incidence data from public hospitals in hong kong's new territory east cluster, together with hong kong climate data were obtained for ...201019631018
fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia: genome-wide association studies suggest a regulatory region in the 5' olfactory receptor gene cluster.in a genome-wide association study of 848 blacks with sickle cell anemia, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) associated with fetal hemoglobin concentration. the most significant snps in a discovery sample were tested in a replication set of 305 blacks with sickle cell anemia and in subjects with hemoglobin e or beta thalassemia trait from thailand and hong kong. a novel region on chromosome 11 containing olfactory receptor genes or51b5 and or51b6 was identified by 6 snps (lowes ...201020018918
oseltamivir- and amantadine-resistant influenza virus a (h1n1). 201020031069
cancer risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) and polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in former agricultural soils of hong kong.the major objective of this study was to evaluate the carcinogenic risk posed to humans through pbdes and pcbs of changing agricultural land use for recycling of e-waste and open burning of municipal waste. nine locations were selected to represent 6 different types of land use such as e-waste dismantling workshop (ew (dw)) and e-waste open burning site (ew (obs)). the total concentrations for pbdes and pcbs, and the bioaccessibility of pcbs were determined using soxhlet extraction and in vitro ...201121871716
assessment of risk to humans of bisphenol a in marine and freshwater fish from pearl river delta, china.bisphenol a (bpa) is a high production-volume chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer products. however it is also a ubiquitous contaminant that can interfere with endocrine systems of wildlife and humans. china is the "world factory" and the pearl river delta is the major manufacturing center and is consequently polluted. concentrations of bpa in meats of marketable fish had not been previously reported for this region. in the study upon which we report here concentration ...201121700311
humans are equal: lessons to learn from the world health organization prescriptive growth standards. 201121636862
body burden of pops of hong kong residents, based on human milk, maternal and cord serum.this study is one of the very few investigating the body burdens of persistent organic pollutants in residents of hong kong. twenty-nine human milk samples and 21 human blood (and cord blood) samples collected from 2005 were analyzed for pahs, ocps and pcbs levels. higher levels of pahs, ddts and pcbs were detected in human milk samples when compared to maternal serum and cord serum (pahs: milk: 1981 ng g⁻¹ fat, maternal serum: 1461, cord serum: 1158; ddts: 3099, 1934, 1556; pcbs: 49, 41, 40). a ...201120828823
an h9n2 influenza virus vaccine prepared from a non-pathogenic isolate from a migratory duck confers protective immunity in mice against challenge with an h9n2 virus isolated from a girl in hong kong.h9n2 influenza viruses circulate in wild birds and poultry in eurasian countries, and have been isolated from pigs and humans in china. h9n2 viruses isolated from birds, pigs and humans have been classified into three sublineages based on antigenic and genetic features. chicken antisera to h9n2 viruses of the korean sublineage reacted with viruses of different sublineages by the hemagglutination-inhibition test. a test vaccine prepared from a non-pathogenic a/duck/hokkaido/49/1998 (h9n2) strain ...201122123308
human papillomavirus vaccine: what are women most concerned about?aim:  this study aims to investigate the areas of concerns that women have regarding human papillomavirus (hpv) vaccination. material and methods:  a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a convenience sample of 1450 women attending outpatient family planning clinics in hong kong to assess women's concerns regarding hpv vaccination. the associations between each demographic characteristics and the importance of various issues concerning the vaccine, such as short and long-term si ...201121917074
genogroup i and ii picobirnaviruses in respiratory tracts of pigs.sequence-independent amplification and specific reverse transcription pcrs identified genogroup i and ii picobirnaviruses in respiratory tracts of pigs. these data expand knowledge of picobirnavirus diversity and tropism. genetic relationships between porcine respiratory and human enteric picobirnaviruses suggest cross-species transmission of picobirnaviruses between pigs and humans.201122172405
Role of genetic variants in the gene encoding lipocalin-2 in the development of elevated blood pressure.Lipocalin-2 is recently recognized as a biomarker of obesity and inflammation, which are both risk factors for hypertension. We therefore investigated the association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene encoding lipocalin-2 (LCN2) with elevated blood pressure (BP) in Hong Kong Chinese. Five tagging SNPs were genotyped in 1936 subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study-2 (CRISPS-2) with a median follow-up time of 6.4 years. Elevated BP was def ...201121978028
Complete genome sequence of a coxsackievirus A22 strain in Hong Kong reveals a natural intratypic recombination event.Coxsackievirus A22 (CVA22) belongs to the species human enterovirus C in the Picornaviridae family. We report the first complete genome sequence of CVA22 with natural intratypic recombination between CVA22 prototype strain Chulman and CVA22 strain ban99-10427, identified in the stool of a patient in Hong Kong.201122021251
sonoanatomy relevant for ultrasound-guided central neuraxial blocks via the paramedian approach in the lumbar region.objectives: the use of ultrasound to guide peripheral nerve blocks is now a well-established technique in regional anaesthesia. however, despite reports of ultrasound guided epidural access via the paramedian approach, there are limited data on the use of ultrasound for central neuraxial blocks, which may be due to a poor understanding of spinal sonoanatomy. methods: this study was designed to define the sonoanatomy of the lumbar spine relevant for central neuraxial blocks via the paramedian app ...201122010025
A case-referent study of lung cancer and incense smoke, smoking, and residential radon in chinese men.Background: Burning incense generates large amounts of air pollutants, many of which are confirmed or suspected human lung carcinogens.Objectives: We conducted a population-based case-referent study to examine the effect of incense smoke exposure on lung cancer risk among Chinese males and explored the joint effect of cigarette smoking and exposure to residential radon.Methods: We recruited 1,208 male lung cancer incident cases and 1,069 community referents from 2004 to 2006 and estimated their ...201122067552
major human hepatitis a virus genotype in hong kong marine waters and detection by real-time pcr.marine waters from seven sites around hong kong with varying levels of sewage pollution were analyzed for hepatitis a virus (hav) by pcr cloning and dna sequencing of the highly variable vp1/2a junction of the hav genome. phylogenetic analysis of 10 pcr clones from each of the hav-positive marine sites indicated that human hav genotype ib is the most widely distributed type in hong kong waters. a sensitive and quantitative taqman-based pcr method targeting the 5'-noncoding region (5'-ncr) of hav ...201122001296
Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a rare but potentially fatal emergency: case report and literature review.We report a case of a 39 year-old Asian man in whom profound lower limb paralysis, along with severe hypokalemia and electrocardiographic changes, were the presenting features of Graves' disease (GD)-related thyrotoxicosis. Rapid recognition and management of the disorder were the key factors to avoid fatal hypokalemia-induced cardiac arrhythmias and promptly restore patient's capacity to ambulate.201122111475
stability of bovine coronavirus on lettuce surfaces under household refrigeration conditions.fecal suspensions with an aerosol route of transmission were responsible for a cluster of severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) cases in 2003 in hong kong. based on that event, the world health organization recommended that research be implemented to define modes of transmission of sars coronavirus through sewage, feces, food and water. environmental studies have shown that animal coronaviruses remain infectious in water and sewage for up to a year depending on the temperature and humidity. i ...201122265299
relationships among diabetic retinopathy, antioxidants, and glycemic control.type 2 diabetes mellitus (dm) is increasing worldwide and affects ∼11% of the hong kong population. diabetic retinopathy (dr) is a common cause of vision loss in type 2 dm. risk of dr is increased by poor glycemic control, elevated lipids, and blood pressure, but it is not possible to predict the development or progression of dr at an individual level. increased oxidative stress is thought to play a role. the use of a wider biomarker profile incorporating biomarkers of antioxidant status and oxi ...201121217409
longitudinal data analyses using linear mixed models in spss: concepts, procedures and illustrations.although different methods are available for the analyses of longitudinal data, analyses based on generalized linear models (glm) are criticized as violating the assumption of independence of observations. alternatively, linear mixed models (lmm) are commonly used to understand changes in human behavior over time. in this paper, the basic concepts surrounding lmm (or hierarchical linear models) are outlined. although spss is a statistical analyses package commonly used by researchers, documentat ...201121218263
coxsackievirus b3-associated aseptic meningitis: an emerging infection in hong kong.enterovirus (ev) infection is a common disease of childhood and associated not uncommonly with aseptic meningitis. in the summer of 2008, laboratory surveillance has detected increased number of coxsackievirus b3 (cvb3) associated aseptic meningitis in hong kong, constituting 11.6% of those infected. this study analyzed the epidemiology, circulating pattern, and clinical presentations of cvb3 in hong kong over the last 10 years with reference to the circulation of ev in the locality. enterovirus ...201121264869
c-reactive protein as a predictor of hypertension in the hong kong cardiovascular risk factor prevalence study (crisps) cohort.inflammation contributes to the development of hypertension. whether c-reactive protein (crp) has a causal role in hypertension remains unknown. we studied the relationship between circulating crp levels and hypertension. the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in the crp gene as determinants of its plasma levels and the propensity to develop hypertension was investigated. plasma crp and genotypes of nine snps were determined in 1925 unrelated subjects from the hong kong cardiovascula ...201121270838
distribution, availability, and sources of trace metals in different particle size fractions of urban soils in hong kong: implications for assessing the risk to human health.the concentration and loading distribution of trace metals (cu, zn, pb, co, ni, cr, and mn) and major elements (al, ca, fe, and mg) in different particle size fractions (2000-280, 280-100, 100-50, 50-10, 10-2, and <2 µm) of surface soils from highly urbanized areas in hong kong were studied. the enrichment of pb, cu, and zn in the urban soils was strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities, and pb accumulated in fine particles was mainly derived from past vehicular emissions as shown by pb i ...201121296471
gene expression of tweak/fn14 and ip-10/cxcr3 in glomerulus and tubulointerstitium of patients with lupus nephritis.the role of the tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (tweak)/fn14 and interferon-inducible protein (ip-10)/cxcr3 axis in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis were studied.201121303425
psychological burden of testing positive for high-risk human papillomavirus on women with atypical cervical cytology: a prospective study.to assess the psychological burden of testing positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (hpv) on chinese women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ascus).201121306349
two missense variants in uhrf1bp1 are independently associated with systemic lupus erythematosus in hong kong chinese.uhrf1bp1 encodes a highly conserved protein with unknown function. previously, a coding variant in this gene was found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (sle) in populations of european ancestry (rs11755393, r454q, p=2.22 x 10?8, odds ratio=1.17). in this study, by a combination of genome-wide study and replication involving a total of 1230 patients and 3144 controls, we confirmed the association of this coding variant to sle in hong kong chinese. we also identified another codi ...201121326321
clinical and virological course of infection with haemagglutinin d222g mutant strain of 2009 pandemic influenza a (h1n1) virus.aspartic acid to glycine substitution (d222g) of haemagglutinin subunit (ha1) was associated with adverse outcomes in 2009 pandemic influenza a (h1n1) infections.201121330192
infection of immunocompromised patients by avian h9n2 influenza a virus.avian influenza a (h9n2) virus is transmitted sporadically from avian species to human causing mild diseases in immunocompetent person. we report two cases of human infection in immunocompromised patients in hong kong between 2008 and 2009. one patient had uneventful recovery with viral shedding at day 10 after symptom onset despite her underlying acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. the other patient with post-bone marrow transplant chronic graft-versus-host disease and bronhioltis obliterans went in ...201121356238
a 3-bp deletion in the hbs1l-myb intergenic region on chromosome 6q23 is associated with hbf expression.fetal hemoglobin (hbf) is regulated as a multigenic trait. by genome-wide association study, we confirmed that hbs1l-myb intergenic polymorphisms (hmip) and bcl11a polymorphisms are highly associated with hbf in chinese +¦-thalassemia heterozygotes. in this population, the variance in hbf resulting from the hmip is 13.5%; that resulting from the bcl11a polymorphism is 6.4%. to identify the functional variant in hmip, we used 1000 genomes project data, single nucleotide polymorphism imputation, c ...201121385855
evolution of the haemagglutinin gene of the influenza a(h1n1)2009 virus isolated in hong kong, 2009-2011.phylogenetic analysis of the haemagglutinin (ha) gene shows that the influenza a(h1n1)2009 viruses collected in hong kong clustered in two main branches characterised by the e391e and e391k amino acids. the main branch e391k evolved in two sub-branches with n142d and s202t mutations that first appeared in march and july 2010, respectively, with the latter becoming the predominant strain. these genetic variants that emerged display similar antigenic characteristics.concurrent with genetic surveil ...201121392488
extensive dissemination of ctx-m-producing escherichia coli with multidrug resistance to 'critically important' antibiotics among food animals in hong kong, 2008-10.to assess the occurrence of faecal carriage of escherichia coli with resistance to 'critically important' antibiotics in various animals.201121393133
factors affecting intention to receive and self-reported receipt of 2009 pandemic (h1n1) vaccine in hong kong: a longitudinal study.vaccination was a core component for mitigating the 2009 influenza pandemic (ph1n1). however, a vaccination program's efficacy largely depends on population compliance. we examined general population decision-making for ph1n1 vaccination using a modified theory of planned behaviour (tbp).201121412418
psychological factors in association with uptake of voluntary counselling and testing for hiv among men who have sex with men in hong kong.to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with uptake of voluntary counselling and testing (vct) for human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) among men who have sex with men (msm) in hong kong.201121419466
hiv-1 drug resistance mutations among antiretroviral-naive hiv-1-infected patients in asia: results from the treat asia studies to evaluate resistance-monitoring study.of 682 antiretroviral-naïve patients initiating antiretroviral therapy in a prospective, multicenter human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) drug resistance monitoring study involving 8 sites in hong kong, malaysia, and thailand, the prevalence of patients with =1 drug resistance mutation was 13.8%. primary hiv drug resistance is emerging after rapid scaling-up of antiretroviral therapy use in asia.201121460324
regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: results from the new canadian children and youth study (nccys).children in immigrant families from hong kong, mainland china, and the philippines living in toronto and montreal are at higher risk of emotional problems than children in immigrant families in winnipeg, calgary, edmonton, and vancouver (beiser et al., 2010). the current publication explores human capital, social capital, institutional receptivity, and perceptions of welcome as explanations for regional disparities. parent's lack of linguistic fluency, and depressive symptoms provided the most l ...201121463966
clinical spectrum of human rhinovirus infections in hospitalized hong kong children.background:: human rhinovirus (hrv) is classified into a, b, and c genogroups. hrvs cause mild upper respiratory infections, but hrv-c was recently found to be a major cause of asthma exacerbation in whites. this study elucidated disease spectrum of hrv infections among hong kong children hospitalized with respiratory illnesses. methods:: this retrospective study recruited 128 children with asthma exacerbations and 192 inpatient controls without allergy and hospitalized for respiratory illnesses ...201121494174
seroprevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza a (h1n1) 2009 among healthcare workers after the first wave in hong kong.during the first wave of an influenza pandemic prior to the availability of an effective vaccine, healthcare workers (hcws) may be at particular risk of infection with the novel influenza strain. we conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza a (h1n1) 2009 (ph1n1) among hcws in hong kong in february-march 2010 following the first pandemic wave. sera collected from hcws were tested for antibody to ph1n1 influenza virus by viral neutralisation (vn). we ass ...201121501896
responses of aerobic and anaerobic ammonia/ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms to anthropogenic pollution in coastal marine environments.up to date, numerous studies have shown that the community structure of aerobic ammonia oxidizers including ammonia-oxidizing betaproteobacteria (beta-aob) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (aoa) and, more recently, the anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria is responsive to environmental conditions including salinity, ph, selected metal ions, concentrations of inorganic nitrogen, total phosphorus, the ratio of organic carbon and nitrogen, and sedimentological factors such as the sediment m ...201121514459
simvastatin-induced myopathy, the role of interaction with diltiazem and genetic predisposition.what is known and objective:  diltiazem shows a pharmacokinetic interaction with statins that are cyp3a substrates but this may not result in myopathy unless additional genetic or clinical factors are present. subsequent changes in treatment or underlying disease may result in a delayed onset of this adverse affect. our objective is to report on two cases of statin-induced myopathy associated with concomitant use of diltiazem and other contributing factors, and to briefly review the related lite ...201121545622
prevalence and risk factors of human papillomavirus (hpv) infection in southern chinese women - a population-based study.persistent high-risk type human papillomavirus (hpv) infection is recognized as a necessary cause of cervical cancer. this study aimed to compare the hpv prevalence and risk factors between women residing in hong kong (hk) and guangzhou (gz) region of china.201121559276
molecular analysis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency in hong kong chinese patients.background: congenital adrenal hyperplasia (cah) caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21ohd) is an autosomal recessive disorder due to mutation in the cyp21a2 gene. objective: to elucidate the genetic basis of 21-hydroxylase-deficient cah in hong kong chinese patients. patients and methods: mutational analysis of the cyp21a2 gene was performed on 35 hong kong chinese patients with 21ohd using direct dna sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (mlpa). results: the genetic ...201121570420
development and validation of a surgical workload measure: the surgery task load index (surg-tlx).background: the purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a multidimensional, surgery-specific workload measure (the surg-tlx), and to determine its utility in providing diagnostic information about the impact of various sources of stress on the perceived demands of trained surgical operators. as a wide range of stressors have been identified for surgeons in the operating room, the current approach of considering stress as a unidimensional construct may not only limit the degree t ...201121597890
great hospitals of asia: neurosurgery at prince of wales hospital.prince of wales hospital, a 1400-bed regional referral center, was established in 1984 as the primary teaching hospital of the second medical school in hong kong at the chinese university of hong kong. the academic division of neurosurgery was given an autonomous status, the support of 40 acute beds, and a well-equipped and well-staffed intensive care unit (icu), in developing neurosurgery as a distinct surgical specialty. over this short 26-year history, we have gone through the difficult time ...201121600469
the clustering and transmission dynamics of pandemic influenza a (h1n1) 2009 cases in hong kong.objectives: human influenza a (h1n1) 2009 has caused severe epidemics in many countries, but its dynamics in spatial and temporal contexts have so far been poorly appreciated. methods: a total of 24,414 laboratory confirmed human influenza a (h1n1) 2009 cases reported from may to september 2009 in hong kong were evaluated, using a geographic information system (gis)-based approach. spatio-temporal clustering was assessed after dividing hong kong into 4 geographic sectors, 18 districts and 500 m  ...201121601284
circulating influenza virus, climatic factors, and acute myocardial infarction: a time series study in england and wales and hong kong.(see the editorial commentary by finelli and chaves, on pages 1701-4.) background. previous studies identifying associations between influenza and acute cardiac events may have been confounded by climatic factors. differing seasonal patterns of influenza activity in hong kong and england and wales provide a natural experiment to examine associations with myocardial infarction (mi) independent of cold weather effects. methods. weekly clinical and laboratory influenza surveillance data, environmen ...201121606529
prevalence of human papillomavirus, epstein-barr virus, p21, and p53 expression in sinonasal inverted papilloma, nasal polyp, and hypertrophied turbinate in hong kong patients.background: the purpose of this study of human papillomavirus (hpv), epstein-barr virus (ebv), p21, and p53 in sinonasal inverted papilloma (ip) was to help elucidate its pathogenesis. methods: seventy-three ips, 48 nasal polyps, and 85 hypertrophied turbinates were subjected to hpv polymerase chain reaction (pcr) study. seventy-three ips, 30 nasal polyps, and 32 hypertrophied turbinates were subjected to ebv in situ hybridization (ish), p21, and p53 immunohistochemical (ihc) studies. results: h ...201121608063
long-term evolution and transmission dynamics of swine influenza a virus.swine influenza a viruses (swiv) cause significant economic losses in animal husbandry as well as instances of human disease and occasionally give rise to human pandemics, including that caused by the h1n1/2009 virus. the lack of systematic and longitudinal influenza surveillance in pigs has hampered attempts to reconstruct the origins of this pandemic. most existing swine data were derived from opportunistic samples collected from diseased pigs in disparate geographical regions, not from prospe ...201121614079
a synopsis of current haemophilia care in hong kong.objective. to provide a synopsis of current haemophilia care in hong kong. design. retrospective survey. setting. all haematology units of the hospital authority in hong kong. patients. all patients with haemophilia a and haemophilia b. results. to date, there were 222 mild-to-severe haemophilia patients (192 type a, 30 type b) under regular public care in hong kong (43% were considered severe, 33% moderate, and 24% mild), which gave a crude prevalence of 6.8/100 000 male inhabitants. a total of ...201121636866
exposure of hong kong residents to pbdes and their structural analogues through market fish consumption.high concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) and their structural analogues (such as methoxylated (meo) and hydroxylated (oh) pbdes) had been observed in environmental samples and human tissues. this study evaluated the occurrence, potential source and human exposure of these organobrominated compounds via market fish consumption in hong kong. the contamination of 22 pbdes, 7 meo-bdes, 15 oh-bdes and 3 bromophenols (brps) were analyzed in 20 fish species (279 samples). the estim ...201121658843
enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis vi (maroteaux-lamy syndrome): experience in hong kong.mucopolysaccharidosis vi (maroteaux-lamy syndrome) is a very rare inherited lysosomal storage disease. we evaluated the efficacy and safety of weekly infusions of recombinant human arylsulfatase b as enzyme replacement therapy for two patients in whom this condition was advanced. the primary outcome variables were the distance walked in a 6-minute walk test, forced vital capacity, and ejection fraction. the secondary outcome variables were the number of stairs climbed in a 3-minute stair climbin ...201121813902
acute and 16 months outcomes of a new stent: the first-in-man evaluation of the medtronic s9 (integrity) stent.objective: a first-in-man evaluation of the safety, feasibility, deliverability, and efficacy of the new medtronic s9 (integrity) bare metal stent (bms) in complex coronary diseases. background: excellent deliverability remains an unmet clinical need among stents especially in complex lesions. the s9 (integrity) bms utilizes a new, continuous sinusoidal manufacturing technology to enhance stent flexibility and deliverability, without sacrificing radial strength. methods: this is a first-in-man, ...201121805593
viral genetic sequence variations in pandemic h1n1/2009 and seasonal h3n2 influenza viruses within an individual, a household and a community.background: there are few data in the literature on viral sequence variation between host generations/successive transmission events. relatively little is known about the sequence heterogeneity of the influenza viruses transmitted within families. objectives: to study the molecular epidemiology of influenza virus and to determine the sequence variation within an individual, a household and a community during the first wave of influenza pandemic in 2009. study design: a prospective study of house ...201121802983
incorporating individual health-protective decisions into disease transmission models: a mathematical framework.it is anticipated that the next generation of computational epidemic models will simulate both infectious disease transmission and dynamic human behaviour change. individual agents within a simulation will not only infect one another, but will also have situational awareness and a decision algorithm that enables them to modify their behaviour. this paper develops such a model of behavioural response, presenting a mathematical interpretation of a well-known psychological model of individual decis ...201121775324
salivary epstein-barr virus dna level in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma following radiotherapy.nasopharyngeal carcinoma (npc) is a solid tumor closely associated with epstein-barr virus (ebv) infection. the purpose of this investigation was to detect and quantify the ebv dna level in salivary samples of npc patients following treatment using real-time pcr. a total of 175 consecutive newly diagnosed npc patients' whole saliva samples were collected before treatment, and the ebv dna level was measured by real-time pcr, with the primers and probe targeting the bamhi-w region of the ebv genom ...201121767975
clinical and nonclinical health care workers faced a similar risk of acquiring 2009 pandemic h1n1 infection.(see the editorial commentary by drumright and holmes, on pages 284-286.) reporting of confirmed pandemic influenza a virus (ph1n1) 2009 infection was mandatory among health care workers in hong kong. among 1158 confirmed infections, there was no significant difference in incidence among clinical versus nonclinical staff (relative risk, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.20). reported community exposure to ph1n1 was common and was similar in both groups.201121765076
a serial cross-sectional serologic survey of 2009 pandemic (h1n1) in hong kong: implications for future pandemic influenza surveillance. 201121761588
the role of animal surveillance in influenza preparedness: the consequence of inapparent infection in ducks and pigs. 201121751455
efficacy of dual vaccination of pandemic h1n1 2009 influenza and seasonal influenza on institutionalized elderly: a one-year prospective cohort study.background: the influenza a (h1n1) 2009 pandemic was declared by the who in april 2009. in hong kong, the vaccination program began in december 2009 in addition to the annual seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination program. the clinical efficacy of dual vaccination was unknown. method: from december 2009 to november 2010, a prospective 12-month cohort study on institutionalized elderly of nine nursing homes was conducted. elderly persons who were followed up by the hong kong west community geri ...201121821084
night-sky brightness monitoring in hong kong : a city-wide light pollution assessment.results of the first comprehensive light pollution survey in hong kong are presented. the night-sky brightness was measured and monitored around the city using a portable light-sensing device called the sky quality meter over a 15-month period beginning in march 2008. a total of 1,957 data sets were taken at 199 distinct locations, including urban and rural sites covering all 18 administrative districts of hong kong. the survey shows that the environmental light pollution problem in hong kong is ...201121713499
health risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides with emphasis on ddts and hchs in abandoned agricultural soils.the aim of this study was to evaluate the consequence of changing land use from agriculture land to other use purposes with respect to ocps non-cancer and cancer risk on human health, based on concentrations of ddts and hchs in soils collected from 55 locations representing 12 different land use types. there were no non-cancer risks of ddts and +¦-hchs on adults and children, and there were very low cancer risks of ddd, o,p'-dde, ddt, +¦-hch, +¦-hch, +¦-hch based on their total concentrations in ...201121677982
review of vector-borne diseases in hong kong.the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in hong kong has changed over the past decade but still poses a significant public health risk. we provided a comprehensive review of the epidemiological information and analysed the trends of major vector-borne diseases, including the vector situation in hong kong. the incidence of malaria has dropped dramatically in the past few decades and is now mainly an imported disease acquired from malaria endemic countries. locally acquired dengue fever occurred ...201121679886
overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-12 (mmp-12) correlates with poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.tumour recurrence and metastasis are pressing issues of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) patients who receive surgical treatments. matrix metalloproteinase-12 (mmp-12), previously identified from our animal model, is involved in tumour invasiveness of rat hepatoma. we aimed to investigate the significance and prognostic value of mmp-12 expression in human hcc. mmp-12 mrna level of 139 pairs of tumour and non-tumour liver tissues of hcc patients after hepatectomy were investigated by quantitative r ...201121683576
analysis of genetic polymorphisms in skeletal class i crowding.dental crowding is a problem for both adolescents and adults in modern society. the purpose of this research was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) responsible for crowding in subjects with skeletal class i relationships.201121724072
epidemiological characteristics of 2009 (h1n1) pandemic influenza based on paired sera from a longitudinal community cohort study.while patterns of incidence of clinical influenza have been well described, much uncertainty remains over patterns of incidence of infection. the 2009 pandemic provided both the motivation and opportunity to investigate patterns of mild and asymptomatic infection using serological techniques. however, to date, only broad epidemiological patterns have been defined, based on largely cross-sectional study designs with convenience sampling frameworks.201121713000
risk assessment for human consumption of perfluorinated compound-contaminated freshwater and marine fish from hong kong and xiamen.perfluorinated compounds (pfcs) are man-made fluoro-surfactants that are identified as global pollutants and can pose health risks to humans and wildlife. two aspects of risk assessment were conducted in this study, including exposure and response. exposure was estimated by using the concentrations of pfcs in fish and applying standard exposure factors. among different pfcs, pfos, pfoa, pfna, pfda, pfuda and pftrda were detected. total concentrations of pfc in fish ranged from 0.27-8.4 ng g(-1) ...201121705041
caveolin-1 overexpression is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis and metastasis.caveolin-1 (cav1) has been implicated in diverse human cancers; yet its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) tumorigenesis and metastasis remain elusive. in the current study, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding regarding the functional role of cav1 in hcc tumorigenesis and metastasis. cav1 expression was examined in a panel of human hcc cell lines using western blotting analysis and quantitative rt-pcr and human tissues by immunohistochemistry. cav1 was not detected in normal live ...201122072235
An investigation of predictors of successful aging in the workplace among Hong Kong Chinese older workers.ABSTRACTBackground: We examined associations between successful aging in the workplace (adaptability and health, positive relationship, occupational growth, personal security, and continuous focus on goals) and two major factors of work stressors (work family conflict and discrimination against older workers) and coping resources (perceived organizational support, supportive human resource policies, and social support from friends and family) among Chinese older workers in Hong Kong. Furthermore ...201121996077
Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of serum and tissue Dickkopf-1 levels in human hepatocellular carcinoma.Although Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is known to be a negative regulator of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, it has been recently found to be upregulated in cancers.201121955977
urine nitrification and sewer discharge to realize in-sewer denitrification to simplify sewage treatment in hong kong.the chemically enhanced primary treatment works in hong kong will be upgraded for biological nitrogen removal. this study proposed a novel approach to waive the upgrading by urine source-separation, onsite nitrification and discharge of nitrified urine into sewers to achieve in-sewer denitrification. human urine was collected and a lab-scale experiment for full urine nitrification was conducted. the results showed that full nitrification was achieved with alkaline addition. simulation of nitrifi ...201122097039
low rate of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococcal colonization of veterinary personnel in hong kong.elevated rates of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) carriage have been reported in veterinary personnel, suggesting an occupational colonization risk. hong kong veterinary personnel (n = 150) were sampled for coagulase-positive staphylococci (cps) nasal colonization. risk factors for colonization were assessed by questionnaire. isolates were identified and antibiotic susceptibility determined. all cps isolates were investigated for meca carriage, sccmec type and pvl genes. two s ...201119968853
a school outbreak of pandemic (h1n1) 2009 infection: assessment of secondary household transmission and the protective role of oseltamivir.in mid-june 2009, an outbreak of pandemic (h1n1) 2009 (ph1n1) infection occurred in a secondary school in hong kong. we carried out an epidemiological investigation to delineate the characteristics of the outbreak, gauge the extent of secondary household transmission, and assess the protective role of oseltamivir in household contacts. we interviewed ph1n1-confirmed cases using a standardized questionnaire. sixty-five of 511 students in the school were affected. of the 205 household contacts ide ...201120561390
young-onset parkinsonism in a hong kong chinese man with adult-onset hallervorden-spatz syndrome.neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (nbia) is a heterogeneous group of disorders varied in genetic etiologies, clinical presentations, and radiological features. nbia is an iron homeostasis disorder with progressive iron accumulation in the central nervous systems and is clinically characterized by extrapyramidal movement abnormalities, retinal pigmentary changes, and cognitive impairment. panthothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (hallervorden-spatz disease) is the commonest ...201121198414
the influence of social-cognitive factors on personal hygiene practices to protect against influenzas: using modelling to compare avian a/h5n1 and 2009 pandemic a/h1n1 influenzas in hong kong.understanding population responses to influenza helps optimize public health interventions. relevant theoretical frameworks remain nascent.201120949342
changes in knowledge, perceptions, preventive behaviours and psychological responses in the pre-community outbreak phase of the h1n1 epidemic.to investigate the changes in community responsiveness during the pre-community-outbreak phase of the h1n1 epidemic in hong kong, a pooled sample of 999 adults was interviewed in three surveys (s1, s2, s3) from 7 may to 6 june 2009. over time, fewer people felt confident in staying free from h1n1 infection in the following year (s1, 63·3%; s3, 46%; p<0·001). the level of distress due to h1n1 remained modest throughout the study period. people's confidence in the government's ability to control a ...201120800008
warfarin dosing algorithm using clinical, demographic and pharmacogenetic data from chinese patients.cyp2c9 and vkorc1 genotypes could be used to predict warfarin requirement. the objective was to develop and validate a warfarin dosing algorithm using genetic, clinical and demographic data of chinese patients from an anticoagulation clinic in hong kong. blood samples were collected from 100 patients on stable maintenance dose of warfarin, recruited from an anticoagulation clinic, for genotyping cyp2c9 and vkorc1. clinical and demographic data were obtained by face-to-face interview and medical ...201120585834
Prevalence and diversity of norovirus genogroups I and II in Hong Kong marine waters and detection by real-time PCR.Marine waters from six sites around Hong Kong with varying levels of sewage pollution were examined for noroviruses (NoVs) by PCR cloning and sequencing of a highly-variable N-terminal region of the VP1 capsid gene, at the ORF1-ORF2 junction of NoV. Phylogenetic analysis of genogroups GI- and GII-specific PCR clones obtained from different marine sites indicated that human NoV GI.1 and GII.4 strains are the most prevalent genotypes circulating in Hong Kong waters. GI- and GII-specific TaqMan-bas ...201222119412
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