Effects of Volunteering Experiences and Motivations on Attitudes Toward Prisoners: Evidence from Hong Kong

Volunteers are playing an increasingly bigger role in correctional institutions both in Western settings and in the Hong Kong Chinese context, and yet previous studies have focused only on descriptive accounts of their motivation and satisfaction. Utilizing three samples in Hong Kong, namely prison volunteers (N = 54), non-prison volunteers (N = 146), and non-volunteers (N = 77), the present study compares these groups' attitudes toward prisoners. Moreover, this study examines the correlations between volunteer satisfaction and volunteer motivation and attitudes toward prisoners. The results indicate that, compared to the non-volunteer group, both the volunteer groups exhibited more positive attitudes toward prisoners. For the prison volunteers, motivation to express important values and to help others correlated with the attitude that prisoners can change positively. The implications of the study are discussed. © 2012 The Author(s).published_or_final_versio

Fourier domain mode locking laser sweeping based on optical parametric amplification

We present a Fourier domain mode locked (FDML) laser scanning from 1516 to 1550 nm and 1567 to 1597 nm using optical parametric amplifier (OPA) as the gain medium. The output power of -4.85 dBm with sweep rate of 39.6 kHz is achieved. © 2010 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThe 2010 Conference on Optical Fiber Communication (OFC), collocated National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC), San Diego, CA., 21-25 March 2010. In Proceedings of OFC/NFOEC, 2010, p. 1-

Fourier domain mode locking laser based on two-pump optical parametric amplification

We present a Fourier domain mode locked (FDML) laser scanning from 1540 to 1570 using two-pump optical parametric amplifier (OPA) as the gain medium. The sweep rate of 39.683 kHz is achieved. © 2010 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThe IEEE Photonics Society Summer Topical Meetings, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 19-21 July 2010. In Proceedings of PHOSST, 2010, p. 186-18

Hybrid Fourier domain modelocked laser utilizing a fiber optical parametric amplifier and an erbium doped fiber amplifier

To our knowledge, we report the first Fourier domain modelocked laser (FDML) constructed using optical parameter amplifier (OPA) in conjunction with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), centered at ~1556nm. We utilized a onepump OPA and a C-band EDFA in a series configuration with a polygon-grating wavelength filter to generate a hybrid FDML spectrum. Results demonstrate a substantially higher output power, better spectral shape and significantly more stable bandwidth than individual configurations. We believe this technique has the potential to enable several amplifiers to complement individual deficiencies resulting in improved spectral shapes and power generation for imaging applications such as optical coherence tomography (OCT). © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.published_or_final_versionThe Fiber Lasers VII: Technology, Systems, and Applications, San Francisco, CA., 25 January 2010. In Proceedings of SPIE, 2010, v. 7580, p. 1-7, article no. 75802

APPL1 regulates insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells

Oral PresentationINTRODUCTION: Pancreatic beta cell dysfunction, characterised by defective glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, is a major contributor to the progression of type 2 diabetes. APPL1 has been suggested as an insulin-sensitising molecule in various insulin-responsive tissues. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether APPL1 regulates beta cell functions using genetically engineered mouse mod…published_or_final_versio

Power enhanced and fast swept source for phase conjugate optical coherence tomography

FTuY - Coherence Tomography: Paper FTuY1We have developed a wavelength-swept source based on fiber parametric amplification and Fourier domain mode locking with increased power and speed to take full advantage of 2x resolution enhancement and dispersion cancellation of phase-conjugate OCT.postprintFrontiers in Optics 2010 / Laser Science XXVI (FiO/LS 2010), Rochester, N.Y., 24 October 2010. In Optics InfoBase, 201

Ubiquitination is indispensible for the insulin-sensitising activity of the adaptor protein APPL1

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MDM2 inhibitor nutlin-3a impairs glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in mice

Oral PresentationINTRODUCTION: Mdm2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates the tumour suppressor p53 by enhancing its proteasomemediated degradation through the protein-protein interaction. A small molecule Nutlin-3a has been shown to disrupt the interaction between p53 and MDM2, thereby up-regulating expression of p53 in cancer cells. Therefore, this small molecular represents a promising therapeutic agent for cancer. However, the effect of nutlin-3a on glucose homeostasis has never been explored so far. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether nutlin-3a affects glucose metabolism using both in-…published_or_final_versio

Fabrication of bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices using sublimable rhenium diimine complexes as photosensitizers

A series of chlorotricarbonyl rhenium (I) bis(phenylimino)acenaphthene (Re-DIAN-X) complexes were used as the photosensitizers for photovoltaic cells. Unlike other transition-metal-based photovoltaic sensitizers that can only be prepared by solution method, these complexes are sublimable. Compared to other rhenium diimine complexes based on bipyridine or 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene ligands, these complexes have lower band gaps, which can be modified easily by changing the structure of the ligand. It allows the preparation of blend of metal complexes in order to broaden the sensitization region in UV-vis absorption spectrum. One of the complexes also shows bipolar charge transport character with relatively high charge carrier mobilities in the order of 10 -3 cm2V-1s-1. Multilayer heterojunction and bulk heterojunction devices with fullerene as the electron accepting molecule were prepared. For the bulk heterojunction devices, the fill factor and power conversion efficiency under AM 1.5 simulated solar light illumination were 0.51 and 1.29 %, respectively. The effects of changing the Re-DIAN/C60 film thickness, Re-DIAN/C60 ratio and variation of ligand structures in the bulk heterojunction devices were studied. The amount of photosensitizer and electron transport molecules may strongly affect the balance between the photon absorption, exciton formation, dissociation, and charge transport processes. Atomic force microscopic images showed that the complex dispersed evenly with fullerene molecules in solid state.published_or_final_versio

Adipose-Specific Inactivation of JNK Alleviates Atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient Mice

Both atherosclerosis and obesity, an independent atherosclerotic risk factor, are associated with enhanced systemic inflammation. Obesity is also characterised by increased adipose tissue inflammation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the accelerated atherosclerosis in obesity remains unclear. In obesity, activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) contributes to adipose tissue inflammation. This study investigated whether the suppression of fat inflammation through adipose-specific JNK inactivation could protect against atherosclerosis in mice. ApoE-/- mice were crossbred with transgenic mice with adipose-specific expression of a dominant negative form of JNK (dnJNK) to generate apoE-/-/dnJNK (ADJ) mice. High-fat-high-cholesterol diet-treated ADJ mice exhibited significant attenuations of visceral fat and systemic inflammation without changes in lipid or glucose metabolism, and were protected against atherosclerosis, when compared to apoE-/- mice. Lean apoE-/- mice that received transplantation of visceral fat from obese wild-type donor mice for 4 weeks showed exacerbated systemic inflammation and atherosclerotic plaque formation. Conversely, apoE-/- recipients carrying visceral fat graft from obese dnJNK donors were protected against enhanced systemic inflammation and atherogenesis. The beneficial effects of adipose-specific JNK inactivation on atherogenesis in apoE-/- recipients were significantly compromised by continuous infusion of recombinant adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP), previously shown to interact with JNK via a positive feedback loop to modulate inflammatory responses. Together these data suggested that enhanced atherosclerosis in obesity can be attributed, at least in part, to a distant cross-talk between visceral fat and the vasculature, mediated by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as A-FABP, from the inflamed visceral adipose tissue with JNK activation.postprin