Tissue-Specific Accumulation of Triphenyltin Compounds in Selected Marine Demersal Fishes of Hong Kong

Human ImpactsPoster presentation: P-84Applications of organotin-based antifouling paints in hulls of sea-going vessels have introduced large amount of these compounds, in particular tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT), into the ocean since the 1960s. These endocrine disrupting compounds have threatened a wide range of marine organisms, including fishes and marine mammals. In spite of the global prohibition of the use of organotins in antifouling paints by the International Maritime Organization in September 2008, there are no restrictions on their production and usage in Mainland China and Hong Kong and thus high concentrations of organotins, especially TPT, are still detected in marine fishes and ...postprin

Physical and strength properties of Azadirachta indica, (a. Juss.) growing in Morogoro, Tanzania

Physical and strength properties of Azadirachta indica growing in Morogoro, Tanzania were determined and the results compared with already known properties of timber of the same family. The properties determined included basic density, bending strength, stiffness, work to maximum load, total work, compression and shear parallel to the grain and cleavage strength. A total of 160 test samples were used from three trees randomly selected from the study area. Preparations of test samples, actual testing and determination of different properties were carried out following standard methods. All strength property values were adjusted to 12% moisture content. Results showed A. indica to have a mean basic density of 646 kg m- 3, classified as high density timber, comparable to that of Khaya anthotheca and Trichilia emetica from the same family. The overall strength properties of A. indica are lower compared to those of K. anthotheca and T. emetica, however, superior in terms of cleavage strength. Based on the studied properties, the species can successfully substitute K. anthotheca and T. emetica in uses which require high bending, cleavage and shear parallel to the grain strengths. A. indica wood is therefore recommended for uses other than fuel wood and poles such as making furniture, tool handles, artificial limbs, joinery and plywood. Keywords: Physical properties - strength properties - Azadirachta indica - Tanzania.Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation Vol. 77 2008: pp. 35-4

Effects of SARS on consultations in primary care in Hong Kong

Objective: To study the infection control measures and concerns in primary care practices, and the effects of SARS on primary care consultation using the Leicester Assessment Package (LAP) criteria during the SARS episode in Hong Kong. Design: A postal survey using a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts on the demographic data, infection control precautions taken and concerns of the respondents, and the effect of SARS on consultations. Subjects: Full members and fellows of the HKCFP. Main outcome measures: Infection control precautions including performance of initial screening/triage, by whom and how these were carried out, actions for the triaged patients, use of personal protection equipments (PPE), organisation and format of infection control training of staff and decontamination practice; perceptions of adequacy of protection and areas of concern; and proportion and degree to which consultation skills were affected using the LAP criteria. Results: The response rate was 60%. 71.4% respondents triaged their patients. 85.9% took temperatures of their patients. All respondents wore a mask during consultations. 69.8% organised training for their staff and clinic. Most respondents regularly decontaminated their clinic. 56% felt adequately protected by their infection control precautions and use of PPE but 44% did not. The major concerns were the variable clinical presentations of SARS, the practicability of wearing full protection, and the lack of early and reliable diagnostic tests. The type of practice was found to be a factor affecting the choice of infection control precautions. Consultation skills were found to be affected in ≤ 25% of consultations. History taking, physical examination, management and problem solving were found to be more difficult but relationship with patients and anticipatory care became easier. Conclusion: Choice of infection control precautions was related to the type of practice. The major concerns of primary care physicians were the variable clinical presentations of SARS and the lack of early and reliable diagnostic tests. Consultation skills were affected in ≤ 25% of consultations but patients were found to be more receptive to anticipatory care.published_or_final_versio

The topology, structure and PE interaction of LITAF underpin a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1C

BACKGROUND: Mutations in Lipopolysaccharide-induced tumour necrosis factor-α factor (LITAF) cause the autosomal dominant inherited peripheral neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1C (CMT1C). LITAF encodes a 17 kDa protein containing an N-terminal proline-rich region followed by an evolutionarily-conserved C-terminal 'LITAF domain', which contains all reported CMT1C-associated pathogenic mutations. RESULTS: Here, we report the first structural characterisation of LITAF using biochemical, cell biological, biophysical and NMR spectroscopic approaches. Our structural model demonstrates that LITAF is a monotopic zinc-binding membrane protein that embeds into intracellular membranes via a predicted hydrophobic, in-plane, helical anchor located within the LITAF domain. We show that specific residues within the LITAF domain interact with phosphoethanolamine (PE) head groups, and that the introduction of the V144M CMT1C-associated pathogenic mutation leads to protein aggregation in the presence of PE. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the structural characterisation of LITAF, these data lead us to propose that an aberrant LITAF-PE interaction on the surface of intracellular membranes contributes to the molecular pathogenesis that underlies this currently incurable disease.Wellcome-Beit Prize; Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (093809/Z/10/Z); Wellcome Trust Strategic Award 100140; Wellcome Trust grant 09302

What predicts medical lethality of suicide attempts in Asian youths?

This study explores youth suicide attempts in Singapore using multiple databases of comprehensive archivalrecords. Three years of medical records related to suicide attempters (N = 666) who were admitted to theemergency department of a large teaching hospital in Singapore were subjected to retrospective analysis.Compared to other age groups, a peak in suicide attempts (n = 207) was observed in youths aged between 15and 24 years old (76.3% females; 23.7% males, mean age = 19.30, SD = 2.89). The model using recognized riskand protective factors was significant in predicting medical lethality, and correctly classified 62.8% of highlethality cases. Only resolution of precipitant made a unique statistical significant contribution. Analysis wasseparately conducted for males and females. Implications of the findings are discussed

A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial of an Intergenerational Arts and Heritage-Based Intervention in Singapore: Project ARTISAN

Loneliness has become a global major public health concern, with detrimental effects to the young and old. ARTISAN (Aspiration and Resilience Through Intergenerational Storytelling and Art-based Narratives) is a 5-week, 15-h participatory art and group-based intervention that focuses on resilience building and loneliness alleviation among the young and old through a structured multimodal framework held at a museum space. Developed with a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, this intervention is evaluated using an open-label waitlist randomized controlled trial design (RCT) comprised of community-dwelling youth and older adults randomized into an intervention group (n = 35) or a waitlist-control group (n = 33). Participants were assessed on standardized self-reported psychometric measures including loneliness, resilience, quality of life, social support, life satisfaction and national identity at three time points. Qualitative data generated during each intervention session as well as acceptability focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Linear mixed modeling analyses revealed that participants in the intervention group experienced improvements in life satisfaction compared to participants in the waitlist-control group (95% CI: 0.22 to 0.77, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.53) immediately after the completion of ARTISAN. Subgroup analyses for youth participants indicated improvements in quality of life (95% CI: 0.16 to 0.52, p &amp;lt; 0.001, d = 1.31) and national identity (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.80, p = 0.002, d = 0.43) in comparison to the waitlist-control group. At 5-weeks follow-up, the intervention group participants continued to experience high levels of life satisfaction (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.42, p = 0.017, d = 0.47), enhancements in resilience (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.55, p = 0.011, d = 0.46), as well as a significant reduction in loneliness (95% CI: −0.34 to −0.08, p = 0.001, d = 0.61) compared to baseline, reflecting the effectiveness and positive residual effects of the ARTISAN intervention. Similarly, the qualitative findings provided support for the intervention and additional insights to the quantitative findings. This holistic intervention framework that integrates stories, arts and heritage for bridging and empowering lives fills a critical gap in knowledge and practice between the arts, health and citizenship, paving the way for further research in creating a more caring and inclusive society with the arts.Clinical Trials Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03048708.</jats:p

The association between internet addiction and psychiatric co-morbidity: A meta-analysis

Background: This study evaluates the association between Internal Addiction (IA) and psychiatric co-morbidity in the literature.Methods: Meta-analyses were conducted on cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies which examined the relationship between IA and psychiatric co-morbidity. Selected studies were extracted from major online databases. The inclusion criteria are as follows: 1) studies conducted on human subjects; 2) IA and psychiatric co-morbidity were assessed by standardised questionnaires; and 3) availability of adequate information to calculate the effect size. Random-effects models were used to calculate the aggregate prevalence and the pooled odds ratios (OR).Results: Eight studies comprising 1641 patients suffering from IA and 11210 controls were included. Our analyses demonstrated a significant and positive association between IA and alcohol abuse (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 2.14-4.37, z = 6.12, P < 0.001), attention deficit and hyperactivity (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 2.15-3.77, z = 7.27, P < 0.001), depression (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 2.04-3.75, z = 6.55, P < 0.001) and anxiety (OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.46-4.97, z = 3.18, P = 0.001).Conclusions: IA is significantly associated with alcohol abuse, attention deficit and hyperactivity, depression and anxiety. © 2014 Ho et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd