Calcaneal bisector

US7331117; US7331117 B2; US7331117B2; US7,331,117; US 7,331,117 B2; 7331117; Application No.10/898,553Inventor name used in this publication: Kam-Lun LeungUSVersion of Recor

The Chinese "Oppression" remedy: Creative interpretations of company law by Chinese courts

This is the first detailed study of the Chinese oppression remedy under the PRC Company Law (article 20.1-2). Compared to its U.K., Canadian, and Australian equivalents, the wording of the Chinese remedy is vague, and the Supreme People's Court has not clarified its meaning. Legal scholars have virtually ignored this remedy due to its vagueness and apparent unenforceability, and the Supreme People's Court has not produced any authoritative interpretations to clarify its meaning. Yet Chinese courts have acted pragmatically, building up a body of de facto case precedents to transform this remedy into an effective tool for minority shareholders, both Chinese and foreign (and in some cases companies too), to obtain redress for a broad range of wrongs committed by abusive shareholders. At the same time, the vagueness of the statute has led courts to draw differing conclusions over issues such as who is a proper plaintiff; how the oppression remedy relates to the derivative action; and how the term "shareholder" should be defined. These differences need to be addressed by the Supreme People's Court or by legislative amendment to avoid further inconsistent outcomes for parties involved in intra-corporate disputes in China. Alternatively, the use of case precedents based on online judgment databases should be formalized in China to bring more predictability to statutory interpretation and more consistency among courts throughout the country

Clinical deterioration in community acquired infections associated with lymphocyte upsurge in immunocompetent hosts

Clinical deterioration during the course of community-acquired infections can occur as a result of an exaggerated immune response of the host towards the inciting pathogens, leading to immune-mediated tissue damage. Whether a surge in the peripheral lymphocyte count can be used as a surrogate marker indicating the onset of immunopathological tissue damage is not known. In this study, we report the clinical presentations and outcomes of a cohort of immunocompetent patients with non-tuberculous community acquired infections who experienced clinical deterioration during hospital stay (n=85). 12 (14.1%) patients had a surge in lymphocyte count preceding their clinical deteriorations, and their diagnoses included viral pneumonitis (4), viral encephalitis (3), scrub typhus (2), leptospirosis (1), brucellosis (1), and dengue haemorrhagic fever (1). The clinical manifestations during deterioration ranged from interstitial pneumonitis (6), airway obstruction (1), CNS disturbances (4), and systemic capillary leak syndrome (1), all of which were thought to represent immunopathological tissue damages. When compared with patients without lymphocyte surge, these patients were more likely to be infected with fastidious/viral pathogens (0 vs 12; p<0.05), in addition to having lower mean baseline lymphocyte counts (403±181 vs 1143±686 cells/μl; p<0.05). We postulate that the peripheral lymphocyte count may be a useful surrogate marker indicating the presence of immunopathological damage during clinical deterioration in certain infectious diseases. © 2004 Taylor & Francis.postprin

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for rapid identification of mold and yeast cultures of Penicillium marneffei

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SENP1 promotes hypoxia-induced cancer stemness by HIF-1α deSUMOylation and SENP1/HIF-1α positive feedback loop

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Isolation and characterization of dromedary camel coronavirus UAE-HKU23 from dromedaries of the Middle East: minimal serological cross-reactivity between MERS coronavirus and dromedary camel coronavirus UAE-HKU23

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CCR5 antagonist TD-0680 uses a novel mechanism for enhanced potency against HIV-1 entry, cell-mediated infection, and a resistant variant

Regardless of the route of transmission, R5-tropic HIV-1 predominates early in infection, rendering C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) antagonists as attractive agents not only for antiretroviral therapy but also for prevention. Here, we report the specificity, potency, and underlying mechanism of action of a novel small molecule CCR5 antagonist, TD-0680. TD-0680 displayed the greatest potency against a diverse group of R5-tropic HIV-1 and SIV strains when compared with its prodrug, TD-0232, the Food and Drug Administration-approved CCR5 antagonist Maraviroc, and TAK-779, with EC 50 values in the subnanomolar range (0.09-2.29 nM). Importantly, TD-0680 was equally potent at blocking envelope-mediated cell-cell fusion and cell-mediated viral transmission as well as the replication of a TAK-779/Maraviroc-resistant HIV-1 variant. Interestingly, TD-0232 and TD-0680 functioned differently despite binding to a similar transmembrane pocket of CCR5. Site-directed mutagenesis, drug combination, and antibody blocking assays identified a novel mechanism of action of TD-0680. In addition to binding to the transmembrane pocket, the unique exo configuration of this molecule protrudes and sterically blocks access to the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) region of CCR5, thereby interrupting the interaction between virus and its co-receptor more effectively. This mechanism of action was supported by the observations of similar TD-0680 potency against CD4-dependent and -independent SIV strains and by molecular docking analysis using a CCR5 model. TD-0680, therefore, merits development as an anti-HIV-1 agent for therapeutic purposes and/or as a topical microbicide for the prevention of sexual transmission of R5-tropic HIV-1. © 2012 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.link_to_OA_fulltex

Clinical and molecular epidemiological features of coronavirus HKU1-associated community-acquired pneumonia

Background. Recently, we described the discovery of a novel group 2 coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1 (CoV-HKU1), from a patient with pneumonia. However, the clinical and molecular epidemiological features of CoV-HKU1-associated pneumonia are unknown. Methods. Prospectively collected (during a 12-month period) nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from patients with community-acquired pneumonia from 4 hospitals were subjected to reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, for detection of CoV-HKU1. The epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with CoV-HKU1-associated pneumonia were analyzed. The pol, spike (S), and nucleocapsid (N) genes were also sequenced. Results. NPAs from 10 (2.4%) of 418 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were found to be positive for CoV-HKU1. All 10 cases occurred in spring and winter. Nine of these patients were adults, and 4 had underlying diseases of the respiratory tract. In the 6 patients from whom serum samples were available, all had a 4-fold change in immunoglobulin (Ig) G titer and/or presence of IgM against CoV-HKU1. The 2 patients who died had significantly lower hemoglobin levels, monocyte counts, albumin levels, and oxygen saturation levels on admission and had more-extensive involvement visible on chest radiographs. Sequence analysis of the pol, S, and N genes revealed 2 genotypes of CoV-HKU1. Conclusions. CoV-HKU1 accounts for 2.4% of community-acquired pneumonia, with 2 genotypes in the study population. Without performance of diagnostic tests, the illness was clinically indistinguishable from other community-acquired pneumonia illnesses. © 2005 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.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