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 12.8 million units of Factor VIII and 3 million units of Factor IX were prescribed annually. This amounts to 1.83 units of FVIII per capita of the population, which is comparable to that of other developed countries. Leading causes of mortality were human immunodefciency virus-related complications (10 cases) and cerebral bleeding (2 cases). The life expectancy of patients with severe haemophilia in Hong Kong is improving; currently the oldest patient is 60 years old. Such improved survival may be due to enhanced factor availability, prompt treatment of bleeding episodes at home, safer factor products, and better antiviral treatment. Primary prophylaxis is the accepted standard of care for severe and moderate cases, and "Factor First" has become hospital policy. However, 12 patients continue to present treatment challenges, due to the documented presence of factor inhibitors. In all, 28,100, and 14 cases respectively were positive for human immunodefciency virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus; the youngest patients with the corresponding infections being 28,13, and 22 years old. Comprehensive care with dedicated physiotherapy, surgical support, and radionucleotide synovectomy may reduce morbidity further. Conclusion A multidisciplinary approach can further improve the future care for haemophilia patients in Hong Kong.published_or_final_versio

A synopsis of current care of thalassaemia major patients in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE: To provide a synopsis of current thalassaemia major patient care in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: All haematology units of the Hospital Authority in Hong Kong. PATIENTS: All patients with thalassaemia major with regular transfusion. RESULTS: To date, there were 363 thalassaemia major patients under the care of the Hospital Authority. Prenatal diagnosis has helped to reduce the number of indigenous new cases, but in recent years immigrant cases are appearing. The patients have a mean age of 23 (range, 1-52) years, and 78% of them are adults. In 2009, they received 18 782 units of blood. This accounted for 9.5% of all blood consumption from the Hong Kong Red Cross. In the past, cardiac iron overload was the major cause of death (65%) and few patients survived beyond the age of 45 years. The availability of cardiac iron assessment by magnetic resonance imaging (T2 MRI) to direct the use of oral deferiprone chelation has reduced the prevalence of heart failure and cardiac haemosiderosis, which should reduce mortality and improve life expectancy. CONCLUSION: The future for thalassaemia care in Hong Kong is bright. With better transfusion and chelation, it should be possible to avoid growth and endocrine deficiencies in younger patients.published_or_final_versio

Time domains of the hypoxic ventilatory response in ectothermic vertebrates

Over a decade has passed since Powell et al. (Respir Physiol 112:123–134, 1998) described and defined the time domains of the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in adult mammals. These time domains, however, have yet to receive much attention in other vertebrate groups. The initial, acute HVR of fish, amphibians and reptiles serves to minimize the imbalance between oxygen supply and demand. If the hypoxia is sustained, a suite of secondary adjustments occur giving rise to a more long-term balance (acclimatization) that allows the behaviors of normal life. These secondary responses can change over time as a function of the nature of the stimulus (the pattern and intensity of the hypoxic exposure). To add to the complexity of this process, hypoxia can also lead to metabolic suppression (the hypoxic metabolic response) and the magnitude of this is also time dependent. Unlike the original review of Powell et al. (Respir Physiol 112:123–134, 1998) that only considered the HVR in adult animals, we also consider relevant developmental time points where information is available. Finally, in amphibians and reptiles with incompletely divided hearts the magnitude of the ventilatory response will be modulated by hypoxia-induced changes in intra-cardiac shunting that also improve the match between O2 supply and demand, and these too change in a time-dependent fashion. While the current literature on this topic is reviewed here, it is noted that this area has received little attention. We attempt to redefine time domains in a more ‘holistic’ fashion that better accommodates research on ectotherms. If we are to distinguish between the genetic, developmental and environmental influences underlying the various ventilatory responses to hypoxia, however, we must design future experiments with time domains in mind

An amperometric biosensor for determining amino acids using a bienzymatic system containing amino acid oxidase and protease

An amperometric biosensor for rapid determination of the concentration of L-amino acids has been developed using L-amino acid oxidase (L-AAO) immobilized by gel entrapment with poly( carbamoyl) sulfonate hydrogel. The broad substrate range of L-AAO allows this biosensor to be flexible in application. The artificial sweetener, aspartame, was determined by coupling L-AAO with pronase

Knowledge Management Using Social Media: A Comparative Study between Blogs and Facebook

Conference Theme: Beyond the Cloud: Rethinking Information BoundariesSession: Social Media, Knowledge Management and Cloud ComputingBlogging and Facebook have gained increasing recognition as tools to support online information sharing and management. This study examined if, and in which aspects, blogs and Facebook scaffold and/or consolidate student users’ knowledge capture, sharing and application during their internship. A mixed-methods design was employed to investigate users’ practices and perceptions of blogs and Facebook in online information management. The study found that users generally hold positive perception on using blogs and Facebook for online knowledge management. In particular, Facebook appears to be a more facilitating platform for users to reflect upon prior knowledge, capture new experiences and provide feedback that is constructive to cultivating knowledge sharing environment. It was found that Facebook support the expression of social support among users, thereby reinforcing their motivation in participating in knowledge management processes

Coda Q estimates in the Hong Kong region

Complementing a series of recent seismic hazard studies for Hong Kong, we have estimated the Q factor using 25 local earthquakes, within 200 km of Hong Kong, digitally recorded from January 1998 to July 2000 by eight short-period stations of the Hong Kong Observatory seismic monitoring network. By analyzing the coda wave at frequencies 2-20 Hz, we obtained a Q-f relation of Q=256f 0.7. The values of Q 0 (Q at 1 Hz) determined for three distance ranges (R) are 224 for R≤50 km, 342 for 50<R<100 km and 262 for 100≤R≤200 km. The results are consistent with the spatial variations of the Q factor in the wider region of South China. The results fill an important gap in knowledge about the Q factor and associated crustal attenuation conditions in the Pearl River Delta region including Hong Kong, and provide useful insight into the influence of epicentral distance range in coda-Q measurements, allowing better understanding of the degree of complexity in the crustal structure of the region. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Collaborative writing with wikis: an empirical investigation

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and interaction among group members using wikis to produce collaborative writing (CW) projects, and to compare their collaborative behavior among students at different levels of education. Design/methodology/approach-The study investigated the participation and collaboration of Hong Kong primary school, secondary school, and university students in the process of developing their wiki-based CW projects. Both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from analyzing the revision histories and the content of wiki pages. Findings-Results indicated that the level of education significantly affected student CW actions, and their interaction and coordination behavior to co-construct the work. Also, the frequency of collaborative activities varied noticeably among the primary, secondary, and university students. Practical implications-The study enriches our understanding of the complex and dynamic process of CW using wikis. It has practical implications on why and how the pedagogy and technology should be implemented differentially for the students at three different levels of education to facilitate collaborative knowledge construction. Originality/value-Research to date is still lacking an in-depth knowledge about the processes and activities involved when students write collaboratively on wikis. Also, no study has yet compared the collaborative behavior among students at different levels of education. The results of this study contribute to the development of new and appropriate modes of group-based collaborative learning at all levels of the education system for the twenty-first century.Department of Management and Marketin

A salt-tolerant yeast-based microbial sensor for 24 hour community wastewater monitoring in coastal regions

A microbial sensor for rapid determination of the concentration of biodegradable pollutants in wastewater has been developed using the salt-tolerant yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3 immobilized by gel entrapment with poly (carbamoyl) sulfonate hydrogel (PCS gel) on a Clark-type oxygen electrode. This sensor needs 5 min for every measurement instead of 5 days for BOD5. The sensor has a linear response of up to 550 mg L-1 BOD with a correlation of coefficient R-2 = 0.9785. The detection limit was calculated to be 2.1 mg L-1 BOD equivalents, and the determination limit was 6.0 mg L-1 BOD equivalents. The high tolerance to salt of the Arxula adeninivorans LS3 strain prevents the inactivation of cells caused by the seawater from affecting the measurements. In a 24-hour comparative study using real wastewater samples from an international college situated in Hong Kong, the microbial sensor showed a very good correlation (R-2 = 0.9134) with the standard BOD5 method and truly reflected the `life cycle' of the college people. The microbial sensor allows almost ideal real-time monitoring in water pollution and degradation

Heterotopic ossification after Total Knee Replacement. Is it an issue?

Concurrent Free Papers 9: Hips and Knees 2Conference Theme: Defying the Aging SpineIntroduction: Heterotopic ossification after total knee arthroplasty is a less frequently studied topic in contrast to after total hip arthroplasty. Its incidence in the western literature ranged from 1 to 42% but the incidence in a Chinese population is largely unknown. The significance and effects on the outcome of the surgery also remain controversial. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all total knee arthroplasties performed in a local hospital from January 2009 to December 2010. Revision surgeries were excluded. The patients were assessed clinically on follow-up for range of motion of the knee and the most recent postoperative X-rays were studied for the presence of heterotopic ossification. Results: A total of 413 primary total knee arthroplasties were performed during the study period on 371 patients. The mean follow-up time was 44 months. The incidence of heterotopic ossification was 15.7%. The majority of which were located at the suprapatellar pouch (35%) or along the medial gutter (42%). Increase in size of the heterotopic ossification was not associated with reduced gains in the range of motion of the knee. Discussion and Conclusion: Heterotopic ossification after total knee arthroplasty is not an uncommon condition in the Chinese population. It was previously thought to occur mainly at the suprapatellar pouch, but our study showed that the medial gutter was the most common location. However, its presence did not appear to impact negatively on the range of motion of the knee on follow-up