51 research outputs found
Chronic adiponectin deficiency leads to Alzheimerâs disease-like cognitive impairments and pathologies through AMPK inactivation and cerebral insulin resistance in aged mice
(a) Immunoblotting analysis of IRÎČ in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of 18-month old wildtype and APN-KO mice. (b) Densitometric analysis of the ratio of IRÎČ. Meanâ±âS.E.M.; ***pâ<â0.001, n.s. statistically not significant; Scale bar: 100 Όm. (JPG 30 kb
Obesity, clinical, and genetic predictors for glycemic progression in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes:A cohort study using the Hong Kong Diabetes Register and Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank
Lupus nephritis in Chinese children--a territory-wide cohort study in Hong Kong
We report a multicenter study of Chinese children in Hong Kong with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis. Children were included if: they fulfilled the ACR criteria, had significant proteinuria or casturia, were Chinese and younger than 19 years and had been diagnosed with SLE between January 1990 and December 2003. Investigators in each center retrieved data on clinical features, biopsy reports, treatment and outcome of these patients. There were 128 patients (eight boys, 120 girls; mean age: 11.9+/-2.8 years). About 50% presented with multisystem illness and 40% with nephritic/nephrotic symptoms. Negative anti-dsDNA antibodies were found in 6% of the patients. Renal biopsy revealed WHO Class II, III, IV and V nephritis in 13 (10%), 22 (17%), 69 (54%) and 13 (10%) patients, respectively. The clinical severity of the nephritis did not accurately predict renal biopsy findings. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 16.5 years (mean+/-SD: 5.76+/-3.61 years). During the study five patients died (two from lupus flare, one from cardiomyopathy, two from infections). Four patients had endstage renal failure (ESRF) (one died during a lupus flare). All deaths and end-stage renal failure occurred in the Class IV nephritis group. Chronic organ damage was infrequent in the survivors. The actuarial patient survival rates at 5, 10 and 15 years of age were 95.3, 91.8, and 91.8%, respectively. For Class IV nephritis patients, the survival rates without ESRF at 5, 10, and 15 years were 91.5, 82.3 and 76%, respectively. The survival and chronic morbidity rates of the Chinese SLE children in the present study are comparable to those of other published studies.postprin
Chronic adiponectin deficiency leads to Alzheimerâs disease-like cognitive impairments and pathologies through AMPK inactivation and cerebral insulin resistance in aged mice
The Misallocation Problem of Subsidized Housing: A Lesson from Hong Kong
Providing affordable housing has become one of Chinaâs key national policy agenda items. The shared-equity model in Hong Kong, implemented since the late 1970s, has assisted many families in owning a home in the public housing market. However, little attention has been paid to their welfare after acquiring their subsidized units. This study aims to examine how shared-equity homeownership distorts residential mobility through in-kind subsidies. Panel data analysis reveals that the more in-kind subsidies owners receive, the longer they would hold on to their units in spite of spatial mismatches. Private owners, on the other hand, would trade their units without such distortion. Conceptually, the lower mobility of assisted owners could be interpreted as a new source of misallocation in Glaeser and Luttmerâs welfare analysis. Practically, this throws into question the sustainability of a subsidizing homeownership policy: does the government ultimately want assisted homeowners to move from public housing to private housing in the future (for which high mobility would be intended)? If so, new thinking on how to make in-kind subsidies transferable is needed
Mild and Selective C(CO)âC(α) Bond Activation of Ketones with Rhodium(III) Porphyrin ÎČâHydroxyethyl
RhodiumÂ(III) porphyrin ÎČ-hydroxyethyl, Rh<sup>III</sup>(ttp)ÂCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OH (ttp = 5,10,15,20-tetratolylporphyrinato
dianion), was found to serve as a precursor of the highly reactive
Rh<sup>III</sup>(ttp)ÂOH for the CÂ(CO)âCÂ(α) bond activation
(CCA) of ketones under mild and aerobic conditions of 25â50
°C
Five-year effectiveness of short messaging service (SMS) for pre-diabetes
Abstract Objective An observational post-randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was adopted to evaluate the long-term sustainability and maintenance of improved glycemic control, lipid profile, reduced progression to diabetes at 3-year following a 2-year short messaging service (SMS). We performed a naturalistic follow-up to the 104 participants of SMS intervention, a 2-year randomized controlled trial comparing the SMS to non-SMS for pre-diabetes. All participants were arranged screening for diabetes at 5-year assessment. Primary outcome of this post-RCT study was cumulative incidence of diabetes whereas secondary outcomes were the change in biometric data over a 5-year period. Results After a mean 57-month follow-up, 19 (18.3%) were lost to follow-up after the RCT period. Progression to diabetes occurred in 20 and 16 patients among the intervention and control group respectively, with no significant between-group difference (8.06 and 7.31 cases per 100 person years, respectively; Hazard Ratio in the intervention group, 1.184; 95% confidence interval, 0.612 to 2.288; p-valueâ=â0.616). No significant effect of SMS on reduction in diabetes was observed in overall and pre-defined subgroups. The SMS intervention preserved the clinical benefits within the trial period but failed to transform from treatment efficacy to long-term effectiveness beyond 2Â years after intervention. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01556880, retrospectively registered on March 16, 201
Clinical Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Versus Switch of Direct Oral Antcoagulant in Atrial Fibrillation: A TerritoryâWide Retrospective Analysis
Background Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, but data comparing LAAO with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) are sparse. Methods and Results This cohort study compared LAAO (with or without prior anticoagulation) with a switch of one DOAC to another DOAC by 1:2 propensity score matching. The primary outcome was a composite of allâcause mortality, ischemic stroke, and major bleeding. A total of 2350 patients (874 in the LAAO group and 1476 in the DOAC switch group) were included. After a mean followâup of 1052±694âdays, the primary outcome developed in 215 (24.6%) patients in the LAAO group and in 335 (22.7%) patients in the DOAC switch group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.94 [95% CI, 0.80â1.12]; P=0.516). The LAAO group had a lower allâcause mortality (HR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.39â0.60]; P<0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.32â0.73]; P<0.001) but similar risk of ischemic stroke (HR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.63â1.10]; P=0.194). The major bleeding risk was similar overall (HR, 1.18 [95% CI, 0.94â1.48], P=0.150) but was lower in the LAAO group after 6âmonths (HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.51â0.97]; P=0.032). Conclusions LAAO conferred a similar risk of composite outcome of allâcause mortality, ischemic stroke, and major bleeding, as compared with DOAC switch. The risks of allâcause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were lower with LAAO
Comparison of catechin profiles in human plasma and urine after single dosing and regular intake of green tea ( Camellia sinensis
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