Potential Muscle-Related Biomarkers in Predicting Curve Progression to the Surgical Threshold in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis—A Pilot Proteomic Study Comparing Four Non-Progressive vs. Four Progressive Patients vs. A Control Cohort

Previous studies have reported abnormal muscle morphology and functions in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). To answer whether such abnormalities could be reflected in their circulation and their clinical implication for predicting curve progression to the surgical threshold, this preliminary study explored the presence of baseline muscle-related proteins and their association with curve progression. Plasma samples were collected at the first clinical visit for AIS, with patients divided into non-progressive or progressive groups (N = four and four) according to their Cobb angle in six-year follow-ups, with age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (N = 50). Then, the samples were subjected to isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) for global comparison of untargeted protein expression. Seventy-one differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found elevated in progressive AIS. Functional analysis showed that 18 of these are expressed in muscles and play an essential role in muscle activities. Among the muscle-related DEPs, α-actin had the highest fold change in progressive/non-progressive groups. This preliminary study firstly suggested higher circulating levels of muscle structural proteins in progressive AIS, indicating the likelihood of structural damage at the microscopic level and its association with progression to the surgical threshold. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to validate these novel candidates for early diagnosis and predicting progression

Reconsidering Daylighting Design Parameters for Tall Buildings in a Densely Built City

Hong Kong presents a unique case of high-density living, featuring a compact urban form utilizing an extremely small percentage (21%) of total land area. Physically, the city is a mixing pot of commercial, office and residential buildings built along narrow streets, governed by a laissez-faire property market mechanism that reflects a mixed and intensive land-use pattern. The resultant urban form creates an unprecedented challenge for environmental amenities and in particular for daylight for skyscrapers. The paper discusses problems and underlying causes of daylight performance for kitchens under high-rise building scenarios. The kitchen is the subject of concern because it is claimed to be the worst lit space in prevailing high-rise building design. Besides focusing on socio-cultural expectations, the physical design of kitchens was examined critically, including the positioning, size and area of windows, reflectance and internal obstructions such as shelves and utility items, room area and room configuration. The concluding remarks make specific reference to socio-cultural factors concerning the usage of kitchens. It is the intention of this paper to use the kitchen as a proxy to illustrate the inherent problems and difficulties in directing daylight for different habitable spaces (bedrooms, living and dining rooms, as well as kitchens) in densely built, high-rise urban environments