Bilateral aberrant C1/2 intradural vertebral arteries: a rare cause of cervical myelopathy

postprin

Improving sustainability of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) by complementary and alternative medicine approaches (CAM) on reducing workplace stress of teachers.

This article argues that the sustainability of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be improved by the addition of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approach in helping teachers reduce their workplace stress. This is demonstrated by two clinical trials testing the effectiveness of a multi-component stress management program with the concurrent use of CBT and CAM approaches developed in Hong Kong. The multi-component stress management is shown to be effective in reducing and relieving stress-related emotional or psychosomatic symptoms. Meanwhile, the self-administered CAM techniques may serve to sustain the effects produced by CBT approach. This has the advantage of saving the additional resources needed from intervention by trained professionals such as occupational therapists and psychologists. Implications and future directions are discussedpublished_or_final_versio

Intraoperative direct embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) for vascular tumours of the spinal cord: a technical report

Oral-Poster Presentation 1Meeting Theme: Degenerative Lumbar SpineINTRODUCTION: Intramedullary vascular tumors such as hemangioma or hemangioblastoma in the cervical cord are challenging lesions to remove surgically. The vascularity of the lesion can cause significant bleeding and difficulties during tumor debulking and dissection, and increase the risk of spinal cord damage. Pre-operative endovascular embolization is well described for intra-cranial lesions, but seldom used in intraspinal intramedullary tumors due to the technical difficulties and risk of spinal cord ischemia. We describe our experience of intra-operative direct embolization of difficult cervical cord vascular tumors with N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue in achieving prompt hemostasis and facilitating tumor removal …published_or_final_versio

Primary endovascular treatment of post-irradiated carotid pseudoaneurysm at the skull base with the Pipeline embolization device

Background A post-irradiated carotid pseudoaneurysm at the skull base can cause life-threatening blowout syndrome. Conventional treatments include parent vessel occlusion, endovascular coiling or covered stenting. Use of the Pipeline embolization device (PED) for pseudoaneurysm exclusion at the skull base is not well described. Objective To report the clinical and angiographic outcome after using multiple PEDs to treat recently ruptured radiation-induced carotid pseudoaneurysms at the skull base. Methods Retrospective review of the clinical and angiographic records of patients who received PEDs as primary treatment for skull base carotid pseudoaneurysm between April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2013. Results Seven patients (five men, two women) with a mean age of 58 years (range 47–65) were treated in the study period. Primary treatment with the PED alone, with adjunct coil embolization in two patients, achieved immediate hemostasis in all patients, with no pseudoaneurysm rebleeding after a mean follow-up of 15.3 months (range 4–24 months). One patient had periprocedural cerebral infarction. Delayed internal carotid artery occlusion secondary to in-stent thrombosis occurred in three patients, one of whom had lacunar infarct and two remained asymptomatic. Conclusions Endovascular treatment with the PED was effective in excluding skull base post-irradiated carotid pseudoaneurysms and preventing recurrent blowout. However, the risk of ischemic complications in this group of patients was high and our experience did not support the use of flow diverters as a first-line treatment for this condition.postprin

A systematic review on the anxiolytic effects of aromatherapy in people with anxiety symptoms

Purpose: We reviewed studies from 1990 to 2010 on using aromatherapy for people with anxiety or anxiety symptoms and examined their clinical effects. Methods: The review was conducted on available electronic databases to extract journal articles that evaluated the anxiolytic effects of aromatherapy for people with anxiety symptoms. Results: The results were based on 16 randomized controlled trials examining the anxiolytic effects of aromatherapy among people with anxiety symptoms. Most of the studies indicated positive effects to quell anxiety. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: It is recommended that aromatherapy could be applied as a complementary therapy for people with anxiety symptoms. Further studies with better quality on methodology should be conducted to identify its clinical effects and the underlying biologic mechanisms. © 2011, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.published_or_final_versio

Examining Factor Structure of the Chinese Version of the PIRLS 2011 Home Questionnaire

The home questionnaire of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS-HQ 2011) was designed to gather information from parents or primary caregivers of fourth-grade pupils on their reading literacy development related to aspects of pupils’ home lives across countries/districts. The questionnaire was translated into different languages for international comparison and research purposes. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the PIRLS 2011 home questionnaire (PIRLS-HQCV 2011) and identify the underlying factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) among Chinese fourth-grade pupils in Hong Kong. A 7-factor structure model has been identified by EFA and confirmed to resemble much to the original PIRLS structure by CFA. Additional conceptually important domains have been identified which add further insights into the inconclusive results in the literature regarding the relationship between home factors and reading achievement. Implications for further studies are discussed.published_or_final_versio

Management of pseudoaneurysms of the internal carotid artery in postirradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

postprin

Evidence of the influence of phonon density on Tm³⁺ upconversion luminescence in tellurite and germanate glasses

Author name used in this publication: C. L. MakAuthor name used in this publication: W. L. TsuiAuthor name used in this publication: K. H. Wong2001-2002 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

An International Reading Literacy Study: Factor Structure of the Chinese Version of the Student Questionnaire (PIRLS-SQCV 2011)

The student questionnaire (PIRLS-SQ 2011) of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) was designed to gather information from pupils on reading literacy development as to aspects of pupils’ self-lives, home, and school lives across countries/districts. In order to serve the purposes of research and international comparison, the questionnaire was translated into various languages. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the current study investigates the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the student questionnaire (PIRLS-SQCV 2011) and identifies its underlying factor structure among Chinese fourth-grade pupils in Hong Kong. A 10-factor structure model was identified and much resemblance could be drawn to the original PIRLS structure. While the similarity allows international comparisons of studies in different places following the PIRLS strategy, the findings of this study add to extant literature on the relationship between student factors and reading achievement.published_or_final_versio

The endocrine disruptor TCDD modulates microRNA expression in preimplantation mouse embryos and spheroids attachment on human endometrial epithelial cells in vitro

Conference Theme: The Intersection Between Genetics, Genomics, and Reproductive BiologyThe endocrine disruptor (ED) is an exogenous substance that acts on the endocrine system and modulates normal physiological functions of the body. Although EDs such as 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) affect normal reproductive function in humans and affects the growth and reproductive functions in rodents, the underlying mechanism that modulates these changes remains unclear. Accumulating evidence suggested preimplantation embryo development is controlled by ...postprintThe 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), Milwaukee, WI., 30 July-3 August 2010. In Biology of Reproduction, 2010, v. 83 Meeting abstracts, p. 62, abstract no. 27