Assessment of weight-related factors of adolescents by private practitioners

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Physical activity and constipation in Hong Kong adolescents

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Cross-sectional difference in BMI between senior and junior students predicts prospective change in BMI at the school level

Poster Presentation: abstract no. 1196The Conference abstracts's website is located at http://www2.kenes.com/apccn/scientific/Pages/ListofAbstracts.aspxOBJECTIVES: To examine whether cross-sectional BMI difference between senior and junior secondary school students was correlated with prospective changes in BMI at the school level. BACKGROUND: Schools are known to exert prospective influences on adolescent BMI. The school effects may also be reflected in cross-sectional BMI differences between senior and junior students in each school. Schools could quickly be identified for weight-control interventions if such cross-sectional differences could predict prospective changes in BMI. METHODS: In the Hong Kong Student …postprin

Independent association between parental smoking and non-authoritative parenting style as reported by Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

Poster Discussion 35. Engaging New Partners: no. PD-1005-20Conference Theme: Tobacco and Non-Communicable DiseasesBACKGROUND: Both parental smoking and non-authoritative parenting style predict adolescent smoking, but the association between the two risk factors was seldom studied. We investigated this association in Chinese parents of adolescents in Hong Kong, where smoking is socially undesirable, especially in females. DESIGN/METHODS: In the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance project 2006/07, 33692 adolescents aged 11-18 (44.9% boys, mean age 14.8, SD 1.9 years) from 42 randomly selected schools reported smoking status (yes vs no) and the level (frequent/sometimes as high; seldom/none as low) of care and control of each parent. Parenting style (dependent variable) was defined as authoritative …published_or_final_versio

Alcohol consumption and sleep problems in Hong Kong adolescents

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A School-based Survey on Adolescent Alcohol Drinking in Hong Kong

Symposium Theme: Translating Health Research into Policy and Practice for Health of the PopulationParallel Session 1 - Population Health & Policy: no. S2INTRODUCTION: The effective control of underage drinking requires a thorough understanding of its risk factors and effects, but little is known about the drinking pattern in Hong Kong adolescents. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the drinking pattern and associated risk factors and problems in Hong Kong secondary school students. METHODS: In a territory-wide survey of 44 randomly selected schools, 21627 Secondary 1 to 6 students (mean age 14.7, SD 1.8; 51.6% boys) provided valid data using an anonymous questionnaire in 2012-13. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol drinking, peer and co-residents’ drinking, exposure to pro-drinking and anti-drinking messages, parental pro-drinking practices and health outcomes were collected. Descriptive data were weighted by sex, age and grade distribution of students in Hong Kong. Risk factors and problems associated with adolescent drinking were …published_or_final_versio

Sociodemographic risk factors of alcohol drinking in Hong Kong adolescents

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Involvement of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)

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Water Oxidation Catalysed by Iron Complex of N,N′-dimethyl-2,11-diaza[3,3](2,6)pyridinophane. Spectroscopy of Iron–oxo Intermediates and Density Functional Theory Calculations

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Functional characterization of an alkaline exonuclease and single strand annealing protein from the SXT genetic element of Vibrio cholerae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>SXT is an integrating conjugative element (ICE) originally isolated from <it>Vibrio cholerae</it>, the bacterial pathogen that causes cholera. It houses multiple antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes on its ca. 100 kb circular double stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome, and functions as an effective vehicle for the horizontal transfer of resistance genes within susceptible bacterial populations. Here, we characterize the activities of an alkaline exonuclease (S066, SXT-Exo) and single strand annealing protein (S065, SXT-Bet) encoded on the SXT genetic element, which share significant sequence homology with Exo and Bet from bacteriophage lambda, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SXT-Exo has the ability to degrade both linear dsDNA and single stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules, but has no detectable endonuclease or nicking activities. Adopting a stable trimeric arrangement in solution, the exonuclease activities of SXT-Exo are optimal at pH 8.2 and essentially require Mn²⁺or Mg²⁺ions. Similar to lambda-Exo, SXT-Exo hydrolyzes dsDNA with 5'- to 3'-polarity in a highly processive manner, and digests DNA substrates with 5'-phosphorylated termini significantly more effectively than those lacking 5'-phosphate groups. Notably, the dsDNA exonuclease activities of both SXT-Exo and lambda-Exo are stimulated by the addition of lambda-Bet, SXT-Bet or a single strand DNA binding protein encoded on the SXT genetic element (S064, SXT-Ssb). When co-expressed in <it>E. coli </it>cells, SXT-Bet and SXT-Exo mediate homologous recombination between a PCR-generated dsDNA fragment and the chromosome, analogous to RecET and lambda-Bet/Exo.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The activities of the SXT-Exo protein are consistent with it having the ability to resect the ends of linearized dsDNA molecules, forming partially ssDNA substrates for the partnering SXT-Bet single strand annealing protein. As such, SXT-Exo and SXT-Bet may function together to repair or process SXT genetic elements within infected <it>V. cholerae </it>cells, through facilitating homologous DNA recombination events. The results presented here significantly extend our general understanding of the properties and activities of alkaline exonuclease and single strand annealing proteins of viral/bacteriophage origin, and will assist the rational development of bacterial recombineering systems.</p