Vowels of Hong Kong English: from an acoustic perspective

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007.Also available in print.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Characterisation and pharmacological regulation of GLP-1-mediated glucose homeostasis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by the hormonal imbalance of insulin and glucagon, leading to dysfunctional glucose homeostasis. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which is an incretin hormone, activates the predominantly Gαs-coupled glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), which is a class B G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), to mediate glucose homeostasis. It does so by promoting glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in the pancreatic β cells and inhibiting glucagon secretion in the pancreatic α cells. Given its proven clinical efficacy in reducing long term blood glucose level, GLP-1-based treatments, such as exenatide and liraglutide, have been widely used in T2DM patients. However, in contrast to the well-studied phenomenon of how GLP-1 enhances GSIS, the mechanism of how GLP-1 regulates glucagon secretion is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of this work is to shed new lights on how GLP-1 mediates its glucagonostatic action. To do so, the signalling properties of GLP-1 and its closely-related peptide hormones, namely oxyntomodulin (OXM), glucagon (GCG), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and its metabolite, GLP-1(9-36)NH2, were examined in recombinant cell lines and rodent clonal α and β cell lines using cAMP functional assaying technique. It was demonstrated that these glucagon-like peptides, including GLP-1(9-36)NH2 yet except GIP, can activate both GLP-1R and glucagon receptor (GCGR), which is struc- turally analogous to GLP-1R. Furthermore, GLP-1R, despite its very low expression in the mouse αTC1.6 cell line detected through semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, is found to play a critical role in directly inhibiting glucagon secretion upon GLP-1 activation through performing glucagon secretion antagonism studies. More importantly, the physiologically abundant GLP-1 metabolite is discovered to play a glucagonostatic role in the mouse glucagonoma cell line via the direct actions of GLP-1R and GCGR, an observation that has not yet been documented. Therefore, this thesis provides evidence of how GLP-1 and its metabolite are actively involved in their glucagonostatic actions via direct activations of GLP-1R and GCGR. Another aim of this work is to identify viable pharmacological regulator of GLP-1- mediated glucose homeostasis through the action of positive allosteric modulator (PAM). Here, compound 249, which was identified previously as a small molecule GLP-1R PAM, was further pharmacologically validated using various signal transduction assaying techniques in recombinant cell lines. It was also demonstrated that compound 249 works independent of the cysteine-347 residue on the GLP-1R, an amino acid residue which has been previously shown to be instrumental for the actions of another GLP-1R agonist-PAMs. More importantly, compound 249 demonstrates robust potentiation of GLP-1 and OXM-augmented GSIS in the rat INS-1 832/3 insulinoma cell line and ex vivo isolated mouse islets, substantiating the potential of compound 249 to be further developed as a novel T2DM treatment. Overall this thesis presents new evidence on the direct involvement of GLP-1R on GLP-1-regulated glucagon secretion in the pancreatic α cells and illustrates compound 249 as a PAM to promote GLP-1 mediated GSIS. The findings in this thesis will be used for future design of safer and more efficacious T2DM treatments

Teacher Professional Development in Hong Kong: Describing the Current Infrastructure

Abstract This article describes the current teacher professional development (PD) infrastructure of Hong Kong, one of the world’s top performers in education. Drawing on contemporary policy frameworks, institutional websites, and research literature, we outline how teachers from primary and secondary local schools are supported to enhance their professional capacity. After introducing the structure of the Hong Kong education system, we describe pre-service teacher education and the Professional Ladder framework, designed by the Education Bureau (EDB) to regulate in-service PD. We then describe the work done by the leading PD providers and the PD-related obstacles, difficulties, and constraints reported in the literature. The article shows that Hong Kong has developed a solid PD infrastructure with hybrid characteristics. While the system is based on compliance and external accountability mechanisms, teachers are encouraged to design their PD journeys based on their interests, needs, and career aspirations. Every three years, teachers are required to complete 90 to 150 hours of PD (depending on seniority), including core and elective training (approximately 1/3 and 2/3 of the PD allotment, respectively). Structured, on-the-job, project-based, whole-school, and individual PD activities are available. The article also describes the strategies recently adopted to tackle the challenges of COVID-19. We conclude that Hong Kong has made great efforts to design a high-quality PD infrastructure within a hierarchical educational system, in which quantity of provision and content coverage have been prioritized over teacher agency and autonomy. More research is required to investigate the actual impact of PD on teachers’ practices and students’ learning. Keywords: Teacher Professional Development, continuing education, system analysis, educational policy, effective professional development, Hong Kon

Oral coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide is beneficial by slowing the progression of lung cancer

published_or_final_versio

Inhaled fluticasone therapy improves quality of life in bronchiectasis

published_or_final_versio

Efficacy and safety profiles of a combination of gemcitabine and ifosfamide on Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

published_or_final_versio

Attitude, acceptability and knowledge of HPV vaccination among local university students in Hong Kong

© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has the great potential to prevent HPV-related infections for millions of women and men worldwide. However, the success of the vaccine is highly dependent on the vaccination rate. Factors influencing the attitudes of undergraduate students towards HPV vaccination should be studied. This is a cross-sectional survey that was conducted to estimate the HPV vaccination rate among undergraduate students in Hong Kong, and to identify the predictors of their attitude towards HPV vaccination. The results showed that the HPV vaccination rate was 13.3%. Factors related to knowledge of vaccination were the main predictors of the studentsâ attitude towards vaccination (there were seven predictors, with B = 1.36 to 2.30; p < 0.05), followed by gender (B =-1.40; p < 0.05), acceptable maximum price (B = 0.35; p < 0.05), and willingness to receive the HPV vaccine if it can protect against cervical/anal cancer and genital warts (B =-1.90; p < 0.001).Theregressionmodelthatwasdevelopedbasedonthepredictorshadamoderateeffect size (adj-R 2 = 0.33). To conclude, the HPV vaccination rate among undergraduate students in Hong Kong was low. They should be provided with more active education and activities to promote HPV vaccination to improve their knowledge on the subject.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Elevated intracellular cAMP concentration mediates growth suppression in glioma cells.

Supressed levels of intracellular cAMP have been associated with malignancy. Thus, elevating cAMP through activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC) or by inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) may be therapeutically beneficial. Here, we demonstrate that elevated cAMP levels suppress growth in C6 cells (a model of glioma) through treatment with forskolin, an AC activator, or a range of small molecule PDE inhibitors with differing selectivity profiles. Forskolin suppressed cell growth in a PKA-dependent manner by inducing a G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. In contrast, trequinsin (a non-selective PDE2/3/7 inhibitor), not only inhibited cell growth via PKA, but also stimulated (independent of PKA) caspase-3/-7 and induced an aneuploidy phenotype. Interestingly, a cocktail of individual PDE 2,3,7 inhibitors suppressed cell growth in a manner analogous to forskolin but not trequinsin. Finally, we demonstrate that concomitant targeting of both AC and PDEs synergistically elevated intracellular cAMP levels thereby potentiating their antiproliferative actions

The psychophysiological effects of Tai-chi and exercise in residential Schizophrenic patients: a 3-arm randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia are characterized by high prevalence rates and chronicity that often leads to long-term institutionalization. Under the traditional medical model, treatment usually emphasizes the management of psychotic symptoms through medication, even though anti-psychotic drugs are associated with severe side effects, which can diminish patients’ physical and psychological well-being. Tai-chi, a mind-body exercise rooted in Eastern health philosophy, emphasizes the motor coordination and relaxation. With these potential benefits, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is planned to investigate the effects of Tai-chi intervention on the cognitive and motor deficits characteristic of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS/DESIGN: A 3-arm RCT with waitlist control design will be used in this study. One hundred and fifty three participants will be randomized into (i) Tai-chi, (ii) exercise or (iii) waitlist control groups. Participants in both the Tai-chi and exercise groups will receive 12-weeks of specific intervention, in addition to the standard medication and care received by the waitlist control group. The exercise group will serve as a comparison, to delineate any unique benefits of Tai-chi that are independent of moderate aerobic exercise. All three groups will undergo three assessment phases: (i) at baseline, (ii) at 12 weeks (post-intervention), and (iii) at 24 weeks (maintenance). All participants will be assessed in terms of symptom management, motor coordination, memory, daily living function, and stress levels based on self-perceived responses and a physiological marker. DISCUSSION: Based on a promising pilot study conducted prior to this RCT, subjects in the Tai-chi intervention group are expected to be protected against deterioration of motor coordination and interpersonal functioning. They are also expected to have better symptoms management and lower stress level than the other treatment groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trail has been registered in the Clinical Trials Center of the University of Hong Kong (HKCTR-1453)