Antifungal profile of clones of C. albicans isolated in sequential visits in a HIV infected cohort

published_or_final_versio

Fidelity of SNP array genotyping using Epstein Barr virus-transformed B-lymphocyte cell lines: Implications for genome-wide association studies

Background: As availability of primary cells can be limited for genetic studies of human disease, lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) are common sources of genomic DNA. LCL are created in a transformation process that entails in vitro infection of human B-lymphocytes with the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Methodology/Principal Findings: To test for genotypic errors potentially induced by the Epstein-Barr Virus transformation process, we compared single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype calls in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and LCL from the same individuals. The average mismatch rate across 19 comparisons was 0.12% for SNPs with a population call rate of at least 95%, and 0.03% at SNPs with a call rate of at least 99%. Mismatch rates were not correlated across genotype subarrays run on all sample pairs. Conclusions/Significance: Genotypic discrepancies found in PBMC and LCL pairs were not significantly different than control pairs, and were not correlated across subarrays. These results suggest that mismatch rates are minimal with stringent quality control, and that most genotypic discrepancies are due to technical artifacts rather than the EBV transformation process. Thus, LCL likely constitute a reliable DNA source for host genotype analysis. © 2009 Herbeck et al

Application of tri-colour, dual fusion fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) system for the characterization of BCR-ABL1 fusion in chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and residual disease monitoring

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We studied the application of the <it>BCR-ABL1 </it>+ 9q34 tri-colour dual fusion fluorescence <it>in situ </it>hybridization (FISH) system in the characterization of fusion signal pattern and the monitoring of residual disease in chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). The signal constellation on metaphases with the tri-colour dual fusion system was defined. The knowledge of various signal patterns obtained from the different genetic rearrangements was further applied to the analysis of hybridization signals on interphase nuclei.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>BCR-ABL1 </it>dual colour, dual fusion FISH (D-FISH) was performed on diagnostic samples of 22 CML patients. The tri-colour FISH system was performed on cases that showed aberrant signal patterns other than the classical 1 green (G) 1 orange (O) 2 fusions (F). Using the aqua band-pass filter, random signal overlap in interphase nuclei would be indicated by the presence of an aqua signal (<it>ASS1</it>), while genuine fusion was represented by the absence of the <it>ASS1 </it>signal.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the D-FISH system, the signal patterns could be categorized into 4 groups: group 1 (n = 17) showed the classical 1G1O2F; group 2 (n = 2) showed 2G1O1F indicating <it>ABL1 </it>deletion; group 3 (n = 1) showed 1G2O1F indicating <it>BCR </it>deletion; group 4 (n = 2) with 1G1O1F indicating reciprocal <it>ABL1-BCR </it>deletion. The tri-colour dual fusion system correlated with the D-FISH system for cases with der(9) deletion. The added aqua-labelled <it>ASS1 </it>probe was useful in differentiating random signal overlap from genuine <it>BCR-ABL1 </it>fusion in the interphase cells (group 4).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the D-FISH probe was valuable in establishing the different patterns of aberrant signals and monitoring patients with the classic 2-fusion signals in CML, the tri-colour dual fusion probe should be used for patients with der(9) deletion to monitor response to treatment.</p

Online STI information seeking behaviour and condom use intentions among young Facebook users in Malaysia

The Internet has opened pathways for youth to find sexual health information which was not easily available to them in the past. Studies have shown that seeking sexual health information online may potentially influence an individuals' decision-making to change their sexual health behaviours. However, there is a gap in research on the associations of seeking online sexually transmitted infection (STI) information with STI prevention among young people, particularly in Malaysia. This study investigated the associations of seeking STI information online with the intentions of condom use among young adult online users in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Malaysian youth aged 18-25 years old who were recruited through Facebook. In total, 1530 respondents completed the survey, identifying 874 respondents who had sought STI information online. The majority of respondents had intentions to use condoms as protection against STI. Respondents who sought online STI information were significantly more likely to have the intention to use condoms compared to respondents who did not seek online STI information (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01-1.76, p = 0.040). Online STI information has the potential to increase access to STI information among young online users in Malaysia amid the stigma surrounding sex-related issues. Providing accurate STI information online from reliable sources may equip young people who have Internet access with awareness of sexual health protective behaviours such as condom use. It is recommended to facilitate Internet access to reach sectors of the population that currently do not have access, as the Internet is useful in STI prevention

Establishment of HKU lung cancer lines in Hong Kong - an ongoing conjoint effort and progress report

published_or_final_versio

Progressive outer retinal necrosis in a renal transplant recipient: a rare treatment success

Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are subject to a variety of opportunistic infections. We present a rare case of varicella zoster virus-derived progressive outer retinal necrosis in an RTR, who presented with painless visual blurring. This clinical entity heralds an extremely poor visual prognosis and is an important condition to consider in any immunocompromised host. Early diagnosis by aqueous fluid sampling and immediate institution of combined systemic and intravitreal antiviral therapy was successful in this individual.postprin

Microsatellite instability, Epstein-Barr virus, mutation of type II transforming growth factor receptor and BAX in gastric carcinomas in Hong Kong Chinese

Conference Theme: Challenges to specialists in the 21st centurypublished_or_final_versio

Promotor hypermethylation of the CpG Islands of human Ras Association Domain Family 1A gene (RASSF1A) in adenocarcinoma of lung in Hong Kong Chinese - a comparison between smokers and non-smokers

published_or_final_versio

Randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture and Tuina) in cerebral palsy: Part 1 - Any increase in seizure in integrated acupuncture and rehabilitation group versus rehabilitation group?

Objective: The objective of this study was to observe for any change in baseline seizure frequency with acupuncture in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted: Group I consisted of integrated acupuncture, tuina, and rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and hydrotherapy) for 12 weeks; and Group II consisted of rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and hydrotherapy) for 12 weeks. After a washout period of 4 weeks, Group II then received acupuncture and tuina for 12 weeks. Each subject received 5 daily acupuncture sessions per week for 12 weeks (total = 60 sessions). All children were assessed for any change in seizure frequency during treatment. Results: One hundred and sixteen (116) children were recruited and randomized into Group I (N = 58) and Group II (N = 58). Thirty-three (33) children withdrew (9 from Group I and 24 from Group II). Of the remaining 83 children, Group I consisted of 49 and Group II of 34 children. For baseline, 5 children (6%; 5/83) had seizures. During phase 1 (12 weeks) of integrative treatment and subsequent 4-week follow-up, 3 children in Group I had seizures. Among those 3 children with seizures, 1 child with prior history of recurrent febrile seizure had 3 more recurrent febrile seizures during acupuncture treatment and 2 children without any prior history of seizures had new-onset seizures (1 with 3 recurrent febrile seizures and 1 with afebrile seizure). For Group I, 2 children with epilepsy had no increase in seizure frequency during acupuncture treatment. For Group II during the phase 2 acupuncture period, none had increase in seizure frequency. In both groups, 4 of 5 children (80%; 2 in Group I and 2 in Group II) with seizures had no increase in seizure frequency during acupuncture treatment and follow-up. Conclusions: The risk of increasing seizure is not increased with acupuncture treatment for cerebral palsy. © 2008 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.published_or_final_versio

A visual approach towards forward collision warning for autonomous vehicles on Malaysian public roads [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Autonomous vehicles are important in smart transportation. Although exciting progress has been made, it remains challenging to design a safety mechanism for autonomous vehicles despite uncertainties and obstacles that occur dynamically on the road. Collision detection and avoidance are indispensable for a reliable decision-making module in autonomous driving. Methods: This study presents a robust approach for forward collision warning using vision data for autonomous vehicles on Malaysian public roads. The proposed architecture combines environment perception and lane localization to define a safe driving region for the ego vehicle. If potential risks are detected in the safe driving region, a warning will be triggered. The early warning is important to help avoid rear-end collision. Besides, an adaptive lane localization method that considers geometrical structure of the road is presented to deal with different road types. Results: Precision scores of mean average precision (mAP) 0.5, mAP 0.95 and recall of 0.14, 0.06979 and 0.6356 were found in this study. Conclusions: Experimental results have validated the effectiveness of the proposed approach under different lighting and environmental conditions