Increased health risk from co-exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Epidemiological insight from e-waste workers in Hong Kong.

The alarming surge in electronic waste (e-waste) in Hong Kong has heightened concerns regarding occupational exposure to a myriad of pollutants. Among these, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates (PAEs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are prevalent and known for their harmful effects, including the induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage, thereby contributing to various diseases. This study addresses gaps in knowledge by investigating exposure levels of these pollutants-measured via hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs), phthalate metabolites (mPAEs), and PFASs-in urine from 101 e-waste workers and 100 office workers.

Pedestrians' Interaction with eHMI-equipped Autonomous Vehicles: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) should prioritise pedestrian safety in a traffic accident. External human-machine interfaces (eHMIs), which enhance communication through visual and auditory signals, become essential as AVs become prevalent. This study aimed to investigate the current state of research on eHMIs, with a specific focus on pedestrian interactions with eHMI-equipped AVs.

Urinary metals and their associations with DNA oxidative damage among e-waste recycling workers in Hong Kong.

Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) poses risks of metal exposure, potentially leading to health impairments. However, no previous study has focused on this issue in Hong Kong. Therefore, from June 2021 to September 2022, this study collected urine samples from 101 e-waste workers and 100 office workers in Hong Kong to compare their urinary levels of metals using ICP-MS.

Cardiac power output ratio: Novel survival predictor after percutaneous ventricular assist device in cardiogenic shock.

Aims: Currently, there is limited data on prognostic indicators after insertion of percutaneous ventricular assist device (PVAD) in the treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS). This study evaluated the prognostic role of cardiac power output (CPO) ratio, defined as CPO at 24 h divided by early CPO (30 min to 2 h), in CS patients after PVAD.

Methods And Results: Consecutive CS patients from the QEH-PVAD Registry were followed up for survival at 90 days after PVAD.

Retrograde closure of post-infarct ventricular septal rupture to avoid moderator band entanglement.

A 63-year-old man presented with delayed inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated with ventricular septal rupture (VSR). He developed cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure requiring intubation and Impella (Abiomed) support.

Use of intravascular ultrasound in inferior STEMI due to Type A aortic dissection.

A 57-year-old woman with good past health was admitted to the accident and emergency department at an outside hospital for sudden onset chest pain. Electrocardiogram revealed ST-segment elevation at inferior leads.

Estimated daily intake and cumulative risk assessment of organophosphate esters and associations with DNA damage among e-waste workers in Hong Kong.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are extensively used as additives in various products, including electronic equipment, which becomes e-waste when obsolete. Nevertheless, no study has evaluated OPEs exposure levels and the related health risks among e-waste workers in Hong Kong. Therefore, 201 first-spot morning urine samples were collected from 101 e-waste workers and 100 office workers to compare eight urinary OPE metabolites (mOPEs) levels in these groups.

Assessing Neurobehavioral Alterations Among E-waste Recycling Workers in Hong Kong.

Background: E-waste workers in Hong Kong are handling an unprecedented amount of e-waste, which contains various neurotoxic chemicals. However, no study has been conducted to evaluate the neurological health status of e-waste workers in Hong Kong. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of neurobehavioral alterations and to identify the vulnerable groups among Hong Kong e-waste workers.

Systems Analysis of Immune Changes after B-cell Depletion in Autoimmune Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex genetically mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system where anti-CD20-mediated B cell depletion is remarkably effective in the treatment of early disease. While previous studies investigated the effect of B cell depletion on select immune cell subsets using flow cytometry-based methods, the therapeutic impact on patient immune landscape is unknown. In this study, we explored how a therapy-driven " " modulates the diverse immune landscape by measuring transcriptomic granularity with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq).

Human Soluble TRAIL Secreted by Modified Bacteria Promotes Tumor Growth in the Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis of sensitive cancer cells, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Due to its short biological half-life after intravenous administration and related clinical ineffectiveness, novel formulations of TRAIL need to be developed. Here we propose bacteria as a vehicle for local delivery of human soluble TRAIL (hsTRAIL) in CRC.

A technical report on a novel robotic lower limb rehabilitation device - Is ROBERT a cost-effective solution for rehabilitation in Hong Kong?

A shortage of physiotherapist (PT) manpower is a barrier for providing better rehabilitation service in Hong Kong. Quality training can benefit patients with better recovery, on the contrary, insufficient training may cause a longer length of stay, readmission, and thus the burden of healthcare system. The estimated cost for PT services in Hospital Authority was HK$7.

Simultaneous quantitation of urine aldosterone and tetrahydroaldosterone in healthy Chinese subjects using a validated LC-MS/MS method.

Aldosterone (ALD) is excreted in urine mainly as glucuronide conjugates of ALD and tetrahydroaldosterone. Measuring these urinary metabolites might be an alternative screening test to plasma ALD for primary aldosteronism. We report a validated LC-MS/MS method to measure both analytes simultaneously.

A science mapping-based review of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers.

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are recognized as a leading cause of nonfatal injuries in construction, but no review of existing studies has systematically analyzed and visualized the trends of WMSDs among construction workers. The current science mapping-based review summarized research published between 2000 and 2021 related to WMSDs among construction workers through co-word, co-author, and citation analysis.

Method: A total of 63 bibliographic records retrieved from the Scopus database were analyzed.

Current Practice, Barriers to, and Facilitators of Exercise Testing and Training by Physiotherapists in Cystic Fibrosis Specialized Centres in Canada.

This study surveyed physiotherapists working at Canadian cystic fibrosis (CF) specialized centres to investigate the current practice, barriers to, and facilitators of exercise testing and training. Physiotherapists were recruited from 42 Canadian CF centres. They responded to an e-questionnaire regarding their practice.

Retinoic acid-loaded PLGA nanocarriers targeting cell cholesterol potentialize the antitumour effect of PD-L1 antibody by preventing epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediated by M2-TAM in colorectal cancer.

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) often promote cancer progression through immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, the signalling pathways crosstalk responsible for this mechanism remain unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the interaction between TAMs and colorectal cancer cells could be down-regulated by nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with retinoic acid (RA) and coated with cholesterol (CHO), in combination with an anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor.

Motivation to interaction media: The impact of automation trust and self-determination theory on intention to use the new interaction technology in autonomous vehicles.

Introduction: This research investigated the effects of three psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) of self-determination theory (SDT) and automation trust on the intention of users to employ new interaction technology brought by autonomous vehicles (AVs), especially interaction mode and virtual image.

Method: This study focuses on the discussion from the perspective of psychological motivation theory applied to AV interaction technology. With the use of a structured questionnaire, participants completed self-report measures related to these two interaction technologies; a total of 155 drivers' responses were analyzed.

Difficult Percutaneous Closure of Axillary Access.

This case illustrates step-by-step troubleshooting in difficult axillary access closure. A standard balloon-assisted dry closure technique; escalation of wire support; trial of different closure devices with understanding in their mechanisms of failure; meticulous deployment of closure devices under fluoroscopy; a novel approach in deliverance of Angio-Seal device in a hydrophilic braided sheath all contributed to successful hemostasis.

Improving the Safety Performance of Construction Workers through Individual Perception and Organizational Collectivity: A Contrastive Research between Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Considering the increasing number in construction accidents in Mainland China and Hong Kong, research on improving the safety performance of construction personnel is important, given the essential role it plays in occupational safety development in industries. The present study aimed to assess the improving channels of safety performance through individual perception and organizational collectivity in a quantitative way by integrating safety motivation as the transition role between individual and organizational levels. The questionnaire survey was conducted with 180 participants from Hong Kong and 197 responses from Mainland China.

Cross-Regional Research in Demographic Impact on Safety Consciousness and Safety Citizenship Behavior of Construction Workers: A Comparative Study between Mainland China and Hong Kong.

The construction industry has rapidly developed with continuous prosperity in Hong Kong and Mainland China, although accidents still occur with unacceptable frequency and severity. For promoting the safety issue of workers in construction industry, safety citizenship behavior (SCB) and safety consciousness (SC) were considered two influential constructs and further studied with integration of sociodemographic theories by scholars. However, no study has compared the SC and SCB of construction workers in terms of the demographic influence between Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Investigation on the effects of presentation modality for spatial signals on human performance using a dual task paradigm.

A dual task was designed to involve a tracking mission with various tracking speeds and a spatial compatibility task with various signal-key mappings and presentation modalities. This dual task was used to investigate the effects of workload and resource competition in distinct parts of the dual-task process. The results demonstrated that increasing the tracking speed adversely affected the tracking performance but led to positive arousal to the secondary discrete response task.

Erratum: Exosomal microRNAs synergistically trigger stromal fibroblasts in breast cancer.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.

Thermosensitive Injectable Hydrogels for Intra-Articular Delivery of Etanercept for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

The intra-articular administration of drugs has attracted great interest in recent decades for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The use of modified drugs has also attracted interest in recent years because their intra-articular administration has demonstrated encouraging results. The objective of this work was to prepare injectable-thermosensitive hydrogels for the intra-articular administration of Etanercept (ETA), an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor-α.