The effect of selective surface interaction on polymer phase separation with explicit polydispersity during polymerization.

In polymerization-induced phase separation, the impact of polymer-substrate interaction on the dynamics of phase separation for polymer blends is important in determining the final morphology and properties of polymer materials as the surface can act as another driving force for phase separation other than polymerization. We modify the previously-developed polymerizing Cahn-Hilliard (pCH) method by adding a surface potential to model the phase separation behavior of a mixture of two species independently undergoing linear step-growth polymerization in the presence of a surface. In our approach, we explicitly model polydispersity by separately considering different molecular-weight components with their own respective diffusion constants, and with the surface potential preferentially acting on only one species.

Factors affecting human papillomavirus vaccine acceptance among parents of Primary 4 to 6 boys and girls in Hong Kong.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) poses a substantial but underestimated healthcare burden in Hong Kong. This study investigated factors affecting parental acceptance of HPV vaccination after the introduction of an immunisation programme for primary school girls. We assessed parental perceptions and related factors concerning HPV vaccination for both boys and girls.

Validation of diagnostic coding for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in an electronic health record system in Hong Kong.

Introduction: Electronic health record databases can facilitate epidemiology research regarding diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common medical condition worldwide. We aimed to assess the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code algorithms for identifying COPD in Hong Kong's territory-wide electronic health record system, the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS).

Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with COPD at all public hospitals in Hong Kong and specifically at Queen Mary Hospital from 2011 to 2020 were identified using the ICD-9 code 496 (Chronic airway obstruction, not elsewhere classified) within the CDARS.

Hip fracture is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) shares a complex relationship with bone metabolism and few studies investigated the effect of impaired bone health on the risk of T2DM. This study was conducted to investigate the association between hip fractures and the risk of incident T2DM

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the real-world hip fracture cohort. Hong Kong Chinese patients aged ≥ 65 years without T2DM who were admitted to public hospitals due to a fall between 2008 and 2015 were included in the study.

Controlling Charge Percolation in Solutions of Metal Redox Active Polymers: Implications of Microscopic Polyelectrolyte Dynamics on Macroscopic Energy Storage.

Soluble redox-active polymers (RAPs) enable size-exclusion nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NaRFBs) which promise high energy density. Pendants along the RAPs not only store charge but also engage in electron transfer to varying extents based on their designs. Here, we explore these phenomena in Metal-containing Redox Active Polymers (M-RAPs, M = Ru, Fe, Co).