Cutinase-like proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: characterization of their variable enzymatic functions and active site identification.

Discovery and characterization of novel secreted enzymes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are important for understanding the pathogenesis of one of the most important human bacterial pathogens. The proteome of M. tuberculosis contains over 400 potentially secreted proteins, the majority of which are uncharacterized.

Burden of neuroinfectious diseases on the neurology service in a tertiary care center.

Background: Neurologic infections have the potential to cause death and suffering. These disorders often go unrecognized or are misdiagnosed. There has yet not been a census of neurologic infections conducted in a hospital setting.

Metabolic syndrome predicts new onset of chronic kidney disease in 5,829 patients with type 2 diabetes: a 5-year prospective analysis of the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Aside from hyperglycemia and hypertension, other metabolic factors may determine renal outcome. We examined risk associations of metabolic syndrome with new onset of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 5,829 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled between 1995 and 2005.

Independent associations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels with cardiovascular risk factor clustering in Chinese adolescents.

Background/aims: To establish the prevalence of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations in Chinese adolescents, and to explore the nature of associations amongst ALT, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements and fasting plasma glucose, insulin, lipids and ALT were measured in 2102 Chinese adolescents, aged 12-18 years, randomly selected from 14 secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Results: The prevalence of elevated ALT levels was 3.

Plate fixation for crescentic metatarsal osteotomy in the treatment of hallux valgus: an eight-year followup study.

Background: Distal soft tissue realignment and crescentic metatarsal osteotomy is a popular procedure in the treatment of hallux valgus. The traditional technique of screw fixation for crescentic osteotomy is technically demanding, and the inferior stability of this construct has been described. We evaluated the long-term results of a modified fixation method.

Effectiveness of a lifestyle modification programme in weight maintenance in obese subjects after cessation of treatment with Orlistat.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of a lifestyle modification programme in weight maintenance for obese subjects after cessation of treatment with Orlistat.

Methods: Fifty-five subjects with and without diabetes mellitus were randomized to a lifestyle modification programme or to usual care at the end of 6 months' treatment with Orlistat. The intervention programme was nutritionist led, consisting of components of dietary management, physical activity, peer group support and discussion using techniques of self-monitoring, stimulus control and cognitive restructuring.

Low levels of awareness of suboptimal health conditions in a high-risk working population: the "better health for better Hong Kong" health promotion campaign.

The incidences of cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and diabetes are rising in many Asian populations. In April 2000, a 5-year territory-wide health promotion campaign supported by Li Ka Shing Foundation was launched in Hong Kong by the Health InfoWorld of Hospital Authority. From the general working class, 4,832 Chinese people were randomly recruited into this campaign.

Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli outpatient urinary isolates from women: emerging multidrug resistance phenotypes.

This study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance profile of outpatient urinary Escherichia coli isolated from women obtained throughout Hong Kong during 2004-2005. Of 1067 single patient isolates analyzed, 60.1% were resistant to ampicillin, 34% were resistant to co-trimoxazole, and 22.

Pediatric hospitalization for pneumococcal diseases preventable by 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Hong Kong.

In a population-based study, we use ICD-9-CM codes to estimate the hospitalization rates for pneumococcal disease among young children in Hong Kong, 2000-2005 and the preventable burden using several outcome indicators. For children aged View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Doubling over ten years of central obesity in Hong Kong Chinese working men.

Background: Obesity is now an epidemic in most parts of the world. In this cross sectional study, we report the most recent data on obesity in Hong Kong Chinese working population and compare the changes over 10 years.

Methods: Between July 2000 and March 2002, 5882 adult subjects from the working class in Hong Kong were recruited (2716 men (46.

[Effectiveness and safety of intragastric balloon for treatment of morbid obesity].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intragastric balloon (IGB) for the treatment of obese Chinese.

Methods: IGB was placed into the stomachs of 48 Chinese patients in Hong Kong, 13 males and 35 females; aged 39 +/- 9 (18 - 65), with the mean baseline body weight (BW) of 106 +/- 26 kg and mean body mass index (BMI) of (40 +/- 9) kg/m(2), 34 (70.8%) with coexistent obesity-related morbidities, who failed to respond to other weight reducing treatment, via routine gastroscopy under intravenous conscious sedation.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-induced tissue inflammation is critical for the development of renal injury but not type 2 diabetes in obese db/db mice.

Aims/hypothesis: Tissue macrophage accumulation is thought to induce insulin resistance during obesity and stimulate the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a potent stimulator of macrophage recruitment. It is increased in adipose tissue during obesity and in diabetic kidneys, suggesting that inflammation of these tissues may be MCP-1-dependent.

Association between sleeping hours, working hours and obesity in Hong Kong Chinese: the 'better health for better Hong Kong' health promotion campaign.

Objective: To study the inter-relationships between sleeping hours, working hours and obesity in subjects from a working population.

Research Design: A cross-sectional observation study under the 'Better Health for Better Hong Kong' Campaign, which is a territory-wide health awareness and promotion program.

Subjects: 4793 subjects (2353 (49.

La cuerda dulce--a tolerability and acceptability study of a novel approach to specimen collection for diagnosis of paediatric pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Recent data demonstrate the utility of the string test for the diagnosis of sputum-scarce HIV-associated TB in adults. We hypothesized that, if well-tolerated by children, this simple tool might offer a breakthrough in paediatric TB diagnosis. Thus the objective of this study, undertaken in the paediatric service of the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Perú, was to determine the tolerability and acceptability of the string test to paediatric TB suspects, their parents and nursing staff.

Intragastric balloon in ethnic obese Chinese: initial experience.

Background: We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of intragastric balloon (IGB) for the treatment of obesity in ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong.

Methods: 15 Chinese patients (10 females; median age 40 years (range 21-58)) completed IGB treatment over a 10-month period since November 2004. Median baseline body weight (BW) and BMI were 100.

Simultaneous rupture of the patellar tendon and the anterior cruciate ligament: a case report and literature review.

We report a case of simultaneous rupture of the patellar tendon and the anterior cruciate ligament. This condition was rarely reported in the literature and clinical diagnosis can be difficult. It is frequently associated with injuries of other knee structures.

Outcomes after interposition arthroplasty for treatment of hallux rigidus.

Unlabelled: Interposition arthroplasty reportedly improves outcomes after traditional salvage procedures for advanced hallux rigidus. We hypothesized this procedure can provide pain relief and satisfactory function with few complications. We examined 18 patients with severe articular cartilage loss who received 21 interposition arthroplasties.

Learning partnership--the experience of peer tutoring among nursing students: a qualitative study.

Background: Peer tutoring involves students helping each other to learn. It places teaching and learning commitments and responsibilities on students. Considerable evidence supports the positive effects of peer tutoring, including cognitive gains, improved communication, self-confidence, and social support among students.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 promotes the development of diabetic renal injury in streptozotocin-treated mice.

Diabetic nephropathy involves a renal inflammatory response induced by the diabetic milieu. Macrophages accumulate in diabetic kidneys in association with the local upregulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1); however, the contribution of macrophages to renal injury and the importance of MCP-1 to their accrual are unclear. Therefore, we examined the progression of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy in mice deficient in MCP-1 in order to explore the role of MCP-1-mediated macrophage accumulation in the development of diabetic kidney damage.

Memory is relevant in the symmetric phase of the minority game.

Minority game is a simple-mined econophysical model capturing the cooperative behavior among selfish players. Previous investigations, which were based on numerical simulations up to about 100 players for a certain parameter alpha in the range 0.1 < approximately alpha < approximately 1, suggested that memory is irrelevant to the cooperative behavior of the minority game in the so-called symmetric phase.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 deficiency is protective against nephropathy in type 2 diabetic db/db mice.

Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure and is a growing concern given the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is associated with progressive kidney macrophage accumulation and experimental studies suggest that intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 facilitates kidney macrophage recruitment during type 1 diabetes. To ascertain the importance of ICAM-1 in promoting type 2 diabetic nephropathy, the development of renal injury in ICAM-1 intact and deficient db/db mice with equivalent hyperglycemia and obesity between ages 2 and 8 mo was examined and compared with results with normal db/+ mice.

The autonomous activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV is required for its role in transcription.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV (CaMKIV) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that is positively regulated by two main events. The first is the binding of calcium/calmodulin (Ca(2+)/CaM), which relieves intramolecular autoinhibition of the enzyme and leads to basal kinase activity. The second is activation by the upstream kinase, Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase.

Wealth inequality in the minority game.

To demonstrate the usefulness of physical approaches for the study of realistic economic systems, we investigate the inequality of players' wealth in one of the most extensively studied econophysical models, namely, the minority game (MG). We gauge the wealth inequality of players in the MG by a well-known measure in economics known as the modified Gini index. From our numerical results, we conclude that the wealth inequality in the MG is very severe near the point of maximum cooperation among players, where the diversity of the strategy space is approximately equal to the number of strategies at play.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for the treatment of morbidly obese patients: early outcome in a Chinese cohort.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in the management of morbid obesity in a cohort of Chinese patients. DESIGN. Cohort study.