A proposal for a voucher system for long-term care in Hong Kong.

Over the next three decades, due to a rapidly aging population coupled with the recent economic downturn, Hong Kong society will face severe challenges in establishing a sustainable aged care system. We identify four principles: the encouragement of family care, service integration, a mixed mode of financing, as well as a "small government and large market" approach to guide the development of aged care services. After a brief description of existing Hong Kong long-term care services for the elderly, we evaluate this service according to these principles.

Co-expression of RON and MET is a prognostic indicator for patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Recepteur d'Origine Nantais (RON) is a distinct receptor tyrosine kinase in the c-met proto-oncogene family. We examined the mutational and expression patterns of RON in eight human uroepithelial cell lines. Biological effects of RON overexpression on cancer cells were investigated in vitro, and the prognostic significance of RON and/or c-met protein (MET) expression was analysed in a bladder cancer cohort (n=183).

Proteomic Analysis of Bladder Cancer Cells Reveals Potential Candidates of Biomarkers in Bladder Tumorigenesis.

Background: Bladder cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer of the urinary tract in Taiwan. In order to identify the molecular basis of bladder carcinogenesis, we analyzed the proteomic profiling of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines to search for novel biomarkers for human bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: Two human TCC cell lines (TSGH8301, Grade II and BFTC905, Grade III) were selected for proteomic analysis.

An ancova approach to normalize microarray data, and its performance to existing methods.

A microarray experiment includes many steps, and each one of them may include systematic variations. To have a sound analysis, the systematic bias must be identified and removed prior to the data being analyzed. Based on the M-A dependency observed by Dudoit et al.

Prognostic significance of co-expression of RON and MET receptors in node-negative breast cancer patients.

Purpose: RON and MET belong to a subfamily of tyrosine kinase receptors. They both can induce invasive growth, including migration, cell dissociation, and matrix invasion. Cross-linking experiments show that RON and MET form a noncovalent complex on the cell surface and cooperate in intracellular signaling.

Neurovascular pathways and Alzheimer amyloid beta-peptide.

According to the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, the onset and progression of a chronic neurodegenerative condition in Alzheimer disease (AD) is initiated by the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) accumulation in brain and consequent neuronal toxicity. Recent emphasis on co-morbidity of AD and cerebrovascular disease and the recognition that cerebrovascular dysregulation is an important feature of AD, has shed new light on neurovascular dysfunction as a possible contributor to cognitive decline and Alzheimer neurodegeneration. In the same time, this association has raised a question as to whether there is a causal relationship between cerebrovascular dysregulation and Abeta-initiated pathology, and whether influencing targets in the neurovasculature may prevent different forms of Abeta brain accumulation and/or lower pre-existing accumulates in a later stage of the disease.

Mini chamber system for long-term maintenance and observation of cultured cells.

We constructed a mini chamber system that was able to maintain cell culture on a microscope for long periods. It is a modified closed system with medium perfusion and CO2 circulation. The closed CO2 circulation and ample air inside the chamber distinguish it from other closed systems.

Preventing economic hardship among Chinese elderly in Hong Kong.

Over the next 20 years, Hong Kong will face a rapidly aging population as the number of older adults aged 65 or above increases to approximately 1.4 million by 2021, that is, 17% of the total population. In 2001, there were 1.

The novel targets for anti-angiogenesis of genistein on human cancer cells.

Genistein has been reported to be a natural chemopreventive in several types of human cancer. In our prior study, soy isoflavones were shown to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in the range of human urine excretion. This study was designed to identify the novel molecular basis underlying anti-angiogenic activities of soy isoflavones.

Reducing utilisation of hospital services by case management: a randomised controlled trial.

A 12-month randomised controlled trial was conducted in Hong Kong to evaluate the effectiveness of case management provided to a group of home-dwelling, frail elderly patients (control group: n = 47; intervention group: n = 45) in terms of utilisation of hospital services by these patients. Significant reductions (significance at P View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Allelic loss of 14q32 in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal and ampullary malignancies: mapping of the target region to a 17 cM interval.

Purpose: The genetic basis for gastrointestinal and ampullary carcinomas remains uncertain. This study was performed to pinpoint novel chromosomal region involved in the tumorigenesis of gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: We screened the allelic status on 16 chromosomal arms in a patient with synchronous ampullary carcinoma and gastric cancer, but who had no family history of familial cancer syndrome.

Role of beta-lactamases and porins in resistance to ertapenem and other beta-lactams in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

High-level resistance to ertapenem was produced by beta-lactamases of groups 1, 2f, and 3 in a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae deficient in Omp35 and Omp36. From a wild-type strain producing ACT-1 beta-lactamase, ertapenem-resistant mutants for which the ertapenem MICs were up to 128 microg/ml and expression of outer membrane proteins was diminished could be selected.

Sources of income and depression in elderly Hong Kong Chinese: mediating and moderating effects of social support and financial strain.

This study examines the relationship between major source of income (i.e., adult children, financial independence and government welfare) and depression among elderly Hong Kong people.

Characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in a high arsenicism area in Taiwan: a case-control study.

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is noticeably linked to the occurrence of skin, bladder, lung cancers, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Blackfoot disease (BFD) caused by arsenicosis is endemic in southwestern Taiwan, where artesian well water contains high concentrations of arsenic, and mortality from HCC shows a dose-response increase by concentration of arsenic in the well water. This case-control study was conducted to examine the clinical characteristics of HCC patients of BFD-endemic area.

The prevalence and clinicopathologic correlate of p16INK4a, retinoblastoma and p53 immunoreactivity in locally advanced urinary bladder cancer.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the prognostic value and clinicopathological correlate of tumor p53, p16 and Rb protein expression in patients with locally advanced urinary bladder cancer. Sixty-five patients (44 men and 21 women; 40 to 84 yrs old) with locally advanced urinary bladder cancer (21 pT2, 27pT3, 17pT4) undergoing radical cystectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection were followed up for 2 to 116 months (mean +/- SD: 30.02 +/- 6.

Genistein arrests hepatoma cells at G2/M phase: involvement of ATM activation and upregulation of p21waf1/cip1 and Wee1.

Genistein, a soy isoflavone, has a wide range of biological actions that suggest it may be of use in cancer prevention. We have recently reported that it arrests hepatoma cells at G2/M phase and inhibits Cdc2 kinase activity. In the present study, we examined the signaling pathway by which genistein modulates Cdc2 kinase activity in HepG2 cells and leads to G2/M arrest, and found that it caused an increase in both Cdc2 phosphorylation and expression of the Cdc2-active kinase, Wee1.

Epidemiology of conjugative plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamases in the United States.

A sample of 752 resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Escherichia coli strains from 70 sites in 25 U.S. states and the District of Columbia was examined for transmissibility of resistance to ceftazidime and the nature of the plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase involved.

Stable-isotope dimethyl labeling for quantitative proteomics.

In this paper, we report a novel, stable-isotope labeling strategy for quantitative proteomics that uses a simple reagent, formaldehyde, to globally label the N-terminus and epsilon-amino group of Lys through reductive amination. This labeling strategy produces peaks differing by 28 mass units for each derivatized site relative to its nonderivatized counterpart and 4 mass units for each derivatized isotopic pair. This labeling reaction is fast (less than 5 min) and complete without any detectable byproducts based on the analysis of MALDI and LC/ESI-MS/MS spectra of both derivatized and nonderivatized peptide standards and tryptic peptides of hemoglobin molecules.

Impact of prefractionation using Gradiflow on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and protein identification by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry.

Prefractionation of protein samples prior to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) has the potential to increase the dynamic detection range for proteomic analysis. We evaluated a membrane-based electrophoretic separation technique (Gradiflow) for its ability to fractionate an exoproteome sample from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. The sample was separated on the basis of size and charge.

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma with a recurrence of classic hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and review of Oriental cases.

A 72-year-old Chinese male, hepatitis B carrier, received a right hepatic trisegmentectomy in 1997 for fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was in the normal range until two years after the operation, a rapid increase to 241 ng/mL occurred and computed tomography showed a 2-cm-sized recurrent nodule in the caudate lobe. Because computed tomography arterioportography showed additional multifocal nodules in the residual liver, transarterial embolization was performed.

Immunohistochemical microvessel count is not a reliable prognostic predictor in colorectal carcinoma.

Background/aims: Immunohistochemical microvessel count for angiogenesis is associated with the growth and metastasis of various solid tumors, but its role in colorectal carcinoma remains controversial. This study aimed to determine its role in predicting the relapse and survival of colorectal carcinomas after curative surgery.

Methodology: Representative paraffin-embedded sections of invasive colorectal cancers from 104 patients were studied by immunohistochemical staining using polyclonal anti-factor VIII antibody.

Prognostic values of p53 and HER-2/neu coexpression in invasive bladder cancer in Taiwan.

Objectives: To explore the clinical significance of p53 and HER-2/neu coexpression by immunohistochemistry in patients with invasive bladder cancer in Taiwan.

Methods: Paraffin-embedded tumor blocks were obtained from 67 patients with invasive bladder cancer subjected to radical cystectomy, bilateral lymph node dissection, and urinary diversion with or without systemic chemotherapy. Two observers (N.

Clinical significance of allelotype profiling for urothelial carcinoma.

Objectives: To perform a global loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis on a cohort of urothelial carcinoma to investigate the clinical implication of specific chromosomal loss. Allelic deletions detected as LOH have been used to study the markers for carcinogenesis.

Methods: We examined the allelic loss on 14 chromosomal regions in a total of 71 cases of urothelial carcinoma.

Identifying the factors and signal pathways necessary for anchorage-independent growth of Ha-ras oncogene-transformed NIH/3T3 cells.

Ha-ras(Val 12) overexpression was positively correlated with colony formation by NIH/3T3 derivative "2-12" cells harboring an inducible Ha-ras(Val 12) transgene. The ras-farnesylation inhibitor, Lovastatin, completely suppressed colony formation at higher dosages. However, Ha-ras oncogene overexpression alone could not stimulate colony formation under serum-deprived conditions, suggesting that ras is required but not sufficient for supporting colony formation.

Effects of soy isoflavones on apoptosis induction and G2-M arrest in human hepatoma cells involvement of caspase-3 activation, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL downregulation, and Cdc2 kinase activity.

Genistein, biochanin-A, and daidzein, the predominant soy isoflavones, have been reported to lower the risk of cancer, but it is not known whether they protect against human hepatoma cancer. This study was designed to investigate their effects on cell growth, the cell cycle, and apoptosis induction in the human hepatoma cell lines, HepG2, Hep3B, Huh7, PLC, and HA22T. Genistein, biochanin-A, and daidzein inhibited growth of all five lines in a dose-dependent manner.