Zygomatic implants--protocol for immediate occlusal loading: a preliminary report.

Purpose: To investigate the modified protocol for immediate occlusal loading of the zygomatic implants and to report the preliminary results of this modified protocol.

Materials And Methods: Four male patients and 1 female patient with edentulous maxillae were consecutively treated with the zygomatic implants under general anesthesia. All 5 patients were examined by computed tomography and investigated by the SimPlant software (Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium).

The potential of a person-centered approach in caring for patients with cancer: a perspective from the UCLA center for East-West medicine.

Background: Evolving patient preferences as well as an expanding evidence base for commonly used complementary and alternative medicine therapies for patients with cancer have led to inroads by integrative medicine into clinical oncology. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in conjunction with conventional biomedicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer in China for several decades.

Methods: The authors, through select review of the existing literature and by drawing on clinical experience, describe a person-centered approach to care of patients with cancer that incorporates TCM concepts and techniques.

YRKL sequence of influenza virus M1 functions as the L domain motif and interacts with VPS28 and Cdc42.

Earlier studies have shown that the C-terminal half of helix 6 (H6) of the influenza A virus matrix protein (M1) containing the YRKL sequence is involved in virus budding (E. K.-W.

Reasons for the increase in emerging and re-emerging viral infectious diseases.

In the past two decades, humans have faced many new viral infectious agents in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Many factors contribute to the appearance of EIDs. These factors are complex but can be classified into three different categories: virus factors, human factors, and ecological factors.

An intensive surveillance program detected a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma among hepatitis B virus carriers with abnormal alpha-fetoprotein levels or abdominal ultrasonography results.

Purpose: To study the incidence and treatment outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detected in an intensive surveillance program (ISP) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers.

Patients And Methods: We screened 1,018 HBV carriers by serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement and abdominal ultrasonography (AUS). Patients with an abnormal AFP level or AUS result were enrolled in an ISP that included Lipiodol computed tomography followed by AFP measurement/AUS every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months thereafter.

Laparoscopic repair of perforated duodenal ulcers: the"three-stitch" Graham patch technique.

Background: "Three-stitch" laparoscopic Graham patch repair (LGPR) for perforated duodenal ulcer enjoyed the same advantage as open Graham patch repair. However, it was not a popular approach because it had problems of suture entanglement and difficult laparoscopic suturing and knotting. The authors describe their technique and results.

A community-based exercise programme for older persons with knee pain using telemedicine.

We explored the feasibility and efficacy of an exercise programme for elderly people with knee pain conducted via videoconferencing. Twenty-two community-dwelling subjects aged 60 years or above with knee pain were recruited from two community centres in Hong Kong. A 12-week exercise programme, including strengthening and balance training, was given via videoconferencing to subjects at both centres, in conjunction with a home-based exercise programme.

Intermittent versus indwelling urinary catheterization in older female patients.

Objectives: To compare the use of intermittent and indwelling catheterization in older female patients with urinary retention.

Methods: A randomized, 2-week prospective study in a geriatric rehabilitation ward. Female patients of age 65 years and older with post-voiding residual urine volume (PVRU) persistently > or = 300 ml were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: intermittent catheterization (IMC group, n=36) and indwelling catheterization (IDC group, n=45).

Prevention of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with lamivudine.

Purpose: Although the mainstay of treatment of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) had been radiotherapy, chemotherapy has increasingly been adopted in conjunction with radiation and in advanced disease. In parts of Asia where NPC is prevalent, it is also known that around 10% of the population has chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Cancer patients who are HBV carriers are frequently complicated by HBV reactivation during chemotherapy.

A community model for care of elderly people with diabetes via telemedicine.

A primary care group diabetes care program using telemedicine was developed and its feasibility and acceptability were tested in 22 subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus using a one-group, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Compliance with the program was 100%. Significant reductions in total calorie intake as well as body mass index were achieved, with an increase in the percentage of subjects achieving better diabetes control as measured by the 2-hr hemastix.

Development of the Chinese nutrition screen (CNS) for use in institutional settings.

Objectives: To develop and validate a nutritional screening tool (CNS) for elderly Chinese subjects in the institutional setting.

Design: Using the MNA as a guide, a questionnaire was developed appropriate for the Chinese health care system, diet, food customs and culture, using physician assessment for comparison.

Participants: 200 men and 200 women aged 65 years or older, approximately equally distributed by age between two cities in China (Hong Kong and Shanghai), were recruited from hospitals and old age homes for the reliability study.

"I can put the medicine in his soup, Doctor!".

The practice of covertly administering medication is controversial. Although condemned by some as overly paternalistic, others have suggested that it may be acceptable if patients have permanent mental incapacity and refuse needed treatment. Ethical, legal, and clinical considerations become more complex when the mental incapacity is temporary and when the medication actually serves to restore autonomy.

Overall survival after concurrent cisplatin-radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

This phase III randomized study compared concurrent cisplatin-radiotherapy (CRT) versus radiotherapy (RT) alone in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A total of 350 patients were randomly assigned to receive external RT alone or concurrently with cisplatin at a dosage of 40 mg/m(2) weekly. The primary endpoint was overall survival, and the median follow-up was 5.

Multicenter, phase II study of cetuximab in combination with carboplatin in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of cetuximab plus carboplatin in recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) resistant to platinum treatment.

Patients And Methods: A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing NPC who progressed on or within 12 months after termination of platinum-based chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease. Cetuximab was administered at an initial dose of 400 mg/m2 followed by weekly doses of 250 mg/m2.

Antitumor effect and enhancement of cytotoxic drug activity by cetuximab in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common head and neck cancer in southern China and South East Asia. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been proposed as a new target for anticancer therapy. EGFR was over-expressed in 85% of NPC tissues and was associated with poor prognosis.

Three distinct kinetic groupings of the synaptotagmin family: candidate sensors for rapid and delayed exocytosis.

Synaptotagmins (syts) are a family of membrane proteins present on a variety of intracellular organelles. In vertebrates, 16 isoforms of syt have been identified. The most abundant isoform, syt I, appears to function as a Ca2+ sensor that triggers the rapid exocytosis of synaptic vesicles from neurons.

Survival outcome of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with first local failure: a study by the Hong Kong Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Study Group.

Background: The purpose of this article is to report the overall survival (OS) outcome of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with local failure who received salvage treatment and to identify prognostic factors for OS.

Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2000, 2915 patients received primary radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy for nonmetastatic NPC. At a median follow-up of 3.

Cognitive intervention for community-dwelling older persons with memory problems: telemedicine versus face-to-face treatment.

Background: Memory complaints and decline in cognitive function are common in the elderly. Cognitive intervention has been shown to be beneficial in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, few community-based cognitive intervention programs are available in Hong Kong.

Low staffing level is associated with malnutrition in long-term residential care homes.

Objective: To determine if staffing level is associated with poor nutrition in the long-term residential care setting, adjusting for other confounding factors.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: In total, 14 residential care facilities in Hong Kong, stratified by nature (government subvention or for-profit) to reflect the overall proportion in Hong Kong.

Dietary flaxseed enhances the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on the growth of estrogen-dependent human breast cancer (mcf-7) in nude mice.

Purpose: This study determined the effect of 10% dietary flaxseed (FS) and tamoxifen (TAM), alone and in combination, on the growth of estrogen-dependent human breast cancer (MCF-7) in athymic mice with or without 17beta-estradiol (E2) supplementation.

Experimental Design: Ovariectomized mice received injection with MCF-7 cells, were implanted with an E2 pellet (1.7 mg), and fed the basal diet (BD).