The living experience of losing genetic continuity: Concealment tendency in Chinese recipients of donor-assisted conception.

This study explored how Chinese women with donor-assisted conception experienced loss of genetic continuity and managed donor-assisted conception-related information. Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a thematic framework on women's beliefs, motivation, and behaviors in information management was constructed. Contrary to the Western trend toward disclosure, it was found that Chinese women strongly preferred to conceal, in order to protect their family members, the parent-child relationship, and family stability.

Dynamic clonal progression in xenografts of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21.

Intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 is a heterogeneous chromosomal rearrangement occurring in 2% of cases of childhood precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. These abnormalities are too complex to engineer faithfully in animal models and are unrepresented in leukemia cell lines. As a resource for future functional and preclinical studies, we have created xenografts from the leukemic blasts of patients with intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 and characterized them by and luminescent imaging, flow immunophenotyping, and histological and ultrastructural analyses of bone marrow and the central nervous system.

Social vulnerability index for the older people-Hong Kong and New York City as examples.

Many world cities have suffered large-scale disasters, causing a significant loss of lives, property damage, and adverse social and economic impact. Those who are most vulnerable during and in the immediate aftermath of disaster crises are the elderly. Therefore, it is imperative to identify them and determine their specific needs in order to support them.

Can short-term residential care for stroke rehabilitation help to reduce the institutionalization of stroke survivors?

Background: Stroke survivors may not be receiving optimal rehabilitation as a result of a shortage of hospital resources, and many of them are institutionalized. A rehabilitation program provided in a short-term residential care setting may help to fill the service gap.

Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were, first, to examine whether there were significant differences in terms of rehabilitation outcomes at 1 year after admission to the rehabilitation program (defined as baseline) between those using short-term residential care (intervention group) and those using usual geriatric day hospital care (control group), and, second, to investigate whether lower 1-year institutionalization rates were observed in the intervention group than in the control group.

Improving the quality of end-of-life care in long-term care institutions.

Purpose: A knowledge transfer program was carried out to improve knowledge in end-of-life care staff at all levels in residential care homes for the elderly, using a model similar to that developed for a non-acute care hospital setting.

Methods: The program consisted of a series of seminars and on-site sharing sessions held in the hospital providing outreach support to residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), as well as case discussions in the RCHEs. Evaluation was carried out using a knowledge assessment questionnaire before and after the initiative, as well as recording RCHE staff feedback and in-depth interviews with selected residents and their family members.

Identifying service needs from the users and service providers' perspective: a focus group study of Chinese elders, health and social care professionals.

Aim: This is a preliminary study to identify older people service needs in Hong Kong from the users' and service providers' perspective.

Background: As the Hong Kong population is ageing rapidly, it is important to identify the needs for care of older people. Although a wide variety of medical and social services have been provided to meet the needs of older people, there has been little evaluation from the users' or service providers' perspective regarding what the needs are and how well current service provisions match their needs.

Acetylation of heat shock protein 20 (Hsp20) regulates human myometrial activity.

Phosphorylation of heat shock protein 20 (Hsp20) by protein kinase A (PKA) is now recognized as an important regulatory mechanism modulating contractile activity in the human myometrium. Thus agonists that stimulate cyclic AMP production may cause relaxation with resultant beneficial effects on pathologies that affect this tissue such as the onset of premature contractions prior to term. Here we describe for the first time that acetylation of Hsp20 is also a potent post-translational modification that can affect human myometrial activity.

Quality of end-of-life care for non-cancer patients in a non-acute hospital.

Aims And Objectives: Few surveys have been carried out documenting the quality of life for non-cancer patients in general district hospitals reaching the final trajectory towards death. We carried out a survey of 80 patients facing the final stages of their chronic illness as well as their carers and hospital staff.

Background: With increasing life expectancy, a large majority of patients are older, where palliative care principles for patients with cancer are equally applicable.

A pilot study on the effectiveness of anticipatory grief therapy for elderly facing the end of life.

This pilot study evaluates the benefits of anticipatory grief therapy (AGT) for day hospice patients and long-term care (LTC) residents with cancer and non-malignant chronic diseases. Twenty-six elderly people (69.2 percent female; average age 81.

Evaluation of a continuous quality improvement initiative for end-of-life care for older noncancer patients.

Objectives: The burden of suffering among patients with end-stage chronic diseases may be greater than those of cancer patients, as a result of longer duration of illness trajectory and high prevalence of symptoms, yet they may be less likely to receive palliative care services. To improve the quality of care of these patients, we carried out a continuous quality improvement initiative among medical and nursing staff of a convalescent facility.

Design: Evaluation of a quality improvement initiative.

An exploration of anticipatory grief in advanced cancer patients.

Background And Objectives: Research on anticipatory grief (AG) has been more focused on the experience of relatives than the terminally ill patients. This study will present qualitative 'thick descriptions' of advanced cancer patient's experience of AG and explore how it is experienced in the family context.

Method: Seven advanced incurable cancer patients (median 58 years) were recruited from the day hospice and five patients comprised the final sample.

Handicap and its determinants of change in stroke survivors: one-year follow-up study.

Background And Purpose: Stroke, a major health issue affecting the elderly, limits their participation in society. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in stroke survivors' handicap levels and to identify their determinants in the subacute phase from 3 months to 1 year.

Methods: Data were collected from a prospective cohort of 303 Chinese stroke survivors with the use of questionnaires, including the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living-Chinese Version (IADL-CV), Barthel Index, Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination, Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Chinese version of the London Handicap Scale.

Cross-cultural validation of the London Handicap Scale and comparison of handicap perception between Chinese and UK populations.

Objective: To validate the London Handicap Scale on populations from diverse cultures by comparing handicap perceptions in Mainland (Sichuan) Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese and UK subjects.

Method: Utility ratings of 10 real life health scenarios were given by a group of healthy and disabled Sichuan Chinese subjects. The ratings were then correlated with published scale scores of HK and UK subjects on the same scenarios.

Six-year review of Acanthamoeba keratitis in New South Wales, Australia: 1997-2002.

Aim: To assess the incidence and risk factors for Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), the diagnostic interval, and the efficacy and outcome of current treatment among the population of New South Wales, Australia.

Methods: A retrospective review was carried out of all cases of AK treated at the Sydney Eye Hospital between January 1997 and December 2002.

Results: Twenty patients were identified with a mean follow up of 24.