Severity of Proteinuria Is Directly Associated With Risk of Hypothyroidism in Adults.

Context: Proteinuria can cause or exacerbate hypothyroidism, possibly due to urinary loss of protein-bound thyroid hormone. However, the precise relationship between proteinuria and hypothyroidism remains unclear.

Objective: This work aimed to determine the prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with proteinuria and the relationship between hypothyroidism and degree of proteinuria.

The Quality, Readability, Completeness, and Accuracy of PTSD Websites for Firefighters.

Firefighters appear at an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because of PTSD-related stigma, firefighters may search for information online. The current study evaluated the quality, readability, and completeness of PTSD online resources, and to determine how the online treatment recommendations align with current evidence.

The first pilot study of expanded newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism and survey of related knowledge and opinions of health care professionals in Hong Kong.

Introduction: Newborn screening is important for early diagnosis and effective treatment of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). In response to a 2008 coroners' report of a 14-year-old boy who died of an undiagnosed IEM, the OPathPaed service model was proposed. In the present study, we investigated the feasibility of the OPathPaed model for delivering expanded newborn screening in Hong Kong.

Directional optical switching and transistor functionality using optical parametric oscillation in a spinor polariton fluid.

Over the past decade, spontaneously emerging patterns in the density of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities were found to be a promising candidate for all-optical switching. But recent approaches were mostly restricted to scalar fields, did not benefit from the polariton's unique spin-dependent properties, and utilized switching based on hexagon far-field patterns with 60° beam switching (i.e.

Optically Controlled Orbital Angular Momentum Generation in a Polaritonic Quantum Fluid.

Applications of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light range from the next generation of optical communication systems to optical imaging and optical manipulation of particles. Here we propose a micron-sized semiconductor source that emits light with predefined OAM pairs. This source is based on a polaritonic quantum fluid.

Venous access and long-term pacemaker lead failure: comparing contrast-guided axillary vein puncture with subclavian puncture and cephalic cutdown.

Aims: Existing data on the relationship between venous access and long-term pacemaker lead failure (PLF) are scarce and inconsistent. We aim to study the hypothesis that contrast-guided axillary vein puncture (AP) is better than subclavian puncture (SP) and similar to cephalic vein cutdown (CV) in the incidence of PLF and the success rate of AP is higher than CV.

Methods And Results: The case records of 409 patients with 681 implantable pacemaker leads were reviewed.

Clinical, Sonographic, and Pathological Characteristics of RAS-Positive Versus BRAF-Positive Thyroid Carcinoma.

Context: Mutations in the BRAF and RAS oncogenes are responsible for most well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Yet, our clinical understanding of how BRAF-positive and RAS-positive thyroid cancers differ is incomplete.

Objective: We correlated clinical, radiographic, and pathological findings from patients with thyroid cancer harboring a BRAF or RAS mutation.

Long- versus short-interval follow-up of cytologically benign thyroid nodules: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Thyroid nodules are common, and most are benign. Given the risk of false-negative cytology (i.e.

Bethesda Categorization of Thyroid Nodule Cytology and Prediction of Thyroid Cancer Type and Prognosis.

Background: Since its inception, the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBS) has been widely adopted. Each category conveys a risk of malignancy and recommended next steps, though it is unclear if each category also predicts the type and extent of malignancy. If so, this would greatly expand the utility of the TBS by providing prognostic information in addition to baseline cancer risk.

The Influence of Patient Age on Thyroid Nodule Formation, Multinodularity, and Thyroid Cancer Risk.

Introduction: Although advancing age is known to influence the formation of thyroid nodules, the precise relationship remains unclear. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether age influences the risk that any thyroid nodule may prove cancerous.

Aim: The aim was to determine the impact of patient age on nodule formation, multinodularity, and risk of thyroid malignancy.

Afirma Benign Thyroid Nodules Show Similar Growth to Cytologically Benign Nodules During Follow-Up.

Context: The Afirma gene expression classifier (GEC) is a molecular diagnostic test that has a high negative predictive value for ruling out malignancy in thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. Many patients with a cytologically indeterminate and GEC benign (Cyto-I/GEC-B) nodule undergo monitoring instead of diagnostic surgery, but few data describe their follow-up.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the sonographic changes and clinical outcomes for patients with Cyto-I/GEC-B nodules compared with patients with cytologically benign (Cyto-B) nodules.

The variable phenotype and low-risk nature of RAS-positive thyroid nodules.

Background: Oncogenic mutations are common in thyroid cancers. While the frequently detected RAS-oncogene mutations have been studied for diagnostic use in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, no investigation has studied such mutations in an unselected population of thyroid nodules. No long-term study of RAS-positive thyroid nodules has been performed.

Hair follicle dermal sheath derived cells improve islet allograft survival without systemic immunosuppression.

Immunosuppressive drugs successfully prevent rejection of islet allografts in the treatment of type I diabetes. However, the drugs also suppress systemic immunity increasing the risk of opportunistic infection and cancer development in allograft recipients. In this study, we investigated a new treatment for autoimmune diabetes using naturally immune privileged, hair follicle derived, autologous cells to provide localized immune protection of islet allotransplants.

Long-term, treatment-free survival in select patients with distant metastatic papillary thyroid cancer.

Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) generally has a favorable prognosis. However, patients with distant metastatic disease experience progression of disease with a higher mortality. A subset of patients not previously described may challenge the conventional dogma regarding the progressive nature of all metastatic WDTC.

Optical characterization of electron-phonon interactions at the saddle point in graphene.

The role of many-body interactions is experimentally and theoretically investigated near the saddle point absorption peak of graphene. The time and energy-resolved differential optical transmission measurements reveal the dominant role played by electron-acoustic phonon coupling in band structure renormalization. Using a Born approximation for electron-phonon coupling and experimental estimates of the dynamic lattice temperature, we compute the differential transmission line shape.

Determination of the optimal time interval for repeat evaluation after a benign thyroid nodule aspiration.

Introduction: The optimal timing for repeat evaluation of a cytologically benign thyroid nodule greater than 1 cm is uncertain. Arguably, the most important determinant is the disease-specific mortality resulting from an undetected thyroid cancer. Presently there exist no data that evaluate this important end point.

Formation and control of Turing patterns in a coherent quantum fluid.

Nonequilibrium patterns in open systems are ubiquitous in nature, with examples as diverse as desert sand dunes, animal coat patterns such as zebra stripes, or geographic patterns in parasitic insect populations. A theoretical foundation that explains the basic features of a large class of patterns was given by Turing in the context of chemical reactions and the biological process of morphogenesis. Analogs of Turing patterns have also been studied in optical systems where diffusion of matter is replaced by diffraction of light.

Hair follicle mesenchyme-associated PD-L1 regulates T-cell activation induced apoptosis: a potential mechanism of immune privilege.

The immune privilege (IP) of hair follicles (HFs) has been well established in previous studies. However, whether cultured HF cells still exhibit IP properties, the individual factors involved in this process, and the detailed mechanisms that drive and maintain IP, are largely unidentified. We found preferential expression of IP-associated genes in cultured HF dermal papilla and dermal sheath cup cells (DSCCs) compared with non-follicular fibroblasts (FBs) at passage 4, suggesting a potential for functional IP.

Intracranial haemorrhage among Chinese children with immune thrombocytopenia in a Hong Kong regional hospital.

Objective: To evaluate potential risk factors, presenting symptoms, management, and outcomes of intracranial haemorrhage in Chinese children with immune thrombocytopenia managed in a regional hospital.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: A regional hospital in Hong Kong.

Outcome of hepatobiliary scanning: preterm versus full-term cholestatic infants.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the specificity of a non-draining hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) for biliary atresia (BA) in preterm and full-term babies, to verify the relationship between non-draining scan and higher levels of direct bilirubin and to find an objective criterion to guide the time in performing HBS.

Methods: A total of 175 infants (113 males and 62 females, median age of 45 days) with 181 HBS performed in Tuen Mun Hospital between January 1998 and May 2010 were retrospectively analysed. A 'non-draining' scan was defined as one showing no excretion of radiolabelled tracer into the small bowel 24 h after injection.

Frequency of developmental dysplasia of the hip in breech-presented Chinese neonates in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES. To clarify the use of ultrasonography by determining the frequency of developmental dysplasia of the hip among breech-presented Chinese neonates in Hong Kong. DESIGN.

Electronic chemical pathology consultation service and dried blood spot metabolic screening in hospital patients.

Aim: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are an unpopular and difficult subject and most clinicians are unfamiliar with them. Although chemical pathologists have a long-standing practice in advising test strategy and result interpretation especially from primary care, such consultations are usually informal, unstructured and those related to IEM are infrequently requested. This study aims to provide a formal electronic consultation service and to apply tandem mass spectrometry-based dried blood spot metabolic screening (DBSM) as a rapid first-line test for patients suspected of IEM.

Molecular diagnosis for a fatal case of very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in Hong Kong Chinese with a novel mutation: a preventable death by newborn screening.

Very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency is one of the most common fatty acid oxidation defects that cause sudden unexpected deaths in infants. The death attributed to VLCAD deficiency can be prevented by early diagnosis with expanded newborn screening using tandem mass spectrometry. A favorable outcome can be achieved with early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Uses and abuses of paediatric electroencephalography.

Objective: To investigate whether requests for standard paediatric electroencephalograms accord with guideline recommendations, subsequent changes in clinical management according to reported results, and extent to which the service meets waiting time targets.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Regional hospital, Hong Kong.