Using positive youth development constructs to design a drug education curriculum for junior secondary students in Hong Kong.

This paper outlines the design of a new curriculum for positive youth development (P.A.T.

Genogroup I and II picobirnaviruses in respiratory tracts of pigs.

Sequence-independent amplification and specific reverse transcription PCRs identified genogroup I and II picobirnaviruses in respiratory tracts of pigs. These data expand knowledge of picobirnavirus diversity and tropism. Genetic relationships between porcine respiratory and human enteric picobirnaviruses suggest cross-species transmission of picobirnaviruses between pigs and humans.

Using positive youth development constructs to design a money management curriculum for junior secondary school students in Hong Kong.

This paper aims to discuss the relationships between the selected positive youth development constructs and the enhancement of Hong Kong junior secondary school students' money management skills, values, and attitudes. Various issues of money management of adolescents are reviewed. These issues include the need for money management programs for adolescents, the content and coverage of an appropriate money management program, and its relationships with the selected positive youth development constructs.

Parenting by anxious mothers: effects of disorder subtype, context and child characteristics.

Background: There has been increasing research interest in parenting by anxious adults; however, little is known about anxiety-subtype effects, or effects of the context in which parenting is assessed.

Methods: Two groups of anxious mothers, social phobia (N = 50), generalised anxiety disorder (N = 38), and nonanxious controls (N = 62) were assessed with their 4.9-year-old children in three tasks: two presented threat specifically relevant to each maternal disorder, namely, a social threat task where the child had to give a speech, and a nonsocial threat task where the child had to explore potentially scary objects; the third was a nonthreat task (playing with play dough).

Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) promote tendon repair in a rat patellar tendon window defect model.

Injured tendons heal slowly and often result in the formation of mechanically and functionally inferior fibrotic scar tissue or fibrous adhesions. This study investigated the use of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) for tendon repair in a rat patellar tendon window defect model. Fibrin glue constructs with or without GFP-TDSCs were transplanted into the window defect.

Predictors of spontaneous smoking cessation among Chinese men whose wives are pregnant.

This is an exploratory study to identify the predictors that Chinese men will spontaneously quit smoking during their wives' pregnancy. Smoking husbands who accompanied their non-smoking pregnant wives to an antenatal clinic were invited to complete a questionnaire soliciting information regarding their smoking behaviours, perceptions of support received from their wives, and motivating factors for quitting smoking. A total of 74 men were recruited.

New feruloyl esterases to access phenolic acids from grass biomass.

In the Sorangium cellulosum strain So ce56 genome, two putative esterase-encoding genes (loci sce1896 and sce8927) were cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting enzymes (designated ScFAE1 and ScFAE2) were used to assess the possible release of ferulic acid (FA) from triticale and wheat brans, and an aqueous fraction of steam-exploded wheat straw. The two polypeptides, sharing only 30% sequence identity, exhibit a typical catalytic Ser-Asp-His triad, a characteristic of α/β-hydrolase fold proteins. Both ScFAE1 (35 kDa) and ScFAE2 (34 kDa) were purified to apparent homogeneity and comparison of their kinetic parameters indicated an apparent higher affinity of ScFAE2 than ScFAE1 towards the various feruloyl substrates.

Targeting MET by tyrosine kinase inhibitor suppresses growth and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represents a common cancer in endemic areas with high invasive and metastatic potential. It is now known that the HGF-MET signaling pathway plays an important role in mediating the invasive growth of many different types of cancer, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. HGF has been shown to stimulate NPC cell growth and invasion in cell line model.

Mapping a region of hepatitis C virus E2 that is responsible for escape from neutralizing antibodies and a core CD81-binding region that does not tolerate neutralization escape mutations.

Understanding the interaction between broadly neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes provides a basis for the rational design of a preventive hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine. CBH-2, HC-11, and HC-1 are representatives of antibodies to overlapping epitopes on E2 that mediate neutralization by blocking virus binding to CD81. To obtain insights into escape mechanisms, infectious cell culture virus, 2a HCVcc, was propagated under increasing concentrations of a neutralizing antibody to isolate escape mutants.

A systematic review of information and communication technology-based interventions for promoting physical activity behavior change in children and adolescents.

Background: A growing body of research has employed information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet and mobile phones for disseminating physical activity (PA) interventions with young populations. Although several systematic reviews have documented the effects of ICT-based interventions on PA behavior, very few have focused on children and adolescents specifically.

Objectives: The present review aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and methodological quality of ICT-based PA interventions for children and adolescents based on evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Activation of the nuclear factor κB pathway by heavy ion beams of different linear energy transfer.

Purpose: Risk assessment of radiation exposure during long-term space missions requires the knowledge of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of space radiation components. Few data on gene transcription activation by different heavy ions are available, suggesting a dependence on linear energy transfer. The transcription factor Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) can be involved in cancerogenesis.

Retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha and the regulation of lipid homeostasis.

Many nuclear hormone receptors (NRs) control lipid, glucose and energy homeostasis in an organ specific manner. Concordantly, dysfunctional NR signalling results in metabolic disease. The Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor alpha (RORα), a member of the NR1F subgroup, is expressed in metabolic tissues.

Novel therapeutic target for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: HGF-MET signaling pathway.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a devastating type of malignancy characterized by its high incidence of regional and distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. Vital physiological functions in the upper aerodigestive tract are often impaired as a result of the disease and treatment for the disease, giving rise to severe morbidity in patients suffering from this type of cancer. It is crucial to delineate the aberrant growth signaling pathways in HNSCC cells and develop specific target therapies for the disease to improve the treatment outcome.

Merkel cell carcinosarcoma: Merkel cell carcinoma with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma-like component.

Merkel cell carcinoma is an uncommon primary neuroendocrine neoplasm of the skin that may exhibit divergent differentiation. However, rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation has only been rarely described and takes the form of isolated rhabdomyoblasts. We describe a case of cutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma with biphasic morphology imparted by discrete patches of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma-like spindle cells alternating with islands of neuroendocrine small round cells, justifying a designation of "Merkel cell carcinosarcoma.

Novel "glove" access port for single port surgery in right hemicolectomy: a pilot study.

The trend of single port surgery is increasing recently, and it is technically feasible for right hemicolectomy. However, the operation requires special and expensive access port for the insertion of the instruments. Day et al reported the use of a novel "glove" access port for right hemicolectomy in this pilot study.

Rapid modulation of local neural activity by controlled drug release from polymer-coated recording microelectrodes.

We demonstrate targeted perturbation of neuronal activity with controlled release of neurochemicals from conducting polymer-coated microelectrodes. Polymer coating and chemical incorporation are achieved through individually addressable electrodeposition, a process that does not compromise the recording capabilities of the electrodes. Release is realized by the application of brief voltage pulses that electrochemically reduce the polymer and dissociate incorporated neurochemicals; whereby they can diffuse away and achieve locally effective concentrations.

Successful chronic disease care for Aboriginal Australians requires cultural competence.

Objective: To review the literature to determine the attributes of culturally appropriate healthcare to inform the design of chronic disease management (CDM) models for Aboriginal patients in urban general practice.

Methods: A comprehensive conceptual framework, drawing on the Access to Care, Pathway to Care, Chronic Care, Level of Connectedness, and Cultural Security, Cultural Competency and Cultural Respect models, was developed to define the search strategy, inclusion criteria and appraisal methods for the literature review. Selected papers were reviewed in detail if they examined a chronic disease intervention for an Aboriginal population and reported on its evaluation, impacts or outcomes.

Making the connection: a qualitative study of brokerage in Aboriginal health in a metropolitan area of Victoria and a regional area of New South Wales.

Objective: Health brokerage is one method being employed by government health agencies in an attempt to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's access to primary healthcare. This qualitative study explores key stakeholders' understanding and acceptance of the health brokerage model, prior to the implementation of brokerage services.

Methods: Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with key stakeholders.

MRI-guided prostate radiation therapy planning: Investigation of dosimetric accuracy of MRI-based dose planning.

Background And Purpose: Dose planning requires a CT scan which provides the electron density distribution for dose calculation. MR provides superior soft tissue contrast compared to CT and the use of MR-alone for prostate planning would provide further benefits such as lower cost to the patient. This study compares the accuracy of MR-alone based dose calculations with bulk electron density assignment to CT-based dose calculations for prostate radiotherapy.

Meiotic recombination and male infertility: from basic science to clinical reality?

Infertility is a common problem that affects approximately 15% of the population. Although many advances have been made in the treatment of infertility, the molecular and genetic causes of male infertility remain largely elusive. This review will present a summary of our current knowledge on the genetic origin of male infertility and the key events of male meiosis.