Overexpression of nucleotide metabolic enzyme DUT in hepatocellular carcinoma potentiates a therapeutic opportunity through targeting its dUTPase activity.

Uracil misincorporation during DNA replication is a major cell toxic event, of which cancer cells overcome by activating the dUTPase enzyme. The DUT gene is the only known dUTPase in human. Despite reports on common upregulations in cancers, the role of DUT in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely undetermined.

Alcohol drinking, especially light drinking, and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Background: The association of depressive symptoms with moderate and heavy drinking in adolescents have been reported in many studies, but that with light drinking is unclear.

Methods: In a 2012-13 school-based survey, 20,951 secondary school students (aged 11-20 years, 51.3 % boys) from 44 schools in Hong Kong reported their sociodemographic information, depressive symptoms, drinking patterns and other lifestyle factors.

Serum-circulating His-tRNA synthetase inhibits organ-targeted immune responses.

His-tRNA synthetase (HARS) is targeted by autoantibodies in chronic and acute inflammatory anti-Jo-1-positive antisynthetase syndrome. The extensive activation and migration of immune cells into lung and muscle are associated with interstitial lung disease, myositis, and morbidity. It is unknown whether the sequestration of HARS is an epiphenomenon or plays a causal role in the disease.

Biallelic mutations in valyl-tRNA synthetase gene VARS are associated with a progressive neurodevelopmental epileptic encephalopathy.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) function to transfer amino acids to cognate tRNA molecules, which are required for protein translation. To date, biallelic mutations in 31 ARS genes are known to cause recessive, early-onset severe multi-organ diseases. VARS encodes the only known valine cytoplasmic-localized aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.

Bi-allelic Mutations in Phe-tRNA Synthetase Associated with a Multi-system Pulmonary Disease Support Non-translational Function.

The tRNA synthetases catalyze the first step of protein synthesis and have increasingly been studied for their nuclear and extra-cellular ex-translational activities. Human genetic conditions such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth have been attributed to dominant gain-of-function mutations in some tRNA synthetases. Unlike dominantly inherited gain-of-function mutations, recessive loss-of-function mutations can potentially elucidate ex-translational activities.

Cross-sectional study on parental pro-drinking practices and adolescent alcohol drinking in Hong Kong.

Objectives: To investigate the association between parental pro-drinking practices (PPDPs) and alcohol drinking in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: 4 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Alternative splicing creates two new architectures for human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase.

Many human tRNA synthetases evolved alternative functions outside of protein synthesis. These functions are associated with over 200 splice variants (SVs), most of which are catalytic nulls that engender new biology. While known to regulate non-translational activities, little is known about structures resulting from natural internal ablations of any protein.

Exposure to secondhand smoke from neighbours and respiratory symptoms in never-smoking adolescents in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home from neighbours in Hong Kong adolescents and its association with respiratory symptoms in never-smokers.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: 79 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Sociodemographic risk factors of alcohol drinking in Hong Kong adolescents.

Background: Adolescent drinking in Western countries has been associated with older age and high socioeconomic status, but the association with family structure was inconsistent.

Methods: In a 2012-2013 school-based survey in Hong Kong, 23,096 students (mean age 14.7 years, SD 1.

Correlates of pro-drinking practices in drinking parents of adolescents in Hong Kong.

Introduction And Aims: Parental alcohol-related practices are important risk factors of adolescent drinking, but little is known about the factors associated with these parental pro-drinking practices (PPDPs). We investigated the correlates of 9 PPDPs in drinking parents of adolescents in Hong Kong.

Methods: A total of 2200 students (age 14.

Alcohol drinking and pro-drinking practices in parents of Hong Kong adolescents.

Aims: We investigated the prevalence of various parental pro-drinking practices and its association with parental drinking status.

Methods: A school-based survey was completed by 2200 students (mean age 14.8, SD 2.

Hong Kong Chinese adolescents' self-reported smoking and perceptions of parenting styles.

Background: Adolescent smoking has been associated with general parenting style, although potential differences between fathers and mothers were seldom investigated, especially in non-Western populations.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate associations between Hong Kong adolescents' smoking and their perceptions of paternal and maternal parenting styles.

Method: In a school-based survey in 2006-2007, 33,408 adolescents (44.

Human tRNA synthetase catalytic nulls with diverse functions.

Genetic efficiency in higher organisms depends on mechanisms to create multiple functions from single genes. To investigate this question for an enzyme family, we chose aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (AARSs). They are exceptional in their progressive and accretive proliferation of noncatalytic domains as the Tree of Life is ascended.

Secreted histidyl-tRNA synthetase splice variants elaborate major epitopes for autoantibodies in inflammatory myositis.

Inflammatory and debilitating myositis and interstitial lung disease are commonly associated with autoantibodies (anti-Jo-1 antibodies) to cytoplasmic histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS). Anti-Jo-1 antibodies from different disease-afflicted patients react mostly with spatially separated epitopes in the three-dimensional structure of human HisRS. We noted that two HisRS splice variants (SVs) include these spatially separated regions, but each SV lacks the HisRS catalytic domain.

Physical activity and constipation in Hong Kong adolescents.

Objective: To examine the association of constipation with exercise, non-exercise physical activity, and sedentary behaviours in Hong Kong adolescents.

Methods: In 2006-2007, 42 secondary schools were randomly selected to participate in the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance (HKSOS) project. A total of 33692 Form 1-7 students (44.

Assessment of weight-related factors of adolescents by private practitioners.

Background: Few studies have examined how common physicians assess various weight-related variables and patient characteristics that predict such assessments based on adolescents' reports. We aimed to examine how common adolescents received weight-related physical measurements and lifestyle enquiries (dietary habits and physical activity) from private practitioners and to identify factors associated with these assessments.

Methods: In the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance (HKSOS) project, 33692 students (44.

Regulated capture by exosomes of mRNAs for cytoplasmic tRNA synthetases.

Although tRNA synthetases are enzymes that catalyze the first step of translation in the cytoplasm, surprising functions unrelated to translation have been reported. These studies, and the demonstration of novel activities of splice variants, suggest a far broader reach of tRNA synthetases into cell biology than previously recognized. Here we show that mRNAs for most tRNA synthetases can be detected in exosomes.

Alcohol consumption and sleep problems in Hong Kong adolescents.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and sleep problems among Hong Kong adolescents.

Methods: In the 2006 and 2007 Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance project, 33,692 secondary students completed an anonymous questionnaire on lifestyles and health. Alcohol consumption was categorized as nondrinkers (reference group), those who drank less than 1day per week (less than weekly drinkers), and those who drank 1 to 7 days per week (weekly drinkers, including some daily drinkers).

Secondhand smoke exposure and health services use among adolescent current smokers.

Background: To investigate the associations of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure with medical consultation and hospitalisation among adolescents in Hong Kong.

Methods: A total of 35827 secondary 1 (US grade 7) to secondary 5 students from 85 randomly selected schools completed an anonymous questionnaire on smoking, SHS at home, SHS outside home, medical consultation in the past 14 days, hospitalisation in the past 12 months, and socio-demographic characteristics. Current smoking was defined as any smoking in the past 30 days.

Longitudinal relations of perceived availability of neighborhood sport facilities with physical activity in adolescents: an analysis of potential moderators.

Background: Little is known about the longitudinal relations of environment attributes and leisure-time physical activity (PA) in adolescents, and the moderating effects of individual characteristics. This study examined the longitudinal association of the perceived availability of neighborhood sport facilities with leisure-time PA, and the potential moderating effects of age, past PA behavior, and weight status in adolescents.

Methods: Among 20,933 follow-up subjects (60.

The use of Stunkard's figure rating scale to identify underweight and overweight in Chinese adolescents.

Background: To compare the performance of Stunkard's current body size (CBS) with self-reported body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist to stature ratio (WSR) in predicting weight status in Chinese adolescents, and to determine the CBS cutoffs for overweight/obesity and underweight.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 5,418 secondary school students (45.2% boys; mean age 14.

Sleep and academic performance in Hong Kong adolescents.

Background: Sleep problems may have different influences on students' academic performance. We investigated the prevalence of sleep patterns, naps, and sleep disorders, and their associations with academic performance in Hong Kong adolescents.

Methods: In 2007-2008, 22,678 students aged 12-18 (41.

Internally deleted human tRNA synthetase suggests evolutionary pressure for repurposing.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) catalyze aminoacylation of tRNAs in the cytoplasm. Surprisingly, AARSs also have critical extracellular and nuclear functions. Evolutionary pressure for new functions might be manifested by splice variants that skip only an internal catalytic domain (CD) and link noncatalytic N- and C-terminal polypeptides.

Smoking family, secondhand smoke exposure at home, and quitting in adolescent smokers.

Introduction: This study investigated the associations of smoking family and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home with quit attempts and smoking cessation among adolescents.

Methods: Students from 85 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong were surveyed using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire on SHS exposure at home and outside the home in the past 7 days, quit attempts, smoking cessation, sociodemographic characteristics, and smoking status of family members and peers. Families with 1 or more smoking members (excluding the subject) were classified as smoking families and otherwise as nonsmoking families.