First-trimester medical abortion service in Hong Kong.

Research on medical abortion has been conducted in Hong Kong since the 1990s. It was not until 2011 that the first-trimester medical abortion service was launched. Mifepristone was registered in Hong Kong in April 2014 and all institutions that are listed in the Gazette as a provider for legal abortion can purchase mifepristone from the local provider.

Bone health status of postmenopausal Chinese women.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis in treatment-naïve postmenopausal women, their treatment adherence, and the risk factors for osteoporosis.

Design: Cross-sectional study of bone density reports, a self-administered health checklist, and computerised consultation records.

Setting: Primary care sexual and reproductive health service in Hong Kong.

The role of lymph nodes in predicting the prognosis of ampullary carcinoma after curative resection.

Background: Lymph node involvement is one of the well-demonstrated prognostic factors in ampullary carcinoma. The aim of this study is to clarify the role of lymph nodes in predicting the survival outcome of ampullary carcinoma.

Methods: A cohort of consecutive curative pancreaticoduodenectomies for ampullary carcinoma from 1999 to 2014 was retrospectively analyzed.

Hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas.

Background: Hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas is extremely rare. This article tries to summarize the clinical features and outcomes of pancreatic hepatoid carcinoma.

Methods: The data pool for analysis includes the case we encountered with hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas and the reported cases in the literature.

Grounded spatial belief revision.

Beliefs frequently undergo revisions, especially when new pieces of information are true but inconsistent with current beliefs. In previous studies, we showed that linguistic asymmetries provided by relational statements, play a crucial role in spatial belief revision. Located objects (LO) are preferably revised compared to reference objects (RO), known as the LO-principle.

Tobacco control and tobacco farming in African countries.

During the past decade, tobacco leaf production has shifted from high-income countries to developing countries, particularly those in Africa. Most African governments promote tobacco farming as a way to alleviate poverty. The economic benefit of tobacco farming has been used by the tobacco industry to block tobacco control policies.

Associations of dietary protein intake on subsequent decline in muscle mass and physical functions over four years in ambulant older Chinese people.

Objective: To examine the association of dietary protein intake with 4-year change in physical performance measures and muscle mass in Chinese community-dwelling older people aged 65 and older in Hong Kong.

Design: Prospective cohort study design.

Setting: Hong Kong, People's of Republic of China.

High-capacity antimony sulphide nanoparticle-decorated graphene composite as anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries are an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale applications. However, low capacity and poor rate capability of existing anodes are the main bottlenecks to future developments. Here we report a uniform coating of antimony sulphide (stibnite) on graphene, fabricated by a solution-based synthesis technique, as the anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

The association of a priori and a posterior dietary patterns with the risk of incident stroke in Chinese older people in Hong Kong.

Background: Dietary patterns can be identified by a priori and a posterior approaches. Limited data have related dietary patterns with stroke risk in Chinese population. This study examined stroke risk associated with patterns identified by both approaches.

A cross sectional study to examine the association between dietary patterns and cognitive impairment in older Chinese people in Hong Kong.

Background: Dietary patterns can be identified using a priori and a posterior approaches. Few studies have related dietary patterns with cognitive impairment in Chinese population. This study examined the risk of cognitive impairment associated with dietary patterns identified by both approaches.

Gender differences in creative thinking: behavioral and fMRI findings.

Gender differences in creativity have been widely studied in behavioral investigations, but this topic has rarely been the focus of neuroscientific research. The current paper presents follow-up analyses of a previous fMRI study (Abraham et al., Neuropsychologia 50(8):1906-1917, 2012b), in which behavioral and brain function during creative conceptual expansion as well as general divergent thinking were explored.

Pancreatic arteriovenous malformation.

Background: Pancreatic arteriovenous malformation is very rare, but may cause significant clinical symptoms such as catastrophic bleeding. Herein, we discuss the clinical presentation and management of patients pancreatic arteriovenous malformations.

Methods: The data pool for the analysis was collected from pancreatic arteriovenous malformation cases encountered by our institution and sporadic case reports in the English literature.

Sexuality of Chinese women around menopause.

Objective: To study the sexual activities and prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in midlife Chinese women and their correlations with demographic factors, sexual dissatisfaction and interpersonal difficulty.

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of women aged 40-60, who requested gynecological checkup or attend social activities at Women's Club.

Main Outcome Measures: Sexual activities, sexual dysfunctions, sexual dissatisfaction, demographic factors and interpersonal difficulty were assessed by self-administered questionnaire.

Human perception: Visual heuristics in the perception of glossiness.

New insights into the perception of surface glossiness embody a conceptual change in perception research. Instead of estimating the physical properties of objects, the brain exploits 'invariants'--even though these sometimes make us get the answer wrong.

The profile of women who seek emergency contraception from the family planning service.

OBJECTIVES. To review the profile of emergency contraceptive users, their reasons for using emergency contraception, and whether they use it correctly. DESIGN.

Rapid demountable platform (RDP)--a device for preventing fall from height accidents.

The prevention of fall from height accidents has long been a popular topic in the field of construction safety. Previous research has indicated one of the potential hazards was induced by the use of steel bracket as scaffold support. While researchers are focusing to improve the existing scaffolding system, this research introduces a newly developed device to minimize fall accidents.

Visual perception: bizarre contours go against the odds.

A new study shows that the brain sometimes invents visual contours even when they would be highly unlikely to occur in the real world. This presents a challenge to theories assuming that the brain prefers the most probable interpretation of the retinal image.

Relationship between dietary intake and the development of type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population: the Hong Kong Dietary Survey.

Objective: To study the relationship between dietary intake and the development of type 2 diabetes among Chinese adults.

Design: A prospective cohort study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a validated FFQ.

Robust association tests under different genetic models, allowing for binary or quantitative traits and covariates.

The association of genetic variants with outcomes is usually assessed under an additive model, for example by the trend test. However, misspecification of the genetic model will lead to a reduction in power. More robust tests for association might therefore be preferred.

Learning to grasp efficiently: the development of motor planning and the role of observational learning.

We examined whether 18-, 24-, and 42-month-old children, like adults, prospectively adjust their hand movements to insure a comfortable hand posture at the endpoint, and whether children can learn to grasp efficiently by observation. The task required grasping a bar and fitting it into a hollow cylinder in order to make it light up. Measures of quantitative (grip height), as well as qualitative (grip type) prospective grip adaptation were analyzed.

TPH2 gene variation and conflict processing in a cognitive and an emotional Stroop task.

Evidence suggests that a promoter polymorphism of the tryptophan-hydroxylase 2 gene (TPH2 -703 G/T) is associated with executive control functions. The current study aimed to clarify whether this relation is restricted to a purely cognitive domain or whether such an effect can also be observed in the processing of emotional material. In a sample of 89 student subjects, a 'cognitive' and an 'emotional' Stroop paradigm were applied to measure processing of cognitive and affective conflicts.

Vinflunine: clinical perspectives of an emerging anticancer agent.

Background: Vinflunine is a novel second generation of Vinca alkaloid. The binding of vinflunine to tubulin and subsequent cellular arrest in mitosis is the core mechanism of this antineoplastic agent. In addition, its potential vascular-disrupting and antiangiogenic activities uphold further clinical development of this compound.

Factors predicting seroma formation after mastectomy for Chinese breast cancer patients.

Background: Seroma formation after mastectomy typically delays recovery and adds to morbidity.

Aims: This retrospective review was undertaken to identify factors which predict development of seroma after mastectomy for breast cancer patients.

Setting And Design: 119 consecutive patients intended for mastectomy for the treatment of primary breast cancer were included.

Effects of the Ebbinghaus illusion on children's perception and grasping.

We investigated the development of the Ebbinghaus illusion in children's perception and grasping. A previous study (Hanisch et al. 2001) had reported negative illusion effects on 5- to 12-year-olds' grasping as compared to their perception.

Fructus schisandrae (Wuweizi)-containing compound inhibits secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line.

Chronic hepatitis B is probably the major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The detection of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV core protein, the e antigen (HBeAg), indicates infection with the hepatitis B virus and replication activity, respectively. Fructus schisandrae containing compound (KY88) may affect the elimination of HBV, strengthen the immune system, as well as stimulate liver cell regeneration.