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In China, the correlation between environmental space and drug use by gay male sex workers remains an under-researched public health concern. Drugs are commonly used to enhance sexual performance as well as provide feelings of euphoria but they also increase the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. The spatial and environmental factors that create synergies between drug consumption and sex work are explored through qualitative data obtained from 16 HIV-positive male sex workers. Alienation and instability are markers which encourage drug use in the sale of sex. The concept of necropolitics explains how environmental and spatial factors expose them to death conditions where they survive without help from the state and subsist only through the support of their own insular communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting civic engagement could be a way of strengthening the social solidarity of China's urban population. The drastic socio-economic changes resulting from recent economic reform are likely to have a deleterious effect on social solidarity. Based on a survey conducted in 2010 in the Southern China city of Xiamen, this paper examines a specific form of civic engagement - citizen cooperation - to resolve community problems, and assesses its relationship with social capital. The study reveals that discrepancies in the level of civic engagement exist among urban residents and that inequality of social capital plays a significant role in these discrepancies. The findings suggest that such gaps could be addressed by increasing social capital, especially by expanding residents' personal community networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Foot-and-mouth disease is an endemic animal disease in Hong Kong. In this study, a total of 70 clinical specimens were collected from locally infected pigs from 2001 to 2010. Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 sequences reveal that all Hong Kong FMDV serotype O isolates are classified into three lineages: HK-A and HK-B in Cathay topotype, and HK-C in SEA topotype. Regression analysis projects that the time of divergence from the most recent common ancestor of HK-A and HK-B are 1964±12 and 1987±9years respectively. Although HK-B shares a common ancestor with strains that caused outbreak in Taiwan and Philippines, there is no consolidated evidence demonstrating the order of introduction events among these regions. HK-C lineage is the latest FMDV isolated in Hong Kong. This virus is likely adopted from bovine into porcine. As local pigs confer immunity mainly against Cathay topotype viruses, introduction of HK-C viruses have led into an unexpectedly high severity and rapid spreading rate of the disease. A systematic surveillance and communication network is essential to provide accurate information in controlling the pandemics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The family is the most fundamental unit of society in Hong Kong and the core element of welfare arrangements. Nevertheless, the family system has been challenged by various social forces. Using the concepts of 'risk' and 'individualization' proposed by Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, this paper examines how family structures and values have become more uncertain, flexible and unconventional. Effective family policy requires a realistic understanding of the boundaries of the state's intervention in an increasingly individualized and reflexively modern society. The paper advocates a cautious but open-minded approach to family intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of the first survey of men's self-help groups in Hong Kong. Group members and social workers felt that these contributed significantly to improvements in interpersonal skills and social networking, but also that men's services have been marginalized due to lack of societal support and a proper understanding of men's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the concept of risk to frame an analysis of welfare reforms and politics in Hong Kong following the financial crisis. Recently, the government and the public have been increasingly exposed to, and aware of, risk. The old welfare policies were considered ineffective in coping with new risks and were gradually replaced by new strategies, formulated in accordance with risk-led welfare discourse. The new risks and the risk management policies have reconfigured political alignments and power relationships among various stakeholders, who continue to debate risk definitions and appropriate responses. The perception and significance of risk, especially after the financial crisis, in reconfiguring risk politics, reconstituting power among the state and various groups, and constructing welfare discourse and policies will be examined. Even though actual risk has greatly diminished since 2004, risk has been entrenched in government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The drayage services between a container terminal and the origin (or destination) of a shipment account for a significant portion of the total transportation cost. They are the key sources of shipment delays, road congestions, and disruptions in the international logistics network. Such a situation is even worse when the drayage services involve cross-border issues. Using Hong Kong, the busiest port in the world, as an example, we illustrate the challenges and issues in managing drayage activities in hub cities. We show that managing cross-border drayage container transportation is a very challenging problem because not only individual resources (e.g., driver, tractor, and chassis) but also the composites of them (e.g., the driver–tractor–chassis triplets) need to be managed simultaneously. The problem is further complicated by the regulatory policies which govern the cross-border activities. We use an attribute–decision model for this problem and implement an adaptive labeling algorithm to solve it. We conduct numerical experiments to evaluate the system performances under various regulatory policies. The results show that the benefit gained by relaxing the regulatory policies is significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A significant portion of the 200,000 people working in Hong Kong’s central business district (CBD) relies on buses as their primary means of transport. During peak hours, nearly a thousand double-decker buses pour into a tiny area of 150ha. This causes traffic congestion and air pollution. Moreover, given that the flow is uni-directional (into the CBD in the morning and out of the CBD in the afternoon), the occupancy of buses in the CBD is actually low. In this paper, we propose to reduce traffic congestion and to increase bus occupancy by merging bus routes. We describe the peculiar situation of the CBD in Hong Kong and explain the necessary conditions for the possible success of merging routes. Our analysis shows that merging will lead to an overall benefit for all parties, including government, bus operators, and passengers. The actual merging decisions, which routes to merge and at what frequencies buses should run, are determined by a mathematical model. The model also shows quantitatively the benefits of merging routes and the impacts of other factors. The procedure that we follow and the model that we adopt can be applied to other CBD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Community economic development has attracted increasing attention in Hong Kong as a strategy for tackling economic problems. This article analyzes its applications and limitations in Hong Kong. Such initiatives are thriving though the income generated is small. Appropriate business strategies, capacity building, and strong community links are crucial for its success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1970s and up until the financial crisis occurred in the late 1990s, Hong Kong prospered in a relatively stable social, economic and political context. Since the financial crisis, however, its population has been increasingly exposed to risk: there has been job uncertainty and decreasing capacity for self-reliance, leading to a growing reliance on public welfare and on families at a time when both are under pressure. The old welfare policies, unable to cope with the new risks, have been replaced by neo-liberal reforms, redistributing the roles and responsibilities of the individual and the state, with a greater burden falling on the former. Individuals are required to be prudent to manage risk. While these reforms have relieved some of the burden on the state, both new social risk groups and ‘net taxpayers’ considered themselves to have borne disproportional costs. Society is facing serious problems resulting from ineffective old welfare policies, new social risks due to new policies, and the political upheavals arising from increased social conflicts and weakened social cohesion and solidarity. A further complication is that there is no acceptable platform or agent to negotiate a compromise between the polarized groups. This article argues that reliance on publicly funded risk coping strategies or on neo-liberal risk prevention and mitigation strategies is not a desirable and sustainable policy. A commonly accepted political platform is required to negotiate a compromise which emphasizes shared and balanced roles and responsibilities, and a well-conceived combination of risk prevention, mitigation and coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The objective was to describe the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on the services of the division of otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery at an academic tertiary referral hospital in Hong Kong.STUDY DESIGN Descriptive.METHODS Records of general and subspecialty outpatient attendance, ward admissions, ward bed occupancy, and elective and emergency surgery were obtained for the period since the SARS outbreak and for an equivalent period before the outbreak. The changes in these parameters were determined against the background of new SARS cases.RESULTS Since the outbreak of SARS in March 2003, the weekly outpatient clinic attendance has declined by 59%, the number of operations performed by 79%, the average ward bed occupancy rate by 79% and the daily admission rate by 84%. A dramatic increase of 300% in the number of patients defaulting on their outpatient appointments was recorded.CONCLUSION The substantial decrease in otorhinolaryngological services at an academic tertiary referral hospital in Hong Kong has been multifaceted. The decrease in attendance at the outpatient clinics reflects the increased number of patients defaulting on their appointments. Nonessential elective surgery was suspended soon after the outbreak, accounting for the decrease in the number of surgical procedures performed and partially for the decrease in ward bed occupancy and ward admissions. The temporary closure of the accident and emergency department contributed to the decrease in ward admissions and emergency surgical procedures. The reduced service offered by the hospital is having an impact on the quality of care available to patients with non-life-threatening otorhinolaryngological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities confronting the traditional container consolidation industry in Hong Kong as it strives to modernise by adopting logistics functions. The study is based upon a series of detailed surveys of the industry undertaken during a period of adjustment. Improving value-added services is seen as the key to the survival of Hong Kong as a major transportation centre; this study indicates that making the improvements represents unique challenges to the firms actually involved. The barriers and potentials for these firms to transform themselves to third-party logistics service providers are analysed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examine the influences of job-search motives and coping behaviours on psychological well-being and re-employment on 104 unemployed Hong Kong Chinese within a longitudinal context. Participants were tested on two different occasions separated by eight months. Results indicated that, at the first survey, use of coping strategies predicted higher psychological well-being while higher financial hardship was associated with decreased mental health. Results of ANOVA indicated that participants who scored high in employment commitment at the first survey were more likely to regain employment subsequently. Contrary to prior findings reported in studies with Western samples, psychological well-being was not affected by employment status at the follow-up survey. The psychological well-being of participants deteriorated from the first to the second survey. These findings point clearly to the significance of psychological factors in determining the response of Hong Kong Chinese to job loss. Implications of these data for future unemployment research among Chinese are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the phonological disruption and subsequent selfcorrecting behaviour in Cantonese aphasic speakers. The self-correcting behaviour was investigated by examining the sequence of successive spontaneous attempts in producing a target sound. Five anomic, five non-fluent aphasic and five normal control subjects were assessed by using a confrontation naming task which included monosyllabic, disyllabic and trisyllabic targets. All the aphasic subjects demonstrated successive phonological self-corrections towards the target. Initial consonants were more vulnerable to phonological disruption and more resistant to self-correction than vowels, lexical tones and final consonants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a childhood psychiatric disorder often comorbid with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs). Here, we report a GWAS meta-analysis of ADHD comorbid with DBDs (ADHD + DBDs) including 3802 cases and 31,305 controls. We identify three genome-wide significant loci on chromosomes 1, 7, and 11. A meta-analysis including a Chinese cohort supports that the locus on chromosome 11 is a strong risk locus for ADHD + DBDs across European and Chinese ancestries (rs7118422, P = 3.15×10 -10 , OR = 1.17). We find a higher SNP heritability for ADHD + DBDs (h 2 SNP  = 0.34) when compared to ADHD without DBDs (h 2 SNP  = 0.20), high genetic correlations between ADHD + DBDs and aggressive (r g  = 0.81) and anti-social behaviors (r g  = 0.82), and an increased burden (polygenic score) of variants associated with ADHD and aggression in ADHD + DBDs compared to ADHD without DBDs. Our results suggest an increased load of common risk variants in ADHD + DBDs compared to ADHD without DBDs, which in part can be explained by variants associated with aggressive behavior.

Objective: We undertook a prospective study of the efficacy of a new intranasal steroid, mometasone furoate nasal spray (Nasonex; Schering-Plough Corp, Kenilworth, NJ)., Study Design: Chinese patients with allergic rhinitis were recruited. The patients were assessed by a questionnaire that included demographic data and a Rhinitis Symptoms Score. Objective assessments of the nasal passages were performed with a 2.7-mm 30-degree rigid nasoendoscope and scored according to the modified Lund and Kennedy sinusitis staging and scoring for endoscopic appearances of the nasal cavity in rhinosinusitis. Patients were assessed before treatment, and then 200 microg/d MFNS was prescribed. Patients were reevaluated after 8 and 16 weeks of commencement of MFNS. A total of 51 patients completed the 16-week study., Results: There were significant reductions in mean Rhinitis Symptoms Score from 6.19 to 3.8 (P < 0.001) and mean Endoscopic Appearance Score from 4.6 to 3.58 (P = 0.046). Analysis showed that there were reductions in the severity of all 3 aspects of rhinitis symptoms: rhinorrhea, sneezing, and nasal obstruction., Conclusion: Mometasone furoate nasal spray was effective in controlling allergic rhinitis and was well tolerated by patients.

Purpose: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly prevalent in southern China and characterized by a strong association with EBV. We aimed to detect EBV DNA and cancer-related gene promoter hypermethylation in nasopharyngeal (NP) brushing samples and provide a novel noninvasive approach for NPC detection., Experimental Design: Twenty-eight NPC cases and 26 noncancerous subjects were prospectively recruited. NP brushing samples were subjected to quantitative real-time PCR analysis of EBV DNA and methylation-specific PCR analysis of the DAP-kinase, RASSF1A, and p16 genes., Results: EBV DNA quantity in NP brushing samples from NPC patients (median, 8.94 copies/actin) was significantly higher than that of controls (median, 0 copies/actin; P < 0.0001). Twenty-seven of 28 NPC patients had detectable EBV DNA in NP brushes, whereas 25 of 26 controls had undetectable or very low levels of EBV DNA. Elevated EBV DNA level in brushing samples as a tumor marker had a sensitivity of 96.4% and a specificity of 96.2% for NPC detection. Moreover, T(1) disease had a significantly lower EBV DNA level as compared with locally more advanced disease (P = 0.037). In brushing samples of NPC patients, the frequencies of DAP-kinase, RASSF1A, and p16 promoter hypermethylation were 50.0%, 39.3%, and 46.4%, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of cases showed methylation of at least one gene. No aberrant hypermethylation was detected in control samples., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the feasibility of detecting multiple molecular tumor markers in NP brushing samples with a high sensitivity and specificity for NPC detection. It offers a powerful yet noninvasive approach for the diagnosis of NPC in high-risk populations.