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The proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over in Hong Kong is currently 13.3% and is expected to reach 26.5% by 2031. When experiencing failing health, most elders rely heavily on the indoor facilities available in public housing. However, most public housing is not purposely built for the elderly. To improve elderly quality of life (QoL), appropriate facilities should be provided. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the relationship between the indoor facilities management (FM) of public housing and elderly QoL by a questionnaire survey using the post-occupancy evaluation method. In order to understand the complicated relationships among FM and elderly QoL, reliability analysis, t-test, and correlation analysis were adopted. The results of the ttest and correlation analysis indicated that (1) FM components presented significant differences between old and new public housing; and (2) several FM components, such as distance, lighting, non-slip flooring, and doors, had a significant relationship with final elderly QoL in public housing. Based on the findings, several practical recommendations are proposed, including wide entrances with barrier-free access, the repositioning of power sources to seating or table level and installation of non-slip floors in the bathrooms, and handrails near bath cubicles, toilets, and beds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibers/fabrics coated with conductive polymers exhibit sensing capacities for external stimuli like strain, temperature, relative humidity, etc. In this paper, we present our recent investigation of the sensing behavior and mechanical analysis of polymer fibers coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer, i.e., polypyrrole (PPy). PPy-coated PA6 fibers and PPy-coated Lycra fibers are prepared by chemical vapor deposition using pyrrole in the presence of an oxidizing agent, and their electromechanical behavior under tensile load is studied experimentally. The mechanism governing the electromechanical behavior of these conductive fibers is investigated, and the effects of various factors that are responsible for variations in the electrical resistance are discussed. An electromechanical model is proposed that correlates the resistance change with the applied strain, the damage level of the conductive fibers, the environmental temperature, and the relative humidity. The model provides a theoretical basis for the analysis and design of electrically conductive fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between construction output and economic growth has been well discussed by construction economists. Most of the previous studies found a positive correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and various measures of construction output. However, cross-sectional analysis was commonly adopted but longitudinal analysis has been called upon. Furthermore, recent research argued that non-linear relationship between GDP and construction output exists because of different stages of economic development in different countries. They explained the phenomenon by means of the change of the growth rates of construction output at different stages of economic development, but the argument has not yet been rigorously tested. With the availability of long time-series of data of Hong Kong construction industry, this paper attempts to test longitudinally the relationship between the real growth rate of construction output and the real growth rate of GDP. It was found that the growth rate of GDP led that of construction output, and as the growth rate of GDP increased, the growth rate of construction output was marginally diminishing. It agrees with the proposition that construction industry is relatively inefficient in productivity improvement and the accumulation of capital investment results in a marginally diminishing growth of construction output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandibular asymmetry is common among orthognathic patients and exhibits great variation. The aim of this study was to propose a new classification of mandibular asymmetry by anatomical regions; namely R (ramus), B (mandibular body) and C (chin), in conjunction with a corresponding 'RBC' three-dimensional (3D) cephalometric analysis. The cone beam computed tomography data of 65 patients with mandibular asymmetry was retrieved to perform the RBC 3D cephalometric analysis and to investigate the characteristics of mandibular asymmetry. It was found that the more posteriorly in mandible, the more pronounced was the vertical asymmetry. Significant transverse asymmetry was only noted in mandibular body. Both mandibular body and chin were significantly asymmetric in length. Seven significant morphologic predictors of menton deviation were identified, namely lower dental midline shift, difference in ramus height, difference in chin length, difference in body length, body height on contralateral side, coronoid height on deviated side and body width on contralateral side, confirming the complex nature of mandibular asymmetry. This simple and concise classification allows comprehensive assessment of mandible morphology by anatomical regions which also facilitates diagnosis, treatment planning and communication in both clinical and research settings., (Copyright © 2018 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Due to its direct impact on the safety and function of organizations, occupational health has been a concern of the construction industry for many years. The inherent complexity of occupational health management presents challenges that make a systems approach essential. From a systems perspective, health is conceptualized as an emergent property of a system in which processes operating at the individual and organizational level are inextricably connected. Based on the fundamental behavior-to-performance-to-outcome (B-P-O) theory of industrial/organizational psychology, this study presents the development of an I-CB-HP-O (Input-Coping Behaviors-Health Performance-Outcomes) health management systems model spanning individual and organizational boundaries. The model is based on a survey of Hong Kong expatriate construction professionals working in Mainland China. Such professionals tend to be under considerable stress due not only to an adverse work environment with dynamic tasks, but also the need to confront the cross-cultural issues arising from expatriation. A questionnaire was designed based on 6 focus groups involving 44 participants, and followed by a pilot study. Of the 500 questionnaires distributed in the main study, 137 valid returns were received, giving a response rate of 27.4%. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as factor analysis, reliability testing, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression modeling, and structural equation modeling. Theories of coping behaviors and health performance tend to focus on the isolated causal effects of single factors and/or posits the model at single, individual level; while industrial practices on health management tend to focus on organizational policy and training. By developing the I-CB-HP-O health management system, incorporating individual, interpersonal, and organizational perspectives, this study bridges the gap between theory and practice while providing empirical support for a systems view of health management., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A mannose-rich polysaccharide biological response modifier (BRM), derived from Aloe vera L. var. chinensis (Haw.) Berg., was demonstrated to be a potent murine B- and T-cell stimulator in our previous study. We here report the stimulatory activity of PAC-I on murine peritoneal macrophage. The polysaccharide when injected into mice enhanced the migration of macrophages to the peritoneal cavity. Peritoneal macrophage when treated by PAC-I in vitro had increased expression of MHC-II and FcgammaR, and enhanced endocytosis, phagocytosis, nitric oxide production, TNF-alpha secretion and tumor cell cytotoxicity. The administration of PAC-I into allogeneic ICR mice stimulated systemic TNF-alpha production in a dose-dependent manner and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. PAC-I is thus a potent stimulator of murine macrophage and the in vitro observed tumoricidal properties of activated macrophage might account for the in vivo antitumor properties of PAC-I. Our research findings may have therapeutic implications in tumor immunotherapy.

Biological response modifiers (BRMs) are substances which augment immune response. BRMs can be cytokines which are produced endogenously in our body by immune cells or derivatives of bacteria, fungi, brown algae, Aloe vera and photosynthetic plants. Such exogeneous derivatives (exogeneous BRMs) can be nucleic acid (CpG), lipid (lipotechoic acid), protein or polysaccharide in nature. The receptors for these exogeneous BRMs are pattern recognition receptors. The binding of exogeneous BRMs to pattern recognition receptors triggers immune response. Exogenous BRMs have been reported to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-tumor activities. Among different exogeneous BRMs, polysaccharide BRMs have the widest occurrence in nature. Some polysaccharide BRMs have been tested for their therapeutic properties in human clinical trials. An overview of current understandings of polysaccharide BRMs is summarized in this review.

Inactivating mutations in the LH receptor are the predominant cause for male pseudohermaphroditism in subjects with Leydig cell hypoplasia (LCH). The severity of the mutations, correlates with residual receptor activities. Here, we detail the clinical presentation of one subject with complete male pseudohermaphroditism and LCH. We identify within the proband and her similarly afflicted sibling a homozygous T to G transversion at nucleotide 1836 in exon 11 of the LH/CGR gene. This causes conversion of a tyrosine codon into a stop codon at codon 612 in the seventh transmembrane domain, resulting in a truncated receptor that lacks a cytoplasmic tail. In vitro, in contrast to cells expressing a normal LHR, cells transfected with the mutant cDNA exhibit neither surface binding of radiolabeled hCG nor cAMP generation. In vitro expression under the control of the LHR signal peptide of either a wild type or mutant LHR-GFP fusion protein shows no differences in receptor cellular localization. In conclusion, the in vitro studies suggest that residues in the seventh transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail are important for receptor binding and activation without playing a major role in receptor cellular trafficking.

Three purified polysaccharide fractions designated as PAC-I, PAC-II, and PAC-III were prepared from Aloe vera L. var. chinensis (Haw.) Berg. by membrane fractionation and gel filtration HPLC. The polysaccharide fractions had molecular weights of 10,000 kDa, 1300 kDa, and 470 kDa, respectively. The major sugar residue in the polysaccharide fractions is mannose, which was found to be 91.5% in PAC-I, 87.9% in PAC-II, and 53.7% in PAC-III. The protein contents in the polysaccharide fractions was undetectable. NMR study of PAC-I and PAC-II demonstrated the polysaccharides shared the same structure. The main skeletons of PAC-I and PAC-II are beta-(1-->4)-D linked mannose with acetylation at C-6 of manopyranosyl. The polysaccharide fractions stimulated peritoneal macrophages, splenic T and B cell proliferation, and activated these cells to secrete TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, INF-gamma, IL-2, and IL-6. The polysaccharides were nontoxic and exhibited potent indirect antitumor response in murine model. PAC-I, which had the highest mannose content and molecular weight, was found to be the most potent biological response modifier of the three fractions. Our results suggested that the potency of aloe polysaccharide fraction increases as mannose content and molecular weight of the polysaccharide fraction increase.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a novel member of the secretin-glucagon peptide family. In mammals, this peptide has been located in a wide range of tissues and is involved in a variety of biological functions. In lower vertebrates, especially fish, increasing evidence suggests that PACAP may function as a hypophysiotropic factor regulating pituitary hormone secretion. PACAP has been identified in the brain-pituitary axis of representative fish species. The molecular structure of fish PACAP is highly homologous to mammalian PACAP. The prepro-PACAP in fish, however, is distinct from that of mammals as it also contains the sequence of fish GHRH. In teleosts, the anterior pituitary is under direct innervation of the hypothalamus and PACAP nerve fibers have been identified in the pars distalis. Using the goldfish as a fish model, mRNA transcripts of PACAP receptors, namely the PAC1 and VPACI receptors, have been identified in the pituitary as well as in various brain areas. Consistent with the pituitary expression of PACAP receptors, PACAP analogs are effective in stimulating growth hormone (GH) and gonadotropin (GTH)-II secretion in the goldfish both in vivo and in vitro. The GH-releasing action of PACAP is mediated via pituitary PAC1 receptors coupled to the adenylate cyclase-cAMP-protein kinase A and phospholipase C-IP3-protein kinase C pathways. Subsequent stimulation of Ca2+ entry through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels followed by activation of Ca2+-calmodulin protein kinase II is likely the downstream mechanism mediating PACAP-stimulated GH release in goldfish. Although the PACAP receptor subtype(s) and the associated post-receptor signaling events responsible for PACAP-stimulated GTH-II release have not been characterized in goldfish, these findings support the hypothesis that PACAP is produced in the hypothalamus and delivered to the anterior pituitary to regulate GH and GTH-II release in fish.

Alkaline-soluble antitumor polysaccharide was prepared from the cell wall of the mushroom Flammulina velutipes. The backbones) of the polysaccharide is mainly composed of beta-(1-->3)-D-linked glucose and its molecular weight was estimated to be about 200 kD. The polysaccharide was found to be non-toxic by brine shrimp assay. When injected into mice intraperitoneally, the polysaccharide triggered proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and also vascular dilation and hemorrhage (VDH) response. The polysaccharide exhibited potent anti-tumor activity against sarcoma SC-180 in vivo but not in vitro.

The relative abundance and rarity of DNA words have been recognized in previous biological studies to have implications for the regulation, repair, and evolutionary mechanisms of a genome. In this paper, we review several different measures of abundance and rarity of DNA words, including z-scores, representation ratios, and cross-ratios, that have appeared in the recent literature, and examine the concordance among them using the human cytomegalovirus genome sequence. We then rank all words of length k = 2, ..., 5 of seven herpesvirus genomes according to their abundance, as measured by one of the z-scores based upon a stationary Markov model of order k-2. Using a simple metric on the ranks of 2-words of the seven herpesvirus sequences, we construct an evolutionary tree. Several 3-words are observed to be consistently over- or underrepresented in all seven herpesviruses. Furthermore, clusters of some of the most over- and underrepresented 4- and 5-words in the genomes are identified with functional sites such as the origins of replication and regulatory signals of individual viruses.

An efficient algorithm is described for finding matches, repeats and other word relations, allowing for errors, in large data sets of long molecular sequences. The algorithm entails hashing on fixed-size words in conjunction with the use of a linked list connecting all occurrences of the same word. The average memory and run time requirement both increase almost linearly with the total sequence length. Some results of the program's performance on a database of Escherichia coli DNA sequences are presented.