204,929 research outputs found
Southern Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Hong Kong have low vitamin D levels
No full textBACKGROUND: Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to measure serum 25(OH)D level in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Hong Kong and to evaluate association between serum 25(OH)D level and disease activity. METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D level was measured by radioimmunoassay in SLE patients and healthy controls. Lupus disease activity was determined by SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), serum anti-dsDNA antibody, C3 and C4 levels. RESULTS: Fifty-two SLE patients with mean ± standard deviation disease duration of 15.5±8.6 years were recruited. Five patients had active lupus disease. Five (9.6%) patients had serum 25(OH)D levels <30 nmol/L. Serum 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in SLE patients compared to age- and sex-matched controls (n=52) [45.5±12.3 vs 51.1±12.6 nmol/L, P=0.02]. Serum 25(OH)D levels were not found to be related to SLEDAI, elevated anti-dsDNA antibody, low C3 or C4 levels or medications. One vitamin D insufficient patient had low serum albumin-corrected calcium. Serum 25(OH)D levels were found to correlate negatively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (r= –0.30, P=0.03) but was not different between patients who had normal and impaired renal function (P=0.38). CONCLUSION: SLE patients in Hong Kong were found to have low serum 25(OH)D level despite its subtropical location.published_or_final_versionThe 15th Medical Research Conference (15th MRC), Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 16 January 2010. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2010, v. 16 n. 1, suppl. 1, p. 47, abstract no. 7
Racial Equality and the Law: Creating an Effective Statute and Enforcement Model for Hong Kong
No full textThe Hong Kong government has commenced a public consultation exercise on a bill to prohibit racial discrimination, which is expected to be introduced in the Legislative Council in early 2005. The government has proposed to model the bill on the existing Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO). While there are advantages to adopting a familiar format, the author argues that the SDO and DDO can be improved upon, in particular, that a more flexible definition of indirect discrimination should be adopted and that special provisions be drafted to address discrimination against new immigrants from mainland China. The author takes the view that this is an opportune time to strengthen the enforcement model for all of Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws. The author proposes that officers at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) be empowered to take a more proactive approach and that a specialist equal opportunities tribunal should be established outside the auspices of the EOC.published_or_final_versio
The Failure of the Hong Kong Court of Appeal to Recognise and Remedy Disability Discrimination
No full textThis article critiques the recent decision of the Hong Kong Court of Appeal in Ma Bik Yung v Ko Chuen, the first case to be tried under Hong Kong's Disability Discrimination Ordinance. The Court of Appeal upheld the District Court's finding of disability harassment but granted the appeal from the finding of disability discrimination. The author argues that the Court erred, by introducing a hypothetical factual scenario that was inconsistent with the District Court's findings of fact and by failing to apply s3 of the Ordinance. The article also criticises the Court's holding that an 'unwilling' apology is outside the scope of remedies allowed by the Ordinance. In fact, similar statutory language is regularly used in Australia as the basis for orders to apologise. The author concludes by considering the potential conflict between the right to free expression and court-ordered apologies and suggests two possible approaches to the issue.published_or_final_versio
Mosses new to Hong Kong (1)
No full textTen moss species - Garkea flexuosa (Griffith) Marg. & Nork., Campylopus laxitextus Lac., Fissidens dubius P. Beauv., Fissidens ceylonensis Dozy & Molk, Fissidens maceratus Mitt., Philonotis thwaitesii Mitt., Isopterygium minutirameum (C. Muell.)Jaeg., Homalia trichomanoides (Hedw.) B.S.G., Pogonatum neesii (C. Muell.) Dozyand Polytrichum formosum Hedw. are reported new to Hong Kong. Among them, five are new to Guangdong Province of China
A data burst assembly algorithm in optical burst switching networks
No full textPresently, optical burst switching (OBS) technology is under study as a promising solution for the backbone of the optical Internet in the near future because OBS eliminates the optical buffer problem at the switching node with the help of no optical/electro/optical conversion and guarantees class of service without any buffering. To implement the OBS network, there are a lot of challenging issues to be solved. The edge router, burst offset time management, and burst assembly mechanism are critical issues. In addition, the core router needs data burst and control header packet scheduling, a protection and restoration mechanism, and a contention resolution scheme. In this paper, we focus on the burst assembly mechanism. We present a novel data burst generation algorithm that uses hysteresis characteristics in the queueing model for the ingress edge node in optical burst switching networks. Simulation with Poisson and self-similar traffic models shows that this algorithm adaptively changes the data burst size according to the offered load and offers high average data burst utilization with a lower timer operation. It also reduces the possibility of a continuous blocking problem in the bandwidth reservation request, limits the maximum queueing delay, and minimizes the required burst size by lifting up data burst utilization for bursty input IP traffic.This work was supported by the KOSEF-OIRC Project, ETRI, BK21 and KT
Vitamin binding protein, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and bioavailable vitamin D status in the Hong Kong Chinese population
No full textINTRODUCTION: The association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases is controversial. Recently, racial differences in bone mineral density between white and black Americans were explained by the levels of bioavailable vitamin D, which suggested that it might be a better marker of vitamin D status than 25(OH)D. We aimed to investigate if bioavailable vitamin D was a better vitamin D marker than 25(OH)D in the Hong Kong Chinese population. METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D and vitamin D binding protein (DBP) levels were measured in 2674 participants (592 men, 2082 women; mean [± standard deviation] age, 49.2 ± 16.2 years) in the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study. The levels of free and bioavailable vitamin D were calculated using the equation developed by Vermeulen et al. Their associations with serum calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations were evaluated using ANCOVA with adjustment for age and sex. RESULTS: The mean levels of 25(OH)D and DBP were 50.3 nmol/L ± 13.7 nmol/L and 178.8 µg/mL ± 74.0 µg/mL, respectively, and calculated free and bioavailable vitamin D levels were 8.79 pg/mL ± 4.23 pg/mL and 3.50 ng/mL ± 1.67 ng/mL, respectively. Serum 25(OH)D level was significantly associated with serum calcium, phosphorus, and PTH levels (P < 0.05). In contrast, bioavailable vitamin D levels were only associated with serum calcium, while free vitamin D levels were only associated with serum phosphorus. CONCLUSION: Bioavailable vitamin D and free vitamin D correlate less well with mineral metabolism markers than 25(OH)D in the Hong Kong Chinese population. Whether genetic variations affecting 25(OH)D and DBP play a role in the association remains to be determined
Total synthesis of 10-deoxymethynolide and narbonolide
No full textA flexible and convenient approach was developed for the synthesis of 10-deoxymethynolide (1) and narbonolide (2), which are aglycones of the methymycin and the pikromycin families of macrolide antibiotics. These lactones are produced by pikromycin polyketide synthase from Streptomyces venezuelae. Polyketide lactones, 10-deoxymethynolide and narbonolide, which contain 12- and 14-membered rings, respectively, were synthesized efficiently. These target lactones were retrosynthetically divided into three parts and assembled by using an asymmetric aldol reaction, the Yamaguchi esterification, and ring-closing metathesis. The ring-closing metathesis reaction catalyzed by the second-generation Grubbs catalyst is particularly efficient in preparing these macrocyclic polyketide lactones
Criminal Due Process in Hong Kong and Singapore: A Mutual Challenge
No full textThis article explores what the author believes to be the fruitful task of comparing the divergent development of criminal due process jurisprudence in Hong Kong following the enactment of the Bill of Rights Ordinance and the Basic Law, with that in Singapore. Whilst Singapore cases have remained conservative, Hong Kong courts have begun to develop what promises to be a robust attitude toward due process issues. It is argued that the comparison between the two jurisdictions is especially apt given the many similarities between the peoples of Hong Kong and Singapore. The article also ventures to sketch out the predictive exercise of asking whether Singapore is likely to become more like Hong Kong, or whether it is Hong Kong which will move closer to Singapore
Understanding marriage : a Hong Kong case study
No full textBased on a marital study in Hong Kong, this book examines changes that occur in the marital relationship today. The author concludes that as 'affective individualism' is used to characterize modern marriages in the West, 'affective familism' is a more appropriate character of marriages among the Chinese in Hong Kongpublished_or_final_versionPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction p5Appendices p161Bibliography p191Author Index p201Subject Index p205Prologue: Mr and Mrs Lee p1Pt. I The Hong Kong Marital Study p11Pt. II Variations in Marriage p59Pt. III Marital Interdependence p117Appendix 1 The Measuring Instruments p163Appendix 2 Determining Criterion Groups p174Appendix 3 Statistical Tests Applied in the Study p184Appendix 4 The Marital Relationship Index - MRI p1861 Studying Marriages in Hong Kong p132 The Hong Kong Marital Study p293 The Couple's Descriptions of Their Relationship p454 Classification of Types of Marriage p615 Variations in the Marital Experience According to the Life Cycle p856 Variations in the Marital Experience According to Gender and Generational Issues p997 The Transition From Traditional to Companionship Marriages p1198 Interdependence in Marital Relationships p1339 Tuning Into Spousal Negotiations p14
Digital Editions from Hong Kong University Press
No full textThis is a project undertaken by both the HKU Press and the HKU Libraries. Realizing the worth of the Press' non- current titles, these partners are working together to place these titles online. Most titles concern Hong Kong or were written by Hong Kong author
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