Disruptions to women's social identity: a comparative study of workplace stress experienced by women in three geographic regions

Drawing on social identity theory (P. J. Burke, 1991) and the current status of women and equal opportunity legislation, the authors tested several factors associated with distress in working women in the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and the United States. Women in Hong Kong experienced significantly greater levels of life stress than PRC and U.S. women. Reports of negative attitudes toward women, gender evaluation, and avoidance coping were greater for Hong Kong and PRC women than for U.S. women. Hong Kong women reported more use of positive/confrontational coping mechanisms. Negative attitudes toward women had an important influence on life stress across regions. Moderator tests resulted in 2 significant findings: The effect of negative attitudes toward women on life stress was stronger for PRC and Hong Kong women, and the relationship between nervous/self-destructive coping and life stress was stronger for U.S. women.     

New evidence for geographic variation in the role of human papillomavirus in tonsillar carcinogenesis

AIMS: Our previous studies of tonsillar cancers from New South Wales, Australia, and Jilin Province in the north-east of China, provided evidence that the proportion of these cancers attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV) varies geographically. This study provides the first data on HPV in tonsillar cancers from Hong Kong. METHODS: A total of 49 Hong Kong tonsillar cancers were analysed for HPV DNA by PCR/sequencing and for p16(INK4A), retinoblastoma (pRb) protein, cyclin D1 and p53 expression by semiquantitative immunohistochemistry as evidence of virus causality. Results were compared with those from New South Wales and Jilin Province. RESULTS: Of the 31 Hong Kong cancers with amplifiable DNA, nine (29%) were HPV positive by PCR compared with 46% from New South Wales and 0% from Jilin Province. HPV positivity correlated with female gender, young age, over-expression of p16(INK4A) and loss of pRb and cyclin D1. Five-year disease-specific survival for patients with HPV positive and HPV negative cancers was 82 and 42%, respectively. Relationships between HPV status and cell protein expression in Hong Kong cancers were consistent with those from New South Wales and Jilin Province. The proportion of HPV-associated cancers reflected the relative incidence of oropharyngeal cancer in these regions. CONCLUSIONS: HPV is responsible for a small proportion of tonsillar cancers in Hong Kong patients. Differences in the proportions of tumours attributable to HPV in Hong Kong, New South Wales and Jilin Province may be due to environmental, cultural or genetic factors in the different populations.     

Cross-Protection in Mice After Immunization with H2N2, H3N2, and Heq2Neq2 Influenza Virus Strains

Mice were vaccinated with the influenza viruses A/Japan/57 (H2N2), A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2), and A/Equi/Miami/63 (Heq2Neq2) and the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase recombinants derived from these viruses. After infection with the parent viruses, protection was compared with serological findings. It was found that influenza vaccine protects not only against infection with a strain identical or closely related to the vaccine strain, but against heterologous strains as well. Vaccination with Hong Kong/68 and its neuraminidase recombinant resulted in a heterologous neuraminidase inhibition titer against Japan/57 and in a protection against infection with Japan/57. By contrast, after vaccination with Japan/57 and its neuraminidase recombinant, no relevant heterologous neuraminidase inhibition titer against Hong Kong/68 was observed, whereas a protection against infection with Hong Kong/68 did exist. A cross-protection between Hong Kong/68 and Miami/63, but no relationship in the hemagglutination or neuraminidase inhibition tests, was established in the preinfection sera. A one-way antigenic relationship between these viruses was confirmed by the rise of hemagglutinin or neuraminidase antibodies against Hong Kong/68 in the postinfection sera. No cross-protection or serological relationship existed between Miami/63 and Japan/57. Besides the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, a third factor, the “mouse-protecting antigen,” was considered to contribute to the protection obtained. According to the protection observed, the mouse-protecting antigen of Hong Kong/68 virus is related to that of Japan/57 as well as Miami/63 virus. The mouse-protecting antigens of both Japan/57 and Miami/63 are related to that of Hong Kong/68.     

生活模式与糖尿病互动关系的京港跨地区研究

本研究对35名北京和59名香港的胰岛素依赖型(I型)糖尿病病人进行测试,病人需提供他们生活模式和服食糖尿病药物资料.主诊医生则提供病人病情的资料,结果显示北京病人运动的次数比香港病人多,香港病人服用其它非糖尿病药物和面对“应激事件”的次数则比北京病人多,香港男病人的生活模式比女病人和北京病人都差,北京病人中,生活模式与服药的服从程度和糖尿病病情均没有显著性的关系。但在香港病人中,怠倦的生活模式与服药的服从程度有关系。而且,服药的服从程度越低则医治糖尿效果越差,估计京港糖尿病人的生活模式差异与两地都市化和西方化的不同程度有关,按研究结果推断,生活模式教育或会对控制糖尿病病情起正面的作用。     

Prevalence of respiratory and atopic disorders in Chinese schoolchildren

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological surveys have shown that the prevalence of asthma in the Asian population is relatively low. Within the Chinese population, schoolchildren from Hong Kong were found to have the highest rate of asthma. OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of respiratory and atopic disorders, and to assess the role of atopy in the development of asthma, in Chinese schoolchildren from Hong Kong, Beijing and Guangzhou. METHODS: Community-based random samples of schoolchildren aged 9-11 years from three Chinese cities (Hong Kong, Beijing and Guangzhou) were recruited for study using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase II protocol. Subjects were studied by parental questionnaires (n = 10902), skin-prick tests (n = 3479) and skin examination (n = 3479). RESULTS: The prevalence rates of current wheeze, speech limiting wheeze, rhinoconjunctivitis and flexural dermatitis were significantly more common in Hong Kong than in Beijing or Guangzhou. The atopy rate was also higher in Hong Kong (41.2%) than in Beijing (23.9%) or Guangzhou (30.8%). Atopy was strongly correlated with current wheeze (OR 7.74; 95% CI = 5.70-10.51). Subgroup analyses of children from Hong Kong revealed that children born in mainland China who had subsequently migrated to Hong Kong had a significantly lower rate of allergic symptoms and atopy than those children born in Hong Kong. CONCLUSION: Using a standardized written questionnaire along with a skin prick test and skin examination, we confirmed that the prevalence of asthma, allergic diseases and atopy was highest in schoolchildren from Hong Kong. Atopic sensitization is an important factor associated with asthma in Chinese children.     

亚洲部分地区正常人群成人腹泻轮状病毒抗体水 …

目的 调查亚洲部分地区正常人血清中成人腹泻轮状病毒（ＡＤＲＶ）抗体水平。方法 采用特异敏感的ＡＤＲＶ－ＥＬＩＳＡ阻断实验,检测长春,南京,太原,武汉,香港,尼泊尔,韩国等亚洲部分地区正常人血清中ＡＤＲＶ抗体。结果 ２１８３例正常人血清中有７９份ＡＤＲＶ抗体阳性,阳性率为３．６％;在中国大陆几个地区和香港地区不同年龄组的正常人血清中,ＡＤＲＶ抗体水平较低的年龄组为１０￣２０和２０￣３０岁;１９７７年     

Coronary atherosclerosis among Hong Kong Chinese--a histological and morphometric study using electronic digitizer

In order to document the prevalence of atherosclerosis of the major coronary arteries among Hong Kong Chinese, a study on material from autopsies done during the year 1981 in Queen Mary Hospital was carried out. The narrowest part of the proximal coronary arteries was studied by light microscopy and morphometrically by electronic digitizer. We found an onset of atherosclerosis in young adult males and a linear progression with age. Females had a delayed onset with a sharp rise after menopause. We were surprised to find an incidence of atherosclerosis among Hong Kong Chinese comparable with that in western populations, as distinct from Chinese in Mainland China. However, mortality due to ischemic heart disease remained relatively low. Racial factors may contribute to this partial dissociation between coronary atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease.     

Comparison of the incidence of influenza in relation to climate factors during 2000–2007 in five countries

Relatively few international comparisons of the incidence of influenza related to climate parameters have been performed, particularly in the Eastern hemisphere. In this study, the incidence of influenza and climate data such as temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall, from cities at different latitudes with contrasting climates: Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Vancouver (Canada), and three Australian cities (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) were examined to determine whether there was any overall relationship between the incidence of influenza and climate. Applying time‐series analyses to the more comprehensive datasets, it was found that relative humidity was associated with the incidence of influenza A in Singapore, Hong Kong, Brisbane, and Vancouver. In the case of influenza B, the mean temperature was the key climate variable associated with the incidence of influenza in Hong Kong, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Vancouver. Rainfall was not significantly correlated with the incidence of influenza A or B in any of these cities. J. Med. Virol. 82:1958–1965, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Human infection with an avian H9N2 influenza A virus in Hong Kong in 2003

Avian H9N2 influenza A virus has caused repeated human infections in Asia since 1998. Here we report that an H9N2 influenza virus infected a 5-year-old child in Hong Kong in 2003. To identify the possible source of the infection, the human isolate and other H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from Hong Kong poultry markets from January to October 2003 were genetically and antigenically characterized. The findings of this study show that the human H9N2 influenza virus, A/Hong Kong/2108/03, is of purely avian origin and is closely related to some viruses circulating in poultry in the markets of Hong Kong. The continued presence of H9N2 influenza viruses in poultry markets in southern China increases the likelihood of avian-to-human interspecies transmission.     

Genome-sequenee Analysis of the Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza A Virus Isolated in China in 2004

Analysis of the sequences of the genome of the avian influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus, isolated from a poultry farm during the outbreak of avian influenza (AI) in Hubei Province, central China, in the spring of 2004, revealed that the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the virus was genetically similar to those of the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). Notably, the neuraminidase gene of the virus had a 20-amino acid deletion in the stalk region and a 5-amino acid deletion in the NS gene which belonged to allele B. Furthermore, the internal genes (PB2, PA, NP, M2) of the A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 virus with the particular amino acid residues were more closely related to H5N1 viruses of 2000–2003 isolated in Hong Kong and the AIV of Thailand and Vietnam in 2004, but less likely to evolve from the viruses of Hong Kong 1997. Finally, our results demonstrated that the influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus was similar to those of the AI viruses isolated from Hong Kong (2000–2003), Vietnam, and Thailand rather than the viruses from the 1997 lineage of Hong Kong and with closest genetic relatives to the influenza A/Chicken/Hong Kong/61.9/02 (H5N1) virus. These data suggest that the influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus which circulated in central China derived its internal gene from a virus similar to the influenza A/Chicken/Hong Kong/61.9/02 (H5N1) virus.     

H9N2 subtype influenza A viruses in poultry in pakistan are closely related to the H9N2 viruses responsible for human infection in Hong Kong

Following the outbreak of H5N1 "bird flu" in Hong Kong in 1997, the isolation of H9N2 subtype viruses from patients in southern China and Hong Kong SAR once again raised the spectre of a possible influenza pandemic. H9N2 viruses have recently been responsible for disease in poultry in various parts of the world and preliminary studies of the H9 haemagglutinin (HA) genes of viruses isolated during 1998 and 1999 in Germany, Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia showed a close relationship to the HA genes of the viruses that infected two children in Hong Kong SAR. Analysis of the complete genome of a Pakistan isolate, A/chicken/Pakistan/2/99, showed that it is closely related in all eight genes (97-99% homology) to the human H9N2 isolates and furthermore that the six genes encoding internal components of the virus are similar to the corresponding genes of the H5N1 viruses that caused 6 (out of 18) fatal cases of human infection. Thus H9N2 viruses similar to those that caused human infections in Hong Kong are circulating more widely in other parts of the world. Whether or not these H9N2 viruses also have features that facilitate avian-to-human transmission is not known. Since avian H9N2 viruses are currently perceived to represent a significant threat to human health it is important to determine whether or not viruses of this subtype circulating in poultry in various parts of the world have the potential to infect people.     

Symptoms of asthma and atopic disorders in preschool children: prevalence and risk factors

BACKGROUND: Published epidemiological data suggested that asthma and allergies may be increasing in preschool children. Identification of the risk factors is important for planning possible early intervention to prevent asthma. This study was designed to measure the prevalence of, and risk factors for, asthma and atopic disorders in preschool children from Hong Kong. METHODS: Children aged 2-6 years living in Hong Kong were recruited through the local nurseries and kindergartens for this study to ascertain the presence of symptoms of asthma and various possible risk factors. The parental questionnaire was developed based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 3089 children (1506 boys) from 14 nurseries and kindergartens participated in this study. The prevalence of wheeze ever and current wheeze were 16.7% and 9.3%. Two hundred and thirty-four subjects were born in mainland China and migrated to Hong Kong subsequently. When compared with children born and raised in Hong Kong, children born in mainland China had significantly lower prevalence of current wheeze (3.4% vs. 9.6%, P<0.01). Two environmental factors in the first year of life were associated with wheezing attacks within the last 12 months. They were the use of foam pillow (Odds ratio: 1.45; 95% Confidence interval: 1.04-2.00) and the use of gas as cooking fuel (1.68; 1.03-2.75). Frequent use of paracetamol was also associated with wheezing attack in the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high prevalence of symptoms of atopic disorders in preschool children from Hong Kong. Early environmental exposure factors are important determinants of subsequent development of asthma symptoms in the preschool years. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible pathogenetic role of the identified risk factors.     

下肢假肢接受腔对残肢肌肉萎缩影响的数值研究

下肢截肢后残肢的肌肉萎缩对患者康复十分不利。为探明残肢肌肉萎缩的生物力学机制,本研究利用大腿截肢患者残肢的磁共振断层影像(MRI),建立了包含肌肉、骨骼以及主要血管的残肢有限元模型,研究分析了下肢假肢接受腔对残肢软组织及血管的生物力学影响。结果发现,旋股外侧动脉降支因挤压而发生的狭窄最为严重,股深动脉的狭窄则相对较小;旋股外侧静脉的降支、股静脉、股深静脉狭窄的程度依次降低,大隐静脉的狭窄程度较为严重。前侧肌群中应力应变最高;下侧肌群在股骨的末端处出现应力集中,并且其他生物力学指标在下侧区域中也相对较高。本研究在一定程度上揭示了接受腔对血管的挤压是导致肌肉萎缩的重要原因,这为进一步研究残肢肌肉的萎缩机制和采取有效的预防措施提供了理论参考。     

杜氏绳蚋蛹和幼虫的补充描述（双翅目：蚋科）

2006年5月,从香港采集一些蚋成虫和幼期标本,经鉴定为杜氏绳蚋Simulium(Gomphostilbia)dudgeoni Takaokaand Davies,1995和崎岛蚋Simulium(Simulium)sakishimaense Takaoka,1977。前一蚋种是以两性成虫发表的新种,对蛹和幼虫的形态未作过描述。本文仅对蛹和幼虫的形态作补充描述。观察标本有13♀,1♂,4蛹和3条幼虫。该蚋隶属绳蚋亚属Ceylonicum组。上述标本保存在北京军事医学科学院医学昆虫标本馆。     

Genetic characterization of the pathogenic influenza A/Goose/Guangdong/1/96 (H5N1) virus: similarity of its hemagglutinin gene to those of H5N1 viruses from the 1997 outbreaks in Hong Kong.

Analysis of the sequences of all eight RNA segments of the influenza A/G oose/Guangdong/1/96 (H5N1) virus, isolated from a sick goose during an outbreak in Guangdong province, China, in 1996, revealed that the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the virus was genetically similar to those of the H5N1 viruses isolated in Hong Kong in 1997. However, the remaining genes showed greater similarity to other avian influenza viruses. Notably, the neuraminidase gene did no have the 19-amino-acid deletion in the stalk region seen in the H5N1 Hong Kong viruses and the NS gene belonged to allele B, while that of the H5N1 Hong Kong viruses belonged to allele A. These data suggest that the H5N1 viruses isolated from the Hong Kong outbreaks derived their HA genes from a virus similar to the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/96 virus or shared a progenitor with this goose pathogen.     

Chromosome 11 copy number gains and Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancies.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome can be found in many malignant tumors in China. Previous data of interphase cytogenetics, by comparative genomic hybridization and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization, on nasopharyngeal carcinomas and natural killer cell-type non-Hodgkin lymphomas in Hong Kong have noted gains in chromosome 11. This study compares the frequency of chromosome 11 copy number gains in three different types of EBV-associated tumors in Hong Kong. Using alpha-satellite probes, the authors studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization 31 EBV-positive tumors comprising 10 EBV-positive gastric carcinomas, 8 lung lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas, and 13 non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Trisomy or polysomy 11 was detected in 10 of 10 (100%) EBV-positive gastric carcinomas, 6 of 8 (75%) lung lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas, and 4 of 13 (30.8%) non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Compared with the EBV-positive gastric carcinomas, the 10 EBV-negative gastric carcinomas that were also studied showed chromosome 11 copy number gains in 3 of 10 (30%), a significantly lower frequency. The authors conclude that gains in chromosome 11 are common in EBV-associated malignancies in Hong Kong, with the strongest association found in gastric carcinoma. There seems to be differences between EBV-associated tumors of different locations, and between gastric carcinomas with and without EBV.     

Molecular Characterization of Foot-and-mouth Disease Virus in Hong Kong During 2001–2002

Most of the molecular epidemiological studies of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) are based on comparison of VP1 gene sequence. In this report, The nucleotide sequences of the VP1 coding region of FMDV type O strains O/HKN/3/01, O/HKN/5/01, O/HKN/12/01, O/HKN/7/02 and O/HKN/10/02, isolated from the disease outbreak that occurred in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) of China during 2001–2002, were determined and compared with the sequences of other FMDVs. The results revealed that the VP1 gene of the five isolates had the same nucleotide (nt) sequences (639 nt), coding for 213 amino acids, and no changes were found either at the critical amino acid sites 144 (Val), 148 (Leu), 154 (Lys) and 208 (Pro) within the VP1 protein epitope (amino acids 140–160, 200–213), or in the amino acids 145–147 comprising the arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) sequence that is involved in the adsorption of virus to host cell. Analysis of the VP1 gene nucleotide sequence revealed that the five isolates examined were most closely related to FMDVs found in Hong Kong from 1991 to 1999 and Taiwan in 1997. Furthermore, although the critical amino acids on the antigen epitope of the prevalent Hong Kong isolates and the serotype O vaccine strain, O1/Manisa/Turkey/69, showed relative conservativeness, they were distantly related genetically, which showed that there existed variation between the prevalent Hong Kong FMDV strains and the vaccine strain.     

不同文化背景下正常老人认知功能比较

目的：探讨年龄和教育程度相同的中西方老人是否存在某些认知功能领域的差异。方法：应用Mattis痴呆评定量表(DRS)检测上海、香港和美国圣地亚哥三组正常老人的认知功能。DRS有注意、起始／保持、概念形成、结构和记忆等5个因子，总分144分。结果：在年龄、受教育程度匹配的情况下，上海组与香港组比较有显著差异的有一项，而与圣地亚哥组比较有显著差异的有五项。阅读句子回忆和无意义图形再认项目，上海组明显差于圣地亚哥组；几何结构模仿，则上海组明显好于圣地亚哥组。结论：文化背景差异愈大，老人认知功能的差异也愈大。     

Lifestyle and Addictive Behaviors Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong,Macau, Taipei,Wuhan, and Zhuhai—a First Cross-subculture Assessment

Purpose

This study aimed at assessing the differences in prevalence rates of common health behavior among adolescents in the five Chinese cities and the influential factors at the contextual and individual levels.

Method

We compared the standardized rates of three lifestyle behaviors (sedentary, dietary, and physical activity) and three addictive behaviors (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and participation in gambling) among a sample of 13,950 adolescents. The sample was randomly selected from five cities, including Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Zhuhai, and Wuhan. Population size, GDP per capita, and literacy at the city level as well as parental monitoring and school performance at the student’s level were assessed. Multi-level mixed effect models were used to examine the interaction of individual level factors with study sites.

Results

The six health behaviors differed significantly across sites with the highest rates of alcohol consumption in Hong Kong (39.5 %), of cigarette smoking in Macau (9.8 %), and of gambling in Taipei (37.1 %) and Hong Kong (35.9 %). The city-level measures were associated with only a few behavioral measures. Relative to Hong Kong, parental monitoring had stronger association with the three addictive behaviors in the other sites.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that although the study sites share similar Chinese culture, students in the five cities differed from each other with regard to levels of health behaviors. Relative to the broad socioeconomic development, differences in parental monitoring played a significant role in explaining the observed difference.

     

Detection and characterization of new influenza B virus variants in 2002

One-hundred five influenza B-positive specimens obtained from southeast Asia in 2002 were categorized on the basis of DNA sequencing of HA1 gene as well as real-time PCR analysis of the NA gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA1 gene sequences showed that the majority of the viruses (96.2%) belonged to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage, while a smaller percentage of the viruses (3.8%) belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage. The B/Yamagata/16/88 viruses displayed significant antigenic drift in the deduced amino acid sequences of the HA1 protein, and the B/Victoria/2/87-like viruses consisted of B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like (72.3%) and B/Hong Kong/330/01-like (27.7%) viruses. The B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like viruses were reassortants with the HA gene belonging to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage and the NA gene belonging to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, whereas both the HA and NA genes of B/Hong Kong/330/01 virus belonged to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage. In this study, however, all the B/Hong Kong/330/01-like isolates exhibited the B/Yamagata/16/88-like NA gene, which likely resulted from reassortment of B/Hong Kong/330/01 and B/Hong Kong/1351/02 viruses during coinfection. Additional molecular characterization of the six internal genes showed that the M, NS, PA, and PB2 genes of the new variants were B/Hong Kong/1351/02 in origin, whereas the NP and PA genes retained the B/Hong Kong/330/01 origin. Interestingly, these new variants all appeared late in the year 2002. These results support the notion that influenza B viruses continued to evolve through antigenic drift and shift.