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The rapid expansion of the human population has raised the chemical stress on the environment due to the increased demand of agricultural yields. The use of pesticides is the primary contributor to environmental chemical stress, which is essential for agricultural expansion in order to produce enough food to sustain the burgeoning human population. Pesticide residues in soil have grown to be a subject of rising concern as a result of their high soil retention and potential harm to unintended species. Diverse remediation strategies, such as physical, chemical, and biological, for limiting and getting rid of such contaminants have been put forth to deal with this problem. Bioremediation is one of these techniques, which has been deemed the best for reducing pollution because of its low environmental impact, simplicity of operation and construction. Microorganisms are implemented in this technique to break down and get rid of toxins in the environment or to reduce the toxicity of chemical compounds. This study thoroughly analyses the different composting soil remediation methods, including landfarming, biopiles, and windrows, to reduce and eliminate soil pollution. Although biological treatment is the best option for cleaning up polluted soil, it is still important to evaluate and review the approaches over the long term to determine whether they are effective in the field. It is because the reactivity of the microorganisms is highly dependent on environmental parameters, and the contemporary environment is characterised by unpredictable weather patterns, localised droughts, and temperature fluctuations.

A systematic understanding of the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and their co-occurrence with other conditions during childhood and adolescence remains incomplete. In the current meta-analysis, we synthesized the literature on (1) the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to NDDs, (2) the genetic and environmental overlap between different NDDs, and (3) the co-occurrence between NDDs and disruptive, impulse control and conduct disorders (DICCs). Searches were conducted across three platforms: Web of Science, Ovid Medline and Ovid Embase. Studies were included only if 75% or more of the sample consisted of children and/or adolescents and the studies had measured the aetiology of NDDs and DICCs using single-generation family designs or genomic methods. Studies that had selected participants on the basis of unrelated diagnoses or injuries were excluded. We performed multilevel, random-effects meta-analyses on 296 independent studies, including over four million (partly overlapping) individuals. We further explored developmental trajectories and the moderating roles of gender, measurement, geography and ancestry. We found all NDDs to be substantially heritable (family-based heritability, 0.66 (s.e. = 0.03); SNP heritability, 0.19 (s.e. = 0.03)). Meta-analytic genetic correlations between NDDs were moderate (grand family-based genetic correlation, 0.36 (s.e. = 0.12); grand SNP-based genetic correlation, 0.39 (s.e. = 0.19)) but differed substantially between pairs of disorders. The genetic overlap between NDDs and DICCs was strong (grand family-based genetic correlation, 0.62 (s.e. = 0.20)). While our work provides evidence to inform and potentially guide clinical and educational diagnostic procedures and practice, it also highlights the imbalance in the research effort that has characterized developmental genetics research.

Objective:Discourse analysis is one of the clinical methods commonly used to assess the language ability of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the majority of published analytic frameworks are not geared for highlighting the pragmatic aspect of discourse deficits in acquired language disorders, except for those designed for quantifying conversational samples. This study aimed to examine how pragmatic competence is impaired and reflected in spoken monologues in Chinese speakers with TBI.Methods:Discourse samples of five tasks (personal narrative, storytelling, procedural, single- and sequential picture description) were elicited from ten TBI survivors and their controls. Each discourse sample was measured using 16 indices (e.g., number of informative words, percentage of local/global coherence errors, repeated words or phrases) that corresponded to the four Gricean maxims. Twenty-five naïve Chinese speakers were also recruited to perform perceptual rating of the quality of all 50 TBI audio files (five discourse samples per TBI participant), in terms of erroneous/inaccurate information, adequacy of amount of information given, as well as degree of organization and clarity.Results:The maxim of quantity best predicted TBI’s pragmatic impairments. Naïve listeners’ perception of pragmatics deficits correlated to measures on total and informative words, as well as number and length of terminable units. Clinically, personal narrative and storytelling tasks could better elicit violations in pragmatics.Conclusion:Applying Gricean maxims in monologic oral narratives could capture the hallmark underlying pragmatic problems in TBI. This may help provide an additional approach of clinically assessing social communications in and subsequent management of TBI.

This study aimed to investigate the psychological well-being, and stress coping strategies, as well as their relationships, among healthcare students during prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.An online questionnaire was used to assess psychological well-being (the Ryff Scale) and coping strategies (the brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory [COPE] Scale). COPE scores were categorized to identify the primary coping strategies: "approach" indicates more active coping strategies; "avoidant" indicates more dysfunctional and maladaptive mechanisms.A total of 202 valid questionnaire were collected. Those with lower academic confidence and lower self-rated peer and family relationship scores during the COVID-19 pandemic had lower Ryff scores, indicating poorer psychological well-being. Nursing students reported the lowest psychological well-being and the highest levels of adopting avoidant coping strategies (26.4%).The study's findings may help educators identify the healthcare students most vulnerable to stress and develop interventions to empower students to adopt problem-focused stress coping strategies.

Butyricimonas virosa is a Gram-negative bacillus, which was first discovered in rat faeces in 2009. To date, only seven human infections have been reported in literature. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis due to B. virosa. A 65-year-old Chinese man presented to the hospital with complaints of dizziness and vomiting. On admission, the drained peritoneal dialysate was cloudy. He was empirically treated as a case of PD-related peritonitis with intraperitoneal (IP) cefazolin, ceftazidime, and gentamicin. B. virosa was isolated from peritoneal fluid sample and the antibiotics were changed to IP imipenem and amikacin. Three weeks after completion of the antibiotics, the patient presented again with cloudy peritoneal dialysate and blood stained diarrhoea. IP imipenem and amikacin were recommenced. Multiple peritoneal dialysate samples were sent to the microbiology laboratory, but this time no microorganism was isolated. Colonoscopy examination revealed the presence of extensive rectosigmoidal ulcerations. IP imipenem was replaced with IP piperacillin-tazobactam when the patient developed imipenem-associated neurotoxicity at Day 9 of treatment. The patient recovered fully after completing 3 weeks of IP piperacillin-tazobactam and 2 weeks of IP amikacin. This is the first reported case of PD-related peritonitis due to B. virosa. Susceptibility data for B. virosa are scarce, but a 3-week course of IP piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, or meropenem could be potentially useful in treating PD-related peritonitis caused by this organism.

Aims. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently isolated in peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis with a high rate of relapse and repeat peritonitis after initial response to antimicrobials. The optimal treatment regimen for CoNS peritonitis remains debatable. Hence, this study aimed to describe the clinical and microbiologic characteristics of CoNS peritonitis in a PD center and determine predictive factors influencing the outcomes. Methods. All cases of CoNS peritonitis in Selayang Hospital between 2011 and 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Results. A total of 906 episodes of peritonitis were recorded; 140 episodes (15%) in 98 patients were caused by CoNS. The oxacillin and gentamicin resistance rates were 47% and 46%, respectively. The overall primary response rate was 90%, and the complete cure rate was 79%. Patients with concomitant exit-site infection (odds ratio (OR) 0.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.40, P < 0.01 ) and history of recent systemic antibiotic use (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.82, P = 0.04 ) were less likely to achieve primary response. CoNS episodes that were treated with beta-lactam-based or vancomycin-based therapy had a similar primary response rate and complete cure rate. The rates of relapse and repeat were 12% and 16%, respectively. Relapsed episodes (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.97, P = 0.04 ) had a significantly lower complete cure rate than the first episodes. Conclusion. Relapsed CoNS peritonitis was common and was associated with worse outcomes than the first episode of CoNS peritonitis. Oxacillin resistance was common, but the treatment outcome remained favourable when a beta-lactam-based regimen was used as empirical therapy.

As the population ages, promoting good health maintenance practices has become an important strategy in many health systems. Regular general health checks detect common diseases and empower older adults to monitor their physical health. Yet the service uptake rate is low. Previous reviews have identified intervention methods to improve the uptake rate, but the overall effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear. This review aims to determine the overall effectiveness of the interventions used to improve general health check uptake and identify the behavior change techniques used in these interventions. Literature searches were conducted in four electronic databases in August 2020 and updated in May 2021. Six randomized controlled trials were included in this review. Seven intervention types were identified, including enhanced invitation letters, telephone invitation, question-behavior-effect questionnaire, financial incentive, leaflet, pre-notification, and SMS reminder. Overall, the interventions are effective, with an odds ratio of 1.21, and a 95% confidence interval between 1.09–1.33. Fifteen behavior change techniques were identified using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (v1). The findings suggest that the current interventions implemented in invitation methods are effective in improving the general health check uptake rate, but there are still opportunities to further improve the uptake rate by considering other intervention types. Future studies could consider how other intervention types could be implemented alone or with the enhanced invitation methods to maximize the service uptake rate. The systematic review protocol is registered on PROSPERO (ref: CRD42021221041).

It has been well-documented that language input designed according to the principles of statistical learning can promote language acquisition among children with or without language disorder. Cantonese-speaking children with language disorder were reported to have difficulties using expanded verb phrases and prepositional phrases, but the corresponding intervention is relatively unexplored. The current study evaluated the efficacy of an intervention designed using the statistical learning principles to promote the acquisition of these two structures. A retrospective study of existing data collected from a total of 16 Cantonese-speaking children (four female; mean age = 6.70 years) with suspected language disorder was conducted. The participants were initially divided into the 'Treatment' and the 'Control' groups. A total of eight sessions of language treatment, which focused on giving systematic language input of expanded verb phrases and prepositional phrases, were conducted on each child. Results showed that the Treatment group produced significantly more expanded verb phrases in the post-treatment language samples, while the Control group did not. The final pre- and post-comparison conducted after the Control group also received treatment indicated overall significant increased number of expanded verb phrases produced across time. On the contrary, improvement in the production of prepositional phrases was not significant. It is suggested that the unique thematic roles coded by individual prepositions possibly restricted the generalisation effect of treatment, which explains the non-significant improvement across time. Theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

Previous investigations on sentence production in English-speaking individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have yielded mixed conclusions based on their findings. While some studies found comparable sentence complexity between speakers with TBI and control speakers, others reported more syntactic and lexical errors, reduced sentence complexity, and erroneous word order transpositions in the sentence production of speakers with TBI. These contradictory findings could possibly be due to the use of language measures that were less sensitive to subtle syntactic impairments among speakers with TBI. In this preliminary report, the language samples obtained from 11 Cantonese-speaking participants with mild-moderate TBI in Guangzhou, with a mean age of 37.6 and mean years of education of 10 years, and nine control speakers with a similar age range and education background were analyzed using in-depth linguistic-oriented frameworks adopted from pervious works in Cantonese. The results indicated that the TBI group produced more errors, different varieties of sentence types, and lower syntactic complexity in their sentence production compared with the control group. The findings suggested that the more refined and linguistic-oriented measures used in the present study were more sensitive in identifying the subtle syntactic impairments produced by the participants with TBI.

The dynamical tide can play an important role in the orbital motion of close eccentric double white dwarf binaries. As the launching of the space-based gravitational-wave detector, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), is just around the corner, detection of gravitational wave signals from such systems is anticipated. In this paper, we discuss the influence of the dynamical tide on eccentric orbits, focusing on the effect on orbital precession. We show that in orbits with a high eccentricity, resonance can cause a large precession when a harmonic of the orbital frequency matches the natural frequencies of the normal modes of the star. In contrast to the case with circular orbits, each mode can encounter multiple resonances with different harmonics and these resonant regions can cover about 10% of the frequency space for orbits with close separations. In this case, the tidal precession effect is distinct from the other contributions and can be identified with LISA if the signal-to-noise ratio is high enough. However, within the highly eccentric-small separation region, the dynamical tide causes chaotic motion and the gravitational wave signal becomes unpredictable. Even not at resonance, the dynamical tide can contribute up to 20% of the precession for orbits close to Roche-lobe filling separation with low eccentricities and LISA can resolve these off-resonant dynamical tide effects within the low eccentricity-small orbital separation region of the parameter space. For lower mass systems, the dynamical tide effect can degenerate with the uncertainties of the eccentricity, making it unmeasurable from the precession rate alone. For higher mass systems, the radiation reaction effect becomes significant enough to constrain the eccentricity, allowing the measurement of the dynamical tide., Comment: 13 pages. 9 figures

Background Visual decline is inevitable in older adults. Utilizing preventive vision care can mitigate major risk factors, yet the uptake rate remains suboptimal globally. Barriers to seek preventive eye care were identified in the literature. However, the understanding of these barriers was limited by the quantitative approach, hindering the opportunity to suggest specific strategies to improve service uptake. This qualitative aimed to identify the factors influencing the decision-making process of older adults to use preventive vision care. Methods This was a qualitative study guided by the grounded theory approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the subjects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or above in Hong Kong. Data were transcribed and constant comparison techniques were used for data analysis. Results The core theme revealed a decision-making process of being difficult in “prioritising and fitting preventive vision care into the existing health service utilization” for older people when deciding the utilization of preventive vision care. Five sub-themes were identified to explain the low preventive vision care utilization. Specifically, in absence of past preventive vision care utilization experience, most rely on other “previous health service utilization” to guide their judgment. “Low perceived preventive vision care needs” were due to perceived low disruption of symptoms in daily practices and lack of social cues. “Low perceived self-efficacy of service utilization” was due to limited information on service availability, limited social support, limited health literacy, and financial concerns. Unfulfilled “service expectation” also lowered their motivation to use preventive vision care. Discussion This study found that multiple factors influenced the decision-making process and reduced the motivation of subjects to use preventive vision care. Future interventions could exploit the benefit of social influences on the identified factors so that preventive vision care can smoothly fit into the ongoing healthcare use. Adopting a longitudinal qualitative perspective would enrich understanding the reasons for not using preventive vision care.

Background: Men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and initial negative prostate biopsy may have risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in the future. The role of Prostate Health Index (phi) in determining future PCa risk has not been studied before. This study aims to investigate the role of initial phi and phi density in predicting future PCa risk in men with initial negative biopsy. Methods: Five hundred sixty nine men with PSA 4–10 ng/mL were recruited between 2008 and 2015 for prostate biopsy with prior phi. Electronic clinical record of men with initial negative biopsy was reviewed. Patients and follow-up doctors were blinded to phi. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to analyze the PCa-free survival in different baseline phi and phi density groups. Results: Four hundred sixty-one men with complete follow-up data were included. Median follow-up is 77 months. PCa and HGPCa was diagnosed in 8.2% (38/461) and 4.8% (22/461) of cohort respectively. A higher baseline phi value was associated with PCa (p = 0.003) and HGPCa (p < 0.001). HGPCa was diagnosed in 0.6% (1/163) of phi < 25, 4.6% (9/195) of phi 25–34.9, and 11.7% (12/103) of phi ≥ 35 (p < 0.001). HGPCa was diagnosed in 0% (0/109) and 21.0% (13/62) with phi density of

An equation is derived for the energy of a small disturbance in a system that is generated by a distribution function (DF) of the form $f(\vJ)$ -- most galaxies and star clusters can be closely approximated by such a DF. The theory of van Kampen modes is extended to such general systems. An inner product on the space of DFs is defined such that the energy of a disturbance is its norm under this product. It is shown that van Kampen modes that differ in frequency are then orthogonal, with the consequence that the energies of van Kampen modes are additive. Consequently, most of the insight into the dynamics of ergodic systems that was gained in a recent paper on the van Kampen modes of ergodic systems applies to real clusters and galaxies., Comment: 6 pages, submitted to MNRAS

Several norms of psycholinguistic features of Chinese characters exist in Mandarin Chinese, but only a few are available in Cantonese or in the traditional script, and none includes semantic radical transparency ratings. This study presents subjective ratings of age-of-acquisition (AoA), familiarity, imageability, concreteness, and semantic radical transparency in 4376 Chinese characters. The single Chinese characters were rated individually on the five dimensions by 20 native Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong to form the Hong Kong Chinese Character Psycholinguistic Norms (HKCCPN). The split-half reliability and intra-class correlations testified to the high internal reliability of the ratings. Their convergent and discriminant patterns in relations to other psycholinguistic measures echoed previous findings reported on Chinese. There were high correlations for semantic radical transparency, imageability and concreteness, and moderate-to-high correlations for AoA and familiarity among subsets of items that had been collected in previous studies. Concurrent validity analyses showed convergence in predicting behavioral response times in various tasks (lexical decision, naming, and writing-to-dictation) when compared with other Chinese character databases. High predictive validity was shown in writing-to-dictation data from an independent sample of 20 native Cantonese speakers. Several objective psycholinguistic measures (character frequency, stroke number, number of words formed, number of homophones and number of meanings) were included in this database to facilitate its use. These new ratings extend the currently available norms in language and reading research in Cantonese Chinese for researchers, clinicians, and educators, as well as provide them with a wider choice of stimuli.

Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Upper-Body Dressing Scale (UBDS), a tool for evaluating upper-body dressing performance in stroke patients.Design: Cross-sectional study.Subjects: Seventy-six chronic stroke patients and 49 healthy older adults.Methods: UBDS, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUGT), Limit of Stability (LOS) test, Motor Activity Log (MAL-30), Arm Activity Measure (AAM), 12-item Short Form Health Survey, and Community Integration Measure – Cantonese version were assessed Results: UBDS time and UBDS score demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities for chronic stroke patients (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.759–1.000). UBDS time correlated significantly with FMA Upper and Lower Extremity, WMFT, and BBS scores, TUGT time, LOS Movement Velocity (affected side), LOS Maximal Excursion (composite), MAL-30 Amount of Use and Quality of Movement (affected side), and AAM (section B) scores (r = –0.61 to 0.63). The minimal detectable changes in UBDS time and UBDS score were 28.67 s and 0, respectively. The cut-off UBDS time and UBDS score were 37.67 s and 7.50, respectively. Conclusion: UBDS time is a reliable, sensitive, and specific measurement for assessing upper-body dressing performance in chronic stroke patients. LAY ABSTRACTThe skill of upper body dressing is an important component of activities of daily living in people with stroke. However, there are many limitations in current outcome measures to assess upper-body dressing performance. The Upper-Body Dressing Scale was developed to evaluate upper-body dressing performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the inter-rater, test–retest reliabilities, and minimal detectable changes (MDCs) of Upper-Body Dressing Scale time and Upper-Body Dressing Scale score for chronic stroke patients, the correlations of Upper-Body Dressing Scale time and Upper-Body Dressing Scale score with stroke-specific outcome measures, and the cut-off Upper-Body Dressing Scale time and Upper-Body Dressing Scale score for distinguishing upper-body dressing performance of stroke survivors from that of healthy older adults. The Upper-Body Dressing Scale time and Upper-Body Dressing Scale score demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater and test–retest reliabilities for chronic stroke patients. Upper-Body Dressing Scale time correlated significantly with stroke-specific outcome measures. Thus, Upper-Body Dressing Scale time is a reliable, sensitive, and specific measurement for assessing upper-body dressing performance in chronic stroke patients.

BackgroundIdentifying patients with BRCA mutations is clinically important to inform on the potential response to treatment and for risk management of patients and their relatives. However, traditional referral routes may not meet clinical needs, and therefore, mainstreaming cancer genetics has been shown to be effective in some high-income and high health-literacy settings. To date, no study has reported on the feasibility of mainstreaming in low-income and middle-income settings, where the service considerations and health literacy could detrimentally affect the feasibility of mainstreaming.MethodsThe Mainstreaming Genetic Counselling for Ovarian Cancer Patients (MaGiC) study is a prospective, two-arm observational study comparing oncologist-led and genetics-led counselling. This study included 790 multiethnic patients with ovarian cancer from 23 sites in Malaysia. We compared the impact of different method of delivery of genetic counselling on the uptake of genetic testing and assessed the feasibility, knowledge and satisfaction of patients with ovarian cancer.ResultsOncologists were satisfied with the mainstreaming experience, with 95% indicating a desire to incorporate testing into their clinical practice. The uptake of genetic testing was similar in the mainstreaming and genetics arm (80% and 79%, respectively). Patient satisfaction was high, whereas decision conflict and psychological impact were low in both arms of the study. Notably, decisional conflict, although lower than threshold, was higher for the mainstreaming group compared with the genetics arm. Overall, 13.5% of patients had a pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2, and there was no difference between psychosocial measures for carriers in both arms.ConclusionThe MaGiC study demonstrates that mainstreaming cancer genetics is feasible in low-resource and middle-resource Asian setting and increased coverage for genetic testing.

BackgroundTo investigate the efficacy of transperineal targeted microwave ablation (TMA) in treating localized prostate cancer (PCa). MethodsThis is a single-centre prospective phase 2 trial recruiting men with low to intermediate risk localized PCa to undergo transperineal TMA. TMA was performed with MRI-Ultrasound fusion guidance and organ-based tracking. A per-protocol 6-month MRI and biopsy was performed for all patients. The primary outcome was any cancer detected on biopsy of each ablated area. Secondary outcomes included per-patient analysis of positive biopsy, complications, urinary symptom score, erectile function and quality of life (QOL) scores. ResultsIn the first 15 men, 23 areas were being treated. The median age was 70 years, number of TMA ablations were 5 (range 2-8), and the total ablation time and operating time was 22 (IQR 14-28) and 75 (IQR 65-85) minutes, respectively. PSA level dropped from a median of 7.7 to 2.4 ng/mL. For the primary outcome, 91.3% (21/23) ablated area had no cancer in 6-month biopsy. In per-patient analysis, 33.3% (5/15) had in or out-of-field positive biopsy at 6 months. Among these 5 cases, 4 of them were amenable for active surveillance and 1 (6.7%) case with out-of-field ISUP grade group 2 cancer received radiotherapy. The urinary symptoms, uroflowmetry, erectile function, and QOL scores had no significant difference at 6 months. Grade 1 complications including hematuria (33.3%), dysuria (6.7%), and perineal discomfort (13.4%) were observed. ConclusionsIn this first pilot study, transperineal TMA guided by MRI-Ultrasound fusion guidance and organ-based tracking was shown to be effective, safe, and easily applicable in men with localized PCa.

IntroductionThe use of antibiotics may induce the changes in gut microbiota. Previous studies have shown conflicting results on whether the changed gut microbiota by antibiotics can be recovered. Our study aims to investigate whether the gut microbiota could be recovered after a single dose of oral co-amoxiclav before transrectal ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate biopsy (TPPBx) in 5 weeks’ time.MethodsFifteen patients with elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were recruited to provide pre-antibiotic and post-antibiotic fecal samples. The V4 region of 16S rRNA was sequenced. Analysis was performed by QIIME2. Alpha- and beta-diversities were analyzed, as well as the differential enrichment by Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis.ResultsBoth the alpha- and beta-diversities of the pre- and post-antibiotic fecal samples were significantly different. Genera that are associated with alleviation of inflammation were enriched in the pre-antibiotic fecal samples, while the inflammation-associated genera were more enriched in the post-antibiotic fecal samples.ConclusionA single dose of oral co-amoxiclav before TPPBx could have led to a change of gut microbiota that cannot be recovered in 5 weeks' time. Microbiome studies on prostate cancer patients should be cautioned on the use of post-prostate biopsy fecal sampling. Further studies should be conducted for the impact on gut microbiome for TPPBx alone.

Background Massage during labour is one form of intrapartum non-pharmacological pain relief but it is not known whether the frequency of practicing these massage techniques among couples during the antenatal period could enhance the effectiveness of intrapartum massage. This study was to evaluate the association between compliance of antenatal massage practice with intrapartum application and their impact on the use of analgesics during labour. Methods This was a sub-analysis of a childbirth massage programme which was carried out in two public hospitals with total births of around 8000 per year. Data from women who were randomized to the massage group were further analysed. After attending the pre-birth training class on massage at 36 weeks gestation, couples would be encouraged to practice at home. Their compliance with massage at home was classified as good if they had practiced for at least 15 minutes for three or more days in a week, or as poor if the three-day threshold had not been reached. Application of intrapartum massage was quantified by the duration of practice divided by the total duration of the first stage of labour. Women’s application of intrapartum massage were then divided into above and below median levels according to percentage of practice. Logistic regression was used to assess the use of epidural analgesia or pethidine, adjusted for duration of labour and gestational age when attending the massage class. Results Among the 212 women included, 103 women (48.6%) achieved good home massage compliance. No significant difference in the maternal characteristics or birth outcomes was observed between the good and poor compliance groups. The intrapartum massage application (median 21.1%) was inversely associated with duration of first stage of labour and positively associated with better home massage practice compliance (p = 0.04). Lower use of pethidine or epidural analgesia (OR 0.33 95% CI 0.12, 0.90) was associated with above median intrapartum massage application but not antenatal massage compliance, adjusted for duration of first stage of labour. Conclusions More frequent practice of massage techniques among couples during antenatal period could enhance the intrapartum massage application, which may reduce the use of pethidine and epidural analgesia. Trial registration (CCRBCTR) Unique Trial Number CUHK_ CCRB00525.

A systematic understanding of the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), their co-occurrence, and co-occurrence with other conditions during childhood and adolescence remains incomplete. This meta-analysis bridges gaps in our knowledge. First, we meta-analysed the literature on the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to NDDs. Second, we considered the literature on the overlap between different NDD categories. Lastly, we synthesized the literature on the co-occurrence between NDDs and disruptive, impulse control and conduct disorders (DICCs). We performed multilevel, random-effects meta-analyses on 296 independent studies, including over 4 million children and adolescents. We found all NDDs to be substantially heritable (family-based heritability (h2) = 0.66; SNP h2 = 0.19). Meta-analytic genetic correlations between NDDs, and between NDDs and DICCs were moderate to strong. However, given the paucity of available studies covering the co-occurrence of NDDs and DICCs, these could only be estimated for a few disorders. While our work provides direct evidence to inform and potentially guide clinical and educational diagnostic procedures and practice, it also highlights the imbalance in the research effort that has characterized developmental genetics research.

Fluorescent sensing of nucleic acids is a highly sensitive and efficient bioanalytical method for their study in cellular processes, detection and diagnosis in related diseases. However, the design of small molecule fluorescent probes for the selective binding and detection of RNA of a specific sequence is very challenging because of their diverse, dynamic, and flexible structures. By modifying a bis(amidinium)-based small molecular binder that is known to selectively target RNA with CAG repeats using an environment-sensitive fluorophore, a turn-on fluorescent probe featuring aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is successfully developed in this proof-of-concept study. The probe (DB-TPE) exhibits a strong, 19-fold fluorescence enhancement upon binding to a short CAG RNA, and the binding and fluorescence response was found to be specific to the overall RNA secondary structure with A·A mismatches. These promising analytical performances suggest that the probe could be applied in pathological studies, disease progression monitoring, as well as diagnosis of related neurodegenerative diseases due to expanded CAG RNA repeats.

Despite the mounting research on gender inequality in the workplace, progress toward gender parity in organizational practice has stalled. We suggest that one reason for the lack of progress is that empirical research has predominately focused on the antecedents and manifestations of gender inequality in the workplace, paying inadequate attention to the solutions that could potentially improve gender equality and women’s experiences at work. Indeed, we report here that less than 5% of the relevant studies published in preeminent management, psychology, and diversity journals since the turn of the century identify practical interventions for solving gender inequality in organizations. To advance gender equality at work, we argue that a paradigm shift from problem to solution is critical and urgent. Using ecological systems theory (EST; Bronfenbrenner, 1977) as our guiding framework, we present an integrative review of gender equality interventions spanning across the management, psychology, and feminist literature over the past two decades at the ontogenic system, interpersonal microsystem, and organizational microsystem levels of analysis. We subsequently provide an overview of domains not currently addressed in extant research – meso-, macro-, and chronosystems – and identify future research directions to spur progress towards workplace gender equality.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary parent training program, Promoting Holistic Development of Young Kids (Poly Kids), using a single-blind randomized waitlist controlled design. The participants included 218 parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) (intervention group = 107 and waitlist control group = 111). The primary outcomes were child learning, expressive language, fine and gross motor skills (based on individual assessment by respective blinded professionals), and parental reports of child behavior problems. The parents in the intervention group reported significantly lower child behavior problems ( d = .34), higher child task motivation ( d = .63), and lower parenting stress post-intervention ( d = .25), while the children in the intervention group produced significantly more words post-intervention ( d = .82). McNemar test results were significant for movement out of the clinical range in child behavior problems and cognitive skills in the intervention group, but not the control group. The results provided initial evidence on the effectiveness of this train-the-trainer program in supporting families with preschool children with DD in terms of child behavior problems, expressive language, cognitive skills, task motivation, and parenting stress.

Using Care Store as a case study, this research examines the innovative development and value penetrations of workers’ co-operative societies in Hong Kong. Care Store operates through the practices of equality and mutual care, in the unfriendly neoliberalist social order of Hong Kong. The society penetrates the dominant models of labor organization and consumption process. But the penetration of structural inequalities is limited, because the female workers of the society remain low-income laborers, social boundary and exclusion still take place, and the workers internalize their cultural inferiority. In comparison with innovative organizations in other regions, workers’ co-operative societies in Hong Kong have little opportunity to rely on or collaborate with the public and private sectors, and they explore a more progressive path of penetration in development. Practices strengthening this path can not only sustain these young organizations but also enrich the understanding of the true potentials of the nonprofit sector.

The 2016 U.S. Presidential election presented a unique opportunity to study gender and leadership. Using the social identity theory of leadership (Hogg 2001) as a guiding framework, we sought to understand the effect of social identities—gender and political affiliation—on voters’ evaluations of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in this election. We surveyed 440 participants’ attitudes toward female leaders, political affiliation, level of media exposure, and their evaluations of Clinton’s charisma and effectiveness in Study 1. Results indicate that female voters, those with favorable attitudes toward female leaders, and Democrats were more likely to support Clinton; these relationships were strengthened by media exposure. Contrary to predictions, gender attitudes and political affiliation did not have a significant interaction effect on evaluations of Clinton. In Study 2, we conducted a content analysis of the media’s portrayal of Clinton on both ends of the political spectrum. Our findings revealed that partisan news outlets with opposite political leanings did significantly differ in their portrayal of Clinton’s prototypicality and competence as a leader. As a result, media coverage acted to magnify the role of political affiliation in voters’ evaluations of Clinton’s suitability for the highest political office. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study investigated the grapho-motor patterns used in writing Chinese characters. A Chinese patient, CSC, who demonstrated post-brain-injury mirror writing, was recruited. In Experiment 1, non-mirrored writing responses were obtained when CSC was instructed to copy asymmetrical non-verbal symbols and pictures. Resembling the patterns observed in a patient's writing reported in a previous study, it was hypothesized that CSC's mirror writing was a result of untransformed preserved grapho-motor patterns. In Experiments 2 and 3, CSC was further instructed to copy real Chinese characters, pseudo-characters with authentic radicals and logographemes (i.e., stroke clusters that frequently occur in radicals), and Hangul characters with stroke clusters resembling the shapes of authentic logographemes. The results showed that CSC demonstrated mirror writing only when authentic Chinese orthographic units were involved. Non-mirrored writing responses were obtained from stimuli without authentic Chinese orthographic units. In sum, CSC's performance supported the existence of grapho-motor patterns of Chinese orthographic units represented in the brain. Theoretical implications were discussed.

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by the expansion of an unstable CAG repeat in the coding region of the affected genes. Hallmarks of polyQ diseases include the accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates, leading to neuronal degeneration and cell death. PolyQ diseases are currently incurable, highlighting the urgent need for approaches that inhibit the formation of disaggregate cytotoxic polyQ protein inclusions. Here, we screened for bisamidine-based inhibitors that can inhibit neuronal polyQ protein inclusions. We demonstrated that one inhibitor, AQAMAN, prevents polyQ protein aggregation and promotes de-aggregation of self-assembled polyQ proteins in several models of polyQ diseases. Using immunocytochemistry, we found that AQAMAN significantly reduces polyQ protein aggregation and specifically suppresses polyQ protein–induced cell death. Using a recombinant and purified polyQ protein (thioredoxin–Huntingtin–Q46), we further demonstrated that AQAMAN interferes with polyQ self-assembly, preventing polyQ aggregation, and dissociates preformed polyQ aggregates in a cell-free system. Remarkably, AQAMAN feeding of Drosophila expressing expanded polyQ disease protein suppresses polyQ-induced neurodegeneration in vivo. In addition, using inhibitors and activators of the autophagy pathway, we demonstrated that AQAMAN's cytoprotective effect against polyQ toxicity is autophagy-dependent. In summary, we have identified AQAMAN as a potential therapeutic for combating polyQ protein toxicity in polyQ diseases. Our findings further highlight the importance of the autophagy pathway in clearing harmful polyQ proteins.

Significance Small CAG (sCAG) RNAs are neurotoxic, but their role in polyglutamine degeneration remains to be fully elucidated. We observed that cellular expression of sCAGs is sufficient to induce neuronal DNA damage and discovered that the transcript level of NUDT16 was reduced in HD models. The NUDT16 protein has previously been linked to the DNA damage pathway. At the structural level, sCAGs form double-stranded CAG–CUG heteroduplex RNA with NUDT16 transcript which led to its gene silencing. We showed that the bisamidinium-based compound DB213 specifically interacts with duplex CAG RNA; consequently, both NUDT16 expression and DNA damage were rescued in HD mice. Our findings describe a pathogenic pathway that induces DNA damage in polyglutamine degeneration and demonstrate its therapeutic potential., DNA damage plays a central role in the cellular pathogenesis of polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, including Huntington’s disease (HD). In this study, we showed that the expression of untranslatable expanded CAG RNA per se induced the cellular DNA damage response pathway. By means of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we found that expression of the Nudix hydrolase 16 (NUDT16) gene was down-regulated in mutant CAG RNA-expressing cells. The loss of NUDT16 function results in a misincorporation of damaging nucleotides into DNAs and leads to DNA damage. We showed that small CAG (sCAG) RNAs, species generated from expanded CAG transcripts, hybridize with CUG-containing NUDT16 mRNA and form a CAG-CUG RNA heteroduplex, resulting in gene silencing of NUDT16 and leading to the DNA damage and cellular apoptosis. These results were further validated using expanded CAG RNA-expressing mouse primary neurons and in vivo R6/2 HD transgenic mice. Moreover, we identified a bisamidinium compound, DB213, that interacts specifically with the major groove of the CAG RNA homoduplex and disfavors the CAG-CUG heteroduplex formation. This action subsequently mitigated RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-dependent NUDT16 silencing in both in vitro cell and in vivo mouse disease models. After DB213 treatment, DNA damage, apoptosis, and locomotor defects were rescued in HD mice. This work establishes NUDT16 deficiency by CAG repeat RNAs as a pathogenic mechanism of polyQ diseases and as a potential therapeutic direction for HD and other polyQ diseases.

One of the uncertainties in nuclear physics is whether a phase transition between hadronic matter to quark matter exists in supranuclear equations of state. Such a feature can be probed via gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star inspirals that contain information of the induced tides. The dynamical part of the tides is caused by the resonance of pulsation modes of stars, which causes a shift in the gravitational-wave phase. In this paper, we investigate the dynamical tides of the interfacial mode ($i$-mode) of spherical degree $l=2$, a nonradial mode caused by an interface associated with a quark-hadron phase transition inside a hybrid star. In particular, we focus on hybrid stars with a crystalline quark matter core and a fluid hadronic envelope. We employ a hybrid method which consists of a general relativistic calculation of the stellar structure, together with Newtonian formulations of tidal couplings and mode excitations. We find that the resonant frequency of such $i$-modes typically ranges from 300 Hz to 1500 Hz, and the frequency increases as the shear modulus of the quark core increases. We next estimate the detectability of such a mode with existing and future gravitational-wave events from the inspiral waveform with a Fisher analysis. We find that GW170817 and GW190425 have the potential to detect the $i$-mode if the quark-hadron phase transition occurs at a sufficiently low pressure and the shear modulus of the quark matter phase is large enough. We also find that the third-generation gravitational-wave detectors can further probe the $i$-mode with intermediate transition pressure. Finally, we check our hybrid method against a fully-Newtonian analysis and find that the two results can be off by a factor of a few. Thus, the results presented here should be valid as an order-of-magnitude estimate and provide a new, interesting direction for probing the existence of quark core inside a neutron star using the $i$-mode. A full general relativistic formalism, however, needs to be pursued for further analysis.

Observed clusters should be modelled by considering the distribution function to be a random variable that quantifies the degree of excitation of the system's normal modes. A system of canonical coordinates for the space of DFs is identified so DFs can be weighted in a consistent way., Comment: 5 pages. Submitted to MNRAS

Identifying patients withThe Mainstreaming Genetic Counselling for Ovarian Cancer Patients (MaGiC) study is a prospective, two-arm observational study comparing oncologist-led and genetics-led counselling. This study included 790 multiethnic patients with ovarian cancer from 23 sites in Malaysia. We compared the impact of different method of delivery of genetic counselling on the uptake of genetic testing and assessed the feasibility, knowledge and satisfaction of patients with ovarian cancer.Oncologists were satisfied with the mainstreaming experience, with 95% indicating a desire to incorporate testing into their clinical practice. The uptake of genetic testing was similar in the mainstreaming and genetics arm (80% and 79%, respectively). Patient satisfaction was high, whereas decision conflict and psychological impact were low in both arms of the study. Notably, decisional conflict, although lower than threshold, was higher for the mainstreaming group compared with the genetics arm. Overall, 13.5% of patients had a pathogenic variant inThe MaGiC study demonstrates that mainstreaming cancer genetics is feasible in low-resource and middle-resource Asian setting and increased coverage for genetic testing.

Might play and imagination inform us about decolonizing and healing the Earth as ourselves? This article contributes to the discussion on the functions of Expressive Arts-based research (EABR) for practitioners and researchers interested in cultivating ecological identity through embodied and lived experiences. Based on the basic tenets of EABR, the author conducted this intermodal expressive arts inquiry during the early outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in Canada, in accordance with the architecture of an expressive arts session: filling in from the habitual world experience, de-centering process and harvesting. On the foundation of this inquiry, the author concludes that the art-oriented de-centering process can 1) facilitate transpersonal ecological interaction with the more-than-human world, which provides relational nourishment for human individuals to grow their ability to identify ecologically; and 2) metabolize imagination and the act of poiesis in between the habitual and alternative world experiences as the embodiment of human participation with the Living Earth’s creative process.

Phonological awareness is related to multiple language skills. However, the effect of phonological awareness on Chinese character writing has not been fully addressed. This paper aims to discover the relationship of phonological awareness with Chinese character writing, and how such relation varies according to learners’ grade levels. 260 primary school students from Grades 2 to 5 were tested using an onset-rime test, a syllable awareness test and a character dictation test. Results indicated a moderate positive association between phonological awareness and character writing. Two levels of phonological awareness (onset-rime and syllable awareness) showed different and independent influences on character writing with a graded effect, which extend current understanding of the development of phonological awareness in relation to Chinese character learning.

The 2016 US Presidential Campaign was followed worldwide due to the dynamic nature of the candidates and the controversy surrounding them. This study takes a unique look at the candidacy of Donald Trump through the eyes of his followers. Using both qualitative data collected from campaign speeches and quantitative data collected from followers, our study examines (1) the positive/negative valence of the rhetoric used by both presidential candidates and (2) the relationship between follower characteristics, perceived threat of social groups, and attributions of charisma and effectiveness to Donald Trump. The results of this study suggest that Trump’s rhetoric was significantly more negative, hostile, and aggressive than Clinton’s. In addition, quantitative analyses show a direct relationship between followers’ attitudes toward gender and attributions of charisma and effectiveness to Trump. Finally, followers’ perceived threat of social groups mediated relationships between follower self-esteem, romance of leadership, gender attitudes, and attributions of charisma and effectiveness to Trump. Our results shed further light on the important role that follower characteristics and perceptions play in predicting social constructions of leadership and attributions of charisma. Implications for both organizations and scholars of leadership are discussed.

Spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus sp., frequently been associated with the contamination of rice and other starchy products. Spores are more resistant to antimicrobial treatments than its vegetative cells. The extract of Indonesian bay leaf (Syzygium polyanthum L.) was assessed for its antibacterial and sporicidal activities against vegetative cells and spores of B. cereus isolated from rice (25 strains). The results showed that S. polyanthum L. extract was able to inhibit the growth of vegetative cells of all B. cereus isolates with MICs ranged from 0.16 to 0.63 mg/mL and can kill with MBCs ranged from 0.31 to 2.50 mg/mL. The bactericidal endpoint for B. cereus BC-NP.8 in time kill curve was at 1.25 mg/mL (8× MIC) after 4 h of incubation while for B. cereus ATCC 33019 was at 2.50 mg/mL (8× MIC). The sporicidal activity of S. polyanthum L. extract was not affected by different temperatures treatment and alteration of the pHs of extract. Therefore, this indicates that the extract was stable after exposed to pH3, 7 and 10 as well as temperature of 50, 80, and 121°C. Observation under on scanning electron microscope the structure of the B. cereus ATCC 33019 spores was ruptured after being treated with 1% (w/v) S. polyanthum L. extract for 1 h. In conclusion, S. polyanthum L. extract had antibacterial and sporicidal activity against vegetative cells and spores of B. cereus isolated from rice.

In Hong Kong, parental preference for babies born in the Chinese Zodiac dragon year causes spikes in fertility. The larger number of “dragon babies” born in 1988 resulted in a schooling cohort which was 5% larger on average every school-year. Using an innovative identification strategy that avoids selection bias, I find that dragon cohort students increase their time spent studying math by an average of 0.26 hours per week (a 9% increase relative to the mean). These effort responses are strongest for girls and for students whose parents do not have post-secondary education. Being in the dragon cohort also results in higher math scores. These empirical findings are consistent with competitive behavior changes of dragon cohort members responding to the presence of additional students. I cannot, however, rule out other possible mechanisms, such as cooperation, peer quality, and educational investments, acting in conjunction to improve academic outcomes. This paper is the first to document the test score and effort impacts of such zodiac cohorts; its findings highlight the importance of cultural forces in determining population changes, and their potential to influence education and other societal outcomes.

Aim This study was conducted to evaluate low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) as anticoagulation for nocturnal home haemodialysis (NHHD). While its longer half-life may cause drug accumulation in frequent dialysis, the essential need of a supplementary intra-dialytic bolus for the sleeping patients also renders LMWH's use impractical. Methods The recruited patients, who were on alternate-day 8 h haemodialysis, were randomized to receive either nadroparin or unfractionated heparin (UFH) for a week. They underwent crossover to receive the alternate anticoagulant in the next week. A nadroparin infusion regimen was adopted to enhance its practicability, which consisted of a loading dose of 35 IU/kg and a continuous infusion of 10 IU/kg per hour for 6 h. Results A total of 12 NHHD patients were recruited. With nadroparin infusion, the mean anti-Xa levels at the 2nd , 4th , 6th and 8th hours of dialysis were 0.46 ± 0.11, 0.55 ± 0.14, 0.61 ± 0.15 and 0.45 ± 0.15 IU/mL respectively. Comparing to UFH, which offered satisfactory anticoagulation according to the activated partial thromboplastin time, nadroparin-treated dialysis achieved similar thrombus scores and dialyser urea/creatinine clearances at the end of haemodialysis. During the post-dialysis period, one patient demonstrated residual LMWH effect (anti-Xa level 0.09 IU/mL) on the next day, whereas none had detectable anti-Xa activities 2 days afterwards upon next dialysis. Conclusions Low-molecular weight heparin infusion is practical and effective as anticoagulation for NHHD. It can be safely used in an alternate-day haemodialysis schedule. A close monitoring for LMWH accumulation is recommended if long dialysis is performed daily.

Plasma anti-Xa activity, the recommended test to monitor low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) therapy, is not readily available in many laboratories. In our clinical trials on the use of LMWH as anticoagulation for haemodialysis, a consistent prolongation of APTT in addition to the elevated anti-Xa activity was observed in the patients after LMWH administration. Hence, the paired anti-Xa activity and APTT data were re-analyzed. The APTT ratio, which was the proportional change in APTT from the baseline value after LMWH administration, was found to have a strong correlation with anti-Xa activity (coefficient of determination, R 2 = 0.72, P

After the Asian Financial Crisis, the government of Hong Kong embraced the model of work-integration social enterprise (WISE) to sustain its facilitative and productivist welfare regime. Using the WISE of Pro-Love for marginalized women as a case study, the article examines the meaning of employment and social disadvantage in the organization. The ethnographic data reveal that while the WISE encourages women to participate in the paid labor market, it constructs employment in the social enterprise as part-time jobs for supplementary family income, restricts the extension of social networks for the female workers, and reinforces the cultural stereotypes of marginalized women. The study reflects on the mechanisms of the project of WISE in the welfare contexts of Hong Kong, and argues that programs targeted at labor participation cannot be automatically translated into reduction of exclusion in other domains. Long-term planning, policy coordination, and social advocacy are necessary to achieve social integration.

Producing more food for a growing population in the coming decades, while at the same time combating environmental issues, is a huge challenge faced by the worldwide population. The risks that come with climate change make the mission more daunting. Billion tons of agriculture by-products are produced each year along the agricultural and food processing processes. There is a need to take further actions on exploring the inner potential of agro-waste to stand out as food ingredient to partially or fully substitute the foods in orthodox list. Some of the agro-waste contains the most valuable nutrients in the plant and it is truly a “waste” to dispose any of them. Furthermore, the paper aims at discussing the possible methods of modification to improve the safety and feasibility of the agro-waste either through physical, chemical or microbiological ways. The safety issues and bioactivity contains in the agro-waste also been discussed to present the better overall ideas about the employing of agro-waste in food applications.

Algal cells are known for improved accumulation of long chain fatty acids when grown in continuous flow cultures under conditions where nutrients, such as nitrogen and/or phosphorous, are limited. Food waste has been shown to be an appropriate source of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to be used as nutrients in heterotrophic microalgal biomass production. Food waste, however, has unpredictable contents of the three mentioned compounds, which makes an application in continuous flow cultures where defined concentrations of nutrients are required challenging. Therefore, this study aimed on developing continuous flow cultures of the heterotrophic microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa solely based on mixed restaurant food waste for improved fatty acid production. Food waste was enzymatically digested using amylolytic or proteolytic enzymes, and the obtained hydrolysate was used for the cultivation of C. pyrenoidosa in continuous flow cultures under nitrogen and/or phosphate limitation. In a nutrient sufficient batch culture, C. pyrenoidosa contained 103.8 mg g−1 lipids, while up to three times more lipids was found in biomass cultured under nutrient limited conditions. C. pyrenoidosa also accumulated up to 619.0 mg g−1carbohydrates. With decreasing dilution rate and increasing nutrient stress, the carbohydrate content could be decreased to 390.9 mg g−1. The outcomes of this study extended our understanding on how to utilize complex media in continuous flow cultures of algal cells which are carried out under specific nutrient limitation for improved fatty acid accumulation.

A sedentary lifestyle is now known as a critical risk factor for accelerated aging-related neurodegenerative disorders. In contract, having regular physical exercise has opposite effects. Clinical findings have suggested that physical exercise can promote brain plasticity, particularly the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, that are important for learning and memory and mood regulations. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Animal studies reveal that the effects of physical exercise on promoting neuroplasticity could be mediated by different exerkines derived from the peripheral system and the brain itself. This book chapter summarizes the recent evidence from clinical and pre-clinical studies showing the emerging mediators for exercise-promoted brain health, including myokines secreted from skeletal muscles, adipokines from adipose tissues, and other factors secreted from the bone and liver.