160 results on '"May Lai"'
Search Results
2. The compilation of a sample PFR Chinese corpus of Skeleton-parsed sentences
- Author
-
May Lai-Yin Wong
- Subjects
Philology. Linguistics ,P1-1091 - Abstract
The approach taken in this paper for the construction of a treebank is inspired by the skeleton parsing approach. From the PFR Chinese Corpus, a sample text of some 100,000 word tokens was chosen for the production of the treebank. A clear account of the 17 non terminal constituents that are defined and instantiated in the corpus texts will be provided in a parsing scheme. A set of parsing guidelines on practical issues related to map any parses on to sentences in the application of the parsing scheme will also be considered. It is noteworthy also to discuss the major difficulties encountered in the course of skeleton parsing, as this illuminates some of the peculiarities of the Chinese language. The conclusion is an evaluation of the success of the treebank compilation.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Predictors of chronic pain and disability in patients treated conservatively after distal radius fracture: a prospective cohort study
- Author
-
Luk, May Lai Mei, Chan, Andy Chi Ming, Cho, Jocelyn Sau Yee, Ng, Daisy Mei Ting, Lam, Isa Chui Yi, Yau, Edmund Leung Kai, Miller, Tiev, and Pang, Marco Yiu Chung
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Predictors of chronic pain and disability in patients treated conservatively after distal radius fracture: a prospective cohort study
- Author
-
May Lai Mei Luk, Andy Chi Ming Chan, Jocelyn Sau Yee Cho, Daisy Mei Ting Ng, Isa Chui Yi Lam, Edmund Leung Kai Yau, Tiev Miller, and Marco Yiu Chung Pang
- Subjects
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Surgery - Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Gender Difference in the Relationship of Albuminuria and Arterial Stiffness in Chinese Adults - a 6.6-Year Follow-Up Longitudinal Study
- Author
-
Cheng-Chieh Lin, Kuo-Tung Tang, Chia-Ing Li, Chiu-Shong Liu, Ming-May Lai, and Wen-Yuan Lin
- Subjects
Albuminuria ,Circulatory disease ,Epidemiology ,Gender ,Dermatology ,RL1-803 ,Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system ,RC666-701 ,Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urology ,RC870-923 - Abstract
Background/Aims: Brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) reflects the stiffness of muscular arteries. Albuminuria is recognized as a marker of vascular dysfunction. We assessed the association between arterial stiffness and albuminuria in a population-based longitudinal study. Methods: 1116 adults aged ≥ 40 years in the Taichung Community Health Study (TCHS) in 2004 attended a follow-up visit in 2011. Albuminuria was defined as an urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g. Arterial stiffness was defined as BaPWV ≥ 1540 cm/sec in males and BaPWV ≥ 1480 cm/sec in females, respectively. ∆baPWV was calculated as baPWV at follow-up minus baPWV at baseline, while ∆UACR was calculated as UACR at follow-up minus UACR at baseline. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between albuminuria and arterial stiffness. Results: Among 652 subjects without arterial stiffness at baseline, 209 (32%) subjects developed incident arterial stiffness after an average of 6.6 years. In male subjects, baseline albuminuria was associated with development of arterial stiffness (odds ratio: 4.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–19.31) and ∆baPWV was modestly positively associated with ∆UACR. Conclusion: Our results indicated that male adults with albuminuria had an increased risk for developing arterial stiffness.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Virtual Students Mobility and Exchange Programs: Case Study of Malaysia
- Author
-
See May, Lai, primary, Haimi Mohd Adnan, Airil, additional, and Rosly, Rohazlyn, additional
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Contributing Factors of Job Burnout Among School Teachers in Kelantan
- Author
-
May, Lai See, primary, Firdaus Kozako, Intan Nurul 'Ain Mohd, additional, Rosly, Rohazlyn, additional, Mohamad, Mimi Mazlina, additional, and Syazwanie Azmi, Azzieatul, additional
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Adverbial clauses in Mandarin Chinese : a corpus-based study
- Author
-
Wong, May Lai-Yin
- Subjects
495.1 - Published
- 2005
9. Multimodality in Hong Kong government posters from the 1950s–1980s: an appraisal analysis and the discursive construction of legitimation
- Author
-
May Lai Yin Wong
- Subjects
Linguistics and Language ,Literature and Literary Theory ,Language and Linguistics - Abstract
This paper uses van Leeuwen’s (2008. Discourse and practice: New tools from critical discourse analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press) Authority Legitimation framework to examine government posters published in the 1950s–1980s in Hong Kong, which serve as a means of shaping public opinion and legitimate social action. Martin and White’s (2005. The language of evaluation: Appraisal in english. London: Palgrave Macmillan) Appraisal framework is also applied to provide the study with relevant analytical tools by which to construct evaluatively coherent authorial reading positions propagated by the government in the posters as well as aligning viewers with these desired positions. The government posters being studied are concerned with various aspects of social practices in the domain of public health communication. This paper argues that the representations of these social practices are realized as texts – both visual and verbal – in the posters, as part of a broader recontextualization process where legitimate ways of doing things as stipulated in the government guidelines are recontextualized in these posters and conveyed to members of the public. The aim is two-fold: (1) to provide a systematic analysis of how visual and verbal resources construe evaluation in the government posters and the consequent legitimation discourse as viewers are being persuaded to align with legitimate social practices; (2) to highlight various forms of legitimation, namely, role model authority legitimation, impersonal authority legitimation, and conformity authority legitimation, that are realized in these posters through visual-verbal articulation.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. A study of time use and academic achievement among secondary-school students in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia
- Author
-
Siew Foen Ng, Razimi Zakaria, See May Lai, and Gary J. Confessore
- Subjects
time use ,academic achievement ,secondary school students ,school-related-activities ,non-school-related-activities ,youths ,Special aspects of education ,LC8-6691 ,The family. Marriage. Woman ,HQ1-2044 - Abstract
The preliminary report of the Malaysian Education Blueprint – 2013–2025 (Malaysia Ministry of Education, 2012. Preliminary education blueprint (2013–2025). Retrieved June 11, 2012 from http://www.moe.gov.my/userfiles/file/PPP/Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng.pdf) highlights the importance, in a globalised world, of producing future intellectual, social and human capital for Malaysia. It is paramount to note that adolescents are the future human capital of Malaysia. Literature indicates adolescents are confronted with an environment that is rapidly changing and the time spent on non-school-related activities has negatively impacted academic performance. This research investigated the contribution of time use among students to academic achievement. The sample of secondary school students was stratified to ensure balance of gender, school type and grade level. Correlation analyses were conducted to determine the associations among the variables identified in the study. Participants completed the Daily Record of How I Use My Time each day for seven consecutive days. Cooperating schools provided copies of the academic transcript of each participant. This information was used to establish the overall secondary school academic achievement of each participant. The data collected were subjected to bivariate comparison of means and t-test comparisons of means to yield correlations among the target variables. The findings of this research support those of some previous studies and contradict those of other studies, many conducted with non-Malaysian populations. In sum, this study may help to develop a conceptual framework for guiding efforts to improve academic performance, as it relates to time use, as a contribution to accomplishing the national agenda of Malaysia.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Protected amine-functional initiators for the synthesis of α-amine homo- and heterotelechelic poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)s
- Author
-
Zihnil A. I. Mazrad, May Lai, Thomas P. Davis, Joseph A. Nicolazzo, Kristofer J. Thurecht, Meike N. Leiske, and Kristian Kempe
- Subjects
Polymers and Plastics ,Organic Chemistry ,Bioengineering ,Biochemistry - Abstract
Screening a series of protected amine cationic ring-opening polymerization initiators revealed the commercially available N-(3-bromopropyl)phthalimide as the most suitable to achieve defined polymers with high degree of amine functionalization.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. The Impact of Quranic Memorisation on Students’ English Language Performance
- Author
-
Rosly, Rohazlyn, primary, Mohamed, Mohd Sollah, additional, Ismail@Ahmad, Muslim, additional, and May, Lai See, additional
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Skeleton Parsing in Chinese: Annotation Scheme and Guidelines.
- Author
-
May Lai-Yin Wong
- Published
- 2006
14. Biomarkers for Diabetic Retinopathy - Could Endothelin 2 Be Part of the Answer?
- Author
-
Nicolette Binz, Elizabeth P Rakoczy, Ireni S Ali Rahman, Nermina N Vagaja, and Chooi-May Lai
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The endothelins are a family of three highly conserved and homologous vasoactive peptides that are expressed across all organ systems. Endothelin (Edn) dysregulation has been implicated in a number of pathophysiologies, including diabetes and diabetes-related complications. Here we examined Edn2 and endothelin receptor B (Endrb) expression in retinae of diabetic mouse models and measured serum Edn2 to assess its biomarker potential.Edn2 and Ednrb mRNA and Edn2 protein expression were assessed in young (8wk) and mature (24wk) C57Bl/6 (wild type; wt), Kimba (model of retinal neovascularisation, RNV), Akita (Type 1 diabetes; T1D) and Akimba mice (T1D plus RNV) by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Edn2 protein concentration in serum was measured using ELISA.Fold-changes in Edn2 and Ednrb mRNA were seen only in young Kimba (Edn2: 5.3; Ednrb: 6.0) and young Akimba (Edn2: 7.9, Ednrb: 8.8) and in mature Kimba (Edn2:9.2, Ednrb:11.2) and mature Akimba (Edn2:14.0, Ednrb:17.5) mice. Co-localisation of Edn2 with Müller-cell-specific glutamine synthetase demonstrated Müller cells and photoreceptors as the major cell types for Edn2 expression in all animal models. Edn2 serum concentrations in young Kimba, Akita and Akimba mice were not elevated compared to wt. However, in mature mice, Edn2 serum concentration was increased in Akimba (6.9pg/mg total serum protein) compared to wt, Kimba and Akita mice (3.9, 4.6, and 3.8pg/mg total serum protein, respectively; p
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Body mass index and albumin levels are prognostic factors for long-term survival in elders with limited performance status
- Author
-
Cheng-Chieh Lin, Chih Hsueh Lin, Wen-Yuan Lin, Ming May Lai, Chiu-Shong Liu, Kuan Yu Lai, and Tai-Hsien Wu
- Subjects
Male ,Aging ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health Status ,Longevity ,Serum albumin ,Nutritional Status ,body mass index ,Serum Albumin, Human ,Kaplan-Meier Estimate ,elder ,Internal medicine ,performance status ,Humans ,Medicine ,Hypoalbuminemia ,albumin ,Aged ,Proportional Hazards Models ,Aged, 80 and over ,Performance status ,biology ,business.industry ,Hazard ratio ,Albumin ,Cell Biology ,Prognosis ,medicine.disease ,mortality ,Confidence interval ,Blood pressure ,biology.protein ,Female ,business ,Body mass index ,Research Paper - Abstract
Elderly long-term care facility residents typically have musculoskeletal conditions that may lead to long-term disability and increased mortality. Our main objective was to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI), albumin levels, and mortality in elderly individuals with limited performance status. Among 182 participants (mean age, 78.8 years; 57% women), 11%, 64%, and 25% had serum albumin levels of 3.5 g/dL, respectively. After multivariate adjustments, diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg was associated with all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-3.82; P = 0.018]. In addition, BMI 3.5 g/dL (HR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.11-2.94 and HR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.22-5.30, respectively; P = 0.018 and 0.013, respectively). Highest mortality was noted in participants with albumin levels
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Thiol-Reactive Star Polymers Functionalized with Short Ethoxy-Containing Moieties Exhibit Enhanced Uptake in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells
- Author
-
Thomas P. Davis, Narges Bayat, Maria Kavallaris, John F. Quinn, Keith C.S. Sia, Richard B. Lock, Nicholas Ariotti, Yuhuan Li, Nathan McOrist, James L. Grace, Michael R. Whittaker, and May Lai
- Subjects
Cell ,Biophysics ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Bioengineering ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,Endocytosis ,01 natural sciences ,Flow cytometry ,Biomaterials ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Drug Discovery ,medicine ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Organic Chemistry ,Diethylene glycol ,General Medicine ,Transfection ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,0104 chemical sciences ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Cancer cell ,Drug delivery ,Thiol ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Purpose: Directing nanoparticles to cancer cells without using antibodies is of great interest. Subtle changes to the surface chemistry of nanoparticles can significantly affect their biological fate, including their propensity to associate with different cell populations. For instance, nanoparticles functionalized with thiol-reactive groups can potentially enhance association with cells that over-express cell-surface thiol groups. The potential of such an approach for enhancing drug delivery for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells has not been investigated. Herein, we investigate the impact of thiol-reactive star polymers on the cellular association and the mechanisms of uptake of the nanoparticles.Methods: We prepared fluorescently labeled star polymers functionalized with an mPEG brush corona and pyridyl disulfide to examine how reactivity to exofacial thiols impacts cellular association with ALL cells. We also studied how variations to the mPEG brush composition could potentially be used as a secondary method for controlling the extent of cell association. Specifically, we examined how the inclusion of shorter diethylene glycol brush moieties into the nanoparticle corona could be used to further influence cell association.Results: Star polymers incorporating both thiol-reactive and diethylene glycol brush moieties exhibited the highest cellular association, followed by those functionalized solely with thiol reactive groups compared to control nanoparticles in T and B pediatric ALL patient-derived xenografts harvested from the spleens and bone marrow of immunodeficient mice. Transfection of cells with an early endosomal marker and imaging with correlative light and electron microscopy confirmed cellular uptake. Endocytosis inhibitors revealed dynamin-dependent clathrin-mediated endocytosis as the main uptake pathway for all the star polymers.Conclusion: Thiol-reactive star polymers having an mPEG brush corona that includes a proportion of diethylene glycol brush moieties represent a potential strategy for improved leukemia cell delivery.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Three-Year Follow-Up of Phase 1 and 2a rAAV.sFLT-1 Subretinal Gene Therapy Trials for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Author
-
Cora M. Pierce, Elizabeth Rakoczy, Mark S. Blumenkranz, Aaron L. Magno, Mariapia A. Degli-Esposti, Ian J. Constable, and Chooi May Lai
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Visual acuity ,Genetic enhancement ,Genetic Vectors ,Visual Acuity ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Internal medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,Macula Lutea ,Adverse effect ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,030304 developmental biology ,Aged, 80 and over ,0303 health sciences ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ,business.industry ,Retrospective cohort study ,Genetic Therapy ,Diabetic retinopathy ,Middle Aged ,Macular degeneration ,medicine.disease ,Clinical trial ,Ophthalmology ,Treatment Outcome ,Intravitreal Injections ,Wet Macular Degeneration ,030221 ophthalmology & optometry ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Tomography, Optical Coherence ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
Purpose To assess the safety and the 3-year results of combined phase 1 and 2a randomized controlled trials of rAAV.sFLT-1 gene therapy (GT) for wet age-related macular degeneration. Design Phase 1/2a clinical trial. Methods Patients were prospectively randomized into control (n = 13) and GT (n = 24) groups. GT patients received 1X1011vg rAAV.sFLT-1 and were seen every month for 1 year then as needed every 1 to 2 months. They were given retreatment anti–vascular endothelial growth factor injections according to predetermined criteria. At 12 months, GT patients were divided into 2 groups: HD-1 (n = 14), requiring 2 retreatments. Results Between 1 year and 3 years there were 3 adverse events (AEs) and 33 serious AEs reported. Of these, 15 occurred in the 13 control subjects and 21 in the 24 GT patients. Except for 1 case of transient choroiditis in a control patient, serious AEs were deemed to be unrelated to the study. Control patients received a median of 7.0 retreatments and lost a median of 7.0 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, HD-1 patients received a median of 2.5 retreatments and lost a median of 4.0 ETDRS letters, and HD-2 patients received a median of 11.0 retreatments and lost a median of 7.0 ETDRS letters over 3 years. Center point thickness fluctuated. Thirty-three percent of control subjects, 44% of HD-2 patients, and 51% of HD-1 patients showed maintenance of baseline visual acuity. Four HD-1 patients (34%) maintained significant visual improvement at 3 years. None of these observations were statistically significant. Conclusions Given the small number of patients, this study was unable to unequivocally confirm the existence of a biologic efficacy signal; however, it confirmed that rAAV.sFLT-1 gene delivery was well tolerated among the elderly.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Prospective validation of American Diabetes Association risk tool for predicting pre-diabetes and diabetes in Taiwan-Taichung community health study.
- Author
-
Chia-Ing Li, Ling Chien, Chiu-Shong Liu, Wen-Yuan Lin, Ming-May Lai, Cheng-Chun Lee, Fei-Na Chen, Tsai-Chung Li, and Cheng-Chieh Lin
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND: A simple diabetes risk tool that does not require laboratory tests would be beneficial in screening individuals at higher risk. Few studies have evaluated the ability of these tools to identify new cases of pre-diabetes. This study aimed to assess the ability of the American Diabetes Association Risk Tool (ADART) to predict the 3-year incidence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in Taiwanese. METHODS: This was a 3-year prospective study of 1021 residents with normoglycemia at baseline, gathered from a random sample of residents aged 40-88 years in a metropolitan city in Taiwan. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of three models were compared: ADART only, ADART plus lifestyle behaviors at baseline, and ADART plus lifestyle behaviors and biomarkers at baseline. The performance of ADART was compared with that of 16 tools that had been reported in the literature. RESULTS: The AUCs and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 0.60 (0.54-0.66) for men and 0.72 (0.66-0.77) for women in model 1; 0.62 (0.56-0.68) for men and 0.74 (0.68-0.80) for women in model 2; and 0.64 (0.58-0.71) for men and 0.75 (0.69-0.80) for women in model 3. The AUCs of these three models were all above 0.7 in women, but not in men. No significant difference in either women or men (p = 0.268 and 0.156, respectively) was observed in the AUC of these three models. Compared to 16 tools published in the literature, ADART had the second largest AUC in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: ADART is a good screening tool for predicting the three-year incidence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in females of a Taiwanese population. The performance of ADART in men was similar to the results with other tools published in the literature. Its performance was one of the best among the tools reported in the literature.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Interactions of core cross-linked poly(2-oxazoline) and poly(2-oxazine) micelles with immune cells in human blood
- Author
-
Thomas P. Davis, Meike N. Leiske, Kristofer J. Thurecht, May Lai, Stephen J. Kent, Thakshila Amarasena, and Kristian Kempe
- Subjects
Polymers ,Biophysics ,Bioengineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Oxazoline ,Ring-opening polymerization ,Micelle ,Polymerization ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Oxazines ,Humans ,Oxazoles ,Micelles ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,Chemistry ,Cationic polymerization ,Raft ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Combinatorial chemistry ,Blood proteins ,Mechanics of Materials ,Ceramics and Composites ,Nanomedicine ,0210 nano-technology ,Protein adsorption - Abstract
Water-soluble poly(cyclic imino ether)s (PCIEs) have emerged as promising biocompatible polymers for nanomedicine applications in recent years. Despite their generally accepted stealth properties, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of their interactions with primary immune cells in human blood. Here we present a library of core cross-linked micelles (CCMs) containing various PCIE shells. Well-defined high molar mass CCMs (Mn > 175 kDa, Ð
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Star Polymers Reduce Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Toxicity via Accelerated Amyloid Aggregation
- Author
-
Emily H. Pilkington, Bo Wang, Marc-Antonie Sani, Michael Whittaker, Thomas P. Davis, Xinwei Ge, Feng Ding, May Lai, William J Stanley, Pu Chun Ke, John Jf Quinn, Aleksandr Kakinen, Esteban Nicolas Gurzov, and Miaoyi Wang
- Subjects
Male ,endocrine system ,Amyloid ,Polymers and Plastics ,Polymers ,Bioengineering ,Peptide ,Amyloidogenic Proteins ,02 engineering and technology ,Protein aggregation ,Molecular Dynamics Simulation ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Protein Aggregation, Pathological ,Article ,Cell Line ,Biomaterials ,Mice ,Materials Chemistry ,Animals ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Amyloidosis ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Islet ,Small molecule ,0104 chemical sciences ,Islet Amyloid Polypeptide ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,Star polymer ,Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ,Amyloid aggregation ,Toxicity ,Nanoparticles ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils is a ubiquitous phenomenon across the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders and type 2 diabetes. A common strategy against amyloidogenesis is to minimize the populations of toxic oligomers and protofibrils by inhibiting protein aggregation with small molecules or nanoparticles. However, melanin synthesis in nature is realized by accelerated protein fibrillation to circumvent accumulation of toxic intermediates. Accordingly, we designed and demonstrated the use of star-shaped poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) nanostructures for promoting aggregation while ameliorating the toxicity of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), the peptide involved in glycemic control and the pathology of type 2 diabetes. The binding of PHEA elevated the β-sheet content in IAPP aggregates while rendering a new morphology of "stelliform" amyloids originating from the polymers. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the PHEA arms served as rodlike scaffolds for IAPP binding and subsequently accelerated IAPP aggregation by increased local peptide concentration. The tertiary structure of the star nanoparticles was found to be essential for driving the specific interactions required to impel the accelerated IAPP aggregation. This study sheds new light on the structure-toxicity relationship of IAPP and points to the potential of exploiting star polymers as a new class of therapeutic agents against amyloidogenesis.
- Published
- 2017
21. Gene Therapy in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: Three-Year Follow-up of a Phase 1 Randomized Dose Escalation Trial
- Author
-
Aaron L. Magno, Martyn A. French, Ian J. Constable, Samuel B. Barone, Elizabeth Rakoczy, Mark S. Blumenkranz, Steven D. Schwartz, Mariapia A. Degli-Esposti, and Chooi May Lai
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Pars plana ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Visual acuity ,genetic structures ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Visual Acuity ,Vitrectomy ,Retina ,Injections ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Ophthalmology ,medicine ,Clinical endpoint ,Humans ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,business.industry ,Receptors, Interleukin-1 ,Genetic Therapy ,Macular degeneration ,medicine.disease ,Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein ,Choroidal Neovascularization ,eye diseases ,Treatment Outcome ,030104 developmental biology ,Choroidal neovascularization ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Wet Macular Degeneration ,030221 ophthalmology & optometry ,Female ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,Ranibizumab ,business ,Tomography, Optical Coherence ,Follow-Up Studies ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Purpose To assess the safety of rAAV.sFlt-1 subretinal injection in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) over 36 months. Design Phase 1 dose escalation trial. Methods Eight subjects with advanced, treatment-experienced wet AMD were randomly assigned (3:1) to treatment and non–gene therapy control groups. Eligible subjects were ≥65 years, had wet AMD, and had best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 10/200 to 20/80 in the study eye and 20/200 or better in the other eye. Three of the treatment group subjects received low-dose (1 × 10 10 vector genomes) and 3 high-dose (1 × 10 11 vector genomes) rAAV.sFLT-1 via subretinal injection. Study monitoring was monthly to the primary endpoint at month 12 and then protocol-driven follow-up study visits were conducted at months 18 and 36. All subjects received intravitreal ranibizumab at baseline and at week 4, and retreatment injections at subsequent visits based on prespecified criteria for active wet AMD. The primary endpoint was ocular and systemic safety, but exploratory data including BCVA, retinal center point thickness, and the number of ranibizumab retreatments at and between study visits were also analyzed. Results Six of the 8 subjects completed the 36-month study. Subretinal injection with pars plana vitrectomy was well tolerated in this cohort. No ocular or systemic safety signals were observed during the long-term follow-up period. Exploratory data analysis suggests stability of wet AMD over the 36-month period. Conclusions Subretinal delivery of rAAV.sFLT-1 was well tolerated and demonstrated a favourable safety profile through month 36. Thus, rAAV.sFLT-1 could be safely considered for future evaluation in the treatment of wet AMD.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Phase 2a Randomized Clinical Trial: Safety and Post Hoc Analysis of Subretinal rAAV.sFLT-1 for Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration
- Author
-
Mariapia A. Degli-Esposti, Cora M. Pierce, Steven D. Schwartz, Aaron L. Magno, Mark S. Blumenkranz, Elizabeth Rakoczy, Ian L. McAllister, Martyn A. French, Samuel B. Barone, Steve Butler, Ian J. Constable, and Chooi May Lai
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,viruses ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Vitrectomy ,law.invention ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Clinical endpoint ,Tissue Distribution ,Aged, 80 and over ,AAV.sFLT-1 ,General Medicine ,Diabetic retinopathy ,Dependovirus ,Combined Modality Therapy ,3. Good health ,Clinical trial ,Treatment Outcome ,Wet age related macular degeneration ,embryonic structures ,Female ,Tomography, Optical Coherence ,Research Paper ,medicine.drug ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Genetic Vectors ,Retina ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Gene therapy ,Ranibizumab ,Ophthalmology ,Post-hoc analysis ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ,business.industry ,Genetic Therapy ,Macular degeneration ,medicine.disease ,030104 developmental biology ,Case-Control Studies ,Wet Macular Degeneration ,030221 ophthalmology & optometry ,business - Abstract
Background We present the results of a Phase 2a randomized controlled trial investigating the safety, and secondary endpoints of subretinal rAAV.sFLT-1 gene therapy in patients with active wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). Methods All patients (n = 32), (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01494805), received ranibizumab injections at baseline and week 4, and thereafter according to prespecified criteria. Patients in the gene therapy group (n = 21) received rAAV.sFLT-1 (1 × 1011 vg). All patients were assessed every 4 weeks to the week 52 primary endpoint. Findings Ocular adverse events (AEs) in the rAAV.sFLT-1 group were mainly procedure related and self-resolved. All 11 phakic patients in the rAAV.sFLT-1 group showed progression of cataract following vitrectomy. No systemic safety signals were observed and none of the serious AEs were associated with rAAV.sFLT-1. AAV2 capsid was not detected and rAAV.sFLT-1 DNA was detected transiently in the tears of 13 patients. ELISPOT analysis did not identify any notable changes in T-cell response. In the rAAV.sFLT-1 group 12 patients had neutralizing antibodies (nAb) to AAV2. There was no change in sFLT-1 levels in bodily fluids. In the rAAV.sFLT-1 group, Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) improved by a median of 1.0 (IQR: − 3.0 to 9.0) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters from baseline compared to a median of − 5.0 (IQR: − 17.5 to 1.0) ETDRS letters change in the control group. Twelve (57%) patients in the rAAV.sFLT-1 group maintained or improved vision compared to 4 (36%) in the control group. The median number of ranibizumab retreatments was 2.0 (IQR: 1.0 to 6.0) for the gene therapy group compared to 4.0 (IQR: 3.5 to 4.0) for the control group. Interpretation rAAV.sFLT-1 combined with the option for co-treatment appears to be a safe and promising approach to the treatment of wAMD. Funding National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (AP1010405), Lions Eye Institute, Perth Australia, Avalanche Biotechnologies, Menlo Pk, CA, USA., Highlights • Subretinal injection of rAAV.sFLT-1 was found to be safe in 21 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. • Visual acuity was maintained in gene therapy treated patients over the 52 week period. • The gene therapy treated group of patients had a trend towards fewer ranibizumab retreatments than the control group. Wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is a common cause of vision loss in the elderly. We propose to use gene therapy to treat this disease. This study reinforces the findings from our Phase 1 study examining the safety of the delivery of rAAV.sFLT-1 by subretinal injection as a form of treatment of wAMD. The findings from this trial demonstrate that the surgical subretinal administration of rAAV.sFLT-1 has a favorable safety profile and that it can potentially be used in conjunction with current therapies to provide an improved outcome in the treatment of wAMD.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Age at menarche and its association with the metabolic syndrome in Taiwan
- Author
-
Wen-Yuan Lin, Chia Ing Li, Chia Jung Chang, Cheng-Chieh Lin, Ming May Lai, Chiu-Shong Liu, and Tsai-Chung Li
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Population ,Taiwan ,030209 endocrinology & metabolism ,Logistic regression ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Internal medicine ,Odds Ratio ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Risk factor ,Child ,education ,Menarche ,Metabolic Syndrome ,education.field_of_study ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,business.industry ,Confounding ,Age Factors ,Odds ratio ,Reproductive Factors ,medicine.disease ,Logistic Models ,Endocrinology ,Female ,Self Report ,Metabolic syndrome ,business ,Demography - Abstract
The average age at menarche in the Taiwanese population is falling. Contrarily, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) showed a worldwide increase in the past two decades. The aim of this study was to examine the association between age at menarche and MetS.A total of 3292 women aged 19-91 years old were enrolled in two databases from 2004 to 2008. MetS was defined according to American Heart Association's criteria. Age at menarche was obtained from self-reported questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between age at menarche and MetS with adjustment for potential confounding variables.The prevalence of MetS increased with age. After adjusting age, lifestyle status, and reproductive factors as variables, subjects who had menarche at a younger age showed significantly higher risk of MetS. The adjusted odds ratio of having MetS in12 and 12-14 years old menarche age groups were 1.71 (1.07-2.71) and 1.22 (1.00-1.50), respectively. The significant increase in odds ratio for MetS in early age menarche also reveals a dose-response effect.Early onset of menarche is an important risk factor of MetS and may help identify women at risk of MetS.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Mid-upper arm circumference, calf circumference and mortality in Chinese long-term care facility residents: a prospective cohort study
- Author
-
Chia Ping Tien, Ming May Lai, Chiu-Shong Liu, Chia Ing Li, Wen-Yuan Lin, Chien-Hsiang Weng, Chih Hsueh Lin, Shih-Wei Lai, Abby L'Heureux, and Cheng-Chieh Lin
- Subjects
Male ,Mid upper arm circumference ,Geriatric Medicine ,Taiwan ,030209 endocrinology & metabolism ,body mass index ,elderly ,Residential Facilities ,Cohort Studies ,Tertiary Care Centers ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Diabetes mellitus ,Calf circumference ,medicine ,Humans ,Body Weights and Measures ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Prospective Studies ,Prospective cohort study ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Academic Medical Centers ,Leg ,business.industry ,Research ,General Medicine ,Anthropometry ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Circumference ,Long-Term Care ,mortality ,long-term care facility ,Long-term care ,mid-upper arm circumference ,Arm ,Female ,calf circumference ,business ,Body mass index ,Demography ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
Objective To investigate the association between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference (CC) and all-cause mortality in a Chinese population. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Eight long-term care facilities in central Taiwan. Participants A total of 329 residents age 60 years and older (median 79.0 years, range 60–101; 139 men, 190 women) were enrolled. Methods Anthropometrics and metabolic parameters were measured at the time of enrolment to the study. Mean MUAC and CC were 24.2±3.4 cm and 27.5±4.3 cm, respectively. Mortality data were obtained from the Department of Health in Taiwan. Main outcome measure To identify the association between all-cause mortality and MUAC or CC. Results There were 255 deaths during the 7-year follow-up period. After adjusting for age, sex, cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol use, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale score, serum albumin level, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, subjects in the highest tertile of MUAC (27.8±2.2 cm) and CC (32.1±2.6 cm) had a significantly lower mortality rate than did subjects in the lowest tertile (MUAC 20.6±1.7 cm; CC 22.8±1.9 cm). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest MUAC tertile was 0.64 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.90). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest CC tertile was 0.51 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.74). Conclusions MUAC and CC are negative predictors for all-cause mortality in older Chinese adults living in long-term care facilities. Participants with higher MUAC and CC had lower all-cause mortality.
- Published
- 2018
25. Gene therapy with recombinant adeno-associated vectors for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: 1 year follow-up of a phase 1 randomised clinical trial
- Author
-
Cora M. Pierce, Steven D. Schwartz, Thomas W. Chalberg, Ian J. Constable, Mark S. Blumenkranz, Mariapia A. Degli-Esposti, Aaron L. Magno, Matthew E. Wikstrom, Chooi May Lai, Elizabeth Rakoczy, and Martyn A. French
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Visual acuity ,genetic structures ,Genetic Vectors ,Visual Acuity ,Angiogenesis Inhibitors ,Article ,Adenoviridae ,law.invention ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Ranibizumab ,Ophthalmology ,medicine ,Clinical endpoint ,Humans ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Genetic Therapy ,General Medicine ,Diabetic retinopathy ,Macular degeneration ,medicine.disease ,Fluorescein angiography ,Choroidal Neovascularization ,Recombinant Proteins ,eye diseases ,Clinical trial ,Wet Macular Degeneration ,Female ,Injections, Intraocular ,medicine.symptom ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Summary Background Neovascular, or wet, age-related macular degeneration causes central vision loss and represents a major health problem in elderly people, and is currently treated with frequent intraocular injections of anti-VEGF protein. Gene therapy might enable long-term anti-VEGF therapy from a single treatment. We tested the safety of rAAV.sFLT-1 in treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration with a single subretinal injection. Methods In this single-centre, phase 1, randomised controlled trial, we enrolled patients with wet age-related macular degeneration at the Lions Eye Institute and the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (Nedlands, WA, Australia). Eligible patients had to be aged 65 years or older, have age-related macular degeneration secondary to active subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation, with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 3/60–6/24 and 6/60 or better in the other eye. Patients were randomly assigned (3:1) to receive either 1 × 10 10 vector genomes (vg; low-dose rAAV.sFLT-1 group) or 1 × 10 11 vg (high-dose rAAV.sFLT-1 group), or no gene-therapy treatment (control group). Randomisation was done by sequential group assignment. All patients and investigators were unmasked. Staff doing the assessments were masked to the study group at study visits. All patients received ranibizumab at baseline and week 4, and rescue treatment during follow-up based on prespecified criteria including BCVA measured on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (EDTRS) scale, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography. The primary endpoint was ocular and systemic safety. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01494805. Findings From Dec 16, 2011, to April 5, 2012, we enrolled nine patients of whom eight were randomly assigned to receive either intervention (three patients in the low-dose rAAV.sFLT-1 group and three patients in the high-dose rAAV.sFLT-1 group) or no treatment (two patients in the control group). Subretinal injection of rAAV.sFLT-1 was highly reproducible. No drug-related adverse events were noted; procedure-related adverse events (subconjunctival or subretinal haemorrhage and mild cell debris in the anterior vitreous) were generally mild and self-resolving. There was no evidence of chorioretinal atrophy. Clinical laboratory assessments generally remained unchanged from baseline. Four (67%) of six patients in the treatment group required zero rescue injections, and the other two (33%) required only one rescue injection each. Interpretation rAAV.sFLT-1 was safe and well tolerated. These results support ocular gene therapy as a potential long-term treatment option for wet age-related macular degeneration. Funding National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Richard Pearce Bequest, Lions Save Sight Foundation, Brian King Fellowship, and Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Myanmar Democratization Path: Role of Government, Reform Strategies and Arising Challenges
- Author
-
Win, May Lai and Siwach Sripokangkul
- Subjects
Myanmar, Constitution, government, democracy, election, change, military, NLD, USDP - Abstract
Journal of MCU Peace Studies, 5, 2
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Benign Neoplasm of the Heart Increases the Risk of First Ischemic Stroke: A Population-Based Cohort Study
- Author
-
Tsai-Chung Li, Chia-Hung Kao, Ming May Lai, Cheng-Li Lin, Cheng-Chieh Lin, Fung-Chang Sung, and Chiu-Shong Liu
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Risk ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Databases, Factual ,Population ,Taiwan ,Brain Ischemia ,Heart Neoplasms ,Young Adult ,Population based cohort ,Internal medicine ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Humans ,Neoplasm ,education ,Aged ,Proportional Hazards Models ,Retrospective Studies ,Aged, 80 and over ,education.field_of_study ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Hazard ratio ,Age Factors ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Confidence interval ,Surgery ,Stroke ,Neurology ,Ischemic stroke ,Cohort ,Female ,business - Abstract
Objective: The study aims to investigate the incidence of first ischemic stroke in patients with benign cardiac tumors who did or did not undergo operations. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to conduct the research. The exposure cohort comprised 587 adult patients with benign cardiac tumors. Each patient was randomly frequency matched by age, index month, and index year with 10 participants from the general population who exhibited no history of benign cardiac tumors before the index date (control group). Cox's proportion hazard regression analyses were conducted to determine the relation between benign cardiac tumors and the risk of ischemic stroke. Results: Based on clinical diagnoses, the prevalence of benign cardiac tumors was 0·004%. Patients with benign cardiac tumors exhibited an increased risk of first ischemic stroke [adjusted hazard ratio: 1·77; (95% confidence interval, 1·20–2·63)], particularly at young ages (adjusted hazard ratio: 22·9, 95% confidence interval: 4·17–126·0). We observed no significant difference in the risk of ischemic stroke between men with and without benign cardiac tumors (adjusted hazard ratio: 1·29, 95% confidence interval: 0·63–2·63). Among patients with benign cardiac tumors, the adjusted hazard ratio of first ischemic stroke was 0·48 (95% confidence interval: 0·23–1·04) in the operation group compared with the nonoperation group. Conclusion: Younger patients (
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Long-Term Use of Zolpidem Increases the Risk of Major Injury: A Population-Based Cohort Study
- Author
-
Che-Chen Lin, Chia-Hung Kao, Ming May Lai, Cheng-Chieh Lin, Tsai-Chung Li, and Chiu-Shong Liu
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Zolpidem ,Time Factors ,Adolescent ,Pyridines ,Cohort Studies ,Fractures, Bone ,Young Adult ,Population based cohort ,Age Distribution ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Craniocerebral Trauma ,Humans ,Hypnotics and Sedatives ,Major injury ,Medical prescription ,Aged ,Proportional Hazards Models ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Hazard ratio ,Head injury ,Accidents, Traffic ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Anesthesia ,Cohort ,Accidental Falls ,Female ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Objective To estimate the risk of head injury or fracture requiring hospitalization in patients treated with zolpidem. Patients and Methods We identified 8188 patients 18 years and older who had received a first prescription for zolpidem between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009, and compared them with 32,752 age- and sex-matched patients who had not used sedative-hypnotic agents. Both cohorts were followed up for at least 1 year or until hospitalization for head injury or fracture (major injury). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated by comparing the incidence of major injury requiring hospitalization between the zolpidem user and comparison cohorts, including age groups 18 to 54 and 55 years or more, using a Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results The adjusted HR for major injury in zolpidem users was 1.67 (95% CI, 1.19-2.34). The adjusted HR for major injury in zolpidem users in the younger cohort (aged 18-54 years) was 1.70 (95% CI, 1.15-2.51) and in the older cohort (aged ≥55 years) was 1.57 (95% CI, 0.78-3.13). The adjusted HR for major injury in zolpidem users increased when the zolpidem dosage increased (HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.32-3.13 for 71-800 mg/y; HR, 4.37; 95% CI, 2.12-9.01 for 801-1600 mg/y; and HR, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.38-9.42 for >1600 mg/y). Conclusion The long-term use of zolpidem is associated with a significantly greater risk of head injury or fracture requiring hospitalization than in patients who do not use sedative-hypnotic agents ( P
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. A study of time use and academic achievement among secondary-school students in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia
- Author
-
Siew Foen Ng, Razimi Zakaria, Gary J. Confessore, and See May Lai
- Subjects
Health (social science) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Sample (statistics) ,Academic achievement ,Human capital ,State (polity) ,Preliminary report ,Blueprint ,school-related-activities ,Pedagogy ,Medicine ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,media_common ,School type ,lcsh:LC8-6691 ,Medical education ,lcsh:Special aspects of education ,lcsh:HQ1-2044 ,business.industry ,05 social sciences ,050301 education ,youths ,academic achievement ,non-school-related-activities ,lcsh:The family. Marriage. Woman ,Christian ministry ,time use ,secondary school students ,business ,0503 education ,050104 developmental & child psychology - Abstract
The preliminary report of the Malaysian Education Blueprint – 2013–2025 (Malaysia Ministry of Education, 2012. Preliminary education blueprint (2013–2025). Retrieved June 11, 2012 from http://www.moe.gov.my/userfiles/file/PPP/Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng.pdf) highlights the importance, in a globalised world, of producing future intellectual, social and human capital for Malaysia. It is paramount to note that adolescents are the future human capital of Malaysia. Literature indicates adolescents are confronted with an environment that is rapidly changing and the time spent on non-school-related activities has negatively impacted academic performance. This research investigated the contribution of time use among students to academic achievement. The sample of secondary school students was stratified to ensure balance of gender, school type and grade level. Correlation analyses were conducted to determine the associations among the variables identified in the study. Participants completed the Daily Record of How I Use My Time each day for seven consecutive days. Cooperating schools provided copies of the academic transcript of each participant. This information was used to establish the overall secondary school academic achievement of each participant. The data collected were subjected to bivariate comparison of means and t-test comparisons of means to yield correlations among the target variables. The findings of this research support those of some previous studies and contradict those of other studies, many conducted with non-Malaysian populations. In sum, this study may help to develop a conceptual framework for guiding efforts to improve academic performance, as it relates to time use, as a contribution to accomplishing the national agenda of Malaysia.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Identifying Listening Problems and the Need for Technology Assisted Language Learning (TALL) to Improve Listening Skills among Diploma Students
- Author
-
Mohd Salleh, Salwani, primary, May, Lai See, primary, Azmi, Azzieatul Syazwanie, primary, Mohd Hatta, Siti Anisah, primary, Razali, Norlida, primary, and Mohd Zawawi, Mohd Zafian, primary
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Chapter Five: A Typology of Adverbial Clauses in Written Chinese 127
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
Typology ,History ,Linguistics ,Adverbial - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Chapter Nine: Conclusion 301
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Chapter Two: General Review 25
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Chapter Seven: Semantic Classes and Non-overt Subjects of CACs in the Lancaster Corpus of Mandarin Chinese 233
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
business.industry ,media_common.quotation_subject ,language ,Artificial intelligence ,Art ,business ,computer.software_genre ,Mandarin Chinese ,computer ,language.human_language ,Linguistics ,Natural language processing ,media_common - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Chapter One: Introduction 19
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Chapter Eight: Semantic Classes and Non-overt Subjects of CACs in the CALLHOME Mandarin Chinese Transcripts Corpus 271
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
language ,Psychology ,Mandarin Chinese ,language.human_language ,Linguistics - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Chapter Three: Treebanking: The Compilation of a Sample PFR Corpus of Skeleton-parsed Sentences 45
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
Parsing ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Artificial intelligence ,Skeleton (category theory) ,computer.software_genre ,business ,computer ,Sample (graphics) ,Natural language processing - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Chapter Six: Non-overt Subjects of Chinese Adverbial Clauses: A Government and Binding Approach 191
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
Government (linguistics) ,Political science ,Linguistics ,Adverbial - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Chapter Four: Subordinators in Adverbial Clauses 111
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
Linguistics ,Adverbial ,Mathematics - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Chinese Adverbial Subordinators 17
- Author
-
May Lai-Ying Wong
- Subjects
History ,Adverbial ,Linguistics - Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Perinatal hemorrhage complicating neonatal hepatoblastoma: case report
- Author
-
May Lai and Sathyaprasad Burjonrappa
- Subjects
Hepatoblastoma ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Pediatrics ,Liver tumor ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Hemorrhage ,Perinatal hemorrhage ,Antenatal screening ,Humans ,Medicine ,Hemoperitoneum ,Rupture, Spontaneous ,business.industry ,Vaginal delivery ,Liver Neoplasms ,Infant, Newborn ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,digestive system diseases ,Surgery ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Female ,Presentation (obstetrics) ,Hepatectomy ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
Hepatoblastoma is the most common malignant liver tumor of infancy and presents most frequently at a median age of 18 months. Presentation in the neonatal period is rare, and there are very few reports of an antenatal diagnosis of hepatoblastoma. We recently encountered a neonate who presented with hemoperitoneum after rupture of a congenital hepatoblastoma during vaginal delivery. After successful right hepatectomy and adjuvant cis-platinum-based chemotherapy, the child is doing well. We draw attention to rarity of this condition and difficulty in definitively establishing a diagnosis both in the antenatal and neonatal periods and discuss the management dilemmas in congenital presentations of hepatoblastoma.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Preclinical safety evaluation of subretinal AAV2.sFlt-1 in non-human primates
- Author
-
Mariapia A. Degli-Esposti, A. Barathi, Marie J Estcourt, MW Lee, BK Loh, D Dismuke, Sy Lee, Chooi-May Lai, Richard Jude Samulski, R G van der Most, I Yew-An Yeo, Chi D Luu, Ian J. Constable, Chong Lye Ang, J Villano, Elizabeth Rakoczy, and Robyn Himbeck
- Subjects
Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Biodistribution ,genetic structures ,viruses ,Genetic enhancement ,Genetic Vectors ,Retinal Neovascularization ,Fundus (eye) ,Retina ,Virus ,Neovascularization ,Immunity ,Genetics ,Animals ,Medicine ,Receptor ,Molecular Biology ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Genetic Therapy ,Dependovirus ,eye diseases ,Macaca fascicularis ,embryonic structures ,Molecular Medicine ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Electroretinography - Abstract
We report on the long-term safety of AAV2.sFlt-1 (a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 carrying the soluble form of the Flt-1 receptor) injection into the subretinal space of non-human primates. Levels of sFlt-1 protein were significantly higher (P
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. In VivoMonitoring of VEGF-Induced Retinal Damage in the Kimba Mouse Model of Retinal Neovascularization
- Author
-
Chooi-May Lai, Cai-Rui Li, Elizabeth Rakoczy, and Ireni S. Ali Rahman
- Subjects
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ,medicine.medical_specialty ,genetic structures ,Gene Expression ,Mice, Transgenic ,Vascular permeability ,Retinal Neovascularization ,Capillary Permeability ,Neovascularization ,Mice ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Ophthalmology ,Edema ,medicine ,Animals ,Fluorescein Angiography ,Retina ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Retinal Vessels ,Retinal detachment ,Retinal ,Anatomy ,medicine.disease ,Fluorescein angiography ,eye diseases ,Sensory Systems ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Vascular endothelial growth factor ,Disease Models, Animal ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Tomography, Optical Coherence - Abstract
To monitor retinal and vascular changes associated with neovascularization, which were generated through photoreceptor-specific overexpression of human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF), in transgenic trVEGF029 (Kimba) mice.The Spectralis Heidelberg Retina Angiography and Optical Coherence Tomography (HRA+OCT) imaging device was used to track changes in the retina and retinal vasculature of Kimba mouse eyes (n = 32) and control C57Bl/6J mouse eyes (n = 20) at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks of age.Retinal vascular leakage, focal dilated vessel, vessel tortuosity, attenuated vessel, venous beading, capillary dropout, retinal non-perfusion, neovascularization, and focal retinal detachment were observed in Kimba mouse eyes. Through track changes, we detected edema in the peripheral part of the retina of 2/32 Kimba mouse eyes examined. The retinae of the Kimba mice were significantly thinner than control mice retinae at all ages of the mice assessed (p 0.01).In vivo monitoring of retinal vascular and neural retinal changes in the Kimba mice using the Spectralis HRA+OCT imaging device allowed us to assess and track VEGF-induced damages in great detail and in real-time. Real-time monitoring of these changes can be used to study the interplay between VEGF overexpression and other molecular factors and to monitor dynamic retinal changes following therapeutic intervention.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Adverbial Clauses in Mandarin Chinese : A Corpus-based Study
- Author
-
Wong, May Lai-Ying, Wong, May Lai-Ying, Wong, May Lai-Ying, and Wong, May Lai-Ying
- Abstract
What are adverbial clauses in Chinese? Do they all have subjects as their counterparts do in English? How do the semantic domains of adverbial clauses interact with the distribution of subjects? How do Chinese corpora help us explore these intriguing questions? The aim of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of corpus linguistics as a methodology in grammar studies. A problem-oriented tagging approach has been used to enable the exploration of adverbial clauses in the corpus and to identify eleven semantically based classes of adverbial clauses. While it is a well-known fact that Chinese adverbial clauses (CACs) are overtly marked by a subordinating conjunction, their subjects can be left unexpressed and recovered in the prior discourse. By analysing naturally occurring spoken and written samples from various corpora, the author examines this intriguing phenomenon of overt and non-overt subjects in adverbial clauses.
- Published
- 2013
45. Relationship between serum retinol-binding protein 4 and visfatin and the metabolic syndrome
- Author
-
Tsai-Chung Li, Ching-Chu Chen, Ming-Tsang Wu, Ming May Lai, Chia Ing Li, Chiu-Shong Liu, and Cheng-Chieh Lin
- Subjects
Adult ,Blood Glucose ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Blood Pressure ,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Endocrinology ,Insulin resistance ,Internal medicine ,Diabetes mellitus ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase ,National Cholesterol Education Program ,Aged ,Metabolic Syndrome ,Retinol binding protein 4 ,biology ,business.industry ,Retinol ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Blood proteins ,Retinol binding protein ,chemistry ,biology.protein ,Regression Analysis ,Female ,Metabolic syndrome ,business ,Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma - Abstract
Background This study investigates the relationship between serum concentration of RBP4 and visfatin and the metabolic syndrome. Methods Patients with metabolic syndrome were studied between October, 2004 and September, 2005. All study subjects were aged 40 and over and lived in Taichung city, Taiwan. The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III, 2001) was used to define the metabolic syndrome. Serum RBP4 and visfatin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Serum mean RBP4 levels in subjects who had all five abnormal components of metabolic syndrome (mean ± SD = 40.8 ± 18.6) and those who had all components except hyperglycemia (43.5 ± 23.5) were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (30.3 ± 14.0 μg/ml) (p
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Gei constructions in Mandarin Chinese and bei constructions in Cantonese
- Author
-
May Lai-Yin Wong
- Subjects
Linguistics and Language ,History ,Object (grammar) ,Verb ,Mandarin Chinese ,Syntax ,Language and Linguistics ,language.human_language ,Linguistics ,Style (sociolinguistics) ,Corpus linguistics ,language ,Contrastive linguistics ,Contrastive analysis - Abstract
This paper examines the use of gei constructions in Mandarin Chinese and bei constructions in Cantonese within three corpora (of spoken and written Chinese and Hong Kong Cantonese). There are seven structural patterns in which gei/VLgei takes two objects. The order of these objects is determined by the principle of end-weight. Another four structural patterns see the co-occurrence of verb phrases with gei/V-gei. About four percent of gei constructions are used to mark a passivised verb. The study also reveals that the fronting of direct object marked by the preposition ba is a rather formal style. In the contrast between Mandarin gei constructions and Cantonese bei constructions, it was found that (i) the order of indirect object followed by direct object as in Mandarin Chinese reverses in Cantonese; (ii) when compared with Mandarin gei, Cantonese bei is more commonly used as a passive marker and as a verb meaning ‘allow’.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Long-term global retinal microvascular changes in a transgenic vascular endothelial growth factor mouse model
- Author
-
Chooi-May Lai, N. Binz, Diego Guidolin, Sarah A. Dunlop, Yvonne K. Y. Lai, Weiyong Shen, Piroska E. Rakoczy, Domenico Ribatti, J. Eade, and Caroline E. Graham
- Subjects
Blood Glucose ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Mice, Transgenic ,Biology ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Internal medicine ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Animals ,Retina ,Diabetic Retinopathy ,Retinal Vessels ,Retinal ,Diabetic retinopathy ,medicine.disease ,Leukostasis ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Vascular endothelial growth factor B ,Vascular endothelial growth factor ,Disease Models, Animal ,Vascular endothelial growth factor A ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,chemistry ,Vascular endothelial growth factor C ,Disease Progression ,sense organs ,Diabetic Angiopathies ,Retinopathy - Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We investigated whether transgenic mice with moderate VEGF expression in photoreceptors (trVEGF029) developed changes similar to diabetic retinopathy and whether retinopathy progressed with time.Human VEGF(165) (hVEGF(165)) expression was analysed using ELISA and quantitative RT-PCR; serum glucose levels were also measured. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FA) was used to screen the degree of retinopathy from 6 weeks. Dynamic changes in the density of retinal microvasculature, as well as other changes similar to diabetic retinopathy, including retinal leucostasis, capillary endothelial cell and pericyte loss, and numbers of acellular capillaries, were quantified.trVEGF029 mice were normoglycaemic and showed a moderate, short-term hVEGF(165) upregulation for up to 3 weeks. Changes in the retinal microvasculature not only mimicked those seen in diabetic retinopathy, but also showed similar pathological progression with time. FA at 6 weeks identified two phenotypes, mild and moderate, which were distinguished by the extent of vascular leakage. Quantitative analysis of diabetic retinopathy-like changes revealed that these parameters were tightly correlated with the initial degree of vascular leakage; low levels reflected slow and limited retinal microvascular changes in mild cases and high levels reflected more rapid and extensive changes in moderate cases.The data suggest that even an early short-term elevation in hVEGF(165) expression might set a train of events that lead to progressive retinopathy. Induction of many features characteristic of diabetic retinopathy in trVEGF029 enables mechanisms leading to the disease state to be examined, and provides a relevant animal model for testing novel therapeutics.
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Efficacy and safety of Monascus purpureus Went rice in subjects with hyperlipidemia
- Author
-
Ming May Lai, Tsai-Chung Li, and Cheng-Chieh Lin
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Apolipoprotein B ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Blood lipids ,Hyperlipidemias ,Placebo ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Endocrinology ,Double-Blind Method ,Internal medicine ,Hyperlipidemia ,medicine ,Humans ,Monascus purpureus ,Medicine, Chinese Traditional ,Triglycerides ,Apolipoproteins B ,biology ,Cholesterol ,Oryza ,Cholesterol, LDL ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Monascus ,Treatment Outcome ,chemistry ,Fermentation ,biology.protein ,Female ,Creatine kinase ,Safety - Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the lipid-lowering effect of Monascus purpureus Went rice on serum lipids in patients with hyperlipidemia, and to assess its safety by reporting adverse events and clinical laboratory measurements. Design and methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In all, 79 patients (aged 23–65 years) with a mean baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level of 5.28 mmol/l (203.9 mg/dl) received a twice daily dose of placebo or Monascus purpureus Went rice (600 mg) for 8 weeks. Results: At week 8, Monascus purpureus Went rice therapy reduced LDL-C by 27.7%, total cholesterol by 21.5%, triglycerides by 15.8% and apolipoprotein B by 26.0%. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels were increased by 0.9 and 3.4% respectively (not significant). No patient in the Monascus purpureus Went rice treatment group had an alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or creatine phosphokinase (CPK) measurement that was ≥ 3 times the upper limit of normal at week 4 and week 8. Conclusion: Monascus purpureus Went rice significantly reduced LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B levels, and was well tolerated in patients with hyperlipidemia. However, this study only provides data from an 8-week trial and long-term safety and efficacy data are needed.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Long-term Evaluation of AAV-Mediated sFlt-1 Gene Therapy for Ocular Neovascularization in Mice and Monkeys
- Author
-
Chong Lye Ang, Weiyong Shen, Shu Yen Lee, Yvonne K. Y. Lai, Ian Yeo, Joseph E.S. Ho, Ian J. Constable, Elizabeth Rakoczy, Ranjana Mathur, Chooi May Lai, M. Brankov, Paul Pineda, A. Barathi, and Nigel L. Barnett
- Subjects
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,genetic structures ,Blood–retinal barrier ,Mice, Transgenic ,Retinal Neovascularization ,medicine.disease_cause ,Neovascularization ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Mice ,Transduction, Genetic ,Drug Discovery ,medicine ,Genetics ,Animals ,Transgenes ,Adeno-associated virus ,Molecular Biology ,Pharmacology ,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Retinal ,Anatomy ,Genetic Therapy ,Macular degeneration ,Dependovirus ,medicine.disease ,Choroidal Neovascularization ,eye diseases ,Vascular endothelial growth factor ,Disease Models, Animal ,Macaca fascicularis ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Choroidal neovascularization ,chemistry ,embryonic structures ,Molecular Medicine ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Electroretinography - Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the major mediators of retinal ischemia-associated neovascularization. We have shown here that adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression of sFlt-1, a soluble form of the Flt-1 VEGF receptor, was maintained for up to 8 and 17 months postinjection in mice and in monkeys, respectively. The expression of sFlt-1 was associated with the long-term (8 months) regression of neovascular vessels in 85% of trVEGF029 eyes. In addition, it resulted in the maintenance of retinal morphology, as the majority of the treated trVEGF029 eyes (75%) retained high numbers of photoreceptors, and in retinal function as measured by electroretinography. AAV-mediated expression of sFlt-1 prevented the development of laser photocoagulation-induced choroidal neovascularization in all treated monkey eyes. There were no clinically or histologically detectable signs of toxicity present in either animal model following AAV.sFlt injection. These results suggest that AAV-mediated secretion gene therapy could be considered for treatment of retinal and choroidal neovascularizations.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. VEGF differentially regulates transcription and translation of ZO-1α+ and ZO-1α− and mediates trans-epithelial resistance in cultured endothelial and epithelial cells
- Author
-
Chooi-May Lai, Reza Ghassemifar, and P. Elizabeth Rakoczy
- Subjects
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ,Cell type ,Histology ,Transcription, Genetic ,Vascular permeability ,Biology ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Cell junction ,Retina ,Tight Junctions ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,medicine ,Humans ,Cells, Cultured ,GRB2 Adaptor Protein ,Retinal pigment epithelium ,Tight junction ,Endothelial Cells ,Membrane Proteins ,Epithelial Cells ,Retinal ,Cell Biology ,Middle Aged ,Phosphoproteins ,Cell biology ,Vascular endothelial growth factor ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Gene Expression Regulation ,chemistry ,Cytoplasm ,Protein Biosynthesis ,Zonula Occludens-1 Protein - Abstract
Tight junctions (TJ) between retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) and retinal endothelial cells maintain the outer and inner blood-retinal barrier, and the breakdown of these barriers is associated with retinal diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases vascular permeability and is thought to be involved in age-related maculopathy. However, to date, little is known about the effect of VEGF on RPE cell junctions. We have investigated the effect of VEGF on TJ formation by examining two essential proteins, ZO-1alpha(+) and ZO-1alpha(-). Cultured vascular endothelial cells in the presence of 5 ng/ml VEGF significantly down-regulate ZO-1alpha(+) and ZO-1alpha(-) transcripts and proteins with significant loss of their trans-epithelial resistance (TER). Immunoconfocal analysis with an anti-ZO-1 antibody has confirmed the relocation of ZO-1 protein from membrane to cytoplasm. By contrast, in the presence of 5 ng/ml VEGF, cultured RPE cells (ARPE19 and RPE51) significantly up-regulate ZO-1alpha(+) and ZO-1alpha(-) transcripts and proteins resulting in a significant increase in their TER. Subsequent immunoconfocal analysis has demonstrated increased ZO-1 membrane assembly in VEGF-treated RPE cells. Thus, VEGF has a dual capability with respect to the regulation of the expression of some TJ proteins at the transcriptional and post-translational levels depending on cell type.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.