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Lithium Carbonate is an effective treatment for affective disorders, but has a range of side effects. This case report highlights a rare side effect of Raynaud’s phenomenon following initiation of Lithium therapy in a patient with recurrent depressive disorder. He was commenced on Lithium therapy to treat severe treatment resistant depression with psychotic symptoms when alternative treatments trialled were ineffective. He had no other risk factors or known aetiological causes for development of Raynaud’s phenomenon. Symptoms resolved on discontinuation of Lithium and re-emerged on recommencement. Previous case series have shown Lithium effectively treating vasospastic disorders such as cluster headache and Raynaud’s phenomenon. However, a paradoxical reaction to those previously described was induced in this case.

Lithium Carbonate is an effective treatment for affective disorders, but has a range of side effects. This case report highlights a rare side effect of Raynaud's phenomenon following initiation of Lithium therapy in a patient with recurrent depressive disorder. He was commenced on Lithium therapy to treat severe treatment resistant depression with psychotic symptoms when alternative treatments trialled were ineffective. He had no other risk factors or known aetiological causes for development of Raynaud's phenomenon. Symptoms resolved on discontinuation of Lithium and re-emerged on recommencement. Previous case series have shown Lithium effectively treating vasospastic disorders such as cluster headache and Raynaud's phenomenon. However, a paradoxical reaction to those previously described was induced in this case.

Cathelicidins, a family of host defense peptides, are highly expressed during infection, inflammation and wound healing. These peptides not only have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, but also modulate inflammation by altering cytokine response and chemoattraction of inflammatory cells in diseased tissues. In this connection, a mouse cathelicidin has been demonstrated to prevent inflammation in the colon through enhancing mucus production and reducing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, cathelicidins promote wound healing through stimulation of re-epithelialization and angiogenesis at injured tissues. In an animal model of gastric ulceration, the rat cathelicidin promotes ulcer healing by inducing proliferation of gastric epithelial cells both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, cathelicidins represent an important group of effector molecules in the innate immune system that operates a complex integration of inflammation and tissue repair in the gastrointestinal mucosa and other organs.

This beautifully illustrated guide presents a carefully curated collection of 20 plant species native to Hong Kong, with scientific, detailed pen and ink illustrations and morphological descriptions, providing important reference materials for species authentication. Of the 20 species selected, 15 are rare and endangered species, making this guide of special importance for plant preservation in Hong Kong, as well as for botanists, plant lovers, and illustrators. This is the first volume of Shiu?Ying Hu Herbarium Scientific Illustration Series.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The mainstay of drug treatment is to relieve inflammation. However the aetiology of UC is multi-factorial while most of the anti-inflammatory drugs, such as sulfasalazine, aim at single target with severe side effects. Therefore, a multi-targeted drug with low systemic toxicity is warranted. Cathelicidin, a host defense peptide, shows anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects. Indeed intra-rectal administration of mouse cathelicidin (mCRAMP) alleviated murine colitis. To improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce inconvenience of administration, Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis ) was constructed to encode cathelicidin. L. lactis is a lactic acid probiotic which could resist gastric acid and be able to produce and deliver cathelicidin to the colon when given orally. Murine colitis was induced by 3% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) given in drinking water for 7 days. Mice were given intragastrically with the following preparations once daily: (1) water, (2) DSS, (3, 4) DSS + 1010 cfu L. lactis with or without nisin induction, (5-8) DSS + 10 8 or 1010 cfu mCRAMP-encoding L. lactis with (N4I) or without nisin induction, (9) DSS + 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-Na) and (10) DSS + 600 mg/kg sulfasalazine suspended in 0.5 % CMC-Na. To study the preventive effects, mice received the above treatments together with DSS administration. N4I but not the other probiotic preparations suppressed inflammation by reducing neutrophil infiltration, lipid peroxidation and inflammatory cytokines expressions. Crypt structure and mucus-secreting layer were conserved together with the reduction of apoptosis and intestinal microbiota. In contrast, sulfasalazine could only suppress inflammation but not the destruction of colonic structure. To further examine the therapeutic effects, mice received treatments for 4 consecutive days after the inflammation formation. Similarly, only N4I promoted colonic mucosal recovery and preserved colon structure and mucus-secreting layer. These actions are likely mediated through cell proliferation stimulation and apoptosis suppression. Again, sulfasalazine had no effects on colon tissue reconstitution. The direct anti-inflammatory action of mCRAMP was also studied. Mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated by lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide to mimic bacteria-induced inflammation during UC. mCRAMP prevented tumour necrosis factor-α secretion and IκBα phosphorylation followed by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) suppression. The inflammatory enzymes including inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 were also reduced. It was postulated that mCRAMP might directly interact with the bacterial toxins to reduce receptor complex binding and/or reduce NF-κB suppression in macrophages. The repairing action of mCRAMP on mucosal damage was studied in mouse colon cells. mCRAMP incubation reduced the wound size by promoting cell migration through the G-protein coupled receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation followed by the mitogen-activated protein kinases activation. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates for the first time the protective and therapeutic roles of mCRAMP-encoding L. lactis in UC. It was the mCRAMP secreted from the probiotic to produce both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial actions and further promote mucosal repair. mCRAMP-encoding L. lactis is a multi-targeted agent for IBD. It has a great potential to be a new therapeutic agent better than sulfasalazine for the treatment of UC.

This study will examine the influence and possible benefits of the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) in a full day/alternate day Kindergarten classroom. PWIM will be implemented daily to determine whether literacy strategies will be developed for struggling and beginning learners. Included in this study are assessment tools such as the Kindergarten Observation Survey by Marie Clay, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), PM Benchmark and writing exemplars as an indicator of student performance over time. This study draws reference to the need for a balanced literacy program, explicit teaching, awareness of metacognition, understanding of visual literacy, concept formation and concept attainment to facilitate a literacy enriched learning environment. PWIM enhances the student's understanding of language structures and develops their oral language skills creating a solid foundation for literacy development. The data suggests that the PWIM could be effective in promoting literacy skills; however, more research is needed.

I WANT to clarify several points concerning the clash between police and demonstrators outside the New China News Agency on...

Background Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers play significant roles in accelerating breeding and basic crop research. Several soybean SNP panels have been developed. However, there is still a lack of SNP panels for differentiating between wild and cultivated populations, as well as for detecting polymorphisms within both wild and cultivated populations. Results This study utilized publicly available resequencing data from over 3,000 soybean accessions to identify differentiating and highly conserved SNP and insertion/deletion (InDel) markers between wild and cultivated soybean populations. Additionally, a naturally occurring mutant gene library was constructed by analyzing large-effect SNPs and InDels in the population. Conclusion The markers obtained in this study are associated with numerous genes governing agronomic traits, thus facilitating the evaluation of soybean germplasms and the efficient differentiation between wild and cultivated soybeans. The natural mutant gene library permits the quick identification of individuals with natural mutations in functional genes, providing convenience for accelerating soybean breeding using reverse genetics.

Present guidelines are conflicting for patients at high risk of both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events who continue to require non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We hypothesised that a cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAID plus proton-pump inhibitor is superior to a non-selective NSAID plus proton-pump inhibitor for prevention of recurrent ulcer bleeding in concomitant users of aspirin with previous ulcer bleeding. For this industry-independent, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised trial done in one academic hospital in Hong Kong, we screened patients with arthritis and cardiothrombotic diseases who were presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, were on NSAIDs, and require concomitant aspirin. After ulcer healing, an independent staff member randomly assigned (1:1) patients who were negative for Helicobacter pylori with a computer-generated list of random numbers to receive oral administrations of either celecoxib 100 mg twice per day plus esomeprazole 20 mg once per day or naproxen 500 mg twice per day plus esomeprazole 20 mg once per day for 18 months. All patients resumed aspirin 80 mg once per day. Both patients and investigators were masked to their treatments. The primary endpoint was recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding within 18 months. The primary endpoint and secondary safety endpoints were analysed in the modified intention-to-treat population. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00153660. Between May 24, 2005, and Nov 28, 2012, we enrolled 514 patients, assigning 257 patients to each study group, all of whom were included in the intention-to-treat population. Recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 14 patients in the celecoxib group (nine gastric ulcers and five duodenal ulcers) and 31 patients in the naproxen group (25 gastric ulcers, three duodenal ulcers, one gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, and two bleeding erosions). The cumulative incidence of recurrent bleeding in 18 months was 5·6% (95% CI 3·3–9·2) in the celecoxib group and 12·3% (8·8–17·1) in the naproxen group (p=0·008; crude hazard ratio 0·44, 95% CI 0·23–0·82; p=0·010). Excluding patients who reached study endpoints, 21 (8%) patients in the celecoxib group and 17 (7%) patients in the naproxen group had adverse events leading to discontinuation of treatment. No treatment-related deaths occurred during the study. In patients at high risk of both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events who require concomitant aspirin and NSAID, celecoxib plus proton-pump inhibitor is the preferred treatment to reduce the risk of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Naproxen should be avoided despite its perceived cardiovascular safety. The Research Grant Council of Hong Kong.

Falls are a prevalent cause of injury among older people. While some wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor-based systems have been widely investigated for fall risk assessment, their reliability, validity, and identification ability in community-dwelling older people remain unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the performance of a commercially available IMU sensor-based fall risk assessment system among 20 community-dwelling older recurrent fallers (with a history of ≥2 falls in the past 12 months) and 20 community-dwelling older non-fallers (no history of falls in the past 12 months), together with applying the clinical scale of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest). The results show that the IMU sensor-based system exhibited a significant moderate to excellent test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.838, p < 0.001), an acceptable level of internal consistency reliability (Spearman’s rho = 0.471, p = 0.002), an acceptable convergent validity (Cronbach’s α = 0.712), and an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.590 for the IMU sensor-based receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The findings suggest that while the evaluated IMU sensor-based system exhibited good reliability and acceptable validity, it might not be able to fully identify the recurrent fallers and non-fallers in a community-dwelling older population. Further system optimization is still needed.