BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Telomere length is a useful biomarker for determining general aging status. Some studies have reported an association between alcohol consumption and telomere length in a general population; however, it is unclear whether the alcohol flush reaction, which is an alcohol-related trait predominantly due to acetaldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, is associated with telomere len...

The behaviour of microorganisms in urban stormwater should be thoroughly investigated and understood to (a) design treatment technologies that can reduce the human health risks of utilising stormwater and (b) develop models which can accurately predict the levels of microorganisms in urban stormwater to aid in health risk assessments. A crucial part of understanding the behaviour of pollutants ...

One medical center in southern Taiwan faced an outbreak of nosocomial Legionnaires' disease; a total of 81 suspected cases were detected during an 8-month period. Baseline environmental surveillance showed that 80% of the distal sites in intensive care units (ICUs) were positive for Legionella pneumophila. Superheat-and-flush was selected for hospital water supply disinfection because it requir...

Up to 80% of men who receive androgen deprivation therapy report hot flushes and for many these are associated with reduced quality of life. However it is recognised that there are a number of barriers to men's engagement with support to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. This qualitative study was embedded within a larger randomised controlled trial (MANCAN) of a guided self-help cog...

0.9% Sodium chloride injection is a safe and effective indwelling solution for maintaining catheter patency of peripheral indwelling intermittent infusion devices (PIIIDs) in adults and children age one year or older. ASHP supports the use of 0.9% sodium chloride injection in preference to heparin-containing flush solutions (heparin flush) in the institutional setting, on the basis of clinical ...

Introduction Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients of emergency department. This study was designed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of saline flush with CXR in confirmation of above-the-diaphragm CVC placement. Methods This prospective cross sectional study was conducted on adult patients in need of CVC placement in emergency depa...

Encouraging sustainable water use is a critical endeavor in addressing issues associated with shortand long-term droughts. Toilets account for up to 26.7% of indoor household water use. Therefore substantial opportunity exists to conserve water via reduced flushing after urination at home. Here, we use an online survey (N 1⁄4 1008) to identify barriers to reduced flushing. The majority of parti...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a Chinese herbal formula, Er-Xian decoction (EXD), in the treatment of menopausal symptoms among Hong Kong perimenopausal women. METHODS A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted for 12 weeks among 108 Hong Kong perimenopausal women who reported Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) total scores of 28 or...