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The emergence of 'post-truth' is often associated with the rise of conspiracy theories and the lack of trust in scientific knowledge. This article attempts to theorise the complex division of labour in this regime of 'post-truth', with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic/infodemic. First, we argue that the 'post-truth' condition mirrors what Foucault called the 'will to truth', and that this challenges the procedures and systems by which truth and knowledge are ordered. Second, through Basil Bernstein's extension of Foucault's work, we argue that the era of post-truth has two features regarding the condition of knowledge: (1) that conflicts in the field of knowledge recontextualisation, that is, the pedagogisation of knowledge, are becoming more intense and visible, and (2) that greater exposure to high-stakes, uncertain scientific knowledge, which grows at exponential rate, increases social anxieties and leads to biopoliticisation of neoliberal responsibilisation.

This article contributes to the critical policy studies of educational governance and its crisis, through canvassing Basil Bernstein's concept of the 'totally pedagogised society' (TPS). The TPS witnesses not only the growth of transnational private actors, but also the disjuncture between global and national agendas of reform, on the governance of knowledge and subjectivity. This argument is illustrated through a court case surrounding the invalidation of a history exam question in Hong Kong, which occurred after the 2019 social unrest. At the heart of this crisis is a dislocation of pedagogic discourse. The history exam can be considered as an indirect outcome of recontextualising the global policy imaginary of producing subjects of 'critical thinking' and 'knowledge economy', but it is incommensurate with China's regulative discourse, that is, to govern the political consciousness of its postcolonial subjects and legitimise its rule through pedagogic means. The concept of TPS considers the other side of a high-performing regime in Asia: the crisis of reform, the return of a strong state, the evolving power and control relations inside/outside the education system, and the rising tensions between pedagogic agents/agencies, in a period of rapid social change as revealed in Hong Kong today.

In this paper, the argument that we make is that public education emerges from when democracy is put into practice in education. For the purposes of this paper we use pedagogic rights as proposed by Basil Bernstein as a way to frame and support this 'putting into practice'. Democracy, we argue, has to be practiced in two senses: (1) it does not 'exist' but has to be continually renewed and brought to life between people, as such it is precarious and fleeting; (2) one might become better at democracy by trying to 'do it' more often and that education is where this 'trying' might occur. We draw on Rancière's work on democracy that focusses on democratic acts or moments; on the 'fracturing' of sense (what is sayable, seeable, thinkable) -- when people whose only part (including in education) is none, take one. A process of 'becoming public', we suggest, is instituted in these events. To this end, our proposal for public education is adversarial to contemporary formations of education. Conceptualising public education in this way shows that it is rare, and becoming rarer.

This paper starts with an apparently provocative question--can we call the 2019 Water Revolution in Hong Kong a lesson of emancipatory education which awakens students' critical consciousness and brings the postcolonial regime into democratic renewal? The mass social unrest, which was initially triggered by a controversial extradition legislation, has prompted local journalism and political discourse to speak of 'the failure of education': an outmoded form of citizenship education, lack of Chinese History as a core subject, radicalisation in school, regression in science and technology education, to name just few examples of crisis talk. Our discussion explores this question through the philosophical lens of Jacques Rancière. In Rancière's understanding, 'emancipation' occurs in the ephemeral moments of subjectification in which individuals resist existing identity positions in the 'police' order, but speak on their own terms through 'dissensual' responses, under the supposition of 'equality' of 'intelligence'. Episodes of the movement may look defiant but are not the rare moments of 'dissensus' in which people are unshackled from the prevalent distribution of the sensible. An example from this movement that borders on what Rancière means by 'emancipation' is the redistribution of chemistry knowledge about tear gas on a social media platform, which is initiated and crowdfunded by a group of anonymous postgraduate science students and circulated by a chemistry tutor from a private tuition school.

This article addresses the paradoxical nature of 'pedagogic governance', developed from Bernstein's 'pedagogic device', that is, the use of pedagogic means (including knowledge) to govern entire populations in a 'totally pedagogised society'. While knowledge structures have received extensive coverage, not much attention has been given to the tensions between/within the distribution and evaluation of curricular knowledge. Through Derrida, I elaborate on the nature of distributive rules, theorising why a weakly framed curriculum is always open to transgression, that is, the 'potential discursive gap'. However, the subversive power of knowledge is hamstrung by the evaluative rules through high-stakes public assessment and legal-juridical regulations, over which the state is attempting to wield greater influence. Constant struggles between distributive and evaluative powers entail the paradox of pedagogic (mis)governance. To illustrate my argument, this article draws on the politics of curriculum reform in postcolonial Hong Kong as an example.

This article contributes to the critical policy studies of educational governance and its crisis, through canvassing Basil Bernstein's concept of the 'totally pedagogised society' (TPS). The TPS witnesses not only the growth of transnational private actors, but also the disjuncture between global and national agendas of reform, on the governance of knowledge and subjectivity. This argument is illustrated through a court case surrounding the invalidation of a history exam question in Hong Kong, which occurred after the 2019 social unrest. At the heart of this crisis is a dislocation of pedagogic discourse. The history exam can be considered as an indirect outcome of recontextualising the global policy imaginary of producing subjects of 'critical thinking' and 'knowledge economy', but it is incommensurate with China's regulative discourse, that is, to govern the political consciousness of its postcolonial subjects and legitimise its rule through pedagogic means. The concept of TPS considers the other side of a high-performing regime in Asia: the crisis of reform, the return of a strong state, the evolving power and control relations inside/outside the education system, and the rising tensions between pedagogic agents/agencies, in a period of rapid social change as revealed in Hong Kong today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the promotion and wider acceptance of the concept of normalization and community integration, an increased number of adults with learning disabilities are living in the community and facing more social and health care problems. The authors describe the introduction of new guardianship laws in Hong Kong with the creation of a Guardianship Board to safeguard the interests of all those who are mentally unable to make decisions about their personal, medical or financial affairs. Some case vignettes are provided to illustrate its functions and roles. By sharing the Hong Kong experience, it is hoped that this paper can raise awareness of circumstances in countries that are planning to develop or reform their guardianship practices for people with learning disabilities.

The emergence of 'post-truth' is often associated with the rise of conspiracy theories and the lack of trust in scientific knowledge. This article attempts to theorise the complex division of labour in this regime of 'post-truth', with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic/infodemic. First, we argue that the 'post-truth' condition mirrors what Foucault called the 'will to truth', and that this challenges the procedures and systems by which truth and knowledge are ordered. Second, through Basil Bernstein's extension of Foucault's work, we argue that the era of post-truth has two features regarding the condition of knowledge: (1) that conflicts in the field of knowledge recontextualisation, that is, the pedagogisation of knowledge, are becoming more intense and visible, and (2) that greater exposure to high-stakes, uncertain scientific knowledge, which grows at exponential rate, increases social anxieties and leads to biopoliticisation of neoliberal responsibilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Routine use of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for loco‐regional staging of breast cancer remains controversial. At Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB), preoperative breast MRI is used selectively within a multidisciplinary setting. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of selective use of preoperative MRI in staging loco‐regional disease and how it has impacted our clinical practice. Methods: Patients who received preoperative MRI at CMDHB between October 2015 and October 2018 were identified on a prospective database. The decision to offer MRI was made by multidisciplinary consensus. Patient data were collected retrospectively from clinical, imaging and histology records. The accuracy of MRI was determined by comparing it against histology as gold standard, and its potential contribution to treatment decisions and treatment delay was determined by clinical record review. Results: Ninety‐two patients received preoperative MRI. Additional foci of cancer were identified in ten patients (11%). Sixteen patients (17%) required additional biopsies. In fourteen patients (15%), MRI identified more extensive disease than conventional imaging prompting a change of surgical management. This 'upstaging' was confirmed histologically in twelve (13%). In one (1%) patient, MRI incorrectly 'downstaged' disease, but it did not alter the management. No patients experienced a delay in treatment due to MRI. Conclusion: A selective, considered use of preoperative MRI within a multidisciplinary setting at our local institution results in more biopsies but with an acceptable risk–benefit ratio. It provides accurate staging to aid treatment decisions without resulting in a delay in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the argument that we make is that public education emerges from when democracy is put into practice in education. For the purposes of this paper we use pedagogic rights as proposed by Basil Bernstein as a way to frame and support this 'putting into practice'. Democracy, we argue, has to be practiced in two senses: 1) it does not 'exist' but has to be continually renewed and brought to life between people, as such it is precarious and fleeting; 2) one might become better at democracy by trying to 'do it' more often and that education is where this 'trying' might occur. We draw on Rancière's work on democracy that focusses on democratic acts or moments; on the 'fracturing' of sense (what is sayable, seeable, thinkable) – when people whose only part (including in education) is none, take one. A process of 'becoming public', we suggest, is instituted in these events. To this end, our proposal for public education is adversarial to contemporary formations of education. Conceptualising public education in this way shows that it is rare, and becoming rarer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the paradoxical nature of 'pedagogic governance', developed from Bernstein's 'pedagogic device', that is, the use of pedagogic means (including knowledge) to govern entire populations in a 'totally pedagogised society'. While knowledge structures have received extensive coverage, not much attention has been given to the tensions between/within the distribution and evaluation of curricular knowledge. Through Derrida, I elaborate on the nature of distributive rules, theorising why a weakly framed curriculum is always open to transgression, that is, the 'potential discursive gap'. However, the subversive power of knowledge is hamstrung by the evaluative rules through high-stakes public assessment and legal-juridical regulations, over which the state is attempting to wield greater influence. Constant struggles between distributive and evaluative powers entail the paradox of pedagogic (mis)governance. To illustrate my argument, this article draws on the politics of curriculum reform in postcolonial Hong Kong as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper starts with an apparently provocative question – can we call the 2019 Water Revolution in Hong Kong a lesson of emancipatory education which awakens students' critical consciousness and brings the postcolonial regime into democratic renewal? The mass social unrest, which was initially triggered by a controversial extradition legislation, has prompted local journalism and political discourse to speak of 'the failure of education': an outmoded form of citizenship education, lack of Chinese History as a core subject, radicalisation in school, regression in science and technology education, to name just few examples of crisis talk. Our discussion explores this question through the philosophical lens of Jacques Rancière. In Rancière's understanding, 'emancipation' occurs in the ephemeral moments of subjectification in which individuals resist existing identity positions in the 'police' order, but speak on their own terms through 'dissensual' responses, under the supposition of 'equality' of 'intelligence'. Episodes of the movement may look defiant but are not the rare moments of 'dissensus' in which people are unshackled from the prevalent distribution of the sensible. An example from this movement that borders on what Rancière means by 'emancipation' is the redistribution of chemistry knowledge about tear gas on a social media platform, which is initiated and crowdfunded by a group of anonymous postgraduate science students and circulated by a chemistry tutor from a private tuition school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article interrogates the politics of the COVID-19 pandemic from a postcolonial perspective. One alarming concern during the pandemic is the rise of racism against Asians all over the world. However, little explored behind media reports are the legacies, tensions and challenges left by imperial domination inherited from the past, especially within the postcolonial regimes in Asia, such as Hong Kong and China. Drawing upon postcolonialism as a critical lens, this article makes perceptible the intractable issues of health politics. Postcolonial challenges shown by COVID-19 include immigration, changing politico-juridical definitions of identity, the legacy left by the Soviet era which poses an obstacle to modernising China's healthcare system, and the boom of birth tourism welcomed by the marketised turn of health and tourism policy in Hong Kong in the post-SARS era. A postcolonial perspective invites health sociologists to scratch beneath the surface of political problems such as racism, and attend to the complex heterogeneity of health politics in the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human capital and a transformed data set are combined into a stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the technical efficiency of star-rated hotels in 30 provinces and municipalities of China for the period of 2011–2015. The influences of revenue diversification across room, food & beverage, and other services and incoming tourists on technical efficiency, labor, and capital productivities are addressed. Hotels in Zhejiang, Shanghai and Tianjin are found to be the most efficient. For the efficiency and productivities determinants, per capita GDP of the hosting province is the primary determinant, hotel ranking and diversification in revenue sources contribute to efficiency and partial productivities, while tourists from different origins bring about diversified impacts. Hotels located in regions with more Taiwan tourists are more efficient with higher capital productivity. Tourists from Hong Kong, Macau, and foreign countries have brought about both positive and negative linkages to efficiency and partial productivities. In general, hotels can reallocate their resources to diversify their services for better efficiency and productivities. In contrast, expanding external markets cannot guarantee higher efficiency and better productivities. Hotel management should be careful in formulating their marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In summary, imaging diagnosis of femoral hernia can be potentially difficult and radiologists must be cognizant of this possible differential diagnosis whenever a cystic lesion is encountered at its characteristic location. Thus, femoral hernia should be considered in the differential diagnoses whenever a cystic groin mass is encountered at or near the femoral ring or canal, inferior to the inguinal ligament between the pubic tubercle and the femoral vein. While the diagnosis of larger femoral hernias containing bowel or peritoneal fat is relatively straightforward, early femoral hernias may contain only peritoneal fluid and can be difficult to distinguish from other cystic lesions on imaging. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are a major cause of sickness absenteeism among health care workers (HCWs) and contribute significantly to overall productivity loss particularly during influenza epidemics. The purpose of this study is to quantify the increases in absenteeism during epidemics including the 2009 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic.Methods: We analysed administrative data to determine patterns of sickness absence among HCWs in Hong Kong from January 2004 through December 2009, and used multivariable linear regression model to estimate the excess all-cause and ARI-related sickness absenteeism rates during influenza epidemics.Results: We found that influenza epidemics prior to the 2009 pandemic and during the 2009 pandemic were associated with 8.4 % (95 % CI: 5.6-11.2 %) and 57.7 % (95 % CI: 54.6-60.9 %) increases in overall sickness absence, and 26.5 % (95 % CI: 21.4-31.5 %) and 90.9 % (95 % CI: 85.2-96.6 %) increases in ARI-related sickness absence among HCWs in Hong Kong, respectively. Comparing different staff types, increases in overall absenteeism were highest among medical staff, during seasonal influenza epidemic periods (51.3 %, 95 % CI: 38.9-63.7 %) and the pandemic mitigation period (142.1 %, 95 % CI: 128.0-156.1 %).Conclusions: Influenza epidemics were associated with a substantial increase in sickness absence and productivity loss among HCWs in Hong Kong, and there was a much higher rate of absenteeism during the 2009 pandemic. These findings could inform better a more proactive workforce redistribution plans to allow for sufficient surge capacity in annual epidemics, and for pandemic preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upper limb musculoskeletal complaints are common among certain health professionals. We report two cases, both involving technicians working in a diagnostic tuberculosis laboratory in Hong Kong. A work process evaluation suggest that the need to repeatedly open and close small bottles, as well as to work for prolonged periods of time in confined areas, could be related to the workers' clinical presentation. The cases are also compatible with the diagnosis of repetitive strain injury (RSI) of the upper limb, but this term is not commonly used nowadays because of various definitional issues. A review of the various diagnostic issues in RSI is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare workers in many countries are recommended to receive influenza vaccine to protect themselves as well as patients. A monovalent H1N1 vaccine became available in Hong Kong in December 2009 and around 10% of local healthcare workers had received the vaccine by February 2010. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of antibody to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 among HCWs in Hong Kong in February-March 2010 following the first pandemic wave and the pH1N1 vaccination campaign. In this study we focus on the subset of healthcare workers who reported receipt of non-adjuvanted monovalent 2009 H1N1 vaccine (Panenza, Sanofi Pasteur). Sera collected from HCWs were tested for antibody against the pH1N1 virus by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and viral neutralization (VN) assays. Results: We enrolled 703 HCWs. Among 104 HCWs who reported receipt of pH1N1 vaccine, 54% (95% confidence interval (CI): 44%-63%) had antibody titer ≥1:40 by HI and 42% (95% CI: 33%-52%) had antibody titer ≥1:40 by VN. The proportion of HCWs with antibody titer ≥1:40 by HI and VN significantly decreased with age, and the proportion with antibody titer ≥1:40 by VN was marginally significantly lower among HCWs who reported prior receipt of 2007-08 seasonal influenza vaccine (odds ratio: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.19-1.00). After adjustment for age, the effect of prior seasonal vaccine receipt was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that monovalent H1N1 vaccine may have had suboptimal immunogenicity in HCWs in Hong Kong. Larger studies are required to confirm whether influenza vaccine maintains high efficacy and effectiveness in HCWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychotropic medications are often used to treat problem behaviours in people with intellectual disability which not only occur frequently but also tend to persist over time. This study examined the pattern of prescription of such medications to manage problem behaviours for adults with intellectual disabilities in a specialist psychiatric unit in Hong Kong. Individuals aged 18 or above with problem behaviours and receiving psychotropic medication for treatment in hospital, outpatient and community settings were studied. Their demographic and clinical information was collected. The type and dosage of medications were retrieved from the computer database and analysed. Those with psychotic disorder and mood (affective disorder) were excluded. After screening, 236 patients met the inclusion criteria. People with moderate intellectual disability accounted for most of the cohort (46%). Autism spectrum disorder was the commonest psychiatric diagnosis (35%) and aggression the commonest problem behaviour (52%). Antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and antidepressants were prescribed to 96%, 20% and 13% of the subjects respectively. The profile of problem behaviour in the Chinese population with intellectual disability is consistent with the findings reported in the world literature. Antipsychotic drugs are the most commonly prescribed class of psychotropic medication used to treat such behaviours. Although the current evidence is not strong enough to support a clear-cut recommendation on the use of medications, the dichotomous notion of 'prescription' or 'no prescription' for problem behaviours may be simplistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The purposes of this study were to examine the quality of life (QL) of patients who received treatment for cancer of the parotid or temporal region, and to identify factors contributing to it. The relationships between clinician-based measures of treatment outcome and the patient-based counterparts were also evaluated. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 23 patients who had received either a temporal bone resection or a combination of parotidectomy and radiotherapy. The QL survey involved both global QL and measures of the appearance, communication, hearing, physical, psychological, and social domains. Patients were assessed clinically for their performance status, facial nerve function, disfigurement, and hearing and the results were compared with patient-rated QL. Correlation between the QL variables and global QL was identified using Spearman correlation tests. Results Ongoing physical symptoms, communication difficulties, and social disturbances were associated with poorer global QL ( P <.05). No correlation was detected between global QL and objective disfigurement, facial function, and measures of hearing loss. With the exception of hearing testing, clinical assessments generally did not correlate well with patient ratings. Conclusion QL measures provide insight into patients' perceptions of the treatment outcome but do not necessarily correlate with the clinicians' views. The use of a global QL measure overcomes the difficulty of extrapolating the impact of symptom scores or observational measures on patients' overall quality of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that applied a time-frequency representation-based approach to instantaneous frequency estimation based on an adaptive short-time Fourier transform. Background on the use of the Fourier transform for spectral analysis in signal processing; Application of a multistate hidden Markov model-based post-estimation tracker; Results and implications.

Abstract: Background: The novel influenza A(H1N1pdm09) virus emerged in North America in early 2009 and rapidly spread worldwide. In this study we report the efficacy of the live attenuated monovalent H1N1pdm09 vaccine and 2009–10 seasonal influenza vaccine in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Methods: We enrolled 703 children aged 7–11. Each child was randomly allocated in the ratio 3:2 to receive one dose of live attenuated monovalent H1N1pdm09 vaccine or saline placebo between November 2009 and January 2010, followed after 3–10 weeks by independent random allocation to one dose of live attenuated trivalent 2009–10 seasonal influenza vaccine or saline placebo in the same ratio. Children were followed up through September 2010 with biweekly telephone calls and symptom diaries. Seasonal and pandemic influenza infections were confirmed by virologic testing of nose and throat swabs collected during acute respiratory illnesses. Results: Overall, 30 children had confirmed influenza including 3 (0.43%) H1N1pdm09, 10 (1.4%) seasonal A(H3N2), and 17 (2.4%) influenza B. There were no significant differences in incidence rates of H1N1pdm09 or A(H3N2) between the four study arms, but receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccine was associated with a significant reduction in risk of influenza B (p <0.01). Vaccine efficacy against confirmed H1N1pdm09 infection associated with receipt of the monovalent H1N1pdm09 vaccine was 65% (95% confidence interval, CI: −281%, 97%). Vaccine efficacies against confirmed seasonal influenza A(H3N2) and B infection associated with receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccine were 31% (95% CI: −138%, 80%) and 96% (95% CI: 67%, 99%) respectively. Conclusions: Vaccine efficacy was consistent with other studies of the monovalent H1N1pdm09 vaccine and seasonal influenza vaccines. Our study was underpowered to provide precise estimates of vaccine efficacy due to low incidence of influenza A viruses during the study period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although "intellectual disability" has widely replaced the term "mental retardation", the debate as to whether this entity should be conceptualized as a health condition or as a disability has intensified as the revision of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Classification of Diseases (ICD) advances. Defining intellectual disability as a health condition is central to retaining it in ICD, with significant implications for health policy and access to health services. This paper presents the consensus reached to date by the WHO ICD Working Group on the Classification of Intellectual Disabilities. Literature reviews were conducted and a mixed qualitative approach was followed in a series of meetings to produce consensus-based recommendations combining prior expert knowledge and available evidence. The Working Group proposes replacing mental retardation with intellectual developmental disorders, defined as "a group of developmental conditions characterized by significant impairment of cognitive functions, which are associated with limitations of learning, adaptive behaviour and skills". The Working Group further advises that intellectual developmental disorders be incorporated in the larger grouping (parent category) of neurodevelopmental disorders, that current subcategories based on clinical severity (i.e., mild, moderate, severe, profound) be continued, and that problem behaviours be removed from the core classification structure of intellectual developmental disorders and instead described as associated features.

Purpose of Review: This review aims to provide an overview of the current status and recent developments in epidemiology, public policy and services for children and adults with intellectual disability in China., Recent Findings: The most recent national survey on disability conducted in 2006 estimated that the prevalence of intellectual disability was 0.75% in China. People with intellectual disability accounted for 11.9% of all the people with disabilities and they have an uneven geographical distribution. The prevalence in urban areas was 0.4%, whereas that in rural areas was 1.02%. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stated that people with disabilities have the right to receive assistance from the state and society. Based on this, laws have been formulated and revised to protect people with disabilities in areas of education, employment and rehabilitation. The variety, capacity and quality of services for people with intellectual disability are steadily increasing or improving, but there are still gaps and deficiencies such as mental health care and professional services., Summary: Supported by the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, there has been remarkable progress in the formulation of policies and provision of services for people with intellectual disability in recent years. However, there continue to be a lot of unmet needs among this population, particularly those living in rural areas. Therefore, further commitment, coordination and resource allocation are required to improve the lives of people with intellectual disability in China.