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Non-neoplastic thyroid hyperplasia is common in terrestrial animals, secondary to nutritional imbalances or other goitrogenic compounds. Thyroid hyperplasia is relatively common in teleost fish; however, malignant thyroid neoplasia is rarely reported. We diagnosed cases of thyroid neoplasia in a population of jade perch (Scortum barcoo). The 3,000 affected fish had grossly apparent, bilateral pharyngeal swellings. Histologic examination confirmed proliferative thyroid lesions ranging from hyperplasia to well-differentiated follicular cell carcinoma. In addition, the younger population of animals on the farm also had bacterial septicemia and mild Dactylogyrus sp. gill infections. Feed analysis revealed a severe deficiency of iodine and vitamin C in the homemade fish diet used on the farm. The concentrations of other minerals, such as zinc, were also on the lower end of the recommended requirements for freshwater fish. The farm was using surface water in its recirculating aquaculture system. We recommended a switch to a commercial aquaculture diet, as well as to use well water rather than surface water to avoid any contaminants, and to treat the younger fish with an antibiotic for bacterial septicemia. Our case provides evidence of progression from nutritional-associated thyroid hyperplasia to neoplasia in farmed teleost fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the actions and interactions of video platform users, talent shows have expanded from the entertainment sphere to the social sphere and become an everyday part of life. Watching talent shows on online platforms, especially through participation in multi-platform interaction, is an ever developing and innovative field in many regions. This study adopts a multiple case analysis approach. We analyze and compare three cases of talent shows, examining aspects of their value co-creation, digital platform, dynamic capability and value network through an exploration of a series of creative activities on digital video platforms. Talent shows provide a unique environment in which different actors interact, co-exist and co-create value, i.e., another form of O2O marketing. These actors include producers, entertainment companies, sponsors and fans, and fan value co-creation currently takes many different forms, which are experienced, engaged and interacted with through different platforms. The findings contribute to examining the underlying dynamics of TV talent shows, in addition to explaining how they are achieving sustainable advantages in the media market. Furthermore, this study aims to understand the service ecosystem of network talent shows from the perspective of industrial innovation strategy; consequently, this research can help to promote the implications of this new form of digital content services and its innovation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the case of a 6-year-old Taiwanese boy with a fulminant course of COVID-19 manifesting as high fever, acute consciousness changes, and status epilepticus. Brain MRI showed restricted diffusion in the bilateral hemisphere. Electroencephalogram showed diffuse slow waves with few spikes. CSF study was clear without evidence of common pathogens. He received treatment with antiviral agents, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, and anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies. However, progressive fulminant hepatitis, hyperammonaemia, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy developed. Rescue therapy with hybrid continuous renal replacement therapy and plasma exchange were performed in the first 11 days. The patient improved and was extubated on the 11th day. After physical therapy, his neurological function improved significantly. The patient was discharged under rehabilitation after 1 month of hospitalization. Viral sequencing confirmed infection with the Omicron BA.2.3 variant, one of the dominant strains in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Whole-exome sequencing revealed heterozygous uncertain significance variants in TICAM-1, RNF 31, and mitochondrial MT-RNR1, which provide additional support for the fulminant course. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of COVID-19 in a child with a fulminant course of acute encephalitis and hepatitis who successfully recovered by hybrid continuous renal replacement therapy and plasma exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the medium-term effects of a group intervention combining exercise and cognitive-behavioral strategies (EC) on older adults with chronic pain. Method: One hundred and fifty-two Hong Kong Chinese older adults with chronic pain affecting bones, muscles, and joints were randomized by clinic/social center to receive 10 weekly sessions of EC or pain education (control). The primary (pain intensity) and secondary outcomes (pain disability, pain self-efficacy, pain catastrophizing, pain coping, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and hip and knee strength) were collected at baseline (T1), postintervention (T2), and 3- (T3) and 6-month follow-ups (T4). The trajectories of intervention effects were modeled by EC × time and EC × time2 interaction terms in mixed-effects regression. Results: Significant EC × time and/or EC × time2 interactions were found for pain intensity, pain disability, self-efficacy, and catastrophizing, such that the treatment effect leveled off (pain disability) or diminished (pain intensity and catastrophizing) over time, or continued to increase in a linear fashion (self-efficacy). There was also a treatment main effect on hip/knee muscle strength. Group differences in favor of EC were observed up to 3-month follow-up for pain intensity (d = −0.51) and hip/knee muscle strength (d = 0.38), and up to 6-month follow-up for pain disability (d = −0.60) and self-efficacy (d = 0.52). No group difference was found for catastrophizing at any time point. No treatment effects were found for the other outcomes. Conclusion: Older people suffering from chronic pain can benefit from a program incorporating both cognitive-behavioral techniques and physical exercise. What is the public health significance of this article?: Studies on nonpharmacological methods for older people with chronic pain are lacking. This randomized controlled trial provides support for integrating cognitive-behavioral methods with physical exercise in the self-management of chronic pain by older people. The alleviation of pain and its sequelae such as disability through a structured time-limited program that is easy to implement in diverse clinical and service settings can have large public health benefits given the prevalence of chronic pain in aging populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to advances in medical care, a growing number of young people with life-limiting neurodevelopmental disabilities (LLNDDs) are now surviving into adulthood. However, the traditional model of care between pediatrics and adult medicine was fragmented and did not match their multi-facet needs. A special working group that includes pediatricians, adult palliative care team, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was formed, providing a period of joint care of 12–24 months before transitioning to the adult palliative care team. A retrospective case series of 19 young adults with LLNDDs, recorded during the July 2015–June 2020 period at the study institution is presented. Recruited patients' age ranged from 18 to 38 (mean 26.2 [SD 6.1]). Majority of them (n = 14) require residential care at long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and high level of nursing care, which include artificial nutrition (n = 8) and home ventilator (n = 5). All patients referred to our palliative care (PC) program were engaged in a structured advance care planning (ACP) process. Seventeen patients (89.5%) had their Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) directives in place and two mentally competent patients completed their own advance directive (AD). All deceased (n = 10) had their DNR directives being honored. In conclusion, the palliative care needs of young adults suffering from LLNDDs should be properly addressed and implementation of a joint transitional care model between pediatrics and adult PC team is one possible method. Future research should encompass a better care model that addresses the multi-facet needs of young people suffering from LLNDDs, especially the transition from pediatrics to adult medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provided a systematic investigation of microplastics in Hong Kong's surface marine waters during the pandemic from 2019 to 2021. Microplastics (2.07 ± 4.00 particles/m3) exhibited significant temporal variations with higher abundance in the wet season, without a consistent trend after the mandatory mask-wearing requirement was announced. The impact of pandemic restrictions on microplastic distribution was found to be relatively minor. However, significant correlations between microplastic abundances and rainfall highlighted the substantial contribution of local emissions through surface runoff. Notably, sites in closer proximity to the Pearl River Delta exhibited higher microplastic abundances, indicating their association with emission sources. The influence of rainfall and adverse weather on marine microplastic loads demonstrated different sensitivities among various locations but can generally last for one month. These results revealed the impact of seasonal rainfall on coastal microplastics and emphasized the need for efforts to reduce microplastic discharge from land-based sources. [Display omitted] • A baseline study on marine microplastic pollution in Hong Kong during 2019–2021 • Microplastics showed seasonal variations with higher levels in the wet season. • Significant correlations were found between microplastic abundances and rainfall. • Adverse weather showed an up-to-one-month impact on increasing microplastic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about the nature of the National Security Law in Hong Kong (NSL). It argues that the NSL represents the type of constitutional change that comes about not through a formal constitutional amendment, but is a result of both internal and external factors, in particular the rise of identit7 Politics that has changed the political dynamics both within Hong Kong and between Hong Kong and Beijing since the 2010£ It also showcases the trilemma of national sovereig·nty, collective identity and Western liberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the multi-actor making of the ruralscape in Hong Kong. I critically adopt the theoretical framework of Ingold's concepts of walking to understand how different "wayfarers", including but not limited to farmers, residents, land activists, agriculture learners, researchers, journalists, leisure practitioners and government officials, walk to make a multi-sensorial landscape. This paper encapsulates the observation outcomes of multiple times of walking by different individuals and groups recorded during my ethnographic fieldwork between 2008 and 2021. I shed light on the local practices and perspectives of hang cyun (walking in villages) and hang tin (walking in fields) to illustrate my observations. By analyzing the wayfarers' walking experiences and embodied movements, I consider the ruralscape as a vibrant space where people configure its meanings and materialize their lifestyle. The wayfarers' embodied experiences reflect the continuity and changes of a rural Hong Kong. Their making of ruralscape helps alleviate people's anxiety and enhance people's hope concerning the current Hong Kong society that faces food safety issues, environmental degradation, social class disparity and spoon-feeding education. I consider that being an agent who exercises his/her subjectivity during the walking in the ruralscape, a wayfarer makes the ruralscape meaningful in various aspects. My explanation contributes to the theoretical discussion of embodied movement and space making particular to the construction of a politicized nature telling us stories of (in)equality, (in)justice, and hope (lessness). • Walking is a political and socio-economic process that produces a multi-sensorial ruralscape. • Embodied movement and space making alleviates anxiety and enhances hope in rural Hong Kong. • Actor-actant interactions in Hong Kong's ruralscape entails stories of (in)equality, (in)justice, and hope (lessness). • People configure meanings and materialize lifestyle in walking in villages and fields. • Wayfarers's experiences reflect the continuity and changes of social movement, education, and agro-economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stories in children's daily lives reflect collective meaning-making and knowledge creation with educators, children, and families. The stories sparked during these collective journeys unveil their shared early childhood experiences (Engel, 2005) and inherited cultural wisdom across generations. Education for sustainable development (ESD) has drawn global interest within the field of early childhood education. UNESCO (2005) defined ESD as a weaving of social, environmental, and economical dimensions for building a sustainable world. In this article, one Hong Kong based case story was selected from a study about children's storying conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hong Kong to illustrate these dimensions. This Old-Newspapers story was situated in storied conversations (Gaffney et al., 2019) among children aged 4-5 in a local kindergarten. Children inquired about the wise use of paper through conversations, experimenting, and play. Old newspapers offered pedagogical resources and inspiration that contributed to children's understanding of environmental sustainability. Besides revealing the shared and co-created learning experiences about, in, and for the environment (Davis, 1998, 2009), this story revived hidden cultural heritage and intergenerational connections in families in the social dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was conducted to test the mediating effect of presence on the consumer response to tourism promotion using virtual reality (VR) technology. Hong Kong college students (N = 203) were assigned to three experimental groups in which they were exposed to a hotel advertorial on an online blog, a VR 360° video on a mobile phone, or a VR 360° video using Google Cardboard goggles. The results supported the hypothesis that presence plays a mediating role in the relationship between the use of VR in tourism advertising and consumer response. As one of the first studies in the tourism field to investigate the effects of a virtual depiction of a real-world environment on consumption intentions, the findings reveal how VR technology can be used to promote a hotel by generating a sense of presence. This study makes a further contribution to the VR literature by finding that the use of Cardboard goggles did not produce a significantly greater sense of presence in the experience of advertorial viewers. The theoretical contributions and practical implications of the findings for the use of VR technology in branding and promotion are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are open systems that rely heavily on external trade and release carbon dioxide (CO 2) as a predominant by-product. Quantification of trans-boundary emissions is essential, especially for the construction sector, which requires great intermediate inputs from upstream sectors locally and globally. This study investigates the global energy-related CO 2 emissions induced by Hong Kong's construction consumption based on multi-regional input-output analysis for the years 2004, 2007, and 2011. The results showed that the consumption-based CO 2 emissions emitted to sustain the local construction consumption are at least 32.37% higher than those estimated by the conventional approach. The consumption-based CO 2 has slightly declined from 2004 to 2011. This trend was closely tied to decreasing emission intensities of upstream sectors, even with strong growth in construction final demand. 96.61–97.41% of the consumption-based CO 2 were indirect emissions, and 73.50–78.58% were trans-boundary emissions. Utilities, Manufacturing, and Transport & Storage were the main source sectors contributing the most to total CO 2 emissions. Based on the results, extended emission monitoring beyond municipal boundaries, diversification of import origins, implementation of import substitution, use of low carbon-intensive materials, and enhancement in electricity generation towards low-carbon fuels are proposed to mitigate construction-related CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The existence and dilemmas of metropolitan fisheries have been overlooked in research on the resilience of coastal marine socio-ecological systems. Yet, they could produce a model of sustainable fisheries with significant global impact. To fill that research gap, this study investigates an inshore fishery population that has sustained itself within Hong Kong's rapid urban development, seeking to understand the reasons for its survival. The results indicate that the values of self-reliance and entrepreneurialism exacted by fishing enabled the fishers to make necessary adaptations and reposition themselves in mariculture and service industries. These new ventures, while retaining marine-based livelihoods, draw the fishers away from fishing activities. The paradox of this value-based resilience of a metropolitan fishery is discussed for its potential to generate policies to strengthen linkages among the fishers' business activities and to create a sustainable fishery model useful in other contexts. Highlights • Investigates the resilience of a fishery in a neglected setting, that of metropolises. • Emphasizes the resilience of a fishing population as basis for a sustainable fishery. • Locates the source of resilience in the values (slow-moving variables) of self-reliance and entrepreneurialism. • Provides evidence of the expression of the values in successive new ventures (adaptations). • Paradox of adaptations pulling fishers away from fishery opens up new co-management policy options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the clinical utility of the sFlt-1:PlGF ratio rule-in/rule-out pre-eclampsia either directly or after correcting each marker for gestation and maternal weight.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. sFlt-1, PlGF were measured in 965 women randomized to undergo a single blood withdraw between 20 and 39 weeks of gestation. sFlt-1, PlGF and the sFlt-1:PlGF ratio temporal relationship was determined. sFlt-1 and PlGF were converted to multiples of the expected gestational median (MoM) and adjusted for maternal weight. The 90th centile of the adjusted sFlt-1MoM:PlGFMoM ratio was determined. Clinical utility of the sFlt-1:PlGF ratio (≥38) to rule in/rule-out pre-eclampsia (PE) after 20 weeks of gestation versus that of the sFlt-1MoM:PlGFMoM 90th percentile was assessed in 81 women admitted for management of antenatal hypertension.Results: The sFlt-1:PlGF ratio had quadratic relationship with gestation whereas the sFlt-1MoM:PlGFMoM ratio log distribution that was Gaussian with a mean of zero and a standard deviation of 0.85 with a 90th percentile equal to 1.08. Thirty-four (42%) of the 81 women admitted for management of their antenatal hypertension had PE, 26 (76.4%) had a sFlt-1:PlGF ratio ≥ 38. Four of the remaining 8 PE affected pregnancies with sFlt-1:PlGF ratio <38 delivered within 7 days, 3 were preterm. Two of the 3 preterm PE pregnancies had sFlt-1MoM:PlGFMoM exceeding 90th percentile.Conclusion: The relative level of the sFlt-1 to PlGF carries prognostic value. A sFlt-1MoM:PlGFMoM ratio exceeding the 90th centile resulted in additional detection of pregnancies which developed PE compared to the conventional sFlt-1:PlGF ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether the medium-term impact of rail transit on development near the transit stations differs if it is built in areas which are largely undeveloped (greenfield sites) as opposed to areas which have a certain level of development (infill sites) after a period of five to ten years. Hong Kong, a metropolitan city committed to rail-based transit-oriented development (RTOD), has been chosen to examine this main research question. Data related to changes in the population and employment size, development intensity, detailed land use pattern, and travel behavior of people living around transit stations along two railway lines (one primarily running through greenfield sites and the other running through infill sites), with both having an alignment running from the city’s urban core to the periphery and built in the mid-2000s, were collected and compared. The analysis provides some useful evidence about the actual impact of RTOD under different urban settings. Infill site development has indeed been more successful in re-generating employment growth, housing new population, or both and also has a more healthy mix of land uses. In greenfield sites where the establishment of transit infrastructure preceded urban development, RTOD provided the opportunity to reshape the built environment and introduce more innovative planning concepts like “comprehensive development”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to he forgotten is an increasingly contentious issue after the case of Google Spain. Much academic ink had since been spilt on the subject with regard to defining and implementing the said right. This article notes that developments on such a right to erasure have not been particularly robust within the context of Hong Kong, despite significant judicial clarifications overseas as well as administrative support from the Privacy Commission. This article opines that technological progress and the aggressive market-cum-lifestyle expansion of search engines necessitate a fresh round of rigorous discussion on the applicability of this right. This imperative is especially germane in the case of Hong Kong, a vibrant financial hub and tech-saturated city. This article draws on regulations and case laws from various jurisdictions to analyse the normative significance and utility in adopting the right to be forgotten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of vertical transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs) is unique in our densely populated cosmopolitan city. The compulsory testing of a whole building under the scheme of restriction-testing declaration (RTD) during the fourth wave (non-Omicron variant) and fifth wave (mostly Omicron variant) of COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong allowed us to study the prevalence of this phenomenon, which may represent a form of airborne transmission. From 23 January 2021 to 24 March 2022, 25,450 (5.8%) of 436,397 residents from 223 (63.0%) of 354 HRRBs under RTD were test-positive for SARS-CoV-2. Using the clustering of cases among vertically aligned flats with shared drainage stack and lightwell as a surrogate marker of vertical transmission, the number of vertically aligned flats with positive COVID-19 cases was significantly higher in the fifth wave compared with the fourth wave (14.2%, 6471/45,531 vs 0.24%, 3/1272; p < 0.001; or 2212 vs 1 per-million-flats; p < 0.001). Excluding 22,801 residents from 38 HRRBs who were tested negative outside the 12-week periods selected in fourth and fifth waves, the positive rate among residents was significantly higher among residents during the fifth wave than the fourth wave (6.5%, 25,434/389,700 vs 0.07%, 16/23,896; p < 0.001). Within the flats with COVID-19 cases, the proportion of vertically aligned flats was also significantly higher in the fifth wave than in the fourth wave (95.6%, 6471/6766 vs 30.0%, 3/10, p < 0.001). The proportion of HRRBs with COVID-19 cases was significantly higher during the corresponding 12-week period chosen for comparison (78.2%, 219/280 vs 11.1%, 4/36; p < 0.001). Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of 332 viral genomes showed that Omicron BA.2 was the predominant strain, supporting the high transmissibility of BA.2 by airborne excreta-aerosol route in HRRBs of Hong Kong. [Display omitted] • Compulsory RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 was performed for residents. • 5.8% of 436,397 residents tested-positive for SARS-CoV-2. • 63.0% of 354 high-rise residential buildings affected. • Omicron BA.2 was the predominant strain. • Vertical airborne transmission was hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor thermal comfort is a primary concern when designing urban environments suitable for pedestrian activities. In previous research, urban greenery had been considered as an effective strategy to mitigate the deterioration of the street-level thermal environment. Tree view factor (TVF), a parameter that can estimate the amount of tree cover visible in the overlying hemisphere, was applied in recent thermal environment assessment studies. However, a detailed understanding of TVF's suitability and application in a subtropical high-rise compact metropolis with diversified land uses is still lacking. To fill the knowledge gap, this study used Hong Kong as a study case and conducted ENVI-met simulations to analyse the human thermal comfort at two levels of TVF sites and two weather conditions. Results showed that high TVF (Htvf) sites had a pronounced reduction in mean radiant temperature (TMRT) of at least 15 °C after 12:00 under both typical and extreme weather scenarios. A lower mean physiological equivalent temperature (PET) of below 30 °C and 35 °C remained in the daytime of typical and extreme weather scenarios, respectively. It was also found that low TVF sites inside parks received more solar radiation, while Htvf sites inside parks exhibited a more substantial cooling potential than that inside street canyons. Htvf sites could maintain better pedestrian thermal comfort due to the shading effect. This study also proved that TVF is more suitable than green coverage ratio (GCR) in urban thermal environment assessments and urban green infrastructure design to create a thermally comfortable high-rise and high-density metropolis. • TVF is suitable for evaluating high-rise urban thermal environments. • Htvf sites are more thermally comfortable for pedestrian activities. • Ltvf sites in urban parks can be thermally uncomfortable as street canyons. • TVF can better capture the spatial variations of PET than GCR. • TVF can be considered in future landscape design to facilitate thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines preservice teachers’ integration of technology in teaching various subject domains. It aims to gain in-depth understandings of preservice teachers’ pedagogical patterns for teaching through the theoretical lens of technological pedagogical and content knowledge. Multiple data sources were collected in a teacher education institution in Hong Kong. The teachers’ pedagogical patterns vary depending on their instructional decisions affected by individual preferences, various subject cultures, and individual school settings. The patterns reflected various forms of technological pedagogical and content knowledge development in teaching different subjects. Implications for preparation of preservice teachers’ pedagogy, teacher preparation, and development are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement is traditionally regarded as an energy and emission intensive construction material. The reduction of environmental impacts in the cement industry has gained increasing concern worldwide for environmental sustainability. As a resource-scarce city, cement production in Hong Kong is associated with high CO 2 emissions, thus contributing significantly to the high environmental impacts in the construction industry. This study herein has been conducted to comprehensively assess the energy consumption and global warming potential impacts of different types of cement manufactured in Hong Kong using life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques. Two sustainable strategies for the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gases emission in the cement industry were then proposed. The LCA results showed that ordinary Portland cement production has high environmental impacts mainly due to the import of associated raw materials and burning of fossil fuel. The use of alternative material, such as fly ash would help to reduce the environmental impacts. Significant impacts reductions associated with cement production can be further achieved by strategies such as the use of glass powder from locally generated waste glass bottles as part of the raw materials, and the use of a bio-fuel produced from locally generated wood wastes as a co-fuel with coal. The assessment results indicated that about 12% of the total greenhouse gases emission and 15% of energy consumption can be reduced from the cement industry in Hong Kong by using waste materials to replace virgin materials (clinker/coal). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about how public open space (POS) environment quality and vitality influence older adults' functional ability and mental health over time. POS vitality refers to the capacity of POS to accommodate a variety of users and activities. We undertook a four-year longitudinal survey of 2081 older adults in Hong Kong to investigate longitudinal relationships between POS environment quality, POS vitality, functional ability and mental health. We applied environment quality evaluation and space use behavior observation to collect data on the environment quality and vitality of POSs within the 200-m buffer area of participants' residences. POS environment quality attributes included the number of leisure facility types, accessibility, shade, and bench quality. POS vitality attributes comprised the diversity of users and activities. We used the Chinese Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale to measure older adults' functional ability and the Geriatric Depression Scale (15-item) to evaluate mental health. We applied latent growth curve models to analyze the longitudinal associations. Accessibility to POS and social interactions among users in POS were related to better functional ability and mental health among older adults at baseline. The number of leisure facility types, and social interactions among users in POS led to a slower decline in functional ability over time. However, there were no significant associations between POS and mental health over time. These findings have theoretical implications for the healthy aging research framework and practical insights for planning policies using POS as an intervention tool to facilitate older adults' healthy aging. • Accessibility of POS was positively related to functional ability and mental health at baseline. • Social interactions in POS were associated with better functional ability and mental health at baseline. • Leisure facilities and shade in POS protect older adults from declining functional ability. • Social interactions among users in POS led to a slower decline in functional ability over time. • No significant associations were observed between POS and mental health over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celebrity diagnoses can strongly impact public awareness and behaviour. This study aims to examine the public's perception of celebrities with serious illness in Hong Kong and the impact of media stories of ill celebrities on health awareness and behaviour. A survey using purposive sampling was conducted in April 2014. Altogether, 297 completed questionnaires were received. The public's perception of celebrity diagnoses was generally favourable. Respondents showed sympathy and support towards celebrities with serious illnesses. They tended to believe stories revealed by the ill celebrities rather than news coverage in media. This is the first study to examine public perception towards celebrity diagnoses and the impact of media stories of ill celebrities on health awareness and behaviour in a Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘actor-orientated transfer’ approach was adopted to examine the personal transfer of creative learning in a thematic course on toys in a higher education of Hong Kong. The personal transfers of creative learning were found to be spontaneous, far, diverse, multidirectional, highly individual and, sometimes, quite unexpected. Creativity-related attitudes, conceptions, habits and thinking strategies were commonly transferred from the initial study over to daily life, new learning and teaching, all because the learning was impressive, useful, full of surprises and easy to remember. A number of curricular, contextual and student's personal factors were identified to be either facilitating or hindering these transfers. It is concluded that significant parts of creative learning can be transferred in personal ways, if the curriculum is suitably designed and implemented to meet the needs of students in local context. A model for personal transfer of creative learning, which consisted of four core themes (i.e. context, content, impact and factor of personal transfer) and their sub-themes, was depicted. The ‘transfer in pieces’ theory was applied to explain the nature of personal transfer. Ultimately, this study helps to establish a new conception of creativity education as a type of education that values and facilitates personal transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives are of great concern due to their adverse health effects. However, source identification and apportionment of these compounds, particularly their nitrated and hydroxylated derivatives (i.e., NPAHs and OHPAHs), in fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in Hong Kong are still lacking. In this study, we conducted a 1-year observation at an urban site in Hong Kong. PM 2.5 -bound PAHs and their derivatives were measured, with median concentrations of 4590, 44.4 and 31.6 pg m −3 for ∑ 21 PAHs, ∑ 13 NPAHs, and ∑ 12 OHPAHs, respectively. Higher levels were observed on regional pollution days than on long regional transport (LRT) or local emission days. Based on positive matrix factorization analysis, four sources were determined: marine vessels, vehicle emissions, biomass burning, and a mixed source of coal combustion and NPAHs secondary formation. Coal combustion and biomass burning were the major sources of PAHs, contributing over 85% of PAHs on regional and LRT days. Biomass burning was the predominant source of OHPAHs throughout the year, while NPAHs mainly originated from secondary formation and fuel combustion. For benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-based PM 2.5 toxicity, the mixed source of coal combustion and NPAHs secondary formation was the major contributor, followed by biomass burning and vehicle emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE. We examined the predictive validity of a job-specific functional capacity evaluation (FCE) in relation to the return to work of patients with a distal radius fracture. METHOD. Return-to-work recommendations for 194 participants with a distal radius fracture were based on FCE performance. Three months after the evaluation, participants were contacted to ascertain their employment status to examine the predictive validity of each FCE-based rating. RESULTS. The recommendation return to previous job (94.83%) was correct more often than the recommendations do not work at the moment (60.47%), change job (52.63%), and return to previous job with modifications (9.38%). A longer period from injury to FCE and compensable injury reduces the predictive ability of job-specific FCE. CONCLUSION. Job-specific FCE shows a better predictive validity in relation to the return to work of patients with a specific injury, such as a distal radius fracture, than of patients with a nonspecific injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty elemental concentrations in different size particles were measured at a roadside site and a suburban site of Hong Kong using a ten-stage MOUDI impactor (Mode 110). Some elements (Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, As and Ba) have clear spatial variability, with ~100% higher concentrations in roadside atmosphere than in suburban atmosphere, showing obviously vehicle-related sources for those elements. However, it is contrary for three typical sea salt elements (Na, Cl and Br), showing more than 100% higher concentrations in suburban environment than in roadside environment, which is due to the influence of marine aerosols. The size distributions of elements are generally similar between roadside and suburban site. The elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, Cl, Ca, Ti, Mn and Fe mainly present in coarse mode (10 μm > diameter > 1 μm). The mass concentrations of K, V and Ni are distributed in both fine (diameter > 1 μm) and coarse mode. The size distributions of S, Pb, As, Se, Zn, Cu, Cd and Ba show a single peak at around 1 μm or less. The contributions of mineral dust to Total Suspended Particles (TSP) are similar for the traffic and suburban site, ~13.8% and ~14.2%, respectively. Sea salts account for ~1.6% of TSP for the traffic site, and ~6.0% for the suburban site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong is an ageing society. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 22% of its residents will be 65 years old or above by the year 2030. Physical activities provide an important way for older people to stay healthy. Green space is recognized as an important environmental setting for physical activity. Therefore, improving elderly accessibility to green space is useful in promoting more physical activity among them. The aim of this study is to modeling and assessing the elderly accessibility to urban green spaces in Hong Kong, by (1) modeling urban green spaces available for elderly people using the landscape fragmentation index (LFI) of green space patches, and (2) accessibility analysis in terms of both distance and time for elderly people to get urban green space patches. As a result, regions with LFI from high to low and accessibility from good to poor are Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and New Territories. Kowloon has the highest LFI and accessibility. However, it is limited by small size green space patches which may not be in good quality and attractive for elder people. New Territories, due to its large number of available lands, has the largest proportion of big size green space patches. However, they are limited by their poor accessibility. Based on these evidences, we would suggest the prior improvement (1) in Kowloon is to have more green spaces with larger sizes, (2) in New Territories is to increase the green space accessibility either by improving the walking routes or building more small to median size green space patches that can well cover the whole region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the findings of a research study investigating user acceptance of bring your own device (BYOD) practice to support teaching and learning in a Hong Kong university. Forty-four undergraduate students and two teachers participated in the study. To collect their ratings of agreement with respect to several BYOD-related issues, student participants were asked to complete pre- and post-user acceptance questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of a 13-week semester. Post-event focus group interview sessions were also organised to further elicit students' and teachers' views on the use of personally owned devices for learning. While most of the findings from this study support the use of BYOD in higher education, a number of concerns about its implementation are raised. Insights derived from this research will help inform pedagogies, research and practices in BYOD-mediated learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) has been widely used as an indicator for impacts of climate change on thermal comfort of humans. The effects of thermal stress are often examined using longitudinal observational studies over many years. A major problem in retrospective versus prospective studies is that it is not feasible to go back in time to measure historical data not collected in the past. These data must be reconstructed for the baseline period to enable comparative analysis of change and its human impact. This paper describes a systematic method for constructing a PET map using spatial analytical procedures. The procedures involve estimating PET values (based on the RayMan model and four key parameters of temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, and mean radiant temperature) at a spatially disaggregated level comprising of a grid of 100 m × 100 m cells. The method can be applied to other geographic locations pending availability of basic meteorological and morphological data of the locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people in Hong Kong are more likely than any other age group to come into contact with the justice system. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on youth attitudes toward lawyers. The aim of this study was to compare the understanding and perceptions of lawyers among three youth groups classified according to experience in instructing lawyers and varying degrees of delinquency – young offenders (the only group who had experience of hiring lawyers), youth-at-risk and students ( N = 1157), and to determine if perceptions of lawyers affect views on the legitimacy of the justice system. Students showed greater understanding about lawyers and more favorable perceptions of fairness in lawyer–client interactions compared with young offenders and youth-at-risk. A better understanding of lawyers had a positive association with perceptions of fairness and a higher perception of fairness had a positive association with legitimacy of the justice system. Recommendations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical explanation of plea bargaining is the shadow-of-trial model (Mnookin and Kornhauser, 1979), which asserts that decision-making behind plea bargaining are based on the probability of conviction and sentence severity. Using the context of Hong Kong's criminal justice system, this study confirms previous studies that found the shadow-of-trial model overly simplistic. In-depth interviews with Hong Kong criminal defense lawyers revealed that while the probability of conviction and sentence severity are important, other salient factors, namely the costs of being caught up in the criminal justice system and the one-third sentence discount must be taken into account as well. Overall, the shadow-of-trial model is not a good explanatory model for why criminal defendants enter into plea bargaining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a lack of legal safeguards for investors who are involved in purchases of financial investment products, and it mentions the need for legal reform measures in Hong Kong, China. According to the article, the collapse of the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. financial company impacted tens of thousands of retail investors in Hong Kong, China. A legal duty to act in the best interests of a client is mentioned, along with

Background/Purpose: We describe an investigation of an incident of failed sterilization procedure in a dental clinic. We aim to illustrate the principles in performing such investigations and to highlight some of the important checkpoints in sterilization procedures. Methods: In response to this incident, proper sterilization of all equipment was performed immediately. On-site investigation was conducted by the investigation panel to identify the cause and risks, to coordinate post-exposure management in affected patients, and to make recommendations to prevent similar occurrence of such incidents in the future. Results: The incident was due to a rare lapse of monitoring during the autoclaving cycle. A total of 127 sources and 250 exposed patients were identified within 24 hours of the discovery of the incident for risk assessment and testing for blood-borne viruses, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A protocol was devised to manage the exposed patients against HBV, HCV, and HIV. Immunization and hyperimmune globulin for hepatitis B, and tetanus toxoids were given to the exposed patients where indicated. Exposed patients were followed-up for 6 months. We came to the decision that dating of instrument packages and signed documentation of each autoclave printout, color change of chemical indicators of each load and daily autoclave performance should be made mandatory with immediate effect. Conclusion: Rapid response is extremely crucial in minimizing the impact of this incident and relieving the anxiety of the affected patients. Proper recording and documentation of autoclave cycles and regular auditing should be enforced to prevent similar incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased intensity of extreme weather events (e.g., heatwaves) that is predicted to occur due to global climate change could significantly impact human health, biodiversity, and infrastructure integrity in cities. As one of the most densely constructed cities in the world, Hong Kong has been experiencing increasingly intense heatwaves in recent years. However, the city presents a challenging site for studying urban climate due to its complex topography. Using observed weather data for clear summer (June to August) days from 2000 to 2020, we examine the relationship between background wind and daily maximum temperature in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and investigate how this relationship is affected by geographical location, land cover, and topography. We reveal the distribution of near-surface wind fields under calm weather conditions, which provides a basis for the analysis of relationship between background wind and maximum temperature in urban areas under windy conditions. We find that the maximum surface air temperature in coastal regions is significantly influenced by the background wind direction. For weather stations located in the Kowloon Peninsula, a larger background wind speed is associated with a faster increase in daily maximum temperature when the background temperature rises. We find that the mountain warming effect is influential in areas at the foot of a mountain, even though the maximum terrain height is only approximately 500 m a.s.l. These findings on the daily maximum temperature behavior under different background wind conditions provide a possible way to predict extreme high-temperature patterns in different regions of Hong Kong. [Display omitted] • Background wind and daily maximum temperature were examined by a new wind star method. • Both vector-averaged wind and wind-weighted average temperature are found useful. • Background wind predicts the maximum surface air temperature. • Southwesterly or northeasterly background winds led to a warmer city area. • A converging zone formed in Kowloon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, tropical cyclones over the East and South China Seas were found to be the most predominant weather conditions associated with the occurrence of high ozone (O3) episodes in Hong Kong in 2005–2009. A photochemical trajectory model coupled with Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) was adapted to simulate the O3 concentrations during two O3 pollution episodes. The results agreed well with the observed data. A representative backward air mass trajectory was used to determine the contribution of each volatile organic compound (VOC) to the O3 levels. After taking into account both reactivity and mass emission of each VOC, 10 species were found to be the key O3 precursors in Hong Kong. Further analysis identified solvent related products accounting for 70% of the modeled O3 concentration in Hong Kong. The results highlight the importance of considering together reactivity and source sector emissions in developing targeted VOC reduction for O3 abatement strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines the perceived importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) attributes of Hong Kong hotel employees and their hotels’ performance on those attributes, and to determine underlying performance factors that ultimately lead to the perceived overall CSR effectiveness of hotels. The importance–performance analysis results show that Hong Kong hotels generally performed well on 17 out of the indicated 30 CSR attributes. Furthermore, the attribute “promote innovation in products and services” was considered to be overkill, and another attribute, “demonstrates a commitment to the environment,” requires the immediate attention of hotels. Six performance factors were extracted and Hong Kong hotels performed best in the area of finance. The factors “state of affairs” and “novelty” positively and significantly affected employees’ perceived overall CSR effectiveness of their hotels. Almost 70% of the respondents agreed that Hong Kong hotels had been effective in carrying out their CSR. Hotels in Hong Kong should find our study results helpful in pinpointing CSR attributes considered of various importance and performance levels from the perspective of one of their important stakeholders, their employees. In particular, the relatively low awareness toward the environment of both the employees and the hotels should alert the hotel management to invest greater efforts in environmental protection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Doctors frequently encounter patients who fail to follow advice. Living in a knowledge-based society, patients are now more critical about the information they receive from their doctors, because they have more access to resources with health information. Patient compliance is important, however, to guarantee better health outcomes. This study uses clinical examples to describe the many ways in which doctors influence their patients' behaviors or decisions. Simultaneously, this study looks at how patients execute persuasion and how they assert themselves in response to doctors' persuasive strategies. Results showed that doctors often present medical information selectively and use authority to persuade patients. They also employ the marker of inevitability to create an obligation and adopt the marker of conditional inevitability to stress the desirability of their advice. Patients, in contrast, often present information selectively and change topics during the course of persuasion. Given these tendencies, this study argues that no strategy can guarantee the success of a persuasive discourse and that successful persuasion does not always occur with just one effort. This study argues that even if persuasion is unsuccessful initially, it is important for the participants to keep the discussion open and effective, which might enhances future compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original Career Aspiration Scale (CAS; O'Brien, 1996) was translated and modified to form the Chinese 10-item Career Aspiration Scale. The Chinese CAS includes three subscales (Leadership & Achievement, Job Satisfaction, and Continue Education). The Chinese CAS was used in this study with a sample of Hong Kong high school students (N = 677). Reliability analyses showed that the total scale and subscales were internally consistent. The results of the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factory analysis suggested that the Chinese CAS provided adequate indicators of Chinese adolescents' education and career aspirations. The study also provided an opportunity to investigate briefly the relationship between scores on CAS and students' academic achievement levels and socio-economic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case study of creating a Learning Study Community for promoting teacher professional development and student effective learning in a secondary school in Hong Kong. The single case study analyses how a Learning Study Community is created in an aided secondary school. Hall and Hord's (2006) strategies for change, and Kotter's (1996) model of leading change have also been adopted as the analytical framework. Results show that the case school applied Kotter's (1996) model to initial change, and Hall and Hord's (2006) strategies were also identified as supporting factors for creating a Learning Study Community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This research was a joint effort between the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and CLP, the electricity power generation and distribution service provider in Hong Kong. The objective of this research was to identify and verify the potential relationships between performance of the standalone PV power system, such as the state of charge of the battery and power output, and other environmental factors such as solar radiation, wind speed, and ambient temperature. The results could help academia and industry to enhance the knowledge on the performance of such standalone PV supply system under real operating conditions and help to improve similar designs in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Infusing creativity elements into regular classroom was an important movement in recent Asian educational reforms. A large-scale research study was conducted in Hong Kong to explore the possibilities, outcomes and difficulties of this kind of curriculum change from students’ perspectives. Based mainly on Western creativity literature, this study developed a set of methods for infusing creativity learning elements into regular science lessons. After its implementation, students perceived improvements in their attitudes, conceptions, abilities and behaviors in creative science development. Students characterized this creative learning as a kind of active and playful learning which encouraged them to think boarder and wider, to appreciate creative ideas, and to develop their curiosity, confidence and initiation in learning. Though this classroom reform originally aimed at creativity development, students considered better understanding of science knowledge and positive attitudes towards science learning as their major gains. Students’ high-order creative developments, such as novel and innovative thinking, challenging authority and risk-taking attitudes, metacognitive development and transfer of learning, were found to be weak. In further analysis, these outcomes were found to be related to some typical characteristics of Eastern culture and educational system. This study argued that creativity education, which adopted this kind of infusion approach, was likely to be restrained by the subject curriculum, local educational systems and social cultures. It provided additional support to the domain-specific, contextual-based and cultural-embedded characteristic of creative learning. Some suggestions were made for creativity reforms in Asian societies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aimed at revealing the problems experienced by primary teachers of Hong Kong SAR, China, in their initial school-based creativity teaching, through reviewing the teacher reflections in 75 action research reports. A number of teacher tensions and dilemmas emerged. Lack of teaching time and undesirable student performance in creative tasks were the most common problems reported by teachers in Hong Kong. And the most frequently mentioned reasons of teacher tensions were students’ original thinking and learning habits, and the original heavy and tight curriculum. In analysis, the present study discovered three groups of teacher tensions and five types of teacher dilemmas. They included tensions from lack of resources, undesirable student responses, various teaching demands and changes, and dilemmas in pedagogical arrangements, teacher role, educational value, teaching style and ethical choice. As revealed in the teacher reflections, these tensions and dilemmas were originated from problems of several levels, including the individual level, system level and cultural level. From further analysis, these problems together reflect the existence of some fundamental discrepancies, which educators should not neglect, including those discrepancies between creativity and knowledge learning, creativity culture and Chinese culture, and creativity reformers and traditional educators. Furthermore, this study discovered an additional explanation to the hardship of the reform. Evidence indicated that some of these educational factors might have formed causal loops, creating multiplying negative impacts on teachers. In future, apart from coping with individual tensions and dilemmas, educators need to find ways to resolve the problems of various levels, addressing the interconnectedness of various factors and the complexity of the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the findings of a research study concerning the use of e-portfolios to develop independent learning, from the perspectives of teachers and students in a Hong Kong university. While most of the findings confirm the value of e-portfolio practice reported in other contexts, they throw into relief a complicated interplay and conflict of factors that may thwart the good intentions of e-portfolio design and implementation. Insights derived from this research will illuminate the issues about e-portfolio mediated independent learning across a range of settings and learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report examines the characteristics and trends of dialysis and renal transplant patients among the resident population of Hong Kong who were managed by hospitals or dialysis centers of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, and who accounted for approximately 95% of all patients who received renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the territory. Patients who received RRT solely in the private sector were not included in this report. Data trends from 1996 to 2009 are presented. In 2009, 930 new patients were accepted into RRT programs and the incident rate was 132.4 patients per million population (pmp). This is lower than the incident rate in 2008, which was 148.2 pmp. The point prevalence as of December 31, 2009 was 7,580, with a prevalence rate of 1,078.8 pmp. There were 3,401 patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD, 44.9%), 945 patients on hemodialysis (HD, 12.5%), and 3,234 patients living with a functioning renal transplant. The PD to HD ratio was 81.5:18.5 for patients on dialysis treatment at Hospital Authority centers. PD-first policy continued. The overall mortality rate among RRT patients was 10.7 patients per 100 patient-years exposed. There was a decreasing trend in mortality among PD patients. Infection and cardiovascular complications were the most common causes of death. Renal transplant was the modality with the best survival. The 5-year cumulative patient survival rate for patients on transplant treatment was 88%, whereas the corresponding patient survival rates for PD and HD patients were 37% and 34.2%, respectively. More than 80% of RRT patients with reports on rehabilitation were active and had normal activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A retrospective review of the data entries from the Organ Procurement System of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority from January 1996 to December 2009, a 14-year period, was done. The characteristics of donors and organ utilization patterns among deceased donors in Hong Kong were analyzed. Methods: A total of 1,183 organs were recovered during the study period, including 749 kidneys (63.3%), 308 livers (26.0%), 94 hearts (7.9%) and 32 lungs (2.7%) from 438 deceased organ donors; 59.4% of the donors were male. The median age of the donors increased from 38.8 years in 1996 to 50.2 in 2009. The two major causes of death amongst these donors were cerebrovascular accidents (n = 300, 68.5%) and head trauma (n = 93, 21.2%). There was a fourfold increase in expanded-criteria donors from 10% in 1996 to 40.5% of the total donor pool in 2008. Results: Four factors—family decision, donor characteristics, donor medical background and donor management—were identified as contributory factors to the success of organ recovery. Outcome of donation is referred to as organs recovered per donor (ORPD). The yearly trend of ORPD ranged from 2.41 to 3.00, and the mean ORPD was 2.70 over the past 14 years. At least three organs were utilized from 263 (60%) donors. Organ yield was found to depend significantly on cause of death (cerebrovascular accident yield, 2.59 organs/donor; head trauma yield, 3.18 organs/donor) and donor age. The younger donors tended to be multiple organ donors. Donors at the extreme ages of below 5 and above 70 tended to be single-organ donors. Conclusion: We found that 608 (51.4%) organs came from 220 (50.2%) donors cared for in intensive care units, and 309 (26.1%) organs came from 109 (24.9%) donors cared for in neurosurgical units. The work of critical care personnel in caring for potential donors before confirmation of brain death and the subsequent maintenance of the donors is therefore essential. In the majority of donors (n = 281, 64.2%), the time period from intubation to confirmation of brain death was within 48 hours. The number of donors decreased markedly when time between intubation and brain death was longer than 72 hours. Timely and accurate declaration of brain death can promote smoother transition from patient care to donor management and a better outcome. Therefore, collaborative and effective donor management is vital to optimize organ utilization from every consensual donor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To identify the possible predictive factors for positive identification of a foreign body by oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD). Methods: A series of 343 patients who underwent OGD in 2008 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong were studied retrospectively. Results: Foreign bodies were identified and removed by OGD in 80 patients (23.3%). The most common type of ingested foreign body was fishbone (259 patients; 80%). Foreign bodies were mostly found at or above the level of the cricopharyngeus (70.4%). The most common site of foreign body impaction was at the valleculae (30.9%). Neck X-ray showed low sensitivity of 17.1% and high specificity of 91.5% in detecting ingested foreign bodies. Univariate analysis showed that early presentation, emergency admission, male sex, positive X-ray findings, and old age were associated with positive OGD findings. In multivariate analysis, only male sex, old age and early presentation were shown to be independent predictive factors. Conclusion: Patients with predictive factors for positive endoscopic results, including male sex, old age and early presentation, were justified for OGD, during which identification and removal of the foreign bodies were carried out. As for the low risk group, a more conservative approach, for example with the use of computed tomography as a diagnostic tool, could help to reduce the number of negative endoscopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondary schools in Hong Kong are facing the challenge of implementing the 334 New Senior Secondary and curriculum reform, improving the mechanism of school strategic development planning could reduce the impact and influence of these change. Aims: This paper aims to investigate the factors affecting strategic development planning of aided secondary schools in Hong Kong, and to suggest ways to improve the mechanism of school strategic development planning. Survey methods: 100 aided schools in Hong Kong were selected randomly in this survey, 52 principals took part in the questionnaires survey. Results: Results of the multiple regression analysis show that considering the recommendations from school-based evaluation, encouraging teacher participation, and providing teacher training relate to the effectiveness of school strategic development planning. Conclusion: By linking the school-based evaluation mechanism with the strategic development planning, improving teacher professional competency and involving teacher in school planning, schools can effectively tackle the impact and challenge resulted from the education reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the recent school creativity reforms in Asian places, this paper studied three different approaches of integrating creative thinking training into regular science lessons. They include developing creative thinking through science process, science content and science scenario. Three teacher case studies were conducted to examine the potentials and obstacles of implementing these approaches in classroom of Hong Kong. This study found that all the approaches were useful in developing student creative thinking, yet teachers experienced different tensions and dilemmas in different approaches. This paper suggests that the science content approach may be more readily accepted by teachers and students in an educational system which is dominated by knowledge content and examinations. However, with the limited skills and experience in creativity, teachers and students may feel that the science process and science scenario approach are easier to start with, as they are less constrained by the rigid content in the syllabus. Among various hindering factors, the most crucial one was found to be the original heavy knowledge-content, which in fact is a common characteristic of secondary science curriculum in many Asian places. In our future research and educational reforms, the dilemma between creative thinking and content learning needs to be seriously considered and solved at both individual and system levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a retrospective observational study on supportive care services in a local renal center. Seventy-four patients who had opted for supportive management after renal replacement therapy assessments in 2008 were included in the study. They were older with more comorbidities than those who had opted for dialysis. Their reported symptoms on subsequent visits were recorded. Patients and their families had a realistic acceptance of death, as reflected by the high preference for do-not-resuscitate orders on their final admission. This demonstrates the importance of structured multidisciplinary renal replacement therapy assessment with advanced care planning in the management of patients with end-stage renal disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Objectives: To assess whether vancomycin MIC creeps among blood methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates recovered from 5 hospitals in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2008. Methods: Blood cultures MRSA isolates from 1997 to 1999 (period 1), 2004 (period 2) and 2006–2008 (period 3) were retrieved. Etest method was used to determine their vancomycin MIC. The genotypic features were determined by PCR and sequencing. Results: 247 blood MRSA isolates were studied. The vancomycin MIC were 0.375, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mg/L for 15 (6.1%), 68 (27.5%), 89 (36%) and 75 (30.4%) isolates, respectively. There was an increase in the percentage of isolates with an MIC=1mg/L from 10.4% (5/48) during period 1 to 21.6% (8/37) during period 2 and 38.3% (62/162) during period 3 (period 1 vs. period 3, P <0.001). Molecular typing showed that this was due to increased percentages of clonal cluster (CC) 8/SCCmec III/IIIA (agr group I), CC45/SCCmec IV/V (agr group IV) and other minor clones with elevated MIC over time. Conclusion: This study found vancomycin MIC creep among blood MRSA isolates over time. As elevated MIC within the susceptible range may reduce vancomycin efficacy, clinical laboratories should adopt methods with the required precision to accurately determine MICs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]