Intelligent conceptual mould layout design system (ICMLDS) : innovation report

Family Mould Cavity Runner Layout Design (FMCRLD) is the most demanding and critical task in the early Conceptual Mould Layout Design (CMLD) phase. Traditional experience-dependent manual FCMRLD workflow results in long design lead time, non-optimum designs and costs of errors. However, no previous research, existing commercial software packages or patented technologies can support FMCRLD automation and optimisation. The nature of FMCRLD is non-repetitive and generative. The complexity of FMCRLD optimisation involves solving a complex two-level combinatorial layout design optimisation problem. This research first developed the Intelligent Conceptual Mould Layout Design System (ICMLDS) prototype based on the innovative nature-inspired evolutionary FCMRLD approach for FMCRLD automation and optimisation using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Shape Grammar (SG). The ICMLDS prototype has been proven to be a powerful intelligent design tool as well as an interactive design-training tool that can encourage and accelerate mould designers’ design alternative exploration, exploitation and optimisation for better design in less time. This previously unavailable capability enables the supporting company not only to innovate the existing traditional mould making business but also to explore new business opportunities in the high-value low-volume market (such as telecommunication, consumer electronic and medical devices) of high precision injection moulding parts. On the other hand, the innovation of this research also provides a deeper insight into the art of evolutionary design and expands research opportunities in the evolutionary design approach into a wide variety of new application areas including hot runner layout design, ejector layout design, cooling layout design and architectural space layout design

Sexual orientation discrimination in Hongkong: a report

" ... homophobic attitudes can overshadow the lives of lesbian and bisexual people in Hong Kong today ... a questionnaire survey ... sought to conduct initial research into the nature and extent of sexual orientation discrimination in Hongkong. The survey was carried out by the LBT human rights group Women Coalition of HKSAR(WC) and represents the second investigations conducted in HK under the same issue. The central purpose of this report is to call attention to the extent of sexual orientation discrimination in Hongkong, and to increase the awareness of discrimination cases to Hongkong government, in response to the needs of legislation against discrimination as soon as possible."AsiaPacifiQueer Network, Australian National Universit

To live is better than to die = 好死不如賴活著

Film Director: Chen Weijun (陳為軍) Film Release Year: 2003https://commons.ln.edu.hk/ccs_worksheet/1005/thumbnail.jp

COMPARISON OF SPATIAL HEDONIC HOUSE PRICE MODELS: APPLICATION TO REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN VANCOUVER WEST

This study compares hedonic house price models for single family properties in Vancouver West, Canada. The real estate literature has shown that traditional hedonic models based on OLS are unable to handle spatial effects inherent in housing markets, prompting the application of spatial econometric methods. This study compares four hedonic house price models: (i) classical OLS model, (ii) OLS model with neighborhood code dummies, (iii) Spatial Durbin Model, and (iv)Geographically Weighted Regression. The latter two models are common spatial econometric techniques that researchers have used. Models are compared based on model 2 R , out-of-sample prediction error, and ability to remove spatial effects from the data. Results indicate that Geographically Weighted Regression is the best performing model. In addition, classical OLS overestimates effects and is unable to address spatial effects. All four models predict a similarimpact of property attributes on sale price

Mandatory versus voluntary Continuing Professional Education: perspectives from the nursing profession

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is constantly evolving and is now mandatory in some professions in many countries. In Hong Kong, CPE for nursing profession remains voluntary. This research seeks to gather the perceptions, opinions and voices of nurse practitioners, college leaders and academic experts in Hong Kong if CPE is changed from a voluntary basis to a mandatory regime with the focus on analyzing different aspects of CPE. A literature review was carried out in order to distill the views of international scholars and practitioners, together with a review of policies pertaining to continuing professional development (CPD) and CPE. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications were discussed, and suggestions for future researchers were made. In order to answer the research questions, a phenomenological qualitative study was conducted on the subject topic. Regarding the conceptual framework, the adult learning theory supplemented by motivation theories were scrutinized and analyzed while discussing the application of CPE. This study will contribute to the issue of CPE particularly as there were hitherto few qualitative studies on this topic. In connection with data collection, various methods were used, including individual interviews and focus groups, with participants recruited via (1) contact lists searched from the Internet, university directories, publications; (2) participants in relevant CPE courses for nurses. The study focuses on three cohort studies across time with a group of people who shared a similar characteristic and experience, involving 22 participants in total. 18 face-to-face individual interviews and 4 focus groups were organized. To probe the research questions, voices and opinions were collected from individual interviews. The data were transcribed, analyzed and organized by inter alia classifying by keywords and phrases. All the key concepts were coded, a technique helping to search for the relevant data to answer the research questions. Through feedback from participants on the findings, 10 key meaningful themes were successively derived from participants’ voices, opinions and answers. The results show that eleven participants were rather favorable to voluntary CPE at present. They doubted that mandatory CPE to some extent may bring along pressure and problems like labor shortage rather than professional and personal growth. On the other hand, the head of the nursing faculty of one of the universities in Hong Kong had no preference for adopting mandatory or voluntary CPE, while asserting that nurses should be self-disciplined and self-checking was necessary. In contrast, ten participants were slightly favorable to mandatory CPE in the long run for improving professional standards, provided that certain coordination and support would be given by employers

Desire for experiential travel, avoidance of rituality and social esteem: An empirical study of consumer response to tourism innovation

AbstractThis study investigates tourist consumption responses toward tourism innovation. To measure tourist responses, this study posits three key consumption drivers, namely social esteem, desire for experiential travel, and avoidance against rituality of tourism settings (a subscale of need for uniqueness) and models consumers’ affective response within the context of tourism innovation. It involves 295 respondents in an empirical survey. The findings affirm the three drivers toward tourist consumption behavior. Avoidance of rituality reflects tourist preference toward tourism product and service innovation. Desire for experiential travel and the pursuit of social esteem signify tourism management and marketing innovation. Social esteem, need for status and creative choice have significant influence on tourists’ affective responses. Acquiring unique tourist products, desire for experiential travel and seeking social esteem are important motivations for tourist consumption. The implications of the study enrich the existing literature of consumer behavior and tourist consumption in response to tourism innovation

痛恨、調諷、矛盾 : \u3c理水\u3e 的神話改編

〈理水〉是魯迅《故事新編》中8 篇「故事改寫」裏的其中一篇，這篇小說 寫於1935 年11 月，即魯迅死前大概1 年。晚年的魯迅，其實已經很少寫短篇小說，筆者認為這篇小說，反映了魯迅晚年的心態：對現實的痛恨和對未來既希望又懷疑的心態。在這樣心態之下，他對古神話「大禹治水」的故事進行了改篇，以調諷和針砭的筆觸宣泄了他這位敏感的先知晚年孤獨、憤恨、矛盾的心境

EDN1 Lys198Asn is Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that genetic variants in vasoactive and angiogenic factors regulating the retina vasculature contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: A case-control study was performed to study the genetic association between DR and polymorphic variants of EDN1 (Lys198Asn), LTA (IVS1–80C>A, IVS1–206G>C, IVS1–252>G), eNOS (Glu298Asp), and ITGA2 (BgI II) in a Chinese population with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A well defined population with type 2 diabetes, consisting of 127 controls and 216 DR patients, was recruited. Results: A higher frequency of the Asn/Asn genotype of EDN1 was found in individuals with at least 10 years of diabetes and no retinopathy (controls) compared with DR patients with any duration of diabetes (DR: 2.3%; control: 11.0%; p=0.0002). The Asn allele was also more frequent in controls than DR patients (DR: 16.4%; control: 29.5%; p=0.007). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the Asn/Asn genotype was the factor most significantly associated with reduced risk of DR (odds ratio=0.19; 95% CI: 0.07-0.53; p=0.002) and with late onset of diabetes (Asn/Asn: 59 years; Lys/Lys + Lys/Asn: 53 years; p=0.02). Moreover, the Lys/Lys genotype was more common among patients with nonproliferative (75.7%) than proliferative DR (56.9%; p=0.008). The distributions of Lys198Asn alleles in hypertension did not differ from normotensive subjects. No associations between DR and polymorphisms of LTA, eNOS, or ITGA2 were detected, and there were no detectable gene-gene or gene-environmental interactions among the polymorphisms.Conclusions The Asn/Asn genotype of EDN1 was associated with a reduced risk of DR and with delayed onset of type 2 diabetes