Effects of phonological and orthographic similarities of Chinese characters on Chinese reading

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.Also available in print.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Effective E-Teaching: The Case of Hong Kong

Despite the heavy promotion by the local government, the plentiful provision of IT educational tools, and the sufficient IT skills of prospective users, the adoption of IT in classroom education by primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong is still minor. By focusing on the use of IT educational Websites, which are freely available for teachers, this paper attempts to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of e-teaching in classrooms among primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. With reference to the paradigms of information technology, cognitive thinking and organizational learning, a research model, together with a preliminary outline of the operationalization of the measures and data collection method for model testing, are presented in this paper. It is believed that the findings of the study proposed here could contribute to a more in-depth understanding on the adoption of IT tools by teachers, which is crucial for software developers to excel in this potentially enormous industry

An electropalatographic and perceptual investigation of /s / productions in Cantonese children with cleft palate

"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, December 31, 2004."Also available in print.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

The more the better? Consumer preference on multifunctional cosmetics

Multifunctional cosmetics have become more common in the market. They perform more than their basic features. As more features are added to the products, the question is that: Is the more the better? It does not always be. The purpose of this research is to locate the consumer preference on multifunctional cosmetics. It accesses consumers’ evaluation on cosmetics products in two different perspectives, brand value and confidence level. In terms of brand value, consumers prefer cosmetics with more existing features or those have new feature. In terms of confidence level, consumers prefer cosmetics with fewer existing feature with detailed information on the new feature. The research help marketers better understand the preference of consumers on cosmetics and provide the insights for product management and development. When deciding how many features the product should have, people should understand the trade-off between brand value and confidence level, which is identified in the research. When considering whether to launch new feature to the existing products, people should understand that new feature contributes to the brand value but does not directly lead to purchase intention. If it is decided to promote a new product feature, detailed information of the new feature should be provided to increase the confidence level of the consumers

Transcription Factor Nrf1 Mediates the Proteasome Recovery Pathway after Proteasome Inhibition in Mammalian Cells

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chemical or genetic inhibition of proteasome activity induces new proteasome synthesis promoted by the transcription factor RPN4. This ensures that proteasome activity is matched to demand. This transcriptional feedback loop is conserved in mammals, but its molecular basis is not understood. Here, we report that nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 1 (Nrf1), a transcription factor of the cap “n” collar basic leucine zipper family, but not the related Nrf2, is necessary for induced proteasome gene transcription in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Promoter-reporter assays revealed the importance of antioxidant response elements in Nrf1-mediated upregulation of proteasome subunit genes. Nrf1^(−/−) MEFs were impaired in the recovery of proteasome activity after transient treatment with the covalent proteasome inhibitor YU101, and knockdown of Nrf1 in human cancer cells enhanced cell killing by YU101. Taken together, our results suggest that Nrf1-mediated proteasome homeostasis could be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in cancer

Emotional disclosure in palliative care: A scoping review of intervention characteristics and implementation factors

Background:: Emotional disclosure is the therapeutic expression of emotion. It holds potential as a means of providing psychological support. However, evidence of its efficacy in palliative settings is mixed. This may be due to variation in intervention characteristics. Aim:: To derive a greater understanding of the characteristics of potentially effective emotional disclosure-based interventions in palliative care by: (1) Developing a taxonomy of emotional disclosure-based interventions tested in people with advanced disease and (2) Mapping and linking objectives, outcomes, underlying mechanisms, and implementation factors. Design:: A scoping review drawing on Intervention Component Analysis to combine evidence from studies’ methods, results, and discussion sections. Data sources:: Six databases were searched to May 2020 including CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Studies of emotional disclosure in adults with advanced disease were included. Study quality was appraised using an established tool. Results:: Seven thousand seven hundred ninety-two unique records were screened, of which 25 primary studies were included. Intervention characteristics were grouped into classes within three domains: topic of disclosure, format, and dose. Evidence was not available to determine which, if any, of the characteristics is most effective. Thematic synthesis of evidence from methods and discussion sections identified factors to consider in tailoring an emotional disclosure-based intervention to this setting, including: population characteristics (e.g. time since diagnosis), providing a safe environment, and flexibility in format. Conclusions:: This review approach facilitated a clearer understanding of factors that may be key in developing emotional disclosure-based interventions for palliative populations. Intervention Component Analysis has potential for application elsewhere to help develop evidence-based interventions.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Pulsar magnetic alignment and the pulsewidth-age relation

Using pulsewidth data for 872 isolated radio pulsars we test the hypothesis that pulsars evolve through a progressive narrowing of the emission cone combined with progressive alignment of the spin and magnetic axes. The new data provide strong evidence for the alignment over a time-scale of about 1 Myr with a log standard deviation of around 0.8 across the observed population. This time-scale is shorter than the time-scale of about 10 Myr found by previous authors, but the log standard deviation is larger. The results are inconsistent with models based on magnetic field decay alone or monotonic counter-alignment to orthogonal rotation. The best fits are obtained for a braking index parameter n_gamma approximately equal to 2.3, consistent the mean of the six measured values, but based on a much larger sample of young pulsars. The least-squares fitted models are used to predict the mean inclination angle between the spin and magnetic axes as a function of log characteristic age. Comparing these predictions to existing estimates it is found that the model in which pulsars are born with a random angle of inclination gives the best fit to the data. Plots of the mean beaming fraction as a function of characteristic age are presented using the best-fitting model parameters.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRA

Pre-primary education in Hong Kong : the evolution of governance and policy tools

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Emotional disclosure as a therapeutic intervention in palliative care: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Emotional disclosure (ED) is a term used to describe the therapeutic expression of emotion. ED underlies a variety of therapies aimed at improving well-being for various populations, including people with palliative-stage disease and their family carers. Systematic reviews of ED-based psychotherapy have largely focused on expressive writing as a way of generating ED. However, heterogeneity in intervention format and outcome measures has made it difficult to analyse efficacy. There is also debate about the mechanisms proposed to explain the potential effects of ED. We present a scoping review protocol to develop a taxonomy of ED-based interventions to identify and categorise the spectrum of interventions that could be classified under the umbrella term of ‘emotional disclosure’ in the palliative care setting. By mapping these to associated treatment objectives, outcome measures and explanatory frameworks, the review will inform future efforts to design and evaluate ED-based therapies in this population. Methods and analysis The review will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage scoping review framework and Levac’s extension. The following electronic databases will be searched from database inception: CENTRAL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and MEDLINE. We will include peer-reviewed studies and reviews. We will also check grey literature, including clinical trial registers, conference proceedings and reference lists, as well as contacting researchers. Articles will be screened by at least two independent reviewers and data charted using an extraction form developed for this review. Results will be analysed thematically to create a taxonomy of interventions, outcome measures and theoretical frameworks. Ethics and dissemination This review does not require ethical approval as it is a secondary analysis of preexisting, published data. The results will inform future research in the development of ED-based interventions and evaluation of their efficacy in the palliative care setting. We will disseminate findings through peerreviewed journals