An Exploration of Cross-cultural Adjustment and Job Satisfaction among Primary School Native-speaking English Teachers in Hong Kong

The study aimed to explore Primary School Native-speaking English Teachers’ (NETs’) cross-cultural adjustment and job satisfaction in Hong Kong. The relationship between NETs’ cross-cultural adjustment, stress and job satisfaction was investigated in a sample of 150 NETs by the quantitative analysis of a survey. A self-administered questionnaire comprised a biographical questionnaire and six measuring instruments. The differences in cross-cultural adjustment and job satisfaction between NETs who reported with high job satisfaction and those who reported with low job satisfaction were then examined in a sample of the 10 selected NETs, 5 from the high satisfaction group and 5 from the low satisfaction group, by the qualitative interpretations of the face-to-face semi-structured interviews which were designed on the basis of the survey. A survey of 150 NETs indicated that all factors in the conceptual framework were significantly related to NETs’ cross-cultural adjustment, stress and job satisfaction. Selection mechanism and criteria, neuroticism and role ambiguity were the predictors of work adjustment. Extraversion was positively related to and conscientiousness was negatively related to interaction adjustment. Previous overseas living experience, extraversion and culture novelty were positively related to general adjustment. Neuroticism and culture novelty were the predictors of cultural stress. Previous overseas teaching experience, role ambiguity and role conflict were significantly related to organisational stress. Work adjustment, general adjustment and organisational stress were the key predictors of job satisfaction. The interviews of the NETs confirmed the survey results and revealed that the NETs who were highly satisfied and those who were not satisfied with their jobs experienced considerable difference in terms of job characteristics, job content and work context. This study provided an important reference for all stakeholders to better prepare the NETs and to maximise the effectiveness of the NET Scheme in Hong Kong

清代京劇中之乾旦研究

欣賞好戲對於觀者而言，定必是一件賞心樂事。要稱得上好戲，好的劇本和演員當然少不了。然而演員背後付出的努力，又有幾人會知？俗語有說： 臺上一分鐘，臺下十年功 ，若從演員所擅演的 “行當＂作深入研究，便能發現每一 行當 背後，均有莫大的學問。眾多行當之中， 乾旦 最為特別，它超越性別的藩籬，為往後 旦行 打下紮實的藝術基礎。社會學者對明清時期的 乾旦 ，皆予以色情成分，而忽視 乾旦 的藝術性。故本文將集中研究清代 乾旦 之藝術面。 本論文分作六部分：第一部分為引言，主要闡述 旦 之來由以及寫作論文動機。第二部分為考證 乾旦 的起源。第三部分試從中國戲曲的特性論述 乾旦 的文化生態，此部分用 形 、 神 兩方面作出分析，以釐定 乾旦 的藝術層次。第四及第五部分，分別從 唱 、 做 說明 乾旦 的藝術性。第六部分為總結

Speaker variability in the realization of lexical tones

While previous studies on the speaker-discriminatory power of static f0 parameters abound, few have focused on the dynamic and linguistically-structured aspects of f0. Lexical tone offers a case in point for this endeavour. This paper reports an exploratory study on the speaker-discriminatory power of individual lexical tones and of the height relationship of level tone pairs in Cantonese, and the effects of voice level and linguistic condition on their realization. Twenty native Cantonese speakers produced systematically controlled words either in isolation or in a carrier sentence under two voice levels (normal and loud). Results show that f0 height and f0 dynamics are separate dimensions of a tone and are affected voice level and linguistic condition in different ways. Moreover, discriminant analyses reveal that the contours of individual tones and the height differences of level tone pairs are useful parameters for characterizing speakers

Regional Differences in Preferences for Managerial Leader Behavior in China

This study demonstrates the complexities of analyzing determinants of cultural differences between and within national cultures. Ralston, Yu, Wang, Terpstra, and He (1996) investigated geographic regional differences in values in China, finding significant differences among the regions. This study investigates geographic regional differences in preferred managerial leader behavior in four provinces. In 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire XII (LBDQ XII) was administered to people working in business organization in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province; Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province; Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province; and in the Macau Special Administrative Region, in the Peoples’ Republic of China. Significant differences were found among the samples for each of the twelve factors of the LBDQ XII, with the exception that the nearby regions of Guangzhou and Macau exhibited no differences. The results indicate that “cultural areas” exist in China, distinctly different from one another

Applying Theories of Particle Packing and Rheology to Concrete for Sustainable Development

Concrete is one of the most important construction materials. However, it is not so compatible with the demands of sustainable development because manufacturing of cement generates a large amount of carbon dioxide and therefore cement consumption produces a huge carbon footprint. Currently, the cement consumption is generally lowered by adding supplementary cementitious materials to replace part of the cement. Nonetheless, in order to maintain performance, there is a limit to such cement replacement by supplementary cementitious materials. To further reduce the cement consumption, the total cementitious materials content has to be reduced. This requires the packing density of the aggregate particles to be maximized so that the amount of voids in the bulk volume of aggregate to be filled with cement paste could be minimized and the surface area of the aggregate particles to be minimized so that the amount of cement paste needed to form paste films coating the surfaces of aggregate particle for rheological performance could be minimized. Such optimization is not straightforward and modern concrete science based on particuology is needed. Herein, a number of new theories regarding particle packing and rheology of concrete, which are transforming conventional concrete technology into modern concrete science, are presented. These theories would help to develop a more scientific and systematic concrete mix design method for the production of high-performance concrete with minimum cement consumption

Segmented Linear Regression Modelling of Time-Series of Binary Variables in Healthcare.

Introduction:In healthcare, change is usually detected by statistical techniques comparing outcomes before and after an intervention. A common problem faced by researchers is distinguishing change due to secular trends from change due to an intervention. Interrupted time-series analysis has been shown to be effective in describing trends in retrospective time-series and in detecting change, but methods are often biased towards the point of the intervention. Binary outcomes are typically modelled by logistic regression where the log-odds of the binary event is expressed as a function of covariates such as time, making model parameters difficult to interpret. The aim of this study was to present a technique that directly models the probability of binary events to describe change patterns using linear sections. Methods:We describe a modelling method that fits progressively more complex linear sections to the time-series of binary variables. Model fitting uses maximum likelihood optimisation and models are compared for goodness of fit using Akaike's Information Criterion. The best model describes the most likely change scenario. We applied this modelling technique to evaluate hip fracture patient mortality rate for a total of 2777 patients over a 6-year period, before and after the introduction of a dedicated hip fracture unit (HFU) at a Level 1, Major Trauma Centre. Results:The proposed modelling technique revealed time-dependent trends that explained how the implementation of the HFU influenced mortality rate in patients sustaining proximal femoral fragility fractures. The technique allowed modelling of the entire time-series without bias to the point of intervention. Modelling the binary variable of interest directly, as opposed to a transformed variable, improved the interpretability of the results. Conclusion:The proposed segmented linear regression modelling technique using maximum likelihood estimation can be employed to effectively detect trends in time-series of binary variables in retrospective studies

Patent applications for using DNA technologies to authenticate medicinal herbal material

Herbal medicines are used in many countries for maintaining health and treating diseases. Their efficacy depends on the use of the correct materials, and life-threatening poisoning may occur if toxic adulterants or substitutes are administered instead. Identification of a medicinal material at the DNA level provides an objective and powerful tool for quality control. Extraction of high-quality DNA is the first crucial step in DNA authentication, followed by a battery of DNA techniques including whole genome fingerprinting, DNA sequencing and DNA microarray to establish the identity of the material. New or improved technologies have been developed and valuable data have been collected and compiled for DNA authentication. Some of these technologies and data are patentable. This article provides an overview of some recent patents that cover the extraction of DNA from medicinal materials, the amplification of DNA using improved reaction conditions, the generation of DNA sequences and fingerprints, and the development of high-throughput authentication methods. It also briefly explains why these patents have been granted

The Effect of Social Fathers on the Cognitive Skills of Out-of-Wedlock Children

There are two competing views regarding the presence of social fathers on childrens’ cognitive ability: either the social father provides more financial need to the children or the mother with new partners may shift the focus away from the children. Previous research focused more on such effect on older children or adolescents and ignored the self-selection problem. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), and a sample of younger children. Assuming that self-selection is based on observables and using ordinary least square, propensity score matching method (nonparametric methods), we find that children with social fathers scored around three points less in a cognitive ability test than children living only with biological mothers. The result remains the same when using a control-function analysis (parametric)

A PILOT STUDY OF MASTERY OF FUNDAMENTAL MOTOR SKILLS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HONG KONG

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current proficiency level of fundamental motor skills among primary students in Hong Kong. Three male and three female grade three students participated in this pilot study. The Test of Gross Motor Development Second Edition (TGMD-2) was employed. Four out of six students displayed an average mastery of the overall fundamental motor skills while two were rated as below average in their proficiency. The performance of the Locomotor subtests outweighed the performance of the Object Control subtests. Further studies with larger sample size and with subjects in different age groups will be conducted in order to have a better understanding of the mastery level of the whole school students and to suggest and implement appropriate intervention programs to improve their fundamental motor skills