Assessment of Dietary Restraint: Psychometric Properties of the Revised Restraint Scale in Hong Kong Adolescents

Background: The psychometric properties of the Revised Restraint Scale (RRS) have been well established in western populations but not in Chinese adolescents. Purpose: This study investigated the psychometric properties of RRS and its validity in different subgroups for Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. Method: In 2007, 909 Hong Kong students aged 12 to 18 years (55.3% boys) completed a questionnaire including demographic items, RRS, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and Motivation for Eating Scale (MFES)-physical. Moreover, subjects' height and weight were measured. To examine the factor structure of RRS, the whole sample was randomly split into two groups (sample 1: N=454 and sample 2: N=455) for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Convergent and discriminant validity of RRS were investigated by correlating the RRS with EAT-26 and MFES-physical. Multigroup CFA was conducted to test the three-factor model of RRS in different sex, age, and weight status subgroups. Results: Results of EFA for sample 1 revealed three strongly correlated factors for the RRS construct, and were supported by the CFA results in sample 2. Multigroup CFA further suggested that the three-factor model of RRS was stable across sex, age, and weight status subgroups. Conclusions: A new three-factor model is proposed for Hong Kong adolescents in this study. In general, RRS is a reliable and valid measure of restrained eating for adolescents, regardless of sex, age, and weight status. © 2011 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Review of analytical methods for in-duct spoiler flow noise

2014-2015 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Rotational perturbations in Neveu-Schwarz–Neveu-Schwarz string cosmology

First order rotational perturbations of the flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric are considered in the framework of four dimensional Neveu-Schwarz–Neveu-Schwarz string cosmological models coupled with dilaton and axion fields. For the H field we use the solitonic ansatz, assuming that it is a function of time only. The decay rate of rotation depends mainly upon the dilaton field potential U. The equation for rotation imposes strong limitations upon the functional form of U, restricting the allowed potentials to two: the trivial case U=0 and a generalized exponential type potential. In these two models the metric rotation function can be obtained in an exact analytic form in both Einstein and string frames. In the potential-free case the decay of rotational perturbations is governed by an arbitrary function of time while in the presence of a potential the rotation tends rapidly to zero in both Einstein and string frames.published_or_final_versio

Numerical study of pollutant dilution in a natural ventilated dental clinic: ventilation path types used for exhausting pollutant

A dental clinic was modelled in this study using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) platform. The objective was to study the effect of natural ventilation on pollutant dispersion in this setting. Three basic ventilation paths were identified, the 'single narrow path', 'narrow path' and 'dispersive path'. The results show that the first of these had the highest efficiency, with an escape time of about 1/30 and 1/100 of the narrow and dispersive paths, respectively. Despite the position of the pollutant source and facilities such as bulkheads, escape time was significantly reduced when the ventilation flow rate was increased under the single narrow and dispersive paths. However, for the narrow path, these factors played a more dominant role in the escape time than the ventilation flow rate. © 2012 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Effect of the sound of dental equipment on dental anxiety and noise control techniques

The dental office environment subjects both patients and dental professionals to the noises associated with dental equipment. The sound of the dental drill, for example, usually causes some discomfort and anxiety. Fear and anxiety due to these noises are among the major reasons why patients avoid dental visits. It is important that these fears are addressed and patients are encouraged to seek the oral healthcare treatment they need. Long-term exposure to these noises also puts dental professionals themselves at high risk of hearing loss. It is unclear about the psychological influence of the sound of dental equipment on dental anxiety. This paper presents a questionnaire survey previously conducted by the authors to study the effects of the sound of dental equipment on people’s perceptions and dental anxiety levels and discusses solutions to the problem by means of passive and active noise control technologies or a combination of both of them.published_or_final_versio

Cost-effectiveness analysis of newborn screening for organic acidemias in Hong Kong

published_or_final_versio

Hereditary spastic paraplegia: Identification of an SPG3A gene mutation in a Chinese family

Hereditary spastic paraplegias are a heterogeneous group of chronic central motor system disorders, characterised by progressive lower limb spasticity. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is clinically classified into pure and complicated forms, by the absence or presence of additional neurological or extra-neurological features. Hereditary spastic paraplegias follow all modes of inheritance and the pure-form autosomal dominant type is the one most commonly reported. Spastic paraplegia 4, autosomal dominant (SPG4, MIM#182601) and spastic paraplegia 3, autosomal dominant (SPG3A, MIM#182600), account for most autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegias. Using DNA mutation analysis, the authors identified an SPG3A missense mutation (p.R239C) in a Chinese family where three members have early-onset pure spastic paraplegia. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a gene mutation in hereditary spastic paraplegias in our locality. DNA-based diagnosis plays a key role in the early diagnosis of familial hereditary spastic paraplegias.published_or_final_versio

Wilson's disease: A patient undiagnosed for 18 years

Wilson's disease, an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism, is the most common inherited hepatic disease in Hong Kong. Diagnosis is based on the presence of Kayser-Fleischer rings, typical neurological symptoms, and/or a low serum ceruloplasmin concentration (<0.20 g/L). Early detection and treatment protect patients and their presymptomatic siblings from devastating organ damage. The diagnosis of Wilson's disease may nonetheless be overlooked if only established clinical and laboratory tests are used as diagnostic criteria. We report diagnosis of the disorder using genetic analysis of ATP7B in a presymptomatic sibling who escaped diagnosis during family screening 18 years previously. The patient was 11 months old when family screening was performed following diagnosis of Wilson's disease in an elder sister. The boy was considered to be unaffected on the basis of laboratory results in the expected range: serum copper level, 4.6 μmol/L; serum ceruloplasmin level, 0.16 g/L; and 24-hour urinary copper excretion, 0.14 μmol/day. Molecular analysis of ATP7B was performed; it revealed that the two siblings shared the same compound heterozygous mutations (G943D and 2299delC). We recommend that molecular diagnosis is the only definitive means of diagnosing Wilson's disease in children younger than 1 year.published_or_final_versio

Estimation of breakout sound power level due to turbulence caused by an in-duct element

2006-2007 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

The effects of elastic supports on the transient vibroacoustic response of a window caused by sonic booms

2011-2012 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe