Large scale psychometric validation of two positive psychology outcome measures for people with dementia in Hong Kong

A systematic review was presented in Part one of this thesis, which aimed to identify measures of social support for caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) and to investigate their psychometric properties. Social support are resources perceived or provided by non-professionals in support groups or informal helping relationships. It was suggested that the availability of resources including social support could protect caregivers against stress and burden, which could be a protective factor for PwD and their carers. Having well-validated and standardised measures for this population is crucial for research and clinical use, especially for making meaningful comparisons between results across studies done across different time and places. Part two of the thesis involved an empirical paper that aimed to complete a large-scale psychometric validation of two positive psychology outcome measures for PwD in Hong Kong. Positive psychology in dementia shifts away from the traditional loss-oriented model to a non-pathologising approach that emphasises the strengths or capabilities used to achieve wellbeing despite difficulties. Due to unforeseeable challenges from COVID-19, it was not possible to recruit the sample size intended to complete in-depth analyses and draw conclusive results. Regardless, the preliminary results have provided valuable insight to the use of positive psychology approach and measures for PwD in Hong Kong. Part three involved a critical reflection and further discussion on findings while elaborating on the difficulties and challenges in the process, particularly in the face of COVID-19, as well as any dilemmas or scope for future research

Different yet similar: a study on Mongindong performed by diris, gustimin, pariama and tulai from Murok Village and Baba Village on the Labuk River, Sabah

The oral traditions of the Dusun Labuk include tangon, runsai, mongindong, mansuak, and kurilang. Mongindong [cradle song] is typologically informal yet functionally important in the traditional daily life of the Dusun Labuk. Seven mongindong were collected from four Dusun Labuk community members in Beluran, located in the east part of Sabah, Malaysia. It is important to note that the informants were reluctant to perform more than one mongindong for documentation purpose because they perceive that each of them owns only one mongindong, and therefore, two mongindong, although different in musical structure, are perceived as “sama” [the same] when they are performed by one informant. Furthermore, under certain circumstances, the informants perceive the mongindong performed by one person is “sama” [the same] as the mongindong which is performed by the other person. However, by viewing the tune and text of each collected mongindong, the researcher perceives each mongindong to be different from one another. Taking this into consideration, this paper describes the mongindong of the Dusun Labuk and suggests a possible way to analyse them. Findings from the analysis lead to an understanding of the similarity between the mongindong held by the informants. Nevertheless, further study on the culture of Dusun Labuk and the community members’ knowledge of oral traditions is necessary for a deeper understanding of mongindong

Strategies for Cancer Vaccine Development

Treating cancer with vaccines has been a challenging field of investigation since the 1950s. Over the years, the lack of effective active immunotherapies has led to the development of numerous novel strategies. However, the use of therapeutic cancer vaccines may be on the verge of becoming an effective modality. Recent phase II/III clinical trials have achieved hopeful results in terms of overall survival. Yet despite these encouraging successes, in general, very little is known about the basic immunological mechanisms involved in vaccine immunotherapy. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms that govern the specific immune responses (i.e., cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CD4 T helper cells, T regulatory cells, cells of innate immunity, tumor escape mechanisms) elicited by each of the various vaccine platforms should be a concern of cancer vaccine clinical trials, along with clinical benefits. This review focuses on current strategies employed by recent clinical trials of therapeutic cancer vaccines and analyzes them both clinically and immunologically

Is mindfulness linked to life satisfaction? Testing savoring positive experiences and gratitude as mediators

Grounded in Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory, this study examined the relation between dispositional mindfulness and life satisfaction through mediating mechanisms including savoring positive experiences and gratitude. A total of 133 Chinese mindfulness practitioners at 20–72 years old were recruited from a 3-day transnational meditation event in Hong Kong. Findings based on structural equation modeling indicated that controlling for sex, age, education, family income, number of hours of mindfulness practice per week, and type of administration, dispositional mindfulness was associated with satisfaction with life through savoring positive experiences and gratitude as mediators. The findings provided initial evidence for these processes between mindfulness and life satisfaction in the Chinese context. To promote life satisfaction, researchers and mental health practitioners should recognize the chain of mechanisms related to mindfulness

Tree management and the greening of the environment in Hong Kong : a study of collaborative governance

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Car hire service in Hong Kong : changing dynamics of governance and policy tools

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Risk of death in patients with post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage—Analysis of 1773 cases

AbstractBackgroundPost-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is one of the most troublesome conditions associated with head trauma. CSF fistulae, meningitis/central nervous infection, or even death may accompany it. Few studies have discussed post-traumatic CSF leakage as a risk factor in mortality following head trauma. We conducted this cohort study to examine the issue.MethodsWe reviewed the records in the Taiwan Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Registry System between 1993 and 2008. The study group included patients with acute TBI and post-traumatic CSF leakage, and the control group included cases with TBI but without CSF leakage, selected randomly at a 5:1 ratio with respect to the study group. The demographic data, Glasgow Coma Scale, brain computerized tomography, association of skull fractures and intracranial lesions, and 1-year mortality rates between these two cohorts were reviewed meticulously and analyzed statistically.ResultsOf 174,236 cases, 1773 with post-traumatic CSF leakage were included in the study group, and 8865 cases in the control group. Of the total 10,638 sampled cases, 406 (3.8%) died during the 1-year follow-up period, 159 (9.0%) cases in the CSF leakages group, and 247 (2.8%) in the control group. The patients with CSF leakage had a significantly higher mortality rate within 1 year (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.44, p < 0.001) than those without. We divided the CSF leakage group into three subgroups: otorrhea (n = 568), rhinorrhea (n = 302), and tension pneumocephalus (n = 903). The mortality rates were 8.5% (48/568) in the otorrhea subgroup, 10.9% (33/302) in the rhinorrhea subgroup, and 8.6% (78/903) in the tension pneumocephalus subgroup. The cases with CSF rhinorrhea had a significantly higher mortality rate than the other two subgroups (p < 0.05). All three subgroups had significantly higher mortality rates than the control group during the 1-year follow-up period (adjusted hazard ratios = 2.29, 1.35, and 1.32 in the rhinorrhea, tension pneumocephalus, and otorrhea subgroups, respectively).ConclusionPost-traumatic CSF leakages had higher mortality rates than those without CSF leakages in TBI cases, and the cases with CSF rhinorrhea had worse outcomes compared with CSF leakages with pneumocephalus or otorrhea

Virtual individual cognitive stimulation therapy in Hong Kong: A mixed methods feasibility study

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to translate and culturally adapt Virtual Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (V-iCST) for the Hong Kong (HK) Chinese population, and to evaluate its feasibility and acceptability. METHODS: A mixed methods case series (N=8) was used to assess the feasibility of V-iCST and changes in cognition, quality of life (QoL), mood, and communication pre and post-test. Data were analyzed with the reliable change index. Thematic analysis of post-therapy interviews and content analysis of session rating forms were used to evaluate the acceptability. RESULTS: V-iCST was feasible with low attrition (0%) and high attendance (100%). Participants had reliable improvements in all outcomes. Six had improved and stable cognition; four had clinically significant changes in depression. There were no reliable changes in QoL. Qualitative analyses indicated V-iCST as acceptable but required assistance. CONCLUSIONS: V-iCST can be adapted for HK Chinese with dementia and potentially improve cognition, QoL, mood, and communication