Forecasting airport passenger traffic: the case of Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the main gateways to Mainland China and the major aviation hub in Asia. An accurate airport traffic demand forecast allows for short and long-term planning and decision making regarding airport facilities and flight networks. This paper employs the Box-Jenkins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) methodology to build and estimate the univariate seasonal ARIMA model and the ARIMX model with explanatory variables for forecasting airport passenger traffic for Hong Kong, and projecting its future growth trend from 2011to 2015. Both fitted models are found to have the lower Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) figures, and then the models are used to obtain ex-post forecasts with accurate forecasting results. More importantly, both ARIMA models predict a growth in future airport passenger traffic at Hong Kong

Teachers' perception about the use of dictation as formative assessment

published_or_final_versionEducationBachelorBachelor of Education in Language Educatio

Study of Wang Tao’s (1828-1897) Manyou suilu and Fusang youji with reference to Late Qing Chinese foreign travels

Traditionally, Chinese regarded China as the centre of the world, displaying little interest in foreign lands. Before the 1840s, although there were records of a few brave pilgrims traveling to huge distances, Chinese travel literature was dominated by essays and diaries written about the natural scenery of China. In the late Qing, a period of transformation during which Chinese society was challenged by the West and later Japan, Chinese intellectuals, realizing China’s weakness, traveled to these countries in search of remedies for the state. The resulted burgeoning travel literature contains not only firsthand information of the West and Japan at the time, but also details about individual responses to the foreign lands they visited. Despite the relatively small amount of research done on these writings, they are, indeed, the most significant archival materials for the study of the early perceptions of the Chinese of the West in the modern period. Among these travelers, Wang Tao (1828-1897) is certainly worthy of discussion. Apart from being a reform pioneer, Wang Tao was also being pioneering to be the first intellectual to travel to Europe and Japan. His two travelogues, Manyou suilu and Fusang youji, however, have only been used as references in biographical research, neglecting the fact that they consist of not only unprecedented journeys of a Chinese intellectual, but also Wang’s constant evaluations of home politics, of which he carefully laid out in the form of travelogue. This dissertation aims to explore the two travelogues, and is particularly concerned of their relationship with the historic context, the author’s motives of writing and other foreign travel writings of the time. The two travelogues stand out both in subject maters and the subtle ways Wang (re)constructed Europe and Japan. They can be seen as a manifesto of Wang’s views on himself, China and the world. While many travelogues of the same period were written in a data or analysis-based style, Wang Tao embodied his observations abroad, his criticism and vision of the future China, his personalities, assumptions and expectations and the spirit of his time with a highly refined language in the two accounts, and had make them intriguing works of literature

Perceptions of Special School Nurses in Hong Kong During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractIntroduction: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health crisis that started in 2020. Although health authorities believe that reducing social contact between students is necessary to protect students’ health, there is limited research on the lived experiences of school nurses caring for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) in special schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of school nurses caring for children and adolescents with ID in Hong Kong.Methods: This study used a phenomenological research design focused on experiences, events, and occurrences. Nine school nurses working in special schools in Hong Kong shared their lived experiences of caring for students with ID during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transcripts were analyzed according to the steps in Colaizzi’s method to understand and accurately describe the experiences of school nurses.Results: The role of school nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was complex and multi-dimensional. Three themes emerged from the interview data: (1) the unpredictable and uncertain situation of COVID-19, (2) the extreme emotions experienced while caring for students during the outbreak of COVID-19, and (3) the inevitability of committing nursing errors during the outbreak of COVID-19.Conclusions: This study provided first-hand insights into nurses’ experiences in caring for students with special health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicated that continuous support from school organizations is needed to enable school nurses to care for students and their parents during a public health crisis, and to help school nurses to cope with unpredictable situations

Entry patterns of low‐cost carriers in Hong Kong and implications to the regional market

This study aims to provide a better understanding of Asia’s lowcost carriers (LCCs) by empirically analysing their route entry patterns in Hong Kong. Two alternative models have been tested, namely a standard probit model and a generalized least squares estimation. Consistent findings from the two models suggest that LCCs in Asia have a clear preference for high density routes, and the dominance of incumbent full service airlines (FSAs) and the lack of secondary airports are not critical to the growth of LCCs. However, government regulations and airport access are main impediment factors. Despite the adoption of long-distance lowcost models by the region’s airlines, geographic distance still plays an important role in LCCs’ entry decisions. For the growth of low-cost travel and associated benefits in the tourism industry and overall economy, it is important for governments in the region to liberalize aviation markets, provide sufficient airport capacity, and promote efficient allocation of airport slots

Comparative transcriptomics of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in response to antibiotic treatments

Abstract Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a major hospital-acquired pathogen, is a serious health threat and poses a great challenge to healthcare providers. Although there have been many genomic studies on the evolution and antibiotic resistance of this species, there have been very limited transcriptome studies on its responses to antibiotics. We conducted a comparative transcriptomic study on 12 strains with different growth rates and antibiotic resistance profiles, including 3 fast-growing pan-drug-resistant strains, under separate treatment with 3 antibiotics, namely amikacin, imipenem, and meropenem. We performed deep sequencing using a strand-specific RNA-sequencing protocol, and used de novo transcriptome assembly to analyze gene expression in the form of polycistronic transcripts. Our results indicated that genes associated with transposable elements generally showed higher levels of expression under antibiotic-treated conditions, and many of these transposon-associated genes have previously been linked to drug resistance. Using co-expressed transposon genes as markers, we further identified and experimentally validated two novel genes of which overexpression conferred significant increases in amikacin resistance. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first comparative transcriptomic analysis of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii under different antibiotic treatments, and revealed a new relationship between transposons and antibiotic resistance

Palliative Care for Patients with Lung Cancer: A Review of the Current Developments in the Field and Perspectives on the Implementation of Care

This chapter aims to explore the key developments in palliative care for patients with lung cancer. Lung cancer has high morbidity and mortality rates and is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Substantial evidence supports the adoption of a palliative care approach for patients with lung cancer. Palliative care aims at preventing and relieving suffering by identifying and treating debilitating symptoms early, supporting patients and their relatives to optimize coping and active living, and addressing any physical, psychosocial, and spiritual problems. An increasing number of studies show that introducing palliative care at an early stage can be beneficial for patients with advanced malignancies, including advanced lung cancer. Currently, newer palliative care approaches are being adopted, including multidisciplinary clinics and home- or community-based care. Furthermore, alternative care delivery models, such as telephone and telehealth-based approaches and outpatient palliative care, are becoming increasingly popular. However, further research is required to determine the best palliative care approach for patients with lung cancer. This chapter is a valuable contribution for both researchers and clinicians in this field, providing a more profound understanding of the existing findings in many key areas, from the developmental milestones to the adoption of holistic approaches in palliative care services for patients with lung cancer

Breastfeeding during COVID Pandemic

As new mothers are understandably concerned about COVID-19 and its high rate of infection, they are often unsure if they should breastfeed their infants. In general, hospitals do not allow direct breastfeeding by mothers with an active infection of SARS-CoV-2. Some neonatal units in Hong Kong maintain safe practices by isolating infants and mothers for at least 7 to 14 days, even if the infant remains SARS-CoV-2 negative. During isolation, mothers encourage the expression of milk to maintain milk duct patency and to prepare for lactation when they and their infants are discharged. Infants are fed formula milk by cup feeding with added supplements based on the recommended daily feeding volume for neonates and their appetite during hospitalization. At present, data that indicates COVID-19 could be transmitted from mother to infant postnatally through breastfeeding are insufficient. Major organizations recommend that mothers should breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, and thereafter continue to provide their infants with breast milk up until the age of two or beyond. With new findings arising from research, updated information is important to reassure mothers that breastfeeding at home during the COVID-19 pandemic is safe and recommended for both the mother and the infant

Advances in Burn Care in Hong Kong: Reflecting on a Decade of Expert Experiences from Local Practice with an International Perspective

The nursing implications of burn injuries extend beyond the immediate health concerns over the loss of skin integrity, the presence of scarring, and the psychological impacts on patients due to disfigurement. Non-fatal burns may lead to long-term disabilities, hence advanced nursing care may be required to prevent such outcomes. In Hong Kong, advances have been made to ensure that sophisticated nursing services and care are in place for affected patients. This chapter discusses how burn injuries are managed at different levels within a publicly funded acute care framework, explains how professional competencies regarding burn care are developed among burn care nurses, delineates the roles of medical technology in supporting wound assessment, explains the application of novel dressing materials for various burn wound conditions, and outlines how the establishment of nurse-led clinics can promote the continuity of care for patients with burn injuries. Written with an international perspective with the authors’ practice experiences in Hong Kong (China), this chapter provides evidence-based reference for registered nurses in general, specialty nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse consultants worldwide