Gender, Popular Music, and Music Learning in China’s Shanghai

This study focused on the collective music experiences and practices of students’ involvement with Western and non-Western popular music in Shanghai. Data were gathered through a survey questionnaire given to 1,739 Shanghai students (802 females and 937 males attending Grades 7 through 12), supplemented by semi-structured interview data from a subset (50 females and 10 males attending Grades 7 through 12) of these participants. Statistical and qualitative analyses indicated that gender and preferences for popular music can impact some aspects of individual experiences and attitudes toward learning popular music in school. The implicit premise of this study was what classroom pedagogy and cultural change might reveal from the participation of music education in the continued production and reproduction of gendered music practices in the contemporary music classroom. Though further research may be necessary, the immediate implications of the present study are important for understanding the impact of cultural and racial identity formation of gender and music practices in the contemporary world

Musıc educatıon and musıcal experıences ın Hong Kong

 Abstract: In the last two decades, educational and curricular reforms in Hong Kong have been designed to prepare students for the challenges following the return of Hong Kong’s sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the development of national identity and patriotism in school education, and has at the same time introduced Chinese cultural values into the school curriculum. This article explores how the dynamics and complexity of the relationships between the state and cultural identity in Hong Kong are re-shaping music education and music experiences in response to contemporary sociopolitical changes. The first problem for the HKSAR is how to incorporate Chinese music into a Western-orientated music curriculum; and the second is how to cultivate national identity and social harmony through school music education. Questions of how to integrate such musical experiences in school music education will remain a challenge for the future.Keywords: Music education. Musical experiences. National identity. Chinese music. Western music. Hong KongEducação musical e experiências musicais em Hong KongResumo: Nas duas últimas décadas, reformas educacionais e curriculares em Hong Kong tem sido elaboradas para preparar os discentes para os desafios decorrentes da devolução de Hong Kong para a República Popular da China pelo Reino Unido em 1997.  O Governo da Administração Regional de Hong Kong tem repetidamente enfatizado a importância do desenvolvimento da identidade nacional e do patriotismo na educação escolar, e ao mesmo tempo introduzido valores culturais chineses no currículo escolar.  Este artigo explora como a dinâmica e complexidade da relação entre o estado e a identidade cultural estão reformulando a educação musical e experiências musicais em resposta às mudanças sócio-políticas contemporâneas.  O primeiro problema para o governo é como incorporar a música chinesa num currículo de música com orientação ocidental; e o segundo é como cultivar a identidade nacional e a harmonia social através da educação musical.  Questões de como integrar tais experiências musicais na educação musical nas escolas será um desafio para o futuro.Palavras-chave: Educação musical. Experiências musicais. Identidade nacional. Música chinesa. Música ocidental. Hong Kong   Educación musical y experiencias musicales en Hong KongResumen: En las últimas dos décadas, han sido elaboradas en Hong Kong reformas educacionales y curriculares para preparar a los estudiantes ante los retos derivados de la decolución de Hong Kong a China por el Reino Unido en 1997. El Gobierno de la Administración Regional de Hong Kong ha destacado reiteradamente la importancia del desarrollo de la identidad nacional y del patriotismo en la educación escolar, y al mismo tiempo introducido valores culturales chinos en el currículo escolar. Este artículo explora cómo la dinámica y la complejidad de la relación entre el estado y la identidad cultural están transformando la educación musical y las experiencias musicales en respuesta a los cambios socio-políticos contemporáneos. La primera problemática para el gobierno es cómo incorporar la música china en un plan de estudios de música con una tendencia occidental; y la segunda es cómo cultivar la identidad nacional y la armonía social a través de la educación musical. Cuestiones sobre cómo integrar estas experiencias musicales en la educación musical en las escuelas serán un desafío para el futuro.Palabras clave: Educación musical. Experiencias musicales. Identidad nacional. Música china. Música occidental. Hong Kon

Addressing quality, access and equity in the school direct subsidy scheme in Hong Kong : a study of government strategies and tools

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Acupuncture for frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles: A double-blind randomized controlled trial

The role of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate has not been evaluated in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles. This randomized double-blind study aimed to determine whether acupuncture performed on the day of FET improves clinical outcomes. On the day of FET, 226 patients were randomly allocated to either real or placebo acupuncture according to a computergenerated randomization list in sealed opaque envelopes. They received a session of real or placebo acupuncture for 25 min on site immediately after FET. The anxiety level and serum cortisol concentration were evaluated before and after real and placebo acupuncture. There were no significant differences in rates of overall pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, live birth and implantation in the placebo acupuncture group, when compared with the real acupuncture group. The anxiety level and serum cortisol concentration were similar for both groups. Only the placebo acupuncture group had significantly higher ongoing pregnancy (P = 0.022) and implantation rates (P = 0.038) than those who declined to join the study and received no acupuncture. In conclusion, comparable pregnancy and live birth rates of FET treatment were found in patients who had one session of real or placebo acupuncture after FET. © 2010, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin

Validation and application of health utilities index in Chinese subjects with down syndrome

Objectives: The objectives of the study were (1) to validate the Chinese version of Health Utilities Index (HUI-Ch); (2) to examine the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of Chinese subjects with Down syndrome (DS); and (3) to study the impact of chronic health conditions on HRQoL of Chinese with DS. Methods: The multiple choice questionnaire for scoring Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2) and Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) was translated and validated. In addition to the HRQoL scores from HUI2 and HUI3, proxy-data on socio-demographics, and 10 common chronic health conditions for people with DS were collected and analyzed. Data analysis involves multiple imputation and multiple regression analysis to predict variations in HRQoL in relation to different factors. Lastly, a gradient interval was constructed on the number of chronic health conditions in relation to HRQoL. Results: HUI-Ch was validated according to standard guidelines. People with DS were found to have a lower HRQoL as compared to the general population, with the majority categorized as moderate or severe on the scale. Behavioral and hearing problems on HUI2, and hearing problems on HUI3 were found to be statistically significant predictors of a lower HRQoL score. A significant gradient relationship existed showing when the number of health problems increased, the HRQoL scores decreased. Conclusions: HUI-Ch is a valid instrument to assess HRQoL. It can have broad application in Chinese subjects with DS including the study of the impact of different chronic health conditions on their quality of life. The quantifiable nature of HUI-Ch will facilitate longitudinal study on the well-being of subjects with DS and evaluation of effectiveness of intervention programs in the near future

The photometric observation of the quasi-simultaneous mutual eclipse and occultation between Europa and Ganymede on 22 August 2021

Mutual events (MEs) are eclipses and occultations among planetary natural satellites. Most of the time, eclipses and occultations occur separately. However, the same satellite pair will exhibit an eclipse and an occultation quasi-simultaneously under particular orbital configurations. This kind of rare event is termed as a quasi-simultaneous mutual event (QSME). During the 2021 campaign of mutual events of jovian satellites, we observed a QSME between Europa and Ganymede. The present study aims to describe and study the event in detail. We observed the QSME with a CCD camera attached to a 300-mm telescope at the Hong Kong Space Museum Sai Kung iObservatory. We obtained the combined flux of Europa and Ganymede from aperture photometry. A geometric model was developed to explain the light curve observed. Our results are compared with theoretical predictions (O-C). We found that our simple geometric model can explain the QSME fairly accurately, and the QSME light curve is a superposition of the light curves of an eclipse and an occultation. Notably, the observed flux drops are within 2.6% of the theoretical predictions. The size of the event central time O-Cs ranges from -14.4 to 43.2 s. Both O-Cs of flux drop and timing are comparable to other studies adopting more complicated models. Given the event rarity, model simplicity and accuracy, we encourage more observations and analysis on QSMEs to improve Solar System ephemerides.Comment: 23 pages, 5 appendixes, 16 figures, 7 table

Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a growing prevalence of sleep problems associated with significant behavioral problems and more severe autism clinical presentation. Little is known about the relationships between autism traits and sleep problems in Hong Kong. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether children with autism have increased sleep problems than non-autistic children in Hong Kong. The secondary objective was to examine the factors associated with sleep problems in an autism clinical sample.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 135 children with autism and 102 with the same age range of non-autistic children, aged between 6 and 12 years. Both groups were screened and compared on their sleep behaviors using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).ResultsChildren with autism had significantly more sleep problems than non-autistic children [t(226.73) = 6.20, p < 0.001]. Bed -sharing [beta = 0.25, t(165) = 2.75, p = 0.07] and maternal age at birth [beta = 0.15, t(165) = 2.05, p = 0.043] were significant factors associated with CSHQ score on the top of autism traits. Stepwise linear regression modeling identified that only separation anxiety disorder (beta = 4.83, t = 2.40, p = 0.019) best-predicted CSHQ.ConclusionIn summary, autistic children suffered from significantly more sleep problems and co-occurring separation anxiety disorder brings greater sleep problems as compared to non-autistic children. Clinicians should be more aware of sleep problems to provide more effective treatments to children with autism