Worked examples in everyday Mathematics Teaching: how do these ordinary teaching activities serve the higher goals concerning mathematical thinking?

The Conference program's website is located at http://www.hkame.org.hk/hkmec13/Programme%20timetable.pdfConference Theme: Nurturing Mathematical Thinkingno. S1

Music-reading training alleviates crowding with musical notation

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Geoboard activities for the learning and teaching of shape and space: revisiting the theories and reviewing the practical designs

Conference Theme: Nurturing Mathematical Thinkingno. P5The Conference program's website is located at http://www.hkame.org.hk/hkmec13/Programme%20timetable.pd

The biochemical mechanism of hypoxia-induced mobilization of glycogen in cultured cancer cell

Conference Theme: Cancer and metabolismPoster Presentation: P37BACKGROUND: Metabolic reprogramming is one of the strategies adopted by cancer cells to survive hypoxic conditions. Recent findings suggest that hypoxic cancer cells derive the energy that they need through glycolysis using glucose mobilized from intracellular glycogen reserve. Glycogen phosphorylase (GP) is the major rate-determining enzyme for glycogen mobilization in many normal cells under the condition of starvation or physical exercise. The lysosomal alpha-glucosidase (GAA) has also been implicated in glycogen mobilization since deficiency of this enzyme is known to result in Glycogen Storage Disease Type II (Pompe disease). Although a role for GP in the mobilization of glycogen by cancer cells depleted of oxygen had been demonstrated, whether a similar role for GP (and GAA) could be demonstrated under deprivation of both glucose and oxygen is not yet known. This issue is addressed in this study by examining the intracellular level of glycogen in the absence and presence of pharmacological inhibitors of GP and/or …published_or_final_versio

The enzymatic mechanism mediating the breakdown of glycogen in hypoxic tumor cells

Poster presentation - Theme 2: Cancer & other diseasesGlycogen has been recently implicated as a major source of metabolic fuel for hypoxic tumor cells. The biochemical mechanism underlying the breakdown of glycogen to produce the substrate for glycolysis though is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the potential role of glycogen phosphorylase or α-glucosidase in mediating breakdown of intracellular glycogen in hypoxic tumor cells. The deprivation of glucose in normoxic tumor cells over a period of 6 hours resulted in marked reduction of intracellular glycogen level. Imposing hypoxia (1% O2) on these cells during ...postprin

Chronic hepatitis B infection and liver cancer

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most well recognised human carcinogens. Since its discovery about 40 years ago, HBV has been studied extensively. This article summarises the evidence derived from various studies including epidemiological, animal model, histopathology studies and molecular genetics studies leading to the establishment of HBV as the main aetiological agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The reduction in the incidence of childhood HCC due to mass hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan is a dramatic demonstration of the critical aetiological role of hepatitis B in HCC. Thus it is essential for interventionalists to understand the epidemiological and pathogenesis of HCC to ensure optimal patient care

Metastatic carcinoma of breast in the urinary bladder

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Machine requirements planning and workload assignment using genetic algorithms

This paper presents a genetic approach to determining the optimal number of machines required in a manufacturing system for meeting a specified production schedule. This use of genetic algorithms is illustrated by solving a typical machine requirements planning problem. Comparison of the respective results obtained by using the proposed approach and a standard mixed-integer programming package shows that the proposed approach is indeed an effective means for optimal manufacturing systems design.published_or_final_versio

Immunity-based evolutionary algorithm for optimal global container repositioning in liner shipping

Global container repositioning in liner shipping has always been a challenging problem in container transportation as the global market in maritime logistics is complex and competitive. Supply and demand are dynamic under the ever changing trade imbalance. A useful computation optimization tool to assist shipping liners on decision making and planning to reposition large quantities of empty containers from surplus countries to deficit regions in a cost effective manner is crucial. A novel immunity-based evolutionary algorithm known as immunity-based evolutionary algorithm (IMEA) is developed to solve the multi-objective container repositioning problems in this research. The algorithm adopts the clonal selection and immune suppression theories to attain the Pareto optimal front. The proposed algorithm was verified with benchmarking functions and compared with four optimization algorithms to assess its diversity and spread. The developed algorithm provides a useful means to solve the problem and assist shipping liners in the global container transportation operations in an optimized and cost effective manner. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Correlates of Quality of Life in New Migrants to Hong Kong from Mainland China

The concept of Quality of life (QOL) has received considerable attention from different disciplines. The aim of this study was to identify what are the correlates of QOL among Chinese new immigrants in Hong Kong. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among 449 Hong Kong new immigrants from Mainland China. Bivariate and multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the association between immigrants' QOL and their demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors, optimism, sense of control, perceived social support, perceived neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, pre-migration planning, depressive symptoms and acculturation stress. Our findings demonstrated that depressive symptom is the most prominent factor in reducing immigrants' level of QOL, perceived social support and optimism are the two important factors that enhance the QOL of these depressed immigrants. Our results indicate that preventive measures must be developed, and professional counseling and psychological support services must be provided to new immigrants in Hong Kong, especially those who have depressive symptoms. © 2011 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201