Parent-teacher conferences in a secondary school

The authors report on the findings of a case study of parent–teacher conferences in a secondary school in Hong Kong. They explored through interviews parents' and teachers' perspectives of parent–teacher conferences. They noted that parent–teacher conferences were sources of stress for teachers and embarrassment for parents. Parent–teacher conferences were useful for problem‐clarification. The building of mutual trust was the most important conferencing skill. They drew out some practical guidelines which were useful to teachers of the case study school but are also valuable to all teachers who wish to work effectively and positively with parents.postprin

The role of phonology in visual word recognition: evidence from Chinese

Posters - Letter/Word Processing V: abstract no. 5024The hypothesis of bidirectional coupling of orthography and phonology predicts that phonology plays a role in visual word recognition, as observed in the effects of feedforward and feedback spelling to sound consistency on lexical decision. However, because orthography and phonology are closely related in alphabetic languages (homophones in alphabetic languages are usually orthographically similar), it is difficult to exclude an influence of orthography on phonological effects in visual word recognition. Chinese languages contain many written homophones that are orthographically dissimilar, allowing a test of the claim that phonological effects can be independent of orthographic similarity. We report a study of visual word recognition in Chinese based on a mega-analysis of lexical decision performance with 500 characters. The results from multiple regression analyses, after controlling for orthographic frequency, stroke number, and radical frequency, showed main effects of feedforward and feedback consistency, as well as interactions between these variables and phonological frequency and number of homophones. Implications of these results for resonance models of visual word recognition are discussed.postprin

Dysmenorrhoea among Hong Kong university students: prevalence, impact, and management

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Differentiation in key learning areas for gifted students in regular classes: A project for primary school teachers in Hong Kong

Gifted students usually require much less time spent in practising and revising basic skills; instead, they benefit greatly from opportunities to work through the curriculum at a faster pace (acceleration). Teachers currently working with mixed-ability classes do not always find it easy to differentiate their teaching approach in this way, so there is a need to facilitate in-service professional development to provide teachers with practical strategies for implementing effective differentiation for gifted learners. In response, a project for primary school teachers was organized by a university in Hong Kong. The purposes of the project were (a) to enhance the confidence of teachers in planning and delivering differentiated lessons in specific key learning areas (KLAs) with particular reference to gifted students; (b) to empower teachers with knowledge and strategies necessary for designing and implementing a differentiated curriculum in KLA domains and (c) to establish a professional development practice that connects local academics with schools and teachers. The project was implemented by inviting curriculum leaders, panel chairpersons and subject teachers from primary schools to attend a 3-hour lecture and a 6-hour workshop in which differentiation practices were explored. The project was later evaluated based on feedback from participants and university consultants. Overall, the feedback was positive, but suggestions are provided here for enhancing future projects of a similar nature.postprin

A woman with persistent vaginal bleeding after suction evacuatin of the uterus

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Prevention of Dabigatran-Related Gastrointestinal Bleeding With Gastroprotective Agents: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Use of dabigatran, an inhibitor of thrombin, increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). However, it is not clear whether gastroprotective agents (GPAs) prevent GIB in dabigatran users. We investigated the risk of GIB and the role of gastroprotective agents (including proton pump inhibitors and histamine type-2-receptor antagonists) in patients using dabigatran. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using a population-wide database managed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Patients newly prescribed dabigatran from 2010 through 2013 were included in the analysis. Poisson regression was used to assess the risk of GIB in dabigatran users by incidence rate ratio (IRR), adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbidities, and concurrent medications. RESULTS: Among the 5041 patients newly prescribed dabigatran, 124 (2.5%) developed GIB during follow-up evaluation (4.2/100 patient-years). The risk of GIB in this population increased among patients 75 years and older (IRR, 2.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66-3.68), patients with a history of peptic ulcers or GIB (IRR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.54-3.46), and patients who used aspirin (IRR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.03-2.24). Concomitant use of gastroprotective agents was associated with a reduced risk of GIB (IRR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.35-0.77). Subcategory analysis showed that use of proton pump inhibitors (IRR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.91) or histamine type-2-receptor antagonists (IRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40-0.94) were associated with a lower risk of GIB. Further analysis showed that the risk reduction by gastroprotective agents was significant for only upper GIB (IRR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.54), and only for patients with a prior history of peptic ulcers or GIB (IRR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.06-0.30). CONCLUSIONS: In the Hong Kong population, use of gastroprotective agents was associated with a reduced risk of GIB in patients taking dabigatran. The association was stronger for upper GIB than lower GIB, and in patients with a prior history of peptic ulcers or GIB

Towards a metagenomic understanding on enhanced biomethane production from waste activated sludge after pH 10 pretreatment

BACKGROUND: Understanding the effects of pretreatment on anaerobic digestion of sludge waste from wastewater treatment plants is becoming increasingly important, as impetus moves towards the utilization of sludge for renewable energy production. Although the field of sludge pretreatment has progressed significantly over the past decade, critical questions concerning the underlying microbial interactions remain unanswered. In this study, a metagenomic approach was adopted to investigate the microbial composition and gene content contributing to enhanced biogas production from sludge subjected to a novel pretreatment method (maintaining pH at 10 for 8 days) compared to other documented methods (ultrasonic, thermal and thermal-alkaline). RESULTS: Our results showed that pretreated sludge attained a maximum methane yield approximately 4-fold higher than that of the blank un-pretreated sludge set-up at day 17. Both the microbial and metabolic consortium shifted extensively towards enhanced biodegradation subsequent to pretreatment, providing insight for the enhanced methane yield. The prevalence of Methanosaeta thermophila and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, together with the functional affiliation of enzymes-encoding genes suggested an acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis pathway. Additionally, an alternative enzymology in Methanosaeta was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to provide a microbiological understanding of improved biogas production subsequent to a novel waste sludge pretreatment method. The knowledge garnered will assist the design of more efficient pretreatment methods for biogas production in the future.published_or_final_versio

Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Extract Inhibits Tumorigenicity and Overcomes Cisplatin-Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Cells Through Targeting AMPK Signaling Cascade

OBJECTIVE: Acquired chemoresistance is a major obstacle in the clinical management of ovarian cancer. Therefore, searching for alternative therapeutic modalities is urgently needed. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a traditional dietary fruit, but its extract also shows potential medicinal values in human diabetes and cancers. Here, we sought to investigate the extract of bitter melon (BME) in antitumorigenic and cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer cells. METHODS: Three varieties of bitter melon were used to prepare the BME. Ovarian cancer cell lines, human immortalized epithelial ovarian cells (HOSEs), and nude mice were used to evaluate the cell cytotoxicity, cisplatin resistance, and tumor inhibitory effect of BME. The molecular mechanism of BME was examined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Cotreatment with BME and cisplatin markedly attenuated tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in a mouse xenograft model, whereas there was no observable toxicity in HOSEs or in nude mice in vivo. Interestingly, the antitumorigenic effects of BME varied with different varieties of bitter melon, suggesting that the amount of antitumorigenic substances may vary. Studies of the molecular mechanism demonstrated that BME activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in an AMP-independent but CaMKK (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase)-dependent manner, exerting anticancer effects through activation of AMPK and suppression of the mTOR/p70S6K and/or the AKT/ERK/FOXM1 (Forkhead Box M1) signaling cascade. CONCLUSION: BME functions as a natural AMPK activator in the inhibition of ovarian cancer cell growth and might be useful as a supplement to improve the efficacy of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.published_or_final_versio