Tag: Hong Kong Baptist University

Biologists from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have discovered in Hong Kong waters a new species of hard coral and two new species of nudibranch, a type of marine mollusc, that have never been identified anywhere else in the world. The discoveries of new species from these commonly seen animal groups are a vivid reflection of Hong Kong’s rich marine biodiversity.

The new marine species were identified by research teams led by Professor Qiu Jianwen, Professor of HKBU’s Department of Biology. The descriptions of the new coral and nudibranch species were published in the academic journals Zootaxa and Zoological Studies, respectively.

The new coral species belongs to the genus Tubastraea, which is commonly known as sun coral due to its bright orange polyps (individuals making up the colony) and the circle of tentacles that surround its mouth. HKBU biologists discovered the new species while conducting underwater surveys at the Breaker Reef in the eastern waters of Hong Kong in the summer of 2020.

The team named the coral Tubastraea megacorallita, with “mega” and “corallite” meaning “big” and “skeletal cup”, respectively. The species name reflects the fact that it has the biggest and most structurally complex corallite among the eight recognised Tubastraea species around the world. This species forms small colonies of between three and 12 polyps, and they share a common calcareous skeleton.

Sun corals are different from most reef-building corals, as they do not host symbiotic algae that produce energy via photosynthesis. Instead, these corals gain energy and nutrients by capturing small animals called zooplankton from seawater using their tentacles. While reef-building corals in Hong Kong typically inhabit shallower waters up to a depth of 10 metres, sun corals live in deeper waters at a depth of between 10 and 30 metres.

“Although 98 species of hard coral have been recorded in Hong Kong, the last time a new coral species was discovered in Hong Kong waters was in 2000. It is in over around 20 years a new hard coral species discovered and named in Hong Kong,” said Professor Qiu.

Nudibranchs, commonly known as sea slugs, are gastropod molluscs that only have a shell during their larval stage. They are eye-catching animals, and they can often be spotted on coral reefs due to their vivid body colour patterns.

The HKBU team also discovered in Hong Kong waters two coral-eating species of nudibranch, both belonging to the genus Phestilla that has only nine recognised species prior to these discoveries. One of them, named Phestilla goniophaga, was collected from Sharp Island and Chek Chau. The word “goniophaga” derives from the name of the host coral, “Goniopora”, which is commonly known as flowerpot coral, and the Latin word “phaga”, which means “eat”.

Phestilla goniophaga is rather big, and its body is around three centimetres long. It can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the large number of long finger-like, brown and white striped projections called cerata, and the white rounded hump on its back. The hump resembles the host coral’s mouth, while the cerata resemble the coral’s tentacles. This mimicry makes it difficult for its potential predators, such as fish, to spot them. Its egg masses, however, are bright orange in colour and they can normally be found glued to the coral skeleton.

The other newly discovered nudibranch species is smaller in size, and its body is less than one centimetre long. It lays eggs and feeds on the tissue of the leaf coral Pavona decussata. It has a white body with brown stripes and exhibits excellent mimicry against the colour pattern of its coral host. It was named Phestilla fuscostriata, with the species epithet adopting the Latin words “fuscus” and “striatus”, which mean “brown” and “streaky”.

This new species was discovered while culturing the leaf coral samples collected from Sharp Island during a study of coral bleaching mechanisms. The HKBU team discovered the new nudibranch species and its crescent-shaped white egg masses after noticing the wounds on the coral surface caused by its feeding.

While the seas around Hong Kong are only 1,651 square kilometres in size, the territory has around six thousand marine species – one-quarter of all the marine species recorded in China.

The work conducted by Professor Qiu’s team highlights the rich biodiversity found in Hong Kong, and reflects the urgent need to train local young talent to implement the Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

A comprehensive, systematic meta-analysis conducted by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) scientists found a significant association between exposure to PM_2.5, i.e., fine particulates with equivalent diameters of less than 2.5 microns suspended in the air, and neurological disorders.

These include stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide, posing serious challenges to global health.

The paper with the study’s finding was published in the academic journal Science of the Total Environment and has become the top 1% highly-cited paper worldwide by citation in the field of Environment and Ecology, according to Essential Science Indicators (ESI).

As systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the association between PM_2.5 exposure and neurological disorders have been limited so far, the HKBU research team, led by Professor Ken Yung Kin-lam, Professor of the Department of Biology of the University, analysed a total of 1,645 articles published by June 2018 and identified 80 eligible studies that covered a population of more than 6.33 million from 26 countries or regions in all continents except Antarctica.

Previous meta-analyses of a similar nature covered at most seven countries, and nearly all of them were lightly polluted. In contrast, HKBU’s study covered countries and regions known to have more serious air pollution problems, such as Chile, China and India.

After a series of statistical analyses of the data published in the selected studies, the research team used odds ratio (OR) to represent the association between PM_2.5 exposure and the risk of different neurological disorders. Odds ratio, commonly used in public health analysis, is a measure of association between an exposure and an outcome. An odds ratio value of 1 indicates that exposure does not affect the odds of an outcome; a value of over 1 means exposure is associated with higher odds of an outcome.

The results revealed that exposure to PM_2.5 in general increases the risks of stroke and stroke mortality, with the risk associated with long-term exposure more significant than with short-term exposure. It also showed that the risk of stroke in heavily polluted areas is higher than that in lightly polluted areas.

Analysis results of the association between PM_2.5 exposure and the risks of developing other neurological disorders were studies. The results revealed that PM_2.5 exposure is strongly associated with increased risks of Alzheimer’s disease, ASD, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

PM_2.5 is typically made up of heavy metals, organic carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons suspended in the air. According to studies, some of the tiny particles and soluble components can enter the bloodstream by many pathways, such as crossing the blood-brain barrier and gaining access to the central nervous system. These particles can induce inflammation, death of cells and DNA damage.

“While various hypotheses were suggested on the underlying mechanisms of how PM_2.5 causes different types of neurological disorders, it remains an area with many unknowns for biomedical scientists to explore. More vigorous research endeavours are required before we can fully understand the mechanisms, based on which we can formulate effective environmental and public health strategies in response,” said Professor Yung.

7 September is the 2nd International Day of Clean Air for blue skies designated by the United Nations General Assembly, with the theme “Healthy Air, Healthy Planet”, which emphasises the health effects of air pollution.

“The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies reminds us of the urgency for national governments and the international community to collaborate and take swift, effective actions to improve air quality, given its extensive health implications. Our study made it clear that PM_2.5 exposure, a typical indicator of air pollution, is closely associated with many neurological disorders, and thus improving air quality will be a direct response to this public health challenge,” said Professor Yung.

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) Welfare Council have received a generous donation from the Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) for the three-year “BOC–HKBU Chinese Medicine Community Stroke Prevention and Rehabilitation Scheme”.

The Scheme provides free Chinese medicine rehabilitation treatments to 500 eligible low-income stroke patients and it also offers free preventive treatments and tracking assessments to 1,200 people who have a medium to high risk of having a stroke.

The launch ceremony for the Scheme was held on 29 July on the HKBU campus. Dr Cheung Wai-lun, Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, the Food and Health Bureau; Mr Jimmy Sun, General Manager of the Institutional Business Department, BOCHK; Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; and Dr Lee Ching-yee, Director of HKSKH Welfare Council Limited, officiated at the ceremony.

In his speech, Professor Alexander Wai said the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) at HKBU launched Hong Kong’s first full-time Chinese medicine undergraduate programme funded by the University Grants Committee in 1988. Since then, SCM has been providing Chinese medicine services to the community and promoting Chinese medicine education, research and healthcare services in Hong Kong.

“Apart from reducing public healthcare expenses, improving the quality of life of stroke patients, and increasing the success rate of rehabilitation initiatives, the BOC-HKBU Chinese Medicine Community Stroke Prevention and Rehabilitation Scheme can also serve as a good example of how we can construct a community medical service management model based on collaboration between the Chinese medicine sector and the community,” he said.

Mr Jimmy Sun said: “BOCHK has all along taken a proactive approach to its social responsibilities, and it has continuously supported primary healthcare and the development of Chinese medicine. We have maintained a long-term partnership with HKBU in the area of Chinese medicine, including a donation to its School of Chinese Medicine to establish the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Chinese Medicines Centre in 2003, and the offering of Chinese medicine supplements for pneumonia prevention to frontline medical staff in collaboration with the University’s Anti-SARS Action Group in the fight against the SARS outbreak. In the future, BOC will continue to support the development of Chinese medicine so that more Hong Kong citizens can benefit.”

Dr Lee Ching-yee said the HKSKH Welfare Council has worked with SCM through a medical-community collaboration to set up community clinics since 2017. In particular, teachers and students from SCM visited elderly people in the Kowloon City district to follow up and deal with their physical pain problems. “The community clinics set up by this Scheme officially opened in January this year. In just half a year, the project team received more than 100 applications. With professional treatments administered by Chinese medicine practitioners and follow-ups organised by social workers, many successful cases have been observed,” she said.

Mr Wong Hon-kwong, a beneficiary of the Scheme who received half a year of free Chinese medicine and acupuncture services, said: “I could not open my left palm before, but I can now. My friends can see my progress.” His wife also said that he has improved his mobility. As a result,  he can now walk more smoothly, and these developments have boosted his self-confidence.

The BOC–HKBU Chinese Medicine Community Stroke Prevention and Rehabilitation Scheme, which started in October 2020 and runs until September 2023, mainly serves people aged 60 or above who are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or Old Age Living Allowance recipients, or stroke patients from low-income families. Stroke patients under the age of 60 who are in need of support can also join the Scheme after an assessment by social workers or a referral from one of the SCM clinics.

Under the Scheme, experts from SCM will form treatment teams and formulate a six-month treatment programme for stroke patients.

Patients will receive free Chinese medicine, acupuncture and massage treatments two to three times a week, up to 72 times in total. SCM will arrange for Chinese medicine practitioners to visit the patients, or alternatively, the practitioners will invite them to receive their treatments at the elderly centres of the HKSKH Welfare Council. It is expected that about 500 people will benefit from the Scheme. Furthermore, the Scheme will provide counselling and support services for older stroke patients and their family members.

In addition, SCM clinics and the HKSKH Welfare Council’s elderly centres will set up health management stations for stroke patients, with SCM offering training to suitable older people who can then go on and serve as Chinese medicine senior ambassadors for stroke prevention. Using a soon-to-be-launched website, the ambassadors will assess the risk of stroke in other older people in the community and promote stroke prevention messages.

Around 1,200 older people with a moderate to high risk of stroke will be referred to the HKSKH Welfare Council’s elderly centres to undergo a one-year preventive treatment programme and follow-up assessments. The website will also provide recommendations on balanced diets and appropriate exercises for people with a low to medium risk of stroke, and alert high-risk individuals to seek medical treatment.

Those who are interested in participating in the Scheme can call 6533 9972 or 2333 1854 for any enquiries, or they can complete the following online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCoJwAYWDzOpxXvzkOYkRx0_7xB8GvZeuscb7B98jtiwItGA/viewform

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives in a multitude of ways, and it has created new, diverse challenges among societies around the world. To help examine the implications of the pandemic, HKBU held an international symposium with the theme “Transnational and Transdisciplinary Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic” on 20 and 21 May. Researchers, academics and participants from Hong Kong and overseas gathered in person or virtually to exchange ideas and discuss the global and local issues related to the pandemic.

Organised by the Department of Government and International Studies, in association with the Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health and the David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, the two-day conference was a key event in the calendar of celebratory activities organised for the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The symposium brought together over 30 speakers from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK, as well as a range of stakeholders from outside of academia. Three discussion panels and four matched parallel sessions were delivered with speakers exchanging ideas on a wide range of topics, from the economic and financial consequences of the pandemic to governance and environmental health issues.

Dr Huw Wiltshire, former National Performance Director of the Welsh and Russian Rugby Unions, gave a keynote speech on the pandemic’s impact on top athletic performance. He not only discussed the importance for elite athletes to maintain specific types of training in the current times, but he also raised questions around the survival of sport in a world where human contact is restricted.

The event closed with a roundtable discussion on the future of the post-pandemic environment. The panellists highlighted that the pandemic has accelerated scientific progress, but they also stressed the need for societies to strike a balance between exercising precaution and facilitating innovation. Recognising that new opportunities can emerge out of crises, the speakers shared insights into potential areas of interdisciplinary research and expressed optimistic perspectives on humans’ capacity for adaptation, innovation and ingenuity.