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Tag: Hong Kong

HKBU scientists develop versatile compound for treating Alzheimer’s disease

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

A study led by researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has demonstrated that a multifunctional organic compound named F-SLOH has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at an early stage. The team found that it can inhibit the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), and reduce the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the brain to improve the pathological features of AD. The findings have been published in the international academic journal Redox Biology.

AD is the most common cause of dementia. It accounts for nearly 65% of dementia cases in elderly Hong Kong Chinese. It is pathologically characterised by the abnormal aggregation of Aβ, the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the nerve cells in the brain, which cause progressive neuronal loss and cognitive impairment. Currently there is no cure for AD, and the available medicines can only relieve its symptoms. Inhibiting the abnormal aggregation of Aβ and the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins is considered the primary and a promising therapeutic approach to treat AD.

F-SLOH as theragnostic agent for AD

In the search for novel therapeutic and diagnostic methods for AD, a research team comprising Professor Li Min, Professor of the Teaching and Research Division and Associate Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine; Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing, Professor of the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science; and Dr Iyaswamy Ashok, Research Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, demonstrated the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of a compound called F-SLOH in reducing the abnormal aggregation of Aβ, the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the nerves cells in the brain, thereby improving the learning and memory functions of mice with AD.

F-SLOH is a multi-functional cyanine probe synthesised by a team led by Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing for the detection of biological materials such as proteins and peptides. Its features include real-time visualisation of Aβ aggregation in brains, excellent permeability across the blood-brain barrier and low bio-toxicity. Previous studies showed that F-SLOH could inhibit the abnormal aggregation of Aβ species and provide neuroprotection against neurotoxicity induced by the abnormal aggregation of Aβ in vitro at the cellular level.

F-SLOH improves pathological features in AD mice

To determine the therapeutic efficacy of F-SLOH for AD, the researchers injected or fed F-SLOH to a group of transgenic AD mice. Histopathology and biochemical analyses showed that in mice treated with F-SLOH, Aβ oligomers (one of the Aβ species) and Aβ plaque deposits (the clumps of Aβ) were dramatically reduced in their hippocampus and their brains when compared with the AD mice in the control group who had not been fed F-SLOH.

The researchers also found that F-SLOH can reduce the levels of an amyloid precursor protein that generates Aβ and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. In an immunoblot analysis of the transgenic AD mice brian, the F-SLOH treatment group showed a significant reduction in the levels of the amyloid precursor protein and its metabolites compared to the control group.

In other experiments on the transgenic AD mice after F-SLOH treatment, the researchers separated the soluble and insoluble tau proteins in their brain tissue samples. The results showed that F-SLOH treatment significantly reduced the levels of insoluble tau protein in the brains of AD mice, which forms neurofibrillary tangles, one of the pathological features of AD.

F-SLOH improves memory and cognitive functions in AD mice

Aggregation of Aβ is closely related to the dysfunction of the links between nerve cells and memory decline. The researchers conducted two experiments to test the memory functions of AD mice. In the first experiment, mice were trained to swim in a water maze, reach a platform and remember its position. After the platform was removed, researchers observed whether the mice were able to recall and approach the original position of the platform. Compared to the control group, transgenic AD mice treated with F-SLOH spent more time swimming around the platform’s original position, showing that they can better memorise the platform’s location.

In the second experiment, mice were placed in a chamber and exposed to an audio tone followed by an instant small electric shock to their feet from the floor of the chamber. On the following day, they were put back in the chamber but without any electric shock. When the mice were exposed to the same audio tone, they “froze” their body movements due to the fear of an electric shock. The transgenic AD mice treated with F-SLOH exhibited a longer freezing time than that of the control group.

The results of the two experiments showed that AD mice treated with F-SLOH have better memories compared to the control group, suggesting that F-SLOH improved AD mice’s memory and cognitive functions.

F-SLOH shows early potential for treating AD

The researchers also revealed that F-SLOH degraded the abnormal aggregation of Aβ and reduced the levels of tau protein hyperphosphorylation, the amyloid precursor protein and its metabolites through the activation of the transcription factor EB. Transcription factor EB is the main regulator of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, a major mechanism for degrading ageing intracellular macromolecular proteins, including the intracellular metabolites such as Aβ aggregates.

Professor Li Min said: “AD patients lose their self-management abilities and require long-term care as the disease progresses. As the population is ageing in Hong Kong, the prevalence of AD is likely to increase. There is an urgent need to develop new drugs that can treat or slow down the progression of AD. The current study suggests that the compound F-SLOH has promising theragnostic potential for treating AD at an early stage.”

Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing said: “The study provides the first in vivo evidence that F-SLOH is an effective agent that can target and treat multiple neurodegenerative changes in an AD mouse model. The research findings can drive advancements in AD diagnosis and treatment in humans.”

HKAPA’s School of Dance proudly launches Dance Well Classes at Artistic Spaces

Posted on by Communications Office

The Jockey Club Dance Well Project is a creative movement programme designed for people with Parkinson’s disease and people of different ages and abilities through regular dance classes and activities in artistic spaces like galleries, museums and performance venues. Organised by our School of Dance and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, this three-year Project will start the Dance Well Classes in September 2022.

Academy Director Professor Gillian Choa says, “One of the Academy’s main focuses has always been serving our community through engagement programmes of various performing art forms. We are delighted to lead this meaningful project, which aims to have a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of those with Parkinson’s disease, their families and close friends, and at the same time generate awareness of the disease in society. We are extremely grateful to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for its kind support of the project.”

The Project is modelled after the Dance Well initiative introduced in Italy by the Municipality of Bassano del Grappa and the Centro per la Scena Contemporanea in 2013. The practice has since been extended to other Italian cities and adopted by Tokyo, Kyoto and Kanazawa in Japan. HKAPA is introducing this approach to Hong Kong and invites local dance artists to collaborate to bring an inclusive dance experience to members of the public. A scientific research will also be led by our School of Dance to assess the practices and impacts of dance on the physical functioning, psychological and social wellbeing of people with Parkinson’s disease in Hong Kong throughout the project period.

Jockey Club Dance Well Project – Dance Well Classes Details (first 2 series):

Venue: JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun (10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong), Ben Brown Fine Arts (201, The Factory, 1 Yip Fat St, Wong Chuk Hang)

Date: Sep 30, 2022 to Nov 25, 2022 (Designated Wednesday & Friday)

Time: 9:45 am – 10:45 am

12 Sessions, Free Admission

Venue: Rehearsal Room, Xiqu Centre (88 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)

Date: Nov 9, 2022 to Dec 30, 2022 (Designated Monday, Wednesday & Friday)

Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am

12 Sessions, Free Admission

For details, please visit: https://jcdancewell.hkapa.edu/

EdUHK research on role of feedback orientation in converting external feedback to learning opportunities

Posted on by eduhk

Dr Yang Lan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, has written a book chapter entitled ‘The Role of Feedback Orientation in Converting External Feedback to Learning Opportunities for Implementing Assessment-as-Learning in the Context of Feedback’.

The chapter, which features in the book Assessment as Learning: Maximising Opportunities for Student Learning and Achievement (Z. Yan & L. Yang [Eds], Routledge, 2021), looks at students’ feedback perceptions conceptualised in a construct called feedback orientation and the links with learning opportunities. The key argument is that not all feedback can be effective.

Students have their individual differences, leading their perceptions and interpretations of feedback differently. Dr Yang’s chapter reports key findings from a systematic review to understand students’ feedback perceptions and the links with learning opportunities. It does this through the lens of Feedback Orientation, which is a construct consisting of multi-dimensions of student feedback perceptions: perceived usefulness of feedback (feedback utility), perceived capability to use feedback (feedback self-efficacy), perceived social value to use feedback to maintain and enhance student-teacher relationship (feedback social awareness), and perceived responsibility for using feedback to improve academic performance/achievement (feedback accountability). These dimensions of feedback orientation collectively determine an individual’s overall receptivity to feedback.

This systematic review expands the current scope of understanding and harnessing the power of feedback from the perspective of students. Despite the powerful influence of feedback on learning, we know little about the complexity of the feedback process in authentic learning and teaching situations from a student’s perspective to make it work more effectively in the classroom. The relationship between external feedback and students’ learning opportunities might not be linear. Evidence through meta-analytical studies indicates that students may not take on the feedback because of their perceptions towards it. If students are not internalising feedback to help them engage in learning, achieve, and create new learning opportunities, Assessment as Learning in the context of feedback does not happen. Students’ feedback orientation, therefore, plays an essential role in converting external feedback to learning opportunities to process feedback mindfully. Only when students use teacher feedback to adjust their learning strategies, learning goals and actively monitor their learning progress and achievement can they authentically practice Assessment as Learning in the context of feedback.

In summary, Dr Yang reviews and provides an evidence-based feedback ecological model showing how students can convert external feedback into learning opportunities, including productive feedback processing and learning engagement.

HKBU at forefront of human-AI symbiotic art creation with innovative performance

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

A pioneering and bold attempt to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the performing arts was carried out by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) in a public concert held on 14 July in Hong Kong.

The innovative performance was the first human-AI collaboration of its kind in the world, and it showcased how AI can be a creative force that can perform music, create cross-media art, and dance.

The performance was powered by the AI technologies developed by HKBU scientists under the “Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong” research project. The concert, dubbed “A Lovers’ Reunion”, was the Annual Gala Concert of the HKBU Symphony Orchestra, and it was conducted by its music director, Professor Johnny M Poon.

The research project is led by Professor Guo Yike, Vice-President (Research and Development) of HKBU, and supported by HK$52.84 million (US$6.77 million) in funding from the Theme-based Research Scheme under the Research Grants Council. Its deputy project coordinator, Professor Johnny M Poon, is the Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) and the Founding Dean of HKBU’s School of Creative Arts.

The project team also comprises computer scientists from HKBU’s Augmented Creativity Lab. The unique mix of scientists and artists in the project team enables them to merge their cross-disciplinary knowledge and come up with sparkling ideas on how to unleash the endless possibilities of art creation with the infusion of cutting-edge technologies.

At the Concert, the project team presented a performance that marked the first time in the world that an AI choir had combined with an AI-generated visual storyteller to perform interactively with a conductor and an orchestra. The HKBU Symphony Orchestra shared the stage with an AI virtual choir to perform a newly arranged version of the song Pearl of the Orient with the voices of 320 virtual performers.

The AI virtual choir was “trained” by HKBU researchers using the generative models of singing that they built by extracting and disentangling key contributing features of vocal singing from a collection of songs recorded by professional singers.

An AI media artist learnt from the lyrics of the Pearl of the Orient, and it created a stunning cross-media visual narrative of the song according to its interpretation of the underlying meaning of the lyrics. Unlike the conventional AI machines that import images as a reference for the algorithms to mimic, it used textual lyrics as the sole input so that it can associate the underlying meaning of the lyrics with an appreciation of the beauty of Hong Kong.

Another highlight of the Concert was a ballet performance featuring AI virtual dancers in Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, accompanied live by the HKBU Symphony Orchestra. With the help of professional dancers from the Hong Kong Dance Company, the AI virtual dancers interpreted the underlying emotional and aesthetic connections between the music and the dance. The dance movements, inspired by a newly discovered species of box jellyfish in Hong Kong, were then choreographed.

Please click here to view highlights of the performance, and click here for more production details of the performance.

The AI-driven performance is one of the many milestone deliverables of the “Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong” research project, and others include an art data repository, a generative AI algorithms system, a research theatre, a digital art and policy network, and some unique and creative application projects, to name but a few.

Another important initiative HKBU is organising is the “Human, Machine, Art, Creativity: International Symposium” in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 9 August.

“AI is revolutionising numerous fields of knowledge, and it is playing a more and more significant role in many creative processes like music, visual arts and architecture. The Symposium will gather world-renowned researchers from academia and industry, crossing different expertise areas, to jointly discuss emerging topics in human-AI symbiotic art creativity,” said Professor Guo.

The Symposium will cover topics including the enabling technologies of symbiotic art creation and manifestation, the aesthetics and cognitive values of symbiotic art creativity, the new trend of the art economy with Web 3.0, new issues raised by the new forms of art in society, and the impact on art community stakeholders, among others.

Interested parties can visit the Symposium’s website for more details.

Research focusing on evolution in the workplace

Posted on by Editorial Team

During the last decade, countries across Asia have experienced fundamental changes caused by a combination of new technologies, shifting economic forces, and the impact of Covid-19.

Understanding what it means for the workforce is not always easy. But scholars at Lingnan University have been tracking trends, analysing key factors, and stating their views on what to expect next.

Some of these research projects can be grouped under the heading of employment, youth transition and well-being in Hong Kong.

However, the work also takes account of international and comparative dimensions and how higher education systems in Asia should evolve to meet new challenges.

For instance, governments encourage greater focus on courses designed to speed up the transition to a knowledge-based economy. They want more entrepreneurial, innovation-driven graduates ready to enter the workplace.

That is great in principle, but amid the Covid-linked slowdown in hiring, these efforts have exacerbated the problems of graduate unemployment or underemployment.

Analysis shows the rapid increase of people qualified in favoured disciplines has outpaced actual market demand. And that realisation has sparked public policy debate and extensive academic research into the social and economic consequences.

To contribute, Lingnan University formed a research team to explore different aspects. These ranged from the “massification” and privatisation of higher education to the changing social production of labour. They also included the transition made by young people entering the workplace and youth well-being in a time of stress and uncertainty.

In line with Lingnan’s “Impact with Care” philosophy, each research project is linked to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These give countries a clear roadmap for the 21st century and promote partnerships that can address regional and global issues more effectively.

In that respect, Lingnan has established strong research links with prestigious partner institutions in Europe and Asia. The list already includes centres at the University of Oxford and the University of Turku in Finland, plus the Graduate School of Education at Peking University.

An immediate benefit of such tie-ups is the platform they provide for professors and postgraduates to test out theories and exchange ideas. But they also create opportunities to co-host international conferences, collaborate on papers, and publish findings in highly respected peer-reviewed journals.

Three recent publications by Professor Ngai Pun, head and chair professor of Cultural Studies in the Department of Cultural Studies, neatly illustrate the scope of the research.

One examined the making of the new Chinese working class, whose efforts and struggles are significantly reshaping the future of class relations in China.

Another involved a critical policy analysis of unemployment insurance in Hong Kong. And a third addressed the question of mobilising truck drivers in China, with its implications for the new migrant struggle and the emergence of “infrastructural capitalism”.

Other scholars have studied the effectiveness of working from home during Covid; the psychological distance among Hong Kong’s working adults with regard to the Greater Bay Area; and personal income and happiness in a rich global city.

All the latest Lingnan University publications related to employment, youth transition and well-being can be found in the webpage.

How Chinese–English bilingual fourth graders draw on syntactic awareness in reading comprehension

Posted on by eduhk

Improved reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of all models of reading development and programmes of reading instruction. Syntax, or sentence structure, plays a key role in reading comprehension. Syntactic complexity has been consistently identified as the most important determinant of text readability.

But how students draw on their awareness of syntax in their reading remains unclear; the mechanism is even more ambiguous in bilingual students. The research by Dr Tong Xiuhong, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology (PS), The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), explored learners’ understanding and awareness of sentence structure – whether and how syntactic awareness supports reading comprehension both within and across first-language (L1) Chinese and second- language (L2) English for Hong Kong bilingual readers.

The study evaluated the direct and indirect contribution of syntactic awareness on L1 and L2 reading comprehension among 227 Hong Kong Chinese–English bilingual fourth graders. The researchers designed language-shared and language-unique tasks of syntactic awareness, assessed reading comprehension in both Chinese and English, and took other reading-related cognitive and metalinguistic measures. The broad goal of the study was to determine how syntactic awareness supports reading comprehension. It addressed this goal with two research questions: (1) whether syntactic awareness is directly and/or indirectly related to reading comprehension in both languages of bilingual students: L1 Chinese and L2 English; and (2) whether and how syntactic awareness contributes to reading comprehension across languages in these bilingual students.

The study measured nonverbal intelligence, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic awareness, word reading and reading comprehension in both Chinese and English.

The researchers found a statistically significant direct effect of syntactic awareness on reading comprehension in both L1 Chinese and L2 English, along with indirect effects via word reading. Moreover, in both their English and Chinese reading comprehension, students drew on awareness of syntactic features that are shared between English and Chinese more than those unique to either language. The students were also generally more accurate with language-shared than language-unique items, further pointing to the possibility of transfer.

The authors concluded that together these findings from analyses of variance and modeling of within- and cross-language effects takes us a few steps closer to identifying a mechanism that might drive the transfer of syntactic awareness, as the experience of bilingualism appears to build up knowledge of language-shared sentence structures.

Turning to theories of reading comprehension, the findings encourage the inclusion of syntactic awareness as a direct supporter of reading comprehension, and an indirect one via word reading. There are also educational implications of the findings. Since learning to read in L2 can be challenging, the findings suggest that instruction helping bilingual students become more aware of sentence structures that occur in both languages could scaffold learning of L2 syntax via L1 syntax. This teaching might benefit reading comprehension in both L1 and L2.

The study was conducted together with Dr Joyce Kwan Lok-yin, Assistant Professor at PS of EdUHK; Dr Shelly Tong xiuli, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences at The University of Hong Kong; Professor Hélène Deacon in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the Dalhousie University.

Studying intergenerational support between mothers, adult children during COVID-19

Posted on by eduhk

Intergenerational support between aging parents and adult children is important for the well-being of both groups, especially during public health emergencies. However, few previous studies have examined the effects of daily support between parents and children on their well-being during public health emergencies. To bridge this gap, a study by Dr Jiang Da, Assistant Professor at the Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, examined the association between daily support and well-being in mothers and their adult children during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Seventy-seven pairs of mothers, aged 44 to 80 and adult children aged 18 to 44 in mainland China participated in a 14-day daily diary study during a stay-at-home period during the COVID-19 outbreak. For 14 consecutive days, participants reported the daily support they had given and received from their mother or child, the intensity of their daily positive and negative affect, and the number of hours of interaction with the other individual, and rated their daily subjective health.

The analysis was carried out in three parts to determine: (1) whether intergenerational support was reciprocal on a daily basis by examining the association between daily received and provided support; (2) whether the level of being under-benefitted on a day was associated with daily positive and negative affect; and (3) whether receiving and offering support were associated with daily positive and negative affect.

Support received from the partner was associated with support offered to the partner on the same day. This effect was significant for both the mothers and children. A greater level of being under-benefitted was associated with a lower level of positive affect in the children, but not the mothers. These findings suggested that children, but not mothers, felt less positive affect when they provided more support than they received. For mothers, offering more support to children but not receiving support from children was positively associated with positive affect. Mothers reported more positive affect on the days they provided more support to children. For children, receiving more support from mothers but not offering support to mothers was positively associated with positive affect. Children reported more positive affect on the days they received more support from their mothers.

The findings have significantly advanced the literature of intergenerational relationships in adulthood by highlighting the role of daily reciprocity and its implications on daily well-being of aging parents and adult children during a public health crisis. In addition, the findings also have some practical implications. Older adults are generally considered more vulnerable during public health events. During the pandemic, researchers and practitioners recommended that older adults should be given more support. However, the findings from the study suggest that to promote better mental health during a crisis, older adults may be given some opportunities to support their family members, especially co-residing children. Policymakers and practitioners might consider older adults themselves a valuable resource in the work of promoting the health and well-being of older adults and of those they support.

The study was conducted together with Professor Helene Fung Hoi-lam at the Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Research co-led by CityU boosts efficiency of perovskite solar cells to record high

Posted on by Editorial Team

An international research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is accelerating the commercialisation of perovskite photovoltaic technology with a new approach that boosts the efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to a record high of 25%.

The team’s innovative approach involves applying a ferrocene-based organometallic compound called ferrocenyl-bis-thiophene-2-carboxylate (FcTc2) as the interfacial material to improve the efficiency and stability of inverted PSCs.

“We are the first team to boost the efficiency of inverted PSCs to 25% and pass the stability test set by the International Electrotechnical Commission,” said Dr Zhu Zonglong, Assistant Professor from the Department of Chemistry (CHEM).

The findings were published in the prestigious journal Science under the title “Organometallic-functionalised interfaces for highly efficient inverted perovskite solar cells”.

PSCs are a promising alternative to traditional silicon solar cells because of their low-cost, low-manufacturing temperature, and lightweight and flexible properties. They can be printed on plastic films as flexible solar cells or coated on window glass to absorb sunlight.

However, the operational lifetime of a device can be hampered by the chemically reactive components in perovskite materials that can become volatile and degrade under high temperatures and humidity.

“The unique properties of ferrocenes help to manage the problems faced by PSCs,” said Professor Nicholas J. Long from Imperial College London, an expert in organometallic compounds whose team developed the compound.

Dr Zhu added: “Ferrocenes can reduce the surface energy of the perovskite surface, enhancing both efficiency and stability.”

PSCs are made of layers of materials and the perovskite layer is for light harvesting. The ferrocene molecules accelerate the electron transfer from the perovskite active layer to the electron transporting layer, which further increases efficiency.

There is another merit to these organic groups, according to Dr Zhu. “The ferrocene-based organometallic compound firmly anchors the ion on the perovskite surface via a chemical bond, reducing the PSCs’ sensitivity to the external environment, and delaying the degradation process of a device,” he explained.

In the experiment, the CityU team showed that these newly invented solar cells could run under continuous light illumination for more than 1,500 hours and still maintain over 98% of their initial efficiency. The devices also met international standards for mature photovoltaics, exhibiting superior stability in a hot and humid environment (85 degrees Celsius and 85% humidity).

“The most challenging part of this work was fabricating highly efficient PSCs along with promising stability. The reliable results mean that the commercialisation of PSCs is on its way,” said Dr Zhu.

The collaboration team has already patented the technology. “We hope to further scale up the production of PSCs with this novel molecule and simple method, contributing to the global ‘zero-carbon’ sustainability goal,” he said.

The study was supported by CityU, the Innovation and Technology Fund, grants from the Early Career Scheme and the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, and the Natural Science Foundation, Guangdong Province.

Role of integrative psycho-biophysiological markers in predicting psychological resilience

Posted on by eduhk

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and parasympathetic nervous systems have been reported to play important roles in regulating emotion and coping with stress. But their direct relationship with psychological resilience remains unclear. These biophysiological features should be considered together with traditional psychometric properties to study resilience more comprehensively.

A Study of Dr Way Lau Kwok-wai, Assistant Professor at the Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, examined the role of biophysiological features such as vagal tone and HPA reactivity in resilience and determine the predictive power of resilience with the combination of psychological and biophysiological measures.

The study involved 55 male and 52 female university students with no psychiatric disorders. To examine the physiological changes in response to stress, the participants undertook a 15-minute Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), consisting of five minutes’ preparation, and delivering a five-minute speech in their second language and performing mental arithmetic in front of a review panel.

Psychometric properties of resilience were measured at rest; and vagal heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels were captured at baseline during and after the TSST. Multivariate linear regression and support vector regression machine-learning analyses were performed to investigate significant predictors and the predictive power of resilience.

The results showed that positive and negative affects, HRV during the anticipatory phase of stress, and the ratio of cortisol/ DHEA at the first recovery time point were significant predictors of resilience. The addition of biophysiological features increased the predictive power of resilience by 1.2 times compared to psychological features alone. The results from machine-learning analysis further demonstrated that the increased predictive power of resilience by adding the ratio of cortisol/ DHEA was significant in ‘cortisol responders’ (those who demonstrated an increase in cortisol during the stress phrase); whereas a trend level was observed in ‘cortisol non-responders’.

In the investigation of the HPA axis, the researchers did not observe any notable changes in cortisol or DHEA, but there was a marginally significant increase in the ratio of cortisol/ DHEA during and after the TSST in the complete samples, suggesting that the ratio of cortisol/ DHEA could plausibly be a more sensitive marker for acute stress.

The findings extend knowledge from the literature that high vagal activity during the anticipating phase of stress and the ability to restore the balance between cortisol and DHEA after a stress event can be an important feature in predicting resilience. The findings enhance our understanding of the role of vagal tone and HPA functioning in resilience, and further support the notion of combining psychological and biophysiological data in measuring and predicting resilience.

HKBU establishes the School of Creative Arts

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

To further augment human creativity in the world of arts, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) will establish the School of Creative Arts with effect from 1 July with a revitalised vision to nurture the next generation of creative talent for Hong Kong, and contribute to the city’s development as a creative arts hub for China and the world.

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said: “Recent advancements in digital technology have opened up new avenues in the world of arts. On top of this, the Government’s Policy Address in 2021 expressed its vision to position Hong Kong as Asia’s city of culture and creativity. The National 14th Five-Year Plan also raised the level of support for Hong Kong to help it develop into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

“By capitalising on the new opportunities and the latest technological advancements, and with the synergies created by the establishment of the School of Creative Arts, the University will take the development of the creative arts to a higher level, and set new standards for future teaching and research.”

The School of Creative Arts will be comprised of three constituent academic units, namely the Academy of Film, Academy of Music and Academy of Visual Arts. By integrating related talent and resources of the University, it will be a place where great minds in the creative arts and technology can meet, and it will provide HKBU with a strong platform to advance the arts and culture, as well as art-tech, in Hong Kong and the region.

Professor Johnny ML Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) and Dr Hung Hin Shiu Endowed Professor in Music at HKBU, has been appointed as the School’s Founding Dean.

“The School of Creative Arts is well poised to disrupt creative practice and art education in film, music and visual arts. Certain aspects of the world of arts – namely, its creative genealogy and methodology – require a radical rethink. A new framework of education and research is needed for artists to ‘think’ about futurity.

“Inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote ‘the best way to predict your future is to create it’, the new school, rooted in HKBU’s liberal arts ethos and transdisciplinary inquiries, aims to interrogate the infinite acts of human creativity, reassess the different roles of the arts in our time, and create new artistic opportunities for the future,” said Professor Poon.

The School of Creative Arts attaches great importance to transdisciplinary teaching and learning to nurture future-ready talent for Hong Kong and the nation who can innovate solutions and tackle the challenges of the times through ideation that transcends the boundaries of disciplines. On top of the existing programmes offered by the University in the disciplines of acting, film, music and visual arts, two new transdisciplinary programmes, namely the Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Arts and Technology and the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration (Global Entertainment), will be launched by the University in the 2022/23 academic year, and they will be housed in the School.

In terms of research and professional development, the integrated talent pool of the School of Creative Arts, which comprises experts from different arts disciplines, can facilitate broader collaboration with local and overseas universities, research institutions, government departments, professional bodies and industries.

Furthermore, the School’s capacity to fuel the development of the creative arts will be substantially strengthened with the expected completion of the Jockey Club Campus of Creativity in 2024, which will feature state-of-the-art facilities for a comprehensive range of creative arts disciplines.

With the School’s strengthened focus on the development of the creative arts for the future and the synergies created by the strategic realignment of its resources, it is expected that the University’s knowledge output in the creative arts and its impact can be maximised, enabling HKBU to become the research and education hub for the creative arts, culture and related industries in Hong Kong for China and the world.