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Tag: Hong Kong

Learning how to help the elderly stay healthy, productive and happy

Posted on by Editorial Team

Across the globe, populations are ageing. “In Hong Kong around 31 per cent of the population will be aged 65 or above, by 2036,” notes Professor Padmore Amoah, of Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies. “While in Mainland China, it is estimated around 30 per cent of the population will be 60 or above, by 2040.”

Ensuring members of this burgeoning demographic can continue to live healthy, independent, productive and happy lives, for as long as possible, is going to require a greatly expanded body of highly-qualified professionals. It is to this end that Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies and Hong Kong Metropolitan University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies have jointly developed a new Master of Science in Smart Ageing and Gerontology (SAG) programme, that will be launched in September 2022.

Successful completion of the programme will open up a growing number of opportunities in both the public and private sectors, in settings such as hospitals and healthcare centres, public health departments, information and technology firms, NGOs, community-based organisations and businesses providing health-related services.

Among the key differentiators of this programme from others available in Hong Kong is a focus on technology and data analytics. Supporting this emphasis are leading specialist academics and facilities, such as Lingnan’s 2,000 sq ft “LU Jockey Club Gerontech-X Lab”.

“This Lab hosts a variety of practical, every day technologies and equipment that older people can use,” explains Prof Amoah.

A dual degree programme with cutting edge courses

Successful graduates from the SAG programme will be awarded two master’s degree certificates; one from Lingnan University (LU) and one from Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). HKMU is considered the premier nursing education university in Hong Kong, while LU is one of Asia’s leading universities in the fields of social policy, social care and social services research and practice. Together they will offer SAG students nine core courses.

“Lingnan has strong research and teaching expertise in the field of gerontechnology,” points out Dr Daisy Zhu of the university’s School of Graduate Studies. The four courses run by LU’s School of Graduate Studies are: Ageing Policies in Greater China; Research in Health and Social Services, which focuses on qualitative and quantitative approaches to researching health and social care management; Positive Gerontology, which is concerned with the physiological, cognitive, psychological and social changes that come with ageing, and; Data Analytics for Health Management, which introduces the key technologies that support healthcare analytics.

HKMU offers courses in: Smart Ageing, which teaches an understanding of the importance of big data in healthcare; Human Genomics: Implications for Human Health; Building Resilience in the Smart Era, which aims to enhance the capacity of students to survive adversity, and; Frailty Study, which aims to develop students ability to manage the frail.

Finally, a Smart Ageing and Gerontology Capstone Project, run jointly by both universities, will enable students to put theory into practice to solve real-world problems.

HKBU research reveals bisphenol S exposure may increase cancer risk

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

A study led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has revealed that different degrees of exposure to bisphenol S (BPS), an industrial chemical widely used in paper products and plastic containers, are associated with the growth and deterioration of breast tumours in a mouse model. The research results suggest the need for more in-depth and comprehensive research on the potential negative impact of BPS on human health, and the ongoing search for a safer alternative for use in industrial production may be warranted.

Apart from the HKBU scientists, the research team also included researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Xi’an Jiaotong University. The research results have been published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, an international scientific journal.

Association between BPS and breast cancer under-researched
In the past, bisphenol A (BPA) was widely used in the production of a diverse range of products, such as baby bottles, food and beverage containers, and the thermal paper used for printing receipts. As previous research has shown an association between BPA exposure and human endocrine system disruption, metabolic disease and an increased risk of breast cancer in recent years, scientists have looked for alternatives to BPA, and BPS has been used as one of the substitutes. Despite reports on the adverse effects of BPS on human health, its impact on tumour progression and how it disrupts the relevant metabolic processes in breast cancer remain poorly understood.

A research team led by Professor Cai Zongwei, Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis at HKBU, carried out several experiments to explore how BPS exposure at environmentally relevant levels affects the development of breast tumours, including the tumour’s morphological characteristics as well as lipid and protein distribution, with the aid of mass spectrometry imaging technology.

BPS exposure increases tumour volume and weight

The research team conducted experiments on three groups of mice model that had been transplanted with human breast cancer cells. In the first dosing group (BPS-10 group), the mice were fed daily with a lower dosage of 10 micrograms of BPS per kilogram of body weight for eight weeks. In the second group (BPS-100 group), the mice were fed with a higher dosage of 100 micrograms of BPS per kilogram of body weight. The mice in the control group were fed olive oil.

Tumour proliferation in the mice was then investigated, and the team used morphological analysis to study the breast tumour tissue. In general, increases in tumour volume and weight represent proliferation of tumour tissues. When a tumour further develops, the condition of its necrotic region and its peripheral tissues will change. However, the volume and weight of the tumour may reduce as a result of changes in the conditions of the tissues.

After the eight-week experiment, the average volume and weight of the tumours in the BPS-10 group were 13 times and 11 times higher than that of the control group respectively, and the average volume and weight of the tumours in the BPS-100 group were 4 times and 4.5 times higher than that of the control group respectively. Therefore, the results show that exposure to BPS was closely related to the proliferation and deterioration of breast tumours.

Different dosages associated with tumour proliferation and deterioration

The research team analysed the necrotic region and neoplastic region of the breast tumours in the three groups of mice. The two regions are common pathological features of solid tumours. An increase in the relative proportion of the necrotic region reflects the proliferation of the tumour, while an extended neoplastic region indicates the deterioration of the tumour.

 

In the control group, the status of tumour cells in the necrotic region and the neoplastic region was stable, and the mice from the group showed no significant tumour proliferation and deterioration after the experimental period. However, in the two BPS treated groups, an increase in tumour size was observed along with changes in the arrangement and distribution of tumour cells conducive to tumour proliferation and deterioration.

 

After the experiment, the necrotic regions in the BPS-10 and the BPS-100 groups accounted for 54.7% and 11.5% of the average section area of the tumours respectively. The results indicate that a low dosage of BPS induces faster tumour growth, and a high dosage of BPS may ultimately lead to deterioration of the tumour, as shown by the relatively small average size of the necrotic region and the extended neoplastic tissue in the BPS-100 group.

BPS affects the distribution of tumour-related lipids and proteins

The research team identified six lipid biomarkers that regulate tumour growth. With the analysis of tumour tissues’ morphological characteristics and the use of mass spectrometry imaging, it was found that in the two BPS-exposed groups, these lipids were highly abundant in the necrotic regions of breast tumours when compared with the control group. The team inferred that the metabolism of these tumour-regulating lipids was interrupted in the breast tumours following exposure to BPS.

The team also discovered the distribution of twelve protein biomarkers, including the proteins associated with breast tumour proliferation and deterioration. The results demonstrate the important function of BPS exposure-related lipids and proteins, and future research will further explore their role in breast cancer.

BPS may increase human breast cancer risk

The research team then compared the distribution of lipids and proteins in the BPS-exposed mice groups with those observed in human breast cancer tissue samples, and similar patterns were identified. While not all tumours will become cancerous, based on the benchmark results, the team deduced that exposure to BPS will increase the risk of breast cancer in humans.

“BPA was replaced by the less studied chemical BPS in industrial production. Our research findings show that BPS may potentially be associated with breast tumour proliferation, and further study is deemed necessary to unveil more about the chemical’s possible negative impact on human health. In the long run, industry may need to identify safer substitutes for both BPA and BPS. Policymakers should also establish relevant safety standards and regulations for the use of BPS,” said Professor Cai.

Spreading the word: new podcast series brings the joys of classical Chinese poetry to the English-speaking world

Posted on by Editorial Team

Digital technology not only opens up exciting possibilities for the future but also allows us to better understand, and enjoy, cultural treasures from the past. In a podcast series launched this month (February 2022), Professor Cai Zong Qi, Lingnan University’s Lee Wing Tat Chair Professor of Chinese Literature and Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies, aims to give a wide listenership the chance to appreciate classical Chinese poetry.

Since his student days, Prof Cai has harboured the desire to share the profound beauty of this art form with Western readers. Having already seen Columbia University Press publish the first six books in his ten-volume series How To Read Chinese Literature, he is now reaching out, via the podcast series, to engage an educated, English-speaking audience, that has little prior knowledge of these works.

An audio journey through genres and dynasties

In each episode, outstanding poems will be read and discussed, and their cultural milieu explored, in English. Each of the poems will also be recited, by professional readers, in Mandarin, and for Tang and Song poetry in Cantonese as well, over a background of classical Chinese qin music.

“We want to help the listener go beyond pure translation,” Prof Cai explains. “You do not really get the same aesthetic pleasure [from a translated text,] as you would get from the original, particularly for some hyper-condensed type of poetry.”

From February 1st, a new 15-minute podcast will be available each week on popular platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Ximalaya (in Mainland China). The full 52-episode series will cover the major poetic genres that have emerged and evolved over a period of almost three millennia, stretching from the early Zhou all the way to the Qing, the last of China’s dynasties, which ended in 1911. A team of experts will guide listeners through the rich heritage of Chinese poetry, poem by poem, genre by genre, and dynasty by dynasty.

Many classical Chinese poems originated as folk songs or tales about the founding father of the Zhou dynasty, Prof Cai points out. Later they came to be used by diplomats and courtiers to convey messages in the form of an indirect expression of the state’s intent. “Poetic talent became a key criterium for selection for promotion to high government office during the Tang dynasty, from around 600 to 900 AD.”

Reaching out to a global audience

Prof Cai’s bi-cultural outlook has been shaped by his experiences in his native China and while studying and teaching in the United States. In his writing, he has used Western theoretical approaches to examine the nation’s classical literature in fresh and original ways. He believes that knowledge of the Chinese literary tradition can also help people in other countries understand the cultural values that shape thinking within China. And interest in this field does seem to be growing, with sales of the published books in his How To Read Chinese Literature series far exceeding initial expectations.

How to Read Chinese Poetry Podcast website

EdUHK’s 3Es helps children’s emotional growth

Posted on by eduhk

A vital part of a child’s development is learning to regulate emotions and build relationships: often called ‘socioemotional competence’. To encourage this life-long learning, The Education University of Hong Kong, with the support of the Simon K. Y. Lee Foundation, has created the 3Es project. The project is in its sixth year and its name represents the goals of early prevention, early identification and early intervention, where local children encounter difficulties in reading and arithmetic (hard skills), and in managing emotions and behaviour (soft skills).

The University launched this evidence-based intervention programme in 2015 and it was initially operated in 24 kindergartens, benefiting some 1,400 children and their parents and teachers. Professor Kevin Chung Kien-hoa, Dr Ian Lam Chun-bun at the Department of Early Childhood Education and the 3Es team conducted a study during the programme’s four-year term to measure its effectiveness.

Based on both qualitative and quantitative data collected from the children, results showed that 3Es helped the children’s cognitive control, emotional understanding, emotional expressiveness, empathy and other behaviours intended to help others. These are skills which experts consider crucial for subsistence and success in the 21st century.

The study was published in one top-five% and six top-10-15% ranked academic journals, and the team further expanded the reach of its outcomes by developing several in-service teacher-training programmes. The scholars also shared their work in the form of newsletters, teaching aids and learning activities for parents and children. The learning materials can be downloaded through the 3Es website and social media platforms.

Following on from this success, the 3Es programme was extended in 2019 to reach kindergartens located in economically disadvantaged areas. The Education Bureau has since invited all kindergartens in Hong Kong to participate, using two formats. The first is school-based teacher training, provided by educational psychologists and school development officers. The second format comprises joint school workshops and sharing sessions, enabling kindergartens to learn from each other’s experiences. Both will begin in September 2021 and will run for two years.

“With the right support, children from any background can have a better future,” said project leader, Professor Chung. “We want to provide such support in the early years, together with parents and teachers,” he added.

HKAPA School of Dance Dean’s Special Artist Series

Posted on by Communications Office
How could technology play a role in dance creation? With the theme “The Future of the Dancing Body in Virtual Space”, the School of Dance Dean’s Special Artist Series will present its first programme this semester via Zoom on Jan 12, 2022 (Wednesday). Dean of Dance Professor Anna CY Chan, along with choreographer Alexander Whitley and Digital Artist Neal Coghlan, will discuss their work with motion capture and 3D animation software in the creation of digital dance productions. They will also share more on their experiments connecting dancers from remote locations in a shared virtual space using motion capture streaming technology.
Join them & explore the possibilities these technologies present for the future of dance performance: https://bit.ly/3HqHv0G　

HKAPA part of “Sir Elton John Global Exchange Programme”

Posted on by Communications Office

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is pleased to be one of the exchange institutions of the new “Sir Elton John Global Exchange Programme” developed by Royal Academy of Music. Beginning in Sep 2022, students from twelve of the top conservatoires in the world can take part in educational exchanges with Royal Academy of Music.

The twelve participating conservatoires include The Juilliard School (New York), Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Hanns Eisler Academy (Berlin), The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Music and Performing Arts (Munich), Reina Sofía School of Music (Madrid), The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Music and Graduate School of Music.

Talented students of the Academy’s School of Music will be able to benefit from these collaboration projects which vary in length from a short, single-term of intensive project-based work to a full year of tuition.

EdUHK scholars among world’s top 2% most-cited

Posted on by eduhk

Twenty-nine scholars of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) were among the top 2% in the Stanford list of the world’s most-cited scientists in 2020*.

This year, 18 have once again found a place on the prestigious list, while 11 scientists from the University have been included for the first time.

Their publications cover 12 different disciplines, including education, social psychology, environmental sciences, general mathematics, geriatrics, energy, general chemistry, marine biology and hydrobiology, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, urban and regional planning, and building and construction.

Prepared by a team of experts at Stanford University, the list ranks academics by the number of times their research has been cited against other authors in the subfield in which they work. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by C-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or better.

Along with the results of the 2020 Research Assessment Exercise, this list reflects the significant advances the University and its scholars are making. Apart from education, the broadening range of research areas cover the core field of education, as well as other related disciplines, through EdUHK’s Education-plus approach.

SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Workshop Festival

Posted on by Communications Office

Presented by the School of Dance of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the 1st edition of SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Workshop Festival (SWEAT) will be launched from June 13 – 25, 2022 at the Academy. Over a two-week period, SWEAT serves as a platform for meeting, sharing, and dancing through research lab, workshops, masterclasses, dansathon, dance film screenings, open discussion, and performance projects. Participants can mix and match programmes of their choice to fit their practices and research ideas.

In collaboration with Hong Kong Dance Alliance, the World Dance Alliance Global (WDA) Summit, as part of SWEAT’s umbrella events, is now inviting proposals for presentations of various formats related to the theme Dance Offer/On New Energy, with sub-themes covering the following:

Sustaining wellness and creativity under the “new normal”
Empowering dance artists of tomorrow amid the pandemic
Reimagining the future of Dance – light after lockdown
Leading the arts through a pandemic

If you are interested, please submit your proposals on or before December 24, 2021.

HKAPA X RTHK: “Beethoven 32” opening the new testament of piano literature

Posted on by Communications Office

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) School of Music and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) proudly present “Beethoven 32” (B32). This unique venture sets out to present the 32 piano sonatas written by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 –1827), one of the most venerated composers in the history of Western music. The creation of this anthology covered the composer’s three distinctive periods over a span of almost 30 years from 1795 to 1822.

“Beethoven 32” features 32 pianists associated with the School of Music of HKAPA. It is a radio, TV, and online production. Radio 4 (FM 97.6 – 98.9) will broadcast the programme at 1:15pm from 1 December 2021, a sonata a day, concluding on New Year’s Day. TV programmes will be broadcast on RTHK TV31 at 1pm on Saturdays from 1 January 2022 to 26 March 2022. All programmes will be available on RTHK’s website (rthk.hk) for 12 months after broadcast.

Jimmy Shiu, Head of Radio 4, RTHK, said, “The extraordinary range of expression, variety in styles, exploration of the possibility of the keyboard, and display of creativity have made Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas an integral part of the piano repertoire. Radio 4 is Hong Kong’s only fine music channel. We are proud to take part in the making of this anthology. B32 is particularly valuable as being a unique multi-platform production which showcases Hong Kong’s rich musical talent.”

Canace Lam, Head of Infotainment & Variety, Television Division, RTHK, said, “This series, which gathers 32 local piano talents and presents 32 Beethoven piano sonatas, is an important video record of Hong Kong’s classical music scene. RTHK will produce more programmes in this direction to promote classical music.”

Professor Sharon Choa, Dean of Music of HKAPA, said, “The fact that we are able to record the complete piano-sonata cycle of Beethoven is a testament to the great achievements of the Keyboard Department of the School of Music at HKAPA in the past three decades. Beethoven overcame many challenges in his lifetime to achieve the position he holds in the history of music. We hope that by listening to a complete genre of his compositions, audiences will be inspired not only by his great musical talent but also his tremendous willpower to triumph over adversities. May this be an encouragement to us all in combating our current challenging situation of the pandemic.’’

Professor Gabriel Kwok, Head of Keyboard Studies of HKAPA, added, “I am particularly proud to present 32 pianists from the Academy, from our Junior Music students to our distinguished alumni and Academy piano faculty members. Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas was considered by Hans von Bülow, German conductor, virtuoso pianist and composer, as ‘The New Testament’ of the piano literature. We are delighted to be able to participate in this meaningful project.”

EdUHK clinical research unveils the power of sleep

Posted on by eduhk

Poor sleep kills people through medical illnesses, traffic accidents (impaired concentration and decision making), and suicides (relating to mood disorders). Since joining The Education University of Hong Kong in 2015, Dr Esther Lau Yuet-ying, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, has been conducting a long-term research programme that sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of sleep deprivation and its negative effect on emotions, cognition and daily functioning. The findings have been disseminated via public media and workshops to education and government bodies and have led to changes in community attitudes and school policy. They have also resulted in the establishment and strengthening of clinical and consultation support for sleep health in universities and government departments.

Building on her research and clinical experience, Dr Lau has shown how an understanding of the cognitive and emotional consequences of sleep loss or gain inform clinical understanding of sleep disturbances and related psychopathologies, and can influence public health policies and organisational practices. Using online panel studies, laboratory experiments, physiological measures, clinical assessments and subjective reports, Dr Lau’s team investigated the predictors, mediators and consequences of poor sleep.

Dr Lau’s research demonstrates that the quantity and quality of sleep directly affect our outlook on life and the decisions we make. She has built a unique, 10-year longitudinal dataset of over 8,000 students and community adults with over 100 psychosocial-spiritual variables per person to generate the first empirical evidence in the world that sleep quality predicts optimistic or pessimistic attitudes to life, directly and indirectly, through its effect on mood. She also identified a long-term increase in risk taking among young adults who habitually sleep less or irregularly.

Collaborating with local and overseas institutions, Dr Lau and her team uncovered links between sleep, clinical depression and emotional processing biases. They collaborated with the University of Oxford to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI) for clinical and research use.

Through extensive media coverage, sleep education, community engagements and professional training, Dr Lau’s research-based advocacy for healthy sleep practices for well-being has resulted in (1) shifts in attitudes and knowledge among both the general public and professionals; (2) a new school policy for a later start time; (3) the creation of a new sleep health initiative in the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF); and (4) early identification of mental health issues by screening college students for sleep-related problems.

Dr Lau also provided both local and global community sleep education through 17 interviews on popular public television programmes, radio broadcasts and newspapers. Her longitudinal research in a boarding school showed that a delayed school start time helps student well-being by increasing the length and quality of their sleep, resulted in a successful policy change at the school.

In collaboration with police psychologists, Dr Lau enhanced the sleep health of police officers through a strategic, multifaceted programme, including seminars for 300 officers and family members, and training on sleep assessment and interventions for all police clinical psychologists. Dr Lau’s evidence-based suggestions helped police officers overcome sleep barriers and provided credible information to share with family and friends, according to a senior HKPF clinical psychologist.

To detect and alleviate academic and mental health issues rooted in sleep problems in college students, Dr Lau trained counsellors in 14 local tertiary institutions to carry out sleep assessments and interventions. Not only did 90% of the counsellors indicate a sharp improvement in their understanding of sleep, 100% of them found her talk beneficial for their practice, evidenced by requests to incorporate the SCI into their practice.