Tag: Hong Kong

Numerous studies highlight vocabulary as a critical predictor determining word and text reading comprehension in monolingual and bilingual children, but when measuring vocabulary, most studies focus on either breadth or depth, or conflate the two, which devalues the unique role each dimension plays in reading comprehension.

A study by Dr Tong Xiuhong, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, examined the links between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, and the mediating impact of word reading on these links within and across first language (L1) Chinese and second language (L2) English among 391 Chinese-English bilingual second graders in Hong Kong mainstream primary schools where Chinese is the medium of instruction and English is taught as L2.

Parents and caregivers filled out a questionnaire on family demographics, children’s language background, and home language use, with four questions: the language the child prefers (1) when speaking with parents, (2) when watching TV/videos, and (3) when reading books and magazines; and (4) the main language parents use to speak with their children.

To measure vocabulary breadth and depth, parallel measures of L1 Chinese and L2 English vocabulary were administered. For L1, Chinese receptive vocabulary breadth, and expressive vocabulary breadth and depth were measured. For L2, English receptive vocabulary breadth and expressive vocabulary depth were measured.

To measure reading, parallel measures of L1 Chinese and L2 English word reading and reading comprehension were administered to all participants.

Control measures included assessing children’s nonverbal reasoning ability, L1 Chinese phonological awareness and L2 English phonological awareness.

The study demonstrated the occurrence of a cross-language association between L1 Chinese vocabulary and L2 English reading comprehension, and revealed different ways in which L1 receptive vocabulary breadth and depth contributed to L2 reading comprehension.

The findings extend contemporary models of reading comprehension to include bilingual readers and suggest that one theoretical framework assuming either a direct or indirect effect on vocabulary cannot adequately explain the complexity and specificity of the relation between oral vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Moreover, by highlighting the mediating role of word reading in the link between vocabulary and reading comprehension within and across languages, the findings reinforce the non-selective view of the lexical access of bilinguals and underscore the interaction between L1 and L2 lexicons in reading comprehension.

The findings have educational implications for biliteracy practices. First, since quantity and quality of vocabulary affect L1 Chinese and L2 English reading comprehension, biliteracy programs may consider targeting both to increase L1 and L2 lexical richness. Second, the facilitative effect of L1 Chinese vocabulary on L2 English reading comprehension suggests that biliteracy teaching and intervention programs should utilise L1 language skills to scaffold the acquisition of L2 vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Past studies have shown that providing bilingual versions or side-by-side translations of texts can improve bilingual children’s literacy development. Thus, when reading and writing, bilingual students should be encouraged to use their L1 and L2 language repertoires to think, reason, imagine, and organise ideas.

The study was conducted together with Dr Shelly Tong Xiuli, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences at The University of Hong Kong.

Amid the global concern over the pollution of radioactive wastes in the ocean, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), the City University of Hong Kong and The University of Hong Kong have conducted a cross-institutional study, which has found that ‘Artificial Mussels’ (AMs) can effectively measure low concentration of radionuclides in the sea. It is believed that this technology can be applied as a reliable and effective solution for monitoring radioactive contamination around the world.

Akin to natural mussels, the AMs – invented over a decade ago by Professor Rudolf Wu Shiu-sun of the Department of Science and Environmental Studies at EdUHK – have a remarkable ability to soak up a variety of metals, and therefore can be used to measure the concentration of metallic pollutants in the marine environment. As of today, AMs have already been in use in 29 countries around the world.

Addressing the problem of radioactive pollution in the ocean, Professor Wu and his team in 2022 selected three radioactive substances (i.e. uranium, strontium and caesium), commonly found in nuclear waste and disposal, as research targets. The research team then placed the AMs in seawater containing various concentrations of radionuclides, in an attempt to test the devices’ absorption and releasing abilities.

Following a series of experiments, results showed that it only takes seven to eight weeks for the AMs to complete the absorption process. After that, they release the radioactive substances on returning to clean seawater, demonstrating that the device can provide a reliable estimate on the concentration and variation of these radionuclides in seawater.

Unlike existing methods, using AMs does not require collecting hundreds of litres of seawater for concentration and analysis, therefore saving the required manpower and cost for sampling and pre-treatment. The cost of each AM is just US$1 (approximately HK$8), making it viable for long-term and large-scale monitoring of nuclear wastewater.

Pioneering the study, Professor Wu said, “The risks posed by nuclear wastes to marine ecology and human health cannot be underestimated. The study confirms that AMs can resolve the limitations presented by traditional detection methods. The device can play a role in safeguarding environmental and food safety, as it offers authorities around the world a practical and cost-effective way to monitor radionuclides in waters.”

The research findings have been peer-reviewed, and published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. For the original publication, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/7/1309.

The use of veterinary antibiotics is not uncommon in the fields of animal husbandry and fisheries to speed up growth and prevent disease. However, residual antibiotics may damage human gut microbiota, promote antibiotic resistance, and even delay the growth and development of brain cells, posing hazards to human health.

Since 2015, Dr Deng Wenjing, Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Environmental Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), and her research team have been examining the use of antibiotics and their impact in the context of local environmental ecology, food safety and children’s health. They have found that these practices not only cause water pollution, but also contaminate food, eventually affecting human health.

Environmental ecology

In 2021, the research team collected 13 river water samples and 15 sea water samples across Hong Kong. The results showed that the samples were extensively contaminated with antibiotics, including tetracyclines (three types), sulfonamides (10 types), quinolones (nine types), and macrolides and streptomycin. Some types were detected in all samples. In areas with a larger number of farms, such as Yuen Long, both the number of types and the concentration of antibiotics detected were higher. Compared to the initial study in 2015, the team found that the concentration rate of target antibiotics had decreased, but antibiotics were detected in more locations, indicating a broader coverage of antibiotics in local waters.

Children’s health

In other research in 2016, the team collected 31 urine samples from local children aged between four to six. None of them had taken any medical antibiotics within a month before the test, but 77.4% of their samples were found to be positive for antibiotics, with the highest concentration reaching 0.36 ng/mL. The detection rate was higher than that in Shanghai and Korea. Although the levels of concentration were lower than the World Health Organisation’s international standard, other studies have revealed a significant correlation between the use of antibiotics in animals and children being overweight or obese. The situation, therefore, should not be ignored.

Food safety

To examine the relationship between food safety and the consumption of antibiotics in animals by children, the team tested in the same year chicken, pork, freshwater and saltwater seafood, and organic eggs bought from markets near the residences of the surveyed children. The team discovered that using traditional cooking methods, such as boiling, slow cooking, stir-frying, roasting, and steaming, did not remove antibiotics from the food.

Tetracyclines and streptomycin were also found in ‘organic eggs’ with ‘free from antibiotics’ claims, which could have been contaminated during packaging. This is in addition to the low concentration rate of oxytetracycline detected in drinking water, which indicates that the use of antibiotics in animals has already impacted our daily life on various fronts.

Dr Deng said, “The aim of these studies is to understand the use of antibiotics in animals in Hong Kong. They have revealed that even after high-temperature cooking, antibiotics cannot be completely removed from food, and ultimately enter the human body, posing a threat to our health”

She called on parents to take heed of the excessive intake of antibiotics, which could alter the intestinal environment and even lead to antibiotic resistance. More research in this area and frequent food testing are needed to understand the health risks of antibiotics on children. In the long run, it is necessary to strengthen regulatory control in this area to prevent the situation from worsening.

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) garnered seven awards – a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, a Gold Medal and five Bronze Medals – at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. The award-winning inventions covered a wide range of areas, including green technology, healthcare, educational technology, food safety, acoustic novelty, metaverse and sport innovation.

An innovation for the rapid quantification of microplastics, developed by Dr Chris Tsang Yiu-fai, Associate Professor at the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES), received a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury in the ‘Protection of the Environment – Energy’ category. This is the first time that any of EdUHK’s inventions have received this prestigious recognition at the Geneva event, and less than 16% of this year’s inventions were awarded such honour.

Dr Fu Hong, Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), has invented an ocular misalignment measurement system which received a Gold Medal.

The expo is widely recognised as the world’s most important event exclusively dedicated to inventions. This year, it attracted innovations from over 42 countries and regions, featuring a total of 820 exhibits. EdUHK’s award-winning inventions are:

Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

1. Rapid Quantification of Microplastics Using Total Organic Carbon Analysis with Simple Sample Pretreatment

Principal investigator: Dr Chris Tsang Yiu-fai, Associate Professor, SES

An all-in-one semi-automatic sample pre-treatment device that can efficiently and accurately quantify microplastic abundance in water and slug samples.

Gold Medal

2. An Intelligent Ocular Misalignment Measurement System

Principal investigator: Dr Fu Hong, Assistant Professor, MIT

This fully automated machine measures ocular misalignment, with enormous potential to help mitigate the shortage of eye professionals and provide an objective method with high granular measurement.

Bronze Medals

3. Audio-Tactile Chinese Characters: Bringing Multisensory & Novel Learning Experience to people with visual impairment and with Special Needs

Principal investigator: Dr Hung Keung, Associate Professor, Department of Cultural and Creative Arts

Chinese radicals in several 3D tactile character models allow students to experience the structural formation of Chinese characters through touch and sound. This multi-sensory learning kit is designed to break visual and social learning barriers, especially for people with visual impairment or special needs.

4. Nano-Sensor System for Meat and Seafood Monitoring

Principal investigator: Professor Stephen Chow Cheuk-fai, SES

A food monitoring device that offers a new and convenient way to monitor food safety, with a series of chemo sensors to detect the chemical substance released from rotting food.

5. Learningverse – A 3D Metaverse for Online Collaborative Learning

Principal investigator: Dr Song Yanjie, Associate Professor, MIT

A 3D metaverse providing a custom virtual tool for online collaborative learning in school education. It enables customising of avatars and mirrors users’ interactions with a computer and a webcam to enhance immersive learning.

6. A Tuneable Multi-Feature Active Noise Cancellation Headset

Principal investigator: Dr Steve Mung Wai-yin, Research Assistant Professor

A wireless headset with tuneable active noise control and sound equaliser functions, developed for dedicated applications. It comprises multiple features which can be adjusted to suit the needs of different users.

7. Sitting Light Volleyball and Its Functional Sports Garment

Principal investigator: Dr Leung Ka-man, Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Physical Education

Sitting light volleyball is developed to promote the physical and mental health of people with physical disabilities or older athletes. This garment solves limitations and movement restrictions during the exercise.