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Exploring Hong Kong’s Role as Strategic Partner for “Belt and Road” Countries - Closing the Cultural Gap
No full textBelt and Road (B&R) is an ambitious collaborative infrastructure development initiative launched by the Chinese government in 2013, covering over 60 countries with about two-third of world population and one-third of global GDP at the time, which has now extended to over 100 countries. This makes it an unprecedented plan for long-term economic growth with a lasting impact on the fortunes of the individual partner countries and the global economy as a whole. The overall time-scale for the project has been set at roughly 35 years and the total investment value in excess of US$10 trillion. The B&R initiative aims to build a shared cross-border infrastructure to facilitate foreign policy through economic cooperation and minimization of any conflict risk. However, B&R involves significantly weaker cross-border integration than an economic union like European Union by focusing on creating shared transport links among the partner countries and China but not doing anything with the production infrastructure in each country. The public response to B&R has been rather mixed across the various partner countries because people are still not sure about how this would benefit or harm their individual and national interests. In view of the uncertainty about the potential outcomes of a huge initiative like B&R, we aim to explore how it is perceived by the managers in both China and all the B&R partner countries. In this chapter, we aim to explore the nature and extent of ‘B&R-Readiness’, which we define as the ability of the managers working in China and B&R partner countries, to meaningfully engage with each other in order to face the challenges and tap the opportunities offered by the B&R initiative. Next, we introduce a self-administered structured questionnaire to help these managers and their employers to assess their level of B&R-Readiness. We also explore the impact of psychic distance (differences in cultural values and business practices) and cultural familiarity between managers in China and the B&R countries. Finally, we identify and discuss the ways in which Hong Kong government and businesses can play a strategic role to prepare the managers in China and the B&R countries to be B&R-ready
Potential role of Candida albicans secreted aspartic protease 9 in serum induced-hyphal formation and interaction with oral epithelial cells
Get PDFIntroduction: Candida albicans possesses the ability to switch rapidly between yeast to hyphal forms. Hyphal formation is a remarkable pathogenic characteristic, which allows C. albicans to invade into host cells. Objectives: This study was to investigate the role of the C. albicans SAP9 gene in hyphal formation and invasion ability. Methods: The morphology of fungal cells in the hyphal-inducing liquid media (YPD+10% fetal bovine serum) was observed by the microscopy. And the morphology of the colony on solid agar plates of YPD+10% fetal bovine serum was photographed by the digital camera. The mRNA expressions of hypha-associated genes in serum medium were also analyzed by real time PCR. Then for the interaction between C. albicans and oral epithelial cells, endocytosis essay, invasion essay and damage assay were performed to compare the differences between the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain and wild type strain. Results: Compared with the wild type strain, the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain exhibited a deficient yeast-to-hyphal morphological transition under serum hyphal-inducing conditions. Furthermore, the SAP9 knockout strain revealed a significant down-regulation of the expression of EFG1 (~40%), which is a transcription factor gene that mediates hyphae formation in C. albicans. Compared with the wild type strain, a 70% reduction in the endocytosis of the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain by host cells was observed, as well as a 25% attenuation of active penetration and a 40% attenuation of host cell damage (P\u3c0.05). Conclusions: Our data strongly suggests that C. albicans Sap9 is a potential hyphal-associated factor that responds to serum hyphal-inducing stimuli via a cAMP-protein kinase A pathway mediated by EFG1, and contributes to the process of invasion of Candida into the epithelial cells, leading to host cell damage
Identifying stabilizing and destabilizing factors of job change: a qualitative study of employee retention in the Hong Kong travel agency industry
No full textThis study aims to investigate and compare the congruent and incongruent perceptions of managers and frontline employees toward employee retention in Hong Kong travel agencies. An integrated model was developed using data from 32 interviews with 16 manager–employee dyads. Findings categorized stabilizing and destabilizing factors of job change into four themes: job nature, industry factors, organizational factors, and personal factors. Key factors influencing employee turnover include high customer contact, anti-social working hours, working environment, office location, supervisor and co-worker relations, remuneration, and career prospect. We conclude by reviewing the theoretical and practical implications for travel trade industry management with regard to formulating staff retention policies and closing the perceptual gaps to reduce frontline staff turnover intention
Effects of knee flexion angles in supine bridge exercise on trunk and pelvic muscle activity
No full text© 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This study investigated the activity of surface electromyography (sEMG) on trunk and pelvic muscles during supine bridge exercise (SBE) with different knee flexion angles. Twenty-five physically active males participated in this study. Subjects received maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests followed by four SBEs with different knee flexion angles (40°, 60°, 90° and 120°) in random. sEMG activities of rectus abdominis (RA), erector spinae (ER), gluteus medius (GMed), superior gluteus maximus (SGMax), inferior gluteus maximus (IGMax), biceps femoris (BF) long head, and the ratio of SGMax/BF and IGMax/BF on the dominant side were measured. Non-clinical magnitude-based inference was performed to compare the effect. The results indicated a substantial change of muscle activity, especially between SBE with 40° and 120° knee flexion. With respect to ER and BF, moderate effect (−0.70 ± 0.17) and extremely large effect (−4.78 ± 0.51) were recorded, whereas very large effect for SGMax/BF (2.68 ± 0.23) and IGMax/BF (2.95 ± 0.26) was observed, respectively. Both ER and BF worked better with smaller knee flexion angles (40° \u3e 60° \u3e 90° \u3e 120°), while SGMax and IGMax were more favourable to SBE with large knee flexion angles (90° = 120° \u3e 60° \u3e 40°)
Exploratory study on travel intention to Kenya in Hong Kong by applying extended theory of planned behavior
No full textPromotional effect of Co and Ni on MoO3 catalysts for hydrogenolysis of dibenzofuran to biphenyl under atmospheric hydrogen pressure
No full text© 2020 Elsevier Inc. Co(Ni)/MoO3 catalysts were prepared, characterized and evaluated for the hydrogenolysis of bio-derived dibenzofuran (DBF), aiming at the understanding of the promoting effect of Co/Ni on MoO3 for high-yield production of aromatic products. All Co(Ni)/MoO3 catalysts selectively cleaved C-O bond, thus effectively transformed DBF to biphenyl (BP) at relatively moderate conditions. The experimental results from varying Mo species by adjusting the reduction temperature of MoO3 together with XPS and in-situ XRD characteristic were evident that Mo5+ species was responsible as the major active specie for the reaction. Promotional effect between Co(Ni) and Mo in Co(Ni)/MoO3 catalysts was observed, resulted from the presence of acidic Co(Ni)MoO4 species and a large number of Mo5+ species both of which were created local to the Co(Ni)-O-Mo interface, as can be characterized by in-situ XRD, XPS, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD, in-situ FT-IR, Raman and TEM. The trend of the initial reaction rate follows: MoO3 (0.18 μmol∙gcat−1∙s−1) \u3c Ni/MoO3 (0.26 μmol∙gcat−1∙s−1) \u3c Co/MoO3 (0.29 μmol∙gcat−1∙s−1), corresponding to the decreasing activation barrier. And the best catalytic activity was observed for the 100% yield of BP over Co/MoO3. A possible mechanism, including Co(Ni) facilitated reduction of Mo6+ to Mo5+ and Co(Ni) enhanced formation of acidic sites, is proposed to be responsible for the high activity in Co(Ni)/MoO3 catalysts
Eat Well, Live Long 長壽食譜
Get PDFEvery cuisine has its benefits, but what do the societies that live the longest eat? We talk to chefs from the world\u27s Blue Zones and countries with the highest life expectancy to find out.
所有菜式都有其好處，但長壽社會的人通常吃什麼？我們訪問了多位廚師，他們均任職於以居民長壽見稱的藍區和國家，嘗試找出箇中秘訣
Quantification, Tapering and Positional Analysis of Across 9-Weekly Microcycles in a Professional Chinese Super League Soccer Team
Get PDFQuantifying the training content within elite professional soccer and analysis of tapering strategies has gained huge interest in recent times within the literature in order to maximise player performance. The formatting of training load tapering (TLT) appears to differ depending on the management in charge and microcycle coaching philosophy. The primary of this investigation was to analyse 9-weekly microcycles used and quantify the tapering strategy utilised through positional differences within a Chinese Superleague soccer team. Twenty-eight (n = 28) elite male professional soccer players participated within the study (± SD, age: 26.7 ± 3.7 years; body height: 181 ± 6.5 cm; body mass: 72.4 ± 4.6 kg) and bodyfat 9.3 ± 2.14 %. Thirty-six training sessions worth of data were collected for assessment with the data inclusive of 9 x 1-week full-training session microcycles per player, per position. Each player’s motional analysis were tracked using a 10 Hz GPS device (Statsport, Melbourne, Australia) and RPE scale was completed by each player post-each training session. Results for days preceding a match were shown to all be statistically significant for TDC, TDC.min-1, HSR, HSRmin-1, SP, ED, ED.min-1, and RPE (p \u3c 0.05). Furthermore, playing position analysis revealed significant differences between each position across the microcycle structure (p \u3c 0.05), but microcycles were non-significant in any of the models obtained (all p \u3e 0.05), except for week 4 across the 9-weekly phase. To conclude, this investigation has shown how it is possible to maintain a structured tapering microcycle strategy whilst inducing daily physical outputs but without causing significant fluctuations in the weekly TLs. Furthermore, the investigation has also provided a tapering approach that may induce the significant variation of the positional demands, assisting also with the decoding of the individual conditioning needs of the players
The Role of Social Entrepreneurship during COVID Pandemic – A Case Study Analysis on Select Social Entrepreneurial Initiatives from India and Hong Kong
Get PDFSocial entrepreneurship can be explained in simple terms as doing business for a social cause. Social entrepreneurs are perceived as creative innovators, who combine commerce and social issues in a way that improves the life of people connected to the issue. The COVID pandemic is having a very detrimental effect on the communities and the social entrepreneurs from various parts of the world have emerged as a support system for the government and the COVID warriors of their respective countries. The authors have selected different case studies from India and Hong Kong to explore the role of social entrepreneurs during COVID19. The case studies depict various initiatives to help the needy and affected due to the pandemic