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Hong Kong: workfare in the world's freest economy
No full textWorkfare was introduced in many countries to suppress welfare dependency and reduce social security expenditures. However, workfare was launched in Hong Kong when there was only a relatively small social security budget and its citizens still strongly adhered to the ideologies of self-reliance. It was found that workfare has performed several functions in Hong Kong. Firstly, it has forced unemployed claimants to give up benefits so that Hong Kong's social security expenditures can be saved. Secondly, workfare had combined with Hong Kong's semi-democratic polity so that extremely stigmatising welfare measures were implemented. Thirdly, it has pushed poor citizens to the labour market without having any protection over wages and working hours. Thus, the combination of workfare and a semi-democratic polity has successfully suppressed Hong Kong's welfare demands and strengthened its self-help spirit. As a result, Hong Kong's minimal social security scheme and its low tax policy have been maintained
Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip in Hong Kong.
No full textTo review records of children referred to our hospital for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and evaluate the effectiveness of hip screening in Hong Kong. Records of children suspected of DDH and referred to our hospital between 1 January 2005 and 31 March 2010 were reviewed. The diagnosis was based on static and dynamic ultrasonography of the hips and/or radiographic features of hip subluxation, dislocation, and pelvic dysplasia. The age of the children at presentation was recorded. Late diagnoses were those presenting after the age of 6 months. Late presentations were those presenting after the walking age. Of 213 referred children, 33 were diagnosed to have DDH. Their mean age at presentation was 90.8 (range, 9-559) days. The female-to-male ratio was 2.9:1, and the mean follow-up duration was 25.1 (range, 4.2-50.3) months. 30 of the DDH infants were diagnosed before the age of 6 months, one at 8 months, and 2 were late presenters. Hence, the failure rate of the hip screening was 0.09 per 1000 live births. The remaining 180 were confirmed to be normal and followed up until the walking age. The point prevalence of DDH on Hong Kong Island was 0.87/1000 live births. In light of the low point prevalence of DDH in Hong Kong born children, the protocol of universal clinical assessment and selective ultrasonographic screening of suspected cases is justified.link_to_OA_fulltex
Assessing Hong Kong as an International Financial Centre
No full textBy the end of the 20th century, Hong Kong had emerged as one of the world's major international financial centres. Today, while finance remains central to Hong Kong's future, it is facing unprecedented challenges, in China, in the region and globally. In the context of China, the continuing process of economic reform and financial development raises many opportunities but at the same time brings into question Hong Kong's traditional role as the primary intermediary between China and the global financial system. At the same time, the global and European financial crises have raised fundamental questions about finance, exchange rate systems, the global position of China, and the future role of the renminbi, including Hong Kong's role therein.
Reflecting the centrality of finance to Hong Kong, Article 109 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, ascribes the Hong Kong Government an obligation 'to provide an appropriate economic and legal environment for the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre.' However, Hong Kong has yet to take a comprehensive approach to this obligation or to consider its strategic and practical implications. While the creation of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) is a very important step, more remains to be done.
There is no question that Hong Kong has developed impressively and is performing very well as an international financial centre. This is clear and well established and is thus not the central theme of this report. Rather, this report seeks to consider areas where Hong Kong could do better. Thus, the central theme of this report focuses on the need for a more strategic approach to Hong Kong’s future as a financial centre, based on an analysis of academic and policy research and current expectations of best regulatory and commercial practice.
This report is the first of a major research project on 'Enhancing Hong Kong’s Future as a Leading International Financial Centre', funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council Theme-based Research Scheme. Throughout this report (and in the two others which will follow in 2015 and 2017) our analysis seeks to answer one specific question: What policies and legislative/regulatory changes will maximise the long-run, risk-adjusted value of financial activities to Hong Kong, given that other international financial centre policymakers react strategically to such policies?
In addressing this issue, the report provides 21 recommendations focusing on five major areas: The first grouping addresses methods to help improve the way the public contributes to financial sector policymaking. The second group proposes ways that the directing minds of Hong Kong’s financial and commercial organisations can participate more actively in ensuring Hong Kong’s regulators adopt policies which actually improve Hong Kong’s competitiveness among international financial centres (rather than just copy international 'best practice'). The third grouping looks at ways to broaden cooperation with China. The fourth grouping looks at ways to diversify Hong Kong’s financial sector to access opportunities beyond those presented by the Mainland. The final grouping of recommendations discusses ways of improving the way Hong Kong’s regulators work to help maximise the risk-adjusted returns to the financial sector as a whole
Lawful Traditional Right and Sustainability: An Unbalanced Interest in the Customary Ding Right in Hong Kong?
No full textA customary ding right granted to male indigenous villagers to erect small houses in the New Territories has caused discontent amongst non-indigenous villagers and indigenous women and attracted attention from international organisations concerned with equality and non-discrimination. Claiming it to be a de jure property right, a lawful traditional right protected under the Basic Law and mingling this with complaints about historical land expropriation, indigenous villagers are advancing their claim for the recognition of and respect for Chinese customs and practices. Given the shortage of land resources and the indeterminate number of male indigenous villagers who will apply to build small houses over an indefinite period of time, as well as the recurrent abuse of the ding rights by means of tao ding and the unauthorised structures resulting from insufficient ex-ante and ex-post supervision, the equitable distribution of land resources has been an important unresolved issue in Hong Kong. This article discusses the legal issues and sustainability of the ding right and suggests possible solutions.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Biosynthesis of enantiopure (S)-3-hydroxybutyric acid in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli
No full textA biosynthetic pathway for the production of (S)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (S3HB) from glucose was established in recombinant Escherichia coli by introducing the beta-ketothiolase gene from Ralstonia eutropha H16, the (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase gene from R. eutropha H16, or Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824, and the 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase gene from Bacillus cereus ATCC14579. Artificial operon consisting of these genes was constructed and was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) codon plus under T7 promoter by isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) induction. Recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) codon plus expressing the beta-ketothiolase gene, the (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase gene, and the 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase gene could synthesize enantiomerically pure S3HB to the concentration of 0.61 g l(-1) from 20 g l(-1) of glucose in Luria-Bertani medium. Fed-batch cultures of recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) codon plus were carried out to achieve higher titer of S3HB with varying induction time and glucose concentration during fermentation. Protein expression was induced by addition of 1 mM IPTG when cell concentration reached 10 and 20 g l(-1) (OD(600) = 30 and 60), respectively. When protein expression was induced at 60 of OD(600) and glucose was fed to the concentration of 15 g l(-1), 10.3 g l(-1) of S3HB was obtained in 38 h with the S3HB productivity of 0.21 g l(-1)h(-1). Lowering glucose concentration to 5 g l(-1) and induction of protein expression at 30 of OD(600) significantly reduced final S3HB concentration to 3.7 g l(-1), which also resulted in the decrease of the S3HB productivity to 0.05 g l(-1)h(-1).Dr. Soon Ho Hong appreciates the supports
from the 2007 Research Fund of University of Ulsan
Clinical management guidelines for osteoporosis in Hong Kong
No full textThe following guidelines provide a basis for the management of osteoporosis for the practising physician in Hong Kong. The guidelines have been complied by a working group that represents the specialties concerned with osteoporosis and summarise the current management of osteoporosis based on available published evidence and relevant local experience.published_or_final_versio
Immune Responses To Twice-annual Influenza Vaccination In Older Adults In Hong Kong
No full textPurpose This observational study was to assess the immunogenicity of the southern hemisphere (SH) seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) among older adults in Hong Kong and its effect on the immunogenicity of subsequent northern hemisphere (NH) SIV in 2015-16. Methods In 2014/15, Hong Kong experienced a substantial A(H3N2) winter epidemic with a mismatched vaccine. Local authorities procured and administered to older adults the 2015 SH SIV which included an updated and matching A/Switzerland/9715293/2013(H3N2) strain. We compared immune parameters in pre- and post-vaccination sera from older adults ≥75 years of age who received one versus two influenza vaccines per year. Results We enrolled 978 older adults with 470 vaccinations for summer 2015 and 827 vaccinations for winter 2015/16. Recipients of SH vaccination had boosts in haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers against all three vaccine strains. When receiving influenza vaccination for the subsequent winter, the southern hemisphere vaccine recipients had higher pre-vaccination HAI titers but lower post-vaccination HAI titers, compared to those who had not received the SH vaccine. Furthermore, cellular immunity was impacted by bi-annual vaccination, with reduced influenza-specific CD4 T cell responses in the second season of vaccination. Conclusions We observed blunting of immune responses in the twice-annual vaccination group compared to once-annual vaccination group, in the context of unchanging vaccine strains, while protection was likely to have been improved during the summer and autumn for the twice-annual vaccination group due to the continued circulation of the A/Switzerland/9715293/2013(H3N2) virus
UV photon assist ionization for low temperature plasma
No full textA new type plasma Source has been developed for the generation of low temperature plasma. The plasma generation process consists of two steps, the generation of metastable neutral gas by injecting a low energy electron beam (the thermionic Source) and the ionization of the metastable neutral gas by application of a UV light source. The key characteristic of this plasma source is the capability of producing extremely low temperature plasma. In the experiment, the filament heating current is 6.5 A and the electron acceleration voltage varies from 16 V to 25 V. Plasma parameters are measured by a single Langmuir probe. The plasma density increases 100% from 4.5 x 10(9) cm(-3) to 9.8 x 10(9) cm(-3) in Ar 30 mTorr when the neutrals excited by the e-beam are exposed to the UV light. However, the electron temperature is still low, i.e., similar to 0.5 eV. A similar result is observed in the case of Xe. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Metabolic flux analysis for succinic acid production by recombinant Escherichia coli with amplified malic enzyme activity
No full textA pfl IdhA double mutant Escherichia coil strain NZN111 was used to produce succinic acid by overexpressing the E. coli malic enzyme. Escherichia coli strain NZN111 harboring pTrcML produced 6 and 8 g/L of succinic acid from 20 g/L of glucose in flask culture at 37 degreesC and 30 degreesC, respectively. When NZN111(pTrcML) was cultured at 30 degreesC with intermittent glucose feeding the final succinic acid concentration obtained was 9.5 g/L and the ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid was 13:1. This system could not be analyzed by conventional metabolic flux analysis techniques, since some pyruvate and succinic acid were accumulated intracellularly. Therefore, a new flux analysis method was proposed by introducing intracellular pyruvate and succinic acid pools. By this new method the concentrations of intracellular metabolites were successfully predicted and the differences between the measured and calculated reaction rates could be considerably reduced. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.We thank David P. Clark for kindly providing the E. coli strain
NZN111. We also thank J. Villadsen for many important suggestions
regarding the metabolic flux analysis
Importance of redox balance on the production of succinic acid by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli
No full textWe had previously shown that succinic acid production in a pfl ldhA double mutant strain of Escherichia coli could be enhanced by amplifying the malic enzyme activity. However, recombinant E. coli NZN111 (F- Deltapfl::Cam ldhA::Kan) harboring pTrcML, a plasmid containing the E. coli malic enzyme gene, produced a considerable amount of malic acid along with the desired product, succinic acid. To have an insight into the intracellular metabolism, metabolic control analysis was carried out. From the results of a simulation, it was predicted that supplying additional reducing power could enhance succinic acid production. More reduced carbon substrate sorbitol was thus examined for the possibility of matching the potential during succinic acid production. When NZN111 (pTrcML) was cultured in LB medium containing 20 g sorbitol/l under a CO2 atmosphere, 10 g succinic acid/l was produced. The apparent yield of succinic acid was 1.1 g succinic acid/g sorbitol, which is 85% of the maximum theoretical yield. Therefore, it was found that redox balancing was important for the enhanced production of succinic acid in metabolically engineered E. coli.We thank David P. Clark for kindly providing
us with the E. coli strain NZN111. This work was supported
by the National Research Laboratory Program (2000-N-NL-01-C-
237) of the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology
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