19,320 research outputs found
Racial Equality and the Law: Creating an Effective Statute and Enforcement Model for Hong Kong
No full textThe Hong Kong government has commenced a public consultation exercise on a bill to prohibit racial discrimination, which is expected to be introduced in the Legislative Council in early 2005. The government has proposed to model the bill on the existing Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO). While there are advantages to adopting a familiar format, the author argues that the SDO and DDO can be improved upon, in particular, that a more flexible definition of indirect discrimination should be adopted and that special provisions be drafted to address discrimination against new immigrants from mainland China. The author takes the view that this is an opportune time to strengthen the enforcement model for all of Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws. The author proposes that officers at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) be empowered to take a more proactive approach and that a specialist equal opportunities tribunal should be established outside the auspices of the EOC.published_or_final_versio
The Failure of the Hong Kong Court of Appeal to Recognise and Remedy Disability Discrimination
No full textThis article critiques the recent decision of the Hong Kong Court of Appeal in Ma Bik Yung v Ko Chuen, the first case to be tried under Hong Kong's Disability Discrimination Ordinance. The Court of Appeal upheld the District Court's finding of disability harassment but granted the appeal from the finding of disability discrimination. The author argues that the Court erred, by introducing a hypothetical factual scenario that was inconsistent with the District Court's findings of fact and by failing to apply s3 of the Ordinance. The article also criticises the Court's holding that an 'unwilling' apology is outside the scope of remedies allowed by the Ordinance. In fact, similar statutory language is regularly used in Australia as the basis for orders to apologise. The author concludes by considering the potential conflict between the right to free expression and court-ordered apologies and suggests two possible approaches to the issue.published_or_final_versio
Mosses new to Hong Kong (1)
No full textTen moss species - Garkea flexuosa (Griffith) Marg. & Nork., Campylopus laxitextus Lac., Fissidens dubius P. Beauv., Fissidens ceylonensis Dozy & Molk, Fissidens maceratus Mitt., Philonotis thwaitesii Mitt., Isopterygium minutirameum (C. Muell.)Jaeg., Homalia trichomanoides (Hedw.) B.S.G., Pogonatum neesii (C. Muell.) Dozyand Polytrichum formosum Hedw. are reported new to Hong Kong. Among them, five are new to Guangdong Province of China
Design and Evaluation of Synthetic RNA-Based Incoherent Feed-forward Loop Circuits
No full textDe-novo-designed synthetic RNA regulators [1-3] have been utilized to construct complex RNA-based synthetic gene circuits in living cells. We constructed an RNA-only type 1 incoherent feedforward loop (IFFL) circuit in vivo using these regulators and explored their dynamic behaviors [4,5]. However, there were no significant timescale differences between direct activation and indirect inhibition, and no pulses were observed in the experiment. These results were confirmed by mathematical modeling and simulation results for a wide range of conditions. To increase the delay of the inhibitory pathway, we introduced a protein synthesis process into the circuit and designed an RNA-protein hybrid IFFL circuit using toehold switch (THS) and Tet repressor. Simulation results indicated that pulse generation could be achieved using this RNA-protein hybrid model, which was further validated by experimental realization in E. coli. This research demonstrates that RNA-based circuits can serve as modular and composable parts for synthetic biological circuits to achieve desired dynamics [6], and further suggests that previously unattainable transcription-only and translation-only RNA-based IFFL circuits could be implemented.2
Model-based investigation of the relationship between regulation level and pulse property of I1-FFL gene circuits
No full textMathematical models are powerful tools in guiding the construction of synthetic biological circuits, given their capability of accurately capturing and predicting circuit dynamics. Recent innovations in RNA technology have enabled the development of a variety of new tools for regulating gene expression at both the transcription and translation levels. However, the effects of different regulation levels on the circuit dynamics remain largely unexplored. In this study, we focus on the Type 1 incoherent feed-forward loop (I1-FFL) gene circuit with four different variations (TX, TL, HY-1, HY-2), to investigate how regulation at the transcription and translation levels affect the circuit dynamics. We develop a mechanistic model for each of the four circuits, and deploy sensitivity analysis to investigate the circuits’ dynamics in terms of pulse generation. Based on the analysis, we observe the repression regulation mechanism dominates the characteristics of the pulse as compared to the activation regulation mechanism, and find that the I1-FFL with transcription repression has a higher chance of generating a pulse meeting the desired criteria. The experimental results in E. coli also confirm our findings from the computational analysis. We expect our findings to facilitate future experimental construction of gene circuits with insights on the selection of appropriate transcription and translation regulation tools
Criminal Due Process in Hong Kong and Singapore: A Mutual Challenge
No full textThis article explores what the author believes to be the fruitful task of comparing the divergent development of criminal due process jurisprudence in Hong Kong following the enactment of the Bill of Rights Ordinance and the Basic Law, with that in Singapore. Whilst Singapore cases have remained conservative, Hong Kong courts have begun to develop what promises to be a robust attitude toward due process issues. It is argued that the comparison between the two jurisdictions is especially apt given the many similarities between the peoples of Hong Kong and Singapore. The article also ventures to sketch out the predictive exercise of asking whether Singapore is likely to become more like Hong Kong, or whether it is Hong Kong which will move closer to Singapore
Understanding marriage : a Hong Kong case study
No full textBased on a marital study in Hong Kong, this book examines changes that occur in the marital relationship today. The author concludes that as 'affective individualism' is used to characterize modern marriages in the West, 'affective familism' is a more appropriate character of marriages among the Chinese in Hong Kongpublished_or_final_versionPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction p5Appendices p161Bibliography p191Author Index p201Subject Index p205Prologue: Mr and Mrs Lee p1Pt. I The Hong Kong Marital Study p11Pt. II Variations in Marriage p59Pt. III Marital Interdependence p117Appendix 1 The Measuring Instruments p163Appendix 2 Determining Criterion Groups p174Appendix 3 Statistical Tests Applied in the Study p184Appendix 4 The Marital Relationship Index - MRI p1861 Studying Marriages in Hong Kong p132 The Hong Kong Marital Study p293 The Couple's Descriptions of Their Relationship p454 Classification of Types of Marriage p615 Variations in the Marital Experience According to the Life Cycle p856 Variations in the Marital Experience According to Gender and Generational Issues p997 The Transition From Traditional to Companionship Marriages p1198 Interdependence in Marital Relationships p1339 Tuning Into Spousal Negotiations p14
Digital Editions from Hong Kong University Press
No full textThis is a project undertaken by both the HKU Press and the HKU Libraries. Realizing the worth of the Press' non- current titles, these partners are working together to place these titles online. Most titles concern Hong Kong or were written by Hong Kong author
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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
The End of "Made in Hong Kong"? : De-industrialisation and Industrial Promotion Policy in Hong Kong
No full textThis article explores spatial aspects of Hong Kong's deindustrialisation, related both to the development of closer cross-border ties and to Hong Kong's evolution as a global city. Industrial promotion has always had its place in the generally non-interventionist economic policy ofthe government. However, under the new political and economical conditions industrial promotion has moved up on the agenda. In particular, the promotion of high-tech industries is given special governmental attention. The author wams that the plans for re-industrialising Hong Kong may be based on an obsolete view of the city: the city as an isolated entity rather than as the cross-border economic agglomeration that it is growing into. The aim should be to develop a strong and productive industrial base with intraregional co-operation for the whole agglomeration instead of just for Hong Kong
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