Abstract: Hong Shen 洪深 (1894-1955) is regarded as one of the founders of modern Chinese drama, however, the research on his life and works has been long neglected. This paper is divided into two parts, in which the first part will be the literature review on Hong Shen, and the second part will analyse Hong Shen’s works during Tsinghua College and the United States Era. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine Hong Shen’s contribution to modern Chinese drama by studying his adaptation works before coming back from the United States to China, which marked the beginning of his creative career. By studying the other side of his works, this paper aims to provide another interpretation on Hong Shen, analyse the meaning and significance of adaptation works in modern Chinese drama, as well as the relationship between adaptation and realism.
Abstract: Marketers are increasingly applying gender stereotypes to brands and products. From the perspective of terror management theory, reminders of mortality should increase stereotypic thinking to protect people against death-related concerns. For marketing researchers and practitioners, it is an important question whether death anxiety will trigger similar mechanism in consumer behaviour. Through three experimental studies, this paper seeks to investigate the impact of mortality salience on perception, evaluation, and purchase intention of gender-stereotyped products. It will be shown that once consumers' mortality was made salient, they believed that products perceived to be feminine were less competent and thus liked them less. However, respondents’ locus of control rather than their gender influenced the mortality salience effect. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Abstract: Although Guidelines on Sex Education in Schools was released in 1997, adolescents have perceived the sex education as useless while the teachers have negative comments on their roles in the implementation of sex education. Apart from the different perceptions among the adolescents and teachers, the effectiveness of the current sex education in Hong Kong is questionable. It may be attributed to the teachers’ attitudes, background; manpower; lack of training for the teachers; traditional teaching method; depthless topic coverage; and the school environment. It is critical that the government, school administrators, teachers, social workers and health professionals should be cooperating with each other to provide a comprehensive sex education for the adolescents. The government should support the schools financially and provide a clear direction to them by the policies, together with the encouragement for adoption of liberal and comprehensive approaches. The schools should focus on the implementation of sex education, include changing the traditional lecturing method; attempting to provide the sex education on the internet; strengthening the training of the teachers; involving the health professionals and covering comprehensive knowledge and practical skills with a logical sequence in sex education.
Abstract: With the low fertility rate over the years and the increasing longevity of people in Hong Kong, it is expected that population aged 65 or above will be as high as 32 percent by mid-2046. Primary health care offers a comprehensive and holistic service package to improve and strengthen primary care and health functions, highlighting the importance of assigning a long-term health partner so as to make better use of healthcare resources and to enhance quality of care. The reform consultation documents, Your Health, Your Life and Building a Healthy Tomorrow, introduce a basic model in which a system is established to register medical professionals, provide subsidies and improve primary care. Primary care adopts an integrative approach involving professionals to deliver a wide range of services comprising of health promotion, prevention of treatment and care for acute and chronic diseases, health risk assessment and disease identification, self-management support, and supportive care for end-stage diseases or disabilities. The Hong Kong Government has put great efforts in interdepartmental and cross-sectoral collaboration to provide professional, high quality and timely services. An example of this is public-private partnership offering healthcare programmes to individuals and the community, and it has proven beneficial in terms of resource allocation and continuation of long-term service packages. In the latest Policy Address, the Government intends to facilitate the partnership and to draw up a blueprint for expansion and provision of primary healthcare services. To achieve total primary care, input of expertise and experience of all stakeholders are desired to establish a quality care system that is within the easy reach of everyone in the community.
Abstract: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become progressively ubiquitous in smokers and their roles of smoking cessation give rise to much controversy. With reference to the increasing prevalence of e-cigarettes use, the paper aims to examine the efficacy of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking and to make recommendations to existing policies. Health impacts of e-cigarettes are still not being proven in the long-term and cessation effectiveness is not well established. However, e-cigarettes constitute a gateway to cigarette smoking, nicotine addiction as well as dual use of e-cigarettes and traditional tobaccos among smokers and youth population. Current policies on e-cigarettes in Hong Kong pose certain grey areas. The Government should put greater efforts into regulatory measures regarding the sale and promotion of e-cigarettes. Increased public education is also important in order to safeguard public health of the community.
Abstract: The waiting time of total joint replacement (TJR) is very long in the public hospitals of the Hospital Authority (HA). It may lead to negative impacts on the outcomes of TJR. While HA continuously develops joint replacement centres, it still cannot reduce the waiting time of TJR significantly. The quality of healthcare services in both the public and private sectors is comparable but there are very large differences in the charges. Hence, patients are willing to wait on the list. To reduce the waiting time of TJR, two approaches are recommended. There can be a Government subsidisation programme of TJR to shift patient to private hospitals. Adequate manpower, particularly in physiotherapists, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, clinical psychologists and nurses, should be a top priority to reduce the length of stay in the hospitals, releasing more beds for patients in the queue.
Abstract: “Picky eating” is a common behaviour among Hong Kong children. It may be caused by the unhealthy eating habits developed during childhood, the children’s impressions on food and bad parental education. Children who are “picky eaters” may have different kinds of health problems such as obesity, malnutrition and poor immunity. It may also result in poor growth development among these children. Therefore, the behaviour of “picky eating” should be avoided and the children can then improve the behaviour of “picky eating” step by step. In Japan, the government has implemented the School Lunch Programme, which aims at promoting food and nutrition education among students. Europe has a Food and Nutrition Policy for Schools. The policy aims at changing the eating environment of the children in order to promote healthy eating. The Hong Kong Government can consider and adopt the practices in Japan and Europe. Besides, schools, parents and media should be responsible for promoting healthy eating among children. Education, healthy public policy, changes to the lunchboxes and promotion of healthy eating are useful in stopping the behaviour of “picky eating” among children.
Abstract: In this paper, I focus on surveying the literature on adolescent L2 writing from the perspective of learning how to mean. I retrieved most of the published studies on adolescent L2 writing from 1990 to 2015. I summarized different themes from these studies, such as, factors that influence adolescent L2 writing, adolescent L2 writing teaching and assessing. I concentrated on exploring the findings from different themes, like, (1) Adolescent identity; (2) Home and community influence; (3) Internet and new technology; (4) L1 influence; (5) Classroom instruction; (6) Feedback and error correction; and (7) Assessment. I delineated the overall picture in the field and finding out possible research avenues for future researchers in this field. For example, longitudinal, developmental, L2 writing curriculum research perspectives are proposed for future researchers in the field. The synthesis found that adolescent L2 writing is an emerging field and more research attention is deserved.
Abstract: Sleep is a naturally recurring state that is significant and crucial factor for physical development and mental health. However, it is often neglected by many people, especially in developed countries. Many people, adults and children, are affected by sleeping disorder and the problem of sleeplessness has become a common complaint. The attributing factors of sleeplessness include environment, drugs, beverages and alcohol, smoking, stress, anxiety, biorhythm, chronic diseases and lifestyle behaviours. Insomnia affects both physical or mental health. Weight gain, depression, mood disorder, chronic diseases, injuries and even death are the consequences. Leaving treatment by cognitive behavioural therapy and medications aside, prevention is the preferred action. Stress management, attention and improvement to the environment, avoidance of alcohol, smoking and certain food and beverages like caffeine containing drinks, management of chronic conditions, and the appropriate and sensible use of electronic screen devices are key preventive measures, that helps to promote quality sleep and thus avoiding insomnia.
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