A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland:The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

This study investigates the differences in pragmatic competence between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland university students.Participants included 19 native speakers of English,115 Chinese mainland students,divided into those who had spent time abroad in an English-speaking country(CM A)and those who had not(CM NA),and 97 Hong Kong students,divided into those from an English-medium secondary school(Hong Kong EMI)and those from a Chinese-medium school(Hong Kong CMI).Linguistic proficiency was measured by a C-test,and pragmatic competence by a Metapragmatic Knowledge Test,an Irony Test and a Monologic Role Play.Group scores were compared using ANCOVAs to control for differences in proficiency.The results point to a continuum of pragmatic competence—EMI>CMI>CM A>CM NA—reflecting the groups’access to English in real-life contexts.The differences between the Hong Kong groups and the Chinese mainland groups were clearest in those tests measuring processing capacity(i.e.,Irony Response Time and the Monologic Role Play).CM A,but not CM NA,performed as well as the Hong Kong groups on measures of metapragmatic awareness.The results are discussed in terms of Bialystok’s(1993)distinction between analyzed representation and control of processing.

Three New Species of the Genus Caenis from Hong Kong, China (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae)

Three new species of the genus Caenis (Ephemeroptera, Caenidae), Caenis aspera sp nov , Caenis bicornis sp nov and Caenis lubrica sp nov , are described from Hong Kong, China. All type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, China.

Benchmarking of energy efficiency standards for residential buildings in China

In order to benchmark the energy efficiency standards for residential buildings in China,the Hong Kong building environment assessment method（HK-BEAM）is chosen as the compliance criteria for assessment.The annual energy consumption and the overall thermal transfer value（OTTV）of a baseline residential building prescribed in the Chinese codes and the HK-BEAM are evaluated and compared by the energy budget approach.The results show that in the Chinese codes,the OTTV of the residential building is lower,but the annual energy consumption and the cooling load are higher than those in the HK-BEAM.The annual energy use difference amounts to 13.4%.All the compliance criteria except the ventilation rate and the equipment power in the Chinese codes are set higher than those in the HK-BEAM.However,the compliance criteria of the ventilation rate and the equipment power,especially the ventilation rate,result in much energy consumption,which ultimately induces a high energy budget for residential buildings.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors in a cohort of Chinese patients in Hong Kong

AIM： To investigate the prevalence and clinical pattern of gastrointestinal stromal tumors （GISTs） in Hong Kong Chinese, and to assess the impact of introduction of CD117 on the disease incidence. METHODS： From the database of the Department of Pathology of Yan Chai Hospital, 47 patients, with GISTs from September 1995 to December 2003 were included in this study. Ten GISTs were diagnosed before the introduction of CD117. The clinical features, tumor characteristics, and treatment were analyzed. Factors predicting tumor related death or recurrence were studied with Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS： The patients included 26 males and 21 females, with a mean age of 66.6 years （SD 13.1, range 29-87 years）. The estimated prevalence of GISTs was 13.4-15.6 per 100 000 people, with an annual inddence of 1.68-1.96 per 100 000 people. The annual incidence of GISTs before and after the introduction of CD117 was 1.1 per 100 000 people and 2.1 per 100 000 people respectively. Stomach （34 patients, 72.3%） was the most common location for the tumor, followed by the small intestine （8 patients, 17.0%）, esophagus （2 patients, 4.3%）, omentum （2 patients, 4.3%） and colon （1 patient, 2.1%）. Thirty-one patients （66%） had complete tumor resection. Eleven out of 16 deaths （23%） were tumor-related. The median survival time was 26 too. Five-year survival rate was 61.3%. The significant factors associated with tumor-related death or recurrence were incomplete resection, tumor size 5 cm or above, invasion to the adjacent organ or presence of metastasis, CONCLUSION： The incidence of GIST in Hong Kong is comparable to that in the United States but lower than that in Finland. The true incidence of GISTs could be underestimated before the introduction of CD117. Incomplete resection, tumor size 5 cm or above, invasion to the adjacent organ or presence of metastasis are factors predicting tumor-related death or recurrence.

Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2： Evidence from university students in the Mainland and Hong Kong of China

Purpose： The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 （C-BREQ-2） among Chinese university students from the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Methods： University students from the Mainland （n = 191） and Hong Kong （n=194） of China participated in this study. Factorial validity, discriminant validity, nomological validity, internal reliability, and measurement invariance across sample of the C-BREQ-2 were examined. Results： Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the factorial validity of the 18-item, 5-factor structure C-BREQ-2. Examination of the 95% confidence interval of the inter-factor correlations suggested that the C-BREQ-2 assesses related but distinct constructs, which provided support for its discriminant validity. The internal consistency reliability of the C-BREQ-2 was found acceptable. Examination of the pattern of inter-factor correlations between different regulations suggested that a simplex-like pattern was displayed, which provided evidence for the nomological validity of C-BREQ-2. The results from multi-group confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the factor loadings and variances/ covariances of the C-BREQ-2 measurement model were invariant across the Chinese university students in the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Conclusion： The current study provided further psychometric evidence for the C-BREQ-2, which makes the further application and research of self-determination theory （SDT） based motivation in relation to exercise and physical activity in the Mainland of China context possible.

Increasing prevalence of advanced colonic polyps in young patients undergoing colonoscopy in a referral academic hospital in Hong Kong

AIM： To investigate the distribution and frequency of advanced polyps over eight years.METHODS：6424 colonoscopies were reviewea aunng the study period 1998 to 2005. The study period was subdivided into period I ： 1998 to 2001 and period 11： 2002-2005. RESULTS： 1856 polyps （33% advanced polyps） and 328 CRCs were detected. The mean ages of the patients with advanced polyps and cancer were 69.2 ± 12.0 and 71.6± 13.8 years, respectively. Advanced polyps were mainly lerc sided （59.5%）. Advanced polyps were found in patients ≤60 years from 17.7% in period Ⅰto 26.3% in period Ⅱ（P 〈 0.05）, especially in male subjects ≤60 years （21.6% vs 31.6%, P 〈 0.05）. Advanced tubuloviUous polyps rose from 21.5% in period I to 29.5% in period Ⅱ （P 〈 0.05）. Whereas cancers in male patients ≤ 60 years were similar in both periods： 23.2% vs 16.5% （P 〉 0.05）.CONCLUSION： Advanced polyps increased significantly in the younger male group in the most recent period and there seems to be a shiE towards a proximal location.

First record and description of male Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, from China, with remarks on genus Rhopalione Pérez, 1920(Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae)

The bopyrid isopod species Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, is recorded for only the second time, from a new locality in China outside Hong Kong, the type-locality. This is also the first finding of the male R. sinensis, which is herein described. Its host, Arcotheres sinensis （Shen, 1932） is a new record. A review of the four known species of Rhopalione Perez, 1920, an updated diagnosis of the genus and a key to species are provided.

Industrial Structural Changes in Hong Kong,China under One Country,Two Systems Framework

Hong Kong has undergone substantial economic transformations and developed into a sophisticated busi- ness and financial center in the Asia-Pacific region, since the return of sovereignty to China as a Special Administrative Region under the One Country Two Systems （OCTS） in 1997. This paper discusses and analyzes the industrial struc- tural changes of Hong Kong in recent decades as well as its future challenges and opportunities, The data and finding reveal that even though Hong Kong will face fierce competition from the Mainland＇s cities as the rise of China, the important role as a bridge between China and the rest of the world wilt brace Hong Kong itself under the OCTS for developing into a service hub for business and trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

The progress of strategic environmental assessment （SEA）： Studies and practices in the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan of China

Strategic environmental assessment （SEA） is the process to evaluate, in a systematic way, the possible environmental impacts caused by decision making such as policy, plan, and program. It is of highly significance to improve decision-making. This article reviewed the researches on SEA as well as its practices in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the mainland of China. The regulations, methodologies, and effect of practices were compared. The regulations on SEA had been enacted at three places respectively. With the largest spatial area and rapid economic development pace, the mainland has carded out more SEA practices recently than the other two places, but their final effect still need to be confirmed. It was said that Hong Kong had acquired considerable experiences on SEA, while practice of SEA at Taiwan lagged behind.

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Gift Industry Reaps More Than RMB 200 Billion in Profits,China＇s Railways Fire a Shot at Airlines,Standardized Check to Be Launched,Chinese Urbanites Prepare for Retirement in Their 30s,HK Disneyland Offers One-Year Free Entrance to Children Born in 1997

Application of a Digital Soil Mapping Method in Producing Soil Orders on Mountain Areas of Hong Kong Based on Legacy Soil Data

Based on legacy soil data from a soil survey conducted recently in the traditional manner in Hong Kong of China, a digital soil mapping method was applied to produce soil order information for mountain areas of Hong Kong. Two modeling methods （decision tree analysis and linear discriminant analysis） were used, and their applications were compared. Much more effort was put on selecting soil covariates for modeling. First, analysis of variance （ANOVA） was used to test the variance of terrain attributes between soil orders. Then, a stepwise procedure was used to select soil covariates for linear discriminant analysis, and a backward removing procedure was developed to select soil covariates for tree modeling. At the same time, ANOVA results, as well as our knowledge and experience on soil mapping, were also taken into account for selecting soil covariates for tree modeling. Two linear discriminant models and four tree models were established finally, and their prediction performances were validated using a multiple jackknifing approach. Results showed that the discriminant model built on ANOVA results performed best, followed by the discriminant model built by stepwise, the tree model built by the backward removing procedure, the tree model built according to knowledge and experience on soil mapping, and the tree model built automatically. The results highlighted the importance of selecting soil covariates in modeling for soil mapping, and suggested the usefulness of methods used in this study for selecting soil covariates. The best discriminant model was finally selected to map soil orders for this area, and validation results showed that thus produced soil order map had a high accuracy.

Performance of a prehospital trauma diversion system in Hong Kong, China

Purpose： To evaluate the performance of a prehospital trauma diversion system in Hong Kong, China. Methods： A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in the trauma registry of Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong from I January 2009 to 31 December 2013 was done. All adult patients aged 18 years or above, either primarily or secondarily diverted to Queen Mary Hospital according to the trauma patient diversion protocol, were recruited. Need for trauma center level of care was based on a consensus-based criterion standard published in 2014. Performance of the protocol in terms of over-diversion and under-diversion was determined. Results： A total of 209 patients were included for analysis. About 30% of the patients required trauma center level of care. The most common reason was the need for vascular, neurologic, abdominal, thoracic, pelvic, spine or limb-conserving surgery within 24 h of presentation. The over-diversion rate and under-diversion rate were 69.6% and 19.7% respectively. Conclusion： The trauma patient diversion protocol currently in use in Hong Kong is not accurate enough. Further revision and refinement is needed.