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More rent concessions approved

The Housing Authority’s Commercial Properties Committee today approved the extension of rent concessions to over 8,300 non-domestic tenants or licensees for six months from April 1 to September 30.

 

The authority had earlier granted a 50% rent concession to its eligible retail and factory tenants for six months from April 1.

 

Under the extension, their rent concession will be increased to 75% over the same period with retrospective effect from April 1. The rent concession does not include rates and air-conditioning charges.

 

The authority said such further measures are to support the Government's new series of measures announced in early April to relieve the financial burden of individuals and businesses.

 

A total of 2,450 retail and 3,300 factory tenants will benefit from the approved increase in the rent concession.

 

The 75% rent concession will also be extended to cover tenants and licensees of bus kiosks and most advertising signboards, as well as car park users for the monthly parking of commercial vehicles.

 

About 40 tenancies for bus kiosks, 80 advertising signboards and about 2,500 car park users stand to benefit from the concession.

 

Tenants of premises in the authority's properties which are required to be closed under relevant regulations or the Government's directions, may also apply to the authority for a 100% rent concession for the period during which they are required to be closed.

 

The authority added that the approved measures will be implemented as soon as possible. For rent and licence fees already paid for the months of April and May, arrangements will be made for offsetting in the payment for subsequent months.

 

The committee has approved three rounds of rent concessions since last September. Together with this round, the total rent and licence fees foregone by the authority is estimated to reach more than $1 billion.




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Support scheme applications set

The Government will launch the Subsidy Scheme for Beauty Parlours, Massage Establishments & Party Rooms under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund on May 11.

 

A sum of $1.1 billion has been earmarked for the scheme, which is expected to benefit 12,400 beauty parlours and massage establishments as well as 500 party rooms.

 

The subsidy is expected to be disbursed from late this month.

 

Under the scheme, each eligible beauty parlour or massage establishment will receive a one-off tiered subsidy of $30,000, $60,000 or $100,000, depending on its number of workers.

 

Each eligible party room will receive a one-off subsidy of $40,000.

 

Applications will only be accepted online. The application deadline is May 17.

 

The scheme also covers premises which are operated by social enterprises.

 

For premises with business registration, social enterprise operators should file their applications through the online application system.

 

Those without business registration should directly approach the Hong Kong Council of Social Service at 2864 2993 or by email to obtain its certification and submit their applications.

 

Call 1836 188 or send an email for enquiries.




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HKEx chief not to seek reappointment

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited (HKEx) today announced that Charles Li will not seek reappointment as Chief Executive at the end of his current contract in October 2021.

     

The Government said it respected Mr Li's decision and expressed deep appreciation for his exemplary contribution to the development of the financial market during his tenure as HKEx Chief Executive in the past decade.

 

Since taking the helm in January 2010, he has led HKEx and Hong Kong’s capital market in achieving important breakthroughs one after another.

 

The vibrancy and growth that Mr Li has brought to Hong Kong in the capital market helps reinforce the status of Hong Kong as a leading international financial centre.

 

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said: "Thanks to his vision and leadership, Mr Li has laid a solid and strong foundation for our stock market, rendering Hong Kong the largest IPO market in the world for seven times in the past 11 years.

 

"He has been instrumental in the successful launch of mutual market access programmes between Hong Kong and the Mainland, notably the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect in 2014, which was expanded to include Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect in 2016 and Bond Connect in 2017.

 

"He also played a pivotal role in the launch of new listing regime in Hong Kong, the enhanced internationalisation of HKEx and its international visibility. These are all important achievements of HKEx in the past few years under Mr Li’s able leadership."

Mr Chan added that the Government is confident the HKEx board will continue to ensure the success of HKEx in the years to come.




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Ring Theory and Its Applications

Dinh Van Huynh, S. K. Jain, and Sergio R. Lopez-Permouth, Ohio University, and S. Tariq Rizvi and Cosmin S. Roman, Ohio State University, Editors - AMS, 2014, 311 pp., Softcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-8218-8797-4, List: US$113, All AMS Members: US$90.40, CONM/609

This volume contains the proceedings of the Ring Theory Session in honor of T. Y. Lam's 70th birthday, at the 31st Ohio State-Denison Mathematics...




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Brazilian and Indian scientists produce crystal with many potential applications

(Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) Thanks to its magnetic properties, the material -- zinc-doped manganese chromite -- can be used in a range of products, from gas sensors to data storage devices.




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$140m approved for support scheme

More than 8,200 applications for the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Property Management Sector (ASPM) have been received, with over 3,850 approved, the Government announced today.

      

The approved applications involve subsidies of more than $140 million and will benefit around 22,000 building blocks and about 35,750 frontline property management workers.

 

Launched under the Anti-epidemic Fund, the ASPM provides subsidies to owners' organisations or property management companies of eligible buildings to provide hardship allowance to frontline property management workers.

 

It also provides the Anti-epidemic Cleansing Subsidy to owners' organisations or property management companies.

 

The scheme’s first phase covers private residential and composite buildings, while its second phase covers industrial and commercial buildings.

 

The ASPM is still open for applications and continues to disburse subsidies.

 

Contact the Property Management Services Authority at 3696 1156 or 3696 1166, or visit its website for details.




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Correction: Mitochondrial and nuclear genomic responses to loss of LRPPRC expression. [Additions and Corrections]

VOLUME 285 (2010) PAGES 13742–13747In Fig. 1E, passage 10, the splicing of a non-adjacent lane from the same immunoblot was not marked. This error has now been corrected and does not affect the results or conclusions of this work.jbc;295/16/5533/F1F1F1Figure 1E.




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Cell-specific expression of the transcriptional regulator RHAMM provides a timing mechanism that controls appropriate wound re-epithelialization [Glycobiology and Extracellular Matrices]

Prevention of aberrant cutaneous wound repair and appropriate regeneration of an intact and functional integument require the coordinated timing of fibroblast and keratinocyte migration. Here, we identified a mechanism whereby opposing cell-specific motogenic functions of a multifunctional intracellular and extracellular protein, the receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM), coordinates fibroblast and keratinocyte migration speed and ensures appropriate timing of excisional wound closure. We found that, unlike in WT mice, in Rhamm-null mice, keratinocyte migration initiates prematurely in the excisional wounds, resulting in wounds that have re-surfaced before the formation of normal granulation tissue, leading to a defective epidermal architecture. We also noted aberrant keratinocyte and fibroblast migration in the Rhamm-null mice, indicating that RHAMM suppresses keratinocyte motility but increases fibroblast motility. This cell context–dependent effect resulted from cell-specific regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation and expression of a RHAMM target gene encoding matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9). In fibroblasts, RHAMM promoted ERK1/2 activation and MMP-9 expression, whereas in keratinocytes, RHAMM suppressed these activities. In keratinocytes, loss of RHAMM function or expression promoted epidermal growth factor receptor–regulated MMP-9 expression via ERK1/2, which resulted in cleavage of the ectodomain of the RHAMM partner protein CD44 and thereby increased keratinocyte motility. These results identify RHAMM as a key factor that integrates the timing of wound repair by controlling cell migration.




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Correction: A dual druggable genome-wide siRNA and compound library screening approach identifies modulators of parkin recruitment to mitochondria. [Additions and Corrections]

VOLUME 295 (2020) PAGES 3285–3300An incorrect graph was used in Fig. 5C. This error has now been corrected. Additionally, some of the statistics reported in the legend and text referring to Fig. 5C were incorrect. The F statistics for Fig. 5C should state Fken(3,16) = 7.454, p < 0.01; FCCCP(1,16) = 102.9, p < 0.0001; Finteraction(3,16) = 7.480, p < 0.01. This correction does not affect the results or conclusions of this work.jbc;295/17/5835/F5F1F5Figure 5C.




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Deletion of fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2) in the mouse liver changes the metabolic landscape by increasing the expression of PPAR{alpha}-regulated genes [Lipids]

Fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2) is highly expressed in the liver, small intestine, and kidney, where it functions in both the transport of exogenous long-chain fatty acids and the activation of very-long-chain fatty acids. Here, using a murine model, we investigated the phenotypic impacts of deleting FATP2, followed by a transcriptomic analysis using unbiased RNA-Seq to identify concomitant changes in the liver transcriptome. WT and FATP2-null (Fatp2−/−) mice (5 weeks) were maintained on a standard chow diet for 6 weeks. The Fatp2−/− mice had reduced weight gain, lowered serum triglyceride, and increased serum cholesterol levels and attenuated dietary fatty acid absorption. Transcriptomic analysis of the liver revealed 258 differentially expressed genes in male Fatp2−/− mice and a total of 91 in female Fatp2−/− mice. These genes mapped to the following gene ontology categories: fatty acid degradation, peroxisome biogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and retinol and arachidonic acid metabolism. Targeted RT-quantitative PCR verified the altered expression of selected genes. Of note, most of the genes with increased expression were known to be regulated by peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (PPARα), suggesting that FATP2 activity is linked to a PPARα-specific proximal ligand. Targeted metabolomic experiments in the Fatp2−/− liver revealed increases of total C16:0, C16:1, and C18:1 fatty acids; increases in lipoxin A4 and prostaglandin J2; and a decrease in 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. We conclude that the expression of FATP2 in the liver broadly affects the metabolic landscape through PPARα, indicating that FATP2 provides an important role in liver lipid metabolism through its transport or activation activities.




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Reduction of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexity reveals cellular functions and dephosphorylation motifs of the PP2A/B'{delta} holoenzyme [Enzymology]

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a large enzyme family responsible for most cellular Ser/Thr dephosphorylation events. PP2A substrate specificity, localization, and regulation by second messengers rely on more than a dozen regulatory subunits (including B/R2, B'/R5, and B″/R3), which form the PP2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme by associating with a dimer comprising scaffolding (A) and catalytic (C) subunits. Because of partial redundancy and high endogenous expression of PP2A holoenzymes, traditional approaches of overexpressing, knocking down, or knocking out PP2A regulatory subunits have yielded only limited insights into their biological roles and substrates. To this end, here we sought to reduce the complexity of cellular PP2A holoenzymes. We used tetracycline-inducible expression of pairs of scaffolding and regulatory subunits with complementary charge-reversal substitutions in their interaction interfaces. For each of the three regulatory subunit families, we engineered A/B charge–swap variants that could bind to one another, but not to endogenous A and B subunits. Because endogenous Aα was targeted by a co-induced shRNA, endogenous B subunits were rapidly degraded, resulting in expression of predominantly a single PP2A heterotrimer composed of the A/B charge–swap pair and the endogenous catalytic subunit. Using B'δ/PPP2R5D, we show that PP2A complexity reduction, but not PP2A overexpression, reveals a role of this holoenzyme in suppression of extracellular signal–regulated kinase signaling and protein kinase A substrate dephosphorylation. When combined with global phosphoproteomics, the PP2A/B'δ reduction approach identified consensus dephosphorylation motifs in its substrates and suggested that residues surrounding the phosphorylation site play roles in PP2A substrate specificity.




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The mitochondrial protein PGAM5 suppresses energy consumption in brown adipocytes by repressing expression of uncoupling protein 1 [Metabolism]

Accumulating evidence suggests that brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a potential therapeutic target for managing obesity and related diseases. PGAM family member 5, mitochondrial serine/threonine protein phosphatase (PGAM5), is a protein phosphatase that resides in the mitochondria and regulates many biological processes, including cell death, mitophagy, and immune responses. Because BAT is a mitochondria-rich tissue, we have hypothesized that PGAM5 has a physiological function in BAT. We previously reported that PGAM5-knockout (KO) mice are resistant to severe metabolic stress. Importantly, lipid accumulation is suppressed in PGAM5-KO BAT, even under unstressed conditions, raising the possibility that PGAM5 deficiency stimulates lipid consumption. However, the mechanism underlying this observation is undetermined. Here, using an array of biochemical approaches, including quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and oxygen consumption assays, we show that PGAM5 negatively regulates energy expenditure in brown adipocytes. We found that PGAM5-KO brown adipocytes have an enhanced oxygen consumption rate and increased expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a protein that increases energy consumption in the mitochondria. Mechanistically, we found that PGAM5 phosphatase activity and intramembrane cleavage are required for suppression of UCP1 activity. Furthermore, utilizing a genome-wide siRNA screen in HeLa cells to search for regulators of PGAM5 cleavage, we identified a set of candidate genes, including phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PISD), which catalyzes the formation of phosphatidylethanolamine at the mitochondrial membrane. Taken together, these results indicate that PGAM5 suppresses mitochondrial energy expenditure by down-regulating UCP1 expression in brown adipocytes and that its phosphatase activity and intramembrane cleavage are required for UCP1 suppression.




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NF-{kappa}B mediates lipopolysaccharide-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of MyD88 in mouse macrophages [Signal Transduction]

Although a robust inflammatory response is needed to combat infection, this response must ultimately be terminated to prevent chronic inflammation. One mechanism that terminates inflammatory signaling is the production of alternative mRNA splice forms in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Whereas most genes in the TLR pathway encode positive mediators of inflammatory signaling, several, including that encoding the MyD88 signaling adaptor, also produce alternative spliced mRNA isoforms that encode dominant-negative inhibitors of the response. Production of these negatively acting alternatively spliced isoforms is induced by stimulation with the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS); thus, this alternative pre-mRNA splicing represents a negative feedback loop that terminates TLR signaling and prevents chronic inflammation. In the current study, we investigated the mechanisms regulating the LPS-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of the MyD88 transcript in murine macrophages. We found that 1) the induction of the alternatively spliced MyD88 form is due to alternative pre-mRNA splicing and not caused by another RNA regulatory mechanism, 2) MyD88 splicing is regulated by both the MyD88- and TRIF-dependent arms of the TLR signaling pathway, 3) MyD88 splicing is regulated by the NF-κB transcription factor, and 4) NF-κB likely regulates MyD88 alternative pre-mRNA splicing per se rather than regulating splicing indirectly by altering MyD88 transcription. We conclude that alternative splicing of MyD88 may provide a sensitive mechanism that ensures robust termination of inflammation for tissue repair and restoration of normal tissue homeostasis once an infection is controlled.




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Biophysical characterization of SARAH domain-mediated multimerization of Hippo pathway complexes in Drosophila [Signal Transduction]

Hippo pathway signaling limits cell growth and proliferation and maintains the stem-cell niche. These cellular events result from the coordinated activity of a core kinase cassette that is regulated, in part, by interactions involving Hippo, Salvador, and dRassF. These interactions are mediated by a conserved coiled-coil domain, termed SARAH, in each of these proteins. SARAH domain–mediated homodimerization of Hippo kinase leads to autophosphorylation and activation. Paradoxically, SARAH domain–mediated heterodimerization between Hippo and Salvador enhances Hippo kinase activity in cells, whereas complex formation with dRassF inhibits it. To better understand the mechanism by which each complex distinctly modulates Hippo kinase and pathway activity, here we biophysically characterized the entire suite of SARAH domain–mediated complexes. We purified the three SARAH domains from Drosophila melanogaster and performed an unbiased pulldown assay to identify all possible interactions, revealing that isolated SARAH domains are sufficient to recapitulate the cellular assemblies and that Hippo is a universal binding partner. Additionally, we found that the Salvador SARAH domain homodimerizes and demonstrate that this interaction is conserved in Salvador's mammalian homolog. Using native MS, we show that each of these complexes is dimeric in solution. We also measured the stability of each SARAH domain complex, finding that despite similarities at both the sequence and structural levels, SARAH domain complexes differ in stability. The identity, stoichiometry, and stability of these interactions characterized here comprehensively reveal the nature of SARAH domain–mediated complex formation and provide mechanistic insights into how SARAH domain–mediated interactions influence Hippo pathway activity.




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Kruppel-like factor 3 (KLF3) suppresses NF-{kappa}B-driven inflammation in mice [Immunology]

Bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharides (or endotoxin) cause systemic inflammation, resulting in a substantial global health burden. The onset, progression, and resolution of the inflammatory response to endotoxin are usually tightly controlled to avoid chronic inflammation. Members of the NF-κB family of transcription factors are key drivers of inflammation that activate sets of genes in response to inflammatory signals. Such responses are typically short-lived and can be suppressed by proteins that act post-translationally, such as the SOCS (suppressor of cytokine signaling) family. Less is known about direct transcriptional regulation of these responses, however. Here, using a combination of in vitro approaches and in vivo animal models, we show that endotoxin treatment induced expression of the well-characterized transcriptional repressor Krüppel-like factor 3 (KLF3), which, in turn, directly repressed the expression of the NF-κB family member RELA/p65. We also observed that KLF3-deficient mice were hypersensitive to endotoxin and exhibited elevated levels of circulating Ly6C+ monocytes and macrophage-derived inflammatory cytokines. These findings reveal that KLF3 is a fundamental suppressor that operates as a feedback inhibitor of RELA/p65 and may be important in facilitating the resolution of inflammation.




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Affinity maturation, humanization, and co-crystallization of a rabbit anti-human ROR2 monoclonal antibody for therapeutic applications [Immunology]

Antibodies are widely used as cancer therapeutics, but their current use is limited by the low number of antigens restricted to cancer cells. A receptor tyrosine kinase, receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2), is normally expressed only during embryogenesis and is tightly down-regulated in postnatal healthy tissues. However, it is up-regulated in a diverse set of hematologic and solid malignancies, thus ROR2 represents a candidate antigen for antibody-based cancer therapy. Here we describe the affinity maturation and humanization of a rabbit mAb that binds human and mouse ROR2 but not human ROR1 or other human cell-surface antigens. Co-crystallization of the parental rabbit mAb in complex with the human ROR2 kringle domain (hROR2-Kr) guided affinity maturation by heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3)-focused mutagenesis and selection. The affinity-matured rabbit mAb was then humanized by complementarity-determining region (CDR) grafting and framework fine tuning and again co-crystallized with hROR2-Kr. We show that the affinity-matured and humanized mAb retains strong affinity and specificity to ROR2 and, following conversion to a T cell–engaging bispecific antibody, has potent cytotoxicity toward ROR2-expressing cells. We anticipate that this humanized affinity-matured mAb will find application for antibody-based cancer therapy of ROR2-expressing neoplasms.




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Modification of a PE/PPE substrate pair reroutes an Esx substrate pair from the mycobacterial ESX-1 type VII secretion system to the ESX-5 system [Molecular Bases of Disease]

Bacterial type VII secretion systems secrete a wide range of extracellular proteins that play important roles in bacterial viability and in interactions of pathogenic mycobacteria with their hosts. Mycobacterial type VII secretion systems consist of five subtypes, ESX-1–5, and have four substrate classes, namely, Esx, PE, PPE, and Esp proteins. At least some of these substrates are secreted as heterodimers. Each ESX system mediates the secretion of a specific set of Esx, PE, and PPE proteins, raising the question of how these substrates are recognized in a system-specific fashion. For the PE/PPE heterodimers, it has been shown that they interact with their cognate EspG chaperone and that this chaperone determines the designated secretion pathway. However, both structural and pulldown analyses have suggested that EspG cannot interact with the Esx proteins. Therefore, the determining factor for system specificity of the Esx proteins remains unknown. Here, we investigated the secretion specificity of the ESX-1 substrate pair EsxB_1/EsxA_1 in Mycobacterium marinum. Although this substrate pair was hardly secreted when homologously expressed, it was secreted when co-expressed together with the PE35/PPE68_1 pair, indicating that this pair could stimulate secretion of the EsxB_1/EsxA_1 pair. Surprisingly, co-expression of EsxB_1/EsxA_1 with a modified PE35/PPE68_1 version that carried the EspG5 chaperone-binding domain, previously shown to redirect this substrate pair to the ESX-5 system, also resulted in redirection and co-secretion of the Esx pair via ESX-5. Our results suggest a secretion model in which PE35/PPE68_1 determines the system-specific secretion of EsxB_1/EsxA_1.




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Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme opens for applications




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EDB to enhance support for students with autism spectrum disorders




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New round of applications under Quality Enhancement Support Scheme opens




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EDB to launch new round of E-APP applications tomorrow




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Appointments to Vocational Training Council




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Appointments to Education Commission announced




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Appointment of Chairman of Council of Lingnan University




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First School Allocation Exercise 2020 invites applications for five kindergarten premises in public housing estates




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Appointments to Quality Education Fund Steering Committee




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Application deadline extended for First School Allocation Exercise 2020 for allocation of five new estate kindergarten premises




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Application arrangements for Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions for 2020




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EDB progressively disburses anti-epidemic subsidies and support grants to schools




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Award Scheme for Learning Experiences under Qualifications Framework opens for application




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Integration and Application of Knowledge, Experience and Resources Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in the Epidemic




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Appointment of new member to Advisory Committee on Gifted Education




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Re-appointment of Chairman of Council of Education University of Hong Kong




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Application for Exemption from the Language Proficiency Requirement is to close on 29 May 2020




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Physio support in COVID-19 recovery

(Flinders University) New physiotherapy guidelines are targeting COVID-19 patient recovery for respiratory management, exercise and mobilisation in acute hospital wards and Intensive Care Units. The new guidelines published in Australian Journal of Physiotherapy aim to prevent complications of the respiratory system and muscle deconditioning, speed up recovery from mechanical ventilation, and improve long-term physical function and recovery.




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Ultraviolet light exposes contagion spread from improper PPE use

(Florida Atlantic University) Despite PPE use, reports show that many health care workers contracted COVID-19. A novel training technique reinforces the importance of using proper procedures to put on and take off PPE when caring for patients during the pandemic. Researchers vividly demonstrate how aerosol-generating procedures can lead to exposure of the contagion with improper PPE use. The most common error made by the health care workers was contaminating the face or forearms during PPE removal.




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'Terrible twos' not inevitable: With engaged parenting, happy babies can become happy toddlers

(University of Cambridge) Parents should not feel pressured to make their young children undertake structured learning or achieve specific tasks, particularly during lockdown. A new study of children under the age of two has found that parents who take a more flexible approach to their child's learning can - for children who were easy babies - minimise behavioural problems during toddlerhood.




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Support schemes applications open

The Government today announced that applications are open for several support schemes following the funding approval of the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund and other relief measures by the Legislative Council Finance Committee.

 

The Club-house Subsidy Scheme, which provides a one-off subsidy of $100,000 to eligible club-houses, is now open for application. The deadline for application is May 18.

 

Upon submission of the completed application form and supporting documents, the disbursement of subsidies could generally be made in around two weeks.

 

The Travel Agents & Practitioners Support Scheme and the Hotel Sector Support Scheme are also open for applications, with the deadlines on June 15 and May 18 respectively.

 

The Subsidy Scheme for the Refuse Transfer Station Account Holders for Transporting Municipal Solid Waste, which offers a one-off subsidy of $8,000 to each of the eligible private municipal solid waste collectors operating in the first quarter, was also endorsed.

 

To ease the application procedures, the Environmental Protection Department will post cheques to recipients of this special subsidy in about a week after the funding endorsement.

 

Meanwhile, the total guarantee commitment of the Special 100% Loan Guarantee under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme has been increased to $50 billion.

 

The maximum loan amount per enterprise has been increased to $4 million and the principal moratorium arrangement has been extended to the first 12 months.

 

The Special 100% Loan Guarantee will start receiving applications from April 20 and the application period has been extended to one year.




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HK airport’s fresh approach

In March, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) became the first in the world to be certified as an International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Perishable Logistics (CEIV Fresh) Partner Airport.

 

Two of the airport’s cargo terminal operators, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) and Cathay Pacific Services Limited (CPSL) have achieved IATA CEIV Fresh Certification, while Cathay Pacific recently became the world’s first airline to be certified.

 

IATA created the Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) to help organisations involved in the air cargo supply chain achieve handling excellence.

 

The certification underscores the speed, consistency and efficiency of all HKIA stakeholders when it comes to the treatment and transportation of perishable products.

 

It also helps to ensure food safety, and reduce food wastage and loss along the supply chain.

 

Quality benchmark

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited Chief Executive Wilson Kwong said the main value of the accreditation is that it provides a universally recognised standard.

 

“It gives assurance to the various stakeholders that we have, and we are adhering to the highest possible standards.”

 

Both accredited cargo terminal operators HACTL and CPSL have set up perishable cargo handling areas with truck docks next to the apron.

 

As soon as the perishable goods are unloaded from the aircraft, they are immediately transported to the handling area.

 

The clearance and sampling checks have been streamlined to minimise the time taken to unload the goods. There are cold rooms set at tailored temperatures for various kinds of perishable cargo.

 

Their staff training and handling process have also been assessed and certified for their compliance with the global industry standards.

 

Cathay Pacific Services Limited Chief Executive Officer Jenny Lam noted that one of the challenges in meeting the certification standard is training its 2,000 employees in handling and storing perishable goods.

 

“They first have to identify what types of perishables they are, such as are they flowers, are they fruits, are they meat, so that they know how to segregate the storage.

 

“Secondly, they gain knowledge about certain fruits that cannot be put close to each other such as bananas and apples.”

 

Growth opportunities

In 2018, the airport handled about 380,000 tonnes of perishable cargo - a rise of 12% on 2017, with perishables accounting for about 8% of total air cargo volume.

 

Airport Authority Commercial Executive Director Cissy Chan explained that temperature-controlled air freight is one of the fastest growing segments in the air cargo market.

 

She believes with the new certification, the airport is well-placed to capture the increasing growth opportunities in the market for fresh and perishable goods.

 

“With the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the transport time between the airport and the Greater Bay Area, notably the western part of the Pearl River Delta, will be further cut down.

 

“So this will put us in an even better position to become the transhipment hub for these perishables for the entire bay area.”

 

Extra backing

To support the growing demand for perishables, the Airport Authority has provided additional cool dollies, so there are now more than 30 for use by the whole airport community. It is also building apron shelters to protect the perishables from ambient weather elements.

 

Cathay Pacific Cargo Service Delivery General Manager Frosti Lau said they would work closely with the authority and its cargo terminal to see what new investments are required to handle the increasing demand.




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3D mapping unlocks a new world

Residents may have seen a distinctive white car, fitted with advanced imaging and sensory gadgetry, on its journey to create the next generation of Hong Kong maps.

 

As it travels up and down the city’s streets, it records the three-dimensional shapes of buildings ranging from the iconic Convention & Exhibition Centre to the Customs Headquarters Building, and even primary school campuses.

 

The vehicle, dubbed the Mobile Mapping System, is one of the latest technologies used by the Lands Department to survey the city.

 

Five pieces of equipment work in concert to collect detailed information for the 3D City Map - a core component of the digital infrastructure underpinning Hong Kong’s smart city development.

 

A high-resolution camera on top of the vehicle captures 360-degree images and a 3D laser scanner collects spatial measurements. An inertial navigation system and a global navigation satellite system receiver provide precise positioning.

 

Lands Department Assistant Land Surveyor Charlie Hung said one of the biggest advantages of this system is its ability to quickly and efficiently acquire data, which can be used to enrich 3D models and enhance existing maps.

 

“We can enhance the attributed information of our basic map. For example, the lamppost number, the building name or the street number.”

 

Drones are also used to map the city, she added. However, air surveying may not be suitable for collecting data from ground level. This is where the Mobile Mapping System vehicle comes into play.

 

Better data

The 3D City Map is part of the 3D Digital Map Development, which aims to contribute to an innovative, sustainable and smart Hong Kong.

 

Compared with traditional maps, the 3D City Map can provide more accurate and abundantly better spatial data.

 

The map will cover the entire city by 2023, serving as a handy tool for analysis and planning, according to Lands Department Land Surveyor Ben Fan.

 

He said: “Based on the 3D digital map, we can develop various kinds of applications such as land administration, environmental assessment, town planning and also transport and engineering studies.”

 

The latest transport infrastructures such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and the Heung Yuen Wai Highway have also been scanned.

 

In the next stage of the 3D Digital Map Development, the department will create the 3D Indoor Map. As a start, data from 150 buildings in Kowloon East will be collected first before extending to other buildings in the city.

 

The last stage 3D models of objects such as trees and lampposts for city modelling will be produced.




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SAS Notes for SAS®9 - 65925: Clicking a URL for a stored process in Excel brings up the SAS Stored Process Web Application Welcome page

After you submit a stored process from the SAS Stored Process Web Application, the generated URL is placed into a cell in a Microsoft Excel worksheet. When you click this URL, you expect that the stored process is sub




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New Study Measures Impact of U.S. Treasury Supply Versus Fed’s Monetary Policy on Bank Deposit Funding

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 - 13:00

New Research from Columbia Business School Challenges Conventional Wisdom of Bank Funding




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Effect of face-aging app on skin cancer protection behavior

(JAMA Network) This randomized clinical trial looked at the effect of a face-aging mobile app on daily sunscreen use and other skin protection among teens in Brazil. Selfies of students were altered to show UV effects on their future faces and shown to their class, accompanied by information about sun protection. Reducing UV exposure in children and adolescents is important because of the increased risk of skin cancer with cumulative UV exposure and sunburns early in life.




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Carbon footprint hotspots: Mapping China's export-driven emissions

(University of Michigan) The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted just how reliant the United States and other countries are on Chinese manufacturing, with widespread shortages of protective medical gear produced there.




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Disappearance of animal species takes mental, cultural and material toll on humans

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) The research reveals that hunter-gatherer societies expressed a deep emotional and psychological connection with the animal species they hunted, especially after their disappearance. The study will help anthropologists and others understand the profound environmental changes taking place in our own lifetimes.




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Alternative resupply plan for RV Polarstern now in place

(Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research) Thanks to the support of additional German research vessels, the MOSAiC expedition will continue, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The new team will start in May.




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Biden holds remote campaign events with supporters

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden campaigns virtually in his Delaware home; Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy reports.





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FDA approves first at-home saliva collection test for coronavirus

(Rutgers University) Rutgers' RUCDR Infinite Biologics received an amended emergency use authorization from the FDA late Thursday for the first SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus test that will allow people to collect their own saliva at home and send to a lab for results. The decision follows the FDA's recent emergency approval to RUCDR Infinite Biologics for the first saliva-based test, which involves health care workers collecting saliva from individuals at testing sites.




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