(American Association for the Advancement of Science) A one-hour exercise designed to increase feelings of social belonging administered during the first year of college appears to significantly improve the lives and careers of black students up to 11 years later, psychologists report.

(Flinders University) Children are set to move more, improve their skills, and come up with their own creative tennis games with the launch of HomeCourtTennis, a new initiative to assist teachers and coaches with keeping kids active while at home.Part one of the initiative, Games-making, will be introduced across Australia via a series of videos for teachers and coaches.

(Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Job performance has long been understood to be the primary equalizing factor affecting promotions for men and women in the workplace, but research shows, women don't gain as much from the same performance improvements as men do. New research in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research shows training plays an important part in promotions for women in the field of information technology.

(Carnegie Mellon University) Intelligent tutoring systems have been shown to be effective in helping to teach certain subjects, such as algebra or grammar, but creating these computerized systems is difficult and laborious. Now, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have shown they can rapidly build them by, in effect, teaching the computer to teach.

(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) A study conducted at LSU Health New Orleans has shown for the first time that chronic exposure to inhaled nicotine alone increases blood pressure in both the body's general circulation and in the lungs that can lead to pulmonary hypertension. The study also found that nicotine-induced pulmonary hypertension is accompanied by changes in the size, shape and function (remodeling) of the blood vessels in the lung and the right lower chamber of the heart.

(University of Massachusetts Lowell) UMass Medical School and UMass Lowell will perform a key role in a new National Institutes of Health initiative aimed at speeding innovation, development and commercialization of COVID-19 testing technologies via their Center for Advancing Point of Care Technologies collaboration.

(University of Bath) For the first time, labs around the world can 3D print their own precision microscopes, thanks to an open-source design created at Bath.

(American Chemical Society) The COVID-19 pandemic has scientists considering a few less-conventional options while vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being developed. One option might be the oral polio vaccine. We chatted with one of the researchers proposing the idea -- Robert Gallo, M.D. -- to understand why a vaccine that hasn't been used in the U.S. for two decades might provide short-term protection against this new coronavirus: https://youtu.be/Wqw4aX4c33c.

(Geological Society of America) The annual meeting of The Geological Society of America's North-Central Section, originally scheduled to take place in Duluth, Minnesota, will be held virtually on May 18-19, 2020, with technical sessions in the morning and student programming in the afternoon. The online meeting is open and available to everyone for free. No registration is required.

(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.

(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.

(Elsevier) Children looking for health information online could end up more prone to obesity. A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, shows a lack of digital health literacy can lead children to misinterpret portions, adopt recommendations intended for adults, or take guidance from noncredible sources.

(Arizona State University) Gary Moore, assistant professor in ASU's School of Molecular Sciences and the Biodesign Institute's Center for Applied Structural Discovery has just been named one of 14 young faculty nationwide to be honored with a 2020 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.

The Advisory Committee on Recycling Fund today announced the launch of the One-off Recycling Industry Anti-epidemic Scheme.

The scheme aims to help the recycling industry cope with the current economic situation and operational difficulties brought by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Around $100 million has been earmarked for implementing the scheme under Enterprise Support Programme, providing financial support for the operational costs of recyclers for six months.

The maximum funding limit for each recycler is $20,000 per month.

The funding period will cover from January 1 to June 30, making a total maximum subsidy of $120,000.

The scheme opens for application from today until June 30. Recyclers with operations on or before January 1 can apply.

The first instalment related to the subsidy for the first three months will be available from April onwards and the rest of the subsidy will be disbursed in the middle of this year.

The committee also decided to extend the earlier launched One-off Rental Support Scheme for another six months.

The scheme, which has been accepting applications for six months of rental support starting from October 2019, will now be extended to September 2020.

Upon the extension, the maximum funding limit for each recycler will be 50% of the rental or $25,000 per month, whichever is lower.

The maximum rental funding limit will be raised to $300,000.

Application eligibility and requirements remain unchanged while the deadline has been extended to September 30.

Call 2788 5658 or email enquiry@recyclingfund.hk for more information.

With the northeast monsoon over southern China being generally weaker than normal for most of the time in March, the month was much warmer than usual, the Hong Kong Observatory said today.

The monthly mean temperature was 21.3 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal and the mean minimum temperature was 19.7 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees above average. Both were the joint second highest on record for March.

The monthly mean maximum temperature was 23.8 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees above normal and the fifth highest on record for the month.

The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of 41.3mm, about half of the normal figure.

The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first three months of the year was 135.9mm, about 16% below average.

The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) announced today that country park barbecue sites and campsites will remain closed until April 23.

The 163 barbecue sites and 41 campsites managed by AFCD have been closed since March 28. Given the latest development of COVID-19, the department has decided to extend the closure.

During the closure of these facilities, no barbecuing or camping activities are allowed in country parks.

AFCD staff will step up patrols of these sites and violation of relevant regulations will be subject to prosecution.

Call 1823 for enquiries or visit the Enjoy Hiking website for updates.

The department also reminded people visiting country parks to maintain personal and environmental hygiene and maintain social distancing.

The maximum monthly rental subsidy for each recycler under the One-off Rental Support Scheme will be increased from $25,000 to $37,500, the Environmental Protection Department announced today.

To help the recycling industry cope with the current economic situation and operational difficulties due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Recycling Fund has allocated $50 million in additional funds to raise the scheme’s subsidy level.

The fund has now earmarked up to $250 million in total funding to fight the virus and help the recycling industry ride out difficult times.

On April 15, the Advisory Committee on Recycling Fund agreed to strengthen support under the scheme by increasing the rental assistance from 50% to 75% for the subsidy period from April to September.

The maximum monthly rental subsidy for each recycler will be increased to $37,500, while the maximum total rental subsidy for the 12 months will be increased from $300,000 to $375,000.

The scheme was launched last year to benefit about 500 street-corner recycling shops and 400 recycling sites.

In the face of current economic difficulties, the fund announced in February an extension of the subsidy period from six months to 12 months, lasting until September.     

As of April 9, the scheme has approved 103 applications, involving subsidies of more than $20 million.

The application deadline for the scheme is September 30. Enquiries can be made to 2788 5658 or via email.

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.

The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) today announced that its barbecue sites and campsites in country parks will be closed until May 7.

It made the decision in light of the latest development of the COVID-19 epidemic and to reduce social contact.

All of these sites have been closed since 6pm on March 28.

During the closure of these facilities, no one should carry out barbecuing or camping activities in country parks.

AFCD staff will step up patrols of the sites and violation of relevant regulations may be subject to prosecution.

In the past two weeks, AFCD took enforcement action against 34 people who carried out barbecuing or camping activities in country parks.

The department will continue to closely monitor the situation and review the arrangement as appropriate.

For the latest updates on facilities in country parks, visit the Enjoy Hiking website.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today welcomed the promulgation of the Meteorological Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (2020-2035) by the China Meteorological Administration.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the promulgation of the plan would further strengthen meteorological co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in areas such as data sharing, scientific research and innovation, and training of meteorological personnel.

Such co-operation would in turn enhance the meteorological services in the three places, it added.

The relevant co-operation initiatives will benefit the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) in its development of fine-scale meteorological monitoring, warning and forecasting services, and will further enhance Hong Kong's capability in forecasting extreme weather events, the statement said, adding the HKO will take forward the initiatives in collaboration with the relevant authorities in Guangdong and Macau.

The full text of the meteorological plan is available on the China Meteorological Administration's website. It can also be accessed via the Hong Kong SAR Government's Greater Bay Area and HKO websites.

Vladimir Dragović and Irina Goryuchkina
Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 57 (2020), 293-299.
Abstract, references and article information

Carlos Gustavo T. Moreira, Maria José Pacifico and Sergio Romaña Ibarra
Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 57 (2018), 269-292.
Abstract, references and article information

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.

Entrepreneur Ricky Chan’s information technology company has been hard at work developing a virtual reality application that enables designers and their clients to walk through different versions of their home or office without having to physically move a single piece of furniture.

From the colour of the walls to the style of fixtures and fittings, Mr Chan’s app caters to all personal tastes and design ideas.

“We have customers who are interior designers or furniture retailers. Our virtual reality application brings their sketches to life. Designers in the past needed weeks to produce sketches. Now they can make designs instantly,” he explained.

Up to 40% of the application was developed at Smart-Space 8 in Tsuen Wan, Cyberport’s first co-working space outside its main Pok Fu Lam campus.

“Cyberport provides funding that helps to lower our expenses and we can hold seminars here with a rental fee that is much lower than the market price,” Mr Chan added.
 

The 20,000 sq ft space launched last year was specifically designed with young entrepreneurs in mind and provides workshops and seminars for startups. For companies that wish to join the Smart-Space 8 community, one of its founders must be aged between 18 and 35 and the company itself should not have been in operation for longer than seven years.

Smart-Space 8 users are entitled to comprehensive entrepreneurial support and value-added services to accelerate their businesses such as the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund and Cyberport Incubation Programme.

Mr Chan, who lives in the New Territories, said the added bonus of setting up shop in Smart-Space 8 is the commute, as Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam is farther away for him and his clients.

Cyberport may be expanding beyond Pok Fu Lam, but some entrepreneurs like agriculture technology company CEO and founder Gordon Tam have opted to stay at the home campus because of the incentives available.

“The business network here is unique. There are so many startups and we encourage and learn from each other.”

Mr Tam’s company sells vegetables from an indoor farm to local supermarkets and is now exploring the overseas market. He credits the vibrant community and ecosystem at Cyberport for building up his business.

“Traditional agriculture comes with a host of problems and the efficiency of Hong Kong’s agriculture industry is relatively low. This is why we are looking into indoor agriculture. We want to grow plants in industrial buildings.”

When Mr Tam joined the Cyberport Incubation Programme, his firm was offered two years of rent reduction. But more importantly, he said, the space is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where his team can brainstorm ideas and continue to innovate.

Other startup owners share the same sentiment. Information technology company CEO and founder Stark Chan noted that with Cyberport as a public body, it offers a lot of support and rents are more stable.

“We have been here since we first started up. My colleagues are familiar with this environment and the atmosphere is good for innovation,” Mr Chan said.

Stretching from Sai Kung on the east coast to Tuen Mun in the west, the whopping 100 km-long MacLehose Trail is the longest and first long-distance hiking trail in Hong Kong.

The trail is divided into 10 sections and traverses eight country parks which embrace magnificent natural scenery, interesting historical relics and a wide range of wild fauna and flora, winding past the coastline, rugged mountains, valleys and reservoirs to provide a diverse outdoor experience for hikers.

It was even named as one of the world's 20 dream trails by National Geographic.

A lot of hard work went into building the trail, with Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department workers out in the elements without much shelter, often carrying heavy equipment uphill and downhill over varied terrain.

Building bonds

Wan Keung and Lai Hing joined the department around 40 years ago. They both took part in the MacLehose Trail project which was started in 1979 to promote hiking activities in Hong Kong.

The project was named after the then-Governor Sir Murray MacLehose - who was himself a keen walker - for his significant efforts to conserve Hong Kong’s countryside.

“I have contributed a lot to the trail. I am happy as it is packed with people now,” said Mr Wan.

While Mr Lai added: “We are going to retire, but the trail will be here for a long time.”

Despite working on the same project, the pair - now in their 60s - only met for the first time recently because they were assigned to different work stations back then. However, they became firm friends instantly.

From setting up the many signposts along the way, to hand-building the heavy stone steps, the two men eagerly shared all the skills and techniques they learnt on the project.

Listening to their conversations now it is hard to imagine that when they first started work, both had little practical knowledge about constructing a trail. They acquired welding, plastering and woodwork skills through hands-on experience and with the support of their seniors. But that was not the biggest challenge they encountered.

“Building the trail was really difficult, as there were so many sections. We were either drowned in sweat or drenched by rain while working,” Mr Lai explained.

One poignant memory for Mr Wan was of working during wildfires that raged through the countryside.

“There was only one thing for it: we stayed until the fire was extinguished. That was really hard.”

Lasting legacy

After nine months’ hard work the MacLehose Trail was finally opened on October 26, 1979.

These days Mr Wan and Mr Lai enjoy the trail for leisure instead of work.

Both said receiving compliments from family and friends or witnessing the sheer enjoyment of hikers on the trail made their hard work worthwhile.

They now hope to pass on their skills to the younger workers, so that a new generation of Hong Kong people can take care of the trail and ensure it lasts for decades to come.

Children gain a valuable insight into Hong Kong’s waterworks by directing the flow of water at an attraction designed to emulate the water cycle at the Water Supplies Department’s brand new H2OPE Centre.

They learn how rain passes through catchwaters in mountains and is filtered and distributed to people’s homes at the attraction, one of the 54 games or displays at the water education centre.

Kids can also try their hand at a fishing simulator to learn about tips and advice on fishing in reservoirs and discover ways to recycle and save water at other exhibits of the 720-sq m centre, which opened in December.

“It is extremely fun. We do not have this at school. I know how to save water now,” student Kim Lam said.

“Usually, we sit in a classroom and answer questions. But now we can learn about water in Hong Kong by playing games. It is excellent,” fellow student Alan Zeng added.

Children can also watch immersive videos at the centre’s 3D dome theatre.

Deeper understanding

The department hopes the centre will raise public awareness about water conservation.

“Its exhibits, live demonstrations and interactive games help visitors gain more insight into Hong Kong’s water resources,” Water Supplies Department Senior Engineer Irene Tong explained.

People can also visit the city’s important waterworks facilities such as the Waterworks Heritage Trails and the High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, by joining the department’s Excursion with Water Save Dave. 

Water Save Dave is the department’s mascot to help promote a water conservation culture in the community.

Water Supplies Department Engineer Fion Chan said: “Water Save Dave is blue and shaped like a water drop to encourage us to cherish every single drop of water.

“We hope that guided tours of waterworks facilities will raise the public’s awareness about water resources and conservation.”

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