(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.

(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.

(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.

(Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) They know it's addictive. They know it's linked to dangerous lung diseases. And they know it delivers more nicotine than the cigarettes it's supposed to replace. But the social aspects of vaping drives young people to use Juul and other e-cigarettes, according to nearly two-thirds of teens and young adults in a new study. Less than 5% say the availability of fruity flavors drives use of e-cigarettes by members of their generation, and only 10% say addiction does.

(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.

(University of Houston) A new set of recommendations for health care workers on the front lines, to help them make decisions on how to treat the most critical COVID-19 patients, those with severe lung or heart failure, has been published.

(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.

A pet dog repeatedly tested weak positive for the COVID-19 virus, indicating a low-level of infection with the virus, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department said today.

The department first collected test samples from the dog on February 26. It detected low levels of COVID-19 virus from its nasal and oral cavity samples on February 27.

The dog also tested weak positive for the virus when the department repeated the test on February 28 and March 2.

Experts from Hong Kong University’s School of Public Health, City University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Life Sciences and the World Organisation for Animal Health have been consulted, and unanimously agreed that these results suggest that the dog has a low-level of infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission, the department noted.

The dog has not shown any signs of disease related to COVID-19. It is currently under quarantine at the animal keeping facility at the Hong Kong Port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The department will closely monitor the dog and repeat the test later.

To ensure public and animal health, the department strongly advises that mammalian pets from households with COVID-19 infected people, or close contacts of infected individuals, should be put under quarantine in the department’s facilities.

The department emphasised that there is currently no evidence that pets can be a source of infection of COVID-19 and under no circumstances should people abandon their pets.

(To watch the whole press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department today said genetic sequencing tests are being carried out on the pet dog of a confirmed COVID-19 patient which could reveal if the virus has mutated or not.

The department's Assistant Director (Inspection & Quarantine) Dr Thomas Sit told a press briefing this afternoon that the coronavirus is what is known as an RNA virus which eventually mutates.

“That is why the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health needs to do a genetic analysis to compare this dog’s genetic sequencing to the virus isolated from the patient so that they can compare. So if it is totally identical, then there is no mutation. The testing is still ongoing.”

Dr Sit reiterated that international experts agreed that the dog has a low level of infection, despite its blood tests not being ready yet.

“From the first sample to our last sample tested, it has already (been) six days. The dog’s nasal or oral mechanism, their secretion they should have - if contaminated - they should have a way to clean the virus, it would not stay for that long if it was just a contamination.

“I think it will take at least five or seven days for the blood results because it is not an easy test, it is not a quick test. We need to grow a virus and then neutralise the serum, so it takes some time.”

He added that it was too early to say whether animal-to-animal transmission was a possibility.

“At this stage, we do not have enough data to have a 100% answer as to whether it is infectious to other dogs or not. But if the dog’s owner is positive, it is better to take precautionary measures to prevent onward transmission.”

Dr Sit also advised dog owners to wash their hands, wear gloves and try to stop their dogs from licking their surroundings to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited Tai Mo Shan Country Park to inspect its management services amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

She was accompanied by Secretary for the Environment KS Wong and Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Dr Leung Siu-fai.

Mrs Lam visited personnel working at the park’s visitor centre and Twisk Country Park Management Centre of Tai Lam Country Park.

She observed how they enhanced campsites and associated facilities, improved hiking trails with natural materials, provided more lookout points for people to enjoy the scenery and strengthened services at visitor centres.

Mrs Lam learnt about the department’s anti-epidemic measures and management work, including running temperature checks on all park visitors.

Noting that the number of visitors in various country parks increased by 25% in February, Mrs Lam praised staff for their commitment to strengthening anti-epidemic work to safeguard public health.

The department enhanced its promotions and public education on anti-epidemic measures and protecting the environment through various means including social media and the networks of partner organisations.

Mrs Lam also visited a refreshment kiosk to learn about its business.

The department has provided rent concessions to all kiosks in country parks and will extend such relief measures until September this year to help shop operators during these difficult times. 

Mrs Lam said she appreciated the kiosk’s efforts to protect the environment and reduce waste and disposable plastics, which encourages people to adopt a greener lifestyle.

She also appealed to the public to exercise social distancing while enjoying the countryside amid the epidemic.

People living in units 13 and 14 of the top six floors of Heng Tai House in Fu Heng Estate, Tai Po need to be quarantined as a precaution.

Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Disease Prof Yuen Kwok-yung made the statement at a media briefing today after an expert team conducted initial epidemiological investigations in the building to find the cause of a new COVID-19 infection.

The new case announced this afternoon involves a 59-year-old man who lives on the 34th floor of the building.

Prof Yuen said: “There is a possibility that when the patients on the 32nd floor are defecating - we know now that the fecal material actually contains the virus - while they’re defecating the fecal material goes into the sewer system.

“There is a vent of air that comes through the venting pipe, which goes to the top floor and maybe aerosolised in the air and then the droplets try to settle but, while at the same time, when there’s a light wind blowing, in which the air current going over the rooftop carries the particles back into the top floors.

“And of course, the 34th floor is the top floor. That is the most dangerous, followed by the 33rd and 32nd floors.”

Prof Yuen added he is uncertain if the venting pipe will continue to produce more infected aerosolised particles.

“So it is just a precautionary measure that we must remove the residents from the top six floors in units 13 and 14 for a period of time.”

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

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.

Hong Kong Observatory Director Cheng Cho-ming today said he expects four to seven tropical cyclones to hit Hong Kong this year.

Presenting the weather outlook at a press briefing in the afternoon, Mr Cheng also said the overall mean temperature for the year will be higher than normal.

“The way that we produce our temperature forecast is based on a couple of things. One is based on the worldwide climate model - what they forecast for this year - and also based on some objective indicators.

“Based on all these indicators we expect that the overall mean temperature this year will be above normal, and very likely, will have a high chance of reaching the top 10 positions.”

Reviewing last year’s weather, Mr Cheng noted Hong Kong experienced its second warmest winter since records began, with a mean temperature of 18.7 degrees Celsius.

There was only one day when the temperature fell below 12 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, Mr Cheng said the new Hong Kong Hiking Trail Weather Service webpage has been launched to provide weather information services to people taking part in outdoor activities.

He added the Observatory also collaborated with the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department to provide weather information at popular hiking hotspots via QR codes.

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.

Non-residential and residential electricity accounts are benefitting from government relief measures, the Environmental Bureau announced today.

Under the measures, nearly 90% of non-residential electricity bills obtained a 75% subsidy for electricity charges in March, while 40% of residential electricity accounts enjoyed zero electricity charges in the first quarter of the year.

The Government announced about $2.3 billion in provisions last December to provide an electricity charge subsidy to each eligible non-residential electricity account holder to cover 75% of their monthly electricity charges for four months, subject to a monthly cap of $5,000.

The Budget further provided $2.9 billion to extend the subsidy period to eight months.

According to the bills issued by the two power companies in March, 360,000 non-residential bills obtained a 75% subsidy. This is close to 90% of the total eligible non-residential tariff bills.

To balance the impact on people's livelihood of the recent transition to cleaner electricity generating systems in Hong Kong, the bureau implemented the electricity charges relief scheme in January 2019.

A monthly electricity charge relief of $50 has been granted to each eligible residential electricity account for 60 months.

To help the public cope with the challenging economic environment, the Government implemented a new round of one-off electricity charge subsidy schemes in January.

A subsidy of $160 will be credited to each residential electricity account from January to November, while $240 will be credited in December.

From early this year, over 2.7 million households have been benefitting from both the electricity charges relief measures and the electricity charges subsidy. The bills of the two power companies indicated that 40% of residential electricity accounts, representing 1 million households, enjoyed zero electricity charges.

The bureau called on the community to cherish environmental resources, including saving energy and electricity to mitigate climate change and improve air quality.