Two Competing Habitus among Hong Kong Art Practitioners

This article offers a comparison of the status of the “traditional” medium of oil painting or acrylic in Hong Kong SAR and in Mainland China. This issue concerns the well-known discourse about the hand as medium; a typical example of what Pierre Bourdieu would call habitus. The representation of art as something produced by the hand has been the only habitus in Euro-America for a number of centuries, and it remains so among many participants of the social field of art. The development of this habitus followed very different paths in Mainland China and in Hong Kong, thanks to very different institutions in those places. Those responsible for their establishment in the 20th century, especially educational institutions, are analyzed and provide the backdrop for the analysis of the field of art in present-day Hong Kong. New institutions and new ways for these institutions to deal with art education are now changing the field of art in Hong Kong, creating new concepts to deal with the issue of forms of art seen as respectively “traditional” and “contemporary.” In ways very different than what happens in Europe, for instance, where even media that can be seen as “traditional” like oil painting tend to belong to a single “contemporary art” habitus, Hong Kong has seen the establishment of a state of competition between two habitus seen as unrelated. This article concludes with a brief portrait of the state of struggle between these two habitus within the Hong Kong art field.     

香港地区毛蠓新种和新纪录（双翅目：蠓科）

2005年11月和2006年5月,先后两次的采集中获得毛蠓1个本地新纪录,竹生毛蠓Dasyhdea bambusaoris Yu,2005和3个新种,分别命名为何玉贤毛蠓新种Dasyhelea heyuxiani Yu,Yuan,and Zeng sp．nov．、尖刺毛蠓新种Dasyhelea apiculata Yu,Chen,and Yan sp．nov．和亚刺毛蠓新种Dasyhdea subechinatus Yu,Zeng,and Yuan sp,nov．。     

Constructing transnational identities? Mass media and the Malaysian Chinese audience

This article examines the influence of Chinese transnational mass media, in particular television, videos, and films, on the creation of transnational Chinese identities among Malaysian Chinese. Drawing on ethnographic research and surveys of adults and high school students in four Malaysian cities, it argues that local audiences distinguish clearly between the various forms of transnational Chinese media produced in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Although preferences for different types of transnational media vary among viewers in terms of age, gender, educational background, and place of residence in Malaysia, Hong Kong productions are clearly the most popular. Similarities between the experiences and perspectives of Hong Kong and Malaysian Chinese are examined as possible explanations for this preference.     

Comparing Quality of Public Primary Care between Hong Kong and Shanghai Using Validated Patient Assessment Tools

Objectives

Primary care is the key element of health reform in China. The objective of this study was to compare patient assessed quality of public primary care between Hong Kong, a city with established primary care environment influenced by its colonial history, and Shanghai, a city leading primary care reform in Mainland China; and to measure the equity of care in the two cities.

Methods

Cross sectional stratified random sampling surveys were conducted in 2011. Data were collected from 1,994 respondents in Hong Kong and 811 respondents in Shanghai. A validated Chinese version of the primary care assessment tool was employed to assess perceived quality of primary care with respect to socioeconomic characteristics and health status.

Results

We analyzed 391 and 725 respondents in Hong Kong and Shanghai, respectively, who were regular public primary care users. Respondents in Hong Kong reported significant lower scores in first contact accessibility (1.59 vs. 2.15), continuity of care (2.33 vs. 3.10), coordination of information (2.84 vs. 3.64), comprehensiveness service availability (2.43 vs. 3.31), comprehensiveness service provided (2.11 vs. 2.40), and the total score (23.40 vs. 27.40), but higher scores in first contact utilization (3.15 vs. 2.54) and coordination of services (2.67 vs. 2.40) when compared with those in Shanghai. Respondents with higher income reported a significantly higher total primary care score in Hong Kong, but not in Shanghai.

Conclusions

Respondents in Shanghai reported better quality of public primary care than those in Hong Kong, while quality of public primary care tended to be more equitable in Shanghai.     

Are Hong Kong and Taiwan stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China?

Understanding the origins and introduction pathways of invasive species is a fundamental issue for invasion biology, which is necessary for predicting and preventing future invasion. Once an invasive species is established in a new location, this location could serve as a stepping‐stone for further invasions. However, such “stepping‐stone” effect has not been widely investigated. Using the published literature and records, we compiled the first found locations of 127 top invasive species in China. Our study showed that the most common landing spots of these invasive species were Hong Kong (22 species) and Taiwan (20 species), which accounted for one‐third of the invasive species in China. Our analysis revealed that the invasive species in mainland China were more likely to transport from Hong Kong than Macau, a neighboring region with a similar area and colonial history. Similarly, more invasive species were also first landed on Taiwan than Hainan, a nearby island sharing similar climate conditions. Together, our findings indicate that Hong Kong and Taiwan are the most important stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China and suggesting that the increasing trade exchange of China's coastal ports constitutes a potential risk for the spread of more invasive species. We suppose that they would be the future stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China and these coastal ports regions where improved biosecurity is needed now.     

Developing a Benthic Index of Biological Integrity and Some Relationships to Environmental Factors in the Subtropical Xiangxi River,China

The aim of this study is to develop a benthic index of biotic integrity (B‐IBI) to help understand how the increasing anthropogenic pressure may impact the subtropical Xiangxi River in China. Benthic macroinvertebrate and environmental surveys were conducted at 77 sites in early summer 2004. Each collection site was categorized as reference or impaired based on physical, chemical, biological, and land‐use information. Six non‐redundant metrics from 35 metrics were used to differentiate between reference and impaired sites. We selected six metrics for the final IBI. The scoring criteria of each metric were normalized based on the quadrisection and 0–10 scaling systems. Both scaling methods were used to assess the aquatic health of each site in the Xiangxi River watershed. The results showed that most sites were in fairly poor condition. Furthermore, we identified the relationship between B‐IBI metrics, water‐quality, and land‐use variables with a principal component analysis. A composite of nutrients and land‐use intensity explained most variances. These results suggest that the B‐IBI may be a suitable method for assessing river conditions within the subtropical Xiangxi River in central China (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

喜盐草属在中国香港特别行政区的新记录及分类补注

报道小喜盐草Halophila minor (Zoll.) den Hartog在香港的首次记录, 同时也是除沿海岛屿(海南及南沙群岛)以外中国大陆的首次记录。喜盐草属在中国最早的记录可追溯至1856年(香港九龙湾), 包括喜盐草H. ovalis及贝克喜盐草H. beccarii在内, 目前已知3种喜盐草属植物分布香港。尽管从前小喜盐草及圆叶喜盐草H. ovata曾作同种处理, 现已有最新证据清楚区别这两种喜盐草(本文证实圆叶喜盐草不产香港)。因本属的世界分布及分类最近已被全面修订, 使得准确鉴别各种喜盐草成为可能。香港的海岸面对高速发展, 海草的保育尤需关注。     

Does forest extent affect salamander survival? Evidence from a long‐term demographic study of a tropical newt

Forest loss has been associated with reduced survival in many vertebrates, and previous research on amphibians has mostly focused on effects at early life stages. Paramesotriton hongkongensis is a tropical newt that breeds in streams but spends up to 10 months per year in terrestrial habitats. Populations are threatened by habitat degradation and collection for the pet trade, but the cryptic terrestrial lifestyle of this newt has limited our understanding of its population ecology, which inhibits development of a species‐specific conservation plan. We conducted an eight‐year (2007–2014) mark–recapture study on four P. hongkongensis populations in Hong Kong and used these data to evaluate relationships between forest cover, body size, and rainfall on survival and to estimate population sizes. Hong Kong has been subjected to repeated historic territory‐wide deforestation, and thus, we wanted to determine whether there was a link between forest extent as a proxy of habitat quality and newt demography. Annual survival was positively associated with forest cover within core habitat of all populations and negatively related to body size. Mean annual survival (~60%) was similar to that of other stream‐dwelling amphibians, but varied among years and declined substantially in 2012–2013, perhaps due to illegal collection. Despite the link between forest extent and survival, population sizes declined at the most forested site by 40% and increased by 104% and 134% at two others. Forest protection and consequential secondary succession during recent decades in Hong Kong may have been responsible for persistence of P. hongkongensis populations.     

Cryptic variation and the tragedy of unrecognized taxa: the case of international trade in the spiny turtle Heosemys spinosa (Testudines: Geoemydidae)

Loss of habitat and human exploitation have driven many turtle species to the brink of extinction, particularly in many parts of southern Asia. The spiny turtle (Heosemys spinosa) is a terrestrial species distributed throughout the Sundaland region of South‐East Asia. Despite international legislative protection, H. spinosa continues to be illegally collected for the food and traditional medicine markets of China. Given its widespread distribution, taxonomists have reasonably questioned whether H. spinosa truly represents a single evolutionary lineage or multiple undiagnosed species. Recently, a large and illegal shipment of rare, wild‐caught H. spinosa was confiscated in Hong Kong, China, and the turtles were eventually distributed to several zoos and academic collections. Based on analyses of these individuals, along with additional individuals from the pet trade and museum collections, we found concordant genetic and phenotypic variation, indicating that two distinct types of H. spinosa exist in this collection of turtles. Further characterization of this variation will require field surveys and the collection of additional morphological and genetic data from specimens of known geographic provenance. However, our data indicate that this highly exploited, endangered species may contain additional cryptic taxa, and emphasize the critical need for systematic evaluation of species before unrecognized variation is lost forever. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 164 , 811–824.     

Exotic plant invasion in the highly degraded upland landscape of Hong Kong, China

Plant communities in the continental tropics have suffered less from exotic plant invasions than their oceanic island counterparts. Most studies have focused on near-pristine communities. By contrast, we examine the resistance of semi-natural continental plant communities in Hong Kong, which have been suffering from chronic and massive human impacts. We compiled a list of all naturalized non-native species recorded in Hong Kong and then sampled the plant communities for exotic species along roadsides, a stream through semi-natural vegetation, and in semi-natural vegetation away from both roads and streams on Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest peak (957 m). Similar surveys were repeated in other areas of Hong Kong. More than 162 naturalized exotic plant species have been recorded in Hong Kong. On Tai Mo Shan, 29 exotic species were recorded in roadside vegetation, with the diversity but not percentage cover declining significantly with altitude. Fifteen exotic species were found along the stream, including two not found along the roadside. Only six exotic species were found away from roads and streams, all in unshaded areas disturbed by feral cattle. In all surveys, no exotics were found in closed woody vegetation or in open areas without feral cattle, except for one species. The shade-tolerant tropical Asian tree Syzygium jambos was found invading along some streamsides without anthropogenic disturbance. Despite centuries of massive human impacts, exotic plant invasions in Hong Kong are still largely confined to habitats that suffer from chronic human disturbance. Feral cattle promote invasion where people are absent, but this problem still seems potentially reversible. Only Syzygium jambos is of possible current conservation concern.     

Response of Hawaiian Moorhens to broadcast of conspecific calls and a comparison with other survey methods

ABSTRACT Accurate population surveys are critical for effective management of species of conservation concern. Traditional visual and aural surveys are ineffective for behaviorally cryptic species such as rails, but incorporating call‐broadcast into surveys can increase their detection rate. From 2004 to 2006, we surveyed wetlands (N= 67) on Kauai and Oahu for endangered Hawaiian Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis) with the goal of comparing the effectiveness of visual and aural observations to that of call‐broadcast surveys. We evaluated six different Hawaiian Moorhen calls, including the “squeal” call of young moorhens. We also compared the results of surveys conducted using the broadcast of Hawaiian Moorhen calls to those of extended time (75 min) surveys and surveys where the calls of the North American subspecies of moorhen (G. c. cachinnans) were broadcast. We found that broadcast of Hawaiian Moorhen calls increased detection rates by 56% on Kauai and 30% on Oahu. Territorial and chick‐distress calls elicited the greatest response. We also found a nonlinear positive relationship between the estimated population of Hawaiian Moorhens at a wetland and the improvement in detection due to call‐broadcast, suggesting social facilitation of responses. Survey periods of 60 min produced results similar to those obtained using call‐broadcast. However, long survey periods require more time than call‐broadcast surveys and increase the likelihood of double counting individuals. Broadcast of the calls of the North American subspecies of moorhen failed to increase detection rates above those obtained using visual and aural surveys. Our results suggest that the population of Hawaiian Moorhens is larger than previously estimated, but is likely well below the 2000 individuals recommended for removal from the Endangered Species list. We recommend the use of call‐broadcast during surveys of Hawaiian Moorhens to improve estimates of population sizes and trends.     

Facing a wicked problem with optimism: issues and priorities for coral conservation in Hong Kong

Economic development and environmental conservation are often seen as opposing forces in the arena of government policy-making. With more than 7 million people and a rich diversity of marine species and habitats, Hong Kong is an excellent case study to explore this dynamic. Despite anthropogenic impacts, Hong Kong still hosts more than 90 species of stony corals within a marine area of 1650 km². This is remarkable in light of the global plight of coral reefs, which have been reduced by ~80% worldwide in recent decades. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has not been immune to this negative trend with an unfortunate track of marine environmental disasters and, as such, can be viewed a harbinger for the future trajectory of coral reefs worldwide. Yet, the story is not entirely negative. Hong Kong possesses key assets, including capable government environmental agencies and competitive research led by local universities, which can bring novel and promising approaches for coral biodiversity conservation in an urbanized context. To coordinate and assist conservation efforts in Hong Kong, we here identify and prioritize major management efforts and identify knowledge gaps for coral conservation based on updated coral biodiversity distribution and a current literature review. Specifically, we propose five priorities for the most positive impact on conservation efforts: (1) reconstruct environmental baselines and establish long-term monitoring of local coral communities, (2) enhance the management and protection of local coral habitats, (3) improve water quality, (4) gain an understanding of the genetic connectivity among local and distant coral communities, and finally, (5) establish an active restoration program for local coral species/communities. In order to build progressive and integrative management strategies for coral biodiversity conservation in Hong Kong, we suggest specific ways in which these priorities be addressed and encourage a fresh dialogue between the government, the public and academia.     

Explaining Chinese identification in Hong Kong: the role of beliefs about group malleability

ABSTRACT

Hong Kong is an epicentre of identity conflicts in China. While numerous accounts have been proposed to explain the rise of “localism”, few have explained why many Hong Kong Chinese have maintained their ethnic identification with China. Based on an original survey of a representative sample of the population and an experiment conducted among college students, this article advances a novel explanation, arguing that people who perceive the core character of groups as shaped by context (i.e. it is malleable) are more likely to have a higher level of Chinese identification. The explanation is that in the face of deep cultural and political differences between mainland and Hong Kong Chinese, the belief induces the latter to understand those differences as stemming from people’s current situations rather than from some unchangeable national traits, thus reducing their need to adopt an alternative identity. The findings have important implications on (ethno) nation-building policies.     

Hong Kong’s rich marine biodiversity: the unseen wealth of South China’s megalopolis

Hong Kong is famous as a bustling harbour and financial centre, with a dense burgeoning population impacting its coastal environment. Yet, away from the skyscrapers and the pressures of anthropogenic influence, Hong Kong supports a rich marine biodiversity, including corals and mangrove communities. Despite having a small marine area (1651 km²), a total of 5943 marine species have been recorded in Hong Kong waters. Most of these species were reported during the 1980s and 1990s, but new species continue to be discovered, and ~6500 species are estimated. Even though Hong Kong’s marine area is only ~0.03 % of that of China, the number of marine species recorded in Hong Kong already accounts for ~26 % of the total recorded in China. Hong Kong also contributes to a considerable amount (>30 %) of the species records for several taxa including amphipods, cephalopods, polychaetes and fish in the South China Sea, and ~29 % of the hermit crab species in the largest global marine species database, the World Register of Marine Species. These findings demonstrate the rich marine biota found in Hong Kong, which probably reflects Hong Kong’s location within the fringes of the world’s marine biodiversity hotspot.     

Methods for lion monitoring: a comparison from the Selous Game Reserve,Tanzania

The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is believed to contain Africa's largest population of lions (Panthera leo), making it a popular destination for trophy hunters and photographic tourists. However, a lack of recent data has raised concerns about the conservation status of this iconic population, so we collected two types of population data between 2006 and 2009. First, we identified 112 individual animals in an 800 km² study area in the photographic tourism part of Selous, giving a density of 0.14 individuals km^?2. This density estimate was similar to results using the same method from 1997 to 1999, but the adult sex ratio has decreased from 1 male : 1.3 female in 1997 to 1 male : 3 females in 2009. Second, using buffalo calf distress calls, we conducted call‐up surveys to census lions in three hunting sectors in the west, east and south of Selous and in the northern photographic area. Estimated adult lion densities varied from 0.02 to 0.10 km^?2, allowing an overall population estimate of 4,300 (range: 1,700–6,900). Our results highlight the value of call‐ups in surveying cryptic hunted carnivores but stress the importance of long‐term projects for calibrating the responses to call‐ups and for measuring trends in demography and population size.     

Prevalence Studies of Dementia in Mainland China,Hong Kong and Taiwan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Many studies have considered the prevalence of dementia in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, area level estimates have not been produced. This study examines area differences across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan adjusting for the effect of methodological factors with the aim of producing estimates of the numbers of people with dementia in these areas.

Method and Findings

A search of Chinese and English databases identified 76 dementia prevalence studies based on samples drawn from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan between 1980 and 2012. A pattern of significantly decreasing prevalence was observed from northern, central, southern areas of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Area variations in dementia prevalence were not explained by differences in methodological factors (diagnostic criteria, age range, study sample size and sampling method), socioeconomic level or life expectancy between areas. The results of meta-analysis were applied to current population data to provide best estimate. Based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, the total number of people aged 60 and over with dementia in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is 8.4 million (4.6%, 95% CI: 3.4, 5.8) and in northern, central and southern areas are 3.8 (5.1%, 95% CI: 4.1, 6.1), 3.2 (4.4%, 95% CI: 3.2, 5.6) and 1.2 (3.9%, 95% CI: 2.3, 5.4) million respectively. These estimates were mainly based on the studies existing in highly developed areas and potentially affected by incomplete and insufficient data.

Conclusions

The findings of this review provide a robust estimate of area differences in dementia prevalence. Application of the estimated prevalence to population data reveals the number of people with dementia is expected to double every 20 years, areas in mainland China will be facing the greatest dementia challenge.     

The Vulnerability of Study Participants in the Context of Transnational Biomedical Research: From Conceptual Considerations to Practical Implications

Outsourcing clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies from industrialized countries to low‐ (middle)‐income countries – summarized as transnational biomedical research (TBR) – has lead to many concerns about ethical standards. Whether study participants are particularly vulnerable is one of those concerns. However, the concept of vulnerability is still vague and varies in its definition. Despite the fact that important international ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki by the World Medical Association or the Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects by the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences refer to vulnerability as ethical principle, each of their approaches are different. To overcome these shortcomings, we analyze and unite different approaches of vulnerability and develop practical criteria in order to operationalize the concept especially for the context of TBR. These criteria refer to the context of a study as well as the characteristics and the current living situation of study participants. Based on a case study of an HIV‐vaccine‐trial conducted in India we demonstrate how those criteria can be applied in a retrospective way to identify potential ethical conflicts. The criteria can also indicate a prospective function for ethical pre‐assessment. For this, we provide an outlook for three major topics: 1. Vulnerability as a normative concept: Different ways of protection; 2. The relevance of transparency and 3. Vulnerability as an instrument to increase decision participation of human subjects.     

Chinatown UK v. Colonial Hong Kong: An early exercise in transnational militancy and manipulation, 1967–1969

In the late 1960s, Hong Kong was hit by a wave of social and political unrest, an echo in the colony of China's Cultural Revolution of 1966–69. The unrest spread to parts of Britain's Chinatown, where a leftist movement emerged in sympathy with the Hong Kong agitation. Among the Chinatown leftists were former supporters of the Communist anti-Japanese guerrillas in Hong Kong's rural New Territories. The colonial authorities reacted to these developments in Britain by drawing up plans to protect and assist overseas Hong Kong residents in an attempt to win their political approval and stymie the pro-Communists. The Hong Kong Government Office [HKGO] in London started providing materials for Chinese-language schools and set up various other communal services. Later, it launched a campaign to foster the emigrants’ “Hong Kong identity”. The scheme was in many ways successful. Chinatowners were usually happy to make use of the facilities on offer. However, there is little evidence that the HKGO succeeded in winning their political allegiance.