Dr Jimmy Li proposed a mixture for making bricks that includes common building materials along with at least one type of plastic. The results demonstrated that the bricks incorporating plastic waste can withstand more pressure without breaking, and they exhibit improved resistance to water seepage due to having fewer tiny holes for the water to pass through. The utilisation of plastic waste in brick composition reduces the accumulation of plastic materials in landfills while also lowering the overall construction cost.
Prof. Jack Tang, together with a team of researchers, investigated the underlying mechanism by which activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) contributes to the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The research outcomes suggest that a lack of ATF3 in vascular smooth muscle cells of the blood vessel would increase the risk of AAA formation and blood vessel rupture. This study reveals the previously unrecognised role of ATF3 in AAA development and progression. ATF3 has the potential to be used as a new target for developing new therapies to treat AAA, and as a marker to predict the progression and outcomes of AAA.
Dr Livia Pan examined the optimal nutrient levels and the best proportion of sewage sludge (SL), Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHR), and biochar (BC) to be used as a novel soil amendment. The amended soils with SL-CMHR-BC had a lower level of antibiotics and corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soils and crop tissues compared with the control soils without adding the soil amendment. This soil amendment method can help reduce the ecological risks of antibiotics and ARGs and mitigate their potential adverse effects on human health through the food chain.
Prof. Gary Tse and his team discovered that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who used oral corticosteroids (OCS) faced a significantly higher risk of developing multiple adverse outcomes. This study emphasises the need to increase awareness about the adverse effects associated with OCS use in COPD patients. It also highlights the need to identify appropriate treatments to manage and minimise the risk of COPD exacerbation, thereby reducing patient exposure to OCS.
Dr Emily Ge investigated the impact of English exposure on the language development of autistic Cantonese-speaking children in Hong Kong. The findings reveal that exposure to two typologically different languages does not hinder the language development of bilingual autistic children; instead, it enhances their comprehension and production of focus. These findings suggest the advantage of creating rich bilingual environments for children, and having bilingual elements in training programmes for bilingual autistic children.
