Newsletter No. 145

2 No. 145 4th May 1999 CUHK Newsletter Age the Prime Factor for Visua l Disabilit y A study on ageing and visual disability reveals that the major risk factor for visual disability is age; it is not related to gender, education, or income and housing type. Conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Centre for Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Research, and sponsored by the World Health Organization and the US National Eye Institute, the study examined 3,441 persons aged 60 or above in Sha Tin. The response rate was 77 per cent. The study found 19 per cent of the whole group have visual disability in both eyes, which rises sharply to 45 per cent for those aged 80 and over. The major causes were cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and corneal opacity. Most subjects could see much more clearly after cataract surgery. As visual disability is common among the elderly in Hong Kong and the population is ageing, the demand for eye services will continue to increase, and the early prevention of visual disability is essential. The fact that visual disability is not associated with socio-economic factors w i ll have important bearings on the planning of services, which should consider age distribution as an important parameter. Symposium on Corporate Governance and Disclosures T he Symposium on Corporate Governance and Disclosures organized by the School of Accountancy bought together local and overseas academics and professionals to exchange ideas and their latest research findings on corporate governance on 27th March. Three prominent keynote speakers presented their latest research findings to some 80 participants at Cho Yiu Conference Hall. Prof. Rashad Abdel-Khalik of University of Florida spoke on 'Does Incentive Compensation Reveal the Value of Human Capital'; Prof. Ira Solomon of The University of Illinois on 'Technological Innovation and Financial Statement Audit Methods: The Emergence of Strategic-Systems Auditing'; and Prof. Shyam Sunder of Carnegie Mellon University on 'Directors' Incentives and Corporate Performance' . Then eight academics from HKUST, CityU, HKBU, and CUHK presented their papers in two concurrent sessions. One of the major reasons for the recent Asian financial crisis is the lack of effective corporate governance in many firms in the region. Corporate governance has direct relevance to top executives, corporate financial managers, investors, auditors and regulators. Issues related to corporate governance including board structure, ownership structure, financial disclosures, auditors' responsibilities and new auditing approaches, management control and executive compensations are very much the concerns of the accounting profession. CCLuncheon Talk on Museums and Education Mr. Yim Shui Yuen, chief curator of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, was invited to speak at the sixth college life luncheon 1998-99 of Chung Chi College on 15th April. The topic of his speech was 'Museums and Education'. The Hong Kong Heritage Museum, now under construction in Tai Wai, is the largest museum of its kind in Hong Kong. The museum covers approximately 28,500 square metres, comprises 12 galleries, and costs HK$900 million to build. Innovativ e Treatmen t fo r Bleedin g Pepti c Ulcer s B leeding peptic ulcers are a common medical emergency with a mortality rate of around 10 per cent. Hong Kong has one of the highest incidences of the condition in the world. While surgery used to be the only effective means to stop bleeding, the Endoscopy Centre of the Faculty of Medicine has developed a new treatment method which reduces mortality rates and speeds up patient care. The centre's research during the past 10 years demonstrated that the injection of adrenaline via the endoscope reduces the need for blood transfusion and surgery. Recently adrenaline injection was complemented by heater probe thermal treatment. Now only about three to four per cent of patients require surgery and overall mortality is around four to five per cent compared to 10 per cent reported by medical centres in the West. The Faculty of Medicine has just concluded a three-year clinical trial wherein a third of the 3,500 plus patients admitted for peptic ulcer bleeding were given the combined adrenaline injection and heater probe treatment. Less than nine per cent developed recurrent bleeding. Researchers also found that endoscopic re-treatment was successful in about three-quarters of the patients. In selected patients endoscopic re-treatment was associated with less morbidity and avoiding surgery was clearly beneficial Patients on average can be discharged from hospital three to four days after treatment, and the treatment is especially suited for elderly patients. Servic e t oth eCommunit y an d Internationa l Organization s • Prof. P.C. Leung, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology, has been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Operations Review Committee of ICAC for two years from 1st January 1999. • Prof. Chan Wing Wall, professor in the Department of Music, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs as chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund for two years from 1st April 1999. • Prof. Daniel Shek, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been re-appointed by the Chief Secretary for Administration as a member of the Commission on Youth for two years from 1st April 1999. He has also been appointed by the Chief Secretary for Administration as a member of the Fight Crime Committee for two years from 1 st April 1999. • Prof. Kwok Siu-tong, professor in the Department of History, has been appointed by the Chief Secretary for Administration as a member of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education for two years from 1st April 1999. • Prof. Lee Kam-hon, professor of marketing, has been appointed as a member of the Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee for one year from 1st April 1999. • Prof. Lee Shiu Hung, professor of community medicine, has been appointed as a member of the Governing Committee of the Beat Drugs Fund Association for two years from 1 st April 1999. • Prof. Wong Chack Kie, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, has been appointed as a member of the Award Council of the Hong Kong Award for Young People for two years from 1st April 1999. • Prof. Helen Chiu, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, has been reappointed as a medical member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for two years from 15th April 1999. • Prof.Wong Wai Leung, professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, has been re-appointed as an external examiner of the Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Chinese programme of Lingnan College for two years from 1st September 1999. • Prof. Joseph Chan, professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication, has been appointed president of the Chinese Communication Association for two years from August 1998. Prof. N.M. Hjelm, professor of chemical pathology, has been appointed as the president of the Founding Council of the Hong Kong Society of Mass Spectrometry for one year from 31st July 1998. • Prof. Eric Lam, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Pathology, has been appointed as Secretary of the Founding Council of the Hong Kong Society of Mass Spectrometry for one year from 31st July 1998. • Prof. Dominic Chan, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been appointed as a member of the Founding Council of the Hong Kong Society of Mass Spectrometry for one year from 31st July 1998. (Information in this section is provided by the Information and Public Relations Office. Contributions should be sent direct to that office for registration and verification before publication.)