Newsletter No. 149

CUHK Newsletter No. 149 4th September 1999 3 Medical Efforts Targetted at the Old and the Very Young • Epidemic of the Millennium 一 Osteoporosis D u b b e d t h e e p i d e m ic o f t h e m i l l e n n i u m, o s t eopo r o s i s — a reduction i n bon e densit y whic h ca n cause bon e fracture s 一 ha s becom e three time s mor e prevalen t i n Hon g Kong ove r the last three decades. Hal f o f al l postmenopausa l wome n ar e osteoporotic. I n 1996 , clos e t o 4,00 0 elderly men and women fractured their hips du e t o osteoporosis . Th e healt h care expenditur e fo r treatmen t an d rehabilitation currentl y account s for two per cent of the total hospital budget i n Hong Kong, and will be a major burden to the health care system as the number of hip fracture s continue s t o increase . The figure s wer e release d b y member s o f th e Osteoporosi s Researc h Programme o f the Faculty o f Medicine a t a press conference held on 27th July. The stee p rise in prevalence i s attributed to an increasingly sedentar y lifestyle . The condition can be prevented with good nutrition and regular exercise . The programme ha s als o launche d a study earlie r thi s yea r t o stud y th e health benefits o f Tai Chi, a traditional Chines e exercise . Research carriedout in the US ha s confirmed tha t the exercis e ca n help lowe r bloo d pressure an d strengthen bones and muscles. • Milestone Set for Paediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery The Department o f Surgery performed the world's firs t laparoscopic operatio n in Ma y o n a two-month-old infan t wit h nesidioblastosis , a rare conditio n involving th e excessiv e growt h o f certai n pancreati c cell s tha t result s in uncontrolled insuli n secretion . Instead of cutting open her abdomen like i n traditional surgery , four hole s of between five and 10 millimetres i n diameter were made to allow the surgeons to inser t th e endoscopi c tool s mad e fo r infants . Ninety-fiv e pe r cen t o f he r malfunctioning pancrea s wa s removed afte r a three-hour operation , allowin g the outpu t o f insuli n t o b e controlle d an d saving the gir l fro m possibl e brai n damage. In the past many patients with this condition became mentally retarde d because both medical and surgical treatments were les s than optimal . The baby, now five months old, is in good health and the scars are barely visible. • Light Shed on Sudden Infant Death The majority of sudden infant deaths do not have pathological cause and knowledge of the problem is limited. However genetic research carried out by the Department of Chemica l Patholog y an d the Departmen t o f Paediatric s a t th e Facult y o f Medicine ha s successfully identifie d a genetic diseas e which can cause sudde n infant deaths . The findings were reported in Human Molecular Genetics. What triggere d intensive researc h into th e phenomenon a t the Universit y was a case in which two infant s from the same family die d suddenly. Primar y carntime deficiency , a n inherited metabolic disease , was diagnose d fo r bot h deaths. Further research led to the identification of a gene associated with primary carnitime deficiency , now called OCTN2. It is believed that mutations in OCTN2 lead to this disease. Now earl y genetic diagnosis of affected children is possible and appropriate treatmen t ca n be provided in advance . BEYOND THE CURRICULUM Students o f the University engage d in a wide range of extracurricular activitie s durin g the summer t o acquire new skill s and new knowledge : • I n d u c t i on fo rGraduat e Student s Complet e A postgraduat e inductio n programm e fo r ove r 1,30 0 postgraduate student s wa s complete d o n 5t h Jun e 1999 . Entitled 'Improvin g Postgraduat e Learning' , th e nine-mont h programme wa s organize d b y th e Graduat e Schoo l an d coordinated by th e Teaching Development Unit . I t consiste d of 53 non-credit courses in laboratory safety , computer skills , library skills , presentation skills, thesis writing, an d research, all conducted by teaching and administrative staff from various departments an d units. • New Asi a Students Visi t Taiwa n fo r Cultura l Understandin g Ten New Asia student s spen t 1 0 days i n Taiwan startin g 10t h May, markin g th e beginning o f the Hon g Kong-Taiwan-Mainland Universit y Studen t Visitation Programme . Organize d by New Asia Colleg e an d National Don g Hwa University, the theme of the exchange was 'Traditio n and Modernization o f Culture' . During thei r sta y i n Hualian, the CUHK delegate s paid visits t o severa l religious groups , aborigina l inhabitants, an d primary schools . They also toured the National Park, Lintian Mountain , an d the Museu m of Ecology. Then at a symposium, they presented papers on topics related to the Hong Kong lega l system , corporate management , an d folk theatre . Activities wer e designe d to increas e their understandin g o f the evolution o f tradition an d the process o f modernization i n Taiwan . • EnglishMajors Tou r England From 1s t t o 14t h June , nin e Englis h major s fro m th e University attende d a study tour of England to appreciat e English literatur e throug h firsthan d experienc e of England's architecture , museums, contemporary culture , and natural beauty. Starting and finishing in London, th e students als o visited Oxford an d Cambridge, Stratford - upon-Avon, th e Lake District , an d Bath. Along th e way , they read and discussed some of the literature connecte d with these places, attended A Midsummer Night's Dream, and performed a scene from i t a t a workshop hel d in the newly recreate d Globe Theatre . • Co n c e rt Sh ows Originality of Mu s ic Ma j o rs Held o n 13t h June , Bauhini a Concer t 1999 , th e annua l concer t o f th e Departmen t o f Music , feature d original music written by Chung Chi students. The function was sponsored by the Quality Activities Awar d Scheme o f Chun g Ch i College , an d the ai m wa s t o promot e th e creatio n o f musi c locall y an d foste r academic exchang e i n music creation . • Going Ab r oa d t o Brus h u p Languag e Skill s Close t o 14 0 Chung Ch i student s were give n the chanc e to polish their Englis h o r putonghua fo r on e o r two month s a t respected universities aroun d the world, including the University o f Washington in the US , the University o f Waterloo in Canada, and Xi'an Jiaotong University i n China. Among them two groups o f students wer e sen t to the Oxford English Centre and the College o f St . Mark an d St. John in the UK . Apart from classes, excursions an d sightseeing tours, social programmes were arranged to enable the students t o experienc e th e loca l cultur e an d to enhanc e thei r languag e proficienc y throug h interaction s with th e locals . This Language Study Abroad Programme was first launched in 1996 and is subsidized by Chung Chi College. Secondary School Students on CU Campus • Tas t i ng the Latest in Biology Thirty-six sixth-for m biolog y student s fro m loca l secondary school s an d thei r biolog y teacher s participated i n th e firs t ' CUH K Youn g Scholar s Programme fo r Biology of the 21st Century 一 199 9 Summer Semina r Serie s and Research Camp' hel d from 12t h to 16t h July at the University. The purpose of programme wa s t o introduc e t o the participant s the latest advances i n the biological sciences . The topics of the seminars covered the fields o f biotechnology, marin e biology , environmenta l sciences and ecology. A talk was given by staff from the Education Department of the HKSAR on the development of Hong Kong's A-Level Biolog y curriculum. Th e student s were als o given the opportunity t o conduc t hands-o n experiment s under the supervision of staff from the Department o f Biology . • Experiencing Med i cal O ' C amp Over 7 0 sixt h former s fro m ove r 4 0 secondar y school s i n the territor y participate d i n th e Orientation Camp for Sixt h Formers organize d by the Faculty o f Medicine o n 30th and 31st July. Th e camp , no w i n it s secon d year, wa s held to enabl e the participants t o have a better understanding o f medicine a s a field o f stud y and as a career. The participants visited various centres and units in the teaching hospital as well as operating theatres, wher e the y wer e give n the chanc e t o observe operations close-up. Prof. Sidney Chung, dean of medicine, was there to answer questions they raised . Games and a sharing session were also arranged for the students . • Partaking in a Ma r a t hon in Science About 8 0 fourth to sixt h formers were tested on their grasp of scientific knowledg e a t the Iro n Man of Science Competition, the first ever marathon in science for secondary school students in Hong Kong. The event was organized by the Faculty of Science on 7th and 8th August. The 24-hour competition was a camp of unending excitement featuring innovative games of various natures and covering a full range of science disciplines from statistic s to Chines e medicine. Th e participants 'created ' animal s by cloning , built a German bridge, sta r gazed , and munched on New Age potato chips .