Novices’ struggles with conceptual and theoretical framing in writing dissertations and papers for publication

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Citation and plagiarism: Undergraduates writing from sources

Fulltext in http://www.cetl.hku.hk/conference2010/pdf/Li.pdfConference theme: Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher EducationCitation of sources is a hallmark of academic writing. However, in novice writers’ texts citation often goes hand in hand with plagiarism. Although student plagiarism has been a problem raising wide concern, not much research, in particular in the context of Hong Kong, has been conducted to investigate how students’ understanding of proper citation may connect to their writing practices and how teachers respond to students’ citational practices when Turnitin.com is involved in the assessment stage. Using a case study approach, the present study triangulates multiple sources of data to illuminate several students’ citational practices and the invisibility of the problematic aspects to their lecturers. We end the paper with a few pedagogical recommendations, addressing the role of subject professors and peer learning, noting the importance of using Turnitin in ways that provide teaching-learning opportunities, and advocating pedagogy that goes beyond the teaching of referencing skills

A unified concurrency control algorithm for distributed database systems

We present a unified concurrency-control algorithm for distributed database systems in which each transaction may choose its own concurrency control protocol. Specifically, they integrate two-phase locking, timestamp ordering, and precedence agreement into one unified concurrency-control scheme. They show the correctness of the scheme and study the problem of selecting the best protocol for each transaction to optimize system performance.published_or_final_versio

Regulation of cell proliferation by large-conductance calcium-activated potassium and volume-sensitive chloride channels in human cardiac fibroblasts

Oral presentationpublished_or_final_versionThe 15th Annual Research Conference of the Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 16 January 2010. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2010, v. 16, suppl. 1, p. 23, abstract no. 2

Regulation of cell proliferation by ion channels in human mesenchymal stem cells

Oral presentationpublished_or_final_versionThe 15th Annual Research Conference of the Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 16 January 2010. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2010, v. 16, suppl. 1, p. 65, abstract no. 11

Chandra and Swift X-ray Observations of the X-ray Pulsar SMC X-2 During the Outburst of 2015

We report the Chandra/HRC-S and Swift/XRT observations for the 2015 outburst of the high-mass X-ray binary pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud, SMC X-2. While previous studies suggested that either an O star or a Be star in the field is the high-mass companion of SMC X-2, our Chandra/HRC-S image unambiguously confirms the O-type star as the true optical counterpart. Using the Swift/XRT observations, we extracted accurate orbital parameters of the pulsar binary through a time of arrivals analysis. In addition, there were two X-ray dips near the inferior conjunction, which are possibly caused by eclipses or an ionized high-density shadow wind near the companion’s surface. Finally, we propose that an outflow driven by the radiation pressure from day ∼10 played an important role in the X-ray/optical evolution of the outburst.postprin

Holographic non-relativistic fermionic fixed point and bulk dipole coupling

Inspired by the recently discovered non-relativistic fermionic fixed points, we investigate how the presence of bulk dipole coupling modifies the spectral function at one of these novel fixed points. As a result, although the infinite flat band is always visible in the presence of the bulk dipole coupling as well as chemical potential, the band is modified in a remarkable way at small momenta up to the order of magnitude of bulk dipole coupling. On the other hand, like a phoenix, a new Fermi surface sprouts from the formed gap when the bulk dipole coupling is pushed up further such as to overshadow the charge parameter, which is obviously different from what is found at the relativistic fixed points.Comment: JHEP style, 1+17 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, typos corrected, references added, version to appear in JHE

Dynamic sensitivity of photon-dressed atomic ensemble with quantum criticality

We study the dynamic sensitivity of an atomic ensemble dressed by a single-mode cavity field (called a photon-dressed atomic ensemble), which is described by the Dicke model near the quantum critical point. It is shown that when an extra atom in a pure initial state passes through the cavity, the photon-dressed atomic ensemble will experience a quantum phase transition showing an explicit sudden change in its dynamics characterized by the Loschmidt echo of this quantum critical system. With such dynamic sensitivity, the Dicke model can resemble the cloud chamber for detecting a flying particle by the enhanced trajectory due to the classical phase transition. © 2009 The American Physical Society.published_or_final_versio

Identification of transient receptor potential channels in human atrial myocytes

In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17, suppl. 1, p. 68, abstract no. 115published_or_final_versionThe 16th Medical Resarch Conference (MRC), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, 22 January 2011. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17, suppl. 1, p. 68, abstract no. 11

Swift Detection of a 65 Day X-Ray Period from the Ultraluminous Pulsar NGC 7793 P13

NGC 7793 P13 is an ultraluminous X-ray source harboring an accreting pulsar. We report on the detection of a ~65 day period X-ray modulation with Swift observations in this system. The modulation period found in the X-ray band is P = 65.05 ± 0.10 days and the profile is asymmetric with a fast rise and a slower decay. On the other hand, the u-band light curve collected by Swift UVOT confirmed an optical modulation with a period of P = 64.24 ± 0.13 days. We explored the phase evolution of the X-ray and optical periodicities and propose two solutions. A superorbital modulation with a period of ~2700–4700 days probably caused by the precession of a warped accretion disk is necessary to interpret the phase drift of the optical data. We further discuss the implication if this ~65 day periodicity is caused by the superorbital modulation. Estimated from the relationship between the spin-orbital and orbital-superorbital periods of known disk-fed high-mass X-ray binaries, the orbital period of P13 is roughly estimated as 3–7 days. In this case, an unknown mechanism with a much longer timescale is needed to interpret the phase drift. Further studies on the stability of these two periodicities with a long-term monitoring could help us to probe their physical origins.postprin