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This study examined the effects of overnight orthokeratology (OK) on higher-order wavefront aberrations (HOA), axial length elongation, and accommodation. Low to moderate myopic subjects with healthy eyes wore OK lenses nightly for 9 months. Corneal topography wavefront aberrations and accommodation were measured approximately monthly. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the association between the change in peripheral corneal parameters relative to the central cornea with HOA, and the association of accommodation and axial length elongation with HOA. Thirty-three participants (mean age 19.61 years) were included. Mean baseline refraction was −2.97 D (range, −1.0 to −5.0 D). The level of spherical aberration (SA) was associated with a change in relative superior-central corneal thickness (β = −0.21, SE = 0.10, p < 0.037) and with the increased difference in superior-central corneal curvature (β = 0.34, SE = 0.15, p = 0.026). The change of coma increased with the change in relative superior corneal curvature (β = 0.84, SE = 0.18, p < 0.001). Axial length elongation was associated with both horizontal coma (β = 0.19, SE = 0.07, p = 0.018) and SA (β = 0.20, SE = 0.07, p = 0.003). While accommodation and axial length were correlated with HOA, axial length elongation was not correlated with accommodation in OK lens wearers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates empirically the ethical values of law students in Hong Kong in their final two years of legal education. It first analyses the demographics of these law students before examining their responses to different ethical dilemmas. The findings suggest that feminisation has taken place in Hong Kong law schools. The study also found that a new generation of law students is emerging in Hong Kong that put more emphasis on the value of work-life balance. Finally, the article argues that common law education has enhanced the professionalism of law students in Hong Kong and has contributed to their development of such professional values as ‘professional integrity’, ‘obedience to the law’ and ‘civil duty’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information on the implementation of the 'Provisional Stipulations on Open Access to Information in People's Procuratorate Cases' by the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China on October 1, 2014. It informs that the Stipulations aimed at increasing the open public access to information about legal cases and strengthening the transparency of procurators' works in the country. It also mentions that Stipulations may result in effective dissemination of information in cases.

Purpose: Underestimation of IOP in a myopic patient may lead to misjudgment of the risk of glaucoma. This study investigated the influence of orthokeratology-induced change in CCT on IOP measured by the non-contact pneumotonometer (NCT), Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), and Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (PDCT). Methods: This study was conducted to examine the eyes of 34 patients who received orthokeratology for myopia. CCT and IOP were measured, and IOP was obtained with the NCT, GAT, and PDCT. The associations between changes in measured IOP and change in CCT at different orthokeratology follow-up time points were evaluated by linear regression analysis. Results: Change in IOP measured by the three tonometries correlated significantly with change in CCT after one-week application of orthokeratology. The correlation was strongest for NCT followed by GAT and PDCT. The changes in measured IOP corresponding to a 10 μm decrease in CCT were 0.7-0.9, 0.4-0.6, and 0.2-0.3 mm Hg for NCT, GAT, and PDCT, respectively. Conclusions: The IOP measured by the three methods - NCT, GAT, and PDCT - decreased as a result of the change in CCT induced by orthokeratology. The influence on NCT and GAT was greater than that on PDCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, second chance assessment involves giving students a first assessment and then the opportunity to take the same or a similar assessment again. Most of the existing literature suggests that the term 'second chance assessment' is synonymous with supplementary assessment, or re-sitting an examination, and is designed for students who have failed. This study has expanded the concept of second chance assessment to mean an assessment practice that focuses on the feedback given between the first and second chance assessment or 'feed-forward'. In this study, students taking the elective course Property Transactions II in the Postgraduate Certificate in Law at the University of Hong Kong took a first assessment under examination conditions and received group and individual feedback on their performance before they took a second assessment in the format of examination a week later. The feedback given through this second chance assessment improved the overall examination performance of students, most of whom were enthusiastic about the new assessment practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 24 April, 2001, Hong Kong adopted a new Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. This represents the efforts of Hong Kong to strengthen management of its domain name disputes, particularly for 'cybersquatting' cases. This article first analyses the salient features of the Policy, including grounds for complaints, rights of complainants, confusingly similar domain names, use of domain names, evidence of registration and use in bad faith, and legitimate interests of domain name owners. The article evaluates the merits of the Policy, including its flexibility, low cost and time-saving efficiency. It also evaluates its demerits, including its restrictive scope, bias toward trademark owners, inadequate coverage for 'reverse domain name hijacking', limited range of remedies, and possibilities for further court proceedings. The article then concludes that the Policy is laudable as it demonstrates the determination and intention of Hong Kong to observe the international standards and practice in its information technology laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the opinion piece "Opinion on Further Strengthening the Discipline of Law Firms" issued by the All China Lawyers' Association (ACLA) on March 29, 2013. It informs that the opinion focuses on strengthening the state of lawyers' discipline in China. It mentions that the opinion proposes disciplinary reforms in complaint investigation process, complaints-handling processes, and public notification system.

The article reports on the changes in the principles and regulation in China that aims to strengthen the judicial ethics in nation. It notes that the Supreme People's Court of China promulgated a revised version of the Basic Principles of the Professional Ethics of Judges, together with a similar revised version of the Regulation on Judicial Behaviour, on December 6, 2010. It provides examples related to the changes in the principles, which outlines the general obligations that judges are to observe in discharging their duties. It also offers situations regarding the changes in the regulations, which presents detailed procedures for judges to follow in their daily administration of justice.

The article focuses on the annual working report of Mr. Wang Shengjun, the President of the Supreme People's Court of China, and the measures developed by the Department of Justice to sanction the unlawful activities of lawyers. Wang highlights the problems being faced in the Chinese courts including ineffective guidance and supervision and the poor attitudes of judges. It mentions that the report showed an increasing number of court cases in the Supreme Court with 13,318 ongoing cases in 2009 and 11,749 concluded cases. The article explains that the measures prohibit lawyers from practicing in more than one law firm.

The article discusses the issue of legal ethics in China relative to the bribing of judges by lawyers. It cites three bribery cases which include the case of former President of City Western District People's Court Guo Shenggui who received a sentence of death penalty, the case of six lawyers in Anhui Province who bribed two judges of the Intermediate Level People's Court of Fuyang City and the President of Taihe County People's Court and the case of a client called Li Huaxin whose court litigation was dealt by the High Level People's Court of Guangdong Province. It notes the criminal sanctions inflicted to lawyers involved these cases including Zhang Ruping, Wu Min, Gao Guilan, and Jiang Lihua.

The article provides information on The Five Prohibitions notice promulgated by the Supreme People's Court in line with improving judicial ethics in China. It states that the Notice prevents judges in the country from engaging in five categories of conduct, which are receiving or accepting of gifts from parties in court litigation, having improper contact with lawyers, intervening in court cases of other judges, engaging in corruption for personal gain, and disclosing secrets in judicial work. Furthermore, the Notice sets out sanctions for breaches.

The article presents information on the measures taken by China for improving legal ethics regulation in local and national level. A focus is on the role of Supreme People's Court of China in restraining the law practice of the spouses and children of court leaders and trial judges within the jurisdiction of their court. The need of change of job or removal from the position of court leaderships is discussed. In case the party cadres and trial judges give resignation then they will be provided new posts with the same remuneration and rank. The problems related to judicial corruption are also discussed.

The article reports on the efforts of the city governments of Chungking, Beijing and Shanghai in China to deal with the ethical problems associated with the practices of lawyers and judges. The Chungking Department of Justice has decided to enforce administrative penalties on seven lawyers who were convicted of different offenses, and has adopted a system of public notice in which information about lawyers and law firms having disciplinary sanctions and penalties will be published on the internet. Meanwhile, a lawyer named Liu in Beijing has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for receiving and giving bribes. Moreover, the Shanghai government has launched the one party withdrawal scheme calling judicial officers whose spouses were lawyers to withdraw from their positions.

In a recent adoptive cell therapy (ACT) clinical trial using autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in patients with metastatic melanoma, we found an association between CD8+T cells expressing the inhibitory receptor B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and clinical response. Here, we further characterized this CD8+BTLA+TIL subset and their CD8+BTLA−counterparts. We found that the CD8+BTLA+TILs had an increased response to IL-2, were less-differentiated effector-memory (TEM) cells, and persisted longerin vivoafter infusion. In contrast, CD8+BTLA−TILs failed to proliferate and expressed genes associated with T-cell deletion/tolerance. Paradoxically, activation of BTLA signaling by its ligand, herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), inhibited T-cell division and cytokine production, but also activated the Akt/PKB pathway thus protecting CD8+BTLA+TILs from apoptosis. Our results point to a new role of BTLA as a useful T-cell differentiation marker in ACT and a dual signaling molecule that curtails T-cell activation while also conferring a survival advantage for CD8+T cells. These attributes may explain our previous observation that BTLA expression on CD8+TILs correlates with clinical response to adoptive T-cell therapy in metastatic melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]