Why a managerialist pursuit will not necessarily lead to achievement of MDGs

With case studies on Millennium Development Goal (MDG)-oriented reform projects in Vietnam, this article focuses upon a persistent dilemma in attempting to turn worthy goals into implementable programmes and sustainable results. How to achieve these goals is uncertain, but modern performance management, as expressed in Logical Frameworks, demands certainty. The article suggests how an open management style can allow for pragmatic adaptation to circumstances; or, more radically, how Log Frames could be redesigned to focus upon interpretation of contextual challenges. But such a dynamic requires a high degree of delegation and an acceptance that accountability must also be an interactive learning process.     

Klebsiella meningitis mimicking clinical deterioration from hemorrhage of a complex posterior fossa arteriovenous malformation

We report a case of a 33-year-old male with a history of complex posterior fossa arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with partial resection done in China; at follow-up in our unit, he presented with a 1-day history of acute deterioration of consciousness level after minor head injury. The clinical and radiologic features were compatible with spontaneous hemorrhage from the AVM, and the patient died 1 day after admission. However, postmortem examination revealed the direct cause of death was due to Klebsiella meningitis. The clinical catch is highlighted, and the importance of early and prompt detection of this condition is emphasized.     

Significance of sequence of strokes in Chinese handwriting examination

This paper reports a statistical study on the sequence of strokes of 61 commonly encountered Chinese radicals and characters written by 372 invited subjects. The distribution of different writing sequence of these Chinese radicals and characters was examined. Comparison of the sequence of strokes executed by the subjects with the standard rule of writing these Chinese radicals and characters revealed that around 60% of the subjects wrote in the correct sequence. Pair comparison of sequences of strokes in Chinese handwriting among the 372 subjects was also performed. The results demonstrated that no two individuals wrote all the 61 radicals and characters with the same sequence of strokes. The findings indicate that, despite some basic rules governing the writing sequence of Chinese characters, writers tend to develop their own habits. The findings also support the hypothesis that the handwriting of experienced writers is individual.     

Individuality of handwritten Arabic numerals in local population

This paper reports the statistical study of writing habits for Arabic Numerals of 187 subjects in Hong Kong. A classification system of writing habits for Arabic numerals based on assigned codes of characteristic features such as slant, writing direction, relative position of strokes, angularity of turnings, shape of initial and ending strokes, etc. was developed. A set of characteristic codes representing the profile of writing habits pertaining to Arabic numerals was assigned to each writer. Apart from the distribution of characteristic features, statistical analysis of the assigned codes demonstrated homogeneity of individual hand-writing patterns. It has been shown that irrespective of the structural simplicity of Arabic numerals, no two individuals exhibited the same set of characteristic codes. The findings support the hypothesis of individuality in handwriting.     

Unique case of fatal carbon monoxide poisoning in the absence of a combustible fossil fuel

A 37-year-old man died as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide within an apartment. An investigation of the apartment showed no gas appliances or gas supply to the apartment and no evidence of any combustion event to any part of the apartment or roof space. Inhalation of dichloromethane was excluded. Heating to the apartment was found to be via an electrical storage heater, the examination of which revealed that the cast-iron core and insulating material showed evidence of heat damage with significant areas devoid of carbon. This electric storage heater is hypothesized to be the source of carbon for the fatal production of carbon monoxide within the apartment.     

The Cultural Transfer In Legal Translation

This paper will first explore legal translation from the semiotics approach. The sign developing process demands that in legal translation linguistic units cannot be exchanged in isolation from the legal cultural concepts. Some scholars equate legal equivalence with the extent to which the same legal effect can be produced in the target text. This paper will show the difficulties of achieving the same legal effect in the target text in view of the indeterminacy of word meaning in the source text, and will conclude from the analysis the best way of translating a legal text.     

Sudden death associated with solitary intracavitary right atrial metastatic tumour deposit.

We report a case of cardiac metastasis of primary adrenal cortical carcinoma to the endocardium of the right atrium resulting in an intracavitary mass which we believe caused sudden death by blocking the tricuspid valve orifice. We have been unable to find a similar case previously reported although primary atrial myxoma is well known to be a rare cause of sudden cardiac death by the same mechanism. Modern non-invasive imaging techniques have facilitated recognition of intracavitary cardiac metastases, and with surgical intervention, when feasible, the risk of sudden cardiac death can be reduced.     

Contrasting psychosocial outcomes in Chinese delinquent adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder symptoms and/or reading disability

Many studies reported high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability (RD) among delinquent adolescents. Very few have examined their psychosocial outcomes. The present study compared the psychosocial outcomes and delinquency outcomes in Chinese juvenile delinquents with ADHD symptoms (AS) and/or RD. Delinquents with AS (n = 29), RD (n = 24) and their comorbidity (n = 35) were recruited from juvenile institutions along with typically developing controls (n = 29) from local schools; all completed questionnaire on psychosocial characteristics and delinquency outcomes. Participants with AS were associated with poor academic orientation whereas participants with RD were characterized with negative main effects across all psychosocial constructs being tested. The comorbid group performed similar to the RD group yet it exhibited a significantly higher delinquency severity. The present findings provide a better picture of the unique psychosocial profile associated with different groups, allowing for better matching for future identification and intervention programme.     

Chemical profiling of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) tablets seized in Hong Kong

During 2000-2001, the Government Laboratory of Hong Kong received over 600,000 ecstasy tablets in more than 2,600 cases. Using GC-MS or FTIR, the major amphetamine-type stimulants were identified, and the samples were categorized into four groups containing: (1) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), (2) methamphetamine (MA), (3) 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), or (4) amphetamine. Our study revealed that in Hong Kong MDMA tablets have made up 98 and 71% of the total ecstasy tablets examined in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Among the MDMA cases, 613 cases involving a total of 123,776 tablets in 2001 were randomly selected, and their active ingredients, minor ingredients, and/or impurities were studied using GC-MS and HPLC. Based on the chemical profiles, and irrespective of their different physical characteristics, tablets obtained in different seizures could be determined as to whether or not they could have come from a common origin. The impurities detected in the MDMA tablets also served as excellent chemical markers from which plausible synthetic route(s) of the MDMA were inferred. Our study revealed that 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone (MDP2P), 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanol (MDP), 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylbenzylamine (MDB), piperonal and N-formyl-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (N-formyl-MDMA) were the most common impurities detected in MDMA tablets seized in Hong Kong. The finding of the phosphate salt of MDMA is intriguing. Based on a presumptive color test, spectroscopic data (FTIR/ESI-MS) and the percentage of MDMA content in a purified phosphate salt of MDMA, the ratio of the phosphate to MDMA was determined to be 1:1, suggesting that the compound is a dihydrogen phosphate salt [i.e. (HMDMA)H2PO4].