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The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively assess the three-dimensional (3D) geometry and symmetry of the torso for spinal deformity and the use of orthotic bracewear by using non-invasive 3D body scanning technology.

In pursuing greater accuracy of body anthropometric measurements to improve the fit and design of apparel, 3D body scanning technology and image analysis provide many more advantages over the traditional manual methods that use contact measurements. To measure the changes in the torso geometry and profile symmetry of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, five individuals are recruited to undergo body scanning both with and without wearing a rigid brace during a period of six months. The cross-sectional areas and profiles of the reconstructed 3D torso models are examined to evaluate the level of body symmetry.

Significant changes in the cross-sectional profile are found amongst four of the patients over the different visits for measurements (p < 0.05), which are consistent with the X-rays results. The 3D body scanning system can reliably evaluate changes in the body geometry of patients with scoliosis. Nevertheless, improvements in the symmetry of the torso are found to be somewhat inconsistent among the patients and across different visits.

This pilot study demonstrates a practical and safe means to measure and analyse the torso geometry and symmetry so as to allow for more frequent evaluations, which would result in effective and optimal treatment of spinal deformation.

This paper aims to examine the UK’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) policies under Margaret Thatcher’s era in the 1980s, with a view to understand the success stories, historical development and the structures of Chinese family business through a case study of See Woo Holdings Ltd.

The authors have achieved the objective on the study of the SMEs policies under Margaret Thatcher through critical evaluation of the historical literatures, books, journals and newspapers. The study on overseas Chinese business and the case of See Woo Holdings Ltd. is mainly through the research of the Chinese overseas in the UK and Southeast Asia, and the companies report from the Companies House in the UK. The authors have used the latest 2011 UK Census statistics and academic reports to locate the most current demographic changes and Chinese business characteristics in the UK and the Northeast of England.

First, the UK’s SMEs policies under Margaret Thatcher were quite receptive towards the ethnic business. Second, the case of See Woo Holdings Ltd. indicates that family business networks are still one of the characteristics of Chinese business. Finally, the broader UK’s SMEs policies play an important role in this case study.

The authors provide a tentative linkage between the UK’s SMEs policies under Margaret Thatcher and Chinese family business. In addition, the case study of See Woo Holdings Ltd. improves the current understanding of Chinese family business with a clearer picture about their structure, practice, characteristics and development.

This study examines the entry mode and ownership strategies in China, South‐East Asia and Western Europe made by manufacturing firms in Taiwan. The results find that when the larger, high R&D and high advertising intensive Taiwanese manufacturing firms invest in China, South‐East Asia and Western Europe, they would be likely to choose the greenfield‐WFOE entry. On the other hand, when these firms have the most foreign investing experiences and the longest investing history in China, South‐East Asia and Western Europe, the acquisition‐WFOE entry would tend to be preferred. Finally, this study proposes relevant implications for practice in the conclusion.

The ‘managed stock’ market in Taiwan is neglected by the authorities and general investors. In this paper, we explore the link between financial trait and stock price changes in this special market.

Overall, we analyze and discuss managerial implications for institutional investors, general investors and the authorities as well.

Examines the recent research on advertising in mainland China over the 1979‐1998 period. Suggests that findings show a sustained effort in academic research/publications on advertising in China is in the early stage of its development and whilst many areas have been researched, there are many more yet to be touched. Concludes that the research is seldom based on established theoretical or conceptual framework and the research methods and types of analysis used have not been very advanced when compared to general advertising research.

The paper's objective is to empirically study the effects of building refurbishment on the prices of the dwelling units in a contiguous housing estate in Hong Kong.

In a congested living environment like Hong Kong, it is difficult, if not impossible, to have a view unobstructed by buildings. As such, the quality of views is dependent on the aesthetic quality of surrounding buildings. It is likely that poorly maintained buildings will impose negative visual effects on their immediate surroundings. Refurbishing these poor buildings should, therefore, reduce or even counter this negative externality. To study the positive externality brought about by building refurbishment, a hedonic price analysis was conducted on a set of panel data consisting of property transactions in a large housing estate located in Pokfulam. This estate was chosen because its adjoining buildings underwent refurbishment in 1998.

The results showed that the refurbishment increased significantly the prices of those properties which faced refurbished buildings, keeping other things constant. The increments, on average, amounted 6.6 per cent of the prices of the properties.

Building refurbishment can have various scopes and scales but this study did not consider how the characteristics of the building refurbishment affected the prices of neighbourhood properties.

Given the problems of aging buildings in most urban areas, the results presented significant practical implications for building refurbishment and urban renewal as a whole. Developers or property owners may be lured to invest in the refurbishment of adjacent dilapidated properties with a view to enhancing the values of their own properties.

Although previous studies analytically suggested that building refurbishment created positive externality, this study is the first attempt to explore this connection.

The Communist revolution in China has led to the appearance in this country of increasing numbers of Chinese books in Russian translation. The Chinese names in Cyrillic transcription have presented many librarians and students with a new problem, that of identifying the Cyrillic form of a name with the customary Wade‐Giles transcription. The average cataloguer, the first to meet the problem, has two obvious lines of action, and neither is satisfactory. He can save up the names until he has a chance to consult an expert in Chinese. Apart altogether from the delay, the expert, confronted with a few isolated names, might simply reply that he could do nothing without the Chinese characters, and it is only rarely that Soviet books supply them. Alternatively, he can transliterate the Cyrillic letters according to the system in use in his library and leave the matter there for fear of making bad worse. As long as the writers are not well known, he may feel only faintly uneasy; but the appearance of Chzhou Ėn‐lai (or Čžou En‐laj) upsets his equanimity. Obviously this must be entered under Chou; and we must have Mao Tse‐tung and not Mao Tsze‐dun, Ch'en Po‐ta and not Chėn' Bo‐da. But what happens when we have another . . . We can hardly write Ch'en unless we know how to represent the remaining elements in the name; yet we are loth to write Ch'en in one name and Chėn' in another.

The academic research into underpricing of initial public offerings (IPOs) offers many explanations, i.e. signalling, financial and market hypothesis. However, another set of information, namely, “Qualitative Factors” (along with financial and others), are largely reported by the issuing firms in the prospectus. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge no such systematic study has been carried out on how firms’ qualitative factors impact the IPO valuation. This paper aims to addresses this gap.

Using a sample of 82 IPOs issued from 2014 to 2020, we investigate the issuing firm’s pattern of reporting qualitative factors. These qualitative factors are subjected to factor analysis. The authors classify all reported factors across firms into a few categories using principal component analysis. The authors also investigate the impact of these factors on IPO underpricing using OLS regression.

The authors find that the qualitative information relating to market leadership, established brand image and modern scalable information technology infrastructure significantly influences underpricing. The authors also document that market leadership and brand image are the influential reported quality factors that reduce underpricing. Moreover, location advantage, good customer relationship, established relationship with a client, track record of growth and profitability, experienced promoter and management team failed to influence underpricing.

The outcome of this piece of research offers additional signalling as an attestation of quality for the issue. The authors further argue that the amount of qualitative information disclosed by the managers in the prospectus to support the pricing should not be ignored.

This paper uses a probit model to analyse 100 observations in terms of three hypotheses about the formation of owners’ corporations in high‐density private housing estates in Hong Kong within the context of Mancur Olson’s group theory. The findings do not reject the theory, revealing that it is more likely for an older urban estate with fewer owners to form owners’ corporations. The discussion includes a brief introduction to Olson’s group theory and the development of the probit analysis. Some speculative thoughts about public participation in local level urban management and planning are offered in the conclusion.