Asia Research News 2012

asia researchnews 2012

A R e s e a r c h S E A p u b l i c a t i o n t o h i g h l i g h t r e s e a r c h i n A s i a

The Asian ResearchNetwork...

Research recovers after natural disasters...

Mobile innovation villages...

Nano-magnets for cancer treatment...

Safeguarding air travel.. The weird

and wonderful world of frogs

The weird and wonderful world of frogs

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3 C O N T E N T S

Editor-in-Chief

Magdeline Pokar

Editor

Djuke Veldhuis

Editorial Consultants

Daniel Raymer

Ruth Francis

Writers

Emma Stoye and Ian Fyfe

Design

Fulton Design

Front Cover Image

Professor Indraneil Das

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Asia Research News 2012 is

published by ResearchSEA

Limited, Asia’s premier

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awareness of Asian

research and experts.

Research featured in Asia

Research News 2012 is

based on information

provided by the research

institutions listed in the

contact information.

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ensure the accuracy of

information and aims of the

projects featured. Readers

are advised to contact the

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Asia Research News 2012,

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www.asiaresearchnews.com

Welcome to the 2012 edition of Asia Research News, ResearchSEA’s annual publication

highlighting the latest research developments from across Asia. Much of the research

presented in this issue relates one way or another to understanding changing environments

and livelihoods across Asia. Corresponding technological and cultural innovations which

help communities live and thrive in a sustainable manner also feature prominently.

In an ever changing world where resources are dwindling and unevenly distributed it pays

to be innovative. Scientists are working with populations across Asia to increase production and

consumption of local food resources in a sustainable manner (Agriculture/Aquaculture pages

4-7; Environment pages 22-24). Meanwhile biologists are unravelling new secrets about frogs,

brains, stem cells and stress (Biology pages 8-13). Methods to reduce energy consumption,

carbon dioxide emissions and cancer causing chemicals are also high on the agenda

(Chemistry pages 16-18).

Constant technological advancements and a proliferation in cloud and mobile computing

are creating new opportunities for users, but also pose challenges for data and memory

storage providers (Computing pages 19-21). The ease with which technology now allows

communication across borders and cultures is bringing researchers together and providing a

lifeline for communities affected by natural disasters (People pages 30-36).

Asia’s innovative spirit shines through whether in the form of Hong Kong’s Stonecutters

Bridge, developments in solar power, air travel, medical devices or jet engines (Physics pages

37-38; Technology pages 39-44) and with this issue ResearchSEA continues its commitment to

promoting the very best research from across Asia.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of a new website,

also entitled Asia Research News www.asiaresearchnews.com. In addition, to featuring the

articles from the print issue, it will carry on-going articles and analysis of the latest research

coming out of Asia.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as we did putting it together and would welcome

any feedback you might have.

Editor's Desk

4

B I O L O G Y

8

B U S I N E S S

14

A G R I C U L T U R E

16

C O M P U T E R S

19

E N V I R O N M E N T

22

C H E M I S T R Y

25

P E O P L E

30

P H Y S I C S

37

H E A L T H

40

T E C H N O L O G Y w w w . a s i a r e s e a r c h n e w s . c o m

4

New support for minormilletsScientists and farmers in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

are working together to increase production and

consumption of small millets, pulses and oil seeds.

Minor millets have always been an important and

nutritious part of the diets of small-scale farmers and

indigenous groups in South Asia. These crops have a lot

to offer. They tolerate difficult growing conditions, are

easily stored, and could provide smallholders with

resilience in the face of climate change, disease and

pests.

However, traditional crops like these have

consistently been neglected by government policies,

which tend to favour major cereals such as rice and

wheat, and exportable cash crops like coffee.

Research teams working in eight regions in India,

Nepal and Sri Lanka aim to conserve threatened millet

varieties, improve crop yields, and recover village-based

seed systems. They are developing tool kits that will help

promote sustainable farming practices within

communities, and are exploring technologies that make

processing quicker and easier for the women who

usually perform this task. Their overall goal: to improve

nutrition and boost incomes in smallholder families and

indigenous groups.

The project is supported by the Canadian

International Food Security Research Fund, a joint

program of the International Development Research

Centre and the Canadian International Development

Agency. The Fund brings together scientists from

Canada and developing countries in collaborative

research that aims to solve immediate and specific food

security challenges in the developing world.

A G R I C U L T U R E & A Q U A C U L T U R E

For further information contact:Isabelle Bourgeault-TasséInternational Development Research Centre, CanadaEmail: [email protected]

Millets have been used as a food source for centuries

Simone D

. McC

ourtie/World B

ank

5

For further information contact:Dr Ken ShirasuRIKEN Plant Science Center, JapanEmail: [email protected]

A G R I C U L T U R E & A Q U A C U L T U R E

Battling potato blightAt RIKEN’s Plant Science Center scientists have

discovered that a protein released by the potato blight

pathogen P. infestans uses a sticky patch of amino

acids to adhere to potato plant cells, thereby avoiding

immune detection.

Late blight of potato is an economically devastating

disease affecting potato farmers all over the world.

Potato blight was a major cause in the 1840s European

potato famines, and today it is responsible for causing

tens of billions of dollars’ worth of damage every year.

Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen which causes late

blight, continues to thwart eradication efforts. It has

evolved to overcome many fungicides and even major

resistance genes that have been bred into commercial

potatoes.

In order to supress the immune response of its

host, P. infestans produces molecules called disease

effectors. Scientists in Japan and the UK have

determined the molecular structure of the disease

effector called ‘avirulence protein 3a’ (AVR3a), which is

known to inhibit disease defences in potato plants.

The team used a technique called nuclear magnetic

resonance spectroscopy to study the configuration of

AVR3a. They identified a patch of positively charged

amino acids which is found in all the different versions

of AVR3a from P. infestans and another pathogen called

P. sojae, indicating that this part of the overall structure

could be important to the infection process.

To determine whether the newly identified section of

positively charged amino acids is essential for the

disease effector to stick to potato cells, the team

developed a strain of mutant P.infestans whose AVR3a

protein lacked the positively charged patch. They found

that without this patch the mutant effectors are unable

to attach to the potato cell membrane, which suggests

that by binding to the cell membrane

AVR3a may help P. infestans evade

the potato’s immune

system.

Ken Shirasu, one

of the researchers

involved, says that

the next challenge

is to determine

how AVR3a

molecules and

other disease

effectors from

P. infestans get

into the host

from the site of

infection.

“Developing

ways to block the

action of AVR3a and

other disease effectors

will provide means to

control this damaging crop

disease,” he said.

Infected potatoes are shrunken and rotted.

A step towards droughttolerant cropsA gene that helps plants to conserve water has been

identified at RIKEN’s Plant Science Center in Yokohama,

Japan. The discovery could hold the key to developing

drought tolerant crop varieties.

In order to survive and grow, plants need a constant

supply of water. Water is taken up through the plants roots,

but is also lost through tiny pores on the leaves called

stomata, which plants must open to take in carbon dioxide.

During drought, plants protect themselves from

excessive water loss by

closely regulating the

opening and closing of

the stomata. Each pore

is flanked by a pair of

kidney-shaped guard

cells. When the plant

dries out, a plant

hormone called

abscisic acid signals to

these guard cells to

change shape, and this

closes the stomata.

Only when sufficient

water is available do

the guard cells change

back to their original shape, opening the pore and allowing

water to pass through once more.

The molecular mechanisms underlying these

processes are poorly understood. Takashi Kuromori and

his colleagues at RIKEN’s Plant Science Center wanted to

understand them better.

Working with the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana,

they identified a gene called AtABCG22, which is expressed

in guard cells and regulates stomatal opening and closing.

The gene codes for a protein, which uses chemical energy

stored in a biological molecule called Adenosine

Triphosphate (ATP) to ferry molecules like abscisic acid

across cell membranes.

When water evaporates out of the pores in plant

leaves, it has a cooling effect on the leaf. The researchers

created mutant plants which didn’t produce the AtABCG22protein, and used thermal imaging to monitor their water

loss. These mutants lost water much more rapidly than

normal plants, and were more susceptible to drought

stress.

“These findings imply that AtABCG22 plays a role in

stomatal regulation and in protecting plants against

drought stress,” says Kuromori.

Further experiments, in which the researchers cross

bred different mutant plants, revealed that the AtABCG22gene interacts with other genes involved in metabolism,

transport and signalling.

“Our next task will be to identify the exact target

molecules of AtABCG22,” said Kuromori. “We hope that

our work will eventually lead to the breeding of drought-

tolerant crop varieties.”

For further information contact:Dr Takashi KuromoriRIKEN Plant Science Center, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Electron microscope image of a single stomaon the underside of a tomato leaf

6A G R I C U L T U R E & A Q U A C U L T U R E

Reducing the impactsof shrimp farmingResearchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

(UNIMAS) have shown that sedimentation ponds can

help remove harmful toxins and nutrients from shrimp

farm wastewater.

Aquaculture, the farming of fish and shellfish, plays

a major role in providing essential protein to humans,

and is growing in importance as a way of ensuring food

security for a rapidly expanding global population. A

recent report named aquaculture as one of the fastest

growing food production sectors globally.

But there are growing concerns about the negative

impacts of aquaculture in some areas. In Malaysian

shrimp farms, water left behind after

harvest is very dirty, contaminated with

toxins and nutrients and choked with

particles. Releasing this wastewater into

waterways can have extremely detrimental

effects on wildlife. Excess nutrients can

trigger algal blooms, which starve other

aquatic organisms of light and oxygen.

Suspended particles can interfere with the

ability of filter feeders, such as clams and

krill, to obtain food, which can also impact

organisms higher up in the food chain.

Retaining shrimp pond water for

treatment before releasing it back into

waterways is one way to avoid such

problems, and this can be done using

sedimentation ponds. These ponds catch

runoff and hold wastewater while the

debris and contaminants settle out to

become sediment.

Researchers at UNIMAS wanted to

assess the benefit of using these ponds to

improve the quality of shrimp farm

wastewater. They tested the effect of

leaving the water in ponds to stand for 76

hours by measuring the concentrations of various

chemicals before and after at different depths

throughout the ponds.

They observed a significant improvement in water

quality after 76 hours with significant reductions in

suspended particles, organic compounds and nutrients

such as nitrates, nitrites and phosphates. The water

quality was much better at one third of the pond depth

than at two thirds depth, showing a tendency for debris

to sink downwards.

Nevertheless, the improvement achievable by

sedimentation ponds is limited. According to current

guidelines, only the cleaner top third of the pond water is

suitable for release following this kind of treatment, as

the bottom two thirds still contains harmful levels of

nutrients. This is likely to be due to processes occurring

in the sediment, and for more dramatic improvements

other methods of waste water management must be

considered.

For further information contact:Dr Lee NyantiFaculty of Resource Science and Technology,Universiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

Dorina A

ndress

A reliable fish supplyfor the PhilippinesMilkfish (Chanos chanos, known locally as bangus)

accounts for about half of the farmed fish production

in the Philippines.

An important source of animal protein, milkfish is

vital to the country’s food security. The Philippines

Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources recently celebrated the 25th

anniversary of its first success at milkfish spawning in

captivity. Today, fish farmers in the Philippines have a

larger, more reliable supply of milkfish fry (seed stock)

than they did 25 years ago, as well as better feeding and

rearing methods for this popular, nutritious, and

affordable fish. Improvements came thanks to

pioneering research by a multinational team of

scientists at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development

Center (SEAFDEC), who were given funding and

technical support by the International Development

Research Centre (IDRC).


7 A G R I C U L T U R E & A Q U A C U L T U R E

Managing forests for asustainable futureA new project in the Philippines aims to empower

communities by helping them use forest resources to

build sustainable livelihoods.

In some areas of the Philippines, local people are

granted ownership or stewardship of areas of forest by

the government, the idea being that they will use and

manage the various resources effectively, and thrive as a

community. Unfortunately, these kinds of schemes often

fail, particularly when the communities involved are

incipient – meaning the people who have been brought

together have no shared history or culture, and no

existing stream of benefits from an established

livelihood.

Education and training about how to manage land

and other resources are necessary for such

communities to succeed. Now, Dr F. Charito Sebastian of

the University of the Philippines Diliman has launched a

project to develop an education and training programme

that can enable incipient forest communities to carry out

livelihood activities that will become their main source of

income.

The dual training system (DTS) is being trialled with

a community in Zambales on the island of Luzon. This

community is made up of people from many different

cultural backgrounds – all of whom were displaced from

their original homes after the catastrophic eruption of

nearby Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.

The educational programs featured are delivered in

collaboration with local schools and a state university.

The dual training system (DTS), a joint school and

workplace apprenticeship, is applied in agro-forestry in

this project in a manner that modifies the rigid

requirement of the country's DTS law. The modification

in the law's application is made as an experimental

research in the light of the conditions in poor rural

communities (for example, the pilot community in

Zambales) where training providers are small farmers

applying technologies that improve farm yields and

income. Members of the community are being taught

how to create and manage agro-forestry systems, a

practice which combines key elements of both

agriculture and forestry. This will enable farmers to grow

food crops while simultaneously managing the forest.

Community leaders are also being trained in dairy

farming, which is expected to bring several benefits to

the region, including improved infant health and

nutrition, as well as a decreasing reliance on expensive

imports.

It is hoped that the project will fill the gaps in the

government’s attempts to boost development among

these communities. Should the project be an overall

success, there are plans to set up similar projects

elsewhere in Luzon, and the rest of the Philippines.

Dr F. C

harito Imperial-Sebastian

Communities are learning how to combine forestry and agriculture

For further information contact:Dr F. Charito Imperial-SebastianUniversity of the Philippines Diliman Email: [email protected]

The weird and wonderful world of frogs

8B I O L O G Y

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (UNIMAS) Institute of

Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation has a

long tradition in herpetology, the study of amphibians

and reptiles. ResearchSEA spoke to Prof. Indraneil

Das to find out about recent discoveries of new

species, frog ‘hunting’ and the interaction between

frogs and humans.

“Right now my table is full of bottles filled with

unknown species that have yet to be identified,” says

Prof. Das. His humble nature and down-to-earth

fieldwork ethic is refreshing in a time when many

scientific disciplines are focused on the ‘high tech’.

With enthusiasm he explains that the great thing about

biology is that you only need a pencil and a note book to

make a start. This approach continues to serve him

well: he recently re-discovered a species last seen in the

1920’s (see p. 9). Then in 2004, Prof. Das and Alexander

Haas, from the University of Hamburg in Germany,

discovered one of the world’s smallest frogs, Microhylanepenthicola. Male adults of this species grow to less

than one centimetre in length. “But,” says Prof. Das,

“just describing species is so protracted; it’s not very

interesting. I am much more interested in learning

about species’ life history.”

Masters of Survival

Broadly speaking, a species’ life history (or life cycle)

refers to the schedule and duration of key events during

its life. Natural selection influences individuals from

conception to death. By understanding how organisms

successfully cope with their environment, it is possible

to build up a picture of the evolutionary and ecological

basis for everything, from the way a frog looks to how it

behaves.

Take for example, tiny Microhyla nepenthicola. It is

named after a species of plant, Nepenthes ampullaria,

because the

frogs attach

their eggs to

the inside of the

plant’s pitcher-

shaped leaves.

The plant has

retained its

ability to

capture, kill and

partially digest

insects, but has

moved away

from carnivory

towards a diet

based on leaf

litter and other

organic matter.

Nevertheless,

it will still

consume

insects such as ants by digesting them in liquid filled

sacks. So how do newly hatched frogs survive? The

tadpoles are unharmed by the plant’s digestive liquid

and the froglets’ tiny feet are specially adapted to help

them climb up the pitcher’s slippery interior. Thus, the

plant serves as a protective barrier against animals or

birds that would otherwise prey on the tadpoles.

By understanding how this tiny frog interacts with

its environment, how it breeds, where it lives and what it

eats, researchers are also in a better position to protect

such species in future. Species do not thrive in isolation.

Trying to ‘save the tiger’ without consideration for the

forest it lives in is as futile as trying to grow plants

without water. The same is true for this tiny frog.

Marrying culture and conservation

To find out more on this issue, UNIMAS researchers

have been investigating human attitudes towards

amphibians in various indigenous societies, and

examining the effect on amphibian conservation.

Information was gathered from several sources,

including cultural artifacts, ancient texts documenting

folklore, beliefs and taboos, the uses of amphibians for

biological control, food and medicine and their

representation in advertisements, models, toys and

other products.

Many cultures respect frogs and other amphibians

for their role in controlling insect populations. This has

been recognised in China since ancient times. A Sung

Dynasty edict (1250 AD) prohibited the capture or killing

of frogs, because of their value as insect killers. Today

restrictions still apply to certain species. In China, for

example, Nanorana boulengeri males may be captured

but collection of females is not allowed. Local

restrictions on the harvest of frogs have also been

placed in Laos, in response to noticeable decline in

populations of Hoplobatrachus rugulosus.

NepG

rower

Nepenthes ampullaria

Indraneil Das and Pui Yong Min out frog 'hunting'

9 B I O L O G Y

Elsewhere, over-harvest of frogs is prevented by

indigenous folklore or beliefs. In Nepal, the usage of

frogs for medicine is widespread, as some species

produce compounds in their skin which are useful

poisons, painkillers or anaesthetics. Local taboos,

however, prevent their capture on all days of the week

except Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Aside from their perceived ecological or medicinal

functions, wild amphibians are often respected for their

traditional, cultural and spiritual roles, which may be the

basis of local conservation programmes. The Lepchas of

Sikkim prohibit hunting or collecting of rare plants and

animals, which are regarded sacred, and also recognize

biologically unique microclimatic zones. Frog worship

itself has been reported from many eastern cultures,

where human beliefs, myths and representation in art

appear to stem from the association of the humble frog

with rainfall and fertility and its role as a predator of

crop pests, and therefore with the prosperity of early

societies.

For Prof. Das the way to help frog conservation in

future is by getting people interested in the weird and

wonderful world of frogs. He explains that there is still

so much to discover. Fortunately, many of his students

gain employment in the local forestry department where

they work to set up ecotourism, for example. Prof. Das is

hopeful about the future of herpetology. After all, he

says, “It is second nature for humans to be interested

about nature.”

For further information contact:Professor Indraneil DasInstitute of Biodiversity & Environmental ConservationUniversiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

One of the world’s most wanted lost frogs has

been sighted for the first time in over 80 years by

researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s

Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental

Conservation.

Ansonia latidisca (pictured above) is one of the

world’s rarest tropical frogs. Only three specimens

have ever been collected, and none have been

sighted since the 1920s. The species is listed as one

of the world’s top 10 most wanted lost frogs by the

IUCN Global Amphibian Specialist Group.

Now, thanks to scientists from UNIMAS,

A. latidisca has been rediscovered in the northwest

corner of Borneo. Three individual frogs were

spotted living in trees on the slopes of Mount

Penrissen, which lies on the border between the

Malaysian state of Sarawak and Indonesia’s

Kalimantan Barat Province. Researchers even

managed to capture one of them on camera in the

first ever photo of live A. latidisca, which shows its

beautiful bright colours.

Scientists are heartened that both male and

female frogs have been spotted; noting that one of

the females was carrying eggs. It is hoped the

small population will grow and flourish – although

Mount Penrissen lies outside protected areas and in

recent years there have been several major

development projects in the vicinity. A close eye will

be kept on these elusive amphibians in future, to

make sure A. latidisca stays well and truly on the

radar.

Professor Indraneil D

as

10B I O L O G Y

At RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute a new reagent that

turns brain tissue transparent is allowing

neuroscientists to visualize neural circuitry at

previously unattainable depths.

For decades, the limits of available technology have

thwarted scientists’ attempts to visualise the complex

inner workings of the brain. Breakthroughs in optical

microscopy technology and a rapidly growing arsenal of

multi-coloured fluorescent proteins have given

researchers potent new tools for brain mapping. There

are still challenges, however: the dense tissue of the

brain scatters light and limits the depth to which these

imaging methods can penetrate.

Now, following the development of a reagent they

call ‘Scale’, Atsushi Miyawaki and his colleagues at

RIKEN can render brain tissues as clear as glass, in a

reversible transformation that gives researchers an

unobstructed view of fluorescently labelled cells within.

The idea for Scale came from a chance observation

of membranes made of polyvinylidene fluoride. This

plastic material is usually white, but becomes

completely transparent when soaked in concentrated

urea. By tinkering with the solution, Miyawaki and

colleagues came up with a mixture that has a similar

effect on biological tissues.

Going deeper

Scale can render a mouse brain completely transparent

within two weeks, but at the same time cells within

Scale-treated samples fully retain their fluorescent

labels. The transparency induced by Scale is now

allowing researchers to explore deeper within the brain

than ever before.

“Although the imaging depth limit of fluorescence

microscopy is usually around 0.7mm in the brain, we

were able to image fluorescent neurons with Scale down

to a depth of 2mm below the brain surface,” says

Miyawaki. A specialised lens enabled them to go even

deeper, imaging at a depth of 4mm.

The level of detail enabled the team to analyse the

interaction between neural stem cells and blood vessels

within a developing mouse brain. They could also

visualise neurons in the bridge between the brain’s two

hemispheres.

Importantly, the effects proved to be fully reversible,

and samples that had recovered from Scale treatment

proved indistinguishable from their untreated

counterparts, affirming Scale’s minimal impact on tissue

structure.

A clear view of the future

Miyawaki and his team are already planning to use Scalefor further investigations in mice. Although existing work

has focused on genetically expressed fluorescent

markers, the approach should be compatible with other

labelling methods. Scale could, for example, be used to

work with larger tissue samples from species like

primates that are not suitable for genetic modification.

Scale’s biggest limitation at present is that its use is

restricted to dead tissue, but Miyawaki suggests even

this may change, saying, “At some point in the future,

there may be ‘live Scale’!” Watch this space.

For further information contact:Dr Atsushi MiyawakiRIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, JapanEmail: [email protected]

H. H

ama et al.

After two weeks of treatment with Scale, this mouse brain is completelytransparent.

Atsushi M

iyawaki

Fluorescently labelled neurons within the brain’s cerebral cortex andhippocampus.

A clearer view for ‘mind readers’

Discovering poisongenesScientists in Malaysia have

identified a gene coding for the

production of a harmful toxin

in the marine dinoflagellate

Alexandrium minutum.

The toxin in question is

responsible for ‘paralytic

shellfish poisoning’

which causes toxicity and

mortality for those eating

contaminated shellfish.

Understanding how the

toxins are produced could

help scientists to develop

preventative strategies.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning

(also known as PSP) is widely reported

in Southeast Asia, and is caused by eating

shellfish contaminated with a biotoxin called saxitoxin.

Saxitoxin accumulates in filter-feeding shellfish

including mussels, clams and oysters when they ingest

microscopic saxitoxin-producing algae such as

cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. In humans this toxin

blocks sodium channels in the nerves, causing paralysis

and death. There is no known antidote.

Current efforts aim to identify the genes which code

for saxitoxin production, but is difficult to do, given that

saxitoxin is produced as the result of many

interconnected molecular pathways which all involve

different enzymes and proteins. In addition, it is likely to

be synthesised differently in different organisms.

In Malaysia the main culprits are three

dinoflagellates: Alexandrium minutum, A. tamiyavanichiiand Pyrodinium bahamense compressum. Until

recently, the saxitoxin genes and biosynthesis pathways

in all three of these species remained a mystery, but

researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak have now

identified a saxitoxin biosynthesis gene in A. minutumusing a ‘reverse genetics’ approach, whereby gene

sequences are used to investigate unknown traits or

characteristics. They found the gene which codes for an

enzyme called OTC, which is responsible for one of the

crucial first steps in saxitoxin production.

The team hopes to characterise more genes

involved in saxitoxin synthesis using similar techniques.

In future, it may be possible to genetically manipulate

dinoflagellate algae by blocking the action of crucial

enzymes so that it cannot manufacture the poison and

therefore can’t contaminate shellfish or water supplies.

Finding the right target genes are crucial, however, as

knocking out the wrong enzymes could disrupt other

cell processes and limit the algae’s survival.

Lighting up life withnew fluorescent labelsNext-generation fluorescent labelling agents are

being developed from nanomaterials by scientists at

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Fluorescent labelling is widely used in biological

research. Molecules that emit fluorescent colours are

introduced to cells or tissues, where they bind to and

‘label’ different cell structures. As the bright colours are

clearly visible, it allows us to see what is going on inside

bodies, organs, or cells – in fact, most brightly coloured

biomedical images are captured using some kind of

fluorescent label.

The fluorescent labels used most commonly are

organic dyes, such as fluorescein and cyanine,

molecules like Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) which is

produced naturally in jellyfish, and quantum dots (QD).

These conventional labels generally work well, but

they can sometimes be problematic. Their effects, for

instance, may not last long enough to make

observations over long periods of time, or may have a

toxic effect on

cells. This makes

them less than

ideal for certain

areas of

molecular

biology.

Luckily,

Tianhua Hao

and his team in

Hong Kong are

developing new

labels using

fluorescent

nanomaterials

called 'up-

conversion

nanophosphors'

which are rare-

earth metal ions

like Europium

and Terbium.

The new labels

can be

synthesised in

one simple

environmentally

friendly step, and

have much

longer lifespans

than their organic counterparts. They’re also very

photostable – they don’t easily degrade when exposed to

light - and are non-toxic. These properties make them

ideal for biological imaging, both in the laboratory test

tube, and in real-life contexts.

For further information contact:Dr Jianhua Hao The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Leaw Chui PinInstitute of Biodiversity and Environmental ConservationUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: [email protected]

Paralytic shellfishpoisoning is causedby eatingcontaminatedshellfishThe H

ong Kong P

olytechnic University

The new labels can be used for whole body or in vitrocell bioimaging.

Frits Hoogesteger

11 B I O L O G Y

12

Inheriting the signs ofstressMost people don’t realise the extent of the biochemical

and physiological changes that stress causes. Indeed,

new research suggests that offspring might even be

vulnerable to changes in gene expression brought on

by chronic parental stress.

Different external stressors or traumas all appear to

trigger a common chain of internal events, which starts

off with the activation of a protein called transcription

factor-2 (ATF-2).

“Environmental stress, psychological stresses,

infection stress and nutrition stress can all activate ATF-

2,” explains Shunsuke Ishii, a scientist at the RIKEN

Advanced Science Institute in Tsukuba, Japan, whose

group first cloned ATF-2 nearly two decades ago.

Ishii was inspired by studies in single-celled yeasts

which suggested that ATF-2 triggers chemical changes

to chromatin, the material formed when DNA wraps

around structural (histone) proteins. These changes

often affect which genes are expressed, or ‘switched on’.

To investigate the effects of stress, Ishii and his

colleagues examined whether or not ATF-2 is associated

with epigenetic regulation in the fruit fly Drosophilamelanogaster.

In the strain of Drosophila that the researchers

chose as their experimental model, stress can affect eye

colour. In a normal, unstressed fly, the ATF-2 protein

binds to chromatin and causes the colour gene to be

silenced, resulting in a white eye. But when flies are

exposed to stress from heat or a high-salt diet, ATF-2 is

released from the

chromatin, which allows

the colour gene to be

switched on and results

in red eye pigmentation.

Since these kinds of

changes are often

transmitted across

generations, Ishii and his

colleagues performed a

series of experiments in

which heat-stressed flies

were crossed with

unstressed counterparts.

Remarkably, offspring

from these crosses

maintained the red eye

pigmentation seen in the

stressed parent.

“This shows that

the effects of stress can

be inherited without DNA

sequence change,” says

Ishii.

These effects are all

dependent on ATF-2. The

researchers have

identified dozens of genes

whose activity may also

be modulated by this protein during stress response and

Ishii hopes to explore the biological significance of this

finding in future studies.

“We are planning to identify target genes of ATF-2

and prove the inheritance of their stress-induced

expression change,” he said. “This could be correlated

with various diseases.”

For further information contact:Dr Shunsuke IshiiRIKEN Advanced Science Institute, JapanEmail: [email protected]

B I O L O G Y

Ki-H

yeon Seong 2011

When flies are exposed to heat stress, they display red eye pigmentation (redcolumn). Offspring of these flies retain this effect (green); if these 2nd generationflies are also heat-stressed (yellow), the effects are still visible in their 5thgeneration offspring.

Beetle antifreezeAn Alaskan beetle beats the cold using a natural

‘antifreeze’ compound with an unusual structure and

scientists at RIKEN are just beginning to unravel its

mode of action.

Animals and plants have evolved all sorts of clever

chemical tricks that allow them to colonise extreme

environments. For species that call Antarctica or the

Arctic home, surviving sub-zero temperatures is an

essential ability, and many produce natural antifreeze

compounds that stop ice crystals forming inside their

cells. One such antifreeze is called ‘xylomannan’ and it

is produced by the Alaskan beetle Upis ceramboides.

Akihiro Ishiwata, Yukishige Ito and their colleagues from

RIKEN are studying this compound and have found

xylomannan to be a particularly unusual antifreeze.

Most natural antifreezes are protein based, but

xylomannan is a glycan - a sugar-based compound, and

is the first example of a biological antifreeze molecule

with little or no protein.

“Its mode of action is not entirely clear, but it

should be different to those of common antifreeze

proteins.” says Ishiwata. The team are currently studying

the structure of xylomannan in more detail using

nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, and hope to

shed some light on how it works.

For further information contact:Dr Akihiro IshiwataRIKEN Advanced Science Institute, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Dr Yukishige ItoRIKEN Advanced Science Institute, JapanERATO.JST, JapanEmail: [email protected]

alaskanent

Upis ceramboides

13 B I O L O G Y

Giant cells revealmetabolic secrets A research team at the RIKEN Plant Science Center

have uncovered fundamental cell processes by

studying 125 different metabolites within the giant

cells of the freshwater algae Chara australis.

Chemical reactions within our cells produce

intermediate and end products in the form of small

molecules called metabolites. These play important

roles in the regulation of critical biological processes,

including growth, development and chemical defence.

“Metabolomics is the systematic study of these unique

chemical footprints, and involves identifying and

characterizing the many metabolites found in a cell,

tissue, organ or organism, as well as their production,

distribution and dynamics,” explains Kazuki Saito from

the RIKEN Plant Science Center.

The molecules involved in producing and converting

different metabolites are known as enzymes. These are

often found within different cell compartments called

organelles. Biologists have always assumed that the

situation is similar for metabolites themselves, but until

now none had demonstrated this comprehensively.

Saito says that understanding the dynamics of

metabolites within single organelles represents an

enormous technical challenge, because of the tiny size

of these structures in most cells. To get around this, he

and his colleagues turned to a species of algae called

C. australis, whose cells can grow up to a whopping

20cm long. Because of their gigantic size and volume,

these “internodal” cells are widely used to study various

aspects of cell biology. The researchers purified single

vacuoles, a type of organelle, from internodal cells. They

then used sophisticated metabolomic techniques to

determine what was going on with the metabolites in

the vacuole and the cell cytoplasm.

The team detected 125 known metabolites, and

showed that they fluctuated independently in the vacuole

and cytoplasm under different light conditions. This

suggests that metabolites are spatially regulated within

the cell and move between the vacuole and the

cytoplasm according to conditions.

“Ours is the first study to confirm specific

compartmentalisation of metabolites in a single vacuole

from a single cell,” says Saito. The findings shed light on

some important aspects of cell metabolism.

For further information contact:Dr Kazuki SaitoRIKEN Plant Science Center, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Stem cell science – It’sall about the matrixScientists at Japan’s National Institute for Materials

Science (NIMS) have succeeded in developing a matrix

material which supports the differentiation of human

stem cells into fat or bone cells.

There are all-round high hopes for the emerging

field of regenerative medicine. Scientists envision

growing cells, tissues, even whole organs out of stem

cells to replace their failing counterparts inside patients.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into different

types of body cell, but getting them to do so in a petri

dish is extremely difficult, because conditions are

completely different to how they are inside our bodies.

Attention is now focused on the role of extracellular

matrix (ECM). This is the chemical environment that

surrounds a cell in its natural setting inside the body.

The ECM influences the way stem cells develop by

providing external signals that ‘tell’ them what type of

cell to become. Recreating the ECM is fraught with

problems as it is so complex, and constantly changes

depending on the cell’s stage of development.

Now, a research team at NIMS’s Tissue

Regeneration Materials Unit has succeeded in

fabricating two types of cell matrix materials that mimic

the dynamically changing ECM during stem cell

differentiation. The artificial matrices successfully

support human stem cells while they differentiate into

either bone or fat cells.

In the future, these kinds of matrix materials are

expected to help scientists discover how the ECM

controls stem cell differentiation. Ultimately, the aim is

to use them for the production of cells for medical

applications.

For further information contact:Dr Guoping ChenTissue Regeneration Materials UnitNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Nissim

Benvenisty

NIM

S

Human embryonic stem cells

NIMS researchers have created materials that successfully mimic the ECM duringstem cell developmentChara australis has giant cells ideal for studying cell biology.

Akira O

ikawa

14

From setting compensation for victims of oil spills to

determining the storm-protection value of mangrove

forests, environmental economics networks in Asia

support research that makes the connections between

economic growth, poverty, and the environment. Their

approach is based on the premise that environmental

sustainability is key to future economic growth.

A vast number of people in developing countries

depend on the environment for their livelihoods. But

poorly functioning markets, incomplete property rights

and misguided policies can drive people’s behaviour in

ways that are harmful to the environment and future

generations. Environmental economics has much to offer

in understanding and influencing this behaviour, and in

helping decision-makers spend limited funds where they

produce the greatest benefits. It gives developing

countries a unique tool to develop sustainably and

leapfrog over the past mistakes of industrialised

countries.

Canada’s International Development Research Centre

(IDRC) has worked with other donor agencies and

researchers across the developing world to build this field

of applied research. Their efforts began in Asia, with the

creation of the Economy and Environment Program for

Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) in 1993 and the South Asian

Network for Development and Environmental Economics

(SANDEE) in 1999.

Both networks offer training programs and research

grants on issues related to economy-wide environmental

issues such as climate change and resource

management. The goal: to identify the underlying causes

of environmental degradation and apply economic

principles to design solutions that reduce its impact. The

networks also support promising young researchers

through competitive awards. The average grant size is

US$ 20,000 for a one- or two-year project. By the project’s

end, each recipient writes a 20- to 40-page report for the

networks’ working paper series, and an accompanying

policy brief. The researchers are assigned an experienced

advisor, who provides suggestions from the early stages

of a proposal through to the final report.

Research supported by the two networks has had

significant impact. For example, SANDEE funded ground-

breaking work following the October 1999 super cyclone

in Orissa, India. Researcher Saudamini Das, now an

associate professor of economics at the University of

Delhi, assessed the storm-protection value of mangrove

forests and concluded that more than 90 per cent of the

10,000 lives lost would have been saved if the area’s

mangroves had been intact. Her work has been published

in prestigious scientific journals, including Proceedings ofthe National Academy of Sciences in the United States.

EEPSEA-funded work has included the development

of a widely cited climate-change vulnerability map of

Southeast Asia, which drew on research in 530 sub-

national areas in seven countries. Among other projects,

EEPSEA continues to support work on climate-change

adaptation in the region’s most vulnerable places, such as

Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Current SANDEE-

supported research includes investigations into the

impact of climate change on migration in Bangladesh,

India and Pakistan.

EEPSEA receives funding from IDRC, the Swedish

International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and

the Canadian International Development Agency. SANDEE

is supported by IDRC, Sida, the Norwegian Agency for

Development Cooperation and the World Bank.

For further information contact:Dr Herminia FranciscoInternational Development Research Centre, CanadaEconomy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaEmail: [email protected]

Dr Priya ShyamsundarSouth Asian Network for Development andEnvironmental EconomicsEmail: [email protected]

B U S I N E S S

The aftermath of the tsunami that struck the coast of Sumatra after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Research suggests that thousands of lives could be saved and devastationminimised if mangrove forests are left intact.

Saving lives, money and ecosystems

15 B U S I N E S S

An economic boost forAsia’s poorest countriesA new collaboration between researchers in Vietnam,

Cambodia and Laos aims to improve the economic

situation in Asia’s lowest income countries through

research and training initiatives.

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam face many challenges

as they seek to create decent jobs, promote economic

growth and strengthen social safety nets. To meet such

challenges, they need a community of researchers who

are able to provide policy-makers with solid evidence to

guide their decisions. However, compared with most

other members of the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations, these three countries have a much lower

capacity to undertake this vital research.

The Mekong Economic Research Network (MERN)

aims to narrow this gap. It will build on the foundation

laid by a research network that has been active in

Vietnam for the past decade. Members of the Vietnam

Economic Research Network (VERN) study issues such

as agricultural growth and poverty, manufacturing

productivity and competitiveness, and the effects of

trade liberalisation on employment. Since its creation

ten years ago, the network has expanded to include

researchers from across Vietnam and has established

strong links with policy-makers. VERN research findings

inform trade policy, and appear in the country’s HumanDevelopment Report. They were also incorporated into

preparations for Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade

Organization back in 2006.

Through support for applied research and training,

the new network aims to produce work of similarly high

quality on economic issues of national and regional

concern. For example, MERN will support research

aimed at boosting the productivity and competitiveness

of small enterprises in the three countries. The Centre

for Analysis and Forecasting at the Vietnamese Academy

of Social Sciences will manage the network, in

partnership with research institutes in Cambodia and

Laos. VERN and MERN are both supported by Canada’s

International Development Research Centre.


Dr Nguyen ThangVietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, VietnamEmail: [email protected]

Peter B

ennett / IDR

C

Click and find A new application for mobile phones which identifies

places and objects from photographs is set to create an

array of new marketing opportunities.

Based on software called Snap2Search that was

developed at the Agency for Science, Research and

Technology (A*STAR) Institute for Infocomm Research, the

Singaporean start-up company Pfliq (pronounced ‘flick’) is

harnessing the image recognition, classification and

retrieval capabilities of the software to construct a new

world of convenience. A tourist, for example, who is armed

with a smartphone sporting the Pfliq application and

wandering through an unfamiliar city, would be able to

snap a series of photographs and send them off to Pfliq’s

remote database. The application compares these

photographs with reference images and, in an instant,

returns the tourist’s location, along with information on

local events and points of interest.

“For consumers, Pfliq will mean convenience,

information and discovery,” says Pfliq CEO

and co-founder Kelvin Ng.

“With the growing popularity of

smartphones, the possibilities for

advertisers and marketers are endless

– from sending consumers a coming

event for their phone calendar, through

to putting relevant contact details into

their phone and allowing companies to

keep track of consumer preferences.”

Pfliq uses the features of

smartphones to provide information to

people on the move, with image-recognition technology

that is close to 100 per cent accurate. Users will also be

rewarded with redeemable credits for helping to expand

the reference database with their own high-quality images.

On the marketing front, Ng and co-founder Sam Tang from

Temasek Polytechnic believe that Pfliq will appeal to brand

owners, advertising agencies and networks, as well as

publishers. It can provide online advertising that directs

users to a specific website and services based on analysis

of usage data.

The concept behind Pfliq came to Ng just before he

undertook a Traineeship for Technology Transfer

Management (T3M) program run by A*STAR’s marketing

and commercialization arm, Exploit Technologies.

He subsequently developed the product with Tang, and

before graduating from the T3M program the two fleshed

out the business.

The two-year T3M program allowed Ng to specialize in

‘technopreneurship’, combining a structured curriculum of

relevant knowledge and skills with on-the-job training in

Exploit Technologies and other A*STAR facilities.

“The program exposed me to all the opportunities and

capabilities available in the technology transfer industry in

Singapore,” he explains.

Pfliq has developed a service prototype and is now

seeking US$ 500,000 in funding to allow it to develop a

better user experience and launch an open beta of the

service.

For further information contact:Ms Li YiqunInstitute for Infocomm Research (I2R)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Mr T in D

C

16

At the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, formation of a

boron–boron covalent bond under laboratory conditions

has opened up a new corner of chemistry.

Electrons are the glue that holds chemical compounds

together. The metalloid element boron is electron-deficient,

so its compounds often exhibit unusual bonding behaviour

and rarely form simple structures. Now, for the first time

ever, the element can be forced into more conventional

behaviour using a new method developed in Japan.

The compound created features two boron atoms held

together by a shared pair of electrons: a simple covalent

bond. For other elements—carbon, for example—this kind

of bonding is typical, but electron-poor boron tends to

prefer a more complex arrangement. For example, in the

compound diborane (B2H6), two boron atoms are ‘bridged’

by hydrogen atoms, and each boron–hydrogen–boron bond

shares a single pair of electrons across three atoms rather

than the usual two.

Theory predicts that pumping extra electrons into a

compound such as diborane will cause the

boron–hydrogen–boron structure to break down and form a

boron–boron single bond instead. Until recently, however,

any attempt to make and isolate such a structure had

failed, resulting only in single boron species.

Researchers at RIKEN suspected that previous

attempts probably succeeded in generating the

boron–boron single bond, but failed to protect that structure

from quickly falling apart through further reaction. They

adopted a new strategy, starting with the compound

borane, in which the boron atoms have bulky side-groups

known as Eind groups stuck to them. Using these bulky

Eind groups, they were able to stabilise the new bond,

prevent further breakdown and successfully isolate the

desired compound.

The next step will be to explore the boron-boron bond’s

chemistry and reactivity. It has already proved to be

relatively stable: if protected from air and moisture, the

compound can be stored for months at ambient

temperature. It can also be converted into a three-

membered ring, in which a bridging hydrogen atom is the

third member, forming a molecule with potentially useful

properties.

“We think that the hydrogen-bridged boron–boron bond

has a double-bond character,” says Tsukasa Matsuo, one of

the principal investigators. “We would like to explore the

new reaction chemistry of multiply bonded boron species.”

First time boron-boron bond

For further information contact:Dr Tsukasa MatsuoRIKEN Advanced Science Institute, JapanEmail: [email protected]

C H E M I S T R Y

* Reprinted with permission from Shoji et al. Copyright 2011 American Chemical Society

Pumping electrons into diborane leads to the formation of a boron-boron covalentbond.*

In dilithium diborane dianion, bulky Eind groups (grey)protect the delicate boron–boron bond (blue).*

17

A greener way torecycle nickelA team from the A*STAR Singapore Institute of

Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) have found that

recycling spent nickel catalysts used in the palm oil

industry could be both profitable and environmentally

friendly.

In Southeast Asia, palm oil is used both as an

ingredient for cooking and as a raw material for biodiesel

production. To stabilise the oil against decomposition, it

has to be hydrogenated in the presence of a nickel catalyst

that modifies its physical and chemical properties.

Although the nickel catalyst is not used up in the reaction,

it eventually becomes contaminated by residual fats, oils

and other chemicals, rendering it unusable.

Researchers at SIMTech have now shown that these

spent nickel catalysts could be recovered in a manner that

is not only safe and environmentally friendly, but which

could also generate considerable profits for recycling

companies.

“There is increasing concern over the sustainability of

new recycling technologies and processes,” explains Dr

Song Bin. “What attracted recyclers to implementing this

new process is the fact that the recovery of pure nickel

would deliver more added market value, and that

the process would be greener and more socially

responsible, making it more sustainable.”

Many methods of recycling nickel catalysts

have been attempted in the past, including

chemical leaching, high temperatures,

electrolysis and the use of micro-organisms. The

SIMTech researchers propose a combination of

technologies: the catalyst is first heated to remove residual

impurities, producing an ash containing large amounts of

nickel and nickel oxide. The ash is then subject to acid

leaching, acid separation, nickel enrichment and finally

deposition of the metal from solution.

These steps constitute a ‘closed-loop’ process

whereby many of the by-products, including the acid

solutions and dilution water, can be reused to minimise

waste. On weighing the costs of materials, equipment and

labour against the potential market conditions, the

researchers showed that a small nickel recovery plant of

this sort would be economically viable if the price of nickel

is more than US$12.57 per kilogram—a very realistic

target.

The researchers also analysed the carbon footprint of

the operation and showed that greenhouse gas emissions

could be minimised through the use of efficient processing

techniques and by sourcing green electricity. Finally, given

that the process would create jobs and produce no toxic

waste, it could certainly be a socially sustainable solution.

“Our industrial partners are now implementing the

process in a new nickel recovery facility,” says Song. “They

are using our sustainability assessment results to help

them justify the decisions they make in recovering nickel

from waste.”

For further information contact:Dr Song BinSingapore Institute of Manufacturing TechnologyAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

C H E M I S T R Y

Better batteryperformanceMetallic alloys containing thin, interconnected

‘snowflakes’ enhance the efficiency and safety of

rechargeable batteries.

The tiny porous frameworks of zinc–antimony

(ZnSb) nanoflakes are set to have a big impact on future

hybrid vehicles and pocket-sized electronic devices.

Qingyu Yan, Bee Yen Tay and co-workers from the

Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and

Nanyang Technological University have deposited ZnSb

nanostructures directly onto copper foil using a new

technique to produce a material that could enhance the

charge-storage capacity and safety of lithium-ion

batteries.

Graphite is the anode of choice for most lithium

batteries because it retains its structure quite well in the

presence of lithium ions, giving the battery consistent

charging behaviour. Unfortunately, graphite has low

charge-storage capacity, which limits the energy density

of the battery. Pure lithium metal can also become

intercalated into the graphite structure, which in

extreme cases can cause the batteries to explode.

Incorporating materials with high theoretical

charge-storage capacities, such as ZnSb, into the

anodes of lithium-ion batteries could lead to thinner,

lighter batteries that run at higher voltages.

Unfortunately, antimony-based alloys can undergo

destructive volume changes after repeated interactions

with lithium ions, leading to early battery failure.

Yan, Tay and their co-workers overcame ZnSb’s

deformation problems by turning to the world of

nanotechnology. By using a process that forces the rapid

growth of crystals onto copper substrates, the team

developed a method to produce ZnSb alloys containing

honeycomb-like internal nanoscale pores. This

‘nanoflake’ structure enables the manipulation of ZnSb

crystals into distinct nanowire and nanoparticle shapes.

After coating the ZnSb nanostructures with carbon

to improve durability, the team found the ZnSb

nanoflake structure to have a steady discharge capacity

one-third higher than commercial batteries. They could

also be recharged repeatedly without any structural

changes. The intimate connection between the

nanoflakes and the copper electrode also improved the

battery’s charge-carrying efficiency to a remarkable 98

per cent.

“The fast, easy and cheap fabrication of ZnSb

nanostructures without a template makes it possible to

prepare anodes with improved electrochemical

performance,” says Tay. “This system has the potential

to form the basis for a new generation of lithium-ion

batteries with higher energy densities.”

For further information contact:Dr Bee Yen TaySingapore Institute of Manufacturing TechnologyAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

René Rausch

Nickel spheres

18

Caging carbon dioxideScientists in the Philippines are getting to grips with

the mechanisms of clathrate hydrate formation. This

stable 'water cage' may very well provide an attractive

means of locking up carbon dioxide in the ocean floor

– an approach which could prove to be a useful weapon

in the fight against climate change.

With global temperatures on the rise, the high

concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere

is a major concern, and scientists are anxious to find a

way of lowering it to manageable levels. The answer

may lie in the process of carbon sequestration, in which

CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and deposited in

geological reservoirs. For this to happen, CO2 has to be

encapsulated through a process active enough to take it

out of the air and stable enough to store it long term.

One possible way is through the formation of a peculiar

compound called clathrate hydrate. This solid, ice-like

structure occurs naturally in the ocean floor. Under

specific conditions, carbon can be made to physically

react with water molecules and have them surround the

gas to form a stable crystalline structure, acting as a

kind of ‘cage’. If scientists can figure out a way to trap

large amounts of atmospheric CO2 using clathrate

hydrate and store the resulting compound (carbon

dioxide clathrate) in the ocean floor, it would be a

promising step forward. The downside is that the

mechanisms of clathrate hydrate formation under

different environmental conditions are poorly

understood.

In July 2011, Dr Len Herald Lim of the Institute of

Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman

set out to study the mechanisms of clathrate formation

under different conditions. He and his colleagues are

assessing the effects of organic matter and clay at

different temperatures and pressures. In doing so, they

hope to identify the optimum conditions for clathrate

hydrate formation. The research is an important step

towards the development of technologies that aim to

combat global warming.

For further information contact:Dr Len Herald V. LimInstitute of Chemistry University of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

C H E M I S T R Y

2011 methane concentration in the upper troposphere

Giorgiogp2The safest way to fryNew research suggests that different cooking practices

can affect the concentration of a cancer-causing chemical

in French fries.

At first glance you may assume that French fries hand

cooked in a swanky restaurant are healthier than their fast

food counterparts, which are produced in vast quantities

numbers using automated machines. Think again. A study

suggests that the levels of a chemical called acrylamide are

actually highest in more upmarket restaurants’ fries

because of the way they are cooked.

Acrylamide is a chemical found in many processed

foods, including French fries. Recent studies have

suggested it has the ability to alter our DNA and cause

cancer. The chemical is only harmful in very high

concentrations, but food manufacturers and policy makers

alike are keen to minimise heath risks and find ways to

reduce acrylamide intake.

Acrylamide is known to arise in French fries while they

are heated to high temperatures during the frying process,

but concentrations can vary greatly. To find out more, a

group of scientists from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

and Wageningen University in the Netherlands decided to

investigate how different cooking practices altered French

fries’ chemistry.

They focused on three types of eateries: fast food

establishments, institutional caterers (such as those found

in schools and businesses) and restaurants. They took

samples of French fries from each and measured their

acrylamide content, noting the frying temperature, frying

time and whether or not frozen fries were thawed prior to

frying.

Higher temperatures and longer frying times were

associated with higher acrylamide concentrations. Thawing

also seemed to make a difference, with fries thawed pre-

frying having lower concentrations of acrylamide than those

that were fried straight from being frozen.

Overall acrylamide concentration was lowest in fast

food outlets and highest in restaurants. This may be

because in fast food outlets fries were thawed, and then

cooked at a precisely controlled temperature for a set

amount of time using automated machinery. In restaurants,

on the other hand, fries were cooked in a frying pan straight

from being frozen, so frying temperatures and times were a

lot harder for staff to keep track of.

The insights provided by this study will be used to

develop better preparation guidelines for food service

establishments, which will hopefully contribute to a

sustainable reduction in acrylamide intake.

For further information contact:Professor Jinap SelamatFaculty of Food Science & Technology Universiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

19

Fastest supercomputerset to advance scienceConstant technological advancements produce ever-

faster computers for us all, but supercomputers really

push the boundaries of processing power. One such

supercomputer is the K computer developed in Japan

by RIKEN and Fujitsu. Although it is only scheduled to

start shared operation in fall 2012, it has already been

used for award-winning research and ranked as the

fastest supercomputer in the world for the second

consecutive time. Its unrivalled power is ready to

break ground in all areas of science.

The K computer, which gets its name from the

Japanese word “kei” meaning "ten quadrillion", was

already crowned the fastest in the world when it was

first assessed in June 2011. In August, it was upgraded

to its final configuration, consisting of 88,128 connected

processors housed in 864 computer racks. This final

stage allowed it to reach its target performance and

achieve speeds more than four times greater than its

nearest rival (China’s Tianhe-1A).

In the latest tests, the K computer achieved 10.51

petaflops, meaning it performed ten thousand million

million calculations per second. Performance was

tested using the LINPACK benchmark, a standard

computational problem in which a large scale linear

system of equations is solved, providing an estimate of a

machine’s capabilities for real-

world calculations. The K

computer’s performance, which

is about one million times faster

than an average home

computer, placed it at number

one in the November 2011

TOP500 list of the world’s

supercomputers.

This was not the only honour

that the K computer received in

2011. It also won all four Class 1

awards at the High Performance

Computing Challenge, which assesses the overall

performance of supercomputers. To top off these

achievements, it won the Editors' Choice Award in the

Top Supercomputing Achievement category of prizes at

HPCwire, a popular online magazine which covers the

world’s fastest computing.

Kimihiko Hirao, director of the RIKEN Advanced

Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, where the

K computer operates, makes it clear that the system

will be used for "peaceful" purposes rather than the

nuclear weapon simulations and other military uses of

many supercomputers.

“We want to show, by using the world's best-of-the-

best computers, how we can advance science,” said

Hirao.

Researchers from RIKEN, the University of Tsukuba,

the University of Tokyo, and Fujitsu have already used

the K computer to conduct calculations on the electron

state of silicon nanowires, materials which may

underpin the next generation of computing hardware.

Their results, which demonstrate that nanowire

conductance changes according to cross-sectional

shape, won the annual Gordon Bell Prize for Peak

Performance, which honours outstanding achievement

in high performance computing.

A number of key research areas have been

identified for further projects using the K computer,

covering a wide range. This includes drug design,

identification of energy sources, engineering design,

studies of the Universe, and climate change and natural

disaster simulations.

One specific project that has been earmarked for

the K computer is the development of cancer drugs by

simulating their

interactions with

biological molecules.

Hideaki Fujitani at the

Research Centre for

Advanced Science and

Technology, University

of Tokyo, will lead five

projects using the K

computer, targeting

different cancers

including leukaemia

and lung cancer.

Fujitani already uses a

supercomputer to help

in drug design, but the

K computer is 240

times faster than his

current system; this will allow a month’s work to be

condensed into just a few days.

Such projects demonstrate that applying such

immense computing power to both fundamental and

complex scientific problems will not only expand our

knowledge and open up new possibilities, but could also

save lives.

For further information contact:Office for Research CommunicationsRIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

C O M P U T E R S

RIK

EN A

dvanced Institute for Com

putational Science

One computer rack. The K computer has 864 racks, each containing 96 computenodes and 6 IO nodes.

RIK

EN A

dvanced Institute for Com

putational Science

The K computer, which is housed in a room measuring 50 x 60 metresand requires about 1,000 kilometres of cable.

‘We want toshow, by using

the world's best-of-the-best

computers, howwe can advance

science.’

20C O M P U T E R S

Data centres of thefutureA new three-year research programme at the Data

Storage Institute in Singapore aims to develop next-

generation storage system technologies for data

centres of the future.

With the growing use of social networking, cloud

and mobile computing, data centres increasingly play a

crucial role in storing vast amounts of data. In addition,

data centres are involved in running multi-tasking

applications in real time and managing user and

application data. Used by private and public

organisations such as banks, businesses, universities,

internet service providers, and governmental

institutions, data centres are important for secure, long

term and safe data storage.

The growing pressure on data is driving an ever-

increasing need for reliable storage. The International

Data Corporation estimates that by 2020 over a trillion

gigabytes of digital data will have been created. To put

that in perspective, you can fit about 250 MP3 audio files

on a 1 GB memory stick.

Developing the infrastructure to deal with this

massive data growth is the biggest challenge faced by

data centres. Besides having to address the issue of data

management, there are also concerns about the energy

consumption of large scale data centres. A paradigm

shift in current methods and technologies has to be put

in place in order to store, protect and enable efficient

utilisation of this flood of digital data.

Part of the solution to these challenges will be

provided by the next generation Non-Volatile Memory

(NVM) that are emerging solid state storage

technologies. They exhibit the desirable characteristics

of an ideal storage device – very high performance,

non-volatile data retention, big capacity, low power

consumption and small space footprint. They do not

have limitations of current solid state technologies, such

as NAND Flash, in terms of reliability (insufficient

number of times for erasing and writing data before the

Flash device wears out) and imbalanced performance

(fast in reading but slower when updating or writing

data). Although Random Access Memory (RAM), such as

DRAM or SRAM, has the desired very fast response time,

it is volatile and therefore loses data content when

power is removed. Examples of next generation NVM

include Spin-Torque Transfer Magnetic RAM (STT-

MRAM), Phase Change RAM (PCRAM) and Resistive

RAM (RRAM).

However, the direct applications of next generation

NVM are not so straight forward as current storage and

computer architectures are not designed for such low

latency and high throughput device. Obtaining the

maximum benefit from next generation NVM will require

redesign of the computer and storage system

architecture.

A*STAR’s Future Data Centre Technologies Thematic

Strategic Research Programme, launched in August

2011, aims to research new storage architectures and

solutions for future data centres. The research will focus

on improving the performance, energy efficiency and

capacity of data centre systems by integrating next

generation NVM technologies to enable data centres to

scale and adapt efficiently to deal with the challenges

ahead.

For further information contact:Yong Khai LeongData Storage InstituteAgency for Science, Technology and Research(A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Gregory M

axwell

Telecommunications equipment in one corner of a small data center.

21 C O M P U T E R S

Mobile innovationvillageEricsson Malaysia’s Mobile Innovation Village model

has passed a test of its feasibility and impact, which

was carried out by researchers at Universiti Malaysia

Sarawak (UNIMAS). The study found that mobile

technology boosted wellbeing and empowerment

among people living in a rural Malaysian community.

We live in an increasingly digitised world, where

mobile technology becomes more widespread and

sophisticated year upon year. Many people insist they

‘could not live without’ their computers, mobile phones

or the internet and it is estimated that the total number

of mobile devices will skyrocket to 10 billion over the

next few years, thus outnumbering humans.

Nevertheless, a vast number of people remain

impoverished, isolated and left behind from the trend

towards the reliance on all things high-tech.

It’s easy to rave about the potential benefits of

mobile technology as the ultimate solution to

geographical isolation, but getting things up and running

is far from simple. Close-knit rural communities may

not necessarily welcome drastic changes to their way of

life, so schemes which aim to enrich lives by bridging

the digital divide must be carefully introduced and

monitored.

Ericsson Malaysia has been trialling a scheme

known as the Mobile Innovation Village (MIV) model

among the Bidayuh agricultural community in Kampung

Serasot in Sarawak, Malaysia. This community had very

limited experience of mobile technology, with less than

10 per cent of participants ever having used the internet

before.

The scheme provided 90 households with freely

available, easily accessible broadband, computing,

communications, learning and healthcare services, aided

by government-funded resources such as a Community

Broadband Centre. The scheme’s impact was assessed

by the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological

Innovations (ISITI), UNIMAS.

Alvin Yeo from UNIMAS told ResearchSEA, “We

employed a quantitative and qualitative approach to

allow us to have as comprehensive a perspective as

possible…our multi-method survey included structured

questionnaires, interviews and focus group meetings.”

The MIV model certainly passed the test. One of the

biggest successes was healthcare monitoring. Patients

were shown how to measure their own blood pressure,

which was then reviewed remotely by doctors at the

UNIMAS Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. This

was shown to have huge health benefits, and there was

widespread enthusiasm among residents, with some

returning to the monitoring center even after the study

had finished.

Alvin said that a crucial part of the project was

building a rapport with local community leaders. “The

MIV components can add value to community broadband

centres,” he said, “but a cohesive community with strong

leadership and passionate local champions was a key

success factor.”

Another successful element of the model was the

implementation of e-learning using online content and

teaching aids. Steven Tai from Ericsson Malaysia said

that e-learning was well received by the children of

Kampung Serasot as they enjoyed learning more with

the help of interactive online content.

According to Steven, the next step is to share these

insights with partners and government agencies and

help to set up similar projects elsewhere. “Affordability

is a key factor,” he told ResearchSEA, “the

telecommunications industry is adopting more cost-

effective business models and technologies to make

broadband services more affordable and sustainable.”

For further information contact:Steven TaiEricsson MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Professor Alvin YeoFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

Laihiu

Mobile technology can improve education and healthcare in remote communities

Sandy simulationsScientists at Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom University and

New Zealand's University of Otago are helping

coastline management in New Zealand with research

investigating wind flow over sand dunes.

The coastal area near Dunedin, New Zealand,

constantly suffers from erosion. It is characterised by a

‘harsh’ land-sea interface consisting of extremely high,

steep sand dunes. The erosion can be both hazardous –

parts of the beach have to be closed off to the general

public – and expensive for the local authorities, as lost

sand must be constantly replaced. The Dunedin City

Council (DCC) are therefore keen to develop new

management strategies that deal with the problem

effectively.

Wichai Pattanapol, a researcher at Nakhon Phanom

University and his colleagues investigated the reasons

behind Dunedin’s erosion problem using Computational

Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Generally this technique uses

numerical methods and algorithms to study the effects

of forces on liquids and gases, including air. They used

computer generated simulations to model different

patterns of movement and energy for wind and wind-

blown sand over the sand dunes.

“The simulations showed the pattern of flow over

different modified topography scenarios,” explains

Wichai, “The results suggest the DCC should introduce a

‘soft’ land-sea interface, by making the

front slope less steep. This will

dramatically reduce the energy of wind

at the land-sea interface.”

The research shows that CFD, which is

normally used in industrial sectors, for

example measuring air flow over racing

cars or inside buildings, can be applied to complex

environmental issues.

Dr Pattanapol warns that numerical simulations of

this nature are rarely “error-free”, but explains that the

simulations have since been verified by laboratory and

field studies. “I believe the DCC are taking our

recommendation seriously,” he said.

The research team and the DCC have organised a

meeting with local people to explain to them about the

upcoming topography modification, and its effect on wind

patterns.

For further information contact:Dr Wichai PattanapolNakhon Phanom University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Dr Sarah Wakes

University of Otago, New ZealandEmail: [email protected]

22E N V I R O N M E N TD

r Jonathan Anticam

ara

Computational fluiddynamics (CFD)simulation ofwindblown sand over a sand dune

Dr W

ichai Pattanapol

Understanding coastalecosystems in thePhilippinesCoral reefs are some of the world’s most threatened

ecosystems, with studies warning that if current

trends continue, the world’s reefs could be gone by

2030.

Researchers at the University of the Philippines

Diliman are currently studying the conservation status

and functioning of coastal ecosystems around Luzon,

Visayas and Mindanao which have been exploited or

degraded. The project ultimately aims to ensure that

local communities have sufficient knowledge and

understanding of these ecosystems so that they can

manage them sustainably well into the future.

For further information contact:Dr Jonathan A. AnticamaraInstitute of Biology, College of ScienceUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

23 E N V I R O N M E N T

SaciWATER

s

Water supplies in South Asia are threatened by climate change and urban sprawl.

Securing safe water ascities sprawl Water is scarce for residents on the edge of South Asia’s

rapidly expanding cities. Research teams across the

subcontinent are working with communities to secure

their access to this vital resource as cities grow and

climate changes.

South Asia is rapidly urbanising. The cities of India

alone are expected to swell by more than 200 million

people in the next 15 years and Dhaka, the capital of

Bangladesh, is the world’s fastest growing megacity. As the

region’s cities spread out, consuming more land and water,

the communities around them experience severe knock-on

effects. Water is becoming particularly scarce for those

living on the outskirts of cities in ‘peri-urban’ areas.

Climate change compounds the problem due to its

unpredictable effects on hydrology across the subcontinent,

which range from relentless drought to melting glaciers

and erratic monsoons.

Local organisations grouped in the South Asia Water

Consortium (SaciWATERs) are conducting research to

better understand the growing threats to water security in

peri-urban areas and to help these communities adapt.

Teams are studying water security in four very different

sites within three countries, chosen to reflect South Asia’s

wide range of social and environmental conditions: Khulna

in Bangladesh; Kathmandu in Nepal; and Hyderabad and

Gurgaon, both in India.

The research, funded by Canada’s International

Development Research Centre, is providing a better

understanding of peri-urban environments and how they

function. Researchers are learning about the unequal

impact development and climate change have on different

social groups, from uninsured tenant farmers in the

booming Delhi satellite town of Gurgaon, to women in

Khulna who must travel farther to collect clean water. It is

clear that gender, caste, and class inequality all affect

water availability in these regions.

The teams are sharing their insights with the world

through a website, blogging, and social media. Armed with

their growing understanding of the factors that contribute

to water insecurity in each area, their next step is to

develop solutions that will engage marginalized groups,

governments and the private sector to work toward

ensuring clean water for all.


Irrawaddy dolphindistribution a cause forconcernResearchers have found that the distribution patterns

of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) indicate

a worrying outlook for their future.

Between June 2008 and September 2009, small

boat surveys were conducted for 56 days off the coast of

Sarawak, Malaysia. Researchers recorded the areas in

which dolphins were sighted, noting the depth of the

water and proximity to the coastline.

110 of 115 Irrawaddy sightings were made in water

depths under 10 m. Unlike finless porpoises or Indo-

Pacific bottlenose dolphins, which are also found here,

the Irrawaddy dolphins showed a statistically significant

preference for areas of shallower depth and closer

proximity to shore and river.

This preference puts Irrawaddys at risk, as shallow

near-shore areas are vulnerable to environmental

degradation resulting from developments on the coast.

There is also a growing threat from fishing practices, as

dolphins in the shallows can easily become tangled in

nets and drown. The dolphins also showed a strong

presence in the areas of Kuching and Similajau, which

does not bode well either given that both these areas

are destined for major coastal developments in the near

future.

This information highlights the importance of near-

shore coastal habitats for these dolphins, and will

hopefully help researchers and managers develop

effective conservation strategies to ensure their

continued survival.

For further information contact:Professor Andrew Alek TuenInstitute of Biodiversity and EnvironmentalConservation, Universiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

Irrawaddy dolphins have been spotted worryingly close to the shore.

24

Mangrove conservationcluesA lecturer from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

studied the diversity and structure of bird communities

in the mangrove forests of Northern Australia in order

to identify suitable conservation strategies.

Mangrove forests are highly threatened ecosystems.

Over half of the world's mangroves have been removed

by developers and industry in the last few decades. In

addition, mangrove ecology is poorly understood. More

in-depth knowledge is needed to increase the

effectiveness of conservation strategies, for which

funding and resources are often limited.

Mangrove forests tend to exist in habitat ‘patches’ of

various sizes as part of a mosaic-like pattern of

vegetation across the landscape. Dr Mohd-Azlan and

colleagues carried out an ecological study to find out

how this mosaic affects bird communities within the

mangroves.

First they investigated the effect of patch size. They

measured the area of different patches of forest and

counted the number of bird species they found within

each patch to give a measure of species richness. They

found that smaller patches actually supported more bird

species than large ones. Furthermore, the bird species

richness of several small patches combined was greater

than a single large area.

They also investigated the effects of different

surrounding habitats – and found that this had a

significant effect on species richness. Patches

surrounded by tropical rainforest had higher species

diversity than those surrounded by savannah grassland.

Further analysis revealed that of all the species found in

mangrove forests, 45 per cent were adapted to the

surrounding habitat.

This research shows that the structure of bird

communities within mangrove patches is strongly

influenced by the surrounding habitat. Dr Mohd-Azlan

recommends that mangrove patches be considered as

part of a habitat mosaic, and that conservationists focus

just as much on small patches as large ones.

For further information contact:Dr Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan bin Abd Gulam AzadFaculty of Resource Science and Technology Universiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

E N V I R O N M E N TU

niversiti Malaysia Saraw

ak

The lead researcher investigates a mangrove robin nest in Charles Darwin National Park, Australia

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

The Little bronze cuckoo is a common species found in mangroves

25 H E A L T H & M E D I C I N E

Paving the way forregenerative medicineRIKEN’s recent success in growing a functional

pituitary gland from stem cells could advance

regenerative medicine and pave the way for new

therapies to treat hormonal disorders.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental

Biology have developed a novel technique for growing

stem cells in three-dimensional floating ‘clusters’. This

has enabled them to create a version of the pituitary

gland that is fully functional when transplanted into

mice. The team had previously shown that stem cells

grown in this way can organise themselves into

functional eye and brain tissue. This new work

represents a major breakthrough for stem cell science

that could pave the way for future treatments.

The pituitary is a pea-sized gland which sits at the

base of our brain and releases hormones including

growth hormone, prolactin and follicle stimulating

hormone (FSH) into our bloodstream. These hormones

play various roles in the body, ranging from the

regulation of growth to the control of sex organ function,

so any flaws in the system can have serious health

consequences.

“Growth hormone deficiency could be a target of

[stem] cell therapy,” said Yoshiki Sasai, one of the

researchers involved. The problem is getting the right

cells to grow under laboratory conditions, as their

development can be incredibly complicated.

The part of the pituitary containing the cells that

make hormones develops when two layers of tissue

(each made up of a different type of cells) come into

contact and exchange chemical signals. This interaction

leads to the formation of a small pouch that pinches off

from the area in the growing embryo.

Sasai and his colleagues managed to replicate this

process by stimulating clusters of stem cells with

specific signalling molecules. They succeeded in

generating both types of tissue which separated

naturally into layers. Cells at the interface between the

two layers then spontaneously formed oval-shaped

pouches before differentiating into four distinct cell

types, each of which began to synthesise and secrete a

different hormone.

The cell clusters were then transplanted into the

kidneys of mice whose pituitaries had been surgically

removed. Normally these mice would die two months

post-surgery, but the transplanted cells rescued the

animals by restoring their hormone levels.

The breakthrough could open new avenues of

treatment for hormonal disorders. It also represents a

significant advance in using stem cells to generate

complex three-dimensional structures, and is a step

towards growing fully functional organs in the laboratory.

“Regenerative medicine is proceeding in this direction,”

says Sasai. “We are now developing computer-based

models and simulations to facilitate the design of more

complex organs.”

For further information contact:Global Relations OfficeRIKEN, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Yoshiki Sasai (Nature 480, 57–62)

After 13 days, oval-shaped pouches develop between the two layers of tissue

26

Linking diet, obesityand diabetes Scientists in Japan and the US

have uncovered a

molecular mechanism

that links diet and

‘Type 2’ diabetes.

The work opens the

way to new

treatments for the

condition.

There is a

widely accepted

connection between

high fat diets,

obesity and

susceptibility to

Type 2 (adult onset)

diabetes. Until now,

however, the

underlying causes were

poorly understood,

particularly at the

molecular level.

Diabetes is characterised by a

drop in the effectiveness of the hormone insulin. In a

healthy person, a high level of glucose sugar in the

blood triggers the pancreas to secrete insulin which

helps the body get rid of the excess. A rise in glucose is

detected by the beta cells of the pancreas, when large

amounts of glucose are delivered to them by specialised

transporter proteins.

Without these transporter proteins, the beta cells

are unable to detect high glucose levels and do not

secrete insulin. But what causes a deficiency in

transporter proteins?

Genetically engineered mice that do not produce

GnT-4a, an enzyme which helps these proteins connect

with the beta cell surfaces, develop diabetes.

In earlier work, Kazuaki Ohtsubo from the RIKEN

Advanced Science Institute in Japan showed that a

high-fat diet can cause a deficiency of this enzyme.

To investigate these earlier

findings in detail, Ohtsubo and

his colleagues from the

University of California,

USA, investigated the

sequence of molecular

events in pancreatic beta

cells from mice and

humans. They found that

high levels of fatty acids

caused both transporter

proteins and the GnT-4a

enzyme to be produced in

much smaller quantities

than usual. The

resulting deficiencies

led to many of the

symptoms associated

with diabetes.

Although the underlying

causes of this link are still

unknown, the team hopes this

knowledge could lead to the development

of new treatments. “We are already searching for small

chemical compounds which activate the expression of

GnT-4a in pancreatic beta cells under high fatty acid

conditions,” says Ohtsubo. “These compounds could

improve beta cell function and should be good

candidates for new types of drugs for diabetes.”

For further information contact:Dr Kazuaki OhtsuboRIKEN Advanced Science Institute, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Improving family care in the ICUA hospital in Hong Kong is trialing a new Cognitive

Behavioural Education (CBE) programme for family

members of critically ill patients, with the aim of

reducing stress and anxiety.

Having a relative in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can

be very stressful for family members –particularly those

who spend time caring for them – and may lead to

unhealthy emotions and behaviours that have a

detrimental effect on the family as a whole.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers

are studying the effectiveness of a short CBE course for

reducing stress and boosting needs satisfaction for

family carers in ICUs. CBE aims to try and control

negative thoughts and emotions with a variety of

exercises. It works on the principle that even though

external sources of stress (also known as stressors) may

not change (having a relative in intensive care, for

example) individuals can change their emotional

reaction to these circumstances and reduce feelings of

depression and hopelessness.

This kind of therapy is often used to effectively treat

long term depression and obsessive compulsive disorder

(OCD). Researchers hope it will also help family

members of ICU patients.

They will measure family members' mood using the

Chinese version of the Depression and Anxiety Stress

scale (DASS). This uses questions, answered on a scale

from 0-3, to assess the severity of depression, stress and

anxiety. Researchers will provide CBE treatment to some

family members and compare the stress and satisfaction

of these family members receiving CBE to those who

receive no additional care.

If successful, this study will pave the way for future

research into family stress and anxiety management on

a larger scale. It is hoped that family member care in the

form of this kind of therapy will become integrated into

standard ICU nursing care.

For further information contact:Dr Vico ChiangThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

H E A L T H & M E D I C I N E

High-fat diets and Type 2 diabetes go hand in hand

27

Japanese researchers have shown that a diet

supplemented with a specific probiotic bacterial strain

increases the lifespan of mice.

The mammalian gut is home to thousands ofbacteria that contribute to food digestion and, in somecases, inflammatory gut disease. Beneficial bacterialspecies, known as probiotics, can enhance gut health bykeeping the resident bacteria in check. Now, a team ofresearchers at the RIKEN Innovation Center have shownthat feeding a specific strain of the probioticBifidobacterium animalis (subspecies lactis), to mice canlengthen their lifespan.

Mitsuharu Matsumoto and his colleagues previouslyshowed that this strain, called LKM512, could reduceinflammation and alter the balance of intestinal bacteriain elderly humans, but its overall effect on lifespan wasunknown. After feeding mice on a LKM512 dietsupplement for 11 months, the researchers found thaton average LKM512-treated mice lived longer, had fewerskin lesions, and had better hair quality than untreatedmice.

Analyses of the gut of these mice revealed elevatedgene expression in some bacterial species, indicatingthat LKM512 may improve gut health indirectly byregulating the levels of other gut bacteria. The probiotictreatment also prevented some age-related changes in

bacterial composition of the gut, suggesting that it mayprotect the gut.

The gut lining acts as a barrier between thecontents of the gut and the rest of the body, and damagecan lead to infections or inflammatory diseases. The gutlining of LKM512-treated mice acted as a strongerbarrier than the gut of control mice, due to increasedlevels of proteins that maintain tight connectionsbetween gut cells.

Increases in intestinal polyamine levels were alsoobserved in LKM512-treated mice. Polyamines areorganic compounds that reduce inflammation, and theirlevels tend to decrease with age. The observedpolyamine increase did appear to reduce inflammation,as inflammatory markers in the blood and urine werelower in LKM512-treated mice compared with controls.

“In future work, we hope to clarify the effectivenessof LKM512 in humans,” explains Matsumoto. If thesefindings extend to humans, inclusion of LKM512 into ourdiets could potentially improve overall health andlengthen our lifespan.

Bacteria that boost longevity

For further information contact:Dr Mitsuharu MatsumotoRIKEN Innovation CenterEmail: [email protected]


Women in Southeast Asia are at extremely high risk of

cervical cancer. Only 38 per cent of women in Thailand

and 2.2 per cent of women in Laos have undergone

screening. To find out how to improve the situation and

identify barriers to cancer, screening nurse Phensiri

Dumrongpakapakorn from Nakhon Phanom University

(NPU) launched a project aimed at improving public

health efforts.

With a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, USA,

Phensiri returned to her native Thailand because she

wanted to give something back to her country and

generally advance the way healthcare is delivered in

Southeast Asia. Having lost her mother and grandfather to

cancer, she is determined to improve care provision for

poor and vulnerable people who needlessly suffer the

same fate because they cannot afford treatment.

“Seeing the situation in hospitals in Laos is heart

breaking. Having broadened my perspective, learning

about the different practices in the USA, my goal has

always been to apply my knowledge as a civil service

employee in Thailand. In Thailand I can help many more

people,” she told ResearchSEA.

To set up a successful cancer screening program, she

is working with a range of international and local

institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, Nakhon

Phanom University, two provincial hospitals and the Lao

Ministry of Health. A further inspiration and impetus came

from the late Dr Jeffrey Shogan, founder of the Effective

Aid in Thailand Foundation. Today Phensiri strives to make

Dr Shogan’s vision a reality, by setting up a charitable

medical clinic in Nakhon Phanom Province.

She is leading a study which aims to describe the

cultural beliefs and perceived practical barriers to cancer

screening, prevention and treatment in

Thailand.

She will use a symptom management

program known as Written Representational

Intervention to Ease Symptoms (WRITE

Symptoms). This eight week intervention

program asks participants to write about

their symptoms over a period of time. This

allows clinicians to not only identify

underlying causes, but also tackle patient’s

emotional distress and how they respond to

their symptoms. Clinicians may examine, for

example, whether patients are coping in a

‘positive’ manner by seeking medical help or

coping in a ‘negative’ manner by trying to

ignore symptoms.

By getting patients to identify their own

misconceptions and the consequences of not

dealing with early symptoms of cancer

Phensiri is hoping to reduce the incredibly

high number of people suffering from the

disease.

“We’ve got so many [academic] papers

on dealing with cancer, but the actions made

by humans on the ground are very different.”

She explains, “It is crucial that we take into

account cultural practices and behaviours.”

Mobile prevention program offers hope to cancer sufferers

For further information contact:Dr Phensiri DumrongpakapakornNakhon Phanom University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

John Pavelka

Only 2.2 per cent of women in Laos haveundergone cervical cancer screening.

28

DNA sequence analysis of the CSP gene – a gene

coding for one of P. knowlesi’s surface proteins -

strongly indicated that monkeys are the reservoir hosts -

the primary source of infection for human P. knowlesi.Sequence data from mitochondrial DNA showed that P.knowlesi existed in monkeys before humans settled in

Southeast Asia, and underwent a recent population

expansion approximately 30,000-40,000 years ago –

suggesting that was when it began to infect humans.

The study indicates that humans were probably infected

with P. knowlesi parasites from monkeys thousands of

years ago, when they first entered the forests of

Southeast Asia.

Chinks in the armour

Developing a vaccine for malaria is extremely difficult

because of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium and its

high reproductive rate. However, Dr Denise Mirano-

Bascos and her colleagues at the National Institute of

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the University of

the Philippines Diliman believe that an effective vaccine

can be developed by studying one of the parasite’s

proteins, called MSP-1. This protein is found on the

surface of the parasite when it is in the ‘blood’ stage,

and has been identified as a potential vaccine target

because people who have

antibodies specific for this

protein in their blood tend

to be resistant to malaria.

The problem is that

the protein contains lots

of polymorphisms –

variations in genetic

sequence – and exists in

different forms. Dr

Mirano-Basco’s team are

studying RO33, one of the

variant forms of MSP-1,

which has been

associated with severe

malaria. The RO33 form does not provoke much of an

immune response in humans, and few antibodies are

raised against it in infected individuals (meaning people

are unable to fight off the malaria). Dr Mirano-Bascos’

laboratory believes that this weak immune response

may have something to do with RO33’s structure.

The team are currrently studying the protein’s

structural and biophysical properties in detail, and

examining its ability to raise an immune response in

mice.

It is hoped that this information can be used to alter

the RO33 protein and make it easier for the immune

system to recognise and attack – an important step

towards creating a much needed vaccine for this deadly

disease.

On guard againstmalariaMalaria is one of the world’s biggest

killers, claiming hundreds of thousands

of lives each year. Reducing malaria’s

incidence is one of the Millennium

Development Goals for 2015, and

scientists all over the world are striving

to make this happen. Researchers at the

Malaria Research Centre (MRC),

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

have traced the origin of Plasmodium

knowlesi malaria, and a team at the

University of the Philippines Diliman are

one step closer to creating a vaccine.

The Fifth Cause

Malaria was originally thought to be caused by just four

species of the Plasmodium parasite (P. falciparum, P.vivax, P. malaria and P. ovale) until eight years ago

when researchers from MRC UNIMAS discovered a large

number of humans infected with another species, called

Plasmodium knowlesi, in the Kapit district of Sarawak,

Malaysia. Infections have since been observed in other

Southeast Asian countries, leading to the recognition of

P. knowlesi as the fifth cause of human malaria.

Like other species of Plasmodium, P. knowlesi also

infects monkeys. But for many years no evidence of P.knowlesi or any other malaria parasite was found in

monkeys of the Kapit district, so although a monkey

source for the hundreds of P. knowlesi infections in this

area seemed likely, it remained unproven.

Researchers at MRC UNIMAS decided to investigate

further. In collaboration with the Sarawak Health

Department, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical

Medicine and St George’s, University of London, they

tested 108 wild monkeys (long-tailed and pig-tailed

macaques) from 17 locations in the Kapit district for

malaria parasites. They found a high prevalence of

malaria parasites, including P. knowlesi. The next step

was to compare the molecular identities of P. knowlesiderived from monkeys, and those derived from humans.

For further information contact:Professor Balbir SinghFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Malaria Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak


Dr Denise Noelle Mirano-BascosNational Institute of Molecular Biology and

Biotechnology

University of the Philippines Diliman



Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

Having taken a blood sample to test for malaria, a researcher tags a monkey with amicrochip prior to its release.

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

Anopheles mosquitoes carry malarial parasites, which infect theirhuman hosts while the mosquito feeds.

29 H E A L T H & M E D I C I N E

Leptospirosis in theRejang Basin Researchers in Malaysia have been studying the

prevalence and distribution of leptospirosis in the

Rejang Basin area of Sarawak, in order to gain a better

understanding of the disease. It is hoped the study will

help inform members of the public and health

professionals alike.

Leptospirosis is a tropical disease caused by

Leptospira bacteria, which are spread by various animals

including rats, dogs, pigs and cattle. Although it is rarely

fatal, it can cause severe liver and kidney damage among

patients in the advanced stages. Initial symptoms are

similar to flu, and if diagnosed early the disease can be

easily treated with antibiotics. Thus, prompt diagnosis is

an essential part of its control.

The worldwide prevalence of leptospirosis ranges

from 3.6-53 per cent, but outbreaks are relatively common

in Southeast Asia. The earliest documented case in

Malaysia was reported in 1928. In the past few years there

have been several outbreaks, and in 2011 the number of

cases reported in Sarawak was 51, up from 49 cases the

previous year.

Factors influencing the spread of the disease are

poorly understood, but it is thought that chances of

infection are heavily influenced by lifestyle, with those

coming into regular contact with infected animals or water

at greatest risk. There is also reason to believe the actual

number of cases has been underreported and is in fact

much higher, as the only cases recorded are those

documented by health clinics, so do not take into account

affected people who have not sought medical help.

In order to gain a more accurate picture of the

distribution and prevalence of the disease in Malaysia,

researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and

Sarawak Health Department carried out field studies in

the Rejang Basin area in which they collected and tested

human and animal blood serum samples for the presence

of leptospirosis antibodies.

Analysis revealed that 31 per cent of humans sampled

were infected and suggested an association between

certain daily activities, including farming and water

activities with leptospirosis infection.

Data obtained from this study can be utilised for

future health programs and increase awareness of the

disease among health practitioners and the public,

particularly in Sarawak.

Leptospira bacteria

For further information contact:Dr Lela Su'utFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Hiroaki MamiyaQuantum Beam UnitNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Nano-magnets forcancer treatmentResearch at the National Institute for Materials Science

(NIMS) in Japan has provided a detailed insight into the

mechanisms of heat generation in magnetic nanoparticles

that could be used to kill cancerous cells.

Magnetic thermotherapy is one of the newest potential

cancer treatments. It works by delivering tiny nano-sized

magnets (magnetic nanoparticles) to cancer cells using

drug delivery techniques. Once there, they are exposed to

an alternating magnetic field which causes them to heat up,

and that overheats and kills malignant cells. There are

virtually no side effects, and researchers are eager to

develop the technique for practical use as soon as possible.

There are, however, major obstacles to progress,

because of inconsistencies between theoretical predictions

of the amount of heat magnetic particles generate, and

experimental results. Scientists accept the mechanisms

involved need to be understood in more detail before the

design of magnetic particles for practical use can be

optimised.

Previously, the behaviour of nanoparticles had always

been calculated according to the energy produced by their

stationery magnetic field. But now, Dr Hiroaki Mamiya and

colleagues at NIMS’s Quantum Beam Unit have carried out

a simulation under near-actual conditions, taking into

account the large amount of heat that is dissipated into the

surrounding cancerous tissue.

They found that the orientation of the magnetic

nanoparticles changes dramatically depending on the size

and shape of the nanoparticles themselves, the viscosity of

their surroundings, and the properties of the alternating

magnetic field they are exposed to. Under certain

conditions, the nanoparticles align in planes perpendicular

to the magnetic field. This happens when the magnetic field

has a high frequency and comparatively weak in amplitude.

The team also revealed that the heat generation properties

of the magnetic nanoparticles are influenced by their

orientation.

These conclusions represent a big step forward in the

field. Once they are verified in-situ, it will be possible to

optimise the nanoparticles for the treatment of different

cancers. N

ational Institute of Materials Science (N

IMS)

Orientation of magnetic nanoparticles used for cancer treatment compared toordinary magnets. The illustrations show (a) the needle of a magnetic compassoriented in the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, and (b) magneticnanoparticles aligned perpendicular to the magnetic field.

30

Holding more professorships, directorships and

editorial posts than there is space to mention here, it is

immediately clear that here is a man who does not

define himself by these titles, but by his actions. In

particular, it is the Asian Research Network that he

speaks of with a passion often rare in professors who are

comfortably at the top of their game.

In 1989, on his own accord, Lee started yearly trips

to Japan. He sought to establish relationships with other

researchers and institutes, integrating science in Asia for

a better future. It was a slow process. Apart from

exchanges on a company or government level it was

highly unusual for a South

Korean individual to be

promoting research,

development and educational

cooperation across borders.

Step-by-step Lee

built a performance-based

relationship with RIKEN.

Nevertheless, it was not until

2003 that an alliance

between RIKEN and Hanyang

was formally established.

The significance was

profound. Never before had Japan opened up its doors

for a private research university.

Next Lee sought to obtain funding for a cooperative

research laboratory to give tangible structure to the

Asian Research Network. In 2008, following grants from

the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and

Technology, Seoul’s mayor and Samsung electronics, the

Hanyang-RIKEN Collaboration Centre was established.

Here researchers from both institutions could work side

by side to produce world-class research.

Many would be satisfied with these achievements.

For Lee however, it is just the start. The alliance needs to

go across Asia. “The idea is to exchange information and

relationships at a high level,” he explains. ARN is starting

with tangible goals, initially focusing on the areas of

nanoscience and nanotechnology. Lee points to a poster

advertising a recent joint RIKEN-Hanyang nanoscience

conference. However, as they expand ARN is to

encompass all science and technology and include other

Asian partners such as China, India and Singapore.

“Our aim is to build a borderless research

environment,” says Lee. He stresses that this is not just

for Korea, but also for Asia and ultimately he aims to go

global. The reason that Lee has made his dream a reality

is due to his insistence on a pragmatic approach. He

looks to innovate, change and truly engage rather than

go through set patterns and motions.

“In the beginning, I was talking to government

people who would always say, ‘Show me the MOU’ said

Lee. A ‘memorandum of understanding’ or ‘MOU’ is a

traditional document indicating a multilateral agreement

between parties. MOU’s are popular across Asia, so Lee

took me by surprise when he continued matter-of-factly:

“MOU’s don’t mean anything – it's just politics”.

He continued, “It took five years to get people

onboard. They always wanted to wait and consider things

endlessly, it was very difficult.” If there is one thing that

is clear about Lee, it is that he is a man of deeds, not

just words, who does not shy away from getting things

done.

Doing something forAsia: The AsianResearch NetworkHanyang University of Korea and RIKEN of Japan, in

cooperation with other Asian universities and research

institutes, are launching the Asian Research Network

(ARN) which aims to strengthen research and

educational cooperation across Asia. Recently ARN

members succeeded in producing transparent touch

sensors using carbon nanotubes and ink solutions that

can print electronic circuits or change colour in

exposure to heat or UV radiation.

“I say to people, ‘I’m a small, skinny guy and I have a

dream, I want to do something for Asia,’” beams Prof.

Haiwon Lee, Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and

Technology at Hanyang University in South Korea.

Small as his stature may be, Lee’s wit, enthusiasm

and intelligence make up for it in fair measure.

P E O P L E

Hanyang U

niversity / RIK

EN

Prof. Haiwon Lee: “Giving is better than taking. So I thought to myself, what aboutgiving something to the other people in Asia? I want to give something as long as Ihave something to give.”

‘I say to people,‘I’m a small,

skinny guy and I have a dream,

I want to dosomething for Asia’

31

But why put so much effort into this? I asked. Of

course there are huge benefits, but most academics are

more concerned with climbing up the citation league

table (and it is clear that Lee has spent at least a

hundred papers worth of time establishing ARN!). He

looks at me with thoughtful eyes and stares into the

distance. “I was born in 1954, right after the Korean

war,” he says. “I was one of eight children, there was

nothing left of Korea and it was miserable. Our parents

sacrificed everything for our education. They did not

spend even a single penny. I am not from a rich family,

my mother only went to elementary school, but because

of their efforts three of us are now professors. They knew

how to save material, how to manage, how to change

their country. This is the strength and spirit of our

parents.”

And the spirit of cooperation is certainly helping the

research productivity and output of ARN members. Take

for example Choi Eunsuk and colleagues; they recently

announced they had made a transparent touch sensor

using carbon nanotube thin films (Journal ofNanoscience and Nanotechnology, vol. 11, 2011). These

films are optically transparent and electrically conductive

in thin layers. The applications are enormous, think of

flexible electronic interfaces such as e-paper, or

television screens that you can roll up.

Similarly, Jong-Man Kim and his team have

managed to devise an ink solution that can repeatedly

change colour upon exposure to heat or UV radiation.

Their results in the Journal of Advanced Materials (Vol.23, 2011) open the possibility of printing electronic

circuits on paper. Being able to integrate such circuitry

into lightweight, disposable materials such as paper

using simple ‘inkjet’ technology is of great interest to

manufacturers.

Prof. Lee meanwhile revels in this spirit of

collaboration: “Giving is better than taking. So I thought

to myself, what about giving something to the other

people in Asia? I want to give something as long as I

have something to give.”

For further information contact:Professor Haiwon LeeDirector of the Institute of Nanoscience and TechnologyHanyang University, KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Asian Research Networkhttp://www.asianrn.org

P E O P L E

The Fusion Technology Center one of the Asian Research Network’s central hubsdesigned for collaborative research.

Hanyang U

niversity / RIK

EN

Eric Guazon

The role of art in urban development programs is

often overlooked, even though art and culture policies

can often successfully fuel the regeneration of public

spaces in modern cities.

A lack of research on the subject has inspired Tessa

Maria Guazon at the University of the Philippines

Diliman to explore the relationship between public art

and urban development. It contrasts public art

commissions made by the Manila local government and

corporate foundations. By surveying public opinions on

sculptures in the Filipino region of Metro Manila, like

this one on Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, Guazon is

figuring out how the public receive and respond to works

of art and their placement in shared urban spaces. The

project is scheduled for completion in early 2012.

Public art in urban spaces

For further information contact:Tessa Maria GuazonDepartment of Art Studies, College of Arts and LettersUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

Called "Specific Gravity" this suspended boulder with cascading water was designed by Reg Yuson.

32P E O P L E

Food for thoughtScientists in Malaysia have shown that parents’

feeding practices and attitudes to nutrition can affect

cognitive performance in young children.

Nutrition is one of the

most important environmental

factors influencing brain

function and development. It

provides the building blocks

for nerves as well as vital

energy to keep the brain

running. Parents play an

important role in developing a

child’s eating behaviour and

food preferences through

different feeding practices,

such as restricting unhealthy

food. But this complex

relationship between food

habits and cognitive

development in young children

is poorly understood, so a

team of scientists led by Mohd

Nasir from Universiti Putra

Malaysia launched a study to

explore this in greater detail.

Working with a sample of 1933 children aged

between four and six from preschools in West Malaysia,

the team measured children’s heights and weights,

questioned them about their eating habits and tested

their cognitive performance (ability to think, remember

and solve problems) using a standardised test. They also

interviewed the parents of each child to determine their

socio-demographic background, nutritional knowledge

and feeding practices.

Only 39 per cent of parents involved in the study

were deemed to have ‘satisfactory’ or ‘good’ knowledge

of nutrition. Children whose parents felt more

responsibility in instilling healthy eating habits and

those whose parents were more restrictive towards

unhealthy foods, performed better in the cognitive test.

The majority of children questioned had three meals

per day on at least five days a week, but 11 per cent

were found to regularly skip breakfast and 15 per cent

regularly skip dinner. Missing dinner was linked to poor

cognitive performance. A low height or weight for their

age (a sign of chronic malnutrition) was also associated

with poor cognitive performance, though only a small

percentage of children were underweight (8 per cent) or

had stunted growth (8.4 per cent).

Various socio-economic factors were shown to

make a difference. High household income, fewer

siblings and a smaller household were all associated

with better cognitive performance.

This study was the first to examine the link between

nutrition and cognition in pre-schoolers on a nationwide

level in Malaysia. It is hoped that the data provided will

useful in developing future intervention programmes.

Positive attitudes keepworkers safeContrary to popular belief, migrant workers in the

Southeast Asian furniture manufacturing industry are

more productive and less accident prone than the local

permanent workforce, according to new research.

The furniture manufacturing industry is one of the

fastest growing industrial sectors in Southeast Asia,

employing nearly 700 000 workers in Malaysia, Thailand,

Indonesia and Vietnam. Working conditions and safety

regulations are often poor, with high rates of occupational

accidents within factories, which are considered as ‘3D’

environments (‘dirty’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘degenerative’).

Within the industry, numbers of contract migrant workers,

who move from the surrounding rural areas to work in

factories, are increasing in relation to the permanent

workforce. Now, they account for over half of the total

workforce in SE Asia’s wooden furniture industry.

This is causing concern, as many worry that migrant

workers suffer more accidents in the workplace because

of a lack of training, and that this adds to the ‘3D’ stigma

and discourages local people from working in the industry.

To investigate these claims, an international research

team lead by Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam from Universiti

Putra Malaysia compared accident records between

contract workers and

permanent staff

employed by 240

furniture manufacturing

companies across

Malaysia, Thailand,

Indonesia and Vietnam.

They used questionnaires

to gather information on

workers’ attitudes to

safety, educational

backgrounds and

workplace safety culture.

The study revealed

that contract workers

actually suffered fewer

occupational accidents

compared with their

permanent counterparts.

They were therefore more productive as their overall

period of absence after injury was significantly shorter.

The researchers attributed this to migratory workers’

positive attitudes towards work, saying the majority of

participants were keen to stay safe and healthy in order to

increase their income. On the other hand, domestic

workers tended to pay less attention to their work, and

suffered more accidents as a consequence.

The results offer new insights into the furniture

industry, and may help to explain the recent surge in

migratory contract workers, a trend which the authors say

will almost certainly continue.

For further information contact:Dr Jegatheswaran RatnasingamFaculty of ForestryUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

The furniture manufacturing industryemploys nearly 700 000 workers inMalaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and

Vietnam.

Jamiecat *'s

Feeding habits canaffect cognitiveperformance inyoung children.

For further information contact:Dr Mohd NasirFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

33

New research from the University of the Philippines

Diliman (UPD) explores the wellbeing and satisfaction

of indigenous Ayta families in Luzon, and highlights

their concerns over access to healthcare and education.

The Aytas are a group of indigenous people thought

to be descended from the very first inhabitants of the

Philippines. They live in scattered, isolated communities

in mountainous parts of the island of Luzon.

Like many indigenous peoples, the Aytas have

traditionally been marginalised, and many live without

access to basic amenities like running water or access to

healthcare. Although there have been some efforts to

ensure their rights are upheld, it is widely acknowledged

that more needs to be done to tackle poverty and social

injustice among the Ayta people.

This year, Professor Eden Terol and her colleagues

at UPD embarked on a study to assess the Aytas’ current

wellbeing and explore their hopes, fears and future

aspirations. They observed and interviewed 50 Ayta

families living in the Pampanga district.

They found that overall wellbeing and satisfaction

was low, with many expressing unhappiness over lack of

water and lack of educational opportunities in their

communities.

Health was a prominent concern, with early death and ill

health among the biggest fears. Concerns about

landslides in the area and the associated damage to

property were also mentioned.

When asked about their hopes and aspirations for

the future, they appeared to have no fears in terms of

their material wealth, but seemed primarily concerned

with the health and happiness of their families. Most

people expressed a desire for good health for themselves

and their family, as well as for their children to be

educated.

This research aims to raise public awareness of the

challenges faced by indigenous people in the Philippines,

and help the local government design and deliver

programs that will improve the Aytas’ lives and ensure a

better future for generations to come.

Securing a future for indigenous communities

P E O P L E

For further information contact:Professor Eden H. Terol University of the Philippines Extension Program in PampangaEmail: [email protected]

People expressed a desire for better educational opportunities

Eden Terol

A researcher interviews an Ayta family

University of the P

hilippines Dilim

an

It has been over a year since the Great East Japan

Earthquake turned thousands of lives upside down,

and many months since heavy monsoon floods

devastated Thailand. During that time research

institutes in both countries have made remarkable

efforts to join together and recover from what many

would regard as a hopeless situation.

On 11 March 2011 Japan experienced a triple

disaster: the most violent earthquake the country has

ever seen followed by a powerful tsunami and the

world’s most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Over 15,000 people lost their lives and thousands were

left homeless. A few months later in July 2011, record

levels of monsoon flooding hit Thailand, causing

widespread devastation.

The media described many of the destructive

effects on civilians, but how did the disasters affect

research communities in Thailand and Japan?

ResearchSEA spoke to several research institutes about

how the events of last year affected them, and how they

are recovering.

Despite experiencing power outages, damage to

costly equipment and the mass exodus of overseas

students and staff, the ability of these institutes to adapt

to and cope with extraordinary circumstances is

commendable. Moreover, positive changes are being

made in a bid reduce the impact of future disasters.

Thammasat University

Thailand

The university’s largest campus, situated around 42 km

north of Bangkok, was the largest evacuation site of the

2011 floods. The entire campus area

was inundated with 2 m of water,

which caused almost US$ 100

million worth of damage to all

ground floor areas. The campus

remained closed for months, and

the start of the next academic

semester had to be postponed until

2012.

Thammasat showed

remarkable dedication to its

students during that time. Those

whose homes were badly affected by flooding were offered

temporary shelter and food. Overseas students were

supported and encouraged to stay in the country, with with

about 15 students deciding to return home, and most of

them received a credit transfer. Academic activities were

allowed to continue with help from other campuses and

distance learning programs.

Supreedee Rittironk, a professor at Thammasat, told

ResearchSEA he was confident the floods haven’t affected

student enrolment.

“Students feel more trust in our management, and

more students will come [to the university] than before

because they have witnessed how well we took care of

them.” he said. “We put safety on the top of the list.”

National Science and Technology Development Agency

(NSTDA), Thailand

Thanks to early warning systems, NSTDA had a week to

prepare for the floods hitting its campus. They dealt with

the impending disruption quickly and effectively,

evacuating staff and students, and moving expensive

equipment to higher storeys where it was safe. They

provided alternative office spaces for staff, so that even at

the peak of the floods the facility could continue to operate

at normal capacity. Nevertheless, various research

projects were suspended, as many laboratories were

inaccessible, and the NSTDA Campus itself was

completely out of action for several weeks.

The floods did provide unique opportunities for

innovation. Among recent inventions by NSTDA scientists

are ‘magic pants’ (lightweight waterproof trousers sealed

at the feet which enable wading through deep water);

sand bag substitutes which use absorbent hydro-gels, and

an environmentally friendly mud-cleaning detergent.

NSTDA’s president Hugh Thaweesak Koanantakool

told ResearchSEA about the new measures put in place to

safeguard against future floods.

“We are collaborating with Thammasat University, our

next door neighbour,” he said, “building a strong flood

barrier which should withstand the flood level about 0.5 m

above that of 2011.” Construction work for this project

started in April, and will be completed in time for this

year’s monsoon season.

Research recovers after a year of natural disasters

34P E O P L E

Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus wasinundated with 2 m of water for several weeks.

35

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Library

Japan

Though the buildings were earthquake-proof and

structural damage was minimal, the disaster still took its

toll on NIMS.

Many research projects ground to a halt due to

damaged laboratory equipment, loss of power and a

cutback in government spending following the

earthquake. Many overseas students and researchers

chose to return home to avoid the disruption and exposure

to radiation, leaving the institute short-staffed.

In the following months, NIMS formed a number of

collaborations to help share resources until libraries and

other facilities could be restored.

“A number of major publishers offered NIMS

assistance in the form of free access to their journals and

databases,” explained Mikiko Tanifuji, the general

manager of NIMS’s Scientific Information Office, “And

Tokyo University immediately established a unified

authentication system that allowed library consortia

member universities to access their online journals.”

In preparation for future crises, NIMS are currently

integrating their print and electronic library resources with

the ultimate aim of establishing a centralised online

library, accessible even when the NIMS library system is

down in a blackout.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and

Technology (AIST), Japan

AIST’s Tsukuba headquarters were caught in the midst of

the earthquake, and one of the buildings suffered severe

structural damage. At the Sendai headquarters it took six

days for power to return. In both hubs infrastructure

recovery was very slow, as high-tech scientific equipment

worth millions of dollars were damaged. Not even the

waste water pipelines running from labs were spared.

Research activities were suspended for a month, and

it took until August 2011 to repair all the structural

damage. However, AIST has played an extremely active

role in rebuilding

the region as a

whole, helping to

monitor radiation

levels, sharing

resources and

providing shelter

and outreach to

local people. They

even provided

AIST’s therapeutic

‘Paro’ robot seals

to evacuation shelters in Tsukuba City to help comfort

local people.

Masahiro Aoki from the Geological Survey of Japan

told ResearchSEA that as well as causing large scale

damage, the earthquake also encouraged innovation.

“During the obliged break [from research] a sort of

‘evolution’ commenced,” he said. “Scientists started

planning research to be more productive, less time and

space consuming, more interactive among scientists, and

safer for future earthquakes.”

Tohoku University Library,

Japan

When the earthquake struck, around 400 people were

using Tohoku University library, one of the largest and

oldest libraries in Japan. Thankfully they all safely

evacuated the building amidst what can only be described

as a book avalanche. It took only a few minutes of tremors

to topple over 2 million books off their shelves, a heart-

wrenching sight for library users and staff.

The restoration process was extremely labour-

intensive. Much restoration work was undone when

massive aftershock hit on 7 April, but thanks to the

tireless round-the-clock efforts of staff and over 1000

volunteer students the main library and its four branch

libraries (Medical, Science, Engineering and Agricultural)

were fully functional again after just three months: a truly

incredible achievement.

Medical library staff Kayo Sakamoto and her

colleagues told ResearchSEA that they hope to prevent

this kind of damage in the future by fitting safety stoppers

on bookshelves, remarking that during an earthquake

books can be transformed into dangerous weapons!

For further information contact:Mikiko TanifujiNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Dr Yoshinori MiyazakiNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Dr Masahiro AokiGeological Survey of Japan, AISTEmail: [email protected]

Aiko WatanabeTohoku University Library, Tohoku University, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Dr Hugh Thaweesak KoanantakoolNational Science and Technology Development Agency,ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Dr Supreedee RittironkThammasat University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

P E O P L E

A broken electron microscope at AIST

Tohoku University Medical Library, March 14th 2011

AIST

Tohoku University Library

36P E O P L E

region, Southeast Asia’s GDP is highly dependent on

environmental conditions, and any large changes could

seriously impact on agriculture, commerce, and the

growing tourist industry.

Changing river drainage patterns present especially

grave threats to agriculture, food security and

livelihoods of marginal farmers. The recent drastic drop

in water levels in the Mekong River, blamed by many on

Chinese dam-building on upstream tributaries, has led

to rising political tensions among several countries, and

threatens to destabilize the entire region. Similarly,

communities in Burma are calling for a halt to the plans

to build new dams in the state of Karenni after large

volumes of water released from the Mobye dam flooded

agricultural land and submerged whole villages in the

area.

Despite these concerns, more dams are planned in

China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand,

and it seems inevitable that water conflicts in these

regions will greatly intensify.

Violent Conflicts

Peaceful protests over resource use can escalate into

violent conflicts, particularly when land is mismanaged.

These conflicts often arise when a desire to protect and

conserve forests involves displacing local communities

from land they believe is rightfully theirs. In parts of

Borneo, for example, violence related to forest use has

become increasingly common, with local groups

threatening to blockade access or storm and ‘reclaim’

land from forest development companies.

Poor enforcement of forest protection policies is

attributed to corruption at the highest levels, and

massive deforestation has taken place across the whole

of Southeast Asia. Attempts to improve governance in

several countries have been largely unsuccessful, and

uncontrolled forest exploitation on common land for

private benefit continues to hamper economic

development, impoverish rural people, and damage the

environment. USAID has reported that 12 out of 27

countries in Asia experience forest conflicts, and in

Indonesia around 10 per cent of the population (some

22.5 million people), are affected by the consequences.

Solving the problem

Many believe the problem lies in the way public policies

are formulated. Natural resource policy in Asia often

takes a “top-down” perspective, without active or

meaningful participation from local communities and

those who actually use the resources. Centralised

administration and enforcement make the situation

worse, leaving communities disempowered, even though

they may be the ones most affected by policies that

allow or encourage uncontrolled exploitation of

resources. Policies and practices often fail to take local

rights, customs and traditions into account.

According to Dr Suwit Laohasiriwong, an expert in

conflict resolution from Nakhon Phanom University in

Thailand, natural resource management programs must

consider all stakeholders, including local communities,

in order to be effective and sustainable. Mechanisms for

conflict resolution need to be incorporated from the

outset, in order to ensure that local disputes are

constructively dealt with, and reduce the chances of

their escalation into national or regional confrontation.

Resources causeconflict in SoutheastAsiaMost countries in Southeast Asia are rich in natural

resources such as forests, water and land, but who

gets the right to use these and how? Conflicts arise

when different groups’ interests and needs are

incompatible, or when the priorities of some are

ignored in policies, programs and projects. Such

conflicts are an inevitable feature of all societies, and

their impacts can linger for generations.

A classic example is the case of the Pak Mun Dam

in Thailand. This conflict began at the inception stage of

the project in 1989. Today, depletion of downstream

fishery resources and diversion of water for hydro-

electric use rather than irrigation have badly impacted

on the livelihoods of artisanal fisheries and marginal

farmers in the area, as well as damaging the

environment. Successive governments have failed to

resolve the conflict, which still remains a subject of

heated controversy.

Water Conflicts

Though land has historically been the focus of resource

conflict, increasing water shortages combined with the

insatiable demands of burgeoning populations, industry

and agriculture are likely to prompt fresh disputes. Back

in 1995, Ismail Serageldin - the first chairperson of the

Global Water Partnership - said that “If the wars of this

century were fought over oil, the wars of the next

century will be fought over water - unless we change

our approach to managing this precious and vital

resource.”

Over fifteen years later Indonesia, Malaysia, the

Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are all experiencing

changing patterns of floods, coastal storm surges, and

erosion as a result of climate change. As a developing

For further information contact:Professor Suwit LaohasiriwongNakhon Phanom University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Dams change the drainage patterns of rivers, which can cause conflicts.Q

urren

37 P H Y S I C S

Wilson Lee

Testing the strength of Stonecutters BridgeNew software is being developed to simulate the

ability of Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge to

withstand natural disasters and long term use.

Spanning just over a kilometre, Stonecutters Bridge

is the second longest cable-stayed bridge in the world

(the longest being China’s Sutong Bridge across the

Yangtze River). The bridge connects the southeast cape

of Tsing Yi Island with Stonecutters Island, spanning the

Rambler Channel.

Since its completion in 2009, Stonecutters Bridge

has not yet been exposed to any large scale

environmental disasters. Although safety features were

incorporated into its design, planners are eager to test

the bridge’s resilience to these scenarios, given the

region’s susceptibility to typhoons, which have been

known to damage similar bridges in other locations.

A structural health monitoring system was recently

installed by the Hong Kong Highways Department (HyD)

and researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic

University are working in collaboration with the HyD to

develop software to simulate the effects of extreme

events on the bridge, so that its structural soundness

can be thoroughly assessed.

They will simulate strong hurricane-style winds,

ground motion (that could be caused by earthquakes),

ship collision with the bridge’s pylons and the combined

force of heavy traffic and fluctuating winds. The results

are anticipated towards the end of 2013, and will help

optimise maintenance recommendations to ensure the

bridge’s continued safety for many years to come.

For further information contact:Professor Xu You-Lin Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge spanning the Rambler Channel

38P H Y S I C S

Sorting cellsThe ability to separate cells according to size and

shape is extremely useful. One popular method

involves the use of ‘micropillars’ which act as a kind of

sieve for cells.

Small cells are able to pass through the narrow

gaps between pillars, while cells that are too large

bump into them. This technique can be used to sort

blood samples, for example, into platelets, white cells

and red cells. However, a limitation of the technique is

that cells that are flexible in structure, like the cell in

this image, are often sorted incorrectly, as they can

squeeze in between the pillars. Researchers at the

A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing have

created a two-dimensional computer model to examine

the different possible routes taken by flexible cells

through the device pillars. The model can accurately

predict the paths taken by different types of cells, which

are affected by the orientation, arrangement and size of

the pillars. Team leader Keng-Hwee Chiam explains,

“This shows us what design parameters to avoid, and

could benefit future biological technologies.”

For further information contact:Dr Keng-Hwee CHIAMInstitute of High Performance ComputingAgency for Science, Technology and Research(A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Fulton Design

A flexible cell squeezing between microscopic pillars - as small cells pass through

Growing nanowires Japanese researchers have developed a completely

new, and surprisingly simple, technique for making

polymer nanowires.

Nanotechnology and the creation of materials like

nanowires that measure only a few billionths of a metre,

has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years

because of its many potential uses. In future, nanowires

may be used to link tiny components together, making

extremely small electrical circuits within various

gadgets.

Polymer nanowires can be made of materials like

polystyrene, and have several advantages over

nanowires made from inorganic materials. They are

extremely flexible and optically transparent, so they

could potentially be used in nano-sized sensors, light-

emitting devices and optical switches.

They are usually constructed using moulds, but this

method only produces comparatively thick nanowires

with diameters of around 100 nm. For many practical

applications nanowires should ideally be much thinner.

Furthermore, the use of strong chemicals to extract the

finished nanowires from moulds restricts the materials

that can be used to make them.

To tackle these issues a team of scientists at

Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science have

developed a completely new fabrication technique, which

is capable of producing super-thin, 10 nanometres (nm)

nanowires. The material is simply irradiated with a

precisely controlled laser beam, which causes a

nanowire to ‘grow’ at the point of irradiation.

Using this method they also discovered that it is

possible to introduce new functions to the nanowires by

adding other compounds to the starting material. Until

now, this was extremely difficult. The new technique is

expected to enable the use of nanowires for various

applications, including in the wiring of smartphones and

other portable electronic devices where miniaturisation

is required.

A polystyrene nanowire containing iron oxide nanoparticles.

Hitachi H

igh-Technologies Corporation

For further information contact:Dr Masahiro GotoInternational Center for Materials NanoarchitectonicsNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

39 P H Y S I C S

The liquid microjet, with a diameter of around 10 micrometres

W. P

okapanich

Shedding light onliquidsWandared Pokapanich, of Nakhon Phanom University

in Thailand, has helped to develop a pioneering

technique that explores liquids at the atomic level. Her

discoveries have implications in wide-ranging fields,

from atmospheric and climate science to biomedical

research and clinical therapy.

Water supports all life and is the most abundant

substance on Earth. Other liquids are also important in

biological systems, and are necessary for many

industrial and chemical processes. Knowing the exact

properties of water and other liquids therefore reveals

much about the world around us.

While solids have very regular molecular

arrangements and gases have no regularity at all,

liquids are in the middle. Their global arrangements are

fairly irregular, giving them overall fluidity. But at a local

level, the molecules are constantly interacting with one

another. Studying this arrangement in pure liquids and

solutions is important for fully understanding their

properties.

An ideal way to study this is a technique called

photoelectron spectroscopy. This involves firing X-rays or

ultraviolet light at a material, which causes it to release

electrons. Measuring the energy of these electrons

reveals information about the molecular organisation

and properties of the material being studied. By

controlling the energy of the radiation used, specific

elements can be targeted.

This method works well for solids and gases, but is

problematic for liquids. The procedure must be carried

out in a vacuum to avoid interference, but liquids

vaporise in these conditions, making the standard

technique impossible. Pokapanich worked at Uppsala

University in Sweden on developing an adapted system

that allows photoelectron spectroscopy to be used with

liquids.

The specialised technique uses a liquid microjet,

first introduced in the early 1990s and developed by

Pokapanich and her colleagues into a method that has

already provided some unexpected insights.

"The liquid sample is pumped through a narrow

nozzle into the vacuum and forms a microjet of about 10

micrometre diameter," explains Pokapanich, "This

means that a relatively small area of liquid is exposed to

vacuum." This low surface area decreases the amount of

evaporation, and measurements can be taken by firing

X-rays at the microjet.

Pokapanich has used the technique to study a

variety of systems, with some surprising results. The

traditional idea that ions – the components of dissolved

substances – are absent from the surface of solutions

has been overturned, and it seems that they may even

be enriched. In particular, analysis of seawater-like

solutions has revealed that bromide ions are enriched at

the surface. "[This] could explain why bromine is much

more important in atmospheric chemistry than expected

from its relative abundance in seawater," explains

Pokapanich.

Other insights include details about interactions

between water molecules and ions in solutions. By

exciting the ions and seeing how the surrounding

molecules respond, different behaviour has been

revealed with different ions, and the distances between

interacting particles may be deduced. Not only important

for the fundamental understanding of solutions, this

work is also relevant to medicine, since it shows how

water molecules interact with ions after exposure to

radiation.

"It is well known that our body contains 70 per cent

of water and a few essential salts, such as bromide,

chloride, fluoride, and iodide," says Pokapanich, "It is

valuable to investigate how the [ions] behave after

exposure to X-rays, which can apply to the radiation

treatment in cancer patients."

While it is tempting to think that there is little more

to learn about water, Pokapanich says otherwise: "Do

you know that the water surface is acidic or that in sea

spray, which contains water and salt, there is a

competition between ions? Water is more complicated

and interesting than we expected."

It is not just water that this photoelectron

spectroscopy can shed light on either. The system has

also been used to study formamide, a mixture of

methanol and ethanol, and can help us to understand all

the liquids around us. According to Pokapanich, this

work is fundamental to understanding natural and

anthropogenic processes in the biosphere.

For further information contact:Dr Wandared PokapanichFaculty of Liberal Arts and ScienceNakhon Phanom University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

40

New insulating materialfrom invasive ‘Apple ofSodom’The Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera) plant is often

regarded as a nuisance, but thanks to researchers in

Saudi Arabia it could now be the source of a novel

insulating material. ResearchSEA spoke to Dr

Mohamed Ali from King Saud University.

From regulating temperature in walls, pipes and

electrical devices to dampening sound, insulating

materials play an important part in our daily lives. But

how can they be made from a plant like C. procera and

what are the advantages over traditional insulation

materials such as foam or mineral wool?

Lead researcher Dr Mohamed Ali explained: “This

plant tends to grow in very dry areas. It grows naturally

all around as a weed and animals can’t eat it, so it

doesn’t have that many uses.” Unlike other natural

insulating materials, such as wood fibre (also used for

paper, tissue, cardboard etc.) or mineral wool (also used

in plastics and the automotive industry), this means that

there is no competition with other sectors or livelihoods.

“What interested me about it were the seedpods.

Inside there are lots of white fibres attached to the seeds

I collected these fibres and did some experimenting.”

To make the insulator, Dr Ali and his colleagues

combined the plant’s fibres with a binding resin called

phenolic formaldehyde, and compressed it to a thickness

of around 2 cm. The resulting material was a stiff board

with good insulating properties.

They then discovered that the finished product was

just as good if natural corn starch was used in place of

phenolic formaldehyde, resulting in a natural, eco-

friendly material that would be cheap to produce and

completely safe to use in houses.

Dr Ali said that the invention was ‘very promising’

and that he hoped to commercialise in the near future.

“It already meets industry specifications…we compared

its thermal conductivity to other materials such as rock

wool, and found it was very close.”

He is currently working on making it fire resistant

and investigating the possibility of making a tube-shaped

version that could be used as pipe insulation.

Dr Ali received a gold medal for his work at the 2011

British Invention Show.

For further information contact:Dr Mohamed AliKing Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaEmail: [email protected]

T E C H N O L O G Y

The fibres and seed pod of Calotropis procera. Commonly known as the Apple of Sodom, this shrub can grow up to 5 metres high.

Victor Korniyenko

Moham

ed Ali

Insulating material board using cornstarch resin as a binder for the fibres withdensity of 130.47 kg/m3.

41 T E C H N O L O G Y

Harnessing the sun’senergyWith supplies of fossil fuels rapidly dwindling, the

pressure is on to develop renewable sources of energy.

The sun is the primary energy source of all life in the

planet, and many believe that solar power could be the

ultimate carbon-neutral solution. The use of solar panels

is gaining popularity, but existing technologies are

expensive and inefficient. New research across Asia aims

to change this, using innovative new technologies to

ensure continued improvement.

Solar power goes organic

Much work is focused on developing solar cells made of

low-cost materials that are cheap and easy to

manufacture. These take advantage of the photoelectrical

properties of organic pigments or dyes, and are known as

‘dye sensitised solar cells’ (DSSCs).

DSSCs typically contain a layer of light-absorbing dye,

such as a ruthenium dye, along with a layer of titanium

dioxide (TiO2) particles to maximise the surface area. When

sunlight hits the dye, photons with sufficient energy are

absorbed and the dye enters an excited state, which causes

negatively charged electrons to be passed on to the TiO2.

The electrons lost by the dye are replaced by those stripped

from iodide ions in an electrolyte, a substance carrying

charged particles.

This is a popular emerging technology, and these

kinds of solar panel are expected to make a significant

commercial impact within this decade. At the moment,

however, they are very inefficient.

An on-going project led by Menandro Marquez and

Florentino Sumera at the University of the Philippines

Diliman is finding new ways to fabricate DSSCs in an

attempt to cut costs and boost efficiency. The materials

used as sensitisers consist of polyaniline, which is cheap

and lightweight, coupled with an organic dye. The team are

planning to go one step further and incorporate natural

dyes taken from native plants in the Philippines to try and

reduce local costs.

Record breakers

Meanwhile, at the National Institute for Materials Science

(NIMS) in Japan the world efficiency record for a DSSC was

recently broken. The highest energy conversion efficiency in

DSSCs had remained at 11.1 per cent since 2006, but the

NIMS Photovoltaic Materials Unit has succeeded in

improving conversion efficiency to 11.4 per cent.

This was made possible by the development of a new

additive material which makes the dye even more sensitive

to light. This improves the efficiency of the cells in the

visible light region by approximately 80 per cent therefore

increasing the amount of electrical current generated.

Solar panels with higher conversion efficiency are

more cost effective, and scientists hope that over the next

few years this kind of technology will help boost their

popularity as a renewable source of electricity.

Using the sun to keep cool

Scientists at Nakhon Phanom and Chiang Mai Universities

in Thailand are using the sun’s energy in a very different

way. They’ve developed Roof Solar Collectors (RSCs), which

could help cool down and ventilate houses in an

environmentally friendly way, reducing the need for

expensive air conditioning.

The technology itself is beautifully simple: energy from

the sun heats up the roof tiles, and this in turn heats up the

air inside the ‘chimney’ – a space between the roof and the

ceiling. Because of the tendency of hot air to rise, the

warmed air travels up the chimney and out into the

atmosphere. This movement causes the warmest air in the

house to be drawn into the chimney, leaving much cooler

air behind.

The team have been carrying out laboratory-scale

experiments to try and optimise the design, focusing on the

relationship between heat flux (rate at which heat is

transferred) and the rate at which the air flows.

At the moment, RSCs can decrease heat load from

roofs by around 58 per cent, and provide good ventilation

inside houses. Given that RSCs are straightforward to

construct, and the materials involved fairly inexpensive, this

technology could make a real difference in developing

countries.

For further information contact:Menandro C. Marquez and Dr Florentino C. SumeraInstitute of ChemistryUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected],[email protected]

Dr Liyuan HanPhotovoltaic Materials UnitNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Mr Narongrit AuppapongNakhon Phanom University, ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Dr Yottana KhunatornDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringChiang Mai University,ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Roof Solar Collectors use the sun’s energy to cool down houses

Nakhon P

hanom U

niversity

Air gap

A prototype Roof Solar Collector

Nakhon P

hanom U

niversity

Safeguarding air travelGlobal air travel continues to increase year upon year.

It has been estimated that over 30,000 new passenger

jetliners and freighters could be in operation

worldwide by 2025. The aircraft fleet in Asia alone is

expected to triple over the same period. Ensuring

aircraft safety is a critical issue, so the development of

advanced maintenance and repair technologies is more

important than ever.

In 2007, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology

and Research (A*STAR) launched the A*STAR Aerospace

Programme to establish a common research platform

that will support the growth of local aerospace

companies and technology. The programme has since

funded several projects, and the number of participating

companies has expanded from the original four –

Boeing, European Aeronautics Defence Systems, Pratt &

Whitney and Rolls-Royce – to 18 over the last few years.

The programme involves teams of A*STAR

researchers comprising dozens of scientists and

engineers from around the world. The number of

projects is on the rise, adding impetus to the search for

collaborative development with other companies and

research institutes.

Robots for surface finishing

Guilin Yang leads the mechatronics team (which includes

mechanical, electronic, software and systems design

engineering) at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing

Technology (SIMTech). They recently completed a project

on robotized finishing, which developed and customised

industrial robots to smooth the edges of aero-engine

components. In most aerospace factories, skilled

workers handle these processes manually.

“The manual approach is a very time-consuming

process because there are so many small features,”

says Yang. “It is also difficult with manual operations to

guarantee quality consistency, particularly in the tough

working environment of these factories.”

So the team set about developing a robotic

alternative. One of the

biggest challenges they

faced along the way was

the fine control of contact

force for the removal of

‘burrs’ along metal edges,

which is considered

difficult to automate

because edge features are

usually complex.

Yang and his

colleagues had to

programme the robots

carefully based on both

the 3D model and the

material removal model of the work piece, so that their

paths and forces were precisely controlled. The team

eventually succeeded in getting an edge profiling of

components with a finishing accuracy of up to ±0.2

millimetres. Although the project is now complete, Yang

says his team will continue improving the performance

of the technology.

“We have excellent infrastructure, good support

from the government and a strong research foundation,”

he said.

Non-destructive testing

Wei Lin, a senior scientist at SIMTech, works on

developing non-destructive tests for composite materials

(those made from several different materials). Ultrasonic

technology is widely used for the non-destructive testing

of materials such as metals, but the composite materials

used in modern aircraft pose a challenge for conventional

methods. Materials such as carbon-fibre-reinforced

plastics have a ‘sandwich’ structure comprising laminate

skins and an internal honeycomb-like arrangement, and

they tend to develop very peculiar flaws.

“We want to see how these defects affect the

mechanical strength of the materials. A defect may still

be okay to fly, but ultimately aircraft carriers want to know

when they fail,” says Lin.

Lin’s team has developed a technique that is

performed at a frequency lower than that of conventional

ultrasonic techniques. “This way very fine differences

among flaws, including information about the defects

such as depth, types and geometry, can be detected and

identified,” says Lin.

Computer simulations

At A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing,

Tomas Karasek and his colleagues are working on two

new simulation projects that could support advanced

aircraft maintenance and repair operations in the future.

One of the simulations aims to optimise the design of

structures that are subject to high impact loads.

“Preventing damage of composite materials subject

to high impact loads is still a daunting task. Our objective

is to optimise composite materials, in term of the number

of layers, the material’s constituents and even the

orientation of individual layers, so that the test beam can

survive the drop without damage,” explains Karasek.

They are also developing a faster and more cost-

effective method for the metal shot peening process—a

cold finishing step in which small metallic balls are shot

into a surface of a piece of metal to increase durability.

The conventional optimisation process relies on visual

inspection by an experienced technician. Karasek’s team

is aiming to introduce a more objective approach by

creating a tool to predict the optimal coverage given

parameters such as pressure, intensity and time for

components of different sizes and shapes.

“The aerospace industry is rolling out cutting-edge

technology and high-tech products with high added

value.” Says Karasek, adding: “However, safety and

reliability is always a concern. There is a lot of room for

research."

For further information contact:Dr Guilin YangSingapore Institute of Manufacturing TechnologyAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Dr Wei LinSingapore Institute of Manufacturing TechnologyAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Dr Tomas KarasekInstitute of High Performance ComputingAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

42T E C H N O L O G Y

Agency for Science, Technology and R

esearch (A*STA

R)

43 T E C H N O L O G Y

Acoustic sensors helpdetect damageResearchers at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of

Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) have developed

acoustic sensors that can identify wear and tear in

industrial machinery. By catching problems before they

even occur, this technique promises to speed up

manufacturing.

Manufacturers of precisely engineered products such

as engine components are increasingly monitoring their

high-speed machinery tools online to ensure product

quality and reliability.

Jun-Hong Zhou and her co-workers at SIMTech have

developed a technique that gives online systems the

ability to assess how well a tool is working. Using small,

inexpensive sensors they analyse sound waves to

determine the integrity of machinery.

So how do you interpret the state of a machine based

on sound? Inside machines, a change in the acoustic

signal can be detected in the form of pulses of sound

energy that occur when, for example, a tool is chipped or

worn down. A software program is then used to scan the

sound patterns and determine whether a machine needs

to be shut down for maintenance. Acoustic sensors offer

rapid monitoring, but analysing the complex signals they

generate can be tricky, as the use of too many variables

makes computation slower and less accurate.

Zhou’s team have managed to resolve these issues by

developing a new dominant-feature identification (DFI)

algorithm. In this approach, the acoustic signals from

tools are collected using embedded acoustic sensors and

converted into a low-dimensional mathematical matrix. A

procedure called ‘singular value decomposition’ is then

applied which ultimately reveals the variables that

dominate the acoustic signal. As only a fraction of the full

data set needs to be processed, DFI can analyse signals

80 per cent faster than typical methods.

The team also based their algorithm on a new model

or theoretical framework called ARAMX, which allows

them to dynamically update the decision software with

previously predicted values. Experiments showed that this

method could predict the cutting tool lifetime for ball nose

cutters in a milling machine with 93 per cent accuracy, a

significant improvement on other processing systems.

“DFI is very efficient for identifying key input

parameters, and combining it with the ARAMX model

provides accurate predictions for online machine

condition monitoring,” says Zhou.

The team plans to apply their acoustic-based system

to the manufacture of function-critical devices such as

aircraft gearboxes and wind turbine generators in the

near future.

For further information contact:Ms Jun-Hong ZhouSingapore Institute of Manufacturing TechnologyAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected].

Wear and tear in industrial machinery can be monitored using acoustic sensors.

Sinead Fenton

44

Better diagnosis withmini medical devicesA*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) in Singapore

is developing miniature devices that seek out and tag

diseased cells in the gut. It is hoped that these ‘mini

doctors’ will improve diagnostic capability and lead to

more effective treatments for patients.

Diseases such as colon cancer or Crohn’s disease

start with abnormal cells or lesions inside the intestines,

and are often treatable if caught early. The difficulty is

catching the initial imperfections along an internal tract

that is nearly five metres long.

One method, known as capsule endoscopy, uses a tiny

camera-containing capsule that is swallowed like a pill to

take pictures of a patient’s gut. This is a good way to

explore the small intestine and other parts of the gut out of

reach of rectal or oesophageal endoscopes, but is unable

to determine the exact position of problem areas.

Approximate locations of lesions can be worked out by

examining the speed and transfer time of the capsule as it

travels through the stomach and gut. But this technique

can be inaccurate, leading to delays in treatment and

adding to patient discomfort.

Scientists at IME have found a way to dramatically

improve the accuracy of capsule endoscopy, by developing

a heat-activated microtag that can detach from the

capsule, then detect and ‘label’ abnormal tissue inside the

gastrointestinal tract. Its position in the patient can then be

viewed using fluoroscopy (an imaging technique involving

an X-ray source and a fluorescent screen), which enables

doctors to pinpoint the exact location of abnormal cells.

It’s already been successfully demonstrated in a live

pig, and the team are aiming to optimise it for human use.

They hope to make the tagging module in the capsule

even smaller so that a single capsule can house four or

more of them, which would enable multiple sites to be

labelled in the same procedure. They are also working on

a tag that the body can eventually absorb, so that the

structures cannot linger in the gut and cause further harm.

A new way to measure

lost lightResearchers in Singapore have developed a technique

which allows the transmission quality of optical fibres

to be tested without the need to take measurements at

both ends.

Optical fibres are thin transparent fibres down

which light can be transmitted. They are used

extensively in communications in place of metal wires to

transmit signals.

Light traveling in an optical fibre loses power over

distance. A number of factors are responsible for this

power loss, but one that is particularly important is the

loss that occurs due to changes in light polarisation (the

orientation of light waves). This polarisation-dependent

loss (PDL) can have a significant impact on signal

quality and network performance.

Until now the measurement of PDL in fibre optic

cables has required an optical source attached to one

end and a receiver attached to the other. Now, Hui Dong

and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm

Research have developed and tested a method of

determining PDL in an optical fibre cable by taking

measurements from just one end. The new technique

avoids the difficulty of having to access both ends of a

fibre optic cable, which may be tens of kilometres apart.

The technique requires the fibre optic cable to be

“birefringent” (or double refractive) at the end at which

measurements are to be taken — that is, the cable must

include imperfections that interact in different ways with

the two perpendicular orientations of light waves. These

interactions cause the two polarisations of light to travel

at different speeds, splitting the light beam into two.

The PDL can then be estimated from the maximum

loss encountered in a round-trip along the cable. Over a

distance of ten kilometres, measurements taken with an

experimental setup built by the researchers showed

good agreement with measurement made using

standard techniques with a light source and receiver at

either end.

“We want to continue the experimental work on our

PDL measurement in fibre links,” says Dong. “The PDL

in a fibre link is a function of fibre length. Using our new

technique, we should be able to measure the

relationship between PDL and fibre length.” This would

make it even easier to estimate PDL and thus test the

transmission efficiencies of optical fibres.

T E C H N O L O G Y

Microtag embedded in a pig intestine

A*STA

R Institute of M

icroelectronics

For further information contact:Lim RuiqiInstitute of MicroelectronicsAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Junfeng XuInstitute for Infocomm ResearchAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Dr Xianming QingInstitute for Infocomm ResearchAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

45

A battle againstbarnaclesResearchers at the Agency for Science, Technology

and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore have found that

engineering the texture of metal surfaces may help to

eradicate the problem posed by barnacles in the

shipping industry.

The US Navy estimates that unwanted ‘hitchhikers’

like barnacles, which accumulate on ships’ hulls, can

reduce ship speed by 10 per cent and increase fuel

consumption by a whopping 40 per cent. Coating the

hull with poisonous chemicals can help stop this

happening, but can have terrible knock-on effects for

other marine organisms. William Birch and his

colleagues at A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research

and Engineering are working on a more environmentally

friendly solution.

Adult barnacles, once attached to a surface, stay

there for life. It is up to their tiny mobile larvae to choose

a place to settle. To avoid the need for harmful

chemicals, the researchers need to find a new way to

prevent barnacle larvae settling on ships in the first

place. The key to success may lie in creating a surface

which the larvae have difficulty latching on to.

Previous studies have shown that barnacle larvae

prefer to settle in cracks and depressions that offer

better protection from the currents in which they feed,

but the way surface texture affects their choice to settle

on a micro scale is unknown. To explore this in detail,

the researchers decided to compare the behaviour of

barnacle larvae on different surfaces.

The team constructed plastic surfaces textures with

tiny pillars placed just 10 microns apart. The pillars

were five microns or 30 microns high, and ranged from

five to 100 microns in diameter. A smooth surface

without pillars was used as a control. Larvae were then

allowed to explore the surface and filmed using a

microscope.

The larvae seemed unperturbed by five-micron high

pillars, as they could still from a firm attachment over

them. Thirty-micron high pillars, however, had a

dramatic impact on their behaviour. Diameter also had

an effect: larvae found it difficult to attach to the sides of

slim pillars, and tended to try and squeeze into the

cracks between thicker ones.

“These findings have spawned a multidisciplinary

research programme whose objective is to engineer

patterned surfaces and measure performance by

quantifying their interactions with marine organisms,”

said Birch

For further information contact:Dr William BirchInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

T E C H N O L O G Y

Barnacles anchor themselves to rock and other surfaces.

An exploring barnacle larva.

Michael M

aggs.


esearch

Scientists in Singapore and the UK have developed

a new way to create terahertz radiation

(or T-rays), the technology behind full-body

security scanners. They say their new,

stronger and more efficient T-rays

could be used to make better medical

scanners and may lead to innovations

similar to the “tricorder” scanner used in

Star Trek.

T-rays are waves in the far infrared part of

the electromagnetic spectrum that have

wavelengths hundreds of times longer than

visible light. Such waves are already in use in

airport security scanners and prototype

medical scanning devices. T-rays can sense

molecules such as those present in cancerous

tumours and DNA, because every molecule has

its unique signature in the terahertz range.

However, T-rays need to be created at very low

temperatures, which requires a vast amount of energy.

Consequently, existing T-ray imaging devices have low

output power and are very expensive.

Now, an international team of researchers have

found a way to produce T-rays at room temperature, and

have created a much stronger directional beam than

was previously thought possible. This breakthrough will

allow future T-ray systems to be smaller, more portable,

easier to operate, and much cheaper.

The new technology could provide part of the

functionality of a Star Trek-like medical "tricorder" - a

portable sensing, computing and data communications

device - since the waves are capable of detecting

biological phenomena such as increased blood flow

around tumorous growths.

The team creates a strong beam of T-rays by

shining light of differing wavelengths on a pair of special

electrodes - two pointed strips of metal

separated by a 100 nanometre gap.

Electromagnetic waves are produced by an

interaction between the pulses of light and a

powerful current passing between the

electrodes. The unique tip-to-tip electrode

structure greatly enhances the terahertz field

and amplifies the waves generated.

Lead author Dr Jing Hua Teng

from the A*STAR Institute of Materials

Research and Engineering (IMRE) in

Singapore explains, "The secret behind the

innovation lies in the new nano-antenna that

we had developed and integrated into the

semiconductor chip. These created much

stronger terahertz fields that generate a power output

that is 100 times higher than conventional antenna

structures."

Research co-author Stefan Maier, said: "T-rays

promise to revolutionise medical scanning to make it

faster and more convenient."

Could the Star Trek tricorder become a reality?

Optical microscope picture showing electric

field distribution


esearch

46

Testing technology for safer jet engines

T E C H N O L O G Y

A research group at Japan’s National Institute for

Materials Science (NIMS) has found out a reliable way

to test the integrity of metal blades in jet engines.

The metal blades on turbines found inside these

machines are subject to ‘resonance’, or repetitive

vibrations. A familiar example of resonance is a

playground swing, which acts as a pendulum. Attempts

to push the swing at a faster or slower tempo than its

resonant or ‘natural’ frequency will result in different

shaped arcs. Similarly the blades in turbines also cause

resonance, in this case high speed vibration at several

thousand hertz (vibrations per second).

Because of this they must be tested for fatigue

periodically. Researchers at NIMS have developed

fatigue test devices capable of testing at a high

frequency (20,000 Hz) using ultrasonic vibration – a vast

improvement on existing technology.

To achieve this, they had to overcome several

difficulties. Because ultrasonic fatigue testing uses the

phenomenon of resonance, the number of factors

influenced by temperature is extremely large, making it

difficult to design a device that takes them all into

account. The team also uncovered factors which had

been overlooked in conventional research by conducting

trial-and-error experiments and succeeded in correcting

previous problems. The result was a completely new

commercial testing device incorporating a large number

of special improvements. The device can perform

accurate fatigue tests at temperatures of 1000°C, and is

therefore capable of testing metal fatigue under

conditions similar to those inside jet engines.

The technology will improve the safety of jet engines

and gas turbines, and is also expected to accelerate

research and development of materials for use in high

strength turbine blades.

For further information contact:Dr Yoshiyuki FuruyaMaterials Reliability UnitNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Teng JinghuaInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Jeff Dahl

In a typical gas turbine jet engine, air is compressed by the fan blades as it entersthe engine, and it is mixed and burned with fuel in the combustion section. The hotexhaust gases provide forward thrust and turn the turbines which drive thecompressor fan blades.

Tim Davies

AP-IRC 2012The Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2012

NOV 15-16th 2012Irago Sea-Park & Spa Hotel, Tahara, Aichi, Japan

call for papers

event features

• Jing-Feng Li(Tsinghua University, China) “Recent advances in thermoelectric materials research”

• Seiichi Takenoshita(Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Japan) “Turning a tragedy into a miracle -Fukushima MedicalUniversity version for revitalization-”

• Takashi Ohira(Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan) “Electric Vehicles on Electrified Roadways (EVER)-Powering Electric Cars by Exploiting Radio FrequencyDisplacement Currents via Revolving Tires-”

Themes for papers:• Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment

• Medicine and Public Health/Welfare

• Disaster Prevention and Management

• Advances in Science, Technology and Life Sciences

Publication:• Conference proceedings to be published in the

Journal of Physics - Conference Series.

Deadlines:• Abstract: August 31, 2012 • Acceptance Notice: September 20, 2012 • Manuscript: October 31, 2012

Organiser:• Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Insitute

(EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology

Chairman:• Yoshiyuki Sakaki (President, Toyohashi University of

Technology, Japan)

Keynote lectures:

• Daniel E. Morse (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)“Molecular, cellular and developmental biology andthoughts on public understanding of science”

• Sakae Tanaka(AQUABIT Corporation, Japan)“Future prospect 2012-2025 -How will the World and ourbusiness change in future-”

Special session:

• Advanced topics will be presented on:

Energy Minimization of Future Mobile System

• Yasuaki Kohama (Tohoku University, Japan)Ground Effect Transport System: Aerotrain

• Masayuki Kawamoto (Toyota Motor Corporation,Japan) Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC)

• Keiji Aoki (Japan Automobile Research Institute,Japan) Energy ITS Automated Platoon Project

• Yoshitsugu Hayashi (Nagoya University, Japan)Energy Minimum Mobile Society

Invited speakers:

• Robert Geller(University of Tokyo, Japan) “Limitations of predicting earthquakes and the myth ofsafety at Fukushima”

• Yoshimitsu Okada (National Research Institute for Earth Science andDisaster Prevention, Japan) “Recent progress of seismic observation networks inJapan”

• Uracha Ruktanonchai(NanoDelivery System Lab, NANOTEC, Thailand) “Nanotechnology for natural disaster mitigation”

• Susumu Sakata(National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, Japan) “Microbial methanogenesis as the process of methanehydrate formation”

http://www.apirc.jp

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