Asia Research News 2013

asia researchnews 2013

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

Capturing the moon

Shoring up megacitiesagainst disaster

Rebuilding breastfeedingcultures in East Asia

In search of the best all-Filipino coffee

Electric roads for electric cars

Antibioticresistance

in Asia

Antibioticresistance

in Asia

C O N T E N T S

Editor-in-ChiefMagdeline [email protected]

EditorDjuke Veldhuis

Editorial ConsultantsDaniel RaymerPokar Vellaykuti

WritersJohn Eberlee, Ruth Francis,Ian Fyfe and Aya Kawanishi

DesignFulton Design

Front Cover Image

Bacteria attacking cell

Asia Research News 2013 ispublished by ResearchSEALimited, Asia’s premierplatform for raisingawareness of Asianresearch and experts.

Research featured in AsiaResearch News 2013 isbased on informationprovided by the researchinstitutions listed in thecontact information.ResearchSEA has strived toensure the accuracy ofinformation and aims of theprojects featured. Readersare advised to contact theacademics for confirmationof current details and statusof projects. ResearchSEALimited accepts no liabilityfor any loss, damage orexpense incurred resultingfrom the use of informationin this publication.

ISSN 2042-0536. CopyrightResearchSEA Limited2013. If you would like toreproduce any articles inAsia Research News 2013,contact ResearchSEA.

ResearchSEA - Asia Research News13 Sterndale CloseGirton, CambridgeCB3 0PRUnited Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1223 276227Fax: +44 (0)8706 220887

[email protected]

Welcome to the 2013 edition of Asia Research News. This issue blasts off with preparations to capture the moon in China’s lunar mission

later this year, followed by the race to quench our thirst for more energy, data storage andadvanced electronics in the technology pages. From self-driving cars to 3D on the go, wehighlight some of the advances that may be available to us in the near future.

Nature has much to teach us. Scientists have looked to the moth, the lotus leaf andcactuses to create new materials for our use while the humble silkworm is enablingadvances in drug delivery and artificial skin. The slime mould tells us if motorway networksare rational and the banana pseudostem enables the removal of oil from water.

Nature can also be unkind. The environment section outlines a programme to helpmegacities cope with natural disasters, protect animals from lighting strikes and outlines anew method for detecting radioactive contamination with the naked eye.

In the health section, researchers have genetically engineered viruses to infect and killcancer cells and developed a gel capable of releasing drugs using only finger pressure. Wealso look at how to improve sleep, tackle the root causes of infectious diseases and ask thetrue impact of free formula milk for babies?

In the midst of technological and health advances, it is important to look back and recallindigenous knowledge gathered over generations or how life and music has changed overcenturies. For those of us who want to turn back time, perhaps a Porsche may make uslook six years younger. We hope you enjoy reading Asia Research News 2013.

Last but not least, we would like to invite researchers and press officers to our mediatraining workshops in South Korea and Malaysia this October. Please see the back coverfor more details.

Editor's Desk

3

E N V I R O N M E N T

12

M A T E R I A L S

18

T E C H N O L O G Y

26

T R A N S P O R T

32

P E O P L E

36

A G R I C U L T U R E

40

H E A L T H w w w . a s i a r e s e a r c h n e w s . c o m

2

We are always keen to hear about interesting newsworthyresearch. If you would like to publish your research inAsia Research News, please contact ResearchSEA

Researchers from Hong Kong and China havedeveloped the camera technology to map the surfaceof the moon in preparation for China’s lunarprogramme

With space exploration comes technologicaladvancement. When the European Space Agencysuccessfully deployed the Beagle 2 Lander in the MarsExpress Mission in 2003, on board were the 'Mars RockCorer' and a 'Soil Preparation System' developed by ProfYung and his team from the Hong Kong PolytechnicUniversity.

Since 2010 HK PolyU and the China Academy ofSpace Technology have a dedicated “Joint Laboratory forPrecision Space Mechanism and Design” to further thedevelopment of tools for use in space. The joint teamhave successfully developed a "Camera PointingSystem" (CPS) for Phase 2 of China's lunar landingprogramme, which will be carried on board theChang'e-3 lunar lander scheduled to be launchedtowards the end of 2013. CPS is a sophisticated toolcapable of deploying a camera and controlling itsrotational and tilting movement with precision. Thecamera serves the dual function of image-capturing ofthe lunar landscape and monitoring of thedecent/progress of the lunar rover. The system isdesigned to operate under extreme environment with ahigh degree of adaptability.

For further information contact:Prof. K. L. YungDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering,The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

Capturing the moon

Launch site for Chang’e3

Artist rendition of Chang'e 2 satellite

3

123rf-Nitchaw

at Paiyabhrom

a, Spacebabe and Fulton Design

Aaxanderr

T E C H N O L O G Y

4

Rise of the super battery From tablets and smartphones to cameras and e-readers,whether they are built by Samsung or Apple, one thingthey all have in common is their unquenchable thirst forbattery power.

In addition to becoming faster and more powerful, thesmartphones and tablet screens that populate the worldaround us are becoming ever sharper, powerful andinterconnected. We use mini-super computers capable ofmuch more than just making a call. Indeed your smartphone is vastly more sophisticated than what it took to puthumans on the moon.

On the surface, creating a battery – a deviceconsisting of one or more (electrochemical) cells whichconvert stored chemical energy into electrical energy –may seem like yesterday’s news, but the demands today’sconsumers put upon them are far from trivial. Everincreasing hours spent on electronic devices which arebuzzing with hundreds of power hungry applicationssending out or seeking information such as your locationor wireless signals, not to mention environmental factorssuch as heat and cold, all test battery life to the limit.Prof. Sun from Hanyang University’s Department ofEnergy Engineering has spent nearly two decadesdeveloping ever more efficient and powerful batteries tokeep up with consumer demands.

Between 1996 and 2000, Prof Sun’s contributions to the field formed the cornerstone for thecommercialisation of Samsung’s lithium polymer battery,but he acknowledges that we need to look to newmaterials. The lithium-ion battery is working at nearcapacity and it will be difficult to make it much moreefficient than it is now. His search for new electrodematerials (in an electrochemical cell this is referred toeither as the anode or the cathode) brought him to thedevelopment of a layered lithium nickel cobalt manganeseoxide batteries owing to their high capacity, excellent ratecapability and low cost. In this material, each particle hasa central bulk that is rich in Ni and a Mn-rich outer layerwith decreasing Ni concentration and increasing Mn andCo concentrations as the surface is approached. Theformer provides high capacity, whereas the latterimproves the thermal stability.

Although the common lithium-ion batteries are apopular choice for consumer electronics, they are notpractical for use in electrified road transport. Mostrecently Prof. Sun has worked on the development ofadvanced, higher-energy lithium batteries which areessential in the rapid establishment of the electric carmarket. One candidate is the ‘lithium-air’ battery owing toits exceptionally high energy density (approaching that ofgasoline). However, one limitation of these batteries hasbeen that they are limited to only a few ‘charge-discharge’cycles and for one to be used practically in a futureelectric vehicle it would need to be able to perform lots ofcycles at suitable capacity. By choosing a stableelectrolyte and by using an advanced oxygen electrodestructure, the newly developed battery can operate undercapacity levels as high as 5,000 mAh gcarbon−1 with anaverage discharge voltage of 2.7 V, leading to a very hightheoretical energy density of 13,500 Wh kg−1.

For further information contact:Professor Sun Yang-KookDepartment of Energy EngineeringHanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Na9234

Lithium Air charge – discharge schematic. The team are also workingon Lithium Sulfur and Sodium-ion batteries.

T E C H N O L O G Y

Bendable batteries Meanwhile a team at Ulsan National Institute ofScience and Technology (UNIST) has been working ona new class of bendable batteries.

Traditionally batteries are made by pouring liquefiedelectrolytes into moulds and leaving them to solidify. Theteam, led by Sang-Young Lee published their methodrecently in the journal Advanced Materials (v.25, p.1395,2013, selected as a back cover image). Their approachuses a less fluid electrolyte that does not require themould, but which can be spread into shape, and quicklysealed using UV rays. This new and unique design notonly produces a high-performance lithium battery, thecurable electrolyte mixture allows the creation ofgeometries not accessible with conventional materialsand methods. In other words, flexible lithium-ionbatteries could be used to build bendable mobile phonesor other electronics in the future.

Advanced fuel cellreaches world’s highestenergy output Toyohashi Tech’s high performance electrolytemembrane enabled its fuel cell to reach the world’shighest energy output of 350mW/cm2 for 800 hours inmedium temperature and without the need forhumidification.

Fuel cells convert chemical energy from a fuel intoelectricity via electrochemical reactions. Of the varioustypes of cells, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) haveattracted attention as power sources for householdcogeneration units, portable devices, and electric vehicles.

However, there are some issues which need resolvinglike the operating temperature which is restricted to lowerthan 100oC and the need for high humidity. These issuesare largely due to the properties of the membranes.Being able to operate PEFCs in the medium temperaturerange of 100–200oC can improve the cell efficiency andreduce the poisoning of platinum catalysts with carbonmonoxide in the fuel gases. Also, being able to operatePEFCs under low humidity reduces weight and volume ofthe humidifiers.

Atsunori Matsuda and colleagues developed a high-performance electrolyte membrane for advanced fuel cellsoperating at medium temperature and withouthumidification. The new electrolyte membranes arecomposed of highly proton conductive inorganiccompounds and phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole(PBI). The inorganic compound was prepared frominorganic heteropoly acid containing tungsten and siliconwith alkali hydrogen sulfate using high-power mechanicalmilling. The research team successfully reduced theadditive amount of phosphoric acid to improve thechemical durability.

The maximum output of a fuel cell using thiselectrolyte film reached the world’s highest level of350mW/cm2 at160oC withouthumidification. The long termstable powergeneration underthese conditionswas confirmed to 800 h. These resultsdemonstrate that the newlydevelopedinorganic-organiccompositeelectrolytemembranes havehigh potential forpractical applications in advanced fuel cell systems.

For further information contact:Professor Atsunori MatsudaDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Information of EngineeringToyohashi University of Technology, JapanEmail:[email protected]

5

For further information contact:Professor Sang-Young LeeInterdisciplinary School of Green EnergyUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST), South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Ulsan N

ational Institute of Science and Technology

Toyohashi Institute of Technology

T E C H N O L O G Y

T E C H N O L O G Y 6

The secret to cheap,high-density datastorage Imagine being able to store thousands of songsand high-resolution images on data devices nobigger than a fingernail. Researchers fromA*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research andEngineering (IMRE) and the National University ofSingapore (NUS) have discovered that an ultra-smooth surface is the key factor for “self-assembly” – a cheap, high-volume, high-densitypatterning technique.

The “self-assembly” technique is one of thesimplest and cheapest high-volume method forcreating uniform, densely-packed nanostructuresthat could potentially help store data. However,attempts to employ self-assembly on differentsurface types, such as magnetic media used fordata storage, have shown varying and erraticresults, which have puzzled the industry untilnow.

Researchers from A*STAR’s Institute forMaterial Research and Engineering and theNational University of Singapore have worked outthat the smoother the surface, the more efficientthe self-assembly of nanostructures will be. “Aheight close to 10 atoms, or 10 angstroms intechnical terms, is all it takes to make or breakself-assembly,” explained Dr MSM Saifullah, oneof the key researchers from A*STAR’s IMRE whomade the discovery. This realisation allows themethod to be used on more surfaces andconsequently reduces the number of defects in anindustrial setting. The more densely packed thestructures are in a given area, the higher theamount of data that can be stored. This discoverypaves the way for the development of nextgeneration data storage devices, with capacitiesof up to 10 Terabits/in2

Managing dataclouds Recent years have seen an explosion in datagrowth rate. Increasingly people are turning to'cloud', internet based storage that can beaccessed anytime from anywhere usingsmartphones, tablets or computers. Given theoceans of data in the cloud with bothunstructured and structured data coexisting, it isa big challenge to search specific data in thecloud.

A team led by Dr Zhu Yongqing at the DataStorage Institute are tackling this problem bydeveloping efficient index and searchmechanisms, and standard data interfaces forcloud data access.

Dr Yongqing and his team have worked out ahybrid metadata search engine which searchesboth file metadata and user metadata. Filemetadata includes the basic metadata that can beextracted from the file system such as file name,size, owner, etc. User metadata is the informationrelated to the file but not generated by the filesystem directly, which could be inputted by theusers or generated by the applications. Accordingto the characteristics of different metadata, theyhave designed and developed different index treesand search mechanisms for the search of filemetadata and user metadata, respectively. Theirnewly designed multi-dimensional index tree canachieve faster search performances and higherspace utilisation than existing comparable indextrees.

To access the cloud data efficiently, theydeveloped a Cloud Data Management Interface(CDMI) for cloud data access. Furthermore, tomake the CDMI easy to use there is a portal forusers and administrators to access and searchdata in the cloud conveniently. The hybrid datamanagement solution targets cloud applications,where large scales of data are stored withdifferent types. The metadata search engine canenable fast retrieval of hybrid data in the cloud,and the CDMI-based interface can providestandard data access to the cloud.

For further information contact:Dr Zhu YongqingData Storage Institute (DSI)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr MSM SaifullahInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeE-mail: [email protected]

Data Storage

123rf - ndul

7 T E C H N O L O G Y

Memories in a spin Many electronic devices use magnetism to storeinformation, but now researchers at the NationalInstitute for Materials Science, RIKEN and TheUniversity of Tokyo have paved the way for a newmagnetic approach that uses less power.

Magnetism is generated by the properties ofelectrons. These spin on an axis like the Earth,but the direction in which they spin is changeable;in a magnetic material, the spins of mostelectrons are aligned with each other. In oneparticular type of magnetism, electron spins alignin a vortex pattern, a state known as a skyrmion.It’s this state that could allow for more efficientdigital storage.

Magnetic memories store information byswitching the direction of electron spin – theseswitches correspond to the ones and zeros ofdigital information. Making these switchesrequires a relatively large amount of electricity,and if this could be reduced, memory deviceswould consume less power.

Researchers had previously shown that theycould create a stable skyrmion in an iron-germanium alloy at near-room temperature – thisis most often only possible at extremely lowtemperatures. Now, they have shown that theycan control this skyrmion using an electricalcurrent that’s 100,000th of that needed with aconventional magnet. This is the first steptowards developing new memory devices that useskyrmions to store information and that consumevery little power.

For further information contact:Dr Xiuzhen YuRIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), JapanEmail: [email protected]

Dr Koji KimotoAdvanced Key Technologies DivisionNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

Professor Yoshinori TokuraRIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, JapanEmail: [email protected]

8

Working at the forefront of research developments acrossfive fields of electronics, dealing with dozens of researchquestions on a daily basis would be an achievement anda challenge for any researcher. However, Prof. Oh-kyongKwon, Hanyang University’s Academic Provost and SeniorVice-President, manages to combine his researchactivities with a host of administrative duties which takeup his day. Unsurprisingly then his research activitiescontinue into the early hours each morning!

ResearchSEA met up with Prof. Kwon to talk abouthis research as well as his seemingly phenomenal timescheduling abilities.

Q: What major research projects are you working on atthe moment and why?

A: I am involved in developing display electronics, inparticular the development of micro-displays, suchas the ones that might be used in wearablecomputing gadgets, for example Google’s ProjectGlass unveiled earlier this year. We’re making surethat the micro-displays can function without abacklight, are thin, lightweight and have a low powerconsumption while ensuring they retain a fastresponse time. At the same time we are also lookingat creating flexible displays, screens that can berolled up like a sheet of paper and don’t break whendropped.

We are also working in the field of power electronics.Modern electronic devices have multiple internalvoltages (e.g. 5V, 3.3V, 1.8V etc.) and various sourcesof power to charge their batteries (e.g. USB, pulse,time based, trickle charger, solar etc.). We’re workingon creating a single, small efficient inductor whichcan be used across all appliances and applications.So we’re decreasing manufacturing costs while

increasing energy efficiency and usability.This links into our work on high speed interfaceelectronics. Wired connectivity is crucial in ourmodern world and we’re trying to improve the speedof data transmission by building high speedtransmitters. I am also involved in the development ofsensor readout technology such as the light andtouch sensors that you find in mobile phonetechnology. The goal is to improve the speed andefficiency of these applications to order to improvethe consumer experience.

Q. What research are you most excited about?

A: The biomedical electronics field really looks to makea strong impact. We have, for example, developedmore sensitive X-ray technology which ensures thesame high quality images needed for medicalanalysis, but with radiation levels which are up to fourtimes lower.

In addition, we are improving the standards for 3Dultrasound images with our ‘ultrasound transceiverIC’. Ultrasound is a technique in which sound wavesare used to visualise objects. In medicine it istypically used to visualise soft tissues, abdominalorgans, blood vessels, heart, or foetus in the womb (asonogram).

Conventional ultrasound is however 2D which meansmultiple scans are needed from different directionsthereby increasing diagnostic time and pressure onmedical professionals. However, in 3D imaging ratherthan sound waves being sent straight down andreflected back, they are sent at different angles. Thereturning echoes are processed by a sophisticatedcomputer program resulting in a reconstructed threedimensional volume image of the foetus.

Integrated electronics – display and poweradvances coming to a device near you!An interview with Prof. Kwon of Hanyang University who leads researchdevelopments in five major electronics fields.

T E C H N O L O G YHanyang U

niversity

9

Q. In terms of your duties as Provost and Vice President,what are your aims for Hanyang University?

A. We want Hanyang University to be in the list of thetop 50 engineering schools by 2039 (centennialanniversary for Hanyang University) and I spend mytime drawing up the collaboration and the funding toensure that happens.

Q: How do you manage to combine such an activeresearch program with your professional duties?Where do you find the time?

A. A limit of two to three hours of sleep, a very patientwife and 30 minute meetings with students everymorning and evening to stay up to date on the latestdevelopments in the lab.

Q: Following your PhD at Stanford University, you firstspent many years working in industry. What was yourexperience?

A. After my PhD, I worked for Texas Instruments forabout 6 years. I always tell my students to go andwork for a company as it offers a better environmentfor fundamental electronics research. I learned a lotduring my time in industry, the philosophy, the way ofthinking and they do more applied research than youwill see in academia. I thought my research careerwould be over when I came to Hanyang University!However, at the time many Korean companies cameto me seeking advice and I built on those relationshipsto secure a 10 million USD funding and from therebuilt up my current research programmes.

T E C H N O L O G Y

For further information contact:Professor Oh-Kyong KwonDepartment of Electronic EngineeringHanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

8Hanyang U

niversityHanyang U

niversity

Advances in nanowiretechnology Nanowires are 10,000 times thinner than a human hair,but show promise as components of small-scaleelectrical devices. This article outlines a few of thedevelopments in nanowire technology which brings uscloser to their mainstream use in a variety of sensorsand solar power generators.

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires

Looking to improve nanowire-based renewable energyproduction is a group headed by Dr Armando Somintac atthe University of the Philippines Diliman. Their workfocuses on gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires, whichhave various applications in electronics, including solarcells. GaAs nanowires can have cubic or hexagonal crystalstructures; cubic crystal structures are better forelectronics, but current production techniques result in amixture of the two. The researchers are using goldcatalysts to enhance growth of GaAs nanowires, andexpect the resulting wires to have mainly cubic crystals.With this work, they hope to shed light on the optimalconditions for GaAs nanowire production.

Aligning nanowires vertically

Nanowires also have potential in other types of sensors,and scientists at the Korea Research Institute ofStandards and Science have developed technology thatcould be used in sensors of diseases, drugs or explosives,as well as in solar power generators. The groupdeveloped a way to align nanowires vertically on a

substrate rather than horizontally and still achievereliable electrical contact. This maximises the number ofnanowires on a given surface area of the substrate,increasing the efficiency of electrical conductance.

Similar work by researchers in Singapore and Koreahas maximised the performance of vertically-alignednanowires in thermoelectric power generators. An arrayof vertical nanowires requires a filling material to providesupport, and previous work had used silicon oxide. Thenew research shows that using polyimide instead allowsmore heat to flow through the wires, and reducesdamage, resulting in a doubling of performance. The workis one step towards the use of silicon nanowire-basedthermoelectric power generators as miniaturised cleanenergy sources.

Artificial blood vesselResearchers at the A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics(IME), Seoul National University of Science andTechnology and the National University of Singapore aredeveloping a new type of artificial blood vessel that has in-built pressure sensors, and have shown that siliconnanowires are idealas the pressure-sensitive element.These nanowiresare piezoresistive,meaning that theamount ofelectricity theyconduct changesaccording to themechanicalpressure thatthey’re under. Theteam optimised thelength andarrangement of the silicon nanowires, producing sensors15 times more sensitive than in previous work. Thenanowires could also withstand sufficient pressure for usein biomedical monitoring.

For further information contact:Artificial blood vesselCairan He (technical)Institute of Microelectronics (IME)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Benjamin Chua Soo Yeng (clinical)Institute of Microelectronics (IME)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Aligning nanowires verticallyDr Woo LeeKorea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), South KoreaE-mail: [email protected]

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowiresDr. Armando S. SomintacNational Institute of PhysicsUniversity of the Philippines DilimanE-mail: [email protected]

Institute of Microelectronics

University of the P

hilippines Dilim

an.Korea R

esearch Institute of Standards and Science

10T E C H N O L O G Y

Adding a touch of colour Singapore researchers have developed software thatsearches images on the internet to find suitable colourmatches for grayscale images.

Creating a high-quality realistic colour image from agrayscale picture can be challenging. Conventionalmethods typically require the user’s input, either by usinga scribbling tool to colour the image manually or by usinga colour transfer. Both options can result in poorcolourisation quality limited by the user’s degree of skill orthe range of reference images available.

Alex Yong-Sang Chia and co-workers have developeda computer program that utilises the vast amount ofimagery available on the internet to find suitable colourmatches for grayscale images. The program searcheshundreds of thousands of online colour images, cross-referencing their key features and objects in theforeground with those of grayscale pictures. Once theinitial colour images have been found, the program thenfilters them to find the most realistic and suitablematches for the grayscale object inputs.

“Our method automatically detects and segmentssalient objects from an internet photo,” explains Chia.

“It then exploits shape and appearance information ofthese objects to compute its relevance to the originalgrayscale image data. The program generates severalimage colourisations and the user can pick the one thatfits best from a graphical user interface.” explains Chia.

Inspired by colourful stained-glass windows,researchers from Singapore have demonstrated aninnovative method for producing sharp, full-spectrumcolour images at 100,000 dpi which can be applicablein reflective colour displays, anti-counterfeiting, andhigh-density optical data recording.

“We use tiny metal nanostructures to create colour,”explains Joel Yang, the lead researcher. “This issomewhat similar to staining glass, where differentcolours are produced by using different metals. We useonly one metal, however, which we deposit in a thin,uniform layer on tiny posts of varying diameter.” Theposts are only a few tenths of nanometers in size, andYang and his co-workers showed that, depending on thedisks’ diameter and density, different colours can begenerated through a mechanism known as plasmonresonance.

To demonstrate the power of their technique, Yang’steam has created a 50 micrometer × 50 micrometer

photorealistic full-colour image with pixels at 250nanometer pitch (see image). This resolution is at theoptical diffraction limit, which is the fundamentalresolution limit of any optical imaging system.

The commercial applications include anti-counterfeit features, brand protection and with furtherdevelopment even high density optical data storage andcoating surfaces with colours that won’t fade. Once amaster template is made, pattern-replication methodssuch as nano-imprint or photolithography can be usedto mass-produce microimages.Technologies forimprinting large areas are also available.

First full colour images at 100,000 dpi resolution

For further information contact:Joel YangInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: yangkwjimre.a-star.edu.sg

For further information contact:Alex Yong-Sang ChiaInstitute for Infocomm Research (I2R)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

The new program adds colour to grayscale images by scanning theinternet for pictures with suitable color matches. The interface allows theuser to make the final decision on the most realistic color choices.

Metal nanostructures enable colour printing at 100 000 dpi, 10x better than any available commercial technique.

11

Institute of Materials R

esearch and EngineeringInstitute for Infocom

m Research (I2R

)

T E C H N O L O G Y

Bolstering food andwater security in achanging climateThe July 2010 flooding of the Indus River Basin inPakistan was one of the most devastating naturaldisasters in recorded history. Now, researchers areworking with communities to help reduce theirvulnerability to future extreme weather events.

The unusually heavy monsoon rains that overwhelmedwaterways and swamped communities affected anestimated 20 million people and killed almost 2,000.Floodwaters submerged 20% of the largely agriculturalcountry for weeks. The World Bank estimated recoverycosts at US$10 billion. The catastrophe highlighted theneed to understand the potential impacts of climatechange on Pakistan’s food and water security. It alsopointed to the need for more effective disaster-responsestrategies.

In the aftermath of the crisis, restoration effortsfocused on rebuilding “as was,” rather than addressingsocial vulnerability. In 2011, the Institute of Social andEnvironmental Transition (ISET) and its Islamabad-basedaffiliate, ISET-Pakistan, launched an 18-month scopingstudy to examine the disaster from an economic and socialperspective.

That study, funded by Canada’s InternationalDevelopment Research Centre, assessed the relief andreconstruction efforts of key players in the Indus Basin.Researchers explored the factors that had increasedcommunities’ vulnerability to flooding, such as theuncontrolled development of irrigation and drainagestructures. They sought to understand the gender-relatedfactors that influenced coping and recovery strategies forwomen and men. And they looked at the ability of variousgovernmental and non-governmental organisations torespond.

The researchers found that households with six orfewer members and access to diversified incomes, assets,and services (such as safe housing, energy, water andfood, transport and communication) were better able tocope with the floods. Other key supports for vulnerablecommunities included access to health care, financialsocial-safety nets, education, off-farm employment, andsocial networks. �

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

Abdul M

ajeed Goraya/IR

IN/flickr

12E N V I R O N M E N T

Comfortable living forthe Malayan Sun BearThe Malayan Sun Bear is listed as vulnerable on theIUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but conservationefforts are hindered by a lack of knowledge aboutthem. Research from two groups in Malaysia hasprovided insight into their distribution in the wild andtheir behaviour in captivity, thus increasing knowledgethat should help ensure the survival of the species.

Research into the Malayan Sun Bear has providedan understanding of their biology and ecology, butdetailed knowledge of their habitat preference is lacking.Without knowing where they prefer to live and what theirhabitat requirements are, it’s impossible to implementconservation measures.

Research by Mona Nazeri and colleagues fromUniversiti Putra Malaysia and Lalit Kumar from theUniversity of New England, Australia has used a specifictype of Species Distribution Modelling called MaximumEntropy to map the suitable habitat for the Malayan SunBear in Peninsular Malaysia. They found that the bear’shabitat is associated with tropical evergreen forests, butthat current protected areas in the region only cover 21per cent of this suitable habitat. The findings are thefirst step in identifying the most important naturalhabitats for conservation.

A second team at Universiti Putra Malaysia led bySumita Sugnaseelan has focussed on the effects ofenclosure design on the behaviour of Malayan SunBears in captivity to help ensure their welfare. Theyrecorded the behaviour of 17 adult bears kept in eitherempty indoor enclosures or outdoor enclosuresenriched with a pond and artificial trees.

The amount and types of activity and rest differedbetween the bears in the different environments, withthe bears in empty enclosures moving more andexhibiting more abnormal repetitive behaviours. Thefindings demonstrate that when keeping bears kept incaptivity for conservation and breeding, the design of theenclosure is important to minimise stress levels andensure the welfare of the animals.

Both studies will help with the conservation of theMalayan Sun Bear by ensuring that the correct habitatsare available for them, both in the wild and in captivity.

For further information contact:Mona NazeriFaculty of ForestryUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Lalit KumarSchool of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New England, AustraliaEmail: [email protected]

Sumita Sugnaseelan Faculty of AgricultureUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Predicted potential suitable habitat for Malayan Sun Bear (MSB) withthe protected area boundaries as well as locational data used for themodeling. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048104.g001

Chrissy H

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

Shoring up megacities against disaster Megacities grapple with rapid population growth and ahost of economic, social, and health challenges. Aninternational team is looking for solutions that willhelp large coastal and river-delta cities cope with therisks posed by a changing climate, including sea-levelrise and extreme weather events.

For those located in low-lying areas, climate changeis an additional stressor. Bangkok’s 14 million people,for example, face a threat from rising sea levels, whileManila (population 21 million) is prone to damage fromtropical storms packing strong winds.

The research aims to build resilient cities byintegrating climate change adaptation and disaster-riskreduction strategies. The goal: citizens equipped withknowledge and tools to reduce their vulnerability toclimate change-related risks, in safer, better-functioningcities.

The Coastal Cities at Risk project takes aninterdisciplinary approach involving natural, social, and

health scientists, engineers, and economists. Theinitiative focuses on Bangkok and Manila, as well asLagos, Nigeria, and Vancouver, Canada. It aims toincrease the pool of experts working in this field, and toshare the knowledge gained with other communitiesworldwide facing similar challenges.

The project is funded jointly by Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre and threeCanadian science granting councils: the CanadianInstitutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences andEngineering Research Council, and the Social Sciencesand Humanities Research Council.


Bangkok, 2011

Philip R

oeland/flickr14E N V I R O N M E N T

15

Lightning safety ofanimals In regions where lightning is prevalent, eitherseasonally or throughout the year, a considerablenumber of wild, captive and tamed animals are injureddue to lightning generated effects. Animals with alarge separation between their front and back feetsuch as cattle, horses and donkeys, are especiallyvulnerable to lightning injuries due to the dangerouspotential differences that may build up between thesefeet.

Chandima Gomes, from Universitiy Putra Malaysia,examined this problem from an engineering perspectivewith the aim of developing practical solutions tominimise lightning injuries in livestock and animals ingame-parks and zoo's.

To be injured, temporarily disabled or killed, ananimal does not need to be struck by lightning directly.Other than a direct strike, an animal may succumb fromlightning via step potential (Fig 1), side flashes (Fig 2) ortouch potential (Fig 3 and Fig 4).

The proximity to the strike also plays an importantrole. The shockwave generated by lightning due to thesudden expansion of air may damage the skin or eardrums or impair vision if an animal is very close to thepoint of strike. There are several secondary effects, suchas the animal falling from higher ground due tomomentary shock, falling debris such as tree branchesas well as potential burns and choking hazards if nearbyvolatile materials catch fire.

It is natural behaviour of herding animals to movetowards fences or take shelter under trees as a stormapproaches. Hence, a preventive mechanism can be putin place. For example, placing metal rings around treeswill help equalise the potential due to lightning (Fig 5).Gomes' research also suggests that solitary trees orobjects that may be used for shelter should have theground surface around them covered with a 10–20 cmlayer of gravel or any other insulation material that hasextremely high resistivity. The greater the area ofcoverage with gravel, the lesser the risk for the animals.

Among the domesticated or tamed animals,elephants have a higher risk of getting injured or beingkilled due to lightning as they may be subjected to steppotentials, touch potentials and side flashes. Thesituation can be even worse if the elephants are tied tolarge trees or stumps with metal chains.

One solution is to ensure that elephants are nevertied up to large isolated trees. The area, within whichthe elephant is allowed to move, should be laid with amesh of copper strips underneath the ground surface,and the metal mesh should firmly be joined to thegrounding of the metal poles.

For further information contact:Chandima GomesDepartment of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]


University of N

ottingham Malaysia

Chandim

a Gom

es Int J Biom

eteorol (2012) 56:1011–1023

Figure 4. Figure 5. Wire mesh to keep animals safe

Figure 2.

Figure 1. a. The distribution of potential when a tree is struck by lightning. b. An animal in the direction of potential gradient is subjected to steppotential hazard.

Figure 3.

16E N V I R O N M E N T

Detecting caesiumcontamination with thenaked eye Researchers in Japan have developed a way to detectcaesium contamination on a scale of millimetresenabling the detection of small areas of radioactivecontamination.

Radioactive leaks, such as at the Fukushima Daiichinuclear plant in Japan, contaminate the localenvironment. Contamination of soil and water by theradioactive form of caesium is a major problem, since itpersists for a long time; levels of radioactivity reduce byhalf only every 30 years. Effective detection and removal ofradiocaesium would accelerate recovery of theenvironment.

Current detection methods can only localisecontamination on a scale of metres to kilometres, andthey do not specifically identify caesium. Researchers inJapan, led by Katsuhiko Ariga at the National Institute forMaterials Science, have now developed a way to detectcaesium contamination on a scale of millimetres. Thework, published in Science and Technology of AdvancedMaterials, used a fluorescent molecule that labelscaesium so that it can be seen with the naked eye underUV light.

The reaction of the molecule with a number of alkalimetals caused it to fluoresce. However, while metals suchas lithium, sodium and potassium caused bluefluorescence, its reaction with caesium produced a

distinctive green fluorescence. This enabled accurateidentification of small contaminated areas. The exactcolour of the fluorescence also related to theconcentration of caesium, revealing the extent ofcontamination.

The simplicity and accuracy of this fluorescent probeshould help with more precise removal of contaminatedmaterial. It will also help to improve our understanding ofcontamination around chemical and radiological hazards,allowing the construction of contamination maps and theimplementation of appropriate responses.

For further information contact:Katsuhiko ArigaInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics National Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

U.S. N

avy photo

Helicoptor flies over Sendai

17

Using fruits to removewasteEffectively dealing with waste is one of the greatchallenges of the 21st Century.

Wastewater containing oil can have a detrimentalimpact on aquatic ecosystems and cause problems atwastewater treatment plants as it can only be separatedwith the help of chemicals. A new study by Nurul Izza Husinat the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysiaexamines the possibility of using the shell of the durian fruitand a part of the banana plant called the pseudostem toremove oil from water. The banana pseudostem was foundto be more effective in removing oil from water.

For further information contact:Nurul Izza HusinDepartment of Applied SciencesUniversiti Teknologi MARA, MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]


Two plasticsbecome oneWastage of the plasticspoly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)and polypropylene (PP) fromdrinking bottles has inspiredresearch to produce new materialsthrough recycling.

Work led by Siti FatimahAminuddin at Universiti TeknologiMARA, Malaysia, has producedblends of the two plastics, whichnormally don’t mix, by introducing a‘compatibiliser’. The compatibiliserallowed mixing of PET and PP,increasing toughness anddeformability of the blend whensolidified. However, thecompatibiliser also caused moreabsorption of water, resulting inreduced tensile strength.

Kalai

Muham

mad B

ahtiar Masidin (U

niversiti Teknologi MARA)

For further information contact:Siti Fatimah AminuddinUniversiti Teknologi MARA, MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Fibres that bind Weaving together genetics, materials and tissueengineering is beginning to show promise in thefabrication of scaffolds that could be useful inimplants, the release of drugs directly to their targets,and in wound healing.

Researchers from The Hong Kong PolytechnicUniversity identified a range of antibacterial peptide(AMP) genes in a database of silkworms (Bombyx moro).A selection of representative genes was cloned, includingatttacin2, and the resulting recombinant DNA wastransformed into a strain of E. coli – BL21. After dialysisand freeze drying, the team tested the antibacterialactivity against a range of bacteria.

The data suggest that the attacin2 can inhibit thegrowth of some bacteria, in particular Gram-negative –which are known to be more resistant to antibodies.Professor Li Yi and colleagues went on to producenanofiber scaffolds by using an electro-spinningtechnique with attacin2 and PLLA, a biopolymer used is

biomedical applications. They demonstrated in cell lines,that their material can be both biocompatible andbiodegradable. In addition it can deliver controlled drugrelease effects. Using similar techniques, the team aimsto scale-up production and investigate the morphology,surface chemical properties, biodegradability,cytotoxicity, cell proliferation and anti-infectionproperties of the new scaffolds for biomedicalengineering.

Such integration of gene engineering techniques andfibre engineering technology is a field that holds highhopes for bioactive functional materials that could beused as artificial skin or reconstructed tissue and intreatment advances.

For further information contact:Professor Li YiInstitute of Textiles and ClothingThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

Lilly M

M A T E R I A L S 18

Liquid forging:redefining themanufacturing of light alloy productsLiquid Forging, a manufacturing process developed bythe Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology(SIMTech), makes it possible to manufacture intricateand structurally superior products than are possiblewith processes like die casting and extrusion.

This new process involves creating a liquid melt withwrought aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys, which isthen easy to form into a range of products thatdemonstrate better structural integrity and more efficientuse of raw materials.

This process is also able to utilise non flammablemagnesium alloys with higher alloying additions toproduce products with high strength-to-weight ratio,higher oxidation and creep resistance, at least 25 per centlighter in weight as compared to aluminium alloys, withgood electromagnetic shielding properties and non-flammable at higher service temperature.

SIMTech has developed the Liquid Forgingmanufacturing process to address: porosity issues in diecasting, two dimensional limitations of extrusion, andother challenges of current manufacturing processes.Liquid Forging can be scaled for high-output industrialproduction.

For further information contact:Dr Chua Beng Wah Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIM

Tech)

Korea R

esearch Institute of Standards and Science

Solar filmsResearchers at the Korea Research Institute ofStandards and Science have developed a reliablemethod of measuring the relative atomic fraction ofcopper indium gallium selenide used in the productionof solar films.

Copper indium gallium selenide – commonly knownas CIGS – absorbs light and is used in the generation ofthin solar films. In making a compound solar cell withmulti-component alloy films, controlling the relativeatomic fraction can have a huge effect on its efficiency.However, there is no reliable method of measurement.Kyung Joong Kim, of the Korea Research Institute ofStandards and Science, and colleagues, approached theproblem with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).

Though quantification of alloy films is known to bedifficult by SIMS, they managed to tune their technique,achieving fast analysis and easy calibration. They believethat such SIMS depth profiling analysis will be useful inthe future development of CIGS thin film solar cells.

For further information contact:Kyung Joong KimDivision of Industrial MetrologyKorea Research Institute of Standards and Science,South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

19 M A T E R I A L S

M A T E R I A L S

Producing grapheneusing microorganismsThe Graphene Research Group at Toyohashi Techdeveloped a hybrid method of producing graphene byreducing chemically derived graphene oxide flakesusing microorganisms extracted from a local rivernear their campus in Japan.

Chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) flakes iswidely used for the synthesis of graphene. In thisprocess, the critical stage of reducing GO flakes intographene requires the exposure of the GO to hydrazine.This reduction process has fundamental limitations forlarge scale production; in particular because thehydrazine vapour is highly toxic.

The team were inspired by a recent report showingthat graphene oxide behaves as a terminal electronacceptor for bacteria, where the GO is reduced bymicrobial action in the process of breathing or electrontransport.The approach offers a low-cost, highlyefficient, and environmentally friendly method for themass production of high quality graphene for theelectronics industry.

For further information contact:Professor Adarsh SandhuElectronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS)Toyohashi University of Technology, JapanEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Professor/Director Jong-Beom BaekInterdisciplinary School of Green Energy/Low-Dimensional Carbon Materials CenterUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST), South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

20

GrapheneMaterials research has never been hotter than since2010's Nobel prize for Physics was awarded to AndreGeim and Konstantin Novoselov for their work on thewonder material graphene. Carbon, with its atomsarranged in a hexagonal structure, graphene is light,but super strong, a semiconductor, and shows promisein many fields ranging from spintronics to quantumcomputing. Applications range from fuel cells tobatteries.

There are several approaches to creating graphene,and researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Scienceand Technology (UNIST) recently published their method inthe Journal of the American Chemical Society. Theirtechnique efficiently prepares edge-selectivelyfunctionalized graphene nanoplatelets (EFGnPs) bygrinding- or ball milling- graphite in the presence ofvarious gas mixtures. Because this technique is extremelyversatile, various functional groups could be introduced atthe broken edges of graphite in the presence of appropriatechemical vapours, liquids, or solids. The team, led by Jong-Beom Baek performed microscopic and spectroscopicmeasurements to test reaction mechanisms for thegraphite. They showed that this technique can produce lowcost, high yields, versatile approaches to mass productionof graphene with varying functional groups.

Reproduced w

ith permission from

the American C

hemical Society

Researchers in Japan have created a hybrid scaffoldwhich promotes regeneration of skin in live animalswhile maintaining mechanical strength making it apromising material for future skin tissue engineering.

Open skin wounds need to be repairedquickly to prevent infection. Using artificialskin substitutes for repair avoids thedifficulties of grafts, but an ideal materialfor a scaffold that’s strong and allowsregeneration of skin tissue has yet to befound.

Some current scaffolds are made ofcollagen or gelatin, which are ideal forpromoting tissue regeneration but are notmechanically strong. Others are made ofbiodegradable synthetic materials such asPoly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA); these arestronger, but not so good for tissuegrowth. Guopong Chen and colleagues atthe National Institute for MaterialsScience, Japan, have created a hybrid scaffold that hasall the necessary properties. This research was publishedin the Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

The team had previously formed ‘funnel-like’scaffolds with pores that are interconnected under thesurface, allowing cells to grow into the scaffold. Now, they have formed these funnel-like collagen or

gelatin ‘sponges’ on a PLLA mesh to create hybridscaffolds.

Connective tissue cells grew on the hybrid scaffoldand penetrated into the pores, with more cells growing in

the hybrid scaffold than in a scaffoldmade only of collagen. Implantation ofthe hybrid scaffolds into the backs ofmice also promoted healing: four weeksafter implantation, skin defects werecompletely closed. Regenerated skin washealthier with the hybrid scaffold thanwith a collagen-only scaffold, and therewas also less deformation of the skindue to the extra strength provided by thePLLA mesh.The ability of the hybrid scaffold to

promote regeneration of skin in liveanimals while maintaining mechanicalstrength makes it a promising materialfor future skin tissue engineering.

Hybrid scaffold more than skin deep

3D on-the-goSingapore researchers have developed a nano-engineered screen protector that turns the ordinaryscreens of handheld devices into 3D displays.

Ditch the 3D glasses! Thanks to a simple plastic filter,mobile device users can now view brilliant 3D content withthe naked eye. EyeFly 3D, marketed by Singapore’s NanoveuPte Ltd, is the first ever glasses-free 3D accessory that candisplay content in both portrait and landscape mode, andmeasures less than 0.1 mm in thickness.

“The filter is essentially a piece of plastic film withabout half a million perfectly shaped lenses engineeredonto its surface using IMRE’s proprietary nanoimprintingtechnology,” said Dr Jaslyn Law, one of the scientists in theteam. They are exploring the possibility of using thetechnology for security access tokens to decode PINnumbers sent online.

For further information contact:Guoping ChenInternational Center for Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, JapanEmail: [email protected]

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


Temasek P

olytechnic, Singapore

Science and Technology of Advanced M

aterials

Biomimetics: materials science takesits lead from natureFrom antireflective plastics inspired by moth eyes to thedevelopment of super strong materials based upon adesert cactus, researchers from Singapore and Malaysiato Hong Kong and Japan are taking material science tonew levels.

Nature has long been a source of inspiration for bothscientists and artists alike. Some of the most ingeniouslydesigned products and gadgets familiar to millions ofpeople worldwide owe their origin to seemingly simpleforms and patterns found in plants and wildlife. The abilityto adapt these natural forms to develop ever moreinnovative products and processes has given rise to thefield of biomimetics — literally meaning 'imitation of life'.

One of the most notable examples of biomimeticdesign to date is Velcro, famously inspired by the tiny,adhesive hairs found on the underside of geckos' feet.Insects, too, have provided intriguing clues for thedevelopment of many new technologies ranging from self-cooling systems inspired by termite mounds to cicadawing-inspired nanosensors. Now, a team of researchersbased at the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research andEngineering (IMRE) have succeeded in developing a newtype of high-quality, anti-reflective plastic inspired byanother unlikely source: the eyes of a moth.

The eyes of a mothMoths are renowned for their ability to see well in thedark. Moth eyes are coated with a special anti-reflectivelayer that lends them the unusual distinction of havingone of nature’s least reflective surfaces. Composed of ahexagonal array of conical nanostructures, the anti-reflective layer enables moths to maximize light captureand minimize reflection, thereby reducing the chances ofbeing spotted by predators, even in settings that appearpitch-dark to the human eye.

“Our group has been working on bio-inspiredsurfaces for a number of years,” explains Low Hong Yee,senior scientist and team leader of the project at theIMRE. “The anti-reflection properties found on some

insect eyes are rather well-known and it was natural thatwe looked into the moth-eye structures. Mimicking moth-eye nanostructures have been attempted by others —however, our unique approach is in the combination ofmicro and nanostructures in a hierarchical arrangement.These structures are even closer to mimicking the insecteye.” Using a high-precision method known asnanoimprinting, the IMRE team were able to ‘reconstruct’the moth-eye nanostructures and utilize direct patterningtechniques to reduce surface glare.

One of the main advantages of nanoimprinting is thatmaterials can be manipulated in terms of their physical asopposed to their chemical properties. New plastics cantherefore be developed without the need to use harmfulchemicals. Indeed, this type of nanoimprinting is viewedas a way of moving towards cost-effective,environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices.

Anti-reflective plastics currently on the markettypically exhibit a reflectivity of around 1% of visible light.In contrast, the new plastic developed at IMRE reflectsless than 0.2% of visible light — attaining a five-foldincrease in anti-reflective power. Combined with thereduced amount of glare, the new plastic may find a hostof applications in the development of new and improvedTV displays, windows and organic solar cells.

Inspired by the lotus leafDr Linda Wu Yongling and co-workers at the A*STARSingapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology(SIMTech) have been inspired by the lotus leaf. The leaf’shierarchical structured surface has self-cleaningproperties. Based on the leaf’s design, the team fromSingapore have developed a fast and cost-efficient way tofabricate large-scale superhydrophopic surfaces on ahard material — silica.

The researchers used a laser to carve out amicrostructured template that they then used to pattern asol-gel coating. Nanoparticles were subsequently boundto the surface of the cured sol–gel surface to create asecond level of hierarchy. The fabrication methodologycan be adjusted to achieve different degrees of micro- andnanostructures.

In addition to the new fabrication methodology, Wuand co-workers considered various ways to optimise thewater repellency of the textured surface. They found thatincreasing the surface roughness increases the true areaof contact between the liquid and the solid, enhancing itsintrinsic wetting properties.

graftedno1

William

Thielicke

1

However, if the surface features are small enough, watercan bridge protrusions leading to the formation of airpockets; the wettability of such a nanostructured materialis then calculated as a weighted average of the wettabilityof the pure material and that of air.

These two effects are known respectively as theWenzel and Cassie-Baxter states. The researchersderived an equation for calculating the surface contactangle between a water droplet and a silica surface with acertain degree of roughness. They found that there was atransition between the Wenzel to the Cassie-Baxter state,as surface structuring enters the nano dimension. Theresearchers found that for an optimum superhydrophobiceffect, the Cassie–Baxter state must dominate the surfacestructure to allow a massive 83% of the surface state tobe involved in air trapping with only 17% of the liquid dropsurface actually in contact with the silica itself.

The static water contact angle on such surface ishigher than 161° with sliding angle below 1°, which arethe same as the natural lotus leaf. Rubbing test by 3Mautomotive sponge for 1000 cycles indicated the durabilityof the surface condition suitable for automotiveapplications. Such functionality is useful if applied totextiles or windows for self-cleaning effect, and may alsobe used in analytical techniques for controlling fluid flow.The researchers are further developing the technology forreal applications such as easy-clean coating for solarfilms and structured surfaces for personal care products.

The shape of a cactusPlants are also extensively studied in the field ofbiomimetics and a team from Universiti Teknologi MARAhas been inspired by the cacti specie Cardon, Saguaro andCholla found in the desserts of the United States ofAmerica and Mexico.

The researchers conducted a study to evaluate thestrength of perforated hollow sections with the shape andarrangement of perforations inspired by the cactusskeleton.

The Cardon and Saguaro (tallest cactus in the worldand America respectively) can achieve 12 to 20m of heightwith their main stem supporting approximately 6 tonnesof body weight. Their ability to achieve extreme height isthought to be the result of a circular skeleton of inter-connected vascular bundles inside a succulent thick,columnar stem.

The research team has set out to investigate howsmall perforations found in the hollow sections of thecacti stems may be influencing the cacti’s ability to stayupright under such high loads. A total of 13 circularhollow sections were modeled using computer software.The models included one without perforation, and twelvemodels with varying degree of perforations, perforationshapes (circular and elliptical) and arrangements. Elliptical shaped perforations were found to show mostdesirable responses for longitudinal stress. For the caseof flexural loading (a material's ability to resistdeformation under load) models with perforationsarranged in an array pattern were found to show the mostdesirable structural response for longitudinal stress forboth circular and elliptical shape perforations.

For further information contact:The eyes of the mothDr Low Hong YeeInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR),SingaporeEmail: hy-lowimre.a-star.edu.sg

Inspired by the lotus leafDr Linda Wu Yongling Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR),SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

The shape of a cactusWoo Yian Peen and Syahrul Fithry Bin SeninUniversiti Teknologi MARA, MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]: [email protected]

Saguaro Pictures

Microelectronics: a tougher seal forrugged environments Sensors used in harsh conditions, such as deep-sea oilwells, must withstand extreme temperatures andpressures for hundreds of hours without failing.Researchers in Singapore have investigated two metalalloys that could give micro-electromechanical system(MEMS) sensors better protection in the toughestenvironments.

Vivek Chidambaram and co-workers at the A*STARInstitute of Microelectronics, Singapore, haveinvestigated two metal alloys that could give micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensors betterprotection in the toughest environments

Typical MEMS sensors measure temperature,pressure or vibration, and they are hermetically sealedinside a strong metal casing to prevent air or moisturedegrading the sensors’ electronics. Chidambaram’steam wanted to find cheaper, more durable alternativesto the metal solders, such as gold–tin or copper–tin,which are typically used to seal the case. They tested a70:30 aluminum–germanium mixture, which has a

melting point of about 420 °C. This temperature — theeutectic point — is much lower than that for eithermetals on its own.

Unlike most conventional packaging materials,aluminum and germanium are compatible with theprocesses used to manufacture the MEMS. Using thealuminum–germanium sealant should make MEMSmanufacturing easier and cheaper, and could alsoimprove the device’s performance, says Chidambaram.

Chidambaram and his team also tested aplatinum–indium seal — which has the highest re-melting point (894 °C) of all the solders beingconsidered for these applications — but it lost itsstrength after long durations at 300 °C, leaving thealuminum–germanium mixture in pole position as abetter seal for MEMS. “Cost effectiveness, betterthermo-mechanical properties, and its eutecticmicrostructure makes it an attractive alternative,” saysChidambaram.

24

For further information contact:Vivek Chidambaram Institute of Microelectronics (IME)Agency for Science, Technology and Research(A*STAR), SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

M A T E R I A L S

For further information contact:Md Zuki Bin Abu BakarFaculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Andrew

Butko

Universiti P

utra Malaysia

Calcium carbonatenanoparticles fromcockle shells A Malaysian research team has developed a simple,low-cost and environmentally friendly method forproducing nanoparticles for use in biomedicalapplications such as the repair of fractured bone.

The team successfully synthesized “aragonite”nanoparticles (ANPs) from the cockle shell, aninexpensive and abundant resource. Aragonite is one ofthree naturally occurring forms of the mineral calciumcarbonate (CaCO3) and has been extensively studiedbecause of its biocompatible properties — it can beintegrated with and replaced by bone. Aragonite is alsobeing used to produce advanced drug delivery systemsand scaffolds for bone repairs and tissue engineering.

Previously, scientists have described two mainmethods for synthesizing ANPs for biomedicalapplications: one involving the combination of differentpairs of chemicals in an aqueous solution; the other acarbonation process in which carbon dioxide gas isbubbled through an aqueous slurry of calcium hydroxideat a specified temperature in the presence of organicsubstrates. However, neither methods yield purearagonite nanoparticles of suitable sizes and shapes:the resulting ANPs are often mixed with other forms ofcalcium carbonate. What’s more, the carbonationprocess requires stringent temperature control, purifiedraw materials, and laborious gas bubbling steps, whichare complicated and incur additional costs and time.

By contrast, the new production method is a simple,“top-down” approach in which cockle shell powders aremechanically ground in the presence of a non-toxiccatalyst called dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12). Thismethod yields ANPs with an average diameter of 20 nm— the smallest so far reported. “The beauty of [our]method is that it does not add any impurities to the finalproducts but still produces very small-sized rod-shapedANPs in a reproducible fashion, a criterion required forindustrial applications,” explain the authors in a recentissue of the journal Powder Technology.

From tea leaf to silvernanoparticlesResearchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia havesynthesised silver nanoparticles from a combination ofsilver nitrate (AgNO3) and tea leaf extracts (Pu-erhtea). Silver nanoparticles are widely used byconsumers in the medical, solar, textile and foodindustries.

Pu-erh tea, also known as dark tea, is a type of teaproduced in China. Pu-erh tea leaf is processed fromCamellia sinesis by microbial fermentation. It is reportedto have high antioxidant properties, able to decreasecholesterol, lower blood pressure, prevent heart diseaseand enhance the normal flora in gastrointestinal tracts.

The green synthesis method used to synthesise silvernanoparticles is a simple technique of adding tea leafextracts to silver nitrate aqueous solution. A dark brownsolution will form after a few minutes of stirringindicating the formation of silver nanoparticles in thesolutions. The antioxidant properties in the tea leafextract acts as the reducing and capping agents. Thegreen synthesis is a rapid, environmental friendly,simple, and cost effective method which can be done atroom temperature without any additional chemicalreagents.

The researchers are now conducting experiments tosee the effects of using different plant extracts andvarying temperatures and pH levels.


For further information contact:Son, R.Food Safety Research CenterFaculty of Food Science and TechnologyUniversiti Putra MalaysiaE-mail: [email protected]

26

The rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis is the world'smajor commercial source of natural rubber andscientists have sequenced its draft genome.

Rubber is an indispensable commodity that is usedin manufacturing worldwide, in a billion dollar industry.The plant has played a vital role in the world economysince 1876 and Asia accounts for about 93% of globalsupply of rubber.

The manuscript describing the draft genome waspublished in the open access journal BMC Genomics.Around 12.7% of the almost 70,000 genes are identifiedas unique, and the team outline those associated withrubber biosynthesis, rubber wood formation, diseaseresistance and allergenicity.

The rubber industry is affected by a fungal diseaseknown as rubber blight and there is a global medicalconcern for the allegic reaction of those routinelyexposed to latex-containing products like gloves.

Ahmad Yamin Rahman and colleagues believe thatthis draft genome information will accelerate thedevelopment of high-yielding natural rubber plants. This will lead to assistance in latex production, wooddevelopment, disease resistance and allergenicity.

Tapping into the rubber genome

For further information contact:Prof. Maqsudul AlamAdvance Studies of Genomics, Proteomics andBioinformaticsUniversity of Hawaii, United States of AmericaEmail: [email protected]

Luis Fernández García

Tony Rodd / Flickr


Rubber tree seeds

27

Mangoes are big business in South Asia. They are thesecond-largest fruit crop in India and third largest in SriLanka. But post-harvest losses are also huge, with upto 40% of the crop lost during transport and storage. Now, researchers are combining patented technologiesdeveloped in Canada and Asia to reduce those lossesand extend the shelf life of mangoes and otherperishable crops.

The initiative, funded by Canada’s InternationalDevelopment Research Centre and the CanadianInternational Development Agency, involves a new type ofnano-film used for packaging that helps keep producefresh longer. The novel material incorporates a naturalcompound, hexanal, produced by plants. This compoundslows the activity of an enzyme that can cause fruits andvegetables to rot during storage.

The project integrates nanotechnology advances inthree countries to develop a simple, low-cost system tokeep highly perishable fruit fresh. The University ofGuelph in Canada has developed several ways of applyinghexanal to the fruit, including nanotechnology-basedmethods. India’s Tamil Nadu Agricultural University isdeveloping packaging materials that use nano-particlescontaining hexanal to prolong the freshness of storedfruits and vegetables. Researchers at Sri Lanka’sIndustrial Technology Institute are attempting to embedsynthetic hexanal in a plant-based wax they havedeveloped, to further extend shelf life.

The researchers are also building links with theprivate sector to develop biodegradable packingmaterials. Cartons lined with nano-particles derived fromagricultural waste products are expected to create newincome opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs,particularly women.

This initiative is set to increase the incomes of smallfarmers and entrepreneurs, as well as boost fruitconsumption in a region where the average intake is onlyhalf the recommended level. Researchers expect to adaptthe technologies to other economically important fruits,vegetables, and flowers.

Nanotech cuts losses for fruit growers



mynam

eisharsha/flickr

Increasing demands for versatile eco-friendly foodpackaging, has driven research into alternativesources of materials. Researchers have reviewedsome recent work and identified the most promisingmaterials.

While fossil fuel-based polymers are versatile andcommonly used for food packaging, their resistance tobiodegradation makes them damaging to theenvironment. What’s more their effectiveness is limited,since they are permeable to gases and so cannotprevent food deterioration.

Natural fibres, which are agricultural residuesobtained from stem, fruit, and seed parts of plants canbe used in the manufacturing of lightweight, low costand eco-friendly polymeric materials. However, itshydrophilic nature limits its use in food packaging.

Naturally occurring fine-grained aluminium silicateknown as nanoclay can similarly be used in thestructure of polymers and reduce the permeability ofgases, providing a better protective barrier for food, but

they are not biodegradable.However, by using composites of natural fibres and

nanoclay, materials with the advantageous properties ofboth are created. In their review, Jawaid and hiscolleagues conclude that such composites are poised toprovide us with strong, high-barrier and eco-friendlyfood packaging.

Improved recipe for food packaging

For further information contact:Mohammad JawaidInstitute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products(INTROP)Universiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

A. HassanFaculty of Chemical EngineeringUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Amsikle / Flickr

28

In search of the bestall-Filipino coffeeResearch conducted at the University of thePhilippines Diliman aims to uncover the country’scoffee heritage

Coffee is one of the world’s favourite drinks with anestimated two billion cups drunk every day, according tothe International Coffee Organisation.

The Philippines produces four types of coffeenamely Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica but littlehas been done to characterise the genetic variations ofthese breeds. Dr Ernelea P. Cao of the University of thePhilippines Diliman decided to do just this and herresearch ultimately aims to enhance the taste andaroma of Philippine coffees.

Defining the genetic identity of coffee is crucial inorder to find out the most suitable agriculturalconditions for certain coffee plants and sustainconsistency in the flavour of blend coffee. It also helpspreserve and promote local coffee varieties in a globalmarket. Dr Cao looks at the plants’ appearance usinggeometric morphometric analysis, a technique whichmakes a quantitative analysis of form (size and shape),which allows her to study the coffee varieties withoutkilling the target specimens. She also uses DNAbarcoding to examine variations at the molecularlevel.The study should help Philippine coffee competewith other brands inside and outside the country.

A G R I C U L T U R E123rf - A

leksandr SteblovskiyDr Ernelea P. C

ao

For further information contact:Dr Ernelea P. CaoUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

Figure 1. Leaf sample of each variety of coffee: a. C. arabica, b. C. robusta, c. C. liberica, d. C. excelsa.

Figure 2. Seed variation in coffee. : a. C. arabica, b. C. robusta, c. C. liberica, d. C. excelsa.

Figure 3. C. liberica flowers.

29 A G R I C U L T U R E

Smaller seeds producemore biodieselResearchers at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysiahave discovered cotton and palm kernel seeds to besuitable for production of biodiesel.

Using the reactive extraction method, wherein biodieselis extracted directly from seed particles, researchers foundthat biodiesel from cotton seeds could lower carbonmonoxide, nitrogen oxide and smoke emission in internalcombustion engines.

In order to maximise outcomes of biodiesel production,they investigated how seed particle sizes influence theamount of oil, extraction efficiency of reactive reaction andbiodiesel conversion.

Results showed that the smallest cotton seed particles,which were 0.5 – 1 mm, produced the biggest amount of oilas well as a high percentage of extraction effectiveness. Thesame was true for palm kernel seeds with the smallestrange yielding the greatest outcome (58 per cent) within 24hours reaction time. The same size groups and reactionperiods showed 90 per cent of the extraction efficiency offatty acid methyl esters.

Waste not, want not A simple fermentation treatment can convert a by-product of biofuel production into a valuable chemicalfeedstock for a wide range of biomedical products.

Powered by sunlight, microalgae are tiny biofuelgenerators that soak up carbon dioxide to produce energy-rich lipids, which are showing promise as a potential sourceof clean energy. Maximising lipid production is the focus ofmany research efforts, but the material remaining afterlipid extraction, the ‘lipid-depleted biomass’ is either burnedfor energy, or simply discarded as a waste product.

Researchers in Singapore have developed a two-stepbiochemical process that converts lipid-depleted biomassinto lactic acid. This substance is in increasing demand asfeedstock for polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer withnumerous medical applications, ranging from surgicalsutures to orthopedic implants. The high cost of rawmaterials used in the manufacture of lactic acid currentlylimits PLA use. Thus, producing an alternative source fromalgal lipid-extraction waste is proving attractive. Generatingtwo valuable products from the microalgaeNannochloropsis salina, would make the biofuel more cost-competitive with conventional fuels.

Thamizhpparithi M

aari

For further information contact:Noorzalila Muhammad NizaFaculty of Chemical EngineeringUniversiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Email: [email protected]

Optimal catalysts forbiodiesel productionEver-increasing demands for fuel and ever-depletingreserves of crude oil have triggered extensiveresearch into the production of biodiesel. A promisingapproach is to synthesise fuels from biomass sourcessuch as vegetable oil. This requires a catalyst andtraditionally these catalysts have been liquids, butthere are several advantages to developing solidalternatives – separation from the product is easierand they are easier to dispose of.

A review of studies on such catalysts for biodieselproduction, by researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia,have determined that a basic rather than acidic catalystis best, and that the most effective solid catalysts are inpowder form with the particle diameters ranging fromnanometres to micrometres. However, such powdersrequire energy-intensive separation from the product,hence the reviewers suggest that spherical millimetre-scale particles would be optimal. Designing suchcatalysts would, according to the researchers, yield highbiodiesel production.

For further information contact:Dr. Yun Hin Taufiq-YapCatalysis Science and Technology Research CenterFaculty of Science Universiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Md. Mahabubur Rahman TalukderInstitute of Chemical and Engineering SciencesThe Agency for Science, Technology and Research, SingaporeEmail: [email protected]

30Food Safety and Technology R

esearch Centre


Food safety:protectingpublic health inAsiaSince 2011, The Hong KongPolytechnic University's FoodSafety and Technology ResearchCentre (FSTRC) has beendeveloping a “Food HygieneStandard Certification System”(FHSCS) which aims to promotefood safety culture in local cateringindustries. Working in collaborationwith government agencies, localand international companies, theFSTRC seeks to address foodsafety-related issues of publicconcern as well as to report thelatest scientific discoveries madeby PolyU food scientists.

Fortifying spaghetti withcarrot flour Carrot pomace, the waste byproduct of carrot juiceprocessing, could be used to add value to spaghetti andother food products, according to researchers at theUniversiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia.

Carrot pomace flour (CPF) is considered a good sourceof dietary fibre, minerals, β-carotene and antioxidants. In arecent study, researchers substituted durum wheatsemolina flour with different levels of CPF in spaghetti,which improved the nutritional quality of the pasta. Theresearchers also looked at the texture, colour and sensoryattributes of CPF-fortified spaghetti – pasta containing 5%CPF by weight had a good acceptability score.

For further information contact:Mardiana Binti Ahamad Zabidi Universiti Teknologi MARA, [email protected]

Kander

Keeping coconut waterhealthy and pure Researchers in the Philippines examine how to keepcoco water safe and sweet without the pathogens.

Coconut liquid endorsperm, or coco water, is knownfor its nutritional value and therapeutic use. It's also anideal breeding ground for harmful microorganisms suchas Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeriamonocytogenes. While pasteurization techniques arenormally used to reduce bacteria levels in coconutwater, severe heating may alter its sensorycharacteristics.

Dr. Alonzo Gabriel of the University of thePhilippines Diliman is investigating the best settings formild thermal processing. He is also exploring the use ofnatural antimicrobials as additives that increase theheat sensitivity of pathogens. The ultimate goal is tocome up with an affordable and effective means oftreating coconut water.

For further information contact:Dr. Alonzo A. Gabriel Department of Food Science and NutritionCollege of Home EconomicsUniversity of the Philippines Dilimane-mail: [email protected]

For further information contact:Dr Wong Ka-hing Food Safety & Technology Research CentreThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

31 A G R I C U L T U R E

Can cocoa butter bereplaced?Cocoa butter is the primary ingredient of milkchocolate and other confectionery products because ofits desirable physical and chemical properties. Butdue to the high price and decreasing supply of cocoabutter worldwide, food manufacturers are keen toidentify less expensive alternatives.

A pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat, cocoa butter(CB) is obtained from cocoa (or cacao) seeds. CB is solidat room temperature (below 25 °C) but liquid at bodytemperature (37 °C). One of the most stable fats known,cocoa butter contains a combination of both saturatedfats such as palmitic acid and stearic acid as well asunsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid.

The so-called “beta” crystals of cocoa butter givechocolate products their sheen, snap and smoothtexture. CB also makes chocolate resistant to “fatbloom,” which arises from changes in the fat duringstorage — visible as white or grayish streaks on thesurface of chocolate.

A recent paper in the Journal of Food Engineeringreviews research underway to develop suitablealternatives to cocoa butter. The paper discusses cocoavarieties, production and extraction methods; itscomposition and characteristics; as well as how CBsubstitutes are being produced either by blending ormodifying vegetable oils and fats such as palm oil, palmkernel oil, mango seed kernel fats, kokum butter fat, salfat, shea butter and illipé fat.

Based on an individual analysis of the compositionsof other vegetable oils and fats, the paper concludesthat no natural alternatives currently exist that canmatch the exact properties of cocoa butter. The authorsrecommend further research to overcome this problem.

Keeping cows andtomatoes healthyThe ever increasing world population needs more food,thus increasing the need for more efficient foodproduction systems. Masato Futagawa and colleagues atToyohashi University of Technology have developed aprecise sensor system for agriculture monitoring thehealth of cows and growth conditions in plants.

The mass production of high quality milk necessitatesroutine monitoring of the health of dairy cows. Monitoringthe pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature of acow’s stomach will enable precise control of the cow’s foodto keep its stomach healthy. Some researchers also thinkthat controlling the cows food intake can help towardsreducing methane emissions from cows. The researchersdeveloped an integrated sensor that can monitor the healthof the cow’s stomach. The system was used to measure ECand temperature before, during and after feeding the cow.

This technology is also being used to monitor thegrowth of agricultural products including tomatoes, wheresimultaneous measurements with different sensors aremade to optimise growth conditions. For example, the pHmeasurement is important because different minerals reactdifferently in acidic or alkaline conditions, while theelectrical conductivity indicates the ion concentrations andoptimum growth temperature varies for different plants.

123rf - bizoon

For further information contact:Masato FutagawaTailor-Made and Baton-Zone Graduate CourseToyohashi University of Technology, JapanEmail: [email protected]

For further information contact:I.S.M. Zaidul Faculty of PharmacyInternational Islamic University, MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

S. JinapFaculty of Food Science and TechnologyUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

123rf - Matthias K

rapp

32

Rational motorways? Researchers use slime mould to make sense ofmotorway networks.

Humble though it may be, the simple slime mouldhas many uses in research. It is easy to raise andobserve, can behave as a single celled organism whenfood is abundant, and congregate to move as a singlebody when resources run low. They change in shape andproduce fruiting bodies that release spores that catchthe wind and find more food.

An international group of scientists, including Prof.Andrew Adamatzky from University of the West ofEngland and Zuwairie Ibrahim of Universiti MalaysiaPahang set out to investigate, using slime moulds,whether motorway networks in 14 countries makerational sense.

The shape of an urban area was represented byoats on an agar plate and the moulds left to formnetworks of protoplasmic tubes, each one connecting afood source, which they do to make the most of theresources available. The team put the mould on thearea of the plate where the capital city would be, andleft them to do their thing. They then compared thepaths the mould made over the 'country' with maps ofmotorway networks. The motorway layouts in Malaysia,Canada and Italy topped the charts.

For further information contact:Prof Andrew AdamatzkyUnconventional Computing CentreUniversity of the West of England,United KingdomEmail: [email protected]

Zuwairie IbrahimFaculty of Electrical & Electronics EngineeringUniversiti Malaysia PahangEmail: [email protected]

T R A N S P O R T

Jaap de Wit

Jaap de Wit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaapdewit/)

Electric roads forelectric cars A small-scale electric vehicle has been used to prove thefeasibility of a new approach to powering electricalengines. Researchers led by Takashi Ohira at ToyohashiUniversity of Technology have successfullydemonstrated for the first time the ability to powerelectric cars using under-road metal tracks.

Electric cars provide a number of advantages overthose with traditional combustion engines, most notablytheir high energy efficiency, low noise and no emissions.However, they are yet to be widely adopted because theirperformance is limited – the continuous running distanceof current electrical engines is short, and it takes a longtime to recharge them. Furthermore, the batteries arelarge and expensive.

The new approach uses a concept based on electrictrains, whereby the power source is external as withoverhead power cables. However, as a safer solution, theresearchers proposed a metal track embedded under thesurface of the road. Energy from power lines would bechannelled into the track, and would then be transferredto electric car engines via a steel belt installed in the tyresof the vehicle.

Using low-power experiments, the team hasoptimised the mechanics and demonstrated the feasibilityof the system. By increasing the energy transfer to supplygreater power, it could be implemented on main roads sothat small on-board batteries would be sufficient to reachthese main roads. This would make electric cars morepractical, enabling their advantages to be fully exploited.

For further information contact:Prof. Takashi OhiraToyohashi University of Technology, JapanEmail: [email protected]

??????????/33 T R A N S P O R T

Epattloamer

34

The end of bad drivers? Today you drive your car. In the future, your car maydrive you. New automotive technology being developedat the Automotive Control and Electronics (ACE) Lab atHanyang University is making next generation, selfcontrolled vehicles a reality.

To some the word ‘electronics’ invokes images oftransistors, circuits or computer memory boards.Visiting the ACE lab it is immediately clear thatelectronics is a means to an end and only a small partof a much grander challenge.

To make a car which drives itself we need toconsider that the thousands of pieces of information thebrain processes every second, interprets, analyses andreacts to has evolved over millions of years. Our eyesand brains work together to tell us where the roads’edges are, how far ahead a crossing is, whether thereare two lanes or four lanes of traffic, let alone cyclists orpedestrian crossings. Although seemingly obvious, thechallenge in building an autonomous vehicle thatperceives and reacts appropriately in traffic andresponds to hazards is no small feat.

Enter Hanyang University’s very own autonomousvehicle, named “A1”. With its state of the arttechnologies in perception, planning and control A1seeks to respond to the road like a human would butwith greater speed, efficiency and increased safety.

For further information contact:Professor Myoungho SunwooResearch Institute of Automotive Control andElectronics Laboratory (ACE Lab) Hanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

ACE Lab, H

anyang University

T R A N S P O R T

A1 wins in 2010 and2012 Hyundai-KiacompetitionsA 1 – Autonomous Vehicle#1 - has come firstplace in two most recent Hyundai-KiaAutonomous Vehicle Competitions (back toback in 2010 and 2012) taking away the topprize of $100,000.

Internet Hanyang News reported that inthe 2012 competition, the HYU team for A1finished the race in just 7.27 minutes, andoverwhelmed all other participants. The racewas a 3.4km-long course mixed with pavedand unpaved roads, and interspersed with ninemissions to accomplish such as recognizingcrosswalk, traffic lights, parking, avoiding onroad obstacles, passing by slow driving carsand passenger pick-up.

“The original computing process weapplied to our vehicle is what separated usfrom the other contestants I think,” saidKichun Jo (Automotive Engineering, Doctoralprogram), who was participating for thesecond time after winning in 2010. He added,“Instead of installing ordinary PCs in our carlike other schools, we designed our very owncomputers capable of executing very specificcommands.”

Internet Hanyang N

ews

A1 - the Hanyang University car that won the Autonomous Vehicle Competition

Sensing high speed rail safetyAn interdisciplinary team at The Hong KongPolytechnic University is studying the safety of thecountry’s High-Speed Rail using sensors it hasdeveloped.

The team involves researchers from theDepartments of Electrical Engineering, Civil andStructural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering andComputing. They have developed optical fibres andultrasonic wave sensing technologies that have beenused in a number of projects.

The Electrical Engineering Department developedlarge-scale optical fibre sensing networks capable ofmeasuring a wide range of parameters, such astemperature, strain, acceleration, pressure andmagnetic field. Hundreds of sensors can be monitoredover hundreds of kilometres using a single optical fibre,ideal for ensuring safe and reliable operation ofrailways. Over the last six years, several thousands ofoptical fibre sensors have been installed in railwaysystems in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

In particular, collaboration with Dalian JiaotongUniversity saw optical fibre sensors installed on a high-speed inspection train on the Beijing to Shanghai HighSpeed Rail Line. This allowed monitoring of the dynamicresponse of the bogies, as well as the aerodynamic

forces acting on the vehicle surfaces when travelling at400 km/h.

In another collaboration, with Southwest JiaotongUniversity, optical fibre sensors were used to monitorthe stability of the railway itself, showing that thesensors can detect cracks in the track. Also with theSouthwest Jiaotong University and the CNR ChangchunRailway Vehicle Company, the team showed thatvibration of high-speed trains travelling at up to 400km/h was reduced by fitting dampers that are adjustablein real time using a magnetic field.

Most recently, the research team has helped to testa new generation of alpine high-speed trains for theHarbin to Dalian High Speed Rail Line, which opened inDecember 2012. Optical fibre and ultrasonic wavesensors were used to monitor vibration, strain,temperature, aerodynamics, fatigue, noise and comfortover six months of trials.

For further information contact:Professor Ni YiqingResearch Institute for Sustainable Urban DevelopmentThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

The Hong K

ong Polytechnic U

niversity

35 T R A N S P O R T

In the world of branding and advertising, productscarry a certain message to potential customers.Through purchase and possession of a product, themessage is transferred to the consumer, labellingthem with social status and personalities that theobject originally implied. Researchers from Australiaand Malaysia have termed this phenomenon “ProductEffect” and investigated to what extent differentmodels of cars influence perception of the owner by athird party.

Using an internet survey, Dr Raja Ahmad Effendi ofUniversiti Putra Malaysia and Professor Allan Whitfieldof Swinburne University of Technology, Australia askedrespondents to rate the owner on scales representingthree characteristics: physical attributes of age, heightand weight; social attributes such as income,employment and education; and personality. The surveydepicted male and female, Caucasian and Asian ownersalong with two brands of cars, Mercedes Benz andProton.

Results showed the Product Effect was present asfar as the physical and social values are concerned.However, transference did not reach the owner’spersonality. Furthermore, the effect was only apparentwith male Caucasian owners and to a lesser extent onthe female Caucasian owner.

The researchers suggested that the absence ofpersonality could have been due to the absence ofpersonality differences in the car models themselves.Another possible explanation was that a car personalitymight not be a transferable quality.

If status was transferred to the male Caucasianowner, why was it not transferred to the male Asian

owner? Inevitably, any answer to this is speculative, andmay reflect the way cars are internationally advertisedand displayed in both print and digital media. Theresearchers argue that in nearly all cases, these carsare advertised alongside Caucasian owners/drivers.

The cultural origins of the respondents (109countries represented, with the USA, India, and Australiaaccounting for 47% of responses) may more accuratelyexplain why product transference proved morepronounced for the Caucasian images used in the study.Images of Caucasian owners would be familiar toAmerican and Australian respondents, and probably toIndians, but these nationalities may be less familiar withimages of Malaysian owners. Perhaps Indianrespondents would have identified with Indian ownersmore readily. Perhaps Vietnamese and Chinese wouldrespond better to their own nationalities of owners.

While the study affirmed the Product Effect, thesehypothetical explanations leave room for furtherresearch into the subject in terms of gender, nationality,culture and product type on the effect elicited.

He looks six years younger in that Porsche

For further information contact:R. A. A. Raja Ahmad EffendiFaculty of Design & ArchitectureUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

T. W. Allan WhitfieldFaculty of DesignSwinburne University of Technology, AustraliaEmail: [email protected]

morganglines / Flikr

36P E O P L E

37 P E O P L E

Shaerysbie

Tourist satisfaction index To gauge the satisfaction level of inbound tourists, the School ofHotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong PolytechnicUniversity have developed the 'PolyU Tourist Satisfaction Index’.

The Index captures the multiple dimensions of touristsatisfaction and produces tourist satisfaction indices forindividual tourism sectors and the overall destinations. Updatedannually since 2009, the index provides authorities and industrypractitioners with much needed information for decision makingand planning. It has also been adapted by Macau, Singapore andGuangdong Province to measure visitor satisfaction. The 2012data that was released recently showed that the sectorsconsistently excelling in service performance in Hong Kong aretransportation, attractions, immigration services, retail shops,hotels and restaurants.

For further information contact:Professor Haiyan SongThe School of Hotel and Tourism ManagementThe Hong Kong Polytechic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

How did Filipino composers create music in a time ofstrengthening nationalism at the end of the Spanish eraand the start of American influence? Dr Buenconsejoand his team are seeking the answers.

The Philippines underwent dramatic changes duringthe 1850s to the 1920s. Nationalism flourished andeventually erupted into a full-blown revolution thatunyoked the Spanish rule in 1898. As the idea ofnationalism progressed, Philippine society drifted towardssecularisation. It was also at this time that the Americanrule started in the archipelago.

These developments had a huge impact on Philippineculture, especially its music. Yet, little research has beendone on how original Filipino composers created theirmusic amidst the waning Spanish era, the developingAmerican influence, and the strengthening of thenationalistic spirit. The few musical studies pertaining tothis era only focused on the Catholic church as the mainpatron of music; the contributions of the middle-class orcivil society have been largely ignored.

To address this research gap, Dr. Jose Buenconsejo ofthe College of Music of the University of the PhilippinesDiliman is currently conducting a study that traces thegrowth of Philippine music from the mid-19th century tothe early 1920s.

Dr. Buenconsejo aims to find out how Philippinemusic changed under the evolving Philippine market andprogressive Philippine civil society through a carefulanalysis of music scores stored at the Philippine NationalLibrary. Historical contextual data such as newspapers,programmes and reviews that document the productionand performance of the works will be reviewed to learnmore about the story of these music scores.

Tracing Philippine music across the centuries

Danilo O

. Nataba (The C

ultural Center of the P

hilippines).

Cataloguing the musical scores from the Severino Reyes ZarzuelaCollection

For further information contact:Dr Jose S. BuenconsejoCollege of MusicUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

Charting indigenousknowledge in MalaysiaOur world is fuelled by information. In the midst ofnew modern information, important indigenousknowledge gathered over generations run the risk ofbeing lost forever if it is not documented usingmodern technology.

Indigenous knowledge (IK) as defined by the UnitedNations is the knowledge that an indigenous communityaccumulates over generations of living in a particularenvironment. This may include skills, practices andbeliefs that enable the community to achieve stablelivelihoods in their environment.

The Penans are a nomadic people living inMalaysian Borneo, although these days, only a smallminority practice the nomadic lifestyle. Like many otherindigenous communities, the rapid change in thePenans’ way of life has largely accounted for the loss oftheir IK. This is further compounded by the reluctanceof elders to pass the IK down to the uninitiated youth,and disenchanted youths seeking solutions to theirneeds from modern science in place of IK.

The eTORO project is an integral IK managementsystem led by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak incollaboration with the Penan community of Long Lamai,Sarawak.

eTORO is built on the basis that technologyprofessionals first need to understand why and how acommunity manages their IK. Many ICT tools do not do

this and fail to incorporate other aspects relating to theIK such as the customary laws and institutionalstructures.

The project aims to help the Penan people preservetheir indigenous botanical knowledge and data formedicinal purposes by using information technologytools.The methodology developed for this project couldbe of value to others who work within the IK domain.

For further information contact:Associate Professor Dr. Alvin W. YeoInstitute of Social Informatics and TechnologicalInnovations, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: [email protected]

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

Indigenous community members are actively involved in the project inan attempt to preserve their indigenous knowledge using technology-supported system.

Testing a new data collection software to record indigenous botanical knowledge.

38P E O P L E

39

Rediscovering life in the Philippinesduring Spanish rule During the Spanish period, towns in the Philippineswere planned in the manner decreed by Philip II ofSpain. At the town’s centre were located importantcultural and administration institutions such as thechurch, the convent, the plaza and the town’smunicipal hall or tribunal. Many of the Spanish periodtowns either evolved into modern day cities and towns,or died and were then reclaimed by the densePhilippine jungles.

Although voluminous historical information aboutthese ancient towns exists, there is a lack ofarchaeological data. To address this, Dr Grace Barretto-Tesoro and her team from the University of thePhilippines Diliman’s Archaeological Studies Programhave been studying ruins discovered in the town of SanJuan, located in the province of Batangas.

Dr. Tesoro aims to study the church ruins andidentify cultural artefacts related to Philippine life duringthe Spanish period. The project also hopes to find cluesthat could help explain the abandonment and eventualtransfer of the town to its current location.

A new research project led by Dr Yap Foong Ha fromThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University examines howspeakers interpret each other’s state of mind, attitude,intentions, feelings and points of view.

The researchers aim to find out how speaker’snegotiate their epistemic rights in conversations: forexample, we often make bare claims in the form ofassertive statements, but when queried or challenged,we often either downgrade or upgrade our claims, oftenusing epistemic and pragmatic cues such as I guess,people say, I’m afraid, it seems, well, come to think of it,actually, among many others.

Given the importance of understanding similaritiesand differences in the way stance taking is realisedacross different languages and cultures. The projecttakes a cross-linguistic approach focusing on Asianlanguages, including Sinitic (Chinese), Korean,

Japanese, Austronesian and Tibeto-Burman languages.These language families are selected on the basis of: (i)their geographical proximity; (ii) theirextensive/increasing socio-political and economicrelations; and (iii) their potential for language contactover extended periods. The results from this project willcontribute to our understanding of how speakersposition themselves in a wide range of public,professional and private discourses, including politicalspeeches, news reporting, workplace interactions, andfamily-and-peer conversations.

Interpreting conversations in Asian languages

For further information contact:Dr Yap Foong HaDepartment of EnglishThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

P E O P L E

Archie Tesoro

East wall of the old church of San Juan

Sofonisba Anguissola

The Philippines was named after Philip II of Spain who ruled from 1527 – 1598.

For further information contact:Dr. Grace Barretto-TesoroArchaeological Studies ProgramUniversity of the Philippines DilimanE-mail: [email protected]

Finding ways to fundbetter health for all All countries face difficult choices in funding qualityhealth care for their citizens. Financing determineswho can access care, what services are provided, andwhat costs are paid directly by users. Low-incomecountries are striving to provide what most citizens ofindustrialized countries already enjoy: access toaffordable, high-quality health services.

Since 2000, a network of research groups in theAsia-Pacific region has been helping to inform thedevelopment of more equitable health systems in theregion. Equity in Asia-Pacific Health Systems, or Equitap,has systematically documented the performance of 15national health systems in Asia. A first phase of researchrevealed stark disparities in access to health care andrisk protection between rich and poor in most countries.However, it also identified a number of countries thatwere successfully reaching and protecting the poor.

In the latest phase of Equitap, funded by Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre (IDRC), thenetwork expanded to 20 countries and territories. It hasupdated and extended earlier analysis of countryprogress in areas such as reducing citizens’ out-of-

pocket spending and catastrophic expenditure on health.Early findings indicate that in the Asia-Pacific region,reliance on out-of-pocket financing has fallen incountries such as China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Thesecond phase of work has also identified new countries,such as Solomon Islands, where government healthservices are reaching the poor effectively.

Similar networks in Africa and Latin America andthe Caribbean have been separately investigatinginequities in financing and access to health care in theirregions. Now, IDRC is supporting an effort by the threenetworks to build a Southern-led alliance for researchon equity in health and health financing. Through theGlobal Network for Health Equity, researchers are nowsharing expertise and resources, and collaborating oncomparative work. These joint efforts promise togenerate valuable evidence on health equity issues andboost the influence of developing countries’ perspectivesin global policy debates.


40Peter Fredenburg/W

orldFish/flickr

H E A L T H

41

Rebuildingbreastfeeding culturesin East AsiaFrom his attempts to rebuild the breast-feeding culturein East Asia to analyses of the downsides of donor drivenaid and the true impact of free infant formula providedacross the world, Prof. Ted Greiner from the Departmentof Food and Nutrition at Hanyang University continues touncover the key issues across the international nutritionlandscape.

“Breastfeeding cannot be replaced,” argues Prof.Greiner, “formula companies continue somehow gettingethical permission to experiment on babies, coming withnew ingredients that they claim improves their product,but independent researches rarely show these have anyimpact except on the price. Infant formula will always beextremely inferior to the real product”. On top of thenutritional issue, there is also a practical one, in manydeveloping countries, the water required to make theformula milk may be contaminated and risk exposing theinfant to all sorts of pathogens. However, Prof. Greinerexplains, it is not only in the developing countries wherewe see an unnecessary over-dependence on formula milk.

In South Korea for example, the number of womenbreastfeeding their infants is at a low of 17 percent; 67percent of the mothers are bottle-feeding and another 14percent both breast- and bottle-feeding. The decline inbreastfeeding practices in Korea can be correlated to anincreased participation of women in the workforce, lack ofsocial support and public promotion of bottle-feeding.According to Prof. Greiner we need to holistically rebuild abreastfeeding culture in Asia. In order to do so we need tofind new ways of designing culture, for examplebreastfeeding is easier for women who do not work, butwe do not want to go back to a time when they did not doso, but rather create an empowered generation of womenwho force society to change in ways that meet their needs.

Baby food companies who may exploit myths thatwomen have insufficient milk or too low quality maternaldiet (to produce ‘good’ milk) and therefore need tosupplement their infants diet add an extra layer ofcomplication. There is only a very small (and insignificant)difference in the quality of milk provided by a well-fedfemale in a developed country versus one living in relativefood poverty.

Free formula distribution is probably what broke theback of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in China of the1990s, further driving the wholesale abandonment ofbreastfeeding which has gone so far already that 1/3 ofChinese babies never taste breast milk. Governmentswanting to look good from a socio-political angle mayexacerbate the problem. The population of the USA hasgotten so impoverished that half the babies born are nowserved by “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program forWomen, Infants and Children” (WIC) which provides freeinfant formula thereby removing the inclination tobreastfeed even though it may be far healthier for motherand baby to do so.

Prof. Greiner likens bottle-feeding to caesareansection, something artificial that can save a life whenneeded, but something which is not natural and should notbe the norm. The creation of breast feeding rooms insubway stations and parks in Seoul has gone some way to

tackling the privacy issues surrounding breastfeeding inKorea, but in a truly breastfeeding friendly culture, womenwill feel no need to hide something so normal and natural.

Prof. Greiner’s work has taken him across the world.In the US he worked for a non-profit organizationpromoting rice fortification in low-income countries,among other achievements he implemented newprograms to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.As a professor of international child health in Sweden hedeveloped his research looking at food and nutrition inlow-income countries while also acting as a consultant fornutrition programs in South Africa, Yemen, India, Tanzania,Rwanda, Zimbabwe and South Africa among many others.

For further information contact:Professor Ted GreinerDepartment of Human EcologyHanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Image from

a Vietnamese greeting card. C

ourtesy of Prof. G

reiner.

H E A L T H

123rf - frannyanne

Can mung beansprouts fight cancer? Many plant-based compounds are known orbelieved to have a positive impact on human health.For the first time ever, a team of researchers fromMalaysia, Iran and Iraq have examined the impactof mung bean sprouts (MBS) on human cancer andimmune system cells.

The results, published in the BMCComplementary and Alternative Medicine journal,indicate that MBS extract – rich in antioxidants –is a potent anti-cancer agent that can selectivelydestroy human cervical and liver cancer cells. Theresearchers also looked at the underlyingmechanisms behind the observed effects. Theyrecommend further research to identify thebioactive compounds responsible for the anticancerproperties of mung bean sprouts.

For further information contact:Fatimah Abu BakarInstitute of BioscienceUniversiti Putra MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Sleep is a vital part of life and essential for good health.During the night we move between cycles of deep sleepand rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is thoughtthat during REM we dream; processing the day'sexperiences; and deep sleep allows the brainto restore.

Millions of people around the world sufferfrom sleep disorders, which can leave themsusceptible to anxiety and depression. Sleepspindles are rhythmic patterns of neuronalactivity generated within the thalamocorticalcircuit – the fibres between the thalamus andthe cerebral cortex. Past research has shownthat these spindles are often abnormallyincreased or decreased in patients with sleepdisorders such as insomnia, hypersomnia, andnarcolepsy. What has not been scientificallyproven yet is whether sleep spindles aredirectly involved in the qualitative orquantitative adjustment of sleep hours. The Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, has aCenter for Cognition and Sociality, where technologies arebeing developed that could improve the stability of sleep.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Angela Kim,Charles Latchoumane and colleagues describe usingphotostimulation of the thalamic reticular nucleus of mice

to generate spindle cycles that are structurally andfunctionally similar to spontaneous sleep spindles. Using

this method, sleep hours in the mice increasedaccordingly, causing a structural change in sleepand consequently improving the stability of sleep.The density of sleep spindles was correlatedwith the amount of non REM or deep sleep.

These findings establish a causal relationshipbetween sleep spindles and the stability of nonREM sleep, strongly supporting a role for thethalamocortical circuit in sleep regulation.

The discovery that the adjustment of aparticular area of brain can induce thegeneration of sleep spindles opens newpossibilities for diagnosing and treating sleepdisorders. The team believe that it lays thefoundation for further studies on the role of

sleep electroencephalograms in theadjustment of other brain functions.

To sleep, perchance to dream

For further information contact:Hee-Sup ShinCenter for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

42H E A L T H

Bioengineering offerspractical solutions tocancer therapyIn 2008, an estimated 12.7 million new cases of canceroccurred worldwide according to Cancer Research UK.In women breast cancer accounts for almost a quarterof these; in men lung cancer is most common. Thechallenge for medical professionals is finding the mostsuitable way to selectively target any one of the morethan 200 different types of cancer while minimizing anyharmful secondary effects of treatment (such asradiation exposure and immunosuppression).

Now a research team, headed by Prof. Chae-Ok Yunfrom the Department of Bioengineering at HanyangUniversity, is using gene therapy to selectively target andkill cancer cells with minimal side effects. Cancer genetherapy uses DNA as a pharmaceutical agent to treat thecancer. Prof Yun’s team uses a genetically engineeredvirus to preferentially infect and reproduce inside tumourcells, finally bursting the cells and therefore killing them,a so called ‘oncolytic virus’. (fig. 1)

In particular, Prof. Yun’s team has been working withoncolytic adenovirus (Ad). Oncolytic Ads specificallydestroy cancer cells without harming normal cells andreproduce thousands of copies within their host cells.However, because the oncolytic antitumor activity isinsufficient to effectively eliminate tumours, variousstrategies have been devised to improve the therapeuticefficacy. One way is to ensure the therapeutic genecontaining virus can freely replicate thereby increasingthe effects of anti-tumour agents (fig 2)

Prof Yun’s team is also utilizing nanotechnology toimprove the Ads success. In order to eradicate cancer,

not only is it essential to detect tumour tissues early(and ideally via a non-invasive route), but doctors alsoneed to know whether the cancer has spread to otherparts of the body (its metastatic state). Sincenanoparticles possess unique physicochemicalproperties, a single particle can be designed to act as amultifunctioning molecular imaging probe and as acarrier to deliver anti-cancer agents to tumours.

So called ‘smart Ad nanocomplexes’ have beenevolved by modifying the Ad surface with a nonviralsystem such as polymers and nanoparticles whichenables the Ad to remain in the bloodstream for longer,giving it more time to reach tumour cells, before beingremoved and recycled by the bodies’ own waste recyclingsystems in, for example the liver (where hepatocytes andKuppfer cells break down waste and red blood cells).

Prof Yun and her bioengineering team have beenperfecting the design and function of these nanoparticlesto allow detection as well as monitoring of cancerpatients at an early-stage. Real-time, non-invasivemonitoring of the theragnostic nanoparticles enablesclinicians to rapidly decide whether a particulartreatment regimen is effective in a patient or not.The research team has already finished a phase I clinicaltrial against recurrent solid tumours and is now workingon a phase II clinical trial against head and neck cancer.

For further information contact:Professor Chae-Ok YunDepartment of BioengineeringHanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Nephron

Figure 1: Gene therapy using an Adenovirus vector

Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the cancer-selective killing efficacy ofoncolytic Ads. Oncolytic Ads specifically kill tumor cells at the end oftheir lytic cycle, while sparing normal cells. Replicated viral progenythen spread throughout a tumor, infect, and lyse surrounding cancercells, ultimately leading to improved antitumor efficacy over non-replicating Ads.(Choi et al., Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 64(2012) 720-729.

43 H E A L T H

123rf - Siripong Jitchum

Snakes in theframeA collection of snake bite cases inMalaysia could result in a newidentification system that will not onlyspeed up treatment but reduce the riskof complications related to patientsreceiving the wrong anti-venom. Thework focuses on the fang mark, animportant feature in identifying a snakespecies.

Snake bite cases are common, andfast and accurate diagnosis is vital for thepatient's survival. Shamimi Binti A. Halimand colleagues at Universiti TeknologiMARA, use an Artificial Intelligencetechnique, Kohonen Self Organizing Mapand Back Propagation Neural Network toidentify the type of snake based on thesnake's fang mark. The images of snakefang marks and the patient's symptomsserve as inputs to the Intelligent SnakeIdentification System or iSIS

They plan to add ultra-violetreflecting photography to their system,which will give greater clarity to theimages, going beyond the limits of human sight.

For further information contact:Shamimi binti A. Halim Universiti Teknologi MARA, MalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Researchers at International Center for MaterialsNanoarchitectonics (MANA) have succeeded indeveloping a gel material which is capable of releasingdrugs in response to pressure applied by the patient.

Conventional methods of drug administration, suchas injection or oral administration may cause side

effects andinconvenience in somepatients. To tackle thisissue Dr Katsuhiko Ariga,Dr Kohsaku Kawakamiand his team developed agel containing the drugondansetron, effectiveagainst nausea andvomiting, which can bereleased using fingerpressure applied by thepatient.

This method isparticularly suitable forpatients experiencing

nausea during cancer chemotherapy as oraladministration is often difficult. The gel material is

introduced under the skin and can be released simply bypressing or rubbing it when the patient needs to. Unliketraditional drug administration methods, the gelmaterial does not require special devices, electricityetc., which makes it particularly suitable in developingcountries or those affected by disasters. Theresearchers hope that those suffering from hay fever orasthma will benefit from being able to administerrelevant drugs simply and effectively using the gelmaterial.

The gel is produced by crosslinking calciumalginate, which is a naturally-derived componentcontained in algae, with cyclodextrin, which is asaccharide. Both substances are already used inpharmaceuticals. Cyclodextrin hosts a drug as a guest.This is the first report in which a host-guest interactionis controlled by mechanical stimulus.

A pill that’s not hard to swallow: medication released by finger pressure

For further information contact:Kohsaku KawakamiInternational Center for Materials NanoarchitectonicsNational Institute for Materials Science, JapanE-Mail: [email protected]

44H E A L T H

International Center for M

aterials Nanoarchitectonics (M

ANA)

Knowing how our visionworksScientists from the Philippines and Hong Kong havebeen studying how the human eye works in order toimprove eye health.

Our eye works by way of a lens, mostly composed ofprotein and water, which projects the incoming light intothe cells (retina) at the back of the eye ball which thensends information to the brain to form a visual image.However, one function which is not well understood is howthe lens adjusts focus and Dr Fredegusto Guido David atthe University of the Philippines Diliman is working tounravel this process known as accommodation.

Ciliary muscles, which encircle the lens, move thelens to help us focus on the desired object. Unlocking thesecrets of accommodation will provide insights on how wecould remedy eye ailments such as Presbyopia and onhow we could help patients recover from procedures suchas post-cataract surgery.

Another major eye related disorder is myopia, orshort-sightedness. This causes blurry vision because theeye has grown too big and becomes out of focus. Thiscondition affects more than 80% of the young adultpopulation in many Asian cities. It is also a growing publichealth issue since myopia is associated with a number ofsight-threatening diseases such as glaucoma and retinaldegeneration.

It is not known why and how we acquire myopia; bothnature and nurture appear to play important roles. Thegoal of myopia research is to understand why the eye hasgrown excessively large and to find ways to stop themyopic eye growth. Over 20 years ago, PolyU’s Centre forMyopia Research took on the challenge of advancing basicunderstanding of the mechanism of eye growth anddevising novel treatments for myopia.

Recently, their research identified new myopia genesand proteins that may be responsible for excessive eyegrowth. They discovered that the eye uses different opticalimages to guide its growth. In particular, images that

focused in front of the retina can act as a “stop” signal ofeye growth. Applying this principle, the Hong Kongresearchers conducted a randomised control trial using atailor-made contact lens that send out stop signals to theeye. The lens successfully slowed myopia progression by50% in children who took part in the trial.

For further information contact:Professor To Chi-ho The Centre for Myopia ResearchThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

Professor Carly LamThe Centre for Myopia ResearchThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

Dr Fredegusto Guido DavidComputational Science Research CenterUniversity of the Philippines DilimanEmail: [email protected]

Jorge Royan

45

Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and theSarawak General Hospital are working to identifygenes linked to Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) inorder to improve diagnostic methods and identify whythe disease is frequently diagnosed at a younger age inSarawak’s multiethnic people compared to individualsin developed countries.

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) commonly presentswith the risk factors of hypertension, hyperlipidemia,diabetes and family history. However, there are manycases in which ACS patients do not have any of theclassical risk factors, suggesting the presence of a yetunrevealed genetic predisposition or other pathologicalmolecular mechanisms. Understanding thesemechanisms and pathways is important to decipher themolecular manifestation of heart disease.

In search of genes associated with ACS, the teamled by Dr Edmund Ui Hang Sim and Dr Alan Fong used acomplementary approach of various gene expression

profiling techniques. The team examined whetherpatients with and without defined significant ACS can bedistinguished by gene expressions and protein markersassays on peripheral whole blood. Protein markers(established biochemical markers) were studied usingenzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while geneexpression analyses were carried out using DNAmicroarray and quantitative (real time) PCR techniques.

It is hoped that genomic information combined withpatient demographic and risk factor information, maysubsequently lead to the identification of new geneticbiomarker molecules, as well as development of earlydetection strategies.

Chasing genetic traces of Acute Coronary Syndrome

For further information contact:Associate Professor Dr. Edmund Ui Hang SimFaculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

H E A L T H

Every city needs a garbage plant that collects andrecycles waste to ensure the sustainability of city life.Similarly in living organisms the biological equivalent of“garbage” collection and recycling is carried out by acellular process termed autophagy, which literallymeans “self(auto)-eating(phagy)”. Autophagy allowscells to degrade their toxic waste and damagedorganelles. When this process fails, either in a city or acell, waste accumulates and impedes daily activities.

To understand what drives autophagy, researchers atThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University identified a proteincalled Beclin1. They found that Beclin1 works inconjunction with other proteins to ensure properfunctioning autophagy and reduces the risk of cell-relateddisorders such as Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Autophagy performs recycling of cytosolic proteins andorganelles by degrading them into smaller particles suchas amino acids, lipids or other cellular metabolites whichcan be used to create new functional molecules. Over 30proteins are involved in the process but until recentlydetailed information on these proteins remained a mystery.

Associate Professor Yanxiang Zhao and her team atThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University found that theatomic structure enabled the protein to interact with avariety of autophagy regulators during the reformation of

defunct molecules.Investigating autophagy regulators have raised hopes

for new cures for cancer, given that Beclin1 plays a keyrole in tumor suppression and resistance to chemotherapy.The team will further study the protein which will hopefullybe made available for practical use in medical treatment.

Recycling human cells

For further information contact:Professor Zhao YanxiangDepartment of Applied Biology & Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEmail: [email protected]

A traditional Korean medicaltypology, which divides peopleinto four types based on theirbiopsychological personalityprofiles, has been assessed forits diagnostic accuracy byresearchers at the KoreaInstitute of Oriental Medicine(KIOM).The Sasang typology was

originally theorized by Lee Je-ma and is variably usedin the diagnosis and treatmentof disease in Korea. There arefour Sasang types: Taeeumin,Taeyangin, Soeumin andSoyangin. The Soyangin type, forexample, is associated with asharp, well-groomed individualwho is extroverted, hot-tempered and interested in theoutside world (all associatedwith a strong digestive functionand weak discharge function).The Soeumin type, in contrast,is thought to be an inactive,prudent, narrow-minded andorganized person (associatedwith a strong discharge functionand weak digestive function).Although previous research

has compared the accuracy of the Sasang types withalternative psychometric indicators, such as the Myers-Briggs Type, Dr. Kim Jong-yeol and his team sought tovalidate the Sasang typology fully. They developed aclassification tool that determines the physical constitutionof people through four criteria including facial image, voice,body shape and questionnaire with an accuracy of 70percent or more.

Representative facial images of Koreans in eachSasang physical constitution were produced using picturescombined with known medical history of 2,900 people. Thisdata subsequently served to build composite face images ofthe four Sasang constitution types.

The composite images developed by Dr Jong-yeol’steam are based on real people, thereby helpingpractitioners to distinguish different physical constitutions ina more realistic way.

Based on their findings, the team concludes that thefollowing features may be expected of each Sasang type. ATaeeumin has a broad face, horizontal eyes and large andwide nose. A Soeumin makes gentle impression and tendsto have a narrow face, drooping, round eyes and narrow,drooping nose. A Soyangin often has slant eyes andprominent and rather long forehead. A Taeyangin has brighteyes, a broad forehead, large head and ears and givesstrong impression.

Your personality looking back at you: assessing Sasang typology

For further information contact:Dr. Jong Yeol KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

Typical faces of four constitutional types

Typical male faces of four constitutional types in different age groups

Typical female faces of four constitutional types in different age groups

H E A L T H

Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine

The Hong K

ong Polytechnic U

niversity46

Avian influenza A is an emerging infectious disease,often transmitted through frequent interactionsbetween infected migratory wild birds and residentialwild birds. However, the primary host for this virus hasnot been fully determined as it ranges from migratorywild birds to forest birds.

In order to detect the occurrence of avian influenza Aand the potential virus host, researchers at UniversitiMalaysia Sarawak examined wild birds in differentgeographical areas in Malaysia. Seventeen areas wereselected and further grouped into seven types of habitatscategorised as primary forest, secondary forest, urban,monoculture, mixed forest of lowland and limestone,beach forest and mixed forest of secondary growth andorchard to reflect a portion of the vast tropical habitat.

A total of 2,219 virus samples were isolated from1,134 birds for examination. The results confirmed thatbirds in Malaysia are free from avian influenza A viruses.

However, the researchers said they continue to have'major concerns' about influenza A. Frequentinteractions between birds and other fauna includinghuman may provide a higher risk of the transmission ofthe viruses and other possible pathogens that will triggerpandemic cases.

Assessing avian influenza A in wild birds

For further information contact:Professor Dr. Mustafa Abdul RahmanFaculty of Resource Science and Technology,Universiti Malaysia SarawakEmail: [email protected]

Virus samples taken from birds in different forests showed negativeresults, indicating that birds in Malaysia are free from avian influenzaA infection.

Maroon woodpecker (Dinopium rafflesii) can be found in subtropical ortropical moist forest and was one of the species examined in the virusinfection research.

Researchers at Universiti Teknologi MARA have beenstudying the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infectionsamongst aboriginal children in Malaysia. The researchwill provide key information needed by policy makers toreduce infection rates.

Parasitic infections such as soil-transmittedhelminths (STH) and rotozoan infections are transmittedthrough faecal-oral routes and the most commoninfections in developing countries. Intestinal parasitessuch as Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura andhookworms have infected an estimated 2.5 billion peopleworldwide according to the World Health Organisation.

In order to find out the prevalence of the disease atPos Sungai Rual, Kelantan, Malaysia, the researchersevaluated 111 faecal samples of aboriginal children agedbetween 4 and 12 years old.

Analysis revealed that 87 per cent of the childrenwere positive for one or more parasites. Typically girlssuffered a much higher prevalence, with about one in twotesting positive compared to only one in three boys. Themost common infection was Trichuris trichiura.

The researchers pointed out that poor environmentalsanitation and personal hygiene possibly contributed tothe high prevalence of infections among the children.Raising awareness of hygiene practices through healtheducation within the community is crucial to preventintestinal infections.

Additional research into genotyping to unravel host-parasite interactions should give a more precise directionfor protecting the aboriginal children from the disease.

Intestinal infections in aboriginal children

For further information contact:Hartini Yusof Faculty of Health Sciences Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Email: [email protected]

The aborigine children at Pos Sungai Rual, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Hartini Yusof

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

Universiti M

alaysia Sarawak

47 H E A L T H

Antimicrobial resistance in malaria, HIV andtuberculosisAntimicrobial resistance threatens to derailefforts to control malaria, HIV and tuberculosis-infected patients in Asia and around the world,warned speakers at the conference.

According to Professor Nick White ofMahidol University and Oxford University, thereis now “unequivocal evidence” that resistanceto the antimalarial drug, artemisinin, has arisenin western Cambodia – exactly the same placefrom which resistance to two otherantimalarials, chloroquinine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine, arose and later spread toAfrica.

Meanwhile, HIV drug resistance ishampering efforts to scale up antiretroviraltherapy (ART) in Asia, said Dr. SomnuekSungkanuparph of Mahidol University inBangkok. “Surveillance for transmitted HIVdrug resistance is essential to assess thelonger-term success of first-line ART.”

Similarly, the success of tuberculosiscontrol efforts depends on the early detectionof drug resistant forms of the bacterium,commented Dr. Ruth McNerney of the LondonSchool of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “Well-validated molecular tests are now available todetect resistance to rifampicin, including teststhat combine diagnosis and resistance testingwith results available in less than two hours,”she said.

H E A L T H 48

For further information contact:Associate Professor Lisa Ng Email: [email protected]

Professor Francois Nosten Email: [email protected]

Professor Laurent Renia Email: [email protected]

(Co-Organisers of Antimicrobial resistance: Challengesof the 21st Century meeting)

49

Tackling the rootcauses of infectiousdiseasesAvian flu and other emerging infectious diseases, andresurging epidemics such as dengue, are amongtoday’s greatest public health and developmentchallenges. Nowhere more so than in Southeast Asiaand China, considered global hot spots of diseaseemergence. Rapid economic growth and environmentalchange, along with more intensive agriculture, arecreating new opportunities for microbes.

The Ecohealth Emerging Infectious DiseasesResearch Initiative, or Eco EID, aims to boost efforts inthe region to prevent and control new and emerginginfectious diseases by tackling their root causes. Thisresearch collaboration is a joint initiative of Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre, theCanadian International Development Agency, the GlobalHealth Research Initiative, and the Australian Agency forInternational Development.

Three multi-country teams are investigating theconditions that foster the emergence of diseases. Theyare also identifying what can be done to prevent theirspread among vulnerable populations. Researchers arecollaborating across scientific disciplines, governmentdepartments, and national borders to apply anecosystem approach to health. This type of researchtakes a systems approach, linking people and theiractivities to the ecosystems that support them.

One initiative is exploring how changes in poultryproduction policies alter the risk of avian influenza.Researchers in China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnamare examining whether communal poultry-raising zonesoutside of villages (rather than individual householdbased production within villages) can decrease the riskof infection and spread of disease. Their findings shouldhelp policymakers better manage poultry production andprotect human health.

Emerging diseases caused by parasitic worms are amajor public health challenge in Southeast Asia. Inanother Eco EID project, researchers from six countriesare focusing on Asian schistosomiasis, a water-borneparasitic disease, as well as food-borne parasitic worms.Researchers in Cambodia, China, Laos, the Philippines,Thailand, and Vietnam are working with communitiesand environmental authorities to generate newknowledge that will help expand the tools available tocontrol parasitic diseases.

Some tourist destinations are potential centres forthe global spread of emerging disease as they strugglewith rapid unplanned growth, encroachment intowilderness, and the arrival of large numbers ofinternational tourists. A third project involvesresearchers in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, thePhilippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are looking athow environmental changes, migration for work, andtourism interact to fuel mosquito-borne dengue, as amodel for how a new disease might spread. They arealso assessing the risk of new diseases from the bats,rodents, and monkeys inhabiting major tourist sites.


Viruses that target bacteriaThe spread of antibiotic resistance is revivinginterest in the potential use of phages –bacterial viruses – to combat the problem. “Ourlaboratory and clinical data strongly suggestthat phage therapy may be a safe andefficacious treatment,” reported ProfessorAndrzej Górski of the Medical University ofWarsaw. “Good results can be achieved in asmany as 40 percent of cases that had beenpreviously unsuccessfully treated withantibiotics.”

How antimicrobial genes can spread in theenvironmentIn 2011, a wastewater treatment plant inHyderabad, India was identified as an antibioticresistance hotspot because most of the waterreaching the plant came from 90pharmaceutical manufacturers in the region. Atthe plant, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in thewastewater were mixing with “good” bacteriathat consume waste, encouraging the spread ofantibiotic-resistant genes within the naturalecosystem.

According to Dr. Heiman Wertheim,factories that make antibiotics should be betterregulated, especially in their waste treatment.“Antibiotics need to be recognized as anenvironmental pollutant and antibiotic resistantbacteria should be treated as a hostileunwanted species.”

H E A L T H

123rf - Sony Sivanandan

H E A L T H

Developing a Trojanhorse to target HIV ‘Deception’ is not a word often associated with thescientific process. However, this is exactly whatProfessor Lee Sang-Kyung, from the Department ofBioengineering at Hanyang University, spends his timedoing. By modifying a naturally occurring process inliving cells, Prof. Lee is hoping to develop antiviraltherapies to target, for example, the humanimmunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

When targeting disease we often think simply aboutthe ‘drug development’. A major obstacle however is thedelivery of drugs to the required cells and tissues in thehuman body. Prof. Lee's work aims to develop the toolswhich will actually ensure that the drugs reach theirdestination.

Using RNA interference (RNAi) – a naturallyoccurring process in cells that moderates the activity of

genes – he hopes to be able to suppress the ability of thevirus which causes AIDS to replicate in the body.

However, just repressing the ability of HIV to replicateis not enough. The virus is prone to mutation and difficultto control even when researchers successfully ‘program’RNAi to slow down HIV mutation in key areas of ourimmune system (especially T cells and macrophages). Toovercome this, Prof Lee and his team are working with‘short interfering RNA’ (siRNA--works together with RNAito interfere with the expression of specific genes) andtargeting highly conserved viral sequences that havelower mutation rates thereby increasing the chances ofsuccessfully reducing HIV replication.

The trick is delivering the siRNA to the infected cellswithout being ‘spotted’ and destroyed either by the bodies’own immune defenses or the infected cells. To create hishorse of Troy Prof. Lee ‘hid’ the siRNA in surface antigenspresent on human T cells. These antigens are the firstsubstances which appear after HIV infection and they canbe used as a warning ‘flag’. They provoke the productionof antibodies in the body which will come and try andneutralise or destroy the ‘invader’. Critically the receptoris rapidly ‘internalised’ after the antibody binding, so likethe Trojan horse the siRNA silently enters the cells to doits work.

Of course despite the progress there is a somberreality to Prof. Lee’s research. He recalled a recent phonecall he received from a man who had just been diagnosedwith HIV. He asked when Lee thought his new therapeutictechniques would be available to patients. When Leeadmitted that it could be many years before they werecommercially available, the man burst into tears.

“Researchers sometimes forget” Prof Lee saidgravely, “My focus was always on progressing tothe next stage of the research…to getting thatpaper published in a top ranking journal. Thatphone call changed that, it reminded me that thereal focus is not the next publication, but to helpthose suffering from HIV.”

For further information contact:Professor Lee Sang-KyungDept of BioengineeringHanyang University, South KoreaEmail: [email protected]

50C. G

oldsmith

Vossman

Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 budding (in green) fromcultured lymphocyte

In today’s competitive global marketplace it is vital for research organisations to be recognised globally.

ResearchSEA offers a comprehensive range of services to ensure your research achievements arepromoted quickly and effectively to the widest and most relevant international audience.

Reaching the world’s media has never been easier...Reaching the world’s media has never been easier...

Press release distribution ResearchSEA can promote your research news to specialist and generalist news mediaworldwide.

Media Training and Writing WorkshopsOur workshops help researchers communicateand write effectively.

News coverage monitoringResearchSEA monitors your news coverage in over 150 000 news sources.

Press release writingResearchSEA’s experienced editors can turn your landmark papers into press releases for the media.

Social Media and online promotion We promote your news on our high profile press release and news websites and through our extensive social media networks.

Ask an ExpertShowcase your leading experts using our 'Ask an Expert' service. The profiles are regularly browsed by the world’s media looking for experts to comment on world events.

Asia Research News ResearchSEA publishes the popular researchmagazine Asia Research News to highlight thebest research coming out of Asia.

Asia Research News online edition is now available at www.asiaresearchnews.combringing you more content throughout the year.

ConsultancyResearchSEA’s experts can advise you onstrategies to maximise your media presence.

ResearchSEA’s comprehensive range of services is designed to suit all needs.

Please do contact us for more details.

Email: [email protected] Fax: +44 (0)8706 220887 Telephone: +44 (0)1223 276227

ResearchSEA - Raising the profile of research in AsiaResearchSEA - Raising the profile of research in Asiawww.researchsea.com • www.asiaresearchnews.com

A Media Workshop for Researchers‘How to promote your research to the international media’Conducted by

Ruth Francis and Richard Stone 1st October 2013 - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology(KAIST), South Korea • 4th October 2013 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

For details, please email ResearchSEA or visit our website.

Ruth Francis is Head ofCommunications for BioMedCentral and Head of CorporateCommunications for Springer,UK. Previously she was Headof Press for Nature PublishingGroup, communicatingpublished research tomainstream media around theworld. She is the current Chairof Stempra, a network forpress officers in science,medical, engineering andtechnology and has run mediatraining workshops in Asia and Africa.

Richard Stone overseesScience Magazine'sinternational news coverage.Previously, he openedScience’s Asia bureau inBeijing in 2007, and spent fouryears in Cambridge, U.K., asScience’s European Editor andas a Visiting Writer at theUniversity of Cambridge. Stonehas also contributed toDiscover, Smithsonian, andNational Geographicmagazines and is the author of"Mammoth: The Resurrectionof an Ice Age Giant."

Email: [email protected] • Website: www.researchsea.com

The one-day workshop will cover:

• Introduction to the international media

• Understanding the media process

• Why and how to talk to the media - rules of engagement

• Pitching stories - What stories to tell and who to tell your story to

• How to write a press release (headlines, what, where, who, why)

• Interview and press conference tips

• Handling difficult or controversial research

Date post:	29-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	asia-research-news
View:	224 times
Download:	2 times

Asia Research News 2013

Documents