Month: February 2021

A three-fold improvement in the efficiency of solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion can facilitate solar energy harvesting technology, according to environmental scientists at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU).

This research outcome could make a contribution to tackling the global energy shortage and provide new insights into the development of solar-to-fuel materials for photocatalytic applications in the emerging field of hydrogen technology.

The research team led by Dr Sam Hsu Hsien-yi, Assistant Professor in the School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at CityU, has developed novel lead-free bismuth-based hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) with a semiconductor heterojunction structure.

The heterojunction structure could serve as a driving force to enhance the charge carrier transportation which is beneficial for hydrogen production under visible-light irradiation without the addition of co-catalysts such as platinum or ruthenium.

The research is featured as the cover of the prestigious international journal Advanced Functional Materials under the title “In-situ formation of bismuth-based perovskite heterostructures for high-performance co-catalyst-free photocatalytic hydrogen evolution”.

“We would like to construct a lead-free HOIP material that can drive the photocatalytic hydrogen production without a noble-metal co-catalyst,” said Dr Hsu.

In the process of exploring and developing their application for the production of photocatalytic hydrogen, Dr Hsu’s team discovered a straightforward method for constructing a junction structure, which led to improved photocatalytic activity.

They employed time-resolved photoluminescence spectra (TRPL) to characterize the materials. From the TRPL result, the charge transfer of the HOIP material with heterostructure exhibited a longer lifetime than the material without the heterostructure. The longer lifetime indicates a reduction of nonradiative recombination in the heterostructure.

Therefore, the in-situ formation of the heterostructure benefits photocatalytic performance. The result shows improved efficiency by three-fold and a more stabilized solar-induced hydrogen evolution for the perovskite heterojunctions, even without the addition of any noble metal co-catalyst under visible light irradiation.

Management and Science University (MSU) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with leading eye-care innovation company Bionics Sciences Sdn Bhd.

The university will receive an initial research grant of RM 20 thousand and MSU will be running clinical trials and product testing on contact lenses produced by Bionics Sciences. Blindness prevention is actively pursued at MSU as one among twenty-five key research areas of the University

Bionics Sciences, the contact lens wholesaler, supplies its own house brand Bionics as well as FIRSTLOOK and iColoris throughout more than a thousand optical stores in Malaysia and Brunei. The company operates an analytical and research laboratory through partnerships with local universities in developing treatments for vision conditions and eye diseases as well as improving eye health.

Signing the MoA for Management and Science University was MSU President Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid, whilst Bionics Sciences was represented by its CEO Mr James Bong Hua Siang.

In the framework of the Chlorella microalgae cultivation process, the researchers from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have obtained microalgae biomass with a high content of carotenoid pigments, which is suitable for the food industry through targeted cultivation. The research results were published in the scientific journal “Agronomy Research”.

“The obtained biomass with a high level of carotenoids can be used in various sectors of the food and pharmaceutical industries as a dietary supplement to reduce the vitamin A deficiency for children and adults living in regions with increased environmental stress. Also to prevent the risk of oncological diseases,” notes Yulia Bazarnova, Director of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies at the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology  SPbPU.

Scientists of Polytechnic University developed the consistency of the nutrient substratum,   conditions of illumination of the cell suspension of microalgae, selected the methods of concentration and dehydration of the obtained biomass, to intensify the biosynthesis of carotenoids.

Besides, the researchers are developing microencapsulated forms of carotenoids for targeted delivery to various organs and tissues. Microencapsulated carotenoids are particles composed of a core (Chlorella microalgae carotenoid extract) shell (biodegradable material). Scientists are currently negotiating with the leading Russian bottled vegetable oil manufacturer about the implementation of the new technology in the nutrition industry.

“Biological and nutrition technologies are one of the key scientific areas of the 21st century. Scientists all around the world are working to improve and preserve human health. The projects of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies SPbPU are very important and promising.  The scientific developments in this area leads to the gradual improvement in the quality of life,” says Vitaliy Sergeev, Vice-rector for research SPbPU.

The Center of Studies for Town and Regional Planning, FSPU, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in conjunction with the celebration of 100 years planning profession (100PBM) in Malaysia organized a webinar which featured the honorable speaker, Dato’ Seri TPr Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). She is the first Asian woman to serve as Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

The session held on the 14^th January 2021 began with a welcoming speech by Professor TPr Dr Jamalunlaili Abdullah, Dean of Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, UiTM.

Participants were amongst students, staff, and audience from private and government institutions who had joined the one-hour webinar session via Cisco Webex and YouTube online platform. The overwhelming response stands to speak for itself on the subject’s interest with more than 500 participants joined the session.

Dato’ Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif shared how UN-Habitat works with cities and people in promoting sustainable and inclusive urbanization. She highlighted the challenges of unsustainable trends. With 55% of the world’s population living in urban areas, 1.8 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions globally, 1 billion people live in informal settlements and slums, and 100 million people are homeless. Issues such as health and climate change were also put forward.

The webinar session also elaborated further on the need to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.

Further, Dato’ Seri TPr Maimunah Mohd Sharif emphasized the New Urban Agenda (NUA), based on the theme – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership – as an action-oriented document that sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development. The document readdresses the way cities are planned, designed, financed, developed, governed, and managed. NUA builds cooperation with committed partners at all levels to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Dato’ Seri TPr Maimunah Mohd Sharif ended the session by prompting the audience that ‘Integrated approach and people-centered process are key to achieving sustainable urbanization’.

Prof. Drs. Ec. Ir. Riyanarto Sarno, M.Sc. Ph.D., a professor from the Department of Informatics Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) and his team, consisted of ITS post-graduate students have developed the i-nose c-19, the world’s first device that can detect COVID-19 through axillary sweat odor.

This innovation obtained development support from the government after being presented in front of Prof. Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of Research and Technology/Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency, in Jakarta, on January 19, 2021.

The i-nose c-19 has several advantages compared to other detection devices. It provides the sampling and processing system in one device so that the result will come out faster than any other detection devices.

It is equipped with a feature known a Near Field Communication (NFC), which means that the users only need to scan their e-KTP on this device to input their personal data. The use of cloud as a storage system allows the results to be integrated with the patients, doctors, hospitals, laboratories, and public.

Lastly, the i-nose c-19 is also easy-to-use and inexpensive. Prof. Ryan revealed that the i-nose c-19 was the result of four-year research which was later optimized in wake of the COVID-19 since last March 2019.

Currently, the i-nose c-19 has passed the phase one clinical trials. Ryan hopes that the i-nose c-19 can be distributed to the public no later than the next three months.

Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (MASSCOM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, (UiTM) Malaysia in collaboration with University College Sedaya International(UCSI), has won the people’s choice award and a silver award at the Innovation in Teaching and Learning National Competition 2020 organized by the Hub for Innovative Teaching and Learning(HITeL), UiTM, Perak Branch, in October 2020.

The project led by Dr Wardatul Hayat Adnan, a lecturer from MASSCOM, UiTM was titled- Innovation on Malaya Independence War Graveyard Virtual Reality (VR) Application: An Alternative for Teaching & Learning. It won two awards whereby it used a VR application in describing some aspects of the history of Malaya’s independence and war heroes through War Graveyard location and identification.

This project was inspired by an ongoing campaign that was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Malaysian Museums in 2015(Student inspiration, Museum Innovation-Inspirasi Pelajar, Inovasi Muzium-IPIM) to integrate students from all cultural and social background through a cross-cultural concept that utilizes a combination of informal and formal education from museums.

The War Graveyard Virtual Reality (VR) Application hopes to be used as an alternative for teaching & learning of history subject for secondary school students once it is fully completed.

The team of five consisted of four participants from UiTM namely Dr Wardatul, Dr Ireena Nasiha Ibnu, Mahathir Ahamad, Norasikin Alimom and one participant from UCSI, Mohd Farizi Jamaludin.

The aim of this project is to enhance the comprehension of subjects that are considered hard to understand such as Malaysian history. Based on the initial research conducted among secondary school students,  History was found to be one of the subjects considered dry and teachers were not able to capture the attention of students.

This pilot project has started with history relating to Malaya’s independence where information gathering begins at war heroes’ graveyards. Graveyards are scattered throughout Malaysia which shows the existence of the past.

This project is not only meant to promote achievements and past heroes but also to help society to conserve these important graveyards where sadly, some are already lost through time and development.

The participants of the Innovation in Teaching and Learning Competition 2020 (InTeLeC2020) came from various universities and colleges throughout Malaysia. Last year InTeLeC2020 showed an increase in the number of participation, where a total of 76 innovative ideas, design, practices, and products in teaching and learning were competing compared to the previous years.

The department of Physics, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) will be launching a new  Master’s program in Physics.

The Department of Physics currently oversees three programs, Physics Bachelor’s Program, Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Program, and Biomedical Engineering Master’s Program.

Head of the Physics Department, Dr Herri Trilaksana said that the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology,  is a department that manages programs teaching the basics of engineering and several medical technologies.

For Herri, the establishment of the Physics Masters’s Program indicates the prominence of the physics department and it can strengthen the academic and professional climate, expand academic and research networks internationally, and improve the quality of graduates.

Herri said, since 2008, the Physics Department has had a bi-annual national conference which has been upgraded to become Two-yearly International Conference ICPIAM. In 2021, the 3 rd ICPIAM will be held. The international conference became an event to present international colleagues and academic peers of the Department of Physics.

The Department of Physics, he continued, also actively participates in other international conferences, including ICOWOBAS with partners in Malaysia, as well as the ISSIMM international conference which is run with several universities in Indonesia, including Gadjah Mada University (UGM), University of Indonesia (UI), Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Brawijaya University (UB), and Padang State University (UNP).

Apart from being active in participating in international conferences, community service is one of the annual programs that are continuously being carried out.

Herri also said that this long-established department internally had to compete with the new engineering program at UNAIR. This is because engineering programs are usually more marketable in the industrial sector. In addition, in terms of the productivity of scientific publications, they have the same opportunity as other programs in FST.

“So far, UNAIR’s management of basic science, especially physics, has not been optimal because UNAIR still views that the physics department has not been too productive in producing attractive technological innovations as other engineering sciences in general,” he explained.

From the external side, he continued, the physics department must be able to organize local, national, and international collaborative programs with all the limitations of infrastructure and facilities of the Faculty of Science and Technology.

“With the internationalization effort made by the physics department, we hope that it can increase the confidence of students and alumni of physics UNAIR, including being able to present international students in programs under the physics department,” Herri said.

“We hope that in the future the Department of Physics will become a department that can position itself adjacent to other physics departments and even lead in several innovations and achievements,” said Herri.

Catalysts are needed in the production of fuels and oils. St. Petersburg Mining University is engaged in research on improving catalyst efficiency and reducing production costs. University’s scientists have already completed the lab research and are running pilot tests.

Hydrotreating catalysts are used to generate ultra-low-sulphur diesel fuels from crude oil. One of the benefits they may bring lies in reducing noxious emissions released into the atmosphere by vehicles’ exhaust pipes.

“The requirements regarding the fuel sulphur content are constantly getting tighter. For now, the maximum permissible concentration is equal to 10 ppm, which is one-thousandth of a percent (0.001%). This means that the catalysts should be of the highest quality, too. They must be such that they withstand enormous loads without losing their properties. And this has to be ensured throughout the entire period of an inter-repair run of the reactor – usually a minimum of one year. Perhaps, I should clarify: I am talking about the aggressive environment which catalysts need to endure, with temperatures reaching nearly 400 degrees Celsius, pressures of almost five megapascals, and the dead weight of their own pushing down, as the upper layers press on the lower ones,” explains Rostislav Konoplin, a PhD student at St. Petersburg Mining University.

“The era of electric vehicles will come, but residents of urban cities need clean air to breathe now, not in the future. Hence, we should continue our work on improving the technology.”

“Our goal is to optimize the properties of catalyst carriers – for this purpose, aluminium oxide is used. We are getting pilot batches produced now, and have already seen some very positive results. These concern, for instance, structural characteristics, which enhance resistance to stress rupture, and also textural features – they define efficiency,” says Rostislav.

Rostislav’s research paper named “On the Issue of Domestic Hydrotreating Catalysts Production Technology” was presented at the International Forum-Contest of Young Researchers “Topical Issues of Rational Use of Natural Resources”. As the winner of the event, he thereupon participated in the “Young Leaders of Science – 2020” final scientific session. The latter was organized by St. Petersburg Mining University in conjunction with the International Competence Centre for Mining-Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO.

Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia organized and hosted an international program titled International Research Network Initiative 2020 (IRNI 2020) on 2 December 2020. This initiative was taken as part of an effort in intensifying research collaborations with partnering universities in the ASEAN countries.

About 140 researchers from four ASEAN countries actively participated in this half-day online interactive session. The participating universities were UiTM, Malaysia, Gadjah Mada University (GMU), Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology (BIT), Indonesia, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Philippines, and Mahidol University (MU), Thailand.

Participants attended a common session at the beginning of the program and later moved to the respective allocated concurrent sessions which focused on the research areas in the field of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacology, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutics, and Chemistry. During the concurrent sessions, a representative from each university presented and shared their research interests and expertise of faculty members.

Besides, discussions also focused on future collaboration opportunities through grant acquisition, joint publications, postgraduate student recruitment (co-supervision), students’ and/or researchers’ exchange programs, income generation, and joint organization of conferences.

Several research areas in pharmacy practice were identified for potential collaboration which includes the community pharmacy-based research, health technologies, medication safety, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacotherapy in cardiology, renal, diabetes and HIV/AIDS, complementary and alternative medicines, geriatric care, and pharmacogenomics.

Potential collaboration in natural product-based pharmacology and toxicology research especially against cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases were also discussed.

Common interests amongst the participating universities in the areas of life sciences include drug discovery, the use of animal models in research, application of bioinformatics and molecular biology in, mainly, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

The potential areas for research collaboration in pharmaceutics include drug delivery optimization, nanotechnology-based medicines, cosmetics and nutraceuticals as well as antimicrobial and wound-healing therapies; whereas the potential collaborations in chemistry research areas include isolation of bioactive compounds from plant-/animal-based natural products, synthesis and structural elucidation of compounds for application in neurodegenerative diseases.

The plans in the pipeline that were discussed include creating a working group that serves as a discussion platform on future collaborative activities, organizing bimonthly webinars to facilitate sharing on new updates, exploring possibilities of MoA/MoU, and creating a dedicated webpage that shares information on research activities, grant opportunities, researchers’ profile, services and facilities to increase visibility and citations.