Login
Register

Month: April 2021

KNU selected as SW-centered university by the Ministry of Science and ICT

Posted on by Kyungpook National University ‏‏‎ ‎

Kyungpook National University has been selected as the “SW-centered university” organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Kyungpook National University was selected for the second phase of the project following the first phase in 2015. It is going to lead the advancement of SW education innovation by receiving a total of 11 billion won for up to 6 years.

SW-centered university, which was first started in 2015, has been leading the training of SW professionals such as reorganization of SW curriculum due to industrial demand, expansion of SW major quota, and training SW convergence personnel. Starting this year, the second phase of upgrading the SW education system will begin, including strengthening education on new technologies such as artificial intelligence and preparing differentiated SW curricula by affiliates and levels.

A total of nine universities were newly selected for the second phase of the project, including seven general track universities, including Kyungpook National University (4:1 competition ratio) and two special track universities (5.2:1 competition ratio).

Kyungpook National University plans to strengthen on-site education based on industrial demand by forming and co-operating SW-sharing universities with universities in Daegu and Gyeongbuk and establishing SW industry-academic research clusters in industrial complexes. In addition, SW Education Center, which is the first stage of SW business, will be promoted to SW Education Center.

In order to strengthen convergence education, the SW Convergence Education Committee will be established as the vice-chairman. It is going to install AI Computing Major (Track) in the Department of Computer Science and strengthen AI-related SW major education by majoring in artificial intelligence, data convergence computing, and artificial intelligence convergence education.

Won Hwa Hong, the president of Kyungpook National University said, “As the first SW-centered university was selected in 2015, it has transformed university education into SW-centered, training related professionals and strengthening SW competitiveness in companies and regions. Based on performance and infrastructure, we will take the lead in realizing an SW-oriented society by not only fostering internationally recognized professionals but also spreading SW values.”

A new algae-based switch is lighting up biological research

Posted on by NITech

A group of scientists from the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, have discovered a novel ion channel protein that can be controlled by light, in a species of terrestrial alga. These channels respond to the shorter indigo blue wavelength of light, the first discovery of its kind. Subsequent light-based manipulations of the channel find potential applications in the modulations of specific functions of nerves, muscles, and more, for biological research.

Scientists from the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, have identified a channelrhodopsin that responds to an even shorter indigo blue wavelength of light.

In their study published in Nature’s Communications Biology, the group of researchers,
led by Professor Hideki Kandori and Associate Professor Satoshi P. Tsunoda, identified a novel channelrhodopsin, which they named KnChR, from a species of terrestrial alga called Klebsormidium nitens.

“We chose this alga because it is known to be responsive to light, but its photoreceptor domain has not been established,” reports Prof. Kandori. Unlike other discovered channelrhodopsins, KnChR was found to respond to indigo blue light.

It is known that KnChR is made up of a seven-cell membrane-spanning region, which forms the pore that allows the entry and exit of different ions. This region is followed by a protein moiety including a peptidoglycan binding domain.

In order to investigate the properties of KnChR, the researchers performed extensive genetic and electrophysiological experiments.

What was perhaps the most exciting result was that they could identify the role of the “cytoplasmic domain.” All known channelrhodopsins have a large “cytoplasmic domain,” or the region that is located in the internal area of the cell. As Prof. Kandori explains, “All currently known channelrhodopsins comprise a large cytoplasmic domain, whose function is elusive. We found that the cytoplasmic domain of KnChR modulates the ion channel properties.”

Accordingly, the results of the experiments showed that changing the lengths of the cytoplasmic domain caused changes in ion channel closure. Particularly, the shortening of the domain resulted in increased channel ‘open time’ by more than ten-fold.

In addition, the researchers also identified two arginine amino acid residues, namely R287 and R291, in the same region, which played an important role in the properties of generated light currents. They found that KnChR exhibited maximal sensitivity at 430 nm and 460 nm, making it the ‘bluest’ channelrhodopsin.

Overall, the researchers have faith in the KnChR being helpful in biological systems requiring specific excitation parameters. When asked about the implications of these findings, Prof. Tsunoda, who is the corresponding author of the study suggests, “KnChR would expand the optogenetics tool kit, especially for dual light applications when short-wavelength excitation is required.”

What this means is that the light-operated property of KnChR can be applied in targeted manipulation of an organism’s biological functions, in a research setting. A few examples would include manipulation of neuronal and myocyte activities.

It is hoped that the scope of this discovery would expand beyond the laboratory into real-world applications. These real-world applications could include a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and heart diseases, light therapy for recovery from depression, and visual restoration.

Using a menthol-like compound to activate plant immune mechanisms

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Certain chemicals can activate the innate defence mechanisms of plants, and researchers at the Tokyo University of Science are working on ways to use such chemicals as alternatives to harmful agricultural pesticides.

These researchers have found that a compound derived from menthol can boost the expression of defence-related genes in soybeans, corn, peas, and other crop species. This finding may pave the way to green agricultural technologies that shield crops from pests while minimizing damage to the environment.

Professor Gen-ichiro Arimura of the Tokyo University of Science, Japan, notes that “the development of agricultural technology to date has been largely reliant on the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which has resulted in
environmental pollution and the destruction of ecosystems.”

As a greener alternative to pesticides, terpenoid signalling molecules may help farmers continue their production of vital foodstuffs while lessening the associated environmental costs.

In pursuit of this goal, Prof. Arimura and his colleagues chose to investigate the terpenoid compound menthol, which is derived from mint leaves and can activate plant immune
systems. The aim of this project, which the researchers describe in an article recently published in the journal Plant Molecular Biology, was to develop compounds that are structurally similar to menthol but improve upon menthol’s ability to activate
plant immune systems.

The researchers therefore experimented with chemically modifying menthol by attaching amino acids, which are a structurally diverse set of compounds that living cells use to construct proteins. In total, the researchers synthesized six different menthol derivatives with attached amino acids.

The researchers then tested the resulting menthol derivatives to see whether the modified compounds could outperform unmodified menthol at activating plant defense mechanisms. To do this, they treated soybean leaves with either menthol or one of the six menthol derivatives to see which of the derivatives, if any, could outclass menthol itself at boosting the expression levels of two defense-related soybean genes after 24 hours of exposure. The found that only one of the modified compounds bested menthol, and this compound
is called valine menthyl ester, or “ment-Val” for short.

The researchers found that spraying soybean leaves once with a ment-Val solution boosted expression of the defence-related genes for three days, and second spraying on the fourth day worked to boost the expression of those genes again.

These findings suggest that ment-Val could provide sustainable pest control for farmers growing soybeans. Further experiments showed that ment-Val also increased the expression of defence-related genes in other crops, including peas, tobacco, lettuce, and corn. Ment-Val also proved to be quite stable under various conditions, which suggests that farmers would probably not lose the compound to degradation during storage.

Overall, these results suggest that ment-Val could be extremely useful as an alternative to the chemical pesticides that so many farmers rely on. Prof. Arimura notes that spraying ment-Val may be an effective way “to reduce pest damage to soybeans and other crops.”

He has applied for a patent on ment-Val’s use as a crop protection agent, and he predicts that the commercialization of ment-Val “will generate billions of yen in economic benefits through its usage by companies operating in the fields of horticulture and agriculture.”

He also notes that ment-Val’s anti-inflammatory properties could make it useful for human medicine.

‘Space Walker’, an award winning innovation from Thammasat University

Posted on by Thammasat University

Space Walker is an innovation that has won an international gold medal prize and is based on a thesis from the Master of Engineering department of Thammasat University on the design of a gait-assisted machine with partial weight support.

The innovation is funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation or MHESI from Technology and Innovation-Based Enterprise Development Fund TED Fund. The fund strives to drive and support the young generation to do business by using technology and innovation and transform them into economic value.

Mr Warath Sitlaothaworn, Co-developer of Space Walker, reveals that the creation of physical therapy equipment for patients with ASL, postoperative patients, or elderly patients came from thesis research work. We get the idea from “ZeroG” equipment that we saw overseas. It is dynamic overhead support that assists patients to walk on the track. However, the product has a limitation as it can only be used in hospitals or specific places only.

Moreover, Thailand has not yet developed a gait-assisted machine with partial weight support. The only gait-assisted products are crutch and walker which may cause the patients to fall down. Therefore, the development of Space Walker with partial weight support to assist the patients in physical training after the operation is important. It is a new machine that never existed before in Thailand.

Warath also says, “Postoperative patients will have problem with muscle and need to do muscle training using a gait-assisted machine with partial weight support. The machine will prevent the patients from falling down and assist them to practice walking.”

“After the prototype of this machine is created, we have joined national and international innovation competition in order to make it well-known to make it easier to do business.

“In the meantime, the prize money that we received is used as our capital to further develop the machine. For example, we won the prize money from “GSB the Best SMEs Startup” for 1 million baht competition.”

“Furthermore, we also get support from Technology and Innovation-Based Enterprise Development Fund (TED Fund) to elaborate it to practical use and commercial production. Recently, we strive to build our brand named WOKA, under the Creative Engineering and Development (CED2), Thammasat University,” he adds.

“Our team has developed Space Walker to acquire quality equivalent to the imported ones. The price of similar products is about 5 million baht. However, it is not affordable and suitable for Thai’s people needs, while our product can be made within the budget of 50,000-60,000 baht only.  Currently, more than 200 Space Walkers were produced and sold by 60 healthcare institutions nationwide,” he continues.

“Our determination is to allow Thai people to access quality and affordable product. However, it is undeniable that doing business might not serve the needs of all target groups. Therefore, if the government sector encourages the use of this equipment in local healthcare organizations around the country, it will increase their opportunity to access the product. The government will encourage the use of the product in government organizations first but will not launch it to the international market in order to retain revenue to the company. After that, the firm will use that sum of money to further develop the product. As a result, when the company can do mass production, the product’s price will be cheaper,” Warath explains.

“We will work on the product’s standardization and expand it to the domestic market before launching to the international market in 2022.”

“In the future, we plan to expand its working functions to meet the needs of all groups of people such as people who cannot stand or walk. It is expected that the product’s prototype will be launched within next month. Moreover, we will develop the product to support patients with Cerebral Palsy and Orthopedic patients,” he adds.

“In the long run, we aim to develop the product that provides more solutions for more target groups such as people with arm and leg problem.

“The further development will be in collaboration with the Thammasat research centre. All in all, 70% of user groups will be the general public while 30% of them will be hospitals.”

“Currently, we are working to get listed on Thailand Innovation List. If the process is completed, it is expected that customer proportion will be different as 90% of the medical equipment customer group is the government sector,” he concludes.

EdUHK unveils world’s first postgraduate degree programme with Cambridge leadership qualifications

Posted on by eduhk

The Department of Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), is collaborating with Cambridge Assessment International Education to offer two professional development qualifications in educational leadership. The collaboration makes EdUHK the first university in the world to offer Cambridge leadership qualifications as part of a postgraduate degree programme.

The qualifications will be available to students of the Executive Master of Arts in International Educational Leadership and Change (IELC) programme. They will have the opportunity to attain the Cambridge International Certificate in Educational Leadership and the Cambridge International Diploma in Educational Leadership.

The leadership qualifications help school leaders enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding of effective leadership and leadership practice. The qualifications also help teachers and administrators develop an understanding of leadership in the context of Cambridge schools, a global community of more than 10,000 schools across 160 countries.

“We are delighted that our programme has been recognised by one of the world’s largest providers of international education qualifications,” said Dr Darren Bryant, Head of EPL. “We will continue to strengthen our network and international connections with universities and educational institutions from around the world.”

“Cambridge sets the global standard for international education,” said Professor Allan Walker, Adjunct Chair Professor at EPL. “The partnership shows that our programme and our university more than meets international standards in terms of curriculum design, rigour and quality teaching.”

The IELC has also collaborated with the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 2013/14 to offer two postgraduate leadership certificates. Dr Ewan Wright, Programme Leader of IELC, said, “The IELC is the first postgraduate programme in the world to offer both Cambridge leadership qualifications and IB Certificates. By preparing school leaders for roles in policy planning and school improvement, we aim to lead educational change not only in Hong Kong but also across East Asia and worldwide.”

TMU reaches out to the local communities

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

Taipei Medical University(TMU) links arts with community care to promote good practice in enhancing health of the elderly in the local communities.

In collaboration with Chiayi County Health Bureau in southern Taiwan, the TMU Center
for Arts and Humanities once again took its health empowerment program to southwestern
Taiwan with a series of activities including handicraft courses, puzzle games
and qigong courses for the elderly in Chiayi County.

Integrating learning of knowledge and visitation to galleries and museums, the community care helps improve the elderly’s quality of life through immersion in artifacts. In doing so, the idea of “localizing the artistic culture, aestheticizing the community medical care” is brought alive.

The significance of active ageing is to “activate” the vitality, the meaningful living, the wisdom of the elderly, and the solutions for an ageing society through the high-quality services for the elderly with singing, dining and
living together of fun.

 Apart from paying attention to one’s own physical health under the pandemic, companionship and mental health are of importance to keep one from panic or anxiety while the social distancing policy is being widely implemented.

 For that reason, Taipei Medical University Active Aging Center has been offering group courses such as gong sound healing and body structural realignment to communities since October 2020, bringing much-appreciated color into the daily life of senior citizens in the neighbourhood.

New online ethical marketing degree from the University of London

Posted on by Editorial Team

The University of London (UoL) is to launch a new online marketing degree in partnership with global online learning platform Coursera, but one which will equip its students well beyond more traditional ‘how-to’ courses.

Course director, Dr Stefano Harney, explained: “Naturally we cover the basics of marketing but we will go much further than that.

 “We’re concerned with core societal issues like environmental sustainability amid mass consumption; questions of gender in mar​keting and advertising; equity and inequity of growth, both between countries and within countries.

 “We want our students not only to be aware of these issues but to be the ones to confront them, to solve these problems and to have the consciousness to really rise up in their careers.”

 Dr Harney from Royal Holloway, the University of London, which provides academic direction to the course, added: “Massive over-consumption in some parts of the world means that to sustain current lifestyles, we would need almost three planets to provide enough natural resources.

 “But in a global economy in which customers can ask Alexa to buy almost anything and expect same day delivery, how can marketers meet consumer demand without contributing to a sustainability crisis?

 “Our students will be equipped, not only to ask these questions in future roles but by studying the history of marketing, as well as how global supply chains and operational management work and be able to start to formulate the answers.

 “The problems of over-consumption and sustainability are interconnected and can’t be addressed in a single point manner. Solutions are going to require students to have holistic knowledge, which we will provide on this course.

 “Why? Because the people who are cognisant of the largest issues in society and the relationship between marketing and these issues are the ones who will bring the biggest value to their companies.

 “Also, Coursera – it’s a very different, very exciting platform. Rather than starting from the idea that you’re trying to recreate a campus experience as much as you can, they know that many students want to be independent, set their own pace and learn in their own style and they have real expertise to underpin that very different approach we take to teaching so it’s a really exciting partnership.”

 Royal Holloway’s Head of the School of Business and Management, Professor Gloria Agyemang said: “This course will both stretch and stimulate its students as it addresses and equips them to deal with what are some of the biggest issues and challenges in marketing today.”

 The BSc Marketing is the second degree-level programme to be run by UoL in partnership with Coursera. A BSc Computer Science was launched in 2019 and more than 3,000 students around the world have enrolled on the programme so far.

 UoL’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Thomson, said: “Students in the Computer Science BSc with Coursera have had a life-changing experience and I am confident that the marketing degree will serve students equally well.”

Coursera Chief Content Officer, Betty Vandenbosch, said, “We’re honoured that the University of London is launching a second job-relevant degree on Coursera – enabling learners from around the world to access an affordable education from a top UK university.  Degrees continue to be one of the most valued credentials in the job market, and we’re excited to be launching the BSc Marketing which will equip students with the latest knowledge, techniques and practices in this high-demand field.”

 Head of Royal Holloway’s Marketing Department, Professor Alan Bradshaw, added: “At Royal Holloway we pride ourselves about being at marketing’s cutting edge. Our dual excellence in teaching and research allows us to lead international discussions about consumer experience, online culture, and branding. This new programme will allow us to do so in very exciting ways and we can’t wait to get started.”

 Applications open on June 28, 2021 and further details can be found here.

Thammasat Library’s pride

Posted on by Thammasat University

Assistant Professor Akekarin Yolrabil, Director at Thammasat University Library, has received the “2020 Recognition Award for Library Benefactor”, presented by Thai Library Association under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, for initiating, for establishing and developing the library or educational institution in Library and Information Science to meet the quality standards of the Thai Library Association and regularly monitoring and maintaining it for at least 5 years.

Assistant Professor Akekarin Yolrabil has served as Director of Thammasat University Library for the 1st term from July 1, 2016, until June 30, 2019, and continued the 2nd term from July 1, 2019, until June 30, 2022.

The most outstanding work is to bring the organizational operations to meet the international standards (ISO). The library has been certified for the quality management system according to ISO 9001: 2015 since November 17, 2017, and the renewal of the certification was completed on October 31, 2020, and the environmental management system has been certified according to ISO 14001: 2015 since December 22, 2019.

The scope of the “quality and environmental management system” covers all operational segments which consist of front-end and back-end user services. It is the first library of higher education institutions in Thailand having 2 ISO standards certified contemporarily.

The operation under the scope of work covering all roles and responsibilities of the library in compliance with ISO standards for quality and environmental management system has increased the effectiveness of the library services i.e., operational planning, monitoring, investigation and quality control have been done completely and accurately according to the requirements, as well as continuous improvement.

This results in library user satisfaction rate at 91.70 per cent in 2020, which is higher than the target, which is at 85 per cent.

The communication strategy has been adopted in the organization’s branding and strategic positioning in order to build loyalty and relationship between the organization and service users, consists of students, teachers and staff of Thammasat University including external people and staff of the TU Library.

There are currently 97,444 persons who have contacted us via “Thammasat University Library” Facebook Page (as of November 25, 2020). This is considered the most-followed Facebook page of the higher education institution’s libraries in Thailand.

Additionally,  the policies for TU Library service have been set for improvement and development that enables users to access services provided by TU Library anywhere, anytime and on any devices.

These services include registration from the self-registration system, borrowing-returning and resource request from TU Library and other libraries in the network through Book delivery and Interlibrary Loan service, library fine payment through an auto payment system, access to information technology from inside and outside Thammasat University network via OpenAthens system, application development to respond to the needs of users who prefer convenience and speed, such as study room booking system via QueQ, bookshelf guide with TAMMA system, library access with QR code via Virtual card, Institutional repository: IR named “Thammasat University Digital Collections” or TUDC system for storing electronic information resources used in promoting teaching and learning during the COVID-19 situation.

KNU contributes to the green remodelling project of the the public buildings

Posted on by Kyungpook National University ‏‏‎ ‎

“Green Remodeling Regional Base Platform, Gyeongsang Province” was held at Hyoseok Hall of Kyungpook National University on April 8 to create an ecosystem and strengthen capabilities for the green remodelling project of public buildings, one of the core projects of the Korean New Deal.

Won Hwa Hong, the president of Kyungpook National University, Eui Rak Hong, the Vice Mayor of Daegu City, Dae Seong Ha, the Vice Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, Jung Hee Um, the Construction Policy Officer of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Boo Soon Kang, the Vice Chairman of Korea Authority of Land& Infrastructure Safety, and Han Soo Seok, the Chairman of Korea Institute of Registered Architects attended the opening ceremony.

Green Remodeling Regional Base Platform is a project to support the improvement of the ageing of public and medical facilities, which are mainly used by the socially disadvantaged, and the improvement of indoor air quality and energy performance.

The Green Remodeling Regional Base Platform Project will be operated and supported by the Homeland Security Management Agency, and will successfully carry out the project, expand awareness and base through regional hub platforms (Gangwon, Seoul, Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang).

Starting with the Gangwon region, the launching ceremony of the regional base platform is being held in the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong region, Gyeongsang region, and Jeolla region.

The opening ceremony was also held on the same day to sign a business agreement for organizations participating in the Gyeongsang regional project. It will share people, technology, and experience related to Green Remodeling Regional Base Platform in Gyeongsang region and cooperate with each other through signing agreements between local governments such as Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety, Kyungpook National University, Dong-A University, and other partner organizations

“For eco-friendly changes in public buildings, resources and knowledge held by various institutions should be used organically, and cooperative governance between them needs to be systematically established,” said Won Hwa Hong, the president of Kyungpook National University.

“We will spare no effort to foster human resources and support technology to successfully carry out the project, and based on this, we will do our best to develop regional capabilities and spread the base of the Green Remodeling Regional Base Platform Project .”

Asymmetric synthesis of Aziridine with a new catalyst can help develop novel medicines

Posted on by NITech

Aziridine structures are an important component of several medicines and pharmaceutical drugs, due to which reactions yielding desirable aziridine structures with high purity have received much interest. In a new study, scientists from Japan have reported a high yield of aziridines with high purity from oxazolones using a novel catalyst and look into the underlying mechanism, paving the way for future development of novel drugs and medicines.

“Oxazolones are well-known for their versatility in affording biologically active compounds,” explains Professor Shuichi Nakamura from Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech), Japan, who studies asymmetric reactions.

“However, the enantioselective reactions of 2H-azirines with oxazolones have not been very fruitful, despite being touted as one of the most efficient methods to synthesize aziridines.”

In a new study recently published in Organic Letters, Prof. Nakamura along with his colleagues from NITech and Osaka University, Japan, explored this issue and, in a significant breakthrough, managed to obtain aziridine-oxazolone compounds in high yields (99%) as well as high enantioselectivity or purity (98%). In addition, the team used an original catalyst they developed to catalyze the reactions they studied.

The team started off by heating α-azideacrylates at 150°C in an organic solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF) to prepare 2H-azirines and then reacted them with oxazolones in presence of various organocatalysts to produce different aziridine-oxazolone compounds.

In particular, the team examined the effect of the catalyst cinchonine and various heteroarenecarbonyl and heteroarenesulfonyl groups in organocatalysts derived from cinchona alkaloids and found that reactions using catalysts with either a 2-pyridinesulfonyl group or an 8-quinolinesulfonyl group gave both a high yield (81-99%) as well high enantiopurity (93-98%).

In addition, scientists observed that the reaction between a 2H-azirine containing an ethyl ester group and an oxazolone with a 3, 5-dimethoxyphenyl group in presence of the catalyst with 8-quinolinesulfonyl group also gave high yields (98-99%) as well as enantiopurity (97-98%).

The team then moved on to exploring the reaction between 2H-azirine with ethyl ester group and a wider variety of oxazolones in presence of the catalyst with 8-quinolinesulfonyl group.

In all of the reactions, they observed high yields (77-99%) and enantiopurities (94-99%) except one for the case of an oxazolone bearing a benzyl group and the catalyst with a 2-pyridylsulfonyl group that only produced a moderate yield (61%) and purity (86%). Moreover, they were able to convert the obtained aziridines into various other enantiomers without any loss of purity.

Finally, the team proposed a catalytic mechanism and a transition state for the reaction of 2H-azirines with oxazolones in which the catalyst activates both the oxazolone and the 2H-azirine, which then react to give an “addition product” that, in turn, yields the aziridine with the regeneration of the catalyst.

While the detailed mechanism is yet to be clarified, scientists are excited by their findings and look forward to the method’s application in medicine and pharmacology.

“It has the potential to provide people with new medicines and create new drugs as well as drug candidates that are currently difficult to synthesize. Moreover, the catalyst used in this study can be used for many other stereoselective synthetic reactions,” observes an
optimistic Prof. Nakamura.