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Month: May 2021

UNDIP-ADB collaboration in handling water Issue and water security in Indonesia

Posted on by dessy.ariyanti

Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), with its vision of becoming a
leading research university, is committed to continuing to achieve SDGs
nationally and regionally through research and education activities, and
community outreach. There are many issues that need to cope by following SDGs
principles. One of the issues is related to water (water security, water development,
including water-related disasters).

The steps of problem-solving can be taken
within the framework of several SDGs targets. A concrete step UNDIP take for participating
in achieving SDGs (including water-related issue) is the presence of the UNDIP
SDGs Center since mid-2020. Through UNDIP SDGs Center, UNDIP keeps its commitment
to participate in achieving or solving the issue of water by making
collaboration with various stakeholders continuously.

Regarding water development issue, UNDIP
SDGs Center collaborated with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in localizing
and mainstreaming SDGs, especially Goal 6-7-9-11 and 13,
by creating strategic step to develop science, research and innovation in water
security, water development and water-related disaster management both
nationally and regionally.

Previously, ADB published a document regarding
development prospects and the handling of problems related to water in the ASIA
region in a book entitled “Asian Water Development Outlook 2020”
(AWDO 2020). UNDIP welcomes the launch of the AWDO 2020 document in Indonesia by
organizing the Country Launch AWDO 2020 by online which was carried out jointly
with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.

In line with the AWDO
2020 document, the target of building and handling problems related to water
issues in Indonesia cover 5 dimensions: 1. water and sanitation for rural
residents; 2. water security to ensure sustainable economic growth; 3. water
and sanitation requirements in urban areas; 4. environmental management to
ensure a balance of water cycles that are vulnerable as a result of climate
change; 5. hydrometeorological disaster management. 

President University and Ubhara Jaya partner to deliver course on Database System

Posted on by President University

President University (PresUniv) and Universitas Bhayangkara Jakarta Raya (Ubhara Jaya) have collaborated since the end of 2020. As the form of implementation of the collaboration,  both universities have partnered to deliver a joint course on the Database System. This class is open to all PresUniv and Ubhara Jaya students.

The first joint class started on 3 March and was followed for more than eight weeks. The learning system is held online and can be accessed through the PresUniv eCampus and Spada Dikti’s Learning Management System (LMS), because the implementation of this joint online lecture has also been supported by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture. T

Ronny Juwono, Head of Information System Study Program, PresUniv, hopes that the cooperation will not stop in the current semester. “Hopefully it can continue in the next semesters with more courses being offered,” he said.

Advancing Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Education

Posted on by Norfezah Md Nor

An e-Forum on Advancing Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Education was hosted by
Society for Teaching and Learning for Tertiary Education (STALITE), the Office of International Affairs, and Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pulau Pinang (UiTMCPP) following the launching event of STALITE by Professor Ts. Dr Salmiah Kasolang, the rector of UiTMCPP on 1 April 2021.

Under the Rector’s Special Project, STALITE supports its homegrown journal, International Journal of Practices in Teaching and Learning (IJPTL).

In transforming towards a globally renowned university in line with Universiti Teknologi MARA’s 5-year strategic plan, the e-Forum moderated by Norhaslinda Hassan from UiTMCPP were enlivened by the presence of four experienced panellists from different countries with diverse fields of expertise to share their knowledge.

The panellists were Dr. Kotona Motoyama, a senior lecturer of Global Communication Center and International Project Coordinator at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Japan. Professor Steve Flint, the Academic Director of School of Food and Advanced Technology from Massey University, New Zealand, Dr. Tamer A. Tabet, a researcher from Baghdad, Iraq and Dr. Rofiza Aboo Bakar, a senior lecturer from the Academy of Language Studies, UiTMCPP, Malaysia.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the majority of global industries including the education industry has urged academicians to transform their teaching methods into full mode of online learning. It is undeniable that this newly introduced method of teaching has its advantages and circumstances as discussed in the e-Forum.

The topics covered by the panellists were about Open Distance Learning (ODL) trends, students’ academic integrity during ODL, and tips and tricks in publishing in academia for university students. The sharing session has certainly enlightened the participants on the current academic scenario from the perspectives of various countries during the pandemic.

As a newly-formed society, STALITE’s first ever e-Forum received positive feedback with over 150 local participants and more than 15 international participants, as well as 847 viewers on UiTM’s official YouTube official. The strategic partners for this e-forum were the Office of International Affairs (OIA) and Academy of Languages Studies (APB), Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pulau Pinang (UiTMCPP).

HKBU and Cornell University jointly develop a novel targeted therapy for breast cancer

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

Researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), in collaboration with Cornell University, have developed a novel targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that uses a specially-designed nano-carrier to deliver the Chinese medicine compound gambogic acid (GA).

The invention enhances the anti-cancer effect of GA and reduces its damage to off-target organs. The invention has the potential to become a more effective therapeutic option for TNBC.

The study was supported by the Vincent and Lily Woo Foundation, and the research findings have been published in the international medical journal Frontiers in Oncology.

GA as a breast cancer treatment and its limitations

TNBC accounts for 10-24% of all breast cancer cases and it also grows and spreads faster than other types of breast cancer. There are limited treatment options for TNBC and it has a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. In the advanced stage of the disease, the five-year relative survival rate is only about 12%.

GA is a herbal compound isolated from a dry, brownish resin called gamboge, which is derived from Garcinia hanburyi, a plant with a long history of medicinal use in Southeast Asia.

Previous studies have shown that GA can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. However, its clinical application is limited by the fact that it is rapidly eliminated from the circulation system and has poor water solubility, which makes it difficult for GA to reach the cancer cells. Furthermore, high dosages of GA can cause damage to off-target organs due to its toxicity.

Nano-carrier increases treatment efficacy of GA

In the search for a more effective treatment protocol for TNBC when compared to existing options, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director and Tsang Shiu Tim Endowed Professor in Chinese Medicine Clinical Studies of the Clinical Division of HKBU’s School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) and Dr Kwan Hiu-yee, Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of SCM, together with the research team of Professor Chu Chih-Chang at Cornell University, designed a novel nano-carrier to enhance GA’s efficacy as a TNBC treatment and reduce its off-target toxicity.

The researchers made a bio-degradable nano-carrier out of polyester urea urethane (PEUU), and they decorated it with folate (also known as vitamin B9) and arginine (an amino acid). Folate receptors are highly expressed in TNBC cells, and they can serve as a target for therapy. Arginine is a positively charged amino acid, and it can attract the nano-carrier to the negatively charged tumour surface. These features enable the nano-carrier to target and deliver GA effectively to TNBC cells.

Treatment efficacy tested in mice

The research team tested the efficacy of the GA-loaded nano-carrier as a TNBC treatment in a series of mouse experiments. Two groups of mice with TNBC were treated with the same dosage of GA, one in the form of the GA-loaded nano-carrier, and the other in the form of free GA. After 17 days of treatment, the average reduction in tumour weight of the GA-loaded nano-carrier group was 67.6% higher than the free GA group. The results showed that the GA-loaded nano-carrier is more effective at shrinking the tumours than the free GA.

In addition, the group treated with the GA-loaded nano-carrier had 0.23 μg/mL of GA in their tumours two hours after injection, and the tumour GA concentration of the GA-loaded nano-carrier group was three times of the free GA group, showing that GA is being delivered to TNBC cells more effectively with the nano-carrier. Also, the concentration of GA in the plasma of the GA-loaded nano-carrier group two hour after injection was nearly three times of the free GA group, showing that the GA carried by the nano-carrier stays in the circulation system for longer.

Reduced off-target damage to other organs 

Furthermore, when compared with free GA, the GA delivered by the nano-carrier caused less damage to the off-target organs of the mice including their hearts, livers and lungs. It also caused minimal damage to their kidneys and spleens as relatively low levels of GA were detected in these two organs.

“As demonstrated in our study, the novel nano-carrier for GA offers many benefits when it comes to treating TNBC,” said Dr Kwan Hiu-yee.

“The application of nanotechnology in this study modernises the delivery of Chinese medicine, thereby enhancing its therapeutic efficacy. We believe that our nano-carriers have great clinical potential to treat TNBC and other types of cancer,” said Professor Bian Zhaoxiang.

TPU professor wins prestigious international research excellence award

Posted on by Tomsk Polytechnic University

Pavel Strizhak, Professor of the TPU Butakov Research Center, has become a winner of the 2021 Research Excellence Awards Russia that is conferred to the most published and cited scientists and scientific institutions. The awarding ceremony was held in Moscow and was coincided with the Year of Science and Technology in Russia.

The 2021 Research Excellence Awards Russia is conferred to outstanding Russian researchers and is a part of the Elsevier global initiative to support scientists. The winners of the awards are selected by several indicators, including the number of published research articles, citation rate in international journals (according to the data of the Scopus database) and an expert assessment.

Professor of the TPU Butakov Research Center Pavel Strizhak became a winner in the joint category with the Russian Science Foundation For Outstanding Contribution to Science at National and International Level. Pavel Strizhak was conferred with the award from Andrei Blinov, Deputy General Director, Head of Department of the Russian Science Foundation.

“For eight years, the Russian Science Foundation has been supporting the best Russian projects and creating comfortable conditions for their participants to conduct research,” he said.

“We are proud that our grant holder and representative of tomsk, the venue of the academic development, became a winner.”

“We are awaiting further cooperation, projects and articles,” he added.

The research works of Pavel Strizhak devoted to the creation of sustainable fuel based on industrial waste, process optimization of compounding, fuel transfer, spraying of combustion of fuels, sewage treatment and drinking water treatment from harmful impurities by the explosive breakup of droplets, as well as to effective suppression and containment of forest combustion processes.

UiTM explores halal business ventures

Posted on by NURUL SALIZAWATEE MAHPAR & NOOR RITA MOHAMAD KHAN

To support the Malaysian government’s initiative in creating more entrepreneurs and also to increase knowledge among the B-40, the Institute of Management & Halal Science (IHALALMAS), Faculty of Business and Management (FBM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia collaborated with NNN Technical Resources to run six training sessions on Halal Supply Chain for Industry. B-40 refers to the bottom 40 % of the low-income households in the country.

This program was awarded the HRDFGENERATOR Fund (National Economic Regeneration Plan) from the Ministry of Human Resources (MOH), Malaysia.  The training took place from October to December 2020 and was conducted in six zones such as Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Penang.

The first five-day training, days was conducted in October 2020 at the Sime Darby Convention Center (SDCC), Bukit Kiara Kuala Lumpur. A total of 60 participants from various background participated in this program.

Three qualified instructors and experts in the field of Halal logistics, Dr Harlina Suzana Jaafar, Halal warehousing, Dr Emi Normalina Omar and Halal Retailing, Assoc Prof Dr Anizah Zainuddin, were assigned to complete this training.

This training program is important due to the fact that it is a field that has not been explored among Bumiputera. Therefore, this training aimed to provide exposure and impart knowledge on the opportunities available in the halal logistics business as a potential source of business and income, especially in the field of transportation, warehousing/storage, and retail business.

Participants were also taught about the importance of certification as well as Shariah compliance implementation procedures, which emphasized the critical point of halal control in the logistics process along the supply chain as outlined in the Halal Guarantee Management System, guidelines by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), Prime Minister’s Department.

Thammasat University innovates award winning medical robot

Posted on by Thammasat University

TKK Corporation Co.Ltd., Suppliers of  Robotic Products and Factory Automation System, in collaboration with Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Innovation Center for Robotics and Automation System at Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM), and business partners have developed ‘Autonomous Mobile Robot for Hospital Care Services’.

The objective is to lighten the workload of healthcare workers in transporting equipment and medicine and to reduce COVID-19 infection risk. With its potential that supports medical staff, the innovation has won Innovation Best Award 2020 from International British Inventions, Innovation Exhibition (IBIX).

Creator team of this robot includes Associate Professor Md. Kammal Kummar Pawa, Former Dean of Chulabhorn International College of Medicine and Vice-Rector for Special Affairs, Thammasat University; Kanlayanee Kongsomjit, Committee Chairman at TKK Corporation Co.Ltd.; Dr.Tunyawat Somjaitaweeporn, Director at Innovation Center for Robotics and Automation System at Panyapiwat Institute of Management; Kanit Vallayapet, Former Assistant Minister to Prime Minister and Director at Baker & McKenzie Ltd., and Dr Budsara Wongraksak, Director of Executive Integrated Medical Management Program (EMMP).

The AGV robot has won the Best Innovation Award 2020 from International British Inventions, Innovation Exhibition (IBIX). There were more than 1,000 innovations nominated from 40 countries.

The AGV robot works in 2 systems. First, the robot works through a 5G network. Secondly, it works automatically. The robot is equipped with a real-time telecommunication system with doctors via the screen installed on the robot.   It helps reduce medical worker’s contact transmission risk during work.

Moreover, there is a patient’s identity detection system to unlock the drawer in order to prevent mistakes in transporting. The robot can do temperature check without contacting the patients and there is a germicidal disinfection system afterwards. T

This innovation can be produced on a low budget and the design is user-friendly as it contains separate medicine and food case. Moreover, the robot can automatically charge itself at the battery charger panel.

This AGV robot is expected to bring a positive change to the medical and public health industry. It will reduce the workload of nurses and increase their potential and capability in performing other jobs. Some medical workers will no longer need to do this job, but it doesn’t mean that these people will be unemployed. They just have to upskill to do more complex task and let robots perform the routine job.

Apart from Delivery Robot, TKK also has many other Digital Technology Platforms, including Vending Machine and Smart Kiosk. The smart kiosk is used to support patients who come to queue for treatment at the hospital. It will triage patients instead of the nurse because the kiosk will output all information about the patients such as the medical benefit that they have. The Smart Vending Machine will reduce disbursement time so the hospital can do inventory update promptly. It is easy to install, fast, and low price.

Chula’s FAA launches international MA in Music Therapy

Posted on by John.Ch

Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) has officially launched its first international graduate degree program: Master of Arts in Music Therapy.

At the 4th Indonesian Performing Arts Festival (Indofest), held this year in the Siam Innovation District on 7th April, Associate Professor Ros Phoasavadi PhD, announced that applications were now being accepted by the faculty for the first academic year (2021-2022). This is the first international/interdisciplinary MA degree program in Music Therapy
to be offered in Asia.

The new course is an innovative hybrid two-year program that combines online learning with on-campus classes. For optimal clinical practice, the program integrates the well-respected American and European approaches to music therapy, both of which allow students to develop the abilities and skills necessary to work with a variety of clinical populations and goals. Combining art and science, this interdisciplinary program is a collaboration between Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, the Faculties of Medicine and Psychology and the Graduate School.

Professor Dileo noted, “The Master’s in Music Therapy at Chulalongkorn represents an integration of American and European traditions in music therapy … this integration will allow students to move seamlessly among the theories and practices as they address and adapt to the cultural aspects of the communities with whom they will work following training.”

It is hoped that by offering this course music therapy will be established as a profession that will develop and flourish in the region.

The Academic Director of the course is Professor Cheryl Dileo, PhD, Carnell Professor of Music Therapy at Temple University, USA and the Program Director is FAA Dean Professor Bussakorn Binson, Ph.D. Guest lecturers on the program include globally recognized academics Professor Jaako Erkkila, PhD of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland and Professor Jos De Backer, Ph.D, of Aalborg University, Denmark.

The MA in Music Therapy is a two-year, blended learning program requiring 52 credits. Students will have access to experiential learning with some of the world’s top music therapy lecturers and can choose between non-thesis or thesis options.

ASEAN scholarships for graduate studies at Chulalongkorn University are available for those students who are from the region.

Skills in demand 2025: Technology, data and design are integral to the future of work

Posted on by Global University Systems

According to the latest “The Future of Jobs Report” by the World Economic Forum, the most important skills for employees in 2025 will be technological design and programming, creativity, originality, initiative, complex problem-solving and innovative thinking. In addition, increasing automation is leading to a higher demand for functions that promote interaction between humans, machines and technology.

An important prerequisite for keeping up with these demands is a multidisciplinary university teaching in combination with design, tech and business. The new Innovation Hub
of the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) provides a multidisciplinary environment to maximise student growth, development and career prospects.

In daily lives, these technologies and contribute to them becoming more widespread This leads to questions such as how can companies make use of the immense amount of data and how can this use be visualised and made more understandable?

Professor Iris Lorscheid, who teaches Data Science at the new UE Innovation Hub at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences, states: “This data visualisation is directly related to UI and UX design, creative computing and innovative design management. Professional fields will no longer be thought of separately from each other but will have to work more
closely together in the future in order to be innovative. Only the combination of the knowledge areas of tech, data and design creates innovative products and services. Business knowledge rounds off the profile of skills that are in demand.”

Creativity in companies and management is increasingly in demand because in the course of international economic and social change processes, companies must become more adaptable. Only those who are innovative and can detect social trends and act quickly will prevail in the market.

The creative abilities of employees and managers are in demand. Today, international competition is no longer about who has the most knowledge. Success is increasingly measured by how creatively and how quickly new knowledge can be generated and converted into products. This is where Innovation Design Management comes in, by empowering leaders and companies to become more adaptable, innovative and creative.

“The humane design of the digital transformation is the greatest entrepreneurial task of the 21st century. Humane here means people-centred, ethical, sustainable, experience-oriented. Digital transformation is worthless if innovations are not guided by these criteria,” explains Johannes Kiessler, Professor and Programme Director for the M.A. Innovation Design Management master’s programme at the UE Innovation Hub in Potsdam.

“Like no other discipline, Innovation Design Management integrates human-centred methods in the generation of innovative and experience-oriented products. Most importantly, it can help companies create the cultural conditions to accomplish this task.”

Wearable electronics powered by human sweat

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

A group of scientists from Japan has successfully developed and tested a wearable biofuel cell array that generates electric power from the lactate in the wearer’s sweat, opening doors to electronic health monitoring powered by nothing but bodily fluids.

A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Isao Shitanda from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, are exploring efficient ways of using sweat as the sole source of power for wearable electronics.

In their most recent study, published in the Journal of Power Sources, they present a novel design for a biofuel cell array that uses a chemical in sweat, lactate, to generate enough power to drive a biosensor and wireless communication devices for a short time.

The study was carried out in collaboration with Dr Seiya Tsujimura from the University of Tsukuba, Dr Tsutomu Mikawa from RIKEN, and Dr Hiroyuki Matsui from Yamagata University, all in Japan. 

Their new biofuel cell array looks like a paper bandage that can be worn, for example, on the arm or forearm. It essentially consists of a water-repellent paper substrate onto which multiple biofuel cells are laid out in series and in parallel; the number of cells depends on the output voltage and power required.

In each cell, electrochemical reactions between lactate and an enzyme present in the electrodes produce an electric current, which flows to a general current collector made from a conducting carbon paste.

This is not the first lactate-based biofuel cell, but some key differences make this novel design stand out from existing lactate-based biofuel cells. One is the fact that the entire device can be fabricated via screen printing, a technique generally suitable for cost-effective mass production.

This was possible via the careful selection of materials and an ingenious layout. For example, whereas similar previous cells used silver wires as conducting paths, the present biofuel cells employ porous carbon ink.

Another advantage is the way in which lactate is delivered to the cells. Paper layers are used to collect sweat and transport it to all cells simultaneously through the capillary effect—the same effect by which water quickly travels through a napkin when it comes into contact with a water puddle.

These advantages make the biofuel cell arrays exhibit an unprecedented ability to deliver power to electronic circuits, as Dr. Shitanda remarks: “In our experiments, our paper-based biofuel cells could generate a voltage of 3.66 V and an output power of 4.3 mW. To the best
of our knowledge, this power is significantly higher than that of previously reported lactate biofuel cells.”

To demonstrate their applicability for wearable biosensors and general electronic devices, the team fabricated a self-driven lactate biosensor that could not only power itself
using lactate and measure the lactate concentration in sweat, but also communicate the measured values in real-time to a smartphone via a low-power Bluetooth device.

As explained in a previous study also led by Dr. Shitanda, lactate is an important biomarker
that reflects the intensity of physical exercise in real-time, which is relevant in the training of athletes and rehabilitation patients. However, the proposed biofuel cell arrays can power not only wearable lactate biosensors, but also other types of wearable electronics.

“We managed to drive a commercially available activity meter for 1.5 hours using one drop of artificial sweat and our biofuel cells,” explains Dr. Shitanda, “and we expect they should be capable of powering all sorts of devices, such as smart watches and other commonplace portable gadgets.”