Year: 2021

Professor Sun Young Park’s team, School of Earth System and Sciences at Kyungpook National University, reports in international joint research with Bristol University in the U.K. and other researchers that Freon Gas (CFC-11), which had been increasing in eastern China, decreased in 2019 and recovered to pre-2013 levels. The study was published on February 10 (local time) in Nature, a world-renowned international journal.

Under the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement on the production and regulation of ozone-destructive substances, Freon gas has been banned since 2010, but it has been reported to academia that emissions are increasing again globally in 2018. However, the exact area and amount of emissions have not been determined.

In this regard, Professor Park’s team announced to Nature in 2019 that since 2013, Freon gas emissions have increased by more than 7,000 tons per year in eastern China, which is the result of new products and uses not reported by the UNEP(UN Environment Programme) and the Ozone Secretariat.

In the latest study, Professor Park’s team analyzed the concentration of prion gas in the atmosphere on Jeju Island and Hateruma Island in Japan using an atmospheric chemistry model. As a result, it confirmed that Freon gas emissions in eastern China decreased to pre-2013 levels in 2019. This represents about 60% of the global reduction in Freon gas emissions in 2019.

Also, Professor Park’s team confirmed that emissions from materials involved in Freon gas production in eastern China have been higher than expected since 2013 based on previous reports such as the United Nations, and that emission reductions occurred between 2017 and 2018, a year earlier than Freon gas reduction.

It explained that Freon gas was produced and used even after 2010 when production was banned, and that production has been reduced and suspended since 2017.

Professor Sun Young Park said, “It is very encouraging that the global environmental threatening Freon gas emissions have decreased again. The immediate response of academia, the international community and the Chinese government to the increase in Freon gas emissions has not slowed down.”

“However, Freon gas emissions observed over the years are likely to be part of the total production, and additional emissions from buildings and equipment filled with Freon gas could continue for decades to come,” she added.

The study was conducted with support by the Ministry of Science and ICT and National Research Foundation of Korea.

The researchers of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) together with their colleagues from Russian and foreign scientific centers have found a way to estimate the temperature of a chemical reaction activated by pseudo-particles – plasmons.

Two organic molecules served as ultra-small sensors or thermometers. According to scientists, the experiments are of great fundamental importance: beyond the mere fact of evaluating the temperature with the use of molecules, it was possible to demonstrate that properties of plasmon serving as an activator of chemical reactions depend not only on thermal effects. The results of the study were published in Chemical Science journal (IF: 9, 346; Q1).

Plasmon is a pseudo-particle that represents a combination of vibrating electrons and an associated electromagnetic field. Plasmons originate from nanoscale solid-state bodies, in the vicinity of their surface. Their use as chemical catalysts makes it possible to carry out transformations at a room temperature under the action of sunlight.

“That is, if the reaction normally proceeds, for example, at 100°C, then using the plasmon energy allows it to be carried out at a room temperature. This is both more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. But why does plasmon trigger chemical reactions? How does it promote them? These apparently simple questions provoke heated discussions in the scientific community; there is no an unambiguous answer to them, and the catalytic nature of plasmon is not clear. We are trying to find answers,” Pavel Postnikov, Associate Professor at the TPU Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, one of the contributors to the paper says.

“The results published by our research team in the Chemical Science journal have become a big commitment.”

According to the main theories, plasmons play the role of catalysts due to their thermal effects, or, to the contrary, their function is in no way related to temperature. In the first case, a metal nanoparticle acts as a small nanoboiler. It heats molecules locally and for a short period of time, but this heating cannot be traced via standard methods, it is simply invisible.

“Some researchers agree that a combination of different effects plays a key role. Our team is among them. In the course of our previous work, we have already questioned the pivotal role of heating. Besides, we needed a way to measure the reaction temperature in the vicinity of a single molecule to understand whether there was a temperature build-up or not,” the scientist says.

“Researchers previously used physical methods, but we first proposed the use of specific molecules – alkoxyamines – as sensors or thermometers. The experiment was carried out using a well-studied reaction of their homolysis. This represents a bond-breaking reaction; in this case, two particles – radicals – are obtained from the alkoxyamine molecule,” Pavel Postnikov adds.

To conduct the experiment, the researchers took gold nanoparticles, to which they chemically “tied” molecules of alkoxyamines having different chemical structures. Then, they were irradiated with a laser to “trigger” the action of plasmons (they are generated under the action of light) and, accordingly, the reaction of breaking bonds within alkoxyamine molecules. It turned out that two molecules decomposed at different rates, and the local temperature was calculated from the reaction rate. For one molecule, the temperature was 96°C, while for the other – 118°C.

“What does this temperature difference tell us? Since the molecules of alkoxyamines are different in structure, they should react differently without heating, and when heated — at the same rate. That is, if the plasmon worked only as a boiler, and the only point of its work was to heat the molecule, then the reaction temperature would be the same. Nevertheless, it is different, so it means that the plasmon does something else to speed up the reaction. What exactly —we’ll have to find out,” he says.

It is a serious key question, the answer to which will make it possible to understand the mechanism of plasmon operation better and then to predict and control the process. Whereas, it will become a fundamental basis for developing new methods and obtaining materials,” Pavel Postnikov explains.

The contributors to the paper include the researchers from Aix-Marseille University (France), the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (Czech Republic), and N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry Russian Academy of Sciences. The research was supported by a grant from the TPU Competitiveness Enhancement Program.

The blood–brain barrier prevents immune cells from circulating freely in the brain, and the breakdown of its function is a major cause of post-stroke inflammation. Now, for the first time, researchers have identified how a toxic stroke byproduct, acrolein, could activate the barrier-degrading enzyme proheparanase (proHPSE). The research group has discovered that proHPSE degrades the glycocalyx within the post-stroke brain’s blood vessels, providing hope for new and effective therapeutics against post-stroke inflammation.

Junior Associate Professor Kyohei Higashi from Tokyo University of Science, one of the researchers, explains the motivation behind the research, “When brain tissue becomes necrotic due to ischemia, the function of the BBB is disrupted and immune cells infiltrate the brain, exacerbating inflammation, but the details of this process are still unclear.”

For the first time, as detailed by the study published in Journal of Biological Chemistry, the group of scientists, led by Dr. Higashi, have identified a possible mechanism that links acrolein accumulation to glycocalyx modifications, which results in damage to the BBB.

The team, also comprising Naoshi Dohmae and Takehiro Suzuki from RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Toshihiko Toida from Chiba University, Kazuei Igarashi from Amine Pharma Research Institute, Robert J. Linhardt from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Tomomi Furihata from Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, used mouse models of stroke as well as in vitro (“in the lab”) experiments using cerebral capillary endothelial cells to accurately study the mechanisms behind the breakdown of the BBB.

The researchers initially identified that the major sugars in the glycocalyx, heparan sulphate, and chondroitin sulfate, showed decreased levels in the ‘hyperacute phase’ after a stroke. They also found the increased activity of glycocalyx-degrading enzymes like hyaluronidase 1 and heparanase.

Upon further in vitro investigation using cell lines, they found that acrolein exposure led to the activation of the precursor of heparanase (proHPSE). Specifically, they found that the acrolein modified specific amino acids on the structure of proHPSE, activating it. They concluded that this mechanism possibly led to the degradation of the glycocalyx, and the subsequent disruption of the BBB.

The team’s discovery is critical, as the acrolein-modified proHPSE could be a novel and potentially effective drug target for post-stroke inflammation.

As Dr. Higashi, who is also the corresponding author of the study, speculates, “Because proHPSE, but not HPSE, localizes outside cells by binding with heparan sulfate proteoglycans, acrolein-modified proHPSE represents a promising target to protect the endothelial glycocalyx.”

Thousands of healthcare workers serving as front liners of care at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) are facing a substantial risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. To resolve this issue, the Hospital UiTM director, Professor Dr Sazzli Shahlan Kasim, immediately established a multidisciplinary team, COVID-19 Operating Committee, to coordinate and implement all COVID-19 related decisions.

This strategy aims to safeguard healthcare workers and students, as well as the health care delivery system in UiTM, to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 infections in the communities working in Hospital UiTM, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

Associate Professor Dr Zaliha Ismail, head of Department of Public Health Medicine, was appointed as chief of the COVID-19 Command Centre (Bilik Gerakan COVID-19 Unit Cawangan Selangor, UiTM) located at the Faculty of Medicine, UiTM, alongside with public health medicine specialists for the purpose of case investigation, contact tracing and providing expert advice on public health guidance for the management of HCWs exposed to COVID-19.

Several academic disciplines have been participating actively in the team. The Coronavirus Mobile Test Unit (COMBAT) ensures arranging fast-lane service for suspected COVID-19 HCWs and students to undergo nasopharyngeal swab testing.

The Laboratory team helps in coordinating and ensuring the prompt release of the COVID-19 test reports to accelerate subsequent control measures, while the Occupational and safety health unit conducts the risk assessment besides ensuring safe and healthful working conditions.

The Epidemiologists aid in conducting situational analysis, contact tracing, data management in providing a regular update on COVID-19 statistics among healthcare workers and students. The infectious diseases team plays an important role in strategizing infection prevention and control measures, also conducting training on donning/doffing, handwashing and personal protective equipment wear.

The Primary care medicine specialists, emergency physicians and respiratory physicians help in triaging and managing COVID-19 cases. The Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists help by providing mental health support through a dedicated psychosocial hotline.

Finally, the Corporate Communication team delivers the right information and continuously reminds the healthcare workers to always adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures.

This multidisciplinary collaborative approach acts as a shield to protect the healthcare workers, students, communities, and the health care ecosystem in UiTM.

Chulalongkorn University‘s Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontaminator is among the 11 outstanding New Normal lifestyle innovations chosen by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). It is used for sterilization of rooms and medical equipment to inactivate COVID-19.

Created by Prof. Sanong Ekgasit, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, the decontaminator was one of the outstanding achievements, conducted in response to the New Normal way of living required after the COVID-19 outbreak, selected MHESI.

Dr. Wiparat De-ong, Acting Director of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), and Prof. Dr. Sanong Ekgasit received the award from Prof. (Special) Dr. Anek Laothamatas, the Minister of MESRI on Thursday, December 24, 2020, at the Renaissance Bangkok Hotel.

The team of researchers designed and developed the VQ20 hydrogen peroxide mist nebulizer and the VQ20+HP35 atomizer that sprays hydrogen peroxide mist of smaller than 5 micrometers to decontaminate areas and medical equipment.

To date, the VQ20s are installed at the Research Department of the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Health Service Support, the Medical Engineering Division of the Ministry of Public Health, and the Chulalongkorn Demonstration School Primary Division.  The VQ20+HP35s have also been installed at the COVID-19 Infectious Diseases Department, Chongkonnee Building and Emergency Medicine Department Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society.

Once the pandemic is under control, the team will work with startup companies for developing other forms of equipment, such as sterilizers for milk bottles, plates, bowls, and glasses to be used in households with young children, the elderly, or the ill.

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and TF AMD Microelectronics (Penang) Sdn Bhd (TF AMD) conducted a virtual ceremony for the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) via Zoom on 5 February 2021. The MoU and memorandum of agreement (MoA) were signed digitally on 4 December 2020 and 18 December 2020 respectively.

With the signing of this MoU, UTAR and TF AMD will officially begin their strategic partnership to initiate joint projects or researches on automated robotics technology, staff, and student exchanges, study visits, industrial placement opportunities, co-supervision of postgraduate studies and etcetera. The MoU will enable both parties to work even more closely in creating platforms that will enrich both staff and students’ academic experience, as well as empowering them to explore learning opportunities beyond the classrooms.

The signatories for the MoU were UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and TF AMD Managing Director Neoh Soon Ee. It was witnessed by UTAR R&D and Commercialisation Vice President Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman and ATMP Engineering and Factory Automation Engineering Senior Manager Tai Ewe Shin.

Also present at the virtual ceremony were Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Senior Deputy Director Noor Suziyanti Saad, MIDA Assistant Director Ahmad Tarmizi Ab Aziz, TF AMD Factory Automation Engineering Manager Ng Woon Ji, Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research Director Dr Yong Thian Khok, Division of Community and International Networking (DCInterNet) Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn, DCInterNet Deputy Director of Kampar Campus Dr Chen I-Chi, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Dean Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, LKC FES R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Deputy Dean Ts Dr Yap Wun She, LKC FES Head of Mechatronics and BioMedical Engineering Department Dr Kwan Ban Hoe, UTAR staff and distinguished guests from TF AMD and MIDA.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Ewe thanked TF AMD for the research grant and said, “I would first welcome TF AMD Mr Neoh and MIDA for joining us at this virtual ceremony. I would like to thank Mr Neoh for this collaboration and thank you for your research grant of RM404,250.00 for UTAR to undertake this collaborative research project in automated robotics technology.”

He added, “This is a good opportunity for both parties to come together to share knowledge and expertise for a win-win partnership on this research project together. This is also our University’s initiative to collaborate with the industry on projects so that our staff and students are updated on industry needs and at the same time, we can share and exchange resources as the way forward.

“Such collaborations also enrich our staff and students’ educational experience which is crucial and invaluable as part of university education and especially for students seeking employment later.”

“We are in this fourth industrial revolution and the emergence of AI post a lot of challenges to the industry and also higher education sector, therefore we have to work together with the industry to make sure our students are trained to meet the demand of the market and at the same time get our staff involved in joint collaboration and research,” Professor Ewe explained.

We are thankful to TF AMD for the opportunity of allowing our students to be attached to them for industrial placements and study visits because this will help our students gain the necessary real-life skills, experience, and knowledge required for their employment later on. And also not to forget MIDA for all the support to the university,” Professor Ewe emphasized.

On the other hand, Neoh enthused, “We are very glad and excited to have this collaboration with UTAR. I looked forward to having a successful partnership and we are very glad to support and sponsor UTAR in the automated robotics technology project. This project is very important and if this is successful, we would love to use it in our production floor as one of the advanced automation features.”

He added, “I would also like to thank MIDA, the government’s principal agency for their support. MIDA is Malaysia’s cutting-edge, dynamic and pioneering force in opening pathways to new frontiers around the globe and assists companies that intend to invest in the manufacturing and services sectors, as well as facilitating the implementation of their projects”The wide ranges of services provided by MIDA include providing information on the opportunities for investments, as well as facilitating companies which are looking for joint venture partners.

“TF AMD with the assistance of MIDA will continue to help and grow the local establishment such as local universities or local industries and from there we will be growing together,” Professor Ewe concluded.

Dr.-Ing. Setyo Nugroho of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has developed iStow since 2006 for various types of ships and purposes, a.o. for container ships, LNG/ LPG/ chemical/ product Oil tankers, LCT and barges.

iStow, a stowage planning software, is a tool to assist a ship to plan the allocation of cargoes on board a ship, where the ship in all conditions must meet all safety criteria of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). IMO has obliged that all ships over 65 meters long must be equipped with a stowage planning software.

At present, iStow has been certified by BKI/ Indonesia, ClassNK/ Japan, IRS/India, RINA/ Italy, and since recently also by the oldest and among the largest ship classification societies in the world Lloyd’s Register (UK).

Two additional variants of iStow have also been developed namely iStow CHS (cargo handling simulator) which has been in use by a maritime polytechnic in Semarang for seafarers’ education, and iStow LPH (Loadout Planning of Heavy and Large Objects) which assists the loadout process of large and massive cargoes such as offshore structures, bridges or harbour cranes.

A startup company has been established to produce and market iStow. The company is in the phase of scaling up, by enhancing its production capacity and marketing. At present, iStow eyes at the ASEAN and African maritime industry.

In parallel, Dr. Nugroho has resumed an array of applied research projects on the Case-Based Stowage Planning System, also known as Casestow. This method has been filed at the German Patent Office and European Patent Office in 2005 and 2006. The objective is to develop Casestow into a module to be adopted by iStow and other stowage planning software.

The students of the Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University, including Ms.Chanakarn Arunothaisantikul, Mr.Kraiwit Udomsaweangsap, Mr.Wisarut Srisuwannawattana, and Mr.Nattawut Mayang, have created an innovative electric wheelchair for children with cerebral palsy and ALS to help them support their development.

Ms.Chanakarn Arunothaisantikul says, “Currently, people have awareness about the issues that children with cerebral palsy have to face but there is still a lack of innovation that can help to support their development. Our team realized that if these children can participate in activities with other kids, they can improve their growth and development. Therefore, we aspire to build electric wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy and ALS.”

Mr.Nattawut Mayang explains about the mechanism used in the electric wheelchair, ” Moving and changing direction is controlled by middle wheels using an electric motor. The speed of wheelchair can be adjusted in 5 levels by using a joystick. The front and back wheels are supporting wheels using parallel links to balance the wheels. Moreover, the wheelchair can be converted from sitting to standing position so children can move and enjoy more activities. To convert to standing position, the wheelchair will be adjusted to lying position first and then changed to standing position using linear actuator.”

The distinctive point of this electric wheelchair is the presence of 6 wheels that makes it more effective in preventing overturning than a traditional 4-wheel wheelchair.

The sitting wheelchair can support up to 80 kg., while the standing one can support 50 kg. It is suitable for children who are shorter than 140 cm.

Currently, electric wheelchairs are delivered to Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, in order to test with patients. After we get the user feedback, we will do further development on the wheelchair for better usage and sell it in the future.

This innovation from Thammasat University Engineering students has won many outstanding awards, including Gold Prize from Thailand Inventors’ Day 2020, Medal Prize from I-new gen award 2020, Taiwan’s Merit i-CREATe 2020 award, and 3rd runner-up award from Motor Expo 2019.