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Year: 2022

UiTMLaw organises webinar on lecturers’ role in helping students with mental health issues

Posted on by ilyanailias

Although the prime role of lecturers is to teach, educate and cultivate the potential in their students, in certain situations, they are also expected to help students with mental health issues. The student population can be facing mental issues because they are stressed out by a number of factors which include intense studying, continuous assessments and being away from the comfort of family.

To improve the prevention and intervention in instances involving mental health issues, the role of lecturers is indispensable. To what extent will lecturers react to these issues? Are they equipped with the knowledge to deal with mental health issues among their students and do they know how and where to get help for the students?

In view of these issues, the Faculty of Law of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTMLaw) in collaboration with UiTM Health Centre and UiTM Career and Counselling Centre organised a webinar on 20 May 2022 with the principal objective of creating awareness among the lecturers on their subsidiary role to deal with mental health issues among students.

It is submitted that in the absence of appropriate knowledge, the effort to assist the student may lead to a fruitless outcome. The keynote speaker was Dr Zaiton Nasir, the Director of UiTM Health Centre. The panellists comprise Dr Norhazlina Hashim, Medical Officer, UiTM Health Centre, Ms Wan Nurhashima Wan Sahid, Psychology Officer, UiTM Career and Counselling Centre and Dr Nor Jannah Nasution Raduan, Psychiatrist, UiTM Hospital. The webinar was moderated by Dr Diyana Sulaiman, UiTMLaw Lecturer.

The keynote speaker explained the common types of mental health conditions suffered by students namely depression, anxiety, panic attack, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress and sleep disorders. She also added that UiTM has established an integrated approach to ensure an effective mechanism to address this issue involving relevant stakeholders including UiTM Health Centre, UiTM Career and Career Centre, Islamic Affairs Division and Psychiatry Department. Additionally, UiTM has set up Healthy Mind Clinic under Health Centre in 2019 with the objective of providing easy access to treatment, reducing stigma and increasing life quality.

According to her, a comprehensive Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) has been developed highlighting proper process flow to be observed when facing mental health issues among students. The said SOP emphasises compliance with ethical requirements to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the party involved. The first panellist talked about some tips for the educators in creating trusting relationships that centres upon care for the students and guided by a sense of belonging. It is important for the lecturers to equip themselves with the right knowledge regarding mental health issues. As best as possible, lecturers are encouraged in improving their communication skills that is essential in developing trust among students and conduct their actions without being judgemental. The lecturers are anticipated to have knowledge about the existing facilities which can be reached to help the students such as counselling services whether internally or externally and try to reduce the barriers to getting access to existing mental health facilities.

The second panellist provided her insight from the counsellors’ perspective. According to her, currently, the number of UiTM certified counsellors nationwide is 74. In helping the students, the lecturers may opt either to offer personal advice or guidance. Alternatively, if they are not able to do so, they may advise the students to get professional help through registration via the Counselling2U platform or directly call the respective counsellor in charge of the faculty. One of the important points highlighted by the last panellist is that the lecturers themselves must take care of their mental health before they can effectively offer a helping hand to the students.

It is hoped that this webinar will shed some light on the important role of the lecturers to detect the early signs of mental health among students and guide them on the right way in handling their situations.

Chula’s innovations for the aging society

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

The increased longevity happening all over the world means we are likely to live longer than our parents and grandparents.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population age structure will continue to shift due to increasing life expectancy and decreasing levels of fertility. The global number of older persons is expected to more than double over the next three decades, reaching over 1.5 billion in 2050.

As one of the countries with a rapidly increasing aging population, especially this 2022, Thailand is now becoming an ‘aging’ society and will likely become a ‘super-aging society’ by 2031. To better meet the needs and provide services to the nation’s aging society, experts from various fields at Chulalongkorn University have conducted research to produce and develop innovations for the elderly.

To read more about Chula’s innovations that support healthy aging, follow the links below:

– Chula Dementia Day Center Can Help You Prepare for Old Age with a Clear Mind and Away from Alzheimer’s
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/73820/

– DeepGI AI – A Thai Innovation for the Precision in Colorectal Polyp Detection
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/73670/

– “Intestinal Microflora” as Health Indicator, A National-level Research Project by Chula Doctors in Response to Problems of an Aging Society
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/71551/

– Chula Launches PDPlus Application to Monitor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Patients for a Better Quality of Life
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/71287/

– A Success for Thai Medical Doctors! Producing Hip Prosthesis for the First Time – Enabling the Aged to Walk Again and Enjoy a Better Quality of Life
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/68527/

– Chula Medical Breakthrough! RED-GEM Molecules to Reverse Aging
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/59580/

– How to Sleep to Ensure Good Health – The Excellence Center for Sleep Disorders (Nidra Vej Center) Has the Answers
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/48356/

– Continuing Education, Skills Enhancement, and Self-Reliance: Essential Ingredients for an Aging Society
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/46792/

– Chula Ari, an Innovation Driving the Model Society to Support the Thai Aging Community
http://www.sustainability.chula.ac.th/report/2547/

UiTM Cawangan Pahang carries out energy conservation project

Posted on by Mohd Ikhsan Md Raus

In March 2020, to curb the spread of the Covid-19 infection in Malaysia, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) which led to the closure of all pre-schools, public and private schools, as well as university institutions nationwide. Online and distance learning (ODL) replaced physical classes in the education system until 2021, and both students and educators were required to remain at home while classes were conducted virtually. Despite the drawbacks of ODL implementation, however, the challenge has successfully led to other achievements.

Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Utiliti Negeri (JPUN) Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pahang (UCPh) initiated an energy conservation management project during this period. While the students and staff were away from campus, the campus buildings and colleges were not fully operational. This was a great opportunity for PPII to analyze opportunities to enhance the campus’s energy conservation. By referring to the Dasar dan Garis Panduan Pengurusan Tenaga (the Energy Management Guide and Policy document) UCPh, JPUN had successfully accomplished the aim to improve the efficiency and conservation of energy, water, and fuel. UCPh also managed to comply with the Efficient Management of Electrical Energy Regulations 2008 and Akta Bekalan Elektrik 1990.

In January, February and March 2020, when students and staff were still in campus, UCPh had spent RM278,922.03 (639,773.00 kWH), RM224,603.80 (488,079.00 kWH) and RM267,151.41 (583,044.00 kWH) respectively on electric consumption. However, beginning April 2020 when the first MCO was enforced, the bills reduced significantly until December 2020. UCPh had spent RM115,308.45 (289,764.00 kWH) in April 2020, RM120,658.61 (282,219.00 kWH) in May 2020, RM138,714.50 (317,305.00 kWH) in June 2020, RM151,885.91 (373,053.00 kWH) in July 2020, RM159,347.17 (377,390.00 kWH) in August 2020, 174,661.65 (418,066.00 kWH) in September 2020, RM183,710.97 (441,604.00 kWH) in October 2020, RM176,281.93 (418,598.00 kWH) in November 2020, and RM168304.70 (403330.00 kWH) in December 2020. UCPh had effectively reduced energy consumption by 44.49% and saved RM1,730,880.12 in electricity bills in 2020. This was acknowledged as a major achievement of the efforts made by UCPh, Pejabat Pembangunan Infrastruktur dan Infostruktur (PPII) (the Office of Infrastructure Management and Infostructure), and the UCPh staff.

JPUN is now actively raising the awareness of energy consumption among the UCPh staff. Behavior adjustments are recognized to have the highest potential to drive utility savings and is very simple to perform. For instance, turning off lights or appliances when they are not needed, and minimizing the use of air conditioning at the office, can contribute not only to energy conservation, but help save the Earth. With the cooperation from PPII, traditional incandescent light bulbs are replaced with light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs), which utilize from 25 to 80 percent less electricity and last 3 to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. Even tough LEDs are more expensive, its higher efficiency and longer lifetime cost less in the long run. Although there are many other methods to conserve energy, from simple behavioral adjustments to extensive office improvements, these two actions to conserve energy in UCPh had successfully lowered the cost of utility bills and, at the same time, help protect the environment.

This initiative reflects UCPh’s initiative to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 and ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. To expand on energy access, it is crucial to enhance energy efficiency and invest in renewable energy. From 2021 until now, UCPh has begun to replace the main building’s energy consumption from traditional electricity to solar energy. This project also aligns with SDG 11 with the aim to renew and plan UCPh and other quarters in a way that offers opportunities for all with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and green public spaces, while reducing resource use and environmental impact.

Plastic waste recycled at Heritage Institute of Technology

Posted on by Partha

Plastic waste is increasing day by day throughout the world. Where proper garbage collection system is not available, it creates a threat to the environment this polluting it to a greater extent. A large amount of plastic wastes are discarded which leads to the contamination of environment and air.

The large volume of materials required for infrastructure construction is potentially considered to be a major area for the reuse of waste materials. Recycling the plastics has many advantages since it is widely used worldwide and has a long service life, which means that the waste is being removed from the waste stream for a long period.

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2022, students of Heritage Institute of Technology from Department of Chemical Engineering had made a project where they had invented a technology to produce highly efficient and low-cost plastic blocks from waste plastics which have significant advantage over traditional bricks. This will not only reduce plastics waste but would save our environment and soil.

The cost of producing such plastic block is nearly 30% cheaper as compared to conventional bricks. Moreover, the developed plastic composite bricks are not just stronger and lighter than concrete blocks, but they hold twice the weight threshold of conventional concrete blocks. The plastic act as a binder and make the blocks more robust and less brittle.

“The project is now in the nascent stage but we are studying in depth the feasibility si that it can be successfully implemented. Technology related to this had been discovered but this one will make light weight bricks which is yet to be found in the market,” said Prof. Avijit Ghosh who is guiding the students in this project.

Students involved in the project were Debarghya Mukherjee, Soumyajit Mundu, Saubhik Malik, Ishita Samanta and Sanya Sharma from B. Tech Chemical Engineering.

Hydrogen peroxide from tea, coffee residue: new pathway to sustainability

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important chemical, with a wide variety of applications. However, the current method used to manufacture H2O2 is expensive and generates a considerable amount of waste, making it an unsustainable approach. In this study, a group of researchers from Japan produced H2O2 from waste coffee grounds and tea leaves, and then demonstrated its industrial use. Their novel method proved to be simple, cost-effective, and most importantly, sustainable.

Coffee and tea are two of the most popular beverages around the world. The extensive consumption of these drinks produces large amounts of coffee grounds and tea leaves, which are typically discarded as waste. These unused biomass resources, however, have the potential to produce several useful chemicals. Tea and coffee contain a group of compounds called polyphenols, which can produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

H2O2 has a lot of industrial value; this chemical plays a critical role in the oxidation of several compounds. The oxidation process is typically catalyzed by an enzyme called P450 peroxygenase, but it can’t occur unless H2O2 is present. These oxidation reactions are used to produce many chemicals of note.

Now, H2O2 is currently produced through an unsustainable method called the anthraquinone process, which is not only energy-intensive but also produces a lot of waste, highlighting the need for a greener, environmentally friendly alternative. While there are other methods which use enzymes or light to produce H2O2, these are expensive because they require catalysts and additional reagents.

Keeping these issues in mind, a group of scientists from Japan—including Associate Professor Toshiki Furuya and Mr. Hideaki Kawana from Tokyo University of Science, and Dr. Yuki Honda from Nara Women’s University, Japan—has found an alternative way to produce H2O2. Their product comes from an unlikely source—the leftovers of brewed tea and coffee, called spent coffee grounds (SCG) or tea leaf residue (TLR)!

“Given their polyphenol content, we predicted that SCG and TLR could be used to produce hydrogen peroxide,” says Dr. Furuya. Proving their prediction to be true, their study—published in ACS Omega on June 1, 2022—details their successful production of H2O2 using these underutilized biomass resources.

The team’s production method involved adding coffee grounds and tea leaves to a sodium phosphate buffer, then incubating this solution while shaking it. In the presence of the buffer, SCG and TLR interacted with molecular oxygen to produce H2O2.

The team also explored the scope of using this H2O2 to synthesize other chemicals of industrial importance. The newly-synthesized H2O2 aided in the production of Russig’s blue. Moreover, in the presence of peroxygenase (an enzyme that catalyzes an oxidation reaction using H2O2), TLR- and SCG-derived H2O2 was allowed to react with a molecule called styrene to produce styrene oxide—which has several applications in medicine—and another useful compound, phenylacetaldehyde.

These results prove that the team’s new approach of using SCG and TLR to produce H2O2 proved to be simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, compared to the traditional anthraquinone process. Hailing these promising results, Dr. Furuya says, “Our method can be used to produce hydrogen peroxide from materials that would otherwise have been discarded. This could further result in new ways to synthesize industrial chemicals like styrene oxide, opening up new applications for these unused biomass resources.”

These findings thus open up a new way towards the sustainable production of H2O2, from the most unexpected sources: tea and coffee waste!

***
Reference

Title of original paper: Sustainable Approach for Peroxygenase-Catalyzed Oxidation Reactions Using Hydrogen Peroxide Generated from Spent Coffee Grounds and Tea Leaf Residues

Journal: ACS Omega

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c02186

A painless, micro injection that you can do yourself

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

A startup under the umbrella of CU Innovation Hub in collaboration with the Chula Faculty of Science has developed an innovative “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle” that makes any injections easy and painless for everyone, while also significantly reducing medical wastes.

Those afraid of needles and injections rejoice! Today, getting an injection is no longer scary or painful, because we have a “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle”, an innovative microneedle patch that can be implanted, fully detached, and dissolved under your skin! A product from Mineed Technology Co., Ltd., a startup under the umbrella of the Innovation Hub of Chulalongkorn University (CU Innovation Hub) with Prof. Dr. Supason Wanichwecharraung, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University.

“Injection is one form of a typical treatment and prophylaxis that everyone has to deal with, whether it’s vaccination, insulin for diabetics treatment, or even a typical injections to treat facial acnes. In contrast, for people with Trypanophobia, the injection can significantly causes distress, in some cases, severe physical trauma, such as hyperhidrosis patients, who would require 30 injections under each armpit,” Prof. Supason explained about the kickoff ideas of the microneedle patch.

From Problems to the Development of “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles”
Microneedles were invented and have been used globally for a while, but they have not been as popular as they should be. Prof. Supason revealed the problem of the previous generation of microneedles “the needles do not dissolve immediately so that patches have to be left on for 2-6 hours. In addition, the levels of moisture on each person’s skin are different, causing the active medication embedded in the needles to absorb at a different rate, not completely dissolve, or do not penetrate the skin of the users.”

“So, we developed this innovation that once the needle patch is in place, the implanted needle can be instantly detached itself into the skin, similar to implanting a splinter into human skin, but in this case, it doesn’t hurt, 100% safe, and a lot quicker than other typical dissolving microneedles.”

Small but full-performance needles
The innovative microneedle contains active medication in a tiny needle of no more than 1 millimeter (1,000 microns). It can quickly dissolve into the skin giving a different sensation than an injection with a typical syringe.

Mr. Chokchai Puangsiri, Director of Business Development, Mineed Technology Co., Ltd., who frequently try the microneedle, described the experience of using the patches, “although it feels like something is touching the skin, it feels far less painful than a typical syringe injection, more like touching the prickly part of the velcro tape. The microneedles can also be self-administered anytime, anywhere without the need for any medical expert anymore.”

In addition to reducing the pain and fear of the syringe, another advantage of using microneedles is that the dosage of medication is much lower. Prof. Dr. Supason gave an example of the COVID-19 vaccination, “there are two types of COVID-19 vaccinations, intramuscular vaccinations, and subcutaneous vaccinations. Subcutaneous injections are better at stimulating the immune while using lower doses than intramuscular injections, but subcutaneous injections are more difficult to inject and, if done frequently, it can cause scarring.”

The innovative soluble microneedles, therefore, make subcutaneous injections a simple matter and eliminate the likelihood of “scarring” from injections with syringes, especially among patients who need regular subcutaneous injections, such as diabetics. Also, dissolving microneedles help significantly reducing the amount of hazardous medical waste like needles and syringes as well.

Microneedles are easy to use. Anyone can give themselves an injection.
Microneedles cater to those who need to have frequent subcutaneous injections so that they do not have to waste their time and money traveling to receive services from healthcare profession. It is also a suitable for those who are afraid of needles or do not dare to give themselves injections.

“In the past, many diabetic patients died because they did not dare to give themselves insulin injections, and therefore, were not properly treated. Therefore, microneedles are the answer for this group of people, because patients can inject themselves easily.”

“Microneedles also help extend drugs’ shelf life, as liquid drugs are solidified to be used in the microneedles, thus their shelf life is extended for up to 1-2 more years.

With various microneedle properties, Mr. Chokchai said the innovation will help healthcare profession in providing telemedicine services without patients having to come to the hospitals for their injections in the future, which is really cost inefficient.

How to use “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles”
The Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle set consists of two components: a microneedle patch, and a moisture patch resembling a wet tissue. The application starts with placing the microneedle patch on the skin where the injection is needed. Use your fingers to press all over the sheet so that the needle containing the drug is embedded under the skin. Place the wet patch over the microneedle patch to dissolve it. Leave it for at least 2 minutes for those needle to be detached and dissolved under the skin. Then, peel off the wet and microneedle patches, and it’s done – both conveniently and quickly.

For people who are worried about allergic reactions, Prof. Dr. Supason explained that “the microneedle is made from hyaluronic acid, which is a polymer that is already exist in any human body, so it surely doesn’t cause any allergic reaction. The needle can be used by anyone, but it also depends on the type of drug or vaccine that is injected. If the user is allergic to the drug or vaccine, it is inevitable that there is a chance for an allergic reaction.”

Group of medicines suitable for microneedles
Microneedles can be used with all types of drugs and vaccines injected subcutaneously, whether they are topical, such as anti-acne, anti keloid scarring medicines, or drugs for bodily systems, such as diabetes, migraine, contraception, etc.

“In our Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles, we can exactly control the dosage, the depth of the skin layer to be injected, and the time for dissolution rate appropriate to the drugs,” Mr. Chokchai said.

Unsuitable drug types for microneedles are those with high dosage, because of the limited size of patches and needles making them too small for high-dose drugs. The proper dose is 1 mg per square centimeter.

Marketing opportunities for microneedles
Mr. Chokchai mentioned that the current development of microneedles is for two markets: the cosmetics market and the pharmaceutical market.

In the cosmetics market, hospitals and cosmetology clinics, both local and overseas, have ordered and used the microneedles, which have already been registered with FDA in Thailand and Europe, with vitamins and skincare agents. In the future, interested parties with drug formulas can commission the company to develop microneedles.

For the pharmaceutical market, the process is at the Proof of Concept stage, and clinical trials are underway in collaboration with the company’s partners before the products are launched at general pharmacies.

“We tested a variety of medications, such as anti-inflammatories for the skin, acne medicines, and blood-glucose-lowering medicines for diabetics, and it worked well. But to sell them, we need to comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations,” Chokchai said.

The innovative Detachable and Dissolvable microneedles can be developed for many types of medicines, such as herbal patches for mosquito bites. The characteristics and components of the microneedles can also be adjusted to match the performance of any specific medicines, such as the size of the needle, or the duration of dissolution.

Dissolvable microneedles will give people wider access to treatment and preventive medicine because there’s no need to be afraid of needles or pain any longer. Now, needles are only minute matters.

Research on sport science in the spotlight from College of Kinesiology and Health, CCU

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

There are 4 sports laboratories in the College of Kinesiology and Health from Chinese Culture University (hereinafter referred to as CCU), Laboratory of Sports Physiology, Laboratory of Sports Biomechanics, Laboratory of Sports Psychology, and Laboratory of Sports Immunology respectively.

The Laboratory of Sports Physiology is chaired by Director Wu HuiJun and has shepherded the research team to publish about 20 international journals. It engages in athlete training methodologies, sports performance, nutritional supplements and other researches primarily. The laboratory also has a variety of testing instruments, a total of 13 types, and instruments for body composition (Inbody), swimming isokinetic muscle strength measurement training, cardiopulmonary function analysis, and a wireless remote control measurement system for energy metabolism are all included. The results of a recent study have discovered that higher physical demands of the upper body in the battle (training) rope exercise resulted in a decrease in accuracy of shooting and ball passing speed from the chest. Perhaps battle rope training before practice or competition is not helpful, as it triggers a drop in performance and an increase in fatigue caused by one-off exercises (Chen et al., 2020). This study is also demonstrated in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (SCI Q2, IF=3.781).

The Laboratory of Sports Biomechanics is hosted by Professor Peng XianDe and has published about 30 international journals. It engages in the research of body movements of athletes and the measurement of training methodologies. There are a variety of measuring instruments in the laboratory, including 12 precision instruments such as force plates, motion capture analysis systems, and thermal imaging cameras. Recent studies have also illustrated that the adoption of elastic bands as a heavier load during the air and landing phases of skydiving is capable of directing the preferential action of the extensor muscles of the lower extremity joints to demonstrate the benefits and performance of the stretch-shortening cycle and reduce the impact of the lower extremity on the ground (Peng et al. al., 2021). The discovery has also demonstrated in the European Journal of Sport Science (SCI Q1, IF= 4.05).

The Laboratory of Sports Psychology is chaired by Professor Lu JunHong and has shepherded the research team to publish about 20 international journals. Professor Lu is also the Vice President of Asia and South Pacific International Organization and has engaged in the research of psychological energy of athletes, scale development, and athletes’ superstition. Equipment for heart variability rate detection and coordination between eyes and hands are included in the lab. A recent study has illustrated that the intervention of imagery training through PETTLEP (Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Learning, Emotion, Perspective) is capable of making basketball players improve the final performance of shooting through manifestation of images (Lu et al., 2020). The discovery was also presented in Psychology of Sport and Exercise (SCI Q1, IF=4.785 )

The Laboratory of Sports Immunology is hosted by Mr. Li LingChun and has led the research team to publish about 4 international journals. The Lab engages in bioelectrical impedance research mainly. The laboratory also has many instruments and equipment, including 22 kinds of items such as carbon dioxide incubators and animal treadmills. A recent study investigated the potential of standing 8-electrode Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) in assessing Visceral Fat Area (VFA) and Body Fat Mass (BFM) for athletes (Lee et al., 2021). This study was also published in the International Journal of General Medicine (SCI Q2, IF=2.466).

The hosts of all laboratories has also gained various accolades from the Ministry of Science and Technology (M.O.S.T.), the Ministry of Education (M.O.E.), and lots of opportunities for cooperation between undergraduate and post-graduate students. There are also numerous opportunities for undergraduate and post-graduate students to take part in sports-related scientific studies, as well as scholarship grants. Above all, master and doctoral degrees are awarded in the Graduate Institute from the Department of Physical Education. Therefore, a series of associated fields will be cultivated and learned by students and help these students devote themselves to associated industries in the future.

Laboratory of Sports Physiology: https://sites.google.com/view/exercisephysiologylab-704

Laboratory of Sports Biomechanics: https://sites.google.com/site/pccubiomechlab/home?authuser=0

Laboratory of Sports Psychology: https://sites.google.com/view/pccusportpsychology/

Laboratory of Sports Immunology: https://sites.google.com/view/pccusportimmunology/

AUS researcher leads international collaboration studying chemical compositions of distant galaxies

Posted on by American University of Sharjah

A collaborative study led by a researcher at American University of Sharjah (AUS) has recently published the detailed chemical composition of three star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a smaller companion galaxy of the Milky Way that is 160,000 light years away, to contribute to understanding the history of the universe.

“Different chemical elements (such as iron, calcium, carbon and many others) form inside the core of stars through nuclear fusion. The stars created today have a different composition compared to the first generation of stars following the Big Bang. They consist of many more elements and have higher chemical abundance. Tracing the chemical enrichment history of different galaxies is one of the fundamental goals of the field of astrophysics,” said Dr. Randa Asa’d, Associate Professor in Physics at AUS and lead researcher.

She added: “We used integrated-light spectroscopic observations in our research, which we obtained by fitting the Magellanic Echelle Spectrograph on the Magellanic Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. We were able to determine the chemical abundance of the three star-clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The abundance we derived from observations are in agreement with the theoretical values predicted by mathematical models.”

However, obtaining these outstanding results was no easy feat.

“This research is very exciting, but really challenging. In order to study the chemical abundance of star clusters in distant galaxies, we needed to observe high-resolution integrated spectra of star clusters using some of the largest telescopes in the world. Using these telescopes is very competitive because of their limited number and the many astronomers around the world who need to use them. Another challenge we faced was the need for a powerful computing facility to measure the chemical abundance from the spectra we were studying. To give you an idea about the intensity of the required computing time, the code used to obtain the abundance of one element in one star cluster took several months to produce the results. Such computational abilities are surely not possible using a regular computer,” said Dr. Asa’d.

She added: “I am looking forward to applying the methods used in this study on other galaxies to study their chemical composition and history, which helps us understand the universe as a whole.”

The findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Astrophysical Journal (ApJ) and come as part of a series of research projects led by Dr. As’ad in collaboration with research teams from world- renowned research centers and universities including the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) among others.

Having earned her PhD in Physics from the University of Cincinnati in 2012, Dr. As’ad joined AUS right after her graduation and has already made a name for herself in the field of stellar-clusters astrophysics. Her research work has been recognized locally and internationally and has been presented at international conferences and published in renowned scientific journals such as Astrophysical Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. She is an elected member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) – Commission H4 (Stellar Clusters throughout Cosmic Space and Time) and winner of the AUS College of Arts and Sciences Award for Excellence in Research (Mathematics and Sciences) for the Academic Year 2021-2022.

Dr. Asa’d enjoys engaging students in her research and welcomes new passionate students to join her group. She is currently working with six AUS undergraduates on different scopes of research. Two of her students have received undergraduate research grants from the College of Arts and Sciences and plan to travel to the US to work with renowned researchers this summer.

The Department of Physics at the AUS College of Arts and Sciences is at the forefront of scientific endeavor, innovation and entrepreneurship. It is recognized for excellence in teaching and distinguished research. Its faculty are known for their notable research records, and for the collaborations they have fostered with some of the world’s most celebrated physicists, working in the world’s most respected and recognized universities. With the exciting developments in the UAE’s clean energy sector and the launch of an ambitious space program, the Bachelor of Science in Physics offered at AUS prepares students to think rigorously and conduct meaningful and cutting-edge research, preparing them for fulfilling careers in academia, and the public and private sectors.

For more information about the Department of Physics and what it has to offer, please visit www.aus.edu/cas/department-of-physics.

NASA scientist speaks at Heritage Institute of Technology

Posted on by Partha

“Tagore is in our blood. We should search for the unknown among what we know,” said Dr. Goutam Chattopadhyay, Senior Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA during his address on 29th April 2022 at Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata organized by the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering & IEEE Microwave Theory & Techniques Society in association with AP-MTT Kolkata Chapter.

Speaking on the topic ‘Mars Landing: Rover & Helicopter’ Dr. Chattopadhyay said, “We did not find any form of life outside the planet earth, not even a cell. But there could be life and it is yet to be discovered. There are trillions of planets in the universe and we are studying 5000 exoplanets which requires a huge amount of investment. To make life survive on any planet, it should have a rocky surface and there should be a probability of the existence of water.” Citing various examples he gave a detailed presentation to the students about the Perseverance Rover that has landed on Mars in the previous year along with the first launch of a Helicopter at Mars which was also done recently creating a breakthrough in science & technology.

The session was also addressed by Dr. Shiban Koul, Emeritus Professor, Centre for Applied Research in Electronics, IIT Delhi and Dr. Chinmoy Saha, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology. Both of them spoke about the latest technologies on Microwave Integrated Circuit & Satellite Tracking Applications respectively.

“IEEE has started to offer internship opportunities across India for the students. Moreover we are also doing some projects as a part of our social initiatives where students can actively participate,” said Dr. Saha during the session.

“We are helping students with some live projects and that too can happen under the IEEE student chapter. I assure that every student will have his own paper presented in research journals after becoming a member of IEEE,” said Dr. Shiban Koul encouraging the future techies to be a part of the IEEE network.

“We are planning to open a MTT-AP student’s chapter at HITK apart from motivating our students to actively become a member of IEEE. The benefits of opening a MTT- AP student’s chapter in terms of getting grants to organize conferences where the students can actively participate and learn, are huge,” said Prof. Prabir Banerjee, Head of the Department, Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata. It’s a matter of pride that Prof. Prabir Banerjee had been featured among the Top 100 scientists across the world for the year 2022 by AD Scientific Index.

“Students learn a lot from interacting with the experts and they should capitalize on such opportunities developing their skills and knowledge,” said Mr. P.K.Agarwal, CEO, Heritage Group of Institutions, Kolkata.

Revamping operations of farmers’ organisations in Tarlac province

Posted on by Office of External Linkages and International Affairs

The paper “Attributes and Business Operations Performance of Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) in Tarlac Province” by Dr. Erlie SD. Totaan took home the coveted Best Paper of Organizational Performance during the Fourth International Conference on Economics, Business, and Social Science (ICEBUSS) on February 1, 2022.

Dr. Totaan, an Associate Professor IV from Tarlac Agricultural University – College of Business and Management (TAU-CBM), presented a study that seeks to “help farmers gain skills, access inputs, form enterprises, process and market their products, more effectively to generate income” before a panel of experts from Southeast Asia and Russia.

The study identified the key factors affecting the management and recommended intervention strategies to boost the capacity of ARBOs. It covered 23 ARBOs from 11 local government units in Tarlac.

“It is my vision that through this research I would be able to lay the groundwork for the eventual improvement of living conditions of farmers, especially for those whose farms are located within the priority areas of the Department of Agrarian Reform,” Dr. Totaan stressed.

In addition, Dr. Totaan shared that the result of her study may serve as a basis for the formulation of policies and guidelines of agencies which may implement similar programs.

ICEBUSS 2022 was organized by Universitas Islam Malang’s (UNISMA) Faculty of Economics and Business in coordination with Moscow City University, Khon Kaen University Business School, Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and Business Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Prince of Songkla University, Prodi S1 Manajemen FE Universitas Negeri Jakarta, FEB Universitas Esa Unggul, and STIE YKPN Yogyakarta.

As a Research and Entrepreneurship-oriented Higher Education Institution, UNISMA strengthens its international profile by improving the quality of its patents and implementing joint research publications.