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PolyU-led novel food waste-derived 3D printing materials to be showcased at InnoCarnival 2023

The novel food waste-derived 3D printing materials developed by the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) will be showcased at the InnoCarnival 2023 to be held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park. Prof. WONG Ka Hing, Director of RiFood, said that food waste can be simply divided into two types. “The first type is kitchen waste, which mainly comes from households or restaurants. The second type is food/agro-waste generated by food processing plants. As these food/agro-wastes come from food factories, waste production is concentrated and the waste composition is relatively homogenous. Examples include spent coffee grounds, spent tea leaves, potato peels, etc. The innovative green technology we showcase is upcycling the spent coffee grounds and tea leaves into novel 3D printing materials,” he explained. 3D printing has become very popular in recent years, and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is the one of the most commonly used 3D printing methods. FDM can print various tools with plastic as the main printing material. Prof. Wong said that their innovative green technology can combine spent coffee grounds/tea leaves with polylactic acid (PLA) to produce a novel 3D printing material. “This novel food waste-derived 3D printing material (up to 50% of food waste) can be used in FDM 3D printers without affecting its printing performance. With a strong tensile strength (10-40 MPa), the novel 3D printing material can be used for a wide range of applications, such as production of modular furniture and display goods,” he elaborated. This novel sustainable 3D printing material exhibits excellent ductility and can be used for printing shock-absorbing structures. To ensure compliance with the low-carbon policy, the novel 3D printing material is customisable, scalable, does not require any chemical additives during the mass production process, and its carbon footprint is about 36% lower than that of commercial PLA 3D printing material. The team is going to collaborate with a local coffee chain to produce eco-friendly 3D-printed furniture and display goods using their spent coffee grounds. Various 3D printed products made from spent coffee grounds will also be showcased at the Carnival.

RCRE-led green building material technologies to be showcased at InnoCarnival 2023

Two advanced technologies from the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) including the eco-cements synthesised from recycled solid wastes, and the eco-friendly radiative cooling coating UmiCoolTM, will be showcased at the InnoCarnival 2023 to be held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park. The eco-cements developed by Prof. POON Chi-sun, RCRE Director, and his team, are produced from solid wastes including waste concrete, waste incineration ash, and waste glass. These eco-cements can capture, mineralise and store the carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, while enhancing the hydrophobic performance of concrete, hence greatly reducing the risk of flooding in extreme weather. The cooling coating UmiCoolTM developed by Prof. DAI Jianguo, RCRE Member, and his team, uses the principle of radiative cooling to cool the surface and interior of buildings or infrastructure under direct sunlight during the day. It can reduce the surface temperature by up to 6°C as compared to the ambient temperature without consuming any electricity.   Online coverage: Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3tuzdDs Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3FjcKvW

RILS delegation on field visit to Tai O for collaborative research opportunities

The delegation of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) visited Tai O on 25 October 2023 to gain a better understanding of the ecological, cultural and economic environments in the village, and to explore opportunities for research collaboration with the local community.  The delegation was led by Prof. ZHAO Xiao Lin, Management Committee of RILS, and was joined by Sr Prof. Ben CHAN, Adjunct Professor of RILS, Dr Daniel ELKIN, Member of RILS, Prof. HE Shenjing, Head of Department of Urban Planning and Design of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Dr QIAN Junxi, Associate Professor of HKU Department of Geography.  The delegation was received by Mr LO Wai Hung, a local villager living in stilt house, and was introduced to the unique culture, conservation value and development potential of Tai O Fishing Village. The visit provided important opportunities for exploring collaboration in Tai O’s future developments, such as the development of innovative floating architecture solutions for cultural preservation, the application of corrosion prevention design and techniques, and the provision of entertainment facilities and accommodation to drive Tai O’s tourism and economy. The Institute would like to extend sincere thanks to Mr Lo for his generous support in facilitating the field visit and providing RILS delegates with rich, comprehensive insights into the village history, culture and infrastructural development of Tai O.  Further reading: https://polyu.hk/dZqlT

One hundred and ten PAIR scholars ranked among world’s top 2% most-cited scientists

A total of 110 scholars from PAIR and its 17 constituent research units were ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in the newly released metrics compiled by Stanford University, and four of them were among the top 20 scholars in the world in their own areas of specialty. The latest ranking reflects the influential research of PAIR researchers and PolyU’s leading position in multiple research areas. The latest ranking compiled by Stanford University covers over 100,000 top scientists across the globe. The database grouped scientists under 22 subject fields and 174 sub-fields, and the ranking was compiled based on indicators of research publications, including information on citations, individual’s scientific research output, co-authorship and a composite indicator for career-long citation impact up to the end of 2022. The number of PAIR scholars listed in the ranking and their corresponding research fields are as below*: Acoustics (3) Aerospace & Aeronautics (1) Analytical Chemistry (1) Applied Physics (2) Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing (2) Biomedical Engineering (2) Biotechnology (1) Building and Construction (12) Civil Engineering (10) Energy (11) Environmental Engineering (1) Environmental Sciences (2) Experimental Psychology (1) Geological & Geomatics Engineering (4) Industrial Engineering & Automation (1) Information Systems (1) Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry (1) Logistics & Transportation (3) Materials (9) Mechanical Engineering & Transports (1) Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences (3) Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (9) Networking & Telecommunications (4) Neurology & Neurosurgery (1) Operations Research (5) Ophthalmology & Optometry (2) Optics (1) Optoelectronics and Photonics (6) Organic Chemistry (1) Polymers (3) Psychiatry (1) Rehabilitation (3) Urban & Regional Planning (2) *As per the data published by Elsevier on 4 October 2023 (version 6):  https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/6   Read more: Top 2% Scientists in PAIR (2023)

RiFood develops novel selenium nanoparticles for managing postmenopausal osteoporosis

October 20 2023 marks this year’s World Osteoporosis Day. On the same day, Prof. WONG Ka-hing, Director of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), shared with the media his team’s latest research on the development of novel Cs4-selenium nanocomposites (Cs4-SeNPs) for managing postmenopausal osteoporosis. Selenium is an essential trace mineral to human health, playing important roles in many physiological functions. In the past decades, substantial evidences have demonstrated that Se deficiency is detrimental to bone microarchitecture and associated with osteoporosis, suggesting its crucial role in bone metabolism. Recently, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have become a new research target, since they were found to possess remarkable bioactivity and lower toxicity compared to those selenocompounds commomly found in foods. Nevertheless, scientific research concerning their effects on bone health is currently very limited. By using the polysaccharide-protein complex isolated from Cordyceps sinensis, Prof. Wong has successfully prepared novel selenium nanoparticles (entitled “Cs4-SeNPs”), with well-characterised structure and high stability. Interestingly, Cs4-SeNPs (10μM) were found to markedly induce proliferation, differentiation, and mineralisation of the pre-osteoblast murine MC3T3-E1 cells. More importantly, Cs4-SeNPs (25-500μg/kg BW/d) exhibited promising in vivo bone protective efficacy against OVX-induced osteoporosis by promoting bone formation, inhibiting bone resorption, and improving bone microarchitecture after oral gavage for 6 weeks. This patented nanotechnology has gained wide recognition with various international awards, while the research findings have been recently published in Journal of Functional Foods. Further investigation on Cs4-SeNPs’ gastrointestinal stability, intestinal absorption and metabolism is now underway. The team look forward to collaborating with the industry in further development of related health food products and drugs.   Online coverage (Chinese only): CRHK - https://polyu.me/3RZVpj4 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3twkkjV am730 - https://polyu.me/46UdmUm Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/46XUy6Q Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/48XfxIx Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://lnkd.in/gyW8bcHf dotdotnews - https://lnkd.in/gH3grVhZ   Read the full research paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2023.105832 

Prof. TO Chi-ho conferred with Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award

Congratulations to Prof. TO Chi-ho, Member of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) and Visiting Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry in the School of Optometry (SO), for being conferred with the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award 2023! Prof. To is a globally recognised scholar in the fields of myopia and glaucoma research. His research has been widely published in top journals and presented at international conferences. As a pioneering researcher, he led his team to successfully develop the Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) Lens and the Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lens, which have been proven to slow the progression of short-sightedness among children by up to 60%. The two inventions bring significant breakthroughs in vision health, and have received multiple awards, including Grand Prizes at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. Prof. To served as the Head of SO during 2013–2022 and the Director of RCSV during 2021–2022. Under his leadership, 88% of SO’s research outputs were rated as “internationally excellent” or above in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2020. Prof. To has also been actively promoting interdisciplinary research collaboration between the School and research laboratories and scholars worldwide.    Further reading: https://polyu.hk/Kkwvn Online coverage: Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3QyFh7b (subscription required)

DoRISE featured in internationally reputable science media

Prof. WANG Shengwei, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), was featured in EurekAlert, ScienMag, Life Technology and ScienceDaily for his co-authored research paper “The global energy impact of raising the space temperature for high-temperature data centers” which was recently published in Cell Reports Physical Science. Prof. Wang said that the cooling systems of data centres account for over one-third of the centres’ total energy consumption, and there is need to redesign the servers to operate at higher temperatures. The study found that keeping the centres at 41°C or 105°F, defined by them as “global free cooling temperature”, could facilitate the free cooling of data centers worldwide, saving up to 56% of cooling costs worldwide. The study also proposed new temperature guidelines that may help develop and manage more efficient data centres and IT servers in the future. Online coverage: EurekAlerk – https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1004431 ScienMag – https://scienmag.com/how-to-build-greener-data-centers-scientists-say-crank-up-the-heat/ Life Technology – https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/how-to-build-greener-data-centers-scientists-say-crank-up-the-heat ScienceDaily – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231018115610.htm   Read the full paper: Cell Reports Physical Science - https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(23)00444-7

Successful PAIR Seminar showcases cutting-edge fog collection technology

The PAIR Seminar delivered by Prof. TAN Zhongchao, Founding Chair Professor, Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs of the Eastern Institute of Technology in Ningbo, China, was held on 12 October 2023. The hybrid seminar attracted over 130 participants joining onsite and online from more than 30 countries and regions in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. It was also broadcasted live on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili and Weibo, and viewed by over 13,000 online audience. In the seminar, Prof. Tan introduced a novel fog collection technology for tackling the challenge of water scarcity. The technology uses microfibers fabricated by near-field electrospinning, and exhibits a record-high level of collection efficiency.  The enlightening seminar concluded with a captivating Q&A session, expertly moderated by Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Director of PAIR. The audience was captivated and engaged as they immersed themselves in a thought-provoking and fruitful exchange with Prof. Tan, leaving them inspired and deeply motivated. Please click here for an online review.

DoRCTFF shares insights at World Textile University Alliance Annual Meeting

Prof. FAN Jintu, Director of the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF) and Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering, shared his views on the latest development in textile science at the 2nd International Conference on Advanced Textile Science and Technology & World Textile University Alliance Annual Meeting held from 13 to 15 October 2023 at Donghua University in Shanghai, China. With the theme of “Advanced Textile Science and Technology”, the Conference provided an important platform for the global exchange of textile technologies and cross-sectoral cooperation. The Conference included more than 170 keynote presentations and was joined by over 400 textile scholars from 63 organisations in 15 countries. Prof. Fan said that advanced apparel and textiles should strike a balance among visual aesthetics, sustainability and functionality. An illustrative example is the thermo-regulating fabric for personal thermal management, which uses phase-change materials and nanomaterials to regulate the radiative cooling of the human body to achieve intelligent, dynamic thermoregulation in hot and humid environments. The current challenges of thermo-regulating fabrics include two aspects: one is that thermal fabrics should be breathable and lightweight, and the other is the development of cooling fabrics.   Online coverage: China News Service - https://polyu.me/48XdYu2 The Paper - https://polyu.me/3S0UzlW East Money - https://polyu.me/3QiFVW5 East Day - https://polyu.me/3FlrCKe NetEase - https://polyu.me/46Dho3W Sohu - https://polyu.me/3tthzQm Toutiao - https://polyu.me/48SNolY

Dr Wayne Chan receives Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at IAGG Asia/Oceania Regional Congress 2023

The study led by Dr Wayne CHAN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS), “The effects of Nintendo Ring Fit-based exercise training to improve balance and muscle strength of community-dwelling older adults with an increased risk of falls – a randomised controlled feasibility trial”, received the Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) Asia/Oceania Regional Congress 2023. The study examined the effectiveness of the Nintendo Ring Fit-based exercise programme in improving the balance and muscle strength of community-dwelling older adults with a history of falling. Participants were randomly assigned to the Nintendo Ring Fit-based exercise (NRE) group or control (CON) group. The NRE group received an 8-week balance and resistance training using the Nintendo Ring Fit, while the CON group received the usual care. Results indicated that the NRE group showed significantly better improvement in mobility and balance than CON group, providing empirical evidence for the use of motion-sensing exergames in improving balance and muscle strength and preventing falls in older adults.