News

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.

Goldwind delegation visits PolyU

A delegation of Goldwind Science and Technology Co., Limited, led by Dr ZHAI Endi, Director of China National Wind Power Engineering & Technology Research Center and Group Chief Engineer (CTO) of Goldwind, visited the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) on 12 October 2023. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, met with the delegation, together with Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of RILS and some members of the Institute. During the meeting, the delegation learnt about PolyU’s research strengths and latest developments, and discussed potential research collaborations with PolyU.  Dr ZHAI was also invited to deliver a RILS Public Lecture. The Online Lecture, which provided a comprehensive overview of the offshore wind power industry in China, received a very positive response, attracting over 350 online registrations.

DoSCRI gives keynote speech at national smart city conference

Prof. John SHI Wenzhong, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) and Chair Professor of Geographical Information Science and Remote Sensing in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, delivered a keynote speech at the 16th Smart City Conference held in Guangzhou, China on 12 October 2023. With the theme of “Virtual-real Integration · Open Innovation · Towards an Intelligent Future", the Conference attracted more than 1,000 participants from the smart city industry, research institutes, leading companies, higher education institutions, etc., to discuss solutions to city operations, explore trade and cooperation opportunities, and build a smart city industry ecosystem.   Online coverage (Chinese only): The Paper - https://polyu.me/48R0xvT

RCSV members introduce myopia control lenses on TV programme

Prof. Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai, Associate Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV), Chair Professor of Ultra-precision Machining and Metrology and Director of State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology, and Prof. TO Chi-ho, Member of RCSV and Visiting Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry, were featured on HOY TV’s programme “InnoAction”, introducing the Nano Multi-ring Defocus Incorporated Spectacle Lens (NMDIS) for controlling the progression of myopia. The NMDIS lens combines two cutting-edge patented technologies—the Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) lens and the Ultra-precision Nano Multi-ring Machining Technology (UPNMMT). The lens features annular spaced correction zones and defocus zones. The former corrects vision at the central retina, while the latter focuses light slightly in front of the retina to achieve myopia defocus. This effectively inhibits the elongation of the eyeball, hence slowing the progression of myopia.   Online coverage (Chinese only): HOY TV - https://polyu.me/46JIBBD (00:10 - 09:52)

PAIR to organise distinguished lecture on post-pandemic healthcare innovation

PAIR cordially invites you to join our Distinguished Lecture on 27 October 2023 (Friday) at 2:00–3:30pm (HK Time) on PolyU campus and via Zoom. The lecture, titled “Healthcare Innovation After the Pandemic: Engineering-based Medical Education and Efforts for Commercialization” will be delivered by Prof. Chulhong KIM, Department Chair of Convergence IT Engineering, Program Chair of Medical Science and Engineering, Vice-Director of POSTECH-CATHOLIC BioMed Engineering, and Director of Medical Device Innovation Center from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). In the lecture, Prof. Kim will share on POSTECH’s pioneering initiative to establish a new engineering-based medical school, which aims to tackle practical medical problems via innovative technology and put significant efforts for commercialisation. Prof. Kim will share his experience and future plans for the School. He will also share his experience and challenges in spinning off a start-up company called “Opticho”, which focuses on translating laboratory research outcomes into commercial products. Prof. Kim received his Ph.D degree from the Washington University in St. Louis in the United States. He currently holds the Namgo Chair Professorship, Young Distinguished Professorship, and Mueunjae Chair Professorship of Convergence IT Engineering (Department Chair) and Medical Science and Engineering (Program Chair) at POSTECH. He is also the CEO of Opticho, a spinoff company to commercialise clinical photoacoustic imaging systems. He has published 221 peer-reviewed journal articles in Nature’s sister journals and PNAS, etc. His Google Scholar h-index and citations have reached 68 and over 16,500, respectively. He is elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology. He is a Fellow of The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and OPTICA.   Don’t miss the chance to learn from distinguished scholar!   Find out more and register at: https://polyu.hk/zZqCT