Asia Research News 2012

asia research news 2012 A ResearchSEA publication to highlight research in Asia

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The weird and wonderful world of frogs

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CONTENTS

Editor's Desk Welcome to the 2012 edition of Asia Research News, ResearchSEA’s annual publication highlighting the latest research developments from across Asia. Much of the research presented in this issue relates one way or another to understanding changing environments and livelihoods across Asia. Corresponding technological and cultural innovations which help communities live and thrive in a sustainable manner also feature prominently.

In an ever changing world where resources are dwindling and unevenly distributed it pays to be innovative. Scientists are working with populations across Asia to increase production and consumption of local food resources in a sustainable manner (Agriculture/Aquaculture pages 4-7; Environment pages 22-24). Meanwhile biologists are unravelling new secrets about frogs, brains, stem cells and stress (Biology pages 8-13). Methods to reduce energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and cancer causing chemicals are also high on the agenda (Chemistry pages 16-18).

Constant technological advancements and a proliferation in cloud and mobile computing are creating new opportunities for users, but also pose challenges for data and memory storage providers (Computing pages 19-21). The ease with which technology now allows communication across borders and cultures is bringing researchers together and providing a lifeline for communities affected by natural disasters (People pages 30-36).

Asia’s innovative spirit shines through whether in the form of Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge, developments in solar power, air travel, medical devices or jet engines (Physics pages 37-38; Technology pages 39-44) and with this issue ResearchSEA continues its commitment to promoting the very best research from across Asia.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of a new website, also entitled Asia Research News www.asiaresearchnews.com. In addition, to featuring the articles from the print issue, it will carry on-going articles and analysis of the latest research coming out of Asia.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as we did putting it together and would welcome any feedback you might have.

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8 BIOLOGY

A G R I C U LT U R E

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22 COMPUTERS

CHEMISTRY

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30 H E A LT H

BUSINESS

ENVIRONMENT

37 PEOPLE

Editor-in-Chief Magdeline Pokar Editor Djuke Veldhuis Editorial Consultants Daniel Raymer Ruth Francis Writers Emma Stoye and Ian Fyfe Design Fulton Design

Front Cover Image Professor Indraneil Das Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Asia Research News 2012 is published by ResearchSEA Limited, Asia’s premier platform for raising awareness of Asian research and experts.

Research featured in Asia Research News 2012 is based on information provided by the research institutions listed in the contact information.

ResearchSEA has strived to ensure the accuracy of information and aims of the projects featured. Readers are advised to contact the academics for confirmation of current details and status of projects. ResearchSEA Limited accepts no liability for any loss, damage or expense incurred resulting from the use of information in this publication.

ISSN 2042-0536. Copyright ResearchSEA Limited 2012. If you would like to reproduce any articles in Asia Research News 2012, contact ResearchSEA.

PHYSICS

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A G R I C U LT U R E & A Q U A C U LT U R E

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Simone D. McCourtie/World Bank

Millets have been used as a food source for centuries

New support for minor millets Scientists and farmers in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are working together to increase production and consumption of small millets, pulses and oil seeds.

Minor millets have always been an important and nutritious part of the diets of small-scale farmers and indigenous groups in South Asia. These crops have a lot to offer. They tolerate difficult growing conditions, are easily stored, and could provide smallholders with resilience in the face of climate change, disease and pests.

However, traditional crops like these have consistently been neglected by government policies, which tend to favour major cereals such as rice and wheat, and exportable cash crops like coffee.

Research teams working in eight regions in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka aim to conserve threatened millet varieties, improve crop yields, and recover village-based

seed systems. They are developing tool kits that will help promote sustainable farming practices within communities, and are exploring technologies that make processing quicker and easier for the women who usually perform this task. Their overall goal: to improve nutrition and boost incomes in smallholder families and indigenous groups.

The project is supported by the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, a joint program of the International Development Research Centre and the Canadian International Development Agency. The Fund brings together scientists from Canada and developing countries in collaborative research that aims to solve immediate and specific food security challenges in the developing world.

For further information contact: Isabelle Bourgeault-TassĂŠ International Development Research Centre, Canada Email: ibourgeault-tasse@idrc.ca

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A step towards drought tolerant crops A gene that helps plants to conserve water has been identified at RIKEN’s Plant Science Center in Yokohama, Japan. The discovery could hold the key to developing drought tolerant crop varieties.

In order to survive and grow, plants need a constant supply of water. Water is taken up through the plants roots, but is also lost through tiny pores on the leaves called stomata, which plants must open to take in carbon dioxide.

During drought, plants protect themselves from excessive water loss by closely regulating the opening and closing of the stomata. Each pore is flanked by a pair of kidney-shaped guard cells. When the plant dries out, a plant hormone called abscisic acid signals to these guard cells to change shape, and this closes the stomata.

Only when sufficient Electron microscope image of a single stoma water is available do on the underside of a tomato leaf the guard cells change back to their original shape, opening the pore and allowing water to pass through once more.

The molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are poorly understood. Takashi Kuromori and his colleagues at RIKEN’s Plant Science Center wanted to understand them better.

Working with the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, they identified a gene called AtABCG22, which is expressed in guard cells and regulates stomatal opening and closing.

The gene codes for a protein, which uses chemical energy stored in a biological molecule called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) to ferry molecules like abscisic acid across cell membranes.

When water evaporates out of the pores in plant leaves, it has a cooling effect on the leaf. The researchers created mutant plants which didn’t produce the AtABCG22 protein, and used thermal imaging to monitor their water loss. These mutants lost water much more rapidly than normal plants, and were more susceptible to drought stress.

“These findings imply that AtABCG22 plays a role in stomatal regulation and in protecting plants against drought stress,” says Kuromori.

Further experiments, in which the researchers cross bred different mutant plants, revealed that the AtABCG22 gene interacts with other genes involved in metabolism, transport and signalling.

“Our next task will be to identify the exact target molecules of AtABCG22,” said Kuromori. “We hope that our work will eventually lead to the breeding of droughttolerant crop varieties.”

For further information contact: Dr Takashi Kuromori RIKEN Plant Science Center, Japan Email: kuromori@psc.riken.jp

A G R I C U LT U R E & A Q U A C U LT U R E

Battling potato blight At RIKEN’s Plant Science Center scientists have discovered that a protein released by the potato blight pathogen P. infestans uses a sticky patch of amino acids to adhere to potato plant cells, thereby avoiding immune detection.

Late blight of potato is an economically devastating disease affecting potato farmers all over the world.

Potato blight was a major cause in the 1840s European potato famines, and today it is responsible for causing tens of billions of dollars’ worth of damage every year.

Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen which causes late blight, continues to thwart eradication efforts. It has evolved to overcome many fungicides and even major resistance genes that have been bred into commercial potatoes.

In order to supress the immune response of its host, P. infestans produces molecules called disease effectors. Scientists in Japan and the UK have determined the molecular structure of the disease effector called ‘avirulence protein 3a’ (AVR3a), which is known to inhibit disease defences in potato plants.

The team used a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the configuration of AVR3a. They identified a patch of positively charged amino acids which is found in all the different versions of AVR3a from P. infestans and another pathogen called P. sojae, indicating that this part of the overall structure could be important to the infection process.

To determine whether the newly identified section of positively charged amino acids is essential for the disease effector to stick to potato cells, the team developed a strain of mutant P.infestans whose AVR3a protein lacked the positively charged patch. They found that without this patch the mutant effectors are unable to attach to the potato cell membrane, which suggests that by binding to the cell membrane AVR3a may help P. infestans evade the potato’s immune system.

Ken Shirasu, one of the researchers involved, says that the next challenge is to determine how AVR3a molecules and other disease effectors from P. infestans get into the host from the site of infection.

“Developing ways to block the action of AVR3a and other disease effectors will provide means to Infected potatoes are shrunken and rotted. control this damaging crop disease,” he said.

For further information contact: Dr Ken Shirasu RIKEN Plant Science Center, Japan Email: gro-pr@riken.jp

A G R I C U LT U R E & A Q U A C U LT U R E

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A reliable fish supply for the Philippines

Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) have shown that sedimentation ponds can help remove harmful toxins and nutrients from shrimp farm wastewater.

Aquaculture, the farming of fish and shellfish, plays a major role in providing essential protein to humans, and is growing in importance as a way of ensuring food security for a rapidly expanding global population. A recent report named aquaculture as one of the fastest growing food production sectors globally.

But there are growing concerns about the negative impacts of aquaculture in some areas. In Malaysian shrimp farms, water left behind after harvest is very dirty, contaminated with toxins and nutrients and choked with particles. Releasing this wastewater into waterways can have extremely detrimental effects on wildlife. Excess nutrients can trigger algal blooms, which starve other aquatic organisms of light and oxygen.

Suspended particles can interfere with the ability of filter feeders, such as clams and krill, to obtain food, which can also impact organisms higher up in the food chain.

Retaining shrimp pond water for treatment before releasing it back into waterways is one way to avoid such problems, and this can be done using sedimentation ponds. These ponds catch runoff and hold wastewater while the debris and contaminants settle out to become sediment.

Researchers at UNIMAS wanted to assess the benefit of using these ponds to improve the quality of shrimp farm wastewater. They tested the effect of leaving the water in ponds to stand for 76 hours by measuring the concentrations of various chemicals before and after at different depths throughout the ponds.

They observed a significant improvement in water quality after 76 hours with significant reductions in suspended particles, organic compounds and nutrients such as nitrates, nitrites and phosphates. The water quality was much better at one third of the pond depth than at two thirds depth, showing a tendency for debris to sink downwards.

Nevertheless, the improvement achievable by sedimentation ponds is limited. According to current guidelines, only the cleaner top third of the pond water is suitable for release following this kind of treatment, as the bottom two thirds still contains harmful levels of nutrients. This is likely to be due to processes occurring in the sediment, and for more dramatic improvements other methods of waste water management must be considered.

Milkfish (Chanos chanos, known locally as bangus) accounts for about half of the farmed fish production in the Philippines.

An important source of animal protein, milkfish is vital to the country’s food security. The Philippines Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first success at milkfish spawning in captivity. Today, fish farmers in the Philippines have a larger, more reliable supply of milkfish fry (seed stock) than they did 25 years ago, as well as better feeding and rearing methods for this popular, nutritious, and affordable fish. Improvements came thanks to pioneering research by a multinational team of scientists at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), who were given funding and technical support by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Dorina Andress

Reducing the impacts of shrimp farming

For further information contact: Dr Lee Nyanti Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: lyanti@frst.unimas.my

For further information contact: Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé International Development Research Centre, Canada Email: ibourgeault-tasse@idrc.ca

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A G R I C U LT U R E & A Q U A C U LT U R E

Dr F. Charito Imperial-Sebastian

Communities are learning how to combine forestry and agriculture

Managing forests for a sustainable future A new project in the Philippines aims to empower communities by helping them use forest resources to build sustainable livelihoods.

In some areas of the Philippines, local people are granted ownership or stewardship of areas of forest by the government, the idea being that they will use and manage the various resources effectively, and thrive as a community. Unfortunately, these kinds of schemes often fail, particularly when the communities involved are incipient – meaning the people who have been brought together have no shared history or culture, and no existing stream of benefits from an established livelihood.

Education and training about how to manage land and other resources are necessary for such communities to succeed. Now, Dr F. Charito Sebastian of the University of the Philippines Diliman has launched a project to develop an education and training programme that can enable incipient forest communities to carry out livelihood activities that will become their main source of income.

The dual training system (DTS) is being trialled with a community in Zambales on the island of Luzon. This community is made up of people from many different cultural backgrounds – all of whom were displaced from their original homes after the catastrophic eruption of nearby Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.

The educational programs featured are delivered in collaboration with local schools and a state university.

The dual training system (DTS), a joint school and workplace apprenticeship, is applied in agro-forestry in this project in a manner that modifies the rigid requirement of the country's DTS law. The modification in the law's application is made as an experimental research in the light of the conditions in poor rural communities (for example, the pilot community in Zambales) where training providers are small farmers applying technologies that improve farm yields and income. Members of the community are being taught how to create and manage agro-forestry systems, a practice which combines key elements of both agriculture and forestry. This will enable farmers to grow food crops while simultaneously managing the forest.

Community leaders are also being trained in dairy farming, which is expected to bring several benefits to the region, including improved infant health and nutrition, as well as a decreasing reliance on expensive imports.

It is hoped that the project will fill the gaps in the government’s attempts to boost development among these communities. Should the project be an overall success, there are plans to set up similar projects elsewhere in Luzon, and the rest of the Philippines.

For further information contact: Dr F. Charito Imperial-Sebastian University of the Philippines Diliman Email: fisebastian@up.edu.ph

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BIOLOGY

The weird and wonderful world of frogs

Indraneil Das and Pui Yong Min out frog 'hunting'

Masters of Survival Broadly speaking, a species’ life history (or life cycle) refers to the schedule and duration of key events during its life. Natural selection influences individuals from conception to death. By understanding how organisms successfully cope with their environment, it is possible to build up a picture of the evolutionary and ecological basis for everything, from the way a frog looks to how it behaves.

Take for example, tiny Microhyla nepenthicola. It is named after a species of plant, Nepenthes ampullaria, because the frogs attach their eggs to the inside of the plant’s pitchershaped leaves.

The plant has retained its ability to capture, kill and partially digest insects, but has moved away from carnivory towards a diet based on leaf litter and other organic matter.

Nevertheless, it will still Nepenthes ampullaria consume insects such as ants by digesting them in liquid filled sacks. So how do newly hatched frogs survive? The tadpoles are unharmed by the plant’s digestive liquid and the froglets’ tiny feet are specially adapted to help them climb up the pitcher’s slippery interior. Thus, the plant serves as a protective barrier against animals or birds that would otherwise prey on the tadpoles.

By understanding how this tiny frog interacts with its environment, how it breeds, where it lives and what it eats, researchers are also in a better position to protect such species in future. Species do not thrive in isolation.

Trying to ‘save the tiger’ without consideration for the forest it lives in is as futile as trying to grow plants without water. The same is true for this tiny frog.

Marrying culture and conservation To find out more on this issue, UNIMAS researchers have been investigating human attitudes towards amphibians in various indigenous societies, and examining the effect on amphibian conservation.

Information was gathered from several sources, including cultural artifacts, ancient texts documenting folklore, beliefs and taboos, the uses of amphibians for biological control, food and medicine and their representation in advertisements, models, toys and other products.

Many cultures respect frogs and other amphibians for their role in controlling insect populations. This has been recognised in China since ancient times. A Sung Dynasty edict (1250 AD) prohibited the capture or killing of frogs, because of their value as insect killers. Today restrictions still apply to certain species. In China, for example, Nanorana boulengeri males may be captured but collection of females is not allowed. Local restrictions on the harvest of frogs have also been placed in Laos, in response to noticeable decline in populations of Hoplobatrachus rugulosus.

NepGrower

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (UNIMAS) Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation has a long tradition in herpetology, the study of amphibians and reptiles. ResearchSEA spoke to Prof. Indraneil Das to find out about recent discoveries of new species, frog ‘hunting’ and the interaction between frogs and humans.

“Right now my table is full of bottles filled with unknown species that have yet to be identified,” says Prof. Das. His humble nature and down-to-earth fieldwork ethic is refreshing in a time when many scientific disciplines are focused on the ‘high tech’.

With enthusiasm he explains that the great thing about biology is that you only need a pencil and a note book to make a start. This approach continues to serve him well: he recently re-discovered a species last seen in the 1920’s (see p. 9). Then in 2004, Prof. Das and Alexander Haas, from the University of Hamburg in Germany, discovered one of the world’s smallest frogs, Microhyla nepenthicola. Male adults of this species grow to less than one centimetre in length. “But,” says Prof. Das, “just describing species is so protracted; it’s not very interesting. I am much more interested in learning about species’ life history.”

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BIOLOGY

Professor Indraneil Das

Elsewhere, over-harvest of frogs is prevented by indigenous folklore or beliefs. In Nepal, the usage of frogs for medicine is widespread, as some species produce compounds in their skin which are useful poisons, painkillers or anaesthetics. Local taboos, however, prevent their capture on all days of the week except Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Aside from their perceived ecological or medicinal functions, wild amphibians are often respected for their traditional, cultural and spiritual roles, which may be the basis of local conservation programmes. The Lepchas of Sikkim prohibit hunting or collecting of rare plants and animals, which are regarded sacred, and also recognize biologically unique microclimatic zones. Frog worship itself has been reported from many eastern cultures, where human beliefs, myths and representation in art appear to stem from the association of the humble frog with rainfall and fertility and its role as a predator of crop pests, and therefore with the prosperity of early societies.

For Prof. Das the way to help frog conservation in future is by getting people interested in the weird and wonderful world of frogs. He explains that there is still so much to discover. Fortunately, many of his students gain employment in the local forestry department where they work to set up ecotourism, for example. Prof. Das is hopeful about the future of herpetology. After all, he says, “It is second nature for humans to be interested about nature.”

One of the world’s most wanted lost frogs has been sighted for the first time in over 80 years by researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation.

Ansonia latidisca (pictured above) is one of the world’s rarest tropical frogs. Only three specimens have ever been collected, and none have been sighted since the 1920s. The species is listed as one of the world’s top 10 most wanted lost frogs by the IUCN Global Amphibian Specialist Group.

Now, thanks to scientists from UNIMAS, A. latidisca has been rediscovered in the northwest corner of Borneo. Three individual frogs were spotted living in trees on the slopes of Mount Penrissen, which lies on the border between the Malaysian state of Sarawak and Indonesia’s Kalimantan Barat Province. Researchers even managed to capture one of them on camera in the first ever photo of live A. latidisca, which shows its beautiful bright colours.

Scientists are heartened that both male and female frogs have been spotted; noting that one of the females was carrying eggs. It is hoped the small population will grow and flourish – although Mount Penrissen lies outside protected areas and in recent years there have been several major development projects in the vicinity. A close eye will be kept on these elusive amphibians in future, to make sure A. latidisca stays well and truly on the radar.

For further information contact: Professor Indraneil Das Institute of Biodiversity & Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: idas@ibec.unimas.my

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BIOLOGY

A clearer view for ‘mind readers’ allowing researchers to explore deeper within the brain than ever before.

“Although the imaging depth limit of fluorescence microscopy is usually around 0.7mm in the brain, we were able to image fluorescent neurons with Scale down to a depth of 2mm below the brain surface,” says Miyawaki. A specialised lens enabled them to go even deeper, imaging at a depth of 4mm.

The level of detail enabled the team to analyse the interaction between neural stem cells and blood vessels within a developing mouse brain. They could also visualise neurons in the bridge between the brain’s two hemispheres.

Importantly, the effects proved to be fully reversible, and samples that had recovered from Scale treatment proved indistinguishable from their untreated counterparts, affirming Scale’s minimal impact on tissue structure.

At RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute a new reagent that turns brain tissue transparent is allowing neuroscientists to visualize neural circuitry at previously unattainable depths.

For decades, the limits of available technology have thwarted scientists’ attempts to visualise the complex inner workings of the brain. Breakthroughs in optical microscopy technology and a rapidly growing arsenal of multi-coloured fluorescent proteins have given researchers potent new tools for brain mapping. There are still challenges, however: the dense tissue of the brain scatters light and limits the depth to which these imaging methods can penetrate.

Now, following the development of a reagent they call ‘Scale’, Atsushi Miyawaki and his colleagues at RIKEN can render brain tissues as clear as glass, in a reversible transformation that gives researchers an unobstructed view of fluorescently labelled cells within.

The idea for Scale came from a chance observation of membranes made of polyvinylidene fluoride. This plastic material is usually white, but becomes completely transparent when soaked in concentrated urea. By tinkering with the solution, Miyawaki and colleagues came up with a mixture that has a similar effect on biological tissues.

A clear view of the future Miyawaki and his team are already planning to use Scale for further investigations in mice. Although existing work has focused on genetically expressed fluorescent markers, the approach should be compatible with other labelling methods. Scale could, for example, be used to work with larger tissue samples from species like primates that are not suitable for genetic modification.

Scale’s biggest limitation at present is that its use is restricted to dead tissue, but Miyawaki suggests even this may change, saying, “At some point in the future, there may be ‘live Scale’!” Watch this space.

Going deeper Scale can render a mouse brain completely transparent within two weeks, but at the same time cells within Scale-treated samples fully retain their fluorescent labels. The transparency induced by Scale is now Atsushi Miyawaki

H. Hama et al.

After two weeks of treatment with Scale, this mouse brain is completely transparent.

For further information contact: Dr Atsushi Miyawaki RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan Email: gro-pr@riken.jp

Fluorescently labelled neurons within the brain’s cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

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BIOLOGY

Discovering poison genes

Next-generation fluorescent labelling agents are being developed from nanomaterials by scientists at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Fluorescent labelling is widely used in biological research. Molecules that emit fluorescent colours are introduced to cells or tissues, where they bind to and ‘label’ different cell structures. As the bright colours are clearly visible, it allows us to see what is going on inside bodies, organs, or cells – in fact, most brightly coloured biomedical images are captured using some kind of fluorescent label.

The fluorescent labels used most commonly are organic dyes, such as fluorescein and cyanine, molecules like Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) which is produced naturally in jellyfish, and quantum dots (QD).

These conventional labels generally work well, but they can sometimes be problematic. Their effects, for instance, may not last long enough to make observations over long periods of time, or may have a toxic effect on cells. This makes them less than ideal for certain areas of molecular biology.

Luckily, Tianhua Hao and his team in Hong Kong are developing new labels using fluorescent nanomaterials called 'upconversion nanophosphors' which are rareearth metal ions like Europium and Terbium.

The new labels can be synthesised in one simple environmentally friendly step, and The new labels can be used for whole body or in vitro have much cell bioimaging. longer lifespans than their organic counterparts. They’re also very photostable – they don’t easily degrade when exposed to light - and are non-toxic. These properties make them ideal for biological imaging, both in the laboratory test tube, and in real-life contexts.

Scientists in Malaysia have identified a gene coding for the production of a harmful toxin in the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum.

The toxin in question is responsible for ‘paralytic shellfish poisoning’ which causes toxicity and mortality for those eating contaminated shellfish.

Understanding how the toxins are produced could help scientists to develop preventative strategies.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (also known as PSP) is widely reported in Southeast Asia, and is caused by eating shellfish contaminated with a biotoxin called saxitoxin.

Saxitoxin accumulates in filter-feeding shellfish including mussels, clams and oysters when they ingest microscopic saxitoxin-producing algae such as cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. In humans this toxin blocks sodium channels in the nerves, causing paralysis and death. There is no known antidote.

Current efforts aim to identify the genes which code for saxitoxin production, but is difficult to do, given that saxitoxin is produced as the result of many interconnected molecular pathways which all involve different enzymes and proteins. In addition, it is likely to be synthesised differently in different organisms.

In Malaysia the main culprits are three dinoflagellates: Alexandrium minutum, A. tamiyavanichii and Pyrodinium bahamense compressum. Until recently, the saxitoxin genes and biosynthesis pathways in all three of these species remained a mystery, but researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak have now identified a saxitoxin biosynthesis gene in A. minutum using a ‘reverse genetics’ approach, whereby gene sequences are used to investigate unknown traits or characteristics. They found the gene which codes for an enzyme called OTC, which is responsible for one of the crucial first steps in saxitoxin production.

The team hopes to characterise more genes involved in saxitoxin synthesis using similar techniques.

In future, it may be possible to genetically manipulate dinoflagellate algae by blocking the action of crucial enzymes so that it cannot manufacture the poison and therefore can’t contaminate shellfish or water supplies.

Finding the right target genes are crucial, however, as knocking out the wrong enzymes could disrupt other cell processes and limit the algae’s survival.

For further information contact: Dr Jianhua Hao The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: apjhhao@inet.polyu.edu.hk

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Lighting up life with new fluorescent labels

Frits H

oog es teg er

Paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused by eating contaminated shellfish

For further information contact: Dr Leaw Chui Pin Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: cpleaw@ibec.unimas.my

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BIOLOGY

be modulated by this protein during stress response and Ishii hopes to explore the biological significance of this finding in future studies.

“We are planning to identify target genes of ATF-2 and prove the inheritance of their stress-induced expression change,” he said. “This could be correlated with various diseases.”

Inheriting the signs of stress

When flies are exposed to heat stress, they display red eye pigmentation (red column). Offspring of these flies retain this effect (green); if these 2nd generation flies are also heat-stressed (yellow), the effects are still visible in their 5th generation offspring.

For further information contact: Dr Shunsuke Ishii RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan Email: sishii@rtc.riken.jp

alaskanent

Ki-Hyeon Seong 2011

Most people don’t realise the extent of the biochemical and physiological changes that stress causes. Indeed, new research suggests that offspring might even be vulnerable to changes in gene expression brought on by chronic parental stress.

Different external stressors or traumas all appear to trigger a common chain of internal events, which starts off with the activation of a protein called transcription factor-2 (ATF-2).

“Environmental stress, psychological stresses, infection stress and nutrition stress can all activate ATF2,” explains Shunsuke Ishii, a scientist at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Tsukuba, Japan, whose group first cloned ATF-2 nearly two decades ago.

Ishii was inspired by studies in single-celled yeasts which suggested that ATF-2 triggers chemical changes to chromatin, the material formed when DNA wraps around structural (histone) proteins. These changes often affect which genes are expressed, or ‘switched on’.

To investigate the effects of stress, Ishii and his colleagues examined whether or not ATF-2 is associated with epigenetic regulation in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

In the strain of Drosophila that the researchers chose as their experimental model, stress can affect eye colour. In a normal, unstressed fly, the ATF-2 protein binds to chromatin and causes the colour gene to be silenced, resulting in a white eye. But when flies are exposed to stress from heat or a high-salt diet, ATF-2 is released from the chromatin, which allows the colour gene to be switched on and results in red eye pigmentation.

Since these kinds of changes are often transmitted across generations, Ishii and his colleagues performed a series of experiments in which heat-stressed flies were crossed with unstressed counterparts.

Remarkably, offspring from these crosses maintained the red eye pigmentation seen in the stressed parent.

“This shows that the effects of stress can be inherited without DNA sequence change,” says Ishii.

These effects are all dependent on ATF-2. The researchers have identified dozens of genes whose activity may also

Upis ceramboides

Beetle antifreeze An Alaskan beetle beats the cold using a natural ‘antifreeze’ compound with an unusual structure and scientists at RIKEN are just beginning to unravel its mode of action.

Animals and plants have evolved all sorts of clever chemical tricks that allow them to colonise extreme environments. For species that call Antarctica or the Arctic home, surviving sub-zero temperatures is an essential ability, and many produce natural antifreeze compounds that stop ice crystals forming inside their cells. One such antifreeze is called ‘xylomannan’ and it is produced by the Alaskan beetle Upis ceramboides.

Akihiro Ishiwata, Yukishige Ito and their colleagues from RIKEN are studying this compound and have found xylomannan to be a particularly unusual antifreeze.

Most natural antifreezes are protein based, but xylomannan is a glycan - a sugar-based compound, and is the first example of a biological antifreeze molecule with little or no protein.

“Its mode of action is not entirely clear, but it should be different to those of common antifreeze proteins.” says Ishiwata. The team are currently studying the structure of xylomannan in more detail using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, and hope to shed some light on how it works.

For further information contact: Dr Akihiro Ishiwata RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan Email: aishiwa@riken.jp Dr Yukishige Ito RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan ERATO .JST, Japan Email: yukito@riken.jp

13

Nissim Benvenisty

Giant cells reveal metabolic secrets

BIOLOGY

A research team at the RIKEN Plant Science Center have uncovered fundamental cell processes by studying 125 different metabolites within the giant cells of the freshwater algae Chara australis.

Chemical reactions within our cells produce intermediate and end products in the form of small molecules called metabolites. These play important roles in the regulation of critical biological processes, including growth, development and chemical defence.

“Metabolomics is the systematic study of these unique chemical footprints, and involves identifying and characterizing the many metabolites found in a cell, tissue, organ or organism, as well as their production, distribution and dynamics,” explains Kazuki Saito from the RIKEN Plant Science Center.

The molecules involved in producing and converting different metabolites are known as enzymes. These are often found within different cell compartments called organelles. Biologists have always assumed that the situation is similar for metabolites themselves, but until now none had demonstrated this comprehensively.

Saito says that understanding the dynamics of metabolites within single organelles represents an enormous technical challenge, because of the tiny size of these structures in most cells. To get around this, he and his colleagues turned to a species of algae called C. australis, whose cells can grow up to a whopping 20cm long. Because of their gigantic size and volume, these “internodal” cells are widely used to study various aspects of cell biology. The researchers purified single vacuoles, a type of organelle, from internodal cells. They then used sophisticated metabolomic techniques to determine what was going on with the metabolites in the vacuole and the cell cytoplasm.

The team detected 125 known metabolites, and showed that they fluctuated independently in the vacuole and cytoplasm under different light conditions. This suggests that metabolites are spatially regulated within the cell and move between the vacuole and the cytoplasm according to conditions.

“Ours is the first study to confirm specific compartmentalisation of metabolites in a single vacuole from a single cell,” says Saito. The findings shed light on some important aspects of cell metabolism.

Human embryonic stem cells

Stem cell science – It’s all about the matrix

NIMS

Akira Oikawa

Scientists at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) have succeeded in developing a matrix material which supports the differentiation of human stem cells into fat or bone cells.

There are all-round high hopes for the emerging field of regenerative medicine. Scientists envision growing cells, tissues, even whole organs out of stem cells to replace their failing counterparts inside patients.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into different types of body cell, but getting them to do so in a petri dish is extremely difficult, because conditions are completely different to how they are inside our bodies.

Attention is now focused on the role of extracellular matrix (ECM). This is the chemical environment that surrounds a cell in its natural setting inside the body.

The ECM influences the way stem cells develop by providing external signals that ‘tell’ them what type of cell to become. Recreating the ECM is fraught with problems as it is so complex, and constantly changes depending on the cell’s stage of development.

Now, a research team at NIMS’s Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit has succeeded in fabricating two types of cell matrix materials that mimic the dynamically changing ECM during stem cell differentiation. The artificial matrices successfully support human stem cells while they differentiate into either bone or fat cells.

In the future, these kinds of matrix materials are expected to help scientists discover how the ECM controls stem cell differentiation. Ultimately, the aim is to use them for the production of cells for medical applications.

Chara australis has giant cells ideal for studying cell biology.

For further information contact: Dr Kazuki Saito RIKEN Plant Science Center, Japan Email: gro-pr@riken.jp

NIMS researchers have created materials that successfully mimic the ECM during stem cell development

For further information contact: Dr Guoping Chen Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: Guoping.Chen@nims.go.jp

14

BUSINESS

The aftermath of the tsunami that struck the coast of Sumatra after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Research suggests that thousands of lives could be saved and devastation minimised if mangrove forests are left intact.

Saving lives, money and ecosystems From setting compensation for victims of oil spills to determining the storm-protection value of mangrove forests, environmental economics networks in Asia support research that makes the connections between economic growth, poverty, and the environment. Their approach is based on the premise that environmental sustainability is key to future economic growth.

A vast number of people in developing countries depend on the environment for their livelihoods. But poorly functioning markets, incomplete property rights and misguided policies can drive people’s behaviour in ways that are harmful to the environment and future generations. Environmental economics has much to offer in understanding and influencing this behaviour, and in helping decision-makers spend limited funds where they produce the greatest benefits. It gives developing countries a unique tool to develop sustainably and leapfrog over the past mistakes of industrialised countries.

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has worked with other donor agencies and researchers across the developing world to build this field of applied research. Their efforts began in Asia, with the creation of the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) in 1993 and the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) in 1999.

Both networks offer training programs and research grants on issues related to economy-wide environmental issues such as climate change and resource management. The goal: to identify the underlying causes of environmental degradation and apply economic principles to design solutions that reduce its impact. The networks also support promising young researchers through competitive awards. The average grant size is US$ 20,000 for a one- or two-year project. By the project’s end, each recipient writes a 20- to 40-page report for the networks’ working paper series, and an accompanying policy brief. The researchers are assigned an experienced

advisor, who provides suggestions from the early stages of a proposal through to the final report.

Research supported by the two networks has had significant impact. For example, SANDEE funded groundbreaking work following the October 1999 super cyclone in Orissa, India. Researcher Saudamini Das, now an associate professor of economics at the University of Delhi, assessed the storm-protection value of mangrove forests and concluded that more than 90 per cent of the 10,000 lives lost would have been saved if the area’s mangroves had been intact. Her work has been published in prestigious scientific journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.

EEPSEA-funded work has included the development of a widely cited climate-change vulnerability map of Southeast Asia, which drew on research in 530 subnational areas in seven countries. Among other projects, EEPSEA continues to support work on climate-change adaptation in the region’s most vulnerable places, such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Current SANDEEsupported research includes investigations into the impact of climate change on migration in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

EEPSEA receives funding from IDRC, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Canadian International Development Agency. SANDEE is supported by IDRC, Sida, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the World Bank.

For further information contact: Dr Herminia Francisco International Development Research Centre, Canada Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia Email: hfrancisco@idrc.ca Dr Priya Shyamsundar South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics Email: info@sandeeonline.org

15

An economic boost for Asia’s poorest countries

Peter Bennett / IDRC

For further information contact: Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé International Development Research Centre, Canada Email: ibourgeault-tasse@idrc.ca Dr Nguyen Thang Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam Email: nguyenthang98@yahoo.com

Click and find A new application for mobile phones which identifies places and objects from photographs is set to create an array of new marketing opportunities.

Based on software called Snap2Search that was developed at the Agency for Science, Research and Technology (A*STAR) Institute for Infocomm Research, the Singaporean start-up company Pfliq (pronounced ‘flick’) is harnessing the image recognition, classification and retrieval capabilities of the software to construct a new world of convenience. A tourist, for example, who is armed with a smartphone sporting the Pfliq application and wandering through an unfamiliar city, would be able to snap a series of photographs and send them off to Pfliq’s remote database. The application compares these photographs with reference images and, in an instant, returns the tourist’s location, along with information on local events and points of interest.

“For consumers, Pfliq will mean convenience, information and discovery,” says Pfliq CEO and co-founder Kelvin Ng. “With the growing popularity of smartphones, the possibilities for advertisers and marketers are endless – from sending consumers a coming event for their phone calendar, through to putting relevant contact details into their phone and allowing companies to keep track of consumer preferences.”

Pfliq uses the features of smartphones to provide information to people on the move, with image-recognition technology that is close to 100 per cent accurate. Users will also be rewarded with redeemable credits for helping to expand the reference database with their own high-quality images.

On the marketing front, Ng and co-founder Sam Tang from Temasek Polytechnic believe that Pfliq will appeal to brand owners, advertising agencies and networks, as well as publishers. It can provide online advertising that directs users to a specific website and services based on analysis of usage data.

The concept behind Pfliq came to Ng just before he undertook a Traineeship for Technology Transfer Management (T3M) program run by A*STAR’s marketing and commercialization arm, Exploit Technologies.

He subsequently developed the product with Tang, and before graduating from the T3M program the two fleshed out the business.

The two-year T3M program allowed Ng to specialize in ‘technopreneurship’, combining a structured curriculum of relevant knowledge and skills with on-the-job training in Exploit Technologies and other A*STAR facilities.

“The program exposed me to all the opportunities and capabilities available in the technology transfer industry in Singapore,” he explains.

Pfliq has developed a service prototype and is now seeking US$ 500,000 in funding to allow it to develop a better user experience and launch an open beta of the service.

Mr T in DC

A new collaboration between researchers in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos aims to improve the economic situation in Asia’s lowest income countries through research and training initiatives.

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam face many challenges as they seek to create decent jobs, promote economic growth and strengthen social safety nets. To meet such challenges, they need a community of researchers who are able to provide policy-makers with solid evidence to guide their decisions. However, compared with most other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, these three countries have a much lower capacity to undertake this vital research.

The Mekong Economic Research Network (MERN) aims to narrow this gap. It will build on the foundation laid by a research network that has been active in Vietnam for the past decade. Members of the Vietnam Economic Research Network (VERN) study issues such as agricultural growth and poverty, manufacturing productivity and competitiveness, and the effects of trade liberalisation on employment. Since its creation ten years ago, the network has expanded to include researchers from across Vietnam and has established strong links with policy-makers. VERN research findings inform trade policy, and appear in the country’s Human Development Report. They were also incorporated into preparations for Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade Organization back in 2006.

Through support for applied research and training, the new network aims to produce work of similarly high quality on economic issues of national and regional concern. For example, MERN will support research aimed at boosting the productivity and competitiveness of small enterprises in the three countries. The Centre for Analysis and Forecasting at the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences will manage the network, in partnership with research institutes in Cambodia and Laos. VERN and MERN are both supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre.

BUSINESS

For further information contact: Ms Li Yiqun Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: yqli@i2r.a-star.edu.sg

16

CHEMISTRY

In dilithium diborane dianion, bulky Eind groups (grey) protect the delicate boron–boron bond (blue).*

First time boron-boron bond At the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, formation of a boron–boron covalent bond under laboratory conditions has opened up a new corner of chemistry.

Electrons are the glue that holds chemical compounds together. The metalloid element boron is electron-deficient, so its compounds often exhibit unusual bonding behaviour and rarely form simple structures. Now, for the first time ever, the element can be forced into more conventional behaviour using a new method developed in Japan.

The compound created features two boron atoms held together by a shared pair of electrons: a simple covalent bond. For other elements—carbon, for example—this kind of bonding is typical, but electron-poor boron tends to prefer a more complex arrangement. For example, in the compound diborane (B2H6), two boron atoms are ‘bridged’ by hydrogen atoms, and each boron–hydrogen–boron bond shares a single pair of electrons across three atoms rather than the usual two.

Theory predicts that pumping extra electrons into a compound such as diborane will cause the boron–hydrogen–boron structure to break down and form a boron–boron single bond instead. Until recently, however, any attempt to make and isolate such a structure had failed, resulting only in single boron species.

Researchers at RIKEN suspected that previous attempts probably succeeded in generating the boron–boron single bond, but failed to protect that structure

For further information contact: Dr Tsukasa Matsuo RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan Email: gro-pr@riken.jp

from quickly falling apart through further reaction. They adopted a new strategy, starting with the compound borane, in which the boron atoms have bulky side-groups known as Eind groups stuck to them. Using these bulky Eind groups, they were able to stabilise the new bond, prevent further breakdown and successfully isolate the desired compound.

The next step will be to explore the boron-boron bond’s chemistry and reactivity. It has already proved to be relatively stable: if protected from air and moisture, the compound can be stored for months at ambient temperature. It can also be converted into a threemembered ring, in which a bridging hydrogen atom is the third member, forming a molecule with potentially useful properties.

“We think that the hydrogen-bridged boron–boron bond has a double-bond character,” says Tsukasa Matsuo, one of the principal investigators. “We would like to explore the new reaction chemistry of multiply bonded boron species.”

Pumping electrons into diborane leads to the formation of a boron-boron covalent bond.* * Reprinted with permission from Shoji et al. Copyright 2011 American Chemical Society

17

CHEMISTRY

A greener way to recycle nickel

Metallic alloys containing thin, interconnected ‘snowflakes’ enhance the efficiency and safety of rechargeable batteries.

The tiny porous frameworks of zinc–antimony (ZnSb) nanoflakes are set to have a big impact on future hybrid vehicles and pocket-sized electronic devices.

Qingyu Yan, Bee Yen Tay and co-workers from the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Nanyang Technological University have deposited ZnSb nanostructures directly onto copper foil using a new technique to produce a material that could enhance the charge-storage capacity and safety of lithium-ion batteries.

Graphite is the anode of choice for most lithium batteries because it retains its structure quite well in the presence of lithium ions, giving the battery consistent charging behaviour. Unfortunately, graphite has low charge-storage capacity, which limits the energy density of the battery. Pure lithium metal can also become intercalated into the graphite structure, which in extreme cases can cause the batteries to explode.

Incorporating materials with high theoretical charge-storage capacities, such as ZnSb, into the anodes of lithium-ion batteries could lead to thinner, lighter batteries that run at higher voltages.

Unfortunately, antimony-based alloys can undergo destructive volume changes after repeated interactions with lithium ions, leading to early battery failure.

Yan, Tay and their co-workers overcame ZnSb’s deformation problems by turning to the world of nanotechnology. By using a process that forces the rapid growth of crystals onto copper substrates, the team developed a method to produce ZnSb alloys containing honeycomb-like internal nanoscale pores. This ‘nanoflake’ structure enables the manipulation of ZnSb crystals into distinct nanowire and nanoparticle shapes.

After coating the ZnSb nanostructures with carbon to improve durability, the team found the ZnSb nanoflake structure to have a steady discharge capacity one-third higher than commercial batteries. They could also be recharged repeatedly without any structural changes. The intimate connection between the nanoflakes and the copper electrode also improved the battery’s charge-carrying efficiency to a remarkable 98 per cent.

“The fast, easy and cheap fabrication of ZnSb nanostructures without a template makes it possible to prepare anodes with improved electrochemical performance,” says Tay. “This system has the potential to form the basis for a new generation of lithium-ion batteries with higher energy densities.”

A team from the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) have found that recycling spent nickel catalysts used in the palm oil industry could be both profitable and environmentally friendly.

In Southeast Asia, palm oil is used both as an ingredient for cooking and as a raw material for biodiesel production. To stabilise the oil against decomposition, it has to be hydrogenated in the presence of a nickel catalyst that modifies its physical and chemical properties.

Although the nickel catalyst is not used up in the reaction, it eventually becomes contaminated by residual fats, oils and other chemicals, rendering it unusable.

Researchers at SIMTech have now shown that these spent nickel catalysts could be recovered in a manner that is not only safe and environmentally friendly, but which could also generate considerable profits for recycling companies.

“There is increasing concern over the sustainability of new recycling technologies and processes,” explains Dr Song Bin. “What attracted recyclers to implementing this new process is the fact that the recovery of pure nickel would deliver more added market value, and that the process would be greener and more socially responsible, making it more sustainable.”

Many methods of recycling nickel catalysts have been attempted in the past, including chemical leaching, high temperatures, electrolysis and the use of micro-organisms. The SIMTech researchers propose a combination of technologies: the catalyst is first heated to remove residual impurities, producing an ash containing large amounts of nickel and nickel oxide. The ash is then subject to acid leaching, acid separation, nickel enrichment and finally deposition of the metal from solution.

These steps constitute a ‘closed-loop’ process whereby many of the by-products, including the acid solutions and dilution water, can be reused to minimise waste. On weighing the costs of materials, equipment and labour against the potential market conditions, the researchers showed that a small nickel recovery plant of this sort would be economically viable if the price of nickel is more than US$12.57 per kilogram—a very realistic target.

The researchers also analysed the carbon footprint of the operation and showed that greenhouse gas emissions could be minimised through the use of efficient processing techniques and by sourcing green electricity. Finally, given that the process would create jobs and produce no toxic waste, it could certainly be a socially sustainable solution.

“Our industrial partners are now implementing the process in a new nickel recovery facility,” says Song. “They are using our sustainability assessment results to help them justify the decisions they make in recovering nickel from waste.”

For further information contact: Dr Bee Yen Tay Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: bytay@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg

For further information contact: Dr Song Bin Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: bsong@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg

Ren é

Ra u

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Better battery performance

Nickel spheres

CHEMISTRY

18

The safest way to fry

2 gp gio or Gi

2011 methane concentration in the upper troposphere

Caging carbon dioxide Scientists in the Philippines are getting to grips with the mechanisms of clathrate hydrate formation. This stable 'water cage' may very well provide an attractive means of locking up carbon dioxide in the ocean floor – an approach which could prove to be a useful weapon in the fight against climate change.

With global temperatures on the rise, the high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere is a major concern, and scientists are anxious to find a way of lowering it to manageable levels. The answer may lie in the process of carbon sequestration, in which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and deposited in geological reservoirs. For this to happen, CO2 has to be encapsulated through a process active enough to take it out of the air and stable enough to store it long term.

One possible way is through the formation of a peculiar compound called clathrate hydrate. This solid, ice-like structure occurs naturally in the ocean floor. Under specific conditions, carbon can be made to physically react with water molecules and have them surround the gas to form a stable crystalline structure, acting as a kind of ‘cage’. If scientists can figure out a way to trap large amounts of atmospheric CO2 using clathrate hydrate and store the resulting compound (carbon dioxide clathrate) in the ocean floor, it would be a promising step forward. The downside is that the mechanisms of clathrate hydrate formation under different environmental conditions are poorly understood.

In July 2011, Dr Len Herald Lim of the Institute of Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman set out to study the mechanisms of clathrate formation under different conditions. He and his colleagues are assessing the effects of organic matter and clay at different temperatures and pressures. In doing so, they hope to identify the optimum conditions for clathrate hydrate formation. The research is an important step towards the development of technologies that aim to combat global warming.

For further information contact: Dr Len Herald V. Lim Institute of Chemistry University of the Philippines Diliman Email: lvlim@up.edu.ph

New research suggests that different cooking practices can affect the concentration of a cancer-causing chemical in French fries.

At first glance you may assume that French fries hand cooked in a swanky restaurant are healthier than their fast food counterparts, which are produced in vast quantities numbers using automated machines. Think again. A study suggests that the levels of a chemical called acrylamide are actually highest in more upmarket restaurants’ fries because of the way they are cooked.

Acrylamide is a chemical found in many processed foods, including French fries. Recent studies have suggested it has the ability to alter our DNA and cause cancer. The chemical is only harmful in very high concentrations, but food manufacturers and policy makers alike are keen to minimise heath risks and find ways to reduce acrylamide intake.

Acrylamide is known to arise in French fries while they are heated to high temperatures during the frying process, but concentrations can vary greatly. To find out more, a group of scientists from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Wageningen University in the Netherlands decided to investigate how different cooking practices altered French fries’ chemistry.

They focused on three types of eateries: fast food establishments, institutional caterers (such as those found in schools and businesses) and restaurants. They took samples of French fries from each and measured their acrylamide content, noting the frying temperature, frying time and whether or not frozen fries were thawed prior to frying.

Higher temperatures and longer frying times were associated with higher acrylamide concentrations. Thawing also seemed to make a difference, with fries thawed prefrying having lower concentrations of acrylamide than those that were fried straight from being frozen.

Overall acrylamide concentration was lowest in fast food outlets and highest in restaurants. This may be because in fast food outlets fries were thawed, and then cooked at a precisely controlled temperature for a set amount of time using automated machinery. In restaurants, on the other hand, fries were cooked in a frying pan straight from being frozen, so frying temperatures and times were a lot harder for staff to keep track of.

The insights provided by this study will be used to develop better preparation guidelines for food service establishments, which will hopefully contribute to a sustainable reduction in acrylamide intake.

For further information contact: Professor Jinap Selamat Faculty of Food Science & Technology Universiti Putra Malaysia Email: jinap@food.upm.edu.my

19

Fastest supercomputer set to advance science

RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science

‘

A number of key research areas have been identified for further projects using the K computer, covering a wide range. This includes drug design, identification of energy sources, engineering design, studies of the Universe, and climate change and natural disaster simulations.

One specific project that has been earmarked for the K computer is the development of cancer drugs by simulating their interactions with biological molecules.

Hideaki Fujitani at the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, will lead five projects using the K computer, targeting different cancers including leukaemia and lung cancer.

Fujitani already uses a supercomputer to help in drug design, but the The K computer, which is housed in a room measuring 50 x 60 metres K computer is 240 and requires about 1,000 kilometres of cable. times faster than his current system; this will allow a month’s work to be condensed into just a few days.

Such projects demonstrate that applying such immense computing power to both fundamental and complex scientific problems will not only expand our knowledge and open up new possibilities, but could also save lives.

RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science

Constant technological advancements produce everfaster computers for us all, but supercomputers really push the boundaries of processing power. One such supercomputer is the K computer developed in Japan

by RIKEN and Fujitsu. Although it is only scheduled to start shared operation in fall 2012, it has already been used for award-winning research and ranked as the fastest supercomputer in the world for the second consecutive time. Its unrivalled power is ready to break ground in all areas of science.

The K computer, which gets its name from the Japanese word “kei” meaning "ten quadrillion", was already crowned the fastest in the world when it was first assessed in June 2011. In August, it was upgraded to its final configuration, consisting of 88,128 connected processors housed in 864 computer racks. This final stage allowed it to reach its target performance and achieve speeds more than four times greater than its nearest rival (China’s Tianhe-1A).

In the latest tests, the K computer achieved 10.51 petaflops, meaning it performed ten thousand million million calculations per second. Performance was tested using the LINPACK benchmark, a standard computational problem in which a large scale linear system of equations is solved, providing an estimate of a machine’s capabilities for realworld calculations. The K We want to computer’s performance, which show, by using is about one million times faster than an average home the world's best- computer, placed it at number of-the-best one in the November 2011 computers, how TOP500 list of the world’s supercomputers. we can advance This was not the only honour science. that the K computer received in 2011. It also won all four Class 1 awards at the High Performance Computing Challenge, which assesses the overall performance of supercomputers. To top off these achievements, it won the Editors' Choice Award in the Top Supercomputing Achievement category of prizes at HPCwire, a popular online magazine which covers the world’s fastest computing.

Kimihiko Hirao, director of the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, where the K computer operates, makes it clear that the system will be used for "peaceful" purposes rather than the nuclear weapon simulations and other military uses of many supercomputers.

“We want to show, by using the world's best-of-thebest computers, how we can advance science,” said Hirao.

Researchers from RIKEN, the University of Tsukuba, the University of Tokyo, and Fujitsu have already used the K computer to conduct calculations on the electron state of silicon nanowires, materials which may underpin the next generation of computing hardware.

Their results, which demonstrate that nanowire conductance changes according to cross-sectional shape, won the annual Gordon Bell Prize for Peak Performance, which honours outstanding achievement in high performance computing.

COMPUTERS

’

One computer rack. The K computer has 864 racks, each containing 96 compute nodes and 6 IO nodes.

For further information contact: Office for Research Communications RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science, Japan Email: aics-koho@riken.jp

COMPUTERS

20

Gregory Maxwell

Telecommunications equipment in one corner of a small data center.

Data centres of the future A new three-year research programme at the Data Storage Institute in Singapore aims to develop nextgeneration storage system technologies for data centres of the future.

With the growing use of social networking, cloud and mobile computing, data centres increasingly play a crucial role in storing vast amounts of data. In addition, data centres are involved in running multi-tasking applications in real time and managing user and application data. Used by private and public organisations such as banks, businesses, universities, internet service providers, and governmental institutions, data centres are important for secure, long term and safe data storage.

The growing pressure on data is driving an everincreasing need for reliable storage. The International Data Corporation estimates that by 2020 over a trillion gigabytes of digital data will have been created. To put that in perspective, you can fit about 250 MP3 audio files on a 1 GB memory stick.

Developing the infrastructure to deal with this massive data growth is the biggest challenge faced by data centres. Besides having to address the issue of data management, there are also concerns about the energy consumption of large scale data centres. A paradigm shift in current methods and technologies has to be put in place in order to store, protect and enable efficient utilisation of this flood of digital data.

Part of the solution to these challenges will be provided by the next generation Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) that are emerging solid state storage technologies. They exhibit the desirable characteristics of an ideal storage device – very high performance,

non-volatile data retention, big capacity, low power consumption and small space footprint. They do not have limitations of current solid state technologies, such as NAND Flash, in terms of reliability (insufficient number of times for erasing and writing data before the Flash device wears out) and imbalanced performance (fast in reading but slower when updating or writing data). Although Random Access Memory (RAM), such as DRAM or SRAM, has the desired very fast response time, it is volatile and therefore loses data content when power is removed. Examples of next generation NVM include Spin-Torque Transfer Magnetic RAM (STTMRAM), Phase Change RAM (PCRAM) and Resistive RAM (RRAM).

However, the direct applications of next generation NVM are not so straight forward as current storage and computer architectures are not designed for such low latency and high throughput device. Obtaining the maximum benefit from next generation NVM will require redesign of the computer and storage system architecture.

A*STAR’s Future Data Centre Technologies Thematic Strategic Research Programme, launched in August 2011, aims to research new storage architectures and solutions for future data centres. The research will focus on improving the performance, energy efficiency and capacity of data centre systems by integrating next generation NVM technologies to enable data centres to scale and adapt efficiently to deal with the challenges ahead.

For further information contact: Yong Khai Leong Data Storage Institute Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: Yong_Khai_Leong@dsi.a-star.edu.sg

21

Ericsson Malaysia’s Mobile Innovation Village model has passed a test of its feasibility and impact, which was carried out by researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The study found that mobile technology boosted wellbeing and empowerment among people living in a rural Malaysian community.

We live in an increasingly digitised world, where mobile technology becomes more widespread and sophisticated year upon year. Many people insist they ‘could not live without’ their computers, mobile phones or the internet and it is estimated that the total number of mobile devices will skyrocket to 10 billion over the next few years, thus outnumbering humans.

Nevertheless, a vast number of people remain impoverished, isolated and left behind from the trend towards the reliance on all things high-tech.

It’s easy to rave about the potential benefits of mobile technology as the ultimate solution to geographical isolation, but getting things up and running is far from simple. Close-knit rural communities may not necessarily welcome drastic changes to their way of life, so schemes which aim to enrich lives by bridging the digital divide must be carefully introduced and monitored.

Ericsson Malaysia has been trialling a scheme known as the Mobile Innovation Village (MIV) model among the Bidayuh agricultural community in Kampung Serasot in Sarawak, Malaysia. This community had very limited experience of mobile technology, with less than 10 per cent of participants ever having used the internet before.

The scheme provided 90 households with freely available, easily accessible broadband, computing, communications, learning and healthcare services, aided by government-funded resources such as a Community Broadband Centre. The scheme’s impact was assessed by the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations (ISITI), UNIMAS. Alvin Yeo from UNIMAS told ResearchSEA, “We employed a quantitative and qualitative approach to allow us to have as comprehensive a perspective as possible…our multi-method survey included structured questionnaires, interviews and focus group meetings.”

The MIV model certainly passed the test. One of the biggest successes was healthcare monitoring. Patients were shown how to measure their own blood pressure, which was then reviewed remotely by doctors at the UNIMAS Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. This was shown to have huge health benefits, and there was widespread enthusiasm among residents, with some returning to the monitoring center even after the study had finished.

Alvin said that a crucial part of the project was building a rapport with local community leaders. “The MIV components can add value to community broadband centres,” he said, “but a cohesive community with strong leadership and passionate local champions was a key success factor.”

Another successful element of the model was the implementation of e-learning using online content and teaching aids. Steven Tai from Ericsson Malaysia said

Laihiu

Mobile innovation village

COMPUTERS

Mobile technology can improve education and healthcare in remote communities

that e-learning was well received by the children of Kampung Serasot as they enjoyed learning more with the help of interactive online content.

According to Steven, the next step is to share these insights with partners and government agencies and help to set up similar projects elsewhere. “Affordability is a key factor,” he told ResearchSEA, “the telecommunications industry is adopting more costeffective business models and technologies to make broadband services more affordable and sustainable.”

For further information contact: Steven Tai Ericsson Malaysia Email: Steven.Tai@ericsson.com Professor Alvin Yeo Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: alvin@isiti.unimas.my

ENVIRONMENT

Sandy simulations

Understanding coastal ecosystems in the Philippines Coral reefs are some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems, with studies warning that if current trends continue, the world’s reefs could be gone by 2030.

Researchers at the University of the Philippines Diliman are currently studying the conservation status and functioning of coastal ecosystems around Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which have been exploited or degraded. The project ultimately aims to ensure that local communities have sufficient knowledge and understanding of these ecosystems so that they can manage them sustainably well into the future.

Dr Jonathan Anticamara

Dr Wichai Pattanapol

Scientists at Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom University and New Zealand's University of Otago are helping coastline management in New Zealand with research investigating wind flow over sand dunes.

The coastal area near Dunedin, New Zealand, constantly suffers from erosion. It is characterised by a ‘harsh’ land-sea interface consisting of extremely high, steep sand dunes. The erosion can be both hazardous – parts of the beach have to be closed off to the general public – and expensive for the local authorities, as lost sand must be constantly replaced. The Dunedin City Council (DCC) are therefore keen to develop new management strategies that deal with the problem effectively.

Wichai Pattanapol, a researcher at Nakhon Phanom University and his colleagues investigated the reasons behind Dunedin’s erosion problem using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Generally this technique uses numerical methods and algorithms to study the effects of forces on liquids and gases, including air. They used computer generated simulations to model different patterns of movement and energy for wind and windblown sand over the sand dunes.

“The simulations showed the pattern of flow over different modified topography scenarios,” explains Wichai, “The results suggest the DCC should introduce a ‘soft’ land-sea interface, by making the front slope less steep. This will dramatically reduce the energy of wind at the land-sea interface.”

The research shows that CFD, which is normally used in industrial sectors, for example measuring air flow over racing cars or inside buildings, can be applied to complex environmental issues.

Dr Pattanapol warns that numerical simulations of this nature are rarely “error-free”, but explains that the simulations have since been verified by laboratory and field studies. “I believe the DCC are taking our recommendation seriously,” he said.

The research team and the DCC have organised a meeting with local people to explain to them about the upcoming topography modification, and its effect on wind patterns.

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of windblown sand over a sand dune

For further information contact: Dr Wichai Pattanapol Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Email: wichai@npu.ac.th Dr Sarah Wakes University of Otago, New Zealand Email: sarah.wakes@otago.ac.nz

For further information contact: Dr Jonathan A. Anticamara Institute of Biology, College of Science University of the Philippines Diliman Email: jonathan.anticamara@gmail.com

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Researchers have found that the distribution patterns of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) indicate a worrying outlook for their future.

Between June 2008 and September 2009, small boat surveys were conducted for 56 days off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia. Researchers recorded the areas in which dolphins were sighted, noting the depth of the water and proximity to the coastline.

110 of 115 Irrawaddy sightings were made in water depths under 10 m. Unlike finless porpoises or IndoPacific bottlenose dolphins, which are also found here, the Irrawaddy dolphins showed a statistically significant preference for areas of shallower depth and closer proximity to shore and river.

This preference puts Irrawaddys at risk, as shallow near-shore areas are vulnerable to environmental degradation resulting from developments on the coast.

There is also a growing threat from fishing practices, as dolphins in the shallows can easily become tangled in nets and drown. The dolphins also showed a strong presence in the areas of Kuching and Similajau, which does not bode well either given that both these areas are destined for major coastal developments in the near future.

This information highlights the importance of nearshore coastal habitats for these dolphins, and will hopefully help researchers and managers develop effective conservation strategies to ensure their continued survival.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Irrawaddy dolphins have been spotted worryingly close to the shore.

For further information contact: Professor Andrew Alek Tuen Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: aatuen@ibec.unimas.my

SaciWATERs

Irrawaddy dolphin distribution a cause for concern

ENVIRONMENT

Water supplies in South Asia are threatened by climate change and urban sprawl.

Securing safe water as cities sprawl Water is scarce for residents on the edge of South Asia’s rapidly expanding cities. Research teams across the subcontinent are working with communities to secure their access to this vital resource as cities grow and climate changes.

South Asia is rapidly urbanising. The cities of India alone are expected to swell by more than 200 million people in the next 15 years and Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the world’s fastest growing megacity. As the region’s cities spread out, consuming more land and water, the communities around them experience severe knock-on effects. Water is becoming particularly scarce for those living on the outskirts of cities in ‘peri-urban’ areas.

Climate change compounds the problem due to its unpredictable effects on hydrology across the subcontinent, which range from relentless drought to melting glaciers and erratic monsoons.

Local organisations grouped in the South Asia Water Consortium (SaciWATERs) are conducting research to better understand the growing threats to water security in peri-urban areas and to help these communities adapt.

Teams are studying water security in four very different sites within three countries, chosen to reflect South Asia’s wide range of social and environmental conditions: Khulna in Bangladesh; Kathmandu in Nepal; and Hyderabad and Gurgaon, both in India.

The research, funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, is providing a better understanding of peri-urban environments and how they function. Researchers are learning about the unequal impact development and climate change have on different social groups, from uninsured tenant farmers in the booming Delhi satellite town of Gurgaon, to women in Khulna who must travel farther to collect clean water. It is clear that gender, caste, and class inequality all affect water availability in these regions.

The teams are sharing their insights with the world through a website, blogging, and social media. Armed with their growing understanding of the factors that contribute to water insecurity in each area, their next step is to develop solutions that will engage marginalized groups, governments and the private sector to work toward ensuring clean water for all.

For further information contact: Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé International Development Research Centre, Canada Email: ibourgeault-tasse@idrc.ca

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ENVIRONMENT

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

The Little bronze cuckoo is a common species found in mangroves

The lead researcher investigates a mangrove robin nest in Charles Darwin National Park, Australia

Mangrove conservation clues A lecturer from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) studied the diversity and structure of bird communities in the mangrove forests of Northern Australia in order to identify suitable conservation strategies.

Mangrove forests are highly threatened ecosystems.

Over half of the world's mangroves have been removed by developers and industry in the last few decades. In addition, mangrove ecology is poorly understood. More in-depth knowledge is needed to increase the effectiveness of conservation strategies, for which funding and resources are often limited.

Mangrove forests tend to exist in habitat ‘patches’ of various sizes as part of a mosaic-like pattern of vegetation across the landscape. Dr Mohd-Azlan and colleagues carried out an ecological study to find out how this mosaic affects bird communities within the mangroves.

First they investigated the effect of patch size. They measured the area of different patches of forest and counted the number of bird species they found within each patch to give a measure of species richness. They

found that smaller patches actually supported more bird species than large ones. Furthermore, the bird species richness of several small patches combined was greater than a single large area.

They also investigated the effects of different surrounding habitats – and found that this had a significant effect on species richness. Patches surrounded by tropical rainforest had higher species diversity than those surrounded by savannah grassland.

Further analysis revealed that of all the species found in mangrove forests, 45 per cent were adapted to the surrounding habitat.

This research shows that the structure of bird communities within mangrove patches is strongly influenced by the surrounding habitat. Dr Mohd-Azlan recommends that mangrove patches be considered as part of a habitat mosaic, and that conservationists focus just as much on small patches as large ones.

For further information contact: Dr Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan bin Abd Gulam Azad Faculty of Resource Science and Technology Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: azlan@frst.unimas.my

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Yoshiki Sasai (Nature 480, 57–62)

After 13 days, oval-shaped pouches develop between the two layers of tissue

Paving the way for regenerative medicine RIKEN’s recent success in growing a functional pituitary gland from stem cells could advance regenerative medicine and pave the way for new therapies to treat hormonal disorders.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have developed a novel technique for growing stem cells in three-dimensional floating ‘clusters’. This has enabled them to create a version of the pituitary gland that is fully functional when transplanted into mice. The team had previously shown that stem cells grown in this way can organise themselves into functional eye and brain tissue. This new work represents a major breakthrough for stem cell science that could pave the way for future treatments.

The pituitary is a pea-sized gland which sits at the base of our brain and releases hormones including growth hormone, prolactin and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) into our bloodstream. These hormones play various roles in the body, ranging from the regulation of growth to the control of sex organ function, so any flaws in the system can have serious health consequences.

“Growth hormone deficiency could be a target of [stem] cell therapy,” said Yoshiki Sasai, one of the researchers involved. The problem is getting the right cells to grow under laboratory conditions, as their development can be incredibly complicated.

The part of the pituitary containing the cells that make hormones develops when two layers of tissue

(each made up of a different type of cells) come into contact and exchange chemical signals. This interaction leads to the formation of a small pouch that pinches off from the area in the growing embryo.

Sasai and his colleagues managed to replicate this process by stimulating clusters of stem cells with specific signalling molecules. They succeeded in generating both types of tissue which separated naturally into layers. Cells at the interface between the two layers then spontaneously formed oval-shaped pouches before differentiating into four distinct cell types, each of which began to synthesise and secrete a different hormone.

The cell clusters were then transplanted into the kidneys of mice whose pituitaries had been surgically removed. Normally these mice would die two months post-surgery, but the transplanted cells rescued the animals by restoring their hormone levels.

The breakthrough could open new avenues of treatment for hormonal disorders. It also represents a significant advance in using stem cells to generate complex three-dimensional structures, and is a step towards growing fully functional organs in the laboratory.

“Regenerative medicine is proceeding in this direction,” says Sasai. “We are now developing computer-based models and simulations to facilitate the design of more complex organs.”

For further information contact: Global Relations Office RIKEN, Japan Email: gro-pr@riken.jp

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GnT-4a, an enzyme which helps these proteins connect with the beta cell surfaces, develop diabetes.

In earlier work, Kazuaki Ohtsubo from the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Japan showed that a high-fat diet can cause a deficiency of this enzyme.

Scientists in Japan and the US To investigate these earlier have uncovered a findings in detail, Ohtsubo and molecular mechanism his colleagues from the that links diet and University of California, ‘Type 2’ diabetes.

USA, investigated the The work opens the sequence of molecular way to new events in pancreatic beta treatments for the cells from mice and condition. humans. They found that There is a high levels of fatty acids widely accepted caused both transporter connection between proteins and the GnT-4a high fat diets, enzyme to be produced in obesity and much smaller quantities susceptibility to than usual. The Type 2 (adult onset) resulting deficiencies diabetes. Until now, led to many of the however, the symptoms associated underlying causes were with diabetes. poorly understood, Although the underlying particularly at the causes of this link are still High-fat diets and Type 2 diabetes go hand in hand molecular level. unknown, the team hopes this Diabetes is characterised by a knowledge could lead to the development drop in the effectiveness of the hormone insulin. In a of new treatments. “We are already searching for small healthy person, a high level of glucose sugar in the chemical compounds which activate the expression of blood triggers the pancreas to secrete insulin which GnT-4a in pancreatic beta cells under high fatty acid helps the body get rid of the excess. A rise in glucose is conditions,” says Ohtsubo. “These compounds could detected by the beta cells of the pancreas, when large improve beta cell function and should be good amounts of glucose are delivered to them by specialised candidates for new types of drugs for diabetes.” transporter proteins.

Without these transporter proteins, the beta cells For further information contact: are unable to detect high glucose levels and do not Dr Kazuaki Ohtsubo secrete insulin. But what causes a deficiency in RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan transporter proteins?

Email: gro-pr@riken.jp Genetically engineered mice that do not produce

Linking diet, obesity and diabetes

Improving family care in the ICU A hospital in Hong Kong is trialing a new Cognitive Behavioural Education (CBE) programme for family members of critically ill patients, with the aim of reducing stress and anxiety.

Having a relative in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can be very stressful for family members –particularly those who spend time caring for them – and may lead to unhealthy emotions and behaviours that have a detrimental effect on the family as a whole.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers are studying the effectiveness of a short CBE course for reducing stress and boosting needs satisfaction for family carers in ICUs. CBE aims to try and control negative thoughts and emotions with a variety of exercises. It works on the principle that even though For further information contact: Dr Vico Chiang The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: hsvicoch@inet.polyu.edu.hk

external sources of stress (also known as stressors) may not change (having a relative in intensive care, for example) individuals can change their emotional reaction to these circumstances and reduce feelings of depression and hopelessness.

This kind of therapy is often used to effectively treat long term depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Researchers hope it will also help family members of ICU patients.

They will measure family members' mood using the Chinese version of the Depression and Anxiety Stress scale (DASS). This uses questions, answered on a scale from 0-3, to assess the severity of depression, stress and anxiety. Researchers will provide CBE treatment to some family members and compare the stress and satisfaction of these family members receiving CBE to those who receive no additional care.

If successful, this study will pave the way for future research into family stress and anxiety management on a larger scale. It is hoped that family member care in the form of this kind of therapy will become integrated into standard ICU nursing care.

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Mobile prevention program offers hope to cancer sufferers screening, prevention and treatment in Thailand.

She will use a symptom management program known as Written Representational Intervention to Ease Symptoms (WRITE Symptoms). This eight week intervention program asks participants to write about their symptoms over a period of time. This allows clinicians to not only identify underlying causes, but also tackle patient’s emotional distress and how they respond to their symptoms. Clinicians may examine, for example, whether patients are coping in a ‘positive’ manner by seeking medical help or coping in a ‘negative’ manner by trying to ignore symptoms.

By getting patients to identify their own misconceptions and the consequences of not dealing with early symptoms of cancer Phensiri is hoping to reduce the incredibly high number of people suffering from the disease.

“We’ve got so many [academic] papers on dealing with cancer, but the actions made by humans on the ground are very different.”

She explains, “It is crucial that we take into account cultural practices and behaviours.”

John Pavelka

Women in Southeast Asia are at extremely high risk of cervical cancer. Only 38 per cent of women in Thailand and 2.2 per cent of women in Laos have undergone screening. To find out how to improve the situation and identify barriers to cancer, screening nurse Phensiri Dumrongpakapakorn from Nakhon Phanom University (NPU) launched a project aimed at improving public health efforts.

With a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, Phensiri returned to her native Thailand because she wanted to give something back to her country and generally advance the way healthcare is delivered in Southeast Asia. Having lost her mother and grandfather to cancer, she is determined to improve care provision for poor and vulnerable people who needlessly suffer the same fate because they cannot afford treatment.

“Seeing the situation in hospitals in Laos is heart breaking. Having broadened my perspective, learning about the different practices in the USA, my goal has always been to apply my knowledge as a civil service employee in Thailand. In Thailand I can help many more people,” she told ResearchSEA. To set up a successful cancer screening program, she is working with a range of international and local institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, Nakhon Phanom University, two provincial hospitals and the Lao Ministry of Health. A further inspiration and impetus came from the late Dr Jeffrey Shogan, founder of the Effective Aid in Thailand Foundation. Today Phensiri strives to make Dr Shogan’s vision a reality, by setting up a charitable medical clinic in Nakhon Phanom Province.

She is leading a study which aims to describe the cultural beliefs and perceived practical barriers to cancer

Only 2.2 per cent of women in Laos have undergone cervical cancer screening.

For further information contact: Dr Phensiri Dumrongpakapakorn Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Email: dumrongpakapakorn.p@gmail.com

Bacteria that boost longevity Japanese researchers have shown that a diet supplemented with a specific probiotic bacterial strain increases the lifespan of mice.

The mammalian gut is home to thousands of bacteria that contribute to food digestion and, in some cases, inflammatory gut disease. Beneficial bacterial species, known as probiotics, can enhance gut health by keeping the resident bacteria in check. Now, a team of researchers at the RIKEN Innovation Center have shown that feeding a specific strain of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis (subspecies lactis), to mice can lengthen their lifespan.

Mitsuharu Matsumoto and his colleagues previously showed that this strain, called LKM512, could reduce inflammation and alter the balance of intestinal bacteria in elderly humans, but its overall effect on lifespan was unknown. After feeding mice on a LKM512 diet supplement for 11 months, the researchers found that on average LKM512-treated mice lived longer, had fewer skin lesions, and had better hair quality than untreated mice.

Analyses of the gut of these mice revealed elevated gene expression in some bacterial species, indicating that LKM512 may improve gut health indirectly by regulating the levels of other gut bacteria. The probiotic treatment also prevented some age-related changes in

bacterial composition of the gut, suggesting that it may protect the gut.

The gut lining acts as a barrier between the contents of the gut and the rest of the body, and damage can lead to infections or inflammatory diseases. The gut lining of LKM512-treated mice acted as a stronger barrier than the gut of control mice, due to increased levels of proteins that maintain tight connections between gut cells.

Increases in intestinal polyamine levels were also observed in LKM512-treated mice. Polyamines are organic compounds that reduce inflammation, and their levels tend to decrease with age. The observed polyamine increase did appear to reduce inflammation, as inflammatory markers in the blood and urine were lower in LKM512-treated mice compared with controls.

“In future work, we hope to clarify the effectiveness of LKM512 in humans,” explains Matsumoto. If these findings extend to humans, inclusion of LKM512 into our diets could potentially improve overall health and lengthen our lifespan.

For further information contact: Dr Mitsuharu Matsumoto RIKEN Innovation Center Email: m-matumoto@meito.co.jp

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Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

DNA sequence analysis of the CSP gene – a gene coding for one of P. knowlesi’s surface proteins strongly indicated that monkeys are the reservoir hosts the primary source of infection for human P. knowlesi.

Sequence data from mitochondrial DNA showed that P. knowlesi existed in monkeys before humans settled in Southeast Asia, and underwent a recent population expansion approximately 30,000-40,000 years ago – suggesting that was when it began to infect humans.

The study indicates that humans were probably infected with P. knowlesi parasites from monkeys thousands of years ago, when they first entered the forests of Southeast Asia.

Chinks in the armour Developing a vaccine for malaria is extremely difficult because of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium and its high reproductive rate. However, Dr Denise MiranoBascos and her colleagues at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Having taken a blood sample to test for malaria, a researcher tags a monkey with a the Philippines Diliman believe that an effective vaccine microchip prior to its release. can be developed by studying one of the parasite’s proteins, called MSP-1. This protein is found on the surface of the parasite when it is in the ‘blood’ stage, and has been identified as a potential vaccine target because people who have antibodies specific for this Malaria is one of the world’s biggest protein in their blood tend killers, claiming hundreds of thousands to be resistant to malaria. of lives each year. Reducing malaria’s The problem is that incidence is one of the Millennium the protein contains lots Development Goals for 2015, and of polymorphisms – scientists all over the world are striving variations in genetic to make this happen. Researchers at the sequence – and exists in Malaria Research Centre (MRC), different forms. Dr Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Mirano-Basco’s team are have traced the origin of Plasmodium studying RO33, one of the knowlesi malaria, and a team at the variant forms of MSP-1, University of the Philippines Diliman are Anopheles mosquitoes carry malarial parasites, which infect their which has been human hosts while the mosquito feeds. one step closer to creating a vaccine. associated with severe malaria. The RO33 form does not provoke much of an The Fifth Cause immune response in humans, and few antibodies are Malaria was originally thought to be caused by just four raised against it in infected individuals (meaning people species of the Plasmodium parasite (P. falciparum, P. are unable to fight off the malaria). Dr Mirano-Bascos’ vivax, P. malaria and P. ovale) until eight years ago laboratory believes that this weak immune response when researchers from MRC UNIMAS discovered a large may have something to do with RO33’s structure. number of humans infected with another species, called The team are currrently studying the protein’s Plasmodium knowlesi, in the Kapit district of Sarawak, structural and biophysical properties in detail, and Malaysia. Infections have since been observed in other examining its ability to raise an immune response in Southeast Asian countries, leading to the recognition of mice.

P. knowlesi as the fifth cause of human malaria.

It is hoped that this information can be used to alter Like other species of Plasmodium, P. knowlesi also the RO33 protein and make it easier for the immune infects monkeys. But for many years no evidence of P. system to recognise and attack – an important step knowlesi or any other malaria parasite was found in towards creating a much needed vaccine for this deadly monkeys of the Kapit district, so although a monkey disease. source for the hundreds of P. knowlesi infections in this area seemed likely, it remained unproven.

Researchers at MRC UNIMAS decided to investigate For further information contact: Professor Balbir Singh further. In collaboration with the Sarawak Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Department, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Malaria Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Medicine and St George’s, University of London, they Email: bsingh@fmhs.unimas.my tested 108 wild monkeys (long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques) from 17 locations in the Kapit district for Dr Denise Noelle Mirano-Bascos malaria parasites. They found a high prevalence of National Institute of Molecular Biology and malaria parasites, including P. knowlesi. The next step Biotechnology was to compare the molecular identities of P. knowlesi University of the Philippines Diliman Email: drmirano@up.edu.ph derived from monkeys, and those derived from humans.

On guard against malaria

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

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Nano-magnets for cancer treatment Research at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan has provided a detailed insight into the mechanisms of heat generation in magnetic nanoparticles that could be used to kill cancerous cells.

Magnetic thermotherapy is one of the newest potential cancer treatments. It works by delivering tiny nano-sized magnets (magnetic nanoparticles) to cancer cells using drug delivery techniques. Once there, they are exposed to an alternating magnetic field which causes them to heat up, and that overheats and kills malignant cells. There are virtually no side effects, and researchers are eager to develop the technique for practical use as soon as possible.

There are, however, major obstacles to progress, because of inconsistencies between theoretical predictions of the amount of heat magnetic particles generate, and experimental results. Scientists accept the mechanisms involved need to be understood in more detail before the design of magnetic particles for practical use can be optimised.

Previously, the behaviour of nanoparticles had always been calculated according to the energy produced by their stationery magnetic field. But now, Dr Hiroaki Mamiya and colleagues at NIMS’s Quantum Beam Unit have carried out a simulation under near-actual conditions, taking into account the large amount of heat that is dissipated into the surrounding cancerous tissue.

They found that the orientation of the magnetic nanoparticles changes dramatically depending on the size and shape of the nanoparticles themselves, the viscosity of their surroundings, and the properties of the alternating magnetic field they are exposed to. Under certain conditions, the nanoparticles align in planes perpendicular to the magnetic field. This happens when the magnetic field has a high frequency and comparatively weak in amplitude.

The team also revealed that the heat generation properties of the magnetic nanoparticles are influenced by their orientation.

These conclusions represent a big step forward in the field. Once they are verified in-situ, it will be possible to optimise the nanoparticles for the treatment of different cancers.

National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS)

Orientation of magnetic nanoparticles used for cancer treatment compared to ordinary magnets. The illustrations show (a) the needle of a magnetic compass oriented in the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, and (b) magnetic nanoparticles aligned perpendicular to the magnetic field.

For further information contact: Dr Hiroaki Mamiya Quantum Beam Unit National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: Mamiya.Hiroaki@nims.go.jp

Leptospira bacteria

Leptospirosis in the Rejang Basin Researchers in Malaysia have been studying the prevalence and distribution of leptospirosis in the Rejang Basin area of Sarawak, in order to gain a better understanding of the disease. It is hoped the study will help inform members of the public and health professionals alike.

Leptospirosis is a tropical disease caused by Leptospira bacteria, which are spread by various animals including rats, dogs, pigs and cattle. Although it is rarely fatal, it can cause severe liver and kidney damage among patients in the advanced stages. Initial symptoms are similar to flu, and if diagnosed early the disease can be easily treated with antibiotics. Thus, prompt diagnosis is an essential part of its control.

The worldwide prevalence of leptospirosis ranges from 3.6-53 per cent, but outbreaks are relatively common in Southeast Asia. The earliest documented case in Malaysia was reported in 1928. In the past few years there have been several outbreaks, and in 2011 the number of cases reported in Sarawak was 51, up from 49 cases the previous year.

Factors influencing the spread of the disease are poorly understood, but it is thought that chances of infection are heavily influenced by lifestyle, with those coming into regular contact with infected animals or water at greatest risk. There is also reason to believe the actual number of cases has been underreported and is in fact much higher, as the only cases recorded are those documented by health clinics, so do not take into account affected people who have not sought medical help.

In order to gain a more accurate picture of the distribution and prevalence of the disease in Malaysia, researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Sarawak Health Department carried out field studies in the Rejang Basin area in which they collected and tested human and animal blood serum samples for the presence of leptospirosis antibodies.

Analysis revealed that 31 per cent of humans sampled were infected and suggested an association between certain daily activities, including farming and water activities with leptospirosis infection.

Data obtained from this study can be utilised for future health programs and increase awareness of the disease among health practitioners and the public, particularly in Sarawak.

For further information contact: Dr Lela Su'ut Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Email: slela@fmhs.unimas.my

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PEOPLE

Hanyang University / RIKEN

Holding more professorships, directorships and editorial posts than there is space to mention here, it is immediately clear that here is a man who does not define himself by these titles, but by his actions. In particular, it is the Asian Research Network that he speaks of with a passion often rare in professors who are comfortably at the top of their game.

In 1989, on his own accord, Lee started yearly trips to Japan. He sought to establish relationships with other researchers and institutes, integrating science in Asia for a better future. It was a slow process. Apart from exchanges on a company or government level it was highly unusual for a South Korean individual to be I say to people, promoting research, development and educational ‘I’m a small, cooperation across borders. skinny guy and Step-by-step Lee I have a dream, built a performance-based relationship with RIKEN. I want to do Nevertheless, it was not until something 2003 that an alliance for Asia between RIKEN and Hanyang was formally established.

The significance was profound. Never before had Japan opened up its doors for a private research university.

Next Lee sought to obtain funding for a cooperative research laboratory to give tangible structure to the Asian Research Network. In 2008, following grants from the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Seoul’s mayor and Samsung electronics, the Hanyang-RIKEN Collaboration Centre was established.

Here researchers from both institutions could work side by side to produce world-class research.

Many would be satisfied with these achievements.

For Lee however, it is just the start. The alliance needs to go across Asia. “The idea is to exchange information and relationships at a high level,” he explains. ARN is starting with tangible goals, initially focusing on the areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Lee points to a poster advertising a recent joint RIKEN-Hanyang nanoscience conference. However, as they expand ARN is to encompass all science and technology and include other Asian partners such as China, India and Singapore.

“Our aim is to build a borderless research environment,” says Lee. He stresses that this is not just for Korea, but also for Asia and ultimately he aims to go global. The reason that Lee has made his dream a reality is due to his insistence on a pragmatic approach. He looks to innovate, change and truly engage rather than go through set patterns and motions.

“In the beginning, I was talking to government people who would always say, ‘Show me the MOU’ said Lee. A ‘memorandum of understanding’ or ‘MOU’ is a traditional document indicating a multilateral agreement between parties. MOU’s are popular across Asia, so Lee took me by surprise when he continued matter-of-factly: “MOU’s don’t mean anything – it's just politics”.

He continued, “It took five years to get people onboard. They always wanted to wait and consider things endlessly, it was very difficult.” If there is one thing that is clear about Lee, it is that he is a man of deeds, not just words, who does not shy away from getting things done.

‘

’

Prof. Haiwon Lee: “Giving is better than taking. So I thought to myself, what about giving something to the other people in Asia? I want to give something as long as I have something to give.”

Doing something for Asia: The Asian Research Network Hanyang University of Korea and RIKEN of Japan, in cooperation with other Asian universities and research institutes, are launching the Asian Research Network (ARN) which aims to strengthen research and educational cooperation across Asia. Recently ARN members succeeded in producing transparent touch sensors using carbon nanotubes and ink solutions that can print electronic circuits or change colour in exposure to heat or UV radiation.

“I say to people, ‘I’m a small, skinny guy and I have a dream, I want to do something for Asia,’” beams Prof.

Haiwon Lee, Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology at Hanyang University in South Korea.

Small as his stature may be, Lee’s wit, enthusiasm and intelligence make up for it in fair measure.

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Hanyang University / RIKEN

spend even a single penny. I am not from a rich family, my mother only went to elementary school, but because of their efforts three of us are now professors. They knew how to save material, how to manage, how to change their country. This is the strength and spirit of our parents.”

And the spirit of cooperation is certainly helping the research productivity and output of ARN members. Take for example Choi Eunsuk and colleagues; they recently announced they had made a transparent touch sensor using carbon nanotube thin films (Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, vol. 11, 2011). These films are optically transparent and electrically conductive in thin layers. The applications are enormous, think of flexible electronic interfaces such as e-paper, or television screens that you can roll up.

Similarly, Jong-Man Kim and his team have managed to devise an ink solution that can repeatedly change colour upon exposure to heat or UV radiation.

Their results in the Journal of Advanced Materials (Vol. 23, 2011) open the possibility of printing electronic circuits on paper. Being able to integrate such circuitry into lightweight, disposable materials such as paper using simple ‘inkjet’ technology is of great interest to manufacturers.

Prof. Lee meanwhile revels in this spirit of collaboration: “Giving is better than taking. So I thought to myself, what about giving something to the other people in Asia? I want to give something as long as I have something to give.”

The Fusion Technology Center one of the Asian Research Network’s central hubs designed for collaborative research.

But why put so much effort into this? I asked. Of course there are huge benefits, but most academics are more concerned with climbing up the citation league table (and it is clear that Lee has spent at least a hundred papers worth of time establishing ARN!). He looks at me with thoughtful eyes and stares into the distance. “I was born in 1954, right after the Korean war,” he says. “I was one of eight children, there was nothing left of Korea and it was miserable. Our parents sacrificed everything for our education. They did not

For further information contact: Professor Haiwon Lee Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology Hanyang University, Korea Email: haiwon@hanyang.ac.kr Asian Research Network http://www.asianrn.org

Public art in urban spaces Eric Guazon

The role of art in urban development programs is often overlooked, even though art and culture policies can often successfully fuel the regeneration of public spaces in modern cities.

A lack of research on the subject has inspired Tessa Maria Guazon at the University of the Philippines Diliman to explore the relationship between public art and urban development. It contrasts public art commissions made by the Manila local government and corporate foundations. By surveying public opinions on sculptures in the Filipino region of Metro Manila, like this one on Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, Guazon is figuring out how the public receive and respond to works of art and their placement in shared urban spaces. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2012.

For further information contact: Tessa Maria Guazon Department of Art Studies, College of Arts and Letters University of the Philippines Diliman Email: tessaguazon@gmail.com

Called "Specific Gravity" this suspended boulder with cascading water was designed by Reg Yuson.

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PEOPLE

Food for thought

For further information contact: Dr Mohd Nasir Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universiti Putra Malaysia Email: nasir@medic.upm.edu.my

Contrary to popular belief, migrant workers in the Southeast Asian furniture manufacturing industry are more productive and less accident prone than the local permanent workforce, according to new research.

The furniture manufacturing industry is one of the fastest growing industrial sectors in Southeast Asia, employing nearly 700 000 workers in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Working conditions and safety regulations are often poor, with high rates of occupational accidents within factories, which are considered as ‘3D’ environments (‘dirty’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘degenerative’).

Within the industry, numbers of contract migrant workers, who move from the surrounding rural areas to work in factories, are increasing in relation to the permanent workforce. Now, they account for over half of the total workforce in SE Asia’s wooden furniture industry.

This is causing concern, as many worry that migrant workers suffer more accidents in the workplace because of a lack of training, and that this adds to the ‘3D’ stigma and discourages local people from working in the industry.

To investigate these claims, an international research team lead by Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam from Universiti Putra Malaysia compared accident records between contract workers and permanent staff employed by 240 furniture manufacturing companies across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

They used questionnaires to gather information on workers’ attitudes to safety, educational backgrounds and workplace safety culture.

The study revealed that contract workers actually suffered fewer The furniture manufacturing industry occupational accidents employs nearly 700 000 workers in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and compared with their Vietnam. permanent counterparts.

They were therefore more productive as their overall period of absence after injury was significantly shorter.

The researchers attributed this to migratory workers’ positive attitudes towards work, saying the majority of participants were keen to stay safe and healthy in order to increase their income. On the other hand, domestic workers tended to pay less attention to their work, and suffered more accidents as a consequence.

The results offer new insights into the furniture industry, and may help to explain the recent surge in migratory contract workers, a trend which the authors say will almost certainly continue.

Jamiecat *'s

Feeding habits can affect cognitive performance in young children.

Scientists in Malaysia have shown that parents’ feeding practices and attitudes to nutrition can affect cognitive performance in young children.

Nutrition is one of the most important environmental factors influencing brain function and development. It provides the building blocks for nerves as well as vital energy to keep the brain running. Parents play an important role in developing a child’s eating behaviour and food preferences through different feeding practices, such as restricting unhealthy food. But this complex relationship between food habits and cognitive development in young children is poorly understood, so a team of scientists led by Mohd Nasir from Universiti Putra Malaysia launched a study to explore this in greater detail.

Working with a sample of 1933 children aged between four and six from preschools in West Malaysia, the team measured children’s heights and weights, questioned them about their eating habits and tested their cognitive performance (ability to think, remember and solve problems) using a standardised test. They also interviewed the parents of each child to determine their socio-demographic background, nutritional knowledge and feeding practices.

Only 39 per cent of parents involved in the study were deemed to have ‘satisfactory’ or ‘good’ knowledge of nutrition. Children whose parents felt more responsibility in instilling healthy eating habits and those whose parents were more restrictive towards unhealthy foods, performed better in the cognitive test.

The majority of children questioned had three meals per day on at least five days a week, but 11 per cent were found to regularly skip breakfast and 15 per cent regularly skip dinner. Missing dinner was linked to poor cognitive performance. A low height or weight for their age (a sign of chronic malnutrition) was also associated with poor cognitive performance, though only a small percentage of children were underweight (8 per cent) or had stunted growth (8.4 per cent).

Various socio-economic factors were shown to make a difference. High household income, fewer siblings and a smaller household were all associated with better cognitive performance.

This study was the first to examine the link between nutrition and cognition in pre-schoolers on a nationwide level in Malaysia. It is hoped that the data provided will useful in developing future intervention programmes.

Positive attitudes keep workers safe

For further information contact: Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam Faculty of Forestry Universiti Putra Malaysia Email: jegaratnasingam@yahoo.com

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PEOPLE

Eden Terol University of the Philippines Diliman

A researcher interviews an Ayta family

People expressed a desire for better educational opportunities

Securing a future for indigenous communities New research from the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) explores the wellbeing and satisfaction of indigenous Ayta families in Luzon, and highlights their concerns over access to healthcare and education.

The Aytas are a group of indigenous people thought to be descended from the very first inhabitants of the Philippines. They live in scattered, isolated communities in mountainous parts of the island of Luzon.

Like many indigenous peoples, the Aytas have traditionally been marginalised, and many live without access to basic amenities like running water or access to healthcare. Although there have been some efforts to ensure their rights are upheld, it is widely acknowledged that more needs to be done to tackle poverty and social injustice among the Ayta people.

This year, Professor Eden Terol and her colleagues at UPD embarked on a study to assess the Aytas’ current wellbeing and explore their hopes, fears and future aspirations. They observed and interviewed 50 Ayta families living in the Pampanga district.

They found that overall wellbeing and satisfaction was low, with many expressing unhappiness over lack of water and lack of educational opportunities in their communities.

Health was a prominent concern, with early death and ill health among the biggest fears. Concerns about landslides in the area and the associated damage to property were also mentioned.

When asked about their hopes and aspirations for the future, they appeared to have no fears in terms of their material wealth, but seemed primarily concerned with the health and happiness of their families. Most people expressed a desire for good health for themselves and their family, as well as for their children to be educated.

This research aims to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by indigenous people in the Philippines, and help the local government design and deliver programs that will improve the Aytas’ lives and ensure a better future for generations to come.

For further information contact: Professor Eden H. Terol University of the Philippines Extension Program in Pampanga Email: ehterol@yahoo.com

PEOPLE

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Research recovers after a year of natural disasters It has been over a year since the Great East Japan Earthquake turned thousands of lives upside down, and many months since heavy monsoon floods devastated Thailand. During that time research institutes in both countries have made remarkable efforts to join together and recover from what many would regard as a hopeless situation.

On 11 March 2011 Japan experienced a triple disaster: the most violent earthquake the country has ever seen followed by a powerful tsunami and the world’s most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Over 15,000 people lost their lives and thousands were left homeless. A few months later in July 2011, record levels of monsoon flooding hit Thailand, causing widespread devastation.

The media described many of the destructive effects on civilians, but how did the disasters affect research communities in Thailand and Japan?

ResearchSEA spoke to several research institutes about how the events of last year affected them, and how they are recovering.

Despite experiencing power outages, damage to costly equipment and the mass exodus of overseas students and staff, the ability of these institutes to adapt to and cope with extraordinary circumstances is commendable. Moreover, positive changes are being made in a bid reduce the impact of future disasters.

Thammasat University Thailand The university’s largest campus, situated around 42 km north of Bangkok, was the largest evacuation site of the 2011 floods. The entire campus area was inundated with 2 m of water, which caused almost US$ 100 million worth of damage to all ground floor areas. The campus remained closed for months, and the start of the next academic semester had to be postponed until 2012.

Thammasat showed Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus was remarkable dedication to its inundated with 2 m of water for several weeks. students during that time. Those whose homes were badly affected by flooding were offered temporary shelter and food. Overseas students were supported and encouraged to stay in the country, with with about 15 students deciding to return home, and most of them received a credit transfer. Academic activities were allowed to continue with help from other campuses and distance learning programs.

Supreedee Rittironk, a professor at Thammasat, told ResearchSEA he was confident the floods haven’t affected student enrolment.

“Students feel more trust in our management, and more students will come [to the university] than before because they have witnessed how well we took care of them.” he said. “We put safety on the top of the list.”

National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand Thanks to early warning systems, NSTDA had a week to prepare for the floods hitting its campus. They dealt with the impending disruption quickly and effectively, evacuating staff and students, and moving expensive equipment to higher storeys where it was safe. They provided alternative office spaces for staff, so that even at the peak of the floods the facility could continue to operate at normal capacity. Nevertheless, various research projects were suspended, as many laboratories were inaccessible, and the NSTDA Campus itself was completely out of action for several weeks.

The floods did provide unique opportunities for innovation. Among recent inventions by NSTDA scientists are ‘magic pants’ (lightweight waterproof trousers sealed at the feet which enable wading through deep water); sand bag substitutes which use absorbent hydro-gels, and an environmentally friendly mud-cleaning detergent.

NSTDA’s president Hugh Thaweesak Koanantakool told ResearchSEA about the new measures put in place to safeguard against future floods.

“We are collaborating with Thammasat University, our next door neighbour,” he said, “building a strong flood barrier which should withstand the flood level about 0.5 m above that of 2011.” Construction work for this project started in April, and will be completed in time for this year’s monsoon season.

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Though the buildings were earthquake-proof and structural damage was minimal, the disaster still took its toll on NIMS. Many research projects ground to a halt due to damaged laboratory equipment, loss of power and a cutback in government spending following the earthquake. Many overseas students and researchers chose to return home to avoid the disruption and exposure to radiation, leaving the institute short-staffed.

In the following months, NIMS formed a number of collaborations to help share resources until libraries and other facilities could be restored.

“A number of major publishers offered NIMS assistance in the form of free access to their journals and databases,” explained Mikiko Tanifuji, the general manager of NIMS’s Scientific Information Office, “And Tokyo University immediately established a unified authentication system that allowed library consortia member universities to access their online journals.”

In preparation for future crises, NIMS are currently integrating their print and electronic library resources with the ultimate aim of establishing a centralised online library, accessible even when the NIMS library system is down in a blackout.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan

AIST

AIST’s Tsukuba headquarters were caught in the midst of the earthquake, and one of the buildings suffered severe structural damage. At the Sendai headquarters it took six days for power to return. In both hubs infrastructure recovery was very slow, as high-tech scientific equipment worth millions of dollars were damaged. Not even the waste water pipelines running from labs were spared.

Research activities were suspended for a month, and it took until August 2011 to repair all the structural damage. However, AIST has played an extremely active role in rebuilding the region as a whole, helping to monitor radiation levels, sharing resources and providing shelter and outreach to local people. They even provided AIST’s therapeutic A broken electron microscope at AIST ‘Paro’ robot seals to evacuation shelters in Tsukuba City to help comfort local people.

Masahiro Aoki from the Geological Survey of Japan told ResearchSEA that as well as causing large scale damage, the earthquake also encouraged innovation.

“During the obliged break [from research] a sort of ‘evolution’ commenced,” he said. “Scientists started planning research to be more productive, less time and space consuming, more interactive among scientists, and safer for future earthquakes.”

Tohoku University Library

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Library Japan

PEOPLE

Tohoku University Medical Library, March 14th 2011

Tohoku University Library, Japan When the earthquake struck, around 400 people were using Tohoku University library, one of the largest and oldest libraries in Japan. Thankfully they all safely evacuated the building amidst what can only be described as a book avalanche. It took only a few minutes of tremors to topple over 2 million books off their shelves, a heartwrenching sight for library users and staff.

The restoration process was extremely labourintensive. Much restoration work was undone when massive aftershock hit on 7 April, but thanks to the tireless round-the-clock efforts of staff and over 1000 volunteer students the main library and its four branch libraries (Medical, Science, Engineering and Agricultural) were fully functional again after just three months: a truly incredible achievement.

Medical library staff Kayo Sakamoto and her colleagues told ResearchSEA that they hope to prevent this kind of damage in the future by fitting safety stoppers on bookshelves, remarking that during an earthquake books can be transformed into dangerous weapons!

For further information contact: Mikiko Tanifuji National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: tanifuji.mikiko@nims.go.jp Dr Yoshinori Miyazaki National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan Email: yoshi-miyazaki@aist.go.jp Dr Masahiro Aoki Geological Survey of Japan, AIST Email: msaoki@midx.com Aiko Watanabe Tohoku University Library, Tohoku University, Japan Email: aikokw@library.tohoku.ac.jp Dr Hugh Thaweesak Koanantakool National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Email: htk@nstda.or.th Dr Supreedee Rittironk Thammasat University, Thailand Email: sdr@tu.ac.th

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PEOPLE

Qurren

Dams change the drainage patterns of rivers, which can cause conflicts.

Resources cause conflict in Southeast Asia Most countries in Southeast Asia are rich in natural resources such as forests, water and land, but who gets the right to use these and how? Conflicts arise when different groups’ interests and needs are incompatible, or when the priorities of some are ignored in policies, programs and projects. Such conflicts are an inevitable feature of all societies, and their impacts can linger for generations.

A classic example is the case of the Pak Mun Dam in Thailand. This conflict began at the inception stage of the project in 1989. Today, depletion of downstream fishery resources and diversion of water for hydroelectric use rather than irrigation have badly impacted on the livelihoods of artisanal fisheries and marginal farmers in the area, as well as damaging the environment. Successive governments have failed to resolve the conflict, which still remains a subject of heated controversy.

Water Conflicts Though land has historically been the focus of resource conflict, increasing water shortages combined with the insatiable demands of burgeoning populations, industry and agriculture are likely to prompt fresh disputes. Back in 1995, Ismail Serageldin - the first chairperson of the Global Water Partnership - said that “If the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water - unless we change our approach to managing this precious and vital resource.”

Over fifteen years later Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are all experiencing changing patterns of floods, coastal storm surges, and erosion as a result of climate change. As a developing For further information contact: Professor Suwit Laohasiriwong Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Email: president@npu.ac.th

region, Southeast Asia’s GDP is highly dependent on environmental conditions, and any large changes could seriously impact on agriculture, commerce, and the growing tourist industry.

Changing river drainage patterns present especially grave threats to agriculture, food security and livelihoods of marginal farmers. The recent drastic drop in water levels in the Mekong River, blamed by many on Chinese dam-building on upstream tributaries, has led to rising political tensions among several countries, and threatens to destabilize the entire region. Similarly, communities in Burma are calling for a halt to the plans to build new dams in the state of Karenni after large volumes of water released from the Mobye dam flooded agricultural land and submerged whole villages in the area.

Despite these concerns, more dams are planned in China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand, and it seems inevitable that water conflicts in these regions will greatly intensify.

Violent Conflicts Peaceful protests over resource use can escalate into violent conflicts, particularly when land is mismanaged.

These conflicts often arise when a desire to protect and conserve forests involves displacing local communities from land they believe is rightfully theirs. In parts of Borneo, for example, violence related to forest use has become increasingly common, with local groups threatening to blockade access or storm and ‘reclaim’ land from forest development companies.

Poor enforcement of forest protection policies is attributed to corruption at the highest levels, and massive deforestation has taken place across the whole of Southeast Asia. Attempts to improve governance in several countries have been largely unsuccessful, and uncontrolled forest exploitation on common land for private benefit continues to hamper economic development, impoverish rural people, and damage the environment. USAID has reported that 12 out of 27 countries in Asia experience forest conflicts, and in Indonesia around 10 per cent of the population (some 22.5 million people), are affected by the consequences.

Solving the problem Many believe the problem lies in the way public policies are formulated. Natural resource policy in Asia often takes a “top-down” perspective, without active or meaningful participation from local communities and those who actually use the resources. Centralised administration and enforcement make the situation worse, leaving communities disempowered, even though they may be the ones most affected by policies that allow or encourage uncontrolled exploitation of resources. Policies and practices often fail to take local rights, customs and traditions into account.

According to Dr Suwit Laohasiriwong, an expert in conflict resolution from Nakhon Phanom University in Thailand, natural resource management programs must consider all stakeholders, including local communities, in order to be effective and sustainable. Mechanisms for conflict resolution need to be incorporated from the outset, in order to ensure that local disputes are constructively dealt with, and reduce the chances of their escalation into national or regional confrontation.

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PHYSICS

Wilson Lee

Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge spanning the Rambler Channel

Testing the strength of Stonecutters Bridge New software is being developed to simulate the ability of Hong Kong’s Stonecutters Bridge to withstand natural disasters and long term use.

Spanning just over a kilometre, Stonecutters Bridge is the second longest cable-stayed bridge in the world (the longest being China’s Sutong Bridge across the Yangtze River). The bridge connects the southeast cape of Tsing Yi Island with Stonecutters Island, spanning the Rambler Channel.

Since its completion in 2009, Stonecutters Bridge has not yet been exposed to any large scale environmental disasters. Although safety features were incorporated into its design, planners are eager to test the bridge’s resilience to these scenarios, given the region’s susceptibility to typhoons, which have been known to damage similar bridges in other locations.

A structural health monitoring system was recently installed by the Hong Kong Highways Department (HyD) and researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University are working in collaboration with the HyD to develop software to simulate the effects of extreme events on the bridge, so that its structural soundness can be thoroughly assessed.

They will simulate strong hurricane-style winds, ground motion (that could be caused by earthquakes), ship collision with the bridge’s pylons and the combined force of heavy traffic and fluctuating winds. The results are anticipated towards the end of 2013, and will help optimise maintenance recommendations to ensure the bridge’s continued safety for many years to come.

For further information contact: Professor Xu You-Lin Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: ceylxu@polyu.edu.hk

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PHYSICS

Fulton Design

Growing nanowires

A flexible cell squeezing between microscopic pillars - as small cells pass through

Sorting cells

For further information contact: Dr Keng-Hwee CHIAM Institute of High Performance Computing Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: chiamkh@ihpc.a-star.edu.sg

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

The ability to separate cells according to size and shape is extremely useful. One popular method involves the use of ‘micropillars’ which act as a kind of sieve for cells.

Small cells are able to pass through the narrow gaps between pillars, while cells that are too large bump into them. This technique can be used to sort blood samples, for example, into platelets, white cells and red cells. However, a limitation of the technique is that cells that are flexible in structure, like the cell in this image, are often sorted incorrectly, as they can squeeze in between the pillars. Researchers at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing have created a two-dimensional computer model to examine the different possible routes taken by flexible cells through the device pillars. The model can accurately predict the paths taken by different types of cells, which are affected by the orientation, arrangement and size of the pillars. Team leader Keng-Hwee Chiam explains, “This shows us what design parameters to avoid, and could benefit future biological technologies.”

Japanese researchers have developed a completely new, and surprisingly simple, technique for making polymer nanowires.

Nanotechnology and the creation of materials like nanowires that measure only a few billionths of a metre, has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years because of its many potential uses. In future, nanowires may be used to link tiny components together, making extremely small electrical circuits within various gadgets.

Polymer nanowires can be made of materials like polystyrene, and have several advantages over nanowires made from inorganic materials. They are extremely flexible and optically transparent, so they could potentially be used in nano-sized sensors, lightemitting devices and optical switches.

They are usually constructed using moulds, but this method only produces comparatively thick nanowires with diameters of around 100 nm. For many practical applications nanowires should ideally be much thinner.

Furthermore, the use of strong chemicals to extract the finished nanowires from moulds restricts the materials that can be used to make them.

To tackle these issues a team of scientists at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science have developed a completely new fabrication technique, which is capable of producing super-thin, 10 nanometres (nm) nanowires. The material is simply irradiated with a precisely controlled laser beam, which causes a nanowire to ‘grow’ at the point of irradiation.

Using this method they also discovered that it is possible to introduce new functions to the nanowires by adding other compounds to the starting material. Until now, this was extremely difficult. The new technique is expected to enable the use of nanowires for various applications, including in the wiring of smartphones and other portable electronic devices where miniaturisation is required.

A polystyrene nanowire containing iron oxide nanoparticles.

For further information contact: Dr Masahiro Goto International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: goto.Masahiro@nims.go.jp

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PHYSICS

W. Pokapanich

The liquid microjet, with a diameter of around 10 micrometres

Shedding light on liquids Wandared Pokapanich, of Nakhon Phanom University in Thailand, has helped to develop a pioneering technique that explores liquids at the atomic level. Her discoveries have implications in wide-ranging fields, from atmospheric and climate science to biomedical research and clinical therapy.

Water supports all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth. Other liquids are also important in biological systems, and are necessary for many industrial and chemical processes. Knowing the exact properties of water and other liquids therefore reveals much about the world around us.

While solids have very regular molecular arrangements and gases have no regularity at all, liquids are in the middle. Their global arrangements are fairly irregular, giving them overall fluidity. But at a local level, the molecules are constantly interacting with one another. Studying this arrangement in pure liquids and solutions is important for fully understanding their properties.

An ideal way to study this is a technique called photoelectron spectroscopy. This involves firing X-rays or ultraviolet light at a material, which causes it to release electrons. Measuring the energy of these electrons reveals information about the molecular organisation and properties of the material being studied. By controlling the energy of the radiation used, specific elements can be targeted.

This method works well for solids and gases, but is problematic for liquids. The procedure must be carried out in a vacuum to avoid interference, but liquids vaporise in these conditions, making the standard technique impossible. Pokapanich worked at Uppsala University in Sweden on developing an adapted system that allows photoelectron spectroscopy to be used with liquids.

The specialised technique uses a liquid microjet, first introduced in the early 1990s and developed by Pokapanich and her colleagues into a method that has already provided some unexpected insights.

"The liquid sample is pumped through a narrow nozzle into the vacuum and forms a microjet of about 10 micrometre diameter," explains Pokapanich, "This means that a relatively small area of liquid is exposed to

vacuum." This low surface area decreases the amount of evaporation, and measurements can be taken by firing X-rays at the microjet.

Pokapanich has used the technique to study a variety of systems, with some surprising results. The traditional idea that ions – the components of dissolved substances – are absent from the surface of solutions has been overturned, and it seems that they may even be enriched. In particular, analysis of seawater-like solutions has revealed that bromide ions are enriched at the surface. "[This] could explain why bromine is much more important in atmospheric chemistry than expected from its relative abundance in seawater," explains Pokapanich.

Other insights include details about interactions between water molecules and ions in solutions. By exciting the ions and seeing how the surrounding molecules respond, different behaviour has been revealed with different ions, and the distances between interacting particles may be deduced. Not only important for the fundamental understanding of solutions, this work is also relevant to medicine, since it shows how water molecules interact with ions after exposure to radiation.

"It is well known that our body contains 70 per cent of water and a few essential salts, such as bromide, chloride, fluoride, and iodide," says Pokapanich, "It is valuable to investigate how the [ions] behave after exposure to X-rays, which can apply to the radiation treatment in cancer patients."

While it is tempting to think that there is little more to learn about water, Pokapanich says otherwise: "Do you know that the water surface is acidic or that in sea spray, which contains water and salt, there is a competition between ions? Water is more complicated and interesting than we expected."

It is not just water that this photoelectron spectroscopy can shed light on either. The system has also been used to study formamide, a mixture of methanol and ethanol, and can help us to understand all the liquids around us. According to Pokapanich, this work is fundamental to understanding natural and anthropogenic processes in the biosphere.

For further information contact: Dr Wandared Pokapanich Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Email: wandared.pokapanich@npu.ac.th

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TECHNOLOGY

Victor Korniyenko

The fibres and seed pod of Calotropis procera. Commonly known as the Apple of Sodom, this shrub can grow up to 5 metres high.

New insulating material from invasive ‘Apple of Sodom’

For further information contact: Dr Mohamed Ali King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Email: mali@ksu.edu.sa

Insulating material board using cornstarch resin as a binder for the fibres with density of 130.47 kg/m3.

Mohamed Ali

The Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera) plant is often regarded as a nuisance, but thanks to researchers in Saudi Arabia it could now be the source of a novel insulating material. ResearchSEA spoke to Dr Mohamed Ali from King Saud University.

From regulating temperature in walls, pipes and electrical devices to dampening sound, insulating materials play an important part in our daily lives. But how can they be made from a plant like C. procera and what are the advantages over traditional insulation materials such as foam or mineral wool?

Lead researcher Dr Mohamed Ali explained: “This plant tends to grow in very dry areas. It grows naturally all around as a weed and animals can’t eat it, so it doesn’t have that many uses.” Unlike other natural insulating materials, such as wood fibre (also used for paper, tissue, cardboard etc.) or mineral wool (also used in plastics and the automotive industry), this means that there is no competition with other sectors or livelihoods.

“What interested me about it were the seedpods.

Inside there are lots of white fibres attached to the seeds

I collected these fibres and did some experimenting.”

To make the insulator, Dr Ali and his colleagues combined the plant’s fibres with a binding resin called phenolic formaldehyde, and compressed it to a thickness of around 2 cm. The resulting material was a stiff board with good insulating properties.

They then discovered that the finished product was just as good if natural corn starch was used in place of phenolic formaldehyde, resulting in a natural, ecofriendly material that would be cheap to produce and completely safe to use in houses.

Dr Ali said that the invention was ‘very promising’ and that he hoped to commercialise in the near future.

“It already meets industry specifications…we compared its thermal conductivity to other materials such as rock wool, and found it was very close.”

He is currently working on making it fire resistant and investigating the possibility of making a tube-shaped version that could be used as pipe insulation.

Dr Ali received a gold medal for his work at the 2011 British Invention Show.

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With supplies of fossil fuels rapidly dwindling, the pressure is on to develop renewable sources of energy.

The sun is the primary energy source of all life in the planet, and many believe that solar power could be the ultimate carbon-neutral solution. The use of solar panels is gaining popularity, but existing technologies are expensive and inefficient. New research across Asia aims to change this, using innovative new technologies to ensure continued improvement.

Record breakers Meanwhile, at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan the world efficiency record for a DSSC was recently broken. The highest energy conversion efficiency in DSSCs had remained at 11.1 per cent since 2006, but the NIMS Photovoltaic Materials Unit has succeeded in improving conversion efficiency to 11.4 per cent.

This was made possible by the development of a new additive material which makes the dye even more sensitive to light. This improves the efficiency of the cells in the visible light region by approximately 80 per cent therefore increasing the amount of electrical current generated.

Solar panels with higher conversion efficiency are more cost effective, and scientists hope that over the next few years this kind of technology will help boost their popularity as a renewable source of electricity.

Using the sun to keep cool Scientists at Nakhon Phanom and Chiang Mai Universities in Thailand are using the sun’s energy in a very different way. They’ve developed Roof Solar Collectors (RSCs), which could help cool down and ventilate houses in an environmentally friendly way, reducing the need for expensive air conditioning.

A prototype Roof Solar Collector

The technology itself is beautifully simple: energy from the sun heats up the roof tiles, and this in turn heats up the air inside the ‘chimney’ – a space between the roof and the ceiling. Because of the tendency of hot air to rise, the warmed air travels up the chimney and out into the atmosphere. This movement causes the warmest air in the house to be drawn into the chimney, leaving much cooler air behind.

The team have been carrying out laboratory-scale experiments to try and optimise the design, focusing on the relationship between heat flux (rate at which heat is transferred) and the rate at which the air flows.

At the moment, RSCs can decrease heat load from roofs by around 58 per cent, and provide good ventilation inside houses. Given that RSCs are straightforward to construct, and the materials involved fairly inexpensive, this technology could make a real difference in developing countries.

Air gap

Nakhon Phanom University

Solar power goes organic Much work is focused on developing solar cells made of low-cost materials that are cheap and easy to manufacture. These take advantage of the photoelectrical properties of organic pigments or dyes, and are known as ‘dye sensitised solar cells’ (DSSCs).

DSSCs typically contain a layer of light-absorbing dye, such as a ruthenium dye, along with a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles to maximise the surface area. When sunlight hits the dye, photons with sufficient energy are absorbed and the dye enters an excited state, which causes negatively charged electrons to be passed on to the TiO2.

The electrons lost by the dye are replaced by those stripped from iodide ions in an electrolyte, a substance carrying charged particles.

This is a popular emerging technology, and these kinds of solar panel are expected to make a significant commercial impact within this decade. At the moment, however, they are very inefficient.

An on-going project led by Menandro Marquez and Florentino Sumera at the University of the Philippines Diliman is finding new ways to fabricate DSSCs in an attempt to cut costs and boost efficiency. The materials used as sensitisers consist of polyaniline, which is cheap and lightweight, coupled with an organic dye. The team are planning to go one step further and incorporate natural dyes taken from native plants in the Philippines to try and reduce local costs.

Nakhon Phanom University

Harnessing the sun’s energy

TECHNOLOGY

Roof Solar Collectors use the sun’s energy to cool down houses

For further information contact: Menandro C. Marquez and Dr Florentino C. Sumera Institute of Chemistry University of the Philippines Diliman Email: m_c.marquez@yahoo.com, florentino_sumera@yahoo.com Dr Liyuan Han Photovoltaic Materials Unit National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: Han.Liyuan@nims.go.jp Mr Narongrit Auppapong Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Email: narong.aup@hotmail.com Dr Yottana Khunatorn Department of Mechanical Engineering Chiang Mai University,Thailand Email: piakman@dome.eng.cmu.ac.th

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TECHNOLOGY

Safeguarding air travel Global air travel continues to increase year upon year.

It has been estimated that over 30,000 new passenger jetliners and freighters could be in operation worldwide by 2025. The aircraft fleet in Asia alone is expected to triple over the same period. Ensuring aircraft safety is a critical issue, so the development of advanced maintenance and repair technologies is more important than ever.

In 2007, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) launched the A*STAR Aerospace Programme to establish a common research platform that will support the growth of local aerospace companies and technology. The programme has since funded several projects, and the number of participating companies has expanded from the original four – Boeing, European Aeronautics Defence Systems, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce – to 18 over the last few years.

The programme involves teams of A*STAR researchers comprising dozens of scientists and engineers from around the world. The number of projects is on the rise, adding impetus to the search for collaborative development with other companies and research institutes.

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Robots for surface finishing Guilin Yang leads the mechatronics team (which includes mechanical, electronic, software and systems design engineering) at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech). They recently completed a project on robotized finishing, which developed and customised industrial robots to smooth the edges of aero-engine components. In most aerospace factories, skilled workers handle these processes manually.

“The manual approach is a very time-consuming process because there are so many small features,” says Yang. “It is also difficult with manual operations to guarantee quality consistency, particularly in the tough working environment of these factories.”

So the team set about developing a robotic alternative. One of the biggest challenges they faced along the way was the fine control of contact force for the removal of ‘burrs’ along metal edges, which is considered difficult to automate because edge features are usually complex.

Yang and his colleagues had to programme the robots carefully based on both the 3D model and the material removal model of the work piece, so that their paths and forces were precisely controlled. The team eventually succeeded in getting an edge profiling of components with a finishing accuracy of up to ±0.2 millimetres. Although the project is now complete, Yang says his team will continue improving the performance of the technology.

“We have excellent infrastructure, good support from the government and a strong research foundation,” he said.

Non-destructive testing Wei Lin, a senior scientist at SIMTech, works on developing non-destructive tests for composite materials (those made from several different materials). Ultrasonic technology is widely used for the non-destructive testing of materials such as metals, but the composite materials used in modern aircraft pose a challenge for conventional methods. Materials such as carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics have a ‘sandwich’ structure comprising laminate skins and an internal honeycomb-like arrangement, and they tend to develop very peculiar flaws.

“We want to see how these defects affect the mechanical strength of the materials. A defect may still be okay to fly, but ultimately aircraft carriers want to know when they fail,” says Lin. Lin’s team has developed a technique that is performed at a frequency lower than that of conventional ultrasonic techniques. “This way very fine differences among flaws, including information about the defects such as depth, types and geometry, can be detected and identified,” says Lin. Computer simulations At A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing, Tomas Karasek and his colleagues are working on two new simulation projects that could support advanced aircraft maintenance and repair operations in the future.

One of the simulations aims to optimise the design of structures that are subject to high impact loads.

“Preventing damage of composite materials subject to high impact loads is still a daunting task. Our objective is to optimise composite materials, in term of the number of layers, the material’s constituents and even the orientation of individual layers, so that the test beam can survive the drop without damage,” explains Karasek.

They are also developing a faster and more costeffective method for the metal shot peening process—a cold finishing step in which small metallic balls are shot into a surface of a piece of metal to increase durability.

The conventional optimisation process relies on visual inspection by an experienced technician. Karasek’s team is aiming to introduce a more objective approach by creating a tool to predict the optimal coverage given parameters such as pressure, intensity and time for components of different sizes and shapes.

“The aerospace industry is rolling out cutting-edge technology and high-tech products with high added value.” Says Karasek, adding: “However, safety and reliability is always a concern. There is a lot of room for research."

For further information contact: Dr Guilin Yang Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: glyang@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg Dr Wei Lin Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: wlin@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg Dr Tomas Karasek Institute of High Performance Computing Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: tomas@ihpc.a-star.edu.sg

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TECHNOLOGY

Sinead Fenton

Wear and tear in industrial machinery can be monitored using acoustic sensors.

Acoustic sensors help detect damage Researchers at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) have developed acoustic sensors that can identify wear and tear in industrial machinery. By catching problems before they even occur, this technique promises to speed up manufacturing.

Manufacturers of precisely engineered products such as engine components are increasingly monitoring their high-speed machinery tools online to ensure product quality and reliability.

Jun-Hong Zhou and her co-workers at SIMTech have developed a technique that gives online systems the ability to assess how well a tool is working. Using small, inexpensive sensors they analyse sound waves to determine the integrity of machinery.

So how do you interpret the state of a machine based on sound? Inside machines, a change in the acoustic signal can be detected in the form of pulses of sound energy that occur when, for example, a tool is chipped or worn down. A software program is then used to scan the sound patterns and determine whether a machine needs to be shut down for maintenance. Acoustic sensors offer rapid monitoring, but analysing the complex signals they generate can be tricky, as the use of too many variables makes computation slower and less accurate.

Zhou’s team have managed to resolve these issues by developing a new dominant-feature identification (DFI) algorithm. In this approach, the acoustic signals from tools are collected using embedded acoustic sensors and converted into a low-dimensional mathematical matrix. A procedure called ‘singular value decomposition’ is then applied which ultimately reveals the variables that dominate the acoustic signal. As only a fraction of the full data set needs to be processed, DFI can analyse signals 80 per cent faster than typical methods.

The team also based their algorithm on a new model or theoretical framework called ARAMX, which allows them to dynamically update the decision software with previously predicted values. Experiments showed that this method could predict the cutting tool lifetime for ball nose cutters in a milling machine with 93 per cent accuracy, a significant improvement on other processing systems.

“DFI is very efficient for identifying key input parameters, and combining it with the ARAMX model provides accurate predictions for online machine condition monitoring,” says Zhou.

The team plans to apply their acoustic-based system to the manufacture of function-critical devices such as aircraft gearboxes and wind turbine generators in the near future.

For further information contact: Ms Jun-Hong Zhou Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: jzhou@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg.

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TECHNOLOGY

A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics

Microtag embedded in a pig intestine

Better diagnosis with mini medical devices A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) in Singapore is developing miniature devices that seek out and tag diseased cells in the gut. It is hoped that these ‘mini doctors’ will improve diagnostic capability and lead to more effective treatments for patients.

Diseases such as colon cancer or Crohn’s disease start with abnormal cells or lesions inside the intestines, and are often treatable if caught early. The difficulty is catching the initial imperfections along an internal tract that is nearly five metres long.

One method, known as capsule endoscopy, uses a tiny camera-containing capsule that is swallowed like a pill to take pictures of a patient’s gut. This is a good way to explore the small intestine and other parts of the gut out of reach of rectal or oesophageal endoscopes, but is unable to determine the exact position of problem areas.

Approximate locations of lesions can be worked out by examining the speed and transfer time of the capsule as it travels through the stomach and gut. But this technique can be inaccurate, leading to delays in treatment and adding to patient discomfort.

Scientists at IME have found a way to dramatically improve the accuracy of capsule endoscopy, by developing a heat-activated microtag that can detach from the capsule, then detect and ‘label’ abnormal tissue inside the gastrointestinal tract. Its position in the patient can then be viewed using fluoroscopy (an imaging technique involving an X-ray source and a fluorescent screen), which enables doctors to pinpoint the exact location of abnormal cells.

It’s already been successfully demonstrated in a live pig, and the team are aiming to optimise it for human use.

They hope to make the tagging module in the capsule even smaller so that a single capsule can house four or more of them, which would enable multiple sites to be labelled in the same procedure. They are also working on a tag that the body can eventually absorb, so that the structures cannot linger in the gut and cause further harm.

For further information contact: Lim Ruiqi Institute of Microelectronics Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: limrq@ime.a-star.edu.sg

A new way to measure lost light Researchers in Singapore have developed a technique which allows the transmission quality of optical fibres to be tested without the need to take measurements at both ends.

Optical fibres are thin transparent fibres down which light can be transmitted. They are used extensively in communications in place of metal wires to transmit signals.

Light traveling in an optical fibre loses power over distance. A number of factors are responsible for this power loss, but one that is particularly important is the loss that occurs due to changes in light polarisation (the orientation of light waves). This polarisation-dependent loss (PDL) can have a significant impact on signal quality and network performance.

Until now the measurement of PDL in fibre optic cables has required an optical source attached to one end and a receiver attached to the other. Now, Hui Dong and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research have developed and tested a method of determining PDL in an optical fibre cable by taking measurements from just one end. The new technique avoids the difficulty of having to access both ends of a fibre optic cable, which may be tens of kilometres apart.

The technique requires the fibre optic cable to be “birefringent” (or double refractive) at the end at which measurements are to be taken — that is, the cable must include imperfections that interact in different ways with the two perpendicular orientations of light waves. These interactions cause the two polarisations of light to travel at different speeds, splitting the light beam into two.

The PDL can then be estimated from the maximum loss encountered in a round-trip along the cable. Over a distance of ten kilometres, measurements taken with an experimental setup built by the researchers showed good agreement with measurement made using standard techniques with a light source and receiver at either end.

“We want to continue the experimental work on our PDL measurement in fibre links,” says Dong. “The PDL in a fibre link is a function of fibre length. Using our new technique, we should be able to measure the relationship between PDL and fibre length.” This would make it even easier to estimate PDL and thus test the transmission efficiencies of optical fibres.

For further information contact: Dr Junfeng Xu Institute for Infocomm Research Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: jxu@i2r.a-star.edu.sg Dr Xianming Qing Institute for Infocomm Research Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: qingxm@i2r.a-star.edu.sg

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TECHNOLOGY

Michael Maggs.

Barnacles anchor themselves to rock and other surfaces.

five to 100 microns in diameter. A smooth surface without pillars was used as a control. Larvae were then allowed to explore the surface and filmed using a microscope.

The larvae seemed unperturbed by five-micron high pillars, as they could still from a firm attachment over them. Thirty-micron high pillars, however, had a dramatic impact on their behaviour. Diameter also had an effect: larvae found it difficult to attach to the sides of slim pillars, and tended to try and squeeze into the cracks between thicker ones.

“These findings have spawned a multidisciplinary research programme whose objective is to engineer patterned surfaces and measure performance by quantifying their interactions with marine organisms,” said Birch

A battle against barnacles

Agency for Science, Technology and Research

Researchers at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore have found that engineering the texture of metal surfaces may help to eradicate the problem posed by barnacles in the shipping industry.

The US Navy estimates that unwanted ‘hitchhikers’ like barnacles, which accumulate on ships’ hulls, can reduce ship speed by 10 per cent and increase fuel consumption by a whopping 40 per cent. Coating the hull with poisonous chemicals can help stop this happening, but can have terrible knock-on effects for other marine organisms. William Birch and his colleagues at A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering are working on a more environmentally friendly solution.

Adult barnacles, once attached to a surface, stay there for life. It is up to their tiny mobile larvae to choose a place to settle. To avoid the need for harmful chemicals, the researchers need to find a new way to prevent barnacle larvae settling on ships in the first place. The key to success may lie in creating a surface which the larvae have difficulty latching on to.

Previous studies have shown that barnacle larvae prefer to settle in cracks and depressions that offer better protection from the currents in which they feed, but the way surface texture affects their choice to settle on a micro scale is unknown. To explore this in detail, the researchers decided to compare the behaviour of barnacle larvae on different surfaces.

The team constructed plastic surfaces textures with tiny pillars placed just 10 microns apart. The pillars were five microns or 30 microns high, and ranged from

An exploring barnacle larva.

For further information contact: Dr William Birch Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Email: w-birch@imre.a-star.edu.sg

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TECHNOLOGY

Testing technology for safer jet engines Jeff Dahl

In a typical gas turbine jet engine, air is compressed by the fan blades as it enters the engine, and it is mixed and burned with fuel in the combustion section. The hot exhaust gases provide forward thrust and turn the turbines which drive the compressor fan blades.

A research group at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) has found out a reliable way to test the integrity of metal blades in jet engines.

The metal blades on turbines found inside these machines are subject to ‘resonance’, or repetitive vibrations. A familiar example of resonance is a playground swing, which acts as a pendulum. Attempts to push the swing at a faster or slower tempo than its resonant or ‘natural’ frequency will result in different shaped arcs. Similarly the blades in turbines also cause resonance, in this case high speed vibration at several thousand hertz (vibrations per second).

Because of this they must be tested for fatigue periodically. Researchers at NIMS have developed

fatigue test devices capable of testing at a high frequency (20,000 Hz) using ultrasonic vibration – a vast improvement on existing technology.

To achieve this, they had to overcome several difficulties. Because ultrasonic fatigue testing uses the phenomenon of resonance, the number of factors influenced by temperature is extremely large, making it difficult to design a device that takes them all into account. The team also uncovered factors which had been overlooked in conventional research by conducting trial-and-error experiments and succeeded in correcting previous problems. The result was a completely new commercial testing device incorporating a large number of special improvements. The device can perform accurate fatigue tests at temperatures of 1000°C, and is therefore capable of testing metal fatigue under conditions similar to those inside jet engines.

The technology will improve the safety of jet engines and gas turbines, and is also expected to accelerate research and development of materials for use in high strength turbine blades.

For further information contact: Dr Yoshiyuki Furuya Materials Reliability Unit National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: Furuya.Yoshiyuki@nims.go.jp

Could the Star Trek tricorder become a reality?

Ti m

Da vi es

Agency for Science, Technology and Research

biological phenomena such as increased blood flow Scientists in Singapore and the UK have developed around tumorous growths. a new way to create terahertz radiation The team creates a strong beam of T-rays by (or T-rays), the technology behind full-body shining light of differing wavelengths on a pair of special security scanners. They say their new, electrodes - two pointed strips of metal stronger and more efficient T-rays separated by a 100 nanometre gap. could be used to make better medical Electromagnetic waves are produced by an scanners and may lead to innovations interaction between the pulses of light and a similar to the “tricorder” scanner used in powerful current passing between the Star Trek. electrodes. The unique tip-to-tip electrode T-rays are waves in the far infrared part of structure greatly enhances the terahertz field the electromagnetic spectrum that have and amplifies the waves generated. wavelengths hundreds of times longer than Lead author Dr Jing Hua Teng visible light. Such waves are already in use in from the A*STAR Institute of Materials airport security scanners and prototype Research and Engineering (IMRE) in medical scanning devices. T-rays can sense Singapore explains, "The secret behind the molecules such as those present in cancerous Optical microscope innovation lies in the new nano-antenna that tumours and DNA, because every molecule has picture showing electric we had developed and integrated into the its unique signature in the terahertz range. field distribution semiconductor chip. These created much However, T-rays need to be created at very low stronger terahertz fields that generate a power output temperatures, which requires a vast amount of energy. that is 100 times higher than conventional antenna Consequently, existing T-ray imaging devices have low structures." output power and are very expensive.

Research co-author Stefan Maier, said: "T-rays Now, an international team of researchers have promise to revolutionise medical scanning to make it found a way to produce T-rays at room temperature, and faster and more convenient." have created a much stronger directional beam than was previously thought possible. This breakthrough will allow future T-ray systems to be smaller, more portable, For further information contact: easier to operate, and much cheaper.

Dr Teng Jinghua The new technology could provide part of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering functionality of a Star Trek-like medical "tricorder" - a Agency for Science, Technology and Research portable sensing, computing and data communications (A*STAR), Singapore Email: jh-teng@imre.a-star.edu.sg device - since the waves are capable of detecting

call for papers

AP-IRC 2012 The Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2012 NOV 15-16th 2012 Irago Sea-Park & Spa Hotel, Tahara, Aichi, Japan event features Keynote lectures: • Daniel E. Morse (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA) “Molecular, cellular and developmental biology and thoughts on public understanding of science” • Sakae Tanaka (AQUABIT Corporation, Japan) “Future prospect 2012-2025 -How will the World and our business change in future-”

Special session:

• Jing-Feng Li (Tsinghua University, China) “Recent advances in thermoelectric materials research” • Seiichi Takenoshita (Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Japan) “Turning a tragedy into a miracle -Fukushima Medical University version for revitalization-” • Takashi Ohira (Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan) “Electric Vehicles on Electrified Roadways (EVER) -Powering Electric Cars by Exploiting Radio Frequency Displacement Currents via Revolving Tires-”

• Advanced topics will be presented on: Energy Minimization of Future Mobile System • Yasuaki Kohama (Tohoku University, Japan) Ground Effect Transport System: Aerotrain

Themes for papers: • Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment

• Masayuki Kawamoto (Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan) Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC)

• Medicine and Public Health/Welfare

• Keiji Aoki (Japan Automobile Research Institute, Japan) Energy ITS Automated Platoon Project

• Advances in Science, Technology and Life Sciences

• Yoshitsugu Hayashi (Nagoya University, Japan) Energy Minimum Mobile Society

Invited speakers: • Robert Geller (University of Tokyo, Japan) “Limitations of predicting earthquakes and the myth of safety at Fukushima” • Yoshimitsu Okada (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Japan) “Recent progress of seismic observation networks in Japan”

• Disaster Prevention and Management Publication: • Conference proceedings to be published in the Journal of Physics - Conference Series.

Deadlines: • Abstract: August 31, 2012 • Acceptance Notice: September 20, 2012 • Manuscript: October 31, 2012 Organiser: • Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Insitute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology Chairman: • Yoshiyuki Sakaki (President, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan)

• Uracha Ruktanonchai (NanoDelivery System Lab, NANOTEC, Thailand) “Nanotechnology for natural disaster mitigation” • Susumu Sakata (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan) “Microbial methanogenesis as the process of methane hydrate formation”

http://www.apirc.jp

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