Press releases

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Asia Research News Partnerships
08 Jan 2024
In the bustling cities and remote villages of Asia, a silent revolution is taking place. The traditional chalk-and-talk classrooms are gradually giving way to a more technologically advanced, AI-driven educational paradigm. This shift, experts say, is transforming the way education is both delivered and received in Asia.
Asia Research News
05 Jan 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are self-sacrificing cancer cells, tiny new drones that kill cancer cells and a living “skin” that covers the Great Wall of China.
Lingnan University holds topping-out ceremony for Lingnan Hub. From left: Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University; Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University; Mr Andrew Yao Cho-fai, Council Chairman; Prof. S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; and Ms Katherine Cheung Marn-kay, Council Treasurer.
Lingnan University (LU)
05 Jan 2024
The topping-out ceremony for Lingnan Hub, Lingnan University’s first comprehensive building offering shared living space for teachers and students, took place today (5 January). The ceremony was officiated by Mr Andrew Yao Cho-fai, Council Chairman of Lingnan University; Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council; Ms Katherine Cheung Marn-kay, Council Treasurer; Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University; and Prof. S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University. The event was also attended by distinguished guests, faculty, staff and students. The construction of Lingnan Hub began in February 2022 and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024, after approximately three years of construction. Interior work has already commenced, and Lingnan Hub is anticipated to officially open in the academic year 2024/25.
Osaka University
04 Jan 2024
A team of researchers has developed an innovative method to design complicated all-α proteins, characterized by their non-uniformly arranged α-helices as seen in hemoglobin. Employing their novel approach, the team successfully created five unique all-α protein structures, each distinguished by their complicated arrangements of α-helices. This capability holds immense potential in designing functional proteins.
Conceptual visualisation of the new crystal language “Simplified line-input crystal-encoding system” (SLICES) encodes the arrangement of atoms in crystals into texts.
Lingnan University (LU)
03 Jan 2024
A research team led by Lingnan University's School of Interdisciplinary Studies Assistant Professor Xiao Hang recently devised a “crystal language” that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to create new materials with desired properties (Figure 1). This groundbreaking discovery holds the potential for creating the next revolutionary semiconductor material that makes solar energy abundant and affordable, and opens possibilities for the development of novel superconductors that effortlessly transport clean electricity with zero losses. The findings of this breakthrough research have been published in the prestigious academic journal Nature Communications, which is also the first time Lingnan University scholar published a lead-author paper on the esteemed Nature series.
Osaka University
01 Jan 2024
Researchers from Osaka University have shown that a protein called HKDC1 is a new target of another protein, TFEB, and plays key roles in maintaining the stability of both mitochondria and lysosomes. HKDC1 is essential for mitophagy to remove damaged mitochondria, and mediates mitochondria–lysosome contact, which is critical for lysosomal repair. The role of HKDC1 in maintaining the stability of these organelles counteracts cellular senescence, revealing HKDC1 as a potential therapeutic target for age-related diseases.
Lingnan University holds flag-raising ceremony on New Year’s Day.
Lingnan University (LU)
01 Jan 2024
Lingnan University held a flag-raising ceremony on New Year’s Day on campus today (1 January) to promote national education and cultivate students' sense of national identity and citizenship.
Lingnan University (LU)
01 Jan 2024
On 29 December 2023, Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President of Lingnan University and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, visited the Foshan Campus of South China Normal University (SCNU).
MAP Academy
01 Jan 2024
In the 16th and 17th centuries, religious ivory statuettes sculpted in colonial Goa sported a unique amalgamation of European and ancient Indian symbolisms. Discover the history of this Indo-Portuguese iconography and its ties to local evangelism, slavery and colonial export.
Asia Research News
29 Dec 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a dragon-like robot that can fight fires, how having a pet can avoid cognitive decline, and how an illusion can help us learn motor skills.
Tohoku University
28 Dec 2023
An international research group has engineered a novel high-strength flexible device by combining piezoelectric composites with unidirectional carbon fiber. The new device transforms kinetic energy from the human motion into electricity, providing an efficient and reliable means for high-strength and self-powered sensors.
Tohoku University
28 Dec 2023
Researchers have developed a high-speed, high-sensitivity terahertz-wave detector operating at room temperature, paving the way for advancements in the development of next generation 6G/7G technology.
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK)
27 Dec 2023
Mr Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and European Commissioner for Trade, gave a lecture on the challenges and future of global commerce and globalisation at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) on 11 December. The event attracted over 100 participants, comprising government officials, business and community leaders, economists, academics and members of the University community.
Osaka University
26 Dec 2023
In a phase 2 trial, researchers from Osaka University have found that erythromycin, a commonly used antibiotic, has acceptable safety and tolerability profiles in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1. This common form of muscular dystrophy currently has no cure, and the research team is hopeful that phase 2b and 3 trials will further reveal the efficacy of erythromycin as a treatment—at least in some patients.
Osaka University
26 Dec 2023
Researchers from Osaka University and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory found that neuronal activity induces gene expression at sites of acetylation by promoting the emergence of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), CREB binding protein (CBP), and RNA polymerase II. These proteins are targeted to the appropriate sites by CBP-mediated histone acetylation at activity-dependent gene loci.
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
26 Dec 2023
- Inauguration ceremony for the 5th DGIST President, Kun Woo Lee, scheduled for December 20 (Wednesday) - DGIST is headed toward a brilliant future as a world-class university
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
26 Dec 2023
- Professor Sung-hoon Lim’s team at DGIST has developed a metric learning technology that increases 3D object estimation performance, a key self-driving technology - Commercialization of self-driving is expected due to the reduced self-driving framework installation cost
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
26 Dec 2023
- Professor Sunghoon Im's team at DGIST has developed depth-sensing technology that can be reliably used in diverse environments by analyzing the relationship between the neural network structure and distance sensing in autonomous driving. - The new technology is expected to contribute to the development of a wide range of AI fields, such as autonomous driving, which must be performed safely in various urban settings and weather conditions
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
26 Dec 2023
- Professor Kyung-In Jang’s research team at DGIST has developed a complex taste sensor that mimics the gustatory system and detects saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and sweetness in real-time. - It is expected to be applied in various fields, including the food, cosmetics, and medicine industries
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Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
25 Dec 2023
Kavli IPMU researchers are part of a team that has shown it is possible to image small animal tissue clearly to several hundred micrometers using multi-probe imaging.
Artistic depiction of extremely reactive molecules called radicals being generated from plastic fibers. (Illustration: Koji Kubota and Hajime Ito)
Hokkaido University
25 Dec 2023
Researchers employ common plastics to kickstart radical chain reactions, creating a way to reuse plastic waste while improving process safety and efficiency.
Exploring the correlation between restriction on human mobility and the cost of lifestyle-related diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic
Osaka Metropolitan University
22 Dec 2023
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University assessed the correlation between human mobility restrictions and the medical costs associated with lifestyle-related diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional study revealed that an increase in walking and public transit use was associated with reduced medical costs of lifestyle diseases. These findings implicate governments to take measures other than restricting walking and public transit during pandemics and emphasize the importance of walkable cities.
Singapore University of Technology and Design
22 Dec 2023
SUTD researchers found that younger children were likelier to accept new information from a human than a social robot, even if both informants were previously shown to provide inaccurate information.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
22 Dec 2023
The State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was awarded the prestigious Gold Award at the Hong Kong Green Innovations Award (HKGIA) as part of the 2022 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). This recognition highlights the remarkable achievements of the CityU team in the field of green innovation. Organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee of the Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) Government, the HKAEE is renowned as the city’s annual “Oscars of Environmental Protection.”
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Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
21 Dec 2023
Kavi IPMU researchers have analyzed more than one million galaxies to explore primordial fluctuations that seeded the formation of the structure of the entire universe.
Generating canine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) without using feeder cells
Osaka Metropolitan University
21 Dec 2023
Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed an efficient, non-invasive, and pain-free method to generate canine-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). They identified six reprogramming genes that can boost canine iPSC generation by 120 times compared to conventional methods using fibroblasts. The iPSCs were created from urine-derived cells without the need for feeder cells, an impossible feat until now. Their findings are expected to advance regenerative medicine and genetic disease research in veterinary medicine.
Osaka University
21 Dec 2023
A research group led by Osaka University and University of Hawaii Manoa found that in female fruit flies, microorganisms enhance reproductive function, boosting the number of cells that form eggs and the number of mature eggs. This is done by controlling the release of hormones to speed up cell division in the ovaries, and limiting programmed cell death. These findings could improve reproductive medicine and could aid the development of new methods to enhance fertility.
Tohoku University
21 Dec 2023
Identifying low-cost metal oxide electrocatalysts is essential to help us wean ourselves off fossil fuels. Yet doing so is a time-consuming process, with lots of trial and error required. A group of researchers has explored how data mining can be employed to help speed up this process.
Osaka University
21 Dec 2023
Researchers from Osaka University have shown that the rare D-form of the amino acid alanine shows a clear circadian rhythm, and is able to affect the circadian clock and regulate gluconeogenesis, a method of glucose release, in the kidney. D-alanine upregulates genes linked to both gluconeogenesis and the circadian rhythm through the circadian transcriptional network. D-alanine is linked to many metabolic and immunological diseases, and this mechanistic insight could potentially lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
Osaka Metropolitan University
21 Dec 2023
A research team at Osaka Metropolitan University has fabricated a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor using diamond, which of all natural materials has the highest thermal conductivity on earth, as a substrate, and they succeeded in increasing heat dissipation by more than two times compared with conventional transistors. The transistor is expected to be useful not only in the fields of 5G communication base stations, weather radar, and satellite communications, but also in microwave heating and plasma processing.