Press releases

Lingnan University in Hong Kong has achieved encouraging results in the latest Research Grants Council (RGC) funding round for the General Research Fund (GRF), Early Career Scheme (ECS), and Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS). Lingnan’s research performance is widely acknowledged with a total of HK$24.4 million granted for 39 projects, the highest sum over the years and a 17 per cent increase over last year’s HK$20.8 million. Seven of these projects will receive more than or close to HK$1 million.

Results compare favorably with conventional microscopic method, with added benefit of shorter operative times, less blood loss

Lingnan University in Hong Kong held a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Researchers from Osaka University have identified that the loss of the Men1 gene is key in the development of osteoporosis, fragile bones occurring with age. They developed a mouse model of age-related cellular aging, or ‘senescence’, in the bone for the first time. This showed that cellular senescence of bone-forming osteoblasts leads to osteoporosis due to an imbalance between the activities of bone formation and bone resorption, opening avenues for drug intervention and novel treatments.

A 90-acre garden complex in the heart of New Delhi, Lodi Gardens is one of the city’s most-loved public parks. Surprisingly, it is actually a tomb complex — dotted with mosques and domes from the Sayyid, Lodi and Mughal eras. Explore the park’s cultural and geographical significance by tracing the garden's history from the 15th century to the present, and read about the iconic figures and architectural styles associated with the monument.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how to reach your 100th birthday, a (slightly unnerving) robot covered in human skin, and a feline urine test.

Bringing us one step closer to solving the “missing satellites problem,” researchers at Tohoku University and abroad have discovered two new satellite galaxies.

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) held the Award Ceremony for its HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition (HK Tech 300 SEA Competition) on 27 June 2024. 10 start-ups from five countries across the Southeast Asia region and Hong Kong topped over 100 teams in the region, and were awarded Angel Fund investment of up to HK$1 million each from the University’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme, HK Tech 300.

To form qubit states in semiconductor materials, it requires tuning for numerous parameters. But as the number of qubits increases, the amount of parameters also increases, thereby complicating this process. Now, Tohoku University researchers have automated this process, overcoming a significant barrier to realizing quantum computers.

The first-ever Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy, organised jointly by Lingnan University in Hong Kong and Yuanpei College of Peking University (PKU), held a seven-day Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Camp-cum-STEM Competition from 22 to 28 June. Thirty of the best students from both universities formed five teams to compete on various innovative and entrepreneurial smart green technological projects. After a tight race, the project “Sustainable Green Building” team won the championship prize, and the chance to be nominated for the Lingnan University Entrepreneurship Fund, and will be put up for an application for seed or incubation funds.

We performed in situ X-ray observations of the unit-cell volume of SiO2 stishovite in a water-saturated system using a multi-anvil apparatus. The results revealed that the unit-cell volume expanded excessively at temperatures lower than 600°C, but it decreased with increasing temperature and time. Therefore, water dissolution into SiO2 stishovite is likely a metastable phenomenon and stishovite is unlikely to be a major water carrier, at least up to uppermost lower mantle conditions.

Stars blinking code in Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” may be sci-fi, but by deciphering neutron stars’ erratic flickers, a new study has revealed the twisted origin of their mysterious “heartbeats.”

Scientists show the interplays in late emerging adulthood between employment status, identity development and life satisfaction

Lingnan University’s Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall (CYS Hall) curates Sensing Things - Phase II from now until November, exhibiting about 30 Chinese paintings and ceramics dating from the Song Dynasty to the 20th century from the Chamber of Young Snow Collection. The guided tour is free of charge, and CYS Hall will also hold two “Hands-on Journey of Traditional Ceramic Art: Porcelain Decoration” workshops in July, where participants create their own ceramic masterpieces. The public can register for free, but space is limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

- Insert electrodes inside the luminescent layer to luminate stably even in harsh environments - Strong brightness and durability even in variations... Expected to be used across many different applications, such as outdoor displays and luminous banners

- Professor Jin-ho Chang’s team at DGIST developed high-performance ultrasound-assisted photothermal therapy (ULTRA-PTT) technology using proprietary ultrasound-induced optical clearing technology. - The team developed a handpiece based on ULTRA-PTT technology, demonstrating exceptional therapeutic effects in animal experiments. - The related research is published in the prestigious international journal “Advanced Optical Materials.”

Lingnan University recently held an agreement signing ceremony on campus to mark the donation of HK$100 million by the Hopson Education Charitable Funds Limited towards establishing a university development fund and supporting Lingnan University to cultivate research-oriented talents.

Approach could have applications for microchemistry, quantum dots

Associated with the forest and healing herbs, the goddess Parnashavari is revered for her ability to cure illnesses, contagious diseases and epidemics. A folk deity for the Shavari or Sabara indigenous community of central and eastern India, she was later integrated into the Buddhist pantheon and continues to be venerated in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Learn about her iconography and the symbolic objects and weapons she wields.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how changing cloud patterns might be promoting a warmer climate and technology to see through walls or part of the invisible light spectrum.

Researchers from France, Japan, and Italy have developed BiœmuS, a low-cost, flexible, and real-time biomimetic tool designed for biohybrid experiments. This system enables closed-loop interactions between artificial and living neural networks. Moreover, BiœmuS offers accessibility and ease of use, facilitating real-time emulation of neural network dynamics both in vitro and in vivo. This interdisciplinary collaboration aims to enhance bioelectrical therapeutics and neuroprosthetic development.

To propose a deeper understanding and appreciation of Hong Kong's urban landscape, Lingnan University is proud to present a tripartite exhibition at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) from 22 June to 30 June 2024 with three independent themes: "Unfold City", "Beyond Fonts, Beyond Signboards", and "C-Lab: Laboratory for Cultural Hybridisation". Works displayed are by 18 artists based in Hong Kong and Mainland China, and include The.Plumber.King at Tai Nam Street by Hong Kong's best-known graffiti artist and plumber, Yim Chiu-tong, who has already taken part in many major exhibitions, as well as Shun Hing Restaurant by local illustrator and silhouette artist Wai Wai. The exhibition leads the audience to explore, understand, and appreciate the urban landscape of Hong Kong from a contemporary art perspective.

A special magnetic material was found to create terahertz waves four times more intense than conventional ones. This technology is expected to be used in a variety of industrial fields, including imaging, medical diagnostics, security inspection, and biotechnology.

WSA's Office of Research in Clinical Amplification (ORCA) Asia will be a research laboratory dedicated to conducting audiological research for the Asian population.

・In situ deformation experiments on olivine were performed using a high-flux synchrotron X-ray and a “mobile” multianvil apparatus at BL05XU, SPring-8. ・Transient creep of olivine aggregates follows the Burgers creep function at upper mantle pressures and temperatures. ・Time-dependent rheology of the shallow mantle observed in the late post-seismic deformation is explained by the Burgers model.

Study suggests mycoviral infections affect the ecology of host oomycete

Researchers have proposed using the levels of caffeine, a common household pollutant that isn’t otherwise found in the environment, to find likely sources of leaks in wastewater systems.

Topological insulators have an interior that acts as an electrical insulator, with a surface that acts as an electrical conductor. Most of the discovered topological insulators to date have been either three or two-dimensional. But researchers have recently unveiled a one-dimensional topological insulator, with the discovery paving the way for further developments in qubits and solar cells.

Study shows fish may use punishment to promote help from their offspring

A study from Duke-NUS Medical School and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) estimates that the yearly additional costs of about S$700 per person are mainly due to emergency and subsequent hospital admissions. In total, these costs are set to rise to S$106 million annually in 2030 as the population ages.