Tag: Chulalongkorn University

Congratulations to all Chulalongkorn University researchers for receiving awards from international stages.

The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI), hosted an official recognition event for Thai innovators and researchers on December 14, 2022. Prof. Sirirurg Songsivilai, M.D., Ph.D., the Permanent Secretary for MHESI, presided over the ceremony and presented outstanding recognition certificates to Thai inventors and researchers who received international awards.

On this occasion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pannee Cheewinsiriwat, Assistant Vice President for Research Affairs, Chulalongkorn University, presented flower bouquets to Chulalongkorn University professors and researchers who have conducted exceptional research and enhanced the university’s reputation at the international level through competitions in foreign countries, including three inventions recognized at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2022 (SIIF 2022), which was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea:

• “Peta Gold Whitening Serum”, Gold prize, created by Prof. Dr. Nongnuj Muangsin and members of the Faculty of Science.

• “Truly Noninvasive Sweat Glucose Sensor for Diabetic Prone Person”, Silver award, invented by Dr. Nadnudda Rodthongkham and members of the Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University.

• “CoModule: Assembling the Toy Structures to Inspire Preschool Children”, Silver award, created by Asst. Prof. Pornthep Lerttevasiri and his team from the Faculty of Education. The team has also received a Gold Medal for this project from Kaohsiung International Invention & Design EXPO (KIDE 2022).

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/106389/

Each year, many people suffer from stroke, die, or become disabled and helpless. Although this disease is a sudden occurrence, it is not impossible to assess the risk in advance to prevent it.

The research team from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University have worked together to invent a tool to help assess the chance of developing a stroke caused by various causes, starting with a tool to assess stroke risk caused by heart disease called “AICute”. It is hoped that the innovation will support the care given to patients in community hospitals and small hospitals in remote areas where there is often a lack of tools and cardiologists.

Higher occurrences of stroke

Thailand has approximately 250,000 patients suffering from stroke every year. In other words, every 2 minutes, one person is likely to suffer from the disease! Of these, 30 percent may die, 30 percent are severely disabled, unable to move their limbs and their mouths appear crooked, and 40 percent of patients have a chance to completely recover or have only a few remaining symptoms.

Although most patients who suffered from a stroke are in their 50s-60s, today, the age range is increasingly younger as a result of lack of physical activity and rest, smoking, substance abuse, an imbalanced diet, and chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, snoring/sleep apnea, and heart disease.

Stroke caused by heart disease is preventable if detected early

Although stroke is life-threatening if the cause of the disease is known and treated quickly, the likelihood of recovery from the disease is high and the recurrence of the disease can be reduced.

“Determining the cause of the disease is important to provide accurate and effective treatment. If the cause is not determined, there is a chance that the disease will reoccur. And when it is repeated for the second time, the third time, the chance of being disabled is increased, causing the dependency and cost increase to be borne by the caregiver,” said Wasan Akarathanawat, M.D., the Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence.

Stroke can be caused by many reasons (read more in the information box).  Each case has a different treatment approach. Currently, 18% of stroke is caused by heart disease. “Patients in this group often suffer from atrial fibrillation and valve dysfunction or cardiac hypertrophy, which leads to a risk of thrombosis inside the heart, and the clot could drift and cause blockage in the brain, resulting in a stroke.”

Inspiration in the Development of AICute   

Dr. Wasan explained that to determine the cause of stroke caused by heart disease, a thorough cardiac examination by a skilled cardiologist, echocardiography and cardiac monitoring device are needed — a factor that is still scarce in community hospitals and small hospitals in remote areas.

“Such a hospital would not be able to refer patients for detailed checkups due to the relatively high cost. Also, sending patients to large hospitals, cardiology centers or medical schools would cause congestion in hospitals. This is why the research team has chosen first to develop innovations to assess the stroke caused by the heart.” Dr. Wasan, one of AICute’s research and development team members, further explains the meaning of the AICute name “AICute spoken quickly sounds similar to the word acute, which refers to the sudden appearance of a stroke that requires immediate treatment.”

Apart from Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University, AICute innovation is achieved through collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering of Chulalongkorn University and a group of Chula students under the auspices of Chulalongkorn University Technology Center (Chula UTC).

AICute – an easy, quick, and accurate patient assessment tool

AICute is a web application with artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and evaluate patients for the risk of stroke from heart disease. It enables doctors in the community and small hospitals to make decisions and send patients to heart examinations more rapidly, making the treatment of stroke more effective.

Dr. Wasan explains the use of AICute “doctors who use the device simply log in through the web application and fill in 2 sets of data: patient’s symptoms and their partial history, together with 30-32 brain scans. Most of the small hospitals are already equipped with brain scan machines. The application then processes the data in about 30-32 minutes and then summarizes it into a report on the likelihood of stroke caused by heart disease.  Afterward, the practicing physician will read the results and decide if the patent should be referred to a cardiologist for further diagnosis.”

According to Dr. Wasan, AICute’s accuracy is at 92-94 percent according to the database of 40,000 high-resolution X-ray images. Moving ahead with AI development to identify the cause of stroke and save Thai people’s lives . Dr. Wasan reveals that AICute is still in the research phase and has been tested at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital with satisfactory results. “The research team plans to continue the research in a large group of real patients and collect data outside of Chula Hospital to improve the AI. It also develops an easy and beautiful interface that is expected to be completed around the middle of this year (2023) and open to other interested hospitals to use and develop the application together. In the long run, it will be released as paid commercial software.”   In the future, the research team also plans to develop AI to detect strokes from other causes, which may require additional databases of x-ray images and angiography.

Hospitals interested in AICute can contact Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bhumisiri Building, 7th Floor, Zone C, or call +662 256 4000 Ext. 80724-5 .

Continue reading at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/106014/

 

Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), delivered a speech at the conference on the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization: CTBTO organized by Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering, on Tuesday January 17, 2023, at Room 209, Building 3, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, with the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Supot Teachavorasinskun, giving a welcome speech.

The conference aims to propagate knowledge and raise awareness in the roles and significance of CTBTO among Chulalongkorn’s students and researchers. Dr. Robert Floyd’s speech came after his visit to Chula Museum.

Continue reading at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/103374/

Thailand now has 39,647 people with disabilities, over 95% of whom are using poor-quality prosthetic feet which are heavy and do not have ankles. This can adversely affect the way they walk, as well as their lives.

The figures from the National Statistical Office of Thailand have inspired a research team from the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, to develop high-quality dynamic prosthetic feet which are flexible and bendable and can store energy with each step. The prosthetic feet are made from carbon fibers, making them light weight but strong and durable. Users can walk in them on rough terrains, while exercising and during a light jog. The innovation has received the ISO 10328 strength standards from Germany and has been certified with the ISO 13485 for quality. It has also been registered as a medical device with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), been granted a petty patent, and registered in Thai SME-GP. The prosthetic feet are currently in the process of being registered with Thai Innovation, requesting the Made in Thailand certificate, and requesting for the CE Marking.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Pairat Tangpornprasert from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, explained that the dynamic prosthetic feet have undergone clinical trials with 20 patients with disabilities and yielded highly satisfactory results. The users require approximately 2 weeks to adjust to the prosthetic feet. In comparison with the imported prosthetic feet now available in the market, the innovation has comparable qualities and efficiency but with a 5 times cheaper cost of production. This can then help reduce the high cost of prosthesis and orthosis imports. Moreover, commercial production of medical devices can expand the market overseas, leading to more generation of income, export opportunities, and the country’s competitiveness.

As an engineering lecturer with an interest in medical research, Asst. Prof. Dr. Pairat had to conduct interdisciplinary research and study, which is significant as working in a singular field may
lead to difficulty in application of the research.

“Developing dynamic prosthetic feet, which are considered a medical device, required the efforts of a network of doctors and prosthetists and orthotists sharing their expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge in order to achieve good-quality dynamic prosthetic feet that meet
international standards. I am proud to have successfully produced good-quality prosthetics and helped those with disabilities to regain function of their limbs,” added Asst. Prof. Dr. Pairat.

The dynamic prosthetic foot project was funded by the National Research Council of Thailand. It is part of the prosthesis and orthosis for the disabled project under the “New Beginnings with Research and Innovation” to commemorate the Coronation of King Rama X. 67 dynamic prosthetic feet were given to people with disabilities at over 13 hospitals. The innovation is currently being considered for government medical benefit schemes so that it may be accessible for people with disabilities, which will help improve their quality of life.

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/99060/

For the first time in Thailand, a research team from Chula’s Faculty of Veterinary Science (CUVET) is the first to have successfully developed a method to culture dog pancreatic cells from stem cells and cell transplantation technology.  They aim to test the method in the lab and sick animals suffering from diabetes.

Diabetes affects not only humans but also our pets with as many as 5-10 % of the cases found in cats as well as dogs.  Treatment with insulin injections is still not very effective. For this reason, a research team from Chula’s Faculty of Veterinary Science has collaborated with Bio ink Co., Ltd., one of Chula’s spin-off companies, to develop a method for pancreatic cell culture from stem cells and cell transplantation technology for the first time in Thailand. “Diabetes in humans and pets share some similarities though the knowledge on the treatment is far apart.  Using stem cells and advanced forms of technology to treat diabetes in human beings has become a trend, so we try to apply this technology to animal treatment as well,” Assistant Professor Dr. Chenpop Sawangmek, Department of Veterinary Pharmacology Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University and co-founder of Bio ink Co., Ltd. said as he described the motivation that led to this project. “Diabetes is a chronic disease and complications can be fatal to our pets.  The inability to control sugar levels can also cause the deterioration of various organs in the body.  This is a cause of much suffering for the pets as well as their owners, not to mention the financial burden.”

Stem cell innovation in the treatment of diabetes in animals

According to Assistant Professor Dr. Chenpop, the type of diabetes mostly found in dogs is type 1 diabetes where the body lacks beta-cells to create insulin resulting in insulin deprivation in their bodies.  For type 2 diabetes, mostly found in cats, the body still has beta-cells but there is a deficiency in insulin secretion or insulin resistance. Treatment for the two types of diabetes is therefore different. Dr. Sirirat Nantavisai and Dr. Watchareewan Rodprasert co-founders of Bio Ink Co. Ltd. enumerated that for this research, the Veterinary Stem Cell and Bioengineering Innovation Center (VSCBIC), a research unit of CUVET, and Bio Ink Co, Ltd. focused primarily on the type 1 diabetes in dogs as the currently used insulin injections treatment for dogs is not very effective. “During the research process, we will create dog’s pancreatic cells which one might call insulin-producing cells (IPCs) derived from canine mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs) while developing transplantation technology to use in replacing pancreatic cells that have been damaged or destroyed.  The cells that have been produced can efficiently create and secrete insulin.” Dr. Watchareewan further explained that when used along with the double encapsulation transplantation technology, this method produces strong cells and prevents them from damage and deterioration while also preventing rejection from the immune system.

Stem cells and the hope for treating diseases in human beings and animals

At present, the research team has developed canine cell tissue for stem cell extraction and multiplication.  It has also been successful in creating the process of inducting cells along with transplantation technology.  This platform has been successful and is now ready to be tested for its efficiency and safety in both lab and sick animals.  It is estimated that within 3 years it can be used as an actual form of treatment in animals. “Stem cells can be adapted for use in various ways.  If we can successfully develop cells from stem cells, in the future all organs can be directly replaced by cells or tissues.  We are studying these options along with creating prosthetic bones to replace damaged bones or accelerate their repair along with producing eye cornea which is a collaborative research project between the faculties of Medicine and Engineering” said Assistant Dr. Chenpop.

Plans for producing medical products from stem cells

With knowledge in bioengineering and stem cell technology, the Faculty of Veterinary Science VSCBIC research unit and Bio Ink Co. Ltd. now have plans to develop stem cell products like cell therapy and stem-cell-derived products to treat pets soon.  One example is the exosome product that can be used for sick pets or administered to damaged organs for rehabilitation and repair.  It can also be adapted to treat such diseases as cancer, liver or kidney disease, and diseases stemming from organ deterioration, infections, or illnesses related to the immune system. The products are expected to be tested on lab animals within the year and in no more than two years will be offering them commercially.

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/92729/

 

 

 

 

  

Chula Environmental Research Institute (ERIC) researcher has developed potassium liquid soap from used cooking oil to add value to community waste and enhance the community’s potential in waste management and organic farming.

In 2022, an estimated 115 million liters of used cooking oil (UCO) which is harmful to human health and the environment require proper management. Though some UCO is turned into biodiesel, a large quantity gets thrown out into the sewer or mixed with other types of garbage causing contamination, and great damage to the environment. In the landfill, it can generate methane, a greenhouse gas that is 23 times worse than carbon dioxide!

This prompted Dr. Nattapong Tuntiwiwattanapun, an ERIC researcher of Chulalongkorn University, to develop UCO into potassium liquid soap (K-soap).

The research team started by being tasked by Chula to tackle the fat residue and UCO problem on campus. They were successful in making the fat residue into water-soluble potassium liquid soap that was then composted with the Chamchuree (rain tree) leaves. This method could get rid of the fat residue while enriching the Chamchuree fertilizer with potassium.

With its surface-active agents, K-Soap is as effective as other cleansers on the market. It has low toxin for microbes making it 100% biodegradable, and it has disinfesting abilities at the levels permitted by organic farming standards.

The K-Soap production project was started with a community enterprise at Baan Phai Lueang in Nan Province as part of eco-tourism and circular economy promotion. The K-soap was used to clean garbage trucks, road surfaces, and public places and was well received. It is easy to manufacture at much lower costs. The Pak Lad Community of Samut Prakan Province also implements a similar project based on the Zero-Waste concept.

In collaboration with Chula’s School of Agricultural Resources, the project has enhanced the soap’s biopharmaceutical ingredients that safely control plant diseases and pests and benefit organic farming. It is being tested by groups of organic farmers as alternative pest control and is expected to be ready in 2023 or 2024.

In the future, the project hopes to try using K-soap to wash fruit and vegetable right on the farms for added safety.

Gami +, a Google Classroom Add-on developed by a Chula faculty member is designed to help instructors create an online learning environment that’s as fun as playing games. Over 6,000 classrooms have been opened with as many as 120,000 real users.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has finally abated and onsite classes have resumed, the trend towards online learning continues with the key challenge of keeping learners’ focus on learning activities. “From our research experience on online learning, we found that learners are often distracted and bored, so their learning efficiency is reduced,” said Associate Professor Dr. Prakob Koraneekij from the Department of Educational Technology and Communication, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University.

Having been selected by Google Asia Pacific to research Google Solution that promotes proactive learning for students in the 21st century, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prakob and Professor Dr. Jintavee Khlaisang had the opportunity to study Google Workspace for Education thoroughly and later used the insights gained to design and develop Gami+, an add-on application for Google Classroom to help modern teachers manage online classes more efficiently.

“Gami + will help transform a regular online classroom into a challenging game, showing learning progress, and leading to competition, and motivation for learners,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prakob said.

The work has won several international awards, including a silver medal from The International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada, iCAN 2022, an International Special Award from the International Federation of Inventors Associations – Focal Point Middle East, and a Canadian Special Award from the Innovation Co-operative Initiative, Inc. “The Inventors Circle”.

Gamification of Learning

Gami + (or GamiPlus) is an add-on application for Google Classroom — a worldwide educational platform with more than 150 million users worldwide.  In Thailand, 50-60 percent of the users are in elementary and higher education levels.

The principle of gamification does not refer to the game itself, but to the techniques, mechanisms, and elements of the game, such as giving missions, collecting points, advancing levels, giving badges or achievements or leaderboards, creating an environment, and driving fun learning. For Gami+, there are gamification for teachers to choose from, namely digital badges, progress levels, leaderboard, and linking learners’ workloads and scores from Google Classroom to determine the conditions for the promotion. These elements motivate learners to enjoy and take ownership of self-learning.

Currently, there have been 11,777 Gami+ downloads and installs through the Google Workspace Marketplace, and more than 4,500 teachers and instructors have created a gamified environment in more than 6,000 classrooms.

In the future, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prakob plans to develop Gami+ Intelligence using artificial intelligence technology to guide teachers and instructors to offer gamification that’s more attuned to learners’ needs.

Interested persons can download Gami + for free! via Google Workspace Marketplace or the Gami + website at https://gamiplus.edii.in.th.

A lecturer from the Chula Faculty of Education has developed an educational toy that instills a sense of compassion in children while teaching them to live peacefully with the elderly and people with disabilities in society.

The Doll House was developed by Assistant Professor Pornthep Lerttevasiri, Art Education Division, Department of Art, Music, and Dance Education, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University to instill empathy, and promote maturity in children, aged 3-6, so that they can live happily with others.

Social simulation

The dollhouse is unique in that the dolls portray various forms of disability including visual impairment, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, etc., and are equipped with devices used in their daily life with realistic mechanisms made of MDF (Medium Density Fiber Board) that’s safe for children. Developed based on world-class award-winning research, the dollhouse and dolls are made with patented joints and locking systems making them realistic and interesting to play with.

The fun of coexistence

The toy set comes with a basic manual on the importance of coexistence with the disabled and the elderly, as well as how to operate devices, and give appropriate help, for example, when crossing the road.

Play not Preach

Asst. Prof. Pornthep stresses that parents and teachers must read and understand the basic manual, which contains methods, guidance, and equipment information to help people with disabilities to be able to adapt the information into fun play for children.

Parents or teachers may let their children play with the dollhouse imaginatively on their own, but adults and children should spend time and learn together. It’s life learning that comes with age-appropriate fun.

“The disabled don’t need sympathy, but understanding and help in the right way. The dollhouse is fun for children to play with while learning how to help the disabled, how to use the equipment, and most importantly, coexist with the disabled and the elderly.

Those interested in the Doll House can contact Asst. Prof. Pornthep, Art Education Division, Department of Art, Music, and Dance Education, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Tel +662-218-2565 ext 5601.