PolyU Science in the News

PolyU and Alibaba Join Hands to Promote Integration of Fashion and Artificial Intelligence

The Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) collaborates with the Vision and Beauty Team at Alibaba Group, which specializes in vision intelligence and applications, to establish the first-of-its-kind "FashionAI Dataset" for systematic analysis and labelling of fashion images based on "fashion attributes" (fashion characteristics) and "key points" of an apparel. By integrating fashion knowledge and machine learning formulation, the establishment of the Dataset will enable machine to better understand fashion, bringing a new horizon to the fashion retail industry through the application of AI. "Transforming fashion knowledge into determination of fashion related attributes and fashion item categorization of the fashion image database is a very complicated and challenging task, while it is the most fundamental task in deep learning applications. ITC is pleased to collaborate with Alibaba to address the needs of fashion retailers and consumers," said Professor Calvin Wong, Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion and Associate Head of ITC. Menglei Jia, Senior Staff Engineer at the Vision and Beauty team at Alibaba commented: "There is a huge potential for AI applications in the fashion industry. In order for AI to understand fashion, which could be very subjective, we need to turn fashion knowledge and experience into language that machine can understand." Jia added, "We hope to work with academics and the industry alike to explore the wider applications of AI in scenarios including fashion mix-and-match, assisting design and shopping guide, with the aim to bring new values to the fashion industry. The traditional fashion sector should embrace the new retail practice, and we hope FashionAI can be a bridge that connects AI with fashion." Challenges presented by data on fashion image Current fashion image searching technology used on online platforms is based on the whole fashion image to search the exact or other similar images. However if a customer is interested in some particular fashion attributes of a fashion image and wants to search other fashion items with these attributes, the current searching technology cannot meet the needs of the customer. This greatly limits the potential development and applications for offering more customized shopping experience. From artificial intelligence (AI) research perspective, this limitation of the current image searching technology is caused by the absence of available fashion image dataset constructed with both fashion professional knowledge and fulfils the requirement of deep learning, i.e. the current technology is unable to train a machine to accurately understand and recognize the fashion attributes of each fashion image. World's first dataset addressing the needs of fashion retailers Fostering the application of AI in the fashion industry, a PolyU research team led by Professor Wong, worked closely with Alibaba to develop "FashionAI Dataset" to solve two fundamental problems of the deep learning algorithm: "apparel key points detection" and "attribute recognition". Key points (e.g. neckline, cuff, waistline) and fashion attributes (e.g. sleeve length, collar type, skirt style) build the foundation for machine learning in understanding fashion images. The establishment of key points and fashion attribute database enables the computer to effectively and efficiently understand the fashion image which is fundamental for deep learning and recognition algorithms. The accuracy of key points detection is determined by several factors such as the dimension and shape of the apparel, distance and angle of shooting, or even how the apparel is displayed or the model is posing in a photo. These factors can lead to poor key points detection and result in an inaccurate analysis of fashion images by the computer. Accurate key points detection can therefore improve the performance of deep learning algorithms. Fashion attributes are the basic design elements of an apparel, and their combination determines the product category and styles of a fashion item. With the wide variety of fashion attributes, attribute recognition is a complicated process. A systemic classification of fashion attributes is essential to accurately label fashion attributes, facilitating research on deep learning and algorithm design for fashion image searching, navigating tagging and mix-and-match ideas, etc. The revolutionary Dataset can greatly facilitate understanding fashion images and related algorithm design, and developing machine learning. It would help improve the accuracy of online fashion image searching, enhance effectiveness of cross-selling and up-selling, create innovative buying experience and facilitate customization of online shopping platforms. World-first events: Artificial Intelligent on Fashion & Textile (AIFT) Conference and FashionAI Global Challenge With an aim of bringing a new horizon to the fashion retail industry through the application of AI and encouraging knowledge exchange among practitioners, PolyU and Alibaba will host two world-first events: AIFT Conference and FashionAI Global Challenge. AIFT Conference is a first-of-its-kind academic conference to bring together researchers, engineers and practitioners to share their insights on the most updated development and applications of AI and fashion. AIFT Conference will be held on 3-6 July 2018 at PolyU. This event will become an annual activity for academic exchange and networking with like-minded individuals who are redefining the world of AI and fashion, and advancing AI research in fashion and textile. For more information, please visit https://www.polyu.edu.hk/itc/aift2018/index.html. FashionAI Challenge invites worldwide AI researchers and developers to solve two imminent issues on the application of AI in fashion with over 400,000 images with high-quality annotations from Alibaba ecommerce platforms. The competition offers a prize pool of RMB 1.34 million. The FashionAI Global Challenge 2018 is open to the public, and the competition will be held from 1 February to 21 April 2018. Visit http://fashionai.alibaba.com/to learn more about the competition. - End - About Textile & Apparel Artificial Intelligence (TAAI) Research Team The TAAI research team, led by Prof. Calvin Wong, Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion, Associate Head of ITC, has been conducting fundamental and applied research on AI, computer vision and machine learning specifically for the fashion and textile industry since 2012. The projects cover the area of intelligent textile material and apparel quality inspection, large-scale fabric swatch and fashion image searching, fashion sales forecasting, and so on. The team has published numerous research articles in world leading journals, including IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, and so forth. Some articles have been ranked by Essential Science Indicators as the top 1% of the most cited articles in related fields. About Vision & Beauty Team The Vision & Beauty Team is an image team under the Alibaba Group with longest history. Since 2009, the team has been devoted to the research on the algorithm of product images and its application, and has successfully built the foundation of the widely used image research function in Alibaba. It offers search function of billions of images, optical character recognition and mix and match function. The team insists in rigorous research as well as practical application on the integration of beauty, advanced technology and business value, aiming to be the role model of "innovative technology business model". 文匯報 A21 網購花多眼亂 「時裝AI」助篩選 理大夥阿里巴巴團隊研發 料「數據集」年內智能商店應用 13 Mar 2018 信報財經新聞 A04 阿里夥理大研「時裝AI數據集」 13 Mar 2018 頭條日報 P16 拓新零售 理大夥阿里巴巴 研發時裝AI數據集 13 Mar 2018 明報 A10 阿里巴巴理大合作建數據庫 AI 助網上揀衫刁鑽要求難不倒 13 Mar 2018 大公報 A14 理大夥阿里研「時裝AI」教襯衫 13 Mar 2018 晴報 P02 「FashionAI」幫你襯衫變潮人 理大夥阿里推出 淘寶兩月後應用 13 Mar 2018 星島日報 F02 理大全球首創 服飾AI數據庫 助搭配衣物 推綫上服務 13 Mar 2018 都市日報 P16 用AI分析服飾 理大建時裝數據庫 13 Mar 2018 香港經濟日報 A12 阿里夥理大 推Fashion AI 13 Mar 2018 英文虎報 P06 Partners stitch up online fashion shopping 13 Mar 2018

PolyU signed MOU with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to jointly publish “EcoMat”

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Wiley) on 18 January 2018 to strengthen the relationship between the two parties and carry out comprehensive strategic cooperation to realize the objective of jointly publishing a World-class journal "EcoMat" in the areas of Energy and Environment. The MOU was signed between PolyU Vice President (Research and Development), Prof. Alexander Wai, and Vice President & Managing Director of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Dr Guido F. Herrmann. Under the MOU, both parties would fully take advantage of their developments in terms of academic resources, scientific researches, journal publications, and international conferences in order to contribute to successful publications and exchanges in global contexts. The collaboration between PolyU and Wiley in academic publications and conferences have flourished on various fronts in the past years. In 2014, PolyU organized the first and only special issue for Wiley's flagship journal Advanced Materials, to showcase the strength of materials research in Hong Kong. Later, PolyU continued to participate in the organization of special issues for Advanced Function Materials and Small, two most well-known journals in Advanced Materials. Last year, PolyU co-organised the 3rd Small Science Symposium with Wiley in Hong Kong, under the theme of Flexible and Wearable Devices.

PolyU develops rapid authentication method of Chinese medicines

The Food Safety and Technology Research Centre under the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a new method for rapid authentication of Chinese herbal medicines, including Ganoderma (known as Lingzhi in Chinese), and Gastrodiae Rhizoma (known as Tianma in Chinese). The new method is quick and simple, which takes around 10 minutes to analyse one raw sample, achieving various ends including authentication of genuine and counterfeit species, classification of wild types and cultivated types, as well as differentiation of geographical origins. This method can be further applied to other herbal medicines. Lingzhi and Tianma are two of the most popular and valuable Chinese medicines. Due to their high commercial values, problem of counterfeiting, adulterating and confusing Lingzhi and Tianma species is not uncommon in the market. Conventionally, fingerprint chromatography is adopted to authenticate and differentiate the species as it can provide comprehensive chemical composition of a sample. However, it is a labor-intensive and time-consuming method as it takes several hours to undergo the sample preparation and separation process for one sample. Recently, the PolyU research team adopts the direct ionization mass spectrometry (DI-MS) method to detect the major active components of Lingzhi (ganoderic acids) and Tianma (gastrodin, parishin B/parishin C/and parishin). By directly applying a high voltage on a small piece of raw sample with its surface loaded with solvents, spray ionization could be induced at the tip of the sample to generate corresponding mass spectra within minutes, as if they arefingerprints which helps identification. The presence of major active components in the DI-MS spectra authenticates genuine samples from counterfeit ones. Moreover, with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a commonly used dataset analytic tool, wild and cultivated types can be classified, while geographical origins could be differentiated. There are approximately 80 Lingzhi species while only two of them, known as Chizhi and Zizhi in Chinese, are described in Chinese Pharmacopeia. Some other Lingzhi species which have similar appearances are commonly found to be confused with the official species. On the other hand, Tianma is easily confused with two counterfeit species, namely Cacalia davidii (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. and Canna edulis Ker. Both wild Lingzhi and Tianma are very rare and cultivation has become the major source. In general, wild types have higher contents of major active components and thus better curative effect. Samples originated from different geographical locations also have variations in components due to varying cultivation conditions. The method developed by PolyU is simple, rapid, reproducible and can be easily adopted by researchers in relevant fields as no additional specialized device is required. It has the potential to be further expanded for analysis of other herbal medicines, for example, Heshouwu andWuweizi, and therefore is expected to bring positive impact on the Chinese herbal medicine industry. The research findings were published in Analytica Chimica Acta, a leading journal in analytical science.[1] [1] a. Wong, H. Y.; Wong, M. Y. M.; Hu, B.;So, P. Y.; Chan, C. O.; Mok, D. K. W.;* Yao, Z. P.* Rapid Differentiation of          Ganoderma Species by Direct Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Anal. Chim. Acta 2018, 999, 99-106.      b. Wong, H. Y.; Hu, B.;So,    P. Y.; Chan, C. O.; Mok, D. K. W.; Xin, G. Z.; Li, P.; Yao, Z. P.* Rapid Authentication of             Gastrodiae Rhizoma by Direct Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Anal. Chim. Acta 2016, 938, 90-97. Press Contacts Dr Yao Zhongping Associate Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Tel (852) 3400 8792 Email bczpyao@polyu.edu.hk 理大研發快速方法鑑別中藥真偽(Chinese) 成報 A06 理大研發 10分鐘鑑定中藥材真偽 10 Jan 2018 晴報 P22 理大研快速中藥材鑑定 辨別真偽只需10分鐘 10 Jan 2018 頭條日報 P22 理大研快速中藥材鑑定 辨別真偽只需10分鐘 10 Jan 2018 明報 A21 理大研10分鐘辨藥材真偽 是否野生亦可分化驗成本減九成 10 Jan 2018 星島日報 F01 理大研發新技術 10分鐘辨藥材真偽 較傳統方式 省時省成本 10 Jan 2018 香港商報 A15 理大研快速測試法 辨靈芝天麻真偽 10 Jan 2018 文匯報 A11 「驗指紋」快測藥材 10分鑑靈芝真偽 10 Jan 2018 大公報 A18 理大研快速測試假藥材十分鐘現形 10 Jan 2018 am730 A22 快速方法鑑別中藥真偽 10分鐘知野生或培植 10 Jan 2018 香港經濟日報 A16 靈芝天麻 快速檢測辨真偽 10 Jan 2018

PolyU Institute of Textiles & Clothing proudly presents “Self-Organisation: Junichi Arai’s Textile Anthology” A Retrospective Exhibition of World-Renowned Japanese Textile Master Junichi Arai

The Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile by MILL6 Foundation are proudly presenting TECHSTYLE Series 2.0: the second edition of the annual project to explore new meaning, experience and innovation in textile arts. The exhibition returns with the first retrospective exhibition in Hong Kong of internationally acclaimed textile artist Junichi Arai. His representative textile and artwork are being exhibited at PolyU from 16 December 2017 to 26 January 2018. The astonishing array of beautiful fabrics honours the lifelong efforts and achievements of Junichi Arai. The opening ceremony was held on 15 December, Mrs Riko Arai, the wife of Junichi Arai, was one of the officiating guests who, along with Dr Hon Tai Fai Lam, Deputy Chairman of PolyU; Prof. Angelina Yuen, Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Textiles of PolyU; Prof. John H. Xin, Head of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing of PolyU and Ms Vanessa Cheung, Founder of The Mills, unveiled the 2-month exhibition. Dubbed "The Dream Weaver", Junichi Arai was a world-renowned innovator in textiles and a master of dyeing and weaving. He dedicated his life to textile design. Often dubbed an "expert of the post-industrial age" and a "prodigy of the Japanese fabric world", he is renowned for the complexity and innovation of his textile work. He was a pioneer who began to use computers for textile design, and to treat metallic fabrics with chemical processes from the early 1970s. Combining traditional textile-making techniques with experimental production processes, Arai created many extraordinary pieces that combined both contemporary Western technologies with Eastern methodologies. Aria cooperated with Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons), to bring innovative new kinds of cloth into fashion design, which not only created a stir in the fashion world, but also brought about a new generation of design and textile innovations. The exhibition, "Self-Organisation: Junichi Arai's Textile Anthology" is the first retrospective exhibition for the master in Hong Kong, and pays tribute to Arai's lifelong efforts and achievements. The exhibition offers an immersive experience into the sensorial, textural, and visual inner world of the artist. The exhibition also reviews the course of Aria's designs, and demonstrates the artists unique design ideals with several different forms of textiles and clothing. Arai sheds new light on textile art from his unique perspective with a view to providing possibilities for exploring new innovations in clothing and textile art for the future. The "Self-Organisation" theme of the exhibition reflects Aria's innovative artistic approaches toward traditional textile weaving techniques, which will be fully explored in the future. Some of Arai's latest masterpieces will be showcased at the exhibition, including his famous "Light Vortex" and "Big Blue Vortex", which portray a Japanese Zen garden. Other major large-scale works include "Vortex" which was inspired by ancient Hmong totems and intertwines the world view of Datong, and "Mountain glacier" which knits wool, nylon and aluminum-cut yarns together. Only the wool in the middle is washed which then forms curves suggesting mountain ranges. Dr Kinor Jiang, Associate Professor of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at PolyU explained that, "traditional textile design fell into a period of bewilderment in both the cognition of tradition, and future direction in the face of the mega industrial era of the second half of the 20th century.  In such a special period, the contribution of Arai's research and exploration cannot be underestimated. Junichi Arai's works have become a source of inspiration for textile designers everywhere. The metallic and jacquard textiles he created, in particular have had profound impact. "Reviewing Junichi Arai's works reminds us of the master's creative thinking, and inspires us to associate textiles with the future. The exhibition shows how Junichi Arai's vision of textiles crossed boundaries between craft and technology, design and art. It sheds new light on textile art design from the artist's unique perspective, and opens up new possibilities for innovation in future clothing and textile art, and for promoting the joint development of the textile and clothing industry in China and Japan." TECHSTYLE Series 2.2 Self-Organisation: Junichi Arai's Textile Anthology Exhibition Venue 1:The Fashion Gallery, MN109, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Venue 2:Innovation Gallery, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Exhibition Period: 16 December 2017 – 26 January 2018 Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00 –19:00 Organiser: • Institute of Textiles & Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Co-Organisers: • Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile by Mill6 Foundation Biography of Junichi Arai Junichi Arai(1932-2017), was a renowned master of textile artistry. He was born in Kiryu, Japan. He started hand weaving at an early age in his family's mill, and then devoted himself to innovative fabric design. In the 1970s and 80s, he collaborated with renowned fashion designers, such as Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo, to bring innovation new fabrics into fashion design. His unconstrained creation of fabrics brought entirely new materials into fashion, and inspired many original new ideas. From the 1970s, Arai worked on Jacquard textiles producing oriental style textile designs, which were a synergy of artistry and utility. The Works of Junichi Arai displayed a perfect integration of textile dyeing, and traditional craft, with a knowledge of modern chemistry, and new technology, thereby creating textiles of unsurpassed allure. He called himself a "Textile Creator", but was also called a "Post-Industrial Expert" and a "Talent of Japan's Fabric Industry". He and other Japanese avant-garde fashion designers are regarded as the core group for contemporary textile products. His works are included in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum London, the Museum of Modern Art New York and the American Craft Museum. 香港理工大學紡織及製衣學系呈獻 日本紡織大師新井淳一首個回顧展 「自組織化 : 新井淳一經緯世界藝術展」(Chinese) 明報高中升學網 香港理工大學紡織及製衣學系呈獻 日本紡織大師新井淳一首個回顧展 「自組織化 : 新井淳一經緯世界藝術展」 27Dec 2017 星島日報 理大辦日紡織大師回顧展 29 Dec 2017

PolyU and JIFSAN collaborate on food safety courses

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced on 14th December the collaboration with the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), a centre of excellence established by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Maryland, to provide science-based food safety training in Hong Kong and Shenzhen recognized by FDA. PolyU is the first collaborator of JIFSAN to offer training courses outside the United States, demonstrating its unique role in raising the standard of food safety in the region. To mark the milestone of the collaboration, the agreement signing ceremony, officiated by Dr Samuel Yeung Tze-kiu, Acting Controller, Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, HKSAR Government, was held on PolyU campus on the same day. The agreement was signed by Professor Samuel Lo Chun-lap, Head of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT), PolyU, and Professor Meng Jianghong, Director of JIFSAN, witnessed by Professor Wong Wing-tak, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles (FAST) cum Director of the Food Safety and Technology Research Centre (FSTRC), PolyU; Professor Wong Man-sau, Associate Dean of FAST; Dr Wong Ka-hing, Associate Professor of ABCT; and Dr Leung Ka-sing, Adjunct Associate Professor of ABCT. This collaboration is warmly welcomed by governments, food industry and academics in the region. Representatives from government agencies from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau attended the ceremony, including CFS, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Provisional Municipal Council of Macau, Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration of Shenzhen Municipality, and Taiwan Food Industry Research and Development Institute. In his speech, Dr Samuel Yeung Tze-kiu said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to ensuring food safety in Hong Kong. The CFS will continue its commitment in promoting food safety and appreciates the collaborative arrangements between tertiary institutions in achieving this common goal." Professor Wong Wing-tak said, "Building on our strengths in food science research and education, we believe that the collaboration with JIFSAN will create synergy to help food safety professionals in Hong Kong and the mainland understand how to tackle food safety threats and safeguard worldwide health."   Professor Meng Jianghong said, "JIFSAN has a global reputation for providing high quality food safety training. We are excited to join forces with PolyU to develop and expand the availability of educational resources for training in food safety, and contribute towards the safety of global food supply and protecting public health." As the first initiative of this collaboration, FSTRC will offer FDA food safety training courses focusing on different aspects of risk analysis, covering basics like understanding terminology of food safety risk analysis, technical aspects such as how to use tools and techniques to conduct risk assessment, and management aspects on decision process and risk communication. This is in response to the increasing need to educate food safety and other public health professionals on the principles of risk analysis and the tools and techniques in order to systematically address food safety issues worldwide. Risk analysis has been implemented by international organizations such as Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Targeting food safety and other public health professionals from government agencies and food companies in Hong Kong and in the region, the first batch of courses offered by FSTRC will be open to application in fall 2018 and to be delivered in late 2018. The length of courses range from one to ten days, and will be co-taught by JIFSAN trainers and FSTRC staff.  JIFSAN was established in 1996 as a jointly administered institute between FDA and the University of Maryland to promote food safety, human nutrition, and animal health and production through integrated research, education, and outreach programs. 理大與美國食品安全和應用營養研究所 合辦食品安全課程 (Chinese) 大公報 A18 理大伙美辦食安培訓課程 15 Dec 2017 文匯報 A25 理大伙美辦食安培訓課程 15 Dec 2017 明報 A26 理大伙美辦食安培訓課程 15 Dec 2017 星島日報 F03 理大引入首個食物風險管理課程 15 Dec 2017

PolyU reveals high prevalence of bacteria that carry the colistin resistance gene mcr-1 in human, food and environmental samples

Food Safety and Technology Research Centre of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently found that bacteria that carry the colistin resistance gene mcr-1 commonly exist in human and various types of food and environmental samples collected from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. The mcr-1 gene is a new plasmid-encoded colistin resistance mechanism discovered by scientists in China in 2015. Colistin has been a last-resort antibiotic used to treat severe infections caused by carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strains. The prevalence of mcr-1 in our ecosystem challenges the role of colistin as the last resort antibiotic to treat infections caused by CRE. A novel method to isolate mcr-1–bearing bacteria and project a route of transmission Determining the origin of mcr-1 is important in assessing the degree of mcr-1 contamination, which can potentially impact the clinical use of colistin. However, there is lack of methods for specific isolation of mcr-1-positive bacteria, since many species of bacteria are intrinsically resistant to colistin, interfering with the isolation of mcr-1-positive organisms. Prof. Chen Sheng of ABCT has recently developed a sensitive and specific method for isolation of mcr-1-bearing bacteria from various sources and investigation of the prevalence of mcr-1 in various sample types. Using this approach, Prof. Chen and his team found that mcr-1 was present in organisms recovered from human, a wide range of food and environment samples. The nature of distribution of mcr-1-bearing organisms in the test samples suggests that this resistance gene most likely originates from E. coli in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals due to the prolonged usage of colistin in livestock as growth promoters. The mcr-1 gene might then be transmitted to humans through the food chain or direct contact between animals and humans, as well as through contamination of the fresh and seawater system, which in turn lead to the contamination of vegetables and seafood. The persistence of mcr-1 in the human GI tract microflora can cause further contamination of our water systems through improper disposal of wastewater containing human faeces. Pet animals which are rarely exposed to colistin exhibited a much lower level of prevalence of mcr-1-positive organisms than livestock. However, fresh water reservoir that is not contaminated by faeces was negative for mcr-1 gene. Significance and implications of the findings Colistin has been effective in treatment of infections caused by CRE. However, since mcr-1-bearing, colistin resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains are extremely common in the ecosystem, the chance by which CRE strains acquire this highly prevalent mobile colistin resistance gene is much higher than we originally thought. An increasing prevalence of CRE strains which are also colistin resistant would lead to an increased rate of untreatable infections, especially among immune-compromised patients.   Prevention, diagnosis and treatment Given the prevalence of mcr-1 among Enterobacteriaceae strains in various environmental niches, increased usage of colistin to treat CRE infections may result in rapid selection of organisms that exhibit resistance to both carbapenems and colistin. Prof. Chen's findings highlight a need to develop effective inhibitors of MCR-1 or intervention measures that disrupt the transmission of mcr-1-bearing plasmids in order to preserve the value of colistin as a last-line antibiotic to treat life-threatening bacterial infections. The study was published in Enrosurveillance, a journal published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The full article can be accessed via the link: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.39.17-00206 理大發現帶有粘菌素耐藥基因mcr-1的細菌在食物、環境和人體中普遍存在 (Chinese) am730 A27 多存在食物環境及人體中 理大：耐藥基因細菌普遍 16 Dec 2017 成報 A07 研高靈敏分離法 阻增抗藥性 理大：守好抗生素最後防線 16 Dec 2017 香港經濟日報 A20 港逾半肉類 含超級抗藥菌 16 Dec 2017 晴報 P07 港過半肉類樣本 含超級抗藥惡菌 16 Dec 2017 蘋果日報 A04 理大研究港四成菜肉含超級惡菌基因 16 Dec 2017 新華網 Hong Kong researchers reveal high prevalence of bacteria carrying colistin resistance gene in human, food samples 16 Dec 2017 Eurosurveillance Widespread distribution of mcr-1-bearing bacteria in the ecosystem, 2015 to 2016 Volume 22, Issue 39, 28/Sep/2017

PolyU develops the first Food Hygiene Standard Certification System tailor-made for Hong Kong-style catering establishments

Hong Kong is renowned as the culinary capital of Asia, with local catering establishments of unique styles providing great varieties of Eastern and Western dishes cooked in different ways. However, for long, Hong Kong lacks a food hygiene standard that can cope with such characteristics and the operation mode of most small and medium-sized catering establishments.   To address the issue, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has applied its expertise in food safety to develop the comprehensive Food Hygiene Standard Certification System (FHSCS). Being the first of its kind and tailor-made for local catering establishments, FHSCS enables caterers, especially the small and medium-sized, to acquire certification with minimum resources. It is expected to help enhance both food hygiene and safety standards by reducing foodborne risks and food poisoning, thereby protecting public health and enabling the diverse development of the catering industry. Officially launching the FHSCS today (28 September), PolyU invites all stakeholders from the catering industry, food safety organizations, as well as testing and certification industry to join hands in implementing the system. Developed by PolyU's Food Safety and Technology Research Centre (FSTRC), FHSCS provides a certification scheme framework, including the Food Hygiene Standard FHS 001:2013 (the Standard), for the work of certification bodies. The Standard sets out the requirements of food hygiene systems for catering establishments. It encompasses all aspects pertaining to food hygiene, from purchasing, receiving and storage of food raw materials, processing food, serving food products to customers, ensuring environmental and personal hygiene, to maintaining documentation and record keeping.   Transferring PolyU knowledge to benefit the industry and society   Officiating at the launching ceremony, Dr Miranda Lou, Vice President (Administration and Business) of PolyU, said the University is glad to be able to translate its knowledge into practice, and help enhance the food hygiene standard of the catering industry. She particularly thanked the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification for its staunch support for PolyU in making the development of FHSCS possible. "Nevertheless, only through the conjoint efforts of the Government, members of the catering and certification sectors, as well as PolyU in implementing the system can the community enjoy the benefits brought by it. We look forward to fostering partnerships with more organizations to maximize the impact and value of FHSCS, thereby facilitating the long-term development of the catering industry," said Dr Lou. PolyU also announced today to authorize SGS Hong Kong Limited (SGS) as the first certification body to implement FHSCS. Under the agreement, SGS will offer documentation reviews, on-site audit assessments and certificate issuance service to qualified catering establishments in Hong Kong. Dr Lou said "PolyU is pleased to collaborate with SGS, the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company."   Special features of the Food Hygiene Standard FHS 001:2013   Dr Wong Ka-hing, Associate Director of FSTRC, said the Standard was developed based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, the internationally recognized set of principles for reducing foodborne risks. HACCP principles provide a product-based and process-based approach to identify foodborne hazards in food production, so as to establish appropriate control measures. However, direct application of HACCP principles means the need for establishing control process for each and every product or dish, i.e. every food production line. Such direct application is not practicable to Hong Kong-style catering establishments, which have large variety of food dishes, coupled with various cookery methods. Moreover, most Chinese dishes nowadays still lack standardized processing methods. "The Standard FHS 001:2013 developed by PolyU is aiming to address the above problems," said Dr Wong, who is also Associate Professor of PolyU's Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology. "The system is tailor-made to cope with the typical characteristics of local catering industry. It helps local-style catering establishments set up proper food hygiene systems with minimum resource input, yet being able to achieve certification. All in all, the certification system helps protect public health, while enhancing the business reputation of the caterers involved." Under the Standard, food products are grouped into broad categorizations (such as hot products, cold products, and raw products) based on their basic processing steps, food characteristics, serving conditions, hygiene considerations, etc. HACCP principles will then be applied to each broad category to identify the hazards and critical control points in food processing, as well as the appropriate control measures.   Dr Leung Ka-sing, Associate Director of FSTRC, said the Standard can be applied to any kind of dine-in catering establishments, including restaurants, canteens, Chinese-style caterers which serve large varieties of dishes every day, and other catering establishments.  "During the development period, the PolyU team has tested the system on different kinds of catering establishments, such as fast food chain store, Chinese-style restaurant, eateries specialized in congee and noodles. The onsite trials, feedbacks from the management and frontline staff, as well as the inputs provided by experts in catering, food safety, testing and certification sectors have enabled us to ensure the practicality of the requirements and steps of this certification system," explained Dr Leung, who is also Adjunct Associate Professor of PolyU's Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology. Mr Robert Parrish, Managing Director of SGS Hong Kong Limited, said SGS is fully ready for implementing FHSCS, and their related certification programme is now open for application. "SGS is excited to be a partner in this FHSCS programme as a certification body. We hold high hopes that FHSCS will be well adopted as a local certification model for catering establishments. We do believe that organizations will realize improved standards of food hygiene and safety through the implementation of this system, further safeguarding consumers and upholding Hong Kong's international reputation as a gourmet paradise."

PolyU discovers a newly emerged superbug -- hyper-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

The Partner State Key Laboratory of Chirosciences at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) discovered a newly emerged superbug, hyper-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, which may cause untreatable and fatal infections in relatively healthy individuals and will pose enormous threat to human health. Prof. Chen Sheng, Professor of ABCT, collaborating with Prof. Rong Zhang from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, conducted an investigation into a fatal outbreak of pneumonia in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University in China in February 2016. The study involved five patients who underwent surgical operation for multiple-trauma. All of them were later infected in the intensive care unit (ICU) and developed severe pneumonia, and eventually died of septicaemia and multiple organ failure. The causative agent of these five patients was found to be a carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) strain, a type of previously-defined superbug. Furthermore, these CRKP strains are also hypervirulent and belong to ST11 type of CRKP, the most prevalent and transmissible CRKP strains in Asia. As these strains simultaneously exhibit the features of hyper-resistance, hypervirulence and high transmissibility, they can be considered a real superbug known asST11 CR-HvKP (ST11 carbapenem-resistant hypervirulentK. pneumoniae). ST11 K. pneumoniae strains proliferate in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) of human and animals and may cause opportunistic infections such as pneumonia in clinical settings. These strains, after acquiring plasmid encoding a carbapenemase gene, become resistant to the carbapenem antibiotics and caused untreatable or hard-to-be treated infections, therefore defined as superbug. These superbug strains could further evolve to become ST11 CR-HvKP through acquisition of the hypervirulence plasmids. The ST11 CR-HvKP strains do not only infect lungs and cause pneumonia, but also invade the bloodstream and other internal organs. Due to its hypervirulence and phenotypic resistance to commonly used antibiotics, ST11 CR-HvKP strains may cause untreatable and fatal infections in relatively healthy individuals with normal immunity. ST11 CR-HvKP strains possess a mucoid outer layer, which enables them to stick to various materials, such as the surface of medical devices and tubing as well as other surfaces in the ICU. The transmission route is not clear yet, but our data suggest that medical equipment such as ventilator and different catheters might be transmitting these new superbug strains. Human-to-human transmission may also be possible, mainly in hospital settings. Improved infection prevention and control policy in hospital seems to be effective to control further transmission of this superbug in the ICU. Novel strategies must be devised to prevent ST11 CR-HvKP from proliferating extensively in the human intestinal tract where they were detected. ST11 CR-HvKP can easily be detectable by the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, targeting specific resistance and virulence genes. The study showed that the use of colistin (the last resort drug for carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae infections) alone or in combination with other drugs were not very effective in treating infections caused by ST11 CR-HvKP. Ceftazidime/avibactam may be the effective antibiotic, but ST11 CR-HvKP may develop resistance to this antibiotic very quickly based on the clinical data from the USA. Prevalence of ST11 CR-HvKP strains in Hong Kong is currently unknown. Two studies conducted in Hong Kong have shown that mortality rate due to K. pneumoniae-mediated bloodstream infections was high, reaching 20% and 32% respectively. We plan to collaborate with clinicians in local hospitals to investigate the proportion of clinical K. pneumoniae isolates that belong to HvKP or CR-HvKP, and characterize their genetic features. 理大發現新發性超級細菌 ─ 高抗藥性和高毒力肺炎克雷伯菌 (Chinese) Media Headline Date 晴報 P18 理大發現新超級肺炎惡菌 一旦感染 無藥可治 1 Sep 2017 信報財經新聞 A16 理大發現超級抗藥新惡菌 1 Sep 2017 香港商報 A15 理大發現新型高抗藥性超級細菌 1 Sep 2017 明報 A11 揭內地現抗藥毒菌 理大擬港醫院調查 1 Sep 2017 文匯報 A11 理大揭新抗藥惡菌 依附醫療儀傳肺炎 1 Sep 2017 成報 A07 理大發現新超級惡菌 暫5人染病亡 1 Sep 2017 大公報 A02 高傳播高毒力 浙江五病人感染亡 進化超級肺炎菌 無藥可救 1 Sep 2017 東方日報 A10 內地爆新超級肺炎惡菌 1 Sep 2017 香港特別行政區政府 - 新聞公報 食物及衞生局局長在北京與新聞界談話內容 1 Sep 2017 蘋果日報 A07 內地現新型抗藥惡菌 死亡率極高 1 Sep 2017 The Standard P08 New superbug warning after deadly outbreak 1 Sep 2017 頭條日報 P08 理大發現新超級惡菌 高抗藥性內地奪五命 1 Sep 2017 都市日報 P10 5人感染全死亡 新惡菌高毒抗藥 1 Sep 2017 AM730 A02 暫時無藥醫 港嚴陣以待 內地現新型 超級惡菌 1 Sep 2017 經濟日報 A22 港人染抗藥惡菌趨增 險無藥可用 1 Sep 2017 TVB 普通話新聞報道 00:12:39-00:13:50 31 Aug 2017 Now TV 午間新聞 02:26 – 03:34 31 Aug 2017 Cable TV 理大發現內地肺炎與新超級細菌有關 31 Aug 2017 RTHK 午間新聞天地 00:07:56-00:10:06 31 Aug 2017 RTHK Hong Kong Today 1:13:35 - 1:19:04 31 Aug 2017 RTHK 本港內地團隊發現超級細菌 暫無有效療法 31 Aug 2017 CRHK 881903 理大發現新型高毒性及高抗藥性肺炎菌 31 Aug 2017 Metro Broadcast 理大發現一種新型高毒力和高傳播性的超級細菌 31 Aug 2017 Bastille Post 理大發現高抗藥性超級細菌 致命感染無法治癒 31 Aug 2017 蘋果日報 A10 理大發現內地超級惡菌 10日奪命 31 Aug 2017 The Lancet A fatal outbreak of ST11 carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Chinese hospital: a molecular epidemiological study 29 Aug 2017

ABCT alumni, Dr. Franco King-Chi Leung, receives Croucher Fellowship from Croucher Foundation

Congratulations to Dr. Franco King-Chi Leung, graduate of ABCT, for receiving the 2017 Croucher Fellowship from Croucher Foundation at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.   The Croucher Foundation awards provide financial support for promising students in Hong Kong to pursue scientific research at the doctoral or postdoctoral levels. The foundation aims to enable young scientists to devote themselves to a period of full-time research in natural sciences, medicine or technology in approved academic institutions outside Hong Kong. After a series of competitive review processes, 21 recipients were chosen and they are heading out to all over the world including the U.S., Australia, the Netherlands, France and the U.K..   Dr. Leung graduated from ABCT with his BSc in Chemical Technology and he carried out his Master's research in catalysis and chemical biology under the supervision of Dr. Man-kin Wong. He then expanded his research to supramolecular chemistry and material science scopes in his PhD studies under the guidance of Prof. Takanori Fukushima in Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan). In April 2017, he joined Prof. Ben L. Feringa's group (2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry) as a postdoc fellow at the University of Groningen.   Dr. Leung's main research interests are dynamic supramolecular polymers, functional molecular assembly, and biocompatible functional materials. He is currently working on the development of photo-responsive soft materials of molecular motors and switches.   Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Dr.  Franco King-Chi Leung again on receiving this remarkable award.

PolyU fashion design graduates stage Fashion Show 2017

Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) organised the PolyU Fashion Show 2017 yesterday (6 June) to feature the creative and talented designs of graduating students. The event is also an unforgettable and rewarding experience not only for the students but also their families and friends, the industry as well as the general public. This year, 25 graduating students from the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Scheme in Fashion and Textilespresented a hundred creative outfits on a runway that measured nearly 80 metres in length, most likely the longest runway of its kind in Hong Kong. The works are also made available to the public for pre-order on an electronic platform, also for the first time. The annual event, held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, was attended by over 1,600 guests, including prominent and outstanding figures from the industry, fashion designers, fashionistas, and the media. The Hon. Felix Chung, Legislative Council Member (Functional Constituency - Textiles and Garment) and Professor John Xin, Head and Chair Professor of ITC, graced the occasion as the officiating guest. Mr Eugene Leung, Founder and Creative Director of the Hong Kong-based brand Injury, was the VIP judge. He and the other judges had the challenging but enviable task of selecting the recipient for the Overall Grand Award. The other judges included the following fashion visionaries: Ms Anupreet Bhui, Senior Editor of Global Street Style at WGSN; Ms Kar Chan, Head of Design (Ladieswear) at Initial Fashion Company Ltd; Ms Janet Cheung, Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association; and Mr Walter Ma, renowned fashion designer. ITC also collaborated for the first time with Goxip, a Hong Kong-based fashion discovery app and one of the sponsors of the event, in featuring the works of the 25 finalists on a shoppable Instagram platform and app. That means all the items can be selected and pre-ordered through a few clicks on the mobile handset. The collections carry a wide range of themes, ranging from military, environmental to spiritual themes and many more. The Overall Grand Award eventually went to Jason Wong for "Object> Garment> Object". Please refer to the appendix for the full list of awardees. Representatives from the event sponsors that provided seven awards and travelling scholarships were also present at the event.