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PolyU research shows mHealth mobile app with interactive nursing support enhances elderly health management

Primary healthcare is an integral part of the entire healthcare system. The Government put forward the Primary Healthcare Blueprint (the Blueprint) at the end of last year, which proposed prevention-oriented and community-based strategies to improve the overall health of the general public. The School of Nursing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has launched a pilot mHealth health management mobile app with interactive nursing support. Research data shows the app empowers the elderly to monitor their chronic diseases and mental health conditions. An interdisciplinary team formed by healthcare professionals and social workers offer support to the elderly, such as providing timely medical referrals, thereby reducing the unplanned use of health services and enhancing elderly health management. The mHealth app is jointly developed by The School of Nursing of PolyU and a local telecommunications company to help monitor the health condition of the elderly. When an abnormal vital sign (such as blood pressure, or blood glucose level) is detected, a registered nurse will be notified via the app and will contact the elderly person to understand their health condition. Another highlight of the mHealth app is the 24-hour nurse interaction function. By tapping one button in the app, the elderly can make a video call to a registered nurse to support and evaluate their health and mental condition. The research team, led by Dr Arkers WONG, Assistant Professor of The School of Nursing of PolyU, recruited participants from five elderly service centres of the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service. A total of 221 elderly aged 60 or above with at least one chronic condition(s) (including hypertension, pain or diabetes) participated in the study. The study found that there was a significant increase in self-efficacy, a significant decrease in the level of depression, a reduction in the use of medical services, and an improvement in the quality of life* in physical aspects, after the elderly used the app for three to six months. Hong Kong has one of the most rapidly ageing populations in the world. The number of Hospital Authority patients with chronic diseases is projected to reach three million in the coming decade by 2039, which will bring a heavy burden to the public healthcare system. Dr Arkers Wong said, “There was a significant reduction in the unplanned use of health services and unplanned visits to general practitioners by 76% and 72% respectively, after the elderly used the mHealth app with nursing support for three months. This illustrates that the approach of combining nursing support and digital technology can relieve the pressure brought about by the rising demand for public medical services, helping to achieve the goals set out in the Blueprint to improve the overall health condition of the elderly.” The research team recommends promoting the use of digital technology for health management among the elderly, and strengthening health-social collaboration on digital platforms. The research and development team will enhance the app, adding functions such as artificial intelligence, and incorporating content that is more suitable for the needs and preferences of the elderly so that they will continue to use the app, which will contribute to the goal of reducing public medical expenses. *Physical component summary of quality of life includes four domains, which are general health, physical functioning (e.g., climbing several floors, moderate activities), role activities (limited kinds of activities), and bodily pain.

PolyU and MCMIA co-organise university-industry collaboration forum to drive Chinese medicine innovation in the GBA

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA) co-organised the “University-Industry Collaboration on Chinese Medicine Innovation Forum”, bringing together over a hundred academic and industry leaders from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to share insights on how to promote the development of Chinese medicine (CM) under the latest national plan and policies. Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, said, “The HKSAR Government has always been supporting the research and development of Chinese medicine. The additional funding added to the Chinese Medicine Development Fund in the 2023-24 Budget and the expected opening of the first Chinese medicine hospital in the year 2025 will promote CM as an increasingly integral part in Hong Kong’s healthcare system. Furthermore, the GBA’s development brings invaluable opportunities for the local CM industry. The Government, industry and academics shall work closely to seize these opportunities and develop a long-term plan for improving the ecosystem of the local industry.” Mr Harry Kwok Chun YEUNG, Chairman of the MCMIA Foundation, shared insights on talent nurturing initiatives for Chinese medicine innovation, explaining how the industry renders support to outstanding talents who want to pursue research in CM. Mr Yeung emphasised that innovative CM research is vital for the industry’s development and he thanked the Vincent and Lily Woo Foundation for establishing a fellowship scheme to nurture young talents in the GBA. The forum explored how stakeholders including governments and research institutions in Hong Kong, Macao, and Mainland China could deepen collaboration to promote CM development and grasp the research and business opportunities in the GBA. Topics discussed included university-industry collaboration on Chinese medicine development in the GBA, talent nurturing initiatives for Chinese medicine innovation, and universities’ initiatives in CM innovation. Moderated by Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and Co-director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) of PolyU, the panel discussion presented long-term measures to drive CM innovation in Hong Kong from business, technology and policy perspectives. These recommendations will be submitted to the Government during the 2023 Policy Address public consultation. Other experts shared their insights on CM innovations at the forum and discussed how universities in the region can integrate the advantages of artificial intelligence and other advanced technology into CM research, and explored interdisciplinary collaboration among institutions in the field of CM.   *****END*****   About the Co-organisers The Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) was established under the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) in October 2021. Led by Prof. Man-sau WONG, Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Director of RCMI of PolyU, the Centre aims to foster interdisciplinary and translational research for developing novel drugs, new treatment protocols and programmes based on CM practices for application in clinical settings or the community, thereby bringing CM innovations into clinical practice and informing relevant policy. The Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) was founded in 2022 as a university-level interdisciplinary policy research centre. Led by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Director of PReCIT, and Prof. Eric Chui, Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and Co-Director of PReCIT of PolyU, the Centre aims to support Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) development in the GBA via interdisciplinary collaborative research including but not limited to carbon-neutral cities, I&T development in the GBA, and the Belt and Road Initiative’s development in Southeast Asia. The Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA) was established in 2000 as a non-profit trade organisation by a group of Chinese medicine (CM) business professionals, scientists and academics. It is currently under the chairmanship of Mr Lawrence LO. The goal of the association is to foster Hong Kong as an international centre of CM through its modernisation, popularisation and the enhancement of the professionalism of the CM industry.

Prof. Meng Ni awarded the Innovation Award 2022 (First Prize) by China Energy Research Society

Prof. Meng Ni was awarded the Innovation Award 2022 (First Prize) by China Energy Research Society in recognition of his contributions to the mathematical modelling of fuel cells and electrolyzers.  Prof. Ni has been focusing his research on theoretical analysis and mathematical modeling of fuel cells for clean power generation and electrolyzers for hydrogen production for 18 years. In particular, he developed a series of multi-scale models for high temperature electrolyzers, from electrode microscale model to single cell model, and to stack model and system model. His research results offered insights into design optimization of electrode microstructure and stack macroscale configurations.  Established in January 1981, the China Energy Research Society launched the Innovation Awards to recognize researchers for their significant contributions to energy science and technology.  Prof. Ni’s recent research study on ceramic fuel cell green technology was published on Nature Energy. The study demonstrates a new strategy to facilitate ceramic fuel cell development for clean power generation and carbon neutrality.  For more: https://polyu.hk/ciPFO ; https://polyu.hk/xMixp  

Networking Visit to CEVR

Delegation from University of Waterloo, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other honourable guests visited Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) on 24 Feb in the Hong Kong Sicence and Technology Parks.   Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU; Prof. Wing-Tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost,PolyU; Prof. Vivek Goel, President of University of Waterloo and Prof. Bob Lemieux, Dean of Science, University of Waterloo delivered the speeches in the reception. Prof. Ben Thompson, CEVR presented vote of thanks to all honourable guests. The event was joined by Winnie Chan, Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Research Clusters) of HKSAR, Albert Wong, CEO of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks and other honourable guests.  CEVR is a research collaboration between the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Waterloo in Canada under the InnoHK initiative of the HKSAR Government. It is located at the Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin. It is the first global hub performing ground-breaking research in five key areas – myopia and eye growth, ocular drug discovery and delivery, vision enhancement, tear film and ocular surface and advanced optometric technology. The mission of CEVR is to generate technologies to prevent vision loss in the aging population and preserve healthy vision. For more: https://cevr.hk/  

PolyU’s PReCIT presents Consul General Talk Series

The “Consul General Talk Series” organised by the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) and supported by the Department of Applied Social Sciences and the Global Engagement Office of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) successfully kicked off this month. Mr PHAM Binh Dam, Consul-General of Vietnam in Hong Kong, was invited to speak at the debut of the Series about the opportunities and prospects for partnership between Vietnam and Hong Kong, including synergies on talent pool development. A PolyU student from Vietnam also shared insights into her student life in Hong Kong. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Director of PReCIT, said that young people are the future of the city and a key driver of Hong Kong’s continuing success. Nurturing local youth and seeking global talents are equally important, and PReCIT is committed to contributing to the Government’s policy deliberation in this regard. Mr Pham talked about Vietnam’s prospects to become the 20th largest economy in the world, offering immense potential for cooperation with Hong Kong, especially in financial services, innovation and technology, and human resources. He suggested Hong Kong should tap into the sizeable pool of talents from Vietnam. Through the sharing of perspectives by diplomats in town, the “Consul General Talk Series” aims to serve as a platform for the PolyU community and the general public to gain insights about the latest I&T developments and policies, as well as about the opportunities and prospects in the Belt and Road countries.

Five PolyU projects supported by phase 2 of Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme to enhance psychosocial well-being of different community groups

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received support for five projects under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme (the Funding Scheme) coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, developing innovative social services programmes to benefit the mental well-being of people in the community. The five awarded projects devise sustainable solutions to address the mental health issues of different people, with the application of new technology such as virtual reality and electronic platforms, covering the needs of various stakeholders including caregivers, secondary school students, adolescents with special educational needs (SEN), carers of AD/HD children, and persons with disabilities. The Funding Scheme is being implemented in two phases (i.e. Phase 1 and Phase 2). Phase 1 was launched in 2021. The purpose of the Funding Scheme is to fund projects that could help provide better support to those in need in the community and to raise public awareness on mental health. PolyU researchers are devoted to creating solutions for the betterment of society with the integration of academic, scientific and pragmatic expertise. The five awarded projects are being conducted by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, with a project duration of 15 to 24 months. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “PolyU has been working closely with the community to provide impactful and innovative solutions to societal challenges. The funding support received from the Funding Scheme demonstrates the strengths of PolyU’s scholars in transforming research and innovation into social applications for the benefit of society. The awarded projects deliver mental health, social and community support programmes for different communities.” Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faulty of Health and Social Sciences, said, “Mental health is an imperative issue that we cannot ignore. Under the impact of the pandemic in recent years, different groups in the community are faced with urgent needs for mental health support. The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences has been committed to mental health research over the years. The funding support combined with our strengths in scientific research and practice will bring impactful solutions for the benefit of various community groups.” PolyU-led projects awarded under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme Project Title Project Summary Principal Investigator Reducing Social Avoidance and Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour among Adolescents with Special Educational Needs The project aims to foster prosocial behaviour of adolescents with SEN in transition with the use of virtual reality technology. It will implement social anxiety intervention based on a cognitive-behavioural approach with a virtual coach acting as the therapist and develop a gamified prosocial VR intervention for adolescents with SEN. This VR-assisted social avoidance and prosocial behaviour intervention would benefit individuals and society by cultivating psychological and socially healthy young people. Prof. Sylvia CHEN Professor of Department of Applied Social Sciences, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Healing Together – Building Positive School Mental Health in Post-COVID Hong Kong The project aims to promote mental health and its awareness for stakeholders of secondary schools including students, teachers, administrative staff and management. Healing spaces will be constructed in the partnering schools. The programme will adopt a train-the-trainer approach to train students to become mental health ambassadors for programme sustainability and student empowerment. Baptist Oi Kwan Social Services is the collaborative partner of this project. Dr Angel LAI Assistant Professor of Department of Applied Social Sciences Enhancing the Mental Health of Carers of Persons with Disabilities with Support Services Delivered by Trained Carer Support Ambassadors The project aims to support carers of persons with disabilities. It will implement a short-term certificate programme for frontline workers such as occupational therapy assistants, rehabilitation assistants, patient care assistants and welfare workers to become Carer Support Ambassadors who will deliver mental health support to carers. This innovative approach is designed to address the shortage of manpower in mental health services and the growing support needs for carers. Prof. Hector TSANG Professor and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences Increasing Mental Health Literacy and Peer Support among Caregivers: An Electronic Painting and Peer Supportive (EPPS) Platform The project will develop an Electronic Painting and Peer Supportive (EPPS) Platform to provide mental health support for caregivers. It aims to enhance mental health literacy and peer support among caregivers. This electronic interactive platform motivates caregivers to share their paintings with others and seek help from families and professionals when they are stressful. Prof. Angela LEUNG Professor and Associate Head (Research) of School of Nursing Peer Support Virtual Reality-based Intervention for AD/HD Carers - Stress Relieving and Empathy Improving Programme A novel peer support virtual reality-based therapy will be developed for AD/HD carers to reduce their stress and improve empathy in getting along with their AD/HD children. The project aims to provide stress management for the carers to sustain healthy living conditions and relationships with AD/HD children. Dr Harry QIN Associate Professor of School of Nursing  

Two PolyU Projects on Innovative Simulation Platforms for Driving Safety supported by Smart Traffic Fund

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received support for two innovative projects on improving driving safety by the Smart Traffic Fund. The two projects aim to improve driving performance and safety through the use of an intelligent simulation platform and extended reality to facilitate drivers’ training and skills enhancement. Details of the two awarded projects are below: Intelligent Driving Training and Evaluation System for Container Trucks Led by Prof. Xiaowen FU, Associate Dean (External Engagement) of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor of Engineering Management in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at PolyU, this project aims to develop a simulation system using extended reality technology. The proposed system is also designed to provide training to trainee drivers of container trucks, which is comparable to the actual driving environment, together with an evidence-based driver performance evaluation system to facilitate the design of individualised training. Driving Style-based Adaptive Virtual Training Platform: Build Safe Human Driving Habits in Autonomous Driving Led by Dr Fan LI of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering at PolyU, this project aims to develop a virtual reality-based training platform. It is designed to improve driving habits in level 2 and level 3 autonomous driving, i.e. human-machine co-driving, with customised training for drivers with different driving styles. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “We are striving to accelerate research for building a sustainable living environment. PolyU’s innovative research in traffic and transportation, which integrates interdisciplinary knowledge and cutting-edge technology for impactful applications, promotes smart mobility in Hong Kong to improve the community’s quality of life.” PolyU has long been committed to the research and application of vehicle-related innovation and technology, with a total of 11 projects currently receiving grants from the Smart Traffic Fund. More information on other approved projects is available at https://stf.hkpc.org.

1st Carbon-Strategic Catalysis International Conference Drew More Than 350 International Participants with Thoughtful Discussion

The 1st Carbon-Strategic Catalysis International Conference cum Inauguration Ceremony of Research Centre for Carbon-Strategic Catalysis has been successfully completed, with the participation of more than 350 scholars, researchers and professionals in-person and online. Prof Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, delivered the welcome speech for the conference opening. The Hon Hailong SHANG, Legislative Council Member of HKSAR, was invited for the remark. Mr Bryan PENG, Vice President (AI and Data Science) of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, HKSAR Government, was invited as a VIP guest to join the ceremony. International renowned scholars joined the conference to share their research, strategic, conceptual and technical insights towards carbon neutrality goal. During the three days conference, frontier scientists made thoughtful discussion on advanced research, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations and innovations. Dr Bolong Huang, Director of Research Centre for Carbon-Strategic Catalysis and Associate Professor of Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology at PolyU, said, “All the talks are very inspiring, constructive, and helpful for the development of our research centre and the future research of us and all on-site and online participants. It has been very fruitful two days because we have learned from all the valuable talks, exchanged our research ideas, and discussed the research advances in various topics of energy, catalysis, and carbon neutrality.” Research Centre for Carbon-Strategic Catalysis was established in June 2022 as the first research centre that focuses on carbon-strategic energy research among Hong Kong universities. It focuses on research for the in-depth exploration of catalysts and their applications in different chemical reactions related to multi-scale energy conversion and supply systems under the carbon neutrality goals. 

PolyU and Jinjiang City to set up joint research institute and commence research projects on industrial modernisation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the city government of Jinjiang have come to an agreement to jointly establish the PolyU-Jinjiang Research Institute to strengthen research collaboration among industry, academia and research organisations to drive development along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. PolyU’s Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) will collaborate with the Jinjiang Science and Technology Bureau to carry out research projects on leveraging Hong Kong’s resources and advantages in innovation and technology in response to Jinjiang’s industrial modernisation needs. The Jinjiang Science and Technology Bureau will provide funding support for the research. It is expected that the research findings will promote research collaboration between Hong Kong and Jinjiang and facilitate Jinjiang’s industrial modernisation. The signing ceremony of the agreement was held today at the PolyU campus. Witnessed by Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU and Mr WANG Ming-yuan, Mayor of the Jinjiang government, the five-year cooperation agreement was signed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU and Mr HUANG Tian-kai, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jinjiang Municipal Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Director of PReCIT, and Mr CAI Wen-si, Director of the Jinjiang Municipal Government Office, signed an agreement on research projects. Dr Lam Tai-fai delivered a speech at the ceremony, saying, “The Central Government places a strong emphasis on the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong and offers staunch support to collaboration among the government, industry, academia and research organisations. The collaboration between PolyU and Jinjiang city leverages each of our unique advantages to establish a platform for industry-academia-research collaboration, particularly in the fields of textiles, smart manufacturing, integrated circuits, and green technology. This will strengthen the exchange of knowledge regarding innovation and technology, and utilise Hong Kong and PolyU’s resources in I&T to promote the industrial modernisation of Jinjiang.” Mayor Mr Wang said, “Jinjiang is in the midst of industrial transformation and modernisation. PolyU's strengths in talent development and research can be deeply integrated with Jinjiang's industry power and market advantages. We hope to leverage PolyU's research excellence and talent nurturing experience to cultivate more talents in business management, industry and administration. We will also draw upon PolyU’s support in innovation and technology to aid traditional industries such as shoe production, clothing, textiles, and equipment manufacturing. Lastly, PolyU's expertise in innovation and new technologies will support Jinjiang to develop high-tech sectors such as the integrated circuit industry.” The two parties will explore the establishment of the PolyU-Jinjiang Research Institute, which will be planned and managed by PolyU, and Jinjiang city will provide venues, funding, research projects, and subsidies on industry-research collaboration, as well as support for talent attraction measures. In addition, PolyU scholars and experts will visit Jinjiang to facilitate exchange schemes, participate in expert panels for entrepreneurial teams, and attend major planning meetings. Jinjiang city will actively promote the establishment of laboratories for joint projects between enterprises and PolyU, and deepen cooperation in talent nurturing, innovation and entrepreneurship, technological innovation, knowledge transfer, and more. Mayor Mr Wang was accompanied by representatives from the Jinjiang government and executives from companies specialising in textiles and clothing, sports shoes and apparel, food, new materials and household products. They visited PolyU’s Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, and Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things to learn about the University’s developments in interdisciplinary research and industry-academia-research collaboration.

PolyU research finds transcranial direct current stimulation to be a promising novel treatment for autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder common among children. While the exact cause and cure remain unclear, a PolyU research team integrated clinical, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological research methods to examine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment on brain function in adolescents and young adults with autism.Results showed that tDCS paired with concurrent cognitive remediation training could effectively improve their social communication skills and cognitive function. Dr Yvonne Han, Associate Professor from PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, who led the project, says that tDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique for treating major neuropsychiatric disorders. The findings of the study, derived from more than 150 ASD patients aged 14 to 21 years old, confirmed and expanded on previous investigations that reported the positive effects of tDCS. “Most importantly, the findings demonstrated that multisession tDCS, alongside concurrent cognitive remediation training, can significantly reduce core symptoms and promote social functioning in teenagers and young adults with autism. No serious side effects were observed in the study,” Dr Han said. Moving forward, the research team plans to further study how to incorporate machine learning to predict the treatment outcomes of tDCS, the feasibility of home microcurrent stimulation treatment, and the effectiveness of continuous treatment.