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Theme - Scan The World: To Live, Cultural Heritage Needs to be Shared
Get PDFMuseums are fascinating, but with only a fraction of their items ever exhibited, they could also be considered graveyards for cultural heritage. Museums can, and should, be doing a better job of sharing our incredible global culture. Scan the World\u27s Jon Beck wants to shake up our cultural institutions, and he thinks scanning and 3D printing are the perfect way to revitalise what we consider cultural heritage, and what we can do with it
Exhibition - Waste Age shows greener ways to break the take, make and waste cycle
Get PDFOver-consumption and catastrophic wastes are destroying the environment. Waste Age: What Can Design Do? , the latest exhibition presented by HKDI Gallery is set to find out how design can mitigate this problem
Study of Potential Synergistic Effect of Probiotic Formulas in Reduction Acrylamide
Get PDFIn this research, the potential synergistic effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) formulas in reducing acrylamide (AA) was studied. Five LAB strains were tested to examine its AA reducing capacity in AA standard chemical solutions with different concentrations. It was found that single strain of Lactobacillus plantarum had the most significant effect of AA reduction under 108 CFU/mL cell concentration. The synergistic effect of LAB formulas was then studied in AA chemical solution which demonstrated some LAB formulas had a synergistic effect to reduce AA. Based on the results, the combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus showed higher AA reduction ability than single strain of Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Streptococcus thermophiles showed higher AA reduction ability than the combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium longum. The selected LAB formulas were then incubating with potato chips and biscuit food samples. The AA reduction performance in food samples was consistent with the result from AA standard chemical solution incubation. This study demonstrated that LAB formulas exhibit the potential synergetic effect on AA reduction which was strain dependent
Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix extract attenuates high-fat diet-induced NAFLD in rats: Impact on untargeted serum metabolomics and liver lipidomics
Get PDFPolygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix (PCRR; the root and rhizome of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc) has long been used to treat atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal disorders, and liver disease. However, the underlying mechanism of PCRR against liver steatosis remains unclear. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the potential therapeutic targets and molecular mechanisms of PCRR in improving liver steatosis. Methods: A high-fat diet (HFD)-induced simple steatosis model in rats was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of polyphenol-rich water extract from PCRR. Its underlying mechanisms were revealed using untargeted mass spectrometry-based serum metabolomics, hepatic lipidomic profiling approaches, qPCR, and Western blotting assays. Results: Our study showed that PCRR-treated rats displayed significant reduction of serum TC and LDL-C, hepatic TG, TC levels, and total liver lipid content under a HFD feeding condition. Untargeted metabolomics showed that PCRR significantly restored the overall levels of nine lipid classes in liver tissues and elevated the bile acid levels in the serum samples. We demonstrated that PCRR prevented HFD-induced hepatic steatosis by regulating the expressions of TG metabolism proteins, including p-AMPK, p-ACC, PPARα, and FAS, as well as the expressions of TC metabolism proteins, including p-AMPK, LDLR, and CYP7A1. Moreover, resveratrol and/or polydatin-derived metabolites were solely detected in the serum samples of the PCRR-treated group, indicating these microbial transformed metabolites might partly contribute to the beneficial effects of PCRR. Conclusion: PCRR can be employed as a therapeutic agent to improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via regulating lipid metabolism
Behavioral Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Using Western and Chinese Medicines or Herbal Products among the Public in Response to COVID-19 in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDF-e coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic occurred in Hong Kong for more than two years. -is article conducted a crosssectional study for participants to investigate the behavioral prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of using Western medicines or herbal products for COVID-19 in Hong Kong. A questionnaire was designed and performed over 2 weeks from 1 May to 15 May 2022. It consisted of :ve parts with around 20 questions conducted including sociodemographic information, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of COVID-19, and also the sources of information. -e pattern usage of Chinese or Western medicines for COVID-19 was studied after data collection. 318 people participated in this survey, and only 311 were quali:ed. -e sociodemographic information, e.g., personal educational level, and behavior for the prevention of COVID-19, which included wearing masks (98.7%), using alcohol hand sanitizer (83.0%), washing hands frequently (82.4%), avoiding crowds (53.1%), and staying home more often (50.6%). Western medicines, such as antipyretic drugs, antitussive drugs, and pain reliever drugs, whilst Chinese medicines, such as Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang, Huoxiang Zhengqi San or Wan, and Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, were most commonly used in the treatment and rehabilitation periods of COVID-19. Herbal products, including lemon, honey, ginger, and herbal tea, were used as a daily diet to :ght against COVID-19. Based on the result :ndings, Chinese medicines or herbal products were used during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of the participants used an unknown Chinese medicine practitioner’s prescription and self-administered Chinese medicine. -e pattern of Chinese medicines and Western medicines’ usage in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of COVID-19 was also investigated; this showed a statistically signi:cant association between the variables according to gender, age, and Chinese or Western medicines for further investigation
Design - Heritage and Innovation
Get PDFEmerging Design Talents 2022: Culture Future , an exhibition presented by HKDI and Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) (Lee Wai Lee) in August, is a runway where young designers showcased their history-inspired designs and contributed to preserving heritage and paving way for a new culture future
Project - Contemporary Interpretation of Artisanship
Get PDFUnseen: The Making of Traditional Chinese Furniture Traditional rosewood furniture pieces are treasured as heirloom items for their exquisite craftsmanship. How does it work with contemporary design? This is the inspiring story told in the May exhibition Unseen: The Making of Traditional Chinese Furniture jointly organised by the HKDI Gallery and Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM)
Theme - A Matchmaker for Old Crafts and Modern Living
Get PDFInterview with Crafts on Peel Creative Director Penelope Luk Crafts on Peel is a local charitable organisation dedicated to reviving, reinterpreting and perpetuating traditional craftsmanship. Helmed by its creative director Penelope Luk and founder Yama Chan, the organisation fosters collaboration between craftsmen from different eras through apprenticeship and technical exchanges. By nurturing a new generation of contemporary artisans, it aspires to breathe new life into time-honoured crafts with creative ideas and designs, such that craftmanship could truly stand the test of time
Development of an Energy-Efficient Rapid Microalgal Cell-Harvesting Method Using Synthesized Magnetic Nanocomposites
Get PDFDue to high consumption and non-renewable nature of fossil fuels, rapid development of potential renewable energies such as biofuel derived from microalgae is necessary for achieving the goals of sustainable growth and carbon neutrality. However, the high energy consumption required for microalgal biomass harvesting is regarded as a major obstacle for large-scale microalgal biofuel production. In the present study, the marine green microalgae Tetraselmis sp. was used to investigate a rapid and energy-efficient biomass collection method among different methods such as gravity sedimentation, auto-flocculation (at target pH), flocculation by polymers followed by magnetic separation, and centrifugation. The results showed that sufficient high cell densities of microalgae were obtained under the optimized growth conditions after 21 days of cultivation, and the microalgae could be easily flocculated and collected by magnetic separation using synthesized magnetic nanocomposites. The results also showed that among the different methods, magnetic separation was more efficient for biomass harvesting because of its simple and fast processing steps as well as low energy consumption. However, further investigation on different target microalgal species and their cultivation conditions, such as salinity and medium pH, will be required before application for large-scale biofuel production in the future