University Research

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 jan 2014

Higher education has consistently been in the state of transformation and evolution. According to Professor Steven Mintz of University of Texas, higher education underwent profound transformations almost every 50 years - Colonial colleges joined by large number of religiously founded colleges (early 19th century); Public colleges & Morrill Act of 1862 (mid 19th century); Modern research universities, Wisconsin Idea and inclusion of extension services (early 20th century); Conversion of normal schools into comprehensive universities, proliferation of community colleges, end of legal segregation, increase in federal aid (1960s). He suggests 15 innovations that have potential to affect higher education in next three years - (1) e-Advising (2) Evidence-based pedagogy (3) The decline of the lone-eagle teaching approach (4) Optimized class time (5) Easier educational transitions (6) Fewer large lecture classes (7) New frontiers for e-learning (8) Personalized adaptive learning (9) Increased competency-based and prior-learning credits (10) Data-driven instruction (11) Aggressive pursuit of new revenue (12) Online and low-residency degrees at flagships (13) More certificates and badges (14) Free and open textbooks (15) Public-private partnerships. Read on...

The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Future Is Now - 15 Innovations to Watch For
Author: Eugene Fram

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 jan 2014

Big data and analytics is finding applications in businesses and governments for better decision and policy making. Stephen Wolfram is talking about 'personal analytics' (converting life into packets of personal data) as the next big thing and introduced an app on facebook based on this principle. On the same line researchers and thinkers are proposing that cities can also be considered as sources of data and information that can be utilized for better urban planning and development. This concept of 'quantitative urbanism' is finding support from leaders in software, consultancy and infrastructure industries. According to Assaf Biderman of MIT, this science will assist in making the cities 'more human'. In 2003 research team led by Geoffrey West of Santa Fe Institute collected large data sets of select urban centers and obtained information on various parameters from multiple sources and put them into a single database. The results reduced the life of a city to a mathematical rule - 'unified theory of urban living', similar to what Max Kleiber showed in the form of zoological rules that suggested that all forms of life follow the same equation that combines size, energy use and life expectancy. But cities don't follow Kleiber's law exactly - they don't slow down when they become bigger in size. On the contrary they accelerate, becoming more productive, creative, efficient and sustainable. Other model of urban thinking utilizes mathematics of complexity which views the city as a combination of networks and information. But this data intensive approaches on thinking about cities may not be sufficient & complete and other ways of looking at the city must be considered too. Read on...

New Statesman: Architecture - What does Big Data mean for our cities?
Author: Leo Hollis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 dec 2013

With human DNA having 8-9% of viral elements and an average human body having ten times more microbial cells then human cells, the question arises how these constituents influence and affect human behavior or is there a link between the two at all. Some recent research studies point in this direction and suggest possibilities of connection between the two - the host and the pathogen. Researchers from UCLA found changes in brain function of women as a result of probiotics. Moreover research also suggests a link between the type of bacteria present in the gut and the connections between the different areas of the brain. Research by Stephen Collins of McMaster University in Ontario found that the replacement of gut bacteria of nervous mice by that of a fearless mice makes it friendlier and less anxious. Read on...

Forbes: Who's In charge Here - The Surprising Science of Self Control
Author: Steven Kotler

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 dec 2013

According to a study by Margaret Ormiston of London Business School and Elaine Wong of University of California at Riverside, for every five cases of good CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) that Fortune 500 CEOs undertake they commit one act of CSiR (Corporate Social Irresponsibility). For their study they considered the 2002 list of Fortune 500 CEOs, obtained detailed background information available through various media, conducted assessment tests like California Adult Q-sort (a forced distributed methodology) and narrowed the list to 49 CEOs for the study. Then they used KDL (Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini) scale to assess CSiR. KDL rates companies in seven qualitative areas from a scale of -2 to +2 on aspects like environmental behavior, community relations, employee relations, corporate governance, diversity, human rights, and product. Researchers suggest that CEOs should always be aware and vigilant of their organization's activities from all aspects and companies should have CSR board or an oversight committee to check on their CEO more frequently. Read on...

THOMASNET News: Study - How CSR Leads to Corporate Social Irresponsibility
Author: Michael Lewis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 dec 2013

Professor Stacey Bent and her team at Stanford University has created the world's thinnest and most efficient absorber of light. The gold nanodot-filled wafers were fabricated using a technique called block-copolymer lithography. A thin-film coating was added over the wafers using a technology called atomic layer deposition that provided uniform coating and gave control over the thickness of the film at an atomic level. This research will find application in solar cells to develop clean energy. An ideal solar cell would be able to absorb entire visible light spectrum - violet light waves, red light waves, invisible ultraviolet and infrared light. The research team was able to tune the optical properties of nanodots to maximize absorption of a specific wavelength. The experiment have the potential to lower the cost of the solar cell device by reducing the amount of material while also improving the efficiency by maximizing the absorption of light. Read on...

ScienceBlog: Scientists break record for thinnest light-absorber
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 07 dec 2013

Healthy population is the essential component of development. In regions where substantial populations are residing in rural and remote areas, the challenge is to provide them with timely access of healthcare services and medicines. There are lessons that can be derived from retail supply chain management and processes to deliver medicines and health products effectively and efficiently. According to a report by CIHL (Center for Innovation in Healthcare Logistics) at the University of Arkansas, some of the best practices of retail supply chain that can be adopted by healthcare industry are - collaborative planning, forecasting & replenishment; scanning technology; education & training; centralized purchasing & supply; supply chain services reorganization; regular cycle counting and stock rotation; performance management; actual usage inventory management; e-commerce; data standardization. Read on...

the guardian: Getting medicines to the poor - Solving the logistics challenge
Author: Eliza Anyangwe

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 nov 2013

According to a recent research study led by Professor Jason West of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, more than 2 million people die every year due to air pollution. The main cause reported in study is the rise in the particulate matter (PM2.5) levels that has the tendency to penetrate deep into vital organs like lungs and increases the risk of cancer and other respiratory diseases. Professor Jason West mentions that East Asia and South Asia are the most affected regions due to large population and high air pollution. Researchers have also found that climate change had only a small role to play in deaths related to air pollution. Read on...

Nature World News: 2 Million Global Deaths Linked with Air Pollution
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 04 oct 2013

A company is building on the research done by Dr. David Baltimore and his team at California Institute of Technology to engineer immune cells to cure diseases from inside. They have currently tested the process on mice. Challenge is to control and stabilize inner manufacturing to produce correct amount of cells for the right period of time depending on the treatment requirement. According to the company there is a possibility to recreate biochemical environment of youth. Read on...

New Scientist: Mini drug factory churns out drugs from inside bone
Author: Linda Geddes

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 sep 2013

Scientists are combining two existing technologies - spray based coating of nanoparticles developed by the team led by Dr. Paula Hammond of MIT and nanoparticle manufacturing technology called PRINT (Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates) platform developed by researchers led by Dr. Joseph DeSimone of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. William R. Kenan Jr. of North Carolina State University - to mass produce uniform nanoparticles with customized layers of material that can carry drugs or other molecule for variety of uses in drug delivery, vaccines, wound healing etc. According to Dr. Paula Hammond creating highly reproducible batches of precisely engineered coated nanoparticles is important for the safe manufacture of drugs and regulatory approval, specifically in case of cancer therapies. This combination of two technologies shows great promise for the future of nanomanufacturing. Read on...

Nanotechnology Now: Nanoparticles, made to order - inside and out: New research enables high-speed customization of novel nanoparticles for drug delivery and other uses
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 05 aug 2013

Team of researchers from Northumbria University led by Dr. Stuart English, a specialist in design-driven innovation, in collaboration with a private firm have come up with world's first home-based and non-invasive treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (diabetes related eyesight problems) in the form of a 'Sleep Mask'. The prototype is undergoing clinical trials. The global diabetic population is estimated at 320 million and its growth is considered as epidemic. The Sleep Mask will have a significant impact on the care method of macular eye disease due to its low cost and non-invasive nature. Most available treatments for the disease are very expensive, highly invasive and hospital-based like laser and injections into the eye. Read on...

News-Medical: 'Sleep Mask' prototype - The world's first non-invasive treatment for sight loss
Author: NA

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