Showing posts with label Science And Tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science And Tech. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Don't mock - soya-based bak kwa is just as tasty

Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/dont-mock-soya-based-bak-kwa-just-tasty
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, Saturday, 17 December 2016


(L to R) Students Lai Xue Er, Muhammad Haziq Bin Md Hasan and Danice Peh Yan Ling from Nanyang Polytechic have developed a healthier version of bak kwa.
PHOTO: (L to R) Students Lai Xue Er, Muhammad Haziq Bin Md Hasan and Danice Peh Yan Ling from Nanyang Polytechic have developed a healthier version of bak kwa. The ingredients are baked, instead of barbecued.
Photo: The Straits Times
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6QosOdcWy71lH0hueFwgQRWdMvE2TTNrgoAnx5d2_UX0uDgGBl8VihHlYUZUPmAqJmjd8LiHHmh23FywPZacAbAWHdwZK9gZc-yNO2xQMeNlwUf9jb6PyLInXGDQmMIUDKV9YabE0QZ4/s1600/20161217_bakkwa_st.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/w848/public/original_images/Dec2016/20161217_bakkwa_st.jpg?itok=zTFG3c6K&timestamp=1481951419
http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/dont-mock-soya-based-bak-kwa-just-tasty


Grabbing that extra slice of bak kwa during Chinese New Year may be less of a guilt trip in a few years' time.

The traditional barbecued pork snack is going the healthy route, thanks to a team of Nanyang Polytechnic students.

And popular retailer Lim Chee Guan is taking the bite.

The NYP team devised a way to harness soya bean residue - a by-product that would normally be thrown away - to turn out a crispier version of bak kwa that is also packed with dietary fibre.

About 30,000kg of soya bean residue - called okara - is rendered useless and discarded here each day.

Scientists have been finding ways to recycle it - okara has been turned into a solution to grow yeast by a team at Nanyang Technological University, and converted into mock meat floss by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.

The students are the latest to tap into the rich source of dietary fibre.

To create a healthier alternative to bak kwa, a six-month project was started with the support of manufacturer Lim Chee Guan Food Industries to incorporate okara into the company's secret bak kwa recipe.

To get the best taste and colour, the students ran almost 100 trials with three ovens to test for the optimal temperature and baking time. The team's method involves baking the meat, which is healthier than cooking it on the grill. They also swopped pork for chicken so more people can enjoy the snack.

Ms Danice Peh, 19, and Ms Lai Xue Er, 21, food science and nutrition students, members of the team of four, would spend hours in the laboratory each day.

"Lots of people started calling us the bak kwa girls because we were always in the lab baking bak kwa," said Ms Lai with a laugh.

The team stumbled upon the new version by accident, when they rolled the mix too thinly and cooked it too long.

The result was thin crispy strips of bak kwa.

Said Mr Muhammad Haziq Md Hasan, 20, a business management student: "I was scraping them off the tray to throw them away but decided to taste some and realised it was really nice."

It was so tasty that he and fellow business management student Iann Prasetya Hussi, 19, who were in charge of marketing the product, convinced the company to consider a crispy version instead.

A spokesman for Lim Chee Guan Food Industries said that as customers are becoming more health- conscious, it has been wanting to develop a bak kwa snack with improved nutritional value, one that can be consumed every day and not just during Chinese New Year.

The team is in talks with the firm to mass produce their bak kwa.

Ms Peh and Ms Lai have been offered part-time jobs during their school break this month to further modify the recipe to make it even healthier. This includes increasing the fibre content and reducing the salt and sugar in the marinade.

They will also help to come up with a manufacturing process.

Ms Lina Tan, the students' co-supervisor and senior lecturer of the food science and nutrition course at NYP, said she hopes that the healthier bak kwa will hit the market in one to two years.

Tests by an external laboratory have found that the students' bak kwa has around 4g of fibre per 100g, which means it can be marketed as a "source of dietary fibre".

Quek Jing Yi, 18, also a food science and nutrition student at NYP, said he was initially sceptical about his classmates' creation, expecting it to taste bland. "It turned out to be quite flavourful. It does not taste like the traditional bak kwa but there is still that familiar taste."

"I liked that it was crispy. You can eat it like potato chips."

By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, Saturday, 17 December 2016
This article was first published on Dec 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


Bak kwa' hunks
PHOTO: Bak kwa' hunks
AFTER durians and tau fu fah, the Chinese New Year favourite bak kwa (dried barbecued pork slices) is the next to have "hunky" men promoting the delicacy. Major Chinese dailies highlighted the Internet buzz surrounding Wong Quan Jing, 27, and his friend Fong Tian Li, 25, after pictures of them selling and promoting bak kwa in Kluang, Johor, went viral. Pictures posted by their friends on Facebook garnered more than 400 shares and over 5,500 likes within 24 hours. The duo, who are friends, are also personal trainers at a fitness centre.
Photo: Internet screengrab
Posted by The Star/ANN, Wednesday, 20January 2016
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPSGAW2XtUm2jTcAefmn0fG296sSmxBaWBuAh2wLeKXYVBoNB4Q2Hwm2Waz3r5-tk1B__HBAYumiPeVp2XuKWUL2dKe8L3hsAQyysUHCUxaI9eWXKv8x9XuiQu9JetuE_yc6BbeSRy8xZ/s1600/201601120_bakwahunks_internetscreengrab.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/original_images/Jan2016/201601120_bakwahunks_internetscreengrab.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/bak-kwa-being-promoted-hunks


Sesame almond pork jerky Taiwanese snack
PHOTO: Sesame almond pork jerky Taiwanese snack
Picture posted by Explore Jerky Taiwanese, Taiwanese Snack, and more! (Pinterest)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1BE-S1cBkHGeHvZMDado6y0oCkfrJidVx0wtdOvFO8XSIzXVbcDQfDxiNo7XEcJ6YTiRwBhBnaH3yDngWTTLVie4xMUYxDp2yHeoavuJrJigbgH9gfOKn1iVTwBU0g8oQK8K2IUU4iDj/s1600/c04fbaa859076d8fc20f392827e46103.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c0/4f/ba/c04fbaa859076d8fc20f392827e46103.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/355714070540530859/



Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Uber looking to skies for future of commuter transportation

Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/uber-looking-skies-future-commuter-transportation
By Alfred Bayle, Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN, Tuesday, 27 September 2016


The Boeing Osprey, one of the few VTOL aircraft in service today is a tad too big for cities, so Uber is looking for smaller planes that could fit inside city airspace.
PHOTO: The Boeing Osprey, one of the few VTOL aircraft in service today is a tad too big for cities, so Uber is looking for smaller planes that could fit inside city airspace.
Photo: Philippines Daily Inquirer/ANN
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx7UoyzgLffJF5fkk5zMo35X9YS8BxAsQd6x1Z3mk6AuIH27GRP5qoFWVmPnOlJsIEIAlDb_Ux2BJctz0ZGjauzTwZlWRFdWO5yuU2RZ1vvakiEhthla_pvhPvAVs6fG_Oc-mUtPYe-rO/s1600/VTOLaircraft_inquirer_270916.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/w848/public/original_images/Sep2016/VTOLaircraft_inquirer_270916.jpg?itok=67VTRt7N&timestamp=1474952143
http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/uber-looking-skies-future-commuter-transportation


Just as Uber announced a few weeks ago that self-driving Uber cars would be hitting the streets in Pittsburgh, USA, the company is already looking to the future with flying vehicles that take off and land to get around a city.

The Next Web reports that Recode had a chance to speak with Uber's head of products Jeff Holden at The Nantucket Project conference where it was made known that the company is researching small planes with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities.


Drone Carrier Man
PHOTO: Drone Carrier Man - After previously showing a prototype drone that can carry human - made by Chinese manufacturer named Ehang (亿航 Yì háng) years ago at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This drone was finally given permission to conduct flight tests in Nevada-USA.
Posted by hidup bahagia on 11 June 2016
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvl8VrCoIoAEHV0yENhmY6_6XS7d0JQ21LBa3QfXU4vySSPF__TYSpqdacYW4hqmwGlE7LmhOoQB0hYj65fTF4SVfQGRT_g8q84qezOCfMd3nyFGAC1ZKrLjzhQXSBEEU_7MXQKolWV2P/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KC4SXz8FJNc/maxresdefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC4SXz8FJNc


Holden said the idea is to offer customers "as many options as possible to move around."

He added that VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams.

These aircraft would still need ample space to land as much as a helicopter needs a landing pad which could prove challenging for congested cities.


VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams.
PHOTO: VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams. These aircraft would still need ample space to land as much as a helicopter needs a landing pad which could prove challenging for congested cities.
Picture posted by Redaksi on 10 January 2016
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUi2f0xpCaxKZBg8hUDypZfB5aa-mFB5vqkwD_RV_9Enq8zhIk3cOkM-oLWZJopThGiFVUtLwtwXq5dl5yQUQymmVmPKIxVL1NIegJ2z58TnEX2RfSOiw_WmhQRaPTcKH9FfR0R04bWc7/s1600/6-1024x768.png
http://www.tanjungpinangpos.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/6-1024x768.png
http://www.tanjungpinangpos.co.id/2016/124967/drone-sudah-bisa-bawa-penumpang/


Uber is not the first company to explore flight as a means of commuter transportation and will most likely not be the last.

While technology for VTOL taxis are still being developed, it would be interesting to see how the self-driving Uber car trials would fare.


Prototype drone made in China given permission to conduct flight tests in Nevada-USA

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC4SXz8FJNc

By Alfred Bayle, Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN, Tuesday, 27 September 2016



Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, July 13, 2015

Vanda Miss Joaquim mystery solved

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, Saturday, 11 July 2015


The original specimen of Vanda Miss Joaquim. Its parentage is clear now: The hybrid’s mother was Vanda teres and father, Vanda hookeriana.
PHOTO: The original specimen of Vanda Miss Joaquim. Its parentage is clear now: The hybrid’s mother was Vanda teres and father, Vanda hookeriana.
Photo: ST
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgId6OCNGmvPP7RLJDJgOGfR27V-bsBl2Alzek80I6AHM4dbacwFJ5ylE1emTsn51j-NKQhnaXQ5MehrjOWs3gizjm4swRIqJC11fiwTPoAiWEzmn9agp3F06J4RJUUZoXW226jQQqEd5A/s1600/20150710_specimen_1.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/w848/public/original_images/Jul2015/20150710_specimen_1.jpg?itok=_RFMnbyU
http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/vanda-miss-joaquim-mystery-solved


Singapore may have named the Vanda Miss Joaquim its national flower in 1981, but it was not until three decades later that a mystery about its origins was solved.

The orchid had been brought to the Botanic Gardens' first director Henry Ridley in early 1893 by either Miss Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian horticulturalist born in Singapore, or her younger brother Joe.

After examining the orchid, Mr Ridley noted that two other orchids, the Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres, had been used to create it. But orchids have both male and female parts, so they can be either mother or father to a hybrid.

In the case of the Vanda Miss Joaquim, which Mr Ridley named after Agnes, he wrote: "Unfortunately, no record was kept as to which was used as the male."

The orchid's parentage stayed unclear for more than 100 years, until Dr Gillian Khew joined the Gardens in 2009 and established a new molecular biology laboratory.

The 37-year-old senior researcher worked with others to determine what roles Vanda Miss Joaquim's parents had played.

In a scientific paper published in 2011 outlining her findings, she wrote: "The precise identification of an orchid hybrid's parentage is of utmost importance to botanists, breeders and enthusiasts alike."

Dr Khew told The Straits Times that she sequenced the DNA of specific genes in the orchid that are contributed by only its mother.

Initial tests were done with fresh specimens of Vanda Miss Joaquim. To confirm results, Dr Khew tested a bit of tissue from the original 1893 specimen that been preserved in the Gardens' herbarium.

"Vanda teres was the mother. By elimination, Vanda hookeriana was the father," she said.

While solving the mystery was exciting, Dr Khew said the project is just one of many she has worked on.

Another was to determine where a Brazilian cactus, identified as a new species by the Gardens' current director, Dr Nigel Taylor, fit in the cactus family tree.

"My role is to use DNA sequence information to help classify plants, which helps guide conservation decisions," she said.

The laboratory has a tissue culture section that also plays a major role in conservation, by cloning rare plants and germinating seeds, including orchids. She said: "We mass-produce the plants, sometimes in the thousands, and these are re-introduced to Singapore's streetscapes and parks."

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, Saturday, 11 July 2015
This article was first published on July 10, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.



Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The plant keepers

Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/plant-keepers
By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, Saturday, 11 July 2015


National Orchid Garden nursery manager David Lim says it is usually the hybrid's mother that determines its flower's size and shape.
PHOTO: National Orchid Garden nursery manager David Lim says it is usually the hybrid's mother that determines its flower's size and shape.
Photo: ST
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hyphenhyphenL8UYwjs_C1KLcs0QGoIuCN6hy1XOyUe1Usb7V9YKJXXupvQCewrILHc8pYpmf-sP09YZIokvtwWdJqTSsH-Cu3R4a9Myg0Ylub3hXNR7zghEgk2ukV1zfdehv3yJAFCC42V_rv9Jo/s1600/20150710_Hybrid_Nparks.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/w848/public/original_images/Jul2015/20150710_Hybrid_Nparks.jpg?itok=rcNinpQ6
http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/plant-keepers


Singapore Botanic Gardens was made a Unesco World Heritage Site last week, becoming just one of three gardens in the world, and the only one in Asia, to earn that honour. The Straits Times speaks to the passionate men and women helming plant research there.

Displayed in the Botanic Gardens' herbarium is a sprig of jasmine that has been preserved for more than 200 years.

Collected by missionaries in India in the year 1790, the plant was brought to Singapore and donated to the Gardens around 1879. While the dried specimen might not be much to look at, it is one reason Singapore has been feted as a leading centre of tropical plant research.

After the Gardens was founded in 1859, its herbarium was set up in 1875 to collect, document and preserve plants in the region.

It has amassed a vast collection of about 750,000 dried plant specimens and 15,000 plant samples preserved in alcohol, making it a crucial stop for botanists seeking to understand South-east Asia's flora.

Dr David Middleton, 51, the herbarium's keeper, said of its roots: "When it was founded, it was the main herbarium for Malaya."

He added: "Even after Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965, all of the collections remained here in Singapore."

In the past two years, seven new plants have been found in Singapore and named in scientific papers.

These discoveries came after researchers compared their finds in the field to specimens in the herbarium's archives.

Its specimens are as diverse as they are extensive: Aside from the 225-year-old jasmine sprig, one section contains a century's collection of gingers from Penang, Perak and Pahang dating from the 1890s to the 1990s.

There are also specimens from the Cratoxylum glaucum Korth, a small tree first found in Bangka, an island east of Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1802, and from the Nepenthes klossii, a tropical pitcher plant first found in Papua, Indonesia, in 1912.

Some of the herbarium's plants once grew in Singapore but are now extinct here, such as the Thrixspermum psiloglottis (Ridl.) Schltr, an orchid with pale yellow flowers first found in Malaysia.

Every two weeks, a small team from the herbarium ventures into Singapore's green spaces, such as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, to collect new specimens and learn more about the plants.

The researchers also survey sites in other parts of the South-east Asian region such as Brunei, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia.

Dr Middleton, who is also the Gardens' deputy director and is in charge of research and conservation, said

the field trips allow experienced staff to mentor their junior colleagues, so that skills are passed from one

generation of botanists to the next. "There are more than 2,000 native species in Singapore, and the easiest way to identify them is when they are in flower or fruit, but that doesn't happen most of the time," he said.

"It's a great skill to be able to identify a plant, and the longer you do it, the better you get."

The regular surveys also enable the researchers to monitor changes in the landscape, sound the alarm about disappearing plants and inform conservation decisions - work that has become easier due to modern technology.

Ms Bazilah Ibrahim, 27, who helps manage the herbarium's collection, explained: "Some of the early collectors wrote very vague labels for their specimens, partly because they didn't have the equipment that we have now.
"The label might say Changi Road, for example, but we wouldn't know exactly where in Changi Road the specimen was collected.

"Now, we have GPS (global positioning system) and can pinpoint the co-ordinates."

Other labels have become obsolete, she added. "We've come across labels that say Chan Chu Kang. You can't find that on a map now, and you might assume that it was misspelt and actually means Choa Chu Kang. But there used to be a Chan Chu Kang. It just doesn't exist any more."

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, Saturday, 11 July 2015



Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)