Social media based system that predicts dengue

NTU develops social media based system that predicts dengue

Researchers at the Nanyang Technological University have developed a new social-media based system that could go some way in Singapore's battle against dengue.

Known as Mo-Buzz, the web system can predict where and when dengue may occur potentially weeks in advance.

Researchers said it could potentially predict dengue outbreaks weeks in advance and will also enable users to help health authorities monitor the spread of dengue.

Users can snap a picture of a mosquito breeding site on their mobile device and the report will be geo-tagged to their location. It is then shown live on Google Maps in the system.

By also tapping on historical weather data and information of previous dengue incidents, the system can highlight potential hotspots forming.

This information can then be swiftly disseminated.

Associate Professor May O Lwin who is the principal investigator of Mo-Buzz said: "Health authorities can warn the public in advance so Mo-Buzz will allow the public to be forewarned about any potential dangers that's coming their way. And at the same time, it is a source of information that they can get real time and be part of the civic engagement where information about the different types of dengue breeding grounds can be fed back to the public."

She added that Mo-Buzz can also be a source of information and health communication to help the public to be aware of the dangers of dengue and how they can take preventive and precautionary measures.

Users can also receive customised health information that they can share with their family and friends using social networking tools, like Facebook and Twitter. Researchers hope this will encourage the community to adopt behaviours that will reduce their risk of contracting dengue.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

NTU now 10th-best university in Asia

NTU now 10th-best university in Asia

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has climbed seven spots to break into the Top 10 list in the latest global ranking of Asian universities to be released today.

In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings: Asia, the university takes 10th position, together with Japan's Kyoto University. It is the NTU's highest position since the first edition of the annual rankings was published in 2009.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) maintained its spot as the second-best university in Asia, sharing the position with the University of Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the top spot for the third year running went to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The ranking exercise by London-based education and career consultancy QS lists Asia's top 300 universities based on criteria such as academic reputation, number of papers per faculty and ratio of students to faculty.

QS head of research Ben Sowter said: "Singapore's universities are embracing the new possibilities of today's globalised higher-education landscape in innovative ways, and are now clearly established as international centres of excellence.

"The influx of international campuses, tech start-ups and multinational investors means Singapore is well placed to become Asia's Silicon Valley."

NTU president Bertil Andersson said in a statement: "NTU has become a talent magnet, attracting more top students and some of the world's best professors."

He said that the university saw an increase of 60 per cent of top A-level students enrolling this year, over 2011.

NTU also performed well in another QS ranking of international universities under 50 years old - it came in at No. 2, after Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, NUS also ranked first in Asia for employer reputation and second in Asia for academic reputation.

The provost and deputy president of academic affairs at NUS, Professor Tan Eng Chye, said: "This is firm recognition of the high-quality education and research work by our faculty, staff and students.

"We will continue our pursuit of transformative advances in education and research to bring about a lasting impact in Singapore, Asia and the world."

~News courtesy of Omy~

Playing games on your smartphone 'a good move'

Playing games on your smartphone 'a good move': NTU study

Playing smartphone games an hour a day can improve brain performance. Researchers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have found playing action games can boost spacial awareness while memory games enhance visual search tasks.

Just like building muscles in the gym, playing these games regularly can train the brain, said Dr Michael Patterson, assistant professor at NTU.

Though previous studies established that playing action games can boost cognitive skills, this is the first that compared multiple games and shows how different skills can be improved by playing different games.

The study was published in US scientific journal PLoS ONE in March. It was done in part because Singapore has one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the world and many people play games on their phone while commuting, said Dr Patterson.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

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