A research team from the Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (BIG), Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), University of Macau (UM) virtually attended the 3^rd East Asia Nuclear Medicine Association Congress, hosted in Osaka, Japan in November. Competing with various institutes of nuclear medicine in Asia, including China Medical University, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Kagawa University Kansai Medical University, and Osaka University, Chen Gefei, a PhD student from BIG lab, won the gold award in the meeting for his work on deep-learning-based segmentations of the liver and tumors from contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for Yttrium-90 radioembolization dosimetry. This advancement facilitates the treatment planning for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases in Yttrium-90 radioembolization.

Yttrium-90 radioembolization is an effective treatment for inoperable liver tumors, and the treatment planning requires delineation of normal liver and tumors. Deep learning-based methods are feasible for tumor segmentation on single-phase CECT, but there are limitations in differentiating tumors and cysts. In Chen’s project entitled ‘Deep Learning-based Automated Segmentation of Liver and Tumors on CT Arterial Portography and Hepatic Arteriography for Yttrium-90 Radioembolization’, the group evaluated two deep learning-based methods on single-phase and dual-phase CECTs, respectively, for normal liver and tumor segmentation. The deep learning-based method using attention U-Net trained on dual-phase CECTs can achieve superior segmentation accuracy and successfully discriminate cysts and tumors. This method can highly facilitate the Y-90 radioembolization treatment planning procedure.

This project was led by Mok Seng Peng, Greta, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, and the Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology. It was a collaboration between UM and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and funded by Fundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia (file number: FDCT 099/2021/A).

The China International High-Tech Expo (CHITEC), also known as the China Hi-Tech Fair, is one of the most influential scientific and technological exhibitions in China. It is held annually at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Shenzhen, China. The 25th edition of CHITEC is scheduled to take place from November 15th to 19th, 2023. As one of the key platforms for technological innovation in China, the fair brings together domestic and international technology companies, innovative products, and solutions, showcasing the latest developments and cutting-edge technologies in the field of science and technology.

At this year’s CHITEC, the Centre for Applied Mathematics at the University of Macau, in collaboration with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, showcased the virtual reality-based digital twin technology, attracting widespread attention from industry experts, business representatives, and the general public.

Digital twin is a technology that involves digitizing entities, objects, and processes from the physical world to create a coexistence of physical entities in the physical dimension and virtual models in the information dimension. This technology is based on physical laws and utilizes supercomputers for numerical simulations. By combining technologies like Mixed Reality (MR), virtual models are created to simulate, deduce, and plan various aspects of the physical world.

A joint team led by Prof Xiao-Chuan Cai, Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) and Chair Professor of the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Science and Technology has been engaged in long-term research on algorithms and software related to digital twin technology. They have developed multiple sets of high-performance algorithms and software targeting the fields of biomedical engineering, industrial design, and smart cities. The team has successfully developed several prototypes of digital twin systems, allowing interaction with the models through gestures and presenting the results intuitively to users via holographic glasses.

Two important digital twin systems among these prototypes are:

• Virtual Operating Room: This system utilizes holographic glasses as the interface to present three-dimensional digitized human organs. Doctors can interact with the models using predefined gestures and actions, enabling them to observe the patient’s condition. The system also allows numerical simulations of organ models by adjusting physical and geometric parameters, predicting the progression of diseases, and providing assistance and decision support during surgical procedures.

• City Simulation: This system combines city environment simulation with virtual glasses to provide an immersive and interactive urban experience for urban planning, disaster management, and smart city applications. Various crisis scenarios can be simulated, such as typhoons, fires, and floods, within the virtual environment so that people can better understand and respond to different emergency situations. This technology provides a safe and controllable training and evaluation platform for emergency response and urban planning.

Through this prestigious Hi-Tech Fair, the joint team showcased the tremendous potential of digital twin technology to companies and experts from various countries. The innovation and development of this technology are expected to have a profound impact on areas such as surgical assistance and decision-making in the medical field, as well as urban planning and emergency management in smart cities.

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Students from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) of the Faculty of Science and Technology embarked on an exciting industrial visit recently. The purpose of this visit was to showcase the innovative technologies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, allow students to experience the work environment, and gain a deeper understanding of career prospects. It aimed to align with the policies of the Macao SAR Government, actively integrating into the development of the Greater Bay Area, and attracting more local talents to start businesses and seek employment in the Greater Bay Area.

This journey included visits to Gree Electric Appliances Inc. and Yuanguang Software Co., Ltd., both headquartered in Zhuhai. These two companies are leading technology engineering companies in China and even globally, known for their advanced technologies and high-quality products. The students first visited Gree’s product exhibition hall, witnessing the automated operations in Gree’s production process and experiencing their smart home appliances. The students were deeply impressed by the efficiency and precision of the products and were curious about the applications of carbon-neutral homes. As for Yuanguang, being a mainstream domestic digital service information technology company, it serves various industries including digital enterprises, smart energy, and creative platforms. Apart from gaining insights into the core technologies driving the development of smart cities, the students also got to know the latest technology research projects and ongoing innovative work through the visit and introductions.

This industrial visit provided valuable learning experiences, enabling the students to gain a deeper understanding of technological innovation and research and development in the Greater Bay Area. It instilled them with stronger confidence in their future careers and the development prospects of the Greater Bay Area. Through interactions and on-site observations with industry professionals, they gained a better understanding of the advanced operational models, potentials, and the demand for occupational skills in the Greater Bay Area. It also allowed students to set clear goals for their future development.

To further promote the research on 5G communication technology in the Greater Bay Area and Macau, representatives of the “Greater Bay Area 5G Industry Alliance” visited the University of Macau (UM) on the 7th to have a lively discussion on establishing a 5G+ ecosystem and promoting the continuous and steady development of industry-academia research collaboration. The visiting group has more than 30 representatives from the Alliance and corporate executives, including representatives from Macau Telecom, Bank of China (Hong Kong), China Mobile Hong Kong, Alibaba Cloud, Huawei, and Multibyte Info Technology, etc. They collectively expressed their opinions on improving the Greater Bay Area 5G+ industry chain and issues related to the Internet of Things.

During the visit of UM, Song Yonghua, UM Rector and Xu Jian, UM Vice Rector (administration) led the alliance representatives to visit UM Auditorium,  The State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (AMSV) and the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC). They engaged in in-depth discussions on strengthening cooperation and innovation in the Greater Bay Area 5G+ industry. The Greater Bay Area is served as an important region for innovative technology, UM will strengthen industry-academia research collaboration with the alliance in the future and jointly promote research and technological innovation in 5G technology. The 5G technology can be applied in the fields of intelligent transportation, smart cities, and industrial internet, UM will continue to provide strong technical and talent support for the economic development of the Greater Bay Area and Macau.

Sean Lee, the founding chairman of the Greater Bay Area 5G Industry Alliance and director and chief executive officer of China Mobile Hong Kong, stated that they will continue to uphold the principle of win-win cooperation, leverage the influence of the alliance, and collaborate with academia to construct the 5G industry ecosystem. Through strengthening exchanges and cooperation with the University of Macau and other universities, they aim to bring more opportunities and development potential to the Greater Bay Area and Macau.

In addition, Xu Cheng-Zhong, Dean of UM’s Faculty of Science and Technology, Ma Shaodan, Assistant Director of SKL-IOTSC, Gong Zhiguo, Head of the Department of Computer and Information Science (CIS), Wu Yuan, Associate Professor of CIS, and Zhou Bin, Technology Transfer Officer of SKL-AMSV, also attended as representatives of UM.

The 4th International Joint Conference on Theoretical Computing was successfully held at the University of Macau (UM). Scholars from all over the world, including more than 130 representatives from 6 countries and regions including Thailand, India, Japan, China, and Hong Kong, participated in the event. The conference was co-organized by the China Computer Federation and the Faculty of Science and Technology of UM. With the theme of theoretical computer science, the conference focused on cutting-edge issues in computational economics. Its aim was to explore the development of frontier computational economics and study its innovative and sustainable impact on the global economy.

During the opening speech, Cheng-Zhong Xu, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Macau, emphasized the flourishing global significance of theoretical computer science for future development. The conference invited high-level speakers from different countries and regions to deliver presentations, which could contribute to the diversified development of theoretical computer science. Additionally, the conference served as an effective communication platform for scholars and experts worldwide, fostering advancements in computational economics and providing substantial support for innovation and development in related fields.

The joint conference spanned 5 days, combining the 4th International Joint Conference on Theoretical Computer Science (IJTCS) with the 17th Frontiers of Algorithmic Wisdom (FAW) event. The conference successfully invited Prof Xiaotie Deng from Peking University, Prof Jianwei Huang from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), and Prof Kazuhisa Makino from Kyoto University as keynote speakers. They extensively discussed popular global topics such as blockchain, data correlation, optimization of privacy protection mechanisms, and variable functions, and shared the latest research findings and innovative concepts in the field of computational economics. Furthermore, internationally renowned scholars from various countries and regions presented over 50 cutting-edge reports covering areas such as algorithmic game theory, blockchain, multi-agent reinforcement learning, quantum computing, machine learning theory, machine learning, formal methods, algorithms, and complexity.

As the host for the first time, the University of Macau aimed to strengthen cooperation mechanisms, communication channels, and technical collaborations among universities in different countries and regions through organizing this workshop, and to expand cooperation and development in the international academic community, making contributions to the sustainable development of the global economy.

The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of the University of Macau (UM) held the first lecture and departmental sharing sessions for undergraduate and postgraduate students of the academic year 2023/2024 on the 15^th Aug. A total of around 400 undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and professors participated and jointly embracing a new chapter. FST Dean Xu Cheng-Zhong, Associate Dean Zhou Wanhuan (Academic Affairs), and other management members encouraged students to embrace both challenges and opportunities, make the most of their time at the University of Macau, equip themselves, cultivate independent thinking and innovation skills, and prepare for their journey towards their dreams.

At the first lecture, Dean Xu introduced the University and the Faculty, such as the university’s educational philosophy, international rankings and reputation, academic level of the Faculty, cutting-edge research, and three national key laboratories. He expressed gratitude for the support of the Central government and Macao SAR government and highlighted the university’s remarkable development in recent years. As part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he hoped that the students could contribute to the development of the Bay Area, as well as the country. Dean Xu also advised students to fully utilize the opportunities for international exchanges in the post-pandemic era, explore more possibilities, make good use of resources and opportunities both within and outside the University of Macau, enhance their professional competence and competitiveness, strive for higher and farther goals, and become proactive, determined, hardworking people with an international perspective and competitive edge.

The new academic year at the University of Macau will officially begin on Thursday (17th). It is expected that the first lecture and departmental sharing sessions of this academic year will help students gain a better understanding of the university and the faculty, adapt early to the vibrant and memorable campus life, and prepare themselves for embarking on a new chapter in their lives.