THE 3RD WINTER SCHOOL REPORTDECEMBER 6-21, 2017

Overview:
The Joint Degree (JD) Program between Gifu University in cooperation with Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati(IITG) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is slated for opening in 2019. As a promotional activity of the JD Program,
Gifu University set up the Winter School Program in 2015. The 2017 Winter School Program marks the third year. In thisProgram, outstanding students selected from IITG and UKM are invited to Gifu University to experience campus life forthree weeks. The students take part in various activities such as research works at their respective supervisor’s
laboratories in the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering, introductory Japanese language
lessons held at the International Student Center, and Japanese culture workshops. This program also offers theparticipants opportunities to gain some insights about Japanese industry by visiting local companies.

In the 1st Winter School 2015, eight students fromIITG took part. In the 2nd Winter School 2016,
participants from both IITG and UKM took part (sixstudents from IITG and two students from UKM).

OPENING2017 WINTER SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS

IITG: 5 STUDENTS

UKM: 2 STUDENTS
Arrival in Japan:
In the 3rd Winter School 2017 program, five students from IITG and two students
from UKM arrived at Chubu International Centrair Airport, Nagoya on December 5.
Despite a short delay in one of the flights, the Winter School participants appeared
to be in good spirits for their first visit to Japan. Soon after lunch, they weretaken to their accommodation on campus.
Opening Ceremony:In the following morning, an opening ceremony was held in Seminar Room 404,
International Student Center to welcome the participants. After the opening
speech by Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki, Supervisor of Winter School (Executive Director forInternational Affairs and Public Relations, Vice President of Gifu University),
Associate Professor Raymond Co conducted an orientation and gave an overview
of the program itinerary. Then, the participants introduced themselves in front of
their supervisors.
Welcome Party:
A welcome party took place in the same room right after the opening ceremony.
A lunch buffet of vegetable and chicken curries, and Japanese sushi wereprepared. Even though many of the participants tried raw fish for the first time,they did not seem to hesitate trying new food at all and enjoyed informalinteractions with their supervisors and other professors of Gifu University.

Courtesy Call on the President:
After lunch, the participants and their supervisors paid a courtesy call to
Dr. Hisataka Moriwaki, President of Gifu University. Although it was a brief
thirty- minute meeting, they were able to give cordial exchanges about their
universities and research themes.

Healthcare Seminar:
After the courtesy call, the participants visited the Health Administration Centeron campus. The Director of the Center, Dr. Mayumi Yamamoto led a healthcare
seminar explaining national healthcare system of Japan, the role of the Centerand healthcare activities offered to the students.

Page_1LABORATORY WORK

During their stay, the participants engaged in laboratory work and carried out research activities under the instructionof their supervisors. Upon completion of their research, they each created a poster introducing what they have learned
and summarizing the results of the experiments they conducted. Please refer to page 10 for the posters.

Page_2JAPANESE CULTURE EXPERIENCES
Survival Japanese Lessons:
Basic Japanese lessons were offered to the participants in theInternational Student Center (404 Seminar Room). The participantslearned “Survival Japanese” over a total of nine-hour class sessions.
They demonstrated what they have learned by presenting a short
introductory speech in Japanese at the accomplishment report on
December 21.

Japanese Culture Experience/ JUNI-HITOE (layered
kimono) –Japanese traditional costume-:
On December 13, the participants took part in a
JapanesecultureworkshoporganizedbytheInternational
Student Center. The topic of the workshop was Juni-Hitoe(layered kimono) -Japanese traditional costume-.
Juni itoe, which weighs more than 10 g, was officiallyworn by court ladies. The participants listened attentively
to the lecture and witnessed a demonstration of one Gifu
University international student being dressed up inlayered kimonos. After the lecture, the participants hada chance to try it on themselves. This workshop offered
the students a rich experience and glimpse into one ofJapan’s traditional cultural heritage.
Page_3

Visit to Magome-juku:
On December 10, the participants toured
Magome-juku, situated in Nakatsugawa
City, Gifu Prefecture. Magome-juku was
one of the ancient post-towns along
Nakasendo way during the early Edo
Period. This historic place has always
attracted both Japanese and foreign
tourists. The participants strolled
through the cobblestone streets thatcharacterize the town while taking
pictures of traditional Japanese houses.

Kendo Experience:
December 18, when the participants visited N-TECH Co., Ltd., situated in Yoro Town, Gifu Prefecture, the staff of N-TECH were kindenough to show the participants Kendo, Japanese fencing. The participants put on protective guard and were especially enthusiastic
about Shinai bamboo sword for the first time.
Ji-kabuki:
On December 10, during their visit to Nakatsugawa City, theparticipants had the opportunity to watch a local kabuki
performance (Ji-kabuki). It is a traditional drama performanceplayed by local amateurs. Before the performance, the participantsreceived a short lecture about its history, the way to enjoy thedrama, and highlight of the act they should watch out for. The
kabuki play, “Kotobuki Sogano Taimen Kudouyamakata no Ba” wasperformed. They were fascinated by the dynamic and beautiful
performance and colorful kimono worn by the actors.

Kaiawase:
On December 12, the participants visited Tokugawa Art
Museum, in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. In the museum, they
were given a short introduction of the history of the Tokugawa
family, the museum and its important collections. Following
that, they joined a workshop on kai-awase, a shell-matchinggame played in the 19th century. First, the participants wereshown a display of beautiful shells colored with gold and silver,
and decorated with traditional motifs. Second, they enjoyed thegame of matching identical pairs of shells. Finally, they eachdecorated their own pair of kai-awase shells to bring home assouvenirs.

Page_4

COMPANY TOURS

N-TECH Co., Ltd.:On December 18, the participants visited N-TECH Co., Ltd., located in Yoro Town,
Gifu Prefecture. N-TECH manufactures machines that fabricate food containers.
Employees made a company presentation and led them on a factory tour. The
participants showed a keen interest in the effective automated production line thatis designed to make food containers with stable high quality.

Chicory Village:
On December 10, the participants visited Chicory Village, in Nakatsugawa City. Chicory is a vegetable also known as endive and this company
supplies the majority of chicory in Japan. The students toured the plant and observed the chicory production led by a staff. They were also
given a taste of various dishes made from chicory in the restaurant next to the company.

Toyota Kaikan Museum and Toyota Plant Tour:On December 12, the participants visited Toyota Kaikan Museum, in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Needless to say, Toyota is a world-famous
automaker, and there are many plants in this prefecture. The students toured the Toyota Kaikan Museum on their own before being led to aplant tour to inspect Toyota’s innovative production process.

Page_5

Page_6

RICE BALL PROJECTSEMINARS

Dr. Kannan Pakshirajan:

Dean, Faculty of Biosciences and Bioengineering
Professor of Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IITG

On December 19, Dr. Kannan Pakshirajan held a workshop on making posters forresearch presentation in the International Student Center (Seminar Room 404). Dr.
Pakshirajan lectured on the important points in creating a poster presentation andprovided the attendees helpful advice for creating their individual posters. Pleaserefer to page 10 for the posters.
On the following day, Dr. Pakshirajan offered a seminar introducing his research work titled, “Bioprocessing
strategies for production of biofuels and value addition of wastewater and waste sludge” held in the International
Student Center (Seminar Room 404).
Dr. Mohammad B. Kassim:

Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry/Deputy Executive Director of Strategy, UKM

On December 20, Dr. Mohammad B. Kassim conducted a seminar
introducing his research work titled, “Recent progress in photoelectrochemical water splitting” held in the International Student
Center (Seminar Room 404).

Lectures on Trafﬁc Safety and Crime
Prevention:

The National Universityof Malaysia

The 3rd Winter School program decided to implement the “Rice Ball (Onigiri) Project” with the aim to introduce the concept ofdesign thinking and to promote intercultural understanding among participants from different cultures and religions.
On December 9, the participants received a lecture about an important Japanese staple, rice ball or “onigiri. ” Dietary
problems that people from other countries face in Japan were also highlighted. Then, the participants were divided into threeteams to think and create their own unique rice ball recipes to address the particular dietary tastes and preferences of members
from different food cultures (Japanese, Indian, and Malaysian). Each group had to create their rice ball within a budget(JPY1, 000). Japanese and international students in Gifu University also joined the Winter School participants, working together
to generate ideas and come up with a prototype. At the end of the seminar, each team made their unique onigiri samples. They
also prepared a poster illustrating the ingredients used and the cooking procedures.

On December 15, the participants attended
ectures on Traffic Safety and rime
Prevention held in Lecture Room No.35,
General Education Building. Members ofGifu law enforcement officers spo e about
traffic rules in Japan and security measuresagainst crimes. They also mentioned thenecessity to secure evacuation places incase of natural disasters.
Page_7

Page_8

RICE BALL PROJECT PRESENTATIONACCOMPLISHMENT REPORTS
On December 21, Accomplishment Reports were held in the International Student
Center (Seminar Room 404). At the Accomplishment Report session, theparticipants delivered their own poster presentations introducing the researchlaboratory work they had accomplished during the program and prepared aone-minute speech in Japanese. The session was attended by Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki.
Despite only three weeks or less for their research activities, the participants did
their best and loo ed confident over their achievements.

SYNTHESIS OF NATURAL PRODUCTS OF
MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE

Centrifugation

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH:
Sheep AGT (sAGT) is commonly used as a better substrate forhuman renin. Although the expression of functional sheep AGT in E.coli wasalready reported [1], yeast strain (Pichia pastoris) was explored as a novel
host expression system for the higher expression. The basic parameterssuch as thermal stability and functional characterization of sAGT expressedin Pichia pastoris (brought from IITG) has to be analyzed to ensure thebetter activity with respect to E.coli expressed sAGT.

Quantification of sheep Angiotensinogen:
Absorbance scan ranges
from 240 to 360nm
UV-spectrophotometer was done to estimate the concentration.

OH
O
OH
O

O
HO
O
HO
HO
HO

O
HOO

O
OH
HO
HO

HO
O

O
OH

HO

OH
O

NHAc
O
O HO
OH

HO
O

Assuming Molecular weight= 50.3 kDa; Molar extinction
coefficient= 39165 M-1 cm-1 using A=ƐCl(b) Functional activity and thermal stability analysis:

AcO
HO
HO
HO

HO
HO
HO

AcO
AcO
OH
O

glycosylation

O
HO
O

HO
O

A

and

HO
HO
HO

OAc
O

HO
HOO
AcO
AcO
AcO

B

Core mannose unit

OBnO

Fig.7. DSF analysis of E.coli andP.pastoris- derived sAGT

glycosylation

OAc
O

HO
HO
HO

OAc

(iii) Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF):
To measure the melting temperature (Tm) of the protein,
fluorescence intensity of SYPRO orange in the presence of protein wasmeasured by varying the temperature from 25°C to 95°C.

SPh

OH

O
TfOH

O
O
O

CH3
acetyl

AcO
AcO
AcO

O
OAc

OAc

OH
O

DMF, rt/ CH3OH,rt

Results and Discussion

Sialic Acid

OH
O
SPh

Test

Raw EBN

Antioxidant activity

1)

DPPH

27.17 %

2) ABTSEC50

29.30 %
4300 ppm

Figure 1. Fractions obtained was analysed for carbohydrate ( 490 nm) and sialic acid ( 580 nm) after sephadex G – 50
gel filtration chomatography

Figure 1 shows three significant peaks in both analysis. Fraction A exhibits the highest
content of carbohydrate and sialic acid followed by fractions B and C. It can be seen thatas the fraction collection progress, the content of sialic acid and carbohydrate reduces.
Glycoprotein is essentially a large molecule and may eluted first compared to smallermolecules which accounts the first two high peaks. Besides, Fraction A & B might
contain significant amount of tri-sialyl or tetra-sialyl oligosaccharide derivates that
accounts for about 49.2% and 25.4% of the total sialyloligosaccharides in EBN.
Nevertheless, antioxidant analysis was conducted to determine which fractions
contributes to higher activity. In order to improve the purity, fractions of high activity
were subjected to dialysis using cellulose tube to remove salt (NaCl) before being freeze
dried. The freeze dried fractions was then analysed for its antioxidant potential. Results
are shown in Figure 2.

Hydrolyzed
EBN
62.25 %
75.25 %
898 ppm

Table 2 Past Reports of Sialyloligosaccharides Content in EBN (4)Structure

Molar Ratio (%)
49.2

25.4

*NeuAc: Sialic acidResearch Purpose
To further purify edible bird nest (EBN) hydrolysate into different molecular weightfractions and evaluate the content of the sialic acids and carbohydrate of EBN aswell as the antioxidant potential.

Methods
Hydrolysed EBN (20 mg) (5)Gel Filtration Column(1.5 I.D X 30 cm,
eluted with 0.1 M NaCl)

Product of purified hydrolysed
EBN with G50 Gel filtration column

v

CCl3

Reomove thepart&
Glycosylation

SPh

Dialysis (Cellulose Tube)
Freeze Drying
Antioxidant Analysis(DPPH Assay)

19

2.07

89

2.72

• General association of these physical and chemical properties and thecytotoxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles are still unclear

Cell lines used in study:• HaCaT• A549• The specific factors of biological influences are yet to be studied.

METHODOLOGY

Development of portable devices like the micro-robots, drones, small
computers, etc. require high energy density power sources. The
hydrocarbon fuels have 20-50 times higher energy density than the Li-ion
concept based electrochemical batteries.
14000
12000

4. Results and Discussion:

Voltages across the variable and the 1 resistor are measured and used
to calculate the: 1. Net output power, 2. Consumed power by the microblower and the DC-DC convertor, 3. Total output power

Energy density of hydrocarbon fuels and batteries

10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0

Input quantity

Value

Thermal input

11.7 W

Fuel Flow rate

6.8 cc/min

Driving voltage formicro-blower

12.7 V

Matching resistance70

Fig. 1. Effect of CaCO3 nanoparticles on the intracellular calcium levelmeasure conc. Of BSA in filtrate(BCA protein assay kit)

• As the flowrate keeps on decreasing, the net output also keeps on
decreasing, but the consumed power is almost constant. Hence theequivalence ratio keeps on decreasing with time which leads toquenching.
• As the net output keeps on decreasing, the efficiency also decreases
with time.
• The results do not match with the previously obtained results where,
conversion eff. = 1.87%. Hence, further studies are required.

centrifuge 16000gX 20mins

Variable resistor

Fig 2. Mitochondrial activity

Fig 3. Colony formation

Fig 4. DNA Damage

Fig 5.cell membrane damage

SECONDARY PARTICLE

OBn
O

O
OAc

DC-DC converter

11) Tadashi Satoh, et. al. Molecular Cell, 2010, 40, 905-916.
2) Nobuko Hosokawa, et. al. J. Biol. Chem. 2009, 284, 17061-17068.
3) David Crich, et. al. J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 3064-3070.

12.7 V

Micro blower• Mitochondrial activity by MTT assay• Cell membrane integrity by LDH Assay

RESULTS•• Intracellular ROS levels by DCFH-DA in flow cytometry (excite at 488nm, study
at 525nm)•

The cellular influences of the CaCO3 nanoparticles depended on theirsolubility & Metal ion release
Soluble CaCO3 nanoparticles also induced a cell morphological change.
Colony formation was inhibited by CaCO3 nanoparticle exposure•

Effect mitochondrial activity and cell membrane damage were small•

CaCO3 nanoparticles will have less severe influence on body as calcium is
omnipresent

Acknowledgement

Deep gratitude to Iwahasi Sensei for being inspirational and approachable
supervisor, and thanks to my very helpful and caring labmates.

Reference

Evaluation of cellular influences caused by calcium carbonate nanoparticles
Masanori Horie et al. (2014)

Description

Micro-combustor

Ceramic tube, inner diameter = 1.5 mm

Catalyst

Monolithic porous Pt catalyst layer on inner side of
combustor
Propane/Butane = 30/70 in volume% stored inconvectional gas lighter in liquid form
Copper, dimensions = 4x4x18 mm and hole diameterof 2.7mm and depth of 15mm
6 in no. (1MD04-017-1, RMT Ltd., 3.8 × 3.8 × 2.3mm ) set between the heat sink and heat receiver.
Working principle is Peltier effect.
Driven by a part of the electricity generated at the
TE-modules

Fuel
Heat receiver
TE-modules(Thermo-electric)
Micro-blower

Duration(ms)

114.5
105.2
121.8
232.6
74.5

100.9
65.7
106.2
215.2
64.9

Fig 2. Schematic sketch of location

I have analysed a video that was recorded on December 5th,2017 in
Ishikawa, Japan, prefecture at 11:49:11 using an NAC camera as shown in
Figure 1. The NAC camera(Fig.1) was operated at a frame rate of
40000f/sec, with focal length 8mm, 288*216 pixels, and each pixel withdimensions 0.0217*0.0217mm2. A software named GXLink was used toanalyse the video frame by frame.

S.No

Building

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

4
4
4
4
4
4
3

Time ofDuration (µs)
occurrence (ms)
13.7
200
20.5
100
22.4
25
31.1
50
43.2
75
43.9
25
171.5
575

Graph 1: Speed profiles of leaders from buildings four and one.

In this video, lightning discharges strike almost simultaneously on fourbuildings(Fig.2) where buildings 1 and 2 are two towers of a bridge,
each 95.5 m tall, building 3 and 4 are a hospital and a windmill being
56.3m and 100.25 m tall respectively.According to this video, there wasa lightning discharge at some distance away that initiated the upward
leaders from each of the structure. Interestingly, there were two leaders
initiated from the third structure. I have found the time intervals between
the leaders initiated as well as their durations. There were also a few
bright processes in the video and I have presented their durations too. I
have further obtained the speed profile of these leaders with respect totime as well as height from ground.

13.7 V• One of such studies include checking the matching resistance. Input
voltage for micro-blower 12.7 V and 13.7 V at 7 cc/min. Maximum
output at 70 . No significant increase in power for increased voltage.

Thermoelectric conversion elements

Component

Endingtime(ms)

13.6
39.5
15.6
17.4
9.6

V

• Viscosity by Ubbelohde viscometer

CELL VIABILITY(b)

Startingtime(ms)

1
2
3 (left)
3 (right)
4

RESULTS:V• Size by Dynamic Light Scattering

SPh

(a)

Fig 4: Bright processes. (a) Second one. (b) Seventh one.
Table 1: Time at which leader propagations begin and their durations

Buildings from which
Leaders are initiated

Table 2: Times at which bright processes occur and their duration• np-FBS dispersed in DMEM-FBS along with cells.

OAc
O
O
BnO
O

AcO
AcO
AcO

Lightning can be defined as a transient, high-current electric discharge in
air whose length is measured in kilometres. Since it is a very fast anddynamic phenomenon, its optical observation is not an easy task to do.
Thus, regarding how lightning leaders are triggered and how the leaders
propagate, many issues remain unknown. Fortunately, the research groupof my supervisor recently recorded a very interesting upward lightning withhigh speed video camera and gave me an opportunity to analyse thisvideo. Here is a report of what I have found during my stay in Gifu
University.

METHOD:

Figures show components and schematic of the portable power unit which is
being developed. Table lists the components being used.

• Purchased Human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell cultured in DMEM with FBS
along with antibiotics in 5% CO2.
np-FBSnp

Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India.
Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

KEYWORDS: Lightning discharge, Leader, Upward Lightning.
BACKGROUND:

Fig 1. NAC Camera

3. Method:wash off excess FBS
AcO
AcO
AcO

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS:
(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

5. Perspective:• The heat losses at the heat receiver are to be reduced.
• The heat receiver with a bigger hole diameter is to be tested, as it will
permit proper outflow of exhaust gases.
• Supply of air through air tank instead of micro-blower to be checked.

6. References:••

K. Higuchi, T. Nakano and S. Takahashi (2017), ‘Development of a
portable power unit with catalytic micro-combustor’, PowerMEMS
2017, Ishikawa, Japan.
S. Takahashi, M. Tanaka, N, Ieda and T. Ihara, ‘Development of Micro
Cogeneration System with a Porous Catalyst Microcombustor’,PowerMEMS 2014, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 557 (2014)
012118.

• Building 4, the windmill being the tallest is where the first leader is
initiated, being intermittent and branched in nature.
• There is a flash that occurs at some distance away from the buildings
and the leaders from buildings 1,2,3(2 nos.),4 are initiated after 3, 28.9,
5,7 and 0.7 milliseconds respectively.

REFERENCES:
Fig. 3: Leaders [propagating upward at (a) 629th frame (b) 1127th frame, (c) 2708th frameand (d) 4414th frame• Martin A. Uman. Lightning. Dover Publications, Inc. New York.
• D. Wang, N. Takagi, T. Watanabe, H. Sakurano, and M. Hashimoto.
Observed characteristics of upward leaders that are initiated from awindmill and its lightning protection tower. Geophysical Research
Letters, Vol. 35, L02803, doi:10.1029/2007GL032136, 2008.

Years

Electrical conductivity of Nickel-Cobalt alloy
Nurul Ashikin Mohd Nazrul Aman1, Yutaka Ohya2, Andanastuti Muchtar1,3, Muhamed Ali1
1)
2)
3)

Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor,
Malaysia
Email: nurulashikin0705@gmail.com

Background

Conductivity determination and calculation

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are an energy converter that convert
chemical energy into useful electrical energy. SOFC is known for theirhigh electrical efficiency (~70%) at elevated operating temperature(800°C to 1000°C). However, operating at high temperature had cause
durability and reliability issues for the SOFC. Therefore, the current trend
in SOFC research is to reduce the operating temperature to intermediate
temperature (600°C to 800°C). To enable SOFC to perform atintermediate temperature, the anode should possesses high electricalconductivity and catalytic rate. To obtain a higher electronic conductivity,
cobalt is introduced to nickel oxide metal that are mostly used as theconstituent of anode material.

1. 4 terminal methods was used to determine the sample resistance, R
as in Figure 3.
2. The R is calculated using equation 1.
3. The resistivity, then calculated by multiplying the resistance withsample area and further dividing it with the distance between thevoltage points as in equation 2.
4. The conductivity,ߪ of the sample then calculated using the inverse of
the sample resistivity as in equation 3.

To determine the DC conductivity of theNi0.9Co0.1 sample (SOFC anode)at (200°C to 800°C).

MethodFigure 3 4-terminal methods of resistant calculation Figure 4 Equations for conductivity calculation

Sample preparation and experiment set up

Results and Discussions

1. The NiO-Co sample was prepared in solid oxide fuel cell laboratory in
Fuel Cell Institute, UKM. The sample then reduced to Ni-Co using
the set up in Ohya-Ban laboratory in Department of Chemistry and
Biomolecular, Gifu University. The sample was reduced in N2
90ml/min and H2 10ml/min at 800°C for 5 hours before the DC
conductivity test was carried out.
2. The sample geometry area is measured using the micrometer screw
gauge.
3. The sample then mounted to the alumina base on the sample holderusing the platinum (Pt) wire at four different positions along thesample length. The distance between the inner wire positions aremeasured using ruler and denoted as l (Figure 1)
4. The contacts between the Pt wire and the samples are made by
applying some silver paste in between them as in Figure 1.
5. The sample holder then inserted into the tube furnace. The set up forthe DC conductivity test are then prepared as in Figure 2. The set up
is connected to the PC using a general purpose interface bus (GPIB). The PC is equipped with a program that collects data such astemperature, applied current and sample’s voltages within the set
time interval. The applied current was set to 50mA.

Figure 2 shows that all the fractions clearly improve the antioxidant potential of thestarting samples. The fractions obtained are in a more purified form and able to exhibit
higher effectiveness. Among them, Fractions A & B exhibit the highest antioxidant
activity. It may due to the fact that Fraction A & B may contain high amount of tri-sialyl or
tetra-sialyl fractions that translates to higher antioxidant activity. For the future research,
the fractions can be further purified by using simple two-step chromatographic
procedure (cation and anion exchange resin chromatography) and tested for sialic acidcontent.

Conclusion
In this study, Fraction A and B are able to exhibit high content of sialic acid andcarbohydrate compounds as well as antioxidant activity. Through this research, it is also
proven that the purified fractions are able to show high antioxidant potential compared tostarting sample. We hope that this research can be continued and be able to contributeto the industry applications.

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Science, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University for providing the necessary facilities forthis research and Winter School Programme for the opportunity. Deepest gratitude to lab
members who supported me throughout my time here.
(1) Lin, B., Wu, X., Zhao, H., Tian, Y., Han, J., Liu, J. and Han, S., 2016. Redirecting immunity via covalently
incorporated immunogenic sialic acid on the tumor cell surface. Chemical Science, 7(6):3737-3741

Carbohydrate Analysis(phenol – sulphuric acid)

2.25

Rosin
acid
Rosin
acid

The fuel is supplied by its vapour pressure and the flow rate was monitoredby the mass flow meter. The air flow rate at the micro-blower is adjusted byadjusting its input voltage. Initially the micro-blower is driven by an external
power source till the combustor attains steady state and generates
sufficient electricity from the TE modules, to drive the micro-blower. The
electricity generated is consumed by the micro-blower, DC-DC converter
and the variable resistor.

Winter School Participants’ Posters:
The participants displayed their research work and results into posters.
lear figures and design were highly acclaimed among the supervisors.

Graph 1 DC conductivity of Ni-Co at 200ºC to 800ºC

Figure 2. Antioxidant activity of different fractions analysed using DPPH assay at 565 nm

Reference
Sialic Acid Detection(resorcinol HCl)

39

52.6

• Nanoparticle(np) + FBS

Purpose of research

Table 1 Previous Research Summary (3)

None

18

30

CELL CULTURE
HO
HO
HO

D-manose was acetylated with acetic anhydride (Ac2O) and pyridine,
which was then introduced Phenylthio group at the anomeric position.
Then deacetylation followed by selective protection of two hydroxyl
groups & then Bn is introduced.2) After that disaccharide is synthesized
by reacting with 2nd molecule of D-mannose.

By this designed reaction sequence only till the selective protecion isdone in the lab. After each step purification is done & the actual
structure is detremined by NMR Spectroscopy. After that twice additionof Mannose unit will give the ultimate product. Synthesis of thisoligosaccgaride can be achieved more preciously by improving yieldpercentage & purity.

¹School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia²Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, Yanagido, Gifu, Japan

Raw Edible bird nest (EBN)

16.3

80

C

• Protein absorbability by dispersing fixed amount of nanoparticles in 10mg/ml of
BSA soln.
Incubate for 30mins

SPh

OMe
TsOH·H2O
53% (2 steps)

Years

Mechanism of action of sialic acid (1),(2)80B

It has been reported nanoparticles induce oxidative stress, apoptosis,
production of cytokines, and cell death. But there has been inconsistency inreports

The concept of the micro-heat engine was proposed by Epstein and
Senturia in 1997. Here, a prototype of the self-standing micro-combustor
power unit using the catalytic micro-combustor, thermo-electric modules andair/fuel supply devices is being developed.

2. Purpose of Research:• Conc. of soluble np(metal ion conc.) measured by ultrafiltration & ICP-AES

The main advantage of this synthesis is the use of common terminal
D-mannose unit which is easily derived from Mannose pentaacetate,
and core mannose unit which is derived from same intermediate. And
three mannose unit is sequentially assembled by suitable protocol.

Sialic Acid, Carbohydrate and Antioxidant Properties in Edible Bird Nest

Enzymatic hydrolysis
EBN Hydrolysate (3)A• Small size causes nanoparticles to have high specific surface area and hence CaCO3
higher specific chemical ,physical activity and hence higher specific biologicalactivity.

• Purity by inductively coupled AES

OAc
O

NaOMe
OMe

O
O
HO

SPh

NH

OBn
O

AcO
AcO
AcO

CH2Cl20 °C to 30 °C

anomeric position

13%
OAc
O

AcO
AcO
AcO

PhSH
·Et
BF3 2O

OAc
O

70%

99%

BnBr aq.
NaOH
1M
TBAHSO4

OBn
O

O
O
HO

The trisaccharide (red colored) is consist of three units of D-mannose.
So this reaction sequence is designed as to couple two terminal
mannose unit (A) & one core mannose unit (B).

¹Ravisangkar, R., ²Koketsu, M., ¹Abdul Salam, B., ¹Norrakiah, A. S., & ¹Lim, S. J.

Influenza virus anatomy• May induce biological responses (cytotoxicity) and health risk

• Colonogenic Assay

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:I would like to thank all
the lab members of Biologicalchemistry laboratory for theirsupport and timely help throughout
my GIFU winter school program
2017.

Fig.3. Flowchart explaining the AI ELISA protocol

Pyridinert

OH

D-Mannose

D-MannoseAc:benzylREFERENCE:[1] Yamashita, S, et al.(2016). Escherichia coli-based productionof recombinant ovine angiotensinogenva and its characterization asa renin substrate. BMC biotechnology, 16(1), 33.

TMB substrate tocalculate the renin
reninangiotensinogen reaction
constants

Bn:

AcO
AcO
AcO

Ac2O

SPh
B

OH
O

O
LG: Leaving group

OH
O

LG
AcO
AcO
O
OAc
AcO
A
Terminal mannose unit

SPh

O
OAc

AcO
AcO
AcO

OBn
O

O
O
HO

LG
A
Terminal mannose unit

SPh

O
OH

Protection

Varying concentration ofstandard Angiotensin I

Gylcoprotein

Conc .of Conc of
Ca ionCaCO3(μg/ml)
(mM)

•

O
R
NHAc

OS-9 is a protein which is one kind of a lectin that is involved in
endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) which plays therole of translocation from ER into the cytosol. Target molecule N-glycan
M5 is one of ligand for OS-9.

Retrosynthetic Analysis:

Common intermediate

Introduction

Specific Surface
surface coatingarea(m*m /g)• Shape , Size by SEM imaging

CONCLUSION:
Recombinant sheep AGT from P.pastoris strains
showed much lower activity towards renin than E.coli sAGT. The
activity can be improved by either bioprocess strategies such as
media and growth condition optimization and genetic engineering
modification or by efficient transportation techniques.

HRP –ConjugatedAI

Code in Particle
thissize(nm)study• Surface area by BET analysis

Absorbance Concentration Concentration@280nm(μM)(mg/ml)
0.263
6.71
0.338
0.188
4.8
0.241

Fig.6. Comparison of functional activity ofrenin on sheep AGT(2.5µM) from E.coli,
P.pastoris BG and X33

Coating of Anti Cterminal AI antibody
on plateHO
HO
HO

Fig.5. Absorbance scan of the supernatants of sAGT after centrifugation.

ProteinsampleStrain BG
Strain X33(ii) Functional analysis by Angiotensin I (AI) ELISA:

Varying concentration of
sheep angiotensinogenafter reaction with renin

Table1:nanoparticle characterization

MAJOR CONCERNS

Synthesis of carbohydrate ligand N-glycan-glycan M5 for OS
OS-9
OS-

Table 1. Concentration of protein samples

inFig.2: Basic concept of Competitive ELISA.

EXPEIMENTAL RESULTS• Nanoparticles are nano-objects whose diameter less than 100μm in size
• Widespread use of nanoparticles in cosmetics, agriculture, electronics,
medicine & therapeutics.

Carbohydrates perform numerous roles in living organisms.
Carbohydrates and their derivatives play key roles in the immune
systems, preventing pathogenesis, fertilization, ligands, anddevelopment.
In human body there is α helix & β sheets in protein and continuous
folding disfolding of tertiary protein
mannosestructure. But if misfolding takes
N-acetyl glucosamine
place then some sort of abnormality
course. This OS-9 can be used
for the elucidation of misfolding andmaintain balance between
folding and misfolding.1)

1. Background:

WHAT ARE NANO-PARTICLES ?

Aparajitha Karthikeyan1, Daohong Wang2, Haitao Huang2 and Hideyuki Yamada2

NANOPARTICLE CHARACTERIZATION

MATERIALS AND METHODS:(i)a. MS(R) , CENTRE FOR ENERGY , IIT GUWAHATI , Webmail : reshmi.das@iitg.ernet.inb. Professor ,Applied Biological Sciences ,GIFU UNIVERSITY , JAPAN

Keywords: Mannose, N-glycan M5, OS-9, ERAD, Chemical synthesis

Years

Basic Analysis of an Upward Lightning.

Kaustubh Khedkar1, Shuhei Takahashi2, Kanji Higuchi3, Takafumi Nakano3 and Nur Khabiirah Binti Sufi3
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Master’s Student, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Student, Gifu University

Specific Energy (Wh/kg)

Fig.4: Absorbance scan of sAGT

Fig.1. Schematic representation of RAS pathway mechanism (Aria rad,2006)

PRAC(Plasma renin active concentration) measurement forclinical diagnosis of hypertension and Addison’s disease can be
determined only by the enzymatic activity of renin in the presence ofangiotensinogen. AGT production by microbial system might be a better
option for diagnostic kits to measure active renin concentration assays.

Reshmi Dasa , Hitoshi Iwahasib

1: Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University
2: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Email: indrajitchatterjee51@gmail.com
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:(a) Quantification of sAGT:
Absorbance
scan
from
240-360
nm
forproteins expressed from two different P.pastoris strains
revealed that the protein exists in an aggregated form (may beoccured while transporting sAGT from IITG to GIFU).

Years
Development of a portable power unit with catalytic micro-combustor

A look into CaCO3 Nanoparticle cytotoxicity

Prof. Hideharu ISHIDA1, Indrajit CHATTERJEE2* Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.
** Laboratory of biological chemistry, Faculty of Applied Biosciences, Gifu university, Gifu, Japan.
Corresponding e-mail: indumathi@iitg.ernet.in

BACKGROUND:
Angiotensinogen(AGT) is a glycoprotein consisting of 452 aminoacid residues. This protein is synthesized mainly in liver and secreted into
plasma. AGT is the precursor for all variants of angiotensin peptides
produced by reaction with renin enzyme. Renin-Angiotensin system (RAS)
helps in a major physiological pathway for regulating blood pressure,electrolyte balance (water and sodium homeostasis) and vasoconstriction.

Years

Years

Years
Comparison of Functional Properties of E.coli and Pichia pastoris derived Sheep Angiotensinogen
Indumathi Palanikumar*, Tahara Nariyasui**, Zhang Rui**, Srikanth Katla*, Senthilkumar Sivaprakasham*, Akio Ebihara**(2) Goh, D. L., Chua, K. Y., Chew, F. T., Seow, T. K., Ou, K. L., Yi, F. C. & Lee, B. W. 2001. Immunochemical
Characterization of Edible Bird's Nest Allergens. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 107(6): 1082-1088.
(3) Etty Syarmila, I., Nurfatin, M., Masitah, M., Farahniza, Z., Khan, A. M., Zalifah, M. & Salam, B. A. 2014. Edible Bird
Nest Hydrolysates As Natural Antioxidative Peptides.
(4) Yagi, H., Yasukawa, N., Yu, S.Y., Guo, C.T., Takahashi, N., Takahashi, T., Bukawa, W., Suzuki, T., Khoo, K.H.,
Suzuki, Y. and Kato, K. 2008. The expression of sialylated high-antennary N-glycans in edible bird’s
nest. Carbohydrate research, 343(8):1373-1377.

Figure 5 Binary Co–Ni phase diagram (Hansen 1955; Liu et al. 2005)

Figure 1 The attachedsample on the alumina baseof the sample holder

DC conductivity test

Figure 2 The DC conductivity set up

From Graph 1, it can be seen that the DC conductivity of the sample
decreases as the temperature increases. The slope of electricalconductivity change for the sample is bigger when the temperature isincreased from 200°C to around 550°C but became smaller when thesample is further heated to 800°C. This change in conductivity slope isfavorable to the intermediate SOFC application. With smaller change inelectrical conductivity with temperature increase, the SOFC performancecan be controlled. The change in Ni-Co electrical conductivity behavior
at temperature more than 550°C may be caused by the magnetictransformation of the sample. For Ni-Co sample with 10% cobalt
content, the magnetic transformation is predicted to occur at
approximately 500°C as suggested in Figure 5.

Conclusion
Ni-Co alloy exhibit a good electrical conductivity at intermediate SOFC
operating temperature (600°C to 800°C). Therefore this material can befurther studied to obtain its effect when being used with SDC as theanode.

References
1.

M. Hansen and K. Anderko 1958. Constitution of Binary Alloys,
pp. 486. McGraw-Hill Book Company New York, Toronto, London

2.

Liu, Y., Yang, H., Liu, Y., Jiang, B., Ding, J. & Woodward, R.
2005. Thermally induced fcc
hcp martensitic transformation in
Co-Ni. Acta Materialia 53(13): 3625–3634.

(5) Jasni, N., N. 2016. N-Neuraminic Acid, Sialyloligosaccharide and Sialyloligopeptide in Edible Bird Nest. Master
Thesis. Gifu University

On December 21, at the farewell party, the three teams
prepared their team’s rice ball samples and made apresentation on their recipes highlighting the distinct
features of their rice balls in front of four juries, Dr.
Kannan Pakshirajan, Dr. Mohammad B. Kassim, President
Hisataka Moriwaki and Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki. The juries
evaluated each team’s rice balls in light of taste,
appearance and originality. Based on these criteria, TeamA which created the “Vegan Onigiri” gained the highest
rating to win the grand price. The winning team members
received small gifts from the President.
Page_9Page_10

ENDING
Closing Ceremony:On December 21, the closing ceremony was held in Yanagido Kaikan. Dr. Fumiaki
Suzuki gave a speech making brief comments on the participants’ posters.
ollowing his speech, he awarded the ertificate of ompletion to each participant.
Farewell Party:
After the closing ceremony, a farewell party was held in the same hall. President
Hisataka Moriwaki was invited for this party and delivered a speech to the WinterSchool participants. After the speech, Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki made a toast. This
farewell party was also joined by the Winter School tutors, laboratory members,
supervisors, and other university staff. The party offered all the participants the
final chance to mingle with each other in a friendly atmosphere. t the end of theparty, two representative students from IITG and UKM commented on the WinterSchool and their campus life at Gifu University. Finally, Dr. Hiroyuki Koyama,
Advisor to the President, made a closing remark to conclude the successful
outcome of the 3rd Winter School program.

QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Participants information
Males
Females
Average age

Gifu University

3
4
23 years old

IITG/UKM
Biosciences and Bioengineering
Chemistry
Biotechnology
MechanicalPhysics
Food Science/Technology
Fuel Cell Engineering

Faculty of Applied Biological
Sciences

Faculty of Engineering

2. Satisfaction with the 3rd Winter School Program
Average of Satisfaction(5-grade evaluation)

1

2

1 least satisfied,3

fully satisfied

4

5

General Impressions
about Winter School

4.71

Laboratory Work

4.29

Japanese Language Lessons

4.86

Japanese Culture Experiences

4.54

Company Tours

4.43

Seminars

4.36

Rice Ball Project

4.14

Accomplishment Reports

4.71

Q. Would you recommend
the Winter School Program
to the people you know?

Q. Are you happy with overall arangements of the program?
No
0%Comments- I experienced everything in Gifu, from doing research, living experience and the culture.
- Very well planned
anguage was a huge barrier. In the sense that it was difficult for everyone to interact evenin normal English.
- This is well executed research and cultural programme showcasing the cultural heritage ofJapan as well as exposing participants to research activities. The participants were highlighted
with the several excursions/activities as well as laboratory works that exposed me withdifferent insight on my research.

No
0%

Yes
100%

Yes
100%
Yes

Yes

3. Satisfaction with Laboratory Work
Supervisors Instruction
Acceptable
0%

Ba d
0%

Laboratory Hours

Very Bad0%

Too many
0%

Good
14%
Appropriate
43%
Too few
57%

Very Good
86%
Very Good

Page_11

Good

Acceptable

Bad

Very Bad

Too many

Appropriate

Too few

Comments- The laboratory work that we did gave us a completely different
exposure to the kind of research that is going on. However, due toall the activities that we had during the winter school, we didn’t get
to spend enough time in the laboratory.
- It was excellent. I have totally enjoyed my time in the laboratory
with my supervisor and all the other students
anguage was a huge barrier. In the sense that it was difficult foreveryone to interact even in normal English.
- Prof has been very supportive and has given me the freedom
to pursue my projects/research without objection. He has also
provided insightful discussions about the research. I am also very
grateful to him for his scientific advice and nowledge and many
insightful discussions and suggestions. Besides, all the lab members
who always there whenever I asked for help.

Page_12

COMMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS
Dr. Hisataka MORIWAKI
President ,Gifu University

Excerpt from “Farewell Remarks to Gifu University Winter School Students” on December 21, 2017

On this occasion of the closing ceremony for Gifu University Winter School 2017, I would like to give some brief farewell remarks.
In preparation for the start of joint degree programs in the year 2019 between Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia and Gifu University, we have initiated both the Summer School Program and Winter School Program. These programs are characterized
by the exchange of students as well as instructors from participating institutions.
The Winter School program is an important stepping stone toward the goal of joint degree and, I believe, has gained a big success due
particularly to the extremely high quality of students and also to the keen leadership of excellent teachers and support staff.
One of the most important objectives in this Program is early exposure to Japanese language, culture, and private sector companies. The
program was carefully designed to provide you, the Winter School students a high motivation to return to Japan to pursue your academic careerand study in the future joint degree programs.
I also hope that your brief time in Gifu University and Gifu City was comfortable and pleasant in every aspect. We would appreciate any
comments to further improve our teaching facilities, living accommodations, and so on.
I am sincerely looking forward to seeing all of you again in the near future in Japan or in your respective countries at the next learning stage.

From Professor Shuhei TAKAHASHI

I hope you enjoyed the winter school and the laboratory work in Gifu
University. It was a great experience for you and also for mylaboratory’s students. If you have another opportunity to come to
Japan in the future, please visit us again.

From Professor Daohong WANG

I was happy for having the opportunity in supervising Ms. Aparajitha Karthikeyan who is very interested in lightning physics and also
is very motivated in getting things done. During her stay in Gifu University, although I just gave her some brief instruction, she has
accomplished much more than I expected. I hope she will continue the study of lightning physics and become a famous lightningscientist in India in the future.

From Professor Yutaka OHYATo Ashikin; Your stay in our lab was very exciting for me and the students in our lab. But the period was too short to share time
for new investigation about your study. If you have a chance to visit our lab again, you are always welcome and we can develop newinvestigation of your study. Finally, I wish your success in academic activities and the best of luck for your future.

From Professor Akio EBIHARA

Working at a new place with new people will provide a new dimension in your research. I hope that the experiences at Gifu
University encouraged you and inspired you to pursue a higher education in your career. Good luck with your future.

From Professor Mamoru KOKETSU

I am very glad to have Mr. Ramachandran Ravisangkar in our lab. His supervisor and I are carrying out the collaborative project
now. His research results in Gifu are very promising. If he comes back again to Gifu, we can study deeper into the project. We will
be able to achieve very interesting outcomes and an excellent achievement in our research.

From Professor Hideharu ISHIDA

I was very happy to welcome you in our group and appreciate your great success in the synthesis of biologically important glycan.
I hope you enjoyed the chemistry and the instrumental analysis. See you again in the near future.

From Professor Momoko TSUCHIYA

Because of a tight schedule, we offered only six Japanese language classes this year. In spite of the limited study hours, yourself-introductions in Japanese presented at the end of the program were splendid! We are proud of all of you. When you come backto Gifu University, we are very happy to give you a variety of Japanese language classes!

From Professor Hitoshi IWAHASHI

It was nice time for me to share the knowledge concerning nano-toxicology
with you. We hope your experience in Winter School 2017 will contribute to yourfuture work especially relating to Japan and science. Please keep in touch with
us and hope for our efforts coming to fruition. See you again soon in Japan orIndia.

Page_13

Page_14

Comments from Winter School Participants- Expectations before participating in Winter School:
1. To gain an insight into what is happening in the field of lightning physics.
2. To learn basic Japanese for primary communication.
3. To visit the highlights of Japan’s sightseeing spots.
My expectations were met pretty well. However, I wish that we had more time so that I could understand more concepts in lightningphysics.
- I had both the cultural and academic experiences in GIFU university at the same time, which may help me for my higher studies.
Arrangements regarding staying and traveling were very clear and awesome.
JAPAN RESEARCH STYLE WILL BE VERY HANDS-ON AND THE KNOWLEDGE IS VERY DEEP FOR THE SPECIFIC FIELD
AFTER: I EXPERIENCED DOING EVERYTHING IN LAB. IN MALAYSIA WE SEND THE SAMPLES TO SEM AND TEM ANALYSIS AND WAIT FOR THE
RESULT BUT HERE ALL ANLYSIS ARE CARRIED OUT BY THE RESEARCHER THEMSELVES.
- In the Winter School schedule we have Japanese language classes, KABUKI show and some very interesting outings which gave me
the exposure of Japanese culture. and the most important thing the laboratory was excellent and my professor and the other students
were so humble and ind to help me in any difficulties during lab wor . It was an e cellent e perience of me personally.
- I WOULD RECOMMEND THE WINTER SCHOOL TO ALL MY JUNIORS. IT IS A VERY GOOD MEDIUM TO LEARN THE JAPANESE CULTURE. YOU
WOULD GET GOOD RESEARCH EXPOSORE IN WELL EQUIPPED LABORATORIES. VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ME. BUT JAPAN IS VERY EXPENSIVE
DUE TO ITS HIGH COST OF LIVING.
- Winter School program was a great and eye-opening experience. Although it is a short program, there are a lot of things and lesson
that I have learned and I can apply them back in my research and my life.
1. I have achieved almost all my intended research milestone
2. Establish good relationship with my Supervisor
3. Found a good scope that I can focus on during my PhD
4. Have wonderful Japanese cultural experience and activity
5. Visited huge Japanese companies and experienced the working environment and culture- Somehow my e pectations were met. I was not satisfied with the lab hours provided as two and half wee was too short for my wor
to be fully completed.

In cooperation with :Faculty members from Applied Biological Sciences and Engineering, International Student Center, Health Administration Center,
N-TECH Co.,Ltd., Chicory Village and TOYOTA

Gifu niversity ead ffice for Glocali ation G G
1-1 Yanagido, Gifu City, Gifu 501-1193, JAPAN