News from BEST Research Institute 2013

• Dr. Edward Ochieng has applied for a Research Project entitled “Enhancing the indigenous energy sector's potential as an important catalyst for growth: Predictive Analytics for Capital Effectiveness (PACE)”. This is a joint project with Loughborough University and is valued at £1.1M.

• New project secured by Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a with Mersey Travel to monitor in real time the pollutions from buses and map the data with the GIS system and the new Government Eco Green Software, 1^st June 2013.

• Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a and Dr. Alex Mason attended INFORMED international project meeting in Malaga, Spain, on 22-23 April 2013. They had a very successful presentation of the research results so far this year. The project aims to develop an industrial scale sensing platform for real-time quality control in the meat industry. The system would be able to determine the water holding capacity of meat, its tenderness, and to detect the presence of foreign objects such as metals, plastics and even bacteria.

• Dr. Alex Mason has been awarded £7,000 as part of the AgResearch Project, sponsored by New Zealand food industry, to show the concept of a non-invasive cow health sensing system.

• On Monday, April 8^th, Matthew Clavey from FLIR (Thermal Vision Research Systems) gave a demonstration on the new FLIR thermal imaging Camera A35 Sc. This new scientific camera with remote sensing capabilities provides the possibility of real time 3D temperature monitoring and analysis for Microwave domestic and industrial applications. This event was organised by Dr. Olumuyiwa Tobi Olabanji, RFM group.

• New EU proposal “AQUAMAX2020” in collaboration with 15 national and international partners from academia and industry with a total budget of €6M has been submitted by Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a as part of the EU-Water Demo program, April 2013.

• New project funded by Inventure Ltd, related to the breakdown of CO₂ into fuel gas, April 2013.

• Prof. Mike Riley appointed to serve on the Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Structural Survey, April 2013.

• Prof Ahmed Al-Shamma’a, Drs Andy Shaw and Alex Mason, have submitted new KTP project over 27 months jointly with Cokebusters, April 2013.

• First stage of New ERDF proposal, £1M, submitted by Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a and Lindsay Sharples (Open Labs), April 2013.

• New book published
  

  A. Mason and S. Mukhopadhyay (eds), “Smart Sensors for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring”, Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-37005-2, 2013. http://www.springer.com/engineering/electronics/book/978-3-642-37005-2 About this book - Recent research on Smart Sensors for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring. - For the first time International expertise for sensors to tackle the diverse subject of water quality is combined in a single text. - Written by leading experts in the field. Sensors are being utilised to increasing degrees in all forms of industry. Researchers and industrial practitioners in all fields seek to obtain a better understanding of appropriate processes so as to improve quality of service and efficiency. The quality of water is no exception, and the water industry is faced with a wide array of water quality issues being present world-wide. Thus, the need for sensors to tackle this diverse subject is paramount. The aim of this book is to combine, for the first time, international expertise in the area of water quality monitoring using smart sensors and systems in order that a better understanding of the challenges faced and solutions posed may be available to all in a single text.

• Profs. Mike Riley and Ahmed Al-Shamma’a have successfully awarded £200k research project in collaboration with University of Malaysia.

• Dr. Alison Cotgrave and Prof. Mike Riley have organized a meeting with Amey group to further collaborate on various projects related to the Built Environment, April 2013.

• New TSB project in collaboration with Belfour Beatty, Untied Utilities and JD7 has kicked off, April 2013.

• Prof Ahmed Al-Shamma’a delivered a keynote talk to the elite universities in Indonesia and Malaysia organized by the British Council. During his visit, he has further strengthened the research collaboration between BEST and various Malaysian universities, March 2013.

• Mrs Wasan Wali and Mrs Nisreen Al-Dasoqui have both defended their PhD findings successfully on the 27^th Feb and 1^st March 2013 respectively.

• Mrs Alison Pemberton has successfully defended her PhD findings, March 2013.

• Prof David Bryde and Damian Fearon visited the Water Reservoir Project Division of United Utilities at Warrington and discussed a potential collaborative project on the use of conceptual art in project environments.  Since then Prof Bryde has been in discussions with staff in the School of Art and Design with a view to submitting a proposal to the Leverhulme Trust for a Research Project Grant, with UU as a collaborating organisation.
  
• Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a jointly with Salford University, School of Built Environment submitted a proposal to the Higher Education Academy, “The Development of a Unique Toolkit for Improving the Intake, Retention and Progression Success Rate of Postgraduate Doctoral Studies”, 28^th Feb 2013.
  
• Prof David Bryde, Damian Fearon and PhD students Tugra Demir and Claus Nesensohn launched the BEST PM Practice Club, which is an online forum, utilising WIMBA technology, for sharing and disseminating research, knowledge and practice about the group’s work with industry partners.  11 companies from the UK, Germany and Switzerland have been signed up as inaugural members. The first online seminar is scheduled for the 27^th February 2013. Part of the start-up activity was the publication of the first newsletter called “UPDATE for the BEST PM Practice Club.
  
• Dr. Alison Cotgrave submitted a proposal to the Higher Education Academy on the 27^th Feb jointly with Plymouth Univeristy on The Heart of ESD (HESD): developing educators to develop students across the globe.
  
• Submission of interest to the Policy Dialogue organized by the British Council with Research universities and institutions in Indonesia, 25^th Feb 2013.
  
• Kiear group have visited BEST to discuss various potential applied research into the construction industry, 25^th Feb 2013.
  
• Dr. Olga Korostynska and Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a submitted an ERC proposal, €2M, related to the Development of niche and unique sensors for the water industry, 21^st Feb 2013.
  
• Dr. Andy Shaw has been invited to the House of Commons to discuss the issues related to the Carbon Monoxide, Feb 2013 and June 2013.
  
• iBass EU proposal with 27 EU and international partners led by Prof. Ahmed Al-Shamma’a jointly with Dr. Simone Durr form the School of Natural Sciences & Psychology has been submitted 7^th Feb 2013.
  
• Drs Anupa Manewa and Andrew Ross in collaboration with University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka submitted proposal to the British Academy international mobility fund, £30k, 'Empowering social resilience- to bend not to break', Feb 2013.
  
• In print: Book by Dr. Alison Cotgrave Prof. Mike Riley (eds.) “Total Sustainability in the Built Environment”, Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, UK. 9780230390584, Feb 2013.
  
• In print: Book by Dr. Andy Ross and P. Williams, Financial Management in the Construction Industry. Wiley-Blackwell. 978-1405125062, Feb 2013.
  
• Drs Anupa Manewa, Andrew Ross and Edward Ochieng submitted a proposal, £60k in collaboration with University of Salford to the Higher Education Academy - Teaching development grant- 'Assessment and Feedback Strategy for Multi-disciplinary Work in the Built Environment Higher Education', Feb 2013.
  
• BEST mock REF reviews of staff outputs have been received from the external examiners, Feb 2013.
  
• Professor Alkhaddar has been appointed as the Society for the Environment representative on the Canals and Rivers Trust for a period of 4 years from Feb 2013.
  
• Prof. Allan Wilkinson from Auckland University have delivered a presentation about the current research activities in the universities and explored the potential of future collaboration with BEST in various research activities, Jan 2013.
  
• New project funded by Maze Energy, Singapore, related to the testing and analysis of fuel additives and real time pollution monitoring, Jan 2013.
  
• BEST Researchers receive International Collaboration Funding with Japanese Universities.
  Researchers from LJMU's Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) Research Institute, School of Built Environment have been awarded  highly contested and prestigious Daiwa Foundation Grants in order to support establishing new collaborations with academics and industry in Japan.
  Recent events in Japan, namely the Fukishima nuclear incident, have led to concern regarding nuclear contamination of water sources which has long-term implications for the people of Japan.  Such issues are also a concern in the UK, which continues to rely upon nuclear power as a significant source of energy.  Notably, there is currently no system which can determine nuclear water contamination in real-time. The purpose of collaboration is to consider ways to develop an expert team which would address the concern of monitoring, in real-time, nuclear contamination of water by the use of a combination of sensors. The initiative is led by Dr Alex Mason in collaboration with Professor Ahmed Al-Shamma’a and Dr Olga Korostynska of the BEST Research Institute, in addition to Associate Professor Satoshi Ikezawa of Waseda University, Japan and Associate Professor Kunihisa Tashiro of Shinshu University, Japan.
  At the recent International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST 2012), held in Kolkata, India, an initial meeting took place to discuss the arrangements for the trip to Japan, which will take place in May 2013.  This project aims to generate a critical mass of expertise, creating the opportunity for collaboration in developing a solution to the current problem of determining the level of nuclear contamination of water in real-time which can be of benefit to both nations.
  
  Pictured (left to right): Associate Professor Satoshi Ikezawa (Waseda University, Japan), Dr Olga Korostynska (LJMU), Dr Alex Mason (LJMU) and Associate Professor Kunihisa Tashiro (Shinshu University, Japan).

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