Newsletter No. 372

No. 372, 19.2.2011 7 國 家科學技術獎勵工作辦公室1月 14日公布2010年度「國家科學技術 獎」的得獎項目，機械與自動化工程學系 黃捷教授領導的研究團隊，以「非線性輸 出調節問題及內模原理」的研究榮獲國家 自然科學獎二等獎；另外，醫學院的「顱腦 創傷後繼發性腦損害發生機理與診治新技 術應用」項目，獲頒國家科學技術進步獎 二等獎。 黃捷教授的研究項目是由香港特區政府推 薦的三項研究項目中唯一獲獎者，亦是控制 與自動化領域的唯一獲獎項目。2010年度 共有一百二十七個項目競逐該獎，經嚴謹評 審後，三十個項目獲頒二等獎。 黃捷教授的研究，為一般非線性的輸出系 統，建立了有系統的計算輸出方法，研究結 果可應用於機器人的操縱、高性能機電系 統的控制等複雜的控制問題。 2010年度共有七百零一個項目競逐國家科學技術進步獎， 該獲獎項目研究隊伍成員包括醫學院外科學系腦外科組 潘偉生教授、黃國柱教授和吳志萍博士，以及病理解剖及 細胞學系系主任吳浩強教授。 研究團隊針對顱腦創傷後動物模型、繼發性腦損害發生 機理及其評估與救治技術等關鍵問題，進行了系統性研 究，創建了兩種顱腦創傷後繼發性腦損害動物模型，可模 擬人類同類損傷的臨床特點，為研究繼發性腦損害發生機 理的有效工具。 T heNational Office for Science and Technology Awards announced on 14 January the winning projects of the 2010 State Science and Technology Awards, and two of them were CUHK projects. ‘Nonlinear output regulation problem and the internal model principle’ led by Prof. Huang Jie, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering received the State Natural Science Award (SNSA) second-class award. Another project ‘Technology for the early diagnosis and prevention of secondary brain injury in the management of traumatic brain injury’ by the Faculty of Medicine was honoured with the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA) second-class award. Among 127 projects that competed for SNSA, three had been recommended by the HKSAR Government. After a stringent selection process, a total of 30 projects received the second-class award, including Professor Huang’s project, which is the only winning project in the field of control and automation, and the only winning project recommended by the HKSAR Government. The research team established the solvability conditions of regulator equations for general nonlinear systems along with a systematic algorithm, which can be used as practical design methods for complex nonlinear control problems, such as the manipulation of robot arms, high- performance mechatronical systems, and other control problems. A total of 701 entries competed for SSTPA in 2010. The CUHK researchers who took part in the winning project were Prof. Poon Wai-sang, Prof. Wong Kwok-chu George and Dr. Ng Chi-ping Stephanie of the Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, and Prof. Ng Ho- keung, chairman of the Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology. The team succeeded in establishing two experimental head injury models that can mimic human brain injury as useful tools for understanding the mechanism of secondary brain insults after traumatic brain injury. 成 就 ACHIEVEMENTS 兩研究獲頒國家科學技術獎 Two CUHK Projects Conferred State Awards 潘偉生教授（左）及黃捷教授出席在北京人民大會堂舉行的國家科學技術獎勵大會 Prof. Poon Wai-sang (left) and Prof. Huang Jie at the annual national science and technology awards presentation ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing 新技術治食道功能失調 New Treatment Approach for Esophageal Motility Disorders 外科學系上消化道外科組趙偉仁教授示範經口內鏡食道賁門切開術 Prof. Chiu Wai-yan Philip, professor, Division of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, demonstrates how to perform P.O.E.M. 消 化疾病研究所引入嶄新的無創內鏡手術—經口 內鏡食道賁門切開術，成功治癒食道功能失調症。 該種手術源於2000年首度發表的經天然孔道無創內鏡手 術，經過不斷研究發展，利用更具彈性的內鏡，改良傳統 的食道賁門肌肉切開術，從而免除在腹腔及胸壁切口。現 時全球只有少於五個中心能進行此手術，中大是其中之一， 自2010年7月已為本地患者進行這種治療。 此外，研究所近年率先引入高解像食道測壓儀來診斷食道 功能失調，此儀器比傳統檢查更能準確分辨食道構造及 實時觀察高壓情況。 食道功能失調症是一種罕見疾病，此症包括食道失弛緩 症、賁門括約肌高壓及全食道痙攣，患者會出現吞嚥困難 及持續胸痛。由於食道功能失調的症狀與食道癌和胃酸反 流相似，因此往往增加了臨床診斷的困難。 T he Institute of Digestive Disease at CUHK successfully introduced a new type of non- invasive scarless surgery—Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy (P.O.E.M.) to treat esophageal motility disorders. The new concept of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery was first introduced in 2000. It involved surgery performed without incision. P.O.E.M. is a novel approach aiming to perform cardiomyotomy using a flexible endoscope, and thus avoid the need for incision on the abdominal or chest wall. Currently, fewer than five centres in the world are performing this procedure and CUHK is one of them. CUHK pioneered the performance of P.O.E.M. for the treatment of esophageal motility disorder among local patients since July 2010. The Institute of Digestive Disease is also the first to introduce a novel device for investigating esophageal motility disorders—High Resolution Manometry. The newmachine can accurately access the function of the esophageal body and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) in a real-time manner. E s o p h a g e a l mo t i l i t y disorders include achalasia, hyper tensive LES and diffuse esophageal spasm. The typical presentations are dysphagia and chest pain. However, diagnosis of these esophageal motility disorders can be challenging because the symptoms are very similar to some important upper gastrointestinal diseases, such as esophageal cancer and gastroesophageal reflux disease.