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N0.561

CHINA  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and Technology
People's Republic of China

 

 

N0.561

October 10, 2009

 

 

 

 

 
IN THIS ISSUE


 

*Attracting More Overseas Talents

*Protein Depletion Causes Cancerous Mutation

*North American Tyrannosaur May Originate from China

*China Rolled out 3.9G Mobile Technology

*Second Proprietary Scientific Expedition Boat

*Collecting Meteorites and Cosmic Dusts in Antarctica


 

 

 

SPECIAL ISSUE

 

Attracting More Overseas Talents

 

It is reported from the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that China will enhance its efforts to attract more talented people from overseas, especially high caliber overseas Chinese students. The Ministry will implement three major programs and establish a system to materialize the new requirements for “creating more channels for Chinese students to study abroad, attracting talented people to work for China, supporting innovations and high tech start-ups, and encouraging serving the country”.

 

Efforts will be made to gather high caliber overseas Chinese students. The Ministry will launch a high caliber overseas personnel import program, in collaboration with government agencies concerned. As a window opening to the outside world and importing talented people, it will collect more information and data of talented people, and screening the needed talents in line with demand.

 

Efforts will also be made to attract overseas Chinese students to work for the high tech development in the country. The Ministry will provide support to returned overseas Chinese students for starting their own high tech businesses, with an enhanced support for the construction of start-ups parks.

 

The Ministry will strive to attract more overseas Chinese students to contribute their wisdom and render their services for the country through diverse channels and in different forms. It will make the “Chinese serving China” program a brand name for alluring overseas Chinese students to contribute their dues to the prosperity of their motherland.

 

The Ministry will also establish a dedicated service system to facilitate returned overseas Chinese students launching their own businesses and serving the country.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

 

Protein Depletion Causes Cancerous Mutation

 

Researchers from Sichuan University and Purdue University reported in the October online issue of JBC that CLIP-170 is essential for inhibiting the centrosome reduplication of DNA. Cell proliferation would have a malfunctioned DNA reduplication, if the protein is removed, and lead to cancerous mutations. 

Researchers explain that cell cycle progression is accomplished in two steps: the proprietary centrosome DNA reduplication that holds DNA like a magnet. Cells start to split when the centrosome holds DNA. The process, called mitosis, would produce two similar cells. However, when CLIP-170 is removed, the cell would produce more than two centrosome, which may drag DNA in several different directions. As a result, the centrosome cannot have a complete DNA attachment. The disorder may eventually lead to cancerous mutations.  

Researchers also explain that DNA has to be evenly distributed in daughter cells in the proliferation process. Cancerous mutation would occur if there is a disagreement between daughter cells and parent cells. A normal cell has a strict regulating program to avoid the uneven distribution, or aneuploid that heralds cancerous mutations.

 

 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

 

North American Tyrannosaur May Originate from China

 

A study made by the Institute of Geology, part of Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences revealed that North American tyrannosaur may originate from the East Asia region, including the west part of Liaoning in China. The view runs exactly the opposite of the popular paleontological perception that tyrannosaur migrated from North America to Asia. Chinese scientists believe that the fossilized dinosaur recently found in Kazuo County, Liaoning Province, a new species of tyrannosaur, makes the largest Lower Cretaceous tyrannosaur so far unearthed in the world. The newly discovered Lower Cretaceous tyrannosaur, 10m long with a head length of 1m, is a large meat eating dinosaur equipped with large and sharp teeth. As a new genus, it unveils the head and intestine bones that are different from other tyrannosaurs.

 

Scientists hold that the fossilized evidences show tyrannosaur had a booming development in the Lower Cretaceous age, which explains the shrunk size of tyrannosaur between the Lower and Upper Cretaceous ages. Chinese Tyrannosaurs found in Kazuo presents a valuable evidence for studying the origin of tyrannosaur family, indicating that China is one of the major evolution habitats for tyrannosaur.

 

Unexpected Findings in Midinfrared Physics

 

CAS Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics recently announced that its researchers have found an unexpected peal structure at the very low-energy portion of the photoelectron energy spectra. The finding, published in the recent issue of Physics Review Letters, makes an important discovery in the area of high intensity above-threshold ionization (ATI) at midinfrared wavelengths. Researchers made high intensity ATI experiments and theoretical study at a modern facility built at a national key lab under Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, and found the unexpected peak structure at the very low-energy portion of the photoelectron energy spectra, suggesting the prominent role of the Coulomb interaction of the outgoing electron with the parent ion in producing the peculiar structure in long wavelength ATI spectra. The study was funded by the National 973 Program, National Natural Science Foundation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China Academy of Engineering Physics.

 

Natural Pesticides Decomposer

 

A research team, led by Prof. YU Jingquan at Zhejiang University School of Agriculture, recently found a plant hormone that can facilitates the decomposition and metabolism of pesticides in plants. In the findings, published in the recent issue of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers reported that BRs, treated with special techniques, are able to trigger an enhanced expression and activity of certain genes that are part of the pesticides decomposition process, including P450 and GST. The protease synthesized under the “guidance” of these genes can gradually turn pesticides into water soluble matters, or matters with low or no toxicity. Some protease synthesized even can help plant to discharge the pesticides. Experiments show that the raised BRs level in the plants is associated with the enhanced expression of P450. On the contrary, the reduced BRs level would calm down the genes. Take cucumber as an example. Researchers sprayed BRs to the cucumber plants before applying 4 typical pesticides, which resulted in a reduced pesticide residues by 30%-70%.

 

China Rolled out 3.9G Mobile Technology

 

ITU Telecom World 2009 was held October 5-9 in Geneva. Chinese telecom vendors, including China Mobile, ZTE Corporation, and Datang, have demonstrated their TD-LTE tricks, or the socalled 3.9G mobile technology. China Mobile displayed the real time pictures of the Huangpu River in Shanghai on the large screen at its counter, using the proprietary TD-LTE technology. This is the first time for the real time images of Shanghai being displayed in Geneva. The TD-LTE technology based large screen can switch to four different channels. China Mobile also built a mimic van at the show to demonstrate the application of the new technology in a running train, allowing passengers to have visual conversation with relatives or friends who are far apart. Datang Telecom displayed the applications of TD-LTE technology, including on-demand high definition video program, high speed online racing games, video monitoring, and TD-LTE system equipment, including connecting and core networking equipment.

 

 

NEWS BRIEFS

 

Artificially Reproduced Chinese Sturgeon

 

A Chinese sturgeon research institute, part of China Three Gorges Corporation, announced recently that it has successfully reproduced Chinese sturgeon through artificial means. The Institute, in collaboration with CAS Institute of Water Engineering and Ecology, has found solutions in a 4-year effort to a range of key technologies needed for taming and reproducing Chinese sturgeon.

 

According to a briefing, the Institute has worked out operation flows and technical procedures for the artificial reproduction of the rare species. Researchers expedited the reproduction process using artificially made hormones, and developed the key technologies applicable to taming the sturgeon, collecting eggs, and breeding baby sturgeon. 

 

Second Proprietary Scientific Expedition Boat

 

China is planning to build a second boat for polar scientific expedition, in an attempt to enhance China’s polar scientific research capability, disclosed at a news conference held recently for the 26th Antarctic scientific expedition. The effort will also lead to a raised capability for building ice breakers. The new boat will work together with its elder sister “Snow Dragon”, with more focus on scientific research. Though smaller in tonnage, compared with “Snow Dragon”, the new boat will have a driving and ice breaking power that is larger than the latter. In the future, “Snow Dragon” will mainly take care of cargo and personnel transportation, with limited scientific research activities.

 

Largest Domestic Photovoltaic System in Operation

 

Phase-1 10-megawatt solar photovoltaic system, part of the 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic grid system built by China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation at Shangdeshizui Mount., was put into operation. The development makes the system the largest grid photovoltaic system in the country. Physically located in Shizuishan City, the project occupies an area of 2 square kilometers, with a planned installed capacity of 50 megawatts. The 10-megawatt phase I project has completed the installation of more than 37,000 polycrystalline silicon cell panels, and 15,260 support racks. The rest of the system will be built in two phases, and be completed in 2011.

 

S&T Video Resources Shared

 

Not long ago, China S&T Museum opened a platform allowing people to share science and technology related videos. Connected to 23 S&T museums at the provincial and municipal levels, the platform facilitates exchanges and communications between S&T museums across the country, allowing people to diffuse scientific knowledge and discuss scientific issues in an easy and efficient manner. After the opening ceremony, 4 out-of-town teenagers and 24 Beijing teenagers discussed future scientific activities, including artificial intelligence, future network, and the Nobel Prize, with 3 scientists through a distant popular science program named “Scientists discussing the future with me”.

 

Tsinghua University Becomes LIGO Member

 

CAO Junwei, a lecturer of Tsinghua University Information Technology School, made a 20-minute report at the LIGO Virgo joint working meeting held on September 21, 2009 in Budapest. After briefing the audiences of the latest development made by Tsinghua University LIGO Panel, he filed an official application for being a member of LIGO LSC. Some 200 LSC members listened to the report. The application of Tsinghua University was officially approved at the LSC council meeting held afterwards, making Tsinghua University the first LSC member from China.

 

With the support of FIT fund, Chinese Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, and National Natural Science Foundation, Tsinghua University LIGO Panel has achieved progresses in establishing Cyberinfrastructure, Grids, and massive data management platform to support LIGO data analysis and sharing, through more than two-year efforts. The accomplishments have won the recognition of LSC members.

 

High Precision Three-Axle Air-Bearing Table

 

Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has recently rolled out a proprietary high precision three-axle air-bearing table. Comparing with similar home made products, it enjoys numerous merits, including enhanced precision, reduced size, fine bearing capability, high reliability, and shortened processing cycle. Researchers developed the needed technologies for high precision hemisphere and dent processing in a short period of time, and invented a new approach to measure the hemisphere at a submicrometer level.

 

Collecting Meteorites and Cosmic Dusts in Antarctica

 

Chinese scientists are planning to collect meteorites and newly dropped cosmic dust samples from the Grove Mountains in Antarctica during the 26th scientific expedition to the pole. LIAO Bingkui, a meteorites expert at Guiling Polytechnic University, will join the meteorites search expedition launched by an American team. Scientists will collect meteorites samples across the Miller Ranger, part of the mountain ranges sitting across the middle section of the continent. They will also collect cosmic dust samples using magnetic tools.

 


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