Martian
Senior Member
These are all recent and interesting science and technology developments in China. What else would you post in this thread regarding "News on China's scientific and technological development"?
News on China's scientific and technological development.
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These are all recent and interesting science and technology developments in China. What else would you post in this thread regarding "News on China's scientific and technological development"?
Martian
Senior Member
Physicists Control Chemical Reactions Mechanically
"Physicists Control Chemical Reactions Mechanically
ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2010) — UCLA physicists have taken a significant step in controlling chemical reactions mechanically, an important advance in nanotechnology, UCLA physics professor Giovanni Zocchi and colleagues report.
Giovanni Zocchi, UCLA professor of physics (right), and UCLA graduate student Hao Qu. (Credit: Reed Hutchinson/UCLA)
Chemical reactions in the cell are catalyzed by enzymes, which are protein molecules that speed up reactions. Each protein catalyzes a specific reaction. In a chemical reaction, two molecules collide and exchange atoms; the enzyme is the third party, the "midwife to the reaction."
But the molecules have to collide in a certain way for the reaction to occur. The enzyme binds to the molecules and lines them up, forcing them to collide in the "right" way, so the probability that the molecules will exchange atoms is much higher.
"Instead of just watching what the molecules do, we can mechanically prod them," said Zocchi, the senior author of the research.
To do that, Zocchi and his graduate students, Chiao-Yu Tseng and Andrew Wang, attached a controllable molecular spring made of DNA to the enzyme. The spring is about 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. They can mechanically turn the enzyme on and off and control how fast the chemical reaction occurs. In their newest research, they attached the molecular spring at three different locations on the enzyme and were able to mechanically influence different specific steps of the reaction.
They published their research in the journal Europhysics Letters, a publication of the European Physical Society, in July.
"We have stressed the enzyme in different ways," Zocchi said. "We can measure the effect on the chemical reaction of stressing the molecule this way or that way. Stressing the molecule in different locations produces different responses. If you attach the molecular spring in one place, nothing much happens to the chemical reaction, but you attach it to a different place and you affect one step in the chemical reaction. Then you attach it to a third place and affect another step in this chemical reaction."
Zocchi, Tseng and Wang studied the rate of the chemical reactions and reported in detail what happened to the steps of the reactions as they applied mechanical stress to the enzyme at different places.
"Standing on the shoulders of 50 years of structural studies of proteins, we looked beyond the structural description at the dynamics, specifically the question of what forces -- and applied where -- have what effect on the reaction rates," Zocchi said.
In a related second paper, Zocchi and his colleagues reached a surprising conclusion in solving a longstanding physics puzzle.
When one bends a straight tree branch or a straight rod by compressing it longitudinally, the branch or rod at first remains straight and does not bend until a certain critical force is exceeded. At the critical force, it does not bend a little -- it suddenly buckles and bends a lot.
"This phenomenon is well known to any child who has made bows from hazelnut bush branches, for example, which are typically quite straight. To string the bow, you have to press down on it hard to buckle it, but once it is bent, you need only a smaller force to keep it so," Zocchi said.
The UCLA physicists studied the elastic energy of their DNA molecular spring when it is sharply bent.
"Such a short double-stranded DNA molecule is somewhat similar to a rod, but the elasticity of DNA at this scale was not known," Zocchi said. "What is the force the DNA molecular spring is exerting on the enzyme? We have answered this question.
"We find there is a similar bifurcation with this DNA molecule. It goes from being bent smoothly to having a kink. When we bend this molecule, there is a critical force where there is a qualitative difference. The molecule is like the tree branch and the rod in this respect. If you're just a little below the threshold, the system has one kind of behavior; if you're just a little above the threshold force, the behavior is totally different. The achievement was to measure directly the elastic energy of this stressed molecule, and from the elastic energy characterize the kink."
Co-authors on this research are UCLA physics graduate students Hao Qu, Chiao-Yu Tseng and Yong Wang and UCLA associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry Alexander Levine, who is a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. The research was published in April, also in the journal Europhysics Letters.
"We can now measure for any specific DNA molecule what the elastic energy threshold for the instability is," Zocchi said. "I see beauty in this important phenomenon. How is it possible that the same principle applies to a tree branch and to a molecule? Yet it does. The essence of physics is finding common behavior in systems that seem very different."
While Zocchi's research may have applications for medicine and other fields, he emphasizes the advance in knowledge itself.
"There is value in science that adds to our knowledge and helps us understand our world, apart from the value of future applications," he said. "I study problems that I find interesting, where I think I can make a contribution. Why study a particular problem rather than another? Perhaps for the same reason a painter chooses a particular landscape. Perhaps we see beauty there."
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of California -- Los Angeles. The original article was written by Stuart Wolpert.
Journal References:
1. C.-Y. Tseng, A. Wang, G. Zocchi. Mechano-chemistry of the enzyme Guanylate Kinase. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 2010; 91 (1): 18005 DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/91/18005
2. Hao Qu, Chiao-Yu Tseng, Yong Wang, Alex J. Levine, Giovanni Zocchi. The elastic energy of sharply bent nicked DNA. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 2010; 90 (1): 18003 DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/90/18003
"Physicists Control Chemical Reactions Mechanically
ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2010) — UCLA physicists have taken a significant step in controlling chemical reactions mechanically, an important advance in nanotechnology, UCLA physics professor Giovanni Zocchi and colleagues report.
Giovanni Zocchi, UCLA professor of physics (right), and UCLA graduate student Hao Qu. (Credit: Reed Hutchinson/UCLA)
Chemical reactions in the cell are catalyzed by enzymes, which are protein molecules that speed up reactions. Each protein catalyzes a specific reaction. In a chemical reaction, two molecules collide and exchange atoms; the enzyme is the third party, the "midwife to the reaction."
But the molecules have to collide in a certain way for the reaction to occur. The enzyme binds to the molecules and lines them up, forcing them to collide in the "right" way, so the probability that the molecules will exchange atoms is much higher.
"Instead of just watching what the molecules do, we can mechanically prod them," said Zocchi, the senior author of the research.
To do that, Zocchi and his graduate students, Chiao-Yu Tseng and Andrew Wang, attached a controllable molecular spring made of DNA to the enzyme. The spring is about 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. They can mechanically turn the enzyme on and off and control how fast the chemical reaction occurs. In their newest research, they attached the molecular spring at three different locations on the enzyme and were able to mechanically influence different specific steps of the reaction.
They published their research in the journal Europhysics Letters, a publication of the European Physical Society, in July.
"We have stressed the enzyme in different ways," Zocchi said. "We can measure the effect on the chemical reaction of stressing the molecule this way or that way. Stressing the molecule in different locations produces different responses. If you attach the molecular spring in one place, nothing much happens to the chemical reaction, but you attach it to a different place and you affect one step in the chemical reaction. Then you attach it to a third place and affect another step in this chemical reaction."
Zocchi, Tseng and Wang studied the rate of the chemical reactions and reported in detail what happened to the steps of the reactions as they applied mechanical stress to the enzyme at different places.
"Standing on the shoulders of 50 years of structural studies of proteins, we looked beyond the structural description at the dynamics, specifically the question of what forces -- and applied where -- have what effect on the reaction rates," Zocchi said.
In a related second paper, Zocchi and his colleagues reached a surprising conclusion in solving a longstanding physics puzzle.
When one bends a straight tree branch or a straight rod by compressing it longitudinally, the branch or rod at first remains straight and does not bend until a certain critical force is exceeded. At the critical force, it does not bend a little -- it suddenly buckles and bends a lot.
"This phenomenon is well known to any child who has made bows from hazelnut bush branches, for example, which are typically quite straight. To string the bow, you have to press down on it hard to buckle it, but once it is bent, you need only a smaller force to keep it so," Zocchi said.
The UCLA physicists studied the elastic energy of their DNA molecular spring when it is sharply bent.
"Such a short double-stranded DNA molecule is somewhat similar to a rod, but the elasticity of DNA at this scale was not known," Zocchi said. "What is the force the DNA molecular spring is exerting on the enzyme? We have answered this question.
"We find there is a similar bifurcation with this DNA molecule. It goes from being bent smoothly to having a kink. When we bend this molecule, there is a critical force where there is a qualitative difference. The molecule is like the tree branch and the rod in this respect. If you're just a little below the threshold, the system has one kind of behavior; if you're just a little above the threshold force, the behavior is totally different. The achievement was to measure directly the elastic energy of this stressed molecule, and from the elastic energy characterize the kink."
Co-authors on this research are UCLA physics graduate students Hao Qu, Chiao-Yu Tseng and Yong Wang and UCLA associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry Alexander Levine, who is a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. The research was published in April, also in the journal Europhysics Letters.
"We can now measure for any specific DNA molecule what the elastic energy threshold for the instability is," Zocchi said. "I see beauty in this important phenomenon. How is it possible that the same principle applies to a tree branch and to a molecule? Yet it does. The essence of physics is finding common behavior in systems that seem very different."
While Zocchi's research may have applications for medicine and other fields, he emphasizes the advance in knowledge itself.
"There is value in science that adds to our knowledge and helps us understand our world, apart from the value of future applications," he said. "I study problems that I find interesting, where I think I can make a contribution. Why study a particular problem rather than another? Perhaps for the same reason a painter chooses a particular landscape. Perhaps we see beauty there."
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of California -- Los Angeles. The original article was written by Stuart Wolpert.
Journal References:
1. C.-Y. Tseng, A. Wang, G. Zocchi. Mechano-chemistry of the enzyme Guanylate Kinase. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 2010; 91 (1): 18005 DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/91/18005
2. Hao Qu, Chiao-Yu Tseng, Yong Wang, Alex J. Levine, Giovanni Zocchi. The elastic energy of sharply bent nicked DNA. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 2010; 90 (1): 18003 DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/90/18003
Last edited:
Martian
Senior Member
New Antibacterial Material for Bandages, Food Packaging, Shoes
"New Antibacterial Material for Bandages, Food Packaging, Shoes
ScienceDaily (July 26, 2010) — A new form of paper with the built-in ability to fight disease-causing bacteria could have applications that range from anti-bacterial bandages to food packaging that keeps food fresher longer to shoes that ward off foot odor. A report about the new material, which consists of the thinnest possible sheets of carbon, appears in ACS Nano, a monthly journal.
Chunhai Fan, Qing Huang, and colleagues explained that scientists in the United Kingdom first discovered the material, known as graphene, in 2004. Since then, the race has been on to find commercial and industrial uses for graphene. Scientists have tried to use graphene in solar cells, computer chips, and sensors. Fan and Huang decided to see how graphene affects living cells.
A new form of paper made of super-thin sheets of carbon could help fight disease-causing bacteria in applications ranging from anti-bacterial bandages to food packaging. (Credit: ACS Nano)
So they made sheets of paper from graphene oxide, and then tried to grow bacteria and human cells on top. Bacteria were unable to grow on the paper, and it had little adverse effect on human cells.
"Given the superior antibacterial effect of graphene oxide and the fact that it can be mass-produced and easily processed to make freestanding and flexible paper with low-cost, we expect this new carbon nanomaterial may find important environmental and clinical applications," the report states.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Wenbing Hu, Cheng Peng, Weijie Luo, Min Lv, Xiaoming Li, Di Li, Qing Huang, Chunhai Fan. Graphene-Based Antibacterial Paper. ACS Nano, 2010; : 100701135317095 DOI: 10.1021/nn101097v"
"New Antibacterial Material for Bandages, Food Packaging, Shoes
ScienceDaily (July 26, 2010) — A new form of paper with the built-in ability to fight disease-causing bacteria could have applications that range from anti-bacterial bandages to food packaging that keeps food fresher longer to shoes that ward off foot odor. A report about the new material, which consists of the thinnest possible sheets of carbon, appears in ACS Nano, a monthly journal.
Chunhai Fan, Qing Huang, and colleagues explained that scientists in the United Kingdom first discovered the material, known as graphene, in 2004. Since then, the race has been on to find commercial and industrial uses for graphene. Scientists have tried to use graphene in solar cells, computer chips, and sensors. Fan and Huang decided to see how graphene affects living cells.
A new form of paper made of super-thin sheets of carbon could help fight disease-causing bacteria in applications ranging from anti-bacterial bandages to food packaging. (Credit: ACS Nano)
So they made sheets of paper from graphene oxide, and then tried to grow bacteria and human cells on top. Bacteria were unable to grow on the paper, and it had little adverse effect on human cells.
"Given the superior antibacterial effect of graphene oxide and the fact that it can be mass-produced and easily processed to make freestanding and flexible paper with low-cost, we expect this new carbon nanomaterial may find important environmental and clinical applications," the report states.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Wenbing Hu, Cheng Peng, Weijie Luo, Min Lv, Xiaoming Li, Di Li, Qing Huang, Chunhai Fan. Graphene-Based Antibacterial Paper. ACS Nano, 2010; : 100701135317095 DOI: 10.1021/nn101097v"
Good points. To add on some further ones.
China must thank the embargo cause if it wasn't enforced a lot of projects wouldn't of been born, it's domestic military capacity and capability wouldn't be at where they are now. Having an embargo really forced China to be more self reliant. If China didn't have embargo it would've been in a based situation at where India and ROC are at now. Largely relying on purchase products. Which can be cut off at times of need, or demands rejected, or delays in delivery or dissatisfaction cause it's not designed to suite there needs.
Letting go of the embargo now, wouldn't be that dangerous, cause China can sort of match what is available for market. Well if there was no embargo China wouldn't need to "reverse engineer" so much now would they, if it was so widely available.
Martian
Senior Member
ITRI showcases biofuel production breakthrough
"Taiwan unveils microalgal biofuel technology."
"ITRI showcases biofuel production breakthrough
Publication Date：10/04/2010
Source： Taiwan Today
The Industrial Technology Research Institute unveiled its newly-developed technology for producing biofuel from microalgae on Oct. 1.
The high-efficiency processes developed with the financial support of the Department of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs were showcased at the four-day Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart.
Lin Yun-hui, head of the ITRI’s biofuel lab, said like plants, microalgae consumes carbon dioxide in the air through photosynthesis and converts it into materials containing oils, or lipids, that can be processed into biofuel.
He pointed out that up until now, Taiwan has been promoting the use of biodiesel products made from recycled cooking oil. Currently, diesel sold at local filling stations contains about 2 percent biofuel.
However, Lin said, if Taiwan wants to raise the percentage of biofuel in diesel, it must find other source materials for producing the biofuel.
Microalgae is a perfect candidate as Taiwan, surrounded by seas, enjoys an abundance of the material that can be harvested in large quantities.
According to Lin, every liter of ocean water contains about 1 gram of microalgae. This figure can be raised to 5 grams after one week of cultivation and further boosted to as high as 150 grams per liter using the ITRI’s advanced ocean water filtering process.
Also, the institute’s new continuous-extraction process allows for more than 0.5 grams of lipids to be produced from a single gram of microalgaes.
Aside from better extraction process, another advantage is that the leftover microalgae in the bioefuel production process is high in polysaccharides, Lin explained.
The leftover could be used as feed for livestock and poultry. This in turn could help cut down on the use of agricultural land for growing feed such as soybean and corn, eventually reducing commodity price fluctuations, Lin said. (SB)"
"Taiwan unveils microalgal biofuel technology."
"ITRI showcases biofuel production breakthrough
Publication Date：10/04/2010
Source： Taiwan Today
The Industrial Technology Research Institute unveiled its newly-developed technology for producing biofuel from microalgae on Oct. 1.
The high-efficiency processes developed with the financial support of the Department of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs were showcased at the four-day Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart.
Lin Yun-hui, head of the ITRI’s biofuel lab, said like plants, microalgae consumes carbon dioxide in the air through photosynthesis and converts it into materials containing oils, or lipids, that can be processed into biofuel.
He pointed out that up until now, Taiwan has been promoting the use of biodiesel products made from recycled cooking oil. Currently, diesel sold at local filling stations contains about 2 percent biofuel.
However, Lin said, if Taiwan wants to raise the percentage of biofuel in diesel, it must find other source materials for producing the biofuel.
Microalgae is a perfect candidate as Taiwan, surrounded by seas, enjoys an abundance of the material that can be harvested in large quantities.
According to Lin, every liter of ocean water contains about 1 gram of microalgae. This figure can be raised to 5 grams after one week of cultivation and further boosted to as high as 150 grams per liter using the ITRI’s advanced ocean water filtering process.
Also, the institute’s new continuous-extraction process allows for more than 0.5 grams of lipids to be produced from a single gram of microalgaes.
Aside from better extraction process, another advantage is that the leftover microalgae in the bioefuel production process is high in polysaccharides, Lin explained.
The leftover could be used as feed for livestock and poultry. This in turn could help cut down on the use of agricultural land for growing feed such as soybean and corn, eventually reducing commodity price fluctuations, Lin said. (SB)"
Quickie
Colonel
I don't understand what's your problem. If not for Martians posting those articles, I wouldn't know of so much scientific works being done in China.
For me, it's just some interesting info on scientific and medical advances that may even bring some hope to some people.
Martian
Senior Member
Catalysis: The right metal for a sustainable future
"Catalysis: The right metal for a sustainable future
Published online: 2 June 2010 | doi:10.1038/nchina.2010.66
Felix Cheung
The discovery of iron-catalysed insertion reactions is set to inspire academic laboratories and industry to use 'greener' catalysts in organic synthesis
© (2010) Nature Chemistry
Many biological molecules, such as amino acids and sugars, are chiral molecules; they exist in isomeric forms that are mirror images of one another. Asymmetric synthesis uses catalysts such as rhodium and copper to promote reactions that produce particular types of chiral molecules, but these metals are costly and may contaminate both the product and the environment. Qilin Zhou and co-workers at Nankai University in Tianjin[1] have now successfully used iron — a readily available, relatively inexpensive and environmentally benign metal — in place of precious metals to catalyse the O–H bond insertion reactions useful for forming chiral alcohols.
The insertion of diazo compounds (R2C=N2) into the O–H bond of alcohols has always been a challenge. The researchers performed the insertion reaction of methyl α-diazophenylacetate with a wide range of alcohols (see image) in chloroform with an iron catalyst prepared 'on-site' from various chiral spiro-bisoxazoline ligands. They obtained different insertion products — including methyl (R)-o-chloromandelate, a key intermediate for the preparation of clopidogrel, a drug for preventing heart attacks and strokes — with high yield and extremely high selectivity.
The selectivity even surpassed that obtained using transition-metal catalysts. The researchers believe that their findings will inspire and encourage others to use iron in place of precious metals in asymmetric synthesis.
The authors of this work are from:
State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Reference
1. Zhu, S. F., Cai, Y., Mao, H. X., Xie, J. H. & Zhou, Q. L. Enantioselective iron-catalysed O-H bond insertions. Nature Chem. doi:10.1038/nchem.651 (2010). | Article"
"Catalysis: The right metal for a sustainable future
Published online: 2 June 2010 | doi:10.1038/nchina.2010.66
Felix Cheung
The discovery of iron-catalysed insertion reactions is set to inspire academic laboratories and industry to use 'greener' catalysts in organic synthesis
© (2010) Nature Chemistry
Many biological molecules, such as amino acids and sugars, are chiral molecules; they exist in isomeric forms that are mirror images of one another. Asymmetric synthesis uses catalysts such as rhodium and copper to promote reactions that produce particular types of chiral molecules, but these metals are costly and may contaminate both the product and the environment. Qilin Zhou and co-workers at Nankai University in Tianjin[1] have now successfully used iron — a readily available, relatively inexpensive and environmentally benign metal — in place of precious metals to catalyse the O–H bond insertion reactions useful for forming chiral alcohols.
The insertion of diazo compounds (R2C=N2) into the O–H bond of alcohols has always been a challenge. The researchers performed the insertion reaction of methyl α-diazophenylacetate with a wide range of alcohols (see image) in chloroform with an iron catalyst prepared 'on-site' from various chiral spiro-bisoxazoline ligands. They obtained different insertion products — including methyl (R)-o-chloromandelate, a key intermediate for the preparation of clopidogrel, a drug for preventing heart attacks and strokes — with high yield and extremely high selectivity.
The selectivity even surpassed that obtained using transition-metal catalysts. The researchers believe that their findings will inspire and encourage others to use iron in place of precious metals in asymmetric synthesis.
The authors of this work are from:
State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Reference
1. Zhu, S. F., Cai, Y., Mao, H. X., Xie, J. H. & Zhou, Q. L. Enantioselective iron-catalysed O-H bond insertions. Nature Chem. doi:10.1038/nchem.651 (2010). | Article"
Martian
Senior Member
Cancer diagnosis breakthrough
"Cancer diagnosis breakthrough
October 1, 2010 by Lin Edwards
Image credit: J. Am. Chem. Soc., doi:10.1021/ja1035013
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers in Taiwan have developed a new imaging contrast agent that will enable cancer patients to undergo CT and MRI scans on the same day, cutting diagnosis time in half.
When cancer patients undergo computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, they are injected with an imaging contrast agent, and they must wait at least 24 hours for the previous contrast agent to clear before having the next scan. Now, for the first time, a research team in Taiwan has developed a contrast agent that can be used for both scans.
The new technology was developed by a team led by Professor Chen Chia-chun of Academia Sinica and the Chemistry Department of the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and Professor Shieh Dar-bin, a doctor and lecturer at the National Cheng Kung University Institute of Oral Medicine and the Department of Stomatology in Tainan.
CT and MRI scans are time-consuming and expensive, and many patients have to wait up to two months to be examined so that a diagnosis can be confirmed. Professor Chen said some patients also develop side effects to the contrast agents currently used with the scans. Having a single contrast agent means the patient only needs one injection and can have both scans on the same day.
The new contrast agent for both CT and MRI scans consists of a water soluble alloy of iron (Fe) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles up to 12 nanometers in diameter. The particles have been tested in vitro and in vivo and found to be stable and to have excellent biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The FePt nanoparticles can also be mass produced, which would reduce their cost.
The new contrast agent shows the exact position of the tumor cells and the molecular characteristics of cancer lesions, which will help doctors to determine the best kind of chemotherapy to use on each patient.
The system will not be commercially available until clinical human trials have been completed, which will take approximately five years. When it does become available, Chen predicts it will become “a star product in the world’s nearly US$5 billion medical diagnosis market.”
The research results were published as a cover story in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on 29 September. The work was partly funded by the National Science Council. Patent applications have been made around the globe.
More information: Shang-Wei Chou et al., In Vitro and in Vivo Studies of FePt Nanoparticles for Dual Modal CT/MRI Molecular Imaging, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132 (38), pp 13270-13278. DOI:10.1021/ja1035013
© 2010 PhysOrg.com"
"Cancer diagnosis breakthrough
October 1, 2010 by Lin Edwards
Image credit: J. Am. Chem. Soc., doi:10.1021/ja1035013
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers in Taiwan have developed a new imaging contrast agent that will enable cancer patients to undergo CT and MRI scans on the same day, cutting diagnosis time in half.
When cancer patients undergo computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, they are injected with an imaging contrast agent, and they must wait at least 24 hours for the previous contrast agent to clear before having the next scan. Now, for the first time, a research team in Taiwan has developed a contrast agent that can be used for both scans.
The new technology was developed by a team led by Professor Chen Chia-chun of Academia Sinica and the Chemistry Department of the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and Professor Shieh Dar-bin, a doctor and lecturer at the National Cheng Kung University Institute of Oral Medicine and the Department of Stomatology in Tainan.
CT and MRI scans are time-consuming and expensive, and many patients have to wait up to two months to be examined so that a diagnosis can be confirmed. Professor Chen said some patients also develop side effects to the contrast agents currently used with the scans. Having a single contrast agent means the patient only needs one injection and can have both scans on the same day.
The new contrast agent for both CT and MRI scans consists of a water soluble alloy of iron (Fe) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles up to 12 nanometers in diameter. The particles have been tested in vitro and in vivo and found to be stable and to have excellent biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The FePt nanoparticles can also be mass produced, which would reduce their cost.
The new contrast agent shows the exact position of the tumor cells and the molecular characteristics of cancer lesions, which will help doctors to determine the best kind of chemotherapy to use on each patient.
The system will not be commercially available until clinical human trials have been completed, which will take approximately five years. When it does become available, Chen predicts it will become “a star product in the world’s nearly US$5 billion medical diagnosis market.”
The research results were published as a cover story in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on 29 September. The work was partly funded by the National Science Council. Patent applications have been made around the globe.
More information: Shang-Wei Chou et al., In Vitro and in Vivo Studies of FePt Nanoparticles for Dual Modal CT/MRI Molecular Imaging, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132 (38), pp 13270-13278. DOI:10.1021/ja1035013
© 2010 PhysOrg.com"
Martian
Senior Member
Polysilicon Project
Polysilicon ingots
China EnFi's polysilicon production equipment
"Polysilicon project is a hi-tech industrialization project; developed by China ENFI’s own technology and independent intellectual property. Luoyang China Silicon Hi-tech Corporation, which is the controlling subsidiary, is in charge of Phase I polysilicon project with annual yield of 300 tons. The plant foundation was laid in June 2003 and put into operation in October 2005. Now the corporation possesses the largest polysilicon manufacturing enterprise in China. Implementation of the project ends the period when the USA, Japan and Germany had sole control of polysilicon manufacturing technology and monopolized the polysilicon market.
The project adopts technologies (such as comprehensive recovery and recycling of material and comprehensive consumption of energy, including conversion of SiCl4 by hydrogenation) and has been granted a patent in China (Patent No.: ZL02104524.0); and the large-scale 24-doubles energy-saving reduction reactor which is supported by the National “863” Scientific and Technological Breakthrough Project. Differing from those applied in foreign polysilicon manufacturing enterprises, these technologies have been developed independently in China.
On the basis of smooth operation for the Phase I project, China ENFI persisted in technology innovation and further increased output for Phase II expansion project with an annual yield of 1000 tons polysilicon. Equipment installation and commissioning are being conducted. It is predicted to be operational by the end of 2006. Meanwhile, Phase III of the polysilicon project is being constructed in Luoyang Hi-tech Zone and will be put into operation by the end of 2007, with a design production capacity of 2000t/a. At that time, the total production capacity of China ENFI will reach 3000t/a together, which will rank fifth in the world. This figure will meet growing market demand, promote silicon industry development, and provide guaranteed raw materials for the information and solar energy generation industries."
Polysilicon ingots
China EnFi's polysilicon production equipment
"Polysilicon project is a hi-tech industrialization project; developed by China ENFI’s own technology and independent intellectual property. Luoyang China Silicon Hi-tech Corporation, which is the controlling subsidiary, is in charge of Phase I polysilicon project with annual yield of 300 tons. The plant foundation was laid in June 2003 and put into operation in October 2005. Now the corporation possesses the largest polysilicon manufacturing enterprise in China. Implementation of the project ends the period when the USA, Japan and Germany had sole control of polysilicon manufacturing technology and monopolized the polysilicon market.
The project adopts technologies (such as comprehensive recovery and recycling of material and comprehensive consumption of energy, including conversion of SiCl4 by hydrogenation) and has been granted a patent in China (Patent No.: ZL02104524.0); and the large-scale 24-doubles energy-saving reduction reactor which is supported by the National “863” Scientific and Technological Breakthrough Project. Differing from those applied in foreign polysilicon manufacturing enterprises, these technologies have been developed independently in China.
On the basis of smooth operation for the Phase I project, China ENFI persisted in technology innovation and further increased output for Phase II expansion project with an annual yield of 1000 tons polysilicon. Equipment installation and commissioning are being conducted. It is predicted to be operational by the end of 2006. Meanwhile, Phase III of the polysilicon project is being constructed in Luoyang Hi-tech Zone and will be put into operation by the end of 2007, with a design production capacity of 2000t/a. At that time, the total production capacity of China ENFI will reach 3000t/a together, which will rank fifth in the world. This figure will meet growing market demand, promote silicon industry development, and provide guaranteed raw materials for the information and solar energy generation industries."
Last edited:
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
China Poised to Lead World in Patent Filings
By DAVID BARBOZA
Postscript Appended
1:02 p.m. | Updated
SHANGHAI — Having passed Germany (exports), Japan (gross domestic product) and the United States (auto sales) over the past year, China is now poised to lead the world in yet another category: patent application filings.
A new study released this week by Thomson Reuters says that by 2011 China will most likely pass the United States and Japan in new patent applications.
With research and development spending rising here, and Beijing trying to encourage innovation, patent application filings in China are soaring.
In 2009, China filed about 279,298 patent applications, ranking third behind Japan, which led the world with 357,338, and the United States, which had 321,741 filings, according to Thomson Reuters.
But the growth of patent filings in Japan and the United States is slowing, while Chinese patent filings are surging in categories as varied as natural products and polymers and digital computers.
Patents are considered a measure of technology prowess and innovation. While the quality and value of patents vary widely, nations that file the largest number of patents are generally home to innovative corporations and Nobel prize winners.
Experts acknowledge that it is difficult to measure the value of China’s patents (many may be for low-end, incremental technologies), but they say the quality appears to be improving and that China is on a path to becoming a more innovative country.
“It’s clear they’re moving from low technology to high-tech,” says Bob Stembridge, an intellectual property analyst at Thomson Reuters. “We’re seeing a stunning emergence of patent filings in digital computing and data communications over the past few years — close to 4,000 percent.”
The innovation push here is significant because China is best known for low-cost manufacturing and weak protection of intellectual property rights. But the nation’s leaders have promised to improve intellectual property rights protections and to back Chinese companies that seek to move up the value chain and produce more sophisticated and valuable products.
The emergence of more innovative companies in China could move the Chinese government to better enforce existing regulations — many of which cover global companies operating here.
One major change already under way here is a new emphasis on research and development.
Analysts say innovation is often fueled by research and development spending, and here too China is making progress, aided by government subsidies and encouragement.
Last year, for instance, while some of the world’s biggest technology companies slashed their R&D spending, some of China’s best known technology companies increased their R&D budgets, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
For instance, American technology companies like Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor and Hewlett-Packard all made sizable cuts to their R&D spending in 2009, after the outbreak of the global financial crisis. But many Chinese technology companies increased their R&D budgets by 25 to 45 percent, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Near the top of China’s list of patent filings and research and development spending are several of the country’s most dynamic companies, led by Chinese telecom equipment giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE.
Each company has expanded aggressively by selling equipment to telephone companies in developing countries. But they are also trying to expand into Europe and the United States.
Huawei filed more patents than any company in the world in 2008, and was a close second to Panasonic in 2009.
Below are lists of Chinese companies and institutions that filed the most patents in digital computing and in data transmission in 2009 — two of the hottest growth categories here, according to Thomson Reuters.
Top 10 Organizations in Digital Computing Patents from China
Rank Company Count
1 ZHONGXING COMMUNICATION (ZTE COMMUNICATION) 1566
2 HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES 1119
3 UNIV BEIJING AERONAUTICS&ASTRONAUTIC 604
4 Zhejiang University 399
5 Shanghai University 377
6 YINGYEDA 304
7 Tsinghua University 301
8 INVENTEC CORP 222
9 NANJING University 208
10 H3C TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD 201
Top 10 Organizations in Telephone and Data Transmission Systems
Rank Company Count
1 ZHONGXING COMMUNICATION (ZTE COMMUNICATION) 2841
2 HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES 2139
3 DA TANG MOBILE COMMUNICATION EQUIP 317
4 UNIV BEIJING TECHNOLOGY 270
5 UNIV BEIJING POSTS & TELECOM 160
6 Tsinghua UNIVERSITY 143
7 SAMSUNG 120
8 HANGZHOU HUASAN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 118
9 UNIV NANJING POSTS&TELECOM 110
10 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY 102 102
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By DAVID BARBOZA
Postscript Appended
1:02 p.m. | Updated
SHANGHAI — Having passed Germany (exports), Japan (gross domestic product) and the United States (auto sales) over the past year, China is now poised to lead the world in yet another category: patent application filings.
A new study released this week by Thomson Reuters says that by 2011 China will most likely pass the United States and Japan in new patent applications.
With research and development spending rising here, and Beijing trying to encourage innovation, patent application filings in China are soaring.
In 2009, China filed about 279,298 patent applications, ranking third behind Japan, which led the world with 357,338, and the United States, which had 321,741 filings, according to Thomson Reuters.
But the growth of patent filings in Japan and the United States is slowing, while Chinese patent filings are surging in categories as varied as natural products and polymers and digital computers.
Patents are considered a measure of technology prowess and innovation. While the quality and value of patents vary widely, nations that file the largest number of patents are generally home to innovative corporations and Nobel prize winners.
Experts acknowledge that it is difficult to measure the value of China’s patents (many may be for low-end, incremental technologies), but they say the quality appears to be improving and that China is on a path to becoming a more innovative country.
“It’s clear they’re moving from low technology to high-tech,” says Bob Stembridge, an intellectual property analyst at Thomson Reuters. “We’re seeing a stunning emergence of patent filings in digital computing and data communications over the past few years — close to 4,000 percent.”
The innovation push here is significant because China is best known for low-cost manufacturing and weak protection of intellectual property rights. But the nation’s leaders have promised to improve intellectual property rights protections and to back Chinese companies that seek to move up the value chain and produce more sophisticated and valuable products.
The emergence of more innovative companies in China could move the Chinese government to better enforce existing regulations — many of which cover global companies operating here.
One major change already under way here is a new emphasis on research and development.
Analysts say innovation is often fueled by research and development spending, and here too China is making progress, aided by government subsidies and encouragement.
Last year, for instance, while some of the world’s biggest technology companies slashed their R&D spending, some of China’s best known technology companies increased their R&D budgets, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
For instance, American technology companies like Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor and Hewlett-Packard all made sizable cuts to their R&D spending in 2009, after the outbreak of the global financial crisis. But many Chinese technology companies increased their R&D budgets by 25 to 45 percent, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Near the top of China’s list of patent filings and research and development spending are several of the country’s most dynamic companies, led by Chinese telecom equipment giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE.
Each company has expanded aggressively by selling equipment to telephone companies in developing countries. But they are also trying to expand into Europe and the United States.
Huawei filed more patents than any company in the world in 2008, and was a close second to Panasonic in 2009.
Below are lists of Chinese companies and institutions that filed the most patents in digital computing and in data transmission in 2009 — two of the hottest growth categories here, according to Thomson Reuters.
Top 10 Organizations in Digital Computing Patents from China
Rank Company Count
1 ZHONGXING COMMUNICATION (ZTE COMMUNICATION) 1566
2 HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES 1119
3 UNIV BEIJING AERONAUTICS&ASTRONAUTIC 604
4 Zhejiang University 399
5 Shanghai University 377
6 YINGYEDA 304
7 Tsinghua University 301
8 INVENTEC CORP 222
9 NANJING University 208
10 H3C TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD 201
Top 10 Organizations in Telephone and Data Transmission Systems
Rank Company Count
1 ZHONGXING COMMUNICATION (ZTE COMMUNICATION) 2841
2 HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES 2139
3 DA TANG MOBILE COMMUNICATION EQUIP 317
4 UNIV BEIJING TECHNOLOGY 270
5 UNIV BEIJING POSTS & TELECOM 160
6 Tsinghua UNIVERSITY 143
7 SAMSUNG 120
8 HANGZHOU HUASAN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 118
9 UNIV NANJING POSTS&TELECOM 110
10 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY 102 102
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