News on China's scientific and technological development.

Re: A prototype of the CIT 400B (a.k.a CRH 400B) on exhibit

pugachev_diver said:

Why are the wheels exposed when everything else are covered?

Click to expand...

During normal operation, the wheels have to be exposed to transfer the frictional heat from the wheel's contact with the steel tracks. Also, when the brakes are applied to slow a train traveling at 400 kilometers per hour, friction will generate tremendous heat. The exposed wheels are an engineering necessity, because they need access to a heat sink (e.g. atmospheric or air cooling).

Nanoscope Sees Smaller Than Ever


Research Associate Dr. Wei Guo using the microscope

Figure 2: Microsphere superlens imaging in transmission mode.

(a) Microsphere superlens imaging of 360-nm-wide lines spaced 130 nm apart (top left image taken by scanning electron microscope (SEM)), the optical nanoscope (ON) image (top right image) shows that the lines are clearly resolved. (b) A gold…



"Nanoscope Sees Smaller Than Ever
Analysis by Marianne English
Fri Mar 4, 2011 02:27 PM ET


Photo courtesy of the University of Manchester

What if a microscope were powerful enough to detail the inner workings of a virus hijacking a cell?

A team of University of Manchester and National University of Singapore researchers designed a nanoscope that creates the possibility of doing just that. Their work allows scientists to image objects better than before by combining the power of an optical microscope with transparent microspheres of glass.

The new equipment can provide clear images of objects as little as 50 nanometers wide -- 20 times smaller than previous technologies. For reference, one nanometer equals one billionth of a meter.

The fact that the technology defies traditional restraints caused by the diffraction of light -- or limits when light encounters objects -- makes the microscope unique.

This is because microspheres, or tiny round structures, are used to redirect and amplify light lost from the process of diffraction, creating a more detailed picture of samples being imaged. Although current technologies, including electron microscopes, produce high resolution images, they only reveal the surfaces of cells and viruses, not what's occurring inside them.

Scientists say the nanoscope will allow other researchers to see what really happens when a virus hijacks a cell in real-time. It may also be used to monitor events inside of cells caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.

Using this technology, the team says it will be possible to make even smaller biological features visible in the future.

"This is a world record in terms of how small an optical microscope can go by direct imaging under a light source covering the whole range of optical spectrum," leading researcher Lin Li said in a University of Manchester . "…Theoretically, there is no limit on how small an object we will be able to see."

The are featured in the journal Nature Communications."



"Nature Communications | Article
Optical virtual imaging at 50 nm lateral resolution with a white-light nanoscope

* Zengbo Wang,1
* Wei Guo,1, 2
* Lin Li,1
* Boris Luk'yanchuk,3
* Ashfaq Khan,1
* Zhu Liu,2
* Zaichun Chen3, 4
* & Minghui Hong3, 4

* Affiliations * Contributions * Corresponding author

Journal name: Nature Communications
Volume: 2,
Article number: 218
DOI: doi:10.1038/ncomms1211

Received 16 August 2010
Accepted 26 January 2011
Published 01 March 2011"

Note: Occasionally, I will highlight the contributions of Overseas Chinese scientists. The "leading researcher Lin Li" is obviously ethnically Chinese. Also, his name is not Anglicized. This strongly implies that he was born in China. However, his nationality is British.

Given the fact that Mr. Lin Li and six of the eight British researchers are Overseas Chinese, the Chinese community welcomes their scientific achievement.

Researchers in Taiwan report breakthrough in 'cell rejuvenation'



"Researchers in Taiwan report breakthrough in 'cell rejuvenation'
by Chen Ching-fang and S.C. Chang
2011/03/10 21:21:21


["The authoritative Chemical Reviews published the research report in its current online issue, saying the technique had good prospects."]

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) Scientists at a Taiwan university have achieved a breakthrough in cell rejuvenation by injecting four genes into a mature cell, which resets the cell's bio-clock to a state similar to fertilization, the team leader reported Thursday.

The research team from National Central University-Cathay General Hospital has managed to induce fibroblast cells to split into pluripotent stem cells, which are similar to embryonic cells, said Professor Akon Higuchi of the university's Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering.

The technique involves opening up the membrane of a mature cell so that it accepts four genes -- Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc -- which work like "a key to the source of life, " explained Ling Qingdong, director of the Cathay Medical Research Institute.

Once the mature cell's bio-clock has been reset by the genes, the cell becomes rejuvenated, reverting to the state of newly fertilized cell, Ling said.

The beauty of this technique is that there is an infinite supply of cells and the four genes do not have to be carried by viruses in order to alter the mature cells, he said.

"We are calling it a breakthrough because there is no danger of contamination by viruses, " Ling said. "Furthermore, we don't have to use embryonic cells and therefore will not invite ethics debates."

However, Higuchi said his team has only been able to achieve a 0.3 percent to 1 percent success rate. This means that only three to 10 of every 1,000 mature cells were successfully converted into multi-purpose stem cells, he said, adding that improvement would be needed.

In spite of the low success rate, the authoritative Chemical Reviews published the research report in its current online issue, saying the technique had good prospects.

The research team also reported that it has designed a method to quickly collect stem cells, a technique that it said may some day be used to help treat leukemia.

The method uses a cubic-structured, nano-meter cell membrane that can filter and collect stem cells in 1/10 of the usual time, Higuchi said.

This technique also helps speed the growth of cultured stem cells by at least six times the normal rate, he said.

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are not in high supply and the faster they are collected the more slowly they age, according to Cathay General Hospital Vice President Hung Kun-lung.

Therefore, Higuchi's quick collection technique means the cells could multiply faster in culture and may one day help develop a cure for people suffering from leukemia and other diseases, he said.

Higuchi said he was working on another project to extract stem cells from fat tissues, a technique that he said would mature in about five years time.

By that time, "we might be able to induce stem cells to grow as myocardium or heart muscle cells, which would be beneficial to people with ischemic heart disease," he said."

Taiwan tops world in semiconductor capital expenditure


Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) engages in the manufacturing, selling, packaging, testing, and computer-aided designing of various integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices.

Market cap: $64.04 billion
2010 Revenue: $13.8 billion



"TSMC sets capital expenditure at a massive US$7.8 billion
27 January 2011 | By Mark Osborne

Buoyed by record revenue and profitability while production capacity was fully utilized throughout the year, TSMC has set its capital expenditure at a massive US$7.8 billion for 2011. However, spending in 2010 reached US$5.94 billion and US$1.52 billion was spent in the fourth quarter alone."

----------





"Taiwan tops world in semiconductor capital expenditure

Publication Date：03/10/2011
Source： Taiwan Today
By Meg Chang

Taiwan continued to top the world for the second time in semiconductor capital expenditure, according to the U.S.-based industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International March 8.

SEMI’s latest report revealed a spending spree by semiconductor firms worldwide in 2010 that saw global equipment sales surge by a record high of 148 percent year on year to US$39.54 billion.

Spending by the local sector mirrored a similar upswing of 157 percent to US$11.19 billion, or 28 percent of the total. South Korea ranked second with an impressive gain of 220 percent to US$8.33 billion, while North America came in third at US$5.76 billion.

Mainland China was the fastest growing market segment, with its annual purchases soaring 286 percent from 2009 to US$3.63 billion.

“Such investment is necessary to ensure local firms’ leadership in both technology and capacity in advanced processes,” said P.Y. Hsu, an analyst at the Taipei-based research firm Topology Research Institute.

This strategy is reflected in the record high capex budget of US$7.8 billion announced by foundry heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in January this year, he pointed out.

This aggressive buying also helped the country post record high imports of capital equipment totaling US$41.78 billion in 2010, according to statistics by the Ministry of Finance.

As the sector settles into more moderate growth this year, SEMI expects to see Taiwan maintain the top position with equipment spending of US$11.6 billion. The country is also projected to become a leader in material purchases of US$9.06 billion. (HZW)

Write to Meg Chang at [email protected]"

Lenovo's Laptops Are First to Have Eye-Control Ability



"Lenovo's Laptops Are First to Have Eye-Control Ability
BY Kit Eaton
Tue Mar 1, 2011


Eye-tracking Lenovo Tobii

Lenovo and Tobii today unveiled what they're calling the "world's first eye-controlled laptop," and they're giving it a public demo at the CeBIT show in Germany. The idea is to add what the makers call a "truly natural interface" into everyday computing situations, allowing users of the laptop to control what happens in the UI using keyboard, mouse and where they glance on the screen--not entirely unlike the hand-eye-coordinated actions we do in non-computing environments. This taps into the current trend of natural user interfaces, and could change how you think about PCs.

When you work on a computer, your hands are typically glued to a keyboard and mouse or trackpad to control what goes on on the screen--but your eyes scatter and dart around as you focus on specific details. This is something Net researchers have known how to exploit for a while, and Google even uses eye-tracking tech to work out where attention-grabbing hotspots are on its homepage so it can optimize its design to better position interface controls and (yes, of course) adverts.

Lenovo is exploiting Tobii tech in a much more interactive way. The system is at heart just an infrared light source and a camera that observers a user's eyes--by looking for reflective IR "glints" off your eyeballs. It combines that with clever software that works out where the eyes are positioned in space in front of the computer, and where they're looking--translating the interpreted gaze into a corresponding position on the screen.

The result is that you can glance at an on-screen object like an icon and the system will pop up more info on that item. Maps can be scrolled or zoomed depending on the area of interest that you're concentrating on, and more subtle UI events can be worked in to improve your workflow. These include things like dimming windows you're not looking at, switching focus between windows based on which ones you what to see, and darkening the display if you're not sitting looking at the machine (a far better way of working out that you're being "idle" than merely timing-out if you don't touch the keyboard or mouse for a certain period). For an idea about how this may work, the video below is of a Tobii eye-track UI developed way back in 2007.

The makers think this system results in a "thrilling" improvement on the way we interact with computers, and though this initial implementation is a proof of concept rather than a salable product, it's highly likely that we'll all be using similar systems sometime soon--even if they're not from Lenovo.

That's because Apple is currently championing intuitive UI design, and this sort of natural enhancement to PC control is right up it's alley--it's even patented clever hands-off sensing tech to boost the natural interaction powers of its future iPads and iPhones. Nokia has looked at hands-free control of its smartphones, and Microsoft is pushing its plans for a "natural user interface" in future Windows designs. Now that consumer's are used to touching, stroking and gently taping their consumer electronics, or waving their arms in the air in front of their Xbox to control games (and, in the near future, interactive displays in store windows) then they're likely almost ready to let their PC use eye-tracking info, too."

Taiwan Team Designs New Way to Protect Touchscreens


Taiwan's superior new diamond-film coating technology could replace old pure-glass resistant surfaces, such as this LongJun Electronics XLD-YT256-12PC touchscreen from China.



"Taiwan Team Designs New Way to Protect Touchscreens
By Ralph Jennings, IDG News
Mar 21, 2011 8:10 am

Researchers in Taiwan have obtained patents for a method of making diamond film to resist scratches and fingerprint smudges on the touchscreens of handheld devices such as smartphones, a university official in charge said.

After about 20 years of study, a team at National Taipei University of Technology figured out how to mix nano-diamond powder with a special chemical formula for a new kind of coating technology. The process makes a film for touchscreens, allowing them to resist smears, nicks and the early corrosion that may result from too much contact.

The diamond film can especially resist the oil and water that leave fingerprints on the front of frequently used touchscreens, answering a growing demand from flat panel makers.

That would give the users of handheld devices sharper, clearer images and allow their screens to bump into other objects without getting scratched, Taiwan's semi-official Central News Agency said in a comment on its website.

It's not the only technology of its kind, said Lin Chii-Iuey, project leader and National Taipei University of Technology vice president. But his technique can be executed more quickly than other methods, Lin said.

One major Taiwan firm is talking to the university about adopting its technology, he said, and others may follow.

"The technique isn't new, but my method is new," said Lin, who worked with more than 20 students to develop the technique. 'It can save time and money for the manufacturers.'"

Re: Taiwan Team Designs New Way to Protect Touchscreens

Martian said:

Taiwan's superior new diamond-film coating technology could replace old pure-glass resistant surfaces, such as this LongJun Electronics XLD-YT256-12PC touchscreen from China.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

"Taiwan Team Designs New Way to Protect Touchscreens
By Ralph Jennings, IDG News
Mar 21, 2011 8:10 am

Researchers in Taiwan have obtained patents for a method of making diamond film to resist scratches and fingerprint smudges on the touchscreens of handheld devices such as smartphones, a university official in charge said.

After about 20 years of study, a team at National Taipei University of Technology figured out how to mix nano-diamond powder with a special chemical formula for a new kind of coating technology. The process makes a film for touchscreens, allowing them to resist smears, nicks and the early corrosion that may result from too much contact.

The diamond film can especially resist the oil and water that leave fingerprints on the front of frequently used touchscreens, answering a growing demand from flat panel makers.

That would give the users of handheld devices sharper, clearer images and allow their screens to bump into other objects without getting scratched, Taiwan's semi-official Central News Agency said in a comment on its website.

It's not the only technology of its kind, said Lin Chii-Iuey, project leader and National Taipei University of Technology vice president. But his technique can be executed more quickly than other methods, Lin said.

One major Taiwan firm is talking to the university about adopting its technology, he said, and others may follow.

"The technique isn't new, but my method is new," said Lin, who worked with more than 20 students to develop the technique. 'It can save time and money for the manufacturers.'"

Click to expand...

Is the diamond part just the name or is there actually real diamond dust in the film. If it is, must be pretty expensive

Re: Taiwan Team Designs New Way to Protect Touchscreens

pugachev_diver said:

Is the diamond part just the name or is there actually real diamond dust in the film. If it is, must be pretty expensive

Click to expand...

No, of course not. Nobody use real diamonds for industrial usage. They use synthetic diamonds.



I am surprised you didn't know!
I mean, you sounded like Russian (pugachev?) and Russia was famous for the synthetic diamonds back in 1970s....

Sexual preference chemical found in mice



"Sexual preference chemical found in mice
23 March 2011
Last updated at 14:03 ET

A chemical in the brain controls sexual preference in mice, according to scientists in China.


Serotonin controls a male mouse's choice of partner

Male mice bred without serotonin lose their preference for females, a report in Nature says.

The researchers say it is the first time that a neurotransmitter has been shown to play a role in sexual preference in mammals.

Experts have warned about the dangers of drawing conclusions about human sexuality.

The research team first bred male mice whose brains were not receptive to serotonin.

A series of experiments demonstrated that these mice had lost the preference for females shown by unmodified males.

When presented with a choice of partners, they showed no overall preference for either males or females.

When just a male was introduced into the cage, the modified males were far more likely to mount the male and emit a "mating call" normally given off when encountering females than unmodified males were.

Similar results were achieved when a different set of mice were bred. These lacked the tryptonphan hydroxylase 2 gene, which is needed to produce serotonin.

However, a preference for females could be "restored" by injecting serotonin into the brain.

The report concludes: "Serotonergic signalling is crucial for male sexual preference in mice. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a neurotransmitter in the brain has been demonstrated to be important in mammalian sexual preference."

Humans

Sexual behaviour in mice is thought to be driven by their sense of smell.

Professor Keith Kendrick, a neuroscientist at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, said: "In terms of having potential relevance to understanding human sexual preference/orientation, we are of course far less influenced by odour cues in this context than mice are.

"There is some very limited evidence for altered responses to selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the brains of homosexuals, but we have been using psychoactive drugs which either increase or decrease serotonin function for quite some time now, and while effects on sexual arousal, impulsivity and aggression have often been reported, no effects on sexual preference/orientation have.

'At this time therefore any potential links between serotonin and human sexual preferences must be considered somewhat tenuous.'"

Re: Sexual preference chemical found in mice

"we are of course far less influenced by odour cues in this context than mice are": I don't know that. But conclusions based on experience with a drastically altered animal, a mouse without serotonin, are unlikely to be directly relevant.