News on China's scientific and technological development.

Endeavor launch to mark progress in Taiwan's space technology


Physics Nobel Prize winner Samuel Chao Chung Ting, 74, and his device, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, in Switzerland.
(Photo credit: Fred Merz for The New York Times)


The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector constructed, tested and operated by an international team. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays. (Photo credit: NASA)



"Taiwan participates in US space shuttle's swan song
Updated Friday, April 29, 2011 11:47 pm TWN, The China Post news staff

Taiwan's maiden step in space exploration, touted as a major breakthrough on the island, is part of the last mission flown by U.S. space shuttle Endeavour.

Taiwan's Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), a government-funded organization under the Armaments Bureau of the Country's Ministry of National Defense (MND), was involved in the development of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) to be flown into space on board Endeavour, Jinchi Hao (荊溪暠), director of the CSIST's Electronics Department who was put in charge of the development of AMS's electronics in 2001, said yesterday.

The spectrometer was developed as part of a project, called the AMS Experiment, overseen by Taiwanese-American Nobel Prize winner for physics and Academia Sinica member Dr. Samuel C.C. Ting (丁肇中).

Development of Phase I of the electronic system for the spectrometer, which Ting referred to as the device's “brain,” had been in the hands of an European country, while the system being developed by CSIST was considered a backup, because it was generally assumed that European technology was more advanced, Jinchi said.

But the European's backlogs forced Ting to return to Taipei and give CSIST a try, Jinchi said, adding his organization and the European contractor succeeded in turning out their [separate] systems in 1998.

But the European system did not work out in integrated systems tests, while the CSIST system was instantaneously found to be successful, he recalled.

But Jinchi was modest about it, saying Taiwan has learned a lot from its involvement in the project, adding the country is now capable of developing and manufacturing materials, parts, and components for satellites.

According to the AMS webpage, the purpose of the AMS experiment is to search in space for dark matter, missing matter and antimatter on the international space station. Endeavour's liftoff is scheduled for Friday, April 29, at 3:47 p.m., U.S. Eastern Daylight Time."

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"US space shuttle to carry Taiwan equipment into space
04/28/2011

Space Shuttle Endeavour's last flight will be a breakthrough for Taiwan's involvement in an international space program. That's because it will carry a Taiwan-made magnetic spectrometer into space.

One of Endeavour's missions is to bring the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) up to the International Space Station. Taiwanese-American researcher Samuel Ting proposed and oversaw the development of the device.

Once the AMS is operational, it will scan cosmic rays in a search for antimatter and dark matter. If successful, experiments with the AMS can help prove theories by Edwin Hubble and later scientists, including the Big Bang theory of the birth of the universe.

Samuel Ting led a team of 600 scientists from 16 countries for 10 years in designing the AMS. The device's essential electrical system was designed by Taiwan's Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Endeavour is scheduled to launch from the United States on Friday (local time)."

Re: Endeavor launch to mark progress in Taiwan's space technology

Martian said:

The spectrometer was developed as part of a project, called the AMS Experiment, overseen by Taiwanese-American Nobel Prize winner for physics and Academia Sinica member Dr. Samuel C.C. Ting (丁肇中).

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I remember him. He is the scientist who discover a new particle and promptly named it the J-particle in the 90s. At that time, by naming it the J-particle, people said that he is actually naming the particle after himself because it looks like his surname in the Chinese script (丁).

Ting is not Taiwaness American. He was born in Ann Arbor to Mainland Chinese parents. He only attended high school in Taiwan. That doesn't make him Taiwaness American.

Dr. Samuel Chao Chung Ting is accurately described as Taiwanese American

tres said:

Ting is not Taiwaness American. He was born in Ann Arbor to Mainland Chinese parents. He only attended high school in Taiwan. That doesn't make him Taiwaness American.

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Why is he a member of Taiwan's Academia Sinica if he doesn't care about his Taiwanese roots? Also, I think you misunderstand the description Taiwanese-American. A Taiwanese-American also includes Americans of ethnic Taiwanese origin.

For example, Geraldine Ferraro was born in New York state. She was widely described in the press as an Italian American. The media was not claiming that Geraldine Ferraro was a native Italian that emigrated to the United States. They were describing her ethnic roots.

Anyway, I fail to understand your point. As a Chinese-American of Taiwan origin, I have accurately described Dr. Samuel C.C. Ting as a Taiwanese-American. I have used the standard convention followed by American media and society.

If you're arguing that Dr. Samuel C.C. Ting is a Chinese-American of Taiwan origin then I don't have any problems with that description. I haven't been hyper-technical in using the description of "Chinese-American of Taiwan origin" because it's a mouthful. More importantly, under the "One China" policy, the whole world (except for about twenty little island nations) acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China. On their website, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) describes Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China." In my mind, this is a settled issue. Taiwan is a part of China.

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"Geraldine Ferraro, the New York Congresswoman who was the first woman and first Italian-American on a major party ticket, has died at 75, her family said in a statement:...."


"Mar 28, 2011 ... 'On behalf of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Board of ... NIAF is proud to announce the NIAF Geraldine A. Ferraro Women's ..."

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Okay, I think I understand your point. You're saying Dr. Ting is Chinese American. I agree with you. I'll change Wikipedia's article on Dr. Ting. I hope Wikipedia doesn't ban me for this.

Current Wikipedia description:

"Samuel Chao Chung Ting (Chinese: 丁肇中; pinyin: Dīng Zhàozhōng; Wade-Giles: Tin Chao-chung) (born January 27, 1936) is a Taiwanese American physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1976, with Burton Richter, for discovering the subatomic J/ψ particle. He is the principal investigator for the international $1.5 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer project scheduled for installation on the International Space Station in 2011."

New Wikipedia description:

"Samuel Chao Chung Ting (Chinese: 丁肇中; pinyin: Dīng Zhàozhōng; Wade-Giles: Tin Chao-chung) (born January 27, 1936) is a Chinese American physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1976, with Burton Richter, for discovering the subatomic J/ψ particle. He is the principal investigator for the international $1.5 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer project scheduled for installation on the International Space Station in 2011."

Academia Sinica scores breakthrough in fighting pathogens


Staph cells (including antibiotic-resistant strains) will be annihilated by Taiwan's new "biosynthesized...glycopeptide antibiotics," which are "10 to 100 times" stronger in efficacy.



"Taiwan discovers new ways to enhance effect of antibiotics
By Lin Szu-yu and Christie Chen
2011/05/03 19:26:41

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) Researchers at Taiwan's top research institution, Academia Sinica, have discovered a new strategy to produce antibiotics that could eventually outsmart superbugs and other microbes that have grown resistant to modern drugs.

The new strategy involved using biosynthetic engineering to alter the chemical structure of one of a class of antibiotics considered to be drugs of "last resort, " called glycopeptide antibiotics, that not only kill bacteria but harm human cells as well.

By tinkering with the enzymes involved in the natural production of a glycopeptide antibiotic called A40926, researchers were able to enhance the drug's capacity to kill bacteria by 10 to 100 times, said Li Tsung-lin, an associate researcher at Academia Sinica's Genomics Research Center.

"We consider that this approach allows access to new classes of products that would be extremely difficult to obtain by conventional organic synthesis and would help the development of new drugs in the future," the academy's press release quoted Li as saying.

According to the researchers, the biosynthetic engineering process created several new compounds that were chemically very similar to the original antibiotic and had various levels of success in fighting the antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus bacteria in mice.

At the same time, no adverse effects from the new compounds were observed in the tests on mice, researchers said.

The study was published online April 10 in the U.S. scientific journal "Nature Chemical Biology," and in the U.S. magazine "The Scientist" a day later."

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"Academia Sinica scores breakthrough in fighting pathogens
Publication Date：05/03/2011
Source： Taiwan Today

Researchers in Taiwan have found a new strategy for strengthening the effectiveness of “last resort” antibiotics that could lead to the development of new drugs to fight pathogens, according to Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top research institute, May 3.

A team led by Li Tsung-lin, an assistant research fellow at the institute’s Genomics Research Center, recently discovered a way of manipulating microbial enzymes that boosts the effectiveness of the antibiotics Vancomycin and Teicoplanin by up to a hundredfold.

The team used X-ray protein crystallography and biochemical techniques to analyze Dbv29, a hexose oxidase involved in the biosynthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotic A40926, and through this catalyst mechanism and enzyme manipulation methods synthesized families of antibiotic analogs.

Testing revealed that some of these new compounds demonstrated greater potency and efficacy than Vancomycin and Teicoplanin against multidrug resistant pathogens, the team said.

According to Lin, the new approach could help scientists find new chemical diversity to combat antibacterial resistance.

The team’s research was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology April 10, followed by a report in The Scientist the next day. (SB)"

China succeeds in its largest unmanned "V750" helicopter's first flight


The sensor pod is located below the front section of China's V750 UAV helicopter.


Photo taken on May 7, 2011 shows the "V750" pilotless helicopter during a test flight in Weifang of east China's Shandong Province.


The V750 unmanned helicopter, built with an engine that is the intellectual property of a Chinese company, will achieve mass production in Shandong. The prototype was shown in public at the previous Zhuhai International Air Show.


Spectators view the "V750" pilotless helicopter during a test flight in Weifang of east China's Shandong Province, on May 7, 2011.



"China succeeds in its largest unmanned helicopter's first flight
English.news.cn 2011-05-08 01:06:51

JINAN, May 7 (Xinhua)-- An unmanned helicopter, the largest of its kind in China, successfully completed its first flight in Weifang City of east China's Shandong Province Saturday.

The medium-sized unmanned helicopter, with a maximum takeoff weight of 757 kg, departed from the flight-test center of Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry Co. Ltd in the morning. It hovered for ten minutes and performed a few maneuvers before finishing with a stable landing.

The helicopter, model number "V750", has a load capacity of over 80 kg. It can fly a maximum speed of 161 km per hour with a cruising duration of over four hours. The aircraft can be controlled remotely within a distance of over 150 km or automatically flown following inputs from its program.

Further, it could be used in surveillance, search and rescue, and scientific exploration for both military and civilian purposes, said Cheng Shenzong, Chairman of the Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry Co. Ltd.

The helicopter has been developed cooperatively by organizations from Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry Co. Ltd., Qingdao Haili Helicopters Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation in August 2010.

Editor: yan"

[Note: Thank you to "Marchpole" for the pictures.]

I wish mainland China can be more focus on theory so they can get nobel prize.

KingLouis said:

I wish mainland China can be more focus on theory so they can get nobel prize.

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haha, I guess you didn't pay much attention in (some other) threads where people arguing "nobel prize is whose woman? (can't use THAT word, can we?)"

The "on theory" part, I take it you are mentioning "fundamental research"? Well it is true, China in quantity, has already "done more numbers of research" than America - due to MUCH MORE NUMBER of post-grad researchers and thesis being published.

The quality? Arguable. We don't think everybody is having this talk of "China is the next superpower" for no reason, right? - despite China has not sent earth lifeform (preferbly, human) onto MARS yet.

Thermoelectrics generating electricity from waste heat is a step closer



"Thermoelectrics generating electricity from waste heat is a step closer
May 6, 2011 by Lin Edwards


a. Brillouin zone showing the low degeneracy hole pockets (orange) centred at the L point, and the high degeneracy hole pockets (blue) along the Σ line. The figure shows 8 half-pockets at the L point so that the full number of valleys, Nv, i…
(Image credit: Nature, doi:10.1038/nature09996.)

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in China and the US have modified a common thermoelectric material to vastly improve its thermoelectric properties. The development could lead to new devices capable of converting waste heat into useful amounts of electricity.

A thermoelectric material consists of alternating n-type and p-type semiconductors that together convert heat into electricity. In theory the heat could be sourced from any process that generates heat, but at present the materials are too inefficient to provide a commercially feasible way of generating electricity from waste heat, such as that produced in car exhausts.

The most common thermoelectric p-type material in use is based on lead telluride (PbTe) and devices based on this material have been used in satellites, with heat sourced from radioisotopes, and in niche markets on Earth, where the heat is generated by burning fuels such as gas.

The efficiency of the thermoelectric material is expressed as a “thermoelectric figure of merit,” ZT, which is a dimensionless figure derived from several factors including the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. The figure of merit needs to be over 1.5 for the material to be capable of generating useful amounts of electricity in commercial applications. PbTe thermoelectric materials are capable of withstanding high temperatures, but their figures of merit are around 0.8, which makes them suitable only for niche markets such as satellites.

Now physicists from the California Institute of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have modified the amount of tellurium in the PbTe alloy and added selenium and sodium to produce a material with a figure of merit of 1.8 at 850K, which lead author Dr. Jeffrey Snyder described as “extraordinary.”

In previous research Snyder and colleagues had achieved a ZT of 1.5 by doping PbTe with thallium and 1.4 by using sodium. Adding selenium to the mix improved the electrical conductivity while also reducing the thermal conductivity. The selenium increases the number of “degenerate valleys” in the electronic band structure of the material, and this boosts the electrical conductivity and raises the ZT figure. Known thermoelectrics have a typical valley degeneracy of less than six, but the number for the new material is 12 or greater.

Dr. Snyder said he thought a figure of merit of 1.8 was the highest ever to be reproduced in independent laboratories. He also suggested that doping other thermoelectrics in the same way should improve their performance.

Dr. Snyder said the team is now working on creating a promising n-type material and in improving the p-type material’s effectiveness at higher temperatures. The paper is published in Nature.

More information: Convergence of electronic bands for high performance bulk thermoelectrics, Nature 473, 66–69 (05 May 2011)

Abstract

Thermoelectric generators, which directly convert heat into electricity, have long been relegated to use in space-based or other niche applications, but are now being actively considered for a variety of practical waste heat recovery systems—such as the conversion of car exhaust heat into electricity. Although these devices can be very reliable and compact, the thermoelectric materials themselves are relatively inefficient: to facilitate widespread application, it will be desirable to identify or develop materials that have an intensive thermoelectric materials figure of merit, zT, above 1.5 (ref. 1). Many different concepts have been used in the search for new materials with high thermoelectric efficiency, such as the use of nanostructuring to reduce phonon thermal conductivity2, 3, 4, which has led to the investigation of a variety of complex material systems5. In this vein, it is well known6, 7 that a high valley degeneracy (typically ≤6 for known thermoelectrics) in the electronic bands is conducive to high zT, and this in turn has stimulated attempts to engineer such degeneracy by adopting low-dimensional nanostructures8, 9, 10. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to direct the convergence of many valleys in a bulk material by tuning the doping and composition. By this route, we achieve a convergence of at least 12 valleys in doped PbTe1 − xSex alloys, leading to an extraordinary zT value of 1.8 at about 850 kelvin. Band engineering to converge the valence (or conduction) bands to achieve high valley degeneracy should be a general strategy in the search for and improvement of bulk thermoelectric materials, because it simultaneously leads to a high Seebeck coefficient and high electrical conductivity."

Teen Discovers Promising Cystic Fibrosis Treatment

LiveScience.com39 mins ago

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A 16-year-old from the Toronto area used a supercomputer system to find a new drug combination that shows potential in treating the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis, and won top honors for his work.

Marshall Zhang, an 11th-grade student at Richmond Hill's Bayview Secondary School, received first place Tuesday (May 10) in the 2011 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, a contest in which students conduct their own research projects with the help of mentors.


Cystic fibrosis is a potentially fatal condition caused by a genetic mutation, or error. It causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and elsewhere. Cystic fibrosis occurs most among white people of northern European ancestry, in about 1 out of 3,000 live births. In the past, most people with cystic fibrosis died in their teens, according to the Mayo Clinic. It has no cure. [10 Worst Hereditary Conditions]

At his mentor's lab, Zhang used the Canadian SCINET supercomputing network to investigate how two promising new compounds acted against the defective protein responsible for the condition. Using computer simulations, he figured out how each of these drugs acted against the protein and discovered they acted on the protein in different spots, raising the possibility they could be used simultaneously without interfering with each other.

Zhang then tested his theory in living cells, and the results exceeded his expectations.

"They actually worked together in creating an effect that was greater than the sum of its parts," he told LiveScience.

Zhang is realistic about the future for his discovery; once tested in the human body, promising treatments can turn out to be toxic or ineffective, he said. But even if this combination of compounds doesn't ultimately help treat cystic fibrosis, he believes his research has laid important groundwork for other discoveries.

"I have identified certain chemical structures that are key in the corrective effects of these molecules, as well as identified two molecular targets on the protein for future therapeutics," he said.

His mentor, Dr. Christine Bear, a researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children's Research Institute in Toronto, has invited him back to her lab to continue his work, he said.

After taking Advanced Placement Biology last year, in Grade 10, Zhang decided he wanted to do what real scientists do and began contacting professors to see if he could work in their labs.

"Most of them said 'no' because I didn't have the experience I needed," he said. "I emailed the entire list of faculty in biochemistry at the University of Toronto." The last one, Dr. Bear, said yes.

Now Zhang and a trio of Montreal students who took second place for their technique for making sorbet without gelatin move on to compete against U.S. and Australian teams at the International BioGENEius Challenge in Washington, D.C., June 27.