Improved Nanometer Nitrification The study team headed by Dr. Lu Ke, Shenyang National Joint Lab of the Institute of Material Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has landed a major progress on the surface nitrification applications with metal surface nanometer technology. The finding was published in the international authority journal Sciences on January 31, 2003. The new technology jointly proposed by the study team and its French collaborator Prof., Lv Jian has found successful applications in a number of metals and engineering alloys. The technology is not only able to greatly improve block materials?surface performances such as surface hardness, wear resistance and fatigue resistance etc., but also able to remarkably enhance their chemical reaction activity through their surface nanometer tissues, which can make the surface chemical treatment temperature going down possible. Scientists treated a pure iron with surface nanometer technology and obtained nanometer crystal tissues from the surface layer with a thickness of several dozen microns. Then they placed the pure iron into regular gas nitrification process under a constant temperature of 300℃ Nine hours later they obtained a nitrification layer of 10 microns thick through surface nitrification. Under the comparison, the untreated pure iron has shown no forming of nitrification matter in the same condition. The performance testing results have shown that the nitrification layer formed under 300 is of greatly enhanced hardness, wear resistance and erosion resistance. The testing results have also indicated that surface nitrification temperature can be greatly reduced by taking advantage of surface nanometer technology, which means that the scope of materials and working pieces desired for surface nitrification technology can thus be greatly expanded. In the meantime, it shows that surface nanometer technology can be used to realize the selective chemical reaction over material surface structures. Their finding has demonstrated another important aspect of nanometer technology in technology upgrading for traditional industries. This article is from issue No.319. China Science & Technology China's Hybrid Soybean On the basis of their two-decade painstaking efforts, the study team headed by Sun Huan , a research fellow of Jilin Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences have eventually worked out hybrid soybeans. The team started their exploratory study of soybean hybridizing in 1983. They worked out the world first proprietary soybean sterile line with cytoplasm and nucleus interactions through hybridizing the species of distant ties in China's rich wild soybean resources. So far the key processes for making hybrid soybeans developed by the team have been granted with the Chinese patent and the US patent in 2001 and 2002 respectively, though the team are now in the process of applying for the patent in 20 and more other countries. The extensive experiments made in Jilin Province have demonstrated that the hybrid soybeans may produce a yield 20% higher than those of major local species. In the meantime, the team has landed breakthroughs in seed bearing techniques by taking advantage of leaf cutting bee pollination and advanced the bean bearing rate to 70% and above, enjoying the per hectare yield of 1000 kilos. Under the strong support of relevant state authorities and Jilin provincial government, the soybean hybridizing project has been listed in the nation's major S&T programs such as 863 Program, 973 Program, National Key Technology Development Program and National Natural Science Foundation respectively. Thanks to their many-year efforts, the team have obtained breakthroughs in insects pollination techniques and worked out hybrid soybeans. On January 15, 2003, their findings passed the verification and evaluation checks organized by Jilin Provincial Committee on Agricultural Crop Species. This article is from issue No.319. China Science & Technology Top Ten News Stories on China's S&T Progresses On January 26, 2003, the top ten news stories on China's S&T progresses selected by academicians under a screening process jointly sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the newspaper Science Times were unveiled. They are as follows: 1) Chinese scientists have for the first time in the world worked out accurate rice genome charts and accurate sequencing charts of No. 4 rice chromosome. The accurate rice genome charts completed by the Genome Information Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and others have covered 97% of the genetic sequencing of Chinese rice, of which 97% of the genes have found their accurate position over chromosomes with a 99.99% base pair accuracy for 94% of the chromosome sequence positioning, an internationally acknowledged criteria for accurate genome charts. In the meantime, Chinese scientists have completed the accurate sequencing of No. 4 chromosome assigned by the international genome project, which has constituted the largest individual genome chromosome worked out by China independently for its accurate sequencing, and made a major contribution to eventually unveiling the genetic mysteries of rice. 2) Successful and consecutive launch of Shenzhou III and Shenzhou IV spacecrafts. In a short period of 9 months, China has successfully launched and retrieved its two spacecrafts, which demonstrated a major progress made in China's manned space flight project. 3) China discovered its first world-class gas field with a proven reserve of 600 billion cubic meters. On the basis of a couple of years prospecting, China discovered a super large gas field in Yikezhaomeng, Inner Mongolia with a proven reserve amounting to 602.527 billion cubic meters, which is equivalent to a super large oil field with a reserve of 600 million tons. This is not only the largest natural gas field so far discovered but also the first gas field of the world-class reserve in the country. 4) The open diversion channel of Three Gorges Project called a success in cutting off the river flow. Running for a total length of 3.7 kilometers and with a width of 350 meters, the said open diversion channel has stood the most difficult river cutting-off mission in the construction of hydraulic power projects in the world. 5) China successfully developed its own third generation mobile telecommunication system. Thanks to its 3-year painstaking R&D efforts and a huge investment nearly RMB 1 billion, China successfully worked out three third generation mobile telecommunication systems in line with national technical standards, of which TD-SCDMA has become the first Chinese proposed standards officially accepted by ITU in the history of world telecommunication. 6) China has preliminarily grasped the key technologies for designing and manufacturing modern CPU. The Institute of Computation Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully developed Longxin I CPU, the first high performance common CPU in the country. China¡¯s first proprietary server with the core technologies named Longteng equipped with Longxin I CPU also made its birth, which demonstrates that China has basically grasped the key technologies designing and manufacturing such chips, ending up the history that Chinese information industry had no its own heart? The said CPU chip is sized 4 mm with the maximum floating and fixing points calculation speed over 200 million times per second respectively. 7) Zhejiang Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences brought out the new rape species claiming the highest oil content in the world. Applied with genetic engineering techniques, the Atomic Energy Institute under the Academy developed a echnology able to manipulate rape's oil composition, with which they worked out two new rape varieties named Chaoyou I and Chaoyou II, both proud of an increased oil content by 25% with Chaoyou II claiming the world highest oil content at 52.82% among its counterparts. 8) The successful development of huge laser device Shenguang II. Huge laser device Shenguang II developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Institute of Engineering Physics has gathered a hundred and more optic instruments in an area of a football course size. It is located in Shanghai Institute of Optic Machinery under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. When eight strong laser beams hit a tiny target ball through magnifying chains in 3 dimensional arrays, a strong power equivalent to the total or several times the power generated by the whole world power grids was emitted in a blink of time as short as one billionth second and an extremely high pressure and temperature thus formed to trigger the fusion reaction. The success of Shenguang II demonstrates China¡¯s world advanced level in high power laser and laser nuclear fusion studies. 9) Chinese scientists preliminarily unveiled the mysteries of human cell senile decaying. On the basis of their many-year studies, the medical study team of Beijing University has preliminarily concluded that gene P16 dominating human cell senile decaying process is a key link in controlling human cell decaying process from the hereditary perspective. They also unveiled the cause of the high expression of P16 in the decaying, which preliminarily unveiled the mysteries of human cell decaying and is China's original contribution to understanding the decaying mechanism of human cells. It created a new approach to further addressing human cell decaying. 10) Legend's super computer. Legend Group made in the year the debut of its proprietary core technology super computer with an on-the-spot measured speed over 1000 billion times per second. The super computer has recorded a calculation speed of 1002.7 billion times per second, reached the level of 24th place among the world top 500 super computers. The ones sitting before the 24th are either manufactured by Japan or USA. This article is from issue No.320. China Science & Technology Progress on China's Digital TV Mobile Reception The digital fine definition TV single carrier wave mobile reception technology jointly developed by Shanghai Jiaotong University and Shanghai Qipu S&T Co. Ltd. has recently passed experts' verification check. Experts concluded that the technology could not only be directly applied to the mobile reception of digital ground broadcasting signals but is also of great importance to improving fixed and mobile signal reception in the future wide-band multi-media ground radio broadcasting system. In response to numerous elements related to the needs of China's radio and TV broadcasting industry and TV sets manufacturing costs, Shanghais Jiaotong University and Shanghai Qipu S&T Co. Ltd. jointly worked out the technical line for realizing high speed mobile reception by taking advantage of single carrier wave modulation and landed the said major breakthrough. This article is from issue No.321. China Science & Technology Progress on Hepatitis C Testing Hepatitis C different region antibody testing agent package jointly developed by the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Beijing Jinweikai Biomedicine S&T Co. Ltd. is one of the major medical projects listed under the nation's 9th Five-Year Plan. The said bioengineering product is created on the basis of advantageous antigens screened out from the major epidemic genes of hepatitis C prevailing in China through computer simulation technology. Scientists worked out high quality hepatitis C testing confirmation agent through restructuring the genetic expressions on single HCV section. As far as the field of bioengineering technology is concerned, this result should belong to the category of high-tech new products. The trial applications at Beijing Red Cross Blood Center and other hospitals have shown that the testing agent package is of numerous merits such as time saving, simple operation, and accurate and objective readouts and its technical indicators having all reached or even surpassed the level of similar products abroad. In addition to its merit of low cost, the new testing package is able to shorten the hepatitis C confirmation time period by more than 30 days. Now the testing package has been granted with Class II new drug certificate and the approval series number for drug production issued by the State Drug Administration. This article is from issue No.322. China Science & Technology China's First High Performance DSP Chip Thanks to their two-year and more painstaking efforts, Prof. Chen Jin and others of Shanghai Jiaotong University have successfully worked out China's first proprietary 16-digit high performance DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chip named Hanxin I by using the internationally advanced 0.18-micron semiconductor techniques. The development marks China's major breakthrough in the study of core technologies in its chip industry. The wholly home designed, made, packaged and tested chip is of a 32-digit calculating and processing core with a calculating capacity for over 200 million commands per second and a clock frequency of 200 MHz. The project has applied for 6 national patents. It is briefed that Hanxin I chip will become a substitute of its overseas made counterparts in a great amount and will find extensive applications in the fields of mobile telecommunication, digital camera, video conference, information security, high speed telecommunication equipment and information based household electric appliances. This article is from issue No.323. China Science & Technology China's Advanced Satellite Measuring Chinese scientists have for the first time equipped Shenzhou IV orbiter with a laser transmitter, which successfully completed its accurate laser ranging mission. It is briefed that the laser device measuring the spacecraft orbit as high as several hundred kilometers only produces an error about 1 centimeter. Composed of 9 laser rear reflectors of a diameter of 30mm, the laser reflector developed by Shanghai Observatory was installed at the bottom of Shenzhou IV orbiter. Each laser reflector is a four-side prism with its three sides vertically parallel against each other. The pulse laser transmitted from the ground will reflect successively through three right angels, the outgoing light running parallel with the incoming one but in adverse directions, which makes the ground laser station able to detect the laser echoes reflected from the satellite, accurately measuring the time interval between laser pulse round trips and deducting the accurate range of satellite. After the launch of Shenzhou IV spacecraft, Sheshan Laser Station of Shanghai Observatory and Changchun Satellite Observation Station of the National Observatory, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Fangshan Laser Station of the State Measuring and Mapping Bureau, and Wuhan Jiufeng Laser Station sponsored by both the Seismology Institute of the State Seismological Bureau and the Institute of Measuring and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences made their 3-day consecutive observation of the onboard laser transmitters. The observational results have shown that the onboard laser reflectors got succeeded in accurate laser ranging, which indicates that China's laser satellite ranging technique has reached the internationally advanced level. This article is from issue No.324. China Science & Technology Treating Cancers with Stem Cells Xi¡¯an Xijing Hospital has recently announced its major progresses on treating non-blood-system malignant tumors through multi-phase and high dose chemotherapy combined with stem cell transplantation, which has landed an treatment effect as high as 70% or above. During the period from October 1999 to March 2003, the Hospital had worked on 81 tumor patients with the combined therapy treatment. Scientists divided the patients into the single-phase group and the multi-phase group according to their diseases and previous treatment results and studied the treatment effects of the combined therapy treatment on both groups. Before the application of the combined therapy treatment, researchers released the blood making stem cells from patients¡¯ bone marrow to peripheral blood through chemical mobilization and injection of blood cell growing elements. Afterwards, they separated stem cells from patients' peripheral blood through blood cell separator and preserved these cells in refrigerators. The effective separation of patients' stem cells from their body has prevented the stem cells from being killed in the chemotherapy. In addition, researchers performed multi-phase combined therapy in high dose on multi-phase group so as to give a thorough kill of the cancer cells in patients' body. Upon the completion of each chemotherapy, researchers would send partial separated stem cells back to patients' body. In comparing with the single-phase group, the multi-phase group has demonstrated better treatment effects, as the latter is able to return all the separated stem cells to patients in two or three rounds of treatment, which promptly restored patients' blood making functions and immune system and greatly extended their tumor free survival duration, improving the treatment effect by 20% and more. This article is from issue No.327. China Science & Technology Molecular Mystery in High Rice Yield Dr. Li Jiayang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working for the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, and the study team headed by Oian Qian, a research fellow of Rice Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agriculture have not only discovered, in the course of their in-depth molecule genetic study of rice tillering, the gene controlling rice tillering but also successfully separated and cloned the gene, which has landed a breakthrough in understanding the molecular control mechanism in rice tillering, marking an important step in unveiling the molecular mystery leading to rice high yield. The finding was published in the British journal Nature of the April 10th issue. Experts believed that the paper was the first original in the field of basic and theoretical life science studies published by the authority journal with Chinese scientists as the authors. The study has taken the extreme tillering mutators discovered in the rice breeding as the material and applied map position approach to separating the gene MOC1 that controls rice tillering. Being a major controlling gene, MOC1 works through a fine but complicated signal transmission network, through which it manipulates the formation and normal growth and development of the tillering buds. This article is from issue No.327. China Science & Technology China's First Trilinear Hybrid Cabbage Thanks to their 11-year tireless explorations, the researchers of Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry have, on the basis of culturing their newly discovered male infertile material for generations to screen out the new Chinese cabbage and rape genes hybrid male infertility, eventually worked out Baiza I, a trilinear hybrid Chinese cabbage variety with rape genes. So far Baiza I has passed the field growing experiment and demonstration. During the period from 1997 to 2000, the new species was grown over Weibeihanyuan area in Shaan¡¯xi Province and registered an average yield of 120.18 kilograms per mu (1mu=0.0667ha.), or 17.37% more than what Qinyou 4, a compared conventional variety had produced. In addition, the demonstration growing over extensive areas has turned out an average yield of 121.63 kilograms, or 21.3% higher than the yield of the compared varieties. This article is from issue No.328. China Science & Technology World Advanced New Corn Species The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Hebei Wanquan Seeds Company have jointly bred a fine protein rich corn species called Zhongdan 9409 possessing fine quality, high yield and rich nutrition. It is reported that while working on yield improvement, researchers were able to introduce a relevant gene into the corn to improve the corn¡¯s protein quality by increasing the lysine and tryptophan content in the protein. As a result, the lysine and tryptophan content of the new species has doubled that of regular corn species with a 8%-15% yield increase. In collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wanquan Seeds Company has developed a dozen fine protein rich corn species including Zhongdan 9409. Meanwhile, the Company has, in view of different ecological considerations, established an experimental base network made up of 36 demonstration sites and 41 supporting stations throughout the nation. So far the new species have grown in an area of 300,000 or more mu(1mu=0.0667ha.) in 58 counties and cities of 11 provinces and municipalities such as Henan, Shaan'xi and Shandong. Wanquan County itself has become a national base for fine quality corns under the National Seeds Project and National Harvest Program. This article is from issue No.330. China Science & Technology China's New Liquid Pump A new internationally advanced level liquid pump developed by Gansu-based Top Pump Co. Ltd. has recently passed its verification check. Compared to centrifugal dominated conventional water pumps, the new pump has numerous qualities such as smaller size, lighter weight, higher efficiency, a more flexible dynamic process, better energy efficiency, smaller pumping fluctuations, lower manufacturing costs, and wider applications. In recent years, the company has, on the basis of prevailing domestic and international pump design studies and other disciplinary theories on fluid dynamics, normal dynamics, frictions and new materials, gradually established and updated its new top pump theory, namely under certain conditions, the pump shall be able to continuously expand its input volume while compressing its output volume without pulse movement of its flow? As a result, they have developed a new top pump with the inner barrel of special curves, elastic blockading and a rotor of piston-like vanes, and associated manufacturing techniques. The new pump can be used to carry varieties of fluids such as water, gas, oil, and chemical fluids. Having addressed some of the difficult technical problems encountered in the field, the new high-tech top pump can be further made into different dynamic models with extended applications and specifications for different sectors, including farming irrigation, oil fields and chemicals. It will gradually become part of a new industry with advanced technologies. This article is from issue No.330. China Science & Technology Traditional Chinese Medicines Against SARS The National SARS Prevention and Treatment S&T Group has listed screening Chinese traditional medicines for SARS applications as a priority objective in its research activities. As a part of the special project of Key Technologies against SARS and Associated Products, the efforts have produced conditional results. The traditional medicine screening team is headed by the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicines with the involvement of the Beijing University of Chinese Traditional Medicines, the Institute of Pharmacy under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Pharmacy subordinated to the Chinese Military Academy of Medical Sciences. With the aim of alleviating illness, stabilizing symptoms, lowering mortality, and being closely in line with clinical practices, the group has paid particular attention to the major pathological links that affect the development of disease and result in death. These include high fever, perspiration, fiber breakdown and organ failures. The Pharmacy has screened 30 Chinese traditional medicines that have already been approved by the State authorities for clinical applications and have begun their trial applications in clinical SARS treatment in Guangzhou and Beijing. These traditional medicines have been tested in animal models bearing similar clinical pathological links. Within the short period of 17 days, the group has completed 118 rounds of internal and external experiments, prepared 5,000 pathological slices of organ specimens and conducted biological-indictor testing nearly 6,000 times. On the basis of statistic analysis, the group has preliminarily screened out eight Chinese traditional medicines thought able to alleviate clinical symptoms in different pathological links of SARS disease. The screening efforts have produced effective scientific data to support the applications of Chinese traditional medicines in SARS clinical treatment, as well as new scientific evidence for the optimal applications of traditional medicines. This article is from issue No.331. China Science & Technology China's Third Navigation Satellite Launched At 0:34, May 25, 2003 Beijing local time, China's Long-March IIIA carrier rocket successfully sent its third satellite of the Plough-I navigation and positioning system into space from the Xichang Satellite Launching Center. The previous two Plough-I navigation and positioning satellites that were launched on October 31st and December 21st,, 2000 respectively have been working smoothly in space with their navigation functions. They have produced remarkable economic benefits. The satellite launched this time is a back-up for the previously launched two and constitutes, together with them, a complete satellite navigation and positioning system able to provide all-weather and round-the-clock satellite navigation services. The satellite navigation system, made up of a number of navigation and positioning satellites, serves like a space radio navigation station by combining the advantages of both traditional astronomical and ground radio navigation and positioning functions. It is able to tell clients geographic longitudes, latitudes and the height above sea level at any time and any location. So far only a few countries in the world are capable of independently manufacturing such a satellite navigation system. The Plough series satellite navigation and positioning system, independently developed by China, not only has the above-mentioned capacity but also enjoys some innovations in its positioning performance. The system will provide effective and extensive navigation and positioning applications for the national economic construction, especially in the fields of transportation, meteorology, petroleum, marine affairs, forests fire prevention, disaster prediction, telecommunication, public security, and other special sectors. This article is from issue No.332. China Science & Technology Progress on Space Rice Breeding The project designated "Space-based Rice and Wheat Breeding, Technical Innovations and New Varieties Screening," undertaken by the Institute of Atomic Energy under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has achieved significant progress in preparing special new breeding materials. These include breeding new rice and wheat species possessing fine quality, high yield and disease resistance. By taking advantage of the combination of space mutation technology and modern breeding techniques, the project has worked out, studied, and approved 3 purified rice and wheat species and hybrid rice combination of fine quality and high yield. Of them, the new hybrid rice, Teyouhang I, is a combination of both high quality and super high yield. This represents a major breakthrough achieved in China¡¯s space rice breeding. By taking advantage of the new properties mutated through space breeding, Chinese scientists have recently obtained rich new seeds material of strong specificity including the rice varieties Hang I and Hang 81. They possess fine quality and advancing resistance. Rice Hanghui 63, Hanghui 7 and Hanghui 8 are of fine quality and large kernels, and the new wheat variety, Zaoyou 8581, is of fine quality and ripens extremely well. These new varieties have found extensive applications in both regular and hybrid rice breeding and the 16 new varieties and combinations derived from the applications have been applied in regional trial growing at the provincial level. In the area of space breeding key technical innovations, scientists have created the new space rice breeding approach centered on the multi-generation-based consecutive selecting and oriented screening technology, and combined with molecular marked assisted selection. The scientists have studied the mutation features of all the elements in space environment from different facets, such as particle biology, biology in the physical field, and gravity biology. They have created a new approach to the ground mutation process under simulated space environment. This is a firm step towards thorough exploration into the space mutation breeding mechanism and to establishing a new space breeding technical system. This article is from issue No.332. China Science & Technology Combined Treatment Yields Better Results Since the SARS viruses began to widely spread in the nation, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology has initiated a major clinical study for treating the SARS disease with combined traditional and western medicines. Through the concerted efforts of more than 400 medical researchers, the study has achieved good progress in the clinical treatment of SARS patients. As of June 6, 2003, the study had collected 1.5 million items of data on 562 SARS patients, about 2000 chest images and 500 digital tongue pictures. The study team also distributed more than 100 questionnaires among the doctors who were involved in the clinical treatment of SARS patients, soliciting their comments on the typical SARS symptoms and their treatment experience. In addition, the team analyzed and evaluated the data of 222 SARS cases. The research results have shown that treating SARS patients with combined traditional and western medicines apparently has more sustained and stable effects on reducing the fever and better results in alleviating the major clinical symptoms such as labored and short breath, dry cough, and fatigue. The combined method also functions well in improving the patients¡¯ oxygen deprivation symptoms and in maintaining the performance of their organs. When the method was applied in treating advanced cases, it was found that the approach might reduce the in-take volume of hormones and thus avoid side effects. At the same time, the study of the SARS symptoms for traditional medical diagnosis and dialectic treatment has also seen progress. While analyzing the clinical data, the study team collected and consolidated the clinical reports and experiences provided by the doctors who were treating SARS patients. From them the SARS symptoms have been summarized and analyzed for traditional medical diagnosis and dialectic treatment. Preliminary research results indicate that this disease falls into the category of lague?using traditional Chinese medical theory. The Beijing area is characterized with diagnostic symptoms of heavy fever and toxicity supported by amp and evil air? As a result, the corresponding clinical treatment will be applied with traditional drugs to expel fever, toxicity, dampness, and congestion and to aid in lung recovery. To cope with the fast changing toxicity of the SARS viruses, the dialectic clinical treatment will be applied in order to offset the variations seen in SARS patients at different phases of the disease. The conditional results of the study have fully demonstrated the advantages and uniqueness of the combined treatment approach as well as showing proven treatment effects. These will become a stimulus to further improve the treatment effects of the traditional Chinese medicine, to deepen the theoretical study of traditional Chinese medical science, and to enhance the capacity to fight against major epidemic disasters. This article is from issue No.333. China Science & Technology China Takes the Lead in Cloning Rice Function Genes A study team headed by Dr. Qian Qian of the Institute of Paddy Rice, a part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with other scientists, has identified and separated the gene MOC1 that controls rice tilling and manipulates the formation and normal growth of the stalk buds. By taking the extreme stalk gene mutations discovered in rice breeding as the base, the study has resulted in identifying and separating the gene MOC1 that controls rice stalks through genome positioning and cloning technology. Scientists explained that MOC1 is the result of the implicit gene mutation in single genes. MOC1 is a transcription factor, or a member of the genetic transcription factor family uniquely possessed by plant genes. As a major gene that controls functions, MOC1 works on a sophisticated and complicated signal transmission network through which it sends commands to control the formation and normal development and growth of the stalk buds. The finding made its debut in Nature Magazine published in Jun, 2003. This is China¡¯s first finding on plant and animal functional genes published in a world-renowned journal. This is also the first functional gene of a major crop¡¯s agricultural properties cloned by China having the proprietary right and application perspectives in the last two decades in the world. This demonstrates China¡¯s leading international position in the study of rice genes. Converting MT from Herbs Thanks to their 8-year painstaking scientific research and development efforts, the researchers of Harbin Chunyuan Biotechniques Development Co. Ltd. have created a biological feed with special qualities. The feed has been developed from natural traditional herbs grown in Heilongjiang Province. The final result is based on numerous scientific experiments. The prescribed applications of the new bio-feed has enabled cows and hens to produce, through their internal conversion system, a large quantity of metallic sulfur protein or MT, a rare protein variety in their milk and eggs. The process has recently passed the evaluation check. The experts of the evaluation panel believe that the natural fresh diary products and nutritional eggs rich in MT have reached the quality standards as defined by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture for fresh milk and egg products. As verified by research results for similar findings both at home and abroad, it is believed that the stated process is the first of its kind in the world. Experts also believe that the milk and eggs produced through this process will be able to provide MT that is needed by the human body but cannot be provided by regular eggs or milk. This promises fine social benefits and remarkable economic returns from the special bio-feed. In the meantime, these MT-rich milk and egg products could become raw medicinal material useful in developing new drugs. This article is from issue No.334. China Science & Technology A New Type of Robot-the SARS Fighter The Institute of Automation attached to the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently made the debut of its advanced proprietary intelligent robot, which is expected to fulfill partial missions of doctors in SARS wards. Unlike most of the domestic robots now available in the country, the new robot system is designed with multi-axis controlled server driven units for perception arithmetic, perception system and non-perception sensors. Named imu,?the key technical elements possessed by the robot all come from the proprietary technologies of the research team that are converted from the findings under the National 863 Program. Thanks to the new structure and integrated design, the robot enjoys a greatly reduced weight and power consumption. This has effectively raised its performance level and payload to a maximum 30 kilos for goods transportation. With a height of a half-meter and the consecutive working duration of 3 hours at full charge, the robot has a very flexible body and two deft ands.?It is able to perform a fast walk at a speed of two meters per second. Possessing a video camera and a wireless image transmitting system, its head can send images showing the robot ¡¯s working environment to the operators for their monitoring. The remotely controlled robot will be primarily used to carry goods in various dangerous environments, handle wastes in contaminated environments, or serve as security guards during the night for reporting abnormalities to monitoring offices. This article is from issue No.335. China Science & Technology Super Computer for Oil Prospecting Dongfang Geophysical Prospecting Co. Ltd., a part of the China Petroleum Group, has recently inked a formal agreement with the Shuguang Corporation. According to the agreement, Dongfang will acquire the Dawning 4000L supercomputer manufactured by Shuguang and will use it in oil prospecting activities. The Dawning 4000L, able to present an amazing computation speed of 4.2 trillion times per second, is currently the largest of its kind in the nation. It is reported that the supercomputer system acquired by Dongfang has 386 nodes and 772 CPUs, which have made it the largest and fastest computer in the nation. It has an extremely powerful processing capacity. The new system will be applied in processing the 3-D folding depth variations of seismological data. Nicknamed the il-prospecting pioneer,?Dongfang is the largest seismological data processing center in the country. It is also an international engineering center for oil-gas prospecting-related computer software. Before the acquisition, the processing center attached to the company possessed a computation capacity of 574.4 billion times/second. The application of the new Dawning computer system will upgrade the data processing capacity of the Center to an unprecedented new status. This article is from issue No.335. China Science & Technology Stubble-Based Rice Growing Thanks to their one-decade long concerted efforts, the researchers of the Yangzhou Municipal Institute of Agriculture and the Agriculture School of Yangzhou University have finally developed a process of growing rice among wheat stubble. This gives a package solution to the four major difficult problems in farming: stalk burning, soil erosion, land fertility degradation, and the slow increase of farmers¡¯ income. The process should produce fine economic returns, ecological benefits, and social benefits. The technique of growing rice among wheat stubble is a process in which the processed rice seeds are directly sown over the wheat field at the mid or late stage of wheat grouting. Through this method, rice seedlings can share a limited growth period with wheat. When it is to harvest the wheat, people will leave the wheat stubble at a height of 30cm. The remaining unwanted stalks are scattered or buried in the furrows. The wheat stubble and stalks will naturally decompose in the soil during the rice growth stage. This helps to realize the paddy rice growing system without ploughing, soil preparation, seedling culture, and transplanting. The new growing process has shown three different stages for rice growth: slow rice seedling growth in the early stage with yellow and thin appearance; explosive growth in the mid phase, that replaces the transplanted seedlings; and strong stalk and well developed rice in the late stage. This agrees with the typical growth patterns of high yield and super high yield rice. The process has numerous merits, such as full and even seedling growth, natural stalk decomposition in fields, weed suppression, efficient water and fertilizer applications, and pest and disease resistance. Governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Environmental Protection Agency, have listed the new growing process as a backup project under their respective initiatives, including the Harvest Program, the Torch Program and the priority environmental protection technology project for nationwide diffusion. This article is from issue No.335. China Science & Technology Nanometer Feed Additive The Institute of Feeds, a part of Zhejiang University, has recently announced that, thanks to its more than one decade long study, it has finally worked out a feed additive series at nanometer level that is safe, highly efficient, and is of high quality. The Institute has applied for two international invention patents, as well as 6 national invention patents. A few years ago, the Institute discovered four trace nutritional elements needed by both humans and pigs. These elements have no harmful effects. When being processed into nanometer grains, these nutritional elements demonstrate apparently enhanced physical properties in the form of a greatly increased number of atoms on the grain surface. This in turn remarkably increases their application efficiency. Researchers have made the four trace nutritional elements into an optimized combination together with a number of other nutritional elements and turned it into a new and fresh nanometer feed additive. In addition, the Institute has developed other additives that are able to replace antibiotics or absorb harmful and poisonous residues in animal products. As a result, the Institute has created its own unique animal nutriology. The testing results have shown that pork fed with the nanometer feed additives only recorded 60% of the top limit for heavy metal content as required by the EU. Thus, the additives have been approved for applications in export-oriented pork production. This article is from issue No.336. China Science & Technology China's Substantive Progress on Superconductor Cable The 3-phase AC high temperature superconductor cable project, listed under the National 863 Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology and supported by the Major S&T Projects Program of the Beijing Municipal Government, has recently applauded its major achievement: a superconductor cable system 4 meters in length and having a current carrier capacity of 2000A completed, installed, and verified at Beijing Yundian Yingna Superconductor Cable Co. Ltd. This system is the first of its kind in the nation that has been put into successful operation in a complete and closed form. It indicates that Chinese researchers have found solutions to all the key technical difficulties in applying the superconductor cable to practical use. It is predicted that by the end of this year, a set of superconductor cables as long as 30 meters will be installed in the power grid. This will make it the third superconductor power cable in operation in the world following the US and Denmark. This article is from issue No.336. China Science & Technology China's First Full-Color Organic Illumination Display Recently, the Beijing Weixinnuo Corp. and Tsinghua University jointly developed the full-color organic illuminating display, the first of its kind in the nation. With the specifications of 1.28 inches, 260,000 color pigments, and a resolution of 64??4, the display, during its research and development period, solved the problem of the RGB three-color steaming and plating technique and adopted the proprietary new OLED materials, which have further improved the color purity and illumination efficiency. The development has constituted a ground-zero breakthrough achieved by both Weixinnuo and Tsinghua, and has marked the parallel advancement of China¡¯s display industry with its overseas counterparts. This marks a new age for the proprietary development of color display. This article is from issue No.336. China Science & Technology High Accuracy Laser Inclinometer Prof. Chen Yongjin, of China Geology University has recently made the debut of his proprietary high accuracy laser inclinometer. Applied with ceramic pressure electric crystal as the driver for server control, the instrument is able to effectively suppress or eliminate the implications for the earth inclination noise on large-scale sophisticated measuring instruments and improve the accuracy of the measuring results. With a volume of only one cubic meter and a weight about 80 kilos, the instrument is able to perform real time monitoring of the earth inclination. It is extensively applicable for the accurate measurement in the fields of geophysics, earth studies and astronomy. The improved inclinometer is able to suppress or eliminate the implications for the earth inclination noise on land based sophisticated measuring instruments so that it can perform accurate solid geophysical measurement and the real time monitoring of deformed base rocks of the large-scale hydraulic power stations and other major natural disasters such as mountain slides. This article is from issue No.338. China Science & Technology China's Great Interest in Transgenic Plants Upon the approval of the Chinese State Council, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance jointly initiated the special national project on genetically modified plants study and associated industrial process in 1999. Up to date, the special project has financed altogether 116 topic based studies, through which came out 26 proprietary genes (including 7 destination genes), 18 genetically modified crop species and 36 new variety series. These genetically modified crops have grown over an area of 28 million mu(1mu=0.0667ha.) and have created direct economic returns of RMB 2 billion and more for farmers. In the meantime, these projects have resulted in 201 domestic invention patent applications and 9 foreign patent applications. In addition 1,024 papers were published, of which 264 were collected by SCI. The implementation of the special project has greatly raised the S&T level of China¡¯s genetic modification and has made it the 4th largest country in the world for growing genetically modified crops. This article is from issue No.339. China Science & Technology China's First Fuel-Battery Car On August 7, 2003, Leap I, China¡¯s first fuel-battery sedan car made its debut on the campus of Shanghai Tongji University. Applied with China¡¯s proprietary fuel-battery power system, Leap I is able to pick up the speed to 80 km per hour in a matter of few seconds. The testing driver told the reporter that the hybrid car ran smoothly with both of its wheeling and braking systems felt more flexible and easier than those of conventional cars. Leap I has a steering wheel and gauges like those of conventional cars whether in terms of shape or operation. However, its air conditioner, electric power assisted steering and braking systems are driven by electric power. A conventional car makes its air conditioner work with the power from the car engine. As a result, once the air conditioner is on, engine should be on also, which exhausts massive waste gas. The hybrid car is able to let the air conditioner on without the power assistance of car engine. It may therefore save an energy by 50% compared with conventional cars. The electric power assisted steering and braking systems in the hybrid car are also energy efficient. When applied with the new system, the conventional car may achieve an energy efficiency of 0.5-0.7 liter per km. Leap I is designed with a maximum speed of 110 km per hour for the consecutive operation over 210 km. This article is from issue No.340. China Science & Technology Major Breakthrough in Artificial Diamonds The research team headed by Prof. Chen Qianwang, with the University of Science and Technology of China has achieved a major breakthrough in artificial diamonds. The team has successfully synthesized a large diamond of 250 microns with carbon dioxide as the carbon source under a temperature of 440 ℃ , realizing for the first time in the world the adverse conversion from carbon dioxide to diamonds. The result has caused a stir among the international academic communities and the natural diamond industries. On the basis of their continuous explorations and innovations, Prof. Chen and his colleagues believed that there are rich resources of carbon dioxide and carbonate on the earth. They took into account the fact that the atmosphere within the earth is reductive, and they made the conclusion that natural diamonds may possibly be originated from carbon dioxide. The team has developed a high-pressure ax for the experiment with nontoxic carbon dioxide as the raw material and sodium the reducer. Researchers have eventually reduced the carbon dioxide into diamonds through the 12-hour chemical reactions under a temperature of 440 ℃ and a barometric level of 800. So far the experiment has grown out a diamond of 1.2 mm, with the possibility of reaching the level of precious stones. It is briefed that the artificial diamond has the fine technical repeatability as scientists have achieved the same success on other carbon sources and reducers. The result has entered PCT process. This article is from issue No.340. China Science & Technology Major Progress on Digital TV The project of ¡¯digital TV ground broadcasting technology¡¯ chaired by Prof. Zhang Wenjun, of Shanghai Jiaotong University has recently claimed a major progress. On the basis of the analysis of the development trend of the digital TV technology both at home and abroad, the broadcasting business requirements and the associated industrialization model, researchers have defined the technical plan with ADTB-T as its core. In other words they are to realize the VBR through the technology of the mono carrier-wave and to receive ADTB-T in a high-speed and moving manner. Thanks to their 3-year concerted efforts, Chinese researchers have for the first time in the world worked out the solutions early this year to the technical difficulty that mono carrier-wave could not realize the simultaneous fixed and mobile receptions under the digital TV ground broadcasting system. As of the end of July, 2003, Chinese researchers had, through repeated testing of the increasingly improved ADTB-T system, achieved a successful rate of reception and transmission both better than those of the European DVB-T system. This article is from issue No.341. China Science & Technology Two World Advanced Aluminum Results Henan Branch of China Aluminum Industries has recently witnessed the smooth verification approval of its 12 S&T results, of which ¡¯the new automatic control technique for raw material feeding¡¯ and ¡¯the automatic control system for alumina gas suspension furnace¡¯ have reached the internationally advanced level. It is briefed that the successful development of the new automatic control system for raw material feeding has changed the existing technique for raw material preparation in alumina production and has filled up a blank in automated alumina production. The new technique has not only raised the efficiency of the miller but also reduced the labor intensity of workers, with a simplified work process for an improved ¡¯passed¡¯ rate of raw material by 90% or above. The new approach has created an annual earning of RMB 3.01 million. The application of the automatic control system for alumina gas suspension furnace has increased the S&T contents in the furnace automatic control and production management system with a directly annual accrued economic benefit reaching RMB 10 million or above. This article is from issue No.341. China Science & Technology Optic Chip Detecting for Breast Cancer The Microcirculation Institute of China Xiehe Medical University, a part of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, has applied the optic protein chip to test the TP in breast cancer cells and achieved results similar to those produced by a testing method that is in use overseas. Chinese researchers have also worked out a preparation process for producing the anti-CA15-3 optic protein chip, a major lab-testing indicator. In the course of applying China's proprietary optic protein chip to test the TP in breast cancer cells and exploring anti-TP multi-cloned antibody based optic protein chip testing method, the Institute tested 20 breast vessel cancer cases and produced a result consistent with results produced by ELISA, an advanced immunity testing approach widely applied abroad. Compared with the ELISA process, China's optic chip has proved simpler and more reliable with easier readout and lower cost. This is very promising for broad clinic applications. CA15-3 is an important serum protein indicator needed by breast cancer lab testing and post-operation tracking. Researchers employed the selected anti - CA15-3 monoclonal antibodies to make optic protein chips and applied them in testing the blood samples of 35 breast cancer patients. The test results have been compared with those produced by the chemical CA15-3 testing process, which is undergoing current clinic applications and is shown to be relevant. These findings prove that China's proprietary optic protein chips are appropriate for mass production, given the merits, such as easy and fast operation, low cost, unified standards, and fine communication. Researchers expressed that if optic protein chips can be made clinically applicable, together with associated testing equipment, great advances will be seen in improving clinic diagnosing and in treating common diseases, post-operation tracking, and reduced medical expenses. This article is from issue No.342. China Science & Technology Major Discoveries in 'Super Rice? II Youhang 1 and II You 247, two super rice varieties developed by the Fujian Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences have recently passed verification checks. The new rice varieties have recorded a yield of 1,162.01 kg and 1,183.81 kg per mu (1mu=0.0667ha), respectively. II Youhang 1 features large ears and rich grains in addition to its strong resistance to lodging, diseases, pests, and frost. The new variety has recorded a yield 20% higher than that of Shanyou 63. II You 247 is a hybrid offspring derived from space breeding materials with numerous merits, such as strong resistance to diseases, high yield, fine grain quality, and wide adaptability. The Fujian Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences started the space-based rice-breeding program in 1996, and over the years has collected a group of fine rice species possessing unique properties. This article is from issue No.342. China Science & Technology China¡¯s First Bio-information Computer Recently, the Shuguang Corp. and the Huada Genetic Research Center jointly unveiled China¡¯s first computer for bio-information applications. By applying advanced speed for data processing and integrated software and hardware design, the new computer will become a powerful tool for bio-informatics study with application possibilities for genetic sequence search and medicinal R&D in the fields of biology, pharmacy, and agriculture. Built using the hardware of Shuguang 4000L model high performance computer with a powerful data processing capacity, the computer has integrated the special database and application software needed for bio-informatics study and made a complete solution available for genomic and bio-informatics studies. The new system is able to efficiently complete the entire process of data transmission, storage, management, interpretation, analyzing, integration, and publishing. The data accumulated by the Huada Genetic Research Center on human genomes, rice genomes, and SARS virus genes has been incorporated into the computer¡¯s database. This makes it a precious asset for the researchers in the field. This article is from issue No.343. China Science & Technology China¡¯s High Accuracy CT Not long ago, the Institute of Applied Electronics, attached to the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, successfully created China's first high accuracy CT machine for industrial applications. The new equipment is able to detect internal surface defects as tiny as 0.002 mm3 and internal line defects at 10 microns. It recorded a resolution 10 times higher than that of similar instruments in the overseas market. It is reported that with only 1/3 of the cost of the lower performance CT machines manufactured abroad, the Chinese-made high performance CT machine may find extensive applications in aircraft, space vehicle, automobile, ship, and oil pipeline manufacturing in both civilian and defense sectors. It is worth noting that its scanning function can be used to design new products or upgrade old products. This article is from issue No.343. China Science & Technology Schistosome Gene Sequencing The southern branch of National Human Genome Research Center has for the first time in the world conducted large scale genetic expression examination of Japanese schistosome at different development stages and successfully obtained 43,707 expressive genetic sections which represent 13,000 genes, or 65%-87% of the total genes of Japanese schistosome. The sequencing has resulted in the world largest public database for schistosome expressive sequence, which provides important resources for schistosome and other associated studies, and has rendered an important contribution to understanding the relationship between hosts and parasites and widening the study scope of molecular parasitology and molecular evolution. The development has in the meanwhile laid an important foundation for schistosome diagnosis and the development of vaccines and associated new drugs. On September 16, 2003 the internationally authoritative journal Nature Genetics published on its website the full text of the paper named Japanese schistosome¡¯s cDNA Evolution and Biomedical Analysis authored by Chinese scientists, the first of its kind published by the journal. The finding will make China¡¯s 821,000 schistosome patients and a population of 65 million under the threatening of such diseases the direct beneficiaries. This article is from issue No.344. China Science & Technology Nanometer atalyze Solar Energy Prof. Zou Zhigang, Director of Environmental Materials and Renewable Energy Research Center, Nanjing University has, in collaboration with Japan Institute of Integrated Industrial Technologies, applied the knowledge gained from studying superconducting oxide materials in photo-catalyzing, and worked out for the first time in the world the photo-catalyzing agent with visible response for full water decomposition. While working on new environmental materials and energy at Nanjing University, Prod, Zou and others realized for the first time in the world water decomposition based hydrogen making through photo-catalyzing process. Prof. Zou demonstrated his experiment as follows: resting two bounded glass panel in deep color under a desk lamp of 60 w, turning on the lamp, and connecting the electric wire at the end of the glass panel to a simple fan. It takes less than one second for the fan to get rotated. When turning off the lamp, the fan would cease to move. The magic is played by the nanometer photo-catalyzing material coated on the glass panel. Through the go-between of nanometer photo-catalyzing material, it is not only possible to converse the solar energy into a chemical energy, namely hydrogen, but also possible to make the solar energy into the electric energy to be the substitute for hydraulic and thermal power. In the meanwhile, the process is able to decompose toxicant matters and purify the environment. The inventor has filed the patent applications for the finding in both China and Japan. It is reported that the technology is expected to become extensively applied in many fields by 2030 and is of very broad application perspectives. This article is from issue No.345. China Science & Technology New Member for Chip Family Following its predecessors such as Fangzhou, Xingguang and Longxin, Wantong I, China¡¯s another proprietary chip made its recent debut in Zhongguancun, Beijing. It is reported that the LAN based chip developed by Beijing Liuhe Wantong Microelectronics Co. Ltd. is of broad perspectives for public, industrial, governmental, household and individual applications. The new chip had been tested by Aglient, an internationally renowned chip testing equipment manufacturer at the end of August 2003 and late approved by the verification check organized by the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry. At present, the firm is working with interested manufacturers for working out a more comprehensive solution for the new chip¡¯s commercial production in the year. This article is from issue No.345. China Science & Technology China¡¯s First Manned Space Flight A Complete Success China¡¯s Shenzhou V manned spacecraft was launched at 9 a.m., October 15, 2003 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The spacecraft made 14 rounds of flight surrounding the earth as scheduled and returned to the earth at 6:23 early morning of October 16, 2003. Shenzhou V spacecraft has successfully realized China¡¯s first manned space flight, demonstrating China¡¯s internationally leading position in numerous key technologies applied to the spacecraft and launching rocket. It is reported that the thermal insulation material for the external wall of the return cabin makes one of the key technologies have to be well addressed for Shenzhou V spacecraft. To make a comfortable and safe internal environment available for the astronaut, researchers have eventually chosen a low density thermal insulation material through repeated experiments as the external cover of the return cabin. The application of the material has made the internal temperature of the return cabin remain around 20C when the external part being in an environment between -100C and 3,000C. With a design of three compartments plus an additional section, the Shenzhou V spacecraft is capable for the transportation between the earth and space. After the successful return of the astronaut cabin, the orbiter of the Shenzhou V spacecraft was left in the space to work on its own like a satellite, which has greatly prolonged the life of the spacecraft for space applications and scientific experiments. With a height of 2.2m, the return cabin of the Shenzhou V spacecraft looks like a room of 6 m2, the largest of its kind in the world. To ensure the safe return of the 3-ton cabin, researchers have designed a landing parachute of an area of 1,200 m2, also the largest of its kind in the world, which effectively slowed down the landing speed by 20 and more times in ten and more minutes. This article is from issue No.346. China Science & Technology Shenzhou VI¡¯s mainframe ready It is disclosed by the authorities concerned that Shenzhou VI, China¡¯s second manned spacecraft has seen the completed construction of its major components and will soon enter the phases for assembling, readjustment and testing. The new spacecraft is expected to be launched within a period of one or two years.Shenzhou VI bears basic technical similarities with its predecessor Shenzhou V. What makes it different from Shenzhou V is it will take two to three astronauts into space with more payloads for experiments and a longer flight schedule. Shenzhou VI will basically keep the same size, weight and equipment that its predecessor had. As Shenzhou V has already been designed with the capacity for three astronauts and 7-day long flight, Shenzhou VI will only see an increasing number of astronauts and days of flight. China¡¯s manned spacecraft program is phased to complete in 20 years. Phase I is supposed to see the breakthroughs in manned spacecraft technologies. Shenzhou V and VI are literally in this phase. Phase II will work on the space lab project, establishing the space lab to be taken care of by man on a short term basis and able to run automatically on its own for a long period of time, realizing the connection between spacecrafts or target flying vehicles, and enabling the astronaut to walk outside the space lab. Phase III will see the establishment of a permanent space station able to last for 5-15 years or longer period of time. This article is from issue No.346. China Science & Technology Treating Nerve Diseases with Traditional Means Prof. Wu Ziming, Dr. Wang Wei and Dr. Jia Shaowei, with Shenzhen Hospital under Peking University have achieved the effective treatment of drug addicted brain diseases and Parkinson¡¯s diseases with traditional medicines. Experts believed that the development has made a major breakthrough in treating major nerve system diseases with Chinese traditional medicine. With the help of vision technology and internationally advanced neurocyte imaging technique, researchers clearly captured the evidences of damaged brain cells and improved their knowledge of the brain nerve damaging process by drugs under the computer based monophoton sectional scanning. On the said basis, researchers adopted tailored treatment measures and achieved remarkable results. It is reported that 83.8% of the patients under the therapy have achieved the half-year stability which is statistically meaningful and greatly higher than the level so far achieved both at home and abroad. This article is from issue No.347. China Science & Technology China-Brazil Resources Satellite Launched At 11:16 a.m. Beijing time. October 21, 2003, both the second Resources I satellite jointly developed by China and Brazil and Innovation I, a mini satellite were sent by CZ-4B carrier rocket into the prescribed orbits at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. It is reported that Resources I satellite was contracted to China satellite launch and control system for its launch and control. As shown by the data transmitted from the Xi'an Satellite Control Center, the second Resources I satellite went smoothly into the sunsynchronous orbit 13 minutes after its launch and Innovation I was separated from the rocket and into the prescribed orbit 40 seconds after. The second Resources I satellite will be used to monitor national land resources, measuring the area of arable land, and estimating forest volume, crop growth and yields, and pasture volume and yearly changes. The new satellite also has the missions to monitor natural and man-made disasters, quick checking the damages caused by floods, earthquakes, winds and sands. In the meanwhile, the satellite will provide dynamic information on the economic development of coastal areas, offshore economic utilization, aquatic breeding and environmental pollution. It is also designed with the of investigating the underground resources, mapping the reserves of gold, oil, coal and building materials, and monitoring the rational utilization of resources. Innovation I, another onboard payload for the same launch developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences is a mini satellite under 100 kg. The baby satellite is made of a number of sub-systems such as telecommunication transponders, satellite based computer, attitude control, energy, thermal control and structures. The mini satellite can play an important role in data transmission for traffic monitoring, environmental protection, oil and gas transmission, flood and drought prevention, forest fire and earthquake monitoring. This article is from issue No.348. China Science & Technology Silk Artificial Skin Under the concerted efforts of the researchers of Suzhou University and Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai No. 2 Medical University, the silk protein based artificial skin called a success and passed its verification check recently. Being a project under the national 863 program, the silk protein based artificial skin is made of natural silkworm protein, possessing fine biological compatibility and desirable for deep burn treatment. The proprietary result has got protected under a number of national invention patents. This article is from issue No.348. China Science & Technology Active Full Color Organic Display Under the support of the national 863 program, Chinese researchers made the debut of the country's first active full color AM-OLED able to show real-time dynamic data on October 23, 2003. With an effective displaying area of 2.1 inches, 160??28pixels and DVI interface, the display is the result of concerted efforts of Nankai University and Hong Kong S&T University for the P-Si TFT base board, Huazhong S&T University for full digital control and circuit driven technology, and Tsinghua University and Beijing Weixinnuo for the manufacturing and installation of OLED. Thanks to their combined efforts, researchers found the solution by adding filter film over white light on TFT board and eventually achieved the success at Tsinghua University. The active TFT driving technology is an important technical base for making large sized OLED display. The result has marked a new milestone in China's OLED technology development. This article is from issue No.349. China Science & Technology