China’s S&T Papers Keep World Rank
According to the Statistics Report on China’s S&T Papers for 2003, published by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China on December 7, 2004, 3 major international search engines, including SCI, EI and ISTP, have totally collected 93,352 papers authored by the scientists from the People’s Republic of China, or 15,957 more compared with 2002, securing a 20.6% growth. The average world growth for the same indicator is 27.3%. China’s S&T papers takes a 5.1% share of the world total of 1,834,994, or 0.3% less compared with 2002, though even with 2002, in terms of international papers. As a result, China remains in fifth place, following the US, Japan, the UK, and Germany.
Statistics show that SCI, a system mainly reflecting basic research activities, has collected 49,788 Chinese papers, or 9,030 more than 2002, with a growth of 22.2%. Consequently, China’s share in the SCI collection went up from 4.18% in 2002 to the current 4.48%. China has maintained its 6th place, in terms of quantity, after the US, the UK, Japan, Germany and France.
The EI, a major search engine for engineering activities, collects 24,997 Chinese papers, making China in third place, only after the US and Japan. Chinese papers’ share in the EI’s total collection dropped a bit to 8.2%, though the quantity saw an increase, compared with 2002.
The ISTP, a major conference proceedings collector, registered 18,567 Chinese papers presented by Chinese scientists at 1,261 international conferences, of which 1,127 were held in 62 other countries or regions. The number makes China’s share in the world total come to 4.5%, or 5,154 more than the 13,413 collected in 2002. China’s ISTP collection also sits in 6th place, following the US, Japan, Germany, the UK and France.
The statistics report shows that the influence of China’s S&T papers is somewhat ascending. The international quotation of Chinese papers in the SCI collection rose from 24,154 in 2002 to the current 31,168 in 2003, and the quoting frequency also went up from 51,766 times to 72,131 times, with a respective growth of 29% and 39.3%.
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INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION |
Major Progress for Rooster Genome
The Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on December 9, 2004 that, the international chicken genome project has achieved major progresses. The Chinese scientists, using the socalled “shotgun method”, an economic, fast and highly efficient sequence approach, have not only mapped out the first draft of Red Jungle Fowl’s genome, but have also worked out the a map of genetic variation for three different strains of domestic chickens: a Silkie strain. a broiler strain, and a layer strain. The findings was reported in the journal of Nature published on December 8, 2004.
According to a briefing, the chicken is the first bird, as well as the first agricultural animal, to have its genome sequenced and analyzed. In the sequencing of the Red Jungle Fowl’s genome, Chinese scientists are assigned with one fourth of the workload. In the later sequencing of domestic chickens, Chinese scientists embraced all the workload. Based on the preliminary analysis of the first draft of the chicken genome, scientists found that about 60 percent of chicken genes correspond to a similar human gene. Both chickens and humans were evolved from the same ancestor approximately 310 million years ago. Chickens’ evolution rate is close to the sub-species of rats, a species reputed for its fastest evolution, or 6 to 7 times that of the human, or 3 times that of the gorilla. The findings are of basic research importance to preventing major epidemic diseases such as avian flu.
China-Sweden S&T Cooperation
On December 10, 2004, China and Sweden jointly inked an agreement on the cooperation in the field of science and technology between the two nations. At the signing ceremony, both XU Guanhua, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology and his counterpart Leif Pagrotsky, Swedish Minister for Education and Culture, underwrote the agreement. China and Sweden can be supplementary to each other in many areas, said XU at a press conference held for the event. He added that China has a large market and a cost competitive labor force, including intelligent labors, while Sweden has strong capital backup and rich marketing and management experience. These strengths create bright perspectives for the cooperation between the two nations. The newly signed S&T cooperation agreement is a helpful tool for Swedish companies to establish their research and development institutes and develop their business in China.
Mr. Pagrotsky expressed that he, as the newly appointed Minister for Education and Culture, will further deepen the cooperation with China, rather than staying only at the agreement signed on the day. The most worthy merits of the agreement is encouraging S&T personnel of both nations to be part of the S&T projects initiated by the EU, so as to be assisted with the EU’s financial and human resources. He says that both sides will visit each other on a regular basis, and urges more young Swedish to learn and study science and technology in China, rather than only seeing Chinese students doing research in Sweden.
China-Thailand Made New AIDS Drug
An anti-AIDS compound drug, jointly developed by the Kunming Institute of Botany, a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and its Thailand counterparts, has recently been approved by the Thailand Ministry of Health for registration, and granted with a long term import permit at the same time. The new drug, with the Chinese side as the proprietary developer, has confirmed a clinical trial validity of 89% in 120 AIDS patients in the Thailand.
The new drug has also achieved substantial progresses in commercialization, including negotiations with the Thailand Ministry of Health, designating agents in the Thailand, and entering import cooperation agreements with the US and Nigeria. The Chinese side has so far completed the production and packaging of 300-kg raw medicinal materials for export to the Thailand. The project is partially financed by the dedicated fund from the National 863 Program, initiated by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. The new drug is mandated to prepare samples for long term toxicity test, in an attempt to create a ground for further clinical trails in China. The Kunming Academy of Medical Sciences is contracted to the test.
China’s Breakthroughs in Silkworm Genome
On December 10, 2004, XIANG Zhonghuai, the chair of China Domesticated Silkworm Genome Project, announced that Chinese scientists, after the completion of the framework charts for the domesticated silkworm genome in November 2003, have made major progresses and obtained 18,510 genes through analyzing their DNA. The findings were published in the December 10th issue of journal of Science.
Based on the analysis of the domesticated silkworm’s genome and genetic expressions, scientists uncovered 1874 special silk gland genes possessed by the worm, with 97% of them are new findings. They also found the evidence showing hormone activities in silk glands. A comparison with the genome of spiders, the producers of the socalled biosteel, shows that the domesticated silkworm has 107 genes shared by spiders.
The analysis of domestic silkworms’ genome sequence also reveals 87 neuropeptide hormones, hormone receptors, and hormone regulating genes. Scientists identified 18 receptors sensitive to EH and their transcription factors. The study of domesticated silkworm genome resulted in the discovery of 83 growth regulating genes. Scientists also worked out 18 homologous sequences of wing forming genes shared by other lepidopteran insects.
Chinese scientists, through the analysis of domesticated silkworm genome, obtained the major gender regulating genes from the worm’s gender control network, which creates a ground for further understanding of its gender determining mechanism and future artificial gender control efforts.
These important genetic function findings have laid a solid molecular foundation for further understanding of the worm’s bioprocesses of silk protein synthesizing, growth and development regulating, immunity and resistance, and gender determining. The findings will also bring out a line of high level theoretical research results and important industrial high technology, and may trigger a revolutionary change in silkworm breeding and silk making industry.
China Developed SARS Vaccine
The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and the State Food and Drug Administration jointly announced on December 5, 2004 that the phase-I human test of a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), independently developed by Chinese scientists, preliminarily proved safe and effective. The event makes China the first nation in the world completing the phase-I clinical test of SARS vaccines.
As the world’s first clinical test of inactivated SARS vaccines, the trials are made in an attempt to find out the safety and validity of the vaccine. According to a briefing, Chinese researchers have mastered the key technologies needed to produce the vaccine. They also developed vaccine manufacturing techniques and quality control processes, and completed a pilot study of vaccine production. China has now possessed the technical capacity for a limited SARS vaccine production.
The phase-I clinical test was made on 36 healthy volunteers, aged between 21-40, with a balanced gender distribution. A group of volunteers received a 16-unit dosage of inactivated SARS vaccine, while the other received a 32-unit dosage. Researchers also set up a control group made up of 12 people.
May 22, 2004 came the first four volunteers who received their first injection of vaccine. September 29 marked an end to the 56-day observation session. During the trials, researchers collected 252 blood specimens in 7rounds. Blood specimens were tested for antibodies on November 21, and the quantitative measuring was completed on November 30. The testing results published in the morning of December 5 show that, of the 252 blood specimens collected, 63 specimens marked positive, indicating SARS antibodies were produced in all the vaccinated 42 days after the injection. The lab tests confirmed the antibodies of neutralizing and protecting functionality.
China’s First Robot Fish
China’s first bionic robot fish, jointly developed by the Institute of Robots under the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Institute of Automation, a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made its debut on December 5, 2004. The robot fish, with glass fiber reinforced plastic and fiber boards as its ‘flesh and bones”, has three major “innards”: a power propelling system, an image collection and wireless image signal transmitting system, and a computer based control platform. The bionic fish has registered a maximum submarine speed of 1.5m/second, able to work underwater for 2 to 3 consecutive hours.
At the demonstration site, a technician sent out different commands using a palm sized controller and a computer to manipulate the robot fish that has a length of 1.23m, resembling very much like a real fish by external look. Only a noticeable GPS antenna on the fish head betrays its robot identity.
The robot fish was tested by scientists in August to map the wreckages of ancient warships at the bottom of sea waters in Dongshan County, Fujian Province. The robot fish made a video shooting over an water area of 4,000 cubic meters, and sent the pictures it captured back to the surface controllers on a real time basis. In the two-day testing session, the robot fish worked 6 hours on a combined basis.
DNA Testing Localization
Thanks to more than two-year painstaking efforts, No. 2 Institute under the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has successfully rolled out a DNA testing kit, becoming a full-functional replacement of its imported counterparts. The development marks a critical step made by China in the localization of DNA testing kits for forensic medicine. Compared with imported similar products, the Chinese made DNA testing kit not only offers the same DNA identification capability, but also claims a testing cost much lower than its counterparts.
The testing kit is the result of a technical study launched in 2001 to enhance Chinese public security authorities’ capability of cracking down criminal activities. Researchers, through repeated experiments, have worked out on their own the required gene combinations, genetic sequence, and gene comparison control system. Based on the extensive investigations of Chinese population’s gene frequency, they also developed the gene testing methods more suitable for Chinese.
While developing DNA testing kits that can replace the imports, researchers also rolled out a line of DNA testing kits for criminal case applications. They are now working on the industrialized production of the testing kits, in an attempt to change the long time dependence on imported testing kits, and pave a way for the eventual establishment of a nationwide DNA database.
China’s AIDS Vaccine into Clinical Trial
On November 25, 2004, the Chinese made AIDS vaccine was granted by the State Food and Drug Administration to enter the phase-I clinical trials. The phase-I trial, aiming at the evaluation of vaccine’s safety, will produce the results to be reviewed by the State Food and Drug Administration for phase II and III clinical trials.
Chinese researchers began to study AIDS virus strains and their membrane and core proteins in 1996. The 8-year study indicates that the two-step vaccination, namely DNA vaccine plus mediated virus vaccine, can produce an immunity to AIDS in human body, without being infected after the vaccination. Researchers injected the vaccine into monkey’s body, and then launched an attack using AIDS viruses. No abnormal response was observed.
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