Sci-Edu NewsUPDATED: 10:46, July 24, 2007 |
The Tibetan and Xinjiang glaciers - the major source of Asia's biggest rivers - have melted by up to an alarming 17 percent at certain spots in the past four decades. An international team of investigators has identified the first human antibodies that can neutralize different strains of the virus responsible for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). An overexpressed gene found at the scene of a variety of tumors is implicated in the development of two types of malignant brain cancer, according to a paper by U.S. researchers to be published in the July 3 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Mushrooms could be used as "biofactories" for the production of various medicines beneficial to humans, a new study has shown. Meteorologists are developing enhanced storm-prediction technology to help minimize damage caused by lightning strikes. The Ministry of Education will spend 50 billion yuan ($6.5 billion) this year to help students from poor families. Statistics from the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) show that in 2006, the number of internet banking clients in China reached 74.95 million; the total transaction amount of internet banking was valued at 95 trillion Yuan, up 80.79 percent more than last year. The amount of internet banking trades has reached 115 billion, up 161 percent more than last year. Because of the failure of Apple's in-home activation strategy, many iPhone owners have to stop using the new phone they have waited for a long time, according to media reports Monday. The first detailed images from space of mysterious clouds brightening and moving slowly outward from Earth's polar regions have been recorded by a new NASA satellite. More than a week after landing, U.S. space shuttle Atlantis began its trip from California back to Florida, NASA reported on Sunday. China's civilian helicopter, the H425, developed through independent domestic research, has already passed security checks from the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, and has been certified for use. The ceremony for the Fengyun-2D's (FY-2D) delivery into orbit was held by the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) on June 27th. The satellite was officially delivered to department for use, from the production and testing departments. A Malaysian secondary school principal took a helicopter and flew off into her life of retirement, a local daily reported on Saturday. iRobot adds Tasers, electric stun guns, to robots it already makes for the military and hopes to give soldiers and law enforcement a defensive, non-lethal tool, which trigger off the dispute that the armed robot would become killing machine, media reported Friday. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), set up under the Kyoto Protocol, is dedicated to the reduction of emissions and energy-saving projects, and promotes the transfer of advanced technologies as well as sustainable development, to developing countries. Kalle Ljungkvist is 187 centimeters tall now and a university student who studies physics at Uppsala University in Sweden. His parents found that something was wrong when he did not have the energy of other four-year-olds. Later he was diagnosed to produce too little growth hormone. At the age of five, Kalle began to take daily injections of growth hormone. At the age of 17, he stopped the medication. This is just one example how a patient who otherwise would not grow, became as tall as a normal person due to the growth hormone-Genotropin produced by Pfizer Strangnas, Sweden. Pfizer has 65 thousand similar patients around the world, about 30 or 40 percent of the total market of 180 thousand patients. This year Pfizer's miraculous drug Genotropin - the human growth hormone - celebrates its 20 years anniversary of production. Scientists studying female Galapagos marine iguana behavior say they are sometimes too picky while searching for the right guy "to die for." Because sometimes they do. The BBC launched iPlayer, a new TV service that allows viewers to download programs on demand Thursday, just two months after the service received the green light from the BBC Trust. Microsoft released a beta of two new web-based applications for storing and sharing photos and files -- Live Photo Gallery and Live Photo Folder. The U.S. national symbol, bald eagle, once belonged to the Endangered Species List, has not only survived but is thriving, according to media reports. The widespread public survey, commemorating the restoration of college entrance examinations over thirty years, co-sponsored by the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education, published its research results through the China Youth Daily and ATA, on June 27th. Research shows that the general public in China holds a positive attitude towards the college entrance examination system. The results show that 73.3 percent of the public believed that the existing college entrance examination system is generally fair. Both the teachers and the public hold a positive attitude toward the college entrance examination system: 17.8 percent of teachers and 17.6 percent of the general public think that the current system is "very good, should be maintained" and 77.5 percent of teachers and 77. 4 percent of the general public think that "it is flawed, but still the best way." Both two groups had very similar judgments. The first Malaysian astronaut is expected to take off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Oct. 10, Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said on Thursday. The Mars rover Opportunity, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will soon descend into a massive crater in hopes of learning more about the Red Planet's history, scientists said on Thursday. Housecats around the world can now trace their ancestry back to the Near Eastern wildcat, which today lives in the remote deserts of Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East. According to the "China Economic Weekly," Wan Gang, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, said recently that the scientific research of combustible ice will continue; however, it is still currently unknown when it will be ready for commercial use. In consideration of the special nature of combustible ice, China will be sure to proceed with caution, and will not begin immediate commercialization. In addition, it will prevent commercialization of the resource from damaging the environment. The U.S. chipmaker AMD says China will become its single-largest market in 18 months, as the company aims to further challenge Intel's dominance. U.S. government scientists suggest pumping carbon dioxide released by human activity into deep coal seams as a good way to displace methane in coal for industrial use or into oil wells to extract the last few drops of oil. Israeli scientists have invented a kind of miniature robot which can travel the blood stream and deliver drugs throughout the human body. Microsoft will introduce test versions of two new free services: Windows Live Folders and Windows Live Photo Gallery, media reported Wednesday. Dell Inc. announced nine new Inspiron desktops and notebooks and an XPS M1330 notebook, all available in a choice of eight shell colors, media reported Wednesday. |
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