China Science & Technology Forum

[cirr]

Synopsis: Quantum Photonics on a Chip

H. Jin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. (2014)
On-Chip Generation and Manipulation of Entangled Photons Based on Reconfigurable Lithium-Niobate Waveguide Circuits
H. Jin, F. M. Liu, P. Xu, J. L. Xia, M. L. Zhong, Y. Yuan, J. W. Zhou, Y. X. Gong, W. Wang, and S. N. Zhu

Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 103601 (2014)

Published September 4, 2014

Before quantum information technologies can become part of everyday life, quantum devices will need to become cheaper and more compact. The integration of quantum optical components into a solid-state chip would be a major step in that direction. Silicon-based chips, which can be integrated with existing CMOS electronics, would be a natural choice, but other materials may offer better performance. In particular, a larger optical nonlinearity would be needed to realize efficient sources of entangled photons—key components of any quantum system. As reported in Physical Review Letters, Ping Xu at Nanjing University, China, and co-workers have demonstrated a powerful alternative based on lithium niobate (LN)—a material sometimes heralded as the “silicon of photonics.”

The authors fabricated and tested a single LN chip containing elements for both the generation and the manipulation of entangled photons. Thanks to LN’s large nonlinearity, the chip features two efficient photon sources, generating a high flux of entangled photon pairs. On the same chip, these photons can be channeled and manipulated through components such as junctions and wavelength-selective filters, relying on LN’s mature waveguide technology. Further, the electro-optical properties of LN enable fast modulators that steer the photons along different channels and enable tests of the photons’ quantum coherence. Finally, periodic poling (the formation of LN layers with alternate orientation) allows the system to be tuned to resonate at a desired wavelength: the chip contains nine units working at nine different wavelengths, covering the most important bands of optical fiber communications. The researchers envision that LN could become the ideal platform for fully integrated quantum optics schemes. If so, the material could indeed become the “silicon of quantum photonics.” – Matteo Rini

 

[cirr]

China develope the world's highest power sodium guide star laser：

我国研制出世界最高功率钠导星激光器 -- 一版 -- 中国科技网（dated 13.09.2014）

The laser system is now composed of sodium lasers with an average power of 81W instead of the 20-25W quoted in the following article published back in 2012.


China Takes Leadership Role in TMT Laser Guide Star Facility

02.24.2012

Corinne Boyer, TMT Observatory Corporation

During the last twelve months, TMT collaborators in China have made significant progress on the design of the Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) for TMT. Carried out by Dr. Kai Wei and his team, the Institute of Optics and Electronics (IOE) in Chengdu (China) has taken the lead for the design of the beam transfer optics and laser launch telescope sub-system. They recently updated the conceptual design originally developed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) to adapt for changes in the telescope design and to include new requirements.

The updated conceptual design was successfully reviewed on June 22, 2011 in Beijing by a group of experts from other observatories including Maxime Boccas (Gemini), Jason Chin (Keck) and Scott Roberts (HIA).

Another very important activity, carried out by TMT colleagues in China at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC) in Beijing, is the design, development and test of a 20W prototype sodium laser for TMT. The team at TIPC led by Dr. Yong Bo has refurbished their bench prototype into a field prototype that was tested on-the-sky during the spring of 2011 at the 1.8m telescope in Yunnan in collaboration with IOE.

A review of the TIPC work was organized after the IOE review on June 23–24, 2011 in Beijing. The review committee was composed of a group of renowned laser experts from the US and other observatories including: Roger Falcone (ALS), Roger Barty (LLNL) and Jason Chin (Keck). The laser prototype was brought back from Yunnan for display and operation at the review requiring a non-stop 3000 kilometer five day road trip.

What is the Laser Guide Star Facility?

The LGSF is the system that generates and projects onto the sky the laser guide star (or artificial guide star) constellations needed by first light and future generations of Adaptive Optics (AO) systems (See the Project Manager’s Corner: Making Your Own Stars in the March 2011 issue of Segments). The TMT first light AO system will use a constellation of six laser guide stars, which in combination with multiple deformable mirrors will enable full diffraction-limited imaging in the near infrared over a large field of view.

The LGSF consists of three main systems: the laser system that generates the sodium laser beams, composed of six 20 to 25W sodium lasers; the beam transfer optics and laser launch telescope system, which transports the laser beams using mirrors and relay lenses and then projects the laser beams from a laser launch telescope located behind the TMT secondary mirror; and the laser safety system, which ensures the lasers are operated safely.

The Institute of Optics and Electronics has recently supported the development and operations of a laser guide star system for the GaoMeigu 1.8m telescope located in the province of Yunnan (China).

Work is continuing now at IOE and TIPC, with more design and prototyping efforts scheduled for the next 12 months. China is taking a leadership role in the design, and development of the TMT LGSF.

 

[TaiShang]

China tests stem-cell therapy for heart disease
Reporter: Grace Brown 丨 CCTV.com

Monday is World Heart Day. One of the most serious heart conditions is Chronic Heart Disease. It has no cure to date, but in China scientists are hoping to find one, using stem-cell technology.

Up to 10 new trial sites are being set up to test the use of stem-cell therapy in treating the disease.

Shen Ruijiang developed chronic heart disease five years ago. After surgery and a series of prescription drugs, dangerous side effects set in.

"The side effects are heavy. They can cause diabetes. I had to have a kidney transplant, so now I need to be more careful in treating my heart condition," Shen said.

While current treatments can slow his disease, they cannot cure it.
The government estimates chronic heart failure now affects 30 million Chinese people, more than the Australia’s entire population.

But stem cell therapy, a treatment now being tested at a Beijing hospital, could help.

A machine is used to sort the stem cells from the ordinary cells. Stem cells are very rare but very valuable, because they help regenerate organs. Stem-cell therapy works by re-programming patients’ own cells into new organ cells, such as heart cells. If it passes this latest trial, it will enter the Chinese market and potentially save millions of lives.

There is still a long way to go. A clinical trial on human patients would need regulatory approval. And once it hits the market, experts say it must be carefully controlled.

"Stem-cell therapy is very promising to deal with chronic heart disease. After one-two years, we want to get results. But in the world, we are trying to find any standard, any guideline. So I am afraid, if this new technique is over-used, or illegally used, it may injure patients," Prof. Zhou Yujie, vice-president of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, said.

As China’s stem cell therapy is still in its early stages, doctors are yet to fully understand its risks and its potential. But it could change prospects for millions of patients like Shen.

 

[Beidou2020]

There must be cures for
Heart
Kidney
Liver
Eyes
Eardrums

 

[Aepsilons]

China tests stem-cell therapy for heart disease
Reporter: Grace Brown 丨 CCTV.com

Monday is World Heart Day. One of the most serious heart conditions is Chronic Heart Disease. It has no cure to date, but in China scientists are hoping to find one, using stem-cell technology.

Up to 10 new trial sites are being set up to test the use of stem-cell therapy in treating the disease.

Shen Ruijiang developed chronic heart disease five years ago. After surgery and a series of prescription drugs, dangerous side effects set in.

"The side effects are heavy. They can cause diabetes. I had to have a kidney transplant, so now I need to be more careful in treating my heart condition," Shen said.

While current treatments can slow his disease, they cannot cure it.
The government estimates chronic heart failure now affects 30 million Chinese people, more than the Australia’s entire population.

But stem cell therapy, a treatment now being tested at a Beijing hospital, could help.

A machine is used to sort the stem cells from the ordinary cells. Stem cells are very rare but very valuable, because they help regenerate organs. Stem-cell therapy works by re-programming patients’ own cells into new organ cells, such as heart cells. If it passes this latest trial, it will enter the Chinese market and potentially save millions of lives.

There is still a long way to go. A clinical trial on human patients would need regulatory approval. And once it hits the market, experts say it must be carefully controlled.

"Stem-cell therapy is very promising to deal with chronic heart disease. After one-two years, we want to get results. But in the world, we are trying to find any standard, any guideline. So I am afraid, if this new technique is over-used, or illegally used, it may injure patients," Prof. Zhou Yujie, vice-president of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, said.

As China’s stem cell therapy is still in its early stages, doctors are yet to fully understand its risks and its potential. But it could change prospects for millions of patients like Shen.

Incredible! I wish success to their research in pluripotent stem cell research. This will be of benefit to all, no doubt.

 

[cirr]

Chinese Scientists Use New Liquid Phase 3D Metal Printing Method To Print Quickly and Reliably

BY BRIDGET BUTLER MILLSAPS · SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

The technology of 3D printing in metal has so far been thought of as rather arduous and limiting because it takes a long time, can only be performed using metal with high melting points, uses a lot of energy, and can be cost-prohibitive. Innovators and scientists have been hard-pressed to backtrack on this technology though, because of the potential they know lies in metal 3D printing in areas such as construction innovation, electronics, and breakthroughs in the medical industry. The current methods being applied are that of laser sintering, laser melting, and laser metal deposition.



So, how can we 3D print in metal, and how can we do it faster, better, and more affordably? Beijing engineers Lei Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Jing Liu (Tsinghua University) may have our answer, as they came to the obvious conclusion that if we want to reap the benefits of 3D printing with metal, we need to look beyond conventional methods. What if we could instead use metal for 3D printing that melts at a lower temperature? What if we could cool the product off faster—and we could 3D print everything in a more energy-efficient way which also offers the possibility of greater diversity in product?

Wang and Liu’s research paper, Liquid Phase 3D Printing for Quickly Manufacturing Conductive Metal Objects with Low Melting Point Alloy Ink (Wang, L. and Liu, J., Science China Technological Sciences, 2014, Volume 57) is a concise, clear view of how we can fix the current issues with liquid phase 3D printing, while offering greater affordability and more options. While they haven’t nailed it down to a completely streamlined, perfect process, major progress is obviously being made.

For liquid phase 3D printing, the engineers were searching for an alloy with melting points above room temperature and less than the traditional 300°C. These choices include gallium-, bismuth- and indium-based alloys, with which copper and silver particles can be mixed to make diverse and functional inks. While liquid phase 3D printing presented resolutions for all the current problems at the front end, the next challenge was in choosing a metal that did not result in the end-product melting.

The engineers settled on one particular alloy: Bi35In48.6Sn15.9Zn0.4, which is composed of bismuth, indium, tin and zinc. Then, they used an experimental device to work with issues regarding flow (they had to avoid solidification and blockage), temperature, air pressure, and cooling.




The liquid phase 3D printing uses syringes as their printing “nozzles,” which deposit droplets into the cooling fluid. Upon rapid cooling, the droplets solidify and fuse onto each other, over and over, until they complete the 3D structure being printed. This method works because the droplets melt so easily and then again retain their shape. Again though, with issues regarding melting and solidifying, manipulating the temperature of the alloy in the syringe was a consideration. Because the alloy they were using was just above room temperature, it was prone to settling back into shape and blocking up the syringes they were using to inject the liquid metal into the cooling fluid. The engineers were able to solve this problem by keeping the syringes at a constant temperature with a temperature controller.

With the proper temperature being controlled and air pressure being provided by a regulated nitrogen cylinder, the process works when the syringe is immersed in the liquid cooling fluid, which was water and ethanol for the purposes of this experiment—causing a dripping of metal droplets, rapidly and repetitively, which creates the desired 3D printed shape. Different shapes can be used, also, such as lines. The engineers point out that this method is much better than air cooling in that the buoyancy and ‘superior thermal qualities’ of the ethanol cooling fluid allow for rapid cooling—and rapid production.

Temperature, air pressure, and properties of the printer ink have to be controlled to produce the desired 3D printing effect. The engineers point out that this process would obviously require some refining, but they see it as a good start for enhancing current 3D printing in metal, with the suggestion that moving to adopt the combination between the ‘syringe pump array’ and the ‘syringe needle array’ as the best system–with the pump extracting fluid metal, and the needle injecting it for printing. Conveniently, the injection needles can be interchanged depending on the printing project.

Wang and Lie point out that in terms of using their new principle that all low melting point metals should be able to be used in this process in the right cooling conditions, different properties of ink can affect the actual printing itself, as well as speed. The study overall is obviously very positive for the future of 3D printing with metal, as the conclusion of the study points out that liquid phase 3D printing:

• Is faster and can develop a wider variety of 3D printed bodies, including some unique metal structures.
• Is a process that can be used with other materials—such as plastic—to create supports and conductive devices.
• Is more energy efficient and cost effective.

Have you been involved in any metal 3D printing projects? What do you think of this research? Share your thoughts with us at the Liquid Phase 3D Metal Printing forum at 3DPB.com.

 

[cirr]

China's 3D printing market to quadruple

The PrintrBot Simple 3D printer is one of a handful of sub-$500 consumer machines on the market. It prints using thermopolymer and supports Windows, OS X and Linux.

Credit: PrintrBot
The consumer market will lead the surge.


By Lucas Mearian
Computerworld | Sep 30, 2014 10:47 AM PT

While still a nascent market in China, the production and sale of 3D printers are expected to quadruple over the next four years, according to a new report.

"While 3D printing has been touted as a way for Western economies to compete with China's manufacturing advantages, the Asian giant is also taking rapid strides to parlay its traditional strengths into 3D printing as well," Richard Jun Li, a Lux Research director, said in a statement.

Li is the lead author of a new report titled, "China's Growing 3D Printing Ecosystem."

China is rapidly embracing 3D printing and sales of printers are expected to grow four-fold to 37,800 printers in 2018, as revenues more than triple to $109 million, according Lux Research.

Chinese 3D printers are competing on cost with leading global brands such as MakerBot, 3D Systems, EOS and Stratasys. Of the 21,550 printers produced by China in 2013, some 12,810 units were exported.

Just as in other regions of the world, China's automotive industry is the leading industrial application for the machines because creating prototype parts with 3D printers vastly improves time to market over traditional manufacturing methods.

GE
A Stratasys 3D printer that is commonly used in order to quickly create prototypes of design concepts.

China's automotive 3D printing market saw $6.8 million in revenue, followed by machines in education with $6.5 million.

China's automotive 3D printing sector will grow at 31% annually, riding on the strengths of the world's largest car market, according to Lux Research.

In terms of unit shipments, the consumer market was the largest application segment, with just over 5,900 units in 2013, according to Lux.

By 2018, the Chinese 3D printer market (excluding imported 3D printers) will grow to 37,800 units, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34%, with printer revenue growing to $109 million in 2018, at a CAGR of 27%.

Worldwide, the sale of 3D printers and related materials is expected to balloon from $75 million this year to $1.2 billion by 2018, according to a Juniper Research reportreleased earlier this year.

Driving that surge from today's relatively low levels will be the entry of mainstream printer companies such as HP and Epson to the 3D fray, Juniper Research noted in its report, "Consumer 3D Printing and Scanning."

According to Juniper, the U.S. and Europe are leading the rest of the world for consumer 3D printer adoption; hobbyists and early tech adopters in those regions are driving that surge. Retailers such as Staples and service providers including UPS are testing in-store 3D printing services to provide their customers an opportunity to use the technology without having to buy the hardware and related materials.

China's consumer 3D printer market is expected to be led by purchases for the education sector. At the same time, 3D printing for China's healthcare market is also expected to increase, according to Lux Research.

In terms of printer type, metal 3D printers are forecast to be the fastest growing segment in the next five years, followed by low- to medium-end thermopolymer printers.

"Far from being disrupted by 3D printing, China will thrive as its expertise in electronics, manufacturing, and its growing domestic market make it a threat and an opportunity for aspiring 3D printing value chain participants," Li said.

 

[cirr]

China expects to unveil first 3D printing industry plan within year

2014-09-30 14:07

Ecns.cnWeb Editor: Si Huan

(ECNS) -- A plan aimed at boosting China's 3D printing industry is expected to come into play within this year, the 21st Century Business Herald reported.

Authorities are busy working on the country's first plan for the industry, said Su Bo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

3D printing is one of the fastest-growing business sectors, facilities and services of which having maintained a growth rate of 27 percent since its birth 26 years ago, said Chen Zhu, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Sales of 3D printers and related services made up to 1.2 billion yuan ($194.4 million) last year in China, Chen added.

Su said the ministry intends to lay emphasis on its support on development of 3D printing and medical apparatus, and aims to apply the technology to research & development on new drugs.

The technology has been widely used in printing models for medical use and personalized implants, helping repair bionic tissues, Su noted. "It's might also be possible to apply to living tissue and organs in the near future," he added.

China has reached a few achievements on applying 3D printing to medical research. Tsinghua University printed out the world's first in vitro three-dimensional model of a tumor with this technology, while Peking University Third Hospital developed the country's first artificial axis to be applied in the treatment of malignant tumours.

The world's market scale of 3D printing industry will grow to 6 billion dollars by 2019, with the sector for medical application accounting for 15.1 percent, according to Wohelrs Associate, a leading consulting firm focused on developments and trends related to this technology.

 

[TheMatador]

Don't let our enemies enjoy lifestyle benefits from 3D printing. All technology belongs to China.

 

[Keel]

British woman first person to recover from Ebola using new treatment
00

Friday 27 March 2015 15.25

Anna Cross expressed her gratitude to the team that treated her, saying, "thanks to them I'm alive".


A British army reservist who contracted Ebola while working as a volunteer nurse in Sierra Leone has fully recovered after becoming the first patient in the world to receive an experimental new treatment.

Anna Cross, 25, was discharged today from the Royal Free Hospital in London where she was taken earlier this month after being evacuated from west Africa on a Royal Air Force plane.

"She has completely recovered from Ebola, she is now free of the virus," her doctor, Michael Jacobs, said.

"Anna is the first patient in the world to have received a new special treatment for Ebola, MIL 77," he said, adding that "the treatment went very well, it caused no side effects that we could elicit."

He said the new treatment was produced in China and was similar to ZMapp, a cocktail of three antibodies that cling to the virus and inhibit its reproduction.

Ms Cross, dressed in her army uniform, expressed her gratitude to the team that treated her, saying, "thanks to them I'm alive".

"I need to recover. I need to be fit enough to join the military again. It's going to take me a long time," she added.

Ms Cross, who works as a nurse in the state-run National Health Service, was exposed to the virus while treating patients but said she did not know exactly when this might have happened.

She was the third British healthcare worker to contract Ebola in Sierra Leone.

The two previous ones - nurses William Pooley and Pauline Cafferkey - both recovered after being treated at the Royal Free.

The hospital has a high-level isolation unit geared up to treat Ebola patients under quarantine.

Woman recovers from Ebola using new treatment - RTÉ News

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

British woman first person to recover from Ebola using new treatment
00

Friday 27 March 2015 15.25

Anna Cross expressed her gratitude to the team that treated her, saying, "thanks to them I'm alive".


A British army reservist who contracted Ebola while working as a volunteer nurse in Sierra Leone has fully recovered after becoming the first patient in the world to receive an experimental new treatment.

Anna Cross, 25, was discharged today from the Royal Free Hospital in London where she was taken earlier this month after being evacuated from west Africa on a Royal Air Force plane.

"She has completely recovered from Ebola, she is now free of the virus," her doctor, Michael Jacobs, said.

"Anna is the first patient in the world to have received a new special treatment for Ebola, MIL 77," he said, adding that "the treatment went very well, it caused no side effects that we could elicit."

He said the new treatment was produced in China and was similar to ZMapp, a cocktail of three antibodies that cling to the virus and inhibit its reproduction.

Ms Cross, dressed in her army uniform, expressed her gratitude to the team that treated her, saying, "thanks to them I'm alive".

"I need to recover. I need to be fit enough to join the military again. It's going to take me a long time," she added.

Ms Cross, who works as a nurse in the state-run National Health Service, was exposed to the virus while treating patients but said she did not know exactly when this might have happened.

She was the third British healthcare worker to contract Ebola in Sierra Leone.

The two previous ones - nurses William Pooley and Pauline Cafferkey - both recovered after being treated at the Royal Free.

The hospital has a high-level isolation unit geared up to treat Ebola patients under quarantine.

Woman recovers from Ebola using new treatment - RTÉ News

Great Work for Humanity! (y)

 

[Ryuzaki]

Great work by Chinese scientists

 

[opruh]

Chinese medicines are truly superior.

 

[cirr]

IS MIL-77 THE NEW EBOLA-FIGHTING WONDER DRUG?

Corporal Anna Cross is the first person to be treated with the experimental drug MIL-77, raising hopes that the medicine may be a possible cure for the dealy Ebola virus.

Previously the drug Z-Mapp was being hailed as the best hope for fighting the disease, which has killed more than 10,000 people and infected around 25,000 since the latest outbreak last year.

Z-Mapp was used to treat the first Briton infected with the disease, nurse Will Pooley, as well as two US healthcare workers - Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol.

Nurse Will Pooley was the first Briton infected

Pauline Cafferkey, a Scottish nurse infected, was treated with plasma donated by Ebola survivors, after stocks of Z-Mapp ran out in January.

All four made a full recovery.

Cpl Cross, 25, was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital on 12 March and two weeks on has appeared at a news conference with doctors announcing she is now Ebola-free.

Dr Mike Jacobs, of the Royal Free Hospital, where Cpl Cross was treated, said the drug used to treat her - MIL-77 - was a close relative of Z-Mapp, which scientists claimed had healed 18 monkeys given a dose of Ebola.

The drug is made in China and is also a combination of antibodies given intravenously.

Dr Jacobs said it was impossible to say on the basis of treating one patient whether MIL-77 would work as well with others.

"Having recovered doesn't tell us it works because, in one patient, we just can't draw that conclusion. It will have to be used more widely...before we can say with certainty that the drug is helpful.

He said: "What I can tell you is that the treatment went very well.

"It caused no side effects that we were able to illicit and we were very happy with its use."

Meanwhile, the fight against Ebola in west Africa appears to be succeeding, with 79 new cases confirmed in the week to 22 March - the lowest weekly total this year so far, according to the World Health Organisation.

Guinea accounted for 45 of these cases and Sierra Leone had 33. Liberia, having had no new cases reported for the previous three weeks, had one new confirmed case.

Is MIL-77 The New Ebola-Fighting Wonder Drug?

 

[TheTruth]

Wonder how the West is going to spin this into another "evil China" story?