Month: September 2023

https://english.news.cn/20230905/fd4f5009d1484879b355d23a7520e3b3/c.html An interregional workshop on the technology development and application of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) was jointly hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), attended by over 200 government officials, experts, and scholars from over 50 countries and regions. SMRs could serve in multiple areas, like powering small and medium-sized electricity grids, urban heating, industrial steam supply, seawater desalination, and isotope production.

https://english.news.cn/20230908/3eaae910c860487c9fb646aae7b1ce86/c.html A Chinese team has grown early kidneys from human stem cells inside pig embryos, according to a study published in Cell Stem Cell. The scientists from CAS Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health used a gene-editing tool to engineer certain genes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) to strengthen their capability to gain a foothold and form kidneys in pig embryos that are genetically modified to lack the ability to grow a kidney. The researchers finally harvested five embryos with organized human-pig chimeric middle-stage kidney structures within 28 days and those human donor cells could differentiate into functional cells. The proportion of human cells in the chimeric kidneys reached up to 70 percent, and the proportion of human cell contribution in the formation of mesonephric tubules reached a maximum of 58 percent. The gestation was terminated within 3 to 4 weeks in accordance with current ethical rules.

http://j.people.com.cn/n3/2023/0823/c95952-20062224.html A technical appraisal meeting presided over by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation was held on August 20, and China-made ultra-high-strength ZA60XC (T1000) PAN carbon fiber 1000 ton-class industrial production technology passed the technical appraisal of the expert committee. The expert committee stated, “This achievement has reached the world’s top level. Among them, the precursor structure design and representation analysis technology lead the world, and the appraisal was unanimously passed. Carbon fiber is known as the “gold of industry” and the “king of new materials.” With its high strength, high Young’s modulus ratio, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, and high temperature resistance, carbon fiber is an indispensable strategic material in such fields as aerospace, national defense and military industry, transportation, new energy, and marine engineering. For a long time, the most core advanced technology of carbon fiber, especially the technology for large-scale mass production of ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, has been monopolized by developed countries. According to Changsheng Technology officials, the demand for carbon fiber and its composite materials is rapidly increasing with China’s economic and social development. China’s carbon fiber production has gone from near zero to accounting for one-third of global production by 2022. Most production capacity, however, remained at the T300 and T700 levels. High-end T800 products lacked quality stability, and ultra-high-performance carbon fiber products above T1000 had only 100-ton-level technological achievements, and large-scale and stable production at the 1000-ton level could not be realized. After more than two years of research and development, in which Changsheng Technology was in charge and Shenzhen University cooperated, a production line with an annual capacity of 1,700 tons was able to stably produce T1000 products. According to inspections, its performance has reached the level of comparable products in the world, with a product quality acceptance rate of more than 95.6%.

https://english.news.cn/20230825/67d2999fe9504c9791acc245abea4add/c.html LANZHOU, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — Under the scorching sun in Dongjiabao Village in the heartland of Gansu Province, northwest China, Yan Baiping, 38, is busy weeding his traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) crops. Yan’s TCM herbs are thriving thanks to the region’s growing emphasis on standardized cultivation methods, which promotes eco-friendly cultivation and innovative pest control techniques, thereby reducing the usage of fertilizers and pesticides. China has been promoting the standardized green cultivation of TCM herbs to meet market demand for high-quality, high-yield herbs that adhere to these standards. A decade ago, due to poor cultivation practices, Yan struggled with lower herb quality and reputation, as well as price pressure from buyers. Over the last 10 years, he has embraced green standards, joining a local demonstration base for TCM herb cultivation. Under the Good Manufacturing Practice standards established by leading local pharmaceutical companies and expert guidance, his yields increased. The government also provides organic fertilizers as subsidies annually. Last year, various favorable policies saw Yan earn over 30,000 yuan (about 4172.5 U.S. dollars) from 0.33 hectares of TCM herbs. This year, he expanded the field to nearly 2 hectares, anticipating an income increase of over 30,000 yuan. Gansu is a major base for the production and supply of TCM raw materials. In 2022, 1.47 million tonnes of TCM herbs were produced in Gansu, ranking among the top nationwide, and 55 percent of them were cultivated using standardized methods, local statistics showed. Longxi County in Gansu benefits from a unique natural climate that is exceptionally suited for the growth of various TCM herbs. To maintain quality, Longxi allocated over 30 million yuan annually for standardized cultivation. At present, 23,300 hectares of the county’s 33,300 hectares of total TCM herb planting areas have adopted standardized green cultivation, said Wang Wei, director of the county’s office for TCM industry development. On Thursday, the fourth China (Gansu) Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Expo kicked off in Longxi. Many attendees highlighted that the continuous promotion of standardized cultivation will provide a solid foundation for the inheritance and innovation of TCM in China. Yu Yanhong, head of China’s National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said during the expo that authorities are rapidly formulating documents to promote the high-quality development of the TCM industry, while enhancing technological research and development throughout the entire industry chain. “To enhance the standardization of TCM herb cultivation, China is focusing on improving the quality of herbs from the source and advocating for a comprehensive quality tracing system across the entire chain, thus, enhancing the core competitiveness of the TCM industry,” Yu said.