國際科技信息

國際科技信息

迄今為止，歐盟輸電網(wǎng)的建設(shè)理念仍然停留在傳統(tǒng)的大型發(fā)電廠生產(chǎn)電力通過輸電網(wǎng)向被動用戶供電，但可再生能源的持續(xù)快速發(fā)展，要求歐盟輸電網(wǎng)變得更“智能化”，從而避免輸電網(wǎng)的不穩(wěn)定甚至崩潰。智能電網(wǎng)通過采取便利可再生能源（如風(fēng)能、光伏能發(fā)電等）接入輸電網(wǎng)的措施，最大化利用可再生能源資源，同時對輸電網(wǎng)進行互聯(lián)改造，可以更好地優(yōu)化資源配置、節(jié)

歐盟智能電網(wǎng)技術(shù)近期研發(fā)動向

約能源和方便電力消費用戶的雙向聯(lián)網(wǎng)（出售自己多余的電能）。因此，對傳統(tǒng)輸電網(wǎng)進行智能化的再改造過程，需要進行一系列復(fù)雜的適應(yīng)電力供需市場的設(shè)計、組織、調(diào)整和技術(shù)工程，需要對新興交叉技術(shù)進行大量的研發(fā)創(chuàng)新活動，促進輸電網(wǎng)和配電網(wǎng)的更穩(wěn)定、更可靠和智能化。此意味著需要對信息通訊技術(shù)（ICT）在輸電網(wǎng)中的應(yīng)用加快研發(fā)進度，例如傳感器、數(shù)字儀器設(shè)備、自動控制技術(shù)和信息傳輸網(wǎng)絡(luò)技術(shù)等。

歐盟第七研發(fā)框架計劃（FP7）加大了對智能電網(wǎng)技術(shù)研發(fā)及應(yīng)用項目的資助支持力度，目前的研發(fā)項目主要集中在以下三大領(lǐng)域：

1、電力消費用戶與輸電網(wǎng)的雙向連接技術(shù)，滿足電力用戶對輸電網(wǎng)電力供需雙向選擇的需求，加強輸電網(wǎng)對間接電力生產(chǎn)的管理技術(shù)的研究，對電能儲存用戶進行補償和獎勵技術(shù)的開發(fā)。

2、提高輸電網(wǎng)能效技術(shù)，可再生能源接入輸電網(wǎng)技術(shù)，更大范圍輸電網(wǎng)聯(lián)網(wǎng)技術(shù)（成員國電網(wǎng)之間電價有差別），輸電網(wǎng)優(yōu)先可再生能源跨境交換技術(shù)等。

3、ICT輸電網(wǎng)應(yīng)用技術(shù)，新型電能儲存技術(shù)，清潔煤炭技術(shù)和碳捕獲及儲存技術(shù)，城市、建筑、交通智能技術(shù)，電動汽車充電設(shè)施和燃料電池技術(shù)等。

Seventh Framework Programme (2007 to 2013)

Research is a component of a knowledge triangle (the other two being education and innovation) meant to boost growth and employment in the European Union (EU) in the context of a global economy. The 7th Framework Programme for Research, covering the period 2007 to 2013, is an opportunity for the EU to match its research policy to its ambitions in terms of economic and social policy by consolidating the European Research Area (ERA). In order to achieve this objective, the Commission hopes to increase the EU's annual spending on research,thereby generating more national and private investment in this field. When it is implemented,the 7th Framework Programme will also have to respond to the research and knowledge needs of industry and more generally of EU policies. The Framework Programme is organised around four main programmes and has been greatly simplified so as to be more effective and more accessible to researchers.

The 7th Framework Programme is adapted to the EU’s needs in terms of growth and employment. Atier wide-ranging public consultation, four main objectives have been identified,which correspond to the four specific programmes around which the European research effort is to be structured.

The Cooperation Programme aims to stimulate cooperation and improve links between industry and research within a transnational framework.The aim is for Europe to gain and consolidate leadership in key research areas. The programme will have nine themes, which are to be managed autonomously but will be complementary in terms of implementation:

· health;

· food, agriculture and biotechnology;

· information and communication technologies;

· nanosciences,nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies;

· energy;

· environment (including climate change);

· transport (including aeronautics);

· socio-economic sciences and the humanities;

· security and space.

The Ideas Programme is intended to enhance exploratory research in Europe, i.e. aimed at discovering new knowledge that fundamentally changes our vision of the world and our way of life.In order to achieve this, the new European Research Council will support the most ambitious and innovative research projects.Within this new structure, at the forefront of European research,there will be an autonomous Scientific Council, which will identify priorities and scientific strategies. The aim is to enhance European research excellence by promoting competition and risktaking.

The People Programme will harness significant financial resources that can be used to improve the career prospects of researchers in Europe and attract more high-quality young researchers. The Commission hopes to encourage training and mobility so that European researchers can realise their full potential. The programme will reinforce the existing "Marie Curie" actions, which for several years have been offering mobility and training opportunities to European researchers.

The Capacities Programme is intended to give researchers powerful tools that will enable them to enhance the quality and competitiveness of European research. This means more investment in research infrastructure in the less successful regions, in the creation of regional research-driven clusters and in research for the benefit of SMEs. This programme also has to reflect the importance of international cooperation in research and the role of science in society.

Furthermore, the 7th Framework Programme will finance the direct actions of the Joint Research Centre (JRC)and the actions covered by the Euratom Framework Programme in the fields of:

· research into fusion energy;

· nuclear fission and radiation protection.

歐盟科研人員首次發(fā)現(xiàn)植物的生長基因

英國和法國科研人員組成的研究團隊對玉米農(nóng)作物進行的一項研究首次發(fā)現(xiàn)，能控制農(nóng)作物向玉米種子提供營養(yǎng)素的“生長基因”，并將該基因命名為Meg1。Meg1的發(fā)現(xiàn)意義重大，預(yù)示著人類可以大大提高農(nóng)作物的產(chǎn)量，減緩地球人口不斷膨脹帶來的糧食安全壓力。該項研究結(jié)果在最近一期的現(xiàn)代生物學(xué)雜志上發(fā)表。

Meg1不同于大多數(shù)由母系染色體和父系染色體的雙性遺傳表達基因，而僅僅來自于母系染色體。這種由單性基因表達的獨特形態(tài)在分子生物學(xué)上被稱作印記（Imprinting），Meg1在農(nóng)作物上被首次發(fā)現(xiàn)，是一項重要的科技突破。其實，這種基因印記已經(jīng)在人體和哺乳動物基因組中得到證實，“生長基因”通過控制胎盤的生長，調(diào)整母體向胎兒成長提供的營養(yǎng)量。

Meg1的發(fā)現(xiàn)讓科研人員深受鼓舞，目前研究團隊正在對小麥和水稻等主要農(nóng)作物的“生長基因”進行探索測試，同時積極開展利用“生長基因”增加種子生物質(zhì)含量的機理研究，進而提高主要農(nóng)作物的生產(chǎn)率和產(chǎn)量。該項研究得到歐盟科技合作計劃（COST）框架的部分資助，COST是歐委會促進成員國之間密切合作關(guān)系、優(yōu)化資源配置和建設(shè)歐盟統(tǒng)一研究區(qū)域（ERA）的重要支撐計劃。

Plant nourishing gene, Meg1, adds another step forward to increasing food production

Current Biology (2012,Vol.22:2, 160) published the discovery of Meg1 a new“provisioning” gene in maize plants that regulates the transfer of nutrients from the plant to the seed could lead to increase crop yields and improve food security.This is a research work led by the University of Warwick in collaboration with the University of Oxford and agricultural biotech research company Biogemma-Limagrain and funded by the European Union and BBRSC.

Under the title of“Maternal control of nutrient allocation in plant seeds by genomic imprinting”the authors showed that imprinted Maternally expressed gene1 (Meg1) in maize is both necessary and sufficient for the establishment and differentiation of the endosperm nutrient transfer cells located at the mother:seed interface.Imprinted genes are commonly expressed in mammalian placentas and in plant seed endosperms, where they regulate placental function and nutrient distribution from mother to fetus. In plantsmore than 60 imprinted genes had been recognised and Meg1 is the first one that has proven to play an equivalent role as mammalian imprinted genes in the flow of resources to the embryo. The results demonstrate that Meg1 regulates maternal nutrient uptake, sucrose portioning,seed biomass yield and, as in mammals, Meg1 is critical for maintaining a balance distribution of maternal nutrients to filial tissues.The difference between mammalian imprinting is that Meg1 is a maternally expressed gene that acts to promote rather than restrict nutrient allocation to the offspring.

Dr Gutierrez-Marcos of the University of Warwick said:

‘These findings have significant implications for global agriculture and food security, as scientists now have the molecular knowhow to manipulate this gene by traditional plant breeding or through other methods in order to improve seed traits,such as increased seed biomass yield'.

‘This understanding of how maize seeds and other cereal grains develop (e.g.in rice and wheat) is vital, as the global population relies on these staple products for sustenance. Therefore to meet the demands of the world’s growing population in years to come, scientists and breeders must work together to safeguard and increase agricultural production.’

Professor Hugh Dickinson of Oxford University’s Department of Plant Sciences,said:

‘The identification of Meg1 is a highly-important discovery and represents a vital first step in this process; the next will be to identify other genes involved in regulating provisioning and nutritional content of seeds.’

德國建世界最長高溫超導(dǎo)輸電試驗線路

德國卡爾斯魯爾技術(shù)研究院（KIT）、德國能源企業(yè)RWE公司和法國的電纜制造企業(yè)Nexans公司，正在德國西部城市埃森進行高溫超導(dǎo)（THS）輸電試驗項目——“AmpaCity”。

計劃在德國埃森市中心地段鋪設(shè)長度為1公里的高溫超導(dǎo)輸電電路，輸電電纜建設(shè)于埃森市中心兩座變電站之間，這條輸電電壓為10千伏的中壓輸電電纜的輸電功率為40兆瓦，要完成這樣電能輸送能力需要鋪設(shè)5條中壓銅芯電纜輸電線路，或者改用高壓輸電線路，這在城市中心地段是非常困難的任務(wù)。所用超導(dǎo)電纜為同軸電纜形式，導(dǎo)電體為同心分布的三層超導(dǎo)材料，中間有絕緣介質(zhì)，超導(dǎo)導(dǎo)電體內(nèi)芯的中心和外層有供液氮流動的回路和夾層，與用保溫材料制成的位于電纜最外層的隔熱層共同作用，使電纜的超導(dǎo)內(nèi)芯保持在-180攝氏度的狀態(tài)，保證其超導(dǎo)特性。

電纜的直徑不大于目前通用的銅芯電纜。相同直徑的電纜，高溫超導(dǎo)體電纜的電能傳輸能力是一般銅芯電纜的5倍以上。

這是目前世界上最長的高溫超導(dǎo)電纜試驗線路，項目于今年1月19日開始進行，為期4年，將對不同的高溫超導(dǎo)材料和絕緣隔熱材料進行試驗。中期計劃目標是用高溫超導(dǎo)電纜構(gòu)建一個城市的輸電網(wǎng)，取代高壓輸電線路，實現(xiàn)提高電能輸送效率、降低運行和維護成本、減少占用土地資源的目標。同時，此試驗輸電線路還將用于試驗超導(dǎo)過壓保護技術(shù)，這種技術(shù)在輸電線路發(fā)生短路等故障時，能自主并比現(xiàn)有保護裝置更快的啟動和恢復(fù)輸電線路的正常狀態(tài)。

卡爾斯魯爾技術(shù)研究院（KIT）的專家認為，高溫超導(dǎo)體電纜的應(yīng)用前景決定于不斷提高高溫超導(dǎo)體材料的性價比，改善電纜制造工藝，優(yōu)化相關(guān)低溫技術(shù)的成本和可靠性，不久的將來，在這些方面都將取得突破。

"AmpaCity“: Essen to become model city for new superconductor link for electricity transmission

· RWE Deutschland starts project for forward-looking electricity transmission with partners from industry and science

· Superconductor system of technology leader Nexans to replace inner-city high-voltage cable

· Karlsruhe Institute for Technology is optimising the cable design as part of the supporting research project

The city of Essen will be the pioneer for a new chapter of inner-city electricity distribution for the future: in 2013, the currently longest hightemperature superconductor cable (HTS cable) in the world will be buried underground here. The "AmpaCity" project was presented to the public today. Project partners are RWE Deutschland AG, Nexans as manufacturer of cables and cable systems, the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) and the project sponsor Jülich (PTJ).

The "AmpaCity" project will be sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology ((BMWi) given its special benefits and the prospects of superconductors for electricity distribution in the future. The total costs of the research project amount to some € 13.5 million, including the financial support provided by the federal government in the amount of approx. € 6.3 million.

The conventional 110,000 volt lines between two substations in Essen's city centre will be replaced by a modern 10,000 volt superconductor cable over a length of one kilometre. Superconductors are regarded as forward-looking solution for space-saving and particularly efficient transmission of electricity in urban areas. Dr.Joachim Schneider, Executive Board member of RWE Deutschland: "Superconductors are going to play an important role for energy supply in cities.We are very proud to be among the frontrunners with this pioneering project."

The detailed planning of the project will start in the next few months. This includes determining the exact route of the cable link. This will go hand in hand with design optimisation and prototype tests on the premises of the manufacturer;Nexans intends to manufacture the compact superconductor cable system late in 2012, which will be developed specifically for the application in the city centre.From a present perspective, it is planned to commission and integrate the superconducting cable into the electricity grid of Essen by the end of November 2013.

Superconductors are based on ceramics. When cooled down to about minus 200 degrees Celsius they can transport electricity almost without any losses. As a result, their energy efficiency is superior to conventional cables. What is more, the installation of one superconductor cable section can replace up to five parallel conventional 10,000 V cables or 110,000/10,000 volt substations because superconductors can also transmit larger power volumes at small voltage. This creates space and makes sites available at expensive inner-city locations.

The superconductor cable for the field trial in the distribution grid of RWE Deutschland is produced by Nexans, one of the world's leading suppliers of cables and cable systems. The Karlsruhe Institute for Technology(KIT) will support the project scientifically by optimising suitable superconducting and insulating materials. According to experts, the large-scale use of superconductors will be economically viable in just a few years. A study of the project partners determined the benefits which are now to be confirmed in the field at Essen.

澳研制出完美的單原子晶體管

澳大利亞科學(xué)家表示，他們研制出一種單原子晶體管，其由蝕刻在硅晶體內(nèi)的單個磷原子組成，擁有控制電流的門電路和原子層級的金屬接觸，有望成為下一代量子計算機的基礎(chǔ)元件。研究發(fā)表在2月19日出版的《自然·納米技術(shù)》雜志上。

在最新研究中，科學(xué)家們利用放置在真空環(huán)境中的硅薄片制造出該單原子晶體管。為了觀察并操縱位于硅薄片表面的原子，他們首先用一層不起反應(yīng)的氫原子將該晶體管覆蓋，隨后利用掃描隧道顯微鏡超精細的金屬尖端，精確地將某些區(qū)域的氫原子有選擇性地移走，露出兩對相互垂直的硅帶外加一個由6個硅原子組成的小長方形，其位于這些硅帶的結(jié)合點處。

接著，科學(xué)家們添加了磷化氫（PH3）氣體并加熱，導(dǎo)致磷原子依附到硅暴露的地方，因為是長方形，所以只有一個磷原子進入該硅網(wǎng)絡(luò)內(nèi)，結(jié)果得到4個相互垂直的磷電極和一個磷原子。其中一對電極之間的距離為108納米，在它們之間施加電壓后，電流能通過單個磷原子并在另外兩個垂直的、距離僅為20納米的電極之間流動。這樣，磷原子就像晶體管一樣起作用了。

科學(xué)家們表示，這并非首個單原子晶體管，但新晶體管能被更加精確地放置，這就使得其更有用。

研究領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、新南威爾士大學(xué)量子計算和通訊中心的主任米歇爾·西蒙斯表示：“我們最新研制出的設(shè)備是完美無缺的，這是科學(xué)家首次證明能在一個基座上非常精確地操控單個原子?！?/p>

雖然該晶體管在低于1開氏度（零下272.15攝氏度）的環(huán)境下才能工作，但最新技術(shù)進步有望讓晶體管更快達到單原子級；科學(xué)家們也可據(jù)此洞悉，一旦設(shè)備達到原子級，它們會如何工作?？茖W(xué)家們預(yù)測，晶體管將于2020年達到單原子級以同摩爾定律保持一致。

Transistor Single Atom In Size Created By Australian Scientists

Just when you thought electronic devices couldn't get any smaller comes word that Australian scientists have fabricated a transistor out of a single atom.

Transistors--semiconductor devices that amplify and switch electronic signals--are considered the building blocks of computers.

The researchers created the minute device--a phosphorous atom precisely positioned on a silicon crystal--using a scanning tunneling microscope inside a vacuum chamber.

The transistor is not a commercially available product but is believed to represent an important step toward the development of next-generation "quantum"computers of unprecedented processing capabilities.

"This is the first time anyone has shown control of a single atom in a substrate with this level of precise accuracy,"Dr. Michelle Simmons,director of the ARC Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication at the University of New South Wales and one of the researchers behind the breakthrough, said in a writien statement.

Andreas Henirich, a physicist at I.B.M., told the New York Times that the researchers' approach was"extremely powerful. This is at least a 10-year effort to make very tiny electrical wires and combine them with the placement of a phosphorus atom exactly where they want them."

Dr. Simmons said in a video interview that the project to build a single-atom transistor had been launched a decade ago. "So here we are in 2012, and we've made a singleatom transistor roughly eight to 10 years ahead of where the industry is going to be."

美國科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)兩種新血型 對防治癌癥意義重大

美國科學(xué)家近日發(fā)現(xiàn)了兩種全新的血型，由此人類血型的總數(shù)增至32種。

發(fā)現(xiàn)這兩種全新血型的是以佛蒙特大學(xué)生物學(xué)家布萊恩·巴利夫為首的研究團隊，2月份的《自然遺傳學(xué)》雜志刊登了他們的研究成果。巴利夫和同事們在實驗中發(fā)現(xiàn)了兩種名為ABCB6和ABCG2的特殊轉(zhuǎn)運蛋白，隨后經(jīng)法國國家輸血研究所確認，這確實是兩種此前未被識別的轉(zhuǎn)運蛋白，含有這兩種蛋白的新血型則分別被命名為“朗格雷”（Langereis）和“尤尼奧爾”（Junior）。

常見人類血型有A、B、AB和O型四種，其他稀有血型此前共有26種。這些稀有血型往往以存在某種特殊抗原物質(zhì)為典型特征，并以發(fā)現(xiàn)者的名字命名。人類上一次發(fā)現(xiàn)新血型是幾十年前的事情了，所以此次的發(fā)現(xiàn)可謂一次歷史性突破。

血液一直以來都是醫(yī)學(xué)界研究的重點，血型的匹配度對輸血、器官移植、甚至是女性懷孕都有重要的影響。此外，此次發(fā)現(xiàn)的兩種轉(zhuǎn)運蛋白均與腫瘤耐藥性有關(guān)，對癌癥防治的研究同樣具有極大價值。

巴利夫教授接受采訪時表示，“朗格雷”和“尤尼奧爾”兩種血型在東亞地區(qū)——特別是日本——最為常見，“我們的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，日本有超過5萬人的血型為‘尤尼奧爾’陰性?！?/p>

Two New Blood Types Identified

You probably know your blood type: A, B, AB or O. You can even see if you are Rh positive or negative. But what about the blood Langereis? Blood type or junior? Positive or negative? Most people have never heard of them.

However, this knowledge could be “a matier of life or death,”says the University of Vermont biologist Bryan Ballif.

While the problems of blood transfusion because of Langereis and the nature of the blood are rare in the world junior, some ethnic groups are at risk scores Ballif. “More than 50,000 Japanese are considered negative and Junior, problems of blood transfusion or maternal-fetal incompatibility,” he wrote.

The molecular basis of these two blood remained a mystery –until now.

In the February issue of Nature Genetics, Ballif and colleagues report their discovery of two proteins on red blood cells responsible for these lesserknown types of blood.

Ballif identified two molecules like proteins called ABCB6 specialized transportation and ABCG2.

The two newly identified proteins are also associated with resistance to anticancer drugs,the results may have implications for improved treatment of breast cancer and others.

As part of international efforts, Ballif, Assistant Professor,Department of Biology, uses a mass spectrometer at UVM funded by the Vermont Genetics Network. With this machine, he purified proteins analyzed by his former employee, Lionel Arnaud at the French National Blood Transfusion Institute in Paris,France.

Ballif and Arnaud in turn is based on antibodies and antigens in the blood Junior Langereis developed by Yoshihiko Tani at the Japanese Red Cross Osaka Blood Center and Toru Miyazaki Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido Blood Center.

Atier identifying proteins in Vermont working again France.Arnaud and his team, cellular and genetic tests confirming that these proteins were responsible for blood groups and Langereis Junior. “He was able to test the gene sequence,” Ballif said, “and,of course, we mutations in this gene in particular for all people in our sample these problems.”

Transfusion problems

In addition to the ABO blood group and Rhesus (Rh), the International Society of Blood Transfusion recognizes seven forty blood groups with additional names like Duffy, Kidd, Lutheran and Diego. But Langereis and Junior were not on that list.Although the antigens for the Junior and Langereis (or LAN)blood were identified decades ago, pregnant women with babies who have trouble with incompatible blood types, the genetic basis of these antigens was unknown until now.

The results of this review,the health care professionals will be able to quickly and confidently to screen for new blood proteins,Ballif wrote an article in the latest news. “This leaves them better prepared to be ready for blood transfusions or other tissue donations are needed,” he notes.

A better match

This knowledge may be particularly important for transplant patients. “If we get betier and betier with the clerk,we have everything we can to make a good match to do,” Ballif said. But sometimes, tissue or organ transplantation, which seemed like a good game, not work – and the donated tissue is rejected, that can cause many problems, even death.

Rejection of tissue or blood donated is caused by the way the immune system distinguish self from nonself.

Other proteins

Ballif and his international colleagues do not do their research. “We follow the blood groups are more unknown,” he says “There are probably about 10 to 15 more of these systems unknown blood type -. What we know there is a problem, but we do not know that the protein causing the problem.”Although these other blood systems are very rare, “if you that person, and you need a transfusion,” Ballif said: “There is nothing more important for you to know.”