Sci-Tech

World 3D Printing Technology Expo Opened in Qingdao

The 2014 World 3D Printing Technology Industry Exhibition opened on June 19 in east Chinas coastal city of Qingdao， showcasing the latest 3D printing equipment and products. More than 110 3D printing companies from more than 10 countries or regions attended the exhibition. About 1，000 printing professionals were in attendance， said Luo Jun， secretary-general of the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance. The event was the largest of its kind. The Qingdao venue received more than 20，000 registered visitors with an exhibition area of 13，000 square meters. The 2014 World 3D Printing Technology Industry Conference was also held during the exhibition. Over 80 experts at home and abroad discussed 3D printing applications in industry， biomedicine， art and construction. The conference also thanked experts who have made significant contributions to 3D printing and held a signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement between Qingdao National High-tech Industrial Development Zone and World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance. Both the exhibition and the conference were jointly organized by the world and Chinese 3D alliances as well as the Qingdao municipal government.

China Computer Congress to Highlight Information Security

Themed “information security， data being all-important，”the 2014 China National Computer Congress （CNCC） will be held in Zhengzhou， Henan Province， from October 23 to 25. The congress will invite information security experts from several research fields to discuss information security challenges in the “big data” era and explore solutions. Forums on Internet finance， digital medical care and wearable and cloud computing will be held on the sidelines. An exhibition featuring scientific achievements will also be held during the three-day event， which has attracted registrations from IT enterprises， colleges and universities， research institutes and publishers. The congress will for the first time offer a platform for college students to demonstrate their creative designs and attract investment. The CNCC is an academic conference sponsored by the China Computer Federation since 2003. It discusses the latest breakthroughs in computer and IT fields， forecasts development trends， and presents key academic achievements and new applications.

IPA Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Cheng Guodong

The International Permafrost Association （IPA） announced that the 2014 recipient of the “IPA Lifetime Achievement Award” is Academician Cheng Guodong from the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）. The award was presented to Cheng during a ceremony held at the Fourth European Conference on Permafrost in Evora， Portugal. The award is given to individuals who have made“outstanding contributions to research in permafrost science and engineering， and/or exceptional contributions to the international permafrost community.” Professor Chengs scientific interests and publications span a broad range of topics related to permafrost， the most prominent of which is permafrost engineering. His work on ice segregation and the formation of transient layers is highly influential， and provided significant technical support for the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His publication list includes more than 200 scientific papers in international journals. He has served as chief editor on several Chinese academic journals， and on the editorial boards of international journals specializing in research in cold， arid regions， such as Permafrost and Periglacial Processes and Cold Regions Science and Technology. Dedication to effective education is another hallmark of Professor Chengs 50-year career in per- mafrost science and engineering. He has supervised more than 40 doctoral students， sponsored 15 postdoctoral fellows， and served as a role model for hundreds of other Chinese academics. It is no exaggeration to say that Cheng Guodong is the main person responsible for Chinas high standing in permafrost science and engineering.

New Breakthrough in Researching HFMD Vaccines

Institute Pasteur of Shanghai， Chinese Academy of Sciences reports a breakthrough in genetic engineering vaccine research for hand-foot-andmouth disease （HFMD）. The research was published on the website of Vaccine， the preeminent journal for scientists studying vaccines and vaccination. HFMD is an infectious disease frequently occurring in children under the age of five. From 2008 to 2012， over 80 percent of Chinas HFMD cases were caused by Enterovirus 71 （EV71） and Coxsackievirus A16 （CA16）. Developing a vaccine against both of these viruses is a major milestone in effectively controlling HFMD morbidity and maintaining childrens health. The institute focuses on the development of genetic engineering vaccines for HFMD based on viruslike particles （VLP）， which have high productivity and safety， and confer high strong immunity. The results demonstrate for the first time that the bivalent VLP approach represents a safe and efficacious vaccine strategy for both HFMD viruses.