IN BRIEF (Page 3)

Vaccine virus for H7N9 developed

Experts said the successful development of a vaccine virus for the H7N9 bird flu virus means China can use it to produce its own H7N9 vaccine.

"This means we don't have to depend on foreign vaccine viruses for producing H7N9 vaccine," said Li Lanjuan, director of the State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. "Before this, China had not developed a flu vaccine virus, and needed vaccine viruses from abroad to produce vaccines for all kinds of flu, including H1N1 flu."

Chinese researchers announced on Oct 26 they had developed a vaccine virus for the H7N9 bird flu virus after the flu strain had infected more than 130 people, with 45 fatalities reported.

Shu Yuelong, director of the Chinese National Influenza Center, said this was the first influenza vaccine virus ever developed by Chinese scientists.

Environment

Study shows PM1 is most harmful

A recent study led by Chinese scientists shows a strong link between smaller air pollution particles and a range of serious health conditions.

Scientists said the smaller the airborne particles, the more likely they are to cause illness, suggesting the need for monitoring of particulate matter of 1 micron or less in diameter - a category of pollution rarely monitored.

In recent years, many locations across the country have been blanketed with heavy air pollution, raising concerns for public health. Among the main categories of pollutant measured is PM2.5, which can enter the respiratory system and contribute to a range of illnesses, including cardiovascular disease.

In a new study published in the public health journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers from the School of Public Health at Fudan University in Shanghai have demonstrated a correlation between PM2.5 pollution and the incidence of particular illnesses.

Researchers spent about two years collecting data in a medium-sized city in northern China, measuring the levels of particulate matter in 23 size categories ranging from 0.25 microns to 10 microns. They then plotted the health conditions of residents in the city against the concentrations of particles of different sizes found in their locations.

Vanadium and titanium

come up trumps

A project that involves clean use of vanadium and titanium has won the first prize in an energy-saving and environmental protection industrial design competition in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.

More than 510 companies and research institutes took part in the contest, organizers said.

The vanadium and titanium project is the work of Wuhan Sacred Technology Development Co Ltd. The second and third prizes went to projects involving sootless diesel and energy-saving apartments.

Legal

Court upholds verdict in Bo Xilai case

The Shandong Higher People's Court on Oct 25 rejected Bo Xilai's appeal and upheld his original sentence of life imprisonment for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.

The ruling, which also endorsed the first trial verdict to deprive Bo of his political rights for life, took immediate effect under China's Criminal Procedure Law.

In deciding to uphold the initial sentence, the court said the evidence was substantial and sufficient and legitimate trial procedures were followed.

Bo, 64, former Party secretary of Chongqing and a former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, received a life sentence for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power on Sept 22.

China Daily

(China Daily European Weekly 11/01/2013 page3)