24
2017
what is new ?
China to Launch its Own
Encyclopaedia as a Rival to
Wikipedia
China plans to launch its
own
online
encyclopaedia next year
rivalling Wikipedia and
Britain’s Encyclopaedia
Britannica. The main objective of this project is to
guide public thought. China fears that its citizens who
use Wikipedia are being corrupted by foreign influ-
ences. The project will be executed under the guid-
ance of the state-owned China Publishing Group.
The project would be developed in such a way that it
serves as a symbol of China’s cultural and techno-
logical development and promotes its soft power and
international influence.
Unlike the Chinese version of Wikipedia, Baidu Baike
which are written by volunteers, the new project will
rope in the professionals for content creation. For the
compilation of the project, nearly 20,000 scholars and
academics have been tasked to create more than
300,000 entries before its 2018 launch. The new project
Baidu Baike
will be based on a pre-
viously printed version
published in 1993. The
second edition was re-
leased in 2009. The
new project will be
released online before
publishing the printed version. China has an esti-
mated 700 million internet users. According to a
study conducted in 2015 by the US think tank Free-
dom House, China had the most restrictive online
use policies among 65 nations it studied. It ranks
below Iran and Syria. China uses a various forms
of web censorship called as “The Great Firewall”
to protect its national security. Chinese residents
cannot even use Facebook and Twitter. In addition
to the above restrictions, with effect from June 1,
Chinese Internet users will be required to provide
their original names when accessing online news
sources.
First blood test for autism found
Scientists from US for first time have developed a blood test to accurately predict whether a child has autism
spectrum disorder (ASD). The first of its kind of physiological test for analysing a blood sample opens the
door to earlier diagnosis and potential future development of therapeutics.
To develop this test, scientists had investigated patterns of several metabolites and found significant
differences between metabolites of children with ASD and those that are neurotypical. These differences
allowed them to categorise whether an individual is on the autism spectrum. This algorithm by measuring 24
metabolites from a blood sample can tell whether or not an individual has Autism spectrum and even to some
degree where on the spectrum they land.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ASD is characterised as a developmental disability caused by differences in
the brain. It is estimated to affect about 1.5% of individuals and The physiological basis for ASD is not known,
but genetic and environmental factors are both believed to play a role. People with ASD may communicate,
interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. Early intervention can improve
development, but currently diagnosis depends on clinical observation of behaviour, that is considered as an
obstacle to early diagnosis and treatment.