The test is able to identify the virus by using the virus’ gene sequence by means of a nucleic acid detection kit that utilizes a “compound probe”. That sounds quite confusing, so here’s all you need to know: it’s using the same technology previously used to develop test kits for the H1N1, H7N9 and NDM-1 viruses.

Because there is no vaccination for Ebola, doctors say early diagnosis is important for controlling the spread of the disease.

More than 1,300 people have been infected with the Ebola virus so far this year

Photo: International Business Times

One woman in Hunan doesn’t think so. She claims her iPhone 5s got so hot it burned her face. Doctors at the Zhuzhou People’s Hospital say the burn marks are indeed the result of “electric radiation burn”.

It all happened in July, when Su Jing from Zhuzhou, Henan was having a long talk on her iPhone 5s. During the call, Su felt her phone getting hot, so she switched to speaker phone. After the call she noticed a burning sensation on the left side of her face, but didn’t think anything of it.

Su only discovered the mark when she went to work the next day. She then went to a clinic, but was redirected to a hospital where she received her diagnosis. Su has reported the case to Apple, the manufacturer of the iPhone 5s, but has not received any answers so far.

She first went to an authorized Apple re-seller, but was told they wouldn’t be responsible for any injuries. When Su called the Apple customer service hotline, she was told she would first need to return the phone before Apple could make any kind of decision. However, Su said she’s unwilling courier the phone as nobody would be responsible for it if something happened to it in transit.

Su went back to the re-seller, which called Apple to verify if it can accept the phone on Apple’s behalf. However, there has been no reply. Su said she was told by Apple a month ago that the company would look into it, but she still hasn’t received a response.

A report in the Chinese media decided to test how hot cell phones can get during continuous use. Three phones were used in the experiement: an iPhone 5S, a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and a Huawei G700.

After one hour of continuous use an infrared thermometer showed that screens on two of the phones reached a temperature of 40 degree Celsius. After 90 minutes, they reached temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius. The report didn’t say which two phones heated up the most.

Photo: XXCB

While these two products have nothing in common, their production exhibits the Chinese pride that won’t be excluded, qualifying rounds be damned.

The “Samba Glory” from Shenzhen

The footballs used in the previous World Cup came under tremendous scrutiny for providing substandard performance. Called the Jabulani, the ball was criticized by Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano as being “supernatural” and for having unpredictable trajectories. This has led to a high-tech redesign of the official World Cup football—called the Brazuca—that has involved NASA wind tunnels and aerodynamic experts.

However, this official football designed and licensed by Adidas has humble roots, hailing from an undisclosed plastics factory in the Gongming Tianliao Industrial Area on Shenzhen’s west side. In fact, there is so much secrecy at this factory that many of its own workers don’t even know that the official World Cup ball is produced here.

A worker named Ah Ju confirmed to a reporter with the Yangcheng Evening Report that the official World Cup ball is made in a second floor workshop near the main entrance by a small group of ten workers, mostly women. The workers are sworn to secrecy, and the workroom is a restricted area that is sometimes guarded by security.

Even though the high-tech research and development that went into this football was very expensive, the production and labor costs at the “Asian X Plastic Company of Shenzhen” remain low. Workers that make the official World Cup football only earn a monthly wage of RMB 3,000 (US$483), and are expected to work regular overtime and half-days on Saturdays.

Called “Samba Glory” in Chinese, the ball retails for RMB 1,299 (US$209) in China, meaning that workers would only be able to afford to purchase two of the footballs they make every month. However, as Ah Ju points out, progress has been made.

As confirmed by a company representative, the same factory had the honor of making the official football for the last World Cup, which cost RMB 1,080 (US$174). As Ah Ju points out, however, the workers were only earning a monthly wage of RMB 2,000 (US$322) back then, meaning things have improved.

World Cup Condom Kings

Moving on from balls and getting to the meat of the matter, the Pearl River Delta’s other connection to the World Cup is a factory in Guangzhou that supplies another vital product, although one used when games aren’t underway: the condom.

A Guangzhou company named Double One (Shuangyi) has been approved by the Brazilian government to be its sole supplier of condoms, reports Southern Metropolis Daily.

Located in Shuangyi, Huadu District, Double One takes up a total space of 130,000 square meters.  The latex factory has eight production lines to meet demand and soon hopes to expand to ten. In fact, Double One has deep roots with the World Cup. Back when South Africa hosted the games in 2010, this same company supplied 35 million condoms.

China is one of the top condom producers in the world. China sold 10 billion condoms in 2012, 25% of all sales in the world at that time.

Brazilians apparently demand high quality condoms, as they were described by the Southern Metropolis Daily as being from an ”extremely sexually-open country”.

Rules for the world’s most popular pastime remain the same: one in the net will end the game.

Photos: Yangcheng Evening Report, Southern Daily, Myactivesg

But hey, no biggie. Two days later after this news was published on April 20, a scientific solution to this environmental disaster with far reaching consequences has been revealed, and may serve to diffuse the worries of an anxious public.

Researchers at the Guangdong provincial geological experimental test center have discovered a compound in a type of clay mineral that can reduce the toxicity and activity of heavy metals in arable soil, reports Live Trading News. Called “Mont-SH6″, the discovery is hailed by the researchers as able to restore a mu (1/15 of a hectare) of farmland at a cost of only several hundred yuan.

Said Zhao Qiuxiang, head of the research team at the Guangdong provincial geological experimental test center, “The technology is suitable for large-scale restoration of farmland because it is relatively cheap and effective.”

While some may see this as a win-win situation in which farmlands can continue to grow crops while illegal mines and polluting factories can continue to add to China’s economic boom, there are those who prefer to poo-poo upon this fertile development instead.

Some critics are alarmed at the unknown scope of this ecological problem. Said Chen Ruishan, a geologist at Hohai University in Nanjing, “The transparency is not enough… We need to know about the spatial distribution” of the soil pollution in order to come up with a strategy to best deal with it. However, precise details of such a comprehensive map have not yet been released to the public.

Even the researchers who came up with the discovery have expressed concern for other issues that can not be fixed with this scientific discovery.

Solving the problem of soil pollution will require funding that polluters are reluctant to pay. Chief engineer of Guangdong provincial geological experimental test center Liu Wenhua said, “The price of the soil rehabilitation should not be paid by farmers, because they are victims of the pollution… The government should aid public welfare by working to combat soil pollution.”

As well, Liu admitted that a short-term solution is not in the works. “At least two years are needed for large field experiments before it enters the market,” said Liu.

But this proposed scientific solution isn’t just hampered by the practical concerns of time and money, but also a political will behind it. Gao Shengda, secretary of the China Environmental Remediation Association, revealed that there are no laws or regulations on soil pollution in China at the present time. Gao said, “Soil pollution in China is quite serious, but there’s no remediation system and much polluted farmland goes untreated… There is no single standard for remediation of industrial and mining sites, or for urban land.”

The announcement of this scientific breakthrough in Guangdong comes at the right time, but it looks like we need further announcements for a real breakthrough of any lasting change.

Photo: China Dialogue