Wednesday, April 29, 1998
Science Files
RESEARCH: Scientists are taking it to the next level with their
latest projects.
Yang modernizes ink-jet technology
Using simple ink-jet technology, Professor Yang Yang and a
research team are printing polymer coatings directly onto glass and
flexible substrates.
This will enable manufacturers to make notebook displays and
other electronic devices at a lower cost.
"Our successful demonstration is a milestone in polymer
electronic devices manufacturing, since it shows how easily device
structures can be designed and fabricated," said Yang Yang, head of
the research team in the Material Science Department in the UCLA
School of Engineering and Applied Science.
After designing the electronic circuit on the computer, polymer
coatings are loaded into the printer and then printed onto the
desired substrate.
Inkjet technology allows a patterning capability not found in
traditional methods for the polymer solution, cuts down on the
amount of materials wasted by as much as 98 percent and is
compatible with a wide range of substrates.
Once the technology is completely developed, complex inkjet
polymer devices can be produced for far less than comparable
devices currently on the market.
Isacoff launches assault on cancer
A new experimental treatment program, developed by Dr. William
Isacoff at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, increases
the life expectancy of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer –
considered one of the most difficult to treat – by using a novel
combination of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Designed for patients with cancer that has not spread to other
parts of the body, Isacoff’s treatment shrinks the tumors that
surround the nearby blood vessels, allowing the removal of the
tumor.
"We’ve treated 70 patients at UCLA so far," Isacoff said.
"Initially none of them was eligible for surgery. After our
treatment we were able to operate successfully on nine of the
patients and completely remove their cancers."
The chemotherapeutic program has significantly prolonged the
median survival rate of patients and opened up possibilities for
patients once thought to have inoperable tumors.
Finally, because the chemotherapeutic approach has few side
effects, patients are able to lead relatively normal lives, Isacoff
said.
Compiled By Matt Grace, Daily Bruin Contributor