Shinsaku Fujimori of Ibaraki, Japan, and Shigeji Kobori of Saitama, Japan, have developed a novel cement that is alkalescent, capable of solidifying a wide range of soil and applicable to biological environment. According to the US Patent & Trademark Office: "The cement composition contains 100 parts by weight of magnesium oxide, 5 to 25 per cent by weight of at least one of silicic acid, alumina and iron oxide, 3 to 35 parts by weight of a phosphate, 2 to 30 parts by weight of gypsum and 0.005 to 7 parts by weight of a hydroxycarboxylic acid or a ketocarboxylic acid." The patent has been assigned to National Institute for Rural Engineering, Tsukuba, Japan.