Chinese Journal of Nature

New insights into the structure and growth of two-dimensional hexagonal ice

GUAN Dong, JIANG Ying

2020, 42(2): 79-83. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.001

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Water and ice are ubiquitous in nature. The structure and growth of ice play critical roles in an incredibly broad spectrum of materials science, tribology, biology, atmospheric science, and planetary science. Addressing those issues requires the atomicscale
understanding of the interaction between water molecules and substrate as well as that between water molecules. Limited by
the theoretical methods and experimental techniques, the microscopic picture of ice nucleation and growth still remains under debate despite of enormous scientific efforts in the past decades. Thus, the precise description of ice nucleation and growth at atomic scale is of crucial importance. Using a combined system of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM), we succeed in achieving atomic resolution of a 2D ice on Au(111) and confirming its interlocked flat bilayer structure in real space with a CO-decorated qPlus-tip, which further allows us to deduce the growth process of the 2D
ice. Through weakly perturbative AFM imaging of the 2D ice edges, we observed the intermediate and metastable states during the growing process of the 2D ice for the first time. Combined with the first principle calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, we proposed two different growth mechanisms for zigzag and armchair edges. This work provides techniques and methods applicable to investigate the growth mechanism of a large family of 2D materials other than 2D ices, thus opening up a new avenue of visualizing the structure and dynamics of low-dimensional matter at the cutting edges.

Stem cells lead the biomedical revolution

WANG Yong, YANG Jingsi, HAN Xinglong, HU Shijun, YIN Weimin, LEI Wei

2020, 42(2): 84-90. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.002

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Stem cell is a kind of cells with self-proliferation ability and the potential of multi-directional differentiation. Advances in stem cell technologies, with embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells as the core, are leading a biomedical revolution. This review mainly introduces the development of stem cell technologies, as well as their research progress and challenges in cell therapy, disease model, drug screening and organoids. Despite the great progress in basic stem cell research, the clinical transformation and industrialization of stem cell technologies still face many challenges. There is still much to be done to make better use of stem cells and cross-disciplinary technologies.

The journey toward skin stem cell therapy

LIAO Xinhua

2020, 42(2): 91-95. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.003

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Patients with epidermolysis bullosa were able to be cured through replacing the entire skin with stem cells. From incurable to curable disease, there is a long and winding road leading to the birth of skin stem cell therapy. It started from the technique unintentionally invented for culturing skin stem cells in vitro. Later on, scientists regenerated skin tissue in vivo using cultured stem cells, and successfully treated patients with deep burn on skin or chemical burn on cornea. At last, this technique was successfully used to cure skin genetic disease. This clinical breakthrough is a milestone for stem cell and gene therapies. Reviewing this journey, exhibiting the process of how these discoveries occurred, would provide a model and reference for gene and stem cell therapies in other fields.

The seeds of regenerative medicine: Development of stem cell therapy

LIU Chang, XU Gui’e, FENG Xing, XIAO Junjie

2020, 42(2): 96-101. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.004

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Stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, are cells that retain differentiation potential and ability to self-renew. Here we describe the discovery and the main characters of stem cells. In a word, stem cells are the basic cell resource of regenerative medicine, and have shown great potential in clinical application. Following the development of the technology and evaluation system, stem cell therapy will be safer and more effective.

OPG/RANKL/RANK: A linkage between the skeletal and immune systems

ZHANG Yunyun, LIANG Xinyue, YAN Jianshe

2020, 42(2): 102-107. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.005

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The comunication between skeletal and immune systems is formed by interaction of skeletal and immune cells. The receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand plays an important role in the development of bone and immune organs, as well as in autoimmune arthritis. Here we briefly introduce the structures and biological functions of the skeletal and immune systems, and
describe the interactions between them with emphasis on the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(OPG/RANKL/RANK), which functions as a linkage between the skeletal and the immune systems.

Research progress on liquid biopsy in oncology

CHAO Yuqing, ZHU Xiaoli, CHEN Guifang

2020, 42(2): 108-115. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.006

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Cancer is one of the main factors threatening human life. Compared with the commonly used tissue biopsy technology, liquid biopsy, as a detection method of cancer, has many significant advantages, such as non-invasive, high accuracy, simple sampling
and low price. Liquid biopsy has great potential in early detection, dynamic monitoring and targeted treatment of various cancers,
including lung cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer. It provides a new technical means and research ideas for cancer detection and treatment. In liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cell (CTC) and exosomes are often used as markers to detect the course of cancer. Based on the techniques commonly used in life science research such as PCR, NGS and ELISA, a variety of indicators are used as the basis to judge the course of cancer. In this paper, the detection principle of ctDNA, CTC and exosomes as liquid biopsy markers and their recent research progress in clinical application are reviewed.

Advance research and future directions in the heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction#br#

ZHU Kaiyuan, YAN Chunxi, XU Dachun

2020, 42(2): 116-124. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.007

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We summarize what is known about the clinical epidemiology, pathophysiology, and prognosis for patients with HFmrEF and how these features compare with the more well-studied HF groups. Although recommended treatments currently focus on aggressive management of comorbidities, we summarize the studies that identify a potential signal for beneficial therapies. Future studies are needed to not only better characterize the HF population but also determine effective management strategies to reduce the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality burden on this phenotype of patients with HF.

Ultrasound manufacture and forming of amorphous alloy

LI Xin, MA Jiang

2020, 42(2): 125-133. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.008

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Ultrasonic is a kind of wave with a frequency higher than 20 kHz. It is widely used in welding, cleaning, testing, ranging, disinfection and so on because of its good directivity, strong penetrability and high acoustic energy transmission. For metallic glasses (amorphous alloys) with disordered structure, the application of ultrasonic wave will make it thaw quickly and soften to a certain extent. Based on this property, we could manufacture and form metallic glasses under the beating of ultrasonic stress.

Study on pattern evolution of urban scale in Guizhou Province based on nighttime light remote sensing#br#

XU Huimin, WANG Yan, LI Xi

2020, 42(2): 134-141. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.009

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Using time-series VIIRS nighttime light imagery, this paper studies the urbanization development of Guizhou Province from 2012 to 2019 by measuring the total amount of nighttime light, using the rank scale rule and the law of the primate city as well as extracting the lighted area. The results show that the total amount of nighttime light in all cities of Guizhou Province shows a growth trend. In addition, the growth rates of nighttime light in Liupanshui, Qianxinan and Guiyang are far lower than other cities. Zunyi maintains the fastest growth in the province on the basis of large amount of light. The development vitality of small and mediumsized cities is better than that of the biggest city. The urban structure is scattered. The biggest city has weak agglomeration effect and does not fully play its leading role. With the high growth trend of the second city (Zunyi City), the law of the primate city is gradually decreasing, and Guizhou Province has a trend of bipolar growth.

The development of TNF inhibitor: A successful paradigm of translational medicine

GUO Xiaoqiang

2020, 42(2): 142-150. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.010

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Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is an important cytokine with a wide range of biological functions. In 1975, TNF was discovered, initially believed to inducing necrosis of tumor and presumed to be involved in cachexia. In 1985, TNF was confirmed as a key inflammatory factor involved in lipopolysaccharide-induced shock, and subsequently found to play a key role in many inflammatory diseases. TNF blockade has been shown to be of great value in alleviating a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis. Then, many TNF inhibitors have been developed and approved for clinical use, including infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), golimumab (Simponi) and etanercept (Enbrel). The discovery, functional elucidation of TNF and the development and application of inhibitors have fully explained the successful path of translational medicine.

Unraveling the mystery of Mach band: A brief biography of Haldan Keffer Hartline

GU Fanji

2020, 42(2): 151-156. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2020.02.011

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This paper summarizes the growing up of 1967 Nobel Prize winner Hartline and his main achievements: discovering the single fiber activity of visual nerve cells, the receptive field of frog retinal ganglion cells, the lateral inhibition in nervous systems, and thus shedding light on the mystery of Mach band phenomenon in psychology. It also introduces his excellent qualities: great love for
science, curiosity and keeping pace with the times.

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