Chinese Journal of Nature

Rendezvous and Docking Technology for Space Flight

ZHENG Yong-huang

2011, 33(6): 311-314. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.001

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Rendezvous and Docking is a very important basic technology of Manned Space Engineering. Firstly, rendezvous and docking technology development history is provided, and the significance of China first rendezvous and docking success is presented.Secondly, the basic conception, technology difficulty, control mode and docking process of rendezvous and docking technology are explained. Thirdly, four docking mechanism characteristics are special provided. Finally, China first rendezvous and docking mission planning,characteristic of Tiangong-1 target flight vehicle and Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and two rendezvous and docking successes are presented.

Toll Like-receptors and Dendritic Cells: Sensors for the Activation of Immune Response — A Brief Introduction to the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

CHEN Sai-juan, WANG Yi-huang

2011, 33(6): 315-321. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.002

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Toll, a protein involved in the dorsoventral development of fruit flies, was first discovered by the German Scientist Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and his colleagues in 1985. In 1996, Jules Hoffmann at the National Center for Scientific Research in Strasbourg, France, discovered that the product of Toll was involved in the sensing of pathogenic infections in fruit flies, and its activation was necessary for the initiation of effective defense; In 1998, Bruce A. Beutler at the Scripps Research Institute discovered that the lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a microbial pathogenic product) resistant mouse had a mutation in the receptor gene very similar to the Toll in fruit flies, and proved the Toll-like receptor was the sensor of LPS. These discoveries showed that mammals and fruit flies adopt the similar molecules to activate innate immunity. Therefore, they shared the half of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning the sensors for the activation of innate immunity. Another half of the prize was awarded to Ralph M. Steinman at the Rockefeller University in New York. In 1973, Steinman discovered the Dendritic cells(DCs) and proved that it could activate the T cells and initiate the adaptive immune response. Further studies showed that the DCs could sense the signals arising from the innate immune response and control the T cell activation. This makes it possible for the immune system to react towards pathogenic microorganisms while avoiding attacks on own body's endogenous molecules. These discoveries provide us further insights into the mechanism of activation and regulation of the immune system, and will facilitate the development of novel methods in disease prevention and treatment.

Quasi-periodic Crystals：Exotic but Common —A Brief Introduction to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2011

DONG Chuang, WANG Ying-min, QIANG Jian-bing, WANG Qing

2011, 33(6): 322-327. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.003

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Quasicrystals are solid phases having long-range quasiperiodic translational order and non-crystallographic rotational symmetry. The discovery of quasicrystals has brought about a paradigm shift in the understanding of the structure of matters. The influences of it, which is in obedience to no previously thought-out plan, on the way of thinking of Human beings are enormous, profound and lasting. Daniel Shechtman won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2011 for his discovery of quasicrystals. The past and the current status of quasicrystal research are shortly reviewed in this paper, in which the outstanding scientific contributions of Chinese scientists are introduced.

Unveiling Fate of the Universe Through Observations of Type Ia Supernovae — Brief Introduction to the Nobel Prize in Physics 2011

WANG Bo, ZHANG Jiang, WANG Xiao-feng, HAN Zhan-wen

2011, 33(6): 328-333. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.004

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The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2011 was awarded to Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant type Ia supernovae. This leads to the hypothesis of dark energy. In this paper, we will describe the study history of the Universe, type Ia supernovae and the accelerating expansion of the Universe, dark energy, and the problems in the study of type Ia supernovae. Especially, we also introduce domestic progress and perspective in this field.

New Advances in Study of Animal Behavior (II): Molecular Genetics and Animal Behavior

SHANG Yu-chang

2011, 33(6): 334-336. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.005

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In this paper, We will examine how molecular genetics can be used to test various ethological hypotheses. Genes can also be used in the proximate explanation of a trait in a very straightforward manner. If a study finds that some variant of gene X is associated with a variant of behavior Y, we are casting genes in a proximate, rather than an ultimate, light. Identifying the genes behind behavior traits is a large-scale endeavor going on in hundreds of labs around the world today. Researchers involved in this area examined the molecular genetic underpinning of traits such as foriging, mate choice, aggression, division of labor,and so on. We examine two case studies at the molecular genetic level: ultraviolet vision and song acquisition in birds.

Effects of Wenchuan Earthquake on Sediments Transport of River Systems in Longmen Shan Area

YAN Zhao-kun, LI Yong, HUANG Run-qiu, LIN Wei, LI Fen-sheng, DENSMORE

2011, 33(6): 337-339. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.006

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Based on the field research on the massive landslide and debris flow happened in September 2008 and August 2010 in Longmen Shan area, and analyzing the change of sediment transport rate before and after the earthquake in Pingtong river in the north Longmen Shan, comparing the spatial distribution of geological hazards triggered by Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, the topography of Longmen Shan, and the spatial distribution of precipitation, the following conclusions are gotten: ①Wenchuan earthquake will have a sustained impact on the geological hazards in the region. After earthquake, the loose deposits will be transported to downstream in the river system, and will have a substantial impact on the water conservancy and the control of flood and waterlogging in downstream. ②Structural factor(Wenchuan earthquake) and the topography are the main cause of the geological hazards, and the climate(precipitation and rain intensity) is the direct inducing factor.

A Microscopic View of the Cosmology with Interferometric Imaging

ZHOU Jian-feng, SU Yan, CAO Meng, YAO Hao-tian, GAO Qiang

2011, 33(6): 340-345. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.211.06.007

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Compare to the traditional geometric imaging, interferometric imaging in which complicated mathematical method is needed to reconstruct the original object is not intuitive. However, the angular resolution of an interferometric array, which is proportional to its maximum baseline, will not be limited by the size of individual telescope. The angular resolution of interferometric array is increasing rapidly. Now, the highest resolution is about milliarcsecond or even sub-milliarcsecond level, which makes interferomtric arrays the most powerful tools to study the multi-scale fine structures of the cosmology. In the history of interferometric imaging, it has incubated a lot of landmark scientific results. In future, interferometric imaging will be the key methods to explore some challenging objects, such as black hole, extraterrestial planets.

Discovery of Function and Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid PolymeraseⅠ

XIANG Yi-he

2011, 33(6): 346-354. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.06.008

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The process of finding the function and the structure of DNA polymerase is introduced. The key events include the proposition of active center model of the polymerase, the determination of molecular weight of the polymerase, the dissociation of the polymerase and achievement of active fragment, the determination of crystal structure of Klenow fragment binding DNA and of bacteriophage T7DNA replication. Based on the determined crystal structure, a right hand model was proposed.