Recently, the results of the contest for “Major Academic Progress of HUST in 2017” have been published. Being hosted by the Academic Committee of HUST (AC-HUST), this event was launched in October 2017 as the first contest.
Being recommended through the Academic Committee of departments or members of the AC-HUST, the entries underwent the evaluations by the Department Subcommittee of the AC-HUST and all members of the AC-HUST respectively. The meeting of the directors then had a discussion and nominated candidates based on the previous evaluations. After a defence, eight candidates were finally selected as the Major Academic Progress of HUST in 2017 by a vote in the plenary meeting of the AC-HUST.
The results of the contest covered achievements recommended by various disciplines, such as the humanities and social sciences, science, engineering, and medicine, and the selection criteria highlighted the originality of the achievements as well as the guidance and impetus given by these achievements to their subjects, which aimed to spread knowledge about cutting-edge science, promote the spirit of science, stimulate innovation and boost the construction of “Double-First Class” of HUST.
Attached: Introduction of Major Academic Progress of HUST in 2017
1. Discovery of Memory Neural Circuits.
Main Researcher: Lu Youming
Organization: School of Basic Medicine
Which of the brain’s 100 billion neurons stores memory signals and how they are connected to form memory neural circuits are fundamental problems that need to be addressed to understand human memory. By building single-cell gene expression profile in different functional regions of cerebral cortex, Lu Youming’s team from the School of Basic Medicine discovered a new type of neurons, Htr2c, which can develop spatial memory circuits with parvalbumin. Lu’s team further found a degeneration of this kind of memory circuits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Lu’s team found the cause of the deficit of memory neural circuits in an Alzheimer’s disease modal
2. Non-coding RNAs’ Impact on Heart Failure
Main Researcher: Wang Daowen
Organization: Tongji Hospital Attached to Tongji Medical College
At present, there are more than 270 million people with hypertension in China and China is facing grave difficulties in preventing and curing the disease. Hypertension is one of the major causes of heart failure. Wang Daowen’s team from the Tongji Hospital discovered that the decreased performance of Cytb is an important cause of oxidative stress, hypertension, and heart failure. They also found that miR-21 can increase the content of Cytb back to the normal level, thereby reducing the effect of oxidative stress and ultimately lowering the elevated blood pressure and alleviating heart failure caused by hypertension.
The miR-21 increases the content of Cytb.
3. Force-induced Direct Stretching of Chromatin.
Main Researcher: Wang Ning
Organization: College of Life Science and Technology
Focusing on the characteristics of biomechanical force signals, Prof. Wang Ning’s team from the College of Life Science and Technology developed a new type of three-dimensional magnetic twisting cytometry and discovered that different directions of cells have different rigidity and transmit different biomechanical force. They proposed and proved that biomechanical force signals have a direct impact on chromatin structure and gene expression, which make breakthrough in understanding chromatin structure and gene expression and promote the development of cell biomechanics.
Force signals have a direct impact on gene expression.
4. Method and Equipment for Manufacturing High-end Metal Parts by Combining Arc Micro-forging with Milling.
Main Researcher: Zhang Haiou
Organization: School of Mechanical Science
Prof. Zhang Haiou’s team from the School of Mechanical Science proposed a new method for manufacturing high-end large-scale metal parts by combining arc micro-forging synchronously with milling and invented an intelligent manufacturing equipment where the processes of adding, equalling and reducing material are integrated. Their study reformed the existing manufacturing process featured with multiple equipment, long processes, heavy pollution and high consumption of raw materials and energy at home and broad where procedures, like casting, forging, welding and milling, are separate from each other, and came up with a new method for manufacturing key metal parts in large aircrafts, advanced engines and warships in a low cost but with a high quality by applying the original manipulators which are compact and flexible as well as the ultra-short technological process, having great strategic significance and practical value.
An alloyed propeller in warships which is trial-manufactured by the approach.
5. Verification of the Key Technology of Experimental Tests on Non-Newtonian Gravitational Forces Through Tianzhou-1.
Main Researcher: Zhou Zebin
Organization: School of Physics
The team from the Center for Gravitational Experiments conducted experimental tests on the non-newtonian gravitational forces on orbit proposed by Prof. Luo Jun, finished the design and development of devices for space experiment, and completed the on-orbit verification of high-precision electrostatic accelerometer through Tianzhou-1. The experiment was a complete success, which laid the foundation for the implementation of major plans, such as satellite gravity survey and space gravitational wave detection.
A figure of device for testing non-newtonian gravitational forces.
6. Discovery of New Photoreception Mechanism of Living Bodies.
Main Researcher: Liu Jianfeng & Xu Xianzhong
Organization: College of Life Science and Technology
Prof. Liu Jianfeng from the College of Life Science and Technology and his collaborator, Prof. Xu Xianzhong, conducted a study on the photoreception mechanism of LITE-1 and revealed a new photoreception mechanism that has never been discovered in the natural world. Their study greatly expanded the understanding of photoreception mechanisms of living bodies and their significance and had an outstanding application value in genetic engineering.
A new photoreception mechanism with no chromophore of LITE-1.
7. Making Breakthroughs in Superconducting Cyclotron Equipment for Proton Therapy.
Main Researcher: Fan Kuanjun
Organization: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Aiming at the international frontier of non-invasive high-precision proton therapy against cancer, the proton therapy team of HUST has started advanced researches on the localization of superconducting cyclotron equipment for proton therapy since 2014 and has made breakthroughs in theoretical and engineering practices of the injection, acceleration and extraction of high-efficiency proton beam, precise beam transport and scanning irradiation as well as large-inertia, large-scale, high-quality and high-precision rotating frames. The Research and Development of Equipment for Proton Therapy Based on Superconducting Cyclotron was approved as one of the first batch of the pilot projects of the 13th Five-Year National Key Research and Development Program of China, receiving national funds of 196 million yuan.
The diagram of equipment for proton therapy
8. Releasing the Assessment Report on Green GDP Performance in China.
Main Researcher: Ouyang Kang, Zhao Zelin & Liu Qihang
Organization: School of Humanities
Green GDP is an important index to lead green development which focuses on the cost of resources and ecological environment in economic and social development. Prof. Ouyang Kang’s team from the Institute of State Governance Studies proposed a comprehensive assessment of green GDP based on China’s national conditions for the first time, which includes five indexes like GDP, per capita GDP, green GDP, per capita green GDP, and green development performance index, and released the “Assessment Report on Green GDP Performance in China (Hubei, 2016)”, promoting the modernization of green development and state governance.
The comprehensive ranking of green GDP performance in 17 cities of Hubei Province in 2014.
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