Optimization of recyclable MSW recycling network: A Chinese case of Shanghai

The establishment of recycling network is critical to improve municipal solid waste (MSW) management. However, how to determine the best locations for the recycling stations and recycling centers remains to be solved. Under such a circumstance, this study aims to forecast the MSW generation and develop a cost-based location optimization model using p-median method so that the optimal scale and location of recycling centers can be identified. Shanghai, with an ambitious plan for promoting MSW recycling at the city level, was selected as a case study city. Results show that Shanghai's MSW generation rate will be about 3% from 2017 to 2020. Regional distribution analysis shows that the downtown areas have higher intensity for MSW generation due to high population density and consumption level. Fourteen regional recycling centers were identified to be the optimal places for establishing recycling centers. The achievement of this scenario can lead to the lowest total cost of 144 million Chinese Yuan. Moreover, the optimal results may change if unit transportation cost and unit scale cost are changed. For instance, the optimal numbers of recycling centers will increase with the increase of unit transportation cost or decrease of unit scale cost. Finally, model limitations and policy recommendations are raised by considering the local realities.

V. G. K. Analysis of the effects of acoustic levitation to simulate the microgravity environment on the development of early zebrafish embryos

In this work, an acoustic standing wave field (ASWF) is used to simulate the space environment, which shows characteristics such as microgravity and the absence of containment and contact. Zebrafish embryos, used as the species under study in this work, were raised within the acoustic field by the authors, allowing the biological effects on such early zebrafish embryos, at each developmental stage and within the ASWF creating the acoustic levitation (AL) technology used, to be studied. In this way, the biological safety of thee specimens, simulating the space environment, could be carefully evaluated. Some important indexes of the process of zebrafish development, such as mortality, malformation rate, hatching rate, voluntary movement and heart rate were detected and analyzed. It has been found that the ASWF exerted considerable influence on the zebrafish embryos at the early development stage, influencing features such as the cleavage, blastula and gastrul stage, over the period 0–8 hour post fertilization (hpf). The zebrafish appear to show some features of teratogenesis, as well as lethal effects and a significant decrease of the hatching rate, after being treated by using the AL that was applied. Furthermore, it was observed that voluntary movements and the embryo heart rates apparently increased under these conditions. However, as the development of the embryo progressed into the bursa pharyngea stage (at 24–32 hpf), the influence of the ASWF creating the AL on zebrafish seemed almost to be insignificant, as there was no obvious difference between the characteristics of the experimental group and the control group. The experiment carried out has provided a scientific reference for the application of AL in this field, allowing the biological safety aspects of such zebrafish embryo development within a space environment to be evaluated.

Influence of acoustic standing wave field creating acoustic levitation, on each development stage of early zebrafish embryos has been studied.

[Chromosomal abnormalities in spontaneous miscarriage specimens detected by combinatorial probe anchor synthesis-based high-throughput low coverage whole genome sequencing]

Objective: To evaluate the application of combinatorial probe anchor synthesis (cPAS)-based high-throughput low coverage whole genome sequencing in chromosomal aberration detection in spontaneous miscarriage. Methods: From September 2015 to May 2017, spontaneous miscarriage samples were collected from Inner Mongolia Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. Those samples were further analyzed with two independent methods, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and low coverage whole genome sequencing on the BGISEQ-500 high-throughput platform. The performance of low coverage whole genome sequencing was assessed by comparing to FISH results. Results: In 595 spontaneous miscarried specimens, low coverage whole genome sequencing revealed 144 cases (24.2%, 144/595) chromosomal abnormalities, of which a subset of 137 cases (23.0%, 137/595) were detected as aneuploidies, 2 cases (0.3%, 2/595) as mosaicisms and 5 cases (0.8%, 5/595) as copy number variation (≥5 Mb). Conclusion: cPAS-based high-throughput low coverage whole genome sequencing is a reliable method in detecting chromosomal aberrations inspontaneous abortion tissues, including chromosome aneuploidies, mosaicisms and copy number variation (≥5 Mb).

[Gene mutation spectrum and clinical characteristics analysis of 178 patients with essential thrombocytosis]

目的

分析原发性血小板增多症（ET）患者基因突变谱及临床特征。

方法

对2009年2月1日至2018年11月1日收治的178例初诊ET患者进行回顾性分析。

结果

全部178例患者中，男89例，女89例，中位初诊年龄为49.5（3~86）岁。JAK2V617F基因突变频率为16.45%（1.67%~43.90%），CALR基因突变频率为40.00%（10.00%~49.15%），MPL基因突变频率为25.10%（25.00%~40.00%）。与CALR基因突变的患者相比，JAK2V617F基因突变患者具有较高的发病年龄（P=0.035）、初诊白细胞计数（P=0.040）、初诊血红蛋白浓度（P=0.001）和较低的初诊血小板计数（P=0.002）。47例（27.01%）患者诊断ET前发生血栓事件，3例（1.72%）诊断ET后发生血栓事件。多因素分析结果显示，年龄>60岁（P=0.013，OR=4.595，95%CI1.382~15.282）、心血管危险因素（P<0.001，OR=8.873，95%CI2.921~26.955）为血栓事件的危险因素，CALR基因突变（P=0.032，OR=0.126，95%CI0.019~0.838）为血栓事件的保护性因素。年龄>60岁（P=0.042，OR=4.045，95%CI1.053~15.534）是影响ET患者总生存时间的危险因素。年龄≤60岁、年龄>60岁患者的OS时间分别为（115.231±1.899）、（83.291±4.991）个月（χ²=6.406，P=0.011）。

结论

心血管危险因素、年龄>60岁为ET患者血栓事件的危险因素，CALR基因突变为血栓事件的保护性因素。年龄>60岁是影响ET患者总生存的危险因素。

[Spatial distribution of cancer-related burden in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2013]

Objective: To evaluate the burden and to describe the characteristics of spatial distribution caused by malignant tumors among different administrative areas in Guangzhou from 2010- 2013. Methods: Based on data from the Cancer Registry system and population in Guangzhou in 2010- 2013, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) was assessed on the disease burden of cancer, in accordance with the method used in the Global Burden of Disease study. Results: The crude incidence rates of cancer appeared as 256.22/10(5) in 2010-2011 and 270.04/10(5) in 2012-2013, with the crude mortality rates as 143.17/10(5) and 148.01/10(5), respectively, in Guangzhou. Cancers caused 606 238.95 DALYs in 2010-2011 and 623 763.80 DALYs in 2012-2013 for both sexes and 37.63 and 37.81 person year per 1 000 persons, with the standardized DALY rates as 34.51‰, 34.00‰ respectively. Three administrative districts (Yuexiu, Haizhu and Liwan) were with the largest disease burden of cancers that accounted for 45% of the DALYs for the whole Conghua district, with liver cancer was the leading cancer on DALYs, and tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer ranked the first in the other districts. Conclusions: In Guangzhou, disease burden caused by cancers was both prominently seen in the newly developed urban area and the old districts. It remains an arduous task to continue programs on control and prevention of cancers in this city.

[Clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in pediatric patients]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and summarize the experience on the diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in pediatric patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective study. Five pediatric patients diagnosed as aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to August 2018 were included. The clinical features, methods of examination, treatment and outcome were analyzed. Results: There were 2 male and 3 female patients in this cohort. The age of onset ranged from 10 to 13 years. The main clinical symptoms were as follows: intermittent claudication and hypertension (5 patients), heart failure (3 patients). Three patients with heart failure were misdiagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in other hospitals. Except 1 patient died due to disease aggravation before operation, the other 4 patients received interventional therapy for severe heart failure or refractory hypertension on the basis of hormone anti-inflammatory treatment, including 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and stent implantation. In post-operational follow-up, clinical symptoms and laboratory examination values of the 4 patients treated with interventional therapy were significantly improved. Conclusions: The clinical symptoms of pediatric patients with aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis mainly present with intermittent claudication, hypertension and heart failure. Aortic intervention strategy should be applied for pediatric patients with severe heart failure or refractory hypertension as early as possible.

Lipopolysaccharide induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition of alveolar epithelial cells cocultured with macrophages possibly via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the process of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Increasing evidences have shown that exaggerated EMT in recurrent pulmonary injury mediates the early pathogenesis of PF. This study aimed to evaluate EMT of human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) when cocultured with human macrophages Tohoku hospital pediatrics-1 (THP-1) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and investigate the role of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. Firstly, we detected the inflammatory and EMT biomarkers in A549 cells monoculture and A549/THP-1 cells coculture in the presence or absence of LPS. Then, the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was determined in coculture. Interestingly, inflammatory markers, such as interleukin (IL)-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and collagen type 1 (COL-1), were enhanced in LPS treated coculture. Besides, the expression of E-cadherin decreased but α-smooth muscle actin expression increased, indicating the presence of EMT in A549 cells when cocultured with THP-1 macrophages. However, these phenotypes could not be observed in LPS-treated A549 cells monoculture. Meanwhile, JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was activated, and the STAT3 DNA-binding and inflammatory markers were inhibited by Stattic. Together, these findings demonstrate the key role of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in LPS promoted EMT of A549 in the presence of THP-1 macrophages as an in vitro PF model.

China's provincial grey water footprint characteristic and driving forces

Grey water footprint (GWF), as a measure of water pollution in terms of the amount of water needed to dilute pollutants, has drawn great attention due to the necessity to respond to water contamination and water scarcity challenges. Under such a circumstance, this study aims to reveal China's national and provincial GWF features from 2003 to 2015, and to identify the corresponding driving forces by using the Kaya equation and the Logarithmic Mean Division Index (LMDI) decomposition method. Results show that the national total GWF declined from 1418 billion m³ in 2003 to 1655 billion m³ in 2015, and the industrial GWF reduction was the main reason for this decrease. Domestic GWF was the dominant component, particularly for service dominated provinces such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, etc., with proportion up to about 80%. Southern and eastern provinces had higher GWF but lower GWF intensity (GWF per unit GDP), and water scarce northern provinces exhibited higher GWF load although they had lower GWF. The GWF intensity experienced a decreasing trend, with economy effect and intensity effect being the main driving forces, particularly for Tibet. Technology effect and exploitation effect (ratio of water use to water resource) were the main barriers for less developed provinces. Finally, policy recommendations are proposed to alleviate future GWF challenges of China, such as improving the discharge standards of WWTP (wastewater treatment plant), promoting wastewater recycling, reducing GWF intensity and GWF load through industrial structure and trade structure adjustment.

A bibliometric analysis on waste electrical and electronic equipment research

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains both toxic and valuable materials. Due to rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), a large amount of WEEE have been produced, leading to increasing academic efforts in this field. This study aims to depict the trends and features of WEEE-related studies through a bibliometric analysis. The results show that the total number of WEEE-related publications had sharply increased, with China as the leading country. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences is the most productive WEEE-related research institution, while Mai BX is the most productive author. As such, Waste Management, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Environmental Science & Technology are the most influential journals. The research hotspots of WEEE mainly focus on the recycling and treatment technologies, environmental impacts, and relevant policies of WEEE. By tracing the evolutionary pathway of WEEE research, it is clear that the research frontiers have switched from electronic equipment, extended producer responsibility, sediment, environment and design, risk assessment to life cycle assessment, mobile phone, and behaviors. This study provides valuable insights to those WEEE-related scholars so that they can identify their own research topics and partners. This paper is one of the first studies in WEEE research field that offers critical discussions and suggestions related to research development and future trends, and used visualized tools to present the holistic picture of this field.

Structure-activity relationships study of neolamellarin A and its analogues as hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) inhibitors

The novel marine pyrrole alkaloid neolamellarin A derived from sponge has been shown to inhibit hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activity. In this work, we designed and synthesized neolamellarin A and its series of derivatives by a convergent synthetic strategy. The HIF-1 inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity of these compounds were evaluated in Hela cells by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and MTT assay, respectively. The results showed that neolamellarin A 1 (IC₅₀ = 10.8 ± 1.0 μM) and derivative 2b (IC₅₀ = 11.9 ± 3.6 μM) had the best HIF-1 inhibitory activity and low cytotoxicity. Our SAR research focused on the effects of key regions aliphatic carbon chain length, aromatic ring substituents and C-7 substituent on biological activity, providing a basis for the subsequent research on the development of novel pyrrole alkaloids as HIF-1 inhibitors and design of small molecule probes for target protein identification.

[The effect of air test and methylene blue perfusion test on detecting the quality of anastomosis during laparoscopic rectal cancer excision (Dixon)]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of air test (AT) and methylene blue perfusion test (MBPT) to detect the quality of the anastomosis in laparoscopic rectal cancer excision (Dixon), and compare the two approaches. Methods: AT is performed by filling the pelvis with saline solution and insufflating the rectum with air through a size 22 G balloon catheter (Foley). MBPT is carried out by surrounding clean sponges around anastomosis and injecting methylene blue solution into the rectum as like as AT. The balloon catheter connected manometer,ensuring the pressure in rectum can reach 40 cmH(2)O during AT and MBPT. The presence of air bubbles and overt blue-stained spillage indicated anastomotic leaks which are were resolved during surgery. All 28 patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal excision received both AT and MBPT intraoperatively in a randomized fashion. The integrity of the anastomosis, postoperative vital signs, blood examination, drainage and postoperative imaging were analyzed. Results: All 28 patients received both tests successfully with no adverse event. MBPT Level 1 was detected in 15 cases, level 2 in 8 cases, level 3 in 5 cases. No MBPT level 4 was observed. AT level 1 was detected in 22 cases, level 2 in 5 cases, level 3 in 1 cases. No AT level 4 was founded. Three cases were diagnosed with postoperative anastomotic leakage (3/28, 10.71%), of which 2 cases were Grade B [definition and grading proposed by the international study group of rectal cancer (ISREC) in 2010]. One case was Grade C. The positive rate of MBPT was superior to AT (the McNemar testing, P<0.01). Conclusions: The two intraoperative tests are both technically feasible and safe. Compared to AT, MBPT has the advantage of localizing the leak site with a higher positive accuracy, and represents a promising standardized approach for intraoperative test of the anastomosis quality. Intraoperative repair is absolutely helpful for the level 3 and 4 intraoperative tests.

Activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 is involved in protection against mitochondrial dysfunction and cerebral ischaemic tolerance induced by isoflurane preconditioning

Background

Isoflurane preconditioning (IPC) induces cerebral ischaemic tolerance, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine changes in mitochondrial function in the brain after IPC, and whether the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) could be involved in the mechanism of mitochondrial protection mediated by IPC.

Methods

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with isoflurane 2% for 1 h day -1 , for 5 days consecutively, and then subjected to 120 min right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cannabinoid receptor 1 expression in the cellular and mitochondrial membrane was measured. The CB1R agonist HU-210 was administered alone, or the antagonists AM251 and SR141716A were given to the animals before each preconditioning. Neurological scores, infarct volume, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function were examined after middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Results

Expression of CB1R on cellular and mitochondrial membranes was increased 6 h after preconditioning. Both IPC and HU-210 administration before middle cerebral artery occlusion improved neurological outcomes and reduced infarct volume. Isoflurane preconditioning increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L and reduced apoptosis in neurones. Isoflurane preconditioning and HU-210 also markedly preserved the activity of respiratory chain complexes, reduced mitochondrial radical generation, preserved mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonists abolished the improvement in mitochondrial function and the neuroprotective effects induced by IPC.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that IPC elicits brain ischaemic tolerance and mitochondrial protection by activating the CB1R, which provides a new mechanism for IPC-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischaemia.

Durability and Wear Resistance of Laser-Textured Hardened Stainless Steel Surfaces with Hydrophobic Properties

Hydrophobic surfaces are of high interest to industry. While surface functionalization has attracted significant interest, from both industry and research, the durability of engineered surfaces remains a challenge, as wear and scratches deteriorate their functional response. In this work, a cost-effective combination of surface engineering processes on stainless steel was investigated. Low-temperature plasma surface alloying was applied to increase surface hardness from 172 to 305 HV. Then, near-infrared nanosecond laser patterning was deployed to fabricate channel-like patterns that enabled superhydrophobicity. Abrasion tests were carried out to examine the durability of such engineered surfaces during daily use. In particular, the evolution of surface topographies, chemical composition, and water contact angle with increasing abrasion cycles were studied. Hydrophobicity deteriorated progressively on both hardened and raw stainless steel samples, suggesting that the major contributing factor to hydrophobicity was the surface chemical composition. At the same time, samples with increased surface hardness exhibited a slower deterioration of their topographies when compared with nontreated surfaces. A conclusion is made about the durability of laser-textured hardened stainless steel surfaces produced by applying the proposed combined surface engineering approach.

Level of Organ Donation-Related Knowledge and Attitude and Willingness Toward Organ Donation Among a Group of University Students in Western China

BACKGROUND

This study aims at analyzing the levels of organ donation-related knowledge and attitude and willingness toward organ donation and identifying factors that might influence willingness in organ donation among a selected group of university students in western China.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed among 1589 second-year students recruited by stratified cluster sampling from 5 universities in western China. The data were collected using a questionnaire survey.

RESULTS

In comparison with the general public in China, the participants of our survey are better informed with organ donation-related knowledge and are more positive toward organ donation and death and more willing to donate organs. However, willingness in organ donation (9.81%) and the actual organ donation rate (0.45%) are still relatively low. We find that the Chinese family plays a critical role in organ donation decision making (β = -1.849, odds ratio = 0.157, P < .001) and the upholding of willingness in organ donation (β = -0.695, odds ratio = 0.499, P < .05), which probably stems from the family-centered traditional values. Furthermore, a positive attitude toward death appears to be positively associated with willingness in organ donation (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the urgent need of improved education and training in organ donation-related knowledge and the development of positive attitude toward death among the potential donors and their family members as well as the general public to raise the organ donation rate in this country.

Synthesis of novel natural product-like diaryl acetylenes as hypoxia inducible factor-1 inhibitors and antiproliferative agents

The selaginellin derivatives are a type of novel natural pigments with an unusual alkynyl phenol skeleton from the genus Selaginella. Some of these natural compounds were previously reported to show important bioactivities, including anticancer activity, cardiovascular protection and phosphodiesterase-4 inhibition. We designed and synthesized fifteen biphenyl-containing diaryl acetylene derivatives mimicking the skeleton of natural alkynyl phenols. In MTT assay in cancer cells, compounds 1c, 2d, 2g, 2h, 2i and 2j exhibited potent antiproliferative activity. The evaluation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) pathway inhibitory activity in dual luciferase assay demonstrated that most tested compounds exhibited moderate to good activities. Compounds 1a, 2f and 2h displayed high HIF-1 inhibitory activities and relatively low cytotoxicity, demonstrating great potential as HIF-1 inhibitors. These results afford a new strategy for the discovery of new HIF-1 inhibitors and anti-proliferative agents from natural or synthetic diaryl acetylene derivatives.

A series of selaginellin analogues, biphenyl-containing diaryl acetylenes, were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic and HIF-1 inhibitory activities.

1 Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of bovine gametes and invivo-produced pre-implantation embryos

Dynamic changes in DNA methylation are crucial in the epigenetic regulation of mammalian embryogenesis. Global DNA methylation studies in the bovine, however, remain mostly at the immunostaining level. We adopted the single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing method to characterise stage-specific genome-wide DNA methylation in bovine sperm, individual oocytes derived invivo and invitro, and invivo-developed embryos at the 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-cell stages. This method allowed us to theoretically cover all CpG sites in the genome using a limited number of cells from single embryos. Pools of 20 sperm were selected from a bull with proven fertility. Single oocytes (n=6) and embryos (n=4 per stage) were collected from Holstein cows (n=10). Single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing libraries were prepared and sequenced using the Illumina HiSEqn 4000 platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Sequencing reads were filtered and aligned to the bovine reference genome (UMD 3.1.1) using Bismark (Krueger and Andrews 2011Bioinformatics27, 1571-1572, DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btr167).A 300-bp tile-based method was applied to bin the genome into consecutive windows to facilitate comparison across samples. The DNA methylation level was calculated as the fraction of read counts of the total number of cytosines (methylated) in the total read counts of reported cytosines and thymines (methylated and unmethylated), only if more than 3 CpG sites were covered in this tile. Gamete-specific differentially methylated regions were identified when DNA methylation levels were greater than 75% in one type of gamete and less than 25% in the other with false discovery rate-corrected Fisher’s exact test P-values of less than 0.05. The major wave of genome-wide DNA demethylation was complete at the 8-cell stage when de novo methylation became prominent. Sperm and oocytes had numerous differentially methylated regions that were enriched in intergenic regions. Differentially methylated regions were also identified between invivo- and invitro-matured oocytes. Moreover, X chromosome methylation followed the global dynamic patterns. Virtually no (less than 1.5%) DNA methylation was found in mitochondrial DNA. Finally, using our RNA sequencing data generated from the same developmental stages (Jiang et al. 2014 BMC Genomics 15, 756; DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-756), we revealed an inverse correlation between gene expression and promoter methylation. Our study provides the first fully comprehensive analysis of the global dynamics of DNA methylation in bovine gametes and single early embryos using single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. These data provide insights into the critical features of the methylome of bovine embryos and serve as an important reference for embryos produced by assisted reproduction, such as IVF and cloning, and a model for human early embryo epigenetic regulation.

[The diagnosis and treatment of traumatic optic nerve neuropathy combined with carotid artery injury]

Objective: To discuss the diagnosis and treatment strategy of traumatic optic nerve neuropathy (TON) combined with carotid artery injury. Methods: Retrospective analyses were performed 397 cases of TON at Neurosurgery department of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University (CMU), from January 2016 to December 2017.The clinical experience was concluded. Results: 9 cases of Traumatic Pseudo Aneurysm (TPA) and 16 cases of Traumatic Carotid Artery-Cavernous Sinus Fistula (TCCF) were found.7 cases of TPA were treated by covered stent, the other 2 cases were treated by detachable balloons.11 cases of TCCF were treated by detachable balloons, and 5 cases of fistulas were found spontaneously closed by DSA after 1-3 months.There was no disability rate and mortality in this study. Conclusion: TON combined with carotid artery injury was a critical situation, and sometime without obvious symptoms and sign, which was easily miss diagnosed.It should be with more concern in diagnosing and treating in such cases, to avoid disability rate and mortality.

Micro-/Nanorobots Propelled by Oscillating Magnetic Fields

Recent strides in micro- and nanomanufacturing technologies have sparked the development of micro-/nanorobots with enhanced power and functionality. Due to the advantages of on-demand motion control, long lifetime, and great biocompatibility, magnetic propelled micro-/nanorobots have exhibited considerable promise in the fields of drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, and environmental remediation. The magnetic fields which provide energy for propulsion can be categorized into rotating and oscillating magnetic fields. In this review, recent developments in oscillating magnetic propelled micro-/nanorobot fabrication techniques (such as electrodeposition, self-assembly, electron beam evaporation, and three-dimensional (3D) direct laser writing) are summarized. The motion mechanism of oscillating magnetic propelled micro-/nanorobots are also discussed, including wagging propulsion, surface walker propulsion, and scallop propulsion. With continuous innovation, micro-/nanorobots can become a promising candidate for future applications in the biomedical field. As a step toward designing and building such micro-/nanorobots, several types of common fabrication techniques are briefly introduced. Then, we focus on three propulsion mechanisms of micro-/nanorobots in oscillation magnetic fields: (1) wagging propulsion; (2) surface walker; and (3) scallop propulsion. Finally, a summary table is provided to compare the abilities of different micro-/nanorobots driven by oscillating magnetic fields.

Characterization of endogenous antioxidant attributes and its influence on thermal stability of canola oil

Difference in thermal stability of two commercially available canola oils prepared by either expeller-extraction (EE) or solvent-extraction (SE) method was investigated. After 5 days consecutive deep-fry, content of oxidized-triacylglycerols (oxTAGs) in SE oil increased by 250.0% compared to its original status. However, 62.5% increase of oxTAGs in EE oil occurred, indicating that EE oil exhibits superior thermal stability to SE oil. Antioxidant capacity of EE oil was highly retained and loss rate of tocopherols in EE oil was much slower than in SE oil during deep-fry. Lipidomics showed that although there was no significant difference in molecular profile of either triacylglycerols or diacylglycerols between two oils, EE oil was characterized with 19 times higher phosphatidylcholine contents than SE oil. Considering no difference in antioxidant capacity between the two oils in their original status, it is proposed that synergetic mechanism is simultaneously initiated by antioxidant compounds and phosphatidylcholines, which plays key roles for maintaining better thermo-stability of vegetable oil during deep-fry.

Water footprint characteristic of less developed water-rich regions: Case of Yunnan, China

Rapid industrialization and urbanization pose pressure on water resources in China. Virtual water trade proves to be an increasingly useful tool in water stress alleviation for water-scarce regions, while bringing opportunities and challenges for less developed water-rich regions. In this study, Yunnan, a typical province in southwest China, was selected as the case study area to explore its potential in socio-economic development in the context of water sustainability. Both input-output analysis and structural decomposition analysis on Yunnan's water footprint for the period of 2002-2012 were performed at not only an aggregated level but also a sectoral level. Results show that although the virtual water content of all economic sectors decreased due to technological progress, Yunnan's total water footprint still increased as a result of economic scale expansion. From the sectoral perspective, sectors with large water footprints include construction sector, agriculture sector, food manufacturing & processing sector, and service sector, while metal products sector and food manufacturing & processing sector were the major virtual water exporters, and textile & clothing sector and construction sector were the major importers. Based on local conditions, policy suggestions were proposed, including economic structure and efficiency optimization, technology promotion and appropriate virtual water trade scheme. This study provides valuable insights for regions facing "resource curse" by exploring potential socio-economic progress while ensuring water security.