A framework of computer vision-enhanced microfluidic approach for automated assessment of the transient sickling kinetics in sickle red blood cells.

The occurrence of vaso-occlusive crisis greatly depends on the competition between the sickling delay time and the transit time of individual sickle cells, i.e., red blood cells (RBCs) from sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, while they are traversing the circulatory system. Many drugs for treating SCD work by inhibiting the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin (HbS), effectively delaying the sickling process in sickle cells (SS RBCs). Most previous studies on screening anti-sickling drugs, such as voxelotor, rely on in vitro testing of sickling characteristics, often conducted under prolonged deoxygenation for up to 1 hour. However, since the microcirculation of RBCs typically takes less than 1 minute, the results of these studies may be less accurate and less relevant for in vitro-in vivo correlation. In our current study, we introduce a computer vision-enhanced microfluidic framework designed to automatically capture the transient sickling kinetics of SS RBCs within a 1-min timeframe. Our study has successfully detected differences in the transient sickling kinetics between vehicle control and voxelotor-treated SS RBCs. This approach has the potential for broader applications in screening anti-sickling therapies.

Age and cohort trajectories of gender inequality in health among elderly people in China.

Using a multistate model, this article examines gender gap and its trend in health transition, life expectancy (LE), and active life expectancy (ALE) in different age groups and birth cohorts. The transition rate from life independence/disability to death for elderly women is lower than for elderly men. However, their disability rate is higher. The gender gap in LE, ALE, and DLE (disabled life expectancy) declines as age increases. In successive birth cohorts, men's LE increases more, and gender gaps in LE and ALE decrease over time. In the future, gender issues should be considered for health-care policy to provide nursing care for elderly women in China.

Flavonoids composition and antioxidant potential assessment of extracts from Gannanzao Navel Orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck Cv. Gannanzao) peel.

The antioxidant effect of 95% ethanol extract and its three subfractions, PE (petroleum ether), EtOAc (ethyl acetate), and water extracts, from Gannanzao navel orange peel, were evaluated by ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant potential) methods for the first time. Furthermore, the TPC (total polyphenol content), TFC (total flavonoid content), and primary individual flavonoids of the four extracts were analyzed and compared. The results indicated that: (1) the EtOAc extract exhibited the best antioxidant potential among these four extracts in all three antioxidant bioassay platforms; (2) Corresponding to the antioxidant potential, the EtOAc extract contained the highest contents of both TPC and TFC; (3) Compared with other extracts, the EtOAc extract was significantly (p < 0.01) rich in the contents of narirutin, sinensetin, nobiletin, 4',5,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone, and 3,3',4',5,6,7-hexamethoxyflavone, which might be the main bioactive compounds responsible for the excellent antioxidant potential of EtOAc extract.

Environmental, Ecological, and Economic Benefits of Biofuel Production Using a Constructed Wetland: A Case Study in China.

Here we show a constructed wetland (CW), a viable alternative wastewater treatment system, be used to produce biofuels from biomass by using nitrogen contained in domestic wastewater. We summarize the potential biomass yield evaluated as cellulosic ethanol bioenergy production, and combine the life cycle analysis with a mass balance approach to estimate the energetic, environmental, and economic performance of a CW biofuel system. The results showed that the annual aboveground biomass yield of a CW in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China, averaged 37,813 kg ha-1 year-1 as the by-product of treating waste N, which is about one order of magnitude larger than traditional biofuel production systems. The biomass yield in the Zhoushan CW system had life cycle environment benefits of 8.8 Mg (1 Mg = 106 g) CO2 equivalent ha-1 year-1 of greenhouse gas emission reduction. The CW in Zhoushan had a net energy gain of 249.9 GJ (1 GJ = 108 J) ha-1 year-1 while the wastewater treatment plant (WTP) consumes 7442.5 GJ ha-1 year-1. Moreover, the CW reduced greenhouse gas emissions to 2714 times less than that of the WTP. The CW also provided various ecosystem services, such as regional climate regulation and habitat conservation. We suggest that the potential use of a CW as biofuel production and carbon sequestration via nitrogen-negative input can be explored more widely in the future.

Health status and air pollution related socioeconomic concerns in urban China.

BACKGROUND: China is experiencing environmental issues and related health effects due to its industrialization and urbanization. The health effects associated with air pollution are not just a matter of epidemiology and environmental science research, but also an important social science issue. Literature about the relationship of socioeconomic factors with the environment and health factors is inadequate. The relationship between air pollution exposure and health effects in China was investigated with consideration of the socioeconomic factors. METHODS: Based on nationwide survey data of China in 2014, we applied the multilevel mixed-effects model to evaluate how socioeconomic status (represented by education and income) contributed to the relationship between self-rated air pollution and self-rated health status at community level and individual level. RESULTS: The findings indicated that there was a non-linear relationship between the community socioeconomic status and community air pollution in urban China, with the highest level of air pollution presented in the communities with moderate socioeconomic status. In addition, health effects associated air pollution in different socioeconomic status groups were not equal. Self-rated air pollution had the greatest impact on self-rated health of the lower socioeconomic groups. With the increase of socioeconomic status, the effect of self-rated air pollution on self-rated health decreased. CONCLUSIONS: This study verified the different levels of exposure to air pollution and inequality in health effects among different socioeconomic groups in China. It is imperative for the government to urgently formulate public policies to enhance the ability of the lower socioeconomic groups to circumvent air pollution and reduce the health damage caused by air pollution.