Briefly

TIANJIN

Tentacle-like robot to clear space debris

Removing trash in space will now be easier thanks to a China-developed robotic arm. Most robots, inspired by human limbs, are created with discrete links rigidly connected by joints. The new continuum robot, in contrast, can move by bending through a series of continuous arcs, producing motion akin to tentacles or snakes. Researchers from Tianjin University have developed the robotic arm, which could be used to chase down and collect debris from satellites and other space technology orbiting high above Earth. The robotic arm, which resembles the arm of an octopus or the trunk of an elephant, includes a central backbone made of a superelastic metal alloy of nickel and titanium, which can revert naturally back to its original shape after being bent or deformed by outside forces. It also has a camera and a grasping claw attached to the head.

BEIJING

15,000 charged with duty-related crimes

The first 11 months of last year saw more than 15,000 people prosecuted for duty-related crimes across China, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Thursday. It said over 80 percent of job-related crimes involved corruption and bribery, and primary-level officials accounted for the vast majority of those prosecuted. Procuratorial organs have intensified efforts to crack down on crimes involving officials acting as "protective umbrellas" for organized crimes or local bullies, the top prosecuting agency said. Preliminary statistics show that property and money worth 52.9 million yuan ($8.2 million) involved in criminal cases concerning poverty alleviation was recovered and returned from January to September. The recovery of the money benefited 11,094 people living in poverty, the Supreme People's Procuratorate added.

Way to detect heavy metals on farmland

Chinese researchers have developed a new method for detecting heavy metals on farmland and analyzing pollution sources, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences said. CAAS researchers combined two machine classification and screening methods to characterize heavy metal pollution sources in the sediment of an urban river and its surrounding farmland soil. They proposed a new source analysis method for heavy metals on farmland and a screening mechanism for the remediation of contaminated soils. The new method can improve the accuracy and efficiency of heavy metal pollution source analysis in farmland soil, providing references for the restoration and management of farmlands contaminated by heavy metals. It can help reduce heavy metal pollution diffusion, helping to create a management system based on big data, the academy said. The research was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Xinhua