Optical properties of sedimentary dissolved organic matter in intertidal zones along the coast of China: Influence of anthropogenic activities.

The intertidal zone, due to its location in the transition zone of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, is seriously disturbed by anthropogenic activities such as fuel combustion and industrial production, causing significant increase in dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, the distribution and properties of DOM in intertidal sediments at the large scale and their correlations with local socio-economic indicators remain unclear. In this study, we collected sediment samples from 13 intertidal zones across 11 coastal provinces in China and analyzed optical properties and compositions of sedimentary DOM. The results showed that the physico-chemical properties of sediment, such as pH and texture, affected the content of organic matter, thereby influencing the concentration of sedimentary DOM indirectly. The contents of fulvic acid- and protein-like components were relatively higher than humic acid-like component at all sampling sites. Moreover, urbanization could lead to the release of aromatic and humified organic matters into intertidal zones. Unlike coal, oil consumption exhibited positive correlation with SUVA254, indicating that the combustion of oil released more aromatic compounds. These findings revealed the impact of anthropogenic activities on sedimentary DOM and provided theoretical basis for predicting and regulating intertidal carbon sink.

Growing phosphorus dilemma: The opportunity from aquatic systems' secondary phosphorus retention capacity.

The essential cause of phosphorus scarcity and phosphorus-induced risks, i.e. phosphorus dilemma, mainly lies in current low phosphorus flow efficiency (PFE) in agricultural systems. Improving PFE largely depends on secondary phosphorus retention along the phosphorus flow chain from phosphate mining to terrestrial agricultural systems, to aquatic systems, and ultimately to seabed deposition. Our review found that aquatic systems will have the opportunity and growing capacity to retain seaward secondary phosphorus carried by the runoff, due to its location between land and water systems, its ability of converting secondary phosphorus from both land and aquatic systems into aquatic products, and its rapid expansion with low PFE. However, a knowledge gap exists in secondary phosphorus retention in aquatic systems compared to in terrestrial systems. Although the phosphorus retention literature continues to grow in environmental and agricultural & biological sciences, only 8.8% of the documents are related to aquatic systems with few quantification studies. Based on the literature with phosphorus retention quantification since 1979, we divided the reported phosphorus interceptors into abiotic and biotic groups, further into 7 categories and more subcategories. By 2020, eight categories of interceptors had been reported, increased from only one interceptor in 1979. However, most of them focused on wetlands, only a few studies on aquatic organisms which concentrated in 8 countries before 2000. Thus, it is urgent to emphasize aquatic systems' secondary phosphorus retention capacity and its systemic benefits for a sustainable phosphorus use.

Datasets of mass of phosphorus flows in Zhangzhou city in China.

Compared to currency data which tends to fluctuate with the market and cannot accurately reflect the effects of human activities on resources use efficiency and environmental sustainability, the assessment accuracy of the effects can be further improved by constant mass data of elements contained in materials and products within socioeconomic system, e.g. phosphorus mass data for its use efficiency assessment in the case of Zhangzhou city in China Huang et al., 2019. Firstly, the mass data of products and raw materials were sourced or assessed mainly from government statistical year books or bulletins. Secondly, the phosphorus contents in materials were derived mainly from literature. Finally, the mass of phosphorus flows throughout food production-consumption system in Zhangzhou prefecture, Fujian province, China was accounted by mass balance accounting based on substance flow analysis. These data include the following parts: input/output phosphorus flows across the jurisdiction boundary of Zhangzhou city; phosphorus flows into or out of agricultural production subsystems such as crop farming, livestock, and aquaculture; phosphorus flows into or out of human consumption subsystem; phosphorus flows across subsystems. Part of reference data related to phosphorus mass balance accounting was also presented.

Mechanism study of isoflavones as an anti-retinoblastoma progression agent.

Isoflavones, bioactive soy compounds, are known to exhibit anticancer activities. The present study investigated the anticancer activities of isoflavones on human retinoblastoma Y79 cells in vitro and in vivo. An MTT cell viability assay showed that the half maximal inhibitory concentration value of isoflavones against human retinoblastoma Y79 cells is 1.23 ± 0.42 µmol/l. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that isoflavones blocked G1/S progression. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in Y79 cells was inhibited by isoflavones, with a concomitant decrease in cyclin E1, which accounted for the isoflavone-mediated G1 phase arrest. Isoflavones also inhibited human retinoblastoma growth in vivo; western blot analysis showed inhibition of mTOR and downregulation of cyclin E1 in an isoflavone-treated xenograft mouse model. Together, these results illustrate that isoflavones inhibit retinoblastoma tumour growth in vitro and vivo and that inactivation of the mTOR pathway and downregulation of cyclin E1 is involved in this action. The results of this study suggest that isoflavones could be tested as promising anti-retinoblastoma agent.

Continental-scale pollution of estuaries with antibiotic resistance genes.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have moved from the environmental resistome into human commensals and pathogens, driven by human selection with antimicrobial agents. These genes have increased in abundance in humans and domestic animals, to become common components of waste streams. Estuarine habitats lie between terrestrial/freshwater and marine ecosystems, acting as natural filtering points for pollutants. Here, we have profiled ARGs in sediments from 18 estuaries over 4,000 km of coastal China using high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and investigated their relationship with bacterial communities, antibiotic residues and socio-economic factors. ARGs in estuarine sediments were diverse and abundant, with over 200 different resistance genes being detected, 18 of which were found in all 90 sediment samples. The strong correlations of identified resistance genes with known mobile elements, network analyses and partial redundancy analysis all led to the conclusion that human activity is responsible for the abundance and dissemination of these ARGs. Such widespread pollution with xenogenetic elements has environmental, agricultural and medical consequences.

Triclosan: A review on systematic risk assessment and control from the perspective of substance flow analysis.

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad spectrum antibacterial agent mainly used in Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products. Its increasing use over recent decades have raised its concentration in the environment, with commonly detectable levels found along the food web-from aquatic organisms to humans in the ecosystem. To date, there is shortage of information on how to investigate TCS's systematic risk on exposed organisms including humans, due to the paucity of systematic information on TCS flows in the anthroposphere. Therefore, a more holistic approach to mass flow balancing is required, such that the systematic risk of TCS in all environmental matrices are evaluated. From the perspective of Substance Flow Analysis (SFA), this review critically summarizes the current state of knowledge on TCS production, consumption, discharge, occurrence in built and natural environments, its exposure and metabolism in humans, and also the negative effects of TCS on biota and humans. Recent risk concerns have mainly focused on TCS removal efficiencies and metabolism, but less attention is given to the effect of mass flows from source to fate during risk exposure. However, available data for TCS SFA is limited but SFA can derive logical systematic information from limited data currently available for systematic risk assessment and reduction, based on mass flow analysis. In other words, SFA tool can be used to develop a comprehensive flow chart and indicator system for the risk assessment and reduction of TCS flows in the anthroposphere, thereby bridging knowledge gaps to streamline uncertainties related to policy-making on exposure pathways within TCS flow-lines. In the final analysis, specifics on systematic TCS risk assessment via SFA, and areas of improvement on human adaptation to risks posed by emerging contaminants are identified and directions for future research are suggested.

Substance flow analysis and assessment of environmental exposure potential for triclosan in mainland China.

Triclosan (TCS) is a widely-used antimicrobial agent in many consumer products around the world, and China is a major producer and consumer of TCS. In this study substance flow analysis (SFA) was used to construct a static model of anthropogenic TCS metabolism in China in 2008. The systematic SFA results were used to determine possible exposure pathways and trends in environmental exposure potential through different pathways. TCS discharged in wastewater mainly flowed into surface water sediment, ocean, and soil, where it accumulates in aquatic and agricultural products that may pose a higher risk to human health than brief exposure during consumption. Only 22% of TCS discharged was removed in the built environment with the remainder discharged into the natural environment, indicating that anthropogenic TCS metabolism in China is unsustainable. Per capita TCS consumption increased 209% from 2003 to 2012, resulting in increased discharge and accumulation in the environment. If current trends continue, it will increase to 713 mg capita(-1) yr(-1) in 2015 and 957 mg capita(-1) yr(-1) in 2020. Accordingly, annual environmental exposure potential will increase from 388 mg capita(-1) in 2008 to 557 mg capita(-1) in 2015 and 747 mg capita(-1) in 2020, indicating an increasing trend of exposure to environmental TCS. Results of Pearson correlation analysis suggested that feasible countermeasures to reduce environmental exposure potential for triclosan would include encouraging the development of small cities, raising awareness of health risks, nurturing environmentally-friendly consumer values, and improving the environmental performance of TCS-containing products.

Urban water metabolism efficiency assessment: integrated analysis of available and virtual water.

Resolving the complex environmental problems of water pollution and shortage which occur during urbanization requires the systematic assessment of urban water metabolism efficiency (WME). While previous research has tended to focus on either available or virtual water metabolism, here we argue that the systematic problems arising during urbanization require an integrated assessment of available and virtual WME, using an indicator system based on material flow analysis (MFA) results. Future research should focus on the following areas: 1) analysis of available and virtual water flow patterns and processes through urban districts in different urbanization phases in years with varying amounts of rainfall, and their environmental effects; 2) based on the optimization of social, economic and environmental benefits, establishment of an indicator system for urban WME assessment using MFA results; 3) integrated assessment of available and virtual WME in districts with different urbanization levels, to facilitate study of the interactions between the natural and social water cycles; 4) analysis of mechanisms driving differences in WME between districts with different urbanization levels, and the selection of dominant social and economic driving indicators, especially those impacting water resource consumption. Combinations of these driving indicators could then be used to design efficient water resource metabolism solutions, and integrated management policies for reduced water consumption.

[Protective effect of Yiqi Mingmu solution on rat's retina with ischemia reperfusion injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of the Yiqi Mingmu solution irrigated into rat on retinal injury of rat induced by ischemia reperfusion. METHODS: SD rats were divided into four groups randomly: negative control group, model control group, low and high dose group. Increasing the intraocular pressure with anterior chambers infused liquid induced the models of retinal ischemia reperfusion of rats. Different doses of Yiqi Mingmu solution were respectively irrigated into rats 7 days before ischemia in low and high dose group. Normal salire instead was used in normal and model control group. At 1, 3, 7, 15 days after the ischemia reperfusion injury, the content of MDA and activity of SOD in rat's retina were measured. The histopathologic changes were observed with transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. RESULTS: At 3, 7, 15 days after the ischemia reperfusion injury, the activity of SOD in Yiqi Mingmu solution low and high dose group were higher than in the model control group, the content of MDA in Yiqi Mingmu solution high dose group were lower than in the model control group. The histopathologic injury of retina in the Yiqi Mingmu solution low and high dose group were less than in the model control group. CONCLUSION: Yiqi Mingmu solution has protective effect on rat's retina ischemia reperfusion injury, and it is an effective traditional Chinese recipe to treat the diseases of retina ischemia.

[Cytotoxic effects of three kinds of eye drops for Chinese herbal medicines on various cell lines in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the cytotoxic effects of three kinds of eye drops on human cancer cells and normal cells. METHODS: Cytotoxic effects of Yuxingcao Eye Drop (YXC), Gegensu Eye Drop (GGS) and Shuanghuanglian Eye Drop (SHL) on 6 cell lines (CNE2, Glc-82, HRPE, Fibro, 3T3 and ECV-304) were assayed using MTF method. And cytotoxic efficacy was evaluated using fifty percent of inhibitory concentration (IC50). RESULTS: IC50 of YXC to human cancer cells CNE2 and Glc-82 were (11.5 +/- 0.25) microl/ml and (24.0 +/- 0.8) microl/ml; to normal cells HRPE, Fibro, 3T3 and ECV-304 were (18.0 +/- 3.5) microl/ml, (52.0 +/- 14.0) microl/ml, (17.5 +/- 3.5) microl/ml and (17.5 +/- 1.3) microl/ml, respectively. IC50 of GGS to CNE2, Glc-82, ECV-304 cells were (9.8 +/- 2.3) microl/ml, (17.0 +/- 5.0) microl/ml and (10.5 +/- 0.95) microl/ml, respectively. Under the concentration of 100 microl/ml, the average survival rates of HRPE, Fibro and 3T3 cells were 60.0%, 87.8% and 58.2%, respectively. IC50 of SHL to CNE2, Glc-82 and HRPE cells were (18.9 +/- 5.0) microl/ ml, (23.9 +/- 0.6) micorl/ml and (113.9 +/- 25.6) microl/ml. At the concentration of 100 microl/ml, the average survival rates of Fibro, 3T3 and ECV-304 Cells were 89.6%, 77.2% and 74.7%. CONCLUSION: YXC has evident cytotoxicities to human cancer cells and normal cells. While, GGS and SHL has not obvious cytotoxic effects to normal cells.