Faecal contamination in China: Trends, sources, and driving mechanisms.

Faecal contamination of surface waters is a global public health and economic burden. Here, we constructed a 30-year dataset to analyse the spatiotemporal trends and driving mechanisms of faecal coliforms (FCs) in China. We found that previous national policies to reduce water pollution have significantly improved the quality of surface water and, correspondingly, faecal contamination. However, the downward trend in FC levels has been more gradual than that for physico-chemical pollutants, and this trend may be exaggerated. Our results show that the driving mechanisms of faecal pollution were seasonal and complex. During the dry season, forests and grasslands were the source landscapes that exacerbated faecal pollution; during the wet season, urbanisation dominated, highlighting China's poorly designed drainage systems. Our projections revealed that faecal contamination will continue to worsen from 2022 to 2035, highlighting the need for pollution control. In the future, faecal indicators should be included in routine monitoring, evaluation, and assessment at the national level. Moreover, coordinated design of forest, grassland, and wetland landscapes is recommended for faecal pollution control at the regional level, whereas stormwater-related source control needs to be further strengthened at the urban level.

Activation of DDX58/RIG­I suppresses the growth of tumor cells by inhibiting STAT3/CSE signaling in colon cancer.

Some patients with colon cancer eventually develop metastasis during treatment, and the 5­year survival rate of patients with metastatic colon cancer remains relatively low, which is most likely due to the ineffectiveness of the current standard treatment. Systemic treatment for patients with colon cancer has expanded from chemotherapy to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Immunotherapy holds promise in the treatment of colon cancer. The present study revealed the role of innate immune receptor helicase DExD/H­box helicase 58 (DDX58), which encodes retinoic acid­inducible gene­I (RIG­I), in colon cancer. It was demonstrated that colon cancer patients with a low protein expression of DDX58/RIG­I had a worse 5­year survival rate of patients compared with patients with a high expression of DDX58/RIG­I. The activation of DDX58/RIG­I inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells, as well as tumor growth in a nude mouse xenograft model of colon cancer. To investigate the mechanisms of action of DDX58/RIG­I in colon cancer, the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/cystathionine­Î³­lyase (CSE) signaling in the up­ or downregulation of DDX58 was examined. The data demonstrated that DDX58 regulated the STAT3/CSE signaling pathway by interacting with STAT3 and consequently affecting the proliferation of tumor cells in colon cancer. In addition, the RIG­I agonist, SB9200, induced proliferation, migration and invasion of human colon cancer. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that DDX58/RIG­I affects the proliferation of tumor cells by regulating STAT3/CSE signaling in colon cancer. The findings presented herein suggest that DDX58/RIG­I activation may be an effective treatment strategy, and DDX58/RIG­I agonists may be potential therapeutic candidates for colon cancer.

Dandelion Seed Extract Affects Tumor Progression and Enhances the Sensitivity of Cisplatin in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Like dandelion, dandelion seed also have anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, in this article, we intend to explore the anti-cancer availability of aqueous dandelion seed extract (DSE) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Firstly, the effects of DSE on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and angiogenesis were investigated. Then to explore the mechanism of DSE against ESCC, the levels of proliferation-associated proteins (PI3K, Akt and pAkt), apoptosis-associated proteins (survivin, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase3 and caspase9), metastasis-associated proteins (MMP2, MMP9, VEGF) and EMT progression-associated proteins (Snail, E-cadherin and Vimentin) were analyzed. Next, we further explored the effect of DSE on the sensitivity of cisplatin (DDP) in ESCC cells and investigated the effect of DSE combined with DDP on DNA damage repair-associated proteins (MSH2, MLH1 and ERCC1) and drug resistant target protein STAT3. The results indicated that DSE selectively inhibited cell growth, proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and induced cell apoptosis in ESCC cells. It was observed the decreased PI3K, Akt and pAkt proteins levels in KYSE450 and Eca109 cells administrated with DSE. The data also showed that the application of DSE decreased the level of survivin and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, while increased the levels of caspase3 and caspase9. We also observed that DSE significantly decreased the levels of MMP2, MMP9 and VEGF proteins and inhibited the EMT progression in KYSE450 and Eca109 cells. In addition, survivin plays a critical role in DSE against ESCC followed with the application of survivin inhibitor YM155 impairing the inhibitory abilities of DSE in ESCC cells. Meanwhile, it was observed that DSE enhances the sensitivity of DDP to human ESCC cells via promoting DNA damage and inhibiting phosphorylation of STAT3. Therefore, DSE may affect ESCC progression and enhance the sensitivity of cisplatin, and consequently become an effective anti-cancer option for human ESCC treatment.

Impacts of meteorological parameters on the occurrence of air pollution episodes in the Sichuan basin.

Episodes of fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution are a widespread and common occurrence in China, and have potentially serious implications for human health. Meteorological conditions play an important role in air quality and influence the formation of regional air pollution episodes. This study applied a new classification method and daily PM2.5 concentration data to (a) evaluate different levels of air pollution in the Sichuan-Chongqing region between 2015 and 2017, and (b) investigate their relationships with meteorological parameters including atmospheric boundary layer height, wind speed, temperature inversion, weather type, and atmospheric transport. We identified a total of 40 air pollution episodes, the most severe of which occurred in winter when the atmospheric layer height was low. These heavy pollution events also coincided with low surface (10 m) wind speeds and temperature inversions, weather conditions that generally result from low pressure over the northwestern Sichuan Basin (90-102° E, 28-36° N) and southerly atmospheric transport.

Spatial Variations and Influencing Factors of River Networks in River Basins of China.

Analysis of the spatial variations in river networks and the related influencing factors is crucial for the management and protection of basins. To gain insight into the spatial variations and influencing factors of river networks between large basins, in this study, three river basins from north to south in China (Songhua River Basin, Yellow River Basin and Pearl River Basin) were selected for investigation. First, based on a digital elevation model, different river networks with six drainage accumulation thresholds of three basins were extracted using ArcGIS. The optimal networks were determined through fitting the relationship between the accumulation threshold and related drainage density. Then, we used two indicators, drainage density and water surface ratio, to characterize the spatial variations of three basins. Finally, Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between those two indicators and natural/human influencing factors. The results showed that drainage density and water surface ratio decreased from north to south in China and were negatively correlated with natural/human influencing factors. Drainage density was more influenced by natural factors than by human factors, while the opposite was true for water surface ratio. These findings may provide some basis for the management and protection of the river network.

Identification of Priority Areas for Soil and Water Conservation Planning Based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Using Choquet Integral.

Soil erosion risk assessment is an essential foundation for the planning and implementation of soil and water conservation projects. The commonality among existing studies is that they considered different indicators (e.g., rainfall and slope) in order to determine the soil erosion risk; however, the majority of studies in China neglect one important indicator, namely the slope aspect. It is widely accepted that the vegetation and distribution of rainfall differs according to the different slope aspects (such as sunny slope and shady slope) and these attributes will accordingly influence the soil erosion. Thus, existing studies neglecting this indicator cannot reflect the soil erosion well. To address this problem, a flexible soil erosion risk assessment method that supports decision makers in identifying priority areas in soil and water conservation planning was developed in the present study. Firstly, in order to verify the impact of the slope aspect on soil erosion, field investigations were conducted, and its impact on the characteristics of the community in the study area was analyzed. Secondly, six assessment indicators were selected, including slope gradient, precipitation, NDVI, land use, soil texture and slope aspect. Next, a developed multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method based on the Choquet integral was adopted to assess the soil erosion risk. The MCDA method, combining objective data with subjective assessment based on Choquet integral, could solve the weight problem encountered when using the quantitative method. The parameters required can be modified according to the soil erosion types, assessment scales, and data availability. The synergistic and inhibitory effects among the soil erosion parameters were also considered in the assessment. Finally, the soil erosion risk results in the Xinshui River watershed revealed that more attention should be paid to the slope of farmland and grassland during the planning and management of soil and water conservation projects. The methodology used in the current study can support decision makers in planning and implementing soil and water conservation measures in regions with different erosion types.

Eupulcherol A, a triterpenoid with a new carbon skeleton from Euphorbia pulcherrima, and its anti-Alzheimer's disease bioactivity.

Eupulcherol A (1), a novel triterpenoid with an unprecedented carbon skeleton, was isolated from Euphorbia pulcherrima. Its structure was determined by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, including HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR, and the absolute configuration was defined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Biological studies showed that compound 1 possessed anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) bioactivity, which could delay paralysis of transgenic AD Caenorhabditis elegans. A plausible biogenetic pathway for eupulcherol A (1) was also proposed.

Sustainable Water Resource Management of Regulated Rivers under Uncertain Inflow Conditions Using a Noisy Genetic Algorithm.

Ecofriendly reservoir operation is an important tool for sustainable water resource management in regulated rivers. Optimization of reservoir operation is potentially affected by the stochastic characteristics of inflows. However, inflow stochastics are not widely incorporated in ecofriendly reservoir operation optimization. The reasons might be that computational cost and unsatisfactory performance are two key issues for reservoir operation under uncertainty inflows, since traditional simulation methods are usually needed to evaluate over many realizations and the results vary between different realizations. To solve this problem, a noisy genetic algorithm (NGA) is adopted in this study. The NGA uses an improved type of fitness function called sampling fitness function to reduce the noise of fitness assessment. Meanwhile, the Monte Carlo method, which is a commonly used approach to handle the stochastic problem, is also adopted here to compare the effectiveness of the NGA. Degree of hydrologic alteration and water supply reliability, are used to indicate satisfaction of environmental flow requirements and human needs. Using the Tanghe Reservoir in China as an example, the results of this study showed that the NGA can be a useful tool for ecofriendly reservoir operation under stochastic inflow conditions. Compared with the Monte Carlo method, the NGA reduces ~90% of the computational time and obtains higher water supply reliability in the optimization.

Narjatamanins A and B, a pair of novel epimers possessing a 2,3-seco-iridoid skeleton with an unusual 1,10-oxygen bridge from Nardostachys jatamansi and evaluation of their effects on worm paralysis in AD C. elegans.

Narjatamanins A (1) and B (2), a pair of epimers possessing a novel 2,3-seco-iridoid skeleton with an unusual 1,10-oxygen bridge, were isolated from the whole plants of Nardostachys jatamansi. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of various spectroscopic methods, including HRESIMS, IR and 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were established by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The pharmacological activities of 1 and 2 to alleviate AD-like symptoms were also evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological model, and narjatamanins A (1) and B (2) showed statistically significant delay in the worm paralysis phenotype of AD-like symptoms.

Four novel sesquiterpenoids with their anti-Alzheimer's disease activity from Nardostachys chinensis.

Nardochinins A-D (1-4), four novel sesquiterpenoids, along with four known ones were isolated from the underground parts of Nardostachys chinensis Batal in ethanol. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Nardochinin A (1) possessed a norsesquiterpene skeleton with an unusual 3/6/5/5 tetracyclic ring system, which had not appeared in natural products. Nardochinins B (2) and C (3) were the first time found naturally occurring sesquiterpenoids with a 4,5-seco-nardosinane skeleton. Besides, compound 3 represented an unprecedented 4,5-seco-nardosinane type norsesquiterpenoid with losing an isopropenyl at C-6 compared with 2 in the structural framework. Nardochinin D (4) was a novel, highly oxygenated valerenane-type sesquiterpenoid possessing a rare 3,12-epoxy group and an unusual 9,11-epoxy group. The anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) activities of 1-4 were also evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans AD pathological model, and nardochinin B (2) had the highest anti-AD activity.

A universal calibrated model for the evaluation of surface water and groundwater quality: Model development and a case study in China.

Water quality evaluation is an important issue in environmental management. Various methods have been used to evaluate the quality of surface water and groundwater. However, all previous studies have used different evaluation models for surface water and groundwater, and the models must be recalibrated due to changes in monitoring indicators in each evaluation. Water quality managers would benefit from a universal and effective model based on a simple expression that would be suitable for all cases of surface water and groundwater, and which could therefore serve as a standard method for a region or country. To meet this requirement, we attempted to develop a universal calibrated model based on the radial basis function neural network. In the new model, the units and values of the evaluation indicators for surface water and groundwater are normalized simultaneously to make the data directly comparable. The model's training inputs comprise the normalized value in each of a water quality indicator's grades (e.g., the nitrate contents defined in a regulatory standard for grades I to V) for all evaluation indicators. The central vector of the Gaussian function is used as the average of the evaluation indicators' normalized standard values for the five grades. The final calibrated model is expressed as an equation rather than in a programming language, and is therefore easier to use. We used the model in a Chinese case study, and found that the model was feasible (it compared well with the results of other models) and simple to use for the evaluation of surface water and groundwater quality.