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Modern geodetic technologies, including high-precision ground-based gravity measurements, satellite gravimetry, satellite altimetry, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(InSAR), offer a wealth of observations for monitoring global hydrological processes with exceptional accuracy and spatio-temporal resolutions. Mass redistribution and Earth’s surface deformation over land related to global and regional water cycling can be inferred from modern gravimetry, altimetry, GNSS, and InSAR techniques. Hydrogeodesy becomes an emerging field of geodesy aiming to analyze the changes of water in the Earth system. The paper introduces the China’s advances in hydrogeodesy in recent years. It brings together multiple geodetic teams’ work from China, showcasing the application of modern geodetic technologies in the field of hydrology, including research on terrestrial water storage, groundwater storage, glaciers/ice sheets, and reservoir water storage.

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing public health burden, with mortality and rehospitalization rates comparable to HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The evidence for the clinical usefulness of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) in HFpEF is contradictory. Therefore, we conducted the following systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum sST2 in HFpEF.MethodsPubMed and Scopus were searched exhaustively from their inception until March 15, 2022. In diagnostic analysis, we compared the diagnostic value of serum sST2 in HFpEF to NT pro-BNP. We separately pooled the unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in prognostic analysis.ResultsA total of 16 publications from 2008 to 2021 were examined. The results of this analysis were as follow: Firstly, compared with NT pro-BNP, sST2 obtains poor diagnostic performance in independently identifying HFpEF from healthy controls, hypertensive patients, and HFrEF patient. Nevertheless, it may provide incremental value to other biomarkers for diagnosing HFpEF and deserves further investigation. Secondly, log sST2 was independently associated with adverse endpoints on multivariable analysis after adjusting for variables such as age, sex, race, and NYHA class. Per log unit rise in sST2, there was a 2.76-fold increased risk of all-cause death [HR:2.76; 95% CI (1.24, 6.16); p = 0.516, I2 = 0%; P = 0.013] and a 6.52-fold increased risk in the composite endpoint of all-cause death and HF hospitalization [HR:6.52; 95% CI (2.34, 18.19); p = 0.985, I2 = 0%; P = 0.000]. Finally, the optimal threshold levels of serum sST2 need further determined.ConclusionsHigher sST2 was strongly linked to an increased risk of adverse outcomes in HFpEE. Especially, log sST2 independently predicted all-cause death and the composite endpoint of all-cause death and HF hospitalization. However, prospective and multicenter studies with large-sample and extended follow-up periods are required to validate our results due to limitations in our research.

BackgroundHeart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is an increasing public health concern. Currently, data regarding the clinical application value of plasma Galectin-3 (Gal-3) in HFpEF are contradictory. Therefore, we performed the following meta-analysis to appraise the clinical implications of serum Gal-3 in HFpEF, including its capacity to predict new-onset disease, long-term unfavorable endpoints, and the degree of cardiac structural abnormality and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD).MethodsPubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were retrieved exhaustively from their inception until November 30, 2021, to obtain studies assessing the correlation between plasma Gal-3 and the clinical features of HFpEF (new-onset HFpEF, adverse outcomes, and echocardiographic parameters related to abnormal cardiac structure and LVDD).ResultsA total of 24 papers containing 27 studies were ultimately included in the present research. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that high plasma Gal-3 levels are strongly associated with the following clinical characteristics of HFpEF: (i) the increased risk of new-onset HFpEF (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04-1.19; p = 0.910, I2 = 0%; P = 0.002); (ii) the high risk of adverse outcomes of HFpEF patients [all-cause death (HR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.27-1.87; p = 0.138, I2 = 42%; P = 0.000) and the composite events [all-cause death and HF hospitalization (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.30-1.74; p = 0.001, I2 = 61%; P = 0.000) or cardiovascular (CV) death and HF hospitalization (HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.51-1.94; p = 0.036, I2 = 58%; P = 0.000)]; (iii) echocardiographic indices [E/e ratio (r: 0.425, 95% CI: 0.184-0.617; p = 0.000, I2 = 93%; P = 0.001) and DT (r: 0.502, 95% CI: 0.061-0.779; p = 0.001 I2 = 91%; P = 0.027)].ConclusionsPlasma Gal-3 might be employed as an additional predictor for new-onset HFpEF, the adverse prognosis in HFpEF patients (all-cause death, the composite endpoints of all-cause death and HF hospitalization or CV death and HF hospitalization), and the severity of LVDD in HFpEF populations.

The effect of weak intercalated layers on the seismic response of rock slopes is investigated. Dozens of rock slopes containing weak intercalated layers are modeled in FLAC. The geometric property of the weak intercalated layer has a significant effect on the seismic slope response. The responses are generally greater as the thickness of the weak intercalated layer increases. The slope case with a 10-m-thickness and 20°-dip-angle weak intercalated layer yields the strongest dynamic response. A predictive model for the amplification of peak ground acceleration is developed, which can be used to estimate the acceleration amplifications for weak-layer-containing rock slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in drinking water and the relevant health effects have been ignored for too long. This study aims to reveal the concentrations, spatial distributions, origins and contributions to the daily estimated average requirements of Ca and Mg in public drinking water. Using hydrochemical data of collected samples of public drinking water in 314 cities across China, the contributions of Ca and Mg intakes from public drinking water to their daily estimated average requirements (EARs) were assessed. And the significance of Ca/Mg ratio and total hardness (TH) was evaluated as well. The Ca and Mg concentrations of the samples were in the range of 2.5–155.1 mg/L and 0.2–81.9 mg/L, with an average of 40.4 mg/L and 12.4 mg/L, respectively. There exist obvious differences in Ca and Mg concentrations in different regions, under the impact of climate conditions and water–rock interactions. The intake of Ca via the consumption of public drinking water for adults may be twice as much as that for other age groups. In cities with high Ca levels in public drinking water, the Ca contributions to EAR could reach up to 51.59% for adults. By contrast, Mg in drinking water is an important and even the main pathway to ingest Mg for infants and children. Therefore, public drinking water is critical for Ca and Mg intake among urban residents of China. Besides, attention should be paid to the health effects of high Ca/Mg ratio and low TH in public drinking water, especially in southern China. This research is the first systematic and comprehensive national scale study of Ca and Mg in public drinking water and can provide an important reference to improve healthy public drinking water standards around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall represents one of the most significant cause of landslide hazards. With runoff in the saturated zone of shallow soil considered, an improved Green–Ampt model was proposed to depict the rainfall infiltration process. Furthermore, a formula for calculating the depth of wetting front was derived, and the slope stability was evaluated accordingly. Finally, a formula for calculating the safety factor of multilayer slopes above different surfaces was obtained via the limit equilibrium method. An illustration is a multilayer colluvial slope in Guangdong Province of China, the results indicated that the downward speed of wetting front decreases gradually within the same layer with continuous rainfall but increases significantly when it extends to the interfaces between the soil layers. Safety factor of the slope decreases sharply at the initial stage of rainfall but then more slowly. Slope failure is more likely to occur along the first interface between the soil layers than along the surface of wetting front. The result from the proposed model is closer to the result of the physical model test than from the existed Green–Ampt model. The improved Green–Ampt model for multilayer slopes can accurately evaluate the infiltration process and related stability of multilayer slopes under rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]