Building rural community disaster resilience in developing countries: insights from a Chinese NGO's Safe Rural Community programme.

As rural areas in developing countries are generally more vulnerable to disasters triggered by natural hazards than urban areas, it has become critical to strengthen rural community disaster resilience (CDR) to reduce the risks. Using follow-up interviews, surveys, and secondary data, this study reviewed the Safe Rural Community (SRC) programme implemented by the One Foundation, a Chinese civilian non-governmental organisation (NGO), after the 2013 Lushan earthquake in China. The study focused on five key resilience aspects: networks; infrastructure; institutions; capacity; and culture. It found that the SRC programme successfully developed five standardised, systematic, interrelated, and practical elements: localised volunteer rescue teams; adequate emergency supplies; practical disaster reduction training; community emergency plans; and regular emergency rescue drills. Third-party evaluations and a 2022 Lushan earthquake test revealed that this NGO-led, community-based, and team-oriented initiative had been effective. Consequently, the study provides some guidance for the development of effective CDR programmes in rural communities in developing countries.

An NGO disaster relief network for small and medium-scale natural hazards in China.

As China is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to small and medium-scale natural hazards (SMNHs), its NGOs have had a great deal of experience in dealing with disaster relief, especially since the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake; however, there have been few studies that have comprehensively examined China's NGO disaster relief networks (NDRNs). One Foundation (OF), which is one of the most active public-fund raising foundations in China, has been engaged in developing a nationwide NDRN made up of 20 independently operating provincial networks that are focused on SMNHs. This paper explored the structures, operations and challenges in the representative North-Sichuan network, from which the following key factors for sustainable NDRNs were identified: (1) a combined hierarchal and networked organizational structure; and (2) a coordinated external and internal network operations mechanism that has a specific entry threshold to ensure healthy network expansion, periodic member NGO training to enhance network capacity, and reciprocal and cooperative government-NGO relationships. These findings provide a useful reference for the establishment and development of NDRNs in other countries.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction of brominated flame retardants from environmental waters with graphene-doped Fe3O4 nanocomposites.

Graphene-doped Fe3O4 nanocomposites were prepared by a solvothermal reaction of an iron source with graphene. The nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, superconducting quantum interference, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This nanomaterial has been used as a magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent to extract trace brominated flame retardants from environmental waters. Various extraction parameters were optimized including dosage and reusability of the nanocomposites, and pH of sample matrix. The reliability of the magnetic solid-phase extraction protocol based on graphene-doped Fe3O4 nanocomposites was evaluated by investigating the recoveries of 2,4,6-tribromophenol, tetrabromobisphenol A, 4-bromodiphenyl ether, and 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether in water samples. Good recoveries (85.0-105.0%) were achieved with the relative standard deviation ranging from 1.1-7.1%. Moreover, it is speculated from characterization and magnetic solid-phase extraction experiment that there is not only π-π stacking but also possible hydrophobic interaction between the graphene-doped Fe3O4 nanocomposites and analytes.

Simvastatin suppresses apoptosis in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques through regulating the expression of p(53), Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.

PURPOSE: Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are independent of lipid-lowering abilities. This experiment was carried out to explore the effects of simvastatin on apoptosis in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques of apoE-deficient mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight weeks-old apoE(-/-) mice were fed a Western-type diet. Vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions were formed in the branchiocephalic artery at the age of 30-weeks, before simvastatin administration for 8 weeks. Simvastatin did neither affect the levels of plasma glucose and lipids, nor the size of atherosclerotic lesions. Analysis of plaque composition showed that simvastatin decreased the area of lipid core and increased the amounts of macrophages and smooth muscle cells in atherosclerotic plaques of apoE(-/-) mice. In addition, simvastatin down-regulated the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) by both inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB) activation and suppression of the expression of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Moreover, we found that simvastatin administration led to reduced TUNEL-positive cells in the aortic root lesions, accompanied by up-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression, and decreased P(53) expression as shown by Western blot. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we show novel data to suggest that simvastatin could suppress apoptosis in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques of apoE(-/-) mice by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, such as p(53), Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.