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Objective: To analyze the correlation between the Kellgren–Lawrence (K‐L) score of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients with different degrees and their urine concentration of C‐terminal telopeptide of collagen type II (CTX‐II) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and to further evaluate the diagnostic value of CTX‐II and IL‐1β during the pathological process by producing an experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model in rabbits. Methods: From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018, a total of 34 subjects (7 mild, 9 moderate, 9 severe arthritis patients, and 9 healthy individuals) comprising 16 men and 18 women were included in this study. Patients were diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. The urine of all subjects was collected to detect the concentration of CTX‐II and IL‐1β. The rabbits in the KOA group were subjected to protease (control group with saline) injection into the articular cavity of their right knees and immobilization with gypsum. We used radiological and histological examination to identify the KOA model. ELISA was applied to investigate the concentrations of CTX‐II and IL‐1β in urine and serum, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean ages and body mass index (BMI) between groups. The mean ages of mild, moderate, and severe arthritis patients and healthy individuals were 54.29 ± 5.76, 58.44 ± 6.44, 59.89 ± 6.75, and 56.67 ± 4.18 years, respectively. The mean BMI of mild, moderate, and severe arthritis patients and healthy individuals were 23.59 ± 1.56, 23.57 ± 2.06, 24.46 ± 1.64, and 23.42 ± 1.35 kg/m2, respectively. The Kellgren–Lawrence (K‐L) score was higher with the aggravation of KOA. The K‐L scores of mild, moderate, and severe KOA patients were 1.14 ± 0.38, 2.56 ± 0.53, and 3.63 ± 0.52, respectively. The KOA symptoms of patients became more severe, with not only increased K‐L scores but also elevated concentrations of CTX‐II and IL‐1β. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between CTX‐II and IL‐1β of all subjects (r = 0.974, P < 0.001), between K‐L score and urine concentration of CTX‐II (r = 0.900, P < 0.001), and between K‐L score and IL‐1β (r = 0.813, P < 0.001) of all subjects. Both were significantly increased in KOA group rabbits at all time points after surgery. The serum concentration of CTX‐II and IL‐1β was elevated as early as in the 2nd week (3.69 and 4.25 times) and reached a peak (5.41 and 7.23 times) in the 4th week after surgery. Then, until 12 weeks after surgery, the CTX‐II and IL‐1β concentrations in the KOA group were slightly reduced and remained around 4.5 and 6.3 times that in the control group. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the serum concentration of IL‐1β and CTX‐II (r = 0.967, P < 0.001). Conclusion: CTX‐II and IL‐1β, which were significantly increased during the process of KOA, can be used as biomolecular markers to provide guidelines for early diagnosis and treatment of KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induced by hypoxia/ischemia resulted in the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the relative inadequate antioxidants. As the initial barrier to environmental pollutants and allergic stimuli, airway epithelial cell is vulnerable to oxidative stress. In recent years, the antioxidant effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has attracted much attention. Therefore, in this study, we explored the impact of H2S on CoCl2-induced cell injury in 16HBE14o- cells. The effect of CoCl2 on the cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) and the level of ROS in 16HBE14o- cells in response to varying doses (100–1000 μmol/L) of CoCl2 (a common chemical mimic of hypoxia) was measured by using fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. It was shown that, in 16HBE14o- cells, CoCl2 acutely increased the ROS content in a dose-dependent manner, and the increased ROS was inhibited by the NaHS (as a donor of H2S). Moreover, the calcium ion fluorescence probe Fura-2/AM and fluorescence dye Rh123 were used to investigate the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) in 16HBE14o- cells, respectively. In addition, we examined apoptosis of 16HBE14o- cells with Hoechst 33342. The results showed that the CoCl2 effectively elevated the Ca2+ influx, declined the MMP, and aggravated apoptosis, which were abrogated by NaHS. These results demonstrate that H2S could attenuate CoCl2-induced hypoxia injury via reducing ROS to perform an agonistic role for the Ca2+ influx and MMP dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate weathering and the CO 2 consumption in karstic area are extensive affected by anthropogenic activities, especially sulfuric and nitric acids usage in the upper-middle reaches of Wujiang River, China. The carbonic acid would be substituted by protons from sulfuric and nitric acids which can be reduce CO 2 absorption. Therefore, The goal of this study was to highlight the impacts of sulfuric and nitric acids on carbonate dissolution and the associated deficit of CO 2 uptaking during carbonate weathering. The hydrochemistries and carbon isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon from groundwater were measured during the rainy season (July; 41 samples) and post-rainy season (October; 26 samples). Our results show that Ca 2 + and Mg 2 + were the dominant cations (55.87–98.52%), and HCO 3 – was the dominant anion (63.63–92.87%). The combined concentrations of Ca 2 + and Mg 2 + commonly exceeded the equivalent concentration of HCO 3 − , with calculated [Ca 2 + + Mg 2 + ]/[HCO 3 − ] equivalent ratios of 1.09–2.12. The mean measured groundwater δ 13 C DIC value (− 11.38‰) was higher than that expected for carbonate dissolution mediated solely by carbonic acid (− 11.5‰), and the strong positive correlation of these values with [SO 4 2 − + NO 3 − ]/HCO 3 – showed that additional SO 4 2 − and NO 3 − were required to compensate for this cation excess. Nitric and sulfuric acids are, therefore, suggested to have acted as the additional proton-promoted weathering agents of carbonate in the region, alongside carbonic acid. The mean contribution of atmospheric/pedospheric CO 2 to the total aquatic HCO 3 – decreased by 15.67% (rainy season) and 14.17% (post-rainy season) due to the contributions made by these acids. The annual mean deficit of soil CO 2 uptake by carbonate weathering across the study area was 14.92%, which suggests that previous workers may have overestimated the absorption of CO 2 by carbonate weathering in other karstic areas worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality is one of the most important environmental issues in the sustainable development of karst areas. To investigate heavy metal pollution and assess health risk in karst water basins around mines, 18 groups of water samples were collected from the river and groundwater in the Sidi River karst basin, and the concentrations of nine types of heavy metals(Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, Fe, As, Cr, and Sr) were determined. Sample data were analyzed using principal component analysis, correlation analysis, water quality index, the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index, hazard quotient, and hazard index. The results showed that the Sidi River was slightly alkaline. The farther the river water samples were from the tailings reservoir, the lower were the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, Fe, As, and Sr in the river water. Principal component and correlation analyses showed that heavy metals in the Sidi River karst basin mainly came from mine discharge(55.42%), carbonate weathering dissolution(21.41%), and human activities(14.72%). Eighty-two percent of the samples in the river and all the samples in the groundwater were excellent water. The Nemerow comprehensive pollution index in the river was 4.12 with strong pollution. All the hazard indices were below 1, and Pb, Zn, As, Cd, and Cr were potentially threatening metals in the Sidi River karst basin. The concentration of heavy metals changed significantly after entering the karst conduit, indicating that the unique properties of the karst aquifer affected the spatial variation of the heavy metal concentration. The results of this study can provide data reference for water resource prevention and human health protection in the Sidi River karst basin and similar karst basins.

Cell aging is an extremely complex process, which is characterized by mitochondrial structural dysfunction, telomere shortening, inflammatory microenvironment, protein homeostasis imbalance, epigenetic changes, abnormal DNA damage and repair, etc. Aging is usually accompanied by structural and functional damage of tissues and organs which further induces the occurrence and development of aging-related diseases. Aging includes physiological aging caused by increased age and pathological aging induced by a variety of factors. Noteworthy, as a target organ directly contacting with the outside air, lung is more prone to various stimuli, causing pathological premature aging which is lung aging. Studies have found that there is a certain proportion of senescent cells in the lungs of most chronic respiratory diseases. However, the underlying mechanism by which these senescent cells induce lung senescence and their role in chronic respiratory diseases is still obscure. This paper focuses on the causes and classification of lung aging, the internal mechanism of lung aging involved in chronic respiratory diseases, and the application of anti-aging treatments in chronic respiratory diseases. We hope to provide new research ideas and theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment in chronic respiratory diseases.

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) induced by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of hospitalization for infants. Compared with adults, infants are more likely to cause serious respiratory diseases after RSV infection due to the specific immature airway structure and immune system. The balance of immune resistance and immune tolerance of the host is critical to effective virus clearance and disease control. This paper reviews the relationship between RSV infection and respiratory diseases in infancy, the influence factors of the high pathogenicity of RSV infection in early life, as well as the research progress of anti-RSV therapy, and expands the specific molecular events regulating immune resistance and immune tolerance. We expect to present new ideas for the prevention and treatment of RSV-related respiratory diseases in clinical practice.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the development and pathogenesis of respiratory system. Epithelial cells are characterized by well-developed, intercellular contacts, whereas EMT triggers the sequential destabilization of cell-cell adhesive junctions. The dynamic remodeling of the epithelial cell adhesion molecules is important for maintaining the integrity and normal function of epithelium. This paper reviews the research progress of EMT in lung development, lung injury repair and chronic lung diseases, and summarizes the effect of cell junctions and cell adhesion molecules on EMT molecular events.

To investigate the environmental quality and human health risks of different types of groundwater at Xiangshui, Chongzuo, several regular water quality indexes and concentrations of metals in 60 groundwater samples were measured and analyzed. The environmental quality of groundwater was analyzed by means of the Nemerow index. The health risks were assessed by using a human health risk assessment model. The regular water quality indexes and concentrations of metals of the well water, spring water, and underground river water exceeded the standards to different degrees. The environmental quality of groundwater was at a poor grade. The comprehensive evaluation score of underground river water ( F =4.26) was the lowest. The well water had the same score as spring water ( F =7.10). The high hardness and salinity were conducive to enrichment of Cr, and the reducing environment was of great advantage for the enrichment of As. The environmental geochemistry of Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu was similar. The sources of Fe, Al, and Mn were similar. The results of the health risk assessment indicated that the health risks of well water, spring water, and underground river water were relatively high. The health risks decreased in the order of well water > underground river water > spring water. The health risks mainly came from the carcinogenic metallic element Cr. Carcinogenic risks were 4-6 orders of magnitude higher than non-carcinogenic risks. Carcinogenic risks were higher than the maximum allowance levels (5.0×10 -5 a -1 ). Non-carcinogenic risks were lower than the allowance levels (10 -6 a -1 ). Children had greater health risks than adults. The health risks of metals through the drinking pathway were 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than the values caused by the dermal contact pathway. For the sake of drinking water safety, the well water, underground river water, and spring water should be properly treated and the concentration of Cr in groundwater should be controlled before drinking.

The Liulin Spring is one of the ten most famous karst springs in the Shanxi province. The abundant karst groundwater resources support the economic and social development in the Luliang Prefecture. Therefore, the study of evolution and control factors of karst groundwater is of great significance to the sustainable utilization of water resources in the watershed. For revealing the evolution and control factors of karst groundwater in the Liulin Spring area, the main ion components of 29 karst groundwater samples from spring supply area, runoff area, discharge area, and deep buried area were analyzed. The results showed that the temperature and Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Cl - , HCO 3 - , and SO 4 2- concentrations increased continuously along the runoff route, from the recharge area to the runoff area, to the discharge area, and then to the deep burial area. K + , Na + , and Cl - mainly come from salt rock dissolution, and Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , HCO 3 - , and SO 4 2- mainly come from the dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and gypsum. Because they are controlled by the continuous dissolution of salt rock and gypsum, the concentration of Na + , Cl - , and SO 4 2- in groundwater has increased greatly, with the maximum value being 50 times, 80 times, and 32 times of the minimum value, respectively. Under the influence of dedolomitization, the concentration of Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - in groundwater does not change significantly, the maximum is 2-3 times of the minimum. In the recharge area and runoff area, Na + and Cl - amounts are lower, and Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - are the main cations and anions in the groundwater. However, in the discharge area and deep buried area, Cl - and Na + exceed HCO 3 - , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ and become the main anions and cations in the groundwater. The hydrochemical type changes from HCO 3 -Ca·Mg in the supply area to HCO 3 ·SO 4 -Ca·Mg in the runoff area, to HCO 3 ·SO 4 -Ca·Na·Mg in the recharge area, and finally to Cl·HCO 3 -Na·Ca, Cl·HCO 3 -Na, and Cl-Na·Ca in the deep burial area.

To investigate the major ionic characteristics, seasonal variation, and controlling factors of karst groundwater at Xiangshui, Chongzuo, 210 groundwater samples were collected and measured in wet season, dry season, and flat season in 2016. The controlling factors of karst groundwater were analyzed by using multivariate statistical analysis method. The results showed that the groundwater samples were weakly alkaline fresh water and rich in Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - , which accounted for more than 75% and 70% of total ion concentration. The average concentrations of K + , Na + , Cl - , and NO 3 - decreased in the order of wet season > flat season > dry season. None of the concentrations of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , HCO 3 - , SO 4 2- , pH, TDS, TZ + , and TZ - showed significant seasonal variation. The hydrochemical characteristics were found to be of HCO 3 -Ca type and mainly determined by carbonate rock dissolution. Only a small proportion of them were of HCO 3 ·Cl-Ca and HCO 3 ·SO 4 -Ca type in wet season and flat season, Cl·NO 3 -Ca type appeared in flat season, and HCO 3 -Ca·Mg type appeared in dry season, reflecting the influence of dolomite and ferric mudstone dissolution in the stratum, and of NO 3 - and Cl - input from anthropogenic activities. Groundwater Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - mainly came from limestone dissolution; Na + , Cl - , K + , and NO 3 - came from atmospheric precipitation and human activities; while Mg 2+ and SO 4 2- came from dolomite and ferric mudstone dissolution. The chemical composition of groundwater was controlled by water-rock interaction, the groundwater in the carbonate aquifer was controlled by carbonate rocks dissolution, and the groundwater in villages and densely populated areas was affected by atmospheric precipitation and human activity.

Integrin is a transmembrane receptor that mediates the connection between cells and their external environment, such as extracellular matrix (ECM). Integrin β4 (ITGβ4) plays a number of functions due to its special structures: forms α6β4 with ITGα6 subunit and participates in the formation of hemidesmosomes; mediates cell-to-cell matrix interaction and cell-to-cell interaction, cell proliferation and survival, as well as migration and invasion. Also, ITGβ4 participates in various disease processes by activating multiple signaling pathways. In this paper, the structure, physiological function and function of ITGβ4 in respiratory system, tumor, nervous system and other related diseases will be reviewed.

Oxidative stress induced by hypoxia/ischemia resulted in the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the relative inadequate antioxidants. As the initial barrier to environmental pollutants and allergic stimuli, airway epithelial cell is vulnerable to oxidative stress. In recent years, the antioxidant effect of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) has attracted much attention. Therefore, in this study, we explored the impact of H 2 S on CoCl 2 -induced cell injury in 16HBE14o- cells. The effect of CoCl 2 on the cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) and the level of ROS in 16HBE14o- cells in response to varying doses (100-1000 μ mol/L) of CoCl 2 (a common chemical mimic of hypoxia) was measured by using fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. It was shown that, in 16HBE14o- cells, CoCl 2 acutely increased the ROS content in a dose-dependent manner, and the increased ROS was inhibited by the NaHS (as a donor of H 2 S). Moreover, the calcium ion fluorescence probe Fura-2/AM and fluorescence dye Rh123 were used to investigate the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) and mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) in 16HBE14o- cells, respectively. In addition, we examined apoptosis of 16HBE14o- cells with Hoechst 33342. The results showed that the CoCl 2 effectively elevated the Ca 2+ influx, declined the MMP, and aggravated apoptosis, which were abrogated by NaHS. These results demonstrate that H 2 S could attenuate CoCl 2 -induced hypoxia injury via reducing ROS to perform an agonistic role for the Ca 2+ influx and MMP dissipation.

Fluorescent substances are used as good tracers in dissolved organic matter (DOM) to identify the source of DOM and its geochemical behavior in a hydrological system. However, there are few studies on the karst aquifer system. Many parameters in karst systems affect the DOM spectral information. A typical karst watershed in Northern China was selected in this research. Excitation-emission matrices (EEMs), parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), and hydrochemical data were applied to reveal the relationship between the composition and transformation of DOM fluorescent substances in different karst water-bearing spaces. The source of DOM and the effect of water chemistry on DOM transfer were also discussed. The results showed that DOM in exogenous surface water and karst surface water in the Yufu River watershed were mainly composed of tryptophan-like substances, while the DOM in shallow karst water and deep karst water consisted of tryptophan-like and tyrosine-like substances. A comprehensive analysis by fluorescence index (FI), biological index (BIX), and humification index (HIX) displayed that the DOM in shallow and deep karst water resulted from microbial decomposition. In contrast, the DOM in karst surface water and exogenous surface water resulted from land-based input and endogenous microbial decomposition, in which endogenous contributions occupy a large proportion. Due to the chemical parameters of karst water, these three kinds of fluorescent substances extracted by PARAFAC had obviously different characteristics, i.e., ① the tyrosine-like substances had a strong adaptability to Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - , and the proportion of the tyrosine in karst water was relatively large; ② the tryptophan substance followed an opposite trend; and ③ there was a significant positive correlation between fulvic acid and TDS, turbidity, Cl - , and SO 4 2- . Observations of the watershed runoff revealed that the DOM in shallow karst water in the upper reaches came mainly from the soil and microbial degradation. The organic matter underwent a large amount of microbial decomposition and exogenous input when the water was rejuvenated with springs. After infiltration to the deep karst water in the lower reaches, the DOM gradually were converted to low aromatic hydrocarbon organic compounds and decreased macromolecules of DOM. Subsequently, the fluorescence intensity was weakened. The principal component analysis (PCA) extracted three principal components. They were the water mineralization index, soil leaching index, and hydrochemical/biochemical process index. The water mineralization index consists of hydrochemical parameters reflecting the water infiltration, transformation, and flow conditions in the karst system. The soil leaching index contains TOC, NO 3 - , and protein-like indicators relating to the relationship between protein-like substances and soil and natural leaching. The hydrochemical/biochemical process index is composed of Ca 2+ , HCO 3 - , FI, and fulvic acid indicators that illustrate the water chemistry and biochemical processes in the karst water system. In addition, the study also showed that total fluorescence intensity, fulvate-like substances, and protein-like substances can be used as a tracer for rapid seepage, transformation, and aquifer fragility for karst water, respectively. The results of the study are important in understanding the biogeochemical cycle of DOM in the karst water system and also helpful for controlling organic pollution. It also provides a new tool for characterizing the geochemical processes of organic matter in karst system.

The Wujing River, the largest river in Guizhou Province, is one of the most important water resources for social and economical development. Recently, with the fast population proliferation and rapid economic growth, the drainage basin is intensively interfered by anthropogenic activities. The hydrochemistry of surface water was analyzed from the upper-middle reaches of Wujiang River for investigating the hydrochemical characteristics and their main influencing factors. The results showed that the major cations of the four rivers were Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, accounting for more than 70%, and the main anions were HCO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻, occupying more than 85%. The hydrochemical characteristics in the four rivers were found to be of HCO₃-Ca type, and mainly determined by the carbonate rock dissolution, while only a small proportion of them were of HCO₃ · SO₄-Ca type, reflecting the influence of SO₄²⁻ from anthropogenic activities. Compared to hydrochemical data in 1999, there was an obvious increase in cations and anions concentrations, majorly in NO₃⁻, SO2- ion concentrations, which were significantly affected by human activities. The Na⁺, K⁺ , Cl⁻ in the river mainly came from atmospheric precipitation, and Ca²⁺, HCO₃⁻, Mg²⁺, mainly came from carbonate rocks dissolution, while NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ mainly came from human activities. According to principal component analysis and correlation analysis, hydrochemical composition of Liuchong River was affected by human activity, and that in the upstream of Sancha River was controlled by atmospheric precipitation and the dissolution of carbonate rocks, that to the downstream was enhanced by human activities. The main ion of Maotiao River was controlled by atmospheric precipitation and carbonate rocks dissolution, and also affected by human activity. The Nanming River, the Qingshui river's tributary, was mainly affected by human activity, while the middle and lower reaches of Qingshui River were affected by both the atmospheric precipitation and human activity.

To explore the relationship between the epithelial adhesion molecules and immune responses of airway epithelium, we observed the expression of integrin β4 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the mice airway epithelium after sensitization with allergens. BALB/c mice were sensitized with intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) or house dust mite (HDM) and then developed airway hyper-responsiveness as determined by barometric whole-body plethysmography. Both OVA and HDM sensitization led to increases of the number of peripheral leukocytes as well as inflammatory cells infiltration in lungs. OVA sensitized mice showed more severe inflammatory cells infiltration than HDM sensitized mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis of mice lung tissues revealed that sensitization with both allergens also led to a decrease of integrin β4 expression and an increase of ICAM-1 expression in airway epithelia. OVA sensitized mice showed a more significant increase of ICAM-1 expression compared with HDM sensitized mice. siRNA mediated silencing of integrin β4 gene in 16HBE cells resulted in an up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression. Our results indicate a possible role of airway epithelial adhesion molecules in allergen-induced airway immune responses.

Groundwater and surface water from the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Wujiang River were sampled and analyzed for the hydrochemistry and Carbon isotope in DIC. Then hydrochemical characteristics and the main influencing factors were investigated, and the contributions of carbonate dissolution by sulphuric acid to total(Ca2+ + Mg2+) and HCO3 were calculated using the stoichiometry method. The results showed that the advantage cations of groundwater and surface water is Ca2+, which accounted for more than 50% and the advantage anions is HCO3- and SO(4)2-, which accounted for more than 85%. The hydrochemical characteristics of most samples were of Ca-HCO3 type, and a small part of HCO3.SO4-Ca, reflecting a few samples affected by SO(4)2- from human source. The δ13CDIC of groundwater and surface water, varying from -12. 98%o to -6. 36%o with a changeable molar ratio between (Ca2+ + Mg2+) and HCO3- of 1. 11 to 1. 90, indicated that sulfuric acid has an important influence on hydrochemistry and δ3CDIC. The contributions of carbonate dissolution by sulphuric acid to total (Ca2+ + Mg2+) and HCO3 in groundwater ranged from 20. 59% to 92. 87% (average 51. 50%), and from 11. 47% to 86. 69% (average 36. 90%). While the contributions of carbonate dissolution by sulphuric acid to total (Ca2+ + Mg2+) and HCO3- in surface water ranged from 56. 14% to 94. 55% (with an average of 76. 89%), and 39. 02% to 89. 66% (with an average of 64.24%), respectively, demonstrated that sulphuric acid is an important agent of carbon rock weathering. The results of this study have a great significance for the protection and development and utilization of water resources in the Wujiang River basin and for karst carbon cycle research.