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As a key policy tool for China' s achievement of the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, the carbon emissions trading mechanism has attracted widespread attention for its effect on reducing pollution and carbon emissions. This study incorporated carbon dioxide reduction and environmental pollution control into the same research framework. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019, it took the carbon emissions trading mechanism as the policy background and used the improved entropy weight TOPSIS model to calculate the environmental pollution index to measure the local environmental quality and environmental pollution degree. The intersection term of carbon emissions and environmental pollution index was used to characterize the level of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. The difference-in-differences model and the synthetic control method were used to empirically test the pollution and carbon emission reduction effects of the carbon emissions trading mechanism. The results showed that: (1) From the perspective of the average treatment effect of the policy, the carbon emissions trading mechanism reduced the emissions of carbon dioxide and environmental pollutants in the pilot provinces compared with non-pilot provinces. After adding relevant control variables, the level of pollution and carbon reduction in the pilot provinces increased by 16%. From the perspective of the policy effects of pilot individuals, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing performed better; that is, their carbon emissions showed a significant downward trend, followed by Guangdong, while Hubei performed worse. (2) The influential mechanisms and heterogeneity test revealed that the carbon emissions trading system achieved an increase in the synergistic governance level of pollution and carbon reduction through energy consumption restructuring and technological innovation. (3) Meanwhile, the pollution and carbon reduction levels showed regional heterogeneity, with the eastern and western regions performing best and the central region performing poorly. Furthermore, a grey correlation model was used to investigate the relationship between the pollution and carbon reduction levels and the potential for synergistic emission reduction in each province. The results found that the average correlation degree of Shanghai, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Xinjiang was greater than other provinces, showing a higher level and potential. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate and improve the construction of the national carbon emissions trading market; give full play to the synergistic emissions reduction effects of market-based carbon emissions trading policies on carbon dioxide emissions and environmental pollutants; and accelerate the synergy of carbon emissions trading policies by increasing investment in technological innovation and the transformation and upgrading of energy consumption structures and formulating regionally differentiated carbon emission reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation by glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitor 4,6-disubstituted pyrrolopyrimidine (TWS119) on proliferation and phenotypic characteristics of human nature killer (NK) cells., Methods: The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from healthy volunteers and added to the complete medium containing recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) and human AB serum to isolate NK cells from PBMCs. After co-cultured with 0-8.0 μmol/L TWS119 for 72 hours, growth curve and Wnt/β-catenin activation of NK cells in each group were determined by CCK-8 and Western blotting. The CD107a and CD62L (L-selectin) expressions in the NK cells were detected using flow cytometry., Results: NK cells were amplified to (61.76 ± 3.74)% after human PBMCs were cultured for 10 days. The 0-2.0 μmol/L TWS119 could promote the growth of NK cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the proliferation rate gradually dropped when TWS119 was more than 2.0 μmol/L. 0-8.0 μmol/L TWS119 could activate Wnt/β-catenin pathway and up-regulate the expression of CD62L in a dose-dependent manner, but it decreased the expression of CD107a., Conclusion: Human NK cells isolated from peripheral blood treated with TWS119 gave rise to early mature CD62L⁺ NK cells.

Objective: To study the influence of heat stimulation on expression of coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR) in keratinocytes (KCs) of mouse skin and the effect of CAR on production of cell growth factors by dendritic epidermal T lymphocytes (DETCs)., Methods: (1) Twenty BALB/c mice were divided into heat stimulation group (HS) and control group (C) according to the random number table, with 10 mice in each group. Mice in group HS were inflicted with scald milder than superficial-thickness by dressing wet hot gauze, which had been soaked in 100°C hot water for 3 min, in the hair removed area on the back for 1 to 3 s, while mice in group C were sham injured by dressing a wet gauze which had been soaked in water of room temperature for 3 min in the hair removed area on the back for 1 to 3 s. Square full-thickness skin specimens measuring 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm in size were obtained from the center of the bare skin. The expression of CAR in skin tissue sections were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CAR in skin tissue sections were respectively determined by real-time fluorescent quantitation RT-PCR and Western blotting. (2) KCs were isolated and cultured from full-thickness skin obtained from the trunk of 2 fetal BALB/c mice, and they were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table, with 5 wells in each group. The cells in group HS and group C were respectively cultured in 42°C and 37°C, 5% CO2 incubator for 1 h, and then all the cells were cultured in 37 °, 5% CO2 incubator for 6 h. The apoptosis of the cells and their expression of CAR were detected by flow cytometer. (3) Five BALB/c mice were sacrificed, and full-thickness skin was obtained from the trunk. The DETCs were divided into 7 groups according to the random number table after being isolated and purified from the skin specimens. Cells in group C were cultured without any stimulation, and cells in the 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 16.0 mg/L CAR groups were respectively cultured with corresponding concentration of recombinant mice CAR nutrient solutions, with 5 wells in each group. The contents of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) were determined with ELISA. Data were processed with independent samples t test and one-way analysis of variance., Results: (1) The immunohistochemistry staining showed that there was mild positive staining in the skin tissue sections of mice in group C, while the positive staining was more obvious in group HS. The positive staining was mainly located in KCs, hair follicles, and sweat gland epithelial cells, while no positive staining was observed in fibroblasts. The mRNA expression levels of CAR in skin tissue sections in group C and group HS were respectively 0.157 ± 0.027 and 0.773 ± 0.029. There was statistically significant difference between them (t = 3.052, P < 0.01). The protein expression levels of CAR in skin tissue sections in group C and group HS were respectively 0.23 ± 0.09 and 0.89 ± 0.14. There was statistically significant difference between them (t = 2.556, P < 0.05). (2) The apoptosis rates of KCs in group C and group HS were respectively (5.7 ± 1.3)% and (7.4 ± 1.7)% (t = 0.464, P > 0.05). The expression rates of CAR in KCs in group C and group HS were respectively (48 ± 6)% and (80 ± 8)%. There was statistically significant difference between them (t = 2.585, P < 0.05). (3) The contents of IGF-Iin culture supernatants in group C and 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0 mg/L CAR groups were respectively (23.1 ± 1.8), (22.5 ± 2.1), (31.2 ± 2.5), (39.7 ± 2.3), (61.8 ± 3.5), (45.1 ± 2.8), and (29.0 ± 2.0) µg/L. There was statistically significant difference among 7 groups (F = 3.414, P < 0.05). The contents of KGF in culture supernatants in group C and 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0 mg/L CAR groups were respectively (131 ± 9), (217 ± 12), (355 ± 21), (563 ± 21), (535 ± 34), (292 ± 20), and (245 ± 10) ng/L. There was statistically significant difference among 7 groups (F = 5.063, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The expression of CAR in KCs would rise after HS. The optimum CAR concentration to increase IGF-I and KGF production in DETCs is low.