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The study is designed to examine whether or not there are scientific grounds for Directive 2984 which was issued to reduce coal consumption by the Chinese central government in 2014. We propose a parametric stochastic frontier model that can be used to measure non-radial environmental energy efficiency, which has not been addressed so far and gather a panel data set covering 29 provincial administrative regions in Mainland China between 2000 and 2013. Our empirical results demonstrate the existence of inappropriateness and self-contradiction in this mandatory plan and offer a new list of regions for coal consumption reduction. We also recommend the implementation of regulatory impact analysis in the second round of this mandatory plan to improve transparency and consistency in the short run and the establishment of more market-based or market-mimicking incentive-compatible measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long run.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) increases at fast rate of all cancer types in China, which urges the investigations of its potential mechanism. In this research, a highly expressed kinesin superfamily protein 22 (KIF22) was founded both in ESCC tissues and cancer cell lines. The following experiments pointed out that down-regulation of KIF22 remarkably restrained the malignant progression of ESCC cells. Besides, KIF22 knockdown promoted ESCC cells apoptosis and arrested cells in G0/G1 phase, while KIF22 also regulated the expression of cell cycle- and EMT-related proteins. Previous research revealed that the aberrant expressions of microRNAs (miRNAs) are related to tumors development. Based on the predict result, KIF22 was considered as the target of miR-122, which was demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay. miR-122 inhibitor could significantly reverse the function of KIF22 knockdown, including cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, down-expressed miR-122 altered the function of KIF22 knockdown on cell cycle- and EMT-related proteins. In a word, this work illustrated the regulatory function of KIF22/miR-122 axis in ESSC and provided potential targets for potential targets for ESSC treatment.

Background: Derivation of the osteoblast-like cell from human pluripotent stem cell becomes a hot topic in bone tissue engineering. Although many improvements have been achieved in this field, low induction efficiency because of the non-directed differentiation process hampers their application in bone regeneration. We think lack of detailed understanding on the osteogenic differentiation process should be the main reason.Methods: Monolayer cultured human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells were inducted in traditional serum-containing osteogenic medium for 35 days. Except for traditional assays such as cell viability detection, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and alizarin red staining, we also applied cell counting, cell telomerase activity, cell cycle and quantitative expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 as essential indicators to analyze the cell type changes during the differentiation process. Results: The population of differentiated cells are quite heterogenous throughout 35 days of induction. Then, cell telomerase activity and cell cycle analyses have value in evaluating the cell type changes and tumorigenicity of obtained cells. Moreover, nuclear staining should be a recommended method to evaluate the cell number, because, it is still a great challenge to dissociate cells with varying differentiation times into single cells with high survival rate. Finally, a dynamic map was made to integrated analysis of these results, and the cell types at defined stages of osteogenic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells was concluded. Conclusions: This study lay foundation to improve the in vitro osteogenic differentiation efficiency of human pluripotent stem cells by supplementing functional compounds at each stage according to a time-frame, then establish a step-wised induction system in the future.

Fifty male and fifty female Spargue-Dawley rats were randomly chosen and used to study the sexual dimorphisms of stomachic histological structures. The rat stomach consisted of the nonglandular part and the glandular part. The gender differences of the nonglandular part existed in the thicknesses of the stratified squamous epithelium and the longitudinal muscle. These findings revealed that the male rat stomach may storage more foods than the female. The gastric glands occupied all the lamina propria in the glandular part. The thicknesses of the gastric glands of the female and male rat were 525.0 ± 95.9 µm and 472.0 ± 158.7 µm respectively, and the difference was very significant (p0.05). On the contrary, the thicknesses of the basal layer and the three muscle layers in the female glandular part were all thicker than those in male, and the differences were very significant (P0.05).

Traditional theories and methods for comprehensive environmental performance evaluation are challenged by the appearance of big data because of its large quantity, high velocity, and high diversity, even though big data is defective in accuracy and stability. In this paper, we first review the literature on environmental performance evaluation, including evaluation theories, the methods of data envelopment analysis, and the technologies and applications of life cycle assessment and the ecological footprint. Then, we present the theories and technologies regarding big data and the opportunities and applications for these in related areas, followed by a discussion on problems and challenges. The latest advances in environmental management based on big data technologies are summarized. Finally, conclusions are put forward that the feasibility, reliability, and stability of existing theories and methodologies should be thoroughly validated before they can be successfully applied to evaluate environmental performance in practice and provide scientific basis and guidance to formulate environmental protection policies.

With the purpose of estimating the range of cost efficiency levels of the power grid sector in China, we assembled a data set including 23 provincial power grid companies spanning from 2005 to 2009 and conducted an empirical study based on the SFA–MLE, SFA–Bayes and StoNED–CNLS methodologies. Empirical results show that the average values of efficiency from different models vary from 0.85 to 0.92, depending especially on the assumptions underlying inefficiency content. Further, results demonstrate that there is exogenous technical progress during the sample period, and per capita GDP of the province is negatively related to the costs of the electric grid company located in the corresponding province. We hope this empirical study will contribute to the debate on an efficiency-based regulation scheme which was introduced to the Chinese electric grid sector on a pilot base in 2014.

BACKGROUND Pouchitis occurs in approximately 50% of patients with ulcerative colitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) but the pathogenesis remains unclear. We used a rat model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ileal pouchitis to examine whether intestinal barrier disruption plays a role in the development and progression of the disease. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into DSS (underwent IPAA and administered 5% DSS orally), IPAA (underwent IPAA), and Sham groups (underwent switch abdominal surgery). In the DSS group, levofloxacin intervention and nonintervention subgroups were used to determine the influence of antibiotics on intestinal barrier dysfunction. Hematochezia and fecal scores were recorded. Ileum and pouch specimens were obtained for histological assessment. Immunohistochemistry was performed for myeloperoxidase and occludin protein expression. Levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. Plasma D-lactate concentrations were determined with colorimetry. RESULTS Only rats in the DSS group experienced hematochezia, and their fecal and histological scores significantly increased (P < 0.01). Compared with the IPAA and Sham groups, levels of myeloperoxidase, IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α, and plasma D-lactate significantly increased, whereas occludin and IL-10 reduced in the DSS group (P < 0.01). The levofloxacin subgroup showed increased occludin expression and more balanced inflammatory cytokine levels than the nonintervention subgroup. All differences showed linear correlations. CONCLUSIONS The intestinal barrier was disrupted in this rat model of pouchitis. Increased proinflammatory and decreased anti-inflammatory factors aggravated the intestinal barrier damage. Antibiotics may ameliorate this process.

AIM To investigate the changes in microbiota in feces of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and pouchitis using genomic technology. METHODS Fecal samples were obtained from UC patients with or without an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) procedure, as well as healthy controls. The touchdown polymerase chain reaction technique was used to amplify the whole V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene, which was transcribed from DNA extracted from fecal samples. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to separate the amplicons. The band profiles and similarity indices were analyzed digitally. The predominant microbiota in different groups was confirmed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. RESULTS Microbial biodiversity in the healthy controls was significantly higher compared with the UC groups (P < 0.001) and IPAA groups (P < 0.001). Compared with healthy controls, the UC patients in remission and those in the mildly active stage, the predominant species in patients with moderately and severely active UC changed obviously. In addition, the proportion of the dominant microbiota, which was negatively correlated with the disease activity of UC (r = -6.591, P < 0.01), was decreased in pouchitis patients. The numbers of two types of bacteria, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Eubacterium rectale, were reduced in UC. Patients with pouchitis had an altered microbiota composition compared with UC patients. The microbiota from pouchitis patients was less diverse than that from severely active UC patients. Sequencing results showed that similar microbiota, such as Clostridium perfringens, were shared in both UC and pouchitis. CONCLUSION Less diverse fecal microbiota was present in patients with UC and pouchitis. Increased C. perfringens in feces suggest its role in the exacerbation of UC and pouchitis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with human carcinogenesis and tumor development. Moreover, serum miRNAs can reflect the level of tissue miRNAs and be potential tumor markers. Serum microRNA-21 (miR-21) is overexpressed in many human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, how serum miR-21 changes during the HCC formation and whether miR-21 plays a regulatory role in this whole process are unknown. The current study evaluated the prognostic and diagnostic potential of serum miR-21 in HCC patients. Next, we established a HCC rat model and collected the blood and liver tissues at regular time points. AFP from the serum, RNA from the serum and liver tissues were collected and quantified separately. The results revealed that tissue and serum miR-21 was upregulated significantly in the groups of cirrhosis, early and advanced HCC compared with normal and fibrosis groups. The AFP levels were increased in early and advanced HCC compared with other groups. Then, the changes of miR-21 downstream proteins (i.e., programmed cell death 4 [PDCD4] and phosphatase and tensin homolog [PTEN]) in the liver tissues were measured. PDCD4 and PTEN expression was decreased gradually after tumor induction and negatively correlated with miR-21 expression. All these results suggested that serum miR-21 was associated with the prognosis of HCC; the changes in serum miR-21 were earlier and more accurately reflected the pathogenesis of HCC than AFP; therefore, it could be used as an early diagnostic marker for HCC. Our in vivo experiments further confirmed that miR-21 plays an important role in promoting the occurrence and development of HCC by regulating PDCD4 and PTEN.

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is a rare but dangerous complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) when the patient has no other manifestations except gastrointestinal symptoms. We performed 1 patient with a 2-month history of recurrent vomiting and abdominal distension. She admitted past surgical histories of cesarean section and appendectomy. A physical examination revealed tenderness in the right lower abdominal on palpation and bowel sounds were weak, 2 to 3 bpm. An x-ray and CT of her abdomen showed intestinal obstruction. The initial diagnosis was adhesive intestinal obstruction. She received surgical treatment because her symptoms had gradually become more frequent and persistent. But she vomited again 2 weeks later after the surgery. Further immunology tests indicated that she had an IPO secondary to SLE. We treated the patient with methylprednisolone pulse for 3 days and followed by prednisone orally. The patient had a good response. Complete remission was achieved on 8 years follow-up. The importance of IPO secondary to SLE lies in an early diagnosis. After the diagnosis is established, immunosuppressive therapy should be the initial and first-line treatment, and surgical intervention is often disappointing and should be carefully avoided. It is necessary to enhance awareness of doctors to IPO secondary to SLE.