The integrative analysis based on super-enhancer related genes for predicting different subtypes and prognosis of patient with lower-grade glioma

Objective: Emerging evidence revealed that super-enhancer plays a crucial role in the transcriptional reprogramming for many cancers. The purpose aimed to explored how the super-enhancer related genes affects the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of patients with low-grade glioma (LGG).Methods: In this study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between LGG cohorts and normal brain tissue cohort were identified by the comprehensive analysis of the super-enhancer (SE) related genes. Then non-negative matrix factorization was performed to seek the optimal classification based on the DEGs, while investigating prognostic and clinical differences between different subtypes. Subsequently, a prognostic related signature (SERS) was constructed for the comprehensive evaluation in term of individualized prognosis, clinical characteristics, cancer markers, genomic alterations, and immune microenvironment of patients with LGG.Results: Based on the expression profiles of 170 DEGs, we identified three SE subtypes, and the three subtypes showed significant differences in prognostic, clinicopathological features. Then, nine optimal SE-related genes were selected to construct the SERS through the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression analysis. Survival analysis showed that SERS had strong and stable predictive ability for the prognosis of LGG patients in the The Cancer Genome Atlas, China Glioma Genome Atlas, and Remdrandt cohorts, respectively. We also found that SERS was highly correlated with clinicopathological features, tumor immune microenvironment, cancer hallmarks, and genomic alterations in LGG patients. In addition, the predictive power of SERS for immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment is also superior. The qRT-PCR results and immunohistochemical results also confirmed the difference in the expression of four key genes in normal cells and tumors, as well as in normal tissues and tumor tissues.Conclusion: The SERS could be suitable to utilize individualized prognosis prediction and immunotherapy options for LGG patients in clinical application

Research Progress on Flexibility Modification of Coal-Fired Generating Units

[Introduction] The strategic goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" has increased the demand for new energy power grid integration, so it is necessary to improve the flexible operation capacity of coal-fired generating units. [Method] This paper introduced the flexible transformation technology and common evaluation indicators of existing coal-fired units in detail. Flexibility transformation mainly included condensate throttling technology, coupled biomass co-combustion transformation technology of coal-fired units, flexibility technology of pulverizing system of coal-fired units, etc.; Common evaluation indicators for the flexibility of coal-fired generating units included: the power consumption rate of the generator set plant, the thermal efficiency of the boiler, the standard coal consumption rate of the generator set, etc. On this basis, this paper summarized and analyzed the flexibility transformation technology and evaluation indexes. [Result] Finally, the paper puts forward seven kinds of the technology development direction and relevant suggestions of coal-fired generating units. [Conclusion] The structural improvement of original generating units, the introduction of multi-form new energies and the coordinated regulation design of multi-heat storage will be the main direction of subsequent development. It is expected that paper can provide reference for subsequent coal-fired generating units to adapt to "dual carbon" energy planning

Social annotations and second language viewers’ engagement with multimedia learning resources in LMOOCs: a self-determination theory perspective

AbstractThe benefits of using social annotations to promote collaborative learning experiences have been investigated in the context of digital reading and listening, while its implications in multimedia learning contexts remain unclear. To investigate the influence of social annotations on multimedia language learning, we invited 16 African participants who were learning Chinese as a second language through a MOOC platform in China. They were given full autonomy to study and to shift instructional videos between three modes: no visual aids, linguistic captions, and social annotations. Guided by self-determination theory, the qualitative data were collected through one-to-one interviews, while quantitative data, such as the duration of watching and the number of questions raised by participants, were obtained from observations. Statistical analysis suggests that MOOC learners demonstrated a higher level of engagement and motivation in the social annotation mode than in the other two modes. These statistical findings can be explained from the following three perspectives: content and emotion-related social annotations by other L1 viewers can assist in (1) checking their comprehension of the video by comparing their understanding with others; (2) adjusting learning goals at both the linguistic and content level and therefore using self-regulated learning strategies to a greater extent, especially in actively seeking assistance and other learning resources, and (3) relating the video content to the teaching curriculum/personal experience/learning goals, therefore creating a sense of belonging to a larger language learner community as language learners, interpreters and contributors to the video social annotations

Electrochemical syntheses of nanomaterials and small molecules for electrolytic hydrogen production

Hydrogen is a clean, efficient, renewable energy resource and the most promising alternative to fossil fuels for future carbon-neutral energy supply. Therefore, sustainable hydrogen production is highly attractive and urgently demanded, especially via water electrolysis that has clean, abundant precursors and zero emission. However, current water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish kinetics and low cost/energy efficiency of both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this regard, electrochemical synthesis offers prospects to raise the efficiency and benefit of water electrolysis by fabricating advanced electrocatalysts and providing more efficient/value-adding co-electrolysis alternatives. It is an eco-friendly and facile fabrication method for materials ranging from molecular to nano scales via electrolysis or other electrochemical operations. In this review, we firstly introduce the basic concepts, design protocols, and typical methods of electrochemical synthesis. Then, we summarize the applications and advances of electrochemical synthesis in the field of electrocatalytic water splitting. We focus on the synthesis of nanostructured electrocatalysts towards more efficient HER, as well as electrochemical oxidation of small molecules to replace OER for more efficient and/or value-adding co-electrolysis with HER. We systematically discuss the relationship between electrochemical synthetic conditions and the product morphology, selectivity to enlighten future explorations. Finally, challenges and perspectives for electrochemical synthesis towards advanced water electrolysis, as well as other energy conversion and storage applications are featured. 氢气是一种清洁、高效、可再生的新型能源，并且是未来碳中和能源供应中最具潜力的化石燃料替代品。 因此，可持续氢能源制造具有极大的吸引力与迫切的需求，尤其是通过清洁、环保、零排放的电解水方法。然而， 目前的电解水反应受到其缓慢的动力学以及低成本/能源效率的制约。在这些方面，电化学合成通过制造先进的电催化剂和提供更高效/增值的共电解替代品，为提高水电解的效率和效益提供了广阔的前景。它是一种环保、简单的通过电解或其他电化学操作，对从分子到纳米尺度的材料进行制造的方法。本文首先介绍了电化学合成的基本概念、设计方法以及常用方法。然后，总结了电化学合成技术在电解水领域的应用及进展。我们专注于电化学合成的纳米结构电催化剂以实现更高效的电解水制氢，以及小分子的电化学氧化以取代电解水制氢中的析氧共反应，实现更高效、增值的共电解制氢。我们系统地讨论了电化学合成条件与产物的关系、以启发未来的探索。最后袁 本文讨论了电化学合成在先进电解水以及其他能量转换和储存应用方面的挑 战和前景。Ministry of Education (MOE)Submitted/Accepted versionThe authors acknowledge financial supports from Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (Grant No. MOE-T2EP10220-0005) and Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (Grant No. RG104/18)

Economic evaluation of mercury removal from flue gas by recyclable CuCl2 modified magnetospheres catalyst for 1000 MW coal-fired power plant

Economic sustainability is one of the main factors restricting development of mercury pollution control technology in the flue gas. Renewable magnetospheres separated from fly ash can be used as adsorbent for mercury removal from coal-fired flue gas. Based on the actual working condition of the 1000 WM coal-fired unit, this paper analyzes the impact of magnetosphere and mercury recovery technology on the economic benefits of this technology. The results show that the recovery of magnetospheres and mercury can obtain higher economic returns. This not only can realize the deduction of operating costs, but also has certain economic investment potential. When the magnetic separation rate is greater than 6% and the selling price of the magnetosphere is greater than 720 CNY/t, the revenue of the magnetosphere recovery system can offset the operating cost of whole system. The internal rate of return of the system can reach 50% at most. When the selling price of mercury selenide is lower than 450 CNY/g, the single mercury recovery income is insufficient to offset the mercury removal cost. Within the selling price range of 450–500 CNY/g mercury selenide, the system can generate revenue, and the product qualification rate directly affects the profit and loss of the system. The coupling of magnetospheres and mercury recovery systems can make economic and technical parameters more moderate. When the selling price of magnetospheres is higher than 600 CNY/t, the magnetic separation rate is higher than 6%, and the selling price of mercury selenide is higher than 350 CNY/g, the internal return of the system will fluctuate within 13%∼120%, and the static investment recovery period will remain within 6 years. Overall, this study can provide economic guidance for mercury removal technology with renewable magnetospheres and provide data support for further commercialization of technology

Synergistic Effects of Water and Oxygen Molecule Co-adsorption on (001) Surfaces of Tetragonal CH₃NH₃PbI₃: A First-Principles Study

The poor environmental stability of organometallic halide perovskite solar cells presents a big challenge for its commercialization, which is mainly due to the degradation of perovskite materials in humid air. The role played by water molecules has been extensively studied in the degradation processes, where strong interactions between water molecules and perovskite surfaces are found. Using first-principles simulations, we find that oxygen molecules also have strong interactions with (001) surfaces of tetragonal CH₃NH₃PbI₃ through the formation of a chemical Pb–O bond on the PbI₂-terminated surface and a hydrogen bond on the CH₃NH₃I-terminated surface. The adsorbed oxygen molecules introduce empty states near the Fermi level of the surfaces, which can facilitate charge transfer between the surface and oxygen molecules. Furthermore, when an oxygen molecule is located atop a Pb atom on PbI₂-terminated surface, the calculated adsorption energies indicate that the surface is more attractive to water molecules, making the surface even more sensitive to humidity. These findings reveal that oxygen molecules also play an important role in the initial stage of the degradation of perovskite materials

Tertiary amine mediated aerobic oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides by visible-light photoredox catalysis on TiO2

The selective oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides receives much attention due to industrial and biological applications. However, the realization of this reaction with molecular oxygen at room temperature, which is of importance towards green and sustainable chemistry, remains challenging. Herein, we develop a strategy to achieve the aerobic oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides by exploring the synergy between a tertiary amine and titanium dioxide via visible-light photoredox catalysis. Specifically, titanium dioxide can interact with triethylamine (TEA) to form a visible-light harvesting surface complex, preluding the ensuing selective redox reaction. Moreover, TEA, whose stability was demonstrated by a turnover number of 32, plays a critical role as a redox mediator by shuttling electrons during the oxidation of sulfide. This work suggests that the addition of a redox mediator is highly functional in establishing visible-light-induced reactions via heterogeneous photoredox catalysis.Published versio

1,3,5-triphenylbenzene based porous conjugated polymers for highly efficient photoreduction of low-concentration CO₂ in the gas-phase system

Herein, three 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene based porous conjugated polymers (PCPs) are designed for photochemical reduction of CO2 in simulated flue gas in the mild gas−solid reaction system. By tuning the nature of the comonomers, the PCPs present high surface areas, high CO2/N2 selectivity, and broad visible light absorptions with bandgaps of 1.81−2.07 eV. At 1 bar and 273 K, the CO2 uptake capacity of PCPs is enhanced from 1.28 to 2.18 mmol g−1, with an increase in CO2 adsorption heat from 21.8 to 28.3 KJ mol−1. In the presence of gaseous water, SO-TPB demonstrates the highest CO production rate of 40.12 μmol h−1 g−1 and nearly 100% product selectivity without using organic sacrificial reagent and additional cocatalyst (>420 nm). Moreover, SO-TPB can be recovered while well retaining the photocatalytic activity and reused at least five runs, indicating good recyclability.The authors are very grateful for financial support from the Research Foundation for Advanced Talents of East China University of Technology (no. DHBK201927), National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (no. 21905122), and National Science Foundation of Jiangxi province of China (no. 20202BAB203007)

Solution Adsorption Formation of a π‐Conjugated Polymer/Graphene Composite for High‐Performance Field‐Effect Transistors

Semiconducting polymers with π‐conjugated electronic structures have potential application in the large‐scale printable fabrication of high‐performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, owing to their poor environmental stability and high‐cost synthesis, polymer semiconductors possess limited device implementation. Here, an approach for constructing a π‐conjugated polymer/graphene composite material to circumvent these limitations is provided, and then this material is patterned into 1D arrays. Driven by the π–π interaction, several‐layer polymers can be adsorbed onto the graphene planes. The low consumption of the high‐cost semiconductor polymers and the mass production of graphene contribute to the low‐cost fabrication of the π‐conjugated polymer/graphene composite materials. Based on the π‐conjugated system, a reduced π–π stacking distance between graphene and the polymer can be achieved, yielding enhanced charge‐transport properties. Owing to the incorporation of graphene, the composite material shows improved thermal stability. More generally, it is believed that the construction of the π‐conjugated composite shows clear possibility of integrating organic molecules and 2D materials into microstructure arrays for property‐by‐design fabrication of functional devices with large area, low cost, and high efficiency.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)Accepted versio