Pulsed electrolysis of carbon dioxide by large-scale solid oxide electrolytic cells for intermittent renewable energy storage

CO_(2) electrolysis with solid oxide electrolytic cells(SOECs)using intermittently available renewable energy has potential applications for carbon neutrality and energy storage.In this study,a pulsed current strategy is used to replicate intermittent energy availability,and the stability and conversion rate of the cyclic operation by a large-scale flat-tube SOEC are studied.One hundred cycles under pulsed current ranging from -100 to -300 mA/cm^(2) with a total operating time of about 800 h were carried out.The results show that after 100 cycles,the cell voltage attenuates by 0.041%/cycle in the high current stage of−300 mA/cm^(2),indicating that the lifetime of the cell can reach up to about 500 cycles.The total CO_(2) conversion rate reached 52%,which is close to the theoretical value of 54.3% at -300 mA/cm^(2),and the calculated efficiency approached 98.2%,assuming heat recycling.This study illustrates the significant advantages of SOEC in efficient electrochemical energy conversion,carbon emission mitigation,and seasonal energy storage.

DNA demethylases remodel DNA methylation in rice gametes and zygote and are required for reproduction

Fertilization constitutes a critical step in the plant life cycle during which the gamete genomes undergo chromatin dynamics in preparation for embryogenesis. In mammals, parental chromatin is extensively reprogrammed through the global erasure of DNA methylation. However, in flowering plants it remains unclear whether and how DNA methylation is remodeled in gametes and after fertilization in the zygote. In this study, we characterize DNA methylation patterns and investigate the function of DNA glycosylases in rice eggs, sperm, and unicellular zygotes and during embryogenesis. We found that DNA methylation is locally reconfigured after fertilization and is intensified during embryogenesis. Genetic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic analysis revealed that three rice DNA glycosylases, DNG702, DNG701, and DNG704, demethylate DNA at distinct genomic regions in the gametes and the zygote, and are required for zygotic gene expression and development. Collectively, these results indicate that active DNA demethylation takes place in the gametes and the zygote to locally remodel DNA methylation, which is critical for egg and zygote gene expression and reproduction in rice.

Targets and beyond:cancer stem cell elimination

Cancer stem cells(CSCs)have been reported in various cancer types.A small portion of tumor cells that possess tumor initiation capacity,resist conventional drug treatment and correlate with poor prognosis are believed to be essential to drive tumor progression and metastasis.Therefore,successfully targeting CSCs is a promising strategy of cancer treatment.