A review of uncertain factors and analytic methods in long-term energy system optimization models

A larger number of uncertain factors in energy systems influence their evolution.Owing to the complexity of energy system modeling,incorporating uncertainty analysis to energy system modeling is essential for future energy system planning and resource allocation.This study focusses on long-term energy system optimization model.The important uncertain parameters in the model are analyzed and divided into policy,economic,and technical factors.This study specifically addresses the challenges related to carbon emission reduction and energy transition.It involves collecting and organizing relevant research on uncertainty analysis of long-term energy systems.Various energy system uncertainty modeling methods and their applications from the literature are summarized in this review.Finally,important uncertainty factors and uncertainty modeling methods for long-term energy system modeling are discussed,and future research directions are proposed.

Review of multi-objective optimization in long-term energy system models

Modeling and optimizing long-term energy systems can provide solutions to various energy and environmental policies involving public-interest issues.The conventional optimization of long-term energy system models focuses on a single economic goal.However,the increasingly complex demands of energy systems necessitate the comprehensive consideration of multiple dimensional objectives,such as environmental,social,and energy security.Therefore,a multi-objective optimization of long-term energy system models has been developed.Herein,studies pertaining to the multi-objective optimization of long-term energy system models are summarized;the optimization objectives of long-term energy system models are classified into economic,environmental,social,and energy security aspects;and the multi-objective optimization methods are classified and explained based on the preferential expression of decision makers.Finally,the key development direction of the multi-objective optimization of energy system models is discussed.

Age and Body Size of the Shangcheng Stout Salamander Pachyhynobius shangchengensis(Caudata:Hynobiidae)from Southeastern China

Age and body size a re critical for understanding life history evolution and ecology.In this study,the age and body size of the Shangcheng stout salamander,Pachyhynobius shangchengensis,from a population in Anhui Province,China,were studied by skeletochronology.The mean age was 8.8±0.2(mean±SD)years in females and 9.6±0.2 in males and ranged 5-13 years for both sexes.The mean age was significantly different between sexes.The mean body size and mass were(100.21±0.91)mm and(31.76±0.73)g in females,and(105.31±1.23)mm and(37.14±1.12)g in males,respectively.Males were significantly larger and heavier than females,indicating sexual size dimorphism.There was a significant positive correlation among body size,body mass,and age,suggesting that the oldest individuals are larger and heavier.The growth rate in males was significantly higher than in females.The present study provides preliminary data on life-history traits which can be helpful for future studies of this species and other hynobiid salamanders.

Synthesis, properties, and applications of large-scale two-dimensional materials by polymer-assisted deposition

Two-dimensional(2D) materials have attracted considerable attention because of their novel and tunable electronic,optical, ferromagnetic, and chemical properties. Compared to mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition, polymer-assisted deposition(PAD) is more suitable for mass production of 2D materials owing to its good reproducibility and reliability. In this review, we summarize the recent development of PAD on syntheses of 2D materials. First, we introduce principles and processing steps of PAD. Second, 2D materials, including graphene, MoS2, and MoS2/glassy-graphene heterostructures, are presented to illustrate the power of PAD and provide readers with the opportunity to assess the method. Last, we discuss the future prospects and challenges in this research field. This review provides a novel technique for preparing 2D layered materials and may inspire new applications of 2D layered materials.

Exogenous p16 gene therapy combined with X-ray irradiation suppresses the growth of human glioma cells

In this study, we infected human glioma U251 cells with a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus carrying the p16 gene. This adenovirus constructed was able to transfect exogenous p16 into the human glioma cells efficiently, and direct a high level of p16 protein expression. Tumor-inhibition experiments demonstrated that treatment with the adenovirus-p16 significantly inhibited the growth of glioma cells in vitro as well as the in vivo development of tumors in nude mice bearing a brain glioma. The combination of adenovirus-p16 gene treatment and X-ray irradiation resulted in a greater inhibition of tumor growth. Adenovirus-mediated p16 gene therapy conferred a significant antitumor effect against human glioma cells both in vitro and in vivo, and that there was a synergistic effect when X-ray irradiation was also used.

Radiosensitization by microRNA30a-5p in a nude mouse model with subcutaneous lung-cancer xenograft

Objective We aimed to observe the radiosensitization effect of mir-30a-5p in a nude mouse model with subcutaneous lung-cancer xenograft and to explore the underlying mechanism.Methods A549 cell lines with either stable upregulation or downregulation of mir-30a-5p,and their negative control,were transfected with lentivirus vectors.These cell lines were used to establish a nude mouse model with subcutaneous lung-cancer xenograft.Each group was randomly divided into irradiated and non-irradiated groups.The radiosensitization effect of mir-30a-5p in vivo was studied by observing xenograft growth trends and tumor weight.The mechanisms involved in this radiosensitization were investigated by detecting expressed radiosensitization-related proteins,using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results The expression level of mir-30a-5p in the lenti-mir-30a-5p group was higher than that in the negative control(lenti-GFP)group and lower in the lenti-inhibitor group(P<0.05).Subcutaneous lung-cancer xenografts in the irradiation group and lenti-mir-30a-5p increased in size slowly;tumors were lighter and tumor inhibition rates were higher than those in the non-irradiation and lenti-GFP groups.In contrast,the opposite of these effects was observed in the lenti-inhibitor group.Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting indicated that ATM protein expression level was lower in the lenti-mir-30a-5p group,with or without irradiation,compared to that in the lenti-GFP group.ATM protein levels were higher in the lenti-inhibitor groups.The phosphorylation level of ATM at residue 1981 was low in the groups without irradiation and increased significantly after irradiation(P<0.05).Moreover,the phosphorylation level was lower in the lenti-mir-30a-5p group and higher in the lenti-inhibitor group than that in the lenti-GFP group after irradiation(P<0.05).Conclusion Mir-30a-5p enhanced the radiosensitivity of nude mice with subcutaneous lung-cancer xenografts by inhibiting ATM phosphorylation.

Analysis of technology pathway of China's liquid fuel production with consideration of energy supply security and carbon price

Efforts to provide alternative resources and technologies for producing liquid fuel have recently been intensified.Different levels of dependence on oil imports and carbon prices have a significant impact on the composition of the cost-minimizing portfolio of technologies.Considering such factors,how should China plan its future liquid fuel industry?The model for supporting the technology portfolio and capacity configuration that minimizes the total system cost until 2045 is described in this study.The results obtained for different carbon prices and levels of dependence on oil import indicate that the oil-to-liquid fuel(OTL)will remain dominant in China's liquid fuel industry over the next three decades.If the carbon price is low,the coal-to-liquid fuel(CTL)process is competitive.For a high carbon price,the biomass-to-liquid fuel(BTL)technology expands more rapidly.The results also reveal that developing the BTL and CTL can effectively reduce the oil-import dependency;moreover,a high carbon price can lead to the CTL being replaced with the low-carbon technology(e.g.,BTL).Improvement in energy raw material conversion and application of CO_(2) removal technologies are also effective methods to control carbon emissions for achieving the carbon emission goals and ultimately emission reduction targets.

Emerging important roles of circRNAs in human cancer and other diseases

CircRNAs are a large class of endogenous single-stranded RNA that is different from other linear RNA,which are produced by back-splicing and fusion of either exons,introns,or both exon-intron into covalently closed loops.CircRNAs are found in almost all living organisms and have emerged as potentially important players effecting on all life activities.It was char-acterized by stable structure,resistant to RNA degradation,highly abundance and conserva-tion and tissue-specific expression.Early circRNAs were ignored as a by-product of meaningless abnormally cut RNA and had little biological function.Currently,circRNAs have become a research hotspot due to its special characteristics.CircRNAs could function as miRNA sponges,interfere with splicing and bind to protein to regulate the expression of parental genes and so on.In recent years,an increasing number of studies have revealed that circRNAs are closely related to a series of physiological and pathological processes.Additionally,cir-cRNAs play an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases,sug-gesting circRNAs may be as novel indicators or biomarkers for cancer and other diseases with which they are associated.In this article,we review the biogenesis,biological functions of cir-cRNAs and recent advances in circRNAs research in human diseases.Results will provide new insights on the roles and new ideas of circRNAs for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and possible directions and approach for future circRNA applications.

Free-standing hybrid films comprising of ultra-dispersed titania nanocrystals and hierarchical conductive network for excellent high rate performance of lithium storage

The construction of advanced electrode materials is key to the field of energy storage.Herein,a free-standing anatase titania(TiO_(2))nanocrystal/carbon nanotube(CNT)film is reported using a simple and scalable sol-gel method,followed by calcination.This unique free-standing film comprises ultra-small TiO_(2) nanocrystals(~5.9 nm)and super-aligned CNTs,with ultra-dispersed TiO_(2) nanocrystals on the surfaces of the CNTs.On the one hand,these TiO_(2) nanocrystals can significantly decrease the diffusion distance of the charges and on the other hand,the cross-linked CNTs can act as a three-dimensional(3D)conductive network,allowing the fast transport of electrons.In addition,the film is free-standing,without requiring electrode fabrication and additional conductive agents and binders.Owing to these above synergistic effects,the film is directly used as an anode in Li-ion batteries,and delivers a high discharge capacity of~105 mAh·g^(−1) at high rate of 60 C(1 C=170 mA·g^(−1))and excellent cycling performance over 2,500 cycles at 30 C.These results indicate that the free-standing anatase TiO_(2) nanocrystal/CNT film affords a superior performance among the various TiO_(2) materials and can be a promising anode material for fast-charging Li-ion batteries.Moreover,the TiO_(2)/CNT film exhibits an areal capacity of up to 2.4 mAh·cm^(−2),confirming the possibility of its practical use.

ELECTRONIC SUPPORT FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION IN A RESEARCH INSTITUTE

This paper focuses on the question how to build an electronic support environment for knowledge creation in a research institute （JAIST）. In order to assess the importance of diverse conditions of scientific creativity, we performed a survey in JAIST, and extracted useful knowledge from the database of survey results. Following the analysis of the theory of academic processes of knowledge creation and the survey findings in JAIST, a computer-based integrated system is proposed. In the aspect of the system design, we postulate that an electronic support environment for academic creativity can be achieved through a seamless integration with Internet, Application Server, Middle Ware, Database and Data Warehouse. The paper addresses issues of knowledge representation in the Electronic Support System for academic research, testing and evaluation issues and conclusions.