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This paper proposes a Doherty power amplifier (DPA) architecture with potential for wideband and high efficiency, denoted as single-loop load matching network DPA (SL-LMN). The conventional single combination node network is replaced by an SL-LMN, which adds a new current combination node. This architecture can bring new circuit design freedom, which expands the operating bandwidth of the load modulation network. Using the same prototype topology, the working mechanism of SL-LMN DPA is further illustrated based on three sets of comparative designs. To prove this theory, a broadband asymmetric DPA (ADPA) functioning over 1.9-2.9 GHz is developed and fabricated using two asymmetric GaN transistors. Under continuous wave excitation, the observed data indicates that the drain efficiency of this ADPA is 42.1%-68.9% at saturation and 45.5%-58.5% at 8 dB back-off, respectively. The ADPA has a maximum output power and saturated gain of 44–46 dBm and 6.8-10.9 dB, respectively.

Biomolecular condensates or membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) divide intracellular spaces into discrete compartments for specific functions. Dysregulation of LLPS or aberrant phase transition that disturbs the formation or material states of MLOs is closely correlated with neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis, and many other pathological processes. Herein, we summarize the recent progress in development of methods to monitor phase separation and we discuss the biogenesis and function of MLOs formed through phase separation. We then present emerging proof-of-concept examples regarding the disruption of phase separation homeostasis in a diverse array of clinical conditions including neurodegenerative disorders, hearing loss, cancers, and immunological diseases. Finally, we describe the emerging discovery of chemical modulators of phase separation.

Ageing is a critical factor in spinal-cord-associated disorders1, yet the ageing-specific mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Here, to address this knowledge gap, we combined single-nucleus RNA-sequencing analysis with behavioural and neurophysiological analysis in non-human primates (NHPs). We identified motor neuron senescence and neuroinflammation with microglial hyperactivation as intertwined hallmarks of spinal cord ageing. As an underlying mechanism, we identified a neurotoxic microglial state demarcated by elevated expression of CHIT1 (a secreted mammalian chitinase) specific to the aged spinal cords in NHP and human biopsies. In the aged spinal cord, CHIT1-positive microglia preferentially localize around motor neurons, and they have the ability to trigger senescence, partly by activating SMAD signalling. We further validated the driving role of secreted CHIT1 on MN senescence using multimodal experiments both in vivo, using the NHP spinal cord as a model, and in vitro, using a sophisticated system modelling the human motor-neuron–microenvironment interplay. Moreover, we demonstrated that ascorbic acid, a geroprotective compound, counteracted the pro-senescent effect of CHIT1 and mitigated motor neuron senescence in aged monkeys. Our findings provide the single-cell resolution cellular and molecular landscape of the aged primate spinal cord and identify a new biomarker and intervention target for spinal cord degeneration.

Most major insurers operate in both the commercial health insurance and Medicare Advantage (MA) markets. We investigated the ratio of commercial-to-MA prices negotiated by the same insurer, in the same hospital and for the same services, using 2022 price information disclosed by hospitals in compliance with the hospital price transparency rule. Insurers negotiated median hospital prices for commercial plans that were two to three times higher than their MA prices in the same hospital for the same service. The median commercial-to-MA price ratio in the same hospital varied, from 1.8 for surgery and medicine services to 2.2 for laboratory tests and emergency department visits and 2.4 for imaging services. In multivariable Poisson regression analysis, higher ratios were associated with system-affiliated, nonprofit, and teaching hospitals, as well as with large national insurers. These findings reflect the differences in financial incentives and regulatory policies in the commercial and MA markets. Because insurers respond to differing incentives by obtaining different negotiated prices across markets, policy and practice efforts that alter incentives for insurers may have the potential to lower commercial prices.

Nematic liquid crystal (NLC) has been widely researched in temperature sensors because of its large negative temperature coefficient and unique optical anisotropy. In this article, a tunable temperature sensor based on an optical fiber ring laser (FRL) with an NLC film-embedded Sagnac interferometer (SI) was experimentally studied. By filling NLC film into a gap with hundreds of microns thick in the SI, a tunable and high spacial resolution temperature sensor was achieved. Compared to the traditional SI, the resultant sensor based on FRL with an NLC film-embedded SI in it showed a narrow 3 dB bandwidth and an ultrahigh resolution ( ${R}{)}$ . At the NLC film thickness of $288.21 ~\mu \text{m}$ , the temperature sensitivity [ ${S}{(}{t}{)}$ ], detection limit (DL), and quality factor ( ${Q}{)}$ of the resultant sensor were −3.16 nm/°C, $- 5.38\times 10^{-{3}}\,\,^{\circ }\text{C}$ , and $6.99\times 10^{{3}}$ , respectively. Experimental results also indicated that the temperature sensing characteristic could be further improved by shortening the thickness of the NLC film. This kind of sensor, which shows high ${R}$ and DL has great application potential in temperature monitoring in biomedicine, environmental monitoring, agricultural engineering, health monitoring, and aerospace.

When a company's automated manufacturing stumbles or grinds to a halt, the CFO's first question is likely to be, 'What is this really going to cost?' Measuring the full cost [...]

In order to meet the actual requirements for sensor miniaturization and integration, we propose a compact dual-parameter surface plasmon resonance (SPR) fiber sensor, which can simultaneously measure the refractive index (RI) and temperature of liquid. The sensor is composed of input–output couplers and two sensing arms. The no-core fibers (NCFs) and microstructured optical fiber (MOF) with deposited films are used as input–output couplers and sensing arms, respectively. One sensing arm is the MOF with silver film for RI measurement, and another is that with silver film and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for temperature measurement. Numerical simulation results show that its cladding mode is more advantageous in stimulating the SPR effect. Experimental results demonstrate that the maximum sensitivity of liquid RI is 4139 nm/RIU in the range of 1.333–1.365, and that of liquid temperature is 4.7 nm/°C in the range of 20 °C–70 °C. The compact structure makes the proposed sensor unique and has a promising application in RI and temperature monitoring.

Biomimetic underwater vehicles (BUVs) are important instrumentation in applications such as water quality monitoring and underwater detection. In this article, we study the cooperative trajectory planning problem for multiple BUVs and propose a stepwise trajectory planning algorithm based on the temporal–spatial Bezier curves to enable cooperative formations. We introduce the time variable into the 3-D Bezier curve, designing a 4-D temporal–spatial Bezier curve. Considering the various physical constraints of the BUV, we obtain a smooth and feasible trajectory using particle swarm optimization (PSO) when taking the shortest trajectory distance as the optimization goal. On this basis, we propose a method to perform cooperative trajectory planning and efficient obstacle avoidance replanning for multiple BUVs by integrating the real-time collision avoidance, real-time detection, and underwater complex terrain constraints. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed cooperative planning method through simulation and comparison.

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Objective: The expression pattern of exosomal miRNAs derived from parathyroid tumor is still unknown. In the present work, we aimed to examine the differences on microRNA (miRNA) expression, present in serum exosomes, by comparing parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and parathyroid adenoma (PA). Methods: MiRNA expression profile of serum exosomes, derived from 4 PC patients and 4 PA patients, were analyzed by next-generation sequencing technology. The differential expressions of target miRNAs were further verified in both serum exosomes and tissues of PC/PA patients by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Lastly, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to investigate the efficiency of target exosomal miRNAs in distinguishing PC patients from PA controls. Results: Multiple differentially expressed miRNAs of serum exosomes were screened out by sequencing. Based on this screening, hsa-miR-146b-5p (p= 0.0846), hsa-miR-27a-5p (p= 0.0412), hsa-miR-93-5p (p= 0.73), hsa-miR-381-3p (p= 0.1239) and hsa-miR-134-5p (p= 0.0694) were upregulated in the serum exosomes of PC patients. These results were validated by qPCR, where the trend on differential miRNA expression was consistent with the sequencing results. Specifically, the expression of exosomal hsa-miR-27a-5p was able to clearly distinguish PC patients from PA controls, and related analysis indicated that the area under the ROC curve was 0.8594 (p= 0.0157). Conclusions: Here we present, for the first time, the miRNA expression profile of serum exosomes derived from PC patients. Based on this result, we presently suggest that the exosomal hsa-miR-27a-5p may serve as a putative tumor marker for preoperative identification of PC and PA subjects.

Partial nitritation providing a suitable effluent for subsequent anammox is a critical step in a two-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal system. This study demonstrates an innovative approach for attaining partial nitritation in an acidic bioreactor operating at a slightly low pH (i.e., 5–6). This approach is based on our hypothesis in this study that acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) can produce nitrite and protons to self-sustain free nitrous acid (FNA, NO2–+ H+↔ HNO2) at a parts per million level, as an inhibitor of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). With influent nitrogen of about 200 mg/L and operating conditions of high dissolved oxygen, long sludge retention time, and moderate temperature, a lab-scale acidic bioreactor with FNA up to 2 mg of HNO2-N/L successfully established stable nitrite accumulation in the effluent for 200 days, with an average ratio [NO2–/(NO2–+ NO3–)] exceeding 95%. A 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis showed that Nitrosospirawas the dominant AOB in the biomass of the bioreactor, while Nitrosomonasand Nitrospira, two typical nitrifying genera in neutral wastewater treatment, both disappeared after the startup of partial nitritation. Kinetic characterization revealed that Nitrosospirahad a substrate affinity of 11.4–16.5 mg of total ammonia (NH4++ NH3)/L. It also revealed that less than 3.5 mg of HNO2-N/L FNA did not inhibit AOB activity significantly. Acidic operation is economically attractive because it can be achieved via acidophilic ammonia oxidation without adding chemical acid. However, hazardous gas, nitric oxide (NO), should be removed from gas produced by acidic nitrifying bioreactors.

Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. We investigated the effects of hydrogen on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and laparoscopic hepatectomy in swine.

Phytosterols, which are naturally occurring in plants, have excellent nutritional and health values on lowering both the blood cholesterol level and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Edible oils are the main source of daily intake of phytosterols, whereas the properties of phytosterols may vary a lot depending on their sources. During the processing of edible oil including refining and frying, phytosterol's content fluctuates, which influences the properties of the final product. Phytosterols and their derivatives undergo physical migration between different phases and chemical conversion during the processing, which reduces the quality and the commercial value of edible oils. Therein, the loss of phytosterols is the major concern in the process of neutralization and deodorization. In addition, oxidation and thermal degradation of phytosterols occur simultaneously during frying, which also reduces the content of phytosterols. Nevertheless, the oil matrix has a promoting or an inhibitory effect on the thermal oxidation of phytosterols. Therefore, various efforts have been devoted to analyzing and improving the remaining contents of phytosterols in edible oil. Regardless of the processing method, temperature plays an important role in the loss of phytosterols. At present, the main analysis methods of phytosterols include gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, in which the pretreatment of different types of phytosterols is also a crucial step. This review focused on the following topics comprehensively: (i) the distribution of phytosterols in the oil-containing plants and edible oils during the refining processing; (ii) the pretreatment and analysis methods of various phytosterols (free phytosterols, phytosteryl fatty acid esters, phytosteryl glycosides and acylated phytosteryl glycosides); (iii) the variation of phytosterols in process of esterification and oxidation, storage and so on. The study also proposed that the investigation in the loss and safety of phytosterols during processing of the vegetable oils should be proceeded further in combination with efficient and accurate chromatography methods.

Members of the superfamily of solute carrier (SLC) transmembrane proteins transport diverse substrates across distinct cellular membranes. Three SLC protein families transport distinct neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles to enable synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Among them is the SLC17A6/7/8 family of vesicular glutamate transporters, which endows specific neuronal cell types with the ability to use glutamate as a neurotransmitter. The genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegansencodes three SLC17A6/7/8 family members, one of which, eat-4/VGLUT, has been shown to be involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Here, we describe our analysis of the two remaining, previously uncharacterized SLC17A6/7/8 family members, vglu-2and vglu-3. These two genes directly neighbor one another and are the result of a recent gene duplication event in C. elegans, but not in other Caenorhabditisspecies. Compared to EAT-4, the VGLU-2and VGLU-3protein sequences display a more distant similarity to canonical, vertebrate VGLUT proteins. We tagged both genomic loci with gfpand detected no expression of vglu-3at any stage of development in any cell type of both C. eleganssexes. In contrast, vglu-2::gfpis dynamically expressed in a restricted set of distinct cell types. Within the nervous system, vglu-2::gfpis exclusively expressed in a single interneuron class, AIA, where it localizes to vesicular structures in the soma, but not along the axon, suggesting that VGLU-2may not be involved in synaptic transport of glutamate. Nevertheless, vglu-2mutants are partly defective in the function of the AIA neuron in olfactory behavior. Outside the nervous system, VGLU-2is expressed in collagen secreting skin cells where VGLU-2most prominently localizes to early endosomes, and to a lesser degree to apical clathrin-coated pits, the trans-Golgi network, and late endosomes. On early endosomes, VGLU-2colocalizes most strongly with the recycling promoting factor SNX-1, a retromer component. Loss of vglu-2affects the permeability of the collagen-containing cuticle of the worm, and based on the function of a vertebrate VGLUT1 protein in osteoclasts, we speculate that vglu-2may have a role in collagen trafficking in the skin. We conclude that C. elegansSLC17A6/7/8 family members have diverse functions within and outside the nervous system.

In the model of quantum cloud computing, the server executes a computation on the quantum data provided by the client. In this scenario, it is important to reduce the amount of quantum communication between the client and the server. A possible approach is to transform the desired computation into a compressed version that acts on a smaller number of qubits, thereby reducing the amount of data exchanged between the client and the server. Here we propose quantum autoencoders for quantum gates (QAEGate) as a method for compressing quantum computations. We illustrate it in concrete scenarios of single-round and multi-round communication and validate it through numerical experiments. A bonus of our method is it does not reveal any information about the server’s computation other than the information present in the output.

Increasing insurance deductibles have prompted some medical centers to initiate transparent pricing. However, the impact of price transparency (PT) on surgical volume, revenue, and patient satisfaction is unknown, along with the barriers to achieving PT. We identified ambulatory surgical centers in the Free Market Medical Association database that publicly list prices for surgical services online. Six of eight centers (75%) responded to our data collection inquiry. Among five centers that reported their patient volume and revenue after adopting PT, patient volume increased by a median of 50 per cent (range 10–200%) at one year. Four centers (80%) reported an increase in revenue by a median of 30 per cent (range 4–75%), whereas three centers (60%) experienced an increase in third-party administrator contracts with the average increase being seven new third-party administrator contracts (range = 2–12 contracts). Three centers (50%) reported a reduction in their administrative burden and five centers (83%) reported an increase in patient satisfaction and patient engagement after PT. The leading barrier reported to making prices transparent was discouragement from another practice, hospital, or insurance company. The findings of this preliminary study may help guide medical practices in designing and implementing PT strategies.

IMPORTANCE: Uninsured and insured but out-of-network emergency department (ED) patients are often billed hospital chargemaster prices, which exceed amounts typically paid by insurers. OBJECTIVE: To examine the variation in excess charges for services provided by emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective analysis was conducted of professional fee payment claims made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for all services provided to Medicare Part B fee-for-service beneficiaries in calendar year 2013. Data analysis was conducted from January 1 to July 31, 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Markup ratios for ED and internal medicine professional services, defined as the charges submitted by the hospital divided by the Medicare allowable amount. RESULTS: Our analysis included 12 337 emergency medicine physicians from 2707 hospitals and 57 607 internal medicine physicians from 3669 hospitals in all 50 states. Services provided by emergency medicine physicians had an overall markup ratio of 4.4 (340% excess charges), which was greater than the markup ratio of 2.1 (110% excess charges) for all services performed by internal medicine physicians. Markup ratios for all ED services ranged by hospital from 1.0 to 12.6 (median, 4.2; interquartile range [IQR], 3.3-5.8); markup ratios for all internal medicine services ranged by hospital from 1.0 to 14.1 (median, 2.0; IQR, 1.7-2.5). The median markup ratio by hospital for ED evaluation and management procedure codes varied between 4.0 and 5.0. Among the most common ED services, laceration repair had the highest median markup ratio (7.0); emergency medicine physician review of a head computed tomographic scan had the greatest interhospital variation (range, 1.6-27.7). Across hospitals, markups in the ED were often substantially higher than those in the internal medicine department for the same services. Higher ED markup ratios were associated with hospital for-profit ownership (median, 5.7; IQR, 4.0-7.1), a greater percentage of uninsured patients seen (median, 5.0; IQR, 3.5-6.7 for ≥20% uninsured), and location (median, 5.3; IQR, 3.8-6.8 for the southeastern United States). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Across hospitals, there is wide variation in excess charges on ED services, which are often priced higher than internal medicine services. Our results inform policy efforts to protect uninsured and out-of-network patients from highly variable pricing.

New pollutant pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), especially antiviral drugs, have received increasing attention not only due to their increase in usage after the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemics but also due to their adverse impacts on water ecological environment. Electro-Fenton technology is an effective method to remove PPCPs from water. Novel particle electrodes (MMT/rGO/Fe3O4) were synthesized by depositing Fe3O4nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide modified montmorillonite and acted as catalysts to promote oxidation performance in a three-dimensional Electro-Fenton (3D-EF) system. The electrodes combined the catalytic property of Fe3O4, hydrophilicity of montmorillonite and electrical conductivity of graphene oxides, and applied for the degradation of Acyclovir (ACV) with high efficiency and ease of operation. At optimal condition, the degradation rate of ACV reached 100% within 120 min, and the applicable pH range could be 3 to 11 in the 3D-EF system. The stability and reusability of MMT/rGO/Fe3O4particle electrodes were also studied, the removal rate of ACV remained at 92% after 10 cycles, which was just slightly lower than that of the first cycle. Potential degradation mechanisms were also proposed by methanol quenching tests and FT-ICR-MS.

Commercial negotiated price for common shoppable radiology services varied substantially within the same hospital and hospital-insurance-company pair. Services involving high-cost equipment had wider variations and higher prices (relative to Medicare).

In order to develop a cell-based vaccine against the Parkinson disease (PD) associated protein α-synuclein (α-Syn) 3 peptides were synthesized based upon predicted B cell epitopes within the full length α-Syn protein sequence. These peptide fragments as well as the full length recombinant human α-Syn (rh- α-Syn) protein were used to sensitize mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) ex vivo,followed by intravenous delivery of these sensitized DCs into transgenic (Tg) mice expressing the human A53T variant of α-Syn. ELISA analysis and testing of behavioral locomotor function by rotometry were performed on all mice after the 5th vaccination as well as just prior to euthanasia. The results indicated that vaccination with peptide sensitized DCs (PSDC) as well as DCs sensitized by rh-α-Syn induced specific anti-α-Syn antibodies in all immunized mice. In terms of rotometry performance, a measure of locomotor activity correlated to brain dopamine levels, mice vaccinated with PSDC or rh- α-Syn sensitized DCs performed significantly better than non-vaccinated Tg control mice during the final assessment (i.e. at 17 months of age) before euthanasia. As well, measurement of levels of brain IL-1α, a cytokine hypothesized to be associated with neuroinflammation, demonstrated that this proinflammatory molecule was significantly reduced in the PSDC and rh- α-Syn sensitized DC vaccinated mice compared to the non-vaccinated Tg control group. Overall, α-Syn antigen-sensitized DC vaccination was effective in generating specific anti- α-Syn antibodies and improved locomotor function without eliciting an apparent general inflammatory response, indicating that this strategy may be a safe and effective treatment for PD.

Sludge Concentration (MLSS) is one of major parameters for operation of Anoxic/Aerobic-Membrane Bioreactors（A/O-MBR）and it influences the removal efficiency of pollutants and the rate of membrane fouling as well. This paper focuses on the effects of different MLSS on the treatment of domestic wastewater, the quantity and composition of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), and the variation of the rate of membrane fouling. It also includes a preliminary analysis of the correlation between EPS and membrane fouling to provide reference for future studies of the mechanism of membrane fouling.

Several pieces of experimental evidence suggest that administration of anti-β amyloid (Aβ) vaccines, passive anti-Aβ antibodies or anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce Aβ deposition as well as associated cognitive/behavioral deficits in an Alzheimer disease (AD) transgenic (Tg) mouse model and, as such, may have some efficacy in human AD patients as well. In the investigation reported here an Aβ 1–42 peptide vaccine was administered to 16-month old APP+PS1 transgenic (Tg) mice in which Aβ deposition, cognitive memory deficits as well as levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured in response to the vaccination regimen. After vaccination, the anti-Aβ 1–42 antibody-producing mice demonstrated a significant reduction in the sera levels of 4 pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1 α, and IL-12). Importantly, reductions in the cytokine levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were correlated with cognitive/behavioral improvement in the Tg mice. However, no differences in cerebral Aβ deposition in these mice were noted among the different control and experimental groups, i.e., Aβ 1–42 peptide vaccinated, control peptide vaccinated, or non-vaccinated mice. However, decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as improved cognitive performance were noted in mice vaccinated with the control peptide as well as those immunized with the Aβ 1-42 peptide. These findings suggest that reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in these mice may be utilized as an early biomarker for vaccination/treatment induced amelioration of cognitive deficits and are independent of Aβ deposition and, interestingly, antigen specific Aβ 1–42 vaccination. Since cytokine changes are typically related to T cell activation, the results imply that T cell regulation may have an important role in vaccination or other immunotherapeutic strategies in an AD mouse model and potentially in AD patients. Overall, these cytokine changes may serve as a predictive marker for AD development and progression as well as having potential therapeutic implications.

With the rapid development of economic globalization, communication between government and civil has become more frequent. Language is an effective tool to promote international communication. Language learning has become more important, so it stimulates the progress of language training market. However the training industry still exist many problems, such as the market operation is not standardized, and the training services quality is low. And it is very important to develop standards to normative. Furthermore the standard system is the foundation for developing standards. Applying the theory of systems engineering and unified modeling language (UML), the paper established language training services standard system by extracting vocabulary, initial class diagram and grouping the classes, based on the analysis of interdependent body.

Phytosterols have received extensive attention owing to their excellent cholesterol-lowering activity and the role in cardiovascular diseases prevention. However, poor solubility in both oil and water limited the application of free phytosterols in the food industry. Chemical or enzymatic modifications were effective to improve the physicochemical properties as well as the bioavailability and cholesterol-lowering activity of phytosterols. Higher oil solubility and lower melting point of phytosterols have been achieved by esterification and transesterification with fatty acids and triacylglycerols so as to enhance the bioavailability, reduce formation of precipitates, and improve the sensory quality of products. While the researches on the improvement on its water solubility is a hot topic. Hydrophilic phytosterol derivatives have promising applications in the food industry because most of foods belong to aqueous matrix. Hydrophilic modification is useful and meaningful for phytosterols in both industrial and commercial applications. This review mainly highlights the hydrophilic phytosterol derivatives in the following aspects: (i) hydrophilic modifications of phytosterols by coupling with various polar components; (ii) cholesterol-lowering activity and possible molecular mechanisms of hydrophilic phytosterol derivatives on reducing serum cholesterol level; and (iii) safety evaluation of hydrophilic phytosterol derivatives in cell-culture studies, animal models and clinical trials.

Hydrophilic β-sitosterol sugar esters were synthesized by a two-step biocatalytic approach using β-sitosterol vinyl adipate as an intermediate. The maximum conversion (above 90%) of β-sitosterol vinyl adipate was achieved using the saccharides glucose, sucrose, and raffinose. The chemical structure of the synthesized esters was confirmed by various techniques. The investigation of physical properties revealed that β-sitosterol sugar esters had enhanced water solubility (3.0–8.0 mM at 35 °C), reduced crystallinity, and high wettability. Their lyotropic liquid crystal properties were observed by polarized light microscopy. Furthermore, β-sitosterol sugar esters could be hydrolyzed into β-sitosterol adipate under simulated intestinal conditions at a low rate (2.83–18.14%). Most β-sitosterol sugar esters probably entered into intestinal bile salt micelles with ester bonds intact and showed up to 10-fold higher in vitro bioaccessibility than free β-sitosterol in non-fat systems. The excellent physical and functional characteristics of β-sitosterol sugar esters suggested their great potential application in the food industry.

Traditional methods of preparing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) compounds have the disadvantages such as poor dispersion, inefficient and discontinuous process. In this work, microchannel reactor is used to prepare MOFs-derived zeolite-imidazole material viaflash nanoprecipitation to form ZIF-67 + PEI(FNP), which reduces the MOF synthesis time down to millisecond time interval while keeping the synthesized ZIF-67 + PEI(FNP) highly dispersed. The Co@N-C(FNP)catalyst obtained by flash nanoprecipitation and carbonization has a higher Co content and thus more active sites for oxygen reduction reaction than the Co@N-C(DM) catalyst prepared by direct mixing method. Electrochemical tests show that the Co@N-C(FNP) catalyst prepared by this method has excellent oxygen reduction performance, good methanol resistance and high stability. The onset potential and half-wave potential of Co@N-C(FNP) are 0.92 VRHEand 0.83 VRHE, respectively, which are higher than that of Co@N-C(DM) (Eonset = 0.90 VRHEand E1/2 = 0.83 VRHE). Moreover, the Zn-air battery assembled with Co@N-C(FNP) as the cathode catalyst has high open circuit voltage, high power density and large specific capacity. The performance of these batteries has been comparable to that of Pt/C assembled batteries. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the Co (220) crystal plane present in Co@N-C(FNP) have stronger adsorption energy than that of Co (111) crystal plane in Co@N-C(DM), leading to better electrocatalytic performance of the former.

In this paper, the instantaneous optimal control strategy of parallel hybrid loader is presented. The aim is to achieve the real time optimal allocation of internal combustion engine (ICE) torque and motor torque in any driving cycle for loader. Thus, all combinations of the ICE torque and the motor torque is determined in any demand torque. Then integrated instantaneous fuel consumption (IIFC) is calculated as a target function, by establishing the equivalent relationship between the electric energy consumption of battery and the fuel consumption, which is converted to the electric energy. When the minimum integrated instantaneous fuel consumption is found, the instantaneous optimal allocation of ICE torque and the motor torque is achieved. Finally in order to verify the functionality of the control strategy, the vehicle and the control algorithm co-simulation model is built on AMESim and Matlab/Simulink platforms. The simulation results show that the strategy is able to improve the fuel economy by more than 10% while ensuring the vehicle power performance.

To investigate the protective effects and the possible molecular mechanisms of chlorogenic acid on H2O2-induced dysfunction and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were divided into three groups: H2O2 groups (0, 5, 10, 20, 50mM), chlorogenic acid (100nmol/L) groups and atorvastatin (10μmol/L) groups. The eNOS mRNA expression was measured by RT-PCR. The content of NO in the supernatant was detected by the nitrate reductase assay. Cells activity was evaluated by the MTT assay. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells was measured using H2DCF-DA as a fluorescence probe. Results demonstrated that H2O2 caused a significant down-regulation of eNOS mRNA expression and decreased the secretion of NO in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group. Furthermore, H2O2 induced cell apoptosis, increased ROS accumulation. Nevertheless, these effects of H2O2 could be blocked by chlorogenic acid in chlorogenic acid pretreatment groups. CONCLUSION:chlorogenic acid can inhibite H2O2-induced dysfunction and apoptosis in HUVECs, which may be related to its effects on suppressing oxidative stress, up-regulating eNOS pathway. These results suggest the usefulness of chlorogenic acid particularly in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Based on fillers theory and traditional A/O-MBR theory, anoxic/aerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor system (A/O-HMBR for short) was modified by adding suspended biological fillers in one of the aerobic tanks of the traditional A/O-MBR, in which the filling ratio of fillers was 8%. The thesis mainly studies the nitrogen removal effect in the A/O-HMBR system when the main influence parameters, such as influent C/N(5,7,10), aeration intensity(15m3/h,20m3/h,25m3/h) and HRT(5h,8h,11h), were changed.The experimental results show that when HRT was 8h, C/N was 7, and aeration intensity was 20m3/h, TN removal effect was best.

Cell-penetrating peptides including the trans-activating transcriptional activator (Tat) from HIV-1 have been used as carriers for intracellular delivery of a myriad of cargoes including drugs, molecular probes, DNAs and nanoparticles. Utilizing fluorescence flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that a γ-AApeptide mimetic of Tat (48–57) can cross the cell membranes and enter the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells, with efficiency comparable to or better than that of Tat peptide (48–57). Deletion of the four side chains of the γ-AApeptide attenuates translocation capability. We also establish that the γ-AApeptide is even less toxic than the Tat peptide against mammalian cells. In addition to their low toxicity, γ-AApeptides are resistant to protease degradation, which may prove to be advantageous over α-peptides for further development of molecular transporters for intracellular delivery.

Anoxic/Oxic Membrane Bioreactor (A/O-MBR) was used to treat domestic sewage, the effect of different sludge retention time (SRT) on nitrogen removal and the sludge properties were investigated. The results indicated that the change of NH3-N removal increased gradually with the SRT extension, then basically tends to be stable. The systematic elimination effect of TN rises with the SRT extension and then slightly tends to decrease. MLVSS/MLSS presents a gradually declining trend with the SRT extension. Sludge volume index (SVI) reduces along with the SRT extension according to the exponential decay tendency, but sludge sedimentation rate (SV30) increases progressively by two step multinomial tendency.

Composite photocatalysts, prepared by mechanical grinding TiO2 with bentonite/ organobentonite, were applied in the dynamic photodegradation of gaseous toluene. A substrate enriched environment surround the loaded TiO2 was formed by the adsorption of the added sorbents, leading to an increase in the degradation rate. The performance of composite catalysts was quite different in the initial and the long-term period of photocatalysis. The differences could be attributed to the adsorption properties of added sorbents related to adsorbility, hydrophilicity and diffusion feasibility, etc. The longer alkyl-chain of organobentonite formed a better partition phase resulting in an ideal adsorption capacity. However, as the alkyl-chain length increased, the diffusion path was segmentally clogged which seriously hindered the photocatalysis in the initial period. Although the adsorption capacity of original bentonite was quite small, the facility of diffusion changed it into the best performer in the initial period. Organobentonite with relatively short alkyl-chain conceived a little smaller adsorption capacity than the longer one. Moreover, the former one showed much more trending to diffuse the adsorbed toluene to catalyst. The long-term period of photocatalysis was also affected by the hydrophilicity of catalyst. Hence, the performance of organobentonites added composite catalyst mended a lot in the final degradation rate. Thus, organobentonite as 20DTAB with the advantage of large adsorption capacity and good diffusion feasibility is believed to be a promising carrier of photocatalys.

We have analyzed and summarized the development of exploration of precious metal deposits in China in recent years; their major types, major metallogenic epochs and areas of main concentration of these deposits. On this basis, we summarize the basic metallogenic patterns of gold, silver and platinum group elements (PGE) deposits in China and put forward a prospecting methodology for each of these precious metal deposits. Gold deposits in China consist of various types, and were mainly formed in the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic, and concentrated in Jiaodong, Xiaoqinling, Altay, Jinshajiang-Honghe, Taiwan and southeastern margin of continent, in the Heilongjiang and Yangtze River areas, Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi provinces and Shaanxi-Gansu-Sichuan provinces, etc. Silver deposits in China are usually associated with other metals and also formed mainly in the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. They are hosted by metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentary rocks in orogenic and basin area, are generally fault or fracture controlled. At present, the prospecting potential for silver deposits is in manganese deposits and Mn anomaly areas, especially in the Cenozoic basins in East China. PGE deposits are of three major types: magmatic, sedimentary, and hydrothermal. There are at least eight important metallogenic prospective regions with different geological environment and metallogenic conditions, leading to different prospecting methods.

We have generated site-directed mutants of the catalytic subunit of rabbit muscle ppase-1. Since it is known that ppase-1 and ppase-2A are highly susceptible to inactivation by sulfhydryl reagents, we have mutagenized the six cysteine residues conserved between these two enzymes to serines. The six mutants were purified to near homogeneity by affinity chromatography on inhibitor-2-Sepharose and characterized. All six exhibited enzymatic activity. These results indicate that the catalytic mechanism of ppase-1 is different from that of the protein tyrosine phosphatases which involve a cysteinyl phosphate intermediate.

Zr, Y, and heavy rare earth element (HREE) mineralization hosted by late Proterozoic metamorphic rocks from the western Dabie Mountains, northern Hubei Province, central China was discovered in 1978 by the Hubei Regional Geological Party (Li et al., 1981) and is examined further in this paper. The area is located in the EW-trending fold belt between the Sino-Korean and Yangtze cratons. Highly metamorphosed hornblende-plagioclase gneiss, granitic gneiss, and migmatites of the late Archean Dabie Group constitute the basement, which is unconformably covered by the late Proterozoic Hongan Group—a sequence of phosphorus-bearing layer(s), dolomitic marbles, muscovite-albite schist, felsic schists, and a variety of greenschists.The stratiform Zr, Y, and HREE mineralization is hosted by felsic and albite-muscovite schists of the lower part of the Hongan Group, which was highly stressed and deformed. The mineralized layer, about 10 m in thickness, occurs concordantly in the strata and extends discontinuously more than 15 km from northwest to southeast. The host felsic schists have a mineral assemblage of quartz + albite + microcline + muscovite + magnetite ± epidote ± garnet, and are estimated to have been subjected to a metamorphism of 3607-440 °C. Accessory minerals include zircon, gadolinite, fergusonite, xenotime, monazite, allanite, gahnite, and apatite. The rocks are very similar to metaluminous rhyolite in major component composition: they are moderately to highly enriched (ppm) in Zr (4980-6246), Y (745-1119), Nb (186-232), Ta (18-24), Th (132-171), U (22-28), Yb (83-109), Hf (183-204), Ga (35-50) and Sn (39-48) and have relatively high Rb/Sr ratios (6-17). These chemical features are, to a certain extent, similar to those of high-silica rhyolites from North America, and comparable to Høgtuva Be-REE-U-Sn-mineralization in Precambrian granitic gneiss in Norway, to a volcanic-hosted rare-metals deposit at Brockman, Western Australia, and to Zr, Nb, Y, and HREE mineralization related to alkaline and peralkaline granites from Canada, the Arabian Shield, Nigeria, and northern China. A submarine sedimentary-volcanic origin is proposed for interpretation of the genesis of this unusual HREE mineralization.

A cDNA coding for the catalytic subunit of phosphorylase phosphatase (phosphatase C‐I/phosphatase‐lc) was cloned from a rabbit muscle cDNA library by screening with oligonucleotide probes. Ten clones were analyzed. The full cDNA sequence of 1395 base pairs contained an open reading frame of 990 base pairs flanked by 3' and 5' noncoding regions of 84 and 321 base pairs, respectively. The DNA sequence (and deduced amino acid sequence) of this cDNA is distinctly different from that of a clone of 1492 base pairs previously reported. Our cDNA is essentially identical to the 1492‐base pair clone from residue 182 in the 3' direction, but it is completely different in the 5' direction. Consequently, the amino acid sequence deduced from our cDNA differs by 14 amino acids in the amino terminal from that previously reported and extends for an additional 19 amino acids. Probes to the divergent and common region of our cDNA clone hybridized to an mRNA of the same size by Northern blotting. Thus the cDNA we have isolated appears to code for an isoform of the catalytic subunit of phosphorylase phosphatase.—Bai, G.; Zhang, Z.; Amin, J.; Deans‐Zirattu, S. A.; Lee, E. Y. C. Molecular cloning of a cDNA for the catalytic subunit of rabbit muscle phosphorylase phosphatase. FASEB J.2: 3010‐3016; 1988.

IMPORTANCE: Branded products of multisource drugs are frequently dispensed in the Medicare Part D program, increasing costs for the program and patients. OBJECTIVE: To examine the reasons for dispensing branded multisource drugs in Medicare Part D. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study examined claims for multisource drugs with more than 1000 branded claims dispensed in Medicare Part D using Medicare Prescription Drug Event data from a 2017 nationwide random sample of 20% of Medicare beneficiaries. Data were analyzed between January and October 2020. EXPOSURES: Justification for branded dispensing as indicated by each claim’s dispense-as-written code. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Mean Medicare Part D program spending and patient out-of-pocket spending for branded and generic products, and generic vs branded spending discounts in program and patient out-of-pocket spending for each multisource drug. RESULTS: Among 169 million claims for 224 multisource drugs, 8.3 million claims (4.9%) were dispensed with a branded product. Among these claims, 4.9 million claims (59.2%) did not have a recorded reason for branded dispensing; 1.4 million claims (16.9%) occurred because of prescriber requests; and 1.1 million claims (13.5%) occurred because of patient requests. If all branded dispensing requested by prescribers had been substituted by the corresponding generics, the projected savings to the Medicare Part D program and Medicare patients were $997 million (56.0%) and $161 million (64.4%), respectively. If all branded dispensing requested by patients had been substituted by generics, the projected savings to the Medicare Part D program and Medicare patient were $673 million (53.4%) and $109 million (55.1%), respectively. Drugs with the highest proportion of branded dispensing by physician or patient request were typically high cost (eg, drugs with above-median frequencies of branded dispensing: mean [SD] discount on generic vs branded, 73.9% [26.9%] for prescriber requests). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Prescribers and patients motivated 30.4% of all branded dispensing of multisource drugs in the Medicare Part D program. Branded dispensing requested by prescribers or patients incurred an incremental annual cost of $1.67 billion to the Medicare program and $270 million to patients when compared with switching to generics. Policy makers should consider ways to discourage prescribers and patients from requesting branded dispensing of multisource drugs because of the higher cost.

Critical challenges remain in trauma emergency and surgical procedures involving liver bleeding, particularly in perforating wounds that cannot be pressed and large wounds that cannot be sewn. Self-assembling peptide hydrogels are particularly attractive due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and programmability. Herein, we develop a nano-band-aid (NBA) through a three-stage self-assembly strategy of two functionalized peptides, which were first coassembled into nanofibers and then woven to a meshlike network driven by Ca2+. Then, catalyzed by blood coagulation factor XIIIa (FXIIIa), NBA underwent a third stage, self-assembly into a densely compacted physical barrier to stop and control the bleeding. As expected, NBA rapidly and efficiently stopped the bleeding in rat liver scratches while effectively reducing the inflammation around the wound and promoting the wound healing. This bionic self-assembly strategy will provide a clinically potential peptide-based treatment for fatal liver bleeding and reinvigorate efforts to develop self-assembling peptide hydrogels as hemostatic agents.