Abstract: The present disclosure discloses use of scutellarin in a medicament and a modulator for preventing or treating diseases, a medicament, and a modulator, which is related to the technical field of medicine. The present disclosure discloses use of scutellarin in the preparation of a medicament for preventing or treating a disease caused or mediated by interaction between TNF and TNFR2. The research in the present disclosure has shown that scutellarin is capable of selectively inhibiting TNF-induced death of WEHI-13VAR cells and significantly inhibiting TNF-induced proliferation of Tregs, accompanied with down-regulation of TNFR2 and Foxp3 expression in Tregs. This indicates that scutellarin can be used to treat or prevent relevant diseases caused or mediated by the interaction between TNF and TNFR2, and the present disclosure provides a new idea or means for preventing or treating relevant diseases caused or mediated by the interaction between TNF and TNFR2.

Abstract: A flipping-capacitor rectifier circuit that enhances an output power of a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH). The flipping-capacitor rectifier circuit includes a flipping capacitor, a plurality of switches, and an active rectifier. The flipping capacitor is connected in parallel with the PEH and forms at least three reconfiguration phases by turning on one or more of the switches. The active rectifier connects with the flipping capacitor in parallel and rectifies an AC voltage of the PEH. The flipping capacitor flips a voltage across a capacitor of the PEH to enhance the output power of the PEH by extracting power from the capacitor of the PEH.

Abstract: An incremental analog-to-digital converter (IADC) with a two-phase linear-exponential accumulation loop for improving the signal to noise distortion ratio (SNDR) and the dynamic range (DR) is disclosed. The linear-exponential IADC includes an analog modulator and a decimation filter. The analog modulator has an input for receiving the analog input voltage and an output. The analog modulator includes an integrator, an adder, a quantizer, a noise-coupling path, a data weighted averaging (DWA) circuit, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The decimation filter has an input for receiving signals from the output of the analog modulator. The decimation filter includes a 1st order accumulator, an exponential accumulator, and a decimator. The linear-exponential IADC is configured to operate with a linear phase for suppressing the thermal noise and an exponential phase for boosting the SQNR.

Abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal types of tumor amongst all human cancers due to late diagnosis and resistant to treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed that ErbB family for example epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated molecular target for pancreatic cancer prevention and therapy. The ErbB signaling cascade is regulated by a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) family, namely ADAM17, by enzymatic cleavage of precursor ligands into soluble cytokines and growth factors. Mouse genetic studies have demonstrated that ADAM17 is required for PDAC development. In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor effects of A9(B8) IgG—the first specific ‘human and mouse cross-reactive’ ADAM17 inhibitory antibody on pancreatic malignant transformation. We found that inhibition of ADAM17 with A9(B8) IgG efficiently suppressed the shedding of ADAM17 substrates both in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract: Disclosed are a device for preparing stem cell spheroids, a method for preparing stem cell spheroids and a method for preserving stem cells which relate to the technical field of preservation and transportation of stem cells. The device for preparing stem cell spheroids disclosed herein includes a substrate. The substrate is provided thereon with culture chambers, each of which has side walls and a bottom wall made of a material incompatible with stem cells. By culturing stem cells with this device, the stem cells may be made into spheroids and thus form stem cell spheroids. The device may be used as a means of preserving or transporting stem cells which makes it possible for stem cells to still have a higher viability and pluripotency even after a long time of preservation, storage and transportation under ambient temperature condition in the form of spheroids.

Abstract: A palm-size portable ?NMR relaxometer system for performing multi-step multi-sample chemical/biological assays, comprising a PCB having a CMOS ?NMR transceiver and a DMF device integrated thereon. A portable magnet has an inner gap configured to at least partially receive the DMF device. The DMF device comprises a platform of electrodes including a sensing site and receives one or more samples for analysis at an electrode and automatically transports the one or more samples on individual paths sequentially to the sensing site, for performing sensing on each sample sequentially. A Butterfly coil disposed on the PCB and underneath the DMF device and is at least partially received in the inner gap. The Butterfly coil excites the sample at the ?NMR sensing site by transducing a magnetic field produced at the sensing site to an electrical signal which is processed by the CMOS ?NMR transceiver to produce an analytical signal.

Abstract: A novel piezo-driven cell injection system with force feedback overcomes the unsatisfied force interaction between the pipette needle and embryos in conventional position control. By integrating semiconductor strain-gage sensors for detecting the cell penetration force and the micropipette relative position in real time, the developed cell microinjection system features high operation speed, confident success rate, and high survival rate. The effectiveness of the developed cell injection system is experimentally verified by penetrating zebrafish embryos. The injection of 100 embryos are conducted with separate position control and force control. Results indicate that the force control enables a survival rate of 86%, which is higher than the survival rate of 82% produced by the position control in the same control environment. The experimental results quantitatively demonstrate the superiority of force control over conventional position control for the first time.

Abstract: Provided is a microfluidic device comprising an incubation layer, the incubation layer including at least one dock, each of the at least one dock defines a stepped tank comprising an upper tank and a lower tank, an inflow channel in fluid communication with the stepped tank for supplying a fluid to the stepped tank, and an outflow channel in fluid communication with the stepped tank for draining the fluid from the stepped tank, wherein the geometry of the upper tank is configured to allow culturing of a fish larva therein, and wherein the geometry of the lower tank is configured to reversibly receive the fish larva from the upper tank and to dock the fish larva at a controlled orientation for imaging or observation.

Abstract: A method of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal stem cells, a culture medium used in the method of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal stem cells and a method of performing tissue and organ regeneration by using the mesenchymal stem cells obtained by differentiation using the method of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal stem cells are provided. The method of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal stem cells comprises differentiating, completely under 3D suspension conditions, pluripotent stem cells into trophoblast-like cells using BMP4 and A8301, and then differentiating the trophoblast-like cells into mesenchymal stem cells. Neither of two differentiation processes needs passaging or replacement of a culture container.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a real-time detection system based on hybrid background modeling for detecting parked vehicles along the side of a road. The hybrid background model consists of three components: 1) a scene background model, 2) a computed restricted area map, and 3) a dynamic threshold curve for vehicles. By exploiting the motion information of normal activity in the scene, we propose a hybrid background model that determines the location of the road, estimates the roadside and generates the adaptive threshold of the vehicle size. The system triggers a notification when a large vehicle-like foreground object has been stationary for more than a pre-set number of video frames (or time). The present invention is tested on the AVSS 2007 PV dataset. The results are satisfactory compared to other state-of-the-art methods.

Abstract: Bidirectional wireless power transfer (WPT) manages to provide a first aid to a mobile device that is running out of energy in urgent circumstances. To facilitate bidirectional WPT with minimum additional cost, a WPT transceiver reconfigurable for performing WPT and wireless power reception (WPR) is provided. The transceiver is reconfigurable between a differential class-D power amplifier (PA) and a full-wave rectifier. A maximum current charging mode (MCCM) is used to maximize a battery-to-battery (B2B) charging efficiency, by directly charging the loading battery with the rectifier, and by powering the PA with the sourcing battery. No output voltage or current regulation is used. Then the number of cascaded charging stages is reduced from five in the conventional design to three.

Abstract: Multi-mode resonator is usually used to design broadband bandpass filters and the cross-shape resonator (CSR) is one of its typical types. The possibility of utilizing cross-shape multi-mode resonators is explored as a signal controller for superconducting qubits that are coplanar to the resonator. The multi-mode qubit-resonator coupling facilitates the design of future quantum information processor.

Abstract: Angiotensin II (AngII) has been strongly implicated in hypertension and its complications. Evidence suggests the mechanisms by which angiotensin II (AngII) elevates blood pressure and enhances cardiovascular remodeling and damage may be distinct. However, the signal transduction cascade by which AngII specifically initiates cardiovascular remodeling such as hypertrophy and fibrosis remains insufficiently understood. In vascular smooth muscle cells, a metalloproteinase ADAM17 mediates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation, which may be responsible for cardiovascular remodeling but not hypertension induced by AngII. Thus, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that activation of vascular ADAM1.7 is indispensable for vascular remodeling but not for hypertension induced by AngII. Vascular ADAM17 deficient mice and control mice were infused with AngII for 2 weeks. Control mice infused with Angti showed cardiac hypertrophy, vascular medial hypertrophy and perivascular fibrosis.

Abstract: A luminescent Ir(III) complex is used to develop a label-free G-quadruplex-based assay for lead ions in liquid or solution. In particular, the present invention describes method for monitoring lead ion concentration in water.

Abstract: A luminescent Ir(III) complex it used to develop a label-free G-quadruplex-based assay for lead ions in a liquid or aqueous solution. In particular, the present invention describes method for monitoring lead ion concentration in water.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control-engaged electrode-driving method for droplet actuation is provided. The method includes, a first pulse is provided to a first electrode for kicking off a droplet till a centroid of the droplet reaching a centroid of the first electrode. A second pulse is provided to a second electrode when a leading edge of the droplet reaching the second electrode.

Abstract: This invention is directed to novel compounds isolated or derived from Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus, chemically synthesized novel compounds, methods of preparing the novel compounds and uses thereof as neuroprotectants or drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

Abstract: A hybrid-STATCOM for providing compensating reactive power required by a load, the hybrid-STATCOM comprising: a TCLC part for each electric power phase, each TCLC part comprising: a coupling inductor; a power filter capacitor; and a thyristor-controlled reactor connected in series with a power filter inductor; and an active inverter part comprising: a voltage source inverter for each electric power phase; and a DC-link capacitor connected in parallel with the voltage source inverters. The control strategy of the hybrid-STATCOM is separated into two parts: TCLC part control and Active inverter part control. The TCLC part control is based on the instantaneous pq theory and aims to compensate the loading reactive power with the controllable TCLC part impedance. The active inverter part control is based on the instantaneous active and reactive current id-iq method and aims to improve the overall performance of the hybrid-STATCOM under different voltage and current conditions.

Abstract: A thyristor controlled LC (TCLC) compensator for compensating dynamic reactive power in a power grid system, with an advantage of mitigating harmonic current injection from solid-state switches during switching on or off is provided. Exemplarily, the TCLC compensator is shunt-connected to the three-phase power grid and comprises an electronic controller, a coupling inductor (Lc), a first branch of circuit with a parallel inductor (LPF) and a solid-state switch, and a second branch of circuit with a parallel capacitor (CPF), wherein the coupling inductor (Lc) is connected in series with a parallel combination of the first and second branch of circuit. The electronic controller for the TCLC compensator is configured in accordance to the generalized instantaneous reactive power theory for improving the response speed instead of using traditional average reactive power concept.

Abstract: Disclosed are the action and use of water extracts and polysaccharides from Fusarium oxysporum in immune enhancement, which belong to the field of biological medicine. The water extracts and polysaccharides from Fusarium oxysporum have a significant immune enhancement effect, which can promote the proliferation of macrophages, increase the phagocytic ability of macrophages, activate macrophages to release immunological active factors NO, IL-1? and TNF-? and can be used in lower immune function diseases and tumor adjuvant treatment.