Higher-Order Structure Formation, Phase Transition, and Distribution of Polymorphic Crystals of Biodegradable Polymers Studied Using Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray Scattering, and High-Resolution Raman Imaging Techniques

関西学院大

Higher-Order Structure Formation, Phase Transition, and Distribution of Polymorphic Crystals of Biodegradable Polymers Studied Using Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy,X-ray Scattering, and High-Resolution Raman Imaging Techniques

関西学院大

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES IN THE COMMUNITY

Social isolation and loneliness are major problems for older adults. Increasing evidence suggests that perceived social isolation or loneliness is associated with severe consequences for physical and mental health of older people with Chronic Diseases. This study aimed to investigate the experience of social isolation and loneliness among older adults with Chronic Diseases. This research was a descriptive qualitative study based on semi-structured face-to-face interviews. This study purposively selected community-dwelling older people with Chronic Diseases in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, to explore older people's experiences of social isolation and loneliness, the reasons why social isolation and loneliness occurs and the help they wish to receive. The qualitative content analysis was performed in order to summarize and extract themes from the interview texts. A total of 16 interviews were completed. Three themes were identified: 1) Inner emotions; 2)Reasons for social isolation and loneliness; 3)Desired assistance. It was found that social isolation and loneliness among older people with Chronic Diseases was not optimistic. Factors result in the social isolation and loneliness of older persons are manifold. Multidimensional intervention strategies should be adopted to alleviate the social isolation and loneliness of older people at the individual, family, community and social levels

Artificial Neural Network Based Identification of Multi-Operating-Point Impedance Model

The black-box impedance model of voltage source inverters (VSIs) can be measured at their terminals without access to internal control details, which greatly facilitate the analysis of inverter-grid interactions. However, the impedance model of VSI is dependent on its operating point and can have different profiles when the operating point is changed. This letter proposes a method for identifying the impedance model of VSI under a wide range of operating points. The approach is based on the artificial neural network (ANN), where a general framework for applying the ANN to identify the VSI impedance is established. The effectiveness of the ANN-based method is validated with the analytical impedance models

Sulforaphane Inhibits Foam Cell Formation and Atherosclerosis via Mechanisms Involving the Modulation of Macrophage Cholesterol Transport and the Related Phenotype

Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate, is one of the major dietary phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables. Many studies suggest that SFN can protect against cancer and cardiometabolic diseases. Despite the proposed systemic and local vascular protective mecha-nisms, SFN’s potential to inhibit atherogenesis by targeting macrophages remains unknown. In this study, in high-fat-diet-fed ApoE-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice, oral SFN treatment improved dyslipidemia and inhibited atherosclerotic plaque formation and the unstable phenotype, as demonstrated by reductions in the lesion areas in both the aortic sinus and whole aorta, per-centages of necrotic cores, vascular macrophage infiltration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In THP-1-derived macrophages, SFN pre-administration alleviated oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury. Moreover, a functional study revealed that peritoneal macrophages isolated from SFN-treated mice exhibited attenuated cholesterol influx and enhanced apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-mediated cholesterol efflux. Mechanistic analysis revealed that SFN supplementation induced both intralesional and intraperitoneal macrophage phenotypic switching toward high expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and ATP binding cassette subfamily A/G member 1 (ABCA1/G1) and low expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and cluster of differen-tiation 36 (CD36), which was further validated by the aortic protein expression. These results suggest that the regulation of macrophages cholesterol transport and accumulation may be mainly responsible for SFN's potential atheroprotective properties, and the regulatory mecha-nisms might involve upregulating ABCA1/G1 and downregulating CD36 via the modulation of PPARγ and Nrf2