Search

Sulforaphane (SFN) is an organosulfur compound categorized as an isothiocyanate (ITC), primarily extracted from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. The molecular formula of sulforaphane (SFN) is C6H11NOS2. SFN is generated by the hydrolysis of glucoraphanin (GRP) through the enzyme myrosinase, showing notable properties including anti‐diabetic, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti‐angiogenic, and anticancer attributes. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating its potential in diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes‐related complications, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and liver diseases. Several animal carcinogenesis models and cell culture models have shown it to be a very effective chemopreventive agent, and the protective effects of SFN in ophthalmic diseases have been linked to multiple mechanisms. In murine models of diabetic retinopathy and age‐related macular degeneration, SFN delays retinal photoreceptor cell degeneration through the Nrf2 antioxidative pathway, NF‐κB pathway, AMPK pathway, and Txnip/mTOR pathway. In rabbit models of keratoconus and cataract, SFN has been shown to protect corneal and lens epithelial cells from oxidative stress injury by activating the Keap1‐Nrf2‐ARE pathway and the Nrf‐2/HO‐1 antioxidant pathway. Oral delivery or intraperitoneal injection at varying concentrations are the primary strategies for SFN intake in current preclinical studies. Challenges remain in the application of SFN in eye disorders due to its weak solubility in water and limited bioavailability because of the presence of blood–ocular barrier systems. This review comprehensively outlines recent research on SFN, elucidates its mechanisms of action, and discusses potential therapeutic benefits for eye disorders such as age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), cataracts, and other ophthalmic diseases, while also indicating directions for future clinical research to achieve efficient SFN treatment for ophthalmic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the disease burden of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and to evaluate the risk factors of disability‐adjusted life years (DALY) caused by AMD. Methods: Country‐specific DALY number, rate and age‐standardized rate of AMD were acquired from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 database. The Socio‐demographic Index (SDI), Human Development Index (HDI), Inequality‐adjusted Human Development Index (IA‐HDI) and other related data were obtained from published data or shared databases. Regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlations between the potential risk factors and the age‐standardized DALY rate of AMD. Results: The DALY number doubled from 1990 to 2017, and DALY rate increased from 4.73 (95% CI: 3.19–6.54) to 6.95 (95% CI: 4.76–9.54). However, change was small after standardizing. Females tended to have severer burden. Disability‐adjusted life years (DALY) rates were correlated to annual PM2.5 concentration, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, population with at least some secondary education (secondary education), glaucoma prevalence and gross national income (GNI) per capita. In SDI model, glaucoma, GDP, healthcare access and quality index (HAQ) and secondary education were associated with disease burden (p < 0.001). In IA‐HDI model, cataract, glaucoma, PM2.5, GDP and secondary education were correlated to DALY rates (p < 0.001). In model included four components of HDI, glaucoma, PM2.5, GDP, secondary education, expected years of schooling and life expectancy at birth were associated (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Being female, older age, poor socioeconomic status and less educated are associated with a heavier disease burden of AMD. These findings would provide a basic understanding for policy making on AMD prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We propose a novel geological modeling method based on T‐splines for computer‐aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM) systems of geotechnical engineering and perform original research on special T‐splines modeling strategies and the algorithm aiming at depicting structural complexity to develop and introduce the T‐splines technology into engineering geological modeling. A methodology of parametric geological modeling with T‐splines is established, where a topology‐geometry modeling strategy is adopted, the inhomogeneity, arbitrary connectivity and discontinuity of geological structures are quantified and associated with T‐spline surface elements in the topology phase. A representative parametric algorithm called IBALR is presented in the context of dam foundation geological modeling to generate an inhomogeneous local refined T‐mesh with high genus topology which can fit a complex geological layer. The proposed method is flexible and effective in improving geological representation within geotechnical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

( Ba, Ca)( Ti, Zr) O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been considered to be one of the most potential lead-free alternatives for PZT in the room-temperature range. The stability of the piezoelectric performance during unipolar cycling is investigated in this study. It is found that the unipolar fatigue behavior is similar to soft PZT. Developments of bias field, offset polarization, asymmetry in strain, and dielectric hysteresis loops are observed during bipolar measurements. The changes are mainly contributed to the migration of charge carriers to the grain boundaries driven by the unscreened depolarization field. Redistribution of the accumulated charge carriers by bipolar electric cycling or thermal annealing can significantly recover the unipolar fatigued state. The unipolar strain response stabilized after 1000 cycles at 0.053% for an electric field of 0.6 kV/mm ( d33*= 883 pm/V), which is a good characteristic for actuator applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ba, Ca)(Ti, Zr)O3 ceramics have been considered as a potential lead-free alternative to commonly used lead-based piezoelectric ceramics due to their high piezoelectric performance at room temperature. In this study, the bipolar fatigue behavior of this material is investigated at room temperature. Two compositions were cycled with a bipolar electric field signal at 10 Hz with a maximum of three times the coercive field for up to approximately 107 cycles. Both investigated compositions exhibited high bipolar fatigue resistance compared to other ceramics reported in the literatures. The high fatigue resistance originates from the lack of mechanical damage and a weak domain wall pinning effect due to their location in the phase transition region. It was also found that pore morphology affected bipolar fatigue behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High piezoelectric properties are desired for lead-free piezoelectric materials in consideration as a replacement for lead-based materials in applications. Due to the high piezoelectric coefficient, ( Ba100− x Ca x) ( Ti100− y Zr y) O3 ( BCTZ) piezoelectric ceramics have been considered as a promising lead-free alternate piezoelectric material. Here, six compositions were selected based on a prediction that all the compositions would have high piezoelectric coefficient at room temperature. The results confirmed all compositions exhibit well developed hysteresis loops and a large piezoelectric coefficient at room temperature. This is due to the coexistence of several phases where the major phase is likely to be orthorhombic and the second phase is proposed to be tetragonal. The phase transition was found to occur over a broad temperature range instead of at a specific temperature only. A relationship between the tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transition temperature and Ca2+ and Zr4+ content was proposed. This enables clear determination of BCTZ compositions with high piezoelectric coefficient at a desired operation temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn)–dysprosium (Dy) binary alloys are promising biodegradable bone fracture fixation implants owing to their attractive biodegradability and mechanical properties. However, their clinical application is a challenge for bone fracture healing, due to the lack of Zn–Dy alloys with tailored proper bio‐mechanical and osteointegration properties for bone regeneration. A Zn‐5Dy alloy with high strength and ductility and a degradation rate aligned with the bone remodeling cycle is developed. Here, mechanical stability is further confirmed, proving that Zn‐5Dy alloy can resist aging in the degradation process, thus meeting the mechanical requirements of fracture fixation. In vitro cellular experiments reveal that the Zn‐5Dy alloy enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis by elevating SIRT4‐mediated mitochondrial function. In vivo Micro‐CT, SEM‐EDS, and immunohistochemistry analyses further indicate good biosafety, suitable biodegradation rate, and great osteointegration of Zn‐5Dy alloy during bone healing, which also depends on the upregulation of SIRT4‐mediated mitochondrial events. Overall, the study is the first to report a Zn‐5Dy alloy that exerts remarkable osteointegration properties and has a strong potential to promote bone healing. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of mitochondrial modulation and shall guide the future development of mitochondria‐targeting materials in enhancing bone fracture healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregation of the remaining battery capacity of electric vehicles (EVs) can be used as distributed energy storage to participate in the microgrid optimisation through vehicle‐to‐grid (V2G) technology. However, the reliability of this service to be delivered is affected by the uncertainty of EVs' behaviour. The un‐reliable service will bring risks in the operation of microgrid when EVs' V2G electricity is regarded as an important flexibility resource. This paper, first proposes an analytical method to quantify the reliability of EV aggregation's (EVA's) V2G electricity based on the analysis of historical charging data and compound Poisson process. Based on this model, electric vehicles aggregators can evaluate the V2G bid quantity for any time slot on day t+1 according to the reliability requirements. Secondly, an optimal operation model of microgrid with consideration of V2G's reliability is considered. Finally, a test system with photovoltaics (PVs) and EVA on top of the original IEEE 33‐node system is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that with the proposed reliability evaluation method of V2G electricity, the optimal operation of the microgrid can be reached with appropriate evaluation of the capability of the EVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortical gray to white matter signal intensity ratio (GWR) measured from T1‐weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images was associated with neurodegeneration and dementia. We characterized topological patterns of GWR during AD pathogenesis and investigated its association with cognitive decline. The study included a cross‐sectional dataset and a longitudinal dataset. The cross‐sectional dataset included 60 cognitively healthy controls, 61 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 63 patients with dementia. The longitudinal dataset included 26 participants who progressed from cognitively normal to dementia and 26 controls that remained cognitively normal. GWR was compared across the cross‐sectional groups, adjusted for amyloid PET. The correlation between GWR and cognition performance was also evaluated. The longitudinal dataset was used to investigate GWR alteration during the AD pathogenesis. Dementia with β‐amyloid deposition group exhibited the largest area of increased GWR, followed by MCI with β‐amyloid deposition, MCI without β‐amyloid deposition, and controls. The spatial pattern of GWR‐increased regions was not influenced by β‐amyloid deposits. Correlation between regional GWR alteration and cognitive decline was only detected among individuals with β‐amyloid deposition. GWR showed positive correlation with tau PET in the left supramarginal, lateral occipital gyrus, and right middle frontal cortex. The longitudinal study showed that GWR increased around the fusiform, inferior/superior temporal lobe, and entorhinal cortex in MCI and progressed to larger cortical regions after progression to AD. The spatial pattern of GWR‐increased regions was independent of β‐amyloid deposits but overlapped with tauopathy. The GWR can serve as a promising biomarker of neurodegeneration in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article by S. Blindbaek and J. Grauslund regarding the prophylactic treatment of retinal breaks.

(K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) is a promising lead‐free ferroelectric/piezoelectric system, to which incorporating BaZrO3 can greatly enhance its piezoelectricity, but the mechanism is not clear. This work was conducted to investigate the phase transition in the BaZrO3‐modifed KNN system and its contribution to piezoelectricity enhancement, using thin films with a fixed orientation and high compositional homogeneity fabricated by a sol‐gel method. Two ferroelectric‐to‐ferroelectric phase transitions are revealed, which correspond to monoclinic MC‐ MA phase transition at higher temperature and rhombohedral‐monoclinic MC phase transition at lower temperature. It is difficult to distinguish these phases in KNN‐based bulk materials, but their differences are clear when conducting high‐resolution X‐ray reciprocal space mapping (RSM) on the present thin films. Piezoresponse force microscopy experiments also revealed an interesting finding that local piezoelectricity of monoclinic phases was higher than that of rhombohedral ones in KNN‐based thin films. This work could shed insights on the fundamental understandings for the effect of the chemical doping, and offer guidance for property optimization in the KNN‐based lead‐free piezoelectrics. Phase transition and piezoelectricity were modified in (K,Na)NbO3 based lead‐free piezoelectric thin films, where the R to monoclinic MC phase transition temperature was elevated with increasing BaZrO3 doping levels and the local piezoelectricity reached the maximum value at the phase boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To measure the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) in aqueous humor in patients with unilateral acute primary angle closure ( APAC) and retinal oxygen saturation ( SO2) after trabeculectomy. Methods Twelve patients, with unilateral trabeculectomy-required APAC, were recruited as the study group. Aqueous humor samples were collected prospectively for every subject. VEGF concentrations were analysed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA), and retinal SO2 was measured using oximeter (Reykjavik, Iceland) at 1 month after trabeculectomy. Results In the APAC eyes, the mean aqueous humor concentration of VEGF was 388.4 ± 260.1 pg/ml and positively correlated with preoperative intraocular pressure ( ρ = 0.658, p = 0.020). In the normal controls, the mean SO2 levels in the larger arterioles and venules were 93.0 ± 5.9% and 59.5 ± 5.4% and the arteriovenous [A-V] difference was 33.5 ± 6.3%. In the study group, the arteriolar SO2 at 1 month after surgery (97.6 ± 19.4%, p = 0.147) did not differ significantly from the values in the control group. However, the mean venular SO2 was significantly lower than the control eyes (50.0 ± 9.1% versus 59.5 ± 5.4%, p = 0.004), and a remarkable increased A-V difference (47.6 ± 22.7% versus 33.5 ± 6.3%) was found in the APAC eyes (p = 0.037). Conclusions Lower venular SO2 and increased A-V difference existed in the APAC eyes after surgery, and it is possible that the saturation was even lower during the attack. Together with the elevated VEGF concentrations in aqueous humor, these provided indirect evidence that ocular hypoxia was constantly present during APAC attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]