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1.
Neurocrit Care ; 2024 May 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38750394

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal dysfunction frequently occurs following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and significantly increases posttraumatic complications. TBI can lead to alterations in gut microbiota. The neuroprotective effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) have not been well recognized after TBI. The study''s aim was to investigate the impact of HBO on TBI-induced dysbiosis in the gut and the pathological changes in the brain following TBI. METHODS: Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups: sham surgery plus normobaric air (21% oxygen at 1 atmospheres absolute), TBI (2.0 atm) plus normobaric air, and TBI (2.0 atm) plus HBO (100% oxygen at 2.0 atmospheres absolute) for 60 min immediately after TBI, 24 h later, and 48 h later. The brain injury volume, tumor necrosis factor-α expression in microglia and astrocytes, and neuronal apoptosis in the brain were subsequently determined. The V3-V4 regions of 16S ribosomal rRNA in the fecal samples were sequenced, and alterations in the gut microbiome were statistically analyzed. All parameters were evaluated on the 3rd day after TBI. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that HBO improved TBI-induced neuroinflammation, brain injury volume, and neuronal apoptosis. HBO appeared to increase the abundance of aerobic bacteria while inhibiting anaerobic bacteria. Intriguingly, HBO reversed the TBI-mediated decrease in Prevotella copri and Deinococcus spp., both of which were negatively correlated with neuroinflammation and brain injury volume. TBI increased the abundance of these gut bacteria in relation to NOD-lik0065 receptor signaling and the proteasome pathway, which also exhibited a positive correlation trend with neuro inflammation and apoptosis. The abundance of Prevotella copri was negatively correlated with NOD-like receptor signaling and the Proteasome pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated how the neuroprotective effects of HBO after acute TBI might act through reshaping the TBI-induced gut dysbiosis and reversing the TBI-mediated decrease of Prevotella copri.

2.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 3351, 2024 Feb 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38336869

RESUMO

In this work, we utilized CsPbBr3 powder as the precursor material for the single-source vapor deposition (SSVD) process to fabricate the CsPbBr3 emitting layer. Due to the high density of grain boundaries and defects in the thin films deposited in the initial stages, non-radiative recombination can occur, reducing the efficiency of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLED). To address this issue, we employed a thermal annealing process by subjecting the perovskite films to the appropriate annealing temperature, facilitating the coalescence and growth of different grains, improving lattice integrity, and thereby reducing the presence of defects and enhancing the photoluminescence performance of the films. Furthermore, in this study, we successfully fabricated simple-structured CsPbBr3 PeLED using thermally annealed CsPbBr3 films. Among these components, even without adding the electron and hole transport layers, the best-performing device achieved a maximum brightness of 14,079 cd/m2 at a driving voltage of only 2.92 V after annealing at 350 °C; the brightness is 16.8 times higher than that of CsPbBr3 PeLED without heat treatment, demonstrating outstanding light-emitting performance. The research results show that using SSVD to prepare CsPbBr3 PeLED has broad application potential, providing a simple process option for research on improving the performance of PeLED.

3.
Front Psychiatry ; 15: 1337847, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38380120

RESUMO

Background: Adolescence is a crucial period for the development of depression, and previous studies have suggested that the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) plays a significant role. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of anhedonia in the relationship between BAS and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Method: A total of 1,023 high-school students aged 15-18 years participated in the study, with 916 continuing their participation three months later. All participants completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Activation System (BIS/BAS) scale, Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T). Pathway model analysis was performed to examine the concurrent and prospective mediating effects of anhedonia and the potential moderating effect of sex. Result: Anhedonia in the domains of social activities, hobbies and sensory experiences significantly mediated the cross-sectional relationship between BAS and depressive level three months later. Furthermore, the beta-value of the mediating effect of social activities was significantly higher than that of the other domains of hedonic capacity cross-sectionally and longitudinally. However, sex showed no significant moderating effect. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of hedonic capacity, especially within the social domain, in the development of depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to the early diagnosis and prevention of depressive disorders.

4.
J Formos Med Assoc ; 123(3): 390-399, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37704482

RESUMO

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 5 is a member of the FGF family that functions as a regulator of tissue growth and regeneration. Aberrant FGF5 expression has been previously associated with the progression of a number of different malignancies. However, its potential role in oral cancer remains unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between the expression of FGF5 protein in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and the clinicopathological parameters of OSCCs and whether the expression of FGF5 protein in OSCCs could be a prognostic factor for OSCC patients. METHODS: The FGF5 protein expression was examined in 64 OSCC and 34 normal oral mucosal specimens by immunohistochemical staining. Stress induced upregulation and intracellular redistribution of FGF5 were verified using xenograft animal model and OSCC cell lines. RESULTS: The mean FGF5 protein labelling index was significantly higher in OSCC than in normal oral mucosal samples, with high FGF5 protein labelling index (>58%) being correlated with advanced stage and poor survival of OSCC patients. Apart from the peri-cytoplasmic staining pattern characteristic of paracrine growth factors, FGF5 protein was localized as distinct punctate structures in the cytoplasm of advanced stage or stressed-induced cells. This redistribution and upregulation of FGF5 protein could be sustained after termination of the stress induction in cell line and xenograft animal models. CONCLUSION: FGF5 can be induced by cellular stress and risk factors of OSCC, where high expression levels of FGF5 is potentially a useful parameter for predicting OSCC progression and patient survival.


Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Neoplasias Bucais , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço , Neoplasias Bucais/metabolismo , Fator 5 de Crescimento de Fibroblastos , Prognóstico
5.
J Pediatr ; 265: 113799, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37879601

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To describe the spectrum of disease and burden of care in infants with congenital micrognathia from a multicenter cohort hospitalized at tertiary care centers. STUDY DESIGN: The Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database was queried from 2010 through 2020 for infants diagnosed with micrognathia. Demographics, presence of genetic syndromes, and cleft status were summarized. Outcomes included death, length of hospitalization, neonatal surgery, and feeding and respiratory support at discharge. RESULTS: Analysis included 3,236 infants with congenital micrognathia. Cleft palate was identified in 1266 (39.1%). A genetic syndrome associated with micrognathia was diagnosed during the neonatal hospitalization in 256 (7.9%). Median (IQR) length of hospitalization was 35 (16, 63) days. Death during the hospitalization (n = 228, 6.8%) was associated with absence of cleft palate (4.4%, P < .001) and maternal Black race (11.6%, P < .001). During the neonatal hospitalization, 1289 (39.7%) underwent surgery to correct airway obstruction and 1059 (32.7%) underwent gastrostomy tube placement. At the time of discharge, 1035 (40.3%) were exclusively feeding orally. There was significant variability between centers related to length of stay and presence of a feeding tube at discharge (P < .001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Infants hospitalized with congenital micrognathia have a significant burden of disease, commonly receive surgical intervention, and most often require tube feedings at hospital discharge. We identified disparities based on race and among centers. Development of evidence-based guidelines could improve neonatal care.


Assuntos
Obstrução das Vias Respiratórias , Fissura Palatina , Micrognatismo , Lactente , Criança , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Micrognatismo/epidemiologia , Micrognatismo/cirurgia , Fissura Palatina/epidemiologia , Fissura Palatina/cirurgia , Obstrução das Vias Respiratórias/cirurgia , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva , América do Norte , Estudos Retrospectivos
6.
Nat Ecol Evol ; 7(12): 1978-1982, 2023 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37872417

RESUMO

We studied a brood parasite-host system (the cuckoo finch Anomalospiza imberbis and its host, the tawny-flanked prinia Prinia subflava) to test (1) the fundamental hypothesis that deceptive mimics evolve to resemble models, selecting in turn for models to evolve away from mimics ('chase-away evolution') and (2) whether such reciprocal evolution maintains imperfect mimicry over time. Over only 50 years, parasites evolved towards hosts and hosts evolved away from parasites, resulting in no detectible increase in mimetic fidelity. Our results reflect rapid adaptive evolution in wild populations of models and mimics and show that chase-away evolution in models can counteract even rapid evolution of mimics, resulting in the persistence of imperfect mimicry.


Assuntos
Tentilhões , Parasitos , Pardais , Animais , Evolução Biológica
7.
J Pediatr ; 263: 113712, 2023 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37659587

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To describe the current practices in invasive patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure (surgical ligation or transcatheter occlusion) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and changes in patient characteristics and outcomes from 2016 to 2021 among US children's hospitals. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated a retrospective cohort of VLBW infants (birth weight 400-1499 g and gestational age 22-31 weeks) who had invasive PDA closure within 6 months of age from 2016 to 2021 in children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System. Changes in patient characteristics and outcomes over time were evaluated using generalized linear models and generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: 2418 VLBW infants (1182 surgical ligation; 1236 transcatheter occlusion) from 42 hospitals were included. The proportion of infants receiving transcatheter occlusion increased from 17.2% in 2016 to 84.4% in 2021 (P < .001). In 2021, 28/42 (67%) hospitals had performed transcatheter occlusion in > 80% of their VLBW infants needing invasive PDA closure, compared with only 2/42 (5%) in 2016. Although median postmenstrual age (PMA) at PDA closure did not change for the overall cohort, PMA at transcatheter occlusion decreased from 38 weeks in 2016 to 31 weeks by 2020, P < .001. Among those infants not intubated prior to PDA closure, extubation within 3 days postprocedure increased over time (yearly adjusted odds ratios of 1.26 [1.08-1.48]). Length of stay and mortality did not change over time. CONCLUSION: We report rapid adoption of transcatheter occlusion for PDA among VLBW infants in US children's hospitals over time. Transcatheter occlusions were performed at younger PMA over time.


Assuntos
Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial , Recém-Nascido , Lactente , Humanos , Criança , Estados Unidos , Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Recém-Nascido de muito Baixo Peso , Peso ao Nascer
8.
Diagnostics (Basel) ; 13(18)2023 Sep 21.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37761383

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Numerous mortality prediction tools are currently available to assist patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, an algorithm that utilizes various machine learning methods and employs diverse combinations of features to identify the most suitable predicting outcomes of brain injury patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has not yet been well-established. METHOD: Between January 2016 and December 2021, we retrospectively collected data from the electronic medical records of Chi Mei Medical Center, comprising 2260 TBI patients admitted to the ICU. A total of 42 features were incorporated into the analysis using four different machine learning models, which were then segmented into various feature combinations. The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and validated using the Delong test. RESULT: The AUC for each model under different feature combinations ranged from 0.877 (logistic regression with 14 features) to 0.921 (random forest with 22 features). The Delong test indicated that the predictive performance of the machine learning models is better than that of traditional tools such as APACHE II and SOFA scores. CONCLUSION: Our machine learning training demonstrated that the predictive accuracy of the LightGBM is better than that of APACHE II and SOFA scores. These features are readily available on the first day of patient admission to the ICU. By integrating this model into the clinical platform, we can offer clinicians an immediate prognosis for the patient, thereby establishing a bridge for educating and communicating with family members.

9.
Evolution ; 77(10): 2224-2233, 2023 Oct 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37482374

RESUMO

What makes a perfect signature? Optimal signatures should be consistent within individuals and distinctive between individuals. In defense against avian brood parasitism, some host species have evolved "signatures" of identity on their eggs, comprising interindividual variation in color and pattern. Tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava) egg signatures facilitate recognition and rejection of parasitic cuckoo finch (Anomalospiza imberbis) eggs. Here, we show that consistency and distinctiveness of patterns are negatively correlated in prinia eggs, perhaps because non-random, repeatable pattern generation mechanisms increase consistency but limit distinctiveness. We hypothesize that pattern properties which are repeatable within individuals but random between individuals ("invariant properties") allow hosts to circumvent this trade-off. To find invariant properties, we develop a method to quantify entire egg phenotypes from images taken from different perspectives. We find that marking scale (a fine-grained measure of size), but not marking orientation or position, is an invariant property in prinias. Hosts should therefore use differences in marking scale in egg recognition, but instead field experiments show that these differences do not predict rejection of conspecific eggs by prinias. Overall, we show that invariant properties allow consistency and distinctiveness to coexist, yet receiver behavior is not optimally tuned to make use of this information.

10.
Nanomaterials (Basel) ; 13(14)2023 Jul 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37513115

RESUMO

In this study, we comprehensively investigate the constant voltage stress (CVS) time-dependent breakdown and cycle-to-breakdown while considering metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) memory, which has distinct domain sizes induced by different doping species, i.e., Yttrium (Y) (Sample A) and Silicon (Si) (Sample B). Firstly, Y-doped and Si-doped HfO2 MFM devices exhibit domain sizes of 5.64 nm and 12.47 nm, respectively. Secondly, Si-doped HfO2 MFM devices (Sample B) have better CVS time-dependent breakdown and cycle-to-breakdown stability than Y-doped HfO2 MFM devices (Sample A). Therefore, a larger domain size showing higher extrapolated voltage under CVS time-dependent breakdown and cycle-to-breakdown evaluations was observed, indicating that the domain size crucially impacts the stability of MFM memory.

11.
Macromol Biosci ; 23(10): e2300145, 2023 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37279400

RESUMO

Nanofiber meshes (NFMs) loaded with therapeutic agents are very often employed to treat hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic wounds. However, most of the NFMs have limited capability to load multiple or hydrophilicity distinctive-therapeutic agents. The therapy strategy is therefore significantly hampered. To tackle the innate drawback associated with the drug loading versatility, a chitosan-based nanocapsule-in-nanofiber (NC-in-NF) structural NFM system is developed for simultaneous loading of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. Oleic acid-modified chitosan is first converted into NCs by the developed mini-emulsion interfacial cross-linking procedure, followed by loading a hydrophobic anti-inflammatory agent Curcumin (Cur) into the NCs. Sequentially, the Cur-loaded NCs are successfully introduced into reductant-responsive maleoyl functional chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol NFMs containing a hydrophilic antibiotic Tetracycline hydrochloride. Having a co-loading capability for hydrophilicity distinctive agents, biocompatibility, and a controlled release property, the resulting NFMs have demonstrated the efficacy on promoting wound healing either in normal or diabetic rats.

13.
Anaerobe ; 80: 102711, 2023 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36736989

RESUMO

Brain abscesses mostly develop due to direct infection caused by a nearby infectious lesion or hematogenous spread and are rarely caused by an odontogenic infection. We report a 47-year-old woman who presented with high fever, disturbed consciousness, headache, and neck pain. Imaging studies revealed a ring-shaped enhanced mass in the left frontal lobe causing a mass effect and midline shift. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a peak alanine concentration of 1.5 ppm. Supraorbital keyhole surgery with abscess removal was performed, and a bacterial culture confirmed a diagnosis of Parvimonas micra infection. After undergoing 6-week antibiotic treatment, the patient's symptoms resolved completely. No recurrence of abscess was observed during the follow-up period. Although brain abscess caused by P. micra has rarely been reported, an odontogenic origin should be investigated, especially when a patient has a history of periodontal infection or tooth extraction.


Assuntos
Antibacterianos , Abscesso Encefálico , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Firmicutes , Abscesso Encefálico/diagnóstico , Abscesso Encefálico/tratamento farmacológico , Abscesso Encefálico/etiologia
14.
MicroPubl Biol ; 20232023.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36814574

RESUMO

The phytohormone auxin regulates nearly every aspect of plant development. Transcriptional responses to auxin are driven by the activities of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR family of transcription factors. ARF19 (AT1G19220) is critical in the auxin signaling pathway and has previously been shown to undergo protein condensation to tune auxin responses in the root. However, ARF19 condensation dynamics in other organs has not yet been described. In the Arabidopsis stomatal lineage, we found that ARF19 cytoplasmic condensates are enriched in guard cells and pavement cells, terminally differentiated cells in the leaf epidermis. This result is consistent with previous studies showing ARF19 condensation in mature root tissues. Our data reveal that the sequestration of ARF19 into cytoplasmic condensation in differentiated leaf epidermal cells is similar to root-specific condensation patterns.

15.
J Pediatr ; 256: 53-62.e4, 2023 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36509157

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the healthcare costs attributed to major morbidities associated with prematurity, namely, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and nosocomial infections. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of infants born at 24-30 weeks of gestation, admitted to children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System between 2009 and 2018. Charges were adjusted by geographical price index, converted to costs using cost-to-charge ratios, inflated to 2018 US$, and total costs were accumulated for the initial hospitalization. Quantile regressions, which are less prone to bias from extreme outliers, were used to examine the incremental costs attributed to each morbidity across the entire cost distribution, including the median. RESULTS: There were 19 232 patients from 30 children's hospitals who were eligible. Higher costs were seen in lower gestational age, more severe morbidity, and those with higher number of comorbidities. Patients with surgical NEC, severe ROP, and severe BPD were the costliest with median total costs of $430 860, $413 825, and $399 495, respectively. Quantile regressions showed surgical NEC had the highest adjusted median incremental total cost ($48 621; 95% CI, $39 617-$57 626) followed by severe BPD ($35 773; 95% CI, $32 018-$39 528) and severe ROP ($22 561; 95% CI, $16 699-$28 423). Quantile regressions also revealed that surgical NEC, severe BPD, and severe ROP had increasing incremental costs at higher total cost percentiles, indicating these morbidities have a greater cost impact on the costliest patients. CONCLUSIONS: Severe BPD, surgical NEC, and severe ROP are the costliest morbidities and contribute the most incremental costs especially for the higher costs patients.


Assuntos
Displasia Broncopulmonar , Enterocolite Necrosante , Doenças do Recém-Nascido , Retinopatia da Prematuridade , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Humanos , Criança , Estudos Retrospectivos , Recém-Nascido Prematuro , Idade Gestacional , Retinopatia da Prematuridade/epidemiologia , Displasia Broncopulmonar/epidemiologia , Morbidade , Enterocolite Necrosante/epidemiologia , Custos de Cuidados de Saúde , Hospitais
16.
Life (Basel) ; 12(12)2022 Dec 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36556482

RESUMO

Wogonin, one of the exceptional bioactive flavonoids found abundant in the roots of Huang-Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi), is a popular health-preserving Chinese medicine. The therapeutic applications can be expanded by improving its bioavailability. The 7-O-terpenylated wogonin consisting one to three prenyl units are chemically synthesized for increasing lipophilic nature for efficient uptake, and also an attempt in mimicry of naturally scarce terpenylated flavonoids found in limited plant families and bee propolis. Wogonin (W) and its lipophilic nature prenyl wogonin (W5), geranyl wogonin (W10), and farnesyl wogonin (W15) were comparatively studied with structure-relationship in immunotoxicity of cell livability on lymphoid, myeloid, and somatic origins cell lines. Anti-inflammatory functions characterized with nitric oxide inhibition and intracellular ROS level of LPS-activated murine macrophage RAW264.7 were assessed. Wogonin and its terpenylated derivatives have selectively influenced livability of lymphoid origin cells but not myeloid and somatic origin cells. The mitotic protein survivin gene expressions analysis further supported the selective suppressions on lymphoid origin YAC-1 cells by wogonin and geranyl wogonin, while oppositely boosted survivin expressions in LPS-activated macrophages. Moreover, wogonin exhibits dose-dependent inhibition on the nitric oxide (NO) production and iNOS gene expressions of LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Terpenylated wogonin exhibits profoundly superior control in intracellular ROS level and a sustained action with sound cell integrity than the wogonin. The enhanced cellular uptake with higher lipophilicity to membrane of 7-O-terpenylated wogonin may pose an important biological nature in facilitating better bioavailability and specific immunomodulatory actions of the category of terpenylated flavonoids. The 7-O-terpenylated wogonin having biological merit of fast membrane lipid bilayer integration, lower effective concentration, and better preserving immune cells functions and livability deserved further in-depth investigations and their broadly therapeutic applications.

17.
Proc Biol Sci ; 289(1978): 20220710, 2022 07 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35858060

RESUMO

Visual complexity is ubiquitous in nature. Drivers of complexity include selection in coevolutionary arms races between antagonists. However, the causes and consequences of biological complexity and its perception are largely understudied, partly because complexity is difficult to quantify. Here, we address this by studying egg pattern complexity and its perception in hosts (tawny-flanked prinia Prinia subflava), which visually recognize and reject mimetic eggs of their virulent brood parasite (cuckoo finch Anomalospiza imberbis). Using field data and an optimization algorithm, we compute a complexity metric which predicts rejection of experimentally placed conspecific eggs in prinia nests. Real cuckoo finch eggs exhibit significantly lower pattern complexity than prinia eggs, suggesting that high complexity benefits hosts because it distinguishes host eggs from parasitic eggs. We show that prinias perceive complexity differences according to Weber's law of proportional processing (i.e. relative, rather than absolute, differences between stimuli are processed in discrimination, such that two eggs with simple patterns are more easily discriminable than two with complex patterns). This may influence coevolutionary trajectories of hosts and parasites. The new methods presented for quantifying complexity and its perception can help us to understand selection pressures driving the evolution of complexity and its consequences for species interactions.


Assuntos
Tentilhões , Parasitos , Pardais , Animais , Evolução Biológica , Interações Hospedeiro-Parasita , Comportamento de Nidação , Óvulo
18.
Environ Entomol ; 51(4): 649-659, 2022 08 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35861127

RESUMO

Social insects' constructions are diverse and functionally flexible. We aimed to understand how termites modify their behavior and building material to change the function of a shelter tube. Construction behaviors of three termite species, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) (Blattodea: Termitidae), and Nasutitermes takasagoensis (Nawa) (Blattodea: Termitidae), were recorded and analyzed. We measured the thickness and organic matter content of shelter tubes, and further tested their water loss and water drop resistance. All three termite species used a cement-brick construction procedure. The shelter tubes of C. formosanus and N. takasagoensis incorporating of woody material and feces present a strong resistance to water drops. Shelter tubes of the fungus-growing termite, O. formosanus, constructed using only soil and fluid secretion had a weak resistance to water drops. The trade-off between using feces to increase hydrophobicity of shelter tubes and using feces to grow fungus likely occurs in fungus-growing termites. Among intraspecific colonies, increasing the thickness of shelter tube improved resistance to water loss and water drops. This study demonstrated termites employed limited construction material and building behaviors to achieve functional plasticity of foraging shelter.


Assuntos
Baratas , Isópteros , Animais , Fungos , Solo , Água , Madeira
19.
Brain Sci ; 12(5)2022 May 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35624999

RESUMO

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a critical public health challenge. Although studies have found several prognostic factors for TBI, a useful early predictive tool for mortality has yet to be developed in the triage of the emergency room. This study aimed to use machine learning algorithms of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop predictive models for TBI patients in the emergency room triage. We retrospectively enrolled 18,249 adult TBI patients in the electronic medical records of three hospitals of Chi Mei Medical Group from January 2010 to December 2019, and undertook the 12 potentially predictive feature variables for predicting mortality during hospitalization. Six machine learning algorithms including logistical regression (LR) random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM), LightGBM, XGBoost, and multilayer perceptron (MLP) were used to build the predictive model. The results showed that all six predictive models had high AUC from 0.851 to 0.925. Among these models, the LR-based model was the best model for mortality risk prediction with the highest AUC of 0.925; thus, we integrated the best model into the existed hospital information system for assisting clinical decision-making. These results revealed that the LR-based model was the best model to predict the mortality risk in patients with TBI in the emergency room. Since the developed prediction system can easily obtain the 12 feature variables during the initial triage, it can provide quick and early mortality prediction to clinicians for guiding deciding further treatment as well as helping explain the patient's condition to family members.

20.
Nanomaterials (Basel) ; 12(3)2022 Jan 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35159813

RESUMO

In this work, the ferroelectric characteristic of a 5 nm Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) device is enhanced through strained complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible TiN electrode engineering. Strained TiN top-layer electrodes with different nitrogen (N) concentrations are deposited by adjusting the sputtering process conditions. The TiN electrode with 18% N exhibits a compressive characteristic, which induces tensile stress in a 5 nm HZO film. A device with 18% N in TiN shows a higher remanent polarization (2Pr) and larger capacitance value than the compared sample, indicating that the strained TiN is promising for enhancing the ferroelectricity of sub-5 nm HZO devices.

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