Analysis Of Patterns Research Articles

The influence patterns of carbon flux in different climatic zones in China —Based on the complex network approach

Research on ecosystem carbon flux can provide important methodological and strategic support for climate change mitigation. The existing studies focus on the calculation of carbon flux, ignoring the intertwined effects between regions. The quantification and analysis of the interaction patterns of carbon flux is crucial for understanding the global carbon cycle process, forecasting and coping with climate change. In this study, carbon flux network model sequences are established based on complex network theory using carbon flux data spanning from December 1, 2005, to November 30, 2020. The time delay effect is introduced to accurately quantify the influence patterns of carbon flux within climate zones across China. The findings indicate that the probability distribution function of the link weights during the various seasons of each year exhibits a bimodal distribution with distinct positive and negative components. The delay probability distribution function reveals the significant impact of delay effects, which are especially pronounced and mostly significant long-term lag effects in nodes with negative weights. Further, the results of the interactions of carbon flux among climate zones demonstrate that changes in carbon flux in the plateau and southern temperate regions have either positive or negative impacts on other climate zones. Therefore, controlling carbon flux changes in these climatic zones can effectively optimize the distribution of carbon flux. The modeling framework and results presented in this paper provide useful insights for the regulation and distribution optimization of carbon flux in China.

Transcriptomics analysis highlights potential ways in human pathogenesis in Leishmania braziliensis infected with the viral endosymbiont LRV1.

The parasite Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is widely distributed in Brazil and is one of the main species associated with human cases of different forms of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) such as cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of TL are still not fully understood, but it is known that factors related to the host and the parasite act in a synergistic and relevant way to direct the response to the infection. In the host, macrophages have a central connection with the parasite and play a fundamental role in the defense of the organism due to their ability to destroy intracellular parasites and present antigens. In the parasite, some intrinsic factors related to the species or even the strain analyzed are fundamental for the outcome of the disease. One of them is the presence of Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV1), an endosymbiont virus that parasitizes some species of Leishmania that triggers a cascade of signals leading to a more severe TL phenotype, such as ML. One of the strategies for understanding factors associated with the immune response generated after Leishmania/host interaction is through the analysis of molecular patterns after infection. Thus, the gene expression profile in human monocyte-derived macrophages obtained from healthy donors infected in vitro with L. braziliensis positive (LbLRV1+) and negative (LbLRV1-) for LRV1 was evaluated. For this, the microarray assay was used and 162 differentially expressed genes were identified in the comparison LbLRV1+ vs. LbLRV1-, 126 upregulated genes for the type I and II interferons (IFN) signaling pathway, oligoadenylate synthase OAS/RNAse L, non-genomic actions of vitamin D3 and RIG-I type receptors, and 36 down-regulated. The top 10 downregulated genes along with the top 10 upregulated genes were considered for analysis. Type I interferon (IFNI)- and OAS-related pathways results were validated by RT-qPCR and Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines were analyzed by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The microarray results validated by RT-qPCR showed differential expression of genes related to IFNI-mediated pathways with overexpression of different genes in cells infected with LbLRV1+ compared to LbLRV1- and to the control. No significant differences were found in cytokine levels between LbLRV1+ vs. LbLRV1- and control. The data suggest the activation of gene signaling pathways associated with the presence of LRV1 has not yet been reported so far. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the activation of the OAS/RNase L signaling pathway and the non-genomic actions of vitamin D3 when comparing infections with LbLRV1+ versus LbLRV1- and the control. This finding emphasizes the role of LRV1 in directing the host's immune response after infection, underlining the importance of identifying LRV1 in patients with TL to assess disease progression.

Spatio-Temporal Variation in the Exceedance of Enterococci in Lake Burley Griffin: An Analysis of 16 Years’ Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Data

Recreational waterbodies with high levels of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) pose health risks and are an ongoing challenge for urban-lake managers. Lake Burley Griffin (LBG) in the Australian Capital city of Canberra is a popular site for water-based recreation, but analyses of seasonal and long-term patterns in enterococci that exceed alert levels (>200 CFU per 100 mL, leading to site closures) are lacking. This study analysed enterococci concentrations from seven recreational sites from 2001–2021 to examine spatial and temporal patterns in exceedances during the swimming season (October–April), when exposure is highest. The enterococci concentrations varied significantly across sites and in the summer months. The frequency of the exceedances was higher in the 2009–2015 period than in the 2001–2005 and 2015–2021 periods. The odds of alert-level concentrations were greater in November, December, and February compared to October. The odds of exceedance were higher at the Weston Park East site (swimming beach) and lower at the Ferry Terminal and Weston Park West site compared to the East Basin site. This preliminary examination highlights the need for site-specific assessments of environmental and management-related factors that may impact the public health risks of using the lake, such as inflows, turbidity, and climatic conditions. The insights from this study confirm the need for targeted monitoring efforts during high-risk months and at specific sites. The study also advocates for implementing measures to minimise faecal pollution at its sources.

Identification of spatial clusters of potentially toxic elements in different soil types using unsupervised machine learning and compositional data analysis

Soil health is an important concept and the generation of soil chemical composition data, including potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is one of its conceptual components. This study aims to reveal the spatial distribution patterns of soil PTEs contents, identify their potential sources, and unveil their geochemical associations in Aragatsotn region (Armenia). For that purpose, the contents of Cr, V, Ti, As, Zn, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Ba, and Pb were determined using the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (Innov X-5000). The results showed that mean contents of Cr and As exceeded their upper continental crust by 1.50 and 3.12 times and their maximum acceptable values by1.53, 1.50 times, respectively. The detailed analysis of the spatial distribution pattern of PTEs demonstrated the presence of sites where all these elements displayed comparatively higher values. The combined application of compositional data analysis and geospatial mapping allowed to reveal multivariate outliers which were located in structural-metallogenic zones with an active exploitation of ore deposits. The application of unsupervised machine learning algorithm unveiled three groups within the main dataset and the clr-biplot identified the source-specific elements. Particularly, Group I included Cu and displayed the highest mean value among the identified groups. The soil samples included in Group I were found in areas where Calcisols were developed and comparatively high Cu contents were attributed to agricultural activities (vineyards) and vehicle emissions. The Group II is represented by the geochemical association of Fe, Co, Cr, Mn, Zn, and As. The formation of this group is conditioned by volcanic rocks of the local geological origin. However, no spatial pattern was identified in Group II distribution aligned with the soil types. The Group III included Ti, V, Pb, and Ba. This group may have a mixed origin as it is spatially distributed in areas where regional highways pass through and where Group II elements also exhibit their higher values.

PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF NUTRACEUTICALS IN PATIENTS VISITING A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Objectives: This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the prescription pattern of nutraceuticals in patients visiting a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu which includes identification of commonly prescribed nutraceuticals, analysis of co-prescribed drug classes, identification of major nutraceutical compositions, analysis of patient expenditure on nutraceuticals, and quantification of nutraceutical availability. Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to conduct a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 304 patients from the outpatient departments of a tertiary care hospital, Nepal. Data on patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, co-prescribed drugs, nutraceutical details, and supplement expenses were collected using a structured questionnaire and form. Patient cards provided the necessary information, which was then analyzed with SPSS-16 and Microsoft Excel. Results: Out of 304 prescriptions analyzed, 64% were prescribed to females and 26% to patients aged 31–45 years. The general medicine department accounted for 44% of nutraceutical prescriptions, with multivitamins being the most common (91%). Tablets were the preferred dosage form 56%, and gastrointestinal disorder medicine was commonly co-prescribed with nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals alone accounted for approximately 52% of the total medicine cost. Conclusion: Nutraceuticals are being continuously used in the treatment of various diseases. The future of nutraceuticals is bright and can transform health care. More studies need to be taken up on the prescription of nutraceuticals in health care.

Establishment of homotrimer collagen type I signature and its association with clinical manifestation and tertiary lymphoid structures formation in liver cancer

Backgroundcollagen type I is a fundamental composition of extracellular matrix. Typically it exists in the form of a heterotrimer, consisting of two α1 chains encoded by COL1A1 and one α2 chain encoded by COL1A2. However, in cancer a homotrimeric form of collagen type I comprises three α1 chains encoded by COL1A1 was founded. There is still a lack of transcriptional and histologic methods for detecting homotrimeric collagen type I. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the pan-cancer distribution pattern and clinical relevance of homotrimeric collagen type I is conspicuously absent. MethodUsing transcriptional and immunoflourance method, we established homocol signautre, which is able to transcriptionally and histologically detect homotrimeric collagen type I. We investigated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of homocol as a novel cancer biomarker in a pan-cancer cohort. Furthermore, we assessed its association with clinical manifestations in a liver cancer cohort undergoing treatment at our institute. ResultHomotrimer Collagen Type I is predominantly expressed by cancer cells and is linked to several critical cancer hallmarks, particularly inflammatory response and proliferation. Survival analyses have indicated that a high Homocol expression is correlated with poor outcomes in most types of cancer studied. In terms of cancer detection, Homocol demonstrated strong performance in Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, with an Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.83 for pan-cancer detection and between 0.72 to 0.99 for individual cancers.In cohorts undergoing PD1 treatment, we noted a higher presence of Homocol in the response group. In a Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) clinical set, high Homocol expression was associated with an increased formation of intra-tumor tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), larger tumor sizes, more advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages, higher microvascular invasion (MVI) grades, absence of a capsule, and an enriched para-tumor collagen presence. Conclusionour research has led to the development of a novel gene signature that facilitates the detection of Homotrimer Collagen Type I. This may greatly assist efforts in cancer detection, prognosis, treatment response prediction, and further research into Homotrimer Collagen Type I.

Digital technology and healthcare delivery in insulin-treated adults with diabetes: a proposal for analysis of self-monitoring blood glucose patterns using a dedicated platform.

A remote platform for diabetes care (Roche Diabetes® Care Platform, RDCP) has been developed that allows combined face-to-face consultations and remote patient monitoring (RPM). A dedicated flowchart is proposed as a clinical approach to help healthcare professionals in the appropriate interpretation of structured self-monitoring blood glucose data, as visualized on the RDCP during the visits, and in the optimal management of patients using the integrated RDCP-RPM tools. The platform organizes patterns in different blocks: (i) hypoglycemia; (ii) hyperglycemia; (iii) blood glucose variability; (iv) treatment adherence, which identifies a possible individual pattern according to glycemic control challenges, potential causal factors, and behavioral type patterns. The flowchart proposed for use of the RDCP-RPM is self-explanatory and entails 3 steps: (1) evaluation of quality and quantity of self-monitoring blood glucose data; (2) pattern analysis; (3) personalized suggestions and therapy changes. The main aim of the remote treatment flowchart proposed is to support healthcare professionals in the identification of hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic patterns using the RDCP regardless of the HbA1c value and ongoing treatment, which however, become crucial in combination with pattern analysis in the therapeutical choice.

Influences of water filling timing on the deformation mechanism of crushed gangue in goaf

In order to investigate the effect of different water filling times on the compression deformation of filled gangue, a large-scale crushed gangue deformation testing system was utilized, and two sets of gradient loading experiments were designed. Through rigorous experimental analysis, distinct patterns of deformation during loading and constant load stages are elucidated, with a particular focus on the influence of water filling timing. Quantitative assessment reveals that early water filling induces rapid gangue deformation, primarily during loading stages, while later water filling stages exhibit a heightened impact on constant load stages. Moreover, the study identifies a stepped deformation phenomenon attributed to the irregularities in crushed gangue particles, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms governing gangue behavior under varying water filling conditions. Notably, an in-depth analysis of energy consumption patterns underscores the dominant role of strain, especially in later water filling stages, significantly influencing deformation characteristics. The study further explores the implications of water filling timing on mining subsidence effects, offering quantitative insights into the stability of gangue backfilling. Under the action of the cumulative deformation and concentrated filling effect, the equivalent filling height is slightly higher than that of the early water filling state, but this trend weakens with the increase of mining height. The conclusions of this study can provide experimental data for stability analysis of crushed gangue filling the abandoned mines with different water filling timing.

Fully Automated Analysis Approach for In Situ Electron Diffraction

Despite the rapid development of the state-of-the-art in-situ/operando transmission electron microscopy technologies capable of generating a substantial volume of diffraction pattern images in a compressed time frame, the associated image interpretation apparatus remains incompletely automated. Since the analysis of the acquired data is predominantly focused on a subset of this extensive data set, there is the potential for critical information to be inadvertently omitted. Using a set of computer vision algorithms, we have developed a fully automated computational tool specifically tailored for the systematic analysis of electron diffraction patterns. Our research results demonstrate that the proposed methodology represents a viable and effective approach for the automated analysis of the substantial corpus of data collected during in-situ experimental investigations.

Reconstruction Analysis of Global Ionospheric Outflow Patterns

AbstractIonospheric outflow supplies nearly all of the heavy ions observed within the magnetosphere, as well as a significant fraction of the proton density. While much is known about upflow and outflow energization processes, the full global pattern of outflow and its evolution is only known statistically or through numerical modeling. Because of the dominant role of heavy ions in several key physical processes, this unknown nature of the full outflow pattern leads to significant uncertainty in understanding geospace dynamics, especially surrounding storm intervals. That is, global models risk not accurately reproducing the main features of intense space storms because the amount of ionospheric outflow is poorly specified and thus magnetospheric composition and mass loading could be ill‐defined. This study defines a potential mission to observe ionospheric outflow from several platforms, allowing for a reasonable and sufficient reconstruction of the full outflow pattern on an orbital cadence. An observing system simulation experiment is conducted, revealing that four well‐placed satellites are sufficient for reasonably accurate outflow reconstructions. The science scope of this mission could include the following: reveal the global structure of ionospheric outflow; relate outflow patterns to geomagnetic activity level; and determine the spatial and temporal nature of outflow composition. The science objectives could be focused to be achieved with minimal instrumentation (only a low‐energy ion spectrometer to obtain outflow reconstructions) or with a larger scientific scope by including contextual instrumentation.

Systematic characterization of gene families and functional analysis of PvRAS3 and PvRAS4 involved in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis in Prunella vulgaris.

Prunella vulgaris is an important material for Chinese medicines with rosmarinic acid (RA) as its index component. Based on the chromosome-level genome assembly we obtained recently, 51 RA biosynthesis-related genes were identified. Sequence feature, gene expression pattern and phylogenetic relationship analyses showed that 17 of them could be involved in RA biosynthesis. In vitro enzymatic assay showed that PvRAS3 catalyzed the condensation of p-coumaroyl-CoA and caffeoyl-CoA with pHPL and DHPL. Its affinity toward p-coumaroyl-CoA was higher than caffeoyl-CoA. PvRAS4 catalyzed the condensation of p-coumaroyl-CoA with pHPL and DHPL. Its affinity toward p-coumaroyl-CoA was lower than PvRAS3. UPLC and LC-MS/MS analyses showed the existence of RA, 4-coumaroyl-3',4'-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, 4-coumaroyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid and caffeoyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid in P. vulgaris. Generation and analysis of pvras3 homozygous mutants showed significant decrease of RA, 4-coumaroyl-3',4'-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, 4-coumaroyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid and caffeoyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid and significant increase of DHPL and pHPL. It suggests that PvRAS3 is the main enzyme catalyzing the condensation of acyl donors and acceptors during RA biosynthesis. The role of PvRAS4 appears minor. The results provide significant information for quality control of P. vulgaris medicinal materials.

Three-dimensional internal flow evolution of an evaporating droplet and its role in particle deposition pattern

The internal flow within an evaporating sessile droplet is one of the driving mechanisms that lead to various particle deposition patterns seen in applications such as inkjet printing, surface patterning, and blood stain analysis. Despite decades of research, the causal link between droplet internal flow and particle deposition patterns has not been fully established. In this study, we employ a three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique based on digital inline holography to quantitatively assess the evolution of internal flow fields and particle migration in three distinct types of wetting droplets, namely water droplets, sucrose aqueous solution droplets, and sodium dodecylsulfate aqueous solution droplets, throughout their entire evaporation process. Our imaging reveals the three-stage evolution of the 3D internal flow regimes driven by changes in the relative importance of capillary flow, Marangoni flow, and droplet boundary movement during evaporation. Moreover, the migration of individual particles from their initial locations to deposition can be divided into five categories, with some particles depositing at the contact line and others inside the droplet. In particular, we observe the changing migration directions of particles due to competing Marangoni and capillary flows. We further develop an analytical model that predicts the droplet internal flow, deposition patterns, and determines the deposition mechanisms depending on their initial locations and evolving internal flow. The model, validated using different types of droplets from our experiment and the literature, can be further expanded to other Newtonian and non-Newtonian droplets, potentially serving as a real-time assessment tool for particle deposition in various applications.

Screening Disinfection Byproducts in Arid-Coastal Wastewater: A Workflow Using GC×GC-TOFMS, Passive Sampling, and NMF Deconvolution Algorithm

Disinfection during tertiary municipal wastewater treatment is a necessary step to control the spread of pathogens; unfortunately, it also gives rise to numerous disinfection byproducts (DBPs), only a few of which are regulated because of the analytical challenges associated with the vast number of potential DBPs. This study utilized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) passive samplers, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) spectral deconvolution for suspect screening of DBPs in treated wastewater. PDMS samplers were deployed upstream and downstream of the chlorination unit in a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Abu Dhabi, and their extracts were analyzed using GC×GC-TOFMS. A workflow incorporating a multi-tiered, eight-filter screening process was developed, which successfully enabled the reliable isolation of 22 candidate DBPs from thousands of peaks. The NMF spectral deconvolution improved the match factor score of unknown mass spectra to the reference mass spectra available in the NIST library by 17% and facilitated the identification of seven additional DBPs. The close match of the first-dimension retention index data and the GC×GC elution patterns of DBPs, both predicted using the Abraham solvation model, with their respective experimental counterparts—with the measured data available in the NIST WebBook and the GC×GC elution patterns being those observed for the candidate peaks—significantly enhanced the accuracy of peak assignment. Isotopic pattern analysis revealed a close correspondence for 11 DBPs with clearly visible isotopologues in reference spectra, thereby further strengthening the confidence in the peak assignment of these DBPs. Brominated analogues were prevalent among the detected DBPs, possibly due to seawater intrusion. The fate, behavior, persistence, and toxicity of tentatively identified DBPs were assessed using EPI Suite™ and the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard. This revealed their significant toxicity to aquatic organisms, including developmental, mutagenic, and endocrine-disrupting effects in certain DBPs. Some DBPs also showed activity in various CompTox bioassays, implicating them in adverse molecular pathways. Additionally, 11 DBPs demonstrated high environmental persistence and resistance to biodegradation. This combined approach offers a powerful tool for future research and environmental monitoring, enabling accurate identification and assessment of DBPs and their potential risks.

Proactive selective attention across competition contexts

Selective attention is a cognitive function that helps filter out unwanted information. Theories such as the biased competition model (Desimone & Duncan, 1995) explain how attentional templates bias processing towards targets in contexts where multiple stimuli compete for resources. However, it is unclear how the anticipation of different levels of competition influences the nature of attentional templates, in a proactive fashion. In this study, we used EEG to investigate how the anticipated demands of attentional selection (either high or low stimuli competition contexts) modulate target-specific preparatory brain activity and its relationship with task performance. To do so, participants performed a sex judgment task in a cue-target paradigm where, depending on the block, target and distractor stimuli appeared simultaneously (high competition) or sequentially (low competition). Multivariate Pattern Analysis (MVPA) showed that, in both competition contexts, there was a preactivation of the target category to select with a ramping-up profile at the end of the preparatory interval. However, cross-classification showed no generalization across competition conditions, suggesting different preparatory formats. Notably, time-frequency analyses showed differences between anticipated competition demands, reflecting higher theta band power for high than low competition, which mediated the impact of subsequent stimuli competition on behavioral performance. Overall, our results show that, whereas preactivation of the internal templates associated with the category to select are engaged in advance in both competition contexts, their underlying neural patterns differ. In addition, these codes could not be associated with theta power, suggesting different preparatory processes. The implications of these findings are crucial to increase our understanding of the nature of top-down processes across different contexts.

Greenbelt's Impact on Urban Forest Habitat: Insights from Morphological Analysis in Quantifying Conservation Effects

Urban forests play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in highly urbanized areas by providing habitats for various species and promoting ecological connectivity. However, managing urban forests presents challenges such as low habitat quality and fragmentation risks. To address these challenges, protected areas serve as a fundamental policy tool. This study analyzes the effect of Greenbelt areas, protected spaces within urban settings, on future land-use and habitat changes. Through morphological analysis of forest areas, this study attempts to analyze the current status of habitats in cities affected by fragmentation and derive the effects of green belts, thereby presenting the direction of biodiversity conservation for city habitats. The Slope, Land-use, Excluded area, Urban, Transportation, Hillshade (SLEUTH) land-use change model was used to predict future land-use changes by applying a scenario that adjusts weights within the Greenbelt areas. In addition, the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) Tool was used to derive changes by habitat type, which aided in deriving the implications of the Greenbelt regulation on the habitat. Our findings indicate that Greenbelt regulation effectively prevents the reduction of critical Core areas and minimizes damage to Islets, small patches. Comparisons between Core and Edge areas reveal that Edge areas are more vulnerable to development, and the impact of regulating the Greenbelt area is significant. In addition, Greenbelt regulations can help prevent habitat fragmentation by reducing Perforation, which creates cavities within Core areas. This study quantitatively demonstrated that the Greenbelt can play an important role not only in preventing urban expansion but playing an important role in habitat conservation in cities.

Enhancing rutin accumulation in Tartary buckwheat through a novel flavonoid transporter protein FtABCC2

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is an annual coarse cereal from the Polygonaceae family, known for its high content of flavonoid compounds, particularly rutin. But so far, the mechanisms of the flavonoid transport and storage in Tartary buckwheat (TB) remain largely unexplored. This study focuses on ATP-binding cassette transporters subfamily C (ABCC) members, which are crucial for the biosynthesis and transport of flavonoids in plants. The evolutionary and expression pattern analyses of the ABCC genes in TB identified an ABCC protein gene, FtABCC2, that is highly correlated with rutin synthesis. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that FtABCC2 protein is specifically localized to the vacuole membrane. Heterologous expression of FtABCC2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confirmed that its transport ability of flavonoid glycosides such as rutin and isoquercetin, but not the aglycones such as quercetin and dihydroquercetin. Overexpression of FtABCC2 in TB hairy root lines resulted in a significant increase in total flavonoid and rutin content (P < 0.01). Analysis of the FtABCC2 promoter revealed potential cis-acting elements responsive to hormones, cold stress, mechanical injury and light stress. Overall, this study demonstrates that FtABCC2 can efficiently facilitate the transport of rutin into vacuoles, thereby enhancing flavonoids accumulation. These findings suggest that FtABCC2 is a promising candidate for molecular-assisted breeding aimed at developing high-flavonoid TB varieties.

Mapping the neural mechanism that distinguishes between holistic thinking and analytic thinking

Holistic and analytic thinking are two distinct modes of thinking used to interpret the world with relative preferences varying across cultures. While most research on these thinking styles has focused on behavioral and cognitive aspects, a few studies have utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the correlations between brain metrics and self-reported scale scores. Other fMRI studies used single holistic and analytic thinking tasks. As a single task may involve processing in spurious low-level regions, we used two different holistic and analytic thinking tasks, namely the frame-line task and the triad task, to seek convergent brain regions to distinguish holistic and analytic thinking using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). Results showed that brain regions fundamental to distinguish holistic and analytic thinking include the bilateral frontal lobes, bilateral parietal lobes, bilateral precentral and postcentral gyrus, bilateral supplementary motor areas, bilateral fusiform, bilateral insula, bilateral angular gyrus, left cuneus, and precuneus, left olfactory cortex, cingulate gyrus, right caudate and putamen. Our study maps brain regions that distinguish between holistic and analytic thinking and provides a new approach to explore the neural representation of cultural constructs. We provide initial evidence connecting culture-related brain regions with language function to explain the origins of cultural differences in cognitive styles.

Tb-doped strontium aluminate nanophosphor: cytotoxicity, phytotoxicity, and bioimaging in plant cells

This study explores the novel application of terbium-doped strontium aluminate nanoparticles for fluorescence imaging in plant cells. The study encompasses microwave assisted solid state synthesis as well as the structural and optical characterization of terbium-doped strontium aluminate nanophosphors, their toxicity studies in plant and animal cells and their use as a fluorescent dye for plant imaging. The X-ray diffraction pattern analysis, along with Rietveld refinement studies, show the formation of SrAl2O4 as a dominant crystalline phase. Photoluminescence investigations demonstrate green emission from Tb3+ transition levels. In vitro biocompatibility of terbium-doped strontium aluminate nanophosphors was studied using L929 fibroblast cells. The plant Clitoria ternatea was used to examine phytotoxicity. The samples' potential for bioimaging was further investigated. Our findings reveal improved growth of seedlings, positioning these nanoparticles as promising tools in plant-related research. This study advances our understanding of nanoparticle-plant interactions and holds potential for transformative applications in agriculture.

MSPA-based green space morphological pattern and its spatiotemporal influence on land surface temperature

The frequent occurrence of extreme heat events has notably affected human’s living environment, and a considerable number of studies have reported that green space is an efficient measure by investigating the correlation between green space and land surface temperature (LST). However, spatiotemporal effects of green space on LST still remain unclear. In this study, green space patterns (e.g., core, islet, perforation, edge, loop, bridge, and branch) were identified through morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). Moreover, the effects of green space pattern on LST in three periods were investigated through three kinds of models. As indicated by the results: (1) the geographically and temporally weighted regression model exhibited the optimal performance compared with other two models. (2) in general, the core, the edge, the bridge, and the branch significantly contributed to cooling, and the islet hindered cooling. However, the perforation and the loop exerted significant dual nature effects with the similar quantity of the negative and positive coefficients, showing relatively complex impact mechanism. (3) the intensity of the effect of the respective MSPA class varied across the study area. The core had the most substantial effect, which distributed substantial cooling effects of the core were located in the south and middle corners (4) the result suggested that a neighborhood scale in China, which was 960 m in this study, served as a basic unit in green space management. The spatiotemporal non-stationarity of the effects of green space morphological patterns on LST provided important insights into urban thermal environment improvement through urban green space planning and design.

Expression pattern analysis of the long non-coding RNAs (TINCR, RP11-573D15.8, RP11-156E8.1), and their target genes (AKT1, FOXO1 and MAPK3) in patients with HIV infection, and elite controllers

Elite controllers (ECs) defined as a small subclass of subjects with HIV capable of controlling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication in the lack of antiretroviral treatment. One class of RNA molecules that serve as vital components in the network of HIV-related transcriptional regulation, are long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). The critical part that they take is in transcriptional regulation of HIV through monitoring various cellular signaling pathways. Reportedly, AKT and MAPK signaling pathways serve a crucial role in modulation of HIV infection. In the current investigation, we utilized bioinformatics tools to predict the lncRNAs that have the ability to interact with MAPK3, AKT, and FOXO1. Then, PBMC expression levels of lncRNAs and their target genes (AKT, FOXO1 and MAPK3) measured in the ECs (n = 15), HIV-positive (n = 40) patients and healthy control subjects (n = 40). We found a significant increase and decrease in the level of AKT and FOXO1 expression within the ECs group, respectively than in the HIV + group (P-value <0.0001 and 0.04, respectively). In the ECs group, the level of TINCR and RP11-156E8.1 was overexpressed compared to the HIV + group (P-value: 0.004 and 0.001, respectively). While RP11-573D15.8 level in ECs exhibited a significant suppression in contrast to HIV + group (P-value: 0.02). According to the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve results, AKT and TINCR could serve as useful biomarkers for screening ECs groups from HIV + patients and healthy control groups. Overall, different expression patterns of selected factors and ROC curve results showed these factors could critically contribute to HIV controlling and be considered as diagnostic markers for ECs from HIV + samples.