Scientific Reports

According to recent research, self-reported Big Five personality traits are associated with preferences for faces that are representative of certain Big Five traits. Previous research has primarily focused on either preference for distinct prototypical personality faces or the accuracy of trait ratings for these faces. However, the underlying neural correlates involved in the processing of prototypical personality faces are unknown. In the present study, we aim to bridge this gap by investigating whether participants’ Big Five personality traits predict preferences to interact with individuals represented by prototypical personality faces, as well as the neural processing of these facial features. Based on theoretical considerations and previous research, we focus on trait extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism, and corresponding prototypical faces. Participants were asked to classify prototypical faces as above or below average representative of a certain trait, and then provide an interaction preference rating while face-sensitive event-related potentials (N170 and late positive potential) were measured. In line with our hypotheses, the results showed an interaction preference for faces that were perceived as high (vs. low) extraverted and agreeable and low (vs. high) neurotic. In addition, the preference for agreeable faces interacted with personality characteristics of the perceiver: The higher a persons’ score on trait agreeableness, the higher the face preference ratings for both prototypical and perceived high agreeable faces. Analyses of ERP data showed that an increase in preference ratings for prototypical agreeable faces was paralleled by an increase of the late positive potential. Notably, the N170 did not show any neural signature of the hypothesized effects of personality faces. Together, these results highlight the importance of considering both perceiver characteristics as well as perceived features of an interaction partner when it comes to preference for social interaction. Protocol registration The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on the 8th of May 2023. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/G8SCY.

Maintaining the high-temperature and pressure conditions required for sustained nuclear fusion is challenging due to the turbulent transport that naturally occurs in the plasma. Developing reliable models for turbulent transport is essential for progress in fusion research and development. This study proposes multi-fidelity modeling for the improved accuracy of regression models for turbulent transport in magnetic fusion plasma. Multi-fidelity modeling combines low-fidelity data, which have low accuracy but many data points, with high-fidelity data, which are highly accurate but have few data points or small parameter ranges, to enhance the overall predictive accuracy of a model. We used a multi-fidelity information fusion technique, Nonlinear AutoRegressive Gaussian Process regression (NARGP), to solve the regression problems associated with turbulent transport in plasma. We applied NARGP to (i) merge the low-resolution and high-resolution simulation results, (ii) apply regression of turbulence diffusivity to the experimental dataset using linear analyses, and (iii) adapt the quasi-linear transport model to nonlinear simulation results of a particular discharge. We demonstrated that NARGP improved the prediction accuracy of the plasma turbulent transport model. NARGP offers a robust and versatile method for integrating multi-fidelity data, and its broad applicability may contribute to optimizing fusion reactor design and operation.

Insulin resistance (IR) is linked to both the vulnerable plaque and the stroke risk. However, the precise extent of this correlation and its impact on stroke risk in carotid artery stenosis patients remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between vulnerable plaque and IR and stroke risk and the mediating role of vulnerable plaque in patients with carotid artery stenosis. This study included 505 patients with carotid artery stenosis. IR was assessed using the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index. The association of the TyG index and vulnerable plaque with stroke risk was investigated using the restricted cubic splines (RCS)and adjusted Logistic regression. Additionally, the mediation analysis was used to explore the mediating impact of the vulnerable plaque on the association between the TyG index and stroke risk. A total of 184 (36.4%) stroke events were recorded. The RCS curves revealed a positive linear association between TyG index and risk events among patients with carotid artery stenosis (P-value < 0.001 and P for nonlinear = 0.860). After fully adjusting for covariates, both the TyG index and vulnerable plaque emerged as significant predictors of stroke events. Mediation analysis indicated that the vulnerable plaque mediated 18.3%, 15.8%, 13.9%, and 11.6% of the correlation between the TyG index and stroke risk in different adjusted models, respectively. TyG index and vulnerable plaque are associated with a higher risk of stroke in patients with carotid artery stenosis. In addition, vulnerable plaques partially mediated the relationship between TyG index and stroke risk.

In 2020, 123 PM2.5 samples were collected across different seasons in Huaxi District, Guiyang. The primary chemical components of PM2.5, including water-soluble ions (WSIIs), metallic elements, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC), were analyzed. During the sampling period, the average PM2.5 concentration was 39.7 ± 22.3 µg/m². Chemical mass closure (CMC) was used to reconstruct PM2.5 mass, yielding a reconstructed concentration of 29.1 ± 16.5 µg/m². The major components were organic matter (OM), sulfate + nitrate + ammonium (SNA), and mineral dust (MD), with mean concentrations of 12.2 ± 6.3 µg/m², 8.2 ± 4.0 µg/m², and 6.3 ± 4.6 µg/m², respectively. From clean days (CD) to lightly-moderately polluted days (LMPD), nitrate oxidation ratio (NOR) increased from 0.09 to 0.16, while sulfate oxidation ratio (SOR) and OC/EC ratio rose by 21.7% and 13.5%, indicating stronger secondary reactions on polluted days. The study also examined changes in chemical components under different atmospheric oxidizing and humidity conditions, revealing that sulfate and nitrate concentrations increased with relative humidity (RH) between 60 and 80%, while other components, especially MD, showed a declining trend due to hygroscopic growth and subsequent gravitational settling and precipitation. The average NO3⁻/SO4²⁻ ratio was 0.67, indicating that fixed sources such as industrial and coal emissions were the main contributors to PM2.5. This study provides insights into the chemical composition, pollution processes, and formation mechanisms of PM2.5, which are crucial for developing effective air pollution control strategies. Furthermore, source apportionment was conducted with the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. The Coal combustion, secondary, traffic, Industrial and dust source contributions to the PM2.5 mass were approximately 30.5%, 20.0%, 18.3%,16.7% and 14.5%, respectively.

Nowadays, traffic congestion is a significant issue globally. The vehicle quantity has grown dramatically, while road and transportation infrastructure capacities have yet to expand proportionally to handle the additional traffic effectively. Road congestion and traffic-related pollution have increased, which is detrimental to society and public health. This paper proposes a novel reinforcement learning (RL)-based method to reduce traffic congestion. We have developed a sophisticated Deep Q-Network (DQN) and integrated it smoothly into our system. In this study, Our implemented DQL model reduced queue lengths by 49% and increased incentives for each lane by 9%. The results emphasize the effectiveness of our method in setting strong traffic reduction standards. This study shows that RL has excellent potential to improve both transport efficiency and sustainability in metropolitan areas. Moreover, utilizing RL can significantly improve the standards for reducing traffic and easing urban traffic congestion.

Mosquito-borne diseases represent a growing health challenge over time. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are the second generation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and they continue to attract significant interest as potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools in disease inhibition and insect control. Activated ingredients presented in the Poinciana leaves were extracted and GC–MS data indicated an increased abundance of terpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic substances. Poinciana extract was encapsulated to the vicinity of nanostructure lipid carrier, Po-NLC, and surface modified with magnetic nanoparticles, Po-NLC-MNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles depicted average particle size of 73.2 and 75.55 nm while zeta potential of (− 29.4) and (‒ 4.44 mV) for Po-NLC and Po-NLC-MNPs, respectively. Transmission electron microscope and morphology determination showed regular, irregular spherical and oval shapes with diverse single particle size. X-rays diffraction pattern of the freely synthesized MNPs was compared to the decorated NLC and the results manifested that the NLC was successfully decorated with MNPs. The larvicidal activity of plant extract, Poinciana extract (Po), and their nanoparticle conjugates against 3rd instar larvae of Culex pipiens was evaluated at 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm concentrations. Both high and low concentrations of Po-NLC-MNPs, indicated potential larval mortality than plant extracts (Po extract) itself. The mortality rate reached 100% for 3rd instar larvae. Based on their relative toxicity, (Po-NLC-MNPs) was the best at killing larvae, followed by Po-NLC. The synthesized nps were checked for their cytotoxic effect against wi38 cell line. The in-vitro cytotoxicity results indicated that there was no significant cytotoxicity and the nanocomposite barely caused weak changes in the tested cells. The synthesized nanoparticles have potential to create a new generation of eco-friendly, effective alternatives for controlling mosquito-borne diseases.

Black seed has been applied for several decades to cure an extensive variety of illnesses and ailments. In this report, the chemical profile of both crude and ozonized black seed oil was assessed after the oil was exposed to 0 to 5 L/minute of ozone for four hours. The in vitro effects of black seed oil following being exposed to ozone including antimicrobial properties versus Bacillus cereus (ATCC11778), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6538), Escherichia coli (ATCC8739), Salmonella typhi (ATCC 6539), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC13883), Candida albicans (ATCC10221), and Aspergillus niger (ATCC16888). Besides, antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory capacity, and antineoplastic function versus HCT cells were assessed. The chemical profile of ozonized black seed oil showed elevation of essential molecules of oil as well as presence of some characteristic molecules to both forms of oil. Besides, it could be noticed that exposing of oil to ozone improves its antimicrobial activity towards all tested microbes except for C. albicans. Both forms of oil showed no activity towards A. niger. Black seed oil exposed to ozone showed a promising antioxidant capacity with IC50 of 2.93 ± 0.2 µg/ml. A dramatic improvement in anti-inflammatory impact of ozonized oil as well as its antitumor capacity towards HCT cells could be seen in the laboratory outcomes. The current findings point to a novel method for enhancing some of the in vitro medicinal uses of black seed oil by exposing it to ozone.

Hydrogen sulfide is a lethal toxic gas that disrupts cellular respiration in the mitochondrial system. Currently, no antidote is available for the clinical treatment of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. In this study, we investigated the function of iron(III)porphyrin complexes as hydrogen sulfide scavengers in water and evaluated their potential use as therapeutic agents for hydrogen sulfide poisoning. The compounds, named met-hemoCD-P and met-hemoCD-I, are composed of iron(III)porphyrin complexed with per-methylated β-cyclodextrin dimers that contain a pyridine (met-hemoCD-P) or imidazole axial fifth ligand that is coordinated to Fe(III) (met-hemoCD-I). These compounds formed stable HS–Fe(III) complexes under physiological conditions, with binding constants of 1.2 × 10⁵ and 2.5 × 10⁶ M–1 for met-hemoCD-P and met-hemoCD-I, respectively. The binding constant of met-hemoCD-I was 10-times higher than that reported for native human met-hemoglobin at pH 7.4 and 25oC. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and H2S quantification assays revealed that after SH– was coordinated to met-hemoCD-I, it was efficiently converted to nontoxic sulfite and sulfate ions via homolytic cleavage of the HS–Fe(III) bond followed by aerobic oxidation. Mouse animal experiments revealed that the survival rate was significantly improved when NaSH-treated mice were injected with met-hemoCD-I. After the injection, mitochondrial CcO function in brain and heart tissues recovered, and met-hemoCD-I injected was excreted in the urine without chemical decomposition.

Individuals with visual impairment (VI) require aids such as white canes and guide dogs to navigate their environments. Modern localisation technologies have the capacity to transform the way individuals with VI navigate surroundings, but they have yet to do so. A critical barrier is the inability of human–machine interfaces to communicate precise navigation instructions non-visually. We present a shape changing haptic interface (Shape) that provides spatial guidance in two dimensions via bending of its body. Individuals with VI and sighted individuals were recruited to locate virtual targets in 3D space using Shape and vibration feedback (Vibration), and sighted individuals were also asked to visually locate targets. Throughout, device orientation and position were tracked in real-time using a virtual reality system. Individuals with VI located targets significantly faster and more efficiently using Shape, than with Vibration, and there were no significant differences in time or efficiency between Shape and natural vision. Moreover, participants scored Shape significantly more positively than Vibration in a Likert user experience survey, while no significant differences were observed between Shape and natural vision. Here, we provide compelling evidence for the application of a new shape-changing haptic interface as part of an effective future digital navigation system for individuals with VI.

Marine microorganisms play a critical role in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentration via the biological carbon pump. Deposition of continental mineral dust on the sea surface increases carbon sequestration but the interaction between minerals and marine microorganisms is not well understood. We discovered that the interaction of clay minerals with dissolved organic matter and a γ-proteobacterium in seawater increases Transparent Exopolymer Particle (TEP) concentration, leading to organoclay floc formation. To explore this observation further, we conducted a microcosm experiment using surface seawater collected from the Spring 2023 phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Maine. Unfiltered (natural community) and filtered (200 μm and 3 μm) seawater was sprayed with clay (20 mg L− 1 and 60 mg L− 1) and incubated. All clay treatments led to a tenfold increase in TEP concentration. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analyses of seawater and settled organoclay flocs showed the dominance of α-proteobacteria, γ-proteobacteria, and Bacteroidota. The initial seawater phytoplankton community was dominated by dinoflagellates followed by a haptophyte (Phaeocystis sp.) and diatoms. Following clay addition, dinoflagellate cell abundance declined sharply while diatom cell abundance increased. By analyzing organoclay flocs for 18S rRNA we confirmed that dinoflagellates were removed in the flocs. The clay amendment removed as much as 50% of phytoplankton organic carbon. We then explored the fate of organoclay flocs at the next trophic level by feeding clay and phytoplankton (Rhodomonas salina) to Calanus finmarchicus. The copepod ingested R. salina and organoclay flocs and egested denser fecal pellets with 1.8- to 3.6- fold higher sinking velocity compared to controls. Fecal pellet density enhancement could facilitate carbon sequestration through zooplankton diel vertical migration. These findings provide insights into how atmospheric dust-derived clay minerals interact with marine microorganisms to enhance the biological carbon pump, facilitating the burial of organic carbon at depths where it is less likely to exchange with the atmosphere.