Functional connectivity of paired default mode network subregions in patients with eye trauma

AIM:To study functional brain abnormalities in patients with eye trauma(ET)and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms of ET.METHODS:Totally 31 ET patients and 31 healthy controls(HCs)were recruited.The age,gender,and educational background characteristics of the two groups were similar.After functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scanning,the subjects’spontaneous brain activity was evaluated with the functional connectivity(FC)method.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to classify the data.Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between FC values in specific brain regions and clinical behaviors in patients with ET.RESULTS:Significantly increased FC between several regions was identified including the medial prefrontal cortex(MPFC)and left hippocampus formations(HF),the MPFC and left inferior parietal lobule(IPL),the left IPL and left medial temporal lobe(MTL),the left IPL and right MTL,and the right IPL and left MTL.No decreased region-to-region connectivity was detected in default mode network(DMN)sub-regions in patients with ET.Compared with HCs,ET patients exhibited significantly increased FC between several paired DMN regions,as follows:posterior cingulate cortex(PCC)and right HF(HF.R,t=2.196,P=0.032),right inferior parietal cortices(IPC.R)and left MTL(MTL.L,t=2.243,P=0.029),and right MTL(MTL.R)and HF.R(t=2.236,P=0.029).CONCLUSION:FC values in multiple brain regions of ET patients are abnormal,suggesting that these brain regions in ET patients may be dysfunctional,which may help to reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms of ET.

Integrity and Size of Green Spaces Are Critical for the Functional Di-versity of Birds:Evidence from the Eastern and Northwestern Regions of China

Urbanization often changes bird species richness and affects the functional diversity.Therefore,understanding these changes helps city planners improve green space design and land use planning.Our study used multiple datasets to explore the effects of land-scape patterns and natural environments on the functional diversity of birds in urban parks and campuses in the eastern and northwest-ern regions of China.Firstly,we used the data to calculate birds of the functional richness(FRic),functional evenness(FEve),and func-tional divergence(FDiv)of 68 urban spaces in the eastern and northwestern regions of China.Further,we established generalized linear models of natural factors,human factors,and functional diversity.Results showed more bird species with unique traits were in the north-western region.This may be because the earlier urbanization in the eastern region filtered out urban-sensitive species,leaving behind urban adapters.Moreover,we found that the fractal dimension index was the most significant positive factor of FRic in the eastern re-gion but the most significant negative factor of FDiv.Elevation was the most significant negative influence factor of FEve in the eastern region,but it was the most potent positive influence factor of FRic in the northwestern region.Population density had a significant posit-ive effect on FDiv in the northwestern region.However,green space areas significantly negatively impacted FEve in the northwestern region.In addition,birds in parks in both regions had more functional traits than those on campuses,possibly because of the larger green space in parks,which may contain more fragments of native vegetation and reduce human interference.Our study suggests that pre-serving more original vegetation and reducing human disturbance in cities can increase the functional diversity of urban birds and im-prove urban ecosystem functions.

Study on Regionalization of High Efficiency Eco-agriculture in Eco-economic Zone of Poyang Lake

The high efficient eco-agricultural zone in Eco-economic Region of Poyang Lake was divided into three different areas. 12 indicators including per capita cultivated land,forest coverage,comprehensive utilization rate of straw,the ratio of the effective irrigation area to the arable land,amount of pesticide usage per unit area of arable land,the output value ratio of planting industry,the output value ratio of forestry and fruit industry,the output value ratio of stock farming,the output value ratio of fishery,the proportion of sown area of crop,proportion of sown area of oil plants and the proportion of sown area of vegetable were screened to construct the indicator system of regionalization of high efficient eco-agriculture. The average index values of the high efficient eco-agricultural regionalization of three regions were obtained,the development direction of the efficient eco-agriculture construction of three areas were analyzed according to the natural resources characteristics f eco-agricultural and requirements of high efficient eco-agricultural development of the regions.

Functional regionalization with the restriction of ecological shelter zones： A case of Zhaotong in Yunnan

Ecological shelter zones reconstruction is an ecosystem restoration and conservation project aimed to the ecological safety of nations, regions and basins. Reconstruction of ecological shelter zones of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River became one of the most important tasks of Western Development strategy. This article, taking Zhaotong as an example, studies the functional regionalization of ecological shelter zones. The study supplies a case for functional regionalization of small and medium regions whose main tasks are environment reservation. With the guidance of theories of functional regionalization, and based on the analysis of Zhaotong＇s natural, ecological and socioeconomic factors, the paper suggests five principles for factors selection. These principles include： （1） reversing order evaluation; （2） selecting main factors; （3） keeping the integrality of administrative regions of towns; and （4） making the products acceptable by local government. To analyze spatial status of selected factors, LUCC data in 2002, 1：50,000 relief maps and town-unit socioeconomic statistical data in 2004 are used. RS and GIS tools are also applied to melt traditional and modern geographical methods. This would be useful to functional regionalization research in mountainous areas. As a conclusion, the leading functional regions of ecological conservation or economic development are suggested, respectively. Zhaotong city is divided into two-level functional regions. The first-level includes three leading functional regions and they will lead developing direction of sub-regions. The second-level includes eight sub-regions, which are policy implemented regions, and will supply guidance to Zhaotong＇s ecological shelter zones reconstruction.

Research on Functional Characteristics of Karst Eco-economic Compound System in Guizhou Province

Based on the eco-economy theory,this paper analyzed the characteristics of the components of eco-economic compound system of karst region in Guizhou Province.The functional characteristics of eco-economic compound system of karst region in Guizhou Province were analyzed.The functional characteristics were as follows:low biological production of Guizhou Province;weak capacity of ecosystem;slow speed of storage and accumulation of material and serious environmental pollution;low production and efficiency of energy;serious wastes of energy.On the basis of functional characteristics of eco-economic compound System in Karst region.Some views in terms of maintenance and reconstruction of compound system,were put forward,including laying stress on improving ecological system;choosing and cultivating the advanced species that suit the Karst region;improving the amount and speed of material accumulation,at the same time,introducing into advanced production technologies and management experience;reducing the energy efficiency of each section in economic system and improving the transformation efficiency of energy.

Eco-economic Background of Hilly-Gullied Loess Region and Optimized Eco-productive Paradigm of Small Watersheds

A thorough analysis on its natural environment as well as social economic status of the hilly-gullied loess region is presented. A small watershed, the dominant landscape unit of the region, has been singled out for further and specific study on landscape pattern and function, its social and economic distinctions. The authors proposed several principles based on its eco-economic background study, which includes water balance and efficient use principle, co-development of grass and agro-forestry principle, location optimization principle. Integrated with detailed analysis of a small watershed, an eco-productive paradigm for the loess land's development based on a small watershed scale was worked out. It consists of circle pattern with villages at core for high efficient agriculture production, hierarchical pattern along the slope for eco-economic development, point-axis pattern for commodity production and circulation in small watersheds and core-margin pattern for exchanges among watersheds.

Trade-off and Synergy of Rural Functions Under County Depopulation in the Typical Black Soil Region of Northeast China

As the population continues to shrink in the black soil region of Northeast China since 2000,it is critical to master the impact of population shrinkage on rural functions to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development.In this study,we focused on the impacts of depopulation on the evolution and interrelationship of rural subfunctions.Based on the rural function indexes system,the TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution)method,spatial analysis method,and mathematical statistics analysis method were used to summarize the spatial and temporal characteristics of rural function development,as well as the effect of population shrinkage in the typical black soil region of Northeast China.The results showed that depopulation varied in the extent and duration between the forested region and plain areas,which both impacted the trajectories of rural subfunctions evolution.For the economic development function and ecological conservation function,the effect of continuous slight depopulation was beneficial,while the effect of rapid depopulation was adverse,which was exactly opposite to the agricultural production function.All forms of population shrinkage were conducive to the development of the social security function.With the deepening population shrinkage,depopulation mainly promoted the collaborative development between subfunctions in this study,except the relationship between agricultural production and social security function.But effects of depopulation on the interrelationship of rural subfunctions varied between the forested region and plain areas in some cases.The results provided evidence for the cognition that population shrinkage had complicated effects on rural subfunctions.

Ecological function regionalization of fluvial corridor landscapes and measures for ecological regeneration in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River, Xinjiang of China

The middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River are currently one of the main regions of ecological restoration in the arid areas of western China.Using the principles and method of landscape ecology,this study has chosen the fluvial corridor landscape in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River,and discusses the region’s ecologically functional regionalization system and issues related to its practical classification.On this basis the corresponding regionalizing principles and standards were developed which were used to qualitatively divide the three main landscapes as the ecologically functional areas in the drainage basin.The paper has also analyzed the characteristic of the study areas,and has put forward the measures for its ecological restoration.

Aging effects of regional activation in a spatial task A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

BACKGROUND： An increasing number of studies have shown the effects of aging in basic cognitive processing and higher cognitive functions using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）. However, little is known about the aging effects in diverse cognitive abilities, such as spatial learning and reasoning. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effect of aging on spatial cognitive performance and regional brain activation based on fMRI. DESIGN, TIME, AND SETTING： A block design for fMRI observation. This study was performed at the fMRI Laboratory, Brain Science Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from March 2006 to May 2009. PARTICIPANTS： Eight right-handed, male, college students in their 20s （mean age 21.5 years） and six right-handed, male, adults in their 40s （mean age 45.7 years）, who graduated from college, participated in the study. All subjects were healthy and had no prior history of psychiatric or neurological disorders. METHODS： A spatial task was presented while brain images were acquired using a 3T fMRI system （ISOL Technology, Korea）. The spatial tasks involved selecting a shape that corresponded to a given figure using four examples, as well as selecting a development figure of a diagram. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The accuracy rate （number of correct answers/total number of items x 100%） of spatial tasks was calculated. Using the subtraction procedure, the activated areas in the brain during spatial tasks were color-coded by T-score. The double subtraction method was used to analyze the effect of aging between the two age groups （20s versus 40s）. RESULTS： The cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe were similarly activated in the two age groups. Increased brain activations, however, were observed in bilateral parietal and superior frontal lobes of the younger group. More activation was observed in bilateral middle frontal and right inferior frontal lobes in the older group. Compared with the older group, the younger men exhibited greater spatial performance （P = 0.012）. CONCLUSION： Reduced cognitive function correlated with decreased activation areas in the parietal lobe and altered activation in the frontal lobe.

Effect of Salt Stress on Nitrogen Assimilation of Functional Leaves and Root System of Rice in Cold Region

The aims were to investigate the effect of salt stress on key enzyme activity of nitrogen metabolism and the concentration of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen response to salt stress.Two rice cultivars,Mudanjiang 30(sensitive cultivar)and Longdao 5(salt-tolerant cultivar),were treated with different salt concentrations(CK 0%,S10.075%,S20.15%,S30.225%and S40.3%).The results showed that the activities of nitrate reductase(NR),glutamine synthase(GS),glutamate synthase(GOGAT)and glutamate dehydrogenase(GDH)in the functional leaves and roots of rice in cold region presented a single peak curve change and the peak occurred in the heading stage;compared with those of the CK,the activities of NR,GS and GOGAT of rice in cold region decreased,but the activity of GDH increased in the heading stage under salt stress.The variation for key enzyme activity of nitrogen metabolism was the highest under S4 treatment.The activities of NR,GS and GOGAT in the functional leaves significantly decreased compared with those in roots;the concentrations of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in the functional leaves and roots of rice in cold region presented a single peak curve change and the peak occurred in the heading stage;compared with that of the CK,the concentration of nitrate nitrogen decreased in leaves and roots,the concentration of ammonium nitrogen decreased and the concentration of ammonium nitrogen in roots increased under salt stress.The variations for the activities of NR,GS and GOGAT in the functional leaves and roots of Longdao 5 were less than those of Mudanjiang 30 under the same concentration of salt stress.

Altered spontaneous brain activity in patients with diabetic optic neuropathy:A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study using regional homogeneity

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a common chronic disease.Given the increasing incidence of diabetes,more individuals are affected by diabetic optic neuropathy(DON),which results in decreased vision.Whether DON leads to abnormalities of other visual systems,including the eye,the visual cortex,and other brain regions,remains unknown.AIM To investigate the local characteristics of spontaneous brain activity using regional homogeneity(ReHo)in patients with DON.METHODS We matched 22 patients with DON with 22 healthy controls(HCs).All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.The ReHo technique was used to record spontaneous changes in brain activity.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were applied to differentiate between ReHo values for patients with DON and HCs.We also assessed the correlation between Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores and ReHo values in DON patients using Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS ReHo values of the right middle frontal gyrus(RMFG),left anterior cingulate(LAC),and superior frontal gyrus(SFG)/left frontal superior orbital gyrus(LFSO)were significantly lower in DON patients compared to HCs.Among these,the greatest difference was observed in the RMFG.The result of the ROC curves suggest that ReHo values in altered brain regions may help diagnose DON,and the RMFG and LAC ReHo values are more clinically relevant than SFG/LFSO.We also found that anxiety and depression scores of the DON group were extremely negatively correlated with the LAC ReHo values(r=-0.9336,P<0.0001 and r=-0.8453,P<0.0001,respectively).CONCLUSION Three different brain regions show ReHo changes in DON patients,and these changes could serve as diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers to further guide the prevention and treatment of DON patients.

Spatial Agglomeration and Diffusion of Population Based on a Regional Density Function Approach:A Case Study of Shandong Province in China

Population density functions have long been used to describe the spatial structure of regional population distributions.Several studies have been conducted to examine the population distribution in Shandong Province,China,but few have applied regional density functions to the analysis.Therefore,based on the 2000,2010,and 2020 population censuses,this study used monocentric and polycentric regional density functions to study the characteristics of population agglomeration and diffusion in Shandong.This is followed by an in-depth discussion based on population growth rate data and hot-and cold-spot analyses.The results showed that the Shandong Province population was spatially unevenly distributed.Population growth rates were higher in urban centers and counties,with more significant changes in population size in the eastern coastal areas than in the inland areas.As verified in this study,the logarithmic form of the single-center regional density function R2 was greater than 0.8,which was in line with the population spatial structure of Shandong Province.During the study period,the estimated population density of the regional center and the absolute value of the regional population density gradient both increased,indicating a clear and increasing trend of centripetal agglomeration of regional centers over the study period.Overall,the R2 value of the multicenter region density function was higher than that of the single-center region density function.The polycentric regional density function showed that the population density gradient of some centers had a downward trend,which reflected the spatial development trend of outward diffusion in these centers.Meanwhile,the variation in the estimated population density and the population density gradient exhibited differences in the central population distribution patterns at different levels.

Spatial Function Regionalization Based on an Ecological-economic Analysis in Wuxi City, China

As a result of rapid urbanization in China, urban sprawl has increased rapidly, and land-use regulation and smart urban growth are equally important. Spatial function regionalization can provide the scientific groundwork for the regulation of land use and protection. This paper probes the system of evaluation indices and applies the methods of spatial analysis and classification clustering to the calculation of the ecologically significant value and economically significant value in each evaluation unit. After use of a classification matrix integrated by the two significant values, city space can be divided into four functional types, namely, feasible development area, moderate development area, moderate conservation area and prohibited exploiting area, and these are the basis for spatial development and control.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of regional homogeneity changes in parkinsonian resting tremor

Regional homogeneity analysis of low-frequency blood oxygenation level-dependent signals from neighboring voxels enables the analysis of local neuronal synchrony. Both structural magnetic resonance imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected from nine Parkinson＇s disease patients with right resting tremor, and from eight age-matched normal controls. Regional homogeneity was compared between Parkinson＇s disease patients and controls. The results revealed that regional homogeneity was increased in several brain regions, including the right precuneus, right superior parietal gyrus, left anterior cingulate cortex, right middle frontal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus. Conversely, regional homogeneity was decreased in the cerebellar vermis in Parkinson＇s disease patients compared with healthy controls.

Exploring the Abnormal Brain Regions and Abnormal Functional Connections in SZ by Multiple Hypothesis Testing Technique

Schizophrenia(SZ)is one of the most common mental diseases.Its main characteristics are abnormal social behavior and inability to correctly understand real things.In recent years,the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technique has been popularly utilized to study SZ.However,it is still a great challenge to reveal the essential information contained in the MRI data.In this paper,we proposed a biomarker selection approach based on the multiple hypothesis testing techniques to explore the difference between SZ and healthy controls by using both functional and structural MRI data,in which biomarkers represent both abnormal brain functional connectivity and abnormal brain regions.By implementing the biomarker selection approach,six abnormal brain regions and twenty-three abnormal functional connectivity in the brains of SZ are explored.It is discovered that compared with healthy controls,the significantly reduced gray matter volumes are mainly distributed in the limbic lobe and the basal ganglia,and the significantly increased gray matter volumes are distributed in the frontal gyrus.Meanwhile,it is revealed that the significantly strengthened connections are those between the middle frontal gyrus and the superior occipital gyrus,the superior occipital gyrus and the middle occipital gyrus as well as the middle occipital gyrus and the fusiform gyrus,and the rest connections are significantly weakened.

Regional dynamic cerebral autoregulation across anterior and posterior circulatory territories:A detailed exploration and its clinical implications

Cerebral autoregulation(CA)is the mechanism that maintains stable cerebral blood flow(CBF)despite fluctuations in systemic blood pressure,crucial for brain homeostasis.Recent evidence highlights distinct regional variations in CA between the anterior(carotid)and posterior(vertebrobasilar)circulations.Noninvasive neuromonitoring techniques,such as transcranial Doppler,transfer function analysis,and near-infrared spectroscopy,facilitate the dynamic assessment of CBF and autoregulation.Studies indicate a robust autoregulatory capacity in the anterior circulation,characterized by rapid adjustments in vascular resistance.On the contrary,the posterior circulation,mainly supplied by the vertebral arteries,may have a lower autoregulatory capacity.in acute brain injuries such as intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage,and traumatic brain injuries,dynamic CA can be significantly altered in the posterior circulation.Proposed physiological mechanisms of impaired CA in the posterior circulation include:(1)Decreased sympathetic innervation of the vasculature impairing compensatory vasoreactivity;(2)Endothelial dysfunction;(3)Increased cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption within the visual cortex causing CBFmetabolism(i.e.,neurovascular)uncoupling;and(4)Impaired blood-brain barrier integrity leading to impaired astrocytic mediated release of vasoactive substances(e.g.nitric oxide,potassium,and calcium ions).Furthermore,more research is needed on the effects of collateral circulation,as well as the circle of Willis variants,such as the fetal-type posterior cerebral artery,on dynamic CA.Improving our understanding of these mechanisms is crucial to improving the diagnosis,prognosis,and management of various cerebrovascular disorders.

Study on Planning and Design Mode of Eco-agricultural Demonstration Base in Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone

Guided by the Planning of Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone, traffic and geographic conditions of the Eco-agricultural Demonstration Base in the study area were analyzed, and design principles proposed as "adaptation to local conditions, scientific planning, benign circulation and sustainable development". Detailed planning and design was interpreted from the perspectives of infrastructure planning and functional area planning. Specifically, infrastructure construction should focus on traffic design, water, power and gas supply design, and also architectural design; while functional areas should be gradually developed from south section to central and then north section. It was to establish a design and planning mode that can be widely applied.

Altered regional brain activity and functional connectivity in primary intravaginal anejaculation patients revealed by resting-state fMRI

Ejaculation is regulated by the central nervous system.However,the central pathophysiology of primary intravaginal anejaculation(PIAJ)is unclear.The present study aimed to examine the changes in regional brain activity and functional connectivity underlying PIAJ.A total of 20 PIAJ patients and 16 healthy controls(HCs)were enrolled from September 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Andrology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital(Nanjing,China).Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from all participants and then were preprocessed.The measures of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF),regional homogeneity(ReHo),and functional connectivity(FC)were calculated and compared between the groups.PIAJ patients showed increased fALFF values in the left precuneus compared with HCs.Additionally,PIAJ patients showed increased ReHo values in the left precuneus,left postcentral gyrus,left superior occipital gyrus,left calcarine fissure,right precuneus,and right middle temporal gyrus,and decreased ReHo values in the left inferior parietal gyrus,compared with HCs.Finally,brain regions with altered fALFF and ReHo values in PIAJ patients showed increased FC with widespread cortical regions,which included the frontal,parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,compared with HCs.In conclusion,increased regional brain activity in the parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,and increased FC between these brain regions,may be associated with PIAJ occurrence.

Major Function Oriented Zone: New Method of Spatial Regulation for Reshaping Regional Development Pattern in China

Newest planning methods implemented by Chinese government are promoting a coordinated regional development and shaping an orderly spatial structure by applying the regulation of territorial function. This article analyzes the problems of spatial planning and regional strategy caused by the wrongly-set primary goal of economic development; it states that the three-fold objective of competitiveness, sustainability, and welfare fairness shall be the principal for China to implement the spatial regulation in the new era; it discusses about theoretical thoughts and technology framework of conducting the ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ based on their different major functions that each region plays in urbanization and industrialization, ecological constructions, grain productions, and protection of natural and cultural heritages; it introduces the new concept of ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ that include the major functions category, the stereo regional equilibrium mode, the two-level zoning specification, and the territorial development intensity; it offers a zoning scheme that defines development-optimized and development-prioritized zones as regions with massive urbanization and industrialization, development-restricted zones as ecological constructing or grain producing regions, development-prohibited zones as natural and cultural heritage protecting regions; and finally it addresses the main obstacle for implementing ′Major Function Oriented Zone′, which is the institutional arrangement of the supreme goal of high GDP growth rate that is currently being implemented.

Mechanism of Kinect-based virtual reality training for motor functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke

The Kinect-based virtual reality system for the Xbox 360 enables users to control and interact with the game console without the need to touch a game controller, and provides rehabilitation training for stroke patients with lower limb dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism remains un- clear. In this study, 18 healthy subjects and five patients after subacute stroke were included. The five patients were scanned using functional MRI prior to training, 3 weeks after training and at a 12-week follow-up, and then compared with healthy subjects. The FugI-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test scores of the hemiplegic upper limbs of stroke patients were significantly increased 3 weeks after training and at the 12-week follow-up. Functional MRI results showed that contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex was activated after Kinect-based virtual reality training in the stroke patients compared with the healthy subjects. Contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex, the bilateral supplementary motor area and the ipsilateral cerebellum were also activated during hand-clenching in all 18 healthy subjects. Our findings indicate that Kinect-based virtual reality training could promote the recovery of upper limb motor function in subacute stroke patients, and brain reorganization by Kinect-based virtual reality training may be linked to the contralateral sen- sorimotor cortex.