Search Results (5,405)

This article reconstructs a largely forgotten episode in the history of Buddhist studies: the period in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when the Buddha was widely considered to have been Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) in origin. Contrary to modern scholarly consensus situating the Buddha firmly in northern India, early European encounters with Buddhism unfolded amid profound uncertainty regarding its geographical and historical origins. Drawing on colonial accounts, early translations, sacred relics, and the European interpretation of chronicle traditions, the article shows how Sri Lanka came to appear, within certain European scholarly frameworks, to possess a coherent and persuasive claim to Buddhist primacy, grounded in living religious practice, sacred geography, and continuous historical narratives. The article argues that the subsequent displacement of a Sri Lankan Buddha was not simply the result of improved evidence, but of a deeper epistemic transformation. During the nineteenth century, new standards of historical credibility—philology, cartography, archaeology, and comparative textual criticism—redefined what counted as authoritative knowledge. Through the interventions of figures such as Brian Hodgson and George Turnour, Ceylonese traditions were reclassified as local and symbolic rather than foundational. By tracing this shift, the article illuminates how scholarly consensus is produced through changes in method and authority, revealing how changing standards of evidence narrowed the range of historically credible possibilities. Full article

The amide functional group remains a cornerstone of medicinal chemistry, serving as an indispensable scaffold in the design of modern therapeutics. This review presents an analysis of FDA-approved drugs (small molecules and peptides with MW < 1300 Da) containing amide functionality between 2021 and 2025, highlighting its continued and evolving role in addressing contemporary medical challenges. An analysis of these novel therapeutics reveals the remarkable functional versatility of the amide bond. In antiviral agents like nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid^®), amides form the structural backbone of peptidomimetics, enabling high-affinity binding to a viral protease. In precision oncology, as seen with adagrasib (Krazati^®), the amide acts as a critical, metabolically stable linker that positions a covalent warhead for selective inhibition of a mutant kinase. This analysis underscores that amide’s unique combination of planarity, resonance stabilization, and capacity for robust hydrogen bonding continues to make it an essential element in the medicinal chemist’s toolkit, underpinning the development of next-generation therapeutics across oncology, infectious diseases, and neurology. To provide a practical framework for drug discovery, the synthetic routes for each drug are detailed, with particular emphasis placed on the key amide-forming strategies employed. Full article

Against the backdrop of the “storing grain in land and technology” strategy and pressing food security challenges, understanding biased technological progress in grain production is crucial. This study constructs a three-factor Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) production function—incorporating agricultural machinery, chemical fertilizer, and labor—and employs a normalized supply-side system with Nonlinear Seemingly Unrelated Regression (NLSUR) to analyze biased technological progress across 26 Chinese grain-producing provinces from 2004 to 2023. Total factor productivity (TFP) is also decomposed to assess this progress’s contribution. The results indicate that first, technological progress generally evolves along a “machinery–fertilizer–labor” path. Recently, the primary driver shifted from machinery to fertilizers, aligning with fertilizer reduction and green development policies. Second, TFP growth exhibits phased characteristics, declining during the post-agricultural tax reform period (2005–2013) and rising amid supply-side structural reforms and the “storing grain in technology” strategy (2014–2023). Third, marketization, demand, and digitalization promote fertilizer-oriented progress; specialization drives machinery-oriented progress; and road infrastructure facilitates labor-oriented progress. These results offer empirical evidence for policy evaluation and guidance for optimizing factor allocation, advancing the green transition, and safeguarding food security. Full article

Carnobacterium maltaromaticum is a lactic acid bacterium with growing applications in food biopreservation, probiotics, and microbial time-temperature integrators for tracking food quality throughout the cold chain. To develop efficient, ready-to-use dried concentrates for these applications, this study evaluated the impact of different protective formulations on the freeze-drying and storage stability of C. maltaromaticum CNCM I-3298 and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. The formulations included sucrose, trehalose, and trehalose combined with maltodextrins. Sodium ascorbate was added to the most promising formulations for its potential antioxidant effect. Specific acidifying activity measurements before and after freezing, after freeze-drying and during storage at 25 °C revealed a gradual loss of bacterial activity following freeze-drying and storage. Sucrose, and trehalose with sodium ascorbate provided the best and outstanding protection. Increasing the glass transition temperature using trehalose or trehalose–maltodextrin matrices did not improve stability at 25 °C. Based on prior studies of proteins, we hypothesized that fast relaxation dynamics contribute to the degradation of cells in the glassy state. Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy revealed that freeze-drying primarily affected nucleic acids, proteins (amide I and II), and cell wall components. Storage caused minor additional changes. First results relating to sodium ascorbate’s positive effect when added to trehalose and some spectral features in the fingerprint region need further investigation. Full article

Business models have historically prioritized efficiency and profitability, often at the expense of environmental and social concerns. Balancing profitability and sustainability remain a central challenge in global apparel supply chains, amid increasing competitive, regulatory, and consumer scrutiny. This study explores how organizations navigate this tension through an interpretive case study of a South Asia-based apparel manufacturer that piloted multi-tier traceability technologies, combining physical and digital tracking to ensure a traceable chain of custody. In-depth interviews with senior decision-makers, guided by a deductive approach using strategic duality theory as a sensitizing device, identified four mechanisms for reconciling economic and environmental goals: (1) achieving economies of scale through digital platformatization; (2) enhancing authentication and verification; (3) creating benchmarking matrices linking sustainability and performance; and (4) enabling data-driven decision making. The study contributes to theory and practice by demonstrating how traceability technologies position sustainability as a long-term driver of profitability, innovation, and ethical value creation. Full article

Background: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the Kisspeptin system (KS) play crucial roles in the central and peripheral regulation of male reproduction. The KS comprises Kisspeptins, the cleavage product of the Kiss1 protein, and its receptor Kiss1R; it is a critical central regulatory factor of the Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), but its role in the testis in sustaining spermatogenesis is not fully understood. Similarly, in addition to the brain, the ECS is widely expressed in the testis, where it regulates spermatogenesis, steroidogenesis, and the production of high-quality gametes. Since the possible crosstalk between KS and ECS at the gonadal level is poorly understood, this study investigates the possible mutual modulation between ECS and KS in rat testis. Methods: Experiment 1: Testis pieces collected from adult rats were treated ex vivo for 1 h with the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA, 10⁻⁸ M) ± SR141716A (10⁻⁷ M, a cannabinoid receptor (CB) 1 antagonist), or with SR141716A alone. Experiment 2: Testis pieces were treated for 4 h with decreasing doses of Kisspeptin-10 (Kp10, 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁹ M) ± Kp234 (a Kiss1R antagonist). Proteins extracted from the treated tissues were analyzed by Western blot for Kiss1R, Kiss1, CB1, CB2, AEA-hydrolyzing enzyme Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH), and AEA-biosynthetic enzyme N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) proteins. Results: AEA treatment, via CB1, reduced Kiss1R protein in testis. Kp10 treatment increased the expression of CBs and NAPE-PLD at all doses and increased FAAH at 10⁻⁹ M dose only. Pre-incubation with Kp234 abolished Kp10 effects on CB1, NAPE-PLD, and FAAH, suggesting a direct Kp10-dependent modulation; on the other hand, pre-incubation with Kp234 did not abolish Kp10’s effects on CB2, suggesting an indirect action of Kp10 on CB2. Conclusions: Mutual modulation between ECS and KS exists in the testis: AEA, via CB1, suppresses Kisspeptin signaling, while Kisspeptin regulates the ECS through both Kiss1R-dependent and independent mechanisms. These local interactions identify new potential mechanisms in the intratesticular communications sustaining spermatogenesis via ECS and suggest that KS might be a new therapeutic target to rescue ECS impairment in male reproductive dysfunction. Full article

The study examines the role of Human Capital Development Programs in helping employees cope with Work–Family Conflict and maintain performance and wellbeing in the context of Lebanon’s long poly-crisis post COVID-19. In a climate of economic downturn, inflation, organizational uncertainty, and social unrest, SMEs face greater pressure to protect both productivity and employee well-being. The study tests the proposed model using SEM-PLS based on data from 209 employees in Lebanese SMEs. The results show that human capital development programs have a significant negative association with work–family conflict, and the latter has a significant negative association with employee performance and employee wellbeing. Additionally, employee resilience also weakens the negative relationship between work–family conflict and employee performance, highlighting the protective role of resilience in crisis conditions. The study contributes to the human resource management and work–family literature by positioning developmental HR practices and resilience as critical resources in crisis-prone environments. The results are practically useful for the Lebanese SMEs in designing employee-oriented strategies that promote adaptability, well-being, and organizational continuity. Full article

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI, hereafter) as a determinant of economic growth has received significant attention in both the theoretical and empirical research literature due to its numerous benefits. However, the FDI–growth relationship is rarely researched for the economy of Saudi Arabia. Amid this backdrop in the literature, this paper focuses on Saudi Arabia to provide fresh, comprehensive evidence about the FDI–growth relationship. Our analysis is based on time series data for the period 1975–2023, which were collected from credible global sources. For estimation, the study adopted ARDL modeling, which is suitable for time series data as it produces both long-run relationships and short-run dynamics simultaneously. Our results show that FDI inflows have a positive and statistically significant influence on economic growth in the long run. Similarly, in the long run, both human capital and trade openness have also improved the long-run growth of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, a positive and statistically significant influence of natural resources on economic growth is observed in the long run. Moreover, the results show that total factor productivity and domestic investment have not had the desirable influences on economic growth. The short-run results show that the growth performance of Saudi Arabia could be explained by natural resources, domestic investment and human capital. The causality analysis also confirmed a one-way relationship running from FDI inflows towards economic growth. Our results have a significant policy implication for the policymakers of Saudi Arabia. Full article

Chronic infected wounds are often characterized by persistent bacterial colonization, biofilm formation, excessive oxidative stress, and prolonged inflammation, which severely impair tissue regeneration. To address these challenges, a multifunctional wound dressing capable of antibacterial activity and microenvironment modulation was developed. In this study, amide-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-ADH) was used as the matrix, and a dynamic coordination network was constructed via Cu²⁺-hydrazide interactions to form an in situ HA-Cu hydrogel. Curcumin-loaded DSPE-PEG2000 micelles were further incorporated to obtain a pH-responsive composite hydrogel (HA-Cu/Cur). The prepared hydrogel exhibited a porous interconnected structure, along with favorable injectability, self-healing capability, tissue adhesiveness, moderate swelling, controllable degradability, and pH-responsive behavior under acidic conditions. In vitro antibacterial assays demonstrated that both HA-Cu and HA-Cu/Cur effectively inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial activity was associated with disruption of bacterial morphology, depletion of intracellular ATP, and induction of reactive oxygen species, while HA-Cu/Cur showed enhanced performance in antibiofilm activity and oxidative stress-related effects compared with HA-Cu. Cytocompatibility studies revealed that the hydrogel extracts exhibited negligible cytotoxicity toward L929 fibroblasts and RAW 264.7 macrophages, while promoting fibroblast migration and significantly reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, with HA-Cu/Cur showing a more pronounced anti-inflammatory effect. In summary, the HA-Cu/Cur hydrogel integrates the antibacterial and pro-healing properties of Cu²⁺ with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of curcumin. The hydrogel effectively inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of both E. coli and S. aureus, reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated macrophages, and promoted fibroblast migration, demonstrating its potential as a multifunctional wound dressing for the management of infected wounds. Full article

This study examines the operational resilience of Limassol Port, Cyprus’s primary maritime hub, amid disruptions caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing high-resolution port-level data from 2018 to 2025, we evaluate performance across five key performance indicators: port calls, anchorage utilization, berth utilization, waiting times, and arrival punctuality. The analysis adopts a longitudinal approach, spanning pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic, and recent phases, while differentiating impacts across vessel categories. Unlike many regional ports, Limassol’s cruise sector exhibited unique counter-cyclical growth, with calls doubling during the pandemic as the port transitioned into a strategic safe haven and repositioning base. This surge normalized over the 2024–2025 period as temporary operational disruptions resolved. Conversely, container and Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) segments demonstrated robust stability, achieving rapid post-pandemic normalization, while bulk and tanker operations exhibited higher volatility linked to shifting commodity demands. These findings, validated through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Cohen’s d effect sizes, underscore the adaptive capacity of mid-sized Mediterranean hubs. The study concludes that operational flexibility, coupled with enhanced digital coordination and strategic capacity planning, is essential for maintaining the resilience of short sea shipping networks during global crises. Full article

Direct air capture (DAC) requires carbon capture interfaces that operate under highly dilute CO₂ conditions while minimizing thermal and chemical regeneration penalties. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) accelerates the reversible hydration of CO₂ to bicarbonate and is therefore a strong biocatalytic candidate for low-temperature CO₂ capture, but its implementation depends on candidate support materials that combine wet-state accessibility, chemical reactivity, mechanical processability and compatibility with membrane architectures. This study reports the preparation and screening of N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS)-reactive biopolymer composite membranes for future carbonic anhydrase (CA) immobilization. Chitosan particles were precipitated with citrate or tripolyphosphate under high-shear homogenization and compared after lyophilization or convective drying. Chitosan-, shellac-, agarose- and cellulose-acetate-based films plasticized with glycerol and/or polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) were then evaluated by optical microscopy, dry-state penetrometric puncture testing, qualitative EDC/NHS-reactivity mapping and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Freshly precipitated chitosan particles showed dendrite-like high-surface morphologies, while lyophilization preserved porous flocculated aggregates and convective drying produced denser collapsed structures. Neat chitosan showed the highest dry-state puncture force (2.230 ± 0.173 N), whereas chitosan/shellac (0.377 ± 0.044 N) and agarose/chitosan/PEG-400 (0.386 ± 0.038 N) provided the strongest reactive-composite compromise between dry-state puncture resistance and EDC/NHS compatibility. The EDC/NHS reactivity map identified chitosan- and shellac-containing films as the chemically most relevant supports because they provide amine and/or carboxyl functionality, whereas agarose and cellulose acetate alone were not directly suitable for zero-length amidation. FTIR spectra confirmed polymer-specific functional signatures and EDC/NHS-associated changes in carbonyl, amide and C-O/C-O-C regions, especially in shellac- and chitosan-containing composites. The results identify chitosan/shellac as the lead candidate membrane and agarose/chitosan/PEG-400 as a hydration-rich comparator for subsequent carbonic anhydrase immobilization studies. This work should be interpreted as a first-stage materials-screening study of candidate membranes for enzyme immobilization. Full article

Maintaining effective fluid-loss control in water-based drilling fluids under coupled high-salinity, high-temperature, and high-density conditions remains a critical challenge in deep and ultra-deep drilling operations. In this study, a low-molecular-weight polymer fluid-loss additive (LM-ASQF) was synthesized via redox-initiated copolymerization of acrylamide, dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, and sodium allyl sulfonate. The synthesis route and proposed polymer structure were further illustrated to clarify the incorporation of amide, quaternary ammonium, and sulfonate functional units within the LM-ASQF molecular architecture. The polymer exhibited a controllable number-average molecular weight of 18.2–29.4 kDa with a unimodal distribution. Thermal analysis confirmed that no main-chain-dominated degradation occurred below 220 °C, indicating structural stability under high-temperature conditions. In drilling-fluid systems containing NaCl, CaCl₂, and mixed salts (0–20%), LM-ASQF maintained stable rheological properties, with apparent viscosity ranging from 26.1 to 41.6 mPa·s, while the API fluid loss was controlled within 5.8–11.2 mL. After thermal aging at 220 °C for 16 h, the API fluid loss remained below 13 mL in both freshwater and mixed-salt systems. In high-density systems (1.80–2.40 g/cm³), the drilling fluids preserved continuous rheological structures and showed no abrupt increase in filtration. Mechanistically, fluid-loss control was primarily attributed to synergistic interfacial adsorption of amide groups, hydration stabilization induced by sulfonate functionalities, and particle rearrangement-driven filter-cake densification, rather than viscosity enhancement through long-chain entanglement. This mechanism enables effective filtration control without excessive viscosity increase, thereby maintaining rheological compatibility under complex conditions. These results demonstrate that the low-molecular-weight design strategy provides a reliable approach for achieving stable fluid-loss control in water-based drilling fluids under high salinity, elevated temperature, and high-density conditions. Full article

The transition to a circular economy (CE) in the automotive sector is increasingly critical amid rising resource pressures and climate imperatives. In India, this shift is influenced by regulatory initiatives, corporate sustainability goals, and life-cycle-wide environmental challenges. However, current studies remain fragmented, often neglecting the linkages between policy drivers, material issues, and firm-level responses. This study aims to evaluate how CE strategies are operationalized across the Indian automotive value chain using a Drivers–Materiality–Response (DMR) analytical framework. A multiple-case qualitative analysis was conducted involving six major automotive firms and associated ecosystem actors, with data sourced from corporate reports, national policies, and third-party assessments from 2018 to 2024. Semi-structured interviews with 11 industry experts were incorporated to strengthen triangulation, validate firm-level circular economy claims, and support the reliability of the DMR-based interpretation. Findings reveal strong alignment with national CE policies among leading firms, particularly Tata Motors and Mahindra, with comprehensive integration of electrification, battery reuse, zero-waste goals, and digital mobility solutions. However, challenges remain in end-of-life vehicle (ELV) formalization and circularity in downstream systems. The DMR model effectively bridges gaps in existing frameworks by offering a life-cycle-based lens that links Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and policy–firm dynamics. The study contributes a scalable diagnostic tool for assessing CE maturity in emerging economies. While limited by reliance on secondary data, the triangulated approach enhances reliability and provides actionable insights for policymakers and industry leaders. Full article

As uncertainty increases within the aviation industry, the importance of airport sustainability has come to the forefront, necessitating continuous demand generation through strategic aviation marketing. Consequently, there is an urgent need to analyze the practical efficacy of the incentive programs implemented primarily by global airports. In particular, amid intense competition among Northeast Asian airports to attract airlines, this study empirically analyzes the effects of Incheon International Airport’s (ICN) incentive programs on airline supply and passenger demand growth. To this end, utilizing empirical data from ICN spanning 2016 to 2024, this research quantitatively establishes the causal mechanism between incentive programs, supply expansion, and demand growth. Specifically, it comprehensively evaluates the impact of incentives provided for new airline entry and new route expansion, while comparing the effects across different airline business models. The empirical results confirm that the effects vary significantly depending on the type of incentive program and the airline category. Furthermore, the findings indicate that airport incentives are not merely sunk costs, but rather strategic investments that generate measurable aviation demand and airport revenue. However, the analysis also suggests a need to supplement and refine these incentive schemes to tailor them to specific airline types. Full article

Amid the global drive for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, integrating renewable energy into building energy systems to mitigate photovoltaic (PV) intermittency and realize low-carbon energy supply has become a critical research frontier. This study proposes a novel dual-storage renewable energy system integrating solar energy storage system (SES), hydrogen energy storage system (HES), and an alkaline fuel cell (AFC). The model was validated using a two-story single-family residence as the case study, with residential load profiles and Xi’an’s climatic conditions considered under real-world scenarios. An adaptive energy management strategy is developed to dynamically coordinate PV utilization, hydrogen dispatch, and grid interaction, while recovering AFC waste heat to enhance overall efficiency. Targeting minimized lifecycle cost (LCC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE), the GenOpt multi-objective optimization model optimizes key design parameters. Key results show 74.2% annual renewable energy penetration, 68.5% carbon reduction versus conventional systems, and robust seasonal operation: PV dominates summer supply (81.3% self-sufficiency), while AFC compensates in winter (62.4% hydrogen contribution). The system reduces annual grid dependence by 43.7% with a minimum LCOE of ~ 12.9 USD/MWh, bridging technical feasibility and economic practicality to provide actionable insights for building-scale renewable integration. Full article