Search Results (86)

Background: The Transformative, Resilient, and Youth-Led/Driven (TRY) Gym, a school-based co-creative mental health training programme, is grounded in the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. It seeks to improve adolescents’ mental health and well-being by strengthening their resilience and competence. Additionally, it prepares them to deliver peer-led mental health activities, promoting mental wellness and fostering a stigma-free, supportive environment. Methods: This study evaluated the programme using a mixed-method design. In total, 94 students from eight secondary schools in Hong Kong were recruited, with 80 participating in the evaluation. Results: Five outcomes showed significant improvements from baseline to the post-implementation phase, including social competence, cognitive competence, emotional competence, resilience, and mental well-being. Common features were identified across interviews, which may possibly account for the significant results and participants’ improved mental health. Conclusions: The TRY Gym programme’s fidelity was demonstrated by its completion, which included high participant responsiveness, and a co-creative and youth-driven approach in the project. In addition, the positive outcomes of the programme underscore its effectiveness in improving mental health among adolescents by imparting mental health knowledge and providing opportunities for participants to apply learnt techniques in everyday life situations. Full article

Background: Piper nigrum L. (PNL) is a rich source of piperine, a bioactive alkaloid with pharmaceutical, cosmetic, nutritional supplement, and agricultural applications, yet efficient and sustainable extraction methods remain underexplored. Methods: This study compared ultrasonic bath extraction (UBE) and ultrasonic probe extraction (UPE) using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for isolating piperine from PNL fruits. Six NADES formulations were screened, with NADES-5 (choline chloride:glycerin:urea, 1:1:1) showing superior performance. Response surface methodology with a Box–Behnken design optimized extraction parameters, including liquid-to-solid ratio, extraction time, temperature, and water content, for both UBE and UPE. Results: Optimized UPE consistently outperformed UBE, yielding 49.97 mg/g of piperine versus 25.67 mg/g under identical NADES conditions. Comprehensive characterization using TLC, HPTLC, UV, FTIR, Raman, HPLC, NMR, XRD, SEM, and EDX confirmed the successful isolation and structural integrity of piperine, with samples obtained via UPE exhibiting higher purity (98.7% vs. 95.2%) and enhanced crystallinity. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that piperine extracted by UPE showed stronger activity against C2C12 myoblasts (IC₅₀: 24.3 μg/mL vs. 40.6 μg/mL) and greater anticancer effects in MCF-7 and HT-29 cells compared to piperine extracted by UBE. Antioxidant evaluation via DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and TAC assays, along with intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species suppression in THP-1 and RAW 264.7 macrophages, further confirmed the superior biological potential of the UPE-derived piperine sample. Conclusions: These findings indicate that UPE using NADES is a sustainable approach for high-yield piperine extraction with enhanced purity and bioactivity, supporting its potential for pharmaceutical applications. Full article

This article traces the long transformation of liuli 琉璃 (Sanskrit vaiḍūrya) in China—from imported blue-green gemstones (typified by beryl) to man-made glass and, after the Song, to glazed architectural ceramics. Combining archaeological finds, textual and Buddhist sources, and mineralogical data, it argues that: (1) the wide circulation of Roman–South Asian glass imitations drove a dual shift in China, moving liuli from a natural gem to artificial glass; (2) Buddhist ritual and donation practices “sacralized” glass, integrating it into jewelry, vessels, and sacred spaces; and (3) this shift profoundly reshaped Chinese decorative arts, recasting color-and-light aesthetics and the material toolkit—from Han–Jin beadwork and containers, through Sui–Tang elite display, to the post-Song architectural palette epitomized by liuli tiles. The millennial journey of liuli shows how materials acquire new meanings through global exchange and local reinterpretation, and how man-made glass helped redefine Chinese decorative practice over the course of two thousand years. Full article

Background: The AFFINITY trial (NCT05890872) is a prospective, non-randomized, open-label, single-arm study evaluating the safety, immunological impact, and preliminary efficacy of Aliya pulsed electric field ablation in patients with solid tumors. Thirty-one patients were enrolled; thirty received lung lesion ablation prior to continuation on standard-of-care treatment. This manuscript reports six-month local control outcomes and immunological response characteristics. Radiological outcomes were assessed using a modified RECIST 1.1, and immunological impact was evaluated via changes in peripheral blood immunocyte populations and detection of immunoglobulins (Ig) to tumor-associated antigens in serum post-ablation. Methods: Twenty-eight patients underwent radiological assessment of ablated lesions at approximately 1-, 3-, and 6-month post-ablation to evaluate local control. Peripheral blood was collected for immune monitoring using flow cytometry and to detect IgG responses to biopsy-specific and tumor-associated antigens. Results: At 6 months, two cohorts emerged: 12 received ablation only, and 16 received ablation plus systemic and/or focal therapies (radiotherapy or second ablation). In the ablation-only group, imaging showed local control in all ablated lesions (8/12 SD, 4/12 PR), suggesting local efficacy without systemic therapy in those patients. Immunophenotyping showed dynamic changes in circulating immune cells, including T and B cell activation. A subset also exhibited modulation of tumor antigen-specific IgG, indicating a systemic humoral response. Conclusions: This analysis provides preliminary evidence that this form of ablation may promote local tumor control and modulate systemic immune function. These findings support the immunogenic potential of this specialized energy and warrant further investigation. Extended 12-month data for the full cohort will be reported in a future manuscript. Full article

We report here, for the first time on the Nubian Shield, the western half of the Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS), pegmatite-hosted pockets with a unique mineralogy, including pyroxmangite. It represents the second discovery on the ANS, where the first one was at Jabal Aja on the Arabian Shield, the eastern half of the ANS. One of the most remarkable aspects of pyroxmangite is its rarity and the potential economic value of its use in jewelry and decorative applications. Pegmatites are associated with A-type granites of the Gabal El-Bakriya intrusion (GEBI), Eastern Desert, Egypt. Mineralized pegmatites occur at the margin of the alkali-feldspar granite and exhibit gradational contacts with the host rocks. The pegmatites were emplaced as plugs and dikes within the intrusion and along its periphery. Pyroxmangite appears as coarse-grained, massive black aggregates or as disseminated crystals. The pegmatites are composed of K-feldspars and quartz, with subordinate amounts of albite, micas, and mafic minerals. Accessory phases include monazite-(Ce), zircon, fergusonite, xenotime, fluorite, pyrochlore, allanite, thorite, bastnäsite, samarskite, cassiterite, beryl, and pyrochlore. Pyroxmangite-bearing assemblages consist essentially of pyroxmangite and garnet, with accessory pyrochroite, quartz, zircon, magnetite, and fluorite. Geochemically, the pegmatites are highly evolved, with elevated SiO₂ content (76.51–80.69 wt.%) and variable concentrations of trace elements. They show significant enrichment in Nb (Nb > Ta), Y, REE, Zr, Th, U, and F, consistent with NYF-type pegmatites. REE contents range from 173.94 to 518.21 ppm, reflecting diverse accessory mineral assemblages. Tectonically, the pegmatites crystallized in a post-collisional setting, representing a late-stage differentiate of the A-type GEBI magma. Mineralization is concentrated in the apical and marginal zones of the granitic cupola and is dominated by barite, fluorite, Nb-Ta oxides, REE minerals, and uranium-bearing phases. The highly evolved granites, greisens, pegmatites, and quartz-fluorite veins of the GEBI have a high economic potential, deserving further exploration. Full article

Aquamarine, a popular variety of blue beryl, faces challenges in market valuation due to its reliance on subjective color assessment. This study investigates the coloration mechanism and establish a quantitative framework for assessing its color based on spectral and chromaticity analysis. We utilized electron probe microanalysis, ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy, laser Raman spectroscopy, and fiber optic spectroscopy to examine Brazilian aquamarine samples with varying blue intensities. The results indicate that the samples have high alkali metal (Na, K) content and low V/Cr content, consistent with the characteristics of high-alkali beryl. Ultraviolet spectroscopy reveals that the Fe³⁺-Fe²⁺ interaction (absorption at 620 nm) is the primary cause of blue coloration, while in deep blue samples, absorption at 956 nm decreases. Raman shifts (317 cm⁻¹, 392 cm⁻¹ Al-O bonds) correlate with TFeO content and chromaticity b value higher TFeO content corresponds to smaller Al–O peak shifts, and larger shifts are associated with higher b values (yellow hue). Specifically, increasing TFeO content leads to a shift of the Al-O Raman peak towards higher wavenumbers, and the magnitude of this shift is negatively correlated with the TFeO level. Based on hue angle (H) and saturation (S), we propose a classification method: “Light Blue” (H: 140–170, S ≤ 15), “Sky Blue” (H: 170–200, 15 < S ≤ 25), “Ocean Blue” (H: 200–230, 25 < S ≤ 35), and “Deep Blue” (H > 230, S > 35). This system provides a scientific basis for the quality assessment and market valuation of aquamarine. Full article

Background/Objectives: While antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for preventing infections, its impact on the development of antibiotic-resistant infections and clinical outcomes remains underexplored. We aimed to systematically assess the impact of medical and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) on the development of antibiotic-resistant infections, clinical outcomes, and costs. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on antibiotic-resistant infections, mortality, length of hospital stay, and/or costs was conducted in hemato-oncological or surgical patient populations. Pooled estimates of the relative risk (RR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) were derived using random-effect meta-analysis. Results: Of 10,409 screened studies, 109 (30%) comprising 131,519 patients were included. In 55 hemato-oncological studies, prophylaxis significantly reduced Gram-negative infections (RR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.59) without an effect on mortality (RR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.15), while the risk of developing an infection resistant to prophylactic antibiotics during hospitalization was doubled (RR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.88 to 2.23). The length of hospitalization was reduced by 1.85 days. Among 54 surgical studies, SAP lowered surgical-site infections (RR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.69). Extending prophylaxis beyond the recommended duration did not improve infection rates (RR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.24). No association was demonstrated between prophylaxis adjusted by colonization status and the development of resistant infections. Conclusion: Though proven beneficial, our results highlight the critical need for targeted antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in both settings. A meticulous risk assessment balancing the benefits of preventing life-threatening infections against the risk of driving antimicrobial resistance, and a tailored ASP, is urgently needed for hemato-oncological patients. Full article

Beryl is classified as a cyclosilicate mineral, and its color is primarily determined by the type and oxidation state of trace elements. In this study, natural yellow-green beryl was used as the research subject, and heat treatment experiments were performed at various temperatures under both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. A combination of analytical techniques, including electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), were employed to systematically investigate the composition, structure, and chromogenic mechanisms of beryl before and after heat treatment. The experimental results indicate that heat treatment under both atmospheres can lead to the transformation of yellow-green beryl into blue, with 500–600 °C under a reducing atmosphere identified as the optimal treatment condition. With increasing temperature, beryl gradually dehydrates, resulting in a faded blue color and reduced transparency. Even after treatment at 700 °C, no significant changes in unit cell parameters were observed, and both type I and type II water were retained, indicating that the color change is not attributed to crystal structure transformation or phase transitions. The study reveals that the essential mechanism of color modification through heat treatment lies in the valence change between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ occupying channel and octahedral sites. The observed color variation is attributed to changes in absorption band intensity resulting from charge transfers of O²⁻ → Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ → Fe³⁺. This study provides theoretical insights and technical references for the color enhancement of beryl through heat treatment. Full article

In this article, we document our experiences as teacher educators as we designed and implemented two courses that scaffold primary preservice teachers to engage critically with postmodern picture books and to explore a range of pedagogical practices for using postmodern picture books in classrooms with young children. Initially, our preservice teachers told us they did not have many experiences with postmodern picture books. Postmodern picture books are a special form of children’s literature that showcase some unique characteristics such as breaking boundaries, excess, indeterminacy and parody. In this article, our research investigation includes two case studies which draw on Schon’s classical approach to exploring the epistemology of our own practice through a reflective lens that brings together academic theory and professional practice. Firstly, we each recount our preservice teachers’ most adverse reactions to postmodern picture books. In response, we use the multiliteracies framework of the New London Group, that of situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing and transformed practice, to describe how we designed the learning activities and assessment tasks at two different universities in Australia. We do not attempt to generalise from our findings; rather, we explore the pedagogical framework that takes our preservice teachers from places of not knowing, resistance, and critique to one where they can articulate their understandings of postmodern picture books as social and cultural commentary and demonstrate a range of effective pedagogical applications. Full article

The greisens discussed in the present study are associated with the Homrit Akarem post-collisional granites, which are exposed near the western edge of the Egyptian Nubian Shield in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt. The Homrit Akarem granites intruded into Neoproterozoic country rocks, with sharp intrusive contacts. The marginal parts of the Homrit Akarem intrusion underwent extensive post-magmatic metasomatism, resulting in the formation of albitized granite and greisens. The Homrit Akarem greisens occur as veins and stockworks, which can be classified into four types: muscovite-rich, cassiterite-rich, topaz-rich, and beryl-rich greisens. Based on petrographic inspection, we identified ore minerals (cassiterite, beryl, topaz, muscovite, Nb-Ta oxides, tourmaline, fluorite, and corundum) in the greisens using electron probe microanalysis. The Homrit Akarem mineralized greisens were formed in a magmatic cupola above A-type magma, where fluid–rock interactions played a significant role in their formation. The accumulation of residual volatile-rich melt and exsolved fluids in the apical part of the magma chamber produced albitized granite, greisens, and quartz veins that intruded into the peripheries of the granitic intrusion and its surrounding country rocks. The variation in the mineralogy of the studied greisens indicates the diverse chemical composition of both the hydrothermal/magmatic fluids and the host granites. The simultaneous decrease in temperature and pressure is considered a crucial factor that controlled mineralization in the apical parts of the magma chamber. The occurrence of cassiterite, beryl, topaz, tourmaline, muscovite, and Nb-Ta oxides in the studied greisens suggests a potential polymetallic deposit of industrial minerals. Full article

Vanadium-bearing beryl is a vanadium-bearing variety of green beryl (distinct from emerald) that exhibits an “electro-optical” green (blue-green) color, which has led to its commercial popularity. However, the underlying coloration mechanism remains unclear. The present study adopted standard gemological tests and non-destructive spectroscopic tests, such as X-ray fluorescence, UV-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR), infrared and Raman spectroscopy, to analyze the vanadium-bearing beryl from Nigeria. The results of these tests indicated the presence of Fe as the predominant chromogenic element of vanadium-bearing beryl, followed by V, at a level exceeding that of Cr. Furthermore, the samples displayed lower levels of alkali and magnesium when compared to other beryls, accompanied by lower refractive indices and specific gravities. Spectroscopic analysis indicates that the structural channels are dominated by type I H₂O, with CO₂, HDO, and D₂O molecules also present. The inclusions observed in vanadium-bearing beryl bear a resemblance to those found in typical aquamarines, which are raindrop-shaped inclusions, and to those found in emeralds of various origins, which are irregular, jagged, gas–liquid two-phase/three-phase inclusions. The broad UV-Vis-NIR absorption bands at 427 and 610 nm are characteristic of V³⁺ (and a minor amount of Cr³⁺). Charge transfer between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ may also contribute to the 610 nm band, which is superimposed on the absorption bands of V³⁺ and Cr³⁺. These factors primarily contribute to the blue-green coloration of beryl. The absorption induced by V³⁺ in the visible violet-blue region exhibits stronger intensity and a greater tendency towards the blue region compared to Cr³⁺. Consequently, the resultant vanadium-bearing beryl acquires the yellow-green hue (induced by V) overlaid with the light blue (induced by charge transfer between Fe²⁺-Fe³⁺ pairs), resulting in the so-called “electro-optical” green (blue-green) beryl. Full article

High concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) in soil and water are increasingly common conditions in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production that impair the development and yield of this crop, generating the need for tolerant varieties. This research aimed to identify tomato lines tolerant to salinity during germination and early seedling development. A standard germination test was carried out in which 93 lines were evaluated under conditions of 0 and 80 mM NaCl for 12 days in a germination chamber with a temperature of 28 ± 1 °C and relative humidity of 80 ± 5%. At the seedling stage, 88 lines were evaluated under conditions of 0 and 150 mM NaCl in a floating raft system. During germination, saline conditions decreased germination percentage (37%), plumule (43%) and radicle (47%) length, dry matter (44%) and germination rate index (70%). At the seedling stage, NaCl decreased (p ≤ 0.05) plant height (44%) and leaf area (50%), without modifying root, aerial and total dry matter or root length. Twenty-eight tolerant lines were identified at germination and twenty-three at the seedling stage, seven of which were tolerant at both stages. This implies that salinity tolerance mechanisms differ in the developmental stages studied and makes it possible to combine these mechanisms to prolong tolerance during plant development. Full article

The current work records for the first time the rare-metal pegmatites with mixed NYF-LCT located at Wadi Sikait, south Eastern Desert of the Egyptian Nubian Shield. Most of the Sikait pegmatites are associated with sheared granite and are surrounded by an alteration zone cross-cutting through greisen bodies. Sikait pegmatites show zoned and complex types, where the outer wall zones are highly mineralized (Nb, Ta, Y, Th, Hf, REE, U) than the barren cores. They consist essentially of K-feldspar, quartz, micas (muscovite, lepidolite, and zinnwaldite), and less albite. They contain a wide range of accessory minerals, including garnet, columbite, fergusonite-(Y), cassiterite, allanite, monazite, bastnaesite (Y, Ce, Nd), thorite, zircon, beryl, topaz, apatite, and Fe-Ti oxides. In the present work, the discovery of Li-bearing minerals for the first time in the Wadi Sikait pegmatite is highly significant. Sikait pegmatites are highly mineralized and yield higher maximum concentrations of several metals than the associated sheared granite. They are strongly enriched in Li (900–1791 ppm), Nb (1181–1771 ppm), Ta (138–191 ppm), Y (626–998 ppm), Hf (201–303 ppm), Th (413–685 ppm), Zr (2592–4429 ppm), U (224–699 ppm), and ∑REE (830–1711 ppm). The pegmatites and associated sheared granite represent highly differentiated peraluminous rocks that are typical of post-collisional rare-metal bearing granites. They show parallel chondrite-normalized REE patterns, enriched in HREE relative to LREE [(La/Lu)_n = 0.04–0.12] and strongly negative Eu anomalies [(Eu/Eu*) = 0.03–0.10]. The REE patterns show an M-type tetrad effect, usually observed in granites that are strongly differentiated and ascribed to hydrothermal fluid exchange. The pegmatite has mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the mixed NYF-LCT family and shows non-CHARAC behavior due to a hydrothermal effect. Late-stage metasomatism processes caused redistribution, concentrated on the primary rare metals, and drove the development of greisen and quartz veins along the fracture systems. The genetic relationship between the Sikait pegmatite and the surrounding sheared granite was demonstrated by the similarities in their geochemical properties. The source magmas were mostly derived from the juvenile continental crust of the Nubian Shield through partial melting and subsequently subjected to a high fractional crystallization degree. During the late hydrothermal stage, the exsolution of F-rich fluids transported some elements and locally increased their concentrations to the economic grades. The investigated pegmatite and sheared granite should be considered as a potential resource to warrant exploration for REEs and other rare metals. Full article

Virtual reality (VR) has existed in the realm of education for over half a century; however, it has never achieved widespread adoption. This was traditionally attributed to costs and usability problems associated with these technologies, but a new generation of consumer VR headsets has helped mitigate these issues to a large degree. Arguably, the greater barrier is now the overhead involved in creating educational VR content, the process of which has remained largely unchanged. In this paper, we investigate the use of ${360}^{\circ }$ video as an alternative way of producing educational VR content with a much lower barrier to entry. We report on the differences in user experience between ${360}^{\circ }$ and standard desktop video. We also compare the short- and long-term learning retention of tertiary students who viewed the same video recordings but watched them in either ${360}^{\circ }$ or standard video formats. Our results indicate that students retain an equal amount of information from either video format but perceive ${360}^{\circ }$ video to be more enjoyable and engaging, and would prefer to use it as additional learning resources in their coursework. Full article

To understand the fluid evolution of Permian pegmatites, three pegmatite fields of the Austroalpine basement units located in the Rappold Complex at St. Radegund, the Millstatt Complex, and the Polinik Complex were investigated. To achieve this goal, fluid inclusions trapped in the magmatic accessories of garnet, tourmaline, spodumene, and beryl were studied using host mineral chemistry combined with fluid inclusion microthermometry and Raman spectrometry. Taking into account the previous work by the authors on pegmatite fields in the Koralpe and Texel Mountains, Permian fluid was determined to have evolved from two stages: Stage 1 is characterized by the homogeneous entrapment of two cogenetic immiscible fluid assemblages, a CO₂-N₂ ± CH₄-rich and a low-saline H₂O-rich fluid. Both fluids are restricted to inclusions in the early-magmatic-garnet-core domains of the Koralpe Mountains. Stage 2 is linked with the CO₂-N₂-CH₄-H₂O-NaCl-CaCl₂ ± MgCl₂ fluid preserved as an inclusion in all the pegmatite accessories of the KWNS. It represents the mechanical mixture of the stage 1 fluid caused by compositional changes along the solvus, which is typical for a hydrothermal vein environment process. Increasing X_CH4±N2 proportions from the eastern toward the western pegmatite fields of the KWNS results in a tectonic model that includes magmatic redox-controlled fluid flow along deep crustal normal faults during the anatexis of metasediments in Permian asymmetric graben structures. Because of a high number of solids within the inclusions as well as their irregular shapes, post-entrapment modifications have caused density changes that have to be considered with caution. However, the conditions in the range of 6–8 kbar at >670 °C for stage 1 and ca. 4 kbar at <670 °C for stage 2 represent the best approximations to explain the uprise of a two-stage Permian fluid associated with accessory mineral crystallization in close relation to fractionating melt. Full article