Search Results (5,025)

Auricularia heimuer, an economically important edible mushroom species, is reported for the first time in Thailand based on combined morphological and molecular analyses. Three strains (SL115, SL150, and SL160) were collected from decaying wood in dipterocarp forests in Phayao and Lampang provinces, northern Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses based on combined ITS and nLSU sequence data confirmed their identity as A. heimuer, with morphological characteristics consistent with the type description. Mycelial growth experiments demonstrated that culture medium, temperature, pH, and nitrogen source significantly influenced mycelial growth and biomass production. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) was the most suitable medium for strains SL115 and SL150, whereas corn dust agar (CDA) was optimal for SL160. All strains exhibited optimal growth at 30 °C under acidic to neutral pH conditions and in media supplemented with organic nitrogen sources, particularly tryptone, peptone, and yeast extract. For inoculum production, potato dextrose broth and corn stalk-based media were the most suitable substrates for liquid spawn, while corn kernels and barley were optimal for grain spawn, rubber sawdust for solid spawn, and lotus stalk, giant mimosa stalk, and rubber tree wood for stick spawn. Cultivation trials showed that A. heimuer strains SL115 and SL150 produced lower yield and biological efficiency (BE) than A. cornea SL167 when grown on a 100% rubber sawdust substrate. However, supplementation of the cultivation substrate with Dipterocarpus or teak leaves significantly improved productivity. Among the tested treatments, T10 (A. heimuer SL150 cultivated on a substrate containing 50% rubber sawdust and 50% Dipterocarpus leaves) achieved the highest yield (43.86 g per bag) and BE (37.59%). The fruiting bodies showed favorable nutritional properties, including high carbohydrate, moderate protein, and low-fat contents. These findings establish A. heimuer as a newly recorded, cultivable mushroom species in Thailand and provide fundamental data on its optimal cultivation parameters, suitable spawn substrates, and nutritional value to support its further development for local mushroom production. Full article

The emergence and spread of Gram-negative pathogens that are resistant to multiple antibiotic classes pose a global risk to public health. Among such pathogens, carbapenem-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) are of concern due to their resistance to treatment by most antibiotics and the mobility of their drug resistance determinants. Bacteriophages that target K. pneumoniae are a promising alternative antimicrobial option. Here, we characterize 30 lytic bacteriophages from various environmental sources using whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, virulence assays, and assessment of the effects of media on phage sensitivity. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a diverse collection of phages that span 9 ICTV Caudoviricetes families and 13 genera with genome sizes ranging from 39 kbp to 349 kbp, representing all three tailed phage morphotypes. The phages were all found to be strictly lytic and able to inhibit bacterial growth, and no virulence or antibiotic resistance genes were detected within the phage genomes. Host range testing showed that the culture medium used for plating can have a significant effect on observed susceptibility of some isolates to phages, and phages infecting multiple strains showed greater variation between media. Analysis of phage tail fiber proteins indicated that phages in the collection are predicted to encode from one to nine receptor-binding proteins, with 17/30 phages encoding at least one tail spike with predicted capsular depolymerase activity. The lack of detectable depolymerase domains in 13/30 phages suggests a large portion of the phage collection may recognize non-capsule receptors. This study describes a collection of candidate phages for further development as potential antimicrobial agents against CR-KP and the complexity in understanding phage–host dynamics of phages that recognize non-capsule receptors in K. pneumoniae. Full article

Eco-anxiety, commonly known as distress relating to perceived climate and ecological crises, is increasingly reported among young people, particularly in high-income and highly climate-exposed contexts such as Australia and other OECD countries. While empirical research on eco-anxiety has expanded rapidly, the underlying conceptual and theoretical frameworks remain fragmented, with limited consensus on definitions, mechanisms, and normative implications. This systematic conceptual review synthesises and critically evaluates the theoretical and conceptual models used to study eco-anxiety and related constructs among young adults in Australia and across OECD nations. By conducting a systematic search of multidisciplinary databases, the paper explores English-language studies published up to March 2026 that explicitly applied, developed, or implied conceptual frameworks of eco-anxiety or climate change anxiety in young adult samples. A broad array of models are grouped into a typology of seven families: (1) clinical and psychopathology-oriented models, (2) environmental attitudes and concern models, (3) risk perception and appraisal models, (4) existential and phenomenological frameworks, (5) socio-ecological and political-economy models, (6) coping and resilience frameworks, and (7) integrative and emergent eco-anxiety-specific frameworks. Across these families, eco-anxiety is variously conceptualised as a maladaptive symptom, a rational moral emotion, a driver of climate engagement, or a sociopolitical affect rooted in structural injustice. Major gaps include conflicting definitions, limited attention to developmental specificity in young adulthood, sparse cross-cultural and Indigenous perspectives in the Australian context, and insufficient theorisation of digital media, colonial histories, and policy in shaping eco-anxiety. The paper proposes a novel conceptual typology that locates eco-anxiety at the intersection of emotional, cognitive, relational, and sociopolitical processes. A future research trajectory underpinned by pragmatic theoretical bases that prioritise pluralistic, context-sensitive models and mixed-methods designs is suggested. Implications for measurement, intervention, and climate and mental health policy are discussed, with particular attention to young adults in Australia and OECD settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Corn steep liquor Powder (CSLP) has previously been reported to promote fruity aroma production by Geotrichum candidum; however, the broader volatile profiles associated with CSLP-based cultivation relative to reference media remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, we compared the volatile metabolite and aroma-related profiles of G. candidum GC1 cultivated in a CSLP-based YMJ medium and two reference media, PDB and GAS. Methods: Using E-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS, we compared the volatile profiles of G. candidum GC1 cultured in YMJ medium versus PDB and GAS media. Results: A total of 1414 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) belonging to 15 chemical classes were annotated. The YMJ group produced the highest VOC abundance, with significant enrichment of ketones, terpenoids, alcohols, pyrazines and phenols. Key compounds, such as 4-Nonenal (E) and 3(2H)-Furanone dihydro-2-methyl-, contributed fruity, sweet-bread-buttery-nutty notes, respectively, forming the complex floral-fruity-roasted aroma profile of G. candidum GC1 in YMJ medium. Volatile metabolomic analysis showed distinct medium-associated metabolic patterns, with the YMJ medium displaying a more diverse aroma-related volatile profile than the reference media under the conditions tested. Conclusions: The CSLP-based YMJ medium supported a distinct and relatively complex volatile profile in G. candidum GC1. These results support the potential use of CSLP-containing media in flavor-oriented fermentation design. Full article

This paper examines the emergence of the image decoy as a tactic in contemporary digital and networked visual culture: an image that exploits the tension between its representational surface and its underlying algorithmic operations in order to deceive, distract, or lure both human and machine viewers. Building on Harun Farocki’s notion of the operational image and its extension by later media scholars, it argues that the operational capacities of digital images—their legibility to machine vision, their circulation through platform algorithms, their role as training data—are not the exclusive property of corporations, platforms, and states, but can be reclaimed, redirected, and weaponised by artists, designers, technologists, and everyday users. Through an analysis of vernacular and artistic practices from the past two decades, the paper maps four thematic clusters of image decoys: Hiding in Plain Sight, which conceals messages within ubiquitous images; Image Triggers, which baits or evades automated machine vision; Occupy the Internet, which reclaims algorithmic visibility through tagging and search; and Superspreaders, which infiltrates the infrastructures of circulation themselves. Together these cases sketch an adaptable grammar of counter-operational tactics, positioning the image decoy as a form of tactical media suited to a condition of continuous technological adaptation. Full article

Marine sediments support diverse bacterial assemblages, but culture-dependent surveys recover only the subset able to grow under defined laboratory conditions. Here, we characterized culturable bacteria from nine shallow sediment stations (4–7 m) in Qantab Bay, Sea of Oman, using Actinomycete Isolation Agar (AIA), Starch Casein Agar (SCA), and M1 medium. Forty-four isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and examined phylogenetically. The collection comprised Pseudomonadota (81.8%), Bacteroidota (9.1%), Bacillota (6.8%), and Actinomycetota (2.3%). Recovery differed among media: AIA yielded 23 isolates representing ten genera, M1 yielded 17 isolates representing seven genera, and SCA yielded four isolates representing two genera. Sampling-station provenance was available for 39 isolates across six contributing stations. Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas were frequently recovered; several closely related Vibrio taxa could not be resolved confidently to species level using 16S rRNA gene sequences alone. Recovery patterns were shaped by the cultivation and isolate-selection procedures. The resulting collection establishes a culture-based taxonomic baseline for coastal marine sediments of Qantab Bay and provides viable isolates for future ecological and genomic investigation. Full article

This essay draws on a delimited corpus of publicly circulating materials associated with Abelardo de la Espriella’s digital campaign in the 2026 Colombian presidential election to examine a form of algorithmic–affective campaigning. Through a qualitative, discursive, and multimodal approach, it examines a core analytical corpus comprising the complete stream with Westcol and six digital posts, supplemented by materials from a broader documentary mapping and journalistic coverage used to contextualize provenance, circulation, and controversies. The central argument holds that the campaign used streaming and generative AI as technological mediations to organize and intensify patriotic and religious language of threat, protection, certainty, belonging, and authenticity. Through the streamed interview with Westcol, a Colombian creator known for gaming content and a large online presence, the campaign staged performative authenticity and proximity through digital codes associated with youth cultures; its use of generative AI contributed to the construction of visual narratives of threat, order, and national salvation. The article develops the notion of the algorithmic homeland and defines it as an imaginary of the nation represented as a threatened, morally ordered community in need of protection, configured through platform infrastructures, media formats, and affective languages. This concept makes it possible to interpret a form of electoral legitimacy construction in which technological mediation and affective languages jointly participate in the production of visibility, proximity, and authority within platform democracy. Full article

The options for controlling agricultural plant-pathogenic bacterial diseases with antibiotics are rather limited. Applications of naturally derived antimicrobial peptides may offer an alternative. Objectives. The cell-free conditioned media of Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii bacteria inactivate Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight in Rosaceae, both in vitro and in planta. The working hypothesis was that the active ingredient was fabclavine. To test this hypothesis, inducible fabclavine-producing strains were constructed in both Xenorhabdus species. The anti-Erwinia potential of non-induced and induced fabclavine-producing cultures was compared in vitro and in planta. Methods. Promoter exchange mutants known to exclusively produce the fabclavine antibiotic were generated and their fabclavine production was confirmed by LC-HRMS, and in vitro bioassays. Finally, apple blossoms in an incubator were subjected to antimicrobial and control treatments before experimental inoculation of the buds with Erwinia amylovora strain Ea1. Results. Cell-free medium from both induced fabclavine-producing Xenorhabdus species exerted strong antagonistic effects on Ea1 cells in vitro, whereas the non-induced ones showed substantially reduced antibacterial activity. Similarly, both induced culture media prevented fire blight symptoms in experimentally inoculated flowers in a dose-dependent manner. The non-induced X. szentirmaii mutant strain was completely inactive in planta, whereas the X. budapestensis strain exhibited some protective activity. Conclusions. The results support the hypothesis that the fermentation product of the inducible Xenorhabdus mutants producing only fabclavines can be used for protection against E. amylovora. Some aspects of the application perspectives are discussed in comparison with conventional streptomycin and kasugamycin treatments. Full article

Public concern about artificial intelligence and labor markets is documented through surveys, media analyses, and workplace research. This article examines how such concern is organized in sampled Reddit discussions through moral evaluations of fairness, responsibility, deservingness, and institutional accountability. The frozen source inventory contains 3357 downloaded rows in 22 threads across 18 subreddits and 13 occupational or institutional domains; excluding 82 deleted or removed placeholders leaves 3275 text-bearing comments. Drawing on moral economy, affective-discursive practice, and emotion-culture scholarship, the analysis identifies four overlapping configurations: dread and fatalism; anger and resentment around violated meritocratic expectations; irony and dark humor as emotional management; and conditional hope tied to contested adaptation. Blame is treated as a cross-cutting moral dimension rather than a fifth emotional pattern. Technological fear and judgments of institutional failure are intertwined: participants in the sampled threads voice fear of AI capabilities while directing responsibility toward employers, technology firms, governments, and educational institutions. The article reframes AI-labor anxiety as a platform-mediated moral discourse in which emotion and moral judgment are mutually constituted, specifies how the configurations were operationalized and bounded, and formulates institutionally relevant questions about the contested terms of workplace adaptation. As a theoretical sample, the corpus supports analytic description, not population estimates. Full article

The implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across educational contexts has generated substantial research on pedagogies aligned with technology-driven sustainability education. Recent scholarship increasingly recognises that sustainability transitions require not only technological innovation but also cultural transformations capable of reshaping social norms, environmental imaginaries, and collective values. However, the processes through which sustainability meanings are mediated across different cultural and media environments remain insufficiently explored. This article argues that intermediality provides a valuable analytical framework for understanding how sustainability knowledge is produced, transformed, and experienced through interactions among literary, visual, performative, audiovisual, and digital media. To examine the visibility of such approaches within sustainability education research, the study employs a bibliometric and thematic mapping of the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on humanities and cognate social science perspectives. The findings reveal that sustainability education scholarship remains predominantly concentrated within scientific, technological, and policy-oriented domains, while intermedial approaches remain comparatively marginal within the indexed journal literature. However, complementary analysis of humanities scholarship beyond conventional bibliometric databases indicates a more substantial body of theoretical and creative engagement with sustainability, suggesting a mismatch between indexing structures and humanities modes of knowledge production. The study proposes that integrating intermedial literacy into sustainability education can expand existing approaches to environmental literacy by addressing how ecological meanings are culturally mediated across technologies, narratives, artistic practices, and material environments. By connecting bibliometric evidence with intermedial and new materialist perspectives, the article contributes to ongoing debates on how technology-driven sustainability education can move beyond instrumental models of digital innovation towards more culturally informed, relational, and transformative pedagogies for implementing the SDGs. Full article

This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the physicochemical and biochemical properties of grain and straw from annual and perennial rice cultivated under different soil–climatic conditions in the Kyzylorda and Almaty regions of Kazakhstan, and to investigate the microbiological and agrochemical characteristics of associated rice field soils. The experimental materials included grain, straw, and soil samples collected at full maturity from field trials. Standard analytical procedures were applied, including Kjeldahl nitrogen determination, moisture content analysis, crude fiber assessment, microbiological culturing using serial dilution techniques on selective media, and agrochemical analysis of soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and humus content. The results demonstrated significant variation in grain composition depending on both cultivation system and geographic location. Perennial rice consistently exhibited higher protein content (4.73–4.90%) compared to annual rice (3.56–3.84%), while showing reduced moisture (9.58–9.72% vs. 12.36–13.62%) and lower crude fiber content. These differences suggest enhanced nitrogen assimilation efficiency and improved grain quality in perennial rice systems. Microbiological analysis revealed significantly greater abundance and diversity of aerobic and functional microorganisms in soils cultivated with perennial rice than in annual rice and non-cultivated control soils. The total number of aerobic microorganisms reached 820.5 × 10³ and 175.2 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹ in perennial rice soils, whereas control soils contained only 55.3 × 10³ and 81.7 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹. The highest abundance of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms was recorded in the perennial rice field in the Almaty region (2.32 × 10⁹ CFU g⁻¹ soil), indicating the formation of highly active microbial communities involved in phosphorus mobilization and nutrient cycling. Agrochemical analyses further showed that perennial rice promoted the accumulation of soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and humus following topsoil removal, with total organic carbon reaching 1.68% compared with only 0.43% in soils without perennial rice. These findings suggest that the extensive root system of perennial rice contributes to enhanced carbon sequestration and improved soil fertility. Overall, perennial rice demonstrated favorable physicochemical, biochemical, microbiological, and agrochemical characteristics, including improved nutrient composition, enhanced microbial diversity, greater abundance of beneficial phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, and increased accumulation of soil organic matter. The findings highlight the potential of perennial rice as a sustainable agricultural system capable of improving grain quality while promoting long-term soil fertility, microbial biodiversity, and ecosystem stability under the conditions of Kazakhstan. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Daily Health Coach (DHC) is a 12-week Instagram-based nutrition and wellbeing programme originally co-designed and tested in New Zealand to deliver evidence-based, weight-neutral content on nutrition, movement, body image, and wellbeing. This formative, mixed-methods adaptation study examined the acceptability of DHC New Zealand content for young Australian women and identified refinements to improve relevance, engagement, and safety before effectiveness evaluation. Methods: Using the CODES framework, we conducted three adaptation phases: user acceptance testing, co-design workshops, and early beta testing. Following data-quality screening, 291 young women aged 18–24 years who completed all 12 survey sections were included in Phase 1. Participants rated 84 Instagram-style posts for understanding and usefulness and provided open-ended feedback. Twelve young women participated in co-design workshops, and seven adapted artefacts were beta-tested with eight target users using cognitive walkthrough and think-aloud methods. Quantitative findings were examined descriptively, with sensitivity analyses undertaken to assess robustness to response-quality and sample-composition concerns. Results: Participant-level mean understanding was 3.99 ± 0.75/5, usefulness was 3.89 ± 0.74/5, and the combined score was 7.87 ± 1.47/10. Post-level combined means ranged from 7.66 to 8.11/10; all 84 posts met a ≥7.5 descriptive benchmark adapted from prior message-testing work, although this is an interpretive aid rather than a validated cut-off. Sensitivity analyses showed a similar overall pattern: ratings were higher in a higher-confidence response-quality sample (n = 199; 8.34 ± 1.20/10), while four posts fell marginally below 7.5 when analysis was restricted to participants not reporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity (n = 101). Qualitative feedback identified six refinement areas: content features, engagement strategies, clarity, educational accuracy, relevance, and miscellaneous concerns. Co-design and beta testing generated four adaptation priorities: tone, design, engagement, and understanding. Conclusions: DHC New Zealand content was generally well understood and favourably rated but required targeted refinement for the Australian context. Findings provide formative guidance for final adaptation and subsequent effectiveness evaluation. Full article

Problematic social media use (PSMU) has become a growing concern worldwide, highlighting the need for reliable and culturally valid assessment tools to examine its psychological correlates. However, comprehensive psychometric evaluations of PSMU measures in the Japanese context remain limited. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Japanese version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS-J) among Japanese college students. A total of 314 undergraduate students completed the BSMAS-J, along with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J). Of these, 257 participants completed a follow-up assessment 4 weeks later. To rigorously evaluate the factor structure, an independent split-sample cross-validation approach was employed, with exploratory factor analysis conducted on one subsample (n = 100) and confirmatory factor analysis on the other (n = 214). Results confirmed a robust unidimensional structure with good model fit, high internal consistency across waves (Cronbach’s α 0.89, McDonald’s ω 0.91), and moderate 4-week test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.65). Furthermore, evidence supported both longitudinal and multigroup sex measurement invariance. Convergent validity was established through strong positive associations with generalized internet addiction. Multiple regression analysis indicated that female sex, higher neuroticism, and elevated behavioral inhibition predicted BSMAS-J scores, highlighting potential avoidance-oriented coping mechanisms. Overall, the BSMAS-J demonstrates sound psychometric properties as a brief and reliable assessment tool, establishing a solid empirical foundation for future cross-cultural and longitudinal investigations in Japan. Full article

Natural colorants derived from filamentous fungi have gained increasing attention as safe, sustainable, and bioactive alternatives to synthetic counterparts. This study evaluated the red colorant production by Talaromyces sp. under solid and static submerged culture conditions, focusing on the selection of carbon and nitrogen sources and the influence of the inoculum’s physiological state. In solid-state cultivation, oat-based medium and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) supplemented with glycine (PDAG) promoted intense sporulation and red–yellow pigmentation, whereas sugar-rich media, specifically Yeast Extract Sucrose (YES) and Sabouraud Agar, led to rapid mycelial growth but reduced sporulation. Radial growth rates ranged from 0.295 to 0.391 cm/day, depending on the growth medium. YES medium supported the fastest growth; however, it was ineffective in promoting colorant induction when used as an inoculum source for liquid culture. Under static submerged fermentation conditions, inoculum derived from PDAG and PDA supplemented with yeast extract (PDA + YE) produced the highest colorant titers, highlighting that the inoculum developmental stage is a key determinant in activating azaphilone colorant biosynthesis. Additionally, commercial sucrose and sugarcane juice were identified as the most effective carbon sources, outperforming lignocellulosic hydrolysates from sugarcane bagasse, rice, and corn. A preliminary economic analysis estimated production costs ranging from US$ 3.11 to US$ 3.34 per liter of colorant. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis revealed key strengths such as high colorant productivity, alongside significant opportunities in the natural ingredients market. Overall, these findings underscore the technical and economic potential of Talaromyces-based biocolorant production, positioning it as a sustainable and competitive alternative to synthetic colorants. Full article

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are emerging as cell-free therapeutic candidates for osteoarthritis, but most approaches treat the secretome as a passively collected product rather than a tunable biologic. Because joint loading regulates cartilage and synovial biology, we investigated whether biomechanical priming in a three-dimensional culture system could alter extracellular vesicle microRNA cargo toward cartilage- and immune-relevant regulatory programs. Bone marrow MSCs were seeded into macroporous polyurethane scaffolds within fibrinogen/thrombin hydrogels and cultured under four conditions: chondropermissive static (CP), chondropermissive uniaxial load (CPL), chondropermissive load plus oscillatory shear (CPLS), and chondrogenic static (CH). After 3 days, conditioned media were collected for extracellular vesicles isolation, particle concentration comparisons, RNA extraction, 166-microRNA profiling, and target/pathway analysis. EV preparations across all conditions demonstrated nanoscale particle distributions and strong CD63+/CD9+ positivity. CPLS-derived preparations achieved significantly higher particle abundance (2.9 × 10⁸ particles/mL) than all other conditions (p < 0.05). MicroRNA profiling identified a conserved 59-microRNA core shared across groups, with superimposed condition-specific remodeling. CH produced the broadest repertoire (138 microRNAs) with the strongest cell-cycle, senescence, and stress-regulatory signatures. Conversely, CPLS generated a highly focused profile (107 microRNAs) with a distinct membrane-directed cargo transport signature and the greatest overlap with the CH condition. Mechanically stimulated groups prominently engaged load-responsive MAPK and Wnt pathways, with CPLS demonstrating exceptionally strong predicted transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway engagement. Both CH and CPLS generated the strongest predicted M2 macrophage-associated regulatory signatures. Parental-cell validation confirmed that mechanical priming selectively modulated EV cargo sorting rather than passively mirroring intracellular abundance. Biochemical chondrogenic induction and mechanical priming generate distinct, non-interchangeable EV microRNA profiles. Combined compression and oscillatory shear increased particle yield and produced a focused cargo signature associated with predicted immunomodulatory, macrophage-related, and membrane-directed cargo-sorting programs. These findings support mechanobiological conditioning as a controllable upstream biomanufacturing variable for shaping MSC-EV miRNA cargo, while direct functional validation is required to determine therapeutic relevance in OA models. Full article