Search Results (68)

Despite chemical exchange often serving as the first step in plant–microbe interactions, the specialized chemical metabolites produced by grass–Epichloë endophyte symbiosis as mediators of host growth, nutrient acquisition, and modulators of the rhizosphere community under low-nitrogen conditions are areas lacking in knowledge. In this study, we investigated the plant growth-promoting effects of the Epichloë endophyte strain and identified the growth of the Epichloë strain under different types of nitrogen source treatments. In addition to the in vitro test, we evaluated growth performance for Epichloë endophyte–infected plants (E+) and Epichloë endophyte–free plants (E−) in a pot trial under 0.01 mol/L urea treatment. Seedlings from E+ and E− groups were collected to analyze the plant bacterial microbiome and root metabolites. The E. gansuensis endophyte strain was found not to produce indoleacetic acid (IAA), pectinase, or contain ferritin. The nitrogenase gene, essential for nitrogen fixation, was also absent. These results suggest that E. gansuensis endophyte strains themselves do not contain attributes to promote plant growth. Concerning N fertilization, it was observed an increase in the colony diameter of E. gansuensis strain was observed only in the NO₃⁻-N (NN) treatment, while inhibition was observed in the urea-N (UN) treatment. E. gansuensis endophyte symbiosis significantly increased tiller number and plant dry weight. Overall, our results suggest that the E+ plants had more root forks and greater average root diameter compared to E− plants under the UN treatment. In a pot experiment using UN, data from 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that E. gansuensis endophyte infection significantly altered the bacterial community composition in shoot and root, and significantly increased Shannon (p < 0.001) and Chao 1 (p < 0.01) indexes. The relative abundance of Acidobacteriota, Actinomycetota, Cyanobacteriota, Fibrobacterota, Myxococcota, and Patescibacteria in the shoot, and Cyanobacteriota, Pseudomonadota, and Verrucomicrobiota in the root were significantly increased by E. gansuensis endophyte infection. Similarly, E. gansuensis endophyte symbiosis shifted the metabolite composition of the host plants, with the E+ plants showing a higher number of metabolites than the E− plants. In addition, co-metabolism network analysis revealed that the positive relevance between exudates and microorganisms in the root of the E+ plants is higher than that of the E− plants. These findings provide valuable insights into the knowledge of the effects of the symbiotic relationship between host plants and Epichloë endophyte on interspecific interactions of plant microbiome, beneficial for harnessing endophytic symbiosis, promoting plant growth. Full article

Although drunken horse grass (Achnatherum inebrians) can be simultaneously infected by the foliar endophyte Epichloë gansuensis and colonized by Bacillus subtilis, it remains unclear whether Epichloë endophyte symbiosis influences B. subtilis colonization, as well as how their interaction affects nitrogen fixation and assimilation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether E. gansuensis endophyte infection facilitates the colonization of B. subtilis in the roots of host plants, with a focus on understanding the interaction effects of the E. gansuensis endophyte and B. subtilis on plant growth and nutrient absorption. In this study, we measured the colony growth rate of B. subtilis LZU7 when co-cultured with E. gansuensis strains. In addition to an in vitro test, we investigated the root colonization of Epichloë endophyte-infected plants (E+) and Epichloë endophyte-free plants (E−) with the GFP-tagged B. subtilis LZU7 in an inoculation test. Furthermore, we evaluated the interactions between E. gansuensis endophyte symbiosis and B. subtilis LZU7 colonization on the dry weight, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen converting-enzyme activity, and nutrients for E+ and E− plants by labeling with ¹⁵N₂. The results showed that the growth rates of B. subtilis LZU7 were altered and increased in a co-culture with the E. gansuensis endophyte. A significantly greater colonization of GFP-tagged B. subtilis LZU7 was detected in the roots of E+ plants compared with the roots of E− plants, suggesting that E. gansuensis endophyte symbiosis enhances the colonization of beneficial microorganisms. The combination of E. gansuensis endophyte symbiosis and B. subtilis LZU7 inoculation significantly altered the expression of the nitrogenase (nifH) gene, thereby promoting increased biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). The E. gansuensis endophyte infection and inoculation with B. subtilis LZU7 significantly increased δ15NAir in plants. Co-inoculation with the E. gansuensis endophyte and B. subtilis LZU7 significantly elevated NH₄⁺ accumulation in the roots, depleted the NH₄⁺ availability in the surrounding soil, and showed no measurable impact on the foliar NH₄⁺ content. The observed alterations in the NH₄⁺ content were linked to nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that promoted nitrogen fixation, thereby enhancing nitrogen uptake and contributing to greater biomass production in A. inebrians. Our findings highlighted the fact that a foliar symbiosis with the E. gansuensis endophyte enhances the recruitment of beneficial bacteria, and that the resulting interaction significantly impacts nitrogen fixation, assimilation, and allocation in host plants. Full article

The “Jiugao 酒誥” chapter of the Shangshu 尚書 is a proclamation on wine ethics, ordered by the Duke of Zhou for Kangshu to disseminate among the people. It marks the earliest system of laws and regulations concerning wine usage in Chinese history. In this chapter, the Duke of Zhou analyzed drinking from the perspectives of ethical philosophy and political dynamics, closely associating it with ethical codes, moral values, and political order. He criticized King Zhou of Shang for “drunkenness leading to national ruin” and detailed three ethical codes to regulate drinking practices. The Duke of Zhou established the ethical foundation of the Western Zhou Dynasty, incorporating the theory of wine virtue, and constructed its comprehensive political order. This exerted a profoundly lasting impact on Confucius and later Confucian scholars concerning the mandate of heaven and political thought, forming the basis of China’s political and cultural ethos for millennia. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between adolescents’ health risk behaviours (excessive use of alcohol, (e)cigarette smoking, cannabis use) and familial factors. A special objective of this study was to compare findings between Bulgarian and Lithuanian adolescents aged 15 years. Material and Methods: National samples from the WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2021/2022 were analysed. The focus was on adolescents aged 15 (n = 64,349), including those from Bulgaria (n = 793) and Lithuania (n = 1137). The set of outcome variables included drunkenness, smoked cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and used cannabis (all variables were measured during the last 30 days); their indicators were child’s talking separately to their father and separately to their mother, as well as the four-item family support scale. All variables were dichotomised and their associations were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling with a WLSMV estimator. Results: In the total sample, the prevalence of drunkenness was 14.9%, cigarette smoking at 12.6%, e-cigarette smoking at 18.4%, and cannabis use at 5.9%; while in Bulgaria, in contrast to Lithuania, these behaviours were much more prevalent, at 27.0%, 29.9%, 29.8%, and 11.1%, respectively. The use of substances was significantly associated with selected familial factors, which were more pronounced among girls than boys in most subsamples. Low family support showed the strongest association with increased substance use (in the total sample, regression weight B varied from 0.231 to 0.382). Adolescents’ difficulty in talking to mother was more pronounced (B = 0.123 to 0.204) than difficulty in talking to their father (B = 0.058 to 0.140). Comparison of data samples from Bulgaria and Lithuania showed stronger relationships in Bulgarian adolescents compared to other countries, which are more pronounced among boys. In addition, among Bulgarian adolescents, easy communication with their father had an inverse association (increasing prevalence) with cannabis use. Conclusions: Adolescent health risk behaviours, such as use of substances, are associated with familial factors, including parent–teen communication and family support. Generally, these associations are more pronounced among girls than boys, and more evident among Bulgarian adolescents than their Lithuanian counterparts. Identifying environmental factors in families helps to plan interventions to prevent development of multiple health risk behaviours in adolescents. Full article

The reforms of Russian Tsar Peter I (1682–1725) touched all spheres of life, including the Church. The purpose of this paper is to bring into focus his approach to the reform of monasticism. It reflects on Peter’s personal remarks as reported both by his Russian and his foreign interlocutors, his legislation, including law drafts, and practical measures such as the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod. The principal conclusion is that it was this Russian ruler who was the first to call into question the very existence of monasticism and who came close to the ultimate dissolution of monasteries. He did not abolish monasticism not because it was a too radical step but because he devised measures of reform to raise its standards and improve its public utility. His treatment of the monastic tradition should be interpretated not as secularization but rather as modernization. Peter’s personal “monachophobia” is best understood as a modernizing impulse. His objective was the creation of a “modern” state whose Church and clergy represented contemporary values. Traditional, unreformed monasticism presented an obstacle in his progress towards this goal. The legacy of Peter’s policy was an increasing monachophobia in Russia apparent from the 18th century onwards. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aims to explore family dynamics and the economic hardships experienced by families during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associations with adolescents’ health risk behaviours (HRBs). Methods: Based on a representative study of adolescents aged 11–16 conducted in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 pandemic and HBSC data from the pre-pandemic period, logistic regression models were applied, assessing cigarette smoking, vaping, alcohol use, drunkenness, and cannabis use. The independent variables included demographics, Family Affluence Scale (FAS III), family structure, ease of communication with parents, and the authors’ developed questions on parents’ income and economic status change, family conflicts, and missing contact with extended family due to the pandemic. Results: Material status of the family showed increasing differentials in adolescents’ HRBs during the pandemic. Parental unemployment, income reduction, and temporary lay-offs were associated with a higher risk of substance use. Family conflicts, missing contact with extended family, and difficulties in communication with the mother were related to a higher risk of substance use. Communication with the father was significantly associated with alcohol use and drunkenness. Boys had lower odds of vaping and higher odds of alcohol use, drunkenness, and cannabis use. Higher age and minority status were associated with an increase in adolescents’ HRBs. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for special family-focused interventions in times of health and economic crises. Full article

Early life adversity (ELA) is a heterogeneous group of negative childhood experiences that can lead to abnormal brain development and more severe psychiatric, neurological, and medical conditions in adulthood. According to the immune hypothesis, ELA leads to an abnormal immune response characterized by high levels of inflammatory cytokines. This abnormal immune response contributes to more severe negative health outcomes and a refractory response to treatment in individuals with a history of ELA. Here, we examine this hypothesis in the context of recent rodent studies that focus on the impact of ELA on microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain. We review recent progress in our ability to mechanistically link molecular alterations in microglial function during a critical period of development with changes in synaptic connectivity, cognition, and stress reactivity later in life. We also examine recent research showing that ELA induces long-term alterations in microglial inflammatory response to “secondary hits” such as traumatic brain injury, substance use, and exposure to additional stress in adulthood. We conclude with a discussion on future directions and unresolved questions regarding the signals that modify microglial function and the clinical significance of rodent studies for humans. Full article

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the cytologic characteristics and diagnostic usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography–fine needle aspiration cytology (EUS-FNAC) by comparing it with liquid-based preparation (LBP) and conventional smear (CS) in pancreas. Methods: The diagnostic categories (I through VII) were classified according to the World Health Organization Reporting System for Pancreaticobiliary Cytopathology. Ten cytologic features, including nuclear and additional features, were evaluated in 53 cases subjected to EUS-FNAC. Nuclear features comprised irregular nuclear contours, nuclear enlargement, hypochromatic nuclei with parachromatin clearing, and nucleoli. Additional cellular features included isolated atypical cells, mucinous cytoplasm, drunken honeycomb architecture, mitosis, necrotic background, and cellularity. A decision tree analysis was conducted to assess diagnostic efficacy. Results: The diagnostic concordance rate between LBP and CS was 49.1% (26 out of 53 cases). No significant differences in nuclear features were observed between categories III (atypical), VI (suspicious for malignancy), and VII (malignant). The decision tree analysis of LBP indicated that cases with moderate or high cellularity and mitosis could be considered diagnostic for those exhibiting nuclear atypia. Furthermore, in CS, mitosis, isolated atypical cells, and necrotic background exerted a more significant impact on the diagnosis of EUS-FNAC. Conclusions: Significant parameters for interpreting EUS-FNAC may differ between LBP and CS. While nuclear atypia did not influence the diagnosis of categories III, VI, and VII, other cytopathologic features, such as cellularity, mitosis, and necrotic background, may present challenges in diagnosing EUS-FNAC. Full article

Respecting life and protecting life are the core values of Chinese culture. As the greatest poet nurtured by Chinese culture, Du Fu showed a distinct consciousness of life in his poems. With the passage of time and the changes in his physical body, Du Fu became sensitively aware of the existence of life. Government service was the main way to realize the value of life for scholars of Tang, and this way was frustrated by reality for a long time, particularly for the poet Du Fu, who faced the crisis of settling his life. Although Du Fu wanted to find a place to settle his life in the other dimensions of the human world, in the real and imaginary drunken world and the natural world, he could not overcome the frustration concerning the relationship between the ruler and the minister, and he often felt the pain of nowhere to settle his life and the insignificance of life when its meaning becomes absent. Full article

Adolescence is a critical period for engaging in health risk behaviors. Migrant adolescents may face unique challenges due to acculturation stress. This study aims to monitor substance use and problem gambling among migrant adolescents living in Italy. Data from the 2017/18 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey in Italy were analyzed. The 18,794 participants included 15-year-olds, categorized as native or migrants, with ethnic backgrounds from Western, Eastern European, or non-Western/non-European countries. Girls had higher smoking rates, while boys exhibited higher prevalence of alcohol-related risk behaviors, cannabis use, and gambling. Boys from Eastern European countries displayed a greater risk of drunkenness (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.06–2.37), particularly in the first generation, while those from Western countries showed a higher risk of multiple substance use (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.05–1.96). Girls from Eastern European and non-Western/non-European countries had a lower risk of alcohol consumption (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.29–0.85; OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33–0.91, respectively). Finally, boys, especially those from Eastern European and non-Western/non-European countries, had a significantly higher risk of problem gambling (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.04–3.22; OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.29–3.42, respectively). This disparity was more pronounced in the first generation, possibly due to acculturation challenges and socio-economic factors. Risk behaviors in adolescents are influenced by complex interplays of gender, cultural factors, and migration generation. Preventive strategies should consider these factors to effectively address substance use and gambling in this heterogeneous population. Full article

Although several previous studies have examined factors influencing crime at a specific point in time, limited research has assessed how factors influencing crime change in response to social disasters such as COVID-19. This study examines factors, along with their relative importance and trends over time, and their influence on 112 commercial crime reports (illegal street vendors, dining and dashing, minor quarrels, theft, drunkenness, assault, vagrancy and disturbing the peace) in Seoul’s alley commercial districts between 2019 and 2021. Variables that may affect the number of commercial crime reports are classified into four characteristics (socioeconomic, neighborhood, park/greenery and commercial district attributes), explored using machine learning regression-based modeling and analyzed through the use of Shapley Additive exPlanations to determine the importance of each factor on crime reports. The Partial Dependence Plot is used to understand linear/non-linear relationships between key independent variables and crime reports. Among several machine learning models, the Extra Trees Regressor, which has the highest performance, is selected for the analysis. The results show a mixture of linear and non-linear relationships with the increasing crime rates, finding that store density, dawn sales ratio, the number of gathering facilities, perceived urban decline score, green view index and land appraisal value may play a crucial role in the number of commercial crimes reported, regardless of social trends. The findings of this study may be used as a basis for building a safe commercial district that can respond resiliently to social disasters. Full article

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), leading to the most common chronic liver diseases, is increasingly emerging as a global health problem, which is intensifying the need to develop novel treatments. Herein, our work aimed to estimate the therapeutic efficacy of red rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed coat on ALD and further uncover the underlying mechanisms. Red rice seed coat extract (RRA) was obtained with citric acid–ethanol and analyzed via a widely targeted components approach. The potential targets of RRA to ALD were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Drunken behavior, histopathological examination, liver function, gut microbiota composition and intestinal barrier integrity were used to assess the effects of RRA (RRAH, 600 mg/kg·body weight; RRAL, 200 mg/kg·body weight) on ALD. Oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis associated factors and signaling pathways were measured by corresponding kits, Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. In ALD model mice, RRA treatment increased sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) levels, improved gut microbiota composition, restored intestinal barrier, decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in plasma and the liver, cut down Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways, alleviated liver pathological injury and oxidative stress, attenuated inflammation and apoptosis and enhanced liver function. To sum up, RRA targeting SPHK2 can ameliorate ALD by repairing intestinal barrier damage and reducing liver LPS level via the TLR4/NF-κB pathway and intestinal microbiota, revealing that red rice seed coat holds potential as a functional food for the prevention and treatment of ALD. Full article

(1) Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the initiation of the consumption of alcohol, which is the toxic substance most commonly used by young people. Given the serious impact of alcohol on youth, there is an extensive body of literature that examines the facilitators of and barriers to alcohol consumption among adolescents. Among the barriers, several reports highlight that being a member of a religious community is a protective factor against alcohol consumption. (2) Methods: We conducted an analysis of a structured questionnaire completed by 1935 adolescents from Tarragona to assess the protective capacity of belonging to a religious community, differentiating between the various religions practiced in Tarragona. (3) Results: The variables related to family configuration emerged as the main protective factor against alcohol consumption attitudes among adolescents. Those who lived with both parents exhibited greater protection than those living with only one parent. Living with a single parent provided more protection than living with none. Belonging to a religious community did not significantly protect against drunkenness. However, religion appeared to inhibit alcohol use. The protective capacity of religion was evident only when the professed faith was Muslim and/or when the parents were migrants. Full article

The paper focuses on the association between Bulgarian adolescents’ health risk behaviours (cigarette smoking, vaping, alcohol use and drunkenness) and biopsychosocial factors at individual and interpersonal levels, using data from the pre-pandemic and the pandemic periods, i.e. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study (2018) and the study of adolescent health and well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022/2023). Logistic regression models reveal a positive association with age in both periods, decreasing gender difference in smoking, presistant effect of family structure, strengthened effect of the material status of the family and a differenciating effect of ethnicity at the end of the pandemic. Family support is positively asociated with substance (mis)use in both periods. At the end of the pandemic generalized anxiety is positively associated with substance (mis)use, loneliness has a negative association with drunkenness, and limited social interaction and vaping are in a positive relationship. The experience of COVID-19 infection in the family is associated with higher risk of smoking, while treatment in hospital for COVID-19 of the adolescent or a family member is associated with a higher risk of vaping and drunkenness. Interactions with COVID-19 experience and psychosocial variables reveal a divergence in health risk behaviours, including also engagement in substance (mis)use. Effective interventions, targeting the identified risk factors and risk groups, are needed for promotion of healthy lifestyles among adolescents. Full article

The Feast of Drunken Dragon is a special intangible cultural heritage of Macau, which is also known as the Drunken Dragon and Lion Dance Gala. Every year, on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, members of the Macau Fish Traders Association hold a drunken dragon and lion dance activity at the Macau Sanjie Guild Hall. Festivals play a part in cultural designing. They not only attract a large number of tourists but also promote local culture. The Drunken Dragon Dance is currently encountering many problems such as the inability to introduce new performance methods as technicians are getting older, and young people are unwilling to inherit it. This cultural heritage tends to gradually decline. The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Government has paid attention to the problem. However, the publicity methods are still mainly based on videos, simple online graphics, and cultural and creative products, and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic harmed the promotion. With the rapid development of technology, mobile devices provide digital reading and augmented reality (AR) to assist learning. Thus, learning is not limited in space and time, and individuals continue to use it without hindrance. Using the concept of experiential learning, we design interactive teaching materials with dynamic images to advertise the historical stories of the Feast of Drunken Dragon in Macau, folk rituals, and traditional dragon performances through the AR interactive experience of the drunken dragon festival. The concept of learning by doing is an experiential way to understand relevant intangible cultural heritage knowledge. Using digital content, teaching material design is provided based on user experience to achieve sustainable education. Full article