Search Results (1,079)

Synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are widely used in agriculture to improve soil fertility and to control weeds, pests and diseases. Numerous studies have highlighted the negative effects of these chemicals on the soil environment. In contrast, during vermicomposting, earthworms generate numerous beneficial outcomes. This study aimed to screen antagonistic bacteria found after vermicomposting for their potential to inhibit the pre-emergence damping-off of tomato seedlings caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Using a dual culture method, 85 bacterial isolates were screened, three of which demonstrated antagonistic activity against R. solani. Molecular characterization based on 16S ribosomal RNA identified the bacterial isolates as Bacillus subtilis (NOAC.B77), Bacillus vallismortis (NOAC.B42), and Bacillus cereus (NOAC.B17). The strains NOAC.B77 and NOAC.B42 exhibited the most significant inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth of R. solani, with inhibition levels of 80.8% and 79.2%, respectively. In greenhouse trials, only 13% of the Inoculated, Unprotected Control tomato seedlings emerged, i.e., the R. solani inoculum caused an 87% level of preemergence damping off. In contrast, after treatment with the bacterial strains NOAC.B77 and NOAC.B42, tomato seedling emergence was not significantly different from the Uninoculated Control. These results suggest that the bacterial strains NOAC.B77 and NOAC.B42 could be commercialized as biological agents to control damping-off of tomato seedlings under greenhouse conditions. Full article

Currently, the possibility for the high-value utilization of abandoned oyster shells in the Zhuhai–Macao region of Guangdong Province, China, lacks sufficient attention, leading to resource wastage. Most oyster shells are treated as kitchen waste or directly landfilled, and their potential cultural and material value is not fully realized. To address this issue, this study explores sustainable utilization pathways for local abandoned oyster shells from the dual perspectives of environmental and cultural sustainability. Our research develops a 3D printing material made of oyster shells and designs a series of incense holders inspired by the traditional marine culture of the Zhuhai–Macao area. Within the framework of systematic design, this study focuses on optimizing key aspects such as material regeneration, design transformation, and cultural empowerment, thereby validating the effectiveness of systematic design in material recycling and culturally sustainable innovation. The findings not only provide theoretical and practical support for local ecodesign but also lay a foundation for promoting the synergistic development of environmental and cultural sustainability. Full article

Biocontrol, a practice for using living organisms to target plant pathogens, offers a promising, sustainable agricultural strategy. This study involves epiphytic yeasts isolated from Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris and ssp. vinifera as natural antagonists against Aspergillus carbonarius, Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium expansum. Twenty-one of 37 yeasts were chosen based on the Pathology Intensity (PA) score during preliminary in vivo screening. Following identification, dual-culture assays, VOC production, copper tolerance, and commercial fungicide resistance were assessed. On YPD and GJ medium, Saccharomyces isolates were the strongest antagonists, whereas P. terricola UMY197 inhibited Penicillium and Aspergillus. H. uvarum UMY1473 was notably effective against B. cinerea. VOC analysis confirmed that S. cerevisiae UMY1430 was the most effective against Aspergillus, likely owing to its production of oxalic acid, while S. cerevisiae UMY1438 was a producer of various esters and phenylethyl alcohol. C. intermedia UMY189, M. pulcherrima UMY1472, H. uvarum UMY1473, and S. cerevisiae UMY1436 were the most copper-resistant. Yeast activity on chemical fungicide SWITCH (up to 1 g/L) depended on culture media usage; in fact, a higher viability on YPD than on GJ was observed, where only 4 yeasts were able to grow. Thus, since several yeasts exhibit promising inhibitory activity through various mechanisms and against different molds, the use of synthetic consortia could represent a powerful and essential tool in field trials to limit fungicide use while preventing the emergence of resistance. Full article

Background/Objectives: Indocyanine green (ICG) is an FDA-approved, near-infrared fluorescent dye widely used for tumor imaging. This study aimed to evaluate the photodynamic efficacy and selectivity of ICG as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT) against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in 2D monolayers and 3D collagen-embedded cell cultures that simulate ECM diffusion, and to confirm direct generation of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) as the primary cytotoxic species. Methods: MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells and HMEC normal mammary epithelial cells were cultured in 2D monolayers, with MCF-7 cells additionally grown in 3D collagen type I matrices to mimic tumor environments. Cells were incubated with 50 µM ICG for 30 min, washed, and irradiated with a 780 nm diode laser at 39.8 mW/cm². Cell viability was quantified using the Muse^® Count & Viability assay at multiple time points, while ICG uptake and penetration were assessed via flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and confocal imaging. Direct ¹O₂ production was measured through its characteristic 1270 nm phosphorescence using time-resolved near-infrared spectrometry. Results: ICG-PDT reduced MCF-7 viability to 58.3 ± 7.4% in 2D cultures (41.7% cell kill, p < 0.0001) and 70.2 ± 10.7% in 3D cultures (29.8% cell kill, p = 0.0002). In contrast, normal HMECs maintained 91.0 ± 1.3% viability (only 9% reduction, p = 0.08), resulting in a therapeutic index of approximately 4.6. IC₅₀ values in 2D MCF-7 cultures decreased over time from 51.4 ± 3.0 µM at 24 h to 27.3 ± 3.0 µM at 72 h. ICG uptake was higher in 2D (78%) than in 3D (65%) MCF-7 cultures, with diffusion in 3D collagen exhibiting linear depth-dependent penetration. Notably, the singlet-oxygen phosphorescence signal, though weak and requiring highly sensitive detectors, provided direct evidence of efficient ¹O₂ generation. Conclusions: ICG as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy using clinically compatible parameters is highly cytotoxic to MCF-7 breast cancer cells while largely sparing HMECs in 2D cell culture. Direct spectroscopic evidence confirms efficient ¹O₂ generation, which contributes significantly to the cytotoxicity. The reduced efficacy in 3D versus 2D models highlights the importance of penetration barriers also present in solid tumors. These results support further preclinical and clinical investigation of ICG as a dual imaging-and-therapy (theragnostic) agent for selective photodynamic treatment of breast cancer. Full article

Background: Serum-free culture of red blood cells (RBCs) typically leads to rapid loss of viability, limiting experimental and translational applications. Lipid-rich formulations and essential oils may provide biocompatible support for RBC integrity while limiting microbial overgrowth. Methods: RBCs from nine healthy adult donors were cultured in serum-free RPMI under four conditions: control, vehicle (olive oil, 1:100 v/v), genuine adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-oil^® (1:100 v/v), and laboratory oil, “mimicking” ATP-oil^®. Cultures were maintained for 18 days. Viability was assessed by light microscopy and trypan blue exclusion; bacterial contamination was qualitatively observed on day 18. Results: Genuine ATP-oil^® maintained 35–45% RBC viability at day 18, whereas control and vehicle cultures declined rapidly. The mimicking preparation did not reproduce these effects. ATP-oil^® immersion was associated with a qualitative reduction in bacterial contamination versus control, consistent with a dual action on RBC preservation and microbial suppression under serum-free conditions. Conclusions: Supplementation with ATP-oil^® substantially prolongs RBC survival and limits bacterial overgrowth in vitro, outperforming commonly used serum or plasma supplements on a per-volume basis. These findings suggest potential applications for improving ex vivo handling or storage of blood components and for reducing background contamination in diagnostic microbiology. Further studies with larger cohorts are warranted to reveal underlying mechanisms and to define active constituents in order to standardize production. Full article

Street networks shape urban dynamics. However, at the important meso- and micro-scales, a research limitation remains in systematically linking the spatial logic of streets to the physical configuration of street-level commerce, in particular through an analytical lens that distinguishes between different urban network functions. With a view to overcoming this limitation and extending space syntax theory into the fine-grained analysis of commercial form, this study applies its dual-network logic, contrasting foreground networks and background networks. The spatial patterns of street stores were analyzed across eight street segments in four Chinese cities: Tianjin, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Hong Kong. Network types were distinguished using Normalized Angular Choice and patchwork pattern analysis. By using 2019 POI data, Street View imagery, and field surveys, a comparative quantitative analysis was conducted across three metrics: operation methods, functional diversity, and 100-m density. The results indicate differences: chain stores hold a clear advantage in high-value segments of the foreground network, a pattern supported by statistical tests. These segments also exhibit higher functional diversity (mean ENT = 5.12). In contrast, high-value street segments of the background network exhibit a consistently higher prevalence of sole stores. They also have a commercial density approximately 2.6 times greater than that of their foreground counterparts. These findings provide empirical evidence on how foreground and background networks support different kinds of commercial ecologies: one oriented toward micro-economy efficiency and standardized supply, the other toward socio-culturally embedded, high-intensity local exchange. Consequently, by linking specific street spatial configurations to measurable commercial outcomes, this research contributes methodologically by operationalizing the dual-network framework at a novel scale and offering a replicable analytical tool for diagnosing and guiding commercial spatial planning in cities. Full article

This article reinterprets Yinguang’s (1861–1940) “Eight-Verse Guiding Principles” as a program that integrates worldly ethics with supramundane liberation in modern Chinese Buddhism. On the ethical level, Yinguang established “fulfilling one’s duties and preserving sincerity” as the fundamental code, insisting that moral responsibility and the guarding of right mindfulness revealed the innate luminosity of the mind. Building on this, the article looks at “eliminating selfish desires and manifesting illustrious virtue” (gewu zhizhi 格物致知) as a way to connect ontology to practice, highlighting the significance of “refraining from all evils and cultivating all virtues.” The practitioner made progress toward the ultimate objective of “purifying the mind” by following these steps. On the liberation level, the bodhi-mind functions as vow-power oriented toward Buddhahood for self and others. This dual aspiration functioned as the inner motivation for rebirth in the Pure Land and the attainment of Buddhahood. The triad of “faith, vows, and practice” furnishes an accessible soteriological pathway for ordinary beings who rely on Amitābha’s vow-power to achieve rebirth with karmic burdens. Methodologically, the study combines close reading of primary writings with modern theories of religious ethics and lived religion to show how name recitation (chiming nianfo 持名念佛) concentrates the mind and conduces to the samādhi of recitation, where “the whole mind is Buddha, and the whole Buddha is mind.” Framed within the broader dynamics of Republican-era moral reform and global Pure Land transmission, the article argues that Yinguang’s eight-verse guiding principles embodied the ideal of “reaching Buddhahood by way of the human path,” providing a historically grounded yet contemporary salient model for understanding Chinese religious culture today. Full article

The quality of life of a host community residing in a tourist destination is significantly influenced by the consequences of tourism development in the region. Such development generates both positive impacts, such as benefits, and negative impacts, or costs, simultaneously. The main aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between residents’ perception of tourism’s dual impact (positive and negative) on the host community and their attitude towards sustainable tourism development in the Krishna-Braj Tourism Circuit in the province of Uttar Pradesh of India. The study also examined the nature of the relationship between personal benefits drawn from tourism development and residents’ perception of tourism’s dual impact on the host community. The social exchange theory served as the foundation of the study. The tourism sustainability framework, which includes three pillars, viz., economic, environmental, and socio-cultural tourism impacts, was used to analyse the dual impact of tourism on residents in the region. In total, 370 residents were identified using a proportionate quota sampling technique and interviewed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed theoretical model and to examine the hypothesised relationship between study variables. The study found that residents drawing personal benefits from tourism development (such as income, job, socialisation, etc.) in the region tend to perceive tourism impacts positively and show supportive attitudes toward sustainable tourism development in the region. At the same time, the influence of personal benefits from tourism development on perceived negative impacts was found not significant. Additionally, positive perceived tourism impacts significantly shaped residents’ attitudes, while the expected negative influence of negative tourism impacts on attitudes was unsupported. In a nutshell, the study supports that the bene-fits residents derive from tourism strongly shape their perceptions and support sustainable tourism development in the region. Full article

This study aimed to develop biofumigation strategies against chestnut fruit rot caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea. An endophytic strain, FPYF2509, was isolated from Castanea mollissima fruit and identified as Trichoderma nordicum using morphological and phylogenetic (tef1, rpb2) analyses. Antifungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry during dual-culture interactions with pathogens. The volatiles from the interaction exhibited to inhibit pathogen growth. Particularly an induced myrtenol, demonstrated strongly biofumigation activity in vitro, with a lowest observed effect concentration of 0.02 µL/mL, minimum inhibitory concentration and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 0.2 µL/mL against B. dothidea. In vivo, fumigation with 0.2 µL/mL myrtenol significantly reduced disease incidence from 83.3% to 17.39%, achieving a 79.1% control efficacy. This work presents endophytic T. nordicum FPYF2509 as a promising biocontrol agent and identifies myrtenol, of fungal interaction origin, as a novel and effective mycofumigant for postharvest disease management. Full article

Background/Objectives: Across geographical and cultural contexts, how individuals identify, communicate and help-seek for distress is often shaped by how mental health itself is understood. Insight into how adolescents and adults in their routine environment, such as teachers, understand mental health is crucial for developing context-specific mental health promotion strategies to young people. Sri Lanka, a country that navigates the dual legacies of pre-and-post-colonial mental health frameworks, has this need. The aim was to explore Sri Lankan school-going adolescents’ and their teachers’ perspectives of mental health and its determinants. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 school-going adolescents in grades 10–12/13 and 14 of their school teachers, from seven secondary schools in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. Interviews were transcribed, translated, coded inductively and analysed thematically. Results: All participants drew on culturally meaningful language that is rooted in Buddhist perspectives to conceptualise mental health. Causes and risk factors of poor mental health were attributed to individual, immediate environmental and structural factors. School environment played a central role in exacerbating other risk factors. Adolescents exhibited more knowledge of informal care avenues for mental health-related concerns. Conclusions: Findings highlight several implications including opportunities to leverage culturally contextualised language/frameworks when promoting mental health to Sri Lankan adolescents, diversifying mental health research and initiating school-based mental health programmes that integrate mental health promotion into routine educational practice to transform learning institutions across Sri Lanka to become mental health-promoting schools. Full article

Spirituality and religion are underrecognized components of mental health and substance use (MHSU) care for youth of African descent. This study explores the dual role of spirituality and religion in influencing the help-seeking behaviors, recovery journeys, and care outcomes of youth of African descent aged 18 to 25 residing in Nova Scotia, Canada. Drawing on findings from a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded community-based study using mixed methods, including interviews, focus groups, and arts-based approaches, the research highlights both the supportive and ambivalent roles spirituality plays in MHSU care. Participants shared themes such as spiritual reflection as a turning point, the assurance of a higher power, the culturally responsive support of faith-informed providers, and the significance of meditation and unseen connection as healing tools. While the narratives of research participants attested to the role of spiritual and religious practices in offering a sense of belonging, hope, and culturally aligned care, they may also reinforce stigma or act as a barrier to accessing formal MHSU services. These themes were derived from qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 60 youth participants. Through the lens of Ubuntu and Afrocentric paradigms, this paper calls for a more holistic and culturally inclusive approach to care, one that respects or honors the spiritual and communal lives of youth of African descent. It also reinforces the importance of training MHSU care providers to recognize, respect, and integrate spirituality as a legitimate component of wellness and recovery for help-seeking youth of African descent. Full article

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) are the non-material benefits people derive from ecosystems and are important for human well-being. Most research has focused on individual CES supply–demand relationships, with little systematic study of the overall CES structure, interactions, and mechanisms in metropolitan areas. This study takes the Nanjing Metropolitan Area as a case study, integrating multi-source geospatial data and employing the MaxEnt model, self-organizing maps (SOMs), Spearman correlation analysis, and the Optimal Parameters-based Geographical Detector (OPGD). It analyzes supply–demand matching, trade-offs, synergies, and drivers for four CES categories: aesthetic (AE), recreational entertainment (RE), knowledge education (KE), and cultural diversity (CD). The main findings are as follows: (1) CES supply and demand are spatially zoned: the core area has surplus supply, secondary centers are balanced, and the periphery has both weak supply and demand. (2) Three supply–demand bundles have distinct synergy and trade-off patterns: Bundle 1 primarily exhibits strong synergy between AE and CD; Bundle 2 shows a weak trade-off relationship; and Bundle 3 forms a synergy centered on AE. (3) The explanatory power of driving factors exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity: Bundle 1 is dominated by non-quantifiable social factors; Bundle 2 features dual synergistic drivers of population and transportation; and Bundle 3 demonstrates synergistic effects driven by facilities and economic factors. Overall, this study contributes an integrated metropolitan-scale framework that connects CES supply–demand mismatch patterns with bundle typologies, interaction structures, and bundle-specific drivers. The results provide an operational basis for targeted planning and coordinated ecological–cultural governance in the Nanjing Metropolitan Area and offer a transferable reference for other metropolitan regions. Full article

Residential barbecuing is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, especially in cities, where it is not only a leisure activity but also an important social and cultural practice. Consequently, the number of grills and smokers in use continues to grow. This study evaluated the environmental performance of a household wood-pellet barbecue dual-function smoker/grill using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The functional units selected were per cooking time (1 h) and per unit of energy delivered (1 kWh) at different cooking settings on the smoker. The results show that most of the impacts, including global warming potential (GWP) and resource use, originate from the production of the smoker itself, whereas emissions released during combustion, especially NO_x, are the main contributors to impacts such as acidification and smog formation. The GWP per hour of operation ranged from 0.44 to 0.63 kg CO₂ eq. From an operational perspective, cooking at intermediate temperatures (between 110 and 175 °C) generally leads to lower impacts per hour than very low-temperature smoking. When considering entire meals, meat typically accounts for most of the total impact, with the smoker’s contribution comparatively small. Overall, the study provides a useful reference and shows that both equipment design and food choices play a role in barbecue sustainability. Full article

In the era of digital transformation, organizations increasingly invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance competitiveness, yet persistent evidence shows that AI investment does not automatically translate into superior firm performance. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), this study aims to explain this paradox by examining how AI-enabled dynamic capability (AIDC) is converted into performance outcomes through organizational mechanisms. Specifically, the study investigates the mediating roles of organizational data-driven culture (DDC) and organizational learning (OL). Data were collected from 254 senior managers and executives in U.S. firms actively employing AI technologies and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that AIDC exerts a significant direct effect on firm performance as well as indirect effects through both DDC and OL. Serial mediation analysis reveals that AIDC enhances performance by first fostering a data-driven mindset and subsequently institutionalizing learning processes that translate AI-generated insights into actionable organizational routines. Moreover, DDC plays a contingent moderating role in the AIDC–performance relationship, revealing a nonlinear effect whereby excessive reliance on data weakens the marginal performance benefits of AIDC. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the dual role of data-driven culture: while DDC functions as an enabling mediator that facilitates AI value creation, beyond a threshold it constrains dynamic reconfiguration by limiting managerial discretion and strategic flexibility. This insight exposes the “dark side” of data-driven culture and extends the RBV and DCT by introducing a boundary condition to the performance effects of AI-enabled capabilities. From a managerial perspective, the study highlights the importance of balancing analytical discipline with adaptive learning to sustain digital efficiency and strategic agility. Full article

Glucocorticoids are widely applied intra-articularly to alleviate inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis (OA). However, repeated administration and high local concentrations can lead to crystal deposition on the cartilage surface, contributing to chondrocyte damage and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, potentially accelerating OA progression. Calcium-dependent mechanosensors play a critical role in mediating catabolic responses in chondrocytes, but it remains unclear whether glucocorticoids affect chondrocyte mechanosensitivity or biomechanical properties. This in vitro study examined the dose-dependent effects of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on chondrocyte biomechanics and mechanosensitivity. Primary human chondrocytes (N = 23) were cultured for one week with TA (2 µM–2 mM) or control medium. Cytoskeletal organization was visualized by F-actin staining (N = 6), and cellular elasticity (N = 5) was quantified via atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanotransduction was analyzed by Ca²⁺ imaging (Fluo-4 AM) upon AFM-based indentation (500 nN). Expression of matrix-related and mechanosensitive genes (N = 9) was assessed by qPCR. TA exposure induced a concentration-dependent reorganization of the F-actin cytoskeleton, pronounced at 0.2 mM, accompanied by a significant increase in the elastic modulus (p < 0.001). TA further augmented Ca²⁺ fluorescence intensity under basal conditions and during mechanical stimulation. Blocking cationic mechanosensitive channels with GsMtx4 (N = 3) markedly reduced the TA-evoked Ca²⁺ influx (p < 0.0001). Significant reduction in MMP1 was observed on the transcriptional level (N = 9) after TA-treatment (p < 0.05). In summary, TA enhances chondrocyte stiffness through cytoskeletal condensation and amplifies Ca²⁺-dependent mechanotransduction but reduces MMP1 expression, indicating a dual biomechanical response of chondrocytes to OA under exposure of potent corticosteroid. Full article