Search Results (301)

Knowing the superior biochemical defense mechanisms of sessile organisms, it is not hard to believe the cure for any human sickness might be hidden in nature—we “just” have to identify it and make it safely available in the right dose to our organs and cells that are in need. For decades, green tea catechins (GTCs) have been a case in point. Because of their low redox potential and favorable positioning of hydroxyl groups, these flavonoid representatives (namely, catechin—C, epicatechin—EC, epicatechin gallate—ECG, epigallocatechin—EGC, epigallocatechin gallate—EGCG) are among the most potent plant-derived (and not only) antioxidants. The proven anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic properties of these phytochemicals further contribute to their favorable pharmacological profile. Doubtlessly, GTCs hold the potential to “cope” with the majority of today‘s socially significant diseases, yet their mass use in clinical practice is still limited. Several factors related to the compounds’ membrane penetrability, chemical stability, and solubility overall determine their low bioavailability. Moreover, the antioxidant-to-pro-oxidant transitioning behavior of GTCs is highly conditional and, to a certain degree, unpredictable. The nanoparticulate delivery systems represent a logical approach to overcoming one or more of these therapeutic challenges. This review particularly focuses on the lipid-based nanotechnologies known to be a leading choice when it comes to drug permeation enhancement and not drug release modification nor drug stabilization solely. It is our goal to present the privileges of encapsulating green tea catechins in either vesicular or particulate lipid carriers with respect to the increasingly popular trends of advanced phytotherapy and functional nutrition. Full article

The present essay aims to make an analysis of a widely analyzed theme held very dear to Pope Saint John Paul II, namely, the right to religious freedom as a foundation for all other forms of freedom. From the way this essay tackles this theme, it is not difficult to understand that John Paul II’s metaphysical view with regard to the human being, as well as his view on the subjectivity of the human person and the dignity of the human person, are essential for an accurate understanding of the relation between freedom and truth. Freedom is rooted in the truth, and it can be achieved only in truth. When it is separated from truth, it becomes just an illusion. For Pope John Paul II, it is very clear that freedom and truth either go together or perish together. The truth to which freedom is linked is not just an abstract truth, but is the Absolute Truth, namely God. Therefore, only in the light of this relationship between freedom and truth can the right to religious freedom, which is the heart of human rights, be explained. Religious freedom allows the human person to live in the truth of her/his faith, according to her/his transcendental dignity. Full article

There is a growing pressure on industry to secure environments and demonstrate their commitment in taking right steps to secure their products. This is because of the growing number of security compromises in the IT industry, Operational Technology environment, Internet of Things environment and smart home devices. These compromises are not just about data breaches or data exfiltration, but also about unauthorised access to devices that are not configured correctly and vulnerabilities in software components, which usually lead to insecure authentication and authorisation. Incorrect configurations are usually in the form of devices being made available on the Internet (public domain), reusable credentials, access granted without verifying the requestor, and easily available credentials like default credentials. Organisations seeking to address the dual pressure of demonstrating steps in the right direction and addressing unauthorised access to resources can find a viable approach in the form of the zero trust concept. Zero trust principles are about moving security controls closer to the data, applications, assets and services and are based on the principle of “never trust, always verify”. As it stands today, zero trust research has advanced far beyond the concept of “never trust, always verify”. This paper provides the culmination of a literature review of research conducted in the space of smart home devices and IoT and the applicability of the zero trust five-step implementation process to secure them. We discuss the history of zero trust, the tenets of zero trust, the five-step implementation process for zero trust, and its adoption for smart home devices and Internet of Things, and we provide suggestions for future research. Full article

Background: Well-designed endurance training leads to improved cardiovascular fitness and sports performance in prolonged exercise tasks, with the adaptations depending on multiple factors, including the training modality and the population in question. It is still disputable how the type of training affects myocardial remodeling, and the information on myocardial remodeling by high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is particularly scarce. Methods: The current study investigated changes in cardiac structure after volume-progressive HIIT in running mode. As part of their conditioning program, amateur athletes (mean ± SD age of 18.2 ± 1.0 years) exclusively conducted HIIT in a volume-progressive fashion over 7 weeks (a total of 21 sessions). Peak oxygen uptake as well as 200 m and 2000 m running performance were measured, and transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography was conducted before and after the intervention. Results: Training improved running performance, increased the peak oxygen uptake and left atrium diameter (from 32.0 ± 2.5 to 33.5 ± 2.3 mm; p = 0.01), and induced ~11% thickening of the left-ventricular posterior wall (7.5 ± 0.7 to 8.2 ± 0.4 mm; p = 0.01) and interventricular septum (7.6 ± 0.7 to 8.6 ± 0.9 mm; p = 0.02), but not the dilation of left-ventricular, right-ventricular, or right atrium chambers. Conclusions: HIIT of just 127 km of running per 8.5 h during 7 weeks was sufficient to improve aerobic capacity and running performance, and induce left-ventricular wall hypertrophy and left atrium dilation, in young healthy athletes. Full article

Blockchain and smart contracts are widely used in IoT access control to create decentralized, trustworthy environments for secure access and record management. However, their application introduces a dual challenge: The transparency of blockchain and the use of addresses as identifiers can expose account privacy. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a blockchain-based IoT access control system that enhances account anonymity and preserves privacy, particularly regarding user behavior, habits, and access records through the use of zero-knowledge proofs. The system incorporates an access control mechanism that combines access control lists with capability-based access control, enabling ownership verification of access rights without disclosing identity information. To evaluate the system’s feasibility, we conduct experiments in a smart building scenario, including both qualitative comparisons with existing methods and quantitative analyses of performance in terms of time, space, and gas consumption. The results indicate that our scheme achieves the best time efficiency in the proof generation and authorization phases, completing them in just 7 and 10 s, respectively—representing half the time required by the second-best approach. These findings underscore the system’s superior cost efficiency and enhanced security compared to existing solutions. Full article

For over a century, forgetting research has shown that recall decreases along a power or exponential function over time. It is tempting to assume that empirical forgetting curves are equivalent to the rate at which individual memories are forgotten. This assumption would be erroneous, because forgetting curves are influenced by an often-neglected factor: the distribution of memory strengths relative to a recall threshold. For example, if memories with normally distributed initial strengths were forgotten at a linear rate, percent correct would not be linear, it would decrease rapidly when the peak of the distribution was crossing the recall threshold and slowly when one of the tails was crossing the threshold. We describe a distribution model of memory that explains the divergence between forgetting curves and item forgetting rates. The model predicts that forgetting curves can be approximately linear (or even concave, like the right side of a frown) when percent correct is high. This prediction was supported by previous evidence and an experiment where participants learned word pairs to a criterion. Beyond its theoretical implications, the distribution model also has implications for education: Creating memories that are just above the threshold helps on short-term tests but does not form lasting memories. Full article

Background: Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) represents a major cause of vision loss worldwide, and treatment options are limited. Here, we study whether methylene blue (MB), a free radical scavenger, is able to prevent morphological and electrophysiological hallmarks of neuropathy in an animal model of TON. Methods: The left eyes of Wistar rats were subjected to intraorbital nerve crush (IONC) while the right ones were sham operated. The group of rats treated with MB (n = 16) received five intraperitoneal injections with 2.0 mg/kg MB in the 24 h following IONC while the control group (n = 16) received just vehicle (PBS) as a control. Twenty-one days after surgery, scotopic full field (scERG), scotopic oscillatory potentials (OP), photopic full field (phERG) and pattern (PERG) electroretinography were performed for retinal function assessment. Furthermore, the number of cell nuclei in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) was recorded in post mortem histological sections. Results: IONC induced very significant reductions in electrophysiological parameters including scotopic a- and b-wave, OPs, photopic b-wave, PhNR amplitude and N2 amplitude. In addition, it also generated a significant prolongation of the N2 implicit time, indicating a profound impact on retinal function. This was further corroborated by a very significant reduction in the number of neuronal nuclei in the GCL, suggesting an intense loss and functional impairment of retinal ganglion cells. MB treatment was able to prevent, partially or completely, all those parameters, indicating the efficiency of such approach. Conclusions: Since MB is already approved for clinical use and presents a high safety profile, it could be repurposed as a neuroprotective drug for ophthalmological applications once proper phase 2 clinical trials are accomplished. Full article

Sex education goes far beyond merely conveying biological facts; it encompasses the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of sexuality. A gender-sensitive approach to sex education for boys* aims to address their specific needs and challenges, critically reflect on hegemonic norms of masculinity, and develop alternative, non-toxic models of masculinity. This article explores the foundations and core elements of such a gender-sensitive sex education for boys*, considering theoretical concepts such as sexual socialization, hegemonic masculinity, and sexual scripts, as well as sexual health and rights for boys*. An intersectional perspective enables a nuanced analysis of the diverse social inequalities that shape boys’* sexual development. This paper argues for four key elements of gender-sensitive sex education for boys*: (1) empowerment and self-determination to strengthen boys* in their formation of sexual identity; (2) the development of alternative masculinities to challenge stereotypical gender constraints; (3) the promotion of gender justice by raising boys’* awareness of their societal responsibility; and (4) fostering critical competencies in dealing with media and social norms. These approaches contribute to establishing a holistic and inclusive form of sex education that acknowledges boys* in their diversity and helps create a more just society. Full article

What if you could identify someone’s right palmprint just by looking at their left—and vice versa? That is exactly what I set out to do. I built a specially adapted Siamese network that only needs one palm to reliably recognize the other, making biometric systems far more flexible in everyday settings. My solution rests on two simple but powerful ideas. First, Anchor Embedding through Feature Aggregation (AnchorEFA) creates a “super-anchor” by averaging four palmprint samples from the same person. This pooled anchor smooths out noise and highlights the consistent patterns shared between left and right palms. Second, I use a Concatenated Similarity Measurement—combining Euclidean distance with Element-wise Absolute Difference (EAD)—so the model can pick up both big structural similarities and tiny textural differences. I tested this approach on three public datasets (POLYU_Left_Right, TongjiS1_Left_Right, and CASIA_Left_Right) and saw a clear jump in accuracy compared to traditional methods. In fact, my four-sample AnchorEFA plus hybrid similarity metric did not just beat the baseline—it set a new benchmark for cross-palmprint recognition. In short, recognizing a palmprint from its opposite pair is not just feasible—it is practical, accurate, and ready for real-world use. This work opens the door to more secure, user-friendly biometric systems that still work even when only one palmprint is available. Full article

In the current clinical psychiatric practice in most of the world, treatment decisions are based on a person’s capacity to make these decisions. When a person lacks the capacity to understand and appreciate treatment decisions, in many jurisdictions a third-party substitute decision maker (SDM) is appointed on his or her behalf in order to promote safety and optimal clinical outcome. In Ontario, Canada, for example, family members (typically) or public guardians are appointed as SDMs, and they form an integral part of the medical–legal system in psychiatric care. Clinicians working with both patients and their SDMs in these circumstances encounter unique challenges and deliver care in specialized ways, though little research has focused on their experiences and reflections. Based on focus group data, this qualitative study uses a descriptive and interpretative phenomenological approach through thematic analysis to examine these aspects from clinicians working in both inpatient and outpatient settings of an urban teaching hospital’s psychiatric services in Toronto, Canada. Seven key themes emerged: Clinicians (1) appreciate hardships and challenges in lives of SDMs and patients—including the challenging emotions and experiences on both sides, and the risks and relational changes from being an SDM; (2) have an understanding of the patient’s situation and respect for patient autonomy and wishes—they are promoter of autonomy and mindful of patients’ prior wishes amidst patients’ fluctuating capacity, facilitating communication, keeping patients informed and promoting transitioning from SDM to self-determination; (3) have a special working relationship with family SDMs—including supporting SDMs, avoiding harm from delayed or denied treatment, and educating and collaborating with SDMs while maintaining professional boundaries; (4) at times find it difficult working with SDMs—stemming from working with over-involved or uninterested family SDMs, coping with perceived poor SDM decisions, and they sometimes ponder if SDMs are necessary; (5) delineate differences between family and Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) SDMs—they see PGT as closely aligned with medical decision makers, while family SDMs are more intimately involved and more likely to disagree with a physician’s recommendation; (6) recognize the importance of the SDM role in various contexts—through seeing social values in having SDMs, and acknowledging that having SDMS help them to feel better about their actions as they work to protect the patients; and (7) express ideas on how to improve the current system—at public, societal, and family SDM levels. We conclude that clinicians have unique mediating roles, with privilege and responsibility in understanding the different roles and challenges patients and SDMs face, and have opportunities to improve patient and SDM experiences, clinical outcomes, carry out education, and advocate for ethically just decisions. These clinical roles also come with frustration, discomfort, moral distress and at times vicarious trauma. Clinicians’ unique understanding of this complex and nuanced intersection of patient care provides insight into the core issues of autonomy, duty to care and protect, advocacy, and emotional dynamics involved in this sector as a larger philosophical and social movement to abolish SDMs, as advocated by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), is taking place. We briefly discuss the role of supported decision making as an alternative as. Full article

The Druze community has survived for a thousand years, during which it witnessed the emergence of female political and religious leaders. However, the Isma‘ili foundations of the Druze religion favored women without offering them considerable rights. This study describes the political actions of women leaders who are considered unique and outstanding leaders in the history of Druze society. The women discussed in this article share some features: all came from an elite social background; all were endowed with outstanding leadership qualities, which gave them status and prestige in the community; and, in keeping with Druze female leadership, all were identified with female sanctity and spirituality. Additionally, these women were portrayed in folk stories and biographies as women characterized by boldness, courage, leadership, and especially charisma to lead in the public sphere and not just the private one, in contrast to what is expected of Druze women as belonging to the private sphere, the family. This article argues that the combination of the level of positive consciousness toward women in the Druze religion and the elite status of these women, in addition to being unique charismatic personalities in Druze society and in their era, explains how they acquired their leadership role in the Druze community. Furthermore, while engaging in social and political activism, these women never employed their privileged status to promote gender equality in their societies. Full article

The Women, Life, Freedom (WLF) movement in Iran represents an existentialist and humanist liberation struggle against the country’s oppressive clerical regime. Grounded in existentialist philosophy, particularly Simone de Beauvoir’s concepts of autonomy, self-realization, and the pursuit of freedom, WLF extends beyond political reform to advocate for both personal and national liberation. The movement emphasizes self-determination, bodily autonomy, and agency, rejecting imposed identities and societal constraints. With over 120 years of Iranian women’s struggles as its foundation, WLF builds on past movements, such as the One Million Signatures Campaign, which raised awareness of legal discrimination and violence against women. The movement has also been shaped by globalization and “glocal” processes, fostering cross-cultural feminist solidarity among Iranian women both inside and outside the country. These transnational feminist networks connect local, national, and global movements, strengthening advocacy efforts. A defining feature of WLF is the role of male allies. Some men, particularly as partners in solidarity, actively challenge patriarchal norms and advocate for gender equality. Their participation reflects a shared commitment to human rights, national dignity, and freedom while acknowledging the importance of gender in shaping lived experiences and struggles. Ultimately, WLF is not just a gendered struggle but a unifying force that redefines Iranian identity. By intertwining personal and societal liberation within a global framework, the movement advances a transformative vision, one that challenges oppression, reclaims agency, and aspires for a just and equitable society. Full article

Sustainability in the food chain and the prevention of food losses is an issue of increasing importance. There is a large number of processing by-products where innovative strategies are helpful for transferring these losses into a consumable state. In a step-by-step approach, this current study focused on the sensory properties of blends of sunflower press cake and whey, fermented with different consortia of microorganisms and intended for being used as a basis for a savory spread. In the first part of the work, blends fermented with six co-cultures from lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were characterized by free choice profiling and quantitative descriptive analysis. The respective results were used to modify the formulation and to select the fermentation cultures that were promising from a sensory point of view. Subsequent investigations allowed reducing sample dimensionality further, and the study was concluded by affective hedonic tests and a check-all-that-apply set-up performed by consumers. The final experiment also comprised a just-about-right approach performed for specifically evaluating spreadability. The outcome of the entire study indicates that it is possible to tailor attractive foods from by-products, provided that the need for final optimizations regarding palatability is considered. Full article

The Critical Pedagogies Research Team (PEDACRI-ULL) participates in the Program for the Inclusion of Migrants at Risk of Social Exclusion (PIPE) 2023-1-ES01-KA220-ADU-000160578, funded by the European Union. This project aims to design, implement and promote a transnational cooperation network to enhance the skills and competencies of migrants. Its purpose is to provide an educational response aligned with the European Commission’s Pact on Migration and Asylum.. Among its objectives, the program develops tools for professionals and institutions working with migrants, fostering collaborative learning to envision a culture of peace. In this essay, we explore the Pedagogy of Hospitality through critical pedagogies and the dialogue of knowledge. We propose a model of migrant citizenship based on an interlinguistic didactic relationship that promotes intercultural coexistence, grounded in an ethic of miscegenation. Furthermore, we advocate language teaching as a universal right and argue that hospitality should not be seen as an act of generosity but as a moral duty. This perspective supports an inclusive and just education, where language serves as a bridge for integration and mutual recognition. Full article

Over the last couple of decades, the subject of women’s rights in Islam has emerged as the central tension point in discussion about the (in)compatibility of Islam with the modern concept of universal human rights. This topic has drawn significant attention from both liberal and Muslim theorists, who have questioned the source of gender inequality and discrimination against women evident in various Muslim societies. These issues are particularly pronounced in certain provisions of Islamic family law, which appear to conflict with both Islamic principles and the concept of a just and merciful God. Simultaneously, another discussion is unfolding within inner-Muslim debate where Muslims are sharply divided over an important question: Is Sharia divinely created or humanly constructed? Within this debate, Islamic female theorists argue that not only is Sharia man-made law, but one constructed dominantly through the interpretations of male jurists, theologians, and thinkers, whereas female voices and experiences were marginalized, silenced, and excluded. This profoundly influenced the construction of Sharia and embedded hierarchical gender-power dynamics within its provisions. This article explores the topic through three key points: first, the question of the creation or construction of Sharia is examined, emphasizing the unquestionable interpretative role of humans in deciphering God’s Will; second, it argues that the construction process of Sharia was dominated and monopolized by male interpreters, who have read the Qur’an through the lens of the historical context of eighth- and ninth-century Arabia, where gender inequality was a norm; third, it highlights the voices of Islamic female theorists and their egalitarian interpretations of the Qur’an, which reflect the core Islamic message of a just and merciful God. Full article