Search Results (2,527)

Contemporary muralism has gained increasing cultural and social relevance in recent years, becoming a prominent form of urban artistic expression. However, its outdoor exposure makes it highly vulnerable to environmental degradation, raising significant challenges for long-term preservation. While solar radiation is widely recognized as a main agent of deterioration, the impact of rainfall has received comparatively little attention. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the durability of commercial protective coatings applied to modern paints (alkyd, acrylic, and styrene-acrylic) under simulated rain exposure. The ageing protocol replicates approximately 10 years of cumulative rainfall in Central-Southern Europe. A key innovation of this research is the use of a custom-built rain chamber, uniquely designed to expose a large number of samples simultaneously under highly uniform and controlled rain conditions. The system ensures reproducible exposure through a precision-controlled moving platform and programmable rain delivery. A comprehensive set of analytical techniques was employed to assess morphological, chemical, and functional changes in the coatings and paints before and after ageing. Results highlight the limited performance of current protective materials and the need for more effective solutions for the conservation of contemporary outdoor artworks. Full article

Background: Concerns over women’s mental health have intensified globally, especially among mothers managing dual careers and family responsibilities. Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs), such as gratitude journaling and well-being workshops, have demonstrated promise in enhancing mental health; however, their applicability in Arab contexts remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of PPIs on mothers’ well-being, gratitude, depression, anxiety, and stress in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest study assessed the effects of a four-week PPI on 37 Saudi working mothers (aged 21–50 years) employed at a private school in Riyadh. The intervention included guided gratitude journaling thrice weekly and two workshops on positive psychology and gratitude. Pre- and post-intervention assessments used validated Arabic versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), WHO-5 Well-being Index, and Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). Results: Significant improvements were found post-intervention: depression, anxiety, and stress scores decreased (p < 0.001), while well-being and gratitude increased (p = 0.001). However, participants with lower household income (<50,000 SAR) showed less improvement, indicating a potential moderating effect of socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The intervention demonstrated promising short-term improvements in mental health and well-being among Saudi mothers. The findings underscore the importance of culturally appropriate PPIs and highlight the need for further research using controlled, long-term designs. Limitations include the small, non-random sample, absence of a control group, and restriction to a single geographic region. Full article

Adult trees of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) are recalcitrant to vegetative propagation. In this study, we investigated the micropropagation of five oak genotypes corresponding to trees aged 60–800 years in a liquid medium. We used commercial RITA bioreactors to study the influence of the explant type, the culture medium, shoot support and number of immersions. Variables evaluated included the number of normal and hyperhydric shoots, shoot length, multiplication coefficient and number of rootable shoots per explant. All genotypes could be cultured in temporary immersion. Basal stem sections attached to callus grew better than apical sections and developed less hyperhydricity. For long-term cultivation, Gresshoff and Doy medium was the best of the three media evaluated. All genotypes produced vigorous shoots suitable for rooting and acclimation. This is the first protocol to proliferate adult oak trees in bioreactors, representing significant progress towards large-scale propagation of this and other related species. Full article

The ecological rice–eel co-culture system is not only beneficial for enhancing productivity and sustainability in agriculture but also plays a crucial role in promoting environmental health. In the present study, based on the long-term positioning trial of the rice–eel co-culture system that began in 2016 and was sampled in 2023, the effects of reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on soil physico-chemical properties and the bacterial community were investigated. Treatments included a conventional regular fertilization treatment (RT), rice–eel co-culture system regular fertilization (IT), and nitrogen-reduction 10%, 30%, and 50% fertilization treatments (IT90, IT70, and IT50). Our research demonstrated the following: (1) Compared to RT, IT significantly increased soil water-stable macroaggregates (R0.25), mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and available phosphorus content, with the increases of 15.66%, 25.49%, 36.00%, and 18.42%, respectively. Among the nitrogen-reduction fertilization treatments, IT90 showed the most significant effect. Compared to IT, IT90 significantly increased R0.25, MWD, GMD, and available nitrogen content, with increases of 4.4%, 7.81%, 8.82%, and 28.89%, respectively. (2) Compared to RT, at the phylum level, the diversity of Chloroflexi was significantly increased under IT and IT50, and the diversity of Gemmatimonadota was significantly increased under IT90, IT70, and IT50. The diversity of Acidobacteriota was significantly higher in IT90 and IT70 compared to IT. It was shown that the rice–eel co-culture system and nitrogen fertilizer reduction could effectively improve the degradation capacity of organic matter and promote soil nitrogen cycling. In addition, redundancy analysis (RDA) identified total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and available nitrogen (p = 0.007) as the three most important environmental factors driving changes in the bacterial community. (3) The functional prediction analysis of soil microbiota showed that, compared to RT, the diversity of pathways related to biosynthesis (carbohydrate biosynthesis and cell structure biosynthesis) and metabolism (L-glutamate and L-glutamine biosynthesis) was significantly higher under IT70, IT90, IT, and IT50 (in descending order). However, the diversity of pathways associated with degradation/utilization/assimilation (secondary metabolite degradation and amine and polyamine degradation) was significantly lower under all the rice–eel co-culture treatments. In conclusion, the rice–eel co-culture system improved soil physicochemical properties and the soil microbial environment compared with conventional planting, and the best soil improvement was achieved with 10% less N fertilizer application. Full article

Neuroinflammation is the major contributor to the pathology of neonatal hypoxic–ischemic (HI) brain injury. Our previous studies have demonstrated that microRNA210 (miR210) inhibition with antisense locked nucleic acid (LNA) inhibitor mitigates neuroinflammation and provides neuroprotection after neonatal HI insult. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, using miR210 knockout (KO) mice and microglial cultures, we tested the hypothesis that miR210 promotes microglial activation and neuroinflammation through suppressing mitochondrial function in microglia after HI. Neonatal HI brain injury was conducted on postnatal day 9 (P9) wild-type (WT) and miR210 knockout (KO) mouse pups. We found that miR210 KO significantly reduced brain infarct size at 48 h and improved long-term locomotor functions assessed by an open field test three weeks after HI. Moreover, miR210 KO mice exhibited reduced IL1β levels, microglia activation and immune cell infiltration after HI. In addition, in vitro studies of microglia exposed to oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) revealed that miR210 inhibition with LNA reduced OGD-induced expression of Il1b and rescued OGD-mediated downregulation of mitochondrial iron–sulfur cluster assembly enzyme (ISCU) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation activity. To validate the link between miR210 and microglia activation, isolated primary murine microglia were transfected with miR210 mimic or negative control. The results showed that miR210 mimic downregulated the expression of mitochondrial ISCU protein abundance and induced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines similar to the effect observed with ISCU silencing RNA. In summary, our results suggest that miR210 is a key regulator of microglial proinflammatory activation through reprogramming mitochondrial function in neonatal HI brain injury. Full article

This paper aims to explore the potentialities and systemic relationships between the ‘regenerative’ process and ‘circular economy’ concept within the conservation and reuse of a built cultural heritage framework through contextualizing the concept of ‘process programming’ of the Preventive and Planned Conservation methodology. As a case study, it depicts a decommissioned industrial agricultural silo in Corbetta—a small historic city with its hinterland located in the protected Southern Milan Regional Agricultural Park. The context includes the industrial agricultural lands of the 20th century, together with historical water infrastructure, farmhouses, and the typical flora of the Lombardy region, all evidences of Corbetta’s rural archaeological values and the sophisticated material culture of its past collective production/economy system—the locus in which the silo was once one of the main productive symbols of Corbetta’s agricultural identity. Within such a complex and challenging context, this paper argues in favor of the constructive role of such a methodology in upholding circular economy principles within the process of conservation and reuse of the silo, highlighting its broader application of the ‘coevolution’ concept from a multidisciplinary long-term perspective. Full article

Despite significant advancements in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of hematological malignancies, including leukemia and multiple myeloma, the majority of patients continue to experience poor long-term outcomes. This is partly due to the difficulty of accurately recapitulating the malignant microenvironment in vitro, particularly the bone marrow niche. The complexity of the bone marrow microenvironment poses a challenge for the in vitro examination of hematological malignancies. Traditionally, 2D culture and animal models have been utilized, but these representations are limited and have been criticized for their lack of human physiological relevance. In an attempt to overcome this, 3D models have been developed that more accurately recapitulate the in vivo microenvironment. Herein, we present an overview of recent developments in 2D and 3D models used for studying the bone marrow niche in hematological malignancies, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Senior nurses in Taiwan shoulder layered responsibilities shaped by professional roles, gendered expectations, and family duty. Although Taiwan faces a persistent shortage of experienced clinical nurses, limited research has explored how long-serving nurses sustain identity and commitment across decades of caregiving. This study examines how senior staff nurses understand their journeys of becoming—and remaining—nurses within a culturally and emotionally complex landscape. Methods: Interviews were conducted between May 2019 and September 2023 in locations chosen by participants, with most sessions face-to-face and others undertaken via video conferencing during COVID-19. This narrative inquiry involved in-depth, multi-session interviews with five female senior staff nurses born in the 1970s to early 1980s. Each participant reflected on her life and career, supported by co-constructed “nursing life lines.” Thematic narrative analysis was conducted using McCormack’s five-lens framework and Riessman’s model, with ethical rigor ensured through reflexive journaling and participant validation. Results: Three overarching themes emerged: (1) inner strength and endurance, highlighting silent resilience and the ethical weight of caregiving; (2) support and responsibility in relationships, revealing the influence of family, faith, and relational duty; and (3) role navigation and professional identity, showing how nurses revisit meaning, self-understanding, and tensions across time. Participants described emotionally powerful moments, identity re-connection, and cultural values that shaped their paths. Conclusions: These narratives offer a relational and culturally embedded understanding of what it means to sustain a career in nursing. Narrative inquiry created space for reflection, meaning-making, and voice in a system where such voices are often unheard. Identity was not static—it was lived, reshaped, and held in story. Full article

We report a case of catheter-associated bloodstream infection caused by a putative novel species in the genus Erwinia, identified using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). A female adolescent receiving long-term home parenteral nutrition via a central venous catheter (CVC) presented with a fever. Gram-negative rods were isolated from two CVC-derived blood culture sets, while peripheral cultures remained negative. Conventional identification methods, including VITEK 2, Phoenix M50, MALDI-TOF MS, and 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing, failed to achieve species-level identification. WGS was performed on the isolate using Illumina MiSeq. Genomic analysis revealed a genome size of 5.39 Mb with 56.8% GC content and high assembly completeness. The highest average nucleotide identity (ANI) was 90.3% with Pantoea coffeiphila, and ≤85% with known Erwinia species, suggesting that it represents a distinct taxon. Phylogenetic analyses placed the isolate within the Erwinia clade but separate from any known species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed broad susceptibility. This case highlights the utility of WGS for the identification of rare or novel organisms not captured by conventional methods and expands the clinical spectrum of Erwinia species. While the criteria for species delineation were met, the phenotypic characterization remains insufficient to formally propose a new species. Full article

Chemoresistance is a major challenge in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Multicellular spheroids are an attractive platform for investigating chemoresistance in TNBC, as they replicate the cues of the tumour microenvironment in vivo. We conducted a comprehensive literature search to summarise the multifactorial and interlinked mechanisms driving chemoresistance in TNBC spheroids. These mechanisms include spatial heterogeneity, hypoxia, extracellular matrix remodelling, tumour–stroma crosstalk, drug efflux, apoptotic resistance, and cancer stem cell signalling. Strategies for overcoming chemoresistance in TNBC spheroids include nanocarrier systems to overcome spatial diffusion limitations, pathway inhibition, and targeting tumour–microenvironment interactions. Despite their advantages, some spheroid models face challenges such as low reproducibility, a lack of heterogeneity, variability in size and shape, limited vascularisation, and constraints in long-term culture. Advanced culturing platforms such as clinostat bioreactors allow for extended culture periods, enabling mature spheroid drug testing. Furthermore, advanced analytical techniques provide spatially resolved spheroid data. These multifactorial and interlinked mechanisms reflect the tumour microenvironment in vivo that spheroids recapitulate, rendering them valuable models for studying chemoresistance. The incorporation of stromal components and advanced analytical workflows will enhance the utility and translational relevance of spheroids as reliable preclinical models for drug discovery in TNBC. Full article

Hydrogels, characterized by their high water content, tunable mechanical properties, and excellent biocompatibility, have emerged as a promising material platform for the preservation of cultural heritage. Their unique physicochemical features enable non-invasive and adaptable solutions for environmental regulation, structural stabilization, and antifungal protection. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in hydrogel-based strategies specifically developed for the conservation of cultural relics, with a particular focus on antifungal performance—an essential factor in preventing biodeterioration. Current hydrogel systems, composed of natural or synthetic polymer networks integrated with antifungal agents, demonstrate the ability to suppress fungal growth, regulate humidity, alleviate mechanical stress, and ensure minimal damage to artifacts during application. This review also highlights future research directions, such as the application prospects of novel materials, including stimuli-responsive hydrogels and self-dissolving hydrogels. As an early exploration of the use of hydrogels in antifungal protection and broader cultural heritage conservation, this work is expected to promote the wider application of this emerging technology, contributing to the effective preservation and long-term transmission of cultural heritage worldwide. Full article

Background and Objectives: Depression is a leading cause of disability globally, with treatment challenges including limited access, stigma, and poor adherence. Gamification, which applies game elements such as points, levels, and storytelling into non-game contexts, offers a promising strategy to enhance engagement and augment traditional treatments. Our research is the first study designed to explore the implementation of gamification within the Malaysian context. The objective was to explore the feasibility of implementation of gamification as an adjunctive treatment for adults with depression. Materials and Methods: Focus group discussions were held with five mental health professionals and ten patients diagnosed with moderate depression. The qualitative component assessed perceptions of gamified interventions, while quantitative measures evaluated participants’ depressive and anxiety symptomatology. Results: Three key themes were identified: (1) understanding of gamification as a treatment option, (2) factors influencing its acceptance, and (3) characteristics of a practical and feasible intervention. Clinicians saw potential in gamification to boost motivation, support psychoeducation, and encourage self-paced learning, but they expressed concerns about possible addiction, stigma, and the complexity of gameplay for some patients. Patients spoke of gaming as a source of comfort, escapism, and social connection. Acceptance was shaped by engaging storylines, intuitive design, balanced difficulty, therapist guidance, and clear safety measures. Both groups agreed that gamification should be used in conjunction with standard treatments, be culturally sensitive, and be presented as a meaningful therapeutic approach rather than merely as entertainment. Conclusions: Gamification emerges as an acceptable and feasible supplementary approach for managing depression in Malaysia. Its success depends on culturally sensitive design, robust clinical oversight, and seamless integration with existing care pathways. Future studies should investigate long-term outcomes and establish guidelines for the safe and effective implementation of this approach. We recommend targeted investment into culturally adapted gamified tools, including training, policy development, and collaboration with key stakeholders to realistically implement gamification as a mental health intervention in Malaysia. Full article

Thailand’s southern border provinces need youth-focused multicultural leadership programs integrating local religious–cultural elements, community involvement, and long-term evaluation to enhance social cohesion and sustainable development. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a program to foster multicultural leadership among youth in Thailand’s three southern border provinces. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved synthesizing key multicultural leadership characteristics, designing a structured program and assessing its relevance and coherence through expert evaluation. The second phase focused on empirical validation by implementing the program with 22 selected youth participants, employing repeated-measures analysis of variance to assess its effectiveness. Additionally, experts evaluated the program’s validity, appropriateness, cost-effectiveness, utility, and feasibility. The resulting program, “EARCA”, comprises five core components: Experiential Exposure, Active Exploration & Engagement, Reflective Thinking & Analysis, Concept Integration & Synthesis, and Application & Extension. Expert assessments confirmed its appropriateness at the highest level, with a consistency index ranging from 0.8 to 1.0. Statistical analyses demonstrated significant improvements in all dimensions of multicultural leadership among participants. Furthermore, the program was rated highly accurate, appropriate, cost-effective, practical, and feasible for real-world implementation. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to enhance multicultural leadership development through structured, evidence-based interventions. Full article

Early printed books, particularly incunabula, are invaluable archives of the beginnings of modern educational systems. However, their complex layouts, antique typefaces, and page degradation caused by bleed-through and ink fading pose significant challenges for automatic transcription. In this work, we present a modular pipeline that addresses these problems by combining modern layout analysis and language modeling techniques. The pipeline begins with historical layout-aware text segmentation using Kraken, a neural network-based tool tailored for early typographic structures. Initial optical character recognition (OCR) is then performed with Kraken’s recognition engine, followed by post-correction using a fine-tuned ByT5 transformer model trained on manually aligned line-level data. By learning to map noisy OCR outputs to verified transcriptions, the model substantially improves recognition quality. The pipeline also integrates a preprocessing stage based on our previous work on bleed-through removal using robust statistical filters, including non-local means, Gaussian mixtures, biweight estimation, and Gaussian blur. This step enhances the legibility of degraded pages prior to OCR. The entire solution is open, modular, and scalable, supporting long-term preservation and improved accessibility of cultural heritage materials. Experimental results on 15th-century incunabula show a reduction in the Character Error Rate (CER) from around 38% to around 15% and an increase in the Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) score from 22 to 44, confirming the effectiveness of our approach. This work demonstrates the potential of integrating transformer-based correction with layout-aware segmentation to enhance OCR accuracy in digital humanities applications. Full article

As sustainable cultural heritage tourism increasingly demonstrates its unique value and appeal, effectively stimulating tourists’ emotional experiences and value co-creation behaviors has become a focal issue. This study investigates how multiple tourist motivations (self-enhancement, escapism, and social interaction) shape value co-creation through emotional mediators—namely aesthetic, nostalgic, and flow experiences. Data were collected from 470 valid responses from visitors to the UNESCO-listed Suzhou Classical Gardens in China and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that these emotional experiences significantly drive value co-creation behavior: self-enhancement motivation enhances all three experiences, escapism mainly promotes nostalgic and flow experiences, and social interaction primarily affects aesthetic experience. These findings clarify the psychological mechanisms through which tourists’ motivations and emotional experiences influence value co-creation behavior in cultural heritage tourism. This research advances our understanding of the motivation–experience–behavior framework and emphasizes that enhancing emotional engagement is key to fostering sustainable cultural heritage tourism practices. The study provides practical implications for designing experiences and strategies that balance visitor satisfaction with the long-term vitality of cultural heritage sites and local communities, thereby contributing to broader sustainable development goals. Full article