Search Results (1,474)

Petroglyph motifs from 23 sites and 37 panels in northern Georgia and western North Carolina foothills and mountains are analyzed within their archaeological, ethnographic, and landscape contexts. The Track Rock Tradition comprises 10 chronologically sequenced marking categories: (1) Cupules/Meanders/Open Circles; (2) Soapstone Extraction cars; (3) Vulva Shapes; (4) Figures; (5) Feet/Hands/Tracks; (6) Nested Circles; (7) Cross-in-Circles; (8) Spirals; (9) Straight Lines; and (10) Thin Incised Lines. Dating spans approximately 3800 years. Early cupules and meanders predate 3000 years ago, truncated by Late Archaic soapstone extraction. Woodland period (3000–1050 years ago) motifs include vulva shapes, figures, feet, tracks, and hands. Early Mississippian concentric circles date to 1050–600 years ago, while Middle Mississippian cross-in-circles span 600–350 years ago. Late Mississippian spirals (350–200 years ago) and post-contact metal tool incisions represent the most recent phases. The Track Rock Tradition differs from western Trapp and eastern Hagood Mill traditions. Given the spatial overlap with Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee territory, motifs are interpreted through Cherokee beliefs, supplemented by related Muskogean Creek ethnography. In Cherokee cosmology, the matrilocal Thunderers hierarchy includes the Female Sun/Male Moon, Selu (Corn Mother)/Kanati (Lucky Hunter), Medicine Woman/Judaculla (Master of Game), and Little People families. Ritual practitioners served as intermediaries between physical and spirit realms through purification, fasting, body scratching, and rock pecking. Meanders represent trails, rivers, and lightning. Cupules and lines emphasize the turtle appearance of certain rocks. Vulva shapes relate to fertility, while tracks connect to life-giving abilities. Concentric circles denote townhouses; cross-in-circles and spirals represent central fires. The tradition shows continuity in core beliefs despite shifting emphases from hunting (Woodland) to corn cultivation (Mississippian), with petroglyphs serving as necessary waypoints for spiritual supplicants. Full article

This paper investigates the cultural, spiritual, and ecological use and value of fish by-products in the material practices of Alaska Native (Indigenous Peoples are the descendants of the populations who inhabited a geographical region at the time of colonisation and who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural, and political institutions. In this paper, I use the terms “Indigenous” and “Native” interchangeably. In some countries, one of these terms may be favoured over the other.) and Greenlandic Inuit women. It aims to uncover how fish remnants—skins, bones, bladders, vertebrae, and otoliths—were transformed through tanning, dyeing, and sewing into garments, containers, tools, oils, glues, and adornments, reflecting sustainable systems of knowledge production rooted in Arctic Indigenous lifeways. Drawing on interdisciplinary methods combining Indigenist research, ethnographic records, and sustainability studies, the research contextualises these practices within broader environmental, spiritual, and social frameworks. The findings demonstrate that fish-based technologies were not merely utilitarian but also carried symbolic meanings, linking wearers to ancestral spirits, animal kin, and the marine environment. These traditions persisted even after European contact and the introduction of glass trade beads, reflecting continuity and cultural adaptability. The paper contributes to academic discourse on Indigenous innovation and environmental humanities by offering a culturally grounded model of zero-waste practice and reciprocal ecology. It argues that such ancestral technologies are directly relevant to contemporary sustainability debates in fashion and material design. By documenting these underexamined histories, the study provides valuable insight into Indigenous resilience and offers a critical framework for integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into current sustainability practices. Full article

This study investigates the thermal dynamics and material behavior involved in the baking process for Lebanese flatbread, focusing on the heat transfer mechanisms, water loss, and dough expansion under high-temperature conditions. Despite previous studies on flatbread baking using impingement or conventional ovens, this work presents the first experimental investigation of the traditional Lebanese flatbread baking process under realistic industrial conditions, specifically using a high-temperature tunnel oven with direct flame heating, extremely short baking times (~10–12 s), and peak temperatures reaching ~650 °C, which are essential to achieving the characteristic pocket formation and texture of Lebanese bread. This experimental study characterizes the baking kinetics of traditional Lebanese flatbread, recording mass loss pre- and post-baking, thermal profiles, and dough expansion through real-time temperature measurements and video recordings, providing insights into the dough’s thermal response and expansion behavior under high-temperature conditions. A custom-designed instrumented oven with a steel conveyor and a direct flame burner was employed. The dough, prepared following a traditional recipe, was analyzed during the baking process using K-type thermocouples and visual monitoring. Results revealed that Lebanese bread undergoes significant water loss due to high baking temperatures (~650 °C), leading to rapid crust formation and pocket development. Empirical equations modeling the relationship between baking time, temperature, and expansion were developed with high predictive accuracy. Additionally, an energy analysis revealed that the total energy required to bake Lebanese bread is approximately 667 kJ/kg, with an overall thermal efficiency of only 21%, dropping to 16% when preheating is included. According to previous CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations, most heat loss in similar tunnel ovens occurs via the chimney (50%) and oven walls (29%). These findings contribute to understanding the broader thermophysical principles that can be applied to the development of more efficient baking processes for various types of bread. The empirical models developed in this study can be applied to automating and refining the industrial production of Lebanese flatbread, ensuring consistent product quality across different baking environments. Future studies will extend this work to alternative oven designs and dough formulations. Full article

Spruce wood is a natural polymeric material, consisting of cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses and other secondary components, which gives it a unique chemical footprint and architecture. Varnishes are used in musical instruments to protect the wood against humidity variations, wood being a hygroscopic material, but also to protect the wood from dirt. The varnishes used both to protect the wood from resonance and to ensure a special aesthetic appearance are either polymeric varnishes (nitrocellulose, oil-based) or volatile solvents (spirit). In this study, the color changes, the surface morphology and the chemical spectrum produced by three types of varnishes, applied in 5, 10 and 15 layers, on resonance spruce plates were analyzed. The results revealed significant changes in the color parameters: the lightness decreased by approximately 17% after the first layer, by 50% after 5 layers, by 65% after 10 layers and by 70% after 15 layers. The color parameters are most influenced by the anatomical quality of spruce wood (annual ring width and earlywood/latewood ratio) in the case of oil-based varnishes and least influenced in the case of nitrocellulose varnishes. The chemical fingerprint was determined by FTIR spectrum analysis, which revealed that the most pronounced absorptions were the double band 2926–2858 cm⁻¹, corresponding to aliphatic methylene and methyl groups (asymmetric and symmetrical C-H stretch), and the bands at 1724 cm⁻¹ (oil-based varnish), 1722 cm⁻¹ (nitrocellulose varnish) and 1708 cm⁻¹ (spirit varnish), all assigned to non-conjugated carbonyl groups in either carboxylic acids, esters aldehydes or ketones. The novelty of the study lies in the comparative analysis of three types of varnishes used in the musical instrument industry, applied to samples of spruce resonance wood with different macroscopic characteristics in three different layer thicknesses. Full article

In crisis-stricken economies, leadership effectiveness increasingly hinges not on technical expertise alone but on emotional competence. While emotional intelligence (EI) has been widely acknowledged as a catalyst for effective leadership and employee outcomes, its role in volatile and resource-scarce contexts remains underexplored. This study addresses this critical gap by investigating the impact of five core EI dimensions, namely self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, on employee performance amid Lebanon’s ongoing multidimensional crisis. Drawing on Goleman’s EI framework and the Job Demands–Resources theory, the research employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design with data collected from 398 employees across sectors in Lebanon. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that all EI dimensions significantly and positively influenced employee performance, with self-regulation (β = 0.485) and empathy (β = 0.361) emerging as the most potent predictors. These findings underscore the value of emotionally intelligent leadership in fostering productivity, resilience, and team cohesion during organizational instability. This study contributes to the literature by contextualizing EI in an under-researched, crisis-affected setting, offering nuanced insights into which emotional competencies are most impactful during prolonged uncertainty. Practically, it positions EI as a strategic leadership asset for crisis management and sustainable human resource development in fragile economies. The results inform leadership training, policy design, and organizational strategies that aim to enhance employee performance through emotionally intelligent practices. Full article

This article examines the evolution and potential cross-cultural adaptations of the “Goddess of the Flaming Mouth”, Jvālāmukhī (Skt.) or Kha ‘bar ma (Tib.), in Indic and Tibetan traditions. A minor figure in medieval Hindu Tantras, Jvālāmukhī is today best known through her tangible manifestation as natural flames in a West Himalayan temple complex in the valley of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. The gap between her sparse portrayal in Tantric texts and her enduring presence at this local “seat of power” (śakti pīṭha) raises questions regarding her historical development and sectarian affiliations. To address these questions, we examine mentions of Jvālāmukhī’s Tibetan counterpart, Kha ‘bar ma, across a wide range of textual sources: canonical Buddhist texts, original Tibetan works of the Bön and Buddhist traditions, and texts on sacred geography. Regarded as a queen of ghost spirits (pretas) and field protector (kṣetrapāla) in Buddhist sources, her portrayal in Bön texts contain archaic motifs that hint at autochthonous and/or non-Buddhist origins. The assessment of Indic material in conjunction with Tibetan texts point to possible transformations of the goddess across these culturally proximate Himalayan settings. In presenting and contextualizing these transitions, this article contributes critical data to ongoing efforts to map the development, adaptation, and localization of Tantric deities along the Indo-Tibetan interface. Full article

The phrase shiri bing chu 十日並出 (ten suns rose in the sky at once) from the Qiwu lun 齊物論 can also be interpreted as shiri dai chu 十日代出 (ten suns alternately appearing). Here, “ten suns rose in the sky at once” is not merely a spatial concept but also a temporal one. Thus, the concept of De 德 (virtue), connected to the idea of “ten suns shining together,” is a transcendent force with its own inner sense of time. It acts as the foundation for all things to exist and grow continuously. Under the endless cycle of day and night and the nourishing power of tiande 天德 (heavenly virtue), everything flourishes according to its true nature. Here, De combines two aspects: mingde 明德 (luminous virtue) and xuande 玄德 (inconspicuous virtue). “luminous virtue” focuses on order and building, highlighting the uniqueness within human growth. “inconspicuous virtue” emphasizes harmony and equalizing with all things, revealing our shared connection with the world. These two concepts are not opposites. The highest goal of luminous virtue lies in mysterious virtue, which itself contains the roots of luminous virtue. Both work together to reflect the natural flow of the Dao 道 (the Way), thus demonstrating that Zhuangzi’s philosophy is not merely about criticism or deconstruction—it has a deeply constructive side. Virtue transcends both individuality and universality. Human nature holds both virtues. By balancing the order of growth and equalizing with all things, we can harmonize our uniqueness with our shared bonds, revealing our true value in both action and spirit. Full article

Precision neurosurgery is rapidly evolving as a medical specialty by merging genomic medicine, multi-omics technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, while at the same time, society is shifting away from the traditional, anatomic model of care to consider a more precise, molecular model of care. The general purpose of this review is to contemporaneously reflect on how these advances will impact neurosurgical care by providing us with more precise diagnostic and treatment pathways. We hope to provide a relevant review of the recent advances in genomics and multi-omics in the context of clinical practice and highlight their transformational opportunities in the existing models of care, where improved molecular insights can support improvements in clinical care. More specifically, we will highlight how genomic profiling, CRISPR-Cas9, and multi-omics platforms (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) are increasing our understanding of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Achievements obtained with transformational technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing and intraoperative mass spectrometry are exemplary of the molecular diagnostic possibilities in real-time molecular diagnostics to enable a more directed approach in surgical options. We will also explore how identifying specific biomarkers (e.g., IDH mutations and MGMT promoter methylation) became a tipping point in the care of glioblastoma and allowed for the establishment of a new taxonomy of tumors that became applicable for surgeons, where a change in practice enjoined a different surgical resection approach and subsequently stratified the adjuvant therapies undertaken after surgery. Furthermore, we reflect on how the novel genomic characterization of mutations like DEPDC5 and SCN1A transformed the pre-surgery selection of surgical candidates for refractory epilepsy when conventional imaging did not define an epileptogenic zone, thus reducing resective surgery occurring in clinical practice. While we are atop the crest of an exciting wave of advances, we recognize that we also must be diligent about the challenges we must navigate to implement genomic medicine in neurosurgery—including ethical and technical challenges that could arise when genomic mutation-based therapies require the concurrent application of multi-omics data collection to be realized in practice for the benefit of patients, as well as the constraints from the blood–brain barrier. The primary challenges also relate to the possible gene privacy implications around genomic medicine and equitable access to technology-based alternative practice disrupting interventions. We hope the contribution from this review will not just be situational consolidation and integration of knowledge but also a stimulus for new lines of research and clinical practice. We also hope to stimulate mindful discussions about future possibilities for conscientious and sustainable progress in our evolution toward a genomic model of precision neurosurgery. In the spirit of providing a critical perspective, we hope that we are also adding to the larger opportunity to embed molecular precision into neuroscience care, striving to promote better practice and better outcomes for patients in a global sense. Full article

With good reason, Vatican II encourages the Eastern ecclesial realities to preserve and, if necessary, to rediscover their own traditions (also, even if not only, for ecumenical reasons). There are, however, certain aspects of the heritage of the Eastern Churches that require urgent revision in a spirit of consistency with the teachings of the Council. This is undoubtedly the case with regard to the anti-Jewish elements so specific to the entire Christian tradition (more or less generalised insults and judgments; substitutionary and appropriative perspectives; a purely instrumental use of the Jewish scriptures) and, in the absence of full reception of the Council, still reflected in the public prayers of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, to the detriment of that spirit of respect, fraternity, and dialogue theoretically embraced throughout the Catholic world today. In the light of Nostra aetate §4 and the subsequent developments that flowed from it, I shall try in this contribution to outline some possible criteria for reforming the offices of Holy Week, aiming to show that—at least in this particular case—it is not enough merely to refer to the OE, let alone to use it to justify a comfortable tendency towards inertia. Apart from the fact that it is this very Decree that speaks of a possible and necessary organic progress, we cannot ignore the more general spirit of renewal of the Council and its other documents (the NA, the SC, the DV, the GS). The challenge would be to engender a creative fidelity, which—while preserving the best of tradition—surpasses certain of its contingent elements. Full article

Introduction: Nutrition literacy has garnered growing research attention worldwide, yet only a few instruments have been developed to specifically measure this construct among adolescents. Accordingly, the present research sought to examine the validity and reliability of the Adolescent Nutrition Literacy Scale (ANLS) within a group of Lebanese adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from December 2022 to March 2023, targeting a nationally representative sample. Results: Fit indices of the three-factor structure were good. Internal reliability was adequate for the following three subscales: Functional Nutrition Literacy (FNL) (ω = 0.88/α = 0.88), Interactive Nutrition Literacy (INL) (ω = 0.87/α = 0.86) and Critical Nutrition Literacy (CNL) (ω = 0.89/α = 0.89). Invariance was established across genders at configural, metric, and scalar levels. A significantly higher mean FNL and INL scores were found in males compared to females, with no significant difference between the two genders in terms of CNL. Higher FNL, but not CNL and INL scores were significantly associated with lower child food security. Conclusions: The Arabic ANLS has exhibited robust psychometric reliability, validity, and cost-effectiveness as a tool for assessing nutrition literacy. By utilizing the Arabic version of the ANLS, we can more efficiently and accurately assess the nutritional literacy of adolescents. Full article

Background: Spirituality is increasingly seen as a key component of patient-centered care, especially in serious illness or surgery. However, its role among surgical patients in Eastern Europe remains underexplored. Objective: To assess daily spiritual experiences among surgical patients compared to healthy individuals in the Bucovina region (northeastern Romania). Methods: This observational case-control study included 102 participants (51 surgical patients and 51 healthy controls), recruited between March 2023 and April 2024. Participants completed the validated Romanian version of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES). Results: Surgical patients reported significantly higher mean DSES scores (M = 66.27, SD = 16.40) than healthy individuals (M = 55.06, SD = 12.81; p < 0.001). Higher scores were also associated with female gender (p = 0.002), older age, and oncological conditions. Widowed and highly educated participants showed a trend toward higher spirituality, though it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Surgery may intensify spiritual experiences, possibly as a coping response to perceived risk. Addressing spiritual needs in perioperative care—particularly among women, older adults, and oncology patients—could enhance holistic care and improve patient well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: Decision-analytic Bayesian approaches are ideally suited for designing clinical trials. They have been used increasingly over the last 30 years in developing medical devices and drugs. A prototype trial is a bandit problem in which treating participants is as important as treating patients in clinical practice after the trial. Methods: This article chronicles the use of the Bayesian approach in clinical trials motivated by bandit problems. It provides a comprehensive historical and practical review of Bayesian adaptive trials, with a focus on bandit-inspired designs. Results: The 20th century saw advances in Bayesian methodology involving computer simulation. In the 21st century, methods motivated by bandit problems have been applied in designing scores of actual clinical trials. Fifteen such trials are described. By far the most important Bayesian contributions in clinical trials are the abilities to observe the accumulating results and to modify the future course of the trial on the basis of these observations. In the spirit of artificial intelligence, algorithms are programmed to learn the optimal treatment assignments over the remainder of the trial. Conclusions: Bayesian trials are still nascent and represent a small minority of clinical trials, but their existence is changing the way investigators, regulators, and government and industry sponsors view innovation in clinical trials. Full article

In the current era, when civilizations are in constant conflict and humankind is facing a series of serious existential crises, there is an urgent need for universal love to unite humankind. As models of world religions, Christianity and Buddhism provide rich intellectual resources for the construction of such universal love. Regarding Thomistic Christianity, its philosophy of friendship has gradually achieved a dual transformation from virtue-oriented to love-oriented, and from God-centered to human-centered. In the case of Mahayana Buddhism, its philosophy of friendship has evolved with the “Humanistic Buddhism” movement, increasingly demonstrating a compassionate spirit of saving the world. By comparing Thomistic Christianity with Mahayana Buddhism, we can see that although they exhibit different models of friendship, their main developmental trends are consistent. Both are committed to demonstrating a human-centered model of friendship, both emphasize the value of self-reduction in friendship, and both demonstrate the unique and irreplaceable role of religion in friendship. The goal of the philosophy of friendship is universal love and harmonious development of civilizations, while its future development depends on the joint efforts of contemporary religious scholars and philosophers. Full article

In the past hundred years, three pontiffs have written apostolic letters to commemorate anniversaries relating to Dante: in 1921, Benedict XV marked the sixth centenary of the death of the great poet; in 1965, Paul VI judged it opportune to write on the occasion of the seventh centenary of his birth; and in 2021, Pope Francis added his voice to the numerous others wishing to honour the memory of the supreme Florentine poet on the seventh centenary of his death. Each letter is a product of its time: one hundred years ago, the Pope—still confined within the Vatican and refusing to recognise the Kingdom of Italy due to the Roman Question—addressed his text “to the beloved sons, professors and pupils of literary institutes and centres of higher learning within the Catholic world”; Paul VI, in full accord with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and its vision of a Church seeking collaboration with the world, addressed his writing to Dante scholars more broadly, and within the same letter, together with other academic authorities, established the Chair of Dante Studies at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan; Pope Francis today, in his outward-facing style of evangelisation, challenges everyone to (re)read Dante, whose teaching remains relevant seven hundred years after his death. Despite the differing political contexts and ecclesial agendas, Benedict XV, Paul VI, and Pope Francis are united on one point: Dante is a Christian poet—critical of the Church, certainly, but loyal to his faith and desirous of a religious institution that is more serious and less corrupt. This brief study presents the homage which the Church, today, seven centuries later, renders to this Poet—now widely recognised as a passionate witness of an arduous and active faith, in pursuit of justice and freedom. Full article

In this paper, I question what the relationship between psychology and spirit would mean for mental well-being if the ideas of the human being and the notion of spirit are viewed from the perspective of Max Scheler’s philosophical anthropology. Scheler provides a view of the human being and of spirit that differs radically from the generally held views, and his philosophical anthropology provides intellectual nourishment. This approach means that I do not look at spirituality as a religious activity or technique, but rather as a dimension of what constitutes the human being, and I explore how this view of spirituality is related to mental health. This paper is therefore divided into two parts. In the first part, I provide a summary of Scheler’s view of five ideologies of the human being in the history of Western philosophy that he identified, pointing out what he saw as their shortcomings. Next, I examine Scheler’s own philosophical anthropology that views the human being as the meeting place of the interpenetrating movements of spirit and impulsion, and as ens amans—a loving being. After that, I explore Scheler’s notion of spirit and personalism, drawing attention to the crucial role of what he describes as the dimension of spirit in his anthropology. In the second part of this paper, I explore the basic theories of well-being—hedonism, desire theories, and objective list theories—and question what a reading of spirituality as the participation in the movement of love would mean to addressing mental health. I conclude that spirituality should not be viewed as just another source of practices and techniques that could enhance human mental health. Rather, spirituality should be understood as a human being’s execution of the act that constitutes the core of his or her being. Spirituality viewed as the execution of the spiritual act of love—spirituality as loving being. Full article