Search Results (1,219)

“Church’s law is first and foremost lex libertatis”—this proclamation by Pope Benedict XVI (2008) inspired the author, a Catholic canonist, to attempt an aspectual reflection on the question of the quality and relevance in Ecclesia of contemporary legislation, keeping in mind the universal (ecumenical) goal of Church law: salus animarum. For in the face of today’s “signs of the times”, it is impossible to avoid the question of how, in legislating this law, interpreting and applying it, to safeguard and optimize the operability of communion bonds (bonum commune) along with the realization of subjective rights (bonum personae)? It is necessary to ask what contemporary proposals for legislative activity can serve to stimulate “organic development in the life […] of the ecclesial society and of the individual persons who belong to it” (John Paul II)? The inescapable context for this reflection today is the epochal enunciation, according to some, of Pope Francis “it is clear that ecumenical dialogue […] enriches canon law”. In the author’s opinion, the last decade has brought two interesting answers to the questions formulated above. The two “ecumenical enterprises”—to use Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s apt phrase—“fill the historical juridical deficit”; especially since theologians and jurists from different traditions have not yet worked together to demonstrate the ecumenical potential of church law. The results of this work—offering original methodologies—are the idea of “receptive ecumenism”, by Catholic canonist Paul Murray, and Norman Doe’s project, culminating in the Statement of Principles of Christian Law, produced by the International Panel of Experts. Both “ecumenical enterprises” give new impetus to ecumenical initiatives, but also, according to Francis’ quoted words, carry with them the potential to enrich church law and serve its renewal. Full article

A novel material composed of Au@SiO₂-(3-Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane) (Au@SiO₂-APTES) was successfully synthesised using the sol–gel method, and was used to modify glassy carbon electrodes. Its effectiveness as a molecular recognition element is evaluated in the design of an electrochemical sensor for the precise detection of dopamine. The Au@SiO₂-APTES composite was analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Elemental analysis verified the presence of oxygen, silicon, and gold, with atomic percentages of around 77.19%, 21.12%, and 1.65%, respectively. The corresponding elemental mapping for Au@SiO₂-APTES composite showed that the spatial distribution of all the elements was fairly homogeneous throughout the composite, indicating that the Au NPs are embedded in the silica structures. Traces of dopamine were detected by differential pulse voltammetry with a low limit of detection (S/N = 3) and quantification (S/N = 10) of 1.4 × 10⁻⁸ molL⁻¹ and 4.7 × 10⁻⁸ molL⁻¹, respectively. The Au@SiO₂-APTES composite had two linear ranges: from 4.7 × 10⁻⁸ to 1 × 10⁻⁷ molL⁻¹ and 1.25 × 10⁻⁷ to 8.75 × 10⁻⁷ molL⁻¹. Moreover, the sensor showed outstanding selectivity even in the presence of various potential interfering species. It also demonstrated good reusability and signal recovery when tested in human urine and plasma samples spiked with different dopamine concentrations. The electrochemical sensor, constructed using this novel composite material, shows great promise in the selective and sensitive detection of dopamine in the biological matrix. These results underscore the sensor’s capability for practical application in analysing real-world samples. Full article

Objectives: This study sought to determine the platelet function and viscoelastic blood properties in the pre- and postoperative period using three different point-of-care (POC) devices (Multiplate^®, Siemens PFA-200^® and ROTEM^®). We aimed to investigate the association between preoperative POC test results and bleeding outcomes. Postoperative changes in blood hemostatic properties were also evaluated, as well as the agreement between two platelet function analyzers and rotational thromboelastometry parameters. Methods: The study was conducted in a prospective observational fashion. Patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) were enrolled. Hemostatic blood properties were assessed using three different POC devices; two platelet function analyzers were used: (1) Impedance aggregometry (Multiplate^®) with the arachidonic acid (ASPI) test and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) test. (2) The Siemens INNOVANCE^® PFA-200 System with the following assays: the PFA Collagen/EPI test, PFA Collagen/ADP test, and the INNOVANCE^® PFA P2Y test. Viscoelastic blood properties were assessed using ROTEM^® delta (TEM Innovations GmbH, Munich, Germany). POC tests were performed simultaneously at two different time points: (1) before surgery and (2) on postoperative day 4, respectively. The primary outcome was defined as amounts of perioperative bleeding and transfusion requirements, classified according to the universal definition for perioperative bleeding (UDPB) score. Results: The study recruited a total number of 63 patients undergoing elective isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Based on the packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion requirements, patients with excessive bleeding were not just only frequently transfused (87.5% vs. 48.9%, p = 0.007) but were also transfused with higher amounts of PRBCs (1338.75 mL ± SD 1416.49 vs. 289.36 mL ± 373.07, p < 0.001). The FIBTEM A30 results significantly correlated with excessive bleeding (Correlation Coefficient Rho = −0.280, p = 0.028). Regression analysis revealed FIBTEM A 30 as a strongest predictor of 24 h chest tube output (CTO) (R Square 0.108, p = 0.009). The receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis showed that a preoperative FIBTEM A30 < 10.86 mm predicted excessive bleeding with 94% sensitivity and 50% specificity (ROC AUC 68.4%). The multiplate ASPI test results were significantly higher (35.24 AUC ± SD 22.24 vs. 19.43 AUC ± SD 10.74) and the proportion of Aspirin responders was significantly lower (42.4% vs. 76.7%, p = 0.006) in patients considered to have insignificant bleeding. On postoperative day 4, we found platelet hyperreactivity in the ASPItest coupled with a ROTEM-documented shift towards hypercoagulability. Conclusions: Modern hemostatic management and perioperative antiplatelet therapy (APT) administration/discontinuation management should be guided by thromboelastometry and platelet function testing. Prospective interventional trials are necessary to validate such an approach in multicentric studies. Full article

Exosomes are important biomarkers for liquid biopsy in early cancer screening which play important roles in many biological processes, including apoptosis, inflammatory response, and tumor metastasis. In this study, an electrochemical aptamer immunosensor based on Au/MXene and AuPtPdCu was constructed for the sensitive detection of colorectal cancer-derived exosomes. AuNPs were deposited in situ on the surface of MXenes as a sensing platform due to their large specific area, excellent conductivity, and higher number of active sites for aptamer immobilization. The aptamer CD63 immobilized on Au/MXene can specifically capture target exosomes. Therefore, the AuPtPdCu-Apt nanoprobe further enhanced the sensitivity and accuracy of the immunosensor. A low limit of detection of 19 particles μL⁻¹ was achieved in the linear range of 50 to 5 × 10⁴ particles μL⁻¹ under optimal conditions. The immunosensor developed herein showed satisfactory electrochemical stability and anti-interference ability for the detection of exosomes in real serum samples. Full article

Efficient toll processing is critical for mitigating traffic congestion and enhancing transportation network efficiency at toll stations. This study explores the Neelamangala Toll Plaza on India’s National Highway 48, employing artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize toll operations. The research integrates a Supervised Learning (SL) time series model for traffic prediction and a Reinforcement Learning (RL) framework based on a Markov Decision Process (MDP), coupled with a randomized algorithm for equitable task distribution. These AI-driven models dynamically adapt to real-time traffic conditions, preventing peak-hour system overload. Key performance metrics—Average Processing Time (APT), Queue Length Reduction (QLR), and Throughput (TP) were used to evaluate the system. Research also demonstrates the model’s superior performance in handling high traffic volumes and reducing congestion. The study underscores the potential of integrating AI and randomized algorithms in modern toll management, offering a scalable and adaptive solution for sustainable transportation infrastructure. Full article

Substrate is the key material of soilless culture. The physical and chemical properties of the solidified cultivation medium are good and relatively stable, and there is no need to use plastic cultivation containers in the cultivation process, which has a broad application prospect in three-dimensional greening and fruit and vegetable planting. We have developed a novel substrate solidified process with high-frequency electromagnetic heating, which significantly reduces energy consumption compared to the traditional curing process with steam heating. In this study, the effects of three modification methods (alkali modification, APTES modification, and alkali + APTES combined modification) on the physicochemical properties of jute were studied, and the strengthening effects of different modified jute fibers on solidification substrate were investigated. The results showed that the addition of jute fiber could improve the mechanical properties of the solidification substrate. Compared with the control group, the modified jute fiber could increase the breaking tension by 13.1~24.2 N, the impact toughness by 0.85~2.09 KJ/m², and the hardness by 21.6~35.6 HA. Moreover, the addition of a small amount of jute fiber can effectively improve the mechanical properties and will not affect the growth of plant roots. Full article

Numerous organisms, including animals, plants, fungi, protists, and bacteria, rely on toxins to meet their needs. Biological toxins have been classified into three groups: poisons transferred passively without a delivery mechanism; toxungens delivered to the body surface without an accompanying wound; and venoms conveyed to internal tissues via the creation of a wound. The distinctions highlight the evolutionary pathways by which toxins acquire specialized functions. Heretofore, the term venom has been largely restricted to animals. However, careful consideration reveals a surprising diversity of organisms that deploy toxic secretions via strategies remarkably analogous to those of venomous animals. Numerous plants inject toxins and pathogenic microorganisms into animals through stinging trichomes, thorns, spines, prickles, raphides, and silica needles. Some plants protect themselves via ants as venomous symbionts. Certain fungi deliver toxins via hyphae into infected hosts for nutritional and/or defensive purposes. Fungi can possess penetration structures, sometimes independent of the hyphae, that create a wound to facilitate toxin delivery. Some protists discharge harpoon-like extrusomes (toxicysts and nematocysts) that penetrate their prey and deliver toxins. Many bacteria possess secretion systems or contractile injection systems that can introduce toxins into targets via wounds. Viruses, though not “true” organisms according to many, include a group (the bacteriophages) which can inject nucleic acids and virion proteins into host cells that inflict damage rivaling that of conventional venoms. Collectively, these examples suggest that venom delivery systems—and even toxungen delivery systems, which we briefly address—are much more widespread than previously recognized. Thus, our understanding of venom as an evolutionary novelty has focused on only a small proportion of venomous organisms. With regard to this widespread form of toxin deployment, the words of the Sherman Brothers in Disney’s iconic tune, It’s a Small World, could hardly be more apt: “There’s so much that we share, that it’s time we’re aware, it’s a small world after all”. Full article

The escalating prevalence of cyber threats across industries underscores the urgent need for robust analytical frameworks to understand their clustering, prevalence, and distribution. This study addresses the challenge of quantifying and analyzing relationships between 95 distinct cyberattack types and 29 industry sectors, leveraging a dataset of 9261 entries filtered from over 1 million news articles. Existing approaches often fail to capture nuanced patterns across such complex datasets, justifying the need for innovative methodologies. We present a rigorous mathematical framework integrating chi-square tests, Bayesian inference, Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), and Spectral Clustering. This framework identifies key patterns, such as 1150 Zero-Day Exploits clustered in the IT and Telecommunications sector, 732 Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) in Government and Public Administration, and Malware with a posterior probability of 0.287 dominating the Healthcare sector. Temporal analyses reveal periodic spikes, such as in Zero-Day Exploits, and a persistent presence of Social Engineering Attacks, with 1397 occurrences across industries. These findings are quantified using significance scores (mean: 3.25 ± 0.7) and posterior probabilities, providing evidence for industry-specific vulnerabilities. This research offers actionable insights for policymakers, cybersecurity professionals, and organizational decision makers by equipping them with a data-driven understanding of sector-specific risks. The mathematical formulations are replicable and scalable, enabling organizations to allocate resources effectively and develop proactive defenses against emerging threats. By bridging mathematical theory to real-world cybersecurity challenges, this study delivers impactful contributions toward safeguarding critical infrastructure and digital assets. Full article

Some studies have shown that intensification improves the sustainability of bovine milk; however, this matter is controversial. The present study, performed in Southern Italy, in the Basilicata region, focuses on nine specialized dairy farms of the Marmo Platano internal area. These farms are characterized by a “low intensification profile”, and we estimated the sustainability of the Marmo Platano dairy system via life-cycle assessment using specific software. We chose 1 kg of refrigerated raw milk as the functional unit and four impact categories: global warming potential, non-renewable energy use, fossil depletion, and agricultural land occupation. All impact category values fell within the ranges in the bibliography. Economic allocation, a criterion led by the market value of milk and culled cows (and their ratio), significantly (p < 0.05) affected the global warming potential and agricultural land occupation of two farms (1.38 kg CO₂ eq and 2.48 m²y⁻¹ as the system mean), while it did not affect the fossil depletion of the entire system, i.e., 138 g of oil as the mean. After allocation, the system showed three different profiles (p < 0.05) of non-renewable energy use (average value 6.31 MJ), despite its closeness with fossil depletion. Despite the aptness of Marmo Platano, the animals are not grazed, whereas full barn housing ensures satisfactory milk yields. Mainly driven by its low input characteristics, implying a low culling rate, the system proved to be sustainable. Full article

This paper focuses on explaining changes over time in globally sourced annual temporal data with the specific objective of identifying features in black-box models that contribute to these temporal shifts. Leveraging local explanations, a part of explainable machine learning/XAI, can yield explanations behind a country’s growth or downfall after making economic or social decisions. We employ a Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanation (LIME) to shed light on national happiness indices, economic freedom, and population metrics, spanning variable time frames. Acknowledging the presence of missing values, we employ three imputation approaches to generate robust multivariate temporal datasets apt for LIME’s input requirements. Our methodology’s efficacy is substantiated through a series of empirical evaluations involving multiple datasets. These evaluations include comparative analyses against random feature selection, correlation with real-world events as explained using LIME, and validation through Individual Conditional Expectation (ICE) plots, a state-of-the-art technique proficient in feature importance detection. Full article

Crop residue returning to field inputs considerable nitrogen (N) into soils, which greatly influences the function and sustainability of the agricultural system. However, little is known about the transformation and physical stabilization of maize residue-derived N in soil matrix in response to changing N availability. To explore the distinct regulation of organo-mineral complexes on maize residue N translocation, a 38-week microcosm incubation was carried out amended with ¹⁵N-labeled maize residue in a Mollisols sampled from Gonghzuling, Northeast of China. Unlabeled inorganic N was added at different levels (0, 60.3 mg N kg⁻¹ soil (low level), 167 mg N kg⁻¹ soil (medium level), and 702 mg N kg⁻¹ soil (high level)). ¹⁵N enrichment in bulk soil and the separated particle size fractions were determined periodically in the bulk soils and the subsamples were analyzed. At the early stage of the incubation, the maize residue N concentration declined significantly in the sand fraction and increased in the silt and clay fractions. Temporally, the ¹⁵N enrichment in the silt fraction changed slightly after 4 weeks but that in the clay fraction increased continuously until the 18th week. These results indicated that the decomposing process controlled maize residue N translocation hierarchically from coarser into finer fractions. From the aspect of functional differentiation, the pass-in of the maize residue N into the silt fraction was apt to be balanced by the pass-out, while the absorption of clay particles was essential for the stabilization of the decomposed maize residue N. The inorganic N level critically controlled both the decomposition and translocation of maize residue in soil. High and medium inorganic N addition facilitated maize residue N decomposition compared to the low-level N addition. Furthermore, medium N availability is more favorable for maize residue N transportation and stabilization in the clay fraction. Comparatively, high-level inorganic N supply could possibly impede the interaction of maize residue N and clay minerals due to the competition of ammonium sorption/fixation on the active site of clay. This research highlighted the functional coupling of organic–inorganic N during soil N accumulation and stabilization, and such findings could present a theoretical perspective on optimal management of crop residue resources and chemical fertilizers in field practices. Full article

The Ossa-Morena Zone (SW Iberian Massif) hosts the largest set of Cambro–Ordovician alkaline magmatic plutons related to the Palaeozoic rifting of the northern Gondwana margin so far described. An organized framework for their classification at different scales is proposed through data-driven ranks based on their distinctive petrological features relative to other rift-related magmatic rocks found throughout western Europe. The classification method aims to enhance geological mapping at different scales, regional- and continental-scale correlations, and, as such, facilitate the petrogenetic interpretation of this magmatism. The hierarchical scheme, from highest to lowest rank, is as follows: rank-1 (supersuite) assembles rocks that have distinctive characteristics from other magmatic units emplaced in the same magmatic event; rank-2 (suite) categorizes the units based on their major textural features, indicating if the body is plutonic, sub-volcanic, or a strongly deformed magmatic-derived unit; rank-3 (subsuite) clusters according to their spatial arrangement (magmatic centres) or association to larger structures (e.g., shear zones or alignments); rank-4, the fundamental mapping unit, characterizes the lithotype (alkaline granite, alkaline gabbro, syenite, albitite, etc.) by considering higher ranks (alkalinity and textural aspects); rank-5 characterizes the geometry of individual plutons (with several intrusions) or swarms; rank-6 (smallest mappable unit) corresponds to each intrusion or individual body from a swarm. Although this classification scheme is currently presented solely for the Ossa-Morena Zone, the scheme can be easily extended to incorporate other co-magmatic alkaline bodies, such as those in the NW Iberian allochthonous units or other peri-Gondwanan zones or massifs, in order to facilitate regional correlations of the rift-related magmatism. Full article

Natural fiber such as ramie is a type of reinforcement material derived from natural sources. These reinforcement materials offer an environmentally sustainable solution contributing to eco-friendly practices. However, natural fibers face challenges as reinforcement materials due to the presence of non-cellulosic impurities and structural irregularities, which reduce crystallinity. This study explores the impact of alkali using sodium hydroxide (NaOH 5%) and silane using 3-(Aminopropyl) trimethoxy silane (APTES 1% and 3%) treatments on the chemical structure and crystallinity index of ramie yarn fiber (Boehmeria nivea). Alkali treatment effectively removes non-cellulosic impurities, resulting in an improved crystalline structure, while silane treatment modifies the fiber surface, introducing functional groups that alter its chemical structure. The chemical modifications were analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the crystallinity index was measured through X-ray diffraction (XRD). The findings revealed that alkali treatment significantly increased the crystallinity index (Crl) of ramie fibers to the highest value of 82.63%, and silane treatment primarily enhanced surface reactivity, facilitating better adhesion and chemical bonding with the matrix. This research highlights the potential of alkali and silane treatments for optimizing ramie fiber for use in advanced polymer composite applications. Full article

Ceiba (syn. Chorisia) trees have attracted multifaceted attention not only due to their ornamental and economic value but also for their remarkable metabolic diversity and therapeutic properties. In view of that, this work explores the chemical composition of Ceiba chodatii Hassl. and its biological potential. Overall, GC–MS-based analysis of the lipoidal constituents of C. chodatii flowers revealed the presence of diverse classes of metabolites that were dominated by long-chain aliphatic esters (77.016%), ketones (6.396%), aliphatic hydrocarbons (5.757%), fatty alcohols (3.718%), aromatic acid esters (2.794%), alkylamides (1.58%), aldehydes (1.035%), aromatic hydrocarbons (0.31%), and ethers (0.29%). In addition, repeated chromatographic fractionation of different fractions of the total alcoholic extract of the flowers afforded 13 metabolites of varied structural types, including fatty esters and alcohols, phytosterols, monoglycerides, furanoids, and flavonoid glycosides. Structures of the obtained compounds were determined by different spectroscopic techniques, such as 1H- and 13C-NMR, APT, DEPT, and EI–MS analyses. Noteworthily, a wide range of the metabolites identified herein using different analytical approaches were described for the first time in the plant species under study or in those belonging to the genus Ceiba. Finally, the total extract and different fractions of C. chodatii flowers as well as the isolated flavonoids showed weak anti-infective potential against a group of human pathogens at concentration ranges up to 200 and 20 µg/mL, respectively. In contrast, the total extract and different fractions of the flowers exerted mild to moderate anti-proliferative activities against MDA-MB-468 cells, with IC₅₀ in the range of 21.69–47.60 μg/mL. Full article

Ultra-low-carbon, high-strength steels have gained significant attention due to their exceptional mechanical properties. To enhance the performance of the steel, understanding the precipitation behavior of strengthening precipitates is crucial. In this study, the precipitation behavior of ultra-low-carbon high-strength steel strengthened by nanoscale copper (Cu)-rich precipitates (CRPs) and carbonitride (CN) atomic clusters was characterized using atom-probe tomography after tempering at 400, 450, 600, and 650 °C for 2 h. The results revealed that the nanoscale copper CRPs and the CN atomic clusters were the main strengthening precipitates. The CRPs, enriched only in Cu, were observed at 400 °C. Segregation of nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn) to the CRPs occurred at 450 °C, and the number densities of CRPs achieved the maximum value, leading to the highest strengthening effects. The size of the CRPs increased with increasing temperature; however, the size of the clusters of the carbide-forming atoms remained at almost ~1.6 nm. At 650 °C, the concentration of Cu, Ni, and Mn atoms in the CRPs was about 85.4, 4.5, and 4 at.%, respectively; however, that of Fe decreased significantly. In the lath boundaries, the size of 10% C and 0.4% C iso-surfaces was relatively larger than that in the matrix. In a reverted austenite region at 600 °C, the concentration of Ni in the reverted austenite, CRPs, and matrix was about 15, 2.5, and 2.5 at.%, respectively. Full article