Search Results (2,147)

Gut dysbiosis, defined as a disruption in the structure or function of the intestinal microbiota, is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to inflammatory, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric diseases. Conventional interventions such as broad-spectrum antibiotics, generic probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) often show limited and inconsistent efficacy because they lack specificity, durability, and robust safety controls. In contrast, recent advances in DNA-based technologies are reshaping the therapeutic landscape by enabling targeted, programmable, and mechanistically informed modulation of the gut ecosystem. This review presents an integrated overview of three major domains driving this shift: CRISPR-based systems that selectively delete, silence, or reprogram microbial genes; synthetic biology-driven live therapeutics engineered to sense disease-associated cues and execute controlled responses; and metagenomics-informed strategies that tailor interventions to patient-specific microbial gene profiles and functional deficits. Additionally, we examine the continued evolution of FMT toward DNA-optimized workflows and defined microbial consortia that offer safer, more standardized alternatives to crude donor material. Across these domains, we discuss delivery platforms (including bacteriophages, conjugative plasmids, extracellular vesicles, and synthetic nanoparticles), and compare their efficiency, specificity, and scalability. We further highlight how DNA-guided interventions interface with host immunity—shaping Treg/Th17 balance, mucosal barrier function, and inflammatory signaling—while also analyzing ecological and evolutionary risks, biocontainment strategies, and regulatory classification gaps that will govern clinical translation. Together, these developments signal a transition from empirical microbiome manipulation to rational ecosystem engineering. DNA-guided therapies hold strong promise for precise and personalized management of gut-related diseases, but their success will depend on rigorous ecological risk assessment, long-term monitoring, and adaptive regulatory frameworks alongside continued technological innovation. Full article

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has gained immense importance due to the global political call for sustainable development. At the same time, the devastating effects of anthropogenic climate change are increasing every year. Humanity is confronted with a situation of sustainable unsustainability. This contribution argues that current competence-oriented approaches to ESD maintain and reinforce unsustainability. Methodological individualism is identified as a main problem in ESD. Furthermore, the human-nature dualism and the idea of an undifferentiated humanity are discussed as problematic epistemic preconditions in the modern Western mindset. Another problem of ESD approaches is the denial and perpetuation of colonial and imperial orders. With regard to these findings, we discuss ways to overcome epistemic preconditions of ESD. We point to collective consciousness and global solidarity as different modes of living and being that offer decolonial alternatives to a good life. Such a reconceptualization implies a repoliticization of education in times of anthropogenic climate change that focuses on the entanglements in epistemic assumptions and conditions of unsustainability as central reference points. Full article

Symbiotic Intelligence (SI) rethinks dominant evolutionary narratives within Western artificial intelligence (AI) development through a practice-led research methodology centred on co-creating with mycelium. This research investigates how living mycelium can inform and reframe prevailing AI narratives, particularly those shaped by evolutionary logics. These narratives, found in developer manifestoes and futurological discourse, often frame intelligence within competitive, deterministic paradigms rooted in social Darwinism and invoke eugenicist ideas such as the g-factor in intelligence. Through the creation of responsive art installations, the project positions mycelium as a material and conceptual collaborator, opening new spaces for dialogue. This article inverts the curatorial strategy of incorporating AI technology into artistic practices. Instead, we show how arts-led ‘making’ practices can generate new narratives that propose alternative ethical frameworks and sustainable directions for technological development. We argue that a direct, generative but non-deterministic relationship exists between AI narratives and the technical actualisation of AI. Specifically, SI contends that: (i) evolutionary narratives underpin Western AI imaginaries; (ii) these often reflect reductive social Darwinist models; (iii) counter-narratives grounded in collective assemblage and symbiotic intelligence are essential for shaping more complex and sustainable AI futures. Full article

A growing body of research characterizes contemporary global neoliberal hegemony through the lens of racial capitalism—a framework that traces the connections between colonial exploitation, slavery, and the foundations of economic growth, linking these histories to the expanding migrant precariat across Western societies today. Largely unexplored is how gender influences job conditions, alternatives, and forms of collective organization among migrant workers at the bottom strata of the labor market. Using the case of Spain, a country whose immigration history is closely linked to the expansion of precarious labor markets, we conducted our research in Barcelona, a hub in terms of migrant labor, collective agency and migrants’ rights struggles. We apply an intersectional lens to compare job conditions and collective action strategies of female and male migrant workers in two sectors: domestic and construction work, respectively. Both are strongly gendered, ethnically stratified, and highly informal. Many of the workers live in a daily reality marked by racism and exploitation, and we find that while there are important gender-related differences shaping the workers’ alternatives and forms of collective agency, their shared condition as racialized, poor migrants entails more commonalities than differences in terms of the role they fill in a late capitalist economy and the alternatives they have for change. Full article

(1) Background: Overuse of chemical nitrogen fertilizers drives the need for biological alternatives. Azotobacter chroococcum is a promising free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium, but its efficiency needs improvement. This study investigated how Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) and molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles (n-MoO₃) affect A. chroococcum growth and nitrogen fixation, and tested the modified inoculants on Glycine max (legume) and Nicotiana benthamiana (non-legume); (2) Methods: In vitro tests measured bacterial growth, viable counts (CFU), nitrogenase activity, and nitrogen metabolites (total N, NO₃⁻-N, NH₄⁺-N) under 0–100 ng·mL⁻¹ Fe₃O₄ NPs or n-MoO₃. Pot experiments then tested modified inoculants on Glycine max and N. benthamiana for biomass and N, P, K uptake; (3) Results: Both nanomaterials showed low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition. At 10 ng·mL⁻¹, bacterial growth (OD₆₀₀ up ~1.2×) and nitrogenase activity (up >90%) rose significantly (p < 0.05–0.001), along with higher total N, NO₃⁻-N, and NH₄⁺-N. In pots, 10 ng·mL⁻¹ modified inoculant improved all Glycine max traits and nutrient uptake (p < 0.05). For N. benthamiana, biomass peaked at 20 ng·mL⁻¹, while stem and root growth did best at 10 ng·mL⁻¹. At 100 ng·mL⁻¹, effects weakened or vanished. A “metabolic remodeling–rhizosphere transformation–systemic response” mechanism is proposed; (4) Conclusions: Low concentrations (10–20 ng·mL⁻¹) of Fe₃O₄ NPs and n-MoO₃ can effectively boost the nitrogen-fixing function and growth-promoting effect of A. chroococcum inoculant, showing good potential for use on both legume and non-legume crops. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical reference for developing efficient, broad-spectrum nanomaterial-microbe composite inoculants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patients with liver cirrhosis experience a high symptom burden and low Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) occurs in 75% of patients with cirrhosis but is sparsely described from the patient’s perspective. Due to recurrent cognitive impairment, a marginalized diagnosis, and a healthcare discourse emphasizing involvement and self-responsibility, these patients appear vulnerable when navigating a complex healthcare system. This study aims to explore how patients with chronic liver disease experience living with HE as a recurring condition, and how these patients are met by healthcare professionals (HCPs). Methods: Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with four patients and four HCPs. Data were analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s six-step analysis within the framework of Interpretive Description. The study was reported according to COREQ Guidelines. Results: The overarching theme “Becoming a different person” captured the profound identity changes experienced by patients. Three main themes emerged: 1. change and loss—in identity and self-understanding, in relationships, in relation to losing control, and in relation to experiencing isolation; 2. new paths—mental and practical alternative strategies; 3. HE in clinical encounters—requiring empathy, flexibility, and continuity. Stigma related to cirrhosis and its association with alcohol further intensified patients’ vulnerability. Conclusions: HE is experienced as a transformative and isolating condition, deeply affecting patients’ autonomy and social roles through vulnerability. The clinical encounter is shaped by the cognitive impairment due to HE, requiring tailored and sensitive care. Full article

Corporate sustainability programs in agri-food systems have expanded dramatically, yet emissions, deforestation, hunger, and land concentration intensify. Why does corporate sustainability systematically fail to deliver transformation? This paper applies Commonist Value Theory (CVT) to show that this failure is structural, not contingent. CVT distinguishes between True Value, the life-supporting qualities that sustain human and more-than-human flourishing, and Fetish Value, abstracted forms oriented toward capital accumulation. CVT traces how corporate sustainability programs convert the former into the latter through ‘decommonization’: the perversion and enclosure of shared life-supporting relations. Drawing on investor analyses, carbon market assessments, and critical scholarship, this paper demonstrates that corporate sustainability programs function as civilizing meta-mechanisms. Rather than transforming food systems, they stabilize existing arrangements by absorbing critique and redirecting transformative energies into regime-compatible forms. Farmers’ knowledge is captured as proprietary data, living ecosystems are reduced to tradeable metrics, collaborative relationships are fragmented by corporate platforms, and movements for genuine alternatives are channeled into supply chain optimization. The analysis concludes that corporate sustainability cannot deliver genuine transformation because its structural function is to stabilize rather than supersede the current value regime. Genuine transformation requires commons-based alternatives from below and political–legislative shifts from above that structurally constrain decommonization. Full article

Although soybean meal (SBM) is generally used as the main protein source in livestock diets, canola meal (CM) appears as a sustainable alternative, since it lowers diet cost, especially when regionally produced, while still meeting animal nutritional needs. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the effects of dietary protein source (SBM vs. CM) on carcass traits and meat quality characteristics of feedlot-fattened dairy lambs. A total of 193 weaned lambs, approximately 3 months of age, from two indigenous Greek dairy breeds (75 Chios and 118 Serres), were used. Lambs were randomly assigned to one of two isocaloric and isonitrogenous dietary treatments: a control ration containing SBM as the primary protein source, and an alternative ration in which SBM was completely replaced by CM. After a fattening period of 13 weeks for Chios lambs and 15 weeks for Serres lambs, animals were slaughtered upon reaching a live weight of 35–40 kg, and hot and cold carcass weights were recorded. After 24 h of carcass storage at 4 °C, Longissimus lumborum muscle was sampled and used for the measurement of pH, colour attributes, cooking loss, shear force, and intramuscular fat content. Lipid oxidation was evaluated on days 1, 3, 6, and 9 of refrigerated storage at 4 °C. The substitution of SBM by CM as the main dietary protein source did not affect carcass traits in Serres lambs, whereas CM- treated Chios lambs showed an increased hot and cold carcass weight (p < 0.05). Meat quality characteristics were not affected by the dietary treatment in either Chios or Serres lambs, with the exception of meat oxidative stability that was deteriorated in CM compared to SBM Serres lambs (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the utilization of canola instead of soybean meal did not negatively influence carcass traits or meat quality characteristics in either Chios or Serres lambs, with the exception of lipid oxidation which was significantly higher in CM supplemented Serres lambs. Full article

Temozolomide and dacarbazine are untargeted anticancer prodrugs that have been widely employed in the treatment of melanoma and glioblastoma. These agents decompose into a short-lived monomethyl triazene intermediate, culminating in the release of a methyl diazonium cation that serves as the DNA-alkylating species responsible for tumour destruction. However, due to their high chemical lability, these agents have been associated with chemotherapy resistance, mutagenicity, tumour relapse, and significant off-target toxicity. One promising strategy towards the resolution of these limitations involves the design of arylmethyl triazene prodrugs, which enable targeted tumour-specific drug delivery. This review explores the various approaches used to selectively deliver alkyl aryl triazenes as alternatives to current therapies. It highlights early chemical strategies such as N-acylation and etherification of monomethyl triazenes, along with associated kinetic studies. The selective activation of novel triazenes in murine and human melanoma cells through a tyrosinase-responsive promoiety is discussed. Recent progress in nitroaromatic-based prodrugs designed to exploit the hypoxic microenvironment of glioblastoma is also examined. Additionally, we summarise the development of combi-triazenes and their underlying chemistries, which enable the simultaneous release of two active therapeutic agents. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride supplementation strategies on growth performance, dietary energetics, carcass traits, and meat quality in feedlot finishing lambs. Twenty-four Dorper × Katahdin crossbred male lambs (45.5 ± 4.53 kg, mean ± SD) were used in a 27 d feeding trial. The zilpaterol supplementation strategies were: (1) control, no zilpaterol supplementation (CON); (2) zilpaterol administered once daily as a full dose in the morning feeding (ZMOR); (3) zilpaterol incorporated into the total mixed ration and continuously available throughout the day (ZMIX); and (4) intermittent zilpaterol supplementation applied in a daily alternating pattern, one day on, one day off (ZINT). A target dose of 0.20 mg/kg live weight of zilpaterol hydrochloride per administration was used for all supplemented treatments, with daily administration in ZMOR and ZMIX and alternate-day administration in ZINT. Compared to the CON, zilpaterol supplementation through the ZMOR + ZMIX strategies improved average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (FE) by 28.6% and 18.5%, respectively. Additionally, dressing percentage and longissimus thoracis muscle area increased by 3.2% and 17.0%, respectively. The ZINT strategy also enhanced ADG by 20.9% and FE by 15.4%. However, ZINT did not improve hot carcass weight or dressing percentage. All zilpaterol supplementation strategies increased meat toughness by up to 39.2%. Results indicate that both the ZMOR and ZMIX strategies optimize the response to zilpaterol, with no evidence that ZMOR supplementation results in a diminished response. Full article

Background: Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) is a globally significant immunosuppressive pathogen that causes substantial economic losses to the poultry industry, with particularly severe outbreaks in China in recent years. Given the limitations of existing vaccines, especially the residual virulence associated with live attenuated vaccines, there is an urgent need to develop novel, safer, and more effective vaccine strategies. Methods: In this study, the VP1 and VP2 genes of CIAV were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli to develop a cost-effective subunit vaccine. Since VP1 primarily formed inclusion bodies, a “VP2-assisted co-refolding” strategy was employed. This involved denaturing VP1 and refolding it via gradient dialysis in the presence of soluble VP2, thereby leveraging VP2’s natural chaperone-like function to restore conformational epitopes. The refolded VP1/VP2 protein complexes, emulsified at different ratios, were used to immunize 3-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens, followed by challenge with a virulent CIAV strain. Results: The vaccine formulation with a VP1:VP2 ratio of 1:1 provided the best protection, achieving 71.4% (5/7) protective efficacy, as evidenced by significantly reduced thymic atrophy and a higher thymus index. Conclusions: These findings validate the feasibility of using an economical prokaryotic expression system combined with a rational protein refolding strategy to produce a protective subunit vaccine candidate against CIAV, offering a promising alternative for disease control. Full article

This study investigates the structural performance of a novel composite space truss deck system as an alternative to the conventional steel box girder in cable-stayed bridges. Using the Suez Canal Bridge as a benchmark, comprehensive linear and nonlinear finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the global behavior of both deck configurations under dead, live, wind, and temperature loads. The proposed system consists of a three-dimensional square-on-square truss acting compositely with a 25 cm reinforced concrete slab, designed to optimize stiffness and material efficiency. The results revealed that the composite space truss deck achieved a 5–7% reduction in mid-span deflection under live loading and a 6% increase in torsional rigidity compared with the steel box girder, while maintaining comparable self-weight (490 kg/m² versus 480 kg/m²). The influence of geometric nonlinearity was moderate, 6.56% for the space truss and 1.64% for the box girder, whereas temperature variations of ±30 °C induced up to a 25.3% change in mid-span deflection, highlighting the space truss’s higher thermal sensitivity. Parametric analyses demonstrated that increasing the truss depth from 2.5 m to 4.0 m enhanced global stiffness by 15%, and using lightweight concrete reduced mid-span deflection by 30%. Overall, the composite space truss system offers superior stiffness-to-weight efficiency, substantial steel savings (two-thirds less), and competitive construction economy, establishing it as a promising solution for medium- and long-span cable-stayed bridges. Full article

Zoonotic Salmonella is one of the most important foodborne zoonoses worldwide, with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) being the most important serovars, which may be transmitted via poultry meat and eggs. Vaccination of breeding- and laying-hen flocks using live vaccines administered via drinking water has long been a well-recognized tool and contributed significantly to decreasing cases of salmonellosis in humans and its prevalence in the chicken sector. However, if a vaccine strain is detected in feces from recently vaccinated birds, it is imperative to have methods for reliably distinguishing between field and vaccine strains. In this study, we validated a disc diffusion method based on the antimicrobial resistance patterns of the vaccine strains contained in a live bivalent vaccine conferring protection against SE and ST. Discs from eight suppliers were sourced and tested for their suitability for reliably distinguishing between field and vaccine strains, a requirement fulfilled by discs from four suppliers. This method serves as an alternative approach for laboratories equipped to perform disc diffusion assays, and it is also a more cost-effective solution than real-time PCR assays. Full article

Background and Objectives: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in older adults, who often face persistent motor, cognitive, and functional challenges. Conventional stroke rehabilitation programs often involve highly repetitive motor tasks, which may reduce patient motivation and contribute to suboptimal adherence over time. Virtual reality (VR) offers an engaging alternative; however, much of the existing research has focused on specialized rehabilitation-oriented VR systems rather than off-the-shelf commercial platforms. This study evaluated older stroke survivors’ acceptance, tolerability, and lived experiences of a short VR-based rehabilitation session using a commercial game on a commercial wearable VR system. Methods: A single-session convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Thirteen community-dwelling older stroke survivors (mean age 79.2 ± 7.1 years; 9 males, 4 female) completed a 15 min VR session using a commercial wearable VR system. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) assessed acceptance and tolerability, while semi-structured interviews explored lived experiences. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Results: Participants reported high acceptance across all TAM domains (overall M = 4.35 ± 0.79, scale 1–5). Enjoyment/intention to use was rated highest (M = 4.77 ± 0.42), while perceived usefulness was lowest (M = 4.15 ± 0.77). VR was well tolerated: the SSQ total score was 17.38 ± 1.73, with most symptoms rated at the mild level only. Exploratory Spearman correlations revealed a significant positive association between age and SSQ total score (r_h = +0.568, p = 0.043). Thematic analysis identified five themes: (1) usability and accessibility; (2) therapeutic value; (3) engagement and motivation; (4) social and clinical support; and (5) physical and cognitive demands. Conclusions: A commercial wearable VR system was found to be acceptable, safe, and engaging for older stroke survivors. With supervision and therapeutic framing, it may serve as a motivating adjunct to conventional rehabilitation. Full article

Iris Murdoch situates imagination at the core of moral life, challenging moral philosophy’s preference for abstract universal principles over the particularity of lived experience. This paper reconstructs Murdoch’s concept of imagination by tracing her engagement with Plato’s distinction between eikasia and the Demiurge’s ‘high’ imagination, as well as Kant’s notions of empirical and esthetic imagination. I argue that Murdoch’s imagination is best understood as a hermeneutical capacity essential to moral vision. She distinguishes between egoistic fantasy, which distorts reality, and free and creative imagination, which enables a just and loving gaze upon the world. Through imagination, we can replace obscuring images with truer ones, making moral progress an exercise in vision and attention. Murdoch’s account thus offers an alternative to moral theories that overlook the inner life as a site of ethical transformation. Full article