Ancient Research Articles

Seaweed extracts: enhancing plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses

Seaweeds are a natural marine resource containing many bioactive compounds such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, phytohormones, and antimicrobial compounds. Since ancient times, seaweeds have been used in various sectors, including medicine, food, and the cosmetic industry. Currently, seaweeds are a promising alternative to reduce the application of harmful chemicals in agriculture. Seaweed and its derived products have been utilized for plant growth promotion, immunity enhancement, and the reduction of biotic and abiotic stresses. In the current global scenario, synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides are commonly used to increase agricultural crop production to meet the growing demands of the world population. However, these chemicals pose significant threats to the health of people, livestock, plants, soil, and the entire environment. In contrast, seaweed-based products are emerging as a newer option for stress mitigation and reduction, offering an alternative to synthetic chemicals. This article explains the use of seaweed extracts to increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. We also address the functions of various bioactive compounds present in seaweed extracts and the mechanisms by which they promote plant growth and induce defense against different stresses.

Exploring feasibility of fNIRS to assess delayed inhibition effect of prefrontal cortex for acute stress by acupuncture on GV20: a pilot study

IntroductionAcupuncture on the acupuncture point GV20 has been considered effective for managing psychoneurological disorders since ancient times, and GV20 is now regularly used to treat stress-related diseases (SRDs), including psychoneurological disorders. Although reports indicating that acupuncture stimulation of GV20 alone regulates cerebral blood flow (CBF) in brain regions associated with SRDs have been scattered, from the perspective of the need for earlier action, the effects on subjective stress as self-reported in the stress state of healthy individuals and CBF changes in related prefrontal cortex (PFC) subregions, which is based as underlying mechanism, remain unclear. Therefore, there is a need to explore effective methods for analyzing such effects.MethodsMultiple consecutive mental arithmetic tasks were performed to induce sufficient stress in healthy university students. Real acupuncture or sham acupuncture was performed on GV20, and subjective stress and CBF changes in PFC subregions were observed before and after acupuncture using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which were analyzed based on the general linear model method and correlation analysis.ResultsSubjective stress was suppressed and recovered significantly faster in the true acupuncture group than in the sham acupuncture group. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were found between subjective stress and CBF in several PFC subregions during and after the tasks, with more correlated regions on the left side than on the right side of the PFC. Among them, the CBF of the left ventrolateral PFC (vl-PFC) was suggested to be maintained in the true acupuncture group under repeated tasks load, which was inferred to be correlated with delayed decreases in subjective stress after acupuncture.DiscussionThis pilot study showed that fNIRS is feasible for assessing delayed PFC inhibition in acute stress by acupuncture on GV20. Acupuncture treatment on GV20 resulted in early suppression of subjective stress and early recovery. The neuroscientific rationale for this finding may lie in its effect on maintaining CBF in the left vl-PFC related to delayed inhibition of subjective stress, and would make it reasonable to apply acupuncture to GV20 in healthy individuals. Larger studies are needed to corroborate these findings and obtain reliable conclusions.

The Impact of Human-Animal Interaction on Animal Welfare and Owners’ Job Performance: A Study on Cats, Dogs and Birds

ABSTRACT Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) has been significant since ancient times, initially with animals, especially dogs, assisting in hunting and food gathering. Over time, this relationship evolved into domestication, companionship, and therapeutic roles in society. In urban areas, pet ownership is widespread, driven by companionship, therapeutic benefits, and social status. This study focuses on urban pet owners due to structured work environments, allowing a clear examination of the relationship between HAI, animal welfare, and work performance. The study explores HAI's dual impact on animal welfare and the work performance of dog, cat, and bird owners. Key factors include psychological, social, and physical closeness in HAI; animal hygiene, physical activity, and loneliness for welfare; and work performance for owners. Data were collected from 404 pet-owning employees in Istanbul, with statistical analyses confirming tool validity. Results reveal a significant positive correlation (r = 0.568) between HAI and animal welfare, and a positive but smaller correlation (r = 0.215) between HAI and work performance. Findings support HAI's role in enhancing well-being, suggesting pet-friendly policies in workplaces to maximize benefits.

Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Lipstick

A considerable amount of literature has been published on several aspects of lipsticks Production. To date, there is no collation of studies related to lipsticks production that has been published. This review was conducted to examine information about the history of lipsticks; ingredients Used in the Preparation of lipsticks, focusing on the natural and chemical ingredients; methods of Preparation for the Lipsticks; and the characterization of the lipsticks. A literature search for English Language articles was Conducted by searching electronic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Overall, the evidence indicates that lipsticks have been used since Ancient times and are among The highest demand cosmetics. The findings of this review summarize Those of earlier studies that explained The use of different types of ingredients in the manufacturing Processes of lipsticks. It highlights the Importance of using green technology and ingredients..

EXTRACTION, Extraction, Isolation, Identification and Estimation of Diosgenin by TLC Profiling and UHPLC-LC-SRM Analysis in Three Costus Species

Medicinal plants are utilized for treating many ailments, since ancient times due to their tremendous therapeutic properties. The plant derivatives are used as a raw material for the synthesis of drugs either as a natural or artificial synthetic drug. Costaceae family members are known to possess many medicinal properties few of them are mainly consumed to reduce the blood glucose level and treat many disorders. The sapogenin contained in the rhizome of three Costus species was extracted, identified, and characterized. Young rhizomes were harvested surface sterilized, hydrolyzed; extracted through a soxhlet apparatus and concentrated fractions were subjected to a preliminary phytochemical screening test for saponin, Thin Layer Chromatography, and the UHPLC-MS SRM analysis. The result showed that the maximum yield of the Diosgenin was obtained from the chloroform extract of Costus speciosus. The pharmaceutical analysis in all the three Costus species carried out with isolated saponin was compared with standard Diosgenin. The characterization of isolated diosgenin was done by UHPLC MS and SRM, based on the retention time of all three samples and the comparison with standard Diosgenin. Isolated Diosgenin was quantified through thin layer chromatography with n-hexane: ethyl acetate (7:3) as mobile phase at Rf value of 0.48. The amount of Isolated Diosgenin was estimated by comparing the peak area at a retention time Rt value of 8.5 in all the samples and compared with standard Diosgenin high amount of Diosgenin was found in Costus speciosus rhizome followed by Costus igneus and Costus pictus. The preliminary phytochemical screening and analytical methods involved during the present study were found satisfactory. Thus, the protocol can be used for the extraction of Diosgenin and further used in the synthesis of Drugs. Keywords: Costus pictus, Costus speciosus, Costus igneus, rhizome, TLC, UHPLC-MS, SRM

Mapalus as a Socio-Cultural System in Minahasa Society

This study aims to examine Mapalus as a socio-cultural system in Minahasa society, with a focus on an in-depth understanding of its historical roots, core values, roles in social structures, and adaptations and challenges faced in the modern era. The method used is a qualitative approach with a literature review type of research, involving a comprehensive analysis of various literature sources including books, journal articles, historical documents, and publications related to Mapalus and Minahasa culture. The results of the study indicate that Mapalus is a mutual cooperation system that has been deeply rooted in Minahasa society since ancient times, reflecting the values of cooperation, solidarity, and reciprocity. Mapalus has been shown to have an important role in the formation of social cohesion, resource management, and local economic development. Despite facing the challenges of modernization, Mapalus shows adaptability, evolution of form, and potential as a development model based on local wisdom. This study concludes that Mapalus remains relevant and has the potential to be a source of inspiration for the development of sustainable community-based development models.

IMAGE OF MARY OF BETHANY AN INSPIRATION FOR MYSTICISM

The purpose of this article is to attempt to interpret Mary's gesture at the feast in Bethany, that is, anointing Jesus' feet with precious nard and rubbing them with her hair (Jn 12:3). The act of Martha's sister and Lazarus is logically incomprehensible; moreover, it breaks the conventions of the time. In the following steps, we will discuss the closer and further context of the pericope Jn 12:1-11, followed by the ritual of anointing in the ancient world. Analysing the Johannine text from an exegetical and theological angle will allow us to reveal Mary's role in the narrative as servant and disciple. Recognising the bridal metaphor in Jn 12:1-11 brings out the meaningful depth of the text. The image of the contemplative and generous Mary, symbolising the Church as the bride of Christ, is an inspiration for mysticism.

An intelligent agriculture monitoring framework for leaf disease detection using YOLOv7

Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors on which societies have relied since ancient times. With the recent development of technology, agriculture has also been incorporating modern techniques such as the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to improve productivity and monitor the farming process. One of agriculture’s most prominent issues is the spread of plant diseases and the lack of real-time monitoring. Various systems and operations have recently been developed to predict and diagnose plant diseases. However, current operations have been selective, focusing on a specific aspect without addressing other important aspects, resulting in either partial or compound application of results, rendering the desired outcomes ineffective. To deal with such challenges, we propose an intelligent framework for real-time agriculture monitoring and disease detection, namely a system for monitoring plant diseases using YOLOv7. In the proposed framework, a rule-based policy has been designed for detecting plant diseases using online plant leaf monitoring, sensors, and surveillance cameras. Images of plant leaves captured by different cameras are sent in real-time to central cloud servers for disease detection. The improved YOLOv7 technology is utilized for plant disease detection, and the proposed system has been evaluated using a dataset of diseased tomato leaves, comparing it with different models based on various performance metrics to demonstrate its effectiveness, achieving an accuracy of 96%.

The School of Bunesti, Arges, Romania: Hand-made Architecture, A Craft of Self-limitation

Weary of the present-day inflation of possibilities for planning, building, learning, and living, and with an increasingly acute sense of the artificiality of our professional training, we—a historian, an architect, and a small group of students—chose to get away from urban scenery and to put ourselves to the test through a summer. We settled in the middle of a forest, giving ourselves time for reflection and action from a radically different perspective. Inspired by classic authors and classical culture, since 2008 we have been taking the local natural building techniques of a Wallachian valley as a guide to the timeless topography of the ancient world.

The Transformation of Form and Function on Pottery of Banyumulek Lombok

The pottery of banyumulek Lombok has existed since ancient times, dating back to the Sasak kingdom, and continues to the present day. This study aims to analyze the transformation of form and function in Banyumulek Lombok pottery. Qualitative research uses data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The pottery samples were collected purposively. The data analysis method uses the Miles and Huberman model, which involves data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The research findings show hat before 1988, the appearance of Banyumulek Lombok pottery needed to be more varied and was used solely for daily household purposes. After 1988, variations on form began emerge, and today, there are numerous forms with various creative designs.

Analysis of Regional Genres of Yu Opera and Its Musical Characteristics

Yu Opera was produced in the central part of China--Henan Province, which is mainly in plains and has a favorable climate, and has been an area with abundant produce and good economic development since ancient times, therefore, opera and music flourished here in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the most representative type of opera is Yu Opera, which is very popular in Henan Province, and has been spread to different places. In Henan Province, Yu opera is very popular and has been spread to different places, combining with different local music to form different genres of Yu opera and different musical features, each of which has its own characteristics and has been developed to different degrees, this paper will take this as the basis to analyze the genres of Yu opera music and its musical features.

Imports and Market Integration in the Roman Mediterranean

The degree and nature of integration that existed within Roman economies is a crucial but so far unresolved question within the study of ancient economic history. This paper aims to test the level of market integration in the Roman Mediterranean by comparing amphora distributions from the late Republican period and Principate with those of Late Antiquity in Rome, three northern Adriatic cities (Aquileia, Padua, Verona) and Ephesus with the predicted transport costs provided by ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World. The intention is to analyze whether price determined the distribution of staple goods in the Roman Empire, as it does in a modern market economy environment, or whether other factors (e.g., state orders, elite connections etc.) were more important in shaping ancient economic practices.

The Biblical History Play: Turning Seventeenth-Century Joseph Plays into Political Drama

Abstract This article examines the shift in popularity from religious to historical and political drama from the late sixteenth century onward, particularly focusing on plays about the patriarch Joseph. The study explores how new historiographical approaches influenced the portrayal of biblical narratives, transforming them to reflect contemporary interests in politics and court life. By analyzing a selection of primarily Jesuit plays, the article demonstrates how the biblical story of Joseph was adapted to align with the baroque fascination for ancient history and the emerging trend of political drama. The shift in Jesuit drama during the baroque period from biblical to more secular subjects is evident in the dramatizations of Joseph’s story, which often incorporate elements of historical exegesis and elaborate depictions of ancient societies, particularly that of Egypt. These plays illustrate how the story of Joseph was recontextualized within a framework of international politics, war, and court intrigue, introducing new characters, plotlines, and subplots. This intermixing of genres reflects a broader tendency in early modern drama to blend sacred and secular elements, resulting in hybrid forms that straddled the line between biblical drama and history plays. The article concludes that this blending not only revitalized biblical drama but also helped bridge the gap between declining religious plays and the rising popularity of political and historical narratives.

The Concept of “World” in Ancient Turkic World View

Abstract The relevance of this work is that modern society shows interest in and explores the issue of traditional values, which are the result of social transformations. The development of a national, traditional worldview in the study and cognition of the surrounding world is still being investigated today. The purpose of the study is to conduct a general analysis of the establishment and origin of the worldview of the ancient Turkic peoples and to show the essential aspects of the classical worldview of modern Turkic peoples. The following methods were used in this study: historical, dialectical, comparative, historical, and descriptive methods, analysis and synthesis, as well as deductive and inductive methods. The result of the study was the coverage of not only the question of the worldview of the ancient Turks but also the relevance of this topic in the modern world and the role of a person in society. The study reveals the attitude of the Turks toward society, beliefs, worldview, and understanding of the “World” by nomadic Turkic peoples and describes the main function of the world. The practical significance of this topic lies in the motivation of a person to learn about their origin, culture, and traditions. The study of the world, life, and death of the Turkic peoples will provide a deeper understanding of the traditional culture and worldview of the ancient Turks. The paper covers the topic of the origin of culture and civilization among the Turks. The heroic epic “Oguz Kagan” is considered, and the manifestation of divine faith in the work is analyzed. The idea of the “World” in the epic was clarified by the beliefs of the ancient Turks.

How the Historiosophy of Bunin’s Mature Works Was Shaped. Researches by Gaston Maspero in Zodiacal Light and Some Other Oeuvres

Purpose. Regarding Bunin’s texts’ principal dynamism and the writer’s resistance to the very idea of almost each of his works’ completeness, the author of the article attributes quotations from Maspero’s Ancient History of the Peoples of Orient revealing their alterations from early redactions of Bunin’s The Temple of the Sun to later ones. It is demonstrated how dramatic was the impact of these citations once used in order to form Bunin’s view on Egypt on «non-Egyptian» prosaic works of the 1910s.Results. The first result reached in the course of the analysis is the accurate attribution of obscure fragments as in fact borrowed from Maspero. Secondly, it was shown how Bunin treats his precursor’s text – creating his own associations, reducing and tightening initial passages. Thirdly, the paper demonstrates how descriptions and notions derived from the book of French historian have been transformed in their very nature: diverse facts and notions have become an integral poetic imagination inspirated by scenes of decline of the Ancient World. And finally, the article investigates some traces of Bunin’s «Egyptian text» in his mature prose works – exemplifying short stories The Chalise of Life and The Dust as most representative ones.Conclusion. The author concludes that Bunin’s intertextual poetics was specific in many respects. As it became clear in examples provided in the article, the text borrowed from another writer and «alienated» with inverted commas in fact, in its essence, was completely subordinated by Bunin to his general artistic strategy losing even slight tint of Bakhtinian «someone else’s word».

Visual Representations of Dance and Gender in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient World

This essay outlines the visual reception of dance in the Hebrew Bible and the broader ancient world. It begins with depictions of dance within the visual culture of the ancient Near East, as well as Greek, Roman and Egyptian visual art. It next explores texts from the Hebrew Bible which depict dance and outlines various ways in which these have been brought to life visually through the centuries. The representation of gender in these visual depictions is drawn out and explored throughout the essay.

HISTORICAL ASPECT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE URBAN VISUAL INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT

The article analyses the nature of changes in the urban visual information environment in the context of historical development of European urban culture from ancient times to the present. The system of periodisation of its evolution is proposed on the basis of the revealed role of outdoor information objects in the system of urban visual communication. The dependence of the visual appearance of the urban environ-ment on information-technical achievements is investigated. The role of visual information objects as a sig-nificant city-forming factor is actualised. The typology of information objects is given and their role in the process of changing the image of the city at different stages of its development is considered.

Study of Sublimation in Tragic Drama

Tragedy, as an important category of drama, has been a hot topic in literature and theater since ancient times. Taking the tragedy theories of Aristotle, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Sigmund Freud and other Western scholars as a guide and Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera as the main examples, this paper studies the aesthetic sublimation of tragedy. It is found that the elements of music, story, dramatic poetry, dance and performance integrated in a tragic musical can form the grandeur and magnificence of tragedy. The audience gain a sense of beauty and pain, and pleasure and sublimity from the tragic heroes. Tragedy prompts the awakening of human consciousness and the liberation of individuality, calling for social morality, civilization and progress.

Based on Serum Pharmacochemistry and Metabolomics Studied the Pharmacodynamic Material Basis and Mechanism of Rubi Fructus (Fupenzi) in Improving the Symptom of Kidney-Yang Deficiency.

Rubi fructus (Fupenzi) is the immature fruit of East China Rubi fructus, which is widely used in medicine, food, health food and other fields. Since ancient times, Fupenzi has been considered to be an important medicine for tonifying the kidney in terms of nourishing the liver and kidney, fixing essence and reducing urine, but its effective components and mechanism are not clear. In this paper, the effective components of Rubi fructus were analyzed by detecting the components of Fupenzi in vivo and in vitro. Adenine was used to replicate the model of kidney yang deficiency, and organ index, biochemical index and histopathology were used to evaluate the effect of different doses of Fupenzi on tonifying kidney yang. Metabonomics technique was used to analyze the metabolic regulation mechanism of Fupenzi in improving kidney yang deficiency syndrome. The results showed that 61 chemical constituents of Fupenzi were identified in vitro, including 18 flavonoids, 19 organic acids, 5 coumarins, 8 terpenoids, 7 amino acids and 4 other components. A total of 51 chemical components were identified, including 30 prototype components and 21 metabolic components, which may be the effective components of Fupenzi. The results of pharmacodynamics showed that compared with the model group, the renal index, testicular index and epididymal index of rats in each Fupenzi group were significantly improved (p<0.01), cAMP significantly increased (p<0.05), cGMP decreased (p<0.05) and cAMP/cGMP ratio increased significantly (p<0.05). The content of ACTH in low dose group increased significantly (p<0.05), while the content of ACTH in middle and high dose groups increased, but there was no significant difference. The results of HE staining showed that compared with the model group, the kidney, testis and epididymis of rats in each treatment group were significantly improved. In general, these changes may be mainly through primary bile acid biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, β-alanine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism and other metabolic pathways to improve adenine-induced metabolic disorders in rats with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome.

The Cotton Road

Abstract Cotton is one of the most culturally significant crops in Central Asia today, and it has a complex history, long predating the collective-labour and intensive-irrigation systems of the Soviet period. In this paper, we explore the ancient history of cotton cultivation in Central Asia. We aim to understand when cotton cultivation switched from low-investment to intensive large-scale agriculture and to theorise about the dispersal routes, type of cotton cultivated, and processing systems that existed before the introduction of hybrid forms of cotton from the Americas in the nineteenth century. We incorporate new archaeobotanical data, historical-linguistic evidence and archaeological materials into our discussion. Furthermore, we provide an overview of archaeobotanical evidence from across Europe, Asia and North Africa, aiming to assess common trends in the spread of cotton.