Search Results (455,530)

Video Question Answering (VideoQA) requires a deep understanding of dynamic video content, integrating spatial reasoning, temporal dependencies, and language comprehension. Existing methods often struggle with long or semantically complex videos due to the lack of question-guided keyframe weight adjustment and the absence of question-aligned cross-modal description generation. To address these challenges, we propose ETR (Event-centric Temporal Reasoning), an adaptive framework for VideoQA. ETR introduces three key mechanisms: (i) a hierarchical weight adjustment selector to identify questions requiring event-centric temporal reasoning; (ii) a T-Route that segments videos into semantically coherent events and dynamically adjusts keyframe weights with question intent; and (iii) a question-conditioned prompting strategy that focuses on key objects to generate textual prompts aligned with a question’s semantics. This hierarchical and adaptive design effectively balances visual and textual information, enhances temporal reasoning, and improves object-centric alignment. Experiments on two datasets demonstrate that ETR achieves competitive performance in fine question-aware VideoQA. Full article

China’s agricultural modernization hinges on integrating smallholder farmers into modern production systems, yet incomplete rural factor markets and endowment constraints hinder this transition. This study examines how capital, labor, and land constraints limit smallholders’ adoption of modern agricultural production (MAP) and whether technological progress biases exacerbate these barriers. Using panel data from Shandong and Henan (2012–2022), we find that endowment constraints reduce MAP adoption by 0.028% per 1% increase in constraints, with capital constraints being the most binding. These findings remain robust after endogeneity concerns and robustness checks. Regarding the mechanism, capital-based technological progress bias mitigates the negative impact, whereas labor-based technological progress bias exacerbates it. Smallholder farmers are generally biased towards increased use of labor-based technologies and reduced use of capital-based technologies, but the trend is gradually reversing. Policy priorities include targeted subsidies to alleviate capital constraints, land tenure reforms to facilitate scale operations, and technology extension programs tailored to smallholders’ resource endowments. These findings offer a roadmap for China’s rural revitalization strategy and broader agricultural modernization efforts in developing economies. Full article

Conventional anomaly diagnosis methods often treat process faults and model drift as distinct, independent issues: anomalous behavior is attributed to process problems, whereas drift is seen as a secondary concern. This traditional perspective neglects the fact that, when a fault is detected, the first diagnosis that must be provided regards the source of the observed deviation: a process fault or a model malfunction. In this context, the present study tackles this fundamental diagnosis problem, proposing that effective anomaly diagnosis should distinguish process faults from model inadequacies originating from operational changes. To address this challenge, the Nearest Normal Value (NNV) contribution analysis technique was developed to quantify individual variable contributions through counterfactual analysis. Unlike conventional diagnostic methods that rely on static references, the NNV technique provides contribution profiles that characterize the operational state dynamically. The methodology was validated using three distinct datasets, including actual operational data from an oil production system. On real data, the normalized dispersion index $\left(\mathrm{S}\right)$ decreased from 0.92 to 0.58 during a documented fault (37% change), whereas it changed from 0.76 to 0.63 during an operating mode shift (17% change), showing, thus, distinct contribution signatures for faults versus drift-related regime changes. The findings suggest that incorporating the proposed approach into anomaly diagnosis systems could reduce false alarms and improve diagnostic accuracy in dynamic industrial environments where operating conditions evolve over time. Full article

To address the complex dynamic mechanisms and lack of static operation data in trench-digging for transverse planting of Salix psammophila sand barriers, a transverse trench-digging device was designed. Based on the discrete element method, the Hertz–Mindlin with JKR Cohesion model was used to simulate sandy soil. The Box–Behnken experiment was adopted to optimize the single auger structure with helix angle and soil-cutting angle as factors and trench depth and working torque as indices, yielding the optimal parameters of 30° soil-cutting angle and 20.37° helix angle (5.52 cm trench depth, 2.6 N·m maximum torque). The optimized auger was integrated into the device, and a further Box–Behnken experiment was conducted under a 20 cm fixed descending depth of the lifting platform. With auger rotation speed, shaft spacing and lifting speed as factors, and trench depth, soil compaction and Salix psammophila insertion depth as indices, the optimal operating parameters were determined as 257.25 r/min, 7 cm and 9 cm/s, corresponding to 6.7 cm trench depth, 33.37 kPa soil compaction and 14.87 cm insertion depth. This study clarifies the effects of auger and operation parameters on trench-digging quality, provides a basis for the design and parameter matching of dynamic continuous operation equipment, and offers a reference for the R&D of mechanized transverse planting equipment for Salix psammophila sand barriers, which is of practical value for reducing sand control costs and improving efficiency. Full article

The publication of Richard Wilhelm’s German translation of the Daodejing in 1911 ignited a “Daoist enthusiasm” in German literary circles, offering spiritual solace to a generation disillusioned by World War I. This article explores the creative reception of Daoist thought by the German writer Klabund (1890–1928), arguing that he reinterpreted Daoism not merely as a philosophy but as a religious response to the spiritual and political crises of post-war Germany. Through a comparative analysis of Klabund’s Laotse. Sprüche and Wilhelm’s source text, this study reveals how Klabund, through the selection, reorganization, and substitution of key terms, constructs a “practicable faith” for his contemporaries. The article further examines how this reconstruction extends into his literary works: Li-Tai-Pe aestheticizes Daoist themes like “softness” and “water”, Dreiklang elevates Laozi to a “divine incarnation” within a syncretic religious framework alongside Christ and Buddha, and The Last Emperor applies Daoist political wisdom to critique imperial power. Klabund’s approach illustrates a unique model of cross-cultural dialogue, where ancient Eastern wisdom is transformed into a “revolution of the heart”, serving as a spiritual antidote to the modern Western crisis of faith. Full article

Metformin has stood as the primary clinical tool for type 2 diabetes for decades, yet its potential reach into oncology and gerontology is only now being critically dissected. This review evaluates how metformin might actually pull the levers of cancer progression and biological aging. Evidence from across various models suggests that the drug works by recalibrating cellular energy homeostasis—specifically by triggering AMPK and dampening the mTOR pathway. This signaling shift ripples through downstream processes like autophagy and oxidative stress regulation, theoretically slowing tumor growth and pushing back against cellular senescence. However, our look at the literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science shows a messy reality where preclinical success often stalls during clinical translation. Even though observational data point toward lower cancer rates in diabetic cohorts, these “wins” are frequently skewed by clinical confounders and inconsistent data. This makes the leap from metabolic control to a broad-spectrum anti-aging or anticancer therapy a point of serious contention. We argue that only large-scale, randomized trials can truly verify if metformin is safe and effective for non-diabetic populations. In the end, untangling these molecular routes is the only way to see if metformin belongs in future oncological or healthy aging strategies. That being said, at least mechanistically, metformin definitely offers potential that warrants such large-scale research. Full article

Large-scale agricultural remote sensing monitoring is challenged by pronounced spatial heterogeneity arising from fragmented terrain, complex climatic backgrounds, and diverse cropping structures. However, existing agricultural zoning schemes generally lack an integrated consideration of remote sensing imaging mechanisms and key variable conditions such as atmospheric interference and crop phenology, limiting their direct utility in guiding region-specific sensor selection and classification algorithm calibration. To address this limitation, this study integrates multi-source earth observation data and agricultural statistical information to construct an Agricultural Remote-sensing Classification Difficulty Index (ARCDI) from multiple dimensions, including image availability, cropping structure, cropland fragmentation, and topographic environment. On this basis, a graph theory-based spatially constrained Skater clustering algorithm is introduced to establish a two-tier “cropland–major cereal crops” zoning framework oriented toward remote sensing applications. The results indicate that the proposed framework delineates five distinct first-tier cropland classification difficulty zones across China. This zoning scheme effectively quantifies the regional heterogeneities in monitoring challenges. Building upon this first-tier zoning, the framework is further refined into 50 second-tier major cereal crop classification difficulty zones, including 13 winter wheat zones, 21 maize zones, and 16 rice zones. Statistical tests and spatial analyses demonstrate that the proposed zoning scheme significantly outperforms conventional clustering approaches in balancing within-zone homogeneity and spatial continuity. This advantage is quantitatively reflected by consistently lower residual spatial autocorrelation (residual Moran’s I ≈ 0.10–0.11) and an approximately 20% reduction in within-zone variance compared with other spatially constrained methods. Extensive field-sample validation provides preliminary evidence of an inverse relationship between crop-type classification difficulty and accuracy. These results confirm the framework’s reliability in identifying regional difficulty and its decision-support value for selecting remote sensing strategies. Overall, this study systematically elucidates the spatial differentiation patterns of remote sensing classification difficulty for cropland and major cereal crops across China. The proposed framework provides robust scientific support for data selection, algorithm optimization, and differentiated strategy formulation in national-scale agricultural monitoring, thereby facilitating the operationalization of regional agricultural remote sensing applications. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary NFC/NDF ratio on nutrient apparent digestibility, fecal fermentation parameters, microbial diversity, and plasma metabolomics in Yili horses. Twenty-four healthy Yili horses with similar body weights (406 ± 22.73 kg) were divided into four groups, each with six replicates: the Control Group (CG), Low-NFC Group (LG), Medium-NFC Group (MG), and High-NFC Group (HG). The experiment lasted 52 d, comprising a 7-day adaptation period and a 45-day experimental period. Total fecal collection was conducted from days 41 to 45 to calculate nutrient apparent digestibility. On the final day, rectal fecal samples and blood samples were collected for full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and plasma metabolomics analysis. The results revealed the following findings: (1) The apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) in the MG and HG groups was significantly higher than in the CG (p < 0.01), and significantly higher in the LG group compared to the CG (p < 0.05). (2) Significant differences were observed in fecal pH, propionate concentration, and the acetate-to-propionate ratio between the CG and the experimental groups (p < 0.05). (3) At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota were dominant in the fecal microbiota of all groups. PICRUSt2 prediction indicated that the MG and HG groups primarily enhanced energy conversion efficiency through amino acid metabolism and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis metabolic pathways. (4) A total of 204 differential metabolites were identified between the CG and MG groups, with 98 upregulated and 106 downregulated in the MG group compared to the CG. These metabolites were mainly enriched in pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, fructose and mannose metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. In summary, appropriately increasing NFC/NDF content influences the gut microbiota composition and energy metabolism of Yili horses, thereby effectively improving their digestion and absorption of dietary nutrients. Full article

Marek’s disease (MD), caused by the oncogenic Marek’s disease virus (MDV), is a highly contagious avian infection that induces lymphoproliferative tumors. The RNA-binding protein ELAVL1 is known to regulate tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis, but its role in MDV-induced oncogenesis remains unclear. This study investigated whether ELAVL1 modulates proliferation and apoptosis in the MDV-transformed MSB1 cell line and whether its effects involve the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) pathway. MSB1 cells were transiently transfected with ELAVL1-overexpressing plasmids (pEGFP-C-ELAVL1) or ELAVL1-specific siRNA, with expression confirmed by real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was assessed using the CCK-8 assay, while cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rates were analyzed by flow cytometry. COX-2 and PGE2 expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and ELISA. Overexpression of ELAVL1 significantly promoted the proliferation of MSB1 cells, decreased transition into the G1 phase, increased the proportions of S and G2 phase cells, and suppressed apoptosis. Correspondingly, both mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and PGE2 were significantly elevated. Conversely, ELAVL1 knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation, induced G1 phase arrest, decreased S phase cells, and significantly decreased COX-2 and PGE2 expression. These findings indicate that ELAVL1 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in MDV-transformed MSB1 cells, potentially via the COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway. Full article

Assessing zoo animal welfare can involve generic evaluations or targeted, species-specific protocols. While the latter offer greater precision, their development is often limited by species diversity and the lack of validated indicators. The Animal Welfare Monitor^® (AWM) protocol addresses these challenges by adapting Welfare Quality^® principles to zoological contexts. Its core innovation is a four-level hierarchical structure (base, order, family, species) linking broad taxonomic knowledge to species-level protocols. This enables tailored questionnaires for each species, including data-deficient taxa, by leveraging information from related groups. Questionnaires, covering housing, nutrition, health, and behaviour, are complemented by behavioural observations. AWM currently covers 87 species (69 mammals, 15 birds, 2 amphibians, 1 reptile) and constitutes a substantial database of species-specific welfare assessment protocols embedded within a single, standardised methodological framework. Between 2021 and 2025, 14 zoos conducted over 1000 assessments and 15,000 behavioural observations, demonstrating the protocol’s feasibility in routine operations. AWM integrates data entry with visual documentation, such as photographs of enclosures or enrichment, which add context, enhance decision-making, and strengthen long-term records. While refinements such as group-level assessment remain, AWM offers a scalable, flexible tool combining scientific rigour with operational applicability, supporting positive welfare outcomes across diverse zoological institutions. Full article

The circular economy paradigm offers a critical framework for addressing agricultural sustainability challenges, yet limited empirical evidence exists regarding how ecological innovations create simultaneous value across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This study examines stakeholder value creation mechanisms through a 200-day longitudinal case study (March–October 2025) of Fuyang, China’s ecological transformation utilizing exciton-mineral technology for livestock waste valorization. The mixed-methods approach combined environmental monitoring, economic performance data, social surveys (n = 4523), and governance document analysis across operations processing 3000–4500 tons of poultry waste monthly. Results indicated significant environmental improvements including 99.4% odor reduction (NH₃: 999 → 5.6 ppm), 387% soil biodiversity increase, and 42% methane emission reduction. Economic benefits included +20% farmer net profit and +57% egg price premium. Social outcomes encompassed 96.2% resident satisfaction and complete elimination of odor complaints. Governance innovation established China’s first permit-free bio-mineral production system. The findings suggest that ecological innovations embedding circularity as automatic outcomes, rather than requiring behavioral coordination, can accelerate circular agriculture transitions beyond policy mandates, pointing to a potentially scalable model for sustainable production–consumption systems in developing economies. Full article

Coilia nasus, a typical species with migratory–sedentary polymorphism, shows different intestinal microbiota characteristics among its different ecotypes. This is attributed to differences in feeding habits and habitat environments (such as water temperature, salinity, etc.). This study constructed a database of intestinal microbiota for three ecological types of C. nasus, namely migratory type (comprising marine populations and freshwater populations), sedentary type and aquaculture-reared type, through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology. This study investigates the ecological mechanisms underlying microbiota differentiation, focusing on three key drivers: environmental selection, host nutritional metabolism requirements, and host life history strategies. The results showed that the core flora of C. nasus consisted of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Both the depletion of microbial taxa and the enrichment of marine-adapted bacterial lineages—including Proteobacteria and Psychrobacter—are associated with elevated salinity in the migratory marine population of C. nasus. In contrast, the elevated relative abundance of Actinobacteria in aquaculture-reared C. nasus is likely attributable to dietary supplementation with protein- and lipid-rich artificial feed. Functional correlation analysis holds promise for partially predicting the microbiota’s metabolic functional succession patterns. The dominance of Pseudomonas_E in the migratory freshwater population is consistent with its well-documented physiological versatility and adaptive capacity in dynamically fluctuating aquatic habitats. The elevated abundance of Cyanobacteria in the sedentary population C. nasus coincides with the water bloom in their habitat, suggesting that the structure of the microbiota may serve as a novel biomarker for indicating the ecosystem. In conclusion, this study identifies potential molecular markers for tracing genetic resources and distinguishing ecological types of C. nasus, while establishing a theoretical foundation for elucidating the co-evolutionary dynamics between fish hosts and their associated microbiota—and thereby informing both conservation strategies for wild populations and microbiota-informed aquaculture practices. Full article

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States. Despite overall declines in incidence and mortality nationwide, rural communities continue to experience higher rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality than their urban counterparts, a disparity that has persisted over recent decades. This review synthesizes evidence from epidemiologic and clinical studies evaluating rural–urban differences in lung cancer incidence, mortality, diagnostic stage, access to screening, and treatment outcomes. Factors influencing these differences—tobacco use and environmental exposures, socioeconomic inequities, access to healthcare, and psychosocial and spiritual support—are examined as well. The review highlights the importance of increasing access to lung cancer screening and suggests interventions to improve early detection, access to treatment, and enhance psychosocial and spiritual support for patients and caregivers residing in rural areas. In this review, we have followed the urban–rural classification designated by the United States Census Bureau as a rural area consisting of populations, housing, and territory not included within an urban-classified area. Full article

Enclosed learning spaces, e.g., classrooms, are used in most schools. Open learning spaces, which enable teaching more than one group of students at a time, have become increasingly popular. A recent survey showed that acoustic satisfaction was lower among teachers working in open learning spaces. Our purpose was to compare the acoustic conditions of these learning space types. We investigated the room acoustic quality of 73 learning spaces in 20 schools. Ten schools involved only enclosed and ten both open and enclosed learning spaces. Measurements concerned speech transmission index, STI, background noise level, L_Aeq, and reverberation time, T. Variation in results in both learning space types was rather large. In enclosed learning spaces, STI varied within 0.64–0.83, L_Aeq within 25–47 dB, and T within 0.34–0.82 s. The corresponding variations in open learning spaces were 0.47–0.91, 29–44 dB, and 0.44–0.72 s. The differences between enclosed and open learning spaces were surprisingly small. Due to the different intended uses of these space types, Finnish target values are tighter for open than for enclosed learning spaces. These target values were fulfilled in 56% of enclosed and 9% of open learning spaces. The more frequent violation of target values in open learning spaces was due to the STI being too large at longer distances. Our study provides suggestive evidence that the room acoustic conditions are worse in open than enclosed learning spaces. Further research is needed to prove whether room acoustic conditions could explain worse acoustic satisfaction in teachers. Full article