Search Results (5,445)

Forest volume is an important information for assessing the economic value and carbon sequestration capacity of forest resources and serves as a key indicator for energy flow and biodiversity. Although remote sensing technology is applied to estimate volume, optical remote sensing data have limitations in capturing forest vertical height information and may suffer from reflectance saturation. While LiDAR data can provide more detailed vertical structural information, they come with high processing costs and limited observation range. Therefore, improving the accuracy of volume estimation through multi-source data fusion has become a crucial challenge and research focus in the field of forest remote sensing. In this study, we integrated Sentinel-2 multispectral data, Resource-3 stereoscopic imagery, UAV-based LiDAR data, and field survey data to quantitatively estimate the forest volume in Saihanwula Nature Reserve, located in Inner Mongolia, China, on the southern part of Daxing’anling Mountains. The study evaluated the performance of multi-source remote sensing features by using recursive feature elimination (RFE) to select the most relevant factors and applied four machine learning models—multiple linear regression (MLR), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting regression tree (GBRT)—to develop volume estimation models. The evaluation metrics include the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and relative root mean square error (rRMSE). The results show that (1) forest Canopy Height Model (CHM) data were strongly correlated with forest volume, helping to alleviate the reflectance saturation issues inherent in spectral texture data. The fusion of CHM and spectral data resulted in an improved volume estimation model with R² = 0.75 and RMSE = 8.16 m³/hm², highlighting the importance of integrating multi-source canopy height information for more accurate volume estimation. (2) Volume estimation accuracy varied across different tree species. For Betula platyphylla, we obtained R² = 0.71 and RMSE = 6.96 m³/hm²; for Quercus mongolica, R² = 0.74 and RMSE = 6.90 m³/hm²; and for Populus davidiana, R² = 0.51 and RMSE = 9.29 m³/hm². The total forest volume in the Saihanwula Reserve ranges from 50 to 110 m³/hm². (3) Among the four machine learning models, GBRT consistently outperformed others in all evaluation metrics, achieving the highest R² of 0.86, lowest RMSE of 9.69 m³/hm², and lowest rRMSE of 24.57%, suggesting its potential for forest biomass estimation. In conclusion, accurate estimation of forest volume is critical for evaluating forest management practices and timber resources. While this integrated approach shows promise, its operational application requires further external validation and uncertainty analysis to support policy-relevant decisions. The integration of multi-source remote sensing data provides valuable support for forest resource accounting, economic value assessment, and monitoring dynamic changes in forest ecosystems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Feigning spectrum behavior (FSB) is the exaggeration, fabrication, or false imputation of symptoms. It occurs in compensable injury with great cost to society by way of loss of productivity and excessive costs. The aim of this study is to identify feigning by developing cut scores on the long and short forms (SF) of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPSQ and OMPSQ-SF) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS and PSS-4). Methods: As part of pre-screening for a support program, 40 injured workers who had been certified unfit for work for more than 2 weeks were screened once with the OMPSQ and PSS by telephone by a mental health professional. A control sample comprised of 40 non-injured community members were screened by a mental health professional on four occasions under different aliases, twice responding genuinely and twice simulating an injury. Results: Differences between the workplace injured people and the community sample were compared using ANCOVA with age and gender as covariates, and then receiver operator characteristics (ROCs) were calculated. The OMPSQ and OMPSQ-SF discriminated (ρ < 0.001) between all conditions. All measures discriminated between the simulation condition and workplace injured people (ρ < 0.001). Intraclass correlation demonstrated the PSS, PSS-4, OMPSQ, and OMPSQ-SF were reliable (ρ < 0.001). Area Under the Curve (AUC) was 0.750 for OMPSQ and 0.835 for OMPSQ-SF for work-injured versus simulators. Conclusions: The measures discriminated between injured and non-injured people and non-injured people instructed to simulate injury. Non-injured simulators produced similar scores when they had multiple exposures to the test materials, showing the uniformity of feigning spectrum behavior on these measures. The OMPSQ-SF has adequate discriminant validity and sensitivity to feigning spectrum behavior, making it optimal for telephone screening in clinical practice. Full article

Understanding changes in land use structures under multiple scenarios and their impacts on carbon storage is essential for revealing the evolution of regional development patterns and the underlying mechanisms of carbon cycle dynamics. This study adopted an integrated PLUS-InVEST modeling framework to analyze and predict changes in carbon storage in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA) under different scenarios for the years 2030 and 2060. The results showed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the areas of forest land, water bodies, and construction land expanded, while the areas of cropland, grassland, and barren land decreased. Over this 20-year period, carbon storage showed a declining trend, decreasing from 2390.07 × 10⁶ t in 2000 to 2372.19 × 10⁶ t in 2020. (2) In both 2030 and 2060, cropland remained the primary land use type in the CPUA. Overall, carbon storage in the CPUA was higher in the southwestern area and decreased in the central and eastern parts, which was mainly related to the land use distribution pattern in the CPUA. (3) Carbon storage under the EP (ecological protection) and CP (cropland protection) scenarios was significantly higher than under the other two scenarios, and in 2030, carbon storage under the CP and EP scenarios exceeded that in 2020, while the UD (urban development) scenario had the lowest total carbon storage. This indicated that the expansion of construction land was detrimental to carbon storage enhancement, underscoring the importance of implementing ecological protection strategies. In summary, the results of this study quantitatively reflected the changes in carbon storage in the CPUA under different future development scenarios, providing a reference for formulating regional development strategies. Full article

Willow stands (Salix spp.) are an essential part of riparian ecosystems, as they sustain biodiversity and provide bioenergy solutions. The present review synthesizes the global scientific literature about the management of willow stands. In order to achieve this goal, we used a dual approach combining bibliometric analysis with traditional literature review. As such, we consulted 416 publications published between 1978 and 2024. This allowed us to identify key species, ecosystem services, conservation strategies, and management issues. The results we have obtained show a diversity of approaches, with an increase in short-rotation coppice (SRC) systems and the multiple roles covered by willow stands (carbon sequestration, biomass production, riparian restoration, and habitat provision). The key trends we have identified show a shift toward topics such as climate resilience, ecological restoration, and precision forestry. This trend has become especially pronounced over the past decade (2014–2024), as reflected in the increasing use of these keywords in the literature. However, as willow systems expand in scale and function—from biomass production to ecological restoration—they also raise complex challenges, including invasive tendencies in non-native regions and uncertainties surrounding biodiversity impacts and soil carbon dynamics over the long term. The present review is a guide for forest policies and, more specifically, for future research, linking the need to integrate and use adaptive strategies in order to maintain the willow stands. Full article

In this paper, by using the techniques of real analysis, with the help of the Euler–Maclaurin summation formula, Abel’s summation by parts formula, and the differentiation mid-value theorem, we establish a half-discrete Hardy–Mulholland-type inequality involving one multiple upper limit function and one partial sum. Based on the obtained inequality, we characterize the condition of the best possible constant factor related to several parameters. At the end of the paper, we illustrate that some new half-discrete Hardy–Mulholland-type inequalities can be deduced from the special values of the parameters. Our results enrich the current results in the study of half-discrete Hardy–Mulholland-type inequalities. Full article

Floating solar technology has gained significant attention as part of the global expansion of renewable energy due to its potential for installation in underutilized water bodies. Several countries, including the Netherlands, have initiated efforts to extend this technology from inland freshwater applications to open offshore environments, particularly within offshore wind farm areas. This development is motivated by the synergistic benefits of increasing site energy density and leveraging the existing offshore grid infrastructure. The deployment of offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) systems involves assembling multiple modular units in a marine environment, introducing operational risks that may give rise to safety concerns. To mitigate these risks, weather windows must be considered prior to the task execution to ensure continuity between weather-sensitive activities, which can also lead to additional time delays and increased costs. Consequently, optimizing marine logistics becomes crucial to achieving the cost reductions necessary for making OFPV technology economically viable. This study employs a simulation-based approach to estimate the installation duration of a 5 MWp OFPV plant at a Dutch offshore wind farm site, started in different months and under three distinct risk management scenarios. Based on 20 years of hindcast wave data, the results reveal the impacts of campaign start months and risk management policies on installation duration. Across all the scenarios, the installation duration during the autumn and winter period is 160% longer than the one in the spring and summer period. The average installation durations, based on results from 12 campaign start months, are 70, 80, and 130 days for the three risk management policies analyzed. The result variation highlights the additional time required to mitigate operational risks arising from potential discontinuity between highly interdependent tasks (e.g., offshore platform assembly and mooring). Additionally, it is found that the weather-induced delays are mainly associated with the campaigns of pre-laying anchors and platform and mooring line installation compared with the other campaigns. In conclusion, this study presents a logistics modeling methodology for OFPV systems, demonstrated through a representative case study based on a state-of-the-art truss-type design. The primary contribution lies in providing a framework to quantify the performance of OFPV installation strategies at an early design stage. The findings of this case study further highlight that marine installation logistics are highly sensitive to local marine conditions and the chosen installation strategy, and should be integrated early in the OFPV design process to help reduce the levelized cost of electricity. Full article

Mangoes are an important part of Hainan’s tropical characteristic agriculture. In response to the requirements of building an ecological civilization pilot demonstration zone in Hainan, China, green and sustainable development will be the future development trend of the mango planting system. However, the economic benefits and environmental impact during its planting and management process remain unclear. This paper combines emergy, life cycle assessment (LCA), and economic analysis to compare the system sustainability, environmental impact, and economic benefits of the traditional mango cultivation system (TM) in Dongfang City, Hainan Province, and the early-maturing mango cultivation system (EM) in Sanya City. The emergy evaluation results show that the total emergy input of EM (1.37 × 10¹⁶ sej ha⁻¹) was higher than that of TM (1.32 × 10¹⁶ sej ha⁻¹). From the perspective of the emergy index, compared with TM, EM exerted less pressure on the local environment and has better stability and sustainability. This was due to the higher input of renewable resources in EM. The LCA results showed that based on mass as the functional unit, the potential environmental impact of the EM is relatively high, and its total environmental impact index was 18.67–33.19% higher than that of the TM. Fertilizer input and On-Farm emissions were the main factors causing environmental consequences. Choosing alternative fertilizers that have a smaller impact on the environment may effectively reduce the environmental impact of the system. The economic analysis results showed that due to the higher selling price of early-maturing mango, the total profit and cost–benefit ratio of the EM have increased by 55.84% and 36.87%, respectively, compared with the TM. These results indicated that EM in Sanya City can enhance environmental sustainability and boost producers’ annual income, but attention should be paid to the negative environmental impact of excessive fertilizer input. These findings offer insights into optimizing agricultural inputs for Hainan mango production to mitigate multiple environmental impacts while enhancing economic benefits, aiming to provide theoretical support for promoting the sustainable development of the Hainan mango industry. Full article

The water-yield function in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) of China for maintaining the basin’s ecological water balance plays a crucial role. Understanding its spatiotemporal variation and the underlying drivers in the basin is crucial for the management, utilization, and development of water resources. Thus, we used the InVEST model to explore its spatiotemporal dynamics across multiple scales (“basin–county–pixel”). Then, we integrated socio-economic and natural factors to elucidate the driving forces and spatial heterogeneity of water-yield dynamics. Our findings indicated that water-yield trends increased in 71.76% of the YRB, and significant water-yield increases were detected in 13.9% of the basin over the past 40 years. A phase-wise comparison revealed a shift in water yield from a decreasing trend in the first two decades to a significant increasing trend in the last two decades. Hotspot analysis revealed that hotspots of increasing water-yield trends have shifted from the downstream section of the basin toward the southwest, while hotspots of decreasing water-yield trends first concentrated in the basin’s southern part and then disappeared. Both natural and socioeconomic factors have exerted positive and negative impacts on water-yield dynamics. Among them, the dynamics of water yield have been predominantly driven by natural variables. Full article

Type 10 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD10) is the HSD17B10 gene product. It plays an appreciable part in the carcinogenesis and pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease and infantile neurodegeneration. This mitochondrial, homo-tetrameric protein is a central hub in various metabolic pathways, e.g., branched-chain amino acid degradation and neurosteroid metabolism. It can bind to other proteins carrying out diverse physiological functions, e.g., tRNA maturation. It has also previously been proposed to be an Aβ-binding alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) or endoplasmic reticulum-associated Aβ-binding protein (ERAB), although those reports are controversial due to data analyses. For example, the reported k_m value of some substrate of ABAD/ERAB was five times higher than its natural solubility in the assay employed to measure k_m. Regarding any reported “one-site competitive inhibition” of ABAD/ERAB by Aβ, the k_i value estimations were likely impacted by non-physiological concentrations of 2-octanol at high concentrations of vehicle DMSO and, therefore, are likely artefactual. Certain data associated with ABAD/ERAB were found not reproducible, and multiple experimental approaches were undertaken under non-physiological conditions. In contrast, 17β-HSD10 studies prompted a conclusion that Aβ inhibited 17β-HSD10 activity, thus harming brain cells, replacing a prior supposition that “ABAD” mediates Aβ neurotoxicity. Furthermore, it is critical to find answers to the question as to why elevated levels of 17β-HSD10, in addition to Aβ and phosphorylated Tau, are present in the brains of AD patients and mouse AD models. Addressing this question will likely prompt better approaches to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Full article

Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, commonly known as Yanhusuo, is an important and rare medicinal plant resource in China. Its habitat integrity is facing severe challenges due to climate change and human activities. Establishing an integrative quality zoning system for this species is of significant practical importance for resource conservation and adaptive management. This study integrates multiple data sources, including 121 valid distribution points, 37 environmental factors, future climate scenarios (SSP126 and SSP585 pathways for the 2050s and 2090s), and measured content of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) from 22 sampling sites. A predictive framework for habitat suitability and spatial distribution of effective components was constructed using a multi-model coupling approach (MaxEnt, ArcGIS spatial analysis, and co-kriging method). The results indicate that the MaxEnt model exhibits high prediction accuracy (AUC > 0.9), with the dominant environmental factors being the precipitation of the wettest quarter (404.8~654.5 mm) and the annual average temperature (11.8~17.4 °C). Under current climatic conditions, areas of high suitability are concentrated in parts of Central and Eastern China, including the Sichuan Basin, the middle–lower Yangtze plains, and coastal areas of Shandong and Liaoning. In future climate scenarios, the center of suitable areas is predicted to shift northwestward. The content of THP is significantly correlated with the mean diurnal temperature range, temperature seasonality, and the mean temperature of the wettest quarter (p < 0.01). A comprehensive assessment identifies the Yangtze River Delta region, Central China, and parts of the Loess Plateau as the optimal integrative quality zones. This research provides a scientific basis and decision-making support for the sustainable utilization of C. yanhusuo and other rare medicinal plants in China. Full article

Background/Objectives. Previous research with extremely and very preterm children indicates that these children obtain significantly lower results in executive functions (EFs) and in reading skills than full-term (FT) children. The comparison results do not seem to be so clear when other PT children in lower-risk conditions are studied. Many studies with typically developing and preterm (PT) children indicate that reading ability is determined, in part, by EFs. Therefore, the study of EFs and reading and their relationships in low-risk PT children is pertinent. Methods. In the present study, 111 PT children, classified into three groups with different ranges of gestational age (GA), and one group of 34 FT children participated in a longitudinal study, carried out from 4 to 9 years of age. The results obtained from the four groups in different EFs measured at 4, 5, and 8 years of age, and in reading skills at 9 years of age were compared. The possible effects of EFs on reading skills were studied through multiple linear regression analyses. Results. The results obtained indicate that no significant difference was found between FT children and any of the GA groups of PT children, either in EFs or reading skills. The effect of EFs on reading skills was low to moderate. Verbal and non-verbal working memory had a positive significant effect on decoding skills (letter names, same–different, and word reading), but not on reading comprehension processes. Higher-order EFs (cognitive flexibility and planning), as well as inhibitory control, showed positive effects on reading comprehension skills. The effects of the different EFs varied depending on the reading process. Conclusions. In conclusion, low-risk PT children do not differ from FT children in their competence in EFs or reading skills. There are long-lasting effects of EFs, measured several years before, on reading skills measured at 9 years of age. Full article

The renovation of old urban residential areas is and will continue to be an important part of urban renewal in China. The renovation of existing old urban residential areas focuses more on the physical level of renovation and pays insufficient attention to the improvement of collaborative community governance. However, collaborative community governance is the key to sustainable renovation. This study aims to explore the formation mechanism of multiple subjects’ collaborative governance in the renovation of old urban residential areas. A general collaborative governance theoretical framework was adopted and adjusted by innovatively introducing the improvement of collaborative community governance in old urban residential areas as an important variable in collaborative results. Data were collected through 853 questionnaires in 16 provinces across China and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Data analysis reveals the following conclusions: (1) institution design and the collaborative process have significant positive impacts on collaborative results, while facilitative leadership has a negative impact; (2) the collaborative process is an important mediating variable on collaborative results; (3) government departments’ and residents’ self-governing organizations play important roles in improving collaborative community governance. Face-to-face dialogue and consultation, information disclosure and transparency, and reaching an intermediate consensus are important mediator variables. The research results provide theoretical support and practical suggestions for promoting the improvement of multiple-subject collaboration through old urban residential area renovation. Full article

Real-time wildlife monitoring on edge devices poses significant challenges due to limited power, constrained bandwidth, and unreliable connectivity, especially in remote natural habitats. Conventional object detection systems often transmit redundant data of the same animals detected across multiple consecutive frames as a part of a single event, resulting in increased power consumption and inefficient bandwidth usage. Furthermore, maintaining consistent animal identities in the wild is difficult due to occlusions, variable lighting, and complex environments. In this study, we propose a lightweight hybrid tracking framework built on the YOLOv8m deep neural network, combining motion-based Kalman filtering with Local Binary Pattern (LBP) similarity for appearance-based re-identification using texture and color features. To handle ambiguous cases, we further incorporate Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) color space similarity. This approach enhances identity consistency across frames while reducing redundant transmissions. The framework is optimized for real-time deployment on edge platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and Raspberry Pi 5. We evaluate our method against state-of-the-art trackers using event-based metrics such as MOTA, HOTA, and IDF1, with a focus on detected animals occlusion handling, trajectory analysis, and counting during both day and night. Our approach significantly enhances tracking robustness, reduces ID switches, and provides more accurate detection and counting compared to existing methods. When transmitting time-series data and detected frames, it achieves up to 99.87% bandwidth savings and 99.67% power reduction, making it highly suitable for edge-based wildlife monitoring in resource-constrained environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Moschus (musk) has long been used in traditional Tibetan medicine to prevent and treat epidemic febrile illnesses. However, its antiviral mechanisms remain poorly understood. Given the urgent need for effective treatments against viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs), this study aimed to systematically investigate the molecular targets and pharmacological pathways through which Moschus may exert therapeutic effects. Methods: Based on the identification of bioactive compounds with favorable pharmacokinetics, we applied integrated network pharmacology and multi-omics analyses to systematically identify key therapeutic targets involved in VRTIs. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and immune infiltration further revealed strong associations with multiple immune cell subsets, reflecting their pivotal roles in immunomodulatory mechanisms during viral infections. Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinities between Moschus compounds and these key targets. Results: Notably, testosterone exhibited the strongest and most consistent binding across key targets, suggesting its potential as a pivotal bioactive compound. Importantly, the antiviral effects of Moschus may be mediated in part by the downregulation of the key genes MCL1, MAPK3, and CDK2, which are involved in the regulation of viral replication, apoptosis, and host immune responses. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive mechanistic framework supporting the multi-target antiviral potential of Moschus, offering a scientific basis for its further development as a therapeutic agent against VRTIs. Full article

Urban–rural integration realises the coordinated development and prosperity of urban and rural areas as a whole by optimising the allocation of resources and the flow of factors, and its connotations have been extended from a single dimension to multiple dimensions such as people, land and industry. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region has a typical “Core–Periphery Structure”, and this paper took the 187 county units within the region as the research object, taking into account indicators of development and coordination to construct an evaluation index system of urban–rural integration of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region counties in the dimensions of “people–land–industry”. Global principal component analysis was used to measure the evolutionary pattern of the urban–rural integration level between 2005 and 2020, and its spatiotemporal drivers were analysed by using the Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression model (GTWR). The results of the study show that (1) the level of urban–rural integration in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region showed an increasing trend during the 15-year study period, the high-value areas of urban–rural integration were mainly distributed in Beijing and the Bohai Rim region in the eastern part of the Tianjin–Hebei region, and the level of urban–rural integration of the peri-urban county units of the city was better than that of the remote counties and cities as a whole. (2) In terms of spatial agglomeration, all dimensions were characterised by significant spatial agglomeration. The degree of agglomeration was categorised as urban–rural comprehensive integration (U-RCI) > urban–rural industry integration (U-RII) > urban–rural land integration (U-RLI) > urban–rural people integration (U-RPI). (3) In terms of spatial and temporal driving factors for urban–rural integration, the driving role of U-RPI, U-RLI and U-RII for U-RCI has gradually weakened during the past 15 years, and urban–rural integration in the counties shifted from a single role to a more central coordinated and multidimensional driving role. Full article