Efficient Mechanism Research Articles

Applying cross-scale regulations to Sedum plumbizincicola for strengthening the bioremediation of the agricultural soil that contaminated by electronic waste dismantling and revealing the underlying mechanisms by multi-omics.

Electronic waste dismantling has induced the surrounding agricultural soils suffered from combined contamination of heavy metals and organic pollutants. Lower efficiency and complex mechanisms of bioremediation remain to be resolved. Here, we adopted regulations to Sedum plumbizincicola cross aboveground and belowground scales to strengthen the bioremediation efficiency. Results showed that the S. plumbizincicola intercropping with the Astragalus sinicus L. that inoculated with Rhizobium had the highest performance in reduction of Cd, PBDEs and PCBs from soils by 0.11 mg/kg, 67.93 μg/kg and 38.91 μg/kg, respectively. Rhizosphere soil metabolomics analysis demonstrated that reductions in Cd and PBDEs significantly associated with 2-Methylhippuric acid and L-Saccharopine, which were involved in phenylalanine metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids and lysine. Metagenomic analysis revealed that these functional pathways were mediated by Frankia, Mycobacterium, Blastococcus, etc. microbial taxa, which were also significantly altered by regulations. Moreover, regulation regimes significantly affected transcription genes of S. plumbizincicola. Functional annotation revealed that cross-scale regulations significantly improve bioremediation efficiency through microorganisms and metabolites in the rhizosphere and transcription genes of S. plumbizincicola, which were illustrated to promote plant growth and tolerance to environmental stress. Our integration of multi-omics provides comprehensive and deep insights into molecular mechanisms in the cross-scale regulations of S. plumbizincicola, which would favor remediation techniques advances for the soil contaminated by electronic waste dismantling.

A Blockchain based Efficient Incentive Mechanism in Tripartite Cyber Threat Intelligence Service Marketplace

A Blockchain based Efficient Incentive Mechanism in Tripartite Cyber Threat Intelligence Service Marketplace

ASSEMBLY COUPLING TECHNOLOGY OF MICROLENS ARRAY AND OPTICAL FIBER BUNDLE

Continuous improvements in high-resolution infrared remote sensing imaging technology have led to important applications in various fields; however, the low filling rate of optical fiber and degradation of the focal ratio of the image end remain problems that restrict further development. The coupling technology of the microlens array and optical fiber bundle assembly is the key to solving these problems. In this work, we studied the coupling technology of microlens array and optical fiber bundle assembly. Specifically, six degrees-of-freedom coupling assembly and infrared radiation energy measurement subsystems were built, and based on this a high-precision mechanical alignment coupling efficiency measurement system was designed. After kinematic analysis, it was found that the maximum positioning error was within the allowable error range, making the system suitable for the requirements of precision assembly. Finally, the alignment coupling efficiency of the system was tested, and the results showed that the coupling efficiency reached 92.65%, which was only 6.01% lower than the assumed theoretical value and affirmed the feasibility of the system design for improving the performance of optical fiber image transmission systems.

Recycling efficiency mechanism of recycled concrete aggregate to improve the CO2 uptake and anti-leakage properties of CO2 sequestration functional backfills

Recycling efficiency mechanism of recycled concrete aggregate to improve the CO2 uptake and anti-leakage properties of CO2 sequestration functional backfills

Helminth extracellular vesicles co‐opt host monocytes to drive T cell anergy

AbstractParasitic helminths secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) into their host tissues to modulate immune responses, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We demonstrate that Ascaris EVs are efficiently internalised by monocytes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and increase the percentage of classical monocytes. Furthermore, EV treatment of monocytes induced a novel anti‐inflammatory phenotype characterised by CD14+, CD16−, CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2−) and programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1)+ cells. In addition, Ascaris EVs induced T cell anergy in a monocyte‐dependent mechanism. Targeting professional phagocytes to induce both direct and indirect pathways of immune modulation presents a highly novel and efficient mechanism of EV‐mediated host‐parasite communication. Intra‐peritoneal administration of EVs induced protection against gut inflammation in the dextran sodium sulphate model of colitis in mice. Ascaris EVs were shown to affect circulating immune cells and protect against gut inflammation; this highlights their potential as a subject for further investigation in inflammatory conditions driven by dysregulated immune responses. However, their clinical translation would require further studies and careful consideration of ethical implications.

Remote Data Security Monitoring Technology for Computer Networks Based on Machine Learning Algorithms

In an era dominated by increasing cyber threats and the expansion of digital systems, securing computer networks has become a critical challenge. Traditional security techniques, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, are often inadequate in addressing the dynamic and evolving nature of modern cyber-attacks. Remote data security monitoring, when combined with machine learning (ML) algorithms, has emerged as a promising solution to address these security gaps. This paper explores the integration of machine learning techniques into remote data security monitoring systems for computer networks. It investigates how ML algorithms can enhance real-time detection, classification, and prediction of security incidents, thereby improving the robustness and efficiency of network defense mechanisms. The study reviews various ML models, their application to data security, and the benefits and challenges of their deployment in remote monitoring systems. Finally, we present case studies and discuss future research directions in this domain.

TAX REVENUE AND ITS IMPACT ON NIGERIA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH

This research examines the relationship between tax revenue components and economic growth in Nigeria, using quarterly data from 1994 to 2022. The research investigates three primary tax components: Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Value Added Tax (VAT), and Other Tax Revenue (OTH), employing an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to analyze both short-run and long-run relationships. Data was sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria’s bulletins, National Bureau of Statistics, etc. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between overall tax revenue and economic growth, with a 1% increase in total tax revenue leading to a 0.234% increase in GDP growth. Among the tax components, VAT demonstrates the strongest positive impact (0.289%), followed by Other Tax Revenue (0.178%) and PPT (0.156%). The error correction term (-0.567) indicates that approximately 56.7% of any disequilibrium is corrected within one year, suggesting efficient adjustment mechanisms. The study's diagnostic tests confirm the models' statistical validity, with high R-squared values and no significant issues of serial correlation or heteroskedasticity. Based on these findings, the study recommends enhancing VAT administration, expanding the tax base, modernizing tax collection systems, and implementing strategic reforms to diversify revenue sources beyond petroleum. These results have important implications for tax policy formulation in Nigeria, particularly in the context of economic diversification efforts and sustainable development goals.

Mechanization impact of improvement of some quality indicators of wastewater in rainbow trout culture dualpurpose farms in Markazi Province of Iran

The most important goals of mechanization in aquaculture are to reduce the production costs and improve profitability, reduce production risk, observe health and prevent diseases, and observe environmental aspects in production, improving quality of farm effluents and proper nutritional management leading to higher level of productivity. This research was conducted aiming at investigating the efficiency of mechanization on quality of wastewater in dual-purpose rainbow trout culture farms in Markazi province of Iran. 30 dual-purpose rainbow trout culture farms with high production capacity and more ponds located in 5 cities of the Markazi province were selected and their mechanized tools were determined. The physical and chemical factors of inlet and outlet water, including dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrite, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate and total suspended solids were measured. Although water factors of most of the studied farms were acceptable for raising rainbow trout, various variables such as amount of production, health management, quality and quantity of washing ponds, output and discharge improper pools, failure to use siphons between two outlets, failure to implement fishing patterns, improper siphonage and drainage are effective in farm performance and disrupt the balance of physical and chemical factors of water and challenged the efficiency of mechanized devices and equipment used in the farms.

Analysis of Cyclone Spinning Effect with Different Guide Vane Heights

In order to explore the influence of change in the structural parameters ofguide vane cyclones on the cyclone spinning effect, this paper mainly used numerical simulations and physical experiments to analyze the energy of the hydrodynamic flow of acyclone with different guide vane heights by taking the structuralparameters of the guide vane height as the research object. The results show that the rotational kinetic energy of the water flow inside the cyclone was almost zero in the upstream and straight sections of the guide vane section, and it only existed in the leading edge section of the guide vane. In the twisted section of the guide vane, the rotational kinetic energy increased along the flow path, while it decreased in the downstream section of the guide vane. An increase in the height of the guide vanes led to an increase in local mechanical energy loss at the leading and trailing edges of the guide vanes of the cyclone. In the guide vane section, the mechanical energy loss of the water flow remained almost constant along the path, but the mechanical energy loss was faster for cyclones with greater heights. During the deflection of the guide vane, pressure energy was converted into kinetic energy, and the higher the height of the guide vane, the greater the kinetic energy growth and mechanical energy consumption. The proportion of additional mechanical energy loss in the total loss increased with the increase in guide vane height, and the influence of guide vane height was greater than that of the Reynolds number. The mechanical efficiency ηdecreased with the increase in guide vane height, whereas the mechanical efficiency increased slightly with the increase in Reynolds number. The research results in this paper provide a theoretical basis for further optimizing the structural parameters of cyclones.

Sex differences in cardiac energetics in the rat ventricular muscle

Cardiac sex-difference functional studies have centred on measurements of twitch force and Ca2+ dynamics. The energy expenditures from these two cellular processes: activation (Ca2+ handling) and contraction (cross-bridge cycling), have not been assessed, and compared, between sexes. Whole-heart studies measuring oxygen consumption do not directly measure the energy expenditure of these activation-contraction processes. In this study, we directly quantified these energy expenditures in terms of heat production. Left-ventricular trabeculae were dissected from rats aged 9–13 weeks. Mechano-energetics of trabeculae were characterized using our work-loop calorimeter under various conditions including varying muscle lengths, stimulus frequencies, and afterloads. Each trabecula was subjected to protocols that allowed it to contract either isometrically or shorten to perform work-loops. Force production, length change, and heat output were simultaneously measured. We extracted various metrics: twitch kinetics, shortening kinetics, mechanical work, and heat associated with cross-bridge cycling and Ca2+ cycling, and quantified mechanical efficiency. Results show no sex differences in any of the metrics. Peak mechanical efficiency was not affected by sex (10.25 ± 0.57% in female trabeculae; 10.93 ± 0.87% in male trabeculae). We conclude that cardiac mechanics and energetics are not affected by sex at the muscle level, within the rat age range studied.

Управління бюджетними видатками в умовах війни

Introduction. In conditions of martial law, the role and importance of budget expenditures in solving the problems of a warring country increases. After all, expenditures on the country's defense determine the degree of resistance to the aggressor, the completeness of providing the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ammunition, modern combat equipment, FPV drones and other technological weapons. Problem Statement. In conditions of martial law, as in peacetime, the key task of the budget system is to increase its efficiency, including through transparency, accountability, promoting innovation and investment attractiveness, sustainability of public finances, etc. This can be achieved by fulfilling a number of important scientific and practical tasks, including optimization of budget expenditures, effective allocation of funds, prioritization of budget programs, investment projects, targeted use, as well as timeliness and completeness of financing in order to achieve the predicted final result. The purpose is an analytical assessment of changes in the management of state budget expenditures during the war and the development of mechanisms for increasing their effectiveness while maintaining financial stability. Methods. General scientific and special methods were used: comparative analysis, synthesis, grouping, description, tabular method, theoretical generalization and abstract-logical. Results. The budget legislation on the management of budget expenditures, which is applied in peacetime and under martial law, was analyzed. The dynamics of the growth of the share of State Budget expenditures and, accordingly, the decrease in the share of local budgets in the overall structure of expenditures of the consolidated budget of Ukraine were highlighted. The dynamics of the consolidated budget were analyzed by functional classification and the priorities of budget expenditures were established in peacetime, as well as during the period of full-scale Russian invasion. The reasons for the emergence of such a permanent phenomenon for the domestic budget system as a budget deficit were indicated. The emergence of a deficit in wartime and the forced need to increase Ukraine's military-industrial potential in order to stop the aggressor are substantiated. A mechanism for improving approaches to managing defense budget expenditures is proposed. Conclusions. It is important to effectively manage budget expenditures both in peacetime and in martial law to meet urgent public needs. The priorities of budget expenditures in peacetime are significantly different from the needs of a warring country: these now include ensuring the financing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the security sector in general, as well as maintaining a balance between financing military needs and social protection of the population. The relevance of the problem of finding sources of covering the budget deficit has increased, since the war has not only exacerbated chronic problems, but also brought new challenges associated with external shocks and threats, in particular, the lack of access to external financial markets. In such a situation, the burden on the budget system increases significantly. Currently, the Government of Ukraine has managed to avoid default, so the situation is under control and requires efforts to introduce efficient mechanisms for effective management of budget expenditures, which will have a positive impact on the recovery of public finances and guarantee long-term macro-financial stability.

Simultaneous Coproduction of Xylonic Acid and Xylitol: Leveraging In Situ Hydrogen Generation and Utilization from Xylose.

Pentose oxidation and reduction, processes yielding value-added sugar-derived acids and alcohols, typically involve separate procedures necessitating distinct reaction conditions. In this study, a novel one-pot reaction for the concurrent production of xylonic acid and xylitol from xylose is proposed. This reaction was executed at ambient temperature in the presence of a base, eliminating the need for external gases, by leveraging Pt-supported catalysts. Initial experiments using commercially available metal-supported carbon catalysts validated the superior activity of Pt. However, a notable decline in recycling performance was observed in Pt/C, which is attributed to the sintering of Pt nanoparticles. In contrast, the synthesized Pt-supported ZrO2 catalysts exhibited enhanced recycling performance because of the strong metal-support interaction between Pt and the ZrO2 support. Furthermore, mechanistic insights and density functional theory calculations show that product desorption involves a significantly higher energy barrier compared to substrate adsorption and hydrogenation, highlighting an efficient transfer hydrogenation mechanism leading to equivalent yields of both xylonic acid and xylitol. This study introduces a promising approach for the simultaneous production of sugar-derived acids and alcohols, with implications for sustainable catalysis and process optimization.

Innovative spherical Fe-Mn layered double hydroxides (LDH) for the degradation of sulfisoxazole through activated periodate: Efficacy and mechanistic insights.

Advanced oxidation technology based on peroxides is widely regarded as an efficient method for treating emerging contaminants. However, the precise mechanism by which layered double hydroxides (LDHs) enhance oxidant activation requires further investigation. In this study, a spherical Fe-Mn LDH (S-FML) with improved crystallinity using a simple hydrothermal method. Compared to granular Fe-Mn LDH (G-FML), S-FML demonstrated superior periodate (PI) activation efficiency and outstanding stability. Intensive mechanistic studies have shown that the synergistic action of Fe2⁺ and Mn2⁺ in S-FML plays a key role in the degradation reaction. Three primary pathways for SIZ degradation and a reduction in solution toxicity post-reaction were identified through analysis of degradation intermediates and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This research offers valuable theoretical insights and a scientific foundation for designing high-performance heterogeneous catalysts and elucidating the efficient activation mechanisms of PI for emerging pollutant treatment.

A Photoinducible DNA Cross-Linking Agent with Potent Cytotoxicity and Selectivity Toward Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line.

DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are the sources of the cytotoxicity of many anticancer agents. Selenium compounds showed great potential as anticancer drugs. In this work, we synthesized a binaphthalene analog 1 containing phenyl selenide (-SePh) as the leaving group and investigated its photochemical reactivity toward DNA as well as its cytotoxicity and selectivity. DNA ICLs were not observed with binaphthalene phenyl selenide 1 without UV irradiation, while ∼15% DNA ICL products were detected with UV irradiation, indicating a photoresponsive property of 1. The trapping reactions with TEMPO and MeONH2, respectively, suggested that free radicals and carbocations are involved in the DNA cross-linking process induced by the photoirradiation of 1. The photochemical reactivity of 1 toward DNA was sequence-dependent. DNA interstrand cross-linking occurred mainly at dG/dC base pairs, while monoalkylations occurred at dGs and dAs. Additionally, we have demonstrated that 1 alone without UV irradiation did not inhibit cancer cell growth even with a concentration of 100 μM, while the cytotoxicity of 1 toward cancer cells was significantly enhanced upon 350 nm irradiation with an IC50 of 1.7 μM. No cytotoxicity was observed toward normal epithelial MCF 10A cells, regardless of UV exposure, in the presence or absence of 1. The alkaline comet assay suggested that the photoinduced cytotoxicity of 1 is correlated to cellular DNA damage. Normal cells showed higher levels of GSH than cancer cells and exhibited efficient DNA repair mechanisms, which can both prevent and repair potential DNA damage induced by 1, contributing to the selective cytotoxicity of the prodrug toward triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Pear Fruit Detection Model in Natural Environment Based on Lightweight Transformer Architecture

Aiming at the problems of low precision, slow speed and difficult detection of small target pear fruit in a real environment, this paper designs a pear fruit detection model in a natural environment based on a lightweight Transformer architecture based on the RT-DETR model. Meanwhile, Xinli No. 7 fruit data set with different environmental conditions is established. First, based on the original model, the backbone was replaced with a lightweight FasterNet network. Secondly, HiLo, an improved and efficient attention mechanism with high and low-frequency information extraction, was used to make the model lightweight and improve the feature extraction ability of Xinli No. 7 in complex environments. The CCFM module is reconstructed based on the Slim-Neck method, and the loss function of the original model is replaced with the Shape-NWD small target detection mechanism loss function to enhance the feature extraction capability of the network. The comparison test between RT-DETR and YOLOv5m, YOLOv7, YOLOv8m and YOLOv10m, Deformable-DETR models shows that RT-DETR can achieve a good balance in terms of model lightweight and recognition accuracy compared with other models, and comprehensively exceed the detection accuracy of the current advanced YOLOv10 algorithm, which can realize the rapid detection of Xinli No. 7 fruit. In this paper, the accuracy rate, recall rate and average accuracy of the improved model reached 93.7%, 91.9% and 98%, respectively, and compared with the original model, the number of params, calculation amount and weight memory was reduced by 48.47%, 56.2% and 48.31%, respectively. This model provides technical support for Xinli No. 7 fruit detection and model deployment in complex environments.

Lightweight Detection and Counting of Maize Tassels in UAV RGB Images

By integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing with advanced deep object detection techniques, it can achieve large-scale and high-throughput detection and counting of maize tassels. However, challenges arise from high sunlight, which can obscure features in reflective areas, and low sunlight, which hinders feature identification. Existing methods struggle to balance real-time performance and accuracy. In response to these challenges, we propose DLMNet, a lightweight network based on the YOLOv8 framework. DLMNet features: (1) an efficient channel and spatial attention mechanism (ECSA) that suppresses high sunlight reflection noise and enhances details under low sunlight conditions, and (2) a dynamic feature fusion module (DFFM) that improves tassel recognition through dynamic fusion of shallow and deep features. In addition, we built a maize tassel detection and counting dataset (MTDC-VS) with various sunlight conditions (low, normal, and high sunlight), containing 22,997 real maize tassel targets. Experimental results show that on the MTDC-VS dataset, DLMNet achieves a detection accuracy AP50 of 88.4%, which is 1.6% higher than the baseline YOLOv8 model, with a 31.3% reduction in the number of parameters. The counting metric R2 for DLMNet is 93.66%, which is 0.9% higher than YOLOv8. On the publicly available maize tassel detection and counting dataset (MTDC), DLMNet achieves an AP50 of 83.3%, which is 0.7% higher than YOLOv8, further demonstrating DLMNet’s excellent generalization ability. This study enhances the model’s adaptability to sunlight, enabling high performance under suboptimal conditions and offering insights for real-time intelligent agriculture monitoring with UAV technology.

Realization of Wireless-Controlled Gear Shifter for Shaft-Driven Bicycle Gearbox

Cycling is now a very popular sport and leisure activity or commuting tool around the world, with its popularity growing especially during the epidemic. The traditional bicycle depends on a chain driving mechanism to move forward (This paper is an extended version of our paper published in The 16th Intelligent Living Technology Conference, Taichung, Taiwan, 2 June 2022). However, its transmission chain is easily dirtied and loosened so that regular maintenance is highly demanded to sustain normal function. To achieve the idea of maintenance-free, self-calibrating, and efficient mechanism operation, a wireless-controlled gear shifter for shaft driven bicycles is proposed, not only to overcome the limitations of the traditional chain driving mechanism, but also to make riding control more convenient. Firstly, an actuated gear shifter module coordinated with the gear positioning system was designed. Secondly, a remote controller module with information organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and shift operation buttons was developed. Both modules use independent batteries and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface to communicate with each other for wireless shifting control. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed system in terms of accuracy, rapidness, and robustness.

Recent Insights into Nano-mediated siRNA Drug Delivery

Gene silencing is the characteristic that inhibits gene expression afforded by siRNA interference. The efficacy of the delivery system in terms of precision, efficacy, and stability can be enhanced by genebased drug delivery options. The delivery challenges and their associated side effects create a challenge for the delivery of gene-based drug delivery carriers. Nano-based delivery systems were reported to improve the efficacy of therapy. The absence of an efficient delivery mechanism that shields siRNA from nuclease degradation delivers it to cancer cells, and releases it into the cytoplasm of specific cancer cells without causing side effects is currently the greatest obstacle to the practical implementation of siRNA therapy. This article focuses on general aspects of siRNA and various siRNA nanocarrier-based formulations. In the near future, we will move towards the siRNA-based drug delivery approach.

The three-dimensional genome drives the evolution of asymmetric gene duplicates via enhancer capture-divergence.

Previous evolutionary models of duplicate gene evolution have overlooked the pivotal role of genome architecture. Here, we show that proximity-based regulatory recruitment by distally duplicated genes is an efficient mechanism for modulating tissue-specific production of preexisting proteins. By leveraging genomic asymmetries, we performed a coexpression analysis on Drosophila melanogaster tissue data to show the generality of enhancer capture-divergence (ECD) as a significant evolutionary driver of asymmetric, distally duplicated genes. We use the recently evolved gene HP6/Umbrea as an example of the ECD process. By assaying genome-wide chromosomal conformations in multiple Drosophila species, we show that HP6/Umbrea was inserted near a preexisting, long-distance three-dimensional genomic interaction. We then use this data to identify a newly found enhancer (FLEE1), buried within the coding region of the highly conserved, essential gene MFS18, that likely neofunctionalized HP6/Umbrea. Last, we demonstrate ancestral transcriptional coregulation of HP6/Umbrea's future insertion site, illustrating how enhancer capture provides a highly evolvable, one-step solution to Ohno's dilemma.

Fiscal viability of pulses cultivation in Punjab: An economic analysis

Punjab being a pioneer state in early adoption of green revolution technology resulted in making India self-sufficient in foodgrains production. The drastic change in cropping pattern during seventies in the state resulted in relegating pulses and coarse cereals to marginal and sub-marginal lands. India is dependent on pulses import to feed its ever growing population. To augment the production of pulses in India, National Food Security Mission (NFSM) - pulses was started in 2007-08 in some of the selected districts of various states which was later extended to the other districts of the country also. This study was conducted with the objective to see the relative profitability of pulses vis-à-vis their major competing crops. The selected districts of the study included one NFSM district- Ferozepur and non-NFSM district- Moga. The results of the study indicated that the returns per hectare from summer moong in Ferozepur and Moga districts increased after the initiation of NFSM- pulses programme. In case of Kharif moong and gram also, the returns per hectare increased in Ferozepur district but this increase was not much sharp. The profitability from total pulses vis-à-vis total major competing crops was little less despite additional returns from summer moong crop in total pulse production. The study highlighted that pulse crops are risky in terms of yield and thereby profitability, therefore, for promotion of these crops in the state, insurance cover to the growers should be provided to compensate the damage to the crop in case of severe incidence of insect-pest and diseases, unseasonal rainfalls and natural calamities. The study emphasised the need for development of efficient marketing mechanism as in case of wheat and paddy for pulse crops also in order to establish them as more lucrative and alternative enterprise to augment the farmers income.