Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information Provision, Market Incentives, and Household Electricity Consumption: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Deployment

We evaluate a large-scale field deployment in which close to 7,000 households subject to time-of-using electricity pricing were provided with an in-home display that provides real-time feedback on electricity consumption and price. We find that receipt of the device results in a reduction in average electricity consumption of about 3%, with this effect roughly constant across hours of the day. We find evidence that households respond to this information in part by forming habits rather than adjusting their load-shifting behavior. We also find that real-time information has an ambiguous effect on household responsiveness to electricity prices, counter to existing literature where information increases responsiveness to price.
Peryton: a manual collection of experimentally supported microbe-disease associations

Abstract We present Peryton (https://dianalab.e-ce.uth.gr/peryton/), a database of experimentally supported microbe-disease associations. Its first version constitutes a novel resource hosting more than 7900 entries linking 43 diseases with 1396 microorganisms. Peryton's content is exclusively sustained by manual curation of biomedical articles. Diseases and microorganisms are provided in a systematic, standardized manner using reference resources to create database dictionaries. Information about the experimental design, study cohorts and the applied high- or low-throughput techniques is meticulously annotated and catered to users. Several functionalities are provided to enhance user experience and enable ingenious use of Peryton. One or more microorganisms and/or diseases can be queried at the same time. Advanced filtering options and direct text-based filtering of results enable refinement of returned information and the conducting of tailored queries suitable to different research questions. Peryton also provides interactive visualizations to effectively capture different aspects of its content and results can be directly downloaded for local storage and downstream analyses. Peryton will serve as a valuable source, enabling scientists of microbe-related disease fields to form novel hypotheses but, equally importantly, to assist in cross-validation of findings.
DualSeqDB: the host–pathogen dual RNA sequencing database for infection processes

Abstract Despite antibiotic resistance being a matter of growing concern worldwide, the bacterial mechanisms of pathogenesis remain underexplored, restraining our ability to develop new antimicrobials. The rise of high-throughput sequencing technology has made available a massive amount of transcriptomic data that could help elucidate the mechanisms underlying bacterial infection. Here, we introduce the DualSeqDB database, a resource that helps the identification of gene transcriptional changes in both pathogenic bacteria and their natural hosts upon infection. DualSeqDB comprises nearly 300 000 entries from eight different studies, with information on bacterial and host differential gene expression under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Expression data values were calculated entirely from raw data and analyzed through a standardized pipeline to ensure consistency between different studies. It includes information on seven different strains of pathogenic bacteria and a variety of cell types and tissues in Homo sapiens, Mus musculus and Macaca fascicularis at different time points. We envisage that DualSeqDB can help the research community in the systematic characterization of genes involved in host infection and help the development and tailoring of new molecules against infectious diseases. DualSeqDB is freely available at http://www.tartaglialab. com/dualseq.
Genomic divergence between Dickeya zeae strain EC2 isolated from rice and previously identified strains, suggests a different rice foot rot strain

Rice foot rot caused by Dickeya zeae is an important bacterial disease of rice worldwide. In this study, we identified a new strain EC2 from rice in Guangdong province, China. This strain differed from the previously identified strain from rice in its biochemical characteristics, pathogenicity, and genomic constituents. To explore genomic discrepancies between EC2 and previously identified strains from rice, a complete genome sequence of EC2 was obtained and used for comparative genomic analyses. The complete genome sequence of EC2 is 4,575,125 bp in length. EC2 was phylogenetically closest to previously identified Dickeya strains from rice, but not within their subgroup. In terms of secretion systems, genomic comparisons revealed that EC2 harbored only type I (T1SS), typeⅡ (T2SS), and type VI (T6SS) secretion systems. The flagella cluster of this strain possessed specific genomic characteristics like other D. zeae strains from Guangdong and from rice; within this locus, the genetic diversity among strains from rice was much lower than that of within strains from non-rice hosts. Unlike other strains from rice, EC2 lost the zeamine cluster, but retained the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-1 (CRISPR-1) array. Compared to the other D. zeae strains containing both exopolysaccharide (EPS) and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) clusters, EC2 harbored only the CPS cluster, while the other strains from rice carried only the EPS cluster. Furthermore, we found strain MS1 from banana, carrying both EPS and CPS clusters, produced significantly more EPS than the strains from rice, and exhibited different biofilm-associated phenotypes. Comparative genomics analyses suggest EC2 likely evolved through a pathway different from the other D. zeae strains from rice, producing a new type of rice foot rot pathogen. These findings emphasize the emergence of a new type of D. zeae strain causing rice foot rot, an essential step in the early prevention of this rice bacterial disease.
Closed-Loop Oxygen Control Using a Novel Nasal High-Flow Device: A Randomized Crossover Trial

BACKGROUND: Oxygen administration is recommended for patients with hypoxemia to achieve a target SpO2 range. Strategies to achieve this in clinical practice are suboptimal. We investigated automatic oxygen titration using a novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop oxygen control. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether closed-loop control was able to respond to desaturation and subsequent recovery in a controlled laboratory-based environment. METHODS: We conducted a single-blind randomized crossover trial in adults with chronic respiratory disease who had a resting SpO2 ≥ 92% and desaturated to < 90% during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Nasal high-flow was administered during a 6MWT and a subsequent 10-min rest period with either room air, a fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, or oxygen titrated automatically using closed-loop control. RESULTS: The study involved 42 subjects. Closed-loop control maintained SpO2 within the target range of 92–96% for a mean (SD) duration of 54.4 ± 30.1% of the 6MWT and 67.3 ± 26.8% of the recovery period. The proportion of time spent with an SpO2 in the target range during the 6MWT was significantly greater for closed-loop control compared to room air, with a difference of 26.0% (95% CI 17.7–34.2, P < .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to the fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, with a difference of –8.2% (95% CI –16.5 to 0.1, P = .052). The proportion of time spent in the target range during the rest period was significantly greater compared to 28% oxygen, with a difference of 19.3% (95% CI 8.9–29.7, P < .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to room air, with a difference of –9.3% (95% CI –19.7 to 1.0, P = .08). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides proof-of-concept evidence that the novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop control can respond to changes in SpO2 outside a target saturation range using a model of exercise-induced desaturation and subsequent recovery.
Chitosan Hydrochloride Decreases Fusarium graminearum Growth and Virulence and Boosts Growth, Development and Systemic Acquired Resistance in Two Durum Wheat Genotypes

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease for cereals. FHB is managed by fungicides at anthesis, but their efficacy is variable. Conventional fungicides accumulate in the soil and are dangerous for animal and human health. This study assayed the antifungal ability of chitosan hydrochloride against Fusarium graminearum. Chitosan reduced F. graminearum growth and downregulated the transcript of the major genes involved in the cell growth, respiration, virulence, and trichothecenes biosynthesis. Chitosan promoted the germination rate, the root and coleoptile development, and the nitrogen balance index in two durum wheat genotypes, Marco Aurelio (FHB-susceptible) and DBC480 (FHB-resistant). Chitosan reduced FHB severity when applied on spikes or on the flag leaves. FHB severity in DBC480 was of 6% at 21 dpi after chitosan treatments compared to F. graminearum inoculated control (20%). The elicitor-like property of chitosan was confirmed by the up-regulation of TaPAL, TaPR1 and TaPR2 (around 3-fold). Chitosan decreased the fungal spread and mycotoxins accumulation. This study demonstrated that the non-toxic chitosan is a powerful molecule with the potential to replace the conventional fungicides. The combination of a moderately resistant genotype (DBC480) with a sustainable compound (chitosan) will open new frontiers for the reduction of conventional compounds in agriculture.
The prevalent I686T human variant and loss of function mutations in the cardiomyocyte-specific kinase gene TNNI3K cause adverse contractility and concentric remodeling in mice.

TNNI3K expression worsens disease progression in several mouse heart pathology models. TNNI3K expression also reduces the number of diploid cardiomyocytes, which may be detrimental to adult heart regeneration. However, the gene is evolutionarily conserved, suggesting a beneficial function that has remained obscure. Here, we show that C57BL/6 J-inbred Tnni3k mutant mice develop concentric remodeling, characterized by ventricular wall thickening and substantial reduction of cardiomyocyte aspect ratio. This pathology occurs in mice carrying a Tnni3k null allele, a K489R point mutation rendering the protein kinase-dead, or an allele corresponding to human I686T, the most common human nonsynonymous TNNI3K variant, which is hypomorphic for kinase activity. Mutant mice develop these conditions in the absence of fibrosis or hypertension, implying a primary cardiomyocyte etiology. In culture, mutant cardiomyocytes were impaired in contractility and calcium dynamics and in protein kinase A signaling in response to isoproterenol, indicating diminished contractile reserve. These results demonstrate a beneficial function of TNNI3K in the adult heart that might explain its evolutionary conservation and imply that human TNNI3K variants, in particular the widespread I686T allele, may convey elevated risk for altered heart geometry and hypertrophy.
The Prognostic Significance of Global Histones Deacetylation in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Fluoropyrimdine Therapy

To study the impact of fluoropyrimidine (FP)- therapy on the acetylation level of histones (H3 and H4), and its correlation to treatment outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Total histone protein was extracted, and the level of global histones (H3 and H4) acetylation was determined in the peripheral blood of 66 CRC patients before treatment with FP therapy, and also in 48 and 32 of those patients after 3 and 6 months of treatment, respectively. Clinicopathological stratification of patients was conducted for subgroup analysis. After three years of follow up, event-free survival (EFS) and the hazard of recurrence and progression were determined by Kaplan –Meier and COX regression analyses, respectively. Baseline CRC patients showed global H3 hyperacetylation by 160%, but H4 hypoacetylation by 87% relative to healthy control. FP therapy significantly reduced global H3 and H4 acetylation levels especially in subgroups of CRC patients > 45 years, females, with right colon tumours, with normal baseline levels of CEA and CA19.9, with negative lymph nodes and negative metastasis, and also in the patients who showed no signs of recurrence or progression after three years of follow up. Survival analyses showed decreased median EFS time and increased the hazard of recurrence and progression in patients with high CEA (HR= 3.38, P= 0.023), positive metastasis (HR= 1.16, P<0.001), and H4 hypoacetylation <87% (HR= 1.55, P=0.014). FP therapy-induced reduction in the global level of histones acetylation declared in subgroups of CRC patients with excellent prognostic features.
Oxidative Stress and Alterations in the Antioxidative Defense System in Neuronal Cells Derived from NPC1 Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Oxidative stress (OS) represents a state of an imbalanced amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or a hampered efficacy of the antioxidative defense system. Cells of the central nervous system are particularly sensitive to OS, as they have a massive need of oxygen to maintain proper function. Consequently, OS represents a common pathophysiological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases and is discussed to contribute to the neurodegeneration observed amongst others in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In this context, accumulating evidence suggests that OS is involved in the pathophysiology of Niemann-Pick type C1 disease (NPC1). NPC1, a rare hereditary neurodegenerative disease, belongs to the family of lysosomal storage disorders. A major hallmark of the disease is the accumulation of cholesterol and other glycosphingolipids in lysosomes. Several studies describe OS both in murine in vivo and in vitro NPC1 models. However, studies based on human cells are limited to NPC1 patient-derived fibroblasts. Thus, we analyzed OS in a human neuronal model based on NPC1 patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Higher ROS levels, as determined by DCF (dichlorodihydrofluorescein) fluorescence, indicated oxidative stress in all NPC1-deficient cell lines. This finding was further supported by reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The analysis of mRNA and protein levels of SOD1 and SOD2 did not reveal any difference between control cells and NPC1-deficient cells. Interestingly, we observed a striking decrease in catalase mRNA and protein levels in all NPC1-deficient cell lines. As catalase is a key enzyme of the cellular antioxidative defense system, we concluded that the lack of catalase contributes to the elevated ROS levels observed in NPC1-deficient cells. Thus, a restitution of a physiological catalase level may pose an intervention strategy to rescue NPC1-deficient cells from the repercussions of oxidative stress contributing to the neurodegeneration observed in NPC1.
Multidimensional Measures of Physical Activity and Their Association with Gross Motor Capacity in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

The current lack of adapted performance metrics leads clinicians to focus on what children with cerebral palsy (CP) do in a clinical setting, despite the ongoing debate on whether capacity (what they do at best) adequately reflects performance (what they do in daily life). Our aim was to measure these children’s habitual physical activity (PA) and gross motor capacity and investigate their relationship. Using five synchronized inertial measurement units (IMU) and algorithms adapted to this population, we computed 22 PA states integrating the type (e.g., sitting, walking, etc.), duration, and intensity of PA. Their temporal sequence was visualized with a PA barcode from which information about pattern complexity and the time spent in each of the six simplified PA states (PAS; considering PA type and duration, but not intensity) was extracted and compared to capacity. Results of 25 children with CP showed no strong association between motor capacity and performance, but a certain level of motor capacity seems to be a prerequisite for the achievement of higher PAS. Our multidimensional performance measurement provides a new method of PA assessment in this population, with an easy-to-understand visual output (barcode) and objective data for clinical and scientific use.
Ecotoxicity Assessment of Graphene Oxide by Daphnia magna through a Multimarker Approach from the Molecular to the Physiological Level including Behavioral Changes

The extensive use of engineered nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide (GO), is stimulating research about its potential environmental impacts on the aquatic ecosystem. This study is aimed to comprehensively assess the acute toxicity of a well-characterized GO suspension to Daphnia magna. Conventional ecotoxicological endpoints (lethality, immobilization) and more sensitive, sublethal endpoints (heartbeat rate, feeding activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) production were used. The possible normalization of the heartbeat rate and feeding activity in clean test medium was also investigated. The fate, time-dependent, and concentration-dependent aggregation behaviour of GO was followed by dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurement methods. The EC20 value for immobilization was 50 mg/L, while, for physiological and behavioural endpoints, it ranged from 8.1 mg/L (feeding activity) to 14.8 mg/L (immobilization). The most sensitive endpoint was the ROS production with EC20 = 4.78 mg/L. 24-h recovery experiments revealed that feeding activity was restored only up to a certain level at higher concentrations, indicating that the potential environmental health effects of GO cannot be neglected. Alterations of normal physiology (heart rate) and feeding activity may be associated with increased risk of predation and reproductive decline, highlighting that GO may have impacts on population and food web dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.
Tinnitus and Its Association With Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in an Older Population: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

This study investigated the relationship of tinnitus with mental health and health-related quality of life (QoL) in older people. Data source included 5,129 community-dwelling men and women ≥60 years old from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Tinnitus was categorized into three groups: normal, tolerable tinnitus, and annoying tinnitus. Mental health and health-related QoL were assessed according to three dimensions (depressive mood, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation) and five domains (impaired mobility, impaired self-care, impaired usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mental health and health-related QoL were calculated using multiple logistic regression analyses. Annoying tinnitus was positively and independently associated with deteriorated mental health and health-related QoL, suggesting comprehensive care is needed in older people with annoying tinnitus.
Quantitative analysis of chemical constituents in medicinal plant coleus aromaticus extracts

Background: Indian medicinal plants have great potential towards curing many diseases. Medicinal plant Coleus aromaticus is known for its wide medical applications. The main objectives of the study undertaken were to analyze the phytochemicals and compare the concentration present in the dialyzed Coleus aromaticus protein extract with various solvents. Methods: Various extracts of the medicinal plant Coleus aromaticus leaves such as dialyzed Coleus aromaticus protein, hydro alcoholic extract, ethanol extract and chloroform extract were prepared and analyzed for various phytochemical concentrations such as Total phenols (Folin-Ciocalteu method), Flavonoids (Aluminum chloride method), total sugars (Dubois method) and Proteins (Bradford’s method). Standard graph for each component was plotted. Results: The protein concentration in dialyzed Coleus aromaticus protein extract is considerably higher (5.8μg/10μl) than hydro alcoholic extract (1.6μg/10μl), ethanol extract (5.2μg/10μl) and chloroform extract (2.8μg/10μl). The other phytochemicals like total phenol, flavonoids and total sugars were low in concentration in the dialyzed Coleus aromaticus protein extract compared to hydro alcoholic extract, ethanol extract and chloroform extract. Conclusions: In this study, the protein concentration in dialyzed Coleus aromaticus protein extract is considerably higher than the same in other solvent extracts. This is the basis for further studies to unfold the antioxidant activity of Coleus aromaticus protein in vitro.
High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) application in the field of plant virology started in 2009 and has proven very successful for virus discovery and detection of viruses already known. Plant virology is still a developing science in most of Africa; the number of HTS-related studies published in the scientific literature has been increasing over the years as a result of successful collaborations. Studies using HTS to identify plant-infecting viruses have been conducted in 20 African countries, of which Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania share the most published papers. At least 29 host plants, including various agricultural economically important crops, ornamentals and medicinal plants, have been used in viromics analyses and have resulted in the detection of previously known viruses and novel ones from almost any host. Knowing that the effectiveness of any management program requires knowledge on the types, distribution, incidence, and genetic of the virus-causing disease, integrating HTS and efficient bioinformatics tools in plant virology research projects conducted in Africa is a matter of the utmost importance towards achieving and maintaining sustainable food security.
Permeability

of that side. The temperature difference reaches a maximum at about ten or eleven o'clock, but persists as actually higher in temperature than other parts of the crown until about three in the afternoon. After that time the west side may be warmer than the other parts, but its period of high temperature is much briefer than that of the east side. This higher average temperature of the eastern and southeastern parts of the crown is believed to be nearer the optimum temperature for growth of the cactus buds and flowers, and more favorable to a high percentage of bud development. Evidence is accumulating to show that temperature is a very potent influence in the blooming behavior of plants, and that photoperiodic responses may be very greatly modified by temperature effects. This is probably associated with the internal nutritive conditions of the tissues, flowering depending upon some sort of balance of nutritive relations which is upset by the independent variation of the factors which determine those nutritive conditions, mainly light and temperature. -C. A. SHULL.