Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Grand Challenge: Incremental Stream Query Analytics

Applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) create many data processing challenges because they have to deal with massive amounts of data and low latency constraints. The DEBS Grand Challenge 2020 specifies an IoT problem whose objective is to identify special type of events in a stream of electricity smart meters data. In this work, we present the Sequential Incremental DBSCAN-based Event Detection Algorithm (SINBAD), a solution based on an incremental version of the clustering algorithm DBSCAN and scenario specific data processing optimizations. SINBAD manages to calculate solutions up to 7 times faster and up to 26% more accurate than the baseline provided by the DEBS Grand Challenge.
Structural Understanding of Interleukin 6 Family Cytokine Signaling and Targeted Therapies: Focus on Interleukin 11

Cytokines are small signaling proteins that have central roles in inflammation and cell survival. In the half-century since the discovery of the first cytokines, the interferons, over fifty cytokines have been identified. Amongst these is interleukin (IL)-6, the first and prototypical member of the IL-6 family of cytokines, nearly all of which utilize the common signaling receptor, gp130. In the last decade, there have been numerous advances in our understanding of the structural mechanisms of IL-6 family signaling, particularly for IL-6 itself. However, our understanding of the detailed structural mechanisms underlying signaling by most IL-6 family members remains limited. With the emergence of new roles for IL-6 family cytokines in disease and, in particular, roles of IL-11 in cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and cancer, there is an emerging need to develop therapeutics that can progress to clinical use. Here we outline our current knowledge of the structural mechanism of signaling by the IL-6 family of cytokines. We discuss how this knowledge allows us to understand the mechanism of action of currently available inhibitors targeting IL-6 family cytokine signaling, and most importantly how it allows for improved opportunities to pharmacologically disrupt cytokine signaling. We focus specifically on the need to develop and understand inhibitors that disrupt IL-11 signaling.
Modeling Long-term Forest Carbon Spatiotemporal Dynamics With Historical Climate and Recent Remote Sensing Data

Forests have long life cycles of up to several hundred years and longer. They also have very different growth rates at different stages of their life cycles. Therefore the carbon cycle in forest ecosystems has long time scales, making it necessary to consider forest age in estimating the spatio-temporal dynamics of carbon sinks in forests. The focus of this article is to review methods for combining recent remote sensing data with historical climate data for estimating the forest carbon source and sink distribution. Satellite remote sensing provides useful data for the land surface in recent decades. The information derived from remote sensing data can be used for short-term forest growth estimation and for mapping forest stand age for long-term simulations. For short-term forest growth estimation, remote sensing can provide forest structural parameters as inputs to process-based models, including big-leaf, two-leaf, and multi-layered models. These models use different strategies to upscale from leaf to canopy, and their reliability and suitability for remote sensing applications will be examined here. For long-term forest carbon cycle estimation, the spatial distribution of the forest growth rate (net primary productivity, NPP) modeled using remote sensing data in recent years is a critical input. This input can be combined with a forest age map to simulate the historical variation of NPP under the influence of climate and atmospheric changes. Another important component of the forest carbon cycle is heterotrophic respiration in the soil, which depends on the sizes of soil carbon pools as well as climate conditions. Methods for estimating the soil carbon spatial distribution and its separation into pools are described. The emphasis is placed on how to derive the soil carbon pools from NPP estimation in current years with consideration of forest carbon dynamics associated with stand age variation and climate and atmospheric changes. The role of disturbance in the forest carbon cycle and the effects of forest regrowth after disturbance are also considered in this review. An example of national forest carbon budget estimation in Canada is given at the end. It illustrates the importance of forest stand age structure in estimating the national forest carbon budgets and the effects of climate and atmospheric changes on the forest carbon cycle.
Enterocyte-Based Bioassay via Quantitative Combination of Proinflammatory Sentinels Specific to 8-keto-trichothecenes

Type B 8-keto-trichothecenes are muco-active mycotoxins that exist as inevitable contaminants in cereal-based foodstuffs. Gut-associated inflammation is an early frontline response during human and animal exposure to these mycotoxins. Despite various tools for chemical identification, optimized biomonitoring of sentinel response-associated biomarkers is required to assess the specific proinflammatory actions of 8-keto-trichothecenes in the gut epithelial barrier. In the present study, intoxication with 8-keto-trichothecenes in human intestinal epithelial cells was found to trigger early response gene 1 product (EGR-1) that plays crucial roles in proinflammatory chemokine induction. In contrast, epithelial exposure to 8-keto-trichothecenes resulted in downregulated expression of nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p65 protein, a key transcription factor, during general inflammatory responses in the gut. Based on the early molecular patterns of expression, the inflammation-inducing activity of 8-keto-trichothecenes was quantified using intestinal epithelial cells with dual reporters for EGR-1 and p65 proteins. EGR-1-responsive elements were linked to luciferase reporter while p65 promoter was bound to secretory alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter. In response to conventional inflammagens such as endotoxins and cytokines such as TNF-α, both luciferase and SEAP activity were elevated in a dose-dependent manner. However, as expected from the mechanistic evaluation, 8-keto-trichothecene-exposed dual reporters of luciferase and SEAP displayed contrasting expression patterns. Furthermore, 8-keto-trichothecene-elevated EGR-1-responsive luciferase activity was improved by deficiency of PSMA3, an α-type subunit of the 20S proteasome core complex for ubiquitin-dependent EGR-1 degradation. This molecular event-based dual biomonitoring in epithelial cells is a promising supplementary tool for detecting typical molecular inflammatory pathways in response to 8-keto-trichothecenes in the food matrix.
Newly Discovered Abnormal Glucose Tolerance in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The prevalence of unrecognized abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) and the incidence of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) has not been systematically evaluated. PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to define the prevalence of newly discovered AGT and examine the risk of recurrent major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality in patients with acute MI. DATA SOURCES Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles. STUDY SELECTION Inclusion criteria included prospective studies in patients with acute MI without known history of diabetes; AGT diagnosed using fasting plasma glucose, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test, or HbA1c; and incidence of MACE and/or all-cause mortality in newly discovered AGT. DATA EXTRACTION Two investigators extracted the data. Pooled prevalence, incidence rate ratios, and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using random-effects models. DATA SYNTHESIS In 19 studies (n = 41,509, median follow-up 3.1 years), prevalence of newly discovered AGT was 48.4% (95% CI 40.2–56.6). Prediabetes had a higher mortality risk than normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (HR 1.36 [95% CI 1.13–1.63], P < 0.001) and MACE (1.42 [1.20–1.68], P < 0.001). Newly diagnosed diabetes had higher mortality risk than NGT (1.74 [1.48–2.05], P < 0.001) and MACE (1.54 [1.23–1.93], P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS This is not a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Time-to-event analysis and covariate-adjusted analysis cannot be conducted to examine heterogeneity reliably. Few studies reported CV death and heart failure hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS Patients with acute MI have a high prevalence of newly discovered AGT. Aggressive risk reduction strategies in this population, especially in those with prediabetes, are warranted.
Oregano production under various water depths estimated by means of the class A pan evaporation

The purpose of this experiment was to analyze the effect of five irrigation water depths on oregano production. Oregano is a plant rich in essential oil, commonly used as seasoning in food preparation. The water depths were estimated based on the class A pan evaporation (CPE): 0 CPE (without water replacement); 25 CPE, 50 CPE, 75 CPE, and 100% CPE. The analyzed variables were fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots, yield, net return, and water use efficiency. The experiment was carried out in Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, from February to May 2006. The best results for all the studied variables were found when 100% CPE was used. A linear positive relation was observed between water increments and fresh and dry weight of both the aboveground part and roots. The use of a water depth corresponding to 100% CPE resulted in the maximum productivity (8,089.7 kg ha-1), and in the highest net annual return (R$ 57,637.87 ha-1).
The estimation of carbon budgets of frequently burnt tree stands in savannas of northern Australia, using allometric analysis and isotopic discrimination

The stock, rates of sequestration and allocation of carbon were estimated for trees in 14 0.1-ha plots at Kapalga in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, using new allometric relationships of carbon stock to stem cross-sectional area and measured growth rates of trees. Carbon stocks of trees ranged from 12 to 58 t ha–1, with sequestration representing ~9% of the total stocks. More than half of the sequestered carbon is allocated to leaves and twigs and ~20% to wood. Only ~25% is retained in the live trees with leaf and twig fall accounting for 80%–84% of the total transfers to the environment. An alternative method of calculating sequestration rates from consideration of water use and carbon-isotope discrimination data had a close to 1 : 1 match with estimates from allometric relationships. We developed and applied algorithms to predict the impacts of fire on carbon stocks of live trees. This showed that the reduction in live carbon stocks caused by single fires increased with increasing intensity, but the impact was highly dependent on the tree stand structure.
SARS-COV-2 THREE FORCING SEASONALITIES: POLICIES, ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN SPACES

This research investigated if pandemic of SARS-COV-2 follows the Earth seasonality {varepsilon} comparing countries cumulative daily new infections incidence over Earth periodic time of interest for north and south hemisphere. It was found that no seasonality in this form {varepsilon} occurs as far as a seasonality forcing behavior {varepsilon}' assumes most of the influence in SARS-COV-2 spreading patterns. Putting in order {varepsilon}' of influence, there were identified three main forms of SARS-COV-2 of transmission behavior: during epidemics growth, policies are the main stronger seasonality forcing behavior of the epidemics followed by secondary and weaker environmental and urban spaces driving patterns of transmission. At outbreaks and control phase, environmental and urban spaces are the main seasonality forcing behavior due to policies/ALE limitations to address heterogeneity and confounding scenario of infection. Finally regarding S and R compartments of SIR model equations, control phases are the most reliable phase to predictive analysis. These seasonality forcing behaviors cause environmental driven seasonality researches to face hidden or false observations due to policy/ALE interventions for each country and urban spaces characteristics. And also, it causes policies/ALE limitations to address urban spaces and environmental seasonality instabilities, thus generating posterior waves or uncontrolled patterns of transmission (fluctuations). All this components affect the SARS-COV-2 spreading patterns simultaneously being not possible to observe environmental seasonality not associated intrinsically with policies/ALE and urban spaces, therefore conferring to these three forms of transmission spreading patterns, specific regions of analysis for time series data extraction.
Detection and Quantification of Histone H4 Citrullination in Early NETosis With Image Flow Cytometry Version 4

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation has been implicated in an increasing number of infectious and non-infectious pathologies. NETosis is a tightly regulated process; the end-stage and read-out is the formation of DNA strands extruded from the nuclei, and traditionally assessed by fluorescence microscopy. Since NETosis has emerged as a possible biomarker of the inflammatory process, there is a need for less time-consuming, consistent, and quantitative approaches to improve its application in clinical assessment of pro-inflammatory conditions. Imaging Flow Cytometry (IFC) combines features of conventional flow cytometry with qualitative power of fluorescence microscopy and has an added advantage of the capability of assessing the early processes leading up to extrusion of the DNA-scaffolded strands. We explored the optimal imaging-based tools that can be used to measure citrullination of H4 in early NETosis. IFC identified and quantified histone 4 citrullination (H4cit3) induced with several known NETosis stimuli (Ionophore, PMA, LPS, Hemin, and IL-8) following treatment periods ranging from 2 to 60 min. Its relationship with other alterations at nuclear and cellular level, such as nuclear decondensation and super-condensation, multi-lobulated nuclei vs. 1-lobe nuclei and cell membrane damage, were also quantified. We show that the early progress of the H4cit3 response in NETosis depends on the stimulus. Our method identifies fast (Ionophore and Hemin), intermediate and slow (PMA) inducers and shows that H4cit3 appears to have a limited contribution to both early LPS- and IL-8-induced NETosis. While this method is rapid and of a higher throughput compared to fluorescence microscopy, detection and quantification is limited to H4cit3-mediated nuclear events and is likely to be stimulus- and signaling pathway dependent.
Effect of r -Linolenic Acid (GLA) or Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) on Tight Junction Permeability in Intestinal Monolayer Cells

Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been characterized as immunonutrients, however the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or r -linolenic acid (GLA) on intesti nal permeability has rarely been reported, Confluent Caco-2 cells on porous fil ter were used to measure tight junction function by fluorescein sulfonic acid (FS) permeability and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). of of DHA Then, effects of butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT, antioxidant), H7 (protein kinase C or inhibitors of enzymatic degradation to the eicosanoids, indomethacin (cycloo xygenase inhibitor), (lipoxygenase inhibitor) on DHA or GLA were ex amined.
Mitochondria-Associated ER Membranes – The Origin Site of Autophagy

Autophagy is a process of intracellular self-recycling and degradation that plays an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanism of autophagy remains to be further studied. Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) are the region of the ER that mediate communication between the ER and mitochondria. MAMs have been demonstrated to be involved in autophagy, Ca2+ transport and lipid metabolism. Here, we discuss the composition and function of MAMs, more specifically, to emphasize the role of MAMs in regulating autophagy. Finally, some key information that may be useful for future research is summarized.
Screening of Gladiolus germplasm for agronomic performance and resistance against corm rot disease

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the agronomic performance and resistance of Gladiolus germplasm against corm rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. sp. gladioli (L. Masey) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hans. Among the 23 Gladiolus varieties tested, Glad Red exhibited the highest spike length of 55 cm followed by Advanced Red (50.2 cm) and White Prosperity (49.5 cm). Highest number of flowers (13 per spike) was recorded in Rose Supreme, Jester Ruffled Yellow, Princess Margaret Rose and Chinon. Glad Red depicted highest field life of flowers (42.5 days), followed by Friendship (42.5 days), Peter Pears (38.7 days) and Chinon (37.3 days). Different varieties showed 6.6 – 56.6% disease incidence and 0 – 33.3% mortality. Advanced Red, White Prosperity, Violetta, San Remo and Yellow Glad were found comparatively more resistant to corm rot disease with disease incidence of 0 – 10%. Indian variety Aarti was found to be the most susceptible to corm rot disease with disease incidence of 56.6%. Disease incidence was significantly and positively correlated with corm size. The present study concludes that Advanced Red and White Prosperity are the most suitable Gladiolus varieties for cultivation under agro-climatic conditions of Pakistan, having best floral characteristics and resistance against corm rot disease. Key words: Corm rot disease, disease resistance, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, germplasm screening, Gladiolus.
Association Between ALDH-2 rs671 and Essential Hypertension Risk or Blood Pressure Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The association between Aldehyde dehydrogenase II (ALDH-2) rs671 polymorphism and essential hypertension (EH) risk or blood pressure (BP) levels remains unclear. Objective: To systematically review the influence of the aldehyde dehydrogenase II rs671 polymorphism on essential hypertension risk and blood pressure levels. Methods: The PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI and CBM databases were electronically searched to identify case-control or cohort studies published prior to July 2019 that examined the association between the rs671 polymorphism and the risk of essential hypertension or blood pressure levels. A meta-analysis was conducted with Stata 15.1 software. Results: Twenty-two articles were included. Among these articles, 20 incorporated 30 individual studies evaluating the association between the rs671 polymorphism and EH (11,051 hypertensive patients and 15,926 normotensive controls), and 8 incorporated 12 individual studies evaluating the association between the rs671 polymorphism and BP (20,512 subjects). The results of the meta-analysis showed that the mutation of the rs671 polymorphism was associated with a significantly decreased risk of EH in all models: allelic model (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73–0.87), homozygous model (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.63–0.80), heterozygous model (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72–0.87), dominant model (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71–0.87), and recessive model (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68–0.85). In the stratified analyses, significant associations were found for males, drinkers and population-based studies. Simultaneously, the A carriers had lower SBP (WMD = −1.78, 95% CI: −3.02 to −0.53) and DBP (WMD = −1.09, 95% CI: −1.58 to −0.61) levels than individuals with the GG homozygote. Conclusion: The collective findings of this meta-analysis suggested that the ALDH-2 rs671 polymorphism represented an important genetic marker in the development of hypertension. Considering the overall quality of evidence and the relatively small pooled sample size, more well-conducted high-quality studies are required to verify the above conclusion. Systematic Review Registration Number: PROSPERO (CRD42019129746).
Influence of Bioprotector Produced by Interspecific Microbial Inoculation on Green Pepper Characteristics and Nutrient Uptake

The aim of this study was to produce PK rock biofertilizer with Acidithiobacillus mixed with earthworm compound inoculated with free-living diazotrophic bacteria (NPKB) and bioprotector (NPKP) that introduce in NPKB the fungi chitosan by inoculation of Cunninghamella elegans. A field experiment was carried out in a Brazilian tableland soil at the rainy season (March-August, 2011) to evaluate the effects of NPKB and NPKP on green pepper (Capsicum annuum). The study was a factorial (8x2) conducted in split plot design with eight fertilizer treatments and two sub treatments (with and without crustaceous chitosan applied on leaves), with four replicates. The fertilizer treatments were: mineral fertilizers (NPKF) at the recommended rate (RR); Biofertilizer (NPKB) at three rates (50% RR, 100% RR, 150% RR); Bioprotector (NPKP) at three rates (50% RR, 100% RR; 150% RR); Control with earthworm compound (2.4 L plant-1). The best fruit yield was obtained with the highest rate of PNPK and NPKB application. There were significant influences in nutrient uptake by the different fertilization treatments. In the experiment, no case of soft rot disease was observed; therefore, it was not possible to compare the treatments in this respect. The results indicate a great potential for PK rock biofertilizer with free-living diazotrophic bacteria (NPKB) and bioprotector with fungi chitosan (NPKB + C. elegans) as an alternative to NPK fertilization.
Antifungal Activity and Potential Mechanism of Panobinostat in Combination With Fluconazole Against Candida albicans

Invasive fungal infections are an emerging problem worldwide, which bring huge health challenges. Candida albicans, the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen, can cause bloodstream infections with high mortality in susceptible hosts. At present, available antifungal agents used in clinical practice are limited, and most of them also have some serious adverse effects. The emergence of drug resistance because of the wide use of antifungal agents is a new limitation to successful patient therapy. Drug combination therapy is increasingly becoming a way to enhance antifungal efficacy, and reduce drug resistance and potential toxicity. Panobinostat, as a pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor, has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as novel antitumor agents. In this study, the antifungal effects and mechanisms of panobinostat combined with fluconazole (FLC) against C. albicans were explored for the first time. The results indicated that panobinostat could work synergistically with FLC against resistant C. albicans, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of panobinostat could decrease from 128 to 0.5–2 μg/ml and the MIC of FLC could decrease from >512 to 0.25–0.5 μg/ml, and the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) value ranged from 0.0024 to 0.0166. It was not only synergized against planktonic cells but also against C. albicans biofilms performed ≤8 h when panobinostat is combined with fluconazole; the sessile MIC (sMIC) of panobinostat could decrease from >128 to 0.5–8 μg/ml and the sMIC of FLC from >1024 to 0.5–2 μg/ml, and the FICI value was <0.5. The Galleria mellonella infection model was used to evaluate the in vivo effect of the drug combination, and the result showed that the survival rate could be improved obviously. Finally, we explored the synergistic mechanisms of the drug combination. The hyphal growth, which plays roles in drug resistance, was found to be inhibited, and metacaspase which is related to cell apoptosis was activated (p < 0.01), whereas the synergistic effects were proven not to be related to the efflux pumps (p > 0.05). These findings might provide novel insights into the antifungal drug discovery and the treatment of candidiasis caused by C. albicans.