Big Data and Analysis of Data Transfers for International Research Networks Using NetSage

Modern science is increasingly data-driven and collaborative in nature. Many scientific disciplines, including genomics, high-energy physics, astronomy, and atmospheric science, produce petabytes of data that must be shared with collaborators all over the world. The National Science Foundation-supported International Research Network Connection (IRNC) links have been essential to enabling this collaboration, but as data sharing has increased, so has the amount of information being collected to understand network performance. New capabilities to measure and analyze the performance of international wide-area networks are essential to ensure end-users are able to take full advantage of such infrastructure for their big data applications. NetSage is a project to develop a unified, open, privacy-aware network measurement, and visualization service to address the needs of monitoring today's high-speed international research networks. NetSage collects data on both backbone links and exchange points, which can be as much as 1Tb per month. This puts a significant strain on hardware, not only in terms storage needs to hold multi-year historical data, but also in terms of processor and memory needs to analyze the data to understand network behaviors. This paper addresses the basic NetSage architecture, its current data collection and archiving approach, and details the constraints of dealing with this big data problem of handling vast amounts of monitoring data, while providing useful, extensible visualization to end users

Flea-borne rickettsioses: ecologic considerations.

Ecologic and economic factors, as well as changes in human behavior, have resulted in the emergence of new and the reemergence of existing but forgotten infectious diseases during the past 20 years. Flea-borne disease organisms (e.g., Yersinia pestis, Rickettsia typhi, R. felis, and Bartonella henselae) are widely distributed throughout the world in endemic-disease foci, where components of the enzootic cycle are present. However, flea-borne diseases could reemerge in epidemic form because of changes in vector-host ecology due to environmental and human behavior modification. The changing ecology of murine typhus in southern California and Texas over the past 30 years is a good example of urban and suburban expansion affecting infectious disease outbreaks. In these areas, the classic rat-flea-rat cycle of R. typhi has been replaced by a peridomestic animal cycle involving, e.g., free-ranging cats, dogs, and opossums and their fleas. In addition to the vector-host components of the murine typhus cycle, we have uncovered a second typhuslike rickettsia, R. felis. This agent was identified from the blood of a hospitalized febrile patient and from opossums and their fleas. We reviewed the ecology of R. typhi and R. felis and present recent data relevant to the vector biology, immunology, and molecular characterization and phylogeny of flea-borne rickettsioses

Association of Early Introduction of Solids With Infant Sleep: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. However, 75% of British mothers introduce solids before 5 months and 26% report infant waking at night as influencing this decision. Objective: To determine whether early introduction of solids influences infant sleep. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Enquiring About Tolerance study was a population-based randomized clinical trial conducted from January 15, 2008, to August 31, 2015, that included 1303 exclusively breastfed 3-month-old infants from England and Wales. Clinical visits took place at St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, and the trial studied the early introduction of solids into the infant diet from age 3 months. Interventions: The early introduction group (EIG) continued to breastfeed while nonallergenic and then 6 allergenic foods were introduced. The standard introduction group (SIG) followed British infant feeding guidelines (ie, exclusive breastfeeding to around age 6 months and to avoid any food consumption during this period). Main Outcomes and Measures: Secondary analysis of an a priori secondary outcome of the effect of early food introduction on infant sleep using the standardized Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. Results: Of the 1303 infants who were enrolled in the Enquiring About Tolerance study, 1225 participants (94%) completed the final 3-year questionnaire (618 SIG [95%] and 607 EIG [93%]). Randomization was effective and there were no significant baseline differences between the 2 groups. Following the early introduction of solids, infants in the EIG slept significantly longer and woke significantly less frequently than infants in the SIG. Differences between the 2 groups peaked at age 6 months. At this point, in the intention-to-treat analysis infants in the EIG slept for 16.6 (95% CI, 7.8-25.4) minutes longer per night and their night waking frequency had decreased from 2.01 to 1.74 wakings per night. Most clinically important, very serious sleep problems, which were significantly associated with maternal quality of life, were reported significantly more frequently in the SIG than in the EIG (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.22-2.61). Conclusions and Relevance: In a randomized clinical trial, the early introduction of solids into the infant's diet was associated with longer sleep duration, less frequent waking at night, and a reduction in reported very serious sleep problems. Trial Registration: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN14254740

Parcijalna karakterizacija antibakterijskog peptida koji proizvodi probiotska bakterija Lactobacillus plantarum G2

The aim of this study was the partial characterization of the antimicrobial peptide bacteriocin G, produced by probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum G(2), which was isolated from a clinical sample of a healthy person. Antimicrobial substance was secreted in the supernatant of an L. plantarum G(2) culture, and showed a diverse spectrum of antimicrobial activity of all the tested strains of the genera Lactobacillus and the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella abony. Isoclectric focusing revealed that bacteriocin G(2) is a cationic peptide (pI about 10) with a molecular mass of 2.2 kDa according to tricine sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE. The antimicrobial activity of bactcriocin G(2) was diminished by the proteolytic action of trypsin and proteinase K. Bacteriocin G(2) preserved its biological activity in the temperature range 40-60 degrees C (15 min), which was lost at 80 degrees C. Bacteriocin G(2) was stable in the pH range 2-9, while treatment with 1 % Tween 80 and 1 % urea resulted in increased antimicrobial activity. The probiotic strain L. plantarum G(2) produces the antimicrobial substance proteinaceous in nature with bacteriocin characteristics. Bacteriocin production is one of the key properties of probiotic bacteria with clinical potential as anti-infective agents, which will increase the likelihood of its in vivo efficacy.Cilj ovog istraživanja je bila parcijalna karakterizacija antimikrobnog peptida iz probiotske bakterija Lactobacillus plantarum G2 izolovane iz kliničkog uzorka zdrave osobe. Antimikrobno jedinjenje iz L. plantarum G2, označeno kao bakteriocin G2, dobijeno iz supernatanta bakterijske kulture, pokazalo je širok spektar antimikrobne aktivnosti, inhibirajići rast svih ispitivanh vrsta roda Lactobacillus, kao i patogenih bakterija Staphylococcus aureus i Salmonella abony. Bakteriocin G2 je osetljiv na proteolitičko dejstvo tripsina i proteinaze K. Antimikrobna aktivnost je stabilna u opsegu 40-60°C (15 min), ali se gubi na temperaturi od 80°C. Ustanovljeno je da je bakteriocin stabilan na pH vrednostima između 2 i 9. Dejstvo Tween-a 80 i uree je dovelo do povećane inhibitorne aktivnosti. Prema IEF, bakteriocin G2 je katjonski protein, sa pI vrednošću oko 10, a molekulaska masa određena na osnovu tricin-SDS-PAGE je 2,2 kDa. Probiotski soj L plantarum G2 produkuje antimikrobno jedinjenje proteinske strukture sa karakteristikama bakteriocina. Sinteza bakteriocina je jedna od ključnih osobina probiotskih bakterija koje imaju klinički potencijal kao antiinfektivni agensi, jer značajno povećava verovatnoću njihove in vivo efikasnosti

Electrical enhancement period of solar photovoltaic using phase change material

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.  Temperature management in photovoltaic (PV) is critical for the power output. Phase Change Material (PCM) usage enables one to remove heat from the system and achieve enhanced electrical output. This study aims at finding the period of PV electrical enhancement, the increase in power and increase in electrical efficiency achieved using PCM under different working circumstances. Results suggest that as the angle of approach of wind changes from 75° to 0° the electrical enhancement period elevates from 7.0 h to 8.6 h for 5 cm deep PCM box. But, the increase in power drops from 17.6 W/m 2 to 13.6 W/m 2 . As wind speed changes from 6 m/s to 0.2 m/s, the electrical enhancement period drops from 9.1 h to 6.4 h. But, the increase in power rises from 11.8 W/m 2 to 22.8 W/m 2 . The rise in ambient temperature 289 K to 299 K leads to decrement of electrical enhancement period from 12.6 h to 7.1 h. But the increase in power rises from 15.9 W/m 2 to 21.4 W/m 2 . Elevation in temperature for liquification from 291 K to 301 K leads to increment of electrical enhancement period from 6.5 h to 12.3 h.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)University of ExeterIndian Institute of Technolog

Randomized Trial of Introduction of Allergenic Foods in Breast-Fed Infants.

BACKGROUND: The age at which allergenic foods should be introduced into the diet of breast-fed infants is uncertain. We evaluated whether the early introduction of allergenic foods in the diet of breast-fed infants would protect against the development of food allergy. METHODS: We recruited, from the general population, 1303 exclusively breast-fed infants who were 3 months of age and randomly assigned them to the early introduction of six allergenic foods (peanut, cooked egg, cow's milk, sesame, whitefish, and wheat; early-introduction group) or to the current practice recommended in the United Kingdom of exclusive breast-feeding to approximately 6 months of age (standard-introduction group). The primary outcome was food allergy to one or more of the six foods between 1 year and 3 years of age. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat analysis, food allergy to one or more of the six intervention foods developed in 7.1% of the participants in the standard-introduction group (42 of 595 participants) and in 5.6% of those in the early-introduction group (32 of 567) (P=0.32). In the per-protocol analysis, the prevalence of any food allergy was significantly lower in the early-introduction group than in the standard-introduction group (2.4% vs. 7.3%, P=0.01), as was the prevalence of peanut allergy (0% vs. 2.5%, P=0.003) and egg allergy (1.4% vs. 5.5%, P=0.009); there were no significant effects with respect to milk, sesame, fish, or wheat. The consumption of 2 g per week of peanut or egg-white protein was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of these respective allergies than was less consumption. The early introduction of all six foods was not easily achieved but was safe. CONCLUSIONS: The trial did not show the efficacy of early introduction of allergenic foods in an intention-to-treat analysis. Further analysis raised the question of whether the prevention of food allergy by means of early introduction of multiple allergenic foods was dose-dependent. (Funded by the Food Standards Agency and others; EAT Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN14254740.)

Genomics-Based Insights Into the Biosynthesis and Unusually High Accumulation of Free Fatty Acids by Streptomyces sp NP10

Schneider O, Ilic-Tomic T, Rückert C, et al. Genomics-Based Insights Into the Biosynthesis and Unusually High Accumulation of Free Fatty Acids by Streptomyces sp NP10. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY. 2018;9: 10.Streptomyces sp. NP10 was previously shown to synthesize large amounts of free fatty acids (FFAs). In this work, we report the first insights into the biosynthesis of these fatty acids (FAs) gained after genome sequencing and identification of the genes involved. Analysis of the Streptomyces sp. NP10 draft genome revealed that it is closely related to several strains of Streptomyces griseus. Comparative analyses of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, as well as those presumably involved in FA biosynthesis, allowed identification of an unusual cluster C12-2, which could be identified in only one other S. griseus-related streptomycete. To prove the involvement of identified cluster in FFA biosynthesis, one of its three ketosynthase genes was insertionally inactivated to generate mutant strain mNP10. Accumulation of FFAs in mNP10 was almost completely abolished, reaching less than 0.01% compared to the wild-type strain. Cloning and transfer of the C12-2 cluster to the mNP10 mutant partially restored FFA production, albeit to a low level. The discovery of this rare FFA biosynthesis cluster opens possibilities for detailed characterization of the roles of individual genes and their products in the biosynthesis of FFAs in NP10

Cell cycle, apoptosis, cellular uptake and whole-transcriptome microarray gene expression analysis of HeLa cells treated with a ruthenium(II)-arene complex with an isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid ligand

Ruthenium(II)-arene complexes are promising drug candidates for the therapy of solid tumors. In previous work, seven new compounds of the general formula [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L1–7)Cl] were synthesized and characterized, of which the complex with L = isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (RuT7) was two times as active on HeLa cells compared to normal cell line MRC-5, as indicated by IC50 values determined after 48 h of incubation (45.4 ± 3.0 vs. 84.2 ± 5.7 μM, respectively). In the present study, cell cycle analysis of HeLa cells treated with RuT7 showed S phase arrest and an increase in sub-G1 population. The apoptotic potential of the title compound was confirmed with the Annexin V-FITC/PI assay together with a morphological evaluation of cells using fluorescent microscopy. Analysis of the intracellular accumulation of ruthenium showed 8.9 ng Ru/106 cells after 6 h of incubation. To gain further insight in the molecular mechanism of action of RuT7 on HeLa cells, a whole-transcriptome microarray gene expression analysis was performed. Analysis of functional categories and signaling and biochemical pathways associated with the response of HeLa cells to treatment with RuT7 showed that it leads the cells through the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptotic pathway, via indirect DNA damage due to the action of reactive oxygen species, and through direct DNA binding of RuT7. Statistical analysis for enrichment of gene sets associated with known drug-induced toxicities identified fewer associated toxicity profiles in RuT7-treated cells compared to cisplatin treatment. Altogether these results provide the basis for further development of RuT7 in animal and pre-clinical studies as a potential drug candidate