Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Value of Commercial Product Returns

Manufacturers and their distributors must cope with an increased flow of returned products from their customers. The value of commercial product returns, which we define as products returned for any reason within 90 days of sale, now exceeds $100 billion annually in the United States. Although the reverse supply chain of returned products represents a sizeable flow of potentially recoverable assets, only a relatively small fraction of the value is currently extracted by manufacturers; a large proportion of the product value erodes away because of long processing delays. Thus, there are significant opportunities to build competitive advantage from making the appropriate reverse supply chain design choices. In this paper, we present a network flow with delay models that includes the marginal value of time to identify the drivers of reverse supply chain design. We illustrate our approach with specific examples from two companies in different industries and then examine how industry clockspeed generally affects the choice between an efficient and a responsive returns network.
Synopsis on the knowledge and distribution of the family Bougainvilliidae (Hydrozoa, Hydroidolina)

The family Bougainvilliidae comprises a group of anthoathecate hydrozoans that is biologically, ecologically and biogeographically poorly understood, and consequently, poorly taxonomically organized. Here, our goal is to synthesize knowledge of the family from an historical perspective, and to analyze their potential distribution based on their ecology. We analyzed all the available information on the family (based on 303 articles and databases), comprising 15 genera and 97 valid species in five oceans. Two temporal peaks (1900 and 2000) in publications are dominated by records of meroplanktonic species. The coastal zone has the most frequently reported occurrences. The widest latitudinal ranges are found in the genera Bimeria and Bougainvillia. Ecological niche modeling of 25 species (MaxEnt algorithm) finds that chlorophyll is the most important variable that influences the distribution of the family. Five possible latitudinal distributional patterns are derived from the model, dominated by the subtropical-polar distribution.
Imaging selection for acute stroke intervention

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the use of imaging to guide stroke treatment. Brain imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis of stroke and identification of the mechanism of stroke, which is relevant to acute treatment, prognosis, and secondary prevention. The chief potential modalities are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently, most imaging occurs in hospital but mobile stroke units have expanded CT brain imaging into the prehospital field. The proven therapies for ischemic stroke are based on achieving reperfusion and the DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials have now firmly established a need for imaging selection based on estimated ischemic core volume to guide reperfusion decisions in patients beyond 6 h of stroke onset. However, data also indicate that estimated ischemic core volume, in conjunction with patient factors and expected time delay to reperfusion, forms one of the most useful prognostic assessments that could alter decision-making for patients within 6 h. Current trials are also investigating agents that aim to achieve neuroprotection, reduction in edema or prevention of hemorrhagic transformation. Imaging may play a role in identifying patients likely to benefit from this next generation of interventions for stroke patients.
Chronic Stress and RCAN 1 Expression

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a form of age-related neurodegeneration that occurs sporadically and affects 5.4 million individuals in the United States alone. Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) develop the neuropathology of AD, suggesting the overexpression of genes on chromosome 21, like Regulator of Calcineurin1 (RCAN1), play a role in AD. RCAN1 is under the control of a stressresponse promoter, but it is unknown whether chronic stress (CS) causes an elevation in RCAN1 levels. Here we show a mild CS paradigm is successful at promoting increased anxiety and elevating stress hormone levels, through behavioral tests and glucocorticoid analysis. This is a first step in looking at CS and RCAN1 expression. Based on these findings we propose to test the idea CS causes elevated glucocorticoid levels and induces RCAN1 expression in the brain to increase.
Origin of microbial biomineralization and magnetotaxis during the Archean

Significance A wide range of organisms sense Earth’s magnetic field for navigation. For some organisms, like magnetotactic bacteria, magnetic particles form inside cells and act like a compass. However, the origin of magnetotactic behavior remains a mystery. We report that magnetotaxis evolved in bacteria during the Archean, before or near the divergence between the Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria phyla, suggesting that magnetotactic bacteria are one of the earliest magnetic-sensing and biomineralizing organisms on Earth. The early origin for magnetotaxis would have provided evolutionary advantages in coping with environmental challenges faced by microorganisms on early Earth. The persistence of magnetotaxis in separate lineages implies the temporal continuity of geomagnetic field, and this biological evidence provides a constraint on the evolution of the geodynamo. Microbes that synthesize minerals, a process known as microbial biomineralization, contributed substantially to the evolution of current planetary environments through numerous important geochemical processes. Despite its geological significance, the origin and evolution of microbial biomineralization remain poorly understood. Through combined metagenomic and phylogenetic analyses of deep-branching magnetotactic bacteria from the Nitrospirae phylum, and using a Bayesian molecular clock-dating method, we show here that the gene cluster responsible for biomineralization of magnetosomes, and the arrangement of magnetosome chain(s) within cells, both originated before or near the Archean divergence between the Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria. This phylogenetic divergence occurred well before the Great Oxygenation Event. Magnetotaxis likely evolved due to environmental pressures conferring an evolutionary advantage to navigation via the geomagnetic field. Earth’s dynamo must therefore have been sufficiently strong to sustain microbial magnetotaxis in the Archean, suggesting that magnetotaxis coevolved with the geodynamo over geological time.
Development of Dietary Patterns Spanning Infancy and Toddlerhood: Relation to Body Size, Composition and Metabolic Risk Markers at Three Years

Little is known about the development of dietary patterns during toddlerhood and the relation to growth and health. The study objective was to characterise the development of dietary patterns from 9–36 mo of age and investigate the association to body size, body composition and metabolic risk markers at 36 mo. Food records were filled out at 9, 18 and 36 mo of age (n = 229). Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis (PCA). Three dietary patterns were identified: Transition Food, Healthy Food and Traditional Food. The course of development in dietary patterns from 9–36 mo indicated tracking for a relatively large group of participants in the three patterns. Transition Food and Healthy Food were associated with some of the investigated outcomes. Children with lower adherence to the Transition Food pattern than average at 18 and 36 mo irrespectively of intake at 9 mo had higher BMI z-scores at 36 mo. Similar trend was identified for higher fat mass indices. Children with lower adherence to the Healthy Food pattern than average at all three ages compared to children with higher adherence to the Healthy Food pattern at the first two registrations, 9 and 18 mo had higher total cholesterol and LDL. Hence, this could represent undesirable development of dietary patterns in toddlers. In conclusion, development of dietary patterns can be exploratory characterised by PCA and related to potential cardiovascular risk markers in toddlers even within a relatively homogeneous population with a high socioeconomic status. The tracking of dietary patterns from 9 mo of age indicates a need for early and sustained promotion of healthy diets.
Lactobacillus metriopterae sp. nov., a novel lactic acid bacterium isolated from the gut of grasshopper Metrioptera engelhardti.

A strain (Hime 5-1T) of lactic acid bacterium was isolated from the gut of the grasshopper Metrioptera engelhardti from a mountainous area of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Strain Hime 5-1T had a low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to known lactic acid bacteria, with the closest recognized relatives being Lactobacillus tucceti (96.7 %), Lactobacillus furfuricola (96.5 %), Lactobacillus versmoldensis (96.3 %) and Lactobacillus nodensis (96.1 %). Comparative analyses of the rpoA and pheS gene sequences indicated that Hime 5-1T is not closely related to other Lactobacillus species. Strain Hime 5-1T is a Gram-stain-positive, catalase-negative and homofermentative bacterium with yellowish colonies, which contrasts with the whitish colonies of its closest recognized relatives. Based on phenotypic and genotypic properties, we conclude that the isolated bacterium represents a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus metriopterae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Hime 5-1T (=JCM 31635T=DSM 103730T). 16S rRNA gene based high-throughput sequencing revealed that L. metriopterae is the dominant microbiota in the gut of Metrioptera engelhardti.
Mango leaf extract improves central pathology and cognitive impairment in a type 2 diabetes mouse model

Epidemiological studies reveal that metabolic disorders, and specifically type 2 diabetes (T2D), are relevant risk factors to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), the most common causes of dementia. AD patients are in a tremendous need of new therapeutic options because of the limited success of available treatments. Natural polyphenols, and concretely Mangifera indica Linn extract (MGF), have been reported to have antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The role of MGF in central complications associated with T2D, after long‐term treatment of db/db mice with MGF was analyzed. Metabolic parameters (body weight, glucose and insulin levels) as well as central complications including brain atrophy, inflammatory processes, spontaneous bleeding, tau phosphorylation and cognitive function in db/db mice treated with MGF for 22 weeks were assessed. MGF limits body weight gain in obese db/db mice. Insulin and C‐peptide levels, indicative of pancreatic function, were longer maintained in MGF‐treated animals. MGF reduced central inflammation by lowering microglia burden, both in the cortex and the hippocampus. Likewise, central spontaneous bleeding was significantly reduced in db/db mice. Cortical and hippocampal atrophy was reduced in db/db mice and tau hyperphosphorylation was lower after MGF treatment, resulting in partial recovery of learning and memory disabilities. Altogether, the data suggested that MGF treatment may provide a useful tool to target different aspects of AD and VaD pathology, and could lead to more effective clinical therapies for the prevention of metabolic related central complications associated with AD and VaD.
Reversal of the Migratory and Invasive Phenotype of Ras‐Transfected Mammary Cells by Photodynamic Therapy Treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non‐thermal technique for inducing tumor damage following administration of a light‐activated photosensitizing drug (PS). In a previous work we found that PDT induces cytoskeleton changes in HB4a‐Ras cells (human mammary breast carcinoma HB4a cells transfected with the RAS oncogene). In the present work we have studied the migratory and invasive features and the expression of proteins related to these processes on HB4a‐Ras cells after three successive cycles of PDT using different PSs: 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA), Verteporfin (Verte), m‐tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (m‐THPC), and Merocyanine 540 (MC). A slight (1.25‐ to 2‐fold) degree of resistance was acquired in cell populations subjected to the three successive PDT treatments. However, complete cell killing was achieved after a light dose increase. Regardless of the PS employed, all the PDT‐treated populations had shorter stress fibres than the untreated control HB4a‐Ras cells, and the number of dorsal stress fibres was decreased in the PDT‐treated populations. E‐Cadherin distribution, which was already aberrant in HB4a‐Ras cells, became even more diffuse in the PDT‐treated populations, though its expression was increased in some of them. The strong migratory and invasive ability of HB4a‐Ras cells in vitro was impaired in all the PDT‐treated populations, with a behavior that was similar to the parental non‐tumoral HB4a cells. MMP‐2 and ‐9 metalloproteinase activities were also impaired in the PDT‐treated populations. The evidence presented herein suggests that the cells surviving PDT would be less metastatic than the initial population. These findings encourage the use of PDT in combination with other treatments such as intraoperative or post‐surgery therapeutic procedures. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 464–477, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How quality attributes of software platform architectures influence software ecosystems

When developing commercial applications, developers seldomly start from scratch. Generally, they use software platforms and extend them, joining an ever growing software ecosystem surrounding the platform. In this paper, the relationships between architecture and platform adoption are explored by analyzing the results of interviews and document study of five case studies of platform extenders. It is found that platform architecture plays a minor role in platform adoption by platform extenders, but that quality attributes strongly influence an architect's design choices when extending a platform. The findings of this work can be used by platform developers to improve platform extendibility and usability.
MINI-SYMPOSIUM: ENERGY DEMAND AND ENERGY SUPPLY IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Alzheimer’s Disease: From Mitochondrial Perturbations to Mitochondrial Medicine

Age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are distressing conditions causing countless levels of suffering for which treatment is often insufficient or inexistent. Considered to be the most common cause of dementia and an incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, the intricate pathogenic mechanisms of AD continue to be revealed and, consequently, an effective treatment needs to be developed. Among the diverse hypothesis that have been proposed to explain AD pathogenesis, the one concerning mitochondrial dysfunction has raised as one of the most discussed with an actual acceptance in the field. It posits that manipulating mitochondrial function and understanding the deficits that result in mitochondrial injury may help to control and/or limit the development of AD. To achieve such goal, the concept of mitochondrial medicine places itself as a promising gathering of strategies to directly manage the major insidious disturbances of mitochondrial homeostasis as well as attempts to directly or indirectly manage its consequences in the context of AD. The aim of this review is to summarize the evolution that occurred from the establishment of mitochondrial homeostasis perturbation as masterpieces in AD pathogenesis up until the development of mitochondrial medicine. Following a brief glimpse in the past and current hypothesis regarding the triad of aging, mitochondria and AD, this manuscript will address the major mechanisms currently believed to participate in above mentioned events. Both pharmacological and lifestyle interventions will also be reviewed as AD-related mitochondrial therapeutics.
Quantitative determination of ribosome nascent chain stability

Significance A fundamental question in biology is how the biophysical parameters describing protein folding in vitro are altered during cotranslational folding. Because protein synthesis is slow, nascent chains can fold cotranslationally while still tethered to the ribosome and before the entire protein has emerged. Here we examine the effects of ribosomal tethering on protein stability and how that stability is modulated by the distance away from the ribosome’s active site. We develop a quantitative assay for measuring protein stability on stalled nascent chains and find that the ribosome destabilizes nascent chains. This destabilization may play a key role in ensuring folding fidelity by helping the nascent chain avoid partially folded kinetic traps before the entire chain has been synthesized. Accurate protein folding is essential for proper cellular and organismal function. In the cell, protein folding is carefully regulated; changes in folding homeostasis (proteostasis) can disrupt many cellular processes and have been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases and other pathologies. For many proteins, the initial folding process begins during translation while the protein is still tethered to the ribosome; however, most biophysical studies of a protein’s energy landscape are carried out in isolation under idealized, dilute conditions and may not accurately report on the energy landscape in vivo. Thus, the energy landscape of ribosome nascent chains and the effect of the tethered ribosome on nascent chain folding remain unclear. Here we have developed a general assay for quantitatively measuring the folding stability of ribosome nascent chains, and find that the ribosome exerts a destabilizing effect on the polypeptide chain. This destabilization decreases as a function of the distance away from the peptidyl transferase center. Thus, the ribosome may add an additional layer of robustness to the protein-folding process by avoiding the formation of stable partially folded states before the protein has completely emerged from the ribosome.
Intergenerational family constellations in contemporary Europe: Evidence from the Generations and Gender Survey

Demographic research has drawn attention to the multiple ways in which changes in mortality and childbearing have produced major shifts in intergenerational family structures. The aim of this article is to contribute to this body of research by analysing the data from the Generations and Gender Surveys for nine European countries. In the study, data pertaining to the availability of ascending (parents and grandparents) and descending kin (children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren) of the respondent are combined to shed light on the family structures in which indviduals are embedded at various stages of their lives. The findings provide new insights into the ways in which the past and present diversity of demographic regimes comes together into specific patterns of intergenerational family constellations across Europe. This convergence may yield family constellations of very similar “height” in countries with sharply contrasting demographic histories. The results also indicate that certain demographic scenarios may halt or temporarily reverse the trend towards the further vertical extension of family constellations.
Vascularized nerve "grafts": just a graft or a worthwhile procedure?

The aim of this review is to extrapolate evidence regarding the use of vascularized nerve grafts (VNGs) in peripheral nerve reconstruction and summarize available data on their indications, if any, and clinical applications. A review of the literature via the PubMed database was performed with analysis of ninety-five articles on the experimental and clinical studies of VNGs. Eight relevant questions were selected to be answered about VNGs. VNGs allow faster nerve regeneration and convey a functional advantage under certain clinical conditions such as large nerves, proximal lesions, and nonvascularized recipient beds. Several donor sites are available which have been being divided by body region in this manuscript. VNGs perform better than non-VNGs and provide an advantage in selected cases. However, limited availability and donor site morbidity still limit their application. We foresee a wider application of vascularized nerve allografts to overcome these problems.
Believing androids – fMRI activation in the right temporo-parietal junction is modulated by ascribing intentions to non-human agents

ABSTRACT Attributing mind to interaction partners has been shown to increase the social relevance we ascribe to others’ actions and to modulate the amount of attention dedicated to them. However, it remains unclear how the relationship between higher-order mind attribution and lower-level attention processes is established in the brain. In this neuroimaging study, participants saw images of an anthropomorphic robot that moved its eyes left- or rightwards to signal the appearance of an upcoming stimulus in the same (valid cue) or opposite location (invalid cue). Independently, participants’ beliefs about the intentionality underlying the observed eye movements were manipulated by describing the eye movements as under human control or preprogrammed. As expected, we observed a validity effect behaviorally and neurologically (increased response times and activation in the invalid vs. valid condition). More importantly, we observed that this effect was more pronounced for the condition in which the robot’s behavior was believed to be controlled by a human, as opposed to be preprogrammed. This interaction effect between cue validity and belief was, however, only found at the neural level and was manifested as a significant increase of activation in bilateral anterior temporoparietal junction.
Evaluation of peripheral neutrophil functions in aggressive periodontitis patients and their family members in Indian population: An assessment of neutrophil chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and microbicidal activity

Background: Association of neutrophil function abnormalities with localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) has been reported in Indian population. There are no published studies on the familial aggregation of aggressive periodontitis (AP) and neutrophil function abnormalities associated with it in Indian population. The present study aimed to assess neutrophil chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and microbicidal activity in AP patients and their family members of Indian origin, who may or may not be suffering from AP. Materials and Methods: Eighteen families with a total of 51 individuals (18 probands, 33 family members) were included. Neutrophil chemotaxis was evaluated against an alkali-soluble casein solution using Wilkinson's method. Phagocytosis and microbicidal activity assay were performed using Candida albicans as an indicator organism. Statistical Analysis Used: The magnitude of association between the presence of defective neutrophil function and LAP or GAP was calculated using odds ratio and relative risk. Total incidence of AP, and in particular, LAP in the families attributable to the presence of defective neutrophil function was calculated by attributable risk. Results: The association between depressed neutrophil chemotaxis and presence of AP and LAP or GAP in all the family members (n = 51) was found to be significant (P < 0.05) while that for phagocytic and microbicidal activity were observed to be nonsignificant. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest high incidence of AP (LAP and GAP) within families was associated with depressed neutrophil chemotaxis. High prevalence of depressed neutrophil chemotaxis in the family members (61%) of LAP probands exhibiting depressed chemotaxis suggests that the observed abnormalities in neutrophil functions may also be inherited by the family members.