bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative Pessimism or Optimism: Depressed Mood, Risk-Taking, Social Utility and Desirability
Authors: Milhabet Isabelle , Le Barbenchon Emmanuelle , Cambon Laurent , Molina Guylaine 
Published: March 2015

AbstractComparative optimism can be defined as a self-serving, asymmetric judgment of the future. It is often thought to be beneficial and socially accepted, whereas comparative pessimism is correlated with depression and socially rejected. Our goal was to examine the social acceptance of comparative optimism and the social rejection of comparative pessimism in two dimensions of social judgment, social desirability and social utility, considering the attributions of dysphoria and risk-taking potential (studies 2 and 3) on outlooks on the future. In three experiments, the participants assessed either one (study 1) or several (studies 2 and 3) fictional targets in two dimensions, social utility and social desirability. Targets exhibiting comparatively optimistic or pessimistic outlooks on the future were presented as non-depressed, depressed, or neither (control condition) (study 1); non-depressed or depressed (study 2); and non-depressed or in control condition (study 3). Two significant results were obtained: (1) social rejection of comparative pessimism in the social desirability dimension, which can be explained by its depressive feature; and (2) comparative optimism was socially accepted on the social utility dimension, which can be explained by the perception that comparatively optimistic individuals are potential risk-takers.
Upward synaptic scaling is dependent on neurotransmission rather than spiking
Authors: Fong Ming-fai , Newman Jonathan P. , Potter Steve M. , Wenner Peter 
Published: March 2015

AbstractHomeostatic plasticity encompasses a set of mechanisms that are thought to stabilize firing rates in neural circuits. The most widely studied form of homeostatic plasticity is upward synaptic scaling (upscaling), characterized by a multiplicative increase in the strength of excitatory synaptic inputs to a neuron as a compensatory response to chronic reductions in firing rate. While reduced spiking is thought to trigger upscaling, an alternative possibility is that reduced glutamatergic transmission generates this plasticity directly. However, spiking and neurotransmission are tightly coupled, so it has been difficult to determine their independent roles in the scaling process. Here we combined chronic multielectrode recording, closed-loop optogenetic stimulation, and pharmacology to show that reduced glutamatergic transmission directly triggers cell-wide synaptic upscaling. This work highlights the importance of synaptic activity in initiating signalling cascades that mediate upscaling. Moreover, our findings challenge the prevailing view that upscaling functions to homeostatically stabilize firing rates.
Onset of sediment transport is a continuous transition driven by fluid shear and granular creep
Authors: Houssais Morgane , Ortiz Carlos P. , Durian Douglas J. , Jerolmack Douglas J. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractFluid-sheared granular transport sculpts landscapes and undermines infrastructure, yet predicting the onset of sediment transport remains notoriously unreliable. For almost a century, this onset has been treated as a discontinuous transition at which hydrodynamic forces overcome gravity-loaded grain–grain friction. Using a custom laminar-shear flume to image slow granular dynamics deep into the bed, here we find that the onset is instead a continuous transition from creeping to granular flow. This transition occurs inside the dense granular bed at a critical viscous number, similar to granular flows and colloidal suspensions and inconsistent with hydrodynamic frameworks. We propose a new phase diagram for sediment transport, where ‘bed load’ is a dense granular flow bounded by creep below and suspension above. Creep is characteristic of disordered solids and reminiscent of soil diffusion on hillslopes. Results provide new predictions for the onset and dynamics of sediment transport that challenge existing models.
Effect of Bed Characters on the Direct Synthesis of Dimethyldichlorosilane in Fluidized Bed Reactor
Authors: Zhang Pan , Duan Ji H. , Chen Guang H. , Wang Wei W. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis paper presents the numerical investigation of the effects of the general bed characteristics such as superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights and particle size, on the direct synthesis in a 3D fluidized bed reactor. A 3D model for the gas flow, heat transfer and mass transfer was coupled to the direct synthesis reaction mechanism verified in the literature. The model was verified by comparing the simulated reaction rate and dimethyldichlorosilane (M2) selectivity with the experimental data in the open literature and real production data. Computed results indicate that superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights and particle size have vital effect on the reaction rates and/or M2 selectivity.
Comparison of laser and intense pulsed light sintering (IPL) for inkjet-printed copper nanoparticle layers
Authors: Niittynen Juha , Sowade Enrico , Kang Hyunkyoo , Baumann Reinhard R. , Mäntysalo Matti 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn this contribution we discuss the sintering of an inkjet-printed copper nanoparticle ink based on electrical performance and microstructure analysis. Laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering are employed in order to compare the different techniques and their feasibility for electronics manufacturing. A conductivity of more than 20% of that of bulk copper material has been obtained with both sintering methods. Laser and IPL sintering techniques are considered to be complementary techniques and are highly suitable in different application fields.
Geometrical tradeoffs in graphene-based deeply-scaled electrically reconfigurable metasurfaces
Authors: Arezoomandan Sara , Sensale-Rodriguez Berardi 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn this work we study the terahertz light propagation through deeply-scaled graphene-based reconfigurable metasurfaces, i.e. metasurfaces with unit-cell dimensions much smaller than the terahertz wavelength. These metasurfaces are analyzed as phase modulators for constructing reconfigurable phase gradients along an optical interface for the purpose of beam shaping. Two types of deeply-scaled metacell geometries are analyzed and compared, which consist of: (i) multi split ring resonators and (ii) multi spiral resonators. Two figures of merit, related to: (a) the loss and (b) the degree of reconfigurability achievable by such metamaterials -when applied in beam shaping applications-, are introduced and discussed. Simulations of these two types of deep-subwavelength geometries, when changing the metal coverage-fraction, show that there is an optimal coverage-fraction that gives the best tradeoff in terms of loss versus degree of reconfigurability. For both types of geometries the best tradeoff occurs when the area covered by the metallic region is around 40% of the metacell total area. From this point of view, reconfigurable deeply-scaled metamaterials can indeed provide a superior performance for beam shaping applications when compared to not deeply-scaled ones; however, counterintuitively, employing very highly-packed structures might not be beneficial for such applications.
Statistical Thermodynamics of Irreversible Aggregation: The Sol-Gel Transition
Authors: Matsoukas Themis 
Published: March 2015

AbstractBinary aggregation is known to lead, under certain kinetic rules, to the coexistence of two populations, one consisting of finite-size clusters (sol) and one that contains a single cluster that carries a finite fraction of the total mass (giant component or gel). The sol-gel transition is commonly discussed as a phase transition by qualitative analogy to vapor condensation. Here we show that the connection to thermodynamic phase transition is rigorous. We develop the statistical thermodynamics of irreversible binary aggregation in discrete finite systems, obtain the partition function for arbitrary kernel and show that the emergence of the gel cluster has all the hallmarks of a phase transition, including an unstable van der Waals loop. We demonstrate the theory by presenting the complete pre- and post-gel solution for aggregation with the product kernel.
Cascade exciton-pumping engines with manipulated speed and efficiency in light-harvesting porous π-network films
Authors: Gu Cheng , Huang Ning , Xu Fei , Gao Jia , Jiang Donglin 
Published: March 2015

AbstractLight-harvesting antennae are the machinery for exciton pumping in natural photosynthesis, whereas cascade energy transfer through chlorophyll is key to long-distance, efficient energy transduction. Numerous artificial antennae have been developed. However, they are limited in their cascade energy-transfer abilities because of a lack of control over complex chromophore aggregation processes, which has impeded their advancement. Here we report a viable approach for addressing this issue by using a light-harvesting porous polymer film in which a three-dimensional π-network serves as the antenna and micropores segregate multiple dyes to prevent aggregation. Cascade energy-transfer engines are integrated into the films; the rate and efficiency of the energy-funneling engines are precisely manipulated by tailoring the dye components and contents. The nanofilms allow accurate and versatile luminescence engineering, resulting in the production of thirty emission hues, including blue, green, red and white. This advance may open new pathways for realising photosynthesis and photoenergy conversion.
Paramagnetic Nanoparticles as a Platform for FRET-Based Sarcosine Picomolar Detection
Authors: Heger Zbynek , Cernei Natalia , Krizkova Sona , Masarik Michal , Kopel Pavel , Hodek Petr , Zitka Ondrej , Adam Vojtech , Kizek Rene 
Published: March 2015

AbstractHerein, we describe an ultrasensitive specific biosensing system for detection of sarcosine as a potential biomarker of prostate carcinoma based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The FRET biosensor employs anti-sarcosine antibodies immobilized on paramagnetic nanoparticles surface for specific antigen binding. Successful binding of sarcosine leads to assembly of a sandwich construct composed of anti-sarcosine antibodies keeping the Förster distance (Ro) of FRET pair in required proximity. The detection is based on spectral overlap between gold-functionalized green fluorescent protein and antibodies@quantum dots bioconjugate (λex400 nm). The saturation curve of sarcosine based on FRET efficiency (F604/F510ratio) was tested within linear dynamic range from 5 to 50 nM with detection limit down to 50 pM. Assembled biosensor was then successfully employed for sarcosine quantification in prostatic cell lines (PC3, 22Rv1, PNT1A) and urinary samples of prostate adenocarcinoma patients.
Visual Attention Model Based on Statistical Properties of Neuron Responses
Authors: Duan Haibin , Wang Xiaohua 
Published: March 2015

AbstractVisual attention is a mechanism of the visual system that can select relevant objects from a specific scene. Interactions among neurons in multiple cortical areas are considered to be involved in attentional allocation. However, the characteristics of the encoded features and neuron responses in those attention related cortices are indefinite. Therefore, further investigations carried out in this study aim at demonstrating that unusual regions arousing more attention generally cause particular neuron responses. We suppose that visual saliency is obtained on the basis of neuron responses to contexts in natural scenes. A bottom-up visual attention model is proposed based on the self-information of neuron responses to test and verify the hypothesis. Four different color spaces are adopted and a novel entropy-based combination scheme is designed to make full use of color information. Valuable regions are highlighted while redundant backgrounds are suppressed in the saliency maps obtained by the proposed model. Comparative results reveal that the proposed model outperforms several state-of-the-art models. This study provides insights into the neuron responses based saliency detection and may underlie the neural mechanism of early visual cortices for bottom-up visual attention.
Origin of 1/f noise in hydration dynamics on lipid membrane surfaces
Authors: Yamamoto Eiji , Akimoto Takuma , Yasui Masato , Yasuoka Kenji 
Published: March 2015

AbstractWater molecules on lipid membrane surfaces are known to contribute to membrane stability by connecting lipid molecules and acting as a water bridge. Although water structures and diffusivities near the membrane surfaces have been extensively studied, hydration dynamics on the surfaces has remained an open question. Here we investigate residence time statistics of water molecules on the surface of lipid membranes using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We show that hydration dynamics on the lipid membranes exhibits 1/f noise. Constructing a dichotomous process for the hydration dynamics, we find that residence times in each state follow a power-law with exponential cutoff and that the process can be regarded as a correlated renewal process where interoccurrence times are correlated. The results imply that the origin of the 1/f noise in hydration dynamics on the membrane surfaces is a combination of a power-law distribution with cutoff of interoccurrence times of switching events and a long-term correlation between the interoccurrence times. These results suggest that the 1/f noise attributed to the correlated renewal process may contribute to the stability of the hydration layers and lipid membranes.
Effects of N-glycosylation on protein conformation and dynamics: Protein Data Bank analysis and molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Lee Hui Sun , Qi Yifei , Im Wonpil 
Published: March 2015

AbstractN-linked glycosylation is one of the most important, chemically complex and ubiquitous post-translational modifications in all eukaryotes. The N-glycans that are covalently linked to proteins are involved in numerous biological processes. There is considerable interest in developments of general approaches to predict the structural consequences of site-specific glycosylation and to understand how these effects can be exploited in protein design with advantageous properties. In this study, the impacts of N-glycans on protein structure and dynamics are systematically investigated using an integrated computational approach of the Protein Data Bank structure analysis and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of glycosylated and deglycosylated proteins. Our study reveals that N-glycosylation does not induce significant changes in protein structure, but decreases protein dynamics, likely leading to an increase in protein stability. Overall, these results suggest not only a common role of glycosylation in proteins, but also a need for certain proteins to be properly glycosylated to gain their intrinsic dynamic properties.
Characterization of Avt1p as a vacuolar proton/amino acid antiporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Tone Junichi , Yoshimura Ayumi , Manabe Kunio , Murao Nami , Sekito Takayuki , Kawano-Kawada Miyuki , Kakinuma Yoshimi 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Several genes for vacuolar amino acid transport were reported in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but have not well been investigated. We characterized AVT1, a member of the AVT vacuolar transporter family, which is reported to be involved in lifespan of yeast. ATP-dependent uptake of isoleucine and histidine by the vacuolar vesicles of an AVT exporter mutant was lost by introducing avt1∆ mutation. Uptake activity was inhibited by the V-ATPase inhibitor: concanamycin A and a protonophore. Isoleucine uptake was inhibited by various neutral amino acids and histidine, but not by γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, and aspartate. V-ATPase-dependent acidification of the vesicles was declined by the addition of isoleucine or histidine, depending upon Avt1p. Taken together with the data of the amino acid contents of vacuolar fractions in cells, the results suggested that Avt1p is a proton/amino acid antiporter important for vacuolar compartmentalization of various amino acids.
Challenges to accurate susceptibility testing and interpretation of quinolone resistance in Enterobacteriaceae: results of a Spanish multicentre study
Authors: Rodriguez-Martinez José-Manuel , Machuca Jesús , Calvo Jorge , Diaz-de-Alba Paula , Rodríguez-Mirones Cristina , Gimeno Concha , Martinez-Martinez Luis , Pascual Álvaro 
Published: March 2015

Abstract

Objectives
The objective of this study was to evaluate the proficiency of Spanish laboratories with respect to accurate susceptibility testing and the detection and interpretation of quinolone resistance phenotypes in Enterobacteriaceae.

Methods
Thirteen strains of Enterobacteriaceae were sent to 62 participating centres throughout Spain; strains harboured GyrA/ParC modifications, reduced permeability and/or plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes. The centres were requested to evaluate nalidixic acid and five quinolones, provide raw/interpreted clinical categories and to detect/infer resistance mechanisms. Consensus results from reference centres were used to assign minor, major and very major errors (mEs, MEs and VMEs, respectively).

Results
Susceptibility testing in the participating centres was frequently performed using the MicroScan WalkAway, Vitek 2 and Wider systems (48%, 30% and 8%, respectively). CLSI/EUCAST breakpoints were used in 71%/29% of the determinations. The percentage of VMEs for all quinolones was well below 2%. Only ofloxacin and moxifloxacin showed higher values for raw VMEs (6.6%), which decreased to 0% and 2.9%, respectively, in the interpreted VMEs. These errors were particularly associated with the CC-03 strain [qnrS2 + aac(6′)-Ib-cr]. For MEs, percentages were always &lt;10%, except in the case of ofloxacin and nalidixic acid. There was a significantly higher percentage of all types of errors for strains whose MICs were at the border of clinical breakpoints.

Conclusions
The use of different breakpoints and methods, the complexity of mutation-driven and transferable resistance mechanisms and the absence of specific tests for detecting low-level resistance lead to high variability and represent a challenge to accuracy in susceptibility testing, particularly in strains with MICs on the border of clinical breakpoints.
Nocardia puris brain abscess in an immunocompromised woman
Authors: Smith Lindsay M. , Galvin Shannon R. 
Published: March 2015

Introduction:

Nocardia puris is a rare cause of infection worldwide, with very few published cases. Here we report the first case to our knowledge of brain abscess caused by N. puris.

Case presentation:
Our patient, currently undergoing treatment with rituximab for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, presented with a 2 week history of worsening headache and nuchal rigidity. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a ring‐enhancing mass in the right temporal lobe. The abscess was surgically resected and the causative organism was identified as N. puris by culture and then 16S PCR of the rRNA gene. Our patient was successfully treated with a combination of imipenem and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (15 mg kg−1 day−1) for 3 months, followed by 9 months of monotherapy with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole.

Conclusion:
Treatment of nocardiosis remains challenging, with each species having a unique antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Our patient was successfully treated with a combination of imipenem and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, followed by monotherapy with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole.
Galactomannan antigen and Aspergillus antibody responses in a transplant recipient with multiple invasive fungal infections
Authors: Dupont D. , Geffriaud T. , Boibieux A. , Rimmele T. , Picot S. , Persat F. 
Published: March 2015

Introduction:
We report Aspergillus antigen and antibody responses in a case of multiple invasive fungal diseases.

Case presentation:
The patient, a double‐lung transplant recipient, had candidaemia and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with cerebral involvement. The follow‐up of the serum Aspergillus galactomannan antigen by ELISA showed a level increase that correlated with the patient’s aggravation. It was retrospectively completed by kinetics analysis using different anti‐Aspergillus antibody assays (ELISA and Western blotting).

Conclusion:
A balance between the Aspergillus antigen and anti‐Aspergillus antibodies was shown using different anti‐Aspergillus antibody assays. The results of these two antibody techniques appeared rather congruent.
Cost estimation for electric light and power elements during building design
Authors: Aibinu Ajibade A. , Dassanayake Dharma , Chan Toong-Khuan , Thangaraj Ram 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The study reported in this paper proposed the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) as viable alternative to regression for predicting the cost of building services elements at the early stage of design. The purpose of this paper is to develop, test and validate ANN models for predicting the costs of electrical services components.

Design/Methodology/Approach
– The research is based on data mining of over 200 building projects in the office of a medium size electrical contractor. Of the over 200 projects examined, 71 usable data were found and used for the ANN modeling. Regression models were also explored using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Statistics Software 21, for the purpose of comparison with the ANN models.

Findings
– The findings show that the cost forecasting models based on ANN algorithm are more viable alternative to regression models for predicting the costs of light wiring, power wiring and cable pathways. The ANN prediction errors achieved are 6.4, 4.5 and 4.5 per cent for the three models developed whereas the regression models were insignificant. They did not fit any of the known regression distributions.

Practical implications
– The validated ANN models were converted to a desktop application (user interface) package – “Intelligent Estimator.” The application is important because it can be used by construction professionals to reliably and quickly forecast the costs of power wiring, light wiring and cable pathways using building variables that are readily available or measurable during design stage, i.e. fully enclosed covered area, unenclosed covered area, internal perimeter length and number of floors.

Originality/value
– Previous studies have concluded that the methods of estimating the budget for building structure and fabric work are inappropriate for use with mechanical and electrical services. Thus, this study is unique because it applied the ANN modeling technique, for the first time, to cost modeling of electrical services components for building using real world data. The analysis shows that ANN is a better alternative to regression models for predicting cost of services elements because the relationship between cost and the cost drivers are non-linear and distribution types are unknown.