Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hedonic appreciation and verbal description of pleasant and unpleasant odors in untrained, trainee cooks, flavorists, and perfumers

Olfaction is characterized by a salient hedonic dimension. Previous studies have shown that these affective responses to odors are modulated by physicochemical, physiological, and cognitive factors. The present study examined expertise influenced processing of pleasant and unpleasant odors on both perceptual and verbal levels. For this, performance on two olfactory tasks was compared between novices, trainee cooks, and experts (perfumers and flavorists): Members of all groups rated the intensity and pleasantness of pleasant and unpleasant odors (perceptual tasks). They were also asked to describe each of the 20 odorants as precisely as possible (verbal description task). On a perceptual level, results revealed that there were no group-related differences in hedonic ratings for unpleasant and pleasant odors. On a verbal level, descriptions of smells were richer (e.g., chemical, olfactory qualities, and olfactory sources terms) and did not refer to pleasantness in experts compared to untrained subjects who used terms referring to odor sources (e.g., candy) accompanied by terms referring to odor hedonics. In conclusion, the present study suggests that as novices, experts are able to perceptually discriminate odors on the basis of their pleasantness. However, on a semantic level, they conceptualize odors differently, being inclined to avoid any reference to odor hedonics.
The effects of expectancy on corticospinal excitability: passively preparing to observe a movement.

The corticospinal tract excitability is modulated when preparing movements. Earlier to movement execution, the excitability of the spinal cord increases waiting for supraspinal commands to release the movement. Movement execution and movement observation share processes within the motor system, although movement observation research has focused on processes later to movement onset. We used single and paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation on M1 (n = 12), and electrical cervicomedullary stimulation (n = 7), to understand the modulation of the corticospinal system during the "preparation" to observe a third person's movement. Subjects passively observed a hand that would remain still or make an index finger extension. The observer's corticospinal excitability rose when "expecting to see a movement" vs. when "expecting to see a still hand. " The modulation took origin at a spinal level and not at the corticocortical networks explored. We conclude that expectancy of seeing movements increases the excitability of the spinal cord.
The haemodynamic and pharmacologic interaction of medetomidine and peripheral antagonist MK-467 and their dose-dependency in dogs

The alpha-2 agonist, medetomidine (MED), and its pure active enantiomer dexmedetomidine (DMED), are used clinically in small animal practice as potent sedatives, analgesic agents, muscle relaxants, and as adjunct agents for balanced anaesthesia. However, their cardiovascular effects limit their use. The use of constant rate infusion (CRI) for administration of MED was studied in order to provide the sedation and analgesia while decreasing the adverse cardiovascular effects. The second avenue of investigation performed was addition of the peripheral alpha-2 antagonist, MK-467, to limit the haemodynamic effects of MED. The cardiovascular effects of MED CRI were investigated in a dose-finding study. Six dose levels were administered during general anaesthesia from very-low dose to a high, positive-control dose, in order to quantify dose-dependency. In order to elucidate an appropriate agonist-antagonist dose ratio, a step-down infusion protocol of MED and addition of step-up infusion protocol of MK-467 was performed in anaesthetised dogs. The effects and interaction of both drugs during the absorption and distribution phase were studied during an intramuscular study protocol using a co-administration of both drugs, where three doses of MK-467 were investigated. Plasma concentration measurements provided pharmacokinetic parameter estimates. MED-CRI administration showed promising results in demonstrating the dosedependency of the cardiovascular effects. With the low doses of MED CRI, the adverse effects may be minimised, although not completely avoided. A complex pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction between the two molecules was revealed; after intramuscular (IM) co-administration of both drugs the absorption of MED was accelerated by the addition of MK-467 to the treatment. The step infusions revealed that MK-467 also increased the elimination of MED. The optimal dose ratio finding is complicated as the context in which the drugs are given (IM, IV, CRI, under general anaesthesia etc.) affects the disposition of MED. The combined pharmacokinetic and dynamic results provide good initial pharmacokinetic estimates for future PK-PD modelling to predict the interaction of these two drugs, MED and MK-467, in dogs. List of Original publications This thesis is based on the following original articles referred to in the text by their Roman numerals:
Phone Recognition Experiments on ArtiPhon with KALDI

English. In this work we present the results obtained so far in different recognition experiments working on the audio only part of the ArtiPhon corpus used for the EVALITA 2016 speech-mismatch ArtiPhon task. Italiano. In questo lavoro si presentano i risultati ottenuti sinora in diversi esperimenti di riconoscimento fonetico utilizzanti esclusivamente la sola parte audio del corpus ArtiPhon utilizzato per il task ArtiPhon di EVALITA 2016.
Design and Analysis of Cylindrical Dielectric Resonator Antenna Using Substrate Integrated Waveguide for X-Band Application

This paper presents the design and analysis of simple cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA), using substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) feed. Proposed antenna represents S11<;-10 for X-band (8-12 GHz) with good radiation characteristics. The antenna has been simulated with the help of commercial software ANSOFT HFSS V13. It has good radiation pattern at center frequency of x-band. Parametric study of slot is presented and discussed. Different radiation characteristics of DRA have been analyzed with different dielectric and shape.
Molecular Remodeling of Photosystem II during State Transitions in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii[W]

State transitions, or the redistribution of light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) proteins between photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII), balance the light-harvesting capacity of the two photosystems to optimize the efficiency of photosynthesis. Studies on the migration of LHCII proteins have focused primarily on their reassociation with PSI, but the molecular details on their dissociation from PSII have not been clear. Here, we compare the polypeptide composition, supramolecular organization, and phosphorylation of PSII complexes under PSI- and PSII-favoring conditions (State 1 and State 2, respectively). Three PSII fractions, a PSII core complex, a PSII supercomplex, and a multimer of PSII supercomplex or PSII megacomplex, were obtained from a transformant of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii carrying a His-tagged CP47. Gel filtration and single particles on electron micrographs showed that the megacomplex was predominant in State 1, whereas the core complex was predominant in State 2, indicating that LHCIIs are dissociated from PSII upon state transition. Moreover, in State 2, strongly phosphorylated LHCII type I was found in the supercomplex but not in the megacomplex. Phosphorylated minor LHCIIs (CP26 and CP29) were found only in the unbound form. The PSII subunits were most phosphorylated in the core complex. Based on these observations, we propose a model for PSII remodeling during state transitions, which involves division of the megacomplex into supercomplexes, triggered by phosphorylation of LHCII type I, followed by LHCII undocking from the supercomplex, triggered by phosphorylation of minor LHCIIs and PSII core subunits.
VLSI Implementation of 4-bit 50Gbps High Speed Pipelined ADC Architecture for I-UWB Receiver

In this work, a 4-bit pipelined ADC that provides the high speed conversion needed in UWB applications with sampling frequency of the order 50 Gbps is proposed. The pipelined ADC designed uses a high speed 1-bit comparator, wide band amplifier, sampling circuit and a high speed buffer. The individual blocks are designed using 130nm CMOS low power library cells. The individual blocks are designed to operate at a frequency greater than 50 Gbps sampling rate. In order to operate increase the operating frequency of the pipelined ADC, Specific new design techniques/algorithms such as power-efficient, capacitor ratio-independent conversion scheme, a pipeline stage-scaling algorithm, a nested CMOS gain-boosting technique, an amplifier and comparator sharing technique, and the use of minimum channel-length, thin oxide transistors with clock bootstrapping and in-line switch techniques are adopted.
Involvement of protein kinase ζ in the maintenance of hippocampal long-term potentiation in rats with chronic visceral hypersensitivity

The hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) was implicated in the formation of visceral hypersensitivity in rats with irritable bowel syndrome in our previous study. Recent studies have shown that protein kinase M ζ (PKMζ) may be responsible for the maintenance of LTP in memory formation. However, it remains unclear whether PKMζ is involved in the visceral hypersensitivity. In this study, a rat model of visceral hypersensitivity was generated by neonatal maternal separation (NMS). The visceral hypersensitivity was assessed by recording responses of the external oblique abdominal muscle to colorectal distension. Our results demonstrated that hippocampal LTP and visceral hypersensitivity were enhanced significantly in rats of NMS. ζ-Pseudosubstrate inhibitory peptide (ZIP) could dose dependently inhibit the maintenance of Cornu Ammonis area 1 LTP in rats of NMS. Furthermore, Western blot data showed that the expression of hippocampal phosphorylated PKMζ (p-PKMζ) significantly increased in rats of NMS. In addition, bilateral intrahippocampal injections of ZIP attenuated the visceral hypersensitivity dose dependently in rats of NMS. The maximal inhibition was observed at 30 min, and significant inhibition lasted for 1.5–2 h after ZIP application. Besides, data from the open-field test and Morris water maze showed that ZIP did not influence the movement and spatial procedural memory in rats of NMS. In conclusion, p-PKMζ might be a critical protein in the maintenance of hippocampal LTP, which could result in visceral hypersensitivity.
Reconstruction of Exposure to m-Xylene from Human Biomonitoring Data Using PBPK Modelling, Bayesian Inference, and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulation

There are numerous biomonitoring programs, both recent and ongoing, to evaluate environmental exposure of humans to chemicals. Due to the lack of exposure and kinetic data, the correlation of biomarker levels with exposure concentrations leads to difficulty in utilizing biomonitoring data for biological guidance values. Exposure reconstruction or reverse dosimetry is the retrospective interpretation of external exposure consistent with biomonitoring data. We investigated the integration of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling, global sensitivity analysis, Bayesian inference, and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation to obtain a population estimate of inhalation exposure to m-xylene. We used exhaled breath and venous blood m-xylene and urinary 3-methylhippuric acid measurements from a controlled human volunteer study in order to evaluate the ability of our computational framework to predict known inhalation exposures. We also investigated the importance of model structure and dimensionality with respect to its ability to reconstruct exposure.
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials Open Access Ventilator Associated Pneumonia and Infection Control

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. The incidence of VAP varies from 7% to 70% in different studies and the mortality rates are 20–75% according to the study population. Aspiration of colonized pathogenic microorganisms on the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract is the main route for the development of VAP. On the other hand, the major risk factor for VAP is intubation and the duration of mechanical ventilation. Diagnosis remains difficult, and studies showed the importance of early initiation of appropriate antibiotic for prognosis. VAP causes extra length of stay in hospital and intensive care units and increases hospital cost. Consequently, infection control policies are more rational and will save money.
Health-related quality of life in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: effects of a nurse-led case management programme.

AIM This paper is a report of an examination of the effectiveness of a nurse-led case management programme in improving the quality of life of peritoneal dialysis patients in Hong Kong. BACKGROUND Patients with end-stage renal failure need integrated health care to maintain a desirable quality of life. Studies suggest that transitional care using a nurse case management model has a positive effect for patients suffering from chronic diseases, but the results have not been conclusive. METHOD Eighty-five patients participated in the study in 2005, 43 in the study group and 42 in the control group. Patients in the control group received routine hospital discharge services. Study group patients received a comprehensive education programme prior to discharge and standardized, 6-week nurse-initiated telephone follow-up. Kidney disease quality of life was measured for each patient at three time intervals: before the intervention, at completion of the 6-week intervention and 6 weeks after completion of the programme. RESULTS Repeated measures analysis of variance, general linear model was carried out. Statistically significant within-group effects were found for symptoms/problems, effects of kidney disease, sleep, role-physical, pain, emotional wellbeing and social function. Statistically significant interaction effects were demonstrated for staff encouragement, patient satisfaction, sleep and social function. CONCLUSION The nurse-led case management programme can be applied effectively to patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. The new model of care is particularly useful for enhancing patients' wellbeing in the transition from hospital to home.
Challenging Cases for Experienced Therapists

The authors, both experienced gender therapists, engage in an interactive discussion of two cases that involve ethical dilemmas and complex psychological presentations. Three themes are discussed: (1) writing letters of recommendation for hormonal or surgical treatment when the clinical presentation involves complicating factors, (2) providing support for transgender persons who are not expressing their authentic gender and choose to remain closeted, and (3) the flexible use of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's (WPATH's) Standards of Care. The authors each present a case and then discuss various strategies that are affirming of transgender identities.
Activities of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Effectors Secreted by the Type III Secretion System In Vitro and during Infection

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes a number of distinct pathways to secrete proteins that play various roles during infection. These include the type II secretion system, which is responsible for the secretion of the majority of exoproducts into the surrounding environment, including toxins and degradative enzymes. In contrast, the type III secretion system mediates the delivery of protein effectors directly into the cytoplasm of the host cell. Using tissue culture assays and a mouse acute-pneumonia model, we have determined the contribution of each of the type III effectors during infection. In strain PAK, ExoS is the major cytotoxin required for colonization and dissemination during infection. ExoT confers protection of tissue culture cells from type III-dependent lysis, while ExoY seemed to have little effect on cytotoxicity. ExoU is over 100-fold more cytotoxic than ExoS. The cytotoxicity of type II secretion was determined following deletion of the genes for the more toxic type III secretion system. The participation of these secretion systems during lifelong colonization of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is unclear. By comparing clonal strains from the same patient isolated at the initial onset of P. aeruginosa infection and more than a decade later, after chronic colonization has been established, we show that initial strains are more cytotoxic than chronic strains that have evolved to reduce type III secretion. Constitutive expression of genes for the type III secretion system restored ExoS secretion but did not always reestablish cytotoxicity, suggesting that CF strains accumulate a number of mutations to reduce bacterial toxicity to the host.
Critical success factors in online education

The Internet is a major technological advancement reshaping not only our society but also that of universities worldwide. In light of this, universities have to capitalise on the Internet for teaching, and one progressive development of this is the use of online delivery methods. This paper draws upon the results of a survey conducted amongst students enrolled in one online management course at an Australian university. Three critical success factors in online delivery are identified: technology, the instructor and the previous use of the technology from a student’s perspective. We also argue that the lecturer will continue to play a central role in online education, albeit his or her role will become one of a learning catalyst and knowledge navigator.
Ongoing Reciprocal Teacher-Student Interactions Involving Disruptive Behaviors in General Education Classrooms

This article presents the results of a 3-year study designed to detail the ongoing reciprocal sequence of interactions between teachers and students around disruptive behaviors in general education classrooms. The ongoing reciprocal interactions of teachers and 99 target students (i.e., those who exhibited high rates and/or severe forms of disruptive behavior) and 278 criterion students (i.e., those who did not exhibit disruptive behaviors or other behavioral adjustment problems) regarding disruptive behaviors were observed in general education classrooms.The results revealed that there were no differences in the relative occurrences of disruptive behaviors of target and criterion students across a wide range of ecological contexts. In addition, the disruptive behaviors of target students appeared to be somewhat unstoppable relative to criterion students, and the ongoing reciprocal interaction behaviors of both teachers and students remained constant over time.Teachers, however, were more likely to respond negatively to the disruptive behaviors of target students than to those of criterion students. The results and their implications are discussed.
Etiology of carbon dioxide retention at rest and during exercise in chronic airflow obstruction.

The purpose of this project was to better define factors that influence the resting PaCO2 and the change in the PaCO2 from rest to exercise in patients with moderate to severe chronic airflow obstruction. Pulmonary function testing, symptom-limited exercise tests using arterial catheter lines, and resting ventilatory and mouth occlusion pressure responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia were obtained in 19 patients (mean FEV1 = 1.07 +/- .50 L). The resting PaCO2 was closely related to the resting hypercapnic response. The highest correlation coefficient was between the PaCO2 and the ventilation at PCO2 = 60 obtained from the resting hypercapnic response (r = -0.74, p less than 0.001). A higher PaCO2 also tended to occur in patients with a lower FEV1 and a lower PaO2. The resting PaCO2 was not correlated significantly with the VT or the VD/VT. The change in the PaCO2 from rest to exercise was not significantly related to any measure of resting hypercapnic or hypoxic response, but rather was most dependent on the ventilatory response to exercise (delta VE/delta VCO2). Patients with a lower FEV1 or smaller decreases in the PaO2 with exercise tended to have larger increases in PaCO2 with exercise. The delta VE/delta VCO2 was higher in those with a high FEV1, a low resting PaCO2, and a low resting SaO2.
Student Interests, Student Power, and the Swedish Experience

seen as apathy, a perennial problem (really a kind of moral failing) to be fought by exhortation and the proliferation of forums and senates that somehow will make people better, more politically involved. But there is no evidence, certainly not the tiny numbers who attend the public meetings on campus governance or curriculum reform, which carries weight against the evangelical spirit. If a campus crisis involves 1,000 students or so in a mill-in, that is taken as evidence of widespread discontent ; if a meeting on the Commission Report is attended by 100 students out of the nearly 30,000, it is evidence that its recommendations for increasing participation are needed. The Commission’s conception of the university as an &dquo;intellectual fellowship&dquo; of students and teachers continuously involved in both learning and self-governance (and to a high degree of learning through self-governance) has the attractive appeal of all arcadian Utopias which hark back to largely imaginary pre-industrial forms of life and work. The notion that men were freer, more creative, and happier before the Industrial Revolution and the rise of large organizations is a recurrent theme in modern social thought, though it is more commonly linked to reactionary rather than radical political doctrines and movements. At Berkeley the development of the multiversity at an accelerating pace since World War II has engendered very real problems, both in the relation of the university to the larger society and in its internal processes. But it is the essence of the multiversity rather than its problems that offends its radical critics its enormous multiplicity of functions and relationships, without a common overriding conception of its own character and purpose; its government by committees and administrators that coordinate rather than
Multimedia Traffic Management Principles for Guaranteed ATM Network Performance

A framework is presented for the specification of performance requirements, and several high-level design principles for performance-driven ATM traffic controls based on resource reservation are developed. Simulation results illustrate that to guarantee performance levels, bursty traffic should be statistically multiplexed only if connection peak rates are low relative to the network link speed or burst durations are short. A pragmatic traffic management approach that favors simplicity and robustness in the traffic control design rather than optimizing bandwidth efficiency is stressed. >