Pleasantness of Binary Odor Mixtures: Rules and Prediction

Pleasantness is a major dimension of odor percepts. While naturally encountered odors rely on mixtures of odorants, few studies have investigated the rules underlying the perceived pleasantness of odor mixtures. To address this issue, a set of 222 binary mixtures based on a set of 72 odorants were rated by a panel of 30 participants for odor intensity and pleasantness. In most cases, the pleasantness of the binary mixtures was driven by the pleasantness and intensity of its components. Nevertheless, a significant pleasantness partial addition was observed in 6 binary mixtures consisting of 2 components with similar pleasantness ratings. A mathematical model, involving the pleasantness of the components as well as τ-values reflecting components’ odor intensity, was applied to predict mixture pleasantness. Using this model, the pleasantness of mixtures including 2 components with contrasted intensity and pleasantness could be efficiently predicted at the panel level (R2 > 0.80, Root Mean Squared Error < 0.67).

In vivo histotripsy brain treatment

OBJECTIVEHistotripsy is an ultrasound-based treatment modality relying on the generation of targeted cavitation bubble clouds, which mechanically fractionate tissue. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the in vivo feasibility, including dosage requirements and safety, of generating well-confined destructive lesions within the porcine brain utilizing histotripsy technology.METHODSFollowing a craniectomy to open an acoustic window to the brain, histotripsy pulses were delivered to generate lesions in the porcine cortex. Large lesions with a major dimension of up to 1 cm were generated to demonstrate the efficacy of histotripsy lesioning in the brain. Gyrus-confined lesions were generated at different applied dosages and under ultrasound imaging guidance to ensure that they were accurately targeted and contained within individual gyri. Clinical evaluation as well as MRI and histological outcomes were assessed in the acute (≤ 6 hours) and subacute (≤ 72 hours) phases of recovery.RESULTSHistotripsy was able to generate lesions with a major dimension of up to 1 cm in the cortex. Histotripsy lesions were seen to be well demarcated with sharp boundaries between treated and untreated tissues, with histological evidence of injuries extending ≤ 200 µm from their boundaries in all cases. In animals with lesions confined to the gyrus, no major hemorrhage or other complications resulting from treatment were observed. At 72 hours, MRI revealed minimal to no edema and no radiographic evidence of inflammatory changes in the perilesional area. Histological evaluation revealed the histotripsy lesions to be similar to subacute infarcts.CONCLUSIONSHistotripsy can be used to generate sharply defined lesions of arbitrary shapes and sizes in the swine cortex. Lesions confined to within the gyri did not lead to significant hemorrhage or edema responses at the treatment site in the acute or subacute time intervals.

KAJIAN KOMPARASI UKURAN UTAMA KAPAL PENUMPANG CATAMARAN ANTARA BAHAN FRP DAN ALUMINIUM

ABSTRACTIn general, design of Cata111ara11 passe11ger boats have been mostly made of FRP or aluminum materials. Tl1e sclectio11 of FRP or Aluminum material has an influence on the value of the lioats main di111msio11s, especially relating to the draft, speed, power, passenger capacity and displacement. HaPi11g m1alyzcd tile 111ain dimensions of both FRP and aluminum boats for the same passenger capaci~/ by using parametric ratio and regression analysis, It has been found that the majorihJ of boat main dimension values of FRP Catamaran is larger, among others,are 49 % for the lengtll (L), 0.34% for the breadth (B), 47% for the high (D), 62% for the speed (V), and 74% for tile engine power (HP). However, the other dimensions of FRP Catamaran namely the draft (T) and the displacement are 0.86% and 34%smaller respectively. For thesame value of length for both types of boats, the result of statistical analysis stated that most of tile major dimension of Aluminiun1 Catamaran boats appears to be larger, among others, are about 48% for tile breadth B), 1 % for the high (D), 50% for the draft (f), 130% for th Displacement (weight of the ship), 20% for HP (engine power) and 48% for passenger capacity. Hmvever, speed (V) and engine power (HP) of FRP Catamaran boats are 33% and 20% higher respectively.Key Words:. Comparison, main dimensions, passenger Catamaran, FRP, Aluminum

Individual Differences in Selfishness as a Major Dimension of Personality: A Reinterpretation of the Sixth Personality Factor

Research on the structure of personality has identified a sixth major trait that emerges in addition to the Big Five. This factor has been characterized in a number of ways—as integrity, morality, trustworthiness, honesty, values, and, most commonly, honesty-humility. Although each of these labels captures some of the attributes associated with the trait, none of them fully represents the range of associated characteristics. In this article, we provide a reinterpretation of the sixth factor as reflecting individual differences in selfishness and review research that supports this interpretation. Interpreting the sixth trait as dispositional selfishness parsimoniously represents the array of variables that are associated with the sixth factor and reflects the behaviors of people who score low versus high on the trait. This reinterpretation provides greater coherence to six-factor models of personality and suggests new directions for research on the sixth factor and on dispositional selfishness more generally.

Is Integration of Ethics in Islam with Social Sciences Viable? Explor-ing the Meaning and Nature of al-Akhlaq from the Qur’anic and Muslim Ethicists’ Perspectives (Adakah Integrasi Ilmu Etika dalam Islam dengan Sains Kemasyarakatan Berdaya Maju? Eksplora)

Akhlaq is not only a major dimension of Islam, but also the root of humanity in Islam. However, its relevance to the modern disciplines is yet to be extensively explored. This paper aims at looking into the relevance of akhlaq to the modern life, mainly through the Social Science disciplines. This paper analyzes the meaning of akhlaq with special connotation and expectation from the Qur’anic perspective, and its interpretation from Muslim ethicists. This paper seeks to answer the central problem related to typical perception on religious ethics that hinders its harmonious integration into the realm of human experience. The paper touches the issues on the real nature of Akhlaq and the place of human freedom and objectivity in Akhlaq. The role of Akhlaq in dealing with individual versus societal end is also explored. It is found that Akhlaq acts beyond the typical normative ethics and consistent in its standpoint of human agency with its concepts of motivation and sanction as addressed by the Qur’an. Instead of being abstract and dry, the generic nature of values in Akhlaq is adjustable to different experience, and harmonious to the life needs both at individual as well as societal level of man. Hence, akhlaq opens its door widely to work together with Social Science disciplines which can further enhance a better understanding of humanities in facing the social changes. Keywords: Akhlaq, Social Sciences, Qur’anic Ethics, Normative, Motivation, Sanction. Abstrak Akhlaq bukan sahaja merupakan satu dimensi Islam yang utama, tetapi juga merupaka akar umbi kepada kemanusiaan dalam Islam. Walau bagaimanapun, hubungannya dengan disiplin-disiplin moden masih belum diteroka dengan mendalam. Makalah ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji tentang hubungkait akhlaq dengan kehidupan moden terutamanya melalui disiplin Sains Kemasyarakatan. Ia menganalisa maksud akhlaq melalui konotasi khusus istilah dalam Bahasa Arab dan apa yang dibayangkan oleh al-Qur’an, berserta pentafsiran daripada ahli ilmu etika. Makalah ini ingin memberikan jawapan kepada permasalahan pokok tentang persepsi tipikal terhadap akhlak agama yang menghalang daripada mempunyai hubungan yang harmoni dengan ruang lingkup pengalaman manusia. Perbincangan menyentuh isu berkenaan sifat sebenar Akhlaq dan kedudukan kebebasan manusia dan ciri-ciri objektiviti Akhlaq. Peranan Akhlaq untuk memenuhi keperluan individu atau masyarakat juga dibincangkan. Dapatan kajian ialah Akhlaq bertindak melampaui persepsi tipikal etika normatif serta ia bergerak seiring dengan peranan manusia yang bertanggung jawab yang lengkap dengan konsep motivasi dan sanksi seperti yang dibawakan oleh al-Qur’an. Nilai-nilai Akhlaq adalah bersifat umum, dan bukannya tidak difahami (abstrak) dan statik, menjadikan ianya boleh dilentur mengikut pengalaman manusia yang berbeza dan harmoni dengan keperluan kehidupan manusia sama ada di peringkat individu mahupun masyarakat. Maka, Akhlaq membuka pintu yang luas kepada kerjasama dengan disiplin Sains Kemasyarakatan yang boleh membantu ke arah pembentukan pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang kemanusiaan ketika menghadapi segala perubahan dalam masyarakat. Kata Kunci: Akhlaq, Sains Kemasyarakatan, Etika al-Qur’an, Normatif, Motivasi, Sanksi

PENGARUH KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONAL DALAM MENURUNKAN PROBLEM TEKANAN EMOSI BERBASIS GENDER

<p class="IIABSTRAK333"><span lang="IN">This research seeks to investigate the contribution interpersonal communication to reduce emotion problem pressure college student in IAIN special programme. Five major dimension of interpersonal com­munication are openness, emphaty, supportiveness, positiveness and equality, were derived from a humanistic perception. Emotion problem pressure was defined in term pleasant and unpleasant emotion, besides from four conditional are stimulate, feelness, internal responshipness and behavior types. Sixty six subjects were involved in study, subject were devided into three programmes, 17 subject PKPA, 24 subject FUPK-TH and 25 subject FUPK-TP. To find the contribution between interpersonal communication and emotion problem pressure it used simple regression method, and different effect variables using t-test method. The result of this study shows that interpersonal communication has a real effect to reduce emotion problem pressure (Fh = 7,966 &gt; Ft = 6,302, p = 0,05; R² = 0,910), the contribution variation of interpersonal communication is high (91,0%) and 0,9 explained by other variation models in independent variable. The contribution effect, male is higher than female (t_m = 16,065 &gt; t_f = 11,660). In conclusion, interpersonal communication has the contri­bution effect to reduce emotion problem pressure of callege student in IAIN special programme.</span></p>

The Affordance of Absence

We originally studied affordances to design products that encourage resource-efficient behavior in users. This paper was motivated by the observation that a lack of resources affected the ability of impoverished slum residents to perceive affordances. Data gathered from a trip to Bangladesh support recent postulations that affordance perception depends on user intention and socio-cultural norms, which are also influenced by fixation and training. We thus became interested in how absence, whether of material, components, or entire products, affected the utility of objects. We describe three dimensions of absence, one major and two minor. The major dimension is used to express the range of physical absence, i.e., of material in a part, of a part in a product, and of the entire product. Minor dimensions include the extent of user control and the permanence of absence, each of which can be used to increase utility in objects. We provide existing examples along these dimensions and describe concepts along the major, physical dimension of absence. We propose that the affordance of absence can be used as an approach to identify novel affordances, and conclude by placing it in the context of existing affordance-based design methods.

Foetal testosterone and the child systemizing quotient

This study examines foetal testosterone (fT) levels (measured in amniotic fluid) as a candidate biological factor, influencing sex differences in systemizing. Systemizing is a cognitive process, defined as the drive to analyze or construct systems. A recent model of psychological sex differences suggests that this is a major dimension in which the sexes differ, with males being more drawn to systemize than females. Participants included 204 children (93 female), age 6–9 years, taking part in a long-term study on the effects of fT. The systemizing quotient – children’s version was administered to these mothers to answer on behalf of their child. Males (mean = 27.79 ± 7.64) scored significantly higher than females (mean = 22.59 ± 7.53), confirming that boys systemize to a greater extent than girls. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that fT was the only significant predictor of systemizing preference when the sexes were examined together. Sex was not included in the final regression model, suggesting that fT levels play a greater role than the child’s sex in terms of differences in systemizing preference. This study suggests that the levels of fT are a biological factor influencing cognitive sex differences and lends support to the empathizing–systemizing theory of sex differences.