Search results for "DMA"

Blind source separation based interference suppression schemes for OFDM and DS-CDMA

2015

In statistical wireless signal processing, extraction of unobserved signals from observed mixtures can be achieved using Blind Source Separation (BSS) algorithms. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Direct Sequence-Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) can be pronounced as the well established predominant air interface communication techniques. Consequences of an effort taken and counteractive solutions to diminish the undesirable influences encountered within the wireless air interface of those techniques with aid of BSS schemes are disclosed. Filter coefficients for the receiver are ascertained with the support of a set of energy functions and the iterative fixed point…

Analyzing and organizing the sonic space of vocal imitations

2015

The sonic space that can be spanned with the voice is vast and complex and, therefore, it is difficult to organize and explore. In order to devise tools that facilitate sound design by vocal sketching we attempt at organizing a database of short excerpts of vocal imitations. By clustering the sound samples on a space whose dimensionality has been reduced to the two principal components, it is experimentally checked how meaningful the resulting clusters are for humans. Eventually, a representative of each cluster, chosen to be close to its centroid, may serve as a landmark in the exploration of the sound space, and vocal imitations may serve as proxies for synthetic sounds.

Automated multi-dimensional liquid chromatography

2004

A comprehensive on-line sample clean-up with an integrated two-dimensional HPLC system was developed for the analysis of natural peptides. Samples comprised of endogenous peptides with molecular weights up to 20 kDa were generated from human hemofiltrate (HF) obtained from patients with chronic renal failure. The (poly-)peptides were separated using novel silica-based restricted access materials with strong cation-exchange functionalities (SCX-RAM). The size-selective sample fractionation step is followed by cation-exchange chromatography as the first dimension. The subsequent second dimension of separation is based on hydrophobic interaction using four parallel short reversed-phase (RP) co…

Halloysite nanotubes as sustainable nanofiller for paper consolidation and protection

2014

We investigated the filling process of cellulose-based paper with natural clay nanotubes and their mixtures with hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) that is commonly used as glue and consolidant for degraded paper. A comprehensive characterization of the materials was carried out through morphology, wettability, thermal degradation, and tensile properties. The treatment with halloysite nanotubes generated a decrease of the paper mechanical performance and did not alter the thermal properties. The co-presence of HPC and nanoparticles generated a more uniform nanotubes distribution in the paper fibrous structure and a significant enhancement of both the mechanical properties and the surface hydroph…

The cytotoxic effect exerted by parthenolide and DMAPT on breast cancer stem-like cells

2015

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are aggressive forms of breast carcinoma associated with a high rate of recidivism. It is known that a small proportion of tumour cells, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs), is responsible for tumour formation, progression and recurrence. The sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PN) was identified as the first small molecule capable of killing CSCs.1 Previously we have shown2 that PN and its soluble analogue DMAPT induce a strong cytotoxic effect in MDA-MB231 cells, the most studied line of TNBCs. In the present research we investigated about the effects exerted by both PN and DMAPT on breast cancer stem-like cells derived from three lines of TNBCs (MDA-MB2…

Conoscenza e percezione: epistemologie cognitiviste e naturalizzazione del relativismo

2010

Involvement of 5-hydroxytryptamine 5-HT3 serotonergic receptors in the acquisition and reinstatement of the conditioned place preference induced by M…

2013

Some MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users develop dependence as a result of chronic consumption. The present study evaluated the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine 5-HT₃ receptors in the acquisition, expression and reinstatement of the conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by MDMA. Adolescent male mice were conditioned with 10 mg/kg of MDMA and then treated with 1 or 3mg/kg of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 5-HT₃ antagonist MDL72222 during acquisition of conditioning (experiment 1), before expression of CPP in a post-conditioning test (experiment 2) or before a reinstatement test (experiment 3). MDL72222 was devoid of motivational effects but blocked acquisition of the MDMA-induced CPP. Mo…

Adolescent pre-exposure to ethanol and 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) increases conditioned rewarding effects of MDMA and drug-induced re…

2011

Many adolescents often take ethanol (EtOH) in combination with 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA). In the present work, we used a mouse model to study the effect of repeated pre-exposure during adolescence to EtOH (2 g/kg), MDMA (10 or 20 mg/kg) or EtOH + MDMA on the rewarding and reinstating effects of MDMA in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Pre-exposure to EtOH, MDMA or both increased the rewarding effects of a low dose of MDMA (1.25 mg/kg). These pre-treatments did not affect the acquisition of the CPP induced by 5 mg/kg of MDMA. However, the CPP was more persistent in mice pre-exposed to both doses of MDMA or to EtOH + MDMA20. After extinction of the CPP induced…

Neurotoxicity and persistent cognitive deficits induced by combined MDMA and alcohol exposure in adolescent rats

2010

Recent trend assessments of drug consumption reveal an increase in the simultaneous use of several drugs at raves, clubs and college settings among youngsters and young adults. We studied in adolescent rats the effects of repeated exposure to cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethanphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), given alone or in combination with alcohol, on memory performance, adult hippocampal neurogenesis and neurotoxicity. Rats were trained two weeks after the drug treatments in the radial arm maze. The results showed that only rats exposed to combinations of alcohol and MDMA exhibited significant memory deficits. Alcohol, MDMA and combinations thereof significantly decreased 5-bromodeoxyuridin…

Quantum corrections to inflation: the importance of RG-running and choosing the optimal RG-scale

2017

We demonstrate the importance of correctly implementing RG running and choosing the RG scale when calculating quantum corrections to inflaton dynamics. We show that such corrections are negligible for single-field inflation, in the sense of not altering the viable region in the ${n}_{s}\ensuremath{-}r$ plane, when imposing Planck constraints on ${A}_{s}$. Surprisingly, this also applies, in a nontrivial way, for an inflaton coupled to additional spectator degrees of freedom. The result relies on choosing the renormalization scale (pseudo-)optimally, thereby avoiding unphysical large logarithmic corrections to the Friedmann equations and large running of the couplings. We find that the viabl…