Refactoring is not only useful for source code of implementations, but as well for test specifications. The open source TRex tool automates the application of refactorings and the detection of refactoring opportunities for test suites that are specified using the standardised Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN-3). Depending on the refactoring, the behaviour preserving transformations may i...

Problems of inadequate nutrition and energy intake are common in the aging population. Smell and taste deficits associated with Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) may accentuate the decline in nutritional status of elderly individuals and indirectly enhance progression of cognitive problems in LOAD. The objective of this study was to explore and characterize smell and taste recognition abili...

INTRODUCTION This study determined whether coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery has any effect on olfactory function, employing the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT). MATERIAL AND METHODS All the participants were informed preoperatively about the B-SIT test and the mode of its application. The test was performed by each patient preoperatively (d0) as well as 1 (d1) and 3 (d3)...

Background: Isotretinoin is a synthetic analog of vitamin A. Recent studies support a role for retinoic acid in the recovery of olfactory function following injury in mice. Objective: This study aimed at determining the effect of isotretinoin on olfactory function in patients who have acne and are otherwise healthy. Methods: Forty-five patients (aged 25-40 years) with acne were included in ...

Our sense of smell relies on sensitive, selective atomic-scale processes that occur when a scent molecule meets specific receptors in the nose. The physical mechanisms of detection are unclear: odorant shape and size are important, but experiment shows them insufficient. One novel proposal suggests receptors are actuated by inelastic electron tunneling from a donor to an acceptor mediated by th...

Many victims of The Great East Japan Earthquake lost many precious mementos. Such loses can result in more time being required to recover emotionally and mentally. This paper proposes an effective reminder management system using smell. The system focuses on fond memory recollection. Preliminary experiments using a device that produces smell showed that it was effective to help recall fond memo...

The LCOT is a self-administered test designed to assess olfactory deficits. Altogether, 525 subjects contributed to the validation. Elderly participants were well represented in this sample. In a validation study (study 1), 407 healthy and 17 anosmic volunteers between 15 and 91 years of age underwent threshold, supraliminal detection, and identification testing. Cutoff values for normosmia and...

Taste and smell alterations have been recognized as common symptoms in relation to various cancers. However, previous research suggests that patients do not receive sufficient support in managing taste and smell alterations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate how persons with experience from lung cancer-related taste and smell alterations reason about resources and strateg...