scholarly journals Human Olfaction

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory System ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Sense Of Smell ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
The Many ◽  
Key Resources ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Historical Issues ◽  
Perceptual Systems ◽  
Human Olfaction

Olfaction, or sense of smell, is one of the many sensory/perceptual systems that humans use to process external stimuli. Human olfaction is relatively understudied. More literature has focused on olfaction in animals for which olfaction plays a larger role in critical functioning and survival. This bibliography provides key resources for information about human olfaction and then outlines twelve general topics that are of considerable value to understanding this primary sensory system. It begins by providing some general resources that outline the functions of olfaction in humans. Next, it explores the anatomy and physiology of the human olfactory system, recognizing that our understanding has been largely guided by studying animals. It addresses several important theories of human olfaction, including ones that have attempted to understand the initial receptor-level processing of stimuli and ones that have been developed to explain the whole system. After considering some historical issues in studying olfaction, it outlines the various ways that human olfaction is studied. It considers some issues in olfaction that are related to cognitive processes, such as language and memory. A critical topic in the chemical senses of smell and taste that is somewhat less relevant in other sensory systems is that of hedonics (pleasure or liking). This bibliography explores sex differences, which, though small, seem to be more prevalent than in other sensory systems. In addition, this bibliography explores the effect of age on olfaction, both in terms of the development of olfaction in children and the decline of olfaction in aging. The entry ends with clinical implications, primarily of smell loss. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought newfound appreciation for the importance of sense of smell in human experience, a summary of the effect of Covid-19 on human sense of smell is included. In this bibliography pioneering studies are emphasized, although reviews are included in cases where the literature is too extensive to be summed up by single studies.

scholarly journals Neurophysiology goes wild: from exploring sensory coding in sound proof rooms to natural environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 207 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-319
Author(s):  
Heiner Römer
Keyword(s):  
Sensory System ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Sensory Coding ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Sensory Physiology ◽  
Sound Localisation ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
History Of ◽  
Adaptive Behaviours

AbstractTo perform adaptive behaviours, animals have to establish a representation of the physical “outside” world. How these representations are created by sensory systems is a central issue in sensory physiology. This review addresses the history of experimental approaches toward ideas about sensory coding, using the relatively simple auditory system of acoustic insects. I will discuss the empirical evidence in support of Barlow’s “efficient coding hypothesis”, which argues that the coding properties of neurons undergo specific adaptations that allow insects to detect biologically important acoustic stimuli. This hypothesis opposes the view that the sensory systems of receivers are biased as a result of their phylogeny, which finally determine whether a sound stimulus elicits a behavioural response. Acoustic signals are often transmitted over considerable distances in complex physical environments with high noise levels, resulting in degradation of the temporal pattern of stimuli, unpredictable attenuation, reduced signal-to-noise levels, and degradation of cues used for sound localisation. Thus, a more naturalistic view of sensory coding must be taken, since the signals as broadcast by signallers are rarely equivalent to the effective stimuli encoded by the sensory system of receivers. The consequences of the environmental conditions for sensory coding are discussed.

Rehabilitation of Post Stroke Sensory Dysfunction—A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 251660852098429
Author(s):  
Dorcas B. C. Gandhi ◽  
Ivy Anne Sebastian ◽  
Komal Bhanot
Keyword(s):  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Sensory Dysfunction ◽  
Electronic Database Search ◽  
External Stimuli

Sensory dysfunction is one of the common impairments that occurs post stroke. With sensory changes in all modalities, it also affects the quality of life and incites suicidal thoughts. The article attempts to review and describe the current evidence of various approaches of assessment and rehabilitation for post-stroke sensory dysfunction. After extensive electronic database search across Medline, Embase, EBSCO, and Cochrane library, it generated 2433 results. After screening according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 11 studies. We categorized data based on type of sensory deficits and prevalence, role of sensory system on motor behavior, type of intervention, sensory modality targeted, and dosage of intervention and outcome measures used for rehabilitation. Results found the strong evidence of involvement of primary and secondary motor areas involved in processing and responding to somatosensation, respectively. We divided rehabilitation approaches into sensory stimulation approach and sensory retraining approach focused on using external stimuli and relearning, respectively. However, with varied aims and targeted sensory involvement, the study applicability is affected. Thus, this emerges the need of extensive research in future for evidence-based practice of assessments and rehabilitation on post-stroke sensory rehabilitation.

9. Piecing Together Monumental Sites of History

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Jennings
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
British History ◽  
Rare Book ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Historical Sites ◽  
The Many ◽  
19Th And 20Th Century ◽  
Key Resources

 Uncovering some of the United Kingdoms most fascinating historical sites, this interactive digital website puts on display one of the newest collections in Queen’s W.D. Jordan Special Collections Library.  Using geospatial location technology and a variety of digital humanities concepts, the project undertook the task of mapping over 700 architectural guidebooks from across the United Kingdom. A key driving factor in the creation of the site was the challenge of making collections more accessible to students; encouraging the use of the wide range of the primary source material. The website conjoins the large guidebook collection with literature found in the Schulich-Woolf rare book collection. Through a thorough investigation of the existing literature in the library, this platform connects the plethora 20th-century guidebooks with the many rare 18th, 19th, and 20th-century antiquity books featured in the Schulich-Woolf collection. Through an accessible platform, students are now able to view the guidebook collection, while being able to access key resources for further research into key pieces of British history and identity.

scholarly journals Towards Using the Instrumented Timed Up-and-Go Test for Screening of Sensory System Performance for Balance Control in Older Adults

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Gerhardy ◽  
Katharina Gordt ◽  
Carl-Philipp Jansen ◽  
Michael Schwenk
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Fall Risk ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Decreasing performance of the sensory systems’ for balance control, including the visual, somatosensory and vestibular system, is associated with increased fall risk in older adults. A smartphone-based version of the Timed Up-and-Go (mTUG) may allow screening sensory balance impairments through mTUG subphases. The association between mTUG subphases and sensory system performance is examined. Methods: Functional mobility of forty-one community-dwelling older adults (>55 years) was measured using a validated mTUG. Duration of mTUG and its subphases ‘sit-to-walk’, ‘walking’, ‘turning’, ‘turn-to-sit’ and ‘sit-down’ were extracted. Sensory systems’ performance was quantified by validated posturography during standing (30 s) under different conditions. Visual, somatosensory and vestibular control ratios (CR) were calculated from posturography and correlated with mTUG subphases. Results: Vestibular CR correlated with mTUG total time (r = 0.54; p < 0.01), subphases ‘walking’ (r = 0.56; p < 0.01), and ‘turning’ (r = 0.43; p = 0.01). Somatosensory CR correlated with mTUG total time (r = 0.52; p = 0.01), subphases ‘walking’ (r = 0.52; p < 0.01) and ‘turning’ (r = 0.44; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Supporting the proposed approach, results indicate an association between specific mTUG subphases and sensory system performance. mTUG subphases ‘walking’ and ‘turning’ may allow screening for sensory system deterioration. This is a first step towards an objective, detailed and expeditious balance control assessment, however needing validation in a larger study.

scholarly journals The role of sucrose and sensory systems in fruit selection and consumption ofAteles geoffroyiin Yucatan, Mexico

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Pablo-Rodríguez ◽  
Laura Teresa Hernández-Salazar ◽  
Filippo Aureli ◽  
Colleen M. Schaffner
Keyword(s):  
Sucrose Concentration ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Spider Monkeys ◽  
Sensory Cues ◽  
Sense Of Smell ◽  
Fruit Samples ◽  
The Senses ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Unripe Fruits

Abstract:Our aim was to evaluate the role of sucrose and the role of smell, taste and touch in the selection and consumption of fruit in wild spider monkeys. We recorded the feeding bouts of 14 adults for 9 mo in the Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh Reserve, Punta Laguna, Yucatan, Mexico. For each of 2346 inspections on fruits of six species the consumption or rejection and the use of touch, smell and taste was recorded. Ten fruit samples (five ripe and five unripe) from each species were collected and the sucrose concentration was determined with a refractometer. As expected, sucrose concentrations were higher in ripe than unripe fruits. The difference in sucrose concentration between ripe and unripe fruits was positively associated with the proportion of inspections on ripe fruits and the proportion of consumed ripe fruits. Furthermore, the senses of touch and taste were used more often when fruits were ripe, whereas the sense of smell was used more often when fruits were unripe. The results suggest that sensory cues and sucrose concentration play important roles in fruit selection in spider monkeys.

The Sympathetic Nervous System and Pain

2018 ◽  
pp. 155-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. Strong ◽  
Jun-Ming Zhang ◽  
Hans-Georg Schaible
Keyword(s):  
Sensory System ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
Systemic Effects ◽  
Preclinical Studies ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Immune Tissues ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous ◽  
The Many ◽  
Chronic Pain Conditions

This article reviews some of the preclinical studies of the sympathetic nervous system’s role in arthritis, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain, in light of the emerging understanding of how the immune system, sensory system, and sympathetic system markedly affect each other’s function, with many mechanisms besides sprouting. Many studies show a pro-inflammatory and pro-nociceptive role for the sympathetic nerves in preclinical models. However, these studies are sometimes conflicting, and the role of the sympathetic nerves can sometimes be anti-inflammatory or anti-nociceptive, particularly at later stages or when systemic effects on immune tissues are considered. The article discusses human correlates of these preclinical studies, as well as some possible reasons for the many conflicting studies in the literature. The article argues that sympathetic-based interventions for chronic pain conditions hold promise despite the conflicting findings in the field, especially if better ways to define appropriate subsets of patients can be developed.

General Principles for Sensory Coding

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana O. Sharpee
Keyword(s):  
Sensory System ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Multiple Delays ◽  
Minimal Amount ◽  
Sensory Coding ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
State Of The Environment ◽  
The Impact

Sensory systems exist to provide an organism with information about the state of the environment that can be used to guide future actions and decisions. Remarkably, two conceptually simple yet general theorems from information theory can be used to evaluate the performance of any sensory system. One theorem states that there is a minimal amount of energy that an organism has to spend in order to capture a given amount of information about the environment. The second theorem states that the maximum rate with which the organism can acquire resources from the environment, relative to its competitors, is limited by the information this organism collects about the environment, also relative to its competitors. These two theorems provide a scaffold for formulating and testing general principles of sensory coding but leave unanswered many important practical questions of implementation in neural circuits. These implementation questions have guided thinking in entire subfields of sensory neuroscience, and include: What features in the sensory environment should be measured? Given that we make decisions on a variety of time scales, how should one solve trade-offs between making simpler measurements to guide minimal decisions vs. more elaborate sensory systems that have to overcome multiple delays between sensation and action. Once we agree on the types of features that are important to represent, how should they be represented? How should resources be allocated between different stages of processing, and where is the impact of noise most damaging? Finally, one should consider trade-offs between implementing a fixed strategy vs. an adaptive scheme that readjusts resources based on current needs. Where adaptation is considered, under what conditions does it become optimal to switch strategies? Research over the past 60 years has provided answers to almost all of these questions but primarily in early sensory systems. Joining these answers into a comprehensive framework is a challenge that will help us understand who we are and how we can make better use of limited natural resources.

scholarly journals An Artificial Vibrissa-Like Sensor for Detection of Flows

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 3892
Author(s):  
Moritz Scharff ◽  
Philipp Schorr ◽  
Tatiana Becker ◽  
Christian Resagk ◽  
Jorge H. Alencastre Miranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Compressible Flow ◽  
Surface Texture ◽  
Large Deflection ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Elastic Beam ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Tactile Sensors ◽  
Complex Receptor ◽  
Simulation And Experiment

In nature, there are several examples of sophisticated sensory systems to sense flows, e.g., the vibrissae of mammals. Seals can detect the flow of their prey, and rats are able to perceive the flow of surrounding air. The vibrissae are arranged around muzzle of an animal. A vibrissa consists of two major components: a shaft (infector) and a follicle–sinus complex (receptor), whereby the base of the shaft is supported by the follicle-sinus complex. The vibrissa shaft collects and transmits stimuli, e.g., flows, while the follicle-sinus complex transduces them for further processing. Beside detecting flows, the animals can also recognize the size of an object or determine the surface texture. Here, the combination of these functionalities in a single sensory system serves as paragon for artificial tactile sensors. The detection of flows becomes important regarding the measurement of flow characteristics, e.g., velocity, as well as the influence of the sensor during the scanning of objects. These aspects are closely related to each other, but, how can the characteristics of flow be represented by the signals at the base of a vibrissa shaft or by an artificial vibrissa-like sensor respectively? In this work, the structure of a natural vibrissa shaft is simplified to a slender, cylindrical/tapered elastic beam. The model is analyzed in simulation and experiment in order to identify the necessary observables to evaluate flows based on the quasi-static large deflection of the sensor shaft inside a steady, non-uniform, laminar, in-compressible flow.

XIV. On the anatomy and physiology of the nematoids, parasitic and free; with observations on their zoological position and affinities to the echinoderms

1865 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 371-374
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
New Species ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
The Many

After commenting upon the many conflicting statements which have been made concerning the anatomy of these animals, and more especially with regard to the presence or absence of a nervous system, and of real organs of circulation, the author alludes to the increased interest which has lately been thrown over this order by the discovery of so many new species of the non-parasitic forms, marine, land, and freshwater.

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