scholarly journals Wearable Sensors for Assessing the Role of Olfactory Training on the Autonomic Response to Olfactory Stimulation

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 770
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tonacci ◽  
Lucia Billeci ◽  
Irene Di Mambro ◽  
Roberto Marangoni ◽  
Chiara Sanmartin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Autonomic Response ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Olfactory Training

Wearable sensors are nowadays largely employed to assess physiological signals derived from the human body without representing a burden in terms of obtrusiveness. One of the most intriguing fields of application for such systems include the assessment of physiological responses to sensory stimuli. In this specific regard, it is not yet known which are the main psychophysiological drivers of olfactory-related pleasantness, as the current literature has demonstrated the relationship between odor familiarity and odor valence, but has not clarified the consequentiality between the two domains. Here, we enrolled a group of university students to whom olfactory training lasting 3 months was administered. Thanks to the analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) signals at the beginning and at the end of the training period, we observed different autonomic responses, with higher parasympathetically-mediated response at the end of the period with respect to the first evaluation. This possibly suggests that an increased familiarity to the proposed stimuli would lead to a higher tendency towards relaxation. Such results could suggest potential applications to other domains, including personalized treatments based on odors and foods in neuropsychiatric and eating disorders.

VREED

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Luma Tabbaa ◽  
Ryan Searle ◽  
Saber Mirzaee Bafti ◽  
Md Moinul Hossain ◽  
Jittrapol Intarasisrisawat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Affective Computing ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg ◽  
Learning Analysis ◽  
Computing Literature ◽  
Healthy Participants

The paper introduces a multimodal affective dataset named VREED (VR Eyes: Emotions Dataset) in which emotions were triggered using immersive 360° Video-Based Virtual Environments (360-VEs) delivered via Virtual Reality (VR) headset. Behavioural (eye tracking) and physiological signals (Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)) were captured, together with self-reported responses, from healthy participants (n=34) experiencing 360-VEs (n=12, 1--3 min each) selected through focus groups and a pilot trial. Statistical analysis confirmed the validity of the selected 360-VEs in eliciting the desired emotions. Preliminary machine learning analysis was carried out, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance reported in affective computing literature using non-immersive modalities. VREED is among the first multimodal VR datasets in emotion recognition using behavioural and physiological signals. VREED is made publicly available on Kaggle1. We hope that this contribution encourages other researchers to utilise VREED further to understand emotional responses in VR and ultimately enhance VR experiences design in applications where emotional elicitation plays a key role, i.e. healthcare, gaming, education, etc.

Using Infrared Thermography and Biosensors to Detect Thermal Discomfort in a Building’s Inhabitants

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Burzo ◽  
Mohamed Abouelenien ◽  
Verónica Pérez-Rosas ◽  
Cakra Wicaksono ◽  
Yong Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Thermal Discomfort ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
The Relationship

This paper lays the grounds for a new methodology for detecting thermal discomfort, which can potentially reduce the building energy usage while improving the comfort of its inhabitants. The paper describes our explorations in automatic human discomfort prediction using physiological signals directly collected from a buildings inhabitants. Using infrared thermography, as well as several other bio-sensors (galvanic skin response, heart rate tracker, respiration rate tracker), we record a building’s inhabitants under various thermal conditions (hot, cold, neutral), and consequently build a multimodal model that can automatically detect thermal discomfort. The paper makes two important contributions. First, we introduce a novel dataset, consisting of sensorial measurements of human behavior under varied comfort/discomfort conditions. The change in physiological signals of the human body are monitored for several subjects, for different comfort levels in an indoor environment. Second, using the dataset obtained in the first step, we build a model that identifies the relationship between human factors, as tracked through infrared thermography and other bio-sensors, and environmental conditions related to discomfort. Third, we measure the correlation between sensorial measurements collected from the user and self-reported levels of discomfort, and hence identify the sensorial measurements that are predictive of human discomfort. The final goal is to automatically predict the level of discomfort of a building inhabitant without any explicit input from the user. This human-centered discomfort prediction model is expected to enable innovative adaptive control scenarios for a built environment conditions in real time, as well as a significant reduction in building energy usage directly related to human occupancy and their desired comfort levels.

The Lower Bounds of Cognition: What Do Spinal Cords Reveal?

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Allen ◽  
James W. Grau ◽  
Mary W. Meagher
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Conditioning ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Interesting Learning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Philosophical Understanding

This article examines the role of the spinal cords in cognition. It reviews animal science research that challenges the view that behavioral responses to sensory stimuli that do not involve brain mediation are fixed, automatic, and non-cognitive in nature. This research has shown the spinal cord to be a flexible and interesting learning system in its own right. This article discusses the consequences of these findings for philosophical understanding of the relationship between learning, cognition, and even consciousness. The article also explains the relevant concepts of instrumental conditioning and antinociception and conditioned antinociception.

Emotion recognition from physiological signals and video games to detect personality traits

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
M. Callejas-Cuervo ◽  
L.A. Martínez-Tejada ◽  
A.C. Alarcón-Aldana
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Physiological Signal ◽  
First Approximation ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg

This paper presents a system that allows for the identification of two values: arousal and valence, which represent the degree of stimulation in a subject, using Russell’s model of affect as a reference. To identify emotions, a step-by-step structure is used, which, based on statistical data from physiological signal metrics, generates the representative arousal value (direct correlation); from the PANAS questionnaire, the system generates the valence value (inverse correlation), as a first approximation to the techniques of emotion recognition without the use of artificial intelligence. The system gathers information concerning arousal activity from a subject using the following metrics: beats per minute (BPM), heart rate variability (HRV), the number of galvanic skin response (GSR) peaks in the skin conductance response (SCR) and forearm contraction time, using three physiological signals (Electrocardiogram - ECG, Galvanic Skin Response - GSR, Electromyography - EMG).

scholarly journals An Innovative, Unobtrusive Approach to Investigate Smartphone Interaction in Nonaddicted Subjects Based on Wearable Sensors: A Pilot Study

Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tonacci ◽  
Lucia Billeci ◽  
Francesco Sansone ◽  
Antonella Masci ◽  
Anna Paola Pala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Smartphone Addiction ◽  
Entertainment Education ◽  
State Recovery ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg ◽  
First Time

Background and objectives: Smartphones are playing a pivotal role in everyday life, due to the opportunity they grant in terms of simplifying communication, entertainment, education and many other daily activities. Against such positive characteristics, smartphone interaction can result, in particular cases, in dangerous smartphone addiction patterns, possibly leading to several long-term detrimental psychophysiological conditions. Therefore, this pilot aims at assessing the feasibility of using an innovative approach, based on unobtrusive wearable sensors, used for the first time in this specific topic, and psychological questionnaires, to investigate the links between stress and emotions in a group of young, nonaddicted individuals performing smartphone interaction. Materials and methods: 17 volunteers were enrolled for the present study. The study protocol was divided into three phases, with an initial resting state (baseline) of three minutes, a smartphone interaction session (task) of the same length, and a final resting state (recovery), lasting three minutes. In the overall procedure, electrocardiogram (ECG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) measurements, both monitored by wearable sensors, were acquired in order to assess the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Results: A significant decrease was seen in pNN50 during the smartphone interaction with respect to the baseline (Z = −2.675, p = 0.007), whereas the Low-to-High Frequency (LF/HF) ratio at task was somewhat correlated with phubbing behaviors (r = 0.655, p = 0.029), assessed through dedicated questionnaires. Conclusions: Taken together with the slight changes in GSR data, such results suggest the feasibility of this approach to characterize the ANS activation during smartphone interaction among young individuals. Further studies should enlarge the study population and involve smartphone-addicted subjects in order to increase the scientific and clinical relevance of such findings.

scholarly journals The role of pyroptosis in cancer: pro-cancer or pro-“host”?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Xia ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Zhe Cheng ◽  
Wanhai Qin ◽  
Liancheng Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Drugs ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Promote Tumor Growth ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Programmed cell death (PCD) refers to the way in which cells die depending on specific genes encoding signals or activities. Apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis are all mechanisms of PCD. Among these mechanisms, pyroptosis is mediated by the gasdermin family, accompanied by inflammatory and immune responses. The relationship between pyroptosis and cancer is complex, and the effects of pyroptosis on cancer vary in different tissues and genetic backgrounds. On one hand, pyroptosis can inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors; on the other hand, as a type of proinflammatory death, pyroptosis can form a suitable microenvironment for tumor cell growth and thus promote tumor growth. In addition, the induction of tumor pyroptosis is also considered a potential cancer treatment strategy. Studies have shown that DFNA5 (nonsyndromic hearing impairment protein 5)/GSDME (Gasdermin-E) mRNA methylation results in lower expression levels of DFNA5/GSDME in most tumor cells than in normal cells, making it difficult to activate the pyroptosis in most tumor cells. During the treatment of malignant tumors, appropriate chemotherapeutic drugs can be selected according to the expression levels of DFNA5/GSDME, which can be upregulated in tumor cells, thereby increasing the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs and reducing drug resistance. Therefore, induced pyroptosis may play a predominant role in the treatment of cancer. Here, we review the latest research on the anti- and protumor effects of pyroptosis and its potential applications in cancer treatment.

scholarly journals On the Feasibility of Low-Cost Wearable Sensors for Multi-Modal Biometric Verification

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 2782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Blasco ◽  
Pedro Peris-Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Biometric Verification ◽  
Biometric Systems ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Device User ◽  
Verification Process ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg

Biometric systems designed on wearable technology have substantial differences from traditional biometric systems. Due to their wearable nature, they generally capture noisier signals and can only be trained with signals belonging to the device user (biometric verification). In this article, we assess the feasibility of using low-cost wearable sensors—photoplethysmogram (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), accelerometer (ACC), and galvanic skin response (GSR)—for biometric verification. We present a prototype, built with low-cost wearable sensors, that was used to capture data from 25 subjects while seated (at resting state), walking, and seated (after a gentle stroll). We used this data to evaluate how the different combinations of signals affected the biometric verification process. Our results showed that the low-cost sensors currently being embedded in many fitness bands and smart-watches can be combined to enable biometric verification. We report and compare the results obtained by all tested configurations. Our best configuration, which uses ECG, PPG and GSR, obtained 0.99 area under the curve and 0.02 equal error rate with only 60 s of training data. We have made our dataset public so that our work can be compared with proposals developed by other researchers.

Choosing a Markov blanket

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Parr
Keyword(s):  
Markov Blanket ◽  
Target Article ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This commentary focuses upon the relationship between two themes in the target article: the ways in which a Markov blanket may be defined and the role of precision and salience in mediating the interactions between what is internal and external to a system. These each rest upon the different perspectives we might take while “choosing” a Markov blanket.

Staring Down Death

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Joiner ◽  
Melanie A. Hom ◽  
Megan L. Rogers ◽  
Carol Chu ◽  
Ian H. Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Specific Task ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Eye Blink ◽  
Eye Blinks ◽  
Potential Clinical Utility ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Background: Lowered eye blink rate may be a clinically useful indicator of acute, imminent, and severe suicide risk. Diminished eye blink rates are often seen among individuals engaged in heightened concentration on a specific task that requires careful planning and attention. Indeed, overcoming one’s biological instinct for survival through suicide necessitates premeditation and concentration; thus, a diminished eye blink rate may signal imminent suicidality. Aims: This article aims to spur research and clinical inquiry into the role of eye blinks as an indicator of acute suicide risk. Method: Literature relevant to the potential connection between eye blink rate and suicidality was reviewed and synthesized. Results: Anecdotal, cognitive, neurological, and conceptual support for the relationship between decreased blink rate and suicide risk is outlined. Conclusion: Given that eye blinks are a highly observable behavior, the potential clinical utility of using eye blink rate as a marker of suicide risk is immense. Research is warranted to explore the association between eye blink rate and acute suicide risk.

Parenting Behaviors and Anxiety in Young Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin N. Stevens ◽  
Joseph R. Bardeen ◽  
Kyle W. Murdock
Keyword(s):  
Effortful Control ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Parental Overprotection ◽  
High Control ◽  
Development Of Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Parenting behaviors – specifically behaviors characterized by high control, intrusiveness, rejection, and overprotection – and effortful control have each been implicated in the development of anxiety pathology. However, little research has examined the protective role of effortful control in the relation between parenting and anxiety symptoms, specifically among adults. Thus, we sought to explore the unique and interactive effects of parenting and effortful control on anxiety among adults (N = 162). Results suggest that effortful control uniquely contributes to anxiety symptoms above and beyond that of any parenting behavior. Furthermore, effortful control acted as a moderator of the relationship between parental overprotection and anxiety, such that overprotection is associated with anxiety only in individuals with lower levels of effortful control. Implications for potential prevention and intervention efforts which specifically target effortful control are discussed. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual differences in self-regulatory abilities when examining associations between putative early-life risk factors, such as parenting, and anxiety symptoms.

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