A theory of cortical map formation in the visual brain

The cerebral cortex receives multiple afferents from the thalamus that segregate by stimulus modality forming cortical maps for each sense. In vision, the primary visual cortex also maps the multiple dimensions of the stimulus in patterns that vary across species for reasons unknown. Here we introduce a general theory of cortical map formation, which proposes that map diversity emerges from variations in sampling density of sensory space across species. In the theory, increasing afferent sampling density enlarges the cortical domains representing the same visual point allowing the segregation of afferents and cortical targets by additional stimulus dimensions. We illustrate the theory with a computational model that accurately replicates the maps of different species through afferent segregation followed by thalamocortical convergence pruned by visual experience. Because thalamocortical pathways use similar mechanisms for axon sorting and pruning, the theory may extend to other sensory areas of the mammalian brain.

Mapping the Sensory Fingerprint of Swedish Beer Market through Text and Data Mining and Multivariate Strategies

The continuous increase of online data with consumers’ and experts’ reviews and preferences is a potential tool for sensory characterization. The present work aims to overview the Swedish beer market and understand the sensory fingerprint of Swedish beers based on text data extracted from the Swedish alcohol retail monopoly (Systembolaget) website. Different multivariate strategies such as heatmaps, correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to understand the sensory space of the different beer styles. Additionally, sensory space for specific hop cultivars was also investigated. Results highlighted Gothenburg as the main producing area in Sweden. The style Indian Pale Ale (IPA) is the largest available at the retail monopoly. From a sensory perspective, commonalities and differences were found between beer types and styles. Based on the aroma description, different types of ale and lager can cluster together (such as Porter and Stout and Dark lagers). Additionally, an associative relationship between specific aromas and hop cultivars from text data information was successfully achieved.

Sound in the Mediated Space

With recent advances in technological media, the artistic notion of the multimedia environment has been dramatically extended. In this collection of interviews, sound will be examined in relation to various mediated spaces, from the ubiquitous urban space of telematic cities to enclosed audiovisual spaces. The sounds present in these mediated spaces act as triggers which allow the audience to transcend the sensory experiences of the mundane. They accomplish this through the visualization of invisible auditory forces, or by creating an immersive space beyond the realm of the physical ambient space. In some cases, sounds archived and shared on media platforms direct attention to larger sociopolitical issues. Such mediated environments, artistically augmented with the power of sound, become platforms wherein audiences can experience new potentials of sensory space. Furthermore, these works also introduce possibilities of new forms of sound-based connectivity and communication.

The Sensory Space of Wines: From Concept to Evaluation and Description. A Review

The concept of sensory space was first formulated over 25 years ago and has been widely adopted in oenology for around the last 15 years. It is based on both the common organoleptic characteristics of products and the mental representations built by specific groups of people. Exploring this concept involves first assessing whether it already exists for tasters, and, when this is the case, conducting perceptual evaluations to verify its effectiveness before potentially highlighting the associated sensory properties. The goal of this review, which focuses on applications linked to the field of oenology, is to study how these three steps are carried out, how the corresponding tasks and tests are performed and managed, and the type of results that can be obtained.

Evolution of the Concept of Sensory Gardens in the Generally Accessible Space of a Large City: Analysis of Multiple Cases from Kraków (Poland) Using the Therapeutic Space Attribute Rating Method

This paper presents a study on public gardens with sensory features located in Kraków (Poland). Data for the analysis of the facilities were obtained during site visits using observations. The paper uses a research method for the analysis of therapeutic outdoor areas in cities based on the evaluation of their attributes. This method makes it possible to characterise features of objects as well as their value. It is a practical tool, which enables an in-depth analysis of public spaces. The study showed that public gardens with sensory features located in Kraków have significant deficiencies, which make it impossible to fully exploit the potential of the sensory space.

Sensory characterisation of Bordeaux red wines produced without added sulfites

Aim: The evolution of consumer expectations has led to the development of new production methods using low inputs. From an oenological point of view, these methods include the production of wines without any SO2 being added throughout the process. These wines are becoming very popular among consumers, but the absence of SO2 during winemaking increases the risk of stability problems. Such wines have been poorly explored in the literature and there is thus a real need for them to be characterised. This study was developed to evaluate whether Bordeaux quality wines produced without added SO2 have their own typicality, and it provides an insight into current wine production.Methods and results: From a batch of fifty-two commercial Bordeaux red wines produced without adding SO2 and twenty red wines made according to the usual winemaking methods, a selection tasting was performed to eliminate wines with at least one defect further to a sensory space evaluation. In a second phase, the Napping test was applied to defect-free wines to evaluate the sensory specificities of wines produced without SO2 addition. The wines without SO2 addition presented a much higher frequency of defects than those with SO2 (70 % vs 15 % respectively). Defects described in wines without added SO2 were: “Oxidation” (47 %), “Volatile phenols” (31 %), “Mousy off-flavor” (10 %), “Reduction” (8 %) and “Vegetable” (4 %). Since the study focused on quality wines with or without SO2 addition, it was difficult for the tasters to discriminate between them according to their overall technical pathway.Conclusion: This approach has revealed that despite the large number of “non-added SO2” wines with defects, upon blind tasting, expert tasters highlighted some “non-added SO2” wines without defects. Nevertheless, at equivalent quality levels within the same geographic region, and in non-targeted sensory tests, wines with and without SO2 addition were considered to be quite similar.Significance of the study: This study was a first sensory step toward the objective characterisation of “non-added SO2” wines, enabling further work to highlight markers of quality in wines without SO2 addition and to develop the production of “non-added SO2” wines without defects. Nevertheless, at this stage, our results show that the absence of sulfites during the whole winemaking process, including bottling, increases the risk of the development of defects.

Odor Characterization of White Wines Produced from Indigenous Greek Grape Varieties Using the Frequency of Attribute Citation Method with Trained Assessors

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory aroma profiles of white wines of the indigenous Greek grape varieties Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, and Roditis. Twenty-three panelists evaluated 17 wines of the aforementioned varieties using the frequency of attribute citation method. Three indices were calculated to assess panel performance in terms of reproducibility. Correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were employed to investigate the sensory space of the wines. Samples of the Roditis variety were characterized mainly by Banana and Vanilla odors; Assyrtiko samples had Earthy, Mushroom, and Nutty odors, as well as Lemon and Honey for some of the samples. Malagousia wines were described as having Lemon, Grapefruit, and Citrus blossom character, and they shared some descriptors with Assyrtiko wines, such as Mushroom and Earthy, and some with Moschofilero samples, i.e., floral and citrus notes. All Moschofilero wines exhibited a floral odor profile: specifically, Rose, Jasmine, or more Citrus blossom-like. Moreover, some Moschofilero samples also revealed a Grapefruit, Lemon, and/or Earthy character, while others expressed Honey notes. In conclusion, despite common characteristics found within varieties, some samples of different varieties exhibited overlapping profiles, and in some cases, samples of the same variety were quite different from each other.

Exploring the Typicality, Sensory Space, and Chemical Composition of Swedish Solaris Wines

The Swedish wine industry has exponentially grown in the last decade. However, Swedish wines remain largely unknown internationally. In this study, the typicality and sensory space of a set of twelve wines, including five Swedish Solaris wines, was evaluated blind by Swedish wine experts. The aim of the work was to evaluate whether the Swedish wine experts have a common concept of what a typical Solaris wines should smell and taste like or not and, also, to bring out more information about the sensory space and chemical composition of Solaris wines. The results showed a lack of agreement among the wine experts regarding the typicality of Solaris wines. This, together with the results from the sensory evaluation, could suggest the possibility of different wine styles for Solaris wines. From a chemical perspective, the global volatile profile showed a larger variability between individual wines than between Solaris and non-Solaris. However, 4MMP, ethyl propionate, ethyl 2-Methyl propanoate, and diethyl succinate were significantly higher in Solaris wines. Concerning non-volatile compounds, the results showed a significant discrimination between Solaris and non-Solaris wines, the former being characterized by higher ethanol %, Mg, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and sucrose levels.

Sound Is Round

Can we expand our awareness of remote environments by connecting them to our own bodily experience? “Sound Is Round” takes a winding journey through the superimposed environments of ocean and desert, bringing sounds from the deep ocean of Monterey Bay in California to the high desert of Northern Arizona. In doing so, it brings together experiences of material sensory space expanded by a sonic sense, an amplified listening. The intertwining of these environments and experiences comes together in a notion of roundness, through the form of the Möbius strip. By approaching land-based spaces through a different orientation, thinking through a lens of fluid sounds and listening, a sense of “oceanic consciousness” is explored. A simultaneous experience of relationship to others, to site, and to distant place is reflected through personal stories of participants. The writing reflects the author’s own artistic practice, using the headphones and soundscape from a recent project Melt Me Into the Ocean, which explored connectedness to the deep ocean from land through sound walks. It also discusses the current project From a Whale’s Back, which works with video, sound, and data from the latest scientific research on tagged whales. Our connection to, and understanding of, the deep ocean environments are considered through these displaced remote experiences of place. Colliding sounds from these underwater environments with a research project around Roden Crater—artist James Turrell’s ongoing land-art work inside an extinct volcano—it emphasizes the importance of physical material sensory experience of place.