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The perception of dyspnea is influenced by both physiological and psychological factors. We sought to determine whether exertional dyspnea perception could be experimentally manipulated through prior exposure to heightened dyspnea while exercising. We hypothesized that dyspnea perception during exercise would be lower following an induced dyspnea task (IDT). Sixteen healthy participants (eight females, eight males) completed two days of exercise testing. Day 1 involved an incremental cycle exercise test starting at 40 W for females and 60 W for males, increasing by 20 W each minute until volitional exhaustion. Following the maximal exercise test on Day 1, participants completed IDT, involving 5 min of exercise at 70% of peak work rate with 500 mL dead space and external resistance (i.e., 6.8 ± 2.3 cm·H2O·s−1·L−1 inspiration, 3.8 ± 0.7 cm·H2O·s−1·L−1 expiration). Day 2 consisted of an incremental exercise test identical to Day 1. At maximal exercise, there were no differences in oxygen uptake (V̇O2; 44.7 ± 7.7 vs. 46.5 ± 6.3 mL·kg−1·min−1), minute ventilation (120 ± 35 vs. 127 ± 38 L·min−1), dyspnea (6.5 [4, 8.5] vs. 6 [4.25, 8.75]), or leg discomfort (6 [5, 8.75] vs. 7 [5, 9]) between days (all p > 0.05). At 60%–80% of peak V̇O2 (V̇O2peak), dyspnea was significantly lower on Day 2 (−0.75 [−1.375, 0] for 60% and −0.5 [0, −2] for 80%, p < 0.05) despite no differences in relevant physiological variables. The onset of perceived dyspnea occurred at a significantly higher exercise intensity on Day 2 than on Day 1 (42% ± 19% vs. 51% ± 17% V̇O2peak, respectively; p < 0.05). Except for 40% V̇O2peak (p = 0.05), RPE-L was not different at any intensities nor was the onset of perceived leg discomfort different between days (38% ± 14% vs. 43% ± 10% V̇O2peak, respectively; p = 0.10). Exposure to heightened dyspnea alters exercise-induced dyspnea perception during subsequent submaximal exercise bouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers how a color-conscious approach to place might be explored. After focusing on the symbolic and affective qualities, of color, attention shifts to the persistent chromophobia that continues to influence western approaches to designing places and the distribution of the sensible. I investigate how contemporary design is shaped by heritage concerns, increased colored illumination and commodified color. The paper concludes with four innovative color designs that challenge our perceptual, affective and cultural engagements with place. I look at a vernacular creative practice, an architectural example, a playful interior environment and an artistic installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychology and philosophy have long reflected on the role of perspective in vision. Since the dawn of modern vision science—roughly, since Helmholtz in the late 1800s—scientific explanations in vision have focused on understanding the computations that transform the sensed retinal image into percepts of the three-dimensional environment. The standard view in the science is that distal properties—viewpoint-independent properties of the environment (object shape) and viewpoint-dependent relational properties (3D orientation relative to the viewer)–are perceptually represented and that properties of the proximal stimulus (in vision, the retinal image) are not. This view is woven into the nature of scientific explanation in perceptual psychology, and has guided impressive advances over the past 150 years. A recently published article suggests that in shape perception, the standard view must be revised. It argues, on the basis of new empirical data, that a new entity—perspectival shape—should be introduced into scientific explanations of shape perception. Specifically, the article's centrally advertised claim is that, in addition to distal shape, perspectival shape is perceived. We argue that this claim rests on a series of mistakes. Problems in experimental design entail that the article provides no empirical support for any claims regarding either perspective or the perception of shape. There are further problems in scientific reasoning and conceptual development. Detailing these criticisms and explaining how science treats these issues are meant to clarify method and theory, and to improve exchanges between the science and philosophy of perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sensory profiles and the quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 99 participants, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the WHOQOL-BREF and PANSS were administered. A stepwise linear regression analysis was performed, with those variables of the sensory profile and the dimensions of quality of life that showed a statistically significant correlation. Participants with lower quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref score ≤ 60) showed a higher score in Low Registration profile (t(97) = 2; p =.048; δ =.42). Physical Health showed a moderate negative correlation with Sensory Sensitivity profile (r = −.415; p <.01) and Sensation Avoiding (r = −.372; p <.05). Psychological Health showed a moderate negative correlation with Low Registration (r = −.354; p <.01), Sensory Sensitivity (r = −.307; p <.01) and auditory processing (r = −.343; p <.01). Sensory preference could be a key aspect of mental health rehabilitation programs. Sensory modulation issues seem to be related to the quality of life of patients with schizophrenia. KEY POINTS Sensory preference could be a key aspect of mental health rehabilitation programs. Mental health services should consider the sensory profile of the patient in the evaluation and intervention. Sensory modulation approaches could be complementary interventions to improve the quality of life of people with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few mathematical models that describe how human perceptual and affective responses evolve with time. We developed a state-space model of the interrelationships based on time-evolving perceptual and affective responses acquired by the temporal dominance (TD) method. We defined and computed the state variables that endow the system with memory using canonical variate analysis. Furthermore, we determined the model parameters on the basis of a cross-validation approach such that the observed and estimated changes in the affective responses are highly correlated. We applied this method to the TD curves of responses to eating strawberries and plum pickles, reported in our previous work. The model describes what happens during food intake in terms of a few state variables that summarize a large number of observable responses reductively, thus helping to make the perceptual and affective dynamics understandable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) is a relatively common tumor of the hand with indeterminate aetiology and pathogenesis, although several theories have been put forward. Objectives: To conduct a study examining the association of presenting pathology and post-operative functional and sensation improvement and the risk of recurrence. Methods: In this retrospective study we reviewed and collected data of 29 patients with GCTTS operated over a period of 10 years. All patients underwent a complete excision of the tumors. Results: Follow-up was up to 110 months. A statistically significant improvement of the range of motion in the majority of the digital joints was documented. Statistical analysis of the static two-point discrimination showed no difference before and after surgery. Recurrence was seen in five patients (17.2%) and was not proved to be associated to patients' age and gender, location and/or size of the tumor. Conclusion: Age, gender, size and location of the GCTTS have no influence on the recurrence rate, but meticulous surgical excision is of paramount importance to reduce high recurrence rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low back pain is one of the main causes of motor disabilities and psychological stress, with the painful process encompassing sensory and affective components. Noxious stimuli originate on the periphery; however, the stimuli are recombined in the brain and therefore processed differently due to the emotional environment. To better understand this process, our objective was to develop a mathematical representation of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) model of pain, covering the multidimensional representation of this phenomenon. Data from the Oswestry disability index; the short form of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale; and pain catastrophizing daily questionnaires were collected through online completion, available from 8 June 2022, to 8 April 2023 (1021 cases). Using the information collected, an artificial neural network structure was trained (based on anomaly detection methods) to identify the patterns that emerge from the relationship between the variables. The developed model proved to be robust and able to show the patterns and the relationship between the variables, and it allowed for differentiating the groups with altered patterns in the context of low back pain. The distinct groups all behave according to the main finding that psychological and pain events are directly associated. We conclude that our proposal is effective as it is able to test and confirm the definition of the IASP for the study of pain. Here we show that the fiscal and mental dimensions of pain are directly associated, meaning that mental illness can be an enhancer of pain episodes and functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory impairment post-stroke limits rehabilitation of balance and gait. This study aims to compare the effect of explicit sensory retraining (ESR) versus implicit repeated exposure (IRE) to stimuli of the lower extremity, assessing their effects on sensation, balance, and gait in individuals with chronic post-stroke sensory impairment. A two-arm parallel double-blind multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in physical therapy outpatient clinics. Volunteers with chronic sensory impairment post-stroke participated in 10 sessions of 45 min ESR or IRE, according to a detailed protocol. Outcome measures assessed sensation, balance, mobility, and participation. A total of 64 participants were recruited (ESR, n = 34; IRE, n = 30). The intention-to-treat pre-post analysis demonstrated clinically meaningful changes for both interventions (10–31% improvement for the various measures), with no between-group difference or time × group interaction. The effect size for the time effect varied, with the largest being 0.63 for the miniBEST. Sensory rehabilitation treatment by either ESR or IRE led to similar clinically significant changes in the performance of the lower extremity and participation in subjects with sensory loss post-stroke. Both treatment protocols are easy to implement in an outpatient clinic. NCT01988220. Standardized, structured, sensory-focused training can improve balance and gait in subjects with chronic post-stroke sensory impairment. Both explicit and implicit learning-based sensory protocols focused on the lower extremity effectively improved balance, mobility, and gait abilities, resulting in enhanced participation of individuals in the chronic post-stroke phase. A series of ten 45-minute treatment sessions in outpatient clinics lead to clinically significant improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Individuals should have good sensory processing ability to function appropriately and participate in daily activities. This investigation aimed to evaluate the sensory processing characteristics of children aged under 14 years. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population comprised all children aged >14 years referred to child's developmental centers and elementary and middle schools in Tehran City, Iran. After considering the inclusion criteria, 1272 children were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The research tool was sensory profile-2, completed by children's caregivers and teachers. Their sensory processing characteristics were measured according to the cut-off scores of the separate questionnaires of Sensory profile-2 in the section, school, and quadrant factors. Results: The research samples scored just like the majority of others on most sensory processing areas, with only two quadrants, one sensory section, and one school factor score indicating "less than others" or "more than others." Discussion: According to the findings, a high sensory sensitivity leads to intolerance of children in schools. Also, the low level of sensory seeking in toddlers is associated with less than other scores in movement items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate factors that cause impairment of hand function in children with an upper Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy (NBPP), we performed an in-depth analysis of tactile hand sensibility, especially the ability to correctly localize a sensory stimulus on their fingers. A cross-sectional investigation of children with NBPP, compared with healthy controls. The thickest Semmes-Weinstein (SW) monofilament was pressed on the radial or ulnar part of each fingertip (10 regions), while a screen prevented seeing the hand. Tertiary referral center for nerve lesions in an academic hospital in The Netherlands. The control group was recruited at their school. Forty-one children with NBPP (mean age 10.0 y) and 25 controls (mean age 9.5 y; N=41). Not applicable. Correct localization of the applied stimuli was evaluated, per region, per finger, and per dermatome with a test score. The affected side of the NBPP group was compared with the non-dominant hand of the controls. The ability to localize stimuli on the tips of the fingers in children with an upper NBPP was significantly diminished in all fingers, except for the little finger, as compared with healthy controls. Mean localization scores were 6.6 (thumb) and 6.3 (index finger) in the NBPP group and 7.6 in both fingers for controls (maximum score possible is 8.0). Localization scores were significant lower in regions attributed to dermatomes C6 (P <.001) and C7 (P =.001), but not to C8 (P =.115). Children with an upper NBPP showed a diminished and incorrect ability to localize sensory stimuli to their fingers. This finding is likely 1 of the factors underlying the impairment of hand function and should be addressed with sensory focused therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Currently, there are a lack of systematic and standardized methods to evaluate sensation in individuals who have undergone masculinizing gender affirmation surgery (GAS). An individual's choice to pursue phalloplasty or metoidioplasty is driven by consideration of cosmetic satisfaction, urethral function, phallic rigidity, and penetrative ability. Regardless of the chosen procedure, phallic sensation is desired for satisfactory sexual function, pleasure, and overall well-being. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the current literature on sensory outcomes after masculinizing GAS and to identify gaps in knowledge that may benefit from further research. Recent Findings: There is great variability in the collection and reporting of sensation, orgasm, and sexual function data. Due to design limitations and potential bias, all included studies received "low" or "very low" GRADE of evidence. Tactile and erogenous sensation were the most common types of sensation reported. Although most studies report that their participants are eventually able to achieve erogenous and tactile sensation, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions due to significant variability in methodology and results. Additionally, there is limited available literature poised to compare sexual function outcomes between phalloplasty techniques and donor tissue sites. Percentages of participants able to orgasm via masturbation ranged from 71.8 to 100%, while orgasming with sexual intercourse ranged from 69.5 to 100%. Fewer than half of studies discussed the ability for penetrative sex. Between these studies, the ability to engage in penetrative sex ranged from 39.5 to 75%. Only two studies reported the length of time post-operatively to orgasmic ability; both reported that participants were able to orgasm by 1 year post-op. Summary: Overall, there are a wide variety of surgical techniques for GAS described in the literature. The data on sensation, orgasm, and sexual function remains limited, but the authors of this manuscript feel that this study highlights gaps that future researchers may seek to fill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Supporting and Enhancing NICU Sensory Experiences (SENSE) program promotes consistent, age-appropriate, responsive, and evidence-based positive sensory exposures for preterm infants each day of NICU hospitalization to optimize infant and parent outcomes. The initial development included an integrative review, stakeholder input (NICU parents and healthcare professionals), and feasibility focus groups. To keep the program updated and evidence-based, a review of the recent evidence and engagement with an advisory team will occur every 5 years to inform changes to the SENSE program. Prior to the launch of the 2nd edition of the SENSE program in 2022, information from a new integrative review of 57 articles, clinician feedback, and a survey identifying the barriers and facilitators to the SENSE program's implementation in a real-world context were combined to inform initial changes. Subsequently, 27 stakeholders (neonatologists, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, bedside nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and parents) carefully considered the suggested changes, and refinements were made until near consensus was achieved. While the 2nd edition is largely the same as the original SENSE program, the refinements include the following: more inclusive language, clarification on recommended minimum doses, adaptations to allow for variability in how hospitals achieve different levels of light, the addition of visual tracking in the visual domain, and the addition of position changes in the kinesthetic domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools enabling closed-loop experiments are crucial to delineate causal relationships between the activity of genetically labeled neurons and specific behaviors. We developed the Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality (PiVR) system to conduct closed-loop optogenetic stimulation of neural functions in unrestrained animals. PiVR is an experimental platform that operates at high temporal resolution (70 Hz) with low latencies (

Bi-directional brain-computer interfaces (BD-BCI) to restore movement and sensation must achieve concurrent operation of recording and decoding of motor commands from the brain and stimulating the brain with somatosensory feedback. Previously we developed and validated a benchtop prototype of a fully implantable BCI system for motor decoding. Here, a prototype artificial sensory stimulator was integrated into the benchtop system to develop a prototype of a fully-implantable BD-BCI. The artificial sensory stimulator incorporates an active charge balancing mechanism based on pulse-width modulation to ensure safe stimulation for chronically interfaced electrodes to prevent damage to brain tissue and electrodes. The feasibility of the BD-BCI system's active charge balancing was tested in phantom brain tissue. With the charge-balancing, the removal of the residual charges on an electrode was evident. This is a critical milestone toward fully-implantable BD-BCI systems.

Ketamine infusion therapy can produce fast-acting antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Yet, how single and repeated ketamine treatment induces brain systems-level neuroplasticity underlying symptom improvement is unknown. Advanced multiband imaging (MB) pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) perfusion MRI data was acquired from patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) (N = 22, mean age=35.2 ± 9.95 SD, 27% female) at baseline, and 24 h after receiving single, and four subanesthetic (0.5 mg/kg) intravenous ketamine infusions. Changes in global and regional CBF were compared across time points, and relationships with overall mood, anhedonia and apathy were examined. Comparisons between patients at baseline and controls (N = 18, mean age=36.11 ± 14.5 SD, 57% female) established normalization of treatment effects. Results showed increased regional CBF in the cingulate and primary and higher-order visual association regions after first ketamine treatment. Baseline CBF in the fusiform, and acute changes in CBF in visual areas were related to symptom improvement after single and repeated ketamine treatment, respectively. In contrast, after serial infusion therapy, decreases in regional CBF were observed in the bilateral hippocampus and right insula with ketamine treatment. Findings demonstrate that neurophysiological changes occurring with single and repeated ketamine treatment follow both a regional and temporal pattern including sensory and limbic regions. Initial changes are observed in the posterior cingulate and precuneus and primary and higher-order visual areas, which relate to clinical responses. However, repeated exposure to ketamine, though not relating to clinical outcome, appears to engage deeper limbic structures and insula. ClinicalTrials.gov: Biomarkers of Fast Acting Therapies in Major Depression, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02165449, NCT02165449.

Background and objectives: Motor learning experiments with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at 2 mA have produced mixed results. We hypothesize that tDCS boosts motor learning provided sufficiently high field intensity on the motor cortex. Methods: In a single-blinded design, 108 healthy participants received either anodal (N = 36) or cathodal (N = 36) tDCS at 4 mA total, or no stimulation (N = 36) while they practiced a 12-min sequence learning task. Anodal stimulation was delivered across four electrode pairs (1 mA each), with anodes above the right parietal lobe and cathodes above the right frontal lobe. Cathodal stimulation, with reversed polarities, served as an active control for sensation, while the no-stimulation condition established baseline performance. fMRI-localized targets on the primary motor cortex in 10 subjects were used in current flow models to optimize electrode placement for maximal field intensity. A single electrode montage was then selected for all participants. Results: We found a significant difference in performance with anodal vs. cathodal stimulation (Cohen's d = 0.71) and vs. no stimulation (d = 0.56). This effect persisted for at least 1 h, and subsequent learning for a new sequence and the opposite hand also improved. Sensation ratings were comparable in the active groups and did not exceed moderate levels. Current flow models suggest the new electrode montage can achieve stronger motor cortex polarization than alternative montages. Conclusion: The present paradigm shows a medium to large effect size and is well-tolerated. It may serve as a go-to experiment for future studies on motor learning and tDCS.

Background:Sensory processing difficulties are common across neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, reliable measures are needed to understand the biological underpinnings of these differences. This study aimed to define a scoring methodology specific to auditory (AOR) and tactile (TOR) over-responsivity. Second, in a pilot cohort using MRI Diffusion Tensor Imaging, we performed a proof of concept study of whether children with AOR showed measurable differences in their white matter integrity. Methods:This study included children with AOR and TOR from a mixed neurodevelopmental disorder cohort including autism and sensory processing dysfunction (n = 176) as well as neurotypical children (n = 128). We established cohorts based on sensory over-responsivity using parent report (Short Sensory Profile (SSP)) and direct assessment (Sensory Processing-Three Dimensions: Assessment (SP-3D:A)) measures. With a subset of the children (n = 39), group comparisons, based on AOR phenotype, were conducted comparing the white matter fractional anisotropy in 23 regions of interest. Results:Using direct assessment, 31% of the children with neurodevelopmental disorders had AOR and 27% had TOR. The inter-test agreement between SSP and SP-3D:A for AOR was 65% and TOR was 50%. Children with AOR had three white matter tracts showing decreased fractional anisotropy relative to children without AOR. Conclusions:This study identified cut-off scores for AOR and TOR using the SSP parent report and SP-3D:A observation. A combination of questionnaire and direct observation measures should be used in clinical and research settings. The SSP parent report and SP-3D:A direct observation ratings overlapped moderately for sensory related behaviors. Based on these preliminary structural neuroimaging results, we suggest a putative neural network may contribute to AOR.

Thomas Reid, founder of the Scottish school of common sense, held the thesis that all previous philosophical systems were tainted by the same “original sin” – the adoption (in various forms) of a representationalist theory of sense perception. He called it the “theory of ideas,” the consequence of which was to separate the subject and object of perception by an irremovable “veil of ideas.” Before formulating his own account Reid considered this issue from a historical perspective, attempting to demonstrate the validity of his position. The purpose of this article is to answer the question of the relevance of Reid’s views to the theory that perception is direct or immediate. It is primarily concerned with the view characteristic of the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition, traditionally interpreted as presentationalism, and Descartes’ views on the status of “ideas” in the process of knowing the so-called external world. At the same time, the analysis carried out points to simplifications in the Reidian interpretation of his predecessors’ views on the nature of perception and to features of the theories criticized that justify it to some extent.

Abstract The development of functional flexible conductive materials can significantly contribute to the improvement of intelligent human–computer integration. However, it is a challenge to endow human–machine interface with perception and response actuation simultaneously. Herein, a customizable and multifunctional electronic conductive organogel is proposed by combining conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) clusters and flexible adhesive organogels. The conductive CNT cluster layers generated on the surface of organogels equip the resulting organogel‐based conductors with considerable quasi‐superhydrophobicity and increase their potential applicability as highly sensitive stress and strain sensors. In particular, this quasi‐superhydrophobicity is insensitive to tensile strain. Based on customizable conductive networks and entropy‐driven organogel actuation, the conductive organogels can sense various strain and stress signals and imitate natural organisms with muscle actuation and neurofeedback. This strategy for preparing electronic conductors can enhance the rational design of soft robotics and artificial intelligence devices, facilitating further progress of human‐like intelligent systems.

This research was planned to investigate the relationship between physical activity level and plantar sensitivity, static and dynamic balance in postmenopausal women. Forty women between the ages of 50 and 65, who had not had a menstrual period for at least 12 months, and who had undergone menopause due to hormonal, surgical or natural means were involved in the research. International Physical Activity Questionnaires Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess the level of physical activity. Light touch pressure threshold on soles of the individuals and two-point discrimination sense were evaluated bilaterally from 6 different regions of the sole of the foot. Single leg and tandem stance tests were used for static balance assessment. Dynamic balance was evaluated with Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). As a result of the statistical analysis, a negative correlation was found between the total physical activity level of the participants and the light touch pressure of the right big toe. There was a significant negative correlation between total physical activity level and left big toe, and the 1st and 5th metatarsal heads of the left foot. A significant negative correlation between total physical activity level and TUG test was detected. However, no significant difference between total physical activity and BBS, static balance tests was found. As a result of this research, it was concluded that the level of physical activity affects the light touch sense of big toes of both feet, and the 1st and 5th metatarsal heads of left foot. During this study, it was seen that if total physical activity level decreases, then the score of TUG can increase. Physical activity level and related factors should be examined with a larger number of samples.

Abstract Background To evaluate the relationship between measures of neuromuscular impairment and limb accelerations (LA) collected during sleep among individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) to provide evidence of construct and concurrent validity for LA as a clinically meaningful measure. Methods The strength (lower extremity motor score), sensation (summed lower limb light touch scores), and spasticity (categorized lower limb Modified Ashworth Scale) were measured from 40 adults with chronic (≥ 1 year) SCI. Demographics, pain, sleep quality, and other covariate or confounding factors were measured using self-report questionnaires. Each participant then wore ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers on their ankles and wrist continuously for 1–5 days to measure LA from movements during sleep. Regression models with built-in feature selection were used to determine the most relevant LA features and the association to each measure of impairment. Results LA features were related to measures of impairment with models explaining 69% and 73% of the variance (R²) in strength and sensation, respectively, and correctly classifying 81.6% (F1-score = 0.814) of the participants into spasticity categories. The most commonly selected LA features included measures of power and frequency (frequency domain), movement direction (correlation between axes), consistency between movements (relation to recent movements), and wavelet energy (signal characteristics). Rolling speed (change in angle of inclination) and movement smoothness (median crossings) were uniquely associated with strength. When LA features were included, an increase of 72% and 222% of the variance was explained for strength and sensation scores, respectively, and there was a 34% increase in spasticity classification accuracy compared to models containing only covariate features such as demographics, sleep quality, and pain. Conclusion LA features have shown evidence of having construct and concurrent validity, thus demonstrating that LA are a clinically-relevant measure related to lower limb strength, sensation, and spasticity after SCI. LA may be useful as a more detailed measure of impairment for applications such as clinical prediction models for ambulation.

Introduction: Contact electrical currents in humans stimulate peripheral nerves at frequencies of <100 kHz, producing sensations such as tingling. At frequencies above 100 kHz, heating becomes dominant, resulting in a sensation of warmth. When the current amplitude exceeds the threshold, the sensation results in discomfort or pain. In international guidelines and standards for human protection from electromagnetic fields, the limit for the contact current amplitude has been prescribed. Although the types of sensations produced by contact current at low frequencies, i.e., approximately 50-60 Hz, and the corresponding perception thresholds have been investigated, there is a lack of knowledge about those in the intermediate-frequency band--particularly from 100 kHz to 10 MHz. Methods: In this study, we investigated the current-perception threshold and types of sensations for 88 healthy adults (range: 20-79 years old) with a fingertip exposed to contact currents at 100 kHz, 300 kHz, 1 MHz, 3 MHz, and 10 MHz. Results: The current perception thresholds at frequencies ranging from 300 kHz to 10 MHz were 20-30% higher than those at 100 kHz (p < 0.001). In addition, a statistical analysis revealed that the perception thresholds were correlated with the age or finger circumference: older participants and those with larger finger circumferences exhibited higher thresholds. At frequencies of ≥300 kHz, the contact current mainly produced a warmth sensation, which differed from the tingling/pricking sensation produced by the current at 100 kHz. Discussion: These results indicate that there exists a transition of the produced sensations and their perception threshold between 100 kHz and 300 kHz. The findings of this study are useful for revising the international guidelines and standards for contact currents at intermediate frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) has become an important biomarker for neuropathy diagnosis and research. The consequences of reduced IENFD can include sensory dysfunction, pain, and a significant decrease in quality of life. We examined the extent to which IENFD is being used as a tool in human and mouse models and compared the degree of fiber loss between diseases to gain a broader understanding of the existing data collected using this common technique. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of publications that used IENFD as a biomarker in human and non-human research. PubMed was used to identify 1,004 initial articles that were then screened to select articles that met the criteria for inclusion. Criteria were chosen to standardize publications so they could be compared rigorously and included having a control group, measuring IENFD in a distal limb, and using protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5). Results: We analyzed 397 articles and collected information related to publication year, the condition studied, and the percent IENFD loss. The analysis revealed that the use of IENFD as a tool has been increasing in both human and non-human research. We found that IENFD loss is prevalent in many diseases, and metabolic or diabetes-related diseases were the most studied conditions in humans and rodents. Our analysis identified 73 human diseases in which IENFD was affected, with 71 reporting IENFD loss and an overall average IENFD change of -47%. We identified 28 mouse and 21 rat conditions, with average IENFD changes of -31.6% and -34.7%, respectively. Additionally, we present data describing subanalyses of IENFD loss according to disease characteristics in diabetes and chemotherapy treatments in humans and rodents. Interpretation: Reduced IENFD occurs in a surprising number of human disease conditions. Abnormal IENFD contributes to important complications, including poor cutaneous vascularization, sensory dysfunction, and pain. Our analysis informs future rodent studies so they may better mirror human diseases impacted by reduced IENFD, highlights the breadth of diseases impacted by IENFD loss, and urges exploration of common mechanisms that lead to substantial IENFD loss as a complication in disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pediatric patients with liver disease commonly experience itching, also known as pruritus. This symptom may seem to be a mere inconvenience, but can actually significantly affect the quality of life of these patients, including impairing their sleep and worsening their mental health. The cause of itching in liver disease is not fully known and is most likely caused by many factors. Unfortunately, this symptom can be incredibly difficult to treat and may ultimately require surgical interventions in certain cases that do not respond to medical therapy. Some medical therapies that are used to treat cholestatic pruritus in the adult population may be beneficial for pediatric patients suffering from this symptom. Ultimately, a better understanding of what causes itching in liver disease may provide valuable information for how to best treat this symptom. Pruritus in the setting of cholestatic liver disease is difficult to treat and occurs in patients ranging in age from infancy to adulthood. Likely multifactorial in etiology, this symptom often involves multimodal therapy targeting several pathways and mechanisms proposed in the underlying etiology of cholestatic pruritus. Many patients in both the pediatric and adult populations continue to experience unrelenting pruritus despite maximal conventional therapy. Options are further limited in treating pediatric patients due to sparse data regarding medication safety and efficacy in younger patients. Conventional therapies for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in children include ursodeoxycholic acid, cholestyramine, hydroxyzine, and rifampin. Certain therapies are more routinely used in the adult populations but with limited data available for use in child and adolescent patients, including opioid antagonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Recently, ileal bile acid transport inhibitors have been shown to alleviate pruritus in many children with Alagille syndrome and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis and is an additional therapy available for consideration for these patients. Ultimately, surgical options such as biliary diversion or liver transplantation are considered in specific circumstances when medical therapies have been exhausted and pruritus remains debilitating. While further investigation regarding underlying etiologies and effective therapies are needed to better understand itch pathogenesis and treatment in pediatric cholestasis, current considerations beyond conventional management include the use of opioid antagonists, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, ileal bile acid transport inhibitors, and surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sense of smell is the main sensation in wild animals necessary for hunting, and survival. A good example of such animal is grey wolf, which is able to sense the victim from a distance of up to 2 km. Domestic dogs, especially brachycephalic, because of the morphology of nasal cavity and life's conditions lost the so high developed olfactions ability. In that work, the multidisciplinary analysis of olfactory bulb responsible for olfaction were carried out. The research of macro- and microscope analyses, and also the technique of flow cytometry were used to estimate the level of high and low activity glomeruli in olfactory bulb in investigated animals. It was observed that in grey wolf the level of active glomeruli is higher than in badger and fox and the olfactory bulb has a higher size. That observations command that olfactory bulb as a part of telencephalon has the ability to create a new synapse depending on living conditions of animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the erotic power of the dancer in relation to the performance of arkestra girls in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. From the discursive lens of body, agency and identity, I move to the visceral presence of a dancer who foregrounds the labour of the erotic and the bodies of sensory in a live performance. I argue that the existing binary between dance and sex work not only conceals the labour question but also hides the power of the erotic. I see dance and sex as co-producing forces in the formation of the phenomenal body on stage. I call the 'transformative' force the erotic power of the dancer – the power of the erotic to transform the body and give it an exceptional 'new' dimension. The liveness of such performance rests on the sensory circulation of the body and its polyphonic vibes. Against the theories of affect that heavily rely on the individual body of a performer, I situate the erotic body as an exchange, as a commodity but also as having a potential for radical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensation and emotion are inextricably linked. Interdisciplinary evidence indicates that strategically activating each of the five major sensory modalities (i.e., sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) can increase positive emotion and decrease negative emotion. Sensation offers a rapid and relatively effortless path to emotion regulation. More research is needed to elucidate how, for whom, and in what contexts sensation can maximally benefit emotional wellbeing. Decades of evidence reveal intimate links between sensation and emotion. Yet, discussion of sensory experiences as tools that promote emotion regulation is largely absent from current theorizing on this topic. Here, we address this gap by integrating evidence from social-personality, clinical, cognitive-neuroscience, and animal research to highlight the role of sensation as a tool that can be harnessed to up- or downregulate emotion. Further, we review evidence implicating sensation as a rapid and relatively effortless emotion regulation modality and highlight future research directions. Notably, we emphasize the need to examine the duration of sensory emotion regulation effects, the moderating role of individual and cultural differences, and how sensory strategies interact with other strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although vibration training has been applied in older adults, it remains unclear if it can reduce falls. Aims: This pilot randomized-controlled trial aimed to test the effects of an 8-week vibration training program on reducing falls among community-dwelling adults. Methods: Forty-eight older adults were randomized to two groups: training and control. The training group received three weekly training sessions over eight weeks while the control group maintained their normal lifestyle over the 8-week period. Immediately before (or baseline), following (post-training), and three months after (retest) the 8-week training course, a group of fall risk factors were assessed for all participants. Each participant was also exposed to an unexpected gait-slip on a treadmill during post-training and retest sessions. Their daily-living fall incidence was collected for 12 months after the baseline test. The slip fall was the primary outcome, prospective all-cause falls were the secondary outcome, and fall risk factors acted as the tertiary ones. Results: The vibration training program significantly reduced the risk of slip-falls and improved all fall risk factors immediately after the training course. The training effect may be carried over for three months. The 8-week training program could also lower the number of falls between the baseline test and retest and reduce the recurrent faller rate across the 12 months after the baseline test. Discussion: This study indicates that vibration training might have some effects on fall-related measures in older adults. Conclusions: An 8-week vibration training program could be effective to reduce falls in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT02694666. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues for a close attention to the use of sound in the audiovisual aesthetics of Isaac Julien's seminal New Queer Cinema film Looking for Langston (1989). The analysis relies on Amber Musser's work on "sensation" as an analytic for corporeal knowledge production and performs a series of close readings that highlight the influential role of musical remixing practices in the film's synchronization of sound and image. Remixing practices such as sampling provide a music‐based conceptual vocabulary, which helps to illuminate how the montage of Looking for Langston is structured by its sonic elements. The essay shows how Looking for Langston promotes an open‐ended orientation toward the archive that eschews artifact discovery and epistemologies of certainty. Instead, embracing the possibilities of archival work that is guided by our bodily sensations and desires, the film offers an alternative disposition toward queer of color archives that celebrates the possibilities of speculative fantasy, opacity, and disorientation. Furthermore, the essay shows, not only is the film's use of sound interesting in its divergence from the conventions of sound synchronization within many documentary and narrative cinematic forms, but the film is also particularly notable for how it actively draws on practices from contemporary musical culture (specifically late 1980s house music) in order to produce a thoroughly sound‐based cinematic montage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Apotheke is the property of Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Herald of Journalism / Habaršy Žurnalistika Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dorsal column medial lemniscus (DCML) system is a sensory pathway of the central nervous system; it carries sensations of soft touch, vibration, proprioception, two-point discrimination, and pressure from the skin and joints. The clinical signs of the DCML pathway lesions include loss of soft touch, vibratory sense, proprioception, discrimination sense, and a positive Rhomberg test. Diseases that affect this pathway are usually degenerative, for example, spinal cord degeneration due to vitamin B12 deficiency; it can also be affected by trauma or infarction of the posterior spinal artery causing posterior cord syndrome. This video manuscript provides a step-by-step examination technique of the dorsal column examination, specially catered for Malaysian medical students and trainees. A series of videos show the techniques for soft touch sensation examination, examination of the vibratory sense, examination of the joint position sense, examination of two-point discrimination and the Rhomberg test. We hope that students can adhere to these techniques and apply them in their daily neurological assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article traces Beth Harland's approach to painting practice in light of her engagement with Michael Fried's interpretation of eighteenth and nineteenth century painting and her fascination with Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. The contrast between reflection on phenomena of inner life and a painting's audience address is explored through a reading of passages from Nietzsche's The Gay Science, Proust's Contre Sainte-Beuve and Fried's writing about theatricality and absorption. Harland's practical and theoretical explorations of the situation and possibilities of contemporary painting, illuminated by her engagement with notions of theatricality and absorption, are then outlined. After considering Hans Belting's views on seriality and processes of re-working, the article concludes by suggesting that Harland sought and achieved a buoyant working relationship between formational contraries, avoiding both hypostatisation and easy compromise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synesthesia (sensualism) is a kind of deviation from the norm of meaning, which by breaking the normal system of words and creating a concept contrary to the habit, creates literary pleasure in the audience. In this way of writing, the poet shatters the common mental system of the reader or listener by breaking the superficial structure of the words and not their deep structure and creates a new and pristine image to surprise the audience. In this essay, the authors, inspired by the analytical linguistics school of Lakoff and Johnson, have examined the prevalence of descriptive, analytical, and sensuous in Hafez's poems. The following article shows that the feeling in Hafez's poems, in addition to its different types of feeling; It implies different and different semantic concepts. One of the interesting methods in Hafez's poems is the emphasis on a special type of senses in sensing and transferring meaning from the source area to different areas of semantic purposes. By choosing this type of sensation, Hafez has increased the rhetorical and artistic texture of the speech, and in order to enhance the dignity and rank of tangible things and connect the mental and objective worlds, he has paid special attention to objective-abstract sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstraction in Wallace Stevens can be seen as an aesthetic attempt made in language to distance words from their habitual meanings and to approximate them to the 'cry' of the neonatal. The 'cry' is an articulation made by an inarticulate sound and points to a "motivated," not an "arbitrary," relation between the signifier and signified. It comes under the category of the "semiotic." In Stevens the 'cry' is an attempt to approximate to the indeterminate realm of the body and its sensation, and it prefigures a self at the vanishing end of the drives of the body. It is this pre-linguistic subject or the 'real' that has been silenced by the structures of language. In Stevens the 'cry' is a conscious construction or a composition of words made in order to take the work to the realm of the virtual as distinct from the actual. Words in Stevens are tuned more to sensations than to semantics. He uses words in their hidden etymological past not in the hope of penetrating into the objects or meanings but to make language a transparent presence to itself. He goes to etymology precisely to crack the logical continuity of meaning and he does it consciously within the play of language: it is the world of nonhuman beyond the realm of human meanings. The interrogation of the human does not bring us to the world of the nonhuman as it is beyond meaning; instead, the interrogation aims at the denuding of words of the given meanings and thereby approximate themselves to an indeterminate cry. Stevens attempts to distinguish words in their own linguistic ontology and not to reduce them to their extra-linguistic referents. The 'word-play' (a term used by Eleanor Cook) often disturbs the concordance between words and their contextual meanings in Stevens's poetry and makes words semantically neutral or silent. A close reading of Stevens's poem "Infanta Marina" (1921) explicates the process of the semantic denuding of words and their subsequent precipitation as the pure sounds of poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Felsefelogos is the property of Felsefelogos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background The goals of foot and ankle defect reconstruction include weight-bearing and shearing tolerance, good mobilization, regaining protective sensation, and good contour for footwear fitting. This study reports the outcomes of foot and ankle defect reconstruction with suprafascial free flaps relative to sensory and functional recovery.

ObjectiveThis study seeks to explore factors that have shaped the intercultural communication effectiveness (ICE) of international students (IS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical predictions of anxiety uncertainty management (AUM) are considered to assess the ICE of IS who stayed in China throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime causal factors of AUM theory (anxiety, uncertainty, and mindfulness) are included with empathy and sensation, seeking to examine their impact on ICE among IS in China.MethodsA quantitative research design was designed to survey IS via convenience samples from across China with a total of 261 IS from 42 different cultural backgrounds responding to invitations to participate in a Chinese–English survey. Well-established measurement tools were adopted to measure empathy (Cultural Empathy scale), sensation seeking (Brief Sensation Seeking Scale), anxiety (Intercultural Anxiety scale), uncertainty (Intercultural Uncertainty scale), mindfulness (Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised), and ICE (Perceived Effectiveness of Communication scale).FindingsThe findings revealed that anxiety (t = −3.61, p