Somatosensory Research Articles

Enhancing cyclist safety in cyclist-vehicle interactions through early hazard notifications: a comparison of bi-modal cues at head level

Cyclists frequently face numerous hazards on the road. Often those hazards are posed by motorised vehicles. Advanced support systems that alert cyclists to potential dangers could enhance their safety. However, research in this area, particularly regarding hazard notifications for cyclists, remains sparse. This work assesses bi-modal early hazard notification concepts (combining visual cues with either auditory or tactile feedback) provided at head level (smart glasses with speakers, tactile headband). They are detailing the nature of the hazard, its direction relative to the cyclist, and the timing of exposure. This work investigates cyclists' preference and perception of the proposed concepts for two hazardous situations originating from interactions with vehicles: ‘dooring’, the hazard of a potential collision with an opening door of a parked vehicle (evaluated through a test track study, N = 32) and ‘being overtaken’ which poses the hazard of being cut off or hit by the overtaking vehicle (assessed in a bicycle simulator study, N = 21). The study involved comparisons of supported and unsupported rides, focusing on their impact on usability, intuitiveness, workload, and perceived safety. Our findings reveal varied preferences for the supporting feedback modality, with 56% favouring visual-auditory and 31% visual-tactile. The participants rated user experience, intuitiveness and perceived safety for the use of both concepts quite high. Further, the workload for assisted rides was rated as equally low as for unassisted rides.

Mitigating the Effects of Maternal Loss on Harbour Seal Pups in Captive Care

Stranded newborn “orphan” harbour seal pups entering captive care are often maintained for some weeks in isolation, mainly as a precaution against the spread of infection. However, this practice raises concerns for the welfare and normal socialisation of pups, who normally spend their first post-natal weeks close to their mothers and other seals. The present study recorded and described the behaviour of six paired orphan pups in rehabilitation up to about five weeks of age, provided with free access to water and haul-out areas. The occurrences of resting, following, nosing and body contacts, and aquatic play were recorded and compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the same behaviours of free-living pups with their mothers. The pups entered the water every day, although more often from about 2.5 weeks of age. They displayed to each other the same behaviours that free-living pups display to their mothers, although they engaged in relatively more physical contact, body nosing, and aquatic play. The study has shown that orphan pups maintained in pairs with free water access can act reciprocally as mother substitutes, thereby promoting species-typical primary socialisation and welfare during their early days of captive care.

Calcium bridges built by mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes: potential targets for neural repair in neurological diseases

The exchange of information and materials between organelles plays a crucial role in regulating cellular physiological functions and metabolic levels. Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes serve as physical contact channels between the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and the mitochondrial outer membrane, formed by various proteins and protein complexes. This microstructural domain mediates several specialized functions, including calcium (Ca2+) signaling, autophagy, mitochondrial morphology, oxidative stress response, and apoptosis. Notably, the dysregulation of Ca2+ signaling mediated by mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. Certain proteins or protein complexes within these membranes directly or indirectly regulate the distance between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, as well as the transduction of Ca2+ signaling. Conversely, Ca2+ signaling mediated by mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes influences other mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane-associated functions. These functions can vary significantly across different neurological diseases–such as ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease–and their respective stages of progression. Targeted modulation of these disease-related pathways and functional proteins can enhance neurological function and promote the regeneration and repair of damaged neurons. Therefore, mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes-mediated Ca2+ signaling plays a pivotal role in the pathological progression of neurological diseases and represents a significant potential therapeutic target. This review focuses on the effects of protein complexes in mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes and the distinct roles of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes-mediated Ca2+ signaling in neurological diseases, specifically highlighting the early protective effects and neuronal damage that can result from prolonged mitochondrial Ca2+ overload or deficiency. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the various mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling mediated by mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes in neurological diseases, contributing to the exploration of potential therapeutic targets for promoting neuroprotection and nerve repair.

The role of dogs is associated with owner management practices and characteristics, but not with perceived canine behaviour problems

AbstractOwned dogs are often regarded as family members, best friends, or even as substitutes for children. These new roles and their effects on human well-being have received scientific attention, but little is known about how attributing such social functions to dogs might influence the caring behaviour of the owner, which in turn can impact canine welfare. Our online survey of Hungarian dog owners (N = 790) aimed to describe what owners appreciate the most and the least in their dogs and to investigate the relationship between the social and non-social functions of the dog, the characteristics of the owner and the dog, the management practices of the owner, as well as the dog’s behaviour, including behaviour problems. We found that most owners appreciated petting and physical contact with their dog (97.6%), followed by ‘unconditional love’ (93.7%), the dog’s beauty (88.4%), and walking with the dog (86.5%). The most frequently mentioned problems were socialisation issues (20.4%) and lack of time (15.9%). Regarding canine behaviour, jumping up (33.2%), chasing animals (28.5%), territoriality (26.7%), and overexcitement (20.9%) were common problems. Almost a quarter of owners rated their dogs as totally obedient and 30.6% as totally safe off-leash. We identified three profiles of dog owners based on the roles they attribute to their dogs. Dogs with both companionship and practical functions (31.1%) were perceived as more obedient and provided higher safety benefits to their owners than others. Dogs regarded as ‘companion animals’ (19.4%) spent less time with their owners and had older owners than others. Lastly, owners labelled as ‘dog parents’ (49.5%) were more likely to keep their dog indoors only than others. Importantly, the roles attributed to dogs were not associated with owner-reported canine behaviour problems. We concluded that while the functions humans attribute to dogs are multiple and appear to have direct implications for the dogs’ daily lives, these variations in management practices do not necessarily seem to compromise their welfare.

Trends in the health status of Ukrainian refugees in Norway according to month of arrival during 2022

Abstract Background More than 35 000 refugees from Ukraine applied for temporary collective protection in Norway during 2022. Previous studies have shown that the refugees have poor health in several domains, and crude reports have suggested that those fleeing Ukraine at later stages have even poorer health. However, more systematic knowledge is lacking. This study aimed to analyse trends in self-reported health in a sample of adult refugees from Ukraine, by month of arrival to Norway during 2022. Methods Data were collected via an online, digital questionnaire, in a cross-sectional study design between 28.10.22–31.01.23. Recruitment was via multiple physical and social media contact points, including asylum reception centres, municipalities, non-profit organisations, and Facebook groups for refugees in Norway. The survey included the following self-reported health outcomes: overall health, oral health, presence of long-term illnesses or disabilities, and a short version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-5). Results Among the 727 respondents, 82% were female, 65% were aged 30–49 years, 69% had higher education and 53% were responsible for children in Norway. There were 383 respondents who arrived between February-April (T1), 200 between May-August (T2) and 144 between September-December (T3). Compared to T1, respondents who arrived in the two later time periods were more often male, had younger age distributions, and were less likely to have completed higher education. The proportions of respondents reporting poor/very poor overall health, presence of long-term illnesses and long-term disabilities were highest in T3. Oral health and HSCL-5 showed the opposite trend, with lower proportions reporting poorer health among respondents in both later periods. Respondents in T3 were still more likely to report poor/very poor health and long-term illnesses after adjusting for sex, age group and education (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 2.71 [95%CI 1.51–4.89]) and 1.74 [1.14–2.65], respectively). Conclusions Respondents who arrived later in 2022 generally reported poorer long-term health, but less psychological distress than those who arrived earlier in the year. These findings may help inform the planning of health services for refugees from Ukraine, especially in areas receiving large numbers of refugees.

Design, Modeling, and Characteristics Analysis of Halbach Permanent Magnetic Spring

Magnetic springs, which can be used to replace traditional mechanical springs, have many advantages, such as necessitating no physical contact, generating no friction, no vibration or noise, and having a long lifespan. Nevertheless, their strong nonlinearity limits their widespread application. In this study, we developed a novel permanent magnet spring to address this issue: a Halbach permanent magnetic spring, with a large levitation force and an approximately linear force characteristic curve. First, we introduce the structure and the parameters of the Halbach permanent magnetic spring. Second, we describe the levitation force performance and the stiffness performance of the Halbach permanent magnetic spring using finite element analysis. Third, we analyze the trends through which different parameters influence the levitation force performance and stiffness performance. Finally, we provide recommendations for the future design of and improvement in the Halbach permanent magnetic spring.

Abraded optical fibre-based dynamic range force sensor for tissue palpation

Tactile information acquired through palpation plays a crucial role in relation to surface characterisation and tissue differentiation - an essential clinical requirement during surgery. In the case of Minimally Invasive Surgery, access is restricted, and tactile feedback available to surgeons is therefore reduced. This paper presents a novel stiffness controllable, dynamic force range sensor that can provide remote haptic feedback. The sensor has an abraded optical fibre integrated into a silicone dome. Forces applied to the dome change the curvature of the optical fibres, resulting in light attenuation. By changing the pressure within the dome and thereby adjusting the sensor’s stiffness, we are able to modify the force measurement range. Results from our experimental study demonstrate that increasing the pressure inside the dome increases the force range whilst decreasing force sensitivity. We show that the maximum force measured by our sensor prototype at 20 mm/min was 5.02 N, 6.70 N and 8.83 N for the applied pressures of 0 psi (0 kPa), 0.5 psi (3.45 kPa) and 1 psi (6.9 kPa), respectively. The sensor has also been tested to estimate the stiffness of 13 phantoms of different elastic moduli. Results show the elastic modulus sensing range of the proposed sensor to be from 8.58 to 165.32 kPa.

Tissue-probe contact assessment during robotic surgery using single-fiber reflectance spectroscopy

The introduction of robotic surgery has improved minimally invasive surgery, and now robotic surgery is used in several areas of surgical oncology. Several optical techniques can be used to discriminate cancer from healthy tissue based on their optical properties. These technologies can also be employed with a small fiber-optic probe during minimally invasive surgery; however, for acquiring reliable measurements, some optical techniques require the fiber-optic probe to be in direct contact with the tissue. The lack of tactile feedback in robotic surgery makes assessing tissue-probe contact suitable for optical contact measurements challenging for the surgeon. In this study, we investigated the use of single fiber reflectance (SFR) to determine tissue-probe contact adequately. A machine learning-based algorithm was developed to classify if direct tissue-probe contact was present during the measurement in an ex-vivo tissue setup. Using this classification algorithm, an average accuracy of 93.9% was achieved for assessing probe-tissue contact, suggesting that this technique can be utilized to assess tissue-probe contact in an in vivo clinical setting.

Low power tactile sensory neuron using nanoparticle-based strain sensor and memristor

Endowing strain sensors with neuromorphic computing capabilities could permit the efficient processing of tactile information on the edge. The realization of such functionalities from a simple circuit without software processing holds promise for attaining skin-based perception. Here, leveraging the intrinsic neuronal plasticity of memristive neurons, various firing patterns induced by the applied strain were demonstrated. More specifically, tonic, bursting, transition from tonic to bursting, adaptive, and nociceptive activities were captured. The implementation of these patterns permits the facile translation of the analog pressure signals into digital spikes, attaining accurate perception of various tactile characteristics. The tactile sensory neuron consisting of an RC circuit was composed of a SiO2-based conductive bridge memristor exhibiting leaky integrate-and-fire properties and a Pt nanoparticles (NPs)-based strain sensor with a gauge factor of ∼270. A dense layer of Pt NPs was also used as the bottom electrode for the memristive element, yielding the manifestation of a threshold switching mode with a switching voltage of only ∼350 mV and an exceptional switching ratio of 107. Our work provides valuable insights for developing low power neurons with tactile feedback for prosthetics and robotics applications.

Tactile-GAT: tactile graph attention networks for robot tactile perception classification

Tactile-GAT: tactile graph attention networks for robot tactile perception classification

Effect of Compressive Strain Rates on Viscoelasticity and Water Content in Intact Porcine Stomach Wall Tissues

Abstract Laparoscopic staplers are used extensively to seal and transect tissue. These devices compress tissue between the stapler jaws to achieve a desired compressed tissue thickness in preparation for stapling. The extent and rate of compression are dependent on surgeon technique, tissue characteristics, and stapler type, all of which can impact stapling outcomes such as bleeding, staple line leaks, and tissue healing. Historically, surgeons have relied on their experience, training, and tactile feedback from the device to optimize stapling. In recent years, the transition to electromechanical and robotic staplers has greatly impacted the tactile feedback available to the surgeon. This raises new questions about the optimal rates of tissue compression and the resultant tissue forces. This study quantifies the transmural biomechanics of the porcine stomach wall. Multi-rate indentation tests were used to observe the effects of indentation rate on the viscoelastic behavior of the stomach tissue during indentation, stress relaxation, and unconstrained recovery. Results show that the stomach wall demonstrates higher stress relaxation (88% vs 80%) and greater strain recovery (52% vs 47%) when indented at high rates (37.5%/s) vs slow rates (7.5%/s). Additionally, water content analysis was used to study fluid flow away from indented regions. Unindented regions were found to have greater water content compared to indented regions (78% compared to 75%). This data generated in this study may be used to enable the development of constitutive models of stomach tissue, which in turn may inform the control algorithms that drive compressive surgical devices.

Compact Carbon‐Based Ultra‐High‐Power Electrodes: A Sodium Alginate‐Induced Self‐Shrinkage and Densification Approach

AbstractThe trade‐off between compact energy storage and high‐power performance presents a significant challenge in device development. While densifying carbon materials enhances volumetric energy density by optimizing the balance between porosity and packing density, it often disrupts electronic conductivity due to random physical contact between nanomodules, limiting the power performance. This work presents a sodium alginate (SA)‐induced self‐shrinkage densification strategy that overcomes this limitation by incorporating nanometer‐sized “spacers,” namely carbon quantum dots (CQDs), into graphene nanosheets and crosslinking them by carbonizing SA accompanying with the shrinkage. These CQDs and SA‐derived carbon enhance specific surface area, electronic conductivity, and ion transport rate due to the CQDs’ spacer function and the formation of welded junction between the reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CQDs nanosheets. Subsequently, the rGO/CQDs/SA‐derived carbon film exhibits an extraordinary volumetric power density of 12307.7 W cm−3 in an aqueous electrolyte under a mass loading of 0.12 mg cm−2. Notably, the assembled aqueous supercapacitors achieve a high volumetric power density of 349.5 W cm−3 under a higher mass loading of 0.49 mg cm−2. This paves the way for developing compact, highly conductive carbon‐based electrodes without compromising high porosity, offering a significant advancement in ultra‐high‐power energy storage devices.

Dermal macrophages control tactile perception under physiological conditions via NGF signaling

We demonstrated previously that sorting nexin 25 (SNX25) in nerve-associated macrophages plays critical roles in pain sensation by regulating tissue NGF content under both physiological and neuropathic conditions. In the present study, we apply the SNX25–NGF paradigm to tactile perception by showing that Snx25+/- mice or macrophage-specific Snx25 conditional knock-out (mcKO) mice had weaker responses to tactile stimuli in normal conditions. Snx25 mcKO mice responded poorly to transcutaneous electrical stimuli at a frequency of 5 Hz (C fiber responses), but normally to stimuli at a frequency of 250 Hz (Aδ fiber responses) or of 2000 Hz (Aβ fiber responses). CX3CR1-positive dermal macrophages were frequently found near calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP)- positive nerves and, less frequently, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive nerves. We confirmed that the tissue content of NGF was lower in Snx25 mcKO mice than in wild-type mice, and in turn, dermal NGF injection restored tactile sensitivity in Snx25+/- mice and Snx25 mcKO mice to normal levels. These results indicate that CGRP-positive C-nociceptors (possibly also TH-positive C-LTMRs) associated dermal macrophages control tactile perception by producing NGF and secreting it into the dermis.

Preventive Behaviors Among Higher Education Students in Response to COVID-19: The Role of Risk Perception

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions adopted a set of measures to ensure safe face-to-face teaching and to control potential outbreaks. However, the effectiveness of the implemented measures is dependent on the behavior of students, who are generally young, often displaced, living with other colleagues, and constantly seeking physical contact, which makes their behavior outside the institution also of particular relevance to controlling the pandemic. An online questionnaire was developed and applied to characterize the behaviors adopted by students inside and outside the higher education institution, as well as risk perception based on the health belief model (HBM) and unrealistic optimism, with the participation of 620 students from three Portuguese higher education institutions. The adoption of safe behaviors is related to a greater perception of the benefits and of the severity of COVID-19. Unrealistic optimism also has a negative impact on preventive behaviors. The behaviors least adopted by students concerning potential exposure to COVID-19 were disinfecting hands and equipment after use, as well as physical distancing from colleagues. With regard to behaviors adopted outside the institution, it was found that students did not avoid physical contact with colleagues and family members. These findings contribute to our understanding of student behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, help institutions understand if the applied strategies were effective or not, and denote the need to reinforce or improve the implemented strategies.

Pro-Con Debate: Air or Saline for Loss-of-Resistance Technique of Interlaminar Epidural Access with Fluoroscopy-Guided Pain Medicine Procedures

In this Pro-Con commentary article, the Pro side advocates that using the loss of resistance (LOR) to air technique for interlaminar epidural access is safe as the risk of pneumocephalus is exceptionally low. They note that case reports detailing complications typically utilize at least 1 mL of air, frequently exceeding this amount. Even a 1-mL dosage surpasses the requirement, particularly when fluoroscopy is applied in the context of chronic pain management. The proponents also suggest a modified technique, where a syringe containing a drop of saline or contrast acts as a visual cue, minimizing air injection into the epidural space to a negligible quantity. Moreover, they emphasize that air facilitates the identification of any fluid as an indicator of unintended intrathecal access. The Con perspective argues against the utilization of air for epidural access and advocates for the use of LOR with saline instead. This stance is supported by evidence pointing to a greater occurrence of adverse events, such as postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and pneumocephalus, associated with LOR to air compared to LOR with saline. They also argue that saline’s physical properties enhance tactile feedback, potentially contributing to its increased safety. Both saline and air have been used for many years for epidural access via the interlaminar approach. Although both are generally accepted in practice, neither has been formally established as the standard of care. It would benefit the medical community to further delineate the pros and cons of each medium, enabling practitioners to make more informed decisions. This Pro-Con debate will provide 2 perspectives (Table) on the evidence and rationales for the use of air or saline for the LOR technique in interlaminar epidural access with fluoroscopy.

Designing a Tactile Document UI for 2D Refreshable Tactile Displays: Towards Accessible Document Layouts for Blind People

Understanding document layouts is vital for enhancing document exploration and information retrieval for sighted individuals. However, for blind and visually impaired people, it becomes challenging to have access to layout information using typical assistive technologies such as screen readers. In this paper, we examine the potential benefits of presenting documents on two-dimensional (2D) refreshable tactile displays. These displays enable the tactile perception of 2D data, offering the advantage of dynamic and interactive functionality. Despite their potential, the development of user interfaces (UIs) for such displays has not advanced significantly. Thus, we propose a design of an intelligent tactile user interface (TUI), incorporating touch and audio feedback to represent documents in a tactile format. Our exploratory study for evaluating this approach revealed satisfaction from participants with the experience of directly viewing documents in their true form, rather than relying on screen-reading interpretations. Additionally, participants offered recommendations for incorporating additional features and refining the approach in future iterations. To facilitate further research and development, we have made our dataset and models publicly available.

Effectiveness of a web-based foot-ankle exercise program for treating ulcer risk factors in diabetic neuropathy in a randomized controlled trial

The need for strategies to prevent complications from diabetic neuropathy (DPN) is well recognized. However, foot-ankle exercise programs show weak to moderate evidence, and barriers to their implementation persist, including broad and facilitated access to exercise programs, which guarantee for equity. In this paper, we report for the first time the effectiveness of a web-based foot-ankle exercise program aiming to improve DPN-related outcomes, gait biomechanics and functional outcomes. Sixty-two participants with DPN were randomly allocated into the control group (CG; n = 31), which received the usual care, or the intervention group (IG; n = 31), which received the usual care plus a 12-week foot-ankle exercise program using a web-based software (the SOPeD software). The primary outcomes, DPN symptoms and severity, were assessed using the Brazilian version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument and the Decision Support System for Classification of Diabetic Polyneuropathy, respectively. Secondary outcomes included tactile sensitivity (monofilaments) and vibration perception (tuning fork), functional outcomes, such as foot pain and function (Foot Health Status Questionnaire), foot muscle strength and plantar pressure during gait (emed plate), and foot-ankle kinematics and kinetics during gait. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks by an assessor blinded to group allocation. DPN symptoms and severity remained unchanged after the web-based foot-ankle program. However, IG showed improvements compared to CG, with greater functional reach at 12 weeks, better foot function, reduced foot pain and greater plantarflexion degree during push-off at 24 weeks. Regarding plantar loading during gait, the forefoot pressure reduced in the IG at 12 weeks compared to baseline, but at 24 weeks, forefoot load increased in the IG compared to CG. The 12-week web-based foot-ankle exercise program was feasible, acceptable, demonstrating safety with minimal adverse events, such as delayed onset muscle soreness and foot muscle cramping. While DPN-related outcomes were unaffected by the 12-week SOPeD program, modest improvements in foot pain and function, functional reach, and changes in plantar pressure and plantarflexion degree during gait were noted, mostly at 24 weeks.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04011267. Registered on 8 July 2019.

The artistry and algorithms in fabric origami tessellations

This article describes artistic and algorithmic strategies in making fabric origami to create fabric art with tactile sensitivities and expressive shadow effects.

Innovative navigation: a smart cane solution with GPS, GSM, and real-time image capture

Our article presents the design, study, and implementation of a smart cane aimed at enhancing the autonomy and safety of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The solution is built around an Arduino board, integrated with various sensors and modules, to provide real-time tactile and auditory feedback to the user. Utilizing a combination of basic and advanced technologies, this smart cane detects obstacles at varying distances, triggering sound and vibration alerts to assist the user in navigation. Beyond these essential functions, the cane offers advanced features such as real-time image capture and obstacle recognition through the ESP32-CAM module. Additionally, the system is equipped with a GSM module that facilitates emergency communication by sending SMS messages with the user’s GPS location, obtained via the Neo-6M GPS module. These technological enhancements improve user safety by streamlining obstacle detection and enabling remote assistance when needed. The primary objective is to create a comprehensive solution that not only detects and avoids obstacles but also provides visual information and supports communication with caregivers or emergency services. By doing so, the smart cane contributes to a higher degree of independence and an improved quality of life for blind and visually impaired individuals.

Tactile Sensitivity to Missing tones in Complex Vibrotactile Signals.

Haptic interactions with objects induce complex vibrotactile signals that are central to tactile perception. Despite the broad literature on vibrotactile perception, surprisingly little is known about the sensory processing of complex tactile signals made of multiple pure tones. To fill this gap, the study reported here investigated the impact of the constitutive pure tones of a complex vibrotactile signal on its perception. Participants completed a 3-AFC task, in which they were asked to identify an odd signal among two complex references. The odd signal was created by removing one pure tone from the reference, which varied in spectral composition, harmonicity, and inter-frequency intervals. Each reference signal was made of either two, three, or four pure tones. The results revealed that the removed pure tone's value as well as the inter-frequency interval play a significant role on participants' performance whereas changes in harmonicity and complexity have little impact. The smaller the ratio between the removed frequency and the lowest one of the reference signals, the better the participants' capacity to identify the signal with the missing tone. As this ratio correlates with that of pure tone's perceived intensity, participants' performance can be linked to either of them. Analysis of a subset of complex signals made of pure tones perceived with roughly equal intensity showed that the correlation still holds but slightly decreases. Overall, these results suggest that perception of complex vibrations might be mediated by tactile mechanisms related to both frequency selectivity and to pure tones perceived intensity.