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Biomedical subjects

A Gelperin

Publications and source records attributed to A Gelperin.

71 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Rapid food-aversion learning by a terrestrial mollusk.

The terrestrial slug Limax maximus can lean to avoid new palatable food if CO2 poisoning is paired with igestion of the new food. Some animals learn in one trail and remember without error for 3 weeks. Avoidance most commonly consists of complete rejection of the unsafe food, based on olfactory cues. This preparation offers the opportunity for detailed neurophysiological analysis of a rapid-onset learning mechanism of long duration.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Surgical mortality in the elderly.

Surgical mortality rates were reviewed for the four-year period 1970-1973, in a series of 2,186 operations. The majority of these operations were performed in patients aged 70 or older; of these, 116 were performed in patients of the 90+ age group. Predictably, the surgical mortality in the older groups was higher than in the younger groups. However, the overall mortality for patients aged 70 or older was 4.9 per cent as compared with 8 to 21 per cent for series reported in the literature. Gastrointestinal, biliary, and chest procedures carried a much higher mortality than did the other major categories. Minor surgical operations in the elderly should be approached with caution since they may be associated with a significant mortality rate. Nevertheless, elderly patients should not be denied surgical intervention, major or minor, on the basis of age alone when the operation can make their remaining years more comfortable.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1974

Olfactory Basis of Homing Behavior in the Giant Garden Slug, Limax maximus.

Time lapse photography of slugs living in an experimental enclosure shows that these animals can return to a homesite from over 90 cm by a direct route. Slime trail following and vision are not involved in this behavior. In the presence of a low velocity wind, homing occurs upwind. Surgical disconnection of the presumptive olfactory apparatus (digitate ganglion) from the central nervous system eliminates homing. Neurophysiological recordings from the receptor surface associated with the digitate ganglion and the olfactory nerve demonstrate the olfactory function of the digitate ganglion. The olfactory acuity and capacity for directed locomotion via olfactory cues are also relevant to studies of slug feeding behavior, ecology, and learning ability.

Journal Article↗