The Structure of the Individual Mental Lexicon from the Standpoint of L. S. Vygotsky's Ideas

Research on the structure of an individual's mental lexicon has shown that, among the set of concepts belonging to a single semantic field, there is typically one particular concept that stands out. The processes of storage, identification, and retrieval of this concept are faster and more successful than they are for the others. For example, in the vertical hierarchy of the concept fruit—apple—antonovka [McIntosh to give a familiar U. S. example—Trans.], apple plays this type of lead role and also occupies the most prominent position in the horizontal series apple—pear—plum—cherries—orange. Concepts with such characteristics are referred to as basic, source, or primary concepts. What is the reason for their special status?     

Deciding with dignity: The account of human dignity as an attitude and its implications for assisted suicide

Discussions about assisted suicide have hitherto been based on accounts of dignity conceived only as an inherent value or as a status; accounts of dignity in which it appears as a (contingent) attitude, by contrast, have been neglected. Yet there are two good reasons to consider dignity to be an attitude. First, this concept of dignity best allows us to grasp a crucial aspect of everyday language: people often express fears of losing their dignity—and it is not possible to explain this with an account in which dignity is inherent. Second, such a concept allows us to adduce new argumentation where the argument based on status ends. Dignity considered as a status provides grounds to argue for the moral permissibility of assisted suicide, in the sense that in such an account individuals possess the normative power to waive their right to life. But the question then remains of how to decide what counts as a good reason for assisted suicide—and this is where an argument based on dignity as an attitude can provide illumination.     

BesitztAnemia Sori? Untersuchungen über die Entwicklung des Sporophylls vonAnemia phyllitidis (Schizaeaceae)

Observations of young fertile leaf primordia provide information about the development of the sporophyll ofAnemia phyllitidis Sw. The marginal meristem which surrounds the leaf primordium forms the pinna primordia, firstly the two “spore pinnae” by meristem fractionation. These are turned with their adaxial side towards the leaf apex and continue marginal meristem fractionations until products of the 5th order are formed.—In the sporophyll development two events are significant: (1) The fractionation products of the 2nd order reverse their direction of coiling. (2) From the marginal meristem of the fractionation products of the 5th order the sporangia arise in acropetal succession each originating from one initial cell.—Three observations—the fractionation products of the 2nd order being accessory outgrowths of the leaf margin, their reversed coiling direction, and the aggregation of the sporangia on the last segments—lead to the following concept of a sorus type: Each fractionation product of the 2nd order represents a marginal acropetal sorus with a branched receptaculum.     

Effect size measures and their benchmark values for quantifying benefit or risk of medicinal products

The standardized mean difference is a well‐known effect size measure for continuous, normally distributed data. In this paper we present a general basis for important other distribution families. As a general concept, usable for every distribution family, we introduce the relative effect, also called Mann–Whitney effect size measure of stochastic superiority. This measure is a truly robust measure, needing no assumptions about a distribution family. It is thus the preferred tool for assumption‐free, confirmatory studies. For normal distribution shift, proportional odds, and proportional hazards, we show how to derive many global values such as risk difference average, risk difference extremum, and odds ratio extremum. We demonstrate that the well‐known benchmark values of Cohen with respect to group differences—small, medium, large—can be translated easily into corresponding Mann–Whitney values. From these, we get benchmarks for parameters of other distribution families. Furthermore, it is shown that local measures based on binary data (2 × 2 tables) can be associated with the Mann–Whitney measure: The concept of stochastic superiority can always be used. It is a general statistical value in every distribution family. It therefore yields a procedure for standardizing the assessment of effect size measures. We look at the aspect of relevance of an effect size and—introducing confidence intervals—present some examples for use in statistical practice.     

Between Knowledge And Technology: Patenting Methods,Rethinking Materiality

How does the law construe certain things and activities as knowledge that can become the object of intellectual property? When we look at the quantitative trends in recent patenting activities—more people patenting many more things—we tend to view that, in part, as an effect of the law's ability to construe new kinds of innovation (software, genetic sequences, etc.) in ways that conform to established legal concepts of patentable invention. The assumption is that what changes is not the shape of the box called invention, but the objects that are made to fit that box. But in fact while new technologies produce new innovations, the very concept of invention has not just expanded but undergone substantial qualitative change. The wave of inventive activity associated with the industrial revolution led to an unprecedented reliance on patenting, but as the law articulated ways to protect those inventions, it also took their emblematic form—the machine—as the template for the legal concept of invention. Analogously, the recent reinterpretations of patent law to enable the protection of living organism and biological entities have challenged and modified the traditional machine-inspired concept of invention, initiating a trend toward a more developmental one. The information-based inventions discussed here may elicit a reconceptualization of invention in yet another way.     

Untersuchungen zum Symmetriekonzept bei Kohlmeisen (Parus major L.)*

The question was investigated whether an insectivorous bird when hungry can form the concept of bilateral symmetry which might enable it to detect resting prey proficiently. Eight great tits of both sexes were trained in four experiments with insects as reward to discriminate either between a pair of figures that differed only in terms of the presence of bilateral symmetry (symmetric—asymmetric), or simultaneously between pairs of figures that were both symmetric (symmetric—symmetric) or not (symmetric—asymmetric). Symmetry concept formation was demonstrated in some of the Ss by a) generalization tests and b) a better performance with symmetric-asymmetric pairs as compared to symmetric—symmetric pairs. While one S attended to symmetry regardless of the orientation of the symmetry axis, another probably did not.     

Vicinism and mass effect in a historical perspective

Abstract. The term vicinism, usually ascribed to R. Nordhagen, was probably first coined in 1903 by Hugo de Vries as a genetical term — in the framework of his mutation theory — and only two years later as an ecological concept by F.E. Clements. Since both terms are clearly defined and concern different phenomena it is better to distinguish between genetical and ecological vicinism, while the latter concept can be further subdivided in rhizome and seed vicinism.     

Parental Moral Distress and Moral Schism in the Neonatal ICU

Ethical dilemmas in critical care may cause healthcare practitioners to experience moral distress: incoherence between what one believes to be best and what occurs. Given that paediatric decision-making typically involves parents, we propose that parents can also experience moral distress when faced with making value-laden decisions in the neonatal intensive care unit. We propose a new concept—that parents may experience “moral schism”—a genuine uncertainty regarding a value-based decision that is accompanied by emotional distress. Schism, unlike moral distress, is not caused by barriers to making and executing a decision that is deemed to be best by the decision-makers but rather an encounter of significant internal struggle. We explore factors that appear to contribute to both moral distress and “moral schism” for parents: the degree of available support, a sense of coherence of the situation, and a sense of responsibility. We propose that moral schism is an underappreciated concept that needs to be explicated and may be more prevalent than moral distress when exploring decision-making experiences for parents. We also suggest actions of healthcare providers that may help minimize parental “moral schism” and moral distress.     

On the Perception of Newcomers

Human coalitions frequently persist through multiple, overlapping membership generations, requiring new members to cooperate and coordinate with veteran members. Does the mind contain psychological adaptations for interacting within these intergenerational coalitions? In this paper, we examine whether the mind spontaneously treats newcomers as a motivationally privileged category. Newcomers—though capable of benefiting coalitions—may also impose considerable costs (e.g., they may free ride on other members, they may be poor at completing group tasks). In three experiments we show (1) that the mind categorizes coalition members by tenure, including newcomers; (2) that tenure categorization persists in the presence of orthogonal and salient social dimensions; and (3) that newcomers elicit a pattern of impressions consistent with their probable ancestral costs. These results provide preliminary evidence for a specialized component of human coalitional psychology: an evolved concept of newcomer.     

Azimuthally asymmetric eigenmodes of a magnetized plasma cylinder around a dielectric rod in a circular waveguide

The electrodynamics of a circular waveguide with a dielectric rod surrounded by a magnetized plasma layer is considered. A general dispersion relation for azimuthally asymmetric perturbations is derived, and its solutions describing slow waves—specifically, electromagnetic and plasma modes, as well as (and primarily) hybrid waves that combine the properties of both mode types—are investigated numerically. For the fundamental waveguide mode of the system—the HE₁₁ mode—the parameters of the plasma layer are determined at which the mode cannot be subject to Cherenkov interaction with a relativistic electron beam at a given frequency. For both waveguide and plasma modes, the radial profiles of the longitudinal components of the electric field and Poynting vector, the fractions of RF power carried within the dielectric and plasma regions and vacuum gap, and the coupling impedance are calculated as functions of the parameters of the plasma layer. The evolution of the field structure during the formation of asymmetric hybrid waves is traced. The results of calculating the dispersion and coupling impedance are analyzed as applied to an antenna-amplifier—a relativistic traveling-wave tube operating on the HE₁₁ mode of the dielectric rod: specifically, the implementability of the concept in the presence of a plasma at the rod surface is estimated, and the possible role of azimuthally asymmetric and symmetric plasma modes is examined.     

Dancing into Being: The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Laura Dance Festival

Focusing on the connection between dance performance and the politics of identity, I explore the problem of human agency and interrogate the concept of a dualistic split between mind and body. I interpret dance as a form of corporeal politics and use the example of dance in two tourist arenas—the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Laura Dance and Cultural Festival—to illustrate Aboriginal agency in both participating in and resisting structures of state bureaucratic practice, and representations of cultural authenticity.     

Microfragmentation concept explains non-positive environmental heterogeneity–diversity relationships

Although recent studies have revealed that the relationship between diversity and environmental heterogeneity is not always positive, as classical niche theory predicts, scientists have had difficulty interpreting these results from an ecological perspective. We propose a new concept—microfragmentation—to explain how small-scale heterogeneity can have neutral or even negative effect on species diversity. We define microfragmentation as a community level process of splitting habitat into a more heterogeneous environment that can have non-positive effects on the diversity through habitat loss and subsequent isolation. We provide support for the microfragmentation concept with results from spatially explicit heterogeneity–diversity model simulations, in which varying sets of species (with different ratios of specialist and generalist species) were modeled at different levels of configurational heterogeneity (meaning that only the habitat structure was changed, not its composition). Our results indicate that environmental heterogeneity can affect community diversity in the same way as fragmentation at the landscape level. Although generalist species might not be seriously affected by microfragmentation, the persistence of specialist species can be seriously disturbed by small-scale patchiness. The microfragmentation concept provides new insight into community level diversity dynamics and can influence conservation and management strategies.     

Green electricity and biowastes via biogas to bulk‐chemicals and fuels: The next move toward a sustainable bioeconomy

To deal with the global challenges of limited fossil resources, climate change, and environmental pollution bioeconomy has been identified globally as a strategic development goal. In this regard, many industrial countries and regions have set very ambiguous targets: e.g. within the EU 25–30% of all chemicals and other industrial products as well as 5–10% of transportation fuels should be bio‐based by 2030. These targets are hardly achievable and not sustainable with presently known bio‐production systems, mainly due to constrains in substrate availability, limited product yield, and high processing costs. Thus, new concepts are desperately needed. Against this background, an innovative and sustainable concept is presented and discussed here. The central idea of the concept is the conversion of organic wastes into a widely usable product—biogas (CO₂ +CH₄)—which is then used as a clean and uniform substrate for the synthesis of bulk‐chemicals and/or fuels, especially by using green electricity from wind and solar. Such a concept (shortened as E&G²C) has the potential to overcome major limitations of known bioproduction systems. Biogas as a substrate of biosynthesis has many unique advantages, including sustainability, efficiency, and flexibility. The use of electricity for biosynthesis with biogas represents an ideal system for efficient bioelectrochemical conversion. Here, the rationale behind the concept is illustrated, its sustainability is underpinned with concrete data, and the realization of the concept is discussed by looking at the possible conversion routes and key issues to be solved. The markets and perspectives provided by the concept E&G²C are also briefly addressed. In conclusion, the concept E&G²C provides a unique and innovative path for the next move toward a real sustainable bioeconomy.     

Mitochondrial mechanisms of apoptosis in response to DNA damage

Genome integrity is essential for cell viability, while damage to the DNA structure is a key factor inducing cell death. Among all cell death programs, those involving mitochondrial proteins are of particular importance. Activation of various protective epigenetic mechanisms in response to DNA damage prevents cell death. The outcome of genotoxic stress—cell death versus survival—depends on the balance of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic signaling. This concept provides a rational basis for improving the efficacy of anticancer therapy by combining DNA-damaging exposures with inhibition of antiapoptotic mechanisms.     

Rigid-body modeling of knee cartilage and meniscus using experimental pressure-strain curves

Rigid-body knee models have gained popularity thanks to computational speed and ease of setup compared to finite element models—showing exciting potential for clinical patient-specific models in the future. However, Rigid-body studies in general have encountered difficulty in modeling cartilage and especially meniscus material properties, often relying on computationally costly optimization techniques. This paper presents two new methods to alleviate the difficulty—one to define model contact pressure and one to define meniscus internal forces—and is the first to our knowledge to use experimental pressure-strain curves from the literature to simulate cartilage and meniscus behavior in a rigid body model. This paper describes the methodology to derive the proof of concept model and preliminary results from a gait simulation based on ISO 14243-1.     

THE CHANGING CONCEPT OF AUXIN

Kefford , N. P., and P. L. Goldacre . (Division of Plant Industry, C.S.I.R.O., Canberra, Australia.) The changing concept of auxin. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(7): 643–650. Illus. 1961.—Recent findings in auxin research are interpreted as follows: The concept of auxin as only a cell-enlargement regulator can no longer accommodate the variety of growth phenomena controlled by auxin. In isolated tissues, auxin interacts with gibberellin in the control of cell enlargement, and auxin and kinin interact in initiating cell division. Some evidence suggests a single site of auxin action for both processes. It is proposed that auxin is not a determining agent but a predisposing agent, causing the production of something in limiting amount which is required in both processes —in the presence of kinin, cell division is activated; in the presence of gibberellin, cell enlargement is activated. In the presence of limiting amounts of auxin, there could be competition between the 2 processes, the outcome depending on the balance of kinin and gibberellin. The possibility of competition in the presence of supraoptimal auxin concentrations is also suggested. Difficulties arise in the application of this concept to observations on intact plants, where cause and effect relationships are not readily established; the use of excised plant parts shows the relationships more clearly. The role of auxin in cell and organ differentiation is also discussed. The primary auxin reaction is not yet known. The biological assay for auxins is discussed with reference to this and to natural auxins. The function of auxin in the correlation of tissue and organ growth through the auxin transport system is stressed, and it is pointed out that if transport is a necessary requirement of a native auxin, indole-3-acetic acid is at present the only substance known to qualify.     

On the Phenomenon of “Perezhivanie”

The author presents a short historical review of the concept of “perezhivanie” beginning with L.S. Vygotsky. She compares this concept with reflection as two central concepts revealing a person's consciousness. A systemic picture of these two phenomena is elaborated by introducing a hierarchy of reflection. A further step is made that relates the “perezhivanie—reflection” system to (psychoanalytic) self-formations. Empirical studies shed light on phenomena connected to “perezhivanie.”     

Social is Emotional

This is a biological approach to the philosophy of mind that feeds an investigation of the phenomena of “social” and “emotional”, both of which are widespread in nature. I scrutinize the non-dualistic Darwinian concept of the continuity of mind. For practical reasons, I address mind at different levels of organization: The systemic mind are the properties of which a common, coherent evolution works upon. Separated from this is “language-mind”: the crystallization of thought in words, which is a strictly human phenomenon. As the phenomenology of the body is a theory of philosophy that lie beyond language it can—to a certain extent—be extrapolated across a species boundary. In the process the phenomenology of the body comes to resemble biosemiotics and with this tool, I investigate a field study of social play behavior in canids. This leads to a possibility to study the non-human experience of emotion as “locally meaningful phenomena”.     

Phylogeny of the Neuropterida (Insecta: Holometabola)

The Neuropterida, with about 6500 known species — living fossils in a way — at the base of the Holometabola (as a sister group of the Coleoptera), comprise Raphidioptera (about 210 species, two families), Megaloptera (about 300 species, two families) and Neuroptera (6000 species, 17 families). Megaloptera + Neuroptera is argued vs. the traditional Raphidioptera + Megaloptera. Raphidioptera are undisputedly monophyletic. Monophyly of Megaloptera is the operational hypothesis, although occasionally questioned. Sucking tubes of the larvae are the most spectacular autapomorphy of Neuroptera. The construction of larval head capsules indicates three evolutionary lines: Nevrorthiformia, and Myrmeleontiformia + Hemerobiiformia. Traditional Myrmeleontiformia is Psychopsidae + (Nemopteridae + (Nymphidae + (Myrmeleontidae + Ascalaphidae))), the present approach is (Psychopsidae + Nemopteridae) + all other Myrmeleontiformia. Hemerobiiformia are based on the ‘maxillary head’ concept. The ithonid clade Ithonidae/Rapismatidae + Polystoechothidae and the dilarid clade Dilaridae + (Mantispidae + (Rhachiberothidae + Berothidae)) are based on robust criteria. Other relationships remain unclear: Hemerobiidae + Chrysopidae (on similarity) and the ‘early offshoot’ concept of coniopterygidae (on autapomorphies) should not be perpetuated. Chysopidae + Osmylidae and (Hemerobiidae + (Coniopterygidae + Sisyridae)) + dilarid clade are discussed. Aquatic larvae, regarded as independent apomorphies of megaloptera and neuropteran Nevrorthidae and Sisyridae for a long time, are re‐interpreted as a synapomorphy of Megaloptera + Neuroptera and thus plesiomorphic within these groups. Terrestrial larvae (with cryptonephry to solve osmotic problems) are consequently apomorphic. Aquatic Sisyridae with cryptonephry of a single malpighian tubule, is conflicting, but larvae may have become secondarily aquatic, after a terrestrial intermezzo.     

Half a Century on the Concepts of Innateness and Instinct: Survey,Synthesis and Philosophical Implications

This paper first surveys and criticizes the various attempts by students of behavior to define the concept of innateness. A new definition, based on these (especially that of Lorenz), and reformulable in terms of now classic notions in genetics and evolutionary theory, is then offered: A trait is innate if, and only if, it is canalized and such that any phenotype in the reaction norm which does not possess the trait is a morphose — hence maladapted — and such that all modifications do possess the trait. A narrower definition of innateness, based on the first definition, is suggested to delimit what is called “the Lorenzian notions of innateness” and to provide a framework within which to discuss the notion of a fixed action pattern. Evidence, from the recent literature, is adduced to show the existence and importance of such patterns — even for human behavior. In the final section, it is argued that a paradigm shift has indeed occurred and that although this scientific revolution has been accompanied by many of the irrational elements noted by the Kuhnian school of philosophy of science, the shift has in fact been made upon perfectly rational grounds. That this should be true of so controversial a field is strong evidence against the irrationalist thesis in philosophy of science.