How Scientific Is Scientific Essentialism?

Scientific essentialism holds that: (1) each scientific kind is associated with the same set of properties in every possible world; and (2) every individual member of a scientific kind belongs to that kind in every possible world in which it exists. Recently, Ellis (Scientific essentialism, 2001; The philosophy of nature 2002) has provided the most sustained defense of scientific essentialism, though he does not clearly distinguish these two claims. In this paper, I argue that both claims face a number of formidable difficulties. The necessities of scientific essentialism are not adequately distinguished from semantic necessities, they have not been shown to be necessities in the strictest sense, they must be relativized to context, and they must either be confined to a subset of scientific properties without warrant or their connection to causal powers must be revoked. Moreover, upon closer examination (1) turns out to be a trivial thesis that can be satisfied by non-kinds, and (2) is inapplicable to some of the most fundamental kinds in the basic sciences.     

婚姻冲突、应对策略及其与婚姻满意度的关系

探讨婚姻冲突、应对策略、婚姻满意度的特点及其关系。采用方便取样,选取辽阳市已婚完整家庭1～10年的夫妻620对进行问卷调查。结果表明：1）夫妻报告的前三项冲突是：家务琐事、不良习惯和交流解决问题方面。在家务琐事、交流解决问题和孩子方面,妻子报告的冲突显著多于丈夫;妻子报告的双方回避应对显著多于丈夫;2）人际关系冲突和工作方面的冲突分别对妻子和丈夫的婚姻满意度有显著预测作用;双方都报告人际关系方面的冲突对对方婚姻满意度有显著预测作用,但妻子报告的人际关系冲突对丈夫婚姻满意的预测作用更大;3）自己和对方的应对策略在妻子报告的冲突与婚姻满意中起完全中介作用,在丈夫报告的冲突与婚姻满意中起部分中介作用。     

Post-training administration of corticosterone enhances consolidation of contextual fear memory and hippocampal long-term potentiation in rats

This study was designed to examine the effect of corticosterone on consolidation of contextual fear memory and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in rats. In Experiment 1, dose–response effects of corticosterone on consolidation of contextual fear memory were determined. Immediately after training in contextual fear conditioning task, rats received different doses of corticosterone. Testing 24 h later, it revealed that corticosterone enhanced memory consolidation in an inverted U shape as evidenced in increased freezing behavior of corticosterone-treated animals. The most effective dose was 3 mg/kg. In Experiment 2, LTP was examined in rats whose memory consolidation has been enhanced with corticosterone. The rats were trained as the above and received corticosterone (3 mg/kg) immediately after training. Immediately or up to one day after retention test, rats were anesthetized with urethane for LTP experiments. For LTP induction, three episodes of high frequency stimuli, 30 s apart, were delivered to the perforant path, each consisting of 10 stimuli at 250 Hz. LTP was assessed by measuring the increase in the initial slope of the population excitatory post-synaptic potentials and the amplitude of the population spikes. Data indicated that animals whose memory has been enhanced by corticosterone, also displayed enhanced hippocampal LTP. The above findings suggest that glucocorticoids may enhance contextual fear memory consolidation via enhancing hippocampal LTP.     

National (dis)identification and ethnic and religious identity: a study among Turkish-Dutch muslims

National (dis)identification is examined in three studies among Turkish-Dutch Muslim participants. In explaining national (dis)identification, the first study focuses on ethnic identity, the second on ethnic and religious identity, and the third on three dimensions of religious identity. Many participants show low commitment to the nation, and many indicate national disidentification. In addition, there is very strong ethnic and religious identification. Ethnic and Muslim identifications relate negatively to Dutch identification and, in Study 3, to stronger Dutch disidentification. Furthermore, perceived group rejection is associated with increased ethnic minority and religious identification but also with decreased national Dutch identification. In addition, in Studies 1 and 2 the effect of perceived rejection on Dutch identification is (partly) mediated by minority group identification. The findings are discussed in relation to social psychological thinking about group identification, dual identities, and the importance of religion for intergroup relations.     

Reliability and factorial validity of a Farsi version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale with a sample of Iranian students

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Farsi version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale for 587 undergraduate students (349 women and 238 men) at the University of Tehran. All participants were asked to complete the Farsi version of the TAS-20, the Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the Mental Health Inventory. Findings supported the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and three-factor structure of the Farsi version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The factors found in the Farsi version of this scale are similar to the three factors found previously and were accordingly labeled as Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings, and Externally Oriented Thinking. The results provide evidence for applicability of the TAS-20 and its cross-cultural validity.     

The effects of acute stress and pubertal development on metabolic hormones in the rat

A dramatic change in stress responsiveness occurs during pubertal development such that stress-induced corticosterone secretion in prepubertal animals takes 45-60 min longer to return to baseline compared to adults. Though corticosterone is known to influence energy mobilization, it is presently unknown whether stressors affect other hormones important in energy utilization and metabolism differentially in animals before and after pubertal development. Therefore, we exposed prepubertal (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats to a single 30 min session of restraint stress in either the light or dark phase of the animals' light-dark (LD) cycle and measured plasma glucose, insulin and thyroid hormones (thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)). We found similar stress-induced increases in plasma glucose levels in prepubertal and adult animals in the LD phase of the LD cycle. We also found that prepubertal animals have lower circulating insulin and total and free T4 levels, but higher total and free T3 levels compared to adults in both the light and dark phases (LD). Interestingly, insulin and thyroid hormone levels were unaffected by acute stress at either age or time of day. These data indicate that, despite prepubertal animals showing an extended glucocorticoid stress response after a single acute exposure to stress, glucose levels are similarly affected by acute stress in prepubertal and adult animals. Furthermore, though stage of development significantly affects the levels of peripheral metabolic hormones such as insulin, T4 and T3, acute stress does not appreciably influence their secretion before or after puberty.     

Determinants of effective coping with cultural transition among expatriate children and adolescents

The present study examined the influence of family and parental work factors, personality, and attachment on the intercultural adjustment of expatriate children and adolescents (N=104). Children from families high in cohesion exhibited higher levels of adjustment than children from low cohesive families. Expatriate work satisfaction was significantly related to children's adjustment. Emotional Stability appeared as an independent predictor of adjustment. Attachment dominated as the strongest predictor of adjustment, whereby an ambivalent attachment style was negatively related to adjustment. Interestingly, personality and attachment moderated the influence of family- and work-related factors on adjustment, whereby the beneficial effects of a healthy family and work situation were particularly found among children high on the intercultural traits and high in secure attachment.     

Ketamine "unlocks" the reduced clock-speed effects of cocaine following extended training: evidence for dopamine--glutamate interactions in timing and time perception

The present study examined the clock-speed modulating effects of acute cocaine administration in groups of male rats that received different amounts of baseline training on a 36-s peak-interval procedure prior to initial drug injection. After injection of cocaine (10, 15, or 20mg/kg, ip), rats that had received a minimal amount of training (e.g., or=180 sessions) prior to cocaine (15 mg/kg, ip) administration did not produce this "classic" curve-shift effect, but instead displayed a general disruption of temporal control following drug administration. Importantly, when co-administered with a behaviorally ineffective dose of ketamine (10mg/kg, ip) the ability of cocaine to modulate clock speed in rats receiving extended training was restored. A glutamate "lock/unlock" hypothesis is used to explain the observed dopamine-glutamate interactions as a function of timing behaviors becoming learned habits.     

Post-training reversible inactivation of the rat's basolateral amygdala interferes with hippocampus-dependent place avoidance memory in a time-dependent manner

In this study, tetrodotoxin (TTX) inactivation was employed to evaluate the involvement of the rat's basolateral amygdala (BLA) in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory using a place avoidance learning task. Rats were trained in single 30 min session to avoid a 60 degrees segment of the stable circular (80-cm diameter) arena, entering which was punished by a mild shock. Bilateral injections of TTX or saline were made either immediately, 1 or 2h after training. Retention was tested 24h later in a 30 min extinction session. Retention was impaired when both BLA inactivated immediately or 1h after training, but not 2h after training. These data indicate that activity in the BLA, at least 60 min after training, is necessary for the post-training processing of a hippocampus-dependent place avoidance memory.     

父母冲突、青少年的认知评价及其与青少年社会适应的关系

以446名小学五年级至初中二年级的学生为被试,采用问卷法,让被试报告父母冲突形式、内容,对父母冲突的认知评价,以及抑郁、焦虑、自尊、学习问题和不良行为,以探讨父母冲突形式和内容、青少年对冲突的评价与其社会适应的关系,并检验认知评价在父母冲突与青少年适应间的中介作用。结果发现：（1）男女生除在父母情绪冲突和自尊方面的报告有显著差异外,其余各个方面都没有显著差异;随年级升高,儿童知觉的父母冲突内容显著增多,抑郁情绪、学习问题显著增多,而自尊水平显著下降;（2）父母冲突的不同形式和内容,以及青少年对父母冲突的不同认知评价可以预测青少年不同方面的社会适应;（3）认知评价在父母冲突与青少年的内部适应中起中介作用,但在父母冲突与青少年的外部适应中不起中介作用。