Syntactic Features in Reanalysis: Positive and Negative Symptoms

Meng and Bader have presented evidence that a Case conflict is a more effective cue for garden-path reanalysis than a number conflict is, for German wh-sentences with subject–object ambiguities. The preferred first-pass analysis has the wh-trace in subject position, although object position is correct. In a speeded grammaticality judgment task, perceivers accepted Case-disambiguated examples more often and more rapidly than number-disambiguated examples, although comprehension questions indicated that both were eventually understood correctly. For ungrammatical sentences, a Case mismatch error resulted in more false positive grammaticality judgments than a number mismatch error. We offer an explanation for why Case and number features differ in these two ways in their effects on sentence processing. We propose, within the Diagnosis Model of garden-path processing, that reanalysis triggered by a Case mismatch guides the parser more effectively toward the correct structure. Case is a positive symptom, which carries information about the new structure that must be built. By contrast, a number mismatch is a negative symptom; it invalidates the incorrect structure without showing how to rebuild it. This difference in the transparency of garden-path repair can also account for the greater overacceptance of Case-disambiguated ungrammatical sentences. The speeded grammaticality judgment task is designed to encourage hasty responses. Usually, these are hasty rejections of garden path sentences that, on calmer reflection, the parser would find acceptable. Conversely, over-hasty acceptance could occur if some initial progress is made in resolving a grammatical problem. Thus, a higher rate of false positives on ungrammaticals is to be expected where reanalysis proceeds successfully for a while before blocking.     

Limbic networks and associative learning: II. Entorhinal contributions to spontaneous alternation,passive avoidance,and taste aversion learning

The hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory, but the precise nature of that involvement remains uncertain. Transection of the perforant path, a primary input pathway to the hippocampus, has been shown to produce changes in reaction to novelty and acquisition of active avoidance; the nature and magnitude of these changes vary with lateral or medial perforant path damage. In a series of experiments on adult rats, the role of these pathways in spontaneous alternation, exploration, acquisition and extinction of conditioned responses, passive avoidance, and conditioned taste aversion was investigated. Lateral transection reduced exploration while medial transection facilitated acquisition of an active avoidance response; no effects were observed on any other measure. Results are discussed in terms of what perforant path damage might reveal regarding the interactions of the hippocampus with other brain regions.     

The Harshness Objection is Not (too) Harsh for Luck Egalitarianism

Philosophia - The harshness objection is the most important challenge to luck egalitarianism. Very recently, Andreas Albertsen and Lasse Nielsen provided a scrupulous analysis of the harshness...     

Chemical effects on periodicity and structure of decagonal phases in Al-Ni- and Al-Co-based alloys

Abstract

The structures of decagonal phases in binary Al-Ni and Al-Co systems and ternary Al₇₀Ni _x TM_1?x(TM = Co, Rh or Ir) alloys have been studied by electron diffraction. In the Al-Co system, the periodicity of the decagonal phase is 1.6 nm in Al₈₀Co₂₀, and 0.8 nm in Al₇₆.₅Co_23.5 and Al₇₂Co₂₈, suggesting that the stacking rule between Al and Co atoms is different along the c axis for the three alloys. In the ternary systems, diffuse streaks and periodicity systematically vary with the atom substitution of Co for Ni and Ir for Ni, indicating that Ni, Co and Ir atoms play different roles in the decagonal phase and exhibit various sorts of chemical order with Al atoms.     

Comparative study of local structure in Zr70Al10Ni20 and quasi-crystal-forming Zr70Al9Ni20Pd1 metallic glasses

The local structure of Zr₇₀Al₉Ni₂₀Pd₁ metallic glass, in which a nano-icosahedral quasi-crystalline phase (I-phase) is formed in the primary stage of crystallization, has been examined and compared with that of Zr₇₀Al₁₀Ni₂₀, the supercooled liquid state of which has a high stability. Since the local environments around the Zr and Ni atoms do not change drastically by the addition of 1 at.% Pd to Zr₇₀Al₁₀Ni₂₀, as evidenced by radial distribution function (RDF) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies, we deduce that the icosahedral phase formed in the Zr₇₀Al₉Ni₂₀Pd₁ metallic glass has a local structure similar to that in Zr₇₀Al₁₀Ni₂₀. Although a very slight rearrangement of Zr–Zr atomic pairs occurs during quasi-crystallization, the I-phase formation is achieved without disturbing the dominant local structure in the glassy state of the Zr₇₀Al₉Ni₂₀Pd₁. An icosahedral local structure is proposed for Zr–Al–Ni metallic glass system as well as for primary quasi-crystal (QC)-forming Zr-based metallic glasses.     

Precipitation of an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase in Hf59Ni8Cu20Al10Ti3 metallic glass

The crystallization process of a Hf₅₉Ni₈Cu₂₀Al₁₀Ti₃     

Japanese social structure and white collar crime: Recruit cosmos and beyond∗

While Japan is today an advanced industrial society, much like the advanced industrial societies of Europe and North America, there are significant cultural and social structural differences found in modem Japan. In this respect, as the first advanced industrial society in Asia, Japan provides us with an interesting test of many sociological theories and concepts which have been formed from the experiences of Western industrial societies. Beginning with the recent example of the Recruit stock scandal in Japan, the present paper will outline some of the important aspects of Japanese social structure, such as extensive group unity and vertical organization, which influence the nature of white collar crime in Japan's current political‐economy. From such an examination as this social scientists can better understand not only white collar crime in Japan, but also the nature of white collar crime in the United States.     

Does high educational level protect against intellectual decline in older adults?: A 10‐year longitudinal study

This study examined the relation between educational level and intellectual change in Japanese older adults. Participants (age = 65–79 years, n = 593) comprised the first‐wave participants of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences‐Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS‐LSA). They were followed for 10 years and were tested six times. Educational levels were divided into two groups (low‐educated or high‐educated), and intellectual changes for the 10 years were assessed using the Japanese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐Revised Short Forms (JWAIS‐R‐SF); subtests included Information, Similarities, Picture Completion, and Digit Symbol. General linear mixed‐model analyses revealed that education had not affected 10‐year changes of the Information, Similarities, and Picture Completion subtest scores. In contrast, education was significantly associated with a change in the Digit Symbol subtest score; individuals with higher levels of education showed greater decline than those with less education, although they had higher ability at every time point. These findings suggest that higher education does not protect against intellectual decline in late life, although it is associated with long‐term individual differences in intelligence.     

Secularizing Religious Practices: A Study of Subjectivity and Existential Transformation in Naikan Therapy

Adapted from a Shin Buddhist style of meditation, Naikan  (" inner-looking ")  is a week-long contemplative practice that involves reviewing one's life from the perspectives of others and has been called an indigenous Japanese psychotherapy due to its effectiveness in treating a variety of disorders. Data collected during an extended ethnographic study of Naikan in both Japan and Austria reveal that Naikan, a "secularized" practice that removes overtly Buddhist references and practices, effects changes in clients' subjectivity that are strikingly similar to those sought after in Buddhist traditions. This suggests that Naikan operates therapeutically on an existential level and employs cognitive techniques that, while originating in Buddhism, remain efficacious outside a Buddhist context. The potential for certain contemplative practices to effect transformations of subjectivity across religious and cultural contexts may be greater than commonly assumed.     

Equivalence issues in abduction and induction

This paper discusses several equivalence issues in abduction and induction. Three different problems: equivalence of theories, equivalence of explanations, and equivalence of observations are considered in the context of first-order logic and nonmonotonic logic programming. Necessary and sufficient conditions for those problems, and computational complexity results are provided. These equivalence measures provide methods for comparing different abductive or inductive theories, and also state conditions for optimizing those theories in program development.