The redundancy of recursion and infinity for natural language

An influential line of thought claims that natural language and arithmetic processing require recursion, a putative hallmark of human cognitive processing (Chomsky in Evolution of human language: biolinguistic perspectives. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 45–61, 2010; Fitch et al. in Cognition 97(2):179–210, 2005; Hauser et al. in Science 298(5598):1569–1579, 2002). First, we question the need for recursion in human cognitive processing by arguing that a generally simpler and less resource demanding process—iteration—is sufficient to account for human natural language and arithmetic performance. We argue that the only motivation for recursion, the infinity in natural language and arithmetic competence, is equally approachable by iteration and recursion. Second, we submit that the infinity in natural language and arithmetic competence reduces to imagining infinite embedding or concatenation, which is completely independent from the ability to implement infinite processing, and thus, independent from both recursion and iteration. Furthermore, we claim that a property of natural language is physically uncountable finity and not discrete infinity.     

How obstructing is an obstacle? The influence of starting posture on obstacle avoidance

The introduction of non-target objects into a workspace leads to temporal and spatial adjustments of reaching trajectories towards a target. Currently, there are two different explanations for this phenomenon: the non-target objects are considered as either physical obstacles to which we maintain a preferred distance (see Tresilian, 1998) or as distractors that interfere with movement planning (see Tipper, Howard, & Jackson, 1997). These components are difficult to disentangle, however. Our aim was to determine the unique contribution of the avoidance of a physical obstacle to the adjustments of reaching trajectories. In this study, we manipulate the degree of physical obstruction by non-target objects while keeping the a priori visual layout of the workspace more or less constant. This is achieved by placing participants in different starting postures with respect to the orientation of their limb segments. Participants reach towards and grasp target objects with non-targets present in the workspace in a frontal and a lateral starting posture. In the frontal conditions participants showed larger movements away from the non-target on the ipsilateral side of the workspace than in the lateral conditions. The results provide evidence for the interpretation that non-targets influence the movement trajectory partly because they are 'obstructing'.     

Neural basis of affective touch and pain: A novel model suggests possible targets for pain amelioration

Pain is one of the most common health problems and has a severe impact on quality of life. Yet, a suitable and efficient treatment is still not available for all patient populations suffering from pain. Interestingly, recent research shows that low threshold mechanosensory C-tactile (CT) fibres have a modulatory influence on pain. CT-fibres are activated by slow gentle stroking of the hairy skin, providing a pleasant sensation. Consequently, slow gentle stroking is known as affective touch. Currently, a clear overview of the way affective touch modulates pain, at a neural level, is missing. This review aims to present such an overview. To explain the interaction between affective touch and pain, first the neural basis of the affective touch system and the neural processing of pain will be described. To clarify these systems, a schematic illustration will be provided in every section. Hereafter, a novel model of interactions between affective touch and pain systems will be introduced. Finally, since affective touch might be suitable as a new treatment for chronic pain, possible clinical implications will be discussed.     

Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Health-related quality of life in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was compared to that of healthy children. Furthermore, agreement between child and parent reports was examined. In addition, differences in quality of life related to the severity of CHD were evaluated. One hundred children with CHD aged between 8-18 years and their parents answered a health-related quality of life-questionnaire during their visit to the paediatric cardiology outpatient department. CHD children reported reduced motor functioning and autonomy compared to healthy children. Parents of children with CHD reported their children to have a reduced quality of life in the domains of: motor functioning, autonomy and cognitive functioning. Agreement between child and parent reports was moderate. Children systematically reported lower health related quality of life on the domain of positive emotions than did parents. Health related quality of life in children with CHD appeared not to be influenced by severity of the disease. In conclusion, regardless of the severity of the disease, children with CHD reported their health related quality of life on several domains to be lower than that of healthy children. This means that on several domains, the emotional impact of problems in health status is greater for children with CHD than for healthy children. When CHD patients visit the clinic, it is important that physicians actively ask patients as well as parents about the child's motor functioning, autonomy and cognitive functioning. Children with problems in these domains can then be identified, and psychological interventions can take place at an early stage.     

Active tuberculosis detection by pouched rats in 2014: More than 2,000 new patients found in two countries

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major problem in poor countries because sensitive diagnostic tools are unavailable. In 2014, our pouched rats evaluated sputum from 21,600 Tanzanians and 9,048 Mozambicans whose sputum had previously been evaluated by microscopy, the standard diagnostic for TB. Evaluation by the rats revealed 1,412 new patients with active TB in Tanzania and 645 new patients in Mozambique, increases of 39% and 53%, respectively, when compared to detections by microscopy alone. These results provide further support for the applied use of scent‐detecting rats.     

The structure of personality disorders: comparing the DSM-IV-TR Axis II classification with the five-factor model framework using structural equation modeling

Earlier factor analytical studies on the empirical validity of the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychological Association, 2000) Axis II classification have offered little support for the current three-cluster structure. In his large-scale meta-analysis of previously published personality disorder correlation matrices, O'Connor (2005) found four factors, corresponding to the neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness domains of the five-factor model of personality. In the present study, this dimensional four-factor model and the categorical DSM three-cluster structure were fitted to the Assessment of DSM-IV Personality Disorders questionnaire (ADP-IV; Schotte & De Doncker, 1994) scale scores using structural equation modelling. The results strongly favored the dimensional model, which also resembled other well-founded four-factor proposals (Livesley, Jang, & Vernon, 1998; Widiger & Simonsen, 2005). Moreover, a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that this model was highly invariant and thus generalizable across two large clinical (n = 1,029) and general population (n = 659) samples.     

Combining Clickstream Analyses and Graph-Modeled Data Clustering for Identifying Common Response Processes

Psychometrika - Complex interactive test items are becoming more widely used in assessments. Being computer-administered, assessments using interactive items allow logging time-stamped action...     

The Harm Principle Cannot Replace the Best Interest Standard: Problems With Using the Harm Principle for Medical Decision Making for Children

For many years the prevailing paradigm for medical decision making for children has been the best interest standard. Recently, some authors have proposed that Mill’s “harm principle” should be used to mediate or to replace the best interest standard. This article critically examines the harm principle movement and identifies serious defects within the project of using Mill’s harm principle for medical decision making for children. While the harm principle proponents successfully highlight some difficulties in present-day use of the best interest standard, the use of the harm principle suffers substantial normative and conceptual problems. A medical decision-making framework for children is suggested, grounded in the four principles. It draws on the best interest standard, incorporates concepts of harm, and provides two questions that can act as guide and limit in medical decision making for children.