Found in Translation: Late Bilinguals Do Automatically Activate Their Native Language When They Are Not Using It

In their paper “Do Bilinguals Automatically Activate Their Native Language When They Are Not Using it?”, Costa, Pannunzi, Deco, and Pickering (Cognitive Science, 2017) proposed a reinterpretation of Thierry and Wu's (2004, 2007) finding of native language‐based (Chinese, L1) ERP effects when they tested Chinese–English late bilinguals exclusively in their second language (English, L2). Using simulations in a six‐node Hebbian learning model (three L1 nodes, three L2 nodes), Costa et al. suggested that form overlaps in L1 between otherwise unrelated words create a persistent relationship between their L2 translations. In this scenario, words in the nascent L2 lexicon overlapping in their L1 translations would become linked during learning because of the form overlap in L1; once the L2 words are learned, the direct link between them would be sufficient to generate robust, apparently “L1‐mediated” priming without requiring any activation of L1 translations. Costa et al. contend that links between L2 words remain beyond the learning phase, even after links to L1 representations have been severed, and thus that their model affords an alternative account to (but not a rebuttal of) Thierry and Wu's claim of language non‐selective activation—or automatic activation of translation equivalents—in late bilinguals. In this response, we build on Costa et al.'s original simulation code, showing that it can only reproduce L1‐independent priming when implementing the L1 disconnection in their particular way. By contrast, when severing inter‐language connections bidirectionally, their model fails to retain any sizeable influence of L1 form overlap on L2 activations. The model is not the theory, however, and we discuss several issues that would need to be addressed in further attempts to model language non‐selective activation in late bilinguals.     

A theoretical model of effective electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity of carbon nanotube composites

A theoretical model is developed to predict the electrical conductivity of polymer composites containing carbon nanotubes. It incorporates the effect of two conductivity mechanisms, electron hopping between adjacent nanotubes at the nanoscale and the transmission of electrons through conductive networks formed by nanotubes at the microscale. Based on the model, analytical expressions of both electrical conductivity and piezoresisitivity under stretching are established. The expressions are simple in form, without resorting to heavy computation, and able to give accurate estimations for both electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity.     

进化心理学对心理素质结构研究的整合与重构——以学生心理素质结构研究为例

传统的心理素质结构研究模式不经济,研究结果出现纵向断裂横向分裂的趋势.从进化心理学的视角来看,心理素质结构的最终功能均指向个体的适应性,其形成是与周围环境不断排斥和融合的过程.建构的心理素质结构融合模型能在一定程度上解决传统研究模式的弊端,并建议今后的研究应以分析人为主导转而分析人及其所处的文化环境并重,进而引导人的心理素质结构的不断发展.     

个体对效价预期和风险评估的时程加工机制:来自ERP的证据

采用事件相关电位技术(ERP),通过简单赌博任务,操纵结果预期的效价(输或赢)与风险(高风险与低风险),考察了个体对结果预期阶段的效价和风险评估的脑内时程动态加工过程。脑电结果发现:(1)在N2成分上,结果预期的效价主效应显著,预期输比预期赢能够引起更大的N2波幅;结果预期的风险主效应不显著。(2)在N500成分上,效价与风险之间的交互作用边缘显著,进一步简单效应分析发现,在预期输的条件下,肯定会输的N500波幅显著大于可能会输;而在预期赢的条件下,肯定会赢与可能会赢之间的N500波幅差异不显著。这说明,在不确定决策过程中的结果预期阶段,个体可能先对结果预期的效价进行加工,然后再对风险进行评估。     

论马克思主义的整体性(上)

近年来,随着 "马克思主义理论"被正式确立为国家一级学科,"马克思主义学院"在全国高等院校纷纷成立,国内马克思主义研究在表面上也呈现出一派热闹非凡的景象。于是马克思主义的整体性问题被提了出来。然而,与这种表面上热闹的景象形成鲜明对照的是,真正从心灵深处认同、信仰马克思主义的人并不很多。这种悖论式的现象不能不引起我们足够的重视。对于研究马克思主义的理论工作者而言,必须对眼前令人眼花缭乱的马克思主义 "热"进行 "冷"思考,就是说,必须认真地、郑重地提出并弄清这样一个问题: 马克思主义就其本义而言,是站在大众立场、为大众立言、为     

山东省老年护理专业现状调查分析及对策

调查分析了山东省老年护理专业的现状;发现从业人员存在着人数偏少、年龄偏大、职称偏低、专业知识和技能亟需提高及单位对老年专科护士重视不足等问题;需要通过制定老年护理保障制度、完善老年专科护士岗位设置、加快培养老年护理专业人才、建立健全从业人员岗位培训制度等措施促进老年护理事业健康发展.     

幼儿提问类型及策略对其问题解决的影响

该研究以69名5岁幼儿为被试,通过创设猜测物体的问题情境,以考察幼儿提问对其解决猜测物体的问题的影响.结果表明:(1)面对问题情境,幼儿运用提问解决问题的正确率显著高于不提问直接猜测的正确率.(2)幼儿运用两阶段整体策略和逐一排除策略提问来帮助其问题解决的效果好于直接猜测的效果.(3)幼儿提出混合类问题和外在感知类问题来帮助其解决猜测物体问题的效果好于提出内在属性类问题.     

Stress induces glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis of rat Leydig cells in vivo

Stress can disrupt endocrine signalling in the male reproductive axis through high concentrations of glucocorticoids, the hallmark of stress. Our previous work revealed that a stress level of exogenous glucocorticoids could induce apoptosis of rat Leydig cells, which are the primary source of testosterone. The aim of this study was to investigate whether stress can induce apoptosis in rat Leydig cells in vivo and, if so, whether the process is the result of a direct effect of glucocorticoids. In a chronically stressed rat model, serum corticosterone concentration was increased significantly whereas serum testosterone was decreased. The frequency of apoptotic Leydig cells in stressed rats was also increased. Adrenalectomised rats subjected to chronic stress showed an elevated serum testosterone, while the apoptotic frequency of Leydig cells was not increased. It was established that glucocorticoid-induced Leydig cell apoptosis is mediated by glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), which translocate from cytoplasm to nucleus. Adenovirus microRNA-induced downregulation of GR expression in vitro alleviated the corticosterone-induced increase in apoptosis of Leydig cells. These results indicate that the stress-induced increase in corticosterone secretion resulted in apoptosis in rat Leydig cells in vivo, and thereby decreased testosterone synthesis.     

Dopamine D1 receptors are responsible for stress-induced emotional memory deficit in mice

It is established that stress impairs spatial learning and memory via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response. Dopamine D1 receptors were also shown to be responsible for a stress-induced deficit of working memory. However, whether stress affects the subsequent emotional learning and memory is not elucidated yet. Here, we employed the well-established one-trial step-through task to study the effect of an acute psychological stress (induced by tail hanging for 5, 10, or 20?min) on emotional learning and memory, and the possible mechanisms as well. We demonstrated that tail hanging induced an obvious stress response. Either an acute tail-hanging stress or a single dose of intraperitoneally injected dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390) significantly decreased the step-through latency in the one-trial step-through task. However, SCH23390 prevented the acute tail-hanging stress-induced decrease in the step-through latency. In addition, the effects of tail-hanging stress and/or SCH23390 on the changes in step-through latency were not through non-memory factors such as nociceptive perception and motor function. Our data indicate that the hyperactivation of dopamine D1 receptors mediated the stress-induced deficit of emotional learning and memory. This study may have clinical significance given that psychological stress is considered to play a role in susceptibility to some mental diseases such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.