Individual attitudes and perceived social norms: Reports on HIV/AIDS‐related stigma among service providers in China

This study examined HIV/AIDS‐related stigma among Chinese service providers by comparing their personal attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS with their perception of social norms related to people living with HIV/AIDS. We randomly selected three provincial hospitals, four city/prefecture hospitals, 10 county hospitals, 18 township health clinics, and 54 village clinics from Yunnan, China. Doctors and nurses were randomly sampled proportionally to the doctor–nurse ratio of each hospital or clinic. Lab technicians were over‐sampled in order to include an adequate representation in the analysis. A total of 1,101 service providers participated in a voluntary, anonymous survey where demographic characteristics, individual attitude and perceived social norms toward people living with HIV/AIDS, discrimination intent at work, general prejudicial attitude and knowledge on HIV/AIDS were measured. A majority of the sample demonstrated a similarity between their personal views and what they thought most people in society believe. Multiple logistic regressions revealed that participants who were younger or reported personal contact with people living with HIV/AIDS were significantly more likely to report personal attitudes toward the population that were more liberal than their perceived social norms. Holding a more liberal personal attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS than perceived social norms was significantly and negatively related to the level of discrimination intent at work, perceived discrimination at interpersonal level and the level of general prejudicial attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Results underscored the importance of understanding social norms and personal attitudes in studying HIV‐related stigma and called for the incorporation of existing human capital into future HIV stigma reduction programs.     

Overt naming fMRI pre- and post-TMS: Two nonfluent aphasia patients, with and without improved naming post-TMS

Two chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients participated in overt naming fMRI scans, pre- and post-a series of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments as part of a TMS study to improve naming. Each patient received 10, 1-Hz rTMS treatments to suppress a part of R pars triangularis. P1 was a ‘good responder’ with improved naming and phrase length; P2 was a ‘poor responder’ without improved naming.Pre-TMS (10 years poststroke), P1 had significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in both L and R SMA during overt naming fMRI (28% pictures named). At 3 mo. post-TMS (42% named), P1 showed continued activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in R and L SMA. At 16 mo. post-TMS (58% named), he also showed significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex mouth and R IFG. He now showed a significant increase in activation in the L SMA compared to pre-TMS and at 3 mo. post-TMS (p < .02; p < .05, respectively). At 16 mo. there was also greater activation in L than R SMA (p < .08). At 46 mo. post-TMS (42% named), this new LH pattern of activation continued. He improved on the Boston Naming Test from 11 pictures named pre-TMS, to scores ranging from 14 to 18 pictures, post-TMS (2–43 mo. post-TMS). His longest phrase length (Cookie Theft picture) improved from three words pre-TMS, to 5–6 words post-TMS.Pre-TMS (1.5 years poststroke), P2 had significant activation in R IFG (3% pictures named). At 3 and 6 mo. post-TMS, there was no longer significant activation in R IFG, but significant activation was present in R sensorimotor cortex. On all three fMRI scans, P2 had significant activation in both the L and R SMA. There was no new, lasting perilesional LH activation across sessions for this patient. Over time, there was little or no change in his activation. His naming remained only at 1–2 pictures during all three fMRI scans. His BNT score and longest phrase length remained at one word, post-TMS.Lesion site may play a role in each patient’s fMRI activation pattern and response to TMS treatment. P2, the poor responder, had an atypical frontal lesion in the L motor and premotor cortex that extended high, near brain vertex, with deep white matter lesion near L SMA. P2 also had frontal lesion in the posterior middle frontal gyrus, an area important for naming (Duffau et al., 2003); P1 did not. Additionally, P2 had lesion inferior and posterior to Wernicke’s area, in parts of BA 21 and 37, whereas P1 did not.The fMRI data of our patient who had good response following TMS support the notion that restoration of the LH language network is linked in part, to better recovery of naming and phrase length in nonfluent aphasia.     

Association of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism and academic achievement in a Chinese cohort

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a methylation enzyme that catalyzes the degradation pathway and inactivation of dopamine. It is accepted widely as being involved in the modulation of dopaminergic physiology and prefrontal cortex (PFC) function. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism is associated with variation in COMT activity. COMT 158Met allele may be advantageous for PFC-related cognitive abilities; however, it is also associated with increased anxiety, depression, and emotional vulnerability in response to stress or educational adversity. We hypothesized that the COMT polymorphism might be associated with academic performance. In this study, 779 Taiwanese tenth-grade volunteers were recruited. Scores from the Basic Competency Test (BCT), an annual national competitive entrance examination, were used to evaluate academic performance. The results indicated that students bearing homozygous for the Met allele tended to perform more poorly in all BCT subtests as compared to the other groups. In particular, the former performed significantly more poorly in the science and social science subtests. These findings provide evidence that affective factors might overwhelm cognitive abilities in high-stake tests like the BCT.     

视觉工作记忆中基于客体的存储机制：来自ERPs的证据

该研究以简单形状和颜色构成的客体为材料,采用延迟匹配范式,通过记录事件相关电位,以反映工作记忆表征与知觉输入间冲突的N270为指标,就视觉工作记忆中的客体存储机制进行了探讨。结果发现,无关维度特征变化与目标维度特征变化均可诱发N270。该结果表明,视觉工作记忆对客体目标特征进行存储时,无关特征亦自动得到选择加工,支持基于客体的存储说。     

中国道教学院2009届乾道班和坤道班毕业典礼分别在青城山和衡山举行

6月21日上午,中国道教学院2009届乾道班毕业典礼在青城山道教学院隆重举行.出席典礼的领导和嘉宾有:国家宗教局四司副司长张剑,中国道教协会副会长、中国道教学院副院长张继禹,中国道教协会副会长、四川省道教协会会长唐诚青,四川省委统战部副部长、省宗教局局长王增建,成都市有关领导,中国道教协会副秘书长王炳旸,中国道教协会副秘书长、青城山道教学院院长张明心,四川省道教协会秘书长杨大明,以及四川大学宗教研究所、四川省社科院的代表.     

论人际关系和谐的现代意义及其实现途径

人际关系和谐是指人与人之间关系的一种状态,这种状态表现为人与人之间的平等互信、融洽友好、文明有序、团结互助.在当代中国,人际关系和谐是社会主义和谐社会的基础,是社会经济发展的动力,是社会主义精神文明的重要内容.要实现人际关系的和谐,需要一系列条件的保障,这就是社会的公平正义,社会民主政治的高度发展,完善的制度建设和道德建设等.     

道德传统与中国企业管理道德主义特征的辩证思考

文化自身是受价值引导的一个体系,价值观和人们在实践中的价值观选择是文化的核心.作为中国传统文化的核心之一,道德主义对中国企业的管理一直存在着重要影响.如果仅就道德本身而言,中国企业管理中的这一文化传统是有利于组织发展并且符合企业管理发展潮流的,但企业的设立和正常运行首先是基于规则和制度的,如果缺少基本的制度规范的"法治",而仅仅依靠道德来实施"德治",将极大地损害企业管理的科学性和企业的管理效率.     

仁爱思想与孔子的主体意识

孔子的仁爱思想深刻体现出了对一般社会民众命运的关注,对整个人类社会和谐发展的关切.仁爱思想的内在规定性,投注了孔子的主体意识;仁爱思想的外在实践,彰显了孔子的主体意识;仁爱之"道"的执着追求,张扬了孔子的主体意识.故而说,孔子写下了我国先秦时期精神启蒙的"仁爱"经典篇章.     

七论道德资本——道德资本的基本形态研究

道德资本作为一种特殊的资本,不仅具有一般资本的特点,而且具有自身的特质。正如一般资本根据其性质、功能和作用可以分为不同的资本形态一样,道德资本也同样具有不同的资本形态及其职能形式。从现实的经济运行过程来看,道德资本主要有四种形态,即道德制度形态、理性关系形态、主体觉悟形态和道德产品形态。从类型学视角来切入道德资本问题,不仅可以厘清四种形态的内容、特点及其功能,而且有助于从新的视角来认识道德资本及其具体存在形式,并进而为探究道德资本的运作机制提供理论前提。     

话语伦理学的道德视角重建

哈贝马斯的话语伦理学试图在传统的宗教基础失效之后,重建道德,为道德规范提供新的基础。通过对道德意识的思考,哈贝马斯论证了道德共同体所有成员共有的内在超越视角,提出了话语伦理学的基本原则。虽然话语伦理学仍有自己的理论局限,但它的道德视角重建却为在当代多元化社会中达成规范共识指出了一条途径。