Neural correlates of viewing paintings: Evidence from a quantitative meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data

Many studies involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have exposed participants to paintings under varying task demands. To isolate neural systems that are activated reliably across fMRI studies in response to viewing paintings regardless of variation in task demands, a quantitative meta-analysis of fifteen experiments using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method was conducted. As predicted, viewing paintings was correlated with activation in a distributed system including the occipital lobes, temporal lobe structures in the ventral stream involved in object (fusiform gyrus) and scene (parahippocampal gyrus) perception, and the anterior insula—a key structure in experience of emotion. In addition, we also observed activation in the posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally—part of the brain’s default network. These results suggest that viewing paintings engages not only systems involved in visual representation and object recognition, but also structures underlying emotions and internalized cognitions.     

Word of mouth and interpersonal communication: A review and directions for future research

People often share opinions and information with their social ties, and word of mouth has an important impact on consumer behavior. But what drives interpersonal communication and why do people talk about certain things rather than others? This article argues that word of mouth is goal driven and serves five key functions (i.e., impression management, emotion regulation, information acquisition, social bonding, and persuasion). Importantly, I suggest these motivations are predominantly self- (rather than other) serving and drive what people talk about even without their awareness. Further, these drivers make predictions about the types of news and information people are most likely to discuss. This article reviews the five proposed functions and well as how contextual factors (i.e., audience and communication channel) may moderate which functions play a larger role. Taken together, the paper provides insight into the psychological factors that shape word of mouth and outlines additional questions that deserve further study.     

中西方思维方式的文化差异研究——二元对立与连续统合的视角

目的:验证中西方在思维方式上存在二元对立与连续统合的差异。方法:通过自编的中西方思维特征问卷,对中国学生47名,以及西方留学生及访问学者43名施测,收回有效问卷中国被试34名,西方被试32名。结果:中西方在思维方式上存在着显著差异,思维方式不存在性别差异。结论:中国人的思维方式是倾向于连续统合的,而西方人的思维方式是倾向于二元对立的。     

Spinoza on the Essences of Modes

This paper examines some aspects of Spinoza's metaphysics of the essences of modes.2 ²I would like to thank John Carriero, Calvin Normore, Eliot Michaelson, Eileen Nutting, Paul Nichols, Alexi Patsaouras, Rachel Johnson and Sarah Jansen for reading and commenting on earlier versions of this paper. I situate Spinoza's use of the notion of essence as a response to traditional, Aristotelian, ways of thinking about essence. I argue that, although Spinoza rejects part of the Aristotelian conception of essence, according to which it is in virtue of its essence that a thing is a member of a kind, he nevertheless retains a different part of such a conception, according to which an essence is some structural feature of a thing which causally explains other, non-essential features. I go on to develop an account of Spinoza's metaphysics of essence, according to which essences, what he sometimes calls formal essences, are produced by the divine essence prior to and independent of the creation of finite modes, and according to which essences are the formal or exemplar causes of finite modes. I then argue that finite modes, in virtue of the formal essences which they actualize, are genuine causal relata. Finally, I offer some speculations about Spinoza's answer to the question, ‘Why, in a necessitarian cosmos filled with formal essences, should there be temporal finite modes at all?’     

Abstract recall of a happy memory to repair sad mood in dysphoria: A possible link to negative cognition

The capacity to repair sad mood through the deliberate recall of happy memories has been found to be impaired in dysphoric individuals. Rumination, or adopting an abstract processing mode, has been proposed as a possible mechanism underpinning this effect. In low and high dysphoric participants, we examined the relative consequences of adopting an abstract or concrete processing mode during happy memory recall or engaging in distraction for (1) mood repair and (2) cognitive content. Recalling a happy memory in either an abstract or concrete way resulted in greater happiness than distraction. Engaging in abstract recall of a happy memory resulted in high dysphoric participants generating negative evaluations and negative generalisations. These findings raise the interesting possibility that abstract processing of positive memories has the potential to generate negative cognition.     

Whispering gallery mode sensor for phase transformation and solidification studies

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) sensors are created by coupling a dielectric microresonator with the evanescent field of an optical fiber. Since the sensor is created by two separate entities, most of the existing studies are limited to using them in fluid environments, such as air or water, for the ease of manipulation and placement in the optimum configuration. This work is focused on studying the possibility of using WGM sensors inside a solid material. The sensor is immersed in water, which is cooled to solid state and the sensor survival is monitored. In subsequent studies, three remelting cycles are carried out and temperature measurements are obtained through the sensor. The sensor output is calibrated with the temperature data obtained from a thermocouple. The results show that a linear relationship exists between temperature and WGM shift, which enables application of these sensors in temperature measurement. Considering that the sensitivity of WGM sensors is very high (10^?6 N force and 10^?5 K temperature), they can be used for high resolution studies on solidification in cryogenic environments.     

临终关怀护理的现状与分析

随着医疗卫生水平的不断提高,人们对临终关怀的需求亦处于增长之中。纵观国内外临终关怀的发展,在不断发展中尚存在诸多的问题。本文从临终关怀的现状着手,分析启动时间、关怀内容、社会支持和服务的机构与模式四方面存在的问题,为以后的研究指明方向。     

从医学整合的角度谈现代肺癌的防治

肺癌是严重影响群众健康的常见恶性肿瘤,当前肺癌防治工作中面临一系列由于分科过细、欠缺协作等导致的问题。加强肺癌防治领域中学科、技术、资源的整合,才能够有效应对越来越严峻的肺癌防治形势。建立以疾病为中心的肺癌整体防治模式,对于其他单一重大疾病的防治也有重要参考意义。     

Children’s social desirability: Effects of test assessment mode

This study examined a recently developed short version of the Children’s Social Desirability (CSD-S) scale with 157 fourth-grade children. Of interest was (a) whether one-month test–retest reliability would vary as a function of test assessment mode (interview or classroom), gender, race, SES, and BMI percentile, and (b) whether the degree of social desirability would vary as a function of these same variables. The CSD-S scale showed good test–retest reliability for both interview and classroom assessment modes (.85 and .83, respectively). Internal consistency also was good (first interview administration = .84; first classroom administration = .81). Reliability was good and did not vary significantly over assessment mode or any child subgroup variables, suggesting that the CSD-S scale is appropriate for general use. The interview mode elicited significantly more socially desirable answers than did the classroom mode. Social desirability did not differ across child subgroups. Some of these findings were examined, and replicated, on another sample. Thus, the CSD-S scale may be used with diverse groups of children to (a) reliably assess a social desirability bias that may systematically bias other self-reports of interest to researchers and (b) examine individual differences in degree of social desirability.     

用科学发展观指导医学影像系运行模式构建

在我校医学影像系运行模式构建过程中,始终坚持以科学发展观为重要指导思想。通过一年多的广泛调研、科学设计、周密论证,提出了构建符合科学发展观要求的医学影像系运行模式应遵循的4个原则,即以人为本、科学发展的原则,理顺机制、创新发展的原则,拓展内涵、特色发展的原则,统筹资源、和谐发展的原则。同时,还应处理好医院和系、学习借鉴与机制创新、全面建设与特色发展、整合资源与自身发展、阶段建设与长远发展等5个方面的关系。