Missing piece of the puzzle in the science of consciousness: Resting state and endogenous correlates of consciousness

Consciousness still stands as one of the most interesting and the most elusive problems of neuroscience. Finding its correlates is the first step toward its satisfactory explanation. Several theories have proposed its correlates but none of them seem to be generally accepted even though most of them share some very similar elements. These elements are the activity of the thalamus, which is considered by some as the central region for consciousness, and gamma synchronization, which should be the general principal for the emergence of conscious experience. However, all of these proposed theories share one characteristic and that is that they do not take into consideration the recently discovered endogenous activity of the brain, which is generally associated with the default mode network. Although the activity of this large scale brain network is in correlation with various levels of consciousness it is still missing in discussions of consciousness. This review recognizes the importance of endogenous activity and points out the important discoveries of endogenous activity that could be an important step toward a satisfactory explanation of consciousness.     

人之将尽,消费国货？死亡信息的暴露增加国货选择的现象、中介和边界条件解析

死亡信息无处无时不在。恐惧管理理论认为,死亡暴露会促使个体采取两种防御机制：支持文化世界观和提升自尊。来自西方发达国家消费者的数据显示,死亡暴露会促使这些消费者偏爱国货、支持文化世界观,内在机制是爱国主义情绪的唤醒。但对将购买外国货视为追求高自尊和高身份的发展中国家消费者而言,尚没有学者检验死亡暴露会促使他们继续购买外国货以提升自尊,还是转而购买国货以支持文化世界观。本文用实验检验了这两种竞争预测,发现死亡暴露会增加发展中国家消费者的国货选择,但机制是补偿个人控制感的缺失。同时,已有探讨死亡暴露与国货偏好的研究并没有检验何时死亡暴露将不再增加国货偏好,本文发现启动亲密的人际归属感是边界条件。     

Persuasion Strategies Applied in Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Theoretically one of the most important questions in applied psychology is how people influence and control each other. What theoretical concepts can be used to explain these influences? Learning theory explanations have been popular in psychology, but other alternatives are also possible. In this article, rehabilitation is analysed through interactional persuasion strategies. Six strategies are proposed: coercion, threat, offer, guidance, appeal and appreciation. Each strategy corresponds to a specific atmosphere, and arouses either compatible or incompatible reactions from the target of a specific strategy. In the present model the major component of the persuasion strategy is the choice it provides. Choice depends on the amount of information and sense of personal control it provides. In order to attain specific rehabilitation objectives certain persuasion strategies are applied. Coercion, threat and offer are used for behavioural objectives and guidance; appeal and appreciation for cognitive-experiential objectives. In the last part of the article, various rehabilitation programmes are described by persuasion strategies.     

Conformity of two sociometric relations

The problem of comparing two sociometric relations or measurements (A andB) recorded in distinct sociomatrices was originally discussed by Katz and Powell in the early 1950's and Hubert and Baker in the late 1970's. The problem is considered again using a probabilistic model designed specifically for discrete-valued network measurements. The model allows for the presence of various structural tendencies, such as reciprocity and differential popularity. A parameter that isolates the tendency for actors to choose other actors on both relations simultaneously is introduced, and estimated conditional on the presence of other parameters that reflect additional important network properties. The parameter is presented as a symmetric index but is also generalized to the predictive (A onB orB onA) situation. This approach to the problem is illustrated with the same data used by the earlier solutions, and the unique nature of the two relations in the data set (A = received choices,B = perceived choices), as it affects the modeling, is discussed. Significance tests for the parameter and related parameters are described, as well as an extension to more than two relations.Research support provided by National Science Grant #SES84-08626 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am grateful to Dawn Iacobucci and Sheila Weaver for assistance with the research reported here, and to Carolyn Anderson, James Green, David Holtgrave, and four anonymous referees for comments on the paper.     

The professional engineer: Virtues and learning

The ethical codes of the professional engineering bodies identify the responsibilities of the engineer. Of equal importance to the codes are the virtues which enable the engineer to fulfil these responsibilities. After briefly reviewing such virtues this paper argues that the systematic learning of virtues is possible in a formal way through learner centred learning. Central to this learning experience is the development of integrity which focuses the other major virtues and enables reflection upon them. A review of undergraduate courses suggests how this can be achieved. Rev’d. Dr. Simon Robinson is a lecturer in the Centre for Business and Professional Ethics at the University of Leeds.     

从人脑到计算机─—鸿沟能否逾越

人类对人脑及其精神活动过程的彻底了解,意味着哲学上的根本性事件的发生。所谓彻底的了解,标志就是人类对这种精神活动的成功模拟和再现。作为神经科学的分支和广延的人工智能的兴起,使人类有理由希望：存在于人脑与计算机之间的鸿沟终将被人类逾越。     

THE RELIGION OF A SCIENTIST: EXPLORATIONS INTO REALITY (RELIGIO PHILOSOPHI NATURALIS)

Abstract. Sir Thomas Browne's reflection on the synthesis between his Christian religion and his practice as a medical doctor, made over three centuries ago, leads into reflections on the present relation between religion and science in the personal experience of the writer. An account is given of how the actual practice of scientific investigation led the author to theistic inferences and how the study of DNA provoked questions concerning reductionism and emergence. This evoked the need for a map of knowledge, and an attempt is presented in a figure which also serves to clarify what kind of realistic reference is involved in both scientific and humanistic contexts–especially with respect to personal language. Theological investigations thereby receive at least provisional legitimization and, with this encouragement, the article pursues the questions of the nature of the divine Source ("God") of the world's being and becoming, of God's interaction and communication with the world, especially with human beings in that world. The penultimate section outlines why the writer considers an explicit communication from God to humanity in Jesus of Nazareth is coherent with the foregoing and what this implies for human fulfillment, individually and corporately. The article concludes with a plea for humility before God and nature in our inquiries in the spirit both of Sir Thomas Browne and of the arch "agnostic" T. H. Huxley.     

刑释人员人身危险性的测评研究

我们对上海市1994年至1999年所释放的全部约1万5千名上海籍刑释人员进行了详细调查,从中筛选出与重新犯罪有显著相关关系的因素编制成《刑释人员个体人身危险性测评量表》,用多元回归分析方法预测刑释人员在获释后2年内的重新犯罪情况,经检验,其准确率为92％。     

开放监控冥想的特定影响效果

近几年来,开放监控冥想(Open Monitoring Meditation,OM)受到越来越多的关注,许多研究者对它进行了系统研究。与其它冥想,特别是与聚焦注意冥想(Focus Attention Meditation,FA)相比较,OM具有明显的差异。OM似乎对某些认知过程(创造性思维)的影响以及疼痛和焦虑的缓解具有优势,而对注意力的影响结果并不一致。脑电波、功能定位以及脑功能关联性方面的研究结果初步揭示了开放监控冥想过程中的脑神经机制,但是这种冥想对于默认网络的影响效果表现出不一致性。另外,研究中使用的OM训练方法也存在明显的差异性,尤其是注意的起点是否从呼吸开始,以及是否需要保持注意两个方面。这些结果需要今后的研究使用更加标准化的方法进一步明确。