美式反恐战略给无辜者带来的道德伤害

恐怖主义是全人类的共同敌人。在美国主导国际社会反恐话语权的宏观背景下,美式反恐战略在美国国内造就了一个放弃“美国价值”的美国;在国际社会,给无数无辜者带来了巨大的道德伤害。其对人类社会伦理秩序破坏所造成的损害尚无法评估。     

Semantically induced distortions of visual awareness in a patient with Balint’s syndrome

We present data indicating that visual awareness for a basic perceptual feature (colour) can be influenced by the relation between the feature and the semantic properties of the stimulus. We examined semantic interference from the meaning of a colour word (‘‘RED”) on simple colour (ink related) detection responses in a patient with simultagnosia due to bilateral parietal lesions. We found that colour detection was influenced by the congruency between the meaning of the word and the relevant ink colour, with impaired performance when the word and the colour mismatched (on incongruent trials). This result held even when remote associations between meaning and colour were used (i.e. the word ‘‘PEA” influenced detection of the ink colour red). The results are consistent with a late locus of conscious visual experience that is derived at post-semantic levels. The implications for the understanding of the role of parietal cortex in object binding and visual awareness are discussed.     

Contamination transfusionnelle et relations sexuelles non protégées : les limites du droit à indemnisation du transfusé au titre de la solidarité nationale (Civ., 1re, 22 janvier 2014, no 12-35023, FS P+B+I)

A patient victim of HIV infection by transfusion who knowingly maintained sexual relation with his spouse cannot receive compensation for moral prejudice in the case of his spouse and daughter's contamination. The request for compensation addressed to the ONIAM on the grounds of the articles L. 1142-22 and L. 3122-1 of the Public Health Code must therefore be rejected.     

IQ and Scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): Controlling for Effort and Education Among Geriatric Inpatients

ABSTRACT

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Third Edition (PPVT-III) were administered to 76 Extended Care Center inpatients of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 56 of whom did not carry a diagnosis associated with brain impairment, and 20 of whom had a diagnosis associated with degenerative or cerebrovascular conditions. MMSE and PPVT-III scores, the latter of which estimates verbal IQ, were significantly correlated in both groups, even when controlling for the effects of education. This correlation was attenuated, but remained significant, in the face of varying levels of patient effort. The findings of this study support earlier findings, which also suggest that interpretation of “impaired” performance on the MMSE for those with IQ scores below 90 should be interpreted with caution. Average MMSE scores for Wechsler IQ classifications are provided.     

The rise of information in an evolutionary universe

This paper outlines the grand scenario of cosmic evolution by examining the ongoing changes among radiation, matter and life in standard, big‐bang cosmology. Using aspects of non‐equilibrium thermodynamics and information science, we argue that it is the contrasting temporal behavior of various energy densities that have given rise to the environments needed for the emergence of galaxies, stars, planets, and life forms. We furthermore argue that a necessary (though perhaps not sufficient) condition—a veritable prime mover—for the emergence of such ordered structures of growing complexity is the expansion of the Universe itself. Neither demon‐strably new science nor appeals to non‐science are needed to explain the impressive hierarchy of developmental change, from quark to quasar, from microbe to mind.     

Reliability and validity of the Leuven Perceptual Organization Screening Test (L‐POST)

Neuropsychological tests of visual perception mostly assess high‐level processes like object recognition. Object recognition, however, relies on distinct mid‐level processes of perceptual organization that are only implicitly tested in classical tests. Furthermore, the psychometric properties of the existing instruments are limited. To fill this gap, the Leuven perceptual organization screening test (L‐POST) was developed, in which a wide range of mid‐level phenomena are measured in 15 subtests. In this study, we evaluated reliability and validity of the L‐POST. Performance on the test is evaluated relative to a norm sample of more than 1,500 healthy control participants. Cronbach's alpha of the norm sample and test–retest correlations for 20 patients provide evidence for adequate reliability of L‐POST performance. The convergent and discriminant validity of the test was assessed in 40 brain‐damaged patients, whose performance on the L‐POST was compared with standard clinical tests of visual perception and other measures of cognitive function. The L‐POST showed high sensitivity to visual dysfunction and decreased performance was specific to visual problems. In conclusion, the L‐POST is a reliable and valid screening test for perceptual organization. It offers a useful online tool for researchers and clinicians to get a broader overview of the mid‐level processes that are preserved or disrupted in a given patient.     

Shear-driven damage of ductile metals induced by indentation load

Although indentation does not induce apparent cracking in ductile materials, degradation of elastic stiffness of ductile metals has been found in micro-/macro- indentation tests. After comparing the predicted degradation by extended damaged-plasticity models with that measured by experimental testing, it is found that the softening caused by distortion of existing voids is inadequate to cause the notable degradation of elasticity. It is suggested that an independent damage-nucleation mechanism arising from shear deformation may exist. Although attractive in practical applications for its non-destructive nature, the damage-based indentation technique for estimating the fracture properties of ductile materials needs further investigation.     

The effects of torture‐related stressors on long‐term complex post‐traumatic symptoms in South Korean torture survivors

This study explored whether perceived distress from specific stressors during and after torture explain long‐term complex post‐traumatic symptoms of South Korean torture survivors. We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of survivors who had been tortured by the homeland regime from the 1970s to the 2000s. Data from 206 survivors were gathered by key informants using target sampling and snowballing techniques. Project staff designed scales to encompass the specific types of stressors related to torture techniques used in Korea. Frequencies and distress ratings of exposure to torture, post‐torture psychosocial stressors and physical damage related to torture were gathered. Psychological symptoms were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale‐Revised‐Korean version and subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90‐Revised‐Korean version. Perceived distress from torture stressors was mainly divided into factors representing physical, psychological and deprivation torture by adapting a principal axis factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that distress from psychological torture explained post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that distress from deprivation explained PTSD and anxiety after controlling for demographic variables, psychological preparedness, time span since torture and distress from trauma other than torture. Among post‐torture stressors, distress from physical damage related to torture and social exclusion were strong indicators of complex symptoms.     

影响群体道歉有效性的因素

影响群体道歉有效性的因素是多方面的。对侵犯群体而言, 有效的群体道歉需要在言语表达中包含承认错误、承担责任、表达懊悔、做出承诺等内容, 需要讲究群体道歉的行为策略, 同时还应该关注道歉的内部动机对语言表达与行为方式的影响。对受害群体来讲, 侵犯群体道歉的有效性在于道歉本身缓解了其愤怒情绪, 满足了其自尊和期望等心理需求, 同时还要受到他们对道歉真诚性知觉程度的影响。除此之外, 群体道歉还会受到群际关系质量、冲突程度、文化信念等外部因素的影响。在今后的研究中, 应该继续尝试整合群体道歉的过程机制, 丰富群体道歉有效性的考察指标, 发挥道歉在社会生活领域中的积极作用。     

Understanding Motor Awareness Through Normal and Pathological Behavior

ABSTRACT— Data on patients with localized brain damage and on neurologically intact subjects show that normal motor control depends on the functionality of a chain of neurobiological events. These events, through the activation of internal representations of the desired, predicted, and actual condition of one's body with respect to the external world, contribute to the construction of conscious knowledge of voluntary actions and to self-awareness.