Principles for Designing Randomized Preventive Trials in Mental Health: An Emerging Developmental Epidemiology Paradigm

An emerging population-based paradigm is now being used to guide the design of preventive trials used to test developmental models. We discuss elements of the designs of several ongoing randomized preventive trials involving reduction of risk for children of divorce, for children who exhibit behavioral or learning problems, and for children whose parents are being treated for depression. To test developmental models using this paradigm, we introduce three classes of design issues: design for prerandomization, design for intervention, and design for postintervention. For each of these areas, we present quantitative results from power calculations. Both scientific and cost implications of these power calculations are discussed in terms of variation among subjects on preintervention measures, unit of intervention, assignment, balancing, number of pretest and posttest measures, and the examination of moderation effects.     

Convergent cortical representation of semantic processing in bilinguals

This study examined whether semantic processes in two languages (English and Spanish) are mediated by a common neural system in fluent bilinguals who acquired their second language years after acquiring their first language. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed while bilingual participants made semantic and nonsemantic decisions about words in Spanish and English. There was greater activation for semantic relative to nonsemantic decisions in left and right frontal regions, with greater left frontal activation. The locations of activations were similar for both languages, and no differences were found when semantic decisions for English and Spanish words were compared directly. These results demonstrate a shared frontal lobe system for semantic analysis of the languages and are consistent with cognitive research on bilingualism indicating that the two languages of a bilingual person access a common semantic system.     

遗忘症患者外显与内隐记忆实验研究:语义性启动效应任务

采用ＷＭＳ—ＣＲ和ＭＭＳＥ对临床脑损伤患者进行了认知功能与记忆功能两方面的筛选,获得９名遗忘症患者。然后采用偏好和自由联想两项语义性启动效应任务进行测验,发现遗忘症患者在外显记忆受损情况下,的确存在语义性启动效应,且与正常对照相近。推论语义性启动效应任务与遗忘患者损伤的颞叶或间脑结构无关。同时还讨论了启动效应任务,认为偏好任务采用言语性材料不是理想的方法。     

Partially Interpreted Relations and Partially Interpreted Quantifiers

Logics in which a relation R is semantically incomplete in a particular universe E, i.e. the union of the extension of R with its anti-extension does not exhaust the whole universe E, have been studied quite extensively in the last years. (Cf. van Benthem (1985), Blamey (1986), and Langholm (1988), for partial predicate logic; Muskens (1996), for the applications of partial predicates to formal semantics, and Doherty (1996) for applications to modal logic.) This is not so with semantically incomplete generalized quantifiers which constitute the subject of the present paper. The only systematic study of these quantifiers from a purely logical point of view, is, to the best of my knowledge, that by van Eijck (1995). We shall take here a different approach than that of van Eijck and mention some of the abstract properties of the resulting logic. Finally we shall prove that the two approaches are interdefinable.     

Commodious Axiomatization of Quantifiers in Multiple-Valued Logic

We provide tools for a concise axiomatization of a broad class of quantifiers in many-valued logic, so-called distribution quantifiers. Although sound and complete axiomatizations for such quantifiers exist, their size renders them virtually useless for practical purposes. We show that for quantifiers based on finite distributive lattices compact axiomatizations can be obtained schematically. This is achieved by providing a link between skolemized signed formulas and filters/ideals in Boolean set lattices. Then lattice theoretic tools such as Birkhoff's representation theorem for finite distributive lattices are used to derive tableau-style axiomatizations of distribution quantifiers.     

Family-Based Intervention with High-Risk Infants and Their Families

A model of family-based intervention for high-risk infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit and their families is presented. The theoretical underpinnings, principles, and nature of the intervention are described. The adaptation of the model from a clinical–research demonstration project to a clinical consultation service is highlighted, with particular emphasis on the practical application of the model. Domains of the intervention include infant behavior, family organization and functioning, caregiving environment, and home discharge/community resources. Three case illustrations are provided to demonstrate the breadth of the intervention and how it can be individualized based upon the presentation of the infant and family.     

对语义网络中概念非类属关系的实验研究

本研究包括三个实验。实验一在混和呈现条件下比较被试对隐喻句和类属句的加工时问,发现可理解性高的隐喻句的R_T不比类属句的慢。实验二在分组呈现条件下比较被试加工隐喻句与类属句的速度,结果与实验一基本相同。实验一、二中还发现类属概念的层次与语义加工时间没有必然联系。实验三比较了隐喻句对三类概念的启动作用,发现隐喻对自身的语义特征概念有明显的启动作用。根据三个实验的结果,我们提出了一种称为特征联结的语义网络结构模型。     

柯林斯语义层次网络模型的实验研究

应用语义验证法对柯林斯与奎利安的语义层次网络模型进行研究,结果表明:(1)柯林斯等人的语义层次网络模型不完全适用于人脑的信息加工;(2)被试对主语所指称客体的熟悉程度是决定语义验证时间的一个重要因素;(3)被试提取概念各属性的时间并非完全由属性储存的位置决定的。