IntroductionConcussion is a growing public health concern. No uniformly established therapy exists; neurofeedback studies report treatment value. We use infralow frequency neuromodulation to remediate disabling neurological symptoms caused by traumatic brain injury and noted improved outcomes with a novel concussion protocol. Postconcussion symptoms and persistent postconcussion symptoms are designated timelines for protracted neurological complaints following TBI. We performed a retrospective study to explore effectiveness of ILF in PCS/PPCS and investigated the value of using this concussion protocol.MethodPatients with PCS/PPCS seen for (...) their first neurology office visit or received their first neurofeedback session between 1 August 2018 and 31 January 2021 were entered. Outcomes were compared following treatment as usual vs. TAU with ILF neurotherapy. The study cohort was limited to PPCS patients; the TAU+ILF group was restricted further to PPCS patients receiving at least 10 neurotherapy sessions. Within the TAU+ILF group, comparisons were made between those who trained at least 10 sessions using concussion protocol and those who trained for at least 10 sessions of ILF regardless of protocol.ResultsAmong our resultant PPCS cohort leading persistent neurological complaints were headache, memory impairment, and brain fog. PPCS patients in TAU+ILF+CP demonstrated greater net and percent improvement of symptoms compared to PPCS subjects in TAU. PPCS patients in TAU+ILF-CP trended toward significant symptom improvements compared to TAU, and TAU+ILF+CP trended toward greater efficacy than TAU+ILF-CP.ConclusionPPCS patients who received TAU+ILF+CP demonstrated significantly greater improvement as a group when compared to TAU. When used as an integrative modality to treatment as usual in managing patients with PPCS, ILF neuromodulation with use of concussion protocol provided significant symptom improvements. (shrink)

Prior research has investigated the recruitment of inhibition in the use of science/mathematics concepts in tasks that require the rejection of a conflicting, nonscientific initial concept. The present research examines if inhibition is the only EF skill recruited in such tasks and investigates whether shifting is also involved. It also investigates whether inhibition and/or shifting are recruited in tasks in which the use of science/mathematics concepts does not require the rejection of an initial concept, or which require only the use (...) of initial concepts. One hundred and thirty‐three third‐ and fifth‐grade children participated in two inhibition and shifting tasks and two science and mathematics conceptual understanding and conceptual change (CU&C) tasks. All the tasks were on‐line, and performance was measured in accuracy and RTs. The CU&C tasks involved the use of initial concepts and of science/mathematics concepts which required conceptual changes for their initial formation. Only in one of the tasks the use of the science/mathematics concepts required the concurrent rejection of an initial concept. The results confirmed that in this task inhibition was recruited and also showed that the speed of shifting was a significant predictor of performance. Shifting was a significant predictor of performance in all the tasks, regardless of whether they involved science/mathematics or initial concepts. It is argued that shifting is likely to be recruited in complex tasks that require multiple comparisons of stimuli and the entertainment of different perspectives. Inhibition seems to be a more selective cognitive skill likely to be recruited when the use of science/mathematics concepts requires the rejection of a conflicting initial concept. (shrink)

This article presents the results of an experiment which investigated elementary school children's explanations of the day/night cycle. First, third, and fifth grade children were asked to explain certain phenomena, such as the disappearance of the sun during the night, the disappearance of stars during the day, the apparent movement of the moon, and the alteration of day and night. The results showed that the majority of the children in our sample used in a consistent fashion a small number of (...) relatively well‐defined mental models of the earth, the sun, and the moon to explain the day/night cycle. These mental models of the day/night cycle were empirically accurate, logically consistent and revealed some sensitivity on the part of the children to issues of simplicity of explanation. The younger children formed Initial mental models which provided explanations of the day/night cycle based on everyday experience (e.g., the sun goes down behind mountains, clouds cover up the sun). The older children constructed synthetic mental models (e.g., the sun and the moon revolve around the stationary earth every 24 hours; the earth rotates in an up/down direction and the sun and moon are fixed on opposite sides) which represented attempts to synthesize the culturally accepted view with aspects of their Initial models. A few of the older children appeared to have constructed a mental model of the day/night cycle similar to the scientific one. A theoretical framework is outlined which explains the formation of initial, synthetic, and scientific models of the day/night cycle in terms of the reinterpretation of a hierarchy of constraints, some of which are present early in the child's life, and others which emerge later out of the structure of the acquired knowledge. (shrink)

M. Lipman and P. Freire are two thinkers who support the practice of liberty. Liberty is liberty to learn to think, and to exist in communities of dialogue, questioning, and search. This is the project that leads human beings to understand themselves and recognize others. Without liberty there..

“A mouth that speaks, many ears, and half the hands that write. These are the ac a demic ap - pa ra tus, these are the ac tive ma chines of Bildung in the Uni ver sity”, as writen by Nietz sche.. What should we do? Nietz sche gave us some an swers, in his ha bit ual form: ques tions, met a phor..

What are the semantic representations that underlie language production? We use structural priming to distinguish between two competing theories. Thematic roles define semantic structure in terms of atomic units that specify event participants and are ordered with respect to each other through a hierarchy of roles. Event structures instead instantiate semantic structure as embedded sub‐predicates that impose an order on verbal arguments based on their relative positioning in these embeddings. Across two experiments, we found that priming for datives depended on (...) the degree of overlap in event structures. Specifically, while all dative structures showed priming, due to common syntax, there was a boost for compositional datives priming other compositional datives. Here, the two syntactic forms have distinct event structures. In contrast, there was no boost in priming for dative light verbs, where the two forms map onto a single event representation. On the thematic roles hypothesis, we would have expected a similar degree of priming for the two cases. Thus, our results support event structural approaches to semantic representation and not thematic roles. (shrink)

Adult humans show exceptional relational ability relative to other species. In this research, we trace the development of this ability in young children. We used a task widely used in comparative research—the relational match-to-sample task, which requires participants to notice and match the identity relation: for example, AA should match BB instead of CD. Despite the simplicity of this relation, children under 4 years of age failed to pass this test (Experiment 1), and their performance did not improve even with (...) initial feedback (Experiment 2). In Experiments 3 and 4, we found that two kinds of symbolic-linguistic experience can facilitate relational reasoning in young children. Our findings suggest that children learn to become adept analogical thinkers, and that language fosters this learning in at least two distinct ways. (shrink)

This article presents a new argument concerning the relation between Kant’s theory of race and aspects of the critical philosophy. It argues that Kant’s treatment of the problem of the systematic unity of nature and knowledge in the Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of the Power of Judgment can be traced back a methodological problem in the natural history of the period – that of the possibility of a natural system of nature. Kant’s transformation of the methodological problem (...) from natural history into a set of philosophical problems proceeds by way of the working out of his own problem in natural history – the problem of the natural history of the human races – and specifically the problem of the unity in diversity of the human species, in response to which he develops a theory of race. This theory of race is, further, the first developed model of the use of teleological judgment in Kant’s work. The article thus argues that Kant’s philosophical position on the sy... (shrink)

This book is a rich blend of analyses by leading experts from various cultures and disciplines. A compact introduction to a complex field, it illustrates biotechnology's profound impact upon the environment and society. Moreover, it underscores the vital relevance of cultural values. This book empowers readers to more critically assess biotechnology's value and effectiveness within both specific cultural and global contexts.

Un medioevo esplicitamente finto, ricostruito in studio e rappresentato in modo quasi brechtiano.

The emerging area of philosophy of birth is invaluable, first, to diagnose fallacious assumptions about the relation between the womb and reason, and, ultimately, to challenge potentially damaging narratives with major impact on birth care. With its analysis of eighteenth-century epistemic and medical discussions about the role of the uterus in women's reasoning, this article supports two arguments: first, that women's “flawed thinking” was a premise drawn by many modern intellectual men, one that was presented as based upon empirical evidence; (...) and second, that the pervasive construction of the uterus as an element that renders women wild, uncontrollable, and irrational continues to influence contemporary obstetrics, even as today's medicine and science consider themselves to be free of any such prejudices.This article shows the role that Giacomo Casanova played in debunking these prejudices and presents his short manuscript on the issue as an important contribution to the literature of the Enlightenment, with its argument against women's supposed “natural” inferiority and for the idea that differences in education were to blame for women's subordinate position in society.Detailed analysis of the “thinking uterus” debate illuminates the different ways in which various arguments from/by the “anti-uterine” lobby were used to justify the subordination of women: sometimes emphasizing the connection between the uterus and thought and sometimes negating it, but always concluding that women's inferiority is to be found in some known or yet-to-be-discovered anatomical, and mainly sexual, deficiency or problem. (shrink)

The current quality assurance culture demands the explicit articulation, by means of publication, of what have been hitherto tacit norms and conventions underlying disciplinary genres. The justification is that publication aids student performance and guarantees transparency and accountability. This requirement makes a number of questionable assumptions predicated upon what we will argue is an erroneous epistemology. It is not always possible to articulate in a publishable form a detailed description of disciplinary practices such as assessment. As a result publication cannot (...) achieve its stated goals. There are always elements of our knowledge that cannot be linguistically articulated. (shrink)

The current quality assurance culture demands the explicit articulation, by means of publication, of what have been hitherto tacit norms and conventions underlying disciplinary genres. The justification is that publication aids student performance and guarantees transparency and accountability. This requirement makes a number of questionable assumptions predicated upon what we will argue is an erroneous epistemology. It is not always possible to articulate in a publishable form a detailed description of disciplinary practices such as assessment. As a result publication cannot (...) achieve its stated goals. There are always elements of our knowledge that cannot be linguistically articulated. (shrink)

With online communication being of growing importance in the organizational context, the aim of this research is to measure its relevance and acceptance among Nigerian businesses and employees. Therefore, a case study focusing on Nigeria Breweries Plc. has been designed and conducted, permitting conclusions on the implementation, efficiency, overall perception, and challenges related to the use of online communication tools in the context of Nigerian businesses of today and tomorrow.

Merleau-Ponty, Varela, Nagarjuna. Une triangulation possibleDans cet article, on voudrait mettre en évidence une triangulation possible entre Maurice Merleau-Ponty, le biologiste chilien Francisco Varela et le philosophebouddhiste de l’Antiquité Nagarjuna. L’objectif de cette perspective réside dans l’urgence d’une étude de la dynamique du réel, et même de la sensibilité en général.Dans The Embodied Mind, le « projet neuro-phénoménologique » et « l’urgence énactive » de Varela se joignent à la pratique bouddhiste Mahayana de Nagarjuna, à laquelle le biologiste consacre une (...) grande partie de son oeuvre. Ce rapprochement révèle l’intérêt de Varela pour l’ontologie bouddhiste, non substantielle et permanente, ce qui, non seulement le conduit jusqu’aux ultimes conséquences de la chair merleaupontienne, mais accroît aussi sa compréhension de la signification de cette chair.Dans les années précédant le développement de son ontologie, Merleau-Ponty se consacre à l’anthologie intitulée Les philosophes célèbres et décide d’y inclure un chapitre sur la philosophie orientale. Il y montre la nécessité d’un retour à l’Orient en tant qu’il a souvent été le précurseur et le « résonateur de notre rapport avec l’être ». Le présent travail se demande à quoi Merleau-Ponty fait allusion quand il nous invite « à mesurer les possibilités que nous nous sommes fermés en devenant ‘‘occidentaux’’ et, peut-être, à les rouvrir », afin d’établir la possibilité d’une convergence entre la chair, la constitution bouddhiste de la réalité et le projet énactif varélien.Merleau-Ponty, Varela, Nagarjuna. A Possible TriangulationIn this article, we would like to bring to light a possible triangulation between Maurice Merleau-Ponty, the Chilean biologist, Francisco Varela, and the ancientBuddhist philosopher, Nagarjuna. The purpose of doing this lies in the urgency of a study of the dynamic of the real and even of the sensible in general.In The Embodied Mind, Varela’s “neuro-phenomenological project” and the “enactive urgency” are joined to the Nagarjuna’s Mahayana Buddhist practice, to which the biologist devotes a large part of this work. This intersection reveals Varela’s interest in Buddhist ontology, an ontology that is non-substantialist and permanent. It leads not only to the ultimate consequences of Merleau-Ponty’s idea of the flesh, but also it adds its way of understanding to the significance of this flesh.In the years preceding the development of his ontology, Merleau-Ponty devoted himself to the anthology called Les philosophes célèbres. He decides to include in it a chapter on oriental philosophy. He shows there the necessity of a return to the Orient insofar as the East has often been the precursor and the “resonator of our relation to being.” The present work asks to what is Merleau-Ponty alluding when he invites us “to take stock of the possibilities in which we are enclosed by becoming ‘Western’ and perhaps we should reopen these possibilities” in order to establish the possibility of a convergence between the flesh, the Buddhist constitution of reality, and Varela’s enactive project. (shrink)

Merleau-Ponty, Varela, Nagarjuna. Une triangulation possibleDans cet article, on voudrait mettre en évidence une triangulation possible entre Maurice Merleau-Ponty, le biologiste chilien Francisco Varela et le philosophebouddhiste de l’Antiquité Nagarjuna. L’objectif de cette perspective réside dans l’urgence d’une étude de la dynamique du réel, et même de la sensibilité en général.Dans The Embodied Mind, le « projet neuro-phénoménologique » et « l’urgence énactive » de Varela se joignent à la pratique bouddhiste Mahayana de Nagarjuna, à laquelle le biologiste consacre une (...) grande partie de son oeuvre. Ce rapprochement révèle l’intérêt de Varela pour l’ontologie bouddhiste, non substantielle et permanente, ce qui, non seulement le conduit jusqu’aux ultimes conséquences de la chair merleaupontienne, mais accroît aussi sa compréhension de la signification de cette chair.Dans les années précédant le développement de son ontologie, Merleau-Ponty se consacre à l’anthologie intitulée Les philosophes célèbres et décide d’y inclure un chapitre sur la philosophie orientale. Il y montre la nécessité d’un retour à l’Orient en tant qu’il a souvent été le précurseur et le « résonateur de notre rapport avec l’être ». Le présent travail se demande à quoi Merleau-Ponty fait allusion quand il nous invite « à mesurer les possibilités que nous nous sommes fermés en devenant ‘‘occidentaux’’ et, peut-être, à les rouvrir », afin d’établir la possibilité d’une convergence entre la chair, la constitution bouddhiste de la réalité et le projet énactif varélien.Merleau-Ponty, Varela, Nagarjuna. A Possible TriangulationIn this article, we would like to bring to light a possible triangulation between Maurice Merleau-Ponty, the Chilean biologist, Francisco Varela, and the ancientBuddhist philosopher, Nagarjuna. The purpose of doing this lies in the urgency of a study of the dynamic of the real and even of the sensible in general.In The Embodied Mind, Varela’s “neuro-phenomenological project” and the “enactive urgency” are joined to the Nagarjuna’s Mahayana Buddhist practice, to which the biologist devotes a large part of this work. This intersection reveals Varela’s interest in Buddhist ontology, an ontology that is non-substantialist and permanent. It leads not only to the ultimate consequences of Merleau-Ponty’s idea of the flesh, but also it adds its way of understanding to the significance of this flesh.In the years preceding the development of his ontology, Merleau-Ponty devoted himself to the anthology called Les philosophes célèbres. He decides to include in it a chapter on oriental philosophy. He shows there the necessity of a return to the Orient insofar as the East has often been the precursor and the “resonator of our relation to being.” The present work asks to what is Merleau-Ponty alluding when he invites us “to take stock of the possibilities in which we are enclosed by becoming ‘Western’ and perhaps we should reopen these possibilities” in order to establish the possibility of a convergence between the flesh, the Buddhist constitution of reality, and Varela’s enactive project. (shrink)

In this article, I argue that Habermas’s genealogical approach to modern reason and methodological agnosticism can lead us to a better understanding of the role of religion in our societies. I underline the relevance of Habermas’s awareness that ‘something is missing’ when we take faith out of modernity and consider the truths of philosophical reason to be infallible. Habermas succeeds in highlighting the complexity of the modern relationship between the religious and the secular domains, a relationship that is not merely (...) epistemic, but also embodied in various practical relationships between religious and secular citizens. On this basis, and in the light of Habermas’s idea of modernity as an unfinished project, I argue that religion can be interpreted as a dimension allied to political modernity and democracy as well. (shrink)

In dieser Arbeit geht es zunächst um eine Auslegung der aristotelischen Affekttheorie, so wie sie hauptsächlich im 2. Buch der Rhetorik ausgeführt wird unter Berücksichtigung der einschlägigen Passagen aus der Nikomachischen Ethik und aus De Anima. Es zeigt sich, dass Affekte für Aristoteles nicht etwa unserem Verstand gegenüberstehen, sondern, dass sie selbst Anteil an der Vernunft haben, indem sie auf einem Erkenntnisakt beruhen. Ziel dieser Untersuchung ist aber auch zu zeigen, dass der Stoiker Poseidonios, trotz seiner Absicht sich der platonisch-aristotelischen (...) Seelen- und Affekttheorie anzuschließen, mit seiner Theorie das Konzept eines Gegensatzes von Vernunft und Affekt verteidigt hat und somit in Wirklichkeit nicht als Anhänger der platonisch-aristotelischen Philosophie betrachtet werden kann. Für Poseidonios besteht, anders als bei Aristoteles, eine radikale Trennung zwischen Sinnlichkeit und Vernunft, zwischen Emotionslos-Rationalem und Geistfrei-Irrationalem. (shrink)

Experiencing Endings and Beginnings highlights the emotional turmoil which, to a greater or lesser extent, accompanies the changes we experience throughout life. It considers the nature of the anxieties aroused by a new situation, changes in our circumstances, beginnings, and endings of relationships, gains and losses and the ending of a previous state throughout the lifespan. Endings and beginnings are shown to be closely related, for every new situation entered into, more often than not, involves having to let go of (...) some of the advantages of the previous one as well as losing what is familiar and facing fear of the unknown. Isca Wittenberg shows how all these aspects of change evoke primitive anxieties, stemming from our earliest experiences of coming into this world. The book considers life changes including birth and weaning, going to nursery and school, beginning work, marriage, parenthood, and retirement, with reference to clinical examples. This revised edition includes a new chapter by the author examining advanced old age. Experiencing Endings and Beginnings will be essential reading for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in practice and in training. It will also be of great interest to other professionals and to readers interested in understanding change across the lifespan. (shrink)