Where did Words Come from? A Linking Theory of Sound Symbolism and Natural Language Evolution

Where did words come from? The traditional view is that the relation between the sound of a word and its meaning is arbitrary. An alternative hypothesis, known as sound symbolism, holds that form-meaning correspondence is systematic. Numerous examples of sound symbolism exist across natural language phyla. Moreover, cross-linguistic similarities suggest that sound symbolism represents a language universal. For example, many unrelated languages affix an "ee" sound to words in order to emphasize size distinctions or express affection (e.g., look at the teeny weeny baby); other such phonetic universals are evident for object mass, color, brightness, and aggression. We hypothesize that sound symbolism reflects sensitivity to an ecological law (i.e., Hooke's Law) governing an inverse relation between object mass and acoustic resonance. In two experiments healthy adults showed high agreement in matching pure tones to color swatches and nonwords to novel objects as linear functions of frequency and luminance. These results support a degree of non-arbitrariness in integrating visual and auditory information. We discuss implications for sound symbolism as a factor underlying language evolution

Social, administrative and educational dimensions of the “human – subject of economic life” phenomenon under conditions of information society transition to a new level of development

Перехід інформаційного суспільства на новий рівень розвитку в тріаді генезисних процесів «становлення – формування – розвиток» спричинює численні зміни. Серед них: становлення суспільства знань; інтенсивний розвиток інформаційного простору задіянням ресурсів активного інформаційного простору, неактивного інформаційного простору майбутнього та неактивного інформаційного простору минулого; становлення рольового призначення людини як трудового потенціалу і людського капіталу. Ці зміни актуалізують процеси формування та розвитку людини-суб’єкта економічного життя. Розгляд цих процесів у суспільному, управлінському та освітньому вимірах дає можливість виокремити низку домінант сучасності. Це зростаючо-домінуюча роль комп’ютерної комунікації. Спрямування управління на поєднання інтересів окремих людей з інтересами організації та її стратегічними цілями. Задіяння соціального управління як менеджменту людських ресурсів. Розвиток людини як особистості. Формування та розвиток ІК-компетентності в системі неперервної освіти.Переход информационного общества на новый уровень развития в триаде генезисних процессов «становление – формирование – развитие» вызывает многочисленные изменения. Среди них: становление общества знаний; интенсивное развитие информационного пространства задействованием ресурсов активного информационного пространства, неактивного информационного пространства будущего и неактивного информационного пространства прошлого; становления ролевого назначения человека как трудового потенциала и человеческого капитала. Эти изменения актуализируют процессы формирования и развития человека-субъекта экономической жизни. Рассмотрение этих процессов в общественной, управленческом и образовательном измерениях дает возможность выделить ряд доминант современности. Это растущая и доминирующая роль компьютерной коммуникации. Направление управления на сосотнесение интересов отдельных людей с интересами организации и ее стратегическими целями. Задействования социального управления как менеджмента человеческих ресурсов. Развитие человека как личности. Формирование и развитие ИК-компетентности в системе непрерывного образования.The information society transition to a new level of development in the triad of genesis processes of "incipience – formation – development" causes a lot of changes: the formation of a knowledge society; intensive development of the information space by using the resources of the active information space, the inactive information space of the future and the inactive information space of the past; formation of person’s purpose as labor potential and human capital. These changes actualize the processes of formation and development of the human as subject of economic life. Consideration of these processes in the social, administrative and educational dimensions makes it possible to single out a number of dominant features of the present – it is the growing dominant role of computer communication; management focusing on combining the interests of individuals with the interests of the organization and its strategic goals is important; engaging social management as human resource management; personal development of human; formation and development of IСT competence in the system of continuous education

The identification of mitochondrial DNA variants in glioblastoma multiforme

Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes key proteins of the electron transfer chain (ETC), which produces ATP through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and is essential for cells to perform specialised functions. Tumor-initiating cells use aerobic glycolysis, a combination of glycolysis and low levels of OXPHOS, to promote rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressively malignant brain tumor and mitochondria have been proposed to play a vital role in GBM tumorigenesis. Results: Using next generation sequencing and high resolution melt analysis, we identified a large number of mtDNA variants within coding and non-coding regions of GBM cell lines and predicted their disease-causing potential through in silico modeling. The frequency of variants was greatest in the D-loop and origin of light strand replication in non-coding regions. ND6 was the most susceptible coding gene to mutation whilst ND4 had the highest frequency of mutation. Both genes encode subunits of complex I of the ETC. These variants were not detected in unaffected brain samples and many have not been previously reported. Depletion of HSR-GBM1 cells to varying degrees of their mtDNA followed by transplantation into immunedeficient mice resulted in the repopulation of the same variants during tumorigenesis. Likewise, de novo variants identified in other GBM cell lines were also incorporated. Nevertheless, ND4 and ND6 were still the most affected genes. We confirmed the presence of these variants in high grade gliomas. Conclusions: These novel variants contribute to GBM by rendering the ETC. partially dysfunctional. This restricts metabolism to anaerobic glycolysis and promotes cell proliferation

Paradigms in the study of creativity: introducing the perspective of cultural psychology

This article identifies three paradigms in creativity theory and research in psychology. The He-paradigm, focused on the solitary genius, has been followed, mainly after the 1950s, by the I-paradigm, equally individualistic in nature but attributing creativity to each and every individual. Extending this view, the We-paradigm incorporates what became known as the social psychology of creativity. The cultural psychology of creativity builds upon this last theoretical approach while being critical of some of its assumptions. This relatively new perspective, using the conceptual and methodological framework of cultural psychology, investigates the sociocultural roots and dynamics of all our creative acts and employs a tetradic framework of self – community – new artifact – existing artifacts in its conceptualization of creativity. The theoretical basis of the cultural psychology approach is analyzed as well as some of its main implications for both the understanding and study of creativity

Advancing Computational Models of Narrative

Report of a Workshop held at the Wylie Center, Beverly, MA, Oct 8-10 2009Sponsored by the AFOSR under MIT-MURI contract #FA9550-05-1-032