Comparison and Inference in the Categorization of NonFamiliar Artifacts: a Study With Young Children

Investigaciones sobre el desarrollo de categorías muestran que procesos cognitivos como la comparación y la inferencia promueven el conocimiento conceptual. Este artículo reporta el estudio de estos procesos en la categorización de objetos no familiares, utilizando una prueba de elecciones forzosas y palabra extendida, manipulando propiedades funcionales de objetos nuevos. Utilizando una muestra accidental, el Estudio 1 examinó si 42 niños de 3 a 5 años extendían un nombre nuevo a un artefacto no familiar en base a su función, encontrándose un desempeño exitoso solo a los 5 años. El Estudio 2 investigó la comparación en la formación de categorías en 48 niños de 4 años y en el Estudio 3 se estudiaron los efectos de la inferencia en 24 niños de 4 años. Únicamente los niños que compararon artefactos bajo un rótulo común sortearon el sesgo perceptivo, formando categorías nuevas, no así los que fueron invitados a realizar inferencias en base a propiedades. Se discuten los alcances de la comparación y las limitaciones de la inferencia en la categorización de objetos en ausencia de conocimiento conceptual previo.Prior research on category development has shown that cognitive processes such as comparison and inductive inference promote conceptual development, highlighting particular aspects of children’s existing conceptual knowledge. This paper reports the study of children´s comparison and inductive inference in the categorization of non-familiar objects. It used a forced-choice and word extension task with novel artifacts, manipulating their functional properties. Using an accidental sample, Study 1 assessed whether 2 to 5 years old children extended a novel word to a non-familiar artifact based of its function. It was found that only 5-year-olds succeeded. Study 2 tested the effects of comparison in the formation of categories in 48 4-year-olds and Study 3 the effects of inference in 24 4-year-old children. Only children who compared artifact-members under a common label went beyond the perceptual bias and formed new categories, but not the children who were invited to make property-based inference. Results are discussed concerning the extent of comparison and the restrictions of property-based inference in the categorization of objects with no pre-existing conceptual knowledge.Fil: Taverna Loza, Andrea Sabina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educacion; ArgentinaFil: Peralta, Olga Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educacion; Argentin

Teaching Words Through Picture-books: Early Learning of Nouns and Adjectives

El objetivo del trabajo que se informa fue investigar el aprendizaje de adjetivos y sustantivos mediante libros ilustrados en niños de tres años de edad. Se diseñaron dos estudios con una metodología cuasi-experimental en los que se enseñó a los niños un sustantivo o un adjetivo. Luego los participantes debían extender la palabra aprendida primero al objeto representado por la imagen, y luego a un nuevo ejemplar de la misma categoría de objeto (sustantivo) o propiedad de objeto (adjetivo). El Estudio 1 comparó el aprendizaje de sustantivos y adjetivos. Se encontró que los niños aprendieron el sustantivo pero no el adjetivo, lo que indicaría que para ellos aprender adjetivos a través de libros con imágenes es más difícil que aprender sustantivos. El Estudio 2 exploró el impacto de la información descriptiva sobre el aprendizaje de un adjetivo que refería a una propiedad visual (estampado). Esta información destacaba, por un lado, el núcleo del concepto, el estampado, y por otro la intención comunicativa del interlocutor. Se contrastó la ejecución de los niños en función de la información provista por la experimentadora. Los datos obtenidos muestran que si los niños reciben información descriptiva sobre el aspecto de la imagen que debe conectarse con la palabra, logran relacionarlo con la propiedad a la que refiere, aprendiendo el adjetivo. Los resultados de esta investigación aportan información relevante acerca de la relación entre el aprendizaje del lé- xico y el desarrollo conceptual y subrayan la relevancia del contexto sociopragmático en el aprendizaje de palabras.Picture-books reading are a very common practice between children and adults. In these interactions parents assume that their children learn lots of things, especially words. But, is this interaction effective as a word learning device? Is it the same to teach different kind of words? The main question of this research arises in the intersection of two fields: symbolic compre - hension of pictures and word learning. Three main ideas guided this research. Symbolic under - standing of pictures is a very complex process that involves cognitive and social skills. The sociopragmatic context has an impact in the cognitive processes involved in word learning. There is a strong relationship between word learning and conceptual development. The aim of this research was to explore 3-year-old children´s learning of nouns and adjectives in a picture-book reading situation. We designed two studies using a cuasiexperimental approach. In Study 1 we compared two groups of children: one learned a noun (category condition) and the other an adjective (property condition). The noun was pompe, a word that does not exist but has a Spanish morphologic structure. The adjective, pompeado, was built based on the word pompe, adding the suffix-ado; suffix marks that the word is an adjective. Toddlers were exposed to the new words during a picturebook reading interaction with the experimenter, then, they had to solve two successive tests. In the first test of the category condition participants had to apply the new noun learned via pictures to the real object. In the second test they had to extend the new noun to a new exemplar, an object with the same shape but different color. In the first test of the property condition, participants had to apply the new adjective learned via pictures to the real object with the property. In the second test they had to extend the adjective to a new exemplar, a new object with the same target-property. The second tests were taken as strong indicators of word learning as they involved some kind of generalization. In the first test both groups, category and property, applied the word to the real object. In the second test, while children in the category condition extended the noun to another exemplar, children in the property condition did not extend the adjective to another exemplar with the same property. In a second study we explored if children need more cues to extend the adjective to another exemplar with the same property, and truly learn the adjective. Study 2 investigated the impact of descriptive information in word learn - ing. We set two groups on the basis of the information provided by the experimenter. One group received descriptive information highlight - ing the specific aspect of the picture that had to be mapped with the property. The other group did not receive this additional information. We found that only the participants that received descriptive information extended the word pompeado to a new exemplar with the target property. We propose that the descriptive information worked high - lighting the communicative intention of the experimenter as well as the core of the concept. Underscoring the perceptual feature allowed much more than making a superficial association, as the descriptive information pointed directly to the heart of the concept. Overall, the results of this research are consistent with previous studies that found that it is more difficult for young children to learn adjectives than nouns. The results also highlight the strong relationship between word learning and conceptual development. This re - search provides strong evidence concerning the importance of socio the pragmatic context on referential understanding and word learning.Fil: Mareovich, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Abierta Interamericana; ArgentinaFil: Taverna, Andrea S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Universitario del Gran Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Peralta, Olga Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina. Universidad Abierta Interamericana; Argentin

Mathematical Programming bounds for Large-Scale Unit Commitment Problems in Medium-Term Energy System Simulations

We consider a large-scale unit commitment problem arising in medium-term simulation of energy networks, stemming from a joint project between the University of Milan and a major energy research centre in Italy. Optimal plans must be computed for a set of thermal and hydroelectric power plants, located in one or more countries, over a time horizon spanning from a few months to one year, with a hour-by-hour resolution. We propose a mixed-integer linear programming model for the problem. Since the complexity of this unit commitment problem and the size of real-world instances make it impractical to directly optimise this model using general purpose solvers, we devise ad-hoc heuristics and relaxations to obtain approximated solutions and quality estimations. We exploit an incremental approach: at first, a linear relaxation of an aggregated model is solved. Then, the model is disaggregated and the full linear relaxation is computed. Finally, a tighter linear relaxation of an extended formulation is obtained using column generation. At each stage, metaheuristics are run to obtain good integer solutions. Experimental tests on real-world data reveal that accurate results can be obtained by our framework in affordable time, making it suitable for efficient scenario simulations

A reflection on connecting complexity theory and design for policy

Policy innovation to face complex problems Society, meant as an aggregate of people interacting with each other in a more or less ordered community, is by definition complex. The relations among its elements (i.e. the people) have different properties that create a distinctly complex system. For instance, as one of the characteristics of complexity theory, they have a nonlinear behavior, meaning that they might respond in different ways to an identical input depending on the circumstances (Byrne, 2002). While it is largely recognized that evolution increased the complexity of social environments (Bar-Yam, 1997), the quick diffusion of digital communication channels and tools (i.e. ICTs) has radically increased the number of interactions among humans, diversifying nature (i.e. digital messaging) and amplifying scale (i.e. social network platforms), thus increasing de facto the complexity of the social system (McChrystal et al., 2015). Indeed, if on the one hand, the technological progress brought a range of benefits like higher connectivity, quicker mobility or easier flow of information, on the other hand it also carried new and critical social and ethical challenges, both on a micro scale (i.e. privacy issues), and on a macro one (i.e. migration). These increasingly complex sociotechnical problems are challenging both the traditional models and solutions used by governments for regulation (the traditional policymaking process), and the old process of public and private innovation (new disruptive technologies like AI or blockchain will radically modify some of the workings of civil society like the type and distribution of jobs). Focusing on governments and their traditional model to produce and enact regulations, the main reasons behind this scenario can be further described using the following categories: Procedures, that are often inappropriate for the scale and speed of technological change, as more often the traditional process for policy development and implementation is linear and deterministic; Organizational structures and procedures, that are often inadequate to support the new need for policy innovation determined by the current scenario (i.e. old silos structure); Citizen engagement, that is often not appropriately applied to the design and development of policy. Building on this, the public sector at large needs a renovation, that can include the advantages of Digital Government, modernization of procedures and organizational structures, as well as the development of new ways to include citizens as new sources of solution and generation of public value. Design for policy and Complexity theory to aid policy innovation Due to the scenario described, institutions around the world are looking for and experimenting with new approaches to transform the public sector, also looking at design as a potential source of new methods, principles, and tools (Junginger, 2017). In the last decades, design has increasingly accepted this new area of work, evolving its interests toward intangible solutions and acting in what Buchanan (2001) defines third and fourth orders of design, that is working, studying and experimenting on interactions (third order) and systems (fourth order). More recently, Norman et al. (2015) have described how design can play an active role in reducing political, social and cultural disruption while building more resilient solutions alongside optimizing resources. Furthermore, Bason (2017) has underlined the potential of applying design practice in public sector and administration using three dimensions: Exploring the problem space Generating alternative scenarios Enacting new practices Interestingly, he argues that ethnographically-inspired design approaches can support and inform the process of identification of policy needs, by understanding people’s needs and wishes. Beyond people centricity, the relevance of design approaches for government also lies in the ability to map and visualize information and languages (Mauri and Ciuccarelli, 2016), thus helping insights emerge and create a shared vocabulary with citizens to start social conversations (Manzini, 2015). One of the essential aspects of this generation of alternative scenarios in complex systems of stakeholders is the ability to trigger a debate based on a desirable vision of the future. Therefore, we can say that design scenarios use creativity to enable collaborative ideation and prototyping (Kimbell & Bailey, 2017), an aspect that is particularly relevant to renovate current policymaking practice. However, traditional design practices are not yet accustomed to handling complexity for policy formulation, as until now they have mainly been focused on tangible policy outputs (i.e. public services), and would therefore benefit from further understanding about how to integrate and handle a complex system to understand new social challenges and devise solutions to them. The aim is therefore to support this through proposing an integration between complexity theory and design for policy aiming at policy innovation. From a theoretical point of view, these two areas have a common ground, for instance: The object of the analysis is in both cases a complex system, its elements, their relations and characteristics (i.e. emergence); The perspective on the system takes into consideration all its elements with a holistic approach, in contrast with a reductionist one. From a practical point of view, few experiences and projects can be found in which the concepts of complexity theory are beginning to enrich the design process (i.e. healthcare system design). However, structured reflection and enquiry about how to connect these two areas can seldom be found, and here lies the contribution this paper aims at making. In particular, the intention is to begin to work on a shared vocabulary, methods, and tools that embedded in design for policy could significantly advance the knowledge of both areas as well as innovation in policymaking. Research design: Focusing on the intersection between Complexity, Policy and Design In order to comprehend the connection between complexity theory and design for policy, the research selects and analyses the scientific papers published in the last ten years in the most accredited databases (WOS and Scopus) produced with references to the topics of Complexity Theory, Policy Design and Design for Policy, either looking at how these are connected or to extract the most relevant principles for each, for further connection. Regarding complexity, special attention will be paid to the scale of the system, as its complexity is highly influenced by the number of interactions and increases when the number of interacting elements increases. In the area of Policy Design, the discussion will reflect on those contributions that frame policy formulation as a design problem to understand where/how design is already considered part of the process and where this process can be further supported by principles coming from complexity studies. Finally, literature in the area of Design for Policy is analyzed to match the characteristics of this activity with the above areas and create a more compelling understanding on the topic. The knowledge retrieved from this research will be analyzed placing concepts in a matrix based on Buchanan’s fourth orders of design, declined by Jones and van Patter (2009) in the four domanis of design, arguing that “many more will be engaged in the Design 3.0 and Design 4.0 activity spaces with more knowledge and better tools”. In our research, these are considered as four distinct design domains from design 1.0 to 4.0 and are useful to understand two aspects: the scale of the system and the kind of design domain (fig. 1). Based on this, the most relevant domains for our research will be the third and the fourth because connected to organizational structures, social systems and policymaking, thus these will be the object of literature mapping. Moreover, the policy cycle defined by Howlett and Ramesh (2003) and further illustrated by Junginger (2015) (fig. 2) will be used to understand where the activity of design mainly plays a role in the formulation and ideation of a policy. Finally, these theoretical models are matched to map scientific papers and arguments built by other scholars following the structure provided in Table 1 below. Conclusions The mapping tool proposed through the table will generate insights on how in the last decade the conversation around the introduction of design methods and processes in policymaking has evolved also in connection to complexity theory, and what theoretical elements can be useful to create a share language and vocabulary for mutual enrichment and disciplinary enhancement. This analysis creates a base of knowledge from which other scholars and researchers might work to share a research field that connects complexity theory and design for policy, thus contributing to make use of complexity theory in design for creating value and not to perceive complexity as a problem

Organización conceptual del entorno natural wichí: resultados preliminares

La diversidad del entorno natural es conceptualizada por todas las poblaciones del mundo mediante categorías lexicalizadas organizadas en taxonomías jerárquicas, las que se hallan estructuradas bajo fuertes principios universales pero también moldeadas por la experiencia individual de cada grupo humano (Berlin et al., 1973; Brown, 1986). Desde un enfoque cognitivo y transcultural el presente trabajo, el que es parte de un proyecto más amplio sobre cómo personas de orígenes lingüísticos, culturales y de experiencia con el entorno diferentes conceptualizan la naturaleza (Taverna et al., 2012; 2014), se centra en cómo los wichí conceptualizan el entorno natural que habitan. Estudios propios previos han sugerido que esta población ordenaría su entorno viviente mediante una taxonomía de los habitantes de la tierra (hunhat-lheley) y que sus agrupamientos estarían organizados en base a propiedades ecológicas (ej. hábitat) más que taxonómicas (Taverna et al., 2012). Aquí se explora directa y empíricamente las categorías lexicalizadas encontradas en el referido estudio, más específicamente se pretende establecer: la organización conceptual global de las categorías de los habitantes de la tierra que corresponden al mundo animal y vegetal (animales de monte, de agua, de aire, árboles y arbustos, plantas cultivables, hierbas, enredaderas y cactus); las conexiones entre los ejemplares de cada categoría; y sus miembros más familiares o representativos. Para explorar lo antedicho, se utiliza una tarea de producción de nombres (Deese, 1965; Winkler-Rhoades et al., 2010). Esta prueba se apoya en el supuesto de que cuando una palabra o concepto son activados, activa otros que están semántica o asociativamente relacionados. El orden en que los nombres son producidos es tomado como un índice de la proximidad psicológica de los conceptos subyacentes, las listas que las personas generan en la prueba es la antesala de la organización conceptual subyacente en determinado dominio (Kail & Nippold, 1984; Medin et al., 1997; Neely, 1991).The diversity of the natural environment is conceptualized by all people through lexicalized categories organized in hierarchical taxonomies (Berlin et al., 1973). From a cognitive and cross-cultural perspective, here we explore the global conceptual organization of the Wichi folkbiological categories which organize the animal and plant domains, particularly we focus on the connections between the items for each category; and the most familiar or representative exemplars. Fourteen Wichi adults (Age M=29.14) from the Wichi-Lawet community, Laguna Yema, Formosa, were asked to take part in a free-listing task.Trabajos libres: Estudios interdisciplinarios y nuevos desarrollosFacultad de Psicologí

El impacto de la información descriptiva en el aprendizaje de palabras e imágenes

Las imágenes son medios simbólicos a través de los cuales los adultos frecuentemente enseñan palabras a los niños. Estas imágenes son presentadas usualmente en un contexto de libros ilustrados. La interacción entre padres e hijos pequeños con este tipo de libros es muy usual, al menos en algunas culturas y niveles socioeconómicos. Si bien las características de este tipo de interacciones han sido ampliamente exploradas, escasas investigaciones se han preguntado sí y qué es lo que efectivamente los niños aprenden en estos intercambios.Picture book reading is a very common interaction between adults and young children, and adults assume that children learn from these interactions. In order to learn from images, it is crucial to understand that an image is a representation.PostersFacultad de Psicologí

FACTORES QUE OBSTACULIZAN EL RENDIMIENTO ACADÉMICO Y/O PERMANENCIA UNIVERSITARIA DE LAS PERSONAS EN SITUACIÓN DE DISCAPACIDAD FÍSICA, VISUAL, AUDITIVA, MENTAL PSÍQUICA Y MENTAL INTELECTUAL.

Hoy en día la sociedad actual exige estándares mínimos de satisfacción que mejoren la calidad de vida de las personas. Las personas en situación de discapacidad, no se encuentran ajenas. En Chile a partir del año 2010, se promulga la ley n° 20.422, que establece las normas sobre igualdad de oportunidades e inclusión social de las personas en situación de discapacidad. Cambiando el paradigma social frente al concepto de inclusión de las personas en situación de discapacidad en todos ámbitos, sobre todo en el área educacional, donde el estado y los privados han tratado de reconocer sus deberes frente a esta temática. Sin embargo, no existe una delimitación clara en la educación superior. Es por ello, que se genera la necesidad como institución Santo Tomás, sede Iquique de crear un estudio que detecte los factores intrínsecos como extrínsecos que obstaculizan el rendimiento académico y/o permanencia en la educación superior de las personas en situación de discapacidad pertenecientes a esta institución. Para ello, se realiza una investigación de carácter exploratorio, de tipo cualitativo descriptivo, con un enfoque naturalista, ya que explora múltiples realidades de docentes y estudiantes de educación superior en situación de discapacidad. Este estudio concluye principalmente que los factores extrínsecos asociados al cuerpo académico y directivos son quienes poseen mayores factores obstaculizantes en cuanto al rendimiento académico y/o permanencia de las personas en situación de discapacidad, en Santo Tomás sede Iquique. Abstract Today's society demands minimum standards of satisfaction that improve the quality of life of people. People in a situation of disability are not strangers. In Chile, as of 2010, Law n ° 20,422 is promulgated, which establishes the rules on equal opportunities and social inclusion for people with disabilities. Changing the social paradigm to the concept of inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas, especially in the educational area, where the state and private have tried to recognize their duties in this area. However, there is no clear delineation in higher education. That is why the need is generated as an institution Santo Tomás, Iquique headquarters to create a study that detects the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that hinder the academic performance and / or permanence in higher education of people with disabilities belonging to this institution. For this purpose, an exploratory research is carried out, of a descriptive qualitative nature, with a naturalistic approach, since it explores multiple realities of teachers and students of higher education in a situation of disability. This study concludes mainly that the extrinsic factors associated to the academic body and managers are those who have major obstacles in terms of academic performance and / or permanence of people with disabilities, in Santo Tomás Iquique headquarters

Two decades of X-ray observations of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5-3754: detection of thermal and non-thermal hard X-rays and refined spin-down measurement

The soft X-ray pulsar RX J1856.5-3754 is the brightest member of a small class of thermally-emitting, radio-silent, isolated neutron stars. Its X-ray spectrum is almost indistinguishable from a blackbody with $kT^\infty\approx 60$ eV, but evidence of harder emission above $\sim 1$ keV has been recently found. We report on a spectral and timing analysis of RX J1856.5-3754 based on the large amount of data collected by XMM-Newton in 2002--2022, complemented by a dense monitoring campaign carried out by NICER in 2019. Through a phase-coherent timing analysis we obtained an improved value of the spin-down rate $\dot{\nu}=-6.042(4)\times10^{-16}$ Hz s$^{-1}$, reducing by more than one order magnitude the uncertainty of the previous measurement, and yielding a characteristic spin-down field of $1.47\times10^{13}$ G. We also detect two spectral components above $\sim1$ keV: a blackbody-like one with $kT^\infty=138\pm13$ eV and emitting radius $31_{-16}^{+8}$ m, and a power law with photon index $\Gamma=1.4_{-0.4}^{+0.5}$. The power-law 2--8\,keV flux, $(2.5_{-0.6}^{+0.7})\times10{-15}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, corresponds to an efficiency of $10^{-3}$, in line with that seen in other pulsars. We also reveal a small difference between the $0.1$--$0.3$ keV and $0.3$--$1.2$ keV pulse profiles, as well as some evidence for a modulation above $1.2$ keV. These results show that, notwithstanding its simple spectrum, \eighteen still has a non-trivial thermal surface distribution and features non-thermal emission as seen in other pulsars with higher spin-down power.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Dysregulation of Blimp1 transcriptional repressor unleashes p130Cas/ErbB2 breast cancer invasion

ErbB2 overexpression is detected in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is correlated with poor survival. It was previously shown that the adaptor protein p130Cas/BCAR1 is a crucial mediator of ErbB2 transformation and that its overexpression confers invasive properties to ErbB2-positive human mammary epithelial cells. We herein prove, for the first time, that the transcriptional repressor Blimp1 is a novel mediator of p130Cas/ErbB2-mediated invasiveness. Indeed, high Blimp1 expression levels are detected in invasive p130Cas/ErbB2 cells and correlate with metastatic status in human breast cancer patients. The present study, by using 2D and 3D breast cancer models, shows that the increased Blimp1 expression depends on both MAPK activation and miR-23b downmodulation. Moreover, we demonstrate that Blimp1 triggers cell invasion and metastasis formation via its effects on focal adhesion and survival signaling. These findings unravel the previously unidentified role that transcriptional repressor Blimp1 plays in the control of breast cancer invasiveness

Dysregulation of Blimp1 transcriptional repressor unleashes p130Cas/ErbB2 breast cancer invasion

ErbB2 overexpression is detected in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is correlated with poor survival. It was previously shown that the adaptor protein p130Cas/BCAR1 is a crucial mediator of ErbB2 transformation and that its overexpression confers invasive properties to ErbB2-positive human mammary epithelial cells. We herein prove, for the first time, that the transcriptional repressor Blimp1 is a novel mediator of p130Cas/ErbB2-mediated invasiveness. Indeed, high Blimp1 expression levels are detected in invasive p130Cas/ErbB2 cells and correlate with metastatic status in human breast cancer patients. The present study, by using 2D and 3D breast cancer models, shows that the increased Blimp1 expression depends on both MAPK activation and miR-23b downmodulation. Moreover, we demonstrate that Blimp1 triggers cell invasion and metastasis formation via its effects on focal adhesion and survival signaling. These findings unravel the previously unidentified role that transcriptional repressor Blimp1 plays in the control of breast cancer invasiveness